Mihir stepped out of the bathroom, towel-drying his hair, wearing just white cotton pajama pants. He froze mid-step.
Maira stood by the window, bathed in golden evening light-drowning in his oversized white button-down shirt. The sleeves hung past her fingertips, the hem brushing her thighs.
"You're wearing my shirt." His voice was oddly flat.
Maira rolled the cuffs up with practiced efficiency. "Brilliant observation." She gestured at her folded lehenga on the chair. "Unless you want me parading around in wedding clothes all evening, this was the only option."
Mihir's towel paused on his damp shoulders. "You could've asked Aunt-"
"And explain what?" Maira arched an eyebrow. "'Sorry for marrying your nephew by accident, can I borrow some clothes'?" She plucked at the shirt's fabric. "This was the least awkward solution."
A beat passed. Mihir's gaze tracked the way the cotton stretched across her shoulders. "It looks ridiculous."
"You look ridiculous," she shot back automatically, then frowned. "Wait, that makes no-"
The doorbell rang downstairs, cutting her off. Somewhere in the mansion, Ruby's melodramatic sobbing crescendoed.
Mihir grabbed a t-shirt from the wardrobe. "We're finding you proper clothes tomorrow," he muttered, tossing it at her head. "Wife."
The shirt hit empty air-Maira had already slipped out, still swimming in his button-down.
Maira tiptoed downstairs, clutching the oversized shirt around her thighs. The doorbell's chime still echoed through the silent mansion. She peered through the peephole - nothing.
Cautiously, she opened the door to empty darkness. "Hello?" Only crickets answered.
As she turned to leave-
**Meanwhile on the road**
Raj's feet kicked helplessly three feet above ground, suspended by Ruby's coiled braid around his throat.
"P-please..." he gagged, face purpling. "W-what are-"
"Daayan," Ruby purred, her yellow eyes glowing in the moonlight. She loosened her grip just enough for him to breathe. "Lucky for you, I don't want your pathetic life... I want your help."
Raj gasped as memories flooded back - ringing the Kashyap doorbell, swearing to claim Teju...
"What...do you want?" he rasped.
Ruby's grin widened. "First, tell me what YOU want."
"Tejaswini," Raj croaked without hesitation.
Her braid unwound, dropping him onto the dirt road. A vial of inky liquid appeared in her palm. "Drink this," she whispered, hovering above him. "Become Bhainsasur - strong enough to take your bride...after you deliver the Kashyap brothers to Queen Mohana."
Raj's hands shook as he grabbed the potion. The liquid burned like fire down his throat-
**CRACK**
His spine arched unnaturally as horns burst from his forehead. His scream turned guttural as his body morphed into a hulking bull-man hybrid, muscles rippling beneath coarse fur.
Ruby clapped in delight. "Tomorrow," she sang, soaring backward into the night, "will be a BLAST."
**Kashyap Mansion Foyer**
Maira whirled around, heart pounding-
"Can't sleep, beti?" Sapna stood holding a jug , her smile warm.
The tension drained from Maira's shoulders as the scene faded to black.
Sapna's chuckle was warm as she adjusted her shawl. "Beti, what in the world are you wearing?" Her eyes twinkled at the sight of Maira swimming in Mihir's oversized shirt.
Maira tugged self-consciously at the collar. "I... didn't exactly pack clothes when we got married by accident."
"Oh dear!" Sapna clucked her tongue, linking their arms. "You should've come to me. I could've given you Tia's things."
"Tia?" Maira blinked.
"My niece-Uma and Akhil's daughter. She's studying fashion and design in London." Sapna guided her down the hallway. "Actually, Sahir just came by to get clothes for Teju..." She paused meaningfully. "I wonder why Mihir didn't think to do the same."
Maira muttered under her breath, "Yet he had the nerve to mock me about this shirt..."
The older woman hid a smile as she opened a cream-colored door. "Here we are." She selected a simple lavender salwar kameez from the wardrobe. "This should fit you nicely."
"Thank you, Mother-in-law ." Maira accepted the clothes with genuine gratitude.
Sapna cupped her cheek. "Get some rest, beti. Tomorrow's a new day."
As Maira headed back to her room, Sapna's knowing gaze followed her-the unspoken question about her and Mihir hanging in the air.
**Sahir's Bedroom - Moonlit Balcony**
The night breeze carried the scent of jasmine through the open balcony doors where Teju stood rigid, her silhouette trembling against the starry sky. Sahir approached silently, his shadow merging with hers.
"Don't hold it in," he murmured, close enough to see the moonlight catching on her tear-streaked cheeks. "Not with me."
