Chapter 98 – "The Great Diwali Shopping Disaster"
The moment Care was declared stable enough to walk around—
the mansion made a terrible decision.
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Diwali shopping.
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For twenty people.
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At the same time.
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In Ahmedabad.
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During festival season.
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A mistake.
A huge mistake.
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The Mall
The second they entered—
chaos began.
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Percy disappeared.
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Again.
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Honey immediately started looking for him.
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Aries sighed.
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"Five minutes."
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"New record."
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Ella laughed.
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Meanwhile—
Freya had already entered her third clothing store.
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"THIS ONE."
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"No, this one."
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"No wait."
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"THIS ONE."
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Edrix looked exhausted already.
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And they had only been there for eight minutes.
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JJ & Keifer
Meanwhile—
JJ had one mission.
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To buy matching outfits.
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Keifer had another mission.
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To survive.
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Unfortunately—
JJ was winning.
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She dragged him through store after store.
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Holding his wrist so he couldn't escape.
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"Jay."
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"No."
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"Jay."
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"No."
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"Jay."
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"No."
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Keifer sighed.
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"I haven't even said anything yet."
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"You're thinking about escaping."
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"...maybe."
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"Denied."
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The Kurta Incident
Half an hour later—
JJ emerged from a changing room.
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Wearing a deep maroon traditional outfit.
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The entire corridor went silent.
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Even strangers looked.
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Because JJ looked beautiful.
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Dangerously beautiful.
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She spun dramatically.
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"Well?"
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Honey smiled immediately.
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"Perfect."
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Ella nodded.
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"Very perfect."
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Mica agreed.
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Even Freya approved.
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A rare achievement.
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Then everyone looked at Keifer.
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Big mistake.
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Because Keifer Watson had stopped functioning.
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Completely.
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JJ blinked.
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"Hubby?"
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Nothing.
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"Keifer?"
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Still nothing.
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Percy immediately started laughing.
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"HE'S GONE."
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Aries nodded.
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"Brain disconnected."
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JJ's cheeks turned pink.
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Keifer finally recovered.
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"...buy it."
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"That's your review?"
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"Buy it."
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"Anything else?"
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"...buy two."
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The girls exploded laughing.
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Revenge
A few stores later—
Keifer came out wearing a black traditional kurta.
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And suddenly—
JJ forgot how words worked.
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Completely.
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Because unfortunately—
he looked unfairly good.
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Very unfairly good.
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Keifer smirked immediately.
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"Oh?"
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JJ looked away.
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"No."
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"No?"
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"No."
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"You're blushing."
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"I'm not."
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"You are."
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"I'm not."
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"You are."
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"I'm not."
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"You're adorable."
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JJ nearly threw a shopping bag at him.
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The Jewelry Shop
Later—
while everyone else was busy.
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Keifer quietly disappeared.
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Only for a few minutes.
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JJ didn't notice.
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Nobody noticed.
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Except Yuri.
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Who saw him enter a jewelry store.
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And leave carrying a very small bag.
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Yuri raised an eyebrow.
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But said nothing.
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Because some secrets were obvious.
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Food Break
Eventually—
the entire group collapsed into a food court.
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Exhausted.
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Covered in shopping bags.
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Percy had bought things nobody understood.
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Freya had bought enough skincare products to start a business.
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Cin was questioning life.
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Rakhi was questioning Cin.
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And JJ—
was stealing food from Keifer's plate.
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Again.
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"Jay."
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"It's ours."
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"No."
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"Marriage."
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"Still no."
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JJ stole another bite.
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Keifer sighed dramatically.
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Then quietly moved the entire plate closer to her.
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Without saying anything.
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Honey noticed.
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Ella noticed.
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Every girl noticed.
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The boys noticed too.
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Nobody commented.
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Because the smile on JJ's face was worth it.
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The Small Moment
As evening approached—
the group walked through rows of Diwali lights.
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Golden lights everywhere.
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Lanterns.
Decorations.
Music.
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For a few moments—
the chaos spread out.
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People wandered separately.
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And somehow—
JJ and Keifer ended up walking slightly behind everyone else.
