22.

Mira’s POV

I grin and look at Abhiraj. "Did you hear everything?" I ask my eyes twinkling with mischief.

Abhiraj crosses his arms and nods. "Yes, I heard everything" he says then turns toward Dev, his expression unreadable. He takes a slow step forward, closing the distance between them.

"You hid this from me?" Abhiraj asks, his tone sharp but there’s a playful glint in his eyes.

Dev lowers his head, as if he’s just been caught committing a crime. His fingers fidget slightly and he avoids looking at Abhiraj. "It’s not like that. I was planning to tell you" Dev says in a small voice.

I press my lips together, trying hard to suppress my smile. The way they’re standing, one accusing and the other guilty, makes them look like a couple having a serious argument. It’s hilarious.

"Oh so you were planning to tell me?" Abhiraj raises an eyebrow, tilting his head dramatically. "By first telling Mira not to say a word to me, huh?" His voice turns teasing but he makes a sad face as if he’s deeply hurt.

Dev rolls his eyes and huffs. "Now don’t overact" he mutters, clearly annoyed.

Abhiraj narrows his eyes at him. "I think you’re forgetting something" he says, his lips curling into a smirk. "I’m jiya’s brother and I can easily choose someone else for her" He crosses his arms, challenging Dev with his gaze.

Dev’s expression hardens instantly. He takes a step closer to Abhiraj, his eyes dark and serious. "You wouldn’t dare" he says in a low voice.

Abhiraj's smirk widens. "Oh now you feel betrayed? That’s exactly how I felt when you didn’t tell me about your feelings for Jiya" he says, pouting like a child.

I watch them, biting my lip to hold back my laughter. They are literally the male versions of Jiya and me. The way they argue, tease and annoy each other.....it’s just like us.

I step in before their banter gets out of hand. "Abhiraj, drop this topic" I say, gently holding his hand. "Maybe Dev was just shy to tell you" I look up at him with a soft smile and Abhiraj turns to me, his face suddenly flustered.

"Yes yes! She’s right!" Dev immediately agrees, nodding quickly, eager to escape Abhiraj’s teasing.

Abhiraj narrows his eyes at him for a second, then sighs. "Fine. I’ll forgive you this time" he says acting all superior.

I shake my head, smiling at them. "Okay, now go to sleep both of you. Good night" I say giving them a pointed look.

They nod and walk toward their rooms, still throwing playful glares at each other.

I enter my room and see Jiya already asleep. Her soft breathing fills the quiet space and I smile as I watch her peaceful face.

I lie down beside her, gently tucking the blanket around her. My heart feels warm. My baby is going to get a big surprise soon, a happiness she never expected. She deserves everything. I wish I could give her my happiness too… if only that were possible.

I close my eyes, memories flashing through my mind. From school to college, from university to job....we’ve come so far together. And now a new chapter of our lives is about to begin.

I hope my baby gets all the happiness in the world.

Jiya’s POV

I come downstairs after getting ready for work. The living room is empty. My eyebrows pull together in confusion. Where is everyone? I wonder, looking around. The house is never this quiet in the morning.

My eyes land on the kitchen and I see Dev standing inside.

Dev Malhotra… in the kitchen?

A smirk tugs at my lips. Does he even know how to cook? The sight is so rare that my curiosity wins over. Jiya, you won’t get this chance again. Dev Malhotra cooking......what a beautiful scenario.

I casually step into the kitchen, pretending I am just passing by. His eyes catch mine the moment I enter. To my shock, instead of his usual serious look, he smiles at me.

Wait. What?

Am I dreaming?

He is smiling. And that too… at me?

"Good morning" he greets me his voice calm and relaxed.

I stare at him, blinking rapidly. Did he just… greet me? Somebody pinch me.

"Good morning" I whisper back still in shock.

The air fills with the mouthwatering smell of something delicious. My stomach growls slightly. I take a step toward the fridge but sneak a peek at Dev's cooking. What is he making?

I lean a little to get a better look. My eyes widen. Oh my goodness! Pancakes!

