Chapter 17
Aditi's perspective
The day at school had been a whirlwind, with Raghav's teasing and Kabir's quiet glances adding an undercurrent of excitement I wasn't entirely prepared for. But now that school was over and I was back home, I could feel the buzz of anticipation settling in. I had invited a few friends over for the evening, and the thought of everyone hanging out together—especially with Kabir joining—was enough to keep the butterflies in my stomach fluttering.
I glanced over at Anaya, who was sitting beside me on the couch, contentedly flipping through one of her storybooks. She looked up at me, her big eyes full of curiosity. "Di, who's coming over today?"
I smiled, reaching over to ruffle her hair. "Just some friends, Anaya. You'll get to meet them soon."
She nodded, her attention already shifting back to her book, but I could see the excitement in her eyes. Anaya loved having people over, especially when it meant she could show off her toys or get a bit of extra attention from my friends.
Ridhima, Atharv, and Arushi were already here, scattered around the living room, each of them doing their own thing. Ridhima was on the phone, probably gossiping with one of her friends, while Arushi and Atharv were engaged in a playful argument about something inconsequential. The sound of their laughter filled the room, making the atmosphere feel light and cheerful.
But as much as I loved the easygoing chaos, there was one thing nagging at the back of my mind—dinner. We hadn't planned anything elaborate, and I was suddenly struck with the realization that I hadn't thought ahead about what to serve everyone. My parents were still out, and the last thing I wanted was to drag them into cooking when they got back. I glanced at the clock, biting my lip as I weighed my options.
I decided to just go for it. "Guys," I called out, catching everyone's attention. "I'm thinking we should order food for tonight. What do you all think?"
Atharv looked up from his banter with Arushi, a grin spreading across his face. "Finally! I was wondering when you'd suggest that. I'm starving."
Arushi nodded in agreement, her eyes lighting up. "Yes! Let's get something good. I'm craving Chinese or maybe some pizza."
Ridhima, still on her call, waved a hand in our direction, mouthing the word 'pizza' enthusiastically before returning to her conversation. Clearly, the decision was unanimous.
I turned to Anaya, who was now watching the exchange with interest. "What about you, Anaya? Do you want pizza too?"
She nodded eagerly, her little face lighting up with excitement. "Pizza! Can we get the one with lots of cheese?"
"Of course, we can," I replied, laughing at her enthusiasm. "Extra cheese it is."
With that settled, I grabbed my phone and pulled up the food delivery app, quickly scrolling through the options. "Okay, let's get a couple of pizzas, some garlic bread, and maybe a few drinks. Anything else?"
Ridhima finally hung up her call and joined in, offering her two cents. "Get some fries too. You know they always go fast when everyone's here."
"Good idea," I agreed, adding it to the order. As I finalized everything, I couldn't help but feel a little rush of excitement. This was exactly the kind of evening I loved—surrounded by the people who meant the most to me, with good food and lots of laughter.
Just as I was about to place the order, my phone buzzed with a text. I glanced at the screen and saw it was from Raghav: "Kabir and I will be there in about 30 minutes. See you soon, bhabhi!" The message was followed by a series of emojis—winking faces and thumbs up.
I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face. It was still a little strange, thinking of Raghav as anything more than just a classmate. But after everything that had happened today, I had to admit that our newfound bond as cousins-in-law—or whatever this was—was kind of nice. And of course, the fact that Kabir was coming along made it all the more exciting.
"Raghav and Kabir will be here soon," I announced, trying to keep my voice casual, though I could feel my heart speeding up just a little. "So let's make sure everything's set up before they arrive."
Atharv groaned dramatically, flopping back onto the couch. "More people? This place is already crowded!"
"Oh, stop being such a drama queen," Arushi teased, nudging him with her foot. "You'll survive."
Ridhima, ever the practical one, got up from her spot and started organizing the coffee table, making room for the food that would be arriving soon. "Aditi, did you tell Mom and Dad we're ordering in?" she asked, glancing at me as she tidied up.
"Not yet, but I will," I replied, mentally preparing myself for the conversation. Our parents were usually pretty easygoing, but it was always a good idea to give them a heads-up, especially when it came to unexpected guests and food orders.
