FUNCTION?

Prachi came downstairs thinking about the previous night's incident. She would have claimed it to be nothing but a dream or hallucination if it weren't for the filled bottle by her bed or some chocolate that was still there on the corner of her lips that morning.

Prachi came down to see her entire family..... and Kohli's..... having breakfast. She smiled at everyone and took her place between Shahana and Aryan. In front of Rhea, who was not even looking at her, which was good. Her curious mind made her eyes wander over the entire table unknowingly and she frowned when her eyes didn't caught the sight of her quest.

Where was he?

Prachi caught herself doing the very thing she should not and mentally scolded herself. She was just making everything difficult for her future self. Urgh.., why can't she just lock away every memory, every feeling, every thought related to him.

Her irritated mood turned to sad when she registered that her mother went through that same feeling for twenty long years, and it was enough to make her keep her thoughts in check. But this heart, this stubborn heart that loved him to the moon and back was too persistent to get even one tiny glimpse of him.

That stupid Baklu, who gave him the right to push some of her forbidden buttons in the dead of the night and then not even show that stupid face of his in the morning.

"Aryan where is Ranbir?" Vikram asked and, though unintentionally, Prachi's ears perked up.

"He's still sleeping, Uncle." Aryan replied before taking another bite of his toast.

"Still sleeping? He never wake up this late." Pallavi mused. "Rhea, go and wake him up, and return only when he is up and about." she instructed and Rhea got to her feet in an instant.

"Of course aunty." She said.

"No stop," Aryan exclaimed and everyone turned their attention towards him.

Aryan gulped, suddenly very uncomfortable under everyone's gaze. 

"Vo... vo, haan, he slept very late last night, so he'll wake up late too." He hurried to explain.

Of course he will, who roam around the house in the dead of the night? Prachi thought.

"That ullu, what was he doing so late?" Vikram asked, "I don't remember giving him any work."

No, he have much important work of creeping up on people in the unholy hour. Prachi said internally.

"That I don't know, I just saw him looking, more like staring into his mobile when I woke up last night." Aryan filled in, and shifted his gaze momentary to Prachi.

Aryan shook his head lightly, 'The things I do for you bro, even now I had to lie to everyone that I woke up in the night, not that you were the one who shook me out of sleep just to tell me about your little encounter with my sister. Showing me her picture and gushing over how cute she looked.' He thought to himself.

"Okay, Okay okay, good. We'll be there tomorrow."Abhi came, talking on the phone and took his seat.

"Pack it up everyone, we are going home tomorrow." He informed and everyone expressed their happiness in various forms.

"That's amazing." Said Arhana and Pallavi.

"At last." Exclaimed Aaliya and Mitali.

"Oh thank god, finally." Came from Rhea.

While the rest just smiled cheerfully.

"I did not expected this level of enthusiasm." Commented Abhi, looking at everyone with utter happiness.

"Ofcourse, a home is home after all." Pragya replied.

"Well then, I'll inform Sarita aunty that I'll be there at her's tomorrow." Said Shahana with a light smile. 

Aryan's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. His eyes widened and his lips parted. He felt an uneasiness settle in his body and he looked to his side, waiting for Prachi to object or say something but she was also facing the other side. He leaned over a bit to look at the girl that said the words of his distress. 

Shahana was looking at Prachi with a nervous expression, a small smile still there. Whereas the other girl was staring at her with a mixture of emotions on her face. Being with her for almost her entire lifetime, Shahana was able to pin-point each and every emotion. Shock, disbelief, anger, frustration and finally hurt. She could almost see the tears built in the corner of her eyes.

And then it was gone, just like that. Prachi's face contoured into a blank canvas. Her eyes solid and her face stiff. She had seen this face so many times in the last few months. This was the face Prachi conjured whenever she was trying to hide her emotions. Mostly when she was hurt by that harridan, Rhea. Or when Ranbir looked at her.

Just one look at Prachi's face and she instantly regretted her words. 

Prachi looked down at her plate and Shahana's eyes travelled past her to look at another pair of eyes. Different eyes but same expression, same hurt along with a pinch of fear. She had seen that look before. Not on Prachi. On her other best friend.

In Ranbir's eyes. For Prachi.

But why did Aryan had that look in his eyes? For her, no less. Whatever the reason, she felt drowning in that hurt and her own heart felt that sorrow. She felt ten folds guiltier then before.

Though the two were in their tiny sweet bubble, the rest were not. Purab was looking at his son with a knowing look and a knowing sense. He looked around and saw Abhi and Vikram sporting a similar look.

