An ideal weekend should feel like waking up at 11 AM with messy hair, endless scrolling, random laughter echoing through the house, and absolutely no responsibilities.

It should feel lazy. Peaceful. Comfortable.

But unfortunately for Aadhya Malhotra-

Weekends in her life started with chaos.

"AADHYA! Agar tu uth ke niche nahi aayi na, toh meri chappal udti hui tere paas aayegi!"

Maahi Malhotra's loud voice echoed through the entire house, successfully destroying whatever peaceful dream Aadhya was having.

(If you don't come downstairs right now, my slipper will come flying toward you!)

Buried deep inside her blanket like a hibernating animal, Aadhya let out a dramatic groan and pulled the pillow over her head.

"Nooo..." she muttered half-asleep.

The soft morning sunlight slipped through the curtains, falling directly over her bed and making her irritation grow worse.

Weekends were meant for sleeping. Not surviving.

Just then-

The bedroom door burst open dramatically.

"Uth jaa tadka kahin ki. Din bhar bed pe padi rehti hai."

Vihaan walked into the room looking annoyingly fresh for someone who existed this early in the morning.

(Wake up, idiot. You spend your entire life lying on this bed.)

Without mercy, he grabbed a fistful of Aadhya's hair and tugged it lightly.

"Aaaaa!" Aadhya cried out dramatically before glaring at him murderously from inside her blanket cocoon.

"Nikal jaa yaha se, Gian ke bacche!" she snapped sleepily.

(Get out of here, child of Gian!)

Vihaan froze.

Slowly... Very slowly...

A horrified gasp escaped his mouth.

"Hawww!"

He placed a hand over his chest dramatically like she had personally betrayed the nation.

"Papa ko 'Gian' bola tune?! Ruk, mai abhi batata hoon!"

(You called dad 'Gian'? Wait till I tell him!)

Aadhya narrowed her sleepy eyes dangerously.

The next second-

THUD!

A pillow flew straight across the room and smacked Vihaan directly in the face.

For a moment, silence filled the room.

Then Vihaan slowly lowered the pillow while staring at Aadhya in betrayal.

Meanwhile, Aadhya sat on the bed with messy hair sticking out everywhere, looking grumpy and victorious at the same time.

Vihaan's eyes widened dramatically.

"Ohhh." He bent down immediately, grabbed the slipper lying near the bed, and pointed it toward her like a weapon.

"Tadka kii mauseri chachi! Chhodunga nahi tujhe aaj!"

(You menace! I won't spare you today!)

The sleep vanished from Aadhya's body instantly.

"Pakad to le pehle, besure Gian!" she yelled before jumping off the bed.

(Catch me first, you off-brand Gian!)

And within seconds-

Chaos erupted.

Aadhya ran out of the bedroom laughing loudly while Vihaan chased after her with the slipper in hand.

Their footsteps thundered across the hallway as constant yelling echoed through the house.

"MAA! Dekho isko!"

(Mom, look at her!)

"Mummy! Ye pagal ho gaya hai!"

(Mummy, he has gone mad!)

"RUK TU!"

(Wait you!)

"Nahi rukungi!"

(Won't!)

Meanwhile downstairs, Maahi stood in the kitchen holding a spatula while watching her children run around like escaped zoo animals.

She closed her eyes.

Took a deep breath.

And questioned every life decision that had led her to this moment.

Suddenly,

The entire house went silent.

Too silent.

Both Vihaan and Aadhya slowly turned their heads at the exact same time.

And immediately froze,

Maahi stood there with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, staring at both of them with a dangerously calm expression.

The kind of calm that was actually more terrifying than shouting.

Her eyes slowly moved from the slipper in Vihaan's hand... to the pillow lying dramatically on the floor... to her two children standing like wanted criminals.

Aadhya gulped.

Vihaan straightened immediately.

For one horrifying second, nobody moved.

Then Aadhya slowly leaned toward Vihaan and whispered dramatically,

"Bhag jao Gian bhaiya...warna aaj tawa ki jagah humein rakh degi mummy gas pe..."

