Ishaani's POV
It's been a week since Roohi's wedding got fixed, and today she's coming to my boutique with her family. But I've been busy preparing everything according to Roohi's preferences.
We used to share pictures on social media of how we envisioned our weddings, so I have a pretty good idea of her style.
While I was instructing the staff to set up, Roohi walked in with her mother, Advay's mother, and Advay's Chachi. I greeted them warmly, but just as I was about to show them some of the outfits, Vivaan walked in.
There's something about him. I can't quite explain it, but something in him attracts me-maybe it's his smile. He greeted me with that friendly smile that always makes my heart skip a beat. I tried to focus, but as he sat there on his phone, my attention kept drifting toward him. Snap out of it, Ishaani, I told myself and turned back to the ladies, showing them the outfits I had selected for the functions.
"Wow, Ishaani! These are gorgeous," Roohi's mother gushed, running her fingers through the delicate fabrics. "You've outdone yourself!"
"Thank you, aunty," I replied, smiling
They loved everything. Then Roohi asked about her wedding outfit.
"I've designed it, but it'll take some time to get done. Would you like to customize it?" I asked.
"No," Roohi said, but she looked a little... off. Gloomy, even.
Roohi, however, seemed distracted. Her eyes kept shifting to the door.
I leaned in, whispering, "What's wrong? Where's jiju?"
She rolled her eyes. "He's probably buried in his work as usual. He's of no use, anyway. I should marry my laptop instead atleast it would respond me faster, honestly he is just a rock."
Just then, we heard someone clear their throat. We turned to see Advay standing there with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, jiju!" I said, trying not to laugh. "Nice timing."
Chachi immediately chimed in, "Finally, you've arrived."
Advay smiled, "I was stuck in traffic, Chachi."
"It's okay, but now help your fiancée. Look at her face-she looks so gloomy!"
Roohi quickly jumped in, "Me? Gloomy? No, Chachi, I'm perfectly happy!"
Chachi left us alone, and I was left standing there with Roohi and Advay. Vivaan came up from behind.
"Hey, sunshine, help me with outfits, please," he said with a playful grin.
"Sunshine?" I thought to myself, feeling a little flustered. But I followed him to a different section.
"For which function?" I asked.
He scratched his head and sheepishly admitted, "Actually, I brought you here to give Bhabhi and Bhai some couple time."
I felt a little disappointed. "Oh, I thought you actually needed my help," I said, trying to sound casual.
"Well, that's part of it," he added quickly, holding my hand gently. "But I really do need help with outfits too. If you don't mind..."
He gave me puppy eyes, and I couldn't help but smile. "Sure," I said, shaking my head. "But you know, you can also try different designers."
"Why would I do that when I've got the best designer right here?" he replied smoothly.
I blushed slightly. "Thank you... I guess. Do you like this one I showed you?"
"Whatever you like, I'll wear," he said with a smirk.
I raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you a little too cheesy, Viv ?"
He gave me a surprised look. "What did you just call me?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"
He cut me off, smiling. "No, I don't mind it. In fact, I love it."
I felt a wave of relief wash over me. "I thought you'd be offended."
"Not at all," he said, flashing that heart-melting smile. I showed him the outfits, and he nodded approvingly. As I turned to leave, he called after me.
"Hey, sunshine!"
I looked back, seeing him holding my bracelet, i thought i lost it. I assumed he was giving it back, so I walked over to take it, but he raised his hand high, teasing me.
"I love your bracelet," he said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Thanks. Now give it back, please," I replied, reaching for it.
"I'd love to keep it."
I laughed. "Are you going to wear it?"
"No, but I just love it," he teased, holding it even higher. "Maybe you should return my watch then, sunshine."
I froze. How does he know about the watch? I had kept it safe ever since Roohi's engagement, planning to return it but never found the right moment.
"I-I was going to return it," I stammered.
I reached up on my toes to grab the bracelet, but I started to lose my balance.
Vivaan immediately grabbed my waist, steadying me. For a moment, everything around us disappeared. It was just him and me. His hand on my waist, his eyes locked with mine... He's so handsome-
"Ishaani Dear?" Aunty's voice broke through the moment.
We both stepped back awkwardly. I quickly turned to help the ladies with the outfits while Vivaan slipped back into the background. Aunty was telling Advay's mother and chachi how I had helped with Roohi's engagement outfit on short notice, Roohi's Mother is very sweet infact she is like mother to all of us.
"Where's Roohi?" I asked.
Aunty pointed in the direction where Roohi was bossing Advay
Advay's POV
Mom had informed me about the wedding shopping plans, and honestly, I was doing my best to avoid it. There was a mountain of work waiting, and these wedding prep things always felt... unnecessary.
