16. Surprise

                                    

                                          
Naira’s POV
"Hey, sista! Guess whose back in town?" Neha squealed from the other end of the phone. "Pick me up from the airport, dude! I'm waiting," Neha said, her excitement palpable.
"Neha, you came early! You should have at least informed me," I chided, laughing. "Come on, I thought of giving you a surprise, but this stupid cab service is taking forever to get confirmed. Please pick me up, big sister!" Neha pleaded, her voice bubbly with enthusiasm.
"Okay, I'm on my way, and I'm excited to meet you, little sister!" I said, smiling as I disconnected the call.
As I pulled up to the airport, I felt a momentary lapse - the tension with Ansh still lingered on my face. But I knew Neha would pick up on it instantly. To distract her, I had grabbed her favorite coffee on the way and done a quick touch-up before picking her up.
As I stepped out of the car, Neha sprinted towards me, snatching the keys from my hand. "My turn to drive, big sis!" she exclaimed, jumping into the driver's seat.
"What the...?!" I trailed off, laughing. "Who's going to get the bags?" Neha grinned mischievously, popping the trunk.
I raised an eyebrow, settling into the passenger seat after loading her luggage. "Do our beloved parents know of your arrival?" Neha's eyes sparkled with amusement.
"Do you know what surprise is?" I chuckled. "I know, but you're a shock as always. I still remember when they brought you home from the... um, 'neighborhood'... seeking empathy. I'm still shocked by that."
Neha giggled, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Yeah, they must have thought, 'If our own product is like this, we should just stick with someone from the neighborhood and guess what they got someone beautiful like me!'" I played along, teasing her.
"Enough with the teasing, so how's everything with my devil brother-in-law?" Neha asked, her expression turning serious.
My expression changed, and I knew I couldn't hide my true feelings from Neha. "It's good... he's really nice and caring. He gets me a bouquet every time we meet. Flirts a lot, but stays within limits. I'm happy," I said, trying to sound convincing.
Neha's eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing. "You don't seem happy," she exclaimed. I sighed, knowing I couldn't evade her questions.
As we entered the house, we found Mom and Dad engrossed in some paperwork. Neha dramatically flung her arms wide. "Oh, come on! Your beautiful daughter is back from London, and no welcome from parents? Am I really adopted, big sister?" Mom and Dad looked up, surprised, and Mom rushed towards Neha, enveloping her in a warm hug.
"Oh, my bachha, how are you here? I thought you were coming next month!" she exclaimed, tears of joy welling up in her eyes. Neha smiled, hugging Mom back.
"I thought you guys would be happy, and I was homesick there." I chuckled, setting her luggage near the door. "What a drama queen."
Dad joined in, his eyes shining with happiness. "Oh, we are so happy to see you back, my bachha."
I pretended to pout, feeling left out of the hug. "Hey, I'm left out here!" Time flew by as we sat enthralled by Neha's stories of London. She was a captivating storyteller, and it was clear she had missed us dearly.
The house had felt empty without her, and everyone had missed her terribly. I had even caught Mom crying a few times.
As we sat down to dinner, Dad announced that he had ordered food from Neha's favorite restaurant. As we waited for the food to arrive, Mom and Dad exchanged a serious glance.