तेरे द्वारे पे आई बारात..
तेरे द्वारे पे आई बारात..
प्रेम के मोती लूटा दे
नैन स्वागत मे बिछादे..
प्रेम के मोती लूटा दे

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Chapter 16 is already out on scrollstack. Link is in our Instagram and Wattpad bio. Complete the vote target for next chapter, this is last time I am updating without completion of Target. And I am serious.

The entire room looked like a battlefield, but instead of fallen warriors, it was a mess of unconscious bodies in the weirdest sleeping positions possible.

Siya had somehow managed to take over the couch, but in the most ridiculous way. Half her body was on the couch, while the other half was literally hanging in the air. Every few seconds, her hand would twitch, making it look like she was about to fall... but somehow, she stayed in that gravity-defying position.

The highlight of the night was undoubtedly Shashwat and Reyansh, who had managed to sleep together in the most ridiculous pose possible. Reyansh's head was resting on Shashwat's stomach, as if it was a custom-made pillow. Shashwat's arm was draped over Reyansh's face, covering half of it. Their legs were completely tangled, making it impossible to tell where one person ended and the other began.

Meanwhile, Kanak had fallen asleep sitting on the DJ console. Her head was tilted at an awkward angle, and every now and then, a small snore would escape her mouth.

Akash had somehow ended up sleeping with his feet literally SMASHED against Vihaan's face. Vihaan's leg was resting on Akash's chest, as if he had just casually kicked him mid-sleep. Every time one of them exhaled, the other flinched but stayed asleep.

Richa, sleeping with her mouth wide open, was completely unaware of the situation. Her head bobbed up and down slightly every time Arushi moved.

Meanwhile, on the floor, Arav had ended up sleeping on his stomach, back facing the ceiling. Ritika was literally sitting on Arav's back like he was a freaking cushion. Her arms were crossed. Her head was tilted to one side, mouth slightly open.

Arav twitches every few minutes, but for some reason, doesn't wake up.

Divya had found a potted plant in the corner and had wrapped herself around it. Her arms were tightly wrapped around the pot. One of the leaves was sticking into her ear, but she didn't care.

Harsh and Piyush were lying completely sprawled out, their heads resting on Gaurav's lap like little kids. Gaurav, who had been forced into this babysitting role, sat there, eyes half-open, wondering what life choices led him here.

Tara was sleeping peacefully... completely covered in blankets. She had taken at least three blankets for herself.

Kirti had tried to sleep on a chair but had clearly lost the battle with gravity. Her head was tilted backward at an impossible angle. One leg was hanging off the armrest, while the other was on the floor. Her mouth was open just enough for a fly to enter. At one point, she twitched and almost fell but somehow stayed in place.

Shreya had fallen asleep upside-down on a bean bag. Her head was on the floor, and her legs were over the bean bag. Her arms were stretched out dramatically, like she had fainted in a TV serial.

Manav was lying on the couch like a corpse. His arms were crossed over his chest. His legs were straight, perfectly still. He looked like he was waiting for someone to close his coffin lid.

Naman had tried to sleep on a chair, but it hadn't gone well. His half body was on the floor, His mouth was slightly open, and every now and then, he let out a soft snore.

The golden sunlight streamed into the messy hall, casting a warm glow over what could only be described as a battlefield except this one had no fallen warriors, only unconscious bodies sprawled across every available surface. The air carried the faint scent of something sweet and intoxicating bhang.

Harsh slowly stirred from his position, his head throbbing slightly from the aftereffects of last night's madness. He groaned, rubbing his temples as flashes of blurry memories flickered in his mind. Laughter, loud music, some sort of impromptu dance competition, and then... nothing.

He blinked, trying to focus his hazy vision, and the moment he took in his surroundings, his entire being froze.

What in the actual hell had happened here?

The hall was a complete disaster. Empty snack packets lay abandoned like forgotten dreams, overturned glasses were scattered across the floor, and there were shoes-so many shoes, none of them in pairs, all strewn about as if a tornado had passed through.

But the real horror? The sleeping bodies. And the bizarre positions they were in.

Harsh exhaled heavily, rubbing his eyes, as if clearing his vision would somehow make this insanity disappear.

"Ye sab kya ho raha aisa kya pee liya tha kal kuch yaad hi nahi aa raha...Darsh thandai laaya tha uske baad se bhul gaya sa ?" he muttered, still struggling to comprehend how everyone had turned into this mess overnight.

