1 YEAR LATER

A shrilly cry echoes as I stumble awake
from the bed. I search the bed for any sign of Vihaan but he's not there.

I quickly tie my hair into a low ponytail and walk towards the nursery. The sound of gooing and giggling brings a slow smile to my face.

I slowly open the door to encounter the most beautiful sight that I have the fortune to wake up for.

The two people I love the most in the world.

Vihaan & Khushi.

When my angel was delivered to the world she was placed in Vihaan's arms for the first time. He was so nervous he looked at me for directions and I sighed giving him an encouraging smile.
I instantly witnessed Vihaan falling in love at first sight. A tear trailed down his cheeks. His lips twitched to the sides and his eyes crinkled.

"Welcome to the world, moon." He muttered to her and my heart bloomed in warmth. He carried her to me and kissed my forehead.

"I love you." He said his eyes shining.

He delicately placed her in my arms and the first time I saw her, I know whom she resembled.

Vihaan.

Her little mouth and eyes are the exactly same as her father. And like another person I haven't met but seen in the photos.

"Khushi." I whispered into her skin. She resembles her aunt.

Vihaan looked down at us with adoration and said, "Khushi Iyla Rajputh."

Iyla means moonlight.

I cried looking at her. A symbol of our love. She fulfilled my wishes of being a mother. I will protect her against all the evils in the world and I know that her father will be by my side backing me up.

"Ah. You woke up?" I coo and climb over the bed. Vihaan and Khushi are reading a picture book.

"We thought not to disturb Mama's beauty sleep." He opens an arm and I snuggle closer to them.

Vihaan kisses my temple, "Good morning Sunshine." He rasps.

"Morning." I sigh into him.

Khushi discards the book away and crawls between us.

"Morning baby!" I lift her into my arms and she gives me a bunny tooth grin.

She's 8 months old and she started to crawl in 7 months. It still feels like a dream when she started to say "Da-da"

I noticed a line of tears forming in my husband's eyes but he tried to hide it.

"What were you reading?" I put her on her back and sit on my knees.

"Surely not one of your P-O-R-N books." Vihaan spells out giving me a wicked smile.

I give him the stink eye and turn to my daughter who's giggling at us.

"Did you read about the Prince who'll come to sweep you off your feet?" I ask tickling her tummy.

"No Princes until she's forty." Vihaan mutters stroking her cheek.

"That's not fair!" I gasp.

"Da-da!" Khushi squeals and lifts her arms and Vihaan being the one to spoil his princess by fulfilling all her wishes lifts her.

"Iyla will live with Daddy and Mama. Right moon?" He asks giving her cheek a kiss.

She giggles and wraps her arms around his neck like a monkey.

"See. She agrees." Vihaan says proudly.

I shake my head.

"Alright you two, time to get ready. Our families will be here any minute. We have to arrange everything for the lunch." I say getting up from the bed.

Soon the maid helps me arrange the house and cook meals. We are having a small gathering in our home so we invited our close friends and family.

I patched up with Mama & Papa. I still haven't forgiven them but I have accepted the fact that everyone makes mistakes. I am happy that atleast they realized their faults.

Ahana is allowed to visit us. Mrs.Rajputh still has a cold feet about our marriage but Vihaan's father has warmed up to us since my husband helped him bail during the Rajputh-Raichand scandal. So he and Ahana sometimes visits us to meet Khushi.

The door bell rings and I open it.

"Nitya!" I hug her and she is stiff in my arms, when I try to see her face she pats me on the back and gives me a smile.

"I bought cake!" She gives me a bag and pushes past me, "Where's my Khushi?" She goes excitedly searching for her.

Next when I open the door Arya and his new wife Kritika is standing in my doorway bearing gifts.

I hug them and invite them in. Kritika bhabi is a nice girl, we both soon became friends after our first encounter. It was a love marriage. I am happy for both of them.

"Where's Zara?" I ask my brother.

"Here!" She walks in with Mama and Papa. She soon leaves me abandoning me with my parents to search for Khushi.

I give them a tight smile and say, "Feel at home. Can I bring you drinks?"

"No we came to see our little girls." Mama says not meeting my eyes. She and Papa always does that. Vihaan is still not okay with accepting them into our lives but when I explained him how I wanted Khushi to know her grandparents he agreed. Reluctantly.

Forgiveness is still something I am trying hard to learn. Because what they did to me isn't something easily forgivable.

I nod leading them to the nursery where all of them are playing and talking with my baby.

Khushi tries to spell new words Nitya's teaching.

"Say chachi." She bumps her up and down and Khushi coos.

"Cha-chi. Say it Khushi." Nitya smiles at my daughter adoringly.

"Tough luck Heer. She loves her Chachu more than you." Aman bhai walks inside and Nitya's back straightens.

"Hello Aman bhai. Glad you came early." I say to him while he tries to catch Nitya's eyes.

They have been like cat and mouse since they met. It's nearly two years and they still haven't tried to figure out their feelings which is clear as day to everybody else, except them.

"God! It's so suffocating here." A girl with a curvy body and dark hair strolls inside.

She wears a short white dress that reaches her mid thigh and tons of makeup which isn't family gathering appropriate at all.

I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion and look at Vihaan. He gives me a shrug. He doesn't know her either.

"This home is completely fine Mia. It's that you are allergic to people." Aman bhai replies to her dryly.

