Chapter 1: Hide and Seek
[Kairav's POV]
I stared at my bedroom ceiling, completely traumatized by the news my mother had just casually dropped on me.
The Raj family was arriving in exactly fifteen minutes.
Now, this wasn't anything new. Our parents were best friends, and our families were practically glued together. The real problem was Vanshika. She and my twin brother, Idhant, had gotten into some stupid fight last week. Because of that, she hadn't shown her face at our house for seven glorious, completely silent days. It had been bliss.
I rubbed my temples, already feeling a headache coming on. "Lagta hai khushi ke din gaye," I muttered to myself, rolling my eyes as my mom's voice echoed from downstairs, demanding I come down to greet them.
["looks like my peaceful days are over"]
Dragging my feet down the stairs, I immediately spotted them at the entrance. There she was. Vanshika, standing beside her parents, greeting, my parents with an energy like she didn't meet them every single day by coming anytime unannounced. She was all bright smiles and loud colors, looking like a walking explosion of pink in her kurti, kurta, idk what it is called, duh!.
Makes me want to vomit, I thought, keeping my face perfectly blank.
As we all settled around the dining table, the chaos started immediately. The noise level was deafening. Vanshika's dad, being the police officer he is, loudly launched into a story about his latest traffic discipline cases, while my dad smoothly transitioned the conversation into talking about S&K Textiles, our company.
I sat there, silently chewing my food, feeling my social battery plummeting directly into the red zone. I looked around the table, watching the endless gossiping and overlapping conversations.
"Ek ghante se zyada logo ke bich reh kar mera dimaag kharab hojata hai," I grumbled internally. I just needed to escape.
["Being around people for more than 1 hour drives me crazy"]
The second dinner finished and everyone got up to put their dishes in the sink, I saw Idhant make his move. He walked right up to Vanshika, casually grabbing the top of her head and shaking it lightly like she was a stubborn little kid.
"Kab tak gussa rahegi?" he asked, completely unbothered by the fact that she was basically vibrating... or being shaked? with annoyance.
["How long are you going to stay mad?"]
Vanshika instantly swatted his hands away, freeing herself from his grip, and spun around to shoot him a lethal glare.
I didn't wait to watch the rest of their toddler-level bickering. That was my cue. I slipped away from the dining area, deciding to head outside instead of retreating to my room. Just a few minutes of fresh air. A few minutes of actual, beautiful silence.
I had barely made it a few steps into the cool night air when I heard the door open behind me.
"Oyee! Kaha jaa raha hai?"
["Hey! Where are you going?"]
I froze.
"Aree yaar," I whispered to myself, my eyes dropping shut. I didn't even need to turn around to recognize that high-pitched overly enthusiastic voice.
["Oh God"]
"Isse pahele ye mere kaan khaa jaye, chhup jata hu," I thought.
["Before she talks my ears off, I should hide"]
Without a word, I started walking. Fast. But almost immediately, I heard her gasp in confusion, followed by the rapid, frantic slapping of her short footsteps trying to catch up to my long strides.
My fast walk smoothly transitioned into a full-on, undignified jog into the shadows of the backyard.
Let the hide-and-seek begin.
I stood completely still behind the large mango tree at the edge of the backyard, blending into the shadows. I could hear her tiny footsteps stomping around the patio, clearly losing my trail.
Victory, I thought, letting out a quiet breath.
"Fine!" Vanshika's voice suddenly rang out, loud enough to practically echo. "If you don't come out in exactly three seconds, Kairav, I'm going inside and telling aunty I caught you smoking behind the shed!"
My jaw clenched. I squeezed my eyes shut. I don't even smoke, you psycho.
Knowing she was absolutely unhinged enough to actually do it, I stepped out of the shadows, shooting her the deadliest glare I could muster.
She didn't even flinch. Instead, she planted her hands on her hips, a triumphant smirk on her face.
"You were trying to hide from me?" she demanded, marching towards me. She was completely unapologetic about the fake smoking accusation she had just casually thrown into the universe.
I didn't say a word, just crossed my arms and stared down at her.
That didn't stop her. She immediately closed the distance between us, totally invading my carefully established personal space. "Do you have any idea how fast you walk with those giant legs?" she started bickering, gesturing wildly. "I literally tripped over a stupid brick back there! I was this close to face-planting right into the dirt. But thankfully, I have amazing reflexes, so I somehow managed to save myself from breaking my nose—"
I stared at her blankly, my expression completely deadpan. "Maine puchha?"
