Arhaan leaned back on the couch, arms crossed, and gave Kiaan a questioning look. "So, why exactly are you here?"
Kiaan leaned forward with a mischievous smile. "To meet Vedant's wife, of course."
Arhaan rolled his eyes but chuckled. "They'll be back soon. Vedant went to pick up Ojasvi from school-she's a teacher."
The two were still talking when Vedant walked in with Ojasvi at his side. Kiaan instantly stood, smiling wide as he took them in.
"Hello, Ojasvi!" he greeted, hands pressed together in a playful namaste. "I'm Kiaan Mehrotra, the so-called best friend of your husband and your brother-in-law. You can think of me as another brother." His grin was pure mischief.
Ojasvi smiled shyly. "Hello, I'm Ojasvi. Nice to meet you." She glanced at Vedant, feeling slightly overwhelmed by Kiaan's lively energy.
Kiaan's grin turned teasing. "Well, you both look great together, by the way." He gave Vedant a knowing smirk, glancing at their coordinated outfits.
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Ojasvi blushed at the comment, while Vedant remained unfazed, though Kiaan could see the flicker of amusement in his eyes.
"Alright, everyone, come now-it's time for lunch!" Badi Ma announced, gathering everyone to the dining table.
As they settled around the table, Kiaan turned to Ojasvi, his eyes glinting with humor. "So, how is Vedant? He doesn't trouble you too much, right?"
Ojasvi quickly shook her head, her cheeks warming at the question.
Vedant shot a warning glare at Kiaan, who just laughed, thoroughly enjoying how easily he could rile him up.
"While eating, it's good manners not to talk so much," Dadi Sa suddenly cut in, her tone sharp as she glanced at Kiaan.
Kiaan internally rolled his eyes, masking it with a polite smile. Here we go again, he thought.
"Nahi pata tha, Dadi Sa. Batane ke liye shukriya," Kiaan replied, a hint of irony slipping through.
Dadi Sa was quick to retort, "Koi hoga batane wala toh na."
There was a slight pause at the table, as everyone held their breath.
Kiaan's face remained calm. Everyone understood the implications of her words-except for Ojasvi, who sensed the sudden chill in the room.
Arhaan's voice broke the silence, cold and deep. "Aur yeh kisne kaha ke khaate waqt baat nahi karte."
Dadi Sa fell silent, taken aback by Arhaan's tone. She understood the message: her jab had crossed a line.
Kiaan gave dadisa a glance, his expression not wavering a little from smile.
They returned to eating, conversation kept to a minimum for the rest of the meal. Ojasvi glanced around, confused but sensing that the atmosphere had shifted.
Later that evening, Kiaan, Vedant, Ojasvi, and Arhaan gathered in the backyard, sipping tea as the sun dipped low. The garden was serene, the silence filled with a comfortable ease.
"Actually, I couldn't make it to the wedding because of some unavoidable issues," Kiaan said, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a small envelope, which he handed to Vedant with a sly smile. "But here's a little gift for both of you."
Vedant raised an eyebrow but opened the envelope at Kiaan's urging. Inside were two plane tickets to Bali. Kiaan's grin grew wider.
"I heard you two haven't gone on your honeymoon yet," he said with a wink. "A little gift from your favorite third wheel."
Ojasvi, sipping her tea, choked a little and put her cup down hastily, her cheeks flushing. Arhaan looked unbothered-he knew Kiaan's playful nature all too well.
Vedant, with a calm expression, tucked the tickets back into the envelope and reached out to pat Ojasvi's back gently, helping her catch her breath.
Kiaan, ever the tease, offered her a tissue. "Oh, Ojasvi, my dear sister, here you go."
She murmured a soft "thank you" before awkwardly wiping her mouth, clearly still flustered.
Kiaan, noticing her embarrassment, grinned. "No need to be shy. Think of me as family."
Trying to steer the conversation away from her embarrassment, Ojasvi asked, "Uhm, Kiaan Bhaiya, are you a politician?"
Kiaan nodded, a glint of pride in his eyes.
"Oh, that's why you looked familiar," Ojasvi said, staring at her teacup, unsure whether to take another sip, worried Kiaan might say something else that would make her cough. After that they talked about another things.
As night fell, Bade Papa and Chote Papa returned from their golf game, pleased to see Kiaan.
They sat down together for dinner, sharing light-hearted stories from their day. At the meal's end, Ojasvi stood up, offering to serve dessert she had prepared.
"I made this especially for you, Kiaan Bhaiya," she said shyly. "Since you think of me as a sister, I wanted to make something to make you feel at home."
Kiaan's face lit up with delight. "Oh, look at this! Such a thoughtful sister I have!" He took a generous helping, savoring each bite with exaggerated appreciation, making Ojasvi smile bashfully.
