Kiaan

******

"There is something wrong with my room," Mom said while we were all seated in the theater room. It was Dhriti's idea to have a movie night, and everyone agreed. I had work, and I also had to go through the reception's security plan once again, but when she requested a family movie night post-dinner, I couldn't refuse.

She wasn't someone who ever requested anything from me. She knew she could simply order me, and I would make sure it was done. Always. But this time her request was gentle. And I couldn't deny my sister's wish.

She was really important to me.

Knowing her well, it was obvious she was finally going to reveal her pregnancy to everyone.

Eventually, when the movie ended, I thought Dhriti would tell everyone about her pregnancy now. However, Dhruv and her seemed to have other plans in mind, and they started poking my mother about why she looked confused or whatnot.

"What happened?" Grandpa asked when he noticed Mom being different, too. It wasn't a big deal, but my brother and sister were making it one.

"My bedsheets had been changed when I went into my room. Even the washroom stuff was in a different place," Mom said.

"I didn't notice anything," Dad said, looking confused.

Did he ever notice anything apart from Mom? I highly doubt it.

Not that I had a problem, but once, when I was a kid, I had yearned to be seen by him, actually, to be seen by both my parents. But no one did, and no one cared. And now that I have grown up, they don't know the real me. And they never will.

"Did you guys do something?" Mom asked, looking around at us.

"Yeah... about that..." Dhruv started, giving me a look that clearly meant he was about to screw this up.

But I didn't care.

Why would I?

I was with my wife in that room, not some random woman. They could do all the teasing they wanted. I wasn't going to be bothered one bit.

My wife, on the other hand, sat quietly, almost shrinking into the couch cushions, making sure no one noticed her. As if being quiet would make her invisible. Her cheeks had deepened into a shade of red, and her eyes were glued to the phone in her lap.

A half-smile appeared on my lips as I looked at her. She looked really adorable.

I wished to go over to her, where she sat beside Dhriti, and kiss the breath out of her. But I didn't. One moment between us had already turned her crimson. Another in front of the family would stain her scarlet.

I would do it though...remove all her inhibitions, strip them off her one by one...until none of it was left, until all she could see was me and not some inhibitions. But later.

At that moment, I just sat there patiently, watching everyone have fun at the expense of my and my wife's beautiful moment, which, by the way, was ruined by my brother.

Fuck! If only they had arrived a little later.

I could still picture her in that drenched saree, trembling beneath me. Her wide, gentle, fawn-like eyes...filled with warmth still flashed before me. Just that look was enough to make me crave more.

It was as if I had tasted something once, and now I couldn't forget it. I couldn't resist it. I felt like a predator who had caught the scent of what he wanted and wouldn't stop until he had it again.

My state was no different. I was desperate now....painfully desperate for her. Now that I had seen her like that, felt her like that...I wanted more...needed more.

As if my thoughts had reached her without voice, I saw her shiver when my need for her intensified.

She lifted her head slowly, meeting my gaze. I didn't know what she saw in my eyes, but whatever it was, it made her tremble. Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her pajamas, her breath stalling in her throat.

She felt it. She felt how badly I wanted her. And her eyes...they still carried the lingering haze of the moment we had just shared.

"Simran, beta, did you know what happened in my room?" And just like that, her gaze wavered from mine because my mother had to intervene right at that moment.

Staying with them had started costing me a lot. If I couldn't go back to my house soon, I knew I would move out with my wife anyway. Because I knew that soon, even seeing her would become a hassle.

I knew my family. They were a bunch of crazy people.

"There were some cats..." Saavi chipped in instead of Simran. She was a literal cupcake, always ready to rescue.

Not that I needed to be rescued, but my wife did. She was a little nervous, worried that she wouldn't be able to handle the teasing or, worse... that my parents would look at her differently if they found out she was with me in their room. I didn't see any problem with that. She was my wife. I could be with her wherever I wanted, and that was just the beginning. I was going to make her get used to all the teasing, because our moments together were going to be frequent.

"Cats?" Mom looked more puzzled now.

"Yeah, I heard that too. There were some cats in your room..." Dhriti added this time, giving me her sly smile.

"Two in particular, I guess... wasn't it, Sama?" Namit pretended to sound curious, throwing me a side glance with a small smirk on his face.

"Yeah...two wild cats..." Dhriti replied, nudging Simran with her elbow. Simran made a puppy face at her, but this was Dhriti. When it came to teasing, no one could stop her until she wanted to. So she simply winked back.

"I only asked who changed the sheets and rearranged the bathroom stuff, but you guys are talking about some cats. What's going on?" Mom looked more confused than ever, glancing at everyone, unable to grasp the reality behind everyone's words.

