Writer's POV:-

"Come, beta, let's officially get you to your room." Krishna rose from her seat and walked toward Diksha, holding her hand warmly.

Annapurna joined her, slipping an arm around her daughter from the other side. Diksha smiled meekly at her mother-in-law, her cheeks heating as Krishna's teasing gaze flickered toward her. A sudden wave of shyness washed over her when Aakarsh jumped to his feet.

"But shouldn't she go with me, Mumma?" he said in a hurried tone. As impatient as he has been for the past two days. His eyes darted between his mother and his wife. "Every ritual's over, right?"

His restlessness was written all over his face, and he wasn't even trying to hide it.

All eyes in the room turned to Aakarsh, especially the ladies, their expressions brimming with amusement. A wave of embarrassment caught Diksha off guard as her husband's desperation became the center of attention. He stepped closer to her, his hands itching to pull her into his arms.

"No, you can't go with her," Krishna said casually, as if she hadn't just shattered her son's hopes into a thousand pieces.

"What? Why?" Aakarsh yelped, his eyes widening in disbelief.

The boys in the background chortled heavily at his reaction, which earned them a fire glare from Aakarsh. He looked back to the two ladies and saw them biting their inner cheeks to control their smiles.

Aakarsh was pissed off, to say the least. "If you guys are done making fun of me. Kindly answer!"

Krishna's eyes twinkled with mischief, but she maintained a straight face. "Because we say so!"

"That's not fair, Mumma!" Aakarsh protested, his voice rising in frustration. "You said it was just yesterday that we needed to stay apart." His hands balled into fists as his gaze flickered nervously between his wife and his mother.

His shoulders were tensed, thinking about all the possibilities of them taking Diksha away from him. Without hesitation, he extended his hands toward his wife, wanting to pull her closer when his best friend stopped him.

"Since when have you become so impatient, man?" Neev slapped Aakarsh's shoulders, teasing him. "I mean, you have all your life to spend with her, after all!" He pulled him back, making him scowl like an angry cat.

Aakarsh turned to him, all set to grab punch his face, "You moron–"

"Okay, okay, don't start with your bickering now. We were just teasing you!" Annapurna interrupted before Aakarsh could take a swing at Neev.

"What?" Aakarsh paused, his head snapping at his mother-in-law. Her words immediately sent relief over his body.

"Yes." Krishna chimed in, barely containing her laughter. "You can take her with you. We were just teasing you. There's no ritual left now,"

Aakarsh exhaled deeply, relief washing over him like a wave. He glared at his mother, his expression a mix of irritation and exasperation. "Come on, Mom. This isn't a joke. I almost had a heart attack!"

Krishna let out a hearty laugh and pinched his cheek affectionately. "Calm down, my child. She's yours for a lifetime now. No one is going to take your wife away from you."

Everyone chuckled at the way Aakarsh pursed his lips and looked away, clearly realizing just how desperate he had seemed.

All the while, Diksha stood with her head lowered, her cheeks and neck flushed a deep crimson. Her eyes refused to meet anyone's gaze as waves of shyness engulfed her.

Only she knew how embarrassed and shy she was feeling at that moment as her husband argued over her with their mothers.

"Sejal, take Diksha to their room now. Aakarsh will join her after a while." Krishna's voice broke the momentary silence in the room. "And you," she turned to her son, narrowing her eyes playfully, "Don't trouble her too much. She's already tired from all the functions."

Aakarsh, still recovering from the embarrassment, nodded meekly, his impatience was replaced with an embarrassed silence.

"Aunty, bhaiya ko dekh ke lag nahi rha ki ye aapki bat manne wale hai. (Bhaiya doesn't look like he is going to obey you.)" Vidyut chipped in as usual, pulling his brother's leg.

Everyone once again burst out laughing, making the couple go all red. Aakarsh rolled his tongue in his cheek, avoiding their gaze. His desperate eyes instinctively found their way to his wife.

Diksha, sensing his gaze, tilted her head slightly and raised her lashes. That's when her eyes met his—intense and desirous, with a mischievous glint. Aakarsh gave her a quick wink, subtle but enough to send his message across: Trouble? Oh, absolutely.