(Let's run, Gian brother...or today mom will put us on the stove instead of the pan.)

Vihaan nodded instantly with complete seriousness.

"Agreed."

And the next second,

Both siblings turned around and sprinted toward their bedroom like fugitives escaping the country.

"AADHYA!"

"VIHAAN!"

Maahi's furious voice echoed through the house while the sound of their loud laughter and running footsteps followed immediately after.

Meanwhile, Maahi stood in the middle of the living room, taking a long, deep breath while mentally convincing herself not to disown her children.

Honestly, she deserved financial compensation for raising them.

As the day slowly passed, the chaos settled down.

The bright afternoon sunlight faded into soft golden evening hues, and the house finally became quieter for once.

Well... almost quieter.

Vihaan lay sprawled across his bed lazily scrolling through his phone when suddenly,

BRRRR.

His phone buzzed loudly with a conference call notification.

He picked it up casually.

Immediately, Piyush's grinning face appeared on the screen while on the other side, sat an extremely done-with-life Shivansh, who already looked exhausted despite doing absolutely nothing.

"Bhai," Piyush spoke dramatically, "aaj tere ghar aa jaun for 'group study'?"

(Bro, should we come to your house for 'group study'?)

The way he said "group study" with air quotes made it painfully obvious that nobody planned on studying anything.

Vihaan snorted.

"Yeah, come over. I was getting bored anyway. And my parents aren't home either."

The moment he said that,

Piyush gasped dramatically.

"FREE HOUSE?"

Meanwhile, Shivansh closed his eyes briefly like he already regretted agreeing to this friendship years ago.

"Group study?" Myra's voice suddenly came from somewhere behind Shivansh.

Before anyone could react, she popped into the camera frame excitedly.

"I also wanna come!"

Vihaan immediately groaned.

"What will you even do there?" Shivansh asked calmly while turning toward his sister.

"Bhaiyaaa," Myra whined dramatically, "my best friend is there! And since it's the weekend, we can all have fun together!"

Her excitement practically radiated through the screen.

For a moment, Shivansh simply stared at her.

Then he sighed softly in defeat.

"Fine. I'll take you with me."

Myra's face lit up instantly.

"YAY!"

Meanwhile, Shivansh calmly returned his attention toward the call while Piyush continued saying nonsense in the background.

But Myra?

Myra was already planning world domination.

Grinning to herself mischievously, she quickly grabbed her phone and opened their group chat.

Her fingers moved rapidly across the screen.

"Fun tonight. Place? Aadhya's house 😋🎀"

Barely two seconds later,

Kiara: "Okay!"

And immediately after,

Aadhya: "Haa, come. My parents are also not home and I'm SO bored 😭"

(Yes, come.)

Myra grinned proudly at the instant replies.

Later that evening, the kitchen of the Malhotra house had officially turned into a battlefield.

Since their parents weren't home and nobody trusted Vihaan enough to cook anything without accidentally setting the house on fire, Ira had taken responsibility and was now making instant noodles for everyone.

The warm aroma of masala filled the kitchen beautifully while steam rose from the pan.

Beside her stood Aadhya.

Well... "stood" was a generous word.

At the name of "helping," Aadhya had contributed absolutely nothing except stealing raw noodles every thirty seconds and dramatically inhaling the smell of the cooking Maggi like it was some five-star meal.

Meanwhile, Vihaan leaned lazily against the kitchen counter scrolling through his phone peacefully.

"Kaam kar le!" Aadhya smacked Vihaan's arm suddenly.

(At least help us!)

"ARE-"

Because of the force of her slap, Vihaan's phone slipped straight out of his hand.

For one horrifying second,

The phone dangled mid-air.

Vihaan's soul nearly left his body.

His eyes widened in pure terror as he lunged forward and barely caught it before it smashed onto the floor.

Silence.

His heartbeat genuinely reached his throat.

Meanwhile beside him,

Aadhya gulped nervously.

Because she knew. This was the end.

Very slowly, Vihaan turned toward her.

Aadhya immediately took one tiny step backward.

Then another.

Then,

WHACK.

