"Can't you just keep your mouth shut for one single minute?!" Ayaan snapped, his patience completely running out.
Aarshi fired back instantly. "Oh, I wish I could! But honestly, my tongue refuses to cooperate when I am arguing with a massive, clumsy idiot like you!"
Ayaan let out a deep, exhausted sigh. "What absolute, total nonsense."
Momo stepped in like an experienced riot cop to shut them both up. Today, she was practically shaking with pure, chaotic excitement because her older brother was finally coming home after two long years. To Momo, his arrival was a major celebration. The flight was supposed to land at 11:00 AM, and with the clock already at 10:30 AM, these two clowns were still fighting. Knowing she couldn't leave this modern-day cat and dog alone without coming back to a house destroyed by World War III, Momo dragged both Ayaan and Aarshi along to the airport.
The moment they arrived, they realized the plane had already landed. A huge crowd of passengers was walking out of the gate, holding their bags and smiling brightly as their waiting families gave them a royal celebrity welcome.
Aarshi stood totally still, searching the crowd for their guest. Suddenly, her eyes locked onto a man walking out with his suitcase. He wasn't just handsome; he was frustratingly, offensively good-looking. He was well over six feet tall, had perfect pale skin, and dressed so flawlessly that he looked like a beautiful angel walking down a fashion runway. She was totally convinced he had to be an international supermodel.
When this perfect human suddenly waved straight in her direction, Aarshi's brain completely broke. Panicking, she frantically tried to nudge Momo, only to see Momo enthusiastically waving right back. The pieces finally clicked in her shocked mind: the gorgeous angel was waving at Momo. This magnificent creature was the big brother.
Aarshi stood frozen in a daze, having a total existential crisis over how a single human being could be so physically perfect. As Big Brother walked over and Momo threw her arms around him for a loving hug, Aarshi took the opportunity to openly stare at every single millimeter of his face like a scientist studying a new animal species.
Ayaan watched her, thoroughly creeped out by her intense staring. He roughly shook her by the shoulders to snap her out of it. "What on earth are you doing?!" he demanded.
Aarshi blinked, completely unbothered. "I'm just analyzing how one pair of siblings can look like a masterpiece created by actual angels, while another pair looks like a couple of ugly swamp elves." She glared pointedly at Ayaan.
Ayaan didn't skip a beat, his voice completely flat. "Right. Just like your own brother looks like a normal human, and you look like a bridge goblin."
Offended and huffing, Aarshi delivered a quick, brutal punch straight to his shoulder.
Big Brother caught the whole wrestling match, pointed an amused finger at her, and asked with a chuckle, "Are you Aarshi?"
Instantly, Aarshi's face turned into a bright, tomato-red blush, her cheeks practically glowing. Ayaan gagged inside, totally disgusted by her sudden shy behavior. Leaning closer, Aarshi frantically whispered into Ayaan's ear, "Why can't your brother just live here forever?!"
"Because he actually likes his sanity and prefers being far away from this family," Ayaan muttered back. "And honestly, same. That's exactly why I packed my bags for boarding school."
"I wasn't asking about you," Aarshi snapped, sending Ayaan's blood pressure through the roof.
The ride home was filled with an awkward silence. Aarshi couldn't help but notice that Big Brother and Ayaan hadn't said a single word to each other, not even a head nod. The second they walked through the front door, Big Brother completely crashed onto the giant sofa in the hall, kicking off his shoes and collapsing into the cushions. Momo claimed the other couch, while Aarshi responsibly carried his heavy suitcase up to his room.
When she walked back down to the hall, Ayaan was nowhere to be seen. It was completely obvious that the bond between the two brothers was basically non-existent.
Momo and Big Brother were deep in a quiet conversation about a restaurant reservation set for 2:00 PM. Aarshi checked the time—it was only 11:30 AM. She eavesdropped with intense focus, struggling to hear the details, when suddenly, a hand clamped around her wrist. It was Ayaan. With an unbreakable, iron grip, he effortlessly dragged a protesting Aarshi down the hallway and shoved her into her bedroom.
The moment he let her go, Aarshi exploded. "Are you out of your mind?! What is your actual problem this time?!"
Ayaan cornered her with a dead-serious look. "Why were you spying on their conversation?"
"So what if I was?!" Aarshi fired back, crossing her arms defensively.
Ayaan pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy sigh. "Just let it go. And please, for the love of God, do not interrupt them."
"Do you think I'm an idiot? Why would I interrupt them?!" Aarshi screamed, before immediately jumping right back to her gossip instincts. "Okay, but seriously, why is your brother even here today?"
"The interior designer is remodeling his room, so he's here to pick out the changes himself. He's finalizing his room's style today," Ayaan explained.
"So he's only here for one single day?!" Aarshi wailed. Ayaan nodded. "Ugh, I wish he could stay forever," she muttered under her breath.
Ayaan heard it anyway. "Are we going somewhere today?" she asked out loud, trying to sound casual.
Ayaan shook his head.
"Oh, I know you're lying! I literally just heard them talking about a restaurant reservation!"
Ayaan let out a heavy, defeated sigh. "Fine. It's a restaurant reservation... for a blind date."
Aarshi's jaw dropped straight to the floor. "WHAT?!" Ayaan offered nothing but a grim, stubborn silence. Lunging forward, Aarshi grabbed Ayaan by the shoulders, shaking him violently like a broken vending machine to force the truth out of him. Ayaan finally cracked, admitting that their parents had strictly arranged a blind date for his brother this afternoon.
Aarshi smacked him on the head. "Do you take me for a fool?! What kind of old-fashioned parents arrange blind dates for their kids in this day and age?!"
"Our parents do," Ayaan replied, rubbing his sore head. "Because immediately after this date, Big Brother is getting officially engaged to her."
The color completely drained from Aarshi's face, leaving her ghost-pale. The horror was too much to handle. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she shrieked, hitting a high note loud enough to shatter glass.
"What is wrong with you?!" Ayaan snapped, covering his ears. "Our family has been doing this for generations."
"Are you telling me this is a forced business marriage alliance?!" Aarshi gasped, wide-eyed. Ayaan nodded solemnly. "But what if he's already secretly in love with someone else?!"
"I don't have the answers to that," Ayaan said, shrugging.
"I knew it! He's miserable!" Aarshi paced the room in a total panic. Then, a terrifying realization hit her. If Big Brother was trapped in an arranged marriage... did that mean Momo was doomed to the same fate? Aarshi's mind began racing at a million miles an hour, hyperventilating over the horrifying possibility that Momo would be forced into an arranged marriage with some random stranger instead of growing up to marry Aarshi's own older brother.
Ayaan watched her expression turn into pure chaos, easily reading the wild, catastrophic thoughts flashing across her face.
Before he could stop her, Aarshi bolted out of the room, ran into the hall, and cornered Momo. "Are we going somewhere?!" she demanded, completely out of breath.
"We aren't," Momo replied, totally calm. "But Big Brother is."
Aarshi locked eyes with the handsome angel and asked directly, "ON A BLIND DATE?!"
Big Brother let out a dramatic sigh, giving her a look of tragic defeat. "Sadly, kiddo, your detective skills are exactly right this time."
Aarshi looked at him, completely devastated. "Aren't you even a little bit happy about this?!"