19 | the next mornings
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The harsh morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, landing directly on my face like a personal attack. A throbbing headache pulsed behind my eyes, making me groan as I slowly opened them.
The ceiling above looked familiar, but everything else felt strangely different.
For one thing, I wasn't wearing my heavy reception lehenga anymore.
Instead, I was wrapped in an oversized, unbelievably soft cotton shirt that smelled strongly of sandalwood and rain.
My heart skipped a beat.
Avyukt's shirt.
I immediately looked down at myself, and at the same time, fragments of last night came crashing back into my mind.
The "juice."
The DJ booth.
Dancing to "Kya Karu Ram Mujhe Budha Mil Gaya" in front of some of the most influential business people in the country.
And worst of all...
Demanding that Avyukt take off his suit.
"Oh my God," I gasped, slapping both hands over my face. "Please tell me that was a nightmare."
"It wasn't a nightmare, bachha."
I froze.
"It was a live performance. And honestly? You deserve an award."
Slowly lowering my hands, I looked toward the bathroom door.
There stood Avyukt, already showered and dressed in a casual black t-shirt, holding a cup of black coffee. He looked far too relaxed for someone who had witnessed my public humiliation.
A wicked smirk rested on his lips.
I immediately pulled the duvet over my head.
"Go away," I groaned from underneath the blanket. "I don't remember anything."
A deep chuckle filled the room.
The mattress dipped beside me as he sat down and effortlessly pulled the blanket away despite my resistance.
"You don't remember?" he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Not even the part where you announced to half my company that I was your husband? Or when you nearly tore my jacket apart because you hated my suit?"
My cheeks burned so fiercely I was certain they could start a fire.
"The juice was spiked," I mumbled defensively. "I wasn't in my right mind."
"Clearly."
His expression softened slightly.
"But for the record, everyone loved you."
That only made things worse.
I groaned again and buried my face in a pillow.
Before I could continue embarrassing myself, he placed a glass of water and an aspirin on the bedside table.
"Freshen up and come downstairs," he said. "We have an urgent meeting."
His smirk widened.
"Your partners in crime are currently waiting for judgment."
A short while later, I followed him downstairs.
The atmosphere in the living room was so tense it could have been cut with a knife.
Ruhi, Siya, and Raghav sat perfectly straight on the sofa like students waiting outside the principal's office.
Raghav looked as though he was preparing his final speech before execution. Ruhi was nervously chewing her nails, while Siya stared at the floor.
The moment Avyukt walked into the room, all three of them straightened even further.
I quietly stayed behind him.
He didn't sit.
Instead, he stood directly in front of them with his arms crossed, looking every bit like a ruthless CEO about to fire an entire department.
The silence lasted less than a minute before Raghav cracked.
"Jiju, look, it was an accident! The waiter swapped the trays. We swear!"
"An accident?" Avyukt repeated calmly.
Somehow, that was even scarier.
"My wife was handed four glasses of vodka under your supervision."
"We tried to stop her!" Ruhi squeaked immediately. "But Bhabhi turns into a wrestler when she's drunk. She literally pushed Raghav into a flower pot."
Raghav rubbed his shoulder dramatically.
"Exactly! Di, I'm your younger brother. You're supposed to protect me, not launch me into landscaping. I'm the real victim here."
I closed my eyes.
I wished the floor would open and swallow me whole.
Siya finally looked up.
"We're really sorry, Jiju. We didn't mean to cause any problems."
Avyukt let out a slow breath.
"My reputation survived. My clients actually found the entire situation entertaining."
The three of them visibly relaxed.
"However," he continued, "that is not the point."
The relaxation disappeared instantly.
"Raghav, you were supposed to keep an eye on your sister."
He took a single step forward.
Raghav visibly gulped.
"If anything like this happens again, your interview gets canceled by my firm. Ruhi's pocket money gets frozen for six months. And Siya..."
Siya looked horrified.
"I'll inform your parents about that secret trip you're planning."
All three gasped.
"Jiju, that's tyranny!" Raghav complained.
"That's final."
A tiny smile finally appeared on Avyukt's face.
"Now leave before I decide to show everyone the video from the car."
The room went silent.
"There's a video?" Raghav asked excitedly.
His eyes practically sparkled.
"Jiju, please send it to me. I can blackmail Di for years."
"Out."
The single word sent all three scrambling toward the exit.
Before leaving, Raghav winked at me and ran for his life.
A few seconds later, the front door slammed shut.
Silence settled over the house once again.
I finally looked up.
Avyukt was staring at me with obvious amusement.
"You know," he said casually, "for someone who claims she remembers nothing, your performance was remarkably confident."
My face instantly turned red again.
And judging by the look on his face, I knew I was never going to hear the end of it.
My breath caught in my throat at his words. My eyes widened in panic as I looked up at him.
"Avyukt... please tell me you're joking," I said. "Tell me you don't actually have a video."
Without saying a word, Avyukt reached into his pocket and pulled out his iPhone. That familiar, dangerous smirk was still firmly in place. Unlocking the screen, he opened a file and held the phone directly in front of me.
The moment the video started playing, I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.
It was the car's dashboard camera footage.
On the screen, I was aggressively pulling at his expensive suit jacket with both hands, one leg casually thrown across his lap as I stubbornly complained,
"I said take off this outfit right now! I hate it!"
To make matters worse, the camera had captured everything in perfect detail.
It showed how patiently Avyukt had adjusted my legs so I wouldn't slip and how he had gently held both of my hands in one of his while trying to keep me from falling over.
Then his calm voice came through the speakers.
"Stay calm. Once we get home, I'll take care of it."
"Oh my God..." I groaned.
I immediately covered my face before squeezing my eyes shut in embarrassment.
Unable to watch another second, I leaned forward and rested my forehead against his shoulder.
"Delete it, Avyukt. Please," I pleaded. "Right now. If Raghav ever sees this, I'll never hear the end of it."
A soft laugh escaped him.
Sliding the phone back into his pocket, he looked down at me with genuine warmth in his eyes.
"Delete it?" he repeated. "That isn't going to happen."
I looked up in disbelief.
"Why?"
"Because it's important to me."
The amusement in his expression softened into something much more sincere.
"It's the first time you were completely honest about what you were feeling without putting up any walls."
My pulse quickened.
"I was just being difficult."
"No," he said gently.
Reaching up, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
"You were being yourself."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The teasing smile remained on his face, but there was also reassurance in his gaze.
"And from now on," he continued quietly, "I want you to remember that you don't have to hide anything from me. Whatever it is, we'll handle it together."
The words settled warmly in my heart.
A moment later, he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead—a simple gesture that carried more comfort than any grand speech could have.
Standing there with him, I felt the lingering awkwardness and misunderstandings of the past slowly fade away. In their place was something steadier: trust, understanding, and the comforting certainty that neither of us had to face things alone anymore.
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