I quickly dialed my mom's number, and after a few rings, she picked up. "Hi, Mom," I began, trying to sound as casual as possible. "Just wanted to let you know that I've invited a few friends over tonight, and we're planning to order some food."
There was a brief pause on the other end, and I could almost picture my mom raising an eyebrow. "Oh, really? How many friends are we talking about?"
"Not too many," I assured her. "Just Kabir, Raghav, and maybe a couple more. Ridhima, Atharv, and Arushi are here too, of course."
My mom chuckled softly. "Alright, that's fine. Just make sure everyone behaves, okay? And don't go overboard with the order."
"Don't worry, Mom. I've got it all under control," I replied, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. "We'll keep it simple."
After a few more minutes of chatting, I hung up and turned back to the others, who were all eagerly awaiting the food. "All set," I announced. "Food should be here in about half an hour."
Anaya clapped her hands excitedly, and even Atharv seemed pleased by the news. As we settled back into the comfortable chaos of our living room, I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment. The day had been long, and the evening promised to be even longer, but it was moments like these—surrounded by family and friends—that made everything worthwhile.
And of course, there was the added thrill of knowing that Kabir would be here soon. I found myself glancing at the clock more often than necessary, counting down the minutes until he'd walk through the door. There was something about the way he made me feel—something that was still new, but undeniably exciting.
As I sat back on the couch, Anaya snuggled up beside me, I couldn't help but smile. Tonight was going to be fun—I could feel it.
The evening was unfolding exactly as I'd imagined—well, almost. Raghav had arrived with his family in tow, his ever-charming elder sister Prisha Di, who was now in her first year of college studying chemical engineering. She looked effortlessly sophisticated in her casual attire, making me wonder how someone could seem so grown-up yet so approachable at the same time. Along with her were Raghav's mischievous ten-year-old twin sisters, Srishti and Mishti, who were already running around the house, causing a ruckus.
But as they entered, my eyes instinctively scanned the doorway, searching for someone else. Kabir. He hadn't teased me today, not even once. And for some inexplicable reason, I found myself missing it. What was wrong with me? Why did I want him to tease me?
Raghav must have noticed my distracted gaze because he leaned in and whispered with a smirk, "Arre, sabar ka fal meetha hota hai. Nikal pada hai ghar se tera Kabir." His words hit me with a rush of embarrassment. I felt my cheeks heat up as I blushed furiously and, without thinking, pushed him a little too hard.
Raghav stumbled backward, crashing into Arushi, who had been deep in conversation with some old neighbors. They both tumbled to the floor in a tangle of limbs, their faces turning pink with embarrassment.
Anaya, always quick to pick up on the drama, shouted, "Haww, Bhaiya! Aapne Aarushi Di ko pichak hi diya!"
Raghav scrambled to his feet, mumbling apologies as he helped Arushi up. Both of them were still blushing furiously, avoiding each other's eyes.
He shot me an exasperated look, shaking my shoulders as he whispered, "Abe tu pagal hai kya?"
I couldn't help but tease him back, grinning as I said, "Moment mil gaya tum dono ko."
Just then, the door opened, and Kabir finally walked in, wearing a simple blue T-shirt and grey sweatpants. He looked effortlessly good, and for a split second, I couldn't help but stare. Ridhima, ever the perceptive one, nudged me and whispered, "Muh band karo, Di." I quickly averted my gaze, trying to play it cool.
Anaya, ever the enthusiastic one, suddenly shouted, "CHUPAN CHUPAI KHELE SAARE!"
Everyone immediately chimed in with excited agreement, "Haan!"
We quickly decided on a game of hide and seek, with Prisha Di being chosen as the den. The rules were set: no one was allowed to hide inside the parents' room or leave the house.
As Prisha Di began counting to fifty, I sneaked off to my room and slid under my bed, hoping it would be a good enough spot to avoid being caught too soon. My heart was pounding in my chest, more from excitement than anything else.
Just as I was getting comfortable, Kabir suddenly crawled into the room and slipped under the bed beside me. "Shift, Frosty," he whispered urgently. "I can't be out there, or we'll both get caught."
