***Sahana's P. O. V***

Gulping in anticipation and fear, I made my way to the living room sofa, with papa right at my heels.

Sitting down in the sofa and unable to meet Papa's gaze, I looked into my fidgeting hands, waiting for the volcano to explode.

But when nothing happened, I looked up to realize that papa wasn't in front of me. Frowning, I looked around to find him pacing the length of the living room... the area behind the sofa.

Biting my lip, I turned to the backrest of the sofa and knelt, putting my hands on the backrest and observing my father.

Usually as calm as a frozen lake, I had never know papa to even have a temper, let alone such a nasty one! I'd never seen papa look so agitated and angry! Oh God how much had he seen?

Does this mean he's not going to accept Arush? My already gloomy heart felt more heavy and gloomy at this thought and tears welled my eyes - I can't stay away from Arush... Not now, not ever!

I'm going to have to persuade papa that's all... But how?

"How can this happen?" Papa's hiss made me jump, and I looked around to find papa sitting at the dining table and gulping down a glass of water. His hand shook a little and he was heaving for breath.

Though in his late 50s, my father was never one to look or feel weak or vulnerable! He may not have the gym body like Bhai or Arush, but papa is a physically strong man, standing at 5'11 ft tall and a good strong pair of biceps that always made me safe since I was a little girl and slept in his arms.

"What.... What... H... H... Happened... P.. p.. papa?" I stuttered, looking at him in shock.

"This is my house! How can I not know that my child is doing all this... behind my back?" he hissed angrily, making me jump again.

Oh God!! Does he know what happened... between me and Arush?!

"Is this how I have brought you up?! To do... all this?" he barked, making me shiver under my skin!

"Am I not trust worthy enough for you kids?" papa asked in a hurt voice, making me look guiltily up at him. His eyes shone with tears and his usually calm face was streaked with hurt and disappointment.

"You're the best papa in the world" I said honestly, looking into his eyes to which he gave a weak smile.

"Achcha beta? I am the best papa you say, and yet you hide such a big issue from me?" papa asked sadly, making tears pool in my eyes.

"Sorry papa" I whispered, walking to him and into his arms.

"My own son lied to me and you... his laadli... you took his side!" papa sighed in defeat, making me choke and look up at him.

What was he talking about?

"Papa? What did you see?" I asked, looking into his eyes.

"I had gone to Star mall today for lunch with a few of my colleagues.... Rathan uncle hai na? Unka treat tha... there I saw Reyansh... with a girl.... they were.... uh....well.. " papa trailed off uncomfortably, and though I felt bad for papa and pitied bhai at the tornado that awaited him when he eventually would come home, I couldn't help sigh in relief at the thought that at least papa hadn't seen Arush going out of the house!

So my secret was good... for now!

"Anyway, he had told me in the morning that he'd be busy all day with back to back meetings, and so, when I called him to just test if he'd tell me the truth, your dear bhai lied to me!! He was sitting a couple of tables away from me, lost to the girl in his arms, and lying to me that he's busy in a meeting!" papa said, half chuckling, half sighing in agony.

"And if it wasn't worse, I could over hear him talking of how he's going to go spend the next weekend with her, lying at home that he'll be away for a meeting, just like how he's been doing for the past few months!! He was so confident that you, his laadli gudiya, will have his back!!" papa said finally, and it hurt me so damn much to see the tears glistening in his eyes.

"Tell me beta, are your mother and I so strict with you kids that you feel it impossible to tell us what happens in your personal lives?" papa choked, which broke my heart into pieces!

"And that girl too... even she's lying at her home apparently!! What if something were to happen to her? Or to him? I know I have brought my son up properly, but what if he is just time-passing with her? She's someone's daughter too, like how you're mine beta! And they go about roaming around like that....with PDA.... and if he just ditches her, who would marry her if they get to know of how she was roaming with your bhai? Won't her whole life get spoilt? And imagine the torment of her father when he'd learn how his daughter is lying to him to his face?" papa asked, making me feel more miserable than ever.

Is this how papa would feel when I'd tell him and ma about me and Arush?

"Papa... woh.." I trailed off, tears glistening in my eyes - for hurt, and for fear too! What if papa were to reject Arush?! Or what if papa gets hurt even more when he finds out his darling daughter too has been roaming around with a guy... even had sex with the guy?!

"And this young generation... what all they do.... what if he... got her into trouble?! Would he take responsibility of the poor girl and her child if he were to impregnate her? I know my children and I know my upbringing, but what if he dumps her? Can I force him into marrying her and putting that girl into a whole life of torment from a man who just used her for his pleasure?" papa asked finally.

