“You failed maths last term!” Meera shot back.

Aarav froze. Panic. Then, the frantic rustling of books.

Aarav looked up from his phone. “It’s on Thursday.”

She walked back in, poured herself a second cup of chai—now cold—and sat next to Dadi, who had finally finished the crossword.

At 7:10 AM, the final act began. The family assembled by the front door, a chaotic ballet of slippers.