6th july, 2024.

8:16 am.

the next morning, the pandya house was unusually quiet. the early morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the living room where ishan, kasturie, and hardik had crashed the night before. the scene was a testament to their late-night movie marathon and the comforting camaraderie they shared.

pankhuri, always the early riser, came downstairs to start breakfast. as she entered the living room, she stopped in her tracks, suppressing a laugh at the sight before her. the three of them were sprawled across the floor amidst a sea of pillows and blankets in the most peculiar positions.

"oh my god," pankhuri whispered, trying to stifle her laughter. "what happened here?"

hardik was lying on his back, his right arm stretched out and tangled in kasturie's hair. kasturie was lying diagonally across him, her upper body on his chest, and her legs splayed over ishan's back. ishan, in turn, was lying face down with one arm draped over kasturie's back and one leg awkwardly twisted under hardik's leg, his face half-buried in a blanket.

pankhuri shook her head, smiling at the chaos. she quietly walked over to them and gently nudged ishan, who groaned in response.

she quickly grabbed her phone and snapped a picture, knowing this was a moment they'd all want to remember. then, with a gentle nudge, she started to wake them up.

"guys, wake up," she said softly. "we've got a busy day ahead."

hardik groaned and shifted, his eyes slowly opening. "what time is it?"

"time to get up," pankhuri replied, smiling. "we have outfits to finalize, remember?"

"wake up, sleepyheads," pankhuri said softly. "it's time to get ready for the day."

ishan grumbled something unintelligible, but the gentle prodding finally roused him. he blinked blearily at pankhuri, then looked at the others and laughed. "sote wakt toh sab seedhe the."

kasturie stirred next, lifting her head and squinting at pankhuri. "yeh subah itne jaldi kyu aajati hai?"

"you three need to get up. we have a lot to do today," pankhuri said, still amused by their tangled state.

hardik groaned as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "why does my back hurt so much?"

"probably because you were the base of this human pretzel," pankhuri teased.

they all laughed as they disentangled themselves and slowly got to their feet, stretching out the kinks from their makeshift sleeping arrangements.

"okay, ab sab utho aur fresh ho jao." pankhuri said, heading to the kitchen. "hume outfits finalize karne jaana hai."

after a lot of whining, they all got freshened up. kasturie went into hardik's room while hardik was in the shower. she went into hardik's wardrobe to grab a tshirt and some shorts because she was still in the same sweats in which she went to drop shubman at the airport last night. as she entered, she saw that the light was on. ignoring that she went further inside just to see ishan doing the same.

"kya chori karneka soch rha hai?" she quietly went behind him.

"AAAAH! acha tu hai. pagal dara diya na mujhe." ishan dramatically kept a hand on his heart as got startled at her voice.

they took some clothes for themselves from hardik's wardrobe and came out. kasturie found a captain america tee and some black shorts. ishan went to take a shower in the guest bathroom while kasturie waited for hardik to come out. she knocked on the door. "bhai jaldi aa. tu andar mar var nhi gya na?"

"aya aya 2 min." after a few minutes he came out with a towel wrapped around his waist. "kitna time yaar itne mein hum outfits finalize karke aa bhi jaate."

"ha bas bas ja jaldi naha ke aaja." he said and left.

kasturie took a quick shower and came out. she entered the kitchen to see the hardik, pankhuri and the kids sitting on the dining table having breakfast. she sat between hardik and pankhuri and layed her head on the table.

"still sleepy?" pankhuri asked looking at her drowsy figure. kasturie hummed in response. pankhuri quickly poured a cup of coffee for her. "yeh le, drink this."

she sat up straight and started drinking the coffee. hardik looked at her tshirt. "arre mere paas bhi same exact tshirt hai." hardik said, to which kasturie snorted. "kya hua?"

"tera hi tshirt hai." she said while laughing. just then, before hardik could respond, ishan stumbled into the kitchen wearing a black panther tshirt, which was obviously hardik's. he looked around, half-asleep, and mumbled, "good morning, guys."

hardik raised an eyebrow, noticing the familiar t-shirt on ishan. "wait a minute... tune bhi mera tshirt pehna hai?"

ishan looked down, then back at hardik, a grin spreading across his face. "oopsies."

realizing that both kasturie and ishan were sporting his shirts, hardik crossed his arms and tried to look stern. "you guys raided my wardrobe? that's it, now you're going to pay!"

with that, hardik lunged towards them, playfully trying to catch them. kasturie and ishan squealed in mock fear and darted around the kitchen, giggling uncontrollably. the commotion quickly drew the attention of krunal, pankhuri, and the kids, kavir and agastya.

krunal walked in, shaking his head with a smile. "yeh kya chal rha hai inka?"

pankhuri, holding agastya in her arms, chuckled. "looks like kasturie and ishan borrowed hardik's t-shirts."

kavir, always excited to join in any fun, jumped up and down. "catch them, hardik chachu! catch them!"

the kitchen became a playful chaos as hardik chased kasturie and ishan around the island, while krunal and pankhuri watched with amusement. the kids cheered hardik on, their laughter filling the room.

finally, hardik managed to corner kasturie near the fridge. "gotcha!"

but kasturie, quick on her feet, ducked under his arm and escaped, making a beeline for the living room. "you'll never catch me!"

ishan, meanwhile, was trying to evade hardik by running around the dining table. hardik, determined to get at least one of them, followed him, but ishan managed to slip away and joined kasturie in the living room.

krunal and pankhuri exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads with amusement. "well, breakfast is definitely going to be interesting today," pankhuri said with a laugh.

eventually, everyone calmed down and gathered around the table. hardik, still pretending to be angry, sat down with a huff. "next time, get your own t-shirts," he said, trying to keep a straight face.

kasturie and ishan exchanged a look and then burst out laughing. "sorry, hardik," they said in unison, still giggling. ishan grinned and patted hardik's shoulder. "arre, tu humara bada bhai hai na, toh jo kuch tera hai, woh sab humara hai."

pankhuri shook her head, smiling at their antics. "you three act more childish than the kids," she scolded gently. "kavir aur agastya tum logon se zyada mature hain."

hardik rolled his eyes, but couldn't help smiling. "acha, acha. bas, ab khana kha lo."

over breakfast, the excitement about the wedding resurfaced. they discussed their plans, recalling the previous day's discussions and adding new ideas.