I lick my lips unconsciously. They look so fluffy and perfect. I love pancakes.

Before I can say anything, I hear voices from outside. Mira and Zar.

I quickly grab a juice bottle and step out of the kitchen. Mira sees me immediately and narrows her eyes.

"Why are you coming out of the kitchen?" she asks suspiciously.

I lift the juice bottle in my hand. "Just getting this" I reply casually.

Bhai looks at me. "Did you sleep well?" he asks, his voice warm.

I nod with a bright smile. "Yes I did"

Just then, Dev steps out of the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready" he announces loudly.

The helpers set the table and we all take our seats. I am about to start eating when Mira speaks up.

"You know, Dev made pancakes for you because you like them for breakfast" she says, grinning.

I freeze. My mouth falls open. Dev… made pancakes… for me?

I slowly turn my head and look at him. He is already looking at me. His lips curl into another soft smile.

What is happening today? He is shocking me again and again. Mira places a stack of pancakes on my plate. They look even more delicious up close.

I swallow and glance at Dev before whispering, "Thank you for this"

He simply smiles at me again. I narrow my eyes slightly. Something is wrong.

Maybe he slipped and fell in the bathroom while taking a shower. That’s why he is behaving like this.

And if that’s the case… he should fall every day.

I take a bite of the pancake and the moment it touches my tongue, my eyes close on their own. Heavenly. Absolutely heavenly.

Jiya, you are going to get a MasterChef as your husband soon.

A wide grin spreads on my face as I chew slowly, savoring the rich, buttery flavor.

I turn to Zar, who is sitting quietly, not touching his food. My eyebrows knit together. "Zar baby why aren’t you eating?" I ask reaching out to gently ruffle his fur.

But instead of answering, he just stares at me with the biggest smile on his face. His eyes are twinkling with something I can’t understand.

Why is he looking at me like that?

"Zaruuu baby, come to Mumma" Mira calls out, stretching her arms toward him.

Zar immediately jumps off his chair and rushes to Mira, climbing onto the chair beside her.

"Mumma will feed you today" Mira coos, picking up a spoonful of his food.

Zar opens his mouth wide, eagerly taking the bite, chewing happily.

I try to focus on my food but I can feel it. A steady, intense gaze burning into me. Why do I feel like someone is watching me?

I don’t even need to look to know who it is. Why is he behaving like this?

But then, a tiny voice in my head whispers, Isn’t this what you wanted, Jiya? I quickly shake off the thought and finish my breakfast.

After we are done, we head outside toward our cars. Just as I am about to get in, Dev speaks.

"Have a nice day" he says casually before slipping into his car.

I stop mid motion, my mouth falling open again. God, what is happening to him?

I get inside my car, still in shock. Mira is sitting beside me, watching me with a teasing smile.

"What is happening to him? Why is he doing these things?" I ask my voice full of confusion.

Mira simply shrugs, pretending to be clueless. "Maybe he wants to express his feelings to you" she says, smirking. "And this is just the start"

The moment the words leave her mouth, my stomach flips. Butterflies. A whole army of butterflies.

"Really?" I whisper my heart thudding in my chest. Mira nods confidently.

"And you should also stop making him jealous now" she adds with a knowing look.

I grin mischievously. "I’ll try" I say, but we both know the truth.

We burst into laughter, shaking our heads at each other.

After a while, we reach the company and get to work. But no matter how much I try, I can’t focus.

My mind keeps replaying everything. His smile. His stares. His words. Dev Malhotra is treating me differently.

And I have a feeling... Jiya, you’re going to die out of happiness today. For sure.

Mira's POV

I sit inside the conference room, surrounded by almost all the employees of our company. The room is filled with quiet murmurs as everyone waits for the meeting to start.

The heads of the company are seated at the main table, while the rest of us sit in the back rows.

Today's meeting is important. Our company is launching a new men’s wear collection, so everyone is gathered to discuss the details of the product.

As I sit there, waiting for the meeting to begin, Jiya leans toward me.

"Where is your Mr.?" she asks her voice teasing.

