A decision and a mess

Ok, so I had told this on Instagram but I should tell it here also because many readers are not on Instagram. So the thing is that I am going to get engaged very soon, in December and this is the reason why I am so busy and am not able to write the story on regular basis.

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After reading everything written in the letter, Hardik stood by the railing. Shivika came and stood next to him, holding his hand, and said, "Tomorrow, both of us will go to meet Aaliya and also Chacha Ji."

Hearing her words, Hardik looked at her in slight surprise. Noticing his confused expression, Shivika said, "Why are you looking at me like that? Did you think no one would find out that you go to meet Aaliya in jail? We all know that you don't come in front of her but you visit her every week, bringing her favorite food and inquiring about her well-being. By the way, how is Aaliya?"

Shiva asked her question and silently looked at Hardik. After a brief pause, Hardik smiled faintly and said, "She’s better now. I haven’t heard a single complaint about her. She’s always quiet. And you know, Shivi, she even helped a pregnant lady in jail and deliver her baby. She has some medical knowledge. She was pursuing medical studies, after all, which got interrupted."

As he spoke, Hardik fell silent. Shivika turned his face toward her and said, "Then she’ll finish them. And honestly, I’m not surprised to hear that. After all, she is her doctor brother's sister. This talent is in her blood."

Hearing this, a small smile returned to Hardik’s lips. He said, "You know, the in-charge there said he himself would request a reduction in Aaliya's sentence. Her behavior has improved greatly. She’s changed a lot. Some situations made her grow up too soon, and some are now making her better. You know, Shivi, Aaliya has always been very stubborn since childhood. But not for bad things—for good ones. At school, I always worried about her because she would pick fights with everyone. If any senior student bullied someone, she would confront them, and then I’d have to intervene. She used to say she’d protect everyone in school and her Hardik Bhai would protect her. Then, when Chachi left Aaliya and Chachu, everything changed. They both lost faith in relationships. When I was leaving, she wanted me to stay, but she couldn’t say it. And honestly, I missed her a lot. When I met Anokhi, it felt like I had found my little Aaliya again—my little sister."

"Then why feel sad about it? It’s good. Now you’ll have two sisters," Shivika said.

Hardik smiled. Just then, his gaze drifted inside the room, where the candles had burned halfway down.

Shivika also glanced inside and then followed his gaze. She placed her hand on his cheek, turning his face toward her, and asked with her eyes what was wrong. Hardik placed his hand over hers and softly said, "I’m sorry. Because of me, our wedding night got ruined, left incomplete."

Shivika kissed his cheek lightly and said, "It’s okay. And anyway, our wedding night will only be complete in the room where my husband spent his childhood." Saying this, she hugged him. Hardik tightened his arms around her waist, buried his face in her hair, and closed his eyes. Meanwhile, she gently caressed his head with a smile.

---

Vikram’s House,

Guest Room

When Rishabh entered the room, he saw a vodka bottle on the table and a small glass with a note stuck to it. He sat down, picked up the glass, and read the note:

"My brother, today your best friend got married. This calls for a party. Look, if it weren’t for my wedding night, my marriage, or my Preeti, I would’ve been sitting with you, holding a glass. But for now, enjoy alone. Drink my share too. Okay? Your dear friend—no, no, not dear, your most dearest friend in the world—Vikram."

Rishabh smiled at the quirky note, especially at the last line. Shaking his head, he picked up the vodka bottle and said, "He’ll never change. If he wanted to give me a party, he could’ve brought wine, but no, he brought his favorite vodka."

As he rotated the bottle, he found another note attached to it:

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re looking at the bottle and thinking, why vodka? Well, it’s my wedding, so the choice is mine. Just drink it. You’ll love it, I swear."

At this, Rishabh slapped his forehead. He removed the notes from the glass and bottle, poured vodka into the glass, and muttered, "Better change your habits, Vikram. You’re married now. But no, same old antics."

Saying this, he picked up the glass and took a sip. After finishing one glass, he poured another. Just then, his phone rang. It was an important call, so he went to the balcony to answer it.

Meanwhile, Anokhi stormed into the room, visibly furious. Her anger was evident on her face. Standing by the table, hands on her hips, she muttered, "Bhaiya is so mean. I thought he’d be nice, but he’s the worst. He tricked me. Just wait until tomorrow. He went to his room so easily, without any effort or argument. And because of him, Throat became dry because of shouting."

Looking around, her eyes fell on the glass on the table. She picked it up and said, "What a weird glass. So tiny—who drinks water in this? Whatever, I’ll see later. Bhaiya is strange, so is his house. Anyway, forget it."

She emptied the glass in one gulp. The moment the liquid touched her tongue, she made a face and exclaimed, "What awful water! It’s so bitter!"

Placing the glass back on the table, she sat down on the sofa.

