Chapter 25 #2
As they cleared the dishes, Naina remembered something she’d been meaning to ask.
“How’s Ryma? And your mother? Did they reach Chandigarh safely?”
“Yeah, they reached. Mom didn’t want Ryma to handle it alone.
She’s hoping the in-laws can convince Ryma to stay, but…
” He shook his head. “I don’t think it’ll work.
Ryma’s made up her mind, and honestly? I think it’s for the best. She’s finally taking the right step, leaving a marriage where she didn’t feel loved anymore. ”
Naina’s heart clenched, knowing this would only reinforce Ruhaan’s resistance to marriage commitments, but she kept her face neutral as she continued to focus on drying the dishes instead. Ruhaan noticed her shift in mood too and he once again attempted to lighten her mood.
“You know, they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I think the way to a single mom’s heart is through her son.”
Naina frowned at him. “Ruhaan, please.”
He raised his hands in surrender. “I’m just saying. Lighten up, Naina. It’s been a tough day. I was trying to make you smile.”
“Well, don’t,” she snapped. “I don’t need your witty one-liners right now.”
She led him to the guest room, flicking on the lights. “This is where you’ll stay. Make yourself comfortable.”
Ruhaan surveyed the room before turning to her with a playful expression.
“But what will I wear to sleep? If I’d known I was staying, I would have brought clothes from home.” His lips curved into a mischievous smile. “I can’t even borrow your clothes. They wouldn’t fit.”
Naina blinked, caught off guard by his teasing. “Ruhaan—”
“Wait,” he interrupted, mock serious. “I guess I’ll have to go shirtless tonight, maybe even lose these tight pants. You don’t mind, do you? I remember how much you used to love my shirtless body.”
Naina rolled her eyes at his flirtatious banter. “Not anymore. And you better behave yourself if you want to stay here. I’m only tolerating you for Neil’s sake. Don’t think your flirting will lead us back into our... situationship.”
He stepped closer.
“What we had wasn’t just a casual situationship, Naina. We weren’t using each other,” he said seriously. “You know that as well as I do. There were feelings. There are feelings.”
“I don’t have those feelings anymore,” she declared. “I threw them in the trash the moment I left Delhi. The sooner you remember that, the better for all of us. Once Neil is better, I’m blocking your number again and cutting all ties.”
Instead of backing away, Ruhaan moved closer, effectively pinning her against the guest room door. His fingers brushed her hair away from her forehead, trailing down to stroke her cheek.
“You can block my number, but I know where you live now, Naina. You can’t block me from coming here, from trying to win you over.”
Their faces were inches apart, his breath warm against her skin. Their eyes locked again, the air between them charged with electricity. For a moment, Naina felt herself melting into his touch, but then she shoved him back, breaking the moment and leaving the room.
“Goodnight,” he called after her but she didn’t respond.
She practically ran to Neil’s room. As she closed the door behind her, she pressed a hand to her racing heart, knowing that despite her words, despite her determination to keep him at arm’s length, Ruhaan still had the power to make her walls crumble with just a touch, just a look.
And that terrified her more than anything else.
*****************
The faint sound of Neil’s soft whimpering woke Naina from her light sleep.
She instinctively placed her hand on his forehead and felt the heat radiating from him.
Panic bubbled inside her. His fever was back.
She got up quickly, tucking Neil in, and headed to the kitchen to prepare a bowl of cold saltwater and grab a cloth for compressing his forehead to lower the temperature.
She was just wringing out the cloth when she heard Ruhaan’s voice from behind her.
“What’s wrong? What are you doing in the kitchen at this hour?”
Startled, she turned around.
“Neil’s fever is back,” she said, “I need to get his temperature down.” Then, narrowing her eyes, she asked, “What are you doing awake?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” he shrugged, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “New place, I guess. Saw the kitchen light on and came to check.”
She bit her lip, her gaze drifting back to the cloth in her hands. She couldn’t shake off the anxious knot in her chest. Ruhaan sensed her worry and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Relax. The doctor said this might happen. By morning, he should be better. Let me help.”
Before she could protest, he gently took the bowl from her hands and walked toward Neil’s room. She hesitated for a moment, then followed, switching off the kitchen light as she went.
Ruhaan sat on the bed beside Neil, his face softening as he looked at the little boy. Naina moved to the other side of the bed, but when she reached for the cloth, Ruhaan shook his head.
“I’ll do it,” he said firmly, dipping the cloth in the cold water and wringing it out. Gently, he placed it on Neil’s forehead.
She watched as he tenderly repeated the process with care. The gentleness in his movements, the focused concern in his eyes as he tended to their son, yes, their son, even if not biologically, brought tears to her eyes.
‘Why, Ruhaan?’ she wondered silently, her heart aching. ‘When you can do all this for Neil, for me... why can’t you take that one more step? Why can’t you commit to us completely?’ The questions burned in her throat, unspoken, as she watched him continue his ministrations with utmost care.
Neither of them realized when exhaustion finally claimed them, their bodies gradually relaxing into sleep on either side of Neil, their protective hands resting on him even in slumber.
**************
The next morning, Neil stirred, feeling hot and trapped.
He wriggled under the weight of the duvet, grumbling softly. “So hot…”
Both Naina and Ruhaan woke at the same time, their eyes snapping open as they registered Neil’s movement.
“Neil, are you okay?” they both asked in unison with concern laced in their voices.
Neil let out an exaggerated sigh, wiping the sweat from his brow. “You two sandwiched me,” he complained. “I was sweating like crazy!”
Reality dawned on them slowly. They had spent the night together, all three of them, for the first time.
The last time they had shared a bed had been in Delhi, but Neil hadn’t been with them then.
A moment of awkwardness passed, but it quickly melted away as Naina leaned forward to touch Neil’s forehead.
Relief washed over her when she found no trace of fever.
“Your fever’s gone,” she said softly, brushing his hair back. “That’s such a relief.”
Ruhaan leaned closer, examining Neil for himself. “How do you feel now?”
“I feel fine,” Neil replied, his voice still a bit groggy. Then, with a mischievous glint in his eye, he asked, “But what were you two doing here?”
Ruhaan’s lips curved into a mischievous smile, unable to resist the opportunity to tease Naina.
“Well, I couldn’t sleep because I was missing you, so I came to check on you...” He glanced at Naina, his eyes twinkling. “And your mom? She probably missed me, so she followed me here.”
“Shut up,” Naina snapped, her cheeks flushing as she glared at him. “Neil, don’t listen to him. He’s just being silly. We were here because you weren’t feeling well last night.”
Neil blinked at her, still not convinced, but he quickly shifted gears. “So, no school today, right?”
Naina sighed, shaking her head with a small smile. “No school today. And tomorrow’s the weekend, so you get three whole days off. Happy now?”
Neil grinned widely, his energy returning bit by bit.
“I’m staying home with you. I’ll call my boss and let her know. You’re stuck with me, buddy.” She added.
Before Neil could even turn to Ruhaan with the question in his eyes, Ruhaan jumped in eagerly.
“I’m not going to work either. Remember my promise? I wouldn’t leave until you’re back to being your usual naughty self.”
Neil bounced on the bed, clapping his hands, even dancing, making both adults reach out instinctively to steady him.
For Ruhaan, it was a moment of crystal clarity.
This was the peace…the ‘sukoon’, he had been missing since returning from Delhi without Naina and Neil.
He had searched for it everywhere, never expecting to find it here, in this simple morning moment with them.
It had been here all along, waiting for him to find his way back home, to Naina and Neil.