72. Their Little Moments #2
She looked at me from the corner of her eye.
"Excuse me. I know how to heat food. My Mumma taught me."
My brows lifted. "Oh...So you spent these days learning basic life skills?"
She laughed softly. "No. Only the ones that can help my husband." She gently stirred the curry again. "Even if it's just something as small as heating food for him at midnight..." A shy smile appeared. "I like doing it."
My heart softened. She switched off the induction and picked up the bowl to serve it.
"Ow!" She hissed suddenly as a little curry spilled onto the slab instead of going into the bowl.
"Dhwani." I caught her wrist as she instinctively tried wiping it with her fingers. "It's hot. You'll burn yourself."
She blinked. "Oh... I'm sorry. I forgot."
Shaking my head, I grabbed a few tissues and cleaned the counter before gently turning her towards me.
"I told you. You don't have to do all this. I have two hands, I'm perfectly capable of heating my own food."
She looked down. "But...I love taking care of you." Her voice became softer. "In every little way."
"You do so much for me without me even asking." Her fingers played with the hem of my T-shirt. "I want to do the same."
I held both her hands. "You already do."
She looked up.
I kissed the tips of her fingers. "Just being beside me after a day like this......is enough to make everything feel lighter."
She smiled. "But I still want to learn it, at least not for you then for myself. It's a basic life skill."
Smiling, I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You can learn it at your Mom's home. Let me take care of you here."
This time she didn't argue and quietly let me serve the food.
We settled at the dining table. I had barely taken my first morsel when she quickly made another one and held it near my mouth. "Open."
I smiled and took the bite.
"How is it?" she asked eagerly.
I chewed slowly before my eyes widened. "Yum... This is Pomfret, isn't it?"
She nodded proudly. "Haan.... Mumma made it especially for you after I told her it's your favourite."
"How do you know it's my favourite? We never discussed it before." I looked at her in surprise.
"Yeah. I asked Daadi once, she told me. And I was actually planning to come back tomorrow, but when Mumma said she was making this for you, I came tonight itself."
I chuckled. "So you were planning to kill me a little more with this distance. Thankfully, my mother-in-law saved me."
She giggled. "Hmm... She's also planning to invite everyone for dinner. Samarth Bhai, his parents, everyone."
"What for?"
"To thank everyone... especially Bhai, for taking care of me all these years."
"That sounds nice." I nodded. "But I doubt your brother will come. He has a lot to handle in Rajasthan."
"We'll see."
Silence settled between us again as I focused on finishing my dinner.
A moment later, I felt her fingers brush my forehead. She gently pushed my hair back and rubbed her thumb over the crease between my brows.
"What happened?" She asked softly.
"Nothing... just exhausted." I smiled faintly.
"No." I looked into her eyes. "It's not just exhaustion. Something is bothering you."
I slowly placed the spoon back on the plate. She quietly slid the glass of water towards me.
I took a few sips before looking at her again. "I have something on my mind." She waited patiently. "It's important."
"I know what I want to do... I know it's the right thing, but I don't know how to do it."
Before I could continue, she gently placed her hand over mine.
"You never have to think twice before sharing anything with me."
I smiled weakly.
"Actually... Ishaan and I signed a contract years ago. He desperately needed money for his mother's treatment, and in return he agreed to work as my assistant for three years."
I paused, searching her face for even a hint of judgment. There wasn't any. "The contract is ending in five months and..." I couldn't finish.
"And you're scared of what will happen after he leaves?"
I nodded. My hand froze around the spoon.
"I know what I did was wrong. Today he told me I wasn't any better than Kingsley. That I also took advantage of his helplessness, just the way Kingsley took advantage of mine."
"Yeah..." she answered honestly. "He's not completely wrong."
Her words stung. "You did kill a part of the human inside him, Yugant. You turned him into someone who only worked because he had signed a contract."
The guilt sitting inside my chest became even heavier.
"But..." She squeezed my hand gently. "Look at the other side too."
I looked at her. " Other side?"
"You never exploited him after that. You paid him fairly. You respected his work. You trusted him with almost everything. You never treated him like someone beneath you. That means you care about him a lot."
She smiled softly. "It's just that your relationship began at the worst possible time. He needed help. You needed loyalty. And both of you made a decision while carrying pain."
She took a small pause before continuing. "If you had simply helped him with the money and asked him to return it whenever he could, I honestly think he would've done that. He doesn't seem like someone who runs away from his responsibilities."
I nodded silently.
"But life didn't happen that way. So don't spend the rest of your life pushing yourself into guilt something you cannot change."
She brushed her thumb across my knuckles.
"The best thing you can do now is let him go. He isn't the kind of person who chases money."
She smiled. "He's like a bird. A bird that simply wants to fly with its own wings, choose its own sky, and reach its destination because it wanted to, not because someone tied a string around its feet."
She looked straight into my eyes.
"If you truly respect him now... then set him free with the same respect."
She was right.
Setting him free was the best thing I could do.
But how was I supposed to tell her about the other thought that had been running through my mind for a long time.
The thought of...Ishaan and Dhrithika.
"Is it possible... I mean..." I hesitated, stirring the food on my plate without actually eating it. "What do you think about Dhrithika and..."
"Ishaan?" she completed with a knowing smile.
I gave a small nod. "Don't tell me you're actually thinking about them being together."
"I am." I admitted honestly. "Ishaan is a fine man. Any girl would be lucky to have someone like him. Why wouldn't I want that for our Dhrithi?"
She sighed and rested her chin on her palm.
"A few weeks ago, I would've agreed with you." My brows lifted. "But not anymore."
" Is it because whatever happened with Dhrithika?"
"Are you mad? Absolutely not. I am saying this because I understand they're completely opposite of one another. They won't fit into the same frame."
"They will." I replied without a second thought. "After everything that happened... I don't trust myself when it comes to Dhrithi anymore. She needs someone who understands her emotionally. Maybe... I'm not that person."
"And you think Ishaan is?"
"I know he is." I smiled faintly. "If I start telling you why I think he's right for her, I'll probably run out of words."
"He's patient. He listens. He never judges. And most importantly...He knows what pain feels like. I don't think I could ever find a better man for my sister."
Dhwani looked at me quietly before speaking.
"But you don't have the right to decide that. She's an adult, Yugant. She doesn't need any man in her life. And even if she wants she should choose the person she wants to spend her life with. And honestly...this isn't the right time. She's emotionally broken. Mentally exhausted. Physically drained.
She has barely started healing. Please...Don't put another relationship in front of her before she even learns to breathe peacefully again."
I stayed silent because deep down I knew she was right. But another part of me refused to let the thought go.
Dhwani walked into the kitchen and came back a minute later, holding a bowl of rasmalai.
"Don't tell me Ms. Arora sent this too?"
She chuckled. "Of course." The peaceful glow on her face made me smile. "And what's with you calling her Ms. Arora? You can call her Mom now."
She broke off a small piece and held the spoon towards me.
"Really? I mean... will she be comfortable with that?" I took the first bite.
She rolled her eyes playfully.
"Of course, dumbo. She'll be happy. She keeps talking about you all the time. About how well you took care of me, how you never let me feel alone, how much you love me... everything."
"That sounds nice." I smiled. "Looks like I finally have someone on my side."
"Not just her." She grinned. "Mysha too. She came here with me today. Ever since she talked to you on the video call yesterday, she couldn't stop asking when she'd meet her jiju."
"Mysha is here?"
"Yeah." She nodded. "She's sleeping in Dhrithi's room."