Arjun's POV :

"Oh my God! I passed!", I screamed happily as I got hold of my paper and then glanced at Ananya's beneath it.

"What happened?" Ananya asked me eagerly "Why are you silent? Give me my paper!"

We were standing around the teacher's table and the class monitor was distributing the last revision test paper. Rekha mam was sitting in another corner of the classroom patiently clearing the doubts of students who were huddled around her begging for another half a mark. Seriously! Do people not have shame? Why do they let their self respect go berserk for half a freaking mark?

But there was something I was more worried about at the moment. I was staring at my sister's answer sheet, hiding it from her view because for the first time...

"You have failed", I finally blurted out.

"What?", she screeched and snatched the paper from my hand.

She couldn't believe it. To be honest, neither could I. How could this happen to someone who had been an unfallen class topper? That too in Maths?

I could think of only one reason. FYF had finally taken its toll on my sister.

As I looked at Ananya anxiously flipping through the pages looking for some hope, I felt sorry for her. My sister was competing, falling in love and preparing for an entrance exam - all at the same time. Hard, right? 

But the competition was totally useless for Ananya. If only, she learnt to mind her own business and leave me alone. But no! She had to come and keep poking her nose in my stuff. Just like Rubina.

Why do these girls have to make such a nuisance of themselves? Women can so be so problematic, dude! Trust me, this not a typical presumptuous prejudice of some random sexist. I speak from experience.

Karthik Aaryan had been right. A happy woman is a myth.

                                   ~~~~~~

To my enormous surprise, that evening at hone, my parents didn't ask us about the marks. There were so many tests and model exams coming up one after the other that I guessed my parents had lost track of which marks were arriving when.

And I wasn't complaining at all.

And for once, neither was Ananya. She had been totally traumatized and had been sulking all day at school.

It was weird for me too. I was used to being in a place where I would be sitting with a failed examination paper and she would proudly put her answer sheet on display which would, at the maximum have at least 85% on it. I'd never thought it would be the other way round at any situation.

My parents however were blissfully oblivious to all this drama. Little did we know that a full fledged masala movie was waiting for us.

Mom and dad were both at home when me,Ananya and Arav arrived from school. Which was unusual. They looked pretty much in a good mood. Which was very unusual.

After Janvi also arrived, mom and dad called all four of us to the living room and sat us down eagerly.

"Why did you call us now?" asked Arav, "I badly want to go to the bathroom".

"Just ten minutes Arav", mom said sternly "Then you can sit in the bathroom all day!"

"What happened?" Janvi jibbed at my parents "Did you discover some secret scheme to make Viraj the best hospital on Mount Road?"

"Viraj is already the best hospital in Mount Road my dear", dad said.

Uh-oh. Something was very wrong here. Dad was not usually one for boasting. "And anyway" dad continued "Even if it was some secret scheme we won't tell you. You'll give away our ideas to the milkman!"

This was so ridiculous that me, Ananya and Arav burst into laughter.

"Why are you all laughing?" dad asked stunned by our light hearted behaviour, but our cackling wouldn't suppress.

"Is this a joke?" he asked angrily "People this is a serious matter!".

"Okay enough, Rajesh! Just tell them", Mom said hastily "So guys, we have a declaration to make. A perfect alliance for Janvi is on its way! They're coming to see Janvi tomorrow!" she announced pompously.

Uh. Okay.

I slowly turned to look at Janvi. Her face was unreadable. I then turned to Ananya who was already looking at me with agitation written all over her face.

But my parents seemed totally unperturbed by the lack of any vivacious reaction.

"I've got a picture of my possible brother-in-law here!", dad said more excitedly than mom as he pulled out his phone, quickly found what he was looking for and pushed the screen straight up Ananya's face.

"What do you think?", Mom asked enthusiastically.

Now what? 

Ananya looked. I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Umm..."

"Good or not?" mom asked impatiently.

"Okay", she mumbled.

The phone was passed over to me but Janvi lept in between and grabbed it. She looked at the phone and then looked at my parents.

"Hello guys? How can you ask them to come without telling me? I'm already in love with a guy! And I'm only going to marry him!", was what I expected to hear.

But "Who is he?" was the only thing I heard.

"Son of cardiologist couple Ashwin and Veena", mom replied gleefully "And he has studied medicine in Columbia University!"

How typical!

Ananya perked up at that and gave a "Whoa!"

"He's only one year older than you Janvi. He's a perfect match for you!" Dad said.

How exactly?

"Vidya! You should've told me earlier", Janvi frowned totally unperturbed by all the gaudiness of this alliance.

"Well I'm telling you now", mom shrugged.

"But you're talking as if you've already fixed the alliance", Janvi muttered in frustration but I was surprised that there was still no outburst "In which temple have you decided to conduct my marriage? And what about the wedding menu? In case you haven't decided yet, please arrange romali rotis and mushroom gravy. I don't want some dal rice, curd rice and pickles".

Mom and dad were not happy with the oozing out of sarcasm.

"This family is not a dime a dozen Janvi", dad said "What more do you need? You will be happy there. You can have anything you want".

"Really? Have anything I want? Then why don't you marry me off to a shopping mall?" Janvi asked.

"I'm not talking about that Janvi", dad frowned "I'm just saying that they're really well-to-do. They have three houses in Chennai".

"Raj! I'm not an income tax officer. Why are you telling me all this?" Janvi asked.

