The morning glow filtered through the windows. Aziza and Rohan stood in their hallway-both equally sleepy.

"Teri wajah se mujhe itni neend aa rahi hai abhi," Rohan dramatically exclaimed.

"Acha ji? Maine kya kiya hai? Tu hi kal apni non-existent girlfriend ke liye Aashiqui 2 wale gaane gaa raha tha!" Aziza shot back.

"Good morning, beta," their father chimed in, stopping their banter. Both of them gave warm smiles and greeted him, but the tension was still thick as they sat together at the dining table.

"Umm... beta, I'm sorry for last night. Main bahut late ho gaya tha aur itna thak gaya tha ki tum dono se theek se baat bhi nahi kar paya," he said, finally breaking the awkward silence.

"It's okay, Papa. We understand," Aziza said, while Rohan responded with a warm smile.

"Aaj main pakka ghar jaldi aa jaunga, phir saath mein dinner karenge. Aur Rohan, kaafi time se Ayaan bhi ghar par nahi aaya. Usse bhi bula le. Long weekend aa raha hai. Aziza, tum bhi Naina ko bula lo. Kya kehte ho tum log? Sleepover? Haan, sleepover kar lo," he suggested, because even though he was distant last night, he had noticed their weary smiles and the pain in their eyes. He was too consumed himself to provide any comfort, but surely their friends would make them feel better.

"Are wah Papa, kya idea diya hai! Main college jaate hi Ayaan se keh dunga," Rohan replied with excitement.

"Tum Ayaan ka naam sunke kuch zyada hi khush nahi ho jaate ho, Rohan? Kal raat wale gaane Ayaan ke liye toh nahi gaa rahe the!" Aziza whispered in his ear.

"Chup kar chudail!"

***

The clock ticked steadily in the corner of the small, neat room. Ayaan sat at his study table, books open in front of him, but his pen was still. Tucked beneath the science notebook lay a diary-filled not with formulas, but with lyrics.

He glanced at the closed door and then at his phone-the call log still showed:
Last Call: Azi 🩷 1:04 am

His fingers hovered over the screen for a second before he locked it and slid it away.

Knock knock.

Naina pushed the door open slightly, already dressed in her kurta and jeans.
"Tu ready hai?" she asked, stepping in.

Ayaan blinked and sat up straighter, quickly sliding the diary back into the drawer.

"Main padh raha hoon, Naina," he said, voice flat.

She raised a brow. "Ayaan, political science se lyrics nikal rahe the kya?"

Ayaan gave a small smile but said nothing. Naina's teasing faded as she stepped closer.

"Tu theek hai na? Kal raat der tak jaag raha tha... main bathroom ja rahi thi toh dekha, light jal rahi thi."

Ayaan's face remained calm, unreadable.

"Bas neend nahi aa rahi thi."

She sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Ayaan... main jaanti hoon ghar ka mahaul thoda..." she paused, searching for the right word, "...tough hai. Papa ka pressure, mummy ka busy rehna-sab kuch. Par agar tu kisi cheez ko leke serious hai, tu baat kar sakta hai mujhse. Main sirf behen nahi hoon-main partner-in-crime bhi hoon."

He didn't respond immediately. Then:

"Agar kisi cheez ko leke serious hoon, aur ghar waale samjhein hi na... toh?"

Naina looked at him.

"Toh tu chup reh jaayega? Kya faayda? Har waqt doosron ki expectations ke peeche bhaagta rahega toh khud ki awaaz kab sunega, Ayaan?"

He looked at her quietly, his eyes momentarily flickering with something raw.

"Tu kya karegi agar pata chale ke main sirf padhai nahi... kuch aur bhi chahta hoon?"

Naina tilted her head.
"Main naachungi. Tere saath stage pe. Bas tu pehle bata toh."

She winked, trying to lighten the moment.

Ayaan smiled genuinely now-a rare, fleeting thing.

"Jaldi chal," she stood up, tossing his bag at him. "Late ho gaye toh Papa phir se gyaan denge ki punctuality ka NASA mein kitna importance hai."

"Haan haan," he mumbled, grabbing his stuff.

As they walked out, Naina ruffled his hair.
"Aur haan, Ayaan..."

"Kya?"

"Mujhe pata nahi tu kya chhupa raha hai, par jo bhi hai-kabhi itna bhi chhup mat lena ki tu khud ko bhool jaaye."

Ayaan paused for a split second, then walked ahead-her words ringing somewhere deep inside him.

***

Rohan and Aziza walked in together, half-arguing as usual.

"Teri wajah se meri chai reh gayi, Rohan! Pichhle 10 minute sirf tera moisturiser dhoondhne mein chale gaye!" Aziza snapped.

