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⚠long chapter ahead⚠
And i want your response regarding the story. Be it good, bad, confusing anything. But please do share your opinions.
Ishani was happy and sad at the same time. Happy she'll be out of this hell. And sad she's going to miss this family. Though it's not the family she always wanted but still.
She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled sadly.
“Why am I crying? If Ayaan gets to know I'm crying then he'll scold me badly” She said to herself and tried to smile brightly but her smile faded when she saw her father was standing on the doorstep, through the mirror.
Ishani turned toward her father and he walked in.
“I'm going to miss my little princess so much” Harsh said, caressing her hair and she hugged him.
“I'm going to miss you too papa. How am I going to survive without you?”
“I've never done anything good for you. Maybe Rekha was my weakness. But I want you to be happy with them. Ayaan will keep you happy, trust me. Also his family is also loving and supportive. I've known Yuvaan for years. He's the backbone of their family.”
“Still I will miss you” Ishani said and sobbed.
“Princess, you want to see your papa getting scolded by Ayaan for making you cry? Huh?”
Ishani giggled at the mentioning of Ayaan's name and remembered his fake angry man look.
They broke the hug and Harsh kissed Ishani's forehead.
“Don't ever think yourself useless like you used to think. You're my pride. I don't regret bringing you here or for being your father. I love you beta” her father's eyes were glistening with tears and her too.
Ishani held her father's palms and kissed them.
“You give everything that's in your hand. And I'm happy with what I got in those years.”
Harsh smiled with pain and nodded his head.
“Let's go. Abhimaan with Rehana and Divya came to take you”
“Rehana di has come?” Her eyes twinkled with joy and she headed downstairs hurriedly while Harsh yelled at her for running and shook his head.
He turned towards her bed to pick those bags. But stopped on his track when his eyes met the pair of eyes he used to adore in the past.
“I know you're so happy seeing her out of this hell. Trust me I'm too. But I'm feeling as if I'm sending a part of my heart far away from me. She was not a mistake for me. Never. She always reminds me of you, The girl I met in my school, fell in love harder. But one misconception, misunderstanding ruined everything. You're the one with whom I wanted to spend my days and nights. But because of your father's politics I had to marry Rekha. I couldn't forget about you after marrying Rekha. I never will. You're a part of me. Thank you for everything… Thank you for giving me Ishani. But you're not forgiven that you let me. I know why you left me. Just to make your sister happy. And she was happy after your dismissal. But knowing we had a daughter she took her revenge on Ishani. The poor soul suffered because her mother left her side. And her father didn't have the backbone to stand by her. Finally she's going to live happily. Please bless her Lekha”
Harsh wiped his eyes and cheeks then headed downstairs with her belongings.
~♥~
After coming down Ishani found Abhimaan, Rehana and Divya were standing at one side of the hall room, while her step-mother and step-sister were at another side.
Rehana smiled when their gazes met.
The way Ishani's mother and Sister were looking at her pissed Abhimaan a lot.
“We're getting late uncle. We should leave”
“Bhaiya can i have a moment with my mother and sister please” Ishani asked lowering her head with fear due to his aura.
Abhimaan sighed and nodded his head yes. While Divya and Rehana took deep exhale after holding their breath, fearing about his outburst regarding the mother-daughter look.
Ishani went near them and kneeled down to touch Rekha's feet but she moved her face aside and folded her arms.
Abhimaan made fist but Rehana held his hand and shook her head.
“Please” She mouthed and Abhimaan calmed down.
“I know you two did not love me. Forgot about love you two do not even like me. It's okay. I can understand. But I always loved you two. Because for me you're my mother. I remember the day papa brought me here you were crying hard for everything that happened to you. But later on you started pitied me for my mother's demise. But after sometime the pity was replaced by hatred because Suhani dii started filling your mind with negativity about me and my mother. The pity was much better than the hatred mumma. At least the pity gave me caresses on my cheeks but the hatred gave me only slaps. I don't have so many things for you to say. But I'll always love you mumma”
Her eyes got teary hearing Ishani's sad voice but Rekha was too spineless in front of her daughter who kept her face stoic and filled with hatred for Ishani.
