Published on 20th April 2021.

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Writing Bonus Chapters took longer than expected.

Did I give a spoiler?

Btw, it's Ashtami today.

I really miss those times when we used to go for Kanjak.

Those two days were the best.

Happy Ram Navami in advance.

♡ Pyar tha waqt nahi,

Jo beet gaya do pal mein.

Tu banke yaad rahe,

fariyad rahega dil mein ♡

– S H R U T I –

"Parth, everything's alright?" I asked Parth who was laying his head on the table and he hummed. "But it doesn't look like that. Is it related to Aditi?"

"Hmm..."

"Tell me what is it?" I asked and he instantly raised his head up.

"No. I mean wasn't thinking about her."

"I know that you don't want her to be with Sahil-"

"Why are you making it sound as if I'm jealous? I'm just caring for her as a friend should do."

"Just a friend! I know. And I also know that Sahil is not a good man. If they go in a relationship, she would be the one to suffer."

"Leave it." He sighed and drank a cup of water. "Any other thing to talk about?"

"No. I'll just check upon Aditi. I don't know where she is from past twenty minutes." I said and he nodded. Walking to the restroom area, I saw her busy in her phone. Who the hell stays near public washroom as if it's a paradise?

Ajeeb shauk hain!

(What a strange fantasy!)

"Aditi." I patted her shoulder and her body shook in shock. "What's the matter? Why are you so shocked?"

"No... Nothing." She stuttered and I snatched her phone from her hand. "Shruti!"

"You were chatting with Sahil?" I asked and she made an annoyed face. "You know why we always stop you from interacting with him. He's not a good man."

"You are no one to decide the one for me! It's my life!" She yelled and I looked at her with disbelief. She was not the Aditi I knew!

Just yesterday, she was all good.

What's the matter now?

Why is she talking like that?

"Aditi! I'm not forcing you to take a decision. I'm your friend and I always think good about you. Why don't you understand?"

"Should I leave my love for you?" She said. And, strangely the whole atmosphere became silent.

"Love?" I chuckled in anger, "This is not love, Aditi. This is just infatuation. One day you'll understand it. But things may not be the same then." I said and she looked away from me. "I'll go." I said and walked out.

As I saw Parth on the way, I quickly paced towards him. "What's the matter Shruti?"

"Aditi... she..."

It was not the first time we had a fight. But it was the first time we quarreled because of a man. Just because of a man!

"It's again because of Sahil, right?" He asked and I nodded. "I'll kill him."

"Shut up! Instead of doing a crime, you should think how to show the real face of Sahil to her." I said and he chuckled coldly over her behaviour. We walked back to our cabins while discussing the matter at the same time.

"Don't degrade your mood because of her. She's the youngest and childish one among us."

"That's the reason we need to show her the right way."

After what happened with Akriti, I can't see the same going through someone who's close to me.

I'm just scared of the outcomes.

"But if she doesn't wants to, you can't do anything. Let her ruin her life by her own hands." He sighed while sitting on his seat.

I hope that no man or woman could break the bond of our friendship. Our friendship is ofcourse more pure and older than Sahil Arora's lies.

As I heard ping of notifications, I pulled my phone out and saw Rishabh's messages.

:

Hey!

Mumma called us for a dinner tonight.

Do you want to pick something from home?

Or should we go straight way there?

Mumma asked him?

Not me?

Am I not her daughter anymore?

I don't have anything to carry.

We can straightly go there.

:

Okay then.

I'll pick you up in an hour.

:^)

I couldn't help but smile at that.

He can always lighten my mood. It's still the same. When we were in school, just a look of him made my day. And now, when I'm the centre of his attention, I can't feel more blessed.

Sure.

♡♡

Quickly sending him the text with hearts, I kept my phone inverted on the table and couldn't control my smile.

Why am I acting as if I'm crushing on him?

He's my husband, not my boyfriend!

"Shruti, you're alright?" Parth asked and I looked at him questionably. "Stop smiling like that. You'll scare everyone." He said and I nodded.

As the hour went by in being engrossed in files, I packed my things and stood up. "It's time for me to leave. Bye." I said and Parth waved his hand at me, signalling me to go.

Aditi was still acting strange to us.

As if we're strangers to her!

As I walked out, I saw Rishabh's car already standing on the way. How come he always arrives before me? I opened the door of the passenger seat and saw him working on his laptop. Can't he leave work in the car?

"You have some important work?" I asked while sitting in and he started the car.

"Hmm?"

"I mean, if it's urgent then we can postpone today's plan."

"No, there's no need to postpone any plan. I was just seeing through some work in this free time. This can be looked upon later." He said and I nodded. "How was your day?"

What should I say?

That it was the worst day?

"Good. How was yours?" I asked.

"Mine was good too. We finalised the designs for the upcoming collection. And, the work for new showroom is going on. I had to go there to have a look upon the progress." He said while taking turns.

"How many days would it take for the showroom to complete?"

"Nothing specific. Three to four months, maybe."

