Chapter- 16

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Vihaan ~

Day four of the wager, and Shivanya was no closer to running into my arms than she was on day one. She's defiant, always ready to push back. But the more she fights, the deeper I get under her skin but I can see it in her eyes, the way they narrow when she sees me approach, the way her posture tenses ever so slightly. Although it is subtle, it exists.

Today, was also Sunday. Which meant that had I not acted earlier and with a bit of luck, there was going to be a very slim possibility of me encountering her. However, last evening I overheard her mentioning that she was going shopping with Radhika to Crawford. That was all I needed to hear.

The house of unusually quiet for a Sunday.

"Aman, I've been asking you for days now to take me to the market," my mother sighed dramatically, sitting next to me. "It's like I'm invisible in this house."

"Hmm," Dad grunted from behind his newspaper, not even glancing up. Classic him.

My mother's eyes darted toward me. "Vihaan, beta, tell your father to take me! Or maybe you can come along for once, haan?"

I usually tuned this out, but tonight, with Shivanya on my mind and an opportunity so willingly presenting itself to me, I'd be a fool not to take it.

"I'll take you mom," I offered.

The silence that followed was deafening.

I glanced up to see my parents both frozen, staring at me like I had just announced that I was going to quit working. Dad even peeked over the top of his newspaper, as if to check if it was really me sitting there.

"You'll take me?" my mother repeated slowly, as though she wasn't quite sure if she heard me right.

I nodded, keeping my expression neutral. "Yes mom, I've got some things to buy from the market anyway." I clearly lied.

More silence. My mother blinked once, twice, and then she blinked again. My father finally set his newspaper down completely, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Are you feeling alright, beta?" he asked, leaning forward with mock concern. "You've never voluntarily gone to a market, ever. In fact, you barely take yourself out unless it's for work."

Mom's face lit up like Diwali had arrived early. "Aman! Did you hear that? Vihaan is going to take me to the market! Vihaan!" She beamed, and then, as if reality hit her, she narrowed her eyes at me. "Wait, what's the catch?"

"There is no catch, Maa," I said, sighing internally. "I just need to pick up a few things, and since you want to go, I thought—"

"Pick some things from Crawford market? Vihaan, have you ever once worn anything which is not Armani or Dormeuil Vanquish?" Dad taunted me, his voice thick with disbelief and a hint of amusement.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, he never misses an opportunity to take a jab at me. But I had a plan, and I wasn't going to let anyone throw me off today. "Maybe it's time to experiment," I replied coolly, standing up from my seat. "Shall we, Maa?"

"Sit back down Vihaan and let me get to the bottom of this situation first." He said, the lawyer in his always at bay and chances were, he was going to find out exactly the reason in the next five minutes, considering he knew that I was in love with Shivanya.

"Bottom of what situation?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Can't a son take his mother out shopping without an interrogation?"

"You know," he began, setting his newspaper down fully now, "it's interesting you're suddenly so eager to accompany your mother to a market of all places." His tone was casual, but I could sense where this was going. "Last time I checked, you weren't exactly the type to mix with the crowd, haggling for deals or picking out spices."

I kept my face impassive, but internally, I could feel my resolve stiffening. Dad wasn't going to make this easy. "People change," I offered nonchalantly, giving my best attempt at sounding indifferent.

"People do change," he mused, nodding slowly, as though entertaining the thought. "But I've seen you at board meetings, beta, and you only make moves when you've got an agenda."

Mom looked between us, utterly confused, but Dad... Dad was putting the puzzle together in his mind. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, like he was zeroing in on something.

"You would never go there unless you wanted to see someone..." He stopped mid sentence finally figuring it out.

I shifted in my seat, trying to suppress the twitch in my jaw. It was no use. He had me.

"Ah," Dad said, a grin spreading across his face as if he had just won the case of the century. "This isn't about shopping for you or taking your mother to the market. It's about her, isn't it?"

Maa gasped softly, her eyes widening in realization. "Oh, her?" she whispered, her voice suddenly happy. "Vihaan...you're going after Shivanya!"

I sighed, knowing I'd been caught. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Dad chuckled, sitting back in his chair. "Oh, I know exactly what I'm talking about. You somehow figured she was going to Crawford, didn't you? And now, you're taking your Maa as a convenient excuse to accidentally run into her.

