Jaanki pov

I was about to grab a glass of water when I spotted Ruhi lounging comfortably on a chair, lazily eating grapes. Beside her stood Reyansh with a handfan, Patiently fanning her. I walked toward them, thoroughly confused.

"What exactly is going on here?"

The moment Reyansh saw me, his face lit up with relief.

"Bhabhi!" He practically ran toward me. "Please save me from this chant lomdi."

(A cunning fox.)

Ruhi threw a grape straight at him.

"Oye, Pinky! Just do your work. Otherwise I'll leak your video."

I frowned. "What video?"

Reyansh's smile vanished. "No video."

His denial was so aggressive that it only made me more suspicious.

Before I could question either of them, Maa's voice echoed across the courtyard. I was about to follow them when Maa gently caught my hand.

"One minute."

Before I could ask why, she picked up a small plate from the nearby table, tore off a piece of hot roti and dipped it into the paneer curry.

"Maa..." She ignored my protest completely. "Subah se kuch dhang se khaya hi nahi tumne."

(You haven't had a proper meal all day.)

She held the morsel near my mouth.

I sighed dramatically before giving in.

The moment I took the bite, she smiled with the quiet satisfaction only mothers seemed capable of. I smiled, leaning my head lightly against her shoulder for a brief second. Just then Papa walked over carrying a glass of fresh juice.

"Drink it" he said, handing it to Maa.

"Mujhe bachcha samajh rakha hai aap dono ne"

(You two think, I'm a child)

They both nodded in agreement. I couldn't help laughing.

Raghav pov

From across the courtyard, I watched her laughing between her parents. Her mother was feeding her with her own hands while her father stood beside them. For a moment...I simply stood there.

There was something about watching people love her so effortlessly. She belonged here. Among people who would fight the world for her without asking for anything in return.

My phone vibrated. The warmth disappeared instantly. I opened the message.

Don't let her check her phone.

My expression hardened. Before I could process it, another notification appeared.

They've sent her all the proof

Every muscle in my body tensed.

Without wasting another second I looked towards her. She was still laughing then suddenly she reached for her phone.

"Damn it..."

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and started walking. By the time I reached her, she had already unlocked the screen. I deliberately brushed against her shoulder.

"Oh!"

The collision wasn't hard enough to hurt her. Just enough. Her phone slipped from her fingers, bounced once against the stone pathway and slid directly into the decorative fountain beside us. A small splash echoed.

"My phone!" She looked from the fountain to me. Then back to the fountain. "My phone fell because of you."

Her accusation was so immediate that, under different circumstances, I might have laughed.

"I'm afraid gravity will disagree with that statement."

She narrowed her eyes. "So now we're blaming gravity?"

"Arre, galti se hua hoga." Her mom immediately said Then she looked at Jaanki knowingly. "Har baat pe apne papa jaisi neta mat ban jao."

(It must have been a mistake. Don't act like your politician dad every time.)

I pulled my phone from my pocket and held it toward her.

"Here."

She frowned. "What?"

"Use mine until yours is repaired."

She stared at me as though I had offered her the moon.

"You're just... giving me your phone? What if I discover your secret girlfriend?"

A faint smile found its way onto my face.

"I'm Raghav Singh Rathore. No woman can even touch my shadow unless she's my wife."

She rolled her eyes so dramatically that I almost smiled wider. "The confidence."

"The facts."

"You really think highly of yourself."

"I've never had a reason not to."

She smacked my arm lightly and accepted the phone with a reluctant sigh.

____

Jaanki pov

I walked toward the window and pushed it open. A cool breeze slipped into the room, carrying the faint fragrance of jasmine from the garden below.

Then I opened my wardrobe and took out a small velvet box. I opened the lid. A simple silver chain rested inside. Not extravagant but it was mine.

Every rupee I had earned during my internship had gone into buying it. I could have easily asked Papa for something far more expensive but I didn't want that. For the first gift I ever gave him, I wanted it to come from my own hard work.

My fingertips brushed lightly over the chain before I closed the box again.

"I hope you'll like it," I whispered with a small smile.

I placed the box carefully on the bedside table. Tomorrow I would become his wife. There were still questions. There were still things I didn't understand about him but for the first time I wanted to learn the answers.

