AUTHOR’S POV 

After the alta dried, Abhimaan noticed that a little of it had stained his kurta.

He looked at the stain for a second, then simply smiled and brushed it off with his fingers.

Gaurii noticed it too and she smiled and said...

“Maan, you go and sit with Panditji. I'll come in a second.”

Abhimaan nodded and went towards the pooja room.

Gaurii, however, remained standing in front of the glass mirror.

For a few seconds, she simply stared at her reflection.

Then, slowly, she opened the drawer and took out a small box of vermillion.

Her heart began beating faster the moment she saw it.

Until now, whenever she had worn vermillion, it had been because she was Suresh's wife.

But today...

Today, she was wearing it for an entirely different reason.

She was wearing it to protect herself and her daughter from questions.

From society.

From the countless eyes that would look at her and ask questions about the marriage that existed only for the world outside.

This marriage was fake.

At least, that was what everyone else was supposed to believe.

Gaurii slowly dipped her finger into the vermillion.

Her hand trembled slightly.

Then she carefully filled her hairline.

She didn't even look at herself after doing it.

She simply closed the little box, placed it back in the drawer and walked towards the pooja room.

The moment she entered, Abhimaan looked at her.

His eyes immediately fell on the prominent vermillion in her hairline.

For a moment, he simply looked at it.

He knew exactly why she had put it there.

She had done it because Panditji was there.

Because if someone came, no one would question her.

No one would look at her strangely.

No one would ask why a married woman wasn't wearing a sindoor.

But somewhere inside, Abhimaan didn't like any of it.

He had never understood why all of this responsibility was placed on a woman.

Why was a married woman expected to wear vermillion and a mangalsutra to prove to the world that she belonged to someone?

Why did society need a woman's appearance to announce her marital status?

A married man could walk around exactly like an unmarried man.

No one would know.

No one would ask.

Nothing in his appearance had to change.

But a woman...

She was expected to carry visible proof of her marriage everywhere she went.

Abhimaan hated that unfairness.

Because whether Gaurii wore sindoor or didn't wear it, nothing could change what she meant to him.

Nothing could change the place she had in his life.

She didn't need vermillion to tell the world anything.

She didn't need a necklace to prove anything.

She was his, and that wasn't something an ornament could decide.

And perhaps, more importantly, he wanted her to know that she was free to choose whether she wore any of it or not.

As Panditji began preparing for the pooja, he told Gaurii about a few more things they needed.

She immediately went towards the kitchen to collect them.

A few moments later, she called out—

“Maan!”

Abhimaan came towards her.

“What happened?”

Gaurii looked at him.

“Maan, go bring your laptop. We'll do the pooja of that too. Goddess Lakshmi should bless your business as well.”

Abhimaan smiled and nodded.

“Okay.”

He went to get his laptop.

Soon, everyone gathered in the pooja room.

As the pooja began, Dua sat comfortably in her father's lap.

Abhimaan held her securely while Gaurii made sure their little daughter was included in every part of the pooja.

Dua seemed completely fascinated by everything around her.

She happily picked up flowers, tried to offer them to God and even reached for the sweets whenever she got the chance.

At one point, when Abhimaan was cleaning the silver coins in milk, Dua watched with complete fascination.

She seemed to be enjoying every single moment.

Abhimaan couldn't help but smile at her excitement.

The whole room was filled with the warmth of the Diwali pooja—the fragrance of flowers, the sound of mantras, the flickering diyas and the soft laughter of their little girl.

In between the pooja, Rajeev arrived.

Claire immediately noticed him and gestured for him to sit quietly.

Rajeev nodded and took his place as the pooja continued.

Eventually, Panditji completed the rituals.

Everyone stood up for the aarti.

Gaurii held the thaal in her hands while Abhimaan stood beside her.

As they began singing the aarti together, Abhimaan reached out and held the thaal with her.

Their hands rested together around it.

Neither of them said anything.

They simply stood beside each other, holding the aarti thaal together and offering the light to Goddess Lakshmi.

For a moment, it felt like everything around them had disappeared.

There was only the sound of the aarti, the glow of the diya and the two of them standing together.

Then they gave the thaal to Rajeev to do the aarti. Once everyone had finished and the pooja was completed, Gaurii took the thaal and let everyone take the blessings and warmth of the diya. She herself took the warmth of the diya into her hands and gently passed it to both Abhimaan and Dua, smiling softly as she did so.

