Trigger warning: mentions death. I apologize if it brings up sad memories. You may skip this chapter in case you feel sensitive about it. I will add a recap before the next chapter so you won't miss out on the plot.

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Post Chandini's uneventful exit, Jai had gone with her luggage to the airport so that she can fly home. Chandrakala went in her room to talk to her brother and explain why she was returning early. The rest continued breakfast normally unbothered by the fact that Bani had just thrown a girl out. They understood she had it coming after her behavior. Veer sat there, proud at his gharwali for coming out of her shell and becoming braver.

Post breakfast, Mayuri bid them goodbye and left for the airport herself. Vani went to Sharmas' for lunch. Mahesh had told them at the reception about 'pag pheras'. Veer was quite shocked they were going to follow that ritual given the feelings that Ritu harbored for Bani. They soon realized it was because Ritu had gone to visit her sister and Meera used this perfectly timed opportunity for the last ritual that remained. They had lunch and enjoyed a great conversation. Veer was loaded with Bani's childhood stories and when he told Meera what Bani did in the morning, her sister was shocked to hear that Bani could take on a fierce avatar.

They bid adieu and left for AV Industries. Veer stood at the gate, a bit emotional. Bani linked their fingers as a form of comfort, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand and they both entered the building.

When Veer was one years old, his mother had started this company and named it 'Avni-Veer Industries'. She had worked hard on it but after her demise only a few years later, it had been transferred to Balwant. Balwant already had his hands full with his own businesses, his child and was mourning his wife. He did not want to sell her company but he couldn't pay much attention to it as well. Veer told about this to Bani and expressed that he wanted to build the company back to its previous standing.

B: You can do it Veeranshu. I have full faith. It will not only be back on its previous standing but will exceed.

Veer smiled at Bani and gave her a tour of the building. He took her to a room and stood in front of the door. Bani looked at him with question.

V: Her cabin.

Bani nodded in understanding and linked their arms together. Veer kissed the top of her head and together, they entered the cabin. They came face to face with a neatly kept cabin. Veer studied its walls and gently touched the chair. It was devoid of a lot of furniture given that this was locked for past so many years. Balwant could never bring himself to sit in her cabin and didn't regularly handle its functioning so wasn't in the building daily. Honestly, he just let employees handle most of it. He wasn't brave enough to walk through the walls of a place so close to his wife and not miss her terribly.

Veer sat at the chair. There was a slight shaking in his demeanor. Bani kept a hand against his palm and whispered sweet nothings. Bani then turned to study the rest of the cabin when Veer pulled into his lap and hugged her.

B: Veeranshu?

V: Please...I need this.

Bani nodded in understanding and laid in his lap. Veer kept hugging her and breathing her scent to calm himself down. Bani looked at the photo frame on the table and picked it up. After blowing away the dust, she came face to face with a picture of Balwant and Avni with a toddler in their arms. Bani smiled at photo and Veer gave her a smile too. Bani felt like a lot of pent up emotions were locked inside Veer.

B: Veeranshu. Ab kaam to parson se dekhna hai na so ab chale?

V: haan...ghar chalte hai..

B: Nahi...come with me. Please.

Veer didn't have a heart to say no to Bani. Bani began driving.

V: Tumhe driving aati hai?

B: Haan..

V: kaise?

B: Noor...we used to sneak out at night taki koi dekhe nahi..

Veer smiled and later realized that Bani had bought them to the lake.

V: Yahan?

B: Shaadi hui hai humari. Mere pati ho tum. Sbse mill liye toh ab apne saas sasur se bhi mil lo..

Her voice broke at the end and Veer realized she was emotional. They reached the lake and Bani introduced Veer to her parents.

B: Mujhe zyada kuch yaad nahi hai unke baare me aur na hi ye pata hai ki unki funeral kahan hui, kisne ki...I think ghat pass krwa di gayi thi. We are normal people to koi monument bhi nahi hai..but this lake is a place where I try to imagine them.

V: Sweetheart, don't mind but you lost them here. so are you okay?

B: Veeranshu, mujhe mera bachpan ka ghar kaise tha, kahan tha vo tk yaad nahi hai. I see this place as where I last saw them, not where I was told they're dead. This feels like the only place I feel I can connect to them. I am this okay because I have mourned and let go Veeranshu. Do I miss them? Yes. Do I wish they were alive? Yes. Would my life be different with them in it? Probably yes but I cannot fight fate. I have to trust that they are in a better place and not fill my heart with sadness when I think of them.

Veer understood what she was hinting at. He rose up and greeted her parents. He promised them to take good care of her and asked for their blessings. Bani smiled and praised him to them. Told that she adored him and how good he was.

Post this, Veer guided Bani to a clearing where his mom's funeral had taken place. There, at her resting place, they had planted a tree. Bani and Veer sat under it and Veer introduced his mom to his wife. They both seek her blessing. The winds blew and a few flowers fell on Bani.

V: Maa, no ashirvaad for me? Only for her?

Bani giggled and collected a lot of fallen flowers and poured them all on his head. Veer looked at her with a smile.

B: She is there with you all the time. Mujhse to abhi milli hai isliye special treatment.

Veer got a little emotional and hugged Bani.

B: Veer. You need to mourn and let go. I know you are happy but please dil me bojh mt rakho..

Veer nodded, hugging her. A few tears escaped his eyes and then he broke into sobs.

