Author's pov:

Maya stood in the kitchen, lost in her thoughts. She was thinking about what Anu said a few hours ago. She was brought out of her thoughts by the continuous buzzing of the oven. Oh no! She totally forgot about the cake. She took the cake out of the oven and placed it on the kitchen counter.

She greased the pan again and poured the remaining batter into it. She placed the pan in the oven and set the timer. She totally forgot about the icing in between. She was preparing the icing when she felt two hands sliding around her waist.

"I thought you were taking a nap," she said, leaning back on his chest.

"Nope. You are not there, right? And I'm quite accustomed to your presence," he said, tightening his hold on her.

"Hmm," she mumbled.

"Bunny?" Avi called her.

"Hmm," she mumbled.

"Do you remember what you said to me in the hospital?" He asked, by turning her around and looking into her eyes.

"Umm, what did I say?" She asked, looking at him innocently, battling her eyelashes.

"Didn't you remember?" He asked her with a pout.

"No na, I didn't remember. Did I say something?" She said, playing with his shirt buttons.

"Hmm, tell me, did I tell you anything?" She asked him with a mischevious glint in her eyes.

"Nothing." He understood that she was playing around.

"Let me see how long you will hide your feelings for me." He thought in his mind.

"Okay. If you leave me now, then I've to complete the icing on the cake," she said, coming out of his hold.

"Okay, you continue your work while I'll continue mine," he said, smiling cheekily.

"And what is your so-called work?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"Of course, staring at you," he said, grinning.

"Gosh, Avi! Stop with your flirting for now. And let me do my work. If you are hungry, your favourite mint choco chip cup cakes are in the refrigerator. So, please spare me a few minutes," said Maya.

"Such an unromantic wife you are," Avi complained, making a pout.

"Thanks for the compliment, hubby dear." She said, giving him a flying kiss.

While our dear Avi went to gobble his favourite cup cakes.

"You have magic in your hands, bunny. They are so delicious as always," he said, licking his lips.

"Thank you!" She said, bowing down dramatically, making him chuckle.

She again got busy with her work.

"What should I make for dinner?" She asked him.

"Your wish. Hey, but don't forget about my cake, ha," said Avi.

"Okay!" said Maya.

Avi hopped onto the kitchen counter with the box containing cup-cakes. He sat there swaying his legs in the air and eating the cupcakes. He opened his mobile and played their favourite playlist. He knows she loves cooking while listening to music.

*****************

Both of them were so engrossed in their work when Maya's phone started to buzz. She looked at the caller ID and smiled widely. She lifted the call and shouted, making the other person's ears numb for a moment.

Maya: Sunny!!!

Surya: Hold on, young lady. I don't want my poor ears to become deaf this early.

Maya: Yeah! Whatever.

Surya: What are you doing? And how are you?

Maya: I'm fine, Mister. But I don't know about you.

Surya: May I know why?

Maya: Because I'm going to kill you with my bare hands if you come in front of me.

Surya: Is it a warning?

Maya: It's for you to think.

Surya: Gosh! Mia, what happened?

Maya: You idiot. Did you just realise when you called me the last time?

Surya: I'm angry at you at that time. And do you think it was easy for me not to talk to you?

Maya: Oh, is it? You got all my information through your friend Sravya. What did that idiot think that I didn't notice her talking to you? And that stupid Pranav never said anything either. He used to say I promised my bestie, and I can't break my promise. And how dare you block me on all of your social media accounts? Look at the guts of this man. If you come in front of me, I'll just bang your head against the wall and kill you with my own hands.

Surya, on the other hand, gulped as he listened to her. He is certain that his best friend will have a difficult time manofying her.

Surya: Arey, Mia calm down. Why are you taking so much tension? At least listen to my point of view. Before he could say anything,

Maya: Don't! Just don't come up with your stupid reasons.

She shouted and cut the call in frustration.

--------------------------------

What does he think of himself? To hell with him and his stupid reasons. Every day, every damn day, she used to call him. But...

"Argh!" She fisted her hands tightly to control her anger.

Avi got down from the kitchen counter and went behind her and hugged her. At first she was startled, but soon she turned around and hugged him tightly. He heard her sniffling. He kissed her forehead lovingly and rubbed her back to calm her.

She held his face in between her small hands and raised a bit on her toes and kissed his chin. Then she dropped sloppy kisses on his cheeks and bit his nose a little. He rubbed his cheeks with hers. She giggled as his one-day-old stubble pricked her. He kissed the corner of her lips. He rubbed her lower lips with his thumb sensually. She shivered at his touch and clutched the hem of his shirt for support.

Both were lost in their moment when they felt the smell of something burning. That's when Maya realised that she forgot about the cake. She left him immediately and ran to the oven and took the cake from it.

"My cake," he said, eyeing the slightly burnt cake.

