Chapter : 1
"But mom, please!" I pleaded for the umpteenth time probably, whining like the entire world depended on this one approval.
Mom threw me a look that said 'really now?' as she resumed to washing the dishes.
"It won't take more than two and a half hours; Please!" I tried again, making my puppy dog eyes with a frown. Feigning some innocence should do the trick, I hoped.
"Only two hours? What about the Press Conference that you will attend after the movie?" Aarav interrupted my attempts with a smirk.
I glared at him so hard that, trust me, if looks could kill then he'd be six feet below the ground already. Mom put the dishes in the sink and turned to look at me with an amused expression dawning over her face.
In short, I'm doomed!
"You didn't tell me about the Conference." Mom stated, raising an eyebrow at me as she wiped her hands dry on her apron.
"It's n-not decided yet..." I stuttered, trying to make an excuse to drop the topic but thanks to Aarav, I couldn't make up a lie.
"NOT DECIDED? Who are you trying to fool huh? It's not just any Press Conference, it's AYUSHMANN KHURRANA'S Press Conference. How on Earth are you gonna miss it?!" Aarav pointed as he sat up straight on the couch, clearly interested in ruining my plans.
"You better shut up!" I growled at my brother while he only smirked that irritating smirk.
"Stop threatening your brother, Tanya." Dad said in a monotonous voice as he scrolled through his phone while I scowled at him. Dad didn't notice my expression though.
"Things aside, why do you wanna go watch this movie so bad?" Mom asked, genuinely interested in knowing.
I sighed.
Because Ayushmann is in it? I wanted to say.
"Because the script is d-different." I answered instead, dammit! I hate it when I stutter. It clearly makes me appear nervous and voila! You know already that I'm lying! I'm like a living lie detector. The only defect in this detector is that it ends up scanning itself instead of others.
I heard Aarav snicker at my answer.
"And what's the name of the movie again?" Dad asked me, still busy working on his laptop and phone.
"Dream Girl." I answered, my voice a little squeak.
"What?" Mom asked, she didn't hear me.
"Dream Girl." Aarav replied to her query pretty loudly with a smirk on his face. He loves to put me in a tough spot.
"Sounds like a romantic thing..." Mom said, her voice unsure as she bit her lip with a thoughtful look on her face.
Oh God, she's gonna decline my requests, isn't she?
God, please let me go and attend that movie and the Conference. I promise to go to the temple three times if you help me out! Please!!!
"Let her go, dear." Dad said.
YES! Three visits to the temple it is.
"But-" Mom started.
"But, Aarav is gonna accompany you." Dad completed the condition for her.
"What?!" Both I and my brother yelled.
"But Dad he'll hardly sit still. How am I supposed to babysit him and watch the movie?" I whined. Taking Aarav to a movie theater to watch a film with almost no action or thrill will only mean him creating loads of havoc for me.
"Why do I have to go with her?" Aarav asked with equal fury.
Karma's playing on you, bro. I wanted to tell him with a smirk.
"If you wanna watch the film, Aarav's going with you. If you don't agree to this, then no plans for Saturday night." Dad announced.
UGHHH. WHY?!
Okay, I'll do it only for Ayushmann.
"Fine." I agreed with a sigh.
"Hello? Do I even exist?" Aarav asked, his brown locks falling down over his forehead and bouncing as he looked back and forth between me and dad, hopelessness glinting in his grey eyes.
"Yes, son?" Dad asked Aarav.
Dad's tone was more of a warning than a question. It said 'talk-if-you-can-handle-my-wrath'. Aarav closed his mouth shut and shook his head with a frown. Getting out of the couch, he marched away to his bedroom with loud, angry steps. He clearly lost this battle.
Smiling triumphantly, I walked into my room and closed the door behind me. My room isn't anything flashy. Just a few old dolls arranged next to the wardrobe and a full length mirror next to it. A cupboard in one corner with many of the old photographs and the walls painted a light shade of pink. The study table was placed next to the window beside the single bed and books lay scattered over the desk with my poetry notebook at the top.
Lying down on my bed, I could hear my brother streaming music on his laptop in the room next to mine. I laughed as I heard the lyrics of the song...
When life gets hard,
And it gets messed up.
When you give so much
But it's not enough.
When the high is too high,
And the low is too low.
When you love someone,
And they let you go.
Don't you let it kill you,
Even when it hurts like hell.
Oh whatever tears you apart,
Don't let it break your heart.
The way Aarav connected Louis' song to his condition was hilarious and I kept laughing. Turning on my bed, I texted Kajal, my best friend.
Tanya : Plan is on for Saturday.
Kajal : YESSS!!! It'll be you, me and AK!
Tanya : And Aarav.
Kajal : Um... What?
Tanya : That idiot is coming as well. *sighs*
"Let's make a deal!" Aarav said as he barged into my room with a loud thud. His sudden arrival made me jump up with a scream.
I narrowed my eyes at him but who am I kidding? The guy never knocks anyway. He composed himself and shuffled on his feet as he shut the door behind him to spill out the beans.
"I'm listening." I gestured as I sat up cross-legged on my bed, pushing the phone under the pillows so that his witty eyes don't get a glimpse of my and Kajal's conversation by any possible way. I swear he can be so annoying if his ego gets hurt.
"You and I will go to the movie theater together just the way dad has told us. You and your friend will go and watch the movie while I'll be hanging out with Jake and Darshan outside at the Pizza Hut nearby." Aarav presented his plan.
"Pizza Hut?! That's so unfair." I scowled since Pizza's been the love of my life. Okay, the second love of my life. AK is the first one no matter what happens,
Aarav only smirked at my situation.
"Either that, or I end up burning your ears for two straight hours in that movie theater." Aarav put the options in front of me with a sense of victory lacing his voice.
I bit my lower lip as I contemplated on my options.
Sighing, I shook hands with my brother. He grinned victoriously and departed out of my room, closing the door after him. A look of contentedness framed his face as he left.
Once he was gone, I turned my eyes over to my phone and streamed some songs by AK until sleep engulfed me.
A/N
Hola people!
Was the chapter okay?
Btw, who else has an explosive sibling the way Tanya does? I definitely do have one.
Votes will be appreciated :)
Go ahead a scroll to read what happens next at the press conference!