Chapter 19

AADHI

"There is a surprise for you tomorrow." His words from last night rang in my ears.

I couldn't stop thinking about what he was going to do. That's why I hate surprises!

After he had whispered it in my ears, he started watching the movie as if nothing happened. Like there was no sparkling energy between us. As if he didn't even try to kiss me!

As for me, I was having an inner battle. Me versus my mind.

Should I just keep lying on his lap? Or should I get up? Should I talk to him about something? Or should I just keep pretending to watch the movie?

Wait, aren't you forgetting something here, Aadhi? He tried to kiss you... Oh my God, he tried to kiss me! Or did he? If not, then what was that?

I was sure there was something in the way he looked at me. Even though it was dark I could see those eyes.

I was able to see those mesmerizing eyes... What? Nope, they weren't mesmerizing. Definitely not. You are trailing away again, Aadhi...keep your head straight.

Struggling inside myself to figure out what was going on, I sat up.

But what I didn't expect was that when I sat up, he wound his arms around my shoulder and jerked me against him, forcing my head to remain on his chest.

I was startled, but I didn't move away.

After a couple of minutes, I relaxed and kept my left hand on his chest. His muscles flexed on my touch, but he relaxed quickly. I could tell he was smiling without even looking.

I was smiling too. I could hear his heartbeats. It was so soothing and relaxing...

Lub...dub...lub...dub...

Suddenly he jerked a little when they showed a ghost in close-up, like in all typical horror movies. I giggled, looking up at him. But he didn't look back. I knew he was embarrassed.

I laid my head against his chest again. I think I slept in his arms that night, listening to his soothing heartbeat.

When I woke up in the morning, we were lying on our bed, and he was hugging me from the back. When I tried to move, he moaned and snuggled closer to my neck.

That was the first time after our marriage that we were sleeping...close...really close.

I carefully slipped out of his hands trying not to wake him up. I freshened up and went to the kitchen.

Siva and Ruby were already there. They stayed here last night in the guest rooms on the first floor.

I went to wake him up, bringing his coffee, but he was already awake and ready. It looked like he was going to the office. So, another boring day then.

I sighed deeply but then suddenly I had an idea. He was tying his tie, looking at the mirror.

"Can I go somewhere today?" I asked his permission.

He looked at me questioningly. "Your Mom's home?"

I nodded no and said, "Bookstore. I wanted to buy some books. I was bored to death when you weren't home."

"Okay. I will drop you off."

"It's okay, I saw a bookstore in the mall the other day when we went out. I will be careful. You don't have to worry."

"There is a bookstore near my office. I will drop you off there. When you finish your purchase, you can walk to my office. Anyway, you never saw my office before, right?

I will be your personal tour guide," he said, bowing with one hand held out like a bellboy in a five-star hotel saying, "this way, ma'am."

I chuckled looking at him. Sometimes he behaved like a playful teenage boy. I enjoyed that side of him a lot.

"Besides, we are going somewhere anyway," he said.

I looked at him confused. We didn't plan anything yesterday as far as I remember.

"Remember the surprise?" he asked again.

"So—"

"Nope, that is not the surprise," he said sternly, cutting me off. I looked at him, pouting. I knew he wasn't going to give away anything, but my head felt like it was going to explode.

We all finished our breakfast and got ready to leave. Nija was going home first to drop off Siva and then he will join my husband in the office.

Karthi and Ruby are leaving home. He was not working with my husband anyway. And we were going to stop by the bookstore before going to the office.

When we reached the bookstore, he showed me a tall building that was a few buildings away. I could see it clearly from there.

He told me to come over there and ask the receptionist to show me the way to his office.

I nodded okay and said bye before getting out of the car. Before I entered the store, I heard the car door closing and a beep sound indicating it was locked.

I turned to look at him coming toward me.

"What is it?" I asked him, confused.Did I forget something in the car? I don't think so.

"Um... I will join you. I have some more time anyway," he said hesitantly.

He has this look on his face like a child begging their parents for a cookie.

I wanted to laugh, but I controlled it by biting my lips. I knew he was going to be late to the office if he accompanied me. I didn't want him to be late just because of me.

Anyway, he wouldn't have come to the office today if it was not important. But...

But I wanted him to be with me. It was weird, I know, but after what happened last night, I felt like I always wanted to be close to him.

I missed him already when I got out of that car. He must have felt that way too. I knew it was ridiculous.

How could you miss someone when you have just been away for like a minute? I know right? It's just...I don't know yet... what or why or how I am feeling for him.

Regardless of my thinking, I pushed away what my mind was saying and listened to my heart...