Vihaan grabbed a fistful of her hair dramatically and tugged it lightly.

"AAAHHH!" Aadhya yelped loudly while trying to free herself.

"Chor de besure!" she whined dramatically, trying to pry his hand away.

(Leave me, idiot!)

"I won't spare you today! Aaj toh ganji chudail bana hii dunga tujhe!" Vihaan shouted dramatically.

(Today I'll literally turn you bald, you witch!)

"AADHYA KI BACHIII-"

The two siblings immediately started fighting around the kitchen island while Ira looked at them with the exhausted expression of a mother of five.

"Didi mai ise maar dunga!" Vihaan pointed accusingly at Aadhya.

(I'm going to hit her!)

Aadhya instantly hid behind Ira while making childish faces at him from over her shoulder.

"Hum bhi isko maar denge!" she pointed back dramatically.

(I'll hit him back too!)

"Okay, okay!" Ira interrupted loudly before World War Three officially began. "Let's have a competition. Whoever loses gets five punches on their back."

Immediately,

Both Aadhya and Vihaan froze.

Then slowly, their eyes sparkled.

Competition.

Now THIS was serious.

A few minutes later, four plates of steaming hot noodles were placed dramatically on the center table in front of the couch.

Aadhya and Vihaan sat facing each other like professional athletes preparing for an international championship.

Meanwhile, Ira stood nearby holding a body lotion bottle like a microphone.

Completely ready for commentary.

"3..."

"2..."

"1..."

"GO!"

And chaos erupted instantly.

Aadhya completely abandoned human dignity and started inhaling noodles like someone had starved her for centuries.

Vihaan was no less.

That shameless man was literally taking two spoonfuls in one scoop like an excavator.

Meanwhile Ira provided dramatic live commentary with full dedication.

"And Aadhya appears to be ahead by two spoons! But WAIT, Vihaan's double-fork invention has pushed Aadhya behind!"

"OH MY GOD! Showing her absolute foodie side, Aadhya has devoured another spoonful!"

The living room echoed with loud shouting, aggressive slurping sounds, and Ira's dramatic sports commentary.

Honestly, it looked less like dinner and more like a survival challenge.

Things were becoming intense.

Aadhya narrowed her eyes at Vihaan while stuffing another huge bite into her mouth.

Vihaan glared back while aggressively twirling noodles around his fork.

Neither planned on losing.

And then,

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the front door.

Neither sibling cared.

Too invested. Too competitive. Too far gone.

Ira sighed dramatically before walking toward the door.

Meanwhile, Aadhya continued aggressively shoving spoon after spoon of noodles into her mouth like her life depended on it.

The front door opened.

Revealing,

Shivansh. Piyush. Myra. And Kiara.

For one second, Nobody spoke.

Because the scene in front of them was absolutely insane.

Piyush folded in half immediately.

He was already dying.

Meanwhile, Shivansh stood frozen near the entrance while his eyes slowly widened behind his spectacles.

And then,

His gaze landed on Aadhya.

Still completely unaware.

She sat cross-legged on the couch wearing an oversized loose T-shirt and shorts, hair tied into the messiest bun imaginable with strands sticking out everywhere.

Her cheeks were puffed up because her mouth was FULL of noodles.

Literal full.

One hand held the spoon. The other guarded her plate protectively like a wild animal defending food.

And to make things worse,

She was chewing aggressively while glaring at Vihaan like this was the Olympics.

Myra immediately slapped a hand over her face.

Kiara closed her eyes in disappointment.

Too late, Way too late.

Because suddenly, Aadhya looked up, And saw them.

More specifically,

She saw Shivansh.

Standing right there.

Watching her.

The spoon froze halfway toward her mouth.

Her eyes widened so much it genuinely looked painful.

For one terrifying second, nobody moved.

Then panic exploded inside her brain.

OH MY GOD.

OH MY GOD.

WHY IS HE HERE?!

WHY AM I LOOKING LIKE THIS?!

WHY AM I EATING LIKE A CAVEMAN?!

Her soul physically left her body.

In pure panic, she accidentally inhaled the noodles inside her mouth wrong.

