“SHUBMAN, MAY YOU PLEASE COME HERE?” Shubman stopped his way to Aaradhya's room, instead walked towards Rathi, her manager and also her aunt.

He gulped — wondering what might be the reason Rathi is calling him. Seriously, with almost ten months of knowing Aaradhya — he had only talked to her aunt for a few times.

Especially, the first time of him talking to Rathi being about the contract — so was the last.

Shubman awkwardly made his way to the kitchen, wondering what might the talk be about. Perhaps she wanted some help, he thought silently.

“Um,” he muttered, looking up at Rathi. “Do you need my help, Mam?”

“What is it with all the mam, madam, Shubman?” Rathi softly smiled to him. “Just call me Rathi ma, that's what every Aaradhya and Aaditya's friends call me,”

Shubman chuckled nervously. “Well.. fine then, Rathi ma,” the words rolled off his tongue pretty awkwardly — but he would get used to it, maybe.

Rathi folded her arms — her usual mother demeanor showing up. She inhaled, before saying — “I see how you are with my Aaru,”

Shubman's heart sunk for a second. What if she doesn't want us to be together?

Rathi noticed his shift in emotions. “Oh no, I actually meant how happy I am to see you and her together, Shubman. Before you came into her life— it was hard to see her even smile, Shubman.”

Shubman smiled shyly, feeling a sense of warmth around his chest. “Thank you, Rathi ma,” he said. “I lo— adore her, truly.”

Rathi smirked at his answer, knowing what he was about to say. “I can see that, Shubman,” she told. “You are a good kid, I know you would make her happy.”

“But,” Rathi started, her voice laced with affection, yet firm. “I wanted to ask something,”

“What is it?” Shubman asked, curiousity piquing him.

“Has Aaradhya ever mentioned to you about her parents?” Rathi asked, her voice getting a little shaky.

“No,” Shubman answered. “But I do remember her mentioning that she considers you as a mother she never had,”

Rathi smiled softly at his words, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “She's a sweet heart,” she murmured under her breathe.

Rathi started at Shubman intently — she can clearly see how Shubman cared about her niece.

“Has she ever mentioned to you of her parents death?” Rathi asked again.

Shubman shook his head, his expression filled with confusion.

“No, not really,” he answered back. “I figured it maybe be a touchy subject for her, so I didn't really ask about it too,”

Rathi nodded sadly, understanding his reasoning.

“It’s a touchy subject for her,” she explained. “She has never talked about them to me either — especially ever since her teenage began. She's so used to bottling up her feelings, Shubman. She was never open about her feelings,”

Shubman frowned, feeling a pang of worry for Aaradhya. “How old was she?” Shubman asked, “when her parents—”

“She was four,” Rathi muttered, “My brother — Aaradhya's dad and her mom died in a car crash.”

“Oh no,” Shubman muttered, his stomach's churning at the news. She was barely a child, he thought, silently thinking of hugging Aaradhya the next he meets her.

“I had no idea, she was so youn—” Shubman muttered, feeling his words sink. “Is that why never talks about them?”

“Probably,” Rathi muttered. “It was hard for her.. I raised her with extra care— but Aaditya, my son never complained about it, he understood how much pain Aaradhya must've gone through,”

Shubman listened intently, his heart heavy with the weight of Aaradhya’s trauma. He could only imagine the pain she might’ve gone through as a child, and it hurt him to think she had dealt with it all alone.

Shubman also knew she was the type to keep everything locked inside and never let her guard down.

“I know,” he whispered. “She’s very protective of her feelings, never lets anyone in,”

“But, I notice her and you, Shubman,” Rathi suddenly told. “She's much happier, she's much relaxed more than she used to be — after all the Atharva thing,”

Shubman felt his heart flutter at Rathi's words. He felt happy to know that he had lightened up Aaradhya's life one way or other. “I am glad to hear that, Rathi Ma,” he told, with a sense of relief and pride blooming inside him.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by Shreyas— Aaditya and Shubman's friend, who came in with a panicked expression. “Has anyone seen the engagement clothes of Aaditya?” Shreyas told, the bestman-tension evident in his voice.

Rathi raised an eyebrow, looking at Shreyas with a mix of confusion and disappointment. “Shreyas,” she scolded. “You had one job.”