"I changed the sheets...The cats got them dirty...." Simran replied instantly, not meeting anyone's gaze. Blood rushed to her ears now from her face.

Namit coughed intentionally. Dhriti and Dhruv smiled sheepishly while Saavi pinched Dhruv to stop him from teasing us.

"Why did you bother, beta? You should have told any staff," Mom said.

"You should have told Kiaan instead. He was the only one at home with you, wasn't he?" Namit remarked, clearly enjoying himself. It seemed he had forgotten the punch he got from Dhruv when Dhruv caught him making out with our sister. He definitely needed a reminder, and this time from me.

"Everyone was busy, so I didn't bother. It was just sheets, Mom," my sweet wife replied, not meeting my eyes at all, as if I could trap her with just one look. She wasn't wrong to assume that. I could do worse, just not that night.

"Sounds like weird cats. Since when did they start going into the washroom and rearranging stuff?" Dad wondered aloud.

"Horny ones..." Namit muttered under his breath.

Simran sucked in a sharp breath.

Oh, that man really needed my punch this time. Saavi started coughing to distract everyone. She shot Namit a warning look and tried to shush him, but he simply smiled at her innocently.

Asshole!

"Why is everyone coughing? Is something in the air?" Grandpa asked, concerned.

"Yeah... essence and desire..." Dhruv added casually.

And that's how one more person added their name to the list of getting punched by me. This time, my brother Dhruv Kapoor.

"What?" Dad questioned, confused.

"He meant... smoke and fire..." Saavi quickly clarified.

"What smoke?" Grandpa asked.

"Guys, guys...everyone just calm down." Mom eventually quieted everyone down, feeling weird and confused about everything, and then she announced, "I will tell the staff to arrange some kind of stay for the cats in the backyard. They will feel safe and comfortable there. I will have some food arranged for them, too."

"You will have naked cats in the backyard?" Namit asked curiously.

"Cats are always naked," Dad replied, wondering why Namit would even ask such a question.

"Not always..." Dhruv said with a knowing smile.

Simran nudged Dhriti this time, making her innocent puppy face in front of her once more. I couldn't help but smile at her trying to seek help to get out of that situation. Dhriti sighed this time and nodded, signaling that she was going to put a stop to the teasing. I guess it was time for her to announce her pregnancy.

Dhriti stood up and clapped her hands. "Okay, guys, I need everyone's attention. I have to share something with you all..."

Everyone looked at her. The boys were aware, but the rest of them were curious.

"I am pregnant." She announced, displaying a full-blown nervous smile, waiting for everyone to say anything. However, there was a point-blank silence for a few seconds after her announcement, and then Grandpa sighed.

"Another prank," he added, shaking her head, being aware of how Dhriti loved doing pranks on others.

"She is not lying," Dhruv defended her.

"You always support her in her pranks. Don't fool us," Dad said to Dhruv, smiling.

Dhriti's face fell. They were really ruining her moment without even realizing it. I wasn't going to make them make my sister cry.

"She is not lying," I said sternly as I got up from my seat and hugged her tight. As I pulled back, I cupped her cheeks, smiling softly at her. Her radiant smile was back now.

"Tell me what do you want?" I was going to shower her with all kinds of gifts I could, but they had to be of her choice, something she really desired. 

"Can I ask for anything?"

"You can order anything." She knew she could order me around. She was just being a little more sensitive. Perhaps her pregnancy had made her even more emotional.

"You already know that I am carrying twins...If either of them is a boy, I want you to name him."

I stood there speechless. That was a big ask from her. I had never thought Dhriti would ask such a thing of me. I was overwhelmed because Dhriti and I shared a bond full of hidden love, and we mostly showed it in our sibling rivalry and not the love we carried. We loved each other, just in our own way. This was the first time she was asking for something this important, and it left me shaken.

"You are sure you want that?" I asked for confirmation.

She nodded. I smiled wider, agreeing to her request.

"Di..." Simran called her softly. She and Saavi stood beside me because they knew Dhriti wasn't pranking us. Besides, my wife could read me better now. She knew that if I said Dhriti wasn't lying, then she wasn't. And when she would her her memories back, she would understand me completely. She would understand herself, too, the real her.

"You both are going to be aunts..." Dhriti said excitedly before pulling them into a group hug.

"You weren't pranking us, pumpkin?" Grandpa asked from his seat, his face still stricken with shock.

Dhriti rolled her eyes at him and replied, "No, Grandpa. I am not always in the mood for pranks."

Mom and Dad soon joined in to congratulate her, and then Grandpa followed.

