CHAPTER 10

The next day, Kishika, Akriti, and Riya came downstairs to join Kishika's parents for breakfast. Kishika's mother had prepared a delicious spread of food, including eggs, toast, and fresh fruit.

Kishika's father looked up from his newspaper as the girls entered the room. "Good morning, girls. Sleep well?"

Riya grinned, "Yes, thank you. Your guest bed is very comfortable."

Kishika's mother smiled, "I'm glad to hear that. Help yourselves to breakfast, girls."

As they sat down to eat, the girls chatted happily with Kishika's parents. Kishika's father asked about their plans for the day, and Akriti joked, "Oh, you know us middle-class girls. We don't have any exciting plans."

Kishika's mother laughed, "Oh please, don't be silly. You girls are always up to something."

Kishika piped up, "Actually, we were thinking of going shopping later. Maybe we could check out that new boutique downtown."

Akriti grinned, "Yes! And then we can try on ridiculous outfits and take pictures for Instagram."

Riya rolled her eyes, "Speak for yourself, Akriti. I have a reputation to uphold."

Kishika's father chuckled, "Well, just be careful with that credit card, girls."

They all laughed and continued to enjoy their breakfast together, the conversation flowing freely and filled with teasing and good-natured ribbing.

As they finished up their breakfast, Kishika's mother suggested they all take a walk around the park. "It's such a beautiful day outside. We should enjoy it while we can."

Kishika and the girls agreed, and they set off to the park, walking and chatting as they went. Kishika's father pointed out different trees and flowers, and they all joked about how he seemed to know everything about nature.

At one point, they came across a group of ducks swimming in a pond. Riya exclaimed, "Oh my god, look at the cute little ducks!"

Akriti replied, "Yeah, too bad they don't taste as good as chicken."

Kishika's mother scolded her, "Akriti, that's not nice. We don't eat ducks, they're too adorable!"

Kishika chimed in, "Yeah, and they're probably better swimmers than us too."

They all laughed and continued their walk, enjoying each other's company and the beautiful day.

As they walked, Kishika spotted a cute puppy running towards them. She let out a squeal of excitement and ran towards the pup, scooping it up in her arms.

Akriti smirked, "Uh oh, I think we have some competition for Rithvik's attention now."

Kishika rolled her eyes, "Please, I love dogs more than any man. And that includes Rithvik."

Riya chuckled, "I don't know, Kishika. We all know what you feel about him."

Kishika blushed, "Okay, fine. Maybe I have a little crush. But that doesn't mean I'm not a dog lover."

As they continued walking, they stumbled upon a group of street performers putting on a show. They stopped to watch, and Riya nudged Kishika.

"Hey, Kishika, you should go up there and dance with them. Show off your moves!"

Kishika rolled her eyes, "Yeah, right. I don't think they want to see my awkward dance moves."

Akriti grinned, "Come on, Kishika. Live a little! Show us what you've got."

Kishika reluctantly made her way up to the performers and started to dance. At first, she was a little self-conscious, but as the music picked up and the crowd cheered her on, she let go and started to have fun.

As she finished her dance, she ran back to her friends, panting and smiling. "That was so much fun!"

Riya high-fived her, "See, I told you it would be fun! You killed it up there."

Akriti grinned, "Maybe you should quit the family business and become a street performer."

Kishika laughed, "I think I'll stick to manufacturing for now. But I wouldn't mind doing this for fun every once in a while."

As they walked, Kishika suddenly realized, "Hey, where's Dad?"

Riya looked around and saw him talking to a neighbor, "Oh, there he is"

As they approached, Akriti couldn't help but make a sarcastic comment, "Well, well, well. Looks like our dear father has found himself a new best friend."

Kishika and Riya burst out laughing at Akriti's comment, causing Kishika's father and the neighbor to look over at them with curious expressions.

Trying to cover up their laughter, Kishika quickly introduced her friend to the neighbor, and they all chatted for a few minutes before continuing on their walk.

