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Chapter Text

(Nick names)

Khalid: Childhood school buddies, kept in touch with Kartik after they moved. Later on joined RAW, Kabir's team, presumed dead in a mission but he survives and is currently mute. Bf of Rohan. (Bunny)

Rohan: Brother of Kabir, was at one point the neighbour of Kartik. Becomes partially blind due to an accident when Kabir was on a mission and Kartik was the one who supported him until he had to go off to college. Meets and later on dates Khalid. (Kala)

Kabir: Brother of Rohan, neighbour of Kartik, senior to Khalid and had a sibling/dad relation with him. Tries to support his brother as much as he can since the accident and is devastated at the loss of Khalid. (Secret Agent)

Vikram: Brother of Ronnie and is the college roommate. A bit on the cowardly side but can stand up to someone if they harm/badmouth the ones close to him. Joins the police force and settles down in Agra. (Darbu)

Ronnie: Brother of Vikram, hot headed person who is usually calm until someone rubs him the wrong way. Very over protective of Vikram. Meets Kartik via Vikram. (Billi)

Devika: College mate of Kartik, initially crushes on him before becoming besties, will do anything in her power to gain any blackmail material over him and is the Devil and mother hen of the group. (Devil)

Aman: The flatmate turned bestie turned lover of Kartik, who has yet to meet the haphazard family of Kartik's. Known Kartik for 3 years as of now.

Points to note:

1) Kartik has the habit of using nicknames to mention people so... even if they meet each other, they don't know that the other person in front of him knows Kartik. eg: while he talks to Kabir, he might mention Khalid with the nickname Bunny and therefore, Kabir doesn't know that Khalid is Bunny.

2) Khalid and Kabir have met each other but they don't know that the other knows Kartik. => Kabir gets the news that Nafeesa has passed away, he doesn't inform Kartik about it as he didn't know that Kartik knew her.

3) Yes, Kabir had talked to Kartik about how one of his teammates, Khalid had passed away and how it affects him... and Kartik could connect the dots and assumes Khalid is dead as he hadn't received any texts from him and due to the fact that he knew that they were on the same team. 
That is until he receives a text from Khalid about how he miraculously escaped and is now mute... and creatively manipulates things so that Khalid is somewhat next door to Rohan, which is beneficial as Rohan will be able to guide Khalid through whatever he's going through as he has his own experiences...

4) Yes, Khalid is dating Rohan, but that happens only like a week or two before the scene where the story begins. => Rohan doesn't exactly get the chance to inform Kabir about his new found BF. Plus, Rohan being partially blind can't exactly describe Khalid and therefore he couldn't know that the Khalid is bro lost and the Khalid he was dating is the same. Doesn't help that Khalid is mute so... yeah.

5) About the reason why Aman doesn't know about this dysfunctional family who doesn't even know each other's original names for most part. It's simple, Kartik wanted to introduce them all at one point but due to their schedules and unpredictable jobs which often clashed, he had to postpone the meeting very often. 
(I mean, with Khalid and Kabir being agents, Vikram in the police force and Ronnie the overprotective bro who doesn't want to leave his bro alone) 
In the end, Aman only knows about Kartik's friendship with Devika and Rohan. (He'd met Rohan only once though and they didn't talk much about Kabir. And this is before Rohan meets Khalid.)

6) As to why I haven't made them meet beforehand... then where is the fun man? Plus, as stated above, schedule clashes.

Age:
Kabir - 35
Rohan - 32
Kartik - 30
Vikram - 30
Devika - 30
Khalid - 29
Ronnie - 28

Chapter Text

Kartik created group Pagal Parivaar

Kartik
Hey Guys! Welcome to the chat
Please into urselves with ur nicknames

Devil
Par kyon?

Kala
Iski wajah kya hai?

Billi
Same question, hum sab ek din milna hi hai na?

Kartik
Jab milenge, tab real names se intro karlo. Abhi thoda masti karlnge. Come on guys, don't be spoil sports, birthday boy hoon main : (

Bunny
Theek hai baba, jo aapki ichcha. I'm Bunny.

Secret Agent
By any chance, iski wajah toh mere chutti laane se hai kya? Secret Agent (idk why you call me that. Jab mile the, tab mein ek nahi tha)

Darbu
Arey yaar! Itni raath kya ho raha hai! Sone de na! Kal station jaani hai, varna chutti nahi milega mujhe is weekend mein. Tum kabhi nahi sudroge. Mein Darbu.

Kartik
Par tum humesha ek agent ki tarah hi behave karte the us samay bhi, it totally suits you!

Billi
Arey bhai, neend aaya toh sone jaaiye na? Aur haan, aapne toh kal hi chutti maang liye the tumhare sir se. Jhooth math boliye. Chaturvedi kya sochega? Billi (Maalum nahi kyon mujhe aisa bulatha hai woh)

Kala
Let me guess, sabko chutti hai is weekend pe so you want to make your plans? ~ Kala. And yeah, you used to behave all Agenty, don't deny that.

Kartik
Kyon ki tum ek dum billi ke tarah behave karte ho. Kya attitude hai tumhara!

Devil
Are we all allowed to share embarrassing stories about you in the group?

Bunny
That's probably the plan. I still don't get why you haven't introduced us to each other before!!

Darbu
Tumhara boyfriend ko milne ka chance hai is baar?

Kartik
Nooooo, please Devi : ( and haan, intro karne ka ichcha hai par kahaan time mili hai tum logon ke liye. Sabko unpredictable jobs hai yahaan... well, most of you.

Kala
Aman aa raha hai kya?

Billi
I swear to god, if I get hold of that budda who hit you...

Devil
Are you sure that Aman's family doesn't have any plans for you?

Secret Agent
Terrorist toh nahi hai na woh? ;)

Kartik
Mazak math kar yaar, teen saal se date kar raha hoon use. Well, technically pati bhi bula saktha hoon use after what happened the last time. And no, last I heard... They didn't invite us. 
Billi, I swear to god, agar tune papa ko kuch kiya main tumhe nahi chhodunga.

Darbu
Ab mere bhai par haath uthaya toh main tujhe nahi chhodunga.