******

Simran

******

Di's surprise had elevated everyone's happiness to another level. We were all excited about the reception, but her news had us absolutely thrilled. I was even more excited about her pregnancy than my own reception. Right after the announcement, Grandpa ordered everyone's favorite dessert, and now we were munching on it, talking about the little babies residing in her womb.

But only we ladies were in the theater room; the rest of them had left to discuss the reception and a party they were soon going to organize for Di, Jiju, and the little babies she was carrying inside her. And yes, little babies....not just a baby. Di was pregnant with twins.

I was really, really excited to see tiny replicas of my sister, but we had to wait a few more months. Also, the guys had known about it all along, ever since the wedding, and hadn't revealed a thing to us, which was so not fair. That was another reason Mom pushed all the men out of the room, including Grandpa and Dad, even though they hadn't known about it at all.

"Do you feel weird because you have two lives now inside of you?" Saavi asked.

"No, I feel nothing except morning sickness, headaches, and the pain of not getting to eat my favorite food because I can't even bear its smell." She pouted, narrating how hard it had been for her.

God! She had to deal with all of it with only Jiju by her side. She surely didn't tell anyone, thinking she would steal the limelight from my wedding by doing so. In fact, I would have loved it if she had. I would rather have my sister take all the limelight, and I would still cheer for her.

"Beta, I get it," Mom said softly as she patted her head and then added, "You know with Kiaan, I could hardly eat cake, and I love them too much. But everything will be worth it when you will hold the little munchkins in your arms."

"I am excited...and nervous..." Di confessed sincerely. Her expression displayed all the jitteriness she must have been feeling.

"You are going to love this phase," Mom said excitedly, her eyes shining with even more enthusiasm. As expected, something was already cooking in her mind, and that was proved when she added, "You know what? I have a super idea. I will show you all the pictures from my pregnancy. That will lighten Dhriti's nervousness, and I will get a chance to take you all down my memory lane."

Mom got up, ready to head to her room to fetch the albums, as she said.

"Saavi, beta, please come with me. I will need your help in getting the albums with me here."

"Okay, Maasi..." Saavi joined Mom while Di and I stayed.

I looked at Di's stomach. It hadn't grown, and it looked like the way it used to. But now that I was aware she had two little ones inside of her, I couldn't help but wonder how exactly it felt. Did she ever feel them now?

"Does your tummy tickle?" I asked, my voice and eyes filled with curiosity.

Di giggled in response and shook her head. "No... it doesn't..."

"They will start kicking in a few months." I could see her eyes light up as if she had been waiting for it to happen sooner. She placed a hand over her stomach, over her T-shirt, and said, "I just know they are here, perhaps sleeping..."

She giggled again, her eyes filled with happiness. But then a glint of sadness passed through them.

"I feel weird though..." Her voice got a little lower and heavier, as if she struggled to speak.

"Why?" I asked with warmth as I held her hand over her stomach.

"Only a few years ago, you and I were telling Mom we would never have kids after she told us how much it hurts when you give birth..." She paused, her eyes brimmed with tears. She tried blinking them away, but it didn't help.

"I miss her..." Di sniffled.

I hugged her instantly as I gently caressed her hair. Di was like my second mother, but now that she was literally becoming one, I knew she must have been missing Mom a lot. I wasn't going to let her feel like she was alone. Not even for a second.

With my own heavy and pain-filled voice, I assured her, "You have me, Di. I promise I will be with you throughout, always, whenever you need me and even if you don't..."

"I will always need you, my daring darling sister.... You are my strongest pillar, and there would not come a time when I would not need you."

When we pulled back from the hug, I wiped her tears, and she did the same. We mirrored our sad smiles as we shared how much we missed our mother.

"Mom is surely watching us from up there, being proud of us," she said.

I nodded at her, swallowing down the lump in my throat. I knew Mom was always proud of Di... but was she proud of me? She loved me. She had sacrificed her life for me.

But had I ever made Mom proud?

That question always niggled at me. And I guess it always would. Because I would probably never find the answer.

When we heard Maasi's and Saavi's footsteps, we wiped the rest of our tears and composed ourselves, not letting our tears ruin Di's beautiful moment.

Maasi started with the oldest pictures first. There were photos of her being pregnant, parading Dad around for every chore, and even pictures of Di's birth parents. Those pictures made Di's heart heavy. Her tears returned, and Maasi pulled her into her arms, holding and caressing her like a baby.

All of a sudden, a picture came into view. It was from a party where everyone was dressed in dresses and suits except Mom, who was wearing a sexy bikini. She looked stunning. Saavi and I shared a curious glance, and then Saavi pointed at the picture and asked, "Maasi, what photo is that?"

