सोयी सोयी पलकों पे चलके

मेरे सपनों की खिड़की पे आ गया

आते जाते फिर मेरे दिल के

इन हाथों में वो खत पकड़ा गया

प्यार का लफ़्ज़ों में रंग है प्यार का~🤌

__________________________________________________

But before she could say anything, the figure standing in front of her looked at her, confused, and asked.

"Aap koun?"

EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!!!

Just two words... only two words, and Anvi snapped out of her trance, staring straight at the guy standing in front of her with the kind of complete, total, 100%-blank expression.

Her brain had clearly hit the crush encounter malfunction mode, like she'd been waiting two whole years for this moment, and now, somehow, it turned into a full-on comedy of confusion.

A girl same as Anvi's age quickly rushed into the room, and to save her best friend from embarrassment.

She shot her brother's a tight, forced smile and said, "Bhaiya ye Anvi!! Aap bhul gye kya? Apke dost ki behen, meri best friend!!"

"[Bhaiya, this is Anvi!! Did you forget? Your friend's sister, my best friend!!]"

"Oh!! I don't remember... but what was your best friend doing in my room?" Avighna asked his sister with a hint of awkwardness, realizing the situation himself.

"She was probably looking for my room... okay, now both of us are going to my room, bye!!!" Before Avighna could say anything else, Kirti grabbed Anvis hand and dashed off toward her own room.

After reaching Kirti's room, she finally released Anvi's hand, almost glaring at her.

"Nahi bata de... khud ka popat banne ka itna hi shock hai, to waise bol de, bhaiya tujhe chor samjhke ghar ke bahar phek dete tab hi manti kyaa??" she said, sitting down on her bed as she spoke.

[If you're so desperate to embarrass yourself, then just say it already. Would you have believed it only if bhaiya had mistaken you for a thief and thrown you out of the house?]

But Anvi? She didn't say anything, she just stood there, frozen in place.

"Kya hua? Oyee!! Kuch bol kyu nahi rahi!! Hosh mein aa!"

[What happened? Oyee!! Why aren't you saying anything? Get back to your senses!]

Kirti whispered shouted, and before Anvi could even react, she grabbed the water jug from the bedside table and,

splash!

Drenched Anvi right in the face. Anvi stood there like a soaked, shocked little statue, water dripping down her hair, while Kirti couldn't help but laugh at the perfect chaos she'd just caused.

And that's when poor Anvi exploded.

"Laxmi maa, mujhe... mujhe ghar jaana hai... nahi, ghar nahi! Mujhe asmaan mein uda do... ya zameen mein ghusa do!!! Avighna ne mujhe phenchne se mana kar diya!! Haayee meri to zindgi hi barbad ho gyi!!"

[Laxmi Maa, I... I want to go home... no, not home! Send me flying into the sky... or bury me underground!!! Avighna refused to identify me!! Haye, my life is completely ruined now!]

Anvi exclaimed in full dramatic mode, burying her face into Kirti's bed like the world had just betrayed her.

Meanwhile her friend just rolls her eyes at this Notanki.

*Meanwhile After Five Minutes*

"Nahi humne kaha na, i will not go downstairs...waha Avighna hai!!" Anvi had been whining and repeating the same sentence on repeat telecast for the past five times.

[No, I already said it, I will not go downstairs... Avighna is there.]

Kirti said, pulling Anvi's hand from the bed, "Accha to Bhaiya ki wajh se nahi aai thi tu yaha Sania Mirza ko piche chodti hui? Chal le maate kab tak mere room mein apne hibernation mode on rakhegi?"

[Ohh so you didn't come here because of Bhaiya, you came running leaving Sania Mirza behind? Come on, madam, how long will you keep your hibernation mode on in my room?]

Anvi clutched the headrest of the bed tightly and shook her head in a stubborn no.

"Dekh bhaiya ko already pata hai that you've come here to meet me. If you don't come downstairs, then bhaiya will really think you're some kind of weird creature." Kirti tried to threaten her one last time.

[Listen, Bhaiya already knows that you've come here to meet me. If you don't come downstairs, then Bhaiya will really think you're some kind of weird creature.]

Anvi slightly peeked her head out from under the pillow and asked curiously, "Tere bhaiya sach mai aeisa sochenge mere baare mai?"

[Will your Bhaiya really think like that about me?]

