I Marked Her Mine

3. Curious

Away from the clamour of the party, in a deserted place, isolated of voice and the people, Vihaan was engaged in a call and was listening to the other one on the side of the phone, his right hand enjoying the texture of his silky hair. His face looks tensed and he uttered something sharp in response to the other person.

"Tell them 'The Rathores' do not need this project on their rules. We are number one on our own condition" spatting, he switches the cellphone from left to the right ear and holds it with his right hand that was busy few second earlier in his hair.

He listened to what another one said and roam his eyes in frustration at the surrounding when he saw Avni going toward a particular direction and following her way, his eyes catch Shanaya who was laughing to something Vansh had said. He continued staring at her, noticing her behaviour, observing how she often uses her hand while conversating, her smile that reaches her eyes every time she is with Vansh and how comfortable she is with him.

He immediately averts his gaze and looked back at Avni, who stopped suddenly, just in front of him, a few distances away.

As if Avni knew that he was looking toward her she looked up to him and gave him a smile that reaches her eyes and saw Vihaan giving her his most precious smile.

For Vihaan, she was not just an elder sister, she was like a mother to him. She was the one who had all his attention, his heart, and the right to order him. He had never made her cry or sad, in fact, he could not even think of giving her pain in any way.

He did not know how to name that feeling he felt when his mind finally accepts her sister was getting married, with the boy she had been in love for 6 years. He knows Anubhav was a good boy, no doubt, otherwise, he would have never approved him. But, it was hard for him to accept him, he was not ready to let her sister go to some other house, he wanted to be selfish for this time, but he had seen how happy Anubhav makes her and he accept him.

He was not the eldest child in the Rathore's family, but his decisions were always taken seriously. When Avni told her parents and her Uncle Aunt about Anubhav, she silently prayed to god to let Vihaan be on her side. She knows he will say yes to anything she demands or says but she too knows this was going to be a tough one.

Smiling, Avni signalled Vihaan to come to her and saw him muttering something on the phone and showing his left-hand fingers to her and mouthing " I will be there in 5 minutes".

.......................................................................................................................................................

Shana and Vansh were deep in the conversation when Avni reaches them and asked hurriedly and disquietly " How am I looking?"

"You are looking beautiful!"

"You are looking okay"

Shanaya and Vansh said at the same time, but Vansh got a slap on his forearms from Shanaya for his reply.

"What? She has asked this countless times!" Vansh said annoyed.

"Because today' night is mine! and not to forget your BIL is going to come soon with his family! I am anxious!" nervously, Avni voice out.

"Dee, you are beautiful, without makeup, with makeup, in traditional dresses, in western dresses, in normal days and on special days like today, so do not worry at all!" putting his hand on her shoulder in a comforting way, Vansh calmed her.

Shanaya nodded her head in response and exclaimed "Exactly!" and moving closer to her and levelling her volume down, whispered "And he is just BIL, we do not know in what situations he has already seen you" and laughing loud along with Vansh, hi-fived with Vansh's right palm.

Avni's face turned in a ripe tomato when Shanya teased her and she palmed her face to avoid being embarrassed.

"You know what baby! I am waiting for my turn to tease you,!" smirking, Avni said to Shanaya.

Shanaya gave a snort and said proudly " You will never get it, darling!"

"We will wait and watch, baby!" Avni said with determination.

"Oh yes! Dee, Shana was so curious about Vihaan bro," Vansh interfered and smirked at shanaya when she looks at him with open mouth and widened eyes.

"What?? When did I? I mean, anything??" alarmed, shanaya swaggered.

"ahmm ahmmm... is someone changing the topic now??" Avni too joined Vansh in teasing her.

"Exactly dee, Shana is changing the topic because she doesn't want us to talk about our handsome brother in front of her. Just look how red her cheeks have become after listening Vihaan's name, "smirking, Vansh kept on blabbering.

Shanaya had wanted to defend herself but she knows it was impossible when the opponents were those two and she chooses to remain silent.

"Ohh really!!!! Love is in the air hmm!" exclaimed, Avni.

"Dee really?? You are siding up with him and teasing me? I literally don't care a damn about your so-called handsome brother and I don't like him at all." Expressing her heart with her hand gesture, Shanaya continued, but in a more calm and playful way "Besides this, there are so many hotties present here, but you got only him to tease me with. I won't mind if you will tease me with those hotties name."

"Awww my baby.. you do know how much we are waiting for you to be with someone, and believe me, we can do anything to make sure you find who is worth you," Avni spoke with eyes full with love for Shanaya.

Shanaya smiled silently at her when Vansh blurted "No!, I don't want you to waste your time on someone like them, they may be hot but they are not trustworthy and they are not at all made for serious relationship and mind me beautifool I can't tolerate anyone touching you physically as well as emotionally with all those dirty thoughts in their mind".

"Ohh someone is showing his possessiveness for me!," awestruck with Vansh's words, Shanya whispered sadly " And you are speaking as if you do not know me well. You know damn well I do not think of anyone in that way."

"Am I possessive for you? Yes, I am, but do I not know you well? I know more than anyone beautifool, I am just expressing my thoughts! Dee and I can not let you get ruin because of someone" explaining, Vansh sighed off.

Avni who was listening to them through the process obtruded "She is not a mad girl, Vanshu, to let anyone ruin her life. I know you care for her, but do not hurt her reminding her past in any way."

"Dee, it's okay" smiling Shanya tried to convince Avni. But, when she saw Avni face masked with worries, she lit her face in eyes touching smile and said elvishly" And if you both kept on rejecting boys on behalf of me, I won't be able to find anyone in this life."

Avni laughed a little and pressing her right palm on Shanaya's hands, said:" You will surely have someone who will love you for what you are, who will never hurt you, and who will keep you as his queen".

Trying to get rid of the blush which had appeared on her cheeks, Shana unlocks her phone and taps on the icon of a camera on her phone and managing the angle of it so that they all can fit in a frame, said "Let's have a selfie, first. I have to update it on i********: for my loved ones".

Shanaya was about to capture themselves when she saw Vihaan talking with a man whose face was toward Vihaan and she could see his nicely built back in her front camera. The way the other man was standing, his personality, his height, everything was screaming hotness.

Lost in him, she heard Avni and Vansh distantly"What?? Why are you not clicking?"

"Ummm" with brows arched in confusion Shanya asked them but within a seconds she understood what they were asking and replying with" Oh nothing!" she clicked the picture without wasting any more seconds.

"You never give us time to pose for the pictures" complained Avi and Vansh in a union.

"Come on! I want to have some random picture with you guys and believe me, you both come good in whatever pose you make" justified Shanya.

When Shanaya saw them not accepting her statement, she opened the selfie in the gallery and showing it to both of them, said in a hurtful tone" Look! you guys do not believe me, isn't it!"

Showing her tongue to Shanaya, Avni took the phone from Shanaya's hand and zooming the picture, saw vansh and her making cute faces while Shanya smiling beautifully.

Giving the phone back to her, she said childishly" No one trusts anyone when it comes to the pictures till they themselves see it. Well, what will you caption it?"

"See yourself" answering back, Shanaya type something on the screen of the phone and said after a few seconds" Done!".

Placing the phone back on her back pocket of the jeans, she said " Well dee, I am really curious to know something about him"

Avni opened her mouth but the answer Shanya got was not her's.

"And what is that?? If you are really curious to know about me, ask me directly."