The alarm fulfilled its purpose by waking up dushyant with the ringing noise it created. He snoozed it off as he kept his phone aside and got up. As he seated himself and rubbed his eyes, his gaze fell onto ishita, who was in such a deep sleep that she was completely undisturbed by the noise of the alarm.

A smile crept on his face, she looked so innocent while sleeping. But he still couldn't understand what exactly made her act so distant towards him. The way she asked to change when just a finger of his touched her face, and how the tiny sight of happiness visible on her face when he gave her the gift, faded away so quickly, as if something was really bothering her, he wished he could figure out what it was.

Suddenly, the noise of alarm rang again, this one being unfamiliar to dushyant, puzzled him. But ishita, who turned to the left side to the nightstand, snoozed it from her phone, as she got up, and started to look for something on her nightstand.

'yeh rubber band kahan gaya...oh, kal raat toh...' thought ishita as she stopped looking for it, remembering she's not at home,and turned to dushyant as she said with her usual smile,

'good morning.'

'good morning...kuch dhund rahi thi aap?'

'haan, woh raat ko rubber band rakh kar soti thi ghar pe, wahan bhi aisa hi nighstand tha bed ke paas...bilkul aisa nahi..woh toh bahaut purana hai...'

'yeh mom layi thi, she wanted ki kuch toh purane ghar jaisa ho..'

'choti-choti baaton se unhe at home feel hota hoga, yaad hoti hogi ghar ki...'

'aapko bhi yaad aa rahi hogi, ghar ki...'

'haan, jaise abhi tak toh nashta banadiya hota, phir mummy ke uthne se pehle purvi ko uthati warna mummy aur purvi ka mahabharat shuru...' she said as she chuckled a little, thinking of purvi's fights with their mom.

'lekin naashte ke table pe somehow koi na koi behes ho hi jaati thi..phir unko jaise taise shaant karke office jaati thi...' her smile faded away at the mention of office.

'kya hua?' asked dushyant as he noticed a discomfort in her mention of the office.

'kuch nahi..' she said with a forced smile, as she said while changing the topic,

'chai piyenge? Ya coffee peete hain subha?'

'arre uski koi zaroorat nahi hai, shyam bhaiya aate hi honge, banadnege.'

When suddenly there was a knock on the door,

'shyam bhaiya?' asked ishita.

'arre shyam bhaiya nahi, main hoon!'

'mom? Ek second, ruko..' said dushyant as he unlocked the door and his mom entered.

'aap itni subha-subha?' asked dushyant, while kavin entered too.

'arre humne socha aap logon ke liye breakfast in bed dedete hain, aapka man naa karein shayad uthne ka...you know...' said kavin.

'arre maine socha tut oh raat ke teen baje kamre mein pahuncha, yeh bhi mushkil se 4 baje soyi hogi, ab isse nashta banwana acha thodi lagta hai...baaki main kaha ab toh tumhe utha hi doon, warna der hojayegi..' informed the mother, as ishita who had got up from the bed and cleared the space for breakfast to be kept.

'kisliye?' asked dushyant, as ishita took the tray from mrs. Khanna.

'arre woh sambdhan ji ka phone aaya tha, woh chahti hain pagphere ke liye tum dono kuch din wahan teher aao.'

Dushyant, who had no idea about this, looked at ishita, who had no idea about this herself.

'isiliye main aapse kehne aaya tha, ki aap shanti se choti pe jao, office mein sab main dekh lunga...' said kavin

'haan tu keh toh raha tha ke saare projects jinki deadline paas hai woh khatam karke aaya hai. Baaki phir roz maara ke kaam toh kavin ne sambhal bhi leyi hain..' said their mother as she lovingly patted kavin's cheek, who felt something close to the pride his mother normally expressed for dushyant.

He had understood that this will be his big chance where he could prove himself as he would finally get projects of his own, and credit of his own.

'woh sab toh theek hai..' dushyant who was about to say something, was interrupted by kavin,

'chinta mat karo, honeymoon pe jaane ke liye din bach jayenge...i know it's the part you are looking most forward too.' Said kavin, teasingly.

'seriously? Kab se utawla ho rakha hai yeh joke sunane ke liye?'

'come on yaar bhai, meri creativity pe doubt mat karo, on the spot ekdum..'

'anyways, kab bikle phir?' asked dushyant to ishita.

'main taiyaar ho jaungi, bas thodi der mein..' replied ishita.

'yaar waise main nahi jaa sakta, kuch der ke liye...you know as a complimentary extra..' asked kavin

'haan, engagement ke baad hi ladka jaata ladki ke ghar ek alag type ke pagphere mein..' remarked dushyant.

'it can be a complimentary rasam just for you..' he added.

'waise purvi aaj dopeher ko free hogi, aapke lunch time tak...' informed ishita.

'bhabhi, ap na iss darende ko chod do sach mein, he doesn't deserve you...' remarked kavin as mrs khanna just rolled her eyes,

'tera subha hi drama shuru ho jata hai, chal!' she said as she pulled him out to exit.

While ishita who just smiled at his antics, asked to dushyant,

'toh kya lenge phir aap?'

'aap lelo jo lena hai, main baaki khalunga...'

'arre aise thodi hota hai, aap lijiye main baki ka khalungi..'

'arre par..'

And this was going to be pretty long, as exaggerated politeness usually is.

                                                             ***

'yaar yeh kya bakwaas hui?' yelled purvi in annoyance.

'maine kaha na, jab tak mere saath iss kamre mein rahogi, no guitar!' commanded her mother firmly.

'arre par kyun? Music se kya problem hai aapko?'

'tumhare music bajane se hor hota hai itna, aur phir dushyant aur ishita dono ko disturb karogi...acha lagta hai, pehli baar ghar aa rahe hain damaadji!'

'mummy, i can assure you duniya mein koi bhi nahi hai, siwaye aapke jo isse disturb hota hai. Aur ab tv bhi uss kamre mein hai, ab main pura din yahan kya karungi!'

'tum namaqool ho gayi ho bilkul, humare zamane mein toh koi tv nahi hota tha, humne bhi guzara kar liya.'

'haan, doordarshan toh tum diwaaron pe dekhti thi na!'

Suddenly, the doorbell rang,

'main darwazaa khol rahi hoon, jab tak woh aayein, Holiya thik karke bahar aa jana. Samjhi!' she said as she went to open the door.

Purvi sighed in frustration as her mother welcomed ishyant loudly, and purvi thought,

'pehli baar di ke ghar hote hue bhi, mera aur maa ka ek dusre ka murder karne ka chance 90% hai!'