Inside the room, Richa was walking back and forth nonstop. Her mind at that moment was running at the fastest speed. Everything that happened today… the way Siya suddenly started crying, the way her own mother insulted her bhabhi so much, the way a little while ago Richa, Ankit, Simran, and Sona were searching for Siya all over the house while she was sitting upstairs crying alone.

Richa kept pacing inside the room. she couldn’t understand what problem her own mother could have with a girl. A girl who had been fighting herself for so many days, fighting the whole world… and if she just wanted to be happy, then what issue did her mother have with that?

Richa wasn’t able to stand in one place. She wanted to go to Siya, she wanted to talk to her, she wanted to calm her down, but still… She was stuck here in this one room, walking in circles. Why? Because her bua had told her to leave Siya alone for a while. Richa’s feet were literally pushing her to run to Siya, but only because of her bua’s words, she was still stuck here, pacing.

Sona was also watching her pace like this. Sona herself was so stressed for her bhabhi, but she wasn’t the type to show her tension to everyone. She preferred to stay quiet instead of speaking between elders like Richa. Or to say it properly, she just didn’t have that courage to take anyone’s stand in front of everyone, not even her own.

“Didi bas karo. Why are you walking so much in the room? Seeing you like this is making me dizzy. Please sit in one place,” Sona said to Richa in frustration. Richa, who was already angry and tense, completely lost control hearing this.

She suddenly turned back and glared at Sona. She couldn’t believe that even in a situation like this, Sona was sitting so comfortably on the bed like she didn’t care about Siya at all.

“I am not like you… who sits like a princess on the bed even after so much has happened with your bhabhi,” Richa taunted her sharply. This badly hurt Sona. It wasn’t true at all. Sona was also feeling horrible, but instead of panicking, she was just sitting quietly because her mother, Simran, had told her to.

Hearing that, Sona got up from the bed and stared back at Richa. She felt hurt, how could Richa judge her character in just one minute?

“Please don’t say that, didi. I’m worried just like you. Siya bhabhi is also my bhabhi, and I love her too. I just… I can’t run around like you, and I can’t answer elders like you do. You know very well how scared I get to speak my mind,” Sona said. She had stood up to answer Richa, but soon her voice started becoming small and weak.

Sona tried to explain how she wanted to speak up, but her fear stopped her. She wasn’t as fearless as Richa. Richa could stand in front of the whole world for the people she loved… but Sona was the opposite.

Richa’s eyes softened, and she looked at Sona with a calmer expression. In a minute she realized that she was letting out some other built-up frustration on Sona. Getting angry at Sona right now wasn’t going to help. Instead, they needed to go to Siya, they had already left Siya alone for too long.

“You’re worried, I’m worried… then why are we fighting each other? Let’s go upstairs and talk to bhabhi. Staying here won’t do anything. We’ve already given her too much time alone. She must be crying so much right now,” Richa said immediately. And Sona also felt that Richa was right.

Staying here wouldn’t help. They needed to go up to Siya.

“Okay, let’s go… but be quiet or else mummy will see us. Then she’ll stop us again. I don’t know why she’s not letting us go upstairs,” Sona said. Both of them were confused by Simran’s behaviour.

Richa nodded, and both girls quickly, but carefully walked out of the room.

♡⁠♡

When Aditya was sitting calmly on the roof and looking at Siya, his phone started ringing. He saw it was Arman’s call. Aditya asked Siya for two minutes and quietly walked to the other corner. Siya kept watching him going away, with calm eyes. She couldn’t understand how a kid’s story lifted her mood so much.

It wasn’t really the story, but the way Aditya lovingly told it to her, sitting beside her, that made her mood so good. Now not even once were Swati’s words coming to her mind,  only whatever Aditya had said to her was running in her mind, and a smile kept coming on her face by itself.

On the other corner of the roof, Aditya had started talking to Arman.

“So what gift are you giving bhabhi?” Arman asked. He was very excited for Siya’s birthday. Aditya stood with his hand in his trouser pocket. Till now, not even the idea of a gift had come to his mind.

