Ira's Room

Meera pushed open the door.

Books scattered across the floor. Clothes draped over the chair. Pillows everywhere except on the bed.

Ira had somehow ended up sideways across the mattress, half hanging off the edge.

Meera picked up a pillow from the floor. "Pata nahi is ladki ka kya karu main. Kaise ut-patang tarike se soyi hai. Lav kabhi aise nahi tha." (I don't know what to do with this girl. Sleeping in such weird ways. Lav was never like this.)

Meera picked up a pillow from the floor and walked over to the bed.

"Ira, uth ja ab. Kitni der soyegi?" (Ira, get up now. How long will you sleep?)

No response.

Ira only rolled to the other side.

Meera grabbed the blanket and yanked it away.

Ira landed on the floor with a thud.

"Uiii Maa! Main toh mar gayi!" (Ouch Ma! I'm dead!)

Meera crossed her arms. "Main dungi tujhe. Pehle toh tune sabko bulaya hai breakfast ke liye. Ab maharani ko uthne ka mann hi nahi hai kya?" 

(I'll give it to you. First you invited everyone for breakfast. Now the queen doesn't feel like waking up?)

Ira sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Kya yaar Mummy, subah-subah utha diya. Abhi toh sirf 6 baje hain. Koi uthta hai kya itni subah?" 

(What Mummy, you woke me up so early. It's only 6 o'clock. Who wakes up this early?)

"Nahi nahi, hum sab pagal hain. Walkie-talkie sab hain jo subah uthte hain. You're going to be a doctor in a few years. Try to be healthy." (No no, we're all crazy. All lunatics who wake up early.)

Ira looked genuinely offended. "Aap bhi shuru ho gaye. Doctor aur neend ka kya sambandh hai? Boliye zara?" 

(You also started. What's the connection between doctor and sleep? Tell me?)

"Ab 10 minute mein fresh hoke neeche aana." 

(In 10 minutes, freshen up and come downstairs.)

"Arre 10 minute mein kaise hoga? Mujhe taiyar bhi toh hona hai!" Ira groaned.

(How will it happen in 10 minutes? I have to get ready too!)

"Pagal hai kya? Sharma kyun rahi hai jaise ki tujhe koi dekhne aa rahe hain?" (Are you crazy? Why are you blushing like someone's coming to see you?)

"Haan, aapka hone wala damad..." (Yes, your future son-in-law...) The words slipped out before she could stop them.

"Kya bola?" (What did you say?)

"Nothing! Aap nowadays overhear kar rahi ho, Mummy." (You're overhearing nowadays, Mummy.)

Meera shook her head. "Pagal kahiki." (Crazy girl.)

She closed the door behind her.

"Let's get ready quickly. Uff, pehle toh shower lena hoga. Pyar mein kya kya karna padta hai. Chal Ira, let's choose a dress!" 

(First I'll have to shower. What all you have to do for love. Come on Ira, let's choose a dress!)

She pulled out dress after dress. Rejected them all. Half her closet was outside by then.

Her hand closed around a yellow Anarkali.

"FINALLYYYY! Yes! I got it! Ab toh main us Ayush ko dikhati hoon kaise ignore karega mujhe." She admired her reflection for a second.

 (Now I'll show that Ayush how he'll ignore me.)

She looked back at the mess. 

"Oh God, what do I do now? If Mummy sees, she's definitely going to take my class. I'll have to call Aliya aunty for cleanup. Okay, let's go now."

Ira stepped out of the bathroom in a yellow Anarkali.

Light makeup. One last look in the mirror.

"Kya maal lag rahi ho." (What a stunner you're looking.) Ira grinned at her reflection.

Then she checked the time.

7:30 AM.

Her mouth fell open. 

"OMG!"

" Ab toh Mummy nahi chodegi mujhe. Kya karu... woh haan! Main bolungi shower broke. Hehe. How smart I am. Let's go, Ira." 

(Now Mummy won't leave me. What should I do... oh yes! I'll say the shower broke.)

Ira came downstairs.

Stopped.

