weird starts

“That was weird,” Kush said as soon as he closed the door of his place. Nayera looked up from her cup of tea. She did not want to admit it but Kush did make great tea.

“What?” She asked as Kush took the cup from her hands and kept it on the coffee table.

“Umm… nothing,” he said as he moved towards the kitchen to keep the utensils in the dishwasher before she could ask anything else.

“I should get going,” Nayera said as she looked at her wristwatch. It was 4 in the morning; she should not stay at his place anymore if she wanted to reach the office on the first day on time.

“Wait, what? Where are you talking about?” He asked as he came back. Nayera put aside the pillow and tried to stand on her feet.

“Aree! “ He held her hand before she could fall on her face. His hands sneaked around her waist as she looked at him; he made her sit on the couch before he settled beside her.

“Kush, I should get going,” Nayera said as Kush shook his head.

“No, nope,” he said in a childish tone as she frowned.

“Kush, I need to reach the office on time and it's already 4 am,” She tried to reason, but as if Kush Sabarwal was going to listen to her logic.

“Sleep for a few hours here, I will drop you on time and take you to the office on time, “he said, but Nayera shook her head.

“Not done,” she replied.

“Yes done, I am your boss,” he ordered, as Nayera sighed.

“Why are you doing this again?” she asked, looking into his eyes. He paused before he pulled her even closer to his body; her hands were on his chest, stopping him from doing anything further.

Her heartbeat rose, as he kept his hand on her cheek, slowly putting the stand of her hair behind her ear; the action, let alone, made Nayera shiver.

She had never been this close to a man before; she had never had anyone come this close to her. Kush was starting to break the walls she had built in all those years. But she had to stop him.

“What if I say—say that when you look at me like this, like you are looking at me right now, it makes me feel things I never felt before?” he said with so much innocence as Nayera cracked a smile.

Nayera looked at his lips and then at him; she moved her lips closer to his ear before she whispered, “Liar,” She laughed as he too laughed with her.

“Damn you catch me so easily,” he said with a smile before he picked her up in his arms in bridal style.

“Kush, please—“ Nayera’s words were silenced by his glare as he walked towards one of the rooms.

“I know you are trying to fix the mistake, but any professional would not have done what you are doing, Era,” he said as he pointed his fingers at the door lock, and asked her to open the door.

“Yes, because this is personal, I made a mistake and I ought to fix that,” Nayera reasoned with such seriousness that Kush was even able to read between the lines.

He got a hint that she had some issues. Issues that need to be addressed but she has not and, by the look of it, he is sure she is not going to address them on her own.

“And I am concerned about you, Era,” he said as he put her to bed.

“I am fine, Kush,” Nayera said, but Kush did not listen,

“I am not staying in the same room as you,” Nayera announced when she saw him taking out some clothes.

“I can’t sleep on the couch like last time either, these are for you,” he said as she nodded.

“I will wake you up in a few hours, then we can leave for your apartment,” he said as Era nodded. Kush walked back to his room still thinking about Nayera.

.

“Khammagani, rani sa,” Veerendra said over the phone as Kush’s mother picked up the call.

“ganikhamma,” she replied, looking at her husband who kept his book aside.

“Veerendra, you called this late, is Kush okay?” Kush’s father asked as he took the cell phone in his hands. Hearing the words, Kush’s mother’s heart started beating faster, she held the edge of her maxi as she looked at her husband with a worried gaze.

“I must say the girl is very beautiful, Rani sa,” he said as Kush’s mother and father looked at each other.

“You went to Kush’s place?” Kush’s father asked.

“Yes, Rana ji,” Veerendra replied.

“But why? It's 4 in the morning,” Kush’s mother asked.

“Kuwarani sa was injured, Rani sa,” Veerendra informed him as Kush’s mother looked at her husband.

“That means all of the photos were true? Kush does have someone in his life and is he seriously dating?” she asked her husband as she put the call on mute.

“How does she look? Veerendra? Does she have love in her eyes for our son? Why was she injured? Did you manage to get a photo of hers?” Kush’s mother asked so many questions at once that her husband smiled, looking at his wife’s excitement.

He may not show it, but he loved his son just as much. Finally, he settled down. Maybe this will make him join politics with his father and pay attention to his responsibilities as a prince.

“The girl seemed nice, Rani sa, their relationship looked good. Kunwar sa was so concerned about a small cut, I think he loves her truly,” Veerendra said.

They had asked Veerendra to stay near Kush’s place because they wanted to know if their son was safe since he did not share so much with them. He was amended to prove himself worthy.

Went ahead with starting a good-for-nothing business. His father’s words, not mine.

“We will speak to you later, Veerendra,” Kush’s father hung up the call as he looked at his wife.

“It's true,” he said as his wife nodded.