|Chapter Four|

Aisha blinks twice as she looks at the Maths book in her hands. Was it supposed to be this thick and horrifying to hold? She can't help but wonder.

"What the hell is this?" she asks her mother, her eyes skimming through the content and barely understanding anything.

"Language, Ash," Tulika reprimands before she speaks on, "They're your books, what else?"

"But this isn't something I was expecting!" Aisha argues, waving a hand at the book. "Had I known Maths was going to be this way, I'd never have changed my subject combination."

"Don't talk that way," Tulika tries. "Your father can help you with the calculations anyway."

"He's barely home from work, how do you expect him to do that?"

Sighing, Tulika crosses her arms as she thinks over the problem. They could always get Aisha a tutor but considering they had just moved in, looking for a private tutor in such a posh area would be difficult, and group tuitions were moving way ahead with the course, meaning that wasn't an option either.

Aisha opens her mouth to tell her mother to talk to the administration at Lotus Valley and get her subjects swapped when the doorbell rings.

"I'll check," Nitya responds from the living area while the mother-daughter duo is busy arguing in Aisha's room.

"Who's it, Nitya?" Tulika asks, flipping through the Mathematics book.

"It's the Easter Bunny!" Nitya answers from the living area with a giggle. Both Aisha and Tulika exchange a confused glance before strolling out into the living area with speedy steps.

Aisha can't help but smile when she takes notice of a guy who is kneeling in front of Nitya, a tray with freshly baked brownies in his hands with the little eleven-year-old nibbling on a brownie as he watches with a grin.

It's hard to tell whether it's Veer or Vivek but Aisha knows it's Vivek. How, even she can't tell. She just feels like she knows.

"Hello there!" Tulika greets, making both Nitya and the guy to turn and look at her and Aisha.

"Good evening, ma'am," the guy greets back, getting back on his feet now, the tray still in his hands.

"Sorry to ask, but which one are you?" Tulika asks.

"Vivek," the guy responds with an understanding smile.

Knew it, Aisha smiles internally.

"Why don't you come in?" Tulika says, waving a hand at the couch.

"I just came over to get these," Vivek speaks in polite protest, gesturing at the tray. "I hope you'll like them."

"Like? Dude, I love them!" Nitya beats Tulika to responding as she takes the tray from him cheekily before dashing with it to the kitchen.

"Nitya!" Tulika reprimands with wide eyes but it's of no use.

"It's okay," Vivek chuckles. "I have a brother who's seventeen and still acts way more immaturely than Nitya."

At that moment, Tulika's eyes light up with an idea brewing up within her. Getting a glimpse of that glint, Aisha resists the urge to run for she knows that her mother can turn up with really wild ideas which often don't go well.

"Listen, dear," Tulika speaks to Vivek. "Are you a science student?"

"Yeah," Vivek nods.

"And what's your subject combination?" Tulika asks, making Aisha yell out an internal no.

____________

The voice of Shawn Mendes fills the room, bouncing off the walls and echoing all around, shattering the dead silence. Aisha silently taps her fingers over her lap as she glances around the room. The walls are stark white with photo frames adorning them. There's a bed with a big Avengers poster stuck over the wall next to it. The room isn't precisely neat but it isn't messy either.

"We don't really have to study if you don't want to," the voice drags Aisha out of her inspection. Turning, she finds Vivek looking at her, his fingers fiddling with the pen.

Aisha leans back on the frame of the bed, her legs crossed as she sat on the floor, facing Vivek. A coffee table sits between them with that ugly Mathematics book and some extra supplementary ones scattered over it.

"Uh-huh, do what then?" a new voice, full of ill intentions, interrupts their silent eye-contact.

"Ew, Veer!" Aisha gags as she turns and hits Veer on his arm who happens to be laying over the bed, streaming songs and reading some novel.

"Ignore him," Vivek sighs, waving a hand.

