Author's POV
Finally, after an unnecessarily long discussion about which restaurant to choose, Aarohi's running commentary on everything they passed, and Niharika's repeated complaints about being hungry, they finally reached the restaurant.
The moment Anubhab parked the car, Aarohi practically jumped out.
"Food!"
Niharika followed her.
"Please behave like a civilized human being."
"I've been civilized for twenty-two years. Tonight, I'm hungry."
Pragya got out of the car, shaking her head.
"Both of you are embarrassing."
Aarohi looked at her with exaggerated disbelief.
"Excuse me? You were the one who spent forty minutes choosing what to wear!"
"That was because you kept rejecting everything!"
"I was helping."
"You called my first dress boring."
"Because it was."
"You called the second one too simple."
"Because it was."
"And the third?"
Aarohi smiled proudly.
"Finally acceptable."
Pragya stared at her.
"You're impossible."
"Yet you love me."
"Debatable."
Anubhab locked the car and walked toward them.
"Are you three planning to continue the argument here, or can we at least enter the restaurant before the staff starts charging us rent?"
Niharika immediately pointed at Aarohi.
"She started it."
Aarohi pointed back.
"She finished it."
Archismita sighed.
"I've known these people for years, and I still don't understand how they function."
Anubhab smiled.
"They don't."
Inside the restaurant, they found a table and sat down.
Anubhab sat beside Pragya, while Archismita sat opposite them. Niharika and Aarohi immediately began negotiating over the remaining seats.
"I want this side," Aarohi declared.
"Why?"
"Better view."
"Of what?"
"The restaurant."
Niharika stared at her.
"You can see the restaurant from literally every seat."
"Yes, but this is the better view."
Anubhab leaned back.
"I'm beginning to regret bringing you all."
Pragya grinned.
"Too late, Dabhai."
He looked at her.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Very much."
"Traitor."
She laughed.
The waiter handed them the menus.
Silence descended.
For exactly five seconds.
Then—
"I'm ordering this."
"No, you're not."
"Why?"
"Because you said the same thing last time and ate half of mine."
"That was research."
"Research?"
"Yes. I needed to know whether yours tasted better."
Niharika snatched the menu away.
"You're not allowed to order anything until I decide."
Aarohi gasped.
"Who made you the authority?"
"I just did."
Anubhab looked at Pragya.
"Is this normal?"
Pragya nodded seriously.
"Unfortunately."
"Can you fix it?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I've tried for years."
Archismita quietly added, "We've all tried."
Aarohi looked offended.
"You people have no appreciation for my personality."
"We appreciate it," Niharika said. "From a safe distance."
Pragya burst out laughing.
Aarohi immediately turned toward Anubhab.
"Bhai, they're bullying me."
Anubhab calmly replied,
"You deserve it."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
"Bhai!"
He laughed.
"You complain about everyone else. For once, I'm joining them."
Pragya nearly choked laughing.
Aarohi folded her arms.
"Fine. I'm never talking to you again."
"Wonderful."
"Never."
"Peace at last."
"I mean it!"
"I'll survive."
Aarohi stared at him.
"You're horrible."
"And yet you keep calling me Bhai."
"Because unfortunately, you're Pragya's brother."
Anubhab smiled.
"Exactly. No returns accepted."
The entire table dissolved into laughter.
Soon, the food arrived, and the teasing only intensified.
Niharika stole a piece from Aarohi's plate.
"Hey!"
"You weren't eating it."
"I was looking at it!"
"You were looking at it for too long."
"That's theft!"
"That's friendship."
Archismita shook her head.
"You're both ridiculous."
Aarohi immediately stole something from Archismita's plate.
"Hey!"
"See? Now we're even."
"That's not how being even works!"
Anubhab watched the chaos with an amused smile.
Then Pragya quietly pushed one of her favourite dishes toward Archismita.
"You haven't eaten much."
Archismita smiled.
"I'm fine."
"No arguments. Eat."
