𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒

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The grandeur of Kapoor Mansion softened as evening settled over it. The fairy lights that had sparkled beneath the fading sun now glimmered like scattered stars against the ivory marble facade. Inside, the excitement of the shagun had mellowed into a comforting warmth. Formal introductions had given way to easy conversations, and the unfamiliarity between the two families had slowly dissolved into shared smiles and effortless laughter.

From the kitchen drifted the irresistible aroma of dinner. The rich scent of spices blended with freshly baked butter naan, while the sweetness of simmering kheer lingered in the air, tempting everyone towards the dining hall.

Unlike the regal elegance of the rest of the mansion, the dining room felt surprisingly homely. A long teakwood table occupied the centre, adorned with crystal bowls filled with fresh jasmine. Candle stands reflected the golden glow of the chandeliers, making the room feel less like a grand dining space and more like the heart of the house, a place where countless meals, celebrations and family arguments had become cherished memories.

"Aaiye sab, khana lag gaya hai." (Everyone, dinner is served.) Ruhanika called warmly.

Conversations paused almost instantly.

Kartik was on his feet before anyone else.

"Main toh kabse in magical words ka intezaar kar raha tha." (I've been waiting forever to hear those magical words.)

Walking beside him, Vansh gave him an unimpressed look. "Tum chaar baje se lagataar kha hi rahe hao." (You've been eating continuously since four.)

Kartik looked genuinely offended. "Woh snacks the." (Those were snacks.)

Abhay chuckled. "Agar bahane calories burn karte, toh tum iss ghar ke sabse fit insaan hote." (If excuses burned calories, you'd be the fittest person in this house.)

Laughter echoed through the room as everyone made their way towards the table. Walking beside Samaira, Akriti quietly

observed the family around her.

No one measured their words. Teasing flowed as naturally as breathing, with one conversation blending into another before the previous one had even ended.

It was loud. It was chaotic. And somehow... it felt comforting. Just as everyone was about to take their seats, an energetic voice rang through the room.

"Hato, hato! Medical emergency hai!" (Move aside! Medical emergency!)

Everyone turned.

Vihira hurried inside, carefully balancing several serving bowls in her arms. A loose strand of hair had escaped her ponytail, bouncing across her forehead as she walked.

Prerna laughed softly. "Koi emergency nahi hai." (There's no emergency.)

"Hai." (There is.) Vihira replied with complete seriousness. "Hamare pyaare Kartik bhai pichhle pandrah minute se kitchen ke paas 'help' karne ke bahaane ghoom rahe hain." (My dear Kartik bhai has been hovering around the kitchen for the last fifteen minutes under the excuse of 'helping.')

Kartik placed a hand over his heart. "Main bas quality check kar raha tha." (I was just doing a quality check.)

Vihira folded her arms. "Quality check?"

"Haan. Agar main taste test se bach gaya, toh guests bhi bach jayenge." (Yes. If I survived the taste test, the guests will too.)

She stared at him for a second before shaking her head. "Taste test ke naam par teen kebab kha gaye." (You ate three kebabs in the name of a taste test.)

A burst of laughter filled the room.

Kartik sighed dramatically. "Iss ghar mein meri sacrifices ki koi kadar hi nahi hai." (Nobody in this house appreciates my sacrifices.)

"Main karta hoon." (I do.)

Hope immediately lit up Karthik's face as Vihaan entered the dining hall.

Vihaan pulled out his chair with his usual calm expression. "Main appreciate karta hoon ki tumne guests ke liye kuch toh chhod diya." (I appreciate that you left at least something for the guests.)

The hopeful smile vanished.

Even Randhir couldn't hide his laughter.

Kartik slumped into his chair. "Main phir se phas gaya." (I walked into another trap.)

Without looking up, Vansh replied, "Trap nahi... logic." (Not a trap... logic.)

As everyone settled down, Vihira looked around thoughtfully before pointing towards Akriti and Samaira.

"Ek problem hai." (We have a problem.)

Ruhanika looked at her curiously. "Kya hua, chhoti?" (What happened, dear?)

"Yeh dono guests hain." (They're our guests.)

"Haan." (Yes.)

"Toh inhe Kartik bhai ke paas nahi bithana chahiye." (Then they definitely shouldn't be seated next to Kartik bhai.)

"Objection!" Kartik protested.

Without missing a beat, Abhay served himself dal. "Overruled."

The table erupted into laughter. Vihira grinned triumphantly. "Dekha? Majority wins." (See? Majority wins.)

Vihaan glanced at her.

"Usse democracy nahi kehte." (That's not called democracy.)

She placed a hand dramatically over her heart. "Bhai ji... aapne hamari feelings hurt kar di." (Brother... you really hurt my feelings.)

"Facts generally do." (Facts usually do.)

Vihira groaned. "Lawyers aur sense of humour ka lifelong custody battle chal raha hai." (Lawyers and humour have been fighting a lifelong custody battle.)

A smile tugged at Samaira's lips. Leaning closer, she whispered, "Mujhe laga lawyers sirf court mein argue karte hain." (I thought lawyers only argued in court.)

