Page 65 of Always With You

“Ra... Ranveer.” In a second, his lips again come down on mine. Closing my eyes again, I grip his biceps with my hands and return the kiss with equal passion. He trails kisses down my neck. Simultaneously, his hand reaches the top button of my shirt. Opening it, he showers kisses down my cleavage. My eyes shoot open when I feel him unbuttoning the second button.

“Ranveer…” I pant heavily.I can’t. I’m not ready yet.

I am about to stop him when he slumps onto me, burying his head in the valley between my breasts. He is panting hard. My heartbeats are just as erratic, as I feel his breath fanning my skin, giving me goosebumps, more so as my volatile mind conjures up images of him devouring me.

After regaining his breath, he pulls up and looks into my eyes, searching for something. “As much as I want to lose control and ravish you, I can’t. I can’t, Alisha. You’re not ready yet,” he whispers and kisses my forehead.

I feel a tug in my heart. How did I get so lucky to have him in my life? I have never met a man who’s so understanding. Pushing back his needs for me. He always senses my discomfort; he never forces himself on me. I want to give him all of myself, but I still need time. I am scared that all this will be a dream, and reality will snatch him away from me, which I can’t afford. I don’t know till when I’ll be able to let my insecurities rule my life.

Rolling onto his back, he pulls me to himself and makes me rest my head on his chest. His raging heartbeats mirror his rampant emotions.

“I’ll wait for the day when there’ll be no hesitation in your eyes. On that day, no force on earth will be able to stop me. Soon, I’ll make you fall for me so hard that all hesitation will fly out of the window. Till then, I guess I will have to sustain on kisses. God have mercy on me.” He chuckles, kissing my hair.

I don’t know when I’ll be courageous enough to tell him that I love him and need him as much as he needs me. I close my eyes and listen to his heartbeat. Soon. I won’t make him wait for long.

Chapter 29

Ranveer

Is it okay to keep a secret from someone you love, especially when you have a fear that it will jeopardise your relationship? I know I am making the biggest mistake of life by not being honest, more than I care to admit. But it’s hard for me to tell the truth, because at this moment, it seems like the possible consequences of being honest might be worse than holding onto this secret. Yes, burying this secret seems the only safest option. However, what if Alisha finds the truth? No, she won’t. I will make sure my past doesn’t touch my present. I’m not letting anything ruin our marriage. Damn! It’s all fucked up, and it’s messing with my head.

It’s Friday evening, and I know she’s still at her boutique. Ajay makes sure to keep me updated. I know I am going over the board by keeping a tab on my wife, but I refuse to feel guilty for it. Not when it comes to Alisha. I will go to any extent to protect her, and I’ll be damned if anyone dares to even touch a hair on her head.

I pull my car outside her boutique. We both have plans to drop in at her dad’s bar to check on the progress, so we might as well drive down together. That’s the reason I wrapped up my work early, to make sure I am on time to pick her. Though I haven’t informed Alisha, as I wanted to give her a surprise and can’t wait to see the smile reflect on her face when she sees me. But if I am being honest, I’m not doing it just for her; I’m doing it for myself too. Seeing her smile makes me happy. That’s all I need. Not that it is hard to figure out that my happiness lies in her. Strange though it does sound, my wife doesn’t like exorbitant stuff like other women to make her happy. These small simple gestures are what make her heart jump with joy.

Stepping out of my car, I make my way to the boutique and spot Ajay outside the entrance. As I assured Alisha, Ajay makes sure not to hover over her, keeping his presence invisible. I give him a curt nod and signal him to leave. I don’t need him when I am here. Nodding his head, he walks towards his car and leaves.

As the days keep passing, I am assured that Alisha will accept her love for me, and our relationship will progress the way I always dreamt. But each day, she proves me wrong; well, not completely, as, though we are not progressing the way I would have wished for, we are together in other ways, and that’s what keeps me buoyant. I completely understand that she is on the fence about our relationship and needs time. Nevertheless, I don’t have a doubt that one day she will willingly entrust herself to me, and that day, I won’t hesitate to shower her with all the love she deserves. ‘Hold on your horses, Ranveer! You are getting way ahead of yourself, putting the cart before the horse,’ I will myself to stop daydreaming.

As I head towards the boutique, Rewa walks out at the same time. When her eyes fall on me, she gives me a smile and waves at me. I return the smile as I lift my hand. I don’t see Alisha and assume she must be still inside, working on the sales report for the day. Alisha hates to keep pending work and likes to keep all her paperwork up-to-date. It’s as if my mind is trained to know every single detail about my wife — from what she likes, her favourite colour, what annoys her, how she likes her coffee — basically, everything. Gosh! I definitely sound like a stalker and am aware that it’s absurd and not like me, but this is my wife and that itself makes a hell of a difference.

“Are you here to keep a check on your wife?” Rewa asks when she makes her way towards me as she stands in front of me.

“I am here to pick her up,” I correct her. Though she is not wrong, I would rather pretend that I am not what she thinks I am. An obsessed lover. Apparently, this is my new normal when it comes to Alisha.

She shakes her head and laughs. “One and the same thing,” she smirks as she calls my bluff.

“Why are you finding it difficult to believe? Can’t a husband pick up his wife from work?” I ask, raising my eyebrows, trying to play along. I know she can read me through, and it’s all a waste of time. Still, I’ll be damned if I give in to her.

“Well, you don’t fall under the….” she makes hand quotes as she adds, “‘normal’ category of husband.” She smirks.

“I won’t argue with you on that.” I give her a lopsided grin and glance behind her.

“Just so you know, your wife is busy with a cranky client. I offered her to stay back and help her handle him, but she brushed me off, saying she would tackle him.” She shrugs.

“He?” The frown creases my forehead. I fight the urge to not scurry to my wife right away. I thought they cater to only women’s clothing. Then why the hell does she have a male client? And why the hell did Ajay not mention to me about this? I am so going to give him a mouthful, but I’ll sort it out with him later. Right now, I need to get to my wife.

As if reading my mind, she answers, “He is here to pick his girlfriend’s order.”

“Excuse me, but I have been missing my wife. I need to go see her.”

“Of course, go ahead.” Rewa grins. She then bids me adieu and walks away.

Taking a deep breath, I don’t stop and resume my steps towards my wife. The moment I walk in, I feel my blood boil at the sight in front of me. Alisha is standing near her desk and that asshole is gripping her wrist.What the hell?The terror in her eyes makes me seethe in fury.

“Ranveer?” Alisha exclaims when her eyes land on mine, and the asshole lets go of Alisha’s hands, but neither of them move from their spot.

That’s all it takes me to pull myself in action as I reach her in five long strides. Standing in between Alisha and him, I grab him by the collar, nearly lifting him off the ground as I pull his face closer to mine.

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