"Mom!"

"Mom! Shikha Maa!" I hear the loud yelling again.

"Mumma!"

"Haan! Kya hua? Kyu chilla raha hai?" My 50-percent mind is here and 100-percent, busy in eavesdropping.

"Coco Oreo kaha hai?" Oh. Oh. Coco and Oreo stop playing hearing their names. I look back at them horrified.

"Niche. Apne flat mein!" Avni Maa replies, I pull my bottom lip in my mouth. Coco and Oreo come to me, and I snuggle them.

"Hote toh main aapse kyu puchta? Mehrotra!" He shouts, I hear footsteps coming in my house. I keep my finger on lips, telling them to not make a noise. They sit down on the bed, I cover them with the duvet and even cover myself.

"Advik!" He shouts again. Waheguruuu! Bacha lo! Jaan le lena hai aaj ye meri.

Coco and Oreo are not allowed on this floor. Our mothers hates when they shed fur everywhere. I came back from office with Suhana today as Sahil and my brother had a meeting. Suhana went on a date with Yug. Falak was busy with work and Myra was meeting her friends. Our parents out doing God knows what—so it was just me.

I may have sneaked Coco and Oreo in my room.

I may have forgotten to check the time.

Sahil goes straight to them, and he must have freaked out not finding his precious dogs.

"Haan? Aaya!" I hear my brother call out.

"Where's Coco Oreo?" He sounds so tensed. Should I send them? But everyone will shout on me.

"I don't know." My brother says. I hear footsteps coming towards my room, I tighten my hold on the fur babies. The door pushes open, I keep my face hidden.

"I can see Coco's tail." Busted! He pulls the covers away; I open my eyes. Coco and Oreo jump down the bed starts howling/barking/jumping around him. Traitors! I push myself to sit on the bed as four persons stares at me.

"Ahaana! They are not allowed in here!" My mother shrieks walking in the room, Sahil scowls at me. Avni Maa and my brother stands behind him, laughing. I get down the bed and Mumma starts removing the bedsheet and comforter.

I look back at the one throwing daggers at me with his eyes. I may have been pissing him off since yesterday. After our coffee date, I asked for his number. Again. He denied. Again. I went to the party and didn't come back till 12'o clock.

I may have invited the girls for a sleepover. He was in his living room when I came back, but when he saw Falak and Myra with us, he went to his room, glaring at me. You mess with the cat; you get the whiskers!

And where was I even wrong? I just wanted his number so that it was easy for us make plans and meet. Par nahi...ziddi toh paida hi hua hai koi!

"Go drop them back to their flat." My mother orders. I walk ahead and snap my fingers, Coco and Oreo turns to me. I start walking, they follow me. A certain someone follows us three. "Now they'll be at each other's throat again. I swear sometimes Ahaa instigates him purposely." I hear my brother say behind me. I'll deal with you later big brother!

We get in the elevator, and he presses the button to their floor. Coco and Oreo know him too well, they keep mum the whole ride. Nicely trained, huh! Or did he share some of his grumpiness with them? We reach their floor to find the door open. The flat had many keys, one with each family member, I found the keys easily in Advik's room.

I shut the door behind me, Coco and Oreo go and sits in their fluffy beds. Their owner turns around, shoves his hand in his pockets and looks at me standing in the middle of the living room. Coco Oreo looks between us; I look at the flat's interior. Nice! Nice color! Nice walls! Nice dogs! Nice--

"Get in here." His voice cuts the silence in the room, I look at him to see him standing out of the bedroom door. He unlocks it, I follow him in. He goes and sits on the bed; I keep standing beside the door.

"Aayegi ab idhar?" He says from the bed, I walk ahead and go to sit beside him on the edge of the bed, but he tugs, and I end up falling on his lap. "I am not playing this game. Passing notes and everything. Bhai ko aaj hi shak ho gya tha." I wrap my hands around his neck and nuzzle my face in there.

"That's why I told you to go with him this morning." He murmurs, with a thud he falls back on the bed with me on his chest. I let my slides fall down my feet before pushing myself more over him, in a comfortable position.

