You're liking this story right?

I know it might be slow, boring or kinda cliché but I really wanted to write such a plot.
…

The next morning, chaos erupted at the Talwar mansion.

Riaan had packed his suitcase, ready to leave for the airport, when his mother descended upon him like a storm cloud. She blocked the doorway, her arms crossed, her expression fierce.

"Mumma, it's just a trip of three days," Riaan said, exasperated. "Why are you doing this!!?"

Rukmini's eyes flashed. "NO, RIAAN!! You can go anywhere but Mumbai! I already told you a hundred times that you're not stepping into that city!! That city where he lives!"

Riaan's jaw tightened. His father. She was talking about his father.

"Mumma, why will I meet him??" Riaan's voice was strained. "I'm going to meet the interior designer. Ruhi is alone, I have to be with her—"

He froze.

The words hung in the air between them, revealing more than he'd intended. The way he'd taken a stand for her. The way her name had slipped out so naturally, so protectively.

Rukmini's eyes softened, just slightly. She'd noticed. Of course she'd noticed.

"Beta," she said gently, "I know you want to help her. But that city—"

"Mumma, listen please." Riaan stepped forward, taking her hands in his. "I'll be back very quick. I'll update everywhere I'm going, I swear. Please, please."

Rukmini stared at him for a long moment. Then she sighed, the fight draining out of her. "Fine." She pulled out her phone, typing rapidly. "But you should tell me every place you're going, and you're staying at the hotel I booked. No arguments."

Riaan nodded, relief flooding through him. "Yes. I promise."

He kissed her forehead, grabbed his suitcase, and practically ran out the door.

The airport was buzzing with early morning travellers when Riaan arrived. He checked in, cleared security, and was about to text Ruhi when his phone buzzed.

It was her.

"AAN! I'M HERE! JUST GETTING INSIDE!"

Riaan went still.

Aan?

She'd called him Aan. Not Riaan. Not Dr. Talwar. Just... Aan. The shortened version of his name, the kind of nickname that only she could use.

His heart did something strange in his chest.

He looked up, and there she was walking toward him, suitcase in hand, a slight flush on her cheeks from rushing. She was wearing a simple white top and denim shorts, her hair in a messy ponytail, and she looked effortlessly beautiful.

"Uhh..." She stopped in front of him, slightly out of breath. "The queue was so long. Let's check in."

He nodded, barely able to form words. "Y-yeah. Let's go."

They walked toward the boarding gate together, and Riaan tried to ignore the way his pulse quickened every time her shoulder brushed against his.

The flight was uneventful. Ruhi settled into her seat, pulled out her wired earphones, and started scrolling through her phone. Riaan watched her from the corner of his eye, unable to look away.

She glanced at him, caught him staring, and raised an eyebrow.

He looked away quickly, his ears burning.

Then she did something unexpected. She pulled out one of her earphones and offered it to him.

He blinked. "What?"

"Take it," she said, shrugging. "Unless you want to stare at the seatback for the next two hours."

He hesitated, then took the earphone and put it in. She scrolled through her playlist, selected a song, and pressed play.

The music filled his ears, a soft, melodic tune, the kind that made you feel like you were floating. He didn't know the song, didn't recognize the singer, but he didn't care. All he cared about was the fact that she was sharing this with him.

─ ❝Khairiyat pucho, kabhi to kaifiyat pucho
Tumhaare bin deewane ka kya haal hai
Dil mera dekho, na meri haisiyat poocho
Tere bin ek din jaise sau saal hai❞

- Khariyat (Dil Bechara)

She played different songs throughout the flight some upbeat, some soulful, some that made her close her eyes and hum along. Riaan listened to all of them, memorizing each one, because they were the ones she'd listen.

They landed in Mumbai, checked into the hotel his mother booked, and Ruhi's energy returned.

"Aan," she said, her eyes bright, "we'll meet the designer tomorrow at 10:00 AM. Get ready!"

He nodded, smiling. "Got it."

She walked into her room, and he walked into his. The rooms were side by side, and Riaan was grateful for the privacy. He threw his suitcase on the bed, pulled off his shirt, and collapsed onto the couch.

The travel had exhausted him. He lay there, arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling, his mind still spinning with thoughts of Ruhi.

Then he heard footsteps.

He turned his head and froze.

Ruhi was standing in the doorway between their rooms. There was a large connecting door. Wide open.

She was staring at him.

He was half-naked.

Her eyes traveled down his chest, over his abs, and then back up to his face. She was swallowing hard, unable to look away.

"Th-these rooms," Riaan stammered, scrambling to sit up. "They're connected????"

