#pavaana chaudhary

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Writing prompt: “Is that my shirt?”

It’s… almost the prompt? Just a different article of clothing, haha. Meet Shahil, his twin brother Pavaana, and his not-yet-but-soon-to-be adopted daughter, Red, if you haven’t already. :)

Shahil tore through his closet, a man on a mission, looking for his nicest sherwani to wear out on his date with Agni. Knowing his boyfriend, Agni would try to buy him an entirely new outfit. He did it with Meg, with Red, with Shahil, with anyone he took out for a night on the town, friend or, in this case, boyfriend.

“Where is it?” he muttered to himself. His voice was high with nerves, hands shaking a little, because while Agni had seen him at his best and his worst and everywhere in between, this was their first real date since Shahil had almost fucked up their friendship for good. But then, how could he have known Agni had feelings for him, too?

Shahil shook his head. None of that now. Now things were good, great, amazing! Or, they would be if he could find that damn sherwani.

Footsteps too sure to be Maya’s and too small to be anyone else tapped into the room.

“Hey, Red.”

“Uh, Shahil?”

“Not now. I’m looking for something.”

“I know, but –“

“Red, please. Is it an emergency?”

“Well, no, but –“

“Then later, okay?” Shahil’s voice kept getting higher and squeakier as the exchange went on. Why wasn’t it here? It wasn’t like he had that many clothes.

More footsteps. Loud but lightfooted. Pavaana.

“What do you –“ Shahil whirled around on his twin, who was standing there in –

“Is that my sherwani?”

Pavaana looked down at himself, as if he’d forgotten what he was wearing.

“Um.”

Shahil extended a hand and made a grabby motion. “Give it back.”

“But it’s comfyyyyy,” Pavaana whined.

“I have a date and it’s the nicest thing I own. It’s not your loungewear!”

“I was careful.”

“You’ll get dirt on it!”

Red sighed heavily and threw her hands up in the air as she stormed out of the room. “That’s what I was trying to tell you, Shahil!”

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Kitties and Doggos

@alittle-writer tagged me in this EXCELLENT game in which you choose dogs and cats to represent your characters. I decided to do Three Wishes!

sources: x x x x x

Hongyu: Great Dane (this exact super happy one)

Xun: Boxer (flowers included)

Annaisha: Ragdoll  (so gentle and soft)

Hikaru: Pitbull (specifically with a flower crown)

Shahil: Siberian (we’ll just pretend that’s Pavaana in the background)

You can read more about Three Wishes here!: board / blog / my tag

I had fun reading about different breeds to do this challenge, and I’m going to tag: @z-bot, @cherrysnowclone, @dunyazade, @ohsugarfoot, @tatterpixie, and anyone else who wants to!

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chastise definition

to censure severely : castigate

to inflict punishment on (as by whipping)

“And so then,” Pavaana said, “Gabhasti gives me this look, and she doesn’t say anything but she turns around and walks away with her nose in the air, and I’m just left there gawping like an idiot because she turned me down as a date with less respect than she’d give a dog!”

Shahil forced back a smirk. Although Pavaana was laughing about it, it didn’t seem right to grin at his brother’s discomfort.

It was pretty funny, though.

Pavaana nudged Shahil’s shoulder with his own and grinned, “You always were the better looking brother.”

Shahil finally did laugh. It had been such a relief when he’d found the horrible mark on his face didn’t light up when his clothes were touched, because he could still have some minor physical comforts like this. “It’s because I part my hair on the right.”

“That’s your secret?”

Shahil grinned back.

But his grin faded when, up ahead, he caught sight of some of the older students at his and Pavaana’s school, who were always picking on him and saying he was too quiet, too shy, too introverted, too poor, too dark-skinned, too dirty. Too himself. He looked down at the strap of his bag, clenched tightly in his left hand hand even though it was over his right shoulder and wouldn’t easily be pulled away. Shahil tugged on the sleeve of Pavaana’s uniform top and said, “Let’s just take another way, I don’t want --”

But what he did or didn’t want didn’t matter, because the oldest of them, a seventeen year old boy named Kaaliya, took a few steps forward and blocked the twins’ way. The other three followed, flanking him on either side.

Pavaana took another step forward and gently shoved Shahil behind him.

“Pavaana --” it came out as a surprised puff of breath “-- it’s fine, don’t --”

“We just want to go home,” Pavaana said. “We’re losers, we’re beneath you, our family sucks even though you wouldn’t even have a fence without our dad’s hard work, blah blah blah.”

