As soon as Ira pushed the door open, Ehan composed himself. He stopped trying to free his arm from her hold and stood straight. Pulling his collar up, he took a deep breathe.

She walked in first, dragging him behind. He took a step in and felt nervous and only God knows why.

"There he is" she pointed at the bed and Ehan's eyes followed hers. His wide eyes narrowed as he found no one on the bed.

"Where?" He asked in a small voice, still looking around the tiny apartment.

"There" she pointed to the bed again, making his eyes travel towards the one she was pointing. There sat a toy, it's back facing them.

"This is my Hunny bunny" she walked to the bed and took the toy in her arms, turning it to show him.

"What?" He suppressed himself from yelling. His confused face turned into a twisted expression as he tried to understand what she meant.

"Why are you being so shocked?" She asked, looking at him like he has gone crazy.

"Your are kidding, aren't you?" He asked, not believing her.

"Not at all. What's wrong?" she kept the toy on bed, staring at him.

He released a huge breathe, looking elsewhere. He have no idea how to react. She stood silently observing him as he wiped his face with both the hands. He was feeling like laughing aloud, at the same time he felt stupid, so stupid to misunderstand the whole thing.

"Nothing" he mumbled with a puzzled face, looking at her Hunny bunny.

"Why are you looking at him like that?" She questioned, looking between him and Hunny bunny.

"Are you serious that this is your Hunny bunny?" He asked with sigh, pointing at the toy. His face clearly showing how shocked he was.

"Yes. This is my Hunny bunny" she replied proudly, taking the toy in her arms and hugging it tight.

He let out a breathe of relief, letting a small smile appear on his lips and he had to faced the other side to hide it.

"Honey bunny" he let out a small chuckle, suppressing his smile.

"It's not Honey, it's Hunny. Hunny bunny" she rectified, gesturing with her fingers as pointed the minute difference in the name.

"Why did you named it so? It's not even a bunny" he asked, wondering.

"I was a kid when I named him that" she bumped her head over her toy's as she replied to Ehan, lovingly looking at it.

Ehan leaned on the wall, a relief washing over his heart and mind. He don't know why he was being so affected by thinking that Ira have a boyfriend and she was sharing her apartment with him nor he knows why was feeling relieved after discovering the truth.

"Anyways, I'll go change. You please sit" Ira stood up, keeping Hunny bunny on bed and went to the cupboard.

Ehan walked near bed, his eyes looking at the teddy. As Ira opened the cupboard, every single clothe she stuffed inside fell over her. He moved at the sudden happen and his hand touched Hunny bunny, causing it to fall down. She removed the clothes from her and looked behind, her eyes went to the Hunny bunny who was kissing the ground.

"I'm sorry" Ehan was quick to bend and pick it up. For a second he felt like he dropped her baby and she was an angry mother.

She didn't reply but turned back and picked up all the clothes from the floor. she chose one and stuffed the other back in and closed the cupboard. Ehan kept looking at her, as she went to washroom to change.

As soon as the washroom door closed, he looked down at Hunny bunny. Taking seat on the bed, he chuckled, "Hunny bunny?" he picked it up with its ear, examining it from every angle.

"Things would have made sense if it was a dog atleast. But it's a toy" he commented, completely bewildered.

After he was done checking out Hunny bunny for the next couple of minutes, he looked around the room, which was too tiny. He wondered how Ira stays there.

His thoughts came to halt when the washroom door clicked open and Ira came out, changed and fresh. She was wearing a floral frock with plain red leggings. He usually sees her in uniform or in sweater or jacket. She looked different and more pretty in casual clothes.

"Let's go" she said, breaking his trance. He carefully placed Hunny bunny the way it was when they arrived and stepped out with her.

"Bye, Hunny bunny" she said, closing the door behind her. She glanced at Ehan, who was biting his inner cheek to stop smiling.

"I know you think I'm crazy" she said, locking the door. He didn't reply, but smiled looking elsewhere.

"You know, when I was a kid, I wanted to make a lot of friends. I wanted to talk to them, share my activities with them, laugh with them and hang out with them. But none of the kid wanted to be my friend"

"Why?" He couldn't help but asked. His smile was gone and seriousness occupied his face. They pressed the button and stood waiting for elevator.

