"I hope I won't regret coming here," Aarshi said with a doubtful sigh.
"Hill stations never disappoint," Ayaan replied casually.
"Well, I like mountains too," Aarshi admitted, "but honestly, I'd rather enjoy my vacation by sleeping peacefully at home."
"Same here," Ayaan said, smiling.
Early the next morning, all of them had set out to explore the hill station. Among them, Mahira and Jihan seemed the most energetic, which made sense since they were the ones who had planned the entire trip.
On the very first day, they decided to explore the valleys and nearby farms. They spent the entire day wandering through breathtaking landscapes, laughing, and enjoying themselves. However, by the time evening arrived, every bit of energy had drained out of them.
Completely exhausted, they decided to return to the hotel.
As soon as they arrived, Ayaan and Aarshi went straight to the hotel's dining area and sat down to eat. Without much thought, they ordered a table full of food and began eating. Strangely, after just a single bite, both of them felt almost full and lost their appetite.
They had assumed that Jihan and Momo would join them for dinner, but the two of them had already fallen asleep in their room.
Ayaan tried calling Momo several times, but she didn't answer. Aarshi then called Jihan, and he finally picked up.
"Brother, aren't you coming to eat?" Aarshi asked.
In a tired voice, Jihan replied, "No… you guys go ahead and eat."
The moment they heard that, both Ayaan and Aarshi's faces fell.
Now they realized they would have to finish all that food themselves.
Reluctantly, they began eating. One by one, they started tasting the dishes. Whenever one of them felt full, they would pass the plate to the other. The same routine continued again and again. Eventually, they even ended up sharing a single plate for all the dishes.
Slowly but surely, they finished everything.
Afterward, both of them declared in exhaustion, "We should never go on trips with our siblings again."
Then they came up with a mischievous plan.
They secretly reserved a table for the next morning at a beautiful, aesthetic restaurant—but only for two people. However, their actual plan was that they themselves wouldn't go there.
Aarshi wanted to teach Jihan a lesson, so the two of them decided that they would leave him stuck there with mahira
"But why should we leave them alone?" Ayaan asked curiously.
Aarshi replied with a hint of bitterness, "Because today they left us alone when we needed them. Look what happened—we had to finish all that food by ourselves."
Ayaan shrugged. "Honestly, it doesn't feel like a punishment for them to go alone."
Aarshi smirked. "Then we'll turn it into a punishment together."
"As you wish," Ayaan replied.
Aarshi had always been troubled by her brother's habit of leaving her alone. Deep inside, she often felt that her brother didn't truly care about her… that he neither loved her nor looked after her the way she wished he would.
Mahira, on the other hand, adored her brother deeply. She cared for him immensely and was always ready to do anything for him.
"What do you think?" Aarshi asked suddenly. "Why did they leave us alone today?"
"Maybe they thought we'd enjoy spending time together," Ayaan replied.
"My brother left me here relying on you," Aarshi said bluntly.
Ayaan raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think you're sitting here relying on me?"
"I have my own straight spinal cord," Aarshi said proudly.
"Good," Ayaan replied with a faint smile.
However, both of them had overeaten terribly. Aarshi, in particular, started feeling nauseous.
To feel better, they went for a walk around the hotel lounge area. They strolled around the entire property and eventually reached the swimming pool.
"Come on, let's sit here and dip our feet in the water," Ayaan suggested.
He sat down and dipped his feet into the pool. After a moment, he urged Aarshi to join him.
"It's really relaxing."
Aarshi finally agreed and placed her feet into the water.
But the moment her feet touched the water, her expression changed. She looked confused… uneasy… almost panicked.
Ayaan quickly grabbed her hand.
Suddenly, Aarshi vomited—thankfully outside the pool—but her glasses slipped off and fell into the water.
She began vomiting repeatedly. Her chest started hurting, her legs felt weak, and her head began spinning. Without her glasses, she could barely see anything.
Throughout all of this, Ayaan never let go of her hand.
