This is legit my parents reaction known my book hit One Million reads. They don't believe me *laughs* and feel sorry for my readers for tolerating me. Lol. Now you know where I get it from.
Hello!!! This book hit One Million reads. I'm still shocked, thrilled and overwhelmed with the amount of love you all showered Jaanvi, Kiaan and Ansh with. It truly means a lot more than I can describe. This was a small (not) book of my imagination but you guys loved it so deeply thank you for all those massive constant votes, super motivating comments on every chapter—which I may add really inspired me to make Jaanvi and Kiaan both crazy—and recommending this book to your friends.
Published On 17/07/2019
Started Typing On – 16/07/2019 (5147 Words- NOT EDITED)
Bonus Chapter Two: One Million Special
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Author's Pov: 11Yrs After Jaanvi and Kiaan's Marriage
"Do I look fine?" His voice hints a little bit of anxiousness. His dark silky hair gelled back after a new haircut he's just gotten yesterday. His shirt shone visibly very appealing making him look like a responsible man for having neat and tidy clothes. Pairing his white shirt with newly polished black work shoes he wore black pants.
Kiaan runs his hands down his pants in nervousness looking at his reflection in the mirror. Once being satisfied with his look he straightens up his black dress tie a little bit. He raises an eye at his eight year old daughter through the mirror, asking if he looked fine.
"You look fine, Daddy." She muttered for the fifth time, already huffing at his repeated question and rolls her eyes. Hundred percent Jaanvi's daughter. Kiaan can't help but smile at his daughter's expressions.
She had small shoulder length black straight hair. Not like Jaanvi. Ishanvi's mother had wavy hair but she had straight, adapted by her father. She had those earthy shallow eyes like her mother, turning into the most beautiful pairs of orbs he's ever seen when she smiles and also the deadly ones when she got angry. Her nose was sharp but medium sized like her father.
She flops onto her parent's king sized bed falling on her back letting a small giggle escape from her mouth. "You worry too much, Daddy." Kiaan gives one last look to himself before turning around and attack his daughter with his delicate fingers tickling her furiously.
"And you talk too much, Isha." He mimicked her voice, squeaking out like a little girl. She moves around the bed, her eyes barely open from all the giggling and joyful tears escape them. Her small hands covered with henna (dry) patterns go on her father's broad and well maintained shoulders to push him away from her. "
The big room echoed with the little girl's and her father's laughter when Kiaan's second born came inside the room wearing all black. His thin shiny black hair falls on his temple and he does nothing to push or blow them away in fact he liked it. The little eight year old looked incredibly handsome, if not, more than what Kiaan looked as an eight year old.
"Daddy mom's calling you." He winces and itches the bridge of his nose. Kiaan's and Ishanvi's eyes flew onto the family member. The father and daughter look at each other before bringing their attention back to the boy. "You don't love me, Daddy." His lower lip quivers in sadness and he folds his arms across his small chest to show how hurt he was.
"No. I do Via—" Kiaan starts to get up from the bed and kneels down to Viaan's height but his daughter cuts him off.
"Of course he doesn't." She mutters with attitude and pokes her tongue out at her few minutes older twin. She jumps of the bed, landing on her small feet before looking at him. "Daddy loves Ishanvi because I support him when Mom and Daddy argue."
Kiaan can't help but let a broad smile slip from the corner of his mouth. His eyes lit up remembering every time his daughter would stand up for him without thinking twice. Even though he would be wrong. She'd still stand in front of her father like a protecting shield to defend him from her mother. She really was his Knight in shining Armor.
"I also support." He argues back with serious expressions but they look to cute for his age. Kiaan moves back, relaxing and watches the view of his twins debating about who their Daddy loves the most. "But Daddy was wrong last time." Viaan adds further on.
"Yes my Yudhishthir." Kiaan mutters with a smile on his face. He picks up Ishanvi on his left arm and Viaan on the other and walks out his and Jaanvi's bedroom.
(Yudhisthir was a VERY honest warrior in the epic Mahabharta)
The twins continue to fight even while sitting beside each other in the dining table for their breakfast. At first it use to annoy Kiaan and Jaanvi with their constant fights but now they've gotten used to it. Perhaps it's their twin thing.