Anubhab noticed and smiled softly.
That was Pragya.
She could spend ten minutes arguing with her friends over something completely ridiculous and then notice immediately when one of them wasn't eating enough.
He reached over and stole a piece from Pragya's plate.
She stared at him.
"Bhai!"
"What?"
"That was mine."
"You weren't eating it."
"I was going to!"
Anubhab grinned.
"Then you should have eaten faster."
Niharika burst out laughing.
"Finally! Someone got her!"
Pragya glared at her brother.
"You're supposed to support me!"
"I do."
"By stealing my food?"
"It's character development."
Aarohi nodded solemnly.
"Very important."
Pragya looked around the table.
"I hate all of you."
Anubhab smiled.
"No, you don't."
She tried to remain annoyed.
But she couldn't.
She smiled.
And for a while, the secret weighing on her heart disappeared beneath the laughter, arguments, stolen food, and ridiculous teasing.
Still, somewhere in the back of her mind, one thought remained.
Tonight, she had to tell them.
Because after tonight, everything might be different.
She had rehearsed this moment countless times in her head, but now that all eyes were on her, every carefully prepared sentence seemed to disappear.
The laughter slowly faded as Pragya cleared her throat.
Once.
Then again.
No one noticed at first.
Aarohi was still arguing with Niharika over the last piece of naan, while Archismita was quietly trying to rescue her plate from the chaos.
Pragya cleared her throat a third time.
This time, Anubhab noticed.
He turned toward her.
"What's wrong, Angel?"
Pragya swallowed.
"Bhai... I have something to tell you."
The words immediately changed the atmosphere.
Niharika stopped mid-bite.
Aarohi slowly lowered the piece of naan in her hand.
Archismita looked at Pragya.
Anubhab's expression became serious.
"What happened?"
"Nothing happened," Pragya quickly assured him. "Why does everyone look like I'm about to announce someone's death?"
Aarohi frowned.
"Because you have the face of someone about to reveal a terrible secret."
"I do not!"
"You absolutely do."
Niharika nodded.
"She's right. You're doing that thing."
"What thing?"
"That thing where you pretend everything is normal when you're obviously nervous."
Pragya sighed.
"Can I please speak?"
Aarohi immediately zipped her lips.
Niharika sat up straight.
Archismita gave Pragya an encouraging smile.
Anubhab waited patiently.
Pragya took a deep breath.
"I... cleared GATE."
Silence.
Complete silence.
For approximately two seconds.
Then—
"WHAT?!"
Aarohi nearly fell out of her chair.
Niharika stared at Pragya as though she had suddenly started speaking another language.
Archismita, despite already knowing that Pragya had been keeping something from everyone, smiled proudly.
Anubhab simply stared at his sister.
"You cleared GATE?"
Pragya nodded.
"Yes."
"When?"
"A while ago."
"A while ago?"
Anubhab's eyebrows rose.
"You knew this and didn't tell me?"
Pragya immediately looked down.
"I was going to."
"Angel."
"I really was!"
Aarohi slapped a hand against the table.
"Wait! Wait! Don't skip the important part!"
She leaned toward Pragya.
"What did you get?"
Pragya hesitated.
"I got the opportunity to pursue my M.Tech. in Biotechnology at—"
She paused.
"—IIT Madras."
Silence again.
Then Niharika screamed.
"IIT MADRAS?!"
Several people at nearby tables turned toward them.
Aarohi immediately lowered her voice.
"Sorry."
She turned back to Pragya and whispered dramatically,
"IIT MADRAS?!"
Pragya started laughing despite herself.
"Yes!"
Aarohi grabbed her hands.
"You got into IIT Madras and you were sitting here peacefully eating dinner?!"
"I was hungry!"
Niharika stared at her.
"YOU HAVE BEEN HIDING THIS FROM US?"
"I didn't exactly hide it..."
Archismita raised an eyebrow.
"You absolutely hid it."
Pragya looked at her.
"Traitor."
"I'm just stating facts."
