Aryan had been looking forward to a quiet evening at home. It had been a long, tiring week—endless meetings at work, calls to clients, and a relentless cycle of emails.

He needed peace, a little break from the chaos of life. But as soon as he walked into the living room, he realized that the quiet evening he was hoping for wasn't in the cards.

Anjali sat cross-legged on the couch while Kritika was resting her had on Anjali's lap as they were their favourite web-series, 'Mismatched'.

Kshitij was sprawling on the armchair, his feet resting on the coffee table which I immediately kicked as soon as I entered the house, making them know that I'm home.

"What the hell, bhai?" I laughed at his annoyed face and sat next to Anjali on the couch.

"Why do you always annoy Kshitij bhai? You are irritating us too much these days," Anjali clicked her tongue while pushing her brother who was resting his head on her shoulder.

"Sahi baat hein. Bhai needs to get a bhabhi. Chi no. Bhai needs to get a biwi," Kritika looked towards me with a smug smile and a lingering smirk.

(You're right.)

No way these kids are going to talk me into marriage. I quickly go up and was about to leave without a reply but Kshitij was fast enough to push me into my seat again.

I sighed and gave up because they have their own ways to get things done.

"So, who's gonna be our bhabhi?" They asked in a weird unison.

I froze, my stomach tightening instinctively. They are serious about this nonsense.

"What?" I asked, confused, but I knew exactly what they meant.

The youngsters and the rest of the family had been trying to convince me about getting married for a weeks. They'd been doing it ever since I celebrated my 24th birthday, which was apparently the "age to settle down."

They had started off joking around, but now it was an ongoing game.

"Come on, bhai," Kshitij piped up, flashing a grin. "You can't keep dodging this forever. You're almost thirty. We need to know who you're going to marry."

"Firstly I'm almost twenty-five, not thirty," I corrected his nonsensical 'fact' with a sarcastic smile.

"And, I'm not dodging anything," I said, my voice betraying my discomfort. "I'm just not in a rush. Anyway, I've got other things to worry about."

Anjali, never one to pass up on an opportunity to tease me, sat up straighter.

"Oh, we all know what you're worried about. You're secretly planning the perfect wedding, aren't you?" She leaned in with a conspiratorial smile.

"So who is it, bhai? Are you finally going to admit it? Is there a special someone in your life? Someone we've never heard of?"

My heart skipped a beat at the very mention of it. There was someone—someone who had been on my mind more and more lately. But she was a secret. A deep, buried secret that no one knew, not even my closest friends.

Her bright smile came into my mind, lighting my mood up slightly.

"Exactly," Kritika pitched in, "Then why would bhai reject all those proposals? There is someone in his poor heart," she pouted to tease me.

"Come on, bhai, mere Jaan," Kshitij prodded, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he glanced at his sisters. "Spill it. Who's the lucky girl? Who are you hiding from us?"

(Come on, bhai, my life,)

I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks. "I'm not hiding anything. There is no one. Drop it, guys."

But looks like Anjali wasn't having any of it. She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper, as if she were about to uncover a big secret. "Well, you know what they say—'A single man with no wife is a man with a secret crush.' Who's the girl, bhai? Tell us. We promise we won't judge."

My heart pounded harder in my chest, and my mind immediately drifted to Aarzoo. Aarzoo.

She was the only one who had ever occupied my thoughts in the way Anjali was describing. I could see her smile, hear her laugh—I could practically feel the way she made me feel every time we were together. But no. I couldn't tell them about Aarzoo. Not ever.

"Seriously, Anjali, drop it," I muttered, trying to laugh it off. "I'm not getting married anytime soon, okay?"

Kshitij, probably sensing the tension in my voice, decided to pile on. "Fine, fine. If there's no one, then you should be looking for someone, bhai! You've been dodging this topic for months. I mean, at least give us a hint. Does she have long hair? Is she a bookworm? Or are you into the sporty type? Maybe the shy kind?"

