A D I T Y A

I leaned closer to Mahi to take Ivaan but instead of coming to me, he stiffened in her arms, leaning into her crook of neck. Mahi smiled looking at his actions. I blinked, taken aback by his sudden changed demeanor and tried again but miserably failed.

As he Snuggled into her making me surprised. This is the first time he has behaved like this, the first time he refused to come to me. His father.

Mahi glanced up and blinked as if reassuring that he was safe with her. I nodded and stepped back. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of mom who was as stunned as me. She started them with wide eyes.

the boy who never went to any other human other than me and my family, The one who hates when someone touches him. suddenly curled up in someone's arms— who he just met a few hours ago— a stranger made us stunned and at the same time Happy knowing that finally he is letting someone touch him who is other than the family.

✵

It's been an hour since the party ended. Finally, I can go home. That's what I thought, when my mother said that we need to stay here for an hour more because apparently Ivaan is Sleeping in mahi's arms and is refusing to leave her.

I looked at my watch and signed. It's 11 pm in the night and my parents and grandparents have disappeared into a room along with Arjun’s parents and grandparents for God knows what to talk.

I never felt this much frustration in my life, but now.

Why do I need to stay here? When I have no work to do?. Arjun, that bastard went to his room, to put his daughter to bed and Ankit left as Kirti was feeling unwell.

My good for nothing Siblings are busy in themselves.

I signed feeling Lonely. Only if Minal hadn't left me then maybe I wouldn't have felt like this. Only if—

My thoughts were interpreted by the sound of footsteps. I looked up at the staircase to find everyone coming down — some with happy faces and some — I mean Kabir uncle—without any expression.

They settled on the couches comfortably, smiling like they won some national awards. What's going on here?

Kabir uncle glared at me, his sharp gaze boring into my soul making me feel as if I was a criminal who stole his precious Carrs.

Dadi and dadu looked at Me, then Mahi who was busy admiring my son and then Pavan dadu and they smiled.

Wait! I have a bad feeling about this.

Then the elders talked something through their eyes and Finally Pavan dadu said something Which made my world upside down.

A U T H O U R

“We have fixed the marriage of Mahi with Aditya,” Pavan Arora declared, making Everyone present in the room froze except for the elders. The youngsters looked at them as if they just saw a ghost.

Aditya froze, his mind going numb the moment he heard those words. His mind raced with thousands of thoughts, as he looked at his family shocked.

“ How can they do this to me?” He thought,

“ How can they fix my marriage? That too, Without my consent?”

He glanced at mahi, whose condition mirrored his but was different. For Mahi, Everything else faded away. The word ‘ Marriage with Aditya’ Repeated in her mind as a prayer.

Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away. Masking her emotions—she had perfected the art long ago.

She looked down at Ivaan who just moved in her lap in his sleep. A small smile formed on her, seeing his small frame cuddling onto her.

Aditya's lips parted, when he was about to say something, they heard someone yell.

“ What the hell?????” Arjun and Advik exclaimed at the same time the moment they heard about it from the maids, who were busy gossiping about the shocking news.

They both hurriedly descended the status and walked to the couch where everyone was present.

“ Dadi you can't do this!!” Arjun said, Standing behind his father, “ yes dadu you can't do this!” Advik too supported him followed by Kabir who nodded feeling proud of his son's.

Pavan raised a questioning eyebrow at them.

“ And may I know the reason for your protests gentlemen?” He asked, knowing very well why they were doing this.

“ Dadu, Mahi just came back home after seven years, and now you want to send her away?” Arjun asked, Advik nodded, supporting his brother.

“ Acha, tum dono zara chup raho. Hume pata , hum kya kar rahe hai. Mahi sirf tum dono ki behen hi nahi hamari ekloti poti bhi hai!!. I know what is good and what is bad for her” Pavar said, making them clench their fists.

“ And we aren't doing anything with her consent, right?. If mahi accepts the proposal then only we will proceed further” he said further.

Arjun and Advik glanced at their sister hoping that she would refuse the proposal. Kabir too patiently waited for his daughter's reaction.

Krish smirked, glancing at Mahi who was more busy admiring Ivaan than the conversation going there, then he looked at her brother's and thought, “ only if they know that her answer is Yes, from decades. What will they do?”

Mahi glanced at Aditya, who sat there frozen still not recovering from the shock. Her heart clenched when she saw him clenching his fist.

“ I know you love her, but can't you for once choose me, adi?”

She looked away knowing very well that he was going to decline the proposal. Yet, some foolish part of her still held onto the hope—that maybe, just maybe, this time, he would choose her over a memory. Over minal. Mahi knows his love for Minal. She knew his heart still belonged to Minal, trapped in a past he refused to let go of. But was it so wrong to wish—just this once—that he would look at her, really look at her, and see the love she had buried for years.

