"Careful on the steps," he said following close behind her. The staircase was dark. The only source of light was down the stairs, the two night bulbs illuminating the living hall just enough to make out silhouette of the furniture.

Ruhaani was going to climb down along the railing. However she moved away from the railing of the staircase and moved to the centre. It was stupid and petty, still, she like defying everything that he said. She heard him utter something under his breath that she could barely understand. It pissed him she gathered, satisfied.

"Take the side. You don't want to fall, do you?" He said, his annoyance building up. He absolutely hated when people didn't listen to him, especially when they defied him. Especially Ruhaani.

"Say a please, I might," Ruhaani said turning to give him a look over her shoulder. Her eyes twinkling with a wicked glint. Their gazes met. His eyes fixated boldly on hers.

"Your food doesn't digest until you annoy me, does it?" He spoke, his voice etched with irritation. Almost at the verge of snapping.

"And yours, till you order me?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"It was not an order." He argued.

"It was not a request." She countered.

A muscle in Aadarsh's jaw ticked as he shut his mouth, pressing his lips tightly together.

Don't fight. Don't say anything that disrupts peace. She was upset through the day.

He looked aside as his mind calmed down. She was a benchmarking test to his patience. He looked back at her blowing out a breath. He held her hand. It was better than giving in to her demand.

Ruhaani's gaze softened as it lowered to their hands. It swiftly flew up to his eyes. "I am perfectly capable of walking down the steps on my own, without the need of holding a hand."

"I had thought so too. However I was shockingly proved wrong. If you topple down these steps on my watch, people might blame me."

"Oh, I didn't think of that."

"Yeah. Now come along!" He said stepping down one step.

"You know, if you only added a please to your sentences, it would saved so much time and effort." She gave up and walked down along with him.

"If you just stopped being stubborn, it would make you so much better."

"Same to you!"

Aadarsh wondered if she learned that from Pari or Pari had picked it up from her mother's vocabulary.

Ruhaani didn't like losing to him, surrendering to him. But she could definitely benefit from some support to climb down the dark steps. What if she stepped on something she couldn't see, freaked out and jumped suddenly landed on her butt.

As soon as they were down he released her hand and she immediately missed the warmth of his hand. She shouldn't have. In complete silence, they made their way to the kitchen with him taking the lead.

Aadarsh had quickly switched on the golden lights over the kitchen island. She made her way to the other side of the kitchen island.

Aadarsh stood between the kitchen stools, placing his hands on the expensive granite as she went about opening cabinets to get her ingredients out on the other side. He walked over to the kitchen window and opened it letting in a cool breeze. He walked back, his eyes following her as she brought the milk out of the fridge.

His thoughts went back to their conversation about Nirvan. He should have been a little more thoughtful before defending his brother. Sometimes he forgot that Ruhaani had grown up without her parents too. He should have been more careful with his words.

"I know Aadarsh, I know how it feels."

His gaze was steady on her. A breeze from the window blew her soft brown tresses to her face. She immediately lifted her left hand up and used her fingers to tuck them behind her ear, while her entire attention was on the task in hand.

She poured milk into a cup and then transferred it into a steel milk pot and turned on the flame. Then carefully measuring the ingredients with a spoon started adding them.

Ruhaani could feel his gaze on her. She could bet he was thinking if it was worth his time. He was watching her like a hawk, like she would add poison to his beverage. She was almost tempted to call it out loud. However she had to be the mature one, because Aadarsh wasn't.

"So, whose wedding is it?" She asked looking up. She just couldn't take the silence. It was too thick to keep up with.

He blinked, hearing her words. It took him more than usual time to search his brain for the answer. "It's a ex client's son, Adiraaj Oswal." He massaged the back of his neck as he spoke.

"So it more of a social obligation?" She asked, while slowly stirring the mix waiting for it to thicken.

"Yes, helps in building networks."

"Right." Was all she could say. She had been momentarily distracted by the view before her. He wore a plain deep blue cotton t-shirt. The colour could almost be mistaken for black. His stubble was now dense enough to be called a light beard. Very few men could look in both a clean shave and a beard, Aadarsh was definitely one of them.

She went back to stirring the hot chocolate in making. Her cheeks had grown warm. Dark colours suited him just as much as white did.

