CHAPTER 40

Prabhu's POV

I am wide awake, and the time is two past midnight. I feel something is missing, and I very well knew what it is. But I can't just like that go and carry her back to my room to fill that emptiness. Even though I knew she will like that idea, I am trying not to hurry up the things.

I never smiled so much in a day like today. My dream became true. But I should agree that reality is much more amazing than my dream. The way she responded without any hesitation to my kisses, shattered my thousands of questions about her love towards me. She became so vulnerable when she was in my arms, and I could read her like an open book at that state. She poured all her needs and insecurities in our kiss, and I happily accepted it. I feel like all my self-control and restriction broke loose. That strange yet strong and sweet connection between us couldn't be described in words. I never felt so alive. It's like something was awakened inside me. All I could think about is her. And I need her to keep me sane.

~^~^~^~

I startled awake and sat up when I felt fingers running through my hair and found Janu muttering 'It's okay.' repeatedly. It's like just a few seconds I drifted off to sleep but the bright light from balcony telling me it is already morning. I looked at her and found her looking at me with concern. My heart is still recovering from the panic. Like she heard my thoughts, she started rubbing the back of my shoulder soothingly. She is in a normal T-shirt and track pant yet she looks so gorgeous.

"I didn't think you would get scared so easily." 

 She whispered in an amused voice with a mischievous smile. Before I could reply, she started pulling me up by dragging my hand.

"Go and get freshen up. We have to take Twinkle for a walk."

 I nodded with a yawn.

I got ready and saw her tapping her foot impatiently with her hands folded across her chest, her one hand holding Twinkle's leash. I took her to the place where I usually went jogging and walked along with her. We were in complete silence, yet it felt so comfortable. After a few minutes, she intertwined her fingers with mine and smiled at me. I smiled back and held her hand firmly. Sometimes a small sweet gesture means a lot, more than words. My heart feels overwhelmed when she was holding my hand in hers. I could hold her and give the feel of safe, protected and also the support she is seeking from me indirectly.

Twinkle is the most excited one with our walk as he kept on making sounds. He is so full of energy by the time we returned home. Vidhu greeted us excitedly and surprised us by telling us that she was cooking breakfast for us. She actually hates to cook even though she knew very well to cook. But what happened to her all of a sudden?

As it is already getting late, I gave her a quick hug and went to get ready. I am planning to take them out somewhere as the next two days would be off for me. Maybe we could go to Kanchipuram. I had breakfast and rushed to the office.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's been raining heavily from the afternoon. My parents asked Vidhu to return home as they wanted her to help with something. I could tell they called her back to provide privacy for us. Fortunately, she reached before the rain starts there. I got half drenched before getting into my car and tensed more when I found my mobile in a switched-off state. I plugged the charger with an exhausted sigh and started driving. Fridays are most joyous with the excitement of the next two days off and also equally exhausting with the workload. Because my manager gave me an extra file to review and it took an hour more than my usual office hour to complete the work he assigned me.

To add more irritation, I found there is no power in our apartment. Also the generator chose this time to get repaired. I walked the way upstairs with a little smile thinking about my vixen waiting for me. I knocked on the door a few times and opened it with my set of keys as she didn't open the door. I closed the door behind me and found the home is full of darkness. Great! She is not at home. I startled with bark and cursed myself as I noticed that I forgot my mobile in the car. I slowly walked toward the nearby drawer where I remembered keeping the torch. Finally, I found it after shuffling in darkness for a few minutes and switched it on. I lit a few candles in every room as I am not a big fan of darkness and also managed to find an emergency light which is lighting up the living room.

After waiting for another 30 minutes, I made my way down to get the mobile and found a few messages along with a text stating 31 missed calls from Janu while my mobile was switched off. I called her back and found her phone switched off. The situation was making me so annoyed and frustrated. I asked our watchman, and he told me that she went out two hours ago in some auto rickshaw. I waited there in parking for her as I didn't know where she went to. Because if she was going to temple, she wouldn't take an auto there.

I am getting panic one side and annoyed equally on another side. Why she has to go somewhere when she knew it would be difficult to return back home in this rain. I was so keen on looking for an auto or cab that I didn't realise a particular FZ entering the apartment. I hit the wall next to me in frustration. It's already eight in the night.

"Hey, idiot! Where is your useless phone?"

 Akash's voice made me jump, and I found him fully drenched.

"What are you doing here? I put my mobile in charge. It's dead."

 I said annoyed. He ran his fingers through his wet hair and sighed.

"Jaans seems so annoyed. Let her chill first before you ask her anything."

As soon as he mentioned her name, I gave him my full attention.

