The moment Ishir’s car entered the Mehta house driveway, Ivaanika had already unbuckled her seatbelt before the engine was even fully off.

“Control,” Kashvi muttered, watching her in disbelief. “Tu guest banke aati hai ya raid maarne?”

Iva gasped dramatically while opening the door. “Excuse me? Main iss ghar ki emotional shareholder hoon.”

“You are emotionally unemployed,” Kashvi shot back.

But before either of them could continue, the front door had already opened.

And the second Iva stepped out-

Nandini’s entire face lit up.

“Areee meri bachhi aa gayi!” she exclaimed with genuine warmth, immediately walking forward.

“AUNTYYYY,” Iva practically squealed before hurrying toward her.

Kashvi folded her arms. “Wow. Apni actual daughter ko toh dekha bhi nahi.”

“Tu toh roz dikhti hai,” Nandini replied without missing a beat, pulling Iva into a warm hug. “Iski shakal dekhne ko tarasna padta hai.”

Kashvi turned dramatically toward Ishir. “Dekha? Dekha bhai?”

Ishir walked past her calmly. “You deserve it.”

“Betrayal. Har jagah betrayal.”

Iva hugged Nandini tighter and looked smugly at Kashvi over her shoulder. “Aunty loves me more.”

“Main sach mein tujhe bahar bandh karwa dungi ek din,” Kashvi muttered.

Inside the house, the familiar warmth of the Mehta home wrapped around them instantly-the smell of fresh food from the kitchen, soft temple incense lingering in the air, the comforting noise of family voices from different corners. It was the kind of house that always felt lived in, loved in.

The second Kamala saw Iva enter, her eyes softened with affection.

“Aayi meri drama queen.”

Iva immediately walked toward her and bent slightly to hug her from the side. “Dadiii.”

Kamala cupped her cheek fondly. “Tu patli ho gayi hai.”

Kashvi deadpanned. “Har Indian household starter pack.”

Everyone laughed.

Mahendra looked over his newspaper and smiled warmly. “Aaja beta.”

Raghav too greeted her with the same natural affection one reserved only for someone who had long stopped being considered an outsider.

Because truthfully-Ivaanika had not felt like a guest in this house for years.She had been coming here since childhood.\Birthdays, vacations, random weekends, festivals, sleepovers- some of Kashvi’s oldest memories had Iva in them.

There were pictures in this house where Iva stood beside Kashvi covered in Holi colours before either of them had even learned how to pose properly. There were stories of both girls breaking things together, crying together, getting scolded together.

She wasn’t “Kashvi’s friend” here.

She was simply…

their Iva.

And that was visible in every smile directed toward her.

As everyone settled in the living room, Nandini came out from the kitchen with snacks already in hand.

“I made paneer cutlets,” she announced.

Iva immediately sat straighter. “AUNTY I LOVE YOU.”

Kashvi narrowed her eyes. “I ask for food every day and get told to eat fruits.”

“Because tu roz khati hai.”

“WOW.”

Iva happily took the first plate from Nandini’s hand while Kashvi stared in betrayal.

“See?” Kashvi muttered. “Second daughter treatment.”

“Correction,” Iva said proudly while eating. “Favourite daughter treatment.”

Everyone laughed again.

For a while, the room filled with nothing but easy chatter and warmth-Kamala asking about college, Mahendra giving unnecessary advice, Ishir quietly eating while occasionally correcting someone’s exaggeration, and Iva fitting into every conversation like she had never left.Then in the middle of it all, Nandini suddenly looked toward Kashvi.

“That Saisha beta…” she began softly, remembering. “The one who got hurt?”

Kashvi nodded. “Haan.”

“How is she now?”

“Better,” Kashvi replied. “Rest kar rahi hai.”

Nandini’s face softened immediately. “Bechari bacchi.”

Then she looked toward Iva too.

“She seems very sweet.”

“She is,” Iva smiled. “Bilkul softie hai.”

Kamala nodded thoughtfully. “Next time usse bhi leke aana ghar.”

Kashvi blinked. “Really?”

“Of course,” Nandini said naturally. “Agar woh tumhari dost hai toh humari bhi hui na.”

Something warm settled in Kashvi’s chest at how easily her mother said that.

As if love and welcome in this house came naturally. As if the family never questioned making room for one more person.

Iva smiled brightly. “She’ll love aunty.”

Kamala chuckled. “Then bring her.”

Kashvi thought for a second before suddenly looking toward Iva.

“Waise…”

Iva looked up mid-bite. “Hmm?”

“Kal college off hai.”

Iva looked up in the middle of taking another bite, her expression still fully invested in the plate in her hand. “Hmm?” she hummed absentmindedly, and Kashvi, who had clearly just thought of something, straightened a little in her seat before saying, “Kal college off hai.”

The moment those words left her mouth, the room stilled for half a second-not because anyone else found it important, but because both girls suddenly froze and looked at each other at the exact same moment, the same thought visibly striking their minds together. There was a beat of silence between them, then Iva’s lips slowly began curling upward into a mischievous grin. Kashvi mirrored it instantly, and the unspoken understanding between them happened so naturally that everyone else in the room already knew some chaos was about to follow.

“We should go meet Saisha,” Kashvi said first, the excitement immediately creeping into her voice.

“Yes,” Iva responded without missing a second.

“Kal uske ghar?”

“Done.”

“Without telling her?”

“Yes.”

“A surprise visit?”

“YES.”

The two of them looked so absurdly serious and thrilled while planning what was essentially an ambush that Nandini couldn’t stop herself from laughing. She shook her head warmly as she watched them and said, “Poor girl ko dara mat dena tum dono. Tumhari surprise se bechari recover hone se pehle phir se gir jayegi.”

“We are joy, aunty,” Iva replied proudly, placing a hand dramatically over her chest as though personally offended by the accusation.

From beside them, Ishir took a calm sip of water before muttering dryly, “You are chaos.”

Without missing a beat, Iva turned toward him and replied, “Same thing.”