After a long time, I said, "Okay", seeing him smile...more like a grin. I think it made me happier than him that he was joining me.

He opened the door for me, we went inside together. The owner greeted us with a warm welcoming smile. She was in her mid-fifties. I smiled back at her.

I love it when someone greets me with a warm smile. Fortunately, there was no one in the shop except us, maybe because it was early on a weekday.

I just went inside and started looking for some books to catch my eye. I was walking here and there in every lane. He followed me silently. I stopped to look at a book called 'memories.'

Its cover page was with a picture of a few friends jumping in front of a waterfall. I was taken back to the day we went on that tour.

"I loved that place. I enjoyed it a lot," I said to myself. He must have heard it. "Yeah, I did too, until...," he stopped in mid-sentence.

I understood what he was talking about. "It was just an accident. You shouldn't be hung up on that for so long. We should go there again some other time," I said to him.

"Nope. We are not going there or anywhere that involves water," he said, walking away.

I laughed to myself at his childish behaviour. Even my dad has never acted like this protective. He always let me do things on my own.

He thought that learning from experience was the best lesson. He always said, "Make as many mistakes as you want but don't repeat them. Life is all about learning from your mistakes."

He is a great inspiration to me. Thinking about him made me realize I miss him. I had to visit him again.

I got some books and went to the cashier. All the while, Abhi was sitting on the couch in the front corner of the shop near the counter, reading some newspaper.

When he saw me coming, he stood up and joined me. He paid and I let him. No point in fighting, it's his card anyway. He had given it to me before we came out for this very purpose.

"You two look good together," the lady said with a smile. We smiled back and came out.

Our car was gone. I looked at him bewildered. Did someone steal it? He laughed seeing the look on my face.

"I told someone from work to take the car to the office."

"Why?" I asked him, confused.

"Why?" he repeated, acting like he was confused too.

I punched him on the shoulder playfully.

He chuckled and said, "I just wanted to walk, you know? I feel like walking...with you." He said the last part slowly and hesitantly.

I blushed, and I didn't want him to see. I started walking ahead. He took a minute and then ran toward me and grabbed my hand.

I was surprised and tried to pull my hand back, but his grip was strong. He intertwined his fingers with mine. We walked hand in hand like a—oh, shut up. You know how!

All the while walking, I was smiling like crazy. I tried as much as possible not to look at him, but my eyes were drawn to him like a moth to the fire.

Yes, he was the fire trying to burn me with his glowing flames. He was spreading inside my heart trying to take over, trying to burn every single brick of the wall that I had built over the years.

I didn't know how to escape from this fire.

He was pulling me toward him with everything he did. The way he smiled, the way he walked, the way he blinked with those long eyelashes when he was confused.

The way his hair looked when he brushed it with his hands, the way he bit his lip when he was thinking, the way he looked at me when he thought I didn't notice.

The way he behaves awkwardly and hesitantly around me and trying to look confident...like now.

I am pretty sure his heart is beating like he ran a marathon. Because my heart is pounding too...at his touch.

When we entered the building, the receptionist greeted him and scrutinized me. Maybe she never saw her boss with a girl. Weirdly, that thought filled me with relief.

We went to floor number ten through the elevator. There were like twenty floors in this building.

The floor was kind of quiet and neat. A girl was sitting at the front desk. He went straight to her, and she started saying something about his schedule today.

After their talk, he turned to me and motioned me to come closer.

"Aadhi, this is Mia. She is our secretary, but she looks after the office in our absence," he introduced me.

Unlike the receptionist, she smiled at me and gave her hands to shake.

"She is more like a friend to us," he said again, smiling at her.

"Okay, Aadhi, I just have some work to do. Feel free to walk around and ask Mia if you want anything. I will join you in a while," he said, trying to leave.

"Where is Harsha's office?" I asked him. I needed to talk to him anyway. I saw his whole demeanour change. But I didn't budge. He needed to get over it. Harsha is my friend.

"Um, to the left," Mia said, signalling with her hands and looking between us.

"Is he there?" I asked her again.

"Yes, ma'am," she answered.

"Please call me Aadhi," I said, smiling.

The floor was like a half-circle around the front desk. You could go either direction.

Harsha's office was the first one on the left, the middle one was my husband's and the right one was Nija's.

I stood in front of Harsha's office. It had a glass door, and I could see his silhouette sitting in his chair behind the table.

I was nervous. I started to wonder if it was a bad idea to talk to him. I mean if he wanted to tell me something, he would have told me already, right?

I was about to turn around, but the door opened and revealed Harsha.

"I was starting to wonder if you ever wanted to come in," he asked, smirking.

There was no going back now.