I sat up clutching my head. My head was throbbing and water was dripping down my face.

For a minute I thought I was in heaven. And then I heard the familiar voice screaming, straight from hell.

"The drink! The bloody alcohol. It killed me", Riya howled as she clutched her sides and rolled around on the floor.

I looked up. Riya, Zoya, Maya and I were on the floor. Everyone else was standing. Everyone else as in Lakshan, Reyansh, Josh and Revathi.

I got up from the floor. My head was in a whirl. I saw Reyansh was holding a glass jar in one hand. I clutched his other arm instinctively.

He looked at me and held up the jug, "It took three litres of water to wake you up, madam. What a waste of earth's most precious resource".

"Sorry sir..", I said massaging my head, "What happened to Riya?"

"Nothing. Her usual drama. She was the first to wake up and now she's doing something to entertain Lakshan".

"I can't understand this", Lakshan said looking seriously worried about Riya.

"I can", Riya croaked "Guys, I know it. A person always knows it when their time comes. And my time has come. Mishti...Zoya...please forgive my sins. Tell my parents I love them...."

With whatever little energy I had, I rolled my eyes. The girl was unbelievable.

"If you guys come with me, I can make you a hangover drink", Lakshan said, "I make it whenever I have a hangover".

Oh so getting drunk and crashing was a habit for sir.

"It's fine. Don't take the trouble", I said "I'll just get myself coffee". Zoya nodded.

"I think I'll go with Laksh", Riya said.

Reyansh and I quickly looked at each other.

Between me and Reyansh we had agreed a few days back, that Lakshan was not particularly intelligent. He might not be an asshole but he was a spoilt brat. We couldn't leave Riya with him just like that.

I really didn't know why Reyansh and I were behaving like over concerned parents who didn't want their precious daughter to be stuck with some roadside Romeo (Not that, Laksh was a roadside Romeo, he was a Prince Charming brought up in a palace). But all the same, we fussed and sulked till Riya agreed to come with us for coffee.

•••

I peeped into the room. Riya was on video call with her younger brother.

"Oh my God Krish! Where is your shirt?", Riya was yelling.

"Relax sis.."

"What relax? Why are you roaming around naked? Aren't mom and dad at home?"

"Mom and dad have gone out. And don't worry, I'm wearing my pants. Anyway, tell me how is Ooty?"

"Ooty is great", Riya declared as she turned around and saw me "Say hi to Mishti", she said shoving the phone in my face.

Both Zoya and I were the only kids to our parents and so Krish was the brother to all three of us.

"Hi Mishti didi!", Krish waved at me, "Is my sister behaving well?"

"Yeah. She had a hangover in the morning, but she's okay now", I said with a serious face.

"Hangover?", Krish's eyes popped "Riya, have you been drinking?!"

"Forget it. Anyway, you look like you're having fun son", I said.

"Maybe I look like it. But I'm really not okay, didi".

Riya rolled her eyes.

"Huh? What happened?"

"It's the pain of love Mishti didi!", Krish said putting on a depressed face, "The pain of love!"

"What? Who are you talking about?"

"Yeah, you know the roll no twelve in my class last year? That girl. Its been a month since I saw her before the summer holidays".

"Wait...roll no twelve?", Riya intervened "What happened to that Shreya girl then?"

"That was in fifth grade Riya!", Krish snapped "You have such a poor memory you bitch".

"Hey monkey...mind your language. You're only going to seventh grade next year. Remember you're talking to an adult".

"Adult indeed! You don't even know how to drive".

"Oh and you're Vijay Deverakonda are you? I've seen you roaming around in your boxers in our balcony hoping Bela Aunty's daughter will look at you. And all this, while there's a roll no twelve too. You're pathetic Krish!"

"You learn to mind your own business Riya!"

"You first learn some respect, you useless boy! And put on some clothes for Godsake. I don't want my brother to grow up like some..."

I had witnessed a thousand of these arguments over the past years (though they seemed to be steadily losing innocence) and was not interested to watch another one. I left the siblings to their squabble and went out.

•••

Today was a free day. We were given a break from the activities. The kids would be allowed to do what they wanted and so were we. Zoya had already recovered from the hangover and gone off somewhere. I decided to go and find her.

On the way, I found myself overhearing another family argument. It was while passing outside Laksh's room that I heard Neel, Tara and Laksh's loud voices. I was tempted to stand and listen.

"Tara don't you remember when my father started Bluepeaks, it was a four roomed lodge?", Neel was saying "My mom did all the cooking for the boarders, so I had to help her in the kitchen and assist my dad with the accounts. I attended a night school and studied with a lamp light in the portico of the lodge..."

"Oh and then what happened?", I heard Laksh's irritated voice "We've never heard this story before".

"Shut your mouth. At your age, I was working my ass off. And here you are, wasting all your time. We should cut a cake to celebrate your uselessness. Thank God, at least, your sister has not turned out completely good-for-nothing like you. You have no appreciation for my resort, no respect for my resort.. "

"See how he's saying my resort, my resort ma" Laksh yelled, "Your husband is crazy and selfish".

"Laksh, just calm down..", I could hear Tara's feeble attempt to soothe her unruly son.

And then for no reason at all, I giggled. One giggle. Just the one. Ge-ge. That was it. I didn't know why exactly, but I just couldn't help it.

But that one little noise was enough. The place fell into a nervous silence and I could sense the three people inside the room tensing up. I wished they would start squabbling again but they didn't.

"Someone's outside the door", Laksh finally said.