Chapter 97: chapter 97

SRUTHI Three months ago, if someone had told me that I would willingly kiss Madhav Gajendren, I would have laughed in their face and called them mentally unstable.But life is full of surprises. Look at me now, trying to show Madhav how I feel about him.After I returned from his office, I decided to make a confession today. It is better to get things done sooner than postpone them for later. We’ve already wasted a lot of time.I wanted to make an impression on Madhav today. That’s why I decided to wear the dress I wore the first time we met. With Nisha’s help, I styled the dress with the perfect accessories and makeup. I was glad to see Madhav devouring me with his eyes when he entered the house. Yep, the dressing up and makeup were worth his reaction.I knew it wouldn't be easy to make him believe me. Because falling in love with the person they hate seems like a story straight out of movies and books. I understand why Madhav is uncertain and doubtful about my feelings.I’ve watched dramas and movies where the hero always assures the heroine of his feelings by kissing her. That’s what I want to try with Madhav.His eyes are still uncertain, reflecting his doubt.“Alright then, don't hate me for what I’m going to do now,” I say, leaning closer. He still smells good, and I have this strong urge to wrap my hands around him in a tight hug and never let him go.“What are you going to do?” Madhav asks in a curious tone. Something changes in his eyes as he holds my gaze. The doubt and uncertainty vanish. His eyes have a heated look that makes his eye color gleam silver.My pulse quickens, and I gather all the courage left in me to answer his question. “Kiss you.”Damn all the consequences!I lean forward and press my lips to his. I can feel Madhav go still in shock. His lack of reaction to my kiss stirs panic in me.Reality suddenly slaps me in the face. What the hell am I doing? Seriously? Forcing a kiss on him will not solve things. It will only make things more complicated. Because, for starters, I don’t know a thing about kissing. Even the one kiss I had with Praveen was something he initiated, and I was too excited and nervous to remember what happened. But I know one thing for sure—that kiss was not something that made my knees go weak or shattered the ground under me.How many seconds should I kiss him to make him understand that I love him? Should I put my hands around his neck? Or should I rest them on his chest?Holy Hell!What if Madhav hates me for this? Why did I think forcing a kiss would resolve things between us? Forcing something in a relationship never resolves anything. It only creates problems. I wouldn’t have liked it if Madhav had kissed me like this. So, what’s the guarantee that Madhav won’t hate this?Five seconds have passed since I pressed my lips to his, and he’s still frozen like a statue. Freak! I made a grave mistake. I should have thought this through. I let those stupid, senseless, illogical dramas mislead me.My sudden rationality and Madhav’s unresponsiveness make me pull back from him. Tears fill my eyes. What if Madhav hates me now because I forced a kiss on him? How do the male leads in the dramas do this so easily? Kiss their heroine and make her melt like a puddle? How can they reassure her with one kiss?But this isn’t some drama, and I’m no cocky male lead with amazing kissing skills. I’m an ordinary preschool teacher with very little to no knowledge in the department of romance. I take a step back from him in defeat. I messed up royally. There’s no turning ba—Madhav suddenly grabs my hand and spins me around so that our positions are switched. Suddenly, I’m the one leaning on the wall, with Madhav caging me with his strong arms. His eyes have a tortured look as his fingers graze my jaw lightly.“I told you never to be a timid woman with me,” Madhav growls in a whisper. His voice is deep and makes goosebumps erupt across my skin. “Kiss me like you mean it, Sruthi.”The challenge in his voice is what emboldens and reassures me that Madhav is not going to hate this. He wants this just as much as I do. We have a lot of things to talk about and sort out, but right now, there’s too much tension between us.I lean closer, and Madhav’s eyes flutter closed in anticipation. I take his face in my hands and close the distance between us. He doesn’t go still like the last time. His hands wrap around my hips as he pulls me closer to his body. My lips brush against his softly, like a feather. This time, I kiss him with certainty and purpose. I love him, and I’m letting him know that with this kiss. Whether or not he believes me is not something I can control. The only thing I can do is show him