"What made you think that I don't want to study though?" Aisha asks him, genuinely curious.

Vivek clears his throat before speaking, "Um...The way you had glared at your mom when she suggested that I tutor you, or the distaste that crosses your face whenever you look at that book...?"

Aisha blinks at him with marvel. "Man, you are observant," she comments.

Vivek only passes a small smile with a shrug which, Aisha notices, is something that is common in both the twins: they shrug way too often.

"Though I think you should study a bit," Veer speaks from the bed, his eyes still glued to the book. "That maths teacher at school is a pain in the ass and is pretty shitty when it comes to teaching maths."

"But from what I heard, Lotus Valley has got the best teachers..." Aisha trails off, confused.

Vivek passes her a small smile. "Every institute has its own drawbacks, and in our case, it's this maths teacher who happens to have a big degree in some branch which got him this job," he explains.

"But the problem is that schools still don't understand this simple rule: Everyone can be a good student, but only a few can be good teachers," Veer completes the explanation for his brother.

Aisha's about to speak in agreement to whatever the twins said when she gets interrupted by a ringing phone. "Pass me up the phone, Ash," Veer speaks, gesturing at the device over the coffee table.

"Here you go," Aisha says, passing him the handset. "Teddy."

"Oye," Veer scowls at her from the bed, making Aisha's smirk grow wider.

"Wait, she knows about Popo already?" Vivek asks Veer, smiling confusedly.

"You idiot! You don't have to tell her that!" Veer exclaims, sitting up on the bed, the phone dropping beside him on the pillow softly.

"Who's Popo?" Aisha asks, glancing back and forth between Veer and Vivek.

While Veer glares at his brother, Vivek has realization written all over his face. The boy literally spilled some embarrassing secret of Veer's and Aisha's not letting the matter slip.

"Come on, tell me now," she grins at Veer. "Who's Popo?"

"Nobody," Veer replies curtly, attempting to sound dismissive but it only encourages Aisha.

Veer then turns to look at his phone which rings for the second time. "Payal's gonna kill me if I don't answer her," he mutters to himself before climbing out of the bed and out of the room, leaving Aisha and Vivek sitting over the floors.

"Vivek, you'll tell me, right?" she asks, turning to look at the hazel-eyed boy with a soft expression, her voice lacing trust and hope.

Squirming under her gaze, Vivek contemplates over his options. "Okay, fine," he sighs, making Aisha grin victoriously.

"Popo is Veer's teddy. He can't sleep without hugging it and he's had it since we were maybe five," Vivek explains.

"Aw," Aisha coos, feeling her smile grow wider in adoration. "Can I see it?"

"It's in his room and I doubt if-" Vivek is speaking when the door flings open and Veer strolls in, having talked with whoever was calling.

"Can I borrow your Popo for night's when I feel sleepless?" Aisha asks Veer with genuine innocence, making the latter widen his eyes. The next moment he narrows his eyes at Vivek who is already on his feet, ready to dodge his brother.

"Little brothers don't try to hurt older-" Vivek attempts to work an escape with his words.

"Being seven minutes older does not give you the right, you know," Veer retorts, jumping over the coffee table and chasing after Vivek who dodges the former and rushes out of the room, Veer practically at his ankles. Profanities fill the air as both the boys tumble about in the corridors.

"What a great tuition, indeed, Ma," Aisha speaks to herself, leaning against the bed with a smile.

__________

Author's Note:

Okay, so those who have read my previous books know to an extent that I despise maths and that I don't write too fondly when it comes to that subject in my books either. *grins sheepishly*

My bestie is a science student and she says that eleventh grade maths is nightmare. Well, I'm at bliss with my Humanities course then. :P

Do you have a teacher who teaches badly? Lemme know if you do.

In my case, I have a sucky Sociology teacher. The subject itself is pretty easy and interesting to me, but God! That teacher is a real devil.

See ya at the next update!
*waves a goodbye*