Jai keenly looked at the chessboard. His full concentration was on the game. His eyes looked intense. And eyebrows knitted. Shruthi kept looking at his brother. And then back to the game. Biting her nails in tension. She was anticipating his next move. To beat her in the game.

Jais eyes suddenly sparkled. He leaned ahead. Moving the piece from the board.

"Check"he shouted.

"No no no"shruthi screamed. Jai lifted his collar proudly.

"Told you shru. Not to challenge me"he chuckled.

They were busy playing chess. In jais room. Shruthi and rishi was on the same team. Jai and Rishika were on the other.

"Babbai is gonna win"rishika danced around. Clapping her hand's. Jai chuckled and scooped her in his arms. Kissing her cheeks.

"We will see"shruthi shrugged. Making them laugh.

"Come on shru. Accept your defeat now. Till now you haven't able to beat me in one game"jai teased her.

"Hello. We still have time left. Who knows. I may win by my luck"shruthi said

"Luck is a stupid term in chess darling. You need to use your brain"jai said.

"Whatever"shruthi frowned. And they went back to the game.

To disturb them. They felt a knock on the door. Jai looked up and saw srishti at the door. Holding a tray with juice glasses.

"Arey why are you knocking srishti? Come inside"shruthi said. Srishti smiled and walked in.

Rishi and Rishika jumped in and took the glasses. From the tray.

"Easy. Don't spill"srishti said. Making them pout.

She handed over one glass to Jai.

"Thank you"he smiled looking at her. And she smiled back. Next she gave one glass to shruthi. Who was lost in the game.

"Shruthi?"

"Ha what?"she looked up.

"Juice?"

"No thanks srishti. I'll vomit if I drink anything now"shruthi said. And turned back to the game.

"Come on shruthi. You should drink the juice. You'll get more stamina to loose" jai chuckled and hive fived with Rishika.

"Shut up. I'm not gonna loose okay?"

"Yes. We are not gonna loose"rishi repeated after shruthi.

"We will see"jai grinned at them.

After keeping the tray aside. Srishti sat besides Shruthi and looked at the chessboard carefully. Jai looked at her. Her eyes fixed on the board. She slowly bited her lower lip, resting her chin on her palm. He watched her frown. Her eyebrows went a bit up. A small part of her hair slowly fell on her face, disturbing her. She
tucked it behind her ear and smiled.

"Check"srishti said. Making jai come back to his sense.

"Why the hell did I stare at her like that?"jai asked himself inwardly.

"Oh my god. What a move. Thank you so much srishti"shruthi said. Side hugging her.

"Hello this is cheating. Why did you come in between?"he looked at srishti and raised his eyebrows. She smiled at him.

"Ha. Why did you come in between?"rishika asked. Imitating jai. Srishti pouted at her.

"How is this cheating? Besides. She is my sister in law. And she can definitely help me"shruthi said proudly. Srishti felt a bit awkward so she got up to leave. Jai sensed it

"Where are you going huh?"he asked to Srishti.

"To the...kitchen"she said

"No you can't do this to me srishti. Please help me win this game. Annaya won't mind. Do you?"shruthi asked to jai.

"Well I guess. I have to beat both of you then"jai said. Chuckling.

"See srishti. He's making fun of us. And we are not gonna let him get away. Sit"shruthi dragged Srishti back to the couch.

The game went on. Both the team played carefully. Shruthi did everything. Srishti asked her to do. Jai was loosing. Even though he tried hard. To win.

"Check"shruti screamed and hugged srishti again.

"No no no"jai bited his nails. Srishti giggled seeing him like that. Jai looked sideways and found rishika missing besides him. She had already joined the other team.

"Seriously?"

"Anna come on just give up already"shruthi laughed at him.

"Shut up"he glared. Making his final move.

Srishti grinned

"Checkmate"she said. Moving the piece. And defeating jai.

"No"he yelled. Burying his head in his palms.

"Yay"shruthi shouted. And hive fived with srishti. Then she jumped up in the bed and started dancing in happiness.

"Yaaho...yaaho...bolo yaaho yaaho..come on everybody bolo yaaho yaahooo" she shouted. The kids joined her and started dancing with her. Jai looked at them with his hands on his hips.

"Oyyyy...that's my song"he said. Glaring. And just then. He heard a laughing sound. He looked sideways to see srishti laughing. Looking at shruthi and the kids. His lips curved into a smile. He never saw her laugh before. There was something about her. Which made him awestruck that moment.

"Come on srishti. You should celebrate with us"shruthi pulled srishti upto the bed. And danced madly. Srishti looked at jai who was staring at her with a smile. That made her nervous. She was trying to control her laugh. But his stare made her feets cold.

"Looser....Looser"shruthi chanted. Sticking her tongue out to jai. Srishti looked at him sadly.

"Shru. You're 23. Grow up"he shrugged.