"Where is she? Where did she go in this rain?"

"Stupid, I brought her here as your phone is dead for more than an hour. And I am leaving the volcano to you. Have fun."

 He smirked and made his way back before even I could ask him to come with me.

I wanted to see her first. I almost ran through the stairs skipping a step to reach the seventh floor. I found her entering the home in the completely drenched state and heard some thud followed by a bark. I closed the door and found her handbag at the corner of the room just before her door slammed closed. I heard the shower going on and off. I waited patiently as I had fault by not maintaining the charge in mobile. She had tried to reach me, but unfortunately, things went wrong.

She came out in a green t-shirt and some brown knee-length skirt with her hair loose. I waited for her to start the conversation. But she took the light and went into the kitchen. My anger was urging me to go into the kitchen and give her a piece of mind for carelessly roaming in rainy time but controlled my annoyance with few deep breaths. Soon the aroma of coffee filled the apartment, easing my headache a little. She came and kept a cup in front of the table before me with a little thud and went back to the kitchen with the light in one hand. Her face is blank, but I knew her anger past her limits. I waited for her to join, but she went to her room again with a door slam. I clenched my fist. That's it. There is a limit to everything. I slammed her door open. Her phone is attached to the power bank, and apart from that charging light, the room is dark. The candle I kept in this room seems melted already.

"Where did you go? Can't you see it's been raining since afternoon? What is so important in this rain for you? I have been worried sick about you."

 I asked her in a tone higher than normal.

"Ha! I could very well 'see' it's raining. But I stupidly thought that I could ask you to pick me on your way back. And I really forgot that you are nowadays not available during the emergency time. Just throw that plastic box in the trash. If you can't keep the mobile charged, then why are you carrying that?"

She started sarcastically but ended up pouring her anger in words. She resumed sipping her coffee and started rubbing her forehead. I stood there near her door, not wanting to fight with her, but I wanted to apologise. I could understand her, but things would happen only when we expect it the least. I heard her sigh. She must be really exhausted. And I felt like a stupid to shout at her after she went through so much.

"Sorry!"

 We both muttered at the same time. I smiled, and I knew she was too smiling. I walked near her and pulled the towel she tied on her hair playfully and sat next to her.

"Today is Friday right. My manager made me finish a work that was to be done by Monday telling some lame excuses. I started an hour late from the office and found my mobile dead. And as you see there is some problem in the generator and it increased my headache. Then I found you missing for a long time and watchman told you went out in auto which cleared out that you are not in the temple. I am so worried and also found your mobile switched off and started panicking. I didn't mean to shout at you. Sorry, darling. Where have you been? How long have you been waiting there?"

 I took her hand, intertwined our fingers for support, and explained my situation to her calmly. I felt relieved as she silently accepted my pet name for her. She gave her coffee to me.

"Drink this. You might feel better. Actually, I didn't add sugar in your cup but now I accept your apology. We will re-heat that coffee for later. Now drink it."

 I chuckled nervously and thanked God for not making me sip that bitter drink. I heard her rubbing her scalp with the towel.

"I went out to the ho.. to get some groceries and thought I could ask you to pick me in the way back. And due to rain, I happened to go to the shop situated far from here but it's on the way you usually drive to home from the office. I tried calling you and texted you in WhatsApp numerous times and it consumed all the battery. And I couldn't find any auto or cab to come back as it was raining heavily. At last, I borrowed the phone from the shop owner to call Akash. He came all the way to drop me at home. By the way, Where is he? I thought he would change and wait here till rain stops."

 I emptied the cup by more than half, and I felt a lot better. I noticed her stammering yet let it go as I knew she will not hide anything unnecessarily.

"He is afraid of some 'volcanic eruption' and went home in this rain."

 I lightly nudged her shoulder with mine while stating 'volcanic eruption'. She giggled and pulled the coffee cup and took a few sips with a contented sigh. Sharing a cup of coffee with your loved ones is way more romantic than we could put it in words. She hummed in response and gave me the cup to finish the remaining coffee.

She kept the empty cup on the nearby table and leaned on my shoulder with a sigh. I circled my arm around her and felt her skin is so cold. Crap! I forgot that she couldn't use the heater as there was no power. I hugged her closer in the thought of giving her some more warmth from me. Suddenly an idea popped into my mind. I went to my room to fetch the eucalyptus oil. I brought the light with me to her room and kept it on the table. I poured a few drops in her hands and asked her to rub it fast for a few seconds. I took her legs and put it above my lap to do the same with her feet.

"Mama, leave me. What are you doing? No! Not my feet." 

