There are moments in life when a man realises destiny has abandoned him.
For Aarav, that moment was watching his mother calmly refill everyone's tea after Nysera casually announced that he would eventually love all of them.
No panic.
No dramatic reaction.
Just tea.
That was worse.
Much worse.
Because calm mothers were strategic mothers.
And strategic mothers always won.
Rohan sat beside him on the sofa, spiritually injured but still alive.
He leaned over and whispered,
"Bro."
Aarav stared into the void.
"No."
"You don't even know what I was going to say."
"I do."
Rohan nodded.
"Fair."
Across the living room battlefield, his mother sat like a judge appointed by the universe itself.
His father remained behind the newspaper, offering exactly zero support.
His sister had fully accepted her role as chaos archivist.
Even the younger cousin had brought snacks.
People are prepared for history.
His mother looked at the girls.
Then smiled.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
"Good."
Silence.
"I like honesty."
That sentence somehow felt like the opening of a final boss theme.
She placed the teacup down.
Softly.
Terrifyingly.
"Since everyone is serious…"
Her eyes moved to Aarav.
"…I will also be serious."
Rohan whispered,
"May God protect us."
Denied.
His mother turned first to Aelina.
"You are calm. Responsible. You look like the one who reminds him to eat."
Aelina blinked.
Then nodded politely.
"I have, in fact, done that."
His mother approved immediately.
"Excellent."
Aelina had gained points.
Dangerous development.
Then Mira.
His mother looked at her for a long moment.
"You look like the one who argues with him."
Mira folded her arms.
"He is often wrong."
His mother smiled.
"Good. He needs that."
Mira paused.
She had not expected approval.
Which made it funnier.
Then Selene.
His mother observed her with frightening precision.
"You look like the one who would kill someone for him."
Selene answered without hesitation.
"Yes."
His mother nodded.
"Also useful."
His father coughed so hard he nearly left this world.
Rohan physically collapsed against the sofa.
Even Aarav had to respect the efficiency.
Then—
Nysera.
The room itself seemed to be prepared.
His mother sighed softly.
"You…"
A pause.
"…feel like the one who already knows how this ends."
Nysera smiled.
Soft.
Elegant.
Terrifying.
"Yes."
His mother narrowed her eyes.
"I don't trust that."
"Reasonable."
At least honesty still existed.
Then came the disaster.
His mother folded her hands and announced—
"I have chosen favourites."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Aarav stood up immediately.
"No."
His mother ignored him.
His sister sat straighter like a student hearing exam answers.
Rohan whispered,
"This is premium content."
Aarav considered exile.
His mother continued.
"Aelina is dependable."
Aelina looked surprised.
"And she says hello properly."
Important.
Very important.
Then—
"Mira is sharp. She will keep this idiot alive."
Mira looked offended by how accurate that was.
Reasonable.
Then—
"Selene scares me."
A pause.
"I respect that."
Selene nodded like she had been offered a military rank.
Then—
Everyone leaned forward.
Even the walls.
Nysera.
His mother looked at her for a very long time.
Then sighed.
"You are too calm."
Nysera tilted her head.
"That is generally considered a positive trait."
His mother pointed.
"Exactly. Suspicious."
Rohan made a sound like a dying bird trying not to laugh.
Even Nysera seemed impressed.
Aarav sat back down.
Defeated.
Spiritually.
Legally.
Existentially.
His mother then looked at him.
And delivered the next attack.
"So."
No.
No, not so.
"Who do you call first when you are in trouble?"
The girls looked at him.
All of them.
Together.
This was not a question.
This was execution.
Aarav opened his mouth.
Nothing.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
Rohan leaned away like a man avoiding an explosion.
Smart.
Very smart.
Finally—
Aarav answered honestly.
"…Usually Rohan."
Silence.
Then everyone turned toward Rohan.
Rohan froze like prey, realising it had become visible.
His mother blinked.
"You?"
Rohan pointed at himself.
"I am emotionally available and frequently unemployed."
His father laughed for the first time in two chapters.
A miracle.
His mother rubbed her forehead.
"This explains too much."
True.
Painfully true.
His sister, agent of irreversible damage, leaned forward.
"Fine. Next question."
Absolutely not.
She smiled like inherited evil.
"First kiss?"
Aarav nearly died.
Immediately.
Violently.
Spiritually.
He pointed at her.
"You are no longer family."
Too late.
Far too late.
The girls were quiet.
Too quiet.
Mira looked like she wanted answers for scientific reasons.
Aelina looked like she had already started processing emotional data.
Selene stood like a general awaiting battlefield reports.
Nysera, of course, already knew.
Traitor.
Aarav stood up.
Again.
"I am leaving my own house."
His mother spoke without looking up.
"Sit down."
He sat.
Because survival.
Because instinct.
Because mothers outranked free will.
Then—
unexpectedly—
His father folded the newspaper.
A rare event.
Historic.
He looked at Aarav with the calm expression of a man choosing violence through wisdom.
"Son."
Dangerous start.
"When I married your mother…"
His mother immediately said,
"Don't encourage him."
Too late.
His father smiled slightly.
"I learnt something important."
Everyone listened.
Even Mira.
Even Selene.
Even destiny.
He pointed at Aarav.
"If multiple powerful women care about you…"
A dramatic pause.
"…the correct answer is silence."
Rohan stood and clapped.
His sister screamed.
His mother threw a cushion at him.
Justice.
Beautiful justice.
And for the first time that night—
Everyone laughed.
Real laughter.
Warm.
Messy.
Human.
No timelines.
No wars.
No fate.
Just family.
And girls from the future learning that survival in this house required entirely different skills.
Aarav looked around.
At the people who had crossed centuries to stand here.
In the chaos.
At the warmth.
At the terrifying possibility of happiness.
And for the first time—
Tomorrow didn't feel like something to fear.
It felt like home.
Unfortunately—
His mother had one final move.
She looked at the girls and smiled.
That smile.
That dangerous, peaceful smile.
"Good."
A pause.
"Tomorrow, we go shopping."
Silence.
Pure horror.
Mira frowned.
"For what?"
His mother answered like judgement itself.
"Wedding possibilities."
Aarav whispered,
"…Null Sovereign, come back."
Even Orion probably refused.