"What was that? Luck is a stupid term. Blah. Blah. Blah"shruthi laughed more.

"Enough. Don't spoil my bed. Get down all of you"he pulled shruthi down by her waist. Then took rishika and rishika with both his arms. Keeping them back on the ground. He then held srishtis waist to keep her down unknowingly. Srishti widened her eyes. Feeling his hands on her waist. He quickly took his hand back. Realising what he did. She came down the bed. And adjusted her stole by staring at the ground. To avoid the awkward eye contact with him.

Shruthi and the kids were still laughing at him. He glared at them.

"Fine. I'm a looser. Happy?"jai said.

"Aww my poor anna. We still love you okay. Don't feel bad. By the way. I didnt defeat you. Srishti did. And she deserves the compliment"shruti chuckled and jai smacked her head.

"Srishti. Thank you so much for showing me this day. You are an amazing player. We should play more often"shruthi said excitedly.

"Yeah. May be shruthi could teach you some of her looser moves"jai said.

"Hello. Who is the looser now huh?"

"Fine Madam. Now please get out of my room. I need to sleep"jai said. Pushing shruthi outside the room by her shoulder.

"Bye good night"shruthi shouted.

Jai sighed and turned towards the kids.

"Now do you both need special invitation to get outside my room? It's already past your bedtime"jai said to the kids.

"Yes I'm so sleepy. Come srishti akka. Let's go"rishika tugged at srishtis wrist. Jai and Sristhi looked at each other. Not knowing what to say.

"Um....babies. Srishti akka will be sleeping here in this room today"jai said. Both the kids looked at each other. In confusion.

"But why? She always sleeps with us only"rishi said.

"Yes babai. And how will she sleep here? This is your room?"rishika asked next.

Srishti bit her lips. While jai face palmed himself mentally.

"It's okay. I will go with them"srishti said.

For some reason. Jai was disappointed. He was looking forward. For them to share one room. To talk to her more without any disturbance. But that wasn't happening.

"Not happening"they heard shruthis voice from the door. While she walked in again.

"Kids. From today on. This room is srishti akkas room also. She will be staying here"shruthi said.

"But why?"rishika asked sadly. Pouting her lips.

"Why? Because your babai is hurt right? And there is no one to take care of him. So srishti akka is gonna stay right here. To look after him"

"Oh"both the kids said together.

"Okay we will go. But you should come play with us"rishi said. Srishti smiled at him and kneeled down to their heights. Kissing both the kids in their cheeks. Jai smiled looking at them.

"Sure. I will miss you both. Don't play too much on phone and sleep on time okay?"srishti said. And the kids gave her a thumps up.

"Bye srishti akka. Bye babai. Good night"the kids waved at them. And shruthi led them outside. Before leaving she turned towards srishti and jai.

"You both better owe me something for this okay. Have a great night"shruthi winked at them.

"Shru"jai glared at her.

"Bye. Good night Srishti. Good night...looser"shruthi waved at jai.

Jai gritted his teeth. And took a cushion from the couch. Aiming to throw at shruthi. Who giggled and quickly rushed outside the room.

He sighed and turned to look at srishti. Who was trying hard to control her laughter.

"Huh. Seriously? Srishti...don't tell me that you are laughing"he said and she covered her mouth with her palms.

He looked at her while she laughed wholeheartedly. And then joined her in the laugh.

They laughed continuously until he dropped himself on the bed, holding his stomach. She stopped her laugh and looked at him. He sat up on the bed and looked at her too. She smiled slowly.

"So I'm a looser huh?"he asked. Panting after all the laughing. Srishti pressed her lips together. Reminding herself not to laugh and look like an idiot in front of him.

"I didn't.....say anything"she said.

"You don't have to. You know. I've never lost in chess before"he said.

"That doesn't make you a...looser. You played really....well sir"she said. He smiled wide hearing her.

"So did you. Kickass moves"he said.

"I.....just helped shruthi"

"Oh come on. She was just moving the pieces for you. You played the game. And I'll die by myself before I let shruthi win a game"he said. Making her chuckle

"So from how long have you been playing?"he asked.

"From childhood. We all used to play it together. Appa. Me. Anna and bhoomi. Anna taught me the game. But once I learnt it. He was never be able to beat me in one game. We used to play till late nights"she said. Leaving him surprised. There was some sparkle in her eyes when she talked about her family. Which quickly changed into sadness. Jai knew how much srishti missed her family. She realised that she had said too much. Seeing him smile. She grew nervous again.

"Uh...I'll clean the bed"she said and he nodded with a smile. She changed the sheets. While he was continuously gazing at her. Feeling his stare left a sinking pit kind of feeling in her stomach.

"Done"she looked at him

"Oh. Okay"he came back to his senses. Then he walked upto the door and locked it.

