An old melodious tune was playing on the classic gold and black vinyl player, the soft tune was floating around the silent living room.

Closing her eyes she was feeling the tranquility which was scattered in the atmosphere and was humming the song, softly. She was completely enthralled by the melodious tune that's when she heard her voice.

"You like old classic music, " Vikram's mom, Lavanya Rajawat said.

It's been more than twenty minutes since they had been sitting on the same maroon couch in the living room, idle.

Not saying a single word to each other. Only the soulful music coming from the vinyl player was dissolving the silence of the big room.

Opening her eyes, Aadya looked at Lavanya who was sitting beside her. Her face was blank, showing nothing.

From the last fifteen minutes Lavanya was staring at Aadya, studying the girl who had bewitched her son under a spell.

When her husband had told her about their son's sudden marriage, Lavanya was outraged, she saw red.

How can he take such a big decision in his life without asking his parents, especially his mom.

And when her husband further told her that he is not only getting married but he was going to share his wife with other two men, with his best friends. Lavanya had screamed in anger making everyone in her office aware that the furious Lavanya had awoken.

And everyone knew an infuriated Lavanya is the synonym of the great goddess of fury who can cut someone's throat in pieces.

For a second, the thought of killing her own son with her own hands occurred in her mind.

But she tamed that desire, she loves Vikram more than anything in the universe. However she made up her mind to kill that dirty whore who had trapped her son.

She knows these kind of girls who trap rich men to satisfy their lust for money and fame and here this vile girl was spelling her black magic in not only one but three men.

When her husband had told her that they are going to meet their son and see the girl he is going to marry. The only thought which was roaming in her mind was to kill that nasty whore.

The small and sharp knife hidden in her blue Gucci purse was the proof of her hate towards that characterless girl.

However, it's been more than an hour since she saw the girl whom her son was going to marry after two days and she hadn't touched that purse till now.

She was only staring at the young girl who was humming the song with a little smile on her face.

The men of the house were upstairs in their study room having a serious conversation which Lavanya wasn't interested in and the two girls Priya and Drishti were in the kitchen, giving the final touch to tonight's dinner.

She herself had sent them away in the kitchen.

It was only Lavanya and Aadya in the living room. It was a perfect opportunity to kill this slut who was bound to destroy her son's life.

Lavanya just wanted to clutch this characterless girl under her fist and slice her throat open.

However she was just sitting there idle, gawking at the girl beside her.

It was not like Aadya couldn't feel Lavanya's eyes on her, but she ignored it just like Lavanya had ignored her when Aadya had greeted her politely.

"I apologize Aunty, I would have brought flowers for you if I had known you were visiting us tonight."

She had said it politely, not being over excited or over submissive showing her gentle manners and elegance.

Lavanya was surprised by the way Aadya greeted her with a genuine smile and respect. Her posture screamed elegance like a little lady, it didn't take much time for Lavanya to realize that Aadya's parents had raised her up good, with proper manners and etiquette.

Aadya was nothing like a nasty bitch she had imagined her son was going to marry. In contrast, she looked pretty elegant.

But she was hell bound to not give even a tiny bit of praise to Aadya, so not even looking up from the the book she was reading, she said, coldly, "I am not your Aunty. Call me ma'am."

A sudden awkwardness had risen up in the atmosphere by the way Lavanya had ignored Aadya but Aadya didn't take her cold behavior to heart and moved to meet her soon to be brother in law.

And now as she initiated the conversation herself, Aadya couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yes I do like old classic music. Don't you like it, ma'am," Aadya smirked in her mind when she called her ma'am and Lavanya suddenly straightened her back.

She is cute, Aadya chuckled internally.

While coming here in the triumvirate estate Lavanya was thinking of a thousand different ways of killing Aadya. For her a painless death like getting stabbed by a knife was not enough for a vile woman like Aadya.

But now looking at Aadya she pouted mentally, she was not mirroring the image of a bitch she had created in her mind.

