A U T H O R 's P O V -

"What is going on between you and atharv?" Shivika who was reading her novel named Silent patient , frowned but her eyes were still fixed on the book. The interesting part was going on right now and nothing was more important than reading it.

"I am asking you something, shivi."

Sonali jumped on the bed and criss crossed her legs while glaring at her bestie who was so engrossed in reading the book and didn't even glanced at her once. Shivika ignored her questions as her eyes moved from left to right while reading the lines. Her face was serious.

Sonali rolled her eyes and huffed watching shivika ignoring her royally. She snatched away the book from her hands making shivika's eyes go wide. Her poor book will tear like that. She glared at sonali, sitting straight now as she got her book back and kept it beside her.

"What?"

"What, what? Answer my question!"

Sonali said making shivika sigh as she bit her lips trying to define how was she related to atharv? What should she name when she herself don't know what bond they share. No words were forming in her mind as she sighed again.

Sonali understood by her face. She took her hand and tappes on it. Shivika looked at her as sonali said,

"Okay okay, don't stress your little brain now. But promise me, no matter how long you take to describe your relation with him, you will tell me sabse pehle."

[first of all.]

Shivika's eyes widened in surprise. How did she know what i was thinking?

"Don't think so loud, i can hear it. "

Sonali said while chuckling making shivika bit her tongue. They have known each other for so many years now and it was very easy for both of them to read each other like a open book. They were together in the worst phases of each other's life and when something good is happening ir is about to happen, how will they not know?

They knew each other too well.

"Yaar i am bored and hungry!"

Shivika said while a pout formed on her lips. Sonali nodded agreeing as she creased her stomach. "Mein bhi!" She said while looking at shivika who was looking at her and soon a wide smile spread on their lips as they both said in unison,

"MAGGIE !!"

Saying together, they both bursted into laughter as slowly getting down from the bed they started making their way towards the kitchen. It was already past mid night and everyone has slept but these two cats couldn't help but to sneak into the kitchen and make maggie for themselves.

They were always like this, whenever shivika and sonali would come to jaipur for their vacations, they both would most of the time eat maggie at night sneakingly. They both were foodies and needed food in every 2 hours or maybe less sometimes.

Entering the kitchen, they slowly took out the utensils and pack of maggie not after switching on the lights. "If mumma comes by any chance, we are gone, shivu!"

Sonali says making shivika laugh as she placed the pan on the stove. Sonali added water and raw maggie after breaking it in two pieces, in the water and turned on the stove. Shivika's eyes widened as she looked at sonali with 'how can you do this' look. Sonali looked at her in confusion.

" Tune maggie ko tora kyu. Bechari maggie! "

[why did you break the poor maggie?]

Shivika said dramatically wipping her fake tears off making sonali roll her eyes. "Because i like it that way!" She scoffed while shivika glared at her. "But i hate it that way!" She argued back.

Sonali cupped ber waist as she turned fully towards shivika who did the same. "I like it that way, shivi!". "But i hate it that way sona!" . "But i like it!". "But i hate-"

"I agree with shivika as well! Maggie should be eaten without breaking it in two peices!" There came a manly voice.

"No bhai, maggie should be broken in two peices for better taste, i agree with bhabhi!" Another manly voice came.

And finally both the cats turned their headed towards the dogs who were standing there looking at them. What a squad.

"Atharv?"

"Arav?"

Both of them said making the dogs- i mean men nod as they made their way towards the party that they support. I mean arav went towards shivika and atharv went towards sonali.

Sonali glared at her fiancé making him gulp but maggie was more important. Shivika scoffed at atharv who gave her a sharp look. "Devar ji is right, maggie ka taste hi tordke ata hai."

[my brother-in-law is right. maggie tastes so good after breaking it.]

"Your devar ji has no taste then. Maggie should be eaten as it is. Uska bhi dil hota hai, how can you hurt him/her.?" Shivika said while making a dramatic face while arav nodded with her. Atharv could not control his chuckle as all looked at his direction. Sonali gave him a glare.

[maggie has a heart too.]

"You are smiling on our opponent's words? You betrayer!" Sonali said while giving him a sharp look making him lower his head dramatically. The squad was busy barking at each other and didn't notice that the maggie which was kept for boiling was burning in the pan.

"Huh! See jiju they are so jealous that i can smell the burn of their jealously till here." Shivika scoffed hi-fing with arav who smirked along with her the other two scrunched their nose as they're eyes fell on the poor maggie for whose justice they were fighting with each other, burning.

Sonali's eyes widened she quickly turned the stove off and turned towards shivika who was busy celebrating her success with arav. She cleared her throat making both of them look at her while atharv stood their quietly. He knew sonali was about to blast now.

"Haha! Harke kaisa lag raha hai sona-"

[ sona, how do you feel after loosing?-]

Shivika's mouth got sealed as her eyes fell on the pan which had the dead body of the maggie- i mean the burnt maggie. Her eyes pooped out as she gulped down travelling her eyes back on sonali who was red , controlling her anger. She smiled awkwardly.

"SHIVIIII!!!" Sonali finally shouted making everyone's eyes pop out. Arav quickly placed his hand on his soon to be wife's as atharv stood infront of shivika whose eyes were closed, ready to feel the spatula on her. Uff how protective mr. Deshmukh.

"Sonali calm down, we'll make another one." Arav said while looking at the girl who was trapped in his arms and was glaring at him. He gulped down his saliva. The spatula was still in her hands as she looked towards shivika but got to see her soon to be brother-in-laws back.

