"Oh, for the love of God!" I mumble under my breath the moment I see Yug and Falak standing next to their respective partners with cheeky smiles on their face. The door to my boyfriend's office closed. Need you, Shaiii!

I press the button to my floor, waiting for the elevator door to close but it doesn't. Yug runs to me and pulls me out of the cubic box, I was planning my escape in.

"Where are you trying to flee, little Shea?" Yug pulled me to his side, his hand coming to rest on my shoulder, making all my escape plans go to ruins.

"Eh.. Joey. Joey asked me to meet him. I'll see—"

"You don't report to him anymore, Ahaana. Drop the act." My brother. Brother. The one I share blood and DNA and everything else, said. He better sleep with both eyes open and his finger hovering over emergency contact.

"Where's my bully? Can't wait to torture him!" Falak chirped. "Leave it Falak. The only one getting tortured will be you if he's around." Yug patted her head lovingly. I rolled eyes at their drama.

"He's not wrong." My brother nodded at his fiancée, who pouted sadly. I let them pull me to Advik's cabin. Yug shoved me down on the chair as all of them settles around me. I glared at Yug.

"You! I went against everyone when you were trying to win this bish! And now you side with them? Seriously!?" I point at my boyfriend's sister. Yug bobs his head in positive.

"Fine! Neither Sahil nor am I in any type of hurry to get married. Keep sulking and getting beaten up by him whenever you try to step into her vicinity." I shrug and make myself comfortable. I am going to be here for a while and that son— sweet boyfriend of mine still didn't give me his number so I can't even ask him for any help.

"Already thinking about marriage and all, haan? Weren't you two killing each other with your eyes just two days back?" Falak smirked.

"More like their tongues were down each other throat." Yug grinned, my brother and Suhana shouted 'Yikes' and 'TMI' at the top of their voices. Serves them right!

I turn my eyes to the open door when all of them shut up and look at me with their intense gazes. What now? Where's he when I need him? 'Mera dil ye pukare... tu aaja..'

Ahaana! Focus! I really need to stop scrolling social media and be productive.

In my defense, I have five years of rest and lazy-ing around to catch up on.

"Dekho..."

"Nahi tum dekho Ahaana! How could you!? How could you do this to me? You told these two. Them? And not me!?" I rolled eyes at Yug over drama.

"If it helps, I told no one. These two just put on their Sherlock shirts and weren't ready to stop until they had all the details." You want money? I'll give you money, just drop me somewhere far, far away from this conversation. Yug is high on his dramebaazi. Falak can't stop with her lovingly emotional mother gaze, which I know will end with me sobbing in her arms. Suhana and Advik are just so damn proud of themselves and can't stop high fiving every second.

"What's happening here?" The ajar door slaps itself on the wall with his voice filling the room and every gaze turned to him. His hands were in his pants meaning he had shoved the door open with his foot. I stand up, ready to throw some insults towards these Satanic people and run.

"Somewhere out there is a tree, tirelessly producing oxygen so you can live. And you guys are sitting here being the mean queens instead of doing something good with your life. You owe that tree an apology!" With that being my last words, I walk— sprint away. Sahil steps away still not understanding any part, I see Hood sitting on a couch in the waiting area, but I don't stop to greet him. Instead of taking the elevator like I was supposed to, I see myself walking down the stairs.

What even?

Four of them bursts out into laughter watching her run away. Down the stairs. This girl goes into the act so much, she doesn't pay heed to anything else. Should have just gone to my cabin, no? Now I got to search all the floor cameras, call the floor manager, make up an excuse to call her to me once I'm done handling some—issues.

'One of them is your sister. One, best friend and the other two, your friends. You can't go around calling them 'issues'!' Someone piques in from somewhere in my head.

I said what I said. Issues!

I mentally shake myself out of my inner banter and turn to look at the— issues. "Any idea why she ran away as if her overly pampered ass was on fire?" I walk into the room and take the now empty seat she was on.

"We were just... talking about whatever Suhana and Advik found out last night." Falak chirps. Talking? She means grilling. Of course, she ran away like that!

"Don't you think you're chirping a lot today, Falak? Want me to help you turn this twinkle in your eyes to tears?" I raise an eyebrow; she looks at her fiancé with a sad face. Pathetic sad pouts! How does these tactics even work on their significant other?