________

I walked into the kitchen with only one goal in mind. Cold coffee. I still had half my packing left to do, and there was no way I was surviving it without caffeine. Humming absent mindedly, I tied my hair into a loose bun, pulled the coffee jar from the shelf, and reached for the milk.

"So," A familiar voice drifted in from the doorway. I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. "should I call the fire department in advance?"

Closing my eyes, I took a slow breath before looking at him.

He stood leaning lazily against the kitchen entrance, arms folded across his chest, looking entirely too pleased with himself. his hair looked slightly messy, as though he'd run his fingers through it several times.

I sighed dramatically.

"Bakwaas band kijiye." His lips curved. "And what exactly are you doing here?"

"I was missing you." He answered casually "So I came to see you."

I stared at him for a long second.

"You know, my house isn't a public park." I folded my arms. "So stop entering here like a wandering spirit that has nothing better to do."

He laughed softly. I turned back toward the counter and continued measuring the coffee powder. After a moment, I glanced at him again.

"Do you want some?"

His eyes shifted toward the blender.

Then back to me.

"I'll pass."

"Why?"

"I have a strong desire to live." I frowned.

"What does that even mean?"

"It means..." he nodded toward everything spread across the counter, "..I'm not emotionally prepared to become the first victim of your cooking."

The audacity.

Without thinking, I grabbed the butter knife lying nearby and threw it straight at him. His eyes widened for half a second before he ducked instinctively. The knife harmlessly past him and landed on the floor with a loud clatter.

He slowly straightened.

"You, little vixen." He placed a hand dramatically over his heart. "You wounded me."

"I'll do worse if you don't shut your mouth."

He shook his head with exaggerated disappointment.

"Janeman..." His voice became unnecessarily gentle. "Violence isn't the answer. Just look at me with love and it would be enough to kill me, you can even shut my mouth with your lips.

He walked inside.

"Need any help?"

"If you really want to be useful..." I pointed toward the freezer. "...get me some ice."

He saluted dramatically. "As my lady commands."

Rolling my eyes, I returned my attention to the blender. I heard the freezer open behind me. A few seconds later...Silence. I frowned.

"Did you find the ice or are you negotiating with it?"

No answer.

I was about to turn around when something cold suddenly brushed against the bare skin of my waist. A sharp gasp escaped my lips. The freezing sensation travelled slowly across my skin, making a violent shiver race down my spine. I grabbed the edge of the counter instinctively.

"Raghav!"

I spun around, he was standing barely inches away, holding a single melting ice cube between his fingers. His pale blue eyes sparkled with amusement.

"What are you doing?"

Instead of answering, he lifted one finger and placed it gently against my lips.

"Shh, You'll wake the entire house."

Before I could swat his hand away, he effortlessly lifted me onto the kitchen counter as though I weighed nothing.

I stared at him in complete disbelief.

"Have you completely lost your mind?"

"I've been told that happens around you."

He still hadn't stepped away. The ice cube glistened between his fingers.

He looked at it thoughtfully before looking back at me.

"You know..." His voice softened just enough to send another strange flutter through my chest. "...for someone who threatens to kill me every five minutes..." He slowly held the melting cube against my waist. "...you get startled very easily."

The cold made me flinch. Grabbing another ice cube, he traced it along my neck, causing a moan to escape from icy sensation .

"Someone might come in."

A quiet chuckle escaped him. Without breaking eye contact, he reached up and undo my hair then gently brushed the loose strands of hair away from my face before tucking them carefully behind my ear before he murmured,

"Let them."

The confidence in his voice made my heartbeat stumble. His hand slipped around my waist, drawing me a little closer until there was barely any space left between us. My palms rested against his chest. I could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath them

For a moment, neither of us spoke

I looked up slowly, only to find him already looking at me with an expression I had never seen before. There was no teasing in his eyes now. Just quiet warmth that somehow made me even more nervous than his flirting ever had.

Without thinking, I lifted my hand and slowly cupped his cheek. The roughness of his stubble brushed softly against my palm, his eyes fluttered shut as though he had been waiting for that touch.

A faint smile appeared on his face, softer. He turned his head ever so slightly and placed a lingering kiss against the center of my palm, making my breath catch completely.

Almost hesitantly, I leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss against his forehead. It lasted only a second, yet it somehow carried more emotion than a thousand words. He remained completely still, as though afraid the moment would disappear if either of us moved.

