The echoing rhythm of Krishvi'sheels
resonated through the grand Yadhava
mansion as she descended the staircase.
Her gray office attire clung to her, making
her look so hot. Her waist-length straight
hair flowed around her, enhancing her
beauty. As she reached the bottom of the
stairs, she spotted her mother-in-law and
sister-in-law seated in the dining area. She
approached them.
"Good morning, Maa," she said, embracing
her mother-in-law from behind.
"Good morning, my child," her
mother-in-law replied.
"Good morning, Bhabhi, and my adorable
munchkins," she said, gently caressing
Meera's pregnant belly.
"Your little munchkins are causing me
trouble already," sighed Meera.
"Don't worry, Bhabhi, just a few more
months," krishvi said, trying to comfort her.
"Krishvi, sit down and have breakfast,"
Ananya, her mother-in-law, ordered.
"No, Maa, I'm running late for a crucial
meeting today," krishvi replied, her face
displaying worry.
"Relax, Mrs. Keshav Yadhav," came
Arjun's voice from behind, as he placed a
reassuring hand on her shoulder.
At the mention of keshav's name, krishvi's
heart skipped a beat, feeling butterflies in
her stomach.
"You'll secure the deal, I trust you," Arjun
said, giving her an encouraging smile.
"Yes, Bhai, but I need to review the
presentation," she replied, her anxiety
evident.
"It's alright, krishvi. You still have time
for that. Sit and have breakfast," Arjun
suggested.
"But, Bhai—" krishvi began to argue, only
to be interrupted by her father-in-law's
entrance.
"Krishvi , sit and have breakfast, or you'll fall
sick," Virendra said, his tone as cold as ever,
showing no difference between him and
Keshav.
"Yes, Dad," she conceded, taking a seat next
to Meera.
Virendra, Arjun, and Ananya joined them, and
the servants served breakfast. As krishvi
took a bite of her sandwich, she felt a lump
in her throat.
"By the way, krishvi, when is keshav coming
back? You know we have Meera's baby
shower tomorrow," Ananya inquired,
causing keishvi to choke on her food.
"What happened, krishvi? Drink this,"
Meera offered her a glass of water, patting
her back gently.
"I think it got stuck," krishvi managed to say
after taking a sip.
"Eat slowly," Arjun advised, concern etched
on his face.
"I can't eat. I'll just have tea," krishvi
decided, pouring herself a cup.
The room fell silent, and krishvi finished her
tea before excusing herself.
"I'm done. Goodbye, everyone," she said,
touching Virendra and Ananya's feet.
"Take care, my child," Nishtha said.
"And best of luck, my shining star," Meera
wished her.
"Thank you, Bhabhi," krishvi replied with
a forced smile. "Dad, Bhai, I'll meet you
directly in the conference room," she
added, looking at them.
"Alright," Virendra said, and Arjun nodded.
KKrishvi POV
Currently, I'm driving my car to the
office. There's an important meeting
scheduled today, a deal that means the
world to keshav.
He has been eagerly
anticipating this moment for so long.
But here I am, driving alone, clueless
about his whereabouts. When Maa asked
me about him, I feigned a coughing fit,
claiming a sandwich got stuck.
The truthwas, I desperately wanted to change thetopic. What should I do? They kept asking
about my husband, who has been away
on a business trip for the past week,
not bothering to inform me.
I felt anoverwhelming urge to cry, but I heldbackmy tears.
I overheard Advik Bhai telling Akshita
Bhabhi that Ruhaan was in the UK. That's
the only information I have, and I got it
from Advik Bhai. Everyone assumes we
talk daily, but the reality is, I don't even
have his international number. Well, I
do, but it only works within India.
To theoutside world, we're a powerful and happycouple, but behind closed doors, we're
strangers who barely know each other. We
got married six months ago. Right from day
one, he kept his distance. At first, everyone
in the family knew about it. However, Dad
insisted we give our relationship a chance,
so we started pretending in front of our
family too.
Upon reaching my office, I handed my
keys to the watchman and took our private
elevator to my cabin.
Sitting down, Iopened my laptop and began reviewingmy presentation. I was so engrossed that aknock on the door startled me.
"Come in," I called out, and in walked Arjun Bhai.
"Hello, Bhai," I cheerfully greeted him.
"Hi, how's it going?" he asked.
"Till now, it's perfect," I replied, my nerves
palpable.
"Don't worry, I told you that you'll nail this
deal. After all, it's your husband's dream
project," he teased, the last words dripping
with playful sarcasm, as if he knew
something I didn't.