"So, has Abhi, uh, told you about this mysterious colleague he's smitten by?" Ruhaani spoke, shifting her gaze back to the man.

"Nothing apart from the fact that he likes her. Not even her name."

"Hmm," she went turned the flame down a bit as the milk started boiling.

"You?"

"Me what?" She asked glancing at him, her hand pushing back the hair that adamantly curtained down on the side her face.

"Has he told you anything more?" Aadarsh asked looking away from her hair, which was a distraction.

"Nothing major. I think a part of him is still unsure. She's a good friend from what he has told me. So it's natural to be a bit confused."

"Yes, it is." He sighed looking away. He knew exactly what it felt like when one fell in love with their best friend. It was the most serendipitous yet daunting feeling in the word. It was like the fine line between having everything and losing everything.

"You should have a heart to heart talk with him about it. Maybe he can benefit from your advice. You may understand what's going on with him better."

Aadarsh scoffed. "I am not becoming a love and relationship advisor for him."

"He's your brother!" She reasoned.

"The whole idea of romance and love is really fucked up. It only wastes your time, messes with your mind and ends badly."

"Ouch." Ruhaani remarked. "Maybe you're right about ending badly. I mean..." she turned to him, lifting the spoon she was using to stir, "look at history Romeo-Juliet, Heer-Ranjha, Majnu-Laila, etcetera."

"Exactly." He said, his hand moving through air, to prove his point.

"or..." Ruhaani stretched the word, turning to look at him with a thoughtful expression.

"Or?" He shook his head, giving her a perplexed look.

Her attention went back to the boiling hot chocolate. She quickly took a small teaspoon and sampled it. Satisfied, she turned the flame off and poured the thick chocolate into two cups. She smiled picking up the cups.

"Or?" He asked her still stuck wondering what was the other take, as he took the cup from her hand. Their fingers briefly brushing against the other's.

"Or, it's perception." She smiled and then continued to explain.

"So, I read this article in which the author's view was that these stories were told over the years to enforce the laws of society. Love is empowering, it gives you a freedom to do whatever your heart asks you to. But the society never wants that. It wants order, it wants bifurcation, it wants power... obedience. That's why they always gave passionate love stories a tragic end."

"I don't understand that logic." Aadarsh dismissed it, sipping the beverage.

"How's it?" Ruhaani asked with anticipation. "Be honest," she added.

Aadarsh quietly took another sip. It was actually delicious. He was pleasantly surprised. The texture, the consistency, the sweetness and the flavour of chocolate they were all on point. In fact, it might have been one of the best hot chocolates he had very had. Not that he had sampled many.

"Tolerable." He said.

Ruhaani wanted to snatch the cup of his hand. It was mind-blowing good. The brand of cocoa powder that Dai Jaan ordered was much better than the one she used to use, which only made her hot chocolate taste much better. This man didn't deserve it.

"Good," she said sarcastically. "The poison hasn't made it taste as bad as I thought it would." She remarked walking over to the door that opened out in the lawn.

Aadarsh's lips quirked into a smile and he shook his head, looking up at her. "You're humour is dark."

She turned to glance at him as she unlocked the door. "That wasn't a joke. You'll be out in ten minutes. I hope you enjoy hell."

"Why are you going out?"

"Giving myself an alibi."

Aadarsh sighed, walking around the kitchen island and in quick strides followed her out. "I thought you wanted a long life for me..." He mused stepping out behind her. He picked up the brick by the door and shoved it between the door frame and the door.

"Changed my mind."

"So much for the want of a compliment!" He remarked as she walked over to the steps that led to the small back lawn and sat on the first.

Ruhaani didn't answer. He was right. She was desperate for a compliment. She had never needed validation in a long time. She knew she was the best version of herself and that was enough. However, with Aadarsh it was different. She always felt like she was just not good enough. She hated how she sought his validation.

"It's one of the best I have had." He said, sitting down on the same step a little distance away from her. The space between them could accommodate another person.

"but?" She prompted.

He turned to her, holding the cup in both his hands. His gaze meeting hers. "No clauses here."

