Marham Dard Par - A MishBir FF (Chp 18 - Page 12) - Page 9

Guess now its BB's entry for the next chapter. She has been out of the loop for so long ...!!

Write next one soon plz!!

Chapter Fifteen

The next few days are a blur for both Abir and Mishti as they settle into a new normal - a normal in which they’re a part of each other’s lives again, where they’re together again. Abir had forgotten how it was like… having Mishti around all the time - the peace it brought him, the calm and serenity that surrounded him when she was near. He spent his days thanking god for giving him another chance at love, and never failed to thank Mishti for it either.

It was commonplace for Abir to randomly turn up in Mishti’s cabin and pull her from her work, tugging her into some corner of the office where he’d pull her into his arms and hug her tight, repeating over and over that he loved her, and that he always would. In a way, he was trying to undo the damage he’d done when he’d broken up with her and told her he didn’t love her, when he’d jerked her hand out of his.

Mishti was definitely not complaining. Abir had always been an affectionate boyfriend - holding her hand, hugging her, occasionally kissing her - and she’d loved that. But this… This was more. This was love and desperation and even a promise of what was to come. She knew that Abir was trying to make up for his mistakes and in a way, he was even trying to reassure himself that Mishti was back in his life and things were better for the two of them.

Not only Mishti, but Abir was trying to make it up to Badi Maa and Bade Papa too. He hadn’t visited them again yet because the two of them had decided to keep a low profile for now, which is why no one but Kunal, Nishant, Badi Maa, and Bade Papa knew that they were back together again. Though Badi Maa and Bade Papa weren’t privy to the exact details of what made Abir do what he had those months ago, they weren’t stupid to not know that Meenakshi Rajvansh was somehow involved in it. Which is why, they didn’t push either, giving Abir the time he needed to come clean on his own.

That did not stop Abir from making little gestures to remind them that he was here to stay and would not be leaving anytime soon. He’d send Bade Papa’s favourite sweets over, or Badi Maa’s favourite flowers. Bade Papa’s regular medication would somehow be delivered home weekly, just like it was supposed to, without anyone having to call for it. Once, a mysterious package arrived with a spa day for all the women of the house to give them some time away from all their responsibilities. Long, handwritten letters would arrive every other day for Badi Maa or Bade Papa.

So, yes, Abir was taking this very seriously… trying everything he could to woo Mishti’s parents… his parents. Mishti often joked about how he didn’t try half as hard to woo her as he was for her parents. Belatedly, Abir did realize that she was right. Even though they’d been back together for almost 20 days, he really hadn’t gone out of his way to do something for her after the time he spoke to Badi Maa and Bade Papa, and he wanted to change that. So, tonight was going to be all about his Angry Chorni, and him reminding her of how much he really did love her.

That morning, Mishti woke up to flowers. Abir had only presented her with flowers the one time they were on their way to Champaner. But back then, she’d been so miffed with him that she hadn’t even enjoyed it properly. Now though… well, she hugged the bouquet to herself, smelling the divine fragrance of the violets that Abir had sent her. Knowing her ajeeb aadmi, she knew there was definitely a message there as well, and so she looked the flowers up, and wasn’t really surprised when the search results threw words like loyalty, devotion, faithfulness at her.

In it, was a card that said, 7pm. Tonight. Be ready. Nothing else. Just the time. She wondered what he was up to now. Nevertheless, she knew it would be something amazing. She was really excited about it too.

As evening rolled around, Mishti got dressed in a beautiful baby pink gown Abir had sent her along with the flowers, ready for him to pick her up. Badi Maa had been all smiles when Mishti had told her that Abir was taking her out, knowing that the two had not been able to spend much time together in months. Even though they were working together on a project, she knew that their days went by talking business, leaving little to no room for personal interaction. For Mishti & Abir, who were each other’s best friend, and had a habit of sharing so much, it was definitely a difficult thing. She knew that before the separation, the two used to talk almost the entire day, not really having any other person in their life who they could be so open and honest with. This change of pace must have been very difficult for them, and yet, they were trying to adjust to their new normal, and for that, she was proud of them. But, she was also very happy that they were spending time together, because getting back to where they were before the separation would take time, and to bridge that gap, they really needed to spend more time together.

Abir texted Mishti sharp at 7, letting her know he was there, whenever she was ready. Mishti nearly sprinted out the house, making Bade Papa chuckle at her eagerness. Needless to say, Abir’s constant efforts were melting him and he was really happy about it too. Being mad at Abir took a lot out of him because he absolutely hated the idea of despising his son, and now that things were getting better, he was really overjoyed at having Abir back in his life as well, not just Mishti’s.

Mishti stepped outside the house to see Abir, dressed to the nines (in a tuxedo, no less, with his tie matching her dress perfectly), standing in front of a horse carriage, that was beautifully decorated in pastels.

“Good evening, Your Majesty,” he greeted her, and threw in a curtsy for good measure.

“Abir!” Mishti exclaimed, delighted at his antics. She rushed forward to hug him, but stumbled in her high heels, right into Abir’s waiting arms.

“Angry Chorni…” he murmured, “I know ki tum meri baahon mein aane ke liye bohot desperate ho, lekin kamse kam apna dhyan toh rakh lo.”

“Shut up, Ajeeb Rajvansh!” She replied, swatting his back. Abir chuckled, straightening them up, and pulling her in for a hug. Mishti hugged him back fiercely.

“I missed you,” he whispered into her hair.

“Not as much as I missed you!” Mishti replied, clutching him tightly.

A couple minutes later, Abir pulled back. “Shall we?” He asked her, offering her his arm.

“We shall,” she agreed, taking it.

Abir helped Mishti into the carriage and then went inside as well. He sat down next to Mishti who immediately snuggled into his side, resting her head on his chest.

“Abir… yeh sab kya hai?” She asked him.

“Woh kya haina… tum meri princess ho… toh princess ki tarah treat karna toh banta haina,” he replied.

Mishti blushed at his words. “Tum sach mein ajeeb ho!” She muttered into his tux.

Abir just laughed and pulled her closer, so much so that she ended up sitting on his lap. After a small tussle, she was sitting sideways on his legs, their arms wrapped around each other. “Hum kahaan jaa rahe hain?” She asked.

“That’s a surprise!” He told her. “But… I’m sure tumhe bohot pasand aayega!”

Mishti nodded, content to just be in his arms, and did not question him further. They spent the ride talking about inconsequential things, just enjoying their time together. When the carriage stopped, Abir gently lifted Mishti off him and helped her out of the carriage.

Mishti looked around and was surprised to see that they were at the restaurant where she’d sung with Abir for the first time. “Abir?” She questioned.

He shrugged. “Maine socha ki aaj humein uss jagah jaana chahiye… jahaan hum dono pehli baar kareeb aaye the. Tumhe yaad hai?” He asked.

How could she forget, she thought. She remembered vividly - him helping her zip her dress up, them singing together, getting lost in each other’s eyes, imagining themselves in a different time where they were already together and happy and in love. All of it.

“Thank you so much, Abir,” she mumbled. “This is perfect.”

Abir smiled and took her hand, lacing their fingers together. Then, he pulled her inside. The restaurant was pretty empty apart from a couple of patrons as it was a weekday, and Abir had made prior reservations, which got them a corner booth, away from the hustle and bustle of the crowd.

“Abir… tumhe pata hai… maine ab tak tumhe theek se thanks bhi nahi bola,” Mishti said once they were seated.

“Kis liye?” Abir wondered.

“Badi Maa aur Bade Papa se baat karne ke liye. I know… tum ready nahi the, aur time chaahte the… lekin mere liye tumne… it means a lot to me, Abir. Aur maine tumhe ek baar bhi achche se thank you bhi nahi bola! So, thanks!” She replied.

“Mishti…” Abir drawled, taking her hand in his, “Tum na… kuch bhi kehti ho. Isme thank you kehne wali kya baat hai? Woh mere bhi toh Badi Maa aur Bade Papa hain… aur maafi toh unse maangni thi na. Maine unhe bohot hurt kiya hai.”

