32. One Month Later

TARGET: 140 VOTES & 40 COMMENTS

ONE MONTH LATER

"Papa papa pata hai aaj kya hua (Do you know what happened today?)" Aarchi said swatting Aryaman's hand away from food. Rishav who was busy on his phone, kept it aside upside down and looked at her with full attention. Maitri side hugged Rishav who patted her cheek and she placed her shopping bags on the dining table excitedly.

"What happened?" Rishav spoke excitedly to match their level of excitement.

"Today me and bhabhi went out for shopping in a mall. We were having lunch beside this couple. So the guy went like 'Tum meri mummy se recipes leke waise khana kyun nahi banati'.(Why don't you learn a few recipes from my mother?) He was such a red flag but anyways" Aarchi said pushing Aryaman to take another seat so she could sit beside Rishav. Maitri went onto the other side of the table and sat pushing Aviraj into another seat so she could sit closer to Rishav.

"Bande ki koi value hi nahi hai (No value for guys)" Aryaman and Aviraj murmured to themselves.

"What did the girl reply?" Rishav asked looking between the two girls.

"Tum mere papa se paise kaise kamate hai kyun nai sikhlete(Why don't you learn how to earn money from my dad?) Plus she just stood up and left. He totally deserved it" Maitri said happily. Aryaman and Aviraj looked at each other talking in their manner agreeing to what that girl did.

"Ohhh burnnn!!!" Rishav closed his fist and blew air on it like the Gen-Z people.

"I know right. It was so fun" Aarchi said eating from the plate Aryaman was going to eat.

"Where's ma?" Maitri asked looking around noticing Kaira was missing.

"She's gone to that shithead's house. Definitely she's going to teach my wife something weird" Rishav said making a face. Maitri still didn't understand why Ruhanika and Rishav kept fighting like children all the time.

"By the way we met Saaransh bhai also" Maitri said picking a fry from Aarchi's plate and dipping it in the sauce.

"What was that bastard saying?" Rishav again made a face. Maitri and Aarchi snickered at his looks.

"Nothing just hi hello. He looked like he was waiting for someone so we didn't talk much" Aarchi replied as Maitri stuffed her mouth with food.

"Good. Let him disturb other people. He shouldn't disturb my princesses" Rishav said happily.

"I'll go keep the bags" Maitri stood up to take the bags to her room.

DINNER TIME

"Wouldn't it be a little too extra?" Maitri asked Divya who was glaring at Manav who looked at her with a smirk.

"Just do as I said. Sab karne ke baad yeh inhe extra lag raha hai. (After doing everything she feels its extra)" Divya said annoyed.

"Why are you getting angry on me?" Maitri asked with a pout.

"Am not angry on you, just some people here who don't understand simple instructions" Divya was glaring at everyone now.

"Is it di?" Manav asked trying to be cheeky.

"First things first Mr. Manav Agarwal. She is my di, your bhabhi. Second, you didn't finish your laps, ate all kinds of junk foods despite my denial and are yet standing infront of me with thus smug face thinking its cute. Should I complain about you?" Divya asked Maitri to hold as she scolded Manav. Maitri chuckled hearing her scolding her husband's friend.

"Done scolding the poor man?" Maitri asked when it got all silent.

"Yeah. They all are characters specifically chosen and placed in my life. First they don't want to listen to me and are now giving me attitude.... Wait for me to finish the call, you are next" She was talking to Maitri glaring at everyone who looked at her rolled their eyes knowing that the small girl couldn't match their level. Divya turned to one person and pointed at him with a warning.

"Let it be na. They aren't dad who'll get scared of you and do stuff" Maitri said picking a kebab Aviraj had made for dinner.

"Oh no no no. I can be scary...really scary. All of them are gone today" Divya picked up a sponge ball and aimed at one person who was busy on phone ignoring her all together.

"I'll call you later" Divya disconnected the call and started aiming the balls at everyone present in the room as she shouted on them in anger. Maitri shook her head and thought of ways to carry on with her plan.

Kaira, Aviraj and Aarchi were at the other wing of the palace taking aesthetic pictures for Aarchi because she was in the mood to dress up and take pictures while Aryaman and Rishav were in the living room going over a few contracts. Noticing the time, Maitri thought to start placing the dishes and everything in the dining are with the help of the helpers in the palace.

"Maaan" Maitri looked at him with puppy eyes. She had been walking with the dinner plates to the dining table when she lost her balance and dropped the plates down. Thankfully she wasn't hurt but she knew that she'd be scolded by her mother in law and brother in law for a long time. Rishav and Aryaman who were around immediately came to see the commotion and checked that she was fine.

"Papa plates" she asked Rishav to look at the broken plates with a scared face. He looked at the plates and then at her horrified.

"Satyanash. Not even god can save you from Kaira and Avi" He sat on a chair at the dining table holding his head in fear, Aryaman also followed his father's actions making her more anxious.

"What happened?" Kaira, Aarchi and Avi entered the dining room from their rooms to see the broken plates on the ground. Maitri immediately rushed behind Aryaman to hide.

"Meri dhai lakh ki plates" Kaira and Avi screamed and bent down to hold the broken pieces to confirm if it was the same one.

"Who did this? Rishav!!" Kaira looked at Rishav angrily.

"You are done for Maitri" Aryaman scared her more than she already was.

"Bhool toh hogayi, Jo kiya so kiya. Tu bachele balam aaj mera jiya " She sang in his ear whisperingly.

