Chapter 107: chapter 107

MADHAVVikram’s parting words echo in my head. He’s wrong. Sruthi wouldn’t wait up for me. She might have done it for him—he was her brother, after all, and he often forgot to take care of himself.My heart pounds as I park the car and step out. I tell myself not to get my hopes up. It’s a small thing. Nothing between us will change if she doesn’t wait for me. But a foolish part of me still hopes she’s awake. I glance at the windows as I approach the door, and my heart sinks. The house is dark. If she were waiting, the lights would be on.Damn it, Madhav. Stop acting like a teenager with mood swings. You told her to go to bed. It’s your own fault if you expected anything different.I shouldn’t feel disappointed. She did what I asked. I should be glad she listened. With a sigh, I press my thumb on the wall. A million thoughts pass as I wait for the door to open. It clicks open, and I step into the dim hallway. The living room is empty. I turn off the porch light behind me. After locking the door and resetting the security system, I turn around to walk to my room.BUTI nearly jump out of my skin. My heart pounds wildly as I find a figure sitting up on the couch, draped in a cloth. I didn't notice it when I entered since the cocuh's back his it's view from me. My hand flies to the switch, flooding the room with light. I breath a sigh of relief as the light reveals my wife sitting on the couch wrapped in her blanket. Sruthi blinks up at me, startled. She’s wearing earbuds, her phone still playing a video.Was she… waiting for me?“What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you not to wait up?” My voice comes out more stern than I intend. For a second, I really thought she was an intruder or a supernatural being.She shrugs, too casually. “I wasn't waiting for you. I was watching a movie.”“At this hour?”Her shoulders lift in a shrug, “What can I say? I am such a moviebuff.”She is not. I see through her lie immediately, and warmth blooms in my chest. She was waiting for me. Vikram’s smug grin flashes in my mind—he won the bet.“You could’ve watched it in your room,” I say, walking over to the couch.Another shrug. “I could’ve. But I am comfortable watching movies lying on the couch in a snug blanket.”I smile despite myself. “A weird way of watching movies. How did that habit start?”“I guess it started when I used to wait for my brother to come home.”I tip her chin up, forcing her to meet my eyes. “So, were you waiting for me?”Her cheeks flush. She’s trapped herself, and she knows it. “You could say that.”“I didn’t realize my wife was so disobedient,” I murmur, teasing.She frowns. “Do you want me to be obedient?”I shake my head. “I’m your husband, not your master. Be who you want to be—with one exception. During self-defense class, I’ll need full obedience.”Her lips curve into a smile as she pulls me closer. “Good to know. Because I plan on being exactly who I am.”Our faces are just inches apart. The urge to kiss her is overwhelming. To devour her wholly and have her think about only me. To hear her call my name in ecstasy and bliss. Woah! Back up! You sound obsessive and possessive.That thought is like a cold water on my head. I pull back to her utter disappointment. I need to tell her. Before we go any further, she has to know my fear. She has to know what she is signing up for.“Sruthi, if I ever show signs of obsession, or if I ever lay a hand on you against your will—don’t hesitate to leave me.”My voice is dead serious, and her expression softens. She stands and cradles my face in her hands, her touch gentle but grounding.“Are you afraid you’ll become like your father?” she asks quietly, voicing my deepest fear.I look away, ashamed. “Yes.”Some might call what my father felt for my mother an undying love. But it wasn’t love—it was ownership. He saw her as property, something to control. My mother tolerated it, believing love meant sacrifice. But it was twisted. Toxic.Sruthi lifts my chin, forcing me to meet her gaze. It’s hard to hold her eyes when I’m terrified I could turn into that same possessive man.“You are not your father, Madhav,” she says, her voice firm. “You’re different. You would never hurt me like that.”Her certainty is comforting, but doubt still gnaws at me.“But what if I do?”“If that happens, rest assured, I won’t sit around waiting for a happy ending. I’ll take our kids and leave this house. Then I’ll drag you to a psychologist, get you treated, and when you’re back to yourself, I’ll bring the kids back and we’ll be a family again.”Her playful tone and matter-of-fact delivery ease the tension in my chest. The thought of us having kids together is sweet, a future I hadn’t dared to think about. Sruthi isn’t like my mother, and I’m damn sure she wouldn’t let me get away with treating her badly. She’d call Vikram, and I’d have the entire national army on my back before I could blink.I pull her into a hug, a weight lifting off me. One fear down. One more confession to go.“Kids, huh? How many do you want?” I ask, my voice lighter.“Four or five,” she says without hesitation.I chuckle. “That’s more than I expected. But given how you ditched a high-paying job to work as a play school teacher, I’m not surprised.”She hesitates for a moment, her eyes searching mine. “Do you… want to have a child with me?”I hold her gaze and answer without hesitation. “I’d love that.”She smiles shyly and looks away, but her eyes look weighed down. There’s something she wants to ask me but is holding back, unsure how to ask.I caress her cheek with my knuckles. “Out with it, Sruthi.”Her eyes widen in surprise, but she takes a deep breath before asking, “I want our first child to become my brother's heir. That is, if you are okay with it.”❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