Chapter One Hundred Fifteen: The Pillow That Started a War (Shreya and Jay Edition)
The morning after the Great Dinosaur Rebellion, the mansion was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Jay sat at the breakfast table, scrolling through her phone, when she saw it.
A pillow.
Not just any pillow.
A special pillow.
One that vibrated. One that played soothing sounds. One that had a little arm that would reach around and pat your back gently to help you fall asleep.
Her eyes lit up like Christmas morning.
"Everyone. I have found something beautiful."
---
She held up her phone.
The table went quiet.
Shreya leaned over. "WHAT IS THAT?"
"A pillow. That pats your back. So you can sleep."
Shreya grabbed the phone. "OH MY GOD. IT TAPS YOU?"
"It TAPS you! Gently! To help you sleep!"
Shreya gasped. "I NEED THIS."
Jay nodded. "We NEED this."
---
Akshi looked at the phone. "That's... weird."
Jay blinked. "Weird? It's GENIUS!"
"It's a robot that taps you. While you sleep."
"FOR COMFORT!"
Akshi shrugged. "I sleep fine without it."
"You're missing the VISION!"
---
Jay turned to Keifer.
"Keifer. I want one."
He looked at the phone. Looked at her. Looked back at the phone.
"No."
She blinked. "What do you mean NO?"
"I mean no. You're not buying a robot pillow."
"But it PATS me!"
"You have ME. I can pat your back."
"Not in the middle of the night! You're ASLEEP!"
"I'll learn to pat in my sleep."
"That's not the same!"
---
Keifer crossed his arms. "Jay, we have enough random things in this house. We don't need a robot pillow."
"It's not RANDOM. It's for SLEEP."
"You sleep fine without it."
"I sleep ADEQUATELY. I could sleep PERFECTLY."
"There's a difference?"
"A HUGE difference!"
---
Shreya watched this exchange.
Then she turned to Mithun.
"Mithun. I want one too."
Mithun looked at the phone. Then at her. Then back at the phone.
"No."
"You didn't even think about it!"
"I don't need to think about it. The answer is no."
"But it TAPS you!"
"You have me. I can tap you."
"Not in the middle of the night!"
"I'll stay awake."
"That's ridiculous!"
"YOU'RE ridiculous."
---
Shreya's face fell.
She looked at Jay.
Jay looked at her.
A silent pact was formed.
---
Jay turned back to Keifer. "Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"No."
"With a cherry on top?"
"No."
---
Jay's eyes filled with tears.
Not dramatic tears. Not fake tears.
Real tears.
Welling up. Spilling over.
"You don't love me."
Keifer's eyes widened. "What? That's not—I DO love you!"
"You won't even let me have a pillow that PATS me!"
"A robot pillow is not a measure of love!"
"It IS to ME!"
---
Tears streamed down her face.
Keifer panicked. "Jay, please don't cry—"
"You don't want me to SLEEP!"
"I DO want you to sleep!"
"Then LET ME HAVE THE PILLOW!"
"It's not that simple—"
"IT IS THAT SIMPLE!"
---
Shreya watched this.
Then she turned to Mithun.
And started crying too.
Not fake crying.
Real crying.
Quiet crying.
Devastated crying.
"I want a tapping pillow," she whispered. "I want to be patted to sleep. Gently. By a robot. Who doesn't complain."
Mithun stared at her. "Shreya—"
"You don't love me either."
"I DO love you!"
"Then WHY WON'T YOU LET ME HAVE A PILLOW?"
---
Mithun's resolve crumbled slightly.
But he held firm.
"Shreya, it's a robot pillow. It's ridiculous."
"IT'S NOT RIDICULOUS!"
"It is a little ridiculous."
"A LITTLE?"
"Okay, a lot ridiculous."
She cried harder.
---
The living room was now filled with crying women.
Jay sobbing into her hands.
Shreya weeping quietly.
Akshi watched from the couch, confused. "I don't get it. It's just a pillow."
Jay looked up. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"
"Clearly not!"