She turned away quickly, her voice flustered. "Y-yes. As we see. I-I'll speak to the staff."

She disappeared through the door, and Riaan heard her muttering in the hallway. A few minutes later, she came back, her expression defeated.

"Uhh... Riaan..." She wouldn't meet his eyes. "They said there are no rooms available."

"Should we move to another hotel?" Riaan asked, already reaching for his shirt.

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "No need. We're tired. Let's adjust. If you don't mind, we have separate partitions anyway."

He gave a slight nod, still flustered. "Okay. Fine."

She looked at him again, her gaze flickering down to his chest. "Uhhmmm... So I think it's better for you to dress."

Riaan's eyes widened. He realized he was still shirtless, still sitting there like an idiot. He scrambled to pull his shirt on, his ears burning.

"S-sorry," he mumbled.

Why do you always get embarrassed in front of her, the fvck!

She disappeared into the bathroom, and when she came out, she was wearing pajamas soft, comfortable, completely modest. But Riaan's heart still raced at the sight of her.

She lay down on the bed, facing away from him, and within minutes, her breathing evened out.

Riaan couldn't sleep.

He lay on his own bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing. Finally, at midnight, he got up and walked to the connecting door.

He didn't cross the threshold. He just stood there, watching her sleep.

She was curled up on her side, her hair spread across the pillow, her face peaceful. No tension, no walls, no guarded expressions. Just her.

"She's so peaceful," he murmured to himself.

And for a long, long time, he just stood there, watching her breathe.

⁞⁞⁞⁞

The next morning, they arrived at the interior designer's office promptly at 10 AM.

Riaan had barely slept. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Ruhi sleeping peacefully in the next room. Every time he tried to focus, his mind drifted back to the connecting door, to the way she'd looked at him shirtless, to the way his heart had refused to calm down.

But now, sitting in the sleek waiting area of the designer's office, he forced himself to be professional.

Ruhi sat beside him, scrolling through her phone, her expression neutral. She was wearing a simple floral dress today, her hair loose, and she looked effortlessly beautiful.

They waited.

And waited.

Finally, a receptionist approached them, her smile apologetic. "Um, ma'am, sir, we are sorry to say this, but your appointment is postponed to tomorrow."

Ruhi's head snapped up. "What?"

The receptionist wrung her hands nervously. "Actually, sir's very close relative has got in an accident, and he has to go visit them. So, I'm sorry, all the appointments of today have been shifted to tomorrow. There is a delay in his schedule. We are expecting you to visit tomorrow again, if that's okay for you."

Ruhi looked at Riaan, her expression a mixture of frustration and resignation.

Riaan sighed. "Fine," he said to the receptionist. "We'll come tomorrow."

They walked out of the office, and Ruhi let out a frustrated breath. "So what should we do now?"

"I don't know." Riaan shrugged. "Maybe it really is an emergency. We can't blame him."

She nodded, but her shoulders were tense. She'd been looking forward to this meeting, Riaan could tell. The renovation was important to her. It was her project, her vision, her way of building something beautiful out of her grief.

He was about to suggest they grab lunch when a woman came barrelling toward them.

"RIAAN!???"

Before Riaan could react, the woman threw her arms around him in a crushing hug. She was petite, energetic, with a wide smile and eyes that sparkled with mischief.

"YOU'RE IN MUMBAI!?" She pulled back, smacking his arm. "And you didn't even tell me??"

Riaan blinked, then recognition dawned. "Uh... Sanya! I just came yesterday. I didn't—"

"Okay, wait!" Sanya held up a hand, cutting him off. "You missed my wedding, so there's no way you're missing my reception too! Tonight, 6:30 PM, come with your beautiful girlfriend, okay! Both of you, don't miss it!"

Before Riaan could correct her, Sanya was gone, disappearing into the crowd like a whirlwind.

Riaan stood there, stunned, his mouth half-open.

He turned to Ruhi.

Her expression was completely unreadable. Not a flicker of amusement, not a hint of surprise. Just nothing.

"So..." she said slowly. "You can go—"

"Will you come with me?" The words came out before he could stop them.

Ruhi froze. Her eyes widened slightly, caught off guard. "Uhhmmm..." She stammered, looking away. "But I'm not your girlfriend."

"Let me fix that misconception of theirs."

She stared at him, searching his face for something. He didn't know what she was looking for, but he held her gaze, steady and sure.

She thought for a long moment. Then, slowly, she nodded.

Riaan smiled. A small, satisfied smile that he couldn't quite hide.

That night, Riaan was getting ready when he heard a knock on his bedroom door.

He opened it and froze.

