There are peaceful mornings.
There are normal mornings.
And then—
There is waking up to your younger cousin screaming through the house:
"Bhabhi is here!"
At 7:12 AM.
On a Sunday.
Civilisation had failed.
Aarav sat upright in bed like a man under spiritual attack.
Outside, footsteps.
Laughter.
His sister's voice.
Rohan, somehow already present, was shouting something about breakfast rights.
And somewhere downstairs—
his mother sounding suspiciously pleased.
Which meant disaster.
Immediate disaster.
He walked downstairs half-awake, emotionally unprepared, and wearing a T-shirt that definitely did not represent dignity.
Big mistake.
Massive mistake.
Because in the living room—
Mira was there.
Holding sweets.
Beside his mother.
Talking.
Calmly.
Like this was normal.
No warning.
No mercy.
And she looked up exactly when he appeared looking like a sleep-deprived cave creature.
Silence.
Rohan whispered dramatically from the sofa,
"And here we observe the male in his natural habitat."
Traitor.
Ancient traitor.
His sister nearly died laughing.
His younger cousin pointed.
"Bhaiya looks unemployed."
Cruel.
Accurate.
Cruel.
Mira looked at him.
One eyebrow raised.
Then—
"Impressive."
A pause.
"You confessed to me looking like that?"
Death.
Immediate death.
Aarav turned around.
"Goodbye. I'm leaving my own house."
His mother's voice stopped him.
"Come back."
He came back.
Because survival.
Because instinct.
Because mothers outranked free will.
Mira handed his mother the sweets box.
His mother smiled.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
"She brought sweets."
Rohan gasped.
"Oh, she's adapting."
His grandmother on speakerphone immediately shouted—
"Shaadi pakki!"
Marriage confirmed.
Across three states.
Possibly internationally.
Mira looked like she regretted existing.
Reasonable.
Very reasonable.
She crossed her arms.
"It is a courtesy gift."
His mother nodded.
"Of course."
That tone meant absolutely not, of course.
His father appeared with tea, saw the scene, and simply chose silence.
Wise.
Anciently wise.
Aelina entered next, soft smile already in place.
She looked at Mira holding sweets and said politely—
"Ah. Formal escalation."
Even Selene, walking in behind her, gave one approving nod.
"Efficient."
Nysera arrived last.
Of course.
Always like a final boss entering late.
She looked at the sweets, then at Mira, and said calmly—
"Timeline probability has improved."
No one trusted her.
Correct decision.
Aarav sat down like a man accepting his trial.
And immediately his mother attacked.
"So."
No peace.
Never peace.
"When are you taking her out again?"
Mira nearly choked on tea.
Aarav looked at the ceiling for divine help.
Denied.
His sister leaned forward.
"Yes. We require sequel content."
Rohan nodded.
"Romantic continuity matters."
This house had become a production company.
Aarav answered carefully.
"We have not discussed—"
Mira interrupted.
"Tuesday."
Silence.
Everyone turned.
Even the fan.
Aarav blinked.
"Tuesday?"
She sipped tea.
"Yes."
Another pause.
"You looked too happy yesterday. I need to verify if that was temporary."
System failure.
Again.
Repeatedly.
His younger cousin screamed.
His grandmother blessed the speakerphone.
His mother looked like a queen watching political alliances succeed.
Rohan whispered,
"She's terrifying. I respect it."
Correct.
Deeply correct.
Then—
because the universe hated balance—
The front gate opened.
Another visitor.
Everyone looked.
And in walked—
Orion.
Formerly the Null Sovereign.
Destroyer of timelines.
Now standing politely at the door, holding flowers.
Silence.
Absolute.
Impossible silence.
Rohan slowly stood.
"…I'm sorry."
A pause.
"Did the former apocalypse bring bouquets of flowers?"
Yes.
Yes, he did.
Orion looked mildly uncomfortable.
A historic event.
"I was informed this is how normal people apologise for threatening reality."
Everyone turned toward Nysera.
She did not blink.
"It was accurate."
Traitor.
Supreme traitor.
His mother stood.
Looked at Orion.
Then at the flowers.
Then nodded.
"Good upbringing."
No one knew how to process that sentence.
Orion, who had once challenged time itself, looked more nervous meeting Aarav's mother than fighting the First Origin.
Fair.
Very fair.
He stepped forward.
And said to Aarav—
"I would like permission to remain in this timeline."
Silence.
Aarav blinked.
"You're asking me?"
Orion nodded.
"I attempted cosmic destruction."
A pause.
"Social etiquette suggests formal requests."
Honestly?
Respectable.
Very respectable.
His mother answered before Aarav could.
"You brought flowers. Sit."
Permission granted.
Just like that.
Even the Null Sovereign was powerless before Indian hospitality.
He sat.
Obediently.
History was healing.
Rohan leaned toward him and whispered,
"Bro, you lost to aunties too?"
Orion stared into the distance.
"…I understand now why humanity survived."
Profound.
Accurate.
Profoundly accurate.
And suddenly—
Everyone was laughing.
Mira is hiding it behind tea.
Selene with the smallest impossible smile.
Aelina is warm and bright.
Nysera, like prophecy, approves of chaos.
His mother is already planning meals.
His father was silently accepting the impossible.
And Aarav—
looking around at this ridiculous, beautiful mess.
Future girls.
Former villains.
Family politics.
Unwanted emotional growth.
And somehow—
This was harder than saving time.
And better.
Because peace was never quiet.
Sometimes—
Peace looked like too many people in one living room.
Too much tea.
Too much laughter.
And a future that finally felt like it belonged to all of them.
Even if it came with scheduled second dates.
And terrifying mothers.
Honestly?
Especially then.