Drishti came out of the shower in her grey shorts and cream colored camisole ,water dripping from her hair.Shravan stared at her and his mouth went dry seeing her half naked form.When will he get used to this?? He thought.How is a man supposed to control himself when his wife walks around looking donwright sexy.He saw her taking a bottle of lotion and poring it onto her palms. She then rubbed her hands together and started applying the lotion on her long legs.Shravan gulped hard. He had maintained a celebate life for 26 years. Even when he was at Harvard ,where casual flings and affairs are a common thing ,he had remained indifferent. That what is it about Drishti that pulls his like a magnetLike a moth to the flame."I'm in love with the shape of you.We push and pull like a magnet doAlthough my heart is falling tooI'm in love with your body" he heard Drishti humming while applying lotion on her swan like neck.Why God?? Why?? Didn't she get any other song to hummShravan gr
Shravan woke up at the steady knock on the door. He stood up from the couch and stretched to relieve his muscles.He looked at the bed and saw Drishti sleeping peacefully snuggling against the fluffly pillow.It could have been you ,a voice in his head reminded himHe heard the knock again. It was 7.30 in the morning.Damn!! He is lateHe opened the door to find Abhay's mom."Goodmorning aunty" Shravan wished"Goodmorning Shravan. Where is Drishti??" "She is sleeping""She can happily sleep through an earthquake. I will wake her up" Anjana said and walked in to wake Drishti up."Drishti. Wake up" "Mmmmm. Five more minutes" she murmered and snuggled more into her pillow."This girl. You can't sleep like this at Shravan's place." Anjana saidShravan scoffed. She very well can. She has been sleeping like a log all the mornings."Drishti get up. Shravan has to go to office.""I'm not going with him" she again mumbled sleepily"It's okay aunty. Let her sleep. I will manage" Shravan said
Shravan walked into the bedroom to see Drishti throwing her phone onto the bed and sighing in relief"What??""Heyy. You are back??" She asked cheerfully making him frown"Why do you look as if you were doing some mischief??" Shravan asked taking off his jacket and loosening his tie"Me?? Innocent little me??" Drishti asked batting her lashes innocentlyShravan shook his head "I will take a shower now" Shravan said and walked towards the washroomAs soon as Shravan was out of sight Drishti moved towards the mirror"Am I so easy to read??" Drishti asked herself turning her face sideways and checking herself in the mirrorHer father ,she could understand. He had been seeing her since she was a baby. How did Shravan understood she was doing mischiefNot that she was hiding anything from Shravan. But she didn't want him to know that she was lying to her parents.Why?? She don't have an answer for that***Drishti examined the refrigirator and found rotis and vegetable kurma. She kept i
The next morning Shravan woke up earlier than his usual time and took a showerHe then shook Drishti awake and she woke up after twenty minutes of protest.They were to go directly to the temple ,so Shravan got ready in the kurta pyjama with a jacket Abhay handed over to him the day before.He felt so uncomfortable in it ,but couldn't say a No when it was from Abhay's mother.Drishti got out of the washroom in her bathrobe and stared at Shravan"You are already dressed?? I thought we could go there and get ready" Drishti said"There's no enough time for that. We have a one hour drive. The morning puja for us is organised for eight and it is to be done before breakfast""Yeah. I know" Drishti said sulkily not particularly liking the idea of puja before breakfast."We can take rest after that. The next puja is in the evening. Around five" Shravan passed on the knowledge he got from Abhay"But I thought I could get ready with the help of Kiara bhabhi once we reach there. I don't know how
The evening pooja got over by five in the evening when Drishti saw another pooja going onShe soon realised it is not exactly a pooja ,but a mass prayer for deceased people.Emotions swamped her as she thought of her Mum and Dad. She still loved them. Abhay who saw the lost look on Drishti's face realised what she was thinking about. After ,he too had lost a family member. His little sister. They couldn't even do proper final rites for her, because her corpse was never found.Washed away in the landslide ,the authorities had told them. The anguish is still fresh. He still remember when the twins were born. He was four years old. Maybe because he was a boy ,he naturally felt more protective of his little sister than his brother ,though he loved them equally.Abhay shook his head to clear those painful memories from his thoughts"Come.." he gently nudged Drishti towards the priest who was leading the prayers.Kiara and a clueless Shravan followed them"Shradda. My sister" Abhay told t
Shravan woke up with a stiff neck. He groaned as he flexed his neck to relieve the crampsHe had fallen asleep on his chair somewhere along the midnightHe looked down to see Mithran sprawled across the floor and Isha curled up on the couchDamn!! He didn't go home last nightAnd he didn't even inform Drishti that he wouldn't be coming homeHe quickly took his phone out to see whethere there was any missed call or text message from her. He frowned when he found none.Then he remembered that she hadn't taken his number yet.He thought of calling her ,but decided against it when he realised it was only seven in the morning. She must be fast asleepHe quickly typed a message for her'Couldn't make it home last night. Was caught up with work. Will see you in the eveningShravanPS : save my number'He shook Mithran awake and Isha too."Guys. Get ready quick. We can go over the plan and proposal once more after breakfast. Isha ,you go home and get ready. We will pick you on the way. It's
