Chapter 14 #2
He grinned, and sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes.
He was growing up so fast, and every day he reminded her more of Kriti.
It wasn’t just his eyes or his smile, but the way he approached the world with a kind of fearlessness that she admired so much.
He had his mother’s spirit, and for that, Naina was eternally grateful.
*****************
Few minutes later – Kitchen
Naina stood at the stove, her eyes focused on her task as she carefully fried the golden-brown pooris for Neil’s breakfast. The smell of freshly made dough filled the kitchen.
She had just placed a few pooris on a plate, arranging them neatly, when she felt a sudden warmth at her back.
Two strong familiar arms circled around her waist, pulling her close.
“Ruhaan!” She gasped softly as his lips brushed against the sensitive skin of her neck.
“Relax,” he murmured. “Everyone’s outside, busy with the buffet. No one’s going to catch us.”
Her heart raced at the feel of his lips against her.
“But what if someone comes in?” she insisted.
“I don’t care,” he replied confidently, tightening his hold on her waist. “Let them.”
Her cheeks flushed more as his hands tightened around her waist further.
“Why are you making pooris when breakfast is already served outside?”
Naina flipped the next poori. “It is Neil’s special request. He’s obsessed with pooris lately. Won’t eat anything else.”
“Can’t blame him,” Ruhaan replied with a playful smirk. “I love pooris too. Maybe I’ll ask you to make some for me every morning.”
Naina rolled her eyes. “You wish. You should go join the others outside.”
Just as Ruhaan was about to tease her further, his expression shifted. “By the way, how’s Neil? Is he okay?”
She frowned, turning in the circle of his arms to look at him. “What do you mean? Had anything happened?”
He shrugged, trying to brush off the seriousness in his tone. “It’s nothing, really. I just wanted to check if he’s alright.”
Naina wasn’t convinced. She could read his face too well. “Ruhaan, you’re hiding something. Tell me what happened. You know I need to know if it involves Neil.”
Ruhaan sighed, running a hand through his hair before admitting, “Yesterday, Neil tried to cheer my mom up by giving her a cheek kiss. It was sweet, but she scolded him and told him to stay away from me. I handled it, though. I told her it wasn’t right, and it won’t happen again.”
Naina’s eyes flashed with anger. “What?” she snapped. “She scolded Neil? Why didn’t you tell me this earlier? Why didn’t he tell me?”
Ruhaan placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to calm her. “Relax, Naina. It’s over. I stood up for him. I won’t let anyone hurt him, not even my mother.”
But Naina wasn’t ready to let it go. She pushed him away, frustration building inside her. “I’m not going to stand by while your mother brings Neil into our issues. I know she’s always had a problem with him, but this is too much.”
“I get it, Naina.” Ruhaan reached for her again, pulling her close and trying to diffuse her anger. “Trust me, I’ve talked to her. It won’t happen again.”
She was still fuming. “It better not, Ruhaan. I’m not afraid to fight for Neil. And I will if I have to.”
“I’d love to see that,” he teased, pulling her even closer. “You and my mom arguing. It would make the best TV show. Highest TRP for sure.”
She clenched her jaw, irritated by his lightheartedness, and gave his chest a light punch. “You’re impossible.”
He caught her wrist, lifting her fingers to his lips and kissing them gently. “And you’re beautiful when you’re angry.”
Just then, they heard footsteps approaching the kitchen. Naina pushed him away, quickly turning back to the stove and focusing on Neil’s breakfast. He too grabbed a poori from the plate, just as her uncle Subodh entered the kitchen.
Subodh looked at the two of them, slightly taken aback to find Ruhaan standing so close to Naina.
Ruhaan, ever the smooth talker, flashed a grin and raised the poori. “Couldn’t resist, Uncle. Naina makes the best pooris. Hope you don’t mind me sneaking one.”
Subodh smiled but raised an eyebrow, clearly feeling the tension between them. “Of course not. But Ruhaan, don’t fill up on those. There’s a buffet outside.”
Ruhaan laughed lightly. “I know, I know. I’ll head out now.” He gave Naina one last glance before excusing himself.
As soon as Ruhaan left, Naina avoided her uncle’s gaze, nervously focusing on arranging the plate. She hoped her uncle hadn’t noticed anything amiss. She could feel the heat of a blush creeping up her neck as her uncle approached her.
“Naina,” he began softly, “I wanted to remind you that Raj will be arriving tomorrow for the event. You’ll need to meet with him.”
The mention of Raj brought a flood of guilt.
She had agreed to meet Raj, her uncle’s chosen suitor, but after her recent intimate moments with Ruhaan, the thought of it felt wrong.
Ruhaan had touched her, kissed her so deeply just two nights ago, and the idea of entertaining anyone else felt… unthinkable.
Her uncle continued. “I know you’ve been through a lot, but I really believe Raj could be good for you, Naina. He’s a good man, and he could help you and Neil. I’m really worried about you two.”
