Aakriti's POV

I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the final pleat of my saree. Midnight blue silk with delicate silver embroidery—classic, elegant, and just dramatic enough to match the chaos unfolding in the news.

It wasn't planned. Honestly, I didn't even know why I chose a saree today. Maybe because I needed to feel in control. Maybe because today, for once, I just wanted to feel beautiful—for myself.

I entered the room and saw Dhruv moving around the room. He was still on his phone, half-worried, half-pretending not to be.

I walked towards him, adjusting my pallu. He looked up from his phone—and froze.

His eyes did that slow blink thing he does when he's caught off-guard, like his brain needs a second to recalibrate. And then he just stared.

"Okay," I said casually, smoothing the fabric at my waist, "the only advantage to marrying you is that I get to wear a saree once in a while."

He blinked again.

I raised a brow, amused. "What?"

He looked genuinely offended. "The only advantage?"

I shrugged, playing along.

"Yeah. It's not like your charming attitude or grumpy silences won me over."

He came closer to me and leaned towards my face.

"There are many advantages, but it's just that you have restricted me." He said in a husky voice, making my breath stop. I saw his smirk, understanding the meaning behind his words.

"Even without my restriction, it wouldn't have been an advantage." I said, trying to calm my fast-beating heart.

Dhruv opened his mouth, probably to argue, then shut it again. He tilted his head slightly, eyes scanning from my bare feet up to the silver jhumkas swaying by my jawline.

"You look..." he started, then cleared his throat. "You look like a problem."

I smirked. "Good. Because I'm about to be someone's worst."

He smiled, slow and grudging. "You really wore that to go to war?"

"Of course not," I said, picking up my phone and checking new messages.

"War is tomorrow. Today is fun and chaos." I said, winking at him.

"Just wait and watch. Today is my day to be the beautiful and innocent Aakriti. Tomorrow you will see what arrogant Aakriti looks like. This is just a trial, the calm before the storm."

He walked toward me, his steps slow and deliberate. He didn't say anything, just brought his hand closer to my face and raised his eyebrow.

"May I?" I don't know why he asked, but I nodded. He brushed a strand of hair from my face and let his hand linger at my jaw.

"You're dangerous like this," he murmured.

I leaned forward so he'd hear my whisper. "Only for those who think I'm not."

Before I could say anything else, he pulled me by my chin and captured my lips with his. His other hand grabbed the back of my neck.

He sucked on my lower lip, slow and firm, until I forgot how to breathe, let alone respond. He kissed me senseless until my thoughts scattered and my knees felt weak. He didn't stop until I was breathless, dizzy, and completely undone.

He smirked against my lips.
"Still think this isn't an advantage?" His words left me speechless.

Knock, knock.

The sound sliced through the silence like a blade.

We froze.

Dhruv's hand was still cradling my neck, his thumb resting lightly against my jaw. My breath was still uneven, heart still somewhere in my throat. His forehead rested briefly against mine before he sighed.

Another knock—this time louder, more insistent.

"What timing!" I muttered, stepping back and smoothing down my saree, trying to appear less like someone who was just kissed breathless.

Dhruv's jaw clenched. "It's Kabir. Always impatient, like the world is on fire and he needs to save it."

The door creaked open a second later. He didn't wait for permission—he barged in, face pale, eyes darting between the two of us before landing on me. He looked at me with worry. I realize that he is Karan. Both are so similar yet so different. I was slightly happy to see him being worried about me. I had the least interaction with him, so seeing his worry made me understand that he had accepted me into this family.

"Bhai, you've seen the news, right?" He asked nervously.

I exchanged a quick glance with Dhruv. He stepped aside, arms folding over his chest, as if asking me to handle this.

I tilted my head, feigning innocence. For some reason I felt the urge to tease him.

"What news?" I asked. Dhruv shook his head. Karan blinked at me like I'd lost my mind.

"Bhabhi, stop. Don't joke right now. They've accused you...you...of defrauding charity funds to fuel Nanda Industries new research. The media's on fire. Your rivals must be gloating. The public is enraged. I am losing my mind. How can you be so... calm? Bhai, even you are so calm. Say something. Why...?" Karan said in panic. I patted his shoulder.

"Calm down." I told him.

"Is he always like this?" I asked Dhruv.

"Kind of." Dhruv said nonchalantly.

"Why do I feel like you both are mocking me?" Karan asked with a pout. He looks cute and funny.

"No, we aren't. We just feel like your panic is unnecessary." I said.

