29. Aapka saath itna khubsurat kyon hai? (Why is your companionship so beautiful?)

•°•

- priya -

"Will your car be ready until this evening?" Aditya asked me when my stop was close.

Yes.

"No," I answered.

"I'll come to pick you up." His hand slid off mine, the tip of our fingers curled, feebly holding onto each other.

I nodded, letting my hand fall back to my side as I rushed to get off the bus. I turned quickly, catching his attention with a wave. He smiled and waved back, looking at me until the bus whisked him away.

I sighed.

I was getting way too attached to him. It almost made me feel like a kid. I was used to doing things on my own, worrying alone, and solving my problems alone. But Aditya's attention on me is something I look forward to every day.

Clutching my tote bag tighter, I turned around to head toward my office building.

Sheena was already at the reception and upon noticing my presence, she wished me good morning. I nodded back, requesting my usual coffee while entering my office.

"Actually, your-"

She stopped abruptly and I realised why.

"Priya!" Ragini Mami smiled wide at me.

"Make it two, Sheena," I said to my assistant, referring to the count of the coffees. She nodded and returned to her desk wordlessly.

I entered the office and placed my bag on the desk as I pulled myself a chair to settle down. "You could have called me," I said softly, pulling open the drawer and grabbing the paper slip from inside.

She smiled, taking the cheque from me. "It's been two weeks since I haven't seen you." She reasoned before looking at the cheque and frowning at the amount. "Uhm, it's less than what I told you? I wouldn't have asked more than usual but you know Saransh and Ketaki are preparing for their boards and are thinking of joining NEET classes in the summer holidays. We need to pre-book the seats since this academy is well recognised and prestigious and only smart kids get to join it."

I nodded. "I know. I told Sheena to get in contact with the academy staff and get Saransh and Ketaki their seats. She'll sort everything out."

"Oh," she muttered. "Okay." She forced a smile at me. "And what about the renovation? I told you the bathroom ceiling is leaking-"

"I remember. But Mama told me not to worry about it. He'll do it."

She sighed. "Priya, you know he'll say that. Why did you talk to him about it? Half of his salary goes to house installments and in remaining half, I manage to keep the house running. I understand you're married now and you don't want to carry our burden but if you didn't want to do it, you could have told me. I'd have sold some of my jewelry."

I clenched my jaw. "I'm sorry. But I didn't bring it up. He called me on his own. And my family is not a burden on me, Mami. I'll send someone by this evening to fix the ceiling. Don't worry."

She shrugged, shaking her head in disappointment before leaving the office.

I leaned ahead and closed my eyes.

No, how are you, Priya?

Are you settling well?

Are they treating you nice?

Are you happy with Aditya?

I smiled melancholically. It isn't a surprise, to be honest. She never really thought of me as her family. And I can't even expect it from her. It has always been the trade of give and take between us. Initially, it was through household chores, being an unpaid nanny to her kids while sidetracking my own studies, and now it's providing them with monetary relief and luxury.

The phone in my bag vibrated.

Text Aditya.

I quickly stopped the alarm and slid into the message application. Just as I began typing the message, the screen changed into a calling window, Aditya's name written in bold on top. I answered the call, cautiously putting it to my ear.

"I reached. Safe and sound." He answered.

My brows shot raised. How did he know I was going to text him that?

Because that's literally what you ask him every day at ten am.

Right.

"Good. Have a great day at work." I replied, hoping for the conversation to go as how it usually does when we're chatting through text messages. The last time when he asked me if I miss him, I almost had a panic attack trying to come up with something proper to reply.

"Yeah, you too. Bye, meri jaan."

I smiled shyly. "Bye." My voice came out in a whisper.

Putting the phone on the desk, I chuckled. Every time he calls me meri jaan, some sort of chemical reaction happens in my body and I feel like I am melting on the spot.

The knock on the door snatched me out of my thoughts. It must be Sheena with my coffee. I sat straight and called her in, thanking her softly when she put the coffee cup on my table before briefing me about today's schedule.

