Rajveer's POV:

As Aaradhya got ready, I quietly asked her,
"Tum thik ho na?" She looked at me instantly and asked, "Haan kyun?" I was curious about what happened at the office yesterday.

"You think your wife is a loser?" she asked as she applied vermillion.

I smiled proudly but didn't respond. "Nahi, vo aaj Purvi ka fiance aa raha hai, isliye aaj keh raha tha tum ghar pe ruk sakti ho," I explained calmly.

"Aap ruk rahe ho?" she raised her eyebrows, asking if I planned to stay.

"Haan," I replied quickly.

"Toh phir main bhi ruk rahi hoon," she decided and left the room.

~~~

Calling Karthik:

"Bol, subah subah kya hai?" Karthik answered.

"Maine usko pucha ki tum ruk rahi ho kya ghar, aaj Purvi ka fiance aa raha hai. Toh vo boli ki agar aap ruk rahe honge toh mai bhi ruk jaati hoon," I explained eagerly.

"Haan toh?" Karthik responded.

"Bhai, kya vo mujhse pyaar karti hai?" I asked, excitement evident in my voice.

"Sharm kar le bhai, ek time pe meri behn se pyaar karta tha tu," Karthik teased.

"Mai abhi bhi Anamika se pyaar karta hoon... lekin Aaradhya, vo alag hai! Main use galat tareeke se nahi treat kar sakta kyunki pehle kisi aur se pyaar kiya tha, sahi hai na Karthik?" I reasoned with him.

"Haan, baat sahi hai..She's such a pure soul! Don't you dare to hurt Aaradhya bhabhi," Karthik cautioned.

"Phir bata, 'agar aap rukoge toh mai bhi rukungi' aisa kyun kaha hoga Aaradhya ne?" I asked, curious.

"Abe pyaar nahi karti, obviously! Tu nahi jayega toh vo kaise jayegi? Sath mein hi jaate ho na office," Karthik explained matter-of-factly.

"Ja, tere se kuch puchna hi galat hai" I joked.

"Rajveer bhai, help chahiye thi" Karthik softened his tone.

"Main nahi kar raha..Chal, phone cut kar" I said firmly

"Ja mat kar, mai Aaradhya bhabhi se le lunga help" Karthik teased.

"Nahi! Aisi konsi help hai bata mujhe, Aaradhya se mat maang," I said protectively.

"Kavya ko patana hai" Karthik revealed.

"Waah, tujhe meri hi saali mili thi ye sab karne... dur reh Kavya se" I warned Karthik.

"Ab toh shaadi ho ke rhegi dekh lena biwi toh Kavya hi banegi meri" Karthik teased.

"Haan, rehne de vo kabhi nahi pategi" I confidently stated.

"Aaradhya bhabhi hai na, help kar degi, vo tere jaisi nahi hai meri bhabhi" Karthik joked.

"Haan rakh phone, bhabhi ka chamcha" I said, ending the call.
~~~

Purvi's fiancee ~ Aditya sharma

As Aaradhya entered the room, she greeted Aditya's mother, Mrs. Shalini Sharma.
"Bahu toh kaafi sundar hai aapki, Maya ji" complimented Mrs. Sharma.

Maya smiled politely, but Aditya's family members began interrogating Aaradhya about her background and suitability.

"Aapko Purvi se shaadi karni hai na, Aaradhya? Itne saare sawaal?" retorted Maa sa, visibly annoyed.

"Ab jis ghar ki ladki hum maang rahe hain, us ghar ki bahu kaisi hai, ye bhi toh pata hona chahiye," taunted Aditya's aunt, showing their judgmental attitude.

"I'm an orphan," Aaradhya responded abruptly, breaking the silence.

"It's good, but an orphan in a royal family?" mocked Aditya's aunt, trying to insult Aaradhya.

"Lagta hai Rajveer ji ne sirf shakal surat dekh ke shaadi ki," added Mrs. Shalini, further belittling Aaradhya in front of everyone.

Rajveer's absence was notable had he been present, his family might have been thrown out of the mansion by now.

"Aunty ji, aapki dusri beti bhi toh bhaag gayi thi? Suna tha uska pati orphan hai" Meera intervened siding with Aaradhya.

Before the situation escalated further, Viktor casually strolled by and added, "Pehle khud ke girebaan mein jhaank ke dekhna chahiye dusron ko bolne se pehle."

The room fell into an awkward silence as Viktor's words sank in, effectively shutting down Aditya's family's attitude.

Meanwhile, the Chauhan family was pleased with Meera and Viktor's support.
Purvi, embarrassed by her family's judgmental behavior, quietly excused herself from the scene.

"Let's give them some space," Maa sa suggested, breaking the tense silence..

