Writer's POV:-

Their mood was ruined by the unwanted guest — Neel. His presence was too malice to not get bothered. Sensing the heaviness in the otherwise fun moment, Neel smirked maliciously while coming near them. Aakarsh was visibly stiffened looking at him. Masking his discomfort, he pulled a stern composure.

Guessing the next worrisome moments, Annapurna, in a low voice, asked the girl who was applying Mehndi to Diksha, to excuse them for a moment. 

"You don't seem to look happy at your wedding, baby boo!" Neel taunted Aakarsh, noticing his stiff features. Aakarsh stared at him with a straight face.

Before he could reply anything, Diksha blurted out bluntly with irritation "Why the hell are you here?" She was pissed just by looking at him. 

Neel shifted his focus on her and chuckled evilly. He eyed Aakarsh and then at Diksha before turning to Krishna, 

"I am invited by uncle, didn't you tell them, Choti Ma?" Neel asked mockingly, enumerating his reason to come. His eyes moved to their faces simultaneously with threatening mischief.

"The invitation was not in your name, Neel. Don't twist things." Krishna retorted, sternly. 

"My father or me, how does it matter? Anyways, it's time for a celebration. Congratulations on your wedding Krish, I hope it goes well." Neel flashed a venomous smirk, perhaps, insinuating his malignancy. 

Aakarsh, who was listening to him till now, got up from his seat before looking straight into his eyes. Confidence was surely swirling in his while he gave a tougher look to Neel.

"If it doesn't, I'll make sure to erase the cause at the earliest… don't worry… you're most welcome here but then, no one is to blame for your absence." Thrashed Aakarsh, flashing a calm smile; his face as confident as a winner which he will be, for sure.

Neel dropped his smirk noticing the calmness of Aakarsh. He couldn't comprehend what was the source of it and curiosity brought out his pique.

He pulled a straight face fuming internally and asked "What do you mean?" His curious tone could easily tell anyone knowing him genuinely, that he was indeed caught off guard with Aakarsh's words.

A lopsided smirk appeared on Aakarsh's face. He knew the ladies were looking and listening to them. Soon enough the people would start noticing the tension and he needs to dissipate the matter before that. He kept a hand on Neel's shoulders as he inched closer to whisper something. His hand gestures on Neel's shoulder looked like he was brushing off some dirt from there. He cascaded his eye down to keep his whispers unattended by many, 

"What I meant will be explained soon but not before giving you a surprise that you'll never forget. Enjoy your stay — Aakarsh paused and looked at him again but this time with a smirk — Bhai." He emphasized the last word, instigating Neel.

Neel's face turned hard. The 'Bhai' word was something he never expected Aakarsh to call him with. Not like he just assumed, but it was Aakarsh only who told him that he has lost the right to be called Bhai again.

Surely, something was going inside Aakarsh's mind and he could sense it already. This was definitely not what he had expected to happen before coming here. 

Krishna, Annapurna, and Diksha frowned looking at Aakarsh's action. No way he was going to be cordial let alone friendly with him in this life. 

"What is Krish doing?" Annapurna asked in a low voice,

"I don't know, probably warn him. See he is angry all of a sudden." Krishna answered as they were still looking towards the two men standing closely.

"He is saying something…" Diksha asked them to look at Neel.

"If you think you can —" his words were abruptly interrupted by Aakarsh's loud call to Vidyut,

"Chhote,"

Vidyut, who was passing the food stall with a plate full of snacks, frowned hearing his name being called. He looked at the delectable plate in his hands and made a crying face. He so wanted to savor those items on his plate and the random call was separating him from his ultimate love — food. 

"I'll be back soon my babies, till then rest here," he mumbled dramatically to the dry chicken chili pieces after hearing Aakarsh's other call and kept the plate back on the food stall. Then something struck his mind and he picked up the plate again smilingly.

"Why bear separation!?" Murmuring under his breath he tossed one piece in his mouth and walked towards Aakarsh happily as ever. 

Everything can wait but not chicken! *Winks*

"Yes, bhaiya, you called —" he stopped as soon as his eyes fell on Neel. His temper heated in just a second.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Vidyut, angrily gritting his teeth.

"Vidyut, behave; I'm elder to you!" Neel warned, showing him eyes.

"Yeah, the kind of elder deserving no respect." Vidyut chimed, fuming at his presence. 

"Vidyut…" he growled, but before his reactions, Krishna stopped him.

"Neel, don't create a scene here. We don't want people to think ill of us." She scolded him sternly. 

Her interruption was needed… she felt it, thus the warning to Neel. 

"And Vidyut, ask someone to show him his room. The function is still going on and I don't think the respected Neel Bhai wants to stay here." Diksha taunted from behind. She was flashing a mocking smile to Neel when he glared at her. 

"Sure, Bhabhi after all not everyone can digest the sweetness of people and family gatherings." Vidyut supported Diksha's taunt with his own exasperating lines and clicked his tongue dramatically. Aakarsh snorted inaudibly at their dramatic representations. Neel was clearly hated by his favorite people.