Aarav was already trying to explain himself.

"Meera, main bhul gaya yaar. Kal hospital mein—" (Meera, I forgot. Yesterday at the hospital—)

"Aarav, maine list di thi. Clearly likha tha." (Aarav, I gave you a list. It was clearly written.)

"Haan magar woh meeting thi na, toh—" (Yes but there was a meeting, so—)

"Maan bhi jao... Mugambo." He winked.

Meera looked away.

Ira spotted Ekalavya coming from the gym and waved at him.

"Bhai, idhar aao." (Brother, come here.)

He walked over, looked her up and down once. "Itni subah-subah kyun ready ho gayi?" 

(Why did you get ready so early in the morning?)

"Nothing, nothing bhai. Bas aise hi."

"Arre yeh sab chhodo, dekho na Maa aur Papa dono busy hain apni romance mein."

(Leave all that, look Ma and Papa are both busy with their romance.)

Meera caught them staring and immediately stepped away from Aarav.

Aarav blinked. 

"Kya kar rahi ho?" (What are you doing?)

Meera shot Aarav a look. 

"Maine thodi kuch kiya hai!" (I didn't do anything!)

Ira looked at Ekalavya.

"Haan Papa, humne dekha hai sab kuch. Hai na, Bhai?" (Yes Papa, we saw everything. Right, brother?)

Ekalavya cleared his throat. 

"Main fresh hone ja raha hoon." (I'm going to freshen up.)

And left.

Meera muttered.

"Sab aapke wajah se hua hai! It's so embarrassing! Kya soch raha hoga Lav?" 

(All this happened because of you! What must Lav be thinking?)

"Kya sochega? Ki uske parents ek-dusre se pyar karte hain. Hai na, Ira?" 

(What will he think? That his parents love each other. Right, Ira?)

Ira giggled.

"Yes yes, Papa. Aap bade romantic ho." (You're very romantic.)

"Biwi hai meri. Pyaar toh karunga hi."

(She's my wife. Of course I'm going to love her.)

"Bas kariye aap."

"Jo sach hai wahi kaha hamne toh. Sachai ka zamana hi nahi hai." 

(I just said the truth. There's no era of truth anymore.)

"Ab pata chala yeh Ira bhi aapke jaise hi hai. Koi filter nahi hai." 

(Now I know Ira is also like you. No filter.)

Ira looked at both of them.

"Main kahan se aa gayi miyaan-biwi ke beech mein?" (How did I come in between husband and wife?)

"Chal ab idhar aa, mujhe help kar. Rima is on leave aur Aliya is busy." (Come here now, help me.)

Aarav pressed a kiss to the top of Ira's head. 

"My princess is looking like a princess today."

Ira folded her arms. 

"What do you mean I don't look like this other days?"

"No no, you do—"

Meera stepped between them. 

"Enough, father-daughter talk! Aarav, just come in a few minutes."

"Maa, what are you preparing?"

"I told you to come fast! Look at the time now. Ek ghanta laga diya! Kya kar rahi thi?" (You took an hour! What were you doing?)

"Kuch bhi toh nahi..." (Nothing...)

Ira looked away.

"Leave all that, tell me what should I do?"

Meera looked at her. 

"Main jaanti hoon tum blunder karogi agar maine kuch karne ko kaha. Tum jao, table set karo." (I know you'll make a blunder if I tell you to do something. You go, set the table.)

Ira stomped her foot.

"Toh aapne mujhe subah-subah insult karne ke liye bulaya tha?" (So you called me early in the morning just to insult me?)

"Bas kar, drama queen. Sab abhi aate hi honge. Jaldi se table set kar."

(Enough with the drama, drama queen. Everyone will be here soon. Go set the table.)

"Okay." 

She picked up a potato and began dicing it into large, uneven chunks.

Meera looked over. 

"Ira! What are you doing?"

"What? I'm doing as you mentioned."

"I'm not using potato in any dish today!"

"But you kept it here so I thought—"

"Badi meherbani aapki. Tum jao, table set karo." (Very kind of you. You go, set the table.)

