After reaching home, Reyansh headed straight to his room. The noise and excitement of the shagun still lingered in his mind. He changed into a plain T-shirt and joggers, ran a hand through his hair, and finally sat down on his bed.

As he picked up his phone, the screen lit up with a notification.

1 unread message - Ishani (4 minutes ago)
"Pahunch gaye aap ghar?"

Reyansh smiled as he read her message, but instead of replying, he immediately dialed Ishani's number.

Ishani picked up after a few rings. "H-hello?"

"Hi, Mrs. Agarwal," Reyansh said softly, the teasing tone in his voice still present but more gentle. He knew he had caught her off guard.

Ishani's heart skipped a beat hearing him say "Mrs. Agarwal." She shyly replied, "H-hello, Reyansh... is everything okay?"

Reyansh chuckled lightly"Yeah, everything's perfect. I just got your message. I thought I should call instead of texting."

"Oh," Ishani replied, her voice slightly trembling. "I didn't think you'd call."

"I like hearing your voice more than reading texts," Reyansh confessed, his words soft yet sincere. "But... tell me, how are you feeling after the ceremony?"

Ishani blushed, her cheeks warming. "I-I'm fine... just a little overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed?" Reyansh asked, his voice gentle but teasing. "Are you blushing again?"

Ishani quickly looked away from her phone screen, her face burning. "N-no... I'm not!"

Reyansh smiled to himself. "I know you are. You always do when I say something like that." He paused, then softly added, "I just wanted to know if you were okay after everything."

"I'm okay... just... a little nervous," Ishani admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Nervous? About what?" Reyansh asked, genuinely curious.

"About... what comes next," Ishani said, her voice trailing off. She felt her heart race as she awaited his response.

Reyansh's tone became more serious. "Don't worry, Ishani. We'll take things one step at a time. I want you to feel comfortable with everything, with me."

Ishani's heart fluttered at his words, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Thank you, Reyansh. I just... I don't want to mess things up."

"You won't," Reyansh said reassuringly. "I promise."

They fell into a brief silence, both of them feeling the weight of the moment. Ishani, still shy, finally broke the silence. "Thanks for calling I think I needed that."

"I'm happy I called you and there is no need of this formality,ab to Haq h appka hamare upper," Ishani smiled and just replied"hmm"as she doesn't what to say.

Reyansh replied softly. "Goodnight, Ishani. Sleep well."

"Goodnight, Reyansh."

Even after some time, neither of them could fall asleep. Both kept changing positions in bed, thinking about the day, the ceremony and the things they had shared. The thoughts of each other kept running through their minds.

Reyansh, unable to sleep, thought for a moment and decided to message Ishani. He wondered if she would be asleep already, and if she was, she wouldn't reply. He didn't want to disturb her sleep, but curiosity got the better of him. He quickly typed, "Awake??"

Ishani's phone buzzed, and she immediately grabbed it, seeing Reyansh's message. A smile spread across her face as she quickly replied, "Haan."

Reyansh, sensing she was still awake, typed again: "Soyi nahi?"

Ishani, still lying in bed, typed back quickly: "Neend nahi aa rahi."

Reyansh smiled at her reply, his heart fluttering a little as he typed, "Same here."

They both paused, each of them not sure what to say next. The quietness between them spoke volumes, and yet, they didn't feel the need to fill it with words. They both knew they were thinking of each other, lost in their own thoughts, but the bond between them felt stronger than ever.

Reyansh stared at his phone, waiting for Ishani to respond. After a few moments, he finally typed, "If you're comfortable, kya hum video call kar sakte hain?"

Ishani stared at the message, unsure how to respond. She didn't want to seem too eager but also didn't want to reject him. After a moment of hesitation, she finally replied, "Haan, I guess..." But she didn't think too much about her clothes, her mind too focused on the thought of talking to him.

A minute passed before she reluctantly pressed the video call button, trying to act casual. But as soon as she saw Reyansh's face on the screen, her heart skipped a beat. She had completely forgotten what she was wearing  a simple black camisole, which she never thought would be such a big deal. She felt her cheeks flush when she realized she hadn't even looked at herself before answering the call.

Reyansh picked up the call, his eyes lighting up when he saw her. "Hey..." he said softly, but his gaze lingered on her, his eyes tracing the soft silhouette of her.

Ishani, still not fully processing what she was wearing, looked at Reyansh's smiling face and felt a little self-conscious. "Hi..." she said, her voice soft. Her mind immediately snapped back to her outfit, and she cursed herself internally. Why didn't I check my clothes before answering? she thought. She nervously fiddled with the strap of her camisole, trying to focus on anything other than how her reflection was looking on the screen.

Ishani shifted uncomfortably in front of the camera, her fingers lightly touching the strap of her camisole as she tried to hide her nervousness. Reyansh couldn't help but notice how cute she looked even when she was trying to act casual. He leaned in a little closer to the screen, his eyes never leaving her face.

"You know," Reyansh started, a soft smile tugging at his lips, "you don't need to be shy. You look beautiful... even in a simple camisole." His voice was warm and sincere, and it made Ishani's heart flutter.

Ishani's face flushed deeper, and she nervously played with the ends of her hair. "T-thank you," she stammered, still avoiding his gaze. "But I... didn't check myself before answering the call," she admitted, feeling a little embarrassed.

Reyansh raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing but kind. "I think you're being too harsh on yourself.  He paused, then added with a playful smirk,  I'm trying really hard to focus."

Ishani's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly glanced at her phone screen, meeting his eyes. "Stop it... You're making me feel even more awkward," she mumbled, her face turning crimson.

Reyansh chuckled softly, clearly enjoying how flustered she was. "It's okay, Ishani," he said, his voice low and soothing. "I like seeing you flustered. It's... cute."

