I'm All Yours

by Madhumitha Lakshamanan

  She walked to the dining with a Tupperware in her hand. She looked enticingly beautiful. She was in a pencil fit jeans with her red formal shirt neatly tucked in. She looked taller than usual. She was breathtakingly stunning. She started putting some food in her box.

  "Why are-" I was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing.

  "Thank God!" I heard her say under her breath.

  She was talking about some office work and simultaneously she packed her food.

  When she was done with her packing, her call also came to end.

  She took the box and marched to the hall. I followed her. "Shakthi!!" I said, when she was busy assembling her things into her bag.

  I knew she was listening, but she was just not reacting. So it would be better if I at least put my words into her ears.

  "I am sorry for what happened yesterday!"

  She took her bag and opened the front door."Shakthi, listen to me! This is not done!" I bawled, pulling her by her arms when she was about to leave.

  "Let go of me!"

  "What do you think of yourself? I am not dying to talk to you! Get that into you fir-"

  "Gautham!" I was interrupted by a shocking gasp. It was Karan.

  "What are you doing here?".

  "What are you doing??" he repeated, pointing at my tight hold on Shakthi's arms. I let go of her.

  "None of your concern"

  Shakthi straightened her shirt and she disappeared.

  "Why are you treating her this way?" Karan asked me when we got into the house.

  "Karan, stop it!" I said and served myself some food.

  Karan grabbed a plate and fixed his breakfast. Shakthi always makes enough food for three, so the food was perfect. "This is not right Gautham! Why do you treat her this way? Is it Natasha again?"

  "Yea! She keeps annoying me! She wants me to divorce Shakthi! But, I don't want to!!"

  "Natasha isn't going to let you go that easily!" he said.

  "I know! To top it all, even Shakthi keeps bringing up divorce!" I let out a frustrated sigh.

  "Obviously she will! With the way you treat her, any woman will!"

  "But, what do I do? I am so stressed with Natasha and now Shakthi's silent treatment!"

  "Look! You are digging your own grave! If Shakthi is asking for a divorce, you are the reason! You should stop taking out your anger on her! Handle the situations properly!" he advised.

  "It's not that easy as it sounds!" I said.

  "I know! But you've got to try and make it up to her! And with what happened outside, she was totally upset with you, buddy!" he said, munching on his food.

  I stared at the door, wishing I could turn back time.

  "She is an amazing cook" Karan said, relishing the food.

  I chuckled. "Yea!"

  "So? How did the party go on?" he asked.

  "That was another disaster!" I told him the whole story and he couldn't believe it.

  "You have fallen for her! Haven't you?" he asked, out of all the things that he had to ask!

  "What made you assume that?" I was perplexed.

  "You were so not ready for this marriage! You were trying to find some way out of it, but now you don't want a divorce, when you can easily get one! Explains it all!" He sipped his water.

  "That doesn't mean that I have fallen for her!"

  "You were jealous of that man who was dancing with her!"

  "So what? She is my wife!" I snarled.

  "Whoa! Chill dude! She has clearly got her claws deep in you!"

  "Stop it! That is not true!" I said.

  "Whatever!" He rolled his eyes.

  ***

  I just couldn't get myself to focus on my work. Karan was right.

  I opened the door to her cabin and I found her busy working on her laptop.

  I closed the door behind me and walked up to her seat. She boldly stood up. She gave me a straight look.

  "Listen, Gautham! If you are here to fight with me! Please save it for later!" she said .

  "Shakthi, I am sorry! I really am; for yesterday and for this morning!"

  She didn't react at all! Shakthi, react, please!

  "I shouldn't have done that! I shouldn’t have taken my stress out on you.”

  I waited a second, hoping that she would say at least something, but no!

  "Shakthi, please talk to me!"

  Again silence welcomed me with open arms.

  "What should I do? Just tell me! I am really sorry!" I felt my voice breaking. "Shakthi, please, just give me a chance!?”

