Anuradha and Narain shared a smile and maintained a moment of silence.

Breaking the silence, Nila ran up to Anuradha from the side and hugged her, squealing, "Mama!"

Anuradha smiled in surprise and squatted down to the child's height.

"Mama smiling, Nila happy girl!" Nila kissed Anuradha's cheek.

Watching them, Narain stepped forward with a smile as the widest grin he had ever seen took over the features of Anuradha's face. She was so happy. And there lay her beauty - in her heartfelt smile, in her glowing cheeks and in her content eyes, lighting up her face so bright. But the utmost beauty lay in the fact that the smile was exclusively for Nila.

There is no need for you to wear any makeup; just this smile is enough to adorn your face. Narain watched in silence as Anuradha conversed with Nila.

"I go play some more, Mama!" Nila turned to run back to the play area.

"Aren't you tired yet, baby? Don't you want to go home? It's quite late."

"No, Mama, Nila not tired! I want to play some more."

"Okay, five more minutes then, baby."

Nila skipped away towards the other kids in the play area without wasting any more time.

Anuradha rose to her own height again and glanced at Narain. He was watching her with a smile. She smiled a bit before lowering her gaze to the ground before her. Sensing his gaze on her, she smiled a bit in surprise and glanced at him. He quickly averted his gaze.

Feeling her gaze linger on him as he stared straight ahead, he glanced at her through the corner of his eyes with a slight impish smile. She instantly turned her face away and smiled sheepishly as they had both been caught staring at each other.

When she was finally able to suppress her smile, while staring straight ahead like him, she remarked, "I didn't know that you play piano."

Narain smiled a bit but remained silent.

"But I'm curious. How did you play the poem I had composed?"

"You played it for Shiva and Shalini on their first wedding anniversary, remember? I was a little late to arrive for lunch so you thought that I had not heard it. But I had heard it from outside. I had been totally blown by the beauty of it that day. But I never thought I could play it on my own then.

Before mine and Swetha's first wedding anniversary, I had been very busy with my own work for a few weeks while she had been home, dealing with the discomforts of her pregnancy on her own. So on the day of our anniversary, I had taken leave and planned a few different surprises for her, in an effort to make up for the days when I hadn't been able to give her my time. I baked a cake for her, planned to take her out for dinner wherever she wanted to go and also gifted her a new saree. But she had prepared a special dinner for me at home and she didn't like the cake or the saree." The same saree you are wearing now.

Anuradha gasped and then covered it up with a fake cough. She didn't like his cake? How could anyone dislike his cake?

"What happened?" Narain glanced at her.

"Nothing. You say, she didn't like your cake?"

"Yeah, I mean, no. Not like that. It's just that she never eats anything sweet. So...." Narain trailed off.

Anuradha watched him in silence. His cakes are so yummy. She didn't like it and he's trying to cover up for the fact that she didn't like it. She could have at least pretended as though she liked it, couldn't she? Shalu said he stopped baking cakes after marriage till Nila's first birthday. So his wife was the reason for it, huh? If all the bakers in this world had wives like her who don't eat sweets, the world would have been deprived of cakes. That would be sad. Fortunately, he has continued making his yummy cakes, at least for Nila.

Breaking her chain of thoughts, Narain continued, "So, that day, I decided I would make sure to do some things she will undoubtedly like on our next anniversary. Swetha loved music so one of the things I had planned was to learn how to play the piano and play it for her on our second anniversary. For that, I asked Shalini's help.

Though she initially hesitated and refused to help as she never had as much interest as you did in piano, she eventually helped me to learn the basics of playing a piano on my insistence. After that, I learnt how to play your composition, looking at the sheet music you had written for it since it had been with her."

"Oh." Anuradha was taken aback. This Shali helped him all along and she never told me a word. I wonder how many people she will show my sheet music to and let them learn to play it on their own. Nah, she would have told you had she given it to anyone else. Since you're the one who never let her talk about this guy, that must be the reason she didn't tell you about it. "Okay."