His gaze landed on the most horrifying sight of all.

And his soul left his body.

Right in front of him, in the most scandalous and shocking way possible, Shashwat and Reyansh were sleeping together.

Not just sleeping , tangled up in a way that defied all social and moral norms.

Reyansh's head was resting on Shashwat's stomach, like a peaceful baby seeking warmth.

Shashwat, in return, had his arm wrapped around Reyansh's face, covering half of it, as if cradling him in a bizarre, protective embrace.

Their legs were interlocked, forming a mess of limbs that looked like some weird human jigsaw puzzle gone wrong.

Harsh's brain malfunctioned.

His mouth fell open.

His hands trembled.

And then,

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

The entire house shook with his deafening scream.

Windows rattled. Birds flew away from the trees outside. A few sleeping bodies groaned in protest, but none of that mattered.

Because in that moment, Harsh was experiencing the biggest crisis of his life.

Harsh's piercing scream had done its job.

The once-peaceful battlefield of sleeping bodies began stirring in confusion.

Siya groaned, her body teetering and she fell from couch.

"Mummy!!" She rubbed her head and back.

Richa's sleep-fogged brain finally registered something very, very wrong.

Something was inside her nose. Something soft and wiggling.

A strange sensation tickled her nostrils, making her frown in confusion. Slowly, groggily, she turned her head,

And there it was. Arushi's toe's little finger inside her nose.

For exactly two seconds, Richa stared at this horror in pure disbelief. Her brain simply refused to process the absurdity of the situation.

"HAAAATTTT HARAMKHOOORRRR!!"

With all the strength she could muster, she smacked Arushi's leg away.

Arushi who woke up with Harsh's scream, still half-asleep and completely clueless, yanked her foot back in confusion. She blinked once. Twice. Then, realization dawned.

Her face twisted in disgust as she frantically wiped her foot on the bedsheet.

"CHEEE EWWWW!!!" she shrieked, now wide awake, shaking her leg like it had been cursed.

Meanwhile, Richa sat up in full-blown trauma mode, aggressively rubbing her nose as if trying to erase the memory of what just happened.

Arushi, now pouting, rubbed her leg where Richa had smacked her.

"Maine kya kiya?! Maar kyun rahi hai?!" she whined.

Richa gaped at her in outrage.

"Teri ungli mere naak me ghusi thi kamini kahin ki!!"

Arushi clutched her heart dramatically. "To gandi toh meri ungli hui na badi aayi!!"

Before Richa could throw something at her, another scream of pure agony and betrayal filled the room.

On the other side of the room, Vihaan was experiencing his own personal horror movie.

Something heavy. Something warm. Something oddly shaped was smushed against his face.

His groggy brain struggled to understand, but as his senses fully awakened, he realized-

Akash's foot was literally on his face.

Not just lightly resting. Properly, shamelessly, disgustingly smushed. Like Akash had claimed his face as a footrest.

"BHAIYAAA!!!" he screamed in horror, violently jerking Akash's foot off his face.

Akash, still groggy, blinked at him lazily, completely unfazed.

"Kya hua be? Sab chilla kyun rahe abhi uncle ab tu bhoot aa gaya kya?" he mumbled, yawning.

Vihaan sat up so fast he nearly got whiplash, staring at Akash like he had just committed a war crime.

"kya hua?! kya hua?! Aapka pair mere chehre pe tha!!" he shrieked, looking truly traumatized.

Akash, now fully awake, glanced at his own foot and then at Vihaan's horrified face.

A slow, mischievous grin spread across his lips.

And then He wiggled his toes right at Vihaan. Vihaan's soul disintegrated.

"CHEEEE!!!" Vihaan gagged so dramatically it looked like he was about to pass out. He scrambled away as if Akash's feet carried the plague.

Akash snickered. "Sorry sorry, need me rakh diya hoga."

Vihaan, still gagging, shot him the dirtiest glare possible.

"Maaf nahi karunga iske liye!!" he declared, his voice shaking with pure betrayal.

Still shuddering, Vihaan ran out to the garden pool, dunked his face in the cold water, and scrubbed like his life depended on it.

When he returned, still looking a little shaken, Akash gave him a sheepish smile.

Arav finally decided that he had had enough of everyone's nonsense.

Still half-asleep, his head pounding from the bhang-fueled madness of last night, he groaned and pushed himself up, rubbing his temples.

