Iti got up as the sunrays entered their room and she sighed because she didn't want to get up,it was so freaking cold here!

She turned and found the other side of the bed empty.

He woke up earlier than her, yesterday also she hadn't seen him in the room when she woke up.

She decided to get up and have a bath and get ready for the day.She can't be late for breakfast,Nanisa Hukum might not like it after all.

After having a warm bath,she changed into a simple saree and took a shawl with it because of the cold weather.She checked herself in the mirror and immediately took the vermilion box and applied vermilion in her hair partition,she didn't wanted to be scolded by his Nanisa at all.

She went downstairs but found nobody in the living room.She frowned at that.

"Ranisa,Ranimaa bahar garden mein h,aaj naashta wahi hoga,aapka hi intezaar kr rahi h woh"A staff member said as she came towards her.

Iti nodded hearing that and made her way towards the garden,she found Nanisa Hukum sitting on the dining table placed at the garden.

She quickly made her way towards her and stood in front of Nanisa Hukum not knowing what to say.

Nanisa Hukum turned her gaze towards Iti but didn't say anything making the poor girl more nervous.

"G..Go..Good Morning Nanisa Hukum"Iti said then because it didn't seem nice to not greet her.

"Good morning,bethiye"Nanisa Hukum said and Iti slipped into a chair beside her as she sat on the head chair.

She still didn't see her husband and that made her furrow her eyebrows in confusion.

Were they going to start without him?

"Pratap ko bulaiye,unse kahiye baadmein practice kare apni,hum intezar kr rahe h unka"Nanisa said to one of the staff members who nodded and left.

"Shuru kijiye aap"Nanisa said to Iti as another staff served them their breakfast.

Iti nodded and waited for her to eat first and then began having her breakfast.

A few moments later,Shiv walked towards them in long black boots,his hands covered in hand gloves and a helmet he removed and kept in his hand.

He washed his hands in a bowl the staff brought for him and sat with his wife and grandmother to have his breakfast.

"Kab h aapka agla match?"Nanisa Hukum asked him.

Iti didn't know what they were talking about so she just sat their listening to their conversation.

"Agle hafte h Nanisa Hukum"Shiv said as he too started having his breakfast after the staff served him.

"Iti ko bhi saath le jaiyega isbaar"Nanisa Hukum said and Shiv nodded at that making Iti confused.

Where did she had to go now?

But she still didn't asked them anything and sat quietly having her breakfast.

"Iti...aapki qualifications kya h?"Nanisa Hukum asked because Iti was young and so she thought she might still be studying.

"Hum CA h Nanisa Hukum"Iti said making the older lady surprised.

Okay,an intelligent girl she was then!

"Toh kaam kaha krti h aap?family business mein hi involved h aap?"His Nanisa Hukum asked and Iti shook her head in denial.

She had never worked before,well she had worked at Sehgal Office on the insistence of her chote dadu and Maahi bhui but she had left it after not finding the business world interesting and challenging and after that she hadn't taken up any other work so she was unemployed in a way.

"Nhi...hu..humne kabhi kaam nhi kiya h abhi tak"She said thinking his Nanisa Hukum would be disappointed hearing that.

"Ha toh ab krna shuru kr dijiye"His Nanisa Hukum said making Iti finally look into her eyes.

"Yeh Mahal bht bada h akele rehne ke liye....hum bhi bahar jaatein h kaam ki wajah se,Pratap bhi bahar hi rehte h pure din kaam ki wajah se,aapko yaha akele bethne se accha h,ki aap bhi kaam krna shuru kr de"Nanisa Hukum said making Iti immediately nod her head at that.

"Aap hamare business ke finances handle kr sakti h,CA h na aap"Shiv said looking at his wife now.

Iti could do that,it wasn't difficult for her but she would have to go to his office for that which she wasn't prepared for.

She didn't wanted people at his office to judge her constantly which she knew they would do because she was his wife,the queen of Udaipur after all.

