38. Rudraksh's lunch

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That day, Ishika sat on the couch, a pout on her face. Her stomach growled with hunger, but for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to eat.

She couldn’t shake the strange feeling that had settled in her chest—something she couldn’t put her finger on.

It wasn’t just the hunger; it was as though something was missing, something undefined that lingered just beneath the surface.

Her gaze drifted aimlessly to the clock on the wall. The ticking seemed to get louder in the silence of the room, heightening her sense of unease.

She shifted her gaze around the room, hoping to distract herself from whatever feeling was clouding her thoughts.

Just then, her phone rang, breaking the silence. It was Aarush.

"Hello?" she answered, her voice laced with both curiosity and exhaustion.

"Bhabhi ji! Please come and tell your husband to eat his lunch! Otherwise, Geeta ma will kill me!" Aarush's voice came through in a frantic rush, barely containing his desperation.

"Huh? What happened, Aarush?" Ishika asked, confused, her heart already picking up its pace.

"He’s not eating! I’ve been begging him for an hour to eat, but he’s just sitting there, staring at his desk like it’s a mountain of work! If he doesn’t eat soon, Geeta ma is going to murder me for letting him go hungry!" Aarush explained, half-panicked, half-exasperated.

His voice cracked with the stress of trying to deal with Rudraksh's stubbornness.

Ishika couldn’t help but laugh at his dramatics. "Alright, alright. I’ll go talk to him. Just… try to keep Geeta ma calm, alright?" she said, amusement coloring her voice.

"I swear, bhabhi ji, save me from her wrath. You have no idea what it’s like to be on the receiving end!" Aarush’s words were almost pleading now.

Ishika rolled her eyes, still smiling as she shook her head. "I’ll do my best. Now, go on and take a deep breath before you faint."

She ended the call, her smile fading slightly as she stood up from the couch.

She rubbed her stomach, feeling the hunger inside her flare up once again, though it wasn’t the physical hunger that had caught her attention.

Something inside her, some feeling she couldn’t quite place, was gnawing at her.

She felt an emptiness, a lingering sense of longing for something more than just food.

With a sigh, she walked out of the house and headed toward the car.

The sun hung lazily in the sky as she drove toward Rudraksh’s office, her thoughts swirling with the same unease she couldn’t quite identify.

When she reached the building, she made her way up to the highest floor, where Rudraksh’s office was.

No one seemed to notice her arrival, and she passed through the halls undisturbed, her footsteps echoing softly in the silence.

As she neared his cabin, she saw Aarush pacing outside the door, his hand tugging at his hair in frustration.

"Is everything alright?" Ishika asked, raising an eyebrow at his distress.

Aarush glanced at her, his face pale with worry. "Bhabhi ji, it’s a disaster! Your husband won’t eat, and I can already hear Geeta ma’s angry rants in my head. Please, you have to help me before she gets here and kills us both!"

Ishika couldn’t help but laugh. The idea of Geeta ma’s wrath was not something anyone wanted to face, least of all Aarush. "Okay, calm down. Let me handle this," she said, trying to reassure him.

She pushed open the door to the cabin and stepped inside. Rudraksh was seated at his desk, papers and files scattered around him in disarray.

His brow furrowed in concentration, his mind completely absorbed in his work.

"Rudraksh ji..." she began softly, her voice calm but firm. "Aarush called me. He says you’re refusing to eat lunch..."

Rudraksh didn’t look up at first. He simply paused for a moment, letting the weight of her words hang in the air before responding in his usual cold tone. "I’m not hungry."

Ishika frowned slightly, stepping closer. "But you have to eat, na..." She kept her tone gentle, trying to appeal to him.

"I said I’m not hungry," Rudraksh repeated, his voice sharp and firm as he returned his attention to the paperwork in front of him.

Ishika sighed, her patience wearing thin. She could see that nothing would change unless she used a little persuasion.

"Please, Rudraksh ji... Please, please, please. If you don’t eat, Ma will kill me."

Rudraksh’s eyes finally met hers, his expression softening just the slightest bit. He sighed deeply, knowing she wouldn’t back down. "Fine. You go. I’ll come."

A small smile tugged at Ishika’s lips. She knew she’d gotten through to him, even if it was reluctantly.

"Oh please, come now... Please, please pleeeaaassseee..." Her voice turned sweet and pleading, her face soft with affection.

Rudraksh couldn’t help but smile slightly at her antics, his heart warming at the sight of his wife’s cuteness.

It was rare to see Rudraksh give in so easily, but there was something about the way Ishika spoke that made refusal impossible.

"Alright," he finally relented, standing up from his desk and walking toward her. "Let’s go before ma sends an army after us."

Ishika’s lips curved into a beaming smile as Rudraksh closed his laptop and sat on the couch with the lunchbox she had brought.

He opened it with a practiced efficiency and began eating in silence.

She stood there, watching him with a soft smile, her hands clasped in front of her.

Rudraksh, though focused on his food, couldn’t help but notice her lingering presence.

"You ate?" he asked in his usual cold tone, not lifting his gaze from the plate.

Ishika shook her head but didn’t utter a word.

Rudraksh glanced at her, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. "God gave you a voice to talk. Use it," he commanded in his stoic voice, though there was a hint of something softer buried beneath his words.

His demeanor might have been harsh, but deep down, Rudraksh simply wanted to hear her speak.

He didn’t know why, but her soft, melodic voice had a way of soothing his restless thoughts.

Ishika’s mood faltered at his bluntness, and she looked away for a moment before softly saying, "I didn’t eat..." Her voice was barely above a whisper, carrying a vulnerability that made his heart flutter.

Rudraksh’s jaw tightened, though his reaction betrayed him. He simply nodded, choosing not to respond further, and resumed eating.

After a while, he finished his lunch and stood, walking back to his desk. Pausing for a moment, he glanced at her again.

"Are you planning to stay here the entire day?" His voice was as deep and dark as ever. "You may leave now."

Ishika’s chest tightened at his words. She didn’t respond, merely nodded before turning to leave the room.

Though his cold demeanor stung, she had grown used to it—she knew there were times when he didn’t mean to hurt her, but it didn’t make it any easier.

As she reached the elevator, Aarush’s cheerful voice called out, "Bhabhi ji! Rukiye!"

(Rukiye ~ Please Stop!)

Turning around, she saw Rishi and Aarush jogging toward her with their signature mischievous smiles.

Despite her upset mood, she managed to smile softly at them.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice gentle as ever.

"Thank you so much, bhabhi ji!" Rishi exclaimed, his eyes twinkling with gratitude.

"For what?" Ishika asked, tilting her head slightly.

"For tolerating Rudraksh bhaiya and his antics," Aarush joked, earning a playful nudge from Rishi.

Ishika chuckled lightly. After her marriage into the family, Aarush and Rishi had quickly grown close to her.

They treated her like a sister, doting on her and teasing her in equal measure.

"By the way, bhabhi ji, did you eat?" Aarush asked, his cheerful tone suddenly more serious.

Ishika shook her head.

Aarush gasped dramatically. "Oh no! You can’t go hungry! Rishi, we can’t let our sweet bhabhi ji suffer like this!"

"I agree," Rishi added, nodding fervently. "Let’s go, bhabhi! We’ll fix this right away."

With Aarush leading the way, the trio made their way to Aarush and Rishi’s cabin. Ishika couldn’t help but smile at their genuine concern—it was a stark contrast to Rudraksh’s aloofness.

Once inside, they settled on the plush couch. Aarush quickly ordered food while Rishi kept her entertained with his usual jokes and playful banter.

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RADIATE WARMTH AND CARE ❤️‍🩹