Chapter 61 : Essence

In the stillness of the night, Aadarsh stirred from his slumber, the gentle rustle of sheets, a soft sigh and footsteps on the wooden floor, coaxing him out of the land of sleep.

As he rubbed his drowsy eyes and adjusted to the dim light filtering through the curtains, he realized it was the sound of his wife, Ruhaani, rising from their bed. He blinked as her silhouette moved towards the closet.

A sense of curiosity and concern washed over him, and he sat up, his gaze fixed on the her retreating figure. He wondered if he should go check on her.

What if she was just using the washroom?

He sighed and laid back. Minutes later, he sensed the familiar dip in the mattress beside him. A soft murmur escaped her lips. This was out of the ordinary; she usually slept peacefully.

Tonight, however, there was a subtle restlessness in the air, different from their nightly routine. The hint of concern brushed against his consciousness, urging him to reach out and comfort her. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked in his groggy, low voice turning towards her.

"Yes, sorry I woke you up," she whispered, a tinge of apology in her voice. She despised when her periods decided to arrive right in the middle of a quiet night. The arrival of her menstruation period was almost always accompanied by the familiar, dull ache around her waist and beyond. Fortunately, the latter woke her up and she knew it was time to check.

"It's not your fault. I am a light sleeper." He said to wash her guilt. "Are you really okay?" He asked looking at her with concern.

"I just got my period."

"Oh!" was all he could say.

Gradually, the quiet of the night settled back in. He had shifted to the other side, assuming she needed her privacy to rest. Sleep, however, eluded him.

Each subtle shift she made indicated her struggle to find comfort in the midst of discomfort. He slowly turned back, his concern pulling him in. His gaze drifted to her hand tenderly massaging her lower abdomen. Those cramps again, he realized.

Without a second thought, he sat up, a determined look on his face. "Shall I get you the hot water bag?" he offered, ready to ease her pain in any way he could.

"Don't bother, I am fine." She sighed.

"Ruhaani, if it's paining just use some heat pack to relieve it."

Ruhaani considered it. Usually the heat therapy increased her flow. So, she preferred it during the day. Yet, this night, her flow was lighter, just a few significant drops. The thought of how the warmth could potentially ease her ache flitted across her mind. Still, the idea of going through the motions—heading downstairs, heating the water, filling the hot water bag, coming back up—felt like an exhausting endeavour.

Before she could form a response, she sensed a subtle shift in the mattress as Aadarsh got up. The soft padding of his slippers and the gentle creak of the floor signalled his departure from the room.

Ruhaani stayed awake, her body curling into a fetal position, seeking any semblance of relief. Both her hands were fisted and pressed firmly against her abdomen, as if trying to alleviate the persistent ache. Time seemed to stretch as the minutes trickled by.

Then, breaking the silence of the night, came faint footsteps. Initially distant and muffled, they steadily gained clarity, growing louder and drawing nearer.

Aadarsh walked around the bed to her side. "Here," he said softly, a hot water bag in his hand.

She looked up at him, her eyes carrying a heavy sheen. A rush of gratitude washed over her, the simple yet profound act of his consideration warming her heart.

She never had anyone care for her like this. To get up in the middle of the night and tend to her needs.

"Ruhaani," he called her name softly, his eyes brimming with concern. He couldn't help but wonder if the pain was so unbearable that tears had welled up in her eyes. With a gentle resolve, he settled on the bed beside her. His hand gently touched her arm. "You okay?"

Ruhaani recognized that she was allowing vulnerability to seep in and made an effort to sit up slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, her voice betraying the weight that burdened her heart. With a gaze cast downward, she accepted the hot water bag from his outstretched hand. Silently, she pressed it against her aching muscles.

Aadarsh leaned closer and tucked the hair that curtained her face. "It's alright, even if you're not fine."

Ruhaani blinked, a desperate attempt to hold back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. But the battle was lost, and they cascaded down her cheeks. She kept her face lowered, grateful for the darkness that hid her vulnerability.

She sensed him shifting closer. It was such a comforting presence in the dimly lit room. His soft voice was a lifeline in her moment of struggle. "Hug me, you'll feel better," he whispered.

As her brain absorbed his words, emotions burst open within her, and she let go. Carefully placing the hot water bag aside, she threw her arms around him, seeking solace in his embrace. He adjusted himself, allowing her to rest her face against his chest. "Thank you," she mumbled, moved by his caring gesture.

