Chapter 59 : Overpowered 

Ruhaani slowly stepped into the room and shut the door, looking around. Gradually, she made her way to the walk-in closet. She stood by the sliding door of the closet, her gaze finally finding the person it had been searching for.

He was in the process of removing his coat. "Is it too late to say that you actually look quite nice in a three-piece suit?" she said, wearing a smile, hoping he would take her bait.

He slowly turned around and looked at her as he dropped the coat on the ottoman. He didn't revel in the compliment. His face looked rather empty, as if her words never reached that part of him that displayed a smug smile every time he thought he had the upper hand in a situation, every time he managed to get a compliment from her.

"Want to talk?" She asked softly, reading in all his tension. With slow deliberate steps she reached the ottoman.

"No." He uttered turning around. "I'd like some space, some time alone." He said gently, lowering his gaze to his wrists as he unbuttoned the cuffs. He was dumping his issues on her a lot from the past few weeks. She practically knew everything that was going on with him, at least at home and to some extent at work. He didn't want be reduced to a vulnerable man who had a ton of issues before her.

"Okay. If you think that, fine." Ruhaani spoke. She couldn't help but feel a little hurt at his dismissal. She comforted herself by reminding herself that he was a stubborn person. Especially when it came to sharing emotions and feelings with her.

Aadarsh fisted his hand, controlling the urge to turn around and tell her to stay. Somehow when she was around, he felt lighter. In years, he hadn't talked the troubles of his heart out to anyone, but he did that with her. It had become unbelievably easy to count on her, for emotional support.

He almost felt bad for it. At the crossroads he was standing, he didn't even understand what was going on with him. There were way too many parameters in his life that were going out of control, and he despised that. It made him feel helpless.

He turned around when he neither heard anything from her nor any sound of her retreat. She sat on the ottoman quietly, her back facing him. His coat was in her lap as she ran a hand over it to remove the traces of creases.

He swallowed the hard ball of emotions down his throat and settled on the ottoman beside her, but facing the other way. His gaze rose up to the mirror. Since there were two mirrors facing each other and the ottoman was placed right in between, he could see her reflection. Almost instantly, she also looked up at him. Their gazes colliding through the two mirrors.

She said nothing but lowered her gaze, as she went about folding his coat with utmost care.

He loosened the top two buttons at his collar and leaned forward, running his palms down his face. He was waiting. Waiting for her to say anything. Anything to lighten the tensed feeling stretching in his heart.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" He sighed and spoke, giving up on his patience. He straightened up and turned to her side.

She turned towards him too. "You said you wanted to be alone."

"Yet, you're here."

"Yes I am, because I have realized people don't always mean what they say, especially you."

Aadarsh turned away from her and lowered his gaze to the carpeted floor. Guilt poked his insides. Yeah, like he never meant that Abhi was a disappointment. He wondered what she thought of him on the matter. Did she understand him? Did she understand that he never meant it that way? Or was she here to advocate for Abhi as usual?

He glanced back at her.

No. Not for Abhi. She was here, for him.

It was surprising to see her courage. She didn't hate him for running away from loving her. If there was someone else in her place, they would have probably walked the other way.

"What if I meant it?" He spoke slowly. "What if I actually needed some place and time alone?"

"I would still be here."

He blinked once and then again. Why did her words feel like an ice on a bruise? Why were those words a bit hard to absorb even though he wanted to hear something like that?

Of course she would. She loves you, idiot. People who love you don't leave you alone when they sense you need them. They don't abandon you. She can probably feel you need her support. A voice in his head spoke to him.

"Even Nirvan says that he likes to be alone, that he wants to be alone. However that's not true. No one wants to be alone, Aadarsh. They just want a companionship that let's them be themselves without any hindrance, without any judgement; which is just hard to come by."

He smiled a little. She had a profound understanding of humans, it never failed to amaze him. It sort of reminded him of his mother. Just like his mother, Ruhaani always had clever, wise and deep answers for his questions and problems.

