Heyy guys!!
I am thinking about creating a playlist for the book, do you have any suggestions??

Which song you will like to listen while reading this book?

The orange rays of the sun touched my eyes, and sleep left me. I opened my eyes slowly and stared at one of the walls, adorned with white, beige, and golden flowers. His room is truly magnificent.

"Your room is actually amazing!" I mumbled, lost in the grandeur of the architecture.

"Our room, Ayla!" He responded.

I turned to face him and looked into those blue orbs, which were filled with sincerity that I lacked. Suddenly, I felt a pang of doubt: did I truly deserve this sincerity?

"You're going to have all the time in the world to do that," he muttered, piercing me with his gaze.

But a second thought interrupted my mind, his eyes can drown people, but they can't pierce them. A smug look formed on my lips as I thought about this.

"Then you do the piercing work on my behalf," he said with a smile.

"How are you doing this?" I asked, gritting my teeths and frustration creeping into my voice. How could he possibly know what I was thinking?

"Because the general calmness on your face is replaced with a bunch of emotions that are easy to read," he replied, his smile reaching his eyes.

"Let's wake up!" I said, trying to shake off the intimacy.

He hummed and snuggled deeper into the crook of my neck, putting some of his weight on me.

"Leave me..." I retorted, trying to push his hands away.

"If you can try it..." he mumbled, snuggling closer and tightening his hold on my waist.

I jerked his hands off my body, using some force, and stood up straight, distancing myself from the bed.

He sat up straight on the bed, his eyes wide with surprise.

"What?" I uttered, concerned.

"I think I got a cramp!" he exclaimed, rubbing his arm with his other hand.

My eyes widened in alarm. "Shit! I'm so sorry! I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to!" I apologized, crawling next to him to examine the damage. Oh no, what had I done? I was such an idiot...

"Does it hurt?" I inquired softly, checking his arm for any signs of injury.

"Yeah, a little," he admitted, looking into my eyes.

"Where's the first aid kit?" I demanded, trying to make amends.

"In the bathroom," he muttered, wincing in pain.

I rushed to the bathroom, opening drawers and searching frantically until I found the first aid kit. I had made a mess, dropping a few things in the process, but I finally found what I needed.

I took the first aid kit and turned, only to find him standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. He was looking at me with a smile playing on his lips.

"What are you doing here, and your hand..." My words trailed off as I realized I had been fooled by him. My jaw clenched in annoyance.

"Don't play jokes like that again!" I scolded, stomping my foot and trying to leave.

But he held my arms, his grip gentle. "Hey, please don't be mad at me! Please, I'm sorry! Please, please!" He gazed up at me with his cute eyes, trying to appease me.

"Pleaseee!!" He begged again, his eyes pleading.

"Okay, fine," I relented, giving him a tight smile. "But don't do this again."

"Fine!! Fine!!" He exclaimed, grinning at me.

I went to grab some clothes from my bag. "You should put your clothes in the closet. The right side is empty," he suggested.

"Yeah, okay," I replied absent-mindedly, taking some clothes with me to get changed.

After freshening up and taking a relaxing bath, I got dressed in a white satin shirt and cream-colored straight pants. I came out to find him already ready in a formal black shirt and white pants. His shirt sleeves were folded up, revealing his muscular veins. My gaze drifted to his chest, where two buttons were undone, giving a glimpse of his toned physique.

I was busy admiring him from head to toe when someone coughed, breaking my trance. I looked up to find him smirking at me, and Vritika standing at the door. I straightened myself, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"I thought you were going to wear something traditional?" Vritika inquired, her voice echoing her mother's words from the previous day.

"I don't have any traditional clothes," I admitted, feeling nervous.

"Really?" Vritika exclaimed, clapping her hands together with a bright shine in her eyes.

"Yeah," I confirmed, not understanding her excitement.

I looked at Adwait, who was staring at Vritika with a mixture of amusement and confusion.

"Are you so happy that she doesn't have traditional clothes?" Adwait queried Vritika.

"No! I'm happy because it means one thing!" Vritika declared.

"What?" I pressed, furrowing my brows.

"Shopping!" Vritika announced, giggling.