Devil
Overprotective bhailog, phir shuru hogaya *facepalms*

Bunny
Tum kabhi humare baare mein Aman ko bathaya hai? If not, we are hurt : (

Secret Agent
Aur tune mujhe bathaya bhi nahi ki tune tumhara bf ke parivaar ko milkar aaya. -_-

Kartik
Main kya karoon? Tum toh agent agent khel rahe the us samay *shrugs*

Kala
Guys guys, back to the topic please! I can only stare at the screen for so long and I can only listen to that monotone of Google for so long. Plus I think my friend will get irritated if I keep asking him to write it down for me constantly.

Secret Agent
Ro, kitne baar kaha hai tujhe ki given your eyes some damn rest! Unko kaho na, ask them to read it out to you! Tumhe patha hai ki itni dher screen ko de kine se kya hoga!

Kala
Phir shuru hogaya yaar!

Bunny
Excuse me, unfortunately for you, main bol nahi saktha. So I won't be able to read it out to him *rolls eyes*

Secret Agent
What is this new development??!! Ro. PC. now.

Darbu
Am I the only one who doesn't know about what is going on here?

Devil
Fikar math, hum sab isme andhere mein hai. Kartik?

Kartik
Kala is partially blind and Bunny is mute. They live close by so... they help each other at times. Tonight they were having a sleepover it seems... Anyways, where should we meet up?

Billi
Tum hi suggest karlo. And better come with your soulmate. Bohot dher kardi tune usko intro karne mein.

Bunny
Decision please! Aur tum hi mujhe aur Ro ko pickup karega.

Devil
Best place is his apartment, obvio. Ya phir lunch ke liye hum kisi mall jaayenge... your choice. Or maybe a movie night.

Kala
Sounds good to me! And good night, overprotective brother strikes.

Darbu
Tell me about it, mera chota bhai waisa hai. Hum dono ke taraf se ok.

Secret Agent
You need it Ro. Do din mein ghar aa jaaunga, be ready. And I'm in.

Bunny
I'm up!

Kartik
Ok then! Good night! Kal subahh aur discuss karenge.

Bunny changes the group's name to 'Created just for *insert shellfish emoji* purposes'

Kartik
Hey!

Kartik changes the group's name to 'Parivaar ho mere.'

"Kartik, itne raath ko kise text kar raha hai tu?" Aman asked sleepily. "Kuch doston ko, milvadunga unse tumhe." Kartik said as he kept the phone aside and snuggled into Aman. Finally, all the important people of his life are going to meet each other.

Clarification: Yes, Khalid and Rohan know that the other is friends with Kartik, after all, he was the one who did show Khalid the place after the accident... and introduced him to Rohan. 

Chapter Text

It was a quiet day in the Karman household, the two of them an entangled mess, snoring off peacefully until the shrill ringtone of Aman's telephone rang, causing the two of them to groan and search for the offending object.

"Hello papa." Aman said sleepily as Kartik went out to freshen up for the day. After some casual talk, Kartik's phone started ringing, causing Aman to shout out for him. "Ek minute do na bhai!" Kartik's muffled shout was heard.

"Koi.... Agent? Ka call hai. Papa, koi musibath main nahi hai. Kartik ka friend hogi" Aman said and Kartik took his own sweet time to come out. "Agent ne call kiya?" he asked as he picked up his phone and sent a message saying that he'd call him later.

"Papa ko tumhare saath baath karni hai. Lo phone ko" Aman said and tossed the phone to Kartik before heading to the washroom himself. Kartik, having an inkling on what was the topic, sighed and held the receiver to the ear.

"Kartik beta, is saal tumhara birthday weekend main hai na? Aman ne bataya hume... why don't you come over? Hum sab ek saath manayenge is baar..." Shankar said and Kartik started fidgeting. He knew that he'd promised them that he'd meet up with them... It was rare that he got to meet them nowadays after all...

But at the same time he didn't want to disappoint his newfound family, Aman's family, who seemed to have just started to accept him as their son... He whipped up his phone and contemplated a bit, before sending the text.

Kartik
Guys... There might be a change in plans...

Devil
Kya hua kutte? Sasural ke saath mana rahe ho kya?

Secret Agent
Arey yaar, iske baath patha nahi hum kab mileage ek saath : (

Kartik
Maybe...

Kala
Toh phir... humara plans?

Billi
Kya hai yeh musibath ab?

Kartik
If what I think will happen, prepare to take a trip to Allahabad... will let you guys know in a sec.

"Kartik?" Sunaina chimed in when they didn't get the reply. "Papa, mummy... agar problem na hai toh... kya main apna parivaar ko bhi bula saktha hoon kya? I mean, itne saalon ke baad sabko ek saath chutti mili hai aur we were already having plans... so..." Kartik asked shyly, waving off Aman's inquisitive gaze.

"Haan, kyon nahi, hum bhi milna chaahte hai tumhara parivaar ko. Unke saath aaoge ya phir..." Shankar asked, not knowing the chaos he's inviting to his home..

"Nahi papa, lunch log akele aayenge... baaki sab humare saath aayenge. Fikar math keegiye. Abhi rakh deta hoon phone ko. Aman mujhe looks de raha hai" Kartik said and cut the call. "Kisko bula rahe ho tum?" Aman asked.

"Mere parivaar ko, obviously. Tum ab thak unse mile nahi kyon ki they are all your busy busy type of people, ek saath milne ka bohot kam chances milti hai. Sabhi ke liye ab ek saath chutti mili hai toh... I will be able to introduce them together in one go. Par tum Devi aur Rohan ko already jaante ho. Toh... baaki sabko ab milne ki chance hai. Which reminds me... car ride hogi yeh. Hum shaayad Kala aur Bunny aur Devi ko pickup karlenge on the way." Kartik informed as he picked up his phone again.

Kartik
Aaj toh... Wednesday hai. Friday ya Saturday theek hai kya sabko meet karne ke liye? Location shifted to Allahabad. Aman ke parivaar ko milne ka chance hai. Location pinned below

Secret Agent
Hmmm... I'm actually there only so I'll stay put at the hotel for now... and Ro, take the car or the plane. Train math lena.

Darbu
100% ok with it.

Devil
Gimme a lift. Ravi out of station hai abhi.

Bunny
Kartik hume pickup karlena. And Agent, I quote 'Ek baar hua tha! Chhod do na abhi!"

Kartik
Ok then, deal is done! See you in Allahabad in two or 3 days : ) Us parivaar ki dynamics toh thoda... theda hai. Don't say I didn't warn you!

