"Sahil! Don't you fluffing walk away from me yaar." I yell after my husband. He doesn't stop. The elevator opens the second he presses the button for it—darn you, elevator— he gets in. He keeps his back to me—still on the call as if his wife isn't yelling like crazy behind him—as the elevator closes. Hood peeks from where he's slouching on the couch. His eyebrows raised in questioning. Footsteps stops behind me.

I turn around coming face to face with my best friend and brother. "What's wrong?" Bhai asks stepping close and taking me in his arms. "I don't know. We were fine last night, then I woke up to empty bed this morning. He returned from walking Coco and Oreo, got ready and left without having breakfast. I got here to find out he's at Mehr works. His PA informed me when he returned so I came here running but now he left without even speaking to me. I swear I didn't do anything, Bhaiyu." A tired, whiny huff escapes me by the end of my tirade. He cups my cheeks.

"Shaant hoja. I'll talk to him, okay? I'll go bring him." Suhana steps close and takes me in her arms. Bhai brushes his lips against my head before walking towards the elevator. Hood follows him. "Aaja. I'll call Yug. You want to bang his stupid head to this stupid wall for teasing you?" My bestie grins in menace. I shake my head in negative. "We banging my brother's head instead? I'm up for that as well." Haan, ye kamini kisi ki sagi nahi hai. She can go to any lengths for some drama.

"I want my husband! And his head is not up for banging, you hoe." I screech walking in her office. Suhana laughs, following behind me. She slaps the door shut and I fall face first on the couch.

Kyu tune dil toda, kyu tune yun choda— I know you're sad but shut the fluff up!

"Ahaana, stop wallowing. He must have left without breakfast because he was running late or something." I give myself a whiplash turning to look at the bish. She shows me her teeth knowing how stupid she sounds.

"Do you think I should up my game in the bedroom?" I think back to how abruptly things ended last night. Is it because he was left unsatisfied? I did ask him if he wanted my help, but he said nothing.

"Shut up, woman! We promised you'd go to Falak for this advice and Falak will come to me. Remember your husband is my brother and your brother is Falak's husband!?" Suhana covers her ears and shakes her head vigorously to shake my words out of her head. I roll eyes at the exaggeration queen I call best friend. And yes, we did decide on Falak and I discussing my sexual life, Suhana and Falak discussing Falak's and then all three of us discussing Suh's.

"Falak has a meeting and she's busy. So last night—"

"Ahaana!" Suhana shrieks jumping out of her seat, I slap my face back into the couch. "Fluff you." My voice comes out muffled. I hear her take a deep inhale. The drama, I tell you.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Mehrotra?" His angry voice booms right before the door is slammed open, I look up just in time to see my husband thrown at me like a pillow. "Shit!" His entire weight comes over me, the oxygen in my lungs leaves me in a quick huff and I flail my body under him like a dying fish.

"The fuck, Adv." Suhana yells and his weight is pulled away from my body. He pulls me up to seating position and I take some quick breaths, my eyes meet my husband's. "You, okay?" He cups my cheek, his eyes moving on my body to check for something broken or fractured. I nod my head before looking at my brother who's proud of himself.

"The fuck is wrong with you? Falak didn't reply to your messages or what?" My husband faces his best friend, his face red with anger. When my heartbeats return back to normal, I stand beside him. "I asked him to call you." I hold his wrist.

"You asked him to throw me at you like I'm a ball?" He side glances at me, his eyes narrowed in anger, I shake my head in negative. "That's what I thought." He mumbles turning back to his best friend for answers.

"You're avoiding her." Bhai gestures at me with his chin, his arms crossed on chest and body leaning against the doorframe. "I'm avoiding no one. I have been busy unlike you three. We have to finish the—"

"You're lying." I cut him off, my eyes goes to his clenching fist and then back at his face. It's a telltale, he hates lying so much he starts digging his nails in palm.

"Oh? You know when I'm lying?" He turns to me completely. I bob my head in positive. "I also know you hate doing so, so what is that you're hiding from me?" I cross my hands on chest, copying his posture. He keeps looking at me for a few seconds before giving one fake as fluff, almost dead chuckle. "The only one hiding things in between us is you, Ahaana. Question me, when you've answers to my questions." Huh? I'm hiding? What? My irritation to these dumb questions? Yes.

"You never hide anything from me?" He continues looking at my confused face, I shake my head in negative. "You never lied to me?" I shake head, again. "You told me everything I deserve to know?" I repeat the same thing. Of course. This man knows me inside out. I hide nothing from him. Noth—oh. The minute realisation dawns on me, our eyes meet. He notices the change in my eyes. "Yeah. Exactly. So, question me, only when you have answers to my questions." He mutters and takes a step away from me, my actions are quick. I tug on his wrist. His eyes snap back at my face but I look at his sister instead. She gives me a curt nod before walking to my brother and yanking him out of the door, with his collar.

"Kya hai?" I whisper walking close. He takes a step back. "Dekh Ahaana, I don't have time for your little plays. You lied to my fucking face last night, knowing well about how much I hate that. Toh tu na ab rahne de. I'm not interested in hearing anymore of your lies." I take another step close; he takes two back. His back meets the wall, I step on his loafers, making him hiss as my heels pricks his foot. "These are Tod's." He looks down at our feet before meeting my eyes. "And I care because...?" I trail off, his jaw clenches. It takes just a second for him to snap. His hand comes to pinch my jaw and he pushes me back, then I'm the one slammed against the wall, my back to his chest and his hot growly breath hits my ear.