Anubhab was still looking at Pragya.
His expression held a strange mixture of pride, surprise, and something else she couldn't quite identify.
"You cracked GATE," he repeated quietly.
Pragya nodded.
"Yes."
"And you got IIT Madras."
"Yes."
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Angel..."
He reached across the table and gently squeezed her hand.
"I'm proud of you."
Pragya's eyes immediately became moist.
She had been afraid of this moment.
Afraid that he would be angry.
Afraid that he would feel betrayed because she hadn't told him.
Instead, there was pride in his eyes.
But then Anubhab's expression changed.
"However..."
Pragya's smile disappeared.
"However?"
"You didn't tell me."
"Bhai—"
"No excuses."
"I was scared!"
"Of me?"
"No!"
"Then?"
Pragya looked down at her hands.
"Because I knew all of you would be sad."
The teasing disappeared from the table.
Her voice became softer.
"I know how much baba wants me close. And I know you do too. And these three idiots will probably make my life miserable if I leave."
"Hey!" Aarohi protested.
Pragya smiled faintly.
"But it's true."
She took a breath.
"I know I'll be homesick. I know I'll miss all of you. I'll miss home, Papa, you... everything."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"But this is a huge opportunity, Bhai."
Anubhab listened silently.
"I want to do my M.Tech. I want to study more before I start working. I know it's going to be difficult, but... I don't want to give up something I've worked so hard for just because I'm scared of leaving home."
Archismita reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
"You shouldn't."
Pragya looked at her.
Archismita smiled.
"You deserve this."
Niharika nodded enthusiastically.
"Absolutely."
Aarohi wiped an imaginary tear.
"Look at our little scientist growing up."
Pragya laughed through her tears.
"I'm not a scientist yet."
"Details."
Niharika suddenly pointed at her.
"But there is one major problem."
Pragya blinked.
"What?"
"You're going to leave us."
Aarohi immediately gasped.
"My best friend is abandoning me!"
"I'm not abandoning you!"
"You're moving to Chennai!"
"I'll call!"
"Calls are not hugs!"
Niharika nodded gravely.
"She has a point."
Pragya laughed.
"You two are impossible."
Anubhab shook his head, smiling.
"Let her finish."
Aarohi looked at him.
"Bhai, you're not allowed to be calm. You're supposed to be emotionally devastated with us."
"I'm proud of her."
"But—"
"I'm proud of her," he repeated.
The girls fell silent.
Anubhab looked at Pragya.
"I won't lie, Angel. The thought of you being so far away isn't easy for me."
Pragya's eyes filled again.
"But if IIT Madras is what you want, I'll never ask you to give it up for us."
She stared at him.
"Really?"
"Really."
He smiled.
"Your wings were never meant to stay folded just because we're afraid of watching you fly."
Pragya's eyes finally overflowed.
Aarohi immediately pointed at Anubhab.
"That's it. I'm crying."
Niharika nodded.
"Same."
Archismita smiled quietly.
Anubhab sighed.
"Why are all four of you crying now?"
Aarohi wiped her eyes dramatically.
"Because you're being too nice."
"Would you prefer my lecture?"
"No."
"Then stop crying."
Everyone laughed.
Pragya leaned toward her brother and hugged him tightly.
Anubhab wrapped an arm around her.
"I'm proud of you, Angel."
She whispered,
"I'm scared."
"I know."
"You'll miss me?"
"Every day."
She smiled through her tears.
"But I'll still make sure you go."
For the first time that evening, Pragya felt the weight inside her chest begin to lift.
She had finally told them.
And somehow, the world hadn't fallen apart.
Instead, the people she loved had reminded her of something she had almost forgotten:
Leaving home didn't mean leaving love behind.
The dinner finally came to an end after what felt like another two hours of laughter, teasing, stolen bites, mock arguments, and Aarohi's dramatic declarations.
One by one, they dropped everyone home.
Niharika was the first.
"Call me the moment you reach home," she instructed Pragya.
