I wouldn't lie; I was actually happy to see my baby brother pay me a surprise visit after my best friends did the same yesterday, but I didn't want to drop down my guards and put Armaan in any kind of danger. I didn't care if I came as too over protective of him — I would do anything to make sure that he was safe.

"Why can't I stay?" Aru whined.

"Don't give me those puppy eyes; I am not going to succumb." I patted his cheek and told him to take care of him and Neeya.

"It is okay, Armaan. We can come again any time," Keerti assured.

"Yup. Afterall, it is our Reyna's home — we can come anytime, right Jeeju?" Upasana added and grinned at Yuvaan.

"Yes, you can come but you need to inform me beforehand or else you won't be allowed inside," I warned.

"Why so serious, Reyna?" Keerti furrowed her eyebrows and exchanged glances with Upasana and Armaan.

"I am just looking after you." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Okay, okay, Mom." Upasana shook her head in amusement and hugged me.

"We will miss you," Keerti pouted and joined the hug.

"I don't want to go," Armaan cried and wrapped his arms around us.

I smiled at all of them and promised that I would try to make out more time for them. My friends broke the hug while Armaan was still hanging to me like a baby monkey. I rubbed his back and once he was done crushing me to hell, he pulled apart and gave me a small smile.

"I will bring Mom and Dad next time." He smiled.

Mom and Dad? I will prefer if they never show me their faces again — they are dead to me.

Instead of saying what was on my mind, I nodded and bid them goodbyes. Keerti and Upasana exited the house and Aru also began following them but I stopped him and narrowed my eyes at him.

"What?" he asked and acted as if he didn't know.

"What about the goodbye kiss?" I questioned.

"We are not kids anymore, Di," he complained.

"Come here." I grabbed his head and told him to bend down.

Seeing no point in arguing with me, he obliged, and I kissed his forehead. "I love you, Aru."

"Love you too, Di," he resonated and hugged me again.

I walked him to his car, and after he got in, I waited for him to drive out and go on his way. My friends also left after having a last chat and it was time to get back to my current reality again. I returned to the living room and sat down in front of the TV.

"What are you doing?" Yuvaan queried as he came beside me.

"Tom and Jerry," I replied blankly and switched on the idiot box.

"Oooo, I want to watch too." He grinned and plopped down on the couch beside me.

Shaurya followed suit and made himself comfortable on the side sofa; he opened one of his work files and began reading. I flipped through the channels, and once I noticed that my favourite show was having a repeat telecast, I put the remote behind my back and relaxed in my seat.

"Why don't you watch anything else, Reyna?" Advait queried while taking a seat on the right side of Yuvaan.

"She will watch whatever she wants," Yuvaan told him and wrapped his left arm around my shoulders.

"Okay, loverboy." Advait put up his hands in surrender. "But on a serious note, why doesn't she watch anything else? She doesn't on purpose or she just can't?"

"What do you mean?" Yuvaan asked him in confusion.

"Why don't you say directly what's on your mind, Advait?" I inquired without taking my eyes off from the TV.

"Acid or Fire?" he quizzed instantly.

"Fire," I answered.

"Thank you for blessing me with your precious answer, Mrs. Raichand." He gave me a tight lipped smile and didn't ask me anything else after that.

"What do you like to watch, Shaurya?" I asked the lawyer who was brooding on a single page for the last ten minutes.

"Truth," he replied and looked up from the file he was going through.

"Such a typical answer," Yuvaan commented and rolled his eyes.

"Are you guys going to fight again?" Heena made a disgusted face and sat down beside Shaurya.

"We completely forgot about you, Monkey," Yuvaan teased.

Heena shook her head at him and joined me in watching my favourite animation series. I glanced at the human beings around me: my husband was laughing like crazy on every scene, Shaurya looked engrossed in whatever work he was doing, though I saw his eyes darting towards his phone every millisecond, Advait was zoned out while Heena was stealing glances at him without being too suspicious.

I turned my head towards Yuvaan and moved my body forward. Up close, I could see the area around his eyes wrinkle as he let the laughter encompass him, his loose strands of hair waving along with the movement. In between, he would scratch his stubble and hit Advait for no reason whenever a funny shot came up.

I didn't know how much time passed by as I kept staring at him before Heena yawned loudly and informed that she was feeling drowsy. She left the room and went upstairs to sleep, and when I noticed Advait, he was already fast asleep on the couch. Shaurya had closed his suitcase and was staring holes through his phone.

"Did you like the surprise?" Yuvaan asked me.

"No, I didn't," I lied and switched off the TV.

"I know why you didn't." He smirked. "I like the jealous Reyna."

"I am not jealous," I huffed and got up from the couch.

"Is that so?" Yuvaan followed suit and punched Shaurya across the head.

"Bastard," Shaurya grumbled but didn't react physically.

"I want to see what you have bought," Yuvaan said and grabbed my hand.

He directed me to my room and sat down on my bed like a king. He motioned for me to bring my shopping bags and show him what I bought using his credit card. I gave him the bags and sat behind him at a distance.

"Heena said you never checked women's bags," I mumbled.

"You are not any woman, Kitten." He winked at me.

"Hmm... These clothes look nice," he commented. "I want to see you wearing all of these."

"I am not doing a fashion show for you," I refused.