"Don't you fucking mess with me, Shea. I won't have these pieces that you're offering of you to me. I want the full assed version, the one I fell in love with. The one I waited for, for five long fucking years. I have been patient and I'm still trying my best, but just know that, that patience is now thinning with each passing second. Don't push it. Mujhe na meri jaan chahiye, meri Shea. Ye British-y version nahi. You fucked up when you lied last night and now I'm not letting this go." He leaves my jaw makings me hiss, I move it side to side to check for any damage. Before he can take a step back, my fingers find his hairs and I stop him. "I need you." My words are breathless. His proximity does that to me. His narrowed eyes meet my hazy ones. I see his throat bobbing as he gulps some of the anger down.

"Mood nahi hai—"

"Don't make me beg yaar." I push my back against his front. His hands come on my waist, and he creates distance between our bodies pushing me back against the wall. I mentally smirk when I see him thinking. Finfluffingally! I love Coco and Oreo, but they ruined my night yesterday. I was finally getting some good time after the vanilla shitz and they ruined it before it reached the good part. "I swear we'll talk about all this but please babyyy..." I turn around facing him, he looks at the door and then at me. He bridges that little distance between us, his face nuzzling into my neck.

"I want the begging." He pushes himself away and storms out before I can coax him. Fluffer. I stomp my foot at the hardheaded man. I cannot, with his control. I want him snapping. I fluffing want the fluffer to go crazy for me. With that thought, I pull out my phone and dial Falak, my legs moving towards the door.

"Hello boo." My Bhabhi coos from the other side.

"Hideout. Sleepover. The six of us. I love you." And cut. She'll make it happen. My eyes meet my husband's who's having a spat with his best friend. Suhana enjoying the drama sitting on the drawer top, rubbing her nails together.

I'm the drama queen out of the three of us, Falak's the mother hen and Suhana— who enjoys it all and then steps in to blow everything to dust. She's the scariest of all six of us. You can imagine the cruelty by knowing that she didn't let Yug's attention wither away from her for six whole years before finally saying yes to him. Even though she fell for him first.

"Did they reach?" I turn to my best friend; she nods yawning and then jumps down from the drawer top. Our parents left for Kerala, some hours ago.

All our phones' chimes at the same time. I internally grin. That would be my bestie making sure I get what I want. It's Friday today and we'll all be away from Mumbai hustle bustle for two whole days. Just the six of us. At our favorite place in the whole wide world. It's been five and half years I have been there, and I can't fluffing wait.

"I miss hideout. Can we go? This week sucked!" —Falak's message says.

Bub is typing...

"No." If he said no, everyone would say yes just to piss him off.

"Yes." —Advik.

"Fuck yes!" —Suhana.

"Yes. Yes. Did I say yes?" —Yug.

"Yes!" —The beautiful me.

"Cool. We are taking only one car. Nice talk, bye!" —Falak.

I look up from the phone directly to my husband's angry stare. Oh! He knows. He knows. I flip my hairs back and sashay my way to the elevator. My cute arse does look good in these jeans, combine it with these thrifted heels, and I have Sahil fluffing Sahdev at my mercy.

Oh, he will be in a few hours!

"Stop walking like a duck, Ahaa." My brother yells behind me, ruining my fun. My best friend snorts to that. I flip them the bird without turning back.

•

It takes us some more time after the office hours to wrap everything up and leave. We first help Advik and Suhana pack, lock everything carefully. Then we headed to Ahuja's to pack our stuff. Cleared the staff for two days and locked everything up. We also steal my father's 7-seater car. All of us look at each other for the seating arrangements. Neither of them interested in taking the last seat.

"I'll go." I say getting in the back seat, waiting for my husband to join. He doesn't. Fluffer! Neither does anyone else. Son of a gun!

My husband takes the passenger seat like the princess he is and Yug drives. Advik sits in the middle with Falak and Suhana. Leaving me alone in the back seat. I was too desperate to get my husband in the corner but fluffer didn't even budge. I keep my eyes on my husband from the rear-view mirror. He too keeps checking up on me every few minutes.

"I'm hungry." I mumble looking out of the window. We'll be in the car for almost two hours, might as well stuff myself to death. We didn't have any snacks prepared as it was such a sudden plan. Guys said they'll buy us nice dinner at the place we all love since childhood. But that place is in Lonavala. It's going to take us almost two hours to reach there. "I'm also bored to death. Can you please turn the volume up?" I pout at my husband. He does as asked and mumbles something to Yug which I obviously couldn't hear because I got the volume high and I'm also sitting million miles away from him.

I peak in all three of their phones. Falak's playing game. Suhana's replying to Myra's messages. Bhaiyu doing something work related. I pat the car pillow and fall down on it. If I have a seat all to myself, I'd rather get some sleep. Closing my eyes, I start humming with the lyrics.

"Mainu rabb mileya, sabbh mileya
Jab tu mileya mainu...
Mainu Hajj mileya, rajj-rajj mileya
Mainu jab mileya hai tu..."

"Sahil. Put in your playlist." The music stops and Falak's voice fills the car. I stay mum. The car silent as everyone waits for him to play something from his playlist. "Side laga." His voice comes out gruff from being silent since so long. I bite down on my lower lip knowing what's happening.

