In the last chapter, Siddhart surprises Shreya with a playful birthday wish, but their moment was interrupted by her mother-in-law, who warmly wished Shreya and performed the "nazar utarna" ritual. Siddhart jokingly asked for the money meant for Shreya, keeping the mood light.

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Shreya felt a warmth in her heart as she watched Siddhart joke around. Even with all the complexities in her life, moments like these with Siddhart and her family made everything feel a little easier. She was grateful for these moments of joy that helped distract her from the heavier thoughts she had been carrying.

MIL – "Bhagwan tumhe bahut tarakki de, khushiyan de, har bala se door rakhe. Tumhe meri bhi umar lag jaye, tum 100 saal jiyo!" 😄
(She placed her palms on Shreya's head, offering her blessings.)

Shreya (playfully horrified) – "Aree nahi, mom! 100 saal?" ☹️
(Shreya made a face at the thought of living for a century, trying to lighten the mood.)

(Just then, Siddhart, who had been enjoying the exchange from the side, stepped behind his mom with a mischievous grin.)

Siddhart (teasing) – "Haan Mom, humein toh ek hi saal hua hai. Bechari duniya 100 saal kaise jhelegi ise, kuch toh soch ke bolo!" 😂
(He chuckled, clearly enjoying his chance to tease Shreya.)

Shreya (raising an eyebrow, mock-annoyed) – "Bada maza aata hai na mera mazak udaane mein?" 😏
(She crossed her arms, pretending to be mad.)

Siddhart – "Arey, bahut zyada. Meri favourite hobby hai." 😁
(He grinned widely, knowing this would annoy her just a little more.)

Shreya – "Hmm... meri favourite hobby kya hai, pata hai?" (smiling sweetly)

Siddhart (confidently) – "Obviously! Books, food, music, travelling, crime thrillers—sab pata hai mujhe." 🫣
(He listed everything he knew about her, puffing out his chest as if he had just won a quiz.)

Shreya (grinning) – "Close! But my favourite hobby is... shooting practice."

Siddhart (surprised) – "OHH!" 🫣
(His eyes widened in genuine surprise, not expecting this.)

Shreya (leaning in, whispering) – "Asli gun ke saath... aur asli insaanon par." 😁
(She smiled mischievously, watching as Siddhart's confident expression faltered.)

(Siddhart gulped, his smile fading a little, as Shreya grinned mischievously.)

Siddhart (muttering to his mom, barely above a whisper) – "Aapki bahu ke lakshan theek nahi lag rahe." ☹️

Shreya (overhearing, flashing a playful, almost villainous smile) – "Sunayi de raha hai mujhe!" 😁
(She loved the chance to scare him a little.)

(Siddhart stood there, pretending to look concerned as Shreya's mischievous smile widened.)

Siddhart (in mock horror) – "Maa, ab toh mujhe sach mein dar lag raha hai." ☹️
(He shook his head dramatically, making it seem like Shreya was a real threat.)

MIL (laughing softly) – "Shreya, ab bas bhi karo. Bechara dar gaya."
(Her mother-in-law couldn't help but chuckle at the playful banter between the two.)

Shreya (laughing, dropping the "dangerous" act) – "Arey Mumma, mazaak kar rahi thi. Dekho, kaise ghabra gaya!"
(She winked at Siddhart, who still looked dramatically "shocked.") 😜

Siddhart – "Tum toh acting bhi karne lagi ho! I knew marrying an officer would be tough, but yeh toh socha bhi nahi tha."
(He shook his head, pretending like he had gotten more than he bargained for.)

Shreya (rolling her eyes) – "Drama bandh karo, tumse zyada koi nahi jhelega mujhe, 100 saal kya, 1000 saal tak." 😏
(She gave him a knowing look as if to say, "You're stuck with me forever.")

(Just then, the doorbell rang. Siddhart used it as an excuse to make a dramatic exit.)

Siddhart – "Main chala... doorbell ne bacha li meri jaan!"
(He dashed out of the kitchen before Shreya could respond.)

MIL (chuckling) – "Pata nahi tum dono kab bade hoge." 🤷‍♀️
(She smiled lovingly at Shreya, shaking her head at their antics.)

(Shreya was still smiling at Siddhart's dramatic exit when the doorbell rang.)

Shreya – "Itni subah kaun aa gaya?" 🤔
(She exchanged a curious glance with her mother-in-law.)

