Jasmine and Kriti met each other for the first time at a café. Jasmine was standing in the line, waiting to order, behind Kriti, who had a phone in her neck, and her two hands were filled with bags of materials and books. She looked overwhelmed and was ordering coffee for someone else.
"Could you just decide already? I don't have much time to spare. Decide fast." Kriti barked on the phone.
"So, one cafe mocha with a vanilla shot. That's it, right?"
"Excuse me, one cafe mocha with a vanilla shot, please." Kriti ordered.
"That would be 150 INR. Cash or card?" The cashier said.
"Cash," Kriti said as she struggled to take out her purse from her jeans' pocket.
Jasmine, sensing the difficulty and looking at her already late schedule, couldn't take it anymore. She took out her purse and started searching for the right change.
"Here," Jasmine handed her a 200 INR note from her purse and paid for her.
"Thank you," Kriti said as she gave that note to the cashier. "I'll give it back to you as soon as possible."
"Hmm," Jasmine said and walked in front to order her café latte.
A few minutes later, Kriti came up to her, holding a 200 INR note, and said, "Thanks back then. My hands were so full. Sorry if I took too long."
"It's ok. No problem." Jasmine replied curtly as she took her order from the self-checkout and left the café.
Kriti's classmate, Felix, was holding the bags with great difficulty. He was the guy Kriti was ordering the coffee for. He came to the store, taking his own sweet time, while Kriti was suffering with the bags and his mess.
"Bro, why are these so heavy?" Felix asked as he was carrying the bags that actually were for him.
"Now do you know why I was mad at you?" Kriti said as she air punched him at his abdomen.
Jasmine arrived late to the class, but fortunately the professor was running late as well, so she didn't face any issue. However, she was a bit annoyed by the fact that she was late to the class and sat down near Siddharth with a long face.
"What happened? Why are you so late?" Siddharth said as he snatched the coffee from her hand.
"Nothing, just a wine-coloured nail polished woman took too long in the line, making me late by 10 mins." Jasmine said as she took away the cup from Siddharth's hands before he took a sip from it.
"Anyways, have you done the assignment?"
"I have, this time." Siddharth said as he took out a binder of sheets stuck to each other.
"Listen, today I have to go to the student council meeting. It's my first time going there, and I don't know what they are going to do there or how long it will take, so have dinner by yourself."
"Ok, I guess. Shall I drop you at the council room?" Jasmine said as she finished her coffee.
"No need. I know where it is," Siddharth said.
"Ok. Then, call me once it's done. In case it's early, then we can have dinner together," Jasmine said.
Around 6:30 pm, Jasmine heard a knock on her door. Surprised that someone was knocking on her door, she opened it and found it was none other than Jaya.
"Hi Jaya! Come in, come in." Jasmine opened the door wide as Jaya was removing her shoes to get inside.
"Just felt like dropping by. I was bored in my room, and I have nothing to watch to dispel the boredom." Jaya said as she entered and closed the door.
"Good thing that you came. I too was bored and decided to cook dinner early. Sit, I'll get you something," Jasmine said as she reached for her box of cookies.
"Thanks." Jaya sat on the couch and switched on the radio.
The apartment was now lively with the news and advertisements of the radio.
"Jazz, what's the menu?" Jaya said as she leaned on the sofa.
"Fried rice and chicken. I am done with the chicken. I only need to make the fried rice," Jasmine said.
"Shall I help?" Jaya asked and got up from her couch. She walked up to the kitchen.
"No need. No need," Jasmine said and tried to send Jaya back to the living room. Jaya, determined to help, took a cutting board and said, "Give it here; I'll cut the vegetables."
"Fine. Here are the carrots and the bell peppers. Cut them in thin strips." Jasmine said and gave it to her.
"Is Ranga going to come any time soon? Or is he planning on ordering tonight?" Jasmine asked.
"I don't know about that. He said it would end soon. But it looks like he will bail on dinner with us," Jaya said.
"Jaya, can I ask you a question?" Jasmine turned towards Jaya and stared into her eyes.
Jaya could feel some kind of unknown pressure. Like, she had to be careful and think before speaking a single word. Jaya steadied her inner chaos and said, "Ask."
"If, one day, one day, Ranga decides to serve in the army like his dad and gets deployed to some far country for peacekeeping. Will you wait for him? If one day, he decides to dedicate his life to the country, will you accept it?" Jasmine asked seriously. "Siddharth comes from a military family with a military background. Even though he never spoke it aloud, but being his sister, I know sometimes he does think about choosing that life. Would be ready to take that risk?"
"Of course I would. Why wouldn't I? I will be with him forever. Wherever he goes, I go," Jaya said casually. It was common sense. She loves Siddharth, and she is ready to go with him to the end of the world.
"Jaya, I am serious." Jasmine was not casual, though. She was far from casual. She had the scariest face ever. Someone whom she stopped being a long time back. Dark, moody and scary. If her eyes could kill, Jaya was on the verge of being stabbed to death.
"I'll give you the reality then," Jasmine said.