Hrivaan stood stunned with his hands pressed on his ears as he dramatically said famous Daya's dialogue, “Hey maa mata ji!!! Ye maine kya dekh liye!!?? Arhansh bhai being romantic!?”

Translation - Oh mother goddess!!! What did I just see!!?? Ahansh brother being romantic!?

A slap on head from behind made him stumble, he groaned and saw Hrehaan sending him arrows with his eyes, “Stop your daily soap drama! You scared her!!”

Hrehaan pointed at Ashnoor who was hiding behind Arhansh. Meanwhile all the time Arhansh was throwing daggers with eyes at Hrivaan.

Hrivaan chuckled in embarrassment and took out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead, though there was not even a single drop of sweat.

“Arey bro…you here!? I didn't notice hehe…how are you? Who is she– ohh!! You got married yesterday wo-...”, he gulped and passed an embarrassed smile, "Actually I've got a memory issue recently, you know…I forget things…”

Arhansh was about to open his mouth when they heard Ashnoor giggling, his heart did the flip, meanwhile both the brothers looked at their sister-in-law with adoration while she hid behind Arhansh's broad frame.

Arhansh closed his eyes and cursed under his breath for feeling all the emotions. He couldn't quite decipher what he was feeling, he knew only one thing and that was his wife was not good for his heart's health, she always makes his heartbeat fast.

Arhansh cleared his throat and pointed his index finger at Hrivaan, “You know what, I've given you chance more than required that now are taking me for granted, just wait and watch”

He took out his phone and called Anahira, Hrivaan's best friend, in no time she picked up the call, “Hello Ana”

“Hello, yeah Arhansh bhai. How are you?”

Arhansh's heart warmed hearing her voice, He never said openly but she is just like his own sister to him and being a single child, she also does not have a brother and consider him as her brother.

“I guess I've got a drooling video of your best friend which you would like to add to your ‘how to make Hrivaan agree’ collection”

“What? Bahaha!!! Bhai you are the besttt!!! Lemme just come over and teach him a lesson, did you know this guy had the audacity to ditch a shopping trip with me to go with Laura for a date?? How could he?”

“What? Why don't you visit the mansion and beat him to the pulp”, Arhansh said while looking at Hrivaan who was now crouched down on the floor with his hand pulling his hair in frustration.

Arshansh turned towards Ashnoor and looking into her eyes, he said, “There is a surprise waiting for you”

“Surprise? Oh my god! I'm on my way, bhai”, she squealed and hung up the call.

There was a long silence and then Hrivaan fake cried, “Bro, what did you just dooo…..wo mujhe kachcha chaba jayegiii!!!”

Translation - She'll eat me raw

Arhansh smirked, “You neede a lesson to not mess with me”

Ashnoor was looking at her husband with a soft gaze all the time he spoke with a mischievous glint in his eyes. She was thinking about how much different he is in front of his cousins. Unknowingly she was smiling when Arhansh's gaze fell on her and his heart skipped its beat.

Arhansh cleared his throat and fumbled with words, “We- we should h-..head for breakfast”

He took an abrupt turn only to stumble on a pillar, he took a second to stand properly and raking his fingers through his hairs he vanished in speed.

“What happened to him?”, Ashnoor asked, clueless of her effect on her husband.

Meanwhile Hrehaan and Hrivaan were amused by their brother's behavior. Ashnoor turned to the twins and asked, “Won't you both have breakfast?”

They both nodded and accompanied their sister-in-law. The three of them were descending when Shiv ji's voice echoed in the hall, “Hrehaan-Hrivaan”

“Yeah Dadu(grandfather)?”They asked while descending the last stair, they frowned when they found Ashnoor still rooted to her place on the last stair.

“Bhabhi?”Hrivaan called but as if Ashnoor was locked in the small room of her own thoughts where his voice couldn't reach him.

Ashnoor was looking down while her fingers fiddled with the edge of her saree. The taunts thrown at her from the past were resurfacing her head.