MIL – "Haan beta, aise waqt toh koi aata nahi. Chalo dekhte hain."
(They both looked towards the living room, wondering who could be at the door so early.)

(Siddhart opened the door and returned with a small box in his hands, grinning from ear to ear.)

Siddhart – "Surprise! Tumhara favourite chocolate cake!" 🎂
(He walked in, waving the box like it was a treasure.)

Shreya – "Itni subah cake? Tum sach mein pagal ho." 😄
(She shook her head at his excitement, even though she couldn't help but smile.)

MIL – "Cake cutting itni subah?"
(She chuckled, looking at Siddhart in amusement.)

Siddhart – "Maa, subah ho ya raat, birthday cake toh kabhi bhi kha sakte hain!" 😁
(He placed the cake box on the counter and quickly pulled out a knife, his excitement still very much visible.)
"Chalo, madam, cake kaato!" 🥳

(Shreya shook her head again, but couldn't hide her amusement at his enthusiasm.)

Shreya – "Theek hai, lekin tum itni excitement kyun dikha rahe ho? Yeh bas cake hi hai." 😏
(She raised an eyebrow, teasing him as she reached for the knife.)

Siddhart – "Cake kaato, baaki sab baad mein!" 😜
(He was too eager for cake to care about her teasing, holding the knife out to her like it was a sword in a duel.)

(Shreya exchanged a quick glance with her mother-in-law, who nodded with a smile.)

Shreya – "Fine, lekin tum yeh mat sochna ke tum pehle piece ktumhe milega!" 😏
(She cut a piece and teasingly held it just out of Siddhart's reach, enjoying the look of anticipation on his face.)

Siddhart – "Arre! Itna zulm? Mere birthday pe toh sabse bada piece tum khati ho!" 🥺
(He put on his best puppy-dog face, hoping it would convince her.)

Shreya – "Haan toh, main nahi khaungi toh kon khayega? Main tumhari favourite hoon, hai na?" 😜
(She grinned, finally bringing the cake close to his mouth.)

Siddhart (grinning back) – "Tum ho, lekin cake toh mere liye laaya hu mei!"🤭
(He leaned in, eager for the first bite.)

Shreya (teasingly) – "Hmm, pehle yeh batao, deserve karte ho?"
(She held the cake just out of reach, clearly enjoying making him wait.)

Siddhart (laughing) – "Aree, mere jitna aur kaun deserve karega?!"
(He playfully tried to take the cake from her hand.)

Shreya (finally feeding him the cake) – "Theek hai, lekin yeh mat sochna ke bina surprise ke diya hai." 😏

Siddhart (chewing, suddenly slowing down) – "Surprise? Kahin tumne cake mein kuch mila toh nahi diya?" 😳 (He paused, dramatically checking his pulse to make sure he was still alive, his eyes widening in mock horror.)

Shreya (laughing) – "Agar kuch milaya hota, tum yeh second bite tak nahi pahunchte!" 😁
(She smirked, proud of her quick retort.)

Siddhart (relaxing, joining in the laughter) – "Sahi kaha. Tumhari badmaashi ka darr hi alag hai." 😄
(He took another bite and is fully enjoying the cake now.)

MIL – "Tum dono kabhi nahi sudhroge." 😄
(She watched them with a smile, shaking her head at their constant playful banter.)

Siddhart – "Aur sudharna bhi nahi chahte, Mumma!" 😁
(He grabbed another piece of cake and popped it into his mouth, looking proud of himself.)

(Shreya shook her head at him, but deep down, she was grateful for these small, happy moments.)

(After the cake-cutting ceremony, they all settled down for a moment. Shreya was just about to take another bite when her mother-in-law casually asked.)

MIL – "Waise, Siddhart, tumne kya plan kiya hai Shreya ke birthday ke liye? Shaadi ke baad pehla birthday hai, toh kuch special hona chahiye, right?" 😊
(Her question was light-hearted, but it carried an expectation that Siddhart had something planned for the day.)

(Siddhart opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, Shreya jumped in.)

(She turned to her mother-in-law, who was watching them with a smile.)

Shreya – "Mumma, aaj koi badi party plan mat kariye. Main bas family dinner chahti hoon. Waise bhi, aaj kaafi kaam hai, important case handle karna hai." 😌

MIL (surprised) – "Shaadi ke baad pehla birthday hai, Shreya! Party ka toh hona banta hai." 😊

(Shreya smiled gently and shook her head.)

