GAURII ’S POV

Today was Choti Diwali, and Abhimaan hadn’t gone to the office today either. Instead, he and Dua spent most of the day playing in the pool. They would literally come to me every hour, both of them nagging me about something, so I decided to cook a slightly heavier lunch for them. I prepared chicken and rice so they would have a proper, filling meal. They were already exhausted from swimming, and I was sure they would both fall asleep after lunch.

As I was serving the food, Abhimaan suddenly made me sit down too.

“Just sit and have food with us. All the work is done. Everyone has left, you’ve already done almost all the cooking, cleaning, and decoration. So rest now. Chill pill,” he said casually.

I smiled at his words. He was right. There really wasn’t much work left today.

After lunch, the three of us played together in our room. I don’t even remember when, but somewhere between playing and laughing, all three of us ended up falling asleep.

When I woke up in the evening, I found Abhimaan and Dua were already awake, and Dua was practically sprawled all over me. I looked at her in confusion, still half-asleep.

Then Abhimaan’s voice came from behind me.

“Morning, bacha.”

I turned towards his voice and found him sitting there with an amused smile.

“So, you slept while playing,” he teased. “But it’s actually good. Otherwise, you would have been roaming around the whole house worrying about work.”

I gave him a small smile and turned towards him properly, only to notice something strange.

His cheek was red.

I frowned in confusion and quickly sat up, carefully making Dua move off my chest.

“What happened to your cheek?” I asked, concerned.

He gave me a nervous little smile.

“Nothing. Just… Dua attacked me.”

I couldn't help but chuckle.

“Come here. Let me put some ice and ointment on it.”

ABHIMAAN’S POV 

As she stood up, she picked up her white chunni and draped it around her neck without even noticing that one end was trailing along the floor.

I followed her, leaving Dua on the floor for the moment, simply watching her.

She moved so beautifully, her hair slightly messy and open , her eyes heavy with sleep as she yawned. Her floral kurta, paired with the white chunni dragging softly behind her, made her look almost heavenly. So effortlessly glamorous that my eyes simply stayed on her.

She was only twenty-one, and somehow, she could look this magnificent without even trying.

I stood at the entrance of the kitchen, leaning against the wall, watching her take out some ice.

She had no idea what she was doing to me.

She hadn't done anything, anything ever to make me fall for her. She hadn't dressed up for me, hadn't tried to look beautiful, hadn't even spared a thought for how she looked.

And yet, just her presence—her existence in this room, in this house, in my life—made me fall deeper in love with her.

So deeply that sometimes I felt I could kiss the very floor she walked on.

I was that madly in love with her.

She came towards me holding an ice pack wrapped in a cloth. Without saying anything, she took my hand and made me sit on one of the breakfast-bar stools.

As soon as I sat down, she gently pressed the cold compress against my cheek.

She looked directly into my eyes and raised her eyebrows, silently asking what had actually happened.

I shook my head, trying to dismiss it.

She smiled.

And once again, I couldn't say anything.

I couldn't tell her what I felt.

I couldn't tell her that I was madly, hopelessly in love with her without risking everything we had.

She was finally happy. She was living peacefully, smiling again, and having her beside me like this—this close to me—was already more than I had ever allowed myself to hope for.

Because now, I couldn't even imagine my life without her.

And with Dua...

Without them, my life wouldn't just be empty.

I would be empty.

Gaurii completed me.

She made me feel alive.

She made me feel like a person instead of someone simply existing, moving through life like a robot.

After applying the ointment to my cheek, she got up and went towards Dua. The moment she looked at her, she suddenly shouted,

“Maan! Come here. See, she has put something in her mouth!”

I immediately snapped out of my thoughts and rushed towards Dua.

I carefully took the tiny piece of toy out of her mouth while Gaurii scolded her.

“This girl needs twenty-four-hour surveillance! She does something like this every five minutes. She doesn't even let Mama help Dada with something!”

Dua looked at her with the most innocent little face, as if she had absolutely no idea what she had done.

I looked at both my girls and couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face.

“It's okay, Gaurii. She's just a princess of her Dada, and Dada is her bodyguard.”

