Rudra placed the carton of juice down after pouring it into his glass. "What is going on?" He asked his grandparents and mother kept giving each other surreptitious glances.

"Nothing," His grandfather, Purshottam Rawat, immediately said, which earned him a jab in the stomach from his wife, Tanuja Rawat.

Rudra shook his head at them because he knew what this was going to be about. "I am all for routine, but this is really getting out of hand. You send me pictures of 'potential brides,' I open the email and immediately delete it. Then you ask me about them, so I say I am not interested in getting married, and then we repeat the cycle again." 

"Then why don't you change something in the routine?" Tanuja questioned. "Rudra, you are already 29. This is the right age to get married."

"The right age to get married is when you are mentally ready, and I am not ready for it," Rudra said, picking up the newspaper and flicking it open. In some ways, Rudra Rawat was still old fashioned.

"Okay, if you don't want to get married right now, it's fine." His mother, Shipra Rawat, said and placed her hand on Rudra's shoulder. "Then at least date someone. Go out. Meet people. Isn't Sakshi back in India? And she has even started working at We Care, so maybe-"

Rudra's scowl grew deeper at the mention of his ex-girlfriend. "Mom, Please. Sakshi and I are a thing of the past. Currently, she is an employee, and that's all there is to it."

The trio sighed, but tomorrow was a new day for them—a new opportunity to try.

"Good morning!" Akash greeted with a wide grin as he jogged down the stairs. "Dadi, Dadu, Mom." He nodded and sat down on the chair beside his grandmother.

"Rudra is here too," His mother said and gave a pointed look to Akash.

"Mom!" Both Rudra and Akash sighed at their mother's attempts of treating them like children who she could force to get along.

"How was the race?" His grandfather asked with childlike enthusiasm. "Did you win?"

"Of course, I did!" Akash winked and passed his grandfather a smug grin.

"I don't understand why you have to risk your life like this, Akash?" Shipra shook her head and raised her hands in defeat.

"Maa, it's for the thrill. The excitement and feeling of being alive." 

"You are done all your packing?" Tanuja asked. Although she never understood Akash's bohemian lifestyle, she supported it because it seemed to make him happy.

Akash smiled and hugged his grandmother from the side. "I'll do it soon." 

"The flight won't wait for you and your laid back attitude," Rudra commented but didn't look up from the newspaper he was reading.

"Thank you!" Akash said with a faux smile. "But why don't you keep your concern limited to yourself and your business?"

"Akash! Rudra!" Shipra admonished. "Why can't we have one meal where there is peace at the table or this house?" She began getting up, but Rudra held her hand and forced her back on the chair.

"Where is Dad?" Akash asked, attempting to change the subject.

Shipra shook her head, but let it pass as usual. "He is just finishing up an important phone call." 

Rudra finally neatly folded the newspaper and placed it on the table. "How long does it take to make one omelette in this house?" Rudra yelled in the direction of the kitchen. When he just heard more fumbling and clinking of utensils, he threw his napkin on the table in frustration.

"Why don't you go and make it yourself?" Aakash asked as he bit into an apple. "Obviously, a great surgeon and managing director can definitely make breakfast for us."

Rudra had a snarky retort right on the tip on his tongue, but he bit it back.

The house help rushed to the table with the trolley containing breakfast for the family.

There was silence as the Rawat family ate their breakfast.

Just as the clock struck 8:45 AM, Purshottam reached for his phone and announced with a grin. "It is here" after a few minutes of struggle to find and open Facebook. "Such a punctual girl. She always sends these writings at the same time." He had formed a habit of reading these Facebook posts written by a 'Pahari Kudi' during breakfast. Apparently, it always touched his heart because it reminded him of home.

Clearing his throat, the old man began reading out the post. "Last evening, I sat down on the floor in front of my grandmother to have my hair oiled, but to both of surprise, the coconut oil was solidified. Which meant the temperatures are slowly dropping and.... Winters are going to be here soon! Now, I know that it is an unpopular opinion, but winter is my favourite season-"

Rudra scoffed and shook his head. "Winters are the worst—the productivity drops in winters. People become so much lazier during winters. What is so good about it ?"

"You keep reading, Papa." Shipra encouraged, ignoring Rudra's remark.