Rehana came forward and turned Ishani towards her by holding her shoulder and then wiped her tears. And shook her head asking her not to cry.
Ishani's words did something in Divya's heart as she stood in front of the mother-daughter duo and looked straight into their eyes.
“Never ever try to contact her. Everyone knows that you two don't like her. But one thing I can ask you as a woman please don't create drama in other women's lives. Do not let your daughter ruin Ishani's life the way your sister did. I hope you got what I mean.”
“We should leave uncle” Abhimaan said getting where this heated conversation would go.
“Divya let's go” Abhimaan called Divya who glared at Suhani and then they left.
Suhani was raging in hatred and fuming in anger while Rekha went to her room, sinking everyone's words.
~♥~
“Badi maa, chachi don't you think they're taking too much time to come home?” Ayaan said for the nth time, checking the time in his wrist watch.
Dev chuckled along with Hiya. While Samaira and Maheen shook their head.
“Bhai she will be here in sometime” Hiya said teasingly, sitting on the handrest of the chair and Ayaan glared at her.
Hiya heard the car honk and rushed to receive, thinking it's must be Abhimaan with everyone but to her luck she found Vihaan and her would-be mother-in-law were coming.
“How are you?” Meera asked, pulling Hiya in her embrace while her eyes we're stuck on the handsome man in front of her standing in traditional attire, looking like Greek god.
“I'm fine maa. How are you?” Hiya asked politely coming out from the hug, and tugging the hair locks behind her ears.
“I am so excited for your and Vihaan's wedding” Meera said eyeing the duo one by one when Vihaan shook his head at his mother when glared at him and smiled at the coy Hiya.
“Arey Meera ji, when did you come? Vihaan Please come inside. Hiya why you didn't inform us?” Maheen asked welcomng them.
“Badi maa. I thought it's Bhaiya's car honk”
“It's okay let's come inside” Samaira came with juice and snacks for them when they sitted on the couch.
“Ummm.. Aunty actually I need to use the washroom” Vihaan's cheeks were heated up while asking.
“Hiya… go, take him to the washroom” Maheen asked Hiya with a nahghty smirk making Hiya red and she nodded.
But Ayaan frowned and stopped the duo by saying.
“Why Hiya? Let me show him the washroom badi maa”
Maheen and Samaira shared look and sighed hard.
While Dev face palmed and pulled Ayaan with him by saying
“Why you? Aren't you going to wait for Abhimaan to come soon along with Ishani?” Dev pulled Ayaan with him to another side.
Hiya took Vihaan to her room and showed him the washroom while The ladies engaged themselves in talking.
~♥~
“Thank you” Vihaan said coming out from the washroom and found she was opening the glass window.
Hiya instantly turned towards his direction and saw he was coming towards her.
Suddenly the atmosphere started getting hot. And she felt heat was rising up to her cheeks.
Her back was lingering with the cold wall and in front of her standing this tall handsome man.
She raised her face and their eyes met. His hands went to caress her cheekbone which has turned little red.
“You're looking beautiful today” He breathed out and her skipped the recent beat. Her eyes wanting to shut close but her brain was telling her to see.
“You're also looking so handsome”
He smiled, breathing out and she felt something got twisted inside her stomach.
There was a heat urge to kiss those plumpy and needy lips of each other but they both controlled themselves by creating distance.
“I think Ishani has arrived” Hiya said to get relief of this heat.
"let's go then”
Hiya nodded her head shyly lowering her lashes while Vihaan smiled.
~♥~
When Hiya and Vihaan came down they found everyone hugging Ishani and giggling.
She glanced at Vihaan to look at him but saw he was already staring at her.
“What?” He asked when she nudged him with her elbow and they came down one more stairs.
“Why are you staring?”
“I don't have the permission to stare at my wife?” He asked and she stopped on her track then turned at him.
“Did I ever say that to you?” Hiya asked slowly.
“Then please tell me what're you thinking? Why are you worried?”
“I'm not.”
“Yes you're”
“I'm not Vihaan. Please trust me” He sighed hearing her pleading words and nodded his head.
~♥~
“There the duo,” Meera said, watching them coming down the stairs.
