Chapter 34 A Journey Begins
The rest of the day passed in cheerful chaos.
For the first time in many years...
Rathore Mansion echoed with endless laughter.
Every servant hurried from one room to another.
Suitcases lay open in almost every corner.
And somewhere in the middle of all the excitement...
Poor Arjun Rathore had officially lost control over his own packing.
________________________
Inside Arjun and Aadhira's room...
Arjun entered carrying his laptop bag.
The moment he stepped inside...
He froze.
His neatly arranged wardrobe...
Was completely open.
His clothes were lying on the bed.
Two suitcases stood open.
Riya sat cross-legged on the floor.
Karan was folding shirts.
Vivaan was proudly holding a passport upside down.
And Aadhira...
She quietly stood beside the wardrobe, separating formal clothes from casual ones.
Arjun blinked.
"...What exactly is happening here?"
Without looking up...
Riya answered confidently.
"We're saving your honeymoon."
Karan nodded seriously.
"If we left packing to you..."
"You'd probably carry only business suits."
"And one toothbrush."
Vivaan proudly raised another tie.
"And Bhaiya doesn't know matching colours."
Arjun looked completely betrayed.
"Excuse me?"
"I've travelled alone for years."
Karan laughed.
"Exactly."
"You travelled."
"You never packed properly."
Riya held up two blazers.
"Bhai..."
"Black or navy?"
Arjun replied immediately.
"Black."
She rolled her eyes.
"I knew it."
"You only own three colours."
"Black..."
"Blue..."
"And slightly different black."
Even Aadhira lowered her head to hide a smile.
Arjun noticed it.
For a second...
He simply looked at her.
Somehow...
Seeing that tiny smile...
Felt strangely satisfying.
________________________
Vivaan suddenly ran towards Aadhira.
"Bhabhi...."
"Can I pack this teddy?"
He held up his favourite teddy bear.
"So you won't miss me."
Aadhira knelt in front of him.
"If I take Mr. Teddy with me..."
"Who will sleep beside you?"
Vivaan looked at the teddy.
Then at Aadhira.
Then sighed dramatically.
"I guess..."
"I'll sacrifice."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Aadhira gently patted his head.
"I'll call you every day."
"And when I return..."
We'll spend one whole day together."
Vivaan's face instantly brightened.
"Promise?"
"I promise."
He stretched out his little finger.
"Pinky promise."
Without hesitation...
Aadhira hooked her finger around his.
"Pinky promise."
Standing near the wardrobe...
Arjun quietly watched the scene.
Why...
Why did seeing her with Vivaan make his heart feel unexpectedly warm?
He couldn't explain it.
________________________
Just then...
Vikram entered the room.
"So..."
"My son has officially become unemployed."
Everyone looked towards him.
Arjun frowned.
"What?"
Raghav smiled.
"Your grandfather has declared a strict order."
"No office calls."
"No business meetings."
"No laptop."
He looked towards Aadhira.
"If this fellow even opens his laptop..."
"You have full permission to confiscate it."
Aadhira looked at Arjun.
Then calmly nodded.
"I'll make sure of it."
The entire room laughed.
Arjun looked at everyone in disbelief.
"So no one is on my side?"
Mahendra appeared at the door.
"I was."
"But then I remembered..."
"It's your honeymoon."
"So..."
"I'm on Aadhira's side."
Another round of laughter erupted.
Arjun placed a hand over his forehead.
"I've been outnumbered."
________________________
Meanwhile...
At Devraj Mansion...
The atmosphere was much quieter.
Meera carefully folded one of Aadhira's childhood dresses.
She had kept it safely all these years.
Rajesh entered the room.
"You still have it?"
She smiled sadly.
"I couldn't throw it away."
"There are some memories..."
"A mother simply cannot let go."
Rajesh looked at the tiny dress.
Then quietly sat beside her.
"I heard..."
"They're leaving for London tomorrow."
Meera nodded.
"I hope..."
"She's happy."
Rajesh remained silent.
After a long pause...
He finally spoke.
"Even if she made a terrible mistake..."
"I still miss my daughter."
Meera's eyes became moist.
"So do I."
Neither of them noticed...
Vedha standing silently outside the room.
Her expression remained unreadable.
After listening for a few seconds...
She quietly walked away without making a sound.
________________________
Back at Rathore Mansion...
Night slowly covered the city.
The suitcases were finally closed.
Everything was ready.
Tomorrow...
Arjun and Aadhira would leave for London.
Neither of them knew...
That this one-month journey...
Would slowly change two hearts...
In ways neither had ever imagined.