She motioned her eyes towards their figure to arav as he looked back to see his brother protecting his dear sali sahiba from sonali as a smirk made its way on his lips.

Feeling no spatula on her, shivika opened her eyes only to see atharv standing infront of her while looking at her small figure. He had to bend his head a little to look at her face. She peeped from his firm body and gulped looking at sonali who was standing beside arav while her arms crossed around her chest, raising a brow at her. She looked back and gave a sharp look to him making him frown.

" Kya jarurat thi mere samne ane ki mr. Deshmukh? Piche mudo ab!"

[why did you have to come before me? turn around now.]

She whisper shouted at him as he turned his head back to look at the both who had smirks on their faces. Oh how bad they were going to tease both of them now. All because of this mr. Protective for no reason guy. Shivika thought. Not that she is complaining but still.

" nahi chal kya raha hai tum dono ke bich? " Sonali asked raising her eyesbrows while arav nodded agreeing with his almost wife. They both shook their head negatively telling them 'nothing' but were they both going to take that as an answer?

[what is cooking between you both, huh?]

Hell no.

"We are not falling for that head shake, do you guys get it?"

This time arav said making both of them lower their head. It was supposed to be a midnight snack day but why is it turning a midnight investigation day? Shivika whined in her mind and gave a side look to atharv who gave her a 'what did i do' innocent look.

Shivika again gave his a glare telling him 'why did you come infront of me?' To which he replied through his eyes 'i thought she was about to hit you with that spatula' shivika shook head and turned her head away from him not before giving him a sharp look again.

Bhalai ka zamana hi nahi bhai . Atharv thought and pouted a little.

[there's no place for good people in this world.]

"Oh hello, ye ankho ankho mein ishare baad mein krna samjhe dono! Jaldi se apna ye pakka karo ki chal kya raha hai tumhare bich mein aur hume javab chahiye!"

[oh hello, talk with your eyes later and sort whatever it is going on between you too, we need answers asap.]

Sonali said as they both nodded as an obedient kid. Sonali looked at them both and then at her finacé who was already looking at her with his pressed lips as they both bursted into laughter. Hearing their laughs, atharv and shivika too couldn't control and laughed with them filling the kitchen with different laughing music.

Their midnight snack day indeed became more fun when both the men joined them. Shivika's stomachade a weird voice which made her eyes go wide as she placed her hand on it. The rest laughed at her reaction while she cursed her stomach for embarassing her in front the three who were busy laughing at her.

Her eyes fell on him who was standing beside her as she saw him laughing for the first time. She couldn't believe her eyes. Mr. Jinki smile pe tax lagta hai deshmukh was laughing?

Atharv felt her gaze on his as he cleared his throat and looked away from her. A smile spread on her lips as she saw his cute face which turned red. He was embarrassed.

"Now! Shivika, you will make in different pan. For yourself and for arav ji. And i will make for me and devar ji!"

Shivika nodded while giving her a salute like a IAS officer. "Yes arav ji ki hone vali patni ji!" Sonali's cheeks and ears tyrned red hearing her bestie as she passed a glare at her while arav was a whole tomato.

[yes, arav's soon to be wife.]

Shivika just laughed and took another pan and in the mean while atharv was looking at his addiction. Her. While she was cutting the veggies and stirring the maggie after adding the seasoning and the masala in it, hairs secured with a clutcher in a bun. She looked a whole wifey material and it made hard for him to look away from her.

While the other couple was noticing him , who was just ao lost in shivika. "I think he is love, just look at him arav ji." Sonali whispered to arav who nodded while sitting infront of her on the chair while atharv sat infront of shivika, who was busy cooking.

"I can see that too but he never listens to me. I try to have a talk with him about shivika but he just avoids it away. " arav sighed looking at his brother who was still so lost in the lady standing infront of her. Oh man, his eyes told everything but was he ready to accept it? Nah, for him love dosen't happen this soon. But can someone make him understand that love is unpredictable?

Love dosen't happen all of a sudden but also can happen at first sight. Love just happens. And once you fall in love, then there's no going back. True love always finds it way be it too early or too late.

"I hope they realise the Knot of love which is tying their hearts together, soon" sonali said focusing on her maggie while arav nodded shifting his gaze on her. He was indeed falling for her more and more but is hesitant on confessing it. It was his first time falling in love and that too for his soon to be wife so he was nervous. He has never did any things like these. But promised himself that before they both get married, he will confess his heart out. He will. Soon.

Feeling the strong gaze of thean sitting in front of her standing figure, she gulped the nervousness down. There goes this man again, staring right into her soul which never fails to make her feel weird in her stomach, heart, knees, heck her whole body feels weird.

She tried to focus on her maggie which was almost done as after some time it was perfectly boiled and looked delicious. She couldn't wait anymore. Ignoring his gaze on her, she served the maggie in two bowls and looked towards sonali who was also done.

"Finally! Mere pait mein chuhe dor rahe hai and bhot tej tej! Let's eat now."

[rats are running i my stomach.]

Shivika said while passing the bowl towards arav as sonali passed one bowl towards atharv who finally took his eyes off from shivika's figure making her sigh in relief. And that's how the night was well gone with them chit chatting around on random topics. Getting to know little more about each other.

Spending a good quality time together, the squad made their ways towards their respective room not before cleaning and doing the dishes in the kitchen so that no one suspects them.

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TO BE CONTINUED...

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