Author Pov

"Now you should sleep," Avantika said quietly, tying her hair back into a messy bun, feeling the weight of the evening on her shoulders.

Avyansh, still lounging on the bed, gave her a teasing smile. "You're tying it again? I just opened it, Mishti," he said, his voice slow from the alcohol.

Avantika's fingers paused briefly, but she ignored his words. "You need to rest. You've had too much to drink," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Who cares?" he muttered, sitting up slightly. "Kuch aur baatein kar le? Aap hamesha aise serious kyun rehti ho? Thoda muskurao na".

Avantika's heart skipped a beat, but her mind quickly pulled her back. He's just saying this because he's drunk, she reminded herself. This isn't real.

"Avyansh ji," she started, trying to maintain a sense of normalcy. "Please... you should sleep. We shouldn't be talking like this."

He tilted his head, his gaze softer now. "Like what? I just want to talk to you. Why do you always keep yourself so far away?"

His question struck a chord, making her uneasy. He doesn't care... he said it himself on the first day. He doesn't want this. Avantika swallowed hard, her thoughts racing.

"I'm not far away," she replied, her voice quieter now, almost as if trying to convince herself. "We're just... not like that. And you should sleep this off. It's just the alcohol."

Avyansh chuckled softly, shaking his head.

Avantika bit her lip, her hands trembling slightly. She turned her back to him, trying to escape the moment. "We'll talk tomorrow when you're sober," she said, her voice sounding distant even to her own ears.

She closed her eyes for a second, steadying her breath. Don't get carried away, Avantika. Remember, you're nothing more than a duty to him.

Next day

Avyansh's POV

I wake up to a pounding headache. What the hell happened last night? My mind feels foggy, and I can't remember a thing. I sit up slowly, groaning as I rub my temples, trying to piece together the events from the previous night. The room feels strangely quiet.

Just then, the door creaks open.

"Bhaiyaa, wakey wakey!" Devika chirps, peeking in with a wide grin. Her energy is almost too much for my aching head.

"Your wifey, Bhabhiii ji..." she adds playfully, holding up a plate. "Has sent something for you!"

I squint at the soup she's holding, noticing the steam rising from it. "Isse waha rakh do," I mumble, my stomach churning at the thought of food.

As I try to get my bearings, I suddenly realize I'm not wearing a shirt. I quickly pull the covers up, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Now I'm going. Be downstairs in less than 20 minutes-Bhabhi's strict order for you," she says, giggling as she steps back. I can't help but wonder what Avantika is thinking after last night.

Did she really just say that? The idea of following a "strict order" from her feels both amusing and slightly intimidating. I'm not used to this whole marriage dynamic, and the thought of facing Avantika after whatever happened last night makes my head spin even more.

As Devika leaves, I take a deep breath, trying to shake off the remnants of my hangover.

I walked downstairs, wearing a grey shirt and shorts, my hair still damp. My neck and shoulders ached, probably from sleeping in an awkward position, but the hangover soup had helped with my headache, at least.

As I reached the living room, I saw Ruhaan talking to her. My wife. They seemed to be discussing something, and Ruhaan nodded enthusiastically, replying with a "Why not?" or something along those lines.

Her eyes flickered up and landed on me for a brief second before she quickly looked away, like she didn't want to acknowledge my presence. I stood there, unsure of what to say or how to act. Did I do something last night? I couldn't remember a thing.

Ruhaan noticed me and grinned, "Good morning, bro! Feeling better?"

I nodded, keeping my gaze on Avantika, but she was already turning back to the kitchen, busying herself with something. A weird tension filled the space between us, and I couldn't help but feel that something had shifted.

I walked toward the kitchen, determined to ask her something, anything that could clear my head from last night's fog.

"Aree kaha ja rahe hai aap? Avyansh biwi ke peeche peeche?" Dadi teased as she entered with Papa.

I fumbled for an excuse. "Kuch nahi, Dadi. Wo... bas... chai ke liye." I gestured toward the cup in Ruhaan's hand, hoping that would suffice.

Ruhaan smirked, "Bhai, tu toh #chaiperson nahi hai?"

Dev chimed in, adding fuel to the fire. "Aree Ruhaan bhaiya, Bhaiya ko chai thodi pasand hai~"

"Bhaiya ko toh chai banane wali-" Devika cut herself off when she caught my glare, the one that said, You say one more word, and your shopping days are over.