Kiaan sits on his chair noticing his father-in-law, wife and elder son Ishaan weren't present at the table. He urgently looks around the house to find the three gang members probably planning and plotting against him since he came late to the dining table but they weren't there.
"Jaanvi!" Her husband calls out after a brief moment. "Ariel!" He says. It was her weak point.
Viaan looks away from his sister and glares at his father before getting off of his seat and poking Kiaan's ribs. He winces from the hard poke and looks at his son, demanding an annoyed 'what?' Clearly Mr Rajput was already missing his wife. "Ariel is dumb!" Viaan yells.
Kiaan looks a bit taken back by the comment but plasters an emotionless face. His son just insulted his mother's nickname given by his father. "No. Ariel is beautiful."
Viaan raises and eyebrow. "No, Daddy!" The little devil face palms himself in annoyance as if his father doesn't get the point. "Ariel is stupid. She only swims in the water twenty-four seven and she has no legs." His face scrunches up in disgust.
Kiaan lets out a gasp, very much offended. He had named Jaanvi Ariel with so much love and affection and over here his son was throwing nasty comments. "Ariel is very much beautiful, intelligent and has two perfectly working legs."
"Oh this man!" Viaan shouts losing his temper already on his father. Thousand percent sure he's my boy. The line itself made Ishanvi chuckle because that's exactly what Jaanvi would say now days every time Kiaan did something stupid. Viaan definitely picked it up from his mother. "I'm talking about the mermaid Ariel, Daddy!" He explains giving Kiaan's chest a punch.
Kiaan looks over to his daughter for help. She sighs before speaking, "I told him Ariel is better because she can swim really well but Vi (Viaan) said Snow White is better because she's beautiful." Redness blooms in his slightly chubby cheeks. Taking it as an advantage of her quiet brother she adds further on, "Daddy Vi likes Mia. He likes a girl."
Thank god he likes a girl or else god knows what type of awkward questions Jaanvi would start googling up.
Viaan quickly shakes his head as a 'no' but his cheeks only turn redder, it almost looked like he's put on a red blush. He covers his face with his small hands to hide the embarrassing moment from his father. "Daddy I don't like that girl. I'm too young." His baby voice comes out making Kiaan aww in adoration.
"No, Daddy!" Ishanvi takes a sip of her warm milk. "He likes her. He told me yesterday night."
This triggers little Viaan even more. "And I told you to keep it a secret you Donkey!" He quicken his pace and pushes her slightly makes her lose her balance but thankfully not fall of the chair.
A normal father would get up and separate the devils from fighting further on but Kiaan stays rooted on his chair, letting the phrase sink in. 'You look like a donkey. Pink big DONKEY!' Jaanvi had once said that. She really has infected the children's brain.
"Ok you two. Break it up." Kiaan raises his voice giving them a hard warning look. Both the siblings quietly sit on their seats looking down. "And Viaan." He commands, his son looks up with afraid expressions. "Don't tell your mom you like Mia or she'll go crazy with too many question." He remembers seeing Mia coming over to their house for sleepovers. She was Jacinda's daughter.
Over in Ishaan and Ansh's room the ten year old young man dries his wet face with the towel resting on their queen sized bed. Ansh walks out of the bathroom to find his oldest grandson looking at himself in the mirror with nervousness. The old man walks behind his grandson and places his warm hands on his small shoulders.
Jaanvi and Kiaan's son lifts his honey brown eyes watching his grandfather through the mirror. "Waat?" Throughout the ten years of his life he's observed and made details notes to understand his grandfather's questions.
"I'm worried nanu." (Grandfather) Little Kiaan whispers quietly. He turns around and hugs his skinny nanu who wore navy blue tracksuit. "I have practice today for a very long time." Ansh's hand goes into his small back, running up and down. "But I also have homework. I want to complete it. It's about the Solar System. Mrs Cartwright is my favourite teacher and I don't want to upset her." He mumbles through his wet eyes and breaking voice.
Ansh kneels down to his grandson and pushes his dry and shiny hair face out of his face. Cupping his cheeks into his old hands he smile. "I haap." (I will help) Ansh brings his daughter's son's face close to his lips and kisses his temple.
