𝓛𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓷𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓕𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓑𝓸𝓷𝓭𝓼 [*Complete*]

Ch. 35 ⭐

Shikhawat house.
Delhi.

2300 hours

Dhruv and Payel sat on a secluded corner of the terrace, the evening breeze tousling her hair as she leaned against his shoulder. They admired the moon that was shining brightly in the sky, but Dhruv was more focused on the woman beside him than the picturesque scene.

He tilted his head, brushing his lips softly against her temple. "I love this... sneaking around with you like this. But one day, I won't have to sneak. You'll be mine. I'll just... take you away," he whispered playfully, his arm tightening around her waist.

Payel let out a soft laugh and nudged him with her elbow. "Bold of you to say that when you haven't even asked for permission yet."

Dhruv grinned. "Permission? I can get Rajveer bhai to agree in seconds. You know he adores me." he boosted confidently.

Payel raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smirk tugging at her lips. "Oh, really? Bhaiya is easy, huh?"

"Of course!" Dhruv puffed out his chest with confidence. "One conversation with him, and he'll be on board. I bet I could get him to give me his blessings in the time it takes to make a cup of chai."

Payel couldn't hold back her laughter, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Oh, Dhruv... you think Bhaiya is the one you need to impress?" She turned to face him fully, her finger lightly tracing his jaw. "You poor thing! It's not Bhaiya you need to worry about."

Dhruv frowned, confused for a second. "Wait, what do you mean? If Rajveer bhai agrees, that's it. Case closed!"

Payel's smile widened as she leaned in, her lips brushing against his ear as she whispered, "No, it's not. It's Naina bhabhi you have to convince. She's the one you'll need to impress if you want to marry me."

Dhruv pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes with disbelief. "Naina bhabhi? But she's so sweet! She's not... intimidating like bhai!"

Payel chuckled, shaking her head. "Bhabhi is sweet as long as she doesn't see you as a danger to her family. The minute she'll learn of your intention to marry me, you'll have to go through lots of hardships. Don't underestimate her, Dhruv. If Naina says no, it's over for you. She's the real boss when it comes to family decisions."

"You're just trying to scare me, aren't you? I mean how bad could she be?"

Payel smirked. "Did you know that Manik was threatened to be skinned alive when bhabhi first learned that he was in love with Nandini?"

Dhruv's eyes widened in shock.

"Arnav was told that if he ever acted like he used to in the past and made Khushi cry again, then Naina would kill him and hide his body so far that no one would find it." Payel added.

Dhruv swallowed hard and blinked, realizing the gravity of what Payel was saying. "So... you're telling me that my future with you rests in Naina bhabhi's hands?"

Payel nodded, looking far too amused by his sudden panic. "Exactly. You'll need to impress her, charm her, and show her that you're worthy of being my husband."

Dhruv groaned dramatically, running a hand through his hair. "Great. Just great. I thought I only had to worry about Rajveer bhai's stern looks. Now I have to win over Naina bhabhi too?"

Payel patted his cheek affectionately, her smirk not fading. "Yes. So, you better start planning how you're going to charm her."

Dhruv huffed, trying to regain his composure. "Okay, fine. I'll figure it out. How hard can it be? I've already got you in love with me, haven't I?"