The entire day at the office was spent working, holding meetings, and finalising proposals for the next event offers. I like to work in a hierarchy, it gives everyone in the power of position their own commitments and perspective to expand into. I've eight teams working directly underneath me, not counting the finance and marketing department, and we organize events ranging from big charity functions to as casual as bachelor parties.

When I first started Jalsa, I had three batchmates that trusted my idea and two juniors willing to follow me after their degree ends. So as a team of six, with me leading the business model, I had approached Avinash Shrivastava, whose expertise was helping small start-ups make big in industrial markets. And when I say he charges a lot for it, I mean he charges a lot for it. But in the end, it's worth it. He knows his way around, knows how people's minds work, and how to convince them without making them feel they're being convinced.

I was genuinely surprised when I found out he is Aditya's brother. They are nothing alike. Aditya is a dreamer kind of person, and Avinash is hard-headed and practical. When I first began working with him, I realised we had a lot in common. We were almost similar. So to expect someone like him to have a brother like Aditya, was indeed a big revelation for me. We never talked about personal life with each other, so I realised why I wasn't aware of him having a brother.

I wonder what would have happened if I had met Aditya back then. Would we have gotten along? I don't think so. Would he have still ended up liking me? The thought made me blush.

Well, that is until I realised when I was twenty-four, he was only nineteen. A teenager.

Shaking my head to drive off the filth that almost made me seem like a predator, I focused on packing my things for the day.

The knock on the door caught my attention. "Come in," I said, expecting it to be Sheena. For a moment there was no response so I turned around, having the chance to be greeted with my husband's charming smile.

"Ready to leave?"

I nodded, slinging the strap on my shoulder to quickly reach out for his hand. He interlaced our fingers and led me out of the office. I ignored the eyes that followed us. It's the first time they're seeing their boss hold hands with a man. I wanted to walk how I usually do when I'm in a professional environment, but Aditya's presence just makes me nervous and shy. I can't keep eye contact even with the wall, it's always the floor.

A breath of relief left me when the elevator doors closed.

"How was your day?" He asked softly.

"Great." I smiled up at him. "How was yours?"

"Not bad." He shrugged twisting his lips.

My smile faltered. His day at work is never great or good. Always, not bad. I hate it. And I hate his boss. I wanted to advise him to look for a new job while still keeping the current one because his work environment is toxic and wouldn't help him grow. But if you prod more into the subject he is not willing to discuss, you're most likely inviting an unfinished argument or a silent treatment. Meghna's words made me understand why the topic is sensitive to him. He must think he can't get another job without someone's help. I wish I could tell him how smart he is. I've seen him typing a thousand lines of codes without once opening Google and it's terrifying how fast he does it. I've never seen a computer major being so good at coding. He deserves more than he is getting currently but if he himself believes the opposite, then there's nothing you say will change his mind.

I've heard people say I'm a hard person. If only they met Aditya. The ones who are approachable make you think they are easy-going, and an open book and the ones that keep to themselves are cold and uninterested. It's exactly the opposite with Aditya.

"Adi!" A very cheerful voice shouted aloud.

We both stopped in our tracks, watching as a stunning woman excused herself from the bunch of women and strode up to us. I swallowed. She was absolutely gorgeous, and her fashion sense was praiseworthy.

I was startled when she hugged Aditya without a warning.

A bitter feeling settled into me, my brows knitting into a frown.

"Wow, didn't expect to see you here!" She giggled, pulling away at an arm's distance to look at him more carefully. "If you had worn black the first time we met, I wouldn't have let you go no matter what!" She chuckled.

My frown deepened.

He smiled back awkwardly.

"Oh, sorry I did not see you there," she apologized politely. Great, I can't even think of her as a bad person since she genuinely seemed guilty about not noticing me. "Are you two dating?" She asked curiously, looking between me and Aditya.

"We're married," I answered in clear, firm words.

"Yeah, this is Priya. My wife." His smile turned genuine. "And Priya, this is Sunaina. A friend."

