Lakshmi was into her laptop, talking to her mom while Niran was arranging her books onto a shelf.
"Had your lunch dear?"
"Not yet Ma, Nix promised a takeout today." she eyed Niran, who came beside her.
"Hello Mrs. Vikram."
"Hi dear, how are you doing?"
"Not fine with her."
Lakshmi punched her playfully, "Shut.up."
"You two girls, stop fooling around! you're beyond-"
"You're beyond your age of marriage, not toddlers. Act like grown ups. Blah blah blah....."
Meera, Lakshmi's sister, entered the screen, reciting the lines of her mother, mimicking her.
"Haven't I told you before?" Mrs.Vikram gave a frivolous slap on her back, "Don't mock your elders."
"Meh." Meera shrugged, turning her eyes to Niran, "Hey sis! How ya doin'?"
"Cool. How's Your Bachelor degree going there? I'm waiting to spend my next summer break with you."
"Booooooriiiiingggg." Meera scoffed, "Can't I just skip the last Semester and join you there?"
Lakshmi and Niran both shaked there heads dismissively.
"Urghhhhhh..."
"Why wait till summer break? Lakshu is coming home right? Why don't you join Niran? We can even discuss about her marriage."
Lakshmi smiled with discomfort and turned to Niran with pleading eyes that screamed 'Help me out of this crises, bestie'
"Speaking of marriage, is Lakshu seeing anyone, Sista?" Meera wiggled her brows, "Well, I don't mind having a foreign bro-in- law."
"What?!" Mrs.Vikram eyes widened.
"Why would she? Am I not enough Lux? Are you hitting on someone behind me?" Niran pouted, hands on hips.
Lakshmi laughed "Ofcourse not."
"You're stuck with me for the rest of your life, deal with it." Niran hugged her and pecked her cheeks and Lakshmi happily reciprocated, "Love you."
Both Niran and Lakshmi turned to screen where Meera was trying to supress her laugh while Mrs. Vikram looked shocked.
"What?"
"Lakshu, is Niran....You...Are you both..."
Lakshmi started panicking, "No, no, no, no, no. NO! It's not what you think! She's just kidding! I am not- We're not Gay!"
"Ouch! Lux don't say like that, it hurts." Niran clutched her heart, smirking coyly.
Meera burst out laughing, unable to control any longer.
"Lakshu, tell the trut-"
"Mom! I'll call you later, bye, love you!"
Lakshmi hurriedly closed her laptop and threw daggers from her eyes at Niran, "You..."
She was ready to pounce on Niran when the door bell rang.
Niran smirked, "Lunch's here"
"After I finish it, you're deat meat." Lakshmi brought in the hot box of fried chicken and tandoori rice bowl and both digged in.
"He Luxsh"
"Whatsh?"
"Doo yaw know aboush loocid dreamshing?"
"Speak after eating, stupid. You're spitting allover my sweatshirt!" Lakshmi swallowed a mouthful of rice, dusting her dress.
"Tell me about lucid dreaming."
Lakshmi cocked her brows, "Why do you ask that?"
"Just curious. Heard it somewhere. Thought you might know it, you know, psychological stuff?"
Niran threw a chicken bone into box, that fell with a 'plop' sound.
"What, do you want to see your 2D boys come to life with your own eyes?"
"What?"
"That's what lucid dreaming is. It is a state of mind where you know that you're dreaming. You control your dreams and direct it however you want, basically creating a fake reality. To put it simple, dreaming with your eyes open."
"Wait- Really?"
Lakshmi nodded taking a chicken wing, "Dreams normally occurs to us when we're subconscious, i.e, when we sleep. But this, it's where we're conscious. It's like tricking your brain. It's very common but can be dangerous if done the wrong way."
Niran nodded thoughtfully, hands streching for another wing when Lakshmi went for it too.
"I took it first."
"It's me."
"No way I'm gonna give you this."
"You literally swallowed 3 while I was explaining. This is mine."
Niran was unwilling to let go of the last chicken wing but suddenly smirked devilishly.
"Okay have it."
Lakshmi took the chicken wing to her mouth suspiciously, "You put some poison or somethin' in this?"
"Nope."
"It's weird of you to let go of the last piece without a catfight."
"Eat it before I change my mind."
Lakshmi took a bite, chewing slowly, eyes still on Niran.
"Now that you have took my last wing," Niran got up, smiling slyly at Lakshmi who gulped,
"Teach me how to do it."