Chapter Seventy-Five: The Kiss That Stopped the Living Room
The morning started like any other.
Jay came downstairs, coffee in hand, ready to face the day.
But something was different.
She wasn't talking to Keifer.
---
It had started last night. A stupid argument about something stupid. Jay couldn't even remember what—something about leaving the toilet seat up, or forgetting to take out the trash, or maybe it was about Keifer promising to watch a movie with her and then falling asleep halfway through.
Whatever it was, she was annoyed.
And this morning, she was giving him the silent treatment.
Keifer tried everything.
"Good morning, love."
Silence.
"Jay? You okay?"
Nothing.
"Did you sleep well?"
She walked past him.
---
The living room was quiet.
Just the usual morning crew—Keifer, Jay, Keigan scrolling on his phone, and Keiran playing with Rex and Ganesha on the floor.
And the India crew—Shreya, Akshi, Chethan, Mithun—all settled into their usual spots.
Akshi was curled on one end of the couch, Chethan beside her. Shreya sat in an armchair with a book. Mithun sat nearby, also reading, but his eyes kept drifting toward Shreya.
Normal morning.
Except for the tension between Jay and Keifer.
---
Akshi noticed first. She nudged Chethan. "Is it just me or is something wrong?"
Chethan looked up. Watched Jay pointedly ignore Keifer. Watched Keifer try to catch her eye.
"Oh yeah. Something's definitely wrong."
Shreya lowered her book. "They're fighting?"
Mithun observed quietly. "Silent treatment. Classic marital dispute."
Keigan didn't even look up from his phone. "They do this sometimes. She'll get over it."
Keiran, oblivious, continued playing with his dinosaurs. "Rex, you be the bad guy. Ganesha, you be the hero."
Rex and Ganesha accepted their roles.
---
Keifer tried again.
He walked toward Jay.
She moved to the other side of the room.
He followed.
She picked up a magazine.
"Jay. Can we talk?"
She flipped a page. "I'm reading."
"It's upside down."
She flipped it right side up. "Now it's not."
He sighed. "Jay—"
"Nope."
Akshi whispered to Chethan. "She's GOOD at this."
Chethan nodded. "Master level."
Shreya watched with interest. Mithun watched Shreya watching.
---
Keifer stood in the middle of the living room, frustrated.
Keiran looked up from his dinosaurs. "Pappa, why Mamma not talking to you?"
"Because Pappa was silly, buddy."
"Oh." Keiran considered this. "Rex says you should say sorry."
"I tried. She won't listen."
"Rex says try harder."
Keifer looked at the dinosaur. Rex stared back.
"Rex is wise."
"Rex knows."
---
Keifer took a breath.
Then he walked toward Jay.
She moved to avoid him.
He caught her arm. Gently.
She pulled away.
He caught her waist.
"Keif—"
He pulled her close.
"KEIF—"
He kissed her.
Right there.
In the middle of the living room.
In front of everyone.
---
The room went silent.
Akshi's jaw dropped. Chethan's eyes went wide.
Shreya dropped her book. Mithun forgot to look away from her.
Keigan finally looked up from his phone. "Oh wow."
Keiran dropped Rex and Ganesha. "PAPPA KISSING MUMMY!"
Rex and Ganesha seemed scandalized.
---
The kiss lasted.
Long enough that Akshi started fanning herself. "Oh my god. Oh my GOD."
Chethan stared. "That's... that's how you do it."
Shreya couldn't look away. Neither could Mithun.
Finally, Jay pulled back, breathless.
"You—" she started.
"Shh." He kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry."
"You don't even know what you did."
"I know I annoyed you. I know I was wrong. I know I love you."
She stared at him.
Then she laughed.
"You're impossible."
"Your impossible."
"Don't kiss me in front of everyone again."
"No promises."
---
Akshi finally found her voice. "THAT WAS AMAZING!"
Chethan nodded vigorously. "INSPIRATIONAL!"
Shreya was smiling despite herself. "You two are ridiculous."
Mithun, quietly, "Effective, though."
Keigan shook his head. "I'm never getting married."
Keiran ran to his parents. "MUMMY AND PAPPA ARE FRIENDS AGAIN! REX IS HAPPY!"
Rex seemed genuinely pleased.
Ganesha nodded approval.
---
Jay finally looked at their audience.
Akshi, grinning. Chethan, taking mental notes. Shreya, amused. Mithun, calm but smiling slightly. Keigan, pretending to be disgusted but clearly entertained. Keiran, celebrating with his dinosaurs.
"I hate all of you," she announced.
"No you don't!" Akshi chirped.
"No. I don't."
Keifer pulled her onto the couch beside him. She went willingly.
"Better?" he murmured.
"Better."
"I love you."
"I love you too. Stop kissing me in front of the children."
"They've seen worse."
"KEIF!"
---
Breakfast was normal again.
Well, as normal as it ever got.
Akshi couldn't stop talking about the kiss. "The GRAB! The SPIN! The KISS! It was like a MOVIE!"
Chethan nodded. "I need lessons."
"You'll drop me."
"Probably. But it would be ROMANTIC."
Shreya laughed. "You two are something."
Mithun, beside her, murmured, "So are you."
She looked at him. He was looking at his coffee.
Did he say that?
She wasn't sure.
---
Keiran climbed onto Jay's lap. "Mamma, why Pappa kissed you like that?"
"Because he was sorry, baby."
"Rex says sorry kisses are the best kind."
"Rex is smart."
"Rex knows everything."
Keifer reached over, ruffled Keiran's hair. "Rex is the wisest dinosaur I know."
"Rex says thank you."
Ganesha, slightly jealous, nudged Keiran's hand.
"You too, Ganesha."
Ganesha nodded, satisfied.
---
Later, after breakfast, Akshi pulled Shreya aside.
"That kiss though. Between Jay and Keifer."
"I saw it."
"Imagine if someone did that to you."
Shreya's face went pink. "Why would I imagine that?"
"No reason." Akshi grinned. "No reason at all."
She walked away, leaving Shreya flustered.
Mithun passed by a moment later. "You okay? You look warm."
"I'm fine!"
He raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.
As he walked away, Shreya watched him.
Imagined.
Then shook her head violently.
No. Absolutely not.
Maybe.
No.
---
That evening, Jay and Keifer sat on the balcony.
"Today was ridiculous," Jay said.
"You started it."
"I did NOT start it. You annoyed me."
"About what?"
"I still don't remember."
He laughed. "So the silent treatment was about nothing?"
"The silent treatment was about PRINCIPLE."
"What principle?"
"The principle that you should know when you've annoyed me without me having to tell you."
He pulled her close. "I'll work on that."
"See that you do."
He kissed her forehead. "I love you."
"I love you too. Even when you're annoying."
"Especially when I'm annoying?"
"Especially then."
---
Inside, the house settled into its nightly rhythm.
Akshi and Chethan in their room, probably planning their own dramatic kiss someday.
Shreya in her room, reading—or pretending to read, while thinking about certain quiet boys.
Mithun in his room, also reading—or pretending to read, while thinking about certain loud girls.
Keigan in his room, on his phone, definitely not thinking about romance.
Keiran in his room, Rex and Ganesha on guard duty.
And Jay and Keifer on the balcony, wrapped in each other.
Home.
Chaotic, beautiful, perfect home.
---
End of Chapter Seventy-Five