Atharv introduced his friend to everyone, including his sister-in-law, Piya, who is ready to support him. She stood from her chair to greet Pari.

"Hello, Pari! I'm Piya, Atharv's sister-in-law."

"Hi, Piya! Hello, everyone," Pari greeted Piya casually before moving forward to greet the other family members. Atharv didn't like that Pari bypassed Piya and addressed everyone else first.

It seemed she intentionally ignored Piya, who had come over to greet her as Atharv wished. Pari's casual greeting didn't sit well with others, especially Aryansh, who observed the whole scene. He turned away, choosing not to acknowledge his brother's friend, whom Atharv had invited without informing anyone.

The Shekhawats merely nodded at Pari's greeting. Sneha, Aryansh's mother, invited Pari to join them for dinner since she is a guest. Pari gladly accepted the invitation and sat in the chair beside Aryansh without waiting for anyone to guide her. Everyone is shocked to see her take Piya's seat. Both Piya and Atharv slapped their foreheads in disbelief, knowing that someone would soon react.

"Hel...," Pari began to greet Aryansh but stopped at his next sentence.

"Get up."

"Huh?"

"GET UP from this seat. It is my wife's place."

Aryansh shot her a look and directly told her to move. He turned to see Atharv's face but found him hiding behind Piya. Piya gave him a reassuring smile to ease his anger while Aryansh's eyes narrowed at his brother's actions.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Pari said, feeling embarrassed by Aryansh's outright rejection. She stood up, and to manage the situation, Sneha suggested she sit on the other side, which is coincidentally opposite Aryansh.

Atharv's mother chuckled at how Aryansh treated her. Atharv and Piya took their respective places beside Aryansh, and everyone began to engage in small talk while having dinner.

"How are your studies going, Pari?" Piya asked, trying to normalize the situation, which did not sit well with Aryansh. He disliked how that girl treated his wife's greeting, yet Piya continued to give her attention. Atharv was glad his sister-in-law was trying to make things better.

"They're good. An MBA from a tier-1 college is really hard; we have to submit multiple projects and do seminars. You can understand that, since you might have done the same," Pari replied.

"No, I can't because I only did my graduation from tier -2 college," Piya laughed, responding honestly.

"Oh, I thought you might have pursued further studies since you're married to one of the top CEOs in the country," Pari said, but her tone sounded biased.

Piya didn't catch the sarcasm in Pari's voice, but others certainly did.

"Piya is very smart and intelligent; she knew she didn't need a master's degree to prove her capability. But not everyone is fortunate enough to make those kinds of decisions," Sunaina Shekhawat, Atharv's mother, replied in the same tone, effectively silencing Pari.

Sunaina didn't understand how her son had become friends with Pari. What was she trying to prove? It felt as though she was behaving like a wanted guest in their house. Dinner is almost finished when something unexpected happened.

Aryansh threw his plate on the floor, which crashed and shattered into multiple pieces.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" he shouted at Pari.

"Aryansh, what happened?" Everyone stood from their chairs and asked him in unison. Piya tried to calm him down by holding his hand and rubbing his forearm.

"Atharv, take your friend out of this mansion right now!"

"Bhai, what happened? Why are you getting angry?" Atharv is clueless, as everyone had been enjoying their food. He realized that he had made a mistake inviting Pari; she is not who she seemed. But he didn't like how his brother is reacting to Pari, especially since she is his guest.

"Aryansh!"

"ARYANSH!"

Everyone shouted his name, especially his mother, who looked at him with anger.

"Apologize to Pari right now," Sneha said, but Piya interrupted. Though she didn't like Aryansh's actions, but she believed he must have had a reason for his outburst.

"Maa, please let's ask him what happened. Why did he get angry?", Piya turned towards Aryansh and asked him, "Are you okay?"

"I think I should leave. I understand I'm not welcome here, so it would be better if I leave this place," Pari said in a low, sad voice to gain sympathy from the family. She befriended Atharv to meet his brother, Aryansh Shekhawat, on whom she had a big crush since long time. Today she got the opportunity to meet Aryansh so she tried to grab his attention without knowing that when he becomes a devil then he would not spare anyone.

"What happened, Aryansh?" Digvijay Shekhawat asked, to put a full stop to this drama.

"Your youngest grandson's guest doesn't have manners or class, Grandpa. She is trying to play footsie under the table. At first, I thought it was a mistake, but she did it again. It's not that she doesn't know where Atharv is sitting and accidentally hitting on my leg"

Aryansh told the reason making everyone shocked. They don't understand how she could do such a cheap act in between the family. 

"I... I..."

