Adhvay straightened his shoulders internally. She was really throwing up the gauntlet, but he was ready. He was ready to fight anyone and everyone for his Riddhi. Avantika spoke before Adhvay could. “Humari taraf se haan hain.”

(It’s a yes from us.)

“Hain na, Riddhi?”

(Right, Riddhi?)

Avantika smiled at her sister while Adhvay looked at her skeptically. What drama was she enacting now? She let go of his hand and walked over to her sister. The parents beamed at each other, congratulating and shaking hands, when Avantika’s question had them looking towards her with confusion.

Avantika placed her hands on Riddhi’s shoulders, ignoring her shocked expression, and propelled her to stand in front of Adhvay. “I don’t think you guys have been properly introduced yet, main karwati hoon. Adhvay, meet Riddhima Verma, and Riddhi, meet Adhvay Suryavanshi.”

(Main karwati hoon – I’ll introduce you.)

Riddhi blushed but looked at her sister from the corner of her eyes. Didi, aap kya kar rahe hain?

(Didi, what are you doing?)

Avantika barely fluttered her eyelids in response. Meri pyaari behen, teri setting karwa rahi hoon.

(My dear sister, I’m setting you up.)

Avantika turned to everyone else and smiled widely. “Mumma, Papa, Aunty, Uncle. Miliye in donon se. Matlab, hone wali dulhan aur dulhe se.”

(Everyone, please meet these two. I mean, the bride and groom to be.)

Riddhi’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped as she stared at her sister. Hearing Avantika’s words, a silly smile spread across Adhvay’s face as he openly stared at Riddhima.

Avantika chuckled. “Shayad aap sab ne in donon ke aankhon ki gustakhiyaan nahi dekhe, lekin ab in gustakhiyon ko maaf nahi, manzoor karna hain. Yeh donon ek dusre ko pasand karte hain, yeh main jaanti hoon. Lekin, khair, ek baar pooch ke bhi toh dekhte hain.”

(Maybe you all haven’t seen their secret glances. But it’s not the time to forgive them, but accept them. These two like each other, I know that. But, still, let’s ask them once.)

Avantika turned back to the pair and raised her eyebrows at them. Adhvay dropped to one knee and lifted one of Riddhi’s hands in his. “Riddhima Verma, so that’s your name, and a beautiful one to match the beautiful pari standing in front of me.

(pari- angel)

Main jaanta hoon ki hum sirf ek baar mile hain, par jabse tumhe dekha pehli dafaa, mujhpar aisa asar hua ki main zindagi bhar uss mein doobna chahta hoon. Pata nahi kis jadoo se hum phirse mile, lekin main yeh mauka nahi chodunga.

(I know that we’ve only met once, but since I first laid eyes on you, I fell under a spell that I want to drown in for the rest of my life. I don’t know what magic brought us together again, but I can’t leave this chance.)

I know this is so sudden, so fast. Still, Riddhima Verma, my angel, will you be with me forever? Sirf zindagi bhar ka nahi, pure saat janmon ka saath dogi? Will you marry me?”

(Not just for this life, but for all seven lives? Will you marry me?)

It was only a few seconds of silence, but it seemed to drag for far longer. Adhvay spoke again, breaking the silence. “Tumhari joh bhi jawaab hain, mujhe manzoor hain, par main humesha intezaar karunga. You can reject me forever, and I’ll always love you. All I want is your happiness.”

(Whatever your answer is, I accept it, but I will wait forever…)

Adhvay had clasped her hand in both of his and was unconsciously stroking it. Riddhi felt as if she was in a dream. It was crazy that she had literally only met this man once and knew barely anything about him.

But she trusted her heart, and it was screaming at her through a loudspeaker that this was the person she was meant to spend the rest of her life with. She couldn’t explain the sense of euphoria she felt at his confession, and his words seemed to have been pulled straight out of her own heart.