And immediately,

"KH-KHH-"

Aadhya started choking violently.

"AADHYA!"

Vihaan forgot the competition instantly and rushed toward her.

"Kitna thus liya pagal?!" he shouted while quickly patting her back.

(How much did you stuff inside your mouth?!)

Aadhya coughed violently while her face turned completely red from both choking and humiliation.

Tears gathered in her eyes instantly.

Meanwhile,

Piyush had fully collapsed onto the wall laughing.

Shivansh looked genuinely concerned now.

And THAT somehow made everything worse.

Because now she knew: HE SAW EVERYTHING.

The messy hair. The oversized clothes. The goblin eating style.

THE CHOKING.

Everything.

Aadhya wanted death immediately.

The second she finally stopped coughing, she stood up so fast the spoon clattered onto the plate loudly.

Without looking at anyone,

Especially not Shivansh.

She covered her burning face with one hand and immediately turned around.

"I hate my life," she muttered dramatically before practically running away toward her room.

Myra and Kiara instantly followed after her while trying, and failing not to laugh.

The moment they entered the room,

Aadhya buried her face straight into the pillow and screamed.

"HUMEIN MAT DEKHNA KOI!"

(Don't look at me!)

Outside the room,

Piyush was still laughing like a dying seal.

And for the very first time that evening,

The corner of Shivansh's lips lifted slightly.

A tiny smile.

After crying dramatically into the pillow for nearly two whole minutes, Aadhya finally lifted her head.

Her hair was messy, her cheeks were red from embarrassment, and her soul still hadn't recovered from the tragedy that had occurred in the living room.

Meanwhile, sitting beside her, Myra and Kiara were barely surviving.

Both of them looked at Aadhya for one second,

And immediately burst into laughter again.

"Embarrassing herself in front of bhaiya is literally her birthright!" Kiara wheezed, clutching her stomach.

"He literally SAW her!" Myra added before dissolving into laughter again.

Aadhya looked absolutely horrified.

Her ears burned red while she buried her face into the pillow once more.

"I'm never facing him again!" she cried dramatically, her voice muffled.

"Toh fir shaadi kaise karegi?" Kiara nudged her shoulder mischievously.

(Then how will you marry him?)

Aadhya's face somehow turned even redder.

"And then...suhagraat-" Myra started dramatically with a mysterious expression.

(And then...your first night-)

"SHUT UP!" Aadhya screamed instantly, smacking Myra on the head with a pillow.

"Pagal hai kya?! Battamiz! Apne bhaiya ke baare mein bol rahi hai tu!"

(Are you mad?! Shameless! You're talking about your own brother!)

"Bhaiya hai toh kya? Bacche nahi karenge?" Myra grinned shamelessly.

(So what if he's my brother? Won't he make babies?)

Kiara collapsed onto the bed laughing.

Meanwhile, Aadhya looked seconds away from passing away.

"CHUP REH!" she yelled, absolutely horrified.

(Shut up!)

A few seconds later, Kiara remembered the scene again and immediately started laughing all over again.

"Bhai, I still remember your face when we entered!" she laughed loudly.

Aadhya groaned dramatically.

"I'm so dead," she whispered painfully while questioning every life decision she had ever made.

"Bhaiya was literally LOOKING at you!" Myra laughed harder.

That was it.

Aadhya grabbed another pillow and threw it directly at her face.

"WAIT!" Kiara suddenly stood up on the bed dramatically. "Let me show it properly!"

Myra instantly sat up excitedly. "Yes! Yes!"

Kiara immediately pushed her imaginary spectacles upward and straightened her posture, perfectly mimicking Shivansh.

Then slowly,

She recreated his exact expression from earlier.

The calm blinking. The stunned silence. The slight widening of eyes.

And finally,

Her gaze slowly traveled toward imaginary Aadhya eating noodles like a wild raccoon.

Myra completely lost control.

She fell sideways onto the bed laughing while slapping the mattress repeatedly.

Meanwhile, Aadhya looked deeply offended.

"Okay! Enough now!" she groaned, trying to sound serious despite laughing herself now.

