Page 94 of The Defiant Wife

Vihaan laughs. "You know, she's your wife now, you can simply go and talk to her."

"Go and bother Poorvi, Vihaan." He pats my shoulder once before disappearing into the crowd, looking far too pleased with himself.I sigh quietly before walking across the lawn.

Guests step aside as I make my way toward the children's corner.

Diya notices my shadow before she notices me.She looks up, brushes a blade of grass from her saree, and gets to her feet.

"Well," she says, folding her arms, "look who finally escaped the royal networking committee." She smirks,"I was beginning to think they stationed you beside the pillars permanently."

I stop in front of her."Someone has to supervise you."

She raises an eyebrow."Oh?"

"You've managed to destroy the balloon arrangement in less than ten minutes."She looks behind her before turning back to me.

"It's a birthday party, Veeraj.Not a military parade."

"It was a perfectly good arrangement."

"It was boring."

"It was organized."

"It lacked personality."

I look at her.She looks back without even trying to hide her grin. She's right though, if she wished to she could give personality to everything around her.

Her attention shifts somewhere over my shoulder.I follow her gaze.

A few feet away, Devraj bhai sa gently adjusts Meher bhabhi sa's dupatta after the wind slips it from her shoulder. She smiles at him, and he quietly brushes a loose strand of hair away from her face before they walk toward the guests together.Neither of them seems aware that anyone is watching.

Diya reaches into the little embroidered pouch hanging from her wrist and pulls out her phone.She quietly lifts it.

Click. Another click.

I glance sideways at her."What are you doing?"

She doesn't lower the phone."I'm taking pictures."

"Bhai sa hired professional photographers."

"I know."

"Then why?"

She smiles softly without taking her eyes off the screen."They'll capture the posed photographs.They'll get everyone looking at the camera."She lowers the phone slightly."But moments likethis . . . "She looks toward Devraj bhai sa and Meher bhabhi sa again." . . . they'll probably miss."

Her smile grows gentler."I like photographing people when they don't know anyone is watching.They look the most beautiful then."

Something inside me shifts.Before I even think about it, I pull my own phone from my pocket. I don't point it toward my brother. I point it at her. The golden lights catch in her hair. Her eyes are fixed on the couple in front of us. She's smiling without realizing it. There's something so open about her expression that I don't want the moment to disappear.

I press the shutter.

Click.

She freezes. Slowly, she turns toward me.Her eyes widening." . . . Did you just take a picture of me?"

I glance down at the screen for a second before saving it.Then I slide my phone back into my pocket.