That made the room burst into laughter again, and even Ishir had to shake his head faintly, though the corner of his mouth lifted despite himself. Kashvi, meanwhile, was already visibly more excited now, sitting straighter in her place with her whole face brighter than before as she said, “No but seriously, we should go tomorrow. She must be so bored right now. Imagine being stuck at home alone with nothing to do.”

“Exactly,” Iva nodded immediately, fully invested in the idea now. “Aur woh waise bhi overthink karti hogi jab akeli hoti hai. Upar se injured hai toh definitely dramatic ho rahi hogi.”

“Main dramatic nahi hoon,” Kashvi copied softly in a mock Saisha voice.

“Main bilkul theek hoon,” Iva added in the same imitation, pretending to limp dramatically while everyone laughed again.

Kamala watched both girls with the softest expression on her face, the kind older people wore when simply observing young affection and growing bonds warmed their hearts. There was so much fondness in her eyes as she looked at the two of them planning so naturally, caring so instinctively, that when she finally spoke, her voice carried a quiet gentleness to it.

“Accha hai,” she said softly. “Aise hi rishton mein mai apnapan aata hai. Log ek dusre ke liye waqt nikaalte hain.”

And somehow, the entire room softened after that.

Because though she had said it simply, casually even, there was truth in every word. Relationships were not built in one grand moment. They did not become deep because of dramatic declarations or forced closeness. They became meaningful in moments exactly like this—in small gestures, in remembering someone when they were absent, in deciding to show up simply because you wanted them to feel cared for.

It was in checking on people.

In visiting them.

In saying, I thought of you even when you weren’t here.

Kashvi grew quieter after hearing that, her excitement still there but now accompanied by something warmer, something softer settling in her chest. Because perhaps that was exactly what was happening without any of them realizing it. New people had entered their lives so suddenly, so unexpectedly, and yet instead of remaining temporary strangers or surface-level friendships, they were slowly becoming more. More familiar. More important. More woven into their routines, their thoughts, their plans.

And the strangest part was how natural it all felt.

No one was trying too hard. No one was forcing closeness. Yet somehow, slowly and gently, everyone was beginning to become part of everyone else’s world.

That night, long after the laughter in the living room had faded and dinner had ended and Iva had finally gone home after far too much unnecessary drama, Kashvi sat alone in her room with the soft yellow lamp beside her bed casting warm light across the walls. Her thoughts drifted lazily toward tomorrow, toward the silly excitement she felt over something as simple as going to visit a friend, and yet she knew deep down it was more than that.

Tomorrow did not feel like just a visit.

It felt like another step...another memory waiting to happen...another moment that would quietly bring all of them a little closer together.

And though none of them knew it yet, and none of them would ever say it aloud this early-something beautiful was slowly being built between all of them.Something that no longer felt temporary.Something that, one day, would feel like family.

The next morning carried a strange kind of excitement with it, the kind that made the day feel brighter before it had even properly begun. Kashvi had woken up earlier than usual, though she would never openly admit that she was genuinely looking forward to seeing Saisha. She had spent an unnecessary amount of time deciding what to wear despite the fact that she was only “going to visit a friend,” and even while standing in front of the mirror adjusting the sleeves of her kurti, she kept mentally scolding herself for caring this much. But somewhere deep down, she knew this wasn’t just about meeting Saisha. It was about the strange warmth that had started building between all of them lately-the kind of warmth that made simple plans feel meaningful.

She had barely finished getting ready when the doorbell rang downstairs, followed by the unmistakably loud sound of Ivaanika’s voice entering the house before anyone had even opened the door properly.

“AUNTYYYYY, I HAVE ARRIVED.”

Kashvi immediately closed her eyes in second-hand embarrassment. “This girl enters houses like a political rally,” she muttered under her breath before walking downstairs.

Sure enough, Iva was already standing in the living room smiling brightly while Nandini laughed at her dramatic entrance.

“Good morning, aunty,” Iva said sweetly, as if she hadn’t just screamed her presence into the entire neighborhood.

“Good morning, drama queen,” Nandini replied affectionately.

The moment Kashvi entered, Iva turned dramatically and pointed at her. “Why are you taking so long? We are going to meet our injured soldier.”

“She is not in war,” Kashvi deadpanned.

“She is fighting emotional battles.”

“She is fighting boredom maybe.”

Before the two could continue, Ishir walked in while adjusting his watch, clearly ready to leave. “Tum dono ready ho?”

Both girls turned toward him immediately.

“Yes,” Kashvi answered.

Iva gasped dramatically. “Wait-bhaiya aap drop karoge?”

He looked at her blankly. “No. Helicopter bhej raha hoon.”

Kashvi snorted while Iva narrowed her eyes. “Your sarcasm is becoming concerning.”

“It has always been concerning,” Kashvi muttered.

A few minutes later, all three were in the car, with Iva and Kashvi seated in the back while Ishir drove. The entire ride consisted mostly of Iva speaking nonsense while Kashvi occasionally threatened violence and Ishir calmly contributed dry remarks every few minutes. It somehow felt less like a simple drive and more like siblings travelling together, even though one of them technically wasn’t family. But perhaps no one in that car thought of it that way anymore.

Soon enough, the car slowed outside Rathore Villa.

The large gates stood elegantly before them, and both Kashvi and Iva instinctively straightened slightly as Ishir parked.

“Okay,” Iva whispered dramatically to Kashvi, leaning closer. “Rich people house behavior activate.”

Kashvi elbowed her lightly. “Behave normal.”

“I always behave normal.”

“No you don’t.”

Ishir stepped out first, and both girls followed behind him, walking toward the door while trying not to laugh at Iva’s commentary about how intimidatingly beautiful the house looked.

The door opened before they could ring properly.

And standing there was Vyaan.

His face immediately lit up.

“OH MY GOD THE ENTERTAINMENT HAS ARRIVED.”

“Excuse me?” Kashvi frowned.

He looked at Iva. “Not you.”

Iva gasped. “Rude.”

He stepped aside dramatically. “Come in, commoners.”

“Tumhare ghar aaye hain, kingdom nahi,” Kashvi muttered.

Kashvi folded her arms. “What kind of greeting is that?”

