Chapter 33 #2
Ruhaan took a bite, nodding in approval. “It’s great, Mom. Perfect, as always.”
Ryma smirked and nudged her brother. “Enough, Mom. Let him speak to Naina. Poor guy’s desperate.”
Kaushalya chuckled but shook her head. “Let me feed my boy first. From tomorrow, he’ll have no time for me. His wife and son will take all his attention.”
Naina who heard it from the other end immediately asked Ruhaan to put the phone on speaker. Once he did, she replied.
“Aunty, that’s not true,” she said in a playful voice. “No one is going to steal your limelight.”
Kaushalya held her smile but Ruhaan continued.
“She’s right, Mom. I’m more worried about the three of you…Naina, Neil, and you, ganging up on me and completely sidelining me.”
Kaushalya laughed. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic. I’m not like those mothers-in-law you see on TV soaps. You can spend all the time you want with your wife. I’ll be perfectly content with my grandson, who, by the way, already takes better care of me than you ever did.”
Ruhaan raised an eyebrow, mock-offended, while Naina giggled on the other end, agreeing silently.
“Alright,” Kaushalya said finally, standing up. “Speak to your bride while Ryma and I finish packing the sweets.”
She turned to leave but paused at the door. “And don’t talk till late. We all need to wake up early tomorrow.”
Ruhaan nodded, watching her leave with Ryma. As the door clicked shut, he turned his attention back to Naina.
“You heard her,” he said with a smile. “She’s already planning to sideline me for Neil.”
Naina laughed softly. “I don’t blame her. He’s impossible to resist.”
“And so are you. I can’t wait for tomorrow, Naina. For everything to finally fall into place.”
“Me neither,” she whispered. “It’s really going to be perfect.”
Ruhaan stood at the window of his bedroom, the faint hum of the bustling household fading into the background. He overheard Suman’s voice on the other end speaking to Naina.
“I’ll put Neil and Pinky to sleep. Don’t worry, take your time talking to Ruhaan.”
Naina’s soft “Thank you, Suman,” reached his ears before she spoke directly to him.
“I was dying to hear your voice since morning,” Ruhaan confessed.
He could picture her biting her lip, a habit of hers that he adored. “You know how busy I was. Today’s Haldi ritual was truly exhausting.”
“Yeah, just like our mehndi and sangeet,” he replied, moving from the window to sit on the edge of his bed.
Her soft and melodic laugh echoed in his ear. “Oh, don’t remind me! Your cousins didn’t let us sit and relax. I have never danced like that in my life… continuously for hours.”
Ruhaan chuckled, leaning back against the pillows. “Nor have I seen my mom dance like that. She was unstoppable. But I’ll admit, Neil and Pinky’s little performance stole the show.”
“Of course, it did,” Naina quipped, her voice brimming with pride. “It was my choreography.”
“Ah, so that’s why they were so brilliant. You have quite the talent, Miss Bhalla. But tell me, was Malti Aunty tripping over her own feet and blaming the DJ part of your choreography too?”
Naina burst into laughter, her joy infectious. “I had nothing to do with that!” she exclaimed between giggles.
They both dissolved into laughter.
“So the point is… I have decided. Once the wedding is done tomorrow, I’m going to sleep all night long. Peacefully.”
Ruhaan cleared his throat. “Really? That’s your plan? On our suhaagraat?”
Naina struggled to suppress a laugh. “Of course,” she replied, feigning innocence. “Forget about me. Think about yourself. You’ll be so drained after all this, with no energy left for… anything else.”
“Oh, don’t you worry about my energy, Naina. I can stay up all night.”
Naina felt her cheeks flush.
“You’re impossible, Ruhaan.”
“And you love it,” he shot back without hesitation.
“Do I?” she teased.
“You do.”
There was a pause, the silence thick with unspoken emotions. Naina finally broke it. “Ruhaan… are you nervous? About tomorrow?”
He sat up.
“A little,” he admitted. “Not about marrying you, that’s the one thing I’m most sure of. But about everything else… Neil, the cute little adjustments, making sure you’re both happy here, with me… with us.”
“You’ve already made us happy, Ruhaan,” she said softly. “You’ve shown me what it feels like to truly have someone by my side. You’ve given Neil something I thought he’d never have—a father’s love. You don’t have to worry about anything. We’ll figure it out together.”
He closed his eyes, her words filling him with a sense of peace. “You always know what to say to calm me down,” he murmured. “How do you do that?”
“Magic,” she replied playfully, lightening the mood.
“Then you must be a magician, because you’ve bewitched me completely.”
Naina chuckled. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Singh.”
“Really?” His tone turned huskier, and she could almost picture the playful smirk curling his lips. “Well then, let’s test that theory tomorrow.”
His reply wasn’t just teasing—it was a promise. A promise that sent a ticklish warmth straight to her heart. She smiled, her cheeks glowing even though he couldn’t see it.
“You know,” he began, his tone shifting slightly as if he was about to share a secret. “During our Sangeet, Malti aunty asked Neil if he wanted a brother or a sister in the future. Do you know what he said?”
Naina sat up straighter, surprised. “What? She asked him that?”
“Oh, yeah. She cornered him during one of the quieter moments. Probably thought it’d be funny to catch him off guard,” Ruhaan explained.
“And what did Neil say?” she asked curiously, her interest piqued.
“He said he wants one brother and one sister,” Ruhaan replied, his grin audible in his tone.
Naina burst out laughing, imagining her mischievous little boy boldly declaring his Wishlist. “He really said that?”
“Of course. You can ask him yourself tomorrow,” Ruhaan said proudly. “And just so you know, I’m more than ready to fulfill my son’s every wish.”
Her laughter softened into a giggle, her cheeks growing warm. “You’re going to keep me busy then, aren’t you, Mr. Ruhaan Singh?”
“Absolutely,” he replied without missing a beat, his tone positively sinful. “Day and night, weeks and months… until you’re busy and busier as it gets.”
She laughed even harder, the image of his words filling her head. “That’s some big talk, Mr. Singh. Let’s see if you can actually keep up.”
“Oh, Naina.” His voice softened but turned even more intimate, as if he’d leaned closer to her through the phone. “I don’t just plan to keep up. I plan to leave you breathless… every single day, for the rest of our lives.”
Her heart hammered in her chest.
“Alright, Mr. Singh. You’ve had your romantic moment. Now go to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a big day.”
“Only if you promise me one thing,” Ruhaan countered, his voice dropping to a deeper, more seductive tone.
“What’s that?”
“That you won’t sleep on our suhaagraat.”
“Ruhaan!”
“I’m serious,” he replied. “I’ve been waiting for this night for so long, Naina. Don’t tell me you’ll waste it sleeping.”
Her laughter faded into a warm, affectionate smile. “I won’t,” she promised. “You’re not the only one waiting for tomorrow night, Ruhaan. So am I.”
Her words sent a jolt straight to his heart.
“I wouldn’t let a single moment with you go to waste. Not tomorrow night, not ever,” she promised. “Tomorrow is the start of everything we’ve been waiting for.”
He closed his eyes, her words washing over him like a soothing balm.
“Now Goodnight,” she said quickly, her cheeks burning with all the teasing.
“Goodnight, Mrs. Soon-to-be Singh,” he replied as the line disconnected, leaving both of them smiling like fools in love.