Yes, we have come to passing notes now. After last nights' tantrum, I was pissed at him. I wanted his number, but he wouldn't stop being stubborn. But by the time I woke up, I missed him. Falak and Myra left early morning as Falak had work--I also think my brother stole her after Myra, Suh and I passed out--Yug needs an excuse to see Suhana, so he dropped by early morning to pick Myra--lies. lies. lies.

I woke up at 8 and everyone were having breakfast at our place. He passed me a note that said, 'Advik was going through the cameras at Mehr and he asked me if we came together. I don't want him suspicious, so you go with him today and don't forget to complain about me. I know you love doing that.'

Second note I received was during our lunch, 'Adv and I have a meeting. You go with Zia, take Coco and Oreo to your room, we do a little drama and then we go to their flat.'

"Keeping this secret wasn't my idea?" His hands start doing the same thing. Back and forth rubbing. "Yeah, it was my idea. You want to tell everyone. I'll do the honors. You look like you could use a talk with my father." I rub my cheeks against his stubble. I love how it makes me come alive and shudder in bliss.

"Just unblock me na. You're being so mean. It's as if you are still stuck on that part of our--"

"Here. Take the fucking number." He shoves me down his body, pushes himself in sitting position and pulls his phone out. He throws it my side and goes to stand up, I pull him back, he falls down on me.

"Idhar hi rahta hai na bas gussa." I rub the tip of his nose with my fingertip, he looks away, I turn his face back towards me. "I can't believe you are seriously using that against me, so so so fucking cruel!" He says, making me feel guilty. I am so bad!

"I am sorry. Fine, you want me to yearn for the number na? I will. We'll talk via notes, alright?" I brush our noses together and then I place a kiss over his nose. He starts rubbing his beard against my cheeks. Fluff! Why is this so hot? It does weird things in my body.

"Why don't you wear shorts?" His hand goes down my sides to the side of my thigh. My head is a mess. I am physically here, but mentally somewhere else. After some moments what he is rubbing. The mark. I open my eyes to see him already looking at me. I gulp down the lump. He leaves me breathless...every freaking time.

"Hm?" I ask again, not remembering what he asked.

"Why don't you wear shorts anymore? You have been here for a month now and I have never seen you in shorts." He murmurs. I move my fingernail over his jaw.

"You want to see me in shorts, just ask, bae-bee." I tease, he rolls his eyes. "Firstly, I hate, hate that accent. Drop it. Secondly, answer the fucking question. Flirting doesn't work on me." This time I roll my eyes, why do I even try?

"I feel weird. The mark is disgusting. Also, I don't want to tell Mom-Dad about that night. No need making them worry over something they had no control over." I look at his face, my fingers now moving my nails down his jaw, he holds my finger.

"Don't." He warns and then turns his head down to my finger and takes it in his mouth. Butterflies erupts in my stomach as soon as I feel the warmness of his mouth over my skin, I cross my thighs which doesn't go unnoticed by him. I part my lips to exhale, my eyes dropping as he continues sucking on my finger.

Then, I jolt awake. Everything that I was feeling, turns off as if ice cold water has been poured over me. I shriek loudly. He slaps his hand over my mouth, I shout in his palm. Holy guacamole! Fluffer bit me.

"What is wrong with you?" I hiss, shaking my hand to lessen the pain. He keeps glaring, I take the finger in my mouth and suck on it. It effing hurts. Abhi kya kia maine? Bata ke naraz hona chahiye naaa!

"The mark is disgusting? Your head is stupid." He flicks my head with his index finger. Great, now I have two places to nurse. I rub my right hand over my forehead, he goes down on his knees. He starts pulling my pajama pants up, knowing he's not leaving without seeing the mark, I just help him with it. The injury mark comes in view, and I remove my hands, going back to check the damage on my fingers. I will have to get the rabies vaccine now. Waheguru, chakk lo aap mainu!

He leans down and kisses the mark; I stop everything I was doing. Just watch him shower all the kisses he had been showering over me these past few days, on the mark. He keeps kissing it over and over again, my fingers make their way in his hairs. He looks up at me, his chin on my knee. His thumb runs the length of the mark. Over and over again.

