The sunrays entered the room through the open window, directly falling on Shiv.

He groaned as he tried to escape it but wasn't successful,he opened his eyes and found the window open,it seemed early in the morning.

He felt a weight on his chest and looked down and saw Iti sleeping over him,her left cheek pressed against his chest,her right leg between both of his legs while the left one was wrapped around his torso and rested beside his waist.

His right hand rested on her back while he left one holding her arm.

Did they sleep like this?

He then remembered that Iti slept on him as they talked and he kept holding her in that way.

He sighed.

Life is so unimaginable.

He has never even shared his bed with anyone in his whole life except for Iti but here he was cuddling his wife.

Well his wife was cuddling with him but then it meant the same right?

He had never thought he would ever be in a spot like this,he never even knew he was such sensitive or caring towards anyone apart from his siblings and grandmother.

But this girl!

Since the day she has entered in his life she has been evoking things in him which he never knew existed.

From the first day they had met he had felt a strange pull towards her which he never knew at that time.

As he spent time with her he has been getting habitual of her, accepting her in ways he has never accepted any person and just showing emotions he had never shown to anybody.

What was happening to him?

He was so confused right now about his inner emotions that he mostly tries to act normal so that he doesn't messes up things because of it.

He sighed.

What more should he be prepared for?

He kept laying there for some time till his brain didn't leave all these thoughts and he then decided to get ready for the day.

He then remembered he wanted to ask Iti's parents about Iti's fear about thundering sounds,maybe he should take her to a doctor because she can't be crying her eyes out and getting this frightened every time she hears a thunder.

Plus she stays alone in the palace most of the day,what if during the rainy season it rains heavily and also thundering sounds happen,she wouldn't have anyone beside her then.

Maybe he should keep an all time female staff for Iti,so that she could be with her all time even if Iti goes out,as a PA or as a helper whatever Iti is comfortable with.Anyways there is no harm in having someone around her who could take care of Iti's needs.

He should ask his PA to get a competent and trustworthy female staff for Iti.

He gently tried to make her sleep on the bed as he decided to finally get up for the day.

He closed the window and even put the curtains so that her sleep didn't get disturbed.

Her hair was falling on her face,he gently moved them away and stared at her face which had a frown.

Why was she frowning in her sleep?

Her arms wrapped around herself and he understood why she was frowning.He kept a pillow beside her and Iti immediately took it in her arms.

He smiled seeing her antics and wrapped the blanket around her till her chin and got up from the bed and moved towards the bathroom.

He came out bathed and changed into a new set of clothes and went and made his hair,wore his watch and even wore his footwear but Iti was still sleeping soundly.

As he sat on the bed he decided whether he should go downstairs alone or wait for Iti.

But he doesn't know when Iti shall wake up,also he doesn't want to disturb her sleep.

He decided to go downstairs as it was already 6:30 am in the morning.

He went downstairs and surprisingly he saw most of Iti's family there,some already ready for the day while the younger Sehgal's were still getting ready for their respective school.

Andy and Shakti smiled at him as they asked him to join them.

"Good morning"Shiv greeted them and they greeted him back.

"Good morning beta"They all greeted him back.

"I hope tum yaha comfortably soye honge"Andy asked and Shiv nodded at that.

Shiv could see the chaos that was happening around him as Kabir and Aashray were getting late for their school receiving scoldings from their parents,the men trying to get downstairs as they were ready while the ladies in the kitchen were preparing and instructing the chef for breakfast.

It was all something he had never seen,he didn't grow up in this kind of normal household where such minute things happened.

Growing up as a royal he never had seen this chaos in the morning, everything was always organised and on time,the chefs were always ready with the meals on time and there were many house help in the palace who would make sure everything was perfect.

Seeing this normalcy that Iti's family had made him feel a lil bad about the way he grew up because he didn't have this huge family neither did he had good relations with his father's family,his Nanisa Hukum had alone raised them all after his mother's death.

"Hame aapse kuch baat krni thi Iti ke baare mein"Shiv said as Hriday too was sitting with them.

Hriday and the rest of them all looked up at him giving their complete attention to him now.

"Iti ko badalon ki aawaz se darr lagta h,aapne unhe kisi doctor ko dikhaya h?yaa koi tareeka h jisse woh shant ho aisi situation mein?"Shiv asked.

"Iti ko bachpan se badalon ki aur bijli ki aawazon se darr lagta h, doctor ke paas lekr gaye the pr unhone kaha she is astraphobic,as such koi medication ya kuch solution nhi h,bas unke saath rehna chahiye jab bhi badal ya bijli ki aawaz se woh darr jaye"Hriday said and Shiv nodded his head at them.