He held that thought there and tried to drift the conversation away, anywhere else from what he felt about her. He shouldn't be thinking so deeply about her.

"But I am pretty sure, you're here with an agenda of having a conversation about a difficult issue that probably involves me not being at my best or some of my behaviour needing correction." He spoke.

Ruhaani's hearty chuckle at his remark made him turn back to her, yet again. He loved that sound. He loved that sight of her delighted face. "So accurate Mister Aadarsh Sehgal!" She glanced at him.

"Getting used to you!" He said, his gaze caressing the soft contours of her face. His eyes gradually met her brown— the brown of roasted coffee beans—eyes that at the moment appeared just as brown as her hair that been tied up into a bun.

"Good thing! So, now can we have that conversation?" she raised an eyebrow in question.

His features dimmed. His gaze lowered to her hand that she had placed on his that rested on the ottoman.

"I know you're hurting, Aadarsh. I can't force you to share it with me. But I just want you to know that if you need someone to talk to, I am right here. No conditions apply, okay?" She said gently.

Aadarsh looked at her. She was beautiful, courageous, thoughtful, kind and so damn strong. He'd probably give anything to be as strong as she was. He then slowly shifted closer to her and laid his head sideways on her shoulder. He shifted their interlocked hands to his lap. His fingers having a steady hold on the back of her palm.

He was tired of fighting. His resistance was depleting. Ruhaani was so freaking perfect. She made him comfortable being himself. She was there with him at his lowest times. Maybe he should just open the doors of his heart to her...for her. Maybe he should trust her wholly, completely, entirely.

Ruhaani slightly inclined her neck away, so he had enough room to rest his head on her shoulder comfortably. She felt both his hands close around hers. She was curious to look up at the mirror and see him but she didn't. She felt that he didn't want to be seen at the moment. Nobody liked to be seen being vulnerable, at least she didn't, just like him.

She hated seeing him so low. She wished she could magically make things right for him. Despite his evasion to her feelings, she loved him. She didn't understand it. But she didn't mind it. Somehow loving him had become a natural part of her.

"It's hard." Aadarsh finally spoke up. "Why aren't all relationships as easy as that of a mother with child?" He sighed.

Ruhaani echoed the thought.

"I honestly don't know." She said after much thought. She didn't have a mother but she was one. Yes, with kids it was always easy to bond as a mother. But why? She didn't know.

"Thank God, you didn't say they're easy but I am not good at it, I would have pushed you out of here."

Ruhaani chuckled. The man could be cuter than a kid at times.

Aadarsh smiled. He liked that. He could make her laugh. Stupid of her to think he didn't have a good sense of humour.

"You are a nice brother, Aadarsh."

Aadarsh exhaled sharply. "Apparently not. I made Abhi feel like a disappointment. I made Ashvi feel like her dreams don't matter to me."

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. Leave that to me."

Aadarsh smiled a little at that and listened attentively to her.

"The thing that's the root cause of the entire situation is that you don't express yourself. That's primary and the secondary is that you say things in anger that you don't mean. Also there is hypocrisy. And then there is your attitude of..." She had started off with honesty but drifted to playfulness.

"Shut up!" He muttered tugging at her hand.

Ruhaani smiled, as she got pulled a little more towards him. "You're a good brother Aadarsh. It's just that you are protective. And that's not a bad thing."

"I am worried for Ashvi. How is she going to manage living by herself?" He said shifting backwards, such that she was comfortable.

"She has to start somewhere," Ruhaani remarked.

"Not in a foreign country," he argued.

"You know some birds stop feeding their young ones after a point so that they can learn to fly out of the nest to find their food. Some kick their babies out of their nest so that they can learn to fly and defend for themselves. You've been that momma bird for Ashvi, it's time to ..."

"Don't say kick her out!" He warned.

Ruhaani's lips curled up, "I was going to say, let her fly."

