Chapter 17: chapter 17

MADHAVThe kiss of promise is a marriage ritual in our country that happens after the bride and groom tie the knot. It is a sacred ritual in which the couple promises their lifelong commitment to each other through the kiss.I should be excited about this kiss but I am not. I am worried about Sruthi. She is doing a wonderful job of maintaining a happy look on her face but I can easily see through her smiles how hard it is for her. I have no idea why we are required to perform these many rituals. If I had it my way, then I would cut it short and take Sruthi away to a faraway place where no one can find her. Just me and her. She is not comfortable with all the attention on her. Her eyes are panicked and scared. I can’t imagine the day she is having. She got up this morning in hopes of marrying the love of her life only to be married to the hate of her life. “What is taking you so long, Madhav?” Vinod asks with a snicker. “Why don’t you kiss your bride? Or are you afraid of the commitment?”I give him my best smile and reply in a calm tone, “No. I am not. I have wanted Sruthi for a long time and now she is mine. I am afraid that if I start kissing her then I won’t have the willpower to stop.”Sruthi’s cheeks turn red and she looks down at her toes as giggles and cheers go up among the guests. I gently take Sruthi’s hand in mine. She looks up at me and I hate the fear and uncertainty in her eyes. I lean down and she closes her eyes tightly as if preparing herself for something worse. Nope! I am not going to kiss her like this. Not when she is afraid of me and hates me. That is me forcing myself on her. I would never do that. Instead of putting my lips on hers, like she and everyone are expecting, I bring it close to her ear. “I am not going to kiss you,” I say softly in her ears. That gets to open her eyes wide in shock. “Why? Are you afraid of commitment like Vinod said?”A slow smile curves my lips, “I am never afraid of anything with you. Remember that.”“Then, why?” she asks her brows furrowing. My fingers itch to smoothen it. Subconsciously, I try to shove my hands into my pockets only to realize that I am in a traditional attire. I lift my hand to her forehead and her face remains calm but I can see the fear in her eyes as my fingers touch her forehead. “Because you don’t want me to kiss you. Do you?” I ask removing my hand from her forehead.“No, I don’t. But you can’t skip the ritual for that,” she argues.“We can. I don’t give a damn about these rituals. If you don’t like something then we are not doing it.”“Just easy as that?” she asks in a skeptical tone.“Yes, just as easy as that.”“It is just a kiss. I will survive.”I shake my head at her, “I won’t honey.”“Then how would we sell our lie?” she asks.“Relax. Trust me and close your eyes,” I say in a gentle tone. It takes a moment for her to do as I say. I angle my body in front of her in a way that people can only see that we are kissing but can’t know if our lips are touching. I don’t close the gap between us immediately. I take my sweet time admiring my bride and slowly bring my lips to her ears again, “Remember Sruthi, the first time we kiss, it would be in a private space with your full consent.”Before she can reply anything, I put my thumb on her lips and close the gap between us. My thumb separates our lips. The crowd goes insane and I hear blessings and cheers from them. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥“I don’t think I should give you the make-my-sister-cry-and-you-are-a-dead-man speech,” Vikram says with an amused look at me. “No, you don’t have to,” I say raking a hand through my hair. I am still shocked by the turn of events. I keep pinching myself to check if I am dreaming or if this is real life. It is  late in the evening and most of the guests have left. The other guests are in the process of going home. “When is my next assignment?” I ask. The two-week break he asked to take is over. “You are already doing that,” he replies.I growl, “Sruthi is not an assignment. You know I would keep her safe no matter what.”Vikram nods, “Yes, I realized that yesterday. I want you to find out who is targeting her. I am going abroad next week and won’t be back for three weeks. I want you to keep Sruthi safe.”“You don’t have to tell me twice,” I reply. “She is my wife. I know how to care for her.”He looks at me for a moment before bursting into laughter, “I still can’t believe that you are my brother-in-law. I guess I need time to get used to that fact. Anyways, I am happy that you are both married.”“Your sister hates me,” I say.“You love her,” Vikram says.“Yes, but that isn’t how relationships work. I married her because of the circumstances but I am giving you a warning if Sruthi ever wants to get a divorce from me, then I wouldn’t hesitate to give it to her.”“That is something between you and her. I believe you both would figure things out. Just be good to her.”“I will,” I promise.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥“It is time for us to go,” I call out before knocking on Sruthi’s room door. We are still in Vikram’s mansion. Sruthi was going through and packing things to take to my house while I was talking with her brother. I knock again. This time louder. I wait patiently but the door doesn’t open. Panic settles in.What if someone had broken into her room? What if she made a bad decision like suicide? Wha—The door swings open putting an end to all my worries. Sruthi has changed from the silk saree to a simple cotton kurta top and palazzo pants. Her face is devoid of any makeup and she has her Bluetooth earbuds in her ear. She removes them and looks at me. That is my cue to talk, “Did you finish your packing?”“I did,” she replies looking at a couple of luggage that is on her bed. “Are you ready to leave?” I ask. She nods, “I am but can we talk for a moment?”❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