There it was, that is why he is Aman Raichand. I was good with deductions, he had it at the back of his hand, always and I couldn't help but admire it, even though it was working against me. "So what if I did?" I finally admitted, leaning back in my chair. "She's stubborn, and if I have to be a little strategic to get her attention, so be it."

"That's not called strategy, it is called stalking beta."

I could feel the hint of embarrassment settling in, but I covered it under a layer of nonchalance.

"Stalking?" I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. "That is a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

"No, no," Dad smirked, clearly enjoying this far too much. "It's classic textbook behaviour, Vihaan. You're following her, planning encounters... sounds like something straight out of a romantic thriller, doesn't it?"

Mom, who had been quiet till now, suddenly burst out laughing. "Oh, Aman, let my son be! At least he's making an effort." She turned to me with a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Vihaan, beta, if this is how you're going to win her heart, then your father should be the last person lecturing you on strategy. After all, how do you think he wooed me back in the day?"

Dad scoffed, feigning indignation. "That was different, Sangeeta. I didn't need these underhanded tactics. My charm was enough."

I rolled my eyes. "And I suppose you're going to say that your charm alone got Maa to agree to marry you, right?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Dad replied smoothly, leaning back in his chair with a smug grin. "But this isn't about me. Let's focus on you and this little... 'plan' of yours."

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. "It's not stalking, Dad. It's called persistence."

Dad chuckled. "Persistence, stalking—call it what you like. The question is, does she know what you're up to?"

"Oh she does." Mom explained the whole wager situation to him and he looked a lot more interested suddenly.

Dad raised an eyebrow, amused. "Beta, if Shivanya is anything like your maam then she'll probably make you work a lot harder before she even considers acknowledging it."

"Okay, let's leave already, it's been so long since I've seen her! My soon to be daughter-in-law!" Maa almost shrieked getting up and I nodded my head in amusement.

"This whole family is delusional." Dad muttered before leaning back on his chair.

As we got ready to leave, Dad called out from behind his newspaper once again, this time with a serious note in his voice. "Just remember one thing, beta. Charm might get you inside her heart, respect and honesty will keep you there. Don't forget that."

I met his eyes briefly, nodding. He was right, as always. Despite his playful jabs, everything he said to me has always helped me be the man I am today.

I had just brought the car out from the parking when I found Maa talking to Naina aunty, Radhika and Taran.

He would be there too.

He stood next to Radhika, his arm casually slung over her shoulder, smiling that easy smile he always wore. They were the picture of a perfect couple. Happy, in sync, and utterly at ease with each other. But my chest tightened with the knowledge that he is the man Shivanya loves.

My jaw clenched involuntarily as I watched him, a flash of jealousy sparking deep within me. Him. The man who had unknowingly held her heart for so long. He was the one thing I could never be to her, her first love. Even though he was married to Radhika now, I could not shake the thought that somewhere deep inside, a part of Shivanya might always feel for him. How could I compete with something like that? How could I ever?

"Naina, Radhika, Taran, why don't you come with us? We have plenty of space in the car." Maa came over and I rolled the window down, hearing her offering them to drive with us since I had already taken the car out.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, forcing a smile as I watched Taran exchange a quick glance with Radhika and Naina aunty. He shrugged and before I knew it, they were headed toward the car.

I drove, tuning the conversations out until Radhika taking Shivanya's name brought my attention to her.

"Okay, everyone, quick heads up," she began, her tone mock-serious. "Shivi Di can be scary—like, very, very scary—when she's shopping and bargaining. So, please, don't say or do anything that might offend her. She'll cook you and eat you up!" She said and I couldn't help but chuckle at her warning.

Taran laughed, shaking his head. "Don't I know that? There was this one time... Shivi and I went shopping together, back when we were in college. I thought it would be a quick trip—pick a few things, and we're out. But no," he grinned, glancing at Radhika, "Shivanya dragged me through every shop in the market. And when she started bargaining, bhai, I thought we'd never leave."

Radhika giggled. "Oh, she's ruthless. No one gets away with charging her even a rupee more than what she thinks is fair."