"This has to be the most beautiful part of your body, Shea. It looks like the stripe of a tigress. I see this and all I see is young, strong, brave, fearless Ahaana Mehrotra working her way through the London city. This tells a story. A beautiful yet heart wrenching story, where in the end, you fucking won." I cup his cheeks; he places a kiss and then continues.

"This is beautiful to me, and it will be beautiful to all those who knows your story. This is not disgusting Shea. This is beauty you found in chaos. This scar means that pain is over, wound is healed, and you have this stripe that tells your re-started with this. This is remainder of when life tried to break you in the worst way possible and fucking failed." I don't think I have ever heard something so moving...powerful from him. Yes, we were connected to each other's soul from the beginning, but we were young and all we did back then was tease each other.

I lean my head down, joining to his. "I—I just don't want to worry Maa Paa." I whisper. He kissed my head.

"That's okay! That's acceptable but saying this is disgusting is not. You don't want them to see this, it's okay, I know they'll feel bad... I know I do. Never, never call this ugly again." He makes me understand softly, I bob my head in agreement. He places another kiss, then another, then—

"Okay! That's enough kisses on one place." I pull him by his shirt collar, he lets out a throaty laugh before coming on the bed. I nestle in his arms, his chin over my head.

"Sahil! Ahaana!" I hear my brother's voice and instantly pull away from him. "Fluff!" I look at him in horror, he keeps a finger on his lips to tell me to not a make a sound.

"You go out. Start playing with Coco Oreo. Lock me in the kitchen. I'll say, I went to get their food and you locked me." I tell him, he shakes his head in negative.

"You lock me in the kitchen. I want to make it look believable. We both know you can't lie to save to your life." I pout, he kisses my head. The knocking gets harsher. I wear my slides and we get out of the bedroom. He enters into the kitchen and start filling up their food and water bowls. I lock the door and go to Coco and Oreo.

I hear Suhana speaking outside the door, I lay down on the floor and Coco and Oreo starts nuzzling/ playing with my body. The door pushes open, my brother stands there with my best friend.

"You couldn't open the door? I had to ask her to get the keys." Advik glares. I shrug.

"The door..." I trail off. "What about it?" My brother asks glaring at me. "It was so far away. I was busy playing with these goofballs." I tickle Coco and Oreo. Advik picks up the toy nearest to him and throws it at me. I chuckle when Coco takes it before it could reach me.

"Where's Bhai?" Suh asks. I don't reply. My brother and Suh goes towards the balcony and slides the door open. Bhai leans down to find his body, I chuckle. They think I'll be able to push him down the balcony. Such high hopes, I am moved. Awe!

A loud thud comes from the kitchen. Suh and Advik comes back inside and runs straight to the kitchen door. I kiss Coco and Oreo and stand up from my raita position. Suhana opens the kitchen door with the key. He stands there with a scowl on his face—nice acting Mr. Sahdev. You were right, I could never pull this off this good.

"Run. Run for your pathetic little life." He glares at me and then I do what he asked. I run.

•

"Time please." I say breathlessly when I find the three of them on our floor, waiting for me. I thought he will follow me, so I took stairs. Smartarse, took the elevator.

"You better sleep with your doors locked tonight. I will murder you in cold blood!" He threatens, our siblings look back and forth between us. Sure, honey. You're not the one who can't sleep without me nowadays.

"Oooh. I am scared. Waheguru... raksha kri meri." I look up at ceiling for extra points. He goes to take a step closer to me, Suhana tugs on his sleeves. My brother stands between us. "Guys! Civiliseddd! Please. Keep your distance." He pats his best friend's chest. Seriously? Why get in relationship with Falak when you can have your best friend?

"Bhai! You should be on my sideee! Look at Suhana, she's fulfilling her sisterly duties." I squint my eyes at my brother, Sahil smirks at me. "I really shouldn't hold my breath on you, hai na? If I murder this good for nothing best friend of yours, you'll cry over him instead of helping me with the effing body!"