I turn to look at her, raising an eyebrow. "I don’t know. I’m with you" I reply. "And he’s your brother. You should know where he is"

Jiya’s lips curl into a mischievous smile. "I’m his sister. But you are his Mrs"

I try. Trust me, I try. I try my best not to smile, not to blush.

But I fail.

Before I can say anything, everyone in the room suddenly stands up.

I snap my head toward the entrance and see Abhiraj walking in, his presence demanding attention. Beside him walks Miss Khurana, the head of the clothing section.

She is a woman around 27 years old, talented and confident.

As soon as Abhiraj gestures for everyone to sit, we all take our seats again.

He sits at the head of the table and beside him, Miss Khurana takes her seat. Zar is also in his chair, his rightful place.

The lights dim and the projector turns on. The meeting officially begins.

But I don’t like this.

Why is Miss Khurana sitting beside him? He is the owner. He should sit alone like a king. Why is he allowing her to sit beside him?

Jiya leans in, whispering close to my ear "Because she’s the one launching today’s design. And she’s also going to explain everything to Bhai."

I nod absentmindedly, accepting her words. But then reality hits me. My eyes widen as I turn to Jiya. She is smirking. A knowing smirk.

"Your jealousy is clear on your face" she whispers. I scoff and look away.

Jealous? Me? I try to focus on the meeting. I really do. But it’s not possible.

Because Miss Khurana Turana is looking at my man instead of the projector.

Control, Mira. Control.

She is looking at him, not at Abhiraj. Abhiraj’s focus is only on the projector. I glance at Zar, I notice something that makes me happy.

His eyes, they are also on Miss Khurana Turana. My boy is glaring at her. But she? She is too busy admiring my man.

Can’t Abhiraj feel that a woman is looking at him like that? He should stop her, na? Or maybe… he is enjoying it. Enjoying her stares on him.

I narrow my eyes and turn to the projector angrily. My heart feels heavy.

I want to cry. Why is she looking at him? He’ll catch evil eyes at this rate.

I have to tie a black thread on his wrist. I know it won’t actually work but still… I can’t compromise when it comes to him.

I suddenly feel someone’s gaze on me. I turn my head, half-expecting Abhiraj to be looking at me.

But no….It’s my baby tiger. Zaru. Zar is staring at me, his little eyes sharp and watchful.

Meanwhile, Abhiraj is talking to Miss Turana. The lights turn back on and now everyone’s focus shifts to Abhiraj and Miss Turana.

Miss Turana stands up and starts explaining something. I don’t even bother listening.

My eyes are on Abhiraj. He is looking at his iPad, not at her.

Good.

"I hope you like the designs, Mr. Rajvansh" she says sweetly before sitting down beside him.

Abhiraj gives a small nod.

But then he speaks. "These two designs....I don’t want them" he says, pointing at the iPad.

She nods quickly. "Of course, sir"

Abhiraj leans back and announces "The launch date for our new collection is 15th November"

The room erupts in applause. I clap too, feeling proud of my man. But before the claps even die down, Miss Turana turns to Abhiraj.

"Congratulations, Mr. Rajvansh" she says, stretching out her hand.

I hold my breath. But my man is loyal.

He simply nods at her. Doesn’t shake hands. Pure satisfaction. The meeting ends and Abhiraj starts walking out of the conference room.

Miss Turana follows him.

Why?

I instantly get up and follow them. I trust my man. But not Miss Turana. The guards see me approaching and move aside, letting me pass. I stop at a safe distance.

"Abhiraj" I hear Miss Turana’s voice.

Abhiraj turns around, probably about to say something.

But then….His eyes find me.

His lips curve into a smile.....instantly. My heart does a little flip. Then Miss Turana speaks again. And ruins the moment.

"Are you free tonight? Can we go for dinner?"

My blood boils. The moment the words leave her mouth, I glare at Abhiraj.

Then, without waiting for his response, I turn on my heel and walk away.

I know he is irritated by her. But still, I glare at him before leaving.....just to remind him that he belongs to me.

I have full trust in him. He will never cheat on me. But I am a girl, na?

