When Rivals Fall

Chapter 20 The Engagement Ring and Day

"Rehne ko mil gya tere dil ka sheher
Hai yahaan dhoop bhi jese thandi leher
Ke rang lageya ishq da
Mein tera hoya is tarah
Ki rang lageya ishq da "
~ Rang Lageya

Author's Pov

The loud beeping of the alarm clock echoed through the room, jolting Vedika awake first.

She groaned, rubbing her eyes, before realizing she was tangled in the blankets. Blinking in confusion, she frowned, wondering why the bed felt oddly warm.

Shrugging off the strange feeling, she quickly got up and rushed to the washroom, completely unaware of the fact that Ayaan was lying there, still half-asleep... and blushing.

As the sound of the shower running filled the silence, Ayaan lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a stupid grin on his face.

His mind kept replaying the events of last night-

Vedika mistaking him for Ruhi and jumping on him like an excited puppy.

Her unconscious flailing, her restless sleep, and the way she had kicked him multiple times.

And then... the moment he had caged her in his arms, holding her close.

Ayaan let out a deep sigh, running a hand through his hair, his cheeks turning slightly red.

"Mujhe kya ho raha hai?" he muttered under his breath, realizing that he had been smiling like an idiot for the past few minutes.

He shook his head furiously. No, no, no. This was dangerous.

"Isse door rehna padega... warna yeh meri aadat ban ti ja rahi hai!" He groaned, pressing a pillow over his face as if that could block out his own thoughts.

But his mind wasn't listening.

Because, truth be told, it already had become a habit.

The girls' room was filled with the sound of laughter, hairdryers, and the occasional argument over jewelry. Anayra was fixing her earrings, Vedika was braiding her hair, Chelsi was struggling with her eyeliner, and Kashvi thinking what to wear

Just then, Aarav and Kaustubh barged in.

Aarav and Kaustubh casually strolled into the girls' room, a small pile of neatly folded clothes in Aarav's hands.

Aarav grinningly said "Yeh Ruhi bhabhi ko de dena, aunty ne kaha tha."

Vedika taking the clothes said "Haan, haan. Hum de denge."

Kaustubh, however, wasn't paying attention to the conversation. His focus was entirely on one thing-what color was Kashvi wearing today?

He wanted to match his outfit with hers, but asking directly in front of Chelsi, Anayra, Aarav, and Vedika? No way. The teasing would be endless.

His mind went into overdrive, searching for an indirect way to find out.

He casually leaned against the doorframe, tapping his fingers against his chin, pretending to be lost in thought.

Kaustubh asked ,"Aaj ka function kaunsa hai?"

Anayra raising a brow asked ," "Aj engagement hai , kya hogya apko , apki nind puri nhi hui kya"??

Kaustubh with fake innocence face said,"Bas aise hi... waise tum log kya pehn rahe ho?"

Aarav shot him a look, smirking knowingly.