The Most Expensive Shopping Trip Ever
Momo, Ayaan, and Aarshi had gone to one of the biggest malls in the city to buy new outfits before the summer holidays came to an end.
Surprisingly, Ayaan and Aarshi weren't busy arguing every five seconds.
For once, they were behaving like normal human beings.
As soon as they entered the first clothing store, Momo cheerfully grabbed a shopping basket.
Momo: "Alright, today's mission is simple. Buy clothes and go home."
Ayaan: "Sounds easy."
Aarshi: "Famous last words."
Neither of them knew how wrong that statement would turn out to be.
Everything was going smoothly until Momo disappeared into the girls' section.
That left Ayaan and Aarshi standing awkwardly beside a rack of jackets.
A salesman suddenly approached them with the confidence of a man who had never been wrong in his life.
Salesman: "You two make a very lovely couple."
Both teenagers froze.
Ayaan: "...We're not."
Aarshi: "...Definitely not."
The salesman blinked.
Salesman: "Oh."
Then he quietly walked away.
Five seconds later, another employee arrived.
Employee: "Madam, would you like a matching outfit with sir's jacket?"
Aarshi: "Not my sir."
Ayaan: "And not his madam."
The employee immediately retreated.
Momo returned a moment later and instantly noticed the expressions on their faces.
Momo: "What happened?"
Aarshi: "Nothing."
Ayaan: "Nothing."
Momo: "Then why do you both look personally offended?"
Aarshi: "People are making assumptions."
Momo looked at them.
Looked again.
And then completely lost control.
A little later, Aarshi picked a dress and entered the fitting room.
When she stepped out, Momo gasped dramatically like she had just witnessed a fashion show finale.
Momo: "AARSHI! YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL!"
Aarshi smiled proudly.
Momo immediately turned toward Ayaan.
Momo: "Well? What do you think?"
Ayaan glanced up.
Ayaan: "Looks good."
Aarshi: "That's it?"
Ayaan: "What do you want? A five-page review?"
Aarshi: "A little enthusiasm wouldn't hurt."
Ayaan: "Fine. It looks very good."
Momo: "There we go. Human emotions detected."
Later, it was Ayaan's turn.
He tried on a black shirt with a jacket.
When he walked out, Momo gave him an approving thumbs-up.
Momo: "Approved."
Aarshi nodded.
Aarshi: "Looks nice."
Ayaan looked genuinely shocked.
Ayaan: "That's the first normal compliment you've ever given me."
Aarshi: "Don't get used to it."
Everything remained peaceful...
Until they reached the shoe section.
Ayaan picked up a pair of sneakers.
Ayaan: "These are cool."
Aarshi: "They're nice."
Ayaan: "Finally. We agree on something."
Aarshi: "Don't celebrate yet."
She grabbed the shoe box and looked at the tag.
Then she slowly looked back at him.
Aarshi: "Wait."
Ayaan: "What?"
Aarshi: "These are from the women's section."
Silence.
Ayaan checked the tag.
She was right.
Momo immediately sat down because she knew comedy was about to happen.
Ayaan: "How was I supposed to know?"
Aarshi: "The giant sign saying WOMEN'S COLLECTION was a clue."
Ayaan: "I was looking at the shoes."
Aarshi: "Clearly not at your surroundings."
Momo: "Please continue. This is entertaining."
Eventually, they reached the billing counter.
The cashier scanned outfit after outfit.
Then bag after bag.
Then more bags.
Then even more bags.
Finally, he stared at the total.
Then at the mountain of shopping bags.
Then at Momo.
Cashier: "Ma'am... are you opening a clothing store?"
Momo burst out laughing.
Momo: "No. These two just can't make decisions."
Just when they thought the day was over, Aarshi noticed something.
Aarshi: "Wait."
Ayaan: "What now?"
Aarshi: "You've been carrying my shopping bag."
Ayaan: "So?"
Aarshi: "For the last thirty minutes."
Ayaan looked down.
The bag was indeed hers.
His soul nearly left his body.
Momo immediately folded in half laughing.
Momo: "HALF THE MALL PROBABLY THINKS YOU'RE HELPING YOUR GIRLFRIEND SHOP!"
Ayaan: "Give me that bag."
Aarshi: (trying not to laugh) "No, no. Since you've cared for it this long, you should keep it."
Ayaan: "Aarshi."
Aarshi: "It's emotionally attached to you now."
Momo: "Please adopt it. It deserves a loving home."
By the time they reached home, Momo had bought three outfits.
Aarshi had bought four.
Ayaan had bought two.
And somehow the most memorable thing purchased that day wasn't a dress, a jacket, or a pair of shoes.
It was a shopping bag that Ayaan accidentally carried around the entire mall like it was his life's greatest responsibility.
After dumping all the bags in the living room, Momo stretched happily.
Momo: "That was honestly one of the most enjoyable shopping trips I've ever had. Definitely memorable."
Aarshi: "It was memorable for me too."
She crossed her arms dramatically.
Aarshi: "Until those blind salesmen started trying to ship us."
Momo immediately started laughing again.
Momo: "Were you two actually doing something that made people assume that?"
Ayaan nearly choked.
Ayaan: "WHAT THE HELL?"
Momo: "I'm just asking."
Ayaan: "How could you even think that?"
Aarshi: "Exactly! Those salesmen were making assumptions faster than they were making sales."
Ayaan: "Seriously. Are they blind? We're teenagers."
Momo: "Maybe they thought you were one of those high-school couples shopping together."
Ayaan: "Do we look like that?"
Aarshi: "Absolutely not."
Momo: "Well..."
Both of them immediately turned toward her.
Ayaan: "Don't."
Aarshi: "Not a single word."
Momo struggled to contain her laughter.
Momo: "Fine, fine."
She raised her hands in surrender.
Momo: "But I will say one thing."
Both stared suspiciously.
Momo: "You two are incredibly good at arguing..."
She paused.
Momo: "...and equally good at forming temporary alliances whenever it's time to badmouth someone else."
Aarshi: "We're not badmouthing anyone."
Ayaan: "We're simply speaking facts."
Aarshi: "Exactly."
For the first time all day, they nodded in agreement.
Momo looked between them.
Then nodded seriously.
Momo: "Ah yes. The United Nations of Complaining."
Before either of them could respond, Momo's phone suddenly rang.
The screen displayed:
AMAN CALLING
Momo smiled.
Momo: "Saved by the phone."
She walked away to answer the call.
The moment she disappeared, Ayaan and Aarshi looked at each other.
Silence.
Ayaan: "The salesmen were still blind."
Aarshi: "Completely blind."
Ayaan: "Absolutely terrible at assumptions."
Aarshi: "The worst."
Another pause.
Then both burst out laughing.
And that was how the most expensive shopping trip of the summer ended—with too many clothes, too many bags, one accidentally adopted shopping bag, and a friendship-rivalry that somehow confused an entire mall.