There are private moments.
And then there is having your first kiss witnessed by your best friend, your sister, and a woman from the year 5026.
Privacy, apparently, was a myth.
A cruel, fictional myth.
Aarav stood in the middle of the street under the Delhi night sky, staring at the betrayal squad across from him.
Rohan.
Holding binoculars like a criminal.
His sister.
Looking like she had personally achieved enlightenment.
And Nysera—
Standing there with perfect calm, as if spying on someone's first kiss were simply another part of advanced future diplomacy.
Unforgivable.
All of them.
Mira stood beside him, arms crossed, her expression somewhere between emotional exhaustion and premeditated murder.
Mostly murder.
Rohan waved proudly.
"Historical event! We came prepared!"
His sister raised her phone.
"There are notes. Detailed notes."
Aarav pointed dramatically.
"I want new relatives."
Denied.
Immediately denied.
Nysera stepped forward with all the elegance of a woman who should not be participating in nonsense.
"For accuracy," she said calmly, "Rohan insisted."
Rohan gasped.
"Betrayal!"
The audacity.
The absolute audacity.
Mira pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I left my timeline for this."
Fair.
Deeply fair.
A tea stall uncle nearby, who had been absolutely listening, smiled and said,
"Good chemistry."
No one asked him.
No one needed him.
And yet—
truth.
Painful truth.
Aarav sighed.
"Can we go home before this becomes a public festival?"
His sister checked her phone.
"Too late. Cousin already knows."
Impossible.
Terrifyingly possible.
Rohan nodded respectfully.
"News spreads fast when romance survives."
That was not wisdom.
That was a crime.
The walk home was somehow worse.
Because now Mira was quiet.
Not angry, but quiet.
Thinking quietly.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Aarav walked beside her like a man approaching a legal hearing.
Finally—
he said,
"So…"
She looked at him.
He regretted the word immediately.
"…are you planning my murder?"
Mira considered it.
"Not tonight."
Comforting.
Suspiciously comforting.
They walked a little more.
Then she sighed.
"I am not angry."
A pause.
"I am reconsidering everyone I allow near my life."
Also fair.
Aarav nodded.
"Yes."
Another silence.
Then—
very softly—
"...I did not hate the kiss."
System failure.
Again.
Repeatedly.
His brain had become decorative.
He looked at her.
She was staring straight ahead like she had not just casually destroyed his nervous system.
Aarav, in the calm voice of a man spiritually collapsing, answered—
"That seems like useful information."
Mira glared.
"Do not become smug."
Too late.
Far too late.
Because for the first time since all of this started—
This wasn't uncertainty.
It wasn't, maybe, then.
It was real.
Messy.
Terrifying.
Real.
And he was smiling like an idiot.
She noticed.
Of course, she noticed.
"…There it is."
"What?"
"The stupid happy face."
He tried dignity.
Failed.
"It's a good night."
Mira looked away.
Which meant emotional damage had been dealt.
Good.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Then—
She quietly slipped her hand into his.
A simple thing.
Small.
But somehow heavier than any confession.
No cosmic power.
No dramatic music.
Just fingers finding fingers.
And Aarav realised—
This was what saving the future had been for.
Not glory.
Not destiny.
This.
Warmth.
Choice.
Someone staying.
He squeezed her hand once.
She let him.
And for a little while—
Delhi was quiet.
No aunties.
No cosmic disasters.
Just two people walking home under city lights.
Peace.
Temporary.
Fragile.
Beautiful.
Which meant, naturally—
It could not last.
Because the moment they opened the front door—
The living room lights turned on.
Everyone was waiting.
His mother.
His father.
His grandmother.
His sister.
Rohan is somehow already there again.
Aelina.
Selene.
Nysera.
Even the younger cousin.
A council.
A tribunal.
A romantic criminal investigation.
Silence.
His mother sat in the centre like the final judge of civilisation.
She looked at their joined hands.
Then at their faces.
Then smiled.
That smile.
That terrible, peaceful smile.
And said—
"So."
Death.
Immediate death.
His grandmother adjusted her glasses.
"Ah."
His father folded the newspaper.
Historic event.
Rohan sat with popcorn.
How did he get popcorn?
No one knew.
No one wanted to know.
His sister whispered,
"Roll opening credits."
Aarav looked at the universe.
No help came.
Mira, to her eternal credit, did not let go of his hand.
Warrior.
Absolute warrior.
His mother asked calmly—
"Would you both like to explain…"
A pause.
"…or should I start planning engagement sweets?"
Silence exploded.
His younger cousin shouted,
"LADDOOS!"
His grandmother nodded.
"Good idea."
His father muttered,
"Efficient."
Traitors.
Entire bloodline of traitors.
Aarav opened his mouth.
Nothing.
Because there were no words.
Only consequences.
Mira, somehow still calmer than him, spoke first.
"We went on the date."
His mother nodded.
"Yes."
Mira continued.
"And I kissed him."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Then—
Rohan screamed into a cushion.
His sister physically fell off the sofa.
Aelina covered her mouth, smiling.
Selene nodded once like a commander approving a battle report.
Nysera looked like prophecy had been personally validated.
His grandmother whispered,
"Strong girl."
Highest possible compliment.
Aarav looked at Mira like she had just walked into war and planted a flag.
She didn't even blink.
His mother stood.
Walked forward.
Everyone held their breath.
She stopped in front of Mira.
Long pause.
Then—
She hugged her.
Just like that.
Warm.
Simple.
Real.
Mira froze.
Completely.
A system crash in human form.
His mother said softly—
"Good."
A pause.
"My son needs someone who can kiss him before he overthinks life."
The house exploded.
Chaos.
Laughter.
Rohan left his body spiritually.
Even Mira—
still trapped in the maternal hug—
made a sound that might have been a surrender.
Aarav stood there laughing because, honestly—
What else was left?
The future had been saved.
Love had happened.
And now—
His mother had officially entered matchmaking god mode.
There was no greater force.
None.
And somewhere, the Null Sovereign was probably grateful he chose apocalypse instead.
Because this?
This was harder.