But after hearing Mom's stern warning to not be "ignorant," I decided it was probably best to show up. Besides, a part of me knew it wasn't fair to leave her to handle all of this alone.
I canceled an important meeting and headed to the boutique.
As I walked in, I heard her voice-Roohi, of course, chatting with Ishaani, both of them facing away from me. I caught the tail end of her sentence.
"He's probably buried in work as usual. He's of no use anyway. I should marry my laptop instead-at least it would respond to me faster. Honestly, he's just a rock."
I cleared my throat, loud enough for them to hear. She spun around, her eyes widening for a moment before narrowing into a glare.
"Oh, jiju, nice timing," Ishaani chirped, trying to keep a straight face. That "jiju" felt strange to hear, but I didn't bother correcting her.
Chachi wasn't far behind, and the second she saw me, she chimed in. "Finally, you've arrived. Good thing, too. Look at your fiancée-she's looking so gloomy."
Roohi, clearly not wanting any extra attention, quickly jumped in, "Me? Gloomy? No, Chachi, I'm perfectly happy!"
She plastered a forced smile on her face, but I could sense her irritation. Chachi seemed satisfied and wandered off, leaving us alone.
Just then, Vivaan swooped in, calling out to Ishaani, "Hey, sunshine, help me with outfits, please."
The two of them disappeared, leaving Roohi and me standing awkwardly together.
She folded her arms, her eyes narrowing slightly as she muttered, "You didn't have to come, you know."
I raised an eyebrow at her. "Apparently, I did. I heard my fiancée was looking gloomy." I glanced around at the racks of clothes. "Let's just get this over with."
She grabbed an outfit from one of the hangers and shoved it into my hands. "Here, try this one."
I held it up, frowning at the bright, garish fabric. "I don't like this. It's way too... bright."
She tilted her head, smirking. "But I like it."
I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could even get a word in, she called out, "Aunty!"
I stared at her, utterly shocked. "You can't be serious."
"Oh, I'm serious," she said, grinning mischievously. "He's refusing to try on the outfits, Aunty!"
Before I could blink, my mom's voice floated in from across the room. "Advay, try the outfits."
I glared at Roohi, who was now grinning like a child who just got away with something. There was no way out now. With a sigh of defeat, I muttered, "Why don't you just pick out an outfit for your laptop? You're going to marry it anyway."
Her eyes sparkled with amusement, her smirk widening. "Oh, believe me, I would. At least my laptop is better company."
That was the last straw. Before I could stop myself, I stepped closer and clamped my hand gently over her mouth. "Shut up," I muttered, my voice low. "You talk too much."
For a second, there was a beat of silence. Then I noticed her eyes crinkling with laughter behind my hand.
She mumbled something into my palm, and I removed my hand, only to hear her say, "You know you love it."
I stared at her, exasperated. "What, exactly?"
"This," she waved her hand between us, "Admit it."
I crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes at her. "I'm just trying to survive this wedding drama."
She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, please, don't act like you're some martyr. If you'd just cooperate, we could finish this in half the time."
I leaned in, lowering my voice. "And if you'd stop calling me a rock and comparing me to a laptop, maybe I would."
She raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying this far too much. "Well, you could prove me wrong, you know. Be a little more... responsive."
I blinked. "Responsive?"
She took a step closer, lifting her chin with a challenging smile. "Yes. Maybe you could start by showing a little excitement about this wedding. After all, we are getting married. Or is that just another meeting on your schedule?"
I stared at her, half-amused, half-annoyed. "Excitement? You want me to be excited about trying on outfits ?"
She shrugged playfully. "It's a start."
I leaned back, shaking my head. "You're impossible."
She gave me a cheeky grin, picking up another outfit from the rack. "Fine, Mr. Rock. Try this one."
I grabbed the outfit from her, muttering under my breath. "You're lucky I'm even here."
" Oh my god I am glad that Mr. Birla decided to show up" she said sarcastically.
As I headed into the changing room, I couldn't help but think-about her mischievous smile.
She truly knows how to keep me on my toes, I am just doing everything which i didn't wanted to because of this girl.
Roohi's POV:
I handed him yet another outfit to try, I couldn't help but smirk inwardly. Having his mom and Chachi around was a golden opportunity I couldn't let slip.
He had no way out and, for once, I was enjoying every second of this. Five outfits in, and I could already see the exhaustion on his face.
"I'm not trying on any more," he said flatly, shaking his head in frustration.
Feigning innocence, I turned to his mom, adding a melodramatic tone to my voice, "Aunty, he's not even trying the outfits I'm picking with so much love!"
His mom smiled, clearly amused by my antics. "Advay, beta, at least try them on. Roohi's choosing them for you with so much affection."
