Avantika sat between Arjun and Radhika on either side of her with a stout pandit seated opposite to them. He would time and again cringe his nose inside their astrological birth chart. Arjun was bored to death sitting there past half an hour. His frowning face was pallid and quivering. Radhika would steal glances at him and he would smile with concession. He didn't wanted her to get any wrong ideas by that long sullen face.

"They are perfect for each other. It's a match made in heaven probably because of that only fate played its cards and brought them together." Pandit ji says with conviction in his tone.

"I know." Arjun says far too arrogantly.

He didn't needed any expensive charlatan to certify his relation with his Radhika. He knew she was made for him as he for her.

"Arjun, stay quiet." Avantika told him off.

"Mom but..."

"Arjun, I said stay quiet."

"Arjun, why don't you learn some manners from Radhika?! She has been patiently waiting with a big smile on her face unlike you." Pandit ji chastised.

"Pandit ji when I'll have nothing else to do in life I'll think about your suggestion. For now I have my brain and hands full of work which makes me big money." Arjun replied in a sassy tone.

"Arjun, please don't talk to pandit ji like that. He is elder to us and he is here just for us." Radhika glared at him.

"Oh no beta he isn't disrespecting me in anyway. We have a cordial relationship though he doesn't believe in God that much. He is just stating his opinion."

"Still Arjun behave or else..."

"Or else what?!" He asked smugly.

"Or else you'll sleep on the couch today."

He pouted like a naughty child being told off. She blew a flying kiss to him secretly to placate him. He smiled shyly as his mom gave him a knowing look. Dates were finalized and every single soul in the house was gleeful and ecstatic about the wedding. Arjun was overjoyed because finally he was starting to believe that there is hope for him to be not alone in this world.
Radhika was getting pre wedding jitters but she was overwhelmed with happiness too. She knew Arjun was holding back because he wanted to do things the right way. He wanted a proper wedding ceremony before taking their relationship to the next level.

"How about a beach wedding?!" He asked as he played with her hair, curling them around his fingers.

They were lying under the covers cocooned in each other's arms. Radhika had her cheek pressed in his chest with her hand resting on his heart while his hand was wrapped around her waist protectively.

"Whatever you say." She smiled.

"Don't you have any kind of dreams about your wedding?! I mean girls think about this things, right?!" He probed her for an answer.

She furrowed her brows as if she was in a deep thought,"Yes as a matter of fact they do but I didn't really give it a thought. Where we marry, how we marry and when we marry doesn't counts. I just want to be married to you again." She says.

He kissed her temple,"Feelings are mutual, Mrs Mehra."

"Hey can I ask you something?!"

"Of course, Mrs Mehra. You don't need to ask my permission for asking me anything." He stated in a unwavering tone.

"Were you considering to marry Aisha before I came into your life?!" She asked in a small voice.

She knew his answer didn't matter now that all three of them have moved on in life but still somethings should be crystal clear before a new start.

"I was in two frame of minds that time. We were together for six years and she had really put up with my shit so I thought maybe we could marry to make her happy." He tried to explain her but he knew no matter what he said, he had opened an old wound which wasn't healed yet but still he owed her an honest answer.

She took in his words maturely and smiled assuring him that she isn't upset with him. How does it matter anyway?! He cannot change his past to fit her bill, can he?! No so why hold onto something you cannot erase from your life?! She thought to herself, coaxing her jealous heart.

"Did you ever cheat on her?!"

Her question knocked the air out of his lungs. What does she think of me?! Her doubt made him angry initially but her ethereal face did blow all the fury away.

"I don't know." He said evasively.

"What does that mean?!" She asked.

"You know that day we had a ugly fight and I walked out on her. I went to the bar, got drunk until I could barely stand straight. I don't remember anything after that. When I got up in the morning, I was in bed with Laila, one of my past flings. I don't think if I did anything but she said we had sex that night. I confessed to Aisha the following day and she had a emotional breakdown. We didn't talk for almost a year and focused on our careers but eventually she found it in herself to forgive me and we patched up."

He cheated or not?! Oh dear, what if that wrench had spiked his drink?! What to believe and what not to believe?! She thought to herself.

"Do you think, you cheated?!"

"I don't think so I did. Though I have a really potential libido but I don't think so I could have got it up if I was so sloshed."

True that. He was not in his senses, maybe because of that he lost his strength to reject her advances. I don't believe Arjun can cheat. He can't be a cheater. Poor Aisha, she must have been heartbroken. He broke her heart twice. First when he confessed that he doesn't remember anything of that night and second when he chose her over Aisha. Still in spite of all this Aisha acted civil with them in that party. Now it's her turn to make amends.

She stares deep into his eyes, "I want to meet Aisha and clear the air between us. I mean there shouldn't be any hard feelings right?!"

"There aren't. She is dating Sameer now so it's all good." He pulled her in a hug to assure her.

"But still I want to say sorry." She whispered in a tone of finality.

"What for?! You don't need to say sorry for anything." He says petulantly.

"I need to say sorry because I came between both of you."

"I don't see it that way. It's best for three of us. She got her happiness and I got mine."

Tears brimmed in her eyes,"But she loved you and I..."

"Hey shush." He pressed his finger on her lips to silence her," I never loved Aisha and she knows it. You don't need to be sorry because it's not your fault. It's my fault clearly. I acted very insensitivity towards her and I am truly sorry for it. We were together because more than lovers, we were eachother's best friends maybe I had always seen her as a friend and I just realised it too late. You know we would go days without talking and when we would meet after a cold war, we talked more as close friends unless we were fucking." Shit! He wished he could bite back his last words. Radhika was growing on him. He had started to talk more like her.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to you know..."

She breaks in on him, "Arjun it's alright. You guys were together for six years so it's but obvious you guys did it."

He cupped her face and kissed her forehead, "You know you amaze me, Radhika. Sometimes I wonder what did I do actually to deserve you. I don't deserve you, Radhika believe it or not."

She smiled with tears streaming down her cheeks,"I love you more than you love me."

He shook his head, "Can't be true. No one can love like me and you're comparing a tree to a forest."

"One day I'll prove that I love you more." She stated in a tone of conviction.

He caressed her face tenderly,"Let's see for now help me be the man of your dreams. I want to your ideal man who you'll be proud of."

She smiled her heartwarming smile,"I am proud of you. Look at what all you have achieved in life not just the riches but love of so many people. Look at what you do to me. I don't want to change you. You are mine, good or bad, I have gone too far to care."

He cried tears of happiness,"I love you so so much." He was shocked because he had never cried after a girl, it had always been the other way around still this little girl standing here was loving him with everything she had and more, must she be so stupid or thoughtless of her own good. In spite of hearing all his womanizing tendencies, she was still here and not out of the life. Her heart must be breaking after getting an insight in his ugly past, still she was here cherishing his newly born heart. Now he had no doubt that his heart would grow loving her and cherishing her. He will just do that for her and for him most importantly.

She looked pleadingly at him,"Will you tell me everything about your past?! I am not asking because I might get cold feet after knowing all of it, I just want to take your pain and also I don't want any secrets between us."

He kissed her all over her face,"Oh baby, you don't need to take my pain. Never will I put you through any pain I suffered for years. I want to preserve and protect your sweet innocence and your pure heart."

She pushed him away, "Don't distract me. I want to know you'll tell me or not."

"One day." He sealed his promise with a demanding, passionate, soul-searing kiss.