Ishqaan on Shuffle (A series of OS)

Heyo!! I'm back! This time, I did a different kind of thing (as one is wont to do). I compiled 2 playlists, 1 angsty + 1 mushy/romantic/uwu and decided to write an OS on every 3rd song (very loosely based and probs sometimes only using the main motifs/themes). I have 3 ready, 4-7 are still in progress!). So I'll be posting the others on this one thread and just continuing it! (Make sure you add it to your watched list! OR just let me know that you wanna know when I update and I'll tag you!) I don't do this very often since I'm a very impulsive writer, and write when the mood/plot bunny strikes me (makes it very inconvenient when I'm working lemme tell ya 😂). But aaaannnnnyways, here is #1:

(small warning: the rating might go up slightly on #2 or #3 so there's a heads up there. Not too much, just slightly)

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#1- Lo Maan Liya

She was trying to convince herself that this...whatever was between them, wasn’t love. He didn’t love her. He never loved her. He’d forgotten about her and moved on with his life in the 6 months they had been apart and she’d done the same.

She only had to convince herself that she didn’t want to hear her name from his voice in the same desperate tone that she felt bubbling from deep inside her.

The memories haunted her even now. Once, when she was at the Malhotra mansion running errands for Sarla aunty, she’d seen him go out for a swim. He had a mole on his left shoulder that taunted her. If asked, she wouldn’t be able to recall what the errand that day was, because she had left without seeing Sonu, but she’d be able to describe the exact placement of that mole, and exactly how many strokes it took him to swim one length of the pool. But she’d never admit to it.

She’d never admit that her heart broke the day she heard the word hate from his mouth. She couldn’t admit that the open sky had once borne witness to the few, calm late-night conversations they’d shared, away from everything that played them and egged on extreme emotions. She missed his calming presence beside her, silently lending her strength.

She’d never admit that she missed his scent from the night she’d fallen sick at the lodge. Under the two blanket layers was his jacket and she had woken up cocooned in his earthy scent, mixed with the probably very expensive cologne he wore that gave notes of the aftermath of a thunderstorm. Nights when there was a storm brewing in the sky and the rain wouldn't let up, she went out and just took it in, hoping it would give her even an iota of what she'd felt that night.

She had to admit it. He didn’t love her. He never loved her. He’d given the orders to ruin her and had moved on in life with Rhea. She was an insignificant memory in his collection of insignificant things. She didn’t exactly object to the sleepless nights because sometimes, just sometimes, she saw the old AVM in her dreams on the nights she did sleep. She would give up a hundred nights of sleep if it meant just one night in her dreams with the AVM that cared.

After a while, it became easier for her. The admission that while he didn’t care, she cared too much. And maybe, she could keep him in her memories, just as he had been, long after he would disappear into a new beginning for his life. She tried to convince herself that it wasn’t love.

But, it was.

This was so beautiful!

Loved how you described her feelings.

Keep writing more. ❤️

It was beautiful how you conveyed both their feelings. Loved it.

Keep writing more😳

Beautifully written, loved it! I am new to this Forum but enjoy all the interactions and the fun of the discussions.
I am responding for the first time

loved it! added on the watchlist. eagerly waiting for more👍🏼

Thank you so much! Next OS is going up (same thread!)

Thank you so much! And welcome to the forums! I'm sure you'll have a good time! 💜💜

Thanks so much! Next OS is going up!

Here's the second one! I'm actually pretty proud of this one (this is so not my forte tbh). I did my best, drawing from all the fluff/smut and lemons I've read over the years. I toned this down from lemons to just fluff and light smut. Let me know what you guys think! (This was during the ep when Savvy was introduced in that smashing look.) What if Kartik hadn't become the kabab-mein-haddi? That boy needs to stop blocking AVM and Ishqi's romance. 😂😂

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#2: Aise Na Mujhe Tum Dekho

She looked amazing. She always did. But this time, she was dressed up for him. And he could look to his heart’s content. Because she was his. Finally. For the first time in his life, his heart sped up in his chest on looking at someone. It wasn’t their fault. He was destined to fall for her.

Even as he moved towards her, his words failed and all he could say in answer to her question was “cute”. That word failed to convey all the emotions that swelled up in his heart at the picture she made sitting here. In his room, at his vanity. He hadn’t dared to dream that this could be possible. And now that she was here, his heart still couldn’t believe it. This was theirs and he could look at her without the fear of what anyone would say. No more covert glances when it was just them.

A dream come true, a hope realized. Something he hadn’t known he needed until she was sitting in front of him and he saw the vision they made in the reflection of the mirror together. This was to be his first gift to her, outside of all the rituals and obligations. A gift from a husband to his wife because he loved her. His wife. His heart constricted at the thought and a blindingly stupid grin threatened to take over his face. He managed to stop it, but only just.