Srishti grew tensed. Realising that now they both are in the same room. Her heart hammered at the very thought. She twisted the end of her stole. Biting her lower lip.

Jai walked upto the bed. And sat there. He then looked at her. To find her standing still. He himself didn't knew how to handle this forward. He was with a girl in the same room. For the first time in his life. And he knew she was going through the same thing. He didn't wanted to make her uncomfortable at any cost.

"Do you....want something?"she asked. To ease the tension she was feeling.

"Yes. I want to talk to you"He said and she looked at him. Raising her head.

"Like the way you talked now. About your family. Friends. Be it anything. Come on. I'm so bored"he said and she hesitated

"I don't have much...to share"she said.

"Really?"

She nodded her head.

"Okay then. I will talk. Come sit"he held her wrist. And dragged her to the bed. Making her sit next to him. Srishti moved a bit back as he folded his legs to face her.

"So.....where will we start? Hm..Srishti? Have you seen any of my movies?"He asked. She looked at him shocked. Till now she haven't missed watching any single movie of his. She knew all his dialogues by heart. But she didn't knew why. She hesitated to tell him about it.

"Yea...yeah...a few"she said without looking at him.

"Oh..which one?"He asked.

"Only few..I don't remember...names"she said and he knew that she was lying

"Really? I'm I a bad actor that people don't remember the names of the movies I acted in?"he faked sadness. That made her shocked.

"No. I didn't mean it. I mean. Yes I remember your movies. Varsham...Munna...Billa...and few other movies"she said and he tried to hide his smile.

"Oh okay...and which one is your favorite amoung them?"he asked.

"Mm..I like....Billa....you look so hot and stylish in that" she blurted out. He looked at her with wide eyes. She realised what she said and bited her tongue

"What?"he asked. Trying to hold back the exploding laughter inside him. Srishti smacked herself inside her head. She wanted to disappear that right moment.

"Ah..I mean... you...you're...you look good. In that...movie"she lowered her head

"Oh...I thought I heard words like hot..and stylish?"he tried to tease her. She raised her head and looked at him. He laughed. She felt embarrassed

"So...you think I'm hot?"he asked next. Making her burn. Seeing her struggling with embarrassment. He tried to change the topic.

"Okay leave it. You know what srishti? When I saw you for the first time in your college. I thought that you were my fan"he said. Her heart started pounding.

"You shouted my name. And was looking at me so differently"he smiled. Recalling the first time he met her. Srishti rubbed her palms together. Feeling nervousness creeping inside.

"But I guess I was wrong. You are not my fan. I'm I right?"he asked. Wanting to hear from her mouth. That she was his biggest fan. But to his disappointment she just nodded her head.

"So have you met any other fan of mine?"He asked curiously. She shook her head this time. He felt like banging his head in the wall.

"Okay fine"he said. And wondered what to ask her next.

"Sir...It's already late. You should take rest"srishti got up from the bed.

"Where are you going? You promised that you'll talk to me"jai said.

"I know..but it's late sir. And tomorrow morning you have a meeting with the inspector"she said and he realized that she was right. He had completely forgotten about that.

"Fine then"he sighed.

Srishti walked to the other side. And picked up a pillow and a sheet.

"Hello madam. Where are you going?"he asked when she moved towards the couch.

"I will sleep...in the couch"she said and he understood her hesitation.

"Do you have any problem in sharing the bed with me? If you do have any problem. I'll sleep in the couch. I'm not letting you sleep there"he said firmly.

"Sir...but"

"No no no...no excuses"he snatched the pillow from her.

"I don't need the full bed srishti. It's too big for both of us. So you will sleep on that side. And I will sleep this side. And we don't disturb each other. Okay?"he asked. And she still hesitated.

He sighed and walked inside the dressing room. Making her confuse. He came back in two minutes. With few beautiful peach coloured cushions. Srishti watched him arranging the cushions. In middle of the bed. Parting the bed into two. That made her sigh in relief. But deep inside she was so nervous and anxious

"Happy?"he asked. Once he was done. She looked at him and smiled slowly

Jai returned back to his side. While srishti lay on her side. With her back facing him. Jai smiled inwardly. Dimming the lights of the room. He also adjusted the AC temperature so that srishti would be comfortable.

Srishti sighed and closed her eyes to sleep. The moment he dimmed the lights.

"Good night Srishti"he said. Making her startle.

"Good...night sir"she replied back.

"Srishti...you think you can keep escaping from me huh? I'll make you say it..that you're my fan." He smiled at himself. Sleep was far away from Srishti. She didn't dare to turn back. He slept peacefully.

Half an hour later. She slowly turned back. To see him fast asleep. For few seconds she admired him so much. He looked like a baby bear. Sleeping peacefully. Her lips curved into a smile. She looked at the cushions. And then back at him again.

Then turned to her side. And sleep occupied her very soon.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Precap : Srishtis confession.

♡ Nila ♡