Tangled Ties

The Siya- Aarya's version of happily ever after

Veer and Aryaa entered their bedroom, still giggling after successfully annoying Abeer with their non-stop chatter. Aryaa threw a cushion at Veer, flopping on the bed.

"Did you see Bhaiya's face when he realised how badly he fucked up?" she laughed, eyes twinkling.

Veer chuckled, loosening his jacket. "Arey, aaj to Bhaiya ki lag gayi kasam se. Bhabhi to pakka aaj unko couch pe sulayengi." He raised his brows dramatically, imitating Avyansh's guilty puppy-face.

Aryaa clutched her stomach laughing. "Haan! My poor Jiju. But honestly, their confession was so dramatic, na? Matlab, kidnap, bomb ticking, fights, aur phir 'Because I love you damn it!' Wah!" She clasped her hands as if watching a film.

Veer smirked, sitting beside her. "Dramatic toh hum bhi kam nahi the, madam. Tumhe yaad hai hamara pehla confession?"

"Wo deen kaise bhul sakti hun? I was so scared for a moment-"

Flashback (Days when Siya was still kidnapped and Renu made her listen to Aryaa and Veer fighting)

The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the ceiling fan. Veer had just flopped onto the bed, scrolling through his phone, when the door creaked open. Aryaa slipped inside, her dupatta fluttering behind her like a nervous bird.

"Veer..." she whispered urgently, eyes darting toward the hallway. "I have a plan."

But before she could speak another word, Veer sprang up and pressed his palm over her mouth. Aryaa's eyes widened at his sudden closeness. Her heart skipped a beat—Veer's hand was warm, firm, his presence overwhelming.

"Shhh." he whispered, eyes narrowing toward the window.

Aryaa followed his gaze. Something small was stuck between the carved wooden frame and the curtain. A cardboard box, hardly bigger than a fist.

Her stomach sank.

Veer moved cautiously, pulling it free. It was too light to be harmless. His jaw clenched as he opened the flap.

A microphone box.

Aryaa's eyes flew to his. Her heart thundered, not only from fear but realization. They were being listened to.

Veer pulled out his phone, quickly opening the security feed app. He scrubbed through the footage from the past few hours, and there—at the corner of the balcony—a shadowy figure dressed in black could be seen, crouching. Installing the mic.

Veer's lips pressed into a thin line. "Thankfully, no cameras." he typed in his phone, then glanced back at Aryaa.

Her pulse raced. "That means... they can hear us?" she typed back.

"Yes." Veer typed, his mouth curving into a smirk despite the situation "And now... let's give them exactly what they want."

Before Aryaa could ask, he winked mischievously and suddenly raised his voice.

"What do you want to hear then? Haan? When dadi, badi maa, bade papa, maa and papa think that he need to clear this on his own then what can we do?" Aryaa jumped at his loud voice but quickly realized he was acting. He gestured sharply at her to play along.

"I don't care what the elders say, Veer! I am her sister!" 

Aryaa, though startled, slipped seamlessly into the act, her face contorting with hurt. "Siya's been missing for FOUR DAYS and no one is even looking for her, no one has even said a word or mourned her disappearance, especially him! You know who I mean!"

Her voice cracked with just enough pain to sound believable.

Veer's expression darkened, his voice sharp but layered with restrained anger. "Stop it, Aryaa. Not a word more against Bhai. You don't know what he's going through. Neither you nor me nor anyone in this family can feel what he is feeling right now." He popped a grape in his mouth after delivering his oscar winning speech.