PUNARVIVAAH - ARRANGED TO LOVE (L&M #3)

SHOT 12

Third person's pov!

"Why are we looking after the nanny's education?" Abhay asked and Niranjan looked at him in shock.

"Nanny?"

"Uh, yes. You brought her along to look after Kriti, right?" Abhay asked in confusion.

"She is not a nanny, Abhay. She is my best friend, Raghuswamy's daughter. You remember RaghuSwamy and Vidya who lived next door to us while we were in Chennai?" Niranjan asked.

Abhay vaguely remembers the sweet lady who lived next door to them in Chennai. She had adored him when he was a kid. He only has vague memories as he was only a seven year old boy.

"Hmm, yes. I thought she is the new nanny you hired as she is always around Kriti." I said with a frown.

"Why would you even think that? Didn't you recognize the name Vaiga? We have talked about her a lot here. I thought you know. She is always around Kriti because Kriti keeps her happy and she forgets all her pains when Kriti is around." Niranjan said with a sigh and I frowned.

"What is wrong with her?" I asked curiously.

"She went through a bad divorce recently. She had been cooped up in her bedroom, refusing to come out for the last few months. Raghu was worried. So we decided she needed a change of scenery and brought her with us." Niranjan said and Abhay looked at her in shock.

"She was married? She looks too young to be married. How old is she?" Abhay couldn't hide his disbelief.

"She is only twenty one now. She got married at an early age. It's a long story. Anyways, her husband's family didn't let her continue her college, but she somehow wrote her exams until the fifth semester. One more to go. Please look into it and see what the formalities are." Niranjan said.

Abhay nodded and took the file from Niranjan. But he still had a frown on his face.

If this woman was using his daughter as an emotional anchorage for the moment, what would happen when she comes out of it? What will be his daughter's condition then?

And what was the reason for the divorce. What if it was her fault?

He shook his head to dispel all those thoughts from his head and walked out of the study.

As he turned around the corner, he bumped into someone.

It was Vaiga. Due to the unexpected collision, Vaiga lost her balance and she was about to fall back, but Abhay snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her up against him.

Vaiga had her eyes closed tightly, expecting to hit the floor, but she felt herself being steadied by a pair of powerful arms. She opened her eyes and saw she was in the arms of her Mama's beloved Dev.

She immediately pulled away from him and looked downwards awkwardly.

"Sorry, Dev ji. I didn't see you coming. Anjana Maa sent me to call both you and Niranjan uncle down for tea." Vaiga said in a breath and hurried back downstairs, leaving a confused Abhay.

Dev ji? Who the hell is Dev ji? He wondered in confusion.

Could it be her ex husband? Probably! In anxiety, her tongue might have slipped and she uttered her ex's name. He shrugged it off and went back to the study to call his father for tea.

Vaiga's pov!

I felt tears running down my cheeks as I hurried towards the bedroom they gave me, without listening to Anjana Maa calling out for me.

What happened today triggered a memory of Shiva in me. Being with Kriti, I was starting to slowly stop thinking about Shiva. Consciously that is. The whole day, I would be running behind Kriti, but at night, once Kriti falls asleep, memories would haunt me.

The first time I met Shiva, I had bumped into him around the corner in the college corridors. I was about to fall and he had held me tightly.

It was love at first sight for me.

It took only one look and I knew he was the one.

"Are you okay?" Shiva had asked and I kept staring into his eyes, not able to take my gaze off his handsome face.

"Huh?" I asked, stupidly, only hearing the musical tone of his words, not exactly comprehending what he was saying.

He made me stand straight and looked at me head to toe and I felt myself shuddering just at his look.

"Are you okay, Ms?" Shiva asked.

"Vaiga. Vaiga Raghuswamy. First year, BBA." I said, extending my hands for a shake. He raised an eyebrow at me, but gave me his hand. I had felt butterflies in my tummy, when his palm grazed against mine.

"Shivram Iyer. Assistant Professor, Department of Business." He said and my eyes widened in shock.

"Assi- Assistant professor?" I stammered. I thought he was a senior. He looks too young to be a professor.

"Yes. Assistant Professor, Ms Vaiga. I will be taking the first hour classes for first year BBA students today. See you in class." He said and walked away and I felt my heart flying after him.

"Vaiga... Vaiga.." I was startled out of my thoughts when Anjana Maa shook me.

"Huh?"

"What happened, Vaiga? Why did you run to your room crying? Did Abhya say anything to you? I saw you talking to him." Anjana Maa asked and I nodded my head in a no.

"Then why were you crying? What happened?" Anjana Maa asked in panic and I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly.

I badly needed a hug at that moment.

"Ga! Ga! Ga!" I pulled away from Anjana Maa when I heard the gurgle from the doorway and saw baby Kriti crawling into the bedroom.

"She was looking for you everywhere. I didn't understand at first. Then she kept uttering Ga Ga Ga and then it struck me. She was taking the last two letters of your name, Vaiga.." Siddhu said with a chuckle, as he came into the room, closely behind baby Kriti.

My heart filled with love and joy at that moment.

She was missing me and she came in search of me.

I scooped her up into my arms and kissed loudly on her cheeks.

"Aww! My baby missed me.."

A/N

Here goes the next chapter..

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Love,

SF❤️