Author's note: We have hit 100K reads! It feels surreal to me and I can't thank each one of you for the love you have showed this story in this short period of time. It really means a lot to me. As a small present, I have made this chapter quite long. Hope you all like it!❤

P.S. If this chapter can get 600 votes by end of Friday then there'll be a new chapter update on Sunday and if not then the normal Wednesday update. Please don't think that I am blackmailing/or twisting any one's arm by asking them to vote. It is just a fun game that's all.

This chapter is not edited

Soumya covered her mouth and tried to yawn as quietly and discreetly as possible. She had been told that she sneezed and yawned very loudly. The last thing she wanted was for him to think that she was lazy and didn't take her job seriously. It was the quietness of the room that was making her so sleepy. She always needed something in the background to be able to focus. A movie? No, that would require too much attention. Small talk? That would require two people's participation which wasn't possible with Rudra. Music? Maybe. But Rudra could find it distracting.

With a small quiet sigh, she went back to typing the patient information she was working on.

For a long time, the only sounds in the otherwise empty room and house were that of the electric heater, the clicking and typing, and the occasional sneeze or sniffle as they sat on the opposite sides of the table chipping away at the patient records.

Soumya looked away from staring at the screen to catch a small break. She admired Rudra's work ethic yet again. He was so focused on the work in front of him that he had hardly taken a break to do anything. As she continued to watch him, she couldn't help, but remember the times she and her friends had spent crushing on the man in front of her. From the first time, he confidently walked into the college auditorium to the dedicated talent and articulated doctor who exhibited his medical acumen in the operation theatre. It was funny how life worked.  When she had told her friends, one of whom worked at We Care, that Dr. Rudra Rawat was living in her house, they all demanded proof. When Soumya didn't send them anything, it led them to believe she was joking and that was fine because by then she had realized she was giving out his personal information without his permission. He was the perfect combination of good looks and intelligence. Maybe not as handsome as Hrithik Roshan, but very good looking in his own way.  Right from his sharp nose where the bridge of his glasses rested to his deep intense eyes to his high cheekbones and equally accentuated jawline to his hair that was usually neatly combed and away from his face, but right now lay messily on his forehead. 

"Such long lashes," She accidentally mumbled out loud and her eyes widened in shock when he looked up at her in surprise.

"Sorry?"

She was flustered with what had just transpired. What was he going to think of her now? "I... Such a long... Such a long time. Yeah. Such a long time it has been since we started working.  Would you like to have coffee?" She stammered out feeling like a blabbering idiot and stood up, almost knocking down her chair in the process.

"Are you okay?" He asked as confusion laced his voice.

"Yeah. I am perfectly fine. I just needed to.... I'll make coffee." She managed to say before hurrying into the kitchen without even waiting for him to accept her offer.

When she turned on the kitchen lights, the awkwardness and embarrassment of what happened flooded her and she felt the heat rising on her cheeks and ears. She mentally cringed at her excuse. What was she even thinking? Turning on the tap, she quickly splashed water on her face in hopes that the earth would swallow her whole.

"Soumya?" Rudra called out from behind her and she let out a started gasp. "You okay?" He asked.

She was an utter idiot. Why would she have those inappropriate thoughts? It was alright when she was in college because Dr. Rudra Rawat was an enigma, but now he wasn't. Their relationship dynamic had tremendously changed and it would be inappropriate for her to have any other feelings that were not platonic. It could ruin what their grandparents had and even spoil the acquaintanceship they had formed. "Yes, so-sorry I was sleepy and was mumbling. I... Sorry." She said resisting the urge to run her fingers through her hair to help with her nerves.

He still didn't seem convinced, yet he was kind enough to back down. He leaned against the kitchen counter and offered her a small tight-lipped smile which she returned with an awkward smile of her own. 

Right. She was making coffee! When she brought out two saucepans one for his coffee and the other for her tea.

Rudra cleared his throat and she looked up at his with her hands behind her back because they were still shaking slightly out of embarrassment. "You can just make tea for me as well."