I scooted over, making just enough room for him under the small bed. We were now lying side by side, our faces inches apart. The confined space made everything feel more intense, more charged.
"Frosty," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin. He gently pushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering for a moment longer than necessary. He was so close I could see every detail of his face, every fleck of color in his eyes.
"I want to say something," he murmured, his voice so soft I almost had to strain to hear him. "I just don't know how."
"Just say it, Kabir. It's okay," I whispered back, trying to calm the fluttering in my chest.
He hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "I'm sorry, Aditi. I didn't want to comment on your upper lips that day. I didn't want to look like a creep staring at your lips, especially not in school. I just said something stupid about your upper lips, and I never wanted to make you insecure or make you change."
His words were sincere, and I could feel the genuine remorse in his tone.
I let out a small sigh, feeling a mix of relief and confusion. "Arre, I wanted to get them done so bad. I thought I looked better without them... but I guess you didn't like it," I confessed softly.
He shook his head slightly, his eyes never leaving mine. "It's impossible not to like anything about you, Frosty."
I blushed so hard at his words, feeling my heart race. He was about to say something else when suddenly, Anaya burst into the room.
"Arre, mujhe bhi yaha chupna hai!" she exclaimed, climbing onto Kabir's chest without any warning.
"Didi, dekho! Ek bed ke niche dusra bed!" she giggled, completely oblivious to the moment she had interrupted.
Kabir and I chuckled softly, trying to hold back our laughter as Anaya wiggled between us, clearly pleased with herself.
Suddenly, we heard Prisha Di's voice echoing through the house. "Main aa rahi hoon!"
In an instant, we all put our fingers to our lips, signaling each other to stay quiet. The three of us lay there, stifling our giggles as we listened to the sound of footsteps approaching the room.
As we lay under the bed, the silence was suddenly broken by Anaya's innocent observation. "Didi, kahi aapko bukhar to nahi? Aap pure laal ho," she asked, her big eyes full of concern as she looked at me.
Before I could respond, Kabir, ever the tease, reached out and gently touched my cheek. His hand was warm against my flushed skin, making my heart skip a beat. "Aditi, sach mein, tu itni laal kaise ho gayi? Kahi bukhar to nahi?" he said, smirking slightly, clearly aware of the real reason behind my redness.
Just as I was about to muster a response, we were both startled by an unexpected voice coming from behind the curtains. "Tum teeno bed ke niche ghar ghar khelna band karo. Didi ne dhund liya to tum hi fasoge," Raghav quipped, his tone playful but warning us all the same. None of us had even realized he was there!
Before we could fully process the surprise, Prisha Di burst into the room, her voice triumphant. "I spy Raghav, parde ke peeche!" she shouted, clearly delighted at catching him first. We all had to stifle our laughter, trying not to give away our own hiding spot.
At that exact moment, the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of the pizza we'd all been waiting for. "Bahar aao sab, pizza aa gaya!" Raghav called out, his voice filled with excitement.
Anaya, with her boundless energy, let out an excited "Yay!" and scrambled out from under the bed, Kabir quickly making sure she didn't hit her head in her haste. The small, protective gesture made my heart flutter once again.
Rahgav in a teasing tone said, "Bahar aajao tum dono bhi, ghar ghar ke liye bohot bade ho gaye ho." There was a playful groan in Kabir's voice as he finally rolled out from under the bed, his movements fluid and easy.
As he got up, I could hear Raghav's laughter. "Kabir, tumhare expressions dekhne laayak the!" he teased, making Kabir shoot him a mock glare while still chuckling. I couldn't help but smile, the light-hearted banter between the two of them always so natural and comforting.
Once everyone had left the room, I took a moment to compose myself. I headed to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, hoping to cool down the intense redness that had crept up on me. The cold water felt refreshing against my heated skin, and I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart.
As I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I couldn't help but smile softly. Today had been full of surprises, some expected and others... well, others that left me feeling things I hadn't quite understood before. But one thing was for sure—Kabir had a way of making everything feel just a little more intense, a little more exciting. And as much as I tried to play it cool, there was no denying that.