तेरे बालों की खुशबू में खो गया,

तेरी मासूमियत में मैं खो गया।

तेरा साथ पाकर दिल की धड़कन तेज हो गई,

जैसे हर लम्हा अब तेरे नाम हो गया।

◇

Avyansh POV

Um... Mishti Doi? said the nickname that came to my mind, looking at the sweet.

Everyone looked at me for a second; I caught Avantika's eyes, which widened in disbelief. She shot me a look that was hard to read, a mix of surprise and something else I couldn't quite decipher.

"She doesn't like it?" I thought, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach.

"Ha ha, Mishti Doi!" Dev laughed, earning a glare from me that quickly silenced him.

"Acha hai, nice," Papa chimed in, and everyone nodded in agreement, but She didn't even glance my way.

I felt a pang of disappointment. Why was she so quiet? Was it really that bad?

After completing dinner, everyone began to depart to their rooms, and I remained at the table, lost in thought. I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had embarrassed her.

The laughter and banter faded into the background as I replayed the moment over and over in my mind.

Timeskip

As I sat there with Ruhaan, nursing a drink in my hand, I thought about how unusual this was for me. I normally avoided drinking, but since Ruhaan and I were catching up after such a long time, I made an exception.

He hadn't even been able to attend my wedding because he was out at sea for some project, so we had a lot of ground to cover.

"So, how's everything going?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation light.

"It's good. Busy, but good," he replied, taking a sip. Then, after a pause, he looked at me with that knowing look cousins always seem to have. "And what about you and Bhabhi? How's it going between you two?"

I wasn't expecting the question, but I couldn't dodge it either. I just looked at him, not sure how to put it into words.

"I mean," he continued, sensing my hesitation, "I can tell you two aren't exactly comfortable with each other yet."

I shrugged, unsure of how to respond. It wasn't like I hadn't noticed it myself, but having someone else point it out made it more real. "It's... complicated," I finally said, my voice quieter than I intended.

He tilted his head, his curiosity piqued. "Sudden wedding, huh? What happened? Why was it so rushed?"

I took a deep breath and decided to give him the whole story-not everything, of course. I left out the part about the awkward conversation Avantika and I had on our first night, but I told him about how she had wanted to reject the marriage initially.

When I finished, a chuckle escaped his lips.

I couldn't help but smile too. "What?" I asked, curious.

"She wanted you to reject her? and you denied??" he teased. "I mean, not that I'm surprised, you can be a bit intense sometimes," he added with a grin.

"Thanks," I said sarcastically, but I was still smiling.

He leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. "It's funny how things turn out, right? You're here, married, and she's... well, she's different from what I imagined."

"Different how?" I asked, intrigued.

He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "I guess I just expected her to be a bit more open, considering how close you and I are. But she seems... reserved."

"Yeah," I agreed. "She is. But there's more to her than that."

Ruhaan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You're already starting to see it?"

I didn't answer directly. Instead, I just smiled to myself, thinking about how Avantika was slowly becoming more than just a name or a role in my life.

Even if things were complicated, I could sense something deeper beneath her reserved exterior. Maybe I didn't know what it was yet, but I knew I wanted to find out.

After a few more drinks, the clock struck past midnight. I could feel the alcohol taking over-my tolerance had always been low, and I knew I was definitely drunk by now.

Ruhaan, on the other hand, was in a completely different headspace. He stared down at his drink, his expression suddenly shifting from lighthearted to something much heavier.

"How can she?" he whispered, his voice cracking. A single tear escaped his eye.

I looked at him, confused at first, and then I realized what was happening. "How can she die? I love her," he said again, his voice full of anguish.

I rolled my eyes, leaning back into the couch. "She was just a movie lead, Ruhaan. Aur usmein uska marna likha tha," I said, a bit amused but mostly exasperated at his overly dramatic reaction.

He looked at me, his eyes still glossy, but he wasn't ready to let go of the feeling. "No, you don't get it. She was more than that. The way she smiled, the way she..."

I shook my head, cutting him off. "You're drunk. It's a character in a movie, man. Stop getting so emotional over something that's scripted."

But Ruhaan wasn't listening anymore. He stared off into the distance, lost in his own world of poetic tragedy, while I fought the urge to laugh at his theatrics.

This was classic Ruhaan-turning everything into some grand, heart-wrenching story. Even if it was just a movie.

