He is not going to make any progress at this rate.

He cannot work on the lead of his own memory because of my trust in Mom. He cannot be suspicious of Ananya Di because of my trust in her.

I am actually dragging him down.

"If it wasn't for me, he would have probably solved half of the case until now," I muttered to myself, releasing a resigned sigh.

"Or probably I would have gotten stuck into my web of suspicion, not being able to get out," he said, coming from behind me.

He blinked at me, wordlessly reassuring me that I wasn't a burden.

I smiled at him gratefully, before asking him a shameless request.

"Can you give me an advance?"

"Huh?" He looked confused, rightfully so.

"Advance salary," I clarified, looking sheepish.

He and I both knew that unlike the past, I wasn't really the housekeeper right now. It was just a front, an excuse for me to be comfortable while taking his help.

There was an option of acting like his girlfriend too.

My subconscious reminded me. I snorted at my own patheticness. I couldn't do that to him for the second time. Although if I did, this time my feelings would have been real.

He was so near yet so far. I loved him yet couldn't love him.

Anyways he deserved someone much better. A person who wasn't a liar along with being a constant burden.

"Full salary? Or just a part of it?" He asked, playing along.

"Aren't you going to ask what it is for?" I questioned back instead of answering.

He chuckled, shaking his head at me. "Given the circumstances, it would probably be for renting a place."

Although he used the word 'probably' it was clear from his tone that he was sure that this was my reason. And he was correct too.

"Angry?" I asked, biting my lips.

"Stop biting them, they will bleed."

"What?"

"Nothing." He shook his head, before saying, "I am, I am really angry that despite it being so unsafe you are doing this. Although we decided to trust Ananya Di's words, I feel it is too early for us to relax."

I opened my mouth to explain, but he beat me to it.

"However, I can't force you to stay with me. That's just not right," he said in a sad yet sincere tone.

"I trust you," I said, hoping my decision didn't come across as my lack of trust in him.

"Then why?"

"It was different when I had no option or there was danger to our lives. However, it's relatively safe now. At least until we find a way to fight back. Staying here now feels like I am taking advantage of the situation...of you. Just like, just like—"

"Just like when you pretended to be my girlfriend?"

"Hmm." I nodded as I hummed in agreement.

"But you aren't lying right now." He pointed out.

"I..."

Rehaan sighed, before looking up at me, "You aren't taking advantage of the situation, I am. I am the one who wants you to stay."

I narrowed my eyes. "Advantage, seriously?"

"On the pretext of it being unsafe, I get a 24x7 cleaner, a nurse, a cook, a bantering partner, and whatnot. And the best part, even after I am getting everything, you are the one who feels grateful."

He chuckled sarcastically, before shaking his head at me.

I snorted at his attempt to make fun at my expense, before grumbling, "I am not doing it for free."

"You were."

"Huh?"

"You were doing everything for free while you were pretending to be my girlfriend. You didn't even ask to be compensated after the truth came out."

"Compensation? For what? Lying and breaking your trust?"

"You and I both know that you didn't have to do this much for me while pretending. Although you lied, there wasn't much pretense on your part. The way you stood by my side, the way you cared; that part was real." Tears gathered around his eyes as he spoke the words.

"It was real. Everything was. I couldn't understand the difference before because of anger of having been betrayed, but now I know. Apart from being in love with me, everything else was real."

Now love was real too.

I nodded continuously, while looking at him with my watery eyes too.

We both glanced at each other's teary, red faces, and ended up laughing.

"Man, this is embarrassing," he said, while wiping his face.

"Tell me about it," I muttered.

"How did you figure it out?" I asked after a while, as we both prepared his breakfast.

Yes, both. He diligently helped with whatever he could.

"Too many things to count."

"At least tell me one or two," I requested excitedly.

"Why wanna use them when you try to lie again?"

Scowling, I threw an onion on him.

"Hey!" He shouted, rubbing his shoulder where the onion had hit, before picking up the fallen onion.

"Don't play with food."

Making face, I mimicked him, "Don't play with food."

"Are you going to tell me or not?" I whined, eager to know what changed his opinion.

I wouldn't have blamed him if he continued to question my intentions. But it felt nice to know that he believed me now.

Cue to my internal dancing. Hip Hip Hurray!

"You came back."

I stopped chopping onions and completely faced him when I heard his small sentence.

He too turned to face me. Giving me a smile, he continued, "You came back when you didn't have to. I knew the truth and I had also promised you that I wouldn't complain to the police. Yet you returned, because you were worried for me."

He took a step towards me as he spoke about the second reason.

"I ignored you completely, yet you cooked for me and gave me medicines."

He took one more step further. "I didn't let you help yet you stood behind me wordlessly to pick me up in case I fell."

With every reason, he came closer and closer.

"You did everything for me without expecting anything in return.

"There were many other such small things that happened but it really struck me when you stood by my side when the doctor checked my wound.

"You remembered my fear and stood by my side as my support. Even when you didn't have to, even when you weren't expected to do it, even when you weren't pretending to be my girlfriend."

It wasn't until the knife fell from the counter and made a clang; we realized how close he had come towards me while he was speaking.

If he had given one more reason, then we would have...

We both jumped apart, our eyes widened in shock, perhaps having realized the same thing. Clearing my throat, I kneeled on the pretense of picking up the knife and stayed there until I tried to calm my racing heart.

Rehaan coughed, before mumbling something along the lines of, "This was it," or something. I didn't really realize what he said further as I was busy calming the effects of his closeness.

I finally stood up, giving him a small fake smile, before continuing my work. He too returned a clearly fake one, as he continued to wash the chilies for the tenth time.

We both continued making breakfast as if nothing happened. Everything was so normal between us that it made me doubt whether the almost kiss had really happened...

Or was I just imagining it?