Sushi wanted to forget everything.

She wished if she could just disappear and go back to the day she met Professor Salahuddin for the first time. She could change everything...one chance that's all she wished for and that was something that she could not get.

She could not believe that her parents believed that she was having an affair, when someone called them and said that they had seen her and Thomas together. They just took the words of a stranger without even asking her about it.

It was true that they hung out together a few times but the meetings never exceeded any limit. They did not even sit next to each other, let alone doing anything romantic.

What was wrong with everyone?

Sayanth informed her about some uncle having seen her with Thomas. Turned out, Thomas was that uncle's younger son's friend and recognized Sushi as the girl he saw with Thomas when her father sent them her for a proposal for his elder son.

"Stop, Shahma chechi's house is here, isn't it?" Sayanth shook Sushi by her shoulder.

Sushi applied a sudden brake and then turned to glare at her brother. She could not manage to scold him when she saw the  evident panic in his eyes and deep breaths.

She turned the bike and stopped in-front of Shahma's house. She honked, praying that Shahma was not late that time too. Her mind was yet not ready to accumulate any problem.

Sushi was relieved to see Shahma after the first honk itself. An amused and mocking smile appeared on her face as she saw her best friend dolled up yet early for the first time in her life. Sushi whistled.

Shahma hurried to her best best friend and covered  Sushi's mouth with her hand, jingling the bangles on the way. Shahma looked at Sayanth and then raised an eyebrow at Sushi.

Sushi pinched on her brother's thigh when she noticed that he was about to give away something. Sayanth groaned in pain as he rubbed slowly on the attacked area.

"It's been a while since he went out, so I thought the genius needed a break," Sushi shrugged as Shahma wondered about her means of transport.

Her wondering was over when Sayanth moved closer to his sister and tapped on the space behind him. Sayanth was feeling very excited o his first ever trip as a part of triplesome on bike.  All his pain due to the pinch vanished into thin air when Shahma sat behind him.

He achieved something, he was one step closer to being a man. His smile widened when he thought about how badass they were being by breaking a rule. Life would be a lot more interesting and carefree once he was an adult. His life would be perfect if his grades keep up the same way. He could be so carefree when he become rich. He could have whatever he wanted. He was never going to marry. Marriage and love are just obstacles to a beautiful life.

"Oi...Rajkumar! Are you going to get down or should I push you off my bike?" His sister's cackle like voice brought him back to the real world.

They were infront of the Erumadam restaurant. There weren't many people even if the smell of hot Shawarma and spicy Tandoori filled the air. Last time, he had come with his family for a dinner treat by his maternal uncle. It was dinner time, may be that was why there were so many people then.

Shahma lended him a hand as he jumped down from Sushi's yellow piece of trash. He smiled at his sister's best friend.

" You are nicer when dealing with him, do you hold some grudge against me or something?" Shahma said as she kept her helmet on the rear view mirror.

It was true Shahma was always good to Sayanth and that was exactly why he knew she was more reliable than his own sister to handle mature things. His sister was lovely but she was too childish for her age.

"Well, you are nicer to Shahana," Shahma pinched Sushi's gorgeous cheek. " Isn't it my sushi pushi?"

" You have got a point comrade," Sushi tapped on Shahma's shoulder and proceeded walking to the first floor of the restaurant. Sushi's shoulders drooped once she turned to the restaurant and Sayanth was mature and intelligent enough to understand that she was still not over what happened at their house.

Sayanth had believed her when she said that Thomas was only a friend. He could not help but wonder why she did not say that she did not have a boyfriend. She used to react like that whenever he used to tease her with the name of guys from her class.

Sushi used to talk a lot...friends, teacher, school, memories, gossips, books...she would talk about anything and everything except Shamna. She did not like staying quite, atleast she never did so when she was in front of Sayanth.

His sister was looking at the hanging pot with turtle vine. She was quite, very quite.

Shahma was supposed to chat and have fun with his sister but she seemed to be lost in her own world as her eyes were glued to the phone. She kept looking around every once in a while, like she was looking for someone.

Sayanth wanted to order when the waiter came but he thought that it was too impolite and a very not manly action. He looked at his sister but she was still counting the number of leaves in the plant. He hoped that Shahma would order something when she raised her head and looked at the waiter but to his dismay, she said that they were waiting for someone.

He looked at Sushi for answers but face palmed when he realized that she was still in her own world. Was she counting the number of veins or something?

She simply had to let her parents know that it was all just a misunderstanding , just like how she said it to him. She did not have to overthink about this. He was already suffering from the lose of his elder sister and he did not want Sushi to be away from him due to some mental issues.

Truth be told, he did not want her to marry and go off to some other's house, even if she was one of the most annoying people on the surface of earth. It would be dark and gloomy if she too left.

Shamna was always quite but there was some kind of positive energy that she provided Sayanth with whenever they had small talks. He missed her affectionate pats and soft kisses on forehead. She used to buy story books for him with her pocket money. She used to be a really good cook and used to make bull's eye for him everyday, bull's eye with unbroken yolk.

He missed her very much. If he had a second chance he would change her mind, he knew that he could but it's the second chances that nobody ever gets. He sighed.

He must have at least taken his short notes. This was boring and exhausting. He tapped on Sushi's shoulder. She shook suddenly before turning to him.

"Phone?" He whisper asked.

Sushi did not ask him why. Neither did she lecture him, she simply took the phone and was about to pass it to him when she suddenly froze. Her eyes went past Shahma who was sitting opposite to them. Sayanth's eyes followed her gaze.

Just in front of the staircase stood a very familiar man. He knew that spectacled baldy but could not point out who the person was. He too looked shocked, just like Sushi.

There was a period of utterly tensed silence before Shahma turned and waved to the familiar man.He took small careful steps towards them with pocketed hands.

He took the seat beside Shahma as Shahma asked Sushi to call the waiter. He kept looking at the menu, it looked like he was having a board exam the next day with the menu as the syllabus.

His bald sparkled even more due to the droplets of sweat on his shiny bald. He took a towel and wiped the sweat on his forehead. Sayanth did not feel it to be too hot in there and he wondered why the familiar man was sweating so much.

"Oh Sayanth," Shahma called him. She pointed Professor Salahuddin with her thumb enthusiastically, " This is profess- I mean, Salahuddin, my fiancé."

Beside him, Sushi had already ordered some dishes as Shahma introduced the familiar man. There was a sudden pause as she looked at Professor Salahuddin. Shahma's eyes darted between the two.

"I know Shahma's favorite food but not yours, what should I order, Jeeju? "

Suddenly, there was a thunder out of the blue sky. Sayanth covered his ears due to the loud noise, leaning towards his sister. He did not know if it was for protecting her or himself.