"Good morning Princess" Kaira wished Aarchi who entered the kitchen to grab a fruit.

"Morning ma" Aarchi greeted her back and pulled her away from the cooking stove.

"What happened?" Kaira asked excitedly mirroring Aarchi's expression. Aarchi quickly opened her phone and showed Kaira her birthday night pictures she took with Vihaan and those that Vihaan took of hers.

"Oye hoyeee, ladka mehnti hai" Kaira teased Aarchi who blushed like a new bride.

"He's given me a gift too" She said shyly moving her body left and right.

"What has he given?" Kaira asked holding Aarchi's hands.

"I'll show you after I come home" Aarchi was talking to Kaira when Maitri entered the kitchen in a very happy mood which elevated seeing Aarchi and Kaira whispering to each other in low tones.

"Hothon pe aisi baat me dabake chali aayi,
Khul jaye jo yeh baat toh duhai hai duhai" Maitri sang as she entered the kitchen holding her gaze to the two women who looked at her confused. Maitri continued singing until Kaira and Aarchi looked at each other in realisation seeing Maitri stare at them with an extra big smile hinting them that she knew something that she wasn't supposed to know.

"Maitriii" Aryaman called her from the living room. She walked out dancing, teasing the two with the hidden knowledge.

"Where were you? I've been looking for you everywhere" Aryaman asked her, packing his laptop bag.

"Humara zikr toh har pal hua fasaane mein,
Toh kya hua jo thodi der hui aane mein" Maitri replied to Aryaman while looking at Aarchi who paled listening to her. 

"Jawani jaaneman haseen dilruba
Milein do dil jawan nisaar ho gaya
Shikari khud yahan, shikar ho gaya" Maitri sang taking the files away from Aryaman's hands and started dancing with him.

"What are you doing Maitri?" Aryaman asked stopping Maitri from dancing.

"Nothing was just in a good mood" She said smiling.

"I don't understand you at times" Aryaman said shaking his head.

"Haan toh who said that you try to understand me. Your work is to love me endlessly and say yes to everything I ask for and be a good husband" Maitri said sitting on the sofa, pulling her hands behind her head.

"Mohtarma, what will you do for me?" He asked pulling her hands away from her head.

"I'll love you more than me, then I'll irritate you so much that you feel like pulling your hair out but you can't because I like you in this look, looking all cold and broody, like my ASR" She blew him a kiss pulling her heads behind her head and placed her feet on the coffee table.

"Kya musibat gale bandh li hai" He said laughing at her, flicking her forehead.

"Maitri Aryaman Ranawat hai is musibat ka naam" She stood up to bid him farewell. He hugged Kaira and Maitri and rushed to his car where a chauffeur was already waiting for him.

"Bhabhiii" Aarchi stopped Maitri forcing her to sit on the sofa once Aryaman was out of sight.

"Don't tell bhaiyu anything please" Aarchi folded her hands and begged Maitri who laughed cupping her cheek.

"Don't worry I won't tell anyone, but I need the details. Divi also didn't tell me anything so imagine my reaction when I got to know the second party in this" Maitri sat cross-legged on the sofa as Kaira sat on the sofa opposite her.

"But how did you get to know?" Kaira asked interested.

"Last night what happened was Maan came down to get water and I was feeling hot so I thought to take a stroll in balcony that faces the courtyard. There I saw someone was standing with a car, first I thought it was an intruder but at a closer look I saw it was Vihaan. I stood there for a while when Aru walked out. Then hearing their conversations, I joined the dots" Maitri explained to them calmly.

"So you knew I was out?" Aarchi asked keeping her gaze low.

"I also know what time you returned Princess Ranawat" Maitri lifted Aarchi's face using her fingers and winked at her.

"Don't tell anyone now please. We will tell them when we believe that we want everyone to know about us" Aarchi squeezed Maitri's hands eagerly.

"Promise baba promise. I won't tell anyone but tell your Mr. Lover that if he wants to see you here, don't park near the entrance, park outside the palace and then ask one of the guards to give him a ride in. There's a bench that oversees your balcony, he can wait for you there and you madam, if you are going out, tell us" Maitri said scolding Aarchi who looked at her cutely with a silly smile.

