𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐭�...

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You're my end and my beginning,
even when I lose I'm winning

The rhythmic rise and fall of Ishaan's chest beneath her cheek was oddly soothing.

Lavika hadn't intended to stay like this—to let herself sink into his warmth—but now that she was here, she couldn't bring herself to move.

His hold was firm yet gentle, like he was afraid she would disappear if he let go.

Ishaan exhaled slowly, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on her back. "Jaan, tum soyi nahi?"

She hummed in response, not opening her eyes. "Neend nahi aa rahi."

He shifted slightly, pressing his chin against her hair. "Dil bechain hai?"

Lavika hesitated before whispering, "Thoda sa"

There was a beat of silence, then Ishaan murmured, "Koi wajah?"

She should have said no.

Should have told him that it was nothing.

But lying to Ishaan never came easy.

"Tum" she admitted quietly. "Tumhari baatein, tumhara hona... sab kuch."

Ishaan's grip on her tightened, and for a moment, she felt his heartbeat quicken.

"Mera hona takleef de raha hai, jaan?" His voice was so soft that she barely caught the words.

Lavika's fingers curled into his shirt. "Nahi... sirf thoda ajeeb lag raha hai."

He pulled back just enough to look at her, his light brown eyes dark in the dim lighting. "Toh kya karun? Tumse door chala jaun?"

Her heart clenched at the thought. "Tum hamesha extreme option kyun sochte ho?"

Ishaan smirked faintly. "Kyunki tum mere liye extreme ho, Lavs."

She bit her lip, looking away.

This man had a way of making her feel everything all at once.

It was overwhelming, terrifying, and yet... comforting.

"Ek din tum mujhpe pura trust karogi" he said, tilting her chin back toward him. "Aur us din, tumhe koi ajeeb nahi lagega. Sirf yeh lagega ki yeh—hum—hamesha se aise hi the."

Lavika held his gaze, her heart hammering against her ribs. "Aur agar aisa din nhi aya toh?"

Ishaan's lips twitched into a small, knowing smile. "Aayega. Kyunki tum chahti ho ki aaye."

She swallowed, unable to deny it.

Silence stretched between them before Ishaan brushed his knuckles against her cheek. "Ab so jao, jaan. Subah tak sab kuch thoda kam ajeeb lagega."

Lavika didn't argue this time.

With his warmth surrounding her and his steady heartbeat beneath her ear, she allowed her eyes to close.

Maybe—just maybe—he was right.

ʚɞ

The golden morning light filtered through the curtains, casting soft shadows across the room.

Lavika stirred slightly, warmth cocooning her in a way that felt both foreign and familiar at the same time.

Her lashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she registered was the steady rhythm of a heartbeat beneath her ear.

For a second, she forgot where she was.

Then, the realization hit her—she was still wrapped in Ishaan's arms, her cheek pressed against his chest, his arm draped protectively around her waist.

Her breath caught.

Ishaan was still asleep, his grip on her relaxed yet firm, as if even in unconsciousness, he wasn't willing to let go.

His light brown hair was slightly tousled, his features softer in slumber, making him look almost... peaceful.

The sight did something strange to her heart.

She carefully lifted her head, trying to move away without waking him.

But the moment she shifted, his grip tightened.

A low, sleepy groan rumbled in his chest. "Kahan ja rahi ho, jaan?"

Lavika stilled. "Ishaan..."

His eyes were still closed, but a slow smirk tugged at his lips. "Subah subah bhaag rahi ho mujhse?"

She huffed, attempting to push his arm away. "Main bhaag nahi rahi hoon. Sirf uth rahi hoon."

He cracked one eye open, amusement flickering in his gaze. "Uthne ka itna shauk hai toh pehle ek proper good morning toh keh do."

Lavika rolled her eyes. "Good morning, Ishaan."

He grinned, tightening his hold before nuzzling into her hair. "Ab thoda aur ruk sakti ho?" His voice was still rough with sleep, making her heart stumble.

She swallowed, willing herself to ignore the way her stomach flipped. "Mujhe fresh hona hai."

Ishaan sighed dramatically, finally letting her go. "Thik hai, jao. Par wapas aana."

Lavika shook her head at his antics, quickly slipping away before he could change his mind.

As she freshened up, she stared at her own reflection in the mirror.

Last night had been... different.

She had let herself trust him—just a little.

And maybe, just maybe, it hadn't been as terrifying as she thought.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, Ishaan was still lying on the couch, scrolling through his phone, a lazy smirk already in place.

