Chapter 99: chapter 99

MADHAV“So,” Sruthi says, looking at the clock. It is one at dawn, and I already know what she is going to ask me. “It is time for bed.”Her voice sounds hopeful. It has been an hour is so since her confession, and I still feel like I am in a dream. Her confession and the kiss—everything seems too sudden for me. I have imagined scenarios in my head of the moment I confess my feelings to Sruthi, and her shyly accepting it, waiting to be kissed by me.Frankly, I never imagined what took place today. Definitely not her boldly pinning me against the wall and confessing first. My mind and heart are still buzzing with happiness to think about other things. I still can't fully accept what happened today.Sruthi loves me.I still can't believe that this amazing woman confessed to me first. Oh, and how stupid of me to assume things without communicating with her. If only I hadn't eavesdropped on her, I would have confessed my feelings at Boiren Mountain, and we would have been together a week prior. The unwanted angst and drama between us wouldn't have taken place.I take Sruthi's hands in mine. They fit inside mine perfectly. The warmth of her skin against mine is intoxicating. I run my thumb over the soft skin of her wrist, feeling her pulse beneath it—a steady rhythm that sends mine racing. A smile tugs at my lips. Just a few months ago, I was drowning in despair, convinced she belonged to someone else. But now she’s here, and she’s mine.“Do you want to share the bed with me?” I ask, my voice low as I trace slow circles on her palm. Her breath hitches, and she bites her lip, her eyes darting from our joined hands up to meet mine. There’s a flicker of something heated, unspoken, in her gaze.“Yes,” her voice is breathless, her cheeks turning pink. “But...only sleeping.”I grin like a fool as her cheeks turn red with the implied meaning. I want to tease her about it. She looks cute when she is blushing. I always loved her blush. I fucking hated it when Praveen made her blush when they were engaged.A stray strand of hair falls into her face, and I reach up, tucking it behind her ear. The touch lingers longer than it should, my fingers brushing against the softness of her cheek. She leans into it, just slightly, and it feels more intimate than any kiss.“I am sorry,” I say, trying to be as gentle as possible, “But I have to get some work done before going to bed, so how about we sleep in our rooms today.”Sruthi's face falls for a moment, but she regains her composure quickly and nods her head. “Are you sure that is the only reason?”“What else could there be?” I ask, even though the answer is clawing at my throat.“Perhaps you are afraid that I will do something to you when you sleep,” her voice is playful yet challenging. “But I promise you—”I silence her with a kiss. Her eyes widen in surprise for a moment before they flutter closed. She slowly returns the kiss. It is a sweet and shy kiss with restraint. I pull back, and she opens her eyes. I am glad to notice the disappointment in them. Our foreheads touch, and our breaths mingle together.“Mada—” she starts, but then stops short as my lips trail along her jawline, then up to her ear, where I whisper, “On the contrary, I am afraid that I would do something to you.”Sruthi looks stunned for a moment before she bursts into laughter. “Come on, Madhav, I don't believe you.”I frown, my fingers tilting her chin so she’s forced to meet my gaze. “And why would that be?”She opens her mouth, but before she can respond, I place a featherlight kiss just below her ear. The soft exhale she releases is music to my ears, and I’m helpless to resist the pull of her. I trail more kisses down her neck, each one slower, deeper, savouring the way she shivers. I am enjoying this more than I should. She is affected by me. By my kisses.“Because you haven't done anything to me when we shared a bed,” she answers, her voice trembling with a mix of innocence and the heat we’re both struggling to contain.“That was before I knew you had feelings for me, but now,” I reply, pulling back to look her in the eye.“What is the difference?” she asks in a whisper.“The difference is that before today, I believed that you hated me and kept my feelings locked up to avoid incurring your wrath. But now...” I run my fingers over her lower lip, thinking of how it felt to have those lips against mine. “All the locked-up feelings are brimming to the surface, and even this moment as I am talking to you, I can barely keep myself from tearing this dress off you.”Her cheeks flame, and she gasps, “Madhav!”“That is the truth, Sruthi. You want to sleep only, but right now, my control is razor-thin, and I’m afraid I can't keep my hands to myself if we share a bed today. I have years of pent-up tension and emotions in me, and I’m afraid of scaring you away with it. So, we’re going to take it slow, and I need time to cool off.”She opens her mouth, but I shake my head. “No, don't argue. I need some time to calm these raging hormones and feelings. I still need a day or two to accept this reality. This is way too sudden for me, and—”Sruthi puts her palm on my mouth and stops me mid-sentence. “It is okay. Take your time. I am not going anywhere.”I search her face for any disappointment or sadness, but there is none. She looks perfectly fine and understanding.