Morning came softly.
The sunlight slipped into the room, calm and warm.
Aarav woke first.
For a moment—
he didn't move.
Because she was still there.
Close.
Meher lay beside him, her hand still loosely holding onto his shirt.
But this time—
her eyes were open.
Watching him.
"Good morning," she said softly.
Aarav smirked slightly.
"Kitni der se dekh rahi ho?"
(How long have you been watching?)
She looked away quickly.
"I wasn't staring."
"Jhoot," he said calmly.
(Lie.)
She rolled her eyes.
"Tumhe lagta hai sab tumhe dekhte rehte hain."
(You think everyone keeps staring at you.)
"Tum dekh rahi thi."
(You were.)
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Shut up."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Before he could say anything—
A knock interrupted them.
Aarav's expression changed instantly.
Serious.
He got up and walked toward the door.
When he opened it—
A girl stood there.
Confident.
Stylish.
"Finally," she said, smiling.
Before Aarav could react—
she stepped forward—
and kissed him on the cheek.
Meher froze.
Completely.
Her heartbeat skipped.
Something twisted inside her chest.
Unfamiliar.
Uncomfortable.
Jealousy.
"Missed me?" the girl said playfully.
Aarav didn't respond the same way.
Instead—
he stepped back slightly.
Creating space.
That small action—
Meher noticed.
"Inside," Aarav said calmly.
The girl walked in confidently.
Her eyes immediately landed on Meher.
"Oh…" she smiled slightly.
"And who is this?"
Silence.
Meher stood up slowly.
Her expression calm—
but her fingers clenched slightly.
Aarav walked toward her.
Standing beside her.
Closer than before.
Then—
he spoke.
"Yeh hai Meher," he said.
(This is Meher.)
A pause.
Then—
his lips curved slightly.
"Woh ladki jo bina kuch kahe bhi meri saari attention le leti hai."
(The girl who takes all my attention without saying anything.)
Meher's breath caught.
He continued—
"Woh problem jo main solve nahi karna chahta."
(The problem I don't want to solve.)
Her cheeks flushed instantly.
"And…"
he leaned slightly closer—
"…woh wajah jisse main har cheez ignore kar deta hoon."
(The reason I ignore everything else.)
Silence.
The room felt still.
The other girl's smile faded slightly.
"Oh…" she said slowly.
"Interesting."
Her gaze shifted between them.
"And you are?" Meher asked finally.
The girl smirked.
"Someone who knows him before you."
A pause.
"Very well."
Meher's chest tightened slightly.
But she didn't react.
Didn't show it.
Because Aarav—
was still standing beside her.
Close.
Not moving away.
"Relax," the girl said lightly.
"I'm not here to steal him."
A faint smirk.
"Unless he wants to be stolen."
Silence.
Aarav looked at her.
Then calmly—
"Not interested."
The answer was simple.
Direct.
Final.
Meher's heart skipped.
Again.
The girl laughed softly.
"Still the same."
A pause.
Her eyes softened slightly.
"Take care of him," she said to Meher.
"He's difficult."
Meher looked at Aarav.
Then back at her.
"I know," she replied quietly.
A small silence passed.
Then—
the girl turned and walked out.
Just like that.
The door closed.
Silence filled the room again.
But this silence—
felt different.
Heavier.
More personal.
Meher crossed her arms slightly.
"Your 'friend'?" she asked casually.
Aarav looked at her.
"Yes."
A pause.
"You didn't tell me about her."
"Tumne poocha nahi."
(You didn't ask.)
She rolled her eyes.
"She kissed you."
Aarav smirked slightly.
"Jealous?"
Her eyes widened.
"No!"
"Jhoot."
She looked away quickly.
"I'm not jealous."
"Hmm."
He stepped closer.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
"Phir problem kya hai?" he murmured.
(Then what's the problem?)
Her heartbeat picked up.
"Nothing."
"Sach?"
(Truth?)
She hesitated.
Just for a second.
And that was enough.
Because Aarav saw it.
Always.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Tumhe farq padta hai," he said softly.
(It affects you.)
Her breath caught.
She didn't reply.
Because this time—
she couldn't deny it.
And somewhere deep inside—
she realized something.
Something she wasn't ready to accept yet.
But it was there.
Growing.
Quietly.
Dangerously.The air outside felt lighter.
But inside—
something had shifted.
Meher tried to ignore it.
But she couldn't.
That girl.
The way she walked in.
The way she kissed him.
And the way Aarav didn't react…
It stayed.
All of it stayed.
Later that afternoon—
Aarav stepped out toward the pool area.
The sunlight reflected over the water, calm and inviting.
And of course—
she was there.
His "friend."
Standing near the pool—
wearing a bikini.
Confident.
Unbothered.
She noticed him instantly.
"Aarav!" she smiled, walking toward him.
Before he could say anything—
she placed her hand lightly on his chest.
"Come on," she said playfully. "Let's swim."
Aarav's expression didn't change.
But he didn't respond either.
And that's when—
another presence stepped in.
Meher.
She had seen enough.
Her eyes went straight to that hand.
On him.
And without hesitation—
she walked forward—
and removed it.
Calmly.
Firmly.
The girl blinked in surprise.
Meher stood between them now.