Shreyas pouted, looking like a scolded child. “What was I supposed to do, Rathi Ma? It’s not my fault that I can’t keep track of every single thing!”

Rathi rolled her eyes. “Well, it is your job to make sure everything is in order. So go and find it, otherwise our groom will be walking down the aisle in his boxers instead of the engagement suit.”

“Better get searching,” Shubman told, chuckling at the image. “We don't anyone to be traumatized by Aaditya only on his boxers,”

Shreyas rolled his eyes. He grabbed Shubman by his hand — “Come on, let's search for it,”

The two walked through the hall— which was filled with, to be said in one word— chaos. Relatives and friends of Aaditya had made a special appearance to greet Aaditya, just before the engagement.

Everyone were roaming around the house — preparing themselves for the engagement about to come in a few hours.

“I still hadn't seen Aaradhya yet!” Shubman pouted, feigning annoyance.

Shreyas scoffed, “She is with Meera, idiot!” he said. “How did you not know that?”

Shubman sighed, “I should've listened to Ishan when he said he wanted to drive to Meera's home.”

Shreyas chuckled at his friend’s frustration and feigned ignorance.

“You’re quite the doofus, Shubman,” he teased. “Even Ishan knew where Aaradhya would be. But don’t worry, you’ll get to see her soon enough.”

He patted Shubman on the back, trying to reassure him. “Let’s just focus on finding the damn suit,”

The two were suddenly clashed with Parvati— who was in her red lehenga, with numerous flowers in her hand. “Oh, hi you two!” Parvati greeted, with her cheery smile. “What's the hurry? And, Shreyas, Samira is quite upset with you right now. It's going to be hard for you to get it back.”

Shreyas stopped his track, as his eyes widened. “Wait, what did I do now?” He asked, scratching his neck.

“Did you forget the tradition, Shreyas?” Parvati asked, her eyes glimmering in shock.

Confusion was evident in both Shubman and Shreyas' face. “What tradition?” Shreyas asked back, his voice lacing with confusion.

Parvati stared at the two men in disbelief, as she face palmed herself. “Men, honestly,” she rolled her eyes.

“The enagement suit is with the bride's side, dumbheads!” she exclaimed. “And you, Shreyas as the best man would have to do something for the bride's maid, Samira to get that back.”

Shreyas’ eyes widened in horror as he realized his mistake. “Oh crap,” he muttered under his breath.

Shubman burst into laughter when he heard Parvati’s words. “So Samira has the suit, huh? And you’ll have to win it back from her? Oh this is gonna be good,” he teased his friend.

“Oh you shut up, Shubman,” Shreyas told, giving him a death glare. “You were pining after Aaradhya like a lost puppy few seconds ago,”

Parvati smiled back at the two. “As much I love you two pining after my bestfriends, get away! I need to go give these flowers to Meera and she's like in the other side of the street right now!”

Shubman and Shreyas got flustered by Parvati's reply, as they made way for Parvati to go.

Shreyas sighed.“Well, now what?” he asked, looking up to Shubman.

Shubman shrugged, “I guess you have to get the suit back from Samira,”

Shreyas groaned, face palming himself. “What do I do now to cheer up her? You got any ideas?”

Shubman feigned thinking, as he replied with a smirk. “It's all with you, my man.” he said. “Use your own ideas to get your girl back,”

Shreyas groaned again, rolling his eyes. “Gee, thanks for the help, Shubman. Real useful,” he grumbled. “It’s always up to me to come up with something, isn’t it?”

Shubman shrugged, a smirk still plastered on his face. “Hey, I’m just here for moral support,” he teased. “You’re the one who messed up, so you’re the one who needs to come up with a grand apology plan to win her over again.”

“And,” Shubman started. “I am going to Aaradhya, she needs me, you know?”

Shreyas rolled his eyes at Shubman's declaration.

“Yeah, yeah, go ahead go swoon over her some more,” he said sarcastically. “Meanwhile, I’ll figure out a grand plan to get Samira to forgive me. Wish me luck.”

Shubman walked around Meera's house— it was no less than Aaditya's with the same amount of the engagement chaos. He tried to locate Ishan— who told him that he'd be here.

In search of Ishan, he accidentally walked in to a room, to find his love— Aaradhya Kannan. A soft smile crept on his face, as he saw a sight of an clueless Aaradhya, who was listening to a rant from Samira Shree.