Still, I knew there was something more behind those tears. He wasn't crying just because of a movie.

I asked one of the servants to help take Ruhaan to his room. My legs felt unsteady beneath me, and as I tried to focus, everything seemed to double. Was I really seeing two of everything?

"Great, just what I needed," I muttered under my breath, rubbing my temples as if that would somehow fix my blurred vision.

Ruhaan was slumped on the couch, still mumbling something incoherent about his tragic movie heroine. I waved my hand towards the servant. "Take him... to his room," I said, my words slightly slurring, pointing at the two overlapping images of Ruhaan.

The servant nodded, trying not to smile as he helped Ruhaan up. Meanwhile, I tried steadying myself, leaning on the back of the couch for support. I definitely needed to sleep this off.

"Come on, Avyansh," I whispered to myself, shaking my head slightly to clear the fog in my brain, "you've got to make it to the bedroom without collapsing."

I took a deep breath and stumbled my way to the stairs, hoping Avantika wasn't around to see me in this state.

I took a deep breath and stumbled my way to the stairs, my mind swirling with thoughts. "Avantika... no, no, not Avantika..." I mumbled to myself. "My Motichoor ke ladoo..." A stupid smile crept onto my face as I thought of her.

Wait... wasn't her nickname something else?

I paused mid-step, gripping the railing to steady myself as I tried to think through the alcohol-induced haze. "Her nickname wasn't Motichoor ke ladoo... what was it?" I furrowed my brows, trying to remember.

"Mishti Doi!" I blurted out loud, suddenly recalling the name I'd given her at dinner. I chuckled to myself. "Mishti Doi... perfect."

Staggering a bit, I continued up the stairs, still smiling like an idiot at the thought of my Mishti Doi. Maybe the name wasn't so bad after all... even if she didn't exactly seem thrilled about it.

Author's POV

Avyansh's steps were unsteady as he ascended the stairs, still murmuring Mishti Doi under his breath. The alcohol had definitely taken hold, making his thoughts slow and muddled, yet somehow they always drifted back to her.

The man who was usually composed, controlled, and reserved was now reduced to a grinning fool, all because of a single nickname and the woman it was tied to.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he paused, his vision swimming for a moment. He leaned heavily against the wall, his mind replaying the events of the evening.

Dinner had been lively, filled with laughter and teasing, but that one moment stuck out-her wide eyes looking at him when he said Mishti Doi. It was a mixture of shock and something else he couldn't quite place.

"She didn't like it, did she?" he mumbled, confused. His lips twitched at the memory, and he chuckled softly, almost in disbelief at himself. Never had he imagined calling his wife something so ridiculous, but somehow, it felt right. She was sweet, just like Mishti Doi.

As Avyansh stumbled toward the bedroom, he realized that for the first time, he didn't care about how he was supposed to act. His mind, clouded by both the alcohol and something far more intoxicating-his growing feelings for her-kept circling back to Avantika. The woman who always seemed to evade him emotionally, and yet, he couldn't stop thinking about her.

"Mishti Doi..." he whispered again, pushing the door open.

Avantika glanced up from her book, her glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. She had been lost in the pages, but the sound of the door creaking open caught her attention.

Her eyes widened slightly as she saw Avyansh standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame for support. His steps were unsteady, and there was a silly grin on his face, his eyes unfocused as he tried to balance himself.

"Hey Mishti" he slurred, his voice warm but slightly off, "I'm here..." He took a step forward, almost losing his balance again, but managed to catch himself just in time.

Avantika blinked, setting her book aside, her mind racing as she took in the sight of him. He was clearly drunk, the way he was struggling to stay upright, the goofy smile on his face... it wasn't like him at all.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft but with a hint of concern. Despite the situation, she couldn't help but feel a bit worried for him.

"You like it?" he asked, his voice slightly slurred as he swayed a little on his feet.

"What?" she asked, confused, her brow furrowing in disbelief.

"The nickname," he clarified, rubbing the back of his neck as a flush crept onto his cheeks, making him look even more endearing in his tipsy state.

Avantika stared at him, her thoughts swirling. The surprise of his question left her momentarily speechless. Did he really think that nickname could possibly resonate with her? She opened her mouth to respond but faltered, unsure of how to articulate her feelings.