It was swelled Ansh's heart to see how mature and grown up Ishaan already looked at ten. Just like my Jaanvi. But less naughty. While his siblings didn't care as much about studies, Ishaan always worked super hard to make his hardworking parents proud. And of course his nanu.
His hand slides from the young boys face to his shoulders in assurance. "I haap. Dunnt woy." (I will help. Don't worry." The little boys thin lined lips turning into the brightest smile. One smile and it's all it took to melt Ansh's heart.
"Can we watch Harry Potter after that?" Ishaan asks. He sees a little bit of cream left on his grandfather's face. Reaching his small fingers closer to his cold face he wipes it away lightly. "What will you do without me, Hero?"
Ansh lets his head fall back with a loud chuckle of love escaping his mouth. He lifts his hands up and shrugs meaning, 'I don't know.' Picking up Ishaan's swimming bag and a new novel he brought based on the Solar System to help him with his homework, Ansh hands it to him.
He takes it in his hand. Walking out the room both the grandfather and grandchild spot a familiar lady of the house. Walking behind her quietly—so she doesn't get grumpy—they meet Kiaan's back.
Jaanvi came out of the hallway with a plate filled with fruits, Diya and some traditional Indian essentials since she's keeping a karvachauth fast today. It surprises both Kiaan and Ansh to find the foodie Jaanvi ready to live off without a drop of water and food for a whole day for her husband's long life until he breaks her fast after the moon shines above them. Eleven years of their marriage and eleven years since she's taken the Fast every year.
She wore a blood red fitted anarkali suit ending few inches below her knees, paired with red leggings. Her dupatta was covering her hair since she just came out of their small temple room they created in Ansh and Ishaan's room. She places the plate on the dining table and shoots a glare in her husband's direction. Her hand on her hip.
"Good Morning." He manages to pull off a smile even though her scary expressions were making him go weak on her knees. Why does this women successfully make me scared of her?
"You better come home by eight or else I'd murder you." She warns. In her last Fast Kiaan didn't turn up home until twelve a.m. making Jaanvi wait and stay hungry until he stepped into the house and show his face.
"I promise I will." He passing on a convincing smile.
Ansh sits on his chair across from Kiaan. To his right sat his elder and most beloved grandson Ishaan who just turned ten a month ago. He touches Ishaan's hand—who was reading a gigantic book, not listening to anyone who spoke in the dining table. His grandfather gains his attention and wiggles his old eyebrows at the quiet boy.
Ishaan was quiet but his face—mostly eyes—gave away a lot. A mysteriously handsome guy. He wore faded blue button down shirt leaving the top one button open to let air pass. His black and naturally turning brown dry hair falling on his temple just like his younger brother. He spoke less to everyone but when he spoke, he held power.
Though every night he and his grandfather would play Ludo. They'd talk about what he did at school—the twins tell Ansh everything as well but being Ishaan's roomie gave access to more information's of what was happening in his grandson's life—what he learned from his big fat novels. It was a secret.
His parents, nor his brother knew but Ishaan couldn't sleep without hugging his grandfather. His leg are either tangled into his old skinny Grandfather's or above his stomach, just like his mother.
Though he was close to his siblings and loved and cares for them deeply. And loved his mother for leaving her career behind and spending all her day looking after them or trying new activities to make her children smile. His father worked extremely hard to provide food, clothes and education to all his children and spend as much time as he could with his family—which he did—yet Ishaan had this enormous amount of love for his grandfather.
He doesn't understand why. He's too young to but he does know that he feels bad for his grandfather because he's mute. He knows if Ansh could speak he'd be a whole different person which is why Ishaan always goes to his bedroom quickly after returning from school to talk to his old grandfather so he doesn't feel left out. He wants Ansh to feel loved, wanted and cared for.
"Mom our Dad ka roj ka drama." (Mom and Dad's usual drama) Ishaan mutters with a low voice into his grandfather's ear. The old man forgets everything else and laughs loudly like his grandson just cracked the best joke ever.
Half of the times Ishaan wouldn't even pay attention to what his parents were arguing about—when they argued—so he'd bluntly support his mother because he's aware Ishanvi would always be in their dad's team and Viaan changes his opinion every second. Leaving Ishaan to support his mother so she doesn't feel heartbroken or left out if nobody supports her.
