The next morning

Sonia got up tired and felt her left side but was shocked to notice it empty.

She got tensed and rushed towards the living room.

What she saw in the living room shocked and puzzled her!

Vinay and Rocky were laughing and playing with her Trishna.

Prabha aunty was pouring hot tea for them and instructing Mala to serve them hot breakfast.

They were conversing in a very causal manner.

It was confusing as she never thought that Prabha aunty would fall for his charms.

She approached the trio and looked at them with a blank face.

Vinay looked at her and thought 'beautiful as always, Reine'

He gawked at her ignoring the calls from Prabha aunty.

Rocky then jerked his arm and signalled towards aunty.

Vinay looked down and blushed.

Sonia got irritated at his behaviour and took Trishna away from them.

"Nia, I wanted to talk to you," he approached her who had turned her back on him.

Sonia screwed her eyebrows and said without looking back "I don't want to talk,"

She then went towards her room ignoring his repetitive calls.

Vinay understood that it would take more than sweet words to persuade her to listen to him.

Arjun came inside the living room of the cottage.

He wished Prabha aunty and glared at Vinay who ignored him.

Arjun then went towards Sonia's room. Which was not liked by Vinay. He thought to put some restriction on Mr. Arjun as he was barging on his wife's privacy.

"Come in," Sonia called out for the knocks on her door.

Arjun came inside and went to her to get a hug.

She however, stopped him and excused herself from him towards the chair.

He was perplexed by her behaviour as she was ok yesterday with his advances. What was the reason for the sudden change.

Sonia sat on the edge of the bed with Trishna on her lap.

Trishna was blabbering her 'dada' rhyme with a slight bounce of her chubby hands.

"Madhu, my friend is going to come here shortly. He will help us to deal with this Vinay once and for all," Arjun said to assure her.

Sonia smiled at his attempt and nodded in approval.

The doorbell of the cottage ranged with Arjun's friend standing at the front porch.

Mala opened the door to bring the person inside the living room.

Vinay was talking on his phone strolling through the living room.

"Hello, I am Shiva, um...Arjun's friend. He told me to come here," Shiva introduced himself to Prabha aunty who told Mala to inform Arjun who was still in Sonia's room.

"Aunty, something important has come up for me. I will be going to...." Vinay cut the call and walked towards Prabha aunty who was sitting with Shiva on the couch.

"V! what are you doing here?!" Shiva went for a tight hug towards his best friend.

Vinay looked at him puzzled. "I can ask you the same question!"

"I-I was called by my friend to help him to take care of a shady character who was harassing him and his girlfriend," Shiva explained him making Vinay grit his teeth. He understood the friend that Shiva was referring to.

Just then, Arjun and Sonia carrying Trishna came to the living room.

"Sonia! Um...what...." Shiva was confused at her presence and probably meeting her after almost two years.

"Shiva!" Sonia had her mouth wide opened.

"Shiva, you finally came. Come I will tell you the details of the issue," Arjun came to him and tried to take him to the room to explain the serious of the issue.

"Wait a minute! Please don't tell me! She is your girlfriend!" Shiva whispered to Arjun who was pretty close to him. Arjun looked at him in a questionable manner.

"Yes, why!?" Arjun asked him to which Shiva bit his lips and spoke

"Man, she is my best friend's wife! That's why!" Shiva glared at him. Arjun was taken aback by the truth told to him.

He knew that Shiva would never lie to him as they were childhood friends. Since Shiva's family had stayed in Shimla for years before shifting to Mumbai.

"What!! Are you sure?" Arjun asked him again to make sure.

Shiva grabbed his hips and took him a little far from the people present in the living room.

After reaching the back side of the cottage, he made Arjun sit on one of the chairs.

"Arjun, listen to me, Sonia has been missing for the past two years. And that man over there has been going mad to find his wife whom he loves more than anyone. On the contrary, he saved her life from a madman," Arjun looked at his friend in shock trying to grasp the new information given to him.

Shiva saw his face and then explained to him all the incidences that happened between both the families. He told the love that both shared that was stronger than any bond.

It was only a slight misunderstanding that had provoked her to disappear from his radar.

Arjun saw his life sinking in front of him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Now he understood why Sonia was refusing his advances in the morning as she became tensed with her feelings for her husband. Maybe she still loved him but was afraid to accept him.

"Listen Arjun. I have known you from our childhood. So, as a good friend I am telling you. Please forget her. She has a lovely family waiting for her. They miss her every day. I have seen every one of them sink every day missing their darling Sonia," Shiva tried to explain to him the dynamics of the Menon and Nair family towards their Sonia.