So, of course I’ll act like a stubborn lady. With that thought, I flip my hair dramatically and march away.

Even though I’m angry at Miss Turana, I know Abhiraj will surely put her in her place.

When I reach my floor, I go straight to my desk. Jiya looks at me, her eyes questioning. "Where were you?"

I smirk. "Nothing… just planning to tease your brother" She grins and gives me a thumbs-up. We both start laughing.

Abhiraj's POV

I lean slightly toward Miss Khurana, my gaze cold and sharp.

"I think you forgot who I am" My voice is calm but the warning is clear. "And who gave you permission to call me Abhiraj?"

She blinks, then gives me an awkward smile.

"I'm sorry for that" she says, trying to act all innocent. I roll my eyes.

"Be professional at your workplace" I say, my tone dead serious. "Or else I won't think twice before showing you where you belong, Miss Khurana"

Her face pales slightly but I don’t wait for a response. I turn around and walk straight to my cabin.

The moment I step inside, I pull out my phone and call my baby.

She doesn’t pick up. Instead, she cuts the call. I stare at my screen for a second.

Then, I call again. She cuts it again. I exhale sharply.

"Ahhh Zar… your mother is angry with me" I mutter, running a hand through my hair.

I glance at my white tiger, expecting at least some sympathy. But he doesn’t even look at me.

He just turns around, shows me his back and lazily walks toward his couch. Then he lies down like a king.

Like mother, like son.

I sigh and move to my desk, sinking into my chair. Throughout the meeting, I felt her eyes on me.

But I wanted to tease her a little. That’s why I didn’t look at her when she was watching me.

But I didn’t know my little plan would backfire like this. I open the CCTV feed of her desk.

She’s completely focused on her work, typing away like nothing happened. I call her again and keep my eyes on the screen.

She picks up the phone.......Then cuts it again, this time with extra force. She throws her phone to the side.

I loosen my tie, gulping. She is so angry. And damn, she looks hot.

But this much anger? Not good for my health. I glance at the clock. Just two more hours.

Then I’ll make her talk to me. Because I can’t stand her being mad at me. I open a file, trying to focus on my work. But my mind keeps drifting back to her.

After what feels like forever I finally push back my chair.

"Let's go Zar" I say. Zar gets up immediately and follows me out of the cabin.

We step into the lift. I call her again. She cuts it. I smirk, shaking my head.

The lift doors open and I step out....just in time to see her walking to her car.

She gets in and closes the door. No worries, baby. I'll make you talk to me. Just wait.

Your man is coming.

I walk toward my car, my expression cold and unreadable. Sliding into the driver’s seat, I let out a sigh.

"What happened?" Dev asks glancing at me. I shake my head, exhaling deeply.

"Mira is angry with me because of Miss Khurana" I say. Dev bursts out laughing.

I turn my head and give him a serious glare. He quickly clears his throat, wiping the amusement off his face.

"Bro, be ready to face Mira" he says shaking his head like he already knows my fate.

I glare harder. The car starts moving, and I pull out my phone, calling Mira again.

She cuts it. Again.

"Stop at a flower shop" I tell the driver. He nods and changes the route.

"Flowers and all huh?" Dev teases raising an eyebrow. "Our big, bad mafia boss is turning into Romeo"

I roll my eyes. Zar, who has been sitting quietly, suddenly bears his sharp teeth. Then he looks at me with a teasing glint in his icy eyes.

"You white tiger, Zar… wait till your mother gets mad at you one day" I say, narrowing my eyes.

"Then I’ll be the one laughing at you" Zar simply ignores me. The car stops in front of a flower shop.

I step out, walking inside without a second thought. The moment I enter, all eyes turn toward me.

Some people freeze, their expressions turning shocked and fearful. A man.....probably the shop owner.......comes running toward me.

"Y...yes sir! How may I help you?" he asks his voice slightly trembling.

I glance around, scanning the shop. Mira loves every kind of flower. So, I should get her a mix of everything.

"Give me a huge bouquet with every flower in this shop" I say.

The owner nods rapidly and rushes to get it ready. I turn to Dev, smirking.

