Magic Of Love [Completed]

shot 20

"This is the last round Drishti" Vihaan warned as he set the game board again

"You are just jealous that I have been winning all the games so far" Drishti crowed proudly

"Yeah! By cheating" Vihaan said and Drishti rolled her eyes as if it isn't a big deal

They had played three rounds of snake and ladder and two rounds of ludo on Drishti's insistence

Drishti had won all the games as she cheated her way through all the bigger snakes and dodging all the strikes through the game of ludo

He looked tired.

He'd been rather quiet-almost distant-all evening, only coming out of whatever world he is in to respond to Drishti's demands on him.

Divya hoped he wasn't too tired to stay up with her after Drishti went to bed.

It had been an active day; swimming, windsurfing, drawing rangolis, decorating the house and setting the pooja room.

Besides which, he couldn't have had much sleep last night. He'd been up early with Drishti this morning. What would she do if he suggested they retire early?

"It's Diwali tomorrow Vihaan Uncle. I'm too excited to go to bed" Drishti appealed to which Vihaan shook his head

"You are past your bedtime Drishti. You wanted to stay up until that Diwali special show on the TV got over.Remember??"

"It just got over" Drishti argued

"Yeah. Just an hour ago" Vihaan said sternly

"You are such a spoil sport uncle" Drishti accused

"A deal is a deal, my girl"

Drishti huffed

"Fine. I would go to bed if I win this game too" Drishti said as she chose which color she wants in the ludo game

To her chagrin she won the game without even cheating and it was clear to Divya that Vihaan had refrained from striking Drishti off whenever he had the chance letting her win

Either way, there was no more argument about bedtime. She danced around the game table, crowing triumphantly about her victory, gave Vihaan a hug and a kiss good night, did the same to Divya, looked longingly at all the decorations in the room, then broke into a chorus of some song she heard in the TV as she headed off to her bedroom.

"Hardly a lullaby" Divya commented, expecting Vihaan to smile.

He didn't.

"Let's clear up.Get it out of the way."

She was instantly aware of tightly held restraint. The relaxed air he had maintained with Drishti was gone. The inward tension coming from him was so strong, it plunged her into a turmoil of doubt.

Was he regretting rushing headlong into an involvement with her?

She looked searchingly at him but his gaze was hooded, looking down at the game board he was packing into their case.

Her hands shook a little as she collected the dirty glasses and took them out to the kitchen sink, her mind racing over what might be wrong.

This was the first time they'd been alone together all day. She'd been waiting for it, half in dread, half in eagerness. Now it had come, Vihaan showed no sign of taking pleasure in her company. Quite the opposite.

She rinsed the glasses and left them on the draining board to dry, feeling driven to return to the living room and confront whatever was on his mind.