"Ahaana! Calm dow—"

"Wait a second. I'll calm the eff down. Let me call my sister-in-law real quick. She'll support me no matter what! You useless moron! While I'm at it, I'll also find her a new fiancé." I shove at my brother's chest and start to go towards our flat. Sahdev siblings snicker behind me. I throw them the bird.

"Tere chakkar mein, mujhe lag raha hai meri body milegi iske bed ke niche." I hear my brother say, the Sahdev siblings starts laughing. I hear footsteps running behind me. I quicken my pace and head inside and then to my bedroom. I go to close the door, but bhai comes inside.

A tiny bit part of me feels guilty for doing this to him... but then I see my father's picture on the wall and then I don't feel guilty.

My father is the strict-est of all four of our parents. My mother is the calmer one, fun one. Avanti Maa is the one who talks less and uses her kitchen instrumentations more—the boys have been thoroughly whipped by spatula after they tried to prank Suhana and I—But they are still angels on the earth, of course.

Samyak Dad is a sweetheart, he's one of those who believes in 'killing 'em with kindness'. And then comes my father, the one who kills with his eyes— Silent, grumpy and the one who plays mind games.

Wait a minute!

I'm dating someone, who is like my father in more than one way!

YIKESSSSS!

Gotta go suicide and get myself another life!

Or love interest!

"Toh tu kyu ki usko lock?" My brother says from the other side of the door, I keep pushing the door with my all strength. This biatch ain't getting in here. Me and him having conversation alone means, me spewing everything out like a puppet!

"Yaa toh wo mera murder kar deta yaa main uska. It was self-defense and my angel side not wanting to commit crime. Locking him in was harmless." I yell, pushing more when I feel myself going back. Losing it. I am losing it! Need help. ASAP!

"Haan wo thik but why are you not letting me in?" We are not twins; then how come I got all the intelligent genes? Is it maybe because Dad didn't read his newspaper that day?

What is wrong with me!?

"Because we had a fight out there, you clown!" I give up. Either I can fight his strength or his stupidity. I can only do one. I leave the door; he stumbles in and falls on the floor. I don't even try helping him. I think his mind wandered off when he was kid and never came back. My brother is the reason why shampoo comes with instructions.

I watch him stand up. He pushes his hairs back and exhales loudly--as if he was the one who had to run 10 floors upstairs to 'save her life'. "You guys said, you'll behave. In which dictionary 'civilized' means killing each other?" He makes double commas with his fingers while saying the word civilized. I swear I have started hating this word with everything in me.

"In Ahaana Rudra Mehrotra's dictionary." I keep my hands on waist and glare at him. "Dekh Ahaa, you know him. You got his dogs here without his permission, on top of that you tried to hide them. Frankly, it was more like stealing them."

"Stealing what?" I hear my father's voice; we turn to find him standing outside my room door. Sahil comes in view. He might have seen my father coming and followed him. Suhana comes too. And there's pin drop silence in Mehrotra house.

"Nothing, Paa. Ahaana was playing hide and seek with Coco and Oreo here. Sahil thought someone kidnapped them." Bhai says in the most casual way. Did I tell you guys about how much I love my brother? He's my guardian angel. I love him more than anything...any effing thing in this whole wide world. I am alive cause he's here. He's the best brother anyone could ever ask for, lucky for me, I got him.

"You want the dogs?" My father opens his left hand, I walk in his arms. "Yeah. They are fun and I don't like keeping them alone in that room." I murmur to my father; he kisses my hairs.

"Okay. Sahil, the dogs are Ahaana's. You can get yourself new, if you want. I will send you the cheque." My father sideways glances at Sahil. "Advik. Order a cage and have them settled down in the common balcony." I bite my lower lip, feeling the incoming clash of male hormones.

"I am not keeping them in a cage. She can visit them if she wants but I am not selling them." Sahil says behind us, my father stays silent for a moment before he turns around with me still in his arms. I look at him to see him looking at my father. I peek a glance to see Samyak Uncle sipping on his coffee casually-- as if his son and best friend are not seconds away from getting in a spat. I turn to look at the mothers, they looked busy in the kitchen, talking happily. They don't see this? This I'm stuck in? Suhana nowhere to be found. Princess must have not found this worth her precious time.

