Part - 24

"Every Minute Feels Like An Hour, Every Hour Feels Like A Day, Every Day Feels Like Forever, But I Will Wait Forever And A Day For You"

(Mithra's POV)

My face brightened as soon as I come awake & check my mobile phone only to find a text message from my karthik.

*You looked lovely this morning. Miss you, already. Love you, always. * A smile erupts on my face reading the sweet message. "Aww... my sweetheart was here watching me sleep before he left to the Airport. Why he didn't wake me up?" what time is it now? I check the time on my phone & its almost noon. I quickly type a reply.

*If you miss me already then come back to me, my dear fiance? * I type & hit send button.

*Will come to you sooner rather than later, baby * I got his reply a minute later.

*I wish you had woken up me this morning so that I could have given you a goodbye kiss * I text & grin at the thought of kissing my Karthik. I grace the tip of my index finger over my bottom lip remembering the desperate passionate kiss we shared yesterday night in terrace.

*Oh my bad! If I had known about it, I surely would have forced you to come awake & demanded for my kiss. But you were so serene & beautiful while sleeping so I didn't have the heart to wake you up * I blush reading his reply.

*Where are you now? * I ask.

*Just a while back reached Singapore Airport, now in car, heading to office. Are you in college? *

*Nope! I overslept, so leave *

*Oh great! So what plan for today? *

*Plan? Hmm... Oh yeah, I need to plan how to kill Sanjeev *

*LOL!! *

*Don't laugh Karthik. I am serious (pouting) *

*I want to kiss your pouting lips *

*I would love that *

*Are you flirting with me, Mithu? *

*Yes, I am but you are the one who started! *

*Ahaan!

*I am bored, Karthik? *

*Is chatting with me bores you? *

*No! No! I know we can chat all day. I don't want to disturb you while work *

*I love your disturbance *

*But then my disturbance will only delay your work there & will result in the delay of your return *

*Fair point. Okay, call Tara & hangout with her *

*Hmm... Not a bad idea. Mabe I will go shopping with Tara, this evening *

*Shopping? (Shocked) didn't you go for your birthday shopping few days back? *

*Yes but now I wanna do wedding shopping *

*Whose wedding? Your friends?*

*No! It's my wedding shopping * I reply back & wait for his text.

I stare the mobile screen for his reply for long but I didnt get any.

*Karthik? You there? *

*Karthik? Why are you not replying? Are you alright? * I text him after waiting for few more minutes. He must have got some call or reached office and got busy with work. I try to console myself for his lack of reply but I couldn't help think that he is avoiding marriage conversation.

"Mithra..." my mom calls me from the other side of the locked door.

"Yes, Mom"

"Lunch is ready. Come down. You skipped your breakfast so at least have your lunch on time"

"I will be down soon, Mom" I reply her throwing my phone on my bed & climbed out of the bed to freshen up.

After taking a quick shower & dressing up I walk down the stairs to join my parents for lunch and at the same time I check my mobile for any reply from Karthik but I found none.

*Karthik? Are you not talking to me? * I am getting restless. I need to hear at least a word from him to know that we are okay and I didn't say anything to upset him.

"Mithra, keep the damn phone down & start eating" My dad gently admonishes me. I fake a smile & place my phone on the dining table and start digging my food but I lost my appetite. I just want to know what's wrong with Karthik.

"Mom, I am going to Tara's place." I inform as I set my spoon down on my barely touched plate.

"Why you wanna go to her place?" Mom questions with a frown

"Tara & I are planning to go shopping"

"Shopping?" Dad asks.

"Book shopping. I have to buy few books for my final semester" I lie.

"But it's raining out, Mithra?" Mom tries to stop me.

"Mom, please"

"Alright, go but don't stay the night at your apartment alone" she orders.

"Come home soon, darling" Dad says with a smile. I nod & run back to my room to collect my wallet & car key. I need some diversion. I am thinking too much. Karthik is fine & must be busy with some other work so he couldn't reply me back. That's it. Stop over thinking, Mithra!