“He still hadn't contacted me yet!” Samira groaned, folding her arms. “Oh, I bet you Aaradhya, that Iyer is going to have a hard time getting this engagement suit back from me,”

Aaradhya chuckled at Samira's words, amused by her friend's antics. “That poor man has to overcome a struggle to make his friend's engagement carry on,”

While the two continued their conversation, Shubman decided to surprise Aaradhya by wrapping his arms around her waist. “Hello to you, my angel!” Shubman whispered into her ear, making Aaradhya gasp.

She turned around to give him a small slap in his shoulder. “You scared me, fool!”

Shubman chuckled, “Sorry love, can't blame a man for loving to get a small reaction from you,” he told, as he looked up at Samira.

Shubman silently decided to give Shreyas a little help. “Oh, hey there, Sam!” Shubman told, feinging surprise. “Shreyas has been looking for you since morning! Poor man's phone is out of service too, You have been here the whole day, huh?”

Samira's face softened at his words, but she tried to keep her annoyed expression. “Oh, he should've looked for me a little harder. I have been here with. Aaradhya and Meera since morning.”

Shubman nodded at her words, trying to be sympathetic, his arms were still around Aaradhya. “He has been hectic the whole day, you know?” Shubman mused, looking at Aaradhya  for a help. “I don't think he has eaten food all day too,”

Aaradhya caught up on Shubman's expression, and she decided to help Shreyas too. “Oh, his poor soul!” Aaradhya said, feinging sadness. “Shreyas must've gone crazy by now,”

Samira’s stern expression started to soften as she heard Shubman and Aaradhya’s comments. “Has he really been struggling that much?” she asked, reluctantly feeling sorry for Shreyas. “Maybe I should go easy on him just a little bit,”

That made the hero, Shreyas enter the scene, with a flower behind his shoulder.

“Samira, the queen of my heart, the answer to all my questions and troubles!” Shreyas declares, giving her the flowers. “Would you please give the engagement suit, so my bestfriend can have his engagement go right?”

Samira chuckled at his over-dramaticness, as she accepted the flowers. “You are a drama queen, Iyer,” she told, twirling the flower around her finger. “Good for you, I have a liking for those,”

“Here is your suit, my lord,” Samira jokes, as she finally gave him the suit.

Shreyas pulled her into a kiss, in a way of thanking Samira. Samira, caught off guard by the unexpected kiss, broke into a fit of giggles and blushed. She playfully pushed Shreyas away, a hint of a smile on her face.

“Hey, hey, I didn’t give you the suit in exchange for a kiss!” she protested, her voice laced with amusement.

Aaradhya and Shubman— entangled in eachother's arms — watched the scene unfold with knowing smiles on their faces.

Meera — the bride, entered the scene along with Parvati. “What is actually happening here?” she asked to Aaradhya.

“You two!” Meera declared to the kissing couple, “There is a engagement about to come, not your pre honeymoon celebration!”

Shreyas and Samira quickly broke apart at Meera's scolding, their faces turning red with embarrassment. They chuckled sheepishly, realizing they had gotten carried away.

“Sorry, sorry,” Samira apologized, trying to contain her laughter. “We got a little caught up in the moment.”

Shreyas, feeling embarrassed, scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, sorry about that, Meera. Won’t happen again,”

“And that was for you two too!” Meera turned towards Aaradhya and Shubman, who were chuckling in amusement.

“Sorry mam,” Aaradhya joked, as Shubman finally released her.

Shubman chuckled sheepishly as Meera turned towards them, still slightly amused by the whole situation. “Apologies, Meera. We’ll keep our displays of affection to a minimum,” he teased.

Aaradhya chimed in, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “But no promises!”

Meera sighed, as everyone laughed off the scene and decided continue their respective works.

The laughter subsided, with the atmosphere settling back to the busy engagement preparation but a little more calmer with the engagement suit.

Aaradhya somehow managed to get back to her room, walking past all the Gossip aunties and uncles asking her about this or that.

She sighed, as a battle of her own arised. Aaradhya, with the engagement of her brother and bestfriend coming up in an hour, was still clueluess on what to wear.

Aaradhya sat down on the edge of her bed, staring at the pink lehenga and a pastel blue half saree in front of her with her being on just her white lace brassiere and red shorts.

