Morning around seven thirty something Shubman founds himself doing his hairs infront of the mirror, getting ready for his office.

The day was just like everyday but for a change today, he was getting ready peacefully, not like everyday where, him and his wife  arguing over who will be in front of the mirror.

Usually around this time she used to yelled at him that she needs to get ready for her work and he also used to yell back at her saying he also need to be ready for his office.

The room used to shift in a war zone.(Not exaggerating)

But today that was not happening, she had taken off today as she said she doesn't have much work in office nowadays, so there's no point going to the work.

The work which she had to do in the office, she can easily do it while sitting home(which was she doing right now) but her boss wasn't allowing them for leave but she somehow managed to take one day leave atleast. But only in one condition, he needs whole work to be done. She remembers herself nodding aggressively.

But the sir was on another level he called her around six in the morning, making Shubman fall from the couch as the her phone wasn't on the silence.

He (her sir) called and said he needs a whole pdf of two files quickly. After cursing his whole bloodline Sara sat and started her work.

And currently now also she was working on her laptop but to the change her mood was better now, she was humming a song which she heard last evening while returning from the office.

Dhaani si Dhaani si
Sharbati Pani si
Thodi nandani si
Thodi shaitani si teri chahat badhti hai....

Afeemi Afeemi
Afeemi hai yeh pyaar...
Afeemi hai tera mera pyaar....

Shubman arched brow hearing her voice, looking at her through the mirror reflection while fastening his cuff buttons.

"You’re humming," he said, breaking the quiet.

Sara looked up, startled. "What?"

"That tune," he said, pointing his finger in her direction as if catching her in the act. "Are you composing a background score for my life now? Should I start walking in slow motion?"

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop a small laugh. "It’s a song I heard on the radio yesterday. Why? Did it ruin your mood"

"No it didn't but it made me sure why you can't be a playback singer.",he said earning both a frown and a pillow on his face which he ducked.

"You...",she gritted in anger,"get out!!",she said again throwing a pillow at him which he catched now.

"Ayy pati se aise baat nahi karte."

"Pati aisa ho toh aise hi baat karte hai!"

"How rude!",he muttered while going out of the room.

"Suna Maine!",she yelled at him. So he also yelled back from outside.

"Apne sir ko thank you bol dena mere taraf se, mujhe jagane ke liye."

And she just rolled her eyes knowing that he must have said that with his cheeky grin.

In evening it was dark as the sky was pouring down in form of silver pitters of love, drenching the earth completely.

It just started raining five minutes earlier as he sat in the car leaving for home.

He loved rain, always from his childhood, and it always amazed him how can someone hate the rain, sometimes he also does that, he chuckled thinking of that gripping the steering wheel.

The rain was making him feel relaxed, it wasn't much tiring day for him today but still. Rain always made him happy.

As he turned for a quieter street, thunder rumbled, he smiled looking up and somehow his gaze went to the side, when he spotted her

Sara was standing under the awning of a closed shop, clutching her small purse to her chest. Her dupatta was drenched, clinging to her shoulders, and droplets of water shimmered on her cheeks like tiny crystals. She was staring at the rain with a mix of annoyance and quiet fascination, as if she couldn’t decide whether to curse the weather or admire its beauty.

His brows furrowing, as he looked at the half drenched figure from the glass confirming if it's his wife.

"Sara?" he called, pulling the car over and rolling down the window.

She turned, her expression both surprised and relieved. "Shubman!"

"What are you doing here?" he asked, stepping out of the car with an umbrella in hand.

"I came to drop Nush bhabhi at the academy," she explained, shifting the bag in her hands. "And then I insisted her to take the car  since it’d be late when she would return, and I thought I’d walk back. It’s just a fifteen-minute walk, but I didn’t realize it would rain."

He raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching. "And instead of calling me, you decided to star in your own dramatic rain scene?"

She gave him a flat look. "Can you not?"

He chuckled ,"okay okay, ab chalo nahi toh thand lag jayegi tumhe." , he said motioning towards the car.

She nodded and slide into the car closing the door. She  leaned back as she closed her eyes and muttered,"Thank God."She sat with her hands folded in her lap, her gaze fixed on the raindrops racing each other down the window.

He smiled closing the door as he sat in the car and he reached back to place the wet umbrella in its holder behind the seat. His hand brushed against the music system’s control panel in the process, and suddenly, the car was filled with the gentle notes of a familiar tune.

It was the same song Sara had been humming that morning.

Her head snapped toward the speakers, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.

Shubman stilled for a moment, his fingers hovering over the controls as though debating whether to turn it off. But then, he leaned back into his seat, his hand dropping back to the steering wheel.

Neither of them spoke.

The soft melody floated through the car, filling the silence between them. The lyrics spoke of unspoken feelings, of hearts hesitant to admit what they already knew.

Shubman tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his jaw clenching slightly. The words seemed to echo his own thoughts.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, noticing the way his profile seemed sharper under the dim interior lights. The rain outside blurred the world beyond, leaving them in their own bubble.

Shubman’s voice broke the silence, low and thoughtful. "You were humming this song this morning."

Her head turned sharply,. "I… I didn’t realize you noticed what was the song ," she stammered, her voice barely audible over the music.

He chuckled softly, his tone light but his gaze unwavering. "I notice more than you think."

Her breath caught at his words, but she quickly looked away, her eyes darting to the rain-streaked window. The song played on, weaving an invisible thread between them. There was a silence but was not awkward it was..it was peaceful?

But to their dismay the peacefulness didn't last any more longer as on the way of two minutes the car halt stop.

"You gotta be kidding me!",he said staring at the steering wheel.

She turned to him, her face adorned with a frown now,"Ab kya kare?",she said with annoyed tone.