"Tum dono na lade bina rah sakte ho, na door rah sakte ho." Yug comments. The car stops. I keep laid out in the same position. The doors opens and closes. Three door to be exact. When I don't hear him around me for more than three minutes, I crack an eye open. Only Suhana and Falak are in the car. I push my body up and look out of the window.

"You said you were hungry." Falak glances at me with a smile. I watch my husband buying fluffing wafers... for me. I mean obviously for everyone, but he went to get those himself, for me. He'd never get out of the car for anyone else. Friends and sister be damned!

All three of them returns from their shopping spree. I quickly go back to my raita position and close my eyes. The door opens, "Move." He orders, I internally roll eyes at my princess. I take my sweet time. Huffing tiredly, fluttering my eyes open as if I was already deep asleep and his voice woke me up.

"Cut the crap, Shea. I'll go back to my seat and then you can continue giving those pouty faces in the mirror, for all I care." I give him a smile; he shakes head as our friends laugh beside us. I push my upper body up; he gets in the seat, and I keep my head on his thighs. Our eyes meet for a second before it's broken by Yug throwing some packets on me. He's sliding his way up my shitz list faster than an elevator. We are yet to sort out yesterday's drama and he's already aiming to royally piss me off again.

Suhana takes the passenger seat and we re-start our journey. When Suhana and I were five, our parents bought this amazing vacation house in Lonavala. We named it hideout. A place we came to hideout from the world.

Our father actually had a reason behind getting this place. Our mothers used to take us to our maternal grandparents house every summer vacation. We'd stay there for a month. We would be in Mumbai, but polar opposite— Malabar hill to Borivali. Suh's maternal grandparents lived just kms away from my mother's parents' home. Our fathers love our mothers so much that they'd slit their own throats for them, but not so much to travel back and forth this route to see their wives and kids daily. Or even weekly. Nope!

So, when they came to know about a land on sale here, they had the perfect idea. They built us a house of our dreams. And we kids were no longer interested in going to Nanu's. We now looked forward to every month's end because we'd come here for three days. And sometimes even longer when our parents were out for their birthday's or anniversary's, it would be just us four and our grandparents and no restrictions at all!

Then when the guys hit their teenage years, and Falak and Yug came into our group, we all used to go on our own with the staff. I still remember the first time the six of us spent here. We were here for almost twenty days and all of us had major breakdowns when it was time to go.

That vacation brought us closer with Falak and Yug. That vacation merged us as one. I was still hesitant around Falak and Yug but after this vacation, we were inseparable. Advik and Suhana were each others crime partners, since she took birth. But even Sahil and I found ourselves that type of friendship. Yug and I. Sahil and Falak. The kind where we can't stay without the other one and neither live with them.

The slight movement under my head, jerks me out of my head. Our eyes meet, he moves his chin at me asking 'what's wrong.' I shake my head and smile at my husband. My nemesis. My everything. The beat to my heart. I can't believe I survived without him for five years. His thumb comes on my cheek, and he grazes it. I turn sideways and hug his waist, moaning at the delicious scent of him. He holds my braided hair trying to pull me away from his body, I don't let him, instead I flap his t-shirt up and hide my face in there. "Ahaana." He growls in my ear, I look at him with one eye, he glares and then moves his eyes ahead. I follow his gaze to the back of my brother's head. Psst!

Aaj kuch toofani karte hai!

He holds both my hands in his, but I manage to get my tiny wrist out without bringing attention to us. It takes me a second to push my fingers in the waistband of his shorts and briefs, bring them down just enough for it to come in view. He wrestles my hands and head, to get me away from him. "What happened?" Falak's voice comes, he throws the blanket over my head, covering me and his lower body. "Nothing, she slept. Just making her comfortable." My husband clears throat.

"Should I lower down the AC, bhai?" Suhana asks just as he goes to pull the blanket down, he flips it back on my head. "No. I covered her with the blanket. Main mar jaunga garmi mein." My husband grumbles, almost irritated. I bite back on the chuckle. I take that as a chance. Leaning forward, I do it. For the first time ever. The tip of my tongue barely grazes the tip of it. The blanket is pulled away in a swift rough motion and his glaring eyes meets mine. When I take my tongue out and repeat the motion, his hand comes on my neck. Pressing down enough to stop my breathing. I don't stop, this time I give the crown of it, two licks.

"You have fucking lost it, Ahaana? You want to do this, the first time, like this?" He leans down to my ear and scoffs at the end of his sentence. I bob my head, wrapping my hands around the growing length. He throws his head back when I squeeze it. Molars grinding. I move my head close and wrap my lips around it. The whole tip. His hold on my neck tightens, I take it deeper. His veins pop from the sides of his forehead from how hard he clenches his jaw.

I keep moving my tongue around his tip in my mouth. I hold his wrist—the one holding my neck, making it hard for me to breathe—and bring it down to my breasts. His palm cups the right one and squeezes it so hard, it brings tears to my eyes. I pull away from his length to take one long inhale. He looks at me, breathing hard through his parted lips.

"Yug. Can we stop? I need to use the restroom." Falak says, my husband quickly hides me with the blanket. "This one, okay?" Yug asks.

"Chalega. Please." Falak's tone is desperate. The car comes to stop, and the car door opens and slammed close even before the engine is turned off. The back door opens and shuts, telling me my brother followed her. "Sahil?"

"No. I'm good. You guys go ahead, I'm here with her." My husband replies to Yug. Two more doors open and closes telling me everyone left. The blanket is taken away from my face.