"I love you" Aarchi pulled Maitri into a hug who laughed and hugged her back.

AT HOSPITAL

"Bho" Aarchi screamed behind Vihaan as he stepped out of his car. Aarchi had arrived a few seconds before him and thought to surprise him.

"Arii" Vihaan turned around unaffected by her actions and pulled her between him and closed car door.

"Happy birthday love"

"Have you opened my gift?" Vihaan asked excitedly. Aarchi thought for a second and refused.

"I fell asleep as soon I hit my bed and then I woke up late today. I'll go home and see. Or wait, you can tell me what you've gifted me" Aarchi said with a smile.

"You open and see it for yourself. Until then, close your eyes" Aarchi excitedly closed her eyes waiting for Vihaan who slowly placed a bouquet in her hands.

"Happy birthday" He said kissing her forehead. She tip-toed and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you" Vihaan pulled her apart and again asked her to close her eyes.

"Give me your hands" Aarchi gave the bouquet to him and held her hands out to him. She felt some weight on her wrists and a slight pinch in her scalp.

"Open them beautiful" Vihaan whispered, holding her hands in his.

"Vihaan... This... I can't. This is too much. I can't take this" She said panicking.

"Then throw them in the dustbin. These are your bangles and I'd like it if you wear them at a function" He stopped her.

"They are too much" She said softly.

"And I'm telling you, either you keep them or there's the dustbin, we can go dump it and then after work I'll again take you out and you can pick the design" He said sternly.

"They are diamonds Vihaan. They cost a lot" She complained.

"Are you less than a diamond?" His question made her shut up and agree to keep them.

"What did you add in my hair?" She asked changing the topic.

"Hair comb" He said sweetly.

"Let me guess, they too are made of diamonds?" She crossed her fingers hoping not.

"Nothing less than diamonds and pearls for my Princess Ranawat" He said shrugging his shoulders.

"You are mad, insane, psychotic" She touched her hair and removed the comb and looked at them with love.

"Ehh...being called worse" He said with a smirk.

"You are spoiling me and I don't like being spoilt" She handed him the hair comb back.

"You return me any of my gifts and I'll give your double" He said pulling her closer.

"You are annoying Dr. Vihaan" She said hugging him tightly.

"By the way, bhabhi caught you last night" She whispered in his ear.

"WHAT!" He looked at her shocked and in panic.

"Yupp, she was in the balcony and pretty much heard our conversation" She explained to him everything that happened in the morning.

"Are your brothers preparing the ammunition or they are on their way here? Tell me quick so I can prepare myself for the inevitable death I'll face through your brothers' hands" Vihaan said panicking as Aarchi laughed.

"No one knows except Ma and bhabhi. Relax" She said taking her bouquet and smelling the flowers.

"Relax? Your brothers won't hesitate before drilling a hole through my skull. Fuck! If your father gets to know, I'll die a slow death. I'd prefer to die through your brothers' hands than your father. Atleast it'll be quick and painless" Vihaan started sweating thinking of the future.

"You are such a 'fattu'. Even I wasn't scared of them as much as you are" She said frowning.

"Jaana you have no idea who your brothers are..."

"Stop, kabse you are saying 'your brothers', they mean something to you too. You are their best-friend" She argued with him.

"And you are their baby sister" He complained making her roll her eyes.

"You... When you are done panicking tell me? I'm going to work" She said shaking her head.

"Baby understand. Dating your brother's best friend is much easier than dating your best friend's sister. If you knew your brothers through my perspective, by now we would have already created a fake identity and might be living in some farm area" Vihaan explained her.

"I like city life" Aarchi said looking up at him in arguement.

"Its not safe there. Your brothers will find us in cities very fast, country side is the best option" Vihaan said.

"Wait... neither are we running away nor are we caught by my brothers, why are we wasting time thinking of something that's not true? Chill maro aur relax ho jao"

"Easier said than done" He murmered.

"Look Mr. Vihaan. If you behave like a good man you might get what you've been expecting since day 1, sochlo aage kya karna hai" Aarchi said with a smirk before leaving the place feeling a spoilt brat princess of Vihaan.

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