TO THE STARS THAT LISTEN

CHAPTER 43: What's cooking?

Sorry for the late update... I got stuck. I hope you enjoy!

Ira

By the time we parked the car, it was almost dinner time. It was still raining heavily and given our previous celebration in the rain, we were soaking wet. Thankfully, Ahaan asked one of the guards around to get the car serviced as soon as the weather cleared out, or Karan would be mad.

Though given his thirst-trap Bluetooth name, I don't think it'd be the first time the car would be wet.

Gross.

While on our way back, we didn't talk much, I did make him listen to half of the 'Lover' album. Also, from the time Ahaan almost demanded to know about me, mixed emotions were creeping through my veins.

Yes, there are parts of my childhood, I'd give anything to erase from my memory, but there also are some parts of it that have my heart trapped. Those are the pieces that make me human and those are the parts I'm planning on telling him.

Some things, I just can't tell him because if I do, I know he'll leave, just like all the others. And though that's the plan, but not so soon. After a long time I've started feeling good...happy...safe. These emotions were foreign to me for a very long time and I'm not ready to give them up just yet.

Ahaan had wrapped me in his pilot jacket when I started shivering with cold in the car. So, while his white shirt, almost transparent with rain, stuck to his frame, I'm wrapped up like a newborn.

We take the elevator to the common floor of the house and it's door pings before sliding open.

The elevator door opened and I could hear Aariv's babbling growing louder. He had recently started using a walker and whenever he'd hear the door opening he'd try his best to run towards it. Given his age, it was still soon for him to be using a Walker but that boy was growing up fast and strong.

He came in his walker with the purest smile in the world but to my surprise, Coco wasn't on his heels per usual, like a brother, to protect him

"Hi, baby." I passed him a flying kiss. "I'm sorry sweetie, chachi can't pick you up right now." I made a crying face looking into his big doe-like eyes.

"Congratulations." Two familiar figures shouted coming out of the kitchen garden.

"What are you two doing here?" I asked Vaani and Aariv walking towards us with Coco on Vaani's heels.

That's why he wasn't with Aariv.

"Hello to you too." Aarav picked up a cookie from the cookie jar and Ahaan came up behind me to whisper to not tell anyone about his license.

"But why? It's a great news."

"I don't wanna take away your limelight. Shh...we'll tell them tomorrow." He started to speak to Aarav before I could say anything. "Didn't you take an off to meet your sick aunt in Lonavala?"

Aarav looked like he was taken off guard. "I did...but it was just fever. Gave her some meds and came as soon as she felt better."

"Are you sure? Flu is very common these days." I commented.

"Yeah, she's good, doctor. What about you, why are you guys all drenched? Did you not take a car?"

This time we were caught off guard. "We did." Ahaan took the charge. "But the car broke down and we had to step out. I repaired it though."

Thank God. They bought it.

"What about you? How did you come here? This morning, when I called you, you were too busy covering your 'Protest against rancid butter' in Lonavala. " I asked Vaani.