"What do you mean I was gifted to you?"
"It is not good to eavesdrop but you heard it right. You are a gift that was forcefully imposed on me."
"Y-You... are.... lying..."
"Am I? You know what? Gift is a very fancy term for you. 'Trash' suits you be...
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I wouldn't lie; I was actually happy to see my baby brother pay me a surprise visit after my best friends did the same yesterday, but I didn't want to drop down my guards and put Armaan in any kind of danger. I didn't care if I came as too over protective of him — I would do anything to make sure that he was safe.
"Why can't I stay?" Aru whined.
"Don't give me those puppy eyes; I am not going to succumb." I patted his cheek and told him to take care of him and Neeya.
"It is okay, Armaan. We can come again any time," Keerti assured.
"Yup. Afterall, it is our Reyna's home — we can come anytime, right Jeeju?" Upasana added and grinned at Yuvaan.
"Yes, you can come but you need to inform me beforehand or else you won't be allowed inside," I warned.
"Why so serious, Reyna?" Keerti furrowed her eyebrows and exchanged glances with Upasana and Armaan.
"I am just looking after you." I shrugged my shoulders.
"Okay, okay, Mom." Upasana shook her head in amusement and hugged me.
"We will miss you," Keerti pouted and joined the hug.
"I don't want to go," Armaan cried and wrapped his arms around us.
I smiled at all of them and promised that I would try to make out more time for them. My friends broke the hug while Armaan was still hanging to me like a baby monkey. I rubbed his back and once he was done crushing me to hell, he pulled apart and gave me a small smile.
"I will bring Mom and Dad next time." He smiled.
Mom and Dad? I will prefer if they never show me their faces again — they are dead to me.
Instead of saying what was on my mind, I nodded and bid them goodbyes. Keerti and Upasana exited the house and Aru also began following them but I stopped him and narrowed my eyes at him.
"What?" he asked and acted as if he didn't know.
"What about the goodbye kiss?" I questioned.
"We are not kids anymore, Di," he complained.
"Come here." I grabbed his head and told him to bend down.
Seeing no point in arguing with me, he obliged, and I kissed his forehead. "I love you, Aru."
"Love you too, Di," he resonated and hugged me again.
I walked him to his car, and after he got in, I waited for him to drive out and go on his way. My friends also left after having a last chat and it was time to get back to my current reality again. I returned to the living room and sat down in front of the TV.
"What are you doing?" Yuvaan queried as he came beside me.
"Tom and Jerry," I replied blankly and switched on the idiot box.