Just then, Ariv entered the room, teasing Vritika, "Subah huyi nahi aur shopping ka naam shuru! Kuch or aata hai kya tujhe?"

(You haven't even had breakfast, and you're already thinking of shopping! Can you think of anything else?)

"But I'm not talking about me, I was talking about bhabhi!" Vritika exclaimed.

"Haha! Do you think I'm a fool? She's just an excuse. You're the one who wants to spend money like it grows on trees," Ariv retorted.

"Are you the one giving the money, bhai? So shut your mouth!" Vritika snapped.

"So what if it's bhai's money? He earned it with hard work, and look at you, all you know how to do is spend. Have you ever earned a penny?" Ariv taunted.

"Oh, shut up! Before lecturing me, go and earn something yourself," Vritika shot back.

Their bickering grew louder, and I felt a sense of déjà vu. It was giving me a headache. Suddenly, Adwait raised his voice, "Stop it, both of you!"

The room fell silent, and Vritika and Ariv became quiet, looking sheepish.

"You should go and buy something according to your liking," Adwait suggested, looking at me.

"And Vritika will assist you," he added, glancing at her. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Sure, captain," she declared, giving him a playful salute.

Adwait dismissed them with a wave of his hand, and they left the room, still bickering softly.

I let out a sigh of relief.

"But bhabhi, when are we leaving? We should definitely leave early so we can come back early," she inquired appearing again, raising her brows.

"Sure! But did we need to take anyone's permission?" I pressed, curiosity getting the better of me.

Vritika giggled and said, "Hmm! Why are you worrying, bhai will tell everyone! I'll be back after getting ready." She then left the room, closing the door behind her.

This time, Adwait sighed and sat down in the chair, looking at me with a warm smile. "Do you need anything?" he offered.

"I think that's why I'm going shopping," I responded, and he chuckled.

"For sure!" he said, taking out his wallet from his back pocket. He extracted his debit card and handed it to me.

"I don't need it!" I exclaimed, rejecting his offer. "I have money of my own!"

"I know, but..." Adwait began.

"No, thanks... I'm already a terrible person in your family's eyes, and after taking your money, I definitely don't want to prove that!" I interrupted.

"No one is going to judge you..." Adwait tried to reassure me.

"No, I'm fine! I have my own money, and I'll spend it on myself," I said, cutting him off.

"Why are you so stubborn?" Adwait asked, exasperated.

"I just am," I replied, gritting my teeth.

"But..." Adwait started again.

"No buts," I warned.

"It's your right, and trust me, no one will judge you!" Adwait insisted.

"I know, I know, but still, no," I repeated firmly.

"But..." Adwait tried again.

"No buts, or else I'm not going anywhere," I threatened.

"Fine," Adwait said, raising his hands in surrender.

Just then, Janav's voice could be heard from the other side of the door. "Bhai!"

"Mom and Dad are calling you guys!" I nodded, and glanced at the man sitting in the chair. He stood up, and we headed to the hall, where everyone was already gathered.

"Adwait, I want something; don't say no!" Mrs. Randhawa exclaimed.

"I'll think about it after hearing what it is," Adwait replied.

"Nope! I want a yes, no matter what," she insisted. He just rolled his eyes in exasperation.

She approached me and took my hands in hers. "Forget about him, he's always like that. Just say yes, and leave the rest to me," she whispered to me. I was a bit perplexed and looked at Adwait, who had raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"What do you want, Maa?" he asked, his tone laced with amusement.

"Shut your mouth! I'm talking to my daughter-in-law," she scolded him, and he made a face, before turning his attention back to me.

"Sure, if that's what you want and I can give it to you, then I'll definitely try," I agreed, and her eyes sparkled with delight.

"Well, I have so many hopes from you both! But for now, I want to re-arrange all the marriage rituals for both of you," she announced.

"But why? We don't need it again!" Adwait protested, but she glared at him, her expression unyielding.

"Adwait, it's not just about rearranging the wedding, but also about announcing your relationship. Right now, everyone thinks you're Sanya's husband. Even though you announced that you didn't exchange vows, your names are still tagged together. If people see you with Ava, they'll assume she's a third wheel, and she'll face the media's wrath. Even if you announce your marriage, they'll still look down on her. That's why we need to take slow steps to protect your reputations. We can't harm Sanya's reputation, even if the Malhotras are in the wrong. She's stubborn, but not at fault," she explained.