"Aree sorry yaar! Tera bhai handsome lage college mein, tujhe problem kya hai?" Rohan said, flipping imaginary long hair.

They reached their table where Naina was already sitting with Ayaan, trying to untangle her charger wires.

"Tum dono fir se ladte ladte aaye ho?" Naina asked, not even looking up.

"Default setting hai," Aziza muttered, sitting down with a sigh.

"Oye Ayaan, sun!" Rohan perked up, already too excited. "Papa ne bola-long weekend aa raha hai, ghar pe sab bula lo. Sleepover ka plan fix kar rahe hain!"

"Aur main already invited hoon," Naina added proudly like it was an award. "Main tumhare ghar ka AC aur fridge dono enjoy karne waali hoon."

Ayaan raised an eyebrow. "Sleepover? Tu sure hai tere Papa agree kar gaye?"

"Bhai, officially bola unhone-'Ayaan, Naina-sabko bula lo.' Toh ab tu no excuse!"

"Haan, hum maze karenge," Aziza added.

As they laughed, Naina suddenly gasped.
"Oye suno! Ek aur important baat! Hum sab bhool gaye-Monday ko humara woh school wale bachchon ke liye nukkad natak bhi toh hai!"

"Technology awareness waala?" Aziza groaned.

"Haan! Woh community service marks ke liye... where we're supposed to 'entertain and educate' kids about screen time, internet safety, bla bla."

"Main toh script padh ke hi bore ho gaya," Rohan said. "Bacchon ko 5 minute mein hi Insta chalu karna aata hai, hum kya sikhaayenge?"

"Are voh bakwaas script chhodo. Main aur Aziza ki nayi mast script likhenge. Aaj raat tumhare ghar par practice kar lenge," Naina announced.

"Par hum toh maze karne wale the na?" Rohan asked, disappointed.

"Bhai, script aisi hogi ki tumhe bohot maza aayega. Dekhna."

"Are are, aao aao, tum toh 7 baje hi aa gaye," Aziza said as she welcomed Naina and Ayaan.

"Haan yaar, excitement mein ghar par mann hi nahi lag raha tha," Naina replied.

"Tum dono baitho, main aayi 2 minute mein. Rohan bhi hoga yahin kahin kuch faltugiri kar raha hoga. ROHANNNN!!"

"Ruk yaar Ayaan, main na haath dho kar aayi."

When Naina entered the washroom, she found Rohan washing charging cables with soap. She screamed to call Aziza.

"Azizaa... tumhare ghar mein shayad Gopi bahu hai! Aahhh hahahha!"

"Bakwas na kar! Ye dekh, kitni gandi ho rahi hai... white se ekdum black. Bas saaf kar raha hoon."

"Tum pagal ho? Ye dho kyu rahe ho? Ye chalegi dobara?"

"Sab chalega jaise tumhari ye kainchi si zubaan chalti hai."

"Are kya hua?" both Ayaan and Aziza said together, entering the washroom.

"HAHAHAHAHA ROHAN, TU YE KYA KAR RAHA HAI BHAI!" Ayaan burst out laughing.

"Mera bhai! Omg kya kar rahe ho?" Aziza asked as if almost concerned for him.

Ignoring all their jokes, Rohan grabbed his wires and put them to dry like they were clothes.

"Inhe sookhne do, phir dekhna kaise mast chalegi."

While the others were still rolling on the ground laughing at the charging cables being dried like clothes-

"Ye sab chhod. Chudail, tune script likhi?"

"Haan chipkali Gopi bahu, likh li. Chalo saab, sab ise uthao aur act karo jaise likha hai."

Ayaan and Aziza (team technology) were on one side, while Rohan and Naina (team anti-technology) were on the other.

"Arey purano... humein pehchano, hum technology ke hain donnn!"
Aziza and Ayaan started with a buzz of energy.

"AI ke chamchon humse bach lo, aaj ki duniya mein tum badnaamm..."
Rohan and Naina replied back, singing with the same aggression.

#ACT-1

"Good morning pineapple, looking very good, very nice!"
"Good morning pineapple, looking very good, very nice!"
"On every WhatsApp group I'll post good morning thrice!"
"On every WhatsApp group I'll post good morning thrice!"

Rohan and Naina began singing while Aziza and Ayaan exaggeratedly exercised in the background, acting like aunties and uncles in the park.

"HARI OMM!" Ayaan shouted at the top of his voice in a deep tone.
"BHAISAAABH!" Aziza called out, matching his energy.
"BHENJI!"
"BHAISAAABH! Aapne WhatsApp group check kara? Maine toh apne saare WhatsApp groups par message daal diya hai-'Agar aap apni maa se sachcha pyaar karte ho toh share it to 100 more people!'" Aziza said in an emotional tone.