But in his sleepy daze, he completely forgot one very, very important detail, Ritika was using his back as a mattress.

And the moment he sat up, THUD!! Ritika crashed down flat on the floor.

"Mumma lag gayi!!" Ritika yelped, grabbing her head in pain.

A loud gasp echoed through the room. Some half-awake idiots even sat up in slow motion, blinking in shock at the tragedy that had just unfolded.

Arav, still groggy, frowned and blinked down at her.

"Oh... tum neeche kaise gayi?" he mumbled, still processing the situation.

Ritika's jaw dropped. Her anger short-circuited her pain. She glared at him with the burning rage of a woman scorned.

"Kyunki tum uppar chale gaye patidev!!" she snapped.

Arav, now fully awake, looked at her like she was the one who had done something wrong.

"Meri back pe kyun padi thi? Mai koi bedsheet hun kya?" he asked with a blank face.

"'Arav Rajvansh' nahi, 'Bedsheet Rajvansh'!" Akash smirked, enjoying the entertainment at Arav's expense.

A few snickers echoed in the room. Someone even slow-clapped.

Arav, rolling his eyes, stretched his arms lazily.

"Very funny."

Ritika was still on the floor, muttering death threats under her breath.

Meanwhile, Shashwat and Reyansh were still deep in sleep. Still wrapped around each other like a pretzel.

Reyansh stirred. His sleep-fogged brain barely registered the chaos around him, His eyebrows furrowed.

Slowly he lifted his head. His vision was still blurry from sleep, but when he looked up.

"Ye Shashwat face se hath hata mere?" He said removing his arm from his face.

Shashwat's eyes fluttered open in confusion, Only to see Reyansh practically laying near him. Their legs still tangled.

"Kya khaya kal hamne mujhe samjh hi nahi aa raha hai!!"

Instead of freaking out, both of them just nodded in understanding.

Reyansh rubbed his temple. "Arre thandai pee thi na!"

Shashwat sighed and cracked his neck. "Usme kuch tha kya Varna aise kyun pade rehte ham?"

Reyansh pushed himself off Shashwat and stretched. "Chal, uth jaa. Warna log aur galat sochenge."

Shashwat grunted but didn't protest, casually untangling their legs like this was an everyday thing.

They both got up like nothing had happened.

Like they hadn't just woken up wrapped around each other in a way that made Harsh question his entire life.

Harsh's suspicion deepened.

Harsh narrowed his eyes.

No anger, no awkwardness, no yelling "CHIII EWWWW!!" like Vihaan did when Akash's foot landed on his face.

Instead, they just... accepted it. And that was what made Harsh even more sure.

Everyone finally noticed Harsh's weird expression.

Siya squinted. "Papa aap aise kyun dekh rahe hain aur itna chillaye kyun achanak?"

Harsh blinked. He had to cover up.

With the most casual tone, he said, "Haan... bas tum sab aise ajeeb se soye the isliye chilla diya."

Everyone nodded.

"Haan , sach me ajib soye the," Naman yawned, stretching her arms.

Piyush rubbed her eyes. "Pata nahi kya ho gaya tha kal... pura hall me hum sab alag tareeke se pade the!"

"Darsh thandai lekar aaya tha uske baad ham sabne usse piya tha phir kuch yaad nahi." Divya said, rubbing her temple.

And that's when Ishika looked around and realized,

"Arre Darsh kahan hai?" she asked, her eyes scanning the room.

Before anyone could answer. Shashwat and Arav marched in, holding Darsh by his ears.

Darsh squirmed between them, his face scrunched up in pain. "AHH! Bhaiya! Dard ho raha hai!" he whined, trying to pry their hands off.

But the two brothers remained firm, dragging him straight into the center of the hall like a criminal being brought to court.

The moment everyone saw Darsh, their eyes darkened. They all glared at him. The atmosphere was heavy tension filled the air.

The kind of tension that made Darsh gulp nervously.

His eyes darted around, looking for a possible escape route, but he was trapped.

"Kal thandai me kya tha?" Naman asked, his voice dangerously calm.

Darsh's breath hitched. Sweat formed on his forehead. His mind raced to find an excuse.

But before he could think of something good.

Piyush's sharp gaze locked onto him. "BOL!"

