Chapter 126 - Claimed

Shanaya was tired.

Keeping the bag on the ȧssigned place, she moved inside the bathroom on reaching her room and, freshen herself.

Changing the dress in fur red pyjama and grey hoodie, she finally sat down with a mug of hot chocolates in her hands.

Sitting there in silence, she could hear Kriti talking sweetly with her daughter and, a smile appeared in her face.

Kriti's daughter was such a cutie. She had her winter vacations and had come to live with them.

Almost in no time, they have bonded and, Shanaya had started spending time with her.

She had just adjusted her bed when a knock came on her door, and a second later, a girl dressed in pyjama and puffer jacket with her long hair in a braid come rushing to her. .

"Where were you, aunt?" Shanaya heard the girl.

Back hugging her after making her sit in the quilt along with her, Shanaya answered:" You aunt had a date" and kissed on her cheeks.

Shanaya really liked kissing those soft and chubby cheeks. If she could, she would be kissing her every moment of her life.

"How was it? Did you like him?" joining them, Kriti enquired.

Hearing the question, Shnayaa looked at Kriti and wondered to herself about her date.

She questioned to herself" How was it? Was it good? Was it worth it? Did she liked him enough to be his wife?"

She did not know for all she knew she was busy comparing him with none other than Vihaan Singh Rathore.

She was missing them more than any other day.

All she wanted was to run to them and to ask them to understand her. She truly wanted to.

Before she could break her thoughts and answer any of the questions to herself or Kriti, her phone rang.

Picking it up from the stand beside her bed, she looked at the caller name and confusion spread on her face.

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The freezing temperature of December was too much to handle, be it morning or the night.

Surrounded by the chillness of it, Avni busy in reading a book and Vansh busy in his ŀȧptop were seated around the fireplace in the mansion.

It was Avni's fourth day of the seven days she had planned of living with her family, until New Year's Eve.

Yawning and covering it with her hand, Avni lifts her eyes from the book and look around her and stop at Vansh. It was eleven in the night and, everyone had gone back to sleep, leaving both of them.

She did not say anything while looking at everything but, she recalled all the moments with Shanaya on her wedding.

It was so fun, with all of them kidding and teasing each other.

She missed it, every day and realized how much Shanaya absence was affecting every one of them.

It was almost a year to her wedding and how much time has changed things around her.

No longer was Vihaan, Saaransh, Vansh, and, Shanaya were what they used to be.

Vansh was busy on his ŀȧptop, having no clue what Avni was thinking.

But, he looks away from it in the direction of Avni when he heard her calling him "Vansh."

Looking at her to see her looking at him, Vansh spoke" Yup, dee."

"Do you think Shanaya had a reason to hide it from us?" looking at Vansh, Avni questioned.

Vansh was not expecting the question. He had not thought about it, even though he had thought, 'why' she would do it.

Thinking for a moment, he answered Avni with full of thoughts" I am sure she would have."

He continued as if he had realized something" Everyone has some secrets. You and I too have them."

Closing the book, Avni rubbed her hands together to shake off the coldness and spoke with a feeling of longingness " I miss her, every day. I feel like I am missing a part of my family whenever I think about her."

Looking at Vansh, again, she questions innocently" Do you think she too misses us?"

Vansh had no idea but, a part of his heart knew the answer. Smiling mildly at Avni, he answered:" I am sure she misses us as much as we miss her."

"We need to talk to her, Vansh. It was us who denied her the chance of an explanation."

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Avni and Vansh were sitting along with Mrs Shakti, Vansh's mother and Mrs Chaya, Vihaan's mother in the hall. It was Friday night, and the temperature had not decreased a bit.

Knitting a sweater for Anubhav, Avni's husband on his demand, Mrs Shakti spoke suddenly" I do not understand why the trio's do not come to the mansion" and looked confusingly at Vansh and Avni.

Looking at Mrs Chaya, she continued" Have you talked to Vihaan? He has not come to the home for so many days. I wonder what is keeping him away!"

Reading Fashion's magazine, Mrs Chaya lifts her gaze and spoke after closing it and keeping it aside, while looking at Mrs Shakti" Yes, he told me he is busy with office work but, I doubt it."

Avni and Vansh shared a look, but none of them spoke a word. They knew it was better to be silent.

"Exactly! Shiv and Surya never did this, even though they had such a workload." pausing in between, Mrs Shakti looked at Vansh and enquired" Do you know what is going on with him?"

Before Vansh could speak, he heard Mrs Chaya" Also, have you noticed Shanaya and Saaransh too are not coming to the mansion?" and saw her sharing a suspicious look with Mrs Shakti.

"Yes, I meant Vihaan, Shanaya and Saaransh when I said 'trio'. I am also wondering it is not Shanaya's nature to not to visit us for such a long time."

"Ya, it's strange how none of them came to meet Avni too." speaking while looking at Mrs Shakti, Mrs Chaya changed her gaze direction to Vansh and Avni seated together and asked with a soul penetrating gaze" Are we missing something?"

"Oh, no, no, mom. They must be just busy." responding immediately, Avni tried to keep it under control and shared a look with Vansh.

"I do not think so" keeping her elbows on the table, Mrs Shakti looked suspiciously at Avni and Vansh and glancing a look at Mrs Chaya, spoke with a tone of authority" Are you going to tell us or should we ask the three of them ourself?"

It was Saturday night and, Vihaan was furious.

Sitting on his king-sized bed in the hotel suite, he was looking intently at his phone with his red eyes while his nose was flaring.

He had just changed his office attire into a nightdress and, had planned to watch a movie while sitting in the warmth of a quilt when he received a message from Vansh and, that changes everything.

Even though he was lazy and wanted a good sleep with no worries after watching a movie which, he had not for years, he felt widely awake.

There was no longer a sense of laziness in his body and mind.

He remained in the same posture as if he was thinking hard and, then suddenly, he walks toward his closet. He took a minute to select the black jeans, shirt and long overcoat and, getting ready within the next five minutes, he was rushing to his car.

Typing a text while walking toward the car, he sent it to Shanaya and, read the message by Vansh, again.

Even though the message was nothing more than "Shana is in meeting with her last date." it was everything for Vihaan.

He had proclaimed to make her Vansh's sister-in-law and thus his wife, but, seeing her recent activities, he knew he does not have time in his hands.

He had to do something immediately or else he knew he was going to lose her, which he was not going to let happen.

No matter what, Shana was going to belong to him, only him.

He was ready to claim what was his.

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