Akash strolled down from his room with his eyes half-closed to get some water. But to his surprise, there was someone already there. Whoever it was, was stumbling through the darkness making a whole lot of noise.

Akash entered the kitchen frowning. All the staff has quarters outside.. so technically no one should be here now. Even if they were, it did not make sense to him why someone would loiter around in the middle of the night without bothering to switch on the light. He reached for the light switches and flipped it. And what came into view was Madhu sneaking into one of the cupboards.

Madhu was so startled by the sudden flash of light that she actually dropped the spoon in her hands and yelped turning around.

"What are you doing??" Akash asked confused seeing her here.

Madhu blushed without answering. She was not exactly used to western cuisine. So she barely had anything to eat at dinner. And she couldn't sleep with an empty stomach. SO she thought she could, at least, have some water and sugar which usually gets the job done. But of course, she got caught in the process and was now biting her lips with her head hung down.

Akash's eyes narrowed down on the spoon and he filled in the blanks by himself.

"You are hungry??" Akash asked but then he already guessed the answer to his question. And then he also remembered how Madhu barely had anything at the dinner table. She had served herself some pasta and was sitting with it till the end of the night.

Akash let out a sigh and decided to remind the kitchen people to do some Indian cuisine from the next day. For now, he approached Madhu and said, "You go to your room. I will get you something to eat.." He ruffled her hair slightly with a warm smile.

But Madhu never looked up to actually see it. Since she felt so embarrassed about being caught, she was really grateful for the chance to escape. So she made a beeline out of the kitchen and did not stop until she reached her room.

Akash looked at her retreating figure amused. But then he got to work. Since it was the dead of the night, he just got her some bread and made a peanut butter sandwich. He took it along with some milk and knocked on her doors and went in.

Madhu was sitting at the edge of her bed in her pink pajamas. There was a big teddy bear drawn on its front.

Akash smiled at her but did not comment. He went and kept the plate and the milk on the table and sat on the couch in the room.

"Come on. Have this and go to bed. It's getting late." He said softly.

Madhu got up from the bed and sat beside him silently. She then very obediently took the bread and started munching on it. She very consciously took smaller bites and swallowed slowly. She was not looking forward to making another mess and embarrassing herself all over again. But in spite of her caution, two bites in.. she hiccuped.

Akash smiled and gave her the glass of milk. She reached for the milk anxiously and gulped down one big mouth full making a balloon out of her mouth. Akash couldn't help but let out a chuckle. But he did not tease her on it. He just reached out and brushed away the few drops of milk spilled out of the corner of her mouth.

She almost spat out the milk surprised at his touch. But she consciously calmed down and gulped it down. She then looked at Akash and said in the smallest voice, "Thank you.."

Madhu had a long hair that is usually bunched into a tight bun whenever she came to the office. Even when she came out with him, she usually braided it one way or another. But tonight, it was open. Akash liked it. So unconsciously his hands reached for her head and softly caressed on them as Madhu ate her sandwich like a squirrel. She looked especially small sitting beside him. Their bodies did not touch but there was barely an inch gap between them.

"You know.. I will be here with you as much as you want me to. You don't have to purposefully take such small bites to keep me here longer.." Akash teased seeing her eat.

Madhu's hands froze and looked at his shocked. Her cheeks went red as soon as she saw his twitched lips. She quickly averted her eyes and unconsciously stuffed her mouth with a bite that was actually way too big for her mouth and chocked coughing.

Akash hurriedly fed her a gulp of milk all over again and stopped teasing her, "Okay.. okay. I won't tease anymore. You eat slowly okay.." He said softly patting on her back to ease her coughing.

"You go back to bed. I will eat by myself.." Madhu said quite timidly keeping the bread back in the plate.

"What?? Are you kicking me out after making use of me?? Is this how you treat a person who made you food at midnight?" Akash asked making a pitiful face dramatically.

"No.. NO.. no. I am not kicking you out and all.. I just thought.. I just didn't want to keep you from your sleep.. You can stay as long as you want.." Madhu instantly recanted her words panicked with wide eyes.

Akash's eyes gleamed with interest at her last sentence.. He leaned over ambiguously making Madhu nervous. Since they were sitting so close, the smallest of the movement made Madhu's heart race. She could feel his breath beside her cheeks.

"Are you sure I can stay as long as I want??" Akash whispered against her ears.

As soon as the words registered, the underlying meaning behind his words struck her like a lightning. Madhu looked up at him startled and nervous as her mind went blank and heart started drumming frantically against her ribs. Her eyes were very vulnerable and scared. But then there was also beautiful red blush on her cheeks.

Looking into her eyes, Akash knew instantly that she actually took his teasing seriously. His heart and eyes softened instantly.

"Okay. Sorry. I will stop teasing. For real this time. You just eat. I won't open my mouth.." He said handing her the plate making a gesture of zipping his lips very seriously.

The room went quiet instantly. The only sound was that of Madhu chewing and gulping down the milk. And as promised, Akash did not speak after that. He just sat beside her with his arm laying behind her on the couch but his eyes did not leave her face.

It took everything in her to not dumb everything in her mouth in one go so that she can be done with it quickly. Madhu felt extremely conscious and nervous under his steady gaze. And with her anxiety, her appetite anyways flew out of the window. But then again, since Akash made it for her.. she did not have the heart to let it go to waste. SO she tried so damn hard to calm herself down and slowly ate one bite at a time. But after two sandwiches, she really couldn't eat anymore. There was still one sandwich left on the plate.

She lifted her head and looked at him helplessly.

"It's okay. Leave it if you are full." Akash said smiling.

Madhu instantly kept the plate back at the table and stayed quiet pursing her lips.

Akash let out a sigh as he said helplessly, "You don't have to be so scared of me, you know. I am not going to eat you.." He had been observing her for a while now.. Initially, he himself did not notice it. But from the time they had become a couple, Madhu had become unnaturally quiet, unlike her usual blabbering self he knew. It happened on more than one occasion.

Before they got together, she would end up talking to point of not knowing where or what she was really talking about with those gleaming eyes. But now.. even though her eyes still gleamed, she had been silent all the time.. especially around him. He thought maybe he was overthinking it. But today, he saw the difference. Madhu had been her usual self with Bhavna.. but as soon as he came near her, she had gone quiet. It was driving him crazy. He did not know what he was doing wrong.

But if only he would use his common sense a bit more, he would have known that Madhu was conscious of him.. she was shy. Especially with his teasing.. she could barely remember to breathe let alone talk.

Akash did not say anything more. He just took the plates and stood up ready to leave. But before he could get up, Madhu reached out and held his hands stopping him on his tracks.

"I am.. I'm not scared of you.." Madhu squeaked out in the smallest voice.