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The front door slammed open. Keerthi wheeled her pink glittery suitcase inside, eyes sharp as daggers. Dharshi followed close behind, equally furious.
Nick was lounging on the couch, half-watching TV, barefoot.
Keerthi (fake sweet): “Heyyyy, Nicky.”
She didn’t wait for a reply. She rolled her suitcase forward and let it “accidentally” crash into Nick’s foot.
Nick: “OW! What the hell, Keerthi?!”
Keerthi (deadpan): “Oops.”
Dharshi (arms crossed): “No oops. She meant it.”
Nick (rubbing his foot): “Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?”
Keerthi: “Noah told me everything.”
Dharshi: “Actually, we heard everything. Thanks to the conveniently thin walls.”
Nick went pale.
Nick: “You were eavesdropping?!”
Keerthi: “We were dressing the bride. You were being a villain in the next room. Forgive us for multitasking.”
Nick (defensive): “I did what I had to do. You two were about to ruin your lives for guys who aren’t even”
Dharshi (cutting him off): “Dad! Mom!”
Vikram and Meena entered from the kitchen with tea trays, startled.
Dharshi (pointing at Nick): “Your son is trying to assassinate our love lives.”
Nick: “Oh my god—”
Keerthi: “Mom. Dad. I love Angad. This isn’t a high school crush. It’s love. Like the grown-up, heartbeat-skipping, stomach-flipping kind. And your sweet golden boy is out here acting like a possessive Netflix villain.”
Dharshi: “And I love Abeer. Like actually love him. He brings me peace. But Nick wants to burn it down because he read too many brooding-brother Tumblr posts from 2012.”
Meena (to Nick): “Is that true?!”
Nick: “Okay, okay, fine. Maybe I was being… overprotective but ”
Keerthi: “OVERPROTECTIVE?!”
Dharshi: “You’re like a human-level parental control app with trust issues!”
Nick: “I was trying to stop you two from making mistakes.”
Keerthi (mocking): “Like YOU never made mistakes? Oh please.”
She turned dramatically toward Meena and Vikram.
Keerthi: “Mom, Dad let me remind you of a little High School Romance Nick Edition: Exhibit A ' Lexi and Jenny at the same time'!”
Dharshi: “Exhibit B 'you wrote them the same exact love letter! Only changed the name'!”
Keerthi: “Exhibit C ' the time you ‘accidentally’ kissed Maddy under the science fair tent while still dating Jenny'!”
Nick: “It wasn’t an accident! She had lip balm that smelled like mango and”
Dharshi (to parents): “See? Mango lip balm trumps integrity.”
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INSEPARABLE HEARTS 2
SpiritualLove and Hate Friends and Enemies Cousins and Rivals Drama , Lies and Tears Cheer to The Teenage Years ????????
