Monday's already here and I can't believe I'm getting engaged this week! But here's the thing, I hardly know anything about my to-be wife, except for this weird feeling that something is really fishy about her .

Even Kiaan can't figure out what's going on. And I really don't know why Rajat uncle, the one person who could convince Mom to call off the wedding, is nowhere to be found. He's always been there for me, so I hope nothing's happened. I really hope Mom didn't say anything to him beforehand.

Rajat uncle and Mom have been besties since forever, and Mom trusts him more than anyone else. Since Mom didn't have a brother, Rajat uncle was always there for her whenever she needed support. He's genuinely a great person and has a strong bond with Papa too. I really admire him.

But his daughter, Aadhira. Oh boy, she could be quite a handful! Whenever I think about her, I just want to scream! She used to get on my nerves whenever I got close to uncle. Ugh! Despite that, those childhood days were truly special. Rajat uncle used to take us on late-night ice cream adventures when Mom visited him. Even though we only went a few times, it was the absolute best, especially with Mom by my side, listening to every word I said.

Ah, those childhood days... they were like a fleeting moment of pure magic. But hey, let's shift our attention to work, Kabir. I whispered to myself, determined to redirect my focus and leave those nostalgic thoughts behind.

___________________________________________

Rajat uncle

I am really sorry Kabir beta , I am not able to answer yr calls , actually there was some issue at the office , I hope everything is fine there including your Mom.

By the way I heard about your engagement,

Congratulations son !

I am coming there tomorrow only , we both will definitely have a lot of fun like older times !

Love you , See you soon

                                                         4 : 00 pm

Thankgod Finally atleast Uncle noticed my calls , I myself will go to pick him up from the station and then ask him to convince the mom , he will surely help me out . (I thought to myself after seeing the uncle's msg)

AADHIRA'S POV

"Oh god papa , what's the problem with you ? I told you I can't come with you in your favourite Kabir's wedding, please try to understand, I won't get this much long holidays from my coaching centre , students' are having their exams soon and I have to complete the syllabus" I replied to papa who was continuously asking me to come with everyone in Kabir's wedding

"So ask for the holidays, you even used to take their extra classes on Sundays, so why can't you ask for the holidays?" He replied furiously

"And If they aren't allowing you , then leave your job , I can't help it . But you are coming and that's final" he completed without caring about me and my perspective

"How can you be so selfish papa" , I said while tears started rolling down my eyes

"And how did you got this mch long holiday of a week  from your office now ? , Earlier when I asked you to take the leave to accompany me for my exam scheduled out of city, you said , you can't have 3 days holidays and now you got whole week holidays" , I asked him getting frustrated

"You are talking yourself to your boss for the leave , OR I do that on your behalf" ,  he asked more than stated completely ignoring what I said !

I left without answering him , but hearing his voice coming straight to Me , "Be ready we are leaving tonight around 11 pm , so make your preparations accordingly"

"How can he be so selfish, why is he like that , he has always priortised others before us , why can't he understand us ?"

I was saying all this to mom while sobbing

"You already know him na , so what's the point of arguing this mch , and deteriorating your health crying like this"  , Mumma said trying to calm me down and

"But he is my papa, I always help him when he needs me" I further replied to mumma

"And you think he cares about that" Mumma stated and exactly at that moment reality dawns upon me.

Well she is right and I can't change it so better to accept the situation than feeling bad about it

_____________________________

After crying for some good hours , realising I don't have any other option, I decided to agree with him and get ready to attend the wedding .

"Chalo koi nii, (let it be)

You know what mumma? I haven't taken a break in a long time either, and to be honest I am already having 3 days holiday , but don't tell this to papa okk

so this is a perfect opportunity for me to take a break and enjoy myself too!" I said to mumma with a bright smile on my face and wiping my tears not wanting to make my mother feel more bad bcz of me .

(Well, it isn't about leaves . Actually, I didn't want to go there myself because I never liked him. He always used to be loved and praised by Papa, and on top of that, he seemed very arrogant and proud of his money. He didn't even take the initiative to talk to me, so I ended up getting bored there always )

"Alright , jldi se mu dho le aur kch kha le , phir packing krte hai okk" ( then wash your face quickly and have something then we will start packing okk) she replied

"Okk mumma"

___________________________________

"Mom , I am going to take Rajat uncle from the station" , I informed Mom before leaving

"Take Kiaan also with you" Mom replied

"Okk , ask him to be quick"

"How much makeup do you need just to go to the railway station ?" I asked irritatingly to Kiaan who took complete half n hour to get ready !

