Standing outside his room, she felt that wave of embarrassment crash over her again.
Ayaan stepped out, and there she was—frozen in the doorway. Aarshi murmured, her voice thick with guilt, "Sorry... for that."
"I didn't mind," Ayaan said, his tone unreadable. "And well, it's not even the first time."
Aarshi took a breath. "Honestly, I came here to check on you. And to ask you something."
"Ask," he said.
"First—sorry. Again. Second... I still don't understand how I ended up sleeping next to you this morning. I came to wake y isou at five. You were in such a deep sleep, and I was using your iPad... I felt sleepy, and before I knew it, I'd fallen asleep beside you. I didn't mean to."
Ayaan exhaled calmly. "Let it go."
They went downstairs together. Aarshi couldn't stop studying his face, searching for any flicker of anger or irritation. But Ayaan gave nothing away. His expression was the same as always—neutral, composed, unreadable.
Yet Aarshi could feel it. Something had shifted in him.
She tried to fill the silence. "When did Momo get back?"
"Around eight," Ayaan replied flatly.
Then came the rapid-fire questions—her voice quick, almost anxious. "When did you wake up? Have you eaten? Did you water the plants?" Question after question, tumbling out.
Ayaan answered each one with clipped, straight-faced precision.
Inside his head, a mantra repeated: _Stay calm. Stay mysterious. This is who you are. This is who you've always been._ Being calm and detached wasn't hard for him—it was habit. It was armor.
Aarshi noticed the change. "Are you mad at me?" she asked cautiously.
"Have you done something wrong?" Ayaan countered.
"Actually... no. But why are you acting so strange?"
"I'm not acting strange. I've always been like this."
Aarshi changed tactics. "Let's make breakfast. Momo's still asleep."
Ayaan nodded. Aarshi decided on fruit salad.
What followed was pure chaos. The kitchen turned into a battlefield of chopped fruit and misplaced bowls.
Ayaan finally snapped, "Stop wrecking my kitchen. Go wait in the hall. I'll make it."
Aarshi agreed and retreated to the hall, turning on the TV.
Then Ayaan's iPad rang. Without thinking, Aarshi picked it up.
It was her. The same girl Ayaan had blocked last night—calling from a new number.
"Hello? Ayaan?" the voice asked.
Aarshi answered before she could stop herself. "Yes."
She recognized the voice instantly.
"Who is this?" the girl demanded.
Aarshi's reply came sharp, laced with arrogance. "That's none of your concern."
The girl stayed polite. "Are you his older sister?"
"No."
"Then who are you?"
"I'm his girlfriend," Aarshi declared. "And he's making breakfast for me right now."
"What nonsense?" the girl's voice rose.
Just then, Ayaan called out, "Aarshi."
Her head whipped around. Ayaan was standing right behind her. Her heart stopped. He had already warned her—never pick up his calls.
"Go on," Ayaan said, his voice deceptively casual. "I'm listening to your lies."
Aarshi convinced herself he was using his usual tone. She kept talking, with Ayaan standing beside her, listening to every word.
The girl was screaming now. "You're a liar! I know everything!"
"If you don't believe me, that's your loss," Aarshi shot back. "Are you dumb? You keep calling him even though you know he has a girlfriend."
Bhavya's voice was cold. "I know you're his sister."
"What nonsense," Aarshi snapped. "How dare you call me his sister? It's not fair to call someone her boyfriend's sister."
Suddenly, Ayaan spoke loudly—deliberately, as if making sure the call could hear him. "Breakfast is ready. Let me feed you this time."
Aarshi understood instantly. She played along. "Did you hear that? What kind of brother and sister feed each other like that?"
Ayaan snatched the iPad from her. "Let's eat. You've been on this call long enough."
"Okay," Aarshi said. He hung up.
The second the call ended, Ayaan's voice turned to ice. "Don't you get tired of lying?"
"I was just having fun," Aarshi said.
"Is _that_ what you call fun?"
"It was actually your friend's idea."
"You just want to mess up my life."
Aarshi's reply was indirect, pointed. "Finally, you realize."
Then, softer, "If you don't care about that girl, why are you so angry at me for lying to her?"
Ayaan said, "Let it go. Eat first."
Just then, Momo walked in. "Are you guys hungry? What do you want to eat? I'll make it."
"We already made it," Aarshi said. "Let's eat together."
Momo looked surprised to see the fruit salad they'd prepared.
The three of them sat on the sofa in front of the TV, eating from the same bowl. Aarshi broke the silence. "Momo, have you ever seen the beach?"
Momo nodded. "Just once."
She turned to Ayaan. He didn't move.
"Ayaan," Aarshi said, using his name. "Have you ever been?"
He shook his head.
"Why are you asking?" Momo asked.
"I was just checking if I'm the only one who's never been to the beach," Aarshi admitted.
"Why haven't you?" Momo asked.
"I don't know. My brother loves to travel, but he's never taken me to an island or a beach."
Ayaan said, "That's sad. You've never been to an island? That's the most fun place ever."
"Are you trying to make me jealous?" Aarshi shot back.
"Who am I to make you jealous?"
"Well, I _am_ jealous."
Ayaan laughed. "Then why don't you go somewhere like that?"
"Once, I almost drowned in a pool. After that, no one let me go near places like that."
"So you don't know how to swim?" Ayaan asked.
Aarshi nodded.
"So sad," he said again. "This time, you _should_ feel bad for yourself."
Momo jumped in. "If you want to visit, we'll go at the end of summer break."
"Sure," Aarshi said.
Ayaan smirked. "With a mind like yours, you could drown in a waterpark kiddie pool."
Aarshi fired back, "With a tongue like yours, you could ruin the fun of anything."
Ayaan just nodded.
Later that evening, Momo convinced Aarshi to learn some self-defense. She was teaching her techniques when Ayaan came downstairs.
"What are you guys doing?" he asked, watching them.
"I'm teaching her self-defense," Momo said.
Ayaan laughed. "Everyone should learn it—except her. People need to save themselves _from_ her."
Aarshi's eyes flashed. "Then you should learn it too."
Ayaan stepped forward. "I know it very well."
Deliberately, he placed a hand on her shoulder. In a flash, Aarshi grabbed his collar, twisting into a hip-throw.
Nothing.
She strained, trying with all her might, but he didn't budge an inch. Annoyance flickered across her face as she struggled.
Then—quick as lightning—Ayaan caught her and dragged her to the ground in one fluid motion. It happened in the blink of an eye. Aarshi couldn't react.
Instinctively, she kicked out, hitting his knee. They both tumbled to the floor.
Momo burst out laughing. "Aarshi has her own self-defense tricks. Completely unpredictable."
Aarshi grinned, breathless. "I'm unpredictable. I know."
Ayaan immediately started mimicking her, his tone dripping with mockery.
Aarshi got tired this time and asked for a break. During the break, they all went back to their rooms.