The Lunch Earned

The Lunch Earned 

"I am famished. Will you come for lunch or not?" Veena asked Vanitha with exasperation, tapping her foot impatiently. Both were twin sisters working in an IT company at OMR.

"Coming, coming!" Vanitha shouted back, hurriedly shutting down her laptop. "You know how these last-minute emails are."

They both exited the office building and stepped into the blazing sun. The heat was oppressive, with the asphalt radiating waves of heat that made the air shimmer. People huddled under the sparse shade of trees and awnings, trying to escape the relentless sun.

"Why is it always so hot here?" Veena muttered, wiping sweat off her brow.

"Tell me about it," Vanitha replied, adjusting her sunglasses. "I think I’m melting."

They were about to cross the street towards a nearby restaurant when a sudden commotion drew their attention. A bike, speeding through the street, wove dangerously close to pedestrians. The pillion rider snatched a golden chain from a lady walking ahead of them, who screamed in shock and terror.

"Did you see that?" Veena exclaimed, her eyes widening.

Without a second thought, Veena picked up a stone from the side of the road and hurled it with precision. The stone struck the bike's wheel, causing the bike to skid and the riders to crash onto the tarmac. The sound of screeching tires and the thud of bodies hitting the ground echoed through the street.

"Quick, Vanitha!" Veena shouted, adrenaline pumping through her veins. 

Vanitha, acting on instinct, grabbed the pepper spray from her bag. They ran towards the fallen snatchers, who were groaning and trying to get up. With a swift motion, Vanitha sprayed the pepper spray into their eyes. The men screamed, clutching their faces in agony.

A crowd quickly gathered around the scene, murmuring and pointing. Some people took out their phones, recording the incident, while others called the police.

"Are you okay?" Veena asked the lady whose chain had been snatched. 

The lady, tears streaming down her face, nodded shakily. "Thank you so much. You were so brave."

"Just doing what anyone would," Vanitha said, though her hands were trembling from the adrenaline rush.

The police arrived within minutes, taking the snatchers into custody. Veena handed the chain back to the lady, who accepted it with profuse gratitude.

"Thank you, thank you," the lady repeated, her voice filled with relief.

"Just be careful," Vanitha advised. "This area can be dangerous sometimes."

As the crowd dispersed and the situation calmed down, Veena and Vanitha looked at each other, a mix of pride and disbelief in their eyes.

"Well, that was intense," Veena said, taking a deep breath.

"Yeah, who knew lunch would turn into an action movie?" Vanitha replied, laughing to ease the tension.

They continued their walk to the restaurant, the adrenaline slowly wearing off. The sun was still scorching, but now, it seemed a little more bearable.

"You know," Veena said, as they finally entered the cool, air-conditioned restaurant, "I think we've earned ourselves a really good lunch."

Vanitha nodded, smiling. "Definitely. And maybe a dessert too."

As they sat down and ordered their meal, the reality of what had just happened sank in. They had acted bravely and instinctively, protecting someone in need.

"To us," Veena said, raising her glass of water. "And to being badass sisters."

"Cheers," Vanitha replied, clinking her glass with Veena’s, feeling a bond stronger than ever.