---
Percy watched from the doorway, popcorn in hand. "This is BEAUTIFUL."
Honey smacked his arm. "Percy, they're crying!"
"ROMANTIC CRYING!"
C.N. took notes. "Emotional manipulation tactics: Level expert. Success probability: Currently failing."
Rakii filmed everything. "For the album. 'The Great Pillow War.'"
---
Then—
The doorbell rang.
Everyone turned.
Keifer opened the door.
Kuya Michel Angelo walked in.
Tall. Imposing. Calm.
Behind him, Ion followed, elegant and quiet.
---
Kuya took one look at the crying women.
Raised an eyebrow.
"What did I miss?"
Jay ran to him. "KUYA!"
Shreya followed. "KUYA ANGELO!"
They both grabbed his arms.
"You have to help us!"
"We need pillows!"
"Special pillows that tap!"
"To help us sleep!"
"Our husbands won't buy them!"
---
Kuya looked at Keifer.
Looked at Mithun.
Then back at the crying women.
"Let me understand this. You're crying over pillows?"
"SPECIAL pillows!"
"ROBOT pillows!"
"That TAP!"
---
Kuya sighed.
He turned to Jay first.
"Jay. You're a grown woman. You're married. You have a child. Why are you asking me for permission to buy a pillow?"
"Because HE won't let me!" She pointed at Keifer.
Kuya looked at Keifer. "Why won't you let her buy a pillow?"
"Because it's ridiculous. A robot pillow that taps her back? I can tap her back."
"She wants robot taps!"
"Robot taps are not better than human taps!"
---
Kuya turned back to Jay. "Talk to your husband. Work it out."
Jay's face fell. "But KUYA—"
"No buts. You're married. Act like it."
---
He turned to Shreya.
Shreya looked up at him with big, tear-filled eyes.
"Kuya Angelo—"
"You're not even married yet."
"I KNOW! That's why I need YOU!"
"You need to ask your boyfriend. Not me."
"But he won't listen!"
"Then make him listen. That's how relationships work."
Shreya's lip wobbled. "You won't help?"
"I just did. I told you to talk to him."
"THAT'S NOT HELP!"
---
The crying intensified.
Kuya watched them for a moment.
Then he turned to Ion.
"Ion. Take me to the kitchen. I need coffee."
Ion smiled. "Of course."
They walked away.
Leaving the crying women behind.
---
Jay stared after him. "HE ABANDONED US!"
Shreya nodded. "BETRAYAL!"
---
Keifer watched his wife.
She was really crying now.
Not manipulation.
Real. Genuine. Devastated.
Over a pillow.
He sighed.
Walked to her.
"Jay."
She ignored him.
"JAY."
Nothing.
He picked her up.
She yelped. "KEIF!"
"Bedroom. Now."
"BUT THE PILLOW—"
"We'll discuss the pillow later."
"WILL WE?"
"Yes."
"PROMISE?"
"Promise."
---
He carried her up the stairs.
Toward their room.
The door closed behind them.
---
Mithun looked at Shreya.
She was still crying.
Quietly. Pathetically. Waiting.
He sighed.
Walked to her.
Picked her up.
She yelped. "MIT HUN!"
"Bedroom."
"BUT—"
"Now."
---
Another door closed.
---
The living room was suddenly quiet.
Akshi blinked. "What just happened?"
Percy shrugged. "They're handling it."
"Handling WHAT?"
"Marriage. Relationships. Life."
"I don't understand."
"You will. Someday."
---
C.N. made a note. "Subject: Pillow dispute resolution. Method: Physical removal to private quarters. Outcome: Pending."
Rakii lowered her camera. "We're not filming that."
"Obviously."
"Disappointing."
"Very."
---
An hour passed.
The first door opened.
Keifer emerged.
Looking exhausted.
But glowing.
Hair disheveled. Shirt untucked. Slight smile.
He walked to the kitchen. Grabbed water.
Percy appeared beside him. "WELL?"
Keifer ignored him.
"KEIF! WHAT HAPPENED IN THERE?"
