Sneha would have drowned in embarrassment if he kissed her lips right in front of her parents and sister. In a way, she was traditional in her thinking in these terms. According to her, love should always be expressed inside while respect should be given outside.

However, he surprised her by kissing her head, on her tiara, instead of her lips. She opened her eyes and their eyes met briefly.

His cousins shouted 'AWE' as they found the exchange between the couple sweet and romantic.

"I kept my promise." He whispered to her and then hugged her lightly.

She only nodded.

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As soon as they stepped down from the slightly raised platform, they were immediately greeted by Viraj's cousins and friends. And they were just too many that Sneha lost count of how many people she just met. Viraj patiently introduced all his friends to her and vice-versa. They all happily greeted her and congratulated both of them.

She just faked a smile to everyone.

"Hey, Viraj! Hi, Sneha!" Sneha looked to her right to see a very handsome Gaurav with his ever-beautiful girlfriend, Natasha by his side. They both were smiling at them.

"Hey!" Sneha greeted back and Viraj nodded in acknowledgement.

"Congratulations, guys! You both are looking just amazing together." Gaurav added.

Sneha smiled and Viraj couldn't be more proud.

"Congratulations, Viraj...on getting engaged again." Natasha didn't miss the chance to irritate him.

Sneha looked at her in surprise while Viraj glared at her.

"I don't remember sending the invitation card to you." Viraj retorted in a cold tone.

Gaurav sighed on hearing their bickerings again.

Sneha's eyes narrowed for a second on hearing the remark that she found quite insulting. Though for them, it was a normal thing. She heard Natasha's chuckle before their eyes met.

"What makes you think I came here for you? I am from Sneha's side." Natasha quickly replied, as if prepared for it.

"Right, Sneha?" She asked her to which she had no option but to nod.

Viraj scoffed lightly. His own girl was standing against him in this verbal battle.

"Well, I am the host of this function and I am paying for everything...So, I decide who attends this party and who is an outsider." He still said to which, Sneha instantly looked at him.

"That is the least you could do for Sneha and her family. You are taking their daughter away from them, after all. They are paying more than you are." Natasha said.

Sneha's brows shot up at the comeback.

Before Viraj could comment again, Gaurav interrupted.

"Alright, guys, enough! Before you both take out your hidden swords, I think we should have some starters." Gaurav piped in by holding Natasha's hand.

Natasha gave a fake sweet smile to Viraj, knowing very well that it would piss him off.

"See you around, Sneha. You look breathtakingly sexy in this dress. Though the man beside you is totally an assho..." Before Natasha could curse him to rile him further, Gaurav literally pulled her away from the site.

"I hate this woman." Sneha heard Viraj mumble under his breath. However, she thought otherwise. Although picking fights unnecessarily wasn't her strength, she did like Natasha's quick comebacks...something she lacked at.

Noticing her small smile in Natasha's direction, Viraj couldn't help but ask.

"Don't tell me you like her!" He exclaimed.

"She seems nice." Sneha said in her defence.

"She just insulted me...your fiance and still you are praising her!" He complained.

"She didn't insult you, Viraj. She was just giving you a reply." She clarified.

"Of course, you'd think like that. After all, you are a split copy of her." He muttered before some other friends of his engaged them in a conversation.

"So, do you hate me too?" Sneha asked when his friends left them to themselves. Viraj looked at her in confusion.

"What?"

"You hate Natasha. And you think we are alike. So, you hate me too?" She elaborated.

His brows narrowed and his head tilted a little as she applied the transitive property of equality.

"I don't hate you! Would I be marrying you if I hated you?" He asked in a confused tone.

"Then why do you hate her if she's like me?" She asked.

Viraj was dumbstruck. He had never thought about it. But the question was indeed logical. Both Natasha and Sneha did what he asked them to not do. Both were disobedient and fiery with their mouth. Both supported modern feminist thinking while he was clearly on the patriarchal balance. So, what exactly in his fiancee did he adore that he was intensely infatuated with her?

"Hmm?" His persistent fiancee reminded him to reply.

