Chapter 7
Ruhaan took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving her face as he explained.
“Last night, the kiss... it wasn’t a mistake. At least, not for me.”
Naina wanted to look away, to flee from the intensity of his gaze and the implications of his words, but something in his sincere expression kept her rooted to the spot.
Still, gathering her composure, she decided to push back, determined not to let Ruhaan gain any upper hand or harbor any misunderstandings about where their impulsive kiss might lead them.
“For me, it was one of the biggest mistakes of my life,” she retorted. “Kissing a man like that without having any feelings for him is not my style, Mr. Ruhaan Singh.”
A flicker of hurt passed across Ruhaan’s face, quickly replaced by a knowing grin. He stepped closer, his voice taking on a teasing tone.
“The woman I know you are, you would never kiss anyone without having feelings. So, I don’t buy that. Besides, we are two mature individuals capable of handling this and not letting it come between our friendship, can’t we?”
Naina couldn’t help but let out a mocking chuckle. “Friendship? What in the world got you thinking that I am your friend?”
His expression hardened, frustration evident in the set of his jaw. He took another step towards her, causing Naina to instinctively back away, feeling suddenly intimidated by his proximity.
“Stop being so difficult, Naina,” he said. “Why can’t we be friends?”
She rolled her eyes. “I have a hundred reasons why we can’t be friends, and the topmost one is that you are a playboy and my ex-fiancé. That’s enough to keep me at a sufficient distance from you.”
Anger flashed in his eyes as the conversation clearly was not going in the direction he had hoped. He opened his mouth to argue when suddenly Suman stepped onto the terrace.
“Naina?” Suman called out. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the scene before her, realizing she had interrupted what appeared to be a private conversation. “Sorry, you can continue,” she added hastily, turning to leave.
Naina seized the opportunity. “No, Suman, we are done. In fact, we were done with each other a long time ago.”
Ruhaan gritted his teeth reading the double meaning behind her words. The realization that she didn’t even want to extend a cordial relationship stung, fueling his frustration.
Suman sensed the tension and addressed Ruhaan what she was here for. “Ruhaan, Poonam was looking for you.”
The mention of Poonam’s name was like a match to gasoline. Naina’s eyes flashed with renewed fury, while Ruhaan inwardly cursed the unfortunate timing of this information.
As Suman retreated downstairs passing that information, Naina turned back to Ruhaan again.
“You must see Poonam right away. Maybe she needs your help again with her back doris. Who better than you can fix those for her?”
Before he could respond, she spun on her heel and strode towards the stairs, leaving him standing alone on the terrace in fury.
He had hoped this conversation would clear the air between them, but instead, it seemed to have widened the chasm.
The mention of Poonam had derailed everything, and he cursed the circumstances that had led to this misunderstanding.
Back at the party, guests continued to mingle, oblivious to the drama unfolding above them. Poonam scanned the crowd, her eyes searching for Ruhaan. Naina saw her and purposely stopped by her.
“Poonam, are you looking for Ruhaan?” she asked.
“Yes, I am. You know where he is?”
“Of course I do. I saw him on the terrace just minutes ago.”
“Oh great,” Poonam grinned. “I’ll go see him there. Thanks.”
As Poonam left, Naina suddenly felt the need to look at the terrace and there he was, Ruhaan Singh, glaring at her for purposely pushing Poonam towards him. She didn’t care and hurried back to where her family was.
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Next Morning
Ruhaan stumbled into the room, his head pounding from a restless night filled with thoughts of Naina and their heated exchange on the terrace.
He had never pursued a woman with such fervor before, and the realization that he craved Naina’s attention despite knowing he might never be ‘her type’ left him feeling frustrated.
All he wanted was a strong cup of coffee to ease his aching head.
As he entered the kitchen, the sight before him made him pause again. Naina stood at the stove, effortlessly flipping small pancakes, likely for the children. She wore a simple pink churidar, her hair tied back in a loose bun with a few wayward strands tickling her exposed neck and cheek.
The sight of her in this domestic setting made him admire her for longer than he should have.
It was just like the vision he had while talking to Rohit the other day—coming home from work to find Naina and Neil in a warm, homely atmosphere.
Watching her cook with such ease and love made him want to walk over, slide his arms around her thin waist, and place an open-mouthed kiss on her neck until she begged for more.