“What gift? What gift should I give her? Mama has already done everything. Nothing is left that I can do for her,” Aditya said slowly. The truth was, after everything that happened at home, Aditya’s mind wasn’t on the gift at all.

Arman’s face fell upon hearing this. He didn’t like at all that Aditya wasn’t giving any gift to his bhabhi.

“Kaisa husband h re tu? Your wife’s birthday is tomorrow and you are standing here like it’s your neighbor’s wife’s birthday!” Arman shouted with fake anger.

“Why are you yelling? It’s my wife’s birthday, so should I start dancing or what? You know I can’t choose gifts. And first you tell me why you are so excited. Have you ever given your own girlfriend any gift that you are thinking so much for Siya now?” Aditya took his girlfriend’s name. Suddenly he remembered how excited Arman was for Siya’s birthday, which was wrong, but no one in the family knew that Aditya had told Arman about his marriage. He was just scared that the family might find out.

“Oye! Why are you dragging my girlfriend into bhabhi’s matter? And anyway, my breakup has happened. I’m single now. And leave all that, tell me, will you give a gift or not? Look, I’m really excited. Tomorrow I will dance with bhabhi happily. Kal to stage per aag laga dunga, you’ll see,” Arman said, already imagining himself enjoying the party.

Listening to Arman’s excitement, Aditya felt shocked, because Arman was never this happy even on Kirti’s birthday, as much as he was for Siya’s.

“You were never this happy on Kirti’s birthday as you are now,” Aditya casually mentioned, and just hearing Kirti’s name made Arman’s face fall again because he didn’t like Kirti at all.

“Us chudail ka naam kyu le raha h? Keep your ex aside and focus on your wife. Got it? Now you have nothing to do with her. Keep your focus only on bhabhi,” Arman warned Aditya, because he absolutely didn’t want Kirti back in Aditya’s life.

“Alright, I’m not taking her name. Anyway, she is also coming tomorrow. And tomorrow we’ll meet again and check the gift together, something good that suits her, something useful for her, okay?” Aditya finally said. Hearing this, a smile came onto Arman’s face.

“Fine, just send me the location. I’ll come, okay,” Arman said. 

After that, Aditya cut the call and kept his phone back in his pocket.

Arman’s words kept spinning in his head, what kind of husband was he who hadn’t even bought a gift for his wife until now?

“You still need a lot more improvement, Aditya. Work more on yourself,” Aditya started saying to himself. He was trying with all his heart to somehow become worthy of Siya. He was fulfilling the promise he made to his mom, but he didn’t even realize when, in the middle of keeping that promise, he also started fulfilling the promise of this marriage.

He didn’t even realize when he got completely attracted to Siya. Now he observed every small movement of hers. When she felt good, when she felt bad, he started knowing everything. But he had only one fear… that if he went to express his feelings to her, and she again said something to break him, then? That’s why he tried to speak less and stay a little away from Siya, so that he could keep his own boundaries intact.

On the other hand, Siya was still looking in Aditya’s direction. She couldn’t see Aditya properly, nor could she hear his or Arman’s conversation, and honestly she didn’t even care about what they were talking about, she was just looking at Aditya. Her mood wasn’t like this because of the story, the reason behind it was Aditya… only Aditya. Her own husband, who maybe… maybe had started accepting her as his wife now.

But even today, somewhere in Siya’s heart, the same fear stayed, that she might make some mistake, and Aditya might start behaving with her the way he used to before. Now she has become habitual to Aditya. Aditya guided her in everything she did. He motivated her for every single thing. Now Siya couldn’t even think of staying away from Aditya for even a moment.

Siya was lost in her thoughts when she heard someone coming up the stairs. She took her eyes off Aditya’s figure and looked towards the stairs,  Richa and Sona were running towards her. As they came closer, the worry written on their faces was clearly visible to Siya.

And seeing Siya sitting down like that, Richa and Sona’s hearts almost stopped for a second. Richa had already assumed she made the biggest mistake by listening to Simran… that she should have come here much earlier. She thought Siya must still be crying.

