Ahana
It’s almost midnight and I’m standing in front of my room like a fool.
"What must he be thinking about me? That I’m some pathetic girl? Will he look at me with those pitiful eyes or just ignore me... or..." So many thoughts were restlessly storming inside my head, making my heart beat louder than usual.
I’m regretting my decision to come here, in this house with every ounce of life I carry in my bones.
"Kuch nhi hoga ahana, you can do this" I murmured. Taking a deep breath, I sucked in my lower lip and was just about to turn the knob when the door swung open on its own, causing me to bump straight into something. No… someone.
(Nothing's gonna happen Ahana)
"Ouch," I hissed, rubbing my forehead while looking up only to meet a pair of hazel eyes staring down at me.
"Zyada lagi? Bahar kya kar rahi thi chudail ki tarah… andar aao," he said gently, checking my forehead but my eyes were fixed on his gaze.
(Did it hurt too much? What were you doing outside like a witch… come inside.)
It wasn't sympathetic, pitiful or hateful... just the same normal soft eyes looking at me. I smiled faintly and walked inside.
The moment I walked inside, the smell of pizza filled my nostrils and brought water to my mouth.
I roamed my eyes and yes, it was pizza, a large pizza with choco lava cake.
My mouth watered looking at it, I wasn’t just looking... I was practically devouring it with my eyes. My entire focus was on the pizza and the cake. I honestly forgot that Mr. Devil was standing there until—
"If you had looked at me with that devouring gaze, my self-control would have been at stake, sweetheart," he whispered, bending down a little closer to my ear, his breath lightly brushing against my skin, sending a strange shiver down my spine.
I looked down in embarrassment and asked "What is all this?"
"Why? Don’t you know when you were seeing those with hungry eyes?" he asked with a teasing chuckle.
"No... I mean... why are all these here? You had your dinner, right?" I asked, turning towards him.
"Meri sweetheart ne abhi tak khana nahi khaya, main kaise kha sakta hoon?" he said, gently touching the tip of my nose with a soft smile tugging at his lips.
(My sweetheart hasn't eaten yet, how can I eat?)
"Now, come fast. Let’s eat it," he said, settling himself comfortably on the chair near my window, the food spread across the small table beside him.
I took a hesitant step towards the pizza, the aroma almost pulling me in, but suddenly Mumma's voice echoed in my ears—"Moti bhes hoti jaa rahi hai tu."
My steps halted. "Aastik ji, aap kha lijiye, mujhe bhook nahi hai," I said, swallowing the painful lump in my throat.
(Aastik ji, you eat... I'm not hungry.)
But the hard glare he gave me in return made me fumble. My gaze dropped to the floor instantly. I couldn’t look him in the eye after that.
Turning around, I made my way to the bed quietly, but before I could take another step, his deep, commanding voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Take one more step... and you’ll have to bear the consequences of your act."
My legs froze.
Provoking Mr. Devil was the last thing I wanted to do right now.
I heard his footsteps approaching and within seconds, he scooped me up into his arms, making me gasp.
"What the hell! Mujhe neeche utariye," I whisper-shouted, wriggling like a trapped kitten.
(what the hell! put me down)
But one hard glare from him and I shut up my mouth like a scared cat.
Without a word, he walked over and sat on the chair by the window, keeping me firmly on his lap.
"Aastik ji, aisa mat kriye na... main bohot bhari or.... and moti—"
(Aastik ji, don't do this... I am very heavy and... and chubby....)
"Shall I prove it to you that you’re not heavy by throwing you out of this window?" he whispered cutting me off in his deadly calm voice, locking his eyes onto me.
"W-what!" I gasped, staring at him with a horrified look.
"You heard me," he replied, clearly not in the mood for jokes.
I looked at him for a second, Then slowly, I settled more comfortably on his lap reaching out to clutch the button of his shirt with my fingers, as I asked softly, "So... do you think I’m not chubby?"
"Any doubt?" he replied raising an eyebrow.
"Pucca? You're not lying?" I asked again, looking at him with wide eyes which I'm sure is now shining with happiness.
He gently cupped my face with both hands, leaned in and placed a soft peck on my forehead. "You’re beautiful, sweetheart."
I looked down, suddenly shy, my lips curving into a small smile as I bit them nervously.
"Chalo, ab khao," he said with a tender smile, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.
(Come on, eat now)
I nodded and opened the box, and instantly the aroma hit me stronger than before, making my mouth water. I picked up a slice and took a bite.
"Mmhmmm," I moaned softly in happiness, my eyes fluttering shut for a second. The pizza was already delicious, but my hunger made it taste ten times better.
I took another bite, savoring the taste again, but then reality struck me hard—Aastik ji ko bhi toh khana hai.
I opened my eyes and looked at him with a sudden jolt of realization, still chewing slowly. His eyes were already fixed on me, with a soft smile on his face.
I gave him an awkward smile in return, feeling a little guilty. Then glanced down at the slice I was eating and, without thinking much, forwarded it towards him.
He looked at the pizza slice and then back at me, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, before leaning in and taking a small bite.