Kaaliya’s face scrunched up a little and his eyes narrowed. He crossed his arms over his chest.

“We get it. You hate us. We know. We don’t need a reminder.”

Kaaliya gave a malicious grin. “Well then, we can skip right to the beating.”

“To the --?” Shahil squeaked. People looked down on him and his brother but nobody had ever tried to hurt them! But Pavaana had already yanked his bookbag off his shoulder and gone in swinging.

“Pavaana!” Shahil cried, clutching his own bookbag to his chest. He had to help, he had to! But if a fist came in contact with his face, or his hands hit skin, his mark would flare and he didn’t know what would happen but it would be something bad, really bad, because Mom always told him he could never tell or show anyone, even Dad and Pavaana!

But then Pavaana landed a solid punch right on Kaaliya’s nose, and everything stopped. One of the other boys leaned over to check on him, but Kaaliya pushed him away. He righted himself, hand over his nose and mouth, and said, “My dad is going to have you hanged.”

Pavaana blew a raspberry at him. “Fuck you. Your dad can’t do anything. You attacked us first.” He looked around at the circle of other students who had crowded around to watch the fight. “Right?”

Soft murmuring waves of voices went through the crowd, and Kaaliya realized he’d been bested.

“Besides, my dad does all the iron work for yours. You need us.”

Pavaana propped his fists on his hips and gave Kaaliya a knowing look. “Don’t you?”

Kaaliya lunged, but one of his friends pulled him back and led him away through the circle. A few of the students Pavaana’s and Shahil’s age stepped forward to see if they needed any help, and everyone else slowly dispersed.

“Pavaana?”

Pavaana slowly turned toward the beautiful lilting voice he’d recognize anywhere. Gabhasti.

“Hi,” he said dumbly.

“That was incredible!” Gabhasti leaned forward and put her hand on Pavaana’s arm. “I’d like to reconsider that date invite, if you’re willing?”

Pavaana looked over at Shahil, scrunched in on himself and turning his head this way and that to avoid being touched by well-meaning classmates. He turned back toward his past crush and said,

“I don’t think so. You didn’t think I was nearly so interesting this morning, so what happens when I get boring again?”

He didn’t linger on her look of indignation, simply moved over to Shahil and gently moved their classmates out of the way. He squeezed Shahil’s upper arms through his uniform and said, “Hey. You’re okay.”

Shahil’s shoulders relaxed a little and he looked up. When he glanced around and was made sure it was just the two of them, he finally smiled. He waved at his classmates walking away and called, “Thank you for checking up on me!”

They turned around and waved back, walked backwards a few steps, and went on their way.

Pavaana gently rubbed at the middle of Shahil’s back and said, “Let’s go home. It’s been a long day and now I’ve got to wash all this blood off my knuckles.”

Shahil barked a laugh, and Pavaana grinned.

Three Wishes: board / blog / my tag || Sheraton Academy || ebooks || WIP || Ao3 (original work)

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definitions for aberration:

the act of departing from the right, normal, or usual course.

the act of deviating from the ordinary, usual, or normal type.

deviation from truth or moral rectitude.

A knock came at the Chaudhary family door square in the middle of dinnertime. Shahil began to stand, but Pavaana waved him down and said, “I’ll get it.”

They both missed the worried look their parents shared.

Pavaana stood and ambled to the door. If they were going to interrupt his dinner, they could wait a few extra seconds for an answer.

When he opened the door, a man in official garb was standing there. Pavaana went cold and stood up a little straighter. This wasn’t just a city guard. Why would someone from the Empire be here?

He found himself relatively quickly and bowed deeply, and said, loud enough for the table in the other room to hear, “What brings a messenger from the Empress today?”

“I have a letter for Citizen Chaudhary. Is that you?”

“Well, uh, I’m one of them?” Pavaana said unsurely, finally straightening his back again. “There are six of us here. And another Chaudhary family the next neighborhood over. Who are you looking for specifically?”

“Citizen Shahil Chaudhary,” the messenger said, frowning at Pavaana’s impertinence.”

“I can deliver it to him.”

“No. My orders were to put it in his hands myself. Is he here?”

Pavaana bowed again and said, “I’ll have him out in a moment. Do you mind if I close the door so the summer beetles don’t get in? They’re impossible to get rid of and they eat everything.”