"Chudail, ruk tujhe chodungi nahi main!" (Witch, I won't spare you!) How dare you?

Before anyone could comment on Aryansh's words, Piya let go of Aryansh's arm and moved towards Pari in anger, ready to give her a piece of her mind. Her words too shocked everyone, as they had never seen her like this. Immediately, Aryansh followed her and held her back before she could do anything.

"Jaana!"

"You leave me, Aryansh! I won't spare this witch. How dare she?"

"Shhh, calm down.", he tried to calm her down by holding her waist.

"I didn't do anything! It's him who tried to—"

"Excuse me?", on her reply, Aryansh left Piya and looked at her with disgust.

"AHHHHHHHH!"

Before Pari could finish the words, a scream escaped from her lips as Piya attacked her by pulling her hairs furiously. The scene is so comic that everyone started laughing, forgetting that one person is in pain and might need serious help if Piya don't stop. A few minutes later, Aryansh pulled Piya back, unintentionally saving Pari from getting bald.

"NOT A WORD MORE, PARI! LEAVE!" Atharv said calmly, but his eyes burned with anger towards his so-called friend. Without creating any more drama, Pari left the Shekhawat mansion, and Atharv feels guilty for inviting her.

I'm sorry, Bhai," Atharv said, bowing his head in shame.

"Yes, you should be sorry," Aryansh replied, his voice icy.

"Aryansh..." Piya began, but halted at the intensity in his gaze.

"You should be sorry for not understanding what kind of person you're making friends with, not for her actions. Be careful next time," he said softly, placing a supportive hand on Atharv's shoulder. Atharv hugged his brother, grateful for the understanding, and a wave of relief swept over the family.

"Thank God, everything is alright," Sneha remarked, but her words hung awkwardly in the air.

"You should thank Piya, Maa, because unlike you, she chosen to listen to me," Aryansh snapped, the bitterness evident. The tension in the room thickened; everyone sensed the hostility in his tone.

"That girl was our guest, Beta, and we can't be rude. That's why your mother said that," Padma Shekhawat, his grandmother, interjected, attempting to diffuse the situation. But Aryansh brushed past her, leaving the dining room in frustration.

Sneha, concerned for Atharv's feelings, urged her son to apologize. Aryansh had always been the family favorite, but she couldn't bear to see Atharv feeling less important. As she looked downcast, Piya took her hand and reassured, "Maa, don't worry. He'll be fine by tomorrow."

"Thanks," Sneha said, caressing Piya's face lovingly. She appreciated Piya's unwavering support for Aryansh, but it warmed her heart to see her stand by Atharv as well.

*************

"What are you thinking, Baby?"

Piya emerged from her restroom, having changed out of her bridal attire. She found Aryansh lost in thought, likely still dwelling on the earlier incident. He is reflecting on how she had defended him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest.

"Baby, don't be angry at Maa. She was just looking out for Atharv. I'm sure she didn't mean anything."

"Hmm," Aryansh replied, noncommittal.

He tried to pull away, but Piya held him tighter and to make his mood better she said, "Baby, it is our first Karva Chauth, and you didn't get me any gift", while looking into his eyes.

"What do you want?" he asked, meeting her playful glare.

"Gifts are supposed to be surprises," she said, narrowing her eyes, but the next moment found herself pinned beneath him.

"This isn't a gift, it's my right," she teased, noticing him untying her nightdress. He chuckled at her cheekiness, then stood up and went to get a gift from the cupboard for her.

"Open it tomorrow after I leave for the office," he instructed.

"Why can't I open it now?" she pouted.

"I don't want to waste time on a gift when we have so many good things to do right now," he replied with a mischievous smile on his face.

Aryansh cupped her face, his thumb gently tracing her cheek. "I want to cherish every moment with you," he murmured while leaning in closer.

Their lips met softly at first then quickly deepened as passion ignited between them. Piya wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, losing herself in the kiss. She could feel the warmth of his body, the strength of his arms as he enveloped her in a protective embrace.

Aryansh responded eagerly, his hands sliding around her waist, pulling her closer until there is no space left between them. The kiss became more urgent, more passionate. Piya could feel the heat radiating from his body, the warmth enveloping her as they kissed. Every brush of his lips sent shivers through her, igniting a spark that traveled down to her very core. 

His fingers trailed down her sides, exploring the curves of her body before unknotting the dress Piya arched against him, craving more, every touch sending waves of pleasure coursing through her. She could taste the warmth of his lips on her neck, the sweetness of his breath mingling with hers, and it made her dizzy with longing which he fulfilled with utmost generosity.

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