"Vaise ye purvi ko is Aditya me aakhir dikha kya?" meera said

"Aditya se jyda Viktor handsome dikhta hai purvi ke liye" Aaradhya joked

"Aree bhabhi ji Lao aapke pair chulu.."viktor said
~~~

Aaradhya and Meera's Conversation :

"Aaradhya, are you alright?" Meera asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Aaradhya replied softly.

"Just ignore them! They're typical aunties," Meera advised handing Aaradhya a glass of water.

"Since when did you start caring about me? You used to hate me, right?" Aaradhya asked skeptically

"I never hated you," Meera replied sincerely.

"Don't lie, Meera.. You hated me from the bottom of your heart, didn't you?" Aaradhya pressed on.

"I never intended to hate you, and I never did. I just realized you're a victim yourself, so treating you badly wasn't the solution. Besides, whatever had to happen has already happened. Rajveer loves you too," Meera explained calmly.

"He doesn't love me he still loves her," Aaradhya murmured.

"Her? Anamika?" Meera inquired.

"Yeah," Aaradhya confirmed.

"Damn, girl. Do you even realize what you're saying? When we were in college every girl was after Rajveer, but he never even glanced at anyone he couldn't have imagined marrying anyone else, let alone you..He chose you," Meera reasoned.

"What's the point? I heard him say something I shouldn't have heard," Aaradhya reminisced.

Flashback:

The day we were locked in the room and Viktor was on his way, I was exhausted and drowsy. I wasn't fully asleep.

"That's when Rajveer grew calm, speaking to someone I didn't recognize. He said he didn't love his wife, that he still loved his first love, Anamika. I thought he was starting to like me, but I was wrong. I could never replace her in his heart. She must be special to him."

"I'll leave him soon."

Present :

"Aaradhya, where are you lost?" Meera brought Aaradhya back to the present.

"Ah, nothing," Aaradhya replied quickly.

"I've seen the way Rajveer looks at you, as if you're the love of his life," Meera continued.

"Really?" Aaradhya questioned, surprised.

"I've known him since childhood. He's not expressive  he never used to smile without a reason. Since you entered his life, he smiles randomly, more expressive," Meera pointed out.

"Haha, stop it. I have to go get ready now," Aaradhya deflected.

"Can we be friends?" Meera asked sincerely.

"You don't need to ask...We can be, girl," Aaradhya replied warmly.

Meera hugged Aaradhya tightly. "I've never talked to anyone else the way I've talked to you! I've never had friends to talk to except purvi."

Aaradhya gently patted her back, comforting her. "I'm here for you now."
~~~
Aaradhya's POV:

"What are you going to wear tonight?" I asked Rajveer as he lounged on the bed.

"Why?" Rajveer replied curtly, not looking up from his phone.

"I thought we could match outfits. It would look good," I suggested hoping to connect with him.

"There's no need to match," he dismissed me, still scrolling.

What's wrong with him? He's never spoken to me like this before.

"Is something wrong?" I probed gently.

"No," he muttered quietly.

"Are you sure?" I pressed, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just let me rest. I have a headache," he snapped, setting his phone down and turning away as if to sleep.

"He never talks to me like this. Is he mad at me?" I whispered to myself, feeling hurt.

"Yes, I am," he replied abruptly.

"What? What did I do?" I asked, but he pretended to be asleep.

He's so good at pretending...I gave up and left the room.
~~~

Meera and Purvi in the Kitchen :

In the kitchen, Meera and Purvi were busy making their favorite Chinese food.

"Are bhabhi aapka muh itna udaas kyu?" Purvi joked, noticing Meera's solemn expression.

"Did you guys have a fight?" Meera asked, concerned.

I didn't say anything, lost in my thoughts.

"What happened with Rajveer bhai?" Shourya joined in, grabbing an apple from the fridge.

"Seems like a fight," Purvi replied observing my silence.

"bhabhi mai help krdu kya rajveer bhai ko mnane me? Aapki love life me pyaar badh jayega!" Shourya teased.

"Shourya ji aapki khud ki love life jhand hai aap meri kya hi help kroge?" I retorted, everyone bursting into laughter.

"Shourya ki love life bhi hai?," Purvi chuckled, pretending not to know about his feelings for Meera which made Meera jealous, thinking he was having an affair.

"I won't forgive you for this, Shourya!" Meera threatened, pointing a knife at him.

"lekin Maine kiya kya hai Meera Madam?" Shourya asked innocently, teasing her by bringing the knife close to his chest.

"You didn't even tell me who that girl is! Huh?" Meera's tone turned serious.

"No one, Meera. If there was someone, I would have told you first," Shourya assured her.

"Tell me first if you like someone," she insisted, leaving.

"How can I tell her about herself?" Shourya muttered under his breath.

"Lekin Rajveer upset kis baat se hai?" I wondered aloud while cutting fruits.

"Viktor ne aag lgadi bhabhi," Shourya explained.

"Viktor? Ab is baar kya kr diya is pagal insaan ne?" Purvi interrupted.

"He went and told Rajveer bhai that you said Viktor is more handsome than Aditya," Shourya revealed.

"What? But I was just joking! Why would he say that?" I fretted being worried.

"Viktor was flexing," Shourya added.

"So Rajveer bhai got jealous?" Purvi asked, piecing things together.

"It seems so," Shourya confirmed.

"Are lekin Maine bs aise hi kha tha casually," I lamented, feeling anxious.

"Let's forget about that. Why don't you make Rajveer bhai some white sauce pasta? He'll agree then," Shourya suggested, leaving the room.

Purvi followed him out.
~~~

