A loud, angry voice echoed through the house, breaking the morning calm.
"Tia, you damn girl! Come out right now!"
Prachi stormed up the stairs, her frustration evident in every step. As she pushed open the door to Tia's room, her eyes blazed with fury. She stood there, hands on her hips, her slightly curvier frame tense with irritation.
"Where are my new shoes?" she demanded, her voice sharp.
Tia, who had been lazily sprawled on the bed, barely lifted her head. She let out an exaggerated sigh before sitting up, an amused smirk playing on her lips.
"Wooooo, why are you shouting, Prachi? I'm not deaf, you know. Say it slowly, and I'll still hear you." She stretched her arms with a yawn. "Besides, why are you being so stingy? You have so many shoes! What's the harm if I borrow just one?"
Prachi's eyes widened in outrage. "You… you damned sister!" she sputtered.
Tia grinned mischievously. "Yes, yes, yes. Your stinky sister," she teased, clearly enjoying the reaction.
Prachi let out a frustrated growl before snatching up a pile of clothes scattered on the floor. Without hesitation, she flung them at Tia, intending to bury her under the mess. But, as fate would have it, the flying clothes missed their target entirely and landed squarely on another person's face.
A stunned silence followed.
"Oh…" Tia blinked, finally noticing the unexpected guest who had been quietly observing the chaos.
A girl with gentle eyes and a soft presence stood there, holding the clothes that had unceremoniously landed on her. She peeled a shirt off her face, looking at Prachi with mild amusement.
Prachi's anger momentarily dissipated, replaced by embarrassment. "Uh… sorry about that. This is all because of her!" she said hastily, pointing an accusatory finger at Tia.
Tia, unfazed, took a step forward and wrapped her arms around the girl in a playful hug. "Chahat, let me introduce you to the biggest drama queen of this house," she announced with a grin. "This is my elder sister, Prachi—our so-called perfect daughter."
Prachi narrowed her eyes. "Oh, shut up."
Tia ignored her and turned to Prachi. "And, sister, meet my friend, Chahat."
Prachi, still slightly flustered, straightened herself and quickly composed her expression. She stepped forward and gave Chahat a warm hug. "Sorry you had to witness this madness," she said with an apologetic smile. "But honestly, she's too much sometimes!"
Chahat chuckled, finding the sibling quarrel amusing rather than uncomfortable. "Nice to meet you, Prachi," she said warmly. "You can call me Chahat."
Prachi smiled. "Chahat is a nice name. From now on, you can call me Prachi Di."
The tension dissolved as quickly as it had erupted, and soon, all three of them sat together, enjoying a plate of crispy kachoris with sweet and spicy chutney.
"Ugh, I still can't believe you took my shoes," Prachi muttered between bites.
Tia smirked, popping another piece of kachori into her mouth. "What's a sister for if not to steal your stuff?"
Chahat laughed, realizing she had stepped into a household where love and war existed in equal measure. And she liked it.