"Kisko theda bol rahe ho tum?" Aman asked over his shoulder. Kartik just gave him a cheeky smile and said "Hum road trip pe jaa rahe hai Rohan, Devi aur Bunny ke saath. And Ro will lend us his car... well, technically it's Kabir's but... who's looking into those details?" Kartik asked.

"Rohan ko trains ke saath kya relation hai ki he's not allowed on one?" Aman asked curiously. "Vibrations and the sounds... partially blind hai toh he depends on them and lot... and you know how it is on trains... ek baar uske bhai ke saath travel kiya... Agent layer said that he made his life a living hell for just one ride. Uske baad lifetime ban hai usko" Kartik said and Aman nodded in understanding.

"Ooook. Kab pickup karni hai unko? And will I get any more details about these friends?" Aman asked, withholding the sigh as he saw the mischievous grin that Kartik gave him.

"You are going to meet them anyways. Suspense thodne se kya maza hai?" Kartik asked and skipped out of the room, leaving behind an exasperated Aman. "Is bachche ke saath kya karoon main? Iske upar pack bhi karni hai dono ke liye. God save me!" he said as he went about his day.

Chapter Text

It was Friday night and Aman was in charge of the last minute packing for both of them. Kartik had been gone for the whole day, something about helping the other two pack their bags whatever that means...

And just in time, the door opened with a bang and in strode Kartik in all his glory, soaking wet from the rain that'd started pouring just then.

"Jaldi andhar aaja, ya phir sardi pad jaayegi!" Aman scolded as he entered the room with a towel. "Babu, mujhe kuch nahi hoga. Lohar ka beta hoon main" Kartik boasted but still took the towel, knowing how irritable his love can get regarding these matters.

"Kudh ka samaan pack nahi kar saktha tu aur ab kisi aur ka samaan pack karne ke liye puri din gayab hua hai!" he exclaimed in mock annoyance.

"Main kya karoon? Ek toh partially blind hai, uska partner toh bol nahi saktha. Isi liye help karne ke liye chala gaya maine." Kartik defended himself. And well... in a sense, it was true. It's not like Rohan hasn't packed his bag at all or Khalid is struggling to pack his and Rohan's...

It was just for a sense of familiarity. He knew how Rohan has a habit of talking out loud while packing, something he'd picked up after the accident. "Ya phir kaamoshi mujhe maar dega, I mean, dekh toh nahi saktha distract karne ke liye" he'd say with a shrug. And Kartik was used to sit beside him and help him pack, often throwing comments and keeping an eye on what goes inside the bags.

And now with Khalid around, Rohan might have a helping hand for packing his things... but unfortunately, Bunny couldn't point out what he was keeping away and why like Kartik used to as he couldn't speak up, therefore Kartik joining them to pack their bags.

"Aur yeh partner bhi kal aa raha hai kya?" Aman asked. "Obvio! Bunny ke bina party? Nonsense!" he exclaimed, offended. "Toh... is Bunny ke baare mein kuch batha na?" Aman asked as he sat next to him.

"Why are you getting so impatient! Kal usko mil rahe ho na?" Kartik asked. "Haan, lekin tum drive karoge toh... He won't be able to tell me na?" Aman pouted.

"Who said I'll be the one driving? Theek hai, batatha hoon." giving into Aman's puppy eyes. "We met each other in school. And unfortunately for us, the connection for us at that point was that we were bullied. Woh, kyon ki uska baap nahi tha aur main... tum hi jaante ho, they were jealous of my personality. And... We clicked. Us samay... mere baap toh... He didn't treat me all that well, so I used Khalid's home as my hiding place." Kartik recounted. Aman just pulled him into a side hug, allowing Kartik to rest his head on his.

"Aur haan, he used to be the expert dodger, humesha idhar udhar jump karke escape hua kartha tha, gymnastics aur acrobatics mein interested tha na... isi liye usko Bunny bulatha tha main" he said with a chuckle.

"The 3 of us, Khalid, uska Ammi aur main... We used to have a close bond, maine unko mere Ammi maan li. Lekin... All good things come to an end and they had to move away. Par we kept in touch via letters, phone calls, kabhi kabhi milte the holidays ki samay... college ek saath padne ki chance nahi mili kyon ki woh toh RAW join kardiya, desh bakthi and all that jazz" he said.

"Toh phir... yeh haalat... kaise? Ammi kahaan hai?" Aman asked. "Woh toh sensitive topic hai... I'll need to ask him before i tell you anything" Kartik said with a shake of his head, trying to hold back his tears.

"Is it related to those months where you were on the verge of depression? Aur kuch maheeno ke baad mujhe aur Devika ko sign language classes lene ke like force kiya?" Aman asked. "Haan, aur main uske baare main abhi baath nahi karna chahtha hoon... It was just all utterly fucked up" Kartik said.

"Achcha baba, poochunga nahi. Time ho raha hai abhi, kal subah jaldi utna hai. And it'll be a long drive" Aman said as he gently nudged Kartik towards the bed. Kartik just complied and followed Aman to the bed, snuggling into him the minute they were settled.

He remembered those few torturous months he'd to go through... from worrying over the complete radio silence on Khalid's side to go nearly hysterical when Kabir said that one of his teammates, who he was quite close to is presumed KIA... and it wasn't that hard to put 2 and 2 together... and the end result made him wish that he'd never gotten the confirmation from Kabir.

And Aman was a saint to stay with him through all that... he'd just moved into the flat, after nearly two years of dating... yeah, he was really lucky to have someone like Aman, ready to support him without asking any questions and not leaving him even if he was being a complete asshole at times and a babbling mess at others...

There were good days too, no nightmares, no memories that plagued him through the day, times where he could recount memories without losing that smile on his face, but it was often overshadowed by the loss of his first ever friend... the solid rock that'd been there by his side since childhood, their brotherhood... those were tough times.

But then came the message that changed everything.

-Flashback-

Meet me at your recent fav coffee shop in 15... need to meet you urgently ~ Bunny.

And that one message brought about a huge sigh of relief from Kartik. 'He is alive' was all that he could think of as he fell back on the couch, startling Aman from the sudden movement.

"Kya hua?" "Kuch nahi, just something important came up. Thodi dher ke liye baahar jaana hai, akhele" Kartik stressed as Aman made a move to get up. Aman raised an eyebrow but didn't day anything, just observed Kartik frantically move around the flat, muttering under his breath.

