CANVAS OF COURAGE [Ongoing]

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Eshan rolled his eyes so dramatically that it looked like he was trying to spot satellites in orbit.  He leaned forward suddenly, scooting closer to the coffee table with the poised intensity of a lawyer about to dismantle a witness on the stand. Planting his elbows firmly on the table, he pointed at Siddharth with a dramatic flourish. "Let me simplify it for you, my romantically bankrupt friend. You're like the hero in a disaster movie, too busy reading the safety manual upside down while the love interest is throwing emotional smoke signals and fireworks at you. It's tragic, really."

Arya, her leg still draped comfortably over Siddharth's lap, nearly toppled off the armchair from laughing. She leaned forward, her earrings swaying like tiny metronomes keeping time with her amusement. "Exactly! bhai, you're dodging love bombs like a toddler trying to dodge bedtime. And meanwhile, Sanvi's practically waving a metaphorical 'Will You Marry Me?' banner, complete with sparkles and glitter cannons. At this rate, even the pigeons in your area are rooting for her!" 

Eshan dropped another verbal grenade, forcing him to retreat once more. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, letting out a groan that sounded halfway between a sigh and a chuckle. "Why am I friends with you two?" he muttered, his tone caught between embarrassment and reluctant amusement.

Eshan, sprawled on the carpet like someone who had just conquered an imaginary debate, shot upright with a dramatic flourish. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, and fixed Siddharth with an expression that could only be described as mock outrage. "Listen, my dear Siddo," he began, wagging a finger in Siddharth's direction. "If you don't step up soon, you're going to end up as the Salman Khan from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam—all sacrifice and no payoff. Do you really want to sit back and watch some Ajay Devgn-type swoop in to take Sanvi away?"

Arya gasped, slapping the armrest of her chair for dramatic effect as she nearly fell off balance. "Oh no! HAHA bhai, he's right! Don't be the guy who gets left with a harmonium and tears in the climax. Sanvi deserves her hero, not the sacrificial lamb in a love triangle gone wrong."

Eshan who now lying on floor with his legs on couch, smirk positively wicked pointed at Siddharth with a flourish as if commanding the courtroom. "Exactly! If you wait any longer, we might just turn into Karan Johar and orchestrate the proposal for you—with glitter, choreographed dancers, and probably an emotional monologue from Eshan."

Siddharth finally let out a full, defeated laugh as he set the mug down on the table—successfully this time—and leaned back, shaking his head in amusement.  "Look, guys, it's not that easy. What if she says no? What if it ruins everything we already have?"

A pause hung in the air, the kind that seemed to stretch long enough for the faint hum of the ceiling fan to grow louder, punctuated only by the occasional muffled honk from the street outside. The air in the room shifted, thick with unspoken tension and the weight of Arya and Eshan's combined gazes. Eshan, ever the dramatist, swung his legs off the couch with a flair that would make a stage actor proud. Sitting upright, he planted his elbows on his knees, his eyes narrowing as he leaned closer to Siddharth with an exaggerated air of gravity.

"And what if," Eshan began, lowering his voice as though unveiling a monumental secret, "she says yes? Then what, genius?" He paused just long enough for the weight of his words to sink in before throwing his arms wide in mock exasperation. "Think about it, Siddharth! Be courageous, be brave—channel your inner Bollywood hero! What are you going to tell your future children, huh? That you couldn't even propose to their mother because you were too busy overanalyzing? 'Sorry, kids, I chickened out before Act One even started.'"

Arya, erupted into laughter so violently that she slid right off the seat, landing unceremoniously on the floor with a thud. She held her stomach, gasping for air. "Eshan bhai!" she wheezed, pointing at him while sprawled on the rug. "What was that? Future kids? Oh my God, you've killed me!" Tears streamed from her eyes as her laughter ricocheted around the room, making even Siddharth crack a grin despite his exasperation.