After that, she slowly walked around the entire house, carrying the thaal into every corner so that the positivity and blessings of the aarti could reach every part of their home. Once she had completed her round, she carefully placed the thaal back in the mandir.

As soon as she came back, Gaurii reached for Abhimaan's hand and pulled him along with her towards Panditji. The two of them bowed down together to take his blessings.

Panditji smiled at them and blessed them, saying,

“Stay happy and married. May Goddess Laxmi and Lord Ganesha give you a happy and fruitful life together.”

They both bowed their heads once again, taking his blessings before Gaurii began distributing the prasad to everyone.

After everyone had received it, she turned towards Panditji and politely asked him to sit and have a meal before leaving. While he was eating, Gaurii went into the kitchen and looked at Abhimaan.

“Maan, how come Rajeev bhaiya is here..? Are you both going to do work? You know na, it's Diwali…”

Abhimaan immediately stopped her mid-sentence.

“Gauriii nooo, he is not here for work.”

Gaurii looked at him, confused.

Abhimaan hesitated for a moment before finally speaking, his voice becoming quieter.

“Actually… before you, whenever there was any festival, Rajeev and I used to celebrate together. His mom and dad are no more, and his elder brother and sister-in-law don't like him. So, during every festival, we were left alone. Some years we used to work, and some years we used to drink and smoke and eat…”

The moment Gaurii heard that, her expression softened completely.

Without saying another word, she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug.

“I am really sorry to listen to that… but after now, neither of you will celebrate festivals like this. We will celebrate every festival with happiness.”

Abhimaan smiled softly against her, holding her close.

Gaurii pulled back slightly and looked at him seriously before adding,

“But still… no smoking and drinking.”

Abhimaan chuckled.

“Yes, I know. No smoking and drinking.”

Just then, Rajeev came into the kitchen and caught sight of the two of them hugging.

He immediately turned around.

Gaurii quickly pushed herself back, while Abhimaan looked at Rajeev with a completely straight, unimpressed face.

Rajeev cleared his throat.

“Sorry ma'am and sir for disturbing you, but Dua wants to go out. So Claire and I are taking her out to burn some firecrackers.”

And before either of them could say anything, he quickly left.

Abhimaan sighed.

“Sorry, Gaurii, but I have to go. I don't trust him with Dua.”

Gaurii rolled her eyes and muttered to herself as he walked away,

“Neither you used to trust the doctors when they used to vaccinate her…”

She couldn't help but smile to herself.

Soon, the four of them went outside while Gaurii stayed back, serving and giving Panditji the gifts they had prepared for him. Once Panditji finally left, she began cleaning the area.

She had barely started when Abhimaan came running inside.

“What are you doing now? Your Panditji has left also, so come now! We have to burn some crackers. Come fast! We will do all this work later also. Now come!”

Gaurii hesitated for a moment, looking at the mess around her.

But then she smiled.

Without even bothering to put on her slippers, she followed him outside.

The moment she stepped out, she saw that only Rajeev was still burning the crackers.

Her eyes immediately lit up.

She excitedly went over, picked up more crackers and started burning them herself.

And every single time she lit one, she would run straight back towards Abhimaan, laughing and smiling like a little child.

Meanwhile, Abhimaan spent most of his time covering little Dua's ears whenever the crackers went off.

Although Dua herself seemed far more interested in the crackers than bothered by them.

After almost an hour, Abhimaan finally gave up.

“Okay, okay, now enough. Come, Gaurii. You must be hungry.”

Gaurii sadly nodded.

But just as she was looking at him with her little pouty face, Rajeev suddenly added,

“Yes, boss. Some more.”

Abhimaan immediately gave him a straight, angry look.

Before he could say anything, Rajeev quickly corrected himself.

“No, no. We have done enough.”

Gaurii couldn't help but smile at their little banter.

Eventually, she slowly walked towards Abhimaan.

But after a few steps, she suddenly hissed in pain.

Abhimaan's expression changed instantly.

“What happened, Gaurii?”

Gaurii huffed and looked down at her feet.

“Nothing… I didn't wear any slippers, so maybe some cut came in my feet.”

Abhimaan looked at her in shock.

“Gaurii! You should have taken care of that. You should have worn slippers. Come, let me help you.”