Vihira whispered back without missing a beat, "Hamare Bhai ji ghar par practice karte hain." (My brother practices at home.)

"I can still hear both of you," Vihaan said calmly.

Neither girl looked guilty. "Humein pata hai." (We know.)

A brief silence settled over the table.

Vihaan poured himself a glass of water and took a sip. "Good."

Everyone looked at him.

"At least your coordination is improving."

The unexpected reply earned another round of laughter, while Vihira narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"...Bhai ji, kya aapne abhi conversation jeet li?" (...Brother, did you just win that conversation?)

Vihaan looked up from his glass, completely unbothered. "Mujhe pata hi nahi tha ki yeh competition tha, chhoti" (I wasn't aware this was a competition, dear.)

Vihira folded her arms. "Hamare saath har conversation competition hoti hai." (Every conversation with me is a competition.)

"Sirf tumhare liye." (Only for you.)

She narrowed her eyes. "Ek din na, Bhai ji... Ham aapke lawyer brain ko hara ke rahenge." (One day, Bhai ji... I'll defeat that lawyer brain of yours.)

Without looking up, Vihaan calmly served himself some dal. "Best of luck."

The table burst into laughter.

Akriti couldn't help it. A soft laugh escaped her lips before she realised it.

Vihira's head snapped towards her almost instantly. "Dekha!" (See!) She pointed at Akriti with a triumphant grin.

"Phir se hasi." (You smiled again.)

Akriti blinked. "Kya?" (What?)

"Drawing room mein smile kiya tha." (You smiled in the drawing room.) Vihira began counting on her fingers. "Then you laughed..."

She flashed a bright smile. "...that's progress."

Samaira nodded thoughtfully. "Mujhe lagta hai iska thoda credit humein milna chahiye." (I think we deserve some credit for that.)

Akriti shook her head, unable to hide another smile. "Tum dono impossible ho." (You two are impossible.)

"Impossible nahi..." Vihira corrected proudly. "...memorable."

Across the table, Ruhanika exchanged a quiet smile with Pooja.

Neither woman said a word.

Watching the three girls laugh together, it was hard to believe they had met only a few hours ago.

Some bonds simply skipped introductions.

Meanwhile, Kartik had been staring longingly at the basket of butter naan.

It kept travelling... just not towards him.

After watching it pass him for the third time, he finally sighed.

"Ek minute..." (Wait a minute...)

His eyes landed on Vihira.

The entire basket was comfortably parked beside her plate. She was happily buttering another piece of naan.

"Mujhe pata tha." (I knew it.) Kartik declared dramatically. "Chor hamesha crime scene par wapas aata hai." (The thief always returns to the scene of the crime.)

Vihira looked down at the basket as though she'd only just noticed it. "Achha..." (Oh...)

She blinked innocently. "...toh yeh yahan aa gaya?" (...so that's where it ended up?)

Kartik gave her a flat look. "Poora basket galti se adopt kar liya?" (You accidentally adopted an entire basket?)

She smiled sweetly. "Shayad isse samajh aa gaya ki iski asli kadar kaun karta hai." (Perhaps it realised who truly appreciates it.)

Even Vihaan's lips twitched.

Abhay chuckled.

Vansh quietly slid one naan onto Kartik's plate. "Lo." (Here.)

Kartik looked at him emotionally. "Tum hi mera asli bhai ho." (You're my real brother.)

Vansh calmly picked another naan for himself. "Galat mat samajh." (Don't misunderstand.) "Main bas drama khatam kar raha hoon." (I'm just ending the drama.)

Another wave of laughter rolled around the table.

By the time dessert arrived, dinner had settled into the easy comfort of full stomachs and endless conversations.

Warm gulab jamuns and chilled kheer replaced the serving bowls, while the original seating arrangement had long since been forgotten.

Abhay turned towards Samaira with a warm smile. "Toh beta, kaise chal raha hai sab?" (So, dear, how's everything going?)

"Achha chal raha hai, Uncle." (Everything's been good, Uncle.)

She smiled.

"Main ab internship dhoondh rahi hoon." (I'm currently looking for an internship.)

"Kis field mein?" (Which field?)

"Business Marketing."

She sighed lightly. "Kuch companies shortlist ki hain, lekin har jagah itne applicants hote hain ki shortlist hona hi impossible lagta hai." (I've shortlisted a few companies, but there are so many applicants that even getting shortlisted feels impossible.)

A thoughtful silence settled over the table.

Then Vihaan spoke.

"Khurana Global try karo." (Try Khurana Global.)

Every head turned towards him.

He placed his spoon neatly beside his bowl. "Unka internship programme kaafi structured hai." (Their internship programme is very well structured.)

"Agar sirf certificate nahi, genuinely seekhna hai..." (If you want to genuinely learn rather than just earn a certificate...)

"...it's worth applying."

Samaira frowned thoughtfully. "Khurana Global?"

"Maine suna hai wahan entry milna bahut difficult hota hai." (I've heard it's really difficult to get in.)

Vihaan nodded. "It is. Which is exactly why the learning is equally rewarding."