Though I repeat not to think negative over and over again in my head and force myself to stay calm I couldn't so I decide to quickly text him whatever worry is building up in my chest. My trembling fingers taps hard on the touch screen phone hastily as my vision blurred with unshed tears. Once I am done typing my doubtful thoughts and hitting 'send', I rev my car & zoom out on the highway in the rain.

__0__

(Karthik's POV)

"Karthik" Nisha shrieks my name & engulfs me in her arms. "I missed you so much" she says.

"I missed you too, Nishu" I smile. "By the way, what are you doing in my office?" I ask her surprised. The moment I stepped into my office I was welcomed warmly by my friend. The girl who stood by my side in my difficult times & helped me a lot to overcome the depression I underwent when Mithra & I got divorced.

"A little birdie told me about my friend's arrival here today so I was stalking his office for an hour now to see him" Nisha says smiling.

"That's so sweet of you, Nishu but who's this little birdie?" I ask though I already have my guess.

"Your friend" she beams.

"Mithra?" I ask & check my mobile hearing a beep sound. That must be Mithra's text.

*No! It's my wedding shopping * I read her reply & my lips quiver up to a smile. She is so eager to get married to me. I chuckle mentally.

I guess I am making her wait too long. Should I reconsider my decision & marry her soon? No, I know why I am delaying. I remember the day she told me her dream plan.

"I don't want this marriage, Karthik. I am so young. I have a lot to see, lot to do and lot to enjoy. I want to get graduated. Earn for my living and not depend on my husband's hand. I want to be independent. Once I am stable at my job, I want to date someone, I want to fall in love with him and I want a love cum arranged marriage. Not this forced marriage. Oh and I want a grand wedding." She told me all that before our forced marriage but I was helpless then, I couldn't do anything in my power to stop the wedding & satisfy her wishes...I couldn't even give her a grand wedding because that time her dad was seriously ill and admitted in hospital but now I got the chance to fulfill her wishes and I am not letting go the chance.

Mithra is gonna complete her education in few month and she can study further, I have no objection at all. I will always support her to achieve her hopes & dreams. If she wants she can start working in her father's company or join me with my business or work outside, anything will be fine by me. I just want all her wishes to come true.

In this six months gap, Mithra and I can date each other like normal couples do though 'the get-to-know-each-other' phase is not required in our case because we already knew each other so well than we know ourselves but still I want to take out on dates and shits just to make her happy as I don't want her to miss anything & regret anything in future. Besides I need the six months time to give her a grand wedding as she deserves the best in everything.

But this girl is so impatient, still scared of losing me I guess despite of my reassurance & that's why she wants to rush things. I get her fear. I know she trusts me but not the fate so I guess I should relent my stubborn streak & put my poor baby in ease. I will talk about this to Nisha. She might help me as she has always helped me.

"Yes, Mithra only. She sounded happy while taking to me. So Mr. Karthik, care to tell what all happened in your surprise trip?" Nisha asks me.

"Lot of surprises happened in my surprise trip" I laugh, joyously.

"Then enlighten me"

"Sit" I offer.

"No we will go out for lunch & there we can talk" she suggests & I agree. We both walk to the restaurant which is two block away from my office. I hear my phone beeping but I decide to check later as I know its Mithra's message & if we start our message banter then we will go on & on & it would be impolite to ignore Nisha as she is here to see me & spend time with me.

"So?" Nisha asks after we placed our orders.

"Mithra proposed me on her birthday party" I tell her with a smile. Her eyes went wide in surprise.

"Oh wow. Sad I missed to see the epic proposal. Did she go down on her knee?" she asks.

"Yeah. She did. She is crazy" I throw my head back & laugh.

"It's good to see you laughing, Karthik. You deserve this happiness after what all you have been through." My friend genuinely feels happy for me and I can see that in her glowing eyes. I love this girl, of course as a dear friend.

