Mumbai is one of the largest metropolitan cities. It’s the busiest city and is known as the Bollywood hub. Riya Mehta lives in this city with her best friend, Neha Mittal, in a small apartment they rented with difficulty.

Finally, the day Riya has been eagerly looking forward to has come, the first event at Mithibai College. Her college has organized a drawing festival, ‘FESTIVAL DE DESSIN’ in which she is participating for the first time. She is very excited and thrilled to be appraised by the audience for her work of art. Riya has had a lot of interest in art since childhood. People often told her mom that she was a born artist and that God had created her to draw, but she knew how hard it was for her to get admission into her dream college.

Riya and Neha both prepared themselves well, the competition is about to start. Riya saw him coming towards them, Rohit, her bestie, was dressed in a blue suit with mismatched white shoes. He has been friends with her and Neha for 5 years now, and all three have come to Mumbai to follow their dreams.

‘Hi! Riya, Hi! Neha’, Rohit said.

‘Hi Rohit’ Riya answered.

‘Where were you dude…? You know na Riya is very nervous about this kind of event.’ Neha complained.

‘Arrey dude I am Sorry Ash, oops! Riya… (Smiling mischievously) I know you don’t like to be called that in here.’

Giving him an irritated look Riya asked, ‘Yeah fine, but where were you?’,

‘Oh, I was with my classmates, sorry for that too.’

Distracting them from their conversation, an announcement is made:

‘All contestants are requested to be on stage with their artworks, you will be reviewed soon’ called out the speaker. Riya and Neha both rushed on stage and Rohit settled in the audience with his friends.

The completion started and all the viewers voted for the best. After a long wait, the votes were counted and the results were ready with the judges. Riya and Neha are eager to know their results and so was Rohit. Preeti Mam, their favorite English teacher said, ‘So students I have the results in my hand and the 3rd prize goes to Neha Mittal…’

‘Yes! Would have wished for nothing else’ Neha hugged her bestie and rushed to the stage to get her trophy. Preeti mam continued ‘the 2nd prize goes to… (Riya crossed her fingers) Pooja Rathore… Riya was disappointed that she didn’t even receive a second prize.

‘Come on guys, let’s go, there is no hope for me, we can at least celebrate her success.’ They were about to exit when Preeti’s mam announced, ‘The 1st prize goes to Riya Mehta… Riya is still in shock when Rohit and Neha dragged her to the stage. She shyly accepts her trophy.

The three have a grand party in the evening with lots of samosas, pakoras, and a cake-cutting ceremony for both of them, in their tiny apartment.

Neha and Riya are waiting for their class to finish. One because they have to meet Rohit, who has told them to come early, and secondly because they were damn hungry!

Just as the bell rings, they hurry to the canteen. Before taking their seats, they bring their tray of food. While they were picking their food, they saw Rohit sitting with a not-so-slim guy. He is wearing denim jeans and a Pokemon t-shirt.

After picking up their food, they approach the table and sit down.

‘Hi, I’m Michael Mathew’, the guy introduced himself.

‘He is a friend of mine’, said Rohit.

‘Hi, I am Neha, and this is Riya’, Neha replied as they did shake hands with the new guy.

‘So, Michael where are you from?’ asked Riya.

‘I am basically from Chennai but was brought up in Haryana, and because of that, I know very little Tamil. What about you both?’

‘We both are from Delhi’ said Neha.

‘You are also doing Computer science, same as Rohit?’ inquired Riya.

‘Yeah, we are in the same class’, replied Michael.

Just then, some students came saying…

‘Announcement! Announcement! Announcement! … Library has stocked some new arrivals; whoever wants to issue can do it now.’

‘Riya, come with me na’, I was waiting for the new books’ begged Neha.

‘You also like reading books?’ asked Mathew.

‘Even you? Come on, then let us go quickly’, ‘Yeah, let’s go’.

They finished their lunch and went running.

Riya and Rohit are still eating because they love food more than anything. Afterward, they leave for their respective classes.

On her way to class, Riya goes to the library to pick up Neha, she looks here and there but couldn’t find her. She turned to the door and accidentally bumps into a guy; before she could fall he catches her in the air.

‘Sorry, Thank you’ Saying this she leaves there in embarrassment.

Memories flash to her mind when she had a similar situation. She rubbed it off and moved on to her class and she sees that Neha is already there. She quietly goes and sits beside her.

One more semester passes since Michael joined them. The four go out to eat together and spend their weekends on long rides. Since Michael and Neha had a common thing between them ‘the books’ they had a good tuning with each other.

The 2nd semester is going to end soon with its final exams.

‘Hey guys, why don’t we go somewhere in these summer holidays’ Neha raised a question.