“The loving kind,” he replied proudly before his eyes landed on Ishir behind them. “AND BHAI TOO?”

He immediately walked forward excitedly.

“Best day ever.”

Ishir shook his head faintly while Vyaan turned dramatically toward the inside of the house.

“MUMMY! GUESTS!”

Within moments, footsteps approached.

Madhavi and Adhiraj entered the foyer, followed shortly by Saisha’s grandmother as well, their expressions warm but curious.

Vyaan immediately stepped beside Kashvi and Iva like some overly excited host.

“Mumma, ye Kashvi hai and ye Ivaanika,” he said while pointing dramatically between them. “Saisha’s college besties.”

Both girls smiled politely and greeted respectfully.

“Namaste aunty.”

“Namaste uncle.”

Madhavi’s expression softened instantly. “Aww, so you girls came to meet Saisha?”

“Yes aunty,” Kashvi answered gently. “We thought she must be bored.”

“She has been bored enough to trouble all of us,” Adhiraj said dryly.

“PAPA!” Saisha shouted from upstairs.

Everyone laughed.

“Jaao beta,” Madhavi smiled. “Upar room mein hai.”

Vyaan dramatically extended his arm. “Come, I shall escort the peasants.”

“We know stairs,” Iva muttered.

As the girls headed upstairs laughing and bickering, downstairs Ishir remained respectfully with the elders while Vyaan eventually came running back down after dropping them.

Upstairs, the moment Kashvi and Iva entered the room, Saisha’s entire face brightened so much it almost made both girls emotional.

“YOU CAME!” she exclaimed, sitting straighter immediately.

“Obviously,” Kashvi smiled warmly, moving toward her bed. “Tumhe laga hum nahi aate?”

Saisha looked genuinely touched. “I was so bored.”

“I know,” Iva sighed dramatically while flopping beside her. “Without us your life has no meaning.”

“That is true.”

For the next hour the room remained full of nonstop chatter, jokes, random gossip, teasing, and complaints from Saisha about how miserable recovery was. It felt easy, warm, comfortable-the kind of effortless time that made friendship deepen without anyone realizing it.

At one point while talking, Iva’s eyes casually drifted toward the window before she suddenly smirked.

Then looked at both girls.

“Oh my God.”

Kashvi narrowed her eyes. “Why do you sound dangerous?”

Iva sat up straighter, grin widening.

“Imagine something.”

“No,” Kashvi said immediately.

“Yes,” Iva ignored her. Then dramatically looked at Saisha first. “Imagine if tujhe Ishir bhaiya se pyaar ho jaye.”

Saisha froze so hard she nearly choked on air.

“WHAT?”

Kashvi’s eyes widened. “IVA!”

“And WAIT,” Iva said, now turning to Kashvi with full evil energy. “Imagine if tujhe Shauryansh se ho jaye.”

“IVAANIKA!”

Saisha’s face turned completely red. “STOP-”

“No genuinely think about it!” Iva burst laughing. “Tum dono best friends se direct bhabhi ban jaogi!”

Kashvi grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at her instantly. “SHUT UP!”

Iva screamed laughing while dodging.

Saisha had covered her burning face with both hands, unable to stop laughing and dying of embarrassment at the same time.

“Imagine family dinners!” Iva continued between laughs. “‘Bhabhi pass the salt please-’”

Another pillow hit her.

“I WILL KILL YOU,” Kashvi yelled.

“You know I’m right-”

“YOU NEED THERAPY.”

Saisha laughed so hard her stomach hurt now, but beneath the laughter both girls could feel their faces burning unnaturally warm because some jokes embarrassed more than others.

Some jokes stayed funny only because they touched places no one wanted examined too closely.And for just one second both Kashvi and Saisha had instinctively pictured it ,which was exactly why neither of them would admit how flustered they suddenly felt.

And Iva- being Ivaa-noticed immediately.

Her grin widened devilishly.

“Oh my God,” she whispered dramatically. “THE SILENCE IS SUSPICIOUS.”

Both pillows hit her this time.

The moment Ivaanika said it again, still laughing shamelessly and fully entertained by the way both girls had turned red, she clutched the pillow dramatically to her chest and leaned forward with that dangerous sparkle in her eyes that always appeared right before she said something she absolutely should not. “No but seriously,” she said between giggles, pointing between them while trying to breathe through her laughter, “just imagine na… socho kaash aisa ho jaye. Saisha ko Ishir bhaiya se pyaar ho jaye aur Kashvi ko Shauryansh se-”

She got no further than that.

Because before the sentence had even fully left her mouth, both Kashvi and Saisha moved at the exact same time, lunging toward her with matching expressions of horror and outrage. “IVAANIKA, SHUT UP!” Kashvi practically screeched while Saisha, whose face had already gone crimson from embarrassment, cried out, “MAR JA TU!” Both girls shoved her at once in pure panic, their hands colliding against her shoulders with enough force that Iva-already sitting too close to the edge of the bed from all her laughing-completely lost balance. Her body tilted backward in one dramatic motion, her eyes widening in delayed realization as both her arms flailed helplessly in the air, and then the next second she toppled straight off the bed and hit the floor with a loud thud.

The scream that escaped her was so shrill and dramatic that it sounded less like someone falling and more like someone being murdered.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

The entire room froze.

For exactly one heartbeat.

Then all hell broke loose downstairs.

Footsteps thundered immediately from below, heavy and rushed, voices overlapping in concern, and before any of the girls could recover or decide whether to laugh or panic, the door burst open so fast it nearly hit the wall. Vyaan entered first, looking like he was ready to physically fight someone, with Shauryansh right behind him and Ishir close after, all three scanning the room instantly with alert expressions before their eyes landed on the scene in front of them.

Ivaanika lay sprawled on the floor beside the bed, her hair disheveled, dignity destroyed, and face twisted in offended outrage while Kashvi and Saisha sat frozen above her trying not to look guilty.

For one second, silence filled the room.

Then Vyaan blinked and immediately his entire expression changed from concern to disbelief.

“Ab kya ho gaya?” he asked, staring down at her. Then, narrowing his eyes dramatically, he added, “Bandar ki tarah chilla kyun rahi ho aap?”

