𝖘𝖆𝖚𝖉𝖆𝖉𝖊

ｚｅｒｏ ｐｏｉｎｔ ｆｉｖｅ

25th July
London, England

She hurried from one corner of the room to the other, humming a Beatles song, while her hands threw books from the bookshelf to her suitcase.

"Shivani!"

She halted, turning around to face the exasperated face of her aunt. "Hey, Maasi!"

"Don't 'hey Maasi!' me!" Gauri Singh Oberoi's glare had no heat to it. "Yeh kis tarha ki packing hain?"

"My khidkitod way," Shivani flipped her hair with a smirk, before she felt the light slap of her aunt's hand on the back of her head, making her pout.

Her aunt sighed, "Are you sure you'll reach on time?"

"Bhabhi, why fikar when Rudy is here?" A jolly voice laughed causing them to look at the doorway where a muscular man of late forties was grinning, hands spread wide.

"You're not Shah Rukh Khan," came the annoyed voice of his elder brother who twisted Rudra Singh Oberoi's ear. Omkara Singh Oberoi looked up at the ceiling, with an exasperated roll of his eyes.

"Bilkul thik kaha aapne," Bhavya Singh Oberoi raised an eyebrow as her husband smiled sheepishly. "Rudy, stop joking. Shivani is travelling all alone." She glanced at her niece worriedly.

"This isn't the first time, Chachi," Shivani smiled fondly, shaking her head. "Plus I have to surprise everyone!"

"It was supposed to be a surprise?!" Rudra's smile vanished as he laughed nervously.

"Rudra, what did you do?" Omkara rubbed his forehead with his thumb and index finger.

"Me? Huh," Rudra smiled nervously. "Main kya karunga? Maine kuch nahi kaha Shivaansh ko."

Shivani gaped at her uncle as Bhavya and Omkara sighed in exasperation while Gauri hit her own head lightly.

"RUDRA!"

"What?" Rudra raised his hands, "No one told me it was supposed to be a surprise."

"Yeah they did," Gauri frowned.

"Shivani literally said that as soon as the flights had been booked," Omkara groaned. "What kind of stupid brother am I stuck with?"

"Jo bhi ho," Gauri waved dismissively. "Shivani needs to reach the airport in a few hours and fly so that she reaches in the afternoon so she is at Oberoi Mansion by nightfall and before the puja starts."

"Are you sure you guys don't want to come?" Shivani asked softly.

Gauri's smile dimmed as did Rudra's. Omkara and Bhavya smiled sadly.

Gauri shook her head. "It's far too painful to be in the same city where we lost them." Her eyes darted to the calendar, "And that too, on the same day." She glanced at her niece and placed a hand on her cheek, "I'll miss you, baby." A tear rolled down Gauri's cheek.

Shivani wrapped her in a hug, "I'll miss you too, Maasi." Shivani glanced at Omkara, Rudra and Bhavya who were looking at the two with teary eyes. She extended her hands, "Aap log bhi aa jaiye."