 She protested and tried to pull away, but I circled one arm around her calf muscles and kept a firm grip. I saw her protesting like this even with Murugan mama [her father].

As soon as I started rubbing the oil on her feet, she started laughing crazily along with few protests to leave her. Oh! So she had very sensitive-ticklish feet. But already her feet were wrinkled with the good soaking. So I quickened my pace to finish it quickly. But it made her laugh more. I laughed along with her as she is shaking her legs in all possible way to get out of my grip. I straightened her curled toes and finished applying oil quickly. She had tears in her eyes and panting heavily by the time I finished.

"Never do this again. Ever." 

 She said, calming her breaths.

"Then never get soaked in rain. Ever." 

 I countered in the same tone and took some oil to rub it across her forehead and ears. She showed her face to me like a kid silently shows the face to her mother. I satisfied with my work and kept the oil in her draw to apply it once again before she sleeps.

Her stomach growled loudly, reminding me that it's dinner time. She laughed nervously to cover up but failed and muttered  "I am so hungry with all that happened."

She pulled a pair of socks to not waste the oil on the floor and walked behind me to the kitchen. We wanted to make something quick and also filling. After examining the shelves, we came to the conclusion of making bread omelettes. Easy and quick to make yet filling.

She would work at jet speed when she is hungry. She took a few eggs and loaves of bread and switched on the stove and placed the pan. I cracked the egg and emptied it in a bowl and added salt and pepper and in the meantime, she chopped the onion, coriander leaves and capsicum in fine pieces. I mixed the egg with the chopped veggies and poured it in the pan. She quickly went to the fridge and brought two bottles. She sliced the bread into half in a rectangular shape as I don't like them in a triangle shape. Then she applied mayo in one half and tomato ketchup in other and placed the plain side over egg on the pan and placed the lid on to cook. She did the same with remaining bread. We ate the food as soon as it was placed on the plate as the chilling climate made it easy to eat hot food without any problem. And the mayo really added a good flavour.

She feeds us while I cooked. She didn't bother about the sauce that she smudges near her mouth while eating, but it made my last straw of self-control to wipe it with my finger and not with my tongue as it looked much more delicious there.

After emptying a mini pack of bread and half a dozen eggs, we sat in the living room sofa. When someone feeds you, you will always lose track of the limit, and here I am feeling so full. She washed the dishes and came near to sit beside me, but the power came on at the same time. She sighed in relief and went into her room, shouting that she was going to dry her hair. I quickly put the electronics in charge just in case they might be required later. She filled the bowl for Twinkle and draped her old woollen shawl over his bed to keep him warm.

I switched on the television to see the weather update and found it may rain for the next three to four days due to some inferior atmospheric zone. I sighed in frustration as my plan for the outing with her tomorrow is now totally ruined.

She dried her hair and put it in a top bun. She plopped down next to me, leaning her head on the top of my arm, and kept her legs over the armrest. I casually turned her side and quickly turned around with my eyes closed tight.

Oh, my vixen! How can I erase this image of you?

God! Why do you have to test my self-control this much?

And why she chose to wear a deep neck t-shirt and knee-length skirt today? I let out a deep breath which caught her attention. She tilted her head back to look at me, and I tried to focus only on her eyes. But my eyes involuntarily scanned her exquisite body. She is still oblivious of everything as she looked at me in confusion.

"Black suits you so well, Janu."

 My voice came out husky against my will.

 She sat straight, looked down at her dresses, and looked at me in more confusion.

"But I am wearing green with the brown dress?"

 She asked while tilting her head. She is so cute and killing me with her overloaded cuteness!

"Are you sure?"

 I stated teasingly. She narrowed her eyes before looking down at herself once more. She started nodding her head but paused mid-way with widened eyes. I smirked at her realisation. She narrowed her eyes and muttered 'pervert' before sitting properly.

"Hey, I am not the one to present the 'free show' here, you know."

She gasped dramatically and kept a hand over her heart.

"Me? Free show?"

 She put her puppy dog eyes, but I nodded my head 'yes' quickly.

"Mama"

 She whined while hitting my arm lightly with an embarrassed mixed with angry face while I laughed at her facial reactions. She got up to leave as I didn't stop laughing. I pulled her back and made her sit on my lap.

"Are you really innocent or you trying to seduce me, darling?"

 I whispered in a deep voice and smirked. She raised an eyebrow and ran her fingers on the side of my face making me froze in my place. She continued to run her fingers over my neck, leaving goosebumps on her trail and pulled my t-shirt's collar reducing the distance between us. My playfulness was gone long ago, and I am at the brink of losing my control. She leaned and touched my nose with hers. I closed my eyes, enjoying her closeness, and got alerted when I felt her weight lifting up from my lap. Before I could process what was happening, she was near her room door smirking at me.

