12

I got late because of the summers guys, I hate this weather FR! But this chapter is written with kaafi pyaar so bandhu jann I need khoooob saare comments!!!

∞Fresh Lime∞

Aradhaya Singh Rajvansh

"Aru, tell your mother that this saree is better." Papa barged into my room with Mumma tagging along. Nothing new—my father is more considerate about his wife's dressing than she is herself. The men of this house learned and taught the same: the ladies are your sole responsibility and love of your life, and taking care of their every need is a duty that should always be carried forward. Not only the men but the ladies of the house, whether it be my grandmother or mother, have cherished this unspoken rule of taking care of their partners for decades.

"But what's wrong with it?" I clipped the two fringes of my hair at the back with the diamond clip Bhai gifted me, getting up from the chair to meet my parents and address their concerns.

"It is not matching well with his attire." My mother chuckled, walking over to me and putting the kohl from her eyes behind my ear.

"I mean, Aahana said that we need to be matching, but this color is light and not twinning with my shirt." Papa whined, holding a saree in his hand and walking toward Maa.

"But I had already gotten ready. If I change into this one, it's going to take so much of my time, and I don't want to be late for my nephew's wedding functions." Maa checked herself out in the mirror while Papa's frown deepened.

"I'll help you get ready. Don't break my poor man's heart." My father's eyes brightened at my words as he extended his arm, handing me the saree and even the matching jewelry he carried in his other hand.

"Do the hairstyle that Hema Malini did in Baghban. That suits your mother the best." I chuckled at his words while my mother's cheeks reddened.

"Your father has gone mad." She whispered shyly in my ear but loud enough for him to hear.

"Well, I have been mad for you, my love, for 34 years, 3 months, and 7 days ago on that Thursday, 11:10 in the morning, when I first saw you walking in the college corridor with your sister." I giggled louder while the blush on my mother's cheeks deepened.

"I don't think I need to retouch her makeup; you're just making her blush naturally." He chuckled at my words and walked to my mother, caressing her cheeks.

"Inhe kya zarurat makeup ki, yeh toh aise hi jaan le leti hai humari." My mother hit his chest playfully, blushing more at his words while I just awed at the couple I always admired growing up.

("Why does she need make-up, she takes my life just like this.")

"Okay, okay, now you go out! I have to get her ready." He scrunched his nose but gave a flying kiss to my mother as he walked out of the room.

"Where's mine?" I glared at him playfully while he chuckled, hugging me and kissing my forehead.

"You don't need to ask, my princess."

I helped my mother get ready, all the while my phone chiming with endless messages and phone calls from Aahana as the performances were about to begin. After ensuring Maa looked perfect, we both rushed to the garden where my brothers and father waited. "Bade Papa, aaj toh Badi Maa pari lag rahi hai," Yug Bhai whistled while the others chuckled. ("Badi Papa, Badi Maa is looking like an angel today")

"Haina bilkul sonn pari," Papa agreed, taking a bundle of notes from his pocket to revolve over my mother's head before giving it to a passing waiter. We all hooted at the scene. ("Exactly like the golden angel.")

"Let's get going, we shouldn't disturb the couple," I said, pulling Yug and Yagya Bhai away as we walked towards Aridhaan Bhai, who was on the phone. "Bhai," I flashed my teeth at him, and he reciprocated with the same vibrant smile, hanging up the call and putting his phone in his pocket.

"I was looking for you. What took you so long?" He arched his brows while searching for something in his pocket.

"She was helping Badi Maa get ready. Bade Papa was being desperate," Yug Bhai chuckled, making Bhai smile. "Here, I hope it didn't wilt. Let me clip it in your hair," Aridhaan Bhai took out the small white roses from his pocket and stood behind me, slipping them into my hair near the hairpin.

"Looks fine?" I asked the other two, who gave me a thumbs up with bright smiles.

"Aahana is going to murder you; you missed the starting performances. Let's get going," Yagya Bhai's reminder was enough for me to check my phone and see her umpteenth number of texts.

"Where are you? Why did you leave me alone with this Abhir? He has been irritating me. Come fast."

"Abhir is irritating Aahana. Let's get to her before they both kill each other," Yug Bhai snickered at my words while Yagya Bhai added, "I wonder how Aahana is bearing him till now because as much as we know, this girl can be a little monster." He wasn't wrong; my best friend knows how to keep people in their place.

"Oh, come on! Abhir seems like a nice man, and I see some interesting chemistry brewing between them. I believe his intentions are good," Yug Bhai sided with Abhir, which was obvious since they are both witty and a pain in the ass.

