Hey you guys! First of all I wanted to sincerely apologise for the delay, and that this is not an update for the stories you guys are so lovingly waiting for. I seriously promise that they are being drafted right this second and I'll try and post them as soon as possible, and I wanted to thank you guys for loving my stories and supporting me so much <3

Now about this story, so many people have been requesting me to write a story on an arranged marriage between Adiza, and I just loved the idea so much that I had to write it! I hope you guys love it as much as I do and it reached all your expectations!

Please, Please, Please comment and let me know what you think, I would really appreciate it xxxxx
..

"You?!" Aditi gasped in shock, covering her parted lips with her mouth. She had paused mid walk toward the table, almost unable to comprehend the reality of the situation. When her parents had very forcefully, finally made her agree to meet the son of one of their very close friends in the prospect of marriage.

This was the very last thing she had imagined.

"You?" He drew a sharp breath, completely dumbfounded. After almost a year, there she was infront of him.

The co-actress that he had worked with for the shortest time, yet somehow, had been unforgettable. He couldn't shake her out of his head, a constant nagging thought in the back of his mind. Frustrating him to no end.

She was clad in a plain black saree, something she would never even think of wearing offscreen a year ago.

It was his favourite colour. Or at least it was his favourite colour now.

She looked unbelievable.

He could help but let his eyes linger too long, her magnetic eyes just drew him in, and the mole enticed him to admire those plump pink lips of hers. He couldn't stop his eyes from scanning her up and down, the saree enhancing those curves of hers, that tortured him.

He suddenly felt the wetness on his bottom lip. Had he been licking his lips looking at her!? 'Oh bloody hell,' he thought, cursing himself with numerous expletives, Wondering how this annoying girl always managed to make him go mad.

Obviously he was a very very decent boy. He can't have been checking her out so shamelessly.

"Zain Imam." She seethed, narrowing those sharp eyes at him as she stormed towards the table.

"Miss Aditi Rathore." He shot back, his glare challenged her to fight back. They didn't know why they always clashed, back then, even now. Their fighting grew so bad that their show fell apart.

They had met on the sets of Naamkarann and immediately, never a day of shooting could occur in peace. They were complete opposites, Zain was loud and playful, and couldn't stand the silent shy nature of Aditi who was sensitive to jokes and pranks. But even more he hated the way she made him feel when she did smile, that fuzzy feeling in his chest. He was scared of her irresistible laughter, that made him weak. All those painful things he had vowed to never feel again.

Especially for a girl with a boyfriend. Oh dear lord that boyfriend, Zain used to seethe with fury every time he laid his eyes on that idiot. He used to insist to come on to sets every day, and watch every scene she shot vigilantly. Follow her around like a stalker, and sat with her in her vanity whenever she didn't have to shoot as if closing her off from everybody but him. Don't even get started on the number of times he and Zain had fought, over Zain touching aditi 'inappropriately' during a scene or 'eyeing' 'his' girl. Zain wondered why the hell this stupid girl bothered to deal with him.

And she hated Zain, because somehow he recklessly tumbled in to her life with all his charm and those gorgeous golden brown eyes, and made her question all she has ever known for 9 years. They couldn't stand each other.

But somehow, that aggressive fire fuelled such an intense passion between them. Raw, magical, unbeatable chemistry.

But one day, she quit, saying all the fights meant the working environment had become too uncomfortable for her, forcing them to pull down the show. But really it had been her possessive madman boyfriend who controlled her life, and refused to let her work alongside Zain anymore.

"God. I cannot believe my parents thought that this could be a good idea." She muttered loudly, rolling her eyes as she slammed her purse on the table.

"Oh hello. I have no interest marrying miss moody either." He spat, making her frown cutely. He felt a pang in his chest, suddenly realising he had missed that frown.

"Moody? Me?" She laughed sarcastically, as if he had said the biggest joke. He grumbled like a small child, knowing he had lost but refusing to admit defeat. He was definitely the moody one. No arguing with that.

"How are you planning to marry under your parents pressure? Surely your heroic boyfriend will come save you?" He taunted bitterly, diverting the subject quickly, crossing his arms over his chest.

She faltered for a second, her face momentarily falling. She speaks bluntly, yet quietly, "I'm leaving."

"Hey hang on just a minute," He exclaimed, stopping her short as she felt a hand wrap around her wrist, sending sparks down her veins. She looked back at him to see a cheeky smile on his face, "you're the first girl whose running away from me, rather than running after me..."