“What takes you two so long?” Ayaan started his inquiry as soon as they stood with them.
“Today is your engagement. Please stop asking questions to them and concentrate on your bride” Abhimaan pulled his leg and everyone laughed.
“You were saying that Raunak is coming today?” Rehana whispered into Divya's ears.
“Yes he is on the way.” She replied shyly and Rehana smirked.
“Is something going between you two?” Divya asked and Rehana looked at her confusingly.
“Between me and whom?”
“Between you and Abhi bhaiya of course”
Rehana's eyes widened “what are you saying?”
“Ya rooh baby… look at bhaiya how he is staring at you” Divya indicated with her eyes and Rehana looked at Abhimaan, who winked as their eyes met and she lowered her eyes shyly.
“See… you see right… how he winked at you. I think he likes you” Divya said after coming to a conclusion.
“Maybe. Let it be na…”
“Yaar, why are they delaying the ring exchange?” Divya whined like a baby and Rehana hugged her from one side.
“Why are you so cute Divi?”
“Because my soulmate is cuter than me,” Divya replied holding Rehana's hand and both the girls smiled looking at each other.
~♥~
Abhimaan couldn't miss the chance of capturing the duo together smiling. He captured their moments in his camera and then smiled at them.
He likes the growing bond between Divya and Rehana. At least when he would be away from her for work purposes, Divya would be with her.
Rehana caught him smiling looking down and when he raised his face and their eyes met, she asked the matter of his smiling by raising her brows but he shook his head with the same comforting smile.
~♥~
“We should start the ring exchange ceremony now. The auspicious time is here” The priest who's reading mantras and doing the puja for the new couple's wellbeing came out from their home temple and announced.
“Let's go bhabi” Samaira was so damn excited for Ayaan and Ishani's engagement and anyone could tell it by seeing her smile.
Ishani looked at everyone's faces. How happy all of them were. Why can't her mother and sister be happy for her once?
She gulped the hurt with a burning pain in her eyes and closed them for a bit to exhale deeply.
She was going to start a new journey today. It's not her duty to make everyone happy. If someone is happy they would be. She has to try to make herself happy along with her new family.
When she opened her eyes after inhaling a good amount of fresh air, she found Ayaan was standing in front of her.
Her eyes stuck to his and breath got hitched.
“Exhale Ishani” He chuckled and she glared at him with a pout after exhaling the holding breath.
“Welcome to your home. This is your home as much as it is mine. No one will question your existence here anymore. Here no one will dare to touch your single hair without your permission.”
Ishani smiled hearing him and nodded her head. Ayaan went closer to her and touched her cheeks.
“How am I supposed to stay away from you for this long?” He murmured and heat rushed to her cheeks.
“Ummmm… . Until I get a job” Ishani joked and Ayaan laughed.
“If you say so” Ayaan eyed her from top to bottom. The light pastel pink lehenga suited her perfectly as if his maasi made it for her only. The light make-up with only eyes decked up in a thin line of black eye liner. And her plumpy lips were painted with glossy light pink coloured lipstick. Hair was falling over her shoulder. In one word she was looking beautiful according to him.
While she was also gulping his features staring from his perfectly gelled hair. To his beautiful plumpy lips, his trimmed beard-y cheeks. Followed by his pastel pink embroidered sherwani, completing her lehenga colour.
“Huh huh” They heard the fake cough and created a distance between themselves, turning around and finding Hiya and Vihaan were smiling at them.
“What?” Ayaan was irritated by his sister's constant smirking.
“What are you doing with her?” Hiya asked, holding Ishani's hand and eyeing suspicious-ly at her brother, who shrugged his shoulders. Then rolled up his sleeves.
“Let them talk for sometime Hiya” Vihaan said and Hiya mentally face palmed.
“Hey gentleman. Tell me what you're doing with my sister upstairs?” Ayaan asked, scrunching his brows at Vihaan who glanced at Hiya once and then looked back at Ayaan.
“Trust me You don't want to know what we're doing” Vihaan leaned closer to Ayaan's ear and muttered.
Ayaan gritted his teeth and made a fist while the girl duo left them alone to deal.
