"From Rivals to Forever: A Journey of Love"

Chapter 3

Aditi's Perspective

 pushed open the front door and was greeted by the comforting scent of home-cooked food. "Main aa gayi!" I called out, kicking off my shoes and dropping my bag near the door.

"Hi beta, school kaisa tha?" Mumma's voice floated in from the kitchen.

"It was great, Mumma!" I said, making my way toward the kitchen. Papa was already sitting at the dining table, flipping through the newspaper. "Hi, Papa!"

He looked up, smiling warmly. "Hey, champ. School kaise chal raha hai?"

I plopped down on a chair beside him, eager to share the day's events. "Aaj to bahut kuch hua, Papa. You wouldn't believe it! Humare class mein ek crazy fight ho gayi. Do ladke ek doosre ko maar rahe the, aur poori class cheer kar rahi thi jaise wrestling match ho. It was insane!"

Papa chuckled, folding the newspaper and giving me his full attention. "Sounds like quite the spectacle. Tumne bhi participate kiya ya sirf dekh rahe the?"

Before I could respond, Mumma popped her head in from the kitchen. "Haan iska kya bharosa, khud ladai karke dusro ki kahani bana ke suna rahi ho."

I laughed, shaking my head. "No way, Mumma. Main sirf sideline se dekh rahi thi, but it was pretty intense. Physics teacher ko aake dono ko principal ke office le jaana pada. And then, during the Maths period, Kabir and I got called out to practice for the Founder's Day celebration. We're co-anchors!"

"That sounds exciting," Papa said, his eyes twinkling with interest. "Practice kaisi chal rahi hai? Mazaa aa raha hai?"

"Really well," I replied enthusiastically. "We get to skip Maths class for a whole week to practice. And Kabir, well, he's actually not as annoying when we're working together on this. It's going to be fun."

Mumma walked over with a tray of snacks, setting it down on the table. "That's wonderful, Aditi. I'm glad you're enjoying it."

I picked up a samosa, taking a big bite. "Thanks, Mumma. By the way, Anaya kaha hai?"

"She's in her room, playing," Mumma said, smiling.

I stood up, heading towards my little sister's room. "ANayaaaa!" I called out, pushing open the door.

My five-year-old sister looked up from her toys, her face lighting up with a big smile. "Didi!" she exclaimed, running towards me.

I scooped her up in my arms, spinning her around. "How's my favorite girl doing?" I asked, laughing.

"I'm good, Didi! I missed you," she said, hugging me tightly.

"I missed you too," I said, kissing her cheek. I carried her back to the kitchen, where Mumma and Papa were still seated. "Mumma, mujhe aapse kuch baat karni hai."

Mumma raised an eyebrow, looking at me curiously. "Kya hai, Aditi?"

I put Anaya down and took a deep breath. "Can we please do something about my upper lip? I really need to get it done."

Mumma sighed, shaking her head. "Aditi, tum jaanti ho main is baare mein kya sochti hoon. Tum abhi in sab cheezon ke liye bahut choti ho."

"Please, Mumma," I pleaded. "It's really embarrassing. Aur sab school mein comments karte hain."

Papa looked at Mumma, then back at me. "Aditi, agar tumhe itna hi bura lag raha hai, to hum kuch kar sakte hain. But only if Mumma agrees."

"Mumma se kyun darte ho, Papa?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Mumma looked thoughtful for a moment, then finally nodded. "Theek hai, lekin sirf ghar pe. I'll do it for you in the evening, after you've finished your homework."

"Thank you, Mumma!" I said, feeling relieved. "I promise I'll finish all my homework quickly."

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of studying and playing with Anaya. After dinner, I changed out of my uniform into a comfortable salwar kameez and settled down to study. Finally, after some time, Mumma called me to the bathroom. "Chalo, Aditi. Let's get this done."

I sat down on the stool, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. Mumma heated the wax and carefully applied it to my upper lip. "Thoda sa dard hoga," she warned.

"I can handle it," I said, bracing myself.

With a quick pull, the wax strip came off, and I winced at the sudden sting. But when I looked in the mirror, I felt a surge of satisfaction. "Wow, it looks so much better! Thank you, Mumma!"

Mumma smiled, patting my shoulder. "Bas, ab regularly karna padega. And remember, true beauty comes from within."

"I know, Mumma," I said, hugging her. "But it feels good to take care of myself, too."