Chapter Seventy-Three: The Morning After (And The Video Heard Round the World)
The sun crept through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting the master suite in shades of gold.
Jay woke slowly, wrapped in warmth and the familiar scent of Keifer. His arms were around her, his chest solid against her back, his breathing slow and peaceful.
She smiled without opening her eyes.
"Stop smiling," he murmured, voice rough with sleep.
"Can't help it."
"Happy?"
"Ridiculously."
He tightened his arms, pulling her closer. "Me too."
They lay there for a long moment, just breathing together.
Then Keifer spoke again. "We're married."
"We're married."
"Husband and wife."
"Sounds weird."
"Good weird?"
"The best weird."
He kissed her shoulder. "I love you, Mrs. Watson."
"I love you too, Mr. Watson."
---
They might have stayed there forever.
But the door had other plans.
A tiny fist pounded on the wood.
"MAMMA! PAPPA! WAKE UP! IT'S MORNING! YOU'RE MARRIED! REX WANTS TO SEE!"
Jay groaned. Keifer laughed.
"Our son," she said.
"Your son."
"OUR son."
"Unfortunately."
Keiran's voice continued. "AUNTIES SAY COME DOWN! BREAKFAST IS READY! ALSO THEY HAVE QUESTIONS!"
Keifer looked at Jay. "Questions?"
"Never good questions."
"Should we hide?"
"We're adults. We can face them."
"...You face them. I'll hide."
"KEIF!"
---
They emerged eventually.
Hand in hand. Slightly disheveled. Trying to look casual.
The dining room was full.
Everyone.
Percy, Honey, Aries, Ella, C.N., Rakii, David, Freya, Mica, Calix, Felix, Bridget, Denzel, Grace with Grazel, Tita Gemma, Tito Rachel, Kuya Angelo with Ion, Yuri with his camera, Keigan trying to look cool, Keiran already bouncing.
And the India crew—Shreya, Akshi, Chethan, Mithun.
All staring.
All grinning.
Percy broke the silence. "WELL WELL WELL. LOOK WHO FINALLY DECIDED TO JOIN US."
Jay raised an eyebrow. "It's 8 AM."
"AND? WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR HOURS!"
Honey patted his arm. "Babe, it's been thirty minutes."
"THIRTY MINUTES IS HOURS IN CHAOS TIME!"
---
Keiran ran to them. "MAMMA! PAPPA! DID YOU SLEEP GOOD?"
Jay scooped him up. "Very good, baby."
"Rex wants to know if married sleep is different."
Jay's face went slightly pink. "It's... nice."
Percy pounced. "NICE? JUST NICE? WE EXPECTED MORE DETAILS!"
C.N. nodded. "Mother, we need a full report."
Jay pointed at him. "I am NOT your mother. And you're NOT getting a report."
Rakii raised her camera. "At least a photo. For the 'morning after' album."
"No photos!"
Yuri zoomed in. "Too late. Already filming."
---
They sat down to breakfast.
The table was piled with food—pancakes, dosas, fruits, everything.
Keiran sat between Akshi and Shreya, happily eating.
Akshi watched Jay and Keifer with knowing eyes. "So. First night as married people. How was it?"
Jay calmly sipped her coffee. "Lovely, thank you for asking."
"LOVELY? That's all we get?"
"That's all you're getting."
Chethan leaned forward. "Come on! We need details! For science!"
Mithun, calm as always, observed, "I don't think science requires that."
Chethan waved him off. "ROMANCE science!"
---
Percy couldn't contain himself. "OKAY! Let's play a game! We ask questions, they answer with expressions only!"
Honey sighed. "Percy, no."
"PERCY YES!"
He pointed at Jay. "First question! Who said 'I love you' first?"
Jay's expression softened. "He did. In the hospital."
Awws from the table.
Percy continued. "Second question! Who proposed?"
Keifer answered. "I did. With everyone watching."
More awws.
Percy grinned. "Third question! Who—"
Jay interrupted. "Percy. We're not answering that."
"BUT—"
"No."
He pouted. "You're no fun."
"I'm survival."
---
The teasing continued through breakfast.
Mica tried to get details. Freya gently redirected.
David made inappropriate jokes. Freya smacked him.
Felix and Bridget simply smiled, enjoying the chaos.
Denzel fed Grace bites of food. Grazel watched everything with big eyes.
Tita Gemma cried. Again. "MY BABY IS MARRIED!"
Tito Rachel patted her back. "You've cried seventeen times."
"IT DESERVES SEVENTEEN TEARS!"
Kuya Angelo actually smiled. "Good job, Watson."
Ion squeezed his hand. "They're beautiful together."
"Best kind of beautiful."
---
Then Yuri cleared his throat.
"Everyone. I have something."
The table quieted.
He held up his phone. "Footage. From last night."
Percy's eyes lit up. "WEDDING FOOTAGE?"
"Better."
He pressed play.
---
The video showed the hallway outside Jay and Keifer's room.
From last night.
After the reception.
Everyone had gone to their rooms—supposedly.
But the camera caught something else.
Shreya and Mithun.
In the hallway.
Standing close.
Talking softly.
The moment stretched—him looking at her, her unable to look away.
Then—he reached out. Brushed a strand of hair from her face.
She didn't move.
He didn't move.
They just... stood there.
For a long moment.