"You will get an answer as soon as we get an answer Drishti. What is your relationship with Maheswari here??" Vihaan snappedDrishti cracked up nervously.Shravan's eyes widened as realisation dawned upon him.She had mentioned her parent's name.Vihaan and Diya. He had assumed them to be Vihaan and Diya Singhanias.If Vihaan Malhotra is her father, how did she become Drishti Singhania?"Wait a second. What is happening here?" Shravan asked"That's what I want to know Maheswari," Vihaan said in a clipped tone Shravan turned to Drishti "Do you mind explaining Drishti?""Uh well" Drishti twitched uncomfortably "Did you think you could get your hands on the island if you trapped my daughter?" Vihaan growled Drishti gasped"What?? Paa you are misunderstanding. I will tell you in detail" Drishti scrambled towards her father.She took a seat next to him and explained in detail what happened."What?? You got married?? But I wanted to dance at your wedding" Damini cried earning an eye rol
"Enough of business discussions. I want to know what decision you both have made about this marriage," Divyanshi asked, putting an effective stop to business talks."I guess we should get going now, leaving you guys to the family discussions," Mithran said and stood up along with Isha.Soon, Isha and Mithran left, wishing Shravan good luck.Shravan was uncomfortable with the way Vihaan Malhotra was glaring at him."Uh, well! How was the trip? Drishti mentioned you people were on a vacation," Shravan asked, trying to get over the awkwardness.Vihaan Malhotra, his father-in-law! Who would have thought?"It was going very well until we realized our daughter is staying at some stranger's house and that she lied to us," Vihaan said, shooting a glare at Drishti, who smiled sheepishly."How did you guess?" Drishti asked, and Vihaan rolled his eyes."So this is your Shravani, huh?" Diya asked."Shravani?" Shravan asked."Uh, well! Paa started interrogating me, and I said I'm at a friend's pla
5 years later.Diya draped her saree and was about to wear the sindoor when a hand caught hers, stopping her. Vihaan took the box of vermilion from her with a charming smile."Do I have to remind you every day that this is my haqq biwi?" Vihaan asked as he took the vermilion between his thumb and forefinger and applied it on her partition."I thought you would be busy downstairs with preparations," Diya said, smiling contentedly."I'm never too busy for you, love," Vihaan said as he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest."Vihaan, what are you doing?? Someone will come. We have lots of work to do," Diya said, trying to wriggle out of his hold."No one will come, and all works are done. The house is all set for Diwali," Vihaan said before bending down and pecking her on her lips.Vihaan caressed her exposed waist with his fingers, earning a light moan from Diya."Vihaan. It's morning.""So?? Do I have to wait till night to love my wife??"Diya wound her arms ar
Drishti walked to the front door, pausing before making her exit, sweeping them both with another grin, her eyes twinkling like stars. "Happy Diwali," she called out. Then off she went down the hallway singing.As Drishti went out of sight, Vihaan's hands slid around Divyaa, turning her around to face him, making her heart flutter wildly. "Thank you. Thank you for being you, for having my child and giving her to me. But above everything else, thank you for waiting for me, Diya.""Oh Vihaan," Relief gushed through her. The love in his voice was unmistakable. "I'm sorry I gave up on you. I...""No..." He placed a finger on her lips, hushing the stream of regret. "I was wrong. You don't have anything to answer for. God knows I've seen enough, been with you enough to appreciate, in some small measure, how it's been for you. I'm sorry I got so screwed up about being left out.""Well, at least I'm not too young for you anymore."He frowned, pained by the reminder."I don't know that you eve
Tears streamed down Drishti's cheeks, but she seemed unaware of them. She was still staring at Vihaan, her desperate plea for him to make things right for her evident in her gaze. Twisting the hem of her nightshirt, her open hair hung around her face, giving her a bedraggled appearance. She looked like a lost little waif, and Divyanshi wanted to gather her child in her arms and hug her insecurities away. However, it was to Vihaan that her daughter looked for what she needed now, and Divya held herself back. It was up to him to answer his daughter, to answer all the questions now.Yet, Vihaan looked as lost as Drishti, struck by the realisation of all she might have overheard - the role her adoptive parents had played in taking her from Divyanshi, in preventing Vihaan from knowing about his fatherhood, ensuring he didn't reunite with her mother, and keeping the knowledge of her real parentage from her. The world they had known had been torn up, and the pieces couldn't be put togethe
