Naira showered and got into a pair of pink shots and T- shirt. She burst into a laughter after thinking of about the domestic violence incident.

But, she was afraid, he didn’t trust her at all. Karthik thought she was in with her father in whatever betrayal he was talking about. She didn’t know a thing about it. Naira sighed, she was very much frightened of his extreme hate towards her.

Naira mostly never slept early in the night. Her father always used to come home drunk at night and would scare the shit out of her and her mother. He used to first beat her up and then lock her in her bedroom, so that he could beat his wife without any disturbance. These were her only memories of nights spent in her home.

Her father used to beat both of them till he was physically exhausted. Sometimes when he would lock naira in her room, and would beat her mother, she used to sit by her room’s door and cry listening to her mother’s pained screams and moans. So, since then she had this habit of going to sleep very late in the night.

She got bored sitting in the room and thus she dragged her feet on the floor and moved forward out of the room. She walked to the room which was just adjacent to her’s.

She pushed the door open and walked in slowly. His sleeping figure on the bed drew her attention to it. She walked up to the bed and saw he was asleep. He had on a t-shirt and track pants.

How convenient. Here she couldn’t even sleep a wink and he was snoring peacefully. She sat down and slid closer. Naira ripped the covers off his head in a hard pull.

“Get up. I can’t sleep.” She said out aloud.

“What the hell !!” Karthik groaned in irritation. His bleary eyes caught hers.

“What the hell are you doing in my room ?!!” He growled irritated in a very unhappy tone. Naira sighed sadly.

“I can’t sleep.” She mumbled in a low tone.

“And why do I care ?!!.” He replied in a dry tone, and settled his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes. Naira pulled the pillow from under his head.

He was fast as he grabbed her hand and pulled her down over his body. She gasped as his body was all warm and hard over her soft one. He stared down at her in a sleepy lazy haze.

“Go to sleep.” He mumbled.

Naira pulled away and sat upright. She drew her legs together.

“No. You don’t understand. I can’t actually sleep even if I try.” She explained.

His eyes opened at that and his brows furrowed. He leaned up on his elbow.

“What do you mean ?!!” He asked curiously.

Naira cringed inside. She felt the need to beat her palm over forehead for blurting out too much.

She moved away and got out of the bed.

“It’s nothing.” She mumbled.

She heard a deep suffering sigh behind her. Naira looked back and saw him too get out of bed. He crossed the room and came around her yawning.

“What ?!!” She asked, as he moved her forward by putting his hand over the small of her back. It burned where he touched and she felt butterflies in her stomach at his intimacy.

“Come on.” He said and slid his hand around her waist.

“Where ?!!” She asked in confusion.

“Just move along.” He sighed irritated.

Naira moved along with his hand around her waist. Why was he always doing this ?!! Touching her unnecessarily. They reached the kitchen.

He went towards the counter. He took out a deep small bottomed steel container. He put that over the burner. He moved towards the fridge and took out a milk carton

“Come around here.” He ordered her.

She moved around the counter and reached to where he stood. He pulled her towards himself and locked her before his body. His front was to her back as his hands settled over her waist and went inside her night shirt. Naira shivered feeling his hands on her bare skin.

“Pour the milk in the container.” Karthik whispered in her ear huskily. His breath fell over her neck warmly.

Naira wobbled as she took the milk carton and poured it in the container.

“Now, take out the coffee powder from the top left cabinet.” He said in a low husky tone again. His lips moved a hot trail over her neck.

Naira pushed up on her tip toes and opened the door of the cabinet. Karthik’s rough long fingers moved up over her waist when she slid up. Her heart stuttered out several beats at his move. She took out the coffee powder packet and put it on the counter. Her hand shook as she poured the coffee powder in the heating milk.

“Take the spoon from beside your hand and mix it.” Karthik ordered softly and squeezed her waist hard.

Naira gasped and did as she was told. She tried to move away from his hold, but he stay her put and locked in his arms. His scent and his body travelled all around her senses and made her forget everything.

“Pour the coffee in two cups.” He whispered into the skin of her neck, his face burrowed in her skin as his arms slid around her waist.

Naira did the same and poured the Coffee in the two blue cups.