She sighed distastefully, biting back her tongue as she glared at him. God she couldn't stand his self-obsessed attitude, yes he was handsome, yes he was hot. He didn't have to shove that in people's faces.

He chuckled at her reaction, his crooked smirk widening as he leaned in to her face. The hand on her wrist snuck up on to her lower back, making her jump in surprise.

He whispered in that husky voice of his, that had always sent jolts up her spine, "Merry Christmas baby... I'm your present..."

She rested both her hands on his chest, and the magical touch of her soft hands against his hard chest made him freeze up. Taking advantage of this, she shoved him away, with a disinterested expression, "Can I have a reciept then?"

"Wow." Zain gasped indignantly, placing a hand on his chest as he pulling an offended face, "That hurt Aditi."

"Good." She snapped, making Zain supress his laughter. She started scrambling around in her purse for her phone, all while still muttering angrily under her breath, "bloody hell, where is it? I need to get out of here otherwise he will drive me nuts."

"I knew this was a bad idea, but I'm such an idiot. Always putting myself in to these situations..." Zain laughed softly as he watched her in awe, adorably taking to herself. She even managed look beautiful when she was angry, her cute red nose, those flushed cheeks and the childish flustered gestures.

In her rush she knocked her purse over on the table and all the contents went tumbling across, making her yell out in frustration, "Oh fuck me!"

He grinned a naughty smile, stepping closer to her. His fingers lightly traced her hips as he leaned up behind her ear. His lips brushing the helix of her ear as he whispering in that seductive tone of his again, "Why not?"

She stiffened, her cute eyes widening as she realised what he meant. He inched even closer, his mischievous gaze fixed on to her eyes. She felt her face heat up in embarrassment, her voice squeaking unintentionally, "thats not what I meant-"

Her heart was racing a million miles per hour as his face grew closer. She blushed furiously as he slowly grazed his finger down the side of her face with a low hum, and a sexy smirk on his face.

She finally made out what that his husky voice was humming ADHM, the song that used to play when they used to romance on screen, she whispered meekly now, "seriously, Zain get away..."

He used his finger to lift her chin to face him. Her big beautiful doe eyes widened in nervousness as she looked up at him, and his eyes softened. He couldn't help but smile gently, and butterflies fluttered in her belly, this was different. This smile was different. All the arrogance had gone. His stare held some indescribable emotion, that was almost overwhelming.

Suddenly the clink of her keys moving across the table, broke them out of the trance. She flinched immediately, retreating in embarrassment as he just smirked watching her pat her face, as if trying to get herself to focus.

"Your flirting and all may have worked onscreen but you're not getting anywhere with it in real life okay? Stay away." She stated decisively, slinging her purse over her shoulder and correcting her windswept hair.

"I must say indian tv missed on some great, natural chemistry..." He winked flirtatiously, and she felt her face burn bright red. She maintained the angry look on her face but her knees wobbled.

"Shut up. Stop talking rubbish." She blurted out, huffing in annoyance as her eyebrows drew together in a childish frown.

"Why what will you do? Tell your boyfriend?" He taunted bitterly, his expression was sour. There was a burning in his chest that he couldn't explain, at the thought of her going and complaining to him, pouting that pout at him.

"For god's sake, are you actually stupid? Is it totally empty up there?" She yelled out in exhaustion, knocking her knuckles against his forehead, "I've broken up with him duffer! Why else would i be here to meet a boy for marriage? To keep 2 husbands as slaves?"

"Oh." He says quietly, suddenly silent for a second, completely unlike himself. He questioned why he feel weirdly relieved about that, surely he shouldn't give a damn. Her boyfriend was a bastard. But why does he care who this irritating girl is with?

"Yeah. This Aditi is not that old silent shy and weak Aditi anymore, I hate this marriage thing. I'm never letting a man control my life again." She declared confidently, making a smile unknowingly appear on his face, he liked seeing her confident. He liked seeing her strong.

She looked down at him, glaring at him like an angry child, mimicking him in a high squeaky voice, "especially not you. Mr look at me I'm Zain Imam, Look how handsome and hot and charming I am, how can every girl not just fall to her knees in love with me..."

He grinned cheekily, raising his eyebrow at her, "So you think I'm handsome and hot? And charm-"

"Oh shut up Zain. Or I'll hit you." She grumbled hurriedly, but is unable to hide the bright red blush on her face. She looked adorable, so rosy that he could see that even the tips of her ears had turned red through her hair. Or maybe he had been observing too intently.