Some staff members standing nearby rushed to help. Aarshi's condition looked quite alarming.
After vomiting several times, she bent forward, clutching her chest, still holding Ayaan's hand tightly.
One of the staff members asked politely, "May I help you?"
Ayaan replied calmly, "Just clean this vomit, please."
The staff member chuckled lightly and said, "Thankfully you didn't dirty the pool."
Ayaan responded dryly, "It's our pleasure."
"I need to go to the room," Aarshi whispered weakly.
But judging by her condition, it didn't seem like she could walk.
Ayaan held her hand firmly and supported her.
"My glasses fell into the pool," Aarshi murmured.
"Don't worry, ma'am," a staff member assured her. "We'll retrieve them and give them to you tomorrow."
With gentle support, Ayaan walked her back.
Instead of her room, he first took her to his room and gave her some warm water to drink.
As soon as she entered, Aarshi walked up to her sleeping brother Jihan and kicked him.
"All of this happened because of you!" she snapped.
Half-asleep, Jihan muttered, "Go to your own room and sleep."
Hearing that only made Aarshi angrier.
Ayaan sighed and led her to her own room. From Mahira's bag, he took out some medicine and gave it to her.
"You carry medicine for vomiting with you?" Aarshi asked suspiciously.
"My mom always keeps essential medicines in our bags for emergencies," Ayaan replied calmly. "And today was exactly that kind of emergency."
After taking the medicine, Aarshi sat down quietly.
Mahira woke up and asked sleepily, "Why are you two awake so late?"
"She couldn't sleep," Ayaan replied casually.
"Yes… something like that," Aarshi added.
Soon after, everyone returned to their rooms and slept.
They met again the next morning.
All of them got ready and gathered in the hotel's dining area. But Ayaan and Aarshi suddenly announced that they had reserved seats at a restaurant.
"What was the need for that?" Jihan asked.
"There was absolutely a need," Aarshi replied confidently. "The hotel feels too loud. If we eat at a nice restaurant, it'll feel more authentic, peaceful… and aesthetic."
Jihan reluctantly agreed.
When they arrived, the restaurant was truly beautiful. Its aesthetics were charming, and from there they could see breathtaking views of the valleys. Even early in the morning, many guests had gathered there.
"I'm impressed," Jihan admitted.
"This wasn't for you," Aarshi replied smugly. "It was for Momo."
"Why for me?" Momo asked, surprised.
"Because you're nice," Aarshi said bluntly. "Otherwise my brother is a complete cheater. I knew he wouldn't let us enjoy the trip properly."
They sat at their reserved table.
Before the waiter even arrived, Aarshi started listing her order.
"Brother, I want chicken nuggets, pasta, burgers, noodles… and lots of sweets."
"Is that for all of us?" Jihan asked.
"No," Aarshi said proudly. "That's just my menu. You guys can decide yours."
Ayaan added casually, "For me—biryani, pulao, butter chicken, poha, rasmalai, spring rolls, and red velvet cake."
Mahira stared at him. "You're eating biryani in the morning?"
"What's the problem?" Ayaan replied. "I feel like eating it."
Mahira gently tried to reason with him. "This isn't healthy at all for breakfast."
"Health shouldn't be our concern right now," Ayaan laughed. "Look at our age."
Just as the waiter approached, Aarshi suddenly said, "Brother, you order my menu. I'm going to the washroom."
Ayaan stood up immediately. "She doesn't know anything about this restaurant. I'll guide her. Momo, please order my menu."
And just like that, both of them disappeared.
After the waiter left, Aarshi returned to the table.
"This place is amazing," she said casually. "The outside view is even better."
"Where's Ayaan?" Mahira asked.
"I don't know," Aarshi replied.
"He went after you," Jihan said.
"He didn't follow me," Aarshi replied calmly.
"Wait, I'll call him," Mahira said.
But Ayaan didn't answer.
"I'll go find him," Momo offered.
"No need," Aarshi said quickly. "You enjoy. I'll bring him."