She stared at him waiting to see him flash his annoying smirk or wear the irksome mystery smile. But he didn't. Her lips slowly curved up, as a warmth spread inside her. "Thank you for being kind."

He rolled his eyes and turned to look ahead. He wondered why he gave in. An annoyed Ruhaani was entertaining, frankly. They sat in silence enjoying the chocolate drink.

"I think you should really talk to Abhi. I think he's too confused."

"Ruhaani," he sighed. "I would be happy if he doesn't get tangled in love and all that follows."

Ruhaani took a deep breath. "Aadarsh, I know you don't like to be told how you should deal with your relations, with your siblings. But Abhi needs someone to talk to. I am not going to tell you to give him advice. But maybe give him a listener in you. It's like he wants someone to talk to it about, but that someone is not me. He needs someone he can trust with his deepest ...fears, secrets, emotions. And that's definitely not me."

Aadarsh eyes were closely watching her. Her every little expression. The thoughtfulness, the concern, the concern for Abhi, it was all there on her face.

"Fine. I will only listen."

Ruhaani smiled, looking at him as he looked at the now empty cup in his hand. She scooted closer and craned her neck to look into his cup. "Missing it already?"

The tip of Aadarsh's tongue caressed his lower lip and then his teeth sunk into his lower lip for a moment before he turned to her. She was closer than before. The breeze blew her hair backwards, very slightly. She quirked up a brow with a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes. He didn't even realize when the corners of his lips tugged upwards.

"You're getting ahead of yourself now!"

"Am I?" She remarked. "I thought I saw a speck of longing as you stared at your empty cup." She smiled widely. "Good things always get over too soon, no?" a soft smile played on her lips as she said that.

Aadarsh blinked. Ruhaani was a strange person. She conveyed deep things wrapping them in simple words. She used dark humour as a cloak to hide her real feelings. There was so much more about her that was a mystery.

"You're staring," he said softly, as her gaze refused to move from him. He looked ahead. But her gaze was still stuck on him, he could feel it's warmth.

"Yeah, I am." She whispered. Her thought spilling out of her mouth. She had no business staring at him. Why was she trying to find hidden layers beneath him? Why was she acting like those stupid female protagonists—who put up with toxic male counterparts and found their problems to fix them— she hated?

Aadarsh snapped his head to look at her. A bit of surprise and a bit of curiosity lined his eyes. She confused him with her blatant audacious attention.

"Trying to find the answer on your face, the answer that you're hiding." She recovered from her daze, blinking, and came up with a fitting reply as fast as she could.

"Aha, of course." He remarked, unconvinced. He knew she was attracted to him. It was actually funny how she tried to deny that to herself. His gaze didn't move away from her eyes. He slowly took his face closer to hers.

Ruhaani's wit was gone as soon as it had recovered. His breath was warm and smelt of cocoa. Wall of defence, cracked. She leaned closer. He gaze lowered to his lips as his tongue darted out to wet his lips. Ruhaani gulped hard. The cracked wall crumbled. She was at the mercy of her desires.

"It's too late, isn't it?" Aadarsh spoke turning away from her. It was supposed to be a harmless teasing. Like the other night when she had been staring at his shirtless self. It was supposed to be in his control. Like it was that night.

He wasn't supposed to feel the itch in his palms to touch her face and the maddening urge to use his fingers to tuck away that unruly bunch of hair at the side of her face. He was not supposed to feel thirsty. He wasn't supposed to feel anything that he felt in those few fleeting moments.

"Yes," Ruhaani's eyelashes fluttered. Her cheeks felt warm but her body was cold. "Cold too." She added and quickly got to her feet. It was stupid of her to feel so overwhelmed by attraction. Her lips thinned as she walked back to the door. Aadarsh was cold and he'd never be anything like the husband that the tiny hopelessly hopeful part of her heart wished for. She shouldn't have felt bad over it. But she did. And she hated that feeling.

Irritated, she kicked aside the brick. Why was it even placed in the way? She paused momentarily calming herself. It was just frustration. She was better than this at dealing with frustration.

"Fuck, are you crazy!"

Ruhaani's eyes widened as she turned to an Aadarsh who dashed towards the door that had closed.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked. Suddenly she began thinking about him. They almost had a moment, a kiss even. What did he feel about it? There was no way he didn't realize that they were an inch away from making an intimate contact.