"You'll hit me?" He asked in amusement, smirking, making her belly twist. She couldn't stand that he had the face of an angel, the edge of his lips curved up, in that arrogant sexy way that made her hate him for the way he made her feel.

"Yeah why? You think I can't hit you?" She challenged back, refusing to back down. She threw up her hair in a few quick seconds, tying it up in to a high ponytail.

He stopped still for a second, not knowing how to react. Whether to laugh at how cute she looked in that ponytail, completely mismatching that saree, or be so taken aback by how pretty she looked with her hair pulled back off her face. She frowned even further, feeling as if he was mocking her, "What? Go on fight me. I bet I'll win."

"Come on Aditi... stop going around threatening to fight people Aditi, you are so small, you are just going to get hurt," He chuckled, his eyes glistening affectionately seeing her pout in irritation.

"Just because I'm short doesn't mean I won't break your face!" She shouted innocently, jutting her lowing her lip out like a baby pulling at his heartstrings like a puppet.

"You can't even reach my jaw..." He laughed in amusement, patting her head to trigger her about her height. She jumped up on to her toes like a child, leaping to try and hit his jaw and failing miserably, causing him to be ridden by more and more laughter.

"Awww innocent little baby Adi who can't do anything herself, so sweet..." He cooed at her, pulling playfully at her cute  cheeks to rile her up.

"I'm not innocent or sweet." She grunted moodily, huffing loudly to show how miffed she was, glaring at him trying to look as threatening as she could, "I am pissed off. And extremely dangerous."

"Aw how cute" He teased her sweetly as he pulled her red nose. She fumed, pouting, looking like a fireball of fury.

"Are you calling me weak? Don't you dare call me weak. Let me show you how strong I am," She theatened, stepping towards him with every step, "Go on then, try me... hit me- fight me-"

"What are you going to do eh? Go on. Punch me? Kick me? Bite me?" As she got all up in his face, she sizzled with anger. He didn't realise when his eyes wandered to her lips and stopped there, fixated on them. Then was a tension rising in the air between them, tight and hot, when her eyes stopped at his lips too.

There was a moment of silence, a fibre of space between their lips. An incredibly palpable sexual tension boiling.

"Where?" He whispered huskily, not daring to move an inch of his body. His eyes just flicking from her lips to her eyes and then back to her lips, making her suddenly feel all hot and stuffy, "bite you where Aditi?"

She gasped softly, her eyes widening. And it all came flooding back, the thudding of her heart, the fluttering in her belly.

She stumbles back and brushes off her clothing, averting her gaze to avoiding the awkwardness. She cleared her throat, "okay let's summarise this discussion we are having here. I can't marry you Zain. Please make some excuse and get us out of this."

He grinned at her antics as she treated it like a business transaction. He crossed his arms over his chest, tilted his head at her with a smug smile on his face, "Why should I? What if i want to marry you?"

She looked up at him in shock, shaking her head, "Nuh uh. That aint happening."

"What if i make it happen Rathore Saab." He challenged back, with that unmoving smirk glued to his face.

"Say no to it Zain." She demanded.

"No. I wont." He shot back.

She ran to a tree just outside the outdoor cafe area, and started climbing up it. His jaw dropped in shock watching her clambering up in her saree, fearlessly shoving the branches out of her way. He watched this amazon warrior with such shock that he forgot to react.

Suddenly the worry kicked in, seeing her foot stumble slightly from her footing. His voice strained as he yelled out, his forehead crumpling up, "Aditi get down from there! Aditi you stupid woman, you are going to hurt yourself! Come down!"

"No way. Not until you deny this marriage." She screamed like a stubborn child, making him groan in frustration.

"Aditi I will call the police." He knew how stupid he sounded as soon as everybody in the cafe looked at him like he was a madman. But she was so childish, his threats had to be too.

"I don't care. I will fight them too." She declared proudly, grinning widely, baring all her teeth cutely. He shook his head in helplessness, at her adorable rebelliousness.

"Hey Aditi look! Look I have chocolates!" He exclaimed shaking the packet he had in his hands, bribing her with the thing he knew she loved the most. Her eyes lit up innocently seeing them in his hand.

She sprinted down the tree in lightening speed, making his heart lurch forward in concern as he yelled out, "arrey sambal ke... don't run."

She snatched the packet from him, tearing it open and grabbing a fistful of chocolate. She shoves it all in her mouth in one go, munching on it like kid.