Richa and Sona quickly sat down on both sides of Siya. Siya looked at them one by one. She couldn’t understand why both of them looked so worried when she was actually sitting here completely fine.

“Bhabhi, I’m sorry. I’m sorry bhabhi that I left you here alone. I’m the stupid one, I always say how much I love you, and still I left you here alone, sorry bhabhi,” Richa started speaking all at once. The worry in her voice was clear. Slowly, tears started gathering in Richa’s eyes and her head lowered in shame. She felt guilty for leaving Siya alone like this.

“AreyRo mat Richa. I’m totally fine, and I’m not alone. Aditya is also here with me.” The moment Siya said that Aditya was also here, a sparkle appeared in Richa’s eyes. She quickly lifted her head and looked at Siya because she couldn’t believe that Aditya was actually here with her.

Before Richa could say anything, Aditya’s voice came from behind.

“What are you both doing here right now?” Aditya asked, a little shocked, because he had never imagined seeing both his sisters sitting beside Siya like this. And both of them are so sad.

The moment Richa saw Aditya there, a new hope rose inside her, that now surely her bhaiya and bhabhi’s relationship would get better. Because she had started feeling that somewhere, Aditya had begun to like Siya… otherwise why would he be here with her this late at night?

Aditya came towards the three of them. Siya kept looking again and again towards Aditya’s face. As he was coming closer to her, her heartbeat was getting faster. Again and again, Asitya’s words were echoing in her mind, his voice, the comfort she felt with him, everything was giving Siya a strange peace. For Siya, these feelings were completely new, especially for Aditya.

While Siya was looking at Aditya, Aditya’s gaze also went towards Siya. The moment their eyes met, Siya blinked and lowered her eyes. She didn’t have enough courage to look into Aditya’s eyes. It wasn’t fear, just some strange feelings, shyness, a rush in her body that was troubling Siya again and again.

“Stand up, all three of you,” Aditya said, standing in front of them, because they were still sitting clinging to each other. Seeing the three of them like that, Asitya felt like laughing, even though he himself had been sitting the same way a little while ago.

Richa shifted her gaze from Aditya to Siya. The moment she looked at Siya, her eyes turned soft. An unfamiliar kind of love was visible in her eyes for her sister-like sister-in-law. She gave Siya a warm smile.

All three stood up slowly together, but they were still shorter than Aditya. Aditya stood there and kept looking only at Siya. How her facial expressions were changing again and again. When she looked at Aditya, her cheeks started turning red, shyness appeared in her eyes, and when she looked towards Richa and Sona, warmth and love for both of them reflected in her eyes.

“Come, let’s go downstairs. It’s already very late here. Now you three go and sleep. I’ll come to check at night. If I find all three of you awake. See what happens, tomorrow I’ll take your extra class. Understood?” Aditya said while looking at the three of them, because he knew that they used to stay awake late at night, gossiping and talking about other girls.

Aditya never felt this habit was healthy for them. He had told them many times, but no one listened, so this time he spoke in a very strict tone and even mentioned extra classes to scare them. Aditya knew very well that just the name of extra class was enough to scare the three of them and make them go to sleep.

Richa’s eyes widened at the name of extra class. She didn’t like it at all to study like school even during vacations. Siya lowered her eyes because she knew that if Aditya asked her any question, she wouldn’t have an answer. And Sona looked at her sister, because she knew that it was always Richa who didn’t let anyone sleep. Sona shot a sharp look at Richa and then made a face and lowered her head.

Aditya had been watching the three of them and he knew exactly what they were thinking. How their faces fell the moment he mentioned extra class. Even though Aditya knew their mood would be like this, still seeing their reactions made him feel a little disappointed in them in the name of studies. He rubbed his temples and shook his head, thinking that nothing could be done about them.