"Kisse milne jaa rahe ho tum?" he enquired as Kartik made his way to the door. "Ek dost se" he replied and shut the door with a loud bang. Kartik couldn't keep the smile off his face as he parked his bike outside the coffee shop and went inside, trying to spot Khalid.

"Kya hai yeh Bunny, itna pareshaan kiya hai tune hum sabko. We all presumed you to be dead for gods sake! Ammi kaisi hai? Theek hai na?" but he froze when he saw the slightly stiffened and slouched man in front of him with his hands in his face and fingers trembling. Surely...

He moved in front of him, noticing the stack of papers from the corner of his eyes as he placed his hands on Khalid's to gently pry them open.

"Khalid... Kya hua? Kuch toh bolo na?" Kartik asked and Khalid shook his head and silently cried and Kartik could do nothing but stand there and pull Khalid into a hug, his concern growing when he couldn't even hear any hiccups or sobs from the other man.

"Khalid... batana? Kya baath hai?" he asked, slightly scared on where this was heading. Khalid just shook his head and pulled him closer, making Kartik kneel down in the process so that they both could be comfortable.

Khalid then pressed a short kiss at Kartik's temple before lifting him up and pointing towards the chair. He then called the waiter, pointed at something in the menu and nodded, holding up two fingers and then pointing one towards himself and the other towards Kartik. The waiter had probably understood as he'd nodded before leaving.

"Moun vrath le rahe ho kya?" Kartik asked teasingly but the smile vanished at the solemn look Khalid gave him before passing on one of the papers.

Hi Kartik, I know that you assumed that  I'd  died jab maine tumhe call nahi kiya for all these months. Taqleef dene ke liye sorry.  I'd  managed to  escape  in the nick of the time, but in the process...  There  was a lot of damage aur... mera  voice  box kharab hogaya... isi liye maine kuch bola nahi... Doctors keh rahe hai ki I'll never be able to talk  Inn  my life... Yeh bhi bol rahe the ki it was a  miracle  that I survived... Kismat badi kharab chal rahi hai na?

Kartik just looked up to him with tears in his eyes, not wanting to believe what was written in the sheet of paper... but Khalid just nodded his head and took Kartik's hand into his, trying to crack a smile, trying to show that he's okay...

"Babu, tumhe maalum hai ki main tumhe jaanta hoon. Yeh sab naatak chhod aur batao... Ammi ko patha hai kya iske baare mein?" Kartik asked, his voice a little rough from trying to hold in the tears.

Khalid just shook his head and wrote something on the paper before handing it over to him. Abhi nahi... woh sab baad mein. Abhi ke liye tumhare life ke baare me batha. Aman kaisa hai? Did you make a move?

Kartik looked up to see Khalid raising his eyebrow in question and Kartik laughed before launching into the tale of his relationship, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that was trying to warn him.

After the coffee, Khalid sent him a location and stared at him. Kartik nodded his head and the two of them went out, heading towards their safe spot in their childhood... an old run down and mostly abandoned building which no one was willing to buy and the owners were not still willing to renovate.

"Ab batana, kya hua?" Kartik asked, taking Khalid's face in his hands, slowly rubbing circles on his cheeks and Khalid melted into the gesture before pulling back. He pointed at his eyes and made a few gestures, hoping that Kartik will understand what he was trying to convey.

"Dhikana chahte ho? Aur main tera dummy hoon?" he asked and Khalid nodded with a relieved smile. "Ok then... par thoda samhal ke, tere gusse ki outlet nahi hoon main" Kartik warned and Khalid sent him a look of outrage that screamed 'Have you gone mad to think that I'll ever hurt you!' And Kartik raised his hands to pacify him.

And then started the slow dance of Khalid demonstrating what exactly had happened to him, vividly, and Kartik couldn't help but empathise with him as he was maneuvered to Khalid's wishes. A bullet to the leg, a rifle slammed into his head, being choked to the state of unconsciousness and then someone breaking his hand, being thrown to the ground and stamped upon really hard and various other tortures later... being left to die...

He then made a few more gestures, much to the confusion of Kartik and Khalid sighed before taking his phone out and sending a few texts.

I was separated from the team...  We'd  split up u c aur the terrorists took it as an advantage and pounced on me. By this time I was quite far away from them, so they  didn't  know about it...  they'd  probably searched for me when I  wasn't  at  the   meeting  point... by that  time  I was subdued and taken to their hideout. And then all this  happened .

Agar us din the locals  hadn't  found me... mein shaayad mar chuka hota...  Theek  hone mein bohot time laga, aur main jaanta tha, by the time I was completely  recovered , mujhe woh KIA samaj lenge... sign language bhi seekni padi...

"Ammi ka kya? Calls answer nahi kar rahi hai... koi patha bhi nahi..." Kartik trailed off as he saw the tears build up in his eyes... and his eyes widened at the implication.

"Ammi..." he asked hesitantly, not wanting to believe it. 
Natural causes... kehte the ki she died peacefully... They also told that Kabir sir had visited her and was staying with her for a few days... shaayad mere KIA status ke baare mein batane ke baad he stayed with her to comfort her...

Kartik just pulled him into a hug, trying to control his own tears. Ammi had been a solid support for him all these years when his own dad was neglecting him... His only parental figure, and now even she is gone and he didn't even come to know about it.

"Ab kahaan reh rahe ho?" he asked and Khalid pointed down, indicating that he'd been staying here for quite a while. "Oh no you're not. Kal aana, I'll have a place ready for you." Kartik said with finality, even as Khalid tried to protest. But Kartik being a stubborn ass, convinced Khalid to do it.

-End of Flashback-

And that was how he ended up contacting Rohan, knowing that it was the best option for both of them. It might take a while for them to adjust... but they seem to have worked it out really well, if the news they'd given him today was anything to go by. Kartik just smiled as sleep overtook his brain, happy that Khalid had gotten his happy ending.

Meanwhile Khalid was tossing and turning around in the bed, causing Rohan to wake up and check what was happening. "Buba, kis baath se tum ab pareshaan ho?" he asked, feeling around for Khalid's face.

Khalid gently took Rohan's hands into his and traced 'Kabir' onto it. "Are you worried about what will happen if you meet him tomorrow?" he asked and Khalid tapped twice, confirming his doubt.