"Whose going to take responsibility if something goes wrong? It's going to be me..."

"No. She needs to take her own responsibility and your plan is quite good to ensure that. Like parents can't be wholly responsible for choices their adult kids make, you can't be held responsible for whatever Ashvi's life turns out to be. Whatever it is . . . it's what she's made of it, it is hers."

"Hmm, tomorrow will you be able to let Pari go like that?" He challenged.

Ruhaani blinked. A silence fell. She had never thought of a life where Pari was not with her. She always assumed, Pari would be there, no matter what age and time. Frankly, it was too early to think that far.

"Maybe," she let out a sigh. "I have a long time to prepare for that. I hope, I can. I would never want her to not reach her dreams because I refused to let her go."

"We," he corrected, feeling a bit left out.

"We," she confirmed, accepting his slightest correction. "We!"

"Yeah, that would suck." He murmured. "I can't even think of her leaving us. Can she never grow up?"

"And be Papa's princess forever? No, please. I want her to be a fine independent lady one day." Ruhaani replied playfully even though her heart felt oddly heavy.

"She'll always be my princess, even if she grows up." He said softly. "Why can't we all just live together like we are now?"

Ruhaani beamed. She was so glad that he was a good father.

"I know it is hard, but it's the way of life, I guess. Maybe she'll have a better life somewhere else. Maybe her fate has an altogether different story written for her. Different from yours, mine and ours. You can't make people stay Aadarsh, if they're meant to go out of your life, they'll go one way or another. It's easier when it's a happy goodbye."

A deep contemplative silence fell between them.

Aadarsh gently caressed the back of her hand with the pad of his thumb. She was right. A happy planned goodbye would be better than an unexpected sad one.

"Anyways!" Ruhaani sighed, before going on, "You should talk to Abhi. Because what you said down there may seem a bit like you didn't care if he stayed or not. But you do. You should talk it out. Don't go with the mind set to mend things. Go like a man who is equally hurt but willing to talk it out because his brother matters to him, not because he is responsible to keep his brother happy. Another person's happiness is not your responsibility, you can only love them. It's your love that will bring them happiness, if they chose to let it."

"I don't want him to go to the States," Aadarsh spoke after the longest pause in their conversation. "It's not because I don't want that life for him or because I feel anything else. I am just used to him being around. Ever since he was born he's been around me. Maa used to say that I have to always look out for him, cause he's little. And now, I am just...used to that."

"You do, Aadarsh, you always look out for him. Just like he does for you. And you always will. But caging someone isn't the way to love them and care for them. Sometimes you just have to let them free."

"You talk like I have locked them up in some jail!" He mumbled irately, slowly straightening up his head and turning to look at her.

"No. Humans are like plants. Each is very different. Some need a lot of water, some need a lot of care, some need very little water, some need a lot of sunshine, some die in a lot of sunshine. What might be the key to survival for one may be the weapon to kill another. Loving is like growing plants. When it's a sapling, you need to take care of it differently from when it's a thriving strong tree. For every person you do it differently. Sometimes that changes with time too."

She slowly turned to look at him as she went on.

"At one point, your care and protective nature was all that Ashvi needed to feel secure, but now the same thing may be a bit harsh on her. It's same way for Abhi. Once your attitude to take care of everything and have everything in control, was greatly appreciated by him, but now it's no longer that way. He grew up. He wants to feel in control too. It's natural. With time, our way of loving and providing care needs to change and adapt.

Trust me, I learned it the hard way too. I can't treat Pari like a baby now. She wants to eat on her own and do practically everything by herself. She doesn't need that much attention and care from me as much as she needed when she was a baby. Eventually, I need to distance myself from her gradually, so she can grow freely. If I am too close always, I will hinder her growth."

"All of this sucks then!" Aadarsh muttered bitterly.

