Prisha
I got ready in the dress he sent for me and applied a little makeup. I waited for him to come fidgeting with my fingers and tapping my feet on the ground. I heard a knock on the door and it was him. I opened the door for him and stood there at the threshold with my eyes cast down.
He stepped ahead and collected me in a warm hug, "You are looking breathtaking," He whispered in my ear and I clutched the ends of my dress trying to calm down.
"You are looking handsome, too!" I managed to say, my voice merely above a whisper.
"Well, thank you. I didn't want to disappoint you." He said with a smirk and I nodded negatively still in his embrace.
"Let's go?" He asked forwarding his hand and I nodded placing my hand in his extended one. He led me through the allies and opened the car gate for me once we reached the garage.
"Whose car is this?" I asked once we settled. He flew here so it's not his car obviously.
"Isha's." He replied fixing his seatbelt while I looked at him flabbergasted. It's a freaking new model Benz GT sports car. I just know about it because my brother wanted to buy it and he was ranting about it all the time. I thought it was of one of the boys.
"What?" He asked looking at me with a raised brow.
"Isha's? I thought she was not interested in such cars." I said finally while he laughed out loud shaking his head.
"That girl loves cars. Actually, it was her driving skills that saved her on that day when she was attacked. Her speed gave Abhinav enough time to arrange his guards." He said and I nodded still in a daze.
"You are going out with me, Prisha. Concentrate on me, not my sister." He whined making me laugh.
"Sorry!" I said holding my ears and showing my puppy eyes. He shook his head groaning.
"Stop doing that!"He groaned and I nodded. We reached the venue in 30 minutes and he guided me into a mansion. It was beautiful.
"Why are we here?" I asked him and he suddenly stopped walking and turned to me. He came behind me and closed my eyes with his palm.
"It's a surprise for you, rabbit!" He husked in my ear and kissed the side of my head. I blushed at his words.
"Rabbit?" I asked turning a little towards him.
"Yes, you are my rabbit. Always jumping here and there." He teased and led me to the backyard, I guess. He took his hand back and whispered softly in my ear.
"Open your eyes, Prisha!" He said and I opened my eyes and my eyes sparked seeing the beautiful setup in front of me. It was a dinner set up by poolside. The candles were lit up along the path and a heart was made on the side, with rose petals in the middle, and three layers of outline filled with different flowers.
There was a tent with white curtains and a few umbrellas were kept on the four sides of it. The sky had just turned dark and the trees around were waving in a rhythm sending cool breezes towards us.
He led me to the table and pulled out a chair for me. I sat muttering a small thank you. He settled down in front of me and served the dishes for both of us. They were all my favorite. We had our dinner with little chitchat here and there.
"Prisha," He called out and I lifted my gaze to look at him. His face has traces of nervousness and he was looking down at my hands.
"Hnn," I just hummed in response waiting for him to say further. He lifted his gaze, looked at me, and smiled nervously. I forwarded my hand and caressed the back of his palm trying to calm him down.
"It's okay, why are you getting nervous?" I asked and he smiled at me. Without replying anything he pulled me up and lifted me up bridal style.
"Adithya! What are you doing?" I squealed holding on to him tightly. He smiled looking down at me and kept walking to the other side of the garden.
He placed me down after a while and all this time I was just looking at his face. The way his baby hair fell on his forehead, the way his breathing fanned my face, his chest heaving up and down every time he took a breath, his hold on me tight, yet gentle, and the way his fingers brushed my waist, he is doing something to me.
"Look there!" He said pointing his finger towards something and my breath hitched looking at the beautifully made heart shape with his favorite white roses which became mine too and the words "It was always you" in the middle. A bouquet lay on the floor at the base of the heart and white candles were lit up on either side. I looked in his direction to find him already kneeling on the ground.
"Adi.."
I was cut off in the middle while he shook his head negatively asking me not to speak.
"I am not great at proposals, Prisha. Please don't mind if it didn't meet your expectations. From the moment I wore the uniform, I decided to keep myself away from all kinds of attractions. I thought if any girl came into my life, her life would end if something happened to me. I was successful in staying away from girls too. But everything changed after you entered my life. The first time I saw you, I felt something very different in my heart. I didn't like the way Nihal was talking to you very closely. I thought I was just getting irritated with his behavior like always, but in reality, I was jealous. Jealous of my own cousin, my best friend for the bond he shared with you. I thought I would be fine if I ignored you but from that day, you were everywhere. Wherever I go, I find you there. I wanted to spend time with you, I started liking spending time with you. The days we were alone, the days you cooked for me, those are the days I am going to cherish all my life.
The day you consoled me made me fall for you. That day, you have become an important part of my life. I found peace in your embrace. The warmth you provided me, the trust you had in me, the way you motivated me, I felt like I wouldn't need anything as long as I have you.
But, then you proposed to me and all my fears came alive. I couldn't even imagine you breaking down if something happened to me," I shook my head pleading him not to say such words. He nodded and continued,
"That's why I asked you to not mention that again. But, you started ignoring me after that. Every time you turned your face away from me, I felt like dying. There was a constant war between my heart and brain. My heart craved for you while my brain warned me to stay away from you. But, when I saw your friend hugging you, when he came close to you, I felt pathetic. For not being able to control my jealousy, for being a coward who couldn't accept his feelings. But that day when your hospital staff called me to inform their doctor was asking for me, I felt like I was losing you. I was losing my life.
I ran to your hospital to beg you not to do that to me. Not to treat me like an outsider but then I overheard you confronting him. Every word you spoke to him felt like it was directed to me. I felt numb, I couldn't think of anything. Then I came to know about Tanu's lie. I confronted her immediately. She said her father was trying to harm her child and she took my name to protect her unborn baby. I offered her shelter. That was it.
But, you misunderstood it and came here. I regretted helping her. If helping someone hurts your love, then what's the use of that help? I wanted to talk to you, but before I could reach you, you came here. I didn't want to waste even a second and flew here, for you.
I love you, Prisha! It was, is, and will always be you. Only you! No one else!
I am sorry for my stupidity but please accept this idiot and love him like you always wanted to. Love me the way you want to, but please love me!"
He said and a tear slipped his eyes. I got on my knees and hugged him tight wiping his tears.
"I love you! I love you, Adi! More than myself but please don't push me away again," I begged him pulling him closer to me.
"Never!" He announced and kissed all over my face and I did the same kissing him all over his face. He joined our foreheads and wiped my tears.
"I love you!" He whispered slowly bringing his lips closer to mine.
"I love you too!" I whispered back caressing his cheeks.
"I love you more!" saying this, he leaned closer to my lips. My heartbeat rose as our lips almost touched.
"May I?" He whispered and our lips brushed a little. I nodded with tears and he wasted no more seconds before touching his lips to mine.