Page 54 of Strictly Solo
“You’ll find out,” he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear again.
She tried to push him away, though half-heartedly. “I’ll think about it.”
He tightened his grip, pulling her flush against him. “Stop pretending like you’re not into this, Naina. We both know you want me just as much as I want you. Just come to the terrace tonight. I have a surprise for you.”
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the slight smile tugging at her lips. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You look stunning in this saree,” he whispered, admiring her from head to toe. “We’re twinning, by the way.”
“You don’t look too bad yourself,” she chuckled, slightly pushing him away. “The women are going to be fanning themselves all night.”
“Don’t be jealous.”
“I’m not jealous,” she scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. “And you too don’t be jealous tomorrow when you see me with Raj.”
Ruhaan’s expression changed instantly, and Naina could see the flicker of annoyance in his eyes. He had clearly forgotten about Raj’s arrival tomorrow.
“I’m never jealous,” he said, still trying to play it cool. “You’ll see that for yourself tomorrow.”
With that he placed another kiss on her other cheek before stepping back. As he left the room, Naina grinned mischievously. Making him jealous tomorrow was definitely on her agenda now.
Chapter 15
The haldi ceremony was in full swing. As Naina entered the main hall, a hush fell over the room. All eyes turned to admire her, but Naina’s gaze sought out only one person.
Across the room, Ruhaan stood among the guests, his gaze immediately locking onto hers the second she appeared. The matching yellow of their outfits made them stand out as a pair, even from opposite ends of the crowded space. She felt a flutter in her stomach as Ruhaan’s intense gaze roamed over her, his appreciation evident in the slight upturn of his lips.
Throughout the ceremony the two remained hyper-aware of each other’s presence. As relatives and guests milled about, applying turmeric paste to Subodh and Malti, Naina constantly glanced in Ruhaan’s direction. Each time their eyes met, she felt she was losing a piece of her heart to him.
She tried to shake off the feelings building inside her as Suman reached her and smeared haldi onto her cheek. She immediately reached up to wipe it off, but Suman playfully swatted her hand away.
“Don’t wipe it off,” Suman grinned. “It’s a shagun, Naina. We all want to see you next in the bride’s place. Maybe this haldi will make that happen soon.”
Her heart raced at the words, but it wasn’t Suman’s teasing that affected her, it was the way her eyes instinctively found Ruhaan again, as if her body knew who she wanted. Across the room, she watched Ruhaan as Neil approached him, tugging onhis hand. Ruhaan knelt down, quickly adjusting Neil’s spiked hair before patting the boy’s shoulder affectionately. Her boy threw his arms around Ruhaan in a quick hug before dashing off to play with his friends.
The simple gesture touched her deeply. It felt like they were already a perfect family. Seeing Neil turn to Ruhaan for help instead of her, looking at him as if he were more than just a friend, made her heart flutter. It was as if the three of them fit together naturally, effortlessly.
“Stop daydreaming!” Suman’s voice shook Naina out of her reverie. “Was the twinning idea Ruhaan’s?” she whispered.
Naina blinked, trying to suppress a smile. “What? No! It’s just a coincidence.”
Suman raised an eyebrow, her grin widening. “Really? Because you both look like a couple already. It’s quite striking, actually.”
Naina turned speechless. She hadn’t told anyone about the growing connection between her and Ruhaan that had blossomed over the past two days. She knew it was something that many would not approve of, but she couldn’t deny the pull she felt towards him.
As if summoned by their conversation, Ruhaan approached them. She noticed the smudges of haldi on the sleeves of his sherwani too.
“Well, well, Ruhaan.” Suman noticed the same and teased. “Looks like your wedding bells might be ringing soon too!”
“What do you mean?”
“I was just telling Naina how auspicious it is to have haldi on your body or clothes at someone else’s haldi ceremony. It means that a wedding is on the cards soon for that person.”
Ruhaan glanced at the haldi on Naina’s cheek, and for a brief moment, something flashed in his eyes. A glimpse of a future that wasn’t so impossible after all. He could almost see it: thethree of them…Naina, Neil, and him, as a family. He hadn’t been considering marriage anytime soon, but one look at Naina, and he could easily picture them as a happy family.
Suman, ever observant, noticed the lingering gazes between the two.
“For Naina, this could be coming true soon,” she mused. “Raj is coming tomorrow, after all. Who knows? He might be the one to make those wedding bells ring for her.”
The mere thought of Raj and Naina in the same happily married picture he had just imagined for himself and Naina soured Ruhaan’s mood instantly.
