Chapter 24

(MRUNALI POV)

I felt like I'd been run over by a truck, my head pounding in rhythm with my racing heart. A gentle hand cradled my throbbing skull, offering a comforting solace. I slumped on my bed, my surroundings spinning l

ike a vortex, leaving me disoriented and vulnerable.

"Where... am I?" I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper, as memories of the previous night's events remained shrouded in fog.

The response came from beside my left ear, low and soothing, a warm breeze on a summer's day. "At your room."

I jolted upright, hangover left my body. A shriek escaped my lips as I sprang from the bed, my heart racing with a mix of fear and surprise.

That's when I saw him – Aahan, lounging on my bed, his upper body bare and breathtakingly chiselled. My gaze roamed, drinking in the broad shoulders, well-defined chest, and those tantalizing six-pack abs. For a moment, my breath caught in my throat.

But beneath the surface, a storm brewed. My mind reeled, 'How could this be? The man who wore tailored suits to perfection concealed a physique that belonged on a billboard?"'A flutter in my chest betrayed my calm exterior.

But my ogling was short-lived. Aahan's cough shattered my reverie, and my cheeks ignited with embarrassment.

My eyes darted to his face, meeting an unreadable expression. Had he caught me admiring his physique?

Aahan's features were chiselled, his jawline sharp, and his piercing gaze seemed to see right through me. A faint smirk played on his lips.

My face burned, mortification setting in. 'Shit, he caught me.'

I summoned my remaining confidence, attempting to salvage what was left of my dignity. "What are you doing in my bed?" I asked, trying to sound assertive despite the turmoil brewing inside.

Aahan's response was a bombshell: "Making little fiancés for you." My jaw plummeted to the floor, and my confidence evaporated.

Time froze. I waited for a sign, any indication that he was joking – a twitch, a smile, a glimmer in his eye. But none came. His face remained an impassive mask, chiselled from granite.

Then, my gaze fell upon the doll in his hands. He was delicately tying a knot on a bow around the plushie's neck as if preparing it for a miniature wedding. How had I missed this earlier?

My brain's sarcastic inner voice whispered, 'Because you were busy ogling his naked half, duh!' I promptly ignored the embarrassing truth.

"Aahan, at least give me a warning before joking like this," I said, exhaling a sigh of relief. "You know your face doesn't have subtitles. It's not good for my weak heart."

Aahan's left eyebrow arched a subtle hint of curiosity. "Weak heart?"

"Yeah, it nearly dropped into my stomach," I replied, settling onto the bed, trying to compose myself.

Aahan's retort was swift and wicked: "Is your heart bound by a thread instead of arteries and veins for it to drop into your stomach?" His tone was nonchalant, but the jab struck its mark.

I glared, feigning offence. "Don't try to be savage with me. I already have two bishes in my life."

He just rolled his eyes and again went into his vow of silence.

I attempted to sound nonchalant, my gaze drifting anywhere but at him. "By the way, why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

His response was casual, almost dismissive. "You vomited on it last night."

I cringed, Mortified. "Oh my god, Sorry for that." But he just shrugged like it's not a big deal.

My curiosity got the better of me. "Then why weren't you left in your room last night?"

"You held my hand all night and wouldn't let go. When I tried to break free, you whined like a toddler."

I felt a wave of second-hand embarrassment wash over me. "Sorry again," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

I settled in front of him, eager to fill in the gaps. "Can you tell me what happened last night? My memory's a bit fuzzy."

He hummed, launching into a detailed account. How I started singing songs for him, how I wanted a little fiance with him and many more things.

My face burned with embarrassment as he continued. I buried my face in my hands, my cheeks aflame.

Sometimes, I doubted that Aahan was even capable of emotions. But he was human, and every human felt emotions... right? His face, however, told a different story – a story of secrets and mysteries.

I sighed, feeling overwhelmed. "Okay, enough. You shouldn't have to go into so much detail."

He raised an eyebrow. "But you asked?"

I banged my head against the bed, frustration and embarrassment warring within me. "My mistake. Now go to your room."

Without a word, he turned to leave, but paused in front of me, a sly smirk spreading across his face. He leaned in, his whisper sending shivers down my spine. "Next time, if you want to check someone out, don't make it so obvious, Little one."

With that, he departed, leaving me flustered and bewildered in his wake. I threw my hands up in exasperation. This man was going to be the death of me.

After taking a long shower, washing out my embarrassment. I went downstairs which was oddly silent because Naksh, Sidharth and silence can't live in the same place.

I entered the living room, scanning the space for familiar faces, but it was empty, except for one soul I'd rather avoid. I deliberately ignored him, my gaze sweeping past him as I made my way to the kitchen. Hunger pangs were gnawing at me, and I was looking forward to a hearty meal.

But, to my surprise, the kitchen was bare. There was no aroma of freshly cooked food, no leftovers, not even a packet of ready-made snacks or a single piece of candy. Which is weird.

I decided to swallow my pride and seek the help of the only soul present.

"Aahan, where are the others?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

He replied without lifting his gaze from the newspaper, his voice detached. "I don't know."

My stomach growled, reminding me of my hunger. "And why is there nothing to eat?"

This time, he raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flickering across his face as he looked at me. "There's nothing to eat?"

I nodded, exasperated. "Not even a single packet of chips."

Aahan's expression turned thoughtful. "Weird. Then cook something."

But I just stared at him, my eyes locked on his, daring him to take action. He met my gaze, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Don't tell me you don't know how to cook?"

"What makes you think I know how to cook?"

"Most of the people know how to cook."

"But I am in the group of the most people who don't know how to cook."

