𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝 [ Shubman Gill ]

One

"Adi! Wake up, lazy girl! Kiara's wedding functions are starting today. You need to help her get ready and accompany her to her salon appointment!"

Aditi groaned, burying her face deeper into the pillow. "Why just Kiara? Shubman's getting married too, right? Shouldn't he be getting all those procedures too?" she mumbled, half asleep.

Bang! Anita, her mother, delivered a light but sharp slap on Aditi's head. "Mind your tongue, Aditi! It's jiju now, not just Shubman. He's not your friend anymore, he's practically family."

Aditi groaned louder, rolling over with her eyes still shut. "Jiju, jiju... whatever! And he's not my friend mumma!" she muttered, clearly unimpressed, but the force of the slap had done its job. Shereluctantly sat up, her hair a wild mess, rubbing her head.

"I'm up. Happy now?" she grumbled, pushing herself out of bed.

"Get moving! We don't have all day," Anita chided, crossing her arms as she watched Aditi shuffle toward the washroom like a zombie.

Aditi rolled her eyes and let out a huff, making sure her mom saw it. She was barely awake, her mind already dreading the day full of salon trips, makeup, and whatever other nonsense her family had planned. As she made her way across the room, her half-asleep brain failed to register the bed corner, and—

"Ow! Fuck!"

She yelped as her knee collided with the corner, a sharp pain shooting up her leg. A string of curses followed, the kind that made her mother's eyes widen.

"Language!" Anita scolded, glaring at her.

"I just got ambushed by a piece of furniture! I'm allowed to curse a little," Aditi grumbled, limping toward the bathroom door. "I swear, this wedding better be worth all the bruises I'm getting."

Her mother sighed dramatically. "Just get ready and stop complaining. Kiara needs you."

Aditi gave her a tired salute before disappearing into the bathroom, muttering under her breath, "Kiara this, Kiara that... it's not like I'm the one getting married."

Anita called after her, "Yet, Aditi! Yet!"

Aditi came downstairs, fully awake but not exactly traditional in her outfit of choice—a pair of ripped jeans and a cropped top that looked far too casual for the occasion. She plopped herself on the sofa where half of the "gang" was sitting, next to Shahneel, who was sitting gracefully in a blue kurti, scrolling through her phone while her brother Atharva sat on the sofa adjacent to theirs, stuffing his face.

Leaning her head on Shahneel's shoulder, Aditi sighed dramatically. "I'm so tired."

Shahneel raised an eyebrow. "It's 11 AM. Why are you still half asleep?"

Aditi let out a small groan. "I slept at 6 AM winding up all my assignments before this wedding madness started."

"Ye padhti bhi hai?" came a familiar teasing voice from behind her. Aditi shot up and turned around, finding Shubman walking toward her with that smug grin plastered on his face. He sat beside Atharva, and gave her a mocking smile.

"Shut up, varna main tumhara muh tod dungi!" Aditi shrieked back at him, her eyes narrowing. "Shaadi ki album mein ujda hua chehra le ke aana phir!"