“I know, lekin… I sort of pushed you to do it na. Shayad mujhe nahi karna chahiye tha. Tum kitne worried the!” She exclaimed.

“Thank god tumne mujhe push kiya!” Abir told her. “Warna main darr ki wajah se unse baat hi nahi kar pata. Tumhe pata hai… tumhaare jaane ke baad, woh mujhe market aur mandir mein dikhe the 2-3 baar, aur main baat karna bhi chaahta tha, maafi maangna chaahta tha… lekin kabhi himmat hi nahi hui. Uss din… tumhaari baat sunnke bas kisi tarah main baat kar hi li… so thank you, Angry Chorni… mujhe mere parents waapas dene ke liye!”

“Abir…” Mishti whined.

“Achcha, baba! Theek hai! Tum mujhe thank you kehna chahti hona?” He asked. She nodded enthusiastically.

“Toh… ek tareeka hai,” he told her.

“Kya?” She eagerly asked.

“Tumhe mere saath gaana gaana padega,” he proposed.

“Bas?” She exclaimed, incredulous.

“Bas,” he agreed.

“Done!” She cried. “Jo tum kaho, jab tum kaho.”

“Really?” He asked, grinning salaciously. “Jo main kahun, jab main kahun? Soch lo, Angry Chorni!”

“ABIR!” She reprimanded, swatting his arm.

“Okay, okay! Nahi pareshaan karta! But chalo! We’re up!” He told her, pulling her up with him and taking her to the stage with him.

They sang Saathiya Mere again, this time… the emotions getting better of them as they stared into each other’s eyes, oblivious of the rest of the world. The song brought them together in a way that nothing else ever had. There was a peacefulness in them as they sang, a sense of belonging and completeness that neither of them had experienced before - a wave of serenity that they had been looking for for so long, washing over them as they both sang to each other, finally knowing every word they sang to be true. This time, when they imagined dancing with each other, it wasn’t wishful thinking of something that may happen in another life, but a mere promise of what was to come sometime later. When the song was over, Abir wasted no time in pulling Mishti into his arms and hiding his face in her neck, the overwhelming emotion of having her by his side getting too much for him to handle.

Mishti wrapped her arms around him in a protective gesture, soothing him, calming him, giving him his home. She ran her fingers through his hair and rubbed her palms across his back, all the while dropping occasional kisses to his temple. A few minutes later, when Abir was calm enough, he pulled back and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Mishti,” he whispered into her skin.

Mishti smiled and returned the sentiment, hugging him and hiding her face in his neck. Abir chuckled and kissed the top of her head, pulling her out of the limelight and into a secluded corner. As romantic music began to play, he softly swayed with Mishti, dancing with her.

Sometime later, they went back to their table and ate their dinner. After a couple of more dances, Abir pulled them out of the restaurant and back into the carriage. They made a pit stop on the way for some tea and chips, making Mishti emotional.

“This is perfect,” she told him as they sat on the steps near the tea stall they frequented in the evening.

“I have something for you,” he said, making Mishti look up from her spot on his shoulder.

“Kya?” She asked, curious.

Abir reached into his tuxedo’s pockets and pulled out two identical journals. “Yeh,” he told her.

“Yeh kya hai?” She questioned.

“You know, Mishti… pehle… hum dono ek doosre ko har baat batate the. Sab kuch ek doosre ke saath share karte the. Lekin ab… yeh Maa se chupna, project ki tension… iss sabke beech… humein baat karne ka mauka hi nahi milta. Par tumhe pata hai… meri ek bohot achchi dost ne mujhse kaha tha… ki agar main apni diary mein kuch bhi likhun… toh woh hamesha padhegi… isliye… maine socha ki hum normal phone calls nahi kar sakte… toh hum inse baat karenge. Har roz, tum mujhe jo bhi batana chaahti ho, tum ek diary mein likhogi, aur main doosri. Phir, jab hum office mein milenge, toh tum mujhe apni wali diary de dena aur main tumhe meri de dunga. Toh phir… ghar jaake, hum woh saari cheezein jaan paayenge jo hum ek doosre ko batana chaahte hain… Aur… agle din ke liye, ek doosre ke liye dher saari baatein bhi likh paayenge…” he explained.

Mishti was overwhelmed at the gesture that she couldn’t utter a single word. Abir mistook her silence, and muttered, “Oh! Too cheesy, right? I knew it! Mujhe pata tha tum aisa hi sochogi. Jab mujhe idea aaya tabhi hi mujhe bhool jaana chahiye tha… but Nanko ne kaha ki achcha idea hai aur tumhe bohot pasand aayega… aur main bhi idiot ki tarah uski baaton mein aa gaya! UGH! Nanu sahi kehte hain. Ek number ka gadheda hoon main! It’s okay, Mishti! Tumhe diary mein kuch bhi likhne ki zaroorat nahi hai.”

“Shut up, Ajeeb Rajvansh!” She scolded, finally finding her voice. “Nanu sach mein sahi kehte hain. Tum gadhedo hi ho. But isliye nahi ki tumhe yeh “cheesy” idea aaya.” she continued, air quoting the cheesy. “But isliye kyuki tumhe laga ki mujhe yeh pasand nahi aayega. This is absolutely perfect, Abir.”

“Really?” He asked her.

“Really, really,” she confirmed. She plucked a journal out of his hand and then hugged him. “This was the best date ever, Abir. Thank you so much!”

That night, Abir and Mishti went to bed extremely late, spending most of their time writing in their respective journals. Of course, this made for a tedious morning where they both had a terrible headache and looked hungover. They got a lot of slack for it from both Kunal and Nishant for the same, but as they caught each other’s eye from across the room, nothing could stop the grin that made its way to their face as they recalled the events of the previous night. And that smile made everything worth it.

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Hello, everybody! Happy YRHPK Birthday!

I hope you like this chapter! Lotsa MishBir to celebrate today! :)

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Also, stay safe everyone!

Loved the part.. do continue soon :)

Nice!!! Plz continue soon....

Chapter Sixteen

Abir : Italics

Mishti : Bold

Day One

Mishti,

Dear Mishti,

Meri Mishti,

Angry Chorni,

Ek baat bolu? Yeh bohot weird lag raha hai… pata nahi kyu. Jab tum London mein thi toh main har din tumhein bataane ke liye hazaron cheezein ek diary mein likhta tha… yaad hai jo tumne mujhe di thi? Uss din jiss din tumhaara aur Nanko ka gordhana hone wala tha? Lekin ab jab mujhe pata hai ki tum yeh padhne wali ho toh bohot shy feel kar raha hoon. Pata nahi kyu.

Waise toh jab hum saath hote hain, waqt kam pad jaata hai, lekin tumse karne ke liye baatein nahi. But aaj main bohot shy feel kar raha hoon. Aisa lag raha hai jaise ki tumse pehli baar baat karne wala hoon, aur pata nahi kya kahoon?

Lekin, ek baat toh zaroor keh sakta hoon. Aaj uss pink dress mein tum bohot achchi lag rahi thi. Bilkul kisi pari ki tarah. Aur… mujhe ab realize ho raha hai ki maine tumhe tumhaare kapdo ke liye zyada compliment nahi kiya hai. Mushkil se shayad ek ya do baar? Not a good track record for a boyfriend, right? I’m sorry. I think we should remedy this. Toh, aajse main tumhe har roz bataunga ki tum kitni achchi lag rahi ho. Promise.

Love,

Ajeeb Rajavnsh

Day Five

Tumhe pata hai, Abir...

Aajka din bohot achcha tha! I’m so happy! Tumhaare baad, maine sabse zyada Nanu ko miss kiya tha inn 2 mahino mein. Unhe aaj office leke aane thank you. Unse milke mujhe kitna achcha laga main express bhi nahi kar paa rahi hoon. But, thank you. Tum hamesha mere face pe itni badi smile leke aa jaate ho, jaise koi nahi laa pata. You’re the best!

Badi Maa keh rahi thi ki iss weekend woh tumhaare liye undiyu banake bhejegi. Tumhe bohot pasand haina. Not fair, Ajeeb Rajvansh! Tumhe pata hai mujhe bhi undiyu bohot pasand hai! Jab main unhe hafton tak bolti hoon toh woh mere liye banati hain, aur tumne ek baar kya keh diya… woh banane wali hain. NOT FAIR AT ALL!

