One week later, when Shurti called Viswa, she came to know that he was sick. She knew she can't take Vidya along with her, so she left her at neighbor's house. Them being all alone, they agreed to take care of Vidya for time being.

When Shruti stood at her door steps, he was hell bent on sending her away.

"Why did you come..." he got cut off by coughing.

She rolled eyes and pushed him aside to get in.

"Why did you come? What about Vidya?" he asked. When she explained to him, he nodded.

"Shruti I am sick and I don't want you to get sick. You need to take care of the baby." He advised her. But she ignored his question and asked him,

"When are your parents coming?" she asked him to which he simply shrugged.

"You didn't tell them?"

"Come on, it is just viral fever. I will get better." He said in hoarse voice due to the effect of continuous coughing.

"Had breakfast?" she asked him.

"No about to order" he replied.

"Why are you buying hotel food?"

"Because I don't know to cook!" he rolled his eyes.

She shook her head, "I meant when you are sick."

"Answer is still the same." He winked to which she glared at him.

"I will cook for you."

"I don't want to get more sick." He joked.

"Hey! I am not terrible in cooking." She defended herself and went to kitchen. On seeing no groceries she decided to buy some vegetables.

"You take rest; I will go and buy groceries."

When he tried to stop her, she pushed him towards his bedroom and left to buy necessary items.

By the time she cooked soup for him, he slept. As much as she didn't want to disturb him, she knew he didn't have anything for breakfast.

So she woke him up and gave him the hot soup and then served breakfast.

After having food, he laid down on the bed.

"You go." He said and slept.

On seeing him sleeping peaceful she thought of leaving and visiting him next day. Suddenly he started to shiver.

She rushed to the cupboard and searched for a blanket. That time a parcel with a note caught her eye.

She took the parcel in her hand and saw the same note she thought she passed to Vijay.

How could I think the gift was from Vijay when he was clearly disappointed on knowing that I was pregnant? Why did I jump into conclusion?

She looked at Viswa with gratitude. How can he be so thoughtful? Not only he gave idea to facilities department, he did try to gift me!

Such a fool I am, thinking his gesture as Vijay's.

She cringed on seeing the note. How hurt he would have been on receiving such a note? Thank god, I explained him that I thought the gift was from Vijay. Wait, even when I told him, he didn't reveal that it was him!

She sighed and kept the parcel at the same place she took it. She took the blanket and covered it on Viswa.

Suddenly Viswa caught her right hand and hugged it as a source of warmth.

For a second she thought he woke up, but light snoring sound confirmed that he is asleep.

Why didn't I meet you before Vijay? A sudden thought came to her mind.

She slowly ran her fingers on his hair using her left hand. He relaxed and loosened the grip on her hand.

Not all men are deceivers. She smiled at him. Who knew she would get herself a crush on him?

More than a crush. She thought

But it is too late. She smiled sadly. If it was before, maybe she would have expressed her feelings, but with the situation she is in, she knew that if at all she expresses her feelings, she would surely lose his friendship.

Fate does bring right people at wrong time! She complained not knowing how well the fate had planned events for her.

After that incident, she came to visit him every day to cook for him. Like the first day, he would try to kick her out of house on fearing she would get sick and affect the baby's health also.

She knew she might get sick, but she couldn't leave him like that, when all he did was to help her crossing all his comfort zone, and thanks to almighty, she didn't get sick.

After recovering he started to visit them as usual.

His company's COO gave birth to child. So they distributed sweets to employees and declared a day off to everyone. So he straight away went to Shruti's house.

After reaching the doorsteps he was stunned on the sight before him.

Shruti was dancing gracefully in front of Vidya. Even though he could see only her backside, he could clearly see the fast but smooth movements she made. He looked keenly, even though she seemed to wore a saree, the style was bit different than the way everyone wear saree.

Overall she looked like goddess dancing Bharatanatyam. On seeing her dance, he felt as if he is getting recharged from her vibrant dance.

Even though there wasn't any background music, her salangai (Ghungroo) made sound for each move her legs made.

On seeing her dance and forgetting the rest of the world, he too lost into the world of her dancing. He kept staring at her without even closing his eyelashes for second, fearing he would miss a step.

As he was engrossed into her dancing without breaking any eye contact, sudden cry of baby brought him back to the reality.

"Ohh Vidu, please don't cry. Is it boring for you?" Shruti asked with concern.

Boring! How could she describe her performance as boring? She was looking like a goddess with her passionate movements.

He faked glare at Vidya for disturbing the dance, even though both couldn't see him.

On seeing Vidya crying more, "I will dance something else. Okay?"

Something else? How many talents did she hide under her sleeves?

Viswa watched as she removed her salangai and brought to her eye level and paid respected to it. She then placed it nearby table.

Soon she played a song from her cell phone and Vidya got excited on hearing song.