"Your choice of music is so plain and boring. Nothing like what my Vikram likes. You are not a good match for my son," she said in a curt tone, looking in her eyes.

Aadya frowned and a small pout formed on her glossy lips. Tilting her head she asked Lavanya,"I am not good for Vikram because we don't have the same taste in music? I don't think it's a fair reason to say someone is not worthy of someone.

My mumma loved Queen and The Beatles but my Papa was die hard Kishore and Mohammad Rafi fan. As far as I remember their different taste in music never created a high conflict between them however it brought them closer. They started appreciating different genres of music," Aadya smiled remembering how her parents would quarrel over which music is better but atlast end up listening to both the genres.

That's where she got her love for music.

"It's not about music you stupid girl. You are not a good match for my Vikram in any other ways. My son deserves the best and I know you are not the best. You are just a random girl. My son deserves a girl like a princess, sweet, beautiful, confident, polite. A girl who will love him with her heart, and give her love only to him." she said, stretching the last words.

Lavanya's eyes were sparkling bright when she was describing the girl she wants for her son. She was uttering those words with so much passion and with a small smile on her lips.

Aadya was in awe. She saw the love for Vikram in Lavanya's eyes. It was the first emotion which she saw rising on her face.

She looked more beautiful when she showed the love she has for her son.

"Vikram's wife should be the most beautiful and... " Lavanya was saying when Aadya cut her in the middle.

"You love him the most right?" she asked.

"Yes. I love my boy the most. He is my first... " she answered it in a bit but stopped when she registered who had asked the question.

She looked at Aadya and clearing her throat she said, "I love both of my kids. Vikram and Aditya, equally."

"No, you don't. You love Vikram a little more," shaking her head, Aadya said in a taunting manner.

Lavanya snapped a icy glare at Aadya's way, if it was some other girl in place of Aadya she would have cried like a baby till now by the way Lavanya was glaring.

Aadya matched Lavanya's glare with her own neutral gaze, a small notorious smile slowly curved on her lips.

It seems like I have hit a weak nerve, Aadya mused.

"You don't know anything about me, little girl. I love both of my kids with everything and I don't find it valuable to explain myself to a slut like you" she spat the words in Aadya's face.

Aadya didn't mind her words at all and chuckled a little, irritating Lavanya more.

"Okay ma'am I get it, you love both of your boys equally."

"Tell me one more thing, why do you think I don't have all those things that you want in Vikram's wife ? " Aadya asked, genuinely.

Am I really not that pretty that she thinks I am not the perfect match for Vikram.

Lavanya again glanced at Aadya and with an arrogant smirk she said, "Can't you see, my boy is extremely handsome and charming. His wife should be no less than an angel," moving her gaze to all over Aadya's face, she continued, "Don't take it wrong but you are not that pretty."

Hearing her words Aadya chuckled internally, finding her cuter than before. The way Lavanya was giving her sour looks while expressing her love for her son was adorable.

She is a typical Indian mum, always wanting the best for her son. Vikram is very fortunate to have a mum like her, Aadya thought.

If her mumma was here she would also reject every man who wants to pursue Aadya.

Her heart was stung by the sudden gloominess remembering her deceased mother who would hold her close to her chest whenever she would cry when other kids would bully her.

Just like Lavanya her mother also used to say , "My girl is the most beautiful and precious. No one is better than her, she is the best," and would kiss her forehead, affectionately.

Her eyes brimmed with tears, looking down she tried to hide her tearful eyes and control her emotions.

Lavanya who was literally gushing about how perfect her son is suddenly noticed how silent Aadya had become she unwillingly glanced at her and saw the gloomy look on her face, she could see the silent tears on her eyelashes as Aadya blinked it rapidly to get rid of those betraying tears.

Lavanya should feel good seeing the tears in her eyes but somehow in a weird way she didn't like seeing her sad.

Is she crying because I said she isn't that beautiful, Lavanya thought.