Abhi had identified that look in Aryan's eyes, for he himself had felt it for years. While Vikram had grown familiar by seeing this look in his son's eyes. 

Aaliya was smirking. For finally the 'middle class girl' will leave and her son will be 'Free' of her. Completely oblivious of the fact that her son's heart was crushing by just thinking about it.

The other's were still having shocked of sad reaction. They had gotten accustomed to the lively, chirrupy girl. After all, she was the one who had gotten the house back to life, other wise the other four were there just physically.

Prachi and Ranbir being mostly shelled, Aryan being off due to his lack of communication with Shahana and Rhea busy with discussing her childish marriage fantasies with her friends.

The small moment was broke when Piyush, Aarav and Ranbir joined the table. They gave everyone the morning wishes and settled down. 

"Who's going where?" Piyush asked while Ranbir threw a look to Prachi who just looked away.

"Shahana is going back to her house." Mitali answered and the new trio frowned.

"Why?" Ranbir asked, "No, you are not going anywhere Shahana." 

"Ranbir," Pallavi scolded, "If she wants to go, you can not stop her."

But Ranbir knew, Shahana was the only outlet of Prachi's feelings. And so did the other's.

"Oye," Abhi said. "Of course you have every right to stop her. You two are almost as close as Prachi and Aryan. And a brother have the right to stop her sister from leaving. Speaking of right, hey you," He addressed Shahana in a lighter tone, "Shahana, where do you think of going leaving your massi's house?"

"Actually Mr. Mehra..." Shahana tried but Pragya cut her off.

"It's okay, Let her go." Pragya said softly and half the people got whiplash.

"Maa.." came the first words from Prachi after Shahana's proposal.

"Come on, she can visit Sarita ji tomorrow, you can join too Prachi, if you want to go." Pragya said in a normal tone, and then continued towards the younger girl. "Shahana, before leaving please inform if you want a separate room or you'll share one with Prachi? I'll get it ready before evening." 

Everyone smiled a bit and turned to the girl to see a sight that no one would have thought of ever seeing. Shahana had her eyes watered as she stood up. 

Aryan had to pull a chair out of her path just in the nick of the time as she rushed towards Pragya and tackled her in a bone crushing hug. Her shallow voice chanting 'I love you Massi, you are the best. I love you so much. Thank you.' Over and over again.

"Hatt, pagal, You really thought I'll let you leave me this easily?" Pragya slapped her head lightly. "I've gotten accustomed to you so much, if I don't hear your complaints for one day, my day feels incomplete."

Everyone chuckled and continued their breakfast.

~*~

Prachi was packing her belongings in the afternoon. It was in her normal character to prepare beforehand. Shahana, much surprisingly, was also packing her stuff, while giving odd looks to Prachi.

"Shahana can you pass me that scarf?" Prachi asked while safely tucking her jewelry boxes in the bag.

Shahana just threw it at her, wrapping it like a ball, and the scarf landed on the bag, still glaring at her.

"Umm, Shahana can you pack this with your clothes? My bag is full." Prachi asked, forwarding her a kurti.

"Mine is also full." Shahana stated, stuffing in clothes roughly.

"Arey, if you put them like this then how will everything fit?" Prachi reprimanded, but Shahana didn't pay any heed.

"What is it? Why are you behaving like that?" Prachi asked, having enough of the looks.

"I don't want to talk to you, but since you are asking so much, that's why I'm telling you, I'm angry with you." Shahana answered, pouting and crossing her arms over her chest.

"What? Why?" Asked Prachi, seriously clueless.

Shahana gasped and looked at her with furrowed brows. "Look how innocent you are playing, like you don't know why I'm angry with you."

Prachi made her way over to Shahana and grabbed her shoulder softly, slowly turning her around. "I really don't have any idea why you are angry. Please tell me what did I do? You know you are among those that I can call mine, which are very few. Please tell me what happened." She pleaded.

"Liar. You are lying. You don't consider me yours that's why you didn't stopped me from leaving on the breakfast table." Shahana complained, a tear escaping her eye and she turned her face away.

Prachi felt her heart break a little, she softly turned Shahana's face towards her and looked down for a bit before looking back up. Her own eyes teary.

"I- I'm sorry. I just thought that, that you must have become tired of hearing my rants, my tears, me crying everynight for hours before sleeping and you must have felt like trapped with me that's why you were leaving. I thought that I was disturbing you and you must have been frustrated of me. So I thought that you might wanted to leave me and go to Sarita aunty's to have some space and peace so I didn't stopped you from leaving. I'm sorry. But if you want to go, tell me. I won't stop you. If you are staying for maa's sake, you can tell me I'll talk to her you don't have to suffer everyday with me. " She sobbed.

