Prisha's POV
“ Huh? ” He was stumped, I could see it. But I offered no more words. I needed to say what I came for before I lost my courage. It had taken me hours to sort my own thoughts, more hours to be sure of what I wanted to do. And more hours if wondering what it night mean for our future
“ I think I like you. ” Okay, that didn't come out like I was expecting it to, it sounded like I'm not sure but I am. But…
My thoughts paused when I noticed him, he said nothing and there was not a single thing about his demeanour that changed, it was as if I didn't say anything or more like he didn't hear anything.
He would've, right?
“ You won't say anything? ” I questioned and he smirked, “ Oh, I'm glad you've started thinking. ”
“ Huh? ” It was my turn to be surprised but that didn't last long as he started closing the distance between us.
“ I can do with thinking. As long as you think of me, I can make do with that. ” He paused a step before me and I had to strain my neck to look at his face. This close and without heels, there's no way I can match his height.
“ I've been thinking since I first saw you. Knew that I like you a week later, was sure that I love you a week after that and was determined that I'll marry you a week after that. So now that you've started thinking, I guess it's good for me. I just hope the future realisation don't take as much time. I'm losing my patience real quick. ”
I was stupefied, this wasn't what I was expecting him to say, of all the things he could've said it wasn't even in the list. I had even considered rejection but this, love? Marriage? They never even crossed my mind.
“ I was married. ” I said and he shook his head, “ You said it. Was. ”
It's not that simple, I wanted to say but I refrained, rather going with something else. Though it would've been futile as well.
“ I have a child. ”
“ My mom has been wanting grandchildren ever since I was born, with Aadi to keep her company, she won't pester you anytime soon. I can have you all to myself for a few more years. ”
Again his words shocked me but something else happened too, the thought of being all his for a few years was too enticing to ignore. I took a deep breath before I continued
“ I won't leave this city. ” At this point I was just saying nonsense, I have no attachments to this city but I do have some obligations to my work.
“ I'll shift here. ” He replied without even giving it a second thought, as if it wasn't a big deal.
“ Huh? What about your parents? ”
“ They have two more sons, and it's not like we can't visit. ”
“ You've thought about everything? ”
“ Yeah, that's what I did when you finally thought you like me. ”
It was like he was teasing me for being slow, as if it was some sort of race about who could realise their feelings first and I lost.
“ Anything else? ” He asked and I frowned, “ What? ”
“ Any more excuses why I shouldn't just kiss you right now? ”
Blood rushed to my face and I could feel my ears heating up, I have no clue how he could say it with a straight face.
He was the same in the bathroom two days ago and I don't know what gave me courage but I scoffed, “ You're just talk. ”
He was on me in a moment, his arms laid on the door surrounding me and his face too near, “ Shall we put it to test? ”
I could only look and breath, I had to remind myself to breath, more importantly remind myself to exhale because everytime I inhaled his scent, I wanted to bottle it up inside me.
He looked at me and his face relaxed before his jaw tightened, his eyes turned a deeper shade of brown and just when I thought he'd make true his words he did something else. He asked.
“ Can I touch you? ”
And that single question brought together so many things in me that I couldn't grasp a single one of them. I didn't answer him, I just told him the reality.
“ You're leaving tomorrow. ”
“ That doesn't answer the question I asked today. ”
His hand paused near my chin and he clenched it as he pushed it away.
It dawned on me then, I hadn't answered him, he didn't have my consent. And he was respecting that.
This time before I could think something, because I knew I wouldn't do it if I thought, my hand moved and somehow I knew he felt it before I even touched him.
With my hand on his cheek, he had all the permission he needed to have. If his eyes were deep brown before, they turned almost black now.
I gasped as his hand grasped me by my nape and he pulled me closer. My scarf fell to the ground with action but I made no move to pick it up.
My head inched up, his bent down, our noses touching, our lips just a breath away but we both didn't move.
" I'll be back. " He whispered those words near my lips, answering the question I hadn't exactly asked, but I felt them all over my body. He wasn't telling me, he was promising me, and I knew he'd fulfil it.
" I just want you to wait. " He asked and I remained silent as he pleaded, " I want to leave knowing you will wait. "
" For me, I want to return knowing you'll be waiting for us rather than wishing you were. ”
I didn't know there was an us, I never even thought of that possibility until I left home this morning realised it might be the last I see of him and I hated the thought with everything of my being.
But now, now I want there to be an us. A future which I never even considered, I want it to be true. I want this us, whatever we are, however we are, I want it all.
I was breathless and he hadn't even touched me anywhere other than my neck. His hand didn't stray from his place but I found mine doing the opposite.
He waited with bated breath for my answer but I don't trust my voice to not betray me, it'll give away all the turmoil I'm feeling inside. I don't want that for now, the chaos could return after I'm done having this moment. Just one moment.