"Woh tumhe dekhne se bohot kush hoga. He misses you a lot, you know. Haan, hum dono, nahi, teeno se thoda naraaz hoga par... he'll understand. Tum chinta math kar" Rohan reassured, placing a kiss on Khalid's palm. "Ab so jaa, kal subah toh tum tumhara woh chits bhi tayaar karni hai" he said as he pulled Khalid closer, knowing that it would let him sleep a lot better.

Chapter Text

The following morning started with Devika banging on the door, demanding Karman to wake up and get ready quickly. The two of them followed through with her demands, after all, she was nicknamed Devil for a reason.

Freshened up and with their bags packed, they waited for the ones responsible for their pickup to arrive. They'd all agreed that Khalid and Rohan should pick them up as it would be easier for loading the bags into the car directly instead of the 3 of them arriving there with their bikes and bags.

And the lovebirds did arrive, 30 minutes after the agreed time, with Kartik having called them at least 20 times in the duration. "Sorry baba, Khalid ko chits likhna tha. Isi liye dher hui. I suppose Aman and 'Devil' are here?" Rohan asked as he climbed out.

"Mera naam Devika hai. And I'm guessing that you are Ro and the one behind you must be Bunny?" she enquired as Kartik and Aman loaded their backs into the trunk.

Khalid furiously signed something, often tapping at Rohan's arm, a worried expression on his face. "Fikar math kar yaar Bunny, bohot dher nahi hua hai. Maximum hume 11-12 gante lagenge paunchne main... right Aman?" Kartik said.

"He was worried about Kabir" Rohan said curtly. "Kabir kaun?" Aman asked. "Long ride hai, sab kuch tab batha denge hum. The time is 5.40 right now. Agar hum ab chalne shuru karen, we might be lucky to miss the Delhi traffic." Devika said.

"Kartik and I will switch. Kaun aage, kaun peeche?" Aman asked. "Shot gun for me!" Devika claimed and sat beside Kartik, who decided to take the wheel, leaving Aman to sit with Khalid and Rohan behind.

"Toh... yeh nicknames ke wajah kya hai?" Aman asked, five minutes into the ride. Khalid just glared at Kartik, daring him to tell anything, to which he only got a cheeky smile before the explanation started.

"Devi... you should already know, woh toh ek devil hai. Khalid... maine kal tumhe bataya na? He used to jump all over the place, hence Bunny. Rohan... initially Ro hi tha par... accident ke baad I started calling him Kallu or Kala... Something like why you started calling Rajni... you know, Goggle" Kartik explained and Aman nodded in understanding.

"But how the hell did you two meet?" she asked, pointing at Kartik and Rohan. "Neighbours. Kabir and I shifted to our uncle's place the minute he turned 18. Ek saal baad he joined RAW, leaving me behind with my uncle. Kartik was our tour guide, he used our home as his escape place from his dad." Rohan started.

"At that time he had both his eyes. Then an accident happened, uncle died, he was left partially blind. Yaad hai woh guardianship chakkar?" Kartik asked with a scoff.

"Haan, damn those doctors. Kabir ne Kartik ko mere saath rehne ke liye kaha tha but the doctors wouldn't allow it as both of us were minors. Par mera birthday toh agla din tha and I was turning 18 then... We gave them a hard time back then. Par Kartik mera saath tha for the full recovery process." Rohan said with a laugh, remembering that incident.

"Kabir couldn't leave training and come, leave nahi diya toh... I stayed with him the whole time, helping him to navigate in the world... remember Devi? College ek saal late shuru kiya maine? Isi liye tha, not because I was taking a break year." Kartik said when Devika gave him a look.

"Kabir ko kuch math kaho, he tried his best to be there for me. Par the job is demanding you know? And by that time, I'd adjusted to live that way so... I didn't mind it that much. He used to call me up often and check in on me and all that jazz." he said.

"Yaad hai? Jab Kabir started gushing about his new mentee and how perfect he was!" Kartik asked, sending a teasing smile towards Khalid. "And how he was when he wanted to talk to us after knowing that said mentee had died..." Rohan continued and Khalid rolled his eyes and smacked both of them on the head.

"I can never forget Khalid's reaction when he first saw you!" Kartik said, remembering the shocked face of his. Khalid just blushed as Rohan started laughing, much to the confusion of the other two. "Dhekoge toh patha chalega" Rohan said, brushing it off.

"Let me guess, Khalid was the mentee? And he was presumed MIA or KIA, judging from how low you were feeling in that time period?" Aman made an educated guess. Khalid just sent Kartik an apologetic look and Kartik rolled his eyes. "Woh tumhara fault nahi hai." he stated with finality.

"You are right. And now Khalid is worried about Kabir's reaction. Kabir thinks that he was KIA and is a guilty mess... aur hum yahaan... you know. We wanted to give Khalid sometime to get used to his current situation and recover... He was tortured you know..." Rohan said as he pulled him into a side hug.

"Fikar math kar, I'm sure that Kabir will understand. I don't know him but...I think woh thoda betrayed feel hoga but he'll come around it for sure" Devika said with a small smile.

"Alright, abhi ke liye yeh chit chat rokkar we'll play something. Or listen to the radio." Aman said, wanting to give Khalid sometime out off.

When they stopped for lunch, Khalid pulled Kartik asked and handed him a paper, waiting for him to open it. "Main... ise... Rohan ko sunana hai?" Kartik asked and Khalid nodded. He just went through whatever was written in the paper before staring at Khalid.

"Babu, how romantic? Aap kab shaayar bane?" he asked and Khalid blushed in turn. "Proposal hai kya? Abhi abhi boyfriends hue tum dono?" Kartik asked as he pushed Khalid into the restaurant.

While waiting for the duo, the other 3 were left to wait for them. "What is the extent of your blindness?" Devika asked, wanting to change the topic. "Sabka outline dhikega mujhe agar main paas hoon. Dhoor se kuch nahi dhiktha. And if I try hard, text messages bi pad saktha hoon... but doing it for a long time means I'll get migraines" Rohan said curtly as the waited approached.

Katrtik and Khalid had returned by then and Kartik took a seat near Rohan, sensing that he'll need the help. After placing their orders, Kartik gained the attention of the group. "Khalid ne Rohan ke liye kuch likha hai aur he wants me to read it out to him" he announced before opening the sheet of paper.