"Finish what you fucking started." My husband growls and before I can tease him, he shoves it in my mouth. I gag on the length. My eyes snap down and I feel the length with my hand—it's just halfway in my mouth. Fluff! No wonder I still feel as if being split open, every time we do it.

His fingers buries in my hairs, tugging on them lightly. If my hairs were left open, he'd make sure to make it hurt. When he pushes some more length in, my gag reflexes shoot and tears spring to my eyes. Sahil pulls out completely, I barely take an inhale before it's slammed back into my mouth. For the first time in fifteen days of our marriage, he takes from me the way he wants. Hard. Fast. Rough. Out of control.

This is why I wanted him to be rough. Because I have known since we were teenagers that it's his thing. Yes, he enjoys making love to me, but he also always wanted this type of physical intimacy where he can be hard and rough, and I take it all. This hair pulling thing did come out of somewhere, right? I happened to see—no, I wasn't snooping— his laptop history when he wasn't home. The same year that I left for college.

I make weird noises switching between keeping myself from passing out of no oxygen, lick him and slow him. Whatever I do works, since he growls lowly from the back of his throat, rolls his hips slightly and caresses my hairs instead of yanking on them for once. "I should have done this before." He grumbles breathlessly. His jaw tightly clenched and breaths rough. I take the tip back in my mouth and just suck the crown of it like I suck my lollipops, rolling my tongue around it. My other hand caresses his balls and the second my hands fondle with those, his hips thrust up and he shoves the length in my mouth, touching the back of my throat.

Since he likes what I'm doing, I continue repeating my motions. My tongue swiping up and down as I continue to tease his balls. "Ahaana!" He roars leaning his head down to my ears and bites down on my shoulder to hold back his loud voice. His fingers gripping my hairs. "Please, baby. Please Ahaana. Give this to me. Pleasee. I need—"

Him begging me to make him come, might be my favourite thing in the whole world. I bob my head up and down, faster this time. He meets my head with thrusts of his hips. His pace picks up and I feel his balls tightening in my hand. He curses curled up on my body, his breath heavy rough and grougy. He curses, his shoulders stiffen and so does his thighs under my head. He yanks me away from his thighs and length. I watch almost mesmerised as he grunts my name—over and over again, like a fluffing prayer— and spills on his thighs and my hands. I feel his eyes on me after he's done but my eyes stay on it. His hand that's been on my breasts all this while, pulls out from the top as he continues huffing.

"I—I'm sorr—"

"Ruin this by apologising, and I'll leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere. Friends and sister be damned!" I warn my husband. He smiles leaning his head back on the seats head rest. I meet his eyes; he pulls me closer with his hand on my back and smooches my lips. My eyes go to the window, and I see four of the returning from their trip to washroom. They can't see us because of the tinted windows. "Sahil." I whisper pulling away from him, he follows my gaze and huffs out. They all suddenly stop and turn around, walking back in the hotel.

"Why didn't you spill in my mouth?" I question, my eyes intact on the mess we have made. Neither of us moving to clean it. I bring my index finger and pick up a drop that is on my wrist that still cups his balls. His gaze watching me cautiously, I take the drop that is on my finger to my lips, he holds my finger and wipes it off on my chest instead.

"I don't want you to start hating or fearing this, what if you hate the taste of it and I no longer get a blowjob?" His tone is teasing, I roll my eyes reaching for the tissues on the sides. He keeps his head rolled back on the headrest as I clean us up and fix his clothes. He gestures at my chest; I look down to see my cookie out of the bra and tank top. He caresses it with the pad of his thumb before shoving it back in and adjusting my clothes.

I pick up the water bottle and take a swig. "Jaan le loonga!" He threatens when I swirl the water around in my mouth. I don't gulp it, his glare deepens as he waits for me to gulp it.

I raise my body to press on the window button, he pulls me back with my tshirt. His hand comes on my jaw. "Gulp it." I shake my head, his fingers presses in my cheeks, I bite on my closed lips to hold back my laughter. I see our friends returning and quickly gulp it down, his nods to himself and smooches my lips. I close the bottle and keep it back.

"Kya hai yaaar?" I whine yawning the second Falak open the back door. "I told you he'd wake her up." Yug shakes head at my husband, who just rolls eyes at my drama.

"I need to pee." I pout at my best friends. Advik lets out an irritated groan. "Now she'll take a century!"

My husband moves his legs and Yug helps me out. "I'll go with her." He murmurs and we both walk towards the hotel. "I'm sorry." I ignore his words.

"Ahaana yaar. Sorry na." He stops me with his hand on my arm, I squint my eyes at him. "You're supposed to be my partner. My twinny winny. My crime partner and not someone who makes fun of me! You fight with me, not against, dum dum." I say digging my index finger in his chest with each word. He bobs his head and then holds his ears, right there, where almost everyone around now has eyes on us.

"If you ever, ever do this again, I'm never speaking to you again!" I warn him. "Never. I swear." He pinches his throat and then opens his arms; I take a step and hug him. "I missed you, lil' She." He coos in my ears. "So never piss me off ever again." I mutter hugging him tighter. He kisses my head and nods at the washroom door. I walk in and finish my business.

"Where's your wallet?" I ask Yug when we are walking back to the car. "In the car, kyu?" He questions, I shake my head in negative. We reach the car and I open the back door, meeting my husband's eyes. "Where's your wallet?" I ask my husband.

