Geet threw her arms around Ved's neck and jumped up and down in joy.

"Yay!! We won!" She screamed in excitement.

Ved chuckled seeing her child like excitement at winning street cricket, where it is considered an out if the ball goes out of the boundary. But he loved seeing her smile so widely and heartily. He would do anything to have this smile on her face always.

Mayur wiggled his eyebrows looking at his elder brother only to get a glare in return.

"Geet? Only Ved gets the hug? Even I was on your team. Don't I deserve a hug too?" Karan decided to join his younger brother in teasing.

Geet hearing that, realised what she was doing, and jerked away from Ved, blushing to the roots.

Ved's heart went aww seeing her turning cherry red and he couldn't help but pull her cheeks fondly.

"You are so cute," he said tenderly.

"Aww," his brothers gushed, making Geet blush more.

"I am getting late. I am going home," she said and ran away from there, clutching her heart, which was beating like crazy.

Stupid! Idiot! She chided herself.

How could she hug Ved ji like that in front of everyone? What would they have thought?

Ah ha!! Is it okay to hug him if there was no one around, a voice from inside her asked, making her blush more.

Ved stared at the running figure of Geet and placed his right palm over his heart.

"Hayee..." He sighed dreamily, momentarily forgetting his brothers watching him.

"Aww," the duo chorused again, bringing Ved back from his dreamland.

"Shut up," he glared at them and they laughed out loud.

Karan was still laughing at Ved, but Mayur's laughter died down seeing the sight of Khuranna ladies behind them.

"Ved bhai, Ved bhai!" Mayur hissed in Ved's ears.

"What?" Ved snapped at him for hissing in his ears.

"You are done for, Ved bhai. It's all over!" Mayur said dramatically, making his elder brothers frown at him.

"What?" They both asked, frowning at Mayur's dramatics.

"Turn around and see for yourself." Mayur said.

Ved turned around and cursed under his breath seeing the sight of Khuranna ladies in front of him.

Why God? Why?

"Shall we go home now?" Their grandmother asked sternly and the brothers gulped anxiously.

"Su...sure, dadi."

****

Khuranna Mansion

The three brothers came back to the living room, after freshening up, where the ladies were waiting for them/

"Now what are you guys waiting for? Explain!" Their grandmother demanded, looking at her three grandsons.

"Ved bhai wanted to play cricket," Mayur blurted out whatever came to his mind.

"What?"

"Ved bhai, .they are asking you." Mayur nudged his brother.

"Uh dadi.. actually.."

"Leave all that. Tell us about that girl." Daya demanded with twinkling eyes.

"Which girl? We don't know any girl." Mayur said quickly and Ved and Karan nodded their head in unison.

"Oh you already forgot? That girl who was playing with you. The one with proclined teeth and a very ugly smile," Daya asked, making a face.

"Her teeth are perfect and her smile is beautiful." Ved snapped furiously.

"Oh really? But we thought you didn't know any girl." Ambika asked with a cheeky smile and Ved mentally banged his head on the nearby pillar at his foolishness.

"Exactly, mom. This Ved bhai has turned into such a liar. Stop lying bhai . And tell them the truth." Mayur very swiftly changed the team.

"Fine," Ved huffed and proceeded to narrate his love story to his family members.

"And you should have been there at the office this afternoon. It was nothing short of filmy style. I felt as if I was watching a bollywood movie. The heroine being verbally abused by the vamp. Heroine on the verge of crying. Hero's dramatic entry. Heroine flying into hero's arms." Mayur did a dramatic mono act of whatever happened in the office cafe.

"Really? He hugged her in front of all his employees?" Daya asked excited. They were all finding it hard to believe. Because it was Ved. Ved Khuranna, who never believed in love and marriages. And the same Ved Khuranna is now standing in front of them, all besotted and whipped.

Geet Jha! What magic did you do on our Ved? All the minds were asking the same question.

Ved groaned mentally planning to murder his younger brother for blurting out everything.

"And you know what she called him?" Mayur asked cheekily.

"Shut up, Mayur. That's enough." Ved chided, but he was royally ignored by everyone.

"You continue," Naina said, her imaginary popcorn in her hands.

"She calls him Ved jiiiiiiii." Mayur said exaggerating the jiiii.

"Aww," Naina cooed and Ved looked down awkwardly.

"How could you hide this from us, Ved Khuranna. Daya, Ambika get the shagun ready. We will go there tomorrow itself." Dadi declared and the brothers looked at her in horror.

"For heaven's sake, this is exactly why I didn't want to tell you all." Ved snapped angrily.

"Why not?" Ambika frowned at her son. She was always worried that her wrong decisions and failed marriage would lead to Ved ending up alone in life, not believing in relationships and marriage. But now she is relieved.

"Let us get to know each other first, Maa. Let her get used to me. Let her be more comfortable with me." Ved said and his brothers gaped at him.

"She hugged you. You kissed her. How much more comfortable are you talking about?" Karan asked at the ladies shrieked.

"You kissed her?" Naina asked, her eyes wide in excitement and curiosity.

Ved groaned in exasperation.

"This discussion is over. There will be no talks of marriage proposal anytime soon. When the time is right, I would let you all know."

****

Ved picked up the call as soon as the phone rang.

"Geet..."

"Ved ji..." Geet whispered anxiously.

"What happened Geet?"

"Maya bua is coming, Vedji.." Geet whispered

"Papa's elder sister?" Ved asked, vaguely recalling Geet talking about her aunt who lives in the city.

"Yes."

"What's the problem? She is your aunt, right?" Ved asked curiously.

"Yes yes. I don't mind her coming. But she doesn't come alone, Ved ji." Geet huffed in annoyance.

"Who does she bring with her?"

"Advices!"

"What??

"She comes along with a speech on how I should be married off as quick as possible." Geet said in annoyance.

"What?" Ved yelled through the phone.

"Why are you shouting Ved ji. I can hear very well."

"Marriage? They are marrying you off?" Ved asked in disbelief.

"I don't know. Save me Ved ji," Geet pleaded as if she was being married off the very next day.

"I will," Ved promised, imagining himself as her knight in shining armour.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much."

"Mmm.."

"Okay. Let me sleep. I have to wake up early tomorrow morning as Bua is coming." Geet said.

"Okay. Good night."

Ved paced the room like a caged tiger.

How could they marry her off just like that?

What will he do?

He walked out of the room to find the ladies of his family along with Mayur watching TV.

"Listen.." He called out to no one in particular.

"What?"

"I am ready," he said, making them frown.

"Ready for what?"

"Shagun. Let's go tomorrow morning itself. I don't want any more delay."

"Oh my god!!"

A/n

Here goes the next shot...

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Love,
SF