"Lav?" he answered almost instantly.
"Kaha ho tum?" I asked.
"Airport pe. Flight board karne wala hoon" he replied. "Tumhe toh kal jaana hai, na?"
"Haan, shaam mein" I said quietly.
"Chalo, phir milte hain India mein. Aur jab tak milna ho, mujhe itna miss mat karna. Hum kal hi toh saath the" he teased.
I rolled my eyes. "Haan, haan. Tum bhi khudka dhyan rakhna."
˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗
By evening, I was at the airport with my luggage. 
The flight from England to Mumbai was long—around 9 hours—but I couldn't sleep much. 
My mind kept wandering back to Ishaan and the fleeting moments we had shared.
˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗
As I stepped out of the arrival gates at the airport, the humid Mumbai air hit me, bringing with it a sense of familiarity and excitement. 
I scanned the crowd, looking for my brother. 
And there he was—standing tall with a girl beside him, holding a large chart that read:
"COMEBACK sabka hota hai, jaise meri doctor behna ka hua hai!"
I couldn't help it—I burst out laughing right there. 
My inner voice chimed in, "Lmao, mere bandar jaise bhai ki creativity toh dekho... aur woh ladki... haye, kitni pyaari hai! Bhabi lag rahi hai, 100%."
I walked over, trying to stifle my laughter. 
My brother, Aditya, grinned wide, spreading his arms for a hug. "Meri behna! Dekho kaun wapas aa gayi!"
I hugged him tightly. "Bhai, seriously? Yeh chart ka idea kiska tha?"
"Obviously, mera! Original genius hoon" he said proudly.
"Genius?" I teased. "Chart se zyada toh aapka bandar-wala expression funny lag raha hai."
The girl standing beside him giggled softly. 
I turned to her, and before I could say anything, she smiled warmly and said, "Hi Lavika, main Adya. Aapki future bhabhi. I hope humari vibes match karengi."
I blinked for a second, taking in her sweet demeanor. "Haye, kitni gentle aur pyaari hai" my inner voice sighed again.
Recovering from my momentary pause, I returned her smile. "Bhabi ji , I already like you. Jo mere bandar jaise bhai ko sambhal sake, woh mere liye best hai!"
She laughed. "Mujhe lagta hai aapke bhai ko sambhalne ke liye ek hi lifetime kaafi nahi hoga, but I'm trying!"
Aditya groaned. "Dono milke meri taang kheenchoge kya?"
"Bhai, this is just the beginning" I said, smirking.
Adya chuckled. "Woh toh hai. Waise, maine aapke baare mein kaafi suna hai, Lavika. You're like a superhero in your hospital, aur ghar pe sabki jaan."
I shrugged playfully. "Ab aap bhi ghar mein aayengi toh jaan aur badh jayegi."
Adya blushed slightly, while Aditya looked between us, clearly thrilled that we were getting along.