"Aaru Aaru" Aarchi who was sleeping peacefully in her room on her stomach woke up at the loud bangs on the bedroom door.

She rushed to wear her robe and opened the door worried about what happened at middle of the night.

"Bhabhi?" Aarchi opened the door to see Maitri standing at the door looking nervous and worried.

"Are you okay? Is bhaiyu fine?" Aarchi asked tightening the two ends of the belt on her waist.

"Come with me" Maitri held her hand and pulled her to the living room. Aarchi could feel tears well up in her eyes as she thought of all the wrong things. Just when she reached the end of the staircase, she felt Maitri moving away from her.

"Bhabhi? You are scaring me now. What's going on?" Aarchi looked around in the dark living room trying to find Maitri.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" Suddenly the lights switched on and her both brothers burst the party popper on her head causing her to flinch in fear.

"Happy birthday princess" Rishav hugged Aarchi tightly kissing her head as Aarchi hugged him back wiping her tears. She bent down to touch his feet but Rishav stopped her and hugged her again.

"She's my daughter too Rish" Kaira said to Rishav asking him to leave Aarchi so she could wish her daughter.

"She's jealous" Rishav said leaving Aarchi and whispering in her ear making Aarchi giggle.

"Whatever he said, same pinch" Kaira said hugging her little princess and wishing her.

"Happy birthday oldie. In a few years you'll be walking with a stick and a fake pair of dentures" Aryaman hugged Aarchi teasing her for growing old.

"Mummaaa" Aarchi hit Aryaman's chest and looked at Kaira complainigly.

"Aryuuu. Its her birthday" Kaira said sternly making Aryaman roll his eyes.

"Come here you old hag. Let me wish you nicely" Aviraj said pulling Aarchi towards him and flicked her forehead. Aarchi looked at him shocked and immediately engaged in a fight with Aviraj.

"Enough!" Maitri seperated the two angrily.

"Its her birthday today, spare your fights for today atleast" She scolded both Aryaman and Aviraj holding Aarchi close to her.

"Thank you bhabhi" Aarchi hugged Maitri looking at her brothers with a smirk.

"Come lets cut cake" She said pulling Aarchi to the centre of the living room where they had set up all the decorations.

Everyone sang the birthday song as she cut the cake while Aviraj took pictures of her so she could post it on her instagram account.

Aarchi gave a piece of cake to both Rishav and Kaira simultaneously who fed her lovingly before taking a bite of it. Rishav closed Aarchi's eyes as Kaira got her gift.

"Happy birthday darling" Kaira placed the gift in her hands as Aarchih tore the wrapping paper excitedly.

"Guitar!!!" She exclaimed hugging both RIshav and Kaira thanking them profusely.

"Its customised with my name" She ran her fingers over the guitar taking in the smoothness of its surface.

"Our turn our turn" Maitri said excitedly. Aryaman placed his hand on her waist smiling lovingly to his wife. Aryaman handed Aarchi a paperbag as the couple looked at her excitedly for her reaction. She opened the bag and looked at them in surprise.

"Chanel perfume collection" Aarchi jumped onto Maitri and Aryaman hugging them tightly, kissing Aryaman on his cheek making him scrunch his nose and push her away wiping his cheek. She jumped onto him and kissed both his cheeks making sure to leave some drool on it to further annoy him.

"There's my gift old hag" Aviraj handed her a gift bag which she took with a straight face.

"Aww you got me bracelets and anklets" Aarchi removed the anklet and wore it on one feet.

"Bring the other one" Aviraj handed Aryaman the camera and knelt down infront of Aarchi asking for the other anklet. She handed him the other anklet which he made her wear it on the other feet. She walked around the house jumping and doing cat walk, showcasing to the family her new anklets.

"Aab pura din Manjhulika banke ghumegi (Now she'll roam around the house as Manjulikka)" Aviraj said looking at her bored even though he was pleased to see that his sister loved his gift.

"And you'll be the first one I haunt" Aarchi sat on the sofa kicking her legs in air making her anklets jingle with a sweet sound.

"Haha... Uska bhi intezaam hai. I've hung nimbu mirchi on my door and I'll sleep with Hanuman Chalisa on loop on Spotify. And don't forget, I have baba Vasooli ka tabeez" Aviraj said holding a tea bag in his hand but before Aarchi or anyone could decipher it, he placed it in his pocket.