"Nothing."
"NOTHING? You were gone for an HOUR!"
"Nothing happened."
"YOUR FACE SAYS OTHERWISE!"
Keifer walked away.
---
Second door opened.
Mithun emerged.
Same state.
Exhausted. Glowing. Disheveled.
He walked to the kitchen.
Percy pounced. "MIT HUN! YOU TOO!"
Mithun ignored him.
"WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THOSE ROOMS?"
"Nothing."
"NOTHING FOR AN HOUR?"
"Nothing."
"YOUR EARS ARE RED!"
Mithun walked away.
---
Percy was losing his mind. "NO ONE IS TALKING TO ME!"
Honey patted his back. "That's probably for the best."
"BUT I NEED ANSWERS!"
"You don't need answers. You need popcorn."
"DO I?"
"Yes."
"OKAY!"
---
Twenty minutes later, the women emerged.
Jay first.
Glowing.
Happy.
Satisfied.
She walked to the kitchen. Sat at the table.
Keifer brought her water.
She smiled at him.
He smiled back.
No words needed.
---
Shreya next.
Same glow.
Same smile.
Mithun beside her.
She leaned into him.
He kissed her forehead.
---
The living room was full now.
Everyone watching.
Percy couldn't contain himself.
"SO. ABOUT THE PILLOWS."
Jay looked at Keifer.
Keifer looked at Jay.
"We decided," Jay said slowly, "that maybe we don't need the pillow."
Percy's jaw dropped. "YOU DON'T NEED IT?"
"Not anymore."
"BUT YOU WERE CRYING!"
"I was being dramatic."
"YOU WERE SOBBING!"
"I'm aware."
---
Percy turned to Shreya. "AND YOU?"
Shreya smiled. "I also don't need it."
"WHY NOT?"
She looked at Mithun.
Mithun looked at her.
"I have a perfectly good replacement," she said.
Percy blinked. "A replacement? What replacement?"
No one answered.
---
C.N. made a note. "Pillow dispute resolved. Replacement method: Undisclosed. Satisfaction level: Maximum."
Rakii photographed the glowing couples. "For the album. 'The Aftermath.'"
Akshi looked confused. "I still don't get it."
Chethan patted her head. "You don't need to."
"BUT—"
"You don't need to."
---
Kuya Angelo emerged from the kitchen.
Ion beside him.
He looked at the two couples.
At their glowing faces.
At their satisfied smiles.
He raised an eyebrow.
"I see the pillow situation resolved itself."
Jay blushed. "Kuya—"
"No need to explain." He almost smiled. "I'm just glad you're not crying anymore."
Shreya hid her face in Mithun's shoulder.
---
Ion spoke softly. "They look happy, Angelo."
Kuya nodded. "They do."
"Mission accomplished?"
"Mission accomplished."
---
That night, they gathered for dinner.
The pillow was forgotten.
The crying was forgotten.
All that remained was warmth.
And laughter.
And love.
---
Percy raised his glass. "TO THE PILLOW THAT STARTED IT ALL!"
Honey sighed. "Percy, the pillow didn't start anything."
"IT STARTED DRAMA! DRAMA IS SOMETHING!"
"Fair point."
"TO DRAMA!"
Everyone laughed.
Even Kuya.
Even Ion.
---
Jay leaned against Keifer.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Thank you for... handling me."
"Always."
"Even when I'm dramatic?"
"Especially when you're dramatic."
She kissed his cheek. "Best husband ever."
"Best wife ever. Even with pillow obsessions."
"Especially with pillow obsessions."
---
Shreya and Mithun sat close.
"No more pillow talk?" he asked.
She laughed. "No more pillow talk."
"Good."
"But maybe we can talk about other things?"
"What things?"
She whispered in his ear.
His ears went red.
But he was smiling.
---
The night continued.
Laughter. Love. Chaos.
The pillow was forgotten.
But the memory of the day—
The crying, the carrying, the glowing—
Would last forever.
---
End of Chapter One Hundred Fifteen