"In the cup holder." He points at the passenger seat; I lean forward and pick it up. "Kya hua?" My husband yells behind me when I'm running back to the hotel. "Shea, you didn't have anything from whatever stuff we bought an hour ago, if you get more, I'll shove everything down your throat. Forcefully!" He shouts making me stop. Yeah, keep making yourself seem stupid!

Ye ladka pagal hai, pagal hai— Ahaana!

"I'm buying this hotel!" I yell back.

"Itne paise nahi hai usme. Also, I gotta come with you to negotiate the prices. Do you really want to be into hotel business? Yug will be your competitor. Plus, I don't think the owner will be here. Just get the number." I keep looking at his smug face, he's so damn proud of whatever shitz he just spew. I ignore it all turning around and walking into the snack shop.

After buying what I need, when I'm finding loose cash, I find something hidden in the wallet. I pull it out and hide it in my shorts pocket. Paying for my things, I walk back to the car. My husband awaits me with my friends leaned against the car. I hand him the wallet and unwrap my lollipop with the other. His gaze narrows at me. "Itni bekaar hai na tu Shea.." He mumbles lowly, our friends looking between us confused. "The fuck Chinu? You want me to call Mumma and tell her you're back on your lollipop addiction?" Advik looks at all nine lollipops that I hold in my fist. I pop the lollipop out.

"Go ahead. I don't live with you people anymore." I say before shoving back the lollipop. My husband suddenly remembers something and starts going through his wallet. When he doesn't find what he's looking for, he glares at me.

"Drame nahi." He warns, I feign innocence. "Waha chal ke lad lena." Falak shoves me in the passenger seat. Advik takes the driver seat; my husband and Yug take the last seat. I feel his agitation all the way to my heart.

"Ahaana, mat kar na. It's making me feel really weird. Please don't take this away from me yaar." He says when we are almost reaching the place, I turn around to face him. The desperation clear on his face. "Main idhar hi hoon na." My voice is soft.

"I know tu hai, but that's been there with me since the day you left, it's my strength yaar. My shield. Please yaar." Him begging like this, letting his fears out in front of everyone means he needs it more than I can imagine. I shove my hand in my pocket and pull the passport photo out. Picture of the day I was born. The picture where my eyes are closed but my tiny fist holds a little finger. His finger.

I hand the picture to Suhana, and she smiles looking down at it, telling me it's not the first time she's seeing this. She passes it to her brother, who finally after thirty long minutes takes a sigh of relief. He holds the picture in his fingers for a few seconds—the color returns to his face—before putting it back, hiding it behind our grandparents' tiny picture in the wallet. "I'm never letting you touch this ever again." He glares at me; I show him my tongue before turning back ahead.

My husband continues giving me the stink eye when we reach. This house has seven bedrooms. Four bedrooms on the ground floor and three of us youngster's on first floor. Back when I was still here, Suhana and I shared one, Advik and Sahil had their separate bedrooms. Now, Sahil and I will take his bedroom. Advik and Falak will take Advik's. Suhana and Yug in Suhana's.

Our grandparents' room now has been converted into guestrooms. Our parents rooms are locked, I don't even want to know why. I hope they are still bedrooms and not some sorta punishment or red rooms, I can never be too sure with my father and Samyak Paa. Yikes, to the thought!

Yug and I head straight to the pool. My husband and Falak moves to the kitchen to fix us quick dinner. Advik and Suhana follows us to the pool and sets the music and lights. After we decided to come here, my husband called the housetaker and asked him to clean the house, pool and also stock the groceries. I'm actually amazed he was able to do all this in under five hours.

Falak screams and I run back in the house to find my husband holding a cockroach in between his fingers. I can bet my life it's fake. It's been so long he played with Falak, now is the time where he will scare the living shitz out of her. "Sahil! I said I'm sorry. Mummy pleasee. Sahil." Falak cries, her eyes on the insect and her back pressed against the refrigerator.

"Sahil." I walk in the kitchen and stand between my scared Bhabhi and smirking husband. I take the rubbery cockroach in my hand. "Falku! It's fake." I press on the supposedly insect. Falak sniffs and reaches to touch it. Before she can, my husband snatches it and puts in her tshirt. Ab chalu hoga Falak ka taandav, waheguru kyu banaya mere pati ko itna sadist?

Falak starts jumping up and down, screaming the house down, tears starts carving down her eyes. I try to reach for her but she doesn't stop thrashing around. My husband continues laughing at Falak's misery. Suhana and Advik comes running.

"Sahil!" My brother slaps his head upside down walking to his fiancée. Suhana stands beside me pressing on her lips to stop herself from laughing, I narrow eyes at the brother sister duo. Bhai holds her hands in his and gestures for me to come close. Suhana and I walk closer and start patting her body to find the insect. I find it in her bra, between her breasts, pushing my hand in her tshirt I pull it out and throw at my husband. He moves away letting it fall on the ground.

Bhaiyu hugs her to his chest. "He's so bad." Falak whines, sniffing. My husband steps close and pulls her to himself. "Ole, Advik's parcel got scared?" Sahil cups her cheeks, she swats at his chest making him laugh and hug her. "Why do you even have that?" Falak's eyes never strays away from the insect on the floor. "For you, obviously." My husband grins kissing her head.