Karthik let go off her finally, when the coffee was made and Naira sagged back in relief. He lifted one cup and grabbed her elbow. He made her sit on the dinning chair and sat opposite to her in another chair. He stared back at her while sipping on the coffee.

“Drink, it will help you.” He said. Naira took the cup and sipped on it.

“Now tell me, why can’t you sleep ?!!” He asked her in a flat tone. His eyes roamed all over her face and down at her body while Naira avoided his warm lazy eyes on her.

“I just can’t.” She said evasively, looking down.

He leaned towards her. His face was only mere inches from hers. She felt his breath hit her lips.

“Why can’t you sleep, babe ?!!.” He asked her in a low voice.

Naira stared. Her heart thudded in her chest when he called her babe. She gulped and looked away.

“I just can’t.” She mumbled again.

He got out of the chair, turned around and kept walking. Naira hurriedly put the empty cup down and ran after him.

“Hey !! Where are you going ?!!” She hung by his arm. He looked at her side ways.

“To sleep. Obviously.” He said in a very sleepy tone now.

“But I can’t sleep.” She groaned in a sulk, still walking beside him.

“Like I said, I don’t really care.” He said.

Naira scowled and kept quite. He reached his room and she followed him in. He moved towards the bed and laid on his back. Naira sagged down too.

“When I go to sleep whenever that is, I read a book, a story, so will you tell me a story ?!!” She asked putting her head over her hand on the pillow. He sighed quite heavily.

“You’re not going to leave me alone until you fall asleep, are you ?!!” He asked her.

Naira smiled impishly.

“You know me so well.” She said happily.

He glared at her for more than a second.

“Once upon a time.” Karthik started, and Naira smiled even more wide and closed her eyes settling more in the bed.

He took a deep breath.

“Once upon a time there was a prince…” He started with the story. Naira closed her eyes and kept listening.

“And there was a princess, the princess talked a lot continuously without a break, which annoyed and irritated the prince too much. One night the prince took a very fluffy pillow and smothered the princess in her sleep, and finally after her death, the prince lived happily ever after as the castle filled with only silent peace around.” He concluded in a slow lazy tone of a narrator.

Naira’s eyes went wide and her mouth hung open.

“That’s the most horrifying and sadistic story I have ever heard in my entire life.” She bit out. He gave her a glance.

“That’s a very nice story.” He said in husky voice and pulled her body into his arms.

“Now go to sleep.” He mumbled into her hair.

Naira kept her head on his chest and sagged back. She closed her eyes finally and tried to find sleep. His right arm pushed her body more into his firm chest. His warmth spread into hers circling her mind a safe and secure pull.

The night had been breezy and his arms were warm.

Naira’s mind went blank and washed away every strain, sadness, and pain of the nights, she had lived.

Also for the first time in so many years, she finally was falling asleep with a smile on her face and was not crying herself to sleep.

The morning light peaked out of the large glass window of the room. It fell on her face and sparkled on her eyes in a glare. Naira squinted and winced. The light rays warmed up the cold that settled around in the night. Naira just slid the covers over her face and groaned. Why was it morning already ?!!

She scratched her nose and chin in irritation. She blinked several times and her bleary eyes fell on the sudden intense sparkle on her left hand ring finger.

She looked around the room and her shoulders sagged down. She wasn’t at her home. She wasn’t in her bed, but yet she had slept like a log. She had not gotten up in the middle of the night. Well, this is was something new than usual.

Naira yawned, spread her arms wide, scratched her head and got out of the bed. She padded her way to the bathroom but took a U turn, remembering that, her bath things were in the other room. She walked into her room.

She took a warm bath and felt much better and walked out of the room wearing a long flown white skirt and red tank top.

Naira found the way to the kitchen. She froze at the entrance when she saw a dark head bent over the oven. Grey T-shirt and black khaki shorts, he was taking out something from the oven. Naira just stared and stared.

Her left eyebrow cocked up. Well, this was going to be spectacular to watch, she thought happily and moved forward.

He seemed really busy straining out the boiled pasta into the sink. Naira’s brows furrowed. He was making pasta in the morning ?!!