Suddenly, an idea of calling Shubman to choose sparked in her mind. Yeah, she thought, he might do some help.

aaru ❤️:
drop everything now
and run to my room
RIGHT NOW.

shub ❤️:
on my way, mam!

Shubman made his way to Aaradhya's room, wondering why she might've called him. The door was closed, and Aaradhya opened it only after he did their secret knock.

“So,” Shubman said, his eyes darting towards Aaradhya, from head to toe. “What's up?”

Aaradhya's heart quickened as Shubman looked at her, his eyes tracing every inch of her exposed skin. But she managed to maintain her composure and gestured him to enter.

“I'm having a fashion emergency,” she said, closing the door behind them. “I can't decide what to wear for the engagement, and I need your opinion.”

“And, I love your outfit for tonight,” Aaradhya mused, looking down at his white kurta. “whoever chose it must be a genius.”

Shubman chuckled at her compliment, a hint of blush appearing in his cheeks. “Why, thank you,” Shubman mused, “My girlfriend chose it for me, she's the best when it comes to fashing, you know?”

Aaradhya laughed at his playful response, feeling a warm flutter in her chest at his mention of her as his girlfriend. She crossed her arms, feigning confidence.

“Oh, really?” she teased. “Your girlfriend must have impeccable taste then, because you do look stunning in it.”

“You don't look bad yourself,” Shubman teased, his right hand laid on her cheek. “You're a captivating sight here, my love.”

Aaradhya raised her eyebrows. “You are distracting me here, Shubman.” Aaradhya whispered, leaning into his touch. “You are supposed to choose my outfit, not to remove it.”

“Oh, I can do both,” Shubman teased, his fingers tracing a path down her jawline to her collarbone. “In fact, I find you even more captivating in nothing at all.”

He chuckled lowly, his eyes roaming over her figure again, now visible under the dim light. “But I suppose that’ll have to wait after the engagement, my love.”

“Atleast you are self aware.” she joked, as the two walked towards her bed, Shubman's now hand lingering on her waist. “So, what should I wear for tonight, Mister?”

“Well, in my opinion,” Shubman mused, his fingers gently tracing the outline of the half-saree set on the bed. “This pastel blue set would look stunning on you.”

Shubman picked up the fabric, his eyes lingering on the intricate details of the saree. “This color would bring out the warmth of your skin, and the half-saree would match your frame just perfectly,”

He leaned in, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “And I’d definitely struggle to keep my eyes off you in this.”

Aaradhya took the half-saree from his hand, as she inspected it. “Yeah,” she said, her eyes lingering on the silk fabric. “I think I would wear this tonight, but one problem.”

“I don't know how to wear this one,” Aaradhya admits, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. “Parvati and Aththai already left for the ceremony, Samira is with Meera.”

“Hmm, that does seem like a problem,” Shubman mused, a playful smirk on his lips. “But luckily for you, I happen to be an expert in this field.”

He pulled her closer to him, the half-saree still laid in her hands. “I’d be more than happy to help you get dressed, my love,”

“I thought you were the best at getting me undressed?” Aaradhya teased, a sly smirk on her face. “But yeah, lead the way, darling,”

“Well, I suppose I have many talents, darling,” Shubman joked, his hands beginning to gently untie the belt of her shorts. “But getting you both dressed and undressed is at the top of my list.”

He smirked as the shorts dropped to the floor, leaving her in just her white lace brassiere. “Now, turn around for me.”

Aaradhya turned around at his command, her heart racing with anticipation. Shubman chuckled, his eyes roaming over her half-dressed form. “You’re a sight to behold, you know that?” he murmured in her ear, stepping closer behind her.

He gently draped the half-saree around her, carefully folding the pleats and wrapping it around her waist. With steady hands, he tied the blouse, his touch gentle yet teasing.

Shubman's lips graced Aaradhya's neck for a split second, which made blood race to her cheeks.

Shubman smirked as he noticed the flush creeping up her cheeks. He couldn’t resist teasing her a bit more, his lips lightly brushing against her earlobe as he spoke.

“You’re blushing, love,” he murmured, his hands still busy with the blouse. “I haven’t even finished dressing you yet.”