 Meera took the knife from her hand.

"Maa, why don't you ask Bhai to help? He's really good at it."

"He'll be exhausted from duties. Let him rest for a day."

Ira nodded and left.

Anaya stood outside the mansion gate.

A guard stepped forward. 

"Madam, where are you going?"

"Ira called me."

"Wait a minute, I'll call and confirm."

He spoke on the phone, then stepped aside. 

"Madam, you can go inside."

She nodded and walked in.

Main Entrance

Ekalavya came downstairs in a white shirt and black trousers, his hair still damp.

"Lav, can you call Prashant from the outhouse? I tried calling him but he isn't picking. I would've sent Aliya but she's busy."

He nodded, already scrolling through his phone as he moved toward the entrance.

Anaya was walking in at the same moment.

White cotton kurti set. Hair left open. No makeup.

His eyes stayed on his phone.

He walked straight into her.

Both stumbled. She quickly steadied herself.

He steadied himself and looked at her. One word left his mouth.

Sorry.

He kept walking.

And walked past her.

Anaya turned to watch him go.

Then she noticed something on the floor near her feet.

His phone.

She picked it up and walked inside.

Ira spotted her and rushed over.

"ANAYA DI!"

Before Anaya could react, Ira had already wrapped her in a hug.

"Thank you! For coming! You don't know how happy I am today!"

Anaya pulled back and smiled.

"You're looking really pretty. For whoever you got ready to impress, I'm sure they will be."

Ira's cheeks warmed.

"Arre, dheere bolo na! Koi sun lega, specially Papa aur Bhai. Meri class lag jayegi!" 

(Say it softly! Someone will hear, especially Papa and Brother. I'll get scolded!)

Anaya pressed her lips together to hold the laugh. Then she held up the phone. 

"Aur haan, yeh Dr. Raivansh ka phone." (And yes, this is Dr. Raivansh's phone.)

Ira pointed at the phone.

"Aapke paas kaise aaya bhai ka phone?" (How did you get Brother's phone?)

Anaya explained the whole situation.

Ira stared at her.

Then burst out laughing.

"Ira!"

Anaya moved toward the kitchen.

"Aunty, main kuch help kar doon aapki?" (Aunty, can I help you with something?)

"Arre tum abhi aayi ho, woh bhi guest ho—" (You just came, and you're a guest—)

"Nahi Aunty, main madad kar deti hoon. Aap bhi thak gayi hongi. Boliye, kya karna hai?" 

(No Aunty, I'll help. You must be tired too. Tell me, what to do?)

Meera smiled. 

"Sirf coffee bana do. Lav prefers black coffee, no sugar. Aur Aarav ke liye half spoon sugar." 

(Just make coffee. Lav prefers black coffee, no sugar. And half spoon sugar for Aarav.)

Anaya nodded and moved to the coffee machine.

She pulled out two cups.

"Yeh bina sugar ke coffee kaun peeta hai..." (Who drinks coffee without sugar...)

A few minutes passed. 

"Aunty, ho gaya." (Aunty, it's done.)

"Thank you, beta."

"Arre, itni si baat ke liye thank you mat boliye." (Don't say thank you for such a small thing.)

Meera began moving dishes toward the table.

Anaya reached for them first.

"Main aur Ira kar lenge, Aunty. Aap fresh ho jao." (Ira and I will do it, Aunty. You freshen up.)

Meera nodded.

Anaya called Ira. Together they moved everything to the dining table.

Ira stepped back and looked at it all. 

"Finally! Sab kuch ho gaya!" (Everything's done!)

"Haan." (Yes.)

Ira turned to her.

"Di, how am I looking? I'm feeling nervous."

"You're looking just perfect."

Ira smiled. "Aaj toh main us Ayush ko dekhti hoon kaise bachega. Jab bhi main Arushi se milne jaati hoon, mujhe ignore hi karta rehta hai!" 

(Today I'll see how that Ayush escapes. Whenever I go to meet Arushi, he just keeps ignoring me!)