"You silly Girl, stop your waterworks. You are crying as if I have called you the ugliest girl in the world," Lavanya scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Aadya glanced at her, frowning.

Is she thinking that I am crying because of her? Aadya wondered and a sudden mischievous plan occurred in her mind.

Shutting her eyes tightly she brought more tears in her eyes and opening them she looked at Lavanya with an innocent look and said in a small, quavering voice, "You know, your words actually made me realize how average I am. I was always insecure of my body and now your words made me realize that I am not that beautiful to be someone's bride. I am not beautiful. I am ugly," her nose turned red as she whispered the words with her moist eyes.

Her quivering voice melted Lavanya's cold heart and her strict eyes turned into soft ones as she said, "Don't think you are ugly. You are very pretty. You know I thought my son would bring a fake plastic doll with him but when I saw you I was genuinely surprised. Yes you are not the most beautiful girl, but you do have a charming aura around you and... and your skin. The most beautiful thing about you is your skin, it's so soft and shiny. You have luminescent skin, do you have any idea how many girls these days wish for a skin like yours. You know.. " Lavanya stopped when she looked at the cheesy grin on Aadya's lips.

"But you said I am not pretty," she sang, grinning widely.

"A - a- I -i...umm," Lavanya was speechless, she was supposed to humiliate this girl not praise her.

Aadya couldn't help herself and let out a hearty giggle, she had caught Lavanya off guard.

"So cute," Lavanya glared at Aadya when she pinched her chin and gushed at her cuteness.

"Don't touch me," she yelled, slapping Aadya's hand away from her face.

"It's clear you don't want me in your son's life. So who do you think is the perfect match for your son? Tell me," leaning back on the maroon couch she asked, genuinely wanting to know the answer.

Lavanya Rajawat was confused for a second by her question," My Vikram is a diamond, strong and precious. He deserves the best and right now in my eyes the girl who really deserves my Vikram is Anne. She is a sweet girl, classy and elegant," she said, nodding subconsciously.

As soon as the words left her mouth a loud laugh echoed in the living room, clutching her stomach with her hands Aadya was laughing with her heart.

"Ma'am y-you are re-a-lly funny," keeping her hands over her mouth she tried to suppress her laughter but failed miserably.

Holy cow! A cow is better than that, Anne The Minnie moo.

"What is so funny about it? " Lavanya glared.

Aadya controlled her laugh and took some deep breaths.

Taking the glass of water from the coffee table, Aadya had a small sip and said, " there is nothing funny about it. "

"Then why did you laugh? "

" I laughed because you claim you love your son very much but you are dreaming of destroying his life. It's ironic," she shook her head.

"Have you lost your mind? Or now are you showing your true colors? How can you say something like that? Yes I am a strict mother but I can never even in my worst dreams think about destroying Vikram's life," Lavanya fumed in anger, clenching out the words.

"If you truly cared for your son then you would have thought about where his true happiness lies. His happiness lies in his friends, his happiness lies in me. I can see it in your eyes. You hate what we are doing, you loath what your son is doing. I know it's not normal. But it is what it is. We found our happiness in each other, we found our home together with each other. This is what makes your son happy. I make your son happy and that makes me the perfect girl for your son. Not that girl," Aadya seethed the words looking deep in her eyes.

She wasn't annoyed about the fact that Lavanya despised her but it really angered Aadya that she was treating her son like he was some kind of her personal possession. How can she think that a girl like Anne Hayat is good for a big hearted man like Vikram. Aadya sympathizes with Vikram.

"I know you love your son ma'am. I know you always think of his betterment. And that's where you become wrong. You thought about what is best for him but you have never thought about what makes him happy. There is a huge difference ma'am open your eyes and see it," Aadya poured her heart out.

Her words were like needles poking on Lavanya's heart, so blunt and straight. Her face turned pale as the reality of Aadya's words shocked her. Making her anxious and terrified.

No one had ever spoken to her like Aadya did. She would have kicked Aadya till now but the truthfulness of Aadya's words wrenched her heart. She couldn't deny the allegations Aadya was throwing her way.