Naina forced a smile, nodding weakly. “I’ll meet him, Uncle. I promised, didn’t I?”
Subodh placed a comforting hand on her back. “That’s all I ask.”
She nodded, but her heart wasn’t in it. She knew she couldn’t deny it much longer. There was no place for Raj in her heart, not when it already belonged to someone else.
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Evening
Naina stood in front of the mirror in her room, adjusting the pallu of her yellow saree.
She looked stunning, the soft gold fabric complementing her skin, and her hair cascading down her back in soft waves.
The haldi ceremony had already started downstairs, but instead of being a part of it, she was here, chasing after Neil, who was in no mood to cooperate.
“Neil, stop running and put on your sherwani!” Naina called out, exasperated as she tried to catch up with her son, who was determined to avoid wearing the small sherwani she had picked out for him. He dashed around the room, giggling as she circled the bed for the umpteenth time.
“Come here, Neil!” she tried again, lunging forward, but Neil dodged her and ran in the opposite direction, laughing mischievously.
“Can’t catch me, Mama!” he giggled, ducking under a table.
She let out a frustrated sigh, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face. “Neil, we’re going to be late. Everyone’s waiting for us!”
Just as Naina was about to give up, the door creaked open, and in walked Ruhaan, dressed in a yellow sherwani that matched her saree perfectly. He looked effortlessly dapper, almost making Naina momentarily forget about Neil’s antics.
Ruhaan quickly assessed the situation and, without saying a word, he darted forward, scooping Neil up in one swift motion. Neil squealed with laughter as Ruhaan held him high and carried him over to the bed, placing him gently down.
“Gotcha, little man!” he said with a smirk, making Neil stand still on the bed. “It’s not good to trouble your mom like that.”
Naina finally let out a sigh of relief and walked over, grateful for the help. As she approached, she couldn’t help but admire how effortlessly handsome Ruhaan looked. His sharp jawline, his perfectly groomed hair, the way the sherwani clung to his broad shoulders…it all made her heart race faster.
“Troubling rights are mine now,” Ruhaan whispered into her ear as soon as she reached him, his voice low and teasing, meant only for her to hear.
She blushed instantly, yet gave him a light smack on his arm. “Not in front of Neil,” she muttered.
Neil, oblivious to the exchange, was busy fidgeting with his tiny sherwani. Naina, still flustered from Ruhaan’s flirtatious remark, helped Neil put it on, buttoning it up as he squirmed slightly.
“Mom, I want my hair spiked!” Neil demanded, pushing his hands through his unruly hair.
“I don’t know how to do spikes, Neil,” Naina replied. “You look just fine.”
“I can help,” Ruhaan chimed in, walking over to the dresser and picking up a small jar of hair gel. “I used to style my hair like this all the time when I was his age.”
Naina stood back, watching as Ruhaan expertly applied the gel to Neil’s hair, shaping it into little spikes that made the boy grin from ear to ear. Neil jumped down from the bed and ran to the mirror to inspect the final result, clearly pleased with the transformation.
“You’re the best, Ruhaan!” he said, bouncing with excitement before dashing out of the room to show off his new look.
As soon as Neil was gone, Ruhaan wasted no time. He grabbed Naina by the waist and pulled her close, so close that their bodies were pressed together. She placed her hands on his chest instinctively, her eyes scanning the door in panic.
“Ruhaan, stop it,” she whispered urgently, “Neil could come back any second.”
His lips hovered dangerously close to her ear. “He’s already gone, and we both know you like this,” he murmured.
She eyed him with a warning look, though it was clear she wasn’t entirely immune to his touch. “What do you want?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I want you to meet me on the terrace tonight,” Ruhaan replied, his tone playful yet serious.
She frowned. “Why? What’s on the terrace?”
“You’ll find out,” he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear again.
She tried to push him away, though half-heartedly. “I’ll think about it.”
He tightened his grip, pulling her flush against him. “Stop pretending like you’re not into this, Naina. We both know you want me just as much as I want you. Just come to the terrace tonight. I have a surprise for you.”
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the slight smile tugging at her lips. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You look stunning in this saree,” he whispered, admiring her from head to toe. “We’re twinning, by the way.”
“You don’t look too bad yourself,” she chuckled, slightly pushing him away. “The women are going to be fanning themselves all night.”
“Don’t be jealous.”
“I’m not jealous,” she scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. “And you too don’t be jealous tomorrow when you see me with Raj.”
Ruhaan’s expression changed instantly, and Naina could see the flicker of annoyance in his eyes. He had clearly forgotten about Raj’s arrival tomorrow.
“I’m never jealous,” he said, still trying to play it cool. “You’ll see that for yourself tomorrow.”
With that he placed another kiss on her other cheek before stepping back. As he left the room, Naina grinned mischievously. Making him jealous tomorrow was definitely on her agenda now.