Chapter 71: chapter 71

MADHAVMy eyes widen at the sickly sweet voice of the woman whom I don’t know. I look at Sruthi and I am delighted to note the anger in her eyes. She takes a deep breath and arranges her face into a neutral face but I did see the anger and jealousy in them. She meets my eyes with a raised brow and I shrug my shoulders. “Can I know who this is?” I ask in a guarded voice.“Huh? Don’t you recognise me? How can you forget me in three months?”I frown at the road. I don’t have any idea about what this woman is talking about. “Is she the woman you love?” Sruthi asks from beside me. Oh God! No, don’t turn this into a misunderstanding situation. Sruthi is still believing that I have another woman in my heart. “Who is that with you? Are you with another woman? How can you cheat on me Jagadish?” the voice yells on the phone.Jagadish?I breathe easily as I realise what is the situation, “I am sorry but I think you have the wrong number.”“Wrong number? Can I know who is speaking?” the woman asks her tone guarded and careful.“This is Madhav and I don’t know a Jagadish.”“Oh! I am sorry, I must have dialled the wrong number. I am sorry. Sorry,” she hangs up and I breathe a sigh of relief.“Well, that was weird and funny,” comments Sruthi.“Yeah, it was,” I agree. “For a moment, I got confused.”“Have you never dated anyone?” she asks with a hint of curiosity.“I have. A few times or so but I liked no one enough to remember their faces or names. It was just a phase in my life and an attempt to get over the woman I love.”“Did it work?” Sruthi asks biting her lip. My attention is drawn to it and for a second I wonder how it would feel to have those lips against mine and if it was my teeth biting her lip. With a shake of my head, I focus on the road and her question.“If it did, I wouldn’t be suffering so much now,” I answer.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥I adjust the pillows between us and lie on Sruthi’s bed. Yes, I am still sharing a bed with her. And no, we still haven’t crossed the line or in this case the pillow wall between us. But, knowing that she is lying just a few centimetres away from me is enough to make my desires wreak havoc on me. Things have changed between us. We have gone from acquittance to friend in the two weeks. She is genuinely curious about me and never hesitates to ask any questions. I close my eyes and focus on the sounds around me. In the silent night, I can hear Sruthi breathing. It is a soothing sound to all my nerves. It was a hectic week. With the jewellery exhibition, I have a lot of things to take care and I have been doing my best to balance work and my personal life. I spend all the free time I get to cook for Sruthi and ensure that she takes tablets. I know she is not a kid and can do things on her own but I can only rest peacefully if I see her take tablets with my own eyes. She still believes that I am in love with another woman. I don't know how to confess my feelings to her now. Another problem that we haven't addressed openly between us is the case of the prep. Vikram's spies found information that only confirmed our suspicion of Vishnu lying about his relationship with Gowtham. The strange thing is there have been no attacks or threats for Sruthi after the Vishnu event. I desperately wanted Vishnu's words about his relationship with Gowtham to be true because if it is true then we have caught the real prep and there is nothing to be worried about. But yeah, this is real life and things are always more complicated than they may seem. So, of course, I still have no idea who the real prep is and am waiting for him to do something to get some clue as to who it is. My thoughts come to a standstill when I feel my phone vibrating. Before it could ring louder, I grab it and press the volume button to stop it from ringing louder. I frown at the caller screen. It is not unusual for Vikram to call me at this time but it is been a long time since he called me this late. I get up from the bed and tiptoe out of the room. Only when I am out of Sruthi's earshot, do I attend the call.“Hey,” I say in greeting.“What is Sruthi doing?” Vikram asks not bothering to greet me and getting straight to the point.“Huh? She is sleeping,” I answer.“Well, I am at your doorstep. Can we chat for a few minutes?” With a frown, I check the CCTV to find Vikram waiting for me. I unlock my door and usher him inside. He looks tired and worn out. After returning from the abroad trip, he had a lot of work to do with the neighbouring countries trying to covet our border cities. I feel guilty all of a sudden. When I have been busy spending good quality time with the love of my life—even if she has no idea what she is to me—Vikram has been busy with more important matters like the nation's defence. “Do you need a cup of coffee or tea?” I ask as he plops on the couch.He shakes his head, “What I need now is a bottle of beer.”I shake my head at him. Vikram has a habit of drinking beer when he is stressed out too much.  