"Papa no!! Bhai loves Ahana bhabhi!! And she loves him too!! He really and genuinely loves her papa please don't insult bhai by thinking so lowly of him!" I said indignantly, moving away from him.

"Badi aayi bhai ki chamchi! They said that a daughter would always take her father's side, but nobody ever warned me that the daughter would prioritize her bhai over her father!" papa sighed, his lips curling into a smile.

"No really papa... Bhai loves her a lot... " I trailed off, half smiling, half sighing in relief.

"We'll see what opinion your mother has on the subject" papa said, and as though on cue, the doorbell rang, to which papa moved away from me and towards the main door.

Papa threw open the main door to reveal a very disgruntled looking ma, now glaring at him.

"Jee Kya hua? Why did you ask me to come in such a hurry? There was to be a bhajan and pravachan I missed thanks to your urgent call in the afternoon! I spent the past 4 hours in travel thanks to your call!!" Ma pouted, as soon as she entered the house.

"It was a matter of urgency..." Papa trailed off as I walked to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water for both my parents.

Though I hadn't felt it for so long, but now with relief flooding through me, I could slowly feel the pain seeping into my body - my lower abdomen and thighs, and the sweet dull ache between my legs, reminding me of the erotic afternoon I'd just spent with Arush.

"Arre Kya hua will you tell me or keep beating around the bush?" Ma asked, glaring at papa.

Handing her the glass of water, and handing one to Papa too, I sat next to ma on the sofa, cuddling her, while my mind kept on aching for Arush.

"Your dear son has a girlfriend, and is roaming the town with her" papa sighed, taking the seat opposite of us.

"Really?" ma chirped gleefully, and I couldn't hide my giggle at her reaction. Oh for how long my mother has been trying to make bhai at least look at some of the rishthas that Ridhi chaachi has been sending around for months now!!

"And you're okay with the fact that he's hiding that from us?" papa asked, raising his eyebrow at ma.

"Arre han I have no issues! I've been pestering him for so long to at least ask a girl out if he doesn't want to follow this arranged marriage custom... finally my beta is interested in a girl and is actually committed to her.... that's more than enough for me!" ma chirped brightly, and unable to control my laugh anymore, I giggled out loud, earning a glare from papa.

"Well his chamchi here knows that he's dating..." papa asked, indicating me.

"Achcha?! Beta how is your bhabhi? Have you met her? Did you like her? Would she keep your bhai happy?? Would he be happy with her??" ma fired questions on me, making me sigh - phew my mom and dad are stark opposites in this case aren't they?

"Arre han ma... stop firing questions like a viva examiner now!! Yes I have met her and yes I love her!! I have spent enough time with her to know that she's amazing!! And bhai loves her to the moon and back, and she too loves him a lot. Both of you would love her and she too would love the two of you!" I said in one go.

My answer might have satisfied both my parents because they both wore a satisfied smile on their faces.... that was until papa pulled out his phone.

"Now... Reyansh ki chamchi... you will keep quiet!! And you... Renuka... please you too keep quiet... time to teach our son a lesson now... for hiding such an important matter from us" papa said seriously, dialing bhai's number and putting the phone on speaker.

"Hello? Papa?" bhai's voice issued through the phone, along with a lot of disturbances in the background, like he was at a shopping complex or either a club or a disco?! Bhai and clubs?! That... doesn't match!!

"Han beta... kaha p ho?" papa asked loudly, but putting his index finger on his lips, indicating me and ma to me quiet.

"I...uh... have a meeting papa.." bhai trailed off, making me smack my head. Really!? Such loud noise in the background and he's in a meeting?

"Meeting?" papa asked before pursing his lips to stop himself from laughing.

"Ek minute" bhai said, and we heard the shuffling of footsteps and a lot of commotion before finally all we could hear was bhai's breathing and his echoing footsteps.

Where the hell was he?! Was he in some hotel room, doing the deed with bhabhi with some loud music in the background, or was he at some club, dancing away with bhabhi?!

"Han abhi booliye papa... that.. uh.. .we had a conference... meeting... and ... uh... Ashish na.. his phone started ringing loudly... that's why the commotion and... uh... music" bhai stuttered badly while I and ma put our hands over our mouths to stop ourselves from laughing.

Oh my poor bhai he's coming up with so many lies to cover up, but what's the use when papa and ma already know the truth?

"Oh achcha?! Beta it's getting late where are you?! Are you coming home today?" papa asked as I let out a squeal.

While papa glared at me to remain silent, bhai spoke "Woh..uh... papa... I... uh... I told na I'm at a meeting... I...uh... will be.. uh... back... tomorrow" he stuttered worse than ever, making me face palm myself.

