𝙶𝚒𝚏𝚝 𝙾𝚏 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎

5

"Deepak bhaiya, are you really here? Are you his cousin? You are the only person I love here. It would be wonderful if you could stay with us. We are moving tomorrow, and it would mean a lot if you could come with us. Is that okay? " Aashika asked and pushed Ayaan aside to hug Deepak.

Ayaan was taken aback by Aashi's words, feeling a pang of jealousy towards his brother.

"How come you know him so well?  "  Ayaan asks trying to hide his jealousy .

Deepak, sensing his jealousy, raised his hands in surrender.

"I haven't done anything wrong, Ayaan. Aashi just admires me as her teacher. It's all in a good way. " Deepak explained, taking a seat on the couch.

"Yes you know he is the sweetest. I score higher marks in his subject and he saved me from your brother. " Aashika said with a twinkle eyes while looking at Deepak.

Ayaan looks at Aashika's eyes and his jealousy just increases more.

"Why are you late?" Ayaan asked, his jealousy was clear from his words making Deepak shake his head.

"I got held up with work, and this is for you," Deepak replied, handing him a gift.

After some chit chat Deepak left. Ayaan closed the door after Deepak left then turned to Aashika.

"Do you like him?" Ayaan asked, raising his eyebrows.

Not sensing Ayaan's jealousy she answered with excitement. "Yes, I really do. He saved me from Daksh bhaiya, otherwise I'm certain he would have killed me that day. And he is a sweetheart. I even considered proposing to him but kajal, my friend didn't let me."

Ayaan's expression become blank as he heard her confession. Of course she didn't want this marriage to happen. He put on a smile and walked to his side of the bed.

"What you did that made you so certain that Daksh would have killed you?" He asked, slipping under the blanket.

"Why don't you change first? I'll bring something more comfortable for you to wear," he suggested, after seeing Aashika getting uncomfortable with saree.

"Let it be. It's cold and I don't want to change now. I'll sleep like this," she replied knowing she has nothing to wear other than saree.

"There's no need. You have to change. I'm going to bring something," he insisted, searching in his wardrobe for his sleeping t-shirt and pants.

"Wear it and come quickly," he said, handing her the clothes.

"Don't you think, it's too loose? If I wear it, it will automatically come down. I'll sleep in saree only. I don't want to change," she argued.

"First go and change. You don't need tight clothes to wear at night, so it's good that it's loose," he reasoned.

Not having any other option, she went to the bathroom to change her clothes. She came out after a few minutes, holding up the pants with her hand. Yes, the clothes were too loose for her. The t-shirt kept slipping off her shoulder from one side, reaching just above her knees, and the pants were also too loose that it keep coming down.

"It looks like the clothes have swallowed you," Ayaan chuckled  

"Don't laugh. I'm going to change back into a saree. I'm not going to sleep like this. Look how loose it is," she protested with a faint red blush on geet cheeks.

"No need to change. Come here," he gestured for her to come to him.

She walked to him and stood in front of him.

"Loosen your hand," he instructed.

"What?" she questioned.

"I said loosen your hand," he repeated.

"But it will fall. Can't you see?" Her eyes pointed towards her pants while she held them tightly.

"I can see that, but I'm sure this t-shirt is big enough for you. Why don't you sleep without pants? There will be no problem," he suggested. Her face becomes beetroot red while she looks at him with wide eyes.

"I will tell my mom if you talk like this. I will not sleep like this, first I've to sleep with you now you are talking dirty with me. " she complained, stomping her feet.

"Why would you tell this to your mom? I'm your legal husband," Ayaan chuckle again.

"Because you are talking inappropriately to me. I will sleep with these on," she declared.

"Ok sleep however you want. Now come to your side or would you like to inform your mother about this first? Or you want to sleep alone" Ayaan teased. But she glared at him angrily.

"No, you will sleep here. I can't sleep alone. But how should I sleep? It will fall," she complained, pointing to her pants again.

"You don't have to run a marathon, so it will be fine. But wait," he goes towards the drawer and retrieving a string. He tied it around her waist. "Loosen your hand and see if it's okay now."

She loosened her hand and smiled. "Yes, it's okay now. Look, it's not falling." She jumped just to show him making him smile.

"I can see that. Can we sleep now?"

"Yes," she replied. Saying that, she climbed on bed and slipped into her blanket and fell asleep within minutes. In her sleep, she shifted to Ayaan's side, placing her hand on him and tangling her leg with his.

He turned towards her feeling her hand over his waist. He smile seeing her sleeping face. His eyes fall on her shoulder where a flower pattern pink bra straps were visible since her t-shirt had slipped down from her shoulder, making her cleavage visible to his eyes too. He covers her with a blanket not wanting to look at her without her knowing.

In the morning, Ayaan woke up before her and went to the bathroom to freshen up. After showering and getting dressed, he went to wake up Aashika but was failing miserably.

"Aashi, we have to go. Wake up now," He started shaking her taking her blanket away.

"Just give me five minutes," she mumbled in a sleepy voice.

Ayaan smiled upon hearing her. "These five minutes will never end, Aashi. Wake up."

She sat on the bed with her eyes closed. "I'm feeling cold. I don't like winter," she said, pulling the blanket closer to her.

"Get ready. We will leave after breakfast. You also have to go to college, right?"

"I can't go to college in a saree, so I will go after getting my usual clothes. I will attend online classes until then." By now she had a big smile on her face knowing she has a valid reason.

"I have already told someone to bring your clothes. They are here now, so please wake up and get ready. " Ayaan mumble and left the room.

"I don't like you. I don't want to leave here with you. You don't even let me sleep." She shouted irritated now wanting to leave the bed at all.

"Aashika, I've warned you multiple times already. Get out of bed immediately, or I will personally take you to the bathroom and bath you with cold water," he shouted from outside the room.

"Don't refer to me as Aashika," she whispered. For some reason not liking her full name.

"What's the matter?" Ayaan asked, coming back to the room.

"You always call me Aashi, and now you suddenly use my full name. It feels strange. I'm getting up, don't be angry."

After uttering those words, she wrapped the blanket around herself and made her way towards the bathroom door, but Ayaan halted her.

"Don't tell me you're going inside with the blanket still wrapped around you."

"Yes, I am going like this. Let go of my hand."

He released her hand and snatched the blanket, tossing it back onto the bed.

She crossed her arms around herself, shivering from the cold and the fact that she was only wearing a t-shirt.

"Now go and hurry back," he said, tugging at her t-shirt, which had slipped off her shoulder again.