"No, it doesn't. It's just that you're very attached to your siblings. It's natural for you to feel hurt. Just talk it out Aadarsh. Don't run away from your feelings, because they're a part of you, you can never get rid of them. Try and embrace them, the battle will be much easier to win." She said, her fingers closing around his hand.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence.

Try and embrace them.

He slowly raised his gaze up to her. "So..." He cleared his throat. "You're my shrink now?"

Ruhaani tossed a smile at him, a heartfelt one. "No. I am trying to be a good wife."

Aadarsh blinked, breaking the eye contact with her abruptly. His hands slackened their grip on hers. "Thank you," he said after much internal debate.

Ruhaani smiled and looked away. A tension came into existence again. An emotional one.

"By the way," she spoke up remembering her conversation with Abhi the previous night. "there's something I need to tell you, but only if you promise to not be mad at me."

He exhaled and turned to look at her again, "what did you do?"

"I might have in a way scolded Abhi for... uh, his choice of words while talking to you." Ruhaani looked at him cautiously, her gaze carefully analysing his face for the hint of emotion.

Aadarsh closed his eyes and then opened them. "Why?" He asked, his face not giving away what he felt.

"Because... he hurt you. And it wasn't right. I reacted, okay. I just felt really bad. I know I should have stayed out, it was between you and him. But I was there... and I ... I..." She bit her lower lip, unable to explain to him how hurt she exactly felt.

Aadarsh shouldn't have felt nice. He should have been worried about Abhi. He should have been mad at her for scolding his poor brother when the man was already hurting. But for once, he chose to feel for himself. She took his side! She spoke up for him. There was a peculiar emotion that spread out in his heart like a wild forest fire.

"Don't worry, I will apologize to him. Although he's not talking to me since yesterday. But I am sure... he'll forgive." She mumbled, lost in her thoughts.

"I don't doubt it. Just don't cook for him for a day and you'll be left off the hook." He remarked, a teasing glint in his eyes.

Ruhaani gaped at him and then as a immediate reaction drove her right fist into his arm. "Mean!" She remarked and then frantically shook her hand as she did no damage to his arm filled with hard muscles but instead gave her knuckles a twinge.

Aadarsh chuckled watching the exaggerated expressions cross her visage. "Serves you right!"

"Tell me where you can get hurt and then see how strong I am!" She mumbled, caressing the knuckles of her right hand with her left hand's fingertips.

He smiled and grabbed her right wrist. He gently used his left hand to flex her fingers and rubbed his thumb between the knuckles. She gazed at him as his gaze was focused on her hand. Her heart fluttered. Her breathing became deeper.

"I did learn boxing for a couple of months years back. You must close your fist like this." He spoke, as his fingers wrapped around hers, closing her fist. "The thumb should never be inside the fist. You'll end up breaking it otherwise."

Ruhaani blinked trying not to melt at his touch, at his gentle gesture, at his kind words.

"Never go for the obvious muscles, if you really want to hurt someone," he slowly gripped her wrist again. "Go for the face!" He said pulling her fist to his face. She gasped at his sudden action, her body drooping towards him. She lowered her fist so that it missed his nose.

"Nose is an easy target." He said as she opened her fist as precaution. Their gazes melting into the other's. Aadarsh inched his face slightly closer to hers.

"Do you plan to kiss me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, as her gaze lowered to his lips.

Aadarsh blinked, his gaze lowering to her lips. Yes, he wanted to. "Do you want me to?" He asked.

"I just had vinegar soaked baby onions with chutney."

The corners of Aadarsh's lips lifted and a beautiful smile played on his lips. He tilted his head downwards and kissed her hand bringing it to his lips. "This is what I meant." He said to tease her.

Ruhaani's lips parted slightly. Gosh, when would she ever stop embarrassing herself before him? One look at him and it was confirmed that he was gloating over her stupidity.

" Curry." She muttered pulling her hand back from his, at the same time getting to her feet. "I ...I had to make the curry." Saying that she turned to leave. "You better talk to Abhi!" Having said that, she fled the scene.

