He continued gazing at her sleeping form, kissing the back of her palm every now and then, a sweet smile tugging at his lips as he relived every glorious moment spent with her, every curve of her body, each aberration on her skin... Her naivety and innocence had him charmed for a long time now, but that night, her seductive and sexy avatar had him mesmerized too. Those gorgeous cheeks, the breathtaking smile, the shimmering orbs, the quivering lips, the stretch marks she was so scared of showing to him—he had loved every bit of her, and he worshipped every bit of her.

Oh, he had had sex a lot of times in his life. But for the first time, he made love to a woman. His woman. And he was quite proud of the fact that he was irrevocably in love with her. The intense feeling of being one with her rang through every cell of his body, and he could tell why it was a transcendental experience, the once-in-a-lifetime high that could happen only with a few select people on Earth. And he was glad he got to experience that with Nandini Basu.

He had wrapped both of them with the duvet, and the only illumination in the room was from the night lamp on the bedside table. In the faint iridescence, he could make out the outline of the artistic hickey he had left on her throat, and as he caressed the spot, her eyelids fluttered open.

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the adorable smile she was so fond of. She reciprocated and snuggled closer to him. "Hey."

He kissed the top of her hair as his arm went around her shoulders. "You okay?"

"I am." When she peered at him, a wave of recollections from the night before rattled her senses, and she blushed at the reminiscence of the intense and passionate manner in which he had made love to her. She glanced away.

He tucked her hair behind her ears. "Why did you wake up?"

She hid her face under the blanket. "Don't know."

He chuckled, dragging the duvet away from her crimson features and pecking her lips. "Don't try to hide from me, Nan. I won't allow it anymore."

She reddened furthermore and evaded meeting his gaze by concentrating on the nightstand next to the bed. "Uh... what time is it?"

He grinned at her obvious charade. "You tell me."

She heaved a sigh and turned away from him, cautiously trying to move along with the blanket covering her. She had only just leaned ahead to grab her phone from the nightstand when the duvet slipped off her back, revealing the cute little black mole that had him enticed and enchanted for a long time now, and he didn't waste any time before his warm fingers brushed against the smooth expanse of the mole.

She gasped and quivered at the seductive touch. "What are you doing now, Crazy Devil?"

He chuckled before deftly kissing the spot as his lips replaced his fingers. "Don't ask stupid questions, Silly Nan."

A quick yank, and the duvet was off her. She swerved around with her eyes widened in shock. "Adi!"

He giggled. "This is better. Much better than a sari-clad Nandini Basu. Not that she wasn't beautiful, but I prefer this."

She didn't know how to hide herself anymore, and the only thing she could think of was hiding her face behind her palms and avoid looking at the smirk on his face. "You are so crass," she mumbled.

He inhaled the sweet scent she boasted of by hiding his face in her neck. "Vixen," he murmured against her earlobe, "I need to talk to you."

"Tell," she muttered.

"Let me look at you."

"No!"

"Nan... I need to talk to you."

"Talk."

His eyes glimmered with joy. "I just fulfilled the biggest fantasy I have ever had."

"What?" she snapped as her hands moved away from her face, and she stared at him in annoyance. "What other stupid fantasy did you have? I am telling you, I am not seducing you any time soon."

He waved his hands in dismissal. "My biggest fantasy ever was to kiss that cute little mole on your back. I fulfilled it, and finally, I can breathe. It's like I have been holding my breath for almost two years now." He suspired and hid his face in the crook of her neck again. "Finally, I can freely respire without my mind going to that mole every second of every day," he mumbled, "Believe me, Nan, that mole of yours robbed me of my sleep. You gorgeous, torturous woman!"

How could she not blush at the naïveté of love! Gently shoving at his chest, scowling at his grinning face, she said, "Crazy is an understatement. You are a frenzied madman."

"And do you know something?" He giggled. "From now on, I can fulfil that fantasy of mine anytime I want for the rest of my life. I can't believe it. I never have to remain sleepless ever again in my life."

"Hey!" She pouted. "Where did the tiny thing about seeking consent go?"

"What makes you think I will not get it?" He smirked. "I am pretty sure you will agree without blinking if I," he lightly bit her cheeks, "do this."

She tittered and shook her head in amusement, sliding her palms along the length of his naked chest. She could tell his muscles were involuntarily flexing under her touch, and she wondered how on earth he was so damn infatuated with her. But then nothing really mattered anymore. No insecurities, no fears, no confusion. Just him and her. Together. Forever.

He skimmed his nose against hers before briefly caressing her lips with his. "I have never been happier, Baby Elephant. This is the best night of my life."

