Page 5

Akhil immediately placed the order. Sonakshi and Vikrant had known each other since childhood but had barely spoken. Since witnessing his mother betray his father and try to escape, Vikrant had become emotionally barren, unable, and unwilling to engage with women.

Still, since their marriage alliance had been announced, Sonakshi had tried multiple times to connect with him. She had learned not to expect warmth, but nothing he did truly offended her anymore. Vikrant ate in silence, sticking to his strict routine. Sonakshi quietly sipped her juice, her eyes stealing glances at him. He felt her gaze but didn’t acknowledge it. Once he finished, he looked at her briefly and spoke.

“Anything important?”

She met his eyes and quickly shook her head. She was too intimidated to speak. Vikrant stood up, straightened his sleeves, and said firmly,

“I have to finish all my work today because I’m taking leave starting tomorrow. I waited for you, but you were late. You know I don’t compromise with my schedule. I have an important meeting in twenty minutes. I’m leaving. The driver is outside, he’ll drop you home.”

“I came in my own car,” she said quickly. “You don’t have to worry. I’ll drive myself back. And… I’m sorry I wasted your time.”

He turned to leave but paused. Pulling a card from his pocket, he handed it to her.

“Maa asked me to buy a gift for you. I don’t understand all this. Buy whatever you like and tell her I got it for you.”

She nodded slightly, stood up, and looked at the card.

“If it’s not too much trouble,” she said hesitantly, “I’d like to withdraw the amount in cash. I’ve already ordered some jewelry, and my friend designed it. She’s going through a financial crisis, and for some reason, a bank transfer isn’t possible.”

Vikrant’s sharp eyes narrowed. Akhil, sensing tension, cleared his throat loudly, reminding Vikrant of Sharda’s strict warning: control your temper. Without saying anything more, Vikrant glanced at the card in her hand and said coldly,

“This card has a limit of up to one crore rupees. If you need more, let me know. I’ll transfer it.”

“It’s more than enough… But can you please tell your manager that I want to withdraw the full amount at once? It’s diamond jewelry…”

He nodded curtly and turned to leave, mumbling under his breath,

“Only money matters…”

Akhil watched him go, concern flickering in his eyes. He knew Vikrant would now associate Sonakshi with greed, even though he'd given permission himself. He had still asked Akhil to help her with the manager, but Akhil knew how deeply Vikrant’s mind could twist a situation.

Sonakshi sat back down, staring after him. Only when he had disappeared did she let out the breath she had been holding. She glanced at the card in her hand, then lowered her eyes.

~~~~

Jhankar is applying oil to her brother Vyom’s hair, often pulling at it, which causes Vyom to shout loudly and repeatedly.

"Mom, I’m telling you, this girl wants to make me bald… She doesn’t want anyone to turn back and look at me because I’m so handsome compared to her... She’s jealous of my beauty."

"Of course, you are very handsome. Who’s stopping you from saying that? But you say I’m very beautiful, and for that, I don’t need your approval."

As she says this, she pulls his hair quite hard, making Vyom shout while grabbing her hair tightly. He holds her hair firmly but doesn’t pull back, causing Jhankar to burst out laughing loudly. Vyom starts laughing along with her as he gently combs his hair back.

“I can’t pull your hair, even if I wanted to; your hair is so beautiful that I hesitate.”

“All thanks to Mom’s hard work.”

“Exactly...”

Both laugh heartily. Nearby, Chitrali and Raghunath sit watching, delighted to witness the affection blossoming between their children after these little sibling spats. Jhankar, sitting on her brother’s shoulders, quickly says.

“I’ve been saying since yesterday that Papa gave you money, so let’s go buy a bike. Now that you won’t listen to me, you’re going to become my car yourself!”

Everyone bursts into laughter. Vyom stands, holding her legs firmly as she sits on the sofa with her legs resting on his shoulders while he’s on the floor. He starts running around the room. Jhankar shouts loudly, half in fear.

“Bro… no…”

But Vyom runs on, laughing heartily. Chitrali looks worried; she knows if he loses balance even slightly, Jhankar could get hurt badly. She trusts Vyom’s careful hold but still can’t help feeling anxious seeing her daughter perched on his shoulders. Vyom eventually sits down with a smile. Jhankar quickly jumps off and clings to her father.