---

Vikram’s Room

Sneaking into his room to avoid Anokhi, Vikram locked the door behind him. Leaning against it, he wiped the sweat off his forehead and muttered, "That was close! This little firecracker could’ve caused a big explosion on my wedding night and blown me away."

As Vikram rambled on, he heard laughter. Turning around, he saw Preeti sitting on the bed, laughing under her veil. Seeing her, a smile spread across Vikram’s face. He walked to her, sat beside her, and lifted her veil. Preeti was still smiling.

Shaking her head, she said, "You and Anu will never change. Always up to something silly."

But Vikram didn’t respond. His attention was entirely on Preeti’s face, especially the red sindoor in her hairline, which he had applied today.

Noticing his intense gaze, Preeti’s smile faded, and she looked away. Vikram held her hand, helping her stand, and said, "Come here."

He led her to the dressing table, stood her in front of the mirror, and asked, pointing to her dupatta and necklace, "May I remove these?"

Preeti nodded shyly, lowering her gaze.

Vikram gently removed her dupatta and then unfastened the strings of her necklace. He took a small box from the drawer and showed it to Preeti. Inside was a delicate chain with a beautiful heart-and-moon locket, specially designed.

"I had this made by help of Princess, especially to gift you on our first night," Vikram said, putting the chain around Preeti’s neck.

Preeti touched the locket, looked at it in the mirror, and said, "It’s beautiful. Truly, Anu designs amazing pieces." Turning to Vikram, she added, "Thank you. I love it."

Vikram cupped her face and drew her closer, saying, "I don’t want this simple ‘thank you.’ I want something more in return."

Hearing this, Preeti lowered her gaze, looking away shyly.

Vikram touched her other cheek and said, "Looking away won’t help, Preeti. Not tonight. So hurry up. I’m getting impatient."

Preeti closed her eyes in embarrassment, making Vikram smile. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

Placing her trembling hands on his shoulders, Preeti rose on her toes, leaned in, and their lips met. Both closed their eyes as they kissed.

Vikram’s hands moved from her back to her neck. Preeti’s grip on his shoulders tightened as the kiss deepened. Without breaking the kiss, Vikram lifted her into his arms and laid her on the bed.

Finally Vikram break his kiss and took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on Preeti. Her eyes were still closed, and her breaths were shallow. Vikram softly kissed her cheek and began kissing her neck.

Suddenly, Preeti whispered, "Vikram, stop."

Her voice carried unease, nervousness, and a tinge of fear. Hearing this, Vikram stopped abruptly and looked at her.

"What happened, Preeti?" he asked, placing his hand on her cheek.

Preeti spoke softly, "Vikram, I... I have something to tell you. Maybe you..."

"Yes, tell me. What's the matter?" Vikram asked lovingly.

Preeti sat up, and Vikram sat beside her. He turned her face toward him and said, "Yes, Preeti, tell me. Why are you so nervous? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you didn’t do anything wrong," Preeti replied softly. After a pause, she continued hesitantly, "I just... I wanted to say that before... I... I and Gaurav..."

Preeti was stammering, and by the time she said "Gaurav," she stopped. Her face lowered, and her eyes became slightly moist. She tightly held onto her lehenga. Seeing her state and hearing her words, Vikram seemed to understand everything.

Vikram gently cupped her face with both hands, making her look at him, and said, "Preeti, look into my eyes."

Preeti, whose gaze had been lowered until now, gathered her courage and looked into Vikram’s eyes.

"Now tell me, what do you see in my eyes?" Vikram asked.

"Love," Preeti whispered.

"That's what I've always had for you—from the first time I saw you, when I learned about your marriage, when our marriage was fixed, and it will always remain the same. I know what you're trying to say. You’re trying to tell me that you’re not a virgin, right? I already know this. Preeti, you were married. You were Gaurav’s wife. And Gaurav... I know him very well. But do you really think it matters to me whether you're a virgin or not?"

Vikram asked, looking deep into her eyes. Preeti's eyes welled up with tears, and she slowly shook her head in a "no."

Vikram kissed her forehead and said, "Then always remember this in your heart. It doesn’t matter to me, Preeti—whether you were married, had a relationship, or what your past life was like. I don’t care about that. I just want you. So, tell me, will you give yourself to me without any fear, guilt and hesitation?"

Preeti, crying, nodded "yes" and hugged Vikram tightly. Vikram embraced her firmly, lying down on the bed while holding her close.

After a while, Preeti raised her face, looked at Vikram, and asked, "You really won’t regret this, right, Vikram?"

Vikram, in one swift move, turned Preeti under him. Intertwining his fingers with hers, he leaned close to her face. His lips were almost touching hers.

"Preeti, I don’t know how your time with Gaurav was, but I know this—my love will be so deep that you won’t remember anyone else. My love will be so profound that neither will you measure its depth nor will you remember anyone else. Whenever you think of love, you will only think of me. And this is a promise from your husband," Vikram said and placed his lips on hers.