"Who the fuck is Baba Vasooli?" Aryaman looked at Aviraj confused. Aviraj winked at him hiding it from Aarchi.

"That tabeez is useless infront of me" Aarchi jumped on Aviraj's back making him give her a piggy back ride back to her room.

"Kitni moti hogayi hai" Aviraj complained. Aarchi pulled his hair and glared at him.

"Take your beauty sleep, we will meet you tomorrow. Until then good night, shabba khair, shubh ratri" Aviraj dropped her at her door and walked away.

"Aaru" Maitri stopped Aarchi before she went inside.

"Jii" Aarchi looked at Maitri questioningly.

"For your 'me' time. I don't need to know what you do with it" Maitri handed her a small bag and winked at her. Maitri quickly fed away as Aryaman called her. Aarchi walked inside with the bag and looked inside.

"OH God!!!" Aarchi threw away the bag and fanned herself as her cheeks turned a bright red shade.

Maitri had gifted Aarchi a Victoria Secret lingerie set to her.

"Bhabhi needs to relax. Bhaiyu is corrupting that poor woman" Aarchi said picking it up and placing it in her wardrobe. She walked to the bed as her phone pinged with notifications indicating that Aviraj was sending her pictures he took a few minutes back. She was going back to sleep when she saw Vihaan's message asking her to come down. She quickly walked to the balcony to check for his car to find him sitting on the car's bonnet looking at her balcony for her. She texted him that she was coming.

Popping a head out she checked left and right for people. Seeing no one she stepped out and rushed downstairs. She was on the last step when she heard Aryaman.

"Aru?" Aryaman who had walked down to the kitchen to get water for him and Maitri after their night rendezvous caught Aarchi walking towards the living room tip-toeing.

"Bh...Bha...Bhaiyu" She turned around slowly to face him.

"Where are you going in the middle of the night" Aryaman asked walking towards her.

"Nope... not going anywhere" She refused shaking her head vigourously.

"Then?" Aryaman asked concerned. Aarchi looked around gulping down her saliva thinking of a good excuse.

"TV... Going to watch tv with maggi" She said smiling to make the excuse sound more believable.

"Hmm but there's a TV in your room too, watch it there" He said frowning.

"Arey bhaiyu, you want me take the nice, piping hot maggi from all the way kitchen to all the way to my room, wouldn't it become it cold? But if I sit here and eat, it would be hot na?" She said pushing Aryaman up the stairs to avoid more questions.

"Okay okay. Go eat your maggi and watch your TV but don't stay up until late" Aryaman said turning around to tell her.

"Yes bhaiyu. Good night" sHE Turned him around and pushed him towards the stairs. Aryaman walked to his room shaking his head at her childish antics. Aarchi on the other hand breathed out and ran away from the living room quickly before someone else caught her.

"Inteha hogayi intezaar ki" She saw Vihaan sitting on the car bonnet singing sadly as he looked at the sky waiting for her.

"Humara zikr toh har pal hua fasane mein, toh kya hua jo thodi der hui aane mein" Aarchi rushed to him reciting a dialogue. Vihaan's eyes immediately brightened hearing her voice.

"Khud likha?" He asked pulling her on top of the car.

"Naah baba naah. Its SRK's dialogue from Dulha Mil Gaya" She replied with a sweet smile.

"Hmm, want to go out for a long drive?" He asked after a few minutes.

"Abhi?" She looked at him tensed. He nodded his head and slid down the car onto his feet.

"Yes abhi. You will return home before anyone wake up, promise" He said pulling her down.

"Promise?" She held her pink finger infront of him. He held her pinky finger with his and promised her.

"I'll need to change" She pointed at herself. He shook his head saying it didn't matter and held open the passenger side's door.

"You are driving?" Aarchi asked surprised at seeing him drive instead of him giving her the keys.

"Yeah thought to make a difference in our usual routine" He winked at her and quickly rushed to his side.

"Where are we going?" She asked curiously.

"You'll know when we reach" He said taking her hand in his and kissing her fingers. She pulled her hand out of his grip and took his hand in his.

"What are you doing jaan?" He asked looking at her and the road.

"You have beautiful fingers and a really pretty hand" She said holding his finger one by one and holding her fingers to it for comparison.