The messenger hesitated and finally he nodded. “Very well. But be quick.”

“Thank you,” Pavaana said, and he shut the door gently, although he wanted to slam it with all his strength.

He rushed into the kitchen and pushed himself in between Shahil and Red. “There’s a messenger from the Empress here with a letter for you. Red, grab all your dishes and go hide in Shahil’s closet. Be silent until we say it’s safe to come out.

Agni’s face suddenly went cold as steel and he asked calmly, “Is someone in danger?” He didn’t have to. Every atom in his body was urging him to grab Shahil and Red and flee to anywhere but here. But how could he without being noticed?

Shahil kissed Red’s temple and waved her toward his room. “Do as Pavaana says. I’ll figure this out.” He looked over at his boyfriend and said, “Agni, stay here at the table. I don’t want you compromised with... whatever this is.”

When Shahil opened the door, the man shoved an immaculate envelope into his hands and said, “The Ministry of Enlightenment expects an immediate response,” and turned around and stormed away.

Shahil opened the envelope as carefully as he could, trying not to rip it or the letter within. Inside was a short note written in perfect, beautiful handwriting.

Citizen Shahil Chaudhary;

It has come to our attention that you have adopted a child off the street. Why would you think you could care for her best when we’ve created the Golden Lilies Program to bring in orphaned and homeless children? Do you think you know better than our Most Gracious Empress in these matters?

We expect a thorough explanation within the week. We expect you cannot travel, so one week from now at this time, we will send a messenger to pick up your correspondence.

If your answer is not satisfactory, you and the child will both be brought in for re-education.

The Ministry of Enlightenment

Shahil swallowed hard and a shock of fear shot down his spine. He shut the door behind him as he headed inside the house, and when his family and Agni saw his pale face, they all clamored at once to ask him what had happened, but Shahil made a beeline for Agni.

“I need your help writing a letter,” Shahil said.

“What --?”

Shahil shoved the letter into Agni’s hands. Agni’s face went more and more pale as he read the short letter. When he was done, he took Shahil’s hand and said, “I’ll help you take care of this.”

“Give me that,” Saanvi said, snatching the letter out of Agni’s hands.

“Is it safe for Red to come out?” Pavaana asked hesitantly.

“Yes.”

“I’ll go get her, then she needs to know how she’s involved.”

Read more about Three Wishes here!

Check out my published work here!

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definitions for moxie:

Slang. courage; nerve; determination.

Slang. vigor; verve; pep.

Slang. skill; know-how.

So, @ruukachoo and I have discussed the Chaudharys and the Raos as business partners before, and it eventually being handed down to Shahil and Meg. So I figured, their parents had known each other a long time, probably before any of the kids were born. And that’s where this came from! (I assumed Meg was younger than the twins, but not like, little little.)

Usually Dad went over to WestEnd Gearworks with just Pavaana, but he knew how much Shahil liked Meg, even if he didn’t talk much or let her touch him, either, so Dad brought him along today, too, for once.

While he and Mr. Rao were talking about their orders in the office, Meg was being babysat by half the garage, who Shahil could tell absolutely adored her. Pavaana ran up to them and started rambling away about things that had happened the last time they’d seen each other while Shahil stood back, wringing his hands. Then, little Meg ducked under one of the worker’s arms and rushed over to Shahil, tugging on his sleeve and trying to pull him closer to the action. He didn’t flinch away, because even if Meg didn’t understand his boundaries, she did respect them, and was always careful to stay away from his skin.

“They’re teachin’ me Super Striker moves!” she squealed in delight. “Come learn some! You never know when you’ll have to rescue royalty from bandits!”

Shahil finally smiled, a little shyly, and said, “I don’t think there’s much royalty anymore.”

“Someone important, then!”

Shahil thought Meg and Pavaana were important, but they were both doing pretty well in the Super Striker department. On the other hand, he’d probably never learn to fight, because it required skin-to-skin touch to be at all useful. But he could still watch.

He let Meg drag him over to the mechanics by his sleeve. They were big and brawny and covered in tattoos, and Shahil snickered softly to himself at the idea of Meg looking like that when she got older. It just didn’t seem like her style.

One day either he or Pavaana was going to take over the smithy, and Meg would take over the garage, and then they’d be partners! That would be so great! But Shahil figured Dad would probably choose Pavaana, because he was so much more charismatic and friendly, no matter how hard Shahil tried to be both of those things.