I want to condemn him for it but I know the burden he is carrying on his shoulders. He is very strict with himself and has never let himself indulge. The only time he drinks beer is to let himself relax after a time of high stress. “Hectic week at work?” I ask.“It was hell,” he says with a sigh. “How is my sister?”“She is doing fine,” I answer bringing him a glass of water.“Thank you,” he says and drinks the water in one gulp.“She is sleeping,” I say when Vikram looks around the room.“Oh! Right,” he says looking at his watch, “Woah! It is two in the night. I had no idea what time it was. I came straight after I finished my work. I didn't realise it was this late. Damnit!”With a frustrated sigh, he takes his phone out of his pocket and calls someone. When the call connects, the worry on his face is not reflected in his voice, “Did you get home?”From his gruff and cold voice, I know he is talking to his secretary. He uses that voice only with Nisha. I pity that woman. She has to have some guts to survive Vikram's ruthlessness for the past five years or so. I don't know what she answers but from the relief on Vikram's face, I know that she had reached her home safely.“Take a couple of days leave,” he says in a gruff voice. Nisha says something and Vikram's face breaks into an amused smile and with a shake of his head, he says, “Just take the days off and stop questioning my decisions.”She answers something and my friend hangs up with a nod. “Can I see my sister?” he asks.“Shall I wake her up?” I ask and he shakes his head. I will just see for myself how she is doing and get the hell out of your house. If you don't mind me seeing her.”I frown, “Why would I mind? She is your sister.”“Of course, she is. But now, she is your wife.”“You know if Sruthi hears that she will whack you in the head.”Vikram chuckles, “Yep. That is why I am telling you this when she is asleep.”Vikram walks to Sruthi's room and pushes the door open softly. I follow him closely but he stands still in his tracks and lets out a low whistle. He turns to me with a mischievous smile, “So, Madhav, you never told me that you are sleeping with my sister?”He raises his eyebrow in question. I shake my head at him. I can see where his mind is going. I am nervous all of a sudden. “It is not like what you think. I am just sharing the bed with her. She feels safe when I am near her. She..”Vikram places a hand on my shoulder blade and squeezes it, “Relax, you don't have to explain to me anything. What happens between you two is none of my business. She is my sister and you are my best friend. I agree I was the reason you both met but that doesn't mean you are obliged to tell me everything that happens between you two. I am glad you are sleeping with her-”“It is not sleeping. It is sharing a bed,” I correct him.He nods his head with a grin, “Okay, okay, I am glad that you both are sharing the bed. I am sure one day or the other, the pillow wall between you will come down. Now, I will just see my sister's face before going away.”“Are you going somewhere tomorrow?” I ask wondering about his haste to see Sruthi.“Huh? Why do you ask?” he says rubbing the back of his neck.“Where are you going?” I ask knowing that he is hiding something from me.“Well, it is a secret mission that I must embark on for the safety of this nation.”I grab him by the collar as I realise what he is telling me, “You always took me with you for the secret missions.”His secret missions are always dangerous and he won't survive it alone. He needs me with him.He gives me a soft smile, “Yes, I did but this time it is different.”“HOW DIFFERENT?” I say too loudly that Sruthi stirs in her sleep. Vikram glares at me and I glare back. Two can play this game. We wait for Sruthi to wake up from her sleep but she doesn't wake up. Vikram sighs whe Sruthi shows no signs of waking up, “This time it is different because you have another important mission. Protecting my sister. I don't want you to leave her. Not until we find out for sure that all other attacks were orchestrated by Vishnu.”Vikram has a valid point. I can't leave Sruthi yet at the same time I can't watch my best friend walk into death's trap.He smiles at me, “I will be careful, Madhav. It is only for a couple of days and I promise to be back in one piece. You know what, having you with Sruthi puts me at ease and I can focus more easily on my job as the defence minister. So, you better take good care of my sister. I will return safely.”“You better do that,” I say squeezing his shoulder.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