"I find his brother's intentions doubtful," I snapped my neck at Aridhaan Bhai, whose eyes were fixed on Abhir's brother, Mr. Chauhan. Why is this man looking at me like that? He needs to monitor his gaze. Goddamn it, my brothers are watching!

"Hii, you look pretty." Those were the words the man, who looked striking in an outfit complementing mine, uttered, keeping his onyx eyes on my face and ignoring my brothers completely.

Before I could respond, Yug Bhai interrupted, "We too are looking very pretty, Rudransh. Spare us a glance too." Rudransh snapped back into reality at his words and looked around, absorbing the awkward situation he had put me in.

"No, I mean..." He started to fumble, but Yagya Bhai added in his neutral, plain tone, "What? We aren't pretty?" The twins were having their fair share of fun with him when Aridhaan Bhai decided to involve himself in the conversation.

"Chauhan," he said, as usual, curt and crisp.

"Rajvansh," Rudransh replied in the same tone, making me realize for the first time how intimidating these men could be when they wanted to be, their facial muscles tensed and tight.

"We know our sister is your partner for the dance, but it's just a dance. We don't like foreign eyes to wander even near her, so forget about wandering on her," Yagya Bhai clenched his shoulder lightly while he just nodded in response. That was the bond shared between Aridhaan and Yagya Bhai—where the elder Rajvansh thinks, the younger one communicates. When I said that man is an introvert, I forgot to add that he is the finest speaker in any room he chooses to engage in. He just prefers to share specific words, especially those that may not suit the eldest Rajvansh; Yagya Rajvansh frames and delivers them.

"Now next to start with the Rajvansh vs Chauhan challenge, we welcome Rudransh and Aradhaya to the stage," Abhir and Aahana announced from the stage, catching us off guard. None of my brothers had informed me about the itinerary or the timing of our dance performance.

"If you three had allowed me to finish, I was going to say she looks pretty late. We had our performance lined up." Did this man just play a card to shut down my brothers? The Rajvanshs? He really had some nerve. I saw Aridhaan Bhai's jaw tighten while Yug Bhai just snickered, eyeing Yagya Bhai, who gave this broody Chauhan an apologetic look.

"Yagya didn't mean anything wrong. It's something to keep in mind for the future," Aridhaan Bhai said, giving his fake corporate smile, which Rudransh replied to with an amused tilt of his lips.

"Your concerns will be taken care of, Rajvansh. The future is too far to talk about now. Wish us luck for this dance performance." His words. Goddamnit, his words! He extended his hand to me, saying, "May I, milady?" My eyes widened at his formality.

"What? Chivalry isn't dead yet," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. I hate to admit, but he looked unapologetically hot.

"All the best, Aru! Set the stage on fire!" Yug Bhai pushed me toward the haughty Chauhan, and I slipped my fingers into his hand, feeling the warmth of his touch.

"Sure," I replied as we walked toward the stage. The lighting changed, and I saw Rishi watching us in awe from the audience while he sat with Mrs. Chauhan, whispering something in her ear.

"Are you nervous?" he arched a brow at me, and I cackled at his question.

"I am a prodigy in dancing, Mr. Chauhan. Worry about yourself."

(Just play it in background, and thank me later in the comments)

We reached the center of the stage as the music began to play softly in the background. I noticed the song was different. "Did you alter the song?" I tried to sound calm as we began moving in synchronized steps.

"Yeah, I could feel this song better. Hope you would too." The opening beats signaled our start, and we moved into the first steps of the dance.

Our arms stretched out, facing each other from the sides as we took small, slow steps in a circle. "You really have grown some nerves. First, you meddled with my brothers, who are likely to break your teeth for your cockiness. Second, you dared to change the song I had selected for us." I gritted my teeth as the music grew louder and the lyrics seeped into my ears, our steps perfectly in sync with the choreography we practiced yesterday.

The audience's eyes were on us. As the music swelled, he leaned in slightly, his breath warm against my ear. "You should know me better than I know myself, Dhaya." The spotlight warmed my skin, but it was the intensity in his eyes that truly set me ablaze.

His hand was firm yet gentle on my waist, guiding me into a graceful twirl. As I spun around, my dress flared out, shimmering under the lights. "About your brothers, this is not just a dance. I plan to take your hand in mine and take you with me forever, right before them. Trust me, they won't be able to do a thing about it. Instead, they will be the happiest to do so," he murmured, pulling me back close.

"A man can dream, but yours is a delusion." I whispered my sardonic words as our steps glided across the stage in perfect harmony. He led me into a series of quick, intricate steps, our feet moving as if they were part of the same entity.

