36. TREAT
Aarvi stirred awake, blinking against the soft light slipping through the curtains. She turned slightly — and there he was.
Vivan.
Fast asleep.
For once, his face wasn’t locked in that usual frown or stern calmness. His features were peaceful, his breathing even, his hair falling slightly over his forehead. He looked… human — not the grumpy, impossible man she had to deal with every day.
A small smile tugged at her lips at that thought.
Maybe the word ‘grumpy’ was invented for him only, she mused silently, suppressing a laugh.
Her gaze lingered on him longer than she meant to. The faint rise and fall of his chest, the way his lashes rested against his skin — so effortlessly calm.
Without thinking, her hand lifted slightly, fingers itching to brush away that stubborn lock of hair over his forehead.
But she froze midway.
Was she even allowed to do that?
Would it mean something?
The thought made her heart twist a little, the smile slipping from her lips.
Still… she couldn’t fight the small, selfish urge that whispered inside her — the need to just feel the softness once.
So, slowly — hesitantly — she reached out.
Her fingers brushed against his hair, light as air, tracing through the silky, wavy strands.
The sensation drew a genuine smile to her face, something warm settling in her chest. She played with the soft locks, ruffling them gently, careful not to wake him.
He shifted slightly in his sleep, and she immediately stopped — holding her breath.
When he didn’t wake, she quietly pulled her hand back, biting down a shy smile before slipping out of bed to start her morning routine.
After getting ready, Aarvi stepped out of the bathroom, gently drying her hair with a towel. Her eyes fell on Vivan — still asleep, though this time on her side of the bed.
A small smile curved on her lips.
How much is he going to sleep today? He usually wakes up before me, she thought, amused.
But then the thought hit her — if he usually woke up first… did that mean he might’ve seen her sleeping? Maybe even brushed her hair aside like she did for him?
Her cheeks warmed instantly. What happened to me today? she muttered, shaking her head as if to push the thought away. But her gaze lingered — just a moment longer — on his peaceful face, the way his hair fell over his forehead.
Leaning slightly closer, she whispered under her breath, “You’re looks good when you are quiet,” and with a soft exhale, turned away to head downstairs for breakfast.
“Ma, can’t he even take us for a long drive?” Prisha whined, stirring her juice lazily.
“You know he doesn’t like—” Pragya began, but Aarvi interrupted with a teasing grin, “With whom do you want to go on a long drive, huh?”
Prisha shot her a bored look. “Don’t be so happy, bhabhi. My fate isn’t that good to have a boyfriend. I was talking about bhai.”
Vedant burst out laughing, earning a sharp glance from Pragya that instantly shut him up. The table fell quiet for a moment before Aarvi bit back a smile, trying not to laugh herself.
“But why with him, suddenly?” Aarvi asked, settling into her chair with a puzzled look.
The dining table went still. Everyone exchanged brief glances — the kind that carried more meaning than words. Aarvi frowned, sensing the sudden shift.
“Wait… am I missing something?” she asked, looking from one face to another.
Vedant leaned forward, nodding a little too eagerly. “Yes.”
“What?” Aarvi pressed.
“Today’s bhai’s birthday,” he said, half-grinning.
Aarvi froze, her spoon clinking softly against her plate. “H–his birthday?” she whispered to herself, almost in disbelief.
Pragya quickly tried to fill the silence with a gentle smile. “Don’t worry, Aarvi. He doesn’t like celebrating birthdays. Says it’s a waste of time — maybe that’s why he didn’t tell you.”
“That’s such a silly reason for not celebrating birthdays,” Aarvi said before she could stop herself, looking genuinely offended at the idea.
Everyone turned to her — startled by the sudden boldness in her tone.
She straightened in her chair, eyes glinting with quiet determination. “I’ll show him how to celebrate birthdays properly.”
Pragya blinked, surprised but smiling softly at the confidence in her voice.
Vedant leaned toward Prisha and whispered, “Is she really the silent Aarvi?”
Prisha, equally stunned, murmured back, “I… don’t think so.”
Just then, Vinod entered the dining area. Everyone greeted him with a smile. As he settled into his chair at the head of the table, Aarvi leaned forward eagerly.
“Papa, I need your help,” she said, her voice light and playful.
Vinod smiled, curious. “Go on.”
“You just have to agree to whatever I say — no questions asked,” Aarvi replied, grinning.
Vinod raised an eyebrow, feigning seriousness. Aarvi instantly realized how it sounded and clasped her hands together, tilting her head in mock apology. “Pleaseee,” she sang out softly, giving her best puppy eyes.
That melted him. Vinod laughed, shaking his head. “You don’t need to ask. My daughters order me,” he said warmly, glancing at Prisha for support.
“Right, Prisha?”
“Absolutely,” Prisha said, grinning.
Everyone chuckled. Aarvi laughed too, thanking him with genuine delight.
Just then, Vivan entered the hall — the sound of laughter filling the space. For a fleeting second, a small, unguarded smile touched his lips.
Aarvi noticed. Her heart fluttered as she watched him quietly. I hope this smile never fades today, she thought, a faint smile curving her own lips.
“Ahm, bhai,” Prisha called out with a mischievous tone, “you might wanna stop smiling before someone forgets to blink while staring at you.”
Vedant immediately burst out laughing, hooting in support.
Aarvi, caught off guard, immediately busied herself with the food — heat creeping up to her neck.