"Unfortunately, I lost my wife some months before our second anniversary so I never got the chance to play it for her though I had learnt it only for her."

Anuradha watched him in silence this time. She's so lucky. His wife. He loved her so much and still does.

"I was happy with the outcome after I learned to play it. That's why I felt confident enough to play it at this party even though you felt unsure about it. Though I'm sure I could never play it as beautiful as you do."

"No, you played it so beautifully," objected Anuradha. "It seemed like something new to me. That's how beautiful it was when you played it. I never felt that way whenever I played it on my own."

He smiled a bit. "Your composition is beautiful. You just had to hear someone else play it to know that fact. That's why the saying, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder...."

"And in the ears of the hearer." Anuradha completed his sentence and shared a smile with him. For someone like me who always faced repulsion for everything, whether my efforts or interests, since the day I remember, be it from my father or the man I thought I loved, this feels nice to hear from someone who could have easily been arguing with me and proving to me that I'm no good.

"Papa." A tired Nila walked up to Narain and leaned against him. "Mama, five minutes already? Nila tired."

"Yes, baby."

Narain glanced at Anuradha before they headed towards the elderly couple and their children to take leave for the night.

***

After a rather silent drive back home, Nila went to have her shower. Anuradha headed to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She had switched the light off and been about to walk out of the kitchen when Narain entered. She switched the light on again and waited as Narain filled a glass of water for himself to drink.

She switched off the light as they walked out of the kitchen together without speaking a word. Anuradha headed towards the bedroom to change from the saree while Narain headed towards the living room.

"Do you like this saree you're wearing?" asked Narain, just as she reached the door to the bedroom.

Anuradha spun around in surprise. "Yes, I do. I love it. Who wouldn't like such a beautiful saree?"

Narain stared at her too shocked to speak for a minute before he turned his face away, feeling the sting of tears in his eyes and blinked to prevent any from falling.

"Why? Don't I look nice in it?"

"No, you look beautiful in it."

Anuradha felt an unfamiliar warmth inside, hearing his genuine words. "Thanks."

"It's perfect for you. Perhaps that's why it didn't go to anyone else all these years though there was no reason for me to be keeping it. It looks like it was tailored for you only."

Anuradha frowned a bit in confusion as Narain turned away towards the couch in the living room before asking the question in her mind. "You bought this saree?"

"Yes, for Swetha."

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was Swetha's." Anuradha bit her lip and frowned looking away in guilt. "I don't know why Nila asked me to wear this saree when she could have given me any one of her mother's instead."

"No, it isn't hers. And it never was. It was an unwanted brand new saree that lay at the bottom of a cupboard all these years. There's no point in me keeping this saree anymore. It is only yours from now. Maybe it was always meant to be yours."

"Thank you, I really love it. It won't be unwanted anymore but it will be my most favourite from now on."

Narain's heart twisted in his chest and his eyes shimmered with moisture as he watched her walk away into the bedroom in silence. I once wished to hear these words from someone but I lost the hope that I would.

Today, I hear it from the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time in the most unexpected place, stirring the most unexpected feelings I thought I would never experience again after my heart had felt shredded to fragments and replaced with a big empty hole. Is this love? I don't know. But I know that it hurts. It hurts so much to an extent no one can perceive.

***

About half an hour later, Nila was lying wide awake in bed. Ready for bed, Anuradha tied up her hair and headed towards the bed.

"What happened, baby? Aren't you feeling sleepy now?"

She shook her head from side-to-side, with her eyes wide open.

"You won't sleep now but in the morning you'll be very sleepy and you'll take longer than ever to get ready for school."

Nila flashed a cheeky grin before closing her eyes for a moment, pretending to sleep and opening them instantly.

Anuradha smiled a bit seeing the child's antics. Anuradha seated herself on her side of the bed and kept the pillows in place; one above Nila's head and one below her feet.

"Mama, why are you keeping pillows ready for Papa?" asked Nila, inquisitively.

"He'll anyway be coming to sleep here only so just kept it ready for him."

