Double update because mood kharab tha and writing is my escape so now I'm feeling much better 😭

Happy reading 🎊!!!!

The morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of marigolds and incense as the preparations for the small pooja began. The entire palace was alive with activity—elders chanting, women in colorful traditional outfits moving around, and the younger lot trying to balance between enthusiasm and laziness.

Samiksha stood in front of her mirror, admiring her reflection with a bright grin. She was dressed in an ethereal, angelic white kurti with delicate golden embroidery, giving her a soft, radiant glow. Her hair cascaded in waves till her waist, and her jhumkas swayed as she twirled. But let’s be honest, getting ready wasn’t just about looking good—it was about getting the perfect pictures. It's the priority ofc.

And so, she posed.

One selfie. Not enough.

Another one. Still not right.

Fifteen pictures later, she finally got one that felt Instagram-worthy. With a smirk, she quickly uploaded it to her story with the caption:

"✨ Glowing and flowing 🌼"

Just as she was about to take more, Aarohi barged in, looking stressed.

"Sam! Please help me with my hair. It’s a mess!" Aarohi whined, dragging her toward the dresser.

Samiksha laughed, putting down her phone. "Acha baba, batao kya karna hai?"

As she worked on curling Aarohi’s hair, she didn’t realize that somewhere else, someone was about to have a mini heart attack because of her picture.

---

Meanwhile, Abeer was already dressed in a crisp kurta, the soft cotton fabric making him look effortlessly handsome. He was busy helping his mother arrange some last-minute things when a few relatives started noticing his hard work.

"Kya beta, tu toh kamaal ka ladka hai," an elder auntie praised, nodding approvingly. "Ek dum perfect husband material!"

Abeer chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, but before he could respond, Samiksha’s mother—who had been standing nearby—smiled knowingly and added, "Uski biwi toh bahut lucky hogi."

Abeer opened his mouth to say something, but his mind betrayed him. Because the first image that popped up in his head after hearing those words was—Samiksha.

Dressed in that soft, flowy kurti. Twirling. Smiling. Looking… breathtaking.

His ears burned as he quickly looked down, trying to suppress the blush creeping onto his face. Damn.

Luckily, he was saved from further embarrassment when he finished his work and finally got a moment to rest. With nothing else to do, he casually pulled out his phone and started scrolling through Instagram.

And then.

He saw her story.

His thumb froze over the screen as his eyes locked onto her picture.

She was… glowing.

He stared, completely lost in admiration, too lost.he took a screenshot but  in that exact moment—his thumb slipped.

LIKE.

His brain shut down. His soul left his body. Shit. Shit. SHIT.

He mentally facepalmed. Did I just—like her story? Oh my god.

Abeer: What the hell, Abeer?!

---

On the other hand, in a completely opposite reaction, Samiksha nearly dropped Aarohi’s curling iron when she saw the notification.

Abeer Rajvansh liked your story.

Her mouth fell open. Then, she squealed. Like an actual child.

"Oh my god. OH. MY. GOD!" she shrieked, jumping on her bed.

Aarohi blinked. "What? Kya ho gaya?"

"ABEER LIKED MY STORY!" Samiksha screamed, clutching her phone to her chest.

Aarohi rolled her eyes. "Bas itni si baat? Tu toh aise react kar rahi hai jaise usne shaadi ka proposal bhej diya ho!"

But Samiksha was already dancing through the corridors, twirling and singing random Bollywood love songs at the top of her lungs.

"Ek ladki ko dekha toh aisa laga~"

Relatives looked at her in shock. Cousins exchanged wide-eyed glances. Even the servants paused.

And in the midst of this, Abeer stood by the doorway, watching her chaos unfold.

Oh god. She was too much.

He shook his head, suppressing a smile, but he couldn’t deny—her happiness was kind of cute.

---

As the pooja started, the hall was filled with the soothing sound of shlokas and the fragrance of sandalwood. Everyone was settled, except for one person—Avya.

Ekansh tapped his foot impatiently. "Yeh ladki ab tak kahan hai?"

His mother muttered under her breath about scolding her later, but the moment Avya entered, all words vanished.

Dressed in a soft peach saree, with her hair loosely curled and a small bindi on her forehead, she looked like something out of a dream.

Ekansh’s breath hitched. He just… stared.

Abeer, noticing this, smirked and nudged him hard. "Bro, aap creep lag rahe ho. Blink toh kar lo."

Ekansh blinked. But yeah—he was doomed.

As the pooja progressed, Samiksha—being the most religious one among them—was especially enthusiastic about the rituals.

And then came the time for aarti.

It was Samiksha’s turn. She held the plate carefully, moving it in circular motions, eyes closed in devotion.

But suddenly—a strong gust of wind blew, causing the flame to flicker wildly.

In an instant, it leaned towards her, almost burning her hand—

But another hand covered hers.

Warm. Protective. Familiar.

She opened her eyes.

Abeer.

Their hands were joined around the aarti plate, his fingers lightly covering hers, shielding them from harm.

For a moment, time stilled. The chants faded, and all she could hear was the soft sound of her own heartbeat.

And then—

"Chalo ab dulha dulhan sath aarti karenge kyunki Jo bhi iss pooja mein ek saath aarti karta hai, unka rishta hamesha bana rehta hai," the pandit ji announced.

( A/n it's fictional 🤧👍🏻)

Samiksha and Abeer snapped their heads toward him. Then, their eyes met again.

And then—blush.

Big. Red. Blush.

Oh. Crap.

After the pooja, Vidyut and Aarohi were given the responsibility of distributing prashad.

Vidyut, being his usual self, was more focused on teasing Aarohi than actually doing his job.

"Tu prashad baant rahi hai ya modeling kar rahi hai?" he smirked, watching her adjust her dupatta.

She narrowed her eyes. "Shut up, Vidyut."

But as she turned, she lost balance, and in the next second—her lips brushed against his cheek.

A second of silence.

Vidyut froze.

Aarohi’s eyes widened.

His fingers touched the spot where her lips had been. And then—that damn smirk returned.

"Tera plan toh yeh nahi tha na?" he whispered, his voice dangerously low.

Aarohi, flustered beyond belief, quickly shoved a lado in his mouth and walked away, her cheeks burning.

Vidyut chuckled, savoring the moment.

"Interesting…"

__________________________________________

Just letting my delusion flowing with the words .....

Acha laga toh please comment kardo cutie pie 🥧🌷