"How can you say it's unnecessary? When you don't even...." I didn't allow him to blabber and interrupted him.

"I know. It was my plan to leak the news." I said.

"Why?" Karan asked in shock.

"Be quiet. Fingers on your lips." I said, and he quietly followed. Like an obedient boy.

"Now listen. I planned to release this news to get attention on the new drug launch. And also to keep a clear-cut explanation about the funds so as not to get dragged into the mess."

"You mean the fraud's news is fake." He said with a finger still on his lips, looking funny.

"No." I said nonchalantly.

"What?" Both he and Dhruv yelled.

"Someone did commit the fraud, but it has nothing to do with me. The culprit has already been punished." I said.

"Hush." He sighed in relief. "I was so worried." He murmured. It feels nice to have younger siblings. Life became chaotic in a better way.

We went downstairs only to see Kabir sitting on the sofa, a huge bowl of popcorn in his lap, and the morning news playing at full volume on his iPad that was placed on the table.

Let me repeat: Popcorn. For breakfast. At 7:30 a.m. While watching his sister-in-law's scandal being debated on the news. I blinked. Then blinked again.

"Kabir?" I said cautiously, walking over to the coffee table. "What... in God's name are you doing?"

He barely turned his head, shoving a fistful of popcorn into his mouth. "Breakfast."

I folded my arms. "Popcorn? Seriously."

"Technically, it's corn. Don't fight me on this." He waved a kernel at me with dramatic flair. "High in fiber. Very trendy."

I stared at him, equal parts confused and amazed. How could he be so chill? I thought he would be panicking more than all of us.

"Have you lost your mind, Kabir?" Karan asked in disbelief.

Kabir tilted his head back like a lazy cat. "Possibly. But that's not today's headline, is it?"

I exchanged a look with Kabir. He gestured for me to come closer to him and look at his iPad.

"Bhabhi, you look so good. Why don't you have a younger sister?" He said as I sat beside him.

"You're impossible." Dhruv muttered. Kabir shrugged, munching.

"But it is true I look so good in these photos. I will take a screenshot of this photo." I said and didn't even realize that I tossed the popcorn in my mouth.

"Somebody was lecturing me. Just now." Kabir said, giving me a side-eye.

Karan sighed loudly and took the seat beside him. "Seriously, Kabir, how are you this relaxed?"

Kabir held up a single dramatic finger and pointed toward Dhruv. We all looked at him.

Of course.

He looked way too calm for a man whose wife was supposedly involved in a scandal.

"What?" Dhruv asked.

Kabir gestured grandly. "Why worry when Bhai is here? If he's not panicking, I'm not panicking."

"He is my human anxiety traffic signal. Red means stop and run in the opposite direction. Yellow means do not disturb him, and green means all is good, and I can be Kabir without worry of getting killed." Kabir said sincerely. I let out a snort.

"See? This is why I keep saying he's adopted." Dhruv said, and Karan was nodding. Kabir flicked Karan's head.

"If I am adopted, then what are you? Idiot. We are identical twins." Kabir said.

"That's the saddest part." Karan said, and I burst out laughing.

I laughed so hard, I almost choked on the popcorn. Karan patted my back like I was a cat coughing up a hairball. "Easy there, Bhabhi. We need your lungs for the press conference."

"Rude," Kabir muttered, pouting. "After all I've done for this family."

"You mean... emotionally destabilize it?" Karan asked.

"I bring balance," Kabir declared, standing and striking a pose like he was in an energy drink commercial. "Where there is drama, I bring popcorn. Where there is scandal, I bring sass. Where there is tension, I bring memes."

Dhruv, sitting silently on the couch opposite me, called out flatly, "And where there is silence, you bring a loudspeaker."

Kabir grinned and rushed toward him, hugged him, and yelled. "LOVE YOU TOO, BHAI!"

Dhruv didn't even flinch. Man has the patience of a monk.

Karan groaned again. "Why are you like this? We were raised in the same house. Same food. Same parents."

"Clearly not the same sense of humor." Kabir said, mocking Karan.

"Okay, okay, enough." I said, waving my hand between them before they could launch into a round of insults.

"But you were laughing," Kabir said, offended.

"I was forced to laugh. My survival depended on it." I said dramatically.

Karan dramatically clutched his chest. "Bhabhi! You've been corrupted. He got to you too."

"He's not as bad as you make him sound," I said with a smirk. "Just... a different kind of bad."

"See?" Kabir wiggled his brows proudly. "Even chaos has charm."

"You all are crazy." Dhruv said with a smile that he tried but still couldn't help.

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