Slowly, he lowered his forehead until it rested lightly against mine. Our noses brushed. I could feel the warmth of his breath mingling with mine.

His fingers found the edge of my dupatta, and with one effortless tug, the fabric slipped from my shoulder.

My breath caught in my throat. His gaze lingered on me searching my eyes as though asking for permission.

"Raghav..." I whispered, though I wasn't sure whether it was a warning or a plea.

He slowly tugged the string of my blouse and let one side of my blouse fall open. He took a piece of ice between his lips and traced it slowly up my neck, and I felt the cold and the warmth of his mouth at the same time. My head fell back. My toes curled.

His fingers tightened in my hair. His other hand found my hip and held it. He took my earlobe between his teeth, just enough, and the sound I made surprised me. His hand moved up along my ribs and cupped my breast, his thumb moving in a slow circle.

"Rah..ah.." I tried to form a sentence but nothing ctomes out. His forehead rested gently against mine. "You're trembling," he murmured.

My hands had somehow found the front of his kurta, clutching the fabric without realizing it.

"You keep pretending you'll run from me," he said quietly. "But every time I come close, your heart tells me a different story."

Suddenly he pinched my waist and I jolted awake.

My breathing was uneven as I sat upright, my eyes darting around the room in confusion. Moonlight still filtered through the curtains, casting soft light across the floor.

No kitchen. No Raghav. I looked down at myself. The black night suit. Not the lavender lehenga.

I blinked twice before burying my face in both hands.

"...A dream?" Heat rushed to my cheeks so quickly that I thought I might actually combust. "Chii Kitna ashleel sapna dekhti hoon main."

(I have such dirty dreams!)

I squeezed my eyes shut even tighter.

"Kal shaadi hai, aur tere dimaag mein yeh sab chal raha hai?"

(You're getting married tomorrow, and this is what you're thinking about?)

My phone vibrated against the mattress. I frowned.

Pyara chamgadar 🦇

By the way...the mole on your waist and the one just below your neck are beautiful.

The phone nearly slipped from my hand. My heartbeat became painfully loud.

"No..." I whispered. "It was just a dream." Then...Another message appeared. "Good night, Tempesta."

__________

Next day

The room carried the fragrance of fresh roses. their rich scent blending with the jasmine woven into my bun the faint trace of sandalwood drifting upstairs from the havan preparations.

I stood before the full-length mirror without moving.

The bridal lehenga wrapped around me like it had been woven from the deepest shade of a rose after rain.

𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐝. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫. 𝐌𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫. 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫.

The embroidery climbed across the fabric, catching the Evening light. Maa adjusted the edge of my dupatta one last time, smoothing an invisible crease with the perfectionism only mothers possessed. She stepped back slowly, her eyes softening as she looked at me.

My gaze returned to my reflection.

The maang tikka rested perfectly against my forehead. The bangles around my wrists chimed softly when I lifted my hand.

For a long moment...I simply stared.

Was that really me?

The same Jaanki Shekhawat who had once declared, with complete confidence, that marriage wasn't for her. The girl who had spent months building walls so high that even hope couldn't climb over them.

A small smile found its way to my lips.

He had quietly rewritten every plan I'd ever made. I looked at myself again, but this time I wasn't seeing the jewellery or the bridal outfit.

I was seeing memories.

The countless times he had teased me until I wanted to throw something at his head. The way he had looked at me after every argument, as though my anger amused him more than victory ever could.

He had believed me before asking for explanations.

Respected me before asking for love.

Protected me without demanding gratitude.

Somewhere between his endless teasing, his impossible confidence, his infuriating habit of appearing exactly when I needed him, his quiet acts of care that he never announced. He had slowly, patiently, impossibly made a place for himself inside my heart.

Without permission. Without confessions.

My fingers rose instinctively and rested lightly over my heart. The realization didn't frighten me. I felt like reaching home after wandering for years without realizing how tired I'd been until I finally found somewhere I belonged.

A tear gathered in my eyes before I smiled through it.

"So..." I whispered to the girl staring back at me through the mirror. "This

is what falling in love feels like."

And for the first time in my life...The future didn't scare me. If tomorrow belonged to Raghav...Then I wasn't afraid of forever anymore.

How was the chapter?

Lot's of love and puchiisss ❤️💋