Joshi Residence

Everyone were having their lunch in silence. Well, Himanshu and Naina were having their usual bickering, who were getting scolded in between by their Dadu.

Pia was helping the maids to serve the family their favourite food one by one.

They heard footsteps descending the stairs to witness Harish coming towards the dining table.

Pia smiled at him getting a scrunched look from Nithya.

Harish went towards Dadu to get his blessings who patted his shoulders lovingly.

"My boy! How well my child has grown!" Harish tried to smile at his remark. He quietly sat in his chair. Nithya approached him and started serving him the food. He got irritated at her efforts to smile and be all lovey-dovey.

"Hari, have the palak paneer. I made it specially for you with my own hands. I hope you like it." Nithya told him caressing his shoulders. Harish stopped and tried to eat with a broken stance. Pia noticed this and went to serve him the pulav. He loved the smell of his favourite food and smiled eating them.

Hemant was observing the talent of the little girl trying to calm the thunder between the mother and son. He smiled with a ray of hope strengthening his decision to bind them together.

"Naina, pass the salt!" Himanshu ordered her to which Naina scowled ignoring him. He kicked her foot but heard a groan from his dad. Himanshu bit his tongue and muttered a silent sorry to his dad. Before his dad could release his anger, Pia approached him and spoke

"Bapu, have this pickle. I made it specially for you." Hemant gave her 'I know you' look. Pia shrugged her shoulder and smiled at him.

"Pratibha! Don't you know that Hemantji is not supposed to have pickles. Careless girl!" Nithya took the plate from Hemant and put a new one in place serving him again with the food.

"Neetu, once in a while having it, won't harm my health which you take care of so nicely!" Nithya tried to calm herself with her husband's calm words and caress on her arms.

Dadu scowled and got up from his seat as he couldn't take the drama unfolding on the dining table.

Harish too followed him to his room earning a worried look from Pia.

Ground floor

Dadu's room

Dadu was sitting on his chair adjacent to the study table having Harish seated in front of him.

"My child, as you know the reason why I called you back here?" Dadu started.

Harish nodded and waited for his Dadu to continue.

"I want you to join our business and start learning the trade asap." Harish knew that there is something else which had disturbed his family. So, he spoke

"I know Dadu that I need to join the family business. But there is something else that you are hiding from me. What is it?"

Dadu was happy that his grandchild had grown to be a well-bred gentleman who had undergone many hardships and turmoil. He wanted him to take over the business which was carelessly handled by his son under the shadow of his wife.

"Well. Since you have asked..." Dadu was hesitant to convey his turmoil but he noticed that Harish had the ability to handle any situation that would harm his family.

"Do you know Nived Deshpande?" Dadu asked him getting a scrunched look from him.

"Um...you mean Nithya kaki's brother? What about him?" Harish was curious to know the reason of his uncle's involvement in the business of the Joshi's.

After an hour or so, both of them sat tensed in their respective chairs. When,

"Dadu! Shall I come in?" a sweet voice called out to her Dadu.

Dadu smiled widely and opened the door to let his angel come inside the room.

Harish loved the way Pia took care of his family, especially his favourite people. But he doubted whether was it for show or genuine?

"Dadu, here you go. Your afternoon medicine and your herbal tea," Pia spoke handling him his medicine who gulped it with a glass of water.

"Shri, would you like some tea. Its herbal tea. Its good for digestion," Pia tried to offer him tea made by her.

Harish nodded and took the tea cup from the smiling Pia.

Harish smiled at her memory of him having the precise amount of sweetener in his tea. He looked at her who was laughing with his Dadu at some random stories.

"Dadu! That's not true! There is no such thing as night demons. You are unnecessarily scaring me," Pia shaked her head and tidied the food trolley.

Harish looked at his Dadu and winked at him. Dadu smiled thinking about the mischief that his grandson was going to pull on the poor soul.

"Actually...if you think about it. It is quite true about the events that Dadu has told," Harish said gaining Pia's attention towards both of them. Pia looked from Harish to Dadu and snickered.

"Nice try! I am not going to fall for that!" Pia gave a confident reply not knowing the amount of scare that she was going to witness.

"Fine, don't believe us. But don't blame us too when it comes to the person who doesn't believe in them. They show their true form to release their anger on their non-believers," Harish equally answered her earning a somewhat scared look from her.

Harish approached her who saw him coming towards her. She moved back and saw his frightened look gazing behind her.

She slowly looked behind her breathing heavily. She relaxed when she saw just the wall, so she turned and screamed her lungs out.

Harish had bought a tribal mask in front of his face and spoke

"Boo!"

