Page 31 of Strictly Solo
“Forget about me,” he said, breaking the silence that had settled after his revelation. “What about you? Since when did Neil start demanding a father? Who even put that thought in his head?”
She sighed, reaching for the beer bottle and taking a long swig before answering. Her voice was soft, tinged with a sadness that made Ruhaan’s heart clench.
“Ever since his playschool days,” she began, her gaze distant as if reliving those moments. “He saw his other friends havingfathers come to drop them off, pick them up from school. For him, it was always just me. Only me.”
Ruhaan too felt hurt listening to her. He could imagine the struggle she must have faced, being both mother and father to Neil, while also grappling with her own emotions and desires.
Naina continued, her voice growing stronger as she spoke. “Since then, he’s always asked where his father was, why he didn’t have a dad like his other friends. It’s been... challenging, to say the least.”
He leaned forward, his brow furrowed in thought. “If he’s been making that demand for so long, why haven’t you done anything about it? Why are you still single?” His voice was gentle, but the questions were pointed. “You’ve always believed in commitment, Naina. What are you waiting for after all these years?”
Her head snapped up, her eyes wide with shock. “I can’t believeyouof all people, are asking me that,” she said. “Ever since we’ve met again, up until this morning, you’ve been flirting with me. And now you’re asking me to look out for some man and get settled down for Neil’s sake?”
He reached out, pulling Naina’s chair closer to his. The sudden movement caught her off guard, and she almost stumbled, instinctively grabbing onto him for support. Their faces were now inches apart.
“I’m glad you’ve at least accepted that something is brewing between us since we’ve met again,” he said. Her breath caught in her throat, unable to form a response.
“Whatever is between us, Naina, it’s very genuine from my end,” he continued. “I’m glad you’re still single, and right now, so am I. My feelings for you are real, although that doesn’t mean I can commit to something more when I’m not ready for it yet, nor can I ever be.”
He paused, his eyes searching hers. “If you still gave me a chance, I promise I would never cheat on you. The respect and loyalty will always be there if we go ahead with processing these feelings we have for each other. I would really love to. If you agree, you would get all of me.”
She sat stunned. To her own surprise, she didn’t feel frustrated or angry at his suggestion. Instead, she found herself considering it.
“And until when would this arrangement of ours go on?” she asked.
His response was immediate. “Until one of us wants to end it. And I don’t think I will ever want to end anything between us, Naina.”
She bit her lip, unaware that her contemplative expression was giving Ruhaan hope. He swallowed hard, then leaned in, placing a soft, chaste kiss on her cheek. The gentle touch sent a shiver down Naina’s spine.
He pulled back slightly, his eyes meeting hers once more. “That kiss was to help you think better,” he said, a hint of his old playfulness returning to his voice. “I’ll wait for your reply until…” he checked his phone, “tomorrow morning 11:00?”
With that, he stood up and walked towards the villa, leaving Naina alone by the pool. She touched her cheek where his lips had been, wondering what she was going to decide.
She remained seated, completely bewildered by the turn of events. Why was she even considering Ruhaan’s proposal for a temporary fling? She had always been a woman who valued commitment, who believed in the sanctity of a lasting relationship. Yet here she was, seriously contemplating an arrangement that went against everything she had stood for.
But as she sat there, watching the play of light on the pool’s surface, she realized that perhaps she had changed more than she had thought over the past seven years. The woman she wasnow had faced countless challenges, had raised a child on her own, had built a life that was uniquely hers. Maybe that woman was ready for something different, something that didn’t fit into the neat boxes of her previous expectations.
Ruhaan’s honesty, his vulnerability in sharing his story, had touched something deep within her. He wasn’t offering her a fairy tale ending, but he was offering her something real, something passionate and respectful. And wasn’t that, in its own way, a form of commitment?
After a few minutes of thinking, she finally stood up, her legs slightly unsteady from the long night and the emotional rollercoaster she had been on. She knew she had a decision to make, one that could change the course of her life and potentially Neil’s as well. But for now, she needed sleep, needed time to process everything that had transpired.
She walked back to her room, feeling a small thrill of excitement though. Whatever she decided, she knew that her relationship with Ruhaan had irrevocably changed. The future, which had seemed so set in stone just yesterday, now held possibilities she had never dared to imagine.
This one night had changed everything. The masks had fallen away, leaving them bare and vulnerable, but also open to possibilities they had never before considered.
**************
The next morning, the garden was alive with the chatter and laughter of guests as the breakfast buffet was set up under the soft morning sun. The Kundras’ villa was bustling with relatives and friends. A grand 30-seater table stood as the centerpiece, laden with a sumptuous breakfast buffet.
As Ruhaan emerged from the villa, his eyes immediately scanning the garden and spotted Naina at the table, busy arranging plates. Their gazes locked for a moment. He couldread the subtle shift in her expression, sensing that she might be considering his fling proposal.Hopeignited in his chest.
But his reverie was interrupted by his mother, Kaushalya, who approached him with a warm smile. “Good morning, beta.”
“Morning, Mom,” he replied, trying to keep his attention from drifting back to Naina.
“You look like you haven’t slept a wink,” Kaushalya observed. “Is something stressing you out?”
He grinned, glancing briefly at Naina, who was busy arranging plates on the table. “It’s true, I couldn’t sleep. But it’s a beautiful stress.”
