Just as Chahat was starting to enjoy the rhythm of the evening—taking orders, serving plates, and keeping an eye on Kiya so she wouldn't redecorate the shop in pastels—Kiya dropped a bombshell.
With a dramatic flip of her hair and an exaggerated sigh, she leaned against the counter, addressing Ramprasad Uncle, Chahat, and literally anyone who would listen.
"As Jay's soon-to-be girlfriend, I think I have the right to give some suggestions for the shop, don't you think?"
The shop went silent.
Jay, who had been peacefully sipping his Masala Chai, choked mid-sip. "Excuse me?"
Chahat nearly dropped a plate of Pahadi Momos. "I—what now?"
Tiya? She was already reaching for her phone to record this.
Kiya, completely unbothered, waved a hand. "Oh, come on. Jay's a partner in this shop, right? That means, as his soon-to-be girlfriend, I should have some influence too. Right, Jay?"
Jay looked like he had just been thrown into oncoming traffic. "Uh—what?"
"What?" Chahat repeated, this time with more horror.
Bella gasped, clutching her (probably designer) top. "Oh my god, are we finally making it official?"
Jay turned to Kiya, eyes narrowed. "When exactly did we decide this 'soon-to-be' thing?"
Kiya, still unbothered, picked up a Bun Maska and took a delicate bite. "Oh, Jay. You're so slow sometimes."*
Ramprasad Uncle, who had seen a lifetime of nonsense at this shop, just chuckled and went back to frying Samosas. "As long as you all keep paying your rent share, you can call it whatever you want."*
Chahat's Internal Breakdown
Chahat had seen a lot of Kiya's antics, but this? This was beyond shameless. This was a new level of self-declared authority.
And the worst part?
She realized she had no right to get mad.
Because if she did, then it meant she cared. And she was not about to admit that.
So, instead, she took a deep breath and muttered to herself, "I need to keep my emotions in check. I can't be worse than Kiya."*
Mehendi, watching this internal meltdown unfold, nudged her. "You okay?"
"No," Chahat whispered. "But I refuse to be more dramatic than Kiya. I have standards."*
Tiya, laughing way too hard, clapped her hands. "Oh, this is better than any college gossip. We should start charging people just to watch this unfold."*
Jay, still recovering from the verbal attack, groaned. "Kiya, just because I tolerate you doesn't mean you get to take over my business."*
"Oh, Jay," Kiya sighed, batting her lashes. "We both know I'm irresistible."*
Chahat lost it. "I CAN'T DO THIS."* She grabbed her apron and turned to Ramprasad Uncle. "Uncle, I'm taking a break before I start throwing Samosas at people."*
Ramprasad Uncle just laughed. "Just don't throw them at paying customers, beti."*
The Madness Continues…
As Chahat stormed off to cool down, Kiya turned to Bella, smirking. "Do you think we should add a fashion section to this shop? Like… 'buy a Samosa, get a free beauty tip' kind of deal?"
Jay groaned. "I am never letting you manage anything."*
Bella clapped excitedly. "Oooh, a snacks-and-style business! We could totally make that a trend."*
And just like that, the chaos continued.
Because in this friend group? There was no such thing as a normal evening.