"so, we need to head to the designer's studio to finalize the outfits," pankhuri said, pouring herself a cup of tea. "i've already spoken to them, and they're expecting us."

"perfect," kasturie said, biting into her toast. "i can't wait to see the final selections."

"and remember, we need to be coordinated," pankhuri reminded them. "hardik, kasturie, you two need to make sure your outfits complement each other."

hardik nodded, sipping his coffee. "got it. we're going for the black and silver theme, right?"

"yes," pankhuri confirmed. "and ishan, we'll make sure yours and aarya's outfit fits the theme as well. usse yaad aya, kal subah aarya aa rhi hai na?"

"haa usko baadme call karunga flight ke details puchne waise usko pick-up karne jaaneko." ishan replied.

after breakfast, they got ready to leave for the designer's studio. the atmosphere was filled with a mix of anticipation and camaraderie, everyone eager to see the final touches on their wedding attire. they decided to go together in krunal's suv and left kasturie's car there because pankhuri said that 'when we can fit in one car why take another?'

as they arrived at the studio, they were greeted by the designer, who immediately set to work showing them the outfits.

"kasturie, here's the lehenga we discussed," the designer said, holding up a stunning black ensemble adorned with intricate silver embroidery.

"wow," kasturie breathed, her eyes lighting up. "it's perfect."

"and hardik, this is your sherwani," the designer continued, displaying a matching outfit with subtle yet elegant details.

hardik nodded in approval. "looks great. i think we'll look amazing together."

ishan's outfit was next, a modern sherwani that balanced tradition with a contemporary twist. "this is awesome," he said, examining the details.

they spent the next couple of hours trying on their outfits for other ceremonies, making minor adjustments, and ensuring everything was perfect. laughter and chatter filled the studio, the excitement of the upcoming wedding evident in every interaction.

"this is going to be so much fun," kasturie said as she admired herself in the mirror. "i can't wait for the wedding."

"me neither," hardik agreed, smiling at her through the mirror.

as they finished up at the studio and prepared to head back home, the bond between them felt even stronger. they knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, they would face them together, just as they had always done. the wedding was just another chapter in their shared journey, and they were ready to make it unforgettable.

🕸️

after their successful visit to the designer's studio, the group decided to cap off the day with a nice dinner at one of their favorite restaurants. the evening air was cool, and the city was alive with its usual hustle and bustle as they made their way to the restaurant. krunal and pankhuri joined them, making the gathering even more lively.

"i can't believe how amazing those outfits turned out," kasturie said, her excitement bubbling over as they entered the restaurant. "we're going to look so good at the wedding."

"absolutely," ishan agreed, holding the door open for them. "the black and silver theme is going to be a hit."

they were shown to a cozy corner table, and soon enough, they were immersed in the menu, debating what to order.

"i think we should get a mix of everything," hardik suggested. "let's go all out tonight."

"agreed," kasturie said, nodding enthusiastically. "how about we start with some appetizers? i'm craving those chicken baos."

"and maybe some spicy chicken wings," ishan added. "what do you think, hardik?"

"sounds perfect," hardik said, raising his hand to call the waiter.

as the food started arriving, their table soon filled with delicious dishes. they dug in, the conversation flowing easily as they shared stories and laughter.

"i was thinking," kasturie said between bites of her pasta, "since my grandmother is back at bua's place, why don't you come over to my place? it'll be like old times, and we'll have the whole house to ourselves." she said looking at hardik.

"that sounds like a plan," ishan said, grinning. "we can stay up late, watch movies, and just chill."

"yeah, let's do it," hardik agreed, his mood visibly lifting. "it's been a while since we had a proper sleepover."

"great! it's settled then," kasturie said, clapping her hands in delight.

after finishing their meal and paying the bill, they headed back to kasturie's house. krunal insisted on driving them, so they all piled into his car.

"i love the city at night," kasturie said as they drove. "it's so peaceful."

"yeah, there's something magical about it," hardik agreed, his hands in his pockets.

🕸️

after their delicious dinner and with krunal dropping them off, kasturie, ishan, and hardik found themselves back at kasturie's cozy home. the excitement of the upcoming wedding and their spontaneous sleepover plan had them all in high spirits. the house felt warm and welcoming, even more so with the festive decorations still up from their earlier celebrations.

"make yourselves at home," kasturie said, kicking off her shoes. "let's get comfortable."

"i'll grab some blankets and pillows from the bedroom," ishan offered, heading down the hallway.

hardik wandered into the living room, looking around. "your house always feels so cozy."

"thanks," kasturie said, smiling. "it's just the way i like it."

"so, what's the plan now?" hardik asked as they kicked off their shoes and settled into the living room.

"well, since it's a sleepover, we should do something fun," kasturie said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "how about a spa night?"

"spa night?" ishan echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"yes, spa night!" kasturie confirmed. "i've got face masks, nail polish, and everything we need."

hardik and ishan exchanged a glance, clearly amused but intrigued.

"okay, let's do it," hardik said, shrugging. "why not?"

"this is going to be hilarious," ishan added, already chuckling at the thought.

🕸️

a/n : another filler but fun chapter. just wanted to add some of the pandya siblings bond.

peace out.
~k.