Sanskaar wrapped his arm around Uttara's neck. "What exactly have you been saying about me?"

"Oww!" Uttara tried to shove it off, "Let me go!"

"Not happening! What was that 'this is my Sanskaar Bhai' all about?" Sanskaar asked pulling her back.

"Nothing! How can you think that I would say something bad about you?" Uttara pulled at his arm making a face.

"So it was something bad," Sanskaar said tickling her.

"No!" Uttara screamed trying to move out of the reach of his fingers. "Ragini, help me," she called out seeing her friend look at them with a smile.

"She only said good things about you," Ragini said coming to the rescue.

Sanskaar looked at her. "Really?" he asked raising his eyebrow.

Ragini quickly nodded like an obedient child.

"So what did my dear sister tell you about me?" Sanskaar asked amused.

"Umm...."

"She said 'umm'?" Sanskaar reached out to poke his sister.

"No!" Ragini shook her head looking at him with wide-eyes.

"Then what did she say?" Sanskaar asked firmly.

"She said you are the biggest prankster and you make weird bets with others," Ragini blurted out quickly.

"Prankster and bets!" Sanskaar narrowed his eyes at her, "Is that supposed to be good things?"

Ragini shook her head.

Sanskaar raised his eyebrows and titled his head, fixing her with a crossed expression.

"I...umm...I mean...she," Ragini looked helplessly between Sanskaar and Uttara.

Uttara elbowed Sanskaar, "Stop it, Bhai. You have scared her enough!"

Ragini looked at the two siblings quietly, unsure of what to believe.

Sanskaar smirked at his sister and let her escape his hold.

Uttara rubbed her neck a bit before looking at Sanskaar with a cross expression, "Did you need to be so rough?"

"Sorry," he said ruffling her hair and she pushed his hand away,

"You really scared her. Look at her," Uttara complained.

Sanskaar looked at Ragini. She really looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He smiled at her warmly, "Sorry about that,"

Ragini looked at him apprehensively.

"He was just pulling your leg," Uttara explained, "That's his way of initiating someone new into our crazy pack."

Ragini looked at her friend and then nodded back quietly.

"Sorry, I guess I went a bit overboard," Sanskaar said sincerely. "Let's do this properly," he extended his hand towards her, "I am Sanskaar. Uttara's brother," he added looking at his younger sister who was now smiling at him warmly.

Ragini folder her hands in a Namaste.

Sanskaar pulled his hand back and mirrored her.

Looking at her he could see that she was still not sure about him because of his banter. He saw Uttara pouting and him. She tilted her head towards Ragini. She wanted him to make it up to her friend.

Sanskaar sighed. "You aren't going to give in to my apologies and forgive me, are you?" he asked Ragini with pretend serious face.

Ragini's eyes widened, "I have forgiven you already!" she said quickly.

"Are you sure?" Sanskaar asked narrowing his eyes.

Ragini nodded empathetically.

"So I can consider myself forgiven?" Sanskaar asked raising his eyebrow, "You know your friend is not going to let me remain in peace if you don't"

"Bhai!" Uttara exclaimed and hit his arm before Ragini could respond.

"Oww!" Sanskaar yelled looking at his sister, "That hurt! You have small hands but they are like mini hammers!" he complained.

"Serves you right!" Uttara said crossing her hands in front of her.

Ragini giggled looking at them.

"See! I got beaten up in attempting to get your forgiveness," Sanskaar told Ragini while rubbing his arm.

Ragini just looked at Sanskaar and then at Uttara who was standing by her side and smiled.

"You know you have me at an disadvantage," Sanskaar said looking at her and Uttara, "Uttara had told you a lot about me, but I don't know anything about you."

"Lakshya Bhai!" Uttara called out looking behind Sanskaar.

Sanskaar turned to see him walking towards them. He wasn't looking happy. Looking at him, Sanskaar didn't feel any differently either. The sword of the dare was back on his head. Not that it had ever left. Lakshya presence around him just made it even more omnipresent and sharp.

Lakshya came and stood next to Sanskaar, giving him a questioning look.

Sanskaar felt his jaw clench a bit. Before he could react in any way, Uttara spoke.

"What is this, Lakshya Bhai?" Uttara asked, standing akimbo.

"What?" Lakshya asked annoyed

"You haven't told Bhai anything about Ragini yet? How can you?" Uttara asked

"Why should I?" Lakshya commented shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, "He will get a chance to spend a lot of time with her now. He can find out himself."

"Bhai–," Uttara tried to complain only to be called over by their mother. Uttara gave an annoyed look to Lakshya before walking away.

"Lakshya–," Sanskaar said in a stern voice

But Lakshya cut him off, "I have a call to make. I will talk to you later," he said before walking away without a second glance towards them.

Sanskaar clenched his fist. If they were in private, he would have shown Lakshya what he thought of his behavior. It was one thing to not like the girl, but quite another to be obnoxious and rude to her over it. If nothing else, she was a guest of the family.

"I am sorry," he heard Ragini say softly.

Sanskaar turned to look at her. She was looking sad. He felt guilt prick at him before her words registered. "What?" he asked. Why was she sorry?

"I am sorry," she said again sincerely, looking at him.

"Why are you sorry?" Sanskaar asked. He was confused. 

"I am sure Lakshyaji didn't mean to walk away. He would have stayed back if he didn't have a call to make," she said looking pained.

Sanskaar stared at her.

Unbelievable!

Here was this girl who was defending Lakshya–his own brother–for dissing him. And there was Lakshya trying to get rid of this same girl and breaking off the alliance.

What irony!

As Sanskaar looked at her, he couldn't make her mind about her. Was she really this naïve  or was she dumb not to see through his idiotic brother?

Seeing the guilt in her eyes, for Lakshya's behavior, he decided to go with naïve and good-hearted instead.

How was he going to break her heart and this wedding?

But with the way Lakshya was going, how could he not?

There were after all a lot many hearts and lives on the line if the secret got out, including his own.

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Glossary of Indian terms:

Bhai /Bhaiya = brother

Maa = Mother

Bade Papa = Eldest uncle

Badi Maa = wife of the eldest uncle. An aunt

Chacha/ Chachu = uncle

Chachi/ Kaki = wife of a uncle. An aunt

Bhabhi = brother's wife