Chapter 24 Questions Without Answers
The laughter at the farmhouse refused to die down.
After the cricket match...
The younger members wandered toward the lakeside while the elders remained beneath the gazebo, chatting over tea.
Karan suddenly clapped his hands.
"One last game!"
Riya groaned dramatically.
"Please don't say cricket again."
"No."
He grinned mischievously.
"Antakshari."
Vivaan laughed.
"You're only choosing that because you can't lose."
"I never lose."
"You definitely do."
Within seconds...
Both teams were formed.
The Rathore family erupted into songs, laughter, and playful arguments.
Even Mahendra, who rarely sang, was forced into joining after Sunita insisted.
Rajveer shook his head in amusement.
"This family hasn't changed."
Savitri smiled warmly.
"And I hope it never does."
Aadhira quietly sat beside Devayani and Savitri, listening rather than participating.
"Bahu."
Savitri gently nudged her.
"You have to sing."
Aadhira immediately shook her head.
"I don't sing."
Karan protested.
"That's against the rules."
"There are rules?"
"I just made them."
Everyone laughed.
Unable to refuse everyone's insistence...
Aadhira finally agreed.
She softly sang an old melody.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just enough for everyone nearby to hear.
The surroundings gradually fell silent.
Her voice carried a quiet warmth...
Gentle...
Calm...
Almost melancholic.
When she finished...
Nobody spoke for a few seconds.
Finally...
Rajveer smiled proudly.
"Our bahu hides many talents."
Aadhira lowered her eyes.
"I've always preferred listening."
Arjun unknowingly found himself looking at her.
He had expected many things.
A beautiful singing voice...
Wasn't one of them.
As evening approached...
The servants prepared snacks near the lakeside.
Vivaan excitedly gathered everyone.
"Group photo!"
Within minutes...
Everyone stood together.
Karan deliberately made a funny face.
Riya smacked his shoulder.
"At least behave for one picture."
"I am behaving."
"You call that behaving?"
The camera clicked.
Then another.
Then another.
One after another...
The photographs captured smiles that had become rare over the years.
While everyone admired the sunset...
A little girl from a nearby village accidentally tripped near the rocky path.
Before anyone else reacted...
Aadhira hurried forward.
She gently helped the crying child stand.
"It's alright."
"You'll be fine."
The little girl had only scraped her knee.
Aadhira carefully cleaned the dirt away with her handkerchief before asking one of the staff members to bring the first-aid box from the farmhouse.
She patiently bandaged the small wound.
"There."
"Better?"
The child nodded shyly.
Aadhira smiled and handed her a chocolate from her handbag.
The little girl's tears disappeared instantly.
"Thank you, Didi."
Her mother repeatedly thanked Aadhira before leaving.
From a short distance away...
The Rathore family watched silently.
Savitri's eyes softened.
"She has a beautiful heart."
Rajveer nodded.
"Kindness like that..."
"...cannot be pretended."
Arjun remained quiet.
He simply watched Aadhira return as though nothing unusual had happened.
Soon...
It was time to leave.
The journey back to Rathore Mansion was much quieter.
Vivaan fell asleep during the drive.
His head slowly leaned sideways...
Until it rested on Aadhira's shoulder.
She looked down for a brief moment.
Then gently adjusted his position so he could sleep comfortably.
She never woke him.
Arjun noticed everything from the driver's seat.
He didn't say a word.
Nearly an hour later...
The cars entered Rathore Mansion.
Vivaan only woke after Karan lightly tapped his shoulder.
"We're home, Sleeping Beauty."
Vivaan blinked sleepily.
He looked at Aadhira in embarrassment.
"...Sorry, Bhabhi."
She smiled faintly.
"You were tired."
"Thank you."
He quietly walked inside.
Dinner that night was filled with stories from the picnic.
Karan exaggerated every single moment.
"I would've won the match if the sun wasn't in my eyes."
Riya laughed.
"The sun was behind you."
"Exactly."
"It distracted me."
The dining hall echoed with laughter once again.
Aadhira mostly listened.
Occasionally smiling.
Occasionally replying.
Slowly...
Without anyone noticing...
She was becoming part of their conversations.
Not because she tried.
Because everyone naturally included her.
Later that night...
The mansion gradually fell silent.
Arjun stepped onto the balcony outside his room.
The cool night breeze brushed past him.
His thoughts unexpectedly wandered back to the farmhouse.
Aadhira laughing.
Aadhira singing.
Aadhira helping the little girl.
Aadhira encouraging Vivaan.
None of it matched the image he had formed before their marriage.
He had expected someone distant.
Cold.
Difficult to understand.
Instead...
Every passing day revealed another side of her.
A side she never spoke about.
A side that quietly appeared whenever someone needed her.
He frowned slightly.
"Who are you..."
...he whispered to himself.
At that very moment...
The balcony door slid open.
Aadhira stepped outside carrying a cup of warm tea.
She seemed surprised to find him there.
"I'm sorry."
"I didn't know you were here."
Arjun shook his head.
"It's alright."
An awkward silence settled between them.
Neither knew what to say.
Finally...
Arjun spoke.
"You looked happy today."
Aadhira seemed slightly taken aback.
"It was... nice."
"You don't smile often."
She looked toward the moonlit garden.
"I forgot how."
Her answer was calm.
Simple.
Yet...
For some reason...
It lingered in Arjun's mind.
Forgot how to smile.
What kind of life makes someone forget something so simple?
He wanted to ask.
But stopped himself.
Some questions...
Couldn't be asked yet.
As Aadhira quietly walked back inside...
Arjun remained standing on the balcony.
For the first time...
He wasn't curious about her past because of suspicion.
He was curious...
Because he genuinely wanted to understand the woman who had unexpectedly become his wife.
Somewhere deep inside...
Without realizing it...
The first thread connecting his heart to hers had quietly been woven.