16. Fake Date

Shivansh's Pov :

The awkward silence at the table after Aadya's bold declaration was broken by the sharp tone of her mother.

"Aadya, behave!" Mrs. Mittal's voice was stern, carrying the weight of authority.

Aadya stiffened, her jaw tightening as she turned to look at her mother. Without a word, she pushed back her chair abruptly and stormed off, leaving the table in stunned silence once again.

I could feel the weight of my mother's gaze on me. When I glanced at her, she had that questioning look-the one that said she expected me to handle the situation. Sighing inwardly, I stood up, brushing my hand across my coat.

"Sorry for the disturbance, everyone," I said, my tone polite but firm. "Please, enjoy your meal."

As I turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of my cousins smirking and barely hiding their amusement. I shot them a sharp look, refusing to acknowledge them further. Truth be told, I was too embarrassed to even glance at anyone else.

Without another moment's hesitation, I walked out.

By the time I reached the driveway, I saw her fumbling with her purse, anger evident in the sharpness of her movements. She yanked at the zipper, spilling its contents onto the ground-keys, makeup, and random essentials scattering everywhere.

She let out a frustrated groan and crouched to gather her things. Without saying a word, I knelt beside her, helping her collect the scattered items. Her car key caught my eye, and I pocketed it before standing up.

"Get in," I said, holding the passenger door open for her.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, her voice barely audible as she avoided looking at me.

"We need to talk," I said firmly.

"I don't want to," she snapped, her tone sharp as she attempted to walk past me.

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "Don't talk to me like that when you know you're wrong, Aadya."

Her eyes darted to mine, defiance flickering, but something in my tone made her pause. She relented, sighing as she climbed into the car.

I walked around to the driver's side and slid in. The ride started in silence, tension thick in the air.

"I know I'm wrong," she said suddenly, breaking the quiet. Her voice was soft, tinged with regret. "I shouldn't have said that at the table. It was stupid of me."

She hesitated, her fingers fidgeting. "Let's go to Roohi's place. I'll tell everyone it was nothing like that. I'll fix it."

I glanced at her as she looked out the window, her face a mix of sadness, regret, and embarrassment. For a moment, her usual boldness seemed to dissolve, leaving behind vulnerability I wasn't used to seeing.

Damn it. I hated seeing her like this. Confronting her wouldn't solve anything, and honestly, I couldn't bear to make her feel worse. No, this wasn't the time to dwell on her mistake-it was time to fix the mood and figure out a solution.

"Princess," I said, my voice laced with teasing, "I knew from the first day you liked me."

Her head snapped toward me, her eyes narrowing. "Don't call me that."

I smirked, restarting the car. "Alright, fine. Let's go find something to eat. I'm starving."

"You go," she muttered, crossing her arms.

I chuckled. "How can I eat when the girl I love so much is starving?"

She glared at me and said, "Don't you dare tease me!"

"Alright, alright," I said, laughing. "Let's find somewhere to eat because I really am starving."

We stopped at a quiet little restaurant. After ordering for both of us, we sat in silence, the tension easing slightly. Just as Aadya seemed to relax, her phone rang. She quickly silenced it, tucking it into her clutch.

"Now what?" I asked, watching her closely.

"I'll tell the truth," she said firmly.

I raised an eyebrow. "Won't that make things worse?"

"Probably," she admitted, "but it's my mistake. I need to own up to it."

The food arrived, and we began eating in silence. Just as I thought the conversation was over, I decided to stir the pot.

"We could date," I said casually. Okay, maybe I tried.

She choked on her food, coughing violently. Alarmed, I immediately stood and held out my hand, a tissue already in it. "Spit it out," I said firmly.

She glared at me, shaking her head in refusal as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Aadya," I said, my tone sharper. "Spit it out now!"

Her glare turned desperate as her coughing worsened, and finally, she leaned forward and let the food spill into the tissue in my hand. I tossed it into the nearby dustbin and handed her a glass of water.

Once she calmed down, she glared at me. "Are you insane?"

I shrugged, sitting back down. "Think about it. After the way you reacted, everyone already assumes we're dating. It would save you from the awkward apology and fend off marriage proposals."

She gave me a suspicious look. "What's in it for you? You're not this selfless."

I smirked, leaning back. "See, this is why you're my princess-so smart. For me, it's simple. It gets my mom off my back about Shanaya."

"Marry her anyway," she said sarcastically. "You two would be a match made in heaven."

Placing a hand on my heart, I feigned offense. "Princess, you hurt me. Didn't you just declare your love for me at the table? How could I even think of someone else?"

"Shut up," she muttered, stabbing her fork into her food.