Instead of responding, Aahan sighed and pushed himself off the couch, striding into the kitchen. I trailed behind him happily, to let him take charge.

Aahan looked at me and asked, "Tell me, what do you want to eat?"

I thought for a moment before responding, "I'm not in the mood for anything heavy. I'd like something light. Why don't you make some kadhi chawal?"

Without saying a word, he began preparing the meal. I watched him suspiciously and asked, "Do you even know how to cook?"

He turned to face me, a hint of a cunning smile on his face. "I do know how to cook, and at the very least, I'm better at it than you."

I just huffed at his words, "I hope you will make something edible; I don't want to die from food poisoning."

.

.

.

.

.

"What are we doing here?"

"I can't believe I agreed to this."

"Just shut the fuck up."

"At least you could tell us what’s going on?"

Outside the grand, shiny mall, four individuals stood out, drawing admiring glances from passersby. Their distinctive fashion sense was a dead giveaway of their affluent background. Pihu, Naksh, Janvi, and Shivay exuded an air of luxury, their stylish attire and confident demeanour commanding attention.

"I'm quite surprised, Brother Naksh, that you're wearing something other than your signature leather jacket," Janvi remarked, her tone laced with amusement.

Naksh shrugged nonchalantly, a hint of defensiveness creeping into his voice. "Of course, I have other clothes. It's just that I don't like them as much, and I look cool in a leather jacket."

Shivay's eyes sparkled with mirth as he asked, "In which name of god did you decide to ditch the jacket?" His voice was tinged with playful teasing.

Naksh flashed a cunning, sidelong smile, striking a pose like a seasoned actor. "Because I look more handsome in this," he declared, his confidence unwavering.

Pihu rolled her eyes good-naturedly, jumping into the conversation. "Oh, hell no, I was the one who forced him to change. I didn't want him to look like a kidnapper in the mall." She snickered, shaking her head. "And you guys won't believe how much effort it took me to pry him away from that jacket."

Janvi and Shivay burst out laughing, their eyes shining with amusement. They knew Naksh's stubborn attachment to his leather jacket all too well.

Janvi's eyes sparkled with genuine admiration as she approached Pihu. "By the way, Pihu, I absolutely love your dress! Where did you get it from?"

Before Pihu could respond, Naksh scoffed, his voice laced with disdain. "She just likes to show off. I don't get why there's a need to wear something so fancy." His expression turned dismissive, as if Pihu's fashion sense was beneath him.

Shivay chimed in, his tone measured. "I think her fashion sense is actually drawing a lot of attention from people."

Naksh's face darkened, his eyes narrowing into a sour expression as he caught people staring at Pihu. He muttered under his breath, "That's the problem." His tone was tinged with possessiveness, as if he resented the attention Pihu was receiving.

"Huh?"

"I said the dress is pretty, but she is looking ugly in it," Naksh stubbornly said.

Janvi and Shivay exchanged a knowing glance, sensing the tension emanating from Naksh. Pihu, however, chose to ignore Naksh's comment, her expression serene. "I bought it from Myntra," she replied, addressing Janvi's original question.

Janvi's fingers brushed against the soft fabric of Pihu's dress, her eyes lighting up with appreciation. "It's so soft!" She smiled, clearly enamoured with the dress.

Pihu smiled graciously. "Do you want it? I can share the link with you." Janvi's face lit up with satisfaction.

"Sure!" Janvi exclaimed.

"Can you both tell us why you dragged us here?" He glanced at Naksh, who nodded in agreement.

Naksh chimed in, his voice tinged with annoyance. "Yeah, first you made us empty the entire kitchen, and then you dragged us here. What's the point of this outing?" His arms were crossed, his expression unyielding.

Janvi raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes. "Did you guys have a problem spending time with us?"

Shivay shook his head, his expression sincere. "No, of course not." However, Naksh's response was the exact opposite. He shook his head vigorously, his eyes flashing with irritation.

Naksh's gaze turned venomous as he glared at Shivay. "I was betrayed by a whipped ass."

Shivay's expression remained stoic, unfazed by Naksh's jibe. "Shut the fuck up," he replied, his tone firm but controlled. He ignored Naksh's glare, his focus shifting back to Janvi and Pihu.

"Still you have to explain."

Pihu stepped in, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Basically, we want to give Aahan and Mrunali some quality alone time together." Her voice was laced with a hint of excitement.

Janvi's smile grew wider. "They're getting married soon, but they barely know each other. We want to help them bond." Her words were infused with a sense of optimism.

Naksh's gaze turned incredulous. "So, what's the point of making the kitchen empty?" He threw up his hands, exasperation etched on his face.

"Jesus Christ, you know your brother. If we leave them normally, Aahan will spend the whole day glued to his laptop." Pihu explained.

Janvi nodded in agreement."Mrunali doesn't know how to cook, but Brother Aahan does,"

Naksh's eyes narrowed, his tone laced with skepticism. "But what if they order food online?"

Shivay nodded understandingly, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Mrunali's not a fan of heavy or outside food after a hangover. We've got that covered."

Janvi's gaze turned curious. "And what about Sidharth?"

Pihu's smirk grew wider as she shared a knowing glance with Janvi. "Oh, I've already taken care of him."

Naksh's expression turned suspicious. "What did you do?"

Pihu shrugged innocently, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Nothing."

With a flourish, Pihu declared, "Now, my Bish, gentleman, and bad boy, it's time for shopping!" Her voice was infused with excitement, and she gestured grandly, as if ushering them into a new adventure.

..................................................................................................

To be continued...

Don't forget to vote comment and follow💙...