Page 8 of Strictly Solo

Ruhaan glanced at his friend once before getting into the car and drove them away. The kids were all very cheerful and enjoying the ride, but Neil was more interested in the way Ruhaan drove the car.

“Wow. You drive so good. Wish my mom could drive like that.”

Ruhaan gripped the steering wheel. Mom? Hmm. He fought the urge to know more about her.

“Will you teach my mom to drive like you?” Neil asked innocently.

Ruhaan was speechless. “Why? She doesn’t know how to drive?”

“She knows. She picks me from school every day, but she drives so slow.”

“And you like speed?”

“Yes,” he almost jumped on his seat. “I have three racing cars. My mom gifted me on my birthday.”

Of course, the boy meant toy cars, but the way he explained how he loved to race with his cars got Ruhaan Singh intrigued.

“Whom do you race with?”

“Alone. I don’t have many friends outside school,” he sighed.

“And your mom?” Ruhaan queried despite his mind denying him to do so. “She doesn’t play with you?”

“She plays Ludo and puzzle games. That’s all.”

Ruhaan swallowed. Ludo! He could imagine Naina and her son Neil playing Ludo. She would look cute.

“She doesn’t even like cricket,” Neil added.

Ruhaan didn’t argue further.

“You play cricket?” Neil asked curiously.

“Uh. Yeah. Sometimes.”

“Will you play with me?”

Ruhaan’s lips zipped. Neil was really very cute and talkative. It was hard to deny his wishes and ignore his presence.

“I will, champ,” he pinched his nose before focusing on the ride again.

“Yes,” Neil kept blabbering and opening up a lot more stuff about him and Naina, giving Ruhaan a glimpse of how beautifuland hectic Naina’s life was. Although he knew from Rohit when they became business partners that Naina was a single mother and lived in Mumbai, he never thought he would meet Naina again or her son like this or even know more about their life together.

The kids cheered when they arrived at the ice cream parlor. Ruhaan watched them rush out of the car and into the shop. Neil tugged on Ruhaan’s hand, pulling him towards the entrance.

“Come on, Ruhaan. Let’s get some ice cream!”

Inside, the kids eagerly picked their favorite flavors while Ruhaan helped Neil decide. Neil chose a towering cone of chocolate and sprinkles for himself.

“Thank you, Ruhaan,” Neil said, his voice muffled by his first lick of ice cream.

“You’re welcome, buddy.”

They found a table, and the kids settled in, happily chattering and enjoying their treats. Ruhaan observed Neil, noticing how easily he fit in with the other children, yet there was a quiet independence about him. He was Naina’s son after all…strong, smart, and full of life.

Suddenly, Neil looked up at Ruhaan, his chocolate-smeared face breaking into a grin. “Ruhaan, do you like kids?”

Ruhaan blinked, caught off guard. “I guess so. Why do you ask?”