Aaradhya in the Kitchen Alone :

Now alone in the large kitchen, I couldn't find the ingredients I needed for the pasta.

"Fifteen minutes and still no pasta?" I muttered to myself, searching through the cabinets and almost knocking over a pot balanced precariously on a high shelf....

"Careful," Rajveer's voice startled me as he caught me in his arms.

It was embarrassing; I always seem to end up falling into his arms.

"Sorry," I apologized quietly.

"Aise hi bol deti utha leta na mai tumhe har baar girne ka bahana dhund leti ho," he teased lightly.

"Mai jaanbuzke nhi giri hun," I replied a bit annoyed.

"chl jhoothi" he remarked, coming closer.

"dur...dur se hi baat kriye," I insisted but he didn't stop.

"By the way, what's my wife doing in the kitchen today?" he asked, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I was trying to make white sauce pasta for your grumpy self... but I can't find the pasta anywhere," I replied, trying to divert his attention.

"Sit down. I'll make it for you. I've been watching you stand by the door for fifteen minutes, getting tired bechari," he said, pulling out a chair for me to sit.

He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his veins. Seeing them made me flustered.

"Control yourself, Aaradhya," I told myself.

After fifteen minutes...

"Here it is, ta-da! Try it," he served me a spoonful.

"Damn, this is the tastiest white sauce pasta I've ever had," I exclaimed, impressed by the flavor.

"Agar tum bolo toh roz bnadu tumhare liye" he asked, taking a bite from the same spoon he fed me.
~~~

It was nighttime, and everyone was getting ready to go out.

"I'm wearing a maroon shirt," Rajveer said, looking at Aaradhya.

"So what?" she asked him..

"Let's wear matching outfits," he replied quickly.

"Jab Maine kha matching pehnte hai tb kha no need to match huh..i don't want to wear matching clothes right now" Aaradhya replied, looking through her clothes in the cupboard.

"I'm telling you to wear the maroon saree I bought for you. Check it out," Rajveer insisted.

"What?" Aaradhya said, noticing a collection of maroon sarees and jewelry in the upper cupboard.

"Choose whatever you like there are also lipstick shades," Rajveer added.

"But there was no need to buy all this," Aaradhya replied.

"You're not just an ordinary wife..You're my wife, Aaradhya! So This is nothing," Rajveer replied, leaving the room and telling her to get ready soon.
~~~

Everyone gathered at the hotel.

"Looks like a love triangle is brewing here," Shourya commented, observing Viktor, Purvi, and Aditya.

"I wonder what's going on with Viktor," Kavya said softly.

"You're looking gorgeous, Kavya," Karthik complimented her with a smile.

"Wait, did he just smile?" Rajveer teased Karthik.

"Hmm, there's more to this haina karthik," Rishi joked.

Kavya ignored them and hugged Aaradhya. "I missed you bitch,You didn't even call me once," she said.

"Sorry, I was busy yaar" Aaradhya replied.

"What's up, girls?" Kavya asked, including Purvi, Priya, Jaya, and Meera.

"Looks like there's a love triangle going on here," Priya remarked eyeing Purvi.

"It's nothing like that..Viktor is just friendly," Purvi explained.

"Yeah, we know how friendly he is," Meera added.

"Let's focus on what to order," Purvi suggested, steering the conversation away.

As everyone discussed the menu, a lady greeted Rajveer.

"Hey! What's up, bro?" she said, hugging Rajveer before he could respond.

"Why here? Haven't seen you in a while. You look even more handsome," she complimented him.

Karthik coughed, hinting to Rajveer to introduce her.

"This is my wife, Aaradhya," Rajveer introduced her, pointing towards Aaradhya.

"Hey," Aaradhya replied with a forced smile.

"Lucky you, Aaradhya for having such a handsome husband," the lady complimented her.

"Yeah," Aaradhya replied, faking a smile.

"If you need anything or have any issues, let me know. I'm the Assistant Manager of this hotel," the lady said before leaving.

As they started eating, Aaradhya, feeling jealous, said in a teasing tone, "Pass the bowl of soup here, Mr. Handsome."

Everyone went silent, knowing Aaradhya was visibly jealous. Joking with her this time wouldn't work.

