Chapter 24

Sundays. The laziest days of the week.

No one's awake early. No one's walking around. Shops are closed, restaurants are closed. All is silent. In the silence of the city, Naina was alive.

She felt most alive in the silence. Today, being a Sunday, she decided to go home. To her parents. It had been over a month since uni started and she hadn't been able to visit home - so today was the day. She got dressed in a simple outfit and made her way downstairs, calling an Uber.

As she reached downstairs to call the Uber, she bumped into an oddly familiar face.

Ayaan.

"Good morning." He said, chirping. He was just coming back from the gym when he bumped into her, looking as fresh as a daisy.

"Hi." She replied, not looking at him. She was still intimated by him, especially after the party.

"Where are you off today? At 8am?" He asked.

"I'm going home." She replied, causally.

"Home?" He asked her, "You parents are here? In Mumbai?" She nodded and he continued, "Why do you stay in a hostel then?

"Because they live in Thane, and the university is in Bandra. It doesn't make sense to commute everyday, that's why Mom Dad think."

"You live in Thane," he said, "That's a good place. Come." He said casually, making Naina confused.

"Where?"

"I'll drop you." He stated, smiling.

"No. I'll go on my own." She rebutted, "Thane is a long way. I can manage."

"I know you can, but I'm headed that side as well, and I like going to Thane, I'll take you."

"Are you actually headed that way?" Naina raised her eyebrows in suspicion, "Or is it a trick?"

He chuckled, "If I want to take you, I'll do it directly. I don't need to make excuses. And this time it's a genuine thing. I have a football session in Thane. Why do you think I was surprised to hear you live there?"

She nodded, "Fine. But I can still go on my own, it's my own house."

"I don't doubt you, but why do you want to take an Uber when I'm ready to take you there."

She looked at him. This logic was right but he forgot one tiny thing. This was him. This was him we are talking about. He was intimidating. But he wasn't hearing it. He had already grabbed her hand and started walking to the car. She stood in front of his car as he asked her to sit. She did so and he started driving.

"So," he said, "How did that submission go?"

"Which one?" She said, confused.

"The one where you forgot to do the calculation and percentages right." He smirked.

"It went well," she retorted, "We got 95%."

"Who is 'we'?" He asked, not looking at her.

"Me and Rohan." She said.

"You both got lucky then. Rohan and you both are very good with their work."

"I know." She said with a small smile.

The drive went on, and conversations went on. Naina didn't realize the pull she was feeling towards Ayaan. She was surprised. After that night, she didn't think she'd still be able to talk to him. Ayaan, on the other hand, felt a bigger pull than he ever had before. He felt good.

After a while, she reached, "Stop here."

He stopped the car outside a medium sized bungalow. Looking at it, he said, "it's a beautiful home."

"Thanks." She said, looking at it as well.

He noticed a lady walk out, in a simple salwar suit. Naina smiled towards her, "Maa!" She turned to see her daughter and smiled at her.

Naina smiled and hugged her Mom. Then, both of their eyes fell on Ayaan, who suddenly felt very 'put-on-the-spot.' He got down and went ahead to introduce himself, "Hi Aunty. I'm Ayaan, Ayaan Malhotra."

"Hi beta. Yes Naina mentioned. Thank you so much for dropping her, you didn't need to. Must have been out of your way, right?"

"Not at all. I have football training here just 5/6 kilometers away. So I was headed this way."

"Acha!" Her mom said, "When is your training beta? When does it start?"

"Starts at 10:30, Aunty." He said, checking his phone's time.

"Arre!" She chuckled, "it's only 9, right now. I say you come in for a bit, then go."

Naina looked at this interaction, getting very nervous. She hadn't ever brought a guy home and today, as well, she didn't intend to. But seeing her mom gel so well with Ayaan made her concerned, "Maa, he might have to get ready."