Before he could do anything, Rajeev stepped forward.

“Sir, give me Dua. I will take her in. How will you carry both ma'am and Dua?”

Apparently, those words immediately hit Abhimaan's ego.

He gave Rajeev a plastered smile.

“Just see.”

Then he turned towards Gaurii, his voice becoming soft again.

“Gaurii, can you take Dua in your arms and hold her a little firmly?”

Gaurii looked at him, confused, but did as he asked. She took Dua into her arms and held her securely.

Abhimaan then lowered himself, carefully slipped one arm around Gaurii and lifted her up with Dua still safely in her arms. With his other arm, he secured them both against him as he stood up.

Then he looked directly at Rajeev with a look that practically said it all.

If a man can't carry his child and his wife in his arms, then what's the point of being a man?

Gaurii bit back her smile.

Claire, meanwhile, gave him a joking smile before following them inside.

As soon as they entered, Abhimaan carefully made Gaurii sit on the couch. He then pulled her feet gently into his hands and examined them.

There were only a few tiny particles of dirt and some small cuts.

Still, he immediately took out his handkerchief and began cleaning her feet slowly and carefully.

After making sure there was nothing serious, he looked at her.

“Gaurii, you should change into something comfortable for the night. I will apply some cream to these. And then come have dinner.”

Gaurii nodded.

She then looked towards Claire.

“Claire, can you serve dinner? I will just change Dua's clothes.”

Claire nodded, and Gaurii took Dua inside.

But later, when Dua started becoming fussy, Gaurii ended up feeding her instead.

In between, Abhimaan knocked softly on the door.

“Gaurii, aren't you done?”

Gaurii looked towards the door while continuing to feed Dua.

“Actually, she was getting cranky, so I am feeding her. She is almost done. You sit, I am coming.”

Abhimaan simply nodded and left.

Fifteen minutes later, Gaurii was finally done feeding Dua.

The poor little girl was so tired that she had fallen asleep while feeding itself.

Gaurii smiled softly at her, carefully tucked her into her cot and adjusted the blanket around her before quietly stepping outside.

But the moment she entered the dining area, she stopped.

Abhimaan hadn't even touched his food.

He was still sitting there, waiting for her.

As Gaurii came back, he began serving food onto two plates for both of them , while Rajeev and Claire watched them with an amused glance at how naturally Gaurii had taken over.

Soon, all four of them sat together and had dinner, chatting casually between bites. The atmosphere felt warm and homely—something Gaurii had desperately missed without even realizing it.

When they were done, Rajeev got up to leave.

“Bhaiya, wait for a second…” Gaurii called.

Rajeev turned around, slightly confused, as she hurried inside. A moment later, she returned carrying a small tiffin box.

She held it out to him.

Rajeev opened it and found it filled with homemade ladoos.

Gaurii smiled softly.

“From now on, this house is all yours. Every festival, you can come here and celebrate with us. You’re just like an elder brother to me.

Rajeev's face softened, and then a cheeky smile appeared on his lips.

“Yes, ma’am. And you’re like a little sister to me too.”

Gaurii chuckled.

“Yes, bhaiya. Come soon, okay? And eat them too. I made them at home.”

Rajeev smiled warmly, nodded, and finally left.

Once he was gone, Claire, Abhimaan, and Gaurii began cleaning everything together. Meanwhile, little Dua slept peacefully in her royal cot, completely unaware of all the warmth and laughter happening around her.

After everything was finally done, Gaurii went to change her clothes.

Abhimaan had already changed and was sitting in the living room, occupied on a call. Not wanting to disturb him, Gaurii quietly walked out and opened the glass door leading to the living room.

She sat down on the floor , gazing at the moonlit sky.

The night was peaceful.

The moon shone brightly above them, casting a soft glow over everything.

After a while, Abhimaan finished his call and noticed her sitting alone outside.

He walked toward her.

“Gaurii…”

She looked up.

Abhimaan frowned slightly when he saw her sitting there.

“Come inside. Mosquitoes will bite you.”

Instead of answering, Gaurii simply patted the empty space beside her, silently asking him to sit.

Abhimaan hesitated for a second before slowly sitting beside her.

Gaurii leaned her head against his shoulder and looked up at the moon.

“See… the moon is looking so beautiful today."

