Vansh was glad to see her joy, but he knew that lunch with her would be as tiresome as he expected. Then he saw her smiling; his thoughts resisted returning to reality.
Just then, the roof door opened, and both of them turned to look.
Two silhouettes stood in the doorway, motionless. Before either of them could react, one silhouette moved forward.
With a swift kick, a body was suddenly pushed out onto the roof; it was Srujan. Rina stepped out from behind, her legs still poised in the kicking position.
"Don't block the door!" she yelled at him. Srujan was holding two lunch boxes in his hands. One was wrapped in a clean, plain blue cloth, tied securely at the top. The other box was in a small zipped bag; from a distance, both appeared to be the same size.
One lunchbox in each hand, as he fell, his instinct told him to save the boxes. His posture bent slightly forward, and his lower back tried to stand properly; his hands reached forward to prevent the fall of those precious things.
"Hey! Be careful; those lunches could have fallen and made a mess," he replied as he stood up straight.
"Then who told you to block it? What were you hoping to achieve by standing there like a statue? You idiot." Her question made him flinch.
He made a silly face and shrugged. "I thought I'd scare them with my shadow and make it look like something ominous."
"That's really a bad idea. Who would do that? You always try to block the doors," she said, unimpressed.
"When did I...?" He wondered if his own thoughts held the answer.
"It was a necessary kick; don't argue about it anymore," she sighed in frustration. "Whatever, let's go in—I mean, out."
Both Aanya and Vansh tilted their heads simultaneously, indicating their agreement about the pointless exchange of words.
Vansh stepped toward the door, but before he could leave, Rina called out. He turned back.
"Where do you think you're going, Ninja?" Rina teased, giving him a playful nickname.
"Ninja?" Vansh thought to himself. "I was just going out for lunch, I guess? Since it's almost lunchtime."
"Well, to break it down, your lunch is already here. So come over here," she instructed.
"My lunch?" Vansh looked at her hands, noticing only a regular lunchbox inside a perfectly zipped bag.
"What are you guys holding in your hands?" Aanya asked the two of them.
"Oh, this?" Srujan said as he lifted both, "Lunch?"
Well, wasn't it obvious? Why would she ask such a question?
Then she asked something odd, "Well, three?"
Srujan, filled with enthusiasm, replied, "Yeah!"
Vansh was also puzzled by the mention of an odd number; he thought maybe it was Aanya's box. But given the way she was asking, she would have recognised her own lunch right away. He turned towards Srujan's side.
"Well, this is for you." Srujan stepped forward, holding out a lunchbox wrapped in cloth. Vansh stared at the box for a moment. "For me?" he thought to himself.
"I checked your bag, but I couldn't find any lunchbox. Were you planning to go to the cafeteria?" Rina asked Aanya. Aanya looked at Rina, confused by her words. "There was no lunchbox?"
She went blank for a moment as memories started to surface. At that moment, she recalled the box lying on the table in her living room.
Realisation hit her. "Th-that... I," she stuttered, knowing she had messed up. "I missed my lunchbox," she said slowly under her breath.
She glanced back and forth at Vansh, anticipating mean comments. She fidgeted with her thumb. Vansh had been watching her, and when their gazes met, he understood her situation.
He sighed, "I am... I have no words," feeling too drained to say anything more. Srujan and Rina tilted their heads in curiosity.
"Enough of this. Before things go any further, can we settle down? I'm tired of standing," Vansh declared, showcasing his laziness.
Everyone started to dust off their hands, except Aanya, who moved toward the door. Srujan and Rina placed their lunchboxes down, took them out of the bag, and untied the knots.
Vansh called out to Aanya, "I don't think you need a special invitation to join us, girl."
"I don't have a lunchbox, so I'm heading to the cafeteria." She was ready to accept her defeat.
"Don't make that decision on your own; you can't just dismiss your own request."
"Request?" she thought to herself as Vansh stood in front of her. "Come and sit."
Aanya hesitated for a moment, but Vansh handed her a spoon. She took it without a word. "Remember, we're having lunch together," he said.
She followed him, and they both sat down. He opened the lunchbox given by Srujan. Aanya's mind was swirling with thoughts about how she could have made the same mistake twice.
Inside the lunchbox, there was a portion of rice filling half of it and some chicken that looked neatly fried in butter, glistening reddish-orange, with coriander sprinkled on top. Srujan pulled out another small box from the bag and pushed it towards Vansh, containing some plain curry.
The small box was inside the bag, an extra portion reserved for him and Vansh.
Vansh took a portion from the lid of the box and mixed it with the chicken dish. He gave the remaining food in the box to Aanya and kept the lid for himself.
"How can I take this? It was meant for you. My first mistake: missing breakfast, and now this?"
Vansh sighed, "Well, we're in the same boat. I didn't bring any lunch either. Let's put it this way, Srujan didn't just make it for me; he bought it for you too."
Srujan and Rina were watching how Vansh was trying to convince Aanya; neither had taken a bite yet and dared not interrupt their conversation.
"There's no time to feel awkward," Vansh said, holding the box in front of her. "Will you take it already? My hand is starting to ache."
She instinctively took it, holding the box in her hands and the spoon in her right hand underneath it. She looked at Vansh.
"You've never cared for anyone or put anyone else first. But when it comes to friends, you are different. Even after all these years and everything that has happened." Aanya felt both relieved and anxious as this thought emerged. For Vansh, maybe this was just a casual lunch, but for her, it meant more.
Her memories began to pull her back to that very same bench, sitting there with him, both eating together amidst the chaos of sound. His voice was all she could hear, and everything else felt numb.