Still on the floor, Iva gasped in pure betrayal. “I ALMOST DIED!”

Vyaan folded his arms slowly, clearly unimpressed. “Ek minute…” He looked at her position on the ground, then back at her face with exaggerated seriousness. “Maine tumhe bandar bola iska matlab ye bhi nahi tha ki tum literally niche baith jaogi.”

The room erupted.

Saisha burst into laughter so suddenly and so hard she nearly folded into herself, clutching her stomach while Kashvi immediately covered her mouth, shoulders shaking violently as she tried and failed to suppress her own laughter. Even Shauryansh’s usually composed expression flickered slightly, amusement briefly softening his face, while Ishir physically turned his face for a second to hide the smile threatening to form.

“You are horrible,” Iva snapped from the floor, glaring at everyone while trying to stand up. “None of you are good people.”

Still laughing uncontrollably, Saisha pointed toward her and tried to explain through breathless giggles, “Woh niche gir gayi-” but paused midway before immediately correcting herself, her laughter worsening. “Nahi nahi… humne usse niche pheka tha.”

The second the words left her mouth, every adult instinct in the house seemed to activate at once.

“KYA?” Madhavi’s voice echoed sharply from downstairs.

And within seconds, the elders who had begun coming up from the commotion appeared behind the boys, concern written all over their faces. “Kya hua beta?” Madhavi asked worriedly, stepping into the room and looking around.

Before anyone else could answer, Vyaan immediately pointed dramatically at the girls and declared, “Attempted murder.”

“SHUT UP!” all three girls yelled together.

Saisha was laughing too hard to even breathe properly as she waved her hand. “Nothing aunty, hum bas mazaak kar rahe the-she fell-no one did anything.”

The adults stared for another moment before realizing no one was genuinely injured, and slowly the tension eased. Madhavi sighed deeply, shaking her head. “Tum bachche bhi na… poora ghar hila diya.” With that, the elders began walking back downstairs, muttering fondly about dramatic children and unnecessary panic.

But while they left-

Vyaan, Shauryansh, and Ishir stayed.

Mostly because none of them looked convinced the chaos was actually over.

Vyaan walked further into the room and extended his hand dramatically toward Iva like some noble rescuer. “Aaiye, fallen warrior.”

She slapped his hand away instantly and stood up herself. “Door reh.”

He nodded. “Angry and weak. Dangerous combination.”

Ishir, meanwhile, folded his arms over his chest and looked directly at Iva with narrowed eyes, already sensing nonsense. His expression held that calm older-brother suspicion that meant he knew something ridiculous had happened and he intended to uncover it. “Accha,” he said slowly, his tone deceptively casual. “Ab sach batao. Aisa kya bola tune jo tujhe yahan baithna pad gaya?”

Every girl in the room froze.

Every single one.

Kashvi felt her stomach drop so fast it nearly took her soul with it.Saisha’s laughter died instantly even Iva paused because everyone knew exactly what he was asking.

And everyone except Iva silently begged the universe for her to lie just once for once in her life.

But Ivaanika, being Ivaanika , chup kaha rah sakti hai.

Then proudly replied, “Main bas bol rahi thi ki imagine agar Saisha ko aapse pyaar ho jaye aur Kashvi ko Shauryansh se toh hum sab same family ban jayenge.”

The silence that followed was catastrophic.

It was the kind of silence that physically pressed against the room.

Kashvi felt every ounce of blood rush violently to her face so quickly that she thought she might actually combust on the spot. Her mouth fell open in pure horror as she stared at Iva like betrayal had just taken human form. Beside her, Saisha made a strangled noise and immediately buried her face in both hands, her entire body curling inward from sheer humiliation.

“IVAANIKA!” Kashvi shrieked, sounding seconds away from murder.

Vyaan stared then and thenhis jaw dropped and then he exploded.

He laughed so hard that he physically doubled over, clutching his stomach while gasping for breath, his entire body shaking violently. “OH MY GOD-OH MY GOD THIS IS THE BEST THING I’VE EVER HEARD-”

“I WILL KILL HER!” Kashvi cried, lunging toward Iva again.

“IT WAS JUST A THOUGHT-” Iva yelled while dodging behind the bed.

Saisha was so embarrassed she had physically sunk halfway into the mattress, still covering her burning face and groaning, “Oh my God, please kill me first.”

And then through all the chaos Kashvi’s eyes accidentally flickered upward toward Shauryansh and the moment she saw him her breath caught because for perhaps the first time since she had met him-he looked genuinely speechless.

His entire body had gone still, his posture stiffened almost unnaturally, and though his face remained composed in the way it always did, there was the faintest visible redness at the tips of his ears. His expression looked caught between disbelief, embarrassment, and something else entirely-something quieter, harder to define.

Vyaan, still laughing uncontrollably, pointed dramatically between them. “WAIT NO THIS ACTUALLY MAKES SO MUCH SENSE=-”

“VYAAN,” Shauryansh snapped immediately, his voice sharper than usual. “Bas.”

That only made Vyaan laugh harder.

“OH MY GOD BHAI BLUSH KAR RAHA HAI-”

“I am not.”

“YOU ARE!”

Ishir pinched the bridge of his nose, trying and failing to hide the smile tugging at his mouth before looking back at Iva with tired amusement. “Tum sach mein ek din pitogi.”

She grinned proudly. “Worth it.”

Ishir exhaled slowly and pinched the bridge of his nose while trying-and failing-not to smile.

Then he looked at Iva.

“You really cannot keep one thought inside your head, can you?”

She grinned proudly. “No.”

And though every person in that room wanted the floor to swallow them whole-though Kashvi and Saisha had never wanted to disappear more in their lives-the room was alive with warmth.Alive with laughter.Alive with the kind of messy, ridiculous, humiliating joy that only happened when people had begun becoming comfortable enough with one another to create chaos this naturally.

And though none of them realized it fully in that moment-

this would become one of those memories they all remembered years later.

One of those stupid little moments that somehow stayed forever.

