Sometime in the past she had read it somewhere. You don't panic once you understand the game.

However, in her case, she was prone to panic because most of the time she couldn't understand the game men play. There was this anxiety always gnawing at the back of her mind whenever she tried to read between the lines or came too close to understanding the real motive.

Living inside Ishani taught her a valuable lesson from a very young age. The more you stayed self-absorbed, the more peaceful your mind would be. The moment you got involved with a member's issue, that inner symphony inside you would fly out of the window.

And now that she was involved not just with her brother's problem but her brother's rival's problem as well, she was seeing black stars dancing in front of her eyes.

Ritu rolled her eyes and huffed.

When she asked to have a private word with Jai, naturally she was questioned. But Ritu was adamant about doing it before they could discuss it any further. So, now they were standing in front of their backyard garden entrance. She especially chose the garden because there weren't any CCTV cameras inside the garden. She couldn't trust them. Especially her father. That old man was crooked to the core. She had seen his worst side and couldn't unsee it no matter how much wiser she'd become in the future. Because she had proof! She had thought about it several times, and every time she received only one answer. He was a stalker. To his own wife.

God! That sounds so wrong.

But growing up, she had noticed that every time her mother had any kind of difficulties, miraculously her father was the first person to be aware of it, no matter where he was present during that time. There was no explanation for this. So, quite obviously, Ritu concluded he had installed some hidden cameras to observe his wife's every action.

She and Gyan took to their hands to find out the locations of the cameras when they were teenagers. So far, they found out 39 total cameras inside the villa and 8 outside of it. Most of them were installed in the right wing. Because that's where most of their rooms were. Three bedrooms belonging to the three of them were spared. But they didn't have the heart to accept when they realized only 16 of them covered the rest of the villa while the remaining cameras' locations were limited to three specific rooms only.

Ritu recoiled internally and shook her head. She felt embarrassed to even have the thought crossing her mind.

Back to reality, Ritu!

She turned and noticed Jai was eyeing the entrance of the garden. It wasn't huge, but it definitely had the ability to catch the attention of anyone.

The wrought-iron gate arched gracefully, framed by a cascade of climbing jasmine and moonflower vines. Their delicate white blooms seemed to glow softly in the night, reflecting the warm amber light from the nearby standing cape lights. The moonflowers, large and star-shaped, unfurled fully in the dark, exuding a sweet, intoxicating fragrance that mingled with the jasmine in the summer air.

Ritu broke the silence. "Come."

Jai shifted his eyes to her and nodded. He looked so handsome today. He had even shaved. Oh—she faltered in her thoughts.

Ritu averted her eyes from him and blushed a little, but it was gone in a split moment when she realized they were having a serious situation right now. She couldn't act like that. She caught a hold of her emotions and marched forward holding her head high. Jai followed her quietly.

Their garden wasn't huge but big enough to have both flowering and fruit-bearing plants. The area was just beside the swimming pool. A narrow stone slab path stretched from the entrance and straight to the boundary wall of Ishani. Alongside the path, a medley of flowering plants painted the scene with vibrant summer colors. Cosmos, marigold, rose, portulaca, petunia. Even there was a portion for especially sunflowers. There were all colors of hibiscus plants and a few camellias too. To the right there was a small nursery with all sorts of exotic flowers unknown to her. A few clusters of pink bougainvillea decorated the wooden mesh standing at the left side of the sidewalk, just beside the swimming pool. Creepers like Bleeding Heart and Thunbergia climbed fences and arched over wooden posts, their tendrils curling around the wooden supports. The air was sweet and thick with the mingling fragrances of jasmine, tuberoses, and gardenias, which had fully bloomed under the night sky.

"This is so beautiful," Jai commented once they reached the garden fountain right in the middle. Water trickled from it softly, its sound steady and comforting to the ears.

"Yes, I know." Ritu agreed. "This garden was made by Maa personally. She planted every plant with her own hands." She looked at Jai and saw him eyeing around the place with mesmerizing eyes. There was a subtle calmness shrouding his face. She added without looking away from him. "Maa once told me. There was someone close to my Papa in the past. He used to love gardening a lot. All sorts of exotic plants, along with the seasonal ones... he had every collection of plants. This garden was originally made in his remembrance." She paused momentarily before saying quietly, "His name was Jai."

Jai turned his head around and fixated his gaze on her. They held each other's gaze for a while in silence before he asked, "Where is he now?"

Ritu blinked and averted her gaze toward the peonies. "He died while saving Papa."

Jai didn't ask why or what happened. He simply waited for her to continue patiently.

After a while, Ritu looked at him again. "There isn't any seating arrangement inside the garden. Maa prefers it this way."

"It's alright. I'm used to standing most of the time of my day. So, it's not even a..." He couldn't finish before Ritu interrupted, "Are you thinking of agreeing to this?"

Jai blinked softly and averted his gaze with a soft smile. "Don't you want me to?"

Ritu tsked. "Jai, I had no idea they'd be so..."

"Business-minded?" Jai completed her sentence.

"No. Unapologetically shrewd." Ritu looked ahead. Her eyes fell on the white Brahma Kamals (Queen of the Night). The night air was fragrant with various smells coming from the freshly bloomed flowers.