You're in relationship with the girl whose most powerful weapons are complaining and throwing pouts like confetti. You don't talk about Falak's pouts melting Advik like a candle. We'll see where you stand once you both have your comfort level back to normal!

Whoever is hidden inside my head, needs to get out before I bang it to the wall!

"Stop daydreaming about Shea!" Yug smiles showing me his teeth like he's in some chewing gum ad.

"Tum logo ko koi kaam nahi hai? You both are always here. Har time idhar hi. Don't you both have your own companies to handle or those run by themselves?" I pin Falak and Yug with my deadliest gaze. Yug rolls his eyes and Falak just snuggles in more into Advik.

"I love how's he wants to go behind her so fucking bad but he's holding back, all because of us." Advik gives a lopsided grin and all I want to do is knock those teeth out.

"I hope one day, you choke on the shit you talk." That's what I came up, yes. I should definitely stop spending so much time with her. Those four don't say anything. Just keeps on gazing at me like I am their almighty angel or something.

"What do you want?" I ask frustration crawling upon me. "Or you just wanted to torture her, but she ran away and now you have nothing?" I raise an eyebrow at them. Suhana bobs her head in positive. I chuckle.

"I am no one to interfere in that. You want to tease her? Do it. But just know that this should not reach our parents. It stays between the six of us, because I know thirty ways to kill a person and make it look like suicide." I smile at the four of them. Keeping eye contact with Falak for more than a minute to scare her some more, I love it when she closes her eyes and hides in Advik's chest, who shakes his head at me in warning.

"Keep your office door unlocked." Falak says when I stand up from the couch. I glance at her. She continues, "Just in case Satan shows up to collect your horrible soul!" She throws the cushion at me, I catch it, smiling more evilly at her.

"He'll come and he'll leave alone. He knows I have some more things— people to murder." I look at her up and down, she narrows her eyes at me. "You know I can fill her ears against you? She listens to me more than she listens to anyone."

"You're not the one spending nights in her bed, I am." Throwing her a cheeky smile, I turn around, ignoring both Advik and Suhana shouting "Shut upp! We don't need the image!" at the top of their voices. Who asked them to create the wrong image in their mind? When I say spend the night, I mean sleep in the same bed like the innocent souls we both are.

"Ring Shea up and ask her to see me in my office." I walk past Hood. "Shea? Who?" He questions behind me, and I roll my eyes.

"Ahaana Rudra Mehrotra, Robin." I push the door to my cabin open.

"Oh. You mean Bhabhi?" Why did I assume he didn't know about all this? Of course the fucker knows.

"Haan Bhabhi. Bula usse!" I turn around enough to see him smirking before the door slams shut.

•

It took me a long while before I notice she isn't here like I asked her to be. I check the clock to see I fucked up. It's almost 3PM. I forgot all about her as soon as I started going through the pending mails and files. I should just give her the damn number. Picking my phone, I ring Suhana to ask her whereabouts.

"Haan?" Her voice comes after the third ring. "Kaha hai wo?" I come straight to the point.

"She needed a very specific type of material for one of her designs, so she left to search for that fabric." Zia informs and my heart internally whines. Fabric Market? She's not going to be back anytime soon.

It's been 24 hours, I have properly seen or talked to her. After that spat with Rudra Uncle, I knew he's doubtful of us, so I stayed away during dinner time. Then, those two dumbasses ruined the entire fucking night and by the time they decided to go, it was already 2:30AM so I asked Advik to take her, not wanting to get caught by her father. This morning, her father decided to take her out for breakfast. By the time, she came back, I was busy in a meeting.

"Bhai? You want me to call her or send you the number?" I shake myself out at the voice buzzing in my ear. Oh. Zia. Right.

"Nah. I'll see her at home." I cut the call, pout pathetically before diving back into the work, face first.

"I am such a smartarse!" I yell making my way in Sahdev house, my parents and Sahdev parents turn to me at the same time. Hood follows behind me with million bags in his hand.

"I got all of this in... I'd say legit pennies. My bargaining skills, I tell you Paa. I should be professional bargainer or something." I flip my hair back. Proud of the work I have done today.

"You just needed Mehr's card to get everything at 70-percent discount or just mention your father's name." Sahil Sahdev piqued in from where he was leaning against the kitchen counter. If I throw Hood at him, what are the chances of hurting that God of idiots? And no one could tell me that before I went ahead to try and being a smartarse?