She stayed quiet, knowing better than to push her luck further.

"Jao, jao," Papa waved me off, chuckling. "Aur apni Maa ko bhi bhej dena idhar thoda..."

"Or ho sake toh apni choti mummy ko bhi," Chote Papa added with a sly grin, sipping his tea.

I groaned inwardly. What's wrong with everyone today? The teasing was relentless, and all I wanted was to talk to her. Just a simple conversation-nothing more. But no, they had to make it into a whole thing.

I rolled my eyes, muttering something under my breath, and finally walked toward the kitchen, ignoring the playful jabs behind me.

I cleared my throat, trying to get everyone's attention. "Ahem..." I said, feeling the weight of multiple gazes on me, except for hers. Avantika was busy kneading dough, completely absorbed in her task, almost as if I wasn't there.

"Ohooo, dekho toh kaun aaya hai!" Choti Mummy teased, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Maa glanced at me, raising an eyebrow, "Kya hua, Avy?" she asked, her voice curious but with that knowing smile.

"Wo... Maa, actually..." I stammered, rubbing the back of my neck, glancing at Avantika, who looked up at me for a split second before focusing back on her work.

Maa noticed the quick exchange and smirked. "Haan, bolo na," she encouraged, clearly enjoying this.

I sighed inwardly, feeling the warmth creeping into my face. "Choti Mummy aur Maa... Papa aur Chote Papa aap dono ko bula rahe hain," I managed, shifting on my feet.

Maa and Choti Mummy exchanged amused glances. "Ohhh, toh Papa bula rahe hain," Choti Mummy drawled, drawing out the moment. "Kuch aur bhi toh nahi kehna hai, Avy?" she teased, nudging Maa.

I shook my head, trying to hide the embarrassment. "Bas yehi..." I muttered.

They both giggled softly, "Thik hai, thik hai, hum jaa rahe hain!" Maa said, still smiling as they left, clearly pleased with themselves.

Then, I noticed the maid standing in the corner, watching quietly. She caught my gaze, bowed slightly, and quickly excused herself from the kitchen, leaving just Avantika and me.

Suddenly, the room felt quieter, the only sound being the rhythmic kneading of the dough. I shifted awkwardly, glancing at her but unsure of what to say next.

I moved closer and stood beside her, leaning casually against the rack. My eyes lingered on her as she worked. A few strands of her hair had slipped from behind her ear, falling gently over her face.

There was a small smudge of dough on her cheek, which she seemed completely unaware of, making her look unintentionally adorable.

Today, she wore a pink saree. A pink saree? I thought, feeling my breath hitch for a moment. The way the soft fabric clung to her, highlighting every curve without being overly revealing-it was understated, yet incredibly alluring.

The shade of pink brought out the warmth in her complexion, and she looked... stunning. No, more than that. Too sexy.

Lost in thought, I didn't realize she had noticed my gaze.

"Aapko kuch kehna bhi hai ya aise hi dekhte rahenge?" she asked suddenly, her tone a mix of curiosity and slight annoyance, catching me completely off guard.

"Huh?" I blinked, my mind racing to find a response, realizing I'd been caught staring.

She raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to speak, but all I could do was wonder how someone could look this effortlessly beautiful while kneading dough.

"Nahi bas...wo..." I stammered, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. Why am I so nervous around her all the time? Like some teenager caught in a crush.

She just stood there, waiting for me to finish, eyes narrowing slightly in confusion.

"Your face-um... has some dough? Um... yeah," I finally blurted out, pointing to her cheek, immediately regretting how stupid that sounded.

She raised her hand to her face, brushing the spot where the little bit of dough had clung, and then looked back at me, clearly trying not to laugh.

"Hmm, thanks," she replied dryly, her lips twitching as though she was holding back a smile.

Great, I thought to myself.

"Ok, I'm going," I muttered, already walking out of the kitchen when her voice stopped me in my tracks.

"You didn't misbehave or do anything last night... you just came and slept," she said softly, almost as if she needed to clear the air.

I turned around, surprised. Her eyes flickered toward me before looking down at the dough again, as if she wasn't sure why she was saying it.