She rolls her eyes at him. "Stop being a jerk Aman." She swats him and takes his arm into hers batting her lashes at him.

Nitya's eyes zeroes in the place of their contact and she glares at Aman who is busy extracting himself from the girl's touch.

Atlast he sighs when she doesn't relent and says, "Everybody meet Mia Chatterjee." He stalls for a moment nervously, "My soon-to-be fiancée." He declares and the whole room becomes silent.

I look at Nitya in shock. She has a blank look clearly trained on her face but I can see the tremble in her hands.

"Soon-to-be wife!" Mia says excitedly.

I look at Vihaan in shock. He is staring daggers at his friend but Aman bhai's attention is now on Nitya who is trying her hardest to show that she doesn't care.

Mia looks at all of us.

"Then what about her?" Ahana comes behind them pointing at Nitya but before Mia could see it Zara takes her arm into hers whispering something in her ear. Ahana shakes her head and looks at Aman bhai in disappointment.

"Umm, congrats Aman bhai and... Mia." I say awkwardly trying to break off the tension.

"It's still not decided." He says moving closer to Nitya who is concentrating hard at a picture book of Khushi's.

"Oh well..." I scratch my head and at the same time Khushi let's out a giggle.

"Cha-chi." She says and Nitya freezes slowly turning to my daughter.

"Did you just call me chachi?" She whispers her eyes clouding. Her voice so vulnerable.

"Chachi!" Khushi giggles happily being able to say the word. Nitya wordlessly takes her into her arms gently and hugs her. Not like the hugs we get. This one is a soulful one.

I sniff at her. She's been alone without her parents her whole life. This must be overwhelming for her.

Aman bhai looks at them with something like longing.

"No need to get so emotional over this. You'll get used to it." Mia says shaking her head at Nitya like she's silly for crying over this.

I glare at her and Nitya says, "I need a minute." And walks past all of us.

I follow her out and she locks herself inside the bathroom.

"Nitya? Are you alright?" I ask concerned.

"Yeah fine. I'll be back Shivi. You go treat the others." She calls back her voice shaky.

I sigh, "Nitu, will you tell me what's been bothering you? You aren't telling me something." I ask her worried.

Because she's not the same girl I know. The one who defends herself against everyone, one of the strongest girl I know. She has been living alone for eight years. I don't think someone can do that. She's a wonder woman but these days she's been acting scared and isolated.

I don't understand. Something has happened to her and she's not telling me.

"No I am fine. Please can you give me a minute alone?" Her voice comes muffled behind the doors.

"Okay." I leave disappointedly.

When I enter the main hall everyone's back to normal. Aman bhai catches my eye and looks at me for answers but I shake my head.

"Alright everyone. Time for lunch." We arrange the table and after sometime Nitya joins us with swollen eyes and a  red face.

We all enjoy our meals and Khushi's antics. She talks in her baby language and everyone laughs at her mispronouncing words.

Atlast it's time to part ways and everybody leaves one by one.

The last one is Nitya, Aman bhai and Mia.

"Bye baby." My bestfriend kisses my daughter and tries to leave but Aman bhai catches her wrist.

Nitya goes rigid at the contact, her body trembles and she shrugs him off like she got burned.

"Don't touch me." She hisses and I, Vihaan, Aman and Mia look at her in shock.

She looks like a cornered animal.

She notices our stare and clears her throat, "Sorry I was caught off guard." She turns her head away in guilt wrapping her arms around herself.

"As if he will ever touch you with a ten foot pole." Mia mutters.

Nitya visibly flinches like it really hurt her to hear that. Her throat bobs in a painful swallow.

"Will you shut up." Aman bhai glares at her so unlike him and she cowers away looking at his eviscerating stare.

When he looks at Nitya he's completely different. His gaze turns soft and gentle.

Exactly like how Vihaan looks at me.

"I'll be passing your home on my way." He says and understanding his intentions Nitya tries to deny but he cuts her off. "I would love nothing but to argue with you all day but this is not up for debate. It's late & you are coming with me." He finishes with a firm tone.

Mia senses the tension between both of them clearly understanding there's more to this than that meets the eyes, "I don't think that's a good idea." She says.

But both Nitya and Aman bhai are having a staring competition. Finally she relents and goes with them.

I hope Aman bhai soon figures out his feelings and breaks this foolish engagement off.

When they are gone I turn back to Vihaan who's carrying a sleeping Khushi. Her head rests against his shoulder while he has supported her head and body with both his strong arms.

I sigh and hug them both wrapping my arms around their figures.

My whole world inside my arms.

"That was quite a show." He whispers.

"I'd love to see where this goes." I say breaking the hug.

He nods and leads us to the nursery. We lay Khushi on her cot and kiss her goodnight.

She is spent by all the attention and kisses she gets from her family.

"I am so tired." I yawn and suddenly I am lifted from the floor and put over his shoulder.

I squeak at the sudden movement and cover my mouth.

"Not much tired for a baby brother for Iyla I hope." He carries me to our room.

"Not until she's 10." I joke and he swats my ass.

He throws me to the bed and I laugh scooting over to the headboard. He climbs over hungrily like a predator, his eyes darkening.

We spend the whole night proving how much we love eachother. Laughing, talking, kissing and making love.

He's the man I thought I would never find.

My Love.

My man.

Mine.

To be continued...