At this point, none of them truly believed that Ayaan and Aarshi were "just friends," yet they all continued trying to convince themselves otherwise.
Big Brother was especially certain of one thing. Even if Aarshi herself didn't have romantic feelings for Ayaan yet, the fact that Ayaan constantly found reasons to stay close to her revealed more than he intended. His affection for her was becoming increasingly obvious.
Momo called both of them outside. As they left the room, Big Brother leaned closer to Momo and whispered with a knowing smile,
"I bet those two will end up together someday."
Unfortunately, Ayaan happened to hear him.
For perhaps the first time in his life, he had absolutely no comeback.
Meanwhile, Aarshi and Ayaan were still bickering.
Without warning, Aarshi kicked him lightly on the head again.
"You idiot!" she complained. "You never tell anyone anything about your own life, but you're always sticking your nose into my business."
Ayaan simply grinned.
"You're the one who dragged me into your business in the first place."
Aarshi glared at him before storming out of the room, dramatically kicking the floor and walls along the way as if they were personally responsible for her frustration.
The moment she entered the dining area, however, all her anger vanished.
Dinner had already been served.
Pasta.
Her eyes immediately lit up.
She happily sat down at the dining table and shouted,
"Ayaan! Dinner!"
Big Brother placed a plate of pasta in front of her while Momo served fresh juice to everyone.
Ayaan soon joined them and took the seat beside Aarshi.
As always, Big Brother silently observed the two of them. No matter how much they fought, Aarshi always looked after Ayaan in her own way. And despite his constant complaints, Ayaan paid attention to every little thing she said.
Leaning toward Momo, Big Brother whispered,
"They have really good chemistry."
Momo smiled knowingly.
"I know. Just don't say it too loudly. He'll get offended."
Big Brother laughed before serving dinner.
Aarshi eagerly took the first bite.
"Well?" Big Brother asked expectantly. "How is it?"
Instead of answering, Aarshi gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up and even clapped dramatically.
Her reaction alone was enough to reveal how much she loved the food.
Then Ayaan took his first bite.
Aarshi stared at him, waiting for some sort of reaction.
A compliment.
A smile.
Anything.
But Ayaan simply took another bite.
And then another.
Without saying a single word.
Confused, Aarshi turned toward Momo.
"Momo, you're the best! You could open a restaurant with food this delicious!"
Momo laughed.
"Thank you, but I didn't make it."
Aarshi blinked.
"Then who did?"
Across the table, Big Brother slowly raised his head with a proud smile. Even though the compliment had initially gone to the wrong person, he was more than happy to claim it now.
Realizing her mistake, Aarshi immediately stood up and gave him a dramatic salute.
"Respect, Chef!"
The entire table burst into laughter.
At that moment, Aarshi finally understood why Ayaan hadn't said anything. He had known from the beginning that Big Brother was the one who cooked the meal.
Smiling brightly, she said,
"I wish you could stay here longer. I could eat food like this forever."
Big Brother chuckled.
"You can stay longer if you want. I'll make sure Momo learns how to cook this well for you."
"Excuse me?" Momo protested.
Then she casually added,
"Besides, her brother is coming the day after tomorrow to take her home."
The words instantly caught Ayaan's attention.
His head shot up.
For a brief moment, disappointment flashed across his face before he quickly tried to hide it.
Momo noticed immediately.
With a teasing smile, she asked,
"Will you miss her?"
Ayaan answered far too quickly.
"Definitely not."
Then, after a pause, he added,
"But I'll be alone after she leaves."
Aarshi rolled her eyes.
"I'll miss Momo."
She pointed at the pasta.
"And I'll definitely miss this food too."
Everyone laughed.
"Our parents are also coming back in four days," Momo added.
The mention of Aarshi's departure quietly saddened Ayaan.
Big Brother noticed every subtle change in his expression. He could practically read the thoughts hidden behind the boy's stubborn face.
Momo could read them too.
Only Aarshi remained completely unaware.
"I'll visit my hometown after my brother arrives," she said casually.
Big Brother looked at her thoughtfully.
"Don't you miss your mother?"
Aarshi paused before answering.
"Sometimes. But not very often."
The table grew quieter.
"I've never really spent much time with her since childhood. She's always been busy with work."
Ayaan frowned.
"What kind of work keeps her that busy?"
"She's a social worker," Aarshi explained. "She works with NGOs and orphanages. Most of her time is spent helping others."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"I've spent almost all my holidays with Jihan anyway. So I don't really miss her that much."
For the first time that evening, Ayaan felt an ache in his heart.
Logically, he understood the situation.
Yet emotionally, he couldn't help feeling sorry for her.
She had grown up without experiencing much of a mother's affection, and somehow that saddened him more than he expected.
Trying to lighten the mood, Aarshi suddenly looked at him.
"Will you miss me?"
There was playful curiosity in her eyes.
Ayaan smirked.
"Of course I will."
For a brief second, hope sparkled across Aarshi's face.
Then he continued,
"I'll definitely miss seeing the house clean. Who's going to create chaos everywhere after you leave?"
The smile immediately vanished from her face.
She looked utterly offended.
"You are impossible."
After dinner, Momo drove Big Brother to the airport and returned home alone.
When she walked through the front door, she found exactly what she expected.
Ayaan and Aarshi were standing in the living room arguing over something completely ridiculous.
"The AC should be set to 15°C!"
"No! 17°C is perfect!"
"15°C!"
"17°C!"
"15°C!"
"17°C!"
Momo stood there quietly, watching them.
A warm smile slowly appeared on her face.
Soon, Aarshi would leave, and the house would feel far emptier without her laughter, her energy, and her endless arguments.
Momo knew she was going to miss her dearly.
As for Ayaan, he continued arguing as if nothing was wrong.
But beneath every sarcastic remark and every stubborn response, his heart felt unexpectedly heavy.
The thought of Aarshi leaving saddened him more than he would ever admit.
After all, Ayaan had always been good at hiding his feelings.
But sometimes, the people who cared about you could hear the words your heart refused to say.