SUNAINA'S POV

Yesterday, while strolling in the backyard, I discovered a beautiful veranda seating area—an open space filled with fresh air and sunlight. Definitely a perfect change of workspace. The coos of birds and the gentle breeze giving warm hugs every now and then made it even more enchanting. Let’s go grab my stuff. With no one home today, there’ll be no distractions, just quiet and peace.

Looking around at the surroundings, my mind drifted back to the white rose I had received from Mr. Mehra—and his note. I still hadn’t replied. Maybe I should respond with a sticky note of my own, like I did yesterday.

Yeah, that’ll be good, I guess.

But right now, I must focus on my work. And for exactly that-I dashed back to my room and gathered my laptop, files, phone, and a bottle of water. After setting everything up neatly on the table, I settled on the floor, crossed my legs, and dove into work.

Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into hours. I didn’t even realize the time until my rumbling stomach and the sound of someone clearing their throat caught my attention.

I looked up—and there he was. Mr. Mehra, standing there in all his effortless glory. Messy hair, tie loosened, sleeves rolled up, and his coat casually slung over one arm.

Uff, what a hot piece of mess.

"Do you need more time?" he asked, snapping me out of my staring-at-him session.

"Huh?" I blinked, clearly confused.

"Do you need more time to check me out?" he asked again, smirking.

"I wasn’t checking you out. I was just confused to see you here and waiting for you to speak," I said, clearing my throat.

God Sunu, can you be any more obvious?

"Yeah, yeah—whatever helps you sleep at night," he said, tossing his coat onto the sofa.

"Whatever," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

“Anyway, to answer your question—I came to get a file. But it’s lunchtime anyway, so I thought I’d eat before heading out. Where is everyone?" he asked in one breath, sitting on the sofa I had been resting my back on.

"Aunty and Pari went to Pari's friend's house, and Eshu left for her extra classes," I replied, handing him my water bottle. He took it, looking slightly confused.

"Have it, you look tired. Juttha nahi hai," I said with a casual shrug.

"Thank you," he said with a grateful smile and took a few sips.

"So, what’s for lunch?" he asked.

"I was supposed to cook since I was alone, but I lost track of time. Tell me what you’d like—I’ll make it," I said, standing up.

"Aap khilaengi toh mai toh zeher bhi kha lu," he muttered under his breath—or at least he thought he did. But I heard it. And it made my heart flutter.
(I can even drink poison, if you feed me.)

"Sorry?" I asked, pretending I hadn’t heard him.

"I said you don’t have to cook. You must be tired—let’s just order something," he said, tugging at my hand until I landed right next to him.

What, you thought I landed in his lap? Grow up, guys.

"What are you doing? Let go of my hand," I said, trying to wriggle free—only for him to tighten his grip slightly.

"Relax, will you?" he said softly, his voice calm and warm. I stopped struggling and met his gaze.

"You’re so beautiful," he said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, clearly affected by how close he was.

"Admiring you," he murmured, so genuinely that my heart skipped a beat—or three.

"I’m hungry," I whispered with puppy eyes, trying to save my heart from losing multiple beats. He sighed dramatically and leaned back, letting go of my hand.

"Moment kharab kar diya naa," he said, narrowing his eyes playfully, which made me giggle.
(You ruined the moment, didn't you?)

"Okay, tell me what you want. I’m cooking—and we’re not ordering anything," I said, standing up with a mock glare.

"Fine, make whatever takes the least time to cook," he sighed like a defeated husband.

Ahem- you guys didn't read that.

"Okay, you wait here," I said, walking away toward the kitchen—without waiting for his reply.

Hmm… since he isn’t telling me what to cook, I guess I’ll go with gravy paneer and fresh chapatis.

I started by roasting onions and capsicum in a bit of oil until they turned soft and slightly golden. Then I added the rich gravy and paneer cubes, letting it all simmer.
While that cooked, I kneaded fresh dough and made soft, warm chapatis. By the time the last one was done, the gravy paneer was ready.

Plating everything neatly and adding cutlery to a trolley, I wheeled it out to the backyard.

"Food is here!" I announced, settling into my usual spot and serving us both generous portions.

"Thank you, it smells amazing," he said, taking a seat next to me.

"Try it and tell me how it is," I said, a little too eagerly.

"Hmm... it’s so good," he murmured after the first bite, making me beam with satisfaction.
And just like that, we quietly devoured our lunch—too busy enjoying the food to bother with conversation.

"I’ll handle the dishes," he said, standing up before I could even offer. He left with the trolley, and I just stared after him in disbelief.

"So, what are your plans now?" he asked when he returned, sitting beside me again.

"I’ve got two more meetings lined up. After that, I’m done for the day," I replied, shrugging.