"So, is it a yes or no?" I pressed, my tone lighter. "Think about it. It's just a fake relationship-nothing serious."

She hesitated, her gaze flickering between me and her plate. "Fine," she said eventually, her voice soft.

As we finished, she looked at me, her expression a mix of uncertainty and seriousness. "I hope we don't end up getting hurt."

I paused, sensing the vulnerability in her tone. "Why would we get hurt? It's not like you'll end up falling for me, and neither will I."

"What if it happens?" she asked softly, her voice carrying a seriousness that caught me off guard.

For a moment, I didn't know how to respond. Then I met her gaze and said with quiet certainty, "Believe me, Princess. I will never let you get hurt."

JAIPUR : Roohi Advay Wedding

Navya's Pov :

The room buzzed with excitement, laughter echoing off the walls as we helped Roohi adjust her jewelry for the mehndi ceremony. "Where is Aadya? Fixing her marriage with Shivansh?" she teased, her voice dripping with mock irritation.

I couldn't help it-I burst into laughter. That earned me a glare from both Roohi and Ishaani.

"What?" I asked, smirking as I leaned against the bedpost.

Ishaani crossed her arms, her expression serious. "Do you think she's doing this because of that stupid bet?"

Roohi frowned, her irritation clear. "If she is, that's just wrong. We're not kids anymore."

Rolling my eyes, I replied, "Guys, Aadya said she forgot about the bet. Why are you both overthinking? She's not dumb, you know."

Before either could argue, the door creaked open. Aadya strolled in, her face a mix of confusion and annoyance as she took in Roohi and Ishaani's narrowed eyes. I stayed silent, watching the drama unfold with a smirk.

"What's going on?" she asked, placing her phone on the table.

Roohi, raised an eyebrow. "What was that on the table?"

Aadya sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Okay, I'm sorry I ruined your one wedding brunch."

Roohi gave her an exasperated look. "Do you seriously think I'm upset because of that?"

"You should be," Aadya muttered, pouting slightly.

Ishaani, jumped in. "Wait-was it because of that bet you had with Anika? Now that she's coming to the wedding, you want to prove you 'won'?"

Aadya groaned, throwing her hands up. "Guys, seriously? When I said I forgot about the bet, I meant it. Why would I lie about that?"

"Then explain why you did that," Roohi demanded, her voice firm.

Aadya hesitated, glancing at all of us before finally admitting, "Fine. I was jealous of Shanaya."

The room fell silent. I exchanged a surprised look with Ishaani as Roohi folded her arms.

"Why were you jealous of her?" Ishaani asked, her tone curious but cautious.

Aadya crossed her arms defensively. "In college, I thought Shivansh liked her... or worse, that they were dating. And it hurt-a lot. I had feelings for him, okay? So, I distanced myself and broke our friendship. It was too painful to stay close."

Her voice softened, and I noticed her shoulders slump slightly. "Later, I found out he didn't even like her. But by then, it was too late to fix things. And today, seeing her again, the way his mom was making them do everything together like some perfect couple... it got to me and then at table when she asked him to take food from her plate it just made me react without thinking."

Aadya's lips curled into a wry smile as she added, "But you know Shivansh doesn't even like her."

Roohi raised an eyebrow. "Do you still like Shivansh?"

Ishaani smirked knowingly, leaning forward. "Isn't it obvious?"

I couldn't resist chuckling. "Poor Shivansh," I muttered under my breath.

Aadya scowled, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at me. I caught it mid-air, laughing harder.

"To cover things up," Aadya continued, ignoring my antics, "we decided to pretend to date until your wedding. Then we'll fake a breakup. That way, I can avoid the marriage proposals coming my way, and he won't have to deal with his mom pushing him toward Shanaya."

Ishaani frowned, her voice softer now. "But, Aadya, you have feelings for him. Things won't be as simple as you're making it sound."

I nodded in agreement. "Why don't you just tell him how you feel? Maybe he'd think about it."

Aadya looked away, biting her lip. "It's not that simple."

Roohi reached out, taking Aadya's hand in hers. "Just... think about it. Don't let this become something you regret later."

Aadya shook her head, offering a faint smile. "Let's not make this about me, okay? Now get ready for your mehndi and stop overthinking it."

The tension lifted slightly as the conversation shifted, and we all focused on getting Roohi ready. But as I watched Aadya out of the corner of my eye, I couldn't help but wonder how long she planned to keep pretending.

For now, though, we let it slide. There was a wedding to celebrate, and for tonight, that was enough.