Seems like this is daily routine of mother and daughter. How did I miss this?

As he was wondering, Shruti did a move which grabbed his attention more than her previous dance.

Just like the beat of the song, her hip swing was also slow.

Damn, the belly dance!

While surfing in YouTube, he came across belly dance. Just like any other dance, he used to watch it and skip to some other video.

But this time, he couldn't concentrate on anything. His eyes were drawn towards her hip which was jerking in slow motion and in teasing way too; he mentally added the last part.

Just as his eyes were drawn to her shaking hips, he noticed she was wearing a saree.

Damn! Why did she wear saree and dance this? He thought.

Even though Saree wasn't that suitable for belly dance, but it did enough damage to him.

With midriff on display and her moving it forward and backward made his eye glue to it.

Viswa, you are gentleman, you shouldn't sneak behind someone and stare them like this. It is very inappropriate. He mentally scolded himself.

Just before he could divert the direction of his vision, the song started to play with fast beats.

She is going to be death of me! And again his eyes started to bounce like her hip.

He doubted that he would stare like this if someone was in her place. Only she can do this to him.

Who wouldn't love to have this view when you are attracted to that person?

If previous dance was divine, then this is sensual,

If previous one radiate energy, then this would drain your energy,

If previous one made her to look like goddess, then this made her to look like wild witch which needs to be tamed.

He wanted to stop this torture, at the same he didn't want to. He enjoyed watching her dance like this. If given a chance he would have walked in-front of her so that he could get front-view. But he refrained doing so, else he might not even get this back side step also.

Suddenly as if answering his prayers, Shruti turned halfway and bent backwards, which revealed her belly button in process.

Suddenly he felt the urge to snake his arm through her waist and hug her from behind.

He gulped down and tried to shake his head of all the perverted thoughts.

No doubts, girls scold us saying, 'Men will always be men'.

Just when he turned other side, Shruti noticed someone's presence behind her.

She quickly adjusted her saree pleats and turned towards the intruder.

How long was he standing here? She wanted to bury herself 6 feet under the ground to escape from this situation.

She couldn't look into his eyes. She mentally face palmed herself for not locking the door before dancing. No one visits her and Vidya, except him; moreover his usually come at evening. So she didn't feel like locking the door.

"You want water?" before he could reply, she went to kitchen. She literally wanted to hide from that place.

Why did I have performed belly dance? Vidu, no more dance for you. She thought.

On the other hand, Water! Definitely, it will cool me down. He thought. He was bit ashamed on gawking at her. Thank god, she didn't notice me when she was dancing.

Suddenly Vidya started to cry grabbing his attention. He lifted her up, but she didn't stop crying.

"Is my baby hungry?" he looked at her.

"I already fed her," saying that she gave him water.

"Oh, then why is she crying? Sleeping time?" he asked her. He never visited them during morning, so he didn't knew her morning schedule.

"Umm, no she is getting bored. So only." Shruti said. Blood rushed to her cheeks remembering what she did to remove the boredom.

"Ah, so only you were dancing. I didn't know you dance Bharatanatyam." He knew she is bit embarrassed on seeing him watching her belly dance. So he asked about the other dance.

She smiled. Thank god, he was there to see first dance. What would he thought of me if he saw the later one that too with door open?

"I learnt it for 13 years. After getting pregnant I stopped going to the class. After Vidya was born, I couldn't leave her alone and go to class. So when she gets bored I dance in front of her. I didn't want her to look at TV or cellphone when bored. So thought of dancing."

"For the next cultural program in the office, I am signing your name in." he winked.

"What? No way. Don't tell anybody that I know dancing." She pled him.

"No way. Next time, you are going to perform introduction song." He indirectly told her that he wanted her to perform classical dance and not the belly dance. He felt that he should be the only person to see her dance the other one.

She pouted to which he laughed.

"What are the plans for New Year?" he asked her.

"Thought of going to temple. Would you like to join us?" she asked him.

"If you returning that night itself, then I will join you, because, I am leaving to Germany for Test Execution from client server."

"Okay then, we will be go by my car."

One week later, on the New Year, Viswa came with luggage and placed them in her house and then all three left for the temple in the evening.

Since it would take 2 hours to travel to temple, they left around 4 in the evening

In temple, Shruti told the names of all the three for archanai (ceremonial worship). Viswa's heart fluttered on hearing her say his name and star details along with hers to the priest.

While giving prashad, the priest said, Deergha Sumangali Bhava (May you have a long and happy married life) to her.

Shruti froze on hearing this. Did the priest think that I am married?

On the other hand, Viswa felt immense happiness on hearing it. He couldn't understand or rather he refused to understand that his happiness was bound to her and the baby.

After pooja, she went to mother feeding room to feed her before leaving, as she knew she might get hungry while return.

