Rishtey Dillon Ke ~ The Raghuvanshi (✓)

Chapter 20

As Naina arranges some kitchen utensils she brought home, she busies herself in the kitchen, seeking solace in the familiar tasks. Meanwhile, Vikram waits for her in their room. Seeing that Naina is taking some time, he changes into more comfortable clothes and starts working on something.

After a while, he hears the door open, and he looks up to see Naina entering the room. She heads straight for the washroom, her movements purposeful. As she stands by the sink, she retrieves something, and the room's lighting dims slightly. Outside, the soft glow of moonlight filters through the window, casting a serene ambiance over the room.

Vikram sees Naina heading towards the bed, but he can't resist pulling her towards him. As she's drawn into his embrace, her head gently rests against his chest, and she instinctively places her hand on his shoulder. He notices a few strands of hair falling onto her face and delicately brushes them away, tucking them behind her ear. With his finger under her chin, he lifts her face, urging her to meet his gaze.

"What wrong?" Vikram asks softly in a husky voice that only she can hear. He looks straight into her eyes. Naina blinks a couple of times and shakes her head. "Nothing," she murmurs, looking down and trying to move away, as she avoid looking meeting his eyes. Despite her attempt to pull away, Vikram holds her close, refusing to let her go. He places something in her hand, revealing it to be a pair of beautiful bangles.

"My first gift to my wife. I saw this color and thought it would suit you very much, so I got it while you were all busy."

Naina looks at the beautiful bangles in her hand. She thinks about everything that has happened today. Lost in her thoughts, Naina marvels at the unexpected gesture, finding solace in Vikram's kindness amidst the day's turmoil. She remembers how even Vidyunt, in his anger, had called her "Bhabhi," not just Naina.

Vikram takes the bangles from her hand and asks, "Shall I put them on you?"

Naina comes out of her thoughts, nodding. She takes a deep breath as they stand very close. Vikram gently holds her wrists and puts the bangles on one by one. Naina watches him carefully as he does it, and then he looks at her hand, saying, "It's perfect now."

Vikram looks at Naina's face again, bringing his head close to hers and touching his forehead to hers. He runs his hand through her hair and asks softly, "Did you like it?"

Naina closes her eyes, takes a long breath, and says, "Hm..."

"Our relationship might not be that deep yet, but I don't want to break it, and neither do you." Vikram speaks with his eyes closed. "I don't talk much, so you don't always understand my feelings."

Tears start welling up in Naina's eyes. She grabs Vikram's shirt tightly with her hand on his shoulder. Vikram brings his hand to her cheek, touching the corner of her eyes as Naina slightly tilts her face up, trying to hide her tears. She blinks rapidly to stop the tears from falling, but Vikram senses it and he tenderly brushes her tears away and says, "Even if tears are falling from your eyes, they are my tears too. They belong to me."

With their closeness deepening, Vikram shares his feelings, expressing a desire to maintain their bond despite any challenges they may face.

As Vikram presses a gentle kiss to the top of her head, Naina feels a sense of comfort and security in his embrace, cherishing the connection they share.

---

Vidhi's room is filled with her sobs as she angrily throws pillows in frustration. Exhausted, she collapses onto the bed, but her remorse only intensifies as she replays her hurtful words to Naina in her mind. Convinced that she has irreparably damaged their relationship, Vidhi berates herself, feeling unworthy of forgiveness.

She resolves to apologize to Naina first thing in the morning, but her doubts resurface as she wonders whether Naina will ever be able to forgive her for the pain she caused.

Meanwhile, Vedansh, unaware of Vidhi's turmoil, enters her room to retrieve his book. Shocked to find his sister in tears, he locks the door and sits beside her, gently wiping away her tears. Concerned, he asks her what happened, prompting Vidhi to pour out her heart to him, confessing her cruel words to Naina that were influenced by Diya's manipulation.

Vedansh is taken aback by his sister's actions, unable to comprehend how she could have been swayed by Diya's poison. He chastises her for hurting Naina, emphasizing how Naina has always put their well-being above her own and attempted to build a relationship with them.

Despite Vidhi's remorse and apology, Vedansh insists that she must apologize directly to Naina. He leaves her room, leaving Vidhi to confront the consequences of her actions and the daunting prospect of seeking forgiveness from Naina.

---

The next morning, Vidhi hastily makes her way to the kitchen, where the family is gathered for breakfast. Sitting beside Ved, she catches his subtle gesture, silently urging her to apologize to Naina. However, Vidhi desires a private moment to express her remorse.

As Naina serves Vidhi her breakfast, Vidhi notices a lack of warmth in Naina's demeanor, which weighs heavily on her heart. Eating her meal with a somber expression, Vidhi feels the weight of her guilt.

After breakfast, Naina retreats to the kitchen, and Vidhi follows suit once she finishes her meal. Standing at a distance, Vidhi gathers her courage and, avoiding eye contact, begins her apology.

"I'm... sorry for what I said yesterday. It was very wrong of me, and I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. Please forgive me, bha...bhabhi. I said those things in anger."

Unable to articulate further, Vidhi quickly exits the kitchen. Meanwhile, Vikram enters, witnessing the unexpected address of "bhabhi" from Vidhi's lips, leaving Naina surprised.

Later, all three siblings join Vikram in the car, as he insists on dropping them off, marking a new beginning in their journey together.

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