"Oh, that's my reception."

Di, Saavi, and I were shocked.

"You wore a bikini to your reception?" Di asked this time.

"Not exactly, but it was on a beach, so I carried one, you know, just in case," Mom replied, smiling proudly.

"So, everyone switched to bikinis?" I asked.

"No, beta. I had started to feel hot, so I just slipped out of my gown and had a blast in a bikini." She laughed, recalling that incident. We joined her, too. Surely, it must have been fun.

"What about Uncle?" Saavi quipped, wondering what his reaction had been. I thought he would have shied away, but Maasi's response made our jaws drop.

"I made your Uncle wear a swimsuit under his tailored three-piece suit. So, yeah, we were both semi-naked at one point at our own reception."

We laughed, hearing all about her reception and what a bold and fun move it had been. Apparently, the news even made it to the front page of several newspapers and stayed in the headlines for months.

The picture-watching spree kept going. Mom narrated every photo with enthusiasm. Suddenly, I noticed a picture slipping out of one shiny plastic sleeve. We hadn't even turned the page, but the way it kept sliding out made it feel like it was reaching out to me. I felt weird for thinking that way.

Unable to stop myself, I pulled it out completely only to find a familiar face staring back at me. The strange part was that I hadn't seen that familiar person in real life, but in my dream.

How could that be possible?

I remembered those eyes...the innocence in them, along with the threat lurking beneath... and the pain they carried.

"Monster Prince..." I murmured, staring at the picture. He was the one who had appeared in my dream. 

How did Mom have the same picture of the boy who came into my dream? 

"Beta... what did you say?" Mom's voice came, soft and confused.

I glanced at Di and Saavi and saw that they were busy talking about some childhood pictures of Dhruv Bhaiya. Then I looked back at Mom.

"I... I said nothing, Mom," I replied quickly, forcing a smile.

Mom's eyes fell on the picture in my hand, and a strange softness mixed with guilt and sadness crossed her face.

"You know..." she said slowly, "there was someone who used to call my son Monster Prince."

Her son?

My heart skipped a beat when I realized it was Kiaan's picture. The boy who appeared in my dream was Kiaan, and I had called him Monster Prince in my dream. But...how? 

I had never seen any childhood pictures of Kiaan before, not even once. Then how could they both be that similar? Nothing was adding up and my mind was filled with worries and questions.

"Who used to call him Monster Prince?" I asked, my voice filled with anxiousness.

Mom hummed, thinking. "He never told me. One of the staff members mentioned it years ago." She paused, then added casually, "I heard he had a friend once... um... what was her name..."

My heart began to pound. The more she took time thinking of the name, the more terribly my heart thudded.

Then Mom snapped her fingers as the relief of remembering something passed through her features. 

"Yes. Tara. Her name was Tara."

The picture almost slipped from my fingers. 

Tara

I knew the name. I had heard her name. Not from anyone...but from my husband.

Only a few days ago, when I was shaking through a panic attack when our house was attacked by some goons, Kiaan had held me firmly in his arms and yelled, "Tara."

I was too in shock to ask him then why he would call me by another name, but now, hearing Mom, it made things worse for me. I stared at the little boy in the photograph, and my chest tightened. 

My name was Simran.

So why did he call me Tara?

Who was Tara?

A childhood love?

His first love?

Or worse...

Someone who saw the monster in him before me... someone who saw the real him and survived him?

Was I now in a place that once belonged to her?

All of those weren't just questions that bothered me, but they were such queries that terrified me to the core. Those were such questions whose answers would change the course of my life, which would shake the roots of my fragile relationship with my husband if the answers didn't come in my favour. They weren't just questions....they were my dark fears, that began crawling in my veins.

The worst fear of all was...

Was I his choice or just a replacement?

My heart thudded hard as one thought echoed in my mind.

Would I ever truly know my husband at all?

******

Hi Lovelies,

I hope you all are doing well. 🤗

Why did Kiaan call Simran Tara on the day of the attack? 🤔

Tara could be anyone. Rhea could be Tara, or she might be dead by now. But how come the controlled beast let his tongue slip and call Simran Tara? 🤔

What do you guys think about Tara? What's her actual identity? 🤔

Was Simran only a replacement? 🤔

You guys are not prepared for what's going to happen in the next few updates. And all I can say is, the next few chapters will be their reception chapters. I am sure it's easy to guess now. After all, the reception of our aces is always unforgettable. IYKYK 🤐

Do share your views about the chapter. It would mean a lot to me. ❤️

P.S -> The next update will be on Friday. Stay tuned 🤗

Thanks,

Shrishtee