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Just the two of them.
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Quietly.
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JJ looked at the lights.
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Beautiful.
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Warm.
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Peaceful.
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Then she felt a familiar hand slip into hers.
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Keifer.
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No words.
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No teasing.
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Just holding her hand.
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Like it was the most natural thing in the world.
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JJ smiled softly.
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And squeezed back.
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Neither spoke.
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They didn't need to.
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After everything—
the disease.
The separation.
The memory loss.
The fear.
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Being together again felt enough.
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More than enough.
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Ahead of them—
Percy suddenly screamed because he lost Honey again.
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And the peace immediately vanished.
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JJ burst out laughing.
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Keifer laughed too.
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And together—
they followed their chaotic family deeper into the glowing Diwali night. ✨🪔❤️🌙
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"The Night of Lights"
By evening—
the entire mansion looked magical.
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Rows of diyas glowed along pathways.
Golden fairy lights wrapped around trees.
Lanterns swayed gently in the cool Ahmedabad breeze.
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The sky was slowly turning dark.
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And for the first time all day—
everyone had disappeared into their rooms.
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Getting ready.
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The Boys
Downstairs—
Keifer, Aries, Percy, Yuri, Calix, Edrix, Felix, David, Rory, Eman, Cin, Alex, Rhys and Cole were already ready.
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Most wore traditional kurtas.
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Keifer wore black.
Naturally.
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Aries wore dark navy.
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Percy somehow managed royal blue.
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Yuri wore elegant charcoal grey.
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Calix deep green.
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Edrix cream and gold.
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Cin maroon.
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Alex black and silver.
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Rhys dark emerald.
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Cole—
simple black.
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Yet somehow looked like he owned half the city.
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Nobody understood how.
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The Girls Arrive
Then—
the staircase.
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And suddenly—
every boy forgot how breathing worked.
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Honey
First came Honey.
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Soft peach lehenga.
Tiny golden details.
Hair flowing over one shoulder.
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Percy's brain immediately crashed.
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"Holy—"
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Honey raised an eyebrow.
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Percy corrected himself instantly.
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"...holy Diwali."
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Everyone laughed.
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Ella
Then Ella.
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Deep blue outfit covered in tiny silver embroidery.
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Elegant.
Graceful.
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Aries stared.
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And stared.
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And stared.
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Ella smiled.
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"Something wrong?"
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"No."
Pause.
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"Everything is right."
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The girls immediately started teasing him.
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Mica
Mica wore dark wine-red traditional attire.
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Simple.
Beautiful.
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Calix looked completely defeated.
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"I can't compete with this."
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Mica laughed.
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"Good."
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Rakhi
Rakhi came down next.
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Deep purple.
Silver jewelry.
Confident smile.
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Cin nearly missed a step walking toward her.
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Rakhi immediately noticed.
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"Careful."
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"You distracted me."
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"You say that every time."
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"Because it's true every time."
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Freya
Then came Freya.
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And naturally—
she was dramatic.
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Cream and gold lehenga.
Perfect makeup.
Perfect hair.
Perfect everything.
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Edrix looked at her.
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Then looked away.
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Then looked again.
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Freya smirked.
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"You may continue admiring."
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"I wasn't."
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"You were."
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"...maybe."
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Lyra
Then—
Lyra appeared.
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The entire room paused.
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Deep emerald traditional gown.
Elegant embroidery.
Hair softly curled.
Minimal jewelry.
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Beautiful.
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Alex completely forgot his next thought.
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Rhys immediately noticed.
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"Oh."
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Alex glared.
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Rhys grinned.
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"Ohhhhh."
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Lyra flicked Rhys' forehead before he could continue.
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Care
Then came Care.
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And everyone stopped.
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Even the girls.
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Heavy ivory and gold traditional gown.
Elegant.
Regal.
Beautiful.
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For a moment—
she looked less like a doctor.
And more like someone straight out of a royal portrait.
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Cole looked up.
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And froze.
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Just slightly.
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Only Alex noticed.
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Alex immediately smiled.
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Interesting.
Very interesting.
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JJ
Then—
the final victim arrived.