But, I guess… tumhaari wajah se mujhe bhi khaane mil jaayega. So, it’s okay. Iss baar maaf kiya. But tum meri Badi Maa ko mujhse cheen'na band karo!

Day Nine

Meri Pyaari Mishti!

Bohot cheesy greeting haina? I know. But aaj main bohot cheesy feel kar raha hoon. Thank you so much for the date, Angry Chorni. It was the best date ever, I swear! Tumhe kaise pata mujhe woh poet pasand hai? I don't think maine kabhi tumhe bataya hai. But, anyway. Best surprise ever!

I can't believe tumne mere liye yeh sab kiya. Mujhe unki poetry night pe saalon se jaana tha… but main kabhi gaya hi nahi. Shayad isliye kyuki woh romantic poet hain aur wahaan akele jaane ka mann nahi kiya. But aaj… Tum meri saath thi and everything was awesome.

Thank you so, so, so much, Angry Chorni. I love you.

Tumhaara,

Ajeeb Rajvansh

Day Thirteen

You Ajeeb Rajvansh!

Tum please Nannu ki side lena band karo, okay? Main tumhaari girlfriend hoon ya woh? Jab dekho hamesha uski side lete rehte ho! I don't like it. Tum mere against uski side nahi le sakte. Bas.

Day Fourteen

The flowers are beautiful. Thanks. I love you!

Day Seventeen

Dear Ajeeb Rajvansh,

BEST. DATE. EVER.

Thank you so much, Abir! I really enjoyed myself. Amusements parks iss world mein meri sabse favourite jagah hai! Aur aaj… tumhaare saath toh hamesha se bhi bohot zyada mazaa aaya! Thank you so much!

But… ab main bohot tired hoon after our long day. So, bye! You're the best.

Love,

Angry Chorni

Day Twenty

Dear Mishti,

Aaj lunch bohot amazing tha. Tumhaare haath ki daal toh Parul Masi ke haath ki daal se bhi zyada achchi hai. I know ki tumhe daal ke alawa kuch banana nahi aata… but agar saari zindagi maine sirf yeh daal bhi khayi na… Toh bhi sabse amazing lunch aur dinner hoga mere liye! It's really amazing.

As a thank you, main bhi tumhe kuch banake khilana chaahta hoon. Ab mere haath ke noodles toh tum kha chuki ho… toh maine socha ki kuch experiment karte hain. Yaad hai, maine tumse kaha tha… main apna saara khana tumpe experiment karunga. So, no backsies, Angry Chorni. Be ready!!

Yours,

Abir

Day Twenty Two

Ajeeb Rajvansh!!

Tum poore paagal ho! Iss tarah se pizza delivery boy banke khudki office mein kaun aata hai? And just because you made me pizza for lunch? Tumhe pata hai Nannu kitna has raha tha? Ab woh saari zindagi mujhe iss baat pe pareshaan karega!

Lekin ek baat bolun? Tum bohot cute delivery boy ho. Aur chef bhi! The pizza was delicious, jo main tumhe already 100 baar keh chuki hoon, but I really loved it. Thank you so much!

I love you.

Mishti

Day Twenty Six

Mishti,

I don't know main kya karu. Aajkal Ketu bohot sad rehti hai. Main aur Nanko project pe busy hain. Aur Atul bhi Mumbai shift ho gaya hai to make it as an actor. Kuhu ka bhi ab business hai. Bas Ketu ghar pe akeli reh gayi hai. I think woh bohot lonely feel karne lagi hai. Main uski help karna chahta hoon. Par kya karu samajh nahi aa raha.

Tum aur Ketu hamesha se bohot achche friends ho. Tum kuch suggest karona. Please!

Love,

Abir

Day Twenty Seven

Abir,

Yeh kaafi serious problem hai. Of course tum sab ghar ke bahar rehte ho toh Ketki ghar pe akele lonely hi feel karti hogi. Usse company dene koi bhi nahi hai.

I think tumhe usse apne saath office leke aana start karna chahiye, Abir. Yahaan rahegi toh kaam mein uska mann lag jaayega. Aur hum sab uske saath rahenge toh woh akele aur lonely bhi feel nahi karegi.

Plus, isse business mein bohot help hogi. Tumhe pata hai usne apni university mein advertising mein top kiya tha? She'll be a great addition to the team, Abir.

I know ki Kunal inn sab cheezon ko lekar thoda skeptical hai, but agar tum usse baat karoge toh woh samajh jaayega, I'm sure. Aur agar woh nahi maana, toh mujhe bolna. Main Ketu ko hire kar lungi. Phir uske paas koi option nahi hoga.

Love,

Mishti

Day Thirty

Angry Chorni,

Ketu ko help karne ka idea dene thanks! Aaj finally ghar pe sab maan gaye. Ketu bohot khush hai. And she's so excited to start work! Usne Nanko se pehle bhi iss baare mein baat ki hai but Nanko ne hamesha usse manaa kar diya. I don't know iss baar kya ho gaya… But I'm happy ki at least woh maan toh gaya.

Kyuki Ketu ab office aane wali hai… maine usse humaare baare mein bata diya. She's really happy, Mishti! And she's really excited to see you, too. And don't worry. Woh ghar pe kisi aur ko nahi batayegi. I promise.

Tumhe pata hai… jab maine usse bataya toh woh rone lagi. Mujhe laga ki woh khush nahi but then she hugged me and said that she's so happy that I'm finally happy. Usse pata tha ki main jhooth bol raha hoon, Mishti. But usne kabhi kuch kaha nahi kyuki usse laga that I need my privacy.

Ketu is honestly the best. Woh hamesha meri har baat samajh jaati hai!

I can't wait. Kal sab kitna amazing hoga! I hope Ketu office mein achche se settle ho jaaye!

Love,

Abir

_________________

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Originally posted by: DMGThings

Chapter Sixteen

Abir : Italics

Mishti : Bold

Day One

Mishti,

Dear Mishti,

Meri Mishti,

Angry Chorni,

Ek baat bolu? Yeh bohot weird lag raha hai… pata nahi kyu. Jab tum London mein thi toh main har din tumhein bataane ke liye hazaron cheezein ek diary mein likhta tha… yaad hai jo tumne mujhe di thi? Uss din jiss din tumhaara aur Nanko ka gordhana hone wala tha? Lekin ab jab mujhe pata hai ki tum yeh padhne wali ho toh bohot shy feel kar raha hoon. Pata nahi kyu.

Waise toh jab hum saath hote hain, waqt kam pad jaata hai, lekin tumse karne ke liye baatein nahi. But aaj main bohot shy feel kar raha hoon. Aisa lag raha hai jaise ki tumse pehli baar baat karne wala hoon, aur pata nahi kya kahoon?

Lekin, ek baat toh zaroor keh sakta hoon. Aaj uss pink dress mein tum bohot achchi lag rahi thi. Bilkul kisi pari ki tarah. Aur… mujhe ab realize ho raha hai ki maine tumhe tumhaare kapdo ke liye zyada compliment nahi kiya hai. Mushkil se shayad ek ya do baar? Not a good track record for a boyfriend, right? I’m sorry. I think we should remedy this. Toh, aajse main tumhe har roz bataunga ki tum kitni achchi lag rahi ho. Promise.

Love,

Ajeeb Rajavnsh

Day Five

Tumhe pata hai, Abir...

Aajka din bohot achcha tha! I’m so happy! Tumhaare baad, maine sabse zyada Nanu ko miss kiya tha inn 2 mahino mein. Unhe aaj office leke aane thank you. Unse milke mujhe kitna achcha laga main express bhi nahi kar paa rahi hoon. But, thank you. Tum hamesha mere face pe itni badi smile leke aa jaate ho, jaise koi nahi laa pata. You’re the best!

