Aadhya woke up the next morning with a terrible headache.
She groaned and tried to get up but couldn't because of the warm hand wrapped around her waist.
She looked beside her and was confused because she definitely didn't sleep on the bed.
"Arhaan, let me go." She shook his shoulder, trying to wake him up but he wouldn't budge.
Aadhya sighed and tried to remove his hand but he tightened his grip, making it impossible for her to move.
"Hey!" She shook him one more time and thankfully, he stirred a little and then opened his eyes.
"Good morning, love." His sexy morning voice did wonders to Aadhya.
"Let me go."
"Not until you tell me about your nightmare."
"Why should I?"
"Because you were fucking crying in your sleep."
"You got your answer."
Arhaan scrunched his brows,"What?"
"Only you can make me cry like that, Arhaan."
His hold loosened enough for her to move freely but not enough for her to get up.
"What did you dream about?"
"It was not a dream. A terrible memory I wish to forget."
"Can you tell me, please?"
"I am sharing this with you only because you said please. I dreamt about the day your mother whipped me because I didn't let you touch me because I was on my periods. And the same night you fucked me because you were angry. Few months later, I found out that I was pregnant."
"I am sorry."
"You should be."
"Mumma, is Arhaan uncle my father?" A voice from the door made their back as stiff as a rock.
"Who told you that?" Arhaan was the first to recover from their initial shock.
"Nobody. I just heard an uncle talking about your child to another uncle." He stepped inside the room towards his mother who had escaped from Arhaan's grip and was now sitting on the bed.
"And you just presumed that you might be my child?"
"Yes."
"You are a smart kid, I will give you that."
"Shut up, Arhaan. Honey, come here." Aadhya scolded Arhaan and called out to her son who was standing beside her.
"Yes, mumma?"
"I won't lie to you anymore. Yes, uncle Arhaan is your father, and before you start hating him, listen to me. Your father didn't know about your existence. He didn't leave you deliberately, I made him leave you."
"But why?"
"Because your father did something terrible to your mother." Arhaan said while looking at Aadhya who refused to look at him.
"What?"
"It's quite complicated. You won't understand. Just know that, your father doesn't hate you and you don't have to hate him too."
He asked after a short pause,"What about you, mumma? Do you hate papa?"
"Uh—"
"Why don't we play some video games, buddy?" Arhaan diverted his son's attention.
Aayansh nodded and hopped off to his father. He held Arhaan's arm and tried to drag him out of the room.
Arhaan cracked a smile at his son's excitement and let Aayansh drag him to wherever he wanted to.
Aadhya gave a small smile and then stood up to take a shower.
She stepped inside the washroom, stripped off of her clothes and took a refreshing bath.
She wrapped a towel around her body and stepped out before entering the closet where she picked a hoodie she bought from the men's section and her shorts.
As she didn't have anywhere to go today, she decided to roam around in those clothes.
After she got ready, she stepped out from the room and descended the stairs to go to the kitchen where she found Pallavi cooking something.
"Hey! What are you cooking?"
"Pancakes. Want to have some?"
"Sure."
"Is that bhai's hoodie?" Her brows wriggled suggestively as she flipped the pancakes.
Aadhya looked down and shrugged,"No. I bought this from the men's section."
"Hmm. Do you want to marry my brother?"
"You think so?"
Pallavi pursued her lips but before she could even open her mouth, Arhaan's voice was sounded from the kitchen door.
"But you have to because you don't have a choice."
Both the ladies looked at him as he sauntered his way over to the refrigerator to take out a bottle of water.
"That's what the problem is." Aadhya sighed.
"Remember the time when I helped you out? You said that you will do anything I tell you to. You owe me a favour so you can't deny."
Her eyes widened,"Oh, shit! Guess I made a mistake."
He smirked,"A grave one." and left the kitchen leaving a befuddled Aadhya and a confused Pallavi.
"What's wrong with my brother?" She muttered and resumed her cooking while Aadhya moved around the perimeter to make coffee for herself and Pallavi.
***
"Ma'am, there is a parcel addressed to you." A maid knocked on the room's door and informed a groggy Aadhya.
"Okay." She shut the door and made her way to the bathroom, washed her face and made herself a bit presentable.
"Must be the wedding dress." She murmured and walked down the hallway to Pallavi's room.
She knocked on the door and called out,"Pallavi, the dress is here. You want to check it out with me?"
"Sure." She shouted back and opened the door after a few minutes.
"So, what are you going to wear for my wedding?"
"Not sure. I will just wear something from my closet."
"What? As far as I know, you love to shop. This is a perfect opportunity for you to spend money."
"Yeah, but I am not in the mood."
"Is it because I am not happy?"
Pallavi didn't answer. She didn't need to because Aadhya understood her feelings before she could voice it out.
"See the positive side, Pallavi. I will be with you forever. You will be my sister-in-law again, just like old times. And, to be honest, I missed hearing 'bhabhi' from your mouth. So, stop worrying so much and go empty your brother's wallet. Think of it as a payback to your brother from me, okay?"
"How can you be so positive?"
"Just like how you can be so negative."
"Shut up and let's check out the dress. I am sure it will be pretty."
"I hope." She muttered and sat on the white couch before a table where a big box was resting.
She took a deep breath and opened the box to see every thing she could possibly need for her wedding.
From her jewellery to heels, everything was inside the box.
"I hope you like it." A voice from beside Aadhya startled her and she let out a scream.
"Stop screaming, woman. I swear I am going to go deaf from all your screeching."
"And whose fault is that?"
"Of course yours. I am never at fault."
"Yeah, sure. I am at fault. Everything is my fault because you are never wrong, right?"
"Right."
"Shut up, both of you." Pallavi snapped.
"He started it."
Arhaan rolled his eyes,"So childish.", got up and left from there.
"Did he just—"
"Yes, he did. Now, try on these dresses and tell me if you need any alterations."
"I hope I could just flee from here."
"You know you can't– wait, actually you can. I will book tickets for you and make sure he doesn't find you again."
"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT." Arhaan shouted from the first floor.
Both of them looked up to see Arhaan and Aayansh standing there with video game consoles in their hands.
As soon as Pallavi noticed the consoles, she exclaimed,"Oh my God! I never imagined you to play something you hated in your childhood."
"What? He hated video games? You sure he is a human?"
"No." Pallavi replied.
"SHUT UP." He shouted from the upper floor.
"STOP SHOUTING AND COME HERE IF YOU WANT TO ARGUE." Aadhya yelled back.
He glared at her for a few minutes and then turned on his heel with Aayansh following his father.
'Are my parents crazy?' Aayansh thought while trying to keep pace with his father's long strides.
"Papa, wait for me." And just like that, Arhaan's non-existent heart melted like a puddle.