Gaurii immediately looked at me with furrowed brows.

“So tell me, where is my bodyguard? I also want my bodyguard.”

I was left completely speechless.

I pulled Dua into my lap and looked at Gaurii, who was sitting in front of me.

“See, Dua? Mama is getting jealous of you. Really, I have never seen you jealous and angry before, bacha .”

Gaurii huffed.

“No, I am not.”

Before either of us could say anything else, the little princess suddenly squealed,

“Dada!”

I froze.

My eyes widened as I looked at her.

“Yes, baby! Say it one more time!”

But this time, she didn't.

She simply giggled.

Gaurii burst out laughing.

“Now spend the whole day requesting her to say it one more time. I'm going. I have work to do.”

And with that, she walked away, leaving me sitting there trying everything possible to make Dua repeat the word.

She didn't.

Well... she said it only once.

But that one time was enough to make my entire day.

Later, after pooja, Gaurii came back to us and gave us the blessings.

The entire house was glowing.

The diyas and candles were lit across the first floor, around the pooja room, and outside the house. She took us outside so we could look at everything together.

And as I stood there looking at the lights, I couldn't believe this was the same cold house I had once thought would never feel warm.

Somehow, she had changed it.

Or perhaps she hadn't changed the house at all.

Perhaps she had simply filled it with herself.

It was warm now.

Cosy.

Alive.

And for the first time, I didn't want to leave it.

After dinner, Gaurii picked up a mehndi cone and handed it to Claire, asking her to apply mehndi on her left hand.

I sat there with Dua, watching them.

Then I heard Gaurii say,

“Claire, write Dua and... and...”

I didn't wait to hear the rest.

I got up and walked away.

The moment I thought she was happy here, I was reminded that she hadn't forgotten her past life.

I knew girls sometimes got their husband's name written in their mehndi.

And I didn't want to expect something like that.

That would have been ridiculous.

She was just a friend.

At least, for her.

I went back to our room and tried to distract myself.

A few minutes later, Gaurii suddenly came in.

“Maan, actually, Dua was getting cranky. Can you apply mehndi on my right hand?”

I looked at her and gave her a nervous, plastered smile.

“Actually... I don't know how to do this.”

She immediately made a puppy face.

“Anything. Even dots will be good.”

I gave a nervous nod.

She sat down on the bed and extended her hand towards me, while her other hand remained open, drying.

I carefully took the mehndi cone.

I was trying to concentrate on making some sort of design when my eyes accidentally fell on her left hand.

I froze.

I stared at it.

There, among the mehndi, wasn't just Dua's name.

My name was there too.

Not a tiny initial.

Not some hidden little letter.

My full name.

Written clearly.

My heart practically stopped.

And then it fluttered so hard that I didn't know what to do with myself.

For one foolish second, I wanted to pull her into my arms and spin her around the room.

I wanted to tell her how happy she had just made me.

I wanted to laugh.

I wanted to hold her.

And maybe...

Just maybe...

Steal the smallest kiss from her cheek.

But I couldn't.

So instead, I lowered my eyes back to her hand and tried to hide the smile that was threatening to give away everything I felt.

As soon as her mehndi was done, I helped her get tucked into bed before stepping out of the room.

When I came outside, I saw that Dua was still sitting on the floor, happily playing with her toys. Claire was sitting nearby, keeping an eye on her.

I walked over to them and picked Dua up into my arms.

“I’m taking her with me. You also rest, Claire. She’s been getting cranky a lot these days.”

Claire looked at me in confusion.

“No, sir. She was playing all along. Ma’am said she was going inside, so I started playing with her.”

I made an “ohh” face and nodded slowly.

She went inside?

A small, shy smile automatically appeared on my face.

So...

My Gaurii had actually wanted me to apply mehndi on her hand.

She could have asked Claire.

She could have done it herself.

But she asked me.

The thought alone sent a ridiculous flutter through my stomach.

I took Dua to the nursery and sat down with her.

She was wide awake again, happily playing with me, babbling away in her own little language. I talked to her too, knowing she didn't understand even half of what I was saying.

But perhaps that was exactly why I talked to her so much.