Badi Maa keh rahi thi ki iss weekend woh tumhaare liye undiyu banake bhejegi. Tumhe bohot pasand haina. Not fair, Ajeeb Rajvansh! Tumhe pata hai mujhe bhi undiyu bohot pasand hai! Jab main unhe hafton tak bolti hoon toh woh mere liye banati hain, aur tumne ek baar kya keh diya… woh banane wali hain. NOT FAIR AT ALL!

But, I guess… tumhaari wajah se mujhe bhi khaane mil jaayega. So, it’s okay. Iss baar maaf kiya. But tum meri Badi Maa ko mujhse cheen'na band karo!

Day Nine

Meri Pyaari Mishti!

Bohot cheesy greeting haina? I know. But aaj main bohot cheesy feel kar raha hoon. Thank you so much for the date, Angry Chorni. It was the best date ever, I swear! Tumhe kaise pata mujhe woh poet pasand hai? I don't think maine kabhi tumhe bataya hai. But, anyway. Best surprise ever!

I can't believe tumne mere liye yeh sab kiya. Mujhe unki poetry night pe saalon se jaana tha… but main kabhi gaya hi nahi. Shayad isliye kyuki woh romantic poet hain aur wahaan akele jaane ka mann nahi kiya. But aaj… Tum meri saath thi and everything was awesome.

Thank you so, so, so much, Angry Chorni. I love you.

Tumhaara,

Ajeeb Rajvansh

Day Thirteen

You Ajeeb Rajvansh!

Tum please Nannu ki side lena band karo, okay? Main tumhaari girlfriend hoon ya woh? Jab dekho hamesha uski side lete rehte ho! I don't like it. Tum mere against uski side nahi le sakte. Bas.

Day Fourteen

The flowers are beautiful. Thanks. I love you!

Day Seventeen

Dear Ajeeb Rajvansh,

BEST. DATE. EVER.

Thank you so much, Abir! I really enjoyed myself. Amusements parks iss world mein meri sabse favourite jagah hai! Aur aaj… tumhaare saath toh hamesha se bhi bohot zyada mazaa aaya! Thank you so much!

But… ab main bohot tired hoon after our long day. So, bye! You're the best.

Love,

Angry Chorni

Day Twenty

Dear Mishti,

Aaj lunch bohot amazing tha. Tumhaare haath ki daal toh Parul Masi ke haath ki daal se bhi zyada achchi hai. I know ki tumhe daal ke alawa kuch banana nahi aata… but agar saari zindagi maine sirf yeh daal bhi khayi na… Toh bhi sabse amazing lunch aur dinner hoga mere liye! It's really amazing.

As a thank you, main bhi tumhe kuch banake khilana chaahta hoon. Ab mere haath ke noodles toh tum kha chuki ho… toh maine socha ki kuch experiment karte hain. Yaad hai, maine tumse kaha tha… main apna saara khana tumpe experiment karunga. So, no backsies, Angry Chorni. Be ready!!

Yours,

Abir

Day Twenty Two

Ajeeb Rajvansh!!

Tum poore paagal ho! Iss tarah se pizza delivery boy banke khudki office mein kaun aata hai? And just because you made me pizza for lunch? Tumhe pata hai Nannu kitna has raha tha? Ab woh saari zindagi mujhe iss baat pe pareshaan karega!

Lekin ek baat bolun? Tum bohot cute delivery boy ho. Aur chef bhi! The pizza was delicious, jo main tumhe already 100 baar keh chuki hoon, but I really loved it. Thank you so much!

I love you.

Mishti

Day Twenty Six

Mishti,

I don't know main kya karu. Aajkal Ketu bohot sad rehti hai. Main aur Nanko project pe busy hain. Aur Atul bhi Mumbai shift ho gaya hai to make it as an actor. Kuhu ka bhi ab business hai. Bas Ketu ghar pe akeli reh gayi hai. I think woh bohot lonely feel karne lagi hai. Main uski help karna chahta hoon. Par kya karu samajh nahi aa raha.

Tum aur Ketu hamesha se bohot achche friends ho. Tum kuch suggest karona. Please!

Love,

Abir

Day Twenty Seven

Abir,

Yeh kaafi serious problem hai. Of course tum sab ghar ke bahar rehte ho toh Ketki ghar pe akele lonely hi feel karti hogi. Usse company dene koi bhi nahi hai.

I think tumhe usse apne saath office leke aana start karna chahiye, Abir. Yahaan rahegi toh kaam mein uska mann lag jaayega. Aur hum sab uske saath rahenge toh woh akele aur lonely bhi feel nahi karegi.

Plus, isse business mein bohot help hogi. Tumhe pata hai usne apni university mein advertising mein top kiya tha? She'll be a great addition to the team, Abir.

I know ki Kunal inn sab cheezon ko lekar thoda skeptical hai, but agar tum usse baat karoge toh woh samajh jaayega, I'm sure. Aur agar woh nahi maana, toh mujhe bolna. Main Ketu ko hire kar lungi. Phir uske paas koi option nahi hoga.

Love,

Mishti

Day Thirty

Angry Chorni,

Ketu ko help karne ka idea dene thanks! Aaj finally ghar pe sab maan gaye. Ketu bohot khush hai. And she's so excited to start work! Usne Nanko se pehle bhi iss baare mein baat ki hai but Nanko ne hamesha usse manaa kar diya. I don't know iss baar kya ho gaya… But I'm happy ki at least woh maan toh gaya.

Kyuki Ketu ab office aane wali hai… maine usse humaare baare mein bata diya. She's really happy, Mishti! And she's really excited to see you, too. And don't worry. Woh ghar pe kisi aur ko nahi batayegi. I promise.

Tumhe pata hai… jab maine usse bataya toh woh rone lagi. Mujhe laga ki woh khush nahi but then she hugged me and said that she's so happy that I'm finally happy. Usse pata tha ki main jhooth bol raha hoon, Mishti. But usne kabhi kuch kaha nahi kyuki usse laga that I need my privacy.

Ketu is honestly the best. Woh hamesha meri har baat samajh jaati hai!

I can't wait. Kal sab kitna amazing hoga! I hope Ketu office mein achche se settle ho jaaye!

Love,

Abir

_________________

Tried to do something different. Hope y'all liked it! :)

Please vote and comment! :D

It's nice.... Thank you for penning down this unique story!

Chapter Seventeen

Nishant Maheshwari was not having a good day. He'd been on the phone all morning, trying to get funding for Abir's app from some of his most trusted investors, but nothing seemed to work. Mishti had warned him that they'd face this problem, that the angrez would never understand the importance of family, and since Abir's app catered to families as a whole, getting them to agree to fund this project would be next to impossible.

But had he listened? No. He hadn't. He'd flounced in all his glory and laughed her concerns off, telling her that getting funding would be a piece of cake. He wished he'd listened to her now, so they wouldn't be in this situation at present.

Gods, he hated when she was right. The insufferable little know - it - all would rub it in his face till kingdom come now. And there would be Kunal. Oh, god! Kunal. He'd formed some sort of deep bond with Mishti overnight (Nishant suspected sorcery was involved.) and had vehemently agreed with her when they'd discussed finances a few meetings ago, but he'd assured Kunal that he knew his investors and funding wouldn't be a problem.

Well, who was the idiot now, Maheshwari? You, that's who! For once in life, you should've listened to Mishti, you idiot!

"You busy?" Abir asked, poking his head in.

"No!" He replied as cheerfully as he could.

"Good. Kisise milana tha," Abir said, pushing the door and stepping inside.

Ah, yes. Abir's sister was joining them today. Nishant wasn't completely on board with the whole idea because he was strictly against nepotism, and he believed every spot on his team was earned not given, but he let it slide this once because really, this project was Abir's baby and if he wanted to bring his sister in, he could bring his sister in. It wasn't like he was entering into a long term partnership with the Rajvanshes. It was just this once. He could deal with it. Plus, Mishti had said she was extremely bright and really hard-working, so how bad could it really be?

But the next second, all breath left him in a whoosh. There, standing in front of him, was probably the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. She was dressed in dark trousers and a white shirt (he absolutely loved that she was dressed so professionally) and looked small enough to fit in his pocket. He could keep her there forever. The thought made him still. That was kind of creepy.

"Ahhh! Tum sab yahaan ho? Main kabse dhoond rahi thi," Mishti said, entering the cabin and pulling Nishant's attention away.

