Chapter 26
Kartik
By the time we reached home, Samaira had dozed off in the car.
I parked the car outside my apartment building.
The doorman rushed to help me. I waved a no with a smile.
It was time to wake her up but she looked so peaceful I didn’t have it in me to wake her up after the night she had.
I opened the passenger door, and lifted her, she snuggled into my chest. I smiled.
This was a new feeling. I liked it. I passed my keys to the door man who would give them to the valet to park my car as I carried her upstairs.
As I reached the door I realised my keys were in my pocket and she was already trying to stir a bit in sleep.
If anything she would end up waking up and me carrying her upstairs so she doesn’t wake up will be a waste.
It was a waste, she woke up. My smile dropped. It had formed into a pout.
“Hey sleepy head,” I said softly
“Hey,” she responded confusedly as she rubbed her eyes.
She looked around before she looked at me and said, “Keys?” I nodded sheepishly and gestured to my pocket.
She chuckled sleepily. “Put me down, Kartik.” She said her voice crackled from having just been woken up.
I unwillingly put her down pouting. I was surprised when she leaned and placed a peck on my lips.
I looked at her with a questioning gaze.
She shrugged. She held her hand out for the keys, I retrieved them from my pocket and handed them to her.
I watched her open the door to my home. I could get used to this.
I could get used to the fact that there was this amazing woman who was mine.
Temporarily. It echoed in the back of my mind and I decided I didn’t like it one bit.
There was this sudden ache in my chest wanting to rectify the word temporarily and make it permanent.
I wanted to carry her all the times she was sleepy, I wanted to be there for her whenever she would have me, I wanted to give her all the things she wanted, and I wanted her to be a part of everything I had, including your heart?
That voice whispered again, slamming me with a realization that I might be falling for this woman who was standing in front of me, inside my home waiting for me to enter.
She looked at me concerned. I guess she might have called my name several times waiting for me to either respond or walk inside.
But I stood still, how could I move knowing I was falling in love with her and we were in a temporary arrangement of sorts to get married?
I walked inside and shut the door. She was still standing there confused and concerned.
I walked towards her, I couldn't help but hold her.
Samaira
He put his hands on my shoulders. I was confused about what had suddenly gotten into him. I looked at him as he pulled me forward causing me to crash into him which made my hands automatically rest on his chest.
My brain started working overtime. And as if he heard all my thoughts, as if he heard me overthinking, he started dragging his hands down my arms and back up in a gesture meant to comfort me.
In that particular moment, it did anything but that. It just made me want to lean on him more. For everything. It hit me with a realisation that I had started relying on him for most of the things which was not a good thing as this was temporary.
Kartik dragged his hands lazily from my arms to my waist with a look on his face that would have made any woman into a soft putty in his hands.
He looked at me with such adoration in his eyes that if I didn’t know any better I would think it was love.
But it couldn’t be. No one could love me, well, except for my family.
I was not the girl that guys fell for. I was not the one they chose to date.
As I was repeatedly told, that I wasn’t exactly girlfriend material but wifey material and somehow that was a compliment? I didn’t understand it as a teenager, not knowing why didn’t any guy who claimed he liked me ask me to be his girlfriend.
It was then when I finally got guy friends that I understood that guys just want casual things till they are in their 30s and then they search for a partner. I had first-hand experience with this. Hriday had told me this, that I was not exactly girlfriend material.
Why would Kartik even want to date me then?
Whoa, where did that thought come from? Why did I want Kartik to date me?
Why? The answer was right there. Kartik was exactly the kind of guy I would want.
He was sweet, he was wonderful to his parents and his grandmother.
He was nice to me, nice would be an understatement as he was more than nice.
He remembered my choice of food, he remembered what I liked, and what I disliked, and he carried me upstairs because I was exhausted.
It was the bare minimum. But the fact that this bare minimum was in a fake relationship made my heart flutter.
It should not be doing that. Kartik took a step back instantly making me feel the loss of his touch.
I wondered why I liked that he was near me so much. I missed it instantly.
Kartik
I saw her eyes, she was overthinking everything.
She wasn’t ready to hear that along the way I was falling in love with her.
She would run away instantly if I told her right now.
I would have to show it to her first, I had to prove to her that I would be there every step of the way, supporting her, encouraging her, and just simply existing for her.