She couldn't judge me.

She couldn't misunderstand me.

And she certainly couldn't tell Gaurii what I said.

So I told her everything.

I told her about Mama.

I told her about how beautiful her mehndi looked.

I told her about how happy I had felt when I saw my name on her hand.

I even told her how much I loved her mother.

Everything I couldn't say to Gaurii, I somehow ended up telling our little daughter instead.

Dua listened to me with those big, curious eyes, occasionally squealing whenever I made some silly face or changed my voice.

Then she would start babbling again, as if she had an equally important story to tell me.

I smiled at her.

“Really? Is that so?”

She squealed again.

“Hmm... you're right. Mama is very pretty.”

Another excited little babble.

“And she's very stubborn too.”

She clapped her hands.

I laughed softly.

“Exactly. You understand everything, don't you?”

Of course, she understood nothing.

But somehow, talking to her made my heart feel lighter.

Eventually, after playing and talking for a long while, her eyes started becoming heavy.

She slowly fell asleep in my arms.

I carefully carried her back to our room and tucked her into her cot, making sure she was comfortable before pulling the blanket over her.

I looked at her for a few seconds, then turned towards the bed.

Gaurii was already asleep.

The room was quiet, except for the soft sound of her breathing.

I lay down beside her.

The smell of mehndi was still incredibly strong.

But strangely, I didn't mind it at all.

If anything, I wanted to breathe it in.

That scent was on her hands.

The same hands that had my name written on them.

I smiled to myself in the darkness.

I just wanted to enjoy the feeling.

With the faint scent of mehndi lingering around me and my two girls sleeping peacefully beside me, I slowly closed my eyes.

And before I knew it...

I fell asleep too.

AUTHOR’S POV 

THE NEXT DAY — DIWALI

Gaurii woke up first.

The first thing she saw was Abhimaan sleeping peacefully beside her. A soft smile appeared on her face as she slowly got up, careful not to wake him.

She quietly went into the garden and began rubbing her hands together, slowly removing the remaining mehndi from her palms. The colour had turned out so dark that she couldn't help but smile to herself.

After that, she went to take a bath. Once she was done, she went into the closet and changed into a simple saree for the morning.

As she stepped out, she noticed that Abhimaan was already awake.

The moment their eyes met, she smiled.

“Happy Diwali, Maan.”

Abhimaan smiled back.

“Happy Diwali, Gaurii.”

She began walking out of the room, but Abhimaan followed her.

“You didn't wear that saree you bought for Diwali?”

“No,” she replied. “I'll wear that one in the evening. For now, I'll just quickly do the morning pooja.”

Abhimaan hummed.

Gaurii went into the garden to pluck some flowers for the pooja, completely unaware that Abhimaan was standing right behind her.

As she suddenly turned around, the wet ends of her hair swung forward, sending tiny droplets of water directly onto his face.

It felt almost like her love had fallen over him like rain.

Abhimaan simply smiled with his eyes closed.

When Gaurii saw him, she immediately gasped.

“Sorry! I didn't know you were behind me.”

She quickly took the end of her saree and gently wiped his face.

“Why are you following me? Go freshen up. Dua will wake up soon too. I have to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner, then get everything ready for the pooja, and I still have to soak the diyas.”

Abhimaan gave her a cheeky smile.

“But, Gaurii, we can both do it, na? Claire will take care of Dua, and today I'll be your helping hand. I'll do it.”

Gaurii huffed.

“But, Maan, you don't know much.”

She said it casually and started walking towards the pooja room.

“But you can teach me, na?”

Gaurii shook her head, trying not to smile.

She began cleaning everything from the previous night's pooja and then carefully gave the idols their bath before applying tika to their foreheads.

Behind her, Abhimaan continued.

“Please, Gaurii. I won't nag you or make your work harder. I can cook rice and make other things too.”

Gaurii shook her head again.

“Okay, okay, fine. Now shhh... I have to do pooja.”

Abhimaan smiled and stood quietly beside her.

Gaurii began her pooja, gently pulling the end of her saree over her head.

Abhimaan simply stood there, watching her with a soft smile.