Instead, she settled on a neutral expression, her heart racing as she tried to read the sincerity in his eyes. The warmth in his gaze was unmistakable, and despite the situation, a tiny smile tugged at her lips.

He started coming towards the bed where she was seated, his steps unsteady but determined. Suddenly, his demeanor shifted.

"I'm sorry," he said, bending down near her legs and grabbing her hands gently.

"Wh-why?" Avantika stammered, trying to pull her hands away, her heart racing at the sudden intimacy.

"I don't know," he replied, a look of confusion crossing his face, as if he were grappling with emotions he didn't quite understand himself.

"Avyansh ji, you're drunk," she said, half-scolding, watching him with a mixture of concern and amusement.

"I know," he admitted, his voice a little more serious now, as if the admission carried a weight he couldn't quite bear.

"Aap kaha ja rahe hai, Mishti?" he asked, watching her as she stood up and walked toward the drawer to put her book away.

Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red, especially with him calling her by that nickname repeatedly. It felt both endearing and slightly embarrassing.

"You should sleep," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Can't we talk?" he asked, pouting like a child who had just been denied a treat.

Avantika shook her head, clearly amused by his antics. "No," she replied, a smile creeping onto her lips despite herself. "You need to sleep it off."

"But what if I want to talk to my Mishti Doi?" he pressed, his playful tone making her heart flutter.

"Kya baatein karne hai aapko abhi?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, both curious and cautious.

"Pat nahi, bas aapse baatein karni hai," he replied, grabbing her dupatta from the bed and wrapping it around his neck like a silly scarf.

"Aaye yaha baithiye," he insisted, his tone playful yet earnest.

Avantika hesitated for a moment but eventually came and sat on the bed, leaving a little distance between them, unsure of what to expect.

"Idhar," he said suddenly, pointing towards the headboard of the bed.

Avantika shook her head, a hint of defiance in her eyes, but when he added a soft, "Please," He relented and she quietly moved closer to where he pointed.

Once settled, she folded her legs and sat. The atmosphere felt oddly charged, and she could sense the awkwardness in the air.

Suddenly, without warning, he put his head on her lap, looking up at her with an innocent smile that contrasted sharply with the situation. Avantika's breath caught in her throat, surprised at the sudden intimacy.

"What are you doing?" she asked, trying to maintain her composure, her heart racing.

"Just resting," he said nonchalantly, closing his eyes as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Avantika's POV

"Can you put your hand on my hair?" he asked, his voice soft and slightly slurred.

"Uh-uh, hm..." I replied, my heart racing. Slowly, I placed my hand on his hair, and to my surprise, it was silk-smooth, dark, and shiny beneath my fingers.

"Avantika..." he murmured, as if savoring the moment.

"Hm..." I responded, a little flustered.

"Apko hum pasand nahi?" he asked suddenly, his tone shifting to something deeper, more vulnerable.

"Hn?" I said, taken aback.

"Nahi kuch," he replied quickly, but I could sense the hurt in his voice. "Aap jis tarah Ruhaan aur Dev aur Devika se baat karte hain, waise hi humse kyun nahi karte? Hum apko uncomfortable feel karwate hain?" His voice cracked a bit, and I could feel the weight of his words pressing down on the atmosphere between us.

I shook my head vigorously. "No It's not like that at," I said, trying to reassure him.

"Phir kyun?" he pressed, his eyes searching mine for an answer.

"Wo-apko ab so jana chahiye," I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the fluttering in my chest.

"Hume nahi sona," he replied, his grip on my hand tightening slightly as he opened his eyes, a playful determination in his gaze.

Suddenly, he got up, and I watched, confusion swirling in my mind. My breath hitched as his hand moved toward my neck, his fingers brushing against my skin before he deftly unplucked the clasp of my hair.

My hair tumbled down, cascading over my shoulders. I felt a rush of vulnerability wash over me, a mix of embarrassment and exhilaration.

"Avyansh ji," I whispered, my heart racing as I instinctively reached for my hair, trying to gather it back up. But his eyes were locked onto mine, a mischievous glint in them.

"Looks good like this," he said with a smile, his voice low and teasing.

"Yeh kya kar rahe hain aap?" I asked, half shocked and half intrigued, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Bas kuch nahi," he said, his grin widening. "Just enjoying the moment."

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I tried to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions surging within me. The air between us felt charged, and I couldn't help but wonder where this unexpected path would lead us.

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