"Let's play something," Kiara suggested excitedly.

"Truth and dare?" Myra asked immediately.

Both girls nodded instantly.

Within seconds, a bottle was placed between them while the three sat cross-legged in a perfect circle on the bed.

Their expressions turned serious.

As if this was a life-or-death tournament.

Myra spun the bottle dramatically.

The bottle rotated twice before stopping directly at Kiara.

A dangerous grin spread across Myra's face.

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth!" Kiara answered confidently.

Before Myra could even speak,

"Konse colour ki chaddi pehne ho?" Aadhya asked immediately in the exact dramatic reel tone.

(What colour underwear are you wearing?)

Kiara's eyes widened in betrayal.

"CHUP KAR HARAMI!" she yelled while throwing a cushion at Aadhya.

(Shut up you menace!)

"Ye kaisa sawaal hai?!"

(What kind of question is that?!)

"You said truth, and I asked a question," Aadhya replied matter-of-factly while crossing her arms proudly. "You never said what KIND of question I could ask."

Myra nodded supportively beside her. "Exactly."

Kiara stared at both of them in disbelief.

Then finally, after dramatic suffering, she sighed deeply.

"...Brown."

The second she answered,

Aadhya and Myra screamed loudly before high-fiving each other like they had just won an Olympic medal.

"This game is disgusting," Kiara muttered under her breath.

Now it was Kiara's turn.

She spun the bottle again.

This time, it landed on Myra.

"Truth or dare?" Aadhya asked immediately.

"Truth," Myra answered confidently.

Kiara grinned mischievously.

"What's the name of your crush?"

Myra rolled her eyes instantly.

"Very common question, Ms. Kiara Singhania."

"A question is a question," Aadhya argued dramatically. "Whether it's common or rare, answer it! Let's see who my future jiju is!"

(Future brother-in-law.)

"I don't have a crush," Myra replied honestly.

Unfortunately for her,

Neither girl believed that for even one second.

"Liar," Kiara narrowed her eyes immediately.

"I'm serious!"

"STOP LYING!" Aadhya gasped dramatically.

"I DON'T!"

"Fine," Aadhya suddenly smirked suspiciously. "But the question isn't completed yet."

Myra blinked. "What?"

"You need to choose dare too."

Myra's jaw dropped. "Ye koi rule nahi hai!"

(That's not even a rule!)

"Humare yaha aisa hii hota hai," Aadhya and Kiara replied together proudly.

(That's how things work here.)

Myra looked absolutely betrayed.

But eventually,

"Fine," she sighed dramatically. "Dare."

Kiara immediately grinned.

"Go and tell Vihaan bhaiya that he's very handsome."

Myra froze instantly.

"...Why him?"

"No why and buts," Aadhya pushed her dramatically toward the door. "GOOO!"

Myra rolled her eyes while standing up, though strangely,

Her heartbeat started beating faster.

And she hated that.

Trying to act normal, she walked toward the kitchen where Vihaan stood alone near the counter drinking water.

"Vihaan..." she called softly.

Vihaan looked up lazily before smirking slightly.

"Chuhiya kii friend? What do you want?"

(Rat's friend?)

Myra rolled her eyes automatically.

Then quickly, Before she lost courage-

"You...you are very handsome!"

The words came out in one rushed breath.

Vihaan blinked.

For the first time in his life,

The boy looked genuinely caught off guard.

Before he could even process what had happened,

Myra had already turned around and RAN away.

Vihaan stared at the empty doorway for a second.

Then slowly,

A smile tried escaping his lips.

And despite himself.

He chuckled quietly.

A few minutes later, the truth and dare game had completely lost its seriousness.

Now the room looked like the aftermath of a small natural disaster.

Cushions were scattered everywhere, chips packets lay upside down on the bed, and someone's hoodie had somehow ended up hanging from the fan.

Meanwhile, Kiara was currently sitting on the floor in front of Ira's makeup pouch with the expression of a woman discovering hidden treasure.

Her eyes widened dramatically.

"OH. MY. GOD."

Myra immediately leaned beside her. "What happened?"