She left.
Fifteen minutes passed.
Neither of them returned.
Jihan and Mahira began to worry. By that time, their food had already arrived.
Finally, Jihan called again.
"Hello!" he said sharply.
"Yes, brother," Aarshi replied cheerfully.
"Where are you right now?"
"I'm nearby… with Ayaan. There's a wonderful street performance by some kids here."
"You found him, so why didn't you come back?" Jihan asked impatiently.
"When I found him, he was already watching the show. So I sat down too."
"Don't you two want breakfast?" Jihan asked irritably.
"No. We're not in the mood."
Jihan lost his temper.
"This is childish! You ordered so many dishes. We're not hungry enough to finish all of this. Come back immediately or—"
Mahira quickly intervened. "Calm down."
"Give the phone to Ayaan," mahira said.
"Yes?" Ayaan answered calmly.
"What is going on?" Mahira asked.
"Nothing," Ayaan replied. "We're just enjoying the show."
"You can enjoy it later," Mahira said. "Your food is already here."
Suddenly Aarshi spoke.
"We're not coming. Yesterday you two also left us alone when we had ordered all that food."
Jihan started shouting.
"You spoke to me like this yesterday on the phone too," Aarshi fired back.
An argument erupted between the siblings. Ayaan and Momo both tried to calm them down.
"You're so selfish!" Aarshi snapped. "Yesterday when I called you, you refused to come and hung up. But today when I refuse, you start scolding me!"
"And after everything, I was the one who arranged this date for you two!"
Furious, she cut the call.
"Doing anything for some people is completely useless," she muttered.
Ayaan chuckled slightly. "By the way, this date will be a disaster for your brother. Momo barely eats breakfast. Your brother will have to finish all those dishes alone."
"That's exactly what he deserves," Aarshi replied.
After that, the two of them explored the entire street. They visited local shops and tried different street foods that turned out to be incredibly delicious. Laughing and carefree, they enjoyed everything.
Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, Mahira and Jihan were worried about how they would finish all the food.
They started eating at their own pace and decided to distribute the leftover food among the poor.
Aarshi always had fun with Ayaan, but Jihan was beginning to regret something deeply.
He wondered why he had ever introduced them to each other.
Meanwhile, Mahira and Jihan's breakfast had unexpectedly turned into a date, and they actually enjoyed it.
"This date idea is quite unique," Mahira laughed. "We didn't even get to choose our own breakfast."
"I'm sorry," Jihan said awkwardly. "My sister dragged you into our argument."
"I don't mind at all," Mahira replied warmly. "At least I got a companion… and so did he."
Jihan smiled happily after hearing that.
"Next time, we won't let those two plan our dates."
"For sure," Mahira laughed.
"Though if my brother ever plans a date," she added playfully, "there won't be any flaws in it."
"You seem very proud of him," Jihan said.
"Hmm," Mahira nodded.
"Well," Jihan smirked, "I'm waiting for the day he plans one."
"You'll see when it happens," Mahira replied confidently.
However, deep down, Jihan had started to feel suspicious about Ayaan and Aarshi.
He no longer believed they were just friends.
Aarshi never got close to people easily. And she always liked handsome, drama-like good-looking boys.
And Ayaan had neither flaws in his looks nor in his character.
The thought made Jihan uneasy.
Mahira noticed his expression.
"What happened?"
"Don't you think they've become too close?" Jihan asked.
"That's a good thing," Mahira replied with a smile. "They help each other."
"What kind of girl does Ayaan like?" Jihan asked curiously.
"What kind of question is that?" Mahira laughed. "He has never told me his preferences."
"But he's very similar to my elder brother," she continued. "And my elder brother likes calm and slightly clumsy girls."
"And what about looks?" Jihan asked.
"It's not that looks matter to him," Mahira replied thoughtfully. "But he would probably choose an inexperienced girl… so that they can experience their first love together."
"Your brother sounds quite choosy," Jihan said.
