After Momo arrived, Ayaan behaved as though everything were perfectly normal. He finished cleaning the floor and quietly retreated to his room, not coming out again for the rest of the evening. Meanwhile, Aarshi had drifted into sleep on the sofa, lost in her exhaustion.
Around nine at night, Momo gently woke her. Half-asleep, Aarshi stirred, rubbing her eyes, and murmured drowsily, "Is the painting done?" Her voice carried the softness of lingering dreams. Momo could read the fatigue etched across Aarshi's face. With a tender gesture, she stroked her hair and replied softly, "Yes, the painting is done… and dinner too."
Still wrapped in sleep, Aarshi slowly got up, fumbling for her glasses before placing them on her face. Through her blurred vision, she looked at Momo, who stood there holding a phone. Noticing it, Aarshi asked, "Did my brother call?" Momo nodded gently, explaining that Jihan had called, but hung up when he learned Aarshi was asleep.
Aarshi made her way to the washroom, splashing her face with cold water. The chill refreshed her senses, washing away the heaviness of sleep. When she returned, the dining table was already set, and Momo was waiting for her.
As Aarshi sat down, she asked, "Where is Ayaan?"
"He hasn't come downstairs since evening," Momo replied. "He's still in his room."
Hungry from a day sustained only by a sandwich, Aarshi eagerly began eating. The moment she took her first bite, her eyes sparkled with delight. Looking at Momo, she asked in amazement, "Where is this food from?"
Momo smiled shyly. "I made it."
Aarshi's face lit up with admiration. "Wow… you are truly outstanding! Not just boys—even girls could fall in love with you."
Momo blushed at the compliment, quickly changing the topic by calling out to Ayaan for dinner.
Ayaan finally came downstairs and sat beside Momo, quietly beginning his meal. Aarshi turned toward him and asked, "The food is tasty, right?"
He simply nodded.
As she ate, Aarshi found herself lost in thought. Momo is perfect, she mused. Beautiful, graceful, kind… socially polished and an amazing cook. I've never seen someone like her before. Jihan doesn't deserve her… in fact, no one does.
She kept gazing at Momo, lost in admiration, until Ayaan snapped his fingers in front of her, breaking her thoughts. "Why are you staring at Momo like that?" he asked.
Startled, Aarshi immediately changed her expression, shooting him an annoyed look. Then she turned back to Momo with a playful smile and said, "Momo, if I were a boy, I would have married you."
Momo blushed again, while Ayaan interjected, "If you were a boy, I wouldn't even let you come near her."
"Why? What's your problem?" Aarshi shot back.
Soon, the two were locked in a heated exchange, tossing sharp remarks at each other. Their argument showed no sign of ending until Momo finally raised her voice, firmly saying, "Quit!"
Instantly, both fell silent and returned to their meal.
After dinner, Momo cleaned the kitchen and went straight to her room. Her routine had become exhausting—waking early, managing the house, going to the office, and then cooking dinner. Fatigue claimed her the moment she lay down.
But Aarshi couldn't sleep. Having already rested in the evening, she now felt restless. The quiet of the night wrapped around her as she wandered aimlessly through the dark hall.
Upstairs, Ayaan woke up feeling thirsty. As he walked down the stairs toward the kitchen, he noticed something unsettling—a shadow at the bottom. A girl with curly hair stood there, her hair loose, her head swaying back and forth like a pendulum.
For a moment, his heart sank. Yet he steadied himself and continued downward. The shadow began moving toward him, and just as tension peaked, a voice broke the silence—
"Ayaan, are you bored too?"
Realization dawned instantly. He turned on the lights and looked at Aarshi with a disappointed expression. "Why are you wandering around the hall at this hour?"
She explained that she had already slept earlier and now couldn't fall asleep again.
Ayaan sighed and handed her his iPad. "Here, play some games. It'll pass the time."
"I don't want to play," she replied. "I'll get bored."
"Then what do you want to do?" he asked.
"Let's go to the terrace and watch the stars."
He pointed at her head and said dryly, "Get that checked."
Her expression immediately changed, and she turned away in anger, heading toward her room. Seeing this, Ayaan felt a twinge of guilt.
"Wait," he called after her. "Come to my room. We can play some games there."
She refused at first, but after a gentle apology and a bit of persuasion, she finally agreed.
Aarshi walked ahead, her curly hair bouncing as she moved, while Ayaan followed behind with a bottle of water. For the first time, he truly noticed her—her small round face, chubby cheeks, glasses, and those unruly curls. She reminded him of a rabbit in human form. Perhaps others didn't find her particularly cute, but to him, in that moment, she seemed undeniably so.
Entering his room, Aarshi paused, letting her gaze wander across every detail. The room was immaculate—everything perfectly arranged, not a single thing out of place. It felt as though each corner had been designed with care and intention.
"What happened?" Ayaan asked from behind.
She said nothing, simply stepping forward, observing the space with quiet curiosity.
"Sit on the bed," he said.
She obeyed, though a thought crossed her mind—that if he sat beside her, the situation might become awkward. But Ayaan, thoughtful as ever, pulled his study chair next to the bed and sat there instead.
Aarshi was inwardly surprised. He really notices the smallest things, she thought.
Ayaan then opened his cupboard and took out a jigsaw puzzle. "Let's solve this," he suggested.
"We'll do it together?" she asked.
"If you want to do it alone, you can," he replied casually.
After a brief pause, she said softly, "No… let's do it together."
And so, they began. Piece by piece, they worked on the puzzle, exchanging playful taunts and small arguments along the way. Time slipped quietly into the early hours of dawn.
By four in the morning, the puzzle was nearly complete. Aarshi, exhausted, removed her glasses and lay down on Ayaan's bed. "Wake me when it's done," she murmured before drifting off.
Ayaan continued alone, completing the puzzle around half past four. He didn't feel the need to wake her. He, too, was exhausted. Quietly, without disturbing her, he went downstairs and lay down in the hall.
The strange thing was—Aarshi never saw the completed puzzle.
When finished, it revealed a delicate image: a small rabbit, stealing a carrot from a garden—innocent, mischievous, and impossibly cute… almost like a reflection of someone she had unknowingly become.