I didn't know when but I drifted into sleep while leaning into his warm embrace. I woke up from my slumber after hearing the booming voice of someone.

I opened my eyes to see that Arjun was throwing glares at his sister as she gave him a cheeky smile.

I gave them a confused glance and gestured to Arjun with my eyes asking what happened there. He just shook his head, not revealing anything.

After that, he helped me in getting out of the car. I was immediately greeted by the beautiful sight of his house.

The mansion loomed proudly behind the huge iron gates with a modern touch, flanked by the trees which were swaying gently to the cool breeze.

In the middle, there stood the delicate marble fountain, gurgling the clear water, melodic as it resonated in the surrounding silence.

"Wow!!" was the only word that left my mouth as it was a truly enthralling sight.

"It is beautiful," I said to Arjun.

"Yeah. It is my dad's dream house," he told me with a somewhat forlorn look on his face.

Understanding his feelings, I patted his shoulder in an assuring manner to which he smiled at me, making my heart skip a beat.

Ammu immediately ushered us in. Sarada Aunty came to us and welcomed us inside, after doing the Aarti.

After that, she took me in front of a portrait and told me that he was my mamayya(father-in-law). She asked me to pay my respects and I did the same.

"Daksha, I think you might be hungry. Do you want to eat anything? " she asked me.

"No, Aunty. I am fine," I declined her offer politely.

"What Aunty? Call me 'Athayya' (MIL). I will be happier if you call me 'Amma' though," she told me and gave a teasing grin to Arjun.

"If she calls you 'Amma', then what does it take me to you? A son-in-law..?" he asked this with a scoff.

"Yeah. Son-in-law. You better start calling me 'Athayya' from now onwards," she told him teasingly.

"You are not a good mother. How conveniently you kicked your son aside immediately after getting your daughter-in-law?" He said this like a sulking child.

"I am just teasing you, Ajju," she laughed, "But Daksha, consider me as your mother instead of your mother-in-law," she told me and I passed her a grateful smile.

"Ammu, take your vadina(SIL) to your room as she won't be comfortable being alone in a new house," she instructed Ammu.

"What?" Arjun exclaimed, immediately after hearing his mother, making every one of us look at him. He realized his slip of the tongue and gave us an awkward smile.

"I mean, what's the need for going to Ammu's room when she can stay in my room?" he asked his mother.

"Then where will you sleep? In the guest room.?" Instead of answering him, she asked him in return.

"Why will I stay in the guest room.? We both can sleep in my room." After saying this, he looked at his mother as if he had solved the most difficult problem.

"Oh my dear son, I know you are desperate for your wife but you both can't stay together until the completion of Satyanarayana pooja," she told him to which he embarrassedly rubbed the back of his neck and turned his face to the other side.

I bit back my smile at his behavior. Ammu gestured to me to go along with her and took me to her room.

After reaching her room, I took the nightwear from my duffel bag and went to freshen up.

By the time I came outside, Ammu made the bed for us. We both laid on our sides. She suddenly turned to my side and looked at me with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked her to which she shook her head.

"Nothing. Just trying to see what magic you have in you," she replied.

"Magic? For what?" I asked her to which she grinned cheekily at me.

"I am asking about what magic you have cast on my brother that made him behave like a lovesick teenager," she replied, making me flush.

"I didn't cast any magic on him. Why did you think like that?" I asked her confusedly and she gave me another teasing smile.

"Do you know the reason why he was glaring at me earlier?" she asked me, to which I shook my head negatively.

"Earlier in the car, I didn't know that you were sleeping. So, I knocked on the window to tell you guys to come out but my brother gestured to me to speak slowly. I didn't understand his gesture and asked him the same in my loud voice that woke you up from your sleep. That was why he was glaring at me like that. You know, it is unusual for him. I mean, it is unusual for him to care for a person who he has recently met unless you occupy an important place in his heart," she said with a heartwarming smile.

"I am glad to see my brother like that. I am really happy that he got you as his life partner. Please be with him in every situation. He is a good guy and can be a good husband too. Another thing, just treat me as your sister. Will you do that?" After asking these, she looked at me expectantly for my answer.

I just hugged her from the side and patted her head.

"Silly girl. I already considered you as my sister from the moment I saw you. As for staying by his side in every situation, it is an oath that I took in my heart the moment he tied this sacred thread around my neck. So, don't worry. I won't leave him even if he asks me to," I assured her and she hugged me back tightly.

Still hugging each other, we soon drifted to sleep. Early in the morning, we woke up due to the knocking at the door. I went to open the door and saw that it was Athayya.

"So sorry to wake you up this early, dear. I know that you are so exhausted but what to do, you guys have to perform the pooja and after that, we have to visit the temple too as per our family tradition. So, please bear with me today. You can rest as much as you want after we are done with everything," she told me in a motherly tone.

"Athayya, don't worry and no need to feel sorry for waking me up. I will get ready and meet you in 15 minutes. Is it okay?" I asked her to which she nodded at me with a smile.