There was something about seeing her like this—peaceful, devoted and surrounded by the warmth of Diwali—that made his heart feel strangely full.

When she finished, she turned towards him.

Still softly chanting, she raised her hands and gave him her blessings.

Then, with her ring finger, she dipped it into the tilak and gently applied it to his forehead.

After that, she used the same tilak and applied it to her own forehead before immediately taking it up to her hairline and filling her maang.

Abhimaan froze for a second.

He hadn't expected that.

Gaurii placed the thaal back in the mandir and then bent down to touch his feet.

Abhimaan was startled.

“What are you doing, Gaurii?”

She smiled.

“You're elder than me, and today is Diwali. We take blessings from our elders, so please let me do it.”

Abhimaan shyly allowed her to take his blessings.

But the moment she stood up, he slowly lowered himself onto his knees.

Gaurii looked at him in confusion.

“What are you doing?”

Abhimaan smiled.

“You took blessings from your elder. I'm taking blessings from the goddess of my life.”

Before she could say anything, he bowed his head at her feet.

Gaurii stood completely overwhelmed, her toes curled up. 

After a moment, Abhimaan slowly stood up and noticed the tears in her eyes.

He gently cupped her face.

“We're equal in this, okay?”

He wiped the corner of her eye with his thumb and smiled.

“So now tell me, my boss... what all do I have to do today? I'm just the lazy assistant who's ready to work under you.”

Gaurii couldn't help but chuckle.

And abhimaan smiling asked “ uhmm Gaurii why do you fill your hairline..?? ” 

Gaurii gave a nervous smile and said “ uhmm uhmm actually because pandit ji will point out that my hairline is not filled that's why ” abhimaan nodded while gaurii herself don't know why she did that is it out of habit or anything else… 

But both of them ignored it.. 

And that was how their Diwali morning began.

They cooked together, laughed together, scolded each other over the smallest things and turned every little task into their own kind of masti.

Meanwhile, Claire took care of Dua.

Once most of the morning work was done, Gaurii began preparing everything for the evening.

Later, while Claire was busy with the decorations, Gaurii got Dua ready first. She had purposely bought soft clothes for her so that Dua wouldn't feel irritated throughout the evening.

She dressed her in a cute little pink kurti and plazo.

“Maan, you also get ready. I'll get ready after both of you are ready.”

Abhimaan nodded.

Gaurii took out his kurta-pajama and handed it to him before going back to Dua.

After about five minutes, a shout came from the closet.

“Gaurii!”

Gaurii quickly looked up.

“What happened?”

“Gaurii, can you come here? I got stuck in this! Please come in or I might tear it!”

She quickly placed Dua safely on the floor and rushed into the closet.

The moment she saw him, she had to bite back a smile.

The kurta was stuck around his chest, and somehow he had managed to make the simplest task complicated.

Abhimaan noticed her expression.

“Gaurii, don't laugh. Help me, na!”

She smiled.

“Yeah, yeah. Just a second.”

She pulled over a small stool and stood on it.

Then she noticed something.

“Maan... you didn't even unbutton the kurta properly.”

Abhimaan looked down.

“Oh.”

Gaurii shook her head, amused.

“Stand straight or I'll fall on you.”

Abhimaan immediately stood straight.

She carefully straightened the kurta. As her fingers brushed lightly over his chest around his heart while fixing the fabric, Abhimaan suddenly felt a little jolt run through him like his heart stopped for a second and then started beating again

He looked down at her.

She was completely focused on fixing his clothes, unaware of how closely he was watching her.

Once she had straightened everything, she buttoned the kurta properly and carefully smoothed out the creases.

Then she stepped back.

“Hmm... you look nice in this. You should wear Indian clothes more often.”

Abhimaan smiled.

“Yeah, yeah. Why not?”

He glanced towards Dua.

“But for now, go get ready. I'm going out with Dua.”

Gaurii nodded, and he left with their little girl.

A while later, Abhimaan was taking care of Dua while Gaurii got ready.