"Most of the kids were left in the orphanage by someone. But I was found abandoned in a railways station. So, I was untouchable. Befriending me was a far away thing" she said and for the first time, she sounded serious.

Though it was a painful memory for her, a small sad smile was still playing on her lips.

"It's ridiculous" Ehan hissed, feeling her pain as his heart squeezed just by thinking of it. The elevator door opened and they both stepped in. Ehan kept looking at Ira, trying to find any trace of pain on her face.

"But I'm a strong girl, you know. I stopped trying to find a friend and befriended Hunny bunny. He became my best friend. The best quality of Hunny bunny is that he never gets bored nor he asks me to shut my mouth. I can go on talking to him and he would never say a word. He is my bestfriend" she giggled, joining her hands together.

Ehan smiled, just not knowing how to react. Whether to feel sorry for her or to appreciate the way she has handled things and herself.

"Talking to him makes me feel so good. I think you should try it as well" she suggested, making him chuckle and shake his head in negative.

---

"Wow! Your house is so big" Ira commented, looking around the cottage. Ehan gulped unknowingly, thinking how she'll react when she will come to know about his real house and status. He don't know why was even hiding things from her but he wanted the things to go on the way they were going.

"Amazing" She exclaimed, taking in the surrounding.

"Don't you feel lonely at this huge house?" She asked spreading her hands, pointing all around. Her question made him lower his gaze. Only if she knows, he has been living in a place ten times bigger than this house, all alone.

"How long have you been living here? I mean, how long it's been since your parents passed away?" She looked at him, expecting an answer, whilst Ehan was completely blank. He had no answer for any of her question.

He lowered his eyes, his fingers rubbing eachother. As Ira remembered what happened last time when she tried to bring up the topic of his parents' death, she quickly apologized, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ask that"

He nodded, thankful that she didn't compel him to answer.

"Shall we sit here?" She asked, pointing at the sofa.

"Yes" he opened his mouth for the first time after stepping into the house. Ira sat on the sofa and kept her bag on the coffee table. Ehan took a seat across her and pulled out the old answer sheets from his bag.

"Here. Have a look at it. You can present the papers this way" he forwarded the sheets to her. She took that from his hand and carefully looked at it.

"Wow! You are great in everything. I'll try to present my papers exactly this way"

"It's just an idea. You can do better than this".

They both started discussing some other tips and tricks about studies. Ira was mostly clearing her doubts and Ehan answering her patiently. In no time, the sky began to turn dark.

"I'll turn on the lights" Ehan said, standing up. He looked all around them, observing every wall for the switch board.

"Ehan, what are you looking for?" Ira asked, finding him look like a lost puppy.

"Switches" he replied absentmindedly.

"Are you sure it's your house?" She stood up, frowning at him. Her question caught him off guard and he turned to face her with a shocked face.

"Of... ofcourse, it's mine" he answered almost immediately, stuttering.

"Then why are you searching for switches? Aren't you suppose to know where it....?" Ira said, looking around. She was cut off when Ehan thankfully found the switch bored behind her and turned on the lighs.

To make her forget about it and stop her before she would bombard him with more questions, he asked, "Are you hungry? I'm gonna grab something for myself. Do you need something?"

"Yes. I'll come with you".

"No. You stay here. Just tell me what do you want. I'll go, get it"

"My favourite chips and lollipop" she excitedly answered. He rolled his eyes and said, "Why do you always eat those unhealthy chips? Go for something healthy"

"That's the cheapest and tasty as well" she licked her lips as she answered. Taking out the purse from her bag, she took out some money. She forwarded the it to him. He looked at her for a couple of seconds and hesitantly took the money from her. She sat back, taking the book in her hands to read as he made his way out.

He was back after few minutes. They had snacks together and studied until it was dinner time.

---

"I love the food Lily cooks. She's just amazing. Nothing could be compared to that taste" Ira commented clapping her hands as they made their way out of a small diner after having dinner.

"Yup! She really is amazing" Ehan agreed, pocketing his hands. A comfortable silence engulfed them as they kept moving with each other by their side, looking ahead with a smile.

"Thank you" Ira broke the silence after inhaling a huge breathe as she smiled whole heartedly.

"For?" Ehan kept his eyes fixed ahead, smiling as well.