Pragya rolled her eyes.
"I'm not crossing the Atlantic Ocean, Niharika."
"Still. Call me."
Aarohi leaned out of the window.
"And remember—I expect regular updates about IIT Madras!"
Pragya groaned.
"I haven't even left yet!"
"Preparation is important!"
Archismita was the last to get out.
She looked at Pragya for a moment before smiling.
"Call me tomorrow."
"I will."
Archismita then turned toward Anubhab.
"Goodnight, Bhai."
"Goodnight, Archi. Get some sleep."
She smiled and walked away.
Anubhab waited until she entered the building before starting the car again.
The journey home was unusually quiet.
Pragya sat beside him, staring out of the window.
She had already told her brother.
She had told her friends.
Now came the hardest part.
Papa.
Anubhab glanced at her.
"You okay?"
Pragya nodded.
"I'm just nervous."
He smiled.
"Papa won't stop loving you because you're going to IIT Madras."
"I know."
"And he won't disown you."
"Dabhai!"
"I'm just making sure we're covering all possibilities."
She laughed despite herself.
"You're impossible."
"I've been told."
A few minutes later, they finally reached home.
The house was quiet.
As they stepped inside, Pragya immediately noticed the light still glowing in the living room.
Anirban was waiting.
He was sitting on the sofa, still dressed from the hospital, a few medical files resting on the table beside him.
The moment he saw them, his tired face softened.
"You're back."
Pragya's nervousness disappeared for a moment.
"Papa!"
She hurried toward him and wrapped her arms around him.
Anirban smiled and hugged her tightly.
"How was my graduate?"
Pragya laughed against his shoulder.
"Finally free!"
"Free?"
"Free from examinations."
Anirban chuckled.
"That's my girl."
He gently touched her hair.
"So, how did the last examination go?"
Pragya immediately launched into the story.
"It was actually really good. The paper wasn't as horrible as we expected. The biotechnology section was—"
Anubhab quietly watched them from behind.
He knew.
He could see the exact moment Pragya's words began slowing down.
Anirban noticed it too.
He looked at his daughter.
"Why did you suddenly become quiet?"
Pragya looked at Anubhab.
Their eyes met.
Anubhab understood instantly.
He stepped closer and gently squeezed her hand.
A silent message.
I'm here.
Anirban's eyes moved between the two of them.
"Why are you two looking at each other like that?"
Pragya immediately looked away.
"Nothing."
Anirban narrowed his eyes.
"Nothing?"
"Yes."
"Pragya."
"Hmm?"
"I've been a surgeon for thirty years. I know when someone is hiding something."
Anubhab tried not to laugh.
Pragya glared at him.
"Don't laugh!"
"I didn't say anything."
"Your face did."
Anirban raised an eyebrow.
"Now I'm definitely suspicious."
Pragya took a deep breath.
Her heart was pounding.
She sat beside her father.
"Papa..."
"Yes?"
"I have something to tell you."
Anirban immediately became serious.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Papa."
He waited.
Pragya looked down at her hands.
"I... cleared GATE."
Anirban blinked.
For a moment, he seemed to have forgotten how to respond.
"You... what?"
"I cleared GATE."
Anubhab smiled quietly.
Anirban stared at her.
"When?"
"A while ago."
"A while ago?"
His eyes immediately shifted toward Anubhab.
"You knew?"
Anubhab nodded.
"I found out tonight."
Anirban looked back at Pragya.
"And you didn't tell me?"
Pragya's eyes immediately filled with guilt.
"I was scared."
"Of me?"
"No!"
"Then why?"
"Because I knew you'd be sad."
Anirban's expression changed.
"Sad?"
Pragya swallowed.
"I got an opportunity to pursue my M.Tech."
Anirban stared at her.
"Where?"
Pragya took another deep breath.
"At IIT Madras."
Silence.
Anirban didn't move.
He simply looked at his daughter.
Then he leaned back slowly against the sofa.
"IIT Madras."
