TejRan - Arranged Love

🔅CHAPTER 34🔅

Hello, after so long right? I know, I know! Hehe, happy reading.

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It had been ten days since Karwa Chauth, but something about that night had changed the air between them. There was a certain comfort now - something unspoken, something soft. Like they were no longer trying to understand each other, they already had.

Mornings were still busy. Tejasswi would be in the kitchen early, preparing breakfast with Akshara while checking her phone for hospital updates. Karan, still groggy from sleep, would walk in rubbing his eyes, his hair a complete mess, and lean against the kitchen doorway with a lopsided smile.

"Why are you smiling like that?" she'd ask while flipping a paratha.

"You look good in the morning," he'd reply shamelessly, and she'd scoff and throw a kitchen towel at him. Akshara just smiles at their chaotic bond.

He'd laugh, duck, and steal a bite before running away.

Their days were hectic. Tejasswi spent long hours at the hospital, while Karan was busy managing back-to-back meetings. But no matter how packed the day got, there would always be a message from one to the other.

A photo of a coffee mug.
A "don't skip lunch" reminder.
A simple "thinking about you."

Evenings had become their time. They didn't need to plan anything grand. Just sitting beside each other on the terrace with warm cups of tea, sharing stories from their day, was enough. Sometimes they fought over what to watch. Sometimes they ended up watching nothing at all - just sitting in silence, watching the stars.

There were no big romantic declarations, but their love was blooming - in little gestures, in subtle touches, in moments that felt like they belonged only to them.

Like when Karan returned home earlier than usual one night, only to find Tejasswi asleep on the swing in the garden, a book open on her lap. He didn't wake her. He just sat beside her, gently took the book away, and let her head fall onto his shoulder.

Or when Tejasswi noticed how tired he looked after back-to-back calls and quietly placed a mug of warm milk on his desk. She didn't say anything, and neither did he - but he finished it, every drop.

They weren't a typical newlywed couple. There was no show of possessiveness, no loud declarations. Just a silent understanding. And somehow, that made everything feel even more real.

Their bond had started feeling less like an arrangement and more like a choice - a choice they were both beginning to make, day by day, without saying it out loud.

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The sun had just begun to set, casting a golden hue over the Kundrra Mansion when Naitik's phone buzzed. He smiled as he saw the caller ID flashing - Abhishek Mehra.

"Arey Abhi Ji! Bolo," Naitik said cheerfully, placing the call on speaker so Akshara beside him could hear too.

On the other end, Abhishek's voice boomed with excitement, "Naitik Ji, a wedding is finally happening in our house! My cousin's daughter is getting married, and it's going to be a grand one - but simple, village style. I'm calling to invite all of you. Tejasswi ki family toh aa hi rahi hai. You all better come along!"

Akshara grinned, already excited at the thought of a family getaway. "Of course, Abhi Ji! It's been so long since we've all gone somewhere together."

"We'll be there," Naitik assured.

After the call ended, Naitik clapped his hands to gather everyone in the living room. "Listen up, everyone! We're all going to the Mehra family's village for a wedding. Pack your bags, we're leaving in two days!"