Rajveer passed the bowl to her. "Here you go."

"By the way, Bhabhi, how did you and Rajveer meet?" Aditya asked.

"Why do you care?" Viktor interrupted.

"Who do you think you are, always interrupting?" Aditya asked Viktor.

"I'm the future son-in-law of this family," Viktor replied coldly.

"Purvi, who is this brother of yours that I don't know?" Aditya asked Purvi.

"He's not my brother," Purvi clarified.

"Got it now?" Viktor teased Aditya thinking Purvi was on his side.

"He's not my brother, but he's like a brother," Purvi joked about Viktor.

"Viktor, things didn't go well with you," Karthik teased.

While Meera was lost in thought about whether Shourya really had a love life or not.

"What are you thinking about, Meera?" Purvi asked her softly.

"I've never felt like this before. I'm curious about Shourya's love life," Meera replied.

"He'll tell you, don't worry," Purvi reassured her.

Meanwhile, Priya, Jaya, and Rishi left early, saying, "There are only couples here...We're leaving."

Aaradhya was giving short answers to Rajveer.

"What's wrong, Aaradhya?" Rajveer asked her.

"What could happen to me?" she replied.

"You're jealous, aren't you?" he asked, making eye contact with her.

"No, I'm not jealous at all, okay!" she replied coldly, trying to get up and leave.

Rajveer stopped her, making her sit back in the chair and whispered in her ear,
"Oh come on, cutie. I'm your husband. I know everything. There must be a volcano erupting inside you. I can feel the heat. You must have cursed her entire family line."

Thankfully, no one was there to see this moment between them, but Kavya and Karthik had already seen them.

"What if someone saw us," Aaradhya said, trying to remove his hands from her waist in an angry tone.

"So, my wife is still jealous?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Only I can call you Mr. Handsome No one else is allowed to," she said confidently.

"And what if they do?" he asked.

"They'll have to face a traumatic death," she said, shocking Rajveer with her tough side, as she's always sweet to others no matter how they hurt her.

"My wife! even I would do the same if someone dared to look at you," he said, passing her a glass of water.

Karthik and Kavya were watching them from a distance, while Purvi, Meera, Shourya, Viktor, and Aditya were on the second floor shopping.

"What do you think? Are they in love with each other?" Kavya asked Karthik.

"I don't know, but it's the first time I've seen Rajveer get close to a woman," he replied.

"What do you mean 'a woman'? They're married, she's his wife," Kavya replied protectively.

"Yeah, yeah, I didn't mean anything," Karthik replied.

"Want to go for a bike ride? Not enjoying it here?" Karthik asked her.

"It'll be fun at night with the night view and bike riding," Kavya replied excitedly.

"Do you want to learn how to ride a bike?" Karthik asked her.

"Not today," she replied.

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"I'm not feeling well to ride," she replied softly.

"Why?" He looked at her, noticing she was pressing her lower abdomen.

"Periods?" he asked her.

"No," she replied softly.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of. You can freely tell me if you're not feeling well, having cramps, and all. Periods are natural, why feel ashamed?" he said reassuringly.

"Ah, thank God you're not judgmental," Kavya said.

"Why would I be? Wait, we won't go on a bike ride. I'll drop you at the apartment...Wait here, I'll bring some dark chocolates for you," he said, hurrying off.

"Why is he being so caring towards me?" Kavya wondered to herself.

Ten minutes later,

"Sorry, Kavya. It took a while because it was crowded there. I brought dark chocolates for you," Karthik said, panting.

"That's okay dumb Thank you," she hugged him.

Karthik didn't say anything and let her hug him while gently caressing her hair.

"Ohooo!" Priya exclaimed, seeing Karthik and Kavya hugging each other.

"Ahem, ahem, a new couple in our town, huh?" Purvi teased.

While Karthik and Kavya were hugging, they didn't realize it was almost time for everyone to leave. Only Aaradhya and Rajveer were still on the first floor.

"It's not like that," Karthik said, trying to control his blush.

Before he could say anything else, Kavya collapsed. Thankfully, Karthik held her in his arms.

"Kavya, what happened?" Karthik asked worriedly.

Everyone became concerned.

"I'll take her to the hospital," Karthik said, carrying her in his arms and rushing towards the car.

"I hope she's okay," Meera sighed.

"But she was fine until now, right?" Priya asked.

"Who knows, maybe she wasn't feeling well which is why she was quiet the whole time," Purvi suggested.

"Whatever it is, let's leave for the mansion now," Viktor said, asking Purvi to come.

"Wait, let me go with Aaradhya, Rajveer, and Shourya," Meera said, telling everyone else to go.
~~~

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That's it for today's chapter idk what to say for next update I'm busy in my studies will try to update soon

Do inline comments otherwise forget about free chapter thinking to start writing paid chapters on stck.!