ch 71 costume
EVENING MALHOTRA MANSION
The room was dim, curtains softly swaying with the evening breeze.
Ashiana sat curled up on the bed, knees pulled to her chest, staring blankly out of the window.
Her bridal bangles were still on... but her hands trembled.
Her face looked pale, eyes swollen from crying.
She didn't even react to the door opening.
A tiny voice broke the silence.
"Ashi di...?"
Raj stepped inside but today he was wearing a big teddy bear costume, the head slightly crooked, his little hands holding a lollipop and a small bouquet of paper flowers he had made.
He walked slowly toward her, wobbling adorably in the fluffy costume.
Prerna and Meera stood at the doorway, watching with soft, aching eyes.
Raj climbed on the bed struggling like a little panda and finally sat beside Ashiana.
He nudged her arm with his teddy paw.
"Di... please don't cry. See... I'm your teddy. Your favourite."
Ashiana blinked slowly, not fully reacting.
He gently placed the paper flowers in her lap.
"I made these for you... because when you smile, na... whole house becomes shiny. But today... nothing is shiny."
His voice cracked.
Prerna covered her mouth, emotional.
Meera whispered, "My brave little boy..."
Raj leaned his head big teddy head onto her shoulder.
"I don't like when my Ashi di is sad... I want you to be happy again. I miss your giggles."
A tear slipped down Ashiana's cheek.
Raj quickly wiped it with his furry paw, panicking.
"No no no! Teddy's job is to remove all tears!"
Ashiana finally let out a small, weak sound half sob, half smile.
She touched his teddy head softly.
"R... Raj..."
He crawled closer and wrapped his little teddy arms around her tightly.
"I love you, Ashi di... please don't be scared... I'm here."
Prerna felt tears slipping down her cheeks.
Meera held her hand tightly.
Ashiana broke down silently, hugging Raj back burying her face in the soft teddy costume.
Raj whispered again, voice trembling but strong
"Nothing will happen to you. I will protect you. Promise."
Raj suddenly stood up on the bed his big teddy belly wobbling and looked at Prerna and Meera with a dramatic superhero pose.
"Music!"
Prerna quickly took out her phone and played a cute, upbeat kids' song.
Raj began dancing like a full cartoon character
Hands up...
Tiny teddy steps...
Head bobbing side to side...
Sometimes spinning...
Sometimes falling on his bum and getting up again...
He was too adorable.
Ashiana blinked her lips trembling...
And for the first time since last night
a small, tiny smile appeared on her face.
Raj saw it instantly and gasped loudly.
"Yesss! She smiled! Mission teddy successful!"
Prerna and Meera chuckled with teary eyes.
Raj quickly jumped down, grabbed a small plate of food Prerna brought earlier, and climbed back on the bed with huge effort.
He sat cross-legged beside Ashiana, took a spoonful of halwa, and held it in front of her.
"Open your mouth... aahhhh..."
He demoed it himself, opening his teddy mouth wide.
Ashiana stared at his tiny effort... her eyes softening.
She slowly opened her mouth and he fed her.
Raj clapped happily.
"Good girl, Ashi di! See? Teddy knows how to fix you!"
Ashiana's throat tightened, tears but also warmth filling her eyes.
She gently cupped his teddy face.
"Thank you... my little hero..." she whispered.
Raj leaned into her touch proudly.
Prerna whispered to Meera,
"She needed this... she needed him."
Meera nodded,
"He's her heart."
LATER AT NIGHT
in balcony of their room they both on couch she been sitten on his lap curled up to himsoft blanket wrapped around the both
ashiana looking at outside '' Aarav.. i m sorry... for all this.. its.. its been just day we married.. and.. instead of enjoying and celebrating.. we should enjoy our honeymoon peiod.. but.. everything ruined because of .. because of my fate''
Aarav's arms tightened around her the second those words left her mouth.
He pulled her even closer, blanket cocooning them both, his chin resting on top of her head as the cool night breeze moved through the balcony.
"Ashi..." his voice was low, firm, but heartbreakingly gentle, "don't you ever say that again."
She looked up, eyes glistening.
"It's true..." she whispered. "We're married only one day. We should be laughing... travelling... celebrating. But instead you're... you're dealing with my past, my trauma, my fears."
Her voice cracked.
"My fate ruined everything."
Aarav cupped her face immediately, forcing her to meet his eyes.
"Ashiana Malhotra," he said, every word slow and heavy with emotion, "your fate didn't ruin my life... it completed it."
Her breath hitched.
He continued soft, raw, honest:
"Our honeymoon... celebrations... trips... all of that can wait."
"But you? Your safety? Your peace?"
He shook his head, thumb stroking her cheek. "That comes first. Always."
She swallowed, staring at him, fingers trembling slightly as she clutched his shirt.
"You're not a burden, Ashi," he whispered. "You're my wife. My responsibility. My heart."
"I'm scared," she whispered like a confession, curling more into him.
"I know," he murmured, pressing his forehead to hers. "And I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Whoever hurt you... whoever tried to break you..."