Shreya – "Mumma, really, it's fine. Today isn't my off day, and I might not even be free in the evening. Family dinner is more than enough for me." 😊

(Siddhart, who was leaning against the counter, nodded in agreement.)

Siddhart – "Haan, Mom. Kal raat ko Shreya ne mujhe already bata diya tha ki aaj case ki wajah se koi party possible nahi hai. Isiliye maine bhi kuch plan nahi kiya." 😬

(MIL paused, considering this for a moment before nodding.)

MIL – "Acha, agar party nahi ho rahi hai, toh main aur tumhare papa apne dost ke shaadi ki anniversary par chale jaate hain. Waise bhi, unhone hme specially bulaya hai, aur ab jab tum dono ka dinner ka plan hai, toh hum waha attend kar lete hain." 😊

(She smiled, clearly excited at the prospect of attending the event.)

Shreya – "Aap dono jaaiye Mumma, enjoy kariye. Hum bas ek dinner karenge." 😊

MIL – "Haan haan, waise bhi tumhare birthday par dinner toh Siddhart ki treat honi chahiye, hai na?" 🤭

(She turned to Siddhart, giving him a playful wink.)

Siddhart (grinning) – "Of course, Mom! Dinner ka toh full on plan hai." 😎
 (He looked at Shreya, clearly pleased with the idea of giving her a special treat.)

Shreya (laughing) – "Dekha Mumma, inhone pehle se plan bana rakha hai" 😄

MIL (chuckling) – "Toh tum dono apna dinner plan karo, hum toh anniversary enjoy karenge." 😊

(She gently patted Shreya's shoulder before heading to her room to get ready for the event.)

(Siddhart, watching his mom leave, turned back to Shreya with a mischievous smile.)

Siddhart – "Toh madam, dinner mein kya khaogi? Kya plan hai?" 😏

Shreya (teasing) – "Jo bhi tumhe theek lage. Waise tumhari treat hai, soch samajh ke order karna." 😉

(Siddhart pretended to ponder for a moment before grinning.)

Siddhart – "Mujhe toh lagta hai, hum dono ek bahut fancy jagah jaake dinner karte hain, with a surprise twist." 😁

Shreya (narrowing her eyes, amused) – "Twist? Phir se? Lagta hai tumhe surprises kaafi pasand hai" 😏

Siddhart – "Arre, tumhe pasand nahi hai kya? Main toh soch raha hoon, dinner ke saath thoda excitement bhi ho!" 😁

Shreya (smiling) – "Jitna excitement tum cake ke bite mein le aaye ho, utna kaafi hai for one day." 🤷‍♀️

(Shreya shook her head playfully at his enthusiasm.)

(After wrapping up their playful conversation, Shreya and Siddhart stood up to get ready for their day. Shreya glanced at the clock, realizing it was almost time to leave.)

Shreya – "Chalo, ab humein bhi kaam ke liye nikalna chahiye. Tumhara office aur mera case dono intezaar kar rahe hain." 😌

Siddhart (sighing dramatically) – "Haan, reality check. Sab kuch enjoy karne ke baad, kaam ka waqt aa hi jata hai." 😅

(Shreya chuckled, gathering her bag and keys. As she fastened the buttons on her blazer, she checked her reflection in the mirror. It wasn't about looking glamorous — it was about feeling confident and comfortable enough to focus on the job. Satisfied with her look for the day, a simple yet elegant look — a navy-blue blazer paired with a crisp white shirt and comfortable black pants, ready to leave for work.) 

Siddhart, already dressed for his work, smiled at her.

Siddhart – "Tumhara professional look hamesha best lagta hai."😊.
(He teased, playfully adjusting the collar of her blazer.)

Shreya – "Thanks, lekin ab late ho rahe hain." 😏
(She swatted his hand away as she glanced at the time.)

(Siddhart grabbed his own bag, giving her a teasing smile as they both headed toward the door. Before stepping out, Siddhart paused and leaned closer to Shreya.)

Siddhart – "Aaj ka din busy hai, lekin dinner pe milte hain, madam. Uska surprise ready hai." 😉

Shreya (smiling, shaking her head) – "Surprise lover. Theek hai, dekhte hain." 😊

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And that's a wrap for today's chapter! I hope you had fun reading about Shreya and Siddhart's little adventures. I'd really love to hear what you think about this new writing style—let me know your thoughts!

I might not be as regular with updates for a bit, but I promise I'll get the next long chapter out to you as soon as I can. Thanks for sticking around, and I'll catch you in the next one! 😊

See you soon! 🌟