Little Love

Chapter 18: Worthy

Dear Lovelies,

I know, I know I was MIA for a long time. I was in a dilemma about the future of Jeet. Now that I have figured things out, I have come up with a new chapter and hopefully, you all will like it. Enjoy !!

Love

W

"Are you kidding me?" Shubh bellowed. The laptop screen had four panels. Kailash's recovering face peeped in one of them. Palash was cooped in a small room. His background had a stretched photo of Manisha Querela (A Bollywood actress) on the chipped wall. Jeet had a relatively cleaner background. His specs were sliding down the bridge of his nose as he tried to read a fat book.

"No, I am not. This place is literally on fire." Palash tried to explain. "Look, I am wearing a sleeveless t-shirt." He swayed his hand

"But it is December. Even my bones are frozen." Shubh said with astonishment.

"Yeah, come to Delhi. Even your soul will freeze." Jeet interjected. Everyone roared into a fit of laughter.

"This is amazing, isn't it?" Shubh said. "This Zoom thing. Who would have thought we could talk like this?". Shubh and all the Mukherjee boys got their first laptops as soon as they got into their colleges. It included Jeet and excluded Kailash. Zoom was still new, but the boys would always call each other once in a while.

"Did Baba send you extra money this month?" Kailash asked Jeet. Ever since Jeet and Palash went to college, they received pocket money for their expense. To an extent, Jeet was reluctant at first, he still is, bit by bit, trying to be a part of the Mukherjees.

"Yes, he did. He asked to buy a new camera." Jeet clarified.

"I tell you, these oldies." Kailash sounded frustrated. "He has just sent you ten thousand extra. How are you supposed to buy a camera with it?" Kailash complained.

"It is ok Kailash. I will manage." Jeet chuckled.

"Manage? Manage?" Kailash boomed. "Mukherjee boys don't manage or compromise. I will ask Dad to send you the rest." He declared.

"But..." Jeet's protest was cut short.

"No buts bhai. I can't imagine doing anything other than studies right now." Palash gushed out. "You are trying to freelance along with your studies and we as a family will support and help in every way." He declared proudly. Jeet just nodded. Although he was adopted, it would take time to be a family, rather learn to be a family. He had no idea how a family worked; all this was new.

"Aii chol...I got to go. I got to drop Pihu to her dance classes." Kailash sighed as he waved his hand. Jeet's body stiffened at the mention of Pihu. After that fateful night, he never saw her. He went back home during the Durga Puja but she was not there. She decided to visit her aunt in Pune for her Pujo break. It felt like she was trying to avoid him. It broke him not to get a glimpse of her but he had brought it upon himself.

"Huh....today is Thursday right?" Shubh asked with a confused look.

"Yeah," Palsh replied with a shrug.

"So Pihu does not have dance classes on Thursdays," Shubh said tilting his head.

"Yeah...something about some function...." Kailash said in an uninterested tone. "She was about to call you but I was heading that way so I offered to drop her."

"O..." Shubh raised his brows. "Fine...I will pick her up in the evening." He said in a matter of fact way, but his eyes were on Jeet.

"Then get your car. Her sister has also joined the classes." Kailash said. His voice had an edginess to it. Shubh just nodded his head. His eyes were still on Jeet. "I will drop out of the meet now...Palash call Dad right now. He wanted to talk to you about something." The edginess was still there in his voice. Both the twins dropped from the call. Only Jeet and Shubh were left. The silence between them was awkward, to say the least.