A/N: Warning, this chapter and the next ten or so to follow are short af, but don't get used to it because soon they're going to be the length I wish I could get my essays to be.

Kriya's POV

Finally, the day I've been waiting for my entire life is here! Well, I said the same thing about graduation, all my important birthdays - tenth because decade, thirteenth because teenager, eighteen because adult - and when I finally got my braces taken out... and probably a bunch of other stuff, but whatever.

Ugh, why do I feel so tired? Oh, right. I was up all night looking at 's website, you know, for research purposes. Plus, I was too excited to sleep. Guess I'm having coffee instead of tea this morning.

When I go into the kitchen, I see that my mom is already in there making breakfast. And my coffee's already done.

I go and hug her from behind. "Mom, how did you know that I needed coffee this morning?"

"Because I'm your mother. Now help me make breakfast." I make a face, but get to work either way.

After I'm done, I go to my bhai's room to wake him up. When I enter the forest of decay, that's what we like to call bhai's room since it's so messy, I see, other than a big fat mess, my brother sleeping with a dreamy look on his face. I go over to him and shake him gently to wake him up.

"Bhai! Bhai! Come on, get up!" This goes on for like five minutes, and then I start to get irritated. "Oh hello Mr. Majnu, enough dreaming about this so-called Laila of yours! Get up, or I'll find her and tell her everything that you don't want her to know."

He rolls over, and turns to the other side. The nerve!

Then, I get a brilliant idea. "I'll introduce her to ma. You know, the one who gave birth to you and has all of your baby pictures."

Bhai jumps out of bed with a jolt and runs to the bathroom.

"Oh yeah, and remember to wake Taani up."

"No way!"

"Why not?" I sure as hell didn't want to do it!

"Because she's terrifying and able to kill me."

"Bhai, this is your baby sister you're talking about. Your little princess," I remind him sweetly, hoping he'll cave.

"Yeah well, whoever tries to disturb her beauty sleep gets their head bit off and I like my head. It's attached to my beautiful, perfect, curly hair," he says, locking the bathroom door.

"Unbelievable," I mutter, as I go to my room to wake up Taani. Of all the times for him to use that unused brain of his, he picks now, when it doesn't benefit me? What a jerk!

I enter our room and go near Taani's bed. I kneel down on both knees and stroke her hair. "Taani, Princess, get up."

"Di, five more minutes," she mumbles like a little kid.

I smile. "Okay. After I'm done changing, you better be up." Maybe she's in a good morning mood today.

Are pigs flying?

I see her roll over and turn to the other side. Like brother like sister. I shake my head and head inside the washroom to change.

I come out five minutes later, and see that Maharani Sahiba is still sleeping peacefully. "Taanu, it's been five minutes."

"Five more minutes di."

"Taanu, you said that five minutes ago. Now get up and change." She unwillingly gets up and curses me under her breath, using words that I didn't know even existed.

I go to the dining room and find my mom, bhai, toast and omelette at the table. I wolf down my breakfast, while bhai slowly eats his. Mom on the other hand, was working.

"Mom, I thought the rule was no electronics at the table."

"Yeah, but that only applies to using them for fun. This is work."

"You always say that food comes first, and that whatever rules you have for us, apply to you as well."

My mom groans, shutting off her laptop. "You know Kriya, if I knew that you'd remember every single little thing I've ever told you, I wouldn't have said half of it."

"Maasi, listen do di. She only wants what's best for you," says Taani, walking towards us as she puts her watch on.

"Okay, who's the adult here, me or you two?"

Taani and I look at each other and seriously say, "Us."

Mom turns to bhai. "Swayam, back me up here."

Taani and I glare at him. "You know what mom, I'm getting really late. Enjoy your breakfast!"

He rushes out of the house, causing Taani to remark, "Man, that boy can run."

"Wait, aren't you two getting late as well?"

"We're just waiting for Saara, mom."