"Look you’ll have to do this too when Jiya gets mad at you" I say. Dev crosses his arms, smirking back.

"I won’t do anything that will make her mad" he says proudly. I scoff.

"We’ll see about that." Then I grin, remembering something.

"Didn’t you once say you’d never let a woman control you?" I raise an eyebrow. "And now look at you"

Dev’s smirk vanishes. He looks away, refusing to answer. I chuckle but before I can tease him more, I feel something nudge my leg.

I look down. It’s Zar. He stares at something behind the counter.

I follow his gaze and see a beautifully arranged glass display. Inside it......A collection of flower crowns.

"Zar, you are a tiger not a tigress" I whisper to him, bending slightly "And that too a mafia tiger… and you want a flower crown?"

Zar blinks up at me, his blue eyes turning soft and innocent. He gives me puppy eyes. I sigh. This little devil knows how to get what he wants.

"Give me that flower crown too" I say to the owner. The man nods quickly and packs it up.

I pay and we walk out of the shop. Just as I step outside, I catch Dev from the corner of my eye. He is buying a flower crown too.

A slow smirk spreads across my face. I knew it. I didn’t buy one for Jiya on purpose because I knew Dev wouldn’t leave without taking one for her.

We sit inside the car and drive back to our mansion.

The moment I step inside, my gaze immediately finds Mira.

She and Jiya are sitting on the couch, already changed into comfortable clothes. They are talking and laughing about something.

I walk toward Mira and without hesitation, sit down on the floor in front of her.

Jiya gasps dramatically.

"Wait bhai! Let me record this" she says quickly taking out her phone.

Mira, however, doesn’t even glance at me. I take a deep breath.

"Please, babe at least listen to me once" I say holding out the huge bouquet toward her.

Mira doesn’t hesitate. She snatches the bouquet from my hand. Then....

She raises her chin, tilts her head slightly and in a perfect imitation of Miss Khurana’s voice, she says....

"Abhiraj, are you free tonight? Can we go for dinner?"

Jiya bursts out laughing. Dev chuckles. Even Zar lets out a low huff. I close my eyes for a second, sighing.

"Mira… did you forgive me?" I ask.

She doesn’t answer. Instead..... She flips her long, silky hair. It brushes against my face, soft and slightly scented with strawberry.

I gulp. Then, Mira turns toward Dev.

"Dev go and change your clothes. Come for dinner. I’m really hungry" she says, completely ignoring me. Dev raises an eyebrow but nods.

"Okay, Mira" he says. Then, he looks at Jiya. Jiya, who was busy giggling, pauses. Dev steps closer and hands her the flower crown.

"This is for you" he says. Jiya’s eyes widen in surprise. She takes the crown gently, staring at it.

Then Dev runs off to his room. Mira suddenly clutches her chest dramatically.

"Oh my God he is so cute!" she says looking at Jiya’s flower crown.

I frown. She praised Dev’s flower crown. But my bouquet? She didn’t even spare it a second glance.

I pout.

Zar, who had been watching all of this silently, suddenly snatches a bag from my hand. He walks straight to Mira and drops the bag in her lap.

Mira blinks. Then, she slowly pulls out the flower crown. Zar steps forward and lowers his head.

Mira smiles softly. Then, with gentle hands, she places the flower crown on Zar’s head. She tilts her head and admires him.

"You look adorable, Zaru" she whispers, rubbing his head. Zar closes his eyes in satisfaction. Mira then glances at me.

"Zar tell someone to go and change" she says. Her voice is calm but her eyes are full of mischief.

She is indicating toward me. I press my lips together. Then, slowly I get up from the floor.

I look at her one last time. She doesn’t meet my eyes. I clench my jaw and walk toward my room.

Abhiraj, you have to work harder. She is your woman. She has every right to be mad at you. And honestly? I’m not even complaining.

But still.....It hurts when she ignores me.

I'm sorry for not replying to all your comments yet but I’ll respond to each one soon❤️.

Your author loves each of you from the bottom of her heart🌎🫂❤️.