Author's POV
After resting for a while, Pragya and Archismita finally woke up at around 6 p.m.
The exhaustion of the final examination had begun to fade, but Pragya's mind was anything but peaceful.
There was a secret she had been carrying for weeks.
A secret she hadn't told anyone—not her father, not her brother, and certainly not her friends.
She had cracked GATE.
And she had received the opportunity to pursue her M.Tech. in Biotechnology at IIT Madras, one of India's premier institutions for higher studies in the field.
It was everything she had worked for.
Everything she had dreamed about.
And yet, instead of feeling completely triumphant, Pragya felt guilty.
She knew exactly what would happen if she told them.
Her father would try to convince her to stay.
Anubhab would probably support her dream but would still worry endlessly.
Her friends would be devastated at the thought of her leaving.
And Pragya knew herself well enough to understand what would happen next.
If she saw them hurt, she might change her mind.
Not because she didn't want IIT Madras.
Not because she didn't want the future she had worked so hard to earn.
But because leaving them would hurt her too.
Her father, especially, would find it hardest to accept.
Ever since losing Pritha, Anirban had lived with an almost constant fear of losing the people he had left. His children were the centre of his world. He wanted them close, where he could see them, protect them, and know that they were safe.
Pragya knew that asking him to let his little girl move to another city would be incredibly difficult for him.
And she knew something else too.
She would be homesick.
Terribly homesick.
Her books, her room, her father's voice calling her for dinner, Anubhab's endless teasing, her friends dropping by without warning—the ordinary little things that made up her life would suddenly become distant memories.
She knew leaving would hurt.
But sometimes, loving the life you have also means having the courage to leave it temporarily to build the life you dream about.
For a beautiful future, she had to take the difficult step.
Both she and Archismita had secured jobs through campus placements. Archismita was ready to begin working immediately and was excited about starting her professional journey.
Pragya, however, had different plans.
She wanted to work—but after completing her M.Tech.
She wanted to study further, challenge herself, and build a stronger foundation before entering the professional world.
And IIT Madras was an opportunity she couldn't simply let go.
Still, she wasn't ready to tell anyone.
Not yet.
She pushed the thoughts aside and headed toward the washroom.
A few minutes later, while Pragya was still inside, the doorbell rang.
Ding-dong.
Pragya hurried toward the door.
"I'll open it—"
Before she could finish, Archismita called from the living room.
"You stay there. I'll get it."
Pragya stopped and let her.
The door opened.
And within seconds, the peaceful house was invaded by chaos.
"PRAGYAAAA!"
Pragya had barely stepped out of the washroom when Niharika and Aarohi descended upon her.
Before she could even react, both girls wrapped her in an enormous hug.
"Wait! Wait! I can't breathe!"
Her protest only made them laugh harder.
Aarohi finally loosened her grip and stared at Pragya dramatically.
"Oh my God! I'm meeting you after a decade!"
Pragya blinked.
"Aarohi, I saw you last week."
"That is completely irrelevant!"
Aarohi placed a hand dramatically over her heart.
"Only I know how I survived all this time without tormenting you properly."
Niharika rolled her eyes.
"Survived? You probably tortured everyone else instead."
"That's beside the point."
Pragya burst out laughing.
Some things never changed.
Niharika then turned toward Pragya and Archismita, her expression becoming serious for approximately three seconds.
"So, tell me. How was the examination?"
Archismita smiled.
"It went well."
Niharika stared at her.
"Well? That's it?"
She looked between the two girls as though they had committed an unforgivable crime.
"You two deserve the Nobel Prize for completing eight entire semesters of B.Tech. Biotechnology from one of the toughest universities in Kolkata!"
Aarohi immediately nodded.
"Absolutely. I wouldn't have survived two semesters."
"Two?" Niharika scoffed. "You wouldn't survive orientation."
"Excuse me?"
And just like that, the room dissolved into laughter.
Pragya laughed along with them, but somewhere beneath that smile, the secret remained.
IIT Madras.
A new city.
A new life.
A dream waiting to be lived.
And a family she would have to leave behind.
For now, however, she simply enjoyed the warmth of the people she loved.
Because she knew that soon, she would have to find the courage to tell them everything.
Finally, after what seemed like an endless war of arguments, teasing, mock accusations, and Aarohi's dramatically unnecessary commentaries, the house slowly transitioned from examination mode to dinner-preparation chaos.
The four girls had somehow managed to turn the simple task of getting ready into a full-blown production.
Aarohi stood in front of the mirror, holding two dresses against herself, looking deeply troubled.
"Which one?"
Niharika didn't even look up from her phone.
"Neither."
Aarohi gasped.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm just saving you from making a terrible fashion decision."
"You are literally wearing the same T-shirt you wore this morning."
"It is comfortable."
"It has a hole in it!"
"That's called ventilation."
Archismita burst out laughing.
Pragya shook her head.
"I'm beginning to think Anubhab Bhai should have taken us all to dinner separately."
"Absolutely not," Aarohi declared. "He would miss my presence."
"He would enjoy the silence," Niharika muttered.
"I heard that!"
"Good."
Pragya laughed.
