Page 112 of Strictly Solo

She was caught off guard. Before she could recover from her slip, the doorbell rang. Ruhaan lifted her hand and kissed it.

“Your wait is over. He’s here.”

Though she arranged her features into a mask of indifference, Ruhaan knew better. He got up, still smiling, and opened the door.

Standing there was Naina, looking polished in her simple yet elegant attire and Neil who was brimming with energy and who immediately bounded inside. He did say a ‘Hi’ to Ruhaan before running straight to Kaushalya.

“Daadi! I’m here!” he exclaimed.

Kaushalya was again caught off guard by the boy’s enthusiasm, as he hugged her tightly. For a moment, she froze, but her hand instinctively went to pat his back gently. She tried her best to mask her emotions, not wanting Ruhaan or Naina to see how touched she truly was by the little boy’s genuine affection.

Neil pulled back and grinned. “I got you something!” He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small flower. “I plucked it from the garden downstairs, just for you!”

“Thank you,” she said softly, accepting the flower with trembling fingers and, for a moment, forgot to guard her expression.

Ruhaan walked over and playfully nudged Neil. “Wow, Neil, you just made Daadi’s day! All for her, huh? Nothing for me?”

Neil giggled mischievously. “I brought you Mom. What else do you want?”

Ruhaan threw his head back in laughter while Kaushalya’s lips twitched despite herself. She was taken aback by the boy’s quick wit. He was clearly growing, and his cheeky charm was undeniable.

“Oh, really?” Ruhaan said, scooping Neil up and tickling his tummy, making him squeal with delight. The sound of Neil’s giggles filled the room. Watching Ruhaan interact so naturally with Neil, his happiness and fatherly affection so evident, touched Kaushalya too.

In a few minutes, Ruhaan set Neil back down and turned to his mother. “Alright, Mom, we’re leaving. See you in the evening, okay? Bye.”

She and Neil waved goodbye together. She noticed again that Naina hadn’t entered the house or attempted any conversation. Shouldn’t her future daughter-in-law make more of an effort? Kaushalya shook her head, startled by her own thoughts.Am I already giving my consent to their marriage?she wondered.

In just over a day, that little boy had somehow begun dismantling all her careful resistance, brick by brick. And the most surprising part was that she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to stop it anymore.

Chapter 32

Ruhaan’s Home

The second day with Neil felt easier for Kaushalya. Unlike the hesitations and awkwardness of their first day together, a rhythm seemed to form naturally. She watched Neil as he sat on the living room carpet with his coloring book, tongue peeking out in concentration as he carefully filled the drawing of a rocket ship. She smiled to herself, surprised by how quickly the boy had found comfort in her home. The urge to know more about his and Naina’s daily routine scratched in her head.

“Neil,” she called, adjusting her glasses as she looked at him over the rim. “What do you usually do with your mom at home? During weekends?”

Neil looked up, his face lighting up at the mention of his Mom. “We do lots of things, Daadi! Sometimes we bake together. I help her roll the dough for cookies. And sometimes we do puzzles or read books. She even lets me paint on the balcony!”

Kaushalya nodded, hiding her surprise at how involved Naina seemed in Neil’s life.

A pizza commercial on the TV caught their attention.

“That’s my favorite!” Neil exclaimed. “Daadi, do you like Pizza?”

The mention of pizza made her mouth water. She loved it too.

“Ruhaan doesn’t let me eat much pizza,” she sighed.

“Why not?” he asked curiously.

“He says it’s junk food... Too much of it isn’t good for your health.”

Neil’s nose wrinkled as he set his coloring book down.

“Mom says the same thing! But she makes it at home, so it’s not junk. I’ll ask her to make pizza for you, Daadi. You’ll love it.”

The simple offer warmed her heart more than she cared to admit. “You’ll ask her to make pizza forme?”