To which, Kirti simply nodded, trying very hard not to roll her eyes at this Avighna-paglu praani.

"Chal bhi... I think Abhay bhaiya wapas aa gaye honge, so maybe ho sakta hai bhaiya tujhpe itna dhyaan na de," Kirti said, shrugging her shoulders.

[Come on... I think Abhay Bhaiya must be back, so maybe Bhaiya won't pay that much attention to you.]

"phir theek hai...chal!!" Saying this, Anvi got up from her friend's bed, fixed her messy appearance after checking herself in the mirror, and then walked straight toward the door.

[Then okay... let's go.]

"hey bhagwan!! Isko dekh ke lagta nahi ki jyada kuch badla hai iske behaviour mein." Kirti thought to herself as she hurried down toward the hall.

[Oo God!! Looking at her, it doesn't seem like much has changed in her behaviour.]

Anvi said in a complaining tone as Kirti approached. "uff...kya fayda itna pataka banke aane ka jab tere bhaiya ki nazarein mera naam hi bhul gyi."

[Uff... what's the use of coming all dressed up when your Bhaiya's eyes have completely forgotten my existence.]

"Bol to aeise rahi hai jaise pehle to woh tere naam ka ki jaap karte ho!! Behen phele bhi kounsa yaad rehta tha unhe tera naam." Kirti said while giving her best friend a reality check.

[You're talking as if earlier he used to chant your name all the time!! Anvi madam, it's not like he ever remembered your name before either.]

"Chup kar!!" Anvi snapped, irritation flashing across her face.

[Shut up.]

"By the way, didn't you bring your elder sister? Prapti Didi??" Kirti asked.

"She wanted to watch a K-drama.!!"

They both came down the stairs, and when they looked ahead.

"Aree... haan! Abhay bhaiya ko dekh kar yaad aaya, yeh Anika kaha udd rahi hai? Aayi kyun nahi abhi tak?" Anvi asked Kirti in a whispered tone.

[Ohh... right! Seeing Abhay Bhaiya reminded me...where is Anika flying off to? Why hasn't she come yet?]

"She texted, her mom had some work, so she went there." Kirti answered while walking toward the boys.

"hello Abhay bhaiya!! kaise hai aap? Pta hai maine kitna miss Kiya apko." Kirti said enthusiastically while hugging him.

[Hello Abhay Bhaiya!! How are you? Do you know how much I missed you?]

Abhay smiled and said teasingly, "Yeah, that's why you used to send pictures of new stationery items every day."

Then he turns towards Anvi and asks, "Anvi sunna...main phele puchna bhul gya tha wo teri dusri dost nahi aai?"

[Anvi, listen... I forgot to ask earlier, didn't your other friend come?]

"She had some work!!" Kirti said while smriking.

"Oo Bharat milap hogya ho to...party shuru kare!" Daivik asked while rolling his eyes.

[If the Bharat Milan is done, then shall we start the party?]

Kirti looked for her mother and then asked Avighna, " Bhaiya!! mummy aur Yash bhaiya kaha hai?"

[Bhaiya!! Where are Mom and Yash Bhaiya?]

"Mummy had some work, so she probably went to the neighbour's place, and Yash went straight to get his college admission form!!" he answered.

But before either of them could move, Daivik suddenly spoke up.

"Avighna, isse mil..." he said, pointing toward Anvi.

[Avighna, meet her.]

Then, with his usual dramatic flair, he added, "Waise to, iski shakal yaad rakhne wali toh hai nahi, but still... yeh meri behen hai...bina kisi kaam ki Anvi!!"

[Actually, she's not the type whose face you'd remember, but still... this is my sister... Anvi, without any reason.]

A/N: Not Daivik Chidkingi Namak on Anvi's wound.

Mat kar kutte mat kar bohot jayda wala pit jayega mujhse tu aaj!! Thinking this Anvi snapped her head toward him. "Excuse me?!"

Avighna bit back a smile, clearly amused, while Daivik looked far too proud of his own joke.

"Hello, Anvi," Avighna said, his voice calm, carrying a neutral yet understanding smile on his lips.

Just enough to make Anvi feel strangely aware of his presence, of the way he was looking at her, of the way her name sounded coming from him.

After greeting her, Avighna turned and walked toward the main hall along with everyone else.

But Anvi... Anvi stayed exactly where she was.

She watched his retreating figure until he disappeared from her line of sight, only then realizing she had been holding her breath.