  She rose up. "I don't think that you are interested in listening to my crap!"

  "Shakthi, I know, I shouldn't have said that!"

  "No, Gautham! It is not done! Every time, every single time, you treat me like trash and I am totally fed up!" Tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

  "No, Shakthi! It wasn't intentional! I really didn't mean to do it!"

  "Please, you scold me in front of Karan! You fought just because I forgot to knock on the door and you say you were stressed out-"

  "Shak-"

  "Let me talk! I got dressed up just because you asked me to and you took me to a boring party and left me alone in a hall filled with strangers and when I found company of my own, you had a problem with it. I don't remember treating you that way when you came to meet my friends! You treated me like a piece of shit but-" Tears streamed down her face.

  "No-"

  "And when I try to explain myself, my words sound like crap to you! It is just making me go crazy! You are such a jerk! Your behaviour is too weird! It hurts me when you are sweet to me one time and so harsh the other! Why are you doing this? You seem to have a problem when I talk and even when I don't! I just don't unders-"

  I silenced her by crashing my lips with hers.

  Chapter 28-The First Kiss

  Shakthi's POV

  I felt Gautham's lips against mine. What was he doing?

  The feeling slowly started to sink in me. He was trying to kiss me.

  He started to tease me, trying to make an entrance.

  Should I kiss him back?

  Suddenly his hands that securely held my face, moved to my waist bringing me closer and our bodies pressed together.

  I couldn't hold on anymore with his lips and hands creating magic. I decided to give in and enjoy the moment. He was just too tempting to resist.

  I parted my lips, inviting him to relish me and just then, I felt him smirk against my lips.

  Wrong move, Shakthi! But who the hell cares! I want to be kissed! That was all that mattered!

  I felt his tongue tracing my lips and his hands roamed over my body. It sent shivers down my spine.

  I let him dominate me because frankly, I didn’t know how to kiss because this was my first.

  I responded to his touch and the kiss grew more passionate. His tongue created wonders.

  His kiss told me so many things. He was actually sorry for what he did. It held sincerity. I could feel it. I never knew that he could express it this way.

  I put in equal effort kissing him back. I wanted to show that he was forgiven.

  He was surprised, but then he smiled against my lips and kissed me back.

  I knew I had to stop this before I reach the point of no return.

  Before I could pull out, I bit the corner of his lip with my teeth.

  "Oww!" he shouted, pulling back from the kiss. He was still panting for breath.

  I smirked while trying to steady my breathing.

  "What was that for?" he asked.

  "For putting me through hell" I smiled.

  "I would love to continue that if you keep biting me" He winked.

  "Don't you dare!!?" I held him by his collar.

  "Whoa, tigress! I was just kidding okay!" he said, holding me by my shoulders.

  I ignored him and went to continue my work.

  "Shakthi, I really am sorry for everything," he said, coming near me, speaking sincerely.

  I looked up from
my work. His eyes held care and concern.

  "It is fine this time, Gautham ! But I just can't put up with this shit once more!" I said and I really hoped that he got that into that thick skull of his.

  "I understand! I shouldn't have done that!"

  "Happy you realized!" I smiled at him.

  "I am happy that you finally started talking to me! Please! Fight with me! Talk any cra- sorry! I mean...anything! But, just don't stop talking to me!" he said.

  "You are going to regret what you just said, Gautham! I can bore you to hell!" I warned him.

  He rolled his eyes and I chuckled.

  "Hey..I was thinking if we could go out for lunch today?" he proposed.

  "You are asking me?" I asked, shaken up.

  "No! Not you! Hey wall over there, do you want to have lunch with me?" he mocked.

  "Very funny!"

  "What! Isn't it obvious that I was asking you?"

  "Okay fine! I will meet you at lunch! For now, just leave! I have so much work!!" I said.

  "Bye then!" he said and left my cabin.

  It was all just too right to believe! Just too right. Am I falling for him? I let it stay untouched for now.

