Nandini's POV
So today... was a day.
A terrifying day.
A judgment day.
Because guess who decided to drop by unannounced?
My husband's friends.
All. Four. Of. Them.
And let me tell you—they came in like a boy band reunion tour with sunglasses, sarcasm, and "we're here to embarrass Siddharth" energy.
Doorbell rings. I open it.
And I'm met with four very tall, very smirking men who scream:
"Bhabhiiii!"
I blinked.
I smiled nervously.
I considered hiding.
Behind me, Siddharth appeared like a storm cloud. "Oh no."
"OH YES," one of them laughed, pulling him into a hug like long-lost drama queens. "Mr. CEO has turned into Mr. Married!"
They marched in, shoes off, sarcasm ON.
Ten Minutes Later – In the Living Room
"So, Nandini," said Ashok—the childhood friend I'd heard Mira Amma mention.
"How's it feel being married to Mr. Glare-and-Stare over here?"
"Um..." I smiled politely. "Peaceful."
"HA! She's lying already," his other friend Nikhil snorted. "Siddharth, I give her three weeks before she starts throwing chappals at you."
"She already threatened me with a spoon once," Siddharth muttered.
"Romance level: Legendary," said the third guy, Aarav.
Siddharth's POV
Regret.
I regretted letting them in.
Ashok was hogging the snacks. Aarav was showing Nandini childhood photos of me in a duck costume, and Nikhil was calling me "Mr. Husband Material" every ten minutes.
But she was laughing.
Actually laughing.
Not the awkward, polite kind.
The real one—with snorts and teary eyes and that tiny hiccup-laugh she tries to hide.
It was... disarming.
Nandini's POV
I didn't expect to enjoy it. But his friends? They were hilarious.
Also? Secret softies.
At one point Ashok pulled me aside and whispered,
"He acts cold but he's the most loyal idiot ever. You're his peace, bhabhi. Don't let him bottle it up forever."
I blinked.
Felt warmth in my chest.
And then promptly tripped over a cushion and fell face-first into biryani.
Because of course I did.
Later That Evening
They finally left—after teasing, food, more childhood photos, and making Siddharth promise a couples trip. (He looked at me in horror. I just grinned.)
We stood by the door after waving them off.
He looked at me.
"You okay?"
"They're funny," I said. "You... were kind of cute today."
He raised a brow. "Kind of?"
"Don't ruin it."
I turned to go, but then heard him mumble—just softly enough for me to catch—
"You were more than kind of cute."
I didn't look back.
But I'm 99% sure I glowed.