"Seriously Prachi, you are supposed to be the brainy one here." Shahana said, wiping her sister's tears. "How could you even think like that? You really thought that I got tired of being your support? How could I even want to leave when my sister was breaking everyday and there wasn't even a single soul to help her because she is too good to even tell anyone about her pain. You thought that I'll leave you all alone? Who do you think I am? Bellatrix? White Witch? Rhea?" She laughed and even Prachi chuckled.

"I might not be your real sister Prachi," Shahana said in a soft voice. "But you are my soul sister. You can always count on me. Always. My blood may not match your's, but I assure you, if the situation demands, I won't even think twice before draining it for you."

"Hatt," Prachi shushed her, "Don't even dare say that." She said pulling Shahana in a warm hug while the other reciprocated eagerly.

"Can you pack my bag?" Shahana asked sheepishly, pulling away. Prachi just chuckeled and nodded, walking towards the bag. 

She pulled out all the clothes to rearrange them, that's when she spotted Rhea on the door with a sullen expression.

Rhea had been standing there since Prachi and Shahana had pulled each other for the hug. She had never considered Prachi as anything to her, much less a sister. Hell, she never left any occasion to tell her friends that she was nothing but an addition her mother had brought in the family that consisted of herself along with her parents. But seeing Praxhi and Shahana sharing the bond she had imagined all along to be her and her unknown twin's, somewhere pricked her heart.

She felt as if there was something that was missing in her life that Prachi and Shahana had, the only problem was that she didn't knew what that 'something' was. And her ego and hatered for Prachi drowned out the small voice in the back of her mind that so confidently claimed it to be the sisterly bond.

She had never had any sibling like bond with anyone throughout her life. Aryan and her had tried and failed miserably to get that equation in their childhood. And as teenage bragged in, they stopped altogether. Aryan got that bond with Ranbir, giving them the tag of 'brothers from another mother'. She herself had tried to get it with Ranbir, but even that didn't worked out and had just acquired the form of good friends, or attraction to some measures.

Those attraction formulas died for Ranbir as soon as Prachi entered her life making it a jigsaw puzzle. And as he tried to solve it, the infatuation he had for Rhea, or to be precise for Rhea's looks and classy attitude, dissolved into nothing but just being a neighbour friend and his chiefs daughter.

Rhea, on the contrary, felt that Prachi 'stole' her Ranbir. Her infatuation mixed with her bruised ego, self center nature, stubbornness along with the snatching nature that came from her aunt dearest made Ranbir her obsession. And the long 'You are Rhea Mehra. You are above all. You get what you want. You snatch what you want. What is yours is only your, be it a thing or a person. Go to any extend to get what you want.' speeches from Aaliya Mehra 'forcefull' Khanna were just enough fuel for the fire Rhea already had within herself for Prachi. And hence, the never-ending list of crimes she committed against Prachi.

But now, when she see the bond that Aryan and Ranbir share, Aarav and Piyush share, and the bond, understanding, care, love that Prachi, her twin, and Shahana share, it just fills her with a hollow feeling from inside. That feeling, as noticed earlier, was lack of sisterly bond. But her pigheadedness would not let her see it. 

Shahana followed Prachi's line of sight and her previous happy mood turned grim.

"What are you doing here? Have you come to convey any new addition to your little envious deal?" She asked in a close to icy cold tone. That tone was so foreign on Shahana that even Prachi had to repeat her question in her head.

"What do you mean? And who are you to question me that? I can came here as I please. I'm not answerable to you. And so many times I had made it clear for you to not come between us. We are Mehra sisters and you are not to poke your nose inbetween." Rhea heaved, her jealousy getting best of her composer.

"First of all, I am not getting anywhere inbetween, I'm just trying to shield my sister from your threats. And as much as the second thing, you two might be Mehra's, but you are the farthest thing from a sister anyone could get. You see, sisters don't try to snatch every spec of happiness from their sister. Sisters don't blackmail their sister by the cost of their parent's happiness. So, you are no sister of Prachi." Shahana let out a small part of the anger she had bubbling inside of her ever-since she had been seeing her brave Prachi becoming nothing but an empty shell.

"Shahana, calm down, just calm down." Prachi said, putting a hand on her shoulder, not paying attention to the other girl.

"Yes, you better keep her in check cause if I-" Rhea tried to threaten, but was cut off when they heard everyone being called downstairs by Pragya.