"This is the final round, Drishti," Vihaan warned as he set up the game board again."You're just jealous that I've been winning all the games so far," Drishti crowed proudly."Yeah, by cheating," Vihaan said, and Drishti rolled her eyes as if it wasn't a big deal.They had played three rounds of Snake and Ladder and two rounds of Ludo at Drishti's insistence. Drishti had won all the games, using her sneaky tricks to avoid the snakes and win at Ludo.He looked tired. He had been rather quiet, almost distant, all evening, only responding to Drishti's demands.Divya hoped he wasn't too tired to stay up with her after Drishti went to bed. It had been an active day filled with swimming, windsurfing, drawing rangolis, decorating the house, and setting up the pooja room. Besides, he couldn't have had much sleep last night as he had been up early with Drishti this morning. What would she do if he suggested they retire early?"It's Diwali tomorrow, Vihaan Uncle. I'm too excited to go to bed,"
Not knowing was killing him. He knew that he had unsettled Divya with his brooding. Well, she wouldn't have the slightest idea as to what was eating him up, and he couldn't just blurt it out. If she realised what he was thinking, and if he was wrong, she would think he had lost his marbles, imagining himself to be her one great love. He didn't want to confuse her feelings for him. But... he had to know!He paced the living room, impatient to get a little time to himself so that he could make the much-needed phone call. If anyone would know the critical details of what had happened to him that Diwali season thirteen years ago, Omkara and Aditya had the inside track. They'd been with him from the start to the end of the vacation, and they had told him nothing worth mentioning had happened during the trip. Is there any point in asking them again? What is he going to lose anyway?The sculptures set along the corner Divya had set up to do the pooja caught his eyes, and he stopped, struck b
Vihaan engaged Drishti in conversation while Divya had her breakfast.Observing the two of them together, so similar in more ways than they realised, was heartwarming.Is it wise of her to leave the past in the past?It felt wrong for Vihaan not to know he was Drishti's father.She shouldn't keep such a special flesh and blood bond from him, from either of them. They both had a right to know.Telling him was not going to be easy, especially after she had briefly mentioned the adoption last night.Her reasoning for holding back had seemed right at the time.She didn't want to burden him with a truth he'd find disturbing and painful, considering the part his sister had played in taking responsibility from him, the long-played deceit that had denied him his true relationship with his own child.However, the circumstances are different now.Vihaan felt the same about her as he had all those years before, and Sandhya Rathore was out of the picture.Now she wouldn't be putting any sense of
Diyaa!The name echoed persistently in Vihaan's mind, as if it belonged to this moment, an enchanting magic of their union."Divyanshi," he said aloud, trying to dispel the echo, to overpower it."Yes?" she replied."I could never have dreamt of what we've shared," he murmured, lifting himself from her embrace to tenderly brush his lips against hers, a loving tribute to her generosity. "It transcends dreams."He rolled onto his side, bringing her along, and wrapped an arm around her as she lay on his chest, their legs entwined in intimacy.She felt so right, so perfect, as though she had been created exclusively for him. How could she have loved another man? No other woman had ever been like her for him."It's a miracle," she whispered, her warm breath caressing his skin, making it tingle. "A Diwali miracle." Her voice carried a happy smile.Diwali.Diyaaa.The special name stirred an unease, a sense of wrongness he tried to resist, but it persisted. He remembered the grieving look on
Warning: This work is purely fictional. You might find certain things illogical... Read at your own risk 😂Vihaan gazed at the ceiling, unable to sleep at the moment. He relished the feeling that something extraordinary had entered his life. Divyanshi Trilok seemed to offer him everything he had desired in a woman. The problem was, he couldn't be sure how much his dreams of her were influencing him. Was this strong attraction driven by wishes or was it genuinely real? The emotions she stirred in him were so intense and rapid that he had barely restrained himself from pursuing a deeper connection with her tonight. He used the excuse of Drishti's early rising tomorrow to keep his desires in check. He wanted her. He wanted to hold her, embrace every part of her, but he knew he had to be cautious. Drishti was closely involved in this relationship, and he couldn't make hasty moves.The wisest thing to do was to wait. Divya wasn't going anywhere. He needed to make sure that whatever he did
"Two Irish coffees coming up," Vihaan announced as he came out to the verandah.As soon as she saw him, her hard-won sense of peace shattered, and her heart started galloping again. She tried hard to get herself under control.He set the tray of coffee on the small tea table and took a seat next to her. "This is life. Far from the maddening crowd of the city and pressures of business. Sun, sand, and surf. Nothing could beat it for a wonderful holiday," Vihaan said and took a sip of the coffee.Divyanshi smiled. That hadn't changed for him."It must be very stressful being the CEO and leading a multimillion-dollar empire," Divya said, smiling. She was so proud of him, of what he had become with his own hard work."Well, I have my moments. But it's what I am trained for," Vihaan said."Then it was worth going to Harvard," she said.His head snapped around. "How do you know I went to Harvard?"Divya's heart rate increased in panic. The comment had slipped out, and now she had to answer f