Pia and Aarav's wedding was over, and everyone seemed happy—everyone except Piya. Kavita Ji wasn't overly joyful, but she remained calm as Pia's actions had saved the family's reputation. On the other hand, Radha Ji was now worried. She kept thinking about how they would tell Aarav the truth. It was clear they couldn't reveal anything to him now; otherwise, there would be chaos.
After the wedding, as Aarav stood near the mandap, he yelled, "Hey… where are my shoes?"
"Looks like someone stole them for the shoe-stealing ritual. Get ready to empty your pockets, bro," Raj teased, making a guess.
"But Muskaan doesn't have any siblings. Oh wait, there was a girl, right? Muskaan mentioned her uncle's daughter, but I can't remember her name. Whatever, she's not even here at the wedding. So where are my shoes?" Aarav asked, referring to Pia but failing to recall her name since they had never met.
Hearing Aarav mention her, Pia was lost in thought, wondering what Muskaan might have said about her.
"Your shoes are with me, brother, but you won't get them so easily. You'll have to pay up!" a girl announced confidently, standing with her hands on her hips.
[This girl was Sakshi Kapoor, Aarav's younger sister and the darling of the Kapoor family. At 19, she was a college student pursuing fashion design and was always at the forefront of mischief.]
"What?! Are you crazy, Sakshi? You're my sister; you're supposed to be on my side! Why did you steal my shoes?" Aarav asked, utterly confused.
"Exactly, Sakshi, what kind of prank is this? Stop troubling Aarav now," Radha Ji scolded her.
"What did I do wrong, Mom? Bhabi doesn't have any siblings here to perform this ritual, and since I'm like her little sister now, I thought I'd do it. Did I do anything wrong, Dad?" Sakshi asked innocently, looking at her father.
Of course, being her father's favorite, Avinash Ji sided with her.
"Not at all, Sakshi. You did the right thing. Otherwise, the ritual would've been incomplete. Radha, stop scolding my daughter now," Avinash Ji said, as always supporting Sakshi.
"Seriously, Dad? Why do you always take this drama queen's side?" Aarav complained.
Sakshi made a face at Aarav and teased him. "Now, brother, hand over my reward!"
"I'm with Sakshi on this. Since I'm also like Bhabi's brother now, whatever you give her, you'll have to double it," Raj chimed in.
"What?! You too?" Aarav groaned, looking at Raj.
"Of course, brother. Unlike you, Raj Bhaiya always supports me because he isn't grumpy like you!" Sakshi teased, making everyone laugh.
Aarav glared at Sakshi, and she fell silent. Eventually, Aarav handed over the money to both Sakshi and Raj and got his shoes back. Their playful banter lightened the atmosphere, even making Piya smile despite her nerves.
It was now time for Pia's vidayi. Manish Ji couldn't hold back his emotions, and seeing him, Pia couldn't stop her tears either. After losing her parents, her uncle had been her closest family member, and the thought of leaving him was overwhelming. Pia tried but failed to hold back her sobs as she bid farewell.
"Now you can lift your veil, right? The wedding's done," Aarav said curiously.
Everyone tensed up at his words.
"No, no… not yet. There's a ritual at home where you can see her face for the first time," Radha Ji quickly interjected.
Aarav couldn't argue with his mother, so he stayed quiet.
Kapoor Mansion, 11 PM
The procession had returned home. Pia's grih pravesh (homecoming ceremony) was done beautifully. Most of the guests had left, leaving only family members behind. It was time to tell Aarav the truth.
As Avinash Ji and Radha Ji pondered how to break the news, Aarav spoke up, "Now that all the rituals are over, can she finally take off that massive veil? It's so weird! And why hasn't she spoken to me all this time? Is she mad at me? I didn't even do anything! It feels like I married a mute girl!" Aarav joked loudly.
"Bhabi, please show your face to this crazy guy, or he'll keep cracking these lame jokes," Raj joined in.
"Yes, Bhabi, we all want to see how you look in that beautiful lehenga. And clearly, Bhai is dying to see you!" Sakshi teased, making Aarav frown.
Listening to them, Piya grew even more nervous. She feared how they would react once they saw her face. Until now, they had been so kind to her. But what would they say after seeing her?
To be continued in the next chapter…