"No, Bhai, it's not like that. Actually, it's
my first presentation for someone like Mr.
Knight."
"I told you, don't worry," he said, placing
his hand on my head. I had never had
a brother, but after marrying keshav, I
found the best brother in Arjun.
Marriage to keshav had blessed me with
parents like Maa and Dad. I had lost my
mother at the age of 13, but Maa filled
that void, showering me with motherly
love. Dad might not express his feelings
openly, but I knew he cared for me. Arjun
Bhai and Meera Bhabhi treated me like
their little sister, always ready to help and
guide. Meera Bhabhi used to work in the
office too, but due to her pregnancy, the
doctor had advised her to take complete
rest. She was expecting twins, and the
doctor emphasized minimizing stress
and tension. Arjun Bhai adored his wife,
always ensuring her comfort. Despite his
hectic schedule, he made time for her, even
bringing her ice-cream late at night after
work. I had decided to give him a break.
I would handle his work for the next few
months.
And how could I forget Anita, keshav's
younger sister, who was perhaps the
sweetest soul I knew? Honestly, I often
doubted whether keshav was truly their
biological brother.
Currently, Anita is pursuing her education in Delhi, but shevisits every month. We do speak at night,and Anita share her dailyexperiences,
making me cherish our bond.
These people were the reason I endured
this loveless marriage. I couldn't bear the
thought of losing my newfound family.
Marriage had bestowed upon me a mother,
an elder brother like Arjun Bhai, a sister
and confidante like Meera Bhabhi, and a
younger sister like Anita. Despite having
nothing to do with keshav, he was my
husband, and I had to pretend to be his
ideal wife.
"Let's go," Arjun Bhai said, and we made
our way towards the conference room.
Upon our arrival, I found Dad already
seating there. I smiled at him, and he
nodded in return. Soon enough, Mr. Knight
and several other people entered the room,
and the presentation commenced. I gave
my all to this presentation, pouring my
heart and soul into it. After 40 minutes,
it concluded, and I saw a smile on Mr.
Knight's face. I believed he was impressed
with the presentation.
they said they will answer by day after
tomorrow, and we're okay with it, after that
they left.
"You nailed it krishvi"" Arjun Bhai praised,
embracing me.
"Thank you, Bhai," I said, and we broke our
hug.
"Keep it up," Dad encouraged, placing his
hand on my head, and I saw a genuine
smile on his face.
"Thanks, Dad," I replied, smiling back at
him.Dad left, and Arjun Bhai said, "krishvi, now let's go back home; Meera is eating my
head." I couldn't help but want to laugh at
his situation.
Pregnancy mood swings were
driving Meera Bhabhi crazy, and in turn,
she was making Bhai crazy.
"Bhai, I genuinely admire you both. God
bless you," I said, smiling warmly.
"Thank you, but... Krishvi, can I ask you
something?" he asked, his expression
changing.
"Yes, Bhai."
"Is everything okay between you and
Keshav? I noticed you changed the topic
this morning," he caught me.
"Ye... yes, Bhai, everything is fine between
us, and I wasn't changing the topic. Maybe
misunderstood," I replied awkwardly.
you
"Then swear on me," he said, taking my
hand and placing it on his head.
"Bhai, I told you, na," I said, trying to
remove my hand.
"Tell me, krishvi," he said in his serious tone,
and that's when I broke down and told him
everything.
"I knew it, I knew that you were faking in
front of us too," he said.
"Bhai, what should I do? I don't know how
to bring him out from that incident. I've
tried a lot, but I've failed," I said, trying not
to cry.
"Why did you hide it from me, krishvi?"
Arjun Bhai said, holding my shoulders.
"You were already stressed about Bhabhi's
pregnancy," I reasoned.
"So what? At least you could have told me,"
Arjun Bhai said.
"I know, Bhai, but I didn't want to give you
any tension," I said.
"But..." he began, but his phone rang.
"Yes, yes, Meera, I'm coming," he said, and
once again, Bhai found himself in trouble.
"Go, Bhai, or else you'll be out of
tomorrow's function," I joked.
"Krishvi, remember I'm always with you,
and I will find a solution too," he said,
reassuring me.
"What solution?" I asked, narrowing my
eyes.
"About you and keshav," he said.
"No, Bhai, you don't have to do this. I will
deal with it, please," I pleaded with him.
I didn't want to burden him with my
problems.
"I can see how you've dealt with it," he
taunted, "and don't worry about me," he
said, placing his hand on my head.
"Now go, Bhai, or else Bhabhi will order
you not to come," I joked, and he fake
laughed.