Rina handed out tissues for them to clean their hands. After cleaning their hands, they finally picked up their spoons.
Srujan felt nervous as he watched Aanya and Vansh prepare to take their first bites. When they did, they both went still.
"What happened? Are the rice still in a seed state?" Rina never missed an opportunity for humour.
"It's actually... quite good," Vansh stated, offering a compliment. Aanya nodded in agreement. As Vansh took a bite of the chicken dish, he remarked, "It's quite tender, properly spiced, and juicy."
"Thank you for your words," Srujan said, his face lighting up with a smile and relief.
"I'm still quite surprised," Vansh continued, taking another bite of the chicken.
"Why are you surprised?" Aanya asked.
"Getting lunch from him was very unexpected."
"Now, that came out of nowhere! Is that really the least expected thing?" Srujan said, still in disbelief.
"I agree with that statement—it's not low, but zero," Rina added, eager to stir the pot.
"All I could picture was him messing up in the kitchen," Vansh said.
"Yeah, like when he would try to crack an egg on his forehead, and the yolk would be dripping down his face. I can totally see that happening," Rina laughed.
"Hey, I'm not that bad or clumsy in the kitchen! That's so mean of you," Srujan protested, still shocked.
"But whatever it is, I really like it," Vansh said, finishing his last bite. "Thanks for the lunch; I will definitely repay you for this."
Srujan leaned forward and gently bumped his forehead against the lid of his lunchbox. "What a ridiculous thing to say—repay? So lame! I don't need anything like that from you; after all, we're friends."
"Friends...?" Vansh's mind went quiet, and a gentle breeze touched his heart, bringing a sudden calmness. "Yeah, thanks." He felt a wave of gratitude towards Srujan.
Srujan puffed out his chest with pride, his chin raised. Rina playfully punched his back, making him choke a little. Aanya laughed as the scene unfolded.
The afternoon breeze brushed over the four of them, creating a peaceful atmosphere. They chatted about night shows and various random topics. Seizing the moment, Srujan asked a question.
"Vansh, how was your previous school life?" Silence fell over the group as all three waited for his response.
Rina and Aanya paused mid-bite, watching as he took a step forward. Meanwhile, Vansh had also finished his lunch. He placed the lid down and put the spoon on it.
"That came out of nowhere," Vansh said, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, I'm intrigued. I'll share mine later too, so go on," Srujan chuckled, brushing his hair back.
"My previous school life? It's not particularly interesting. To be honest, I don't remember much," Vansh said with a straight face.
Silence filled the air; the honesty behind his words held no hidden motive. They couldn't deny it or question him further. If a typical student said that, some might respond with, "Hey, that's so strange. Who wouldn't remember their precious school life?"
However, this was not the case for everyone. Not every student moves at the same pace. Some enjoy every moment with their friends, with all the memories embedded in their minds. But others? Isolated in a corner, enjoying their own company, following the same routine every day. Friends? Not everyone is lucky enough to experience the boon of kinship or friendship.
Vansh, the one who lost his memories, exhibited these qualities.
Aanya, trying to break the silence, offered him some more rice, but he declined it as he was full. Rina knew she had to do something.
"Don't remember? Or no moments to recall? Looking at you, you've done at least something, right?"
"Not that I've done anything noteworthy; it's just that nothing piqued my interest in middle school. I spent most of my time in the library."
"You read books? Novels?"
"I slept."
"Huh? Seriously? You would skip class just to sleep in the library?"
"I didn't skip class, maybe just one or two. But everyone in the class was so energetic; watching them drained me."
All three shared the same thought as he spoke: "What type of energy drain is this?"
Vansh looked at the three of them. "You guys are thinking about how weird this is, aren't you?"
Srujan feigned shock. "Don't act like a psychic."
"There's no such thing as a psychic. Now drop my boring backstory and tell me yours, as you promised," Vansh said.
"So you are interested in my story?"
"Nope, it's just that you said you would share it, and I'm bored, with no other option," Vansh said, shaking his head.
"Don't make me look bad here," Srujan said, resting his chin on his fingers. "My school life was ridiculous."
He took his spoon and started to wave it like a magic wand. "More like the whole institution was odd. All the students were obsessed with their studies. Everywhere I went, students were either taking quizzes or reading in the shade of a tree."
"That's what normal students do," Rina remarked, shooting him a sideways glance.
"I'm not saying it's bad; most of the students wore glasses. I even saw two students fighting over a pair of specs, claiming ownership. It was all one big cycle. They would cancel sports to make room for extra classes. Only the scholarship students got extra activities. My school had over 800 to 1,000 students."
"That many?" Aanya asked.
"Yeah, after all, it was one of the best schools for academics."
"Can I ask which school that was?"
"Oh, that was Brurney King."
"WAIT! WHAT??" Rina and Aanya exclaimed, astonished. "You mean that prestigious institution?"
Srujan nodded. "So why didn't you continue? You could have gone to an excellent college from there, and maybe even received a better scholarship."
"Blah blah, I've heard that many times. I just didn't find my place there. I was bored in that country, so I came back here."
"Then why this school?" Aanya asked.
"It was near my home," Srujan replied with a straight face, showing no ulterior motive behind the answer.
"That place suited Rina more than me," Srujan said, glancing at Rina and smirking.
"This idiot!" Rina thought, clenching her fist, ready to smash his head.
Srujan, with his dramatic gestures, added some excitement to the story.
But gradually, his movements slowed.
He slowly lowered his hands, turned his head toward Vansh, and looked at him.
"Then there was a time, before that, when I had a friend whom I missed a lot," he said.