"Huh? 70%? I got all this at... at 100% discount." I tried to somehow not end up making a fool of myself but...

"Really? Take us with you the next time. We'll save all the cost of fabric." The sass. This fluffing sass will end with you on the floor tonight, Mr. Sahdev.

"Ignore him. He didn't complete his quota of being mean today, so he's trying to complete that with me and you, baby. Come here you princess." Samyak Uncle sides and pats the seat between him and my father. Hood keeps all the bags down on the floor and goes to get himself some water. Or maybe some mean dose from his boss.

"Why don't you get rid of him? You want my help? I can help. I have so many tricks up my sleeve." I whisper --not so much-- to Samyak Uncle and hear the knife slapping down hard on the chopping board back in the kitchen, Advik and Suhana snorts from the other couch and then goes back to smiling at their phones. My father tries to control his smile but fails miserably. Meanwhile, Hood leaves laughing and bidding all of us goodbye.

"Ahaana! Stop! He's going to be your husband soon!" My mother says from the same kitchen. I scrunch my face up in disgust at my future father-in-law, even though the thought of him as my husband flutters my insides.

"Husband? Why? What did I ever do to you, mother? Why are you doing this heinous thing to me?" I crib trying to sound uninterested.

'Shut it.' My phone chimes with my best friend's msg. I look up to meet her eyes. She looks behind me. I move my head around to sneak a glance.

His hand working skill fully on the chopping board but his eyes glaring bullets towards me. Oh well! Guess it's floor night for me.

"So, what did you guys decide? About the wedding? It's not as if you both are getting any young. Even Yug and Falak's parents are waiting." My father asks snapping my gaze back to the living room.

"Wedding? What are you talking about, Rudra Uncle? How can you think of doing such heinous thing with your spoiled princess?" He replies before I or anyone else can. He walks out of the kitchen and straight to the stairs, walking up to his room. What's wrong with him? Why the tantrum spree? Isn't that my department?

"He's kidding. Obviously. We decided to behave civilized and go for the wedding as that's what our grandparents oh-so-lovingly wanted. It's all on you guys. We'll both be at the mandap whenever you guys want." I smile lovingly at both  the fathers. "I'll go freshen up." I stand up from the couch and motion with my eyes at my best friend, she nods and starts typing something in her phone.

"Mumma. How about you guys have dinner here and we all will go there? Sahil and I have to watch the FIFA game." Sweet lord Jesus! Is that really my brother? My sunshine. I don't turn around and head straight to Mehrotra house knowing all too well, I'll find him with me soon. All thanks to those two. Now that I think of it, it's good they know about us.

•

"Kya hai?" The door slams to the wall making me jump at my place. I look up from the phone to my boyfriend's glaring face.

"Raat?" I throw my sweetest-to die-for smile at him. The frown deepens. Okaaaay then!

"Main tyunu tang kardi aaj?" I try being cute.

"Tang? Na. Tu matt maar dendi hai bande ki. Jeen di ichcha khtam kar deti hai tu!" He says from the door. I chuckle and open my arms, he pushes the door shut and walks to me.

"Ab ki kita main?" I ask, putting my head on his chest and looking up at him in sitting position.

"Kuch vi ni. Ae hi toh gal hai ki kuch vi ni karti tu! Did you even try to talk to me today? We are supposed to be making up for the time we have lost and not add more years of absence to that time. It's been more then 24 hours I have properly talked or held you! Thi kaha tu?" He ends his rant holding me close to his chest and slapping a kiss on my head, I giggle like a teenager.

"The foods here and I'll shout Ahaana if Rudra Uncle is here!" I hear my bestfriend scream from the living room. We both exchange looks. This mind blowing technique must have also reached my father and others with the little to no distance between both houses. Dumb ways to get your brother killed, Suh!

"You go bring our dinner here, while I go and change. We'll have mini dinner date." I gather some strength and peck his cheeks before sprinting towards the bathroom without waiting for any response from him.

Quickly finishing my business, I put on a loose t-shirt and the pj's that are a size too big for me. Wrapping my hairs up in a knot, I walk out to see him already seated on the floor with the food on the table that he has arranged from where, God knows.