She was blushing profusely by now, but she dropped her gaze from his and dipped her chin in a nod. Adhvay barely controlled his smile. “I need you to say it, Riddhi.”

“Ji, haan,” she replied in a whisper.

(Yes.)

Adhvay finally let himself smile and stood up, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. “Thank you, my angel. Wada karta hoon, you’ll never regret saying yes.”

(I promise, you’ll never regret saying yes.)

Adhvay turned to the parents. “Maaf kijiye, maine aap sab ki ijaazat nahi manga, par itna khushkismat mauke main nahi chhod sakta tha.”

(Forgive me, I didn’t ask your permission, but I couldn’t leave this opportunity.)

Amar, Avantika and Riddhima’s father, spoke first. “Maafi ki zaroorat nahi hain beta! Proposal bhi humare saamne hi kiya, aur tum donon khush hain, toh hum bhi khush hain.”

(No need to apologize, beta! You proposed in front of us, and if you both are happy, then we’re happy.)

“Ji, beta, hume toh aap pehle se hi pasand the, aur agar tum donon ek dusre ko pasand karte hain, toh hume koi aitraaz nahi,” Namrata added.

(Yes beta, we liked you from before, and if you both love each other, then we don’t have any objections.)

Madhuri came forward and hugged her son and Riddhi. “I am so happy right now!”

But she pulled Adhvay’s ear, who winced. “Par buddhu, hum yaha ladkiyon ke rishte dekh rahe hain aur tum yeh nahi keh sakta tha ki ‘Maa mujhe ek ladki pasand hain’? Ghar aa tu, mujhe bohot saare hisaab barabar karna hain.”

(But stupid, we are here looking for rishtas and you couldn’t even tell me that you liked someone? Just come home, then I’ll set a lot of accounts straight with you.)

She crossed her hands in mock anger, and Adhvay held his ears, pouting. “Maaf kariye na, Maa.” He was clearly a Mumma’s boy; Madhuri immediately smiled and hugged him again.

(Forgive me, Maa.)

Riddhi bit her lip, smiling at their cute interaction. Ajay stepped forward and clapped his son on the shoulder. “I’m proud of you, you proved yourself as my son today.”

Madhuri glared at her husband and shook her head. Ajay smiled at Riddhi, saying, “Welcome to the family, beta!” Adhvay turned to Avantika and mouthed ‘thank you.’

She let out an evil cackle and walked towards him. “Did you think I would let it happen so easily, fixing your marriage with my sister?”

Her expression turned extremely serious. Where her eyes were cold before, now they glared fire at Adhvay. She looked at her fingernails and blew on them lightly before crossing her arms and ever so slowly, lifting a brow.

Adhvay felt as if he were summoned to the principal’s office for a mistake he hadn’t even done. “Did you think you could get away with what you had done? Did you really think I’d let my sister marry a chor, Adhvay-ji?”

“Chor?”

(Thief?)

Madhuri and Ajay looked at each other, confused. Namrata glared at her daughter. “Kya baat kar rahi hain tu, Avantika?”

(What are you saying, Avantika?)

Adhvay knew that in the course of their business, they had some close calls and multiple deals that didn’t work out. But he couldn’t think of any scenario where they cheated someone or stole from them.

“Look, Avantika, I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I promise you that I’ve never acted unethically. This is probably just some misunderstanding; we can sort it out calmly.”

“Oh no, Mr. Suryavanshi, this is no misunderstanding. Tell me honestly, I have inside information that you used to be quite the mango thief in your childhood. Is it wrong?”

Avantika’s smirk was pure mischief. Madhuri, Ajay and Amar burst out laughing, while Namrata glared at her daughter, promising retribution for her silly pranks.

“Lekin aapko kaise…”

(But how do you…)

“Kya hain, Adhvay ji, ki agar aapke paas ek PI hain, toh humare paas pura team hain.”

(The thing is, Adhvay ji, that if you have a PI, then we have an entire team of them.)