She looked up and gave a strange look to the guy. Yesterday she thought he was weird. Today, it was confirmed that he was a loony weird. She stood there near the counter looking over tentatively as his large hands put the strained pasta in an already cooking red colored puree. It seemed like a mix of tomato puree. She looked up at his face, but the too cool a man, ignored her completely.

How rude. At least, he could say good morning.

“Hey, what are you making ?!!” Naira asked with the intension of starting a conversation.

He slid a glance at her way. His eyebrow raised. His look said that she knew what he was making. Then why the question ?!! Naira narrowed her eyes in return.

“Why are you making pasta in the morning ?!!” She asked again.

He just shrugged in reply and remained silent. Naira gave him a flat stare. She blinked and glanced down distastefully. She was not having it.

“I don’t eat pasta for breakfast.” She informed.

“Make your own breakfast then.” Karthik muttered under his breath, and went back to removing another narrow bottomed pan.

Naira didn’t reply as she was busy observing. Karthik took out another packet from over the cabinets on the top right corner. It was filled with short white rice. He put it aside on the counter. Her eyebrows drew together. He started cutting a few onions and some other vegetables.

“Are you this silent always ?!!” She asked with an eyebrow raise.

“It depends on the company.” He muttered.

After she heard what he said, Naira’s smiling face turned into a scowling one. She thought of a comeback but she found none. She was bored now. The serene silence was getting to her. She brightened up though. She swung her feet to and fro.

“Do you want to hear a joke ?!!” She asked excitedly.

He moved closer a step. Naira squealed in her mind and drew back. He moved closer and closer until her legs hit the counter. Her eyes widened.

She looked over his shoulder and flung her arms.

“Look !! Your pasta is burning !!” She shouted and looked back into his eyes.

His strong warm hands caught her arms and Naira turned stone in fear and the tone of her voice became quiet.

“It really is burning.”She said in a low quiet tone.

He let go and she sighed relieved, but his hands caught her waist and her back snapped straight as his cool rough fingers went under her tank top. His face was really closer now. He caught hold of her body up by the waist. His hands firm, and he lifted her up on the counter and made her sit there.

“I…” she started to say, but he put his finger over her lips.

His forehead rested on hers. His skin was burning warm over hers.

“Shhh…” He mumbled on her lips.

His lips moved over the corners and grazed over her right cheek. He moved his lips over her heated skin and over her ear shell.

“If you open your mouth again, I’m going to kiss you.” He murmured softly in her ear.

Naira nodded her head. His lips slid over her cheek in a slow soft trail.

“You remember the kiss, right ?!!”He murmured hovering over her lips.

Naira didn’t utter a word after that. His fingers abruptly slid away. Naira shut her trap and drew her legs up on the counter and moved back into the wall. She grabbed a glass container of dried almonds and started munching on it. Suddenly Karthik’s phone rang in the living room and he escaped the kitchen to answer it. She bit her lower lip and her eyes twinkled in mischief suddenly.

She leaned her head to side and observed Karthik leave the kitchen. She jumped off the counter and moved towards the pasta plate. She took out a fork. Naira forked the steaming pasta and shoved it in her mouth. As soon as the flavorful tasty bit chewed under her teeth, Naira’s eyes widened. It was awesome. She shoved some more of the pasta into her mouth.

As she was busy hogging the pasta like a caveman, she felt something sharp and stinging travel into her nostrils. She sniffed and sneezed. What is this smell ?!! She wondered. It seemed something was burning, and her eyes widened. Her body locked in a freeze. Her hands went over her mouth. Oh, Shit !! Naira turned around and ran towards the gas burner, and screamed a little.

“Oh, God !! The rice !!”

Black fumes were turning in a swirl from over the pan. Naira coughed as the rice burned into a dark mess. She slid the pan away from the burner and threw it in the sink. She opened the tap and let the water wash away the mess. Naira panicked now. She put her right hand over her forehead.

She sweated in fear again as she looked at the empty plate of pasta. She didn’t realize that, her hungry stomach had polished off everything. She switched on the fan to make the fumes blow out of the kitchen.

He had no breakfast left. The one thing that he made had burned into a black smoke while the other dish was wiped off by Naira.