Then Shreya whispered something. Mithun nodded. They walked away in opposite directions.
But the look on both their faces said everything.
---
The video ended.
Silence.
Then chaos.
Percy screamed. "THERE WAS A MOMENT! A ROMANTIC MOMENT!"
Akshi grabbed Shreya's arm. "SHREYA! HE TOUCHED YOUR FACE!"
Chethan was staring at Mithun. "BRO! You didn't tell us!"
Mithun's ears were bright red. "It was... nothing."
"NOTHING? THAT WAS SOMETHING!"
C.N. was already calculating. "Body language analysis: 87% romantic interest. 13% friendship confusion."
Rakii photographed Shreya's red face. "Perfect. Absolutely perfect."
Mica was bouncing. "THIS IS BETTER THAN THE WEDDING!"
Calix pulled her back. "Calm down."
"CAN'T CALM DOWN! ROMANCE!"
---
Shreya buried her face in her hands. "YURI! WHEN DID YOU FILM THAT?"
Yuri shrugged. "I film everything. You know this."
"I thought you were in your room!"
"I was. With the door slightly open. For content."
"CONTENT?"
"Historical documentation!"
Akshi was crying with laughter. "Shreya! Mithun! Hallway romance! This is the BEST!"
Chethan grabbed Mithun's shoulder. "Bro. You like her. Admit it."
Mithun was silent for a long moment.
Then, quietly: "She's my best friend."
"That's not what I asked."
"I know." He looked at Shreya. "She's my best friend. That's what matters."
Shreya met his eyes. Something passed between them—unspoken, uncertain, but real.
The table held its breath.
Then Shreya looked away. "We're... we're just friends."
Akshi groaned. "SHREYA!"
"What? We ARE!"
Mithun nodded slowly. "Friends."
But his voice was soft.
And his eyes lingered.
---
Percy, unable to handle the tension, burst out. "OKAY! So they're NOT together! But they MIGHT be! But they're CONFUSED! This is DRAMA!"
Honey pulled him back. "Babe, let them breathe."
"BUT DRAMA!"
"We'll deal with drama later. Now we eat."
Percy deflated. "Fine. But I'm watching them."
"You're always watching everyone."
"THAT'S MY JOB!"
---
The breakfast continued, but the energy had shifted.
Everyone stealing glances at Shreya and Mithun.
Them sitting across from each other, not quite meeting eyes.
Akshi whispering to Chethan. Chethan whispering back.
C.N. taking mental notes. Rakii pretending not to photograph, but definitely photographing.
Jay leaned into Keifer. "They're so confused."
"They'll figure it out."
"When?"
"Hopefully soon. Before Percy explodes."
She laughed. "True."
---
After breakfast, the group scattered.
Some to the garden. Some to their rooms. Some to the game room.
Jay found Shreya on the balcony, staring at nothing.
"Hey."
Shreya turned. "Hey."
"You okay?"
"I don't know." She shook her head. "That video. The way he looked at me. I don't know what to think."
"What do you feel?"
"That's the problem. I don't know what I feel either."
Jay stood beside her. "It's okay not to know. You have time."
"Do I?"
"You live in the same house. You see him every day. You have all the time you need to figure it out."
Shreya was quiet. Then: "What if I figure it out and it's too late?"
"Then you talk to him. That's all you can do."
Shreya nodded slowly. "Thanks, sister."
"Always."
---
In the game room, Chethan found Mithun.
Staring at a pool table. Not playing.
"Bro."
Mithun looked up. "Bro."
"That video. You and Shreya."
"I know."
"You like her."
Mithun was quiet. Then: "I've always liked her."
"So why don't you say something?"
"Because I don't know if she feels the same. And I'd rather have her as a friend than lose her completely."
Chethan nodded slowly. "That's... actually really mature."
"Or really stupid. Haven't decided."
"Both. Probably both."
Mithun almost smiled. "Yeah."
---
The teasing continued throughout the day.
Every time Shreya and Mithun were in the same room, someone would make a comment.
Akshi: "Oh look! They're standing near each other! How ROMANTIC!"
Chethan: "Bro, you're looking at her again!"
C.N.: "Eye contact sustained for 3.2 seconds. Progress."
Percy: "THEY'RE GOING TO KISS! I CAN FEEL IT!"
They didn't kiss.
But they didn't run away either.
---
That night, as everyone gathered for dinner, Jay raised her glass.
"To family. To chaos. To new beginnings."
Everyone cheered.
Keiran held up Rex. "REX TOASTS!"
Ganesha nodded.
Shreya caught Mithun's eye across the table.
He smiled slightly.
She smiled back.
Nothing said. Everything felt.
Akshi noticed. Grabbed Chethan's arm. Whispered loudly: "THEY'RE DOING THE THING!"
Chethan whispered back: "I SEE! THE THING IS HAPPENING!"
C.N. pulled out his notebook. "Day one of Shreya and Mithun confusion: Progress noted."
Rakii photographed the moment. "For the archives."
Percy started crying. "THEY'RE SO BEAUTIFUL!"
Honey patted his back. "Babe, nothing has happened."
"YET! NOTHING HAS HAPPENED YET!"
Jay leaned against Keifer. "Our family is insane."
"The best kind of insane."
She kissed his cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too, Mrs. Watson."
---
End of Chapter Seventy-Three