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“Of course not,” Meher murmured, trying not to laugh.

Raghav ignored her.

“A family getaway makes more sense,” he insisted. “We could all go together.”

“No, thank you,” Kailash immediately said. “You youngsters have already had your fun. You went to the Maldives, enjoyed your privacy, and spent the last few days doing exactly what you wanted. Now it’s our turn.”

“I agree with Dad,” Ayaan said. “Actually, I think it’s a great idea. They deserve a break too.”

“See?” Pratap pointed towards the screen with satisfaction. “At least one son understands.”

“Still not happening,” Raghav said firmly. “And whoever came up with this plan, I’m not approving it.”

Meher smiled. “I have a feeling this was Dad’s idea.”

“No, no,” Pratap immediately protested. “This time, I cannot take credit. It was entirely Rukmini ji’s idea. She was the one who suggested that we all deserved a proper break.”

Raghav’s expression shifted slightly. “Maa?”

Rukmini smiled at him. “Why not, Raghav? Once you people return, I think we deserve a week where we can simply relax and enjoy ourselves too.”

That made Raghav pause.

There was very little Raghav could say when the idea had come directly from Rukmini herself. He could argue with Pratap. He could argue with Kailash. He could even argue with Ayaan. But stopping his mother-in-law from taking a holiday she had planned for herself was an entirely different matter.

He finally leaned back with a resigned sigh. “Fine.”

Meher immediately caught his expression and laughed. “Raghav, don’t worry so much. Rukmini Aunty will be fine.”

“Exactly. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. And I’m not going alone. All of us are going together.”

“And we will take care of her,” Pratap added.

Kailash nodded. “Your mother-in-law is in good hands, Raghav.”

Raghav finally smiled, giving up. The tension dissolved as quickly as it had appeared, and the conversation slipped back into easy family banter. They continued talking for another few minutes when a voice came from somewhere behind the camera.

“Where were you?” Kailash turned around.

“I was taking a call,” Ratan replied.

A moment later, Ratan Rajvanshi stepped into the frame, adjusting his glasses as he looked at the screen. The moment he saw the four of them, his expression brightened.

“Well, look at that,” he said. “Everyone seems far too relaxed and happy over there.”

“Hi, Uncle,” Ayaan greeted him.

Ratan smiled at the screen. “Hello, all of you. How are you? And how is the vacation going?”

“It’s been great so far,” Ayaan replied.

“Good. And where are Krish and Trisha?”

“They’ve gone out,” Meher explained. “They wanted some time alone today. Actually, all of us had separate plans, but the four of us ended up having lunch together, so we thought we’d call and check on everyone.”

Ratan nodded. “I’m glad you did. The children have been missing you, and honestly, so have we.” He glanced briefly towards the others. “And don’t worry about the children. They’re perfectly fine here.”

“We know,” Meher said with a relieved smile. “And honestly, that’s exactly what we needed to hear.”