A Room... Meant for Love
After a long flight...
The plane finally landed in London.
As they stepped out of the airport...
A cool breeze welcomed them.
The evening sky was painted with shades of orange and purple.
Aadhira quietly looked around.
Although she had visited London many times ...
This visit somehow felt different.
It wasn't a business trip.
It was...
Their honeymoon.
A luxury car was already waiting outside.
The driver respectfully greeted them.
"Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Rathore."
"I'll take you to your hotel."
Arjun nodded politely.
"Thank you."
The drive through London's beautiful streets was peaceful.
Neither of them spoke much.
A soft instrumental melody played inside the car while both silently admired the city lights passing by.
...
Nearly forty minutes later...
The car stopped in front of one of London's most luxurious five-star hotels.
The grand entrance sparkled under golden lights.
Tall glass doors.
Fresh flowers.
Elegant fountains.
Everything reflected luxury.
The hotel manager personally came forward.
"Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Rathore."
"We're honoured to host you."
"We hope you'll enjoy your stay."
Arjun smiled politely.
"Thank you."
After completing the formalities...
A hotel staff member escorted them to the presidential honeymoon suite.
The elevator doors opened.
The attendant stopped in front of a beautifully carved wooden door.
He inserted the key card.
"Please enjoy your stay."
The door slowly opened.
The moment Arjun and Aadhira stepped inside...
Both stopped.
The suite looked breathtaking.
Rose petals formed a beautiful heart on the king-sized bed.
Fresh white lilies and red roses decorated every corner.
Soft candles flickered around the room, giving it a warm golden glow.
A bottle of sparkling juice rested inside an ice bucket beside two crystal glasses.
The large balcony overlooked London's glittering skyline.
For a few seconds...
Neither of them said a word.
Arjun cleared his throat.
"I think..."
"Our family planned even more than I expected."
Aadhira looked around the room.
"They certainly did."
There was an awkward silence.
Both of them looked at the bed.
Then...
At the rose-petal heart.
Then quietly looked away.
Almost at the same time...
They spoke.
"You can sleep on-"
Both stopped.
They looked at each other.
Arjun couldn't help smiling.
"You first."
Aadhira shook her head.
"No..."
"You first."
Arjun sighed lightly.
"I was going to say..."
"We should probably clean all of this first."
He gestured toward the bed.
"I don't think either of us wants to sleep on hundreds of rose petals."
For the first time that evening...
Aadhira let out a soft laugh.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't dramatic.
But it was genuine.
"I agree."
"They look beautiful..."
"But they won't be comfortable."
Without another word...
Both quietly began clearing the decorations.
Aadhira carefully gathered the rose petals into a basket.
Arjun blew out the candles one by one.
Within a few minutes...
The room returned to normal.
The bed was finally ready.
Arjun looked at it thoughtfully.
"It's large enough."
"There isn't any need for one of us to sleep on the sofa."
Aadhira nodded calmly.
"We're adults."
"We can simply share the bed."
"We'll keep to our own sides."
Arjun smiled faintly.
"That sounds fair."
Just then...
Aadhira's phone began to ring.
The screen displayed...
'Vivaan.'
A tiny smile appeared on her face as she answered.
"Hello?"
On the other side...
An excited voice echoed through the phone.
"Bhabhi!"
"Did you reach safely?"
"I've been waiting for your call."
Aadhira smiled warmly.
"Yes, Vivaan."
"We reached safely."
"The journey was comfortable."
Vivaan spoke rapidly.
"Dadaji said London is very beautiful."
"Did Bhaiya trouble you during the flight?"
Arjun, who was standing nearby, looked offended.
"I can hear you."
Vivaan laughed loudly.
"I wanted you to hear it."
Everyone at home laughed in the background.
Rajveer took the phone.
"Beta..."
"Enjoy your trip."
"Don't worry about anything here."
Savitri's voice followed.
"And remember..."
"Take care of yourselves."
"We'll be waiting to hear all about your adventures."
Aadhira's expression softened.
"Thank you."
"We'll call again tomorrow."
After exchanging a few more words...
The call ended.
The room became quiet once again.
Arjun looked toward the balcony.
"The view is beautiful."
Aadhira walked beside him.
Both stood silently, looking at the sparkling lights spread across London.
Neither spoke.
Yet...
For the first time since their marriage...
The silence between them didn't feel unfamiliar.
It felt...
Peaceful.
Perhaps...
This city wasn't just the beginning of a honeymoon.
Perhaps...
It was the beginning of two hearts slowly finding their way to each other.
End of Chapter 34