Please Vote and Comment guys🫠🙏🏻

Anant's POV

I had seen Krithika in power suits and I had seen her in wedding silk, but tonight, she looked like a dream I didn't want to wake up from. She wore a simple, sleeveless black dress that hugged her frame perfectly, her hair left open in loose waves. No heavy jewelry, just her sharp wit and those defiant eyes.

"You're staring, Anant," she said, swirling. "Is there a bug on my face or are you just realizing I'm the best thing to happen to your company?"

I smirked, leaning forward into the candlelight. "Neither. I'm just wondering how someone so smart can be so bad at reading a menu. You've been looking at the appetizers for ten minutes. Nervous?"

"In your dreams, CEO," she shot back, though a faint blush crept up her cheeks. "I'm just calculating the ROI(Return on Investment) of this dinner."

"The ROI is high, Kittu. I get to see you without a laptop screen between us."

The night was perfect until we stepped out. The sky didn't just break; it exploded. My car, usually reliable, decided to give up on the flooded curb. No ignition, and worse-zero signal. The rain turned violent, and then came the sound: the rhythmic, icy pelt of a hail storm.

"Great," Kittu sighed, shivering as the wind whipped around us. "Stranded. In the dark. With you."

"Oh, come on, Sharma. Where's your sense of adventure?" I looked at her, her hair getting damp, her eyes reflecting the streetlights. Something in me snapped-the need to be the 'serious' one, the need to be the boss. I stepped out into the downpour and held out my hand.

"Are you insane? It's hailing!" she yelled over the thunder.

"It's just ice, Kittu. It'll melt. But this moment won't." I pulled her toward me. She resisted for a second before a laugh broke through her lips. We danced there, on the deserted, rain-slicked pavement, the hailstones crunching under our feet. It was chaotic and cold, but as I pulled her against my chest, the world felt warmer than it ever had. Love in a hail storm-it wasn't a tragedy; it was the most beautiful rhythm I had ever heard.

Eventually, the signal returned. We sat in the back of a cab, shivering and damp. The air was thick with things we hadn't said. "I'm leaving for home tonight," I said softly, looking out the window.

"Okay," she replied, her voice small.

"I just... I felt like you should know," I added. I wanted her to know that my movements, my presence,.

Author's POV

Back at the Mishra Mansion, Manav and Swarna sat in the quiet study. Manav chuckled, swirling his tea. "The spark between Anant and Krithika... it's evident, Swarna.Did you see them at the wedding?

Swarna smiled but shook her head gently. "Let them be, Manav. It's too early to interfere. They are two headstrong people; if we push, they'll retreat. Let the children figure out the heart's logic on their own."

Their conversation was interrupted by the front door opening. Dhruv and Manvi had come to visit. After the warm greetings and laughter, Swarna pulled Manvi aside into a quiet room.

Manvi's POV

I expected the typical 'Instruction Manual' from a mother-in-law. I expected talk of traditions and kitchen duties. But Swarna Aunty took my hands and looked at me with a gaze that was entirely different.

"Beta, I am not your typical saas," she said firmly. "Think of me as an older friend. I don't want our relationship to be like the one I had-controlled and insecure. Life with a partner is a long commitment, and there will be fights. But remember, love isn't enough for a marriage to work. It requires mutual trust and respect.

I was stunned. Here was a woman who had spent her life as a housewife, yet her thoughts were more progressive than half the people I knew. The respect I felt for her in that moment was boundless.

Anant's POV

I walked into the hall to find Dhruv and Manvi getting ready to leave. "So, hi," I said, feeling a bit awkward seeing my sister-in-law in this new light. "I don't actually know what to call you now. Manvi? Bhabhi?"

Manvi chuckled. "Mannu is fine, Anant. Please don't call me Bhabhi. We were classmates first, remember?"

I laughed, the tension breaking. "Yes, Mannu. That's much better."

"So," she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "You and my sister are in the same office, right? How is she to work with?"

I couldn't help myself. "Your sister? She's a tough nut to crack. She treats every meeting like a battlefield and argues with me just for the sport of it. I think her 'temperament' is actually a biohazard."

"Hey!" Manvi defended, laughing. "She's just thorough! You're probably just annoyed that she's smarter than you."

"Smarter?" I scoffed. "Mannu, she hasn't changed from 12 years ago. She still looks at a project file with the same 'I'm-going-to-destroy-you' eyes she had during our science exhibition."

Mannu burst out laughing, hitting a flashback. "Oh my god, Anant, don't even try. I remember the 12th-grade finals. The 'Titan' of the school was so confident he'd top the district, and then the results came out..."

"Mannu, don't," I warned, but I was fighting a smile.

"And Kittu beat you by exactly 0.5 percent!" Mannu wheezed, clutching her stomach. "She framed that marksheet, Anant! It's still in her old room. You were the king of the school until my sister snatched your crown by a half-percent margin."

"It was a rounding error in the practicals!" I countered, getting into the spirit of the roast. "And now she's bringing that same 'half-percent' energy to the office. She still hasn't figured out how to use the 'mute' button on a Zoom call without looking like she's trying to defuse a live bomb. She stares at the screen with such intensity I'm surprised it doesn't melt."

"She's just passionate!" Mannu said, wiping a tear from her eye. "From topper fights to coworker wars-some things never change. Admit it, you're just obsessed with the fact that she's the only person who can actually keep up with you."

"I'm obsessed with my blood pressure staying below 'emergency' levels," I shot back.

We traded roasts for another few minutes, the old school-rivalry energy bubbling up between us. It was a true devar-bhabhi moment, fueled by a decade of academic salt. Eventually, Dhruv shook his head at our silliness and gently pulled his laughing wife away.

The bond is tightening! How did you like the "Rain Dance" moment?

Stay tuned guys. Please leave a vote if you like the chapter