"Ruhaani, the door." He said with disbelief like she had done the most ridiculous thing ever.

"What about it?" She said blinking, moving her eyes to glance at the door that had closed.

"It only opens from inside!"

Ruhaani shook her head, that was absurd. "What?"

"Are you kidding me? The door, Ruhaani. It only opens from the inside. What were you thinking?" His words came out a bit too harshly.

"Aadarsh," she tried to maintain a calm tone despite wanting to shout out at him. "the door opens both ways. It's a door. It's supposed to work like that."

He stared at her in disbelief, taking a few steps away, running a hand up his forehead to his hair. "Okay, open it." He said in a dreadfully even voice.

Ruhaani held the door handle and tried to open it. It did not open. Didn't even show a sign it would. Her eyebrows drew a little closer as she tried again.

"It opens, Aadarsh. I have opened it before." She said trying to pull at the handle. It was just the other day that she had stepped outside to throw the vegetable peels in the garbage bin they kept out and had returned, opened the door and stepped in. She tried a bit more and slowly an otherwise non significant detail from that day came to her mind. Dai Jaan had also opened the door from the other side at the same time. They had both smiled at each other.

"It opens just one way. It's a security feature."

Ruhaani swallowed the bitter taste of embarrassment, like always. "It's a really stupid one then."

Aadarsh sighed turning back to her. "I can't believe you didn't know."

Ruhaani looked back at the closed door. No one told her. How was she supposed to know? She had even seen Dai Jaan keep a brick sometimes when she went out. A memory that only surface now that she tried to make sense. It made sense now, why she did something as odd as that.

She stepped away from the door, folding her arms. She wasn't going to apologize. Nope. "Open it. Use your brute force." She told him.

Aadarsh stared at her in incredulity. "It won't open Ruhaani."

"At least try. Put your damn muscles to some use and open the damn door."

Aadarsh took two angry steps towards her. "No amount of brute force will open that door. The door handle is a dummy, you idiot!"

Ruhaani blinked, looking hither & thither and then looked up at him. "Don't shout. I am standing right here."

"I am not shouting." He said in a tight voice. His gaze lowering to her lips from her eyes. He should step away. He shouldn't be looking at her lips. His hand rolled into a fist on the side.

"You were." She argued.

Aadarsh stepped away, angry at himself. He was attracted to her! There was no other explanation. He had no clue how could he be attracted to her. He had never been before.

It would be a recipe for disaster— their mutual attraction. God forbid, they acted on it.

"What are we going to do? Ring the bell of the front door?" She asked softly, hugging herself. Just minutes ago he was giving her warm compliments and now he was giving a cold shoulder.

"It's going to wake up everyone." Aadarsh said, fishing his phone out of his pocket.

"Who are you calling?"

"Abhi."

"Try Ashvi." She suggested. "Abhi must be asleep. He came home very tired."

He looked up at her. Her eyes looked at him, almost challenging him. He was going to press the call symbol against Abhi's name when his thumb paused in mid air hovering on the screen, in indecisiveness. He scrolled down to Ashvi's name instead and called her instead. Ruhaani made sense.

One. Two. Three. Four. Rings after rings.

"She's not picking up the phone." He informed, feeling stupid.

"Shit! She keeps her phone on vibrate mode always." Ruhaani thought aloud. "She must be asleep then."

Aadarsh cursed himself for getting so easily influenced. He went back to the list and called Abhi.

Only at the last ring Abhi picked up.

"Abhi, Hello?"

"Yes, Bhai. Why are you calling me?" His groggy voice came over the line, followed by some sounds and then his voice returned with more panic, "Bhai it's almost one ...is everything okay, why are you calling?"

"Abhi, relax. Everything is fine. I just needed some help. I got locked out of the house. The kitchen door."

"Oh!" His voice was evidently coloured in relief. "Coming to your rescue!"

Aadarsh ended the call. "Abhi picked up. Ashvi did not."

Ruhaani shrugged. "I just gave a suggestion. You were not forced to take it. And anyways, when do you ever listen to me?"

Aadarsh scowled. Her words were true. He shouldn't have been influenced by anyone else's words or judgment, especially not hers. "Look whose talking!"

