The Next Morning

Rishi and Janvi had taken the day off to finally spend some time together since he hadn’t been around much the last few days. Their plan was simple—stay in bed, cuddle, and binge-watch her favorite horror movies.

But destiny had other plans.

Janvi was in the kitchen with Ananya, carefully adding spices to the pan.

“Anu, go and give this coffee to your bhai,” Janvi said, handing her the cup.

Ananya nodded and walked toward the hall where Rishi was waiting, but before she could reach him, she bumped into Akshay. The hot coffee spilled all over his shirt.

“Andhi hai kya tu?!” (Are you blind?!) Akshay snapped, his voice raised.

“Aakiii… aawaaz!” (Akki… voice!) came Rishi’s harsh warning from the hall, cold and commanding. He didn’t even need to shout—his tone was enough to silence Akshay.

“Bhai, yeh bhi toh dekh ke chal sakta tha,” (Bhai, he could have also walked carefully,) Ananya said, her eyes filling with tears at Akshay’s tone.

“Arrey oye, ro mat ab. Bhai, aap hi dekh lo, maine kuch kaha tak nahi!” (Hey, don’t cry now. Bhai, you handle this—I didn’t even say anything!) Akshay protested, raising his hands in surrender.

Janvi gave him a sharp glare.

“Ha ha… woh itni khatarnak awaaz humare purvajon ki thi?” (Oh really? Was that dangerous voice inherited from our ancestors?) she taunted.

“Sorry,” Akshay muttered, sighing.

“Ja na, ab kapde badal!” (Go now, change your clothes!) Ananya snapped, making Akshay jump. He ran toward his room, yelling dramatically,

“Iss ghar mein chudail rehti hai!” (A witch lives in this house!)

Janvi facepalmed while Rishi shook his head.

“Ek se ek namune hai yeh sab.” (Each one here is a specimen in themselves.)

“Including you,” Janvi mumbled under her breath.

“Jaan, you don’t need to make another coffee. I’ll do it myself,” Rishi said quickly as he saw Janvi pulling out the essentials again. He didn’t want her troubling herself.

True to his words, he made himself a fresh cup of coffee.

---

Afternoon

The family had lunch together, as usual with a sprinkle of bickering between the younger siblings.

By evening, Rishi was busy on a call with his parents, who were still enjoying their trip to Japan. When he returned to the living room, where everyone else was sitting, his expression was drained and tired.

“Everyone… there’s bad news,” he announced.

“A loss?” Himanshu asked cautiously.

Everyone crossed their fingers, bracing themselves.

“Worse than that,” Rishi said with a sigh. “Buaji is coming tomorrow.”

Everyone groaned and slapped their foreheads dramatically. Only Janvi sat there confused.

“Kyu? Kya hua?” (Why? What happened?) she asked Rishi curiously.

“Dove,” he said with a serious tone, “she’s orthodox—especially with women. She hates the way they walk, the way they laugh… basically everything. Once she comes, there are rules and restrictions for every single moment.”

Janvi smirked. “Living with my dadi for 25 years, I’ve gained plenty of experience in handling orthodox women.”

“Still,” Rishi frowned, “it’ll be uncomfortable. She might expect you to behave like a proper married woman who lives under her husband’s dominance.”

“Oh, that dominance? My foot!” Janvi scoffed. “I’ll never allow it. Let’s see, jo hoga dekha jaayega. (Whatever happens, we’ll see.)”

“I don’t think bhabhi, you should be so chill about this,” Ananya said nervously.

“Relax! What is she, a monster?” Janvi asked, raising her eyebrows.

“More than that,” Sakshi deadpanned.

“Manshu,” Sakshi turned to Himanshu, “I’m warning you, if she says even one thing against me, I won’t stay a second in this house. I’ll leave immediately.”

“Ha toh chalo na, hum dono hi penthouse chalte hai,” (Then let’s just go to our penthouse together,) Himanshu suggested casually.

“Haa, nice idea! So guys, bye bye!” Sakshi said, pretending to get up.

“Kitne bure bhai ho aap,” (You’re such a terrible brother,) Akshay complained.

“Abhi thappad maar ke dikhau kitna bura hoon?” (Shall I slap you right now and show how terrible I am?) Himanshu threatened, giving his younger brother a stern glare.

The laughter and teasing carried on until everyone drifted to their rooms for the night.

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Later That Night

Only one room remained softly lit—their room.

Janvi stood before the wardrobe, searching for clothes that might impress Rishi’s buaji. Her face was tense.

“Jaan, don’t stress about it,” Rishi said gently from the bed.

“But I should be ready…” she murmured.

He walked to her, placing his hands firmly but tenderly on her shoulders. His touch was reassuring, grounding.

“Just relax. Come, sleep.”

“But—”

“Shhh… bas yaar, ab chalo.” (Shhh… enough now, come on.) He guided her toward the bed.

She sat down slowly, still uncertain. He knelt in front of her, holding her hands, caressing her knuckles with his thumb.

“Look at me,” he said softly.

She lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes. His smile was calm, filled with warmth.

“Dove, stop stressing yourself. Buaji might be a little toxic, but please bear with it. Aur kuch hua bhi toh… hum sab hai na.” (And even if something happens… all of us are here for you.)

Her lips curved into a small smile, her heart easing. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead gently.

Rishi stood, walked around the bed, and lay down. He pulled her against him in one swift move, making her gasp.

“Good night, Dove,” he whispered.

“Good night,” she replied, hiding her face in his chest, feeling safe in his embrace.

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✨ Author’s Note ✨

This very unexpected chapter is a little birthday gift to myself. 💛

I’m sharing it with no expectations—just pure satisfaction and love for the story.

I truly hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

From now on:

• New chapters will be uploaded every Sunday, or I’ll try to post on Saturday night.

• Love Beyond the Contract will remain on hold for now, since it contains some revelations that might affect the flow and mood of this story.

• If time allows, I’ll try to give two updates a week!

Thank you for reading and supporting me—it genuinely means a lot. 💫