~ 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 ~

Chapter 12. Storeroom

Garv glanced at his watch impatiently. Pratha still hadn't arrived, and his irritation was growing by the second.
I'm going to be late because of her, he thought, pulling out his phone to make a call.

Just then, Aarush came running toward him and said excitedly, "Mamu, Pratha has arrived!"

Avni climbed into the back seat of the car, and seeing her, Aarush immediately followed and sat beside her. Pratha settled into the front seat.

Avni noticed Aarush copying her and smirked to herself. She thought that maybe Aarush had forgotten that Avni Rathore was an original brand—there were no copies of her in the whole world.

Elsewhere, Vaishali stood in front of the mirror, carefully applying her lipstick. Her thoughts were conflicted. She felt that maybe it was time to get married. Her father liked Rudra, and she believed that her father's choice couldn't be wrong. Archit was already engaged, so she had no option but to move on. For now, she decided to focus on finishing her makeup properly.

Monika's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Hey, can you help me with my eyeliner? I can't get the wing right."

"Sure," Vaishali replied, moving closer. "By the way, what's going on between you and Rishabh? I heard he's been giving attention to that Riya. Is it true?"

Monika smiled slowly, her expression turning dark. "Yes, it's true. But don't worry. Today, I'll teach Riya a lesson—one that will make sure Rishabh never talks to her again."

Garv was still irritated when Pratha finally appeared. She was wearing a black saree that looked stunning on her. It wasn't about her fair skin—Garv knew that even if her complexion were dusky, she would still look beautiful because of her sharp features and graceful presence. He started driving, trying not to think too much, but after a while, he realized something unexpected. The color of Pratha's saree matched his kurta perfectly. Whether it was a coincidence or something else, together they looked like a couple.

At the wedding venue, Rishabh was lost in his thoughts when he heard someone announce, "The bride has arrived."

He immediately straightened. That meant Riya must have arrived too. His eyes searched instinctively, and when he noticed Aryan in the driver's seat of the car she came in, his jaw tightened. Control yourself, Rishabh, he reminded himself. No anger—only a smile. The little angel is yours. At the same time, Riya stumbled slightly while walking. Before she could fall, Rishabh caught her in his arms.

"Open your beautiful eyes, little angel," he said softly.

Riya opened her eyes and found herself once again in Rishabh's arms. Embarrassed, she murmured, "Thank you."

"No problem," Rishabh replied, blushing faintly.

"Are you blushing, Mr. Rival?" she teased.

"Yes, I am," he said under his breath.

"What?" Riya asked, confused.

"Nothing... never mind," Rishabh replied quickly. On the way to the venue, Garv stopped the car when a poor woman approached the window. He rolled it down and handed her some money.

"Beta," the woman said kindly, "may God bless you, your wife, and your children with all the happiness in the world."

Both Garv and Pratha spoke at the same time, "We're not husband and wife."

The woman smiled knowingly. "Oh, then you must be boyfriend and girlfriend. May God bless you with a happy marriage and a lifetime of happiness together."

"Thank you, but—nothing," Garv replied awkwardly as the woman walked away.

Pratha felt her heart flutter. Even though she knew she was engaged, hearing those blessings made her strangely happy. She realized that she didn't love Archit, and marrying him without love would be unfair to him. She began to think that breaking off the engagement might be the right thing to do.