  "Shakthi!!" I heard Ankitha call.

  "What do you want?" I asked, still not fully over the kiss.

  "Wait! What did I miss?" she asked.

  I felt my cheeks turning hot.

  "Shakthi, you are blushing!!" she teased.

  "No, I am not!" I said, trying to calm myself down.

  "Let me guess! You finally had sex with him?" I totally expected this from her.

  "This is what you came up with? Bad guess, baby," I said.

  " You kissed him, didn't you?" she guessed, winking at me.

  " How did you do that??" I asked.

  "Your lips are swollen! Says it all!" by now my cheeks were the deepest shade of red.

  "Whoa! Shakthi, you really did?? This is so exciting! You are in love with him!" she screeched.

  "Ankitha! Relax! Now you are jumping to conclusions! Just because I kissed him back and I didn't regret it, doesn't mean I am in love with him!" I clarified.

  "Yea! You are right! Who would want to fall in love with a psycho like your husband!" she said.

  "Don't talk like that. "

  "Hmm! So you are becoming protective of him when I abuse him and you say you enjoyed kissing him. But you say that you haven't fallen in love with him?"

  "What the hell do you want?" I was irritated with the bitter truth she was spitting.

  "I just came to get the financial statements from you!" she said.

  I got them and offered them to her..

  She thanked me and left.

  I did forgive him, but that doesn't mean all that actually happened won't matter to me. Every single thing counts. Ultimately there was no reason for me to fall in love with him. It was just mere lust, nothing more than physical attraction, I convinced myself.

  ***

  Gautham and I ordered our food and soon it arrived.

  "I want to visit my parents today, Shakthi," he started.

  "That's great! Looks like you are missing them!" I asked.

  "Kind of! Long since we met them," he said.

  It was more than a month since we met them. We have been married for a month! 'Happy realization!' I mentally rolled my eyes.

  "So, when will you be back?" I asked beause I seriously didn't want to be home alone, again.

  "Uh.. I thought we both were going together to meet my parents!"

  "Ooh! Okay! You told me that you wanted to meet your parents so I thought I wasn't a part of your plan!" I justified.

  "Okay! So are you in?" he questioned, having his food.

  "Gautham, I really wish I could! But, I have an audit report due tomorrow and I have so much work to do today! I can't make it!" I tried to sound convincing.

  "Never mind! We can go this weekend then?" he expressed.

  "Weekend, yea! Perfect!" I agreed, munching on my food.

  "Good! After that we can also go shopping for our honeymoon!"

  "Hey! But, wait! We are just pretending to be a honeymoon couple, remember?!" I asked, hoping to ring a bell in him.

  "Of course! Why?" he asked and it was written all over his face that he was clueless.

  "What do you want to shop for our 'honeymoon' then?" I asked, air quoting the word 'honeymoon'.

  "I have many of my friends there. So I thought I can get them some gifts." He smirked just like he actually read my dirty mind.

  Oh God! Shakthi! You just dug your own grave! Now he would think that you are desperate.

  "Ohh!" I said quickly, taking a sip of water to hide my embarrassment.

  "Why? What did you think?" he asked, raising his eyebrow with the same teasing smirk.

  I felt myself blushing!

  "Did you seriously blush??" he exclaimed.

  "No, I didn't" I panicked and drank the whole glass of water.

  "Hey! Relax, Shakthi!" he said, rubbing my hand that was on the table. "You need not feel awkward.”

  For the first time, things felt, normal.

  Our small little bubble was broken when his phone which he had kept on the table, started ringing.

  I couldn't control the urge to read the name of the person who had called him. I strained my neck to read it without his knowledge and it read Natasha.

  "Give me just a minute!" He excused himself, picking up the phone and walking towards the exit.

  When he returned I had to ask. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

  Chapter 29-His Legion of Ex-girlfriends

  Shakthi's POV

  When he returned I had to ask. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

  He cleared his throat and asked, "What do you mean? I am married to you! Do you think that I am cheating on you??”

