Rehaan's POV

How can you love and detest the same person?

I contemplated my mixed feelings as I stared at the person sitting opposite me. To think that I was able to realize my love for her at the very moment she shattered my trust. It was only then I found out how much she had mattered to me. How much space she had unknowingly ended up taking in my heart.

Heights of wrong timing!

Probably I wouldn't have realized my feelings this sooner if she hadn't hurt me. But now, I don't know what to do with these feelings.

What love without trust? And my trust, she had crushed mercilessly. However, I understood her situation too. I couldn't expect her to be perfect and without any flaws. I couldn't expect to give up everything just to be truthful. She did this for survival. She was a human after all. A human, who would do anything to survive.

This was the only reason I started talking normally to her, despite my hurt. A fun and normal conversation before we parted ways.

Yes, part ways. This was our end.

She didn't need to lie anymore. And with what right I could ask her to stay with me now? I was nothing to her. Not even her boss.

"You don't have to do this," I said, taking away the plate from her hands, stopping her from clearing the dining table. "I will clean it up myself."

She chuckled, before trying to pull back the plate. "Its fine, you just rest. I will do it. I need to clear the kitchen counter too," she said, before muttering under her breath, "Damn, I made quite a mess there."

I held onto the plate tightly, before refusing sternly. "You have already done enough. Thanks for cooking for me. But let's stop here and sit comfortably. After all, I can't make a guest do all the housework."

★★★★★

Muskaan's POV

A guest!

A simple word, not at all insulting to the whole world. But given our situation, I could very well understand the heavy weight this small word carried. The underlying meaning, Rehaan implied, was clear.

Rehaan smiled at me, looking at me like he didn't throw a dagger at my heart with his small taunt.

"A guest, huh! Of course," I chuckled awkwardly, trying my best to hide my sadness.

What right did I have to be sad? It was a situation I had created after all.

"Let me help, at least," I requested, "you are not feeling well. I don't think you should take over the workload now."

"I am fine. The doctor said there was nothing to worry about." Rehaan shrugged it off, before picking up the utensils from the dining table and moved towards the kitchen.

Picking up the remaining ones, I followed him, before hesitantly questioning him. "About that, what happened to you in the kitchen?"

He stopped on his tracks, making me wonder if I angered him with my question. I was scared when I saw him lying unconscious. I really wanted to make sure he was okay now, but wasn't sure that he appreciated my question.

"Nothing much," he answered quietly, not bothering to face me. "Probably the shock of finding out the truth and exhaustion of the day got mixed."

I hummed even though I thought it was much more than what he was letting out.

Rehaan more or less ignored my presence, going back to silent nature as he tried to figure out what to do.

He cleaned the kitchen counter himself, not letting me do anything. So I just stood there in the corner and watched him quietly.

I moved closer towards him to stand beside him near the sink, when I saw him twirling the scrub in confusion, not knowing how it exactly worked.

"Like this," I muttered, while picking up a utensil to show him how it was cleaned.

He watched me wash two of them, before picking up on my silent instructions and copying my actions.

We stood there side by side, finishing up the task in silence. I noticed him eyeing me a few times, but didn't react knowing he would close off again, not that he was too open with me right now.

"Hire me again," I said out of the blue, shocking even myself.

"What?!" He looked at me dumbfounded.

"Hire me again as a housekeeper," I said, while wiping my hands, having finished with the utensils.

Closing the tap, he turned to face me. Looking at me with raised eyebrows, he asked, "Why? Are you not able to get another job? Did the interviews not go well?"

Given his expression and tone, I thought he was taunting me, but the look in his eyes told me he was genuinely concerned.

I let out a small smile, so that he could relax before answering, "Nothing like that. I just thought...I just...," I trailed off, scratching the side of my head, not knowing how to put it in words.

He waited patiently for me as I tried to gather words. "I just thought that you are not well now and you haven't really done any household work. Even before the accident. You were good at handling the outside work, but these things, you have no knowledge about.

"So...just for a month or so, hire me back. I will take care of your health and even teach you the basics alongside. You know...so that...you can...so you can—"

"Survive on my own?" He finished my sentence.

I nodded, wringing my hands in nervousness as I waited for his answer.

His eyes had a warm look as he smiled at me. "Thanks for thinking so much about me, but unfortunately, I can't do that."

"But—"

"Please Muskaan."

"No, Please Rehaan," I said, "I know you are angry with me. I also understand that it would be hard to face me. But please, give it a thought. I can't fathom leaving you alone without any help. Not after what happened today. Please think about it one more time.

"I am ready to take punishment too. If that's what it takes you to agree to my suggestion."

I know I am being unreasonable being this demanding. But I have no choice. It's not like Rehaan would hire someone else.

I had seen him getting afraid of strangers, even the doctors and nurses who took care of him. There was no way Rehaan would get courage to hire someone. And with the culprit on the loose, even I couldn't trust bringing a stranger to this house. Not when Rehaan didn't remember who did this to him.

"Rehaan, please. I know even seeing my face must be irritating to you. Please try to adjust with seeing me for a little while. Just until you can manage everything on your own. Or even better, when your memories come back. Who knows, it might come back way sooner than expected. Then you won't have to see me ever again."

I looked at him expectantly, hoping for a positive answer.

Was it just the fear that he would get hurt again or was I actually looking for an excuse to stay beside him?

It felt like a bucket of water was thrown on my face as realization dawned upon me. My own subconscious startling the hell out of me.

'No no no, don't go on that road, Muskaan.' I forced myself to get rid of that thought before focusing on my original reason for that suggestion.

If I fell into that well, then I was definitely going to drown. I would never be able to come up, especially when Rehaan got his memories back.

I was trying so hard to control my feelings, but Rehaan's next words destroyed all my efforts.

"I am not refusing you because I hate you or something, Muskaan.

"It's just that I can't see you as a housekeeper. My mind knows, but unfortunately in my heart you hold the same designation you did for all these days I have been awake."

Give it up to this man to push me even more into that well. The well of love.