He turned his face to her staring incredulously at her.

"I told you thousands times, go and show this car to the showroom, but did you ever listen to me, will you ever?",she continued her ranting and he just stare at her with a done look.

"Sara.",he said calmly closing his eyes stoping her rants and she turned to him."Didn't you told me yesterday that, YOU are taking the car to the show room, didn't you?"

Realisation hit her, she gasped,"oh... I was too happy because of the leave that I nearly forgot about this.",she said while looking down, avoiding to look at him.

"Nearly?!",he said leaning slightly down to look at her. She turned slightly up and looked at him, he raised brows questioning.

She gulped,"I forgot about that, sorry.",and he just sighed shaking his head.

"We can go by walking right, it's just two minutes away.",she asked him slightly unsure.

He looked at the rain through the car window, it wasn't raining that hard but still it can drench them from heads to toes he was sure. But they have a umbrella, also sitting here and waiting for the rain to stop would be the waste of time, he wanted to go home.

He nodded making her relieved, and took his phone out for texting Virat bhai, telling him the situation. He'll look after the car.

He was slipping his phone in his back in his pocket when she took it, and put it in her purse. He looked at her, his breath hitching at the gesture.

He composed himself and took the umbrella as if he wasn't staring at her without blinking,"we have only one umbrella, are you fine that?",he asked his voice softening.

"What other option we even have.",she said while putting the phone in the purse. The words doesn't meant in the hurtful way, but... a option.

The words lingered in his mind more than it should, but pushed it off thinking he must be overthinking about it.

He pushed opened the door and the opened the umbrella, and stepped out closing the door back and went to her opening the door.

She step outside holding his hands, closing the door they both started to walk.

The rain poured steadily, the sound of droplets creating a rhythmic background to their hurried steps.

Shubman held the umbrella firmly, his arm stretched out to keep it over Sara’s head. But no matter how much he angled it, water kept streaming down his shoulder, soaking his shirt.

Sara glanced at him, noticing how the rain was drenching his side while she remained mostly dry. Her lips pressed into a thin line.

"You’re getting wet," she said, slowing her pace slightly.

"It’s fine," he replied without looking at her, his tone casual.

She frowned, her steps halting as she turned to face him. "No, it’s not."

Before he could protest, she reached up, her fingers brushing against his as she grabbed the handle of the umbrella. “Let me hold it.”

"Sara..."

"Chup raho tum!"she cut him off, adjusting the umbrella so it properly covered both of them.

Her movements were quick but meticulous, ensuring that the umbrella’s shade now centered over both their heads.

As she adjusted it, her hand grazed his arm, sending an unexpected jolt through him. He tried to ignore it, biting back the smile threatening to form on his lips.

Shubman looked down at her, his eyes catching the determination in her expression. She was holding the umbrella at an awkward angle, her arm stretched high to accommodate his height.

He sighed, his smile now fully forming as he watched her struggle.

"-You’re too short for this," he teased, his voice low and warm.

She shot him a glare, but the slight pout on her lips only made him chuckle softly.

"I can manage," she said firmly, though the strain in her arm was becoming evident.

He stepped closer, his taller frame now looming over her. Gently but firmly, he placed his hand over hers, guiding the umbrella back into his grasp. His fingers lingered for a moment longer than necessary, and the closeness made both of them acutely aware of the space—or lack thereof—between them.

"I’ll take it from here," he murmured, his voice softer now.

Their eyes met briefly, and for a moment, the rain seemed to fade into the background. She felt her heart skip a beat, the proximity making her hyper-aware of the warmth radiating from him despite the cold rain.

He adjusted the umbrella once more, ensuring they were both equally sheltered. "See? Much better," he said, his tone light but his expression unreadable.

She nodded, her cheeks warming slightly as she looked away. "Thanks," she muttered, though her voice was barely audible over the rain.

As they resumed walking, the umbrella now properly balanced between them, their steps fell into an easy rhythm. Neither spoke, but the silence was not uncomfortable. Instead, it was charged with an unspoken tension, a quiet understanding neither was ready to voice.

For Sara, every step beside him felt like a battle. Her mind kept reminding her of the lines she’d drawn, the reasons why this could never be. But her heart... her heart betrayed her, pulling her closer to the man who had silently become her shelter in more ways than one.

For Shubman, the feel of her hand brushing his, the way she had insisted on shielding him, lingered in his thoughts.

He couldn’t help but steal glances at her from the corner of his eye, noticing how the rain made her hair stick to her face, how the soft glow of the streetlights reflected in her eyes.

As they neared their home, Sara said in her mind. "We’re almost there."

When they stepped onto the front porch, he folded the umbrella, shaking off the water before leaning it against the wall.

Sara shivered slightly, brushing off droplets from her dupatta. “I’ll... go change,” she said, glancing at him briefly before retreating to her room.

Shubman watched her leave, his gaze lingering on her silhouette until she disappeared. Letting out a long breath, he ran a hand through his damp hair.

The rain had stopped now, but inside him, a storm brewed—a storm of emotions he wasn’t sure he could contain much longer.

Later at night as he prepared to sleep, he found himself absentmindedly humming the same Sara had been singing since morning.

The melody rolled off his lips effortlessly, and when he realized what he was doing, he froze.A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he leaned back, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

Shaking his head. But no matter how much he tried, the memory of her holding the umbrella, her determination, her presence—it all stayed with him, filling the silence of the night with a warmth he couldn’t deny.

“Afeemi hai tera mera pyaar.”

I love this chapter so much I don't know why.

Tell me if you liked it or not, like what do you feel about this chapter.

Also making one thing clear, meri book mein diwali ke baad sidha Holi ho sakti hai kuch bhi ho sakta hai. [Needed for the plot guyss]

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