"Tumhe dekh kar ek baat confirm ho gayi" he drawled.

Lavika frowned, narrowing her eyes. "Kya?"

Ishaan propped himself up on his elbow, his smirk widening. "Tum meri aadat ban chuki ho, jaan. Ab ek raat tumhari baahon mein so liya, toh roz chahiye."

Her cheeks burned. "Ishaan!"

He chuckled, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Bas bata raha hoon."

Lavika turned away, hiding her smile.

Maybe she was getting used to him too.

ʚɞ

Lavika settled on the couch, running a hand through her hair, trying to shake off the strange warmth lingering in her chest.

She wasn't supposed to get used to this—to him.

But Ishaan had a way of slipping into places she never thought she'd let him into.

Her thoughts scattered when the sound of clinking utensils caught her attention.

She turned, eyes widening at the sight in front of her.

Ishaan.

In the kitchen.

Actually cooking.

Well, trying to.

She watched as he cracked an egg into a bowl with a little too much force, a few shards of shell landing in the mix.

Instead of fixing it, he simply frowned at the mess like it had personally offended him.

A slow smirk curved her lips. "Kya ho raha hai?"

Ishaan, without looking up, replied, "Tumhare liye breakfast bana raha hoon."

She raised a brow, crossing her arms. "Tum aur cooking?"

He finally turned to face her, a hand dramatically placed on his chest. "Jaan, tumne mere skills pe shak kiya?"

Lavika tilted her head. "Mujhe sirf tumhare skills pe nahi, iss breakfast pe bhi shak ho raha hai."

Ishaan rolled his eyes but turned back to the stove, flipping what looked like an omelet.

It landed in the pan with a splat, more scrambled than whole.

Lavika bit back a laugh. "Agar khilane ka irada hai toh pehle ensure kar lo ki poison-free ho."

He shot her a flat look. "Badi shakki ho tum."

She leaned against the counter, watching him with amusement. "Tumne pehle kabhi cooking ki hai?"

Ishaan cleared his throat. "Chef ke samne khade ho kar supervise kiya hai."

Lavika let out a laugh. "Matlab tum bas orders dete ho?"

He smirked, turning off the stove and plating the somewhat decent-looking omelet.

"Matlab main boss hoon. Par aaj sirf tumhare liye chef bhi bann gaya." He pushed the plate toward her. "Lo, taste karke batao."

She eyed the food skeptically. "Mujhe marna nahi hai, Ishaan."

He gave her a look of mock offense. "Agar itni problem hai toh pehle main taste kar leta hoon."

Before she could react, he cut a small piece and popped it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

His expression remained neutral, but after a second, he gave a slow nod. "Hmm, edible hai."

Lavika still hesitated.

Ishaan sighed, then held up a piece of the omelet in front of her lips. "Agar main zinda hoon, toh tum bhi bachi rahogi. Ab mooh kholo."

She hesitated for another second before finally taking a bite.

Surprisingly... it wasn't that bad.

She chewed, looking at him in mock contemplation. "Thik hai. But next time, shell-free version banana."

Ishaan chuckled, leaning closer. "Agle baar sirf tumhare liye perfection seekh lunga, jaan."

Lavika rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

But as she took another bite, she couldn't stop the small smile from playing on her lips.

Ishaan leaned against the counter, watching her with a lazy smirk. "See? I told you I'm not completely useless in the kitchen."

Lavika raised an eyebrow. "Debatable."

His smirk widened. "You're still eating it, though."

She huffed, trying to ignore the way he was looking at her like she was the most entertaining thing in the world. "Because I'm hungry, not because you suddenly turned into a five-star chef."

Ishaan placed a hand over his heart dramatically. "Ouch, jaan. That hurt."

Lavika rolled her eyes. "You'll survive."

He watched her take another bite, his expression softening slightly. "I like this."

She glanced at him warily. "Like what?"

"This. You. Sitting here, eating something I made. Complaining about it but still finishing it."

Her fingers froze around the fork for a second before she forced herself to scoff. "Don't get used to it, Mr. CEO. This was a one-time thing."

Ishaan chuckled. "Jaan, tumhe samajhna padega... main jo chahoon, usey aadat bana leta hoon."

Lavika swallowed, trying to ignore the way his words made her stomach flutter. "That sounds more like a warning than a statement."

He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping into something softer. "Maybe it is."

She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Ishaan casually plucked the fork from her fingers and stole a bite of her omelet.

"Hey!" She glared at him. "That was mine!"