Lavanya just stares at her for a long minute.

"You care for my son. It hurts you when he gets hurt," gulping down the tears of shame she said.

"I do," Aadya muttered, glancing away from her pale face.

"Will you always fight for my son? Always take care of him?"

Aadya's hands were shaking slightly with her rugged heartbeats, she had said way too much. Playing with the rings on her fingers she again glanced at Lavanya and said," what do you think? "

"I hate you Aadya."

Aadya smiled, saying,"I know."

"I am a selfish, terrible mother right? " she asked after a few minutes.

"No ma'am, you are not. You are the best mum, just a little innocent," now it was Lavanya's turn to laugh.

Aadya smiled seeing how freely she was laughing, she looks prettier when she laughs.

"Innocent? You are a stupid girl. Innocent and Lavanya are opposite of each other."

.....

The study room of the triumvirates the silence was resonating summoning a quiet but a covert silence.

Aadya, who was placing the dishes on the dining table, glanced upstairs towards this silent study room, waiting for the three men to come downstairs and be with her.

It's been too long without them. She only sighed and looked at drishti who was giving her a cold shoulder for no reason.

" Your mom. Mrs. Singh, why didn't she come?" she asked her politely just to dilute the silence that had engulfed them as they were setting the dishes on the dining table.

Priya, who was busy on her phone, glanced up at them and said," umm I am going to call them for dinner." She ascended the stairs while skipping two stairs at a time.

"Priya!" Lavanya yelled, not happy with the way she was ascending up the stairs.

Aadya glanced at Priya and then Lavanya and again moved her gaze to Drishti and asked, "Did she don't like me? Or she is against our marriage," she asked, flatly.

For the first time Drishti looked up at Aadya. In the last one hour she was successful in dodging any personal encounters with her but now it seemed like she had to speak to her.

She was ignoring to look at Aadya's face, scared by the thought of what if the girl Rudra has fallen for was actually prettier than her.

And now when she finally looked at Aadya and saw how truly beautiful Aadya was, a sudden fire of jealousy ignited in her chest.

Aadya tucked a hair piece behind her ear and waited for her reply, however Drishti was only staring blankly at her face.

She wanted to scream profanities at Aadya, she mentally cursed Aadya for stealing her first love but didn't say anything on her face. She is a princess, a real princess. She can never cross that line of etiquette and respect. And Aadya was going to become a part of their family soon so she kept her mouth shut not wanting to create any scene tonight.

But she was finding it difficult to damp the fire burning inside her.

"It's not you. It's my brother because of whom my mother is not here," she told her in a curt tone.

Aadya knitted her brows in confusion and raised her concern, "But why? I thought Digvijay shares a good bond with his mother."

"They do have a beautiful relationship. However, mother stopped believing in brother's choice of woman. Brother's first marriage was a blunder, Mother had not forgotten him for that marriage and she thinks that you are also the same as his first wife. But the only difference is that she made my brother's life hell. You are going to make all three men's life hell. I don't want to sound rude but I think the same," Aadya could see the anger in her eyes, she didn't get why she was being so rude to her however she ignored it.

Her anger or love doesn't make any difference for Aadya.

"So she has a problem with our marriage too? " she asked.

Drishti sighed,"99665***** That's my mother's number. Why don't you call her and ask it yourself," she gave her a tight lipped smile and sauntered away from there.

Aadya looked at her retrieved figure, it wasn't difficult for her to understand that Drishti didn't like her a bit.

She again glanced up towards the way to the study room, what's taking them so long, she wondered.

Sitting in an armchair with his legs crossed, puffing the smoke of the cigar, Mr. Rajawat watched the three men with a superior look.

"Want some ?" he said in a dull tone, twisting the cigar stick in his fingers.

Vikram who was leaning on the wall beside the large window with his hands in his pockets, blew out a breath through his mouth and looked at his father, "What's the matter dad. Explain fast, someone is waiting for me downstairs."

