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In a room filled with tension, Kriti entered for the second time, gently freeing her hand from Nishank's grasp.

Her voice quivered with a mix of confusion and concern as she questioned, "What are you doing, and what is happening here? And the main question, where will I sleep tonight?"

Nishank's gaze shifted between her and the bed, causing Kriti's heart to skip a beat as fear and surprise washed over her.

"Why...Why are you looking at... at the bed? It's yours," she stammered, meeting his gaze with wide eyes.

Drawing closer, Nishank murmured, "You are also mine," his own words catching him off guard.

Kriti held his gaze, her expression betraying a multitude of emotions.

Attempting to divert the conversation, he hastily suggested, "I mean, you can sleep on the floor, and I'll take the bed."

Kriti's mood shifted, frustration evident in her voice. "What do you mean, I sleep on the floor? This is all your fault for letting him stay here."

Teasingly, Nishank retorted, "You were the one who welcomed him, don't forget. So, the floor it is for you."

Frustration mounting, she snapped, "He is yours, deal with it. I don't care. I only said what an obedient wife should say, right?"

Seeking an escape, he proposed, "You can refuse him with some excuses, can't you?"

Defiantly, she declared, "Fine, let me tell him I'm not your real wife, and then I can live in peace in my own room."

In a sudden burst of anger, Nishank pushed her against the wall, his voice dripping with menace. "Shhh...Don't even think about it. You are my wife in the eyes of the world, and no one must know otherwise. Not even my job. Do you understand?" His eyes blazed with fury.

Pain etched in her voice, Kriti pleaded, "Let go, Nishank. It hurts."

Unmoved by her pain, he warned, "It will hurt more if you breathe a word of this to anyone," before storming off, leaving her shaken.

Tears welled in Kriti's eyes as she watched him go, her heart heavy with sorrow. "Is this how you treat a woman? Your performance today was impeccable," she murmured bitterly.

Nishank moved back and looked at her with guilt and then he descended the stairs, his heart heavy with remorse.

Meanwhile, Kriti, broken and defeated, wiped away her tears and resignedly murmured, "This time, I have no complaints, God. I know my fate," before retreating silently to her own room.

She took a mattress and a blanket and brought it to his room where she lay down on the mattress on the floor, cocooned in her blanket.

Nishank was overwhelmed with a deep sense of sadness, a heavy weight pressing on his heart, though he couldn't quite grasp the reason behind it.

Yet, amidst this emotional turmoil, a newfound tenderness bloomed within him, a caring instinct that he found both surprising and unsettling. Despite his inner conflict, he felt compelled to heed his father's counsel.

Seeking solace, he stepped outside to inhale the crisp, refreshing air. Upon returning, he ascended the stairs and gently pushed open the door, revealing Kriti's slumbering form. She lay there, having brought her own makeshift bedding.

As Nishank settled into bed, sleep eluded him, his mind consumed with thoughts of Kriti. He recalled the moment they first met, her fleeing from her wedding with a joyous spirit. Now, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had inadvertently brought more turmoil into her life.

He got up from his bed and looked at Kriti. Observing Kriti's discomfort sleeping on the floor, he couldn't ignore her plight.

With a tender gesture, he lifted her from the ground and placed her beside him, careful not to intrude upon her personal space.

Yet, even in her slumber, she seemed restless, perhaps tormented by a troubling dream. Nishank got up from his bed and scooped her in his arms.

He looked at her face which was so beautiful, he immediately put her on his bed and draped a blanket over her and settled back into his own space.

Sharing the queen-sized bed, he positioned Kriti at a distance, ensuring they wouldn't inadvertently touch during the night.

But as he closed his eyes, a sensation stirred within him. To his surprise, Kriti had unconsciously embraced him in her sleep.

Nervous and shy, Nishank couldn't help but blush at the unexpected intimacy.

He attempted to gently disentangle himself from her embrace, but she clung to him stubbornly, unwilling to part. Surrendering to the moment, he allowed her to continue sleeping in his arms.

The next morning, as the clock struck eight, Kriti awoke to find herself in an unfamiliar, colorless room.

Recollection of the previous night flooded back, leaving her bewildered about how she ended up on the bed.

She panicked a little and then went directly downstairs, but there was no one there.

Asha came out from the kitchen, Kriti asked her "where is Nishank".

Asha replied her "ma'am, Nishank sir and Arora sir went together".

Kriti said "ok" and went back to her room. Her mood was not good and even her feet also paining.

She said in irritation "why they both went together, if they can go together, this means they are friends so can't they stay together and I can live peacefully."

After saying this she went to her own room and search an outfit for the day and went towards the washroom and got fresh for the day.

Today she was wearing a pink colour Anarkali suit. In which she was obviously looking pretty.

                         Mrs. Kriti Malhotra

After having breakfast by herself, Kriti went back to her room, hoping to find some peace. But her thoughts were still consumed by how she ended up on the bed.

Feeling confused, she muttered to herself, "Could I have been sleepwalking? No, that doesn't make sense. I've never done that before. Maybe Nish...no, that's impossible. So, how did it happen?"

She had been consumed by these thoughts all day and even had a conversation with Megha.

She asked Megha to help her find a job, and Megha managed to secure one for her, although reluctantly. The job was as a waitress.

Given her current situation, this seemed to be the safest option for her. The Verma family had their eyes on her, so she decided to accept the job and requested all the necessary details from Megha.

Also she told Megha to not to tell anyone about not even mom and dad. Megha agreed easily on this as she always trust her sister.

