Rahul slid an arm behind her back, guided her gently to lie down on the seat, and placed a soft pillow under her head. Then he moved to the other end of the seat and lifted her legs carefully onto his lap.

She didn't wake—just curled slightly, trusting his touch.

Rahul removed her slippers one by one... slow, tender. Her feet looked tired, cold from the AC.

He placed one hand under her heel and started massaging softly—pressing his thumb into the arch, sliding along her ankle, warming her cold toes with his palms. His movements were patient, almost protective, as if making sure she relaxed fully before the journey continued.

Puttaswamy turned around from the front seat and stared at the scene with wide eyes.

Rahul ignored him, concentrating only on Nidhi's tired legs, massaging them gently in slow circular motions... easing every bit of stress from her long day.

The sky outside had turned completely dark now, stars barely visible behind the clouds.

The highway stretched long and empty as the evening breeze drifted through the half-open car window. Nidhi had been quiet for the last half an hour, her head leaning weakly against the cold glass. Rahul kept glancing at her- her face looked tired, her eyes barely open, her small frame curled up like a child exhausted after a long day.

Outside, the sky had grown completely dark.

"Next dhaba degara appu dinner chedam.." Rahul said quietly, his voice stable but soft.
"Stop at the next dhaba. We'll eat dinner there."

Nidhi was still sleeping deeply, her feet still resting on Rahul's lap like she belonged there.

After a few kilometers, they pulled into a brightly lit roadside dhaba. The smell of fresh idli and sambar drifted through the air. Rahul shook her shoulder gently.

"Nidhi lei... dinner chedu lei..."
"Nidhi, wake up... let's eat dinner..."

She didn't respond. Instead, she scrunched her nose and moved her head away, curling deeper against the pillow.

"Naku odhu... nanu podukoni bava..."
"I don't want to... let me sleep..."
she murmured like a child refusing school.

He smiled helplessly.

"Bava enduku leputunav urke... naku nidra ostundi."
"Why are you waking me up unnecessarily... I'm sleepy."
she pouted, eyes still half shut.

Rahul sighed and cupped her face.

"Sare tinesi nidra po raa."
"Fine, eat and then go sleep."

He supported her back with his hand and helped her out of the car. Even standing, she swayed sleepily, her head dropping on his shoulder.

Inside the dhaba, fluorescent lights flickered. On the opposite table, an old lady, her daughter, and a little three-year-old girl sat eating.

A waiter came to take their order.

Rahul placed his hand on Nidhi's back to keep her upright and said,

"2 plates idli... he will say his."

Puttaswamy said his hurriedly.

Nidhi, sleepy and bored, sighed and asked,

"Na phone edi?"
"Where's my phone?"

"Car lo undi.."
"It's in the car."

"Sare nenu techukunta."
"Okay, I'll bring it."

She took one slow step back but Rahul immediately caught her wrist.

"Na phone vaduko. Ippudu enduku malli veledi?"
"Use my phone. Why go out again now?"

She blinked at him sleepily and nodded. She took Rahul's phone, unlocked it, and instantly began playing games—completely absorbed like a sleepy kid trying to distract herself.

Rahul watched her with an expression halfway between fondness and frustration.

The food arrived soon after. Nidhi ate one tiny piece of idli... and then, completely forgetting the food, started watching a series on Rahul's phone.

Rahul stared at her.

"Idli untouched. Phone glued to her eyes."

He sighed deeply... and finally began feeding her himself.

Piece by piece.

And by the time the plate was almost done, her mouth was FULL—absolutely stuffed—while she continued staring at the phone, not chewing at all.

Rahul finally snapped.

"Koti laga idli anta muti lo petukodam kaadu... mingu dani!"
"You're not a monkey to stuff all the idli in your mouth... swallow it!"

She frowned, cheeks puffed like a squirrel, and finally gulped the food down with water.

Rahul shook his head.

"Mellaga. Nee kante aa papa chepina maata vintadi."
"Slowly. Even that little girl listens better than you."
He pointed at the opposite table.

Nidhi blushed and looked down.

The old lady smiled warmly at them and suddenly asked,

"Kothaga pelli ainda?"
"Are you newly married?"

Rahul and Nidhi froze.

Neither knew what to say.

So... they simply nodded.

The old lady chuckled.

"Papam... ippudu nunche mogudini sataistunava? nuve chinnapilla la cheste mee pillalni evar chuskuntaru?"
"Poor man... are you troubling your husband already? If you act like such a child, who will take care of your babies later?"

Nidhi's cheeks turned crimson—not just in embarrassment, but because the words pricked her heart.
Childish. Trouble.
Was she troubling Rahul?

She lowered her eyes, fiddling with Rahul's phone.

Rahul noticed it immediately.