The voice came from behind them.

"Kisse bachne ki baat kar rahi hai?" (Who are you talking about escaping?)

"Hehe, nothing Bhai. Nothing."

Ira was already shaking her head.

"Sab samajhti hoon main." (I understand everything.)

"Kya yaar Bhai, budhe logo ki tarah harkate karna band karo." (What man Brother, stop acting like old people.)

Ekalavya looked at her.

Ira's phone buzzed.

She looked at the screen.

"Ek minute, Arushi ka call hai. Main aati hoon." (One minute, Arushi's calling. I'll be back.)

She was gone.

The room went quiet.

Neither of them spoke.

"Thank you for including Ira in the performance. And for being patient with her."

"There's nothing like that. She's really fast at learning the steps. I'm glad she'll perform with me."

Meera and Aarav walked in.

Meera in a simple cotton saree. Aarav in a T-shirt and track pants, already reaching for the newspaper as Aliya brought it over.

"Where's Ira and her friends?" Meera looked around.

"Idhar hoon!" (I'm here!)

Ira appeared at the entrance.

Everyone turned.

Ira stood with Arushi and Ayush beside her.

"Arre, aao beta! Welcome!" (Come, child!)

"Thank you for having us, Aunty." Arushi said.

Everyone moved toward the table.

Before anyone else could, Ira slipped into the chair beside Ayush.

Ayush kept his eyes on his plate.

Ekalavya watched.

"Ira, idhar aa. Mere paas baith. I have something for you." (Ira, come here. Sit next to me.)

"But I want to sit here, Bhai!"

"Come here. I said."

On her way to Ekalavya's side, Ira muttered,

"Sabke sab dushman hain meri pyaar ke..." (Everyone's an enemy of my love...)

"Kya bola?" (What did you say?)

"Kuch nahi." (Nothing.)

"Suna maine." (I heard.)

"Toh sunane ke liye hi tha!" (Then it was meant to be heard!)

He opened his mouth.

Aarav looked around the table.

"Enough, everyone. Let's start breakfast now."

Aliya began serving.

"Maa, me and Anaya di will serve today."

Ira grabbed Anaya's hand and pulled her up.

Anaya started with Aarav. Coffee and sandwich.

Aarav looked up. "Thank you, beta."

She moved to Meera.

Ira placed the smoothie in front of Arushi and lowered her voice.

"Yaar, tera bhai mujhe dekh kar aise ajeeb harkate karta hai. Thodi na kha jayungi main!" (Your brother acts weird when he sees me. I'm not going to eat him!)

"Pagal, dheere bol! Sun lega!" (Crazy, speak softly! He'll hear!)

"Ira, serve Ayush too." Meera said.

"Haan, I will." 

Ira moved to Ayush.

Smoothie. One sandwich. Another. A third.

Yeh kya kar rahi hai? Bechare se puch pehle toh!" (What are you doing? Ask the poor guy first!)

Every head turned.

Ayush cleared his throat.

"Haan haan..."

Ira nodded quickly.

Ayush kept his eyes down. 

"One is enough."

She picked up the remaining sandwiches and returned to her seat.

Meera looked around. 

"Ira, Lav ko serve nahi kiya?" (Ira, you didn't serve Lav?)

"Maa, I'm already sitting. Anaya di, can you please serve him?"

Anaya glanced at Ira.

Then she nodded.

She picked up the avocado toast and coffee and set them in front of him without a word.

Then she returned to her seat.

"Thank you, di."

Ira placed a sandwich on Anaya's plate.

Aarav set down his coffee cup. 

"Who made coffee today?"

"Kyu, kya hua?" (Why, what happened?) Meera asked.

Anaya blinked.

"Uncle, I—I—"

"Today coffee was made by Anaya." Meera said.

Ira looked at him.

"Didn't you like it, Dad?"

"No. Actually, I loved it."

Ekalavya continued eating.

Aarav turned to him.

"Lav, after breakfast, come to my office. I have to discuss something."

"Hmm."

