22. PRIVATE
CONTINUE...
The car came to a halt, pulling Aarvi out of her storm of thoughts. They had reached home. Without a word, Vivan pushed open the door and stepped out, his jaw clenched tight. Aarvi followed quietly, gathering all the shopping bags into her trembling hands before heading toward the entrance.
Vivan’s eyes narrowed when he saw her struggling, the bags weighing her down. His anger was still simmering, but still he walked up to her.
“Give those to me,” he said, his voice low but edged with coldness.
Aarvi shook her head. “I can manage.” her voice cracked slightly, and almost under her breath, she added, “As always.”
Vivan halted, confusion flickering across his face. “Excuse me? What did you just say?”
“I said I can manage,” she repeated, this time with a tight smile.
His temper spiked again. “Don’t start your drama here, Aarvi. Ma must be inside, what will she think if-”
“Here.” Aarvi’s voice rose suddenly as she shoved the bags into his hands. “Take them. After all, you’re always so eager to carry other people’s burdens, even when they’re making a fool out of you.”
Her words cut through the air like a blade. Without waiting for his reaction, she stormed inside, her pallu dragging behind her.
Vivan stood frozen, her sharp tone echoing in his ears. His anger… wavered. "Is she high or what? " he thought as strange confusion clouded him, mingled with something he didn’t want to name. Her words dug deeper than he wanted to admit, planting an uncomfortable seed of doubt in his chest.
Aarvi stormed inside the house, her pallu flying behind her. Her sudden entrance made everyone in the living room turn their heads.
“Hey, calm down! Why are you looking so angry?” Prisha said, stepping in front of her with wide eyes.
Aarvi, still burning with frustration, blurted out without thinking, “Ask your brother.”
The words slipped before she could stop them. Realization struck a second later, and her face paled at how blunt and rude she had sounded. “I… I mean-” she tried to cover up, but it was too late.
“Ohooo” Vedant immediately chimed in, grinning like a devil. “Couple’s fight, haan? We can understand. Right, bhai?”
Aarvi froze. Bhai? Her heart thudded hard. Slowly, she turned, silently praying to every god she could think of that it wasn’t who she feared.
But her prayers failed.
There he stood, Vivan, just inside the doorway. Shopping bags dangled from his hands, his face unreadable. Expressionless or maybe carrying something she didn’t dare name.
Aarvi swallowed hard. God, I hope he didn’t hear that ‘ask your brother’ line. It sounded exactly like a wife tattling about her husband to her sister-in-law.
Prisha’s mischievous smirk broke through Aarvi’s thoughts. “Bhai, did you not buy what she asked for?”
Vivan arched a brow, his sharp gaze flicking to Prisha as if asking silently, Why are you dragging me into this?
But still “Because maybe that’s why she’s angry,” Prisha continued her teasing.
Aarvi’s cheeks warmed instantly. Not with anger this time, but with embarassment. She quickly looked away, pretending to adjust her pallu.
“It’s none of your business,” he muttered sharply, trying to sound detached. But then he added, “It’s… private.”
The room fell into silence for half a second then exploded.
“Ohoooo.. Private..” Vedant and Prisha sang in unison bursting into laughter.
Aarvi’s eyes widened "they are thinking wrong" she thought. Vivan, realizing too late how his own words had sounded, "He didn't mean it"
“Alright, alright, don’t tease them so much,” Pragya stepped in with a gentle laugh, though her eyes twinkled with mischief. “You two should go and… finish your private fight.” She paused, then again while smiling putting pressure on thw word 'private'. “I mean, private talk.” she said.
“Maa” Vivan groaned, his voice half tired, half desperate. “You too?”
Vedant and Prisha burst into laughter again.
“That’s my mom” Vedant declared proudly, hugging her from the side.
“Batau abhi… mom ke bachche,” Vivan muttered, his patience snapping as he walked toward his younger brother with hurried steps.
Vedant yelped, steppung away dramatically. “Maaa! Why only me? Prisha was also there! Why always me?” he wiped his fake tears, running around the couch.
Everyone laughed. Aarvi stood quietly at the edge, her heart beating too fast, she smiled softly seeing the siblings fight. She glanced once at Vivan who was still chasing Vedant and quickly looked away. But the image of his burning ears refused to leave her mind.
Vivan finally caught up with Vedant, but before he could land a smack on his brother’s shoulder, Vedant darted to the side and ran straight behind Aarvi, clutching her arm like a shield.
“Bhabhi, bachao!” Vedant pleaded dramatically, peeking from behind her. “Your husband is on a mission to end me”
Aarvi blinked, startled at first, but then instinctively raised her hand as if to block Vivan’s advance. “V-Ved…” she started, not knowing what to do.
Vivan came to a halt a few steps away, his eyes narrowing not at Ved, but at Aarvi. She wasn’t laughing like the others, she was genuinely shielding his brother. For a moment, his gaze softened without his permission.
Vedant took full advantage, tugging at Aarvi’s pallu like a child begging his mother. “Please, bhabhi, save me! Just tell him once not to hit me. He will listen to you!”
Aarvi looked from Vedant to Vivan, her heart suddenly racing when her eyes locked with his. The room went oddly
Then Vivan broke eye contact. He exhaled sharply, dropped his hand, and stepped back. “Fine. You’re safe… but for now,” he muttered, turning away.
The silence lasted only a second before Prisha gasped dramatically, pressing her palm to her mouth. “Wait. Did that just happen? Bhai left Ved only because bhabhi looked at him?”
“Ohooo!” Vedant immediately seized the moment, peeking out from behind Aarvi with a mischievous grin. “So true He never lets me escape. I repeat never. But one look from you, bhabhi, and he melted like butter.”
Aarvi looked suddenly very aware of everyone's gaze on her, her fingers curling in her pallu. “T-That’s not… I didn’t even say anything” she protested weakly.
Prisha giggled, elbowing her. “Exactly! You didn’t even need to speak. Bhai understood your silence.”
Vedant clapped his hands, grinning ear to ear. “Wah wah! And when we ask him for anything, he doesn’t even let us finish a sentence before saying no.” He leaned toward Pragya and added, “Ma, I think Aarvi bhabhi has some serious control over our great Singhania king.”
The entire room burst into laughter, except for two people. Aarvi, who didn't dare to look up because of embarassement, and Vivan, who stood stiffly, looking at Aarvi , his face blank.
He glared at Vedant, his voice low and sharp. “Enough. Don’t you have anything better to do?”
But his mother was smiling knowingly, and his siblings were practically rolling on the couch in laughter. Aarvi bit her lip and lowered her gaze, wishing desperately that her racing heartbeat wasn’t so obvious.
Yet deep down, a small, dangerous warmth spread through her chest.
~?~