A choked sob broke free as Teju turned into his embrace, her fists clutching his shirt. "Every memory-my whole life-was it all a lie?" Her voice muffled against his chest. "How do I stop thinking about-"
Sahir's arms tightened around her, his lips brushing her hair. "You don't." He cradled the back of her head. "But from today, every new memory will be ours." His thumb wiped a tear from her jaw. "I'll be your family. Your home. Every sunrise, every festival, every ordinary Tuesday-I'll make sure you feel loved."
Teju looked up, her wet lashes glistening. In the garden below, a lone firefly sparked-once, twice-before the night swallowed its light.
Sahir gently turned Teju's face from the balcony, his thumb brushing away the last tear. "Now dry those eyes," he whispered, "and look what I arranged for you."
The balcony curtains parted to reveal a small table by the moonlight - two covered thalis, flickering diyas, and rose petals scattered between serving bowls.
Teju's breath caught. "Sir... did you prepare all this?"
Sahir's mock frown made her lips twitch. "What's this 'sir' nonsense?" He tugged her closer, his voice dropping playfully. "I believe wives call their husbands sweet names - darling, sweetheart, my love..." His nose brushed hers. "...hubby?"
A real laugh bubbled up through Teju's tears. "Let me think..." She pretended to ponder, fingers playing with his collar. "How about... hubby?"
"Hubby it is." Sahir kissed her forehead. "Now come - you must be starving."
As they settled onto the floor cushions, Sahir lifted a morsel of paneer to her lips. "Open wide, Mrs. Kashyap."
Teju accepted the bite, then retaliated by feeding him a spicy samosa. "Careful, *hubby*," she teased when he coughed. "Can't have my husband choking on our first dinner."
Their shared laughter blended with the night breeze as they fed each other, the rose petals stirring around them like silent witnesses to this new beginning.
Mihir's Bedroom - Midnight**
Mihir set aside his guitar, the last chords of his new composition still humming in the air. The bedroom door creaked open to reveal Maira standing in the doorway, now dressed in Tia's lavender salwar kameez, one hand pressed to her stomach.
His eyes tracked:
- The way her fingers dug into the fabric
- The faint sheen of pain on her forehead
- The stubborn set of her jaw
Without a word, he grabbed his leather jacket and brushed past her into the hallway. The door clicked shut behind him.
Maira sank onto the bed, her whispered poem cutting through the silence:
*"The priest promised seven vows,*
*But forgot to mention how*
*Some get a heart that beats in tune,*
*While others...get a hollow moon."*
Mihir's Bedroom - Midnight Surprise**
The door banged open as Mihir wheeled in a brass trolley laden with:
- Steaming butter naans
- A bowl of dal makhani still bubbling
- Two glasses of chilled lassi with cream swirls
Maira looked up from her poetry notebook, eyebrows climbing. "What's this? The great Mihir Kashyap playing doting husband?"
"Don't flatter yourself." He clattered plates onto the bedside table. "I was hungry. Kitchen staff insisted on packing extra." The lie was obvious - the tray held all her favorite dishes from their office lunch arguments.
She smirked. "Funny. When you were my boss, you'd throw files at me for eating almonds too loudly." Mimicking his old snarl: "'This isn't a damn picnic, Maira!'"
Mihir's jaw twitched. "Are you eating or doing stand-up comedy?"
Maira plopped beside him and tore into the naan with uncharacteristic abandon. Gravy dripped down her chin as she shoveled food like a starved street urchin.
"Ugh. Were you raised in a barn?" Mihir tossed her a napkin, nose wrinkling at her chewing sounds. "I take it back - you're worse than the office days."
She spoke through a mouthful of paneer: "Marriage. Changes. People."
A lassi mustache foamed above her lip. Mihir's fingers twitched - whether to wipe it away or strangle her, even he didn't know.
Mihir's fingers drummed against his thigh as he watched the lassi foam cling to Maira's upper lip. He jerked his chin toward her face.
"You've got..."
Maira kept chewing, oblivious, a grain of rice stuck to her cheek.
With an exasperated growl, Mihir snatched the napkin. "For God's-" His hand froze mid-reach as she finally looked up.
Moonlight caught:
- The vulnerable flutter of her lashes
- The sudden stillness of her usually sharp tongue
- The quickening pulse at her throat
The napkin brushed her skin with unexpected gentleness. "Civilized people," he murmured, swiping the foam, "wipe their mouths."
Their breaths tangled-spiced dal and sweet lassi-as his thumb lingered near the corner of her lips. Maira's eyes dropped to his mouth.
A floorboard creaked outside the door.
Mihir jerked back as if burned. "Now stop eating like a buffalo." He tossed the soiled napkin at her face.
Maira caught it, her smirk returning. "Aw, hubby cares."
"Finish your food," he grumbled, stalking toward the balcony-but not before she saw his ears turn red.