“Hi, Ruhaan.” Poonam’s voice shattered his reverie, also alerting Naina to his presence. Reluctantly tearing his gaze from Naina, he turned to Poonam.
“Hi,” he said. “Where are the others? The house seems quiet.”
Poonam smiled brightly. “The older folks have gone to the temple for some puja. A few of us stayed back to watch the kids.”
He nodded, vaguely recalling Rohit and Suman mentioning something about it.
“I badly need coffee,” he muttered.
Poonam’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I can make one for you!” she offered eagerly.
His gaze flickered to Naina, catching a fleeting expression of surprise and what might have been jealousy cross her face. Deciding to play along, he smiled at Poonam. “Thanks. It’s nice to know there’s someone in this house who actually thinks about and cares for me.”
Poonam batted her eyelashes before turning to the coffee maker, while Naina continued making pancakes, her movements slightly more rigid than before.
Ruhaan leaned against the counter, his attention fixed on Naina even as Poonam chattered animatedly beside him, her words barely registering in his mind.
As Poonam finished brewing the coffee and began pouring it into a mug, Neil came barreling into the kitchen, engrossed in some game.
Before anyone could react, he collided with Poonam, sending the mug crashing to the floor.
Miraculously, the hot liquid didn’t splash on anyone, but the sound of breaking ceramic shattered the morning calm.
Poonam’s face contorted with anger.
“You stupid boy!” she shouted. “Look what you’ve done! You’ve ruined everything!”
Neil, startled by the outburst, quickly rushed to Naina, wrapping his arms around her legs and burying his face in her side. Before Naina could intervene, Ruhaan stepped forward sternly.
“How can you talk to the boy like that?”
Poonam turned to him, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Didn’t you see what he did? He dropped the coffee!”
Ruhaan shook his head. “So what? They’re kids, Poonam. He didn’t do it on purpose. Please don’t scold children so harshly.”
Naina watched the exchange with admiration in her eyes. Neil, sensing the tension had eased, looked up at Poonam. “I’m sorry, Poonam aunty,” he said softly.
His words, however, further agitated Poonam. “Don’t call me aunty!” she snapped, glaring at Neil and Naina before storming out of the kitchen, muttering, “I hate kids.”
Ruhaan sighed heavily as Naina knelt down beside Neil, checking him over. “Are you okay?” she asked gently. Neil nodded, and Naina continued, “Next time, be more careful, okay? We need to avoid bumping into people like that. You could get hurt too.”
“I’ll be careful, Mom,” he promised, snagging a pancake from the plate before dashing out of the kitchen.
Ruhaan ran a hand through his hair, lamenting the loss of his much-needed coffee. As he turned to leave, Naina’s voice stopped him in his tracks.
“Now I’m confirmed. Poonam is the best match for you.”
He clenched his jaw, turning to face her with a glare. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded.
She stepped closer. “Poonam doesn’t like kids, and you are already a playboy who wouldn’t want to commit to that responsibility either. Your pairing is perfect.”
In two long strides, Ruhaan closed the distance between them, pinning Naina between his body and the kitchen counter. She gasped at the sudden proximity, but Ruhaan didn’t give her a chance to speak.
“My mom is enough of a matchmaker,” he growled, his face inches from hers. “So you can stop showing off those skills and purposely pushing a woman I don’t want onto me. I’m least interested in Poonam.”
A flicker of satisfaction passed through Naina’s eyes, though she tried to hide it. “Then who are you interested in?” she asked.
His reply hovered on his lips, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud. His gaze, as usual, dropped to her lips, noticing a small smear of maple syrup at the corner of her mouth.
With deliberate slowness, he reached out, his thumb gently wiping away the syrup. Naina’s breath hitched as Ruhaan brought his thumb to his mouth, sucking the sweetness off with a low hum. Her lips parted in shock, her body seeming to melt against the counter.
“The maple syrup anywhere close to your lips is a lethal combo, Naina,” Ruhaan murmured, huskily. “Keep the two away unless you want to get thoroughly kissed.”
His eyes locked with hers once more. With what seemed like immense effort, Ruhaan stepped back, breaking the spell. Coffee could wait because right now he needed a cold shower badly.
He strode out of the kitchen. Naina leaned heavily against the counter, and touched her lips gently, where the ghost of Ruhaan’s touch still lingered on her skin.
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