“What gives you the impression that we still aren’t thieves, Ms. Avantika Verma?” A new voice entered the conversation, deep and full of satire.

A tall, handsome man, dressed up in a full three-piece suit, stood casually in the main doorway, his hands in his pockets. His face was set in stern lines, unreadable, but his eyes held an amused glint.

Madhuri rushed towards the door and cupped her older son’s face. “Vedansh! Tum yaha kaisa? Tum toh kal subhe aane wala tha, na?”

(Vedansh! How are you here? You were supposed to arrive tomorrow morning, right?)

“Haan Maa, lekin apna chota bhai ka proposal kaise miss karta?”

(Yes Maa, but how could miss my little brother’s proposal?)

“Bhai, I’m glad you came.” Adhvay strode towards his older brother and the men hugged, patting each other on the back. “Kabse yaha khade hain?”

(How long have you been standing here?)

“Long enough to see my younger brother, the Adhvay Suryavanshi, become a romantic.” Adhvay rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly.

“But Ved, how did you know we would be here now?”

“And how did you know I would propose, Bhai? Even I didn’t know until a few moments ago.”

“You told me you were coming here today, Maa, and you know I always track your locations for security.” Vedansh smirked at his younger brother, “And I was keeping tabs on Bakshi.”

The rest of the evening, as discussions continued between the two families, one couple was floating in bliss, while another pair curiously observed each other.

“So, am I the best older sister or what?” Avantika smiled with pure satisfaction as she and her sister lounged on their little balcony while sipping tulsi tea, a nightly ritual.

Riddhi pouted at her older sister and scrunched her nose. “Nahi hain aap best. Aapko itna drama karna zaroori tha kya? Aur agar aapko pata tha ki Adhvay-ji hi woh aadmi hain, toh aapne mujhe kyun nahi bataiya pehle?”

(You’re not the best. Did you have to do so much drama? If you knew that Adhvay-ji was that man, then why didn’t you tell me before?)

“That’s what you call a surprise, baccha. Anyways, maybe I don’t seem like the best now, lekin jab tum shaadi karke apne pati ke pyaar mein lehrati rahogi na, tab mein best kya, best ki baap lagungi! Scratch that, best ki maa lagungi!”

(Anyways, maybe I don’t seem like the best now, but when you get married and start floating in your husband’s love, then I won’t just seem the best, I’ll seem the bestest!)

**Best ki baap literally translates to best’s dad, but you usually refer to something’s dad when saying that something is next-level

Riddhi blushed deeply, “Stop it, didi!”

“Arey, maine toh kuch kahi hi nahi abhi tak! Jab tum shadi karogi aur tumhara pati tumse iss se bohot zyaada kahega, tab bi tum ‘Stop it, Adhvay’ kahogi?”

(Arey, I didn’t even say anything yet! When you get married and your husband says a lot more to you than this, will you say ‘Stop, it, Adhvay?’)

“Didi!” Riddhi whined and punched her shoulder, turning her face away with a pout.

“Lekin tum khush toh hain, na? I know, main bohot der puch rahi hoon. Lekin jis tarah tum apne ‘sapnon ke rajkumar’ ke baare mein baat kar rahi thi, mujhe laga ki tum zaroor iss rishta ko haan kahogi. Issiliye maine socha, thoda mazaak kar lete hain. But even if you said no, I would have stood by you.”

(But you’re happy, right? I know, I’m asking a little late. But the way you were talking about the ‘prince of your dreams’, I thought you’d definitely say yes to this match. So I thought, why not have some fun?...)

“Hmm, didi, khush toh hoon main,” she whispered.

(Yeah, didi, I am happy.)

“Kabhi bhi koi pareshaani ho, toh main yahaan hoon, yahaan hoon, yahaan hoon, yahaan…” Avantika dramatically sang the end, just like the famous song.

(If you ever have any trouble, I’m always here…)