53. CUTE MOMENTS
VEERANSH:
Three days had passed since the allergy incident, but I still hadn't fully relaxed.
The fever was gone, the redness on her skin had faded, and the doctor had assured everyone that Aarohi was recovering well.
Still, every few minutes my eyes drifted toward her automatically, checking if she looked tired or uncomfortable.
Maa kept forcing coconut water and herbal remedies on her while Suhana dramatically warned every servant not to bring outside food near bhabhi again. The haveli had slowly returned to normal, yet something inside me remained restless.
Holi preparations had completely taken over the house by now.
Servants rushed through the long corridors carrying trays of sweets while bright bowls of gulal decorated the courtyard tables.
Maa supervised every arrangement personally, correcting flowers, colors, and decorations with the seriousness of a queen preparing for war.
Suhana argued loudly about organic colors and lectured everyone about "chemical damage" until even the cook looked exhausted. For the first time since returning from Mumbai, the haveli felt alive again.
That morning I stood near the cupboard adjusting my cufflinks when the bathroom door opened softly behind me.
I didn't turn immediately, but I felt her presence instantly.
The faint scent of shampoo drifted through the room along with the soft sound of wet footsteps against marble flooring.
When I finally glanced up, my hands stopped moving for a second.
Aarohi walked out slowly with damp hair falling over one shoulder, droplets of water sliding down her neck before disappearing beneath the edge of her blouse.
She wore a simple saree, light and soft, but the moisture in the air made the fabric cling slightly against her body. Her waist remained partially visible where the saree folded around her, and for a dangerous second my thoughts stopped behaving rationally.
She looked softer lately, not weak exactly, just more feminine somehow. More comfortable. More beautiful. She didn't notice me staring because she walked straight toward the dressing table and sat down, lifting a towel to dry her hair slowly.
Without thinking, I spoke casually. "You've gained weight.
" The reaction was immediate. She froze completely before turning toward me with absolute disbelief written across her face.
"Excuse me?" she asked slowly, as if she genuinely could not believe the audacity coming from my mouth.
I leaned against the cupboard calmly and folded my arms. "From every angle," I replied with complete seriousness.
Her eyes widened instantly. "What do you mean every angle?" she demanded while standing up. I gestured lazily toward her. "From here. And here. And definitely here." She looked horrified. Actually horrified.
For a full second she stared down at herself before rushing toward the mirror like her life depended on immediate inspection. "Oh my God," she muttered under her breath. "Do I actually look fat?" I nodded once, already fighting the smile threatening to break across my face.
That was my mistake. Because now she looked personally betrayed by existence itself. She kept turning left and right in front of the mirror while inspecting herself from every possible angle. "I knew it," she whispered dramatically.
"I knew something looked different after the fever." A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. Soft at first. Then worse when she spun toward me with pure outrage flashing in her eyes. "You're laughing?" she accused immediately.
"Little bit," I admitted. She pointed a finger at me like I had committed a crime. "You were joking?" I shrugged carelessly. "Maybe." Her mouth fell open again. "You are a horrible person." I nodded thoughtfully.
"That's possible." She crossed her arms tightly and glared at me. "You know I was already weak after being sick and you're saying things like this?" I tilted my head slightly. "I said you look healthier." She narrowed her eyes instantly. "You said fat."
"Healthier sounds less entertaining," I replied calmly. That only offended her more. She turned back toward the mirror again while muttering something about dieting and weight loss. "What if I don't look good anymore?" she demanded dramatically.
That made me laugh harder because she genuinely sounded worried. She turned sharply toward me. "Why are you laughing so much?" Because you have absolutely no idea how beautiful you look right now. But I didn't say that aloud.
Instead, I smirked slightly and told her to stop overreacting.
She glared at me one final time before turning quickly toward the door.
"I'm leaving," she announced dramatically.
But the moment she stepped forward, her foot slipped slightly against the smooth marble floor.
"Careful" I started immediately, but it was already too late.
Her ankle twisted and she gasped softly before losing balance completely.
I moved without thinking and caught her before she hit the ground, but the sudden momentum pulled both of us backward together. We crashed against the sofa heavily, her landing directly on top of me while my arm wrapped instinctively around her waist to steady her.
For one suspended second neither of us moved. Then her saree pallu slipped forward and fell across my face softly. I lifted the fabric away slowly and my breath caught instantly.
Her neck was inches from my mouth, slightly flushed from the fall.
Damp strands of hair clung against her skin while the edge of her blouse revealed the delicate curve of her collarbone.
She still hadn't fully realized how exposed she was because she remained distracted by her ankle.
"My foot..." she whispered weakly. But my hand still rested firmly against her waist, and now she finally noticed the position we were in.
Her eyes lifted slowly to meet mine. And the air changed instantly.
My voice dropped lower without permission.
"See?" I murmured softly. "I told you already.
You're ruining my self-control." Her breath caught visibly.
"Me?" she whispered. I tightened my hold slightly.
"You." She tried pushing herself up, but I didn't let her move away immediately.
Not forcefully. Just enough to keep her there for one more dangerous second.
Her heartbeat was fast beneath my hand. I could feel it clearly.
Slowly I leaned forward until my lips brushed lightly against the side of her neck.
Soft. Careful. Testing. She inhaled sharply and her fingers tightened against my shoulders instantly.
"Veeransh ji..." Her voice trembled slightly, and hearing that almost destroyed whatever restraint I still had left.
I kissed her neck again, slower this time, letting my lips linger properly against her skin.
She shivered beneath me. "Please..." she whispered weakly, but there was no force behind the protest. No real resistance.
That was my undoing. I pressed another lingering kiss near her collarbone while my hand moved slowly along her back, holding her securely against me.
Her fingers remained gripping my shoulders tightly, breathing uneven now.
The room felt warmer suddenly. Smaller. More dangerous.
And then the door opened.
"Aar..." Maa's voice stopped abruptly the second she stepped inside.
We froze instantly. For one full second my brain refused to process reality.
Then common sense returned violently. I sat up quickly while helping Aarohi pull her pallu back into place immediately.
Maa stood near the doorway looking completely calm. Not shocked. Not angry. Just... aware.
"Oh," she said slowly. "I'll come back later.
" Aarohi's face turned crimson so quickly it almost impressed me.
She tried standing immediately but winced because of her ankle.
I cleared my throat awkwardly. "She slipped," I explained.
Maa raised one eyebrow slightly. "Yes," she replied calmly.
"I can see that." Aarohi looked like she wanted the floor to open and swallow her alive.
Maa's lips twitched faintly like she was trying not to smile.
"Looks like Holi colors arrived early this year.
" I coughed lightly while attempting to recover some dignity.
"Did you need something?" I asked. Maa nodded casually.
"Just came to tell you both to check the sweets downstairs.
But clearly you're both busy." "We're not," I answered too quickly.
Aarohi shot me a horrified glare instantly.
Maa smiled knowingly before turning toward the door again.
"Come downstairs when you're done." Then she left, closing the door softly behind her.
Silence filled the room immediately afterward.
Thick. Heavy. Aarohi refused to look at me while fixing her saree nervously.
I watched her for a second before muttering under my breath, "I told you already.
You're ruining me." That finally made her glare at me properly.
"I'm ruining you?" she repeated in disbelief.
"You were the one" She stopped mid-sentence, too flustered to finish.
I stepped closer slowly, not touching her this time.
Just close enough for her breathing to become uneven again.
"You were worried about looking fat," I reminded softly.
She crossed her arms defensively. "Yes." I leaned slightly toward her ear before murmuring quietly, "You look perfect to me. "
She froze completely.
And this time..
I wasn't joking at all.