Chapter - 32 ᴍᴇᴇᴛ ᴜᴘ

Author's Pov

Aarav stepped back, his gaze lingering on her as a soft smile played on his lips. "You look gorgeous in this color," he murmured. "As if it was made for you."

Aanya looked at him with an unreadable, cold stare, her expression betraying nothing. Without another word, he turned and walked inside, and she followed, her heart weighed down by emotions she couldn't quite name.

Inside, all eyes were on them, filled with anticipation, hoping for a positive outcome. But Aanya's mind was in chaos, suffocated by the expectations pressing in from all sides. She wanted nothing more than to escape. Just then, her mother's gaze met hers, a silent plea to accept the proposal.

"I'm ready for this marriage," Aarav declared, his voice steady and certain. A wave of joy spread through the room as the elders smiled and exchanged glances. Now, all that remained was Aanya's answer.

She swallowed hard, suppressing the turmoil within her. "I'm okay with this alliance," she said at last.

The room erupted in happiness. Relatives embraced, showering blessings upon the couple, their voices brimming with excitement. Amidst the celebration, Aarav's eyes never left Aanya. He watched her with unwavering adoration, love shining in his gaze—yet beneath it, there was something more. A quiet longing. A silent hope.

Jiya rushed forward and hugged Aanya tightly, her excitement evident. "You know, Di, I always hoped you both would end up together!" she said, her voice bubbling with joy.

Aanya offered her a small smile, her gaze softening. "How are you now?" she asked gently.

Jiya's expression shifted for a fleeting moment, but she quickly composed herself. "I'm fine, Di. And it's all thanks to you and your friend. He's been helping me a lot," she admitted, a hint of gratitude in her voice.

Aanya studied her for a moment before asking, "Did you forgive them all? And, to be precise... Aarav?"

Jiya let out a deep breath. "I haven't completely forgiven him or the others," she confessed. "But Aarav said he'd do anything to earn my forgiveness, so he's working on it. As for the rest, they're doing everything they can to make me happy." A beautiful smile graced her lips, one that spoke of healing, even if it was still in progress.

Before Aanya could respond, their conversation was interrupted.

"Hey, my lovely lady! Do you remember me?" Atharva's playful voice rang out as he winked at her, making Aanya chuckle at his antics.

"You know, Bhabhi," he continued mischievously, "someone here wasn't too keen on getting married. In fact, he even said I could marry the girl instead! Haina, Bhai Sa?" He smirked, looking toward Aarav.

Aanya blinked, confused by what he was implying, while Aarav shot Atharva a sharp glare.

"Atharva, no credit cards for a week," Aarav declared sternly.

"Bhai Sa, you can't do this to me!" Atharva protested dramatically, while Vihaan struggled to contain his laughter.

"Bhaisa, sahi kiya aapne! Iske saath aisa hi hona chahiye," Aarohi chimed in, smirking at her twin brother, who turned to glare at her instead.

The room filled with light laughter, the air buzzing with warmth, teasing, and an unspoken bond of love.

Atharva turned to Aarohi with a dramatic pout. "Unbelievable! My own twin betraying me!" he exclaimed, clutching his chest as if wounded.

Aarohi rolled her eyes. "Stop being so dramatic, Atharva. We all know you'll find a way to bribe Bhai Sa back into letting use the credit cards."

Aanya chuckled, watching their banter. It was refreshing—this lightheartedness amidst the storm of emotions swirling within her. She turned to Aarav, who was still watching her with that unreadable expression. The intensity in his gaze made her heart stutter, but she quickly looked away.

Jiya nudged her playfully. "Di, you're blushing!"

"I am not," Aanya retorted, but the warmth creeping up her cheeks betrayed her.

Vihaan smirked. "Bhabhi, you do realize Bhai Sa hasn't taken his eyes off you for even a second, right?"

Aanya's eyes widened slightly, and she glanced at Aarav, only to find him still looking at her—calm, unwavering, and filled with something.

Aarav, sensing the attention on him, finally spoke. "Shouldn't we move on to more important matters? Like finalizing the wedding preparations?" His voice was firm, but there was something else beneath it—a hint of nervousness, perhaps?