"Haa yeh sahi rahega,aap hamare business ke saare finances dekhiye"Nanisa Hukum said.

"Na...Nanisa Hukum,hum ghar se hi kaam kare?"Iti asked then mustering some courage.

Nanisa Hukum stared at her for her odd request but didn't said anything and just nodded finally making a small smile appear on Iti's lips.

"Pratap inke ghar se hi kaam krne ke saare intezaam krwa dijiyega"Nanisa said and Shiv nodded his head at that.

"Chaliye,hum chalte h,hamari ek bht zaruri meeting h aaj"Nanisa Hukum said as she was done with her breakfast and then left.

Shiv stared at his wife then once his Nanisa left.

"Ghar se kaam kyu krna chahati h aap?office mein behtar hoga aapke liye"Shiv said looking at her but her eyes were fixed on her plate which made him a lil mad.

Why can't she look at him when he talks to her?

"Upar dekhiye Iti"Shiv said and she moved her eyes from her plate to his face which was waiting for her answer.

"H..hame office nhi aana"Iti said making him sigh.

Why though?

"Kyu?"Shiv asked not leaving this here.

"Hu..hum focus nhi kr payenge waha,ghar pr hi thik h isliye"Iti said.

Why did she have to stutter before saying anything to him or his Nanisa Hukum?

There were a lot of things that he didn't knew about his newly wedded wife and he had to be patient to know more about her.

"Thik h,jesi aapki marzi"Shiv said and Iti nodded then.

They finished their breakfast in silence then and Shiv left for his practice again while Iti went to the only place she loved in this huge palace.

The library.

She was again engrossed in yet another mystery filled romantic novel.

The sudden knock on the door broke her concentration making her look at the intruder.

"Ranisa,Rana sa ne aapko lunch ke liye bulaya h"The househelp said making her nod at him.

Iti sighed.

She didn't wanted to leave this book just yet but she can't deny the lunch offer or her husband might get angry.

She made her way towards the dining table and settled on the right side as her husband sat on the head chair.

The lunch was being served to them and both of them didn't say anything to each other.

Shiv wasn't sure what he should talk to her about,Iti was still very hesitant and concious around him.

They began having their lunch in silence none of them uttering a single word.

Suddenly loud clashing sound of the clouds were heard making Iti drop the spoon she was holding.

Shiv moved his gaze towards her and frowned,her face white as if she had seen a ghost.

Again the same sound of the clouds along with the sound of thunder arrived into the palace and Iti immediately kept both her palms tightly on her ears so that she doesn't hears that horrible sound.

"Iti....aap thik h na?"Shiv asked getting confused at her behaviour.

What happened to her suddenly?

The loud sound of the clouds and the thunder continued making Iti break down into tears,she tried to shut her ears as tightly as she could but the fear didn't fade away.

She wanted this to stop,it was making her frightened,she wanted this sound to go away.

She wanted her papa or her mumma to hold her in their warm embrace which makes her forget everything.

Suddenly,a pair of arms wrapped around her from her left side,Iti immediately clinged onto that person, hiding her face in their torso moving closer to them so that this horrific sound won't frighten her.

"Shh....kuch nhi h Iti,sab thik h,bas badal ki awaaz h yeh toh"Shiv whispered as he kept one of his palm on her hair caressing it while the other was on her back holding her close.

Iti broke into tears and shivered with each new sound of the thunder.Her hands clutching his shirt tightly behind his back,her face hiding more and more into his torso.

"Shhh...kuch nhi h Iti,shant ho jaiye,ghabrane ki zarurat nhi h aapko"Shiv spoke ever so gently, trying to ease her up.

As she cried and clutched him tightly in fear he understood that it was the loud sound of the thunder which was making her frightened.

He hadn't known this about her.

"Bas,bas,shant ho jaiye,shhh bas dariye mat,hum h yahi aapke saath"He said caressing her back.

He quickly ordered one of the househelp who stood beside them to shut all the doors and windows of the palace.

