Chapter 61: chapter 61

MADHAV“Nothing,” I reply exiting the room. So much for impressing her, Madhav.“The smoke and smell do seem to tell another story,” Sruthi says sniffing the air. She is wearing fresh clothes and her hair is wet from the shower. Her skin is gaining colour and she no longer looks like a person on the verge of death. “How badly did you burn the noodles?”My eyes are so busy tracing the water droplets that travel from her forehead to her collar that I am caught off guard by her question, “Huh? How did you know that I was cooking noodles?”“Of course, the smell. That is what got me coming out of my room. I was expecting a nicely cooked bowl of noodles only to find the kitchen filled with smoke.”Now, I feel bad and want to punch myself for ruining the noodles. Sruthi takes a step forward so suddenly that I am caught off guard again. She cups my jaw to make me look her in the eye and asks in a solemn voice, “Do you know how to cook?”I look away from her soul-searching gaze in guilt. When the problem of who would cook when Jaya Ma is on leave arose yesterday, I may have lied about how I have exceptional cooking skills. Of course, I lied so that I could impress Sruthi with my cooking skills. It was a solid idea to get Sruthi to see a different side of me but the only problem was I had no idea about cooking. I was confident that it wasn’t a difficult skill to master but now I am second doubting. Sruthi forces me to look at her again, “Answer me, Madhav.”I meet her gaze. I expected ridicule and anger in them but there is a gentleness in them that I have longed to see. Something tells me that she wouldn’t judge me if I told her the truth. So, I answer her question honestly, “Yes. I don’t know how to cook. I never needed to learn it. Jaya Ma was always there and even before I was adopted, I—”Sruthi places her finger on my lips and stops me mid-sentence. Does she have any idea what she is doing? Why is the universe testing my self-control again and again? She looks unaffected with her finger on my lips while I am holding tightly to my self-control and restraining myself from doing something like taking her finger between my lips.GET YOURSELF TOGETHER MADHAV!! DON’T FORGET THAT SHE STILL HATES YOU. I swallow and Sruthi’s eyes don’t miss that moment. Something flashes in her eyes for a quick moment before she removes her finger from my lips, “You don’t have to justify not knowing how to cook.”“I don’t have to?” I ask raising my eyebrow. “But doesn’t women nowadays want their husbands to cook like chefs?”Sruthi gives me a funny look, “Who told you that?”I shrug. It was in another one of my missions, that I heard a group of ladies discuss what qualities they want in their future husbands and every single one of them wanted their husband to know cooking. So, I just assumed that it was what every woman wanted.“For one, I had no such expectation,” Sruthi answers to my relief. Our eyes meet and I can say from the certainty in her gaze that she is telling the truth. “Then, what were your expectations?” I ask taking a step forward, my voice a whisper. She stands rooted to her spot instead of moving back. “Does it matter now?” Sruthi’s voice is a whisper too.“Yes, it matters to me.”“I will tell you if you tell me what your expectations were for your future wife,” says Sruthi taking a step forward in my direction. That eliminates all the space between us. The universe sure has some grudge against me to put me through this torture of having her too close yet not being able to touch her.I frown, “My expectation? It was simple. She must be a woman I love.”“That is all?” “Yes,” I answer. “Now, it is your turn. What did you expect in your future husband?”Sruthi takes a deep breath, “Not much. I just wanted him to love me despite my flaws. I wanted to be the only woman in his eyes. Even if the nation’s beauty stands next to me, he must have eyes only for me. More than that, I wanted him to be a man who was upstanding, kind and gentle. Someone who would provide me with a safe place and shield me from the ruthless politics I have to face because of my birth in this family.”I smile at her in understanding, “So, you wanted someone who is not me?”She nods her head sadly. “I did Madhav. I thought that marrying a man who has no political ties and moving away from the capital would keep me safe from the troubles that my family name brings. I wanted to run away from all the suffocating drama that happens in politics. I believed that the adventurous life was not the one for me. So, I shied away from it. But, now, I realize no matter how far I run, I could never be free of my family name. So, I would rather face the challenges head-on than run from it. I think that is why fate brought us together. To make me face my fears and become a strong woman who wouldn’t quiver in fear at the face of her adversaries.”Sruthi looks fierce and determined when she stops talking. I have heard stories of how people embrace their life after returning from the verge of their death. I see that is the case with Sruthi. There is no nervousness or fear in her words as she tells me about how determined she is to face all the troubles that are yet to come. “Why are looking at me like that, Madhav?” Sruthi asks in a puzzled tone.“Like what?”“Like a kid watching something fascinating and interesting.”I lean down and my lips brush the shell of her ear as I answer, “You are fascinating and interesting to me, Sruthi. I love it when you get all fierce.”She shivers and I find her blushing and looking down at her toes, “I have never been fierce. That is the last adjective anyone would use to describe me.”“Oh, you are a fierce person, honey,” I say tracing a finger along her jaw. “Anyone in your place would have thrown a big fit on her wedding day when she found out that her fiancée had run away. She would have been a crying mess and wouldn’t have given a damn about her family name or her brother’s position. She would have either called off the wedding or sent the army in search of her fiancée. But you did neither of those. You buried your emotions there and acted in the best way possible to avert any situation that might put your brother’s position in jeopardy. Even after knowing that I am a cold-blooded killer, you still choose to get angry with me and call me out when I killed a man in front of your eyes. You keep hoping for good things even when the worst event happens to you. How can I not find you fascinating?”“Madhav,” her voice is breathless. Her eyes are blurry like she is on the verge of crying. I take her face in my hands and place a soft kiss on her forehead. “You are exaggerating things and giving me too much praise.”I shake my head, “I am not. I am stating the facts, Sruthi. You are braver than you think. I have no idea how to do this relationship with you. But, I will do my best and give it my all. As I already told you, I am not a kind and gentle man but I will make you face your fears and turn you into a strong woman who destroys her adversaries in a blink of an eye.”❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