The woman gasped, slapping Aditya on his arm. I narrowed my eyes at her. They seem so comfortable with each other.

"Friend, huh?" She teased. "Alright then, friend it is. Though you do worse as a friend. No message, no call, nothing!"

I took a deep breath.

On one hand, he says he is nervous around women and on the other hand, he has young and beautiful women like Pari and Sunaina claiming themselves as his friend.

"Chuparustom! Mere saamne toh chui mui banke milne aaye the, aur jab apni pasand ki mili toh time bhi nahi lagaya shaadi ke liye. (What a damn dark horse! When you met me, you were so awkward and shy. And the moment you found the girl you like, you didn't waste a minute getting married!)" She laughed.

He rubbed his nape sheepishly. "I did not expect to see you here." A great way of changing the topic, huh. What was the reason you met her? Did you meet her after meeting me or before meeting me? I can't even complain. I was never in the options, to begin with.

"Me neither!" She shrugged. "I'm actually here for family reasons. But I have a friend who works here. So we had a plan to hang out together." She smiled. "Oh, there she is!" She looked past us, excitedly waving at the woman who was approaching us with just as big grin if not bigger. "Accha, I'll see you soon! We'll hang out sometime. Bye!" She left how she had come, like a hurricane.

Aditya and I resumed walking.

"Who was she?" I inquired, trying not to sound too much curious.

"She was the first girl I met for marriage." He answered.

I looked at him in surprise. "And she said no to you?"

He removed his hand from mine, regarding me with a look of disbelief. "Why do you think she is the one who said no to me?"

I shrugged.

She is beautiful. Which man will let go of the opportunity to marry a woman looking nothing less than a model?

He scoffed. "What does this mean?" He imitated my shrug dramatically.

I opened my mouth to answer, falling short of words.

"What? I'm waiting." He demanded.

"She is beautiful. And young. And the way she carries herself, she looked successful too. It's like a golden cuckoo. Who'll miss the chance?"

"I did." He answered.

I blinked up at him. "Why?"

"Because I did not feel anything for her."

"What were you expecting to feel for her?"

"Sparks, butterflies, a kind of electricity."

"You feel that between us?" I asked in disbelief.

He shook his head. "I feel you're enough even without giving me those feelings."

Did my heart just skip a beat?

"I'm stealing your book collection," I reached out to hold his hand before dragging him towards the bus stop. He laughed, making me smile coyly. "So she said yes to you?" I asked as we climbed the bus together.

He nodded cockily. "In the first meeting."

"And you said no immediately?"

"Nah," he shrugged. "I took a week to think about it. Then said no."

"Thank God," I mumbled.

"What?" He leaned in with a smirk.

"Thank God there's a seat available," I pointed, dragging him in the direction of it. He let me lead the way but stepped past hurriedly to steal the window seat. I rolled my eyes and sat down beside him. Such a kid.

I rested my head back on the seat, watching him untangle his earbuds before he plugged them in and put one in his ear, offering me another. I accepted wordlessly.

A few minutes into the romantic song and his hand sought mine. I opened my fingers, allowing him to fill the gaps. Our hands stayed interlaced between us while we looked outside the bus, chasing the view.

We exited the bus at our stop, then strolled back home together. He bought me the same flowers as the first time and I thanked him with a smile, inhaling the sweet fragrance on our way back home.

Reaching home, I occupied the bathroom first to get rid of my makeup and change into a pair of comfortable clothes. Then I headed to the kitchen to help his mother with the dinner preparations. She shot me a smile and informed me about what was already done and what needs to be done. I quickly got down to work, ignoring the slight pain in my lower abdomen.

It was dinner time soon. I was almost done arranging the dining table when everyone arrived.

"I've talked to Pratik. He has invited us for dinner at his house this weekend." Meghna announced.

"Good. Let's meet his family." Aditya's father said sounding satisfied.

"I don't want Aditya to come along. That's my condition." She declared.

I looked at her in disbelief. She can't be serious. Is she a freaking child?

"Meghna!" Their dad snapped at her.

"What!?" She shot back aggressively.