"Bhabhi!" Ketki greeted enthusiastically. Abir cleared his throat just as Mishti blushed and Ketki quickly corrected herself. "Sorry! I mean Mishti."

Mishti chuckled and pulled her into a hug. "I missed you!" She announced.

"I missed you, too!" Ketki replied.

"Agar aap dono ka mel milaap ho gaya ho toh kaam ki baat kar lein?" Kunal, who'd entered the cabin with Mishti, asked.

"Ek lambi hug ki khushi… Tum kya jaano, Kunal Babu?" Mishti exclaimed dramatically as she pulled away from Ketki.

Kunal rolled his eyes. Mishti was keeping her promise well. A little too well for his liking. She was always ready with some funny little Bollywood quip whenever they interacted. And well, he would never admit it out loud to anyone, much less her, but he really liked it. Mishti had a really good sense of humour. He didn't know why he hadn't seen that earlier. Because you were too busy hating her, he answered his own question in his head.

"Whatever, Chinti," Kunal answered, rolling his eyes, though secretly he was enjoying it.

Ketki was surprised at the nickname, but it was old news for the others now. Kunal loved teasing Mishti about being short and used such silly nicknames often. Mishti would always roll her eyes at it, but everyone knew that she loved that Kunal felt comfortable enough to give her a nickname.

"Umm… Guys. Important kaam, remember?" Abir reminded them.

"Right," Ketki agreed. Turning to Nishant, she introduced herself. "Hi. I'm Ketki Rajvansh." She offered her hand for a handshake.

"Nish… Nishant Maheshwari," Nishant replied, taking her hand.

Her skin is so unbelievably soft was the first thought that entered his mind when his hand touched hers. The second was that it felt really good.

"Uhm," Mishti cleared her throat a few seconds later when Nishant didn't let go. Nishant immediately left Ketki's hand as if it was on fire.

"Welcome to… Uh… Welcome to Grey Elephant!" He said. "It's a pleasure to have you."

"Thank you!" Ketki replied, blushing. Nishant was a very handsome man and his smile was gorgeous. Ketki felt self conscious & nervous around him.

"Okay… now that aapka important kaam ho gaya hai… Can we go for lunch?" Kunal asked. "Bohot bhook lagi hai."

"Yes!" Abir agreed enthusiastically. "Chalo!"

"I was thinking…" Mishti murmured.

"Never a good thing," Kunal quipped.

"Shut up, Kunal!" Mishti replied. "Nobody finds your jokes funny here!"

"I find my jokes funny," Kunal shrugged. "Aur kisise kya farak padta hai?"

"Guys! Time out!" Abur cried out, stopping them. Their petty and pointless banters and fights could go on forever. Turning to Mishti, he added, "Tum keh rahi thi?"

"Right!" Mishti exclaimed. "Main keh rahi thi… aaj sibling lunch date!" She wound her arm around Nishant's as she spoke.

"Good idea!" Abir & Kunal said at the same time.

"Bad idea!" Nishant exclaimed, pulling away from Mishti.

"Nish…" Mishti whined. "Please!"

"Mish," Nishant warned. "Tu zyada smart ban'ne ki koshish mat kar."

"Maine kya kiya?" Mishti questioned innocently.

"Really? Mujhe pata hai ki tujhe pata hai ki mujhe pata hai ki yeh idea tere dimaag mein kyu aaya!" Nishant replied. "Zyada innocent mat bann."

"Wait… what?" Abir asked. "Kisko kya pata hai?"

Mishti laughed. "It's okay, Abir. Tum rehne do! Iss Nannu ki baatein sirf isse hi samajh aati hai."

"Ae, Miss TeaPot! Don't call me Nannu!" Nishant whined.

Mishti waved him off.

"You know what? Mujhe bohot bhook lagi hai… Aur mujhe Mishti ka idea achcha laga. Isliye main Bhai aur Ketu ko leke lunch pe jaa raha hoon. Tum dono phir decide kar lena ki tumhe khana kaise khana hai. Okay?" Kunal announced, dragging Abir & Ketki away, even as Abir told him to wait for a minute so that they could talk.

When the trio was out of sight, Mishti turned to Nishant with a huge smirk on her face. He threw his head back in exasperation and sat down on his chair, hiding his face in the table in front of him.

"Tujhe pata hai na main kahin nahi jaane wali jab tak tu kuch baat nahi karta?" Mishti asked, sitting on the chair opposite his. "Waise… Choice teri hai. Ya toh tu abhi baat karle… Ya main yeh topic ghar pe… Sabke saamne bhi utha sakti hoon."

Nishant looked up, alarmed. "You wouldn't!" Mishti just raised her eyebrows in challenge.

"Fine!" He sighed. “So, I think she’s pretty. What of it?”

"There!" Mishti exclaimed triumphantly. "Was that so hard?"

"Miss TeaPot…" He warned.

"Fine! Nahi kehti kuch. But… come on! This is so awesome! I'm so excited!!" She exclaimed.

"Hello!! Maine yeh nahi announce kiya ki main usse shaadi karne wala hoon jo tu itni excite ho rahi hai. I just find her attractive. Aur kya pata… maybe it's just a stupid crush. Uske saath kaam karunga toh chala jaayega," he replied.

"Nishant Maheshwari, you let me have my moment!" Mishti cried. "Do not interfere."

Nishant raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, boss!”

“You know… Ketu’s really awesome, Nish. She’s probably the best girl friend I have. Not that I have a lot of those… but if I made a list, she would be at the top for sure,” she told him. “She’s always been so welcoming and accepting and… just… loving… you know? She’s the one person who accepted me immediately without any qualms. One conversation. That’s all it took. One conversation and she was my friend forever.”

“Yeah?” He asked, mesmerized. “Tell me more.”

“She’s… gods. She’s probably the strongest person I know. She’s had such an orthodox upbringing in that household, but she’s widened her horizons so beautifully. You know… Badi Maa & Bade Papa… they always gave me the freedom to make my own decisions. They raised me to believe in myself, to stand up for what is right, to fight for myself. But Ketu… she never had that. She was always taught to bow down to her elders and let them make decisions for her no matter how much she hated that. She wasn’t given much freedom either. And yet, she’s flourished into this brilliant outgoing woman today and I’m just so proud of her,” Mishti gushed. “When she found out that her fiance had been cheating on her, and then when her alliance was called off… she handled it like such a pro. It must’ve broken her heart but she was so strong. I really admire her.”

“I can see that,” Nishant laughed. “She sounds awesome. But then, with an elder brother like Abir, I shouldn’t be surprised, should I?”

Mishti laughed. “Maybe not.”

“On a serious note,” she added. “You and Ketu… you’d be really good together. So, if it happens, let it happen, will you? Please!”

Nishant shrugged. He had literally met the girl 10 minutes ago. He was not in a position to make any promises but Mishti liked to build castles in the air. And who was he to stop her?

“Khana kha lein ab agar teri interrogation ho gayi ho toh?” Nishant asked. Mishti nodded enthusiastically and the topic was closed, at least for now.

“Bhai… yeh Nishant… who is he?” Ketki asked her elder brothers as they waited for their food to arrive. Kunal had brought them to Ketki’s favourite restaurant to celebrate her first day at work.

“Woh Jasmeet Aunty ka beta hai. London mein rehta hai,” Abir told her. “Mishti ka best friend hai, aur jitna mujhe pata hai, woh aur Kuhu bhi bohot close hai.”

“London?” She murmured. “Toh pichle kuch mahino se…”

“Mishti uske saath hi rehti thi,” Abir completed for her.

“Ohhh,” she pondered.

“Is he nice?” She probed further.

“Tu Nishant ke baare mein itna kyu pooch rahi hai?” Kunal asked suspiciously.

Ketki looked down to hide her blush. He was an attractive man and she may be developing a crush. But, of course she couldn’t tell them this. Kunal Bhai would immediately go into the typical big brother mode and Abir Bhai would never miss a chance to tease her about it. No. She wasn’t taking that risk just yet. So, she lied.