"I'm really sorry if I disturbed you or... you know," I paused, scratching my head awkwardly, "Like, I'm really sorry."

There was a brief silence between us, and I could feel the tension hanging in the air. Her expression was unreadable as she kneaded the dough with more force than before.

"You don't have to apologize," she said quietly.

I nodded, but I wasn't sure if she believed that-or if I did.

It was evening now, and I had been in my home office for hours, buried in work. I hadn't seen her since breakfast, but honestly, how could I? I hadn't even stepped out of the room once.

"She must be studying or talking with everyone... enjoying herself," I thought, trying to convince myself.

But the truth was, she never came to me. Never tried to initiate a conversation.

My chest tightened at the thought.

"You're the one who told her to stay away from you, idiot," my inner voice sneered.

Oh yeah... I remembered. The first day after our wedding, I had made it very clear. I was doing it for her sake, wasn't I?

Still, a strange emptiness hung in the air. Something felt... missing.

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples. Concentrate on work, Avyansh, I told myself, but all I could think about was her. The way she looked this morning-her pink saree, the dough on her face. She looked so... cute.

I shook my head, trying to snap out of it. Focus on the project, not the girl.

But then, my thoughts drifted back to the kitchen.

Why am I so nervous around her? I wondered. I'm a grown man, for God's sake! And there I was, stammering like a teenager about dough on her face.

Honestly, what was I doing? Trying to act all distant, telling her to stay away... and now, here I was, thinking about her every other minute.

Stupid brain.

Author POV

Avantika was seated in the library, immersed in Ruhaan's poetry books. She was eager to learn, intrigued by the world of shayari he had promised to teach her. Dev dozed off beside her, occasionally mumbling in his sleep.

"Aap bohot ache poetry likhte hain, but each one feels like it's one-sided and broken. Why?" she asked, flipping through one of his books and catching a glimpse of a heartfelt verse:

तेरे ख्वाबों में खोया हूं मैं,

तेरे एहसासों में बसा हूं मैं।

फिर भी तेरे बिना अधूरा हूँ,

तेरी यादों में ही ख़ुश हूँ मैं।

Just then, Ruhaan sighed, glancing over at her. "Aise nahi hai, Bhabhi," he replied.

Suddenly, Ruhaan shouted, "Aaaaaa!" causing Avantika to jump.

"Kya hua? Kon margya? Kiski haddi toot gayi? Kon shaheed ho gaya?" Dev exclaimed, jolting up from his evening nap, his eyes wide with confusion.

"Chhuha!" Ruhaan yelled, standing on the sofa like a frightened cat, his arms flailing dramatically.

"Kya chuhaa???" Dev shouted, his grip on Avantika's shoulder tightening. "Bhabhi bachaao!"

Avantika couldn't help but was trying her best to control her smile.Ruhaan hopped from the sofa, pointing at a tiny rat scurrying across the floor. "It's coming for me! Bhabhi Save me!"

"Ruhaan ji , it's just a rat! Chill!" Avantika managed to say while Dev looked utterly terrified, still holding onto her like she was a life raft.

"Chill? It's a rodent! Bhabhi, please!" Dev pleaded, his eyes darting around the room for an escape route.

Then suddenly, the gate of the library swung open.

Avyansh stepped in, his eyes scanning the scene. He looked at both men and then settled his gaze on his beautiful wife, Avantika. But his expression hardened as he noticed Dev's hand quickly retract from her shoulder.

"What is happening?" he asked, his voice deep yet demanding.

"Chuha! Bhabhi dar gaye the hum toh-bas." Dev stammered, his bravado fading under the weight of Avyansh's gaze.

Avantika's face morphed into a confused look. Mai kab dar thi? she thought, bewildered.

Avyansh walked toward them, noticing that Avantika was still perched precariously on the sofa. He extended his hand toward her. "Come down."

"Bhai, humara bhi haath pakad le!" Ruhaan chimed in, offering his hand as he stood on the sofa like a startled deer.

"Shut up," Avyansh said with an eye roll, grabbing Avantika's hand as she stepped down. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson at his touch.

"Yeh kaisa zulm hai? What about us, Bhaiya?" Dev interjected, making a mock hurt face, as if he had just lost a game of emotional tug-of-war.

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