After exiting, they once again hit on the road. After travelling for one hour, Viswa parked at nearby hotel to have dinner.

After ordering dosa for both, they started to talk randomly.

When food was served, Shruti was about to fed herself, Vidya started to become restless. This made Shruti to stop eating and control her.

Just when she thought Vidya calmed and went to eat, again she tried to get out of her mother's arm.

"What happened to her?" Viswa asked her.

"Don't know. After a long time she is coming out, so she must be too excited." Before Vidya could try to jump out of her arms, Shruti used both her hands to control her.

"Say Ah." Viswa instructed.

Shruti absent mindedly said 'Ah' thinking it is to divert Vidya, Viswa used that opportunity to feed her.

Shurti froze for a second to contemplate what happened.

"Eat. I will definitely miss my flight, if you think of eating after calming her down," saying that he feed another piece.

Even though she was petrified, she gulped down the food.

She could hear 'aww, cute' as some teenagers girls were getting excited on seeing Viswa feeding her and suddenly she felt shy and blushed.

After which Vidya calmed down, yet Viswa continue to feed her.

Once the bills were paid, they left the hotel and to drive back.

After 40 minutes, Vidya started to cry again.

"Did you change the diapers?" Viswa asked him to which she replied positively.

"Then why is crying?"

"I think she is hungry. But I fed her soon after we exited the temple. That would make her tummy full for 2 hours."

"We spent some time in hotel right. So time is up I think. Anyways, feed her." He said.

She looked out for mother feeding room on the way. On seeing her looking outside when her baby was crying irritated him.

"Shruti I asked you to feed her."

"Yeah I heard you first time itself. I am looking for mother nursing rooms on road side."

He looked at her as if he grew another head.

"Those rooms will in Chennai public places only. We are in outer Chennai, we can't expect them here."

She looked worried. She patted Vidya's back to calm her down.

"How would I then?" she muttered.

"Here inside car only. As you can see, no one can look at you from outside as the glass is one way see through, if that is what you feeling."

What about you then? She mentally thought.

She kept staring at him and he couldn't decipher from her facial expression why she was hesitating to feed the baby.

She literally cursed herself for not wearing saree as it would have been easy for her to breast feed the baby. Now with the long kurta, she needs to literally undress herself to feed the baby.

On seeing her not feeding the baby, he asked 'what?'

She shook her head for which he got annoyed and asked why she didn't start to feed the baby.

When she muttered the reason, he felt as if she slapped him.

Couldn't she trust him? Why would I stare at her while breast feeding? Did she think so low of me?

On getting these thoughts, he started to drive fast.

On the other hand Shruti got scared on seeing him getting angry for her reply. He didn't tell anything when she said, that she is not comfortable feeding her baby in front of him. But she could feel the tension rising in the car.

Vidya's cries dropped on seeing things on the window moving fast and soon she fell asleep.

Viswa drove fast enough that, he reached her home in 10 minutes, when in actually it would have taken him 20-30 minutes.

Before getting down he said, "I thought you trusted me," before she could explain, walked out of the car.

Shruti took Vidya and rushed to her home. She felt bad on hurting him. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, actually even she didn't know why she refused to do so.

She put the baby on her cradle. On retuning to living room she saw that Viswa was standing on the door steps. She wondered why he was standing, and then only she remembered he left his luggage in her home.

She invited him in as he was didn't try to get inside the room without her permission.

It hurt her that, Viswa was behaving distant. After taking his luggage he walked towards the door.

"Viswa." She called him so that she can apologize.

He stopped walking but refused to turn.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." She whispered.

"But you did. You thought so low of me." He spoke in cold voice that made her to shiver.

"Viswa, it is not like that. I trust you." Tears fell from her eyes. She didn't know why this behavior of him is hurting her. Friends fight, but this fight made her to feel insecure.

"Your action said it otherwise," saying that he started to walk away.

Before he could get out, she marched towards him.

It is now or never. She thought.

She held his arm and made him to turn around. Before he could process what is happening, he heard her saying, "I trust you with my life."

After hearing that he felt her soft lips being pressed against his cold ones.

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

Hi! Sorry for being late by 2 days. That's why I posted a long chapter in this short story. This should have been actually put into two different chapters, but I felt that I owe you for not keeping my promise.

Regarding the dance part, not that I meant to say it is sexy one. The dance step by her made to look like that to 'him'. I never heard of that dance, until my friend showed me her video. My best friend is belly dancer. I was really mesmerized by that, so I wanted to include that dance in my story.

Back to the chapter, regarding last part. I am not sure whether a mother would feed in front friend. I have never been that situation nor saw my friends who now mothers doing that. I mean I don't how a girl would react. Plus not that she was shy in front of others or embarrassed, it is that she felt shy infront of him. We normally don't feel shy infront of friends, but can't say the same with opposite gender friendship.