My eyes darted to Aditya. He had stopped eating and was simply staring at the plate. My hand stretched out to hold his but he stood up abruptly along with his plate.

"I've some work. I'll have my dinner in the room." And he left.

"Teri problem kya hai, Meghna!? Aise treat karte apne se chote bhai ko!? Pata nahi kya tujhe woh kitna sensitive hai? Itna selfish hona bhi acchi baat nahi hai, Meghna! (What is your problem, Meghna!? Is this how you treat your younger brother? Don't you know how sensitive he is? It's not right to be so selfish, Meghna!)" Their mom spoke up, scolding her harshly.

"Oh, so it's my fault he's still a kid from inside?" She retorted. "If he can't handle adult arguments, he shouldn't initiate one!"

I was almost physically holding myself back from saying something. I've never met someone so rude before.

"Priya, go to the room. Don't leave him alone." His mother advised.

Thank you.

Adding some extra chapati and curry for us in my plate, I took my plate back to our room.

Aditya was at his favourite place in the bedroom, on the couch against the window. He looked up hearing me come in and then turned back to look outside, the plate untouched by his feet.

I picked up the plate and gestured for him to fold his legs. He obliged with a sigh. Putting his plate on his lap and mine on the couch, I went to get his laptop from the study table and brought it to him.

"What?"

"You told me you'll make me watch Om Shanti Om one day. I want to watch it now." I sat down, opened his laptop on the table, and pressed the power button. "C'mon, login," I said when the sign-in screen came up.

He sighed again, as though troubled, but I didn't back away. I was determined to change his mood.

He opened his Netflix account and typed the movie title in the search bar. It came up immediately. Pressing on the play, he leaned back, almost excited as he watched my reaction to the initial credit scenes. "It's old so the picture quality isn't that great but it's amazing!" He justified.

I nodded. I've hardly watched movies so it's not like I've anything to compare this movie with.

A few minutes into the movie and a familiar scene came up. I loved the background score, but the scene was what stole my attention. I looked at him curiously. He had light pink dusting his cheeks.

"This is what you were referring to back then?"

He nodded, biting his lower lip. "Your name's Priya too."

"Too bad your name's not Om." I teased.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You only have half of her name, be happy you at least got an Aditya if not Om." He shot back sassily.

I chuckled, focusing back on the screen.

The next scene was weird, which was basically the main actress rambling some unrealistic, stupid dialogues.

"Don't judge." He defended, "it's just a movie scene. She is an actress in the movie. And it's the eighties. You don't know, but movies back then used to have such cringe and shitty dialogues."

I nodded in response, gesturing at his plate to resume eating dinner.

We watched the movie in silence. Well, I did. He had so much to say, complimenting the good parts, justifying the stupid ones, defending the unrealistic ones, humming along with the songs, and watching my reaction to his favorite scenes.

"So?" He asked when the movie finally ended, looking at me with hopeful eyes.

"I loved the last scene,"

"I know right!" He leaned in, placing his hand close to my thigh. I don't think he realised it. "I absolutely adore that scene. It's my most favourite from the whole movie. Gosh the way she runs those stairs, then looks back at him with a teary smile and vanishes into the thin air with that beautiful music playing in the background! I love love love it!" He gushed.

I hummed, extra aware of his hand that was instinctively creeping closer.

"You loved the movie, right?"

"Yeah. It was nice." I smiled up at him. I loved watching it with him. Makes no difference.

He retrieved his hand, and I resisted the urge to put it back there.

"We'll watch K3G next time. It's the most stupid, fantasy-like movie, but it's my guilty pleasure." He chuckled sheepishly, distracted with closing his laptop.

I nodded in response, collecting our empty plates to put them back in the kitchen.

"Is he okay?" Aditya's mom asked me when I entered the kitchen.

"Yes," I answered. "I made him watch a movie with me. He looked distracted."

She sighed in relief. "Thank you."

I responded with an awkward smile and turned to grab the apron.

"No no, go back to him. I'll clean this."

