R I T I K A

"Come fast, Ritika." My mom spoke and declined the call.

"Advik." I panicked, knowing my parents will kill me if they get to know Advik is here- in my bed.

"Shh, don't worry, Ritika. I will go to bathroom and hide for some time than you can divert them and i will leave." He whispered as he cupped my cheeks.

"Okay."

"Now, go and open the door." He kissed on my forehead and went away while taking away his shoes with him.

A laugh bubbled inside me- the situation is like some sort of rom movie.

I left the room before glancing the room last time.

I opened the door and passed a smile looking at my mother, "Itni der kaise laga di?"

"I just woke up, Ma." She shook her head and made her way towards inside.

"Where is dad?" I asked, my voice laced with confusion.

"He will come within few hours his friends called him." I nodded.

"Lemme make you tea." I said and went to kitchen to make tea for three of us. He may want it.

I started making the tea, but my thoughts drifted back to him- how would I give him the tea? 

I looked back from the kitchen to the living room, my mom talking to someone over phone. 

I sighed; this is perfect time. I poured the tea in the cups- first gave her. and then slowly, i took tea for us and slipped to my room.

I kept the tea on the table and closed the door- though my mom will kill me if she gets to know I am closing the door. One thing about Indian parents- they hate giving privacy to their children.

I shrugged the thoughts and went to bathroom. My eyes roamed until they stopped at him, he was standing their- his one leg around his ankle. Then, I looked at his face- that was too handsome. He looked handsome. His hairs messy, his eyes closed, but lines formed on his forehead.

I covered the distance between us and smiled. I erased his forehead lines and pressed a kiss on his cheeks. Before I could pull, his hands found my waist. 

"Can't stay away?" he whispered as he pulled me closer.

My hands now touched his chest, I could feel his heartbeats under my palm, "Maybe." 

His hands cupped my cheeks; his eyes stared directly to mine, "I love the color of blush on you."

My breath caught. How does he say things so casually and still make my heart stutter?

He brushed his nose against mine and my heart throbbed with each action.

"Advik" I finally spoke after a silence, when finally, my heartbeat calmed.

"Hnji?"

"Our tea is getting cold." I said as I stepped back and took him to the bedroom.

He sat on the bed, and I bought tea for us. We took a sip of tea- and it taste filled my mouth- Chai, is comfort.

"aap bahut achi chai bnati hai." 

(You make amazing tea.)

I smiled, "Thank you ji." 

"Well, this morning is Hella interesting."

He laughed, "Sure, it is."

We finished the tea and slipped into our own conversations forgetting about everything.

"And you know we literally did nothing. We just didn't hear his voice and he literally made us stand in the assembly- our hands raised." He laughed.

"Well, that means problems always found you."

I grinned. "I miss my school days. augh." 

before he could respond my mom's voice echoed, "Ritika, why have you closed your door?"

My smile dropped as soon as i heard her words. I signaled him to go to bathroom.

"Nothing, Ma. i was just changing clothes." 

"Open the door." 

"Coming." I said as I pulled t-shirt over me, left only with bra and shorts.

 I opened the door and she scanned me,"Why are you changing them?"

I frowned, oh fuck.

"Why would I change them mom? I was going for bath. It's kind of my habit." she frowned and looked around the room.

"Why there are two cups?" I hate how my family always doubts me, fuck that. they can't even trust their own child- the one they have raised, from childhood, because of them I stayed away from boys, always pretending they never exist because i knew it- my parents would be disappointed. when girls around my age were getting boyfriend, holding hands even some kissing- I made sure I don't even talk to boys except when I need to.

"Mom, I drunk two cups, I was feeling sleepy." I lied feeling a litter bitter about it.

She raised her eyebrows as if still not trusting me.

Oh fuck I am getting married, who's gonna tell them.

"Okay." She whispered and glanced around the room before leaving. 

"But- don't close door. You are getting married, Ritika. Learn to change your clothes in the bathroom."

I hummed and went to bathroom. I closed the door and suddenly someone's back hit me. 

Not someone- but Advik's. 

He turned toward me and our eyes met, suddenly something inside me shifted- the tension snaped back in the room.

The room felt too slow.

His eyes the looked down, and suddenly he turned back.

Realization dawn into me- I was in my bra. Fuck. heat crawled inside me, and I looked at his back. His ears turned a little red.

I wore the t-shirt and cleared my throat. He turned around, still feeling a little embarrassed. 

"Let's brush, I have extra brush." I spoke trying to wave off embarrassment.

"Yeah."

And with that we both started brushing together and soon the tension dissolved we laughed literally talking about anything.

"I need to bath as you know-" Before i could speak, he said, "I overheard the conversation, ritika."

I sighed, "You know, I love my parents but sometimes they can be too much. From childhood they had been like this, always doubting us-" I spoke in one breath and tears welled in my eyes.

"Shh- I know how they can be." 

"Please don't cry, Ritika. It hurts." he spoke as he held me closer to me, providing a strange warmth.

"But Advik, tell me can't they literally trust me?" I clenched his t-shirt.

"That is their problem, baby. Not yours. They are like this; we can't do anything but ignore them. And live our life on our own even if they try to control us. You are such a great daughter but still they don't trust you. That tells a lot about it. So baby, please don't cry and don't think much of it, okay?"

I nodded.

"And you know what? When we will have our children, we won't inflict our trauma on them and give ourselves a closure that it was never us who had a problem, but it was our parents who ignored our feelings."

"Hmm, I would never let our children suffer through this."

"That's my woman." He said as he engulfed me in a hug.

Oh, how much I like this guy- he feels like the solution to every problem I have in my life.

A/N

hey beauties! how was the chapter?

Hope you are enjoying the story- cause i really really love writing them.

Also, i couldn't upload the banner- idk why. so just wrote ritika!

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