Chapter 26
A few hours later
Ruhaan stood at Naina’s door, a big duffel bag slung over his shoulder as he rang the doorbell.
He had been home this morning to bring his clothes and other personal stuff if he had to stay with Naina and Neil here.
When Naina opened the door, her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the large bag.
“You’ve packed as if you’re staying the whole month here,” she said, raising an eyebrow.
He grinned mischievously, leaning casually against the doorframe.
“Come on, Naina, if you want me to stay for a whole month with you, just ask for it. No need to use my big bag as an excuse.”
A frown creased her forehead as she stepped aside to let him in.
“Just the weekend, Ruhaan. And then you’re out of here,” she stated firmly, watching as he walked in like he owned the place. “I don’t want your mother coming here looking for you and then blaming me that in her absence I lured you into staying with me.”
He set down his bag.
“Don’t worry... if she comes and asks, I’ll tell her that I lured you into letting me stay with you here. Happy?”
She rolled her eyes at his endless flirtation.
“Shut up. But seriously, is that really your weekend packing of the bag?”
“You mind if I keep changing my clothes multiple times a day?” He replied with a wicked smirk. “Or wait... is it that you like me more without them and hence you’re sore because I packed extra?”
“Ruhaan!” she groaned, pushing him lightly on the shoulder before turning to head toward the kitchen.
He chuckled again, loving how easily he could fluster her. “Where’s Neil?”
“Sleeping,” she replied, heading toward the kitchen to cook.
Ruhaan plopped down on the sofa, fishing out his phone when it began buzzing.
Rohit’s name flashed on the screen. He realized with a start that no one from either family knew he was staying at Naina’s place.
But he couldn’t avoid Rohit’s call so after a moment’s hesitation, he answered walking towards the balcony.
“Hey... you alright?” Rohit’s concerned voice came through. “I got to know that you’ve taken off today and for the weekend. Are you not well?”
“I’m okay, Rohit,” Ruhaan assured him. “Just needed a short break. If anything urgent comes up, my assistant knows to call me.”
“Hmm. Are you really okay? You’ve never taken this kind of break before.” Rohit paused. “Are you still grieving because no one gave you Naina’s address to contact her?”
Just then, Neil emerged from his bedroom, eyes heavy with sleep, rubbing them as he stumbled forward. He was about to walk straight into a wall.
“Neil, be careful!” Ruhaan called out sharply.
Neil stopped just before bumping into the wall, blinking sleepily. “I’m fine,” he mumbled, heading toward the sofa.
“Neil?” Rohit’s voice sharpened. “Did I just hear Neil’s voice? Ruhaan, where are you?”
Ruhaan hesitated but knew he couldn’t hide it anymore.
“I’m at Naina’s,” he confessed.
“What? How’s that possible? Who gave you her address?”
“Long story short... when you want something very badly and with your heart, no one can stop you from getting it.”
Rohit groaned. “This is not good, Ruhaan. I can’t believe you’re there with Naina. You shouldn’t be there. You could make things worse.”
“Don’t feel so hurt,” he replied, watching as Naina came out from the kitchen and cuddled up with Neil on the sofa, her gentle hands soothing her cranky son. “Even though I’m with her, she’s still the same... angry at me and not willing to give me a chance.”
The little boy leaned into her touch.
“I still feel you shouldn’t be there...”
“I’m exactly where I should be,” he replied keeping his eyes fixed on the touching scene before him.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You won’t understand. Give me a few days and you’ll know it all.”
“Ruhaan, stop being such a riddle all the time,” Rohit sighed. “You’re my friend and Naina is my family. If one of you gets hurt, it hurts all of us here. So please don’t do anything that will complicate relationships further. You know what I mean?”
“I know what you mean, Rohit. But this time no one is going to be hurt. Trust me.”
Promising to call later, Ruhaan ended the call shortly after and joined Naina and Neil on the sofa.
Neil perked up immediately.
“Ruhaan, Mom won’t let me go downstairs to play later. Tell her I’m feeling fine!”
Ruhaan chuckled, ruffling Neil’s hair. “That’s because she worries for you. But if you want to play, we will play. How about cricket?”
Neil’s eyes lit up with excitement, but Naina frowned. “No way. He’s still recovering. He needs rest.”
“Come on, Naina,” Ruhaan coaxed. “I’ll be with him the whole time. We’ll just play for a little while. He’s been longing for me to play cricket with him for a long time. Besides, playing and taking some fresh air will help him feel fresh and normal.”
