Page 98 of Strictly Solo
Subodh turned to him in frustration. “Oh really? The man who abandoned her years ago is saying this? And now, here he is, walking into her life, into herhomeas if nothing happened. What were you doing in her bedroom? This is disgraceful! Are we imagining things?”
“No, you’re not imagining,” Ruhaan admitted. “But you’re seeing only one side of the story—”
“Oh really?” Subodh’s laugh was bitter. “Then please, enlighten us about the other side!”
Ruhaan swallowed hard, then turned to Naina. He pulled her gently from her aunt’s embrace, grasping her arms to make her meet his gaze. Naina kept her eyes downcast, shame and embarrassment coloring her cheeks.
“Ruhaan, please leave,” she whispered, finally looking up at him. “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t hurt my family to have a life with you. I don’t care if you want a commitment or not, because my feelings remain unchanged. If it were just about us, I would choose you, now and always. But this isn’t just about me. It’s about Neil too and I have always told you that I will do nothing that will break his heart.”
She took a shuddering breath. “Naina Bhalla might be able to fall in love and not care if the man she loves wants to commit. But Neil’s mother doesn’t have that luxury. I can fall in love, but I cannot break my son’s heart or my family’s expectations. When this love wasn’t in my life, it was my family, my son, who supported me, who was there for me to brighten my life. I can’t do this, Ruhaan. Please, just leave. I can’t do this anymore.”
Tears welled in Ruhaan’s eyes, but instead of releasing her as she expected, he pulled her closer. His hands came up to cup her face, thumbs brushing away her tears, heedless of their audience.
“I can’t do this anymore either,” he replied. “So, I’m not leaving, Naina. Not this time.”
She tried to pull away, anger flashing in her eyes. “What do you want, Ruhaan?”
His grip tightened slightly as he pulled her back to him. “I want you,” he declared. “I want you, Naina Bhalla, as my wife, my life partner, as the woman I can cherish and keep happy for the rest of my life.”
Naina froze, unable to believe what she had just heard. Subodh and Malti exchanged shocked glances, their anger momentarily replaced with disbelief.
“What…?” Naina whispered, her voice shaking.
“Not just for now. Not just until things get hard. I want you for the rest of my life. I want to be the man who stands beside you, who supports you, who loves you unconditionally. I want us…forever,” he continued, his voice growing stronger with each word. “I want to be the father that Neil sees in me. I want to love you both so much that it makes up for all the seven years I lost with you two. I want all of that.”
Her knees nearly gave out. She grabbed the edge of the sofa for support, her chest heaving as she tried to process his words.
“You… you don’t mean that,” she stammered. “You’ve always been so against… commitment, marriage…”
Ruhaan took another step closer.
“I was a fool. A selfish, cowardly fool. I wasn’t ready then. I didn’t see what I was throwing away and maybe I would never have if you and Neil hadn’t re-entered my life. Trust me, ever since this has happened, there hasn’t been a single moment you two are not in my head. Maybe if I stick to my non-committal ways, I can still live a life I have always wanted to. But I know that if I choose you and Neil, I will live the best of my life and I don’t want to lose that chance.”
Tears streamed down Naina’s face.
“Ruhaan…” she whispered, her heart warring with her mind.
He reached out, gently cupping her face in his hands.
“I’m not asking you to hurt your family or give up anything. I’m asking you to let me be a part of your life… of Neil’s life. Please give me a chance, Naina.”
“You don’t understand what you’re confessing right now,” she snapped again unable to believe him. Before he could respond, the soft padding of little feet drew everyone’s attention.
Neil emerged from his room, rubbing sleep from his eyes. The scene before him—his mother’s tear-stained face, Ruhaan’s tense posture, and the unexpected presence of his grandparents,immediately alerted him that something was wrong. Fear clutched at his small heart as he rushed to Ruhaan, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist.
“Please don’t go,” Neil pleaded, tilting his head up to look at Ruhaan. “I know Mumma shouted at you, but please stay. For me?”
The Kundras exchanged startled glances at Neil’s obvious attachment to Ruhaan. But Naina knew this would be Neil’s reaction. He just wants Ruhaan in his life so much that he cannot bear him getting away from him anymore.
Ruhaan knelt down to Neil’s level, gently cupping the boy’s face in his hands.
“Who said your Mumma was shouting at me? She wasn’t shouting. She was just surprised because I told her something I’ve never told her before.”
Neil’s forehead wrinkled in confusion as he waited for Ruhaan to continue.
“Remember the other day when you asked if I could be your Dad?”
Neil nodded solemnly.
