If you think I will be freezing while washing clothes at night then you are wrong. Absolutely wrong.

Hah! I turned on the geyser. Who cares if his electricity bill shoots up? Not my money, not my problem.

I was busy patting my back mentally when suddenly—

"What are you doing?"

Startled, the brush fell from my hand in the tub full of water, causing all the water to splash onto me.

Thank Goodness I was wearing a dark T-shirt.

I stood up in anger, trying to shake off the water in vain. "Are you crazy? Look what you did," I yelled at him.

"What did I do? What can I even do while standing outside?" He shrugged, putting all the blame on me, like he hadn't just scared the shit out of me by coming up suddenly.

I exhaled through the mouth, puffing out the air along with the anger, before asking him, "Why are you even awake? It's late. Go to sleep."

"I wanted to ask you the same thing. Why are you awake at this time?"

The nerve of this guy.

"Did you hit your head again? Has your amnesia progressed?" I gritted my teeth, barely controlling the urge to hit him with the laundry brush.

"Weren't you the one who asked me to wash all your clothes?" I asked in annoyance, putting my hands on my waist.

"Yeah, I did."

"Exactly. So—"

"In the washing machine."

"What?"

He looked at me like I was an idiot, before speaking again. "Why would you wash clothes by hand when there is a washing machine in the house? You could have just put them in and gone to sleep."

I chuckled sarcastically, folding my hands as I took a step near him. "So you are saying you meant for me to wash these clothes in the washing machine. Like this was the order you gave me in that state of outrage?"

I stopped walking when I saw him take a step back. He gulped as he looked at me like I was a predator.

Rolling my eyes, I relaxed my stance, before calling out his lie. "Just tell the truth. Isn't it more like your anger reduced and you felt guilty for giving me such an order in the first place? And now you are saying this to make up for it without admitting your fault."

"Ah, well..." He scratched the back of his head, looking a bit sheepish.

"I lost my temper." He admitted, "But I didn't really think that you would follow my absurd order."

"Why wouldn't I?" I shrugged. "I get paid for this. Even more for overtime," I said cheekily.

He chuckled, shaking his head at me.

"Go and change before you fall sick," he said, gesturing to my now wet clothes.

Change? Shit!!

I didn't have any clothing item with me besides what I was wearing. What was I going to do? Going out was banned. Calling Ananya Di for help was also banned.

"You have two pairs of clothes."

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"Your clothes," he repeated.

Did I speak out loud? Damn it!

"Your expressions speak louder than words," he said, making me question if he could read minds.

"No, I cannot read minds," he answered, making my eyes go wide. "You muttered the 'reading minds' part out loud," he deadpanned, before I could come up with another theory.

"What was I saying again?"

"My clothes..."

"Ah yes! The ones you were wearing in the hospital and the formal ones Ananya Di brought for you. Both the pairs are here. You forgot to take them back."

I winced as I remembered the reason for forgetting my things. 'Get out,' those words and his broken expression were still fresh in my mind. I glanced up sheepishly at him to see him already looking at me sadly.

Clearing his throat, he came back to the normal mode, putting his sadness at the backseat again.

"So don't take too much tension. I know it's not much but we can still get by comfortably. I can lend you my t-shirts and you can just wash and reuse every other thing of yours." He got awkward while saying the last part, making me roll my eyes at him.

It had been just a few days but it seemed like ages since I saw this awkward side of Rehaan. Awkward Rehaan was so cute. I wish I could pull his cheeks.

Snap back to reality, Muskaan, it's your time to get awkward. Why? Because you don't have anything to wear right now.

"Those pairs are unwashed," I informed him, while feeling like dying inside. "So right now...I...."

"Take whatever you like from my wardrobe," he said immediately, without an ounce of teasing. "You know where everything is right?"

I nodded, before whispering, "Thank you," as I moved past him to get the clothes.

There was something I really admired about him. Although we teased and annoyed each other relentlessly, he never ever did it when I felt like I couldn't handle it. Even if the situation wasn't as drastic as it felt to me.

I didn't know how he recognized it, but he was always gentle when the situation got too much for me.

★★★★★

Not teasing my foot, I take it back.

No, he didn't make fun of me in his clothes. Or make me feel uncomfortable or anything like that. How could he? When I couldn't even go out of his room.

That idiot locked me from outside.

"Rehaan, open the door." I continuously banged on the door, but that idiot was busy laughing.

"Seriously Rehaan, this isn't funny!" I yelled.

"How did you even change so fast?" He asked, in between the laughs.

"Because I didn't change, you idiot. I was going to change after finishing the work. I just came to take out the clothes now, so that you can sleep peacefully without having to wait for me."

Think well about him and he stabs me in the back.

"Just change and go to sleep."

"Are you short of hearing? I need to wash the clothes. They are soaked in soap right now. I can't just leave it as it is."

"I will wash them, then."

I snorted, before asking him, "Do you even know how to wash them?"

"No, but I can try. And if nothing works, I will just put them in the washing machine."

I so knew he was shrugging nonchalantly right now.

"You will do all that work, but you won't let me out?"

"Nope," he said, popping the 'p'.

"Ah! Seriously." I fisted my hair in annoyance, before trying out another way. "How about letting me out to wash the clothes for now? I will come back to sleep in the room later."

"Do you take me for a fool? I know you won't go back in, once I let you out."

"Rehaan please...We already talked about this."

"Just tell me one thing," he said, suddenly getting serious. "Will you be comfortable sleeping outside where I can come and go anytime? After seeing you get so startled earlier, I think not."

"That...I wasn't expecting you."

"And you wouldn't be expecting me in the night either. What if I get up to get water? Or something. Won't you get uncomfortable? If your answer is no, then I will let you out this very second."

I opened my mouth to give the answer right away and get out of the room. However, the lie couldn't come out. It was true that I would feel uncomfortable.

Especially since I was going to wear his clothes.

But I also trusted him enough to know that he wouldn't hurt me in any way. He wouldn't take advantage of the situation. Neither he nor the old Rehaan did.

"I am nervous, but I trust you too," I told him instead.

He groaned, "Why can't you just take the opportunity and sleep peacefully?"

"Alright, fine."

"Really?"

Obviously No.

"Yeah, I will sleep in the room while you take the couch."

Like hell I would.

He sighed in relief, thanking me for understanding.

"But Rehaan...you need to open the door," I said, putting on my best pleading voice.

"Oh, come on, just when I thought you agreed..."

"No, it's not that. I need to pee." I palmed my mouth to muffle my laughter.

"Wh...What?"

"Pee. Urgently."

"Ah shit!"

It didn't even take a whole second before the door was opened. He even moved sideways to not come in the way of my run.

I half ran, before stopping in the middle to yell, "Try and see if I go back into that room ever again."

I stuck my tongue out at him, before laughing heartily as I saw him curse himself for falling for my trick.