Chapter 1

Location: Greensboro, North Carolina

Amaya

"Hey Amy! Good morning, why are you so early today?" asked my colleague Sarah with a question mark look on her face.

I'm not an early riser at all, I always come to office at 9 or even 10 some days.

Sarah is my office bestie, We sit in opposite cubicles. I didn't like her at first, since she comes in at like 7, a complete contrast to me and is always cheerful, but after spending almost 8 months with her we are at least good friends now. She looks like the cute girl next door. She got married at 25, and her husband Riyadh lives in Texas.

"Nothing, I had to leave early. My Cousins wouldn't let me sleep." saying that I placed my lunch bag and phone on the table settling down on my chair.

"What did they do this time?" she asked me in an excited tone. She loves how they come up with new ways to annoy me every single day.

"God, I hate you Sarah! You don't have to live with them, and you are not the one who has to sacrifice her sleep. The answer to your question is they started my day with a Saxophone and Flute" I huffed in annoyance.

When I asked them to stop, they told me that they have auditions today. I know that was an excuse so that they won't get yelled by my aunt.

"Wow! Tell Arjun and Dru that I loved their idea. I know you can't move out anytime soon, so enjoy all the time you have with them." she said and started working adjusting her glasses.

I know right! What kind of a 23-year-old lives with her aunt's family? I do because my grandfather thinks that I'm not capable of living alone and girls shouldn't live alone. His idea was to make me work in my uncle's office. Can you believe it? It took me 3 months to convince him to let me work outside of their radar, he was so adamant on me staying at my aunt's house till I get married. My parents let's not think about them now.

I was born and brought up in Andhra Pradesh, South India. I was 20 when I moved to Illinois, Urbana Champagne for my master's degree. My sister Ananya, everyone calls her Niya lives in California. She got married like 1.5 years back and the guy she married Sampath is a total sweetheart. Thinking of all these I logged into my computer. I work as a web developer for United Technologies.

United Technologies is a software development company, where you can get your applications developed by contracting them. Soon, Everyone started entering into the office. There are 2 more people in my team other than me and Sarah. Rick who's the team lead and Mary a Business Analyst.

We have meeting at 10 A.M to discuss how everyone's doing. And on every Wednesday, we have business requirement meeting. Thank god we don't have any meeting other than the 10 A.M. one otherwise I would have died a long time back. I hate meetings! I still don't understand what a developer could possibly do attending a business meeting.

"Hello my fierce ladies! I got some donuts, you guys can grab some, they are on my desk." Said Rick's cheerful voice passing by our desks to his place.

Rick is a cool guy, he is almost 6 feet 2 Inches. He has 2 daughters Anabella and Arabella. His wife May looks like one of those models from Victoria secret. Sometimes, I wonder how Rick got her.

"Thanks Rick, you made my day. What's special about today you look super happy?" I asked him looking at his excited face and the jump in his step.

"I was dropping the kids at school, and we were passing through Krispy Kreme. So, I thought you guys would like some to get through day." said Rick smiling, possibly thinking of his daughters.

I saw them like a month back at their birthday party, they sure are a delight unlike Dru and Arjun.

"Hey, it's just 2 more weeks to Halloween, make sure you bring them to office." Said Sarah looking at him, then she turned her head towards me and enquired,

"How about Arjun and Dru? Will they join us?"

"Sarah you already know how high the girls get on sugar! I'm not gonna bring them here, with you and Amaya in the office, not gonna happen for sure." Rick said and continued

"And don't think that I forgot what you guys did to them at their birthday party. May had hard time to make them sleep after all the cake and candy you guys got." Said Rick disagreeing to what we did for the twins. The twins wanted a chocolate fountain and me and Sarah got one for their birthday.

"I don't know about Arjun, he is going to be 15 this December. He says he is not interested in Halloween may be Dru can come." I told Sarah still working on my code.

"Hey Rick! I forgot to inform you. I'll be leaving early on Friday because Arjun has his last official football match for this season. I'll make sure to complete my work and check out before I leave." I informed Rick before he has a chance to tell me to get my work done.

And then we started discussing the project. Rick said that he had a meeting with the CIO about getting all the end users to see the product before production. And ask them to test and see if they can break the system to deliver an efficient product.

Rick is a very sincere and strict guy when it comes to work. He hates it when we get bugs after the application is in production. So, he tries to make sure that it doesn't happen, which leads to this meeting with end users.

And soon the day ended. I started packing my things and said bye to Sarah and Rick and drove back home. I have to work out every single day unlike my sister, I don't have the skinny gene in me. To eat the food I love I have to work out. Dru has swimming everyday so, we go together most of the time unless he has other activities. As soon as I reached home I parked my car and started walking into the house. Dru came from the back and jumped on me.

"Please give me a piggyback ride into the house." said Dru with a pout.

" Okay fine, Are you ready for swimming ?" I asked holding his legs near my hip so that he won't fall.

"You should stop pampering him Ammu he is almost 10 years old. You shouldn't give piggyback rides anymore." said my aunt with a serious face, I know she thinks I pamper Dru and what can I say I can't say no to his cute face.

"I made some samosas. They are on the table, have them and get ready you guys". Saying that she started walking towards her room mumbling, that if everyone starts pampering Dru like this he is gonna go rogue. And what can I say! Indian moms show their love by yelling.

"Stop eating like pig all the workout you are about to do is gonna go waste if you eat like this." Arjun commented coming towards the table.

"FYI, I work out so that I can eat, and I know you are jealous that I'm skinny. When I come to your school people think that I'm your younger sister." I scoffed at him and continued eating the yummy samosas.

"People think that because you are 5.3" and I'm 5.8" for a 14-year-old." Saying that he stuck his tongue out.

My aunt came out before I could give a comeback, we all got quiet. My aunt dropped Arjun at football practice, and we went to the gym. We came around 7:30, I did my shower and ate dinner. I did the dishes and while she started prepping for the lunchbox next day.