Chapter 17

As Naksh carefully parked his sleek black bike, Pihu was quick to react. She swiftly dismounted the bike, her body trembling with a mixture of excitement and nervousness, and squeezed her eyes shut. Naksh couldn't help but let out a chuckle at her reaction. "Bossy, why are you shivering?" he asked teasingly.

Pihu took a deep breath and replied, "I'm feeling cold."

Naksh raised an eyebrow, studying her closely. "But you didn't seem cold in the park when the chilling wind was hitting you," he observed.

Pihu crossed her arms defensively. "That's different, okay!" she protested.

"Whatever," Naksh scoffed, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Let's go inside before you freeze to death," he joked, with a playful smile.

"Just shut up!" Pihu laughed, shaking her head, and began walking towards the entrance. But before she got too far, she turned back and fixed her gaze on Naksh's face.

"Did you want to know anything more about my past?" she asked, catching Naksh off guard. After a moment's hesitation, Naksh nodded, curiosity piqued.

"So what do you wanna ask?" She thought he wanted to ask about something about her past relationship but-...

As his fingers trembled, Naksh gently touched Pihu's throat and asked in a sorrowful tone, "Does it still hurt?"

Pihu was taken aback; she never anticipated such a question from Naksh. She mustered a soft smile in response to his trembling touch, as if her throat might split.

She replied, "Sometimes, when I screamed too much."

Removing his hands, Naksh asked with pain in his voice, "Can't you sing again?"

She let out a lighthearted laugh, "No, and now I've forgotten how to sing, so it doesn't matter."

"It does matter. Don't lie," he said, his expression turning serious.

Pihu ceased her feigned laughter and sighed, "But it's better to think that way."

Naksh's expression twisted at her words.

"Hey! Mama's boy, don't become a crybaby. Your bad-boy persona doesn't suit with crybaby. Maybe you could wear a 'Hello Kitty' onesie; you'd look much better," she teased, trying to stifle her laughter.

"Bossy, stop talking nonsense. You don't deserve sympathy," he scowled.

"And who asked for your sympathy, Naksh Ji?" she teased back.

"Heartless bossy!"

"Whatever, Mama's boy," she began to laugh.

He took one slow, deliberate step closer to her, the mischievous smile on his lips reaching his eyes as he bent down to her eye level.

"Don't be jealous, I can be a wifey boy for you, Bossy," he said, finishing his sentence with a sly wink.

Pihu's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpectedly flirty gesture. A rush of warmth spread across her cheeks, and she was at a loss for words as she opened her mouth to respond.

"You-... I... STOP WITH THIS NONSENSE," she finally shouted, before turning and running away as fast as she could.

Naksh couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction as he muttered to himself, "So my Bossy has two weaknesses, this is going to be fun." With a grin, he followed after her, calling out, "Flirting with my wife is not a crime, bossy."

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As Pihu made her way through the dimly lit corridor, her footsteps echoing softly, she couldn't help but mutter curses under her breath, all directed at Naksh.

Her gaze caught the faint glow of light seeping out from Mrunali's room, indicating that she was still awake. "Is she still up?" Pihu wondered silently as she approached the slightly ajar door.

Peering inside, she noticed Mrunali seated near the balcony, her expression distant and preoccupied. Pihu let out a sigh, already surmising the cause of Mrunali's distress.

"Twin?" Pihu called out softly as she entered the room, immediately capturing Mrunali's attention.

"Omg twin, Where were you? We all are worried about you," Mrunali exclaimed, slightly stumbling as she walked closer to Pihu.

"I was at the park, for some fresh air," Pihu paused, gazing at Mrunali before continuing, "Why are you not sleeping yet?"

Mrunali's heart raced as she lowered her eyes and nervously bit her lower lip, her anxiety palpable. Pihu, sensing her friend's distress, took a long breath and silently cursed Aahan in her mind.