Neil jumped in. “Please, Mom! Ruhaan will take care of me. I promise I won’t overdo it.”
Both Ruhaan and Neil turned their pleading gazes on her.
“Fine.” She sighed in exasperation. “One hour. That’s all. And then you’re coming straight back home. To me.”
“Of course,” Ruhaan grinned. “Where else would I go?”
Naina understood the innuendo behind his words. If he hadn’t been so rigid about his feelings towards commitment and marriage, she would have really fell for him again.
“Yes!” Neil cheered, throwing his arms around her before hurrying to his room to grab his cricket bat.
Naina purposely busied herself with her phone, scrolling aimlessly just to avoid looking at Ruhaan.
She knew too well what happened whenever they were alone.
One look, one word, and things would spiral…
turning flirtatious, tender, or downright maddening.
She couldn’t afford to let that happen again.
Ruhaan knew exactly what she was trying to do, and it only made him smile wider.
“It was Rohit’s call,” he said, breaking the silence.
Her head snapped up.
“He heard Neil’s voice in the background,” he explained casually. “So, I had to tell him that I’m here. At your home.”
“What?” Her voice rose in panic as her phone dropped onto the couch. “Why would you tell him that? Are you out of your mind?”
“Relax,” he said soothingly, reaching out to touch her cheek.
“Relax?” she hissed, batting his hand away and clutching his shirt in both fists as she stepped even closer. “Stop telling me to relax! Do you even realize what would happen if Uncle comes to know you’re here? What if he—”
Ruhaan wasn’t listening anymore. His gaze dropped to where her hands gripped his shirt, then lifted to her flushed, furious face, her lips mere inches from his.
The way her anger flared so vibrantly, it pulled him in, silencing everything else.
His lips curved into a smirk, and before she could realize it, his palm slid up to cup her cheek.
“Behave, Miss. Naina Bhalla,” he murmured. “Neil could come running back here any second.”
Her grip on his shirt tightened, and she glared even harder.
“Don’t bring Neil into this!” she snapped. “And you know what? Let him come. Let him see me like this. Let him see just how much his mother hates his favorite Ruhaan.”
His smirk only deepened at her declaration.
“Hate me?” His voice dropped further, his other arm snaking around her waist, pulling her even closer. “Do you really hate me, Naina?”
Her mouth opened, but no words came out. His fingers brushed against her waist, drawing her further in as if she belonged there.
“You don’t hate me,” he murmured, his lips so close she could feel the warmth of his breath. “You can never hate me. So why even try?”
She inhaled sharply, planting her hands firmly against his chest, and pushed him back, putting a much-needed distance between them.
“You don’t get to tell me what I feel,” she replied.
“Whatever this is... whatever you think we have, it doesn’t matter anymore.
I told you I’m tolerating you here for Neil.
That’s all. We don’t have a future together.
You made that clear every time you had that chance to pick your place in my life.
.. in Neil’s life. But you stayed silent then.
So, just stick to that thing and don’t make me regret letting you stay here. ”
And with that, she walked away. He let out a frustrated sigh, his hands falling to his sides as he stared after her.
He knew she was trying to put him in his place, but all she’d done was strengthen his resolve.
All he had to do now was make her believe that this time he wasn’t going anywhere. Ever!
****************
Early Evening
Ruhaan knelt on the floor, carefully adjusting the cricket leg guards on Neil’s tiny legs.
“They’re called pads, champ, not foot pads,” he corrected with a teasing smile as Neil squirmed in excitement. “You’ve got to call them by their proper name if you’re going to be a cricket star.”
Neil giggled. “Okay, pads! But what if I forget? Will my friends laugh at me?”
Ruhaan shook his head, pretending to think deeply. “Hmm, maybe. But don’t worry, with the way you’re going to bat today, they’ll be too impressed to even notice what you call these.”
The boy’s face lit up, and he grinned ear to ear. “Really? You think so?”
“I know so,” Ruhaan replied, clipping on the helmet strap under Neil’s chin. “And today, I’m going to teach you a trick with your batting. It’ll make you shine like a pro. Your friends won’t believe their eyes.”
Naina sat at the dining table, her laptop open in front of her as she worked on a presentation Deborah had urgently assigned.
But no matter how much she tried to focus, her attention kept drifting to the duo in the living room.
Neil’s excitement, Ruhaan’s patience, and the easy bond they shared, was hard not to notice.
“You know last time my friend Arjun hit the ball so hard it went to the other building!” Neil chatted excitedly, barely able to contain himself.