"For helping me with the job. I have plenty of time to study and rest now"

"With Hunny bunny, ofcourse" Ehan teased, looking at her from the corner of his eyes.

"Yes. Now I could tell him all the things I didn't had time share earlier" she giggled.

As if she realised something, she turned to him and asked, "How have you been living without having anyone by your side to share your feelings? Don't you feel the need to speak to someone, who would atleast listen to you, if not reply?"

"It was difficult since the beginning, even when I was with Mom and Dad. Nobody had time to listen. I was left with no other option but to learn to keep things to myself" his tone changed as he recalled the time he used to wait for the whole day, to meet his parents and tell them about his school activites, but at the last, he ends up falling asleep waiting for them. Those memories were still afresh and painful.

Ira looked at his face, which was reflecting the pain he kept hidden for years. She could understand how he would have felt, at the same time, she couldn't understand what he meant by 'nobody had time to listen'.

Instead of questioning him about it, she said, "Don't you worry, now you have me. You can always talk to me about anything to everything. I'll listen to you no matter what, I promise" the truthfulness in her voice warmed his heart and the innocence of her face made his senses go numb for a moment. All he could feel and see then was Ira and himself, the rest of the world disappeared.

"And for the things you think you couldn't share with me, share it with any of your old toys. Trust me, you'll feel amazing" he chuckled at her childish suggestion. The way she speaks every time, her hands moving in air and her expressions changing with every word she says, was making her look irresistibly cute.

He faked thinking and nodded as yes, just to make her smile even wider.

"Great" she clapped her hands, flashing him a cheeky smile.

"Good night" she waved at him, taking steps back towards her building and he waved back, pulling his hands out of his pockets.

She went inside and he made his way back home, smiling all the way.

---

Throwing himself on bed, Ehan looked at the ceiling.

"This is my Hunny bunny"

He couldn't control smiling at the memory of meeting Ira's Hunny bunny. He seriously thought he was gonna meet her boy friend but it turned out to be her teddy. He let out a chuckle, rubbing his forehead. He felt stupid to think that way, at the same time, he couldn't help but feel satisfied.

He sat up with a jolt as soon as he remembered about Ira's suggestion of talking to the old toys.

"Old toys?" He recalled the days he used to play with toys.

"Bat man?" He clicked his finger and jumped out of bed. Making his way to the cupboard, he rummaged through a few things at the last cabinet. When he didn't found the thing he was looking for, he made his way out.

Turning on the lights on the way, he pushed opened the store room. There were several things inside, most of it was the electronics Ehan tried his hands on. He opened the corrugated boxes one by one, comfortably sitting on the cold floor. After a few boxes, he found the one which contained his childhood memories; his old but still new looking toys.

He turned the box upside down, making all the things fall down. He took the remote control car, smiling at it. He was the happiest person on Earth when his Dad brought him that. He thanked him millions of times to finally considering his presence and brining him something. Not like he didn't had toys to play but it was the first time his Dad got him something. It was an other thing that he was given that car because his brother didn't accept that as his present and he needed something bigger.

He took things one by one, some were broken and some were still new, wrapped with plastic. One particular toy he was looking for was his batman. He used to play with it while waiting for his parents to come back home from office. He remembered falling asleep with that by his side. He even brought that with him when he was sent to boarding school. But as he grew up, he was bored is playing with it and end up dumping in storeroom with other toys.

"Should I try it as well?" He asked himself, scrunching his nose.

Considering Ira's suggesting and wanting to know how does it feel to share his feeling with someone for the first time, he sat straight making the toy stand infront of him.

Though he was only one in his whole house, he looked at his sides, making sure no one's watching him.

"Hi, Batman. How are you?" He asked in a small voice, trying to smile. But he couldn't smile at the plastic toy infront. Still, he continued, "I know you must be upset and angry...."

"Aah! This is silly" he dropped the toy, groaning.

"Why am I even considering such a childish suggestion? Ira is crazy. She could do anything. But what's wrong with me?" He asked looking at now lying Batman.

"I'm going crazy" he palmed his face, chuckling at himself.

---

Assalamualaikum everyone,

Did you missed me? I missed you all ❤️

How was the chapter?

How was Ehan's reaction when he met Hunny bunny?

Do you think Ehan is gonna keep up with Ira's misunderstanding of him being poor and an orphan?