Once all the doors were closed and the sound of thunder had decreased because of it,Shiv gently moved her away from him staring into her tear stricken eyes.

"Badalon ki aawaz h yeh toh sirf Iti...ghabraiye mat hum h aapke saath"He said as his thumbs wiped away her tears his fingers caressing her cheeks.

Iti slowly moved away from him embarrassed as she cried infront of him for such a petty thing.

But she couldn't help it,the thunder and lightening has been scaring her since she was a baby.

"H..hu..hume badal ki aawaz se darr lagta h"She herself said it even though he hadn't asked her.

He nodded as he understood.

"Ek kaam kijiye,aap kamre mein chaliye,room sound proof h,badalon ki aawaz nhi aayegi"He said and she nodded and got up.

Yet another loud thunder happened and Iti immediately clutched his bicep in fear.

Shiv held her hand then and himself went with her till their bedroom so that she doesn't gets scared.

He closed the bedroom door as they went inside and Iti finally sighed in relief once all the sounds were blocked.

"Aapko hamesha se hi darr lagta h kya bijli aur baadalon ki aawaz se?"He asked once they settled on the bed beside each other.

Iti simply nodded her head at that and Shiv made a mental note of the same.

"Kal se hamare PA aapke liye kuch files lekr aa jayenge,aap ghar se hi kaam shuru kr sakti h phir"He said immediately changing the topic.

"Aapka business bht bada h,hame toh work experience bhi nhi h"Iti said then sharing her delimma with him.

"Aap itni young h aur CA ban gayi h,isi se aapki intelligence pata chal jaati h, don't worry aap aaram se manage kr lengi....agar phir bhi koi dikkat aayi toh aap humse puch lijiyega"He said and she nodded then.

"Aap itna hi bolti h ya humse hi baat krna nhi pasand aapko?"He asked then just to initiate a random conversation with her so that she forgets about the heavily pouring rain outside.

Iti stared at him then confusedly as she didn't understood what he was saying.

"Aapko humse baat krna accha nhi lagta h,ya aap sach mein kam hi bolti h?"He again asked and Iti didn't knew what to say to that.

She wasn't very talkative but she sure talked to her family,well she wasn't very comfortable with them yet so she wasn't speaking at all.

Did they thought she was rude?

Was she coming out as a brat?

"Hum rude nhi hona chah rahe h aap sab se,ham...hame..hame...ba...bas...zy.. zyada baat krna nhi aata"She said trying to say something that makes sense.

Shiv nodded then understanding her delimma.

"Toh aapne ab tak job kese nhi ki?I am sure aapko bht acche acche offers aaye honge"Shiv said again changing the topic to make her feel at ease.

"6 mahine pehle hi hamara result aaya tha CA ka...phir humne 3 mahine apne family business mein kaam kiya tha...pr hame acha nhi laga waha kaam krna toh humne chod diya aur socha thoda break le phir dekhe kya job krna h"Iti said and Shiv was amused hearing that because this was the longest she had talked to him after coming here in Udaipur.

The gentle knock on the door broke their conversation.

Shiv asked whoever was to come inside.

The househelp walked inside holding a tray with tea and some snacks which Shiv had only asked to be brought for them,because they had left their lunch midway.

Shiv served tea for them dismissing the staff who was about to do it.

He forwarded a cup of tea towards Iti who hesitantly took it.

He himself took one cup of tea and started sipping it.

"Kya hua?achi nhi h chai?"He asked but she shook her head in denial at that.

"Toh peejiye"He said and she just nodded still not drinking it.

"Aap chai nhi peeti?"He asked and then she nodded her head in denial.

"Toh bataiye na hame"He said as he took the cup back from her.

She still didn't say anything to him.

"Iti,hum aapko pehele se nhi jaante h,na aap hame pehele se jaanti h,toh please hame bataiye

agar aapko koi cheez na pasand ho toh,wrna hame kabhi pata hi nhi chalega"He said looking at her and Iti too stared at him but looked away once he finished speaking and just nodded.

What was with her always looking away from him?