With the most innocent, sheepish expression, he stammered out

"W...wo Papa... actually... wo mai lene gaya tha na... to galti se... wo packet utha laya jisme bhang mili hoti hai."

"Galti se?!" Kirti exploded. "Galti se poora packet utha liya?!"

Piyush shook his head in disbelief. "Dekh ke nahi laa sakta tha?! Kal shaadi hai, aur hum yahan do baje dopahar tak so rahe hain kal se!"

Darsh pursed his lips. "Sorry chote papa..." he mumbled, his voice small.

To add to the drama, he even pouted, looking down like a guilty child.

Shashwat flicked his forehead.

"Galti se hi sahi galti hui hai aur punishment milegi!" he declared.

Darsh's eyes widened. "Kya?! Kaisi punishment?!"

Akash smirked. "Kal shaadi ki saari extra duties tu karega!"

Darsh gasped. "Kyunnn!!"

Shashwat patted his back. "Bhai, jo kiya hai usse bhugatna to padega!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Darsh groaned loudly, dramatically falling onto the sofa.

Shashwat rolled his eyes. "Overacting mat kar, chal kaam pe lag!"

The preparations were in full swing as the groom's side began packing their belongings, ready to shift to another guest house before the baraat would set off. The whole place buzzed with excitement - laughter, chattering, and the shuffling of bags echoing in the air.

Amidst the cheerful chaos, Arav sat on the couch, his arms folded across his chest, sulking like a child denied his favorite candy. His eyes flicked towards the door every now and then, hoping for one glimpse of her.

It had been hours since the haldi ceremony, and he hadn't seen Ritika even once after that. The mere thought of not meeting her before they left gnawed at him, making him all the more restless.

Kirti walked into the room, holding a small velvet box wrapped with a golden ribbon.

"Oh no... I completely forgot to give these to Ritika! These are the gold bangles mummy asked me to hand over before the baraat." She sighed.

Arav's ears perked up at once. He shot up from his seat, trying to mask his excitement.

"I... I can give them to her if you want," he said, acting as if he was doing the biggest favour of his life.

Kirti glanced at him, raising a brow. Before she could respond, Shashwat - who had been leaning casually against the wall - smirked knowingly.

"Baith jaa chup chap... chance maarne ki zarurat nahi hai." He drawled, snatching the box from Kirti's hands.

Arav glared at him, narrowing his eyes.

Suddenly, a familiar soft voice echoed from outside the room, making Arav's heart leap in his chest.

"Bhabhi?"

His head snapped towards the door like a magnet - the world around him fading into nothing. But before he could even get up, Darsh and Arushi - the self-proclaimed security guards of the bride - practically jumped in front of him, blocking his view completely.

Arushi's dupatta flared as she stretched her arms wide, grinning from ear to ear.

Darsh crossed his arms, his chest puffed out dramatically.

"Kya hua, bhabhi?" Darsh asked, all too sweetly - like the most loyal protector.

Ritika stood at the doorstep, her face still glowing from the haldi. Strands of loose hair framed her face, while her yellow lehenga hugged her petite frame perfectly. Her eyes darted behind Darsh and Arushi, trying to peek inside - already guessing why they were standing like shields.

"Wo mummy ne ye diya tha... Badi maa ko dena tha." She said, holding out a small pouch with shy eyes.

Arav's eyes softened at the sight of her - his fingers unconsciously curling into fists, dying to just have one glimpse of his sunshine before leaving.

But before he could even shift to the side...

Akash, the third musketeer ,casually stepped forward, blocking the little gap Ritika was trying to peek through.

"Ham de denge, bhabhi." Akash beamed, his smile way too wide to be innocent.

Ritika's smile vanished in an instant, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Bye bhabhi! Baraat me milte hain!" Arushi waved dramatically, grinning from ear to ear.

Ritika's jaw clenched, her eyes blazing with mock fury.

She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to a low murmur, just loud enough for them to hear.

"Chun chun ke badla lungi tum sabse..."

The three devils froze, their grins faltering for a second. But before they could react, Ritika tossed her hair over her shoulder.

Arav's heart sank as she disappeared, his fingers curling around the edge of the couch tightly.

"Yeh tum logon ki wajah se hua hai!" He snapped at the trio, his face red with frustration.

Darsh grinned, throwing his arm around Arav's shoulder.

"Chinta mat kar dulhe raja... milna toh hoga hi shaadi ke baad."

Akash, Darsh, and Arushi started dancing