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The whole ride, I had a hard time holding my tears back because I didn't want to cry in front of him, not anymore. So I closed my eyes and rested my head back.

As I did so, all the things that had happened till now again started playing like a never-ending recording. Unable to bear that feeling, I again opened my eyes and glanced at him from my peripheral vision.

He, as usual with his stoic face, was driving to his home. Looking at his side profile, my mind went back to the days where I used to go gaga over him.

I loved to admire his side profile from afar but now even when I was hardly a few feet away from him and even when I practically tied to him, I couldn't bring myself to admire him because my admiration would forever remain as one-sided admiration and nothing more than that. So I didn't want to hurt myself more than I already was.

'Was loving someone with the whole heart, not enough? What more do I have to face as the consequences of loving someone truly?"

I always had this question but these days I got the answer. Loving itself was not enough and not everyone would be lucky enough to get their loved ones as their other half. To make it happen, one has to face the hell, a hell where you don't know whether to move forward or forge on.

"We have arrived," He announced, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Huh!" I averted my gaze from his profile and looked outside the window to see that we were in the parking space of the apartment complex.

Seeing this, I got down the car as he parked his jeep and placed that luggage of mine on the floor from the car.

When I was about to get a hold of it, he beat me to it and carried those bags on his own.

As we reached the elevator, the elevator guy who was guarding there, greeted him enthusiastically and glanced at me with scrutinizing gaze. Then an understanding dawned on him as he glanced at Indra with excitement.

"Anna, is it Vadhina? When did you get married?" He asked him eagerly but Indra only nodded at him, without going into further details.

That guy must be pretty accustomed to his cold attitude as he didn't mind his behavior and followed us into the elevator. Then he turned his gaze to me and smiled at me.

"Vadhina, welcome home. Don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything. I will bring it to you in a jiffy." I passed him a warm smile as Indra rolled his eyes at his words.

"Do tell her how much you will charge for running those errands." Saying this, Indra shook his head.

"Anna, that's for others. I won't charge anything from my vadhina." He denied with an outright face.

"Let's see how long this mantra lasts." As Indra finished this, we reached the destined floor as Indra stepped out of it and I followed him.

"Vadhina, don't listen to Anna's words, and please do let me know if you need anything." He shouted from the elevator before closing the doors. I nodded at him in return with a smile and looked around to inspect the place.

It seems to be the right-wing of the apartment and there was another flat right in front of his'.

As he opened the door, I followed him and took the water bottle that he handed to me. Taking some sips from it, I placed it on the teapoy and stood there, waiting for him to tell me where I need to stay.

"You can take that guest room for now. I will ask someone to clean the other bedroom tomorrow. Then you can shift there."

When he said this, I looked at him and shook my head.

"No need. I will be fine with that guest room."

He looked at me for a while and nodded at me saying, "Up to you.".

Then he showed me the guestroom and left from there. I went inside the room along with my luggage and looked around the room.

The room was not big and at the same time not small also. It even has a small balcony attached to it with warm interiors.

"It's not bad," I mumbled myself, thinking to make do with it as long as I stay here.

I placed the luggage on the bed to take out my nightwear to freshen up and change into it. As I was done bathing, I came outside the washroom, wearing my pajamas and closed the luggage, and kept it aside, with a thought to arrange the clothes in the cupboard this weekend as I was damn tired.

Arranging the bed sheet properly on the bed, I jumped on the bed and placed my head on the pillow.

Then suddenly I was reminded of something and sat up with a jolt at a sudden thought of it. I rushed to the kitchen and looked around for the ingredients to whip something as I knew he didn't have anything and would sleep on an empty stomach.

Even after searching the whole kitchen, I couldn't find any groceries there except for some instant noodles packs. I immediately checked the expiry date and sighed in relief when I noticed they are still edible to eat.

I immediately turned on the stove and started making the noodles with the thought to keep them a little soupy. So I made them in a way that there would be broth too.