Mr. Rajawat's lips twisted in a mocking smirk hearing the concern in his son's words. His careless, foul mouthed, shameless son was caring for a girl. He found it interesting.

"You care for her so much!" He raised an eyebrow, moving his gaze to Digvijay who was leaning on the sides of the wooden desk table.

"Don't you care for your wife?" It was Rudra who asked him in an annoyed tone.

"Mind your tongue Rudra or it would not take me a minute to cut your tongue and give it to your Aadya as her wedding gift," Mr. Rajawat said, sharply.

"Why are you being so hostile to our marriage dad? You didn't have the problem with our relationship before," Vikram shook his head, sighing helplessly.

Vikram did not understand why he was against their marriage when earlier he didn't have any problem.

Before Mr. Rajawat could say anything he again said, " We don't give a flying fuck Dad if you support us or not. So just spit whatever the fuck you have in mind. We don't have much time."

"Vikram ! Don't forget you are talking to our dad," Aditya snapped standing up from his place.

"Adi.." Mr. Rajawat waved his hand in dismissal, telling his younger son to not lose his calm.

"Sorry dad," Vikram apologized, looking down.

His apology was followed by a deep, poignant silence.

Mr. Rajawat took another puff from the cigar and dispose the unwanted ash in the glass ashtray which was kept near him on the wooden table.

His eyes were fixed on the black ashes when suddenly he started chuckling and in the next moment the whole room was engulfed by the sound of his laugh.

Throwing his head back on his chair, he laughed, his eyes shutting down in the mirth of his laughter. Between his laugh he took a small puff from the cigar, shaking his head in the humor of this situation but this time his favorite smoke of the cigar made him cough, vigorously.

In a second all the four young men were around him. Vikram snatched the cigar stick from his hand and started rubbing his back.

"Uncle J. Are you alright?" asked Rudra, worriedly.

"This cigar is not for the old man like you, Uncle j. Stop smoking it otherwise it will smoke you one day." Digvijay said, dumping the cigar in the ashtray, completely destroying it.

"I am not old," he said, coughing which made all the men sigh.

As his coughing got in his control he again started chuckling, making everyone confused.

Why the hell is this old man laughing so much!

"You.. Mr. Digvijay Singh. The almighty king of one of the richest states of this country. I remember I once had a conversation with your father during one of our drink sessions.

You know what he had said. 'Dude, you know sometimes I feel I have a stone for a son. As stiff as the stone, bloody idiot don't have a single bone of romance and love in his body. God bless the girl who will marry my son' and here you are claiming to be falling in love with someone. My friend must be feeling relieved in heaven." he wiped the happy tears from his eyes remembering his late friend who was proud and arrogant in front of the world but a man with a golden heart for his friends. He can never forget how madly he loved his wife.

A frown arose in Digvijay's forehead. He never knew his father thought like that about him. As far as he knows his father himself doesn't have a romantic bone in him. Only if he knew the reality.

"And you, Rudra Pratap Singh, a man who follows his father like an obedient pet dog. Does whatever his father says. There was a time when you would have jumped in the well if your father had told you to. But look at you now going against your father whom you love and respect the most in the world. Only for the girl whom you have known only for a few weeks. Love can do wonders sometimes," he shook his head, chuckling.

Rudra thinned his lips, moving his gaze away, not able to hear the truth. He was choosing a girl over his father. It was the most selfish a son could be.

"And here is my son, Vikram Rajawat. The man who carries condoms in his pockets instead of money, the man who use to fuck six women a day. My son who changes women as if they were some filthy clothes. The all famous player of the town Vikram Rajawat has finally fallen for the girl and is about to devote his whole life to a single woman. I myself have seen the changes she has brought in you but you know what son? It seems so good to be true. You three falling in love, it seems unreal."

Vikram met his father's intense gaze and asked in a serious tone,"What are you trying to say Dad? Say it clearly."