"Oh, it's not a problem. I can make coffee for you." She said with a smile.

"Do you drink coffee?" 

She looked back and forth between the saucepans and Rudra thinking about the bitter taste of coffee. "Ummm I'll just-"

"Make tea for both of us?" Rudra asked as his lips twitched in amusement. 

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course."

"Okay." She turned off one of the stoves and decided to make him one of Soumya's special chai. The one she always raved about on her blog posts. After all, she made the best tea in the country according to her.

"I'll go wait in the living room." He said, quietly when the air turned awkward with the silence and them glancing and smiling at each other as the water boiled for the tea. 

When she came out with two cups of steaming tea, she found Rudra exactly where he said he would be. 

"Thank you," He said to her as he reached for the cup in her hand.

Her heart fluttered when his fingers brushed against her hand. "Welcome," She mumbled and sat down on her chair.

There was silence again as they sipped on the tea. 

"If you want you can go to bed." Soumya offered when she saw the time it was almost 1 AM. She was used to staying up doing things but wasn't sure if she was keeping Rudra up.

"Hmmm?" He licked his lips to get rid of the remnants of the tea on them. "It's alright. I am not sleepy and I just had tea, so I'll be fine."

His answer was very evasive, but she couldn't put a finger on it and neither should she. "How's the tea?"

"It's alright," He said with a distracted polite smile as he looked up from his computer screen.

Her little bubble burst and she was offended by Rudra's response. "Should have just made him drink his bitter coffee." She murmured under her breath. 

"Did you say something?"

"No," She shook her head and offered him a faux sweet smile. 

"Soumya," He said her name after a few minutes and she looked up. "If you want you can turn on the radio."

"Huh? Oh no! It's fine. I like the quiet. Helps me be really productive." She said with an exaggerated shake of her head.

"Is that why you keep glancing at the radio and then at me?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it when she realized she had nothing intelligent to refute his observation. "Are you sure?" She asked, hesitantly.

"Yes," He shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't really mind."

"Okay." She pinched her lips together to not grin at him. Reaching for the radio, she tuned in to her favourite radio station. It was at the perfect time too. Old Melodies, one of her favourite radio segments was on.

As she settled comfortably on her chair, the beautiful lyrics of Lag Jaa Gale sung by Lata Mangeshkar filled the room. 

He chuckled and went back to typing while she resisted the urge to bang her head against the table. She should have played it cool. 

"Lag Ja Gale Ki Phir...ye Hasin Raat Ho Na Ho...
shayad Phir Is Janam Mein...mulakat Ho Na Ho... Hai Hai... What lyrics and what music!! Just beautiful." The RJ said over the radio and Soumya smiled. Indeed what lyrics. "This is your host and dost, Karan Mehra, welcoming you on the journey through a beautiful era of music where the lyrics were meaningful and the music was melodious..."

"You like music?"

Rudra looked up at her and shrugged. "I guess."

Small talk indeed. Feeling like a petulant toddler, she decided to shut up and not say anything till he made conversation first. 

"The next request is from Nisha who wants to dedicate a song to her boyfriend who is a little upset with her," Karan announced and Soumya automatically smiled. What a sweet gesture! "So, Mr. Subham wherever you are, hope you are listening to this segment and forgive Nisha because life is way too short for regrets and grudges. Before I play this song, I only want to request all of you to hug your loved ones and tell them how much you love them because... Kya pata doston... Kal Ho Na Ho..." Karan laughed and the introduction instrumental the song slowly faded in. 

Accha Ji main haari maan jao naa 

One song after the other played on the radio with interludes of interesting trivia, jokes and life philosophies by Karan. This not only helped Soumya's productivity to go up, but it also helped her keep distracted enough to not bug Rudra for a conversation.

"We are almost at the half-way mark of our show which means..." The rubbing of Karan's hands could be heard. "It is time for our Surr Taal Quiz. Yes! The same quiz where I ask you 10 questions about our favourite songs, composers and movies. Old and New. Hope Bollywoodian in you is pumped and ready..."

