Chapter One Hundred Ten: Caught in the Act (At 40,000 Feet)
The jet had been in the air for an hour.
The initial chaos of boarding had settled into a comfortable hum. Percy was asleep, head on Honey's shoulder, drooling slightly. Honey didn't have the heart to move him.
C.N. and Rakii were reviewing photos on a laptop, occasionally arguing about angles.
Felix and Bridget were curled up together, watching a movie.
David and Freya were playing some card game that David was losing badly.
Mica was finally still, head on Calix's lap, napping.
Aries and Ella sat quietly, Ella's hand on her stomach, both lost in thought about the tiny life growing inside her.
Yuri was reviewing footage, occasionally muttering "perfect" or "gold" under his breath.
Keiran was asleep in a little nest of blankets, Rex and Ganesha on guard duty.
Jay and Keifer sat together, Jay leaning against him, both watching the clouds.
And Shreya and Mithun sat side by side, not quite touching, but closer than before.
It was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
---
Akshi was bored.
Chethan was bored.
This was a dangerous combination.
They'd slipped away to the back of the jet—a small lounge area with a couch, away from the main cabin.
"Everyone's so quiet," Akshi whispered.
"Boring," Chethan agreed.
"We should fix that."
"How?"
Akshi grinned. "Let's give them something to talk about."
---
She grabbed his face.
And kissed him.
Not a small kiss.
A proper kiss.
Chethan, surprised for exactly half a second, kissed her back.
They were lost in their own world.
Which is why they didn't notice—
The curtain moving.
---
Percy had woken up.
Needed water.
Stumbled toward the back.
Saw them.
Froze.
His face split into the biggest grin imaginable.
He ran back to the main cabin.
"EVERYONE! QUIET! FOLLOW ME!"
Honey blinked. "Percy, what—"
"NO QUESTIONS! JUST COME!"
---
The entire cabin emptied.
Quietly.
Tip-toeing.
Gathering around the curtain.
Percy pulled out his phone. Started filming.
Yuri, seeing this, pulled out his own camera. "Two angles. Perfect."
C.N. had his notebook out. "Documenting."
Rakii had her camera. "This is going in the album."
Jay bit her lip, trying not to laugh.
Keifer held her, grinning.
Shreya watched, something flickering in her eyes. A memory? Maybe.
Mithun stood close, watching her watch.
---
Percy pulled the curtain back.
Just a crack.
Akshi and Chethan were still kissing.
Completely oblivious.
The entire family watched.
For a full minute.
---
Finally, Chethan opened his eyes.
Saw them.
All of them.
"AKSHI!"
She pulled back. "WHAT?"
She turned.
Saw the crowd.
Her face went through approximately seventeen shades of red.
---
The cabin erupted.
Percy was on the floor. "WE CAUGHT THEM! WE CAUGHT THEM!"
Honey was crying with laughter. "Your faces! Oh my god, your FACES!"
C.N. was making notes. "Kiss duration: 47 seconds. Audience size: 16 people. Embarrassment level: Maximum."
Rakii was still photographing. "Perfect. Absolutely perfect."
David was howling. Freya was wiping tears.
Mica had woken up and was screaming with laughter.
Calix held her, laughing himself.
Felix and Bridget exchanged amused glances.
Aries shook his head, smiling.
Ella laughed, hand on her belly. "The baby's first family chaos."
---
Jay was crying with laughter. "You two! In the back! Really?"
Keifer pulled her close. "Our family is insane."
"The best kind of insane."
---
Shreya was laughing too.
A real laugh.
Loud. Free.
Mithun watched her.
Something in his chest warmed.
---
Akshi buried her face in Chethan's chest. "I want to die."
Chethan held her, laughing. "Same."
Percy zoomed in. "STATEMENT? DO YOU HAVE A STATEMENT?"
"My statement is that I hate all of you!"
"No you don't!"
"...No. I don't."
---
They returned to their seats, faces still red.
The teasing continued for the rest of the flight.
Percy reenacted the kiss dramatically. Multiple times.
C.N. calculated the "romantic probability" of them getting caught. (It was 100%. They'd been set up.)
Rakii created a "kiss cam" album.
Yuri edited footage on his laptop, cackling.
Even Keiran, when he woke up, joined in. "AUNTIE AKSHI! UNCLE CHETHAN! REX SAYS YOU'RE CUTE!"
Rex nodded.
Akshi groaned.
Chethan kissed her forehead. "Worth it."
---
As they descended toward Manila, Jay leaned against Keifer.
"Best flight ever?"
"Top three."
"What's number one?"
"The flight to India. When this all started."
He kissed her hair. "Good answer."
---
The jet landed.
Chaos disembarked.
But the laughter stayed.
Akshi and Chethan, still red-faced, held hands.
Shreya and Mithun walked close.
Jay and Keifer led the way.
Family.
Chaotic, beautiful, caught-in-the-act family.
---
End of Chapter One Hundred Ten