  "Whoa! Hold on! The words didn't come out the way I intended it to!"

  He gave me a -unbelievable- look

  "I wanted to ask you, if had any girlfriend, before we got married." I corrected my grammar this time!

  "Oh!" he paused and had a piece of the food.

  I was expecting him to continue, but clearly he didn't.

  "I guess I was asking you something," I pressed on it again.

  "Yea, I had a few," he answered.

  "Oh." My voice sounded like a frog. I cleared my throat. "How many?"

  "You wouldn't be happy to know!" he said with a sly smirk playing on his lips.

  "You are talking like you've had 50 girlfriends!" I said, trying to laugh to cover up the jealousy.

  "You never know!" he said, taking a sip of water from the glass.

  I rolled my eyes.

  He laughed. "Fine! I just had four! Two of them were nothing more than flings," he said.

  "Hmm," I said relieved. But, what about the other two, should I ask him?

  We sat in silence until the waiter asked for our dessert orders.

  While relishing our desserts, Gautham asked, "What about you?"

  "Uhh?"

  "Did you have any boyfriends?"

  "Why do you want to know?"

  "The same reason for which you wanted to know about mine," he said

  "Even I had a few!" I said, biting my lip!

  Suddenly, he started to laugh!

  "Did I miss something?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

  But, still he wouldn't stop laughing. I felt like pouring the glass of water over his head.

  "Why the hell were you laughing like a retard?" He infuriated me.

  "You told me that you had boyfriends and I know that you are lying!"

  "What do you mean?? I don't look good for men to court me??"

  "You are too innocent for that, baby!" he whispered.

  Baby!? He just called me that?? That endearment sounded so sexy coming from his husky voice.

  "Hey!!" I heard him call when I just zoned out for a few seconds.

  "Yea, sorry! I just..uh! You know." I drank some water

  "And yea! You are the mo
st beautiful woman I've ever met!" he said, looking straight into my eyes piercing through my soul.

  I felt my cheeks heating up.

  ***

  "Audit report!! Here I come!!" I sighed and sat comfortably on the couch.

  I never realized when I slept until my annoying alarm started to ring.

  I was on the bed again! Gautham would have carried me!

  He looked so cute asleep beside me. I never got to see the cute side of him unless he was asleep.

  I was really glad that we got through it and I was finally able to come in terms with the fact that he apologized with a kiss!

  That was when the thought about my work hit me!

  I don't remember completing it! It was already six and I had two hours left until work!

  I quickly turned on my laptop and opened the report.

  I kept scrolling it and it was complete with just my signature to be filled in. I don't remember finishing it!

  But, how was it done?! Gautham, could it be possible? He must have completed the work for me!

  Without disturbing him, I did my morning routine and dressed up in a black skin fit jean and an ink blue formal shirt that I had neatly tucked in.

  I cooked the breakfast quickly and just when I was setting the dining table, I heard Gautham's voice. It seemed like he was over the phone.

  "Why are you dressed up so soon?" he asked, serving some food for himself

  "Just rushing! I need to submit the report today" I said.

  "Oh! Okay!" he smiled.

  Just when I was about to leave, I remembered that I had actually forgotten to thank him.

  I bent down to his chair where he was seated and pecked him quickly on his cheek. "Thanks for completing my work!" I said and a blush crept up my cheeks.

  Before he could respond, I turned to leave when suddenly I felt him gripping my hand tightly and pulling me back. I shut my eyes tight due to the sudden jerk. I opened my eyes to find myself on his lap.

  "What..uh..are you doing??"

  "Let me show you!" he whispered in my ears.

  His hot breath fanned across my neck, creating a pool of desire in me.

  His gaze fell on my lips, and just when his lips brushed mine, I turned my head and he ended up kissing my cheek.

  "Darn!!!" he cursed under his breath

  I chuckled and rose from his lap. "Getting late! Will meet you soon.” I leaned in to his ear. “Baby.”