Soumya paused typing and her fingers stood arrested in the air above the keyboard as she listened attentively.

"So, the first question is...." Karan paused for a dramatic effect. "Pyaar Hua... Ikkrar Hua... Pyaar Se Phir Kyun Darta Hai Dil." He sang and she sucked in a breath to see what the question was going to be. "What a beautiful song, no? An easy question to start off... Who was the male singer of this beautiful song that was picturized on Raj Kapoor and Nargis?"

She smiled. "Manna Dey," She answered instantaneously, but to her surprise, she wasn't the only one who knew the answer. When she looked up at Rudra, she found him listening to the radio intently. 

"The correct answer is... Manna Dey." Karan announced and Rudra smiled, triumphantly. 

"Another question coming up on your radios right now..." Karan said, mimicking Amitabh Bachchan. Both Soumya and Rudra leaned in to listen. "Who is also known as the voice of the late superstar Rajesh Khanna?"

"Kishore Kumar." The pair answered together and then shared a smile when Karan validated their answer.

"In the song Bombai se Poona... What cities did Juhi Chawla not visit to look for her Sajna?" Karan asked. "Patna, Dilli or Nainital?"

"Nainital," Soumya answered and rolled her eyes at how easy this quiz was. 

"Really?" Rudra asked and shook his head. "I don't think so... I am pretty sure it is Dilli."

"What? No!" She scrunched her nose. "It is Nainital."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Soumya huffed. "The lyrics go... Bombai se gayi Poona...Poona poona se gayi Dilli... Dilli se gayi Patna...phir bhi na mila sajana." She sang in tune and then smiled smugly when Karan announced the correct answer. Suddenly, she realized what just happened. "Wait...Were you just teasing me?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." He said, but the expressions of amusement and uncharacteristic caper told her otherwise.

"Next question. Are you ready?... Complete the lyrics... Zindagi ki yahi reet hai har ke baad hi jeet hai..."

He looked at her expectantly, but she kept stubbornly quiet only singing the lyrics in her head. 

"Thode Aansu Hai Thodi Hansi..." He sang instead and she learnt another thing about Dr. Rudra Rawat. He was a very good singer. 

"Aaj Gham hai to kal hai khushi..." She sang the rest when he waited for her.

"Zindagi ki yahi reet hai. Haar ke baad hi jeet hai..." They both finished with a smile. 

Karan on the radio clapped as if he heard their performance. The moment was disrupted and she felt Rudra pulling away from her both physically and emotionally. An action that pinched her in a way she didn't like. 

Karan asked the remaining questions, but neither Soumya nor Rudra answered them. She wondered if she should just turn off the radio.

"Ooty," He suddenly said and her eyes shot up to his face. 

He pointed at the radio and said, "Ooty was where the plot of Andaaz Apna Apna was set in."

"Do you like that movie?" She asked, over Karan congratulating the listeners on whoever got the questions correct and talking about his love for Bollywood.

"I used to when I was younger." He said, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes.

Suddenly she realized something. She had never heard or seen Rudra laugh since he got here. Sure he smiled and chuckled, but never a heartfelt laugh. Was it because of his breakup? She wondered because he was surely laughing when she saw him in Delhi.

"We should probably call it a night. You look like you are going to drop any second."

She nodded and stood up. Stretching her arms in front of her, she let out a small sigh. As they were gathering their belongings, Karan also got ready to bid his listeners goodbye. "Before I call it a night here with our last song, I would like to read out this sweet thought that one of our listeners has shared with us..." He cleared his throat and began speaking again, "Love. If it is not an oxymoron then nothing else in the world is an oxymoron. It makes us the happiest, but also holds the power to crush every single cell in your body. It gives you meaning yet is meaningless. It is everything yet nothing. It is trust yet can make you the most distrustful person in the world. Above all, it is a feeling that we can't live without in whatever form it is. When the cupid hits you won't even know it, so it is best to open your arms and let love enter your hearts and life happily."