"Because you are you." He answered while not satisfying her or even his query. The lines on her forehead declared to him that she was not in agreement with his answer. Well, neither was he.

.

.

.

Finally, the moment she was dreading the most arrived.

"Son! Sneha." Dev met them with a smile.

Sneha's smile fell and she bit her cheeks internally in nervousness.

"Papa. Ma!" Viraj greeted his parents and looked at Sneha so that she'd greet them too.

"Namaste, uncle...aunty." She mumbled quickly as they all looked at her.

"Is that a way to greet your soon-to-be inlaws, Sneha? I thought we had a common tradition." Dev played along with her fear, knowing very well what she was thinking right now.

Before Viraj could interfere, Sneha bowed deeply and touched Dev's feet followed by Viraj's mother's feet. To her relief, his mother quickly hugged her warmly. Meanwhile, Viraj only gave a pissed-off look to his father.

"Welcome to the family, Sneha! You are looking like a princess in this dress." Meena said with a big smile.

"Thank you, aunty. You are looking beautiful too!" She managed to say with a small smile.

"My son is truly lucky to have you." Meena added to which Viraj smiled back.

However, Dev didn't like the statement.

"She is the one who is lucky to have my son. Not the other way around." Dev corrected to which Meena didn't comment further. Sneha neither.

"Papa, ma, we'll quickly meet Sneha's parents. Then we all can have lunch together." Viraj informed before holding her hand again to walk in the direction of her family.

Sneha could only sigh in relief. His father gave her more chills than Viraj himself.

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.

.

Sneha immediately hugged her mother when they met. She had long noticed their attire. They were wearing their best dresses. Her mother was wearing a red saree, her father was in his formal suit and her sister was wearing her green knee-length dress.

"Namaste, Uncle...Aunty." Viraj greeted her parents politely who returned the same. Sneha was surprised for a while since it was perhaps the first time, as far as she remembered that he acknowledged her parents as 'uncle' and 'aunty', instead of Mr Bohra and Mrs Bohra.

"Hi, sister-in-law." He gently greeted Priya who only glared at him.

"I am not your sister-in-law, yet." Priya murmured lowly to which Sneha quickly held her hand to make her quiet.

"Priya." Sneha scolded her in a whisper tone.

Viraj chucked at her comment.

"Don't scold her, Sneha. She is right, though." He said as he instantly developed a brotherly feeling for the little girl. He realized that she was actually very young and he had not thought about her much until now. He had only seen her a couple of times where neither he nor did she pay much attention to each other. He made a mental note to get to know her educational requirements and if possible help her out academically.

"But then what would you call me till our marriage?" He asked while looking at Sneha briefly.

Priya looked up at him and her mouth and brain didn't work in sync.

"Engagement-breaker." Priya spoke and Sneha's eyes widened.

"What?" He asked in confusion but Sneha was quick to act. She quickly pulled her younger sister away from them towards the fruit stall where no one was present.

Viraj didn't follow them and then paid attention to Sneha's parents, engaging in light conversation, especially with her father.

"Priya! Have you lost your mind? Don't you know who these people are?" Sneha scolded her sister while switching to her mother tongue.

"I didn't say anything wrong. Because of him, your engagement with Shashank bhaiya broke." Priya replied in her mother tongue as well and threw a glare at Viraj who wasn't even looking at her.

Sneha scratched her forehead.

"Priya, I know you are angry and confused. But please understand...We can't insult these people. They are very powerful and influential. Viraj may still let this slide, but his father...You don't know him! So, please, control your temper and just go with the flow."

"Didi, I don't understand why are you not telling them that you don't want this!"

"I did! I told them specifically, especially his father, but they all are psycho. So, we need to be careful and properly plan the strategy. I don't want them to hurt any one of you."

"What about you? I can't even imagine what he is doing with you in the days that you spend with him alone. I heard papa and mummy talk about it yesterday. They were so concerned about you being used by him..."

"Tell them that nothing happens between us." She interrupted her.

"No one would believe it, didi! Almost all relatives now know about your engagement with him even though none could come at such short notice. Papa asked bua (father's sister) to come but she denied it by giving some silly excuse. Everyone is scared of having any sort of alliance with this family."

