Damn. Those 15 minutes felt like a whirlwind of emotions, like everything was simultaneously too much, too big, and too little.

  I was genuinely happy for Arjun, but at the same time, I couldn't shake the sadness for Mum and Dad. They wanted him close, needed him around.He was going to be the life-support form them.

  I know him well enough to reckon he might have pondered settling down with Mum and Dad once he's settled there. But that's the aftermath, the aftermath we'll deal with later.

  Let's crunch some numbers before we dive into the aftermath.

  So, the way Arjun talked, it's pretty clear I'm the life support of this wedding. If I screw up, everything goes down the drain, and it'll be a colossal mess.

  Time to gear up for some shopping. I'll use this opportunity to snag some expensive stuff. I mean, my brother's loaded, no doubt about it. He's not dining out on peanuts; there's money in his pockets. And since I'm the life support of the wedding, I damn well deserve some cool stuff, don't I?

  I made a list, put on the best clothes I can scrounge up (the rest are in the laundry pile), and knock on his door. Samira answers, welcoming me inside with a smile, which I return.

  "Since you both have no idea about each-" Arjun starts, but Samira cuts him off, "oh wait, i do know her" leaning closer to me and whispering in my ear, "Vedhika, believe it or not, he's a huge fan of yours. He used to stalk your work online just to brag about it to me. Trust me, he wasn't looking for a photographer; he made up the excuse just to rope you in for free."

  "YOU PLAYING ME, ARJUN?" I yell out, while Samira rolls on the bed, entertained by the dramatics.

  "What? WHAT THE HELL?" he exclaims, utterly shocked.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "You're making me do all this just to save a few bucks, huh? kanjoos makhichoos" I say, the exaggeration dripping from my voice.

  [translation:]

  [ kanjoos makhichoos means "stingy sucker". (kanjoos- stingy and makhichoos- sucker) ]

  "Maybe," he says, barely hiding his smirk.

  "What if I say no?" I challenge, trying to act clever.

  "Alright, no shopping for you. How pathetic to see the groom's sister looking homeless on his wedding day. Oh, Rab daya karo" he says, dramatically gesturing towards the ceiling, theatrically pointing towards the heavens.

  [translation:]

  [ Rab daya karo means "oh lord have mercy". ]

  "Wait, what? WHAT? NO! I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO NOT LOOK HOMELESS, I DON'T HAVE THE INTERNSHIP CASH LIKE YOU, DUDE! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! I'LL TELL DAD!" I blurt out, almost realizing I've made a mistake.

  "Let's make a deal. I'll foot the bill for everything, but you better do your job right, deal?" he proposes.

  "Aye aye, captain," I salute.

  "So here's the plan. Since you both don't know each other PERSONALLY, I'm thinking of taking you out together so you can hang out. And while we're at it, we can get everything you need to get started," he suggests, addressing both of us making the personally, sound as clear as possible.

  "AWESOME," Samira chirps.

  "Vedhika, you know, I always wanted to try street food, but all he ever took me to were fancy restaurants. I doubt I'll ever get a chance like this again. So, right now, I declare myself yours, all yours," she declares, her voice ringing with conviction.

  "Samira, let me tell you, YOU'VE GOT THE RIGHT PERSON. I'LL TAKE YOU EVERYWHERE AND ANYWHERE WE FIND GOOD STREET FOOD," I join her in a victory dance.

  And Arjun, well, he knows better than to interfere when it comes to food. When it's about food, the XX chromosomes wield supernatural powers to get what they want.