Ayaan as confused. He didn't mind saying but he didn't want to make Naina feel uncomfortable in her own home. So he thought it's best to back out, "She's right. I have to get some prep done. Maybe some other day, Aunty?"

"Nonsense! You are young! You'll get prepped quick enough. One chai won't hurt anyone. Come come! Naina, bring him in. I'll go get your Dad." She said, leaving no room for discussion.

Ayaan chuckled as he parked the car, while she stood there waiting for him. Then, he came to her front door and slowly entered. It was a cozy home. It wasn't very huge, but wasn't tiny either. It could easily fit 12 people if they all decide to sleep over. The garden was well-maintained and it was fresh and green everywhere. He removed his shoes by the main door and entered the house, Naina leading him.

Setting himself on the couch, he saw Naina get herself comfortable on the couch nearby. It was a beautiful home. They were very religious, he thought. He liked it. Several paintings of God were decorating the walls of the room. Some photographs and a few of their awards. The hall was decorated beautifully. It was simple yet gave an elegant touch to it.

"Hello son!" Naina's Dad, Alok, said, "I'm Alok."

Ayaan stood up and shook his hand, "Hi Sir, I'm Ayaan Malhotra."

"Please sit. Make yourself comfortable." He then walked to his daughter, "How are you Nainu?"

"Good Papa." She said and sat down.

Nainu, that's a cute nickname. Ayaan thought.

"So, what brings you here, Ayaan?" Naina's Dad said, initiating conversation.

"I'm actually training for football. I have training just around the corner." He replied, confident.

"That's nice. You study medicine too?"

"No no uncle," Ayaan chuckled, "Memorizing biology terms isn't for me. I'm engineering."

Alok chuckled, "Smart boy. Even I pushed away from medicine. I actually have an engineer degree too. I'm also an engineer. But Naina here seems to have decided to go the opposite road as her parents."

Ayaan chuckled, "She's excelling at it."

"She is." Alok chuckled, "Naina, why are you sitting quiet again? Say something! Is she like this in university as well, Ayaan?"

"You have no idea, Sir." Ayaan chuckled.

Naina watched how her dad and mom bonded so well with Ayaan. She felt weirdly safe with it. But she knew this was all just a dream.

Too good to be true.

"Well, I think I'll leave now." Ayaan said, standing up, "It's time for my training session."

"Of course." Her mom said, "Please come again. And when are you going back home tonight?"

"I'll be going by around 8. I'll finish training then meet some friends, and go back by 8."

She smiled, "Wonderful. In that case, if you don't have dinner plans then have dinner with us. Then you two go back together."

"Maa," Naina intervened, "I'll take the cab back to University. It's fine. Let him do his thing."

Ayaan smirked slowly, no one saw him, "I can do that, Aunty, I don't know about dinner. But I can always pick Naina up on the way back to Uni. If you and Uncle are okay with it?"

Alok chuckled, "Of course we are okay with it. You both are going in the same direction. Of course you should go together. We'll be rest assured as well, compared to our daughter going in a cab at night."

Ayaan smiled and nodded. Then he headed towards the door. Everyone came to see him off, then Alok continued, "Okay. I need to get to some work. Naina, please go till the door."

Naina nodded and the two of them went to the car, to see him off. She looked at him and he leaned against his car and smirked, "Ma and Papa Mehra love me, right?"

She didn't reply, just looked at him and glared softly, "You didn't need to come in."

"I wanted chai. Why shouldn't I?"

"And why did you tell them that we'll go back to Uni together? I can go on my own." She crossed her arms.

"I know you can, but why will I leave a chance to be with you? I'm not dumb." he smirked.

She felt little butterflies hearing this, but she managed to hide it well, "Go now."

He chuckled and sat in his car and turned on the engine, then he rolled down his windows, "Be ready by 8, darling."

Then, he came closer, her face shaking. Slowly, his fingers touched her lips, just briefly, and then brought his hands to his lips as he kissed it.

She looked at him and her eyes widened.

🤍