"WHta! bhabhi and bhaiya are getting divorced? Why didn't you tell me even once!" Shreya scowled
"Shut up Shreya, don't scream, no one else knows about this, they are getting divorced but I think it's only a misunderstanding, they both love each other for sure!" Dev interjected
"Arjun and Diya such interesting characters no, so stubborn and so stupid my god, we'll only have to do something to bring them to their senses" Aman added
"Guys guys guys, dont worry, I know my brother, he is head over heels in love with Diya, he just can't say it, don't worry I have the perfect plan, I had decided to call Ajith and Divya bhabhi, another couple for this couple to be inspired by"
"Wow Nikhil bhaiya, full strategist" Shikha said as she nodded her head
"There is more SHikha, you know when a couple realized that they're in love? When a third person interferes"
"Bhaiya, aanchal already did that for us, that beep already tore them apart"
"Yeah but that was a different case, there was no foreplay, no jealousy, it was just conclusions" Nikhil said smiling, he had something big planned for them.
They got down the car to see Arjun's cousins waiting for him. He ran to hug everyone, "nikhil!", "Aman", "Ajith bhaiya" "Divya bhabhi!" he said touching their feet, "Shikha!"
Diya followed him and greeted everyone, she was then introduced to Ajith and Divya.
"Diya, this is Ajith bhaiya and Divya bhabhi, they couldn't come for rakhi so you may not have met them"
DIya exchanged pleasantries with them, she had seen them in the wedding.
All of them went inside and while everyone left to freshen up DIya and Arjun went to the office.
-
"Diya madam, you have come, there is utter chaos in this office without you!" ahmed one of the peons said as he placed a cup of tea on her table. Diya smiled to him. She was going through the plans and the funds. She called two of the vendors inside.
Arjun who was doing some work outside her cabing saw the two vendors come out from her cabin, their faces flushed, as if they were going to cry.
Arjun amused at that sight instantly got into her cabin, "Did you just make them cry"
"Well that wasn't the intention, just gave them some flak for prolonging the work! it's been three weeks!" Diya explained
"What did you even say to them, they almost looked like they would crY!" Arjun sniggered
Diya took a look at a few files, and said, "We'll need to pace up the work by hook or by crook, I am coming with you for the inspection tonight" Diya declared
"I thought we spoke about you not coming for inspections in the night"
"Arjun it didn't make a difference then because I was just a subordinate, I am the CFO now I need to see how things are playing out and looking at the conditions right now, we'll have to cut our costs for everything! Even our tea and coffee in the office!" Diya explain with seriousness
"Is it that bad?" Arjun asked with concern
"See, we have a lot of assets for the company and in a few months, one of the banks will give us a heads up for the loans too, but this project shouldn't have taken up that much time or money, we won't be making any profits then! The stock market is so fickle right now, any move, any move can cause a drastic change in the stocks!" Diya explained as she sipped on water
"It's not that bad Arjun, we can survive, but if we wanna make progress and stay at the top of the market then we'll have to revamp are policies"
"Welll, that's why I have made you the CFO" Arjun said giving her a repressed smile. He got call form Nikhil. He spoke to nikhil and then hung up. He pulled Diya along, "COme on lets go, family time"
"What? really? I have so much work to do!" DIya exclaimed
"It can wait, come on, papa is probably troubling Maa again" Arjun justified
"Ugh okay lets go"
-
"You children must see each and every temple of rajghera!" Manish exclaimed as he walked along. Dev and Arjun face palmed themselves, this was the story of their every visit to Rajghera with manish, jut keep visiting temples. Diya meanwhile he was diligently listen to Manish since it was her first visit with him, intervened, "papa, we will guide ourselves, but you must not walk so much!"
Seema chachi, Arjun's aunt interjected, "Manish bhaisahab, you couldn't have gotten a better daughter in law than Diya, she polices you and enamors Arjun" Everyone burst out laughing. While Diya and Arjun lowered their awkward gaze from each other as they climbed on to the stairs of another temple.
"See beta, couples couples go do the pooja okay, so Ajit-Divya, and Arjun-diya, go ahead do the pooja" One of his uncles stated. Diya and Arjun looked at each other and then Diya looked at Sumitra for help but sumitra looked at her apologetically mandating both of them to do the pooja together. While all the other cousins discreetly looked at each other and smiled to each other.
Arjun-Diya and Ajith-Dipti began doing the poojas, the women held the plates in one hand while the men took the diyas and began doing the rituals, soon they fumbled in between so many deities and went their own ways.
Arjun and Diya were no left alone, they walked as the sun began to set, behind various temples, lighting the lamps, doing the aarti and then soon they came to the spot where they had to tie a cloth. Arjun saw Diya's hands getting wobbly, tired of holding the plate. He gently took the plate from her hand and gave her the cloth
"It's okay I'll hold it" Diya said awkwardly
"And break your hands? Chill Diya, you don't have to behave as if I'm a stranger" Arjun said as he took the plate from her hand and gave her the cloth. She stood on her toes to tie the cloth to the bells.
