chapter 69

Author's POV The room was filled with the sound of heavy breathing, mingling with the hum of the AC and the rhythmic patter of rain outside. Despite the cold wind sneaking in, the couple under the comforter glistened with sweat. After catching her breath, Thalir composed herself, turned to her husband, and said"Pass the shirt"Aadhavan tilted his head, scanning the room for the shirt that had been discarded an hour earlier due to their heated moments. His eyes landed on it, barely clinging to the corner of the king-sized bed. With a resigned sigh, he sat up, the comforter slipping down to reveal his sculpted muscles. Thalir instinctively tugged the comforter closer, shielding herself. Aadhavan rolled his eyes."Do you think it's necessary dii Imsa?" he teased.Thalir shot him a sharp glare. "Just pick up the shirt and hand it over. Now."With another sigh, Aadhavan crawled to the edge of the bed, grabbed the shirt, and tossed it at her face. She glowered at him before retreating further under the comforter to put it on. Aadhavan, unfazed, rolled his eyes again, leaned back against the headrest, and switched on the night lamp, casting a warm glow across the dim room.He searched for his boxers and spotted them near the table. Positioned in the left corner, he leaned over effortlessly to retrieve them. Slipping them on, he turned back just as Thalir emerged from the comforter. Aadhavan's gaze lingered for a moment before he let out a chuckle. Thalir, puzzled by his reaction, glanced down at herself. It didn’t take long for her to notice the unevenly fastened buttons on her shirt. With a groan, she facepalmed.As she began retreating under the comforter, he caught her wrist, gently pulling the cover away. In one swift motion, he drew her close, causing her to stumble into his bare chest. Her eyes widened in surprise, taking a moment to process what had just happened. His fingers moved to her buttons, brushing lightly against her skin, eliciting a soft gasp. Just as he reached for the next button, she grabbed his wrist, halting him, her grip firm as she clung to the last barrier of fabric between them."Yeei, ena dii,"He protested, but Thalir rolled her eyes and settled onto his lap, startling him. His surprise quickly faded as a triumphant smile spread across his face. As he undid three buttons, his loose shirt slipped on one side, revealing her bare shoulder and upper breast. He leaned in and kissed her shoulder and licked the hickey he had given moments ago.She took a deep breath, biting her lower lip, and slid her fingers into his hair, fisting it tightly as she pulled his head back. He groaned in disappointment, about to protest, but she silenced him by placing her palm over his mouth."Your quota for romance is over now, Mr. Aathreyan," she declared.Aadhavan rolled his eyes, and she chuckled, withdrawing her hand from his mouth."Do you really have to bring up that name? Especially in moments like this, dii Imsa?" he asked, his tone laced with mild exasperation.Thalir shrugged nonchalantly. "This is the perfect moment, Aathreyan. I like that name just as much as I like Aadhavan. So stop complaining, because I’m never going to stop calling you that—especially in our bed. I like moaning it, and you fucking like it just as much, so don’t pretend otherwise."Her words were sharp, yet playful, leaving him shaking his head in disbelief. He leaned in, snuggling close to her, and pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder. But before he could settle, she tugged his head back by his hair again, her gaze firm."I said romance time is over," she reminded him.Aadhavan sighed deeply, leaning back against the headboard. Folding his arms across his chest, he locked eyes with her, silently signalling that she now had the floor to say or ask whatever she wanted. Thalir smiled, though her eyes briefly wandered to his bulging biceps and the hickeys scattered across his torso and shoulder. Pushing those distracting, sinister thoughts aside, she let her inquisitive side take over."Why did you want me to leave Akka's room? I know one reason—you wanted to fuck me. But what's the other reason? And don’t even try lying—I never mentioned patching up with Akka, so how did you know I was there?"Thalir raised her brows, her question direct and unfiltered. Aadhavan shook his head in disbelief, familiar with her razor-sharp logic that always worked with precision when he gave her the space and reassurance that he wouldn’t distract her with his touch."Agathiyan wanted to make up with Thulir, who was upset with him, and Thuyavan mentioned the 'ladies time'" Aadhavan explained."Oh… so akka was angry at Maams, and