Without a word, Pihu took Mrunali's hand and hastily led her to the balcony, where the cool night air greeted them. "Twin, what are you doing?!" Mrunali exclaimed, bewildered by Pihu's sudden urgency.

Pihu, now wearing a serene smile, closed her eyes and let the breeze wash over her, as if seeking solace in the soft caress of the wind. Mrunali, taken aback by Pihu's unanticipated cheerfulness, couldn't help but be intrigued by her behaviour.

"Twin, do you know that sometimes we already possess the answers to our questions, yet we spend a lifetime searching for them," Pihu remarked, fixing her gaze on Mrunali's glossy eyes.

Confused, Mrunali questioned, "What do you mean?"

Pihu cut straight to the heart of the matter, "Did you have an argument with Aahan?"

Mrunali was taken aback by the sudden question - was her inner turmoil so obvious?

"Don't be surprised twin, you're easy to read." Pihu chuckled.

As Pihu gazed into Mrunali's eyes, a mischievous smile played on her lips. "Do you want to know something intriguing?" she asked suddenly.

Intrigued, Mrunali's eyes sparkled under the city lights as she responded, "What is it?"

Pihu leaned against the wall with a thoughtful expression before revealing, "Can you guess why Aahan chose me as his friend, out of all the people he could have befriended in university?"

"Because your families are friends?" Mrunali ventured a guess.

But Pihu shook her head in denial, "When I first met Aahan in university, he only spoke one line during the whole day." Mrunali laughs at Pihu's words, like he is Aahan Agnihotri a silent monster for a reason.

"And do you know what that sentence was?" Pihu asked, her soft smile revealing a hint of mystery. This sudden revelation piqued Mrunali's curiosity, causing her to wonder why her twin was bringing this up now.

"He said that my personality resembled someone he was very close to."

Mrunali was left speechless, her jaw dropping to the ground in astonishment. It is not hard to guess whose personality matched Pihu's past self - of course Mrunali.

Pihu couldn't contain her amusement at her twin's reaction as she playfully remarked, " He spoke a single sentence in the whole day and that was about you twin. Aishh! That man only talked about one girl in his life and that was you but that piece of shit never told me name."

A sombre expression crossed Mrunali's face as she remembered her own struggles in understanding Aahan.

Pihu, sensing her twin's emotions, attempted to console her. "Hey twin, don't be too hard on yourself. I know you had your reasons, so please don't blame yourself."

Turning serious, Pihu demanded, "Now tell me, what did he say to you? If he did something nonsense I will make sure to rip his skin by my own hand." The intensity in Pihu's voice sent a chill down Mrunali's spine.

As Mrunali nodded her head, she began recounting the events of a few hours ago.

***Flashback***

Aahan exited the room, leaving behind an emotional and shattered Mrunali. She was overwhelmed by emotions she had never experienced before. The feeling was suffocating, and despite her efforts to hold back, tears welled up in her eyes. Her heart ached with the pain of loss, guilt, and regret.

A sudden sound of footsteps broke the silence as the door creaked open once more. Startled, Mrunali turned to see Aahan reentering the room. His eyes revealed a mix of emotions – concern, anger, guilt, and confusion.

"Yaad rakhna, Naraj hai apse lekin saath abhi Tak nahi chora hai apka..."

(Remember that I am angry with you but I have not left your side yet...)

With those words, Aahan left the room, leaving Mrunali speechless and bewildered.

*** Flashback end ***

As Pihu listened to her story, Pihu burst into laughter making Mrunali startled.

"Twin, why are you laughing?"

"I'm laughing at your dumbness, silly..." She said while controlling her laugh.

Mrunali pouted a little because her twin called her dumb, "why?"

Pihu couldn't hold back and explained, "That wordless monster told you to coax him poetically and here you're mourning for what? For his non-existing words."

The realization struck Mrunali like a bolt of lightning, causing her to blurt out in shock, "You mean he doesn't want to break relations and wants me to pursue him."

