"Fever?" I asked when Mia told me on the phone that she was not feeling well.

"No. Periods cramps. Sometimes I get bad cramps." She said. I felt concerned. She sounded like she was in pain. "A hot water bottle helps. So that's what I am doing." She added.

"Hm..." I said, still feeling like I want to hold her close and comfort her. "Shall I come there?" I asked."

"To my home?" She asked.

"Is your dad there?"

"Yeah." She said.

"Shit!"

"But I would love to see you through," She said, and I could infer from her tone that she was pouting like a child. "since I am unwell..."

"I'll come there then..."

"How?"

"I'll figure out a way..."

I had to jump the wall. And then climb up to her balcony. When I climbed in through her window, Mia gasped and sat up on her bed, the hot water bottle falling off her stomach. I indicated "shh..." to her as I could hear the servants outside her door. I tiptoed to her bed and got in the bed with her.

"You really came," Her eyes lit up.

"Yeah..." I said. I was missing her too.

She smiled.

I opened my arms for her. She snuggled close to me with a smile. I moved my hand through her hair. "Does it hurt a lot?" I asked, affectionately.

"Kind of, Yeah..."

"Does a massage help."

"Yeah..." she said.

So I tilted her over and massaged her stomach. She laughed. "What?"

"A little lower." She said.

"Oh..." I moved my hand lower. "here."

She took my hand and placed it on her waistline. I gently gave her massages. "Is it better now?" I asked.

"A bit..." she said and put her fingers through my hair.

"Shiva..." She called.

"Hm..."

"I love you."

I smiled and lay with her massaging her waist. She settled her head on my other hand. I was in her bedroom for the first time. So I looked around. It was bigger than our entire house. With all sorts of luxury items. A TV was in there. And a music system and the AC in the room were top-level.

I sighed.

She looked up, "What happened?"

"Nothing," I said.

"Doesn't your hand hurt? You can stop the massage now." She said.

"No, it does not hurt." I lied.

She looked up and came to kiss me. Just a small kiss. I kissed her forehead after that and she took my hand off her and cuddled with me. "This feels so good," she mumbled. I smiled. It felt good for me too.

In a few minutes, Mia went to sleep. I was planning to go home after a while. But when I tried to get up, she held me down in her sleep. She sleepily complained about me leaving. So I stayed. I held her close... I thought I will go home after a while.

But then, sleep came to me as well...

Mia was in my arms. Her feel and her smell... Soft skin and soft breaths.

My eyes closed on their own... and I drifted off to sleep.

"Samaira...." I heard a yell and I jumped awake. I did not understand where I am for a second. Then I released that I was in Mia's room. Mr Agarwal was looking at us with an extremely angry face.

I jumped out of the bed at once. I am screwed.

Mia also sat up, looking confused.

"I am so sorry...." I told her dad. "She was unwell... I just came to check on her. I swear nothing happened."

"Shut up. Just shut up..." He yelled at me.

"Dad..." Mia said. "Don't overreact."

"I am overreacting?" He asked, "in my own house. In my little girl's bedroom... There is a boy."

Mia pushed the blanket off her and got up. "Dad I am not a little girl. And you know I am dating Shiva." She was not making this easy.

"I will leave at once," I said.

"How did you get in here in the first place?" He grunted at me.

"Eh..."

"I let him in," Mia crossed her arms.

"Mia..." I called her. Can she just not make this more complicated.

"Mia???" Her father screamed, "Mia? He calls you 'Mia'?"

Am I not supposed to? I know that it was something her mother used to call her. But she has never mentioned that her father calls her that. Just now as well he called her Samaira.

"Yeah. Why is that an issue?" Mia asked.

"Your mom called you that."

"Oh, really. I did not know that," she scowled.

"I will leave," I mumbled, "I mean, I can..." I tried to move.

"Stay where you are." Mr Agarwal grunted at me. I paused. "You two... break up at once. And you," he turned to me, "don't try to see my daughter ever again."

"What?" Mia yelled.

"I was tolerating this because I thought she will play with the boy for a while and then get bored out of him. But I am not tolerating guys like you in my house."

"Guys like him?" Mia stepped in front of her father. "What the hell do you mean?"

"You think I have not looked into the background of this boy? He has nothing... No parents, not even a house." He yelled.

I bit my lips. I knew things will come to this.

"Break up," Mr Agarwal yelled.

"Sorry, Sir..." I said. "I can't..."

Mia looked at me proudly.

"I would accept it if Mia breaks up with me. As you said, if she gets tired after playing around with me...and decides to dump me, then I will quietly back off. But I do not want to let an external element break us up."

"I am not going to break up with Shiva," Mia told her father.

He looked furious. "What do you see in this boy?" He yelled at her daughter. "Looks? I can give you guys that are 10 times better looking than this... Harsh is a better-looking guy. I thought you liked Harsh. Why is it not Harsh?" He seemed like he would not have reacted like this if he caught Harsh in Mia's room in the morning.

"He is... nice." She finally said, anti-climatically.

Mr Agarwal looked relieved. "This will end in a few months." He exhaled.

I did not like that though. I did not like to think that my feelings for Mia were so trivial that they will end in a few months. I had decided that she would be the second half of my life from now on. And I wanted to be the kind of guy who would not just fall in love but works to maintain that relationship.

"Sir," I addressed Mr Agarwal. "If it does not end in a few days... Even then, I won't let you down, sir. I will work and climb up the social ladder to reach a place where you feel I am the right choice for Mia." I said this with confidence. Even Mia looked at me. Mr Agarwal looked at me with interest.

"If I do not reach a place where I am not capable enough to take care of Mia, in every way... Financially included, I would not marry her ever. At that time you can marry her off to someone who you think is capable."

Mia looked at me with anger. "What the hell, Shiva?" She asked.

I looked at her "It is okay. Since I am going to make sure that I reach a place where your father accepts me."

She looked unsure and hesitant. Mr Agarwal looked interested.

"Do you promise that?" He asked.

"Yes," I said. "I would not marry her unless and until you approve of me."

"What is this DDLJ?" Mia scowled.

I chuckled.

"Fine..." Mr Agarwal said. "Date as much as you want to until then. But when the time comes, I will marry Samaira off to a guy I like."

"Over my dead body..." Mia scowled.

"Deal, sir..." I said.

He looked at me and nodded in approval. Mia scowled at me.

"Now get out of my daughter's room and my house." Mr Agarwal said. I nodded and walked out. Mia caught up with me. "What the hell was that?" She asked.

"Something that I have been thinking about for a while," I said.

We stopped outside the house. She looked hurt and sad and offended. So I cupped her cheek in my hands. "Look at me..." I said. She looked up... "I already told you how important you are to me. I am not letting you go. But I can't take you out of this castle-like house and put you in my tiny house. So I will marry you when I have earned enough money to give you a decent life." I said.

She considered that...

"You can just join our business..." She suggested.

"Hm... I can... But I want to do something of my own." I said. It was not an issue of pride or anything. I had always imagined making my own money. And I have to get independent and support my family, I mean Maushi and Kaka too. Even if they do not expect me to stick around, I want to prove them wrong.

"Did you not go away yet?" Her father came out of the front door. "Leave..."

"I will see you in college," I told her. She nodded. I walked off. She said bye to me.