7 a.m.

Siddharth sat on his bed scrolling through the phone when he heard the room's door open slightly. Thinking of it to be his mom he called out from his place, "Maa, give your poor son some space. I am twenty two for goodness sake."

"Even if you become eighty you will always be a child for your mother."

"I know but.." Siddharth stopped suddenly as if realizing something, "Wait, when your voice became so deep?"

"First thing, my voice is not deep and the next is that I am not your mother, which you could have possibly realized if you had cared to look up for a second."

Siddharth turned around to see Pravisht standing there with a half-amused, half-enraged expression on his face.

"Pravisht? Why did you..I mean how did, no I mean. When did you arrive?" Siddharth fumbled over his worlds.

"Last night." Pravisht replied as he took a seat on Siddharth's bed. "But I really can't believe that you thought of me as your mom."

"Well I just got up, what else did you expect?" Siddharth shrugged.

"At seven ???" Pravisht stared at him with wide eyes.

"Not everyone gets up at 5 like you."

"Six. I get up at six." Pravisht replied.

"Yeah, whatever. But, tell me one thing. Didn't  you say that you arrived last night?" Siddharth asked eyeing his clock on the wall.

"Yeah"

"But we were awake till 12, how come I did not see you?" Siddharth narrowed his eyes at him and this time it was Pravisht who gave Siddharth sheepish looks.

"I arrived at two."

"WHAT? And mom let you in?" Siddharth stared at him wide-eyed.

"Yeah." Pravisht said as he smiled awkwardly.

"She would have grounded me for a week if I arrived at two a.m. without even caring that I am twenty-two." Siddharth grumbled.

"Dont say it like that. Maasi is not that strict."

"Yeah she is not, but just for you. And why will she not be? You are like her perfect, obedient son she tried so hard to make us become."

"Its rubbish, she loves you two as you are. And anyway, why will she want you to become like me when she has got the real me?" Pravisht smirked.

"Shut up. By the way, is the breakfast ready?" Siddharth asked Pravisht as he got up from his bead.

"I dont think it is." Pravisht replied cringing.

"Why? Mom usually completes her breakfast by 7:30." Siddharth asked curiously.

"She is busy doing something else..."

"Wha... Oh." Siddharths eyes widened as realization dawned upon him.

"Oh no, not again." Siddharth sighed, "Don't tell me that she is having that conversation with bhai again."

"Yes, she is. I heard some shouting as I was making my way to your room."

"Oh come on, I dont understand why mom is doing this." Siddharth flopped down on his bed once more.

"She just wants the best for him. Try to see her point too."

"What would you have done if you were in bhai's place?" Siddharth turned to look at Pravisht's face. "Would you have gotten married?"

"Maybe..." Pravisht looked at him unsurely.

"Really?"

"I dont know, maybe yes... but if you really think that she shouldn't force him like that then why dont you talk to her?" Pravisht inquired.

"Me? Talk to her?" Siddharth stared at him incredulously, "She will leave bhai and turn towards me. And I definitely dont want to get married right now."

Pravisht laughed a bit before replying, "Okay but lets at least go and save Abhi for now."

"Yeah right, come on."

Voices started to reach their ears as they descended the stairs and Siddharth could make out his mom and Abhi arguing.

"You don't understand Abhi, whatever I am doing is for your own good."

Siddharth saw his mother saying as they entered the hall. Abhi stood facing his mother and none of them seemed to notice him and Pravisht enter just yet.

"You don't have to do anything Maa. I can take care of myself."

"Look, its not as if I am forcing you to get married to any girl of my choice. I am just asking you to meet them and see if it works or not. It worked the previous time." Vibha tried to reason with her son.

"We broke up Maa." Abhishek gave a frustrated sigh.

Siddharth and Pravisht could feel the tension building up in the room.

"I know you did but what is the problem to look? There's nothing wrong in meeting them. Why wont you meet them?" Vibha asked as she stared at her son for answers.

"Because I have a girlfriend. " Abhi blurted out suddenly, shocking everyone in the room.

Siddharth's mouth dropped open as he looked at his mother and best friend. Both of them stood transfixed at their respective places, too shocked to move. He definitely did not expect his brother to break the news to his mother like this.

"Wh-what?" Vibha looked up at her son once again.

"I-HAVE-A-GIRLFREND" Abhishek elaborated.

"Abhi has a girlfriend?" Pravisht asked as broke out of his trance but Siddharth did not know what to answer. He was looking straight at his mother and so was Abhi and Pravisht. All of them waiting for an answer.

When Vibha finally bulged, the look on her face could not be interpreted. She took one glance at Abhi before starting to move towards her room. Siddharth felt as if his heart had come up to his throat when suddenly... Vibha stopped.

"Come to my room Abhi." She said before disappearing behind the curtains, leaving the three youngsters to fend for themselves.