“Remember, Shahil doesn’t like to be touched!” Meg announced to the mechanics. “So you can teach him Super Striker uppercuts! You can tell it’s Shahil because he’s wearing black and Pavaana is wearing blue! So don’t do anything he doesn’t like or you answer to me!”

The mechanics chuckled at the lecture. They got it over and over, every time Shahil came by with Mom or Dad, and he was pretty sure Meg knew they knew, but that she also took joy in protecting him. He was pretty scared of starting school without her next year.

Maybe one day he could find a real witch in the jungle to make the curse go away. But that was a long way off, because Mom and Dad would never allow him to go alone, and they had the smithy to run and Pavaana to take care of.

For now and for as long as he could, he’d stick with Meg, not just for the protection, but for her friendship and acceptance, too.

Read more about Three Wishes here!

Check out my published work here!

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definitions for reverie:

a state of dreamy meditation or fanciful musing: lost in reverie.

a daydream.

a fantastic, visionary, or impractical idea: reveries that will never come to fruition.

Pavaana and Shahil laid side by side in the park by the library, watching the clouds go by and listening to the birds and sounds of foot traffic. They’d just walked their mother and new baby sister Maya to the library for a baby music class, and were waiting here, on the grass, with the scent of jasmine surrounding them.

Their father had given Shahil the day off and Pavaana had one, too, that had somehow lined up between his three part time jobs. It was a nice day, their mother had said, so why didn’t they walk with her? She loved the company, and didn’t get to see them much but at dinner anymore.

Pavaana blew a piece of grass off his nose. His attention kept jumping back and forth between Shahil’s low singing, the birdsong, the buzz of the bees and the drone of foot traffic. Finally, it got to be too much, and he started to zone out, everything blurring together in one big mass of sound. He closed his eyes.

While Pavaana’s mind was still all over the place, racing, racing -- it always had been and maybe always would be -- at least he got to spend some time with Shahil, even though they were mostly quiet. It was nice, this bonding time. Pavaana knew from Shahil that he didn’t always need to talk to enjoy spending time with someone.

So that’s what Pavaana would do, side by side with his brother.

Read more about Three Wishes here!

Check out my published works, here!

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Definitions for kibitzer:

a giver of uninvited or unwanted advice.

Informal. a spectator at a card game who looks at the players' cards over their shoulders,especially one who gives unsolicited advice.

Pavaana slung his arm over Shahil’s shoulder, leaning in close, but not close enough for any of their skin to touch.

“If you want my advice --”

“I don’t,” Shahil said.

“I think, with Agni, you need to just be straightforward with him,” Pavaana said. “If he hasn’t gotten it yet, he’s not going to get it without some nudging.”

Shahil shot him a sharp glare. “No nudging.”

Pavanna opened his mouth.

“No, Pavaana.”

Pavaana closed his mouth again and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

“What if --”

“No!” Shahil groaned. He latched his fingers into the ticklish spot in Pavaana’s side and Pavaana jerked away with a screech.

“But you didn’t even let me finish!” Pavaana pouted.

“And I’m not going to. Shut. Up.”

Pavaana pouted harder.

“No.”

Pavaana sighed and knuckled Shahil’s covered shoulder, before saying, “Well, fine. For now. But you two are making me sick. Just say something already!”

“I’ll pass,” Shahil said, but a small smile crawled across his face at Pavaana’s expression, anyway.

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Definitions for litotes:

Rhetoric. understatement, especially that in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary, as in “not bad at all.”

“Mom, Dad!” Maya exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. “I got another invitation to the festival next week!”

Saanvi laughed and said, “What does that make the count now?”

“Seven! Seven different people want me as their date to the festival!” Maya grinned.

“Well, are you going to say yes to any of them?” Pavaana asked, just before stuffing a big piece of dal covered naan in his mouth.

“Yes, are you?” Suresh said. “You know I want to meet them when they come to pick you up, whoever it ends up being!”

“Da~ad,” Maya whined.

Shahil smiled into his tea as his family talked, his eyes darting between them as everyone ate and laughed. Suresh was just telling Maya how rude and mean it was to lead someone on and maybe she should make a decision soon, when Maya whirled toward him and Pavaana and said, “Who are you going with?”

They both shrugged, reflections of each other. “Nobody,” they said together. They whirled on each other wish shocked faces and Shahil said,

“But you always have people asking you on dates!”

just as Pavaana said, “I thought you were going with Agni?”