"Oyee... Chhota Bheem ki Chutki, chale gaye bhaiya... hosh mein aa ja," Kirti said, lightly shaking Anvi by the shoulders, her tone dripping with mischief.

[Oyee... Chhota Bheem's Chutki, they've gone... get back to your senses!]

Anvi blinked, snapping back to reality. "H-Huh? Kya?!"

Kirti smirked. "Kya matlab kya? Aise dekh rahi thi jaise pata nahi kounsa kisi ajube ko dekh liya ho!."

[What do you mean, what? You were looking like you'd just seen some kind of freak!]

Anvi's cheeks instantly turned pink. "Shut up, Kirti!"

Kirti just laughed, clearly enjoying how easily flustered Anvi had become. And they also moved towards the hall.

"Waise, tera face dekhne layak tha abhi thodi der pehle," Kirti added, still grinning.

[By the way, your face was totally worth seeing a while ago.]

Before Kirti could say anything more, Anvi suddenly increased the speed of her footsteps, almost marching straight into the hall and plopping down on a seat as innocently as possible.

********************************************************

The living room was alive with soft chatter and lazy laughter, the kind that only existed when there was nowhere else to be and nothing urgent to do.

All the youngsters were sprawled comfortably across the sofas and floor cushions, claiming their own little territories. Abhay had his legs thrown over the armrest, Daivik sat cross-legged on the carpet.

In almost every hand was some kind of snack, samosas wrapped in tissue paper, bowls of poha balanced carefully on laps, half-open packets of chips crinkling every time someone reached inside.

The coffee table in the center looked like a battlefield of food. Crumbs, empty plates, plastic spoons, and napkins were scattered around, telling the story of a feast that had already begun long before any decision had been made.

The television screen glowed silently, waiting.

And right in front of them all stood the biggest dilemma of the evening.

Which movie should they watch?

"I'm telling you, we should watch a horror movie," Abhay announced confidently, shoving a samosa into his mouth. "Full maza aayega."

[It's going to be so much fun!]

"Yeah, so you can scream first and hide behind a cushion," Avighna teased, earning a chorus of laughter.

"No way," Kirti's voice cut in. "Let's watch something romantic. Hum logon ke waps ane ki Khushi mai."

[In happiness of us coming back.]

"Khushi?" Abhay scoffed. "You mean boring."

A pillow came flying at his face from Kirti.

Arguments overlapped, suggestions clashed, and every new idea was immediately rejected by someone else. Action, comedy, thriller, rom-com, each genre had its supporters and its haters.

In the middle of all this chaos, Anvi just sat back, her gaze kept drifting toward Avighna every other minute, as if her eyes had developed a habit of searching for him without her permission.

Daivik took a slow sip from his cold drink and muttered, "At this rate, the movie will end before we even start it. Jaldi socho yaar nahi to mai ghar jaa raha!!"

[Think quickly, or else I'm going home.]

"Haa to nikal naa...kiska wait kar raha hai? Haa nhi to dikh nahi raha yaha legislative assembly ke level ka discussion chal raha." Abhay snapped at him.

[Yeah, so get going... who are you waiting for? Otherwise, can't you see there's a legislative assembly-level discussion going on here?]

That only made everyone laugh harder.

"Ek kaam karo sab apne apne phones par search Karo, kisi na kisi ko to milegi hi!" Avighna suggested.

[Do one thing, everyone search on your phones. One of you will surely find something.]

Phones were pulled out, movie lists were opened, trailers were shoved in front of each other's faces.

"Look at this one!" Kirti asked.

"No, not that." Daivik argued.

"This actor is overrated." Abhay said while looking at his own phone.

"But the reviews are good!" Daivik counter said.

The hall echoed with playful bickering, teasing remarks, and exaggerated groans, yet beneath all of it was a warmth that made the space feel fuller than it already was.

"Okay, enough! Let's vote." Avighna finally snapped at everyone.

A sudden silence fell, followed by reluctant nods. Hands slowly started going up, one by one, each representing a different choice.

Finally, after all the shouting, debating, and near-physical fights over genres, someone came up with a genius idea.

"Let's do a chit draw." Daivik announced.

A few dramatic groans followed, but no one had a better solution.

"Abee!! Yeh pen aur paper kaha hai? Jab cahiye hota hai tabhi nahi milte" Kirti asked no one.

