Darsh's POV:

"She is looking very serious in the video," replied Maa, her eyes stuck to the TV screen which is playing a news video of Nidhi. It is about time I tell everything about her and even show her to my family. 

"She is not like this in real life. Very cheerful and lively personality," I replied with a big smile on my face. 

Maa nodded and we both continued seeing the news. Seeing her like this on TV is also making me feel all jittery and happy. Maybe till she becomes mine wholly and fully, I can see her on my TV and Phone as long as I want that too on repeat mode. 

Stupid of me, I said to myself internally at my stupid idea.

It is been two days since our ship sailed. And just in two days, everything changed, especially in the hospital. Slowly the news spread like fire among my co-doctors and other workers in the hospital and suddenly I was given special treatment from everyone. Not in a good way definitely. 

They are not able to digest the fact that a junior doctor like me will now become the son-in-law of the Chief doctor of the Hospital. Not that they are already married is not their concern.

Apart from Reena, who is genuinely happy for us, everyone developed a negative feeling for me. It's not new for me to experience something like this and neither is it affecting me now but I just hope they won't cross their limits in showing their envy for me which can affect my new life in any way. 

Even my dynamics with my boss also changed.  Father-in-law. Now I should call him by that relation but till now I never called him like that and even when I think about it a sudden kind of awkwardness makes my mouth shut. With time I will pick up on that habit or else I will just continue calling him Sir. 

Like I am doing now. He never went too informal with me at the hospital but lately started showing me some extra care and extra attention. And that is another main reason for the envy I am receiving from others.

I turned around to see Vihas staring at the video with utter concentration and a stern face. He was happy ever since this proposal came and was very eager to meet Nidhi and already started singing songs of 'Vadina' (Sister-in-law in Telugu). This is the first time he is seeing her live. 

And owing to the occasion that we will be meeting Nidhi and her family at a formal gathering in their home I am briefing them all about Nidhi, her work, her father, my boss and remaining family members. 

"Vihas. What happened?" I gained his attention by calling him out loud. 

"Nothing Anna. Just felt like I have seen her before," he said and continued watching the video. 

"Ohh. Maybe you have seen her like this in the news."

Hearing my response he just smiled nodding his head. For some more time, I showed them a few more videos of her and later we discussed how we should behave the next day and where to draw the line in showcasing our past and how to express.

"And Vihas," I said slowly and looked at him with uncertainties in my eyes because of what I was about to ask him to do. Though we have discussed this before as well the amount of sacrifice he has to make because of me makes me feel so guilty.

"I know it will be tough.... but we have to hide all the photos. At least for some time." 

The words came out very difficult from my mouth. It is her Home and her presence is felt everywhere even when she is not physically present with us. And now we have to hide her last precious memories and photos for our secrecy to remain intact. 

"Anna. We have talked about it already and I have agreed upon it too. So don't worry about that," came his response. Maa's eyes were focused on Vihas with sorrow and when she was about to say something to ease his pain Vihas continued,

"But Anna, I don't think it is a good thing to keep her in the Dark for a long time and neither for us, it is a difficult thing to hide things from her. The thing we are doing now is wrong in the first place but we are already in it. Nonetheless, you have to tell her the truth soon."

He said everything in one go without even blinking his eyelids for once which shows how dead serious he is about this. We kept staring at each other for a few minutes before I just nodded my head in agreement having found no words to express my intention. 

"Ok. Let's go to sleep. We have so much to do tomorrow," Maa broke the silence with a small smile and retired to her room first leaving us in the main hall.

Even when I stood up to leave for my room Vihas called out, "Anna."

I turned back to see why he had called me.

"I have something to say. Remember when I told you about a girl I met in a cafe where she left in anger and I paid the bill then?"

"Not sure but why?" I asked not remembering about that incident.

"It is her, Nidhi."

The revelation put me in silence again. I am aware of her going on to meet people but this much has happened and even my brother being involved with her already made me amused.

"So what?" I asked with a smile. This kind of behaviour is expected of her. Especially for strangers.

"Well, ... nothing. Just that we are meeting tomorrow and if she remembers me and gets uncomfortable and...."

I cut short Vihas in middle who was getting a bit awkward in expressing his point without meaning anything bad and said," Don't worry about that. She is intelligent enough to not let such incidents affect her relations. You will get along well."

I assured him of that and went to our room imagining how she would react tomorrow seeing Vihas. It would be fun, I thought and snickered. 

***

Next Day

As expected Nidhi's face fell as her eyes landed on Vihas. 

The whole time she was calm and so pleasant. Seeing her cladded in a beautiful saree and in such traditional attire just made me lose my breath and kept me on edge all the time. More than half the time I was fully zoned out from the conversation that was happening around me and just kept stealing glances at her from the time she arrived in the room. 

Diverting my attention from her I listened to her family. Though I have known them for a long time all this special treatment from them felt different. And the respect they were showering on me and my maa and not interrogating too much into our past and personal lives made me feel more at ease. 

They asked about Vihas as soon as we reached their home but unfortunately, he had to join late because of urgent work from college. 

But when he made his appearance the main person in the room seemed to remember their meeting. I went up to him and introduced him to the family and he also greeted them all courteously. 

After greeting all elders he greeted Nidhi, addressing her as Vadina with stressing the key word and smiling a bit more widely. 

Nidhi just smiled a bit and immediately broke her glance from him and looked up at me as if asking for help. My amusement turned bland seeing her so uncomfortable. 

"Excuse me, where is the restroom?" I asked when elders are in the middle of a conversation and I kept looking at her hoping she would take it as a cue and come with me. 

Fortunately, she stood up immediately and forwarded me to a room. While going in my eyes fell on her brother Nithin who is maintaining a stoic face and gazing at me. This is one thing I have observed in him for a long time that is showing me a cold shoulder and it has not changed even though we are going to become brothers-in-law and I can only hope we get better with time.

As soon as we entered the room Nidhi slightly closed the door halfway so as to not make people outside feel conscious. 

"Darsh, I have something to say," she whispered with worry making sure her voice didn't go out beyond the door. 

"Actually, I know your brother.."

"I know, Nidhi," I replied before she could explain her version to me making her eyes enlarge more. 

"You know? Our meeting in the cafe and all?" she questioned back

"Yeah. Vihas told me yesterday when I showed your news videos. He was awkward too but not serious at all and is eager to meet and talk with you."

I responded with a smile and positively that everything was well. 

"But still it is embarrassing. I made him pay the money," she sighed with dejection. 

"Ok. Let's do one thing. We three will hang out sometime this week and you treat him. Ok?" I proposed this idea to her. Truth to be told this is my plan to meet her again and hope she will approve of this proposal.

And then she smiled, finally hearing out my idea and said, "Instead take me to your home. Then your mother will be there as well."

Though she changed the plan I was too happy to obey her suggestion which made my heart swell with happiness so much that it made me stiff enough to not give her a proper response. 

"Ok. Let's go. It won't be nice for them to go that you use the restroom for this long."

Hearing her response I laughed out loud and nodded to her left the room.

Hello All.

Hope you all are doing good.

Am publishing the chapter after a month and guess this is the speed limit I am comfortable writing at the moment.

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