Whisper in the Night|18+

Chapter 12 : Puja

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Author's POV

In one corner, far from any semblance of calm, a full-blown war council had erupted. Four siblings—Rishav, Aarav, Vivaan, and Divya—were locked in a battle of wit, mischief, and sheer absurdity that promised to shatter any remaining peace.

Divya, perched elegantly on the armrest of a plush sofa, her posture relaxed but her eyes glinting with carefully calculated mischief, leaned in. One eyebrow arched like a cat plotting the most exquisite chaos. "Bhai..." she purred, her voice a low, teasing melody.

Rishav, the eldest, maintained his signature calm façade, his gaze fixed on his phone, scrolling with an almost meditative focus. He didn't even bother to look up. "What?" he asked, his tone level, betraying nothing.

Divya's grin widened, a silent promise of the impending storm. "Aarav ne sabko bata diya ki apko Kaira di pasand hai."

The very universe seemed to pause. Rishav froze mid-scroll, his thumb hovering inches from the screen. What. His eyes, usually so composed, snapped to Aarav, who was now sweating profusely, looking precisely like a kid caught with a hand deep in the cookie jar.

"Aarav!" Rishav's voice was calm, dangerously so. It was the kind of calm that made your knees wobble, a predator's stillness before the pounce.

Aarav, sensing the imminent threat, immediately raised his hands in a theatrical gesture of surrender, like a cartoon character caught in a trap. "Bhai! Bhai, suno to sahi... galti se! Main sirf... galti se 'bhabhi' bol gaya tha! Bas! Aur phir... logon ne pressure dala..."

("Brother! Brother, just listen... by mistake! I just... by mistake called her 'sister-in-law'! That's it! And then... people started pressuring me...")

Vivaan, the second youngest, practically fell off the couch, convulsing with laughter. His uncontrollable guffaws filled the room. "Galti se? Hahahaha! Matlab tere mooh se sach nikal gaya, aur ab tu drama kar raha hai?"

Divya clapped her hands together, throwing her head back, practically rolling on the floor in hysterics. "Aur phir tune sabko sach bol diya! Wah, Aarav, ekdum hero ban gaya!"

("And then you went ahead and told everyone the truth! Wow, Aarav, you've really become a hero!")

Aarav groaned, his face a vivid shade of crimson, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. "Main... main kya karta bhai? Sab log ghoor rahe the... aur Maa, Badi Maa, Dadi... sabko sach chhupane ka option hi nahi tha!"

("I... what else could I do, brother? Everyone was staring... and Mom, Aunt, Grandma... there was just no option left to hide the truth!")

Rishav pinched the bridge of his nose, a silent prayer for patience escaping his lips as he muttered to himself, "Main kyun in logon ke beech hoon..."

("Why am I even among these people...")

Vivaan, still chuckling, leaned forward, a grin spreading across his face that belonged to a villain in a daily soap opera. He leaned in conspiratorially. "Toh matlab officially... confirmation mil gayi? Bhai, ab aap free hai... love confess karne ke liye?"

("So that means... it's officially confirmed? Brother, now you're free... to confess your love?")

Rishav's jaw twitched, a subtle tell of his mounting irritation, though his voice remained surprisingly even. "Free...? Mujhe confess karna hai kya?"