"Okayyy," he nodded slowly, his tone casual but his eyes lingering.

"Let’s go grab ice cream later after dinner—just you and me," he said, his voice hopeful as his gaze locked with mine.

"Sure," I replied, which earned me a beautiful smile from him—one I couldn’t help but return.

"So..." I said, pulling him back from his staring session.

"So?" he replied, confused.

"Your lunch break is over. Go back to work," I said, giving him a playful side-eye.

"Right," he said, clearing his throat like a kid caught goofing off, making me nod at him slowly.

"Okay, I’m leaving. Byee," he said, getting up.

I waved at him as he walked away, sighing dramatically—making me chuckle under my breath.
Taking a deep breath, I turned back to my laptop and got back to work.
And just like that, a few more hours slipped by.

"Hey di," Eshu said, walking in.

"Hi," I replied with a wide smile.

"When did you return?" I asked as she sat down on the floor in front of me, placing her bag on the sofa behind her.

"Just now. The maid told me only you were at home, so I came here," she replied.

"Did you eat something? Do you want me to make a quick snack for you?" I asked.

"No, I’m not hungry," she replied, taking her books out.

"Okay then, let’s study or work together here," I said, as I also had a case file to go through.

"Sureeee," she said, and we both got busy with our respective tasks.

"Waise diii..." she said after a while. I hummed and looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
(By the way, dii…)

"You can ask me anything," I said, sensing her hesitation.

"A friend of mine asked me this question, but I didn’t know the answer, so I thought I should ask you," she said nervously. I gave her an encouraging nod to go on.

"She said her heart beats really loudly when she’s near a certain someone... and it skips multiple beats when that someone comes very close to her. What’s the reason for this?" she asked, still sounding nervous. I was both amused and a little surprised by the question.

"Okay, so according to me... your friend likes that someone," I replied after a pause, making her eyes go wide.

"No! I don’t like him—this is not true," she said quickly, making me smile in amusement.

"Uh... I… t-that..." she stuttered once she realized what she’d just blurted out.

"Relax, it’s your age to feel these things. There’s nothing wrong with it," I said gently.

"But that should never distract you from your goals. Right now, your main focus should be your career—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t live your life. Do what you feel like doing, but never cross the line. We, as your family, trust you enough to know you won’t go beyond your limits.
These feelings… They're beautiful. If life is giving you a chance to feel them, don’t hesitate. The right person will never stop you from achieving your milestones. Just think about it calmly, okay? Don’t run away from what you feel," I explained softly, as she listened with complete attention.

"Yes, thank you, di," she said, smiling. I returned the smile and ruffled her hair.

"Come on, let’s go and distract you. Tonight, we’re having a cooking date," I said, getting up.

"Let’s go!" she said, jumping up too.

And just like that, we cooked dinner together—dal chawal, aaloo ki sabzi, and chapatis. For dessert, we made brownies.

"Good job, partner," I said, giving her a high five as we admired the feast we had prepared.

"Thanks to you, partner," she replied, and we both collapsed onto our chairs, exhausted.

Thankfully, dinner turned out well and everyone liked it.
Right now, I’m in my room, doing a quick touch-up because I’m going out with him.
After changing into my night suit and tying my hair into a ponytail, I was all set to go.

Just then, a knock interrupted my thoughts. Taking a few deep breaths, I opened the door—
and there he was. Mr. Mehra, standing in his casual grey t-shirt and black sweatpants.

"Shall we?" he asked after a minute or two.

"Yes, let's go," I said, grabbing my phone and wallet.

"After you," he said, stepping aside like a proper gentleman. I shook my head at him, amused, but walked ahead anyway.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked once we settled into the car.

"Yes," I replied, earning a small nod from him as he started the engine.

"So, which ice cream parlour are we heading to?" I asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"You’ll find out in just a bit," he said with a side glance that made my heart do a tiny flip. I simply nodded.

"Let’s go," he said after parking the car, and we both stepped out.

"Hello, sir and ma’am! What would you like to have?" the employee asked cheerfully.

"I’ll have a scoop of Belgian choco-chip," I said to the worker.

"I’ll have the same," he added, and the employee nodded before preparing our order.

"Thank you," he said as he took the cups, then turned to me.

"Take out my card from my left pocket and make the payment, please," he said casually.

My eyes widened. "I… It’s okay, I’ll pay," I stuttered, flustered.

"Just do it," he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Bastard.

"Fine," I muttered under my breath, reaching into his pocket to grab the wallet and swipe the card. I was clearly fumbling.

"Pin?" I asked, trying not to look up at him.

"Your birthday," he said, casually with a shrug.

My eyes widened even more. But I still entered the pin, cheeks burning—I was a blushing mess- again.