"Yeh aapne bohot accha kara bhenji. Arey, aapne Zee5 par voh Gopi Bahu ka naya episode dekha? Jisme Rasode mein icchadhari naagin ghus jaati hai?"

"Haan bhaisahab, is phone ke bina toh mera kya hi hoga? Mera beta office chala jaata hai, uske baad main poora din Alexa se hi baat karti hoon."

"Yeh phone toh bhagwan ki blessing hai, warna ghar mein pade-pade bacchon ka hi intezaar karte reh jao. Maine bhi Alexa se aalu-methi ki sabzi seekhi hai. Aao, aapko dikhaun."
Ayaan said his final dialogue as they exited the center.

#ACT- 2

"GAUR SE DEKHIYE INHE,Jo sikke ka ek hi pehlu dikhate hain-par doosre ka kya?Arey DADI, apna bhi toh kissa batao!" Naina acted in a harsh tone, accusing Ayaan and Aziza.

"RO BETAAA, MERE SAATH TOH SCAM HO GAYA!"
Rohan exclaimed in a crying tone, with a dupatta over his head, fully in character as Dadiji.

"RAAM RAAM DADI!" Ayaan shouted.
"Raam raam beta."

"Dadi, hum aapke liye dekho kya laaye-yeh iPhone 20 hai, jo swayam MODI JI ne nikala hai!" he added.

"YEH dekhiye kya keys hain, kya screen hai!" Naina exclaimed, showing a ridiculous old-fashioned calculator to Rohan.

"Par beta, mere paas toh itne paise nahi hain."

"Arey dadi, aapse paise thodi lenge hum! Aapke phone mein bas ek OTP aayega, voh bata do." Naina explained.

"Arey dadi, phone toh nikalo!" Ayaan urged.

"Haan beta, likh-twooooooo..."
Rohan acted, bringing his fake phone closer and then farther from his face like he was struggling to read.

"Arey lao dadi, main hi dekh leti hoon. Theek hai dadi, ab hum chalte hain."
Naina said, bidding goodbye-but just as they were about to leave, Rohan pulled them down with force and started hitting them on their backs lovingly and dramatically.

"HAYE, KITNE PYARE BACCHE HAIN! MERE CHAAND KE TUKDE... BUDDHI DADI KA KITNA DHYAN RAKHTE HAIN. GHAR AANA, TUMHE KHEER KHILAAUNGI, THEEK HAI?" Rohan said, while the other two got up with their arms aching from the "love-filled" beating.

"DADIIIII! Batuaa khaali ho gaya! Kisi ne aapke savings account se 1 lakh rupee nikal liye!" Aziza came running in.

"Arey beta, maine toh kuch nahi kiya. Voh bas do bhole se bacche aaye the, unhe OTP diya tha... aur dekh na, uske badle kya diya unhone-yeh iPhone 20 jo MODI JI ne nikala hai!"

"AREY DADI! Voh 100 rupee ka calculator de ke 1 lakh ka chuna laga gaye!"

"Yeh kyaaa huaa?"
"Kaise huaa?"
"Kab huaa?"
"Kyuu huaa??"

Everyone sang in unison

# ACT 3

Aziza and Ayaan sat side by side, acting like small children.

"CHINTU, CHINTI! Hum log market jaa rahe hain. Chup-chaap baith kar maths padh lena."
Rohan started in a typical father tone.

"Phone ko haath lagane ke baare mein sochna bhi mat tum dono, warna taange tod dungi!" Naina acted in the most "mummy" way possible.

"Aur agar ek bhi Insta ki reel dekhte hue pakde gaye na, toh tumhare is phone ko aag laga dunga!"

As the two left the center, Ayaan and Aziza immediately began watching reels together, promising it would only be for 15 minutes.

AND THEN...
Rohan and Naina entered the scene, pulling them by their ears and faking dramatic slaps.

"Padhte padhte... ho padhte padhte na jaane kaise Insta khul gaya tha!"
"Mummy, maths padhte padhte..."
"Papa, maths padhte padhte..."

"Padhte padhte... ho padhte padhte na jaane kaise Snap daal gayi thi!"
"Papa, stats padhte padhte..."
"Mummy, stats padhte padhte..."

They sang in unison, making dramatic expressions side by side.

As the acts ended, they were all laughing, almost rolling on the floor.

"Waah yaar, kya script likhi hai dono ne!" Ayaan appreciated through his laughter.

"Funny toh ho gaya, par message ka kya? Stand-up karne thodi jaa rahe hain!" Rohan asked.

"Haan haan, uske liye ChatGPT se end mein koi paragraph likhwa lenge. Tu apna non-existent dimaag use mat kar!" Naina replied.

" Haye 8.30 bajne wale hai, na papa aye na kahna Rohan call kar naa" Aziza asked.

____________________________________________________________

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