"Everyone in our family is like that."
"According to Ayaan," she added, "the girl in a couple should always be younger than the boy—even if the age gap is just one day."
"And you?" Jihan asked with a teasing smirk.
"I think the same," Mahira said freely.
Jihan had been silently analyzing everything Mahira said.
A troubling thought began forming in his mind.
If he dated Mahira… then Aarshi might end up with Ayaan.
The idea made him tense.
"What happened?" Mahira asked.
"I don't think Ayaan and Aarshi are just friends," Jihan admitted. "Aarshi never gets close to anyone this quickly."
Mahira smiled softly.
"That's impossible. If something like that were happening, Ayaan would tell me first. He's terrible at hiding things."
"And besides," she added calmly, "my brother prefers girls younger than him… ideally in the same grade."
"But he's the youngest in his class."
"So it's almost impossible for someone younger than him to be in the same grade."
She paused thoughtfully.
"And honestly… I think Aarshi might actually be older than him."
Jihan asked Ayaan about his date of birth. When the dates were compared, both he and Mahira discovered something astonishing—Aarshi was only one day younger than Ayaan.
The realization shocked them both.
Mahira spoke in a rather confused tone, "I think… there might actually be a chance between them."
Jihan's expression instantly changed.
Mahira quickly waved it off and said, "I'm just joking. Even if Ayaan happened to like Aarshi, he would never even dare to meet her eyes. He would probably run away from her. He never accepts his feelings anyway."
"Promise me," Jihan said seriously, "if anything like that ever happens, you'll tell me."
"Promise," Mahira replied.
Soon, the two of them ended up talking endlessly about their siblings. By the time they finished their conversation, they had almost forgotten to worry about Ayaan and Aarshi. After finishing breakfast, they had the remaining food packed and went out to distribute it among the poor.
Meanwhile, Ayaan and Aarshi were happily wandering through the street market, enjoying every corner of it.
Aarshi was fascinated by many things—cute hair clips, colorful hairbands, and different kinds of rubber bands. She picked up several small items she liked.
However, she had brought only a limited amount of money with her, and she had already spent most of it. Whenever she liked something else, she would simply look at it for a moment and quietly put it back.
Ayaan noticed this.
"Why didn't you buy it?" he asked. "Didn't you like it?"
"I did," Aarshi replied softly, "but I don't have any cash left."
"Then just take it," Ayaan said casually. "I'll pay."
Aarshi immediately refused.
But Ayaan insisted, "Go ahead and buy it. I'll give the money. If it feels awkward, you can return it to me later."
After a moment of hesitation, Aarshi finally agreed.
And once she did, she began exploring the market with renewed excitement, buying several adorable little things that caught her eye.
In contrast, Ayaan bought only one single item—a delicate sketchbook whose pages looked extremely fragile.
Aarshi asked curiously, "Why are you buying a sketchbook with such fragile pages?"
Ayaan smiled faintly.
"Dealing with fragile things is a challenge… and I like challenges."
Hearing that, Aarshi immediately bought the same sketchbook for herself.
They spent the entire time chatting, shopping, and even recording little videos together while walking through the lively streets.
Aarshi kept shopping nonstop because her hands were free, while poor Ayaan had become the designated carrier. His arms were soon filled with shopping bags, and he was clearly getting tired.
Among her purchases, Aarshi bought a cute zombie-print mug for her brother.
Meanwhile, Ayaan bought scented candles, a cute mug, decorative plates, and perfumes for Momo.
Eventually his hands were completely full of bags. Aarshi walked beside him, happily recording videos of the moment.
Suddenly Ayaan stopped.
"I forgot something," he said.
"What?" Aarshi asked immediately. "Did we leave a bag somewhere in the market?"
"No," Ayaan replied. "I didn't buy anything for Mom, Dad, Zayn, Karan, Natasha, Mishtha… or even for my brother."
"Do you still have money left?" Aarshi asked.
"No."
Aarshi's face fell instantly.