"He has this tiny box in our closet. I came across it when we were moving in, it's filled with all sorts of fake insects and disgusting stuff." I tell my Bhabhi. "And you couldn't throw it away?" Falak glares at me. "I tried, he hid it."

"I did. I got them for you, how could I let them go to the trash?" My husband coos to Falak who tries to hit him but he blocks all her attempts. Bhai shakes head at his bestfriend and fiancée. "Leave cooking. We'll order in, let's head to the pool. Suhana, go check up on Yug, fucker must have slept in the pool and drowned himself to death." Suhana bobs her head agreeing and makes a run for the pool. My husband throws his other hand around me and tugs both Falak and I out to the pool. My brother brings the alcohol.

"Aaj kis baat pe natak?" Falak asks sitting in front of us. My husband nuzzles his face in my nape as I make myself comfortable on his lap. Suhana now giggling in the pool with Yug.

"Puch isse hi." He juts his chin out, gesturing at me. Falak looks at me in question. "He wants to know about my time back in London." I inform her. "He deserves to know about that, and actually all of us do Ahaana. You haven't told us anything and it's not something that's usual in our group. We six have always been so close knitted and now you hiding parts of you from us, and especially him, it makes us feel less important in your life." I pout at my Bhabhi's words. There's a reason my husband and she gets along the way they do, they happen to be the only two sane persons in this group.

"Advik has been complaining about this as well. Just last night he was telling me about how he looks at you and sees a totally different person in you at times, one that he doesn't know and like. It's taking everything in him to not force things out of you." I follow her gaze to my brother, who's talking to his beer bottle, asking it to pop it open itself because he can't find the opener. I shake head at my idiot brother.

"You guys will feel bad and I don't want that. We are finally moving forward. And to be honest, I feel I will see pity on your faces and it will hurt me." I confess my worry. It's not like I'm hiding anything, I just don't want to see the pity on their faces. These five have never sympathised with me, something that I love about them. Be it my health, my eating disorder, they have never treated me differently. I don't want to lose that.

"You tell me, do you think we'll pity you or heal you?" With those being her last words, she leaves dropping a kiss on my head. I turn sideways in his lap. "Whatever she said." My husband mumbles and smooches my lips. "Hey fucker! Stop shoving your tongue down my sister's throat in front of me." My husband groans irritated at my brother's voice.

"You always kiss Falak in front of me." Sahil yells back. "So? She ain't your sister, arsehole." My brother shouts.

"But it's still disgusting to watch you suck her face."

"Then don't fucking look the next time!" I leave his lap. These two can fight on the most disgusting to most ridiculous topics ever. They got no filter and they don't fluffing care about offending someone.

I snatch the beer from my brother and pop it open with my teeth. He looks at me wide eyed, I huh walking past him. "Sahil, dekh teri biwi ko." Advik whines behind me.

"Tu dekh apni behan ko. You were the one who gave her the first sip of alcohol at fifteen, ab dekh tamashe!" My husband yells back, working on setting up the music system. I start undressing. Falak doing the same beside me. We both keep our undergarments on and wrap our hairs in a bun, Yug and Suhana cheers and hoots from inside the pool. The music starts and we both jump in at the exact moment.

We are having the time of our lives. Just the six of us. Booze, pool and dance. My husband and brother joins us in the pool. You'd think my husband's a grump grump when it comes to fun as well? Nope. He enjoys the most. I can gurantee he must have stayed grumpy everytime they came here in the last five years, but this time old Sahil is back. The one who knows how to enfluffingjoy!

Yug helps me out of the pool as one of my favourite song plays.

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My husband showers us—me in beer. Suhana and Falak comes out to join us.

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It takes a second. Barely a second even. Her feet gets tangled in the clothes Falak and she discarded before getting in the pool, and then she's shrieking, falling down in the pool. I shake head watching her thrash around as if she can't swim. Little dramatic thing! She's pro at swimming.

I feel a sudden burn in m y heart and quickly swim to where she is. She's still flailing around under water; I try to grab her moving hand and pull her up. Even though she's out of water, she continues moving her hand with closed eyes as if she's drowning. "Shea." I call out her name, she squirms, a shiver runs down her body. "Em--st--stop." Her words are breathless whisper, my body locks as realisation dawns on me. Someone tried to drown her and this little accident, kicked her memory.

"Bachu." Advik takes her almost passed out body from me. Falak removes my finger from her arms, which are digging in her skin. Yug gets out of the pool to pull her body out, while Advik and Falak handles her weight in the water. Suhana returns back with some towels and bathrobes. "Chal." Falak tugs me with her towards the pool steps and I move to where she's sleeping on the pool chairs.

"I. Will. Fucking. Murder, whoever tried to hurt her." I say the second my eyes meet with Yug. Advik tugs on my wrist making me sit beside her still shivering body. "Calm her down first." He glares at me. "Suh, bring the blanket and some clothes." Advik requests and I get my wife in my arms. We all move in the house. I lay her on the couch. Falak comes with her clothes. "I'll make her some soup." Advik yanks Yug with him. While the girls get her changed, I find the remote for the fireplace.

She didn't pass out, so it doesn't take her much time to come to her senses. We all sit on the floor, couch, bean bags around her, watching Falak wipe her hairs as she continues looking at all of us with worried eyes. "What's wrong?" She finally asks after ten minutes of killing dead silence.

"You tell us, Ahaa, what's wrong?" Her brother gives her the crazy smile he keeps reserved to scare people. "Who's Em, meri jaan?" Her hand quickly grabs on to her phone. This has something related to Em. "A friend." She replies.