Pihu affirmed, "That's exactly what he said, twin."

Jumping in nervousness, Mrunali asked, "Now what should I do?"

Pihu mentally slapped herself, "Twin, my sweet Twin..."

"Yes," Mrunali responded, looking at her with innocent eyes.

"Go to his room and explain yourself."

"And what if he kicks me out of the room?"

"WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?" Pihu doesn't know whether she should laugh or cry.

" If in case he got angry or something," Mrunali mumbled.

With a deep breath, Pihu held Mrunali's shoulder and spoke in a calming voice, "You should stop watching Gopi bahu. Second, even though Aahan looks rude and evil, still he is a gentleman. So don't worry he will not throw you out."

Trusting Pihu's words, Mrunali gathered her courage to approach Aahan, but as she was about to leave, Pihu stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

Seeing her twin's questioning look, Pihu explained, "How did you guys find out about our university's name?"

"Umm... Sidharth told us," Mrunali replied.

"And how did he find out?" Pihu probed further.

"I don't know; we didn't ask him. Maybe Aahan accidentally told him," Mrunali guessed.

"Ohh! Okay... You can go to your man, twin," Pihu said, giving her twin a playful nudge. Blushing at Pihu's words, Mrunali left the room in a flurry, determined to make things right with Aahan.

Pihu stood by the balcony, gazing at the moon as its soft glow spilt into the room. A thoughtful expression creased her face as she tapped her finger lightly against her chin, lost in deep contemplation. It was as if she was wrestling with weighty thoughts, her brow furrowed with the gravity of whatever was occupying her mind.

After a moment of introspection, a sly smirk curled the corners of her lips before she quietly exited the room, leaving her thoughts to linger in the moonlit air.

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Mrunali approached the heavy wooden door with a sense of trepidation, her heart pounding in her chest. She rapped gently, and a muffled voice invited her inside. Taking a deep breath, she cautiously pushed the door open and stepped into the dimly lit room, her eyes immediately drawn to the floor as she nervously twirled her fingers. A wave of apprehension washed over her.

"Why are you here?" Aahan's deep voice broke the silence, cutting through the tension in the room.

"I... I'm here for an explanation," she replied, her voice almost a whisper.

"And?" Aahan's gaze bore into her, unwavering.

Mrunali summoned her courage and lifted her eyes to meet his dark, intense gaze.

"Aahan, I know I made a mistake, and I'm truly sorry. I didn't do it intentionally. It's not that I don't trust you, but you know how vulnerable and easily influenced I can be. I'm sorry for my foolishness. When I came to ask for friendship, I genuinely meant it. It wasn't a facade. I feel genuinely happy and comfortable with you."

Pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts, she continued, her voice filled with emotion. "In the past, I never wanted to ignore you. But when my father arranged my engagement to you and insisted that I give up my passion for dancing to become an Agnihotri daughter-in-law, I was filled with frustration. Unfortunately, you became an unwitting target of my anger."

Her voice taking on a pained tone, she continued, "I know these are just excuses and they don't justify my actions, but I'm asking for one last chance. I promise that I will never betray your trust."

Aahan found himself completely taken aback by the sudden confession. He had never realized that his little one harboured so much inside her, but what struck him the most was her innocence, which made her so easily influenced.

He let out a sigh and spoke softly, "Listen, little one." As his words reached Mrunali, a spark ignited in her eyes.

"I'm not angry with you anymore. Just promise me you won't do it again. You can go back to sleep," he said gently. Even though no words were exchanged, the plea in his eyes was evident: 'Please don't hurt me again. Trust me, and I will never break your trust again.'

And for the first time, Mrunali understands those emotional eyes. A smile played on her lips while she sweetly Said, "Good Night..."

"Night." Mrunali giggled a short reply and left the room without noticing a small smile on Aahan lips.

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After a few rings, a person picks up the call...

"I want whole detail about Sidharth Singh Oberoi."

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To be continued...

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