She'd go mad with the intense emotions she felt around him.

Aadarsh chuckled, muttering, "Idiot!" He smiled broadly glancing at the neatly folded coat she had left behind. His hand reached put to caress the folded coat's top.

He already missed the feel of her hand in his. Her touch. He blinked as her absence marked the room.

His smile quickly faded away replaced by a solemn expression. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, facing the ceiling. Why wasn't there a switch to turn off his feelings?

***

"I looked for you everywhere." Aadarsh spoke as he entered the terrace post dinner. The temperature was bearable for a summer night. He would have preferred being indoors. Abhi had had his dinner unusually early in the evening from what Dai Jaan had told him and was now swimming.

Abhi glanced up at him, then turned around and swam away to the other side. Aadarsh quietly slipped his hands into his joggers and walked along the length of the pool along with him.

"Are you avoiding me?" He asked when Abhi stopped by the wall at the end of the pool.

He got no response.

"You know avoidance is unhealthy." He spoke again. Just as his words left his mouth, he realized that was what Ruhaani would have said was she in his shoes.

Abhi looked up at him. "Look who is talking!"

Aadarsh sighed. "Let's talk, please."

Abhi turned ahead and began swimming again. Aadarsh looked up at the sky, took in a deep breath and retraced his steps back to the other side.

"I am sorry, Abhi." Aadarsh said when Abhi climbed out of the pool by leaping out at the side instead of taking the steps out.

Abhi grabbed his bathrobe from the small circle shaped table placed between the loungers and put it on. Picking up the towel, he then slowly turned to his brother. "I am sorry too. I crossed the line."

"It's understandable, you felt hurt." Aadarsh said softly, momentarily looking down at his feet.

"Yeah, but I was still out of line. I didn't mean everything I said." Abhi spoke slowly, settling on the pool lounger.

Aadarsh sat beside him instead of taking the other lounger. "I didn't know you felt... that way. I just..."

Aadarsh paused to choose his words. "I just feel that telling you about work would burden you, that's why I just ask you to sign. Not because of any other reason. You made it pretty clear that you want to build your own career in a completely different field and I accepted that and I do everything I can to not involve you actively in anything that's got to do with the company. As for your investment plans, I only reject it when I know you can do better than. You're happy to do whatever you want with whatever that is yours. I won't stand in between, not today, not tomorrow, not ever.

When I ask you about your salary package, your increments, your bonuses; it is not to ridicule or anything what you think it is. It is because I genuinely want you to know your worth. Like I have said before, your company is underpaying you. And I am genuinely happy you got that promotion and the better offer. You deserve that and so much more."

Abhi looked at his brother teary-eyed. The wall that he had made up in his mind between himself and his brother, was swiftly crumbling down.

"I am sorry if... I made you feel you're not enough or that you're a disappointment." Aadarsh said, looking up at him with a layer of sheen in his eyes.

"You said it yourself!" Abhi mumbled, a weak argument. He hated how he felt in that moment.

"I said I was disappointed in what you did, idiot! Not that you're a disappointment. There's a difference!" Aadarsh exclaimed.

"I am sorry," Abhi said despairingly. "Bhabhs, was right. I shouldn't have said some of those words, definitely not the way I did. I regret it. You have always even there for us and you always want the best for us. It's just that..."

"I need to change my ways." Aadarsh said slowly when Abhi kept searching for the right words.

"Yeah." Abhi sighed. "Just treat us like adults and not teenagers that's enough."

Aadarsh quietly nodded. "Dry your hair, you'll catch a cold."

Abhi did as he was told.

After a long stretch of silence, Aadarsh spoke up again. "Why would you not tell me about the actual promotion?"

"How could I Bhai?"

"Why not?" Aadarsh asked baffled.

"Cause it feels like I am ... living the life you always wanted to live. It was your dream to go the States and set up a life there. But then ... you were just stuck here, taking care of everything and all of us. You had to give up on the love of your life for us. It just feels so wrong... I don't know how to explain it."