Gritting his teeth at everyone, Neel chose to leave the spot by walking away from there. His aim to rule Aakarsh up and create some tension was drastically failed. 

Annapurna called the girl back and she started finishing Diksha's Mehndi. Aakarsh and Vidyut stood at one side with the former telling the whole 'Neel' scene to the latter. After some time.

"Come, Krish, let's get your design done," Krishna asked Aakarsh to sit beside Diksha as her Mehndi was completed. 

"Bhaiya, you and Mehndi? Am I seeing the correct thing?" Vidyut, who was done with his plate of chicken, laughed at his brother who glared at him in return. 

"I'll tell you when your time comes." Warned Aakarsh, before settling beside Diksha as he knew the two ladies ain't gonna listen.

"Haha… very funny… I won't apply… you'll see." Vidyut showed his tongue, teasing him. 

"And I'll make sure you get your hands full," Diksha teased him on behalf of Aakarsh. 

Everyone except Vidyut, chuckled looking at his sulking face. He stomped his foot before whining,

"Bhabhi, you too!" He asked, gasping dramatically as he kept his hand on his chest in fake shock.

"Yes, devar ji, me too!" Diksha batted her eyes innocently before smiling mischievously at him.

"We will discuss this when we'll find you some girl… and with these monkey instincts of yours… I will have a hard time finding my second daughter-in-law." Krishna too sighed, shaking her head, continuing the same drama.

"All of you are bad… very bad! I'm going to find myself a girl right away." Vidyut whined and sprinted out of there leaving the same number of people as of earlier.

As the mehndi girl was about to touch Aakarsh's hand after they had a laugh at Vidyut's childish act, Aakarsh stopped her. 

"Mumma, Maa… if You both want me to get it, then you two have to do it." He demanded looking at both the ladies. Diksha already guessed something like this being put forward by him. She shook her head and asked the girl to leave.

"You can apply it on other people's hands now." She said to the girl and she left.

"How can I forget this stubborn child of mine won't do anything without putting his conditions? Come, Anu," 

They applied a small circle-like design on both of his palms that too after much of his nagging to avoid the intricacies. Diksha laughed every time he made a bad face looking at the green paste.

"I'll get my revenge, baby, laugh all you want." Aakarsh had whispered in her ears when the mothers were cleaning their hands. 

They had shared a moment of eye-lock, with no one disturbing them before the girls circled Diksha to dance and the boys pulled Aakarsh with them.

The Mehndi ended on a good note though some things definitely didn't go as per plan, but then, this life. You have to kneel before it. 

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Writer's POV:-

Neel was dropped into his room by some nosy and clingy cousin of Aakarsh who completely pissed him off. As soon as he stepped out of the washroom after taking a relaxing shower to cool off his heated mind, he received a call. 

"Not that I care… All I want is that property… nothing is above that." He said,

"But, you said he was happy and confident today." The person replied from the other end.

"Let him be as happy as he wants. He had lost three years ago, he will lose tomorrow too." Neel growled over the call. 

"Try not to disclose the major while targeting the minor. I won't take a minute to leave you." The person warned before hanging up.

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Diksha's POV:-

I was sitting in my room, scraping off my Mehndi as it was already past twelve and it had been on my hands since evening. All my cousins were sleeping so no one will disturb me at this time. Sejal was sleeping with me as we were staying together since the start of rituals. It was the first time in all these nights that she isn't talking to Neev as till now she didn't get to sleep before one. 

As all my Mehndi came out, I looked at the colour. It was dark red! Like the deepest shade of blood. His name's shining proudly in between the intricate designs as if they already knew it will become the darkest. I don't want to think about those superstitious beliefs regarding the connection between Mehndi's color and husband's love but can't help with the tingling thoughts after looking at my hand-painted in the darkness of his love.

His 'Love'?

Does he love me? 

And, what about me? 

Do I love him; like with all my heart?

I could feel my heartbeat rising on my assumptions and God it somehow felt… umm… good… very differently good. His face flashed in front of my eyes. His intense eyes speak more than his lips. The way he looks at me with a silent face and intense eyes, as if they have thousands of stories to tell. The way he holds me tightly in his arms… they feel safe… warm. And his heartbeats which race with mine when we are close… like the other day when he… kissed me… God! 

I hid my face in my palm as the thoughts of him getting close to me were so intense and sparkling for me that I didn't know how this could happen in his absence? I could feel my stomach full of fluttering butterflies. He was not here but still, I could feel his touch… his fingers… his lips on my cheeks… neck, and bare waist like yesterday. Why am I feeling this so lively? Is this what they call love?

A strong vibration broke my reverie and pulled me out of my blissful thoughts. It was my phone which was vibrating with a call. I picked it up from the side table only to see the call from my Arrogant Hulk. 

I chuckled and blushed at the same time and calmed myself before receiving the call.

"I know you must be sleepy, but this is important." He breathed out immediately as soon as the call was received. 

I chuckled at his restlessness and replied with a humm only, "hmm," 

"Miss Diksha Shrivastaw, I don't think I will be able to talk to you from tomorrow onwards. This has to be dropped right here." His serious words left me still like a statue.

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