“Bhai, ab mujhe unke saath kaam karna hai toh thoda toh pata hona chahiye na,” she said. And okay, technically, it wasn’t a total lie. She was going to be working with Nishant for the foreseeable future and she did want to know what kind of man she would be spending time with, but it was not the sole reason for her curiosity.

Their food arrived then, and the topic was thankfully shut as the three of them enjoyed their lunch in companionable silence. After eating, they all piled into Kunal’s car and went back to work. The journey back was the most fun Ketki had had in a long time. Abir had turned the music system on and the three of them had listened to their favourite songs on full blast and sang along. Ketki remembered a time when the four of them - her and her three amazing elder brothers - used to do this often, before Kunal had started taking an interest in business and then had completely devoted himself to it, when things between Abir & Meenakshi weren’t so tense and Abir didn’t feel the need to leave the house so often and for so long. Ketki had barely been in high school then, her elder brothers in college, but she remembered those happy times very clearly. She wished that things could go back to being like that more. She understood that they’d all grown up and had responsibilities now, but sometimes letting loose was fun. She didn’t know how to thank Mishti for being the catalyst of this change.

Ever since she’d come back into Abir’s, and surprisingly Kunal’s, life, things had really changed for the better. For one, Abir was smiling more, and smiling from the heart. Ketki had never thought she’d see him smile like that after he’d broken up with Mishti, and she’d resigned herself to the fact that the last memory that she’d have of her brother’s happiness would be his gordhana. But now, she was back, and he was smiling. He was living. He’d started spending more time around the family as well. After Mishti, Abir had buried himself in work, and was hardly ever home. When he was, he preferred the solitude of his room rather than hanging out with his family like earlier. Everyone understood that he needed space after everything, and so they hadn’t bothered him, though everyone really missed having him around, and longed to hear his silly jokes and his contagious laugh. Now that Mishti was back, Abir had, little by little, started spending more time around the family as well, though he completely avoided his mother, and didn’t interact much with Masi either. Yet, Ketki was happy because he was slowly becoming the man he once was, and she was glad to have her brother back.

Even Kunal had changed after Mishti’s return, though those were more subtle changes and Ketki didn’t think Kunal even noticed it. But, he was definitely smiling more, too. Ketki had seen him on the phone a lot more, always having a happy, secret smile on his face as he texted someone. At first she’d thought that her brother was having an affair, but last night, she’d happened to glance at his phone screen and found out that he was actually talking to Mishti. Abir had told her that Kunal had been trying to get along better with Mishti after everything that had happened, but she was surprised with the texting. Kunal abhorred texting. He was more of a phone call guy because he didn’t feel like he needed to interact with anyone unless absolutely necessary, and phone calls were better for relaying information than text messages, or so he claimed anyway. But, here he was. Texting the woman he once claimed to hate, and smiling while doing it too. He’d definitely changed. There was this calm, almost serene, aura surrounding him now, as if he was finally at peace with himself. He’d grown a lot in this little time, especially emotionally. Kunal had always loved his family, but he’d never been able to connect with them on a deeper emotional level, which was fine. Kunal was a very practical man, and he didn’t do emotions well. Everyone understood that, and they never held it against him when he said something hurtful without thinking of how it might affect the other person, or when he didn’t really understand when someone needed a hug, or just someone to listen. Kunal protected his family from harm, and he provided for them in any way he could. That was his way of loving them, and everyone had made their peace with that. But now, he had started taking an active interest in the lives of everyone around the house. He talked more, he laughed more, he understood more.

These past few months had changed everyone in little or big ways, but she knew that Abir & Kunal had been affected the most. With Mishti back, she had, knowingly or unknowingly, started pushing both of them to become better versions of themselves and for that, Ketki would always be grateful. She owed Mishti everything.

“We’re here!” Kunal announced, once he’d put the car in park. “Aaj bohot kaam hai! Let’s get to it.” Ketki laughed. Yes, her brother’s emotional intelligence had improved a lot, but he was still a businessman at heart.

“Tu chal, Nanko,” Abir replied. “Main aur Ketu 2 minute mein aa rahe hain.”

“Bhai…” Kunal cribbed.

“I know! Bas 2 minute. Pakka!” Abir promised.

“Fine,” Kunal agreed, leaving the two to it.

Once Kunal was out of sight, Ketki turned to ask Abir what he wanted to talk to her about and saw him smirking at her. He threw an arm around her, knowing she’d try to escape once he started talking.

“So… Nishant, haan?” He asked teasingly.

“Bhai!” Ketki whined. “Aisa kuch nahi hai.”

“Okay,” Abir replied, rolling his eyes.

“Seriously… aisa kuch nahi hai,” she insisted. “Main unhe jaanti bhi nahi hoon!”

“Haan… but jaan’na chaahti haina?” he asked. Ketki shrugged, blushing badly. She was never good at lying to Abir. He always just knew.

Abir laughed and pulled her into a hug. “I think it’s awesome, Ketu,” he commented. “Nish is amazing. Woh Mishti ka best friend hai, and itne mahine jab main aur Mishti saath nahi the, usne Mishti ka bohot achche se khayal rakha tha. Aur… maine uske saath jitna time spend kiya hai… let me tell you, woh ek bohot achcha insaan hai. And I’m sure ki jab tu usse jaan’ne lagegi toh tujhe bhi aisa hi lagega!”

“You know what, Bhai?” Ketki asked. “Aap duniya ke pehle bade bhai hoge jo apni choti behen ko boyfriend banane ke liye encourage kar rahe hain.”

Abir chuckled. “Of course kar raha hoon! I want you to have all the experiences in life, Ketu. Especially yeh. Pyaar bohot khoobsurat hota hai. I really wish ki tujhe koi aisa mile jo tujhe zindagi bhar bohot pyaar kare, utna… jitna Mishti mujhse karti hai. Aur… woh insaan koi bhi ho… main bohot khush hounga. Lekin… I’ll not deny that I really like Nishant. Aur… ek baat batau tujhe?” He asked. “Promise kar kisiko nahi batayegi.”

Ketki nodded. “I promise, Bhai.”

“Jabse Mishti ne mujhe yeh suggestion diya ki main tujhe bhi project mein involve karun,” he told her, “main tabse yeh soch raha hoon. Nishant duniya ka shayad woh ek ladka hai who I think is worthy of my sister. Aur… ho sakta hai shayad… tujhe iss project pe laane mein mera motive thodi matchmaking karne ka bhi tha.”

“Bhai!” Ketki exclaimed. Abir just shrugged.

“Maine tujhse kaha na, Ketu,” he said. “Main chaahta hoon ki tujhe koi mile jo tujhe bohot pyaar kare. Main chaahta hoon ki tu woh khushi experience kare jo maine ki hai.”

“You’re the best, Bhai,” she replied, hugging him tightly. She never knew her brother dreamt of watching her fall in love. Of course, whenever they talked about her having a boyfriend, he always supported her and encouraged her to go for it if she liked someone, but this was… it was so much more profound. He wanted her to have love in her life.

Being who she was, and knowing her family, Ketki had resigned herself to the fact that she’d have an arranged marriage with a guy her parents, and her Bua, thought was good. She never even thought about the possibility of love. Ever. She didn’t think it was on the cards for her. But now, Abir was telling her that he thought that Nishant was someone who could fall for her, and she for him, and that was one of the reasons why he’d brought her onboard. It warmed her heart to know that he cared so much, that he wanted her to have this.

Of course, she was a little miffed because he didn’t tell her about this matchmaking scheme he was running, but his heart was in the right place. She suspected she could forgive him for it. What mattered most was that he loved her enough to do this for her. And nothing else. She really did have the best big brother around. She would be eternally grateful for that.

__________

KeNish shippers in the house, make some noise! In case you hadn't worked it out, yes, there will be KeNish in this one. So, yay! I really think they'd make a cute couple, so you get to sit through this even if you're not interested. #SorryNotSorry

I hope quarantine is going good for y'all and everyone is staying home! :)

Love,

Prags

Chapter Eighteen

Meenakshi Rajvansh hadn't gotten where she was today by just ignoring things. She prided herself in her observation skills. They'd never strayed her astray before. So, when her elder son started smiling more, started behaving a little more like the man he once was, before he'd broken up with that girl, she knew something was up.