"Always Mama keep only after I force Mama to keep pillows ready for Papa. Today Mama keep without Nila asking once also."

"Anyway, you will force him to sleep here so I thought of keeping the pillows ready early itself. That's all."

"But Papa won't sleep here, no Mama? Papa like to sleep on couch in outside room only."

"It's not comfortable for him to sleep there, right? So, let him sleep here."

"But Papa maybe sleep in living room even if Nila call."

"Then, Mama will call him. He will definitely sleep here when Mama call."

"Okay!" Nila grinned in delight. Nice, nice! Mama is saying what I always say to make Mama call Papa to sleep in bed here.

Narain walked out of the bathroom and headed towards the door.

"Narain, aren't you sleeping here tonight?" asked Anuradha, before he reached the door.

He stopped in his tracks and turned back to face her, feeling a little uncertain.

"It's more comfortable here than sleeping on the couch there. And there's enough space for you here, right? So, why not?"

He took a moment to respond. "Yeah, okay."

Anuradha smiled a bit. Narain switched off the lights in the living room before returning to the bedroom and taking his place next to Nila who had already fallen asleep in the blink of an eye.

"Goodnight." Anuradha switched off the light and lay on her side of the bed to sleep.

"Night." Narain too fell asleep within a few minutes on his side of the bed.

***

The next day morning, Anuradha woke up to find Narain's side of the bed empty as usual. She made a cup of tea for herself and headed to the balcony where he was standing.

"Good morning."

"Morning." He turned and smiled a bit at her before heading to the kitchen to get himself a cup of tea as well.

They left for work as usual and in the evening, they took Nila to a beach on the child's suggestion.

At the beach, the three of them first played with a ball, throwing it to one another and running to catch it when it was their turn. Anuradha and Narain were very involved in the game and thoroughly enjoying it with Nila.

When it was Nila's turn to throw the ball, she refused to throw it and started running away with it. Anuradha and Narain ran after her and soon, the child threw the ball towards Anuradha. Anuradha caught it and threw it back to her.

While Anuradha and Nila continuously exchanged the ball, Narain caught it in between and threw it to Nila. Again, Nila threw it to Anuradha and the two of them exchanged it without letting Narain catch it by running around and throwing it too low or too high when he wasn't expecting it.

Anuradha caught the ball in between and started running with it as Narain was nearby and she was sure he would catch it if she threw it to Nila. She was running in circles around Nila while he ran after her trying to get it from her. He soon cut through in front of her and grabbed the ball from her before throwing it to Nila.

Once again, Nila threw it back to Anuradha and Anuradha started running to prevent Narain from catching the ball.

This time, he caught up with her from behind and reached his arms around her to get the ball when she froze. His arms were around her waist and almost touching the skin there. They were very close. She could feel his breath tingling her skin beneath her ear. Feeling her body turn rigid against his, he froze as well. They glanced at each other at the same moment.

Anuradha smiled a bit and looked straight ahead, waiting for him to remove his hands from near her waist. Had it been anyone else, I would have surely felt uneasy. But I don't know why I'm feeling nice now. If a guy stares at a girl, she would obviously feel uncomfortable like I always do. But I don't know why I like it when I catch him staring at me. Am I falling in love with him? Are you sure you want to take the risk again, Anu?

Narain was still staring at her in shock. He had felt her body relax against his and the surprise was evident in his eyes. Does that mean she loves me too? No way, this is not right. I don't want to love again and feel the pain once more if I had to. But why do I feel reluctant to move now?

After a curt battle of thoughts, he moved away from her in a fraction of a second and mumbled, "Sorry."

"Sorry?" Anuradha turned to face him with a frown.

Narain glanced at her with a slight frown as well. Is she going to argue with me about this now?

"There's no place for sorry between friends. We're friends, right?" She watched his face, still having the slight frown on hers.

He broke into an impish smile and nodded. "Yeah."

She too smiled knowingly before pretending to be serious again. "Anyway, let's maintain some distance."

Anuradha broke into a grin as she threw the ball behind Narain towards Nila. Back into the game, Narain ran to catch it and Nila threw it over to him this time.

