Better Together | ✓

41 | longing

The rice was ready and so were the stir fried vegetables. Ruhaani was working on putting the tadka on the dal when Aadarsh sauntered into the kitchen.

It was out of character for him to visit the kitchen just like that, especially in the evenings. Ruhaani looked up at him as he looked around.

"Hungry?" She asked. That could be the only explanation why he was loitering around the kitchen.

"Nope." He said opening the fridge.

Ruhaani shook her head. What would he lose if he admitted that he was hungry? "Fine, I was thinking of making some bhajis. I will just make for myself, then."

Aadarsh who had been bending to find something to eat in the refrigerator, turned to look up at her. "If you're making some, then I don't mind having some. No chillies."

Ruhaani let out a deep exaggerated sigh, "Fine, if you say so, I was kind of craving spicy." Her eyes dazzled with mirth.

Aadarsh forced his lips into a mocking smile, noticing the over-acting she was displaying. Like having one drama-queen in his life wasn't enough. His thoughts went back to Abhi. The drift between them had widened over days. He hated how he actually missed his brother, even if all the other man did was annoy him. Abhi showed no sign of calling a truce, he only ignored him.

Perhaps he should have taken Ruhaani's advice and fixed things sooner. He glanced at her. She had bunched up her hair into a bun, tied her dupatta on the side and was working towards making the batter for the bhajis. His gaze lingered around the straight brown strands of her hair that hung loose close to her ear. A simple round loop earring of the size of a bottle-cap hung down her ears.

She had switched from full sleeved kurtis to, small sleeves ones. Clearly the summer was here. She looked nicer, somehow. He still couldn't spot the change that made her appear better.

She glanced up at him and he casually raised his hand holding the glass he had just filled. "Juice?"

"No," Ruhaani muttered lowering her gaze quickly. Stupid, absolutely stupid of her to be so curious. She was almost caught red handed sneaking a peek at him. Somehow he looked better than he looked on most days. Not that he was wearing something other than a white shirt and black pants, his usual. Perhaps it was the trim of his beard or the improved haircut. She blinked, moving to fetch the onions from the vegetable basket.

She was noticing way too much about him off late. It was unsettling, alarming almost. Like earlier in the evening, when he was biting into the apple, her gaze had been admiring the veins on the back of his hand and how his mouth opened and closed around the apple.

Aadarsh took a breath and closed the door of the refrigerator. Since the evening he had been acting quite out of line. His attraction towards her was only intensifying by the day. No matter what.

"I was thinking of paying a visit to Badi Bua tomorrow," he spoke up leaning back against the counter next to the refrigerator. The kitchen island where she worked was directly in his line of sight.

It felt so reliving that they were back to normal from their silent treatment zone.

"Hmm, so you decided to talk to her." Ruhaani looked up for a few moments and then back down at the onion she was slicing. He was sipping on the juice.

"Yeah," was all he could say. He wondered if Badi Bua would even look at his face. From his conversation with his uncle, she seemed majorly upset. She hadn't spoke to Phupha Ji also for three days straight apparently.

"Wow, that's the most nervous I have seen you."

"I am not nervous." He refuted her claim.

Ruhaani glanced up at him, her eyes watering. "You are."