Muskaan giggles to herself as she listens to the sounds coming through the walkie-talkie. She's so glad she got the twins to help her out, those babies get what needs to be done, done. She tidies up the rubbish and hurries into the bathroom to fix her appearance. Standing in front of the mirror, she peers at her reflection. Muskaan fidgets nervously, heart racing, as she takes a deep breath to muster the courage. Words are selected carefully as she ponders over what exactly it is that she's going to say. Emotions bubble beneath the surface. It's a mix of excitement and vulnerability, hoping he'll understand the depth of her feelings.
Eyes still set on her reflection she thinks over the words she's going to say. She fidgets with her sweaty hands as she stammers the words to herself. Taking a few minutes to herself she repeats the words to herself. Here excitement grows every time she says the words to herself and soon enough she finds herself giggling to herself as she repeats her simple confession. When ready, she fixes her hair and steps out of the bathroom. Casting an eye on the balcony one last time before walking out of the room.
Meanwhile, Aarav is lying on the floor with his nephew sitting on him. His niece has taken the opportunity to brush out his hair so he can look "pretty."
"Chachu, you need to look super pretty. Or else it won't be good."
Smiling at the little girl, he lets her do what she wants. They always know how to cheer him up after a long day and that's exactly what they're doing right now. The sun begins to set slowly when Muskaan walks into their room. A cheerful smile makes its way onto her face when Aarav looks up and smiles at her. Aarav. Doing what he does best, lighting up the world around him.
As the sun sets on the horizon, peeking through the window, it casts a warm glow over the moment. Laughter erupts from Aarav at something Vihaan whispers in his ear. Muskaan feels a flutter in her chest, realising that his laughter is the soundtrack to her happiness. He is her happiness and he always will be. Taking a seat on the bed, she reaches for Meesha and pulls her onto her lap. The conversation finds a gentle flow and the four enjoy the moment. Muskaan cherishes it, this is going to be one of the last moments where her feelings are unknown to him.
Aarav, on the other hand, watches her. Captivated by the way she moves the little girl in her lap. She looks divine in the white dress. To him, it's the embodiment of elegance wrapped in a blank white canvas. Like an innocent swan. As she looks at him, their gaze meets and he can't help but feel mesmerised by the radiance she exudes.
"God Muskaan, you're like a living masterpiece. So prim and proper. So perfect." The words escape his lips before he can stop himself. But, seeing her blush, he smiles. "A living masterpiece only for me to admire."
Muskaan hushes him before telling the twins their chachu needs to rest. Holding his hand, she helps him up. Dropping a kiss on Meeash and Vihaan's foreheads she tells them to go to their parents' room to get ready for bed. Sending them off, Muskaan smiles at Aarav.
"I have a surprise for you."
"Lead the way, sweetheart."
They walk down the hallway to reach his room. Standing outside it, Muskaan takes a deep breath in before opening the door and stepping in first. Aarav follows in behind her, he knows something is waiting for him, but he has no clue it would be so magnificent. Muskaan watches his eyes light up as he looks at the softly lit balcony. The balcony is softly lit by fairy lights, casting a warm glow. A soft cream blanket spread on the floor, with a bouquet of red roses near the side with a charcuterie board next to it. The board is filled with all his favourites, it has a variety of cheeses, his favourite fruit and decadent chocolates and crackers.
His favourite wine waiting for him, his favourite cupcakes waiting for him, and his favourite red velvet cake waiting for him. Candles flicker in the gentle breeze, surrounded by the tranquil sounds of the evening as Aarav walks closer.
The distant city murmurs serenade the night as Muskaan watches the man she's wholeheartedly in love with admires the sight in front of them. She feels his surprise, she knows his heart is racing just as fast as his, and she knows that her confession was merely a few minutes away from being heard. Muskaan watches a blush form on his cheeks and his eyes turn a lighter shade of pink. "Wow," His words come out as a breathy whisper.
Muskaan wraps her arms around his torso and gleams at him which earns her a kiss. Giggling, she pulls away and leads him over to their little indoor picnic. As soon as he sits down, Aarav pulls Muskaan into his lap, earning another giggle. She pours wine for both of them and leans back into his arms. Sighing she smiles. Her smile gets brighter with each passing second. The more she thinks about her confession, the brighter her smile gets.
Aarav holds her closer and lets her date play out, he knows something big is coming his way, but he doesn't want to rush her. He'll just have to make sure his heart doesn't fall out of his chest or kill him with a heart attack before the night ends.