She feels his eyes on her and glances up, seeing him stare at her with a small smile on his face. She pouted, grunting, "I would have fought the police you know... I just chose not to."

"I know..." He chuckled, seeing her face covered with chocolate. She looked up at him, but something was different in his eyes, there was a weakness in them. A tenderness.

The ringing of his phone broke him out of his trance, he looked at his screen to see the incoming call, and looked back up at Aditi in confusion.

She raised her eyebrows at him asking what, and he mouthed back at her 'ammi'. She yelled out at his stupidity, hitting his shoulder, "toh kya? Utalo na? Why are you mouthing? She is not here to hear you!"

He went a slight tinge pink in embarrassment, as he picked up the phone quickly.

"Asalaam alaiykum Ammi..." He exclaimed obediently, with a wide grin on his face as if he was always happy to hear her voice. He was such a mumma's boy, she'd always admired that about him.

"Did you like her baccha?" His ammi asked with excitement, with a slight mischievous tone in her voice knowing the awkward situation the parents had put them in.

Zain glanced up at Aditi who glared back at him and shook his head violently, "I can't marry her Ammi!"

Aditi smiled victoriously, feeling like she defeated him. He stuck out his tongue at her childishly, then continued complaining to his mother, "She will kill me within a week!"

Aditi gasped as his Ammi chuckled across the line with a wise smile. "Aww baccha... then you have found perfect wife material..."

He stopped for a second, looking at Aditi. She used to be quiet and demure, and that simplicity was so elegant, he had found it alluringly gentle. And now she was wild and impulsive, and that fearlessness was bewitching. She had changed so much, yet she didn't change in his eyes, unwillingly, he found her just as beautiful.

He hesitated, involuntarily contemplating his mother's words, "but-"

"Look let's talk about it later... now bring her to her mama's house, we are all waiting here... Okay?" His ammi ordered him knowingly, well aware her ladla son must be lost in his thoughts.

"Ji Ammi... bye..." The line beeps as his mother cuts the phone, he sighs in confusion before facing her.

He indicates towards his car with a nod of his head, smiling slightly, "aao madam... lets take you home..."

..

When she walked in to the living room she witnessed possibly the cutest sight she had ever seen. Zain was standing with one of his legs on the handle of the chair and the other on the arm rest of the sofa, balancing hapardhazardly inbetween them. He had Inaaya bundled up in his arms, all rosy with excitement, and there was nothing sweeter than the way she was clinging to her chachu.

His hair was ruffled and his tank top stuck to his body with sweat, and it should have been a crime to look so hot.

He looked up to see Aditi in the doorway and faced Inaaya with excitement. He yelled out dramatically, feigning fake fear, "Inaayu! Tell your chachi to jump up quickly or she will drown! She will drown!"

Inaaya giggled as she cutely played along, she reached her hand out toward Adi, leaning out of Zain's protective grasp, "Quick chachi! Climb the mountain!"

Aditi couldn't held but be endeared by the little cutie and played along. Albeit being in a saree, she leaped up on to the other end of the sofa, pretending to be scared. Zain unknowingly admired her, looking adorable all curled up like a child, playing like a small kid even in her saree. Now he noticed her saree, that got tangled up with her actions, exposing all of her bare stomach. He had to tear his eyes away from the sight before his stupid hormones got their own plans, her milky white pronounced curves were not doing him any good.

Aditi froze for a moment, as something dawned upon her. 'Chachi', he had referred to her as Inaaya's 'chachi', as in he being 'chachu' and she being 'chachi'. They weren't going to get married, then? Then why did it sound so bloody right, why did it make her feel all warm at the thought that it just rolled off his tongue. That it was her he was calling inaaya's chachi, and not another girl, like she was his.

"Chachi I won't drown na?" Little Inaaya's voice broke her trance, as she looked up. Inaaya crawled across the sofa towards her, with an childish expression on her face which melted Aditi's heart.

Aditi instinctively opened up her arms for Inaaya, who climbed in to her lap and curled up in to her side as Aditi wrapped her arms around her. Zain's mouth parted in awe, it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

It was the epitome of beauty to see her cradle his niece, to see inaaya already so inseparable from her, now tugging at her saree as she giggled. The nuanced, adorable little expressions Aditi made as she spoke to her tugged at his heart.

Aditi squeezed her cutely, "Mein hu na? Aur chachu bhi hai, how will you drown?'