"But-"

"Go. I'll take Meghna's help. She hasn't been helping around with household chores lately."

I handed over the apron hesitantly and wished her good night, returning to the room shortly after. Thankfully, Aditya was reading a book, and not thinking about silly things. I walked to the desk, preparing to finish the pending work.

At around eleven he closed his book to go to sleep. I did the same.

Walking around the bed to get to my side, I climbed the bed and slid inside the thick blanket. I turned to face him, gathering enough courage to touch him on the back even after knowing he is still awake. He changed the sides to face me, a hazy look in his eyes that called for sleep.

I shifted closer, tucking my head beneath his chin as my arm went around his waist.

"Kya hua, meri jaan? (What happened, meri jaan?)" He asked stroking the back of my head gently.

Aise neend acchi aati hai. (I sleep well like this.)

"You're warm," I mumbled, feeling his chuckle resonate through his chest.

"Good night," he kissed me on top of the head.

I smiled against his chest. "Good night."

The next morning I was woken up because of the horrible cramps. I wanted to get up, take a shower and help Aditya's mom in the kitchen, but I physically couldn't. Curling into myself, I waited for the pain to go away. It didn't.

Tweety came and woke Aditya up. He was surprised to find me still in the bed.

"What happened?" He hovered closely, a worried frown on his face.

"Period," I answered. "Hurts."

"Oh," he sounded lost. "Can I help you with something? A heating pad? Medicine? A massage?"

I shook my head. I already checked with Meghna if there's any heat pad in the house. She said no and closed the door on my face. And I don't take medicine. I should but it's like I'm challenging myself to see how much I can suffer until I cave in. It's stupid and illogical but I still do it.

A massage sounds good but how can I ask him to massage my legs?

"No, let me just be." I sighed, closing my eyes tiredly.

He stayed with me for a few minutes before a defeated breath left his mouth and he went to get ready for the day.

I laid on my back when the pain finally lessened. Because I had woken up earlier than usual, exhaustion caught up to me immediately. I didn't realise when I fell back asleep.

Aditya gently shook me to wake me up. I cracked my eyes open, looking at him through barely unsealed lids. "It's eight. You're not going to the office today?"

I sat up straight and he backed away to give me space.

"Are you okay now?" He sat by my side.

I nodded.

"So? No office today?"

I shook my head. "I'll work from home today. I don't have any important meetings to attend anyway."

He hummed. "Okay, then, stay home and rest." He murmured. "But right now, go take a shower. Breakfast is ready. You should eat something." He ushered me up and into the bathroom. I obliged half-heartedly.

I took a lazy shower, got dressed in casual clothes, and changed my pad, discarding the previous one.

Aditya was putting on his socks when I stepped out of the bathroom.

"Ready?"

I hummed positively.

We headed to the dining table together.

"Aaj office nahi ja rahi, bacche?" Aditya's dad asked me after taking a sip of his coffee.

I shook my head, opening my mouth to answer but Aditya's mother beat me to it. "Uski tabiyat thik nahi hai. (She is not feeling well.)" She answered on my behalf, then looked at me with a smile. "It's good you decided to stay home. Take rest for a day."

I nodded with a smile.

Breakfast lasted for about an hour after which Aditya left.

"Uska tiffin reh gaya! (He forgot his tiffin!)" His mother exclaimed and got up from her chair.

"Aap baithiye. Mein deti hoon. (I'll give it, don't bother yourself.)" I said and got up to grab his tiffin box from the kitchen before heading out towards the front door.

"Aditya!" I stopped him just as he was about to enter the elevator. "Your tiffin."

He face-palmed. "Thanks." With a sheepish smile, he took it from me.

I smiled back. "Have a great day!"

His smile broadened into a grin and he pulled me closer, taking me by surprise before I felt his lips plant themselves on my forehead. I sighed, leaning more into his warmth. "Bye." He pulled back deftly.

"Come soon," I murmured, waving at him until the doors of the elevator closed.

Turning around, I almost slammed into Avinash. "Sorry, I did not see you there." I stepped back hurriedly.