"It does feel good to laugh" I agree with a shy smile and scratch the side of my head to hide my embarrassment.

"Well, when are you getting engaged?" Nisha asks excitedly.

"We already got engaged" I tell, grinning.

"You moron. You didn't invite me?" Nisha accuses me.

"Chill baby, it all happened in a whisk. She proposed & the next moment our parents gave us rings to exchange. I am sorry"

"Okay apology accepted but don't tell me you both got married as well then I swear I will kill you" she threatens.

"No. we are planning to get married in about six month's time"

"Why delay when you both are so madly in love?"

"Yeah, but I want to give her the best of best wedding. Besides I want her to get graduated first."

"Hmm... I get it"

"But Mithra is so impatient"

"I would be surprised if she wasn't impatient. She still behaves like a demanding child, doesn't she?"

"You could say that" I chuckle. I know she is very demanding.

Right from her childhood she is this way. If she loves something & wants it she throws a huge tantrum and gets it immediately. She doesn't have the patience to wait and enjoy what she desires.

I hear message beeping sound continuously so I decide to text back to Mithra that I am out with Nisha & will talk to her later. I should have done this before but I don't know why I didn't do it.

I excuse myself for a moment from Nisha to check the message. She nods her head & digs in her plate of food.

*Karthi? You there? *

*Karthik? Why are you not replying? Are you alright? *

*Karthik? Are you not talking to me? *

*Lastly I mentioned about my wedding, I mean our wedding & after that you went silent. Are you having any second thoughts? Are you not happy with the whole idea of getting married to me again? Am I forcing you into something you don't want to do? Is that why you are holding your reservation? God! I will go nuts if I lose you. Please text me back *

Where can u go & bang my head? I sigh reading her series of texts.

What's wrong with this girl?

Why she is overreacting?

If I didn't reply her for a while can't she wait till I text her back?

And why can't she trust me & think positive? I thought we had resolved this silly issue last night itself when she said she will wait for me all her life till I make her mine but nah! She didn't mean it I guess.

Well, she needs to sort out her insecurity, fear, lack of trust or whatever issue she has on her own. I am not going to explain her myself why I am taking time to marry her because I know she won't understand me.

"What's wrong?" Nisha asks obviously seeing my face turning red with fury.

"Nothing is wrong. I am fine" I shrug & take a bite of my burger.

"Don't bullshit around me. Just tell me what made you mad?"

"As I said earlier, Mithra is so impatient & wants to marry me ASAP!"

"She is scared of losing you, Karthik. Poor girl, what else she will do than worrying?"

"Nisha, you too don't try to justify her baseless worry. She has nothing to worry about."

"C'mon, Karthik, It's not easy for her." Nisha says. I stare. I don't get what she's trying to say now. "By pure luck she got a second chance so do you. So she doesn't want to take a chance by prolonging the wedding."

"Yes, even it's a second chance for me. I never thought I will get Mithra back in my life" I say, softening within but still I couldn't understand Mithra's issues.

"Look, we are engaged already, Nisha but still she worries that I might call off the wedding. It clearly shows her lack of trust in me, right?" I get a call from Mithra but I am in no mood to talk to her so I put my phone on silent mode.

"She doesn't understand me, Nisha, she never does. I even spelled it out loud to her that I want to give a grand, a wedding she will cherish forever so I need time for that but still she texts me 'Do I have a second thought? Am I not happy with the whole idea of marrying her?' and some bullshits like that" I shake my head in frustration.

"What's so funny? Why are you laughing?" I ask Nisha, irritated.

"She is freaking adorable. Her childishness & immaturity as no bounds you know? But all her unnecessary doubts were instilled by you"

"I agree with the first half of your statement but what do you mean by the second half? How am I the reason for Mithra's doubts & insecurities?" I ask her.