Shahil paled. His heart pounded hard in his chest and he gripped his teacup harder so his hands wouldn’t shake. Of course, he wanted to go with Agni, and maybe would have even worked up the nerve to ask him along -- just as friends, obviously, Agni could never know about his feelings -- but Agni had to entertain a guest for his parents there, and Shahil didn’t want to get in the way.

He sighed, steeled himself, and said, “No. I’m not going with anyone. I might try to drag Meg out of her shop for an evening and get her a break, but that’s not really a date.”

“But you’re in love with him!” Pavaana said, like if Shahil did go with Meg he would be cheating on Agni in the process.

Shahil dropped his teacup into his bowl.

“Pavaana!” Saanvi hissed. “You know he’s sensitive about that!”

“Well,” said Maya thoughtfully, “he’s not wrong.”

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Definitions for chinwag:

Slang. an idle chat.

Slang. to chat idly; gossip.

Shahil came home late that night. When he checked the clock in the short hallway on the way back to the bedrooms, it said it was about 2:00. He’d told his mother he would be back late, or early in the morning, and not to worry and not to wait up, and she’d given him a curious look. Shahil never went to bed early, but he didn’t stay out late, either.

He nearly bumped into Pavaana when his brother came out of his and Maya’s room. Pavaana looked Shahil over with soft, sleepy eyes, squinting with the force of keeping them open.

“Shahil! You’re back. Mom told us you’d be out late, but nobody was expecting it to be this late.”

“I lost track of time.”

“Eh.” Pavaana waved his hand a little in the dim hallway. “Happens to me all the time. Out at one of Agni’s parties?”

Shahil rubbed his arm and looked down at his hand, hanging limply against his side. “I guess mom and dad didn’t tell you. Agni’s at a miai. He left a few days ago.”

Pavaana sucked a sharp breath in through his teeth. “Oh, Shahil. I’m so sorry.”

Shahil shrugged. His voice was surprisingly calm, considering the love of his life was off deciding which someone else he should marry. “I knew this was going to happen. His parents would never let him marry someone like me.”

Pavaana rested his hand on Shahil’s shoulder. Shahil didn’t flinch away! Small miracles.

“Still. It’s terrible and I wish it weren’t happening to you.” Then, near his thumb, Pavaana spotted it: a small patch on Shahil’s neck that was darker than the rest of his skin. He leaned closer. “Hey, what’s --”

Shahil pulled away and slapped his hand over the mark. Pavaana’s eyes widened. After a moment of surprise, his eyebrows shot up and he grinned.

“Shahil! Shit, is that a love-bite?”

Shahil cleared his throat and averted his eyes, but didn’t drop his hand or answer.

Pavaana pulled Shahil into a half hug, half headlock, and ruffled his hair. “You moved on fast! I didn’t think you’d even let anyone else get that close! You’re really giving up on him?”

Shahil sighed heavily, sadly, and Pavaana immediately regretted asking.

“I have to,” Shahil said, “or I’ll just sit around pining forever.”

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Definitions for moggy:

British Informal. a cat.

The first night Red brought Taako home, Maya and Saanvi were delighted. Maya had always wanted a cat in the house, but it was just too expensive. But with Red bringing in money from the Gearworks now, they had just enough to add one more to the family. Pavaana wasn’t quite so over the moon, but he thought Taako was cute nonetheless, and when the mangey cat rubbed up against his ankle, he leaned down and scratched his head. When Taako purred so loudly everyone in the room could hear, Pavaana lit up and grinned. Suresh and Shahil were already sold when they saw how happy Taako made Red, and it looked like she’d gotten the rest of the family on board, too.

She scooped him up and asked, “Miss Saanvi, can I give him a bath?”

“Please do!” Saanvi laughed. “I’ll get you a cloth and an old comb for his fur. He looks like he has quite a bit of mud and dirt ground in there! And check for fleas, dear, so we can get him some medicine if we need to.”

After Taako was clean and pronounced miraculously free of fleas, everyone sat down to dinner. Taako curled up at Red’s feet for a moment, then, bored and used to wandering around, he got up and began jumping on everyone’s feet. Red saw Pavaana’s hand going under the table, and Red peered underneath to see he was feeding Taako little pieces of cheese and naan.

She’d have to get the poor skinny thing some meat tomorrow after work. A human might be able to be a vegetarian, but a cat, not so much.