Not loud.
Not aggressive.
But clear.
"He doesn't swim without me," she said.
Silence.
The air shifted instantly.
The girl raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Oh really?" she smirked.
Meher didn't react to the tone.
Her gaze stayed steady.
"And you're not his wife," the girl added lightly.
A pause.
Then—
Meher stepped a little closer.
Her voice calm—
but sharp.
"Maybe not," she said.
"But still…"
her eyes flicked briefly to Aarav—
then back to her—
"…I don't like anyone this close to him."
Silence.
The confidence in her voice—
was new.
Even for Aarav.
The girl looked at her for a second.
Then laughed softly.
"You've changed him," she said.
Meher didn't reply.
Because her attention wasn't on her anymore.
It was on Aarav.
And his reaction.
Aarav stood there.
Watching.
Not stopping her.
Not correcting her.
Not pulling away.
Instead—
his lips curved slightly.
Almost like he was enjoying this.
"Relax," the girl said finally, raising her hands slightly.
"I'm not here to cause drama."
A faint smirk.
"But I like her," she added, nodding toward Meher.
"She's got attitude."
A pause.
Then she stepped back.
"Enjoy your time," she said casually.
And walked away.
Silence remained.
But it wasn't tense anymore.
It was… something else.
Meher turned slightly.
Her arms still crossed.
Her expression calm—
but her heartbeat—
not calm at all.
Aarav stepped closer.
Slowly.
"Wife?" he said softly.
She glared at him.
"Don't start."
He smirked.
"You sounded like one."
"I said I'm not."
"Hmm."
He moved even closer.
"So what are you?" he murmured.
Her breath caught.
She didn't answer.
Because she didn't know.
Not fully.
But she knew one thing.
She didn't like anyone else near him.
And that—
said more than enough.
Aarav leaned slightly toward her.
"Jealous ho?" he whispered.
(Are you jealous?)
She looked away instantly.
"No."
"Jhoot."
She stayed silent.
And that silence—
was her answer.
Aarav smiled slightly.
Because for the first time—
she didn't just react to him.
She claimed him.
In her own way.
And that—
was exactly what he wanted.The silence between them didn't last long.
Aarav was still looking at her.
That same look.
Deep.
Amused.
Dangerous.
Meher avoided his gaze, crossing her arms again.
"Stop looking at me like that," she muttered.
"Kaise?" he asked casually.
(How?)
"Like you're enjoying this."
A faint smirk appeared on his lips.
"I am."
She turned toward him instantly.
"You're impossible."
"And you're jealous."
"I'm not!"
"Phir pool mein scene kyun create kiya?"
(Then why did you create a scene at the pool?)
She opened her mouth—
then stopped.
Because she didn't have an answer.
At least not one she wanted to say out loud.
Aarav stepped closer.
Slowly.
Closing the distance between them.
"Tumne bola…" he murmured.
(You said…)
"…main tumhare bina swim nahi karta."
(I don't swim without you.)
Her heartbeat picked up.
"I just said that—"
"Sach hai."
(It's true.)
She froze.
"What?"
He leaned slightly closer.
"I don't swim with anyone else."
A pause.
"Only you."
Her breath caught.
She tried to look away—
but he didn't let her.
His gaze held hers.
"And why is that?" she whispered.
Aarav's expression softened slightly.
But his voice—
still carried that same intensity.
"Because…" he said slowly,
"…kuch cheezein share nahi hoti."
(Some things aren't meant to be shared.)
Her heart skipped.
"And you—" he added quietly,
"…are one of them."
Silence.
Her cheeks flushed instantly.
"Aarav…" she whispered, slightly embarrassed.
But he wasn't done.
He tilted his head slightly.
"Waise…" he said,
"…tumne wife wali line achhi boli."
(By the way… that 'wife' line was nice.)
She glared at him.
"Shut up."
"Sach bol raha hoon."
(I'm telling the truth.)
"I didn't mean it like that."
"Par bola toh tumne."
(But you said it.)
She turned away, trying to hide her face.
But Aarav moved in front of her again.
Blocking her way.
"Tumhe idea bhi hai tum kya bol gayi?" he asked softly.
(Do you even realize what you said?)
She shook her head.
"No."
He leaned closer.
"Phir sun lo…"
(Then listen…)
A pause.
"Wife ka matlab hota hai…" he murmured,
"…woh insaan jise main kisi aur ke saath imagine bhi nahi kar sakta."
(The person I can't even imagine with anyone else.)
Her breath caught again.
"And tum—" he added,
"…usse zyada ho."
(You're more than that.)
Her heart raced.
Completely out of control now.
"Aarav, bas…" she whispered.
(Enough…)
But he just smiled slightly.
Because he could see it now.
Her reaction.
Her blush.
Her silence.
Everything.
And for the first time—
he wasn't forcing anything.
He was just… letting her feel it.
"Next time," he said casually, stepping back,
"…properly bolna."
She frowned slightly.
"What?"
"If you're claiming me…"
A pause.
"…then don't hesitate."
Her eyes widened.
"I'm not claiming you!"
He smirked.
"Jhoot."
She looked away again.
But this time—
she didn't argue further.
Because somewhere inside—
she knew.
She already had.
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Hope you like it