I nodded in agreement, realizing she was right. We needed to take slow steps to avoid damaging our reputations, which could follow us to our graves.

"Okay," he agreed nodding in understanding.

"Okay! Then I'm taking bhabhi shopping," Vritika exclaimed, grabbing my hands. "Let's go, bhabhi!" She pulled me along, but Mrs. Randhawa stopped us.

"Wait," she said, grasping my other hand. "Let her call her family first. Last time, they weren't here, but this time, they should be included too." I nodded in agreement.

Vritika released my hand, and I hesitated, unsure if I should call my family. A thought crossed my mind: was it right to involve them? I didn't want to be part of this family, but the remarriage would strengthen our bonds. Should I do it?

"What are you waiting for? Call them," Vritika's mother urged, getting my attention. I hesitantly took out my phone and unlocked the screen.

"Hurry up!" she said.

"Umm... whom should I call?" I asked, feeling uneasy.

"Call your aunt. I want to talk to her," Vritika's mother replied.

I dialed my aunt's number, and after four rings, she answered the phone.

"Ciao, Ava," my aunt said, answering the call.

(Hello Ava)

"Buongiorno, Zia," I replied.

( Good Day aunt)

"Come stai?" she asked.

(How are you?)

"Sono buono! E voi tutti?" I responded.

(I am good! What about you all?)

"Anche qui stanno tutti bene," she said.

(Everyone is good here too)

Just then, Mrs. Randhawa interrupted, "Let me talk to her!"

"Zietta mia, suocera vuole parlarti," I told, handing the phone to Mrs. Randhawa.

( Aunt my mother in law wanna talk to you)

"Sicuro! Perché no!" my aunt agreed.

(Sure! Why Not!)

Mrs. Randhawa took the phone and started talking. Meanwhile, Vritika's mother suggested, "Since bhabhi is busy talking, let's go have some breakfast. I think everyone must be hungry."

"Yupp! I'm starving!" Vritika exclaimed.

Everyone took their seats, and Adwait pulled out a chair for me next to him. I sat down, and we began our breakfast. Midway through, Mrs. Randhawa joined us.

"So, everything is decided. They will be here until tomorrow evening," she announced.

"Okay! Then I'm taking her shopping," Vritika exclaimed.

"Okay! But Anish... I mean Ava, when you come back, stop by my room," Mrs. Randhawa reminded me.

"Sure," I replied, continuing my breakfast.

..........

After finishing, Vritika took me to 'The Lucus' mall.

"Let's go, bhabhi!" she said, dragging me along.

We visited shop after shop, selecting almost 30 dresses, ranging from heavy to light ethnic wear and a few sarees.

"Let's go pay and then head to the jewelry shop," Vritika suggested, and I agreed, since she was leading the way.

"Calculate the price," she instructed to the girl at billing counter, and I took out my card to pay.

I handed her my card, but she returned it with a suspicious expression. "Ma'am, this card has been declined."

I was taken aback, muttering absent-mindedly, "Wait, what? How?" I was shocked and worried, thinking to myself, "Fuck, how? Who did it? It seems like the Yorks want to cut all ties with me completely or they want something from me. Of course, I'm of no use to them now. But who could have done this is the question. Jarek? I don't think so!"

Vritika intervened, "But how? Check it again!"

I tried to recall, "Oh, it can be! I have cancelled a few of my cards, maybe I grabbed one of them by mistake."

Vritika looked relieved, but then asked, "What now?"

I thought to myself, "If they've declined my personal card, then the others are probably useless too. But I'm not going to give up easily."

Vritika offered a solution, "Take this," handing the salesgirl her card. "It's okay, bhai gave me this!" She gave me a soft, non-judgmental smile.

We left after billing, and Vritika took me to a jewelry shop. After even more shopping, I understood why no one wanted to accompany her - she had literally bought half the mall!

As we finished, Vritika told me to wait for her at the parking lot, saying she had run into some friends and didn't want me to be bothered since I looked tired. I was exhausted, so I agreed.

As I reached the parking lot, I sensed an ominous presence.

"Hello, Anisha!" Sanya said, marching towards me.