"Then what? She knew so well she had committed a big blunder but you forgave her just like that, in a blink of eye so I think she finds it hard to believe that you indeed agreed to marry her again" Nisha says & laughs harder. I glare her, pissed.

"Stop it, Nisha" I try to put a serious front but I couldn't help the smile forming on my lips. I sigh.

"I didn't forgive her, Nisha" I tell, honestly. Nisha stops chewing her food and looks up at me in shock. "I really didn't because I never thought she did a big blunder like you put. We forgive someone only when they do wrong to us but here Mithra did the right thing or at least what she thought was right. If she really had done wrong also I can't punish her or hurt her. It's really hard for me to stay mad at her. It's really hard for me to say no for her wishes. It's really hard for me to hate her, why I can't even think of hating her." I know I sound pathetic but the love I have for Mithra is something too strong and came be maddening at times.

"She was the first thing I adored the most in this entire world, Nisha. Even after twenty one years she still seems the one day old baby to me I took in my arms, so soft & fragile baby with a beautiful smile. I may have children in future but Mithra will be my first child. I will always love my baby brat like how a mother loves her baby, a divine love" I don't know why I am pouring out my emotions. I press the bridge of my nose to control myself and stop blabbering.

"Mithra is so lucky. I envy her" Nisha smiles with a hint of tear which she quickly dabs away with a tissue paper.

I laugh. "I love you too, Nishu so you don't have to envy her" I tell her sincerely, not just to appease her.

"I know but it's not the divine love. It's just a friendly love" she says achingly.

"Micheal will love you the way I love Mithra" I take her hand placed on the table and squeeze it gently.

"Yes. He will. He just makes me feel cherished." she says with ecstasy. I am happy my friend got her Mr. Right. "God! I love him so much. I miss him just by talking about him. I will go pay a visit to him at his clinic" she says & hurriedly stuffs her food in her mouth.

"Okay you settle the bill. Let's catch up again, soon. Bye" she says. I smile & wave bye to her.

"God! Now I miss my baby brat so much. Let me talk to her." I fish out my phone & dial her number but the call goes straight to the voice mail. "Baby, I love you and I miss you. Call me when you are free" I leave her a message & head to my office.

(2 days later)

"What the f**k is wrong with you, Mithra?" I shout over the phone as soon as she attends my call after two days of trying to her number to get a hold on her.

"What Karthik?" she asks meekly.

"Don't act as if you don't know anything." I shout again. I am so mad at her.

"I really have no idea what you are talking about and why you are shouting at me"

"Why you are you ignoring me?" I ask.

"No, I am not" she says solemnly.

"Then why you didn't attend my calls for the past two days. Do you have any idea how worried I was? I even called you mother four times & all the four times she said you were sleeping and I fucking don't believe that"

"Is sleeping a crime, Karthik?" she asks, jokingly.

"Mithra, I am not in the mood to laugh at your silly jokes so stop it!" I warn and she went silent.

"Baby, you are hiding something. Just trust me & share whatever it is to me." I coax her.

"Nothing like that, Karthik" she says

"Are you okay?" I ask. For the past two days a strange restlessness has set in me. I couldn't sleep well or eat well. I couldn't function at all but only think what happened to Mithra.

"I am fine, Karthik"

"You are not lying, right?" I ask. She pauses for a moment.

"How are you, Karthik?"

"Terrible. I miss you so badly. You were right, Mithra. Even I don't think I can wait any longer to get married to you. I am coming back home and we will get married as you wished."

"No!" she shouts.

"What?" I am surprised she said no. Has she changed her mind? I panic.

"No, we will get married as we planned earlier, after six months. You don't have to come here anytime soon"

"But why?" I ask confused. She is acting strange.

"Um... I... I have my final exams, then graduation and only after that our marriage" she shutters.

"Alright!" I agree, finally feeling relieved that she understood my point of view.

"Okay, now talk something romantic." she says.

"I suck in oral romance. If you were here or I was there we could have done something interesting" I tell, grinning.