Arhansh was busy on a call and was unaware of the situation of his wife who was on the verge of crying. She gathered courage, looked up with ear filled eyes and said, “Da-daji…I-I know you don't like me, um- nobody ever liked me except mimi…you can say anything about me but please…please don't say anything about my mother…if you don't like me I swear I'll never show my face, I'll put the veil and make sure to keep as much distance as possible”

Shiv ji who was standing there with a neutral expression, a wave of memory passed through his vision and his eyes got filled with tears. He quickly looked away and wiped his tears.

Hrehaan and Hrivaan eyes saddened as they looked at their Sister-in-law but they were confused seeing their grandfather wiping his tears.

Shiv ji shook his head, “I don't hate you, I just…I was upset that Aru couldn't even tell me that he was marrying, we are his family and he never discussed anything and why would I drag your mother into something if she herself was a victim. Aru's mother was also one of them but it never made the difference to us, she was a lovely soul. And you are also a sweet child…come here”

Ashnoor looked at him with teary eyes and ran to his open arms, who engulfed her in a side embrace and kissed her head, “Aap to pyaari si bachchi hain aapse hum kyun naaraz rahenge? Humare Aru ki patni hai aap, iss ghar ki sabse badi bahu par sahi mayene me iss ghar ki sabse badi beti”

Hrehaan and Hrivaan smiled at the scenario in front of them. There were two more persons who had tears in their eyes and an admiration for newfound bond.

Arhansh who just came back after attending the call and Shivansh ji, who came out of his room and was looking at the scene from the first floor.

Ashnoor came out of the hug and smiled, “Thankyou Dadaji”

“For what?”Shiv ji asked though already knowing her answer.

“Wo…you accepted me”, she said in an almost whispered voice.

“Ayee it's my fortune to have such a precious granddaughter in this empty mansion, now this mansion won't feel like it's eating me from within…I should be thanking you so…thankyou for making my grandson agree”, his voice heavy with pain and longing for his beloved once who is no more part of this world.

Ashnoor looked down, her cheeks red at the mansion of her husband. Shiv ji noticed Arhansh's effect on her and smiled knowingly. He caressed her head and said, “Let's go to the temple and lit one diya in front of the god”

Ashnoor nodded and started following him, he entered the home temple and said, “Only I lit one diya daily in the house otherwise all the family members has turned into an atheist, they no more have faith in the god”

Ashnoor smiled bitterly, “When a lot of things get snatched from you when you never ever dared to do bad with others then of course you lose faith in the god, where were they when wrong was being written in your faith?”

“Are you flitting diya because I'm saying, you also don't have faith in god?”Shiv ji asked, creases forming on his forehead.

“Nahi-nahi Dadaji, I try to see brighter sight, I see god in truth, the truth which feels right to me”

Translation - No-no grandfather

Shiv ji's eyebrow lifted in amazement, he felt proud of Arhansh's choice, he patted her head and asked, “What's your age? You look so young for your thoughts”

Ashnoor smiled, “Twenty four”

Shiv ji chuckled, “Arhansh is very much elder to you”

Ashnoor frowned, “Why? What's his age?”

“Ashnoor?”Arhansh's voice broke their conversation as he called her who quickly turned listening to her name only to bump on his chest, Arhansh instinctively held her by her waist.

A shiver ran down their spine and they quickly created a good distance between each other.

Shiv ji, who noticed everything tried to hide his smile and handed her the matchsticks, “Here, take it and lit diya and take blessing to start your new journey as a married couple”

Ashnoor nodded and took the matchsticks. She took the edge of her pallu and put the free portion of the saree on her head as a respect and then lit the diya and joined her hands.

Arhansh who saw her performing deed felt something break within him.

Maybe his guards which he was building so no one crosses them?

He still remembers the blurry images of his mother performing aarti and how he used to get up early to contribute in worship with her so that he could have the prashad first. He used to hold her mother's pallu all the time when she used to do worship and eagerly followed every action with her.

Arhansh heard the footsteps and turned, his jaw clenched at the mere sight of his father. He balled his fist in anger and quickly left, he was about to cross the threshold of the mansion when his grandfather's voice stopped him, “Arhansh!!”

He stopped on his steps but didn't turn, he just waited for Shiv ji to continue.