‘Yeah it would be fun’ added Riya.

‘Sure let’s go, but where?’ inquired Rohit.

‘Why do we go trekking to Banjara hills? I have heard it’s a nice place for trekking’ suggested Michael.

‘OK, then that’s the plan’ answered Neha.

‘Don’t be late girls’ said Rohit laughingly.

The girl rolled their eyes at him and said ‘Yeah, sure’.

One week later the exams are over and while everyone is returning home four people are busy packing for their trekking trip. Michael said he will bring his jeep to reach the nearest point.

Riya, Neha and Rohit are waiting for Michael to come. Michael makes a call to Neha.

‘Hello Neha’ says Michael.

‘Yes Michael, where are you we have been waiting for 1 hour now.’ complained Neha.

‘There was a little bit of problem with the jeep…’ Before he could finish Neha started scolding, ‘There was a problem and you are telling now?’

‘Calm down, we got the problem solved, come outside.’ He says. Just then a car starts honking in front of the girl’s apartment.

Hearing the honk Rohit comes out with their lagguages to see an unfamiliar face and a car.

Michael steps out of the car and says, ‘this is my best friend Rohan, and he will be joining with us for trekking today’. (You see the car is his, he says quietly to Rohit).

‘Oh, I see.’ says Rohit.

(He didn’t really like the idea of having a new person for the trip, but there was no way out)

‘Hi I am Rohit’ introduces Rohit.

‘Hello I am Rohan, Rohan Jacob’ says Rohan.

‘Riya, Neha come out Michael is here, let’s go’. Rohit called out to them.

Riya comes out and sees the person standing next to Michael; she suddenly remembers that he is the same person she had bumped into, outside the library last month. Embarrassingly she tries to cover her face with her hands.

‘Shit!’ she whispers to herself. Michael introduces him to them and he just nods and smiles a little.

Rohan goes to start the car and Michael tells others that he a little reserved guy and mostly keeps to himself. He was forced by his mother to go out with us and thanks to that they got a ride.

They all get into the car keeping all stuff in the rear; Riya, Rohit and Neha sit in the backseat and Michael in the side seat with Rohan.

On the way they play many Hindi and English songs. All are singing with the beat except Riya who was sleeping and Rohan who is concentrated more on driving. They reach Sanovar Hotel by evening and check-in to the three rooms booked. They are to stay here tonight and go trekking the next day.

‘Come on let’s look around the area here we might find something for time pass till evening’ said Michael. They all go to a nearby mall and shop some food and water which they need to the next day.

It is 6:30 am Riya is already ready and is busy in waking others who were mostly still sleeping.

Riya said cutely, ‘Come on Neha wake up, we need to go babe. You can have your beauty sleep later on.

Making sure Neha has gotten up she goes to Michael’s and Rohit’s room. She knocks for at least 10 minutes till Rohit opens the door.

‘How much time do you guys need to open the door, we need to leave soon, get ready fast’ she says in a breath and leaves an astonished Rohit staring at her.

She is about to knock on Rohan’s door when she sees that his door is already open. She opens it ajar. She calls out to Rohan and goes in but doesn’t see anyone inside. She is about to leave when the bathroom door opens and Rohan enters the room in nothing but a towel. The water is dripping from his hair and muscular body into the carpet below.

Riya says (turning around) ‘Oh! I am sorry.

There is an awkward silence. Then finally Rohan says, ‘Can you just go out?’ That was what she wanted to hear, she ran away from there.

Everyone is ready by 7 am with their trekking outfits and bags of food and water they brought yesterday. Yesterday they got a map to follow up to the hill. Michael said earlier that Rohan knows the way better than us so, he is the one leading the way, followed by Rohit and Riya behind them were Neha and Michael.

While they were walking, Riya felt a gaze coming from Rohan towards her, it reminded her of the incident in the morning, Riya suddenly felt that Rohan had been rude to her earlier as if she had wanted to be in that situation, like she had purposely done it.

She had been in hilly areas before, she thought that even she can lead the way no need for this guy. She forcibly pulled Rohit with her and started walking in front of Rohan. Rohit was caught by surprise but didn’t mind it, as he was happy to stay by her side. He had always liked her. Since he had met her he had fallen for her, though he never admitted it as he was scared he might lose his friendship with her, if he gets rejected.

Suddenly, Riya slipped and fell and got a small cut on her knee. She was almost crying in pain, blood was dripping down her leg. Everyone rushed towards her. Rohit made her stand up, cleaned her, and dressed her wound while others tried to comfort her. All of a sudden Riya was being lifted. She was about to resist as she thought it was Rohit who picked her up, but then she was caught by surprise when she saw it was Rohan. She stood still. Rohit was in shock till he realized what had happened and it was too late to say something. Rohit carried her till they reached the hilltop. ‘Sorry for the trouble’ Riya said. ‘It’s ok’ replied Rohan.

