Morning...
Tara was sleeping deeply, her head resting on Vikram's chest as usual, half her body sprawled over him.
Vikram woke up. His eyes softened as they rested on Tara.
"How wrong I was…" he thought. "I hurt her for things she never even did."
He gently moved his fingers through her hair.
Tara stirred awake.
Half-asleep, she mumbled, "Why am I sleeping like this…?"
Vikram smirked, "Because you always do."
Tara sat up quickly, "No, I don't! I just hugged you last night because I was helping you sleep… I don't remember falling asleep like this! And even if I do… you should wake me up!"
Vikram, his eyes holding back emotions, whispered, "I don't wake you… because I like it."
Tara's heart skipped a beat. She immediately changed the topic, "Anyway! I'm not talking to you! So don't ask me anything! I'm very… very angry with you!"
She tried getting out of bed.
Vikram caught her hand gently, "Tara… please… I'm sorry. I know I was wrong. But I'm asking for forgiveness… isn't that enough?"
Tara snapped, "No! Your mistakes aren't something a simple 'sorry' can fix."
Vikram sighed, "I've already said sorry… five or six times! Isn't that enough?"
Tara crossed her arms, "Only five or six times? You made countless mistakes and you're still making them! You should say sorry a hundred times!"
Vikram raised a brow, a little irritated, "What?! You want me to say sorry a hundred times?"
Tara nodded firmly, "Yes. That's exactly what I want. A hundred apologies."
Vikram groaned, "Tara… this is not fair!"
Tara smirked as she walked out of the room, "It is fair, Mr. Suryavanshi… And if you can't do it, then forget about talking to me."
Vikram stared after her, baffled.
"When I say something once, everyone listens. One phone call, and things happen. I've never had to apologize to anyone… and here she's counting how many times I've said sorry? Seriously, Tara? And now she expects a hundred apologies??"
Downstairs…
"Pati… pati hi bolta hai sorry," she said with a knowing smile.
Tara appeared, "Really, Dadi?"
Dadi nodded, "Yes, Tara… husbands are supposed to apologize!"
Dada ji joined them, "Even I still do! No matter whose fault it is!"
Tara smiled sweetly.
In Tara's mind…
"So, I'm not asking for too much. Husbands are supposed to apologize. And Vikram sir's mistakes? They deserve a thousand sorries! I'm just asking for a hundred. Totally reasonable!"
---
Vikram came down for breakfast.
Tara sat on the couch, deliberately ignoring him.
Vikram sat at the dining table but his eyes were stuck on her.
The staff brought his breakfast, "Here you go, sir. Your breakfast… and coffee."
Vikram asked, "Did you add sugar?"
The staff blinked, "Sir… you don't take sugar."
Vikram smiled, "I'll have it today."
Tara watched him, her thoughts running wild,
"Sugar won't help, Mr. Suryavanshi. You still owe me a hundred apologies."
Just then, her phone buzzed with a message.
Vikram: Whatever you're muttering in your mind… you could say it to me too, you know.
Tara: NO. This is my silent revolution.
Vikram chuckled at the reply.
Vikram: Silent revolution? Can you even stay that quiet for long?
Tara: YES. And don't even text me… I won't reply either.
Vikram read her message and thought,
"Why is this so hard? Convincing someone is difficult… but convincing your wife? Impossible!"
Tara went back to her room.
Vikram sighed, "Whenever I'm in the room, she runs downstairs. And when I'm downstairs, she's up in the room! What even is this?"
---
Vikram headed to the office.
At his cabin, the PR team came in.
"Sir, we've cleared all the news off the internet. The Daily Sun printed an apology too. Here."
They showed him the paper.
"We're making sure nothing goes online again that could affect the company or your personal life."
Vikram nodded, "Good. Keep it that way."
After they left, Vikram leaned back,
"One problem solved. Prithvi's still on remand… I'll meet the lawyer later and make sure he gets punished.
But Tara… how do I deal with her? She's not ready to listen at all."
A knock interrupted him.
"Come in," Vikram said.
His manager walked in, "Good morning, sir!"
Vikram, "Tell me something… how do you manage to smile so much?"
The manager laughed, "Sir… I follow one formula—Happy wife, happy life!"
"Damn… true," Vikram thought.
The manager placed some files, got them signed, and was about to leave when Vikram stopped him.
"Wait… how do you keep your wife happy?"
The manager grinned, "Great question, sir! Just say sorry every time… and say yes to whatever she says. No questions."
Then he added playfully, "Is ma'am mad at you?"
Vikram stared for a moment, "Yeah… she is."
