Chapter 82

Niharika woke up to the soft light filtering through the curtains. She stretched lazily and made her way to the shower, the warm water washing away the remnants of sleep. After a quick shower, she dressed casually and walked out to the living room, still feeling a little drowsy but content.

As she stepped into the living room, her eyes immediately landed on Mayank. He was standing near the kitchen, a soft smile on his face. As soon as he saw her, he walked toward her with a rose in his hand, his eyes sparkling with affection.

"Happy Valentine's Day, my valentine," he said softly, his voice full of warmth as he handed her the delicate flower.

Niharika blinked, slightly taken aback. "Mayank, what's this?" she asked, her brow raised in playful confusion.

He chuckled, the corners of his mouth lifting into a grin. "I know you don't like love bombing, so don't worry, you won't get more than this," he teased lightly. "But it would be a crime not to give my valentine a rose on this day."

Her lips curled into a smile at his words. She accepted the rose, her heart fluttering at his thoughtfulness, though she would never admit it aloud. "Thanks," she murmured, her voice softer than usual.

After a moment, Niharika ran over to her room, picking up a rose from the vase there. She came back outside, walking back toward him. "I had the same plans," she said with a sly grin, holding out the rose to him. "Happy Valentine's Day, husband."

Mayank's eyes softened at her words, and a small smile tugged at his lips. He took the rose from her, his fingers brushing against hers. "Thank you, wife," he murmured, his heart swelling with affection.

"Come sit," she said, tugging him gently toward the couch. "We're watching a movie."

He nodded, following her as they settled down together on the couch. The movie started, but Niharika got up after a while, muttering something about a phone call. "I'll be right back," she said, disappearing down the hallway.

"Okay," Mayank replied, continuing to watch the screen, though his mind drifted to her.

Just a few minutes later, Niharika returned, but this time, she was holding something in her hands. A cake, a lit candle on top, and a mischievous grin on her face.

Mayank's eyes widened in surprise. "What's going on?" he asked, half-amused, half-confused.

She walked over to him and placed the cake in front of him with the knife. "Well," she began, a twinkle in her eye, "I thought to spend my Valentine's with you." She handed him the knife, a playful challenge in her expression. "Cut the cake, husband."

Mayank chuckled, thoroughly charmed by the gesture. He leaned forward, kissing her forehead softly. "Come here, wife," he said, pulling her close.

Together, they cut the cake, each feeding the other the first bite. The small act, simple yet meaningful, made both their hearts flutter with a joy that was only amplified by the connection they were nurturing.

"Perfect," Mayank murmured, his voice warm and content as he gazed at her. "Just perfect."

A while later, Mayank leaned against the doorframe of their room, arms crossed, watching Niharika as she scrolled through her phone on the bed. A smirk played on his lips as he said, "Get dressed, Nihu. We're going out."

Niharika glanced up, surprised. "Where?"

"Just dress nice and cozy. Nothing too fancy, nothing too lazy," he instructed, pushing himself off the frame.

Rolling her eyes at his vague directions, she got up and picked out an outfit. A simple, fitted spaghetti-strap crop top with sleeves, paired with ankle-length jeans and her favorite sneakers. She left her hair open, knowing Mayank liked it that way, did her basic makeup of applying a subtle lipstick, kohl and mascara and grabbed her purse before stepping out of the room.

Mayank, now dressed in a plain black t-shirt and jeans, looked up from his phone when she entered the living room. His gaze flickered over her, and he smiled. "Perfect."

She raised an eyebrow. "You sure I followed the dress code properly?"

He chuckled, stepping closer. "You always do." Then, grabbing the keys to his Jeep, he motioned toward the door. "Come on."

As they drove through the streets, Niharika turned to him, curiosity in her eyes. "Okay, so where are we going?"

Mayank kept his eyes on the road but smirked. "I was thinking we could go bowling. Or maybe watch a movie. Or we could hit an arcade. What do you wanna do?"

She thought for a moment, then her face lit up. "Can we go to Madame Tussauds?"

Mayank glanced at her and chuckled. "You want to go see wax statues?"

"I've never been, and I've always wanted to go," she admitted, a little sheepish.

Shaking his head in amusement, he reached over, flicked a strand of hair off her face, and said, "Alright then, Madame Tussauds it is."

Niharika grinned, leaning back in her seat, excitement bubbling inside her. "This is gonna be fun."

Mayank smiled to himself as he drove. "Yeah... it will be."

~•~

As they walked through Madame Tussauds, taking pictures with each celebrity wax statue, Niharika was having the time of her life. She posed next to every major Bollywood star, from Amitabh Bachchan to Deepika Padukone, making Mayank click endless pictures.

But the real chaos began when she spotted him.

"Oh my god," she gasped, eyes going wide as she saw Shah Rukh Khan's wax statue. Without another word, she sprinted toward it, throwing her arms around the statue in a tight hug, her excitement bubbling over.

Mayank, who had been casually strolling behind her, stopped in his tracks and crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "Wow," he muttered, a smirk playing on his lips. "You haven't ever hugged your husband like that, but SRK's wax statue gets the grand welcome?"

Niharika turned to him, grinning. "That's because he's my first love," she teased, winking.

"Oh, I see," Mayank said, placing a hand over his heart in mock pain. "So I'm what? The backup option?"

She giggled, grabbing her phone. "Enough talking. Take a picture of me and my man, please."

Mayank rolled his eyes, but his lips curled into a fond smile as he lifted the phone and started clicking. She was holding the statue's hand, gazing at it like a love-struck fan.