["Did I ask?"]
For a second, absolute silence fell over the backyard. Vanshika actually stopped mid-sentence. She looked up at me with genuine astonishment, her mouth parting slightly. I usually just ignored her, gave one-word answers, or walked away until she got tired. Actively sassing her back? That clearly wasn't in her script.
I almost smiled at my victory. Almost.
But the shock only lasted for about two seconds. Before I could even enjoy the peace and quiet, her hand flew out and smacked my arm. Hard.
I winced, taking a step back. For a girl who barely reached my shoulders, she had a dangerously heavy hand.
"Mai bol rahi hu na!" she snapped, stepping right back into my space to close the gap I had just made. "Bich me interrupt kyu kara hai?"
["I am talking, aren't I? Why did you interrupt me?"]
She glared up at me, her eyebrows knitted so tightly together they practically formed a single line. Her jaw was clenched tight enough to snap a pencil. She looked like an angry, pink, five-foot-tall angrybird.
"Because you were talking to yourself," I replied calmly, rubbing my arm. "I was just standing here. Against my will."
"Aree yaarrr!" Vanshika whined, throwing her head back dramatically. "Tum dono bhai itne irritating kyu ho?!"
["Ugh! Seriously, Why are both of you brothers so irritating?"]
Instead of stepping back to respect my boundaries, she reached out, grabbed my arm with both hands, and started shaking it. I stood there, completely rigid, letting a five-foot-tall girl try to shake me like a violently pink cocktail shaker. I was praying to God for patience I didn't have.
She opened her mouth to complain some more, but suddenly froze. The shaking stopped.
She looked down at her hands. They were empty.
"My phone?" she muttered, dropping my arm instantly. She started frantically patting down her clothes, violently searching for pockets that obviously didn't exist in the outfit she was wearing.
She gasped, her eyes going wide with pure panic. "Shit! Yaar, gira toh nahi diya?!"
["Shit! Man, did i drop it?!"]
And then, she pointed an accusing finger right at my chest, that defied all laws of human logic.
"This is your fault!" she declared. "I clearly remember bringing it with me outside to annoy you!"
I just stared at the finger hovering inches from my chest, then looked down at her completely serious, panicking face.
I was absolutely dumbfounded.
"How," I started, my voice dangerously slow, "is you dropping your phone, my fault?"
"Oh well!" Vanshika chirped cheerfully. Her expression actually softened into a bright, totally unfazed smile for exactly zero-point-one seconds.
Then, like flipping a switch, the Angry Bird glare was back.
"I couldn't care less whose fault it is," she demanded, crossing her arms like she was the boss of me. "Help me find it. Now."
I raised a single eyebrow at her sheer audacity. "And exactly why should I do that?"
Without waiting for an answer, I turned on my heel, ready to walk back toward the lit patio. Not my phone, not my problem.
I didn't even make it two steps before she scrambled around me. She threw her arms out wide, planting her feet in the grass to block my path like a very small, very loud barricade.
"Areee yaarrr!" she whined, her voice pitching up into pure theatrics. "Dhundh de na! Itne andhere mai kaise dhundungi? Ek masoom si bachi pe taras nahi aata tujhe?"
["Just help me find it! How am I supposed to find it in this dark?! Don't you feel pity on an innocent little kid?"]
I stared down at her dramatic pout. Anyone else would think she was just being an entitled brat. But I had known Vanshika Raj since we were five years old. I knew exactly what this was.
This was her version of saying 'please.' She was physically incapable of actually using the word respectfully. Instead, she just weaponized her dramatics, dragged out her vowels, and guilt-tripped you until you eventually caved.
I looked at the "masoom si bachi" blocking my path, then looked out at the pitch-black grass behind her. I let out a long, heavy sigh, and rolled my eyes at her, defeatingly.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket. Turning on the flashlight, I gestured for her to start walking and illuminated the grass in front of her.
She bent down, scanning the dark lawn, while I trailed behind her like a very unenthusiastic spotlight.
"Jaldi dhundh, kal subah Panvel nikalna hai," I said, my tone dripping with dry sarcasm.
