“So by the hell, you meant the terrace of your home?” Angvir asked while sitting on the ground of the terrace. It wasn't made of marble. It was a terrace made of cement. The cracks showed it's old age. And Aara was in no financial position to renovate her parents' home.

“Yes, this is my hell.” Boldness was out of her character. However, at that moment it was the word to describe her. Because she had her head rest against his shoulder and arms wrapped around his torso.

“A home is heaven, not hell.” He argued.

“That's true, till the time you have a family. When you are alone, the memories of your family connected to your home start haunting you.”

“So your home haunts you?”

“It does. When I enter the kitchen, it reminds me of my Mumma cooking. When I enter the bedroom, it reminds me of the weird noises I used to hear at night, my parents having sex unaware that their daughter is literally pulling her hair out in awkwardness.”

“You should have moved somewhere else. Maybe with your relatives.”

“I did. I did move to my uncle's house.”

“And?”

“They started manipulating me into getting married. So I returned, to live on my own.”

“Hmm.” He sighed in disappointment.

“I am okay with living here all alone. With the memories of my happy past. But the neighbours have got more nosy. They'd be visiting, again and again, to put salt on my wounds. And when you couple of times dropped me home, the women of the neighbourhood came to give me a long lecture. You are going on the wrong path. It's a shameful act. Think about your dead parents. You are earning sins. And what not. Why don't they mind their own business? I am damn sure, when you'll leave the house, they will come again to tell me how shameless I am.”

“Then tell them that we are friends. Or just say that we are relatives. Your mother's sister's son.”

“Lying isn't my cup of tea. Why don't you tell them that by yourself?”She wasn't serious while saying so. She simply wanted to end the conversation because she was drowsing.

“Alright, I will.” And he was serious while saying so.

“Okay.” And she closed her eyes to let sleep embrace her. She was at peace. After a long time, she slept in the warmth of a body. And he was more than happy to do that. He was sitting on the uncomfortable floor, making his butt ache. But he still didn't move. He didn't want to. Because he was afraid he will disturb her sleep. And he very well knew she didn't have a nice sleep in months.

So he just wrapped his arms around her and put his head softly against hers. And tried to sleep. Because the next day he has to do something about her neighbours.

🤍🤍🤍

“Ang, wake up. Let's go downstairs. You can sleep in my parents' bedroom if you want to sleep more.”

Ang, in his half-asleep state, managed to go downstairs with Aara by his side. She guided a sleepy him to her parent's bedroom. Once the bed came into his view he jumped over it to get some more sleep.

“You'll get late for the office, Ang.” She tried to remind him that he isn't a college boy to do sleepovers at his friend's home. He has a company to run. But to no avail, he was fast asleep again.

She smiled and caressed his hair, but the doorbell ruined her moment.

“Must be the gossiping aunties of the neighbourhood.” She rolled her eyes because she knew what will happen. And she was going to hate that.

🤍🤍🤍

As expected the aunties saw her and Angvir just a while ago when they woke up and came downstairs.

And they began with their chant of having some laaj-sharam.

They were three in total. Three of them kept talking simultaneously. No one was willing to stop. So Aara just focused on the ticking of the wall clock. Because she couldn't understand a word even if she wanted to.

“Aara.” Ang came out of the room for her rescue.

Seeing him, all the three aunties went silent.

Aara sighed in relief at the silence and looked at Angvir.

“Namaste, who are you all, by the way?” He greeted them with tonnes of sugar in his voice.

Just looking at his appearance made it clear that he belonged to a wealthy family. So the women forget the drama they came to enact. And widely grinned at the young man.

“We are Aara's neighbours. We came to check up on her.” One of them told.

Liars!

Aara wanted to do something. Something like hitting a vase on the heads of each of them. But she let Ang handle them.

“Oh, I am Angvir Mehrotra. Aara's fiance.”

Busted was the word to describe her reaction.

“Aara, why don't you prepare some tea and snacks for them? Ask for help if you need it, okay?”

She glared at him before disappearing into the kitchen.

“Please take your seats, ladies.” He asked politely.

The three women immediately jumped on couches with their wicked faces still holding wide ugly grins.

Ang sat on a one-seater couch opposite them.

“We never heard about you earlier.” One of them asked.

“Yeah, we wanted to keep it a secret. Actually, I belong to a wealthy family and media is always behind us. So it was needed to keep it this way. But we are engaged since Aara turned eighteen. Our fathers were school friends. It was their wish to get us married.”

“Oh, do you know she stays out for long at night?” One of them tried to, you know, do some vamp-ish thing.

“I do know about that. She is with me during most of her evenings. At my home, with my parents and siblings, to be exact.”

“Oh, is that why she comes home late?”

“Yeah, sometimes my family and sometimes her studies and job.”

“When are you two getting married? We will be invited, right?”

“Of course! But we aren't going to marry till Aara completes her studies. In my family degree matters more than cooking skills. We have a standard to follow. And Aara is just perfect. Ambitious and independent. But there are people always creating obstacles in her path. They say she's on the wrong path. How disgusting these people are.”

The three kept nodding their heads at his words not understanding that he was talking about them only.

“They start making assumptions about her having affair when in reality she's just spending quality time with her future husband who in turn is trying to help her get out of her trauma. But those idiots just don't mind their own business.”

“You are right.” One of them agreed.

“Then why all of you don't stop interfering in her life? She has lost her family. And you are not helping her situation. Your interference is only making it worse. Stop disturbing her with your middle-class nonsense. And if you didn't take my words seriously, you'll see me tackling three of you and your families in my businessman manner and trust me, you don't want that. Now leave before she comes.”

And the aunties fled. To save their middle-class lives.

Ang smirked and leaned back on the couch.

“I heard it. All of it.” Aara came out of the kitchen and sat where the three aunties sat earlier.

“How?” He asked.

“Middle-class households don't have soundproof walls.”

“Oh.” That was all he could say.

“What's with this whole fiance plot? You could have told them you are my cousin.”

“I don't want you to Brother Zone me. Even if it's a lie.” His words left her flabbergasted.

“And what does that mean?” She looked at him with unblinking eyes, still caught in surprise. And not able to understand the meaning behind his words.

“I don't know. I need to leave.”

And he left the house immediately. Avoiding any further inquiry on this Brother Zone thing. He didn't know why he said it. He only knew that whatever he said, it was true.

•••

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Finally Romance Begins!!!