[Abee!! Where are these pen and paper? They're never available when we actually need them.]

Small pieces of paper were quickly torn from a notebook. Everyone scribbled down the name of their chosen movie, folding the slips carefully like they carried their dignity inside. One by one, the chits were dropped into an empty bowl that had earlier been holding chips.

The bowl was shaken like it was about to reveal the secrets of the universe.

"Who's picking?" Abhay asked looking at others.

All eyes slowly turned to the quietest person in the room, Avighna!!

"Why me?" he protested.

"Because you're neutral," Abhay replied while smiling Sweetly. "Aur ager tune kuch bhi cheating kari to hum tujhe tere hi Ghar se utha ke bahar patak denge."

[And if you cheat even a little, we'll pick you up from your own house and throw you out.]

With a sigh, the Avighna dipped his hand into the bowl, mixing the folded papers around before pulling one out.

The room went dead silent. Even the crunching of chips stopped. They slowly unfolded the chit.

Only to announced

"Anand."

For a second, there was no reaction.

Then

"ANAND?!" Kirti shouted.

Daivik said in disbelief. "You mean that old movie? Yaar mai bore ho jaunga!!"

[Yaar, I'll get bored!!]

Abhay put hand on his chest. "Aaj toh rona pakka hai. Kirti yaar mere liye phele hi ek do napkins laake rakh de!"

[Today I'm definitely going to cry. Kirti, yaar, bring one or two napkins for me in advance.]

"Waise ye to batao itni G.O.A.T movie kisne likhi." Avighna asked, and hearing this Anvi almost choked on her cold drink

[By the way, tell me-who wrote such a G.O.A.T movie?]

"Hein?? Bhai tujhe pata hai GOAT ka matalab? I'm surprised," Abhay said, though he was smiling.

[Huh?? Bhai, do you even know what GOAT means?]

"But it's a classic," Anvi frowned and defended. "Pure masterpiece hai. Maze aaenge dekhte haina"

[It's a complete masterpiece. It's going to be so much fun watching it, right?]

With exaggerated resignation, Avighna picked up the remote and typed the name into the search bar.

The opening screen appeared. Abhay and Daivik grabbed extra samosas.

As soon as the movie began, the hall slowly sank into silence.

The opening music filled the room, and one by one, everyone's attention shifted toward the glowing screen. For the first time that evening, all eyes were fixed in the same direction.

Except Anvi's.

She sat there, seemingly watching the movie like everyone else, but in reality, her focus was somewhere entirely different.

The soft light from the screen reflected across the hall, dancing over faces, walls, and shadows. And within that flickering glow, Anvi found herself looking at only one person.

He was sitting a few seats away besides Abhay, his posture relaxed, eyes glued to the screen, completely immersed in the movie.

He doesn't have any idea that he's been watched.

And maybe that was the most dangerous part. Anvi's gaze lingered, longer than it should have.

The movie continued to play, dialogues echoing softly in the background, but for her, everything felt blur, muffled, like the world had shrunk to just that one boy sitting there, bathed in the glow of the screen.

He was lost in the movie.

While she was lost in him.

And in that dimly lit hall, surrounded by friends and noise, Anvi realized something she always whispered like something pure to admit out loud,

She was falling more.....Slowly.....Silently.....Hopelessly

********************************************************

*Anvi's Room evening*

Anvi lay sprawled comfortably on her bed, one leg lazily hanging off the edge, phone held loosely in her hand as she scrolled through reels without much interest.

The evening breeze slipped in through the half-open window, carrying with it the quiet hum of the city and the golden hush of dusk.

She was about to swipe past another random video when her thumb froze mid-air.

On her screen appeared a couple.

They were standing beneath a sky painted in shades of amber and rose, the last rays of the setting sun brushing their faces with a warm glow. A soft romantic song played in the background as the boy gently pulled the girl closer, and together they began to sway, slow, effortless, almost like the world around them had faded into nothing.

She didn't skip the reel....Instead, she watched....And watched again.

"Avighna kya aap aur mai bhi aeise dhalte hui sooraj ki roshni ke niche aisa kuch kar sakte hai?" The question slipped into Anvi's mind like a quiet confession, meant only for herself.

[Avighna, can you and I also do something like this under the setting sun's light?]

Her finger tapped the screen, replaying the reel once more....And then again.

But this time, she wasn't looking at the couple anymore.

