Page 20 of Entangled Vows (Destined Diaries #2)

“There they are!” Arjun cheered.

Mahika stopped in her tracks as she and Vikram stepped into the foyer, just outside the office doors. In front of them stood four striking couples, who looked far too excited about what had just taken place inside. Before she could gather herself, they were already walking towards them.

The group looked familiar, and then it hit her.

She had seen them countless times on Vikram’s social media pages.

His feed was filled with pictures of this very group.

There was a time when she used to stalk his socials, trying to find out about the kind of life he lived.

And after their marriage had been arranged, she’d noticed how the old photos of random women had vanished.

What remained was a squeaky-clean feed, which was all about fitness, wholesome meals, work updates, and this close-knit circle of friends.

The man leading the way had to be Arjun.

Tall and broad-shouldered, his smile was so effortlessly charming that Mahika almost smiled back.

She caught herself just in time, settling for a polite half-smile.

She didn’t want to appear as if she already knew them.

Beside him was his wife, Ira. And she was beautiful and so elegant.

“Congratulations, Vicky,” Arjun said, grinning at Vikram.

Vikram frowned. “What are you all doing here?” he asked, his voice clipped, more irritated than surprised.

“We’re here to celebrate your big day, Vik. Do you really think we would let you off the hook so easily?” Ira raised a brow. “Remember when you welcomed me to Mumbai after my wedding? This is our turn to return the favour.” She gave them a playful wink.

Mahika’s gaze moved to the others. Adil had a calm, no-nonsense aura that somewhat reminded her of Vikram, though Vikram seemed softer and more approachable. Adil’s wife, Mira, smiled at her with such warmth that Mahika felt disarmed, making her feel as if they were already friends.

Next, she looked at Vaayu, who was grinning mischievously with his arm draped around his stunning wife, Ruhi, who looked equally excited. Kabir stood nearby with his crooked smile, and next to him was Kyra, radiating confidence with her grace and poise.

Mahika’s palms grew clammy, and she tried to wipe them on her pallu. These were no strangers. They were Vikram’s close friends. The infamous circle she had known about but never met. And now, she was standing face to face with all of them.

“Congratulations, you two!” Ira wished them warmly. “Finally tied the knot, Vicky?”

Mahika opened her mouth to reply, but Vikram beat her to it, his tone dry with humour. “Tied would be generous. Shackled feels more accurate.”

The whole group burst out laughing, and Mahika turned to him in shock. Holy shit! Vikram just cracked a… joke? Why did this playful side of him feel so alien to her?

“You can joke later. Introduce us first,” Arjun said, clapping him on the shoulder.

Vikram sighed, as if surrendering to the inevitable. “Momo, these are my friends.”

“Momo? He already has a nickname for her. How cute!” Kyra teased, instantly drawing a chorus of cheers and hoots from the group.

“Kyra, stop,” Vikram muttered, his cheeks actually flushed pink.

Mahika almost gasped. Was he… blushing? For the first time ever, his mask had cracked, and instead of that cold, controlled detachment, she could see and feel real emotion on his face.

“What? I’m just saying,” Kyra shrugged innocently, mischief twinkling in her eyes.

“Alright, enough, Ky. As much as I’d love to hear his answer, that can wait. Vicky, continue with the introductions, please,” Vaayu cut in, grinning.

Vikram reluctantly finished introducing everyone, while Mahika responded with a polite but strained smile.

“Now that we’re done with introductions, let’s go,” Arjun announced. “We’re celebrating. There’s this café two streets away, and we’ve booked the entire place for two hours.”

“You booked a whole café?” Mahika asked in surprise. “Why?”

“Because we can,” Ruhi replied with a wink. “And besides, the owner went to culinary school with Mira and me.”

“No,” Vikram said flatly. “We won’t be able to join as we have a board meeting at two.”

“You still have three hours. You’ll live,” Kabir retorted. “Your empire won’t collapse in sixty minutes.”

“Don’t tempt fate,” Vikram muttered under his breath.

Mahika stood awkwardly as their laughter bounced around her. She thought about pointing out that this wasn’t a wedding worth celebrating, but before she could, Mira caught her eye with a kind smile.

“Mahika, please. Convince your husband.”

Mahika gave a small, sheepish grin. “I don’t have that kind of power.”

“Oh, trust me, you do. Every wife does. You’ll find out after your wedding night,” Ruhi teased, earning a sharp tap from Kyra.

“Roo, don’t. Stop scaring her with those comments.”

“She won’t scare that easily. Isn’t that right, wifey?” Vikram said, his eyes locking with hers.

His face was neutral, but there was something about the faint curve of his lips that made her wonder if he was hiding a smile. Or maybe teasing her?

If yes, then fine. She’d play along.

“You’re right, husband. I must be fearless, considering I married you. That’s basically one step away from participating in Khatron ke Khiladi.”

“Ooh, savage!” Vaayu whooped. “This is a match made in heaven.”

Still laughing, he started herding everyone towards the car.

Vikram was about to refuse, but Arjun cut him off smoothly.

“Vicky, you are coming with us. If not, Ira will send pictures of us celebrating without you to the board members. Just imagine them finding out you picked spreadsheets over your wife on your wedding day. Not the best impression of a happy marriage, right?”

Mahika nearly choked. These people were insane. And yet she couldn’t deny the thrill of watching Vikram’s jaw tighten as he silently gave in, letting himself be herded towards the waiting cars.

∞∞∞

The café was tucked between a bookstore and a boutique, with fairy lights strung across the awning, and the air was rich with the smell of coffee and fresh pastries.