Sneha sighed as Priya carried on with her frustration.

"And, I can't even believe that I am being invited to my own sister's engagement! We should have been the ones to organize the function. But, no! And, what is wrong with his sister! Why did she bring the rings? Shouldn't it be the girl's sister to do that!" Priya whined in irritation.

Sneha felt her anger. Priya had always wanted to do those things since she only had one elder sister. But, today, Ananya was the one who did everything that Priya had wanted to do for her.

"I am sorry, Priya. But you do know that this all is fake and this engagement will break someday. We will not get married. So, you can do whatever you want next time. Okay?"

"I don't think so, di. The way he looks at you, I don't know if you can see it or not, but I think he loves you. And, he won't back away from this prospect." Priya said in concern.

Sneha looked in the direction of Viraj. He was talking to her mother now.

"I am trying to make him not like me... I am trying..."

"Just do it faster di (sister)...because I don't have a good feeling about this. Papa is already diabetic and with the amount of stress he is taking, I am afraid that it will affect his health badly. He is trying to connect with so many people to find a way out of this, but everyone is letting him down. They say that it is highly risky to challenge the Khatris. Now, only you can do something di...Please do anything." She said making Sneha worry in return.

"I will. But, till then, you need to try to control your mouth, okay?" Sneha told her sister to which Priya nodded with a sigh.

"Let's go back and apologize to Viraj about what you said earlier. And, for God's sake, stop giving him names!" Sneha sighed and pulled her towards her parents again.

However, her latest nightmare walked right in front of her almost making her squeal in fear.

"U.uncle." Sneha whispered as Dev stood in front of her. His wife was not accompanying him to her misfortune.

"She is Priya, your younger sister, right?" Dev asked while looking at Priya. Sneha's protective mode switched on and she quickly nudged her sister to go away from there.

"Y.yes. Priya, yetee pe jaa, cham. (go from here, quickly)" She told her sister who obeyed instantly.

"What? Scared that I might hurt her?" Dev chuckled on seeing Priya's fleeting sight.

"No, uncle. She..."

"Relax, Sneha. I think we got on the wrong track. You don't need to be afraid of me, alright...not until you hurt my son or cheat on him. You are going to be my daughter-in-law and this is a prestigious position in our family. He told me about you and I am quite impressed by your recent behaviour. He sounds happier since you accepted the marriage proposal and I have seen the pride with which he talks about you. Maintain that and I promise that your family till your third cousins are living a happy life." Dev said politely, but she also knew what would happen if she wouldn't be able to make him happy.

Sneha nodded quickly. She really hoped Viraj would come to her rescue.

"There was one thing that I couldn't tell you earlier. And, I think this is the right time since you both are engaged."

Sneha's brows raised, wondering what new warnings was he going to throw at her now. She really hoped Viraj would hear it himself.

"Although men in our family are not allowed to have a child before marriage, I can make an exception for my son. I hope you understand since you convinced him to postpone the marriage ceremony till July." Dev informed.

The breath got stuck in her throat. Did he just say that? She wondered in shock.

Now, what was she supposed to respond to? Yes, uncle, sure?

Recalling this man's potential in front of her, she just looked at the floor, neither saying yes nor no.

"Yes, Sneha?" Dev still asked.

'Like hell, I will.' She shouted in her mind.

"Y.yes."

"Good girl. Since you are keeping my son happy, as a reward, I'll ask your father's company's HR to give him a promotion and a 100% hike." Dev said and gently patted her head in a fatherly manner.

"Now, go to him." He asked.

Sneha had taken a step when she thought of fighting her fear...maybe a little. So, she turned around and faced Dev.

"Uncle...Can I ask you something?" She asked politely, knowing that this man was insane.

Dev only raised his brows.

"Why don't you say all this in front of Viraj? I am sure he will understand it better than me." She said innocently, although internally, she was releasing her frustration.

Dev chuckled and stepped forward.