Taran nodded. "Exactly! There was this one vendor—he tried to overcharge her for some dress, and I could see it in her eyes. Pure fire. She talked him down from 2500 rupees to 900 in ten minutes, and he looked like he'd been in a war."

Everyone's laughter echoed in the car, but I clenched my jaw even tighter, struggling to keep my expression neutral. Taran continued, clearly enjoying the memory.

"And after all that, she still made me carry the bags," he added, shaking his head with a playful sigh. "I swear, I've never been so scared of anyone while shopping. She could probably negotiate her way out of a hostage situation."

Fucking idiot, complaining about having the opportunity to carry her bags when I would buy her the entire mall just so she could bargain there all she wants.

"Vihaan, park the car right here or you'll get stuck ahead because there is going to be lot's of traffic ahead." Maa said and I nodded, asking them to step down.

Then I drove to park round the corner before making my way back to Maa.

There was Shivanya, talking to Radhika and Taran. She stood there in her black kurti, looking effortlessly beautiful, and I couldn't take my eyes off her. Her hair moved softly in the breeze, and her smile had a way of pulling me in. Even with everyone around, it felt like she was the only one I could see.

But before I could get closer, Radhika grabbed her hand and whisked her away to an adjacent stall.

"Taran, come on! We're going to check this one out!" Radhika called back, pulling Shivanya along with her and while she talked to him, I couldn't help but feel an irrational irritation.

"Vihaan, beta come here na." Maa asked turning around and I gave her a nod, making my way towards her and just as Shivanya reacted to listening my name, I looked away, my eyes landing on some random T-Shirt.

"Can I help you, sir?" the shopkeeper asked, noticing my lingering gaze.

"Yes, I'll take one," I said, picking up a simple black t-shirt.

"It costs three thousand sir." he replied, and my eyebrows shot up. "Quality fabric, sir!"

Three thousand rupees for this? I could feel a smirk tugging at the corners of my lips as I reached for my wallet. "Here," I said, handing over the cash. I was not here for talking to him, I was here for her.

But before he could take the money in his hands, it was snatched out of mine. Shivanya.

"Sunshine?" I looked at her, momentarily stunned.

Shivanya turned to the shopkeeper, glaring him, and if looks could kill, he would most definitely be buried somewhere around by now. "Oh bhaiya, itna chunha na kisi aur ko jaake lagana. Yahan nahi chalega yeh sab." (Oh brother, don't try to fool anyone else with this. This won't fly here.)

The she whirled around, pointing an accusatory finger at me. "Sir, please don't mind and with all due respect to you, thode paagal hain kya aap? (Sir please don't mind the question but are you a little crazy?) Ya saari akal kahin bech khayi hai aapne apni?" (Or have you sold all your brains somewhere?)

My heart raced, torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to crawl under a rock.

I had seen her angry once but at this moment, she was furious and Radhika was not exaggerating.

"Kya Haan? Zyada faltu paise hail aapke paas? (What? Do you have too much spare money?) Aag Kyun nahi laga dete unme? (Why not just set them on fire?) Nahi lagani na aag? (You don't want to set it on fire?) Toh phir yeh kya paagalpan hai!?" (Then what kind of nonsense is this?) .Shivanya's voice dripped with sarcasm, her arms crossed, and her eyes blazing.

Maa, Naina Aunty, Radhika and Taran were standing at the side. While the other three had a little decency to at least try and not laugh at my mockery, Maa seemed to be having the time of her life.

"Good going Shivanya beta. Meri toh kabhi suni nahi isne, shaayad tumhari hi sun le. Dono baap-bete ek jaise hain." She encouraged her.

Shivanya nodded her head at Maa and I could not help but chuckle, despite knowing it would only add fuel to her fire. "Sunshine, it's just a t-shirt. Relax."

She shot me a look that could freeze lava. "Relax? Do you know how much people pay for this exact same t-shirt in other shops? One-tenth of this price! And you... you're here throwing around your money like it's nothing!"

"Aur bhaiya aap. Yeh kahan se teen hazaar ki dikh rahi hai aapko haan? Bataye toh zara mujhe? Itna ganda fabric hai, colour fade ho raha hai aur yeh dekhiye, poore 3 chhed hain isme, kya ek chhed ek hazaar ka banaya hai aapke? Gazab loot machayi hui hai. Bas suit waale log dekhe nahi ki aa gaye paagal banane. Aur kya iss shirt ke saath diamond studs free mein mil rahe hain kya jo itni mehengi bol rahe ho?" She threw the t-shirt back at him before looking at me again.