"How could you do this to me Rishav?" Kaira looked at him accusingly. Rishav tried to explain it wasn't him, but she wasn't ready to listen. Aryaman tried intervening but Aviraj stopped him, siding with Kaira. Maitri felt guilty for causing fights between Rishav and Kaira and confessed to them.

"I dropped it by mistake. My leg got wrapped around the other and I lost my balance and broke the plates. I didn't do it intentionally" She stood in front of Kaira and Aviraj with her gaze at the floor. Tears started flowing down her cheek knowing that she was going to be scolded badly by both of them. Kaira and Aviraj turned to her and glared at her. Rishav and Aryaman who were behind Maitri laughed hard and placed their hands on their mouths so she couldn't hear them laughing.

"Are you fine?" Aviraj asked looking around for any blood spots. Maitri nodded her head sniffling.

"Can you guys stop? She's crying" Kaira scolded the father-son duo and hugged Maitri.

"You really thought I'd scold you. Am not the evil saas am the friendly sweet and cute saas Mayu" Kaira said wiping Maitri's tears.

"The plates can be bought again. You aren't hurt right?" She asked cupping her face. Maitri nodded her head with her eyes still on the ground.

"Breaking plates in this house is very common. Ask Rishav and Aarchi how many they have broken, they hold the highest plate breaking record. We don't keep such expensive plates here. I just have a habit of overstating the price of things" She joked with her and pulled her on her side while Rishav and Aryaman laughed more.

"You scared her idiots" Kaira looked at Rishav angrily.

"But it was fun" Aryaman said walking to her.

"You both scared me so much and think it is funny" Maitri looked at Aryaman angrily and ran behind him to beat him but couldn't since he was already a large distance. Angry at him she made her plate of dinner and walked to the library. Within a few minutes Maitri came out with a clean plate and placed it in the sink. Aryaman who was trying to enter the library since long stopped seeing the tigress roaring in anger at him. She walked back to the library.

"Now go pacify her" Aviraj pushed Aryaman to the library.

"She'll eat me raw" Aryaman tried to escape knowing that Maitri would thrash him if he went in now.

"She's your wife and she has also had dinner so she won't eat you. Go now" Aviraj pushed Aryaman inside properly and closed the door. Aryaman walked to the fireplace knowing that he would find Maitri there since it had been her favourite place ever since she came to know about it.

He found Maitri sitting by the fireplace reading a novel. She hadn't realized that Aryaman was there too. Aryaman walked to her silently and sat on the chair.

"What are you reading?" Aryaman asked darkly. Maitri's breathe hitched at the sudden intrusion.

"None of your business" She rolled her eyes and moved away from him, showing him that was angry at him.

"Maitri" He called her name darkly that couldn't resist and look up at him. Aryaman asked her to move closer to him with his finger. She slowly moved towards him, still sitting on the floor.

"Pass me the comb" he asked her to give it to him, unaware of his ideas she passed him the comb and looked at him expectantly.

"Turn around" She did as he said and faced towards the fire place where the fire burnt brightly warming the room. He pulled onto the ribbon end, freeing her hair from the ponytail it was in.He slowly opened the hair and kept the ribbon.

"Am sorry" He said pulling her head up to look up at him.

"You can't do this everytime. You say sorry so cutely that I have to forgive you" She shook her head angrily.

"What can I do, am such a charmer" He said laughing as he massaged her shoulders and neck. Maitri could feel herself relaxing in his touch.

"What are you reading?" He asked moving his hands from her shoulders to her hair, sensually touching her neck moving to her scalp. Maitri almost moaned at the way his fingers moved on her skin.

"The unwanted wife by Natasha Anders" She said closing her eyes, enjoying his touch.

"What is it about?" He gently massaged her head.

"Its a marriage in trouble trope. Theresa has been married to Sandro for 18 months but in these 18 months she never had one moment of love. Sandro would take her everyday to the bed and she would hope that this time it would be different but each time he ends it with asking her to give him a child. One day she has enough of it and decides to leave him. Am reading what happens after that" She answered him feeling drowsy due to the massage.

"Hmm" Aryaman hummed and continued massaging her head.

"Maan" Maitri suddenly sat straight and turned towards him. Aryaman looked at her questioningly.

"In the story they will have a happy ending but what if Theresa never forgave Sandro" She asked looking at him curiously.

"Then it would come under Shakespeare tragedy. This is a romance novel so it has to have a happy ending because if they don't show it as a happy ending, people wouldn't read the story in fear of having their hearts broken" He pulled her closer to him and turned her back towards him, continuing the massage.

"Hmm. How do these women find it in themselves to forgive such people. From what is written in the novel, even I cried reading the way Sandro behaved with Theresa. She wasn't an object that he fucked every night, she was a human with emotions. It breaks my heart seeing the way he behaved with her and when she finally thought it was enough then he'll realise her value. When she was there with him, he never appreciated her and now all of a sudden everything is about her" Maitri argued as Aryaman listened to her calmly.

"Its all fiction Ranisa. I would never hurt you so bad that it isn't irreversible so chill" Aryaman said smiling and cupped her cheek and pecked her lips.

"You better not or else I'll leave you and will never forgive you. I love you but I love my self-respect a bit more than you" She pointed her index finger at him so he would take her seriously.

"I know love I know" He again pecked her lips calming down her anger. He continued to massage her head until she fell asleep on his laps. He slowly pushed away the novel from her hands and carried her bridal style to his room through a secret passage.