"You're literally holding SRK's statue's hand. Wow."

"Are you jealous?" she asked, tilting her head, eyes twinkling with mischief.

Mayank scoffed. "You know what? If it were any other man, I'd break their hand. But since it's SRK, I'm graciously letting this go."

"Good," she grinned, nudging him. "Because you can't compete with him."

Mayank exhaled dramatically. "Unbelievable. I'm third-wheeling my own marriage."

"Yes, you are," she laughed, striking another pose with the statue while he clicked more pictures.

Once she was satisfied, they continued strolling through the museum, taking a few more pictures before finally deciding to leave. As they stepped outside, Mayank stretched and turned to her.

"Chai?" he asked.

Her face lit up instantly. "Yes! Let's go to Palm!"

With that, they got into the car and drove off, the warmth of their playful banter lingering between them.

~•~

The evening was calm, the sky painted in deep hues of orange and pink with sun setting softly above them. The gentle breeze carried the faint scent of the ocean as Niharika sat by the water, her hair swaying slightly with the wind. She took a sip of her chai, the warmth of the cup comforting against the cool evening air.

Mayank, sitting beside her, wasn't paying attention to the view in front of them. His gaze was fixed solely on her—the way her eyes sparkled under the light, the way a strand of hair slipped from behind her ear, and the way she absentmindedly smiled while taking pictures of the view.

"You know," he said suddenly, breaking the peaceful silence, "one day you'll look at me the way you look at SRK."

Niharika chuckled, shaking her head at his playful jealousy as she continued to take pictures of the view, "I already look at you like that... almost," she whispered before realizing what she had just admitted.

Mayank stilled, his eyes widening at her words. He turned to her, his grip tightening slightly around her hand. "What did you just say?"

"Nothing," she quickly tried to brush it off, looking away, but he wasn't letting this moment slip.

"Niharika," he said, his voice softer now, full of something deeper. "I want to tell you something I've been meaning to say for a while."

She turned back to him, suddenly feeling nervous at the intensity in his gaze.

Mayank took a deep breath, rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand as if grounding himself. "When we first got married, I never imagined we'd be here, like this. I was reluctant, stubborn... maybe even a little lost. But then you—" he smiled, shaking his head in disbelief, "—you walked in and turned my world upside down without even trying. You became my best friend, my partner in every way, and somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you. I love you, Niharika. Completely, entirely. And I don't ever want a life where you're not in it."

Niharika's breath hitched. She felt an overwhelming rush of emotions—happiness, disbelief, and something so warm and deep in her chest that she couldn't contain it.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but they weren't from sadness. She smiled through them, biting her lip as she looked at the man in front of her. "Mayank..." she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "I love you too. So much."

His eyes softened, and before she could say anything more, he cupped her face, brushing away the single tear that had escaped. And then, with a slow, lingering movement, he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers.

The kiss was soft at first, full of emotion and unspoken promises. It deepened as she melted into him, her arms winding around his neck, his hands wrapping around her waist, pulling her close. It was their first kiss after their confessions, and it felt like the beginning of something beautiful.

The waves crashed in the background, the world around them silent, but in that moment, nothing else mattered.

Mayank tightened his arms around her, resting his chin on her head. "Niharika," he said softly.

She tilted her head up, looking at him with curious eyes. "Hmm?"

He hesitated for a second, then let out a breath. "Can we... make us official?"

Niharika frowned in confusion. "Mayank, we've been married for almost five months. Aren't we already official?"

He chuckled. "No, I mean... on Instagram."

She blinked, surprised. For a moment, she considered the weight of that decision. Making their relationship public meant stepping into an entirely new space, no longer just theirs but out in the world for everyone to see. But then she looked at Mayank—the man she had married, the man who had slowly become her safe place, her best friend, and something much more than that. A wide smile stretched across her lips.

"I would love to," she said, her voice filled with certainty.

Mayank raised an eyebrow. "Really? Are you sure?"

"As sure as I am about my love for SRK," she teased, grinning.

He laughed, shaking his head. "Now that's a bold statement."

She poked his chest. "You should be honored."

"Oh, I am," he smirked. "But now comes the real challenge—how do we announce it?"

They pulled apart slightly and started brainstorming.

"What if we post a picture of our rings?" Niharika suggested.

"Too obvious," Mayank mused. "What about just a selfie?"

"Too basic," she shot back, crossing her arms.

They went back and forth, bickering playfully, before Mayank finally said, "What if we make it subtle? Just a picture of us together, but not directly showing our faces?"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Like a picture of our backs, looking out at the sea?"

"Exactly." He grinned. "Mysterious but clear enough for people to figure it out."

They found someone to take their photo and stood by the shoreline, their fingers interlocked, gazing out at the vast ocean as the sky painted itself in hues of orange and pink. When Niharika checked the picture, she smiled.

"How's this?" she asked, showing Mayank.

"I like it," he said, nodding in approval.

Without overthinking, she opened her Instagram story, selected the picture, and typed out a caption:

"The best things in life happen unexpectedly. ❤️ @mayank.datta"

Mayank watched as she hit post. A warmth spread in his chest. He opened his own Instagram and reposted her story, adding nothing but a simple "💍❤️"—a subtle yet undeniable claim.

Niharika leaned into him as they watched the messages and reactions pour in. "Well, there goes our secret."

Mayank chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "I don't mind. I like people knowing you're mine."

She smiled, leaning into his embrace, feeling, for the first time in a long while, completely and utterly content.

🩷