THE IMPERFECT PERFECTIONS

•∆28~ 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬

        ♡‧₊˚  ☆ .♡ ‧₊ ♡‧₊ ☆ .♡ ☆  .♡‧₊˚  ☆ .♡

"What was she saying?" Taniya asked, her voice laced with fear that something might be brewing between the two of them. The air crackled with unspoken emotions as they stood there, caught in a moment that could change everything.

"She was asking me how you manage to look so beautiful every time," he replied, winking and eliciting a smile from her.

Taniya turned her face away, making him chuckle.

He said, leaning in closer. "And what about this?" He pointed to his neck, where the faint imprint of her lips still lingered. "What do you call this?"

"Branding," she said, her voice low. "You don't want it?"

His eyes held hers, and for a moment, the world seemed to shrink. "No," he murmured, "I wouldn't mind having more... just in case I lose some."

They drove home together, the tension between them dissipating. Taniya no longer felt uneasy about Niharika and Aditya meeting. She had convinced herself that he held no feelings for Niharika, and her insecurities had eased.

Their days flowed smoothly, like butter melting on warm toast.

                                     ---

Now, Taniya stood before the mirror, getting ready for a night out at the club with her sister-in-law and brother-in-law. Her husband, who was supposed to take her to a movie, hadn't shown up.

An important meeting kept him away, and Taniya felt upset. She couldn't keep him out, but so she decided to give in to Veer's plan. Although Naira remained skeptical, but Veer and Taniya convinced her.

"I told you we shouldn't go," Naira repeated for the twelfth time that day, but the other two paid no heed.

"Arjun, drive carefully," Kavya instructed. "Veer, finish dinner and come back by 11."

"Why 11, Mummy?" Veer retorted sarcastically. "We'll be back by 10:30."

"Even better," Kavya replied, earning an exasperated look from Veer.

"And Taniya," Kavya added, "take care of these two." Taniya nodded.

With that, they set off—a nervous Naira and a fun-loving Taniya and Veer—heading to the club.

Meanwhile, Aditya sat in the sterile conference room, his mind far from the charts and graphs projected on the screen. His heart drummed a different rhythm—one that led him back to Taniya.His mind yearned to escape the conference room and finally spend time with his wife.

He tapped his foot, the seconds dragged like hours as kept glancing at his watch while his secretary explained everything to the investors.Though he was uninterested;he couldn't just walk out because this meeting was crucial.

Meanwhile, the gang arrived at the club and stepped out of the car. Arjun, their loyal driver who had witnessed countless secrets, nodded when Veer leaned in and whispered, "Don't tell anyone, okay?" Arjun had ferried them to random beaches in the middle of the night and endured their car-slamming escapades during driving lessons.

Veer checked his pockets for the passes but found none. "Bhabhi, do you have them?" he asked. Taniya shook her head, and Naira confirmed that she didn't either. They searched the car, hoping the passes were hidden somewhere.

"Maybe we left them at home," Veer suggested.

"But we can't enter without passes," Naira said, her voice tinged with horror.

Taniya chimed in, "Let's go back and get them, Arjun."

Veer, however, remained undeterred. "We can sneak in. There's no one at the entrance."