My hand slid down his face until it reached his chest, I felt the thumping of his heart against my palm and I knew then and there that I'd do anything to feel this again. Waiting was just a small price to ask.
I looked him in the eye once before I closed them, simultaneously closing the distance between us. He froze and my heart pummeled to the ground when he didn't move.
I couldn't stop the disappointment filling me, not even the tears I could already feel forming. All the nerves I had gathered were knotting on themselves and strangling me.
I had just moved back an inch when his hand pulled me back, his other arm snaked around my waist as he held me closer.
My eyes remained closed but I knew he was watching me, he kept staring until I took his lip between mine, experimenting once again, only because I couldn't take it anymore.
Only because I don't like this, not knowing what I want, what he wants. I'll show him what I want, he can show me what he wants. That's how this works, if it's going to work.
The string snapped, it was like whatever had been holding him back was gone. He kissed me, no he ravished me like there was no tomorrow.
He kissed me like he had promised, scary, so scary that I felt my heart bursting out of my chest. He kissed me like he didn't know how to live if he stopped, I couldn't reciprocate even if I wanted to. His intensity was too much for me to keep up.
One minute our lips battled and the next he was pinching my jaw, my mouth opened and his tongue sneaked in, current coursed through me when it collided with mine..
After that, there was no telling where I started or where he ended, we were too close and not close enough at the same time. I needed him closer, I wanted him closer. My hands tightened on his shirt as I tried to extinguish the non existent distance between us.
His hand slid down from my neck and he picked me up, my hands wrapped around his neck for support as he placed me on the table. I wasn't even aware when he walked to the table. I might've heard something falling but I wasn't sure over the loud thumping of our hearts.
I couldn't breathe, but I refused to stop, if it was up to me I would never stop, not only because I don't want it to end but also because I know it'll end.
He was the one who paused first, not because he got enough, no I knew he didn't, but because he knew I'd die if I don't breathe soon.
" Breathe. " He voice washed over me like a caress. I took in as much air as I needed and only then I looked back at him.
His lips were swollen, I had done that, his eyes were sparkling, I was the reason for that, his heart was beating so hard as if it would escape his chest, I'm the one responsible for that.
And I knew, he saw all those things in me as well and just like me, he was aware that he's the person responsible for this.
" I'm coming back soon. You better wait for me. "
" I will. "
I hadn't even finished when he kissed me again, this time gently, as if he was savouring it, as if he had all the time in the world. My arms tangled around his neck and his hand went to my hair, unfastening my bun, my hair fell to my back and he pulled it to get better access.
We kissed as we smiled, we kissed as we blushed, we kissed as we realised. I don't think I like him, I'm sure I do.
As if he knew the realisation I came to, he parted as he whispered against my lips, “ I love you. ”
“ I love you so so so much. ” He prepped kisses all over my face before taking my lips between his own again. His arms tightened around my waist and a moment caused his palm to touch my waist. It was only now I realised the blunder of my kurti.
It was like he didn't feel it but his other hand came on my knee as he pushed it aside, filling the gap between my legs with himself.
All my thoughts of him being unaware vanished when he pinched my waist. I couldn't stop the sound that left me. He groaned against my mouth as his fingers rubbed the spot he had pinched.
He angled my head back and I complied, the sound that was muffled by his mouth before came out unrestrained once his mouth landed on my neck. I was burning, he was on fire, together, we were ablaze.
I wasn't sure how much time passed before he stopped all I knew was he stopped too soon. He kissed my forehead once before joining his with mine.
“ I'm leaving at 5. ” He said and I nodded, now that the emotions I was high on were getting back to normal I was keenly aware of our position. We were still entangled with each other but I didn't find the shame I thought I would.
“ When will you come? ” He asked and I shook my head. I won't see him off, I don't want to witness someone leaving me, I'd rather witness him returning to me.
“ I'll pick you when you are back. ” I told him and he didn't question me further, he just nodded and we stayed silent.
I liked this silence. After all the silence I've witnessed, this one might be my favourite, the calm, the tranquillity of being with him, of not saying anything, just staying, it was too good to be true.
I left the hotel an hour later after helping him pack and collect his things. I was surprised to see a shirt with doodles among his things but when I saw the doodles, I was shocked.
It made me realise, in all my worries about why I couldn't be with him, him not loving aadi was never one. I had witnessed how much he adored my baby and if I'm not wrong, he might love him too.
I didn't return home, choosing the company of my colleagues over my family for now. I wasn't sure how to face them after what I've done. It's not that I'm ashamed, it's just that I'm not too sure of what to tell them.
Am I really ready to bet my whole life on a person I've only known a month? Am I really ready to gamble Aadi's happiness on a person who was just a name until a month ago.