Kartik looked at him suspiciously. "Ek second..." (Wait a second...)

He leaned back in his chair. "Apko unke internship programme ke baare mein itna kaise pata?" (How do you know so much about their internship programme?)

Vihaan answered as casually as if he were discussing the weather. "Company ka owner mera close friend hai." (The company's owner is one of my closest friends.)

Silence.

Complete silence.

Even Vihira froze with half a gulab jamun on her spoon. "...Kya?" (...What?)

She stared at him. "Ap Aksh Khurana ki baat kar rahe ho?" (You're talking about Aksh Khurana?)

Vihaan nodded once.

Every pair of eyes widened.

"...Wohi Aksh Khurana?" (The Aksh Khurana?)

Kartik asked.

"Jo har dusre din business news mein hota hai?" (The one who's on business news every other day?)

Reshma added, "Business Today wale cover par bhi wahi the na?" (He was on the cover of Business Today, wasn't he?)

Vihaan smiled faintly. "Haan. Wahi." (Yes. The same one.)

The dining table erupted into questions.

"Aur tumne humein kabhi bataya bhi nahi?" (And you never told us?)

"Kab se jaante ho unhe?" (Since when have you known him?)

"Tum toh law school mein the na?" (Weren't you in law school?)

Vihaan waited for the questions to settle before answering.

"Hum ek case ke time mile the." (We met during one case.) He shrugged lightly. "We've been friends ever since."

Vihira placed her spoon down with exaggerated care. "Ham bahut disappointed hain." (I am deeply disappointed.)

Vihaan looked at her. "Kis baat se, chhoti?" (About what, sister?)

She sighed dramatically.

"Hamare hi bhai ji, ka billionaire best friend hai..." (My own cousin has a billionaire best friend...)

She paused for effect. "...aur hame pata dessert ke time chal raha hai." (...and I find out over dessert.)

A faint smile tugged at Vihaan's lips. "Tumne kabhi poocha hi nahi." (You never asked.)

Kartik pointed at him. "Lo ji, aa gaya inka favourite defence." (There it is—his favourite defence.)

Samaira laughed. "Kya yeh hamesha aise hi jawab dete hain?" (Does he always answer like this?)

"Hamesha." (Always.) Vihira replied instantly.

"Agar inse time poochho na..." (If you ask him the time...) She folded her hands behind her back and mimicked Vihaan's calm expression.

"'Depends on the context.'"

The table burst into laughter.

Even Vihaan chuckled.

Kartik's eyes widened. "...Aap hase?" (...Did you just laugh?)

Vihaan raised an eyebrow. "Kabhi kabhi ho jaata hai." (It happens occasionally.)

"Koi date likho!" (Someone write today's date!) Vansh deadpanned. "Yeh historical moment hai." (This is a historical moment.)

Abhay smiled knowingly. "Main toh saalon se keh raha hoon." (I've been saying this for years.)

Randhir looked at him. "Kya?" (What?)

"Bhaiya se reaction sirf chhoti hi nikalwa sakti hai." (Only Vihira can get a reaction out of brother.)

"Main react nahi karta." (I don't react.) Vihaan corrected.

Vihira grinned. "Aaj teen baar smile kiya hai." (You've smiled three times today.)

"Main count nahi kar raha tha." (I wasn't counting.)

She tapped the table proudly. "Ham kar rhe the" (I was.)

Once the laughter faded, Samaira looked at Vihaan again. "Ek baat poochun?" (Can I ask something?)

He nodded.

"Kya mere jaise candidate ke paas wahan chance hoga?" (Would someone like me actually have a chance there?)

The table grew quiet.

Vihaan answered without hesitation. "Agar profile strong hai, toh bilkul." (If your profile is strong, absolutely.)

She hesitated. "Lekin mere paas koi connections nahi hain." (But I don't have any connections.)

Vihaan's expression remained calm. "Zarurat bhi nahi hai." (You don't need them.)

Everyone looked at him.

"Aksh recruitment mein interfere nahi karta." (Aksh never interferes in recruitment.)

"Uska maanna hai ki jo candidate deserve karta hai, usse apni jagah khud earn karni chahiye." (He believes the right candidate should earn their place on merit.)

Samaira looked surprised. "Toh agar main aapka naam bhi loon..." (So even if I mentioned your name...)

He smiled faintly. "Koi farq nahi padega." (It wouldn't make any difference.)

For a moment, she simply nodded.

Then Vihaan added,

"Haan... ek cheez kar sakta hoon." (There is one thing I can do.)

She looked up hopefully.

"Resume bana lo." (Prepare your résumé.) He continued. "Mujhe bhej dena. Main recommend nahi karunga..." (Send it to me. I won't recommend you...)

He paused.

"...lekin bata dunga ki usse aur better kaise bana sakti ho." (...but I'll tell you how you can make it stronger.)

Samaira's face lit up. "Sach?" (Really?)

"Of course."

"Thank you... it really means a lot."

"It's not a favour." Vihaan replied simply. "Bas guidance." (Just guidance.)

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That's it for today wicked soulies!! Do shower your love via votes and comments 🤍