Married to My Ex

21 | Settling in 💕

I couldn't wait anymore😭🫣
So here's the next update! <3

Ashi's POV:

The laughter and teasing seemed endless, with Vansh's family showing no signs of slowing down. Every time I thought we'd hit the peak of their shenanigans, someone would come up with another quip, another playful dig, or another round of games.

"So, Vansh," Kiara started, her eyes gleaming with mischief, "you're awfully quiet tonight. Too shy to show your romantic side in front of us?"

Before he could respond, Kiaan chimed in. "Oh, come on! He's probably saving his energy for later. Isn't that right, bhai?"

The room erupted in laughter, and I felt my face heat up instantly. Vansh, to my annoyance, looked completely unfazed.

"Don't worry, Kiaan," Vansh said smoothly, leaning back with an easy smirk. "I've got plenty of energy to spare."

I shot him a glare, but Kiara wasn't done yet. "Ashi, you better watch out," she said, grinning. "Vansh can be quite the charmer when he wants to be. Or has he already swept you off your feet?"

"Uh, I—" I stammered, my mind racing for a response, but Rubina, my best friend and partner-in-survival tonight, jumped in.

"Oh, absolutely," Rubina said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Ashi's been swooning all day, haven't you, love?" She gave me a playful nudge, and I shot her a look that promised payback.

"Enough teasing!" Vansh's aunt finally intervened, though she was barely able to hide her amusement. "Let the poor couple rest. They've had a long day."

"Exactly," Arjun added, flashing me a sly grin. "They'll need all the rest they can get. Big day tomorrow, right, Vansh?"

I groaned inwardly as Vansh smirked at him. "Don't you have better things to do, Arjun?"

"Not when this is way more fun," Arjun shot back, winking.

Before anyone could add more fuel to the fire, Vansh's mother clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "All right, everyone, enough!" she said, though her smile gave away her amusement. "Time for the newlyweds to get some sleep."

Kiara wasn't ready to let it go just yet. "But, Chachi, we didn't even finish hearing the 'who said I love you first' story!"

Vansh raised an eyebrow at me, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "It's a long story," he said smoothly. "We'll tell you some other time."

"Yeah, like never," I muttered under my breath.

Kiara pouted dramatically. "Fine, fine. But don't think you're off the hook! We want every detail later."

"Duly noted," Vansh said, standing up and offering me his hand. "Come on, Mrs. Malhotra. Let's not keep them waiting any longer."

I hesitated for a moment, but with everyone watching, I had no choice but to take his hand. His touch was warm, steady, and annoyingly familiar. As he helped me up, the room burst into a fresh round of teasing applause.

"Goodnight, lovebirds!" Kiaan called out, earning a playful smack from Kiara.

"Sweet dreams!" Rubina added, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Vansh gave them a mock salute before guiding me out of the room. The laughter and chatter followed us down the hall, growing fainter with each step.

Vansh's POV

The walk to our room was quiet, but I could still hear the muffled laughter from the living room. Ashi looked tense, her hand slipping from mine the moment we were out of sight.

"Relax," I said softly as we reached the door. "They're just having fun."

She shot me a sidelong glance, her cheeks still flushed. "Easy for you to say. You weren't the one getting roasted alive back there."

I chuckled, pushing the door open. "Oh, come on. You handled it like a pro."

The room was just as I remembered from earlier—soft fairy lights, rose petals scattered across the bed, and an air of overly curated romance. Ashi stepped inside, her eyes lingering on the bed for a fraction of a second before she quickly moved toward her suitcase.

"I'll take the couch," I said, breaking the silence.

Her shoulders relaxed slightly. "Good. It's not like I was going to offer it to you anyway."

I smirked, grabbing a spare blanket and pillow from the wardrobe. "I didn't expect anything less, Mrs. Malhotra."

"Don't call me that," she said, but her tone lacked the usual bite.

As I set up my makeshift bed, I could hear her muttering to herself as she arranged her things. The silence between us wasn't awkward anymore—just quiet, like the calm before a storm.

Once everything was settled, I sank onto the couch, stretching out and folding my arms behind my head. Ashi climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.

"Goodnight, Ashi," I said, my voice low but steady.

She hesitated for a moment before responding. "Goodnight, Vansh."

As the room fell into silence, I couldn't help but smile to myself. Our family might be relentless, but they'd done something right tonight. They'd reminded us—through all their teasing, jokes, and laughter—that we weren't alone in this. Maybe, just maybe, we could make this work. One step at a time.
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Thank you for giving my book a read🌷