“Are you sure?” I ask again. It has not even been a whole day since we were honest with each other. I don't want to make things worse between us.Sruthi's eyes soften. “You don't have to walk around eggshells with me. I completely understand why you need some alone time. It must have been a real shock to you when I jumped in with the confession. Don't worry, I am not going to misunderstand this. Take your own time to come to terms with the truth that I love you.” My breath hitches. She smiles and continues, “I will wait for you to come to my room of your own accord.”“Thank you,” I say, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥Argh!Arghhhh!Argghhhhhhhh!I close my eyes, and I can still feel the pressure of Sruthi's lips on mine. How they tasted. How she looked smoking hot and ravishing in that dress. Her words keep echoing in my mind as I try to quiet it. I was honest with her. I am feeling like a horny teenager all of a sudden and I don't trust myself to be a good boy tonight. Because, seriously who in their right mind would stop with a couple of kisses when they life long confesses to them in a gorgeous dress.Get back to sleep Idiot!“Then, brace yourself, Madhav, cause I am going to suffocate you with my love that you are going to get sick of it.”For God's sake. Stop thinking and sleep.I am suffering from blissful restlessness syndrome. Okay, now, don't go Google that because I made that stuff up. I am not sure if there is a syndrome that exists for insomnia caused by boundless euphoria. But that is what is happening to me. I can't sleep a wink. It is three in the morning, and I have to be up again by seven to carry on with the expo work. My heart feels full, and I am grinning like a fool in the darkness, recalling our conversations.Sruthi cleared all my doubts and worries in that one kiss. I was taken aback when she first kissed me, and I was standing like a frozen statue, not sure of what to do. I was confused about what was happening between us, but I knew I wanted her to kiss me. The second time she kissed me, I was prepared. I wanted it to be a gentle, shy first kiss between us, and I tried hard to keep it like that, but I lost it the second I heard her soft sigh. She knows how to make me nuts with that one sigh.I toss and turn around in the bed, still thinking about her confession. I am grateful that Sruthi took matters into her own hands and confronted me rather than waiting for me to take the first step because I sure as hell wouldn't have done that.Things are still so new between us, and I don't want to rush it. I want to make things more memorable and meaningful.With the marriage, assassin work, and the expo all piling up, I am feeling overwhelmed. It feels like I don't even have time to catch my breath in a day. It is hectic as hell. I just want the expo to get over soon, so I could have some extra time to focus on things that matter to me.I am also thinking about quitting the assassin work. I am sure Vikram would understand. I want to focus on the jewel shop and on the woman who loves being blunt. If I continue being the assassin, a lot of incidents like what happened at Boiren are bound to happen. I don't want to lie to my wife and keep things away from her. I want us to have honesty and trust in our relationship. For that to happen, I must quit the double life I am leading.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥A/N: Hey all people,For those of you are wondering, ‘Ah! So, they finally confessed and even kissed. Is she going to end the series now?’ As much as I want to end it as soon as possible so that I would stop worrying about one less thing in my life, I am not going to commit that injustice to the story and to you people. Don't worry, you will have more chapters of this story before it comes to an end. This time, I will be honest. My publishing schedule  won't be regular because I don't have one in the first place. It is not that I am lazy(okay, so maybe, I am a little lazy at times), there are other things in my life that takes more of my attention. Since, I am not a full time wirter, it is pretty difficult for me to find time to plot the story and type it down, then edit it and stuff. But, I will do my best and try to make your reading time worth it. So, please bear with my irregularity. P.S: Keep reading. Things will get spicy(closed door romance spicy) soon. If you want anything to tell me or find any issues with the pacing of the story or stuff, you can DM me directly. As always, all and any criticism is welcome.With Regards, Your Overworked Author-H S Ragavi🍀🍀🍀🍀