"But at least try oral romance" she insists.

"Hmm... I can tell you are biting your lip now and I fucking love when you do that. I really wanna fuck your fuck-able mouth. Oh fuck, I f**king love you..."

"Oh please stop!!!" she shrieks.

"What?" I ask chuckling

"Don't use the 'F' word" she says and I can bet she's pouting her lips.

"You are so gullible" I laugh.

"Next time you use that 'F' word..." she threatens.

"What you will do?"

"If you use that F word again, you should get me a dairy milk marvelous creation of jelly popping candy chocolate bar for every single time you use it, okay?"

"Get a kiss instead of a chocolate bar"

"No. I want dairy milk only"

"How about both?" I ask grinning.

"Okay. This deal sounds good for me" she whispers shyly

"f**k! I am lucky" I punch my fist in the air.

"Chocolate" she squeals.

"Oh oh! fuck! I didn't realize I fucking used the fuck word right after we made the fucking deal. My fucking tongue slipped and let out that fucking fuck word I guess. Well, You will get a fucking kiss when I see you in person" I deliberate used that word to irk her.

"You used 9 times F word in total so get me 9 chocolates when you come home & dare you use one more F word then I will hang up on you" I warn him.

"Okay, 7 kisses in total, be ready for your lips to get swollen"

"When are you coming, Karthik?"

"So eager to get kisses huh, Mithu baby?"

"No!"

"No?" I tease

"I mean yes"

"Yes?"

"Shut up, Karthik" she says and I am positive she is blushing.

"In 3 weeks time I will be there"

"So soon?" she asks.

"What? You are not happy to see me soon?" I feign hurt.

"hun... um... yeah, I am" she stammers. I don't know what's wrong with her. She is acting odd.

"Chalo, I will call you tonight. Take care, bye"

"Love you, bye" she says and I couldn't help but grin like an idiot every time I hear her say 'ILY'

__0__

(3 weeks later – At Mumbai)

It's late night when I reach home and I can't resist myself from going to Mithra's house & see her. I know aunty & uncle will not be too pleased to see me at this time so I stealthily went up by climbing the wall & enter her bedroom through the balcony doors which are luckily unlocked.

"Baby, wake up" I gently shake her hand which is hidden beneath her duvet.

"Ahhh..." she screams so I quickly cover her mouth with one hand & hold her other hand with mine to keep her in place from wiggling out of my hold. "Baby, it's me, your Karthik" I gently remove my hand from her mouth and with my foot I switch on the bedside lamp.

"My hand... My hand" she says as her eyes well up with tears. I quickly release her hand from my hold & remove the duvet. Her hand is swathed with bandage.

"Sorry... Sorry" I gently caress her hand.

"How? What happened? When this happened? Why you didn't tell me about your injury?" I ask her frantically cupping her face with my palm wiping her tears.

"Karthik, relax. I am fine" she gently rubs her uninjured hand over my shoulder soothing me.

"What fine, dammit?" I wanted to scream at her but my voice came out strained.

"Just a minor fracture" she assures me. I trail my finger tip from her forehead to cheek where she has faint scars. Oh my baby, what happened to you?

"When exactly this happened?" I kiss one of her scars.

"Three weeks back"

"So this is what you were hiding from me? I knew it! I knew something was wrong"

"Yes. I only told both our parents not to tell you. Even your friend"

"Why you didn't tell me or let them tell me? Why you didn't let me be with you when you needed me the most?" I ask in disappointment.

"I am sorry. I know you would worry for me so I..." She bites her lower lip and genuinely feels sorry for hiding it from me. "How this happened?" I ask.

"I went out for shopping taking my car & it was raining heavily that day... I somehow lost control on the wheels & hit the car on the bark of a tree. Thanks to my seat belt for saving my life. I just got my right hand fracture & few broken glass pieces pierced my skin at few places but they were all removed successfully."

"Oh Mithra" I pull her into my embrace & hold her tight. I can't imagine my life without Mithra.