The room became noisier by the minute.
Niharika opened Pragya's wardrobe and began examining her clothes.
"You have so many clothes, and you still wear the same three outfits."
Pragya looked offended.
"Because those three are comfortable."
Aarohi immediately pointed at her.
"See? This is why I say Pragya needs professional intervention."
"Your fashion advice is the last thing I need."
"Why?"
"Because the last time I followed your advice, you made me wear earrings that looked like Christmas decorations."
"They were beautiful!"
"They were enormous!"
"They were statement pieces."
"They made a statement, all right," Archismita remarked dryly. "Mostly, 'help me.'"
The room erupted in laughter.
Aarohi placed a hand dramatically over her heart.
"I can't believe the betrayal I'm facing in this house."
"You'll survive," Pragya said.
"I don't know. My heart is fragile."
"Your heart is dramatic," Niharika corrected.
"Same thing."
Pragya laughed again as she returned to her wardrobe.
Normally, she would have been completely absorbed in their nonsense.
Tonight, however, a small part of her mind remained somewhere else.
IIT Madras.
The thought had been following her all day.
She had cracked GATE.
She had earned a chance to pursue her M.Tech. at one of India's premier institutions.
It was the opportunity she had dreamed about.
Yet she had kept it hidden.
From her father.
From Anubhab.
From her closest friends.
And now the guilt was becoming impossible to ignore.
She knew why she had been afraid to tell them.
They loved her too much.
Her father would be heartbroken at the thought of his little girl leaving home. Anubhab would probably pretend to be perfectly supportive while secretly worrying about her every five minutes. Her friends would celebrate her achievement and then immediately start complaining about how much they would miss her.
And Pragya knew herself.
If she saw them hurting because of her decision, she might give up.
She might choose familiarity over ambition.
Home over opportunity.
But she couldn't do that.
Not this time.
She had worked for this.
She had earned it.
And she wanted to know how far she could go.
She quietly selected her outfit and placed it on the bed.
Aarohi suddenly appeared beside her.
"Pragya?"
"Hmm?"
"Why are you smiling like that?"
Pragya froze for half a second.
"Like what?"
"Like you've just remembered a secret."
Niharika immediately looked up.
"Oho!"
Archismita glanced at Pragya knowingly.
Pragya quickly shook her head.
"Nothing. I'm just happy."
Aarohi narrowed her eyes dramatically.
"Suspicious."
"Stop being dramatic."
"I am incapable of that."
"We know," Archismita said.
Aarohi ignored her.
"Something is definitely going on."
Pragya laughed and lightly pushed her away.
"Go get ready."
"Yes, ma'am."
Aarohi turned toward the mirror again.
"Fine. But if I discover a secret tonight, I expect compensation for the emotional trauma."
Niharika rolled her eyes.
"You create the emotional trauma yourself."
"Details."
The laughter continued.
But beneath Pragya's smile, her decision had become firmer.
She couldn't hide it anymore.
She looked at herself in the mirror for a moment.
Tonight.
She would tell them.
No matter how emotional it became.
No matter how difficult the conversation was.
No matter how much her heart begged her to postpone it again.
Tonight, her family and friends would finally know about GATE and IIT Madras.
She had spent months dreaming about the future.
Now she had to find the courage to step toward it.
The clock struck 8 p.m.
Miraculously, after nearly two hours of chaos, arguments, wardrobe disasters, dramatic declarations, and enough teasing to last an entire week, the four girls had somehow managed to look decent.
Somehow.
That, however, did not mean the drama was over.
In fact, it had reached its final stage.
Aarohi stood in front of the mirror, carefully examining herself from every possible angle.
"Wait."
Everyone froze.
"What now?" Niharika groaned.
Aarohi pointed toward her reflection.
"My earrings."
Pragya stared at her.
"What about them?"
"They don't match."
"They're literally the same pair."
"I know. That's the problem."
Niharika closed her eyes.
"I'm going to lose my mind."
Aarohi immediately turned toward her.
"You're just jealous because I look fabulous."
"You've been getting ready for two hours."
"Greatness takes time."
Archismita glanced at the clock.
"Apparently, so does indecisiveness."
Aarohi gasped.
"Archi! Not you too!"
Pragya burst out laughing.
Meanwhile, Niharika was frantically searching through her handbag.
"Where's my phone?"
"You were holding it thirty seconds ago," Pragya pointed out.
"I know that!"
"Then why are you searching?"
"Because I don't know where I put it!"
Archismita calmly pointed toward the bed.
"It's beside your scarf."
Niharika stared at it.
There was a long silence.
"...I knew that."
Pragya raised an eyebrow.
"Of course you did."
"Don't start."
Aarohi suddenly grabbed Pragya's wrist.
"Wait! Your hair!"
Pragya looked alarmed.
"What happened to my hair?"
"Nothing. That's the problem."
"What does that even mean?"
"It means you need to do something with it."
"I like it this way."
"You always say that."
"Because I do!"
Aarohi grabbed a comb.
"No arguments."
"Give me that!"
"Sit down."
"Aarohi—"
"Sit."