Pia closed her eyes and suddenly grabbed his waist earning a hearty laugh from him and Dadu.

Harish stopped when he heard soft whimpers from her. He backed her a little and saw her teary eyes. He tsked and wiped her tears with his thumb.

"I was joking, Pia. See! It is just a tribal mask from Dadu's collection," Pia looked at him with a teary face and hit his shoulders. He hugged her lovingly taking her vanilla scent which he loved.

Pia loved his hug and didn't want him to leave her soon. Dadu smiled at them and moved from there to give them some privacy.

https://youtu.be/H4GthVC8Eyk

Harish realised his position and backed her a little. Pia got disappointed at their distance and saw that he was in regret. She tried to ask him the reason when

"I have to make this call. Take care. Hm..." He caressed her cheeks and went away from the room.

Pia was knowing that something was bothering her Shri. She made it a point to know that reason behind his repulsion towards her.

Harish Room

He was talking to Jack who wanted to know his friends wellbeing. Harish smiled at his friend's concern and told him that he was alright thanks to his guardian angel.

"Guardian angel? Who man?" Jack got curious at the unknown person who had captured his friends attention.

Harish sat on the couch and brushed his hair back smilingly.

But the next moment he remembered that he was not fit to be hers. As he would tarnish her wings which are meant to be flown with purity and serenity.

He didn't want her life to be filled with chaos and trouble which would only destroy her.

He went to the gym to ward off the unwanted thoughts from his mind.

Pia was helping the maid to prepare the kheer which was loved by her Shri. She knew all his likes and dislikes but feared whether they would have changed over time.

Thinking positively, she prepared all his favourite dishes with the same amount of zeal.

Naina came to the kitchen to have some cold water and stopped when she smelled the delicious aroma that hit her nose.

She moved to the place from the aroma was coming. Pia noticed her approaching and waited for her chance to scare her off.

"No!" Naina low screamed at the sudden halt and gaped at Pia.

Pia gave her a known look and signaled her to go out of the kitchen. As she was aware of the mischief that the little kid carried.

Naina made a puppy dog face and made a pouty look but in vain. Pia was well aware of the siblings tactics and was always one step ahead of them.

"Look, I will give you the kheer. But only after your brother has it. Ok?" Pia made a deal with her who thought for a while pouting.

"Done!" Naina gave her best smile.

Pia held back her hand to shake on the deal. She went near her and whispered

"And keep your mischievous brother also away from here. hm...then deal,"

Naina smirked and shaked her hand smiling devilishly.

Pia shaked her head at the siblings way of mischief making. She resumed her cooking.

Harish came out of the gym room and went ahead to have a warm bath. He removed his shirt and huffed a breath.

He drank the water from the pitcher near the bedside table.

He heard his favourite sound - her anklets and smiled.

Pia kept the kheer on the table near the couch and arranged for a bowl for him.

Harish noticed that she had not seen him. So, he approached her and cleared his throat.

Pia looked at him smilingly and spoke

"Do you want to have some kheer now or after your bath, hm?"

Harish was amazed at her calm stance. He just nodded his head and sat on the couch to have the kheer prepared by his Pia.

Pia offered him some hot water to clear his throat of any irritation that he might get after having the sweetened dish.

He tasted his first bite and closed his eyes humming a soft sigh. Pia softly chuckled at his weird behaviour. She went near his bed and started tiding up the place which was noticed by Harish who loved it.

"Don't worry. This is all for you. You know how much I had to stray this kheer away from your naughty siblings. They were hovering over me to have the taste of my special kheer. But I said 'No! the first bite is reserved for your Harish brother only' *huff* the amount of trouble I had to go through to take this khe..."

Pia saw his raven eyes looking at her in the most loving manner that he had ever laid on her. She smiled at him blushing encouraging him.

He came near her ears and whispered

"Thank you for saving me the first bite, Pia," Pia felt weird on his sudden closeness which she had never expected. She somehow didn't like it.

He moved back to check her reaction which was totally opposite to what he had expected of her.

She didn't understand his strange behaviour. So, she moved her eyes screwing her eyebrows at him and moved out of his gaze.

"I will keep them here. you can have them after your bath," She looked back at him with an anger gaze and went away from the room.

Harish didn't understand why he was not able to affect her the way he had on other females he encountered.

💞💞💞💞💞
Hello my dear Readers

Hope you are liking the story so far❤️

Do Support me with your precious comments ❤️

Lots of love 💖

Take care 💖

If you liked the chapter, kindly click the star ⭐ button below to show your support ❤️