“I want to know”
“Then listen… I was doing exactly what you're doing with your would-be wife” Vihaan smiled coyly and Ayaan took a breath of relief.
“By the way. Congratulations” Vihaan forwarded his hand to him and Ayaan looked at his hand once then at Vihaan's face.
“I think we need to end the Cold War between us. Because it would cost Hiya's happiness” Ayaan said and engulfed Vihaan in a hug. Vihaan was not too shocked nor too comfortable. While Ayaan was in the same situation. You can't go well in just a moment with whom you're having problems.
~♥~
“Ayaan was looking angry” Ishani said when Hiya dragged her from there to where everyone was.
“It's okay. He won't lose his temper to Vihaan. I do trust my brother.”
Ishani smiled and Hiya smiled back at her.
“I hope your sister and mother didn't create any problem today” Hiya asked, making her seated on the couch.
“No. They're unexpectedly silent today and that's what worries me” She sighed and looked at Hiya.
“Don't worry. We are all here for you.”
~♥~
“Yayyyyyy” Divya screamed in joy when Ayaan made Ishani wear the ring at first and stuff the party paper bomb.
“Congratulations Ayaan” Abhimaan screamed and Ayaan smiled.
“Now ishani's turn” Samaira said, encouraging Ishani to make him wear the ring too. Ishani looked at her father and when he nodded smiling, Ishani slided the ring in Ayaan's right hand ring finger.
“Wohoooo” Divya hugged Hiya and both the girls screamed in joy for their brother.
Abhimaan went to the stage and hugged both of them.
“Congratulations to both of you”
“Thanks bhai”
“Thank you Bhaiya” Ishani said shyly looking down and Ayaan held her hand to give her strength.
Later one by one everyone came and congratulated the duo.
~♥~
Rehana was coming out from the kitchen after drinking water when she felt someone pulled her to the store room and realising the touch she calmed down and found Abhimaan locked the door and then pinned her to it.
“you scared me” Rehana hit lightly on his chest and he came closer to her.
“What?” she asked, looking at his heating eyeballs.
“Do you think if everyday you look this damn beautiful I can control myself more?” He traced his fingertips on her cheeks, making them reddish and she closed her eyes, when the fingertips got replaced by his lips.
“abhimaan” She hissed in a pleasurable pain when she felt his teeth softly biting her cheeks.
“Hmmm” He hummed and kissed her cheeks one by one. Rehana opened her eyes when she didn't feel anything further from him.
“The more I see you everyday the more I fall in love with you” Abhimaan hid his face in the crook of her neck and kissed there. Rehana encircled her hands around his neck and breathed deeply.
After years of longing she got what she prayed for.
His love, his care, his affection.
This was what she prayed everyday when he left for another country.
~♥~
“Where is Raunak, Divya?” Maheen asked after sitting down on the couch beside Yuvaan.
“He is coming soon”
“Engagement is already done. Is he coming only to see the paperwork?” Yuvaan asked teasingly and Everyone laughed, making Divya blushed.
“I don't know”
“He is here Yuv bhai” Everyone turned towards the entrance and found with Dev there was someone coming inside.
~♥~
Dev was making some phone calls and was pacing to-fro in front of the gate as there was so much noise inside the house. When he collided with someone but the person held his arms tightly.
“Shit… . I'll call you back later” He cut the call and looked at his saviour. Whose eyes seemed too known for him.
“Thank you young man” Dev said, hugging him and he stumbled back.
Reluctantly he hugged Dev back and felt him patting his shoulder.
“It's okay”
“You are?” Dev asked, coming out from the hug and eyeing him from top to bottom. Making him conscious about his look.
He corrected his sherwani collar and cleared his throat.
“I'm Raunak, Divya's… “ Dev didn't let him complete his sentence by saying “Divya's boyfriend?”
Raunak's eyes widened at Dev's bold words and he nodded his head lost in Dev's words.
Dev chuckled and patted Raunak's shoulder.
“Come inside”
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I'm not sure if I would be able to update next Saturday or not. That's why a very very very long chapter today.
3330 words...the biggest update till now.
Please vote on this chapter and all the previous chapter if you missed somehow.
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Thank you
Love you all ❤
Maira 🦋