With a swift movement, he lifted me effortlessly into the air. "I prefer watching you and stating reality rather than dreaming," he said, his voice low and steady despite the exertion. "Moreover, dreams are nothing compared to your beauty."

I arched an eyebrow as he set me down smoothly, our bodies swaying to the rhythm. "Words are all you know. You fooled me once, planning to do it again?"

He chuckled, spinning me out and then pulling me back in so that our faces were inches apart. "I didn't fool you, and I would never dare to. I made you fall in love with me once, and I'm going to do it again." I bit my lip at his words, gripping his biceps tightly.

Our next move was a complex dip, my back arching gracefully as he supported me. "It will never happen again," I declared through gritted teeth.

"It will. You won't be able to help yourself from falling for me again, and you'll keep falling for me every day." He declared, pulling me back up and twirling me again. "This time, you'll never fall out of love with me."

This man and his confidence. Sometimes I wished to laugh at his words, but they seemed to seep under my skin and infuriate me.

As we moved into a series of side steps, our eyes locked, and the rest of the world faded away. "You wish," I said, my breath coming quicker. "And it will never be fulfilled."

His hand slid from my waist to my hand, lifting our arms for an elegant turn. "I don't wish; I pray. Every day, every night, every second of the time I breathe, I pray, and prayers are always answered."

The music intensified, and we matched its energy with a dramatic lift, my body stretching out in perfect alignment as he held me high. "I'll pray otherwise then," I whispered, and I felt his grip tighten in response.

As the song reached its climax, we moved into the final sequence. Our steps quickened, and we executed a series of synchronized turns and dips, the chemistry between us undeniable. "To never fall for you again," I spoke, breathless but exhilarated.

He smiled, his eyes never leaving mine as he spun me into a final, breathtaking dip. "Your Mahadev is in my favor this time."

The music ended, and we struck our final pose, his arm around my waist and our faces close. The applause erupted around us, but for a moment, it was just the two of us, sharing a connection that transcended the dance.

Breathless, I looked into his eyes, feeling the warmth of his hand and the rapid beat of his heart against mine. "He blessed me with this dance. I can't be more grateful." He said, kissing my knuckles lightly.

I straightened myself and looked at our families gazing at us with warm, awed eyes.

"You both looked at each other as if, in a single blink of an eye, you were going to end up in an intense kiss." Aahana's words earned a glare from me as she raved for fifteen minutes straight about our dance performance.

"What? The dance was intensely hot, and I hate to admit it, but you both put the stage on fire." She tried to justify her words, while I sulked at them.

"You moved your spine like a reptile." She started again.

"Stop it, Aahana." I whined, but she laughed at my misery.

"I can declare anyone a fool who still thinks that this was just a dance performance." I sat helplessly listening to her because, apparently, I had no answers.

"Here is your dahi vada and here is your fresh lime. Bhai sent them for you." Abhir walked over, offering the dahi vada to Aahana and the fresh lime to me while speaking the last line extra sweetly.

"I don't need it."

"But I am famished." Aahana took the dahi vada from his hand and started eating.

"Okay." Abhir walked to his brother, who sat across a table with Rishi and Rohan.

"It is gonna come back to you," Aahana spoke between her bites while I scrunched my nose.

"He said it's your favorite." Abhir stood before me again with the same fresh lime. I turned my neck to give a warning glare to his brother.

"Tell your brother, if he knows so much about me, he should know that I don't accept anything from strangers."

"I am not a stranger, Aradhaya." Abhir made a puppy face to which Aahana giggled. "Aww, so cute, but you deserve it."

"At least a sip. You danced really well." Abhir pleaded, and I took a sip from the glass, giving it back to him.

"I don't wish to drink it."

"Sure, and you might stop stuffing your mouth with food when this cute delicious meal is in front of you." He winked at Aahana, who choked on her dahi vada.

"Aru! Save me! I might die of disgust!" She dramatically mimicked puking, while he just blew a kiss at her.

I saw him walking to his brother, who took the glass and started drinking the fresh lime from the same side where I had sipped. This shameless hunk!

"These brothers!!" Aahana's frustration was evident in her words, well justified. Abhir had stepped on her feet twice during their dance while she pushed him off the stage. When one pulled the other's hair, the latter kicked him in between the dance steps. It was total ruckus on the dance floor. To put an end to their fight, Ridhima Bhabhi declared the elder couples the winners of the challenge.

⋆✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ⋆🌿✦🌺✦🌿⋆*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧⋆

Happy reading!

Have a beautiful day!