After giving me a saree and the jewelry, she asked me to wear them for pooja and left from there.

I saw that Ammu was sitting on the bed while looking at me with a smile.

"Do you need any help with draping the saree?" she asked me.

"No need. I can manage Ammu,” I told her with a smile. She nodded at me.

She informed me that she was going downstairs to help her mom and asked me to call her if I needed any help. I nodded at her and went into the washroom to freshen up.

After a while, I came out wearing the saree that was given by my Athayya and stood in front of the mirror to wear the jewelry. I just left my hair to flow down loosely to let it dry.

(Daksha's look)

After getting ready, I filled my hairline with the sindoor and thought of going downstairs.

When I went outside the room, Arjun too came out of his room while folding his sleeves.

He wore a white shirt with checkered pants. He is looking too dashing that I can't stop myself from ogling at him.

(Arjun's look)

He might have sensed my presence. He too lifted his head to look at me and If I was not mistaken, he was looking at me with eyes full of admiration.

We are still looking into each other’s eyes. But our staring session got interrupted because of the throat-clearing of someone.

"Ahem! Sorry for the interruption. Mom is calling you both for the pooja," she informed us with a teasing smile playing on her face.

After hearing her say this, we both looked around the surroundings awkwardly and went downstairs.

Athayya came to me and praised me as I was looking good in that saree. After that, she made us sit together for the pooja.

She told us the procedure and made us complete the pooja together. After that, she took me aside and asked me.

"Daksha, are you hungry? If yes, can you bear with it for two or three more hours? You know that we have to go to the temple for another pooja, right? You have to perform that pooja without eating anything. If you are not okay with it, we can do it another day," She asked me.

"Athayya, it's okay. I am not that hungry. Sometimes I have to stay without eating my breakfast because of my schedule. So, I am used to it already," I assured her to which she glared at me.

"Really? It is going to be like that for only today, that too because the situation demands. From tomorrow onwards, I won't even let you step out without having breakfast," She informed me and I smiled at her caring behavior.

After that, she ushered us both to start for the temple in the same car and informed us that she and Ammu would come by another car. We agreed with her and reached his car.

While he took the driving seat, I got settled in the passenger seat. After igniting the engine, he started driving in the direction of Goddess Lakshmi’s temple.

An awkward silence engulfed us. So, I took out my phone and opened it. I saw that there was a message from my Mom, informing me that they were reaching the temple soon. I replied to her with an okay and started scrolling the news feed.

After some time, I got bored with that and kept my phone aside.

"You are looking beautiful," he suddenly complimented me out of nowhere, making me face him.

Hearing his compliment, a tinge of rosiness crept on my face.

"Not only today but also in yesterday's wedding attire, you were looking very beautiful." That made me blush even more.

So I turned my face towards the window to cover my face.

"Then I am honored and you too look very handsome," I told him in a low voice while still keeping my face towards the window.

"Really? I don't think so. You are just saying it as a formality," he told me in a nonchalant tone.

"No, no, it’s not like that. You are looking so hot that I couldn't take off eyes from you earlier. Even at the wedding too, you were looking too dashing that I felt like kissing you then and there itself," I told him honestly while looking into his eyes.

"It looks like someone is so desperate to kiss me," he said with a teasing glint in his eyes.

I realized that he had plans to tease me all along, and like a fool, I fell for it. Hence, I started smacking him, making him burst into fits of laughter.

"Okay, okay, stop it. I am sorry," he said but didn't stop laughing.

So, I turned my head and started looking out of the window with an angry pout.

When we reached the temple, I got out of the car without waiting for him. I went to Athayya and Ammu when I saw them reach the temple.

Arjun joined us and again Athayya made us stand together. I stood beside him and turned my face to the other side, still pretending to be angry at him.

Athayya asked us to go inside the temple and told us that they will join us later.

We agreed and started climbing the steps to go inside. While climbing, I stumbled on my foot due to my saree.

I closed my eyes in fear to welcome the fall but suddenly a muscular arm encircled my waist and held me tightly.

I opened my eyes to see that it was Arjun who held me and was looking at me with worry evident on his face.

"Daksha, are you okay?" he asked me, bringing me out of my reverie.

I stood properly while still holding onto him. My heart trembled in fear while looking at the fleet of the steps. I calmed down my frightened heart and managed to smile at him.

"I am fine. Don't worry. I just stumbled on my saree," I assured him.

"How can I not worry? You gave me a huge scare. What would have happened if I hadn’t reacted immediately? Did you not see those steps?" he asked me in a slightly angry tone to which I bent down my head like a culprit.

Seeing my face, he released a sigh and lifted my head.

"It's okay. Be careful from now on," he said this and rubbed my head lovingly. I nodded at him and was about to climb the steps further.

"Wait," he stopped me and took my hand into his.

"Lest you might fall again," he said.

I smiled at our entwined hands and climbed the stairs along with his protective presence.