Pragya reluctantly sat on the edge of the bed while Aarohi began fixing her hair with exaggerated concentration.
Niharika watched them and shook her head.
"Honestly, Anubhab Bhai is going to regret inviting all four of us."
Aarohi immediately replied, "No, he won't. He loves us."
"He tolerates you."
"He adores me."
"He threatened to confiscate your phone last time."
"That was brotherly affection."
Archismita laughed.
"By that logic, his lectures are love letters."
"Exactly!"
Pragya covered her face with her hands.
"You people are impossible."
"And yet," Niharika said proudly, "you've chosen to keep us."
"I'm beginning to question that decision."
Aarohi dramatically clutched her chest.
"After everything I've done for you?"
"You ate half my dessert last week."
"I was protecting you from excessive sugar."
"You finished it!"
"It was a sacrifice."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Finally, after another round of arguments over earrings, hairstyles, handbags, shoes, and the highly controversial question of who had taken whose hairbrush, the girls were finally ready.
Pragya looked at the three of them and sighed.
"Ready?"
Aarohi grabbed her handbag.
"Born ready."
Niharika rolled her eyes.
"You've been ready since seven-thirty. You just kept changing your mind."
"Fashion is a process."
Archismita picked up her phone.
"Can we please leave before Anubhab Bhai comes upstairs and drags us out himself?"
That finally silenced them.
For approximately three seconds.
Then Aarohi whispered,
"Do you think he'll complain about how long we took?"
Pragya smiled.
"Definitely."
Niharika nodded.
"Absolutely."
Archismita sighed.
"Then let's go before he starts his lecture."
The four girls exchanged amused looks before finally heading downstairs.
They had somehow survived the preparation.
Now they only had to survive Anubhab's reaction to their two-hour-long getting-ready session.
And somewhere beneath all the laughter and chaos, Pragya's heart began beating a little faster.
Because tonight wasn't only about dinner.
Tonight, she was finally going to tell them.
About GATE.
About IIT Madras.
And about the future she had secretly chosen for herself.
Anubhab was already waiting beside his car.
He glanced at his watch.
8:17 p.m.
Then at the entrance.
Then at his watch again.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
He wasn't surprised.
He had known from the moment he told them to be ready by eight that "eight" would apparently mean "somewhere between eight and the end of civilization."
Finally, the front door opened.
One by one, the girls stepped outside.
Anubhab looked up.
And immediately burst out laughing.
"Wow."
The girls stopped.
Aarohi narrowed her eyes.
"What?"
Anubhab looked at his watch again.
"I was beginning to wonder whether I was taking four girls to dinner or waiting for four celebrities to finish their red-carpet preparations."
Niharika immediately pointed at Aarohi.
"Don't look at me. She was the reason we were late."
Aarohi gasped.
"Excuse me? You changed your earrings three times!"
"Because you told me the first pair looked terrible!"
"They did!"
"They were perfectly fine!"
"They were tragic."
Anubhab folded his arms.
"So I'm guessing the emergency wasn't a real emergency."
Aarohi looked offended.
"Fashion is never an emergency to be taken lightly."
"Clearly."
Archismita tried to suppress a laugh.
Anubhab noticed.
"And you, Archi? You're the sensible one. Tell me how this happened."
Archismita immediately pointed toward the other two.
"I was ready at seven-thirty."
Pragya nodded.
"She's telling the truth."
Aarohi looked betrayed.
"Pragya!"
"What? It's true."
"You're supposed to support me!"
"I support you emotionally. I don't support your lies."
Niharika burst out laughing.
"That's our Pragya."
Anubhab shook his head.
"Excellent. I've been waiting seventeen minutes, and you've already started fighting before getting into the car."
"We weren't fighting," Aarohi protested.
"We were discussing."
"Loudly," Archismita added.
"Passionately," Niharika corrected.
Anubhab laughed.
"Of course."
He opened the passenger door.
"Come on, Angel. Get in before these three start another parliamentary debate."
Pragya smiled and walked toward the car.
Aarohi immediately followed.
"I'm sitting in the front!"
Anubhab stopped her.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because Pragya is sitting there."
Aarohi looked at Pragya.
"Favouritism."
Anubhab raised an eyebrow.
"She is my sister."
"And I'm your sister too!"
"You are one of my sister's friends."
Aarohi placed a hand dramatically over her heart.
"After everything I've done for this family..."
Niharika interrupted.
"You ate their food."
"Exactly."
Anubhab laughed.
"Back seat. Both of you."
Aarohi grumbled but climbed into the back with Niharika and Archismita.
As Pragya settled into the passenger seat, she looked at her brother with a smile.
"You know they're never going to let you forget this."
Anubhab started the engine.
"I know."
From the back seat came Aarohi's voice.
"We heard that!"
Anubhab glanced at her through the rear-view mirror.
"Good."
The girls burst into laughter.
For a few moments, the car was filled with their familiar chatter, teasing, and arguments.
It felt ordinary.
Warm.
Safe.
But Pragya's fingers tightened slightly around her handbag.
Because beneath all the laughter, she was carrying a secret that could change everything.
Tonight, she would finally tell them.
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