9:00 AM | Garden Area

After breakfast, everyone moved to the garden and settled into the outdoor chairs.

Ayush pulled Arushi a few steps away, his voice dropping.

"Kya hai?" (What?)

"Why did you bring me here? First I wasn't interested, then you blackmailed me—"

Arushi muttered, "Because Ira blackmailed me..."

Meera noticed. 

"Ayush beta, kuch hua hai kya? Everything okay?" (Ayush, did something happen?)

"Nothing, Aunty. Everything is fine."

He lowered his voice.

"Bas aapki beti mujhse dur rahe, bas..." (Just... your daughter should stay away from me, that's all...)

Arushi pinched him.

"Ow! Kya hai?!" (What?!)

"Agar kuch bakwas bola na uske baare mein, toh daant tod dungi!" (If you say any nonsense about her, I'll break your teeth!)

Ayush sighed. "Haan haan, theek hai."

"Dono dost, dono hi pagal hain..." (Yes yes, fine. Both friends, both are crazy...)

Ira waved.

"Arre Ayush, aayiye idhar! Bethiye!" (Hey Ayush, come here! Sit!)

Arushi elbowed her.

 "Jyada ho raha hai ab, Ira. Woh bhag jayega, pehle toh aa nahi raha tha. Ab tu pagal ki tarah harkate karegi toh chala jayega!" 

(This is getting too much now, Ira. He'll run away—he wasn't even coming earlier. Now if you act like a crazy person, he'll leave!)

"Tum sab mere pyaar ki dushman ho!" Ira pouted. 

(You're all enemies of my love!)

"Agar koi sun liya na, tumhara pyaar ka nasha utar jayega." 

(If someone hears, your love intoxication will end.)

Ira grinned. "Haww! Apni bhabhi se aise baatein karti hai?" (You talk like this to your sister-in-law?)

Arushi just shook her head. 

"Pagal hai tu." (You're crazy.)

Meera looked over at them. 

"What are you both whispering about?"

Two answers came at the same time.

"Nothing, Maa!"

"Nothing, Aunty!"

Meera smiled.

"You wanted to practice, right? Take Anaya and go to the auditorium. Anaya, idhar auditorium hai, third floor pe." (Anaya, there's an auditorium here, on the third floor.)

"Auditorium hai yahan?" (There's an auditorium here?) Anaya asked.

"Haan hai. Aur haan, Ira, don't enter the room next to it. You know Lav doesn't like it." 

(Yes, there is. And yes, Ira, don't enter the room next to it. You know Lav doesn't like it.)

"Aur sun, me and your dad are leaving for Delhi this afternoon. Take care. I've informed Lav. Listen to him. We'll be back tomorrow evening."

"Okay, Maa."

They all headed toward the third floor.

Auditorium (Third Floor)

The song started.

They moved through the steps.

Ira kept glancing at Ayush.

Ayush sat to one side, focused on his phone. He didn't look up once.

Ira groaned.

"Yeh Ayush ko toh dekho! Iske liye itni mehnat kari main, aur yeh dekh bhi nahi raha mujhe!" (Look at this Ayush! I did so much effort for him, and he's not even looking at me!)

She walked straight into Anaya.

"Ow!"

Anaya stopped the music and turned to her.

"What's wrong with you, Ira? Today you're messing up all the steps!"

"Sorry, di. Main thoda distracted ho gayi." (I got a bit distracted.)

"In dance, the first thing is you need to focus. Concentrate. Otherwise you'll miss it. Got it?"

"Got it, di."

"Haan, dhyan zara dance pe de, idhar-udhar na dekh ke." (Yes, pay attention to the dance, not here and there.)

Anaya looked between them and understood.

She started the music again.

This time she didn't miss a single step.

She fell into the rhythm.

The hesitation was gone.

Across the room, Ayush's thumb stopped scrolling.

His head lifted.

He watched her.

This time, she wasn't missing steps.

She didn't look his way once.

He said nothing.

Just watched.

12:00 PM - Auditorium Door

Ekalavya stepped in.

His gaze went first to Ayush, then to Ira.