Once the payment was done, we walked out. I found a seat and sat down, while he leaned casually against the door, facing me.

"How is it?" he asked after a moment, taking a bite of his ice cream.

"So good. I never even knew this place existed," I said, closing my eyes briefly, savoring the rich, chocolate-y bliss.

"Yeah, it just opened recently," he said, and I nodded, still lost in the taste.

"So..." I started after a few minutes of peaceful silence and his quiet glances.

"So?" he asked, a little confused.

"Arre chup hi rahenge kya, kuch boliye aage," I said, half whining.
(Are you planning to stay quiet or say something?)

"Aap hi bata dijiye mai kya bolu," he said with a soft laugh.
( You tell me- what should I talk about?)

"Okay, tell me—how was your day?" I asked with a light sigh.

"Pretty good. Had a few meetings... and then a delicious lunch with a beautiful lady—which might just be the highlight of my day," he said, smiling.

"Oh," I said softly, not really knowing what to say back.

"And how was your day?" he asked.

"Boring," I admitted, I was clearly bluffing.

"Hmm. And now? Still boring?" he asked, stepping a little closer.

"Uh… what.. a-are.. you doing…" I stammered, overwhelmed by the sudden proximity and the way his cologne was messing with my senses.

"I asked you something, senorita," he said in a low voice, bending slightly to match my eye level.

"It’s fine. Now move," I said, lightly pushing him away. He chuckled and finally stepped back, taking the warmth of the moment with him.

"You look even cuter when you blush," he teased with a quiet laugh.

"Bas karoo ab," I whined.

"Okay, okay," he said, still holding back a smile.

"Shall we go?" he asked a few minutes later, coming back after tossing our empty cups into the dustbin.

"Yeah, let’s go," I replied, sitting back properly in the car.

"Let me help you," he offered, leaning in to buckle my seatbelt. The closeness made me blush all over again.

"Thank you," I said, proud of myself for not stuttering this time. In response, he gently patted my head.

"Let’s go," he said, getting into the driver’s seat.

"Do you mind if I play some music?" I asked.

"Do whatever you want," he said, eyes focused on the road.

"Okay," I said, switching on the radio.

I probably shouldn’t have…
The song that started playing made me blush way more than I expected.

दो दिल मिल रहे हैं...
दो दिल मिल रहे हैं, मगर चुपके-चुपके
दो दिल मिल रहे हैं, मगर चुपके-चुपकेसबको हो रही है...
हाँ, सबको हो रही है ख़बर चुपके-चुपके
हो, दो दिल मिल रहे हैं, मगर चुपके-चुपके

I side-glanced at him and saw him smiling. Maybe it’s not so bad after all?

साँसों में बढ़ी बेक़रारी
आँखों में कई रत जगे
कभी कहीं लग जाए दिल तो
कहीं फिर दिल ना लगेअपना दिल मैं ज़रा थाम लूँ
जादू का मैं इसे नाम दूँजादू कर रहा है...
जादू कर रहा है असर चुपके-चुपके

The lyrics somehow bring back memories of my encounters with him. I couldn’t help but smile remembering them.

दो दिल मिल रहे हैं, मगर चुपके-चुपकेऐसे भोले बनकर हैं बैठे
जैसे कोई बात नहीं
सब कुछ नज़र आ रहा है
दिन है ये, रात नहींक्या है, कुछ भी नहीं है अगर?
होंठों पे है ख़ामोशी, मगरबातें कर रही है...
बातें कर रही है नज़र चुपके-चुपके
दो दिल मिल रहे हैं, मगर चुपके-चुपकेकहीं आग लगने से पहले
उठता है ऐसा धुआँ
जैसा है इधर का नज़ारा, ओ
वैसा ही उधर का समाँदिल में कैसी कसक सी जगी?
दोनों जानिब बराबर लगी

Our eyes met as I turned toward him, making me quickly avert my gaze back to the front. I could feel the heat creeping up my cheeks.

देखो तो इधर से...
देखो तो इधर से उधर चुपके-चुपके
दो दिल मिल रहे हैं, मगर चुपके-चुपकेसबको हो रही है...
हाँ, सबको हो रही है ख़बर चुपके-चुपके
हो, दो दिल मिल रहे हैं, मगर चुपके-चुपके

Finally, we reached before the song could end.

"Thank you for today, I really enjoyed it," I said, turning toward him as he parked the car.

"Trust me, senorita, I’m never going to forget this day," he said, staring deeply at me.

"Uh, okay, bye," I said and ran off because I couldn’t bear his intense stare. I heard him chuckling though.
Anyway, freshening up, I drifted off to dreamland in no time—I was exhausted.