After he left, I returned to my cabin. I had
to check some files before leaving.
Around 6 in the evening, I reached the
main gate of Yadhava Mansion. It was
adorned like a bride; after all, it was
Meera Bhabhi's baby shower tomorrow,
and I couldn't help but feel immense joy. I
believed this was the most significant day
for any girl - a celebration of a new life. I
hoped keshav would come too.
When I entered the hall, I saw Bhabhi
complaining to Maa about something, and
Arjun Bhai was sitting on the sofa, rubbing
his temples.
"What happened?" I asked, concern lacing
my voice.
"See, Krishvi, I told Arjun to bring baby blue
bangles, but he brought sky blue. It doesn't
match my outfit," Bhabhi complained
to me. Maa left, shaking her head in
amusement.
I glanced at Arjun Bhai's face, and honestly,
I wanted to laugh at his predicament. He
was trying so hard to avoid giving Bhabhi
a chance to complain, but he was failing
at every turn. Arjun Bhai sought my help
through his eyes.
"Yes, yes, Bhabhi, there's a huge difference.
Look, it's not even close to your outfit," I
said, adding fuel to her irritation.
"See, Krishvi is also saying," Bhabhi pointed
out, looking at Bhai, who shot me death
glares.
"Bhabhi, he's glaring at me," I complained,
hiding behind her like a child seeking
protection.
"Arjun, why are you glaring at her? It's
your mistake; learn to accept it," Bhabhi
scolded, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"See, Meera, she's laughing," Bhai said,
pointing in my direction.
"Stop this, Arjun. First, you made a mistake,
and now you're making excuses," Bhabhi
scolded him.
"Okay,
madam,
I'm
sorry, I'm sorry, I'm
sorry," he finally apologized, holding his
ears in a playful gesture.
"Don't worry, Bhabhi, I have baby blue
color bangles; let me bring them from the
room," I said, trying to diffuse the situation.
I turned on my heels, and I heard Bhabhi
remark, "See, keshav knows everything
about krishvi. I guess she told him to bring
them, and he brought the exact color,"
explaining to Bhai, and my smile faded
away.
She looked at me, and I just managed to
Locking the door behind me, I collapsed
force a smile before leaving the room.
onto the bed and cried. I cried bitterly.
This had become the norm for me. I never
cried in front of anyone because everyone
believed that keshav had come out of that
incident, and we had started our new life
together. But the reality was that we never
spoke to each other. I wished him good
morning, and in reply, he only nodded. I
tried to talk to him, but he always refused.
Now, I am tired. Tired of trying. Before I
was married, I dreamt of a happy married
life where my husband would listen to my
late-night talks and kiss me on my forehead
every morning. Keshav gave me family,
Forget love; he wasn't even willing to be
a luxurious life, and whatnot, but love?
friends with me. Many girls dream of my
life, but I cursed my fate.
After 15 minutes of crying, I heard a knock
on my door. I adjusted myself and opened
it, only to find Arjun Bhai standing there
with his hands in his pockets.
"Yes, Bhai?" I asked, attempting to fake a
smile.
"Were you crying?" he asked, narrowing
his eyes, sensing my distress.
"N-no, Bhai," I stammered, trying to deny it.
"What? No, see yourself in the mirror,"
he said, raising his voice slightly while
maintaining his decency.
I looked down, unable to meet his gaze.
"Sitara, it's okay if you're crying; let it be.
But don't let anyone affect your mental
or physical health," he said, expressing
genuine concern for my well-being.
"Yes, Bhai," I replied, my voice barely
audible.
"Krishvi, I've thought about it and found a
solution too. Let him come; I will talk to
both of you together," he said, his tone firm
and determined.
"Bhai, there's no need to do anything,
please," I pleaded, fearing he might suggest
separation, which would force me to leave
this family.
"I understand your situation, Krishvi. You're
mysister, and I care for you. I can't let you
live in this hopeless life," he said, his voice
filledwith empathy.
I looked down once again, unable to hold
his gaze.
"And if anyone asks about him, tell them he
is in the UK and he will come tomorrow at
4. His flight will land at 3," Bhai instructed
me.
"Okay, Bhai," I said with a nod.
Bhai left, and What the hell! He's coming
back. How will I face him when he finds
out that I told Bhai everything? It was our
secret, our silent pact. Luckily, we never
made any promises to each other, or else I
could have broken my word.
To read more comment on the comments section...
End of chapter.....
Disclaimer:
Bhai means brother-in-law.
Bhabhi means sister-in-law.
Dad here is father-in-law.
Mother here is mother-in-law.