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So yesterday was a REALLY bad pain day and I missed the word of the day, so hopefully you will get two today!

magnanimous definition:

showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit

showing or suggesting nobility of feeling and generosity of mind

It had been a long time since Pavaana and his crew had worked a job like this. Most of the time it was small business buildings or houses or garages.

But when Agni had come to him, of all people, the flaky sibling, the one who wasn’t good enough for the family business but still had nothing in life but physical labor -- when Agni had asked him and his team! to help to build the center for the homeless, Pavaana was overjoyed. Finally someone of note had taken notice of his team’s good work, and he knew Agni had, because he wouldn’t hire someone who couldn’t do it, regardless of family connections. This project was too important to Agni to blow it on an idiot just because Pavaana was his boyfriend’s brother.

Agni had had to hire a few other crews, too, because of the massive scale of it, and the teams got along merrily, with Agni coming by multiple times a day between his business workings and training and whatever else it was he did in his free time. He brought them lunch and cool drinks every day, and he’d sit down and eat with them instead of just up and leaving, asking questions about how they were feeling and if they needed more breaks and how the project was coming along.

He was the most engaged boss Pavaana had ever dealt with. As the weeks went by, the building went up, and up, leading into two floors and stairs and rooms and Agni seemed more and more pleased by the day, and not a visit went by where Agni didn’t pat Pavaana on the back in a hearty, friendly way, and said, “Just as talented as Shahil. You must make your parents proud.”

And not a day went by when Pavaana didn’t grin, shrug, and say, “Hey, thanks.”

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Definitions for anthophilous:

attracted by or living among flowers.

feeding on flowers, as certain insects. Also, anthophagous.

Red laid back in the grass staring angrily up at the clouds, absolutely determined to not have a good time. Maya’s gaze flitted nervously over every few minutes as she gnawed on her lip.

“Leave her alone,” Pavaana said gently, in a rare moment of wisdom. Maybe he was getting better at reading Red. Maybe it was because she had nearly bitten his face off when he said Shahil wouldn’t be coming with them out to the park because he got called in on a last minute job, but yes, she was still coming, Shahil insisted, and she could ask him herself if she wanted. “She’s upset Shahil couldn’t come.”

Maya frowned and went back to her flower crown while Red glared up at the unseeing sky.

Red blinked and frowned harder when a shadow cast over her face, ready to tell Maya or Pavaana or whoever it was to go away, but then a soft, wispy, sweet-smelling wreath of flowers gently dropped over her forehead. She picked it up and frowned, peering up at it to see a crown of soft green sticks and jasmine flowers and leaves, and one random red hibiscus tucked into the side.

“’Cause it’s red!” Maya said cheerfully. “Like you!”

Red sat up, curling her other hand around the flower crown. Maya’s face crumpled, sure she was going to smash it, but then Red’s hands started shaking and she looked up with wide, glassy eyes.

“You made this for me?”

Maya grinned and nodded. She pointed to the hibiscus. “That one was Pavaana’s idea, because he’s subtle as a brick.”

A slow, tentative, but genuine smile started to spread across Red’s face, and she lifted the flower crown over her head. She ducked underneath it, like she was afraid something so beautiful would burn her, but then she rested it on top of her head and sat back up straight again.

“Thank you,” she said. Maya grinned and moved on to making one for Pavaana.

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Definitions for lotus-eater:

a person who leads a life of dreamy, indolent ease, indifferent to the busy world; daydreamer.

Shahil knocked on Pavaana’s and Maya’s door. No answer. He sighed and rolled his eyes, then knocked one more time as he pushed the door open. Maya was out with her friends, having no classes today, and Pavaana was supposed to come into the shop today to run the counter, as their dad’s back was especially bad this morning.

But he was going to make Shahil late, and if there was anything Shahil hated, it was being late.

“Pavaana!” he called as he pushed the door open. “Get up!”

Pavaana was already up, though, lying on his bed and gazing idly out the window, daydreaming.

“Pavaana!” Shahil said again, a little louder this time. Pavaana jumped and turned toward his twin.

“Oh, is it time to get going?”

“It’s been time to get -- you know what, just be ready in five minutes or I’m leaving without you and hiring a kid off the street for the day.”

“Okay,” Pavaana said, distractedly.