He cleared his throat and said firmly,

"Baama... thanu mood off lo undi anduke ala undi. Thanu em nanu satainchatla... Pillalu ki inka chala time undi... ippude enduku avanii..."
"Aunty, she's just in a bad mood, that's all. She's not troubling me. And there's a long time for kids... why think of all that now?"

Just then, Rahul's phone rang.
He stood up.

"Ippude osta."
"I'll be back in a minute."

As he walked away, the old lady leaned toward Nidhi and said softly,

"Nuvu chala lucky... mee aina oka maata ananiyatla ninu."
"You're very lucky... your husband can't bear a single word spoken against you."

Nidhi smiled shyly.

Three coffees arrived at the table.
Sleepy, distracted Nidhi grabbed hers without checking the temperature and sipped—

"Ahh–ouch amma!"
"Ahh–ouch!"
she yelped as the hot coffee burned her tongue.

Rahul rushed back instantly.

"Eyy Nidhi... namadiga. Itu ivvu."
"Hey Nidhi... slowly. Give it here."

He took the cup, blew on it gently until the steam faded, then offered it to her again.

She took a sip... quietly... her eyes fixed on his face, admiring him silently, as if seeing a new version of him every minute.

After dinner, Rahul went to the car and converted the entire backseat into a bed—layers of blankets, pillows, perfectly arranged so she wouldn't feel a single bump on the road.

He opened the back door.

"Nuvu poduko... inka chala sepu undi."
"You sleep. There's still a long way to go."

He turned to leave, but—

Her hand caught his wrist.

Soft. Warm. Trusting.

"Nuvu kuda raa... please..."
"You also come... please..."

Rahul's heart paused for a second.

"But Nidhi—" he started.

Her fingers tightened around his hand.

"Please, bava..."
"Please, bava..."

Rahul exhaled... defeated.

He climbed in beside her.

Nidhi immediately pulled his hand and placed her head on his arm like it was her rightful pillow. Rahul froze for a moment—her hair brushed his jaw, her breath warm on his neck.

He wrapped his arm around her instinctively and pulled her closer to his chest... protective... gentle... like she was the only thing he wanted to guard in this world.

She snuggled into him without hesitation, her hand resting on his shirt over his heart.

And like that, in the quiet night, with the engine humming faintly and the wind brushing past the windows...

They fell asleep in each other's arms.

Not as strangers.
Not as forced companions.
But as two souls slowly finding home in each other.

.

.

The hallway was silent, the lights dim when Anu tip-toed toward Vedansh's room. Her dupatta brushed lightly against the wall as she held a small steel box tucked against her. The aroma of gutti vankaya(stuffed brinjal) leaked faintly from it, warm and mouthwatering.

She pushed open the door slowly, barely making a sound.

She thought she had entered unnoticed.

She was wrong.

The moment she stepped in, a strong arm shot out from the shadows behind the door, wrapped around her waist, and pulled her back in one swift, claiming motion.

She gasped as she crashed into a firm chest.

Warm breath brushed her ear as a deep, teasing voice whispered—

"Emaindi... na bangaram ki... na meda prema ochinda... nannu kalavadaniki ochindi..."
"What happened... did my sweetheart develop love for me... came to meet me?"

Before she could even reply, he peppered soft, burning kisses along her neck—slow, lingering, stealing her breath one kiss at a time.

Her fingers clenched around his shirt, her heart racing like a trapped bird inside her chest.

He slid his nose along her shoulder, voice husky.

"Hmm... chepu..."
"Hmm... tell me..."

But Anu couldn't form a single word.

Her thoughts melted... her knees weakened... her breaths shivered against her lips. She leaned back against him, lost in the warmth of his mouth moving against her skin.

Vedansh smirked against her neck—he knew exactly what he was doing.

Her silence, her trembling, her half-closed eyes...
He drank it all in.

So he pinched her waist suddenly.

"Ahh bava... enti neeku ee gille pichi..."
"Ahh bava... what is this crazy habit of pinching me...?"

Her voice came out breathless, half complaint, half helpless whisper.

Vedansh immediately rubbed the spot he pinched, his thumb circling gentle soothing strokes on her soft skin. He kissed her cheek then moved up to her jawline.

She looked up at him with the cutest, angriest pout... but her eyes were sparkling, cheeks flushed pink.

He couldn't resist.

He leaned in and kissed her other cheek—slow, affectionate, warm.

she whispered, "Nikosam gutti vankay curry chesa da tindu.."

"You made gutti vankaya curry for me... come, eat..."

Vedansh's heart fluttered.

She tugged his hand, pulling him toward the bed.
They fell onto it in a tangle—she toppled first, and he pulled her straight onto his lap, caging her between his arms like she belonged nowhere else.