"Why is maa calling everyone like this?" Prachi wondered out loud and went down. Shahana closely following and Rhea ahead of them.

~*~

Pragya, Abhi, Vikram, Dida and Purab were in the living room when the door was knocked. Everyone looked up to see a curiour boy. 

"I'll see." Pragya said, making her way towards the man. He handed her a packet and she in turn signed the receiver's register.

"Who is it for?" dida asked.

Pragya turned it over and over in her hands to look for some name, but nothing was there.

"I don't know, it is not mentioned." Pragya answered.

"It won't magically appear if you keep it turning around." Abhi commented and Pragya shot him a look.

She tore open the wrapping and it contained two envelops. One heavier than the other. The lighter one seemed a letter. It had a name on it.

"Aarav, it belongs to Aarav." Pragya said.

As if on cue, both the brother's came there. Aarav looking at his watch and Piyush eating some grapes.

"Aunty, did a parcel came?" Aarav asked.

"Yeah this one." Pragya answered, passing him the envelops.

He opened the letter and a wide grin broke open on his face. Pure joy dripping off of his face. He opened the other envelop and tilted it on his hand and some passes dropped out on his hand. He straightened the envelop pushing the passes back in.

"Buckle up everyone, we are going to an award function." Piyush said enthusiastically, reading the letter that he had snatched while Aarav was checking the other envelop.

"Huh?" Everyone gave a confused response.

Piyush handed the letter to Pragya and she smiled. 

"What is it?" Asked Purab.

"Everyone should know about it, let me call everyone." She said before proceeding to do so.

Everyone rushed to them and asked her the reason of her calling them there.

"Maa, What-"

"Mom, what is it? Are you Okay? What happened?" Rhea exclaimed.

"Yes, yes everything is fine." Pragya smiled brightly.

"Massi, then why did you called us here?" Shahana asked and everyone looked on, curious and confused.

"Aarav just got a letter," Pragya said and it did nothing to reduce the confusion. 

"And...." Ranbir asked, waiting for the punch line. Maybe he's called back to UK.

"Aaand.. he is getting an award for scoring the highest rank in Psychology in UK." Pragya said and everyone's confusion turned into happiness.

"Really?" Prachi asked, her face lit.

Before Aarav could even nod in response, the air was knocked out of him as Shahana jumped on him and wrapped her arms around him in excitement and sheer joy. The force would have knocked them both back if Aarav had not caught her.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm happy too." Aarav laughed, picking her up from ground and placing down again.

"I'm so proud of you." Shahana said, leaving him.

"Did we asked?" Piyush commented and Shahana poked out her tongue at him. Making everyone laugh.

"I know." Aarav said, side hugging her, ignoring Piyush like he always do.

"Congratulation Aarav, you deserve it." Prachi said, moving forward to hug him and he reciprocated. Making her squeal a bit when he picked her up just like Shahana. 

"Won't you congratulate him?" Shahana asked Piyush, taking a grape from his bowl, after everyone had congratulated him and they had settled down. Yes, even Ranbir had.

"FYI I have already congratulated him in the morning. We were just waiting to inform you after we enjoyed, you ain't that important." Piyush retorted and Shahana swatted his shoulder, making Aryan grin.

"They sent passes for family, I don't have one. So I really want you all to please be there. It would mean a world to me if you could make out some time for one evening." Aarav requested and to be honest, with that charm he could ask someone's life and they won't refuse. Just an evening, it was.

"Of course, we are your family and we will be there." Abhi answered and everyone accepted with smiles.

"Here, I might misplace it, and then we got to know that even the one who is to be awarded isn't allowed in." Piyush said, carefully passing the entry passes to Pragya.

"So, get ready everyone, the function will start by seven, and we got to be there at six thirty. It's already five." Vikram said.

"We'll also have dinner outside. The dress code is blue formals." Aarav filled in and everyone nodded before leaving to get ready.

~*~

It was quarter to six and the elder's were already there, fully dressed up. Every lady was dressed in different shade of blue saree and their significant other's were complimented them in the same colour of formals.

One by one, even the boy's got down. The boy to be honored and Piyush were the first to come. 

Aarav was wearing a deep blue suit with a white button up shirt matched with brown leather accessories. His hair was sleeked back formally and he smiled at everyone as he came down.

Piyush had gone for semiformal as he had opted for a v-neck white tee with blue blazer and tan trousers.

As the two boys came to a halt before the elders, Aarav bent down to have everyone's blessings one by one. Just as he was finished, Rhea walked down the stairs followed shortly by Aryan and Ranbir.