Zain's heart skipped a beat, how was this so pure and so perfect?How is it that when he had dreamed of a wife, and how they would pamper his inaayu together, this is exactly what he had wished for. A dreamy smile was plastered on to his face as he watched them in awe.

"Look out Inaaya! The sea monster is coming" He yelled, out as he pounced at her playfully. He sprawled across the sofa, lying on his belly facing them, and started tickling Inaaya's tummy. He pulls cute funny faces at her as Inaaya squeals with joy, wriggling around in Aditi's arms.

Then he hears Aditi's adorable giggle, causing him to look up, it was only then he realised how close they were. Her smile was only centimetres away from him, and inaaya was the only thing between them. He felt his heart thump in his chest and realised the troubled waters of confusing feelings he was entering and controlled himself.

Their families walked through the door and were blown away by the sight infront of them. Aditi sitting cross-legged with Inaaya cuddled in her lap, and Zain was lying on his belly facing them. Inaaya clutched on to his shirt at the neck, but his eyes were fixated on Aditi, and his hand unknowingly rested on her knee.

Aditi's mother cleared her throat, causing them to break out of their trance and look at the doorway. They both froze in horror, bright pink in embarrassment as they moved away quickly.

"Are you guys coming to have dinner? Or are you guys too busy? Hmm?" She questioned, raising her eyebrow teasingly as the family all suppressed their laughter.

..

"Mumma mujhe aur nahi chaiye..." Aditi complained like a small kid as her mother piled vegetables on to her plate.

"No aditi. You have to eat. You never have any vegetables..." Her mother reprimanded her even infront of Zain's family who all looked on in amusement.

"Mummaaaaaaaaaa" She whined, pouting so innocently that Zain couldn't take his eyes of her. Aditi's mother shook her head and put more vegetables on her plate.

She groaned and started playing around with the vegetables with her fork until her mother turned around. Zain jumped when he felt something pinching his leg. He looked down to see her pinching his thigh.

He looked up at her in bewilderment and raised his eyebrow, with a clueless expression, as if asking 'what the hell?'.

She subtly emptied out all the veg on her plate on to his, biting her bottom lip cheekily. He watched her in awe, having no idea how to react, a gentle daydreaming smile on his lips. She then grabbed a little paneer off his plate to replace the veg, which he had already realised was her favourite. He loved the familiarity with which she did it all, like she was free do do anything with him.

"Aditi have you finished it? I will check..." Her mother warned her from the kitchen, making her panic.

She turned round to Zain and clutched on to his sleeve. She tugged at him like a small child to get his attention, he looked at her and saw her pleading. She jutted her bottom lip like a baby, and batted her long lashes making him totally weak. She lisped softly, and his heart couldn't handle it, "Mere liye khao na... she will scold me..."

He sighed in defeat and started eating the vegetables quickly for her, there were tomatoes everywhere, and he hated tomatoes. But he gulped down the bitter taste so she wouldn't have to get scoldings from her mother.

"I'm coming adu..." Her mother yelled as her footsteps approached. Aditi hit him playfully on the shoulder, telling him to eat faster. He stuffs his mouth quickly, to finish it off, looking cutely ridiculous as her mother comes in.

"If you haven't eaten it..." Aditi's mother warned as she pulled her ear lovingly, making her wince cutely, he looked uncomfortable at this as if he didn't like seeing her like that.

"Dekho aunty... she has eaten it all..." he tried to lie but his mouth was full, making her grin at his innocence as he tried to protect her.

His family witnessed this and were in utter awe, he was already completely smitten by her, they could see straight past his lie of hating her.

...

Precap- He yawns and stretches, reaching out to the side table and getting his phone to check the time. It was 2 am, who was ringing his doorbell?

He gets up and and walks to the door, padding down the corridor in exhaustion. He pulls the door open, and is shocked to see Aditi outside.

She was in her adorable pyjamas, silky baby pink ones with little drawings of bunnies on them. Her hair was pulled up in to a messy ponytail, and her cute eyes were puffy and red as if she was crying.

He smirks teasingly, joking to cheer her up, "See Zain Imam's charm never fails, even great Miss Aditi Rathore is regretting rejecting me..."

She doesn't respond, staying silent, except sniffling a little. He looked on in confusion as she fixated her gaze on the floor, fisting her pyjama top in her hand.

He goes somber suddenly, his brow hardening, a tightening feeling of worry constricting in his chest, "Aditi? What is it? Has someone done something?"

...
Hope you liked it!! Please leave a comment and let me know ♥️