"I don't regret it, Abhi. Anyways, it was never my dream, I made someone else's dreams my own. That was my mistake. Someone who wasn't even willing to stay for me. I was willing to go away from my own family for her dreams."

"So you don't love her anymore?" Abhi slowly turned to his brother, filled with hope.

Unlike always, Aadarsh turned to look at Abhi, right in the eye. "No. I don't. I stopped loving a long time ago. And , Abhi, if you really want something, nothing should stop you from that. If you want that promotion, if you want that career opportunity, take it. Don't ever let anything you want, go away from you. That's foolishness. You want to go to Chicago, go. No one's going to pull you back."

"And leave you here?"

"If you had plans of tagging me along, I am sorry for the disappointment. My life is here, Abhi." Aadarsh turned ahead to look at the calm water of the pool. He didn't want Abhi to see exactly how much he was unwilling to let him go. It would be selfish of him to have his brother stay behind, leaving an opportunity that could turn around his life.

"So, you're okay if I leave? If Ashvi leaves?"

"It would suck, honestly. But look at the brighter side. You both wouldn't fight and I wouldn't have my ears filled with complaints. It would be very peaceful, you in one continent, she in another. UN would problem send us a letter of gratitude for the peace."

Abhi chuckled and Aadarsh smiled, looking at the pool. If Abhi chose to move out, he'd never had these conversations with him.

As his chuckles faded, Abhi turned to observe his brother's face. "Have I ever told you that I really appreciate all that you have done and continue to do for us all?"

"Many times!" Aadarsh turned and smiled at him.

"Somehow it's never enough." Abhi murmured scooting closer to his brother, wrapping his arms around him. "I love you, Bhai!"

"I love you too, Abhi!" Aadarsh said blinking furiously to fight the tears welling up in his eyes.

"Gosh! This is such a rare moment."

"Shut up!" Aadarsh muttered, close to losing a battle with his tears.

"And you ruin it!" Abhi exclaimed.

"Really, shut up!" Aadarsh muttered, tightening his arms around his brother.

"You know who else loves you?"

"Who?" Aadarsh asked, anticipating a stupid remark or a poor joke.

"Bhabhs!"

Aadarsh froze. His hand that was patting his brother's shoulder dropped.

"She loves you Bhai. Gosh it was so evident last night when she came to scold me."

"Okay. Now enough random talk. Go take a shower and wear some dry clothes." Aadarsh dismissed his brother's talk and pulled away.

"Bhai," Abhi said holding his arm

Aadarsh glanced at him.

"I mean it. She cares for you so much. I don't know the dynamics of your relationship with her. But what I do know is that, you feel something for her too. It's been evident in the past few weeks."

"Abhi, stop." Aadarsh warned. He didn't want to hear it. It would be harder to deny his own feelings.

"No. Just listen to me once. She deserves the world Bhai, just as you do. You both complete each other. I never thought there would be day I would say this...but she's like your soul mate Bhai. Maybe you can fall in love again. Maybe that's why you married her out of all the people in this world. Maybe that's why you were so mad at me...for keeping that box. Because my one action had the potential to ruin your relationship with her."

"This is all stupid ...very stupid talk, Abhi." Aadarsh muttered, afraid of even meeting his brother's eyes. Afraid that the latter would spot his struggle.

"Not everyone is lucky in love, Bhai. You know it. She knows it too. If you have something with her then preserve it, nurture it, before it's gone forever. No matter what you say about love... love heals too Bhai. Love fills those gaps that make you feel incomplete."

"Which movie did you see today?" Aadarsh asked dismissing his words as mindless chatter, standing up to leave. There was a strange promise...a hope...in Abhi's words.

"I saw her eyes and I saw the way you look at her." Abhi said softly.

"You're over dramatic man! Take a shower and put on your clothes." Aadarsh said as he walked ahead.

"Where are you going?"