"Oh ho bhai just chill , that train is never on time and what If I found a beautiful girl at the station? Then ?" He replied mischievously

"You still look like a monkey , Accha btw did you tie buzo in his place? Otherwise that chipkali will again start yelling like a monster" I asked to Kiaan remembering Aadhira's fear of dogs

"Ha bro , kr diya tha (yes bro , done with that) and she isn't chipkali , she is Aadhira okK, she is really sweet , I don’t know why you don't like her" he said

"Whatever , I only care about Rajat uncle" , I replied while moving key to start the car

"How selfish and mean bhai" he exclaimed with a frown on his face

"Shetup"

________________________________

There he is , "Rajat Uncle" , I shouted for him to notice me and went to help him with his luggage , dragging Kiaan along with me to help

"Hello uncle, how are you" I said with a smile on my face

"Good , what about you , you are getting engaged all of a sudden, I didn't even got a hint of it before , very smart Haa, how mch long your affair was ?" He asked excitedly

"Affair? What ! Are you serious uncle , You know me very well , as long as I stepped myself into this corporate world , My only focus is to become the no. 1 business of the country and you know that right?" I replied

"So what about this marriage, Is this the arrange marriage? I thought you only go with the love marriage" he further questioned

"Nooooooo" I said to make him silent and let me explain everything in detail but before I could do that , I heard a voice "Papa" , that chipkali was calling uncle

(Oh god , when I will get the time to talk to him properly , I said hiting my head on the wall internally)

Aadhira was calling uncle to help her with the luggage , why can't just she do anything on her own , a typical papa's girl , I just hate her.

I went there to help uncle with luggages, forwarding kiaan luggages , and there is that chipkali getting out of the train , but wait what , Is she the same clumsy and talkative Aadhira who I met in childhood ?she is wearing suit ? She used to hate that , She has really changed , I see...

"Ha bhai aur sundar bhi ho gyi h jyada"🤭 I turned to see who said this realising it can only be kiaan .

"Shutup , she is elder than you , go put these all luggages in the car", I said while passing a glare to him

I went to her to help with the luggages as she was holding 3 bags together , and will definitely waste my time whereas I want to reach home asap

"Let me take them, they must be heavy," I said, extending my hand to help her.

"No thanks, I can do it by myself. I don't wwant to bother you " she replied, holding the luggages and moving forward. (Oh God, why is she so stubborn? I said to myself.)

I stood in front of her, blocking her path

"Miss Lady Khali, please, let me help. I know you're strong, but I haven't built this body just for show, you know. And I don't want your freshly painted nails to get ruined either. Besides, I don't want your delicate hands to get tired," I said sincerely, with a playful grin. I wanted to end the argument and win her over. And guess what? It worked!

She was shocked by my extreme politeness, 😂, unable to believe what I had just said. Without waiting for a minute, she handed me her bags and walked away, still wearing a shocked expression on her face.

AADHIRA'S PoV:-

We arrived at the station, and unsurprisingly, Papa's favorite son was there to pick us up. And Papa also didn't even bother to help us with the bags and went straight to meet him. What the hell! How am I supposed to carry these heavy bags out of the train and put them in the car?

As I was lost in these thoughts, I saw that macchar  (mosquito), I mean my Papa's favorite Kabir, coming towards me. Without even saying a hello or hi, he extended his hand to help me with the luggage with a complete blank expression.

Well, I knew he was only doing it out of formality, so I told him I could do it myself to not bother him anymore.

But to my surprise the words he said next to my reply just stunned me . I was in shock for a couple of seconds. The great Kabir Malhotra was actually talking to me politely. I hope the sun hasn't risen from the west today .He wasn't like that before, always so arrogant. And as I focused on his body, I realized he had transformed. He isn't a macchar anymore also , he has built a great body now. He had become quite handsome. But why am I even thinking about all this? Huh, I don't care...

----------------

| Buzo - Kabir's pet Dog |
|Veena aunty - Maid at Kabir's house |

It was already 6:30 when we finally reached home. Everyone went inside, except for me, Kiaan, and Aadhira. As we were unloading the luggage, Buzo eagerly ran out of the house, barking with excitement to see who had arrived. The moment he came into view, Aadhira let out a scream so loud that it felt like my eardrums would burst.