"...My favourite season and to all the people that dislike winter, it is because you don't know how to celebrate this amazing season." 

Rudra almost choked on the juice he was drinking while Akash gave him a sardonic smile.

"The joy of snoozing your alarm so you can snuggle into your warm blanket is priceless."

"An act of laziness..." Rudra murmured under his breath.

"And when else can you sit in the sweet morning sun and bask in its warmth with a cup of steaming tea? By the way, that reminds me... Have you tried chai with jaggery instead of your normal sugar? If not, then definitely try it in the coming winter months and then you can definitely thank me. Here is Pahari Kudi signing off with lots of hopes that this winter, you enjoy this season of longer nights and shorter days and make countless memories. From the hot gajar halwas in the afternoon to those chilly, shivering nights around the angeethi. To the lazy Sundays that you enjoy napping to the time you spend outside watching the sunset wrapped in the warm cozy sweaters that your grandmother or mother have knit for you." Purshottam finished reading with a smile.

"Those were really the days, huh?" Tanuja said with the same longing and fond smile as her husband. "When we lived in our old house years ago, winters weren't just a season; it was a celebration."

'Okay! Yes, I'll be there at the hospital today.' They heard Apurva Rawat's voice down the hallway. "What are we talking about?" He asked as he took a seat at the dining table.

"Dadu was just reading those posts or whatever they are," Rudra replied and pushed his plate a little away from him. 

"There is no need to be so insolent, Rudra." Shipra scolded.

"Mom, you know this is just some money-making scheme where the girl hopes to cash in on the nostalgia and emotions of the readers," Rudra said, shrugging, but when he saw the sulking faces of his grandparents, he huffed. "Okay... Fine!"

"Dad, what did Mr. Rajput say?" Rudra asked as he watched his father serve himself breakfast. He heard his mother hiss because of her no work talk on the table policy, but this was important.

"He said that your approach was unconventional, but he told me to congratulate you for thinking out of the box. Good job!" Apurva said and reached over to pat his son on the back. "Akash?" He turned to look at his younger son, who was playing on his phone. "Learn something from your elder brother. Why don't you leave your stupid ideas and shadow your brother? It will be beneficial for you in the long run."

"No, thanks, Dad. I am good." Akash stated and pushed his plate away and stood up. "I have some packing left to do, so excuse me."

As he was walking upstairs, he could hear his father yelling about how he wasn't serious enough about his life while his mother and grandparents were calming him down while telling him to give 'Akash' some space. 

With a sigh, he fell on his back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. If you were a younger sibling, it wasn't shocking or out of the blue if you were compared to your older sibling. He had always lived under the constant pressure and shadow of being Rudra Rawat's younger brother. The younger brother of the perfect student, friend, son, grandson, doctor, and now the ideal managing director- Rudra Rawat.

