𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩-𝟏𝟓 𝐔𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭

Nina's POV

Naina stood frozen, her voice trapped in her throat as she stared at her father. The silence was broken by Shivanya, who jumped in, "Mom, he was busy. That's why he couldn't come."

Naina, feeling the weight of her father's gaze and anticipating his reaction, couldn't bear to stay in the living room any longer. Her fear got the better of her, and she mumbled an excuse before retreating to her room. The moment she crossed the threshold, she collapsed onto the floor, pressing her face against the cool tiles in a dramatic display of distress.

Hot on her heels, Abhay and Shivanya followed, ready to help her face the fallout from whatever mess she had created.

"Naina, what's wrong?" Abhay asked, concern mixed with curiosity. But before he could get an answer, Naina's muffled voice, tinged with desperation, cried out, "Abhay, Shivi, what do I do now?" The floor seemed to absorb her panic as she continued to sob loudly.

"I don't know you," Abhay declared, a mischievous glint in his eye as he moved towards the bed, trying to lighten the mood. Naina, however, was in no mood for jokes. She picked herself up, grabbed a stick lying nearby, and pointed it at him with mock severity. "Move over! I need to talk to you."

Abhay, not missing a beat, grabbed a packet of biscuits from the table and offered it to her, "Here, have a biscuit."

"Suno, Rani," Shivanya chimed in, trying to join the bizarre conversation that was unfolding.

"Sunao, Sipahi," came a voice from behind. It was Avyaan, munching on a biscuit, his small face serious as he tried to be part of the adult talk.

"Senapati toh bol deti," Shivanya said, casting a blank look at Abhay, clearly annoyed at being outranked in their impromptu game of roles.

Naina, fed up with their antics, snapped, "My life is falling apart here, and you guys are talking about Rani and Senapati!" Her irritation was palpable.

"Chill, bro," Shivanya said, throwing an arm around Naina's shoulders. "Uncle won't say anything. He's so cool. Right, Abhay?" She winked conspiratorially at Abhay, who tried to suppress his laughter.

"Yup, the coolest uncle I've ever seen," Abhay agreed, trying to keep a straight face.

Their bickering continued, each quip more ridiculous than the last. Naina found herself getting pulled into their absurd conversations despite her best efforts to stay stressed out. Shivanya picked up a hairbrush and started pretending it was a microphone, interviewing Abhay about his favorite type of biscuit. Abhay, fully committed, gave a serious answer about the merits of chocolate chip versus oatmeal raisin.

Naina, her earlier panic fading, couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Her friends were a mess, but they were her mess, and she loved them for it.

As the hour wore on, they settled into a comfortable chaos. Abhay and Shivanya's parents eventually decided to leave, dragging their reluctant children with them. The house finally quieted down, leaving Naina alone with her thoughts.

She looked around her now-empty room, the echoes of laughter still ringing in her ears. She sat back down on the floor, this time in contemplation rather than despair. Maybe her father's reaction wouldn't be as bad as she feared. After all, she had faced much worse scenarios with her friends by her side.

The door creaked open, and her father's head poked in. Naina's heart skipped a beat. She braced herself for the lecture, the disappointment.

But instead, he walked in, a gentle smile on his face. "Naina, we need to talk."