Pragya nodded.
"Yes."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"My daughter got into IIT Madras."
His voice trembled slightly.
"Papa..."
He looked at her with unmistakable pride.
"I'm proud of you."
Pragya's eyes filled with tears.
But Anirban's smile slowly faded.
"And you're going to leave."
It wasn't a question.
Pragya's lips trembled.
"Yes."
The room became painfully quiet.
Anirban looked down.
For a few seconds, he said nothing.
Then he quietly asked,
"How far?"
"Chennai."
He gave a small, humourless laugh.
"Of course."
Anubhab gently placed a hand on his father's shoulder.
Anirban looked at him.
"You knew she wanted this?"
Anubhab nodded.
"I knew tonight."
Anirban sighed.
"I suppose I should have known."
Pragya immediately moved closer.
"Papa, please don't be upset."
He looked at her.
"Upset?"
He gave a small smile.
"I'm not upset with you, Pragya."
"Then?"
"I'm afraid."
That one sentence broke something inside her.
Anirban looked at his daughter.
"I lost your mother when you were five."
His voice became quieter.
"I spent years trying to convince myself that I could protect you and Anubhab from everything life could possibly throw at you."
He smiled sadly.
"And now you're telling me that my little girl is going to another city."
"Papa..."
"I know I can't keep you beside me forever."
He reached for her hand.
"And I know I shouldn't."
Pragya's tears finally spilled.
"I don't want to leave you."
Anirban squeezed her hand.
"That's why you didn't tell me."
She nodded.
"I thought if I saw you sad, I'd change my mind."
Anirban's eyes became moist.
"You silly girl."
He pulled her into his arms.
"You think your father would ever want you to sacrifice your future just to keep him happy?"
Pragya hugged him tightly.
"I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too."
"Terribly."
"I know."
Anubhab stood quietly nearby, watching them.
Anirban eventually pulled back and wiped Pragya's tears.
"You've worked for this. You earned it."
Pragya looked at him hopefully.
"So... you're not angry?"
Anirban gave her an incredulous look.
"Angry?"
"Yes."
He sighed dramatically.
"I am extremely angry."
Pragya froze.
"Papa!"
He pointed at her.
"You cleared GATE, got into IIT Madras, and kept it secret from your father!"
She looked guilty.
"I'm sorry."
Anirban's stern expression lasted exactly three seconds.
Then he smiled.
"But I'm even more offended that you thought I would stop you."
Pragya laughed through her tears.
Anubhab finally chuckled.
Anirban turned toward him.
"And you."
Anubhab immediately straightened.
"Me?"
"You knew and didn't tell me?"
"I literally found out tonight."
Anirban narrowed his eyes.
"Still suspicious."
"Papa!"
Pragya laughed.
The heaviness in the room finally began to dissolve.
Anirban pulled both his children closer.
For a moment, the three of them simply sat together.
No careers.
No IIT.
No hospital.
No responsibilities.
Just a father and his two children.
Anirban looked at Pragya.
"Go."
She looked up.
"Go chase your dream."
Her eyes filled again.
"And when you miss us?"
"I'll call."
"When you feel homesick?"
"I'll come home."
"And when things get difficult?"
Anubhab smiled.
"We'll be one phone call away."
Pragya looked at both of them.
For the first time that night, she understood that leaving home didn't mean leaving her family behind.
Her father wasn't letting go because he loved her less.
He was letting go because he loved her enough to let her fly.
Anirban kissed her forehead.
"Your mother would have been so proud of you."
Pragya closed her eyes.
That was all it took.
She broke down and hugged him again.
"I wish Ma could see me."
Anirban held her tightly.
"She does."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Somewhere, she does."
Anubhab quietly joined the embrace.
And for a long moment, the three of them stayed that way—holding on to one another, even as they prepared themselves for the first great distance their little family would have to face.
Because sometimes, love isn't about holding someone close.
Sometimes, love is having the courage to open your hands...
and let them fly.
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