"Iti hame bata rahi thi ki aapke ghar mein koi din mein nhi hota,unhe akele acha nhi lagta"Hriday said not trying to sugarcoat his words,if his daughter was having a problem then he was going to address it.

"Ji hamari Nanisa Hukum bhi apne party office jaati h roz,hum bhi office jaatein h aur hamari behen bhi apne office jaati h,pr Mahal mein bht saara staff zaroor h,woh akeli nhi hoti h waha,hamne unse kaha tha ki woh hamara office join kr le,pr unhe ghar se hi kaam krna h"Shiv said and everyone sighed but nodded.

Iti was socially awkward and introverted that's why instead of going to the office she prefers working from home.

"Hamari beti bht introverted h,anjaan logo se ghulne milne aur baat krne mein bht pareshani hoti h unhe"Hriday stated and Shiv knew that.

"Isliye bhi hum nhi chahte the ki aap dono ki shadi ho"Hriday said and Shiv raised his eyebrow at his blunt statement.

"Aapki life mein hona matlab socially present rehna,hrr roz naye naye logo se milna,sabki nazron mein hona,jo ki hamari beti ko pasand nhi h,unhe bht dikkat hoti h aisi situations mein"Hriday said sharing his concern for his daughter.

"Hame pata h,aur hum jaan gaye h Iti ka nature kesa h,and hum try krte h ki unhe na daale aise situations mein jaha woh comfortable na ho"Shiv said but Hriday was still not satisfied.

Because of this man his daughter had to move to a whole different state!

Offcourse he was going to hold a grudge against him for that.

"Aapke try krne se kuch nhi hoga, zindagi bhar hamari beti ko yeh sab jhelna hi padega ab"Hriday said sourly.

"Ab jo ho chuka h usse hum badal nhi sakte h"Shiv too stared firmly.

He knew as a father Hriday was just looking out for his daughter but what was done couldn't be changed now.

He knew Hriday didn't like him much and that he felt through his body language towards him.

He himself would not have been okay with a man who would have all of a sudden married his sister after all.

"Pratap beta chalo naashta lag gaya h"Nirvair said to stop this awkward conversation.

Shiv nodded and they all moved towards the dining table for breakfast.

Iti still hadn't come downstairs and nobody asked about her because they knew it might have been difficult for her to sleep last night due to the heavy rain and thunder.

The breakfast was a silent affair with usual chit chats,Shiv kept quiet the whole time as he prefers to not talk much while eating.

Post breakfast he made his way towards Iti's bedroom to get his phone as well as wake up Iti too because he needed to leave and he wanted to talk to her before leaving.

"Iti"He called out as he stood beside the bed but she didn't respond.

He knew she could hear him because she wasn't a heavy sleeper.

"Iti uthiye"Shiv said as he sat beside her head turning on his phone to inform his PA to book the next flight to Udaipur as he had a meeting during lunch time.

Iti groaned hearing his voice but didn't open her eyes.

"Iti uth jaiye subah ho chuki h"Shiv said a lil loudly this time.

"Sone dijiye na mumma"Iti said as she in half sleep shifted and kept her head in his lap thinking it was her mother.

She always did that when she doesn't wants to wake up and her mother then gently caressed her hair and wakes her up then.

Shiv was a lil surprised at her actions but then he heard her and understood that she was mistakening him as her mother.

"Hum h Iti,uthiye ab"Shiv said as his right hand patted her head.

Iti unwantedly opened her eyes and her eyes met his face,she tried to register what was happening and then immediately got up maintaining distance between them.

How could she sleep on his lap?

"Uth jaiye subah ho chuki h"Shiv said and Iti nodded and looked around and found the room was dark as the curtains weren't open.

"Aap kahi jaa rahe h kya?"Iti asked as she rubbed her eyes and saw him completely ready.

"Ji hum wapas Udaipur jaa rahe h"Shiv said as he typed something on his phone.

"Aaj?"Iti asked and he nodded his head at that.

"Hum bhi aayenge aapke saath"Iti said and Shiv turned to look at her then.

"Aapne kaha tha aap do hafte baad aayengi"Shiv stated.

"Ji pr agar aap yaha aaye h toh saath hi chale jaatein h,wrna phir aapko wapas aana padega hame lene"Iti said as she got down from the bed and made a messy bun out of her long hair.

"Agar aapko aur rukna h toh aap ruk sakti h"Shiv said but she shook her head in denial at that.