As they walked away, Akriti couldn't help but make a sarcastic comment, "Wow Dad, you were really engrossed in that conversation. I thought we had lost you for good!"

Kishika and Riya burst out laughing, with Kishika playfully hitting Akriti's arm, "Hey, leave Dad alone! He's just being friendly."

Their dad joined in the laughter, "Don't worry, I'll make sure to pay more attention to you three next time."

They all continued to laugh and joke as they walked, enjoying their time together as a family.

IN RITHVIK'S MANSION….

Sara was running behind Arun and Rohan, her eyes blazing with anger. "You guys are dead meat! How could you do that to me?!"

Arun looked back over his shoulder and grinned mischievously at her, "Oh come on, Sara, it was just a harmless prank!"

Rohan chimed in, "Yeah, we didn't mean to upset you, it was just a bit of fun."

Sara wasn't buying it, "Fun?! You guys put a frog in my bed! That's not funny, that's disgusting!"

As they ran through the halls of Rithvik's mansion, dodging furniture and knocking over vases, they could hear Sara's footsteps getting closer and closer.

Rohan yelled out, "Quick, into the game room!" and they all rushed inside, slamming the door shut behind them.

Arun leaned against the door, trying to catch his breath, "Phew, that was close. I thought she was going to kill us!"

Rohan laughed, "I think she might still try, you know. We should probably lay low for a while."

Sara's voice could be heard from outside the door, "You two better come out of there, or I swear I'll break down this door myself!"

The two of them looked at each other, grinning, knowing that they were going to be in for some serious trouble when Sara finally caught up with them.

As they continued running, Rohan and Arun couldn't help but laugh at the memory of the prank they had played on Sara. "Remember when we put that frog on her bed? That was classic!" Rohan exclaimed between breaths.

Arun chuckled, "Yeah, but I didn't expect her to be this angry. We better watch out, she's like a wild animal right now."

Sara, who was still hot on their heels, yelled out, "You think this is funny? I'll show you funny!" Her anger only seemed to fuel her as she picked up the pace, closing in on the two men.

Rohan and Arun, now running for their lives, could hear Sara's footsteps getting closer and closer. "I think we better split up," Rohan said, gasping for breath.

Arun nodded in agreement, "Good idea. I'll head towards the pool, you go towards the tennis court."

As they separated, they could still hear Sara's angry screams in the distance. "You can run, but you can't hide! I'll get you both!"

Rohan and Arun glanced at each other, their faces a mixture of fear and amusement. "Man, we're in for it now," Rohan muttered.

Arun nodded, "I know. But it was worth it. Did you see the look on her face when she saw that frog on her bed?"

Rohan chuckled, "Yeah, but I don't think she found it as funny as we did."

As they turned a corner, they nearly collided with Rithvik, who was heading in the opposite direction. "What's going on?" he asked, noticing the panicked looks on their faces.

"Sara's after us," Arun explained. "We pulled a little prank on her."

Rithvik rolled his eyes, "You guys never learn, do you? Just wait until she catches up with you."

Rohan and Arun chuckled nervously, knowing they were in for it when Sara finally caught up. "It was worth it," Arun said, trying to justify their prank.

Rithvik shook his head, "I don't think Sara is going to see it that way."

Just then, they heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Sara storming towards them, her eyes blazing with anger. "You two are dead!" she yelled, brandishing a stick she had picked up on the way.

Rohan and Arun gulped, knowing they were about to pay for their prank. Rithvik tried to intervene, "Come on, Sara, it was just a harmless joke."

But Sara wasn't having it. "Harmless? That frog was on my bed! I can't believe you guys!" she fumed, advancing towards them with the stick.

Rohan and Arun took off running again, with Sara hot on their heels. Rithvik shook his head and chuckled, knowing that they were in for a long day ahead.

Just then Rithvik's phone rang, and he saw that it was Kishika calling. He smiled and answered the call. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hey, Rithvik," Kishika's voice came through the phone, "just wanted to check in and see how you're doing."