my feelings. He’s the one who must decide whether to believe them or not.Madhav responds just as lightly as I kiss him. His lips are soft and warm. My whole body buzzes with energy as he tilts his head. My hands wrap around his neck as I pull him closer. One second, our lips are brushing lightly, and the next second, I want him even more. His grip on me tightens as he pulls me even closer. The kiss changes from something gentle and shy to hard and raw.Everything fades around me, and I remember nothing except the man holding me. Madhav kisses me with a possessiveness that makes my toes curl. His kiss is intoxicating and consuming. He sucks my lower lip between his, and a soft sigh escapes me. There’s no hesitation anymore, no second-guessing. It’s just us, and everything we’ve been holding back finally comes to the surface.We pull apart for air. Our ragged breaths are the only sound in the otherwise quiet house.Madhav smiles softly at me. “That is how you kiss someone you love.”I can’t help but grin back at him. “So, you believe me now?”He puts his palm on my cheek and tilts my face up to place a soft kiss on my forehead. “How could I not when you kissed me like your life depended on it?”I blush, looking down at my toes. For someone who boldly initiated the kiss, now, I feel shy all of a sudden.“I was afraid that you’d hate me for forcing a kiss on you,” I whisper.“It would take more than that for my feelings to change,” he answers. There’s a rare vulnerability in his voice that makes me look up at him. His eyes are glassy.“Are those happy tears in your eyes?” I ask.He nods. “They are, Sruthi. We still have some things to talk about since I’m still confused about some things.”“Yeah, we need to have a talk. An honest communication with no beating around the bush,” I say, pulling out of his embrace. He lets me go but looks disappointed.“As much as I love having your arms around me,” I say, walking to the couch. He needs to know why I’m doing this. I don’t want another miscommunication or misunderstanding. “I think I need some distance from you when we talk things out, or else I can’t guarantee the talk will happen since I won’t be able to stop touching or kissing you.”Madhav’s eyes widen in surprise before a blush colors his face. He looks adorable. He shakes his head. “Your bluntness never ceases to amaze me.”Now it’s my turn to blush. My bluntness is not a quality to be proud of in this era. Praveen disliked this characteristic in me and told me it was my only flaw. Even before him, many people had told me to be more subtle.This is the first time I’m hearing someone give me credit for my bluntness. It feels good to hear someone appreciate and accept one of my characteristics as it is without asking me to change it. Madhav sits on the other side of the couch, leaving a good amount of space between us.“Okay, let’s get this over with quickly,” I say, feeling impatient. I don’t want the distance between us. What I want is to wrap my hands around him and kiss him. That kiss felt good and wonderful. “What happened at the Boiren Mountains?”“Huh? You’re going for a direct hit?”I raise my brow at him. “Didn’t you just say how my bluntness is amazing? Are you going to take it back?”“Nope. Please know that I find everything about you amazing.”My breath hitches. I try and fail miserably to stop my cheeks from coloring. “Madhav! Your sweet talk is only making things more difficult for me. Unlike you, I don’t have an iron will. So stop with the compliments and just answer my questions.”Madhav grins at me. “What does my compliment do to you?”Ah! There he goes again, talking about other things rather than answering my question.“Do you want an honest answer?”“Yes, brutal honesty is appreciated.”“Are you sure you can handle it?” I ask, winking at him.“If it’s you, then there’s nothing I can’t handle,” Madhav’s eyes have a smoldering look as he meets my gaze. I feel a cupid’s arrow shoot through my heart. There he goes again, sweet-talking.“Alright, whenever I hear your compliment, it makes my heart flutter with joy and warms me up. Hearing your sweet talk makes me want to kiss you.”“Then, kiss me, Sruthi,” Madhav's eyes pin on my lips as his eyes look heated with love and desire for me. I am not sure why I feel like a teenager all of a sudden. If this continues, then I am sure the only thing Madhav and I would achieve is flirt endlessly.“Madhav, stop diverting the topic and answer me,” I say, folding my arms and huffing out a breath.The mischievous look on his face vanishes, replaced by a somber one. He takes a deep breath and says, “I accidentally heard your conversation with Ragini.”❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