She was imagining them.

Avighna's face, half-lit by the fading sunlight.

His eyes, those deep brown-shadowed eyes, catching the golden hues of dusk, softer than she had ever seen them before. His familiar presence stands close enough to make her heart forget its rhythm.

His hand reaching for hers, hesitant... yet certain.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she hugged her pillow closer.

"Uff... I really think I should stop reading those stories," she muttered to herself, cheeks burning. "itni delusional kabse ho gyi mai?"

[Since when did I become this delusional?]

She buried her face into the pillow, trying to hide the foolish smile threatening to spill onto her lips.

"Oyee... Chuhiya! Jaldi niche aa, papa bula rahe hai!" Daivik's voice echoed from downstairs.

[Oyee... Chuhiya! Come downstairs quickly, Papa is calling you!]

Anvi let out a small groan and dramatically rolled her eyes.

"Hadh hai!!," she muttered under her breath, flopping back onto the bed for a second. "ye Himawari alag meri imaginary love story ka mugabo bana pada hai!!."

[This Himawari is standing in the way of my imaginary love story.]

She turned back toward Prapti, who was busy applying her new nail polish, earphones in, softly vibing to her playlist.

"Didiii..." Anvi called out sweetly. Prapti looking at her raising brows.

Then, putting on her most innocent face, she tried to lie.

"Papa aapko bula rahe hain!!" Her eyes flickered for just a second trying to send prapti instead of herself.

[Papa is calling you.]

Prapti, without reacting much, calmly pulled one earphone out and held it out toward Anvi with a sweet, knowing smile.

Anvi blinked in confusion but still took it and placed it in her ear.

Silence.

No music.

No drama OST.

Nothing.

She slowly looked up at Prapti, realizing dawning on her face, she had just been caught.

Prapti smirked at her.

"Now tell me... are you going to go on your own nicely," she said lazily,

"or should I let you find out the size of my new heels?"

The threat was playful, but the look in her eyes said she was dead serious.

"Jaa rahe haina didi serious kyu ho rahi ho!!" Anvi swallowed hard.

[I'm going na, Didi. Why are you getting so serious?]

Reluctantly, she grabbed her phone and pushed herself up she reached for the charging cable, plugged her phone in beside the bed.

Then, with slow and steady steps, Anvi made her way out of her room and started descending the stairs.

In the hall, Devansh Malhotra, Anvi's father, was sitting on the sofa, watching TV.

Anvi glanced to her left and noticed Daivik sitting near the dining table. She raised her eyebrows at him, silently asking what this was about.

"Dev, I think we should invite Sonal Bhabhi and her family. What do you think? Woh log kaafi time baad wapas aae hai!!" Kavya asked, placing the tray of tea cups on the table in front of the sofa as she spoke to Devansh.

[They've come back after a long time!!]

Hearing this, Anvi's face lit up. Of course, if Sonal aunty was coming, then Avighna would be there too.

A tiny, excited flutter danced in her chest as she tried to play it cool, though a smile had already betrayed her.

"Chuhiya tuje dekhne ke liye ladke wale nahi aa rahe jo tubelight jaisi shakl bana rakhi hai!!" Daivik whispered into her ear from behind, an irritating grin in his voice.

[Chuhiya, the groom's family aren't coming to see you, and look, you've made your face like a tubelight.]

Hearing this Anvi's eyes just widened.

"Ager apko lagta hai, I think hume next week unke saath dinner rakhna chahiye!" Dev replied, reaching for a single piece of Parle-G biscuit, only to earn a sharp glare from his wife.

[If you think so, I think we should plan a dinner with them next week.]

"Oyee mere dusre product zara mere room se apne papa ki sugar check ki report to lana!" Kavya said while looking at Dev.

[Oyee, my second product, go to my room and bring Papa’s sugar test report.]

"Aree yaar, mummy, mera naam bhi hai... kabhi to naam se bula liya karo," Daivik muttered under his breath, while Anvi just chuckled at him.

[Oh yaar, Mummy, I have a name too… at least call me by my name sometimes.]

And the glare that had been aimed at Dev just a second ago instantly shifted toward Daivik, making him straighten up in reflex.

Daivik swallowed hard and slowly lifted his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay... sorry... jaa raha hu!!," he said quickly, flashing an innocent smile that fooled absolutely no one.

[Okay, okay… sorry… I’m going!!]