“Do you all want to sleep on the terrace tonight ?” Aditya spoke again, because all three were lost in their own thoughts and weren’t going downstairs. Hearing Aditya’s voice, all three looked up and nodded. Richa held Siya’s hand and started taking her from Aditya’s right side. Siya also quietly matched her steps with Richa, because she didn’t have the courage to stand in front of Aditya, not after hearing about studies at all.

As Siya passed by Aditya’s side, her hand softly brushed against Aditya’s sleeveless arm. The moment Siya’s cold hand touched Aditya’s warm arm, a current ran through his entire body. The instant Siya touched him, Aditya understood that these soft hands belonged to his wife. Aditya stood there, frozen, replaying that moment in his mind, how Siya’s hand had accidentally touched his arm.

The expression on his face was completely shocked, as if he had seen a ghost. For a moment, his body refused to believe that this moment had actually happened, but his heart wanted to feel that same thing again and again. Aditya who was scolding the three of them just moments ago was now standing there in shock himself. Just one touch having such an effect, Aditya had never imagined that his body could react like this from an accidental touch.

Siya was leaving that place in a rush. In her hurry to get out, she did not realize that her unintentional touch had awakened someone’s soul completely. Siya was only desperate to run away from there and curl up under her blanket to sleep. She had no idea that a single touch of hers had turned Aditya into a statue. That touch, which did not even last for a few seconds, had given someone butterflies in their stomach, and had awakened a longing for that touch again.

Siya was just running down the stairs in a hurry.

❥❥

Early in the morning, as soon as Siya opened her eyes, she saw Richa standing over her. Siya’s eyes widened in fear. She could not understand what Richa was doing above her. Richa’s legs were on either side of Siya’s waist, and she was holding flowers in her hands, ready to shower them on Siya. There was a victorious smile on Richa’s face, and her eyes were fixed on Siya’s face.

The moment Siya properly opened her eyes and her facial muscles moved, Richa started showering the flowers on her. Before Siya could understand anything, a chorus of voices reached her ears all at once.

“Happy Birthday, Bhabhi.”
“Happy Birthday, beta.”
“Birthday!”

Today was Siya’s birthday. Yes, today was Siya’s birthday, the same birthday over which there had been so much argument last night. Siya had completely forgotten about her own birthday. She did not remember that it was on this very day that she had come into her parents’ world, that she had seen this beautiful world for the first time.

Siya slowly moved her eyes around.

Beside Richa, Sona was standing on the bed, holding balloons, a wide smile on her face, her entire focus only and only on Siya. Sona’s breathing started to get faster. On the other side, Ankit and Simran were clapping, looking at her with love and care.

Seeing the excitement on Richa’s and Sona’s faces made Siya feel very good. She felt the peace she had been craving for so long. She was receiving the attention she had once stopped expecting years ago with her mother. Siya did not say anything; she was just watching, feeling everyone, feeling her parents within the four of them, or perhaps people who loved her even more.

Everyone was only looking at her. Whether this love was even written in Siya’s destiny or not, she did not know. Her face was completely blank. Her mind was empty, what to do, how to react. She did not know anything, because nothing like this had ever happened to her before. Never before had flowers been showered on her the moment she woke up.

Tears slowly filled her eyes as she saw everyone around her. She did not understand why she was crying, but she knew one thing for sure, this was the best birthday she had ever had.

“Bhabhi… bhabhi, a very very happy birthday to you. May God give you all the happiness of this world….no, all the happiness of all the galaxies, only to you!” Richa shouted loudly. She was still standing over Siya. Richa’s voice was loud, yet it sounded like sweetness in everyone’s ears. Her words touched Siya’s heart like flowers.

“My daughter,” Simran said as she came closer to Siya. Siya was still lying down. Hearing Simran’s voice, Siya turned her tear-filled eyes toward her. Her heartbeat was racing. All of this was very new for her, far beyond her imagination.

Simran came closer, bent down to Siya’s level, held her face in her hands, and pressed a warm, lingering kiss on her forehead.

“Happy Birthday, Siya… May God bless you with a life full of happiness. May you never have to face sorrow in your life,” Simran said. These were not just words, they were nectar for Siya’s ears and her heart. Mother… Siya was finally understanding what a mother’s love feels like.