Jai put his hands inside his jeans' pockets and stared at her. "Ritusha?" he called her softly.

"Hmm?" Her eyes didn't stray from the flowers as she fidgeted with the tassels of her skirt.

Jai tilted his head slightly, watching her with that unshakable calmness he always carried. "Do you want me to refuse your father's offer?"

Ritu's gaze didn't waver from the blooming Brahma Kamals, their pristine white petals illuminated under the soft glow of the garden lights. "It's not about what I want," she murmured. "But what I see. And I see you're walking straight into his trap." She shook her head several times, pondering the possibilities of the negative outcomes. "You don't understand, Jai. My father is... too calculating. And this is not a collaboration." Her voice dropped lower. "He isn't just asking for a favor; he is trapping you into his web! I cannot let that happen. You already have too much on your plate, and I don't want to add to it," she continued in a single breath. "You're the only one the kids are dependent on right now. If something happens to you while dealing with these dangerous works, where will they go? No, no! No! I absolutely condemn this collaboration." She started shaking her head vigorously while rambling on. "I don't want you to lose yourself in their games. This isn't a normal business deal! Of course I want Dadabhai out of this mess. But I'll not trade his life with yours. Oh Krishna! Jai, you don't understand! It's... it's like a chessboard. And you're becoming just another pawn. No! No! You must not..."

She would've continued her rambles for a while longer if not for the next events, which took her by surprise and silenced her in a quick breath.

Jai caught her by both of her arms and turned her around to face him. "Sshhh! Sshh!" His eyes were downcast, but he was standing too close to her now. The suddenness of his action made her stop breathing. She stared at him with an unwavering gaze while the places he held her started sizzling under his touch. The warmth seeping from his hands caused her to feel disoriented for a moment. Until he raised his eyes and looked straight into her eyes.

The soft glow of the garden lights pooled in them, almost making them look like molten gold. Had they always been this pretty? The string lights above them caused light and shadows to dance across his sharp features. The tension in the air was unmistakable. The heat of the summer, although heavy on her skin, the gentle breeze from the plants around them cooled down her anxiety. The faint sound of water trickling from the fountain filled the silence between them.

Not just the sound of the water, there was another sound that was beating loudly in her ears. Her erratic heartbeat. She wondered if he could hear it too.

Jai, on the other hand, looked too calm. He didn't say anything for quite some time. His eyes, however, were fixed on hers like they saw something deeper she was trying to hide. The light shimmered in his irises, casting shades of honey and molten gold. It wasn't fair—how someone could look so steady, so composed, while she felt like the garden around them was spinning. She could feel her ears turning hot; they might have colored by now. Her pulse thundered, warning her to get a hold of herself. But she couldn't look away. She couldn't even move under his intense gaze.

It felt like she was drowning in the ocean of honey. So unfair! So infuriating!

Jai's eyes softened while a faint smile appeared on his lips. "So, you're afraid for my safety?"

She gulped without breaking the eye contact and countered softly, "Why should I not? Do you have anyone else who has your back?"

Jai smiled and looked down while taking his hands off her arms.

Damn it! Why was she missing them already? She bit her lower lip before adding, "You don't have to do this."

He didn't respond but buried his hands in his pockets again and walked toward the bushes of tuberoses alongside the walkway and stopped where the bushes met the evening primroses.

"What are these?" he asked, looking at the yellow flowers.

Ritu followed his gaze and answered, "Evening primroses."

"Aren't primroses pink?"

Ritu walked over to him. "Primroses are of various colors. But evening primroses are yellow. Different family. These are edible. The other ones are not."

"Oh? Really?" Jai seemed genuinely interested. But her satisfaction was quickly replaced by disappointment when he asked, "Can I eat them now?"

She shifted her gaze on him in disbelief while making a face. Jai noticed that and chuckled lightly.

He said after a while, "I'll do it," grabbing Ritu's attention right away. "Not because I'm pressured by your father, but I want to get to the root of it." His voice was steady.

She stared at him, her chest heavy with conflicting emotions. "You might get hurt in the process," she whispered.

Jai gave her a soft, almost reassuring look. "I have survived worse."

"But this... is just another trap!" She tried again.

"Then I'll dismantle it from the inside." His resolve was still firm.

Those words did something inside her. Something she couldn't quite recognize. The next events unfolded on their own without her realizing what she was doing. Before she could stop herself, her hand lifted, hovering just away from his face. "Watch this," she murmured softly. Her voice, although unsteady, had a hint of pride in it.

Jai's brows curled in brief confusion, but he obliged, turning his head slightly to look at her hand. And in that fleeting moment, she moved, tiptoeing and leaning in, her heart pounding like a drumbeat in her ears. Before she could second-guess herself, she pressed a kiss to his right cheek, the faintest brush of her lips lingering for a moment before she pulled away. The world around them seemed to fall silent. The distant hum of the garden's fountain and the rustling of leaves faded into nothingness. Her cheeks burned while her chest heaved with a mix of exhilaration and embarrassment, unsure of what his reaction might be.

~~~

Author's note: And that's how we get the flowers and kisses! XD Don't forget to vote! :) And if you have come this far, then please help me reach 400 followers. It'll make me really happy.