Hello Everyone.
Chapter 44
The Strawberries.
Karthik returned home late that night . He flung open the door and directed his gaze to the bed, but he blinked when he found it empty. She might be roaming around the house he thought.
He walked into the bathroom. He closed it shut. Very reluctantly he slid into the bubble bath and his face burned because of it. What could he do, he needed the bath badly after going through the mess at the factory.
A delicate sweet smell of strawberries permeated his nostril and he groaned heavily. He would smell of a woman all through the week with the amount of bath foam she slid into the water. He hurried with it and got out of the bathroom wearing a t-shirt and track pants.
Damn, he was not at all habitual in living with a woman. Now he would first make sure which bathing foam is he using before hand. He made a note of it for the future.
He froze suddenly. Did she run away again ?!! But somehow he felt that she was inside somewhere. He just needed to look around the rooms. His feet took him to his study after fifteen minutes of search. Of course she would be here. Didn’t she tell him about ‘the read before sleep kind of therapy’ she was in, he thought with a wry smile.
Karthik walked inside and his eyes fell on a thin figure curled on the sofa at the far end corner, opposite to the racks. A deep sigh left his lips. He moved closer and slid his gaze over her form. . She looked like a little kid with the scrunched up nose and half opened mouth.
He bent down and lifted her up in his arms. He walked out of his study and reached her room. He put down her sleeping form in the middle of the bed and drew up the covers and kept looking at her face. She stirred again and her eyes flew open suddenly.
Naira let out a loud scream looking at the dark figure bent over her. But then she realized it was karthik. She heard him switch on the light and just as immediately the room flooded in complete brightness. She decided to ignore his presence altogether. God knows what kind of contract he would whip out again to flung it on her face. It’s better to avoid his company for a while.
Naira moved back feeling her cheeks heat up but she froze suddenly when she got a strong whiff of her bathing foam. Strawberries ?!! She sniffed again and his body locked up as she drew closer. The warmth from his body immediately started to surround her. It was very strong the scent.
“Why do you smell of strawberries ?!!” She asked abruptly.
She was used to the woodsy scent of his cologne, but this !! He smelled so womanly !! She saw with widening of eyes his cheeks turn red and he avoided her aghast eyes.
“You smell like a girl.” She burst out laughing again.
His face turned stone as he slid a very nasty look at her. His mouth twisted angrily but Naira couldn’t hold anymore.
“Oh my god, this is epic.” She laughed out loud.
“ I don’t have the habit of living with a woman ohkay ?!! I didn’t knew your bathing foam would be already mixed in the water.” Karthik blurted out as an explanation, totally embarrassed.
Naira still didn’t stop laughing. She was now rolling on the bed holding her stomach. He gritted his teeth in anger.
“I hate you !!” He shouted.
“Ditto, baby.” Naira shot back.
Karthik then hurried out of the room fuming in anger. While naira laid back on the bed and tried to sleep. She kept on twisting and turning in her bed for the next half an hour but sleep wouldn’t come.
A sudden idea struck her. She went into the contacts list in her phone.
“Still not sleepy.” She sent the message to Karthik.
She was surprised when it vibrated immediately. Her heart fluttered in a ruffle.
“Close your eyes.” Was the reply.
Naira pursed her lips.
“Can’t.” She sent in reply. A second later, the phone vibrated.
“Can’t or won’t ?!!” Karthik had asked.
She blinked down at the message and hesitated, but she shook her head and typed a reply.
“Both.” Naira answered in her reply.
She waited for his reply but it did not come for more than a minute. Naira pouted. Maybe he fell asleep. She slid the phone in annoyance and turned away her face to the left side on the pillow. A second later, the phone vibrated again. She jerked around and grabbed it.
“What are you afraid of ?!!” She read out the message.
It went and hit strongly at the right spot. Memories swam in front of her eyes. Bitter memories of her childhood. Her father hitting her mother in the night. Her cries and moans. Naira was afraid if she slept, something would happen to her mother. Uneasiness rose up thinking about home. How was her mother ?!!