("And brother, you tell me, how does this look like it's worth three thousand to you? Please explain! The fabric is so bad, the color is fading, and look at this, there are three full holes in it. Have you priced each hole at a thousand? What a rip-off you've got going on here. As soon as you see someone in a suit, you come running to fool them.")

"Koi itna mehenga suit pehen ke aise market aata hai kya sir? Log toh phir bewakoof banane ki koshish karenge hi na." I had no clue how to respond to that so I decided to keep my mouth shut from any further public embarrassment.

("Who comes to the market wearing such an expensive suit, sir? People are obviously going to try and fool you.")

"Do you have any idea how much this shirt actually costs? It's not even worth three hundred rupees! But no, Mr. Vihaan Raichand has to throw his money around like it's confetti!" She exhaled sharply, her cheeks flushed and irritation radiating off her.

I glanced down at the t-shirt and then back at her, my lips twitching into a small smile. She looked breathtaking, even in her fury her dark eyes blazing.

She must have noticed my smile and glared harder. "Don't you dare laugh, Mr. Raichand, I'm serious!"

I bit the inside of my cheek, trying my best to look remorseful, but it was getting harder by the second. "Okay, okay. No more throwing money around. Lesson learned." I raised my hands in mock surrender, trying to keep my voice calm.

She let out an exasperated sigh, shaking her head.  "I wonder how you function in the real world sir."

"I function just fine, Miss Chopra" I replied, leaning in slightly, lowering my voice. "But I would be, without a doubt, more efficient with you by my side."

Radhika burst into laughter. "Vihaan sir, I told you! Shivi Di doesn't let anyone off easy, not even her own boss."

Taran joined in, chuckling as he clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Consider yourself lucky, man. Most of us don't get the 'Shivanya special' unless we're really messing up."

I shook my head, my amusement growing. "I'm not sure if I should be feeling lucky or terrified right now."

Shivanya, her arms still crossed, shot me a withering look. "You should feel grateful I saved you from wasting your money. Honestly sir, what were you thinking?"

What was I thinking? At that moment, all I could think was how captivating she was with everything about her.

"Toh bhabhi aap yeh dekhiye bhaiya ke liye, dekhiye ek dum naya stock aaya hai aur kahin se faded aur fataa bhi nahi hai. Ab pati apni patni ke pasand ke kapde nahi pehenega toh kiski pasand ke pehenega?" The shopkeeper, once again, spoke up and Shivanya's eyes widened.

("So, bhabhi, look at this for bhaiya. See, it's brand new stock and isn't faded or torn at all. If a husband doesn't wear clothes that his wife likes, then whose preference will he follow?")

"Kya? Bhaiya aap thodi zyada hi bakwaas nahi kar rahe hain? Pati nahi hain yeh mere." She looked and sounded outraged but her face faintly flushed and I leaned back a little, waiting to watch her get mad again.

("What? Bhaiya, aren't you going a bit overboard with the nonsense? He's not my husband!")

"Daant toh aap inko aise hi rahi thi jaise ki aapke hi pati hain." He said and she glared at him harder.

("You were scolding him as if he were your own husband.)

"Bas ho gaya, chaliye yahan se sir." She first looked at me and then started to walk ahead with the others following her, still laughing.

(That's enough. Let's get out of here.)

"Yeh aapke paise." I offered the man his three thousand rupees.

("Here is your money.")

"Par bhaisahab, maine toh aapko kuch becha hi nahi." He asked, and looked at me, confused.

("But brother, I haven't sold you anything.")

"Aapne usko meri biwi samjha, bas dua karna ki yeh haqeeqat banne mein zyada waqt na lage," I said, pressing the money into his hand. A smile lingered on my lips, my heart already tied to the thought of her. As I glanced towards Shivanya, walking ahead, my gaze softened with longing. "Kyunki isse zyada aur kuch nahi chahiye."

("You thought of her as my wife, just pray it becomes reality soon—because there's nothing else I wish for.")

Needless to say, coming here and seeing her here was successful.


Shivanya's Look ~


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