She was the type to fall in love with the moon,
and everything that was beautifully,
unreachable.
_____________________

Manzar's POV

"I called Veer and informed him about our location."
Rudra informed me as soon as I stepped out of their bedroom in a fresh pair of clothes.

Anusha's outfit was a bit big for me. She is tall.

"The line was too disturbed due to the weather, so I asked him to inform Seher as well."
I nodded.

"Right, about the weather, it will take about 36 hours for the sky to clear and 48 for the roads to open, you both need to wait till then, we'll drive you back as soon as everything gets fine." Siddharth assured.

Both Siddharth and Rudra were sitting on the dining table talking when I met them, Bebe and Anusha were in the kitchen getting dinner set.

I nodded once again at them and decided to join the ladies.

I turned and almost bumped with Anusha,
"I'm sorry."

"You almost destroyed my favourite dish."
Bebe whined from behind.

All laughed, while I pouted,

"It's okay, she is just kidding. Come let's eat." Anusha said noticing my face
.
.
.

15 minutes past, still on dining table I found myself in dilemma whether to ask or not?

I looked at Siddharth, he was a bit intimidating and somewhat I found him scary... so no not him.

He seems like someone who cares for only his near and dear ones, a strange dominating air around him, eyes sharp whenever he look at someone yet melt down in front of Anusha.

Then my eyes rested on Anusha, who don't speak much but smiles often, a small adorable smile.

Warmth in her eyes, but she is someone who can get everything out of your system within seconds, leaving you totally vulnerable in front of her, yet her own feelings remain captive. She doesn't look like a woman who let herself out to someone so easily. The woman ask for efforts- a lot of them.

"Do you want something, Manzar?"
Anusha asked in her sweet but insisting voice

See! I told you.

"No...um I am fine."
I said shaking my head, everyone was looking at me, Rudra touched my leg with his in a reassuring way. He is there for me, it says.

"It's okay, don't be shy."
She mouthed smiling and looked down, concentrating back on her food.

I turned to look at Rudra, who creased his forehead and nodded asking me

I bit my lip and rubbed my fingers, looking back at Anusha

"Actually, I washed my and Rudra's clothes, was wondering where to hang them to dry?"

Silence.

No one spoke for 5 good seconds, until Bebe snickered.

I turned to look at her, horrified.

"Oh... bache."
Anusha cooed

Everyone laughed accept Anusha, who just grinned.

"You could've asked me earlier... it's fine, let's eat dinner first then I will take you."

Embarrassed I nodded lamely, Rudra rubbed my head smiling,

"You are too cute." He whispered near my cheek almost as if kissing.

.
.

"It's too late. I am going to sleep."
Bebe said rubbing her palms together getting up from the kitchen's centre table.

I and Anusha were washing dishes, Rudra and Siddharth were in the living room.

Siddharth's face was familiar and now I know why, I've seen his interviews in a few magazines and TV channels. He is a businessman, the owner of famous Khanna steel industries.

Anusha is the Head Physiotherapist in a known Hospital in Delhi, her job suits her personality.

They have 2 twin kids, Sridha and Ahansh, both just started schooling, Sridha is a hyper excited child where Ahansh is a silent one, but both are trouble makers. As I am informed.

Anusha was rinsing the dishes while talking on the phone, I was wiping the dishes dry,

"It's okay Suru, Bhaia didn't mean to hurt her, he will say sorry to her, okay?"

She made a click sound,
"Sridha stop crying, you are troubling your naani a lot these days. I will tell Shekhar mama to not to take you to park for a week."
She threatened

"No buts! Stop troubling your naani."

She sighed and looked at me mouthed "kids!"
I blinked smiling.

She pulled the phone out of her ear and turned to look at me completely,
"It will take me time to talk some sense into them, do me a favor join them outside, you will get bore here. Besides the dishes are almost done."

"Okay!"

She need to do some scolding I feel, her expression said it all.

I walked into the living area,
"Hey!"
I called and sat opposite to the couch they both were settled

"I heard you are a lawyer?"
Siddharth asked me, his eyes looked like peering into my soul

"Yes, actually almost everyone in my family is."

he nodded

"Good! Which firm you work for? Or are you an indepen..."

"I work with my father, in his law firm. Saini law house."

"I see."

"Where do you guys live in Delhi?"

"Sainik Farms"

"Aurobindo place."

Both Ridra and I said at the same time, causing Siddharth's eyebrows to rise, he looked suspicious.

But he smiled, not asking anything further,
"My in-laws live in Sainik farms too."

I smiled weakly, seems like we are busted.