"Stop!" I exclaimed, holding up my hand as if to stop an avalanche of questions.

The teasing was relentless, but it wasn't just the teasing that was getting to me—it was the thought of Aarzoo. The idea of being asked about her, of people knowing that she existed, made me feel exposed.

They could never know.

I stood up abruptly, rubbing my temples, trying to push the thoughts away.

"I'm not talking about this right now. Can we just drop it?" I turned toward the kitchen, hoping to escape the conversation and get a glass of water to calm my nerves.

"I don't want to hear a single word from you guys, understood? Agar mujhe koi pasandh ho tho mein bataunga," my tone a little more stern.

(If I like someone, I'll let you guys know,)

But Anjali, of course, wasn't done. She knew that the stern tone meant nothing in front of her. "So it is someone," she said, barely containing her grin. "Who is it, bhai? Is it someone we know?"

My mind screamed in protest, and for a moment, it was like time slowed down.

In my mind, Aarzoo's face appeared in vivid clarity—her dark hair falling effortlessly over her shoulders, her laughter echoing in my ears.

She was smart and hard-working, with a confidence that made her stand out in any room. And me?

I was just the guy who had watched her from the sidelines, silently hoping she'd notice me, though I knew deep down that it was a hopeless wish.

The idea of telling my family about my feelings for Aarzoo was impossible.

Aarzoo was Siddharth's sister.

That fact alone was enough to stop me cold in my tracks. No matter how deep my feelings are, no matter how much I thought about her, she was off-limits.

Even if she did feel the same way—which was highly unlikely—I couldn't risk losing my friendship with Siddharth. I couldn't be the one to ruin that.

Finally, I let out a deep breath, turning around to face my family.

"Alright, alright," I said, exasperated. "If you guys won't stop asking, I'll tell you. There's no one. Really. I'm just focused on work and... other things. That's all."

There was a moment of silence. For a second, I thought they might actually let it go, but then Anjali's voice cut through the quiet.

"Sure, bhai," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "We believe you. But you know, you can't hide this forever. One day, you'll come to us, all emotional, saying, 'I met the one!' And we'll be ready to throw a party."

Kritika giggled. "Yeah, we're just waiting for that call. No rush though. We're all curious about who the mystery woman is."

I forced a smile, but deep down, I was exhausted.

I was tired of pretending, tired of hiding my feelings. But more than anything, I was terrified. Terrified of the idea that my family might find out about Aarzoo—and what it would mean for everything I had built with my best friend.

Later that night, after the teasing finally died down and everyone retired to their rooms, I lay awake in my bed, staring at the ceiling.

I could hear the faint hum of the street outside, the sound of the wind brushing against my window, but it was all drowned out by the noise in my head.

I closed my eyes, and once again, Aarzoo's face appeared.

I imagined what it might be like to tell her how i felt, to hold her hand, to kiss her... But then the harsh reality of the situation struck me.

I wasn't just imagining a relationship with her—I was fantasizing about a love that would never be. Because she was Siddharth's sister. The line I couldn't cross.

It is wrong of me to hope she also has something for me, but I loved her. Love is not like having a crush. It was much more intense. Much more serious.

It hurt my heart to see her smile at everyone the way she smiles at me. I was everyone to her. I was just like every other person for her. Just her brother's best friend.

But for me? For me she was the girl I'd end the world for. She was the only one who could get me to smile the way I do around her. My smile around her is different. It's like my heart knows Aarzoo is near and decides to smile more fulfilled.

I never imagined myself to be stuck in a one-sided love but here I am. 

'Expect the unexpected,' they say but this unexpected feeling is the most beautiful thing ever for me. She is the most unexpected moment where I can find my peace, my calm and everything tranquil.

The effect you have on me, Aarzoo. No one woman would be able to replace it. Never.

I pulled the blanket tighter around myself, trying to calm my racing thoughts, but my heart didn't listen. I closed my eyes again and whispered into the quiet, "Maybe someday, Aarzoo. Maybe someday in my dreams."