"Just know that you pushed me to do this." My sister picks up her phone after glaring at her best friend. "I will call Ellie and ask her everything, she promised she'll tell me everything I need to know but I was waiting for you to tell me things yourself."

"No. I will tell you." Ahaana snatches the phone from Suhana. I lean back on the floor, my back touches the coffee table.

"Stop with the scary eyes." My wife scrunches her forehead, getting down on the floor, she crawls in my lap, keeping her head on my chest. "So, no one gonna disturb me. I tell you the happening things and you all listen and then we forget this conversation ever happened. No punishing to anyone. No telling the parents and no discussion ever again in the future, promise this first." She looks at me bringing her pinky finger up. I look at Advik and Yug, when they nod, I wrap my little finger around hers.

"I met Ellie and Killian on the very first day of my college. Killian didn't study in our college; he just used to drop and pick Ellie. Ellie and I shared classes and became friends really quick. But as you already know how hard it is being Indian in foreign countries, I had to go through that phase as well. Some of the students thought I'm there to steal the fluffing kohinoor." she rolls her eyes. I keep my lips sealed knowing really well how she's trying to turn things little and funny, even when they obviously weren't.

"Emily or Em was one of them. I don't know why, but bish hated me. With everything in her. I didn't do anything other than exist, I swear." She pinches her throat meeting my eyes, I remove her hand. She didn't need to fucking swear, I know her. I believe the words coming out of her mouth more than the breaths I take. "It was still going okay till I was living with Kashish Aunty. I'd go to college, meet Ellie, spend the day with her and go back to Aunty. Things started getting bad when I shifted to the dorms next semester."

"It started with tiny things, calling me names in the corridor of the dorms. Knocking her shoulder against mine. Tilting up my water bottle when I was drinking. But things escalated when a guy came the next year. I was not at fluffing all interested in this guy, but he apparently liked me." My wife grins at me giving me a little huh, trying to make me jealous. "A lot." She adds smugly.

"Chal chal ave. Aage bol" Her brother interrupts, Shea throws the cushion at him. "Shea." At my tone she stops aiming the next cushion at her brother.

"Em liked Steven. Steven liked me. Em got to know about this, and her jealousy made her evil. It wasn't little things anymore. She got to know I was scared of dark, so she locked me in the library and turned the lights off. Thankfully, I had my phone with me, I called Killian, and he helped me out. We were at pool party and when my foot was tangled in something, I went under water to remove whatever it was, she kept my head down until I was almost drowning. The people around us shoved her away and helped me. One time she put glue on my hairs, and I had to get a bob cut, I hated it. I hated looking at myself in the mirror. She made my life horrible. From stealing my hard work to pushing me on the stage while I was performing. From spreading rumors about me sleeping with our material ex. teacher to sleeping with the captain of football. You should be proud of how strong your little Ahaa became because she didn't give up and finally asked someone to help her." She looks at her brother and best friend, but never at me.

"I asked Kill's father to help me stop this. He was friends with the Dean and got Em rusticated the third year after Ellie and I provided them proofs against Emily and her group." She finishes with a tired exhale, leaning on my shoulders.

I let things repeat in my head. Her telling us about all this in a story kind of format makes it seem so... okay? But when I look at all these things from how she must have gone through these little accidents, I see only one thing-- Crying Shea each fucking day.

Imagine someone being so sensitive that her skin bruises when held with some pressure, imagine that girl going through not only being held a little tighter but pushed down, knocking against, almost drowned. Imagine someone who hates how she looks because of her petite-ness and she likes only one thing about herself, her hairs. How many days did it take her to look at herself and not hate what she saw? Imagine taking that one thing away from her.

Imagine being so scared of dark --she slept with someone till she was fourteen and even after that with a tiny light on-- being locked in a dark huge library which has nothing but aisles and aisles of books. Is that why she now sleeps with lights on even after our marriage? Imagine someone so conscious of herself being pushed in front of so many people doing one thing she absolutely loves. How many days did it take for her to gain her confidence back? Imagine someone her level of sensitivity and emotion that we can't yell at her and around her without her bursting in tears, being looked at as if she was sleeping her way up in the college?

Imagine putting your everything in a work and someone stealing it and tampering that hard work. And let's not forget being stalked, bullied and the fucking guilt. The guilt of hurting her family and I. No wonder she was suicidal.

"Shai.." Her breathless hiss makes me look down. She points to where I'm holding her arm, and the skin's turning white with how deep my fingers are pushed in her skin. I pull my fingers back and graze the skin with my thumb.

"What about the classmate who Ellie and you punched?" I question my wife.

"She's not Em, she was this other girl who wanted to join in on the fun of bullying me. It was fluffing cool to all of them." Ahaana stretches her back keeping her head on the coffee table and all of us stay silent, letting it all sink in.

Suhana is the first one to get up and yank Shea to her chest. Suhana crying has always been a big deal to all of us and our families. Its rare to see her eyes welling up. But when I look back to these last three months and then five years before that, all the time she cried has always been for her bestfriend. Falak is their bestfriend as well, but they chose to be with her. When Advik developed feeling for Falak and she became friends with Yug and I, she was introduced to the girls who liked her and kept her. But Suhana and Ahaana, they were born to share this life as besties.

