Page 38 of Strictly Solo

“And all Nainas are restricted only for Ruhaans,” he declared softly, drawing her even closer and captured her lips in a tender kiss, deepening it with every passing second. Instead of immediately returning the kiss, Naina playfully nibbled at his lower lip, causing him to hiss in surprise. She then pushed him away with a playful glint in her eyes.

“Enough of your cheesy lines,” she chided, though her eyes sparkled with affection. “Now get out of my room before anyone catches us together.”

Ruhaan paused at the door. “You think I’m scared if anyone sees us together?”

She raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his confidence before glancing over his shoulder with feigned alarm and exclaimed, “Oh, hello Kaushalya aunty!”

Ruhaan whipped around in panic, and Naina burst into laughter, pushing him out of the room before he could recover. She shut the door quickly, her laughter ringing in the air as she leaned against the closed door.

Realizing he had fallen for her prank, Ruhaan chuckled and attempted to reopen the door. “You’re going to pay for that,” he warned playfully.

But Naina kept the door firmly shut, her laughter bubbling over. “Not today, Mr. Singh!”

She kept laughing realizing that she hadn’t felt so happy like this in a long time. Ruhaan had brought joy and spontaneity back into her life, reminding her of how wonderful it felt to be cherished and adored.

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

Evening

Neil ran straight to Ruhaan and the rest of Team Groom, who were in the middle of their final dance practice for the sangeet. The lawn was alive with energy as everyone perfected their moves, eager for the tonight’s event.

“What’s the update, buddy?” Ruhaan asked Neil, ruffling the boy’s hair as he joined the group.

Neil grinned. “I just sneaked into Team Bride’s dance practice, and they were fabulous! Especially my mom. She can dance so well. Whichever team she’s on has to win. We don’t stand a chance.”

Ruhaan grinned, not even slightly nervous about losing. He didn’t care about winning because he wanted Naina’s team to take the prize. The thought of seeing her happy and victorious made him smile.

Rohit walked over and patted Ruhaan’s shoulder. “Since when did you start rooting for Team Bride, Ruhaan? Where’s your sportsmanship?”

Neil dashed away to join his friends as Ruhaan chuckled. “Is Naina that good?”

Rohit nodded. “She’s the best. You’ll see for yourself tonight.”

“I can’t wait.”

Rohit’s brows furrowed. “What’s going on with you, Ruhaan? You seem smitten by Naina. Is something happening?”

Ruhaan didn’t want to confirm anything, especially not to Naina’s brother-in-law, but he couldn’t deny the truth to himself. Thankfully, his mother approached with Poonam, saving him from further questions.

“Ruhaan,” Kaushalya said, “Poonam mentioned she still needs more practice with you, but you’ve been hard to pin down.”

Poonam, his dance partner for the final song from Team Groom, gave him a hopeful look. They had practiced a bit yesterday, but Poonam had been clingy, making it uncomfortable for Ruhaan.

“Poonam and I have practiced enough, Mom. And I was about to get dressed and go with Rohit to check on the sweets.”

Kaushalya shook her head, dismissing his excuse. “Rohit and I can handle that. You focus on your practice.”

With no way out, Ruhaan reluctantly agreed. He and Poonam resumed their practice in the back lawn, moving through the steps. However, his attention wavered when he spotted Naina crossing the yard.

She wore a stunning ivory lehenga choli, the fabric clinging elegantly to her curves. She was hurriedly putting on earrings as she walked, clearly running late. His heart fluttered at the sight of her, completely distracted by her presence.

He was so lost in admiring her that he missed his cue to catch Poonam during a spin. She stumbled, landing awkwardly and twisting her ankle. Her sharp cry of pain snapped him back to reality. Naina too heard the commotion and rushed over.

Poonam winced dramatically, though it was clear she wasn’t seriously hurt.

“I’m so sorry, Poonam,” Ruhaan said apologetically. “Are you okay?”

“I can’t walk! You’ll have to carry me to my room, Ruhaan.”