She opened the tiffin box.

The moment the lid lifted, the smell filled the room—rich masala, roasted brinjal, steaming hot rice mixed perfectly.

Vedansh inhaled sharply.

Before he could say a word, Anu scooped a bite with her fingers and lifted it to his lips.

He opened his mouth obediently.

"Mmmmm... ammu... chala baundi..."
"Mmmmm... baby... it's really delicious..."

He didn't just eat.
He devoured it.

Bite after bite, she fed him with her hand—her soft fingers brushing his lips every time. He held her waist with one hand, tightening his grip whenever she shifted.

When she offered the next bite, a bit of curry stuck to her fingers.

Vedansh didn't wipe it away.

Instead...

He took her hand, brought it close, and licked her fingers clean—slow, deliberate, his eyes locked on hers the whole time.

Anu's breath hitched.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
She felt heat rush up her face, her neck, her chest.

The tiffin slipped slightly in her hand.

"bava... nenu–"

He didn't let her finish.

He wrapped both arms around her waist and buried his face deep in her neck, inhaling her scent like he had been starving for it all day.

His lips brushed her collarbone, his voice muffled against her skin.

"Inkonni rojule taruvate nuvu kuda ikkadiki permanent ga move aipothav..."
"In just a few more days, you'll also move here permanently..."

He kissed her again...
and again...
each kiss carrying a promise, a longing, a future he already saw with her.

Anu closed her eyes and melted into him completely, her arms sliding around his shoulders, her cheek resting against his hair as he held her like she was the home he was desperate to return to.

His words echoed in her heart...

"Permanent ga..."

Her chest tightened—not with fear, but with a deep, overwhelming happiness she couldn't contain.

She ran her fingers through his hair, pulled him closer.

.

.

.

The highway grew quieter as the car rolled toward home, the streetlights flashing rhythmically through the windows. Inside, the silence was calm—except for Rahul's constant gentle attempts to wake the sleeping girl beside him.

They were only half an hour away from their house.

Nidhi was curled up on the backseat bed Rahul had made earlier, her breathing soft and deep, her head still resting on his arm. The journey had been long, and her body had surrendered completely to sleep.

Rahul slowly lifted his hand from her hair and reached for the soft sweater he had placed beside her earlier. He looked at her sleeping face and exhaled softly—she looked too peaceful, too innocent to disturb.

But he had to.

He leaned closer, speaking in the gentlest possible voice.

"Nidhi... Nidhi..."

No response.

He tried again, brushing her cheek with the back of his fingers.

"Nidhi... manam intiki degara lo unnam lei..."
"Nidhi... we're close to home now, wake up..."

But... whom was he kidding?

She didn't move.
Not even a twitch.
She was completely lost in sleep.

Rahul let out a faint, helpless laugh under his breath.

"idi evariki chepthunnav, Rahul...she won't wake up soon" he muttered to himself.

Still, he tried again—gently patting her shoulder, whispering her name, rubbing her arm softly, coaxing her like she was made of glass.

At last, after thirty minutes of patient attempts, her eyelashes fluttered. She blinked slowly, yawning like a sleepy kitten.

Her gaze shifted downward—and she noticed the sweater wrapped around her.

Confused, she looked up at Rahul with half-sleepy eyes.

"Eh...?" her expression silently asked.

Rahul smoothed her hair back from her forehead and explained softly, his voice low and serious.

"Nene vesa. Manam ee vishayam ippude chepadhu. Already intlo Anu and Ved gurinchi chala tension nadustundi... we will hide this for now."
"I put it on you. We won't mention this now. There's already too much tension at home because of Anu and Ved... we'll hide this for now."

Nidhi nodded slowly, understanding his words.

But as she nodded... something tugged inside her.

A pinch in her heart.

A small ache she didn't expect.

Hide it?

She lowered her eyes.

She understood why—yes, the situation at home was already unstable.
Yes, it wasn't the right time.

But still...
it hurt a little.

The sweater suddenly felt heavier on her shoulders—not because of the fabric, but because of what it meant.

Rahul noticed the flicker in her eyes—the way her shoulders dropped, the way she swallowed slowly, the way her fingers trembled for half a second.

He reached out, gently lifting her chin with one finger.

"Nidhi..." he whispered softly, but she forced a tiny smile and looked away, avoiding his concern.

She didn't complain.
She didn't question him.
She didn't argue.

But deep inside...
something warm, something fragile... felt like it had been pushed back into darkness again.

SO GUYS HOW'S CHAPTER AND FROM NEXT CHAPTER YOU GET TO SEE BOTH COUPLES EQUALLY AND COMMENT HOW DID YOU FEEL AND ANY FEEDBACK??

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VOTE...