As Simran stepped back, Siya’s gaze fell on Ankit, the man who had changed her world, who had brought her from one place to another entirely. Ankit came closer, held Siya’s hand in his, and touched it to his eyes like a prayer, like a savior. His face was calm, but inside Siya’s heart, a storm of emotions was rising.

The moment Ankit did that, tears flowed from Siya’s eyes, impossible for anyone to miss. Everyone knew why those tears had come out today.

“Happy Birthday, my child. You already have all the happiness, but now it’s our turn to have you. May God bless you with a life where you stay with us always, here, in this house, with everyone… with us…with your family,” Ankit said. His words were healing Siya’s heart. They were giving her faith that she now had a family, one that loved her, accepted her as their own, and wanted to make her theirs.

Siya slowly sat up. The morning glow had not yet left her face, but the tears in her eyes were visible to everyone. Richa moved closer and sat beside her, and so did Sona. Richa gently wiped away all the tears from Siya’s eyes with one hand and said,

“Bhabhi, there is no place for tears in your eyes anymore. They have to leave you forever, because from now on, all of us are here to wipe them away.”

There was a love in Richa’s voice that Siya had always needed, the love of a sister, who loves her sister more than her own life

Standing outside, Aditya was watching all this. His eyes kept moving away from everyone’s faces again and again and settling on Siya’s face. Although he could not see Siya’s face clearly, for him it was enough that he was able to see her at all. Aditya did not go to wish Siya because at that moment he was not as close to her as the rest of the family members were. Right now, Siya did not feel as safe with him as she did with everyone else.

But Aditya also knew that one day, that day would surely come when he would be standing in front of Siya, wishing her on her birthday. For now, he was wishing Siya only from a distance, through his eyes. There was no movement in his body, because at that moment his body was completely under Siya’s control. His emotions were being controlled by Siya, without Aditya even realizing it.

Aditya’s phone buzzed. He took his phone out of his pocket and looked at it, there was a message from Arman. Although Aditya already knew why Arman was messaging him, he still opened WhatsApp once and read the message.

Arman: “Londan se bike ride karka a raha tha kya? 😤”

After reading the message, Aditya shook his head, because Arman never really knew how to talk properly. His questions were always like this. Aditya took his Bullet’s key out of his pocket, looked at Siya properly one last time, and then left from there.

❥❥

Jay was sitting quietly in his room. Today he was very happy because today was the birthday of a very special person in his life

Siya.

She was not his, but even today, in Jay’s heart, there was the same love and respect for Siya that had been there before her marriage. Jay did not need to go in front of everyone to wish Siya. On every birthday of hers, he wrote all the feelings of his heart in a letter. Even when she was in the village, Jay used to write a letter on Siya’s birthday, thinking that one day, when Siya would come ahead in life, she would surely read all those letters.

But now, even thinking like that feels very wrong. Now Jay himself wished that God should never let Siya or anyone else ever read the letters he had written. In Jay’s eyes there was Siya’s image, and in his hand was a pen, which was dancing on the paper. Whatever was coming into Jay’s heart was getting written down, as if it was not paper but Siya herself, someone to whom he was not writing, but speaking and telling all his feelings.

After writing a full page, Jay folded that letter once and kept it in his diary, because now he had to face Siya’s truth. Now he had to wish Siya, normally, as if there was nothing in his heart, and honestly, this was a very difficult task for him.

Jay placed the diary on the table and kept the pen on top of it. Then he got up from his chair and went outside. Now he had to see Siya, he had to wish her. He wanted to see how Siya looked on her birthday, how much glow was on her face, what her mood was like, Jay wanted to see everything.
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"Ye paper kis chij ka h" the person left the paper, which slipped from the dairy

The person unfolds the paper and the first letter caught the person's eyes

"My love siya"

The person's eyes went at the end of the paper where

"Your unfortunate jay"

Written

The person's eyes widened in the shock