" He looked lost among the sea of people
Silent pleas drowning with a wave of murmurs
He felt like he was suffocating, 
With people crowding his personal space

Searching eyes darting around
Desperately looking for a way out
He looked like the deer
Which stumbled into the lion's den

A stick's rhythmic tap broke the monotony
He looked up in curiosity 
'Sorry, but can you point me out?' asked a melodic voice
Belonging to a person with unseeing eyes.

He stood there, transfixed, not knowing what to answer
'Not that he could' he thought
But still he took the man's hand
And slowly lead him out, happy for the fresh air.

He then stood there, not knowing what to do
'Join me for coffee?' Mr. Gorgeous asked
He stared at the man before taking the hand again,
Hoping to start a new life. "

Before anyone could comment on it though, their phones pinged with a new message from the group chat

Guys,  I've  arrived. - Agent

Chapter Text

Kabir was currently standing in front of the Tripathi's house, trying to make sense of whatever the hell was going on. Sighing, he took out his phone and dialed Kartik wanting answers.

"Kartik can you please tell me what the fuck is going on here? Why are there people outside the house throwing some sort of a black... is that a bloody gobi?!" he cried as one fell near him.

"Aman, papa abhi bhi us kaali gobi ki chakkar mein hai kya? I thought he burnt all the stocks?" Kartik asked on the other end. "Scientist hai babu, main kya karoon! Unka obsession abhi chali nahi shaayad" Aman? Said in reply.

"Kahaan hai tum log ab?" he asked. "Halfway, lunch ke liye abhi kisi hotel main ruke hai. And yes, I have my bloody medicines. Agar mere saath na hota toh I know ki aap aur Kartik ke saath spares honge" Rohan said, rolling his eyes.

"Aur haan, the Chaturvedis will be there in an hour or two. Us on the other hand... we'll take at least 5 to 6 hours if the traffic has mercy. Maybe expect us by midnight?" Kartik said.

"And your best bet will be the side gate, woh chota wala somewhere to the side of the main gate, will lead straight to the courtyard. They're expecting you so... I don't think it'll be a problem. Google will come to see you there." Aman said.

"See you laterz!" A familiar voice piped before the call was cut. All Kabir could do was shake his head before going in search of the door. "Kartik and expecting a normal family, na baba na." he muttered.

"Oi! Haan, tum hi, are you Kabir?" A woman wearing glasses asked. "Goggle?" he asked in conformation and she nodded. "Call me Rajni. Kitne log aa rahe hai, any idea? He's quite tight lipped about all this" she asked as she lead the way.

"Mujhe bhi patha nahi. Woh toh hume ek doosre se bhi milwaya nahi ab tak. So even though he technically considers us his family, we know almost nothing about each other. Par... lag bak... paanch log aayenge Aman aur Kartik ke saath" Kabir said.

"Ooook, good to know that info" she said as she caught a gobi that came flying towards them. "I so wish he'll stop with all this publicity drama soon." she muttered as she threw it towards Keshav, who caught it with a big smile before jogging over.

"Started arriving? Keshav" he said as he held his hand out. "Kabir. I think I know why Kartik is attracted to your family. 100% sure hoon ki kal bohot shor machayega. I mean it." Kabir said seriously as Keshav gave him that 'really' look.

"Mummy! Kartik ke dost aaya hai. Thoda papa aur tauji ko bhi bula lena!" she shouted. "Is this a daily occurrence?" Kabir asked. "Haan, this is quite tame to what happened before Kartik came into the house. Us samay toh roz yeh hota tha" Keshav said.

Kabir just nodded before looking around the place, trying to gauge the entrances, exits and escape routes in there. Not his fault, it was ingrained into him and now it became a habit. And it will be useful anyways, when he wanted to prank Kartik.

"Arey beta, tumne akhele aaya kya? Itni dhoor se woh bhi, bhook lagi hai kya?" Sunaina asked as she moved forward. "Nahi auntyji, main toh aas paas tha, isi liye itna jaldi aa gaya." Kabir said, feeling a bit awkward.

"Achcha, theek hai. Main Sunaina Tripathi hoon. Goggle, Aman aur Kartik ko itne dher kyon ho rahi hai?" she asked, worried. "Boli thi na? Woh dono drive karke aa rahe hai. Isi liye dher ho rahi hai" she explained.

"Woh... thoda mera bolne se hui hai... its just that... mera chota bhai toh partially blind hai na, train uske liye thoda uncomfortable hai, vibrations and noises... uske liye bohot ho jaati hai... isi liye maine request kiya ki Aman aur Kartik uske saath..." he said, looking down to the ground.

"Koi baath nahi beta, aaram se aane do unko. Hume thoda aur time hogi plan karne ke liye." Shankar said as he came down the stairs.

"Bura na maane toh... Kartik ko ek simple party bohot kush karte hai... He never expected all those jazzy kind of parties from anyone, and never expects them. College ke baad jab maine uske paas iske baare mein poocha, he just said that he might be have dramatically, but he likes the simple things best when it comes to personal matters... just like he likes his surprises" Kabir said with a slow smile.

"Is parivaar ke saath aur simple? Kuch toh gadbad ho jaayega. Expectations math rakhna. Surprises will always be involved, fikar math kar beta. Ab tumhare baare mein batao. How did you get to know Kartik?" Chaman asked.

"Arey, pehle usko thoda aaram karne do na. Abhi abhi aaya hai woh" Champa scolded as she handed him a glass of water, which he took gratefully.

"Ok so... Kartik was our neighbour... We moved in his neighbourhood when he was still in school. He first introduced himself as our tour guide to the place, a way to escape his dad at that time. Mera bhai uske saath bohot masti kartha tha. Then I had to go away for work, phir accident hua... Kartik ne mujhe bohot help kiya tha us samay. I wasn't allowed to leave at that time, training hai na, isi liye he was the one who took care of Rohan the whole time, while I was sitting over here, in training, feeling completely useless" Kabir said.

Before anyone can put in a word though, there was the telltale sound of a horn blaring and a face peeped out "Tripathi parivaar ke ghar hai na?" they asked and Kabir snapped his head up and stared.

"Khalid?"

Chapter Text

'Sign language'

While Kabir was staring at them with his mouth hanging open in shock, Vikram and Ronnie finished greeting the family before standing in front of him.