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JJ.
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Golden-red lehenga.
Traditional jewelry.
Hair partially braided.
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Beautiful enough to silence an entire room.
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Keifer stared.
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And for a moment—
everything else disappeared.
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No disease.
No separation.
No lost memories.
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Just her.
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JJ caught him staring.
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Immediately blushed.
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"Stop."
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"No."
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"Keifer."
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"No."
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The girls exploded laughing.
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Fireworks Begin
Outside—
the celebrations started.
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Sparklers.
Fountains.
Lights.
Colors.
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Everyone gathered in the huge garden.
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Laughter echoed everywhere.
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For a while—
they were simply young people celebrating Diwali.
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Nothing more.
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Nothing less.
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The Dangerous Idea
Then Care picked up a giant firecracker.
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Everyone froze.
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Absolute silence.
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Rhys looked horrified.
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"Care."
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"No."
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Lyra immediately agreed.
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"No."
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Alex:
"No."
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Cole:
"...absolutely not."
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Care blinked.
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"What?"
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Rhys pointed.
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"You're recovering from injuries."
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Care rolled her eyes.
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"I survived being attacked."
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"That doesn't make this a good idea."
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Unfortunately—
Care had already started walking toward the firecracker.
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Everyone watched nervously.
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Like parents watching a toddler with scissors.
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The fuse lit.
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Care calmly walked away.
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Five seconds later—
BOOM.
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The entire garden shook.
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Everyone screamed.
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Care smiled proudly.
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"Told you."
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Cole rubbed his forehead.
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JJ's Turn
JJ's eyes sparkled immediately.
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"Oooo."
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"No."
Keifer answered.
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"I didn't even ask."
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"No."
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Aries:
"No."
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Yuri:
"No."
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Percy:
"No."
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Honey:
"No."
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Ella:
"No."
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The entire group:
"No."
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JJ looked betrayed.
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Deeply betrayed.
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"I am a grown woman."
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"No."
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"That's not even an answer."
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"It is today."
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JJ crossed her arms dramatically.
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And sulked.
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Keifer's Mistake
Keifer laughed.
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"Aww."
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JJ glared.
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"Don't."
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"Wifey is upset."
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The entire group froze.
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JJ's face immediately turned red.
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"I AM NOT YOUR WIFE."
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Keifer smiled.
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"Future wife."
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Silence.
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Then—
Percy screamed.
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"HE SAID IT AGAIN."
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Honey smacked him.
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"LET THEM LIVE."
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JJ tried very hard to stay angry.
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Very hard.
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Failed completely.
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Keifer stepped closer.
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Still smiling.
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JJ looked away.
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Then looked back.
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Then forgot what she wanted to say.
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And before another argument could start—
they shared a quick kiss beneath the glow of Diwali lights.
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Soft.
Warm.
Familiar.
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The kind that said more than words.
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Immediately—
everyone started shouting.
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Percy nearly fell over.
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Freya screamed.
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Cin started cheering.
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Aries looked exhausted.
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Honey was laughing.
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Ella was laughing.
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Even Yuri smiled.
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And for one beautiful night—
under fireworks and lanterns—
the world felt kind.
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Like maybe after everything they had survived...
they deserved this happiness.
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Even if Percy was currently trying to light three fireworks at once.
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Which meant chaos was definitely returning soon. 🪔✨🎆❤️🔥💛
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"A Table Full of Home"
The fireworks continued for another hour.
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Which was exactly one hour too long according to Aries.
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And exactly one hour too short according to Percy.
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"One more!"
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"No."
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"One more!"
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"No."
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"One—"
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"Percy."
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"...okay."
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He was not okay.
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Not even slightly.
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Meanwhile—
Freya had somehow convinced half the girls to take photos.
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Cin was being dragged into pictures against his will.
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Rakhi was threatening him if he ruined another one.
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And somewhere in the middle of all this—
a smell drifted through the garden.
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Warm.
Rich.
Comforting.
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Food.
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Immediately everyone turned.
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Because no matter how beautiful fireworks were—
food always won.
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Dinner Time
The massive outdoor dining area had been prepared.