that’s why she stayed here?" Thalir asked."Yeah," he replied."See, learn from them, Aadhava. This is how a husband and wife’s fight is supposed to go—a proper argument, the wife leaving for her mother’s house, and the husband coming to win her back. That’s the pattern. But look at you—you never even give me a chance to enjoy such things!" Thalir complained, crossing her arms."Is that something to enjoy?" Aadhavan asked, frowning."Of course, Mr. Husband! A classic husband-and-wife fight ends with the husband coming to the in-laws' house to convince his wife. That’s the template!" she declared, Aadhavan rolled his eyes. "You know what? I’m ready to come to my in-law's house to convince my angry wife, but Mrs. Thalir Aadhavan needs to actually stay mad for a long time and remember why we fought in the first place.""And whose fault is that?" she shot back."Mine, obviously. I have the remote to control your mind during arguments. I just walk closer, and your brain erases everything like a system crash," he said in a sarcastic tone, earning a punch on his shoulder."Okay, let’s leave that. Back to my other question—did you climb the wall to get in or come through the main entrance?""Yeah, like I’d confront my mamanar at this time, especially when both his daughters are finally home. Nope, I chose climbing the Great Wall of China instead," he expressed.Thalir’s eyes sparkled dangerously, and her mischievous smile spread, making Aadhavan groan. He knew that look —it screams trouble."Yeii Imsa, nooo," he warned."Yes, yes, yesssss," she replied, stretching the word and wiggling her brows.Aadhavan blinked, bracing himself for her crazy demand."Let’s go for a short drive, Aadhava," she suggested sweetly. He let out a relieved sigh, but before he could finish, she dropped the bombshell."…But I want to climb that wall! Let’s go through the way you came."His eyes widened as she grinned at him expectantly. "Why? Only you’re allowed to climb my house’s wall, huh?" she asked, pouting and glaring."Yeii, it’s not that. When I came, it wasn’t raining. Now it would be slippery, and climbing in this mud won’t be easy. We’ll do it some other time, dii Imsa," Aadhavan explained patiently, and while Thalir understood his point, her heart resisted. She wanted to try it—just once. Growing up, she had often watched Thuyavan climb the wall to sneak into or out of the house, escaping their mother’s scoldings. At times, she had seen Agathiyan do the same, and it was through those secret escapades that she discovered Thulir and Agathiyan’s relationship.She even remembered moments when Agathiyan and Thulir would use that route for night drives, with Agathiyan helping Thulir over the wall by letting her stand on his shoulders. Thalir had always been fascinated by their daring acts. Deep down, she wished to experience it herself, to feel that same thrill.But her cautious nature always held her back. Unlike her siblings, Thalir was afraid of getting hurt. She vividly recalled the times they had been injured—Agathiyan’s twisted ankle that left him unable to walk for a week, Thulir’s fractured limbs from a teenage quarrel with Agathiyan, and Aadhavan’s broken nose that sent him off the court bleeding. Those incidents had cemented her fear, discouraging her from any activity that seemed remotely risky. She avoided sports for the same reason, content to watch from the sidelines while her siblings embraced the pain and chaos.And yet, today, she found herself wanting to break out of that fear. Something inside her longed to take that leap, to try what had always seemed out of reach. The idea of climbing the wall filled her with both nervous anticipation and a rare sense of excitement—a chance to challenge her limits, even if just this once.Seeing the sadness and disappointment on her face, Aadhavan felt a pang of guilt. Thalir rarely asked for anything adventurous, and this was the first time in years she had made such a request. He couldn’t bear to let her down. Though he knew his concerns were valid, he decided to set them aside and give it a try. Taking a deep breath, he finally said with a soft smile playing on his lips, "Okay, polam,"(Okay, let's go)Thalir's eyes lit up with excitement, widening in disbelief. "Nejama?"(Really?)she asked eagerly, needing confirmation. When Aadhavan nodded, her face broke into a joyous smile. She leaned in, planting a kiss on each of his cheeks, before springing out of bed with childlike enthusiasm to get ready. Aadhavan shook his head, chuckling to himself as he trailed behind her toward the bathroom. Her happiness was infectious, and he couldn’t resist it— She wanted that was all that truly mattered.