"Umm, it was slightly burnt." She said, smiling cheekily at him.

"What will you do now?" He asked, poutingly looking at the half-burnt cake.

Well, don't blame this foodie boy.

"You don't worry. I will get it set. But for now, just get out of the kitchen," she said, shouting at him lightly.

Like a good boy, he left the kitchen, not before taking the remaining cup cakes along with him, making her hit her head, looking at his love for food.

She removed the burnt layers of the cake and did its icing and topped it with some sprinkles.

Then she did the icing on the red-velvet cake that she had made for Ananya.

She placed both the cakes in the refrigerator and cleaned the kitchen counter. She put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and started to prepare dinner. Soon, Vani joined her, and both of them prepared dinner quickly.

******************

All four of them had their dinner and sat in the living room. Gayatri had gone to their village along with Arjun two days ago for some work.

Maya brought all of them masala butter milk.

Avi made a face by looking at it and said, "Do I have to drink this now?"

"Yes, do you have any problem with it?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Umm, no."

He looked at his mother for help, to which he received a glare from her. He then looked at his father, thinking that he would help him. But Shekar also gave him the same look. The poor boy hates this one thing. He can't do anything now, as his darling is also not there to help him. He scrunched his nose and drank it in one go. He stomped his feet and left for his room.

Maya bid her in-laws good night and went to her room, but not before grabbing two large slices of chocolate cake to manofy her dear hubby.

******************

Maya opened her bedroom door and peeped inside. She looked for Avi. She saw him talking to someone on his mobile phone while facing the balcony. She slowly entered the room, placed the cake on the nightstand and went to take the shower, grabbing her nightwear and towel quickly.

She came out of the shower and saw him typing something on his laptop sitting on the bed. She looked at the nightstand. The cake was untouched. She shook her head at him and went and sat beside him on the bed. She peeped into the laptop and saw him typing some e-mail. So, without disturbing him, she went and took one random book from the small wooden wall shelf, which was on the right side of their bed. She put on her reading glasses and started reading the book.

After some time, she saw him lying on the bed, covering himself with the comforter. She lay beside him and removed the comforter. He turned around, facing the other side.

"Are you angry with me, Avi?" Maya asked him.

But he didn't respond to her. She got down from the bed and went to the opposite side and sat beside him. He shifted his head to her lap and placed her hand in his hair. She laughed a little and caressed his hair. She placed a kiss on his forehead and joined their foreheads. She sat like that for some time.

******************

Maya was about to get up from the bed when Avi pulled her, making her fall on him. She looked at him wide-eyed. She pinched his shoulder, coming out of shock, to which he winced in pain.

"Ouch! Woman, what was that?" Avi asked her.

"So, you were not angry," she said.

"When did I say that I was angry?" He said, tucking her hair strands behind her ear.

"Then, why didn't you talk to me till now?" Maya asked him, pouting.

"You could have talked right," Avi asked her.

"But I thought you were angry at me." She said, pouting at him.

"And, why did you think that? Hmm," Avi asked her.

Maya said, "You came from the living room angry. And you didn't even respond when I talked to you. So I thought..."

"That I was angry at you," he said, while she hummed.

He cupped her face with his hands and looked into her eyes. Those chocolate-brown eyes of hers that always make him fall for her more. while she stared into his dark brown eyes. He looked at her intensely and caressed her cheeks. She looked down, unable to bear his intense gaze, and started to play with his chain.

He raised her chin with his finger and made her look at him. He gave her a sloppy kiss on her earlobe. He went down, dropping feathery kisses on her neck while she shuddered at his touch. Her breath became uneven, and her cheeks turned red. He slid her t-shirt a little down and sucked her shoulder and gave her a love bite there. She hissed and hugged him tightly, unable to bear his torture. She inhaled his cologne and placed a kiss on his chest. He chuckled, looking at her getting all shy.

*******************

After some time:

"Bunny?" Avi called her.

"Hmm," she said, playing with his chain.

"Did you feel any discomfort?" Avi asked her.

Maya raised her head and looked into his eyes.

"If you are not feeling comfortable..."

But his words got struck in the middle as he felt her soft lips on his. Seeing him not responding, she pinched his hand, making him come out of his thoughts. Soon, he responded to the kiss. After a good five minutes, they broke the kiss.

A sweet smile was playing on both of their lips. Both of them still couldn't believe that they had had their first kiss now.

While Maya still couldn't believe that she initiated the kiss, she blushed at the thought. She was never this close to any other man. She never felt uncomfortable with his touch. In fact, his forehead kisses always work magic on her, calming the storm inside her. When he asked her whether she felt any discomfort or not, she couldn't hold herself and kissed him, pouring all her feelings and unsaid words.

He kissed her forehead lovingly, pulled her closer and hugged her tightly. Soon, both of them slipped into deep slumber.

Stay safe and keep smiling.