There was some familiarity of the surroundings that filled Arjun and Diya with the same playful mood. Diya felt some shyness take over and Arjun saw himself just observing Diya every now and then. Everyone got back and began wearing their footwear, that's when Diya saw Arjun looking for his shoes on the top most step when they were on the step below hers. She laughed at his absent mindedness, picked up his shoes and put them on his step when he wasn't looking. Arjun looked around once more and was shocked to see his shoes lying next to his feet, then he saw Diya with a sly smile and began sniggering himself.
-
If anyone looked at Arjun and Diya at this point, they'd say that they looked like a newly engaged shy couple, definitely not a couple getting divorced, voila, appearances are deceptive.
They avoided staying in their room, because even as the cold winds had began to blow, Arjun and Diya together would be raising the temperature, yet together in the office, or in the living room or on the table, they'd always have something to laugh about or discuss.
Today was decided to be their picnic day, the entire family set out to the fields owned by the Goenka's in some corner of the village. It was quite close to the lake that the cousins had taken DIya to the last time.
The elders sat there with chairs and tables and tea cups and biscuits, while the cousins all gathered in the field to play. The decided to play cricket.
Just to ensure the playful rivalry between Arjun and Diya, they made both of them the captains. While Manish decided to do the toss.
After the toss was done where Arjun decided bowl first, while adjusting his gloves as a wicket keeper, he discreetly walked towards Diya and with full arrogance bragged, "You couldn't beat me in basket ball, cricket mein kya ukhaad logi" he smirked
"Aazma ke dekh lo" Diya challenged him, flipped her hair and went to her team.
Diya's team was doing fine for the first 3 overs, until Aman and Ajit lost their wickets, soon Diya came onto the pitch, Arjun decided that he was going to bowl this over, Arjun and Diya made eye contact, smirked at each other and Arjun came running flinging the ball at Diya who took a quick defense. As Arjun caught the bowl from his team mates he smirked at Diya, Diya determined to make him smirk vanish hit with full force this time, making it a six!'
This continued for the next two overs, as she and divya played brilliantly, running between the wickets and making as many runs as they could.
Now it was Arjun's team's turn to bat, Diya discreetly went to Arjun and whispered to him, "Saree mein uss din aisa haal kiya tha, kurte mein toh tum soch bhi nahi sakte" She smirked and went to her team.
The first two overs, Arjun smashed runs, he was determined to make the other team lose, The third over Diya decided to bowl herself, after 5 unsuccessful attempts of improvement in the game, on the last ball of the over she made eye contact with Arjun and just when he wasn't looking she flicked the ball, it bounced and hit the wicket in a blink. Every one stood there stunned and on seeing the bails flung off, they all came to hug her and celebrate Arjun's loss. Soon dev was also out and the others who came weren't competent enough to score as many runs. Diya's team had won. Diya straightened her disheveled stuff and put on her dupatta, she turned around and found Arjun standing right in front of her, a few inches more and she would've bumped into him. She smirked at him and raised his eye brows, "Face it Mr. Goenka, you should stick to painting"
Arjun pulled her dupatta from around her neck and wiped his sweat with it, Diya was suddenly flushed, she hoped that no one was around them. "Arjun what are you doing?" She hissed
"Winners should be a little merciful to the losers" He said as he flung the dupatta back on to her smirked and went inside. Diya suddenly felt uneasy with the sexual tension.
-
After playing a few rounds of pitthoo, tug of war and foot ball, everyone decided to go to the lake. Diya and Divya, stayed out while Shreya and Shikha went inside. Everyone was enjoying splashing water. Suddenly Ajith came out of the water, Divya stood up to talk to him, Ajith distracted her and then lift her in bridal style and took her inside the water. Every one hooted and cheered for him. Arjun too came out of the water, water droplets visible on his body, diya became a little insecure seeing him come towards her, she preferred not making eye contact with him. He soon came towards her and bent down on one knee, "Don't worry, i am only here for the towel" He said, gave her a sly smile and went away. A flushed Diya realized how she had become the color of a tomato!
The sky roared and it began pouring, everyone ran outta the lake and began running towards the road to get a rickshaw,finally they spotted a rickshaw, ajith and divya both excited and drowning in love, took the front seat of the cycle rickshaw. Mean While Arjun and divya too began running towards the cycle rickshaw, arjun held Divya's hands and smiled to her, both of them went back to the time they played basket ball in the rain, it was the beginning of their endeavours.
Arjun hopped in to the rickshaw and gave his hand to diya who got in too. The both of them still reminiscing about a day in the past and smiling internally.
Suddenly shreya too hopped into the rikhsaw and unintentionally or intentionally pushed Diya towards Arjun, Arjun who was fully wet saw himself putting an arm around Diya for stopping her from falling and felt her arm go on his chest. The both of them felt a spark go between their bodies and realizing the sordidness of the situation, they moved away from each other, Slightly. Their arms back to where they were.
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