SRUTHIWhat do you say to your husband who overhead you complaining about him to his family? I am not angry at him for eavesdopping on the conversation. I feel guilty for complaining to my brother about him. I don't even know if Madhav is angry or upset. He is definitely not happy. I am sure about that. I keep glancing at him in the car as it speeds past the buildings. It is only four in the evening, and the traffic is quite busy, delaying our trip home.âYou're burning a hole in the side of my head, Sruthi,â Madhav says without taking his eyes off the signal.âThat's because I'm trying to figure out what you're feeling.ââItâs better to ask me outright rather than make assumptions,â Madhav says, starting the car as the signal turns green. âDonât repeat what I did, Sruthi. Werenât you the one who said we should be transparent? Then, be transparent. Tell me what you feel outright rather than keeping it in your head and making assumptions.âMy heart thumps loudly. He's right. I must voice my concerns to him rather than mulling over them alone. Itâs embarrassing to admit my insecurities, but if I donât show him my vulnerable side, then who else would I show it to? Heâs the person I can be myself with, and Iâm going to spend the rest of my life with him.âYou never told me âI love youâ back,â I say, looking out the window, trying not to feel as pathetic as I do. âNor did you share a bed with me. I know itâs silly of me, but I really love going to bed with youâââThereâs nothing silly about that,â Madhav interrupts, his lips lifting slightly. I blush and look at my lap, trying to gather my thoughts.âI understand you have work to do,â I say, but then shake my head and make an honest confession. âNo, scratch that. I really donât understand, Madhav. What does having a lot of work have to do with you sleeping in another room? I know this is all so sudden. I want to take things slow too, but a little reassurance from you would be nice,â I glance at him before gathering the courage to admit my feelings. âI feel insecure. This is all very sudden for me too. Just a couple of days ago, I had no idea I was the woman you were in love with. I believed you were in love with someone else, and no matter what I did, I would never deserve your love.âMadhav nods, and I donât know how to take his reaction. I thought the misunderstanding between us was resolved, but it seems like itâs only getting bigger. This is too complicated. Navigating my feelings is like walking through a maze. Every time I think Iâve figured out the way, I run into a dead end.âThis morning, I was elated to see you when I opened my eyes. I was upset when you said you couldnât pick me up this evening. But I felt happy again when you said youâd visit my brother and pick me up from there. Then, as I walked from the parking lot, I felt like I was the only one excited and giddy about this relationship because you seem so cool and calm. Unlike me, youâre able to carry on with your daily tasks without distraction, but all I can think about is you.âI cover my face with my hand, feeling it turn beet red. Weâve reached our house. Madhav is still silent, focused on parking the car. I donât have the courage to look at him. So, as soon as the engine stops, I spring out of the car and rush to the house, ready to hide in my room and never come back out.My feet carry me to the front door, and I press my thumb against the wall. Iâm still baffled by the sensor that blends in with the wall. Two seconds pass, and I realize I pressed the wrong spot in my hurry. I shift my thumb to the left, and the door opens with a click. Iâm about to sprint into my room when strong arms wrap around my waist. I gasp but relax into Madhavâs touch at the same time.I hear the sound of the door click shut, and Madhav gently turns me to face him. I donât have the courage to look at him. Iâm afraid of seeing pity in his eyes for how desperate I feel.âSruthi,â his voice is a gentle caress. I nod, but I keep staring at the white marble floor. Thereâs no design on the floor tile. Itâs just plain white marble. If only my feelings were as plain as that instead of murky and confusing.Madhav takes my palm and places it on his chest. I suck in a sharp breath as I feel his heart racing under my palm. Itâs beating loud and wild. I look up at Madhav in surprise. His eyes are vulnerable and soft. Thereâs no mask of calmness or control in them. He looks just as vulnerable and fragile as I feel inside.âCan you feel it? My heart racing for you?â Madhav asks in a soft voice.I nod, my mouth suddenly dry. His eyes are gleaming silver.âYou were wrong when you said Iâm not distracted, Sruthi. You were the one thing on my mind the whole day. I tried to focus on my work, but thoughts of you kept creeping in.ââMadhavâ,â I begin, but his grip on my waist tightens. He shakes his head, and I close my mouth, waiting for him to continue.He loosens his grip slightly. âI want to give you a proper confession, Sruthi.â My eyes widen in surprise. âJust because I donât say the words doesnât mean my feelings have changed.âHe taps lightly on my forehead with a soft smile. âI donât know where you got the idea, but you donât need great qualities to make me fall in love with you. I fell in love with you. The imperfect teenage girl who blushed every time our eyes met the first time we met. The girl who scowled at me in disgust when she saw me beat up a man in a fight. The woman who acted tough when she was shit scared of me. The woman who would go to any extent to protect the ones she loves. The woman who loves wearing baggy clothes despite looking smoking hot in dresses that hug her curves. The woman who prefers playing with kids over playing in politics. The woman who hates power and wants to lead a peaceful life. I love everything about you. That includes your mind, body, soul, thoughts, imperfections, and qualities, regardless of whether theyâre great or not.âIâm speechless. I stare at him, mouth agape. My brother wasnât joking when he said Madhav was a romantic. Madhav pulls me closer, his eyes roaming over my face, pausing on my mouth for a moment. I can feel his heart beating faster beneath my fingers. He spins us around so that Iâm standing against the closed door.Madhav lets out a low growl that makes my stomach flip. I feel my belly drop as he leans closer. His hand moves from my hip to my neck, pushing my hair to one side as his fingers circle a spot on my nape.âI love the fact that you have a mole here,â he says in a low, deep voice. I try not to melt at the fondness in his tone. My toes curl, and my knees feel weak. Iâm thankful for the solid support of the door behind me. I place my other hand on his chest, and my eyes flutters close as his fingers gently circle the spot on my neck.I knew I had a mole there, but I never thought it was anything special. I didnât even remember it until Madhav mentioned it. But now, that mole seems like the most important thing in the world. Madhav leans in closer, smelling good and familiar. Thereâs something about him that grounds me. I donât feel overly nervous when weâre close, like I did with Praveen. I donât feel awkward talking about sharing a bed with Madhav. I feel like I can tell him anything, and he wouldnât judge me for it.âWhatâs your love language, Sruthi?â Madhavâs abrupt question makes me open my eyes. I think carefully about the question. âI donât know. I never thought about it.ââThen weâll figure it out, soon,â Madhav says with a twinkle in his eyes.âWhatâs yours?â I ask.He grins before closing the distance between us with a kiss. I feel the spark between us ignite as his lips find mine. My fingers clutch his shirt tightly as his mouth explores mine. Everything else ceases to exist except for the man in front of me. All the doubts and fears from earlier vanish into thin air. Why did I even doubt his feelings for me in the first place? His whole body is trembling with pent up emotions for me. I see how hard he is struggling to hold back. My body feels like itâs on fire as he deepens the kiss. An insatiable desire makes me pull him closer. I wrap my hands around his neck and tilt my face to give him better access to my lips. Before the kiss can go further, a loud noise breaks us apart.âThere, you have your answer,â Madhav says, his eyes thick with desire. I blush, realizing that Madhavâs love language is physical touch.A phone keeps ringing. Madhav mutters a curse and pulls his phone out of his pocket. I donât see the name on the screen, but Madhav looks serious all of a sudden.âI will be back in a minute,â he says and walks to his room. â¤ï¸âð¥â¤ï¸âð¥â¤ï¸âð¥â¤ï¸âð¥â¤ï¸âð¥
Chapter 104: chapter 104
Unseen Embers Of Love•Words: 8897