Advay shot me a look. But with both his mom and Chachi watching closely, he had no choice. I grinned, feeling victorious as I handed him the sixth outfit. I was too busy basking in my triumph to realize what I'd actually given him.
Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow and held up...a lehenga.
I froze, my mind racing for an escape. All eyes were on me-his mom, my mom, and even Chachi. In a split second, I cleared my throat, grabbing the lehenga from his hands. "Oh, um, that's for me, obviously!" I tried to laugh it off, quickly picking another outfit for him. "Here, try this one instead."
Advay took the new outfit without a word, but the smirk on his face told me that he understood what i was doing.
I hurried into a trial room, still feeling a bit flustered from the lehenga mix-up. After trying on my own outfit, I was about to step out when I felt a sudden tug and found myself being pulled into another trial room. My first instinct was to scream, but a hand quickly covered my mouth.
"It's me," a low voice whispered in my ear.
It was Him. Of course, it was. I turned to face him, our proximity much closer than I'd expected. He was wearing Black shirt with casual jacket, looking dangerously handsome. My brain momentarily short-circuited as I found myself staring, unable to help it.
"Stop staring at me," he muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Embarrassed, I blinked, trying to snap out of it. "Why did you drag me in here?" I asked, my voice low but demanding.
"Are you done with your little revenge?" he asked, crossing his arms, looking every bit the smug businessman he was.
"No," I shot back, reaching for the door to make a quick escape, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back once again.
I glared at him. "What is wrong with you?"
His expression remained annoyingly cool as he gestured toward the mirror behind us. "You might not want to step out with your dori open."
My eyes widened as I turned to the mirror. Sure enough, the strings at the back of my blouse were untied, dangling embarrassingly. Great, I thought. I quickly tried to fix it myself, but no matter how hard I tried, I just kept making it worse.
Frustrated, I gave up, glaring at him. "Fine. Tie it."
Advay blinked, caught off guard for a second. "What?"
"You heard me. Tie it. Or do you want me to walk out like this?"
For a brief moment, he hesitated, but then he stepped closer. As his hands reached up to tie the strings, his fingers grazed my skin, sending unexpected shivers down my spine. I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach.
But then, typical Advay. He tied it way too tight.
"Ahh! Not so hard!" I yelped, wincing.
He immediately loosened it, his expression slightly flustered. "Sorry," he mumbled. Seeing him rattled for once made me bite back a smile. Flustered Advay Birla was definitely a rare sight.
When he finally finished, I turned to him with a smirk. "You know, you should wear black more often. It suits you. Really brings out that brooding, mysterious vibe you have going."
He glanced down at his black shirt, adjusting it casually before stepping closer. His lips quirked into a half-smile. "Brooding, huh? I didn't realize I had such an effect on you, Roohi."
I rolled my eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm just pointing out the obvious."
He moved even closer, lowering his voice just enough to make my pulse quicken. "And I'll point out the obvious too," he said, his eyes sweeping over me. "*mNo matter how many outfits I try on, none will look as good as you do in red. Deadly, Roohi."
His words made my breath catch, and for a second, I was speechless. His intense gaze, the way he said my name-it was overwhelming in the worst way. Or maybe the best way.
Before I could respond, he leaned back, smirking as if he knew exactly the effect he had on me. "And by the way," he added casually, "I always have the last word."
I narrowed my eyes at him, trying not to let his teasing get under my skin. "We'll see about that," I muttered as I pushed past him, walking out of the trial room with as much dignity as I could muster.
The moment we stepped out, all eyes were on me again, but this time for a good reason. The women in the room gasped, immediately complimenting the lehenga I was wearing. I had to admit, it did look amazing.
"Advay, beta," his mom called out, "Why didn't you try the outfit?"
Before I could even answer, Advay smoothly replied, "She's already seen it, Maa. But she's tired now. I think she needs some food." He shot me a sly grin. "Right, Roohi?"
I shot him a look that could kill, but I couldn't deny the truth. Hearing him say my name in that smooth, teasing tone sent a flutter through me every single time. I hated it.
As our moms left, still fussing over the wedding preparations, I glanced at Advay. The brief moment we'd shared in the trial room was still fresh in my mind. Maybe if he try to give chance to this marriage.
Or maybe...it is getting even more complicated than I'd expected.
Vivaan's POV
After Ishaani and I chose our outfits for the wedding, we all decided to grab dinner-me, Advay, Roohi, and Ishaani.
Badi Maa, Maa, and Aunty excused themselves, mentioning they had someplace else to be. That left just the four of us.
As we walked out of the boutique, I casually suggested, "Hey, how about a trip to our farmhouse next weekend? Before the wedding madness takes over."
Bhabhi's eyes lit up immediately. "Oh, that sounds perfect! Count me in!"