"Well… have you said sorry?"
Vikram narrowed his eyes, "Aren't you crossing a line now?"
The manager laughed, "Sir, I've been married five years. I have more experience in this. I can help!"
"Oh yeah? How?"
"Well, ma'am likes K-Dramas… then trust me… flowers and a sorry card work best. It always works in dramas. My wife's a huge fan, so I know! A flower bouquet is a game-changer!"
Vikram thought for a second, "Alright. You may leave now."
---
Vikram smirked to himself,
"That's actually not a bad idea.
I'll send a hundred bouquets… with a hundred sorry cards.
That'll match the hundred sorries she wants… and make her happy.
And yellow roses… her favorite."
He grabbed his phone,
"Send a hundred bouquets of red and yellow roses to my mansion.
And tell the staff to place them all in my room.
Oh—and every bouquet must have a card that says 'I'm sorry, Tara'.
Did you hear me?"
The employee on the other end almost fainted,
"Y-Yes, sir! It'll be done!"
Vikram hung up, feeling oddly relieved,
"This should work.
The manager's usually useless… but this time, he's got a point."
---
One hour later… at the Suryavanshi Mansion…
The staff started carrying bouquets into the house.
Dadi blinked, "So many flowers?"
One staff smiled, "Vikram sir sent them… for Tara ma'am."
Dadi laughed, "There are so many!"
The staff added, "Actually… there are a hundred."
Dadi chuckled, "Alright, go put them all in Tara's room."
---
Tara's room…
There was a knock. Tara opened the door… and froze.
"What… is this?" she gasped.
A female staff smiled, "From Vikram sir… please let us place them. There are… quite a few more."
"More??"
"Yes, ma'am!"
One by one, the staff filled her room with bouquets.
Tara watched in shock as her entire room bloomed with red and yellow roses.
She smiled, "Oh my God… did Vikram sir really do this? I can't believe it! They're so beautiful… and my favorite yellow roses too!"
She touched them, smelled them, took selfies with them…
Then she noticed—each bouquet had a card.
She picked one and read it…
---
Evening… Vikram returned home, confident and cheerful.
The staff smiled at him.
Vikram gave them all a stern glare… and they immediately got back to work.
"Who'd have thought Vikram sir would ever do something like this?"
"I still can't believe it!"
---
In Tara's room…
Vikram walked in, "So… did you like the flowers? And your hundred apologies? Are we good now?"
Tara smiled sweetly, "The flowers… are beautiful."
Vikram smiled back.
Tara added, "But you… I haven't forgiven."
Vikram frowned, "Why? I gave you your hundred apologies!"
Tara pulled out the stack of cards,
"'I'm sorry, Tara'… printed on every single one.
You didn't even write them.
Where's your sorry, Vikram sir?"
She threw all the cards into the dustbin.
Vikram groaned, "Seriously, Tara??"
Tara shouted, "Yes! Seriously!"
Vikram glared, "Fine! Then these flowers should go into the dustbin too!"
Tara snapped, "No! The flowers stay.
The sorry cards are trash… but the flowers stay right here in room!"
Vikram shook his head, "I don't understand your logic."
Tara folded her arms, "You don't need to. And I'm still not talking to you."
Vikram sighed, "This isn't fair."
Tara smiled sweetly, "It's completely fair.
And if you make me yell again… your hundred will turn into two hundred apologies."
Vikram raised his hands, "You're the one yelling."
And he walked off to freshen up.
---
Tara started placing the bouquets around her bed… making a full garden out of them.
Vikram came out of the bathroom…
"Crazy girl…" he muttered.
"I heard that!" Tara shot back.
"And don't make me angrier… or it'll become two hundred!"
Vikram wisely said nothing and went downstairs for dinner.
Tara joined a while later… all smiles, chatting with Dada and Dadi.
---
That night…
Tara lay on the bed, surrounded by flowers… smiling to herself.
Vikram asked, "Aren't you going to sleep beside me tonight?"
Tara smiled, "Nope.
I'm sleeping here… among the flowers.
It feels like I'm sleeping in a garden."
Vikram sighed, "You didn't forgive me… fine. But at least sleep on my bed?"
"Nope!"
Vikram thought,
"She's made a whole flower garden around her bed…
If I even go near… she might raise the apology count again.
At least she's smiling.
I guess that's enough.
Now, how the hell am I supposed to sleep?"
---
Half an hour later…
Tara thought,
"It's fine… I'll fall asleep soon… just close your eyes, Tara."
Both of them tried… whether they slept or not…
Well, that's something only morning will tell.
---