Page 20 of Strictly Solo

Suman grinned, nudging Naina forward. “This was all Ruhaan’s idea,” she explained. “He wanted some alone time with his beautiful fiancée.”

He stepped forward, offering Naina a red rose with a charming smile. “I hope you don’t mind my little scheme,” he said softly.

Suman cleared her throat dramatically. “Well, I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone,” she teased. “But remember, we’re all waiting downstairs, so don’t get too carried away!”

With a wink and a laugh, Suman disappeared back down the stairs, leaving Naina and Ruhaan alone under the starlit sky.

Naina’s heart raced as Ruhaan took her hand, gently pulling her closer. “I’ve been waiting all evening to get you alone,” he murmured, his eyes intense as they gazed into hers.

“Ruhaan,” Naina began, her voice trembling slightly, “I... I never thought everything would happen so quickly. This past month, your messages, they’ve been...”

“Driving you crazy?” Ruhaan finished with a smirk. “That was the idea, my dear Naina.”

He reached up, gently cupping her cheek and leaned in, his lips hovering just inches from hers. “May I kiss my beautiful fiancée?” he asked.

Unable to form words, Naina simply nodded. As Ruhaan’s lips met hers in a tender, passionate kiss, she felt as though herentire world had shifted on its axis. In that moment, under the twinkling stars and wrapped in Ruhaan’s strong arms, Naina didn’t know the darkness that awaited to consume her future was just a night away.

Present

Naina was jolted from her reminiscence by a soft knock at her door. “Mom?” Neil’s voice called out.

Quickly composing herself, Naina smoothed her hair and took a deep breath before opening the door. There stood her son, his eyes heavy with sleep but still bright with the energy that seemed to constantly radiate from him.

“Hey, sweetie.” She bent down to kiss his forehead. “Done with your playing quota for the day?”

Neil rubbed his eyes and yawned.

“Now c’mon, go brush your teeth and then straight to bed.”

“Can you read me a story?”

Naina’s heart melted at the request. No matter how complicated her life became, these simple moments with her son always grounded her. “Of course, baby.”

Neil was happy and hurried to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Suddenly the boy’s sharp eyes caught sight of something unusual. “Mom, what happened to that photo frame?” he asked, pointing to the broken frame on Naina’s bedside table.

She felt a pang of guilt at the lie she was about to tell. “Oh, that? It just slipped from my hand and broke. Don’t worry, I’ll fix it soon.”

She quickly placed the photo in her bedside drawer, out of sight, before settling onto the bed with a storybook. Soon, Neil snuggled up next to her, his small body warm against her side.

As Naina began to read, her mind wandered, the words on the page blurring slightly. She blinked hard, trying to focus, but found herself dozing off mid-sentence.

Neil’s giggle brought her back to the present. “Mom, you’re falling asleep,” he said, poking her gently.

She chuckled, ruffling his hair. “Sorry, sweetheart. It’s been a long day.”

“You know, if I had a dad too, then both of you could take turns reading to me at night.”

Her heart constricted at his words. She tried to keep her face neutral, but a small frown escaped. “Neil...”

Seeing her reaction, Neil quickly backtracked, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. “I was just saying, Mom. It doesn’t mean I want a dad or anything.”

She knew her son well enough to recognize his attempt at manipulation, but she couldn’t help but smile at his quick thinking. Closing the book and setting it aside, she pulled Neil closer.

“I know, sweetie,” she said softly, running her fingers through his hair. “And you know what? You and I make a pretty great team, just the two of us.”

Neil nodded against her chest, his eyes finally starting to droop. “We’re the best team,” he mumbled sleepily.

She continued to hold him, gently rocking back and forth as she had when he was a baby. Soon his breathing evened out, signaling he had finally drifted off to sleep.