THE IMPERFECT PERFECTIONS

•Δ 32~ 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫

☆ .♡‧₊˚ ☆ .♡ ‧₊ ♡‧₊ ☆ .♡ ☆ .♡‧₊˚ ☆ .♡☆ .♡‧₊˚

As they pulled up to Vivaan’s house, Aditya rang the doorbell with a little too much enthusiasm. Vivaan opened the door like he was starring in a toothpaste commercial—beaming from ear to ear the moment he saw them.

“You two survived, huh?” he said, dragging Aditya into a bear hug before ruffling Taniya’s hair as if they were his personal playground."Recovered from your adventures ?".

Taniya nodded in return while he asked "Feeling better, or still seeing double?”

“I’m good, but I feel like I made a lifelong enemy of alcohol,” Taniya groaned.

Vivaan snorted. “You’re a lightweight, and you know it.” Taniya just pouted while he tried not to laugh.

Over the past few months, Taniya had grown quite close to Vivaan—not just because of Mannat, but because the guy basically lived at their house. He was like an older brother, minus the emotional maturity, plus a never-ending supply of dad jokes. Taniya enjoyed his and Vivaan's constant brotherly teasing, mostly because she knew they actually cared.

As they stepped inside,Taniya immediately spotted Mannat. In typical Taniya fashion, she screamed, "Mannattttt!" and made a beeline for her like a puppy chasing a treat. 

Meanwhile, Aditya’s sister Naira was sprawled on the couch like a half melted marshmallow. She looked like she’d gone a few rounds with a hangover monster and lost. The moment she saw Aditya, she wobbled toward him like a toddler learning to walk.

“Bhai! Aap mujhse gussa to nai ho na?” she slurred, her voice tinged with anxiety.

Aditya’s expression melted into one of pure affection. He wrapped her in a hug. “Angry? Never, silly! I know you were just enjoying yourself. How could I ever be mad at my little sister?”

Naira sniffled, hugging him tighter. “Promise?”

“Promise.” He kissed the top of her head reassuringly.

On the other side of the room, Mannat was eyeing Taniya like a cat ready to pounce.

“So, Taniya, seems like you had a... memorable night,” Mannat teased, her gaze laser-focused on the suspicious marks decorating Taniya’s neck.

Taniya’s eyes bulged in horror as she slapped a hand over her neck like it was a state secret. “Oh no! Were these visible all this time? Did everyone see?!” she squeaked, her face glowing red like a tomato.

Mannat burst out laughing. “Relax! Vivaan’s as observant as a bat in daylight. He didn’t notice anything. Plus, you’ve avoided everyone else so far.”

“But how do I hide these?” Taniya asked, now in full panic mode.

“Follow me, crisis queen,” Mannat replied, dragging Taniya to her room and pulling out her emergency makeup stash. With a few dabs and swipes, the hickeys vanished like magic.

“Seriously though, those hickeys were practically screaming for attention! It’s like wearing your love life on your neck!” Mannat snickered.

Taniya narrowed her eyes. “It’s not what you think! These just... appeared.”

“Yeah, sure, they ‘just appeared.’ Next you’ll tell me you sleepwalk into romantic situations and then you'll tell me you had kids but nothing happened between you too” Mannat teased before giving her some space to recover.

Meanwhile, Taniya realized that Aditya was still wandering around with his own ‘evidences' on display. She immediately called him.

“Aditya! Neck pe marks samaj aaya hai, but forehead hickeys?”