Ekalavya understood immediately.

He crossed the room and placed a hand on Ayush's shoulder.

"Young man, what are you looking at?"

Ayush nearly jumped out of his seat.

Ekalavya looked at him.

"Kya?"

Ayush swallowed.

"A-apki behen ko, bhaiya!"

Ekalavya stared at him for a second.

"Stay away from my sister."

Ayush muttered under his breath,

"Main toh rehta hoon, magar aapki behen nahi..." (I do stay away, but your sister doesn't...)

"Ira."

Ira stepped down from the stage and looked at him.

"Mom and Dad are leaving now. I'll drop them at the airport. Take care till then. I'll be back in two hours."

"Okay, Bhai"

"We have to leave as well. Dad called us." Ayush said.

"Goodbye! We'll meet soon, Bhabhi," she whispered.

"Arushi!"

Ira's cheeks went pink.

"Bye, sister-in-law." she whispered.

Ira looked at Ayush.

"Bye."

"Bye."

When she turned around, Ekalavya was staring at her.

She walked right past him.

The auditorium had gone quiet. Only the two of them now.

"Di, everyone left. Can we take a break? Let's watch a movie, then we'll continue."

"But practice, I have to leave by 4. You remember, right? I have to get the costume and jewelry from Payal ma'am. I have mine, but it won't fit you."

"Please na, di! I feel exhausted from dancing for 3 hours!"

"Okay, fine."

"Chalo, meri room mein chalte hain!" (Come, let's go to my room!)

A few minutes later, they stepped into Ira's room.

She unlocked her laptop and passed it to Anaya.

"You choose a movie. I'll get something for us. Cold drinks and popcorn will work, right?"

Anaya nodded.

Ira returned with two Coke bottles and a tub of popcorn.

"Di, what did you choose?"

"Let's watch Vampire Diaries."

"Okay"

The screen played on. Neither of them had moved.

Anaya yawned and glanced at the clock.

She froze.

"IRA!"

Ira sat up straight.

"Kya hua, di?!" (What happened?!)

"Look at the time! We were supposed to practice! And I had to leave by 4! I had to visit Payal ma'am! And Kritika and Diya were joining me, they're going to kill me!"

She grabbed her phone.

10 missed calls from Kritika.

8 missed calls from Diya.

"Aaj main gayi kam se."(I'm dead today at least.)

She looked at the missed calls again.

"Kritika nahi chodegi mujhe!"( Kritika won't spare me!)

"I'm sorry, di!"

"Arre, why are you saying sorry? It was my fault too. I kept my phone on silent mode." 

She bit her lip. 

"Wait, I'll call Kritika first... no no, then Diya will kill me. Better I do a group call."

She called.

Kritika picked up on the first ring.

"KUTTI! KAMEENI! DHOKA DE DIYA NA?! KYA BOLA THA?! 4 BAJE READY HOKE NIKALNA!" (TRAITOR! CHEATER! YOU BETRAYED US! WHAT DID YOU SAY?! BE READY BY 4!)

Diya jumped in.

"HAAN HAAN! AUR MADAM PHONE HI NAHI UTHAYA!" (YES YES! AND MADAM DIDN'T EVEN PICK UP THE PHONE!)

"Yaar, suno toh pehle! Main woh Meera aunty ke ghar aayi thi—" (Listen first! I came to Meera aunty's house—)

"TOH DIMAAG KO GHAR CHOD AAYI THI KYA?!" (SO YOU LEFT YOUR BRAIN AT HOME?!)

"Arre nahi! Silent mode pe tha! Aur main aur Ira series dekh rahe the, bhul gayi!" (No! It was on silent mode! And Ira and I were watching a series, I forgot!)

"RAKH APNI SORRY APNE PAAS!" (KEEP YOUR SORRY TO YOURSELF!)

"Theek hai, chal ab. Let's go now. First let's visit Payal ma'am, then we'll have golgappa and gola. What say?" (Okay, come on now.)

"Jyada maska mat laga..." (Don't butter me up too much...) Kritika said.