"So, why don't you both tell me what exactly you've been up to since this morning?" Dev asked, smoothly changing the topic pointing towards his childrens.

"Papa aaj na yeh pura din school se aane ke baad phone mein hi apni aankhen ghusa ke baithi hui thi!!" Daivik blurted out quickly, before Anvi could even get a chance to speak.

[Papa, today she spent the whole day after coming back from school buried in her phone.]

Anvi almost pinched Daivik's hand, shooting him a warning look that promised revenge later.

"And Papa, remember the shoes you gave her yesterday to polish? She went and used black polish on your white shoes!" Daivik added, still not stopping, smirking proudly at Anvi.

"Aur bhi kuch batna hai?!" Dev bellowed, looking between Anvi and Daivik as if expecting one of them to vanish.

[Do you have anything else to say?]

Anvi couldn't help but, trying to act innocent. "Arre Papa... woh... main soch rahi thi ki thoda style add kar doon! White shoes boring lag rahe the na?" she said, shrugging dramatically.

[Arre Papa… well… I was thinking of adding a bit of style! The white shoes looked boring, right?]

Daivik snorted, unable to hold back his laughter. "Style? Papa, yeh style ne toh aapke pure shoes ko black kar diya! Ab aap na ise kal aate hue momos mat Lana!!"

[Papa, this style has completely blackened your shoes! Now don’t bring momos for her while coming tomorrow.]

Dev ordered, running a hand through his hair. "Chup karo...dono ke dono!! Bass ladne ka moka cahiye hota hai!!"

[Shut up… both of you!! You just need an excuse to fight.]

Kavya said while lifting the tray and shot a look at her both kids.

"Anvi, Daivik, tum dono ka room bohot zyada ganda ho gaya hai na?" Kavya said, hands on her hips, looking at them with mock exasperation.

[Anvi, Daivik, your room has gotten way too messy, hasn’t it?]

"Toh ek kaam karo... Diwali ki safaai 4-5 mahine pehle hi kar lo. Aur haan, Prapti ko bhi bolna...college mai admission waghera chal rahe hain, toh wo bhi help karegi!!"

[So do one thing… get the Diwali cleaning done 4–5 months in advance. And yeah, tell Prapti too… since college admissions and all are going on, she can help as well.]

Her tone was half teasing, half commanding, leaving no room for excuses.

After hearing both Anvi and Daivik almost glaring at each other.

Dev also supported his wife and said, "Kal hum dono ko tum teeno ka room Puri tarh se saaf chahiye!!"

[Tomorrow, we both want your room completely clean.]

Anvi almost pinched Daivik's shoulder after dinner and went towards their room.

"Teri wajh se hamari Sunday ki subh ki tai tai fis ho gyi!! Kuttee!! Tu to na...tu chal uper tujhe Prapti didi dekhengi!!"

[Because of you, our Sunday morning got completely ruined!! Damn it!! You… you go upstairs, Prapti Didi will see you.]

Daivik said while rubbing his shoulder and giving her a long look, "Mai na ab papa ko bata dunga ki tu abuse word use karne lgi hai!!"

[I’ll tell Papa now that you’ve started using abusive words.]

Meanwhile from downstairs Kavya just shake her head, “By god!! Pata nahi kis par gye hai yeh dono!! Jab dekho tab ek dusre ko katne ko dodate hai!"

[By God!! I don’t know who these two take after!! Every time I look at them, they’re ready to bite each other.]

And Dev just started coughing after hearing his wife.

********************************************************

How should a Sunday morning be?

Peaceful, Lazy, Perfect.

The kind where you wake up without an alarm, stretch dramatically, and give yourself all the time in the world to recover from a week's worth of exhaustion. That was exactly the kind of Sunday Anvi wanted.

Unfortunately, destiny had other plans.

Instead of being wrapped in a cozy blanket, she was standing in her room, cleaning the ceiling fan. On a Sunday morning. With murderously intense expressions on her face.

Like she was two seconds away from committing a crime. And the target of those deadly glares?

Himawari.....Aka... none other than our very own Daivik Malhotra himself.

Because clearly, nothing screams "perfect Sunday" like forced cleaning and a brother who somehow always survives your murderous intentions.

"Ab kya, jaan se hi maar daloge kya dono?" Daivik said casually, trying to lighten the mood so his sisters wouldn't actually end up throwing the duster at his face.

