Siddharth woke up, the next morning with a grumpy face, the last few days had made him habitual to waking up to the sight of a beautiful princess engulfed in his arms.

This morning, however she had woken up earlier than him and hence, his morning hadn't started the right way. He groaned, pushing the comforter off himself and made his way out of the room, to look for his little star.

Shehnaaz was standing at the kitchen counter, stirring something in a huge vessel. The aroma from her cooking had engulfed the hall area completely. Siddharth smiled, inhaling the delightful aroma and walked into the open kitchen.

"Good morning baby." he whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her slightly into his chest. Shehnaaz gasped softly, startled at the unannounced arrival of her boyfriend but smiled soon after, taking his palms and bringing them to her lips, kissing them softly. "Good morning Siddharth. It's only 5:45, you're up too early." She informed him.

Siddharth sighed lazily. "It certainly explains the need for lights. I thought I missed the alarm. When did you wake up?" he asked, while still holding her in a back hug.

Shehnaaz had, by now managed to find herself accustomed to the position and thus, continued with what she was doing, before the uninvited interruption from Siddharth.

"I woke up at 4:30. I wanted to cook a special breakfast today." Shehnaaz answered his question. Siddharth nodded, dropping a soft kiss on her neck. "You smell so good baby."

Shehnaaz blushed, her cheeks glowing scarlet and her eyes twinkling in happiness. She had had the perfect start to a perfect day, and it showed. She rested her left hand on both of his, squeezing them gently. "Siddharth?"

"Yes baby?" Siddharth nuzzled her cheek, smiling. Shehnaaz giggled softly, feeling ticklish due to his stubble. "This is the truth right?"

Siddharth sighed and turned her gently while still holding her securely in his arms. He held her face, gently in his palms. His touch was gentle yet sure, his eyes dark pools of love and adoration caused Shehnaaz's knees to turn jelly. Siddharth tightened his arms around her and pecked her lips. "Yes, little star.. Yes it is."

Shehnaaz smiled, kissing his cheek. "Your early morning look is too cute. I feel like eating you up." She confessed, her eyes twinkling in mischief. Siddharth smiled. "Don't tempt me sweetheart."

Shehnaaz bit her lower lip, her cheeks heating up again. "You're so beautiful, little star." He spoke softly, pulling her against his hard chest.

Shehnaaz looked up at him innocently. He growled, loud enough for her to hear, before claiming her lips for a wild, passionate, borderline brutal kiss, pushing her against the kitchen slab. Shehnaaz, although caught by surprise, responded to what he had started with equal passion.

Minutes later, they both parted reluctantly. Neither was ready to let go of the other as they breathed against each other, their breaths heavy, mingling, hot. "Shehnaaz.." Siddharth grunted, breathing harshly.

The woman in question looked up dazed, as if for one inconspicuous moment, he had taken her to a different world altogether. Siddharth smirked at the dazed.. almost drugged look in her eyes. It gave his man ego a different kind of boost, knowing that he was the reason for her state.

"I love you so much mery jaan!" He said quietly. His beautiful, adorable, sincere eyes shining like she'd never seen them before. Shehnaaz smiled. "I love you too Siddharth."

"What are you cooking, little star? It's smelling delicious." Siddharth asked.

Shehnaaz chuckled, "You said we'll go and meet your Mumma today, so I thought I could make something special for her. Ashok uncle ne mujhe ek baar bataya tha kay Aunty ko badaam ka halwaa pasand hai. I was making that for her, and some breakfast along with that." She told him, fidgeting with her dress, looking adorable.

Siddharth couldn't believe his luck. He was indeed in love with a literal angel. "You've been up since an hour to make halwa for mumma?" He asked surprised.

Shehnaaz nodded, "Will it.. be too much? I.." She blabbed nervously.

Siddharth held her hand comfortingly. "It's okay. You're so adorable and so perfect my precious little star. I'm sure she'll love it. You don't have to worry about anything." He said softly. Shehnaaz nodded. Siddharth smiled and kissed her forehead affectionately.

***

Shehnaaz and Siddharth stood at the front door of the shukla mansion. The girl's hand in a gentle yet tight grip of her man's. Rita shukla stood at the door, looking surprised.

"Isn't it supposed to be a work day?" Rita Shukla, the mother of our 'personal favorite' angry young man, asked her son. She looked surprised, but amused at the unexpectedness of her son's visit.

Siddharth looked at his mother sheepishly. "I ditched the office. I wanted to come and visit you and--" he bit his lip, tugging at shehnaaz's hand slightly "I wanted you to meet someone."

Rita Shukla raised her eyebrow at her son, scanning the girl accompanying him from head to toe. She smiled politely at the girl and took her hand. "Come on in bacche, class iski leni hai mujhe, tu kyon khud k thakaa rahi hai!!" She pulled her away from her son's proximity. Shehnaaz smiled nervously at the woman, glancing back at her man.

Siddharth was looking at his mother with a betrayed expression on his face. "Meri class kyon leni hai aapko?" he asked, surprised, his mother glared at him. "Kyonki aap meri bacchi ko ghar laane mein poore chaar maheene late hain!!" She said sternly.

The look of betrayal on Siddharth's face soon turned into full-fledged shock. "W--What?" he uttered, almost as if he were caught off-guard. His mother smiled, "I'm your mother Mr. Shukla. I know the exact minute that you fell in love with this woman right here." She said matter of factly.

"You do?" he asked, uncertainly.