Jiya clapped her hands together. "Oh yes! We have so much to do! Shopping, functions, dance rehearsals—"

"Dance rehearsals?" Aarav raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, Bhai Sa!" Aarohi chimed in. "No wedding is complete without a sangeet, and everyone knows you have two left feet."

"For god sake I'm king of rajasthan and it isn't appropriate for me"Aarav said

"So wasn't it appropriate when you danced in Aisha di's wedding" Vihaan said making Aarav shut his mouth.

"Ok, I'll dance only if your bhabhi sa dances" He replied looking at Aanya with a smirk.

The air between them shifted—subtle yet electric. Everyone else was laughing, teasing, planning, but in that moment, it was just the two of them, standing on the edge of something unknown.

Something that scared Aanya.

And something that Aarav was determined to hold on to.

The moment I said yes, I felt nothing. This wasn't my choice. Marrying Aarav had once been a dream, but after what he did, I buried it in the past. If circumstances had been different, maybe I would have been happy, excited even. But now? I don't know what to feel.

What Atharva said was strange. Was Aarav once unwilling to marry, yet now he agreed so easily? Is this another act of revenge, or did he do all those things to me because of the girl he mentioned in the hospital during his panic attack?

My thoughts were interrupted by Aarohi's excited voice. "Bhabhi, can I design your wedding outfits, please?" she asked eagerly. I nodded.

To be honest, his siblings were kind—nothing like him. I could feel his gaze on me, but I chose to ignore it.

Just then, my phone pinged with a message from Ansh Bhai. "Do you need me to pick you up?" he asked. I quickly replied, "Yes, come in half an hour."

We all headed to lunch, where the conversation revolved around the wedding and the engagement—hah, engagement. They had already fixed the date for next Saturday.

A little while later, my phone buzzed again. Bhai's message read: "I'm outside, princess." I replied, "I'll be there in a minute."

Turning to everyone, I said, "I have an emergency case at the hospital, so I need to leave."

His siblings looked a little disappointed but smiled warmly. "We'll meet again," they said as they bid me goodbye.

"Okay, guys, bye," I said before walking away.

I stepped out of the mansion and spotted Bhai's car parked a little farther away. Walking toward it, I opened the door and slid into the passenger seat beside him.

"Hello, Bhai! How are you? How was your day?" I asked in one breath, earning a chuckle from him.

"Calm down, my little princess," he said with a smile. "I'm good, and my day went well. What about you?"

"It was fine... apart from the shocking news Mom announced," I muttered. His expression darkened as he turned to me.

"What news?" he asked, his voice sharp with concern.

I told him everything—every detail of what had happened. His jaw clenched, and anger flickered in his eyes. "I swear, I'll break that damn engagement myself!" he fumed.

"How could Mom do this? She was never like this before!"

I let out a bitter chuckle. "She's changed, Bhai. She's not the same person she was when Dad was here."

A single tear escaped before I could stop it. I quickly wiped it away, but Bhai noticed.

"Do you want me to stop all of this?" he asked softly.

I shook my head. "No, Bhai. I'll marry him. Not because I love him, but because it was Dad's last wish."

He exhaled heavily, his fingers gripping the steering wheel. A moment later, a slow smirk spread across his face.

"Iss engagement ko rok toh nahi sakte lekin Kalesh toh dal sakte hai na.."

(We may not be able to stop this engagement... but we can definitely cause some chaos.)

I narrowed my eyes. "Bhai, what are you up to?"

He leaned back with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It's my sister's wedding. Time to show them what Malhotra men are truly capable of."

I looked at him confused and what he said next made me shock "It's time for some revelations" He smirked evilly.

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We are comin' back to the race

Allah duhai hai

Allah duhai hai

Phir bewafayee hai

Mushkil rihaai hai

Haan tere pyaar mein

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Heyya my lovely readers, how are you guys? I hope you all are doing well in your life. I first of all want to thank you for the 100k views on this story, to be honest when is saw this i was overwhelmed and it wasn't possible without you guys, Thank you sooo much.

I hope you'll love this chapter and yeah it is a small chapter but i couldn't write a big one but will try to give a big one in next chapter. Do vote and comment your reviews

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Your author

Aeris