After the embarrassment of Ivaanika’s shameless revelation had finally settled enough for no one to actively want to die anymore, the chaos upstairs slowly melted into laughter again. The awkwardness remained for a few minutes-especially for Kashvi and Saisha, who both refused to properly look at anyone after what had just happened-but eventually even that became another joke everyone laughed over instead of something to dwell on. The house was too full of noise, warmth, and easy company for discomfort to survive long.

A little while later, all six of them drifted downstairs together and naturally gathered in the main sitting area. No one formally suggested sitting there, no one awkwardly asked where to go-everyone simply ended up there together as if they had already begun understanding each other’s rhythm. The large sofa and chairs around the center table slowly filled with bodies, laughter, and conversation. Ishir took one of the chairs near the side while Shauryansh settled beside him, composed as ever, and the others spread themselves across the couch in far less dignified manners, with Vyaan practically collapsing wherever he found space and Iva immediately sitting like she owned the house.

For the first few minutes, the conversation remained soft and natural, the kind people shared when they were still getting to know each other outside of college walls and group chaos. There was no teasing, no screaming, no madness yet-just warmth and curiosity.

Ishir turned toward Saisha first, his tone calm but softer than usual. “How’s your ankle now?”

Saisha, who was sitting with one leg carefully stretched out in front of her, looked at him and smiled faintly. “Better than before. Still hurts a little when I move too much, but not like yesterday.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “Good. Doctor said rest properly, toh rest properly. Don’t act brave and start walking around.”

That made her laugh softly. “I’m not.”

Vyaan snorted immediately from beside her. “Liar.”

Saisha glared. “Shut up.”

“She literally tried walking herself this morning,” he exposed instantly.

“Because I was bored!”

“You were limping dramatically around the room like a dying Victorian woman,” he replied.

Everyone laughed.

Saisha looked scandalized. “I was not!”

“You absolutely were,” Shauryansh muttered calmly.

Saisha gasped and turned toward him in betrayal. “Even you?!”

He gave the faintest shrug, the corner of his lips twitching slightly. “You were.”

She crossed her arms and muttered, “I hate all of you.”

“No you don’t,” Vyaan replied proudly.

Ishir smiled faintly before looking toward Shauryansh. “Doctor ne kitne din bola?”

“A few more days before normal movement,” Shauryansh answered. “Tab tak rest.”

Then after a pause, he added quietly, “Thank you for handling everything that day. We were all panicking and you managed it calmly.”

His tone was simple, sincere-not dramatic, not overly emotional, just honest acknowledgment.

Ishir shook his head lightly. “Anyone would’ve done the same.”

“No,” Shauryansh replied calmly, “not everyone handles pressure well.”

There was something in the way he said it-quiet but genuine-that made the respect between them more visible than before.

Ishir looked at him for a second, then gave a small nod. “You would have.”

Shauryansh didn’t respond verbally, but something subtle shifted in his expression. A quiet mutual understanding passed between them-simple male respect, built not through long speeches but through observing each other’s actions.

Meanwhile Kashvi, watching the exchange, noticed it too.And somehow she liked it.Liked seeing two quiet, responsible people who rarely spoke unnecessarily understanding each other so naturally.

Beside her, Iva leaned toward Saisha. “See? Mature men conversation chal rahi hai.”

Kashvi snorted.

Vyaan looked offended instantly. “Excuse me? Hum immature hain?”

“Yes,” all three girls replied together.

“Misandry,” Vyaan muttered dramatically.

That made everyone laugh again.

Soon the conversations split naturally into smaller parts. Kashvi and Saisha began talking about college and the ridiculous introductions they had been forced to keep giving because of changing faculty, while Iva added dramatic commentary every thirty seconds. Ishir and Shauryansh moved into discussion about studies, professors, and courses, comparing the madness of their departments while occasionally exchanging amused looks at Vyaan’s interruptions.

“What even do you study all day?” Vyaan suddenly asked Ishir suspiciously.

“Computer science.”

He nodded dramatically. “So black magic.”

“Basically.”

“Respect.”

That earned another round of laughter.

Then Vyaan, who had been unusually calm for almost five whole minutes—a suspicious amount of peace for him-suddenly looked around the room, his gaze landing on Ivaanika.

And immediately his expression changed.

His eyes narrowed. Then widened and a slowlya grin spread across his face.The dangerous kind.

“Ohhh,” he muttered.

“No,” Shauryansh said instantly, not even looking up. “Whatever you’re thinking, no.”

But Vyaan ignored him completely. He sat straighter, clasped both his hands dramatically together, and tilted his face upward toward the ceiling as if communing with God Himself.

“Bhagwan…” he began solemnly.

Everyone turned toward him.

“Ek baar iss mirchi ki baat sun lo-”

“Excuse me?” Iva snapped immediately.

Vyaan pointed at her without looking away from above. “Jo isne pyaar ko leke bola tha na…” His grin widened wickedly. “Please usko sach kar do.”

The room froze for one second.

Then Saisha, traitor that she was, instantly joined in, grinning mischievously as she pointed toward both him and Iva. “Haan Bhagwan ji… aur isme ye bhi add kar dena ki in dono ko ek dusre se pyaar ho jaye.”

The reaction was immediate.

Vyaan gasped in absolute horror while Iva physically recoiled away from him like she had just been threatened with poison. “CHIII!” she cried, face twisting in disgust. “Pyaar? VO BHI ISSE?”

The sheer offense in her voice made everyone burst into hysterics.

“EXCUSE ME?!” Vyaan shouted, hand flying to his chest dramatically. “MAIN ITNA BHI BURA NAHI HOON!”

“You are literally unbearable!” she snapped.

“You’re obsessed with me.”

“I would rather fight a tiger bare-handed.”

“I would save you from the tiger.”

“I would ask the tiger to eat me instead.”

Everyone burst into laughter again, including Ishir this time, who actually had to look away to hide how amused he was, while even Shauryansh let out a visible laugh-small, quiet, but unmistakably there.

Vyaan pointed dramatically at her in outrage. “Dekha?! Dekha?! This is why she is single!”

Iva stood up halfway in fury. “AND YOU’LL DIE SINGLE!”