"Haan, ab jyada ho gaya..." Diya added.

"Please yaar! Galti ho gayi!" (Please! A mistake happened!)

"Last time hai yeh." (This is the last time.)

Both of them said at the same time.

"Okay, meri maa! Come directly to Payal ma'am's house. I took you guys there before, remember?" (Okay, my mothers!)

"Yes. Bye, see you later."

The call ended.

"Di, I'll join as well! Let me ask Bhai to drop us. We'll reach fast."

"No need, we'll book a cab."

"But di, we'll be late! Please, cutie pie?"

"Okay fine."

Ira grinned. "You go down, di. I'll call Bhai and come."

Ekalavya's Room

A knock.

"Come in."

Ira pushed the door open.

Ekalavya was sitting on the bed, a laptop resting on his lap. He didn't look up.

"Bhai, what are you doing?"

"I have an upcoming surgery. Looking at the patient's past medical history. Why?"

"Nothing, Bhai. Just that—"

"Say it clearly. I have work."

"Bhai, can you please drop us to Anaya di's ma'am's house?"

His fingers paused on the keyboard.

"I don't have time, Ira. I'm busy. Call Prashant. He'll accompany you guys."

"Please, Bhai! I want you to come!"

"No. I can't join."

Ira stood there for a moment.

Then she turned and left, closing the door behind her.

Ekalavya didn't move.

"It's better for both of us if we stay away from each other. As far as possible," he said quietly.

Ira came downstairs looking disappointed.

She sat on the couch.

Anaya looked at her. 

"Kya hua, Ira?" (What happened?)

"Bhai is busy. He can't join us."

"Okay. Should I book a cab now?"

"No need, di. I called Prashant uncle. He'll drop us."

Anaya nodded.

They stepped outside. Prashant was already waiting by the car. They got into the backseat, and the car drove away from the mansion.

Payal Ma'am's House

They were late.

They stepped out and moved toward the house. Two pairs of sandals sat outside the door already.

Anaya rang the bell.

A middle-aged woman opened the door.

A smile appeared on her face when Anaya bent to touch her feet.

"Namaste, ma'am. How are you?"

"I'm fine, bacha. Tum bol, kaisi ho? Chalo, andar ao pehle." (You tell me, how are you? Come inside first.)

Her gaze moved to Ira. 

"Yeh kaun hai?" (Who is this?)

"I told you once, right? She's Ira, Meera aunty's daughter."

"Oh haan! Come in, beta." 

Payal stepped back.

Inside, Kritika looked at Anaya.

She didn't need to say a word.

Anaya mouthed "Sorry!"

"So the costume is for Ira?" Payal asked.

"Yes, ma'am. You see, mine won't fit her."

"Okay, come with me."

After nearly twenty minutes of searching...

Then Ira found one.

Her eyes lit up.

White ghagra. Red dupatta. Red blouse.

"This one!"

Payal smiled. 

"Perfect."

"Thank you, ma'am!" Anaya said.

"Koi na, beta. Now select the jewelry you want." (No problem, child.)

Kritika lifted a pearl jewelry set and held it toward Ira. 

"Ira, yeh dekho! This will go perfectly with your costume!" (Ira, look at this!)

"Haan haan, yeh perfect hai!" (Yes yes, this is perfect!)

Diya clapped her hands together. 

"Chalo, ab sab ho gaya hai toh bahar chalte hain." (Come on, now everything's done, let's go outside.)

Living Room

Payal looked around the room at all of them. 

"Toh exams kaisa gaya sabka?" (So how did everyone's exams go?)

Kritika groaned.

"Bohot bura, ma'am. Pharmacology ne toh maar diya."

(Very bad, ma'am. Pharmacology killed me.)

Diya nodded. 

"Haan, magar pathology achha gaya." (Yes, but pathology went well.)

Anaya checked the time. 7:00 PM.

"Okay, ma'am, we have to leave now. I have to drop Ira at the mansion, then head back home."