"Just so you know what a valuable alliance this is!" dad said, finally losing his cool.

"So I'm supposed to marry him for money?" she asked, still very calmly "Am I a beggar? Are you insulting me?".

"Janvi, that's not my point", dad said through gritted teeth "Do you realise an Ivy league graduate is asking to marry you?"

"Right", said Janvi again very quietly "So he's this big Ivy league graduate and I am this dumb celebrity photographer. Therefore this is a gold mine that I've hit on and I'm supposed to take it. Correct?"

"Come on Jan! You're mistaking the whole thing" mom said "You know we're proud of all that you've done. But just look at this alliance. Everything is so perfect!" she cajoled "We might not come across a match like this again. At least meet him tomorrow. It really won't hurt to see them once. If you don't like him at all, then nobody is going to force you but I hardly think that's possible".

Come on Janvi. Just tell them about Shaheer.

"Okay fine", Janvi said bitterly "I'll see them".

"Lovely!" said mom clasping her hands together, "Guys you can go!" she said looking at me, Ananya and Arav who had been sitting like atmosphere artists for the last half an hour. 

                                     ~~~~~~

"ARJUN! ARAV! COME HERE", Ananya yelled from her room. It was almost dinner time. I thought she wanted to talk about Janvi. We hadn't been able to talk about it at all as our parents had been lurking outside all evening. 

Me and Arav got up from my room where we were doing our homework and dashed into Ananya's. Shs was staring at her mobile screen giving the look that she did, everytime Shawn Mendes released a new song.

"What is it?" Arav asked excitedly "Is Captain America now free on hotstar?"

For all the luxuries that our parents give us, they didn't let us subscribe for Disney Plus hotstar VIP.

"Shut up!", I said, "What is it An?"

"Guys!" Ananya said disbelievingly "Kishan asked me out!".

                                   ~~~~~~

"It's really not going to be that complicated", I told Ananya. For once I was the one lecturing.

Kishan had called her for a music concert by a local band the next evening and then an early dinner at his home.

A bit personal right? Yeah. Even I hadn't expected this.

"I know!" Ananya snapped "Don't nag!"

"Hello? Madam, if you want my help you better be a bit more polite".

"Okay, okay", Ananya said.

"One more thing madam", I said "When you reach his house, if nobody else is there just call it quits and come back. You are so not going to be at Kishan's house with nobody else there. And for heaven's sake don't go into his bedroom or anything at any cost. I'm not ready to be an uncle yet".

"Shut up Arjun!" she slapped my arm.

"So that's it!" I said, "We're done with your date coaching".

"Thanks hon", Ananya said "You can go to your room now".

"Wait, I had to ask you what did you think about this Janvi's thing?" I asked.

I was expecting an outburst from my sister and I wasn't disappointed. Ananya needed very little encouragement to start grumbling about how things functioned.

"What I don't understand is why a financially and emotionally independent woman like Janvi is putting up with this crap? She could have just told them about Shaheer!", my sister argued.

"Even I don't understand. But this is a complicated process An. If Janvi's doing something, I'm sure she knows what it's all about. If she said okay to meeting that guy, I'm sure she has something in mind. Let's wait and see".

"Yeah I guess", she said, "And one more thing. I have to come up with a good excuse to give mom and dad. Do you have any ideas?"

"I do but I'm not going to give them to you", I said decidedly "Because I've already used most of them and I'm saving the remaining few for my college days. So think of something on your own. Be creative".

Ananya scowled.

                                      ~~~~~~

"What? You won't be at home while Dr Ashwin's family is coming here?" mom wailed.

"Umm...mom, actually me and Pooja are going to Marina beach for a sale tomorrow", Ananya said twiddling her thumbs nervously, "Everything will be really cheap mom! Jewellery, slippers, cosmetics, everything. I want to go and see what I can get!"

Ugh. This was the result of telling my sister to be creative. She really should have come up with something more casual. If this was the way, my sister lied at home, I was genuinely concerned about how she would manage after she went to college.

Mom frowned. "What sale? Why suddenly?", she asked "Can't you go the day after?".

"The sale will be over by then, mom!" she whined.

"But what will you buy?" mom asked looking totally nonplussed, "Don't you have enough stuff? Now you want to own a jewellery company? Besides you don't even wear what you already have. It's all lying in the cupboard, covered in dust".

"But I've never been to a roadside sale before", Anany said "Pooja told me it's always very fascinating".

Cringe.

I had to give my sister an A for effort but the truth was that she was no good in fabricating lies.

"I'll explain to Pooja", mom said "If you girls want an outing that badly then you can go somewhere else after tomorrow. But you're not going anywhere until then".

Okay, Arjun! Time for some hero business.

"Mom", I intervened "They've been planning this for awhile. Why disappoint them? Besides our guests don't need to see Ananya. They're coming for Janvi. In fact it would be a good thing if Ananya's not around. There's no chance of them getting confused over who is the prospective bride".

Ananya glared at me. Mom raised her eyebrows suspiciously, ignoring my attempt at humour.

"Why aren't you going by the way?" she asked.

"Mom it's a ladies fashion sale. What will I do there?", I said convincingly.

Mom looked at me and then back at Ananya.

"You have to come back before nine, alright?" she asked.

"Done!", Ananya said immediately, beaming.

I gave her the thumbs up from behind mom.