(Ignore the lights and candles)

"We are sharing the plate?" I ask taking my seat opposite him. "You don't want to?" He questions, almost offended. I chuckle shaking my head. He rolls eyes and goes back to serving us. I cup my cheeks and look at him being so deeply focused into the task.

"You drunk, Shea?" He asks when I keep looking at him. "On you? Yes." I reply in a heartbeat, his lips stretch in the most beautiful smile I have ever seen him with.

"I am still angry at you for your recent remarks with my dad! For leaving me to go look for a fabric. You giving me abandonment issues, Shea." He meets my eyes; I chuckle at the last line.

"Didn't you mention you already have abandonment issues? And Samyak Paa before you, always!" That just deepens his narrowing eyes, I shrug. "So, you don't want me to talk about us with our parents, right? Shaadi nahi karni tujhe, hai na?" I gasp.

"Shaadi? I am twenty-four. Barely a teenager. What's wrong with you, Mr. Sahdev? You giving me creep vibes, honey." I keep my eyes on the dinner plate. His spoon clinks into the plate. I meet his eyes.

"Acha? Thank goodness you told me this. I was planning proposal here. It's a good thing I didn't buy the ring yet." That gets me out of 'playing with Mr. Sahdev' phase. Ring? Yes. Please. I want my ring finger to hurt under the weight of a solid diamond.

If you guys didn't already know, I want to get married as soon as possible. I am desperate. No. No one can tell me otherwise. I am done with my independent woman era. I am so ready to be pampered by him as his wife. I have got no girlfriend energy, it's straight-out wifey mode in me.

The only reason I am going with this relationship thingy and not whining to my father about getting us married, is because I don't want to force this on him, so soon. I want to take it at his pace.

"You wanna get married to me?" And that's how I turn the nice setting into a good lecture. He looks at me as if he heard me wrong.

"Wanna get married to you matlab? What do you think we were heading for with this?" He moves his index finger between us. The goofiness all washed away in a second. He stands from the spot and continues...

"What do you think I am doing here every day with you? Passing my fucking time? Playing you? What do you think the fuck is going to happen? Of course, I am looking for marriage. Hell, I have been looking for us to get married since I was fucking thirteen!" His jaw ticks in anger. I stand up and go to touch him, but he backs away, halting me on that exact spot.

"Didn't we talk about this in Leh? I told you na we are getting married? Or did I do wrong by asking you for this thing to take slow before I pulled you in the deeper end? Should I have just forced you in getting married the next day we landed from Leh?" His voice rises and I look back at the door worried of our families hearing this. "Shai.. that's not what I meant.." I trail off not knowing what else to say because that's what I fluffing meant.

I pretend to be verily understanding but I am not. Behind this strong-confident woman, who knows what she exactly wants, is a little girl who needs and craves that constant assurance that someone can want her. Someone wants to be friends with me, for me. Someone can love me, for me. Someone wants to marry me because they want to and not because my father or grandfather asked him to. I can fake being perfect but I am still as pathetic and needy when it comes to emotional feelings as I was five years ago.

But.. I don't tell him that. Instead, "I--I meant... didn't you want us to be in relationship first? Like get to know--"

"Get to know you? What is wrong with you? Get to know what? The only thing I have done since I am a fucking baby is know you. Know what you want or need even if you lie with this fucking straight face." He steps closer and tugs at my hairs, my neck muscle twitch with the sudden pull and I close my eyes.

"You need proof. You have needed it all our lives. You need it now. You'll need it when we have a baby. And you'll need it on my fucking deathbed. And I'll give it to you. Prove it over and over again till my last breath because I couldn't give you that assurance once and I lost you for five years!" I open my eyes, meeting his burning ones, which snatches my breath away. His face red and warm with anger, just like his breath fanning over my mouth. "Really?" I whisper, soft enough to get lost in the silence of room.

"I swear on my grandfa-" I don't let him complete; my head meets his chest. His hold loosens from my hair strands and his fingers reach the midst of my back, hugging me closer. "Never swear on Dadu. Please. Never ever." I murmur in his chest.

"Ahaana!" I hear not one but two voice shouts together. My best friend and... my father. Fluff me in the ear! I push him away, he holds my wrist pulling me back to him. "Stay." He whispers making my eyes go as wide as a cow. "You have lost it, Sahdev." I whisper-shout pulling my hand away. He snatches it back. "I am not scared of him."

