3. WATER

ABHIMANYU’S POV 

After the function concluded, everyone retired to their rooms. Unable to sleep, I decided to take a stroll through the palace. As I wandered, I heard the sound of anklets and a voice calling out.

" Suniye "

( listen )

" Suniye bhi "

( listen )

Was it directed at me? I turned to see the source, only to inadvertently collide with a person.

This individual, with hazel brown eyes, was on the verge of stumbling, but I reacted swiftly, catching her around the waist with my right hand. Instinctively, my left hand moved to clear her vision by tucking away stray strands of hair. Our eyes met briefly before she spoke.

" Leave me," she uttered, her tone firm and commanding.

Startled, I released my hold, but she nearly faltered once more. Without hesitation, I steadied her again. This time, a fleeting hint of anger flickered across her otherwise enchanting face.

" Leave me," she repeated, her voice tinged with impatience.Resolutely, I ensured she stood firm on her feet.

" Were you calling me?" I inquired.

" No," she replied curtly, though her eyes betrayed a different sentiment.

" Oh," I remarked casually, though inside, I felt a surge of curiosity.

" I can't see anyone else here. That means you were calling me only," I countered with a smirk.

" First of all, who are you?" she questioned, her gaze piercing.

" Find out for yourself," I retorted with a smile, giving her a teasing challenge.

" I am not that free to find out who you are, " she replied dismissively, ready to leave once more. I intercepted her path, refusing to let her escape so easily.

" Okay, fine, " I said, halting her retreat.

" I am Avantika's brother."

" Oh," she acknowledged, seeming to consider this revelation with a hint of surprise. She started to leave once again, but I quickly interjected,

" Wait, listen to me."
She turned back, her expression questioning.

"What?"

" Tell me, why were you calling me? " I asked with a grin.

" I wasn't calling you " she said with arrogance in her voice.

" Please, just tell me," I asked sweetly.

" I don't owe an answer to strangers," she said, her tone firm and unyielding. I was taken aback.

(Ufff, her arrogance could be the death of me today.)

" We may be strangers now, but that can change," I said with a big smile on my face.

" Huh?" She looked puzzled.

"Just tell me " I asked one more time

"Arghhh, fine!" she snapped, her irritation clear.
I noticed her throat seems dry, and she looked uncomfortable. "I need water," she admitted reluctantly, making me frown.

"Oh," I replied, puzzled. "So, there's no jug of water in your room?"

"Are you blind?" she retorted, her voice rising a notch.

"What?" I was stunned by her sharp response.

"Can't you see I have mehndi on my hands? How am I supposed to drink water?" She waved her henna-covered hands in front of me. Realization dawned on me.

"Oh, that's the problem," I said, understanding at last.

"Yes, now can I leave?" she asked, her voice tinged with frustration, though it seemed she was hoping for help.

"But everyone's asleep. Who will get you water?" I pointed out. Her face fell slightly.

"If you don't mind, I can help," I offered softly.

"No need," she insisted.

"Come on, we're practically family now. Let me help," I said with a grin.

"Fine," she conceded irritably.

She walked towards her room with me following like a loyal puppy. "Here," she said, stopping in front of her door. As she started to go in, I asked, "Can I come in?" remembering the last time I entered without permission.

"Yes, but for your information, you're already inside," she said dramatically.

"Oh, sorry," I apologized, stepping in properly. She pointed to the jug, and I poured water into a glass.

"Can I?" I asked, holding the glass.

She hesitated for ten seconds but finally said, "Yes."
I helped her drink the water slowly
"One more glass," she requested.

"You were indeed thirsty," I chuckled.

"Just do your job," she ordered.

I gave her another glass of water. "One more?" I asked, stifling a laugh.

"No," she replied.

"Okay," I said, setting the glass down.

A silence settled between us, but she broke it. " Now you can leave."

I was taken aback. "Oh, okay."

"Does your dictionary not include words like 'sorry,' 'thank you,' or 'please'?" I asked, walking backward towards the door, my hands in my pockets.

"Arghhh, you!" she exclaimed, and I started laughing.

