Page 104 of Strictly Solo
The car hummed softly, parked just outside Neil’s school gate. The windows were rolled up, shielding Ruhaan and Nainafrom the world outside as they enjoyed their ice cream cones. Ruhaan sat in the driver’s seat, his fingers drumming lightly on the steering wheel in rhythm with the faint radio music. Naina, sitting beside him, lazily licked her ice cream, her gaze darting between the melting treat and the school gate, waiting for the final school bell. Ruhaan had just finished telling her about his morning confrontation with his mother.
“I don’t know how to reach her,” he sighed, absently licking his vanilla cone. “It’s like talking to a wall.”
Naina looked up from her strawberry ice cream with a small frown creasing her forehead.
“At this rate, how will we ever move forward with the wedding? I can’t imagine walking into your house as your wife, with Neil, knowing your mother resents our presence.”
“She won’t resent you forever,” he assured her, reaching over to squeeze her hand. “Once she lives with you both, she’ll see what I see…that I couldn’t have chosen better.”
“Hmm,” Naina raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eyes. “Fair warning though. I’m not exactly known for my patience. If she takes a jab at me, don’t expect me to just smile and nod.”
Ruhaan chuckled, knowing she was teasing.
“You two can sort it out yourselves. Just keep me out of it as I’m very bad at taking sides. Although I do believe that the day isn’t far away whenyou both will probably gang up on me at some point.”
She giggled and, instead of finishing her own cone, leaned over and took a cheeky lick of his ice cream. “What’s yours is mine now.”
He mock-frowned, pulling her closer. “Oh, is that so?” he growled playfully. “My turn then.”
Naina expected him to go for her ice cream, but instead, he captured her lips, slowly licking away the traces of ice cream thatlingered there. She melted into his touch, her free hand finding its way to his chest.
The kiss deepened, tasting of vanilla and strawberry, sweet and cooling against the afternoon heat. Ruhaan’s hand slid into her hair, drawing her closer, while her fingers clutched his shirt. Their ice creams were forgotten, slowly melting, as they lost themselves in each other.
His other hand had just found its way to her waist and just as their breaths grew heavier and their touches more insistent, a sudden burst of noise broke through…the unmistakable chatter and laughter of schoolchildren pouring out of the gates.
Naina pulled back quickly, her cheeks flushed. She darted a nervous glance out the window.
“The kids are coming out,” she whispered, quickly grabbing tissues to clean the mess of melted ice cream on their hands and clothes. “You need to behave.”
“You started it,” he teased, reaching for another tissue. “Neil’s coming out,” he announced, spotting their boy among the crowd of students streaming through the gates.
They stepped out of the car, and Neil’s face lit up at the sight of them both.
“Mom! Ruhaan!” he shouted, throwing his arms around them in an exuberant hug.
Ruhaan knelt down, catching the boy in a warm embrace. “Hey, champ! How was school?”
“It was awesome!” he exclaimed, already bubbling with stories about his day. “Can we go to the park? Or maybe get pizza? Or both?”
While Naina busied herself storing Neil’s backpack in the car, Ruhaan watched the boy’s excited chatter with growing realization. The answer had been in front of him all along. His mother’s heart had always been her weakness, and Neil, with hisinnocent charm and pure love, might just be the key to unlocking it.
A planformed in his mind. The ice cream’s sweetness still lingered on his lips as he smiled, hope blooming in his chest for the first time in days. If he could get Neil and his mother to bond, there might still be hope for the family he dreamed of building.
Chapter 30
Next Weekend
Kaushalya set the steaming bowl of vegetable upma on the table, arranging the plates. This was her weekend ritual…making Ruhaan’s favorite breakfast and hoping to sit down with him for a quiet, warm start to the day. But today, her heart wasn’t in it. Ever since Ruhaan had dropped the bombshell about marrying Naina and bringing her and Neil into their home, she had been struggling to accept it. She sighed deeply as she called out to him again, her voice louder this time.
“Ruhaan! Breakfast is ready. How long will you take?”
“Two minutes, Mom!” came his reply from the bedroom.
She huffed, pouring tea into the cups. Two minutes always meant ten with him.
As she waited, her thoughts churned. No one seemed to be on her side…not her brother, her sister-in-law, or even her own daughter, Ryma. They all supported Ruhaan’s decision.
“At least he’s settling down,” her sister-in-law had said. “What does it matter if Naina is his choice?”