[What now, will you both kill me or what?]

"By god ager maar sakte na to definitely kabaka maar chuke hote tujhe!!" Prapti said while clearing the mirror.

[By God, if I could kill you, I would’ve done it long ago.]

He gave her a small, nervous smile, hoping it would melt her irritation at least a little. Anvi stopped cleaning and looked at him with a blank expression.

"Jab tak adult nahi hote na... aur agar uss beech hum kisi ko suli par chadha de... toh koi jail hota hai na... naam yaad nahi aa raha mujhe," she said casually, as if she were talking about the weather.

[Until we become adults… and if in between we hang someone on the gallows… there’s some jail for that, right? I can’t remember the name.]

She paused, then looked at him with innocent eyes. "Tujhe yaad hai?"

[Do you remember?]

Daivik just stared at her. Prapti just Smirked.

First, it was Sunday cleaning. Now, casual murder-related questions. Yep, his sisters were in a mood.

"Hatt!! Main baat hi nahi kar raha tujhse, chuhiya didi aap hi bolo na isee kaise bolti hai mujse yeh!!..." he said, trying to sound annoyed.

[Hatt!! I’m not even talking to you. Chuhiya Didi, you tell her na, look at how she talks to me.]

Prapti just threw the duster cloth on his face as answered.

But the moment he actually looked at her, and saw those intense glares aimed straight at his soul, he swallowed hard.

"Yaar chuhiya... pehle tu mujhe aise ghoor na band kar," he added quickly, taking a small step back.

[Yaar Chuhiya… first, stop staring at me like that.]

(A/N- ghoor na band karo noor it's a bad manners..*clearing Thorat* continue)

"No, no... bhaiya ji, aap ek kaam kijiye, jaake araam se baith jaiye," she said, giving him a tight, fake-sweet smile.

[No, no… Bhaiya ji, do one thing—go and sit comfortably over there.]

Daivik opened his mouth to reply, then thought better of it.

Then Prapti shot him an irritated look, "Kya zaroorat thi kal papa ke saamne apni hekdi jhaadne ki?"

[What was the need to show off your tantrum in front of Papa yesterday?]

Anvi took a sharp breath, pointing toward the door, "Ab na main keh rahi hoon... bhaag ja hamare room se, Himawari. Nahi toh jo pankha main abhi saaf kar rahi hoon na... usi pankhe se tujhe ulta latka dungi!"

[Now I’m telling you… run away from our room, Himawari. Otherwise, the fan I’m cleaning right now—I’ll hang you upside down from that very fan.]

She ended her threat with an aggressive little, "Hurrr!"

Daivik didn't wait for a second invitation and starts going towards door while mumbled, "Pata nahi aaj kal koun sa show dekh rahi hai dono ki dono jo jab dekho tab gussa inke bandariya jaise chehre par chada rehta hai."

[I don’t know what show both of them are watching these days—whenever you look at them, anger is sitting on their monkey-like faces.]

He shook his head slightly, as if he were the most bechara brother in the world.

Meanwhile, behind him, Anvi tightened her grip on the cleaning cloth and muttered,

"Humne socha tha Sunday ki subah Avighna ka Instagram nihar lenge... par isss Himawari ke chakkar mein woh plan bhi paani mein chapaak ho gaya. His own love life isn't going anywhere, and now this bander won't even let me have my imaginary progress in peace!" She huffed in frustration, aggressively wiping the fan like it had personally ruined her love life.

[I had planned to spend Sunday morning admiring Avighna’s Instagram… but because of this Himawari, that plan also went splash into the water.]

"koi na koi na... thoda sa aur bacha hai uske baad aram se dekh lena apne Avighna ko!!" Prapti teased, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes as she nudged Anvi.

"Don't worry, I'm totally rooting for you!"

[It’s okay, it’s okay… there’s just a little work left, after that you can peacefully admire your Avighna.]

Anvi just huffingly clean that stubborn fan dirt.

After a little while, Prapti shook her hands dramatically, turned to Anvi and said, "Sunn mai paani pike aai tab tak baaki kar!!"

[Listen, I’ll go drink water, you finish the rest by then!!]

A few moments later, just when everything was finally settling down and the fan above them was almost done being cleaned, Anvi's phone suddenly started ringing on the bed.

The sound sliced through the quiet like a dramatic background score.

Startled, she picked it up in the heat of the moment.