He had never imagined that he’d be able to do this. That he’d be the one to put earrings on her, or put a necklace around her neck. The first one he’d ever bought with her in mind. Never did he think that just the small act of wearing a necklace could give rise to emotions in him that threatened to overwhelm him every time she walked by him.

He let out a light sigh and he saw a myriad of goosebumps erupt across the span of her back

So responsive

Taking it further, he placed a light kiss behind her ear. The shudder that ran through her body told him just how unaffected she was. He grinned. She was good at hiding it, but that’s what made them special. They could hide all they wanted, but not from each other. Never from each other.

His hand moved to cup her face, slowly turning it to face him. Not for one second did he lose contact with her.

“Ahaan” his name fell from her lips with a sigh. A side swipe of his hand nudged her hair out of the way and revealed downcast eyes and a gently upturned mouth. He moved closer and placed a feather light kiss on the corner. When he accidentally exhaled a little too slow and hot, he felt her go still.

“Koi aa jaayega,” her voice came out in a breathy tone, matching his own exhilaration

“Aa jaane do,” he breathed out, placing several more gentle, open-mouthed kisses along her jaw, hand turning her to face him, her body following.

“Humein dinner par jaane hai.” Her protests were getting weaker as he continued his exploration.

“Baaki sab chale jayenge. Daadi sambhaal legi.” he said, trailing his fingers up and down her Ishqi’s neck like it was nothing at all, like this was the most natural thing for them to be doing before going out to dinner at a client’s house.

In a moment, a sense of panic inflated in Ishqi’s chest and she shifted to put a firm hand on his chest. “AVM, humein jaana hai,” her tone bore no arguments. “Yeh contract aapka hai aur aapko bulaya hai. Vaise bhi, main konsa bhaagi jaa rahi hoon ki aap kuch ghante wait nahin kar sakte?”

Despite the lilt of laughter in her final sentences, she was right, and he knew it. But tearing himself away when he was close enough to taste her was going to be harder than anticipated. He could just reach out and...just a few more inches and he was sure Ishqi would forget all about the dinner. But no, she was right. This was his responsibility. “You’re perfect, you know that? Tumsa koi aur iss world mein nahin hai aur mere liye koi aur ho bhi nahin sakta,” he gave a gentle tug on the hand cupping her neck, connecting his head to hers, “main bohot lucky hoon, ki mujhe tum mili. Main chahta toh hoon ki tumhe world ki saari khushiyaan doon, jo tum deserve karti ho. Lekin main toh yahan tumhe time bhi nahin de paa raha.”

Eyes connected to his, her reply came in a low voice, “aap aisa kuch nahin kar rahe. Hum jitna bhi time spend kar rahe hain, uspe concentrate karte hai na. Abhi yeh sab aaltu-faltu ki baat kyun kar rahe hain? Abhi agar dinner par jaayenge tab hi to time par ghar waapis lautenge. Uske baad, saara time hum dono ka hi to hai, jitna dena hai de dena. Free mein toh sab kuch manzoor hai, especially aapka time Mr. Businessman” The glint of amusement in her eyes warmed his heart and he felt a sense of pure love blooming in his chest, until his breath caught in his throat.

“I love you Ishqi. So, so, so much.” he choked out.

“Aur main bhi,” came a gentler reply. Then, risky Ishqi made an appearance, “Ab chaliye! Warna phir se koi na koi siyappa ho jaana hai.” she stood with a grin on her face, correcting a pleat here, and ensuring the flyaway strands on top of her head stayed in place.

Ahaan Veer Malhotra may be old-fashioned. He may not understand half the words and phrases that made up his wife’s vocabulary. But he understood a few things, he would never step away from her side. He had found peace in her. She was the shoulder he could lean on. And most importantly, he understood in that moment, that until today, he had told her of his love. But tonight, he would show her.

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Ta-daaa!!! Bolo bolo! Kaise laga? These two are somewhat easier to write for than any of my other ships, mainly because they're so adorably awkward, jfc. Plus, Ishqi's slang comes easy to me, cause khud hi Delhi ki hoon. Reviews and reacts are appreciated!!!

I wrote this OS on what would happen in my mind (duh! this is fan-fiction) when Ahaan finds out Daadi's truth. This one has been nagging at me a LOT. For days actually. So here we go.

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#3: What about us

Daadi did this. The one who had taught him, all of them, to hold a family together, was the one reason this family had ever been broken. Nobody had come out of their stupor yet. She was the one who always said “Nothing is bigger than family. Family should be your priority.” And yet, that priority vanished when it came to standing up for what was right.

She chose the coward’s way out. She chose to let a human being suffer. She chose to torture a human being. Her family.

“Nafrat kisi ka khoon karne ka license nahin deti.” Ishqi knew about it. She hid the truth from him.