Suddenly, I felt a strong grip on my arm, but it wasn't like any other grip I had experienced before. It was Aadhira, holding my hand tightly, but there was something different about it. It wasn't just a simple hold; it felt special, something completely new to me . And this was the first time when I wasn't getting irritated because of holding me .

And before I could fully comprehend what was happening she started shouting , "remove it from here" , "remove" , "shoo shoo" and because of her closeness with me , Buzo attacked her , she was running here and there and the scene was so funny I couldn't control my laugh , I was enjoying the seen untill Kiaan came to her rescue and tied buzo to it's place again .She went inside huffing and passing me a strong glare.

After everyone went to freshen up, including me changing into my comfy t-shirt and sweatpants, I couldn't help but think about Aadhira's fear of dogs. I had already tied the dog, but somehow it got loose. Regardless, the sight of her reaction was absolutely hilarious! It had us all laughing uncontrollably.

We gathered in the hall around 7, ready for some chit-chat. But before we could even decide on snacks, my mom, who never seems to care about anyone's health, ordered Aadhira to make tea for all of us.

"Veena aunty can do that, Mom," I tried to interrupt, but she refused, saying, "Aadhira makes better." It felt as if my mom only drank tea made by her.

Why can't she think that Aadhira must be tired from the journey, and no I don't care for her , but I am not inhumane like my mom. It's just that I didn't want her or even anyone to be treated like a servant.

While Aadhira was preparing the tea, I went inside to make my coffee since I don't drink tea.
And hence before she could even start making mine, I informed her.

"You did it on purpose, didn't you?" she said, turning towards me , frustration evident from her reaction

"What?" I asked, behaving completely innocent.

"Making Buzo attack me," she replied with a frown.

"No,"

"I knew it was you! No need to act innocent, okay!" she said, taking the tray of tea out for everyone.

It was 8 o'clock, and we were all enjoying dinner. Afterward, we planned to head to our rooms. I passed a subtle hint with my eyes to Rajat uncle, and he clearly understood, following me after dinner.

"Uncle, please sit. I really need to talk, it's very important," I said, feeling a sense of urgency.

"What happened? Is everything okay?" he asked, concerned.

"Of course not, uncle. That's why I was getting impatient to talk to you," I replied, my emotions starting to pour out.

"Actually, the girl that my dear mom has fixed my marriage with... I just don't like her. In fact, I don't know much about her, but whatever I do know is sufficient to say that I actually hate her!" I blurted out, unable to hold back any longer.

"But why is that?" Uncle asked, wanting to understand the reason behind my strong feelings.

"Because she's so arrogant, demanding, and a show-off. She's just not someone I can survive with," I explained.

"Why haven't you told your mom about this?" he questioned further.

"Because she just doesn't care. According to her, this girl is classy and matches her so-called newly made standards. Plus, she's her friend's daughter, so she wants me to marry her," I replied, frustration evident in my voice.

"What?!" Uncle exclaimed, unable to believe what I had just revealed .Don't worry, I'll talk to your mom first thing tomorrow morning."

"But for now, try to get some sleep," Uncle said, soothing me and calming my racing thoughts.

"Okk uncle but please do that because day after tomorrow I am having my engagement" I replied

"Sure my son" he assured and switched off the lights to sleep...

_________________________________

Next day - the day before engagement

I woke up to the realization that guests had started arriving early for the engagement, as if it was happening today instead of tomorrow. After freshening up, I got ready for the gym and completed my workout. Then, I sat down to have my breakfast - avocado toast and coffee. I know it may seem like a typical businessman's breakfast, but I've been having it since I was 16 because my mom doesn't like to cook for us anymore. Plus, I'm particular about my food, so it works for me.

I was thinking of asking Rajat uncle if he had talked to my mom, but before I could do that, I overheard my mom saying, "Go and bring the ring for Shayra today."

"But mom, I have no idea about all this," I replied, trying to come up with an excuse.

"Then take Kiaan with you. I would have asked Shayra to go, but she's not feeling well today, so you have to do it yourself," she replied.

"Why me, Mom? How am I supposed to know about anything related to girls? I'm not going. Ask Aadhira di to go with him. She can actually help him," Kiaan chimed in, trying to avoid the responsibility.