Aadarsh, in that poignant moment, felt an overwhelming devotion for her like never before. It was as if a floodgate had opened, and he welcomed the rush of emotions with open arms. The desire to shield her from every harshness in the world surged within him.

For the first time, allowing himself to feel every emotion intensely felt liberating. It was almost as if he was shedding of the old dead leaves to make room for new ones.

They stayed in that comforting embrace for a while. His hand gently moved over the back of her head, a soothing gesture to ease her distress.

"I am sorry," she spoke up, pressing her forehead against his chest. Reluctance clawed at her; she didn't want to let go, but she knew she had to. "I woke you up in the middle of the night, and I am acting so unreasonable. Just silly hormones, I guess." A feeble chuckle escaped her lips, attempting to mask her vulnerable moment. Swiftly, her hands moved to wipe her face, and she pulled away from his warmth.

Her gaze slowly met his. It was like he saw through her façade of bravery and knew her vulnerability, and empathized with her.

"You don't need to be sorry, Ruhaani. You had a weak moment and that's perfectly okay." He said in a grave tone and then added, "Isn't that what you would have told if you were in my shoes right now?"

Ruhaani smiled slowly. "You're learning."

Aadarsh returned a small smile. His gaze meeting hers with a glint of understanding sparkling in his eyes. Yes, he was learning to love again. "I guess it's inevitable.

So, is the pain so bad or ...?" he prompted.

"Your caring side moved me to tears. Who ever knew you could be so nice to me too?" she remarked with her usual playfulness. "You should give a warning before jumping to do something kind like— Hey, beware a kind gesture is coming right up!"

Aadarsh chuckled, his eyes fixed at her. She smiled at him, the wide grin that was almost at the verge of transforming into a full blown laughter. "It's definitely hormones I guess!" He said.

The stillness of the night dawned upon then again as words ceased.

"Do you want me to help you with that?" Aadarsh asked, pointing to the hot water bag

"No. I may cry of shock again."

Aadarsh rolled his eyes as he got off the bed. "Sleep, idiot!"

Ruhaani laid back in the bed, her hand took the hot water bag and placed it on her abdomen. He lifted the comforter and covered her. He was about to turn and go back to his side of the bed when she held his hand.

He looked back at her.

"I have never had anyone care for me like this, especially never in the middle of the night. Thank you. It means so much." She said softly.

He gazed at her, sinking in her words.

Love, in its purest form, welled up inside him, an undeniable force that propelled him forward. He yearned to love her, to envelop her in that warm cocoon of affection, to let her experience the depth and tenderness of being truly loved.

It was a realization that made him guilty for putting her through his denial. For denying her everything he could have given her already. It was a realization that settled deep in his heart, anchoring him to a newfound purpose—to love her in ways she had never known, and to make sure she felt that love every single day.

She hesitantly left his hand.

"The next time you say I am not a good husband, I am going to remind you of this." He said to lighten the air.

"Dammit, I knew you'd lap it up!" She was quick to comment.

"Shut up, Ruhaani! Go to sleep." He muttered with the hint of a smile walking around the bed.

Her gaze followed him, a genuine smile gracing her lips. It was astonishing how he possessed this almost magical ability. He had not only made the pain disappear but made her feel so... loved.

She blinked, a strange sensation washing over her. Why did she feel like this? The question flickered briefly in her mind, but she refrained from delving too deep into it. For now, she simply wanted to bask in this newfound feeling, to hold onto it throughout the remainder of the night. Some things were better left unanalysed, and this was one of those moments.

He got back into bed and turned toward her. "Good night!"

"Good night," she said softly, watching him as he closed his eyes. He had this remarkable ability to make her feel the most beautiful emotions in the world. There was something undoubtedly special about him. Her heart felt light, and she couldn't help but smile, a genuine, heartfelt smile that echoed the love and comfort she felt.

***

He stood by her bedside, the room deliberately kept dim to ensure she continued to rest. After her discomfort at night, he believed she deserved all the peace and quiet she could get. The morning light was kept at bay, curtains drawn gently to soften its intrusion.

Gently, he observed her as she lay there, enveloped in the calm shadows of the room. The subtle play of shadows and the soft curves of her face painted a delicate picture before his eyes

A tender smile crept across his lips as he watched her, appreciating the stillness and grace she possessed in her sleep. Her breathing was steady, her body snuggled up inside the comforter.