"Ira didi is rich rich."

Kiara slowly pulled out an expensive lipstick like she had just found gold.

Aadhya, who sat cross-legged on the bed hugging a pillow dramatically, narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"No."

Both girls looked at her.

"No makeup," Aadhya clarified instantly, pointing at them like a warning. "I already embarrassed myself enough today. I'm not becoming a clown too."

"Exactly why you NEED makeup," Myra replied matter-of-factly.

Aadhya gasped in betrayal.

Before she could defend herself further, Kiara suddenly climbed onto the bed and grabbed her face.

"Hold still."

"I DON'T TRUST YOU!"

"You shouldn't."

That answer alone terrified Aadhya.

Meanwhile, Myra had already opened three random products despite having absolutely no idea what they were.

"This one first," she declared confidently.

Kiara squinted at the bottle. "That's setting spray."

"Oh."

For the next five minutes, absolute chaos unfolded.

"Aankhein band kar!" Kiara ordered while holding a makeup brush dramatically.

(Close your eyes!)

Aadhya obeyed nervously.

Three seconds later,

"KIARA?! Why does this smell like Fevicol?!"

"It's primer, gareeb."

(Poor person.)

"Primer glue jaisa kyu smell karta hai?!"

(Why does primer smell like glue?!)

"Because makeup artists enjoy suffering."

Myra burst into laughter while Aadhya glared at both of them.

Meanwhile, Kiara continued blending products onto Aadhya's face with the confidence of a professional makeup artist and the actual skill of a confused raccoon.

"Blend karo properly!" Myra instructed dramatically from beside them.

(Blend it properly!k

"Mai blend hii kar rahi hoon!" Kiara snapped back.

(I AM blending!)

"No, you're attacking her skin."

Aadhya, meanwhile, sat there like a sacrificed goat.

"This friendship is toxic," she muttered emotionally.

The girls ignored her completely.

A few moments later, Kiara suddenly grabbed an eyeliner.

Aadhya's eyes widened in horror.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"KIARA, tera haath hilta hai!"

(Your hands shake!)

"Art requires risk."

"That's not art, that's murder!"

Myra collapsed laughing while Kiara tried drawing eyeliner on Aadhya's eyes.

For one glorious second,

It actually looked good.

Then Kiara sneezed.

The eyeliner stretched halfway toward Aadhya's temple.

Silence.

Myra stared.

Kiara stared.

Aadhya slowly opened her eyes.

"...Why are you both quiet?"

Neither girl answered.

Aadhya immediately grabbed the mirror.

And screamed.

"KIARAAAAA!"

Myra fell backward laughing so hard she nearly rolled off the bed.

"It looks like Cleopatra fought in a war!" she wheezed.

Meanwhile, Kiara defended herself shamelessly. "It's abstract eyeliner."

"ABSTRACT MY FOOT!"

After another ten minutes of struggling, wiping, yelling, and nearly blinding Aadhya twice, the makeup finally started looking decent.

Actually...

More than decent.

Kiara softly applied a glossy lip tint while Myra fixed Aadhya's hair properly.

The messy bun was loosened slightly, allowing soft strands to frame her face naturally.

Then came the lashes.

Then blush.

Then a tiny bit of highlighter.

Finally,

"Done."

Aadhya looked at them suspiciously.

"No jokes?"

"No jokes," Myra promised dramatically.

Kiara turned the mirror toward her.

For a moment,

Aadhya genuinely froze.

The girl staring back at her looked soft. Pretty.

Not overdone. Not dramatic.

Just...

Pretty.

Her lashes looked slightly curled, the soft pink gloss made her lips shine subtly, and the blush across her cheeks made her look warm and alive.

Even her eyes looked prettier somehow.

"...Wait," she whispered softly.

Kiara smirked proudly. "I cooked."

"You accidentally burned the kitchen first," Myra reminded.

Aadhya kept staring at herself for another moment before quietly smiling.

And of course,

The peace lasted exactly three seconds.

"Aree waah..." Myra grinned mischievously. "Bhaiya toh gaye."

(Oh wow. Brother is DONE for.)