What the fuck?! Seriously... and he says he can cover up secrets better than I ever can! Ugh!

"Han beta woh theek h, but kaha p ho?! Office m ho?" papa asked, smirking at bhai's stutters.

"Han.. what no no... I uh.. I'm at Lonavala papa" bhai said, to which ma and papa looked at one another, with their eyebrows raised.

"Lonavala?!" papa asked, pursing his lips to a thin line.

Bhai was here in the morning and went off for a long drive to Lonavala with bhabhi?! Woah they're fast!

"Han... han papa... that meeting... it's here.." he trailed off, sounding much more calm than he had for so long!

"Oh?! How did you go there?" papa asked, while I and ma looked at him in confusion.

"Company cab... with my colleagues" bhai said, to which papa smirked.

"Oh that's good... I and your mom are here too... come we'll wait for you and all three of us can go back home together" papa chirped brightly, to which ma and I gaped at him.

"What?!" bhai gasped and I'm sure as hell all color would have had drained from his face.

"Han beta... we'll go together" papa said, smirking now.

"What no no papa why bother..." bhai trailed off as he took deep breaths - yeah try calming yourself now bhai!!

"Arre what's there in that beta?! Why depend on the company cab when you can come home in your own car with your parents?" papa asked finally.

Has bhai really forgotten that just yesterday we sent the car out for servicing and we'd be getting it back only next week?!

"No... actually papa... I forgot.... I am going to leave for home now" bhai stuttered, making me face palm again - seriously what's up with these poor lies?

"hein?" papa asked, sounding but not looking confused.

"Papa who's at home then? Sonu is alone?" bhai asked, sounding concerned.

"No... Riya is there with her" papa lied, to which I gaped at him.

"Oh and does she know that you and ma are here?" bhai asked, and I could hear disappointment in his voice - well sorry bro I didn't know that papa had this plan in mind! And in any case, at the moment, I have to keep my cover else what if papa rejects Arush?

"No.... I am yet to call her actually.." papa trailed off, giving me a knowing look - meaning I had to go with his story when bhai would call me!

"Oh?! She knows I'm here at Lonavala papa... anyways oops signal cut ho raha h papa... talk to you later at home... bye" bhai said in one go before disconnecting the call.

The moment papa put his phone away, I pouted at him while ma glared at him.

"What?" papa asked, confused, looking from me to ma.

"Bechara bhai" I pouted, to which papa rolled his eyes.

"Hey he's been lying for a long time now.. two can play at this game!" papa said crossly.

"Well, since two can play at this game, you're going to do the dishes for the next ten days!" ma said crossly before turning to her room, a worried papa at her toes!

Though I chuckled at their little banter, I couldn't help but sigh at how even after 30 years of marriage my parents still loved one another... making me wish that even I and Arush would one day find this happiness in our lives too?!

My parents had long retired to their room, with ma still threatening papa that she'd make him even do the house cleaning for the next few days, when my phone beeped, a text from Arush.

'Come out now' - it read.

Frowning, I got to my feet, and almost sprinted to the door, but gasped as I felt the stabbing pain between my legs - fuck I think I'd complained about no pain a bit too early don't you think?

Wincing with every step I took, I finally and very quietly as possible, opened the main door, to find a very apprehensive looking Arush at the door, who looked relieved the moment his eyes landed on me.

"Here" he said, thrusting a small brown paper-bag into my hands with some small box inside of it.

"Wha..." I had barely begun, but he cut me in.

"Your parents are here so I have to rush now.. I hope you're okay" he said in one go before pulling me into a tight hug.

I had barely registered what was going on, when he let go off of me, pecked my lips and dashed off, leaving me confused at the threshold of the door.

I blinked as I watched him walk out of the compound and run to his bike that he'd parked a few feet away from the gate... Bringing the engine to life, Arush took off, leaving me craving for him, and confused too!!

Pouting to myself, I quietly closed the main door, the brown package still in my hand. I could hear the shuffling of footsteps from my parents' room before everything went silent, and not wanting to look suspicious, I quickly folded the small bag and thrust it into my pajama pockets along with whatever small box was inside it, before slowly making my way to the stairs to the first floor, trying hard to look nonchalant.

Walking slowly, but not too slowly, I was half way across the flight of stairs, when the doorbell rang.

Who could it be?!

Arush? Again?

Not wanting my parents to see, I rushed to the door, ignoring the pain pulsing through me. Gasping for breath, I pulled the door open, to find... bhai?!

"Bhai?" I whispered, my eyes going wide in horror.

If he was in Lonavala, how could he come home so soon?! And fuck!! Our parents are at home!! Okay he's getting caught redhanded now!!

To be continued...