Meanwhile, Vivan sighed and rolled his eyes, thinking, They’ve started teasing this early in the morning too.
Descending the last few steps, he said dryly, “Everyone was staring at me because I am late but you only noticed Aarvi — and you two just need an excuse to tease us.”
He took his seat beside Aarvi, ignoring Prisha’s dramatic eye-roll.
Vinod looked between them, amusement flickering in his eyes. “What’s in the air today? Everyone’s behaving oddly.”
“Don’t you know, papa?” Vivan said casually, smirking ever so slightly — his words almost hinting at his birthday, unaware that Aarvi had already learned about it.
Before anyone could respond, Aarvi cleared her throat. “Uhm… Papa, I wanted to ask for a leave.”
Vinod blinked in surprise, then suddenly remembered her earlier “no questions, just yes” condition. Suppressing a smile, he nodded. “Okay.”
Vivan, clearly amused, turned to her. “What okay? I’m your boss. You should be asking me, not him.”
Aarvi looked at him calmly, meeting his gaze. “Okay then, I want leave. Can I—”
Before she could even finish, Vivan cut her off flatly. “No.”
Aarvi’s brows rose, a playful spark in her eyes. “Why? Can’t you grant me a leave? It’s not such a big deal.”
Vivan leaned back, crossing his arms. “Did you sign an application? Be professional, Aarvi. You’re a family member, but that doesn’t mean you get special treatment.”
Everyone at the table exchanged a collective look — the kind that said here he goes again.
Prisha groaned under her breath, “Typical Vivan Singhania.”
Vivan turned sharply, raising an eyebrow. “What did you just say?”
Prisha smirked, louder this time. “I said Typical Vivan Singhania!”
Vivan sighed, choosing to ignore her as Vedant stifled a laugh and Aarvi hid a tiny smile behind her teacup.
Aarvi took a deep breath and said as calmly as she could, “Sir, can I get leave, pleasee?”
She tilted her head slightly, pulling the same puppy-eye trick she’d used on Vinod earlier.
And did it work?
Well… almost.
Vivan froze for a moment — his composure faltering just enough for everyone at the table to notice — but he quickly straightened up. “No means n—”
Before he could finish, Aarvi cut him off, leaning forward slightly. “If you grant me leave, I’ll give you a treat.”
The entire table fell silent.
Vedant, mid-bite, choked on his food, coughing loudly. Aarvi shot him a look that screamed, I didn’t just declare war, calm down!
Vivan, meanwhile, stared at her — the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk.
“Treat?” he asked slowly, his tone low and amused.
Aarvi nodded, matching his look with a grin.
“To me?” he asked, pointing at himself, just to be sure.
“Maybe,” she said lightly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Because I don’t think there’s more than one Vivan Singhania sitting here.”
A few smiles appeared around the table — Vinod hiding his behind his cup, while Pragya’s eyes sparkled with quiet amusement. Everyone could sense it — the growing ease between the two.
Prisha leaned forward, grinning. “Arrey, bhai, who refuses a treat?”
Vivan exhaled softly, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. “Fine,” he said, glancing at Aarvi. “But I’ll make sure the treat’s worth my time.”
Aarvi’s face brightened instantly. “Done!” she said, with a spark in her eyes that made him almost forget the rest of the world.
He leaned back, Noddind while thinking ––
“You have no idea what you’ve just agreed to.”
Aarvi clasped her hands together, grinning wide. “Cool! Everyone, let’s get ready for the treat!”
Vinod cleared his throat softly. “Beta, I wish I could come, but I have a very important meeting to attend.”
Her smile faltered, just a little. “Oh,” she said, voice dropping with disappointment. “It’s okay.”
She turned quickly to Pragya. “Ma?”
Pragya hesitated for a beat, pretending to look regretful. “I can’t, dear. There’s something important I need to handle at home.”
Aarvi’s smile thinned, but she nodded politely. “Okay.”
Her eyes then landed on Prisha and Vedant, who were already exchanging mischievous glances. Aarvi grinned, hands on her hips. “You both — get ready. Okay?”
Vedant suddenly cleared his throat. “Ah, bhabhi, I can’t. I’ve got… assignments to submit today.”
“Me too!” Prisha chimed in, nodding with exaggerated seriousness.
Aarvi blinked at them, feeling utterly betrayed. “W…what?” she asked in disbelief.
“But weren’t you both crying for a treat a few minutes ago?” she muttered under her breath, making sure Vivan didn’t hear.
Prisha shrugged, smiling sheepishly. “We were… but not today.”
“You cheaters,” Aarvi whispered, glaring at her like a kid who just lost her favorite game.
She turned toward Vivan, who was watching her with that unmistakable smirk tugging at his lips. His brows lifted slightly. “No more excited for the treat?” he asked, his tone teasing but eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.
Aarvi straightened her posture, realizing exactly what he was doing. “I…I am,” she said, forcing a smile — and then threw a burning glance at Vedant and Prisha, who instantly mouthed sorry!
“Get ready,” Vivan said, rising from his chair. “I’m waiting for you.”
Aarvi stood up slowly, muttering a silent prayer.
Vedant tried to hide his grin, whispering something to Prisha, who almost giggled.
Meanwhile, Vivan crossed his arms, the smirk never leaving his face. Who’s going to save you now? he thought, watching her walk away.
And Aarvi, with a helpless expression, sighed inwardly. Main toh gayi beta… aur ban bold.