Run, Naira, before you’re gone from the world, she thought to herself. She was about to do so, when she heard footstep sounds. She folded her hands in a prayer and looked up to the ceiling, praying to God, to save her.

He stood there near the door leaning on it with folded hands. She moved closer to his chest. He looked slightly surprised but his eyebrows furrowed blinking down at her.

“What ?!!” He asked.

Naira just smiled wide falsely.

“Nice weather, no ?!!” She said lightly, and cursed herself for sounding so idiotic and silly.

She was in a closed up kitchen. How did the weather come in her mind, she wondered and maybe he was thinking the same thing. He gave her look of strangeness.

“Move.” He ordered.

Naira full on went into a panic mode He pushed her off from in front of his body with his right hand and moved towards the counter. She staggered to the right side, and she gulped hard.

His back muscles bunched over, looking down at his destroyed hard work. He stood there like a stone statue. Naira’s fingers bit into the skin of her wrists. He turned around slowly.

“The pasta ?!!” He asked her softly, but she knew he was just trying to control his temper.

Naira’s fearful eyes glanced to the empty plate on the kitchen counter, he followed her eyes.

“Threw it ?!!” He asked her.

“Ate it.” She replied stutteringly.

“You don’t like pasta,” He murmured lazily, repeating her earlier words.

“I was hungry.” Naira said in a low voice.

He moved forward. Her eyes widened and she stepped back, but when he drew closer, Naira turned around to break in a run. But before she could even pump her feet on the floor, he grabbed her from behind. His strong arms banded her waist firmly. Naira squealed.

“I’m sorry !! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to burn it. It just happened.” She whimpered in fright.

“You should have thought about it before you touched my breakfast.” He bit out in her ear.

He grabbed her forearm, and dragged her forward out of the kitchen.

“Hey !! What are you doing ?!!” She asked in a raised voice.

He just made her walk fast. His strides were longer than hers, and it was very tough to keep up pace with his.

“Slow down.” She glowered, but he only increased his pace. Naira rolled her eyes and let him drag her.

He took a turn and walked fast to her room. He pushed her in.

“Stay here.” He glared down at her.

Naira gasped in disbelief at his tone. She put her hands over her waist in a huff. She made sure to put the blackest of the black glares on her face, thoroughly showing her utter displeasure at his treatment. He stared back down at her in a cool nonchalant look.

“You can’t just lock me up.” She said up into his face.

He ignored her cry and turned around to leave, but he didn’t lock her up much to her hue and cry. She moved fast and walked along beside him.

“Where are you going ?!!” She asked.

He suddenly turned and grabbed her hand. His eyes stuck to her face. She didn’t realize his other hand was curled around her waist in a tight grip and also her chest was plastered on his front without a gap. His gaze ran down to her neck and more down and stayed locked there.

Naira tried to move away feeling very much uncomfortable again at his heated stare. She tried to move away, but he grabbed her waist with only his one hand. His head leaned down to her lips.

“I’m going out to get some breakfast. You want anything.” He asked her softly.

“Chocolates” She mumbled in reply.

His eyes slid down to her lips as he seem to register her reply. He freed her hand from his clutch suddenly, and cupped her cheek with the same hand. Naira froze at that.

“That’s the reason you taste so sweet all the time, huh ?!!” He asked her teasingly.

Before she could even open her mouth in reply, his lips grazed on her lightly at first but pressed more in a dry kiss over her lower lip and feathered softly as if in a search. Her lips started tingling and burning all over. The moist taste of his lips slid inside. Naira stayed frozen like a stone statue. Her mind and senses just failed altogether. But then he moved away and turned around.

Naira came to life and her mind and cheeks thronged in red embarrassment.

She dragged her feet after his disappearing back. How dare he do that ?!! How can he ?!!

“I’m gonna run away !!” She shouted at his back.

He walked to his car and smiled back at her mockingly.

“Do that, and I will find you. This time there will be a kiss and more than that when I get back to you.” He shot back.

Naira’s mouth hung open as she gasped. He got in the car and closed the door.

Precap : Mr. Singhania !!!!!!!!!!
Dilwale Dulhaniya Lee Jayenge !!😉😉
Tit for Tat !!
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