“At least I’ll die handsome!”

“You’ll die annoying!”

Saisha was nearly falling over laughing now, clutching Kashvi’s arm while Kashvi herself could barely breathe from laughing so hard. The image of both of them arguing like offended children while simultaneously acting like the mere idea of each other was insulting enough to start a war was too ridiculous not to laugh at.

“Actually,” Saisha said breathlessly once she could breathe again, wiping tears from laughing too much, “tum dono ka hi hona chahiye. Entertainment lifetime guaranteed.”

“Never,” Iva and Vyaan said at the exact same time.

That only made everyone laugh harder.

And somehow, amidst all the screaming and teasing and nonsense, something beautiful was happening again-something none of them consciously noticed but all of them were feeling. The walls between them were falling naturally. The awkwardness of being “new friends” was slowly disappearing. The hesitations, the politeness, the carefulness people usually carried in early friendships-it was all fading.

Because this no longer felt like strangers trying to be nice.

It felt like people who were becoming theirs.

It felt like belonging.

Kashvi looked around at everyone for one brief quiet moment while the laughter continued around her-at Iva threatening murder, at Vyaan defending his honor dramatically, at Saisha laughing uncontrollably, at Ishir shaking his head with tired amusement, and at Shauryansh sitting calmer than the rest but smiling faintly despite himself-and she felt something warm settle quietly inside her chest.

Because just days ago these had all been strangers.

And now somehow-

they felt like people she could not imagine not knowing.

Then, of course, because peace was illegal where Vyaan existed, he looked toward the ceiling again dramatically and clasped his hands once more.

“Bhagwan,” he whispered with fake sincerity, “agar in dono ka nahi karna toh mera aur Hrithik Roshan ka hi kar do.”

“GET OUT,” everyone shouted at once.

And the house once again filled with laughter so loud it echoed into every corner.

Because maybe that was how the best bonds formed.Not through perfect moments.

But through messy, loud, ridiculous ones like this- where laughter came too easily, comfort arrived too naturally, and people slowly became home before anyone even realized it.

The laughter from Vyaan and Ivaanika’s argument refused to die down for several minutes, mostly because neither of them knew how to stop once they started. Even after everyone had laughed enough for their stomachs to hurt, the two of them continued glaring at each other dramatically from opposite sides of the sofa like deeply offended rivals, muttering under their breaths every few seconds while the rest of the group kept breaking into fresh laughter just by looking at them.

“I’m still disgusted,” Iva announced dramatically, crossing her arms and shifting further away from Vyaan. “The audacity of suggesting me and him in one sentence.”

Vyaan gasped like she had physically slapped him. “Tumhara matlab kya hai him se? Main kya hoon? Criminal?”

“Worse.”

“Unbelievable.”

“You breathe too loud.”

“That is not even a valid insult!”

“It is when you do it.”

Kashvi was laughing so hard now that tears had begun forming in her eyes, and beside her even Saisha had given up trying to act composed, her entire body shaking with laughter while leaning against the cushions. Ishir sat shaking his head like he had lost control of the younger generation entirely, and even Shauryansh-who rarely reacted outwardly much-was visibly amused now, the faint smile on his face staying longer than before.

The atmosphere had changed completely by now.

Whatever hesitation existed between them when they had first started meeting had almost entirely dissolved. No one was speaking politely anymore. No one was choosing words carefully or acting overly formal. Everyone had started interrupting each other, talking over one another, teasing without hesitation, laughing without restraint.

It no longer felt like six people who had recently met.

It felt like six people naturally finding their place with one another.

Just then, footsteps approached and Madhavi entered the room carrying a large tray, followed by one of the house helps bringing another behind her.

The second Vyaan saw food, his entire personality shifted.

“MUMMY FOOD?”

“Obviously food,” Madhavi said while placing everything down on the table in front of them. “Tum log itni der se baith ke baatein kar rahe ho, bhookh nahi lagi kisi ko?”

Instantly everyone sat straighter.

The table filled quickly with plates of sandwiches, fries, paneer tikka, juice glasses, and snacks.

“OH MY GOD AUNTY I LOVE YOU,” Iva declared immediately.

Madhavi laughed. “Bas khana dekhte hi pyaar aa gaya?”

“Always.”

“Fake,” Kashvi muttered.

“Jealous,” Iva shot back.

Before anyone could even properly start, Vyaan had already grabbed three fries in one hand and two sandwiches in the other.

Saisha stared at him in disgust. “Have some shame.”

“Never.”

“You eat like the food is escaping.”

“It might.”

Ishir watched him for one second before saying calmly, “No one is taking your food.”

Vyaan pointed at everyone. “Trust issues.”

That made Shauryansh snort faintly.

And Kashvi noticed it instantly.

She blinked.

Then stared.Because she had never actually heard him almost-laugh like that before.

And somehow seeing him relaxed enough to react like this—to smile, to enjoy, to simply sit with them instead of quietly observing—made something inside her soften unexpectedly.

But before she could dwell on it, chaos resumed.

Iva had reached for a sandwich at the exact same moment Vyaan had.

Their hands collided.They both froze and slowly looked at each other.

“Leave it,” Vyaan warned.

“No.”

“I saw it first.”

“I touched it first.”

“You touched my nerves first.”

“You don’t have nerves.”

“I have many nerves.”

“Not functioning ones.”

Suddenly Vyaan grabbed the whole plate.

“THIEF!” Iva yelled.

“SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST!”

He stood up and ran two steps back dramatically while holding the plate.

“VYAAN!” Saisha shouted.

“PUT IT DOWN,” Madhavi yelled from the doorway.

He froze instantly ,slowly, very slowly and then placed the plate back.Everyone burst into laughter.

“Sit,” Shauryansh ordered calmly.

Vyaan immediately obeyed.

Kashvi whispered toward Saisha, “Wow.”

Saisha nodded proudly. “Only bhai can control him.”

“Fear,” Vyaan muttered while eating. “Not respect.”

As everyone continued eating, the conversation flowed even easier now, jumping from topic to topic without pattern.

College professors.

Childhood stories.

Embarrassing habits.