As I was done, I served them into a bowl and putting it in a tray, I placed a spoon on it and made my way to his room.

Standing in front of his room, I didn't know what to do now.

"Yuktha, you didn't hesitate in preparing them for him, then why are you hesitating now. Go go. Buck up and knock on the door." I self-talked to myself and lifted my hand to knock on his door while holding the tray with the other hand carefully.

Immediately the door was sprung open and he was standing in front of me, still in his uniform. He looked at me with a frown and glanced at the tray in my hand before raising his eyes at me in a questioning manner. I suddenly felt like I was run out of words. So I hurriedly placed that tray in his hands, catching him off guard.

"You didn't have your dinner. So I made some noodles for you. Goodnight." Saying this in one breath, I was about to make a run to my room but before I could do so, I was pulled inside his room.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I shouted, clearly startled at his action.

Pulling me in, he placed that tray on the bedside table coolly and started taking threatening steps towards me.

"Youuu..you. What are you trying to do?"

In return, he gave me a smile which would always make me go weak on my knees.

Not knowing, what's cooking in his mind, I leaned against the wall with a cautious gaze. Approaching me, he placed his hand on the wall, clearly cornering me, and with the other hand, he started twirling the tendril of my mane while looking at me with a gaze that held so many unknown emotions.

Under the dim light of his room, I still could see the glint in his eyes which hypnotized me and made me held his gaze in a daze. Seeing him leaning forward with a playful smile and eyeing my lips, I felt like I was unable to move my body any inch and stood rooted to the spot.

Just as I thought he was about to touch my lips with his, he changed his course of action and leaned forward to whisper in my ears.

"Are you concerned about me, Mrs. Indratan?"

He mumbled and I didn't know why, his addressing me with Mrs. Indratan gave me an inexplicable feeling but remembering his question, I immediately came back to my senses and pushed him back with an annoying grunt.

"Jerk, who is concerned about whom? I just made them out of the humanity and I would have done the same thing for anyone too." I justified myself and unable to look at his teasing smirk, I stepped forward to take my leave immediately.

"Yuktha," I halted on my track, hearing his abrupt call, and turned around to see that, no signs of teasing glimmer were there on his face as he was looking at me with his usual cold gaze.

"Not everyone can become a family at the first glance itself. One has to mold them into a family by putting in some effort and a house can become a home when there is no place for lies and deception in it. So I am waiting for you to make this place a 'home'. Don't make me wait too long."

I carefully made the way to the guestroom as his words were still reverberating in my head.

'I'm waiting for you to make this place a 'home'.'

What did he mean by this? As I was pondering over his words, everything dawned upon me.

'A house can become a home only when there is no place for lies and deception.'

So he meant to say that..he was waiting for me to clarify everything and deny all these things that I put myself on my head. So it means he didn't believe my lies and started having second thoughts. So it means he trusts me a little.

I started smiling like a fool at that thought, but soon it turned into a self-deprecating one, not knowing whether to feel happy or sad as I was reminded of the consequences of opening my mouth.

'Trust me, Indra. I do want to tell you everything but I can't because I am afraid of the consequences. I do want to live a happy life with you but I'm afraid you will loathe me even more once you get to know about the scars of my heart. I am truly sorry for putting you through this ordeal. I am truly sorry. I am a coward. I don't want to take any chances that would put our relationship at the stake.'

'I was so unlucky to the extent that I was in a situation where I couldn't even express my love for you. Indra, as you have said, this place will become home but I am not the deserving person to shape it into one. I am sorry.'

I mumbled to myself while gulping back my tears and went to my luggage to get my journal out which I had vowed to never touch again but what could I do when it was the only one with whom I could share my emotions.

So holding it in my hands, I slowly opened it and settled myself on the floor while leaning back to the bed as support as I poured my heart into it once again.

Once I was done, I placed it back safely into my luggage and hopped onto the bed after taking my pills.

Soon I was lulled into the sleep where I could meet him again in my dreams.

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