𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚-𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆♡

As the family resumed eating, Maya glanced at Ishanvi with a warm smile. "Ishanvi, beta," she began, her tone gentle, "aaj tumhari muh dikhai ki rasam hai. Din mein saari auratein aayengi tumhe dekhne ke liye. Tumhe thoda tayar hona hoga-kuch achha pehen lena, aur ek halka sa makeup bhi kar lena."

Ishanvi nodded politely, though the idea of being scrutinized by a group of strangers made her slightly nervous. "Ji, Maa," she replied softly.

Shikha, who had been silently listening, immediately seized the opportunity to interject. "Haan, tayar toh hona padega. Lekin ek baat batao, Ishanvi," she said, leaning forward with a smug look. "Tumhe properly tayar hona aata bhi hai? Aaj kal ke ladkiyan toh modern hoti hain-na ghunghat pehna aata hai, na traditional kapde sambhalna."

The subtle taunt wasn't lost on anyone. Ishanvi maintained her composure and replied calmly, "Ji, Bua ji. Main koshish karungi sab expectations par khari utarne ki."

Shikha raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Dekhte hain," she said curtly, taking another bite of her food. "Mujhe toh lagta hai, aaj ke din bhi simple si lagogi."

Meera frowned, clearly displeased. "Shikha, bahu ko neecha dikhane ki koi zarurat nahi hai. Tumhe agar unki help karni hai, toh karo. Nahi toh apne unnecessary taunts mat do."

Shikha's expression hardened, but she didn't respond, choosing instead to sip her tea dramatically.

Ahaan, unable to resist, jumped in with a teasing grin. "Bhabhi sa, ignore karna. Aap toh waise bhi sabse sundar lagengi, hai na, Bhai sa?"

Aayansh, who had been silent the entire time, shot Ahaan a warning glance. "Bas kar, Ahaan," he said curtly, focusing back on his plate.

Ahaan smirked, but Ayesha nudged him under the table to stop him from saying more.

Meera, the grandmother, decided to lighten the mood. "Ishanvi beta, tumhare jo bhi pasand ho, woh pehno. Rasam ka maza lena chahiye, tension nahi."

Ishanvi smiled at Meera's kind words and nodded. "Ji, Dadiji."

Maya patted Ishanvi's hand. "Main tumhare saath rahungi, beta. Don't worry about anything."

As the family finished breakfast, Ishanvi quietly resolved to do her best, even if it meant dealing with Shikha's barbs. No matter what happens today, I won't let anyone question my place in this family, she thought.

As breakfast was wrapping up, Maya glanced at Aayansh with a knowing smile. "Aur Aayansh, tumhe bhi wahan present rehna padega," she announced casually, sipping her tea.

Aayansh froze mid-bite, his fork hovering above his plate. "Mujhe? Muh dikhai ke liye?" he asked, his voice laced with incredulity.

Maya raised an eyebrow, unbothered by his tone. "Haan, tumhe. Tumhare bina yeh rasam kaise complete hogi? Tum dono naye dulha-dulhan ho, aur log tumhe dekhna chahte hain."