The silent promise made Diksha's heart skip a beat. A rush of electricity coursed through her, making her pulse race. She looked away quickly, her cheeks heating as a soft, nervous smile threatened to break through. Pressing her lips tightly, she tried her best to suppress it, but the warmth blooming inside her betrayed her efforts.

Without meeting anyone's gaze, Diksha nodded and walked away with her. Meanwhile, in the hall, the elder ladies decided to call it a night, knowing full well that the younger ones would find a way to stall Aakarsh for some fun before letting him follow his wife.

True to their assumptions, Neev and Vidyut intercepted Aakarsh as he started to move toward the stairs. They grabbed him from either side, blocking his way.

"Bhai, ruk ja! Teri hi biwi hai. (Brother, hold on! She's your wife anyway)," Neev teased, grinning ear to ear.

"But, Neev Bhai, don't you think Bhabhi is going to throw Bhaiya out of the room tonight?" Vidyut chimed in, mischief gleaming in his eyes.

Aakarsh frowned, confused. "Why would she?"

"Because of you and your desperation, Mr. Despo! I'm sure she'll give you a good beating before letting you in," Neev teased mercilessly.

"And then tomorrow, be ready to be teased by the elders!" Vidyut added, bursting into laughter as he high-fived Neev.

"Saalon, dost nahi dushman ho tum log! (You morons! You're not friends, you're enemies!)" Aakarsh groaned, pushing both of them aside.

Neev and Vidyut doubled over with laughter, holding their stomachs. "We're just stating facts!" they chorused, their voices echoing through the hall.

"Let your time come, buddies," Aakarsh warned, narrowing his eyes at them. "I'll see how far this idiotic laughter takes you then. And mark my words—I'll make sure you're kept away from your respected wives for at least a week. Let's see who's laughing then!"

The playful threat worked like a charm. Neev and Vidyut froze, their laughter dying instantly.

"That's cruel, Bhaiya!" Vidyut whined, even though he didn't have a girlfriend to worry about yet. Beside him, Neev visibly broke into a cold sweat. Sejal's face revolved in his mind.

Aakarsh smirked, savoring the satisfaction of their terrified expressions. "You should've thought of that before teasing me. Now, f**k off!" he declared triumphantly before dashing toward the stairs.

He was now getting eager to spend time with his wife. The boys left behind, consoling each other.

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Diksha's POV:-

"These simple things make the time more beautiful, babe," Sejal said, gently adjusting the veil on my head.

After we came to the room, Sejal helped me change into a red bridal sari, as per Maa's instructions. The intricate details of the sari, combined with the weight of the moment, only added to my shyness. To top it off, Sejal made me sit on the bed like a typical bride—hands folded, veil drawn over my face.

God, don't even ask what I'm feeling right now. My entire face feels like it's on fire. I can't even look Sejal in the eye, let alone imagine what's about to happen.

My heart is drumming so loud in my chest that I fear it might echo in the room. It's my wedding night! I've waited for this day, dreamt of it, but now that it's here, I'm overwhelmed—nervous, shy, and undoubtedly scared.

My palms are sweaty. I lick my lips nervously. "Sejal, I... I am—"

"Sshh... I know," she interrupted, "It's alright to feel this way. But just focus on Jiju–the man you love. I am sure he will treat you like his most prized possession!" She assured me, cupping my face.

Before I could respond, the sound of the doorknob twisting broke through the air. My stomach flipped.

Aakarsh was here.

My heart raced like it was trying to leap out of my chest.

"All the best!" Sejal whispered, pulling the heavy veil down over my face.

I heard his footsteps draw closer, each one causing my breath to hitch.

"Have a wonderful time, lovebirds. Good night!" Sejal squealed as usual and probably walked to the door.

"Thank you. Good night!" Aakarsh said in his deep voice. Then I heard the door being locked.

And just like that, we were alone.

The reality of the moment hit me all over again. This was our wedding night. My nerves tingled as the air in the room thickened with silence.

I tightened my grip on the folds of my sari, my fingers trembling slightly.

The bed dipped under his weight as he sat down in front of me—so close I could hear him breathing. Seconds passed in silence before he finally spoke in his hoarse, deep voice.

"Jaan."

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Authorsiya07 thank you so much for being there, loving & waiting for this story and asking for my well being. Much love to you!! 💝💖😊😊