She looped her arms around his neck. "This is the best night of my life too." She beamed. "Despite your unrefined words and actions."

"Unrefined?" His brows shot up. "Was it me asking me to move harder and faster three hours ago?"

Her eyes went wide, and colour flooded her cheeks. "Adi!" 

He smirked. "I remember you using these coarse words. Not me."

She huffed and glanced away. "Fine! I am crass too. Does that make you happy?"

"Of course. Being shy is just not fun enough."

She slapped her forehead and laughed at his antics, knowing well she had unleashed the entirely outlandish side of his, and now, there was no going back. So, that meant, she needed to heed him and discard the coyness threatening to engulf her from all sides. Giggling, biting her lips, and batting her lashes at him, she murmured, "Adi?"

He quirked his brows at her while the lazy grin refused to vanish from his lips.

She pecked his nose. "Can we do it again?"

And with every movement he made against her skin sometimes with his mouth, sometimes with his fingers, sometimes on her back, and sometimes on the most sensitive spots on her body, she cried his name out until her voice turned hoarse and the night grew darker.

***

When he woke up, it was well after noon and the blazing sun rays were flitting through the arch-shaped gigantic windows of the room. He had been exhausted after the frantic sessions of lovemaking they had undertaken till the wee hours of the morning, and he wasn't surprised at having slept till so late. But he was flabbergasted upon finding the other side of the bed empty. She had already woken up and tidied the room. Their clothes were no longer pooled by the feet of the bed, and the trash can had already been emptied. Hauling the duvet off him, slipping into the fresh pair of jeans she had left on the single-seater sofa, he peeked inside the washroom to see if she was there. The walls and floor were damp, indicating she had already showered. Letting out a puff of air, he freshened up too and chose to go downstairs as pangs of hunger were hitting him right in the stomach, hoping she would be loitering around the living room.

But much to his chagrin, she was not in the living area or the kitchen. He checked the patio as well as the other bedrooms in the loft, but she was nowhere to be found. Her phone was still on the kitchen counter, ringing with an incoming call from her father, but she was certainly elusive. Groaning, he went to the dining area, calling her name out multiple times over, but on receiving no response, he huffed and plopped on a chair. His eyes went to the multiple dishes placed on the table. Freshly pressed juice in the glass jug, cut fruits in bowls covered with cling wrap, stacks of pancakes, boiled and scrambled eggs, and waffles—everything that would comprise a nice brunch.

A smile developed on his lips when he heard the front door click open, and he swiveled to find her sauntering inside with a bouquet of fresh flowers in her hands, wearing the same floral dress she had adorned the previous evening. She had her glasses back on, but one very visible hickey shone on her neck. Grinning, he said, "Vixen? Where were you?"

Her eyes swelled for a moment when she saw him at the table, and a crimson blush crept up her cheeks before she ducked her head down. Walking towards the living area, she mumbled, "Went for a walk. Got these peonies." She caressed the pink blossoms in her hands. "The breakfast is on the table. Eat."

"And what about you?" he said, walking up to her and curling his arms around her waist from behind.

She stiffened at his touch. "I... I am not hungry," she whispered.

"Why are you avoiding me?" He chortled, placing his chin on her shoulders. "Didn't you like me making love to you?"

She bit her lips as she recollected the entire night yet again. Full of pleasure, profligacy, love, and sex. "I loved it."

"Then what happened?" He turned her around by her shoulders and caressed her chin. "Tell me what's bothering you."

A bright blush developed on her cheeks, and she beamed before looking away. "I am so mortified."

Laughing, he pecked her forehead. "Why? We were together. We were happy. We are happy. Aren't we?"

She looked back at him. "So happy."

"So happy." He pecked her lips. "Then what are you ashamed of?"

She slumped her shoulders. "It is embarrassing to face you right now after... after what happened between us last night."

The way she flailed her arms elicited another chortle from him, and he shook his head in amusement before scooping her into a bear hug. "Silly Nan! This is going to be normal between us going forward. Get over the mortification as quickly as possible."

She hummed.

"You will not feel shy around me, alright? You will tell me your needs and wants. Every little thing."

She looked up at him and grinned. "Likewise. You will tell me everything too please."

"For starters," he bobbed his head, "I am freaking hungry."

Giggling, she drew away from him and slipped her palm in his. Tugging at him, she walked him to the breakfast table. "Let's eat. I made everything, so you better not complain about calories."

He gazed at her as she poured a glass of juice from the jug and took off the cling wrap from around the bowls and plates full of food. Smiling at him, she deposited a few pieces of every fruit she had chopped that morning before garnishing the salad with sliced almonds. Sprinkling a bit of salt and pepper over the halved portions of the boiled eggs, she forwarded the side plate to him before two pancakes landed on the ceramic with a few strawberries on the side.