"I am, you dumb dumb! Go hideee!" I shove him towards the bathroom, his jaw clenches. I'd take angry Sahil over angry Rudra Mehrotra. "Ahaana!" My father knocks on the door.

"Just a second, Paa." I pick up the dinner plate, keep it on the floor. Pick up the darn table and hand it to Sahil who takes it in the washroom and closes the door behind him. I'll tend his angry pout later.

"What took you so long?" My father walks in the room as soon as I open the door, his eyes moves around the room, stopping on the washroom and balcony door a little too long.

"I-I was eating... and I went to wash my hands. I was in bathroom, yes. In the bathroom." Whoever said I can't lie to save my pathetic life, is absolutely correct. A hundred percent failure at this!

"But you have taken hardly two bites. Why's there two spoons in this? Why are you eating here in the room? If you washed your hand, why are they dry? And whose slippers are these?" What the fook? I now see why Maa always says, he was a stalker. He should be a detective. Which question should I even answer first?

"Dad-- the slippers... slippers.. size.. over. Yes." I yell loudly. "Like oversized clothes are in trend... I wanted to do something different. Start a new trend... so this is.. my idea. Oversized slippers." I slide my feet in Sahil's house slippers and try to move them around somewhat fashionably. My father looks at me with his narrowed-suspicious eyes which calls me 'Liar' in 13 different languages. I gulp down the lump forming in my throat.

"I was tired with all the roaming around, so my back hurt and Google said to sit on the floor for a while, so I decided to have dinner here. Spoons because I am multitasker-- I eat dal with one and rice with the other. Hands dry because I dried them with the towel." I end my rant by pointing towards the towel I left on the bed this morning. I peek a glance behind him to see my brother and best friend slow-impressed as fluff- clapping, I stop myself from smiling bright like an idiot or do my famous thank you, thankyou bow.

I am getting good at this lying thing. My friend circle needs to present a bravery award to me! Also, bow down to me while they are at it.

"Where's Sahil?" Oh. Oh.

"Sahil. Uhh.. Dad, Sahil stepped out to receive a call. He must have gone to check on the dogs after the conversation." My brother, the best thing that ever happened to this world. My sweet saint of a brother. Bhaiyuuuuu... I love you more than I love... all three of my Zara bags.

Zara bags are the only high-end luxury product I own, he should be grateful I put him above those! 'Shut up, Emily. They are high end luxury product for me, I don't want to hear your list of luxury goods.'

"Okay. I was just here to inform you guys to head to beds as we four are going out. Your mothers want to go... somewhere." Did I mention our parents are hopelessly in love? They are always going on little ice-cream dates late night. but they never tell us that as they want that alone time... having ice creams at Marine drive or some other beach, only the four of them.

"Okay. Enjoy. And I'll have the 'tender coconut flavor', thenkyew." I throw him my sweetest smile; he chuckles pulling me in a hug. "Okay. Message me all your flavor names. Sahil se bhi puch lena, okay?" He nods at me, I close my eyes, not wanting to give it away.

"I love you, Papa." I murmur, hugging him tighter. The guilt rushes back as I feel his warm hold embrace me, lovingly.

"I love you, little one." He kisses the top of my head; we hold on a little longer and then I let him go. "You're in charge. No one should get in fight, okay?" He holds up his palm. I high five him. Both of us knowing all too darn well, I am the one who picks fights with both Advik and Sahil.

He leaves kissing Suhana's head; Advik follows him and locks the door behind him. "Close one?" My best friend murmurs. "To the neck close one." I exhale a long breath. The washroom door pulls apart and a sweaty Sahil walks in. Mumbai's humidity knows to sweat my man.

"I am done. I am telling our parents about this, first thing in the morning. Suspicious? He's damn sure. The next time he sees me, he's pulling in all the guns on me." He points at the picture frame of me in my father's arm at 12 years old. I show him my white pearls. 'Main toh kabse hoon ready tyaar..' Shut upppp, Ahaana!

A flashback of little Ahaana sitting in the playground looking at little Sahil playing cricket runs through my head and my heart beats go erratic.

I look deep into his eyes; he raises his eyebrow at me in question. I shake my head in negative.

We were made to be together!

Blended that way!