Ishaan chewed thoughtfully, pretending to consider. "Hmm. Actually tastes better when I eat from your plate."

Lavika snatched the fork back. "Next time, make your own breakfast."

He grinned. "Next time? So, you're saying there will be a next time?"

She paused, realizing her mistake. "I— That's not what I meant!"

Ishaan laughed, shaking his head. "Too late, jaan. You already said it."

Lavika groaned, pushing her plate away. "I give up. Talking to you is impossible."

Ishaan's smile softened as he reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "But you still do it anyway."

She stared at him for a moment, her heart doing that stupid thing where it raced for no reason.

Ishaan simply watched her, his light brown eyes filled with something unreadable.

Then, as if sensing she needed space, he leaned back and stretched. "Alright, since I made breakfast, I think you should do the dishes."

Lavika scoffed. "Excuse me? You're the one who turned the kitchen into a crime scene. You clean it."

Ishaan smirked. "Fine. But if I do, I'll expect a reward."

She narrowed her eyes. "What kind of reward?"

He leaned in again, dropping his voice to a teasing whisper. "Surprise me."

Lavika picked up a dishcloth and tossed it at his face. "Here's your reward. Now get to work."

Ishaan caught it effortlessly, laughing as he got up. "Bossy, aren't you?"

"You started it" she shot back, crossing her arms.

Ishaan shook his head, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "And yet, you're still here."

Lavika didn't have an answer to that.

Ishaan leaned against the counter, watching her with that smug expression she was starting to recognize as dangerous. "You know, jaan, you should be nicer to me."

Lavika crossed her arms, raising a brow. "And why is that?"

"Because I just slaved away in the kitchen to make you breakfast" he said, dramatically placing a hand on his chest. "And this is the gratitude I get? A dishcloth to the face?"

Lavika smirked. "Oh, my apologies, Mr. CEO. Next time, I'll get you a medal for cracking an egg."

Ishaan clicked his tongue. "You wound me."

She rolled her eyes. "You'll survive."

He took a slow step toward her, eyes glinting with mischief. "Wouldn't you feel bad if I didn't?"

Lavika scoffed, backing up instinctively. "I think you'll be just fine, Ishaan. You have an entire empire to run, remember?"

Ishaan hummed thoughtfully. "True. But at this moment, my empire can wait. I have a very important matter to handle."

She narrowed her eyes. "And what would that be?"

Ishaan smirked, crowding into her space. "Convincing my very stubborn jaan to admit that she actually enjoyed my breakfast."

Lavika refused to be flustered. "I already said it was edible. That's high praise coming from me."

"Hmm," he mused. "Not enough. I need more appreciation."

She let out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. Thank you, Ishaan, for making a slightly questionable, but mostly edible breakfast. I deeply appreciate your efforts and will cherish this memory forever."

Ishaan chuckled. "That sounded sarcastic, but I'll take it."

Lavika smirked. "Glad we settled that. Now, shouldn't you be getting back to work? Or do CEOs get unlimited vacation days?"

Ishaan exhaled dramatically. "You're kicking me out?"

She placed her hands on her hips. "I'm reminding you of your responsibilities."

He grinned. "And here I thought you'd miss me if I left."

Lavika tilted her head. "Miss the constant teasing? The shameless flirting? The way you turn my kitchen into a disaster zone?" She tapped her chin. "Yeah, I think I'll survive."

Ishaan let out a low chuckle, stepping even closer. "Admit it, jaan. You'd get bored without me."

She huffed. "Pretty sure my life was just fine before you barged into it."

"Was it?" he murmured, voice laced with amusement.

Lavika opened her mouth to argue, but the way he was looking at her—like he already knew the answer—made her pause.

Damn him.

She quickly cleared her throat, stepping around him. "Alright, time's up. Chop chop, Mr. CEO. Go do some actual work."

Ishaan sighed dramatically, stretching. "Fine, fine. I'll leave. But only because you asked so sweetly."

Lavika shot him a look. "That wasn't sweet."

He smirked. "It was to me."

She rolled her eyes. "Go."

Ishaan chuckled, grabbing his blazer. As he headed for the door, he paused, turning back. "One last thing."

Lavika folded her arms. "What now?"

He leaned in, his voice dropping into that slow, teasing drawl. "I'll be back, jaan. So try not to miss me too much."

Before she could throw a comeback at him, he walked out, leaving behind the faint scent of his cologne and a frustratingly smug energy in the air.

Lavika exhaled, shaking her head as she muttered, "Unbelievable."

And yet, she was still smiling.

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