Love Demads Sacrifice

Chapter 35

The next day,
Vaidehi's family visited the Malhotra mansion. They had dinner peacefully, and casual conversation was happening.

Avinash received a call and excused himself to the side balcony. While everyone else was chatting, Rudra noticed Avinash looking tense through the mirror window. 

He waited outside until Avinash finished his call. Once Avinash was done, Rudra went outside.

"Hey Rudra, beta you here?" Avinash asked with a slightly scared expression.

"Um, Unc, I mean...pa.. papa, is everything alright?" Rudra asked, hesitating a bit because he had never addressed him as "papa" before.

"Yes, beta, everything is alright," Avinash assured.

"You're hiding something? Is there anything you're bothered about? " Rudra asked.

"Oh, betaa, there's no such thing. Why would I hide anything from you?" Avinash asked.

"Then why do you seem so tense?" Rudra inquired.

"Nothing, just some work-related stress, nothing else," Avinash explained.

"Okay, but if there's anything you can tell me, right?" Rudra asked. Avinash smiled and said, "Of course, beta. I will tell you. Now, let's go inside."

"Yes," Rudra smiled, and they both went inside to join the others and talk for a while.

During that, Rudra observed Avinash; he seemed tense. After some time, Avinash said, "Okay, then we should leave now," while standing up from the couch, followed by others.

"Yes, it was very nice to meet after a long time. Please come again," Vikram said.

"Now, it's your turn," Ankita added.

"Yes, surely we will," Sunaina agreed.

"And Vaidehi, next time you come to stay, bring Rudra along too," Avinash said.

"Yes, Papa, we'll come soon," Rudra quickly responded before Vaidehi could say anything, and she looked at him in amusement.

"Alright, so we'll leave now," Ankita said, and they departed.

In the room, Rudra was lost in thought when Vaidehi entered after changing clothes.

"What's wrong? What are you thinking about?" Vaidehi asked while applying cream to her hand.

"Nothing. Achha, listen," he said.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Is Papa upset about something?" Rudra asked.

"Papa? Why, what happened to him? You spend the whole day with him at the office, so how would I know?" Vaidehi said.

"Oh, I'm not talking about my papa, I mean your papa," Rudra clarified, and she looked at him.

"To tumne tumhare papa kab bola," she asked?" she asked.
(When did you say 'your papa')

"If you can call my papa 'Papa,' then why can't I call your papa 'Papa'?" he asked, and her eyes softened.

"Now tell me, why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.

"N-no, why, what happened?" she asked.

"Nothing, I just felt that he seemed a bit worried," he said.

"I'll call and ask him right away," she said, taking her phone from the side table while sitting on the bed.

"No, don't do that. I mean, I asked him, but he said it's just office stress," he said.