Mohit left Shikha stunned in the kitchen, feeling elated and lighthearted. He reveled in the sight of Shikha's discomfort. Meanwhile, Shikha was deeply unsettled. She touched her cheek where Mohit had kissed her and felt a flush of embarrassment. Summoning her courage, she hesitated to enter the room.

Shikha thought to herself, What just happened? What did you do, Mohit? How can I face him now? What if he... no, no, no... Restless, she abandoned her task and chose to lie down on the couch instead.

Mohit, on the other hand, was eagerly waiting for Shikha, a smile playing on his lips. He enjoyed the thought of her being flustered. Where could she be? Did she run away? he mused.

When Mohit ventured into the living room, he found Shikha on the couch. She wasn't asleep but rather struggling to clear her mind of thoughts about Mohit. He approached her with a teasing smile.

"Why are you lying here?" Mohit asked.

Shikha sprang up nervously. "I... I..."

"What's with the 'I'?" Mohit teased, clearly enjoying her discomfort.

"I want to sleep here," Shikha mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

Mohit struggled to contain his laughter. "Why?"

"Just because," Shikha replied.

"Are you scared of me?" Mohit pressed, his voice playful.

"Yes... I mean, no... No way, I'm not scared of you. And why would I be scared?" Shikha stammered.

"Then why?" Mohit persisted.

"You go now... sleep there. I'll sleep here," Shikha said firmly.

Mohit was not having it. "Look, don't worry. I understand everything. Come on, let's go inside. I promise I won't do anything, I swear."

"No... I never said you would..." Shikha stammered, gulping.

"Haha, I know what you meant," Mohit said, draping an arm around her shoulder and guiding her towards the room. His touch sent a shiver down her spine.

"Mohit, let me be... I'm fine here," Shikha resisted, pulling away and returning to the couch. Mohit, unable to contain his amusement, headed to his room. Neither of them managed to sleep that night.

The next morning, Shikha crept into the room, hoping Mohit was still asleep. He was, so she quietly retrieved her clothes and headed to the bathroom. Mohit, waking to the sound, chuckled softly as he remembered the previous night. He emerged from the room, took a seat on the couch, and began reading the newspaper.

When Shikha finally came out, she was alarmed to find Mohit already awake. Oh God, he's up... what should I do? She quickly dressed and made her way to the kitchen. As she glanced sideways, she noticed Mohit watching her from the couch. She hurried into the kitchen, prompting Mohit to chuckle again. He stood up and followed her.

"Please, please, please, let him not come here... please," Shikha prayed silently.

Mohit walked past her to the room without a word. Shikha sighed in relief. Inside the room, Mohit thought, Avoid me as much as you want, Shikha Mohit Gupta. Let's see how long you can keep this up. Eventually, you'll have to come to me. He smiled devilishly.

After getting ready, Mohit sat at the dining table, waiting for breakfast. Shikha emerged from the kitchen, placing food on the table, and took the chair furthest from him. Mohit noticed and grinned. He served himself and passed a bowl to Shikha. As she reached for a jug of water, Mohit intentionally touched her hand. Shikha's eyes widened as Mohit smiled at her. She quickly pulled her hand away. Mohit poured the water and placed the glass in front of her. Shikha drank it in one gulp, feeling uncomfortable with the silence.

"So, did you sleep well?" Mohit asked.

Shikha nodded.

"Have you thought about what I asked you yesterday?" Mohit pressed.

Shikha, feeling nervous, made an excuse. "Mohit, I think my phone is ringing. Excuse me."

"But I don't hear anything," Mohit replied.

"How can you not hear it? It's ringing," Shikha insisted, rising and heading to the room. She paced back and forth, trying to calm herself.

Ten to fifteen minutes later, Mohit called out, "Shikha, are you done with your calls? We're getting late!"

"Coming!" Shikha rushed out and collided with Mohit. "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry."

Mohit gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's okay, sweetheart."

Shikha stepped back. "Let's go; we're running late."

"Sure, princess," Mohit replied.

In the car, Shikha thought, What is happening? Sweetheart? Princess? And that kiss... oh my God...