After having lunch they decide to put a camp on the hilltop and stay the night there. All are then busy setting up tents and other things they had brought with them. Later they set a campfire and start to play truth and dare.

Everyone is having fun in the game, it is Rohit turn and he chooses ‘Truth’,

Neha asks Rohit ‘Tell us something which you always wanted to tell but could never say.’

Rohit thought, this is the perfect moment, if he fails also he could always say it was just a game. Bringing out all his confidence he says, ‘Riya, I LOVE YOU, I always loved you ever since I met you. Will you be mine?’

Riya gets shocked, but replies, ‘I am sorry Rohit I have always loved one person and that’s not you.’

Rohit receives a shock, but suddenly responds, ‘Fooled you Riya, I was just joking.’

Riya says, ‘Thank god, it was a lie, or I wouldn’t know how to face you from now on

Neha who had suspected Rohit liked Riya inquires, ‘You never mentioned anything about someone you like Riya?’

Riya replies. ‘You never asked.’

Neha insists, ‘Tell me who is he?’

Riya laughingly says, ‘Ha… Ha… You can’t ask me it is not my turn now.’

It is Rohan’s turn and Michael asks him, ‘What is the thing which you always regretted doing?’

He says, ‘There was a girl who had liked me a lot and even I liked her but could never let her know because my dreams were my priorities. Later I did regret it and tried my best to tell her my feelings for her but I lost my chance as I was shifted to Mumbai. I wish I could go back in time to let her know I liked her too.’

Feeling suspicious of the story, Riya asks, ‘Where were you before you shifted to Mumbai?’

Rohan says, ‘I was in Delhi back then’

Riya says, ‘Delhi? Oh I am also from Delhi by any chance was your girl’s name Rihana? Ha… Ha… just kidding.

Hearing the name Rohan responds quickly, ‘How do you know her name?’

‘Really, your girl’s name is Rihana?’

‘Yeah, that’s what her friends used to call her,’

Rohit interrupted, ‘But Riya, it is your name right?’

‘By any chance were you studying at Delhi Public School?’ inquired Rohan.

Riya’s heartbeat skipped ‘Don’t tell me you are called Jim in school?’

‘Yes, I was.’ A sense of relief flashed in both their eyes, and they both stared at each other in disbelief.

The others start to make sense of the situation, which just happened.

Riya was transferred fromKolkata to Delhi. She was studying in Delhi Public School 6th std. She had abest friend Swetha. She was a friendly-natured girl who liked making friends. OnceSwetha told her that a guy in the neighboring class liked her. Later she came toknow he was called Jim. One time she had accidentally bumped into the guy and shecouldn’t even say sorry to him after seeing that it was Jim. She hadunintentionally and accidentally fallen for him. She used to peek into his class tojust get one glance at him. Her friends persuaded her a lot to go and propose to him. Finally, after waiting for two long years, one fine day she went up to himand said, ‘Hi Jim I am Ash and I wanted to tell you that I love you.’

She didn’tknow her innocent words were going to be crushed very soon. He replied coldly,’I hate you.’ She was confused as she was told that this person had liked herand that’s why she started liking him in return. But now that didn’t matter toher whether he liked her or not, she was already in love with him.

Though shehad failed her 1st attempt she tried again another time. Again theanswer was the same. Still, she didn’t give up. It was his birthday coming; shebought a gift for him. When she gave him the gift she was told to take it backor he would throw it.

Riya was very sad. She cried, cried a lot till her tearscould come no more. About a month laterafter regaining her strength, she went to look for him, to give a last try. Shecould never find him again. He was not seen anywhere but still, he was there inher heart.

Hearing this, Riya runs out of there followed by Rohan.

Riya inquires, ‘Jim, just now did you say you loved me?’

‘Yes’ replies Rohan.

‘Idiot, why didn’t you tell me back then?’ tears dripped from her eyes this time out of happiness.

‘My father suddenly got transferred and I couldn’t get a chance to tell you nor had I anyway to reach you.’ he hugged her while she cried.

‘Do you remember the library incident?’ He said she nodded a yes.

‘It reminded me of you Raihana. I missed you. I loved the way you proposed to me without worrying about the consequences, I am sorry I wasn’t brave enough to tell you how I felt for you. I am sorry, and yeah Raihana, I love you.’

‘I missed you in every moment of my life, I have always loved you and always will’ Rohan confessed.

‘I love you too Jim, I love you so much.’ she said wiping back her tears.

They come back and tell their friends about their past, and that the person Riya is waiting for is none other than Rohan.