I looked at Rudra who was busy digging holes in the expensive carpet beneath our feet.

Siddharth might have noticed the tension in the air, he laughed patting Rudra's shoulder, he said,

"I think you guys need to figure few things out, and I need to join my wife before she turns into Mother India."

With a sigh he walked out.

Rudra looked at me.

I looked at Rudra.

I looked down, and a smile broke out.

He too chuckled.

He sighed still smiling,
"Busted, I suppose?"

I nodded still smiling.

"One is an observer and the other interrogator."
He said whistling slightly and leaned further backwards on the sofa.

"I need to call Seher, Rudra."

"That you do. She was worried and now must be angry." He said looking at the ceiling probably the heaven wards

"She will kill me."

"Hundred percent."
He said smiling at me now.

He lend his hand in front of me, smiling I took it and he pulled me beside him.

He ran a hand through my head,
"You will call her and talk to her calmly. No screaming or shouting, no matter how much she... barks."

I hit on his chest,
"Hey! That's my sister you are talking about."

He laughed rubbing his chest.

"She still barks!"

I hit him again. "Shut up!"

"Oww" he rubbed his chest.

I made a face and then my eyes rested on the TV, too bad it's storming and no network or else I would be watching My Jon Snow.

I yelped when suddenly I was crushed into a hug, "I love you!"

I laughed hitting his arms, "I can't breathe."

"As if I care" he scoffed tightening his hold around me,

I gasped hitting him again.

He started swinging back and forth with me still in his arms,
"I am never letting you go again."

"Excuse me, it was you who went out."

"Same thing!"

I pinched his sides, he scoffed again,
"You've grown violent!" still clutching me tightly

"Always been."
But couldn't hide the smile growing wider by seconds

He kissed me on the cheek soundly,
"I couldn't agree more."

I opened my mouth wide,
"You called me violent again."

And bumped my head with his

My cheeks are hurting from smiling this much.
"Ow... you just agreed to it too."
He said rubbing his head with mine

We were still swinging back and forth in each other's arms,
"Still that doesn't give you the permission to call me violent... that too twice."
I said hitting his sides.

Even I don't know what I am talking.

He laughed, "You don't need to know what is coming out of your mouth when I am with you, just talk. I love your voice. I love everything you say."

"I said that out loud?"

"You did."
I felt him nodding.

He kissed my ear, I shrugged my shoulder to side, the tingling was too much to take in.
I felt his smile against my cheek.

I buried my face in his neck, felt his throat moving up and down against my nose, smiling I kissed it.

He tightened me in his grip.

"Manzar" he called huskily

I kissed him again, loving the effect I caused. "Hmm"

Someone coughed, my eyes grew wide like saucers

"I am surrounded by lovers!"
she shouted laughing

We pulled back and I pushed Rudra almost 2 feet apart, near the other end of the sofa.
He looked at me, shocked by my strength and then at Bebe, who was laughing hysterically.

Behind her Anusha was cherry red, looking somewhere, particularly nowhere and Siddharth was all flushed and was busy scratching his nape.

Both of their hair messy and clothes tousled.

Caught in the act, I suppose!

Bwahahahah!

"I know, that is too rude of me to walk in like this, but I am an old hag and was thirsty."
She explained suppressing her laugh, both Anusha and Siddharth looked at us but before we could make an eye contact the couple evaded their eyes.

Rudra was sitting on the sofa like an ideal kid, facing the TV in front and his back to Bebe, hands intertwined in front like he did nothing and I was sitting sideways, facing Rudra's side.

"I would like to use a sentence which goes perfectly with the situation of people in this house, GET A ROOM."
and then she burst out laughing

Anusha walked somewhere probably their bedroom, soon followed by a laughing Bebe, Siddarth tucked his hands in his pockets, his hair all messy and t-shirt turned sideways
he said,
"You two can use the spare bedroom, far left to the corridor, we will be in our bedroom if you need anything."

He licked his lips, embarrassed and nodding lamely without looking at us, walked out.

Wide eyed I turned to Rudra who was now looking at me already,
"Goodnight."

I called first and walked in the direction I was told to, without looking back.

Geez!
.
.
.
.

I woke up, when I felt a pair arms hugging me, my eyes wide open.

My eyes rested on Rudra beside me on the bed, hugging the life out of me.

Maybe I am exaggerating but I loved it for sure.

I was feeling him breathing slow, the warmth of his breathe and body that he was radiating was burning my insides, I wanted the night to stay paused.

The burn I had, only he was the cure for that. I knew.

I wanted him to heal me, I wanted him to stay like this with me-only if he wasn't sleeping. I had this strange ache in me which he was mitigating; it was like he was touching all the desired landscapes.