"There you go. The way you like your food," she said.

They began stuffing the food in their mouths with urgency, for they had been hungry after skipping dinner the previous night. Conversations flew easily again as both of them indulged in healthy banter, teasing the other, gossiping over random things, and talking about meaningful things in life.

No sooner had they finished eating than her phone rang again, and she glimpsed at the screen. Her smile fell, and she groaned under her breath.

"What happened?" he said, watching her get anxious.

"Dad," she muttered before taking the call and moving to the patio to stay out of his earshot.

He didn't follow her either to provide her with some privacy, but he discerned the way she scowled and made hand movements in the air to emphasize her point over the audio call. He could tell she was getting angrier with her father, but he couldn't surmise the reason. He had always heard her speak highly of the two people she loved the most in the world, and he was quite surprised at finding her so agitated over the phone.

Once she came in after hanging up a few minutes later, he didn't let his curiosity sprawl out in the open as he smiled at him.

She reciprocated too, but hers was weak this time around.

"Take rest now and be ready. I have to get my car serviced, so I will head out for a bit. But as soon as I am back, we will go out," he said before heading towards the stairs.

"But where are we going?" she said, noticing the smirk appearing on his face.

He winked. "To the bridge."

***

He indeed took her to the bridge in the evening, guiding her to the same bench where they had ended things and vowed to never meet again over a year ago. The shimmering lights on the bridge were perceptible from the summit they were at, the sounds of the waves lapping against the land audible over the intense winds blowing around. She was befuddled about the reason behind him taking her there, but she waited with bated breath, letting him gaze at the lights while standing at the edge of the cliff as she plopped on the bench behind him.

"This place has a lot of good and bad memories of us, Vixen," he murmured. "A part of my heart fell for the girl who lost her clips on the bridge. I realized the woman I love held the same emotion for me when we were near the bay. And then the same girl left me here on this summit. All by myself."

Tears pricked her eyes and she got up from her seat, wrapping her arms around him while resting her cheek on his back.

"The last memory of us on this summit where you left me..." He took a deep breath. "It haunts me, Nan. I want to change it. I want to make the best memory of our lives here."

Blinking back her tears, she heaved a sigh before loosening her hold from around him and peering at him with quirked brows and parted lips when he swerved to meet her gaze.

"I can't give long-ass speeches, Nandini," he murmured, caressing her cheeks with the pad of his thumb.

She shut her eyes as she felt warmth seep through her heart at his touch.

"But I just want you to know that I love you so much." He cupped her cheeks and pecked her forehead. "So..." He took a step back, and she knitted her brows in confusion. Taking another breath, he extracted a small, square-shaped velvet box out of his jeans pocket and went down on one knee.

A gasp escaped her lips, and tears cascaded down her cheeks. Her palms were over her mouth in surprise and shock, and she let out a watery chuckle. "Aditya..."

He flipped the box open, took out an exquisite ring with a gigantic rock sitting in the middle of a platinum band, and peeked at her. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Nandini. Fighting with you over keeping the kitchen clean, kissing you when you are angry with me, arguing over whether to eat extra carbs or not, and loving you with everything I have." He laughed when he saw her sniffle. "I want to grow old with you. I want to have my lasts with you. I want to kiss you before I take my dying breath."

"Adi!" She managed to snap at him through her tears. "Don't talk about dying when our lives have just begun."

He giggled. "So," he outstretched his arm towards her, the ring glimmering in the nightlights, "will you marry me, Miss Car Murderer?"

She let out a watery chuckle and rolled her eyes. "You will never let me see the end of this, will you?"

He grinned, shaking his head. "Remember I told you that I will make you pay for the loss you had caused me when you dashed into my car?"

She recollected the antagonistic conversation they had on Piyali's balcony, and her lips trembled. "Yes."

"Well, I am making you pay, Vixen," he whispered. "You will be mine for the rest of our lives."

She chomped on her lips to evade the violent sobs threatening to rack her body. "You... you are a crazy devil."

He snickered. "My silly Nan! Say it quick, Vixen. My knees are hurting now."

She wiped her tears and forwarded her left hand to him. "I will be yours for the rest of our lives."

Beaming, he slipped the ring on the designated finger and sprang upright, drawing her into his warm embrace before placing his lips on hers. She smiled through the kiss, letting her tears mingle as her palms went to rest on his cheeks.

He had delivered on the promise of making the best memory of their lives on the bridge—one that they would remember till their final moments.