"You don't want to cage them you say? But you are perfectly fine when it comes to locking them in a flat. How is it any different from a cage?" My father says, his eyes slid from my father to mine for a second, I plead him, but he looks back to my father. "They have space there. They can roam and play and use the washroom as per their need. I have cared and nurtured them since they were days old. Uncle, I am not giving them away...not to you, not to her, not to anyone. She wants to see them; I'll give her a key. But I am not changing their habits and environment they have grown to like just because your daughter decided to be a stubborn princess. Find her some other toy to play with." Oh! He did not! I'm going to kill him. Stirring my father?

"Dad! It's fine. Ahaana will see them in their flat, right Ahaa?" My brother comes to stand in front of my father, I nod my head in agreement, vigorously might I add. Anything to keep these two away from each other. "Oh? Don't you worry. I will find another toy for my little girl. Very soon." Shit. Shit. Shit. Fooked. I am fooked. This world is fooked. This universe is fooked. The moment my father says this, even Samyak uncle looks towards us. And the ladies. yeah, now that it's all turned to dust, they are here. They couldn't step in a minute ago?

"Rudra. Stop scaring the kids. I can't believe you are getting involved in this. You know how these two are. They love teasing each other." My mother comes to her husband. She stands beside Advik, between Sahil and my father. Mumma keeps a hand on Papa's chest, his eyes move to her.

"You think your princess is any less? She locked him in the kitchen. He was in there for 20-25 minutes while she played with the dogs outside." Papa's eyebrow raises, he looks at him and then turns his head to me.

"Acha? Who opened his door then? Suhana and Advik weren't there?" Dad asks and my heart starts beating wildly in my chest. Dad is good. Too good.

"No! I sent Advu to check and the door was locked so Suhana took the keys. They opened the door to find her playing with Coco Oreo and Sahil locked in the kitchen." Mumma shakes her head at me and then pinches my cheeks, I look up at my father to see him looking at him. He looks right back at Dad. I bite my tongue in my mouth. "The door was locked haan?" Papa asks. He knows. 'He knows. He knows. And I know he knows.' Ahaana focusss! Stop thinking about the song. He fluffing knows. I snap my eyes at Sahil to see his jaw clenching. Fluff.

"Anyways, as I said. She can have the keys if she wants." Sahil interrupts my mother. Paa looks at me, I nod. He lets me go. Sahil leaves our house. Dad wraps his arms around Mumma and places a kiss on her head, they walk to the couch. Mumma laughs at something Dad said and she walks back to Avni Maa, Paa settles down beside his best friend.

•

I look at the clock, my pouts deepen. The clock said twenty-five past Eleven. He's not coming? He even had dinner in his room today. I didn't get a glimpse of him after whatever happened between him and Dad. Should I go check on him? If someone catches me, I can't even say I was there for Maggi. Mumma stocked all the things I love. What do I do? I can't even call him!

I will say I wasn't sleepy, so I went to bother Suh. Yes! I throw the covers away and barefoot go to the door. Gently I open it. I look around and when I find nothing, I go to the main door with soft and steady steps. The fluff! Who latched the door? Mumma never locks the door knowing Suhana or I love sneaking to see each other or to get a snack. Even the boys come to each other when they have to see a match together.

Maybe Dad did? He's suspicious now. Shit! Our master plan didn't work. Maybe he did come but found the door locked? I quietly, as quietly as humanly --Shea-- possible, unlock the door. I get out and look around one more time before softly shutting the door. I can't spend the night there. I will have to come back soon.

I find the door to Sahdev's unlocked. Quickly and quietly, I reach his room and go to knock, but the door opens. It was unlocked. I go inside and lock the door behind me.

"Well. Well. Well. What do we have here?" A voice that I know so clearly and that definitely ain't his, says. I freeze. Waheguruuuuu! Ki kithaaa!?

"Stop pleading to Waheguru, baby. Turn around. Let us see you. Another voice says. Why didn't I have the power to poof? Like snap the finger and gone, leaving white powder behind. Or glitter. Whatever.