Shahil knew that tone of voice. Pavaana was off in his own world right now, and he was going to stay there if Shahil didn’t pull him out of it. So he went into Pavaana’s and Maya’s shared closet and pulled out some clothes. He threw them at his brother’s head and said, “Put these on and meet me at the front door. You missed breakfast, and we have to leave now.”

Pavaana’s face fell. “I missed breakfast?”

“I saved you some fruit to eat on the walk, but you’re not getting a full meal,” Shahil said.

Pavaana pouted. Shahil finally softened and said, “I’ll make sure we get lunch a little early. In the meantime, we really do need to get going, so please get dressed, okay?”

Pavaana sighed. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Shahil offered Pavaana a small smile and moved his hand in a circular motion. “It’s just, you know, we need to --”

“Get going, right,” Pavaana said, finally standing up.

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ignoble definition:

of low birth or common origin : plebeian

characterized by baseness, lowness, or meanness

Red felt awkward in Maya’s clothes. They were too pretty for someone like her, with beautiful stitching and bright, beautiful colors. She belonged in the scruffy brown clothes she usually wore. But there were some serious repairs that needed to be made, and although she insisted she could do it, Miss Saanvi wouldn’t allow it. She snatched the clothes away and said, “I’ll take care of this. Go relax with Shahil and the others.”

She felt like she was being pampered, and she didn’t deserve that, and they’d already given her a bath and delicious hot food and a standing invitation to come over whenever she wanted. And now they were fixing her clothes? Surely they would ask for some kind of payment Red couldn’t give.

In the sitting room with Shahil and Paavana and Maya all laughing and playing games and inviting her to join, she felt ugly and out of place, like as soon as she put on her old clothes, they would all judge her.

“Do you want to play?” Maya asked. “We can play Satte Pe Satta! Do you know that one?”

“Of course I know that one,” Red said, a little affronted that Maya would assume she didn’t. Red lived on the streets, not under a rock! “And I bet I can beat you all blindfolded.”

“Oh-ho!” Pavaana laughed. “That sounds like quite a challenge. You think you can back that up, Red?”

Red scowled. “Deal me in.”

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coffers definition:

: funds, especially of a government or corporation.

Madame Wu hummed thoughtfully to herself as she flipped through Citizen Shahil Chaudhary’s file. Generally his history was underwhelming: he worked with his father, his brother was working and sister in school, and his mother was stay-at-home.

But what caught her eye was his connection to Citizen Vasumdhara. Citizen Vasumdhara seemed to be spending extraordinary amounts of money on this family’s labor, Citizen Shahil Chaudhary’s smithy and the construction business Citizen Pavaana Chaudhary worked with.

Hm. Very interesting. Perhaps, then this family would be able to give her some insight about his... personal life.

Although it would be untoward to inquire too deeply, well. She hadn’t been made the Minister of Enlightenment because she didn’t pursue what she wanted.

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weal definition:

: a sound, healthy, or prosperous state : well-being

Agni’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

He was at the Chaudhary family’s door, knuckles poised to knock. Shahil knew about these stupid slumps of sadness, but his family didn’t, and Agni wanted to keep it that way. Agni had everything good in the world. He had no right to be sad when other people had so little.

But the sadness still came.

Finally, he knocked. Saanvi answered.

She smiled brightly and began to greet him, but then paused. Her mouth turned down and she touched Agni’s arm.

“What’s wrong?”

“What?” The word caught in Agni’s throat. “Nothing’s wrong. Why does something have to be wrong? Can’t I just visit my favorite family because I feel like it?”

Saanvi gave him a long, serious look, but stepped back to let Agni in without challenging him.

“Sit down,” she said instead. She pulled out a chair as she passed the dining nook into the kitchen. “I’ll make some tea.”

Agni did as she asked. He wrung his hands in his lap, trying not to fidget. Agni wasn’t stupid. Saanvi could tell something was wrong. He just. He didn’t want to talk about it. Not now, not ever. Not even with Shahil.

He made small talk with Saanvi as she made the tea, and he noticed when her hand lingered on his when she handed him his cup.

His forehead was probably lighting up like a fireworks show.

But Saanvi, sweet, motherly Saanvi, who always knew exactly what to do and say, didn’t call him on it. Instead she continued to talk about the smithy and Pavaana’s work and Maya’s school, keeping him distracted while he sipped his tea.

There were more and more moments like this, too many, where Agni wanted to curl up into a tiny ball and disappear, but Saanvi’s voice and words washed over him like a healing balm, and he could forget for a while.

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