"I told you 'n' number of times to concentrate while driving. Where was your concentration wandering?" I ask her angrily.

"I... I was thinking about you... You didn't reply to my messages..." she mumbles looking down at her entwined fingers on her lap.

"Oh God! What am I going to do with you?" I shook my head pinching my brows together. "Why you always have negative thoughts, Mithra? That day Nisha was waiting for me when I reached my office & we both went out for lunch so I couldn't reply you immediately but before that you started imagining things & see what you got yourself into?"

"I am sorry. I got scared. You postponed our wedding and went to Singapore leaving me here, alone to brood over my crazy thoughts. I thought the distance might create differences and we might get separated again"

"Where does this stupid thought come from?"

"That's what generally happens in movies and books...distance ruins relationship."

"Trust me, Mithra, distance never ruin a relationship, lack of trust do so you better stop doubting me & my words and hold some trust on me. If I promise to marry you then I will marry you by hook or by crook"

"I am sorry" she says remorsefully. I look down at her injured hand.

"Is it paining badly?"

"At first yes but now it's healing"

"Baby, it hurts me to see you like this. It's making me even angrier that you hid this from me. I am here for you to share both your pain & pleasure so don't ever keep things from me"

"I am sor..."

"Enough." I cut her off by placing my finger on her lips.

"I will be careful from now on. Okay?"

"I will make sure you are fine always as I am not going anywhere leaving your side." I promise. She blinks her eyes.

"We are getting married tomorrow and then I won't let you go out of my sight for even a minute."

"Nah... I don't want to get married tomorrow. Not like this. Bandaged hand, scars on face, hips, stomach & breast. I won't look good on our wedding photos and you won't like me when you see my body on first night as well."

"I will love you all the more with these scars. You always look beautiful to me, baby" I tell & kiss the blemishes on her neck, her cleavage and before I could unbutton her shirt & go deep down, she stops me.

"I didn't put on my bra"

"As if I care" I groan. "That's even more convenient, baby" I murmur nibbling her earlobe.

"Karthik with the lights on... I feel shy" she says hiding her face in my chest.

I sharply intake & adjust her shirt & kiss her forehead.

"This can wait until our married but..."

"But what?" She asks me. I take the huge bag which I have placed down beside her bed & hand it to her.

"What's in this?" She asks as she opens the zip of the bag.

"OMG!!" she clamps her uninjured hand over her mouth.

"117 chocolate bars?" She asks. Mithra is too good in math.

"Yes and 117 kisses I am yet to receive from." I grin salaciously at her.

"Karthik, No! I have college tomorrow. Please don't puncture my lips"

I laugh.

"Karthik, can I give one kiss now and the remaining I'll give in installment?"

"Hmm... Okay. But remember the counting will keep on increasing" I smirk.

"Karthik, we are calling off the deal from here onwards. If you use the F word again you pay me 100 Rupees and this is gonna be our new deal, okay?" she declares.

"Not okay"

"Why?"

"I will go bankrupt if I keep on paying you one hundred rupees every single time I say 'fuck' & you will become a billionaire" I laugh. She too joins me in laughing. Then I enfold her in my arms as she rests her head on my chest & I place my cheek on her head.

"Tell me, Karthik, will you put one hundred Rupees in my piggy bank for every single use of F word or not?"

"Okay. I will." I agree. I should find new words to curse so that I can save my hard earned money.

"Great" she grins. "You just used that F word so put one hundred rupees in my piggy bank"

"Already started?" I ask. She nods. She is such a baby to maintain a piggy bank.

"Okay, baby, you need rest. I will go now. See you tomorrow morning."

"Okay, Karthik. Even you need to rest as you had a long flight"

I lean forward & kiss tenderly on her lips & cover her with the duvet.

"Love you, Karthik"

"Love you, Mithra. Sleep well." I kiss her forehead before walking out of her room by the way I came in.

... To be continued!!!

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