"Good Night." He wished, his MacBook and charger tucked under his arm. 

"Good Night." She said to him as Pyar Deewana Hota Hai Mastana Hota Hai played in the background. 

When he left, she too turned off the radio and lights before heading upstairs to her room.

"Scrub it a little more," Chandni instructed with her hands on her hips. 

Dhara let out an exhausted sigh. "I am tired, Dadi. I won't have any strength to do anything the day after tomorrow at the medical camp." She said using the back of her hand to wipe her forehead.

"Bhabhi," Purshottam said from where he sat between Haripraksh and Tanuja on the lawn chairs. "I didn't think it would be this much work. We don't have to do the angeethi tonight."

"Bhaisaab, it's okay." Chandni waved her hand dismissively. "We will do the angeethi tomorrow. It will be much better with all these youngsters."

"If Dadaji is saying he doesn't want then," She began getting up but sat back down on the stool when Chandni gave her a pointed stare. "Why do I have to do this?" Dhara continued to whine as she scrubbed the giant vessel full of soot.

"Soumya, pour water properly." Chandni ignored Dhara's complaining and hit Soumya's arm that was holding a hose before turning to Dhara. "You remember what you said when I refused to let you have the angeethi party with your friends, Dhara? You said you would clean the entire angeethi by yourself after it was used, so now do it." 

"It's cold water, Di!" Dhara screamed when Soumya poured water right onto Dhara's arm.

"Stop complaining and continue scrubbing," Chandni ordered and walked over to where the others were sitting.

"Why do I have to do this?" Dhara cried out after another few seconds of scrubbing.

"Because I am going to help with the chopping," Soumya said, grinning at her sister's plight. "If you want to help Manoj with that then I can do this."

"No need." Dhara snapped and pouted. "I'll do this. Where is Manoj?"

"Right here," Manoj announced as he appeared with water to drink. 

"Help me," Dhara pleaded to Manoj with her best puppy dog face. 

"No, Manoj is not going to help." Chandni scolded. "He is already working so hard these days. He is becoming so responsible and hard-working." 

"Don't you think you should start looking for a bride for him too?" Tanuja asked, winking at Chandni.

"Maaji," Manoj blushed as he came to stand beside Soumya.

"What's the need to find a bride for him? Lalita at Kusum's cafe is dying to talk to him, but he ignores her every time. She is always looking for ways to talk to him." Soumya teased.

"No, not Lalita. Kripa from the grocery store always gives us extra things when Manoj goes shopping." Dhara teased as well.

"Very funny," Manoj grumbled and everyone laughed.

Soumya splashed some cold water on Dhara's hand. "Hurry up. I don't have all day."

Dhara sighed deeply and wiped her cheek with her hand, making Soumya and Manoj laugh. Before she could ask them why they were laughing, Akash yelled out, "Here!"

When the trio looked up, Akash was standing in the main door with a camera in his hand and they all heard a click. 

"Akash, come here," Chandni called out. "We have ordered samosas. They'll be here soon."

Akash nodded and clicked another picture of Dhara. "What a nice picture." He grinned and squatted beside her to show her the display of his camera.

"What the hell!" Dhara screamed as she rubbed her cheek to get rid of the black soot on her face. "Delete that picture." She demanded.

Akash just threw his head back and laughed. "You are funny."

"I am warning you. Delete the picture." Dhara said as she stood up.

"Akash, send me the picture too," Manoj said, grinning. "I'll put it on my Instagram page."

"I'll kill you if you do that," Dhara warned both Manoj and Akash.

"I'll send it to you tonight when I export them," Akash spoke as if Dhara hadn't spoken. With an evil smile, he turned around to go towards the elders.

Dhara stomped her foot in annoyance and then without another thought, she grabbed the pipe from Soumya's hand and sprayed Akash. 

"Dhara!" Her family cried out in horror.

"You are so lucky that this camera is waterproof," Akash said through gritted teeth.

