As Meena steps into the house, her purse slips from her hands, hitting the floor with a soft thud. Her gaze falls on Preeta and Mayra, who are both sprawled out on the living room couch. She blinks in disbelief, thinking she might be imagining things.

“Preeta? Mayra? What… How are you two here?” Meena’s voice wavers with a mix of shock and confusion. “And why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

Preeta sits up slowly, exchanging a quick glance with Mayra, who tries to mask her guilty expression with an innocent smile. But before Preeta can respond, Mayra jumps in.

“Well, Mom… it’s kind of a long story,” Mayra says, feigning a casual tone, though the faint glint of mischief in her eyes gives her away. “We might have... sort of... run away.”

For a moment, Meena is silent, as if trying to process Mayra’s words. Then, her expression hardens, eyebrows knitting together. “Ran away?” she repeats, her voice rising. “Do you two have any idea how dangerous that was? How could you just leave like that, without telling anyone?”

Preeta shifts uncomfortably, attempting to find the right words. “Mom, we just… we wanted to see you. We needed to be here with you, and… we didn’t think you’d let us come alone if we asked.”

Meena opens her mouth to retort, but Maya, the housemaid, steps forward, her hands outstretched in a calming gesture. “Please, madam. Let’s not jump to conclusions. I’m sure they didn’t mean any harm,” Maya says, her voice soothing.

Meena’s anger falters slightly, but she’s not ready to let go. She looks at Mayra, her gaze sharp. “You’re an adult now, Mayra. You should know better than to run off like that. And Preeta, you too! I expected more responsibility from you, especially with your career.”

Rishi, who’s been listening from the corner, steps forward. “Mom, please don’t be too harsh on them. Preeta di and Mayra did what they thought was best. Maybe they just missed you,” he says, giving his sisters a supportive look.

Mayra smiles at Rishi’s loyalty, while Preeta gives him a grateful nod. Rishi, however, doesn’t stop there. “And, if I may add, Mom, it was probably safer for them to travel together. Preeta di wouldn’t have let anything happen to Mayra. Right, Preeta di?”

Preeta smiles, trying to ease the tension. “Of course not, Rishi. I kept an eye on her the whole time,” she says, with a teasing glance at Mayra.

Meena sighs, running a hand through her hair as she processes everything. “You may think it was harmless, but do you know how worried I would’ve been if something had happened to you both? What if you had gotten hurt? Or lost?”

Preeta steps forward, placing a gentle hand on her mother’s arm. “Mom, we understand your concern, and we’re sorry for making you worry. We should have found a better way to do this. But we couldn’t wait any longer. We just… needed to be with you.”

There’s a moment of silence as Meena’s gaze softens, her anger slowly dissolving into a mixture of love and relief. She looks at her daughters, and then at Maya, who offers her a reassuring nod.

Maya gently chimes in, “They’re here now, madam, safe and sound. Perhaps we should focus on making them feel welcome, rather than scolding them.”

Meena sighs, finally relenting as she takes a seat on the couch, motioning for her daughters to join her. “Alright, alright. But you both are going to tell me everything – how you planned this, how you managed it without getting into trouble… And no hiding details.”

Mayra grins, nudging Preeta playfully. “See, I told you she’d want all the juicy details. You first, Preeta.”

Preeta laughs, nudging her back. “Fine, fine. It all started when Mayra got it into her head that she couldn’t wait any longer. And let me tell you, she was persistent.”

Meena chuckles, shaking her head as she listens to their story. Though she’s still slightly frustrated, there’s an undeniable warmth in her eyes now, grateful that her daughters are here – even if they did run away to make it happen.