"Remember one thing, Sneha. The daughter-in-law of our family does not question the decision of her father-in-law. But, since you have dared to ask, I'll bless you with an answer. Viraj is very particular about the rules of our family. And, knowing that he is a man with needs, he will probably fight with his desires and his rationality. That is why I want you to help him out and let him know that it is fine. No one would complain if you conceive with his child before marriage." He explained.

Sneha's brows narrowed and her eyes went downcast on hearing this. She still couldn't believe that his father was saying all this to her! How can he even let these words out?

"I know it sounds bad from my mouth as I will be your father-in-law...But, as a father, I...just want my son happy." He mumbled while giving his son a glance who was still busy talking to Sneha's parents. He had given this same lecture to Nupur, many years ago...But, his son just didn't take any interest in pursuing a romantic relationship with Nupur.

Sneha looked in their direction too and her eyes stared at her father.

"My father is also a father." She mumbled lowly but Dev heard her.

"What?" He asked.

Sneha took a long breath before replying.

"My father is also a father, uncle. Just like you want happiness for your son, my father wants to see me happy too." She said while making sure to not sound rude. But the question was clear in her statement.

"And you will be happy! My son is the best man you can possibly find for yourself in this entire universe. Look at him and tell me one flaw in him." He asked in a duh tone.

Sneha's brows shot up.

'Where should I start from?' She wanted to say but knowing that Dev was nearly obsessed with his son, she kept quiet.

"None, right! That is why I am telling you to come out of whatever insecurities you have about this relationship and accept my son as your partner. You will be happy, Sneha...and so will your family members." Dev concluded.

"Yes, uncle." She managed to say in order to get away from this fruitless discussion.

The passion for making Viraj come out of this infatuation felt more urgent. And, in her mind, she swore to do anything to make him come out of this.

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.

After a small get-together, Ananya requested everyone to gather around.

"Sneha, come!" She called her from near the stage.

'What is it now?' Sneha wondered.

"Papa, why don't you all stand a little closer to the stage?" She asked as she prepared herself to walk towards Ananya.

"We are fine here, Sneha." He mumbled while saying no to the waiter who brought them soft drinks.

So, Sneha walked toward the stage and was immediately accompanied by Viraj who was engaged in a conversation with one of his relatives.

"What is it?" Sneha asked Ananya.

"There it is." Ananya replied with a smile.

Sneha looked to her left and was amazed by the sight of a six-tier cake. It was huge..big enough to feed the people gathered today. As the pale-pink-coloured cake approached, she couldn't help but appreciate the intricate work done on the cake. There was a small model of a dancing couple on top of the cake and it sort of reminded her of the dance that she shared with Viraj on Ananya's birthday. There were designs of rose flowers scattered in a visible flower pattern making the cake almost glow. At the bottom of the cake was written in beautiful calligraphy: Happy Beginning!

Soon enough, the cake was brought in front of the engaged couple and Viraj held the knife from the decorated plate. He looked in her direction and she understood the meaning of it. Gently, she held his hand that was holding the knife.

With a smile, he slowly cut a small piece of cake making the audience applaud. Fetching a spoon, he took the piece out and proceeded to feed her as was the custom.

"Does it contain egg?" She whispered to him.

"I specifically ordered an eggless cake for you. Don't worry." She

Sneha opened her mouth wide enough to accept the sweet. However, Viraj had to play a trick and he first let some cake touch the tip of her nose and then quickly slid the spoon into her mouth before she could complain about it.

Real immature of him, but he loved the scene in front of him. She had a cute frown with a small white patch on the tip of her nose. He would have kissed her senseless and li*ked the cream off her nose tip if they were in a private setting. But he knew she would scold him later if he did this now. So, for now, he just remained content with the view. His friends and cousins laughed at his playful trick. But, he remained clueless about the imaginary daggers that his sister-in-law, soon-to-be, was throwing at him.

Before Sneha could take a tissue to clean her nose, Viraj beat her to it and took a tissue from the table to clean the small mess he created.

"Sorry, I got a little distracted." He whispered to her and she knew he was just lying. He did that deliberately.

She would have responded in the same manner, but she wasn't a kid. Plus, she didn't want to play around in front of her parents. What would they think about her?