"So, I made you cake, from scratch."
"Thank you, baby." Kiss
"And baked you cookies and cupcakes."
"Thank you, baby." Kiss
Muskaan shuffles in his lap to angle herself in a way so she can look at him. Her arms wrap around his neck. "And as I was doing that, I listened to the audiobook of your favourite book."
"Yeah?"
"Mhm."
The wind blows gently causing the strands of Muskaan's hair to fly in her eyes. Aarav brushes the strands of hair away, giving him a clear view of his love. Muskaan bites her lip in nervousness, she felt so ready earlier, but now her palms were sweaty and her heart was beating loudly in her chest. Sensing her nervousness, Aarav grabs her chin. He kisses her forehead whilst his other hand rubs her back to soothe her tension.
"What's going on?"
Seeing this as her chance to start the conversation, she looks at him. It takes a few deep breaths, a sip of her wine and pursing her lips before she asks him a question.
"You said it'd be heaven when I say those words back to you. Are you ready to experience heaven?"
Aarav's grip on her chin becomes slightly firmer, his hand stops rubbing her back and his world comes to a standstill. He manages to nod as he tries to hold back the tears forming in his eyes. This is the moment he's died every day for and finally, it's around the corner. The moment he dreamt of his whole life, the moment he never thought he would get, the moment he thought he would experience only in his dreams.
Muskaan can't help but watch the soft glow of the lights reflect in his eyes. "Well, there is something I need to tell you."
Aarav's bottom lip wobbles ever so slightly as he looks up at the ceiling, "this is where the dream ends every night. It's supposed to end here."
The whisper, his broken voice and the meaning the words hold are all it takes for Muskaan's eyes to betray her. She reaches for his face, wanting him to look at her.
"It's not a dream. Not anymore."
Aarav's eyes close as he closes his eyes when Muskaan pulls him closer. The stars shine brighter, waiting for the confession as tears spill out of Aarav's eyes in wait for the words that'll give him his heaven.
"Aarav.
"Give me one second, I'm not ready yet." He chokes over his words before gulping down his emotions.
Muskaan waits for him to open his eyes and when he does, she gives him his best teary smile. This is it. She's about to tell him.
"Aarav, you were right. Ishq toh har dard ka ilaj hai hai. Jisse dard mille woh ishq hi nahi."
(Love is the remedy to every pain. And if it gives you pain, it's not love.)
Muskaan leans closer, making sure his eyes are set on hers, "Tumne mujhe ishq sikha diya."
(You've taught me what love is.)
Aarav's arms tighten around her, he knows he's about to hear the words he's dying to hear. "You've taken all my pain away, and you've healed me, you've turned me into a girl I never I could be. And you've also made me fall head over heels for you."
Aarav bites his lip as he looks down at her with hooded eyes. "Ishq kya hai sikha diya, aur ishq krna bhi sikha diya. "
(You've taught me what love is and how to be in love.)
Taking his hand, she places it on her racing heart. "Pr yeh dil sirf tumse ishq kr sakta hai. It's physically not capable of loving anyone other than you, Aarav Singhania."
(But my heart can only love you.)
Placing a hand on both his cheeks, she held his face in place, "I love you, Aarav Singhania."
Aarav closes his eyes as the words leave her lips on more time, "I love you."
As her words hang in the air, he feels another wave of emotion crashing over him. Tears of joy well up in his eyes and a warm genuine smile spreads across his face. Unable to contain his overwhelming happiness, he pulls her closer. "I never thought I'd get to experience this kind of happiness in my life. I don't think I believe this just yet, rooh."
"I'll tell you this every day of our lives to make you believe it."
"Please do."
Muskaan wraps her arms around him, pulling him down for a kiss. His lips crash against her as she murmurs the three words against his lips over and over again. "Keep telling me that. Never stop."
"I'll never stop."
The sky can't help but let their blissful tears escape in the form of rain. The rain falls over the couple, blowing out the candles. The rain ruins the cake, dilutes the wine and dampens the light blanket. But that's the last of the couple's worries. They had each other's tears to wipe. The rain drenches the couple as Aarav, leans back pulling Muskaan with him. His lips never leave hers. Her arms around his neck and his arms around her pressing her into him. She feels at peace having her safety blanket in her arms and he feels at peace having his universe in his arms.