"This long?"

"Hmm..." He hummed and smiled, "By the way, those two hearts are accepted." Two hearts? And then I remembered what he was talking about. The two heart emojis I sent him!

A perfect way to embarrass yourself!

"I sent it by mistake." I lied and saw a frown appearing on his forehead.

Why was I even lying in the first place?

He's my husband and these things are normal.

"Mistake?"

"I... I wanted to type something else but it went there. Touch problem, you know." I lied and he nodded.

"We have a delete option too. You could've deleted it."

"But you had already seen it. So there was no point in erasing it." I lied again.

"Oh... They were good though." He said and rest of the ride was filled with various conversations, except the heart message ofcourse. As we reached, he parked the car and we went in.

"Come in. I was just preparing the dinner." Mumma said while opening the door. As we walked inside, I saw Adit roaming around in his toy car.

"Masi....." He shouted while accelerating his speed in my direction. This boy!

"Adit. Stop. Stop." I shouted, trying to stop him but there was no way he would listen to me. As he was about to hit me, I shut my eyes tightly. When I felt nothing, I opened my eyes in anticipation and saw Rishabh standing in the way.

He was holding Adit's car whereas Adit was making a grumpy face. He lost the chance to hit me!

"Drive properly Adit or they'll snatch your driver's licence." Rishabh said and he nodded. Rishabh really knows how to be a kid and interact with them!

"Masi, chocolates?" Adit asked and I looked at him with disbelief. Can he ever get over chocolates? Never. He's Akriti's son.

"Akriti! Your son would degrade his teeth one day. Cut all his chocolates." I said and Adit made a shrill cry. "Okay, she'll not stop you from eating them. Happy?" I asked and he nodded happily while smiling.

Greedy boy!

Pulling a chocolate bar out of my purse, I handed it to him. In a second, the wrapper was tore and no sign of chocolate was visible.

The evening went by in talking and discussing about the world's matters and it was time for dinner.

"How is the dinner Rishabh beta?" Mumma asked.

Beta?

She never called me beta.

Such a big discrimination!

"It's great mumma." He said while eating.

"Why aren't you eating Shruti?" Papa asked and I realised that I was busy looking at Rishabh. Such a great embarrassment!

Quickly tearing a piece of roti, I dipped it in the gravy and ate it. And the dinner went by with more such embarrassing situations.

"Why don't you both spend the night here? It's pretty late." Mumma asked and I nodded. But the decision wasn't going to be mine alone. Half would be mine and the other half would be Rishabh's.

I looked towards him, asking him about his opinion. He smiled and nodded.

As the idea of staying here was decided and it was already late, we all decided to get a good sleep. I went to use my bathroom leaving Rishabh in the room as it was getting too warm inside. With him specifically!

While peeing, the only thought that came across my mind was— do we need to sleep on the same bed? I mean Rishabh's bed is way too big to accommodate two of us. But mine isn't. My bed is neither single nor double, just in the middle.

And we need to share that little bed tonight!

No worries.

It's nothing big.

He's a gentleman.

He won't do anything inappropriate without my permission.

I stepped in the room and saw him busy gazing the ceiling. Was something bothering him? "Rishabh?"

"Hmm?"

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I was just waiting for you."

"Me?"

"I mean I need to use the bathroom. I'll go." He said and went in the bathroom. I walked to kitchen to drink some water and saw Akriti following me.

"Akriti? You want to say something?"

"Hmm... Have some water first." She said and I raised my brows. "Drink it." She said and I finished each-and-every drop of water sip by sip.

"What do you want to say?"

"You know, Adit is just three and I don't want him to hear or see something explicit." She said and I could easily sense her teasing tone, "Keep the voice low, or better don't do anything tonight. Hmm?"

"Akriti!" I yelled and she shut my mouth with her palm.

"Everyone is sleeping. Keep your voice low."

"Okay." I whispered in my lowest voice, "Stop it. Nothing is happening tonight. I mean, it has never happened till the date."

"What?" She shouted and I glared, telling her to keep her voice low. "You haven't done anything till now? You're twenty seven and still no sex?"

For Akriti who had her first sexual experience at the age of eighteen, her sister still being a virgin at the age of twenty-seven is a very big matter of concern!

I don't know why.

"Akriti!" I whined.

"Is he..... Is he-"

"Is he what?"

"Is he not interested in women?" She said and I widened my eyes.

"No! We're just trying to take it slow."

"Oh. But it's already twenty-one days to your wedding. And... Leave it. I'll go." She said and turned to leave to her room. "Wait! Did you try those sexy lingeries I packed for you? They may work."

"Go and sleep." I held both of her shoulders and pushed her to her room. I was not in mood to listen to her teasing!

I walked back to my room and saw Rishabh sitting on the bed, seeing my childhood photos. He was about to turn the leaf of album and I knew that the next photo was a naked picture of one-year-old version of mine.

No.

It's too embarrassing.

Don't turn it...

YOURS, WITH LOVE

Thank you for reading.

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