She'd hated breaking her son's heart, but she knew it was better for him in the long run. Mishti was not a good match for him, or for the rest of the family. She'd only break them apart. What else could you expect from a girl who's father tried to murder his own brother? Mishti would never be able to keep the family together. She just didn't know how. She knew that, was aware of how her own "sister" and aunt didn't like her either. And Jasmeet was her mother's best friend. Yet, the woman disliked Mishti and never shied away from the fact. So, Meenakshi was very aware of how Mishti was not meant to be a Rajvansh.

Which is why she'd been forced to play that dirty game to break them up. Abir knew the importance of family, unlike that girl. And he loved his family. She knew that if given the choice, he'd always chose the family over her. And he had. He'd chosen to let her go for his younger brother, just like she'd expected.

What had followed was probably the darkest time of her son's life, and while she sympathized with the boy, he was her son, after all, she did not regret it. She knew it would take time but Abir would move on from the girl and marry someone who she would chose, someone who would be good for the family, unlike Mishti. But she didn't think it would be so soon, or so sudden. She remembered how distraught Abir had been on his supposed wedding day and then had come home after spending the entire day outside the house in decidedly higher spirits. Since that day, he'd seemed lighter, as if the weight of the world was finally lifted from his shoulders. And while she was happy about it, she wasn't stupid enough to ignore it. Something had definitely happened.

Which is why she'd ordered Laxman to trail Abir. For the first 3 days, nothing had turned up. Abir seemed to be spending all his time at work, or with Kunal and Ketki. She'd seen a few photographs of him with another man who she assumed to be the reclusive Nishant M who was spearheading the launch of Abir's app. It was all work, work, work, until, it wasn't. There was no photo of Abir, but Laxman had seen Nishant with Mishti.

And just like that, all of Meenakshi's doubts were cleared. Abir had met Mishti again. She didn't know how, but he had. That was the reason for the change in his behaviour. Not wanting to let it drag like she'd let it happen the first time Abir and Mishti had met, she decided to confront him the same day. So, she stood, a lioness in waiting, ready for her prey.

When Abir came home later that day, laughing at something along with Kunal and Ketki, he immediately knew something was amiss. His mother was sitting in the living room, as if waiting for them to come home.

"Maa, sab theek haina?" Kunal asked, clearly worried.

"Of course, beta. Kya galat hoga? Mere dono bete yahaan hai. Everything is awesome," she replied. "But... mujhe Abir se kuch baat karni hai. Akele mein."

Abir looked at her, resigned. He had a very good inkling of what this was about. He couldn't have hidden it from his mother forever, he knew that. But still, he wasn't ready yet. He'd only just gotten Mishti back, Badi Maa & Bade Papa back. He was not going to lose them again. Not now, not ever.

"Kya hua, Maa? All okay?" Kunal asked again, worried. Why did she want to talk to Bhai alone? He was scared of what she would do if she found out that Bhai was with Mishti again. He couldn't let his mother hurt his brother, or Mishti, like that. In this small span of time Mishti had come to mean a lot to him. In many ways, she was his best friend. She understood him so well, and she was always there when he needed a sounding board. She had a wicked sense of humour, and she was the kindest person he knew apart from his brother. She was so much like his Bhai, and he was an idiot for not having seen it sooner.

"Kunal, beta, maine kaha na, Abir se baat karni hai. Don't worry. Koi darne ki baat nahi hai," Meenakshi tried to reassure him, but Kunal was not convinced. However, when Abir gestured for him to leave, he did.

Meenakshi stood up and made her way to her room, with Abir following her wordlessly. Once inside, she shut the door and locked it. Abir looked at her expectantly, but refused to be the one to start conversation. He'd had enough conversations with his mother to last a lifetime. One on his deathbed would be too soon.

Meenakshi stared at him for a moment, but when she realized he wouldn't say anything, she turned to her bedside drawer and removed the incriminating photo - Nishant and Mishti hanging out at an ice-cream parlour.

A shiver ran down Abir's spine as he looked at the photo. His mother was having Mishti followed? How low would she stoop? This was too much, even for her. He'd never expected her to do something like this.

"You keep her out of it," he told her, his eyes spitting fire.

"She's always there, Abir," Meenakshi sighed. "Maine tumhe kaha tha na... uss Mishti se apna rishta tod do!"

"Aur maine aapke saamne tod diya tha!" Abir cried back.

"Really?" She asked, showing him the other photo - one of him and Nishant outside his office. He thanked god that Mishti wasn't there. She hadn't come to work that day because she was spending the day with Bade Papa.

"Iska kya matlab hai, Maa? Aap mujhe aur Mishti ko follow karwa rahin hain? Itna zyada gir gayin hain aap ab?" He asked.

"ABIR!" She reprimanded. "Iss tarah se baat karoge apni maa se?"

"Maa se kaise baat karni hai woh mujhe pata hai. Lekin, maa apne bachchon ke saath aisa karti hai... yeh nahi pata tha," he replied.

"Abir, main seedhe seedhe pooch rahi hoon. Kya hai yeh sab? Maine tumse kaha tha na usse door rehne? Kya kar rahe ho tum?" She questioned.

"Maa... Yeh Nishant hai. Mera business partner. Usse toh milunga na," he said coolly.

"Aur iska kya matlab hai?" She asked him, showing her Nish & Mishti's picture.

Abir shrugged. "Maa, business partner. Apni personal life mein woh kya karta hai mujhe nahi pata," he lied smoothly. "Na mujhe usse farak padta hai."

"Farak na hi pade toh achcha hoga," Meenakshi said. "Warna..."

"Haan, haan," Abir cut her off. "Jaanta hoon aap kya karengi. Nanko ko sach bata dengi. Yaad hai mujhe."

Disgusted with her threat and unable to breathe in her presence any longer, Abir stormed out. Kunal had been waiting for him, just in case he was needed, but Abir didn't even notice him standing there and just walked past him into his room. He shut the door behind him and drew the drapes.

He didn't even have the energy to make it to his bed and collapsed on the floor. There was no stopping the tears after that. He knew his mother was malicious, but he'd never expected she'd be so malicious. Did she not give even one damn about him? About his happiness? What sort of mother even was she? How could she blackmail him into doing that to Mishti? To himself? Did she have no conscience? How did she sleep every night, knowing she'd broken her son's heart the way she had? Did she not regret anything?

And, if doing it back then wasn't enough, she was doing it again? And so casually at that... as if it was just another check across her to do list. Meet so and so clients. Check. Make dinner. Check. Blackmail and threaten Abir. Double freaking check.

But, be as it may, he was scared. Oh so scared. Losing Mishti once had broken him. He'd only started to heal again. He couldn't go through that again, ever. He couldn't let Mishti go through it either. They'd both died a million deaths being apart, they couldn't do it. Not again. Never again.

The thought of not having Mishti in his life again undid Abir. He didn't even want to imagine it. Not even in his worst nightmares. A life without Mishti was no life at all. Just an eternal tunnel of darkness and solitude with no way out. He refused to live that way again.

But what was the alternative? Telling Nanko the truth? Telling him that his entire life was a lie? That nothing he'd believed in was real? How could he destroy his little brother's, his child's, life for his own happiness? Would that make him any different than Mehul Kapadia? It wouldn't. He couldn't use Nanko as bait to build the bridge to his own happiness. He wasn't that person. He wasn't that father. He'd never be able to be truly happy, even with Mishti, if he hurt Nanko. His happiness could not come at the cost of Nanko's. Never.

He didn't even realize when his breathing became laboured. He was finding it difficult to breathe, the air leaving his lungs in breathless pants. His hands had started shaking a little. It took him a while to realize he was having a panic attack. He didn't remember ever having one before, but if something called for one, it was this situation.

He crawled across the room, still having difficulty breathing, and somehow managed to sit on his bed. He removed his drawer keys from his pockets after trying for 5 minutes and finally managed to open it after several unsuccessful attempts. He pulled out the other cell phone he had and quickly dialed Mishti, desperate to hear her voice.