"How can you when you're always so focused on your husband?" He muttered and walked past me.

I frowned, looking over my shoulder as he took the stairs to head down.

Brushing off his vague words, I walked back inside the house.

The rest of the day, I spent it working, sleeping, and working some more. It was only four when there was a knock on the door. At first, I thought it must be Aditya but his office usually ends at five-thirty so I chucked that thought aside. To say I was surprised to find his mother at the doorstep, holding a tray of two tea cups and a plate of toast would be an understatement.

I let her in, albeit awkwardly, and sat down on the couch beside her. She handed me the teacup which I took after a small thank you. We had our tea in silence. I was waiting for her to disclose what she was here but she seemed like she was taking her time.

"Are you- Are you still planning to move out?" She asked, gently breaking the ice.

"I don't know. He says we are after our honey-honeymoon. But I'm not sure."

She sighed. "It's all my fault."

I nibbled my lower lip, embracing silence.

"Can't you talk him out of it?" She turned to me suddenly, placing a hand on my wrist. "I'm really sorry about my behaviour towards you, Priya. But I was not trying to drive you out of the house. I was just being inconsiderate. Aditya is very stubborn. Once he has set his mind on something, he does it. And I'm scared, if he leaves the house with bitterness towards me and this house, I'll lose my precious son."

I blinked, perplexed at her words.

"He listens to you, doesn't he?"

No, he doesn't.

"He really respects you. I'm sure if you try to make him see the other side, he'll understand. Please do this for me." She requested earnestly.

I nodded, though I wanted to shake my head in a no so bad.

"Thank you so much!" She beamed. "Take your time to talk to him. But please make him change his mind." She said and picked up the empty tray to leave the room.

I sat stunned in my seat.

No wonder she was acting so nice and sweet towards me for the last two days. So this was the reason. She wants me to talk to her son. Me, the one who's been in his life for less than two months.

I couldn't focus on anything afterward. So I went to the living room to watch television, trying to take my mind off the recent conversation.

The doorbell rang, but before I could get it, Aditya's mother arrived.

"What happened!? Why are you limping?" I heard her worried ramble.

Is she talking to Aditya!?

I got up hurriedly to check, realising it was his elder brother. He had his arm around her shoulder as he limp-walked inside, struggling to hold his bag on his shoulder. I offered to take it. He looked at me for a second longer and let me carry it for him. I followed the two to Avinash's bedroom and put his bag on the couch while his mother laid him on the bed.

"How did it happen?"

"I accidentally skipped a stair." He answered, wincing in pain as she sprayed his ankle before wrapping it in gauze.

I hovered around worriedly. The swelling looked painful.

"You're home early today." She wondered in surprise.

He glanced at me before nodding at his mother. "Work ended early."

"Should I bring you coffee?" His mother asked.

"Yeah," he whispered.

We left his room shortly after. I decided to help his mom in the kitchen since it was time to start dinner as well. She made the coffee first and handed it to me to take to his room. I obeyed.

Avinash was in the middle of removing his shirt when I stopped at the threshold. He halted abruptly, fixing the shirt back on his shoulders yet leaving it unbuttoned.

"Sorry," I mumbled, walking in to put his coffee on the nightstand. I turned to leave immediately.

"Priya," he called out.

I hummed.

"I need a new t-shirt from the cupboard to change into." He informed softly.

I nodded and walked to his cupboard. Sliding open the doors, I asked which one he wants.

"The black one." He answered.

Grabbing it from between the neatly folded ones, I walked back to his side.

"Sweats too. Sorry, I forgot." He murmured.

Nodding, I went back to his cupboard.

"The grey ones." He told me.

Grabbing the pair of grey sweatpants, I returned to his side.

"Anything else you need help with?" I asked politely.

He looked up and just kept staring, causing me to break the gaze in discomfort.

"Woh," he started. "Are you okay now?"

I met his eyes in confusion.

"Mom said this morning you weren't feeling well." He reminded me.

"Ah, right. Yeah, I'm fine now." I smiled awkwardly. "If that's all?"