Abhimaan smiled softly.

But he wasn't looking at the moon anymore.

His eyes remained on her.

My moon looks beautiful every day. I don't care about that moon.

He quietly hummed in response, his gaze still fixed on her.

But Gaurii's eyes had suddenly filled with tears.

She kept looking at the moon, trying desperately to control the sob that was rising in her throat.

Her voice came out heavy and trembling.

“Thank you, Maan… Thank you so much.”

Abhimaan's smile disappeared.

Confused, he slowly turned toward her.

“What happened, Gaurii?”

She looked at him.

A bittersweet smile appeared on her tearful face.

And then the tears finally spilled.

Before Abhimaan could understand what was happening, Gaurii suddenly threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

He was completely startled.

The sudden force nearly made him lose his balance, and he immediately placed one hand on the floor to steady himself while his other arm instinctively wrapped around her waist.

“Gaurii!” he exclaimed, panicking. “Bacha, tell me what happened. Didn't you like something I said? Did Claire say something? Or Rajeev?”

Gaurii shook her head against his chest.

Through her tears, she whispered,

“Maan… you don't know what you did today. But you did so much for me.”

Abhimaan's brows knitted together.

He gently rubbed her back, trying to calm her.

“Bacha, can you please tell me what happened? Then only I can do something. Please… I'm getting stressed. Why are you crying?”

Gaurii sobbed softly before pulling away from the hug.

She looked directly into his eyes.

“Today… you behaved like my baba.”

Abhimaan froze.

Gaurii's lips trembled as she continued.

“Four years ago, I lost my father.”

Her voice cracked.

“And after that… every festival felt like something was missing. I missed him so much.”

Abhimaan silently listened.

Gaurii wiped her tears, but more immediately replaced them.

“But today, seeing you with me… doing the traditions, celebrating with me… and then being so protective of Dua…”

A small, tearful smile appeared on her face.

“Everything reminded me of him.”

She swallowed hard.

“You know, I used to burn all the crackers without wearing slippers when I was little…”

A broken laugh escaped her.

“And my baba used to pick me up in his arms and put medicine on my feet…”

Her voice became softer.

“Everything, Maan. Everything was the same like him.”

Abhimaan's eyes slowly grew moist.

He didn't interrupt her.

He simply listened as she remembered every little thing she had lost.

Seeing the tears continuing to fall from her eyes, he gently pulled her toward himself and shifted her into his lap.

Gaurii immediately wrapped her arms around him again, burying her face against his chest.

“I miss him, Maan…”

Her voice broke completely.

“I miss him a lot.”

Abhimaan held her tighter.

“I missed him every single day of my life. Why did he leave me alone…?? Why couldn't he stay with me..?? Why God has taken him away from me he was my everything maan I miss him so much ”

Her tears soaked into his shirt as she finally allowed herself to grieve the little girl who had been missing her father for four long years.

Abhimaan knew there was nothing he could say that would magically take away her pain.

He couldn't bring her father back.

He couldn't erase those years.

All he could do was stay.

So he did.

He held her close, gently stroking her back, letting her cry out every emotion she had been carrying inside for years.

Slowly, her sobs became quieter.

Her breathing grew heavier.

She was exhausted from crying, emotionally and physically drained.

Abhimaan kept holding her securely against him.

Then, somewhere between her hiccups and sleepy breaths, he heard her whisper against his chest—

“I love you, Maan…”

His hand stopped.

“I love you so much…”

Abhimaan's eyes widened.

He looked down at her.

“Gaurii…?”

But there was no response.

She had already fallen asleep in his arms, completely exhausted.

Abhimaan stared at her sleeping face.

His heart was beating strangely fast.

Did she really mean that?

He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face. Or was she just emotional?

He looked at her for a long moment, completely confused.

But then his expression softened.

Whatever she had meant…

Tonight, he wasn't going to question it.

She had cried enough.

So he simply held her closer, resting his cheek gently against her head.

He took her inside in his arms closing the door and as he tried to put her down but her grip was so strong she didn't want to let him go and she muttered “ noo don't leave me ” and he laid on bed with him on top of his chest for the first time in this 1.5 years he and she is this close on a bed 

Abhimaan shrikes his thought and tried to fell asleep but ended up waking up all night.

.・゜゜・

_________________________________________________________

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 🦋🦋❤❤