Inside, mismatched chairs and wooden tables gave it a cosy, old-school charm.

It was newly opened, and Mahika couldn’t believe she had missed visiting it.

The group dragged the tables together in their usual chaotic style.

Mahika was nudged into the centre, with Kyra on one side and Mira on the other.

Vikram sat directly opposite her, his face caught between irritation and reluctant tolerance.

The orders went in, and the chatter kicked in immediately.

“So,” Mira leaned in with a conspiratorial grin, “how did this even happen? Vikram swore he’d stay single forever. Now look at him. He’s all married.”

Vikram rolled his eyes. “Stop. What kind of question is that, Mimi?”

“The right kind, asshole. And don’t take that tone with my wife,” Adil cut in.

“Well, I don’t like the question your wife is asking my wife, so—”

“It’s complicated,” Mahika blurted, louder than intended. Everyone turned towards her. She offered a sheepish smile, and Mira burst out laughing.

“Mahika, relax. This is normal. Bickering is just how Adi and Vicky show their love for each other.” She patted Adil’s cheek, and he melted instantly.

God, all these couples were so in love it was nauseating. And yet, deep down, Mahika couldn’t deny that she wanted something like that too.

“Complicated love stories are the best kind,” Kabir drawled over his espresso.

“They make the juiciest bedtime stories for our kids,” Kyra teased.

“Stop it, guys,” Ruhi chided.

“It’s fine,” Mahika said quickly, her pulse racing with the speed of the banter around her.

Vaayu grinned. “Good. You’ll get used to it. We tease and argue… a lot. It’s our love language.”

Arjun leaned forward, his eyes dancing. “But seriously, Mahika. What possessed you to marry him?” He jabbed a thumb at Vikram.

“Don’t,” Vikram warned, his voice low.

“Oh, come on. You can’t expect us not to ask.”

Mahika stole a glance at Vikram. His glare was sharp enough to cut steel, but the warmth of the group emboldened her.

“I suppose I’m a masochist,” she said lightly.

Everyone roared with laughter. Even Vikram’s lips twitched before he hid them behind his cup.

“I like her,” Ruhi announced. “She fits right in.”

Vikram shook his head, while Mahika looked away, fighting back her smile.

The teasing rolled on. The men roasted Vikram, while the women pulled Mahika into their circle with questions about her work, her hobbies, and her favourite places in Dehradun. To her surprise, she found herself laughing and sharing stories she hadn’t spoken aloud in years.

Halfway through, Mohit and Ishika slipped in. Arjun spotted them first.

“Look who finally showed up. Thirty minutes late!” he bellowed, waving them over.

Relief was evident on Mahika’s face. Everyone shifted to make room for them. Ishika slid in beside Mahika and leaned in. “You okay?”

“Yes. These people are nice,” Mahika whispered back, then frowned as she noticed her friend’s pink cheeks. “But why are you late? And why are you looking so flushed?”

“Ugh. Nothing.” Ishika shrugged.

Mahika narrowed her eyes. “What did he do?”

“Nothing—” Ishika began, but Mira cut in.

“What’s the whispering about, girls?”

“I was just asking Mahika how it feels to be married to the angel of darkness,” Ishika said sweetly, tossing Vikram a look.

“Angel of darkness?” Vaayu hooted. “Vicky, you’ve been holding out on us.”

“Angel of darkness suits me just fine, Ishika. Better than people mistaking you as Miss Always-So-Innocent,” Vikram scoffed, and the table erupted in laughter.

Mahika sipped her cappuccino, hiding a smile. Soon, the cookies and pastries arrived, followed by Vikram’s salad and green tea. Mahika almost rolled her eyes.

Of course. Freaking health freak.

He wasn’t laughing as loudly as the others, but Vikram’s shoulders were relaxed, his expressions were more open, and even his tone held a lightness. When his gaze flicked to hers, he didn’t look like the ruthless businessman bound by duty. He looked almost… normal.

Their gazes tangled, and a charged moment passed between them. Mahika quickly looked away, her cheeks warming. Between bites of food and sips of coffee, laughter flowed freely, catching the attention of other patrons, who smiled at their lively exchange.

When Vikram finally stood, the entire table groaned collectively.

“You are leaving already?” Ruhi whined.

“It’s been an hour. We need to head out,” he said, adjusting his cufflinks. “We’ll meet again later in the evening.”

“We’re flying home tonight on Adil’s jet,” Arjun said.

“I thought you were leaving tomorrow,” Vikram frowned, tilting his head.

“Yes, but the kids are missing us,” Mira explained softly. “And we’re missing them too.”

Mahika rose, smoothing her saree, and was struck by how light she felt, as if a quiet weight had lifted from her shoulders. Warm goodbyes circled around them as the group stepped outside.

Kyra looped her arm through Mahika’s. “Get ready for the madness. Lunches, dinners, shopping trips, double dates. You’re family now.”

Mahika laughed softly, the sound surprising her. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

At the curb, Vikram’s hand pressed against the small of her back, guiding her towards their car. The touch was firm, grounding, and it made her pulse skip a beat.

As the others waved at her, Arjun shouted, “Mahika, if he ever annoys you, you’ve got eight of us on speed dial. We’ll straighten him out in no time.”

Fresh laughter spilled from her again, and Mahika couldn’t hold it back.

For the first time since signing those papers, she felt at ease, as if this marriage, with all its uncertainties and convenience, had quietly gifted her something she hadn’t expected: a few genuinely good friends, and maybe… a hint of something more.