Although, he'd prefer the chaotic version of her any day. The walking around without a care for the world or herself, running after kids, bobbing her head to a music that she hummed or one that played in her head, fighting him with a bold defiance and stubborn confidence, arguing with him, giving him eye-rolls and glares. He had grown to like that part of her. Perhaps because that version of her mainly emerged in front of him, for him.

It was a moment to cherish, a moment to simply stand and admire the person she was, both strong and gentle. Her words from last night tugged at the strings of his heart.

With a gentle touch, he carefully brushed a wisp of hair away from her forehead. The events of the previous night had left an impact, and he was determined to give her all that she deserved, especially love and care. No going back, this time.

He glanced at his watch. He was already dressed for the day. He debated whether to wake her up or let her continue to sleep. He was still floating in his dilemma when his little daughter burst through the doorway and ran towards the bed.

"Good morning Papa!" She greeted with her bright as a summer morning sun smile. She dashed towards the bed and clambered up onto it. "Mummy, wake up!" Pari squealed, her mischievousness evident.

"Shh," he hushed her, leaning forward and scooping her up in his arms before she could climb over Ruhaani.

The ruckus she had made woke up Ruhaani who looked up at them. A yawn escaped her lips as she sat up and looked at them. "What's the time?"

"Going to be eight in fifteen minutes," Aadarsh spoke.

"what!" she exclaimed, jerking forward.

"Relax, take the day off," he said gently keeping a hand on her shoulder, turning from his daughter to his wife.

"Relax, take the day off," Pari repeated and giggled turning to her father.

"Badmaash!" He exclaimed, pulling her left cheek and kissing her right.

"You Badmaash! She exclaimed doing the same.

"Both of you Badmaash." Ruhaani commented just after a soft yawn escaped her mouth.

Aadarsh lowered Pari onto the bed beside Ruhaani. The girl climbed onto her lap and hugged her, placing her cheek against her chest. Ruhaani draped her arms around her little girl. "Shona, woke up on her own today?"

"No." She said quickly pulling back and looking up at her. "Niru Piru woke me up again. He doesn't let me wake up on my own."

Aadarsh chuckled while Ruhaani shook her head.

"He's older to you, Pari. You must call him Bhaiya. Like Ashvi Bua calls Papa Bhaiya. You should also call Nirvan Bhaiya."

"But Niru Piru is so cute!"

Ruhaani looked at Aadarsh. He shrugged helplessly.

"Fine then don't call me Mummy, don't call Papa Papa."

"No. You're my mummy and he is my Papa." Pari said immediately placing both her hands against Ruhaani's either cheek.

Ruhaani gently placed her palms on Pari's little one. "Then be a good girl and call Nirvan Bhaiya. Okay?"

"Okay!" the girl agreed reluctantly.

Ruhaani kissed her forehead. "That's like my good girl. Did you brush your teeth?"

"Yes!" she smiled, "I put the paste also on my own."

"Good. Had milk?"

"No." She pouted. "Potty came before that."

"DJ helped?"

The little girl nodded.

"Washed your hands?"

"Yes for hundred seconds with soap." The girl exclaimed with exaggeration.

Aadarsh smiled and watched them. Frankly, watching Ruhaani with kids was a treat. Initially, it was what had given him pointers on how to deal with Pari. His ringing phone demanded his attention and he made his way to the desk.

***

Aadarsh sat at his desk, in the quiet sanctuary of his air conditioned office away from the hum and heat of the city outside.

Today was different from usual days. He could barely focus on work. He just couldn't stop thinking about his wife. It had never really happened before.

As he leaned back in his chair, a gentle smile played on his lips, the warmth of a newfound realization spreading through him. He had always like his wife, but waking up to a morning where he no longer had to bury those feelings, but instead could embrace them, changed everything.

It made him feel so much lighter. He had never fully realized that the weight of guilt of hiding what he felt for her, of continually rejecting what he felt for her was so intense that it had become a burden.

The constant internal struggle, the persistent denial of what he felt—now absent—made him feel like a heavy load had been lifted off his shoulders. The realization of how much it had affected him surprised him. It was as if he could finally breathe, like the clouds had parted and the sun was breaking through after a long, long storm.

His thoughts wandered to the ways he could make her feel special, to convey the depth of his affection and gratitude. It was no longer about grand gestures, but the little things that showed he cherished her. He wanted to be everything she rightfully deserved.

