PUNARVIVAAH - ARRANGED TO LOVE (L&M #3) [COMPLETED]

SHOT 60

Vaiga's pov!

My eyes widened seeing the time on the wall clock. It was eight in the morning.

Eight o'clock! Dread coiled in my stomach. Dadi and aunts would have my head for waking up so late. I scrambled out of bed, guilt gnawing at me for oversleeping.

Last night's conversation with Dev ji played on repeat in my mind. The vulnerability, the understanding, the hesitant touch – it all felt surreal. A warmth bloomed in my chest, a comfort I hadn't felt in a long time. But then, the memory of the kiss jolted me back to reality, sending a blush creeping up my cheeks.

I hesitantly looked beside me and saw both the father daughter duo having a peaceful sleep. Kriti was sprawled across the bed like a starfish. I planted a soft kiss on her forehead, the tiny gesture grounding me. Slipping out of the bed, I hurried towards the bathroom, desperately hoping to avoid Dadi's morning scowl.

The cool water of the shower calmed my racing thoughts, but couldn't chase away the lingering image of Dev ji's lips on mine.

'Vaiga! What are you even thinking?' I chastised myself, willing myself to focus on the day ahead.

Emerging from the bathroom, I draped a fresh saree on, the worry about the household chores gnawing at me. Anjana Maa would understand my late start, but the thought of facing Dev ji's aunts filled me with trepidation.

As I entered the kitchen, my heart sank. The familiar warmth of Anjana Maa's presence was absent. Instead, Charvi bua and Radha bua, Dev ji's aunts, stood hunched over the stove, their faces etched with disapproval. The air crackled with an unspoken tension.

"Maharani finally woke up," Radha bua drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. My cheeks burned. Before I could stammer a reply, Charvi bua launched into her own tirade.

"Is this how you wake up there in Bangalore too?" She snapped, her voice sharp.

"Bua..." I began, my voice barely a whisper.

They didn't let me finish.

"This is what happens when the sons in the family bring women who don't have a proper bloodline." Radha bua cut me off, her words laced with disgust.

A sharp gasp escaped my lips. Their words echoed in the kitchen, a cruel reminder of Durga Devi's constant belittling. Why did some people have to be so hateful? Why couldn't they all be like Anjana Maa, a woman who embraced me with open arms, a woman who saw beyond my social standing?

Just as despair threatened to engulf me, Anjana Maa's voice, laced with anger, cut through the thick tension.

"Enough!"

Relief washed over me as Anjana Maa began to dismantle their diatribe with a fierceness I hadn't seen before. But before she could finish her tirade, Dev ji's tall figure filled the doorway, Kriti clinging sleepily to his shoulder.

The sight of him, a stark contrast to the hostile atmosphere, sent a jolt through me. His initial frown morphed into a cold expression as he took in the scene. The air crackled with unspoken tension.

"What's going on here?" Dev ji's voice was a low rumble, a storm brewing beneath the calm. The aunts exchanged nervous glances, their bravado fading.

Anjana Maa, visibly upset, launched into an explanation, recounting the aunts' taunts and their disapproval of my late start. As she spoke, Dev ji's frown deepened, his gaze hardening.

When she finished, Dev ji took a step forward, his presence commanding. He addressed his aunts, his voice cold and laced with steel.

"Vaiga is my wife. Not a servant. I didn't marry her so that she can wake up before the sun rises and do household chores. For that, I have paid and hired people at my home. Mama and Vaiga do the kitchen chores because they like it. If I could have my way, I would hire a couple of cooks too so that my Mama and Vaiga could take complete rest."