How can she talk about all this to him. He wouldn’t care about it, she thought sadly.
“Nothing.” She replied back and pushed away the phone.
No answer came after that and she sighed heavily.
Naira rolled her eyes. She was abruptly propelled out from her thoughts when she heard the door knob turn in. The door creaked open and she saw a familiar figure fill in the space. Her shoulders sagged in relief. Goodness, this was the second time in the night, he scared the day lights out of her. He must be crazy.
“Nothing what ?!!” He asked her.
What ?!! Her brain still tried to understand why he barged into her room again.
“Huh ?!!” Naira asked.
He walked in, closed the door shut and made way to the left side of the bed. What was he doing ?!! She frowned. He slid on his back and settled his head on the white pillow.
“Your message.” He cleared her confusion.
Her message ?!! Her forehead cleared of the frown. She still kept blinking at his figure laid out in a sprawl on her bed.
“Why are you here ?!!” She asked.
“Come here.” He whispered in the heavy silence.
Naira felt her heart race at that and the pulse in her wrist quickened. Her body burned hot and she stayed dumbstruck in freeze. Her forehead creased in confusion at his behavior, but looking into his eyes she slid closer to his side.
“What ?!!” She asked, he caught hold of her hand and pulled her to the side of his chest.
Naira protested by flailing her arms but he closed his arm around her shoulders.
“What are you doing ?!!” She gasped still struggling.
“Making you asleep.” He replied in a soft voice.
It was pointless moving her hands. It was like hitting a hard wall. Naira sighed frustrated.
“You can’t force me to.” She snapped angrily.
He just took a deep breath in. His chest moved up and down with it. He didn’t reply for a while.
“You aren’t going to tell me what you are scared of ?!!” He insisted again.
“No !!” Naira replied instantly.
Why was he trying to penetrate into her thoughts when he himself was making her go away from his life. Everything else is pointless. The marriage. His manners towards her. He was being too husbandly. Didn’t he remember what he said about staying clear of their respective paths ?!! Didn’t he remember about the deal and contracts that she signed in the morning ?!! What happened now ?!!
He just wanted her to stay with him till he got the ownership of the land right ?!! He didn’t care about what happens with her after that.
His hand tightened on her shoulder.
“Talk or sleep. You’ve got a choice.” He responded warily and locked his hands more tighter around her.
Her mind growled out. Whatever the hell are his manipulative business skills, she wasn’t going to cave in here. She really wasn’t going to talk and make him see the vulnerability inside of her heart. She was afraid he would mock and sneer later about it in disdain and she wasn’t up to take more humiliation on her self respect.
“Sleep.” She gritted her teeth agreeing to the second choice.
“Good.” He replied shortly and deeply.
She settled back into his warmth as there wasn’t a way out to let herself free from his iron band arms. His tense strong muscles softened as soon as she sagged down into his chest. She was happy though that now she didn’t have to worry about the nightmares.
The steady rhythm of his heart beat under his chest gave her an assurance. A safety. She suddenly had nothing to fear. The immense calm she had in his arms. That was the uncomfortable feeling being crept into her mind, and it scared her more than any nightmare she had till now. Was she falling in love with her husband ?!!
Precap : The wifey !!
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So how was this Chapter ?!! The bathing foam disaster and them the SMS banter between both of them. They are growing closer by the moment .
Also Naw finally has the question !! Well she will soon get the answer as well. The next Chapter will have Naira behaving all wife-like with Karthik. She will be the typical serial walli biwii in the next Chapter.
Also for people who didn’t get it. Karthik has asked Naira to sign off the land under his name. He had also proportioned her to live with him as his wife for the time till the land is under his possession and in return of it, he will give her a workshop of her own to practice her dance and start up her own dance academy.
Do comment. Keep smiling. Keep watching Yrkkh !!