Would you have believed her? Every time. Every damn time, she’s had to give you proof. She’s had to prove herself and her truth. Would you have willingly accepted it if she had revealed that your Daadi, the woman you nurtured you, brought you up, gave you love, the one who you value above all others, was the woman who broke your family? That she was the reason you had to listen to society taunting your family. That your mother had to live in an asylum for 20 years? That she was desperate to see her children and would have died several times trying, if it wasn’t for Ishqi? Would you have listened?

Well, when it was put like that…

He trudged up to his room, the last one to move from the congregation that had gathered earlier in the day. Ishqi would have questions. She would implore him to talk about his feelings. But- what did he feel? What was he supposed to feel? Was numb an emotion? Was drained something he could feel?

Entering silently, minding the late hour, he closed the door with a soft snick behind him. But he worried needlessly. She sat on her side of the bed, exuding a calm that betrayed the happenings of the day.

“Aap jaake fresh ho jaayiye. Raat bohot ho gayi hai.”

Nothing. Not even a mention of what had happened. No questions about his emotions. No questions about daadi. Nothing about maa or letting her back into their lives. Just - routine. He had never been more thankful for her gentle soul or for just existing at the same time as her. But he was afraid.

So afraid.

Afraid that the pieces of himself that he was so precariously balancing today would burst at the lightest touch.

And when the touch did come, later, when they were both laying side by side, sleep evading both, he couldn’t help himself.

He broke.

“Why? Kyun Ishqi? Daadi humesha kehti thi ki main unki aankhon ka taara hoon. Main hoon jo humari family uss shame ke daldal she nikalega. Aur maine vo sab kiya jo unhone ne kaha. Sacrifices pe sacrifices karta raha. Aur ab yeh...d-din dekhne ko mil raha hai. Wo apni hi family ke saa-” the rest of his statement may have been lost in his sobs, but the pain shone through more vividly than before.

“What about us Ishqi? Maine aur Sonu ne kya galti kari thi ki humko bhi theek se nahin bataya? Humko hamesha lagta tha ki daadi ke paas saare answers hain. Wo sab sambhal lengi. Par jis cheez ke liye- jis harkat ke liye wo aaj tak maa ko blame karti aa rahi thi, unhone khud hi- kaise Ishqi? KAISE?! Unke ek raaz ne aaj kitni families ko barbaad karke rakh diya hai. Sonu aur Raj ko Sarla aunty ke taane sunne pad rahe hain. Ek maa ne apne bachchon ke liye itna sab saha, 20 saal door rahi, aur uska result kya tha? Wo maa apne bachchon ko chahte huye bhi nahi jaanti. Aur-”

“Aur aap AVM. Do bachchon se unki maa cheen lee gayi. Un bachchon ne unse nafrat karna seekha. Maa shabd se nafrat kari. Aur aaj, wohi bachche kahi se bahar aa rahe hain. Unka dard ab nikal raha hai. Maa ko bula raha hai. Aapke ghav kabhi bhare hi nahin Ahaan. Unhe sirf bandage karke, aapko bol diya gay ki ‘jao, jeelo apni zindagi.’ Lekin har insaan ko iss duniya mein apni mummy ki zarrorat hoti hai Ahaan. Aur aapko ek doosra chance mil raha hai, apni mummy ko phir se jaanane ka. Unko apni family banane ka. Sab itne lucky nahin hote AVM.”

His cries never relented through the night, recounting everything, second-guessing every action he had ever taken at the behest of his grandmother after she had methodically and carefully torn his family apart. She hated the older woman for this version of AVM. She loved every part of him, every side of him equally. But she hated the circumstances that had been manipulated to keep him vulnerable and beholden to his daadi.

“Ek baat batao Ishqi. Uhnone humein, mujhe- manipulate kiya, humari lives ko manipulate kiya aur sab kuch apne control mein rakha. Was there even one day, even one, jab hum unke liye koi pawns nahin the? Jab unhone humein apno mohron ki tarah nahin, family ki tarah dekha ho? Ek bhi din?” There was a desperation shining in his eyes, the hope of a young boy whose world was crashing down around him and he was trying to cling to the last bit of familiarity.

Damn that woman. As the daughter-in-law of the house, she shouldn’t even be thinking that, but as a wife she couldn’t help it. Her husband was in pain, and the source of that pain was daadi. Some wounds take time to heal, but this one would scar. The most she could do was make sure that love overshadowed that scar a million times over.

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Done! Also posted as an independent OS, but this thread just helps me keep track of the ones I have posted I guess.

I love each and every one of you in this fandom. And I appreciate each and every member of the IPZN crew and cast. They've worked their butts off and deserve nothing less than the best of the best send-offs. And there's always S2 you guys! Don't worry. We'll get them next time and then, we'll keep these two around until forever.