Rita shukla rolled her eyes at the bewildered expression on her son's face. Did he really not know that mothers were some kind of superheroes when it came to their kids?

"Come in, I'll tell you exactly how much I know you. Come on Shehnaaz." Rita pulled the clueless girl gently by her hand, leading her inside the enormous mansion. Siddharth sighed and followed the two ladies inside the house. "Mom, she's going to die of confusion. You have to slow down." He called after his mother who stopped immediately, glaring at her son. "Don't you dare say something like that again marein iske dushman!! Mera baccha toh 100 saal jiyega!!"

Shehnaaz chuckled, feeling a surge of affection for the woman next to her. "Aunty mein--"

"Okay, but I never told you her name." siddharth looked genuinely curious. His mother visibly sighed. "Your father talks about her more than he talks about you and his business combined. If you hadn't fallen in love with her, he would've arranged for you to get married to her anyway. You just spared him a hell lot of hard work and convincing."

"So Mr. Successful businessman, I do know the girl, maybe even better than she knows herself." Rita smiled pleasantly at her son. Siddharth nodded, "Got it."

The two ladies claimed their places on the couch, immediately launching into conversation, completely ignoring the third person who pouted at the lack of attention from two of the most important women in his life.

"Good morning Siddharth." siddharth heard his father's voice from the base of the staircase. He turned to look at him, his expression grumpier than a five year old's. Ashok shukla laughed, "Yeah, I know that look." Siddharth pouted, gesturing to the two ladies. His father patted his shoulder sympathetically. "That'd be my fault too." He said sheepishly.

Siddharth made a face at him, "Why aren't you ready for the office yet?" he asked his father. The older man shrugged. "I didn't feel like it."

"You are ditching office the day that Shehnaaz and I both decide to do that, very intelligent Dad." Siddharth looked at his father amused. Ashok chuckled, "I assure you that the office won't be struck with lightning in our absence, nor will it reduce to debris."

Siddharth pouted, while his father settled on the couch opposite to the ladies. "Good morning mera baccha, aaj toh bilkul gudiya lag rahi hai!" he said lovingly to the younger of the two women. Shehnaaz blushed at the compliment. "Thank you uncle."

"So my son finally got the guts to confess to you about who he really is?" ashok asked her. Shehnaaz nodded.

"I'll tell you something, sana. I have always considered you my daughter. You are in love with my son and that makes it kind of official but it does not change anything." ashok said softly.

Shehnaaz smiled at him. "I-- thank you uncle."

Siddharth made a face at the interaction, "So much sentiment."

Rita glared at his son, pulling her new found daughter into a hug. "Get used to it Mr. Practical."

Siddharth rolled his eyes at them. Shehnaaz giggled.

***

The next few hours, Siddharth watched his mother shower his girl in unbound, unadulterated, unconditional love. He always knew that Shehnaaz was the last girl anyone in the world could ever hate but the way she had made her place in the hearts of both his parents, he couldn't have asked for anything more. Shehnaaz looked positively radiant as she talked nineteen to dozen with his mother about nothing and everything under the big blue sky.

"Yeh toh meri ho gayi siddharth, ab tu decide kar le kab sab kucch official karna hai." Rita said to her son while shehnaaz was busy arranging the food on the dining table for lunch. It didn't surprise him, even in the slightest. Siddharth laughed softly. "Don't you think it's a little too early?" he asked curiously. His mother shrugged. "Its your call Siddharth, but I won't wait forever. That girl right there had become my daughter long before she entered this house hand in hand with you. Marriage is but a formality that you can complete whenever you want to."

Siddharth smiled. "I can't wait to call her officially mine but I don't want to rush her. She has just started to live her life on her own terms. She has a lot to do, a lot to explore, a lot to experience. I want to give her everything that she deserves." he said softly.

"What, pray tell, does she deserve, siddharth?" Ashok asked his son.

"She deserves to be pampered, to come home to her mother after a long day at work, to complain about her boss to her sisters, to complain about her boyfriend to her father. She deserves a family that she hasn't had in a long-- long time. She deserves to know that she's more loved than she can imagine. I just.. want her to know that.." Siddharth sighed, his voice fading.

Ashok Shukla smiled, "She told you about her foster family." He said plainly. Siddharth nodded.

"They're idiots. We're not. We see her for the angel that she is. She is the light of your and our lives and we're not going to let her feel the way she did with her family ever again." Rita assured him.

It was surreal. Shehnaaz stood at a little distance from them, listening to their conversation. She couldn't help but feel grateful to be considered a part of this family. The love, affection, adoration that she saw in their eyes made her feel like the luckiest woman in the world. To be in love with Siddharth and to be loved by him are two entirely different things and she had both. She didn't know why, or how but she did. She felt her eyes brimming with tears, an overwhelming urge to just melt into their affectionate embraces overtook her. She walked up to them, Siddharth pulled her to sit next to himself.

Shehnaaz pouted, "How can someone not love you, little star." He whispered to her, his eyes shining in adoration for her. "How can someone not see you once and fall utterly and completely in love with you."

"Everyone is not the shukla family." She chuckled. "Everyone's not you."

"Good for us." He kissed her forehead chastely. "I can't imagine losing you to anyone."

Shehnaaz blinked, looking at him like a child watching a meteor shower. Her eyes twinkled in wonder and ecstasy. He grinned. He loved to see her like that. Happy. Beautiful. So completely in love with him and so loved by his family. It gave him a different kind of satisfaction. It made him feel important, gave him something to wake up to every morning. Her beautiful face, her twinkling eyes, her beating heart.

Her

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