They arrived at the office, and Shikha quickly retreated to her floor, leaving Mohit alone in the parking lot. Mohit started laughing again. Both of them struggled to focus on their work, their thoughts consumed by each other.

Shikha wondered, You managed to escape today, but what about lunchtime? I'll just say I'm not hungry. But he doesn't eat without me. He didn't eat yesterday either. I'll have to go for lunch.

At 2:00 PM, Mohit messaged Shikha: "Come down, I'm hungry."

Shikha replied, "Hmmm... coming."

Mohit thought, Great, she's coming.

Shikha descended, feeling uneasy. She entered Mohit's cabin, where he greeted her with a smile that she returned with a forced one.

"Let's go," Mohit said.

They headed to the canteen for lunch.

"Why aren't you eating anything?" Mohit asked.

"I'm not hungry," Shikha replied.

"Why? You didn't have a proper breakfast today," Mohit pointed out.

"Just because," Shikha said.

"Shikha, eat something. You'll fall ill," Mohit urged.

"No," Shikha insisted.

Mohit prevailed, and she began eating.

"So, how's your day been so far?" Mohit inquired.

"It's good," Shikha responded.

"Are you sure?" Mohit pressed.

"Hmmm," Shikha nodded.

"You seem worried. You can tell me," Mohit teased.

"No, no way. I'm fine. Listen, I'm done. I'm going up," Shikha said, leaving abruptly. Mohit laughed.

Later, in the evening, Shikha waited for Mohit by the staircase, joined by Piyush and Kesha.

"Congratulations to both of you," Shikha said.

"Thanks, Shikha. You don't know how happy I am," Piyush replied.

"Thanks, Shikha," Kesha added.

Just then, Mohit arrived, wrapping his arm around Shikha's waist. She was taken aback and uncomfortable. He gave her a slight squeeze, causing Shikha to shiver.

"Hi, everyone," Mohit greeted.

"Hi, buddy. You were so busy today, we didn't even meet," Piyush said.

"Forget that. Congrats, man," Mohit replied.

"Thanks, I'm so happy," Piyush said.

"You should be," Mohit agreed.

"You guys should also plan for a baby," Piyush suggested.

Shikha was stunned and felt extremely shy. Mohit sensed her discomfort.

"We're already planning that," Mohit said, glancing at Shikha.

Shikha whispered angrily in his ear, "Don't you think you're going too far, Mohit?", Mohit smirked.

"Bye, guys," Piyush said as they departed.

Mohit said goodnight to everyone as they left, and soon he and Shikha were back home. They changed into their nightwear, and Shikha headed to the kitchen to make dinner alone. She didn't want Mohit's company. They ate in silence, the tension palpable. As Mohit was about to enter his room, he noticed Shikha heading towards the couch to sleep.

"Are you going to sleep here again tonight?" he asked, frustration evident in his voice.

"Yes... I sleep well here... you see..." Shikha offered another excuse.

Mohit had reached his limit. He approached her, his tone serious. "Shikha, listen to me. I'm not forcing you into anything. I know you're confused right now, which is natural. I just expressed my feelings. I never intended to make you uncomfortable. I'm sorry if I've hurt you. I don't like it when you sleep here. I promise I won't touch you... Is that what you're afraid of?"

Shikha was captivated by his sincerity. "Mohit... I need some time... I'm really confused..."

"Okay... But do you think avoiding me will resolve your confusion?" he asked.

Shikha shook her head.

"Then...? And besides, you can't avoid me forever. We're married. How long will you keep avoiding me? We live in the same house. So stop behaving like a child. Come and sleep in the room."

Mohit turned towards the room, then glanced back to find Shikha still standing there. "Shikha... Come on... You don't need to be afraid of me... Come... If you don't come, I'll have to carry you to the room... Think about it..."

Shikha smiled and followed him. They both lay down on the bed, with Mohit placing a pillow between them. "Here, take this..." he offered.

"No, Mohit, it's not like that..." Shikha tried to explain.

"I know how it is... Just sleep..." Mohit said, falling asleep quickly. Shikha, however, stayed awake for hours, wrestling with her feelings and uncertainty about her love for him.

___