Ruhi stood in the doorway, wearing a black bodycon dress that hugged every curve. Her makeup was flawless smoky eyes, nude lips, a hint of highlighter that made her cheekbones glow. Her hair was styled in soft waves, and she was wearing strappy heels that added inches to her height.

She was breathtaking.

She twirled around, a hint of nervousness in her eyes. "How do I look?"

Riaan leaned in, his voice low. "Beautiful."

Her smile widened, but he noticed the way her breath caught slightly at his words. The warmth in his voice had been impossible to miss.

He was wearing a black blazer, his hair styled back, and Ruhi couldn't help but notice how good he looked. How perfect he looked.

They walked out together, and the drive to the venue was quiet. But not uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that felt natural, like they were already used to each other's presence.

The reception was at a grand banquet hall, glittering with fairy lights and chandeliers. The moment they walked in, heads turned.

Sanya spotted them immediately and rushed over. "WOWW! YOU BOTH LOOK STUNNING!" She grabbed Ruhi's hand. "Come with me! The girls are dying to meet you!"

Before Riaan could protest, Sanya whisked Ruhi away to the women's side of the venue.

Ruhi found herself surrounded by Sanya's friends, all of them buzzing with curiosity.

"So," one of them said, handing Ruhi a glass of wine, "you're so lucky. Riaan is not a man who chases women. He never actually cared about relationships, but you stole his heart."

Ruhi took a sip of wine, her expression guarded. "Uhh... You're wrong. I'm not his girlfriend. I-I'm just working with him on a thing."

All the girls froze.

They exchanged glances, clearly embarrassed. "O-oh," Sanya said, her smile faltering. "We misunderstood. Sorry."

An awkward silence fell over the group, and Ruhi took another sip of wine, avoiding everyone's eyes.

She glanced across the room. Riaan was watching her, his expression unreadable. She looked away quickly, her heart pounding for reasons she didn't want to examine.

The games began, and Riaan made his way to Ruhi's side. He leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. "We'll leave if you don't want this."

She shook her head. "It's okay. I'm fine."

And surprisingly, she was.

The games were silly, antakshari, dumbcharades, truth or dare. Ruhi found herself laughing, really laughing, for the first time in days. Riaan watched her, noting the way her shoulders relaxed, the way her eyes crinkled at the corners, the way she let her guard down for just a few hours.

It was devastating to witness.

They took a group photo with the couple, and Sanya pulled Ruhi aside. "Thank you for coming, Riaan. And Ruhi, you're so sweet. I'd keep in touch with you."

Ruhi smiled, genuinely touched. "Thank you. Congratulations."

They walked out together, and Ruhi's steps were slightly unsteady. The wine had gone to her head, and she was half-sober, half-drunk.

Riaan hailed a taxi, and they got into the backseat. Within minutes, Ruhi's head was nodding, her eyes fluttering closed.

And then she rested her head on his shoulder.

Riaan's entire body went rigid.

He looked down at her, at her sleeping face, at the way she'd curled into him like she trusted him completely. A strand of hair fell across her face, and she sniffled softly.

He slowly raised his hand, wanting to tuck it behind her ear.

Then he stopped.

No, he thought, dropping his hand. You shouldn't touch someone like that.

They reached the hotel, and Riaan gently shook her shoulder. "R-Ruhi."

She didn't stir.

"Ruhi..." He tried again, his voice soft. "We've reached."

She opened her eyes weakly, blinking in confusion. Then she sat up slowly, got out of the car, and started walking toward the hotel.

Riaan followed behind her, praying she wouldn't fall. She was half-drunk, half-asleep, and her steps were wobbly.

They reached their room, and Riaan walked toward his bedroom. He was about to close the door when he realized Ruhi was walking inside too.

She was in his bedroom.

He froze. "Ruhi, this is my bedroom. Yours is—"

Before he could finish, she was standing in front of him.

Too close.

She grabbed his shirt, pulling him down, and pressed her lips to his.

Hard.

Riaan's eyes widened. For a split second, he didn't move, didn't breathe. Her lips were soft, her body pressed against his, and he could smell the wine.

This is wrong.

He shoved her away, harsher than he'd intended.

"Hhh..." She fell back onto the bed, her head hitting the pillow.

Riaan's heart was pounding. He looked at her, his chest heaving.

She was asleep.

Completely, utterly asleep, like nothing had happened.

He turned away, his mind reeling. The mirror on the wall caught his reflection, and he went still.

His lips were smeared with her lipstick. He couldn't think. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't process what the fvck had just happened.

…

How was the chapter?

Many things in the book will be shared from Riaan's mindset. But don't misunderstand Ruhi. She's going to be insane (in a good way.)