"Why are you laughing Papa?" Kiaan asks with a smile on his face. He wanted to join into the laughing session. Jaanvi looks over at her father who had tears running down his cheeks from all the laughing. She places a burger on Kiaan's plate.
"Naaa." He shakes his head, declining the offer of disclosing his grandson's comment because he knew Ishaan would be in trouble by Jaanvi.
"Ok?" Jaanvi mutters, sitting on her chair next to Ishaan but doesn't eat. She watches everyone eating in silence. The twins were awfully quiet and surprisingly not fighting. Her father was eating in silence as well. She glances at her husband to find him on his phone, maybe scrolling through some emails.
And then she finds her nerd son reading a book on the Solar System. She huffs a little. Ishaan has been too addicted to this book now a days. "Ishaan." She raises her voice in disappointment. All eyes goes on her and Kiaan slides his phone on his pants pocket.
"Mom wait. One minute." Ishaan mutters in a quiet yet urgent voice. He flips through the page furiously. His small soft fingers touching the printed paper with photos of planets and long paragraphs of information. "One page, Mom." He urges in a desperate tone.
Ansh looks over at Jaanvi, nodding her way. He places a hand on Ishaan's shoulder and he looks up meeting similar but old pairs of honey kissed orbs. "Fuud." (Food)
Ishaan wanted to read further on but he doesn't argue with his grandfather. He puts the thick book behind his back and sits up straight. Holding the large burger made by his mother he looks to his right to find her concerned eyes. "Thanks Mom." He shoots her a small grin.
Jaanvi sighs but smiles at him. He starts to bite into his burger, after all it was his favourite. She lets her finger push his hair covering his eyes away from his face and ruffles him with worry lingering in those eyes. "Ishaan, you need to go our more. Like your brother and sister." Her hand drifts to his small back as if she's making sure he's even real or not.
He was either in his room or out at his swimming lessons. That was his one hobby he loved dearly like both his parents. He truly was a mermaid. He puts his burger back on the clean white plate and looks at his Mom with a smile. "I do go out Mom. I go swimming." He reasons out.
She scoffs, pulling her chair closer to him while the others watched them carefully. Ishaan was so different from his siblings. Similar yet different. He was a nerd, they weren't. He was calm, composed and quiet. And so respectful. Not that the twin's weren't but he was precise with what he said.
She takes the end of her dupatta and wipes the corner of his mouth to remove the melted cheese. "I mean, go play games at the park."
"Jaanvi." Kiaan breathlessly whispers from the corner of his mouth. "He's just different. He doesn't like going out much and it's ok. He loves reading." That's what scares me.
Ansh reaches to his daughters hand over the table and gives her a long blink to assure her son's fine. She didn't want her son to miss out on all the fun other children his age had. It was nice seeing him taken studies seriously but she wanted him to enjoy life since she didn't get that.
"Yeah," she says uncertainly. "Yes. Ok. Ready for practice?" She asks with him with an interesting look on her face.
He grins face happily. "Yes. Couch Black is coming today. I like him. He said I've been improving quickly with holding my breath inside the water." It was Jaanvi who decided to send Ishaan off to Swimming classes after she saw the fond of love he had in his eyes for the water. "Will you come to pick me up after practice? You and Nanu?" His eyes pleading her to agree.
It doesn't take Jaanvi more than a second to reply with equal amount of happiness flouting in her eyes just like her son. "Of course." She holds his chin, bringing his face closer to kiss his nose. "And then we'll pick up these monkeys." She laughs looking at the scowl in the twins face.
"You don't love us." They grumble out, walking out the door once finishes with their breakfast. Ansh leaves shortly after with Ishaan holding his hand, their fingers entwine together. Ansh was dropping Ishaan to his swimming lessons and as he promised the twins, they were going to the park to play around with Aditi and Dhruv's daughters.
Jaanvi watches her father and son walk out the room waving at them. It gives her delight, almost his pride swells up her heart knowing her son loves her father more than she does. "He's fine Jaan." Kiaan place a hand on her shoulder making her smile slip and realise he's been watching her look out the door.
"He doesn't speak much. It worries me. What if he needs someone to talk to one day and he's confused? I don't want him to store it inside him like me." She lets her anxious face and voice fill up the empty room.