"Hello, mein Ronnie aur woh mera bhai Vikram. Bol nahi sakthe ho kya?" Ronnie asked with a smirk as Kabir blinked and gathered his thoughts. "Kabir. Sorry par... you just looked like someone I knew" Kabir apologised as he shook their hands.

"Baaki sab ke baare mein kuch patha hai tumhe? I mean, Devi toh devil hai and the mother hen par baaki ke bare mein..." Vikram said.

"Mujhe bhi sab kuch nahi patha... Main aur Ro Kartik ke neighbours the, main Agent hoon and well... thoda unpredictable hoon. Ro toh life ko jeene mein zyada masti letha hai... mimicry artist hai. Aur Kartik ki Aman ke baare mein main kuch nahi jaanta, hell, this is my first vacay in the past 2 years. Mere baare mein chhod, tumhare baare mein batha"

"Hum log college mein mile. Vikram aur Devi ek class mein the air Kartik uske junior. Main toh school mein tha par... mere bhai ko mere boot zaroorat thi us samay toh... school ke baad mein usko humesha peecha kartha tha. I met him that way" Ronnie said with a shrug.

"Toh... ab kya kar rahe ho? Aap logon ko bhi Aman se milne ki chance nahi thi kya?" Kabir asked. "Poocho math. Iska job waisa hai. Police ki naukri hai na? Par yeh bas naam ke liye police hai, bandook se dartha hai woh asli mein" Ronnie said with a shrug and Vikram blushed.

"Dartha tha, ab mein samhal saktha hoon sabko" Vikram said and Ronnie just shrugged. "Toh kisi liye sabko marne ke liye mujhe bulate ho?" he asked as he entered the house, leaving a spluttering Vikram behind with Kabir, who just clapped his back and followed Ronnie.

The rest of the day was comparatively peaceful without much mishaps going on... well, as normal as the Tripathi family can be. Aka, there were a lot of arguments, some more kaali gobhis thrown around the place and today's special, an impromptu antakshari match. The trio was slowly realising what had exactly made Kartik connect with the family.

"Aman bol raha hai ki thodi dher hogi woh sab aana ki... shaayad near midnight..." Rajni announced at the dinner table and they looked each other and shrugged. It was expected after all.

"Agar rooms leni hai toh..." Sunaina started but Kabir cut her off. "Terrace mein sone ki permission hogi kya? Mujhe taare dekhke sona aaram deti hai" Kabir said with a small blush.

"Theek hai beta, chhat pe charpai hai, wahi lena. Keshav, kuch pillow aur blanket leke jaana, maybe Aman aur Kartik bhi wahi soyenge." she suggested and Keshav obediently went to do the same while Rajni volunteered to guide Vikram and Ronnie to the room.

It was indeed late night when the others arrived, nearly falling asleep on their feet with Shankar being the only one awake to welcome them. "Itne dher kyon hai?" he asked as he hugged Aman.

"Traffic hai na papa, isi liye. Aur haan, woh Kabir jaisa dhikne wala Rohan hai, uske paas Khalid hai, bol nahi saktha woh, Rohan toh partially blind hai aur woh chudail Devika hai." Kartik introduced and Devika hit him hard on his head as she greeted Shankar.

"Kaun chhat lenge aur kaun kamra?" he asked silently and all the boys chose the terrace while Devika just shrugged and iced up her bag to be given directions to the room.

"Kartik, Aman, samhalke jaana. Woh Kabir bhi wahi hai" Shankar said as he guided Devika. Kartik just exchanged looks with Khalid as Rohan muttered "Shit" knowing what was in store for them the next day.

And as they'd expected, the next day was definitely chaotic, with everyone being woken up by Kabir screaming bloody murder and then Kartik's screams and apologies as Kabir chased him around the house.

Backtracking a little bit, it all started when Kabir found Khalid sleeping in Rohan's arms. At first he'd brushed it off as a dream and went to wake Rohan up, only for Khalid to grab his arm and sit up straight with a threatening glare, that immediately turned into an apologetic expression as he let go of Kabir's hands.

'Hi Kabir! Long time?' he signed with a sheepish expression on his face as he shifted a bit, waking Rohan up in the process. "Kabir? Bunny?" Rohan asked as he rubbed his eyes. Kabir was just staring at them with his mouth hanging open as Khalid swatted Rohan and tapped a 'Yes' onto his hand.

"Mission kaisa raha? Ek saal se ghar bhi nahi aaya iske wajah se" he muttered sleepily as he sat up. "Khalid?" was the only eloquent reply he could give. "Haan, iska naam Khalid hai, my new boyfriend..." he started and immediately stopped as he understood what was happening.

"Oh shit... Bunny, hum toh mar gaye yaar" And Khalid gave him a deadpanned look before looking around wildly. "Kartik you idiot! Kutte! Kaminey! Maardunga tujhe" Kabir roared, successfully waking the couple up and gave Kartik a five second head start to get his bearings before starting to chase after him. And Kartik definitely got the point as he immediately got up and ran, desperately wishing that he will not get caught by him.

"You think he'll come after us also?" Rohan asked. 'Probably?' Khalid signed and Aman translated the same before asking what the problem was.

'I was Kabir's teammate before an accident and he believed that I was dead until today?' Khalid asked in a questioning way and say Kartik and Kabir headed towards them, and Kabir was threatening him so... he took off, trying to escape the oncoming bull.

"Itni subah kya ho rahi hai!" Champa asked as she walked outside to the courtyard. "Thoda reunions ho rahi hai chachi, shaanth ho jaayega thodi dher mein." Aman shouted as he lead Rohan downstairs. But the commotion had already woken up the rest of the house and they were all standing out in the courtyard, watching the drama enfolding on the terrace.

"Kabir, kya ho rahi hai?" Vikram asks as he gives the commotion a glance. "Mera naam Rohan hai, Kabir ka bhai. And well... lets just say that there's a reunion going on between my brother and his friends." Rohan said mysteriously.

"What kind of a reunion happens like this?" Ronnie asked incredulously. "A reunion between a person who thinks the other is dead and sees him alive and a person who kept all this a secret. And I am Aman, Kartik's boyfriend" Aman deadpanned.

"Ronnie." he said shortly before glancing upwards "Ek toh mera humshakal diktha hai yaar?" he said in surprise. "Woh toh hai... shaayad isi liye chaunk gaya hoga kal. I'm Vikram" he introduced himself.