I smiled sheepishly and asked, "Aastik ji, aapke diet ka kya hua?" and took another bite of the slice.
(Astik ji, what happened to your diet?)
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he pulled me a little closer on his lap, making my breath hitch. My heartbeat was already going wild, and this man... this man doesn’t even have mercy.
But I tried to keep my face straight.
"For this indirect kiss, I can forget a thousand diets, sweetheart," he whispered against my ear.
The moment the word indirect kiss entered my ears, my eyes shot wide open, and I started coughing instantly.
He quickly passed me a bottle of coke, but I instantly shook my head. I don’t like coke since childhood, don’t even know why, just never did.
Seeing my refusal, he made me sit on the chair carefully and rushed to my bedside table. He grabbed a bottle of water and passed it to me.
I snatched it and took a few quick gulps, breathing heavily afterwards.
"You... what were you saying!" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him once I could speak again.
"What, about diet?" he asked with fake confusion, trying to act all innocent.
I immediately shook my head, giving him a clear NO.
"Then what?"
"Wo that..." I tried reminding him.
"What wo?"
"Aree that indirect..." I said, looking away towards the window, feeling my cheeks heating up. I was turning into a full red cherry tomato.
"Ooo! Our first indirect kiss?" he grinned and pulled me back onto his lap again.
"Aastik ji!" I whinned, pouting like a kid.
"What Aastik ji? It really happened. You can’t deny it," he said, shamelessly proud.
I stayed quiet at his words... because, well, he’s absolutely right. I can't deny the fact that it was an indirect kiss.
"Okay fine... but it was just a mistake, okay?" I muttered, trying to cover my face in embarrassment.
"Don’t you dare call it a mistake, sweetheart," he said sternly, cupping my cheeks.
I blinked at him, surprised by the seriousness in his tone. He looked genuinely upset at my words, so I just nodded quickly like an obedient child.
"Good girl," he said gently patting my head.
Then we both started having the pizza in comfortable silence, looking outside at the calm dark night. The sky was clear, stars were scattered like little sparkles, and the breeze that occasionally brushed past us was oddly soothing.
I looked at him and called, "Aastik ji"
"Hmm," he hummed, still looking at the sky.
"Don't you want to ask me anything about family, after seeing what happened today?" I finally asked the question which I had been trying to ask for the past one hour.
He turned his focus towards me and with an unreadable expression on his face he replied, "Are you comfortable, sweetheart? If you’re comfortable, I’m all ears. But if you’re not, then no one’s going to pressure you. I can wait for you—be it a month, a year, or even a decade. I can wait. I will wait.
We don’t know each other very well yet, sweetheart... but guess what? I’m willing to get to know you, to understand you, to find out who the real Ahana Dey is. And one day, a time will come when you’ll open up to me and share everything willingly, on your own. And until that day comes, I’m not someone who’ll question you."
I listened to him with a soft smile, like I expected this answer from him, like my heart knew it already.
I stood up from my seat, walked closer to him and hugged him tightly, my hands wrapping around his back with a certain warmth.
"You’re the best," I whispered, closing my eyes, burying my head in the crook of his neck.
He patted my back gently and whispered close to my ear, "No sweetheart, I'm the beast."
"What did you say?" I asked, pulling back slightly in confusion, not quite catching what he had whispered.
"I said, there will be punishment again," he repeated with a smirk and in the blink of an eye, he pulled me on his lap.
I gasped a little and then blushed hard as my mind quickly replayed what he did the last time in the name of punishment.
"No... you're such a clever fox na," I murmured, hiding my face in his chest, "that's not a punishment."
Aastik
"Ya, I'm more clever than a fox and—"
I was cut off by a sudden phone call.
"Apka phone"
"Bajne do," I replied casually, brushing it off, but the phone rang again. I glanced at the screen and saw it was Avyan, calling from his regular number. If it’s from that number, then it must be something stupid, I thought and sighed.
(Let it ring)
I picked up the call and put it on loudspeaker.
Meanwhile, I held her by the waist and made her sit properly. She is such a kid, seriously… keeps wiggling so much on my lap. But what she doesn’t understand is how hard it is to control my junior from reacting to all that movement. So, I quickly placed a pillow over it and then made her sit again.
"What is it?" I asked, fingers lazily playing with her hair strands.
"Bro, did you forget us or what? No call, no message… it’s hurting us," he said in the most dramatic way possible.
"Oh really? I thought you were busy making out with Dhirti," I mocked.
But this thing made my little rabbit's face red.
I smirked, loving her shy reaction.
"Ya, well that was fun," Avyan replied, unfazed. "But what about our bhabhi, huh? Is she happy? How’s your relationship going? Did you guys kiss? Or did you do it—"
"Aavyaaaannnn bhaiyaa!!" A muffled, embarrassed shout escaped her lips as she quickly buried her face in my chest.
God… my rabbit is just too cute.
"Aree bhabhi, aap samne thi kya? Aapne sab suna bhabhi? Sorry, your bastard husband didn’t tell me you’re here..."
