Chapter 13
By the time Meera reached home, the sky had turned dark.
The streetlights glowed softly along the road, and the quiet of the evening had settled over the neighborhood.
She stepped inside the house, still holding the small teddy bear Rohan had won for her.
Just looking at it made her smile again.
Her heart was still replaying the evening in tiny moments.
Rohan wiping the ice cream from her face.
His teasing smile.
The way he had said maybe we're a perfect match.
And that almost-kiss.
Meera dropped her bag on the sofa and was about to sneak toward her room when a voice suddenly appeared behind her.
"Where did that come from?"
She froze.
Slowly, she turned around.
Her younger brother was standing in the hallway with his arms crossed, staring directly at the teddy bear.
His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Meera tried to act casual.
"Oh, this?" she said, lifting the teddy bear slightly. "I won it."
Her brother raised one eyebrow.
"You?"
"Yes."
"Won it?"
"Yes."
"At a game?"
"Yes."
He stared at her for a long moment.
Then he slowly shook his head.
"I don't believe you."
Meera groaned.
"Oh my God, why are you interrogating me like this?"
Her brother walked closer, examining the teddy bear like a detective studying evidence.
"You never win games," he said bluntly.
"That is so rude."
"It's true," he continued. "Last time we played bowling you lost to a ten-year-old."
"He was cheating," Meera argued.
Her brother looked unconvinced.
"So who gave it to you?" he asked.
"No one," she insisted.
"Was it a boy?"
Meera's eyes widened.
"What? No!"
He leaned forward suspiciously.
"It was a boy."
"It was not!"
"You're blushing."
"I am not blushing!"
Her brother smirked.
"Aha."
Meera threw a pillow at him.
"Stop being annoying!"
He laughed and dodged it easily.
For a moment they just stood there, bickering like they always did.
Finally, her brother sighed dramatically.
"Fine," he said. "I'll let it go."
Meera sighed with relief.
But then he added,
"For now."
She glared at him.
"You're the worst."
"Yet you still love me," he replied proudly.
Meera rolled her eyes.
Unfortunately, he wasn't wrong.
Her younger brother could be incredibly annoying sometimes.
But she loved him anyway.
And deep down, she knew he loved her too.
As she walked toward her room, she placed the teddy bear carefully on her bed.
For a moment she just sat there, staring at it.
Then she smiled softly.
Because tonight had been… different.
And for the first time in a long time, Meera fell asleep thinking about something sweet instead of confusing.
Or at least…
That's what she thought.