"I promised the kids ice cream today!"

"Can I come too?"

"Nope. I am counting you and Ashvi as adults from now on."

"Not fair!"

"Man up, Abhi. I am adapting ...you should too."

"Well then, it sucks!"

"You bet!" Aadarsh exclaimed before walking into the elevator. He sighed, closing his eyes as the doors of the lift slammed together.

No. Don't listen to Abhi. He's stupid and crazy about love and all. He doesn't know pain and heartache like you do. A voice in his head warned.

But he said some things that didn't seem much far from the truth. Maybe you need to just try and embrace it. Ruhaani said it too. Maybe you're the one being foolish. You're fighting a battle that is already lost. Another voice argued.

No.

You're married to her. You're her family. She'll never leave.

You thought that about Siddhi too. See how that turned out!

She can't leave.

But her feelings can leave. And then there would be only yours.

Aadarsh walked into the TV room to find Mukti and Pari seated on the carpeted floor playing a game of their own. They had gathered odd items from around the house and set it up as though they were for sale. They had somehow managed to get the fake money cards from one of Nirvan's game and were using it to buy things from each other.

Ruhaani was seated comfortably on the corner of the sofa reading from her device and Nirvan sat with his back against her with his own new book in hand.

"Anyone coming from ice-cream?" The girls immediately shouted the word 'me' in unison. But it wasn't the two young girls who captured his attention. It was his wife, who had looked up from her tab and raised her hand, joining the two girls in shouting 'me'. It was adorable.

"I can come too. I just finished one chapter." Nirvan spoke. It was a common knowledge that Nirvan never left a chapter halfway.

"Wear your shoes and wash your hands with soap and be out in five ." Aadarsh announced. Almost immediately the kids filed out of the room.

"Did you talk to Abhi?" Ruhaani asked approaching him.

"Yes, I did."

"That's why the good mood!" She mused with a kind smile.

Aadarsh blinked, holding back his smile. "You have to drive one way!" He said walking away. Burying that feeling in some corner of his heart. It was just Abhi's words playing with his mind, he told himself. Not her smile. Not the way she understood him. Not her presence. Not anything about her.

"I am driving on the way back." Ruhaani replied with a smile following him out. Just seeing him happy lit up her day.

"Where's Ashvi and Abhi?"

"Not invited." Aadarsh answered, crouching down to tie the shoe laces for Pari and then Mukti as they reached the door.

"Why?" Ruhaani asked confused, as she slipped her feet into her sandals, holding the window sill, watching the girls as they ran out to race Nirvan.

"Kids only trip!" He replied, looking up at her. His gaze dropped to her feet. He moved forward a little and his fingers reached out to fasten the belts of her sandals.

Ruhaani parted her lips looking at him with surprise. "You don't have to," she had said, but by then it was a bit late.

"Don't delay us. Come on!" He said standing upright. Her gaze remained on his face.

"I am not a kid, FYI," she spoke, still sinking in his action. It was a small gesture, but it was so unlike him. It was perhaps a small mindless gesture but it meant so much to her.

From quite a small age, she had learned to wear her shoe laces on her own. Yes, her aunt would help when she failed but it was always followed by a scolding to learn how to do it herself. There were times when she would simply slip her shoe laces into the sides of the shoe to avoid getting scolded by her.

"Trust me, your 'ME' was the loudest when I asked who'd come for ice-cream." He said leaning closer to her. His hand moved to the back of her head and pressed open the claw of the massive hair clip that held her hair up. "Ready now?"

Ruhaani's hand went to her hair immediately. "Why would you do that?" she muttered slightly annoyed.

"You looked hideous, that's why!"

Ruhaani narrowed her eyes at him. "You could say I look better with my hair open instead." She ran her fingers through her hair like a comb.

He watched her like he didn't have anything better to do. Abhi's words echoing in his ears. Maybe they were meant for each other. Perhaps that's why despite all attempts, all hurdles, all arguments, everything in between; they only ended up together, better than before.