"Lag raha hai ki yeh sab kuch aur dher chalega... A nice way to wake up" muttered Rajni in irritation and headed back inside, Keshav following her.

Meanwhile, the chasing goes on for some more time until they were all exhausted and just stopped running, Kartik trying to maintain his distance between them... just in case.

"Saale, kyon nahi bathaya mujhe? Itne mahine tumhe batha hai ki yeh zinda hai aur... dammit Kartik!" Kabir said, breathing heavily as his eyes shined. Kartik just looked guilty but not so sorry as he glanced at Khalid for a second before looking back at Kabir again.

"It was his choice." Kartik muttered as he glanced towards Khalid once more and he nodded. "It was his choice. Recover karne ke liye time chahta tha... adjust karne ke liye... he said he'll meet you when he was ready..." Kartik said.

"Par kya hua?" he asked, worried. 'Voice box damaged' Khalid signed bluntly as he started at Kabir. "He said that some people kidnapped him and tortured him and in that process he lost his voice... aur iske baad jab ammi ko dekhne gaya toh... yeah. Uske baad mere paas aakar rehne ke liye pooch raha tha. Aur tumhara bhai ne kuch din pehle flat share ke baare mein mere saath baath kar raha tha... and the deal was settled." Kartik said.

'And he asked me to be his boyfriend' Khalid said with a blush creeping up his cheeks. Kabir just blinked before pulling them both into a hug. "Idiots, both of you. But seriously, ek baar bhi phone... ok, not you Khalid but Kartik, ek baar bhi phone mein nahi batha saktha tha kya?" he asked.

'I wanted it to be a surprise. Par tumhara mission toh kathan hi nahi ho raha tha! Aur jab katham hua, yeh hogaya toh... yeah"  He said as he shrugged. Kabir just deadpanned before looking at the two of them. 

"Humne toh ek scene create kardiye na?" Kabir asked. "Don't worry, yeh toh hota hai yahaan humesha. No need to worry" Kartik waved it off.

And with that now over with, everything was relatively peaceful, as peaceful as it could be in that household anyways. Introductions were made, planning was done with and a party was held and all in all... Kartik felt that it was his perfect birthday ever... he had his love and his family by his side, all his friends got to meet each other... what more could he want?

Chapter Text

"So, what happened when you first met each other?" Aman asked Ronnie as he took a sip of his chai, having been caught in the game of chor police and waiting out as the rest were getting chased. Ronnie had opted out of the game as he was making the teams uneven.

"Ironically, it was the first time they all got drunk and were still trying to have a drinking contest, those stubborn idiots. Maine wahaan Vikram ko meet karne ke liye gaya aur Kartik was giggling like a fool with Devika, Vikram toh pass out tha. Mujhe dekha aur hug kiya, keh raha tha ki uska bunny rabbit milgaya" Ronnie said with a chuckle as Aman tried to hide his.

"Uske baad?" "Uske baad, I tried to push him off aur bhai ko lene ke liye koshish ki par... koala ki tarah chipak gaya tha and was mumbling some random nonsense. Maine bas usko ek baar marke neeche phenk diya and that little shit was pouting at me as I threw my brother over my shoulder to take him away and Kartik was all pouty and he just said 'Tum mera bunny nahi billi ho' and passed out. Tab se, the name just stuck." Ronnie said with a smile as Kartik approached them.

"Kya discussion chal raha hai yahaan?" he asked as he hugged Aman from behind. "First time meetings" Ronnie said with a mischievous smile and Kartik groaned. "Sach mein tum koala hi ho" Aman said with a smile on his face.

"Bas ek baath samaj mein nahi aaya. Us din yeh billi ki tarah dikh raha tha aur mujhe billi bulana shuru kardiya. Why do you call me billi?" he asked.

"Bas teen wajah hai. 1, you are possessive. 2, you are overprotective and 3, bohot shararti aur lazy ho" Kartik said, counting with his fingers and whined when Ronnie ruffled his hair like he was a small child. "Aur yeh raha asli billi and kutta, all rolled into one" he said and Aman laughed, causing Kartik's pout to deepen as a blush appeared on his cheeks.

"Ok ok, ab batha, tumhara pehla milan kaisa hua? I am sick and tired of hearing the same old Kartik Pov of that carnival" Ronnie said.

Aman frowned as he glanced at Kartik. "Usne woh kaha? Woh toh humare doosra milan tha! Kartik, jhoot bola paap hai" Aman said in a faux angry tone and Kartik grew confused.

"Nahi, hum sach mein pehle baar carnival mein mile the" he said. "No we didn't, hum pehli baar ek gay club mein mile the and you were black out drunk. We also had a one night stand you know" Aman said with a mischievous smile and Ronnie choked on the water he'd just sipped.

"Really Kartik? Did you really forget about the first time you met your lovely boyfriend? That's not good Kartik" Ronnie chided playfully. "And guess what, hangover mein he even tore up the paper where I'd written my number and a place to meet for a date" Aman said with a pout and Kartik tried really hard to recollect it.

"Lagtha hai ek black out drunk Kartik = amnesia Kartik... Kuch bhi yaad mein nahi rehta us samay" Ronnie said with a tch and Aman laughed as he agreed with him.

"Kya sach mein..." Kartik asked with a frown as he couldn't remember anything. "Haan, I topped you that day too... kya tumhe sach mein yaad nahi hai? Should I remind you?" Aman whispered as he trailed a hand down Kartik's chest and Kartik retaliated by pulling Aman into a deep kiss, which turned into a full make out session.

"Ok time out! Kuch bhi bedroom mein karlo, yahaan nahi" Ronnie said with a dead panned expression. "See, I told you! Easy to rile him up. Mera amount?" Aman asked with a smirk and Ronnie rolled his eyes as he handed over the 50 rupee note, much to Kartik's shock.

"Yeh sab ek mazaak tha?" Kartik asked with a pout. "Thodi thodi... but the bar mein pehli baar milne wali baath jhoot nahi tha but the one night stand wali baath jhoot tha" Aman said with a laugh and the two of them high fived each other and were full of laughing as Kartik muttered "In dono ko ek doosre se intro karna achcha idea nahi tha. Now they are ganging up on me"

"Pehle hi sochna chahiye tha iske baare mein, now it's too late" the two of them chorused as they stood up and left, talking animatedly about Kartik's antics as Kartik face palmed himself.