The house was tense by afternoon—as if every adult was preparing for an annual neighborhood melodrama tournament. Aunties lingered in doorways, whispering frantically over chai. In the kitchen, Chhoti Ma announced loudly, "You know, if Sanya only agreed to the wedding, all these misfortunes wouldn't happen!"
Sanya, sitting at the table twisting the last of her balloon animals, just quipped, "Should I add an evil eye bead to my next poodle? Or do we prefer lemons and chilies in bulk?"
Mummyji pursed her lips. "If only you'd stop with these jokes, beti…"
Before Sanya could reply, the system flashed in her peripheral vision:
**[Daily Sign-In: Reward — 1 x pocket diary (with puppy stickers); 5 rupees; Skill: Beginner Origami.]**
She snorted softly. *Is someone at System HQ just cleaning out a kid's room?* Still, she pocketed the diary and handed a balloon giraffe to Nehal, who hugged her legs in thanks.
Suddenly, Rekha appeared at the back door, bright-eyed and breathless. "Quick—Anjali's calling a secret meeting at the park. Nearly everyone's family wants us all out of college. Says we're a 'bad influence.' I think Vicky's gossiping again."
Sanya winked at her cousin Nehal, "You keep guard on the family sweets. Tell anyone who asks, I'm learning to fold cranes for world peace."
She met Rekha and Anjali in the park, Sameer soon joining with a cricket bat slung over his shoulder ("Just in case the local boys show up," he joked).
Anjali vented, "My parents want me to quit college since you and I became friends! Who makes these rules?"
Sanya shrugged, beginning to fold the corner of her new puppy-sticker diary into the world's saddest paper airplane. "It's classic: blame the one who doesn't break. Makes for better drama."
Sameer tossed his bat from hand to hand. "What are we going to do?"
Sanya glanced at her park friends. This might have started as survival, but now it was teamwork. "We out-stubborn them. And if that doesn't work, we bring Campa Cola and fly paper planes until they give up."
They laughed. Even as conspiracies churned and families plotted, Sanya realized she was building her side: friends who stuck, courage that wasn't melodramatic, and—okay, fine—a growing fleet of origami birds.
She led the walk home, sunglasses on, system rewards in tow, and her resolve stronger every step.
> "This is Star Plus, 2009-style. But why play the old script, when you can write your own?"
**End of Chapter 9**