She did want to stay more but then she didn't want to trouble him again to come to Mumbai to get her, although she was capable of going on her own he himself wouldn't allow it.

Also she had stayed more than 10 days and she was quite content with her stay here.Plus she had recently started work and she didn't want to take a huge break at the beginning itself.

"Thik h phir ready ho jaiye hum flight book krte h"Shiv said and Iti nodded her head at that.

Iti went to take a bath and get ready while Shiv asked his PA to book Iti's ticket as well.He hadn't arrived in his privet jet this time and so they were going through domestic flight.

___________________________

As the guard opened the door for Iti,she stared at him and Iti narrowed her eyes at him and remembered she was upset with Shiv!

She talked to him!

Just talk?

She hugged him and practically slept over him the whole night!

What would he think of her?

What was the need to talk to him and forgive him so easily?

She clunged onto him like a mad person last night.He would think she was a clingy person!

She cried like a baby and begged him not to leave her,what would he be thinking about her?

The car door closed and she looked at Shiv who sat on her other side.

Iti could see her family who were waving her and she waved them all back.

The car pulled away and drove towards the airport while Shiv was busy typing something on his phone.

Iti kept staring out of the window as she had nothing to do.

"Gaadi rokiye bhaiya!"Iti said all of a sudden and the driver immediately pulled the brakes.

Shiv stared at her in concern.

"Kya hua h Iti?"Shiv asked as she asked the car to be stopped all of a sudden.

Iti realised that she had almost shouted and she felt embarrassed about it now.

"Woh....ha..hame Pani puri khani h"Iti said and Shiv stared at her in disbelief.

Pani puri!

Seriously?

"Aap aaram se bol sakti thi Iti"Shiv said and she didn't said anything to that.

"Chale khane?"Iti asked.

"Nhi,yeh sab accha nhi hota h,aur yeh roadside cheezein aapko nhi khani chahiye Iti"Shiv said and Iti immediately pouted hearing that.

She sighed and looked away from him then.

The driver didn't pulled the car and waited for an instruction.

"Chaliye"Shiv said as he gazed at her pouted lips.

She looked cute with those pouty lips.

Iti stared at him and smiled widely hearing that.

"Waha se nhi,yaha se utariye woh wrong side h Iti"He stopped her as she was about to get out of the wrong side.

He helped her out of the car,the guards also came out of the car but Shiv gestured them to stay and not follow them.

"Chaliye"Shiv said and Iti surprised him by clutching his suit sleeve as they had to cross the road to eat the Pani puri.

"Aaiye"He said as he held her palm in his and both of them crossed the road.

"Bhaiya,do plate Pani puri"Iti said.

"Hum nhi khane wale h yeh Iti"Shiv said.

"Aapke liye nhi h,hamare liye hi h"Iti said and Shiv raised an eyebrow at that.

The Pani puri wala gave her a paper plate and Iti took it and asked him to give her spicy Pani puri.

The Pani puri vendor started giving her the Pani puri one by one and Iti started eating it,she wanted to a have Pani puri because once she goes to Udaipur she won't be able to eat Pani puri like this while standing on the stall.

She doesn't wants another headline about her.

Shiv patiently waited for her to finish as he stood beside her.

As Iti ate the spicy Pani puri her eyes watered but it was too tasty that she didn't cared about that.

"Mat khaiye agar aapse nhi khaya jaa raha h toh"Shiv said as he removed his handkerchief but Iti didn't took it as she was busy eating.

She kept eating and he was bewildered seeing her.

If it was so spicy she shouldn't be eating it,but she wasn't ready to listen to him.

"Ho gaya?"Shiv asked but she shook her head in denial at that.

"Bhaiya sukhi Puri dijiye"Iti asked and the vendor gave it to her.

"Ek aur dijiye"Iti asked for another one as she had eaten two plates Pani puri.

"Chaliye bhi Iti flight ke liye late ho jayenge,hamari ek important lunch meeting bhi h"Shiv said impatiently and Iti nodded as she ate the second sukha puri and felt content with it.

"Paani ki bottle lijiye na"Iti asked him as he was paying for the Pani puri.

"Yeh mineral water nhi hoga,gaadi mein paani h wahi pijiye"Shiv said as he held her hand and cross

ed the road again.

They settled in the car and Iti was happy now after eating Pani puri.

"Aapko yeh sab zyada nhi khana chahiye,yeh sab accha nhi hota h Iti"Shiv said but looked at her who was busy staring out of the window.

She gives attention to everything except him.