CHAPTER 1

Aanya's Pov

"Diduu wake up, stop dreaming! It’s getting too late. Get out of your imaginary world and those dreams about your fictional boyfriends." Aaditya's voice pierced through the quiet, sharp and teasing.

His words barely registered to me as i continued to sleep soundly, cocooned in the warmth of comforter.

"You really are a koala, sister. All you want to do is sleep." He couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head.

I groaned, muffling myself under the blankets. "Now wake up." He was getting a bit impatient.

"No, not yet, let me sleep! go from here." I muttered stubbornly, pulling the blanket tighter around my head. I wasn’t ready to face the world just yet.

He smirked, an evil plan forming in his mind. "Now you'll wake up, just you wait." He had a wicked grin on his face.

With swift, silent steps, he went to the bathroom and filled a mug with cold water. He walked back, looking down at me with an evil gleam in his eye.

Without warning, he yanked the comforter off of me and splashed the water all over me, drenching me in a cold, shocking wave.

I jolted upright, startled, my body crashing to the floor with a thud. The sudden coldness made me gasp, and i winced in pain, holding my backside as i lay there, wide-eyed and confused.

My brother couldn’t hold back his laughter, rolling on the floor, clutching his stomach. "Sister, you look so funny and cute!" he teased, poking my cheek playfully, his laughter ringing in the air.

I glared at him, still trying to process what had just happened. "what happened? Did you see a ghost?"

He shook his head trying to recover. "No that." he muttered, pretending to act scared, pulling his legs up protectively. He leaned in with a mischievous grin, his voice dropping to a mock-whisper.

"what? Tell me." I said as he gave me an exaggerated look of fear.

I looked at him, brows furrowed, trying to figure out where this was going. "That cockroach near your hand!" His voice was dripping with mock terror.

My eyes grew wide as i shot up from the floor, jumping onto the bed in panic. "Where? Where is it?"

He broke into laughter, unable to hold it in any longer. "Nowhere. Heheee...."

"I was just making a fool of you." He collapsed on my bed, rolling around, laughing hysterically.

I sat up, crossing my arms and rolling my eyes in irritation. "How easy it is to fool you." I grumbled, feeling a mix of annoyance and amusement.

My brother, still laughing, fell off the bed and onto the floor, holding his stomach. "This is just the beginning, sister."

I just rolled my eyes, sinking back into my pillow, my irritation fading as i let out a long sigh. Even though he’d woken me up in the most ridiculous way, i couldn’t help but smile a little, knowing it was just another one of those moments that made their sibling bond special.

"Today you're totally gone, wait. I'll show you how easy it is to beat you." i said with a playful glint in my eyes, my voice teasing and full of mischief.

Saying this, i ran towards him with all the energy i could muster, but he was quick, dodging me like he had done countless times before. His laughter echoed down the hallway, "First, try to catch me!" he teased, his tongue sticking out.

My voice grew louder, frustration clear in every word. "Stop, i'll teach you a good lesson that you'll never prank on me."

He darted across the hall, dodging me again. Our parents, sitting peacefully, couldn't help but smile at our playful squabble. To them, it was nothing more than a familiar, heartwarming ritual.

"Now you can't beat me, I’m hiding behind mom!" he grinned, and gave me a smirking look.

Mom chuckled softly. "Look, mom! Sister’s coming to beat me! Save me from this big koala!"

I retorted, my eyes flashing with playful irritation. "How'd u call me a koala! Mom, stay away, today I’ll show him!"

His face twisted into an exaggerated expression of panic. "No, mom, please! You know how dangerous she is when she’s angry!"

Mom smiled affectionately at that "But she’s not angry." She said, her voice calm and soothing.

"Today you’re gone, child. Just let me catch you once, and I’ll show you." Now its my turn to smirk

The teasing continued, with my brother running to hide behind their father. "Look, dad! Your lovely daughter is coming to beat me! Please stop her!"

"Sister, will you beat your cute brother?" he asked, peeking out from behind their father.

"Yes, of course! How dare you call me a koala?" I responded, my eyes narrowing playfully.

"Muh se dii!" ("by mouth sister") he taunted, sticking his tongue out, laughing again.

"Ok, now stop this little banter of yours, let’s eat breakfast." Father interrupted, his voice full of amusement at their antics.

They moved to the dining table, the family settling in with smiles and laughter. Her dad, noticing the quietude after the playful exchange, spoke up. "How's your business doing?"

He asked my eyes sparkled with excitement as i looked up at him. "Dad, it's going amazingly"

"And now i'm working on a new project which I'll show you soon."

My father’s face lit up proud. "If you need any help, just let me know, okay?" he said warmly, a quiet pride in his voice.

"Yes, Dad, I’ll let you know if I need anything." I replied, my heart swelling with gratitude.

I finished my meal and excused myself. "Mom, I’m going to my room, okay?"

After i left the table, i grabbed a few things and sat on floor, and completed the remaining work and then i jumped onto my bed, settling comfortably with a sigh.

I finished it which turned out to be great, i kept that aside and soon i drifted into a peaceful slumber, my face soft with contentment.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***