What I didn't expect was Mr. Always Busy-Advay himself-to nod in agreement. I raised an eyebrow at him, clearly surprised. "Wait a second... you want to come?"
Advay gave me a deadpan look. "Don't push your luck."
I smirked, enjoying his rare show of participation. "Wow, Bhai. Didn't know you had a fun side. Guess miracles do happen."
Bhabhi giggled, and we both turned to Ishaani, who was quietly focusing on her food, completely missing the conversation.
I poked her arm. "And you, Sunshine? You're coming too, right?"
Ishaani looked up, blinking in confusion. "Wait, me? Why would I go? It's all your family and in-laws."
Roohi immediately jumped in. "Don't be like that! We will also make Aadya and Naaya join. You have to come, it'll be fun!"
I added dramatically, "Don't be a party pooper, Sunshine! Even Advay the Rock agreed."
She laughed, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Wait, Rock?"
Bhai shot me a pointed glare. Ishaani burst into laughter, her cheeks turning the lightest shade of pink.
"Okay, okay. Fine, I'll come if Aadya and Navya will join."
"Victory!" Bhabhi pumped her fist with me , while I flashed Ishaani a teasing grin.
As we wrapped up dinner, Bhabhi stood up and reached for her purse. "Alright, let me handle the bill."
Before she could move an inch, Advay caught her wrist gently. "There's no need. I'll take care of it."
Roohi raised an eyebrow. "Why? I'm perfectly capable of paying for dinner, you know."
Bhai said politely. "It's not about that. This restaurant belongs to Birla Hotels. So technically, it's already paid for."
Bhabhi's mouth fell open. "Wait, what?"
I chuckled at her shocked expression. "Yep. You just dined at your fiancé's restaurant, free of charge."
She blinked, then smirked. "Well, that's convenient. Guess I'll be ordering my favorite pasta from here every other day."
Ishaani laughed. "Oh, Roohi, now you can exploit your fiancé's restaurant guilt-free!"
We all laughed, and as we stepped outside, Bhai turned to Bhabhi and Ishaani. "I'll drop you both home," he offered smoothly.
Before Ishaani could answer, I quickly interjected, "Which way's your house, Ishaani?"
She said address which was in opposite direction from where Bhai and Bhabhi were headed.
I grinned. "Perfect! I'll drop you off then. It's on my way-I need to swing by the office to grab some files."
Bhai raised an eyebrow, silently asking if Ishaani was okay with it. She gave him a small nod. "It's fine. Thanks."
Roohi waved us goodbye as she got into Bhai's car, while Ishaani and I walked toward mine.
As we settled in, Ishaani gave me a sideways glance. "Was that your little trick to give them more alone time?"
I chuckled softly. "Nope. It was my trick to spend more time with you."
She turned toward the window, her cheeks glowing pink in the dim light. "Shut up, Viv."
I grinned, clearly amused. "You don't need to hide it, Sunshine."
She playfully punched my arm. "Seriously, stop it!"
I held up my hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. But how about some dessert? Ice cream sound good?"
She immediately perked up, eyes sparkling. "Chocolate ice cream. Please."
"Done!" I said, pulling into a nearby ice cream parlor. "One chocolate, one vanilla, coming right up."
After grabbing the ice creams, I handed her the chocolate cone and we sat in the car, quietly eating for a moment.
"So," I began, breaking the silence, "is being a designer what you've always wanted?"
She took a thoughtful bite of her ice cream. "Not really. I didn't have many options at the time, so I ended up choosing this."
I tilted my head, curious. "If you had all the options in the world, what would you have done?"
She smiled softly, a faraway look in her eyes. "I would've been a dancer. That's always been my dream."
I smiled at her wistfully. "You should do it. Even as a hobby."
She chuckled softly. "I wish I could."
"Why not? I'll teach you a few moves next time. I've got some killer dance moves, you know," I teased.
She gave me a skeptical look. "You? Dancing?"
I nodded confidently. "Oh yeah, Sunshine. You'd be surprised."
She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile creeping onto her lips. "You're ridiculous."
"And you love it," I winked, enjoying the way her face flushed again.
We finished our ice creams, and I drove her home. As I pulled up to her building, she turned to me with a soft smile. "Thanks for the ice cream, Viv. And for... everything else."
I smiled back. "Anytime, Sunshine."
She opened the car door but paused before stepping out. "And good luck with those killer dance moves," she teased.
I laughed. "Oh, you'll see them in action soon."
She waved as she walked inside, leaving me grinning like an idiot. Maybe tonight wasn't just about farmhouse plans or ice cream. Maybe it was the start of something else-something I hadn't expected, but definitely welcomed.
As I drove off, I couldn't help but feel a warm glow spread through my chest.
"Good night, Sunshine," I whispered to myself.
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