𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐘𝐀𝐀𝐍𝐍

4. Uljhanein aur Ulaahne

The early morning sun peeked through the curtains of the Kapoor mansion, casting a warm glow over the rooms. It was a peaceful morning—well, almost peaceful.

“Anika, tumhara ye sketchbook yahaan kya kar raha hai?!” Naina yelled, her voice echoing through the large hallways.

Anika, who had just woken up, strolled into the living room in her oversized t-shirt and pajamas, rubbing her eyes. “Kya hua, didi? Why are you shouting so early?”

Naina, standing with her hands on her hips, pointed to the pile of Anika’s art supplies scattered all over the room. “Yeh sab kya hai? You’ve turned the living room into your personal art studio!”

Anika shrugged, clearly unbothered. “Toh kya hua? Itna bada ghar hai, ek room bhi mere liye nahi?”

Naina’s face flushed with frustration. “Main yeh nahi keh rahi, lekin tumhare kaam ka kuch toh discipline hona chahiye. You just leave everything lying around! This is not a studio, Anika.”

Anika, still half-asleep, grabbed her sketchbook and supplies lazily. “Thik hai thik hai, I’ll clean it up later.”

“Nahi, abhi!” Naina snapped, her temper flaring. “I swear, sometimes it feels like you have no sense of responsibility.”

Anika made a face but didn’t argue further. She knew Naina’s temper well enough by now. The carefree younger sister always managed to get under Naina’s skin, not on purpose, but by being her naturally messy and disorganized self. And while Naina was patient in most situations, when her anger boiled over, everyone knew to stay out of her way.

“Okay, didi, chill karo,” Anika said, gathering her things. “Tumhara mood kyun itna kharab hai aaj?”

Naina sighed heavily, feeling the tension leave her shoulders as she sat down on the couch. “Kal ki meeting ka stress hai,” she admitted, rubbing her temples. “There’s so much work, and I can’t afford any mistakes.”

Anika sat beside her sister, her playful nature softening. “Tum sab manage kar logi, didi, you always do. You’re Naina Kapoor, the most talented businesswoman in Jaipur. A little stress won’t defeat you.”

Naina smiled slightly. Anika’s ability to make her feel better even after frustrating her was a skill Naina secretly admired. “Shukriya, Anika,” she said quietly, giving her sister a quick hug. “Sometimes I just feel like everything’s piling up.”

“Aur isi liye,” Anika said, winking, “you need to chill more, didi.”

Meanwhile, at the Malhotra mansion, things weren’t much different. Aarav was buried in work at the dining table, his laptop screen glowing in front of him, while Neel wandered around aimlessly, already bored with the day.

“Bhai,” Neel said, poking his head into the room. “Aaj hum kahin chalne wale hai ya phir tum poora din kaam karte rahoge?”

Aarav didn’t even look up. “Neel, tumhe kaise samjhaun? There’s no time for outings when we have deadlines approaching.”

Neel slumped dramatically into a chair across from Aarav. “Bhai, tumse kuch nahi ho sakta. Kaam kaam aur kaam. Kabhi toh life enjoy karo.”

Aarav finally lifted his gaze, his expression serious but not unkind. “Neel, tumhe samajhna chahiye ke sab kuch masti nahi hoti. We have a responsibility to the business, to the family.”