But love makes you do weird things.

It makes you the villain to get your heroine.

He had longed for her too long.

He would not let her go.

Not when she has started to accept him.

Ignoring Shiva's words, he smiled at him trying to assure him his good intentions.

Shiva was happy that his friend understood his pleads.

Both of them returned to the living room.

Vinay was trying to talk to Sonia who was getting irritated at his behaviour.

She marched towards the front door and went to get fresh air.

Prabha aunty went towards Vinay and patted his shoulders to calm him.

It seems the couple again had a heated argument a few minutes back.

Arjun was an opportunist. So, he went outside to console his Madhu.

"Madhu! Wait!" Arjun called her and tried to catch hold of her arm. But she jerked his move and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Please Arjun, take me from here! I don't want to see his face! Please," Sonia cried bitterly holding herself closer.

Arjun grabbed her shoulders and nodded his head.

They came back to the cottage. He signalled Vinay to stop on his tracks as Sonia ignored him.

Vinay understood that it would be foolish of him to anger more his tigress. So, he let Arjun take her to her room to calm her.

In the public garden

Arjun was walking side by side with Sonia in silence.

Sonia wanted to get some fresh air to gather her thoughts on the future of her and her daughter.

"Arjun, do you trust me," Sonia talked after a complete 5 minutes gaining Arjun's attention.

Arjun looked at her and nodded his head.

"Then," Sonia was finding it difficult to tell her thoughts.

"What is it, Madhu?" Arjun turned to her and asked her.

"Shall we get married?" Sonia asked him without filter.

Arjun was shaken by her bluntness. He was not able to understand how to answer her.

He couldn't decipher her sudden urge to marry him. As she never made him feel that she was interested in even dating him for that matter.

"Madhu, are you saying just so you can escape from him, hm...?" Arjun asked her to which she looked down being shameful for her bluntness.

Sonia looked sideways and spoke "I don't want to go back to him. You don't know him. He is the devil. He will take my Isha from me."

"So, you are saying that if I get married to you, he will back away?" Arjun wanted her to speak truthfully.

Sonia nodded her head in disappointment.

There was a minute silence and then

"Ok,"

Sonia looked at him shocked.

Arjun smiled at her and spoke "If I can save you and my precious Isha from him. I will marry you."

Sonia was happy that someone understood her fear of the devil.

Arjun hugged her and tried to console her.

He thought that if she can't be his. She will not be anyone else's.

Both of them reached the cottage.

Prabha aunty saw that Sonia was smiling and looking happy after a long day.

She thought that maybe Arjun was able to cheer her up.

They both went to Sonia's room.

"I will call up the registration office to check when we can register our marriage."

Arjun told her dialling the registration office.

After sometime, he told her that they would be able to register their marriage after two days, that is on Saturday.

Sonia was happy that finally she would be able to get rid of Vinay once and for all.

Prabha aunty was helping the maid to put the dinner on the table.

Sonia and Arjun came to the dining table.

They sat on the adjacent chairs to have their dinner when

"Aunty, I have bought some fruits. Where shall I put them?" Vinay came with a basket full of fresh fruits for his darlings.

He smiled at Sonia ignoring Arjun.

He helped the maid to put the fruits in the refrigerator. He started to cut some of the fruits – obviously the one liked by Sonia.

He was skilfully chopping the fruits and decorating them on the plates.

Prabha aunty was amazed by his skill and asked him "Do you often cook in the house?"

Vinay smiled at her and nodded. Sonia scoffed at him to earn a glare from him.

He then served the fruits first to her which she royally ignored. 

She began to eat her rice and curry ignoring his preparations.

He smiled at her little struggle to ignore him. So, he took off his apron and sat beside her and started serving himself curd rice with the sides of salads which she had prepared beforehand for herself.

She was enraged at his audacity to steal her food. But he was not paying any attention to her antics.

"Wow! How do you know I like cucumber kosamalli (salad) so much! Now I know the reason why I love you so much!" Vinay winked mischievously at her enraging her more. She got up and marched towards her room.

Arjun followed her to calm her down. Prabha aunty covered her mouth to control her giggles on his bluntness.

After reaching her room, she threw her pillow from her bed and screamed.

Arjun came inside and tried to hug her. She backed off a little from his embrace.

She was huffing breathlessly and closed her eyes controlling her breaths.

After she was relaxed, she spoke

"Is there any way we can fasten the marriage procedure? I can't stand him anymore!" 

💕💕💕💕💕💕

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