chapter 59 - The Man in the Kitchen
Early Morning – Malhotra Mansion
Aarav Malhotra was not a man who apologized.
He had never needed to.
His presence alone demanded obedience. His words were law. His silence was enough to crush a person.
But none of that worked on her.
Ira Sharma was unaffected by his power.
And that was driving him insane.
Which was why, at seven in the morning, instead of being in his study with a cup of coffee, he was walking toward the kitchen.
Only to freeze at the doorway.
Because she was already there.
Ira stood near the counter, working alongside the servants, her hair loosely tied, her face unreadable.
She hadn’t even noticed him.
Or maybe… she was choosing not to notice him.
His jaw clenched.
How much longer was she going to punish him?
Without a word, he stepped inside.
One of the servants immediately noticed and looked startled. “Sir, do you need something?”
Ira’s hands paused on the rolling pin. But she still didn’t look up.
That hurt more than it should have.
“I’ll make breakfast today.” Aarav’s voice was firm.
The staff exchanged nervous glances.
Ira remained silent.
After a second, she simply resumed rolling out the paratha.
Aarav’s patience snapped a little. “Ira.”
She didn’t react.
It was as if he didn’t exist.
Fine.
If she was going to ignore him, then he was going to force her to acknowledge him.
Without another word, he stepped closer, grabbed a knife, and started chopping vegetables right beside her.
The staff watched in horror.
Ira didn’t even blink.
For the next five minutes, he worked silently beside her.
At first, the chopping was loud and sharp, filled with tension.
But then, his movements slowed.
His eyes flickered to her hands. The way she rolled out the dough. The way her fingers pressed against the counter.
He had held those hands. Kissed them.
And now? She wouldn’t even look at him.
The frustration inside him grew unbearable.
He was about to say something when—
“WHAT THE HELL?”
Aarav turned to see Kabir standing at the door, staring in disbelief.
And behind him?
Vihaan and Anika, both looking equally shocked.
“BHAI?” Anika’s eyes were wide. “You’re cooking?”
Vihaan whistled. “Damn. Bhabhi must be really mad.”
Kabir shook his head. “No, no, no. This is unnatural. Bhai, blink twice if she’s blackmailing you.”
Aarav ignored them. “Do you three have nothing better to do?”
Anika smirked. “Nope.”
Vihaan leaned against the counter. “So, what did you do?”
Aarav’s grip on the knife tightened.
Ira finally spoke.
“Aren’t you all wasting time? If you’re going to stand here, at least make yourselves useful.”
Kabir gasped dramatically. “Are we getting bossed around?”
Vihaan laughed. “I like this side of Bhabhi.”
Anika held her hands up in surrender. “Fine, fine! We’ll help.”
And just like that, they were put to work.
Anika was given vegetables to cut.
Kabir was told to knead the dough.
Vihaan was forced to set the table.
All while Aarav stood there, silent, watching her.
She still hadn’t looked at him.
And it was killing him.
Just as things started settling down, two more figures entered the kitchen.
Nandini and Sunita.
They stopped in their tracks.
Their eyes widened.
Nandini grabbed Sunita’s hand. “Tell me I’m not hallucinating.”
Sunita whispered back. “Aarav is in the kitchen. Cooking.”
Nandini gasped. “Who are you and what have you done to my son?”
Kabir grinned. “It’s all because of Bhabhi.”
Sunita placed a hand over her heart. “I never thought I’d see this day.”
And then, as if fate wanted to humiliate him further, two more figures entered.
Hitesh and rajesh
They immediately sensed something was off.
Hitesh smirked, looking at Nandini. “Need any help, sweetheart?”
Nandini blushed. “Shut up, jii.”
Rajesh wrapped an arm around Sunita’s waist. “Darling, should I start helping in the kitchen too?”
Sunita smacked his arm. “You’ll just make a mess.”
Kabir fake gagged. “Ew, old people flirting. My poor eyes.”
Aarav had officially lost all patience.