Ishani looked down, feeling a rush of warmth spread through her chest. "I... I don't really know what to say. I'm not used to this."

"I know," Reyansh replied gently. "But that's what I like about talking to you. It's always real. No pretenses. Just... us."

She felt a wave of softness wash over her. His words were simple, but they carried so much meaning. Ishani took a deep breath, her nerves settling just a little. "You're... really sweet, Reyansh," she whispered.

Reyansh smiled, the smile reaching his eyes as he leaned back slightly, still watching her with that soft, affectionate gaze. "Well, I mean it," he said quietly. "You deserve to hear it... especially from me."

Ishani's heart raced at the way he looked at her. The sincerity in his eyes made her feel like the only person in the world. "I'm not used to hearing compliments like this," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Reyansh's smile deepened, and he tilted his head slightly. "That's because no one else sees you the way I do, Ishani." He said it so effortlessly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Ishani felt her cheeks warm again, but this time, it wasn't from embarrassment-  it was from the overwhelming affection in his words. She found herself meeting his gaze, not shy this time, but intrigued. "What do you mean?"

Reyansh's gaze softened even more as he leaned in just a little, though the distance between them remained. "I mean... there's something about you. Something that no one else seems to notice. And it makes me want to know more... every single day."

Ishani's heart fluttered at his words. "I don't know what to say..." she whispered, her voice filled with wonder and vulnerability.

Reyansh smiled tenderly, his voice quiet. "You don't have to say anything. Just... be you. That's all I need."

A warm silence hung between them, both of them absorbing the moment. Ishani's nerves were almost completely gone now, replaced by something else - something sweet, something that made her feel safe. She took a breath and smiled softly at him.

"O-Okay," she whispered.

Reyansh grinned, his heart racing as he looked at her, feeling more connected to her than ever. "That's all I ask," he said quietly. Then, with a playful glint in his eyes, he added just to tease her, "But... just so you know, I like the 'you' I'm seeing right now."

Ishani's breath caught in her throat, and she laughed softly, her shyness creeping back in. "You're impossible," she said, shaking her head, though her smile couldn't hide how touched she was by his words.

Reyansh's smile softened again, and he leaned back just a bit, watching her as if she were the most precious thing in the world."Not impossible... just... yours," he said with a gentle sincerity that took Ishani's breath away.

Then after a pause, he added softly, "Mrs. Agarwal."

Ishani's eyes widened slightly, and a visible blush spread across her cheeks. She instantly looked down, trying to hide the smile that tugged at her lips. "Aap... aise mat boliye," she whispered, barely able to meet his eyes.

Reyansh grinned, tilting his head a little. "Kyun? Aapko sunna accha nhi lagta ya fir aap sharma rahi hain, Mrs. Agarwal?"

Ishani bit her lip shyly, still not looking up. "p-pta nhi" she admitted softly.

"Acha,mtlb aapko awkard lgta hai" he chuckled. "Toh iska matlab mujhe aur zyada bolna chahiye. Practice ho jayegi aapko."

"Reyansh..." she finally looked up, her eyes full of that shy complaint, but her smile betrayed her.

Reyansh's voice softened again, this time tender. "Main bas sach bol raha hoon. Jab se aapka naam mere naam ke sath juda hai... tbse ek ajeeb si lkn achi feeling aane lagi hai."

Ishani was quiet for a moment, then asked gently, "Aapko kab laga ki... main aapke liye special hoon?"

Reyansh smiled, leaning forward slightly. "Jab aap bina kuch bole bhi meri baatein samajh jaati thi... jab aapki aankhon mein mere liye concern hota tha... jab aapke bina ek din bhi ajeeb lagta tha. Tab samjha main."

Ishani looked at him, a bit overwhelmed by his words. "Mujhe darr lag rha tha... ke kahin main hi zyada soch rahi hoon," she admitted, voice trembling slightly.

Reyansh shook his head gently. "Aap akeli nahi thi, Ishani. Main bhi wahi sab feel kar raha tha. Bas bolne ka mauka nahi mila... ya shyd samajh hi nhi aaya tha ki aisa kyu soch rha hu."

There was a pause between them, filled with warmth and silence. Ishani smiled gently. "Thank you... itni honesty ke liye."

Reyansh chuckled. "Thank you ke bajay ek aur cheez bol sakti hain."

"Kya?" she asked curiously.

"Jb sb jaanti hai or smjh rhi h to kya aap Bol sakti hai ki aap Hume pasand karti hai , uss din bhi aapne khali haan bolkr chor diya tha " he said with a teasing glint in his eyes.

Ishani blushed deeply, hiding her face behind her hand. "Aapko sharam nahi aati aise baatein karte hue?"

Reyansh leaned back, grinning. "Main toh bas apni Mrs. Agarwal se sach sunna chahta hoon."

She shook her head, laughing softly. "Pagal ho aap."

"Pagal toh hoon... par sirf aapke liye,or hum jaante hai Abhi aap baat se bhaag rhi hai lkn ab hum aapko aapne samne ye bole bina nahi chorenge dhyn rakhiyega" he said smoothly with a playful grin.

Ishani's heart melted a little more. Her voice came out low and shy"A-Aisa nhi hai"even after saying this she know he is right

They both fell silent after that, just smiling at each other through the screen, the late night wrapping around them like a quiet hug.

After a few moments, Ishani whispered, "Reyansh?"

"Haan?"

"Mujhe neend aa rahi hai ab," she said, covering a yawn.

He smiled. "So jaaiye, Mrs. Agarwal."

"Good night," she whispered.

"Good night, meri Ishani," he replied softly.

Listening this a dark red hue start covering her cheeks and she found ending the call better than replying to him

And even though the call ended, both of them slept with a smile on their face, hearts full of something beautiful that had just begun.

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