Ruhaani turned away from him and stood facing the door, counting numbers till it opened.

Aadarsh turned away too. Towards the steps. His mind reminded him of the breathless moment. It was just a moment of overpowering lust and carnal need. Nothing else. It would have been trouble if he acted on it. Good part was, he didn't act on it.

The door's lock was heard twisting and he turned to the door walking towards it. "Bhai, what..." Abhi's voice trailed off lost in his surprise. "Bhabhs," he uttered, looking at the woman and then his gaze moved behind her to his brother. "Interesting!" He murmured, his voice was soft. "What are you both doing? Here? At this time?"

"Playing hide and seek!"

"Partying!"

Two sarcastic replies were received a split of a second apart. Abhi chuckled a yawn escaping his mouth at the same time, as he looked from one to another. "Should have synchronized your answers at least."

Aadarsh stepped aside and walked past Ruhaani, then past Abhi. "Blame Ruhaani for ruining your sleep."

"It was not my mistake. You were outside too!" Ruhaani said stepping in past Abhi, following Aadarsh.

"But you bloody closed the door." Aadarsh argued turning to her after placing his cup in the sink.

"I didn't do it on purpose, so don't make it sound like that." Ruhaani muttered, putting down her cup in the sink too.

Abhi who locked the door turned to them. "Did you guys fight?"

"No!" they both answered turning to him.

"Not fishy at all." Abhi mocked. "Then what on earth were you both doing out at this hour?" He asked a bit annoyed as his sleep was gone.

"None of your business!" Aadarsh said making his way across the kitchen.

"It is, if you wake me up from deep sleep with a startling call. I almost got a heart attack in panic." He snarled at his brother.

"Ask your Bhabhs, it was her idea." Aadarsh glanced at Ruhaani.

"Like you weren't having a good time." Ruhaani taunted her husband.

Pin drop silence followed as the brothers stared at her, their eyes identically widened. She blinked, first confused then mortified, her own words echoing in her eats.

"Okay, I don't think I want to know. Good night!" Abhi said quickly and dashed out.

Aadarsh opened his mouth to say something but he found no words. Out of all the words in the dictionary, those were the ones that she chose in that specific order.

Ruhaani bit her lower lip, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment. Her words couldn't possibly be misleading but they were. If what happened outside with Aadarsh was embarrassment this was hundred times it.

"Switch the lights off when you come." Aadarsh said walking out. He was sure he'd never hear the end of his brother's teasing for this situation. Yes, Ruhaani's choice of words for the moment was horribly inappropriate. However, Abhi's imagination was even worse.

Like you weren't having a good time.

Her words echoed in his ears. Stupid, stupid Ruhaani.

Like you weren't having a good time.

This time the voice was more taunting. It was calling him out, for the moment out there. He had intended to only tease but it had blown up on his own face.

There was utter silence in the room, once they were both back on the respective sides of their bed looking anywhere but at each other. They hadn't spoken a word. Suddenly everything was very awkward.

"Good night," Ruhaani whispered after much debate with herself. She couldn't bear the silence. It was better to pretend like nothing happened than keep up with the electrified air between them.

Aadarsh closed his eyes. "Good night," he uttered. He could forget the night, forget everything that happened. Her hair, her smile, her defiant remarks, the delicious hot chocolate, her lips and their closeness. Or perhaps at the least, pretend he had forgotten.

***

Ruhaani woke up late the Monday morning. After freshening up she rushed to kids' room ignoring the absence of her husband. It was good that she didn't have to see his face first thing in the morning.

Mukti had already taken a bath and was getting dressed. Her face immediately lit up when she saw her.

"Good morning sweetheart!" Ruhaani smiled, getting on her knees to help Mukti with the shirt's collar. Her uniform comprised a white shirt, white shorts and a pinafore.

"Good morning, Bhabhs!" She smiled throwing her arms around her.

Ruhaani smiled circling her arms around the girl, kissing her forehead. "Did you have milk?"

"No."

Ruhaani looked at her disappointed.

"I will have it once I am ready, promise." The first said with a sweet smile. "Can you make me a fish braid today?"