["Hurry up, I've places to be"]
Vanshika paused and looked over her shoulder, genuine shock washing over her features. "Arre wah! Tu memes bhi dekhta hai?" she replied, her voice laced with equal sarcasm.
["Oh wow! You look at memes too?"]
She went back to aggressively parting the grass, refusing to walk in a straight line. "Tune wo 'traa laa lelo traa lala' wala brainrot dekha hai?" she asked, still searching.
["Hve you seen that "traalalelo tralala" brainrot?"]
I stared down at her, completely unamused. "Nahi," I replied casually. "Tujhse bada brainrot kya hi ho sakta hai?" Still bent over, Vanshika snapped her head back to shoot me a lethal, wide-eyed glare before aggressively returning to her search.
["No. What could be a bigger brainrot than you?"]
Five minutes passed. My arm was starting to get tired, and her non-existent patience had clearly evaporated.
"Aree yaar!" Vanshika groaned, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Iss phone ki maa ki—"
["I swear! Mother of this phone-"]
"Tu hi iski maa hai," I interrupted smoothly, my expression completely deadpan.
["You are its mother"]
Vanshika straightened up instantly, turning to face me fully. She narrowed her eyes, her jaw clenching as she stepped dangerously close into my space.
"Jyada nahi bol raha aaj tu?" she demanded, her voice dropping into a deadly warning.
["Aren't you talking a bit too much today?"]
I looked away from her, staring out into the pitch-black bushes like there was a hidden camera filming my tragic life.
"Waah! Ek tou help karo, uppar se iske tantrum bhi saho," I muttered to the non-existent audience.
["Wow! First I help her and then I have to tolerate her tantrums on top of it"]
That was the breaking point. Vanshika let out an exasperated, furious little noise.
"Tu jaa! Teri help nahi chahiye mujhe," she snapped.
["Go away! I don't need you help"]
Before I could even blink, she took a step closer, planted both her hands firmly on the center of my chest, and shoved me with all her might.
Given that she was a solid foot shorter than me, the dramatic push didn't exactly send me flying. I barely stumbled a half-step backward. But it was the sheer audacity of this girl—physically pushing away her only source of light in a dark garden—that left me speechless.
My feet stayed planted firmly in the grass as her hands smacked against my chest. All that dramatic pushing, and she hadn't managed to move me a single inch.
Realizing her physical assault was completely useless, Vanshika tipped her head back, preparing to unleash another glare up at me.
So, I did the only logical thing. Without changing my blank expression, I slightly tilted my wrist and shined the phone's flashlight directly into her eyes.
"Wtf!" she shrieked, instantly recoiling and throwing her hands up to shield her face.
She stumbled backward, effectively moving out of my personal space on her own. She rubbed her eyes furiously, blinking away the blind spots before locking onto me with pure, unadulterated rage.
Her hands balled into tiny fists at her sides. She looked like she was actively calculating the physics of how to reach high enough to punch me in the jaw.
"I seriously hate you!" she hissed.
"Feeling is mutual," I replied, my voice completely flat.
Without breaking eye contact, I casually tilted my wrist again. The flashlight beam swept across the grass and landed perfectly on a shiny phone case sitting right near the edge of the patio.
I had spotted it the exact second we walked out here. But honestly, where was the fun in telling her that immediately?
Vanshika followed the beam of light. She stared at her phone lying innocently in the grass, then slowly looked back up at me. If looks could kill, I would have been buried under that mango tree right then and there.
She marched over, snatched the phone off the ground, and spun around on her heel. True to her dramatic nature, she didn't offer a single word of thanks. She just started stomping back toward the house in complete, furious silence.
I watched her walk away and let out a quiet breath, sliding my phone back into my pocket.
"Chalo achha hi hua," I thought to myself, enjoying the sudden peace. "At least bol toh nahi rahi abb."
["Well, It's for the best, at least she's not talking anymore"]
I started walking back too, my natural stride easily closing the distance between us.
But the second Vanshika heard my footsteps getting closer, her shoulders went rigid. She shot a sideways glare at me from the corner of her eye, realized I was about to match her pace, and immediately sped up.
I raised an eyebrow. Just to test her, I took a slightly longer step.
She practically broke into a furious power-walk, her short legs working overtime just to make sure she stayed exactly one inch ahead of me. She would rather pull a muscle than let me walk beside her as an equal.