A date, perhaps?

He shuddered, remembering how the last proper formal date, on Valentine's, had been.

What could he do to make her feel special?

He was still at that thought when the door to his office room opened. There was only one man who had the guts to enter without a knock. Devashish.

Although, Aadarsh was aware that the man would only pull that off after checking in with his assistant to make sure he was not busy and could take visitors. The reason why the man never got into trouble.

"Morning Sehgal, where did you drop it?" the man said, his face reflecting curiosity and amusement.

"Drop what?" Aadarsh asked confused.

"All your work tension? You look like you're on vacation. Such a rare sight!" Devashish settled on the chair.

Aadarsh rolled his eyes, then swirled his chair to the front, "I think I dropped it on your shoulders, wasn't it?"

"Gosh, your comebacks have become so much better. Seems like you're working on them." Devashish remarked, with a grin, as he opened the folder he had got along.

He removed a set of papers and placed them before Aadarsh. "Promotion Letters, that need your signatures. Five candidates this year."

Aadarsh tugged at the paper pin holding them together. He quickly flipped through each reading the names.

"I was assuming Preksha Tiwari would be on the list too. We discussed her achievements in the promotions discussion meeting, did we not?"

"Yes, we did. She's not ready yet."

"She bagged us a massive housing project." Aadarsh argued.

"Okay. Let's be practical. She got married an year ago. She's going to go on maternity anytime soon. It would be foolishness to give her the promotion, right now."

Aadarsh sighed, "I would like you to run this reasoning by our head HR." Their head HR was a woman inching-towards-her-fifty who had more than twenty-five years of experience under her belt. Aadarsh had great respect for and it was likewise from the other side. Except, she despised Devashish with her every fibre and was right in doing so, cause the man always flouted every rule and was always doing something or the other to piss her off.

"She's a woman. She wouldn't see it as I see it. Look, I am not against a woman having promotion, you know that. But let's face the facts, she goes on maternity, has a tiny child, has a massive change in health. Do you think she'll prioritizing planning the next project, chasing investors or bringing in clients?"

Aadarsh kept quiet. "How do you know she's going on maternity?"

"It's my job to know." Devashish shrugged.

"Yeah, just like you know whose been sending those nasty threats my way." Aadarsh taunted.

The man on the other side of the desk sighed. "Come on man! That's literally the only thing I am not able to crackdown. But worry not, I have a genius ex-cop looking into the matter, he'll find that crazy spineless bastard!"

"You mean that same scientist who was fired from his job at the police department for being incapable and ineffective?" Aadarsh gave him a pointed look.

"Come on man. He was thrown out for being slow, but that's not fair. The man is thorough in all he does. He'll have the man. Trust me, coz I definitely trust him. Besides, like I said, it's some loser ...who was trying to distract you from the bid. Now that we have signed the contract with the government, he'll stop. As simple as that."

Aadarsh signed the promotion letters after a quick read through them.

"So, no work on your table today?" Devashish spoke up, his gaze scanning the unusually tidy desk. Generally, Aadarsh's desk would be full of contracts, drawings, cheques and files. Surprisingly, it was neat and tiny today.

"Yeah, I was thinking about something." Aadarsh said distractedly as he finished signing the last letter. "I am going to ask the HR arrange a one-on-one with Preksha to understand her career aspirations and other life plans. If she's not planning a kid, we're giving her the promotion."

"Fine. I already know her OB-GYN, but go ahead and let's see how honest she is." Devashish smiled.

"Are you stalking her?" Aadarsh looked up at the man with a careful gaze.

"No. She's the opposite of hot. Plus, she's married, so off limits. I was passing by her desk and I saw a medical report on her desk. Four months pregnant."

"Seriously?" Aadarsh exclaimed, collecting the papers passing them back to him.

"Yeah, it's not like I opened an envelope took out the letter and read it. Even if I did, not a crime right? I thought it was an important document left unattended."

Aadarsh sighed shaking his head.

Devashish's deranged and peculiar thought process no longer alarmed him. The man may act like a psychopath at times but was far from one.

"Since you're so free today, I was wondering if we can discuss the limits that you've put on my company expenditures. Traveling in economy sucks. Plus why did you have to take away my lounge accesses too? Those are the places I find... valuable people." Devashish spoke up.