By the time I returned home, it was already evening. I didn't have much work today, one of the reasons I hadn't brought aadi.
So when he saw me back home, he ran to me like he always did. I picked him up and took him to the sofa where everyone was sitting.
“ All done? ” Baba asked and I nodded, “ Yeah. They'll be leaving in the evening. ”
One of the things I needed to check today was the other party's departure. The staff would be out by the afternoon and he, himself will be leaving in the evening.
“ Take a rest for two days now. Don't go to work and stay with Aadi. ” Maa said and baba nodded his head in agreement.
I agreed as there wasn't much to do at the office, baba could see it for two days and I do want to stay with my baby at home. Even though I took him with me, I couldn't spend too much time with him at work.
He played with my scarf and subsequently pulled it away, I didn't take note of it as I was already accustomed to it.
But something happened, maa's eyes widened while baba looked away. Poorvi squinted as she looked at me and I felt Aadi's finger tracing my neck.
“ Hurt. Mosquitoes. Bad. ” He muttered and my eyes widened. I hadn't looked in the mirror, I never thought there would be anything. He didn't use any force when he kissed me there, it couldn't have left a mark right? It can't be that.
I pulled his fingers back and touched the spot, I know it, I can still feel his lips there but there shouldn't be a mark right?
“ I'm… I'll go change. ” I told them as I got up and left. I didn't look at them, I couldn't, it's all too complicated, just too much.
I placed Aadi on the bed before making my way to the bathroom. The red colour was too obvious on my pale skin, and there was no mistaking what it was. Even if he accidentally left a mark, it shouldn't be this dark, it should've vanished by now.
I looked at myself for the first time since I left his room, other than that one patch of skin there was nothing on me that was different from how I was this morning. I slided my kurti to the side and saw another red patch of skin, this one lighter, on my waist. It was the result of the pinch.
I hurriedly changed into a shirt with a collar high enough to cover these. I wasn't going to wear makeup in my home but still for added security I applied a layer of concealer over it.
When I was done, someone knocked at the door. I didn't have to guess who it was and while this wasn't how I wanted this conversation to happen, it is how it is.
I opened the door and maa gave me a small smile before she came in. I closed the door and followed her as she sat on the bed.
“ I.. Is he good? ”
This was the first thing she asked and I wasn't sure how to answer her. I had thought she'll ask who is he but she didn't.
I nodded but said nothing else, I hadn't wanted to tell them now and therefore I wasn't even sure what to say.
“ You… you love him? ” She questioned, I know it was hard for her and even weird but she did.
“ I don't know. ”
“ It's okay. It's okay. Take your time. There's no rush. ” She patted my head and for no reason I felt tears prickling in my eyes. I laid down on her lap before she could see it.
“ He.. He knows Aadi? ” She asked when my baby imitated me and laid on his dad's lap. With one hand stroking my hair, she placed the other on his.
“ Hmm. ”
“ Then, is he okay? ” with it. The last two words weren't said but I heard them. I nodded and she sighed.
“ That's good, that's good. ”
“ When you are sure bring him to meet us. Your baba will check if he's good. ” She stroked my head as she said it, nodding her head repetitively as if she felt it was the right thing to do.
“ You're not against it? ” I asked as I poked Aadi's nose, he giggled and I heard man's voice among his giggles.
“ Why would we be? We don't want you living alone all your life. ”
“ How am I alone? Aren't you guys here? ” I questioned and she shook her head, “ Even I feel lonely when your baba leaves for his trips. Some gaps are only meant to be filled by specific people. ”
“ I think he can do that. ” I whispered but she heard it, her hand paused, I don't know why I said it, I hadn't thought it, it just came.
“ Really? Then that's good. ” She smiled as she resumed her caresses.
“ You won't ask who he is? ” I looked up at her and she questioned me back, “ Do I know him? ”
“ Kind of. ”
“ Then tell me if you want. ”
“ Kunal. ”
“ Huh? ” She was confused, having no recollection of such a person, I don't blame her, she only met him once.
“ Kunal Rajvansh. ”
“ Rajvansh? Mr. Rajvansh? ”
“ Hm. ” I nodded and she pulled me up, and checked me up and down as I sat straight before her.
“ He didn't bully you right? Tell me if he did something, I'll get your baba to beat him this instant. ”
A smile made it's way to my face as I saw her panicking over the possibility of me being bullied.
“ He did nothing maa. He just asked. ”
“ You're not lying right? ” She was still worried and I knew it'll take more than just me reassuring her verbally.
“ I'm not. ”
“ Okay then. But if he bullies you, you tell me straight away, we still have some authority in this city. No one can bully my children on their own house ”
“ Sure. ” I nodded and she pulled me back, “ Sleep then. I'll stay here. ”
I closed my eyes knowing that I might really not be lonely anymore.
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