"What happened?" she asked looking at his lost serious expression.

"Nothing, let's go."

Ruhaani nodded holding his hand, falling in step beside him. "Are you really okay, Aadarsh?"

"Why do you ask?" Aadarsh spoke as he spotted the kids around the car. His gaze momentarily dropped to her hand that held his.

"Because you don't look okay. You seriously don't want to ask Abhi or Ashvi?"

"It's only fair that I get used to not having them around, if they're going to eventually leave. I think they should get used to it too." He pointed to the kids.

"Aadarsh, that's..."

"Ruhaani, please. Please don't say it's not right. Or it's avoidance. Or it's unhealthy."

"Okay, I won't, at least not now."

"Good!" He said walking ahead in hope that she'd let go his hand. However she just increased her pace to match his.

"Can I sit in the front?" each of the kids asked at once.

"No. All of you in the back." He declared.

Reluctantly they all bundled into the back seat. Ruhaani smiled, as he held the door open and gestured her to get in.

"Being a gentleman?" she cocked up an eyebrow, as she walked ahead and stood at the other side of the door, her face aligning with his.

"Do you prefer me to be otherwise?" He asked in a hushed voice, a playful glint slowly appearing in his midnight eyes.

Their gazes melted into one blazing fire. Ruhaani blinked out of the fleeting tension and climbed into the car. In a swift move, Aadarsh took the edge of her dupatta and dumped it on her lap. Her gaze swiped up to meet his, just as his dropped to hers.

"Help me with the belt too, while you're in this gentleman mode. Might as well make the most of it while it lasts." She said, surprising both herself and him.

Aadarsh leaned forward and leapt at the opportunity. His mind and body were at two different frequencies. His body wasn't listening to his mind at all. He pulled the belt and his gaze met hers again, this time their faces closer.

He slowly shifted his upper body forward, closer to hers. He heard her sharp intake of a deep breath and revelled in it. His gaze cautiously shifted to the back seat where the kids were busy debating which ice cream flavour is better. The urge to something inappropriate struck so hard.

He slowly plugged the buckle into the slot, letting out a deep breath.

"Anything else for her Majesty?" He asked softly, in his usual sarcastic voice. His lips an inch shy of brushing her ears. Her scent tempting him to nuzzle closer to her soft tresses. Forget ice-cream, he needed her for dessert.

Ruhaani blushed, as a very indecent answer crossed her mind. She thanked her stars she didn't blurt it out. She quickly kissed his cheek instead. "That's it for now."

Taken aback he pulled back and looked at her. His heartbeat was unusually faster. His skin uncommonly hot. The confined space that they were in was not helping. His gaze dropped to her lips.

Ruhaani was in the same pool of confusing emotions and gestures as him. A strong forced was tying them up together and they both were acutely aware of it. She wanted nothing more than her breath to be stolen away by his mouth, for his lips to touch hers. Something was changing between them. A transformation had begun. Their marriage had never felt so genuine as it did in past few days.

Ruhaani cleared her throat, her hand gently touching his shoulder as he inched closer to her face. "Aadarsh," she warned in a hushed whisper, turning to the side of the door.

Aadarsh closed his eyes. This was really a lost battle. Every part of him was being consumed in the madness. The fear of heartbreak suddenly felt smaller than this feeling that swept through his every cell.

He pulled back hurriedly and shut the door. Why wasn't he able to shut out those feelings from his heart? Had his own feelings overpowered his fears and his logic? Had his heart overpowered his mind? 

• — • — •

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Looking forward to read your thoughts on it.  Last chapter did become a very intense debate about Abhi vs Aadi. It was insightful to read all your views.

Thank you for the overwhelming love to this book! The engagement and readership on this book had literally spiked up massively. Special shout out to the Instagram/Twitter creators for sharing this book. 

Next : Friday

Don't forget to vote ☆ on the chapters.

—Anami!♡