Fitoor | ✓

10 | Dus

A/N- CAST REVEAL : I've put up a picture of the actor I've chosen for Lekh at the end of the chapter! I am very very very excited for you all to see him, I am already whipped. Also, thank you all so much for the support that you've been giving this book. I am so thrilled and honoured by all the shout-outs and recommendations! You're all going to heaven <3 

Much love, Aashix

10 | Dus

Something had happened, the women weren't talking, not a word. And Lekh knew that when women didn't talk, it was usually a problem. Two cars were going for the shopping, the one behind Lekh was handled by a driver. God bless him, Indira and Arti were in that one. Along with the kids.

Lekh was going to drive his, and Tara and Ramya were going to be with him. When he had come outside all the women were quite; his mother stood sternly with a careless face while Ramya glared at her. Tara stood worriedly beside Ramya while Arti stood behind with the kids out of the danger zone.

Had Lekh been someone else he would have asked what was wrong. But Lekh was Lekh and Lekh didn't care.

After his arrival Indira automatically chose her ride and snapped at Arti to come with her, the kids just followed their aunt. Lekh sighed and prepared himself for a long day, he didn't say a word and sat in the driver's seat while the two women followed. Tara and Ramya both started opening the two back doors.

"Tara!" Ramya hissed desperately.

"What?"

"Sit in front." She mouthed at her aloof sister-in-law.

Tara looked at her in horror, "No!" she said, pulling the door and getting in at once. Ramya sighed, what was she going to do about her best friend. But stubborn as she was, she sat behind too.

Lekh moaned internally, it wasn't like he really cared whether anyone sat beside him or not but he did feel like a driver. One of them could come and sit in front, but no, how would they commit such a crime.

He looked at Tara through the rear view mirror, she looked nervous and bit her lips as Ramya looked at her amusingly. For a second Lekh considered calling her to sit in front, but then he shook his head. He didn't want to give her any ideas, he didn't really care if she sat with him in the front or not. Except he wouldn't exactly mind if she did. He'd feel less of a driver, is all. Nothing else.

"So when are you going to start driving?" Ramya asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Drive Lekh. Stop looking at Tara through the rear view mirror and drive." Ramya said, enjoying every moment of this. Her spoiled mood was now fading away and everything was panning out to be humorous. Tara blushed a crimson red besides her. She nudged Ramya to keep quiet while Lekh chose to completely ignore his sister's presence.

He started driving immediately and tried very hard to maintain a straight face. He wasn't staring at Tara, he was just checking if she was comfortable. Not that he cared if she was comfortable. Oh, fuck it. What would go wrong if she would just sit in the front.

Nothing had really changed, it was still a forced marriage, a compulsion of fire. The marriage was necessary and the prospect couldn't be messed up with. His mother was fire, and if you played with fire you were bound to get burnt.

But something had shifted in Lekh, even though he would never admit it, he could feel it. Years of being alone and lack of companionship was finally going to be over in a few weeks, and some part of him- the human part, craved it. And it craved it more maybe because it was about Tara.