Aadarsh bit back his smile. "I have an idea what kind of valuable people you find there but sorry. You don't get to travel business class or use paid lounge accesses and bill it on the company; just like no other person on this company's payroll including myself does."

Devashish sighed dramatically.

"You earn enough to sponsor it." Aadarsh added.

"Yeah, but nothing beats the dopamine rush you get from getting others to pay your bill, especially your employer." Devashish grinned and then thoughtfully added, "other than wild sex of course."

Aadarsh shook his head, "get out, I have stuff to get done."

"Alright." The other man muttered. "Lastly, this is the new budget for a few changes around the office that I have planned based on the last annual employee feedback. Need you to go through it and sanction it."

"I hope there's no Friday Bar concept here." Aadarsh deadpanned. During his first year as the COO, Devashish had actually, literally made that a suggestion.

"Never repeat a mistake twice, learnt it from you!" The man spoke getting off the chair.

"Great!" Aadarsh muttered, glancing through the pages of the file. "By the way,"

"Yes," Devashish said standing behind the chair.

"What do women like?" Aadarsh asked without much thought. DV spent a lot of time with women. Maybe he could give him some good tips. Being a high school boyfriend was very easy but what does one do as grown man to impress a woman?

"Missionary works any day. But if she's high on energy let her be the cow girl or if she's in the mood for..."

"God, no! Stop." Aadarsh exclaimed making a face of disbelief. "I meant... forget it. I asked the wrong person. Get out." Aadarsh shook his head. And Ruhaani, thought he could make DV his friend. Stupid, stupid advice! He should stick to not getting influenced by Ruhaani's words.

"Oh, you meant other way... you're married, aren't you? Are you like two timing?" the man asked his amusement showing in his face and evident in his tone.

"No. It was for Ruhaani... just get out DV!"

"Aww, so you're actually putting efforts to impress her." He grinned. "Interesting. I knew she was a woman capable of this, although she's a bit strange."

"Stop talking about my wife and get out. I have work to get done."

Devashish chuckled and turned around to leave. "Sure thing, like thinking about how to impress women, oops your woman. By the way," he turned as he reached the door way, "is your spoilt brat of a brother taking up that offer, or did I wake up early on one fine morning to track down his manager's manager and run all my wheels to get his promotion back on the table for nothing?"

Aadarsh stared at him, a heaviness returning to his heart, "He's still thinking."

Devashish nodded his expression for once looking serious. "You don't want him to leave, do you?"

"It's not about me or what I want. It's about what he wants now."

"Hmm, well at least there's some advantage to being your brother." Devashish forced out a long sigh. " Did you know his company sponsors business class tickets and lounge access for employees traveling for work?"

Aadarsh picked up the ball point pen and hurled it towards the door. Devashish escaped by a close call as he got out, laughing on his way out.

Aadarsh smiled recollecting the conversation with Ruhaani about having that man as a friend and how Abhi's jealousy shouldn't stop him. Seemed like it wasn't just Abhi who was jealous, Devashish was too, it was a mutual feeling.

He sighed looking at the file. He stared at the text written in Devashish's handwriting on the top, with red ink.

Handwritten letter! That's it.

That's what would make Ruhaani happy. He recollected her mentioning about the idea of writing love letters. He imagined the surprise and joy that would light up her eyes as she read it.

But what if she got overwhelmed? Like last night.

No. She would love it. And it was something he could do. He quickly set out to complete his work for the day so that he could make some time to write that letter out.

A letter it was!

***

That evening, Aadarsh returned home slightly earlier than usual, feeling the weight of an unfinished task—writing that letter. The day had been a whirlwind of back-to-back tasks and meetings, leaving no breathing room. Just when the relentless schedule had eased, his phone had reminded him that he had to take Dai Jaan to the doctor.

He shut the door, frowning. Why did these people leave the door unlocked? Literally anyone could walk-in. Yes, he had a very trained and professional security team at the gate but still, the door aught to be closed.

He was glad that Pari wasn't around. He wanted to take Dai Jaan to the doctor as soon as possible, so that he could return and work on that letter. His daughter was probably napping. Good, otherwise if she caught hold of him, she would not want to leave and he wouldn't have the heart to upset her.

He entered the kitchen with quiet steps. It was unusually quiet there. He heard some sounds and slowly walked over to the other side of the counter. He was pleasantly surprised to find a table mat spread out on the floor. Ruhaani was seated on the floor doing something— taking a dough, rolling it into a ball, flattening it and then using different shaped stencils to cut them out.