"I'm doing great," Rithvik replied, "just hanging out with the guys. How about you?"

"We're doing well too," Kishika said, "just finished breakfast with my parents and the girls. We're planning on going to the mall later. Do you want to join us?"

Rithvik thought for a moment, "Actually, I have some work to do today, so I won't be able to make it. But you guys have fun, okay?"

"Sure, no problem," Kishika said, "we'll miss you though. Talk to you later?"

"Definitely," Rithvik replied, "take care and have fun at the mall."

As he hung up the phone, Rithvik couldn't help but smile. Kishika was such a sweet and thoughtful girl, and he felt lucky to have her in his life.

As Rithvik disconnected the call with Kishika, he noticed Rohan, Arun, and Sara looking at him with smirks on their faces. "What's so funny?" Rithvik asked, a little confused.

"Oh, nothing," Rohan said, trying to stifle a laugh. "Just wondering how your princess is doing."

"Aww, Rithvik, you're blushing!" Sara teased, poking him playfully.

Rithvik rolled his eyes, trying to brush off their teasing. "You guys know that Kishika and I are just friends for now," he said, defensively.

"Uh-huh, sure," Arun said, with a smirk. "Friends who talk on the phone for hours and hours."

Rithvik sighed, knowing that there was no use in trying to argue with them. "You guys are impossible," he said, shaking his head.

"Awww, is our little prince in love?" Sara teased, winking at Rithvik.

Rohan chimed in, "We always knew you were a romantic at heart, Rithvik."

Arun added, "Looks like our boy is finally settling down."

Rithvik couldn't help but laugh at his family's teasing. "Alright, alright, you got me. I'm head over heels for Kishika."

Sara grinned, "Well, we can't wait to have her officially join the family. She seems like a great girl."

Rithvik nodded, "She is. I'm lucky to have her."

The teasing continued, but Rithvik couldn't help but feel grateful for his family's love and support.

Rithvik informed to them, "Kishika and her sister are going to the mall, but I can't join them today because I have some important work to take care of."

Rohan, Arun, and Sara made faces of disappointment and scolded him for not taking the opportunity to spend time with Kishika.

"Aww come on, Rithvik! You're always working. You need to take a break and have some fun," Rohan said.

Sara chimed in, "Yeah, Kishika is going to be your wife soon. You should spend as much time with her as possible!"

Arun added, "Plus, it's not good for your health to be stressed all the time. You need to relax and enjoy life too."

Rithvik couldn't help but smile at his family's concern for him. "Thanks for looking out for me, guys. I'll try to make it up to Kishika and take her out somewhere nice when I'm free."

Sara gave Rithvik a stern look. "No way, Rithvik. You're not going to bail on Kishika like that. You should go with her to the mall and we'll come along too. It'll be a fun family outing!"

Rohan chimed in, "Yeah, Rithvik. You can't leave Kishika hanging like that. And besides, we could all use a little retail therapy. Come on, it'll be fun!"

Arun added, "Don't worry, Rithvik. We'll make sure you don't get into any trouble while you're out with Kishika."

Rithvik couldn't help but smile at his family's enthusiasm. "Alright, alright. I'll go to the mall with Kishika and you guys can come along too. But you guys owe me one!"

Rithvik got ready and left for the mall, but he couldn't resist calling Kishika to check if she was still there. "Hey, Kishika. Are you still at the mall?" he asked.

Kishika sounded surprised. "Rithvik? No, I'm back home now. I thought you were busy with work."

Rithvik's heart sank. He had missed his chance to surprise her. "Oh, I see. I was just in the area and thought I'd drop by. Maybe we can plan something else soon?"

Kishika's voice brightened up. "Sure, that sounds great. Maybe we can plan a picnic or something?"

Rithvik smiled. "Yeah, that sounds perfect. I'll call you later and we can discuss the details."

As he hung up the phone, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. But he knew that he still had plenty of opportunities to surprise Kishika in the future, and he looked forward to making more memories with her.