"It has been such a long time since Anshu and Ani didn't come, kuch hua hai?" Naina asked everyone with a stressful expression.
"I don't think, Anshu toh humesha happy-go-lucky rehta hai, woh kya hi argument ya ladai karega Anjali se." Ankita defended her college friend with a confident smile on her face.
"Haa I agree, they must be wanting to spend some quality time isliye bahar chale gaye hoge bahane se," Satvik spoke casually, but none of them were aware of the ugly fight between ever-so-loving and sweet couple.
"I hope so yahi reason ho." Naina mumbled with a morose visage as she was still feeling something was fishy.
"Relax Naina, tum itna overthink mat karo, everything is going well between them." Sameer squeezed her perspiring hand with gentleness in his touch, his comforting smile assuring her soul.
"Hmm ok." She smiled faintly, continuously looking at the doorway.
There they came with a blank face after a minute, though Anshuman tried his best to look normal with a forceful smile on his face. He knew if not everyone then his Bhabhi would surely decipher that he was upset and something had happened between him and his girlfriend.
As expected. Naina recognized sullenness on their visages with Anjali's eyes looking swollen red as if she cried unstoppably before coming here.
She looked pale, her cheeks seemed tear-stricken, and her eyes remained downcasted in terror.
"Itna time kyu laga?" Sameer asked his friend with a casual smile.
"Woh Anjali ko thodi suffocation ho rahi thi yaha toh I was just making her feel better, aur bahar ke organic air se use acha lagne laga." Anshuman came up with a good excuse while pretending to make them believe and himself too that everything was smooth amid them.
"Suffocation? Aaj se pehle toh kabhi nahi hui?" Naina asked her schoolmate with a raised eyebrow.
"Kabhi kabhi hoti hai mujhe." Anjali lied to her like a professional liar, and Naina slightly dipped her head to the side, unwillingly believing her friend.
"How are you feeling now?" They asked the feeble girl in a concerned tone.
"Better." Anjali sat on a vacant sofa, not accompanying her boyfriend who was settled on the other side with an ashen visage.
"Juice bana kar doon?" Sonali questioned her with a small smile.
"Nahi, I am fine, thank you." The journalist girl politely refused her offer and kept her meek eyes lowered.
"See this." Sameer showed a video trending on Instagram to his wife in which the Happiest Bhabhi was dancing zealously and skilfully during her brother-in-law's wedding procession, and Naina smiled a bit in acknowledgment, imagining herself enjoying each moment of Anshuman's marriage as being his beloved sister-in-law.
"Anshu, main bhi na tumhari shadi me isi tarah nachne wali hoon bahut zor se aur khushi se, after all I am your bhabhi." Naina told her sweetest devar with a cute smile caressing her lips, and his tension amplified as he recalled his bitter announcement made a while ago to his girlfriend that he didn't wish to marry her anymore.
"Aur main tumhari taraf se tumhara bada bhai banke saari rasam karuga." Sameer looked at the journalist girl with a bright smile, making her feel uncomfortable with the current topic.
Anjali just gave an artificial smile and engrossed herself with the electronic gadget in her right hand, scrolling frantically, searching for nothing, just refreshing her feed to look busy.