"Bye, good night," I said with a chuckle, waving as I stepped out. The door closed behind me with a thud.

Why so much arrogance, baby? I thought, shaking my head with a smile.

~

~

AUTHOR’S POV 

𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐢 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲

Everyone was ready to start the function

The courtyard was filling up with guests, but Abhimanyu's eyes were searching for one specific pair of eyes. After a few minutes, she arrived.

𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞. 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞, 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞, 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧, 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞, 𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬... 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲, 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫.

The haldi ceremony began, with everyone applying turmeric paste to the bride and groom's faces.

"Shivi beta, now it's your turn," Kamini said and she took a small amount of the haldi paste and started applying it on their faces.

"Stay happy always," she said with a genuine smile.

"Thank you," Avantika murmured.

After everyone had applied haldi on the faces of the bride and groom, the cousins and siblings started a playful haldi holi. Aayansh and Divit came near Shivnya, intending to apply haldi on her, but she halted them with a stern voice, "Dare you to come near me."

They stopped for a moment, then resumed their steps, only to halt again when she added,

"I think you both are really very much free, so do one thing: prepare Mr. Dutt's file. I want that file on my desk by evening." She smirked

Everyone laughed at their bewildered expressions.

"Diiiiiiiiiii," Divit whined.

"You can't do this to us," Aayansh protested.

"And who are you to tell me what to do?" she replied with a raised brow.

"Diiiii," they pleaded, showing their puppy faces.

"Okay, fine. Now shoo," she said with a chuckle.

"Means we don't have to do that?" they asked in unison, grinning widely.

"Yes, and now leave before I change my mind," she said, smiling.

The function was in full swing, and Janvi was persistently hitting on Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu, being Abhimanyu, was royally ignoring her, but she was continuously being clingy. (Didn't I tell you? Yes, Janvi is obsessed with Abhimanyu Singh Rathore. Who wouldn't be, after looking at him? He looks like a Greek god.)

But all this was not ignored by a pair of eyes that were continuously staring at them.Abhimanyu also wanted to apply haldi on Shivnya's face. After seeing this, he wanted so badly to do it that he thought of a trick. As everyone was heading to their rooms, Shivnya was engrossed in her mobile, oblivious to her surroundings.

"What the hell?" she yelled when someone applied haldi from behind on her cheeks.

"Ohhh, sorry. I thought..." Abhimanyu said, making a sorry face.

"What did you think?" she fumed.

"That you were Janvi," he said without thinking.

She didn't want to argue, so she just said, "Ho gaya aapka? I'm not your Janvi, so now go apply this haldi on her face," and stormed off to her room.

What just happened? For the first time, she didn't argue back. Is everything alright? he wondered, then walked away.

~

~

~

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 ( 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐈 )

The shadi was in full swing, with everyone enjoying the festivities. Now, they were gathered around the mandap, where the priest chanted mantras, guiding the bride and groom through the sacred rituals. The atmosphere was filled with joy and reverence.

During the wedding ceremony, Shivnya received a call that visibly disturbed her. She abruptly excused herself and moved to a secluded area to answer the call. As she listened, her face turned pale, and her hands began to shake. Suddenly, she dropped the phone, causing a loud thud.

" Thuuuuudddd."

The sound reverberated through the hall, drawing everyone's attention. All eyes turned towards the source of the noise, concerned and curious. Shivnya stood there, visibly distressed and disconnected from her surroundings.

Ayansh was the first to react. He quickly approached her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. " Diii , are you okay?"His voice brought her back to reality.

She blinked rapidly, trying to compose herself. Without answering him, she turned and started running towards the exit, shouting,

" Take out the cars! We have to go to the airport! "Everyone was confused, unsure of what to do. Her urgency was palpable, and the guests exchanged worried glances.

" Bloody hell, take out the damn cars if you don't want your death!" she screamed, her voice filled with desperation.

Within a minute, a car was brought around. She jumped into the back seat, frantically dialing numbers on her phone and talking to someone. Her distress was evident; tears streamed down her face as she yelled into the phone, alternating between pleading and demanding.