"Yours are prettier than mine jaan" He held her hand again and kissed each of her fingers.

"I like yours though" She said shaking her head and looking out of the window. He smiled and held her hand tighter.

_____________

"Ari, wake up" Vihaan woke up Aarchi who had fallen asleep in the car. Aarchi woke up finding herself under the blanket of stars and the warmth of Vihaan's arms around her.

"Vihaan?" She pushed herself up and looked around.

"Happy birthday to you" Vihaan sang softly to her holding a pomegranate tart with candles on top.

"I didn't know what flavour cake you like so made a tart instead" He said with a cute face. Aarchi picked up the knife and cut the tart and fed him the first bite. He took the same piece from her hand and fed her back. He placed the tart away from them and hugged her.

"Happy birthday Princess Ranawat. I pray to god that this smile on your face remains evergreen like the sun in the sky and water in the oceans. Under no circumstance does this smile reduce." He said pulling her up on the soft blankets he set up.

"I" He took a step away from her opening his arms wide as she stared at him with a smile that refused to stop growing.

"Love" He looked up at the sky and shouted loudly making her giggle.

"You" He pointed his both hands towards her as he knelt down on his both knees with a huge smile. Aarchi laughed and ran towards him.

"I love you too" She knelt down in front of him and hugged him throwing her hands around his neck.

"Never leave me Ari" Vihaan murmured holding her close. Aarchi shook her head promising him to never leave him.

"Good. Turn around and see what more I've done for you" he said turning her around.

"Vihaan" Aarchi stood up shocked to see the decorations he did.

"Vihaan" Aarchi couldn't move her gaze away from the well lit area.

"How was it jaaneman?" He asked hugging her from behind.

"This is beautiful, wonderful, amazing. I'm out of words to describe how beautiful this is. Thank you so much" Aarchi said placing both her hands on her mouth surprised at his efforts.

"Pura maine akele ne kiya hai"Vihaan said proudly.

"Thank you" She pulled his hands closer to her and turned her head up to look at Vihaan.

"It was very thoughtful of you to do all this for me"

"If I won't do it for my girlfriend toh Kya kisi aur ki girlfriend ke liye karta" He said flicking her nose with his finger.

"Sochna bhi mat aisa karne ki"

"Warna?"

"Isi setting ke neeche qatal kardungi aur lash ko jaladungi. Aarthi phir jaake Ganga mein bahadungi" Aarchi said turning around and holding him by his collars.

"Understood Princess Ranawat" He said saluting her making her smile.

"If you are done scolding me, let me move before I kiss you under these fairy lights and stars" He said closing his eyes.

"Why?"

"I can see underneath your night gown from this height. Yaha se neeche sab dikhta hai" He said smiling shamelessly. Aarchi pushed him away and straightened her gown glaring at him.

"Behaya. Besharam" She scolded him sitting down on the blankets he splayed out.

"Not complaining. The view was amazing" he winked at her and sat down beside her.

"Vihaan" She elbowed him and laid down on the pillow.

"Aaj kiss milegi?" He asked poking her arm continuously.

"Nahi. If you hadn't looked down my midriff there was still a chance but now no" She said haughtily adjusting her gown.

"Shit yaar. Bolna hi nahi chahiye tha" He said hitting his head with his hand.

"Red wine or champagne?" He asked holding two bottles in his hand.

"You know I don't drink" She turned to his side and said.

"It's non-alcoholic" he said giving her both the bottles.

"Red wine then" She returned him the bottle of wine which he poured into two glasses skillfully. Aarchi settled in between his legs, supporting her back on his chest.

"To the birthday girl" He clinked his glass with hers.

"To me and my boyfriend" She clinked her glass and took a sip. Both sat in each others arms for a while before Vihaan stood up saying it was time to drop her home. They drove back in comfortable silence.

"I have one more gift for you" Vihaan said stopping her from going just yet. He placed a wrapped box in her hands.

"Kya hai?" She asked excitedly.

"Dekhlena ghar jaake" He said biting her cheek.

"Vihaan yaar" She looked at him angrily.

"Arey, return gift mein itna toh banta haina" He said biting her cheek again.

"Just because you made happy today I'll allow it" She said trying to hide her smile as she forwarded her other cheek. Vihaan smiled widely and slightly bit her cheek before pushing her towards her house.