Maybe that's why Sakshi had chosen Rudra over him.

~~~○●○~~~

"Yes, officer. Just this way." Soumya yelled as she slowly walked down the steep slope behind their house that led them to a vast open green field. It was used previously by their mother, Sandhya Awasthy, to develop her gardening skills, and now Dhara had taken over the task of caring for their mother's garden. Sandhya and Dhara both had a green thumb, and their love for nature and plants was the reason why their house was dotted with both indoor and outdoor plants. 

"Yes, just over here." She announced when she came and stood beside Dhara, who was digging a trench. "This is exactly where my sister hides all the bodies. I swear I had nothing to do with it." Soumya said and then burst out laughing at her own joke, but Dhara glared at her and threw the shovel on the ground before stomping off to the shed of gardening supplies.

"Dhara," Soumya sighed and sat down beside her sister as she began laying manure into the ground. "You know Buaji, so there is no point of getting angry at her and-"

"I am not angry at her." Dhara snapped. "I am angry at you. Why the hell do you let her talk to you and about you like that? Like....like you are some stay animal. Why can't you stand up for yourself?"

"What do you want me to do?" Soumya asked with a scoff. "Yell at her like you and then storm off from there?" 

"Yes!" Dhara said immediately. "Tell her that she can't walk all over you like this."

"How many times have you told her off, but has she changed? No, that's just how she is. We can't change her. So, instead of telling her off and showing her that it bothers us, isn't it better that we just block off the negativity?"

"But, it does bother you," Dhara argued as she snapped off her gloves and reached over for the Bluetooth speaker that she had put near the wall. "And now I know you are going to be lying to me by saying it doesn't bother you, so don't talk to me right now. Aren't you getting late for work?"

"Dhara,"

"Don't talk to me."

Feeling dejected, she stood up and slowly began walking up the slope, trying to make sure she didn't slip and fall.

Soumya shook her head when her grandmother looked up at her questioningly as soon as she entered the house.

"Okay, Buaji. I'll get going." Soumya said to her aunt as she picked up her coat and purse. "It was nice seeing you."

"Soumya, do you not earn enough from that dinky clinic of yours?" Deepti asked. 

When Soumya just looked at her in confusion, Deepti continued talking, "Then why don't you invest in yourself? Spend some money on clothes, hair, makeup. You both sisters roam around looking like jhallis. Remember how we had gone to a beauty parlour together. Let's organize one of those trips again. It was so much fun. Nai?"

Soumya passed Deepti a small tight-lipped smile and nodded. How could she forget that trip? It was basically Deepti getting a makeover while Soumya and Dhara just got a haircut and then ended up paying for the entire trip.

As Soumya was driving her scooty to the town, she couldn't help but think about what Dhara had said. Had she really become weak that people were walking all over her? 

Her father had built the clinic to help the citizens of the town and neighbourhood villages with any medical procedures and emergencies. While most people looked to go out to the city and earn money, her father wanted to work for the people on a grassroots level. She, too, wanted to work in a big hospital in a metro city, her plans had changed after her parents passed away two years ago.

When she saw a crowd in front of the clinic, she hurriedly parked her scooty and quickly made her way to them. "Why are you all waiting outside?"

"Doctor Madam, your assistant told us to wait here. We have been waiting here for a long time. Is the clinic going to be closed today?"

"No, it's not," Soumya assured, and looked towards the clinic. "Just give me five minutes." 

Taking two steps at a time, she threw the door open and wasn't overly surprised to see her assistant Reena giggling as she watched something Manoj was showing her on his phone. 

"What's going on here?" Soumya demanded, and the love birds sprang away from each other. 

"And Manoj, I thought Dadi sent you to feed the cows. I had to make breakfast." She scolded as she walked to her cabin and dropped her purse on the table. "And Reena, patients are waiting outside. Instead of attending to them, you are sitting here flirting with each other?"

"What? No, we're just good friends." Manoj replied, running his fingers through his hair. Clearly, he was practicing to be an actor.

"Yes, Soumya, we were just talking. Manoj was showing me his new Tik-Tok." Reena said sheepishly.

"Enough!" Soumya put on her coat and looked at Manoj. "You go home and help Dadi. Deepti bua is here, so she'll probably stay for lunch."

"Why is she here?" Manoj groaned, but quickly left the clinic when Soumya gave him a pointed look.

"And you. Go bring the patients one by one." Soumya instructed, and Reena too hurried to follow her directions.

"See, I can boss people." Soumya murmured under her breath once she sat down on her chair. Pushing away all the tension from home, she put on a smile and nodded at the first patient that came in.

~~~○●○~~~

"You are back," Chandni said to Soumya when she saw her entering the house and slumping on the couch beside her.

Soumya loved staying busy, and being the only doctor around here meant she really had a lot to do. It was almost 8:30 when the last patient left the clinic.

Soumya stood up and walked to the dining table to pour herself a glass of water. "Where is our Dhara Madam? Is she still angry?" 

"You know how much she can sulk." Chandni sighed but didn't look away from the show that she was watching. "She is in the storage room with your grandfather and Manoj getting the thick blankets out."

Soumya began heading to the storage room, "I'll go help them."

"Dadu," Soumya greeted and hugged her grandfather, who was supervising the entire mission. He had been scolded by Dhara to be sitting there like that instead of being on the ladder.

"The volcano has still not cooled down," Haripraksh whispered to Soumya and Dhara immediately whipped her head around to glare at them.

"Acha, Manoj, what are you doing on the 15th?" Soumya asked as she stood beside Manoj, who was receiving the blankets that Dhara threw from the storage.

"Nothing much, why?" He replied, shaking his head.

Dhara aimed the blanket and because he wasn't looking landed on top of his head. "It is India versus Australia cricket match!"