Mahi shook her head knowing that how foolish of her to think that she will get a place which wasn't hers in the first place.

Aditya however, stayed calm. His jaw clenched saying otherwise, his fist tightened until his knuckles turned white. Aditya exhaled as he remained the promise he made to Minal before she left him, and this world.

“ Promise me, Adi. Tha-a-t you will… never marry any-o-one..” Minal asked , in between her ragged breaths, aditya sniffed, bitbacing his cries as he said

“ Stop saying like that love, Nothing will happen to you,!!!” Minal smiled through the pain

“ Promise me” Aditya looked at her hand and at her , his heart ached seeing her like that, though he kept his hand on her, “ promise, I will never marry anyone”

Aditya closed his eyes, trying to maintain his calm demeanor. The promise he made to Minal weighed heavily on his heart, stopping him from moving on.

Katha, who observed her son, walked to him and sat beside him. She took his hand and held it with her as she feathered the backside of his hand to calm him down, “ calm down bachche,” she said, her voice was soft and comforting. “ I know it must be hard for you, but just listen to Me once?” She asked, her eyes filled with hope.

Aditya nodded, not looking at her, his hold tightened around his mother's, katha smiled, “ you know your son adi. He never acted the way he did today. He had always shown tantrums whenever someone tried to touch him but today when mahi touched him. He instantly went to her, he played with her, cuddled with and finally slept in her arms. We didn't realize it but he accepted her. Before we could, before you could.”

Aditya stayed silent, gripping his mother’s hand tightly. His heart was torn—between the promise he made to Minal and the growing bond between Ivaan and Mahi.

Katha gently squeezed his hand. “Beta, I know you loved Minal. No one is asking you to forget her. But life didn’t stop with her.” She paused before adding, “Ivaan needs a mother’s love. And whether you see it or not, Mahi has already become that for him.”

Aditya clenched his jaw. “Mahi is not Minal,” he said in a low voice.

“No, she isn’t,” Katha agreed softly. “And she doesn’t have to be. She is Mahi—someone who loves your son and cares for you more than she admits. Most importantly, Ivaan has already accepted her.”

Aditya let out a deep breath. “It’s not that easy, Maa. I made a promise.”

Katha smiled sadly. “A promise made in pain, Aditya. But if Minal were here today, wouldn’t she want you and Ivaan to be happy?”

Aditya looked away, struggling with his emotions. His mind told him to hold on to his past, but his heart—it was starting to waver.

Just Then they heard a giggle.

Aditya and Katha turned to Mahi, only to see Ivaan wide awake in her arms. He was playing with her hair, his face glowing with happiness.

Aditya felt something shift inside him—a warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time. The families looked at them in awe, even Arjun, Advik and Kabir’s demeanor changed, seeing them. They smiled seeing the bond between them.

Katha patted his hand gently. “Sometimes, life gives us a second chance. The question is… will you take it?”

Aditya stood up, without answering he went to Mahi and took Ivaan in his arms. The little Ivaan sequelled seeing his father but then started crying As he lost his contact with Mahi. Mahi looked at him in shock and so did the family. Without caring, Aditya left the mansion with Ivaan.

M A H I

My heart clenched, as I watched him leaving the mansion with Ivaan. I inhaled a deep breath before standing up and walked away to my room.

Closing the door of my room, I walked to the bed and sat on it. I glanced at the wall, where an old photo frame was hanging. It was a photo of us — me, Shivu, Krish, Arjun bhai and Aditya from their graduation party.

That was our first photo, not together yet the first one. That was the day I first met him. I was twelve and he was twenty one. He was too old, too high and forbidden for me yet My heart chose him.

That was the day I realised that I had a crush on him. A crush, which for some reason felt too good, but later turned into love with my Knowing.

I was eighteen when I realised that I was in love with him. As a teenager it was the greatest feeling for me. And I even thought of proposing to him on my birthday. I made arrangements for everything, I ordered everything he liked and I was happy but my happiness was short lived when I saw him proposing to her on the same day of my birthday.

And from that day my birthday hasn't been a happy birthday to me anymore.

I stopped cutting cake, partying — everything.

Today at the party, bhai insisted on cutting cake but I refused saying that I am not a little girl anymore. What a lame excuse isn't. But what can I do?

His words from that night still resonates in my years, making me keep that moment alive on my every birthday.

And the irony is that After marrying her he Stopped wishing me and Today as well.

A notification on my phone broke my thoughts, I wiped my tears which I didn't know was flowing down my cheeks. I pulled my phone out from my pocket and turned on the screen.

My eyes fell on the Message from an unknown number which said,

Happiest birthday, Murdered.

My breath hitched.

TO BE CONTINUED....