Kiaan pulls her into a hug, kissing her hair. "He talks. Very much. I was filling up the water bottle last night at around four a.m. and I heard noises of him and Papa watching some horror movie at night." The surprise laces Kiaan's own voice with a smooth smile.
Jaanvi pulls away, her hands on Kiaan's waist as she studies him for a second. "Really? Ishaan and horror movie? Are you kidding me?"
He nods. "I know. Shocking but I peeked in. They were both wrapped into each other, watching the movie carefully. He's just a keeper. He keeps quiet about it but he enjoys Horror movies." He lets his hand slide down her waist to hold her firmly. "His best friend is Papa, Jaan. And I'm sure he'll open up to any of us when needed."
Ten minutes later Kiaan was outside the house, unlocking his car to throw the files inside the passenger seat. He slams the door shut and hugs Jaanvi once again. "I'm exhausted." He mumbles onto her head.
"Tell that Kate to do some work." Jealousy lingering on her voice, Kiaan laughs in response. She's till jealous of the poor Kate for her fit body. Not that Jaanvi wasn't herself but those comments Kiaan had made to annoy her when she was pregnant with Ishaan were still fresh in her head.
"She does her work pretty well, Ariel. Spare the poor soul." From the sound of his laugh and vibrating chest into her own she could tell he's having fun seeing her frown. He lets go of her quickly noticing it's getting late. As soon as his hands fall from her Jaanvi lets out a groan. "I have to go."
"Ha, ha. Ja. Aana toh tujhe yahi hai baad mein." (Yeah, yeah. Go. You're going to come back here anyways.) She folds her arms across her chest and huffs with cold eyes. Thirty-six yet still a kid and teenager by heart.
"Sahi bola." (Rightly said) he salutes with a loud chuckle. Kiaan was over to the driver's seat when Jaanvi muttered behind him something.
"That old Indian aunty keeps glaring at me. What's her problem?" Jaanvi kept noticing her neighbour who happens to be an Indian old lady keep passing her dirty looks and looking at Jaanvi's clothes. "I'm not naked over here so what's she look at?" Her own eyes drift at her clothes. "I'm very much covered."
Kiaan glances to his left to find the lady openly passing them unhappy glanced turning into glares pretty fast. He whirls around and examines Jaanvi. "You are covered. And the makeup is covering up your hickeys so what's she looking at?" Now his own eyebrows furrow displeasingly.
After a brief moment of without any shame watching the Rajput couple the women gritted "Kids these days!" She smacks down her water filled in a bucket.
"Did she just call us 'kids?' Hasn't she seen our three kids? I mean, kids can't have kids but sometimes they can but that's not the poin—" Kiaan goes on and on about his ranting. Not sure how a thirty-eight year old man turning thirty-nine in five months, looked like a kid. He was fairly tall for a kid.
"I think she's got some problem with us hugging." Jaanvi scowls. She hatted judgmental people. The women had no right. It wasn't like they did something illegal even if they had it was their private property not hers.
"Oh." His response sums up how irrelevant the old ladies comment was.
"No shame! Left India and forgotten their culture already." The women adds. This time her voice fairly raising to show how deeply frustrated she was with Kiaan and Jaanvi's hug.
If the previous comment had bothered Jaanvi then this did a lot more. She stalks closer to the women and glares at her. She was only a few feet away from stepping into the women's garden when Kiaan held her wrist pulling her closer. "She's not worth it. Ignore her." He didn't want to upset and old lady. Neither had he blamed her old mentality.
"What?" Jaanvi squeaks in annoyance. She jerks her hand from his grasp and looks him in the eye. "She just insulted us and you're fine with it?" She whisper yells at Kiaan, shooting daggers across his way. "I didn't spare my only chachi (Juhi) when she judged Aditi's shorts then who the hell is she?" Determination and anger pulses through her veins.
Kiaan opens his lips to speak out something sensible to calm her down but she doesn't listen. She moved over to the women and speaks in clear voice respectfully, "Excuse me aunty. First of all, we aren't kids. Thanks for the compliment because for our age, hearing the word 'kid's is pretty cool since we have our own THREE CHILDREN." She empathizes the last sentence making Kiaan rub his temple.