Aadhya's face immediately turned bright red again.

"CHUP!"

She threw a pillow directly at Myra's face.

The room exploded into laughter once more.

Meanwhile, Kiara had already started applying dark red lipstick on herself.

Unfortunately,

She applied way too much.

The second she looked up,

Both girls screamed.

"BHOOTNI!" Aadhya yelled dramatically.

(Ghost woman!)

Kiara gasped in offense while Myra laughed so hard tears gathered in her eyes.

"You look possessed!"

"Shut up!"

"No seriously, if you stand outside at 3 AM people will start praying."

Kiara immediately attacked both girls with the lipstick while they screamed and ran across the room.

Within seconds, lipstick stains ended up:

on the pillow, on Myra's sleeve, somehow on the wall.

and tragically...

On Ira's bedsheet.

All three girls froze.

Silence filled the room.

"...We're dead," Aadhya whispered.

Myra immediately grabbed the bedsheet and started rubbing it aggressively.

"It's spreading!"

"STOP RUBBING!"

"THEN YOU RUB IT!"

Meanwhile, Kiara stood there holding the lipstick like a criminal holding evidence.

And somehow,

That made the other two laugh again.

Soon, the room was filled with endless giggles, dramatic screaming, flying cushions, ruined makeup products, and the kind of chaos only teenage girls could create together.

Kiara stood in the Malhotra residence garden, arms folded tightly around herself while her phone was pressed against her ear.

The evening breeze moved softly through the plants around her, carrying the faint smell of wet soil and night jasmine.

From inside the house, distant laughter echoed faintly-probably Aadhya screaming again because Vihaan stole her noodles or something equally chaotic.

But Kiara's expression remained tense.

"Ashish, bas karo na..." she said tiredly, lowering her voice. "Kitni baar bolu? Mujhe ye sab nahi karna."

(Ashish, stop it... How many times do I tell you? I don't want all this.)

On the other side of the call, Ashish scoffed lightly.

"Tumhe problem kya hai relationship se? Main itna bura hu kya?" he said smoothly.

(What's your problem with being in a relationship? Am I really that bad?)

Kiara sighed in frustration and rubbed her forehead.

"Baat wo nahi hai."

(That's not the point.)

"Toh kya point hai?" Ashish pressed immediately. "Tum bas excuses deti rehti ho."

(Then what is the point? You just keep making excuses.)

Kiara frowned.

He always did this.

Every conversation somehow became her fault.

At first, his flirting used to feel annoying but harmless. Then slowly, he had started guilt-tripping her whenever she ignored him. If she didn't reply to texts, he'd send dramatic messages. If she avoided him in school, he'd corner her in corridors.

And Kiara, Being only seventeen and emotionally overwhelmed half the time, didn't fully know how to deal with someone this persistent.

"Ashish, listen..." she said carefully, trying not to sound rude. "I'm saying this normally. Please stop all this. I don't like it."

For two seconds, silence remained on the line.

Then Ashish laughed softly.

"You'll start liking it eventually."

Kiara's jaw tightened instantly.

"Excuse me?"

"You act like you hate me but you still talk to me," he said casually. "Agar itni problem hoti to block kar deti."

(If you had such a problem, you would've blocked me.)

Kiara opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Because honestly? She didn't even know why she hadn't blocked him yet.

Maybe because she didn't want unnecessary drama. Maybe because she kept hoping he'd understand if she explained properly.

But clearly, he wasn't understanding anything.

"Ashish, tum samajh kyu nahi rahe?" she said, voice finally sounding frustrated now. "No means no."

Before Ashish could reply,

"Kiara?"

She turned immediately.

Piyush stood a few feet away near the garden pathway, one hand in his hoodie pocket while the other held a cold drink can.

His brows were slightly furrowed, clearly noticing her uncomfortable expression.

The moment Kiara saw him, relief flashed across her face so quickly she didn't even realize it herself.

Piyush noticed.

And his expression changed instantly.

Not angry. Just...serious.

Kiara quickly looked away and lowered her voice into the phone again.

"Ashish, I'm cutting the call."

