SS-No One But You - Last Part /Page 27 - Page 11

When they reached Modi Mansion, Gopi headed straight to her room to freshen up and blow off her steam. She had to stay away from him; all the defenses she built in the past weeks came crashing down the moment she saw him.

Aham sat down with everyone told them, he wasn't hungry yet and would eat later. When Gopi came down again, she was in a better frame of mind. She got in the kitchen to order and asked Mani, if everyone was through with their dinner. "Yes except for Aham Bhai" she said.

It hadn't occurred to Gopi but it struck to her as odd, esp. since she had heard his stomach grumble. She went to look for him in the living area, he wasn't around and sensing that she might have taken things a little too far for his liking, she decided to ask Mani to take a tray up to the room. She asked Mani to heat up some milk as well, in case he didn't feel like eating dinner.

Aham, in the meanwhile, unaware of what to expect or how to react headed to his room. He didn't understand why he refused dinner when he was super hungry. He freshened up and began working, to avoid questions to which he had no answers, at least not yet. He heard a knock and saw Mani bringing in a tray, he was agitated. Nice touch, Aham thought to himself, and she was avoiding him, but why? Things were getting better between them and he thought they could be friends until things were settled.

Gopi walked in sometime later, he was pretending to ignore her by trying hard to focus on anything to do. She walked up to the dresser and saw the tray untouched; she didn't know what to do. She walked up to him, placed the tray on the side table and cleared the centre table, by carefully putting the papers away, skeptically,  and then placed the tray in front of him. He was trying hard to ignore her, until she called for him,"Ahamji" she said.

"Hmmm" he replied pretending really hard to keep focus.

"Please have your dinner, it's too late already" she said with concern.

"I am not hungry "he replied grimly.

"Please Ahamji, it's really late and besides you wouldn't enjoy eating it once it's cold." She was getting worried now.

"I am not in the mood for it Gopi, besides I am doing something really important" he lied, smiling within himself.

"Ahamji, I am sorry!" she said sheepishly and Aham did not have the heart to torture her any longer and laughed out loud. Gopi was shocked, happy and felt cheated. She picked the cushions from the couch and hurled them at him yelling "liar, cheat, how incorrigible you are!!" and when she ran out of cushions, she started laughing. She went and sat next to him on the couch, lay out his dinner, while he kept his eyes trained on her. She took a piece of bread, dipped it dal and brought it close to his mouth to feed him. It was such a natural progression for either of them that nothing seemed out of place.  After dinner, both of them walked down to put the dishes back in the kitchen and walked back upstairs, together.

When they got back to the room, Gopi wanted to know all about the trip and Aham was more than happy to share the information, in fact he had been looking forward to it all day. They fell asleep during some part of the conversation very late in the night. 

When Gopi woke up the next morning, Aham handed her a box to open, when she did she found a cell phone in it with a note which read "Can never ever be not around when I call you again". Gopi couldn't control herself; she sent a text to Aham which read, "Thank You!" She kept reminding herself that this was in the interest of the deal. Aham hadn't seen anyone so happy or surprised receiving a gift. She thanked him for it. Aham was overwhelmed by her reaction.

In an effort to improve his character of the reformed husband, Aham shocked himself and Gopi by deciding to drop Gopi off to school on his way to work. It seemed rather important to him. When she was getting off the car, he reminded her of the dinner do they were supposed to attend in a couple of days. She smiled.  

The moment Aham reached his office, he called her and when she answered, he said, "Just checking" and told her of his schedule for the day and promised to pick her up later that evening.  Gopi, in turn kept reassuring herself that she was made of sterner stuff. She was never far from associating the change in Aham to the separation.

She kept dodging Aham, she got home by noon, and spent time with Maaji for a good part of the afternoon and with Baa later in the evening when Aham came home fuming. She did not wish to be in the line of fire. She avoided his curious glances at dinner and got busy in the kitchen and the mandir before deciding it was safe to retire.

Aham failed to understand what had gotten into her; things were going so well between them. He looked forward to spending time with her and here she was avoiding him. He realized she wasn't coming back to the room until she knew he was asleep, so he lay on the bed waiting. She walked in, changed and went straight to bed. If she wants play ignore, fine, suits me, I can play better, and with that the battle lines were drawn.