When she finally came out into the living room, she was wearing a deep red saree, her hair tied into a neat bun, with the necklace and earnings they bought, the blood red lipstick with the blush on her face and a small yet looking so adorable red bindi on her face with red bangles in her hands and anklets on her ankle , the  bangles and anklets cham cham making his heart fail listening .

The moment Abhimaan saw her, he simply stopped.

His mouth fell slightly open.

Gaurii noticed his expression and became confused.

“Am I... not looking good?”

Abhimaan immediately shook his head.

“You... you look heavenly.”

He paused.

“I mean... very, very beautiful.”

Gaurii gave him a nervous smile.

“Are you sure?”

He nodded quickly.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

“Are you for sure?”

Abhimaan walked closer from behind her.

“For sure. You look fabulous.”

Gaurii smiled.

“Leave it. I'll prepare the pooja things. Till then, can you go and bring Panditji? He wasn't able to find our home. He said he'll come near our old house. Can you please bring him?”

Abhimaan nodded.

“Of course.”

He left while Gaurii began preparing everything for the pooja.

A little while later, Abhimaan returned with Panditji.

As soon as Panditji arrived, Gaurii took his blessings and brought him into the pooja room.

But after a moment, Abhimaan called her into the room.

Gaurii hurried in.

“What happened, Maan? I was—”

She suddenly stopped.

There was a gajra in his hand.

Her eyes widened.

“Where did this come from?”

Abhimaan smiled.

“Actually, I saw a man selling these. He came near the window and asked me to buy one, so I bought it for you.”

He paused, smiling softly.

“And I gave him a little tip too, so he could have a good Diwali as well. Just like you taught me... that we should share happiness.”

Gaurii stared at him for a moment.

Then she suddenly hugged him.

“You... you're so, so good, Maan. Thank you so much for this gajra.”

Abhimaan hugged her tighter.

After a moment, he chuckled.

“Arre, now quickly wear it or Panditji will call us.”

Gaurii nodded and reached for the gajra.

But before she could take it, Abhimaan turned her around.

“Wait.”

He gently lifted the gajra and carefully placed it around her bun, tucking it into her hair so it would stay secure, abhimaan asked with his raised brows 

How does it look ..? 

Gaurii looked at him with a smile that said

Best , you have placed it very beautifully 

And both of them smiled seeing each other from mirror and suddenly —

She chuckled.

“Wow. I bought alta to wear, but still couldn't manage to wear it. And this gajra, which I didn't even think I'd wear... I'm wearing that.”

Abhimaan frowned slightly in confusion.

“Why couldn't you wear alta?”

Gaurii looked at him.

“Arre, I forgot to wear it and wore a saree first . Who was going to apply it to my feet? That's why I couldn't. But now leave it, we have to—”

Before she could finish, Abhimaan gently made her sit down.

“Where is the alta?”

Gaurii looked at him with furrowed brows.

“Maan—”

“Just tell me.”

She pointed towards a drawer.

Abhimaan opened it, took out the alta and carefully placed her foot in his lap.

Gaurii immediately protested.

“Maan, no! It'll stain your kurta.”

“So what?”

He looked up at her with a smile.

“It'll be in your colour, so let me.”

He dipped the applicator into the alta and slowly began applying it to her feet, carefully outlining them.

Then he did the same with her other foot.

Gaurii quietly watched him.

And for Abhimaan, it wasn't some grand romantic gesture.

It was just another little thing he could do for her.

But somehow, sitting there on Diwali, carefully adorning her feet while she watched him with those soft eyes, it felt like something much bigger.

She already looked beautiful.

And somehow, these tiny little things kept adding to it.

One percent here.

One percent there.

As if she needed anything more than the hundred percent beauty she already carried.

Yet Abhimaan couldn't stop looking at her.

Because to him, she wasn't simply beautiful because of the saree, the jewellery, the gajra or the alta.

She was beautiful because she was Gaurii.

His Gaurii.

.・゜゜・

_________________________________________________________

Hello Everyone !!!!

Hope you all liked the chapter of my third book

Don't forget to comment down your opinion and which moment you liked the most .

Hope you all are happy and enjoying life

Thanks for your love

Your author

CHRONIC

BYE BYE BUTTERFLIES 🦋🦋❤❤