Later that day, Nishank and Mr. Arora returned home late and didn't find Kriti. Mr. Arora suggested, "She might be in your room. Let's go check."

Nishank responded, "There's no need. She is my wife. I'll meet her later. She might have had dinner and gone to sleep. We shouldn't disturb her."

Mr. Arora eyed him suspiciously but said, "Alright, Nishank, let's have dinner then."

Nishank retorted, "Why do you keep calling me by my name directly?"

Mr. Arora replied with a smile, "You can call me by my name too, my dear friend."

Frustrated by the situation, Nishank conceded, "Okay, Varun. Let's have dinner."

They both ate quietly and then retired to their respective rooms.

Nishank, still wanting to see Kriti, remembered that he had left early that morning for an important meeting. And even at the night he ruined her mood. He quietly opened the door to her room but found it empty.

He was confused about where she could be. Could she really be in his room? He went to his room and saw Kriti lying on a mattress on the floor, engrossed in some sort of book.

It looked like a book of guide, but he paid little attention to it. She looked stunning, like a princess, in her pink anarkali suit. His eyes were fixed on her.

Since she was starting her new job the next day, she must have been studying how to perform it. She hadn't noticed him, as she was deeply absorbed in reading.

Feeling a bit self-conscious, he nervously approached her and asked, "What are you doing?"

Kriti still didn't notice him. He moved closer, took the book from her hands, and repeated, "What are you reading that you can't even hear me?"

Kriti quickly snatched the book back before he could see the title. "Nothing," she stammered. "It's just a... fictional book." It was an obvious lie, but Nishank didn't want to start an argument.

"Okay, but don't ignore me again," he said firmly.

She looked at him and replied, "Seriously? Okay, got it."

She then set the book aside and went to sleep.

Nishank also went to his bed. Suddenly, Kriti remembered the morning and asked, "Nishank, how did I end up in your bed this morning?"

He had forgotten about that but kept his composure. "Do you sleep in my bed often? Why?" he asked.

She was taken aback. "If he didn't know, then who does?" she thought.

"Tell me, why were you in my bed?" he pressed.

"I don't know," she replied. "It must have been sleepwalking."

He chuckled softly, but she didn't notice as she was lying on the floor.

He said, "Don't do this again."

She retorted, "Of course, who wants to sleep with you?" Realizing how that sounded, she quickly corrected herself, "I mean... on your bed."

By this time, Nishank was pretending to be asleep. Kriti, not getting any response, got up from her place and muttered, "Vampire," before lying back down.

With a devilish smile, Nishank murmured, "Vampire, huh?" But he remained silent after that.

After a while, when Kriti was in a deep sleep, Nishank quietly got up from his bed and gently moved her onto it. He knew she wasn't comfortable on the mattress, even tonight.

He wondered why he was acting so strangely but brushed it off, deciding, "I'll get a check-up tomorrow," before going back to sleep.

The next morning, Nishank woke up to find Kriti hugging him. His cheeks flushed a little pink, but he didn't want to disturb her. Carefully, he tried to remove her hand and, after some effort, succeeded.

He went to the bathroom to get ready for his day but made sure to place her back on the mattress so she wouldn't suspect anything.

Kriti woke up around eight-thirty, a few minutes after Nishank and Varun had left the house.

She saw the time and hurriedly got up from her place. She was supposed to wake up early but was already late.

Frustrated, she muttered, "Why couldn't he wake me up too?" and rushed towards the washroom.

Today she wore a casual outfit, knowing she would have to change into her work uniform at the restaurant.

                            Ms. Kriti Verma

However, she made sure to wear her mangalsutra, just in case anyone who knew Nishank saw her.

She was acutely aware of her precarious situation and how quickly things could go wrong.

She had her breakfast early, surprising Asha. Kriti pleaded with Asha, "Please don't tell Nishank that I'm out of the house for the day. If he asks, tell him I went to a friend's house. Please, Asha, please do this for me."

Asha hesitated but finally agreed, "Okay, ma'am."

Kriti left the house and found an auto-rickshaw about a kilometer away from Nishank's place, as his house was in a very quiet area.

Half an hour later, she arrived at her destination. She paid the auto driver and walked into the restaurant, looking for the manager. As she navigated the space, she accidentally bumped into someone.

"Can't you see that someone is standing here?" she exclaimed, frustrated.

He replied, "Oh really... I think you were on your phone and clashed with me."

She looked down, embarrassed. "Oh, I'm really sorry. I was searching for the manager and calling him. So sorry."

He laughed, "It's okay, no need to apologize. Come with me; I'll show you where the manager is."

She followed him and soon reached the manager's office. After a long conversation, she was delighted to hear that her job was confirmed.

The manager said, "So, Ms. Kriti Verma, your job is now confirmed. You can start working from today."

Kriti didn't change her name because, after a year and even in her documents, she was still Kriti Verma.

She hadn't told anyone there that she was married. It was a risk, but she felt confident that no one at this place knew Nishank, and customers were unlikely to ask if she was married. To be safe, she wore her mangalsutra as a bracelet.

She said with a smile, "Thank you, sir."

The manager replied, "Vijay, help her today and show her how to greet customers and handle other tasks."

"Oh, his name was Vijay" she thought. She noticed him properly now, realizing he was the same person she had clashed with earlier. He was actually quite handsome and seemed to have a good heart.

Vijay said, "Come with me, I'll show you your outfit." He walked ahead, and she followed him.

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