Funny incidents.

At one point Ishir casually mentioned how Kashvi once cried for two hours because her paint set had broken when she was younger.

Kashvi gasped in betrayal. “WHY WOULD YOU TELL THEM THAT?”

“Character development.”

Saisha immediately laughed. “That is adorable.”

“It is NOT adorable,” Kashvi cried.

Then not even two minutes later Saisha accidentally revealed that Vyaan once cried because Shauryansh had eaten his hidden chocolate stash.

Vyaan stood up. “BETRAYAL EVERYWHERE.”

“You cried?” Iva asked, wheezing.

“I was seven!”

“You cried over chocolate?”

“It was emotional pain!”

That nearly killed the entire room again.

Soon even Ishir and Shauryansh had started talking more openly, occasionally joining the jokes instead of staying separate from them, and that was when Kashvi realized something quietly-

the dynamic was changing.

No one was “trying” anymore. No one was thinking before acting.

They were simply…being....Being loud. Being ridiculous. Being comfortable.Being friends.for the first time, it felt complete.Then, because peace could never last where Vyaan existed, he suddenly leaned back dramatically and sighed.

“You know what?”

Everyone groaned instantly.

“No,” Shauryansh muttered.

“This friend group is elite.”

There was a pause.

Then Iva nodded reluctantly.

“…Actually true.”

Saisha smiled softly.Kashvi laughed.

Even Ishir gave a faint nod.And for once-no one argued.Because they all knew it too.

The room had grown warmer in the best way possible after food arrived, the kind of warmth that only came when laughter had erased the last traces of unfamiliarity and everyone had stopped thinking before speaking. Plates were half-empty now, glasses abandoned wherever people had set them down mid-conversation, and no one sat properly anymore. They had all shifted into that comfortable mess of friendship where posture disappeared, people stole food from each other’s plates shamelessly, and conversations jumped so quickly from one topic to another that no one even remembered how one story connected to the next.

Vyaan was currently trying to convince everyone that as a child he had been unfairly misunderstood by society when Saisha interrupted him with the driest expression possible. “No,” she said flatly, chewing slowly, “you were just annoying from birth.”

The entire room laughed.

“See?” Vyaan cried dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. “See how I am oppressed in my own home?”

“You deserve it,” Shauryansh muttered calmly from beside him.

“Even my own blood betrays me.”

“That is because your own blood knows you.”

More laughter broke out, and while Vyaan continued fake-sulking, Saisha suddenly looked toward Kashvi and Iva with the kind of expression that meant she had remembered something dangerous. Her eyes sparkled mischievously before she turned her whole body slightly toward them.

“Actually,” she said, trying not to smile too much already, “speaking of embarrassing things-should I tell them about bhai’s school incident?”

The second she said that, Shauryansh’s eyes lifted.

Slowly.Dangerously.

“No,” he said immediately.

That one word alone made everyone react.Because the fact that Shauryansh himself had objected meant the story had to be good.

“YES,” Vyaan shouted instantly, slapping the sofa dramatically. “YES YOU SHOULD.”

“Absolutely yes,” Iva added, leaning forward.

Kashvi’s curiosity lit up immediately. “Now you have to.”

Saisha was already laughing before even starting. “No because in 12th standard na,” she began, barely containing herself, “one girl literally proposed to him in front of the whole school-”

Vyaan slapped the table. “NO WAY.”

“-ON HER KNEES,” Saisha added louder.

The room erupted instantly.

“WHAT?” Kashvi cried.

Iva physically grabbed her arm. “OH MY GOD.”

Even Ishir looked up properly now, amused.

Shauryansh closed his eyes briefly like he regretted being born.

Saisha was nearly folding over from laughing now. “And the funniest part wasn’t even that. The funniest part was-” she pointed directly at him, wheezing, “-instead of saying anything, bhai just looked around, saw me standing nearby and literally RAN-”

Everyone stared.

“RAN?” Kashvi repeated, unable to breathe from laughing already.

“RAN,” Saisha confirmed. “Bhag ke seedha mere peeche aake khade ho gaye!”

The room exploded.

Vyaan fell sideways laughing so hard he nearly slipped off the couch. Iva had physically bent over, screaming into the cushion. Even Ishir burst out laughing properly now, while Kashvi’s entire face had gone red from trying to breathe through laughter.

“YOU USED YOUR LITTLE SISTER AS SHIELD?!” she cried.

Saisha nodded violently, unable to stop laughing. “HE STOOD BEHIND ME LIKE I WOULD SAVE HIM!”

“Because you were there!” Shauryansh finally defended himself, his ears faintly red now despite trying to stay composed. “What else was I supposed to do?”

“ACT LIKE A MAN?” Vyaan shouted.

“I WAS SIXTEEN!”

“That was old enough!”

“She was kneeling in front of the whole school!”

“That’s romantic!” Iva cried.

“That’s terrifying!” Shauryansh snapped immediately.

That made everyone laugh even harder.

Still giggling, Kashvi wiped tears from her eyes before catching her breath enough to say, “Oh my God… wait, something similar happened with Ishir bhai too.”

Immediately every head turned.

Ishir narrowed his eyes. “No.”

“Yes,” Kashvi said instantly, now grinning evilly because revenge had arrived. “One girl proposed to him once and bhai got so awkward that instead of rejecting her normally-”

“Kashvi,” he warned.

She ignored him shamelessly. “-he literally panicked and said ‘mujhe ladkiyon mein interest nahi hai.’”

There was one second of silence.

Then-

Pandemonium.

“NO WAY!” Vyaan screamed.

“OH MY GOD!” Saisha shouted.

Iva physically hit the sofa laughing. “BHAIYA NO-”

Kashvi nodded violently, barely able to speak through laughter. “AND EVERYONE THOUGHT HE WAS GAY AFTER THAT!”

The room erupted with laughs

Vyaan had actually slid halfway off the couch now, unable to breathe from laughing. Saisha was clinging to Kashvi while crying laughing. Iva looked like she might genuinely faint.

Even Shauryansh had completely broken composure, his shoulders shaking visibly while laughing into his hand.