Kali Mata has entered my wife. God save me and this poor old lady. He face palms himself, not prepared to see the war starts.
(Kali Mata is an Indian Goddess who gets angry)
"Secondly. If you look closely, perhaps gets your glasses checked." She savagely gestures at the old ladies clean glasses and Kiaan kicks the tire shutting his mouth tightly to control the laughter bubbling inside him. Damn! That burn! Jaanvi had absolute no filter. Jaanvi's cheeky smile irritates the women. "I haven't forgotten my culture because I'm wearing Traditional India outfit! So please come up with some better shades."
Joining her hands into a sassy Namaste Jaanvi turns to pass Kiaan a victory smile but he looks like he's ready to surrender. "No shame!" The women repeats.
"Let me show you what no shame is." Jaanvi's eyes brighten in delight as she stalks towards Kiaan. The poor white shoes and shirt lover only wanted to go to work and crack a deal but because of his wife and her temper he was stuck here. Watching World War Four erupt since Jaanvi and Kiaan had their own World War Three before their marriage.
She gives him a naughty smirk as she clasps her hands in happiness. Oh God. He speaks to her through his eyes, telling her to drop the topic and get inside the house already but his wife was stubborn. His Stubborn Cat.
Standing an inch away from him, she drapes her hands around his neck and turns his body so his back faces the women. "Jaanvi no!" He hisses.
"Tu kitna dar tha hai!" She whispers in a pissed voice. (You get so scared) She pulls his neck closer to her and smiles. Angling his head slightly to the left so it'll look like she's kissing him she mutters. "I just wanna piss her. Don't worry. I won't sexual assault you in public." She laughs with mischief in her eyes.
She sets his hands on her waist and gives the women one last wink before pretending to kiss her husband as her hand ran over his gelled hair and back. They hear a loud gasp from the women in horror. Jaanvi releases a joyful quiet giggle for successfully annoying the women without even actually publicly kissing her husband.
"I guess," he draws her in closer, their eyes lock. "Now that she really does think we're smooching, why not actually do it?" I mean, I am already late. The demand doesn't even settle inside her head and process before he smacks his lips on her plum ones.
She kisses him back with all the loves she's had for him. Pouring all her affection, respect, admiration for the man he'd become to her father and her children. Her fingers could never get bored of his soft butter like touch. His soft hair in her soft palms. And his own arms ranking around her figure as they continue to act like immature kids as the women said.
Kids are immature, right?
She smiles under his lips while he nibbles onto her. Thank you Ma. If it wasn't for the young women's sacrifice she wouldn't be here. Here with her own family who she loved dearly.
"I will report this to your parents and the police! You should be ashamed of yourself!" The women roars behind the two fixing her glasses. She stands rooted on her spot, to stubborn to leave the two people alone.
"We're going to dress up as zombies in Halloween to scare the shit out of this women. Deal?" Jaanvi mumbles into his lips. It became a tradition of their family to dress up the kids into weird fictional characters in Halloween just before the kids left for Trick-Or-Treating door to door to ask for candies and chocolates. This time Jaanvi had other plans though.
"Why are you so crazy, Jaanvi?" He let out a huge chuckle, tucking few strands of hair behind her ear. Resting his head on her own he closes his eyes, remembering all those years he's spent with her. Seeing her as a baby. Giving her the barbie dolls. Pushing her into the pull to getting married. To the time when she puked out on his white shirt and new white branded shoes when she was pregnant with Ishaan.
He remembers and loves it all.
Known her for thirty-six years now. Married her for eleven beautiful blissful years. Seen her grown into an exceptional mother and daughter and a wonderful friend to his siblings, children and himself for ten years and more. Till this day he treasures and craves his beloved Enemy's kisses like a teenage boy with his crush.
Thankfully, this crush never broke his heart but only showered it with more love every passing second.
Married My Enemy (I MISSED THIS) *CRYING*
Lol, Jaanvi is shady!
Hopefully you guys liked it!? Wasn't a funny chapter. I wanted to focus more on Ansh and Ishaan's relationship as some of you guys requested that. Also because after this Ishaan's story would come out. No fixed release date decided though.
Are you liking Ishaan's character?