I turn around and come face to face to three persons. One who had his facepalmed. Other two smirking. Who called them siblings and not lucifer? Devil of darkness? Demon? I meet my brother and best friend's eyes. Sahil keeps his face palmed.

"I told you to give me the fluffing number!" I whisper yell at him. Advik and Suhana chuckles. He looks up at me, scowling. The audacity! "And I told you not to go down this road. We have eyes on us every second!"

"You said nothing. You just agreed!" I take a step closer to the bed. Advik and Suhana stays silent as we both breath fire at each other.

"Simmer down, guys. Let's all settle down. It's gonna be a long night." Suhana chirps getting inside the covers, he tries to shove her away, but she pins him with a look. Blackmailing! That's why I didn't want them to know. These two are evil! She pats the seat beside her, I push myself and head to her. There's no going back. Might as well just get this over with!

"How even are you here when the main door was locked?" I question my brother who has a 1000-watt smile spread on his face. Yeah, very funny!

"I told Mom I'll be out with Falak. Dad must have locked the door... I guess. He's suspicious of you two by the way." Bhai says and I whine in my palm.

"So. Where do we start?" Suhana claps her hands. I want to smother this woman.

"How about you tell us where we gave it away?" Sahil questions, I keep my head down.

"When I saw you kissing his cheek in the Parking lot." Suhana chirps. "I was in Yug's car right next to yours." Sahil groans more. Yug and Falak knows too.

"Then the car exchange confirmed it, he didn't believe me, and we all know how much Ahaana hates small cars." Suhana points to Advik, he nods his head. "Then we saw you coming out of his office with a blush on your face."

"Bleugh! Don't remind me." My brother makes a disgusting face. "I never thought I'd see her blushing. It was the most disgusting thing ever!" I throw a pillow at his disgusting face. Dastard!

"The coffee shop. Yeah, we followed you guys. The note on breakfast table. The note during lunch. Then you forcing everyone to come home—I knew that was to piss him off. Locking Coco and Oreo's flat from inside. You forgot we have cameras in the hall, bhai. You both went to the bedroom leaving the poor dogs out alone." The smile keeps widening on their faces and I mentally make all the calculations of how many ways I can kill and dispose these two bodies without anyone suspecting me.

Risky! Too risky, Ahaana. Calm down. Calm down.

"Mil gai shaanti? Yes, you both are Sherlock Holmes of this house. The most intelligent duo. Now keep your fucking mouth shut and get the fuck out!" Sahil gets down the bed and goes to pull Suhana, she shrieks loudly and tries to get her leg out of his hold. I watch the siblings behave like animals. I then turn my eyes towards my brother to see him already looking at me. But the moment I notice the difference in his smiles, it turns my heart in a puddle of mush.

He had no smirk, no cheeky smile on his face. It was his genuine, happy smile. The gorgeous, sweet smile he lets anyone see, rarely. My heart flutters knowing these two weirdos are the happiest persons right now.

I hold Suhana's hand and look at Sahil. He looks back at me. He rolls eyes before letting her go. She laughs looking between our little exchange.

"I don't think I have ever been this happy in my entire fucking life!" Suhana lays down on the bed and chuckles looking up at the ceiling. Sahil and I look at each other. We realize that this ain't so bad. Them knowing is not the worst thing, them not knowing is. Hiding this from them was obviously going to be hard and we both felt guilty about it. But...I just wanted him all to myself before we include our families. But I forgot, we four come in a value pack. You buy two and you get two free. And seriously, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I lay down beside Suhana, Sahil sits on her other side. My brother comes to my other side. "You better keep your fucking mouth shut! I don't want to deal with Rudra Uncle right now." Sahil glares at his sister and my brother.

"Umm... we'll think about it." Bhai says making Suhana chuckle, a laughter escape from my throat as well. Sahil groans looking up at the ceiling.

We are weirdos, but we wouldn't have it any other way. When we have each other, we have everything. And we were glad to have found friends in family and family in friends.

I'd rather have them teasing the fluff out of me then lie to them every day!