He looked around and then back at her. He slowly, stealthily kneeled down behind her. Leaning forward, he took his lips closer to her ears. "What are you doing?"

Ruhaani let out a squeal, she jerked forward. He chuckled, draping his arm around her shoulders pulling her back as she turned to look at him. "Gosh you scared me!" she muttered, tugging at his arm. He chuckled pulling his arm away.

"What are you doing, like seriously?" he spoke, with amusement in his eyes, as he settled on the floor close beside her.

She watched him with widened eyes. "Uh, making cookies for the kids." She answered, looking down at the cookie she was cutting out. Something was really wrong with Aadarsh. He was behaving differently. He was being very nice to her. He was being like a normal partner for once.

"Cookies?" He said aloud, looking amused.

"Shh... it's a surprise don't ruin it." She turned to him.

"All the more reason to ruin it, is it not?" He teased. "Pari, Nir..." he began shouting. Not loud enough for his voice to go till the dining table even.

She placed her hand on his mouth and glared at him. "Why are you being annoying?"

His eyes remained hooked on hers. He grasped her wrist tugging her hand down from his face. "Why only you can be?" He asked, leaning closer. Everything about her now drew him to her. Or perhaps it was the unleashed restrain on himself.

"Aadarsh, what..." she whispered as he raised his right hand to her face. The pad of his thumb gently rubbed off the traces of flour on her left cheek.

"You're a messy person, you know..." he remarked.

"At least I don't go around messing with people." She replied back sharply.

"I haven't even messed with you yet." He whispered, his gaze lowering to her lips.

Ruhaani blinked. She had an inkling they were both referring to a different meaning of those words.

She parted her lips, taking in a sharp inhale, as he inched closer, "So what do you call, what you're doing right now?" she asked, leaning closer. Their lips were less than three inches away.

"This is nothing," he whispered, tilting away and forwarding his face. His cheek that was covered with a five o'clock shadow, almost grazing her soft one, his lips close to that sweet looking spot on her neck, below her ear.

Ruhaani took in a deep breath. As it was, since the morning her hormones were all over the place. She had been thinking about him. About his soft actions and soft gestures. Off late, he was becoming unpredictable. She was finding it hard to place his intentions based on his actions.

Just like at the present moment.

Her lips parted and she let out a soft sigh, as his face turned in towards her and his lips kissed her cheek.

It felt nice. It felt more than nice. It felt so freaking fantastic. More, she decided. She needed more. More kisses, more closeness, more of him.

Aadarsh could stay like that for an eternity. Just breathing the same air as her. Just being close to her. Just...accepting every damn feeling that he had rejected and denied himself. Just basking in the warmth, her warmth.

Ruhaani blinked and slowly pulled herself away. Aadarsh took in a breath realizing he had just ...got lost in the moment. Her searching eyes looked at him.

"You should... continue." He mumbled, nervously. "I uh... was looking for Dai Jaan." He spoke, his right hand going to the back of his neck.

"She's certainly not here." Ruhaani spoke.

"Yeah. She's not." He muttered, closing his eyes realizing how stupid he sounded.

Ruhaani smiled. "Yeah, maybe you got distracted."

In a quick flash, Aadarsh looked back at her. She confidently met his eyes. Oh she knew! There was no way she didn't understand that he was attracted to her in more than one ways.

"Yeah, a disaster in making distracts anyone," he looked aside at the cookies.

Ruhaani gaped at him offended, "You're mean!" she fisted her hand, this time exactly as he had taught her last time and pushed his cheek although lightly.

Aadarsh chuckled, "nice attempt! You're a quick learner...something you're good at finally."

"God, I hate you!" Ruhaani muttered, this time throwing a little of flour on him.

"Ruhaani, don't!" He reprimanded.

That was all the encouragement Ruhaani needed. She smiled mischievously.

"No," he warned reading that look.

Undeterred, Ruhaani leaned forward to grab a fist full of the refined wheat flour. In a swift move, Aadarsh got off the floor and ran away.

Peals of her laughter filled the kitchen. "The mighty Aadarsh Sehgal got scared?"

"Not scared, you mad woman. I am just in a hurry to be elsewhere. Idiot!" He muttered wiping his face.

Ruhaani smiled. "Where are you going?"