Roohi's Pov :

The sprawling lawn of Jaipur haveli was a sight to behold. Golden fairy lights draped every corner, blending perfectly with the soft glow of the full moon. Laughter and music filled the air, but my mood couldn't quite match the festive vibe. I sat under a floral canopy, the intricate design of my lehenga shimmering under the lights. The mehndi artist worked diligently on my hands, but I couldn't help but frown as the sticky paste smudged on my dupatta.

My palms were halfway covered in intricate mehndi designs, but despite the buzzing celebration around me, irritation bubbled within. My so-called best friends had all conveniently disappeared. Aadya was probably arguing with Shivansh somewhere, Ishaani and Navya were applying mehndi.

"Bride ko sabne chhod diya," I muttered under my breath, "aur khud maze kar rahe hain."

The mehndi artist glanced up nervously. "Kya hua, madam? Mehndi galat lag gayi?"

I shook my head, biting back another complaint. "Nahi, thik hai."

Adjusting in my seat, I noticed a streak of mehndi smudged onto my dupatta. My lips pressed into a thin line. "Perfect," I muttered sarcastically, trying unsuccessfully to fix the mess without using my hands. The more I tried, the worse it got, and my frustration peaked.

"Need help?"

The calm, low voice startled me. I looked up to see Advay standing a few feet away.

I taunted, "What are you doing here? Go and talk to that uncle-why are you here now?"

"What happened?" he asked, his tone calm and composed as always.

"This stupid mehndi," I huffed. "It's everywhere. Now it's on my dupatta."

He didn't say a word, just reached out to adjust the dupatta over my shoulder. His fingers brushed against my arm, sending an unexpected warmth through me. I froze, momentarily caught off guard.

"Better?" he asked, his voice low and steady.

"Uh... yeah. Thanks," I mumbled, suddenly too aware of how close he was.

But then, because life wasn't done testing my patience, a stray lock of hair fell across my face. I tried blowing it away, but it refused to cooperate. Before I could complain, Advay picked up a clip from the nearby table.

"Hold still," he instructed.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What are you doing?"

"Fixing it."

"No! My hair will get ruined, and I'll look terrible in the pictures!" I protested.

"They're bothering you now, aren't they?" he countered.

"For now, everything is bothering me!" I snapped lightly. "But looking bad in my mehndi pictures? That'll bother me forever."

His lips twitched in amusement. "You'll look fine. You always do."

I stilled, thrown off by his simple compliment. Before I could argue further, he carefully pinned the lock of hair back. His focus was so steady, so precise, that I couldn't bring myself to move.

"There," he said, stepping back. "Comfortable?"

I tilted my head, testing the fix, and nodded reluctantly. "Fine. Thanks."

Instead of walking away, he pulled up a chair and sat next to me. My irritation flared again. "Why are you sitting here? Go there and talk to people."

Then suddenly, I remembered something. "Wait, as far as I remember, you don't like to talk to people. How can I forget the way you ignored me at the start?"

He said, "I apologize, Miss Agrawal."

I demanded, "You should've been sitting here. Who leaves their bride?"

"You sent me there to check if your coffee was coming," he reminded me, his voice tinged with amusement.

I defended my tantrum. "So? You could've come faster."

His lips curved into a faint smile. "Okay, my mistake."

He adjusted a pillow behind me and asked, "Why are you doing all this? I mean, you don't exactly seem fond of it."

I leaned back and sighed. "I don't even know."

He replied, "I guess someone told you to do it, but if you already had a headache, why trouble yourself?"

Yes I am having terrible headache, first Pooja in morning and then flying to Jaipur and then getting ready for mehndi and now applying one.

I changed the topic. "Let it be, Advay." Just then, food and coffee arrived. I said, "Okay, now feed me."

He fed me patiently, even helping me drink the coffee. I couldn't help but notice his bhua dadi giving us sharp looks. What problem does she have? I mean, I can't please her anymore today. I'm already applying this much mehndi because of her. I'm exhausted.

As Advay finished helping me, he said, "Nice try, but you cannot divert me, Roohi."

I protested, "I'm not."

He pressed further. "Is it bhua dadi?"

I nodded hesitantly. He said, "You should say no to things you don't want, Rooh. If you keep doing this, they'll keep making you."

I sighed. "Advay, it's my choice. She just suggested it. You know we can't argue with elders about small things. She just wanted me to look like a bride. She wasn't wrong. There should be a difference between the bride and everyone else. She just wanted me to look better."

He didn't say anything further, but I noticed a flicker of emotion in his eyes. To break the silence, I said, "By the way, you're looking handsome today."

He smirked and replied, "I always do."

I chuckled softly, momentarily forgetting my irritation.

CHAPTER AESTHETICS