Ishir stared at Kashvi in betrayal. “You are dead.”

“She had tears in her eyes!” Kashvi wheezed. “You traumatised that poor girl!”

“I PANICKED!”

“YOU COULD HAVE SAID ANYTHING ELSE!”

“I KNOW THAT NOW!”

Vyaan physically stood up wiping tears. “Bhai I’m so sorry but that is the funniest rejection I’ve ever heard in my life.”

Saisha was gasping. “Imagine being that girl—she confessed and got identity crisis in return.”

Even Madhavi, hearing the laughter from another room, peeked inside confused only to find everyone half-dead from laughter.

And in that moment - looking around at everyone laughing uncontrollably, seeing even the quietest among them losing composure, seeing embarrassment become comfort instead of awkwardness it became undeniable.This wasn’t politeness anymore.Wasn’t “new friendship” anymore.This was real now.

The kind where without anyone noticing-they had all become each other’s people.And while everyone was still laughing, Kashvi looked up once through her own tears of laughter and accidentally met Shauryansh’s eyes across the room.

He was still smiling.

Actually smiling.

And for one strange, quiet second--despite the chaos around them-she forgot to laugh.Because she had never seen him look that open before.And somehow-she liked it far more than she should have.The laughter refused to settle for several minutes after that.

Even when the jokes themselves had ended, random giggles kept breaking out every few seconds because someone would look at either Shauryansh or Ishir and remember the stories all over again. Vyaan had made it his life’s purpose to not let either of them breathe in peace, repeatedly muttering things like “ghutno pe proposal” and “mujhe ladkiyon mein interest nahi hai” under his breath just to make everyone start laughing again.

At one point even Shauryansh had threatened to throw a cushion at him.

Vyaan had proudly declared that as his greatest achievement.

The entire room had fallen into that comfortable kind of chaos where conversation no longer followed order-everyone talking over each other, interrupting, laughing, stealing food, randomly bringing up older topics again, the kind of mess that only happened when people had stopped caring about impressions and simply started enjoying each other.

And before any of them realized it-evening had begun settling outside.The golden light spilling in from the windows had softened, the brightness fading slowly into warm orange. it was only when Ishir checked the time on his phone that he finally spoke.

“We should leave.”

Immediately the room reacted.

“Nooo,” Iva groaned dramatically.

“Bhai thodi der aur,” Kashvi added instinctively.

Saisha frowned softly. “Itna jaldi?”

Vyaan clutched his chest. “Abhi toh humari friendship arc start hui thi.”

“Tumhari overacting kabhi end nahi hogi?” Shauryansh muttered.

“Never.”

But despite the protests, everyone slowly understood the day had ended.

And somehow-none of them had realized how fast time had passed.That was how you knew it had been good.Because the best days never felt long enough.Slowly everyone began standing, fixing clothes, collecting bags, adjusting cushions they had destroyed during their chaos.Kashvi moved toward Saisha first, sitting beside her one last time before leaving.

“Kal tak thoda better feel hona chahiye okay?” she said softly.

Saisha smiled warmly. “Haan doctor sahiba.”

“Main serious hoon.”

“I know.”

There was softness in that exchange.The kind that came when care no longer needed dramatics to prove itself beside them, Iva immediately hugged Saisha dramatically enough to nearly hurt her.

“OYE meri tooti tang...haatt hattt” Saisha yelped.

“Sorry sorry,” Iva laughed, pulling back. “Miss karungi tujhe.”

“Kal fir aajana.”

“Roz aa jaungi agar snacks mile toh.”

Madhavi laughed from nearby. “Aajao beta, snacks milenge.”

“Bas phir fixed,” Iva said proudly.

Meanwhile near the door, Vyaan was still talking.

Actually no- rambling.

“Dekho bhai,” he told Ishir very seriously, “aap officially approved ho ab.”

Ishir raised one eyebrow. “Approved?”

“Haan. Family committee ne decide kiya hai.”

“Family committee mein sirf tum ho?”

“Main president hoon.”

“That explains the low standards.”

Everyone laughed.

Vyaan clutched his heart dramatically. “Yeh insult tha.”

“It was truth,” Shauryansh replied calmly.

That shut him up for approximately two seconds.

Then finally-as everyone reached near the door=the atmosphere softened again.Because leaving always did that. No matter how much fun had happened before.There was always that small quietness that came when a good day ended.Ishir folded his hands politely toward Madhavi and the elders.

“Thank you for having us.”

Madhavi smiled warmly. “Tum log kabhi bhi aa sakte ho beta.”

“Next time longer rukna,” Adhiraj added.

“We will,” Kashvi promised quickly.

Then, just before leaving, she turned once more toward Saisha and smiled.

“Take care.”

Saisha smiled back.

“You too.”

And then their eyes met— just simple, soft, understanding.The kind that silently said:Today mattered , the talks mattered .As they stepped outside toward the car, the evening breeze felt cooler now, calmer.

Behind them, Vyaan shouted one last time from the doorway-

“BYE GUYS! AGLI BAAR AATE HUE AUR GOSSIP LEKE AANA!”

“TU PEHLE NORMAL HOJA!” Iva yelled back.

“IMPOSSIBLE!”

Everyone laughed one final time before getting inside the car.

And as the car slowly pulled away from Rathore house—

Kashvi looked once through the window toward the house growing smaller behind them.Her smile remained soft and unnoticed because today had not felt like simply visiting someone. It had felt like something else like another home beginning to form , another family slowly opening its doors and another set of people becoming hers in ways she had not expected.

And maybe none of them had said it aloud.Maybe none of them fully understood it yet.

But somewhere between laughter, teasing, food, embarrassing stories, and simply spending time together-

they had crossed another invisible line and were no longer just people who knew each other. No longer just friends .They were becoming part of each other’s lives.

And as the evening sky darkened above them and laughter still echoed faintly in everyone’s hearts-one truth settled quietly between them all.Some bonds did not arrive loudly.They built themselves in ordinary afternoons,in shared jokes ,inn the simple act of not wanting the day to end.And perhaps-that was how all beautiful things began slowly without warning , all at once.