"Why didn't you do it on your own for your favorite Shayra, completely ignoring Kiaan's useless advice?" I argued.

"Because I have a meeting with her mom today, and I think Aadhira must be busy with her own tasks. So, you have to do it yourself," she said and left.

I know she doesn't like her, and that's why she was saying that. Even I don't want to take her with me. I mean, who has the stamina to listen to her constant blabber?

After finishing my breakfast, I hinted to Uncle about talking to Mom, and he replied, "She hasn't been home since yesterday, not even for a minute. So how can I talk? I'll talk to her as soon as I get the time."

"Okay," I replied, understanding Mom's intention of avoiding Uncle and accepting that nothing could be done.

While thinking about all of this, I received a call from Maharaj Jewellers. They said that my mom had asked for some ring designs and that I needed to go there before 4 because their store closes early on Saturdays.

What the fuck is this ! I shouted this internally , wanting to smash my head on the wall .I don't even know how this all things work out , I have to take someone's help now.

I was wondering all this while someone came my head smashed ,

  !! Bhagwaan aap itni jldi kbse sunne lage meri !!

"Ouch" I whisper yelled , closing me eyes in pain...

There was a same reaction from the other side but the voice was familiar  so I opened my eyes to find that this is none other than the Aadhira, ooh god this bandariya

"Can't you see while walking ? I understand you use spects but that doesn't mean , you are going to crash people after removing them" I said to him sarcastically rubbing my head

"Shutup, I was carrying this big fruit basket , can't you see Mr.Chachundar ?" she said

"Hey you--, I was about to say something but then I realised that she is the only one who can help me with shopping and all , so I stopped

"You what?" She said raising her eyebrow

"Umm... What are you doing right now ?"

"Making halwa" she replied sarcastically

"Can't you reply normally ?" I asked again

"Can't you see on your own ?" She replied

"Accha okk , Actually I need your help ..." I stated

"For what?"

"You need to come with me for shopping , I can't do this on my own"

"No I am not, I have so many work"

"You don't, so stop lying plus it will save you from lots of work , you are doing here" , think about it , this might be a good opportunity for you" he offered further trying to act smart

"O really" she said while raising an eyebrow

"She thought for a sec and replied okk , but what will I get in return ?" She further asked

"Whatever you ask for" I replied, trying to rid off

"Ok then I will have icecream and golgappa outside , I am hungry" she replied cutely with a pout as if she asked for the most expensive thing in the world

"That's it? I thought of something bigger" I replied with amusement

Yeah" she replied with a grin

"Okk then I am waiting in the car , you come in 5 min"

"Okk"
because their store closes early on Saturdays.

What the fuck is this ! I shouted this internally , wanting to smash my head on the wall .I don't even know how this all things work out , I have to take someone's help now.

I was wondering all this while someone came my head smashed ,

  !! Bhagwaan aap itni jldi kbse sunne lage meri !!

"Ouch" I whisper yelled , closing me eyes in pain...

There was a same reaction from the other side but the voice was familiar  so I opened my eyes to find that this is none other than the Aadhira, ooh god this bandariya

"Can't you see while walking ? I understand you use spects but that doesn't mean , you are going to crash people after removing them" I said to him sarcastically rubbing my head

"Shutup, I was carrying this big fruit basket , can't you see Mr.Chachundar ?" she said

"Hey you--, I was about to say something but then I realised that she is the only one who can help me with shopping and all , so I stopped

"You what?" She said raising her eyebrow

"Umm... What are you doing right now ?"

"Making halwa" she replied sarcastically

"Can't you reply normally ?" I asked again

"Can't you see on your own ?" She replied

"Accha okk , Actually I need your help ..." I stated

"For what?"

"You need to come with me for shopping , I can't do this on my own"

"No I am not, I have so many work"

"You don't, so stop lying plus it will save you from lots of work , you are doing here" , think about it , this might be a good opportunity for you" he offered further trying to act smart

"O really" she said while raising an eyebrow

"She thought for a sec and replied okk , but what will I get in return ?" She further asked

"Whatever you ask for" I replied, trying to rid off

"Ok then I will have icecream and golgappa outside , I am hungry" she replied cutely with a pout as if she asked for the most expensive thing in the world

"That's it? I thought of something bigger" I replied with amusement

Yeah" she replied with a grin

"Okk then I am waiting in the car , you come in 5 min"

"Okk"