Page 87 of Lawfully Yours

He grinned, completely unapologetic.

“Exactly. So, let’s make an agenda. Let’s do some sightseeing together until Miss Noyonika Talwar shows up,” he suggested.

“No thanks. How about I make my own solo trip plan pretending you don’t exist?”

He rolled his eyes while she disappeared into the bathroom without another word.

But Kushal wasn’t done.

The moment he heard the water running, he reached for the room phone and dialled the reception. “Yes, hi. About the maintenance request from last night for the connecting door? Don’t bother. It’s fine now. No technician is needed. We’ll let you know if anything changes.”

“Very well, sir,” the receptionist replied cheerily.

He ended the call, smiling to himself.

Under no circumstance was he going to waste the next forty-eight hours. If fate had handed him this window, he was going to use it. To show her not what theyhadbeen, but what theycouldstill become.

Chapter 15

Dalhousie – Hotel

Couples milled around the buffet at the breakfast lounge of the resort. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and crisp parathas lingered in the air.

Kushal sat at a corner table, already halfway through his coffee. He hadn’t expected to invite Arundhati to come down with him and have breakfast together. Last night, when he had opened up about how he hated eating alone since childhood, and how it hurt even more after she left, she had brushed it off as one of his manipulative tricks. That had stung more than he’d admit. For once, he had tried to speak from the heart, to share something real with someone he had once called his own. But not anymore. Maybe Arundhati would need time to understand what that meant to him. Until then, he had decided not to bring it up again.

And yet, there she was.

Arundhati walked in, effortlessly elegant even in her casual travel sweatshirt and fitted jeans. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, loose strands brushing her cheek. She didn’t look at him immediately, nor did she offer a greeting. She simply walked to the buffet, filled her plate, then crossed the room and sat down at the same table without asking.

Kushal didn’t say a word, but his gaze followed her like a magnet. They ate in silence for a few minutes, tensionsimmering between stolen glances and shared steam from their coffee mugs. That’s when her phone rang.

It was Raj Verma.

“Morning, Uncle,” she said, dabbing her mouth. “No, we haven’t met Noyonika yet... Why? Didn’t your golden boy update you?”

Kushal didn’t even look up.

“He hasn’t called since last night,” Raj replied.

“She’s on a two-day group trip around Dalhousie,” Arundhati said. “So, we’re stuck here until she returns.”

Raj laughed on the other end. “That’s surprising. Usually, Kushal gives me updates even before I ask. Looks like someone is keeping him occupied this time.”

Her eyes lifted slowly to Kushal, who was now stabbing a piece of paneer paratha with his fork, his gaze meeting hers. Last night, Kushal was indeed busy. Her sudden shivering and cold had kept him busy… with her. Same bed!

“Anyway,” Raj’s voice broke their trance. “I’m glad you both are getting a break. You two needed it.”

Before she could reply, Kushal leaned forward and, without bothering, held the fork in front of her lips.

She opened her mouth without thinking, still half-immersed in the phone call, and let him feed her.

It was only once she’d chewed and swallowed the bite that she blinked and realised what had just happened. Her eyes darted to his.

“Uncle, I’ll call you back,” she said quickly, and disconnected the call.

“Really?” she said, glaring at him as she reached for her own fork. “You don’t have to feed me.”

He didn’t even flinch. “You were too busy on the phone, and the parathas were getting cold. I figured you were hungry, so I fed you.”