Veer smiled back at her, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"Oh my god, darling, you’re really sothing," he said in a teasing drawl. "You want —your current partner—to et your late partner? I didn’t know you loved that much."
Kaya just stared at him, utterly drained. ntally, she was exhausted—arguing with this man was like smashing your head against a wall... and sohow, he still made her want to smash it again.
What the hell is wrong with him?
She dropped into her seat, anger simring in her voice. Through gritted teeth, she asked,
"Can you read it or not?"
Veer looked at her hand, then back at her face, and nodded with mock seriousness.
"Of course I can read it. Just let eat sothing first, then we’ll read."
Kaya exhaled sharply but gave a curt nod. He slipped out, and a few minutes later ca back carrying so at and fruit. From the look of the at, it was pretty clear he’d "acquired" it from soone else.
They headed to the kitchen, and using the spices from Kaya’s bag, Veer cooked up a simple but mouthwatering al—just a hearty at soup and a few vegetables fried to a golden crisp in coconut oil.
As they ate, Kaya felt the warmth and energy slowly creeping back into her body, her earlier frustration lting just a little... though she still kept a wary eye on him, knowing he could provoke her again at any second.
After finishing the al, Kaya set her bowl aside and leaned forward.
"Now can you read it?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.
We looked at her with a faint smile.
"Sweetheart, how many tis have I told you? After eating, we should walk. If not, you’ll gain weight."
Kaya stared at him, fighting the strong urge to strangle him right there. One hand gripped the other tightly, as if physically restraining herself. But she needed him, and that ant following his ridiculous "order." So she went.
They walked. And walked. And walked so more. By the ti twenty minutes had passed, Kaya was both relieved and utterly exhausted.
As soon as they returned, she asked again, her voice a little sharper this ti.
"Now can you read it?"
We glanced at her, then casually pulled out a bottle of coconut oil.
Kaya blinked. "Now what?"
He pointed at her hair.
"Let massage you. After that, I’ll read."
"I don’t need a massage," Kaya shot back, her voice tight with irritation.
He just smiled.
"But I need to give it. If you let , then I’ll read."
Kaya pressed her fingers to her temples, exhaling through her nose. Finally, she nodded.
After changing her clothes, she sat down. He began to work his fingers through her hair, and despite herself, the tension in her shoulders began to ease. Even Kaya didn’t realize when the soothing rhythm of his hands lulled her into a deep sleep—her head ending up in his lap.
He looked down at her sleeping face and smiled softly, gently massaging her eyebrows.
"Don’t frown so much," he murmured. "Or you’ll get too much older than ."
After massaging her head and laying her down, Veer didn’t stop—he took her feet in his hands, working the tension out of them, then gently rubbed her palms. His gaze lingered on her sleeping face.
That night, Kaya slept so deeply her usual alertness was gone. The world around her might as well have vanished; it was the kind of heavy, dreamless rest that felt like soone had slipped her chloroform—only without the danger. If not for her body’s natural alarm clock, she might have slept well past morning without realizing it.
When she finally woke, the sunlight brushing her skin, she felt sothing she hadn’t in years—utterly relaxed, her mind clear, and her body light.
After waking up, Kaya looked around, but Veer was nowhere in sight. She checked his room—it was empty.
Stepping outside, she felt the morning chill nip at her skin. The harsh cold had passed, but mornings still carried a lingering bite.
Her gaze swept the area until it caught on Veer—far below, near the foot of the mountain, while she stood on what felt like the third floor in comparison. He was lifting sothing—what looked like a heavy bundle of dry grass.
Tara stood nearby, giving instructions, pointing to where the bundles needed to be stored. And Veer, to Kaya’s surprise, was actually following along without complaint.
Watching them, it suddenly clicked for Kaya why they’d been allowed to live here so easily. She had always known one truth—nothing in this world cos for free.
But She had never thought the normally pampered prince would be doing so much work. Kaya stared at him for a mont, then quietly went back inside.
Down below, Veer suddenly felt the weight of soone’s gaze. He looked up, scanning the area—but saw nothing.
Kaya waited. And waited. Nearly an hour passed before Veer finally returned. By that ti, she had already finished her yoga and exercise, and was now sitting in deep ditation.
Veer stepped inside, paused for a mont as he looked at her, and then smiled.
"Oh my god, my sweetheart..." he murmured, walking over to sit beside her. With that familiar mischievous grin, he began to tease,
"What happened? Are you sick? Is sothing wrong? You’re not gonna jump at ? Huh? What happened—aren’t you going to shout at like a little kitten? What’s wrong, baby?"
Kaya just gave him a death glare. Veer only smirked, then stood and walked inside. A mont later, the clink and clank of utensils ca from the kitchen. When he returned, he carried two trays of food.
On one tray sat a bowl of finely chopped, roasted at—bird at, by the look of it. On the other was a soup with a chunk of at that definitely didn’t look fully cooked.
They sat down to eat in silence. Afterward, Veer set the trays aside, opened the diary, and said, "Okay. So... I start reading?"
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