Group video call.

From Kirti. And Anika was already on it too.

Before Anvi could even process whether to answer or pretend the phone didn't exist, she accidentally tapped the screen.

Call connected.

Kirti's face popped up first, followed by Anika's sleepy, confused expression. But instead of greeting her, Kirti squinted at the screen, eyes narrowing as she focused on Prapti's background.

"Uh... Anvi?" Kirti asked genuinely.

"Yaar tere bhaiya ke would be sasural walon ne mujhse diwali ki safaai abhi se kar wali hai!!" Anvi said complaining.

[Yaar, your Bhaiya’s would-be in-laws have already made me do the Diwali cleaning.]

"okay but isme Subh subh aise cartoon banke kyu ghum Rahi tum?" Kirti asked again.

[Okay, but why are you roaming around like a cartoon early in the morning?]

"Dekh, mujhe faltu mein chhed mat," Anvi snapped, narrowing her eyes at the screen.

"Warna phone ke andar se ghus ke tere baalon ka aisa haal karenge... ki agle saat saalon tak tu khud ko pehchaan nahi paayegi!"

[Otherwise I’ll crawl out of the phone and mess up your hair so badly… you won’t even recognize yourself for the next seven years!]

[Look, don’t tease me unnecessarily.]

Kirti blinked once....Twice.

Anika, on the other hand, had already started laughing like she had just been handed free entertainment.

But before the poor Kirti could even open her mouth to reply, fate decided to spice things up.

Because at her home, Avighna casually walked into the hall, phone in one hand, eyes already glued to the screen.

"Kittu, where did you keep your charger?" he asked absent-mindedly.

His gaze flicked to the phone screen purely out of habit.

"Hii, Anika... hi, Anvi," Avighna said easily, in the same calm tone he used for everyone, already half-distracted.

Anika instantly lit up. "Hii Avighna bhaiya! Kaise hai aap?" she chirped, clearly enjoying every second of this.

[How are you?]

Anvi, on the other hand, was still stuck in statue mode, mentally panicking, externally pretending she was perfectly normal.

Spoiler alert: she was not normal.

"I'm perfectly fine," he said smoothly, grabbing the charger from the table.

Then, almost casually, his eyes shifted back to the screen, "Tu bata... kal aayi kyun nahi thi?"

[You tell me… why didn’t you come yesterday?]

"Nothing, Bhaiya… just had a little work to do," Anika said innocently, then immediately pointed at the screen. "I had already told this to Kiri!!"

But even while saying it, she was trying very hard to control her laughter, unsuccessful. A weird, half-suppressed, chudail-jaise laugh escaped her lips.

"HEH....HEH...."

He simply nodded.

"Okay," he said lightly. "You guys talk aaram se. Main jaa raha hoon."

The moment Avighna walked out of the hall, Anvi lost it.

She practically jumped onto Kirti through the phone screen, emotionally, verbally, spiritually... in every possible way. "KUTTI KAMINI...HALL MAI SE VIDEO CALL KARNE KI KYA ZAROORAT THI...?"

[YOU LITTLE (ab let's leave it )… WHAT WAS THE NEED TO VIDEO CALL FROM THE HALL…?]

Kirti winced, pulling the phone a little away from her face. "Arre, oo loudspeaker mujhe kya sapna aya tha tu tere Ghar pe aise dayaan banke ghumti hai!!"

[Arre, oh loudspeaker, what a dream I had that you roam around your house like a witch!!]

But before Anvi could even open her mouth to reply, Anika completely lost it. She burst out laughing, clutching her stomach like she'd just witnessed the funniest scene of her life.

"OH MY GOD, ANVIII!" Anika wheezed between laughs. "Bhai teri shakl...kya mast cartoon lag rahi thi tu apne uss statue pose mai...par ek baar batau?"

[Bhai, your face… you looked like such a cool cartoon in that statue pose… but tell me once?]

Kirti snorted.

Anika continued, still giggling, "Teri love story shuru hone ke pehli hi Avighna bhaiya ke samne tera asli dhang aa gaya!!!"

[Even before your love story could start, your real attitude came out in front of Avighna Bhaiya!!!]

Anvi groaned, covering her face with her hands.

"Tum dono chup ho jao... Ahh Laxmi maa hume apne pass bula lijiye !!"

[Both of you quiet… Ahh Laxmi Maa, please call me over to you.]

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