Page 105 of Strictly Solo

Her brother’s exact words were:“Naina has raised Neil alone with such strength, despite him not being her own son. She is already a good mother and will be a perfect wife to Ruhaan.”

Even her daughter Ryma believed that destiny had brought Ruhaan and Naina together after seven years apart. It irritated her endlessly. She wasn’t against Naina as a person, but thecircumstances, the baggage, as she called it, were overwhelming. How could Ruhaan be so sure about this when all his life, he had never defied her wishes?

Ruhaan finally emerged from his room, dressed sharply in a suit. She frowned, immediately noticing the formal attire.

“Where are you going? Do you have to work today?” she asked, trying to hide her annoyance.

“Yes, Mom. There are some important meetings with the Bakshi group. It’s only for a few hours,” he explained, sitting down at the table.

“You’re already not home during the weekdays, and now you’re working on weekends too. I’m all alone here.”

Ruhaan paused, mid-bite, and looked at her. “Not all weekends, Mom. Just a few until the formalities are done. And this upma is fantastic, as always.”

Her lips twitched, but she refused to smile. “Flattery won’t work on me. I get bored alone at home without having anyone around. You know, my friend Mrs. Malhotra is also not around this weekend.”

“Why not?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“She’s gone to Haridwar with Shalini and Mukta. All of them went together.”

“That sounds nice,” he said casually, taking another bite.

“What’s nice about it? I wanted to go too. But for them, it’s easy. Their sons are married, and their daughters-in-law take care of everything. They can leave their homes without any worries.”

A slight grin played on Ruhaan’s face, which he tried to hide behind his teacup. His mother was unknowingly making his case for him, after all, wasn’t he trying to bring home a daughter-in-law who could share these responsibilities?

“That does sound convenient,” he remarked innocently.

Kaushalya caught his smirk and narrowed her eyes. “Don’t get any ideas. I’m not going to let Naina take over this house in my absence.”

He leaned back in his chair, chuckling softly. “Noted, Mom. But by the way, that reminds me—I need a favor from you.”

She looked at him suspiciously. “What favor?”

He drained his glass of juice and began buttoning his suit jacket. “You see, this Bakshi company we’re taking over is also Naina’s client. She’s working this weekend too - actually, all our meetings are at her office. The whole team is there – Bakshi, me, everyone.”

Kaushalya raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“And… we need someone to look after Neil for the weekend,” he said casually, though his eyes sparkled mischievously.

Kaushalya’s spoon clattered onto her plate. “You wantmeto babysit Neil? Have you completely lost your mind?”

He grinned. “Come on, Mom. It’s just for a few hours today and tomorrow. Neil’s a sweet kid. You’ll love spending time with him.”

She crossed her arms, glaring at him. “I’m not a babysitter. And why can’t his own mother manage her schedule better?”

“She usually has someone,” Ruhaan admitted, picking up his laptop bag and casually checking his phone, “but her housekeeper, Shanti, had a family emergency and had to leave town. So… I figured, who better than Neil’s future grandmother to take care of him for a couple of days?”

Kaushalya glared at him, her nostrils flaring. “Future grandmother? Don’t get ahead of yourself, Ruhaan. I never agreed to this ridiculous marriage of yours.”

Ruhaan stood up, grabbing his car keys. “Mom, think of it as a trial run. Who knows, you might enjoy it. Neil’s a fantastic kid. I promise he won’t be any trouble. You won’t even know he’s here.”

“I will absolutely know he’s here!” she retorted. “I’m not used to having children around. And don’t try to sweet-talk me into this.”

“Mom, please. Do this for me. We really have no other option.”

Kaushalya glared at him, but he quickly kissed her on the cheek before she could protest further and the doorbell rang. His face broke into a knowing grin.

“They must be here.”