"Fish braid it is!" Ruhaani smiled, quickly getting to the dressing table and picking up the purple comb.

She sat on the bed, while Mukti stood before her, between her legs.

"Nirvan had his milk?" Ruhaani asked.

"No, he is still having it. He's down."

"Where's Pari?" Ruhaani asked looking at the empty bed.

"She's also having milk. I don't why she got up early, it's her summer vacation."

Ruhaani smiled. "Don't worry, yours will be here in a jiffy. Pay attention in class Ma'am is making you do science revision. Okay?"

"Hmm, can you put some other fruit in my tiffin today? I don't want apple."

Ruhaani smiled with satisfaction as she put a hair tie at the end of her braid. "Yes Ma'am. Anything else for my highness?" She asked, placing her either hand on her shoulder.

"Kissy," Mukti said forwarding her cheek.

Ruhaani chuckled kissing her cheek, as the girl turned around.

"Come on, let's get you your milk and me my tea." Ruhaani said getting up, holding her hand.

"I woke up before Nirvan today. I woke him up." Mukti told her proudly as they made their way out. Ruhaani smiled as the girl began animatedly narrating how hard it was to wake up Pari.

Ruhaani reached the dining table to find Aadarsh bobbing his head agreeing to everything her daughter was saying. Nirvan commented something to which Aadarsh winked at him. Ruhaani found her breath caught somewhere in her air passageway.

"Mummaaa," Pari's loud squeal made Aadarsh turn towards her swiftly. Ruhaani managed to look away from him and at her daughter. She walked up to where she stood on the chair.

"Good morning, shona!" Ruhaani said kissing her cheek.

"I want to wear blue frock today. The pink flowers one."

Ruhaani beamed at her excitement nodding.

"Is she saying the truth?" Nirvan asked curiously. "Are you taking her to your office?"

"Yes, Nirvan. Good morning to you too."

He gave her a sheepish boyish smile. Ruhaani turned to her husband and gave him a quick nod with a murmur out of which a 'morning' was heard faintly.

"What is she going to do at your office?" He asked.

"Play around. There's a dedicated floor space for kids and there are volunteers for childcare." She answered and walked around the table towards the kitchen.

"I want to come to your office too." Mukti said.

"Me too!" Nirvan added.

"Okay, after your exams." Ruhaani answered before walking away to the kitchen.

***

Aadarsh was standing before the vanity, setting his shirt's collar when Ruhaani walked in. His gaze met hers through the reflection in the mirror.

Ruhaani moved to wardrobe silently.

"Why are you taking her to your office?" Aadarsh asked loudly, picking up the perfume bottle and spraying some.

No response. Sighing he walked into the wardrobe. "I asked you something."

Ruhaani sighed. Some days she just didn't want to deal with him. Today was one such day. "It's her vacation. What will she do alone at home?"

"Whatever she wants. Play, watch TV, eat...Dai Jaan is there to take care of her."

"I know. But it's a Monday, Dai Jaan also needs a break. Her weekends are crammed with work. I wanted her to take a break. Mondays are her favourite."

Aadarsh wondered why he hadn't thought all the way to that.

"I would appreciate if you'd have told me about your plan to take Pari to your office."

"I would have appreciated if you cared to share about her admission with me before announcing it before everyone else." Ruhaani raised her gaze to look at him.

"They're two entirely different things."

"No. They are not." She countered.

"I am her father, Ruhaani. Give me the right to at least be that."

"I already have. It's time you realize that parenting isn't about taking solo decisions, saying yes to everything they demand and making announcements about them like it's your sole right. I am her mother, Aadarsh. You need to discuss with me."

Aadarsh stared at her silently. He would have told her first, that was the plan all along. Until he had to say something to stop Shelly Bua and her from going at war.

She walked away to the washroom. He looked at the door as it was shut with force. Why was she angry? He was the one who was supposed to be upset about not knowing how his daughter planned to spend her day. Not her. What the fuck was she so mad about?

He inhaled a long breath and exhaled sharply. He wasn't going to give her the privilege to ruin the mood for the day. He kicked the ottoman before walking out. 

• — • — •

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter.

Next : Tuesday ( coz I need to work this weekend )

Don't forget to vote ☆ on the chapters.

—Anami!♡