He hummed.

I turned to leave, excitement filling me when I heard the doorbell go off. It must be Aditya.

I missed him.

"Priya,"

I stopped at the threshold, my attention partially on him and partially on my husband who must have arrived.

"Can you open the cupboard for me?" He requested. "Second drawer on the left," he added.

I obliged half-heartedly. "This one?" I asked, pointing at the second drawer on the left to be sure.

He nodded.

I pulled the drawer open.

"Do you see the velvet blue box inside?"

I picked up the same.

"Open it,"

With a frown, I opened it, revealing a beautiful diamond necklace inside.

"It's your wedding gift. I'm sorry I couldn't give it to you earlier. It's imported from France so there was some delay issue." He explained.

"It's - it's too expensive." I looked at him hesitantly. I love diamonds. But these looked mad expensive. It's one thing buying them for myself, I can afford them now. But I still feel awkward about receiving them from anyone else.

He smiled at me. "I know you love diamonds. And it's custom made for you."

My brows shot up in surprise. "It must have cost you a lot."

He shook his head. "Not really if you give me a smile and accept it. Please?"

I couldn't help but smile. He's still the same. Polite and down to earth. "Thank you."

He nodded, looking happy that I didn't put up much fight. How can I when he says it's a wedding gift?

"I'll -" I pointed at the door, referring to leaving.

"Sure." He nodded with a smile.

I left the room, excited to meet Aditya and show him the gift. Then I halted abruptly at the doorstep of our room, remembering how he had felt bad about people assuming me to be Avinash's wife. Will he be angry because of the gift? But it's a wedding gift. He'll understand.

Opening the door, I saw him drying his hands and feet with a dry towel, now changed into a blue t-shirt and black joggers.

"Kaha thi tum? (Where were you?)"

I frowned at the tone.

"I was in Avinash's room. Your mom made coffee for him so I went to give it to him." I answered softly.

He tossed the towel on the chair and sat down on the couch, unlocking his phone that was on charging. "De di coffee? (Did you give it to him then?)" He asked rhetorically, glancing up at me nonchalantly.

I hummed.

"Haath mein kya hai tumhare? (What's in your hands?)"

I swallowed. "It's- It's a gift." I held out.

"In exchange for a coffee?" He smiled humorlessly. "Indeed a businesswoman."

"It's a wedding gift," I stated, hurt at his words.

He sighed. "Sorry. I had- I had the worst day at the office." He tossed the phone aside and raked a hand through his hair. "Let me see?" He held out his hand, forcing a smile at me.

I walked in deeper and sat by his side, opening the box to show him the necklace.

"Diamonds." He murmured. "Your favourite."

I nodded eagerly.

"You like it?"

"I love it!" I grinned brightly.

He stared at me fondly, then his hand reached out to cup my cheek. I put the necklace aside and leaned into him, hugging him gently.

"I missed you," I admitted in a soft voice.

He let out a long sigh. "Thank you."

My brows furrowed. "That's it?"

"I missed you too." He chuckled, pressing a kiss on top of my head.

Pulling away, I removed the necklace from the case and held it over my neck. "How does it look?"

"Beautiful." He complimented.

"I can't wait for an occasion to wear it," I said excitedly.

He nodded.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask about your day," I put the necklace back and scooted closer. "You said it was worse? What happened?"

He shook his head, "nothing unusual."

He wasn't sharing again. I need to wait. Patience, Priya, patience.

"How was your day?"

Your mom wants me to convince you to not move out.

I haven't even planned on how to start the conversation and I'm already dreading it. Maybe later. He is not in the greatest of moods today.

"Good." I shrugged. "Let's watch another movie tonight." I held his hand.

"K3G?" He cocked a brow at me.

I chuckled. "K3G."

"I can't wait to show you my favourite scenes." He grinned like a burst of sunshine.

I sighed in relief. "And I can't wait to see them."

Priya must have given y'all a whiplash after revealing how she really is from inside.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Don't forget to vote and comment. Makes my day!