"I get the sarcasm." He looked over his shoulder and threw a tank top at me.

"Why did you waste my money if you aren't going to wear these clothes?" he complained and unloaded rest of the shopping bags on me.

"Yuvaan!" I yelled, but it didn't have any effect on him.

He threatened that he wouldn't leave unless I wore all of the stuff and showed him. After bantering for a good amount of time and me failing to push him out of my room, I decided to put my poor fashion sense on display. I was ready to chop Yuvaan's head off if he even thought about making fun of me.

I grabbed a bunch of similar looking clothes and went inside the washroom. I put on a yellow long sleeved pullover and denim shorts and pursed my lips at my reflection in the mirror.

(Reyna's outfit👆)

You look good, Reyna, then why do you look so scared? Don't worry, it is your husband waiting outside, not some stranger. It is just Yuvaan... what are you afraid of?

After contemplating for a while and checking out myself, I stepped out of the washroom really slowly and groaned when I saw Yuvaan sitting in the same spot like a saint. As soon as his eyes landed on me, his lips curled into a sly smile and he told me to come forward.

With heavy steps, I walked towards him and pulled my shorts down with so much force that they could have actually ripped. I stopped at two hands distance from my husband, who was busy roaming his raven eyes all over me.

"You look great," he said in a low voice.

"I don't," I replied.

"If I am saying you do, then you do, wifey." He got up and covered the space between us.

He braced his palms on my shoulders when I stepped back and turned me towards the dressing table beside my bed. He stood behind me and told me to take a deep breath; I did, and when he said the next words, I snapped my head at him so fast that he flinched for a moment.

"Never dress to impress other people, no matter how important they are," he repeated.

"I am not trying to impress you," I argued.

"Good then." He patted my head. "But why don't you look comfortable in what you are wearing?"

"I am comfortable..." I lied and tried to pull my shorts once again.

"I meant your skin, Reyna," he put weight in his tone and stared directly in my eyes.

"Look at your reflection and tell me what you see. For me, I see a girl who is trying to hide who she truly is and even though she isn't afraid of others, she is afraid of herself. Why is it like that?" he added and moved my head to look at the mirror.

In front of my eyes was a mirror, and my reflection in it — I saw myself, but I didn't at the same time. It was like a thin invisible veil covered it and prevented me from connecting with something that was my own part. That part was looking back at me and calling me to itself but I was too afraid to reconnect and let it take over my whole being.

Am I really afraid of myself? Why would I be scared of being me — true to me? Can I have my old self back just like my inner voice keeps telling me? Can I be that same Reyna again who had no fear expressing herself? Is it possible?

It is as long as you want it to be, Reyna. Remember, beginning or end, it is all upto you; it always has been and would always be.

I widened my eyes as I saw my reflection curling its lips into a beautiful smile and looking at me in assurance. I touched the mirror and traced that happy curve of lips and turned my head to look at Yuvaan.

Peck!

Yuvaan pecked my lips and tucked my hair behind my ear. "I was waiting to see that smile for so long, but it is way better than I expected," he said and pulled me in his arms.

"You don't have to hide yourself, Reyna." He moved his right hand behind my neck and descended his lips on mine.

I closed my eyes as he traced my lips with his and caressed my neck with his hand while holding me flush against him with his other arm wrapped around my waist. Just when I was getting lost in the moment, he broke the kiss and ran his thumb on my lower lip.

"I wish I could kiss you whole day," he said in a restrained voice.

'Why can't you then?' I thought.

Wow, Reyna, you sound so desperate. Come on, don't be shy; let your inner hoe out.

Shut up, bitch. It is all because of you that I am having perverted thoughts these days.

"I wish I could, but I am hungry," Yuvaan added innocently.

"What?! How can you be hungry after eating the breakfast like a caveman?" I scolded.

"Do you want me to die of hunger?" He faked hurt.

I rolled my eyes at him and strode out of the room. I sensed Yuvaan's stare on my back and told him to keep his eyes up - as expected, he didn't and followed me in the kitchen. As soon as I put the frying pan on the stove, I heard hurried footsteps behind me and soon, Advait was on the dining table with a disheveled look.

"Did someone say food?" He licked his lips. "By the way you are looking ho— I mean good, Reyna."

"Rickard called just a while ago," Shaurya announced while taking out a juice carton from the refrigerator.

"Grandpa?" My eyes lit up with excitement as his name landed in my ears.

Shaurya gave me a small smile and nodded before continuing. "He wants us to meet him tomorrow at the party."

"Which party?" Yuvaan questioned.

"Tammy's," Shaurya replied.

Yuvaan stiffened and refused to go. Shaurya didn't bother to ask further and started fighting with Advait who tried to steal his apple juice. I waited for Yuvaan to show some reaction, but he didn't and kept staring at his feet with clenched fists.

"I want to go to the party," I announced.

"You won't," Yuvaan said in a clipped tone.

"I will," I challenged. "I want to meet Grandpa. If you don't want to come, then don't, but I am going. Period."

"I will accompany you then," Shaurya offered and shot a smirk in my husband's direction.

"Are you afraid, Yuvaan?" I mocked and poked his cheek.

He grabbed my wrist and turned his eyes into slits. "Why would I be afraid of my past?"

Thank you for reading 🐢💗