Solace

|21| friends

"Then?" I asked, indirectly prompting him to continue.

"I told him I'm not interested in her; she is just a business partner. But I must say, he didn't create any fuss about it. So, we remained business partners," he replied, taking another sip.

"I think that didn't sit well with her, Mr. Saxena's Daughter, " I commented, glancing at him.

"The rejection, perhaps," I added, earning a weak chuckle from him.

"I don't know about that. We only meet at such parties - nothing personal," he replied, looking around the area.

"Nidhi," he spoke abruptly, keenly observing me as if attempting to grasp everything about me through my eyes.

"Hmm," I replied, glancing at him briefly and then lowering my gaze to my bangles.

"Why are you so uncomfortable around me? You are very different with my siblings," he spoke, more like complaining.

Am I really different with them? I pondered.

I don't know, but what I do know is after my father he is the only man, I have started to feel safe and comfortable around.

"No, I'm not uncomfortable around you. It's just that everything happened so fast. We got engaged without even meeting once. No, don't think that, I'm regretting, in this last week-actually, more than that-I have never for once regretted marrying you," I paused, and his expressions changed from sulkiness and complaining to a cute smile, his lips curling up, forming the cutest smile.

"The relationship I share with you is different from what I share with them. With them, it's more like a friendly relationship," I spoke. He took the cup from my hand, but his attention was still focused on me, listening to every word.

"My dear wife, here you are wrong," he spoke, stepping out of the car, crossing the car, he threw the cups in a dustbin nearby.

How? How could he just say that I'm wrong?

"How?" I asked the moment he settled back in his seat.

"Felt bad?" He inquired, his seat belt still not fastened.

"No, but still, there must be a reason for you saying that,"

"Nidhi, we have a long life to spend together, right?" He asked.

"Hmm," I replied, though a little hesitant but I didn't let my hesitancy show on my face, this man has started becoming adept in discerning my expressions.

"So, before being anything, before being husband and wife, and even maybe parents later, we should be friends. This way, it becomes easy for us to communicate. The relationship you share with my siblings and me is quite similar, just that our relationship is with a little spice in it," he spoke, mischief evident in his eyes and a naughty smile playing on his lips-a smile I was not quite accustomed to.

"Understand?" He asked, smiling.

"Yes, husband," I replied, earning an even deeper smile.

I'm going to miss this smile for sure.

The next moment, he extended his right hand, and it came closer to my face. With a gentle touch, he settled a few strands of my hair behind my ear, his fingers traced the earrings I wore. I looked at him, and he met my gaze with a smile. Foolishly, I lowered my eyes again.

"Oh, the sunlight," he spoke, and I raised my eyes, which had been downcast because of him. He looked at me, smiling, and my own smile fought to surface. But before it could, I coughed slightly to suppress it.