Leaning back on his chair, he closed his eyes with a deep thought running in his mind. After a few minutes he said, "I hate this game."

"What game, Dad ?" asked Aditya, frowning.

"The one your brothers are playing."

"Dad, what do you mean ? I don't understand," Aditya glanced at the triumvirate and then again looked at his dad and asked. He did not understand what his father was talking about.

"Do you want to explain it to your brother,Vikram," he said with his eyes closed.

"There is nothing to explain dad," Vikram sighed.

"Oh really!" his closed eyes flung open as he roared like a lion and threw the ashtray across the table on the wall.

"Dad," Aditya yelled as he dodged the ashtray by bending down in time, otherwise it would have hit his head.

"I am aware of the hate you three have for Abhimanyu. It's far beyond just a business enmity. You three loathe him, especially Vikram. If it wasn't for me you would have killed him. Then how can you fall in love with his sister? I am smelling something bad in your so-called love," he asked his son.

And walking up to Vikram he looked dead in his son's eyes, "Are you playing with that girl? Are you planning a wicked revenge on Abhimanyu in this way? Are you going to break her?"

His questions pierced Vikram's heart. His own father was doubting the feelings he had developed for Aadya, "Are you doubting me dad?" he asked after a long time.

"No I am not. I am just being cautious for that girl. She is alone and I can't let anyone take advantage of her loneliness. I will take care of her from the evil eyes even from my own son's," he said.

"Just imagine father, you are getting protective of her in just one meeting. Then I am your son, Dad. How can I hurt her or let anyone hurt her? I do have genuine feelings for her in my heart, Dad."

"I do hate Abhimanyu. And it's because of me, Digvijay and Rudra hate him. But you can't forget what he had done to us. He backstabbed me, Dad. I am not like him, I have your blood running in my veins dad. We are Rajawats, we don't attack the enemy from behind. We look in the eyes of the enemy, we tell them and kill them, taking their dignity in front of their eyes, not behind them."

"Aadya is not a part of any of our games, Uncle J. However she is part of our hearts. We can never use her as a weapon against Abhimanyu. You don't have to worry. We will never disappoint you." Rudra pronounced the words which came directly from his heart.

"I just wanted to hear that," Mr. Rajawat looked at them with relief in his eyes.

"But didn't you say, you are happy for them. You have seen love in Vikram's eyes for that girl that's why you are accepting their relationship wholeheartedly," Aditya said, scratching his chin. He wondered if his dad was doubting the three men's intentions then why he had told him to decorate their home for their marriage.

"You were testing us," Digvijay summed up after hearing what Aditya said.

Mr. Rajawat sighed at his son's stupidity. He sometimes acts just like his mother.

"Who is testing whom," Priya asked entering the study room.

"No one is testing anyone, Priya." Rudra replied to his sister.

"Don't tell me if you don't want to but at least don't lie to me," she rolled her eyes and sauntered towards Mr. Rajawat.

"Uncle J. Do you love me? " she asked him with her big eyes and small pout.

"No, Dad. Say no. She is planning something wicked."

Priya scoffed at Aditya saying how such a cute girl can plan something wicked.

"I agree with Priya, she is too cute to plan something wicked. I do love you, Priya. Tell me what do you want, sweetheart," pinching her chubby cheeks, Mr. Rajawat asked, affectionately.

"Uncle J. I really liked Aadya. She is such a sweet girl. She is going to get married in just two days and she doesn't have any family members with her. She is all alone in the most special time of her life. I want to make this marriage a little more special for her, I wanna throw a bachelorette party for her. It's a good idea right ? "

The three men shouted a clear no as soon as the word bachelorette escaped her mouth. Priya flinched because of their loud tone and cowered closer to Mr. Rajawat.

Blinking her eyes innocently she stuck out her lower lip and said, "Please Uncle J. Every bride deserves a bachelorette party. So can I please throw a party for my babez ?"

Mr. Rajawat's heart melted like butter by her cuteness and without giving a second thought he uttered,"Of course."

....