Thankfully, Mishti picked up on the first ring, as if she'd been waiting for him to call.

"Ajeeb Rajvansh!" She greeted. He could hear the smile in her voice. It calmed his heart a little.

"Abir... kya hua?" She asked when he didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Is everything okay?"

"Cha --- Chand!" He managed to gasp out, clutching his phone as if it were a lifeline, which, in this moment, it was.

Mishti instantly knew something was very wrong. Abir only called her Chand when he desperately needed her or when he was overwhelmed. She remembered how she'd joked about him calling her chand in so many of his shayaris but never for real. And then one day, at MishBir House, he'd called her that after she'd arranged for them to spend some time together, coming armed with food cooked by Badi Maa and his favourite movies. He said that she was his one source of light in the darkness, so she was his chand for real, and not just because it made for pretty poetry.

"Abir!" She cried. "Kya hua? Batao mujhe!" She was frantic. Something was so wrong. She needed him to tell her what it was so that she could make it right.

"Tum... Tum mujhe kabhi chodke nahi jaogi na?" He asked her.

"Abir... Kya hua?! Tum itne tensed kyu sound kar rahe ho?" She asked him.

"Tum woh sab chodo. Mujhe yeh batao... Mujhe kabhi nahi chodogi na?" He persisted.

"Abir, I love you. Main tume kabhi nahi chodungi," she reassured him.

"Main chod du tab bhi nahi?" He questioned.

"Tum chod doge, tab nahi, kabhi nahi," she promised.

"I love you, Chand," he murmured. He was finally able to breathe again.

"Abir... kya hua?" She asked yet again.

"Maa," he muttered, not bothering to elaborate. He didn't want to lie to her again, but how was he supposed to tell her the truth?

"Abir," she sighed. "I love you. Your mother will never be able to separate us again, okay? I promise."

Abir nodded, though he had his doubts.

"Sab kuch achcha hoga, Abir. Tum itni tension mat lo," she tried to pacify him. "Jab hum dono saath hain, toh aur kya chahiye, right? It'll be fine. You'll see."

"Hmmmm," he muttered unconvincingly.

"Abir... Badi Maa bula rahi hai. Main thode time mein call karti hoon, okay?" She asked.

Abir let her go with another I love you.

As soon as she was off the phone with him, she dialed Kunal.

"Mishti?" Kunal answered, surprised. "Kya hua?"

"Yehi toh main jaan'na chaahti hoon. Kya hua, Kunal? Abir bohot tensed hai," she told him.

Kunal sighed. "I know! But kyu mujhe bhi nahi pata. Woh apne room mein hain. Kisise kuch nahi kaha."

"Tumhe koi bhi idea hai ki kya hua hai?" She asked him.

"I think unki Maa se phir se ladaayi hui hai," he told her. "Aaj hum ghar aaye uske baad Maa ne kaha ki woh Bhai se akele mein baat karna chaahti hain. Bas... Uske baad se Bhai bohot upset hain. Pata nahi kya hua hai."

Mishti rubbed her forehead. This was what she was afraid of. Something big must've happened for Abir to react the way he had. She had to find out what. She had to be there for him now. He needed her.

"Kunal... usse aadhe ghante mein ghar le aaoge please?" She requested. "Main abhi nikal rahi hoon. I think he really needs us."

Kunal readily agreed and promised to bring Abir to the MishBir House in half an hour.

Mishti got changed quickly, and rushed to meet Badi Maa. He explained the entire situation to her parents, who were, as always, very understanding, and immediately understood her need to be there for Abir. They let her go with the promise of coming home as soon as she was able to.

She rushed out of the house, intent on getting to Abir as quickly as possible.

On the other hand, Kunal was incessantly knocking on his brother's door, making the man give up and finally open the door.

"Bhai! Main kabse knock kar raha hoon! Darwaza kyu nahi khola?" He asked. Abir shrugged. Kunal just let himself in.

Once inside, he shut the door and turned to actually look at Abir. He could see beads of Sweat all over his brother's face. His pupils were dilated, his hair a mess. His eyes were rid rimmed and sore. His shirt was completely unkempt and his face seemed to have lost all it's colour. Things were far worse than he'd imagined.

"Bhai, are you okay?" He asked, worried.

Abir wordlessly took him into a tight hug. Kunal wrapped his arms around his brother immediately, trying to comfort him in any way he could.

"Nanko... tujhe pata haina ki main tujhse bohot pyaar karta hoon? Iss duniya mein sabse zyada?" Abir asked.

"I think iss duniya mein sabse zyada pyaar aap Mishti se karte ho," Kunal replied teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.

Abir pulled back, his expression taut. "Nahi, Nanko," he said. "Main iss duniya mein sabse zyada pyaar tujhse karta hoon," he declared seriously.

How could he love Mishti more than Nanko when he'd chosen to break her heart in such a brutal way just so that Nanko wouldn't find the truth? When he'd chosen Nanko over Mishti everytime?

He'd chosen to let Mishti get into a relationship he knew was wrong for her because he thought Nanko liked Mishti. It hadn't been until the last moment that he'd realized that he was making a mistake and tried to rectify it. He'd prioritized his Nanko's happiness over Mishti's that day at the lakeside. Even now, everyday he chose to keep quiet, to see Mishti in secret so that his mother wouldn't know, he was silently choosing Nanko over Mishti.

Mishti deserved better. So much better. But, she'd chosen him, and yet, here he was, unable to give her even the littlest of things.

"Bhai, I know you love me," Kunal finally replied, bringing Abir out of his thoughts. "I love you, too. Sabse zyada. Aap jaante hona? Main aapki khushi ke liye kuch bhi kar sakta hoon."

Abir nodded.

"Good!" Kunal cried. Seeing an opening, he jumped in, full throttle. "I think you're very suffocated here, Bhai. Aapko taazi hawa ki zaroorat hain. Hum bahar chalein?"

"Nanko, raat bohot ho gayi hai," Abir answered. "Rehne de."

"Bhai, hum koi school ke bachche hain?" Kunal asked. Abir shook his head.

"Suraj hain?" Kunal probed. Abir shook his head again.

"New moon hain?" Kunal questioned. Abir shook his head the third time.

"Toh kya fark padta hai ki kitni raat ho gayi hai?" Kunal asked rhetorically.

It actually got a chuckle out of Abir. "Aajkal Mishti ke saath bohot zyada time spend karne laga hai. Uski tarah bolna bhi seekh gaya hai!"

Kunal blushed and looked away. He kinda liked that his brother didn't know just how tight him and Mishti were now. He didn't want Abir to think that they were doing it for his benefit, and he definitely didn't want Abir to think that they were putting on a show. His friendship with Mishti was one of the best things in Kunal's life, and it wasn't because of anyone else. It was because him and Mishti loved spending time together, because they liked talking to each other, because they liked each other's presence. Nobody but the two of them were responsible for what their relationship was.

Now, Mishti wasn't just his brother's girlfriend who he was nice to for said brother's sake. She was his friend too, and he liked her for who she was, not who she was to his brother, though that was certainly an added benefit.

"Bhai... Please chalte haina," he whined.

"Fine!" Abir gave in. "Chalte hain." He needed the distraction anyway. His mother's words were still ringing in his ears, and maybe going out for a while would help him calm down.

"Great!" Kunal cheered, steering Abir outside. He'd take Abir to Mishti, and she'd know just exactly what to do to bring his smile back. She always knew how to make his brother happy, and Kunal had never been more thankful for that skill of hers more than he was in this moment. Mishti would make everything right. She always did.

____________

Dragon Saas is finally here. I hope y'all liked this chapter!!

The next one will have clingy Abir and we love to see it. Let's just hope I write it soon. :p

Please vote and comment to let me know your thoughts on it! :)

Love, Prags

Nicely written dragon saa is here again to make trouble for everyone piece of mind, I hope some way the true comes out about Kunal because that is one secret that can put a stop to Mishbir.

dragon saa needs to feel her own medicine maybe Abir needs to move out of the house?

He needs to take a stand some how

Waiting patiently for the next chapter my Hindi is not that good but getting the jest of the story👍🏼