"Oh yeah!" Manoj laughed and hit his forehead. "Sorry, Soumya. I am busy. We still have to make the manners for it too, Dhara."

"We'll do it tomorrow," Dhara said as she hopped off the last step of the ladder and dusted her hands.

"Well, make sure they are big banners; otherwise, the cameras won't be able to capture what you have written on it," Soumya said with an enigmatic smile.

"What cameras?" Manoj asked as his eyebrows furrowed together, but Dhara's eyes twinkled, and she looked at her sister expectantly. 

"Not just the cameras, but the players should be able to see the banners too, right?" Soumya dug into her purse and dug out some tickets.

Haripraksh had to remove his hearing aid when both Manoj and Dhara yelled out loud when they saw the tickets. 

"Di, how did you get them?" Dhara demanded as she jumped up and down before hugging Soumya.

"What's going on here?" Chandni asked as she came limping into the room with worry written all over her face.

"Maaji, Soumya has gotten tickets for the cricket match on the 15th in Dharmshala." Manoj grinned and threw his arms around Soumya and Dhara.

"Dharamshala? What? Why? Soumya-"

"Dadi," Soumya pleaded with her eyes to allow them to go to the match without any protests.

"But, these are five tickets." Dhara fanned and held them out.

"I am not coming," Haripraksh announced, shaking his head.

"Me neither," Chandni said in agreement.

"I know." Soumya laughed. "The other two are for Reena and Shubham." 

"Where did you get all this money?" Chandni asked when Dhara and Manoj left the room, chanting. "India! India! India!"

"My friend got them for me and Dadi. What expenses do I have right now? I thought it would be a nice treat for all of them." She said with a smile, but before she could leave, Haripraksh held her hand and forced her to sit down in front of him. 

"Dadi told me what happened today. Don't worry. I'll talk to Deepti and-"

"No need, Dadu." Soumya shook her head and tugged at his mustache. "I know how Buaji is, so It's fine. Don't worry about me! I am completely fine."

Chandni ran her hand, lovingly over Soumya's face. "Don't worry. Despite what anyone says, I know that a good man is waiting for you, my child."

Soumya wanted to take this moment and tell them that she didn't want to do groom hunting anymore. She was happy staying with them, and Dhara and her life here was enough for her, but she didn't. Dhara's rebellion on everything was giving the older couple a heartburn and she didn't want to add to it. "Now, let me go and stop them before they create a ruckus in the neighbourhood." She said and hurriedly stood up and left the room before her grandparents could talk to her some more about her marriage.

~~~○●○~~~

"Di, you know what?" Dhara said as Soumya, Dhara and Manoj sat on the rooftop after dinner with warm shawls wrapped around them eating hot gulab jamuns that Manoj had made to celebrate.

"What?" Soumya asked as she waved her hands in front of her mouth to reduce the burning sensation. 

"You and I. We won't ever get married. We'll stay here forever and ever. You handle the clinic, and I'll handle the farms and house." Dhara said, excitedly. "This way, we can always stay together."

"Not bad. But to handle the business, you need to start going to college and actually get that degree." Soumya hit Dhara lightly on the back of her head. "You didn't go to college again today."

"I was upset, so I thought there is no point in going to college if I can't focus," Dhara grumbled. "And by the way, just because you bought those cricket match tickets doesn't mean that I have forgiven you. I am still upset with you."

Soumya rolled her eyes and placed her empty bowl beside her. "But your idea is not bad. With the way things are going, it definitely seems like I am going to be a spinster for life." She chuckled, but Manoj and Dhara could see the pain in her voice.

"Or I have an idea," Manoj said as he stood up. "You both just have to find a set of brothers and then you'll always be together."

Soumya and Dhara both laughed and shook their heads. "You are so smart! Why hadn't anyone thought of this before?" Dhara said, laying her head on Soumya's lap.

Soumya looked up towards the sky and sighed, "Our mom used to say the same thing to us all the time." 

"And Papa," Dhara interjected. "He would only laugh and say which crazy family would want, not one, but two of my mad daughters?"

Soumya and Dhara began laughing again, looking at Manoj's sullen face.

Later that night, Soumya stared at the blank document for a few minutes before she slowly began typing. 

Family... It's a word that brings out so many emotions in you....