Preeti closed her eyes peacefully.

---

Shergill Mansion,

On the terrace, Rohit, Omkar, and Shivaay were drinking together.

Omkar smiled and said, "Well, finally, they got married."

"Yeah. Now only my brother is left... who knows when his turn will come!" Rohit said, pointing at Shivaay.

Hearing this, Shivaay glared at him and silently took a sip from his glass.

"What happened, bro? Did it hit you too hard? I was just kidding. I genuinely want you to get married soon," Rohit teased, but Shivaay again said nothing, focusing on finishing his drink. Suddenly, something came to his mind.

Placing his glass back on the table, he said to Rohit and Omkar, "By the way, Mr. Khurana shouldn’t have sent that gift today. It unnecessarily spoiled Hardik’s wedding night."

"What do you mean? And what’s the matter between Mr. Khurana and Omkar? I didn’t get it," Omkar asked.

Omkar and Archana were totally confused when the parcel arrived. Rohit then explained everything—Mr. Khurana’s connection with hardik, Hardik’s relationship with Alia, the death of Hardik’s parents, Alia’s mother leaving, and Mr. Khurana kicking Hardik out of the house.

Omkar let out a deep breath and said, "Looking at Hardik, I never thought his life was like this. To be honest, I always saw him here at the Shergill Mansion. I thought he was Rishabh’s best friend and stayed here because he didn’t have parents. His calm demeanor seemed like his personality. But to know he has an uncle and Alia is his sister—this is more shocking than surprising. And Shivaay, you’re right. Seeing Mr. Khurana’s name and his gift, Hardik must be revisiting old memories. But the good thing is Shivika is with him. She’ll take care of him."

Hearing this, Rohit and Shivaay nodded.

"By the way, hasn’t Praveen shown up?"

"Man, why are you asking about him? Shanaya’s delivery date is near, so he’s always with her. I’m just waiting for their baby girl or boy to arrive. Think about it—the first baby after our generation!" Shivaay said excitedly.

Omkar and Rohit laughed. Omkar said, "You seem very excited to meet the newborn, Shivaay."

Rohit laughed and added, "Of course, he would be excited! You don’t know, he loves kids. Whenever he finds time or meets a child, he starts playing like a kid himself. Haven’t you seen his bond with Shwet? The real fun will be when he has his own baby. I mean, imagine his kid! And if the baby turns out to be like Swati, then he’ll really be in trouble."

Omkar smiled at Rohit’s comment, but Shivaay glared and said, "Have you had too much to drink? Why are you so focused on me? I’m not even married yet, and you’re talking about my kids! Forget me—what about you? You’re married, had your wedding night, so when will we hear the good news? Until then, I’ll wait for my kids and make do by playing with yours. And Omkar, you both got married on same date, so when’s your turn?"

Shivaay turned the tables on both of them, leaving them stunned.

"Why are you all stuck on the baby talk now?" Omkar said.

Meanwhile, Rohit muttered, "Baby? Yeah, let her grow up first. On the wedding night, she was snoring like Kumbhkaran after selling all the horses, elephants, and camels. Nothing has happened yet, so where will the baby come from?"

Rohit thought he was muttering to himself, but he had spoken loudly enough for Shivaay and Omkar to hear. Both exclaimed, "What?"

Hearing their shout, Rohit realized he had said it out loud.

"What did you just say?" Shivaay asked, rolling up his sleeves.

"Say what? I didn’t say anything!" Rohit stammered, backing away.

Shivaay charged at him, "You’ve ruined your name, you fool! Come here!"

Shivaay started chasing him around the terrace, while Omkar laughed uncontrollably at the scene.

Just then, Rohit collided with Riya, who had just arrived, and both fell to the ground.

"Riya!" Omkar quickly got up to help her. Shivaay picked up Rohit.

"What’s wrong with you, Rohit bhai? Aren’t you too old to play tag like children? And at this hour? You even made me fall!" Riya scolded while rubbing her arms.

"Are you okay, Riya? Did you get hurt anywhere?" Omkar asked, concerned.

"I’m fine. Stop playing games and go to your rooms. Maa told me to end your party here," Riya ordered.

Omkar nodded and said to the others, "Alright, guys, that’s enough for today. Let’s go."

Before leaving, Riya pointed at Rohit and said, "And you, Rohit bhai, fix your appearance and mood before going. Don’t show up with such a gloomy face, or you’ll be in trouble. Bye!"

Riya left with Omkar, leaving Shivaay and Rohit confused. They shrugged and went their separate ways.

Later, when Rohit entered his room, he was stunned. The room was decorated exactly like it had been on his wedding night.

Scratching his head, he muttered, "Am I really drunk? Did I accidentally enter Hardik’s room? I need to leave before Hardik or Shivika sees me, or the whole family will kill me, especially those two."

As he looked around, he heard the door shut behind him. Turning around, he saw Ruhi standing there.

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