Avyan’s voice came in full speed.
"Well bhabhi... are you okay? Is Aastik bothering you?"
"No bhaiya... Aastik ji is such a gentleman. He takes care of me. I'm doing fine," she replied softly, looking up at me with a warm smile.
There was a moment of complete silence… and then,
"WHATTT! GENTLEMAN AND AASTIK?! DHIRTI!! COME HERE, MERE BAAP BANNE KA SAMAY AA GAYA!" Avyan shouted like a crazy man.
("WHATTT! Gentleman and Aastik?! Dhirti!! Come here, the time has come for me to become a father!")
"Aree chilla kyun rahe ho tum? Kya bhoot dekh liya?" Dhirti shouted back from somewhere in the background.
(Why are you shouting? Did you see a ghost?)
"Dhirti, just come here! Look what Ahana bhabhi is saying AASTIK AND GENTLEMAN in the same sentence! The one and only Aastik Malhotra… THE STUBBORN MALHOTRA! DHIRTI, ye sab sunne se pehle main baap kyun nahi ban gaya!" he went on with his full-blown dramatic self.
(...Why didn't I become a father before hearing all this?)
"Shut up, you fool," Dhirti smacked him.
I thined my lips to control my laughter when dhirti spoke but this time to my little sweetheart.
"Ahana, is it true? Is he actually taking care of you, sweetie?"
"Ya, he is taking good care of me Dhirti, well leave about me How are you? You know I miss you, it's been so many days I last saw you" my rabbit replied, cheeks puffed adorably with choco lava cake stuffed in her mouth which she had started eating right in the middle of Avyan and Dhirti’s drama.
"I'm fine too. We should meet someday... it’s been so many days," Dhirti suggested sweetly.
"Ya... You can message me on Instagram or WhatsApp... you’ve got that, na?" she replied, licking some melted chocolate off her finger.
"Yeah I— "
"Dhirti… see I brought you a new sexy night gown—ahhh why did you kick me!"
"I'm sorry Ahana… I'll text you, okay? Now bye!"
DHIRTI was saying something when Avyan cut her off but then we all know what happened. Then saying bye, Dhirti quickly cut the call, clearly embarrassed but to my surprise not only Dhirti this little rabbit is also blushing.
"Sexy night gown pehen kaun rahi hai, aur blush kaun kar rahi hai?" I teased her, trying to hold back my laugh.
(Who’s the one wearing the sexy nightgown, and who’s the one blushing?)
"Uff… aap na, chup raho," she said, standing up from my lap, brushing her dress.
(Uff... You na shut up)
"Hume sona chahiye, abhi bohot raat ho gayi hai."
("We should sleep, it’s already very late.")
"Hmm, you go ahead, I’m coming," I said, and she nodded before walking toward the room.
I messaged Arjun about some work, checked some e-mails and then made my way to the bed. But she was still standing there… right in front of the bed.
"What’s wrong?" I asked as I walked toward her.
"Aastik ji… yaha to ek hi bed hai," she said with her wide and innocent eyes.
("Aastik ji… there’s only one bed here.")
"Don’t worry, I’ll sleep on the sofa," I replied calmly, patting her head with a small smile.
I took a pillow and turned toward the couch when she gently caught my hand.
"Kya hua?" I Asked.
(What happened?)
"W-wo... you know… I-I trust you… so we can s-sleep on the bed," she said in a shaky voice.
I paused for a second, looking at her.
"Sweetheart, you don’t have to force yourself. I’m really fine, and making you feel pressured is the last thing I want," I said assuring her.
"No... I-I’m serious," she whispered, holding my hand a little tighter and looking straight into my eyes.
I watched her for a moment and then slowly nodded.
She smiled happily and started making space for me beside her before laying down on her side.
I changed my dress into a normal t-shirt and a track pant and lied down by my side. But the problem is, this bed is a little too small… like we can't even keep a pillow between us. I sighed and turned to the other side, trying to adjust myself.
"Goodnight," she wished softly.
"Hmm," I replied.
But after more or less an hour… "I cannot sleep," I screamed in my head because this sleeping princess had somehow ended up hugging me tightly in her sleep, mistaking me for a pillow.
I sighed and slowly turned towards her side to adjust her position and help her sleep properly, but… that was one more fault I did. Her face was dangerously close to mine. So close that I felt like cupping her face and kissing those soft rosy lips of hers.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and made a little safe distance between us.
Then I gently stroked her hair and whispered, "Whatever dirty thoughts I get of you, sweetheart… your consent is more important than anything. I can stay a virgin my whole life, I can stay without kissing you forever… but only if it’s you who asks me to do so."
Saying this, I closed my eyes again, hoping sleep would come.
But the next second—head on my biceps, hand snaked around my waist, and her legs tangled over mine.
I sighed and muttered, "Just don’t accuse me of doing this all this sweetheart."
I slowly snaked my arms around her, slowly pulling her close and pecking her temple gently… and finally, slept hugging her.
Huh… such a peaceful sleep, after so many years.
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