Suhana used to tease Ahaana saying she took birth early than the date she was supposed to because she—Ahaana couldn't stand the idea of being away from her—Suhana. If not for the early birth, Ahaana would be born in the month January or end of December and not November. But Shea followed Zia into the world, just sixteen days after Zia's birth. Just like how she always followed Zia everywhere. Zia didn't ever steal the spot light, Shea just loved being behind her bestfriend. Zia was her human shield since day one.

They can hide away from the world but their eyes speak to each other's. Zia knows what's going in that sassy head of Shea way before Shea's head actually starts gearing up. Advik and I'd beat the shit out of someone who wronged Ahaana, but Suhana? She'd make the culprit question why she/he even birthed in this life and tried to come in Ahaana Mehrotra's way. Shea is sassy, Zia is straight up vicious.

So when my sister starts bawling her eyes hugging her bestfriend close to her chest, it makes us all surround the two. Falak cries beside Advik watching the two girls —she didn't gave birth to but mothered— cry their hearts out. Falak's two years older to Shea and Zia but has the motherly instincts of a forty year old when it comes to these two.

"Why didn't you ever call me, Ahaana? Why? Meri kya galti iss sab mein?" Zia sobs hiding her face. "Just because I'm his sister? Iski punishment di tune mujhe?"

"I didn't punish you, Suh. I was just not thinking straight and did whatever first thing that came to my head when going through things. The day I didn't pick your call on your birthday was the day this whole sleeping with the professor thing happened, if I spoke to you that day I knew I'd cry and worry you." Shea break the hug and cups Suhana's face.

"But do you know what or actually who helped me after that whole scene?" Ahaana asks, Suhana sniffs nodding her head, Ahaana takes a step sideways and pulls on Yug's hand.

"He visited me the first time after I made you cry that night." Suhana's eyes widen at the knowledge. "He flew all the way to London because I didn't pick your call and made you cry and he was there to knock some sense into me."

"He wasn't allowed in the dorms. I received a call saying I have a visitor, I thought it was Killian as it was his thing, dropping off unannounced. I reached downstairs to see him. I saw him after two years and the first thing that I did? I turned around and sprinted, it took him less than a minutes to get me." Shea chuckles at the memory and then she cries, sobbing loudly.

"One look at my face and he knew I have been crying. So instead of shouting at me for making you sad, like he was supposed to. He took me out to a cafe. Bothered me for three hours to tell him what was wrong and when I said nothing, he gave up. He had his flight that same day, so when he got up to leave, he said, 'Just because you are away and angry at us and the situation doesn't mean we don't love you. You can get us locked up for being near you without your permission but we will still make sure to punish whoever made you shed a tear. I don't know what's making you cry today, but just know that this is not the end of your life. You didn't come all the way from India to here to cry on these people who mean shit to you. That's what they and their opinion should mean, shit!"

"That was the night I decided to fight back, decided to not be bullied anymore. After he left, I called Ellie and Killian, and got Emily and group suspended. He gave me that courage." Yug kisses her head and hugs her, rubbing her back to soothe her. Suhana mouths 'thankyou' to her fiancé to which Yug just pulls her close with other hand.

"I know my sorry's will never be enough for what I have put all of you through but just know that I regret doing things the way I did but I don't regret moving to London, Bhaiyu. I'm really proud of the growth I have made. It doesn't mean that I didn't like it here or I couldn't have become a better version of myself here, I would have if I tried but that's the thing, I wouldn't have tried anything here. I would just sit back, relax, chill and wait to start working in Mehr as Rudra Mehrotra's daughter. I would never learn and become whatever I have done till now." Shea turns to her brother.

"You think we don't know that? We know we were holding you back, shackling you in the name of love and protection and I'm fucking proud of you, Bachu. Proud of what you have done and fought for yourself. The one who would never even try leave winning against anything, watching her not only try but also come out winning with scars and roars and howls, has to be my favourite part of everything that happened in these five years, Ahaa. Aakhir kuch paane ke liye kuch khona toh padta hai, yes, these five years were the worst years of all our lives but now when I see you and how much you have changed for the better has me in absolute tears, gratefulness and love, Ahaana. I'm so proud of you and your achievements, little one. So damn proud." Advik cups her face kissing her nose, he hugs her tightly.

"You know what Falak and Suh did when they came to visit me two years ago?" Falak rolls eyes at Shea's smiling faces. Advik pulls away from the hug but keeps her attached.

"So I lived in dorms and with all the juggling between jobs and college and dance classes, I never had time for proper food. My eating habits suckzed and these two noticed that when they visited me." Shea turns to me and shows me her tongue, teasing me. "Your nemesis and sister used to send me parcels of food behind your back." I look at Falak and Suhana.

"She was living on bread and jam!" Suhana yells as if that justifies her action. "You were the one stealing all the mango pickle." I state, Zia looks away making a thinking face.

"Yup. I love Avni Maa's mango pickle, Bub." My wife coos, tsking her tongue as if the mere mention of the pickle has her drooling.

"Get done with all the hugs and tears. You are not seeing her before 10am." I snap my fingers at all four of my friends. Advik gags pushing his sister aside and sidestepping to dry heave. Falak hugs her and smothers her with kisses, my sister takes the couch already done with the scene. Before Yug can wrap his arms around her, I yank her to me and start moving upstairs.

"You didn't let me hug her!" Yug screams behind us, I flip him the bird throwing my bedroom door open, shoving my wife in and slamming it shut behind us.