A second later, Taani's phone beeps. "It's Saara," she informs me. "She says that she and Arjun will be here in a couple minutes. Something about a Siren, a lioness, and Arjun's idiocy."

Say what?

Saara's POV

"Saara get up!" my cousin yells, trying to shake me awake.

"Di, only five more minutes, please!"

"What five minutes? You've been saying 'five more minutes' for the past fifteen minutes so get up already!"

She proceeds to then yank my pillow out from under my head, causing me to sit up. "What the heck di? I was having such a nice dream. Why'd you have to go and ruin it all for me?"

"You can continue to dream in class. That's what it's for anyway," she says, but bites her tongue right after she realizes what she just said. "Forget what I just said. You're going to sleep at night like you always do," The great and powerful Sharon Rai Prakash, a blubbering mess? It was a sight to see.

I get up and hug her from the side. "Di, I know what you meant."

Di breathes out a sigh of relief and says, "Okay, now get ready, and wake up your lazyass brother and cousin," before walking out of my room.

I quickly get ready and head over to my brother's room. I walk over to his bed and shake him awake. "Arjun, wake up!" I whine, hoping to annoy the sleep out of him.

"Saara, shut the hell up! Just go away and let me sleep," he says, hugging his pillow even tighter.

"Arjun Rai Prakash, wake up before I get Sharon di to wake you up." With that horrid thought in mind, he jolts out of bed, which causes me to laugh hysterically.

"Oh yes, do continue laughing! It's not like karma's going to bitch-slap you when you have to go wake up Vrushika."

"What's so bad about waking up Vrushika?" Arjun says nothing as he gets up and heads to his bathroom. Weirdo.

I go to Vrushika's room, and see that she's still sleeping. I walk over to her bed and gently say, "Vrushi, wake up."

She whacks me with a pillow.

"What the hell Vrushi?! Get up!" She opens her eyes and glares at me. Oh, I see now, she's in lioness mode, which was what we use to describe the usually sweet as sugar Vrushika Rai Prakash when she's pissed off. I turn around and walk out of her room.

I go into the kitchen and see that Sharon di's trying to make us breakfast. Really trying. "Di, you need any help?" I ask, not that I'd be any help in the first place, but it's the thought that counts.

"Nah, I'm good."

I grab an apple and say, "Well, it's just going to be you and Vrushi this morning for breakfast."

"Why?"

"Yeah Saara, why? I thought that we were gonna' help di make breakfast," says Arjun, coming in and grabbing my apple. Ass.

"Idiot!" I mutter, getting the urge to face palm myself. "Because I promised Taani and Kriya that we'd go to college together."

"Oh right!"

"Oh, so now he remembers."

"Saara, stop talking to yourself already, we're getting late!" That's it, I'm gonna' kill him.

"Bye di!" I say as I hug her goodbye.

"Bye," she says, as she gets back to her cooking.

Vrushi's gonna' kill us.

On the plus side, this means that Arjun gets to die twice.

My priorities aren't really in order, are they?

While in the car, I text Taani, "Me and Arjun will be there in a couple minutes. Sorry we're late but Arjun's an idiot and almost caused Sharon di to go into Siren mode, and my cousin Vrushi was in lioness mode and tried kill me."

That should sum up my morning.

We arrive at Taani and Kriya's house and open the door, since no one ever bothers to lock it.

"Good morning Smriti Aunty!" I exclaim, walking inside.

"Ah, there's my favorite child!"

Taani and Kriya both let out cries of outrage, but Arjun stops it from escalating.

"Yeah, we literally have zero time for an emotional outburst, please exit to your left," says Arjun, while pushing them out the door.

"Bye Aunty!" I exclaim.

"Bye!"

Once we're in the car, aka Arjun's baby, Taani asks "So what's with the weird text you sent me this morning?"

"Oh, that," I say, as I begin to explain my insane family.

Music Inspiration: The World Is New by Save Ferris (full disclosure, I solely listened to this song for its peppy instrumental, I literally don't know a single word of it)