"If I want to seduce you, I will do it directly. I don't need to act innocent."

 She winked seductively and closed her door. I heard her laughter from her room.

ARGH! 

I punched the cushion as I have to take a cold shower in this climate.

While I was taking a shower, the power went again. I finished the shower and opened the door to see Janu leaning on the headboard of my bed. A sight to see. She is using her mobile phone, and the screen's light is enough to see her face clearly. I walked towards her in just the towel and switched on my mobile torch and placed it horizontally to give more light across the room. I heard her suck in a deep breath when she looked at me. I smirked and went to my shelf and pulled sweatpants with my towel still on. I walked to the balcony to dry the towel and came back picking up my mobile, I went to the other side of the bed and sat with my back leaning on the headboard with the torch still turned on.

"Ar-aren't you going to... we-wear t-shirt?"

 Great payback Prabhu! I mentally patted myself and looked at her nonchalantly. I noticed my poor bed cover was bunched up in her fist and her eyes were struggling to keep the focus only on my eyes but visibly failing as she ran her eyes down few times while I was observing her.

"No. And why are you here? I thought you would have slept by now?"

"About that, it was so dark in my room. And my mobile is not yet fully charged. The torch might not last long till morning. So I thought... uh... shall I.. umm..."

"My eyes are here, darling" I called her when I noticed her losing focus on her words and her eyes roaming over my body. I didn't have a six-pack, but my daily workouts help me to maintain a decent muscular body ;)

Her cheeks warmed up, welcoming me, but I masked a calm expression to tease her more. She shook her head and closed her eyes with a deep breath and blurted out.

"Shall I sleep in your room tonight, mama?

 She opened her eyes and looked at me expectantly. I gave her a big grin.

"Do you even need to ask? 'Karumbu thina kooli kepangala'?"

 ['Karumbu thina kooli kepangala': No one will ask for wages to eat sugarcane - It's a popular Tamil saying!]

I smiled at her. She closed her face with her palm and whined at my teasing comment.

"Okay, I will lay down on the floor with a mat."

 She tried to stand, but I leaned forward and caught her wrist.

"This bed is big enough to accommodate three grown-up people. You can sleep on that side and I will take this side. It's raining out. You will catch a cold if you lay on the floor. And before sleeping apply that eucalyptus oil once again. If you want me to do, I will happily... "

"NO! I have hands to apply and it's okay to sleep on the bed as long as you didn't cross your territory."

 She said with a mischievous glint. I shrugged my shoulders to indirectly mention 'I-am-not-promising-anything'.

She went to her room to get the oil while I went to close the balcony door as the air was getting cooler. I searched my shelves for a small torch I remembered keeping there. I found it below some old books and replaced its battery. This will do for tonight. I heard her coming into the room, and soon the essence of eucalyptus oil filled the air. I kept the torch on my study table facing the wall and switched it on. Soon the light made the room bright enough to make everything visible.

I turned around and saw her smiling at me.

"Thank for the lighting, mama."

 I nodded and occupied my space next to her with an excited mind and erratic heartbeat. I pulled the comforter over me and covered her till neck with the same comforter. I turned around as my mind projecting more unwanted yet delectable options just when I was looking at her back. And I knew she is not asleep yet.

After a few minutes, I felt the bed dips. She is changing her sleeping position! I was so tempted to turn around and look at her. I gave in to my temptation and turned around and saw her looking at me. On realising I am looking at her too, she smiled beautifully and extended her hand to me. I don't know what she meant, but I held her hand and pulled her close to me. She simply smiled and turned around, making herself fit next to my body. I wrapped my hand over her waist and buried my face into her neck. The emptiness I felt last night in my heart is now filled with content and happiness.

And I realised one thing, 'I am irreversibly in love with my little vixen' and I will never leave her for anything. I will go to any extent to make this relationship to become successful.

I found her breathing remained at a normal pace. I kissed the top of her head and closed my eye with a contented sigh to welcome the sleep.

Neeye vaazhkai yenbaen, 

 Ini vaazhum naatkal ellaam.

 Neeye podhum yenbaen, 

 Uyire en ulagamey..!

Neeye kaadhal yenbaen, 

 Ini jeevan vaazhum unnaal.

 Neeye vendum yenbaen  Uyire en ulagamey..!

[You're my life,  Throughout my days of living.

 You're enough for me, 

 Oh, my life and my world.

You're my love.

 I'll live coz of you.

 I only want you, 

Oh my life and my world.]