"Hey, princess." Abhi called out to Rhea and she made her way towards her with a brilliant smile. She was wearing an icy blue, V-neck, pleaded long dress with a front slit. She was carrying silver dropping earrings and the whole look came together with a pair of silver heels. Her hair, sleek straight.

"Look how pretty my child looks." Pallavi praised, and the rest agreed.

Both Aryan and Ranbir had chose for jeans, though of different shades, with blue blazers. Aryan had gone for a light blue striped shirt, with white sneekers and light blue jeans.

Ranbir, on the other hand, had opted for pure white shirt along with nightblue blazer and dark skinny jeans with white shoes. The shirt, was fitting him like a second skin and showing off his athletic, lean body.

"Prachi come on." Came Shahana's voice from upstairs and the talking seized.

"Is this history repeating itself?" Vikram wondered and everyone chuckled.

"I don't think so, I didn't gave any heels this time." Piyush muttered.

"Prachi, Shahana come on fast, we are getting late." Piyush called them.

"You have five minutes to come or" Aryan stopped mid-sentence.

History did repeat itself as everyone, once again were awestruck by the girls.

They both were coming down together, arms hooked, while their other hand was clutching the dress skirts. Both had eyes trained down on the stairs. They both looked up only when they got to the last step and looked at everyone expectantly. 

Shahana's eyes landed on Aryan and her eyebrows raised appreciating his look. She gazed a bit up and a soft colour touched her cheeks as she saw him looking at her with mouth open. Eyes, not even blinking. She blushed and averted her eyes downwards. As she looked down, his words from earlier got registered in her brain and she looked back up. She raised an eyebrow questioningly but his state didn't change.

How could he? When she was there looking such a cutie pie in that dusty blue sleeveless dress. The corset of the dress plunging to her body, showing off her tiny yet curvy frame. The illusion neckline adding a sense of length to her neck. The soft curls gathered on one shoulder. The outer side of her eyelids were covered with a little bit of same eye-shadow and she was wearing white kajal. She was even looking a bit taller. Aryan looked down and true to his guess, she was wearing heels that were a little visible from under her dress when she walked.

Whenever Ranbir thinks that nothing could shock or surprise him more, he is proven wrong. He is to be wed to the sister of his true love, what could be that shock him more than that? you would ask. Well the answer is his true love, of course.

And that's what she did when he saw her walking down the stairs. In that midnight blue gown. The highneck top part of the dress neatly fit to her body and the lower half swaying as she moved. The top and bottom part of the dress joined right at her waist and a thin sparkly belt wrapped there. Her hair were in a half up-do that he was suspicious she let the other half down because of the back less dress. The swishing of the skirt clearly indicated that she was wearing heels. She was wearing minimal makeup. just with a light shade of silver eyeshadow on the inside of her eyes and soft pink lips. She was even wearing the three diamond pendent that Abhigya gave her, with pearl studs.

He was pretty sure her face was normal when she came down. But now, it was light pink as she stared right back at him. Chewing her lower lip a bit and he almost reached out to stop her from doing it. A small smile played on his lips as he identified that longing look in her eyes. For him.

"Or what?" Shahana asked Aryan, breaking the silent moment.

"huh?" Aryan asked, the words he himself was saying out of his mind.

"If we didn't come then what?" She asked again.

"Then, then nothing." Aryan stuttered and everyone laughed at him.

"If I knew that you girls will look so beautiful, I would have appointed some bodyguards for you three." Abhi said as Prachi came to hug him.

Ranbir almost had the urge to say, What am I for chief? I'll guard Prachi. 

But he stopped himself. He was sure, Aryan would have gladly took that job for Shahana too.

And as per Rhea? Well then the oldies might have job too.

Before he could think of some way to assign himself the job discreetly, Piyush's enthusiasm had to be taken to the car to reach there. And off they went to the main event.

A/N:- Hey sugercubes, how are you all? I know, much angry right? Well I really am sorry for the delay but I just wasn't content with the Shahana Prachi part there, so I rewrite that entire scene. And the outfits were much difficult to choose too. At last I had to plead to my mum to help me out to find the dresses.

Anyhow, here is the chapter. Please do tell how you felt about it. A big shocker coming in the next one, so buckle up. If you liked it, please make sure to Vote and comment. Inline comments are most welcome.

# What do you think of the Prachi-Shahana part?

# Do you like the way Shahana behaved with Rhea?

# Did you liked the outfits? 

P.S.- Did you got the reference in the nickname above?

Lots of Love,

Simran