Page 165 of Lawfully Yours

Since that day, Arundhati had avoided sarees altogether. Another failed attempt at drawing him closer. Now, two nights later, she was alone in the penthouse, waiting for him like a fool.

He had gone out with Raj Uncle straight after office, to meet a client over dinner. She had returned home, cooked and eaten alone, and now she sat curled on the living room couch in a maroon sleeveless spaghetti top and matching night pants. The lights were dim, the plasma TV flickered with channels she wasn’t really watching, and her yawns were growing heavier by the minute.

The sound of the main door unlocking snapped her awake. She saw Kushal walking inside, still dressed up in his suit, looking hotter despite the day’s exhaustion. To her surprise, he wasn’t alone. Her uncle, Raj Verma, followed him inside.

She quickly turned off the TV and hurried to greet them. Her arms instantly went around her Uncle, but even as she hugged him, her eyes caught the way Kushal looked at her. His gaze had dipped, dark and hot, lingering on the bare sweep of her shoulders, on the thin straps and the effortless way that maroonspaghetti top clung to her curves. The way he looked at her now was exactly how he had looked at her in the saree—hungry and tempted. But just as quickly, he masked it, slipping back into his cool, impenetrable self while welcoming Raj uncle inside.

“Uncle? What a surprise,” Arundhati said, still trying to read Kushal’s shifting expressions.

Raj smiled, patting her cheek. “I thought I’d drop by with Kushal here after our client meeting to see you. Although we meet every day at the office, it isn’t the same. I wanted to check how you’re settling back into the penthouse.”

Kushal shifted on his feet, visibly uncomfortable, as if he didn’t want to linger in the middle of this conversation about how Arundhati was settling down here. She noticed it even before he spoke.

“While you both talk, I’ll just change and come back,” Kushal said lightly, already making his exit.

Arundhati frowned as she watched him retreat toward the bedroom. Raj turned to her with a knowing look. “It does look like he’s giving you a hard time here.”

She sighed, guiding him toward the couch. “He has every right to behave so. But still… I wish he would see my efforts.”

Raj’s face softened as he read her guilt and longing. Arundhati gave a faint, almost helpless smile, shaking her head as she continued. “It’s not that he doesn’t care… he does. I can feel it. But the moment he realises he’s showing his soft side, the moment his love slips through, he retreats. That’s exactly what’s been happening ever since I shifted back here. One step forward, two steps back. Not that it’s his fault,” her voice wavered. “But I do wish… I do wish he’d see how hard I’m trying to win him back.”

Raj made her sit next to him and clasped her hand. “He will, Aru. Kushal is noticing every step, every effort. That day isn’t farwhen he’ll let go of the past and accept you wholeheartedly. He’s too stubborn to admit it yet, but he feels you. Don’t stop now.”

The thought alone was enough to bring a smile back to her lips.

“Let me make some tea,” she said quickly, rising before her emotions betrayed her further.

Raj nodded. “Only if it’s the masala tea you always made for me. Strong, not too sweet, and with a hint of ginger. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.”

Arundhati paused at the kitchen doorway, smiling at him despite the heaviness in her chest.

“Uncle, I could make your tea in my sleep. You’re the one person whose specifications are permanently engraved in my brain.”

Raj chuckled, settling back into the couch. “Good. Then I’ll just sit here and wait to be spoiled. How long is my golden boy taking to freshen up?”

Before Arundhati could answer, Kushal did as he emerged from the bedroom dressed in his navy-blue night shirt and pants. “I’m here.”

Her head snapped up. Even his gaze flickered over her Spaghetti top again.

He knew she wore it deliberately for him. Yet, breaking the tension, he strode toward Raj.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said smoothly, settling into the couch beside him, while Arundhati turned away, retreating into the kitchen to make tea.

****************

An hour later, the three of them sat in a loose circle, cups of tea in their hands. The conversation had drifted from small talk into business, as it always did with Raj around.

“I spoke to Mrs. Saxena today. She wants Verma and Associates to deal with her divorce case. There’s domesticviolence involved,” Raj said finally, looking between Arundhati and Kushal. “It’s messy. If we win it, Verma & Associates will be on every front page. I’d like it if you and Aru lead it together rather than anyone else.”

Kushal only swirled the tea in his cup, unaffected. “Sir, I told you already. I’m not taking any new cases. I need a two-year break.”

Raj sighed, leaning forward.

“Don’t be hasty, beta. Think again. Cases like these don’t come every day.”

From the corner of his eye, Kushal caught Arundhati’s stillness. She hadn’t said a word, but he could almost feel her disappointment even in her silence.

“I’ve thought it over,” Kushal nodded. “This isn’t about the case. It’s about me. I need this break to travel around, and it’s not up for negotiation.”