‘Meet me at Cafe Mexicano on Monday at 11 am.VK.’Drishti frowned, looking at the message again on Monday morning."Why would Vedant Khoda want to meet her?" she wondered."Isn't he in some kind of rivalry with her husband?"If she tells Shravan, he will straight out tell her not to meet him. Then she wouldn't be able to know what he wants.She will tell him after the meeting.Normally, she wouldn't respond to such an arrogant message. But the man is a Khoda. Her father was able to achieve his dreams because of the Khodas. So there is no way she was going to ignore the message of a Khoda."Drishti, keep your phone aside and concentrate on what you are doing," Shravan reprimanded as he walked into the kitchen.Drishti had been learning simple cooking recipes from the lady who comes for cooking, and she had been trying to fry pakoras."Oh no! The pakoras cheated," Drishti cried."Cheated?" Shravan frowned."They were supposed to turn golden brown, but they turned black," Drishti compla
"He is what?" Drishti asked in shock."Moving out with Kiara," Shravan said with a sigh."Okay! Normally, I wouldn't be so against a couple wanting to move out of the family home. I personally prefer us being alone and meeting the family once in two weeks or something like that. But their case is different. If Kiara bhabhi was on good terms with the family, it wouldn't have mattered if they moved out," Drishti said."I know. But there are some complications in her pregnancy. The doctor said no stress at all," Shravan said.A week ago, they found out that Kiara was pregnant and now they are moving out of the house."I will call Siddhu. I don't know how they are taking this," Drishti said and dialed her best friend's number."Hey," Siddhu said, picking up the call on the second ring."Shravan told me Abhi bhai is moving out," Drishti said."Yeah. Apparently, Mrs. Kiara Agnihotri can't handle the stressful atmosphere at home, and it is affecting her pregnancy negatively," Siddhu said sar
"The door is not even locked. What an irresponsible guy," Drishti said as she found the main door unlocked."He must be too tired to come down and lock it," Siddhu said."Let's go in and check," Drishti said, and together they climbed upstairs.As soon as they entered the room, they found Siddhu on the bed, fully covered by the blanket."Oy Siddhu," Drishti called out loudly, making Siddhu groan."Go away," he muttered from under the blanket.Drishti pulled at his blanket, making him groan.Drishti dialled Anjana's phone number, and it was soon answered."Hello, aunty. Yeah, I'm with him," Drishti said."No, no, aunty. I think he is faking it," Drishti said, and Shravan gaped at her.Siddhu sat up on the bed with a scowl."Their professor had called up for some extra classes before the semester began. This is all his acting to escape the class," Drishti said.Siddhu coughed a couple of times and gestured to Drishti to get him some water from the table."Oh my god. He is doing melodram
Drishti couldn't get much sleep last night. She had twisted and turned the whole night, worrying over her talk with Vedant Khoda."Are you sure you are okay?" Shravan asked for the hundredth time, looking at the worry lines on Drishti's face."Yes, Shravan. I am fine," Drishti said."Drishti, ever since we got married, I have never seen you having a fretful sleep. You always sleep with abandon. Nothing wakes you up. And you barely had an hour of sleep last night. So, if you are telling me that you are fine, I refuse to believe that," Shravan said.Drishti sighed."There is something that worries me. I don't know how to tell you," Drishti said."Are you pregnant?" Shravan asked in panic."What? Of course not, I am not. We always use protection," Drishti said with a scowl."Well, nothing is one hundred percent safe, right? Anyway, that one is ruled out. So, what is it that worries you?" Shravan asked.Drishti hesitated."Okay. Take your time. Tell me when you are ready. Know this, whate
Drishti took a deep breath and walked towards Shravan with a glass of iced tea."Here," she said and handed it to him with a bright smile.He took the iced tea and drank it in one go."Shravan, are you in a hurry?" Drishti asked."Nothing important. What is it?" Shravan asked, seeing the anxious look on her face."I want to tell you something. Something important," Drishti said."Tell me, Drishti. You have been worrying over this for a while now. It's high time you came out with it," Shravan said as he sat next to her.Drishti took a deep breath and blurted it out."I am selling D Love to VK."Shravan stared at her for a moment, not really comprehending what she was saying."What?!""Shravan, I am selling D Love," Drishti repeated."You've got to be kidding me. You are selling D Love to VK? VK??" Shravan asked in disbelief."Please listen to what I have to say," Drishti pleaded."You know why I never brought up the topic of D Love after our first fight during our flight? Because I und
Shravan closed his laptop after staring at it for hours without actually doing any work.He should have listened to what she had to say.He knows how much D Love means to her, and if she has decided to sell it to VK out of all people, there must definitely be a solid reason.Shravan decided to wind up his work at the office and go home to Drishti."What magic has she done over him that he couldn't even stay angry at her?" he wondered with a soft smile."Anjali, hold all my calls for the day. I won't be available for the rest of the weekend," Shravan told the receptionist on his way out.Shravan stared at the empty penthouse suite and sighed."Did she pack her bags and go to Siddhu's house in anger?" he wondered."She always has a way of making herself the injured party and him the offender," Shravan thought with a chuckle.He took his phone to dial her number when he noticed a note placed on the coffee table.It reminded him of the first note they exchanged during the initial days of
5 years later...Drishti was exhausted. There wasn't really another word to describe the state a woman was in immediately following childbirth. The messy business was over. The doctors and nurses had cleared out, and the family went home. Now it was just Drishti and Shravan in a quiet hospital suite. Well, make that just Drishti, Shravan, and the brand-new Master Dhruv Maheswari in a quiet hospital suite. Dhruv made her arrival at 4:53 p.m., weighing three kilograms, plus a hundred grams, and shrieking with the finest set of lungs to ever debut at Sunrise Hospital, Mumbai.It had been a long day filled with excitement, nerves, joy, and pain. And now, she was enjoying a private moment she would remember for her whole life. Shravan was beside her in the reclining chair. Dhruv was bundled up in a white blanket with pastel stripes. He is perfect, tiny, and pink with Shravan's features. Dhruv had fallen asleep with her small hand clutching Shravan's pinky finger, content, warm, and sa
Drishti glared at her husband with her hands on her hips.Shravan was too busy typing on his laptop to see the furious glare coming his way."I swear I will throw that bloody laptop one day soon, into the sea," Drishti said angrily."This is waterproof, Drishti," Shravan said without looking up from the screen."For heaven's sake, it's the Diwali season. I hate when you work during Diwali," Drishti complained."I am leaving behind my laptop as you demanded when we go to the island, Drishti. Let me finish off the pending work before we leave," Shravan said, and Drishti huffed in annoyance.They heard some movement from the baby monitor."He's awake," Shravan said with a soft smile.Dhruv Maheswari was born eleven months ago after Drishti found her footing in the business field.Now she is working in the Bangalore branch of the Malhotra empire, after training under Shravan Maheswari for a year immediately after her studies were over.Dhruv, being the first grandchild in both the familie
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