She needed my words to match my actions and my actions to match my words because sometimes words aren't enough and actions don’t explain much.
I needed to be a bit careful about the fact that I made them match because from what I had gathered about the woman I was in love with, her actions speak louder than words.
If at all anything, the books she read were the biggest giveaways of it all.
I tried reading her favorite book, and all I gathered was if I fucked up I would need to do a grand gesture and show her how she meant to me.
Knowing that I was a human at the end of the day I would screw up somehow which I would try my best not to, but if I did, I would have to grovel a lot.
It was a legit thing in these books, the hero needed to grovel a lot, and if he didn’t, the readers were salty about the heroine taking him back. I did not want to make people mad.
I took a step back from her, instantly I saw her get disappointed. Was that a sign she liked me? Was that a sign she liked having me close? I guess we will find that out soon. I would give anything to prove to her that we were meant to be.
I couldn’t stop myself from gently tucking away a piece of her bangs that had found its way out of her ponytail behind her ear.
She sighed at the contact and leaned into my palm as it rested on her cheek.
I rubbed my thumb on her cheek as I leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead, resting my forehead on hers for a good second, closing my eyes and savoring the moment.
Before I could step back, she held my wrist.
“Stay with me?” she whispered, almost scared that I’d deny her of that ever.
“ Always ” I answered confidently
“Always?” She asked
“ Forever .” I replied.
We went to my room, I changed and pulled out one of my shirts as she freshened up in the bathroom.
I was nervous. There was the woman I loved in my room.
I was smiling like a fool when she stepped out.
I silently passed her the shirt trying my best to hide the smile.
She took the shirt and walked back to the bathroom to change.
I kept my phone on my bedside table. It was almost dead.
I would charge it later. Samaira walked out and I think I stopped breathing.
She looked adorable in my shirt. And let me just say looking at the girl that you are falling in love with, is wearing one of your shirts is the best feeling ever.
I think I might have said it out loud because her eyes became twice their size.
“What did you say?” She asked slowly, walking towards me.
“What did you hear?” I retorted.
She shook her head as she stood beside me in front of the bead hesitating and playing with her fingers. She was nervous. Well, at least I wasn’t alone. I put my hand, freeing her hands from each other. I tangled my fingers through one of her hands.
Samaira
I was nervous. I guess we would be sleeping in the same bed? I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know what I was thinking when I told him to stay. I had fallen asleep in his car and he brought us to his place which I didn’t mine, his was better anyway.
The amount of butterflies I got when he tangled his hand through mine was unimaginable.
I wanted to hold his hand forever. He kept looking into my eyes as he lifted our intertwined hands up to his mouth and kissed my hand.
When I say I stopped breathing, I think I died and came back because of what he was doing to me.
Never have I ever felt this way with any of the guys I have had a crush on.
This was a whole new chapter. He kept holding my hand, rubbing his thumb at the back of my hand giving me all sorts of jitters.
"You sleep here, and I'll sleep in the guest bedroom," he suggested, scratching his hand behind his neck. It was clear he was nervous, which surprised me. After all, this was his home.
I replied, "Oh, I can sleep in the guest room, that's not an issue," though secretly, I felt a tinge of disappointment.
"Or..." he began, and I looked at him, urging him to continue. He took a breath before suggesting, "Or we could both just sleep here?"
I tried not to let my happiness show too much, but the idea of cuddling with him was strangely appealing. I didn't know why, and I decided not to overthink it tonight.
I shrugged and shot him a flirty smile, “Look who is so eager to get in bed with me?”
His eyebrows shot up, “Are you saying there’s a chance to get you in bed with me? Because I didn’t know that was an option.” He said, tongue in cheek, his arms folded across his chest.
That backfired quickly, I rolled my eyes, hoping the darkness hid my blush.
We both settled into the bed, with Kartik on the right and me on the left. I was surprised by how much Kartik remembered about me and equally surprised by how well I knew him.
Before I drifted off to sleep, I heard Kartik mutter something, although I couldn't be certain of the words.
It sounded like, "I think I'm in love with you," but that couldn't possibly be true.
Why would Kartik be in love with me of all people?
It was probably just my imagination playing tricks on me.
Nevertheless, it brought a smile to my face and was the last thