I am still his housekeeper. He won't fire me again right?

While getting scared of what might happen to me now, I had totally forgotten that Rehaan had hired me again. Although because he thought my life was in danger, still it counts, right?

"Don't worry about looking ungrateful or pathetic. Stay stubborn and don't leave even if he asks you to. Do not accept getting fired this time," Ananya Di whispered in my ears, just before Rehaan came back.

Now she was sitting there acting all innocent like she didn't advise me to forcefully stay at his house, with or without his consent.

What a sly fox!

"Stay here for tonight," Rehaan said, as soon as came back.

"Umm...," I was about to ask him if today was my last day here, but then I realized he was talking to Ananya Di.

"Me?" Di asked, pointing towards herself, having realized the same thing.

Rehaan nodded, before explaining, "It's gotten quite late. I cannot come to drop you," he said pointing towards his wound, "and it doesn't feel safe to let you go alone at this hour. Just stay here. You can share the bedroom with Muskaan."

"That's very sweet of you—"

"You don't have to do this."

Ananya Di and I spoke at the same time. She elbowed me discreetly, before thanking Rehaan and accepting the offer.

"I will just change and come. Then the bedroom is all yours," he said, while eyeing us warily, obviously weird out by our behaviour.

"Are you crazy? Why did you accept his offer?" I whisper-yelled at Di as soon as Rehaan left. "I should have been kicked out by him. Instead, we both are shamelessly staying here."

"Shut up. Don't even dare to talk about getting kicked out. I don't think it is even in his mind right now."

"So?" I whisper-yelled again, frustrated by her actions.

"Don't remind him, idiot. That's the reason I accepted his offer too. What if me declining to stay here remind him to kick you out too? Where will you go at night? Sleep on the streets?" She counter-backed with a huff. "Let's just sleep here tonight. We will think about what to do tomorrow."

"Even then we shouldn't take the bedroom," I told her, pouting a bit.

"We are two, he is one. Does it make sense for two people to take the couch while one takes the bed?" She raised her eyebrows.

"When the said bed and the house, both are his, then yes," I deadpanned.

"I am not a great human like you. I want to sleep on the bed. This is a rare opportunity. I won't let it go because of your niceness."

"Just go home."

"Are you sure? He might ask you to leave with me?"

"Don't blackmail me."

"I am not. I am just reminding you. Why are you so bothered either way? It's just a matter of one night. He will get his bed back tomorrow."

"He is hurt. His stitches came out unexpectedly today. It must be hurting him like crazy, even if he isn't showing it. He needs all the comfort he can get.

"While we both are totally healthy and also habitual to sleeping on the floor. Let's not forget the fact that he has every right to kick us out, yet he is nice enough to let us stay the night. So show some decency and tell him that we will sleep here and he can take the bed," I told her or rather demanded firmly, not taking 'no' for an answer.

There was a height to shamelessness.

She sighed but agreed at last. As soon as Rehaan came, she informed him about the change in decision. Unlike yesterday, he didn't fight, easily accepting the decision.

His head must be really hurting if he agreed so easily.

"I will bring some extra pillows and blankets for you then," he said, before going back inside.

I followed him inside and saw him clueless while rummaging through the cupboard.

"Extra pillows are inside the bed," I informed him.

"Inside? How?"

"There's storage space inside, how else?" I chuckled, before pushing him lightly to make space.

I removed the items on the bed, before pushing the button to lift it up.

"This looks like a good hiding space. Is there a chance that I might have hid something here? Something that might give us a clue about what is happening," he asked, as we both picked up some blankets and pillows one by one.

"I don't think so," I muttered, having cleaned and kept everything inside myself, "I will still check it tomorrow though. If a doubt has emerged, we shouldn't leave it be."

"Not now?" He asked, "We have already opened it. So might as well check it."

"Umm...sure, if you say so."

"Or are you tired? I am being a jerk boss again, aren't I?" He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't think that far. It's fine. Let's do it tomorrow."

He remembered that he was my boss now. Then he definitely knew that he didn't need to be my boss anymore.

"Rehaan, I..."

"You do know that this isn't a mansion but a flat, right? Sound travels through." He looked at me with mirth in his eyes, completely enjoying as I squirmed under his gaze.

"I...," I opened and closed my mouth fruitlessly, not a single excuse coming out.

"Sorry," I whispered at last, feeling like dirt underneath his shoes.

He snorted, "Now you are—, wait, are you crying?" He asked in bafflement, all his enjoyment disappearing in a second.

I shook my hand, trying to wave off his concern, but still couldn't lift up my head to face him. "Just embarrassed, don't worry."

"Hey," he called out softly, before coming closer.

My body got rigid, thinking he would lift my head up, forcing me to face him in the eye, but he just gently caressed my hair.

He was trying to comfort me and not confront me.

I slowly lifted my face to see him and ended up busted out crying, scaring the hell out of him.

"Did I...did I do something wrong?" He asked, his eyes wide with fear.

"No," I choked through my tears, not being able to say more.

I couldn't even explain my tears to myself, how was I going to make him understand?

"Muskaan...,"

I lifted up two fingers, requesting him to give me two minutes to try and calm down on my own.

Turning my back towards him, I closed my mouth with my fist to stop crying out loud. I closed my eyes, took some deep breaths, thought of some nonsense to divert my mind.
The process continued for a while as the tears would stop for a second or two, before coming back on full force.

It definitely took more than two minutes, but they finally managed to stop. I turned back towards Rehaan to see him on the bed, patiently waiting for me.

Wow! I was crying for so long that he even put the bed back together.

"Don't ask, I don't even know what happened," I said, taking a seat beside him as we both faced the door. "It's not like getting embarrassed in front of you is a new thing."

"Everything," he spoke, making my head jerk towards him.

"Huh?"

"Getting embarrassed wasn't a huge thing to make you cry. However, too many things have happened to you recently. Losing your identity, getting a fake name, losing your home, and what not. You have been holding all your emotions tightly until now. Getting embarrassed like this must have been a last straw."

I bit my lips contemplating about what he said.

"It's okay to cry it out," he said gently, before pushing my shoulder lightly with his shoulder.

"I am really smart, aren't I? I cried as soon as you found out the truth. Now instead of getting angry at me, you are consoling me."

To say I was feeling pathetic was an understatement.

"Don't do this to yourself," Rehaan said, turning so he could completely face me. "Just stop. You aren't manipulating anyone. And even if you were, it's okay. Given the circumstances, it is acceptable."

"It isn't."

"It is if I give you my permission. Manipulate me all you want. Want to stay and work here as a housekeeper, then it's okay to stay. I will give you a salary. Want to act like my girlfriend again then do it. Do whatever you want. I will allow it."

"Rehaan...," I whispered, tears brimming in my eyes again.

"Don't...don't cry again. It scares me," he said in a panicked tone.

I nodded, wiping off my tears and stuffy nose.

"There are a lot of other things to worry about right now. Don't worry about housing or me, yeah? This should be the least of your concern." He looked into my eyes, showing nothing but honesty and warmth.

"I don't deserve your niceness. I have hurt you, lied to you. I keep lying to you."

"We have all the time in the world to fight about it. Don't think I am such a good person to forgive you easily.

"I will make you pay back for all your lies. I won't let you go until you have compensated every single lie that has come out of your mouth. But not now. There's time for it. Let's fight with these identity thieves first."

I chuckled at his words, before nodding furiously. "I will do everything to make up for my lies. No matter how annoying it gets."

"I will make up for it too."

"Huh?"

"For whatever I knew and hid from you before the accident." He promised sincerely.