The driver glanced back at her nervously.

" Ma'am," he said, his voice trembling.

"Actually..."

" Say it! I don't have time to listen to your nonsense," she snapped, her voice cold and stern.

" Actually, ma'am, Viren sir and Shaurya sir are calling continuously," he stammered.

She ignored him, focused entirely on the call.
She had thrown all of her accessories into the car, and her hair, now loose, cascaded down her shoulders. She looked utterly helpless, a stark contrast to her usual composed self.

In the mandap, the wedding ceremony continued, but the joyous atmosphere was now tinged with worry. Abhimanyu watched the commotion, his mind racing with concern for Shivnya. He wanted to follow her, to ensure she was okay, but he was bound by the duties of the moment.

Back in the car, Shivnya's voice softened as she spoke into the phone, "Please, you have to help. Please save him."

The car sped off towards the airport, leaving behind a cloud of dust and a trail of uncertainty.

SHIVNYA’S POV 

My thoughts were interrupted when I saw someone calling me . Panic surged through me as I saw the name on the screen. I couldn't take the call there. Excusing myself , I moved to a secluded corner.

"Yes, doctor," I answered, my voice trembling.

"Ma'am, the condition is becoming critical. I suggest you come here immediately; it could lead to the patient's death," the doctor said.
My world spun. "You can't leave me alone again," I chanted internally. "YOU CAN'T."

I snapped back to reality when Aayansh tapped my shoulder. Without looking back, I ran towards the main gate. After a brief conversation with the driver, I called my grandfather.

" Where are you, and what happened that made you leave your brother's wedding? " Dadaji demanded sternly.

" Dadaji, the doctor called," I said, on the verge of tears but trying to hold them back he understood what is the matter

" What did they say?" he asked, concerned about softening his tone.

"They said the condition is critical " I replied, tears streaming down my face

" Nothing will happen to him," he reassured me

"Just stay calm."

" But if..." I began

" Shhh, nothing will happen," he repeated firmly.

" I'll talk to you later, the doctor is calling," and I disconnected the call.

" Yes, doctor," I said, trying to steady my voice.

"Everything is under control, ma'am," the doctor assured me

" Are you sure? " I asked, not wanting to believe it.

" Yes, ma'am " he confirmed

" What happened when his health suddenly deteriorated?" I inquired

" maybe he got remember or got some flashes of his memory and that's why he was try to come in consciousness " He said

" But he needs you here as soon as possible."

"Alright," I said, my voice was barely above a whisper. I ordered the driver to turn the car back to the palace.

At this moment I just wanted to cry , cry a lot, cry that much until I passed out. I want to scream because of the tornado in my heart . I closed my eyes and tears are continuously flowed from my eyes remembering old memories

~

~

" Shivi shivi where are you " Someone shouted in the palace trying to find her

" Aree idiot I am here only find me na " She said with a chuckle

" Shivi tumhe pta h na mujhe ye game bilkul nhi psnd h " Someone said irritatedly

( shivi you know na i don't like this game)

" Haa kyuki tum mujhe dhund nhi pate ho" She said with giggle

( yes i know because you can't find me )

" Shivi come na yaar "

" On one condition " She said in a demanding tone

" Accepted " He said with a biggest smile on his face

" Tumhe kaise pta ki m kya maangne waali hu " She said but didn't recognized that someone is behind her
( how do you know what I am going to ask??? )

He holds her wrists and pulls her toward him and grabs her waist with one hand and said " I know everything about you " He said with a smirk

" Hogya " She said with a grin and placed her head over his heart and hugged him to feel more and more warmth of his

( done?? )

" Haa "

( yes)

" Chle " He asked

( let's go )

" Nhi " Both of them giggled

( no )

~

My thoughts came to a halt when I heard
" Maam we have reached "

" Do we have water in the car " I asked in a low tone

" Yes ma'am " He said while handed me the water bottle

" You go I will come "

I started washing my face so that my tear stain wouldn't be seen , I wiped my face and went towards the mandap .

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

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