He slowly put down the camera on one of the thick stumps in the garden before stalking her. Not the one to back down from a challenge, Dhara raised her arm and aimed right in his face.

Loud laughter from everyone and scolding from Chandni ensued as Dhara and Akash struggled to grab the pipe, but in the process ended up getting drenched.

"Why are you laughing so much?" Akash asked Soumya and Manoj when he finally got the pipe in his hand.

"No," They both shrieked and ran in different directions of the garden. 

Akash caught up to Manoj first and sprayed the water on him till he fell on the floor laughing and begging for mercy before trying to get his next prey who Dhara had already trapped.

"Please, Akash! No! It's cold water." Soumya begged and tried to get out of Dhara's grasp and not get touched by Dhara's wet clothes.

"But, I thought you liked winter." He grinned devilishly before aiming at Soumya, but ended up getting both Dhara and her. The girls shrieked and Soumya managed to get away.

"Stop it," Dhara yelled and ducked onto the ground when Akash aimed at her.

Suddenly there was pin-drop silence. Everyone stopped laughing and screaming when they saw that Akash had accidentally sprayed Rudra down.

"Rudra," Purshottam began from where he was sitting. "Beta, they were just playing."

Rudra took off his glasses and wiped his face with his hand before putting them on the stump beside Akash's camera. "Playing, huh?" He asked as he took one step forward and Akash instinctively took a step back. The pipe, still in his hand, but the water had shut off as there was an extension attached in front of it. "I'll show you." He said snatching the pipe from his brother's hand.

"Rudra, I swear," Akash warned as he began jogging backwards when Rudra sauntered towards him. "It was an accident." He screamed and then ran when Rudra picked up speed.

"This is cheating!" Akash screamed and danced on his toes when Rudra caught him by his neck and put the pipe under his shirt and turned on the ice-cold water. 

Purshottam and Tanuja had a surprised smile on their faces. It had been such a long time since they had seen their grandkids act like siblings.

"Soumya, Take the pipe!" Akash yelled as he tried to overpower Rudra.

"Sorry. Sorry." Soumya extended her hands in front of her when Rudra managed to pick up the pipe before her. Yet, he showed her no mercy. He sprayed her through the crack of her arms. 

The laughter and howling got louder when the grandparents also got involved in the game.

Almost forty-five minutes later, they all sat down wrapped in towels around the heater eating hot samosa and drinking piping hot tea. The five of them sat on the floor while the elders sat further away on the dining table.

"Di, which of your doctors have confirmed finally? Since they keep changing their availability." Dhara asked in between mouthfuls of samosas. 

Soumya swallowed the tea before speaking. "Keerti, Prajakta and her husband Ishaan, and... Nakul."

Dhara and Manoj almost spit out their tea when Soumya whispered the last name.

"Your Nakul?" Dhara asked.

Soumya shot Dhara a warning glare and shook her head.

"Who is Nakul?" Akash asked, wiggling his eyebrows. 

"Di's crush from school." Dhara snickered much to Soumya's embarrassment. "If there is anyone that my Di loves apart from Hrithik Roshan, it is Nakul."

"Just shut up." Soumya groaned and covered her face with her hand. "And I don't love him. Also, why are you allowed to consider every male friend of mine as a prospective love interest, but I can't do the same for you?"

Dhara shrugged, haughtily.

"Really? Wow! I didn't know Soumya was such a romantic." Akash teased.

Soumya rolled her eyes. "For God's sake don't say or anything stupid to him. We are professionals now. He is doing a huge favour to us by agreeing to be part of this, so please don't mess it up for me."

"Of course! I am a strict professional." Dhara held up her hand to show her solidarity, but the grin on Dhara's face was enough to tell her what she was
thinking.

Author's note#2: Water is a precious resource and shouldn't be wasted. I know that as a writer I should take up more social responsibility and I promise I'll do better.❤

Preview

"Beautiful, isn't she?" Purshottam asked.

Rudra blinked and continued to watch Soumya who was dancing with Akash and before he could stop himself, he said, "Yes."