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A while had passed with Veer crying and then expressing his pent up feelings since his mom's demise. His complaints against Balwant for not handling AV properly, for his bullies who teased him as he had no mother and how he kept all this contained. His chachi's demise hit him hard too as he saw her as a mother figure after his mom. He was told that boys don't cry and he kept all his emotions bottled up. He knows now that this isn't okay and that men can get emotional too but as a child he hid it all. Crying away years of pain, he held pulled away from Bani who had patiently let him wet her shoulders.

V: Thank you Gharwali. I needed it more than I knew myself.

B: Thank you naam ki formality, humare beech?

V: Mere dialogue churati rehti hoo

B: Tum mere to tumhare her dialogue bhi mere..

She showed him a tongue and he chuckled at her childishness. Bani felt glad that he laughed at least. They headed out and came back home.

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A week had passed since the day they came back from their parents' resting places and Veer had mourned properly. Now they only carried happy memories and it did not over burden their emotions. Veer had also gotten super busy with meeting new investors and employees regarding AV industries. He also met with teams to plans business strategies and understand current dynamics better.

Balwant was really proud of his son. He was working and working hard. Chandrakala was happy too but this made her push Jai more. She wanted Jai to be the nicest of them all. To be the most successful and excel everywhere because she felt he wasn't their biological kid, in fact he turned out to be from their enemy clan but he was her son and she felt protective of him. She wanted him to be so ideal that Balwant praised him always and wished Jai was his own.

Jai had always felt the pressure of being the good kid and this made him eventually act out in private. He would rebel silently and act like a goody in front of all. With Veer's new responsible avatar, his hatred for him grew because now he felt like he had to be better. Living in the same house as Bani was affecting him as well. He would see her walk around in her sarees and itched to touch her. Sometimes, she would also come down in suits as she would head out to the company to help Veeranshu and Jai would catch him longing for someone to show this much care. He shook his head. Well, one thing was certain. Veer should not have is happily ever after before him.

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Today, Bani was wearing one of her yellow sarees. 

She called Rajesh, an employee, so to see if Veer had had his food. She was told that Veer had missed the lunch hour due to a meeting and was now going through some legal papers. Bani rolled her eyes at her careless husband.

She reached the office with a lunch basket and greeted the employees on her way to Veer's cabin and knocked.

V: Come in.

B: Hey husband!

Veer looked up and smiled in relief.

V: Hey gharwali...tum yahan?

B: Kyu? Nahi aa skti?

V: arey nahi nahi, you can come anytime. Your company, your cabin and your husband.

B: To utho!

V: What?

B: Mera hai na sb kuch. To mere hukum chalega. Please get up.

Bani forced Veer to get up and made him sit on a newly put couch in the corner. She set the lunch on the old table and fed Veer to eat from her hands.

V: Tumne khaya?

B: I went out to have lunch with Noor, remember. Akr pata chala ki mere patidev to bhukke baithe hai...apna dhyan rakha karo Veer.

V: Tum ho na..

B: kl ko nahi hui toh bhi-

Veer quickly shut her mouth.

V: Bani mujhe is tarah ki baaten bilkul pasand nahi hai

B: accha sorry. Hug le lo... maafi de do?

Veer hugged her.

V: Dialogue chor!

B: Tch tch tch gharwale!...explain kiya tha na? I have all the rights to use them okay.

V: Ji maate..

Bani stood up to clear out the table and Veer headed back to the table.

V: Bani?

B: haan?

Bani stood abruptly and her pallu got stuck in an exposed pin of the table. She moved front and it came undone. Her eyes widened as she stood in front of Veer with her front exposed like this. Veer gulped as well. He looked at her smooth belly and cleavage and then at her flushed face. He stalked towards her, like a lion to a lamb and held her pallu in his hands. He pulled her to him. Bani was frozen all this while, their gazes locked. Veer cupped her face.

V: You know you are beautiful?

B: Hmm?

V: The most beautiful woman I have ever laid my eyes on...and my control has been handing by a thread lately but what do you expect of man when his wife tempts him like this..

He licked his lips and looked at her slightly parted ones. He silently asked for permission and realized her gaze was fixed at his lips as well. They both moved forth and their lips met.

They kissed each other softly and pulled away. Bani looked away shyly. She looked back to see desire flare in his eyes and he pulled her back, smashing their lips together. Bani felt hit by a bus due the intensity of things she was feeling. Veer was moving his lips against her roughly yet passionately. She slowly began moving her lips as well and this served as encouragement. Veer pulled her to him, tighter than before. Her small frame clashed with his as their lips collided and moved in sync, the world fading away.

They broke the kiss after a while, breathing heavy. They rested their foreheads together and smiled at each other. Veer pecked her head.

V: God! I love you woman.

B: And I love you.

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Bani headed out of the building and got into her car. After her rushed confession, Veer had become very surprised. He had lifted her in his arms and twirled her around. Her giggles filled the cabin as he kept twirling her and kissing her face. She didn't even realize her love until a few days ago and wanted to confess romantically but the kiss had sent her in trance and then his love declaration had resulted in her blurting out as well. Not that she regretted it.

They were bought out of their world by a knock at the door. Rajesh had informed Veer of an urgent meeting and though Veer wanted to cancel but Bani told him that he had just taken over and made a lot of changes. Cancelling at this stage won't be good and had left after giving him a peck.

Bani was driving home, a smile and blush permanently featuring on her face. Out of nowhere she saw a young girl get in front of her car. Bani panicked and pulled at the breaks, the car stopping last minute. Bani looked to see the girl laid on the road, shivering. Bani got out of her car.

B: Beta! Aap daro mt...kuch nahi hua hai aapko...hello-

Smash!

And her world went blank!

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Cliff hanger!

xoxo