He hummed in his sleep and smiled burring his face in my neck; involuntarily I smiled to, no matter how ticklish I was.

I was too occupied with my ecstasy to react.

Shyness came flooding when I felt his nose nuzzling the sensitive area of neck, I imagined us on this bed bare.

No boundaries separating us.

Call me desperate that was the only all I was thinking. Setting my face properly near him, I smiled. I played with his hair, staring at the ceiling smiling like a creep.

Like what I did made him happy he hummed something again and kissed my neck, I stiffened.

Its...

Ok!

I looked down at him, I wasn't prepared this time.

The little warmth over my skin bought me to a world where my mind left me. The lingering of his soft lips over my sensitive spot got me all mushy
And just like that when his right hand started caressing my side slowly going up under my shirt, rubbing the under skin of my breast, I lost it.
Not in a bad way, to say the least.

"Ru..."

His eyes opened wide, must have felt my stiffness or maybe heard my gasp.

Horrified he looked at me, "Shit!"

He cursed once and stared at me for a second.

I blinked, once

Twice

He sat up straight, all frustrated, pulled his hand out and started his chain of curses,

"Shit! Shit! Shit!"
raking his hands through his hair

He threw the blanket off him, when I saw it.

"Don't go"

yet he didn't stop

I held his hand, "Wait! You are hurt."

He turned looking at me and then his elbow, where my eyes were.

"Just some lacerated skin, that's it."
He tried shrugging off my grip from his hand

"I need to leave the room, Manzar."

"I don't want you to."
I said looking him in the eye.

He opened his mouth to say something when I cut him off.

"I am not listening anything."
Started getting up, brushing past his rigid stature
I walked out of the room, into the living area, it was still dark outside. I looked at the wall clock it was just 3 a.m.

I pulled out the tube of antiseptic from the first aid kit we had in the bag and walked back in.

I saw him standing still in the same posture, eyes looking somewhere and mind wandering everywhere.

"sit!" I said

He looked at me, I gestured him to sit on the bed walking upto him, he was standing still looking at me, all lost and confused.

I smiled internally.

He was lucky that he was in a situation to show his confusion and frustration, the embarrassment from his side was totally understandable and visible, but what about me.

I accepted it.

Everything.

I could've stopped him, the very first time when he hugged me or even kissed my neck, but I didn't.

More than him it was me who was in need to understand what just happened.

I walked closer to him, my heart was beating loud in my chest. I was afraid maybe he could hear it.

We stood just few centimetres apart, eyes locked and faces flushed. I clenched my teeth and pushed him by shoulders to make him sit,
"I need you to show me your elbow or any other wound... or lacerations you call it."

I said ignoring the fact his breath was fanning my cheek and neck. I looked at him through my periphery and he moved his head back.

I applied some antiseptic cream on his wound and looked at him,
"Anywhere else?"

He looked at me longer then cleared his throat, "No."
It was a firm reply to call me leave yet pulled me closer.

"Even if there is, you are not going to tell me."
I scoffed

He was staring at his lap and then turned to look at his now nursed elbow laceration.

I stood there biting my lip in confusion, whether to kiss him or to hug him or do something even bolder.

I went for the third option.

After all it was me who accepted that all, wanted this all. It was in my nature to ask for more, never to wait.

Still biting my lip, I kept the cream on the bed and moved a little more closer to him, causing him to look at me.

Held his face between my palms and bent to his seated level, with our faces just inches apart, I pulled all the courage to sit on his lap.

He sucked in a breath.

My heart was hammering in my chest like it will come out any moment. This was the first time I was seated like this in my entire life.

Looking him in the eye, I inhaled, his sharp gaze noticing my every minute movement. He eyed the rise and fall of my chest.

He was waiting for what I was to do next.

The position was so delicate for both of us, any wrong move and this all will disappear.

I had to make it clear to him, this is what I wanted, I was accepting everything he had to offer.

I had to set a message that I was ready, more than ever but more than that I needed to set a pace between us.

I was doing that to make it clear between us, there is a pace, a settled speed we need to follow, we are rushing our feelings but not rushing our actions.

Actions are something which we show and feelings are all together a different topic, which can only be felt.

I was determined to set a pattern to express our emotions to each other in a way which doesn't make him regret his act. Because I would never want him to.

Holding his face closer to me, looking deep into his eyes I was sure he understood what my intentions were, what I was doing.

More than me he was the one calmer, who calculate his steps.

He was ashamed of his mistake only if he knows the story of my side.

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With live,
Ankita 🦋