His eyes darkened with a deadly malhotra promise. "I'll destroy them so completely... even their memories will fade."
She shivered and leaned into him again.
Aarav wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling the blanket higher.
"You didn't ruin anything," he whispered into her hair.
"You gave me someone to protect... someone to care for... someone to come home to."
"You gave me a reason to breathe."
Her lips parted at those unexpected words.
"And..." Aarav smirked softly, brushing his nose against her cheek, "honeymoon toh tumse bhaag ke thodi jaa raha hai?"
"We'll go. We'll enjoy. We'll drive each other crazy."
"But at the right time."
Ashiana finally let a small, broken laugh escape as she held onto him.
"I love you," she whispered into his chest.
Aarav kissed her forehead long and firm.
"I love you more, Mrs. Malhotra. And nothing no past, no fear, no bastard can ruin us. Ever."
Aarav felt her breathing steady against his chest... then, slowly, a mischievous glint returned to his eyes.
He tilted his head a little, looking down at her curled-up form on his lap.
"Bas ek baat bolun?" he asked with a suspicious softness.
Ashiana sniffed and looked up. "Kyaa?"
He smirked.
"For someone who claims her honeymoon got ruined..."
He tapped her nose playfully. "...you're sitting on my lap, wrapped in a blanket, holding me like a baby koala."
Her eyes widened. "Aarav!"
He continued completely serious tone but teasing expression:
"And the way you're clinging to me... , we can make honeymoon here only you me and we in this room straight four nights together."
Ashiana's jaw dropped. "AARAV MALHOTRA—!"
He raised both brows.
"Am I wrong? Didn't you cry last night and say 'Aarav... don't stop.. ahh.. faster.. faster' shamelessly ?"
She gasped and hit his chest lightly. "Shut uuuup!"
Aarav burst out laughing, finally seeing her real smile return.
"And now," he added dramatically, "Mrs. Malhotra is embarrassed."
She pouted. "You're mean."
He leaned in, whispering near her ear, sending a shiver down her spine
"If teasing you gets your smile back... then I'll be the meanest man alive."
Her cheeks turned hot instantly. "Aarav... stoppp..."
He poked her cheek. "No."
She hid her face in his chest again, half-laughing, half-blushing.
Then Aarav said with full fake seriousness:
"And honestly... ruined honeymoon? Ashi... the way you kissed me last night... baby, tumhe honeymoon ki tension nahi leni chahiye. Trust me, your husband is already traumatised in a good way."
Her eyes shot open. "AARAV!!"
His laughter echoed through the balcony as she started hitting him with tiny fists.
He caught both her hands gently and kissed her knuckles.
"See?" he whispered. "You're smiling again."
And she was.
Blushing. But smiling.
Wrapped in his arms, where the world couldn't touch her.
Raghav's study looked like the command center of a secret agency multiple screens glowing in the dark, digital grids running, CCTV clips looping, codes decoding, files opening and closing at lightning speed.
His jaw was tight. Glasses slightly slipped down his nose.
He hadn't blinked properly in hours.
Just then the door opened softly.
Meera walked in, holding a steaming cup of coffee.
She paused for a second, watching him her husband, who usually stayed emotionally distant, now looking... shaken? No.
Restless.
A kind of focus she had rarely seen on him.
She slowly walked to him.
"Raghav..." her tone gentle.
He didn't look away from the screen.
"Hmm?"
She placed the mug beside his keyboard.
"You haven't eaten since morning."
"No time," he said quietly, fingers flying over the keyboard.
Meera sat beside him, eyes softening. "You're searching the footage again?"
Raghav nodded eyes still analytical, sharp, observing every fraction of movement in each frame.
Meera whispered, "You're worried for Ashiana, right?"
This time... he froze.
For the first time in hours, his eyes stopped moving.
Meera had touched the exact nerve.
He didn't answer immediately.
Then in a low, rare-confession tone:
"She called Aarav... 'papa' before fainting."
Meera exhaled softly, her chest tightening.
Raghav continued, voice controlled but heavier than usual:
"I need to prove if that man is real... or a planted illusion. Whoever he is—he walked straight into our reception. Past our security. Past me."
His fingers clenched around the mouse.
"That means he's either very smart... or very connected to us."
Meera placed her hand over his.
"Raghav... you're doing everything you can."
He shook his head.
"No. Not yet."
A new window flashed open on the main screen
A paused frame of the masked man... his mask slipping, jawline visible.
Raghav zoomed in further. His heartbeat ticked faster.
Meera leaned closer.
"What did you find?"
Raghav's eyes narrowed with a chilling calm.
"This man..."
he whispered, tapping the screen,
"...is not a stranger to our family."
Meera's breath hitched.
Raghav finally turned to her worry in his eyes, fear hidden beneath logic.
And he said the one sentence that made Meera's blood run cold:
"Meera... his face it matches a person in Aditya's old family files."
She covered her mouth.
"You mean...?"
Raghav nodded once, deadly slow.
"This man... might be connected to Aditya's dead sister."