"I need to take Dai Jaan to a doctor." It was no news in the house that Dai Jaan complained of right foot pain way too frequently in the past few days.

"Abhi, already took her. Yesterday."

"Oh, I did not... he didn't tell me." Aadarsh said a bit annoyed. "No one told me." He added looking straight at her.

Ruhaani noticed the change of emotions on his face and looked at him solemnly. "Sorry, I missed to tell you that. In fact, Abhi just took her out for her physiotherapy session. The doctor has recommended physiotherapy sessions for a week at least."

"Where did he take her?" Aadarsh asked. He wouldn't be surprised if it was the same place where his father was stayed. That hospital had a dedicated physiotherapy department.

"Uh, I guess the some place near where your father stays. He did mention seeing your father."

"Hmm, so he's talking to you again?" Aadarsh asked leaning against the counter.

"He is. It's Abhi, he has a big heart. We patched up the rough parts."

Aadarsh stared at her. "Yeah. He does." Aadarsh stood rooted on the spot in complete silence. He couldn't imagine a life without his brother, without Ashvi. No matter how hard he tried. It was like a part of him, his life, was being taken away from him, again.

"Aadarsh,"

He slowly turned to her.

"Do you want to help me make cookies?" she offered with a smile that was as kind as her heart.

He gazed at her with a soft feeling spreading in his heart. Gosh, how stupid had he been to think she'd ever stop looking out for him, caring for him, loving him?

"If you promise to not throw flour on me." He managed a small smile.

"Hmm, you don't mess with me, I won't." She said wearing a smile, her cheeks colouring up the slightest.

A small smile played on his lips as he walked over to her.

"Wash your hands first!" She said quickly.

He huffed and did as he was told. He picked the hand towel wiping his hand. "Anything else my highness?" He said in a sweet taunting voice.

Ruhaani pretended to think, as he settled beside her, this time around having a decent space between them. "Oh yes, keep your attitude to yourself. Coz I am the boss here and you follow my orders."

"Well, we'll see about that." He muttered, plucking a handful from the dough.

She followed the suit. "Roll it up into a soft ball.." she spoke as she took a little amount of dough and rolled it, "and then press it so that it's flat..." she flattened the ball. "And then.." she looked up at him. His eyes were glued to her.

"And then?" he prompted, pushing her focus back on what she was doing.

"Ugh, then ..." she placed the flattened dough on the wooden board and took the stencil to shape it. Hesitantly, she looked at him as he laid the piece of dough he had flattened on the board beside her. Their gazes met instantly.

Aadarsh went on to pay attention on the task in hand while she watched him. She had to get used to having him close all the time, sooner the better, cause there was no way he was backing off this time. He smiled as his cookie came out well.

"How is it?" He asked, raising his gaze to her.

"This is perfect." She said softly, diverting her gaze back to the cookie as he turned to look at her.

He smiled, "it is, isn't it?"

She blushed, feeling his gaze on her.

"On second thoughts, it's not that perfect." This time, she was talking about his thin unbaked cookie.

He took a bit of the flour and threw it towards her.

"Aadarsh!"

He smiled. "You can't but I can."

"Go away, I don't need your help."

"Nope. I don't abandon a task I have undertaken." He said.

To get even Ruhaani took her hand towards the plate of flour. He held her wrist in one hand, his other pulling away the plate from her reach. "Behave Ruhaani baby!"

"Don't baby me!" She muttered, as he left her hand.

"Don't act like one then."

"Says the one who just threw flour on me" She retorted.

"You started it, I was just getting even." He argued.

"Ugh, you're annoying."

"Same to you! Now ssh, let's get done with this. Shall we?"

"You're a pain in the..."

"Good you didn't complete that. Or I would have to..."

"Shhh, silence Aadi boy." She remarked like Shelly Bua, silencing whatever he was about to say. She suspected it to be something suggestive.

Aadarsh chuckled, "Missing Bua already?"

"Please, don't take away my peace."

Aadarsh chuckled, "now who is being rude and mean?"

Their conversation was ceaseless, filled with soft chuckles and playful banter. An unspoken understanding danced between them. Love was infusing in their relationship, subtly yet profoundly, just like the aromatic chocolate essence infusing the cookies.

• — • — •

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Looking forward to read your thoughts on it.

Next : Friday

Don't forget to vote ☆ on the chapters.

—Anami!♡