They continued playing for a few more minutes, ensuring there was no more clash of skin between the two adults, before Nila heaved a sigh. "Papa, Mama, I'm tired!"

"Tired already?" The two of them glanced at Nila and asked in unison.

"Very very tired. I'm gonna make sand castle now!" Nila ran over to a nearby area of sand and seated herself to play.

The two adults watched her for a moment and then glanced at each other.

"Would you like to continue the game?" asked Narain, bouncing the ball from one hand to the next.

"Sure, I'm ready." Anuradha grinned a bit.

Those three words were enough for Narain to send the ball flying past her in the air so that she had to run double the distance to catch it.

Narrowing her eyes at him after getting the ball, Anuradha ran back a little before throwing the ball as far as she could for him to have to run to catch it.

The two of them continued playing with the ball for another fifteen to twenty minutes before they got tired too and mutually decided to bring their game to an end.

They walked over towards Nila who was trying to make a sand castle in the sand with her bare hands.

The moment Anuradha and Narain sat down on one knee on either side of the child, Nila raised one hand up to the air and tried to cover as much as possible of her sandcastle with her other hand. "No! Mama and Papa don't see here! I not yet finish making my sandcastle. Papa and Mama go walk and come. Then Nila will call to show when sandcastle ready!"

Narain and Anuradha looked at her astounded for a moment before they stood up and looked away from her.

Nila looked up at them with a grin before holding her hand to her forehead. "Mama, Papa, go walk there and come only when Nila call!" This Papa and Mama don't do anything correctly. Always I have to tell Mama and Papa what to do like my Mommy and Daddy do. When will Papa and Mama do properly without Nila say?

After a moment of deliberation, they started walking along the shore, washing their feet in the rising tide, as they stared straight ahead. Though there was initially distance of about a few feet between them, they soon covered the distance and moved closer till they were walking side-by-side.

Anuradha glanced at Narain. He usually walks faster. Is he walking slowly today so that I can catch up with him? Then let me overtake him and see if he wants to walk a little faster. Anuradha took a few quicker steps and pulled ahead of him.

He glanced at her and raised an eyebrow before turning back to the waves. You want to walk faster? That's always fine with me. I was just walking slowly so that... you could catch up, I guess. Narain began walking faster naturally. With just two steps, he passed her and continued walking ahead.

You were only supposed to walk a little faster at my speed. Not so much faster! Now you're walking too fast for my likings. Anuradha jogged a bit to catch up with him again. When she was by his side, she held her breath and continued walking again though he went past her within another two of his steps.

Oh my God! Now he's really making me run! I shouldn't have walked faster in the first place; serves me right. After a few more times of running and catching up with him, she finally held onto his lower arm, to slow him down a bit and catch up with him.

He smirked a bit and glanced at her. He caught her looking at him before directing his eyes to his hand where she was holding.

She quickly let go of his arm with a sheepish smile, comprehending what he was referring to with his eyes. "Hey, walk slowly, man! I can't catch up with you anymore."

"I didn't ask you too." He smirked at her again and continued walking with an impish smile.

"Okay, fine, walk as fast as you want. I'm not catching up with you." Anuradha turned her face away, miffed.

Narain spontaneously slowed down and continued walking by her side at her pace which was a little relaxed yet a comforting pace for him.

"Now why are you slowing down?" She glared at him.

Still having a lopsided smile on his face, he looked straight ahead. "Just simply. And one corner of my mind thought not to leave this crazy girl walking here on her own. Otherwise who knows? She might get whisked away to a mental asylum."

"Only one corner of your mind? And do I look like a crazy girl to be whisked away to a mental asylum? I'll kill you!"

Narain broke into a laugh and Anuradha smiled, observing the genuine sense of calm and happiness in his face which was different from his usual moody self.

To be continued...

A/N: Hey peeps! Hope you liked the chapter.

Friends they are. But the word 'love' has started to click in their minds. How is their 'friendship' so far? Waiting for your comments on this chapter now. ;)

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