"Oh no… I'm so sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry! This happened because of me."
"It's okay," Ayaan said calmly.
Ayaan couldn't make online payments from his phone because the phone wasn't connected to his bank account. So he approached a local vendor and made a small arrangement.
"We'll transfer money to your account online," Ayaan said politely, "and you can give us cash in return."
The vendor agreed.
Ayaan immediately called Momo and asked her to transfer money to the vendor's account. As soon as the payment arrived, the vendor handed them the cash.
Now Aarshi dragged Ayaan happily around the market again.
This time, Ayaan started buying gifts.
For his female friends, he bought cute antique mini Chinese dolls that looked unique and charming.
For Karan, he bought a metal flying eagle sculpture that looked incredibly realistic.
For Zayn, he chose something special—but he didn't show it to Aarshi.
For his parents, he bought beautiful antique pens that looked elegant and classy.
Only after all of this did they finally step out of the market.
Aarshi looked at him thoughtfully and said, "You care a lot about your friends, don't you?"
Ayaan smiled gently.
"It's not like that. These are just return gifts for them."
"Return gifts? For your birthday?" Aarshi asked.
"No."
He explained calmly.
"Zayn is bringing me a mini fighter-jet model from China.
Karan is bringing me roller skates as a gift.
Natasha is bringing chocolates from Switzerland.
And Mishtha is bringing me an autograph from a famous footballer."
"Wow," Aarshi muttered under her breath, "your friends must be very rich. Your gifts are nothing compared to theirs."
"I heard that," Ayaan said lightly.
"Sorry," Aarshi replied awkwardly.
Then she asked curiously, "What's the most favorite gift you've ever received?"
Ayaan answered proudly, "The birthday party my friends arranged for me."
Aarshi smiled warmly.
"You deserve it."
"Everyone deserves that," Ayaan replied.
"Maybe," Aarshi said quietly.
Just then, Jihan called.
"Where are you two?" he asked.
"In the street market," Ayaan replied.
"Wait there. We're coming."
Before Ayaan could respond further, Aarshi snatched the phone from his hand and walked a little aside.
"Brother," she said firmly, "I planned a whole day's date for you. So enjoy it. Why are you dragging us into it? You should think about yourself."
"Don't talk like an elder," Jihan replied.
"I'm not talking like an elder," Aarshi said calmly. "I'm talking sensibly."
Jihan finally agreed.
After all, he was enjoying his date… and Aarshi knew her brother well enough to understand him.
The four of them spent their day separately, each enjoying themselves in their own way.
In the evening, they finally met again outside the hotel.
The moment Jihan saw Ayaan, he was shocked.
Ayaan looked completely exhausted. His arms were filled with shopping bags, and his face clearly showed how tired he was.
"How much shopping did you do?" Jihan asked.
"Just a little," Aarshi replied innocently.
"Oh… I see," Jihan said sarcastically.
Immediately, Jihan took all the bags from Ayaan's hands.
"Poor guy must be exhausted," he said.
Momo asked curiously, "How do you know all these bags belong to Aarshi?"
Jihan smirked. "She's my sister. If I don't know her, who will?"
Aarshi protested, "One of those bags is Ayaan's."
"How many bags does Ayaan have?" Jihan asked.
"Just one."
Everyone burst out laughing.
Out of seventeen bags, only one belonged to Ayaan—the rest were all Aarshi's, which he had carried the entire way.
Ayaan twisted his sore wrist dramatically.
"My arm is broken," he groaned.
Jihan sighed. "I knew my sister would do this. That's why I warned you."
"It's okay," Ayaan replied calmly. "I carried them myself. She never asked me to."
Jihan then quietly pulled Mahira aside to a corner and whispered while holding her hand,
"Your brother is quite the gentleman."
Mahira replied calmly, "That's just basic manners… something every boy should have."
Hearing that, Jihan fell into deep thought.
Perhaps… he should start learning from Ayaan himself.
After all, it seemed he needed some training on how to be a gentleman.