Ekansh slumped on the home bar, nursing drink after drink, as Aavyan watched him with disbelief.
"Bhai, are you upset about something?" Aavyan asked, trying to keep his tone light. Arnav, who had been absorbed in a file, glanced up briefly before returning to his work.
"You don't know why I'm upset?" Ekansh shot him a sharp glare.
"Well, I guess it's because you can't go out tonight," Aavyan teased.
"You're right," Ekansh said, downing another glass, which made Arnav look up from his file with irritation.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Ekansh?" Arnav snapped, his tone dripping with disdain.
"Bhai, donât ask me anything," Ekansh replied, taking another swig. Arnav, clearly frustrated, buried his face in his file again.
Just then, Abhimanyu arrived and took a seat beside them. "Which file are you talking about, Arnav?" he asked.
"Just a new project I need to finish in two days," Arnav said coolly. Abhimanyu turned to Ekansh with a concerned frown.
"I think you two married the right people," Aavyan remarked with a grin. Both Abhimanyu and Arnav looked at him, taken aback.
"I'm with Aavyan on this one," Ekansh agreed, giving both of them a decisive nod.
"Both Bhabhis are perfect for this mansion, which was empty until today," Aavyan added with a polite smile.
"My wife has impressed everyone in the house; Iâm proud of her," Arnav said, a hint of mockery in his voice. The others looked at him in surprise.
As the brothers gathered, the conversation turned to Isha's latest academic struggle. Aavyan grinned mischievously.
"So, Isha's probably battling with her textbooks right now. I heard she's having a hard time with this exam."
Ekansh snickered. "Yeah, she's probably trying to make sense of all that boring stuff. I bet she's wishing for a miracle at this point."
Abhimanyu shot a warning look at Ekansh. "Lay off her. Studying isn't easy for everyone. She's working hard, even if she doesn't enjoy it."
Arnav, flipping through his file, chimed in, "Isha's putting in a lot of effort. Just because she's struggling doesn't mean she's not trying her best. She's doing what she needs to do to get through it."
Aavyan feigned innocence. "Oh, we're just having a bit of fun. I mean, who wouldn't find it amusing to imagine her surrounded by piles of notes and barely keeping her eyes open?"
"Amusing for you, maybe," Abhimanyu said firmly.
"But it's not fair to make fun of her struggles. She's doing what she can and she deserves our support."
Ekansh raised an eyebrow.
"Alright, alright. We get it. She's the dedicated student while we're just the fun-loving brothers. But I still think it's a bit funny how she's always on the edge with her exams."
Arnav shook his head.
"It's not funny when you think about how much effort she's putting in. She's balancing a lot, and she's doing it with a lot of determination."
Abhimanyu nodded. "Exactly. If anything, we should be encouraging her, not teasing her. She needs to know that we're behind her."
Aavyan smiled, realizing he'd pushed it too far. "Okay, okay. I guess we can ease up on the jokes. I just hope she knows we're rooting for her, even if we tease a bit."
Ekansh raised his glass in a conciliatory gesture. "To Isha, then. The student who tackles her challenges head-on, even if she's not exactly thrilled about it."
Arnav and Abhimanyu lifted their glasses as well.
"To Isha," they said in unison, their voices full of genuine pride and support.
The brothers clinked their glasses, and the mood lightened as they shared a moment of mutual respect. The playful teasing had given way to a deeper appreciation for Isha's efforts, with her brothers standing firm in their support for her.