"But kuch khaya bhi nahi tum logo ne! Main kuch banakar laati hoon" (But you haven't eaten anything! Let me make something.)

Kritika stood. 

"Next time pakka, ma'am!" (Next time for sure!)

"Okay, beta. Be careful on the way."

They nodded.

7:10 PM - Outside Payal Ma'am's House

"How are we going now?" Anaya asked.

Diya looked at Anaya.

"You promised to compensate us with golgappa and gola! Chalo, mujhe khani hai!" (Come, I want to eat!)

Kritika and Ira answered together: "Haan, mujhe bhi!" (Yes, me too!)

Anaya laughed. 

"Chalo phir. Pehle kha lete hain, phir book kar lenge." (Come then. First we'll eat, then we'll book.)

There was a golgappa stall across the road.

Kritika was already halfway there.

"Bhaiya, golgappa lagana! Char plate! Aur tikha dalna!" (Brother, make golgappa! Four plates! And make it spicy!)

She turned to Ira. 

"Tum kha paogi na?" (You'll be able to eat it, right?)

Ira nodded.

By the second golgappa, tears were already in Ira's eyes.

Kritika was busy with her own plate.

"Bhaiya, aur mirchi dalo na!" (Brother, add more chili!)

Ira reached for the water glass without a word.

Anaya noticed. 

"Arre Kriti, bas kar ab! Ira kha nahi payegi!" (Kriti, stop now! Ira won't be able to eat!)

Kritika looked over. 

"Arre, you should've told me early!"

"Koi na, I'm fine..." (It's okay...)

"No, you're not. Come, let's have gola. You'll feel better." Anaya said.

She paid and moved toward the gola stall.

"Bhaiya, char gola dena. Do kala khatta, ek kachhi keri... aur tumhare liye, Ira?" 

(Brother, give four golas. Two black sour, one raw mango... and for you, Ira?)

"Orange wala le lo." (Take the orange one.) Ira said.

Kritika took her first bite and closed her eyes. 

"Yaar, kitne dino baad kha rahi hoon!" (Man, I'm eating this after so many days!)

Ira bit into hers.

Her eyes widened.

"Bohot achha hai! Main pehli baar kha rahi hoon!" (Very good! I'm eating this for the first time!)

"Kya?! Tumne isse pehle kabhi nahi khaya?!" (What?! You've never eaten this before?!) Diya asked.

Ira shook her head.

Kritika pointed at her. 

"Arre, samajh kar na. Agar ghar mein doctors hi doctors honge, toh yehi halat hogi!" (Understand. If the house has only doctors, this will be the situation!)

Laughter broke out across all four of them.

Anaya looked at her watch. 

"Chalo, it's already 8. We have to go."

"How are we going now?"

"You and Kriti go. I'll drop Ira and then head home. It's late. You guys don't need to come with me."

"Okay fine. But message us when you reach home." Kritika said.

"Bye! See you guys on Wednesday, then?"

"Bye" 

They said together.

The cab came. Diya and Kritika got in and left.

8:15 PM - Raivansh Mansion

They stepped out of the cab.

Ira pulled Anaya in a hug. 

"Thank you for today, di!"

Anaya hugged her back.

"No need to thank me."

Somewhere above them, on the second floor, Ekalavya stood at the window.

Anaya looked up.

The curtain shifted. Fell still.

"Maybe I'm overthinking..."

Anaya thought about it for a moment.

"How will you go now?" Ira asked.

"I'll book another cab."

"No! It's not safe. It's almost 9 PM now."

"But—" Anaya said.

"No buts. I'll tell Prashant uncle to drop you."

"Okay"

Prashant came around.

"Good night! Message me once you reach!"

"I will." Anaya said.

Anaya paused. 

"Tomorrow come to my flat. I have two months off now. We can practice!"

"Okay, di. Bye!"

"Bye! Good night!"

She got in. The door closed.

Ira stayed where she was until the car disappeared around the corner.

Then she went inside.

9:00 PM - Ekalavya's Room

The driveway was empty.

He stayed at the window a moment longer.

Then pulled the curtain shut.