"Because your boyfriend came?" Ashish mocked lightly.

Kiara froze.

Piyush's eyes narrowed slightly. He hadn't heard everything, but he had definitely heard that.

"Ashish, bas-"

"Tum uske saath relationship mein ho kya?" Ashish asked sharply now. "Isiliye mujhe ignore karti ho?"

(Are you in a relationship with him? Is that why you ignore me?)

Kiara looked genuinely stressed now.

"Koi relationship nahi hai, okay?" she snapped defensively, mostly because panic had started rising in her chest.

Piyush quietly walked closer.

Not interfering yet. Just observing.

"Ashish, mujhe ye sab pasand nahi aa raha," Kiara said again, trying to stay calm. "Please stop forcing this."

(Ashish, I'm not liking all these.)

"Main force nahi kar raha," he replied immediately. "Tum bas attitude dikha rahi ho."

(I'm not forcing. You're just showing attitude)

Piyush finally spoke.

"Phone do."

(Give me the phone)

Kiara looked at him in surprise.

"Piyush, rehne do-"

(Piyush, let it be-)

"Kiara," he said softly this time, holding his hand out patiently. "Phone."

There was something steady about his tone.

Not controlling. Not aggressive. Just calm enough that Kiara's panicked brain automatically listened.

After hesitating for a second, she slowly handed him the phone.

Piyush placed it against his ear.

"Ashish, right?"

The voice on the other side immediately went quiet.

"Kaun?" Ashish asked cautiously.

"Piyush."

Silence.

Then Ashish laughed awkwardly. "ohh."

Piyush leaned casually against the garden railing.

he replied simply. "Bas ek basic si baat samjhani thi."

(Just wanted to explain one basic thing.)

Kiara stood beside him nervously twisting her fingers together while watching his expression carefully.

Piyush's face stayed calm. Almost unreadable.

"If a girl says no," he continued evenly, "then you stop. Simple."

Ashish scoffed lightly. "Bhai, hum bas baat kar rahe the-"

"Nahi," Piyush interrupted quietly. "Tum uspe pressure daal rahe the."

(No. You were pressuring her.)

The silence that followed suddenly felt heavier.

Piyush glanced once toward Kiara.

She looked small somehow.

Uncomfortable. Clearly stressed.

And that alone irritated him more than he expected.

"She's been politely telling you no for how long now?" he asked calmly. "Aur tum usko guilty feel karwa rahe ho because she doesn't like you back?"

(And you're making her feel guilty because she doesn't like you back?)

Ashish immediately got defensive. "Arre maine kya kar diya itna?"

(What did I even do?)

Piyush sighed softly.

"That's the problem. Tumhe lag bhi nahi raha tum galat ho."

(That's the problem. You don't even realize you're wrong.)

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then Piyush's voice became slightly firmer.

"Listen carefully. Don't corner her in school. Don't keep calling her after she says no. Aur 'eventually maan jayegi' wala mindset movies mein hi accha lagta hai."

(And that 'she'll eventually agree' mindset only looks good in movies.)

Ashish muttered something under his breath.

Piyush ignored it.

"She's uncomfortable. End of discussion."

And then, he cut the call.

The garden suddenly became quiet again except for distant laughter coming from inside the house.

Kiara stared at him silently.

Piyush handed her phone back casually.

"Block him."

Kiara blinked. "Abhi?"

"Obviously abhi."

Despite everything, a tiny laugh escaped her.

Piyush finally looked at her properly now.

"You okay?"

Kiara nodded quickly. Then after a pause, "Thank you."

Piyush shrugged lightly like it was nothing.

But internally?

He was still annoyed.

Because Kiara had sounded genuinely nervous. And because some boys really needed to learn that persistence and pressure were not the same thing as love.

____________________________________

____________________________________

End of the chapter!!

Was it boring?

I don't think so, I wrote everything i could.

I put humour, friends, soft love, embarrassment and everything.

Do press the star ⭐ button to vote for the chapter!

Words: 5.1k

Let's meet you in next chapter.

Ba-bye!

~Anniexdeewani.