“DOES ANYONE HERE ACTUALLY EAT? OR IS THIS HOUSE JUST FOR DRAMA?”
Silence.
And then—
Ira simply placed a bowl of dough in front of him.
“Roll these out.”
Aarav stared at her. She had finally spoken to him.
Not warmly. Not softly.
But still.
For the first time in days, she had acknowledged him.
And that was enough.
For now.
By the time breakfast was ready, the entire family sat together.
Anika leaned in toward Ira, whispering. “Still ignoring him?”
Ira gave her a small smile but didn’t respond.
Anika sighed. “Poor Bhai.”
Kabir smirked. “Nah. He deserves it.”
Vihaan chuckled. “True.”
Aarav heard every word.
But his focus was only on Ira.
Because as the meal went on, she still didn’t talk to him.
And every second of that silence felt like hell.
He had to fix this.
Somehow.
Aarav Malhotra was known for many things.
His business strategies? Unmatched.
His ability to manipulate the stock market? Deadly.
His ruthlessness? Feared.
But right now?
He was known for something entirely different.
Dancing.
In his study.
Alone.
And it was all because of her.
For the first time in days, Ira had acknowledged him.
It was nothing major.
She had just handed him the dough.
She still hadn’t smiled at him. Still hadn’t looked at him properly.
But she had spoken to him.
And that was enough.
At least, that’s what he told himself.
With an exhale, he leaned back in his chair, pulled out his earbuds, and connected them to his phone.
A song started playing.
His foot tapped against the floor.
Then his fingers drummed against the desk.
And then, before he even realized it—
His head was moving.
Then his shoulders.
And then—
His entire damn body.
Aarav Malhotra—THE Aarav Malhotra—was dancing.
Just a little.
It wasn’t a full performance.
Just some small movements.
A nod here. A step there.
But if anyone saw him right now, they’d think he was a different man.
And maybe he was.
Because she had changed him.
The problem? She didn’t even know it.
And just as he was getting into the song, moving slightly in his chair—
The door opened.
Aarav froze.
His earbuds were still in. The music was still playing. But his body?
Absolutely still.
Like he had been caught committing a crime.
And standing at the door?
Kabir, Vihaan, and Anika.
All three.
Staring.
A Moment of Silence
Kabir blinked. “Did we just—?”
Vihaan nodded slowly. “I think we did.”
Anika gasped. “OH MY GOD.”
Aarav clenched his jaw, pulling out his earbuds. “Say. Nothing.”
Kabir smirked. “No promises.”
Vihaan crossed his arms. “Bhai, were you…” He tilted his head. “…dancing?”
Aarav’s expression didn’t change. “No.”
Anika grinned. “It looked like dancing.”
Kabir placed a hand on his heart. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
Aarav ran a hand over his face, already regretting life.
Vihaan leaned closer. “So. Was it because of Bhabhi?”
Aarav stiffened.
And that was all the confirmation they needed.
Kabir whistled. “Damn, Bhai. This is bad.”
Anika giggled. “He’s completely lost it.”
Aarav glared. “Get out.”
Kabir smirked. “Make us.”
Aarav stood up immediately.
And they ran.
Back in the Kitchen
Meanwhile, Ira stood by the kitchen counter, washing her hands, when she suddenly heard Kabir laughing loudly from the hallway.
Anika’s voice followed. “Bhai was dancing!”
Ira’s hands paused.
What?
Vihaan’s voice came next. “We caught him. He was totally lost in the moment.”
Kabir shouted again. “IT WAS BECAUSE OF YOU, BHABHI!”
Ira’s heart skipped a beat.
She quickly resumed washing her hands, pretending she hadn’t heard anything.
But even as she wiped them dry, she couldn’t stop the small, involuntary curve of her lips.
Because for the first time in days, he wasn’t the only one affected.
________
If you're enjoying the story, don’t forget to vote! It really motivates me and helps the story reach more readers. Your support means everything!