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Long tables.
Warm lights.
Fresh flowers.
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And enough food to feed a small army.
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Which was good.
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Because there were twenty of them.
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And Percy counted as three people when hungry.
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The Girls Take Charge
Care rolled up her sleeves.
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"Come on."
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Lyra immediately joined her.
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JJ followed.
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Then Honey.
Ella.
Mica.
Freya.
Rakhi.
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Within minutes—
all the girls had somehow taken over the serving stations.
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"Plates here."
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"Careful."
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"Who made this?"
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"It smells amazing."
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"Percy stop stealing before dinner starts."
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Too late.
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Percy was already caught.
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Again.
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The Boys Rebel
Keifer walked over.
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Then Aries.
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Then Yuri.
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Then Calix.
Edrix.
Felix.
David.
Rory.
Eman.
Cin.
Rhys.
Alex.
Cole.
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And suddenly—
every boy was standing there.
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The girls blinked.
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"What?"
Honey asked.
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Keifer raised an eyebrow.
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"What do you mean what?"
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JJ pointed.
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"We are serving."
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"No."
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"We are."
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"No."
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Aries nodded.
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"Everyone serves."
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Yuri agreed.
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"Nobody is working alone."
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For a moment—
the girls simply stared.
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Then smiled.
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Because somehow—
that felt exactly like them.
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Nobody carrying things alone.
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Not anymore.
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Chaos in the Serving Line
Five minutes later—
the serving line became complete chaos.
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Percy was giving people extra portions.
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Huge mistake.
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Aries was reducing them again.
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"That's too much."
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"No it's not."
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"That could feed a village."
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"Exactly."
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Honey buried her face in her hands.
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Meanwhile—
JJ was trying to serve Keifer.
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Trying.
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Because every time she put food on his plate—
he added more to hers.
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"Keifer."
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"You barely ate."
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"I did."
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"You didn't."
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"I did."
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"You didn't."
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The argument continued for three full minutes.
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Nobody intervened.
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Because it was entertaining.
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Cole & Care
On the other side—
Care was carrying a serving bowl.
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Before she could reach the table—
someone took it.
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Cole.
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Care blinked.
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"I can carry that."
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"I know."
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"Then why—"
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"Doctor's orders."
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Care stared.
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"You aren't a doctor."
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Cole smirked.
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"No."
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"Then stop using doctor logic against me."
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"No."
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Alex nearly choked laughing.
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Lyra & Alex
Lyra reached for a tray.
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Alex reached first.
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"I've got it."
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"I can carry a tray."
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"I know."
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"Then—"
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"I've got it."
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Lyra narrowed her eyes.
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Rhys appeared from nowhere.
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"Oh wow."
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Alex:
"Leave."
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Rhys:
"No."
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Everyone Together
Eventually—
everyone sat down.
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Finally.
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One giant table.
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One giant family.
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The couples naturally ended up together.
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Keifer and JJ.
Percy and Honey.
Aries and Ella.
Calix and Mica.
Edrix and Freya.
Cin and Rakhi.
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The others spread around them.
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David.
Felix.
Rory.
Eman.
Yuri.
Rhys.
Alex.
Lyra.
Care.
Cole.
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For a moment—
nobody spoke.
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Just looking around.
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At the lights.
At the food.
At each other.
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Because not long ago—
some of them had believed they'd never sit together again.
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Especially JJ.
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Especially Keifer.
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Especially Percy, Aries and Yuri.
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Yet here they were.
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Together.
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Whole.
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The Moment
JJ looked around the table.
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At her family.
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Every single one of them.
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Then smiled.
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A real smile.
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The kind that reached her eyes.
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The kind that came from peace.
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And quietly said:
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"Happy Diwali."
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Silence.
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Then everyone answered together.
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"Happy Diwali."
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The lights glowed.
The food was warm.
The laughter returned.
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And for that one night—
there were no diseases.
No lost memories.
No hospitals.
No fears.
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Just a table full of people who loved each other.
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And somehow—
that felt brighter than all the fireworks in Ahmedabad combined. 🪔✨❤️🏡