Aaradhya’s breath hitched at his closeness, her skin heating up with goosebumps as his breath tickled her ear. “Keep doing that, and I might not be able to focus enough for the engagement,” she warned, trying to keep her voice steady.

Shubman chuckled in response, his hands still working with the blouse. “Oh, but darling, where’s the fun in that?” he retorted, his lips leaving a soft trail of kisses along her jawline.

Shubman kneeled down before her, his hands adjusting the pleats of the half-saree. He made sure they were smooth and neat, then let his fingers trail along the length of the hem gently caressing her thighs.

“You look beautiful,” he murmured, his eyes roaming over her exposed legs and abdomen. “I’ll have a hard time keeping my hands to myself tonight.”

Aaradhya's cheek flushed at his words, “You are quite a charmer, Gill.” she mused, looking down at him. “But, honestly, it feels like yesterday me and Meera were playing play dates and now she's marrying my brother.”

Shubman, still on his knees in front of her, looked up at her with a warm smile. He reached up and placed his hands on her hips, gently pulling her closer.

“Time sure flies, doesn’t it?” he mused, his thumbs rubbing soothing circles on her skin. “But it’s wonderful to see how far you have come.”

He chuckled softly, his eyes sparkling. “And who knew we’d end up like this, too.”

Aaradhya chuckled. “I would've laughed at anyone's face if they told me that you and I would've gone through a litreal PR Stunt to becoming actual couple,” Aaradhya told, reminiscing of her past. “I quite would've been crazy of the part that I met you, let alone the fake dating thing.”

Shubman nodded, now standing eye-to-eye with her, as he pulled her closer. “Same here,” he muttered. “I would've been stunned if someone told me that,”

Shubman wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him. He looked down at her, his eyes filled with affection and amusement.

“Who would’ve thought the fake dating would turn into something real?” he teased, a hint of a smirk on his lips. “But I’m glad it did. This is so much better than pretending.”

He leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss on the top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo.

“I love you, Shubman,” Aaradhya told, her eyes sparkling with love and affection. “I don't think I would be who I am right now, if it weren't for you,”

Shubman softly smiled at her, his hands tracing her cheeks, taking in the sight of her. “You are the best thing to ever happened to me, Aaradhya. I love you so much that I can't even put it down to words.”

Aaradhya felt her heart melt at his words, her cheeks flushing with warmth. She reached up and placed her hands on his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

“You’ve given me so much, Shubman,” she said quietly. “You’ve been my support, my source of happiness, and my home. I can’t imagine my life without you now.”

She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss on his chin, her arms wrapping around his neck. “You do something to me, I swear,” she said, pulling him closer.

“You make my heart flutter, you know me more than I do, you do some crazy things to my body's functioning,” Aaradhya murmured, her eyes never once leaving him.

“As if you are the king of my heart, Shubman Gill.” Aaradhya went on, “King of my heart, body and soul.”

Shubman drowned at her words — pulling her into a tight embrace. He buried himself in the crook of her neck, as he muttered, “You are my everything, Aaradhya Kannan.”

Shubman held her tightly, feeling her body pressed against his. He inhaled the sweet scent of her skin, feeling a mix of love and possessiveness as her words sunk in.

“You’re my world, Aaradhya,” he murmured against her neck. “You’re the air I breathe, the thought that keeps my heart beating.”

He pulled back slightly, his eyes meeting hers. “I never want to let you go, my love. You’re in my mind, my heart, and my soul.”

Shubman pulled her into a deep kiss— savouring every bit of her. The two got lost into their world— healing eachother's broken soul, as well as cherishing eachother's presence.

Aaradhya felt a flutter in her stomach,  as Shubman deepened their kiss. They forgot about the engagement about to occur, forgetting that the guests are just at the other side of the door.

Aaradhya and Shubman shifted to their very own world — where it's just them, being eachother's solace, in a world which held a promise of never letting go of eachother.

There was one thing to be sure of to the couple — that everything will continue to be alright with the comfort of eachother's presence. And that's enough.

ABHI SPEAKS!

hello guys! welcome to the last chapter of king of my heart!

this is fic had been so special to me, especially it being one of my first fic to be completed (false god is just sleeping atm, guys. she'll come back after my boards, i think.)

litreally go read the article chap, where i might give a hint for something<3

anyways, see you at the author's notes!

yours,
abhi 💌