Shiv ji sighed at his stubbornness and said, “It's your first day as a married man, have your breakfast with your wife and then only leave”

Arhansh turned with eyes red, “I won't eat with this man sitting on the dining table”

“Well this man is your fathe–”

Arhansh raised his voice, “NO!!”

“I-I'm going dad, also I do not have appetite so it's fine”, Shivansh ji passed a pale smile and left for his room.

Shiv ji sighed but he couldn't complain. He turned towards Ashnoor and said, “Daughter, do you know cooking?”

Ashnoor smiled nervously and said, “I tried…but I'm not sure that I can cook without instruction…I often end up adding extra salt and spices and sometimes burn food too…I'm sorry”

Shiv ji chuckled, “I liked your honesty. It's okay daughter, even Aru doesn't know how to cook. Come, let's cook together for your first rasoi? Hrehaan and Hrivaan…let's cook together”

Shiv ji deliberately didn't ask Arhansh who was expecting his grandfather to call him as well. He frowned when he didn't call him and settled down on the sofa with grumpy expressions. He was already in a bad mood and now his grandfather also contributed to it.

Shiv ji bit back his smile and headed to the kitchen with his team. He asked Ashnoor, “What do you like in sweets, Ashnoor?”

“Me?”, she asked to which Hrivaan chuckled and teased her-

“No, me”

She frowned which made her look more cute, all of them chuckled and Hrivaan said, “Ofcourse Ashnoor is your name so he is asking you to choose Noor bhabhi- oops! Can we also call you Noor?”

Ashnoor smiled and nodded, “I'd love it, it makes me feel home…I like Badam ka halwa”(Almonds pudding)

Shiv ji smiled, but it quite didn't reach his eyes as if he was lost in a distant memory for a second before he said, “My wife's favourite was also Almonds pudding”

Ashnoor smiled and they began to do the preparation after putting almonds in water to soak.

…

“Bhai!!”, a female voice boomed which made Arhansh's eyes shine, he quickly got up and turned only to see Anahira grinning while walking towards him.

“Hey Ana”, Arhansh greeted as she forwarded her hand for a handshake. He shook his hand with hers.

“Where is everyone else and that stupid joker?”, she asked while looking around.

Arhansh finding a good chance to enter kitchen said, “They are in the kitchen,come let me take you”

Anahira followed, already moving towards the kitchen with Arhansh. She thought in her mind, “Since when has he changed this much?”

“Hey guys–”She said enthusiastically while entering but stopped in the middle and looked keenly at Ashnoor and asked, “Who's this beautiful lady?”

Ashnoor looked at her with red cheeks and greeted, “Hello, um…I'm Ashnoor”

“Our sister-in-law”, Hrivaan grinned while Hrehaan was rooted to his place, he couldn't help but look at Anahira.

“WHATT!!??”She screamed in utter shock while others closed their ears.

“Hrehaan?”, she whispered in disbelief, “Are you serious?”

Hrehaan was confused about what to ask but Hrivaan beat him in it and asked, “What's there to be serious and why are you asking Hreha–wait…did you think our bhabhi is Hrehaan's wife?”

Anahira nodded slowly, still in shock. This time it was Hrehaan who was shocked and said, “What the hell!!! It's not me who is married, it's Arhansh bhai's wife!”

Anahira took a relaxed breath but then looked up with horror filled expressions but then she stopped and then she laughed out loud.

She was laughing like a maniac while everyone looked at her with weird expressions as if they had seen a ghost. She stopped laughing and putting on a serious face asked, “Am I looking foolish to you? And it's not the first of April so stop your stupid jokes. Huh!”

Hrivaan laughed while Dadu chuckled and Hrehaan was still lost in Anahira, she asked, “What? What's there to laugh, I should be the one laughing as I spoiled your prank–”

“She's my wife, Ashnoor Arhansh Saharawat”, Arhansh's voice was enough to silence her and now she was in shock that she couldn't even speak anything. She took the water which Hrehaan offered her and drank in one go.

She took the nearest chair and sat down and asked, “Am I dreaming?”

Hrivann laughed out loud, “What the- bahahaha this is so funny bahahahah!!!

Hrehaan slapped Hrevaan on the back of his head and made him look at Arhansh who was throwing daggers at him with his eyes, he nervously coughed, “Hehe…wo actually a joke popped up in my head, thats…that's why I was laughing…”

Arhansh shook his head and then said to Anahira, “You are not in dreams, I got married for real and she…”

He turned to Ashnoor with soft expressions and completed his sentence, “Ashnoor is my wife and your Sister-in-law”

Ashnoor's cheeks turned light shade of pink as she got shy but in the mid of all this she didn't realise when instead of cutting dry she ended up cutting her finger, a hiss escaped her lips and the knife fell down from her hands landing on her feet and making a small cut there as well.

“Ouchh!!

“Noor!!”Arhansh gasped, not even realizing that he had called her Noor unknowingly. He quickly made her sit and everyone encircled her in worry while he fetched disinfectant liquid.

He quickly came back with antiseptic liquid in cotton and held her hand. Ashnoor who was hissing in pain while cleaning the blood which flowed non stop from her finger and foot as well, her heart dipped that moment he held her hand.

She looked up at him only for breath to hitch as he was already leaning, his face was a few inches away from hers, she couldn't help but admire his face.

What is pain? She literally forgot everything.

Arhansh was quick to bent on his one knee and took her ankle to put on his thigh but she quickly retreated her leg, while hissing she denied, “No please don't touch my foot, I-I'll clean it by myself”

He passed her a glare which was enough to silence her, he took her foot and placed it on his thigh and started cleaning her wound while Hrehaan did the dressing.

When Arhansh finished and got up, he took her hand and said, “You are not making anything and you won't step in the kitchen until it's to have something, did you get it?”

Ashnoor looked at him with doe eyes all the time he scolded, he frowned and asked, “What?”

“Aap daant kyun rahe hai? Ho jaati hai galti…iska matlab ye nahi ki hume khaana banana nahi aata”, she said with a frown which did nothing but make her look more cute.

Translation - Why are you scolding? Mistake happens…but that doesn't mean I don't know how to cook

Arhansh's side of the lip twitched in amusement but he quickly covered it and looked in the surroundings where everyone was keenly looking at the interaction between them with amused smiles. The moment they saw his stare on them, they started to pretend as if they were minding their own business.

Anahira was holding a knife and peeling almonds which can be done by hand, Hrivaan taking out a salt box which does not even come in use for Almond pudding, Hrehaan is cleaning invisible dust from his specs whereas Shiv ji is looking for nothing in the fridge.

Arhansh raked his finger through his hairs and said to Ashnoor who was fiddling with her bandage, “I wasn't scolding, I was...okay I was scolding but it's for your betterment, you got hurt Ashnoor…”

Ashnoor was shocked when she felt the soft caress in his voice, she looked up and said out of nowhere, “You can call me Noor…everyone does, it feels good…”

Of course she noticed when he called her Noor and how can she deny the butterflies that tittered when he called her Noor. It wasn't just a nickname, it was her mother's name which she loves to carry and when the man who is now her husband called her Noor, it felt so perfect from his mouth, as if all her life she waited to hear him call that.

Arhansh felt as if this situation is some sort of his dream, he again asked, “Huh?”

She bobbed her head, “You can call me Noor”

“Awww…”, Hrivaan awed and it made Anahira giggle. She loved when Arhansh got teased but Arhansh?

He hates that.

He rolled his eyes at Hrivaan's awe and left with Ashnoor, not before saying, “Shut up!!”

“Dhani? Where are you taking me? Arey– I've to make Halw–”, she stopped abruptly the moment he cornered her.

“What- what are you doing?”, she gulped, not able to keep the eye contact, she looked down.

Arhansh held her thin wrist with his index and thumb finger and brought in front of her eyes, “Do you really think you can make it after being injured?”

“I-I can do my work from the other”, she mumbled, still keeping her gaze on the floor. It irked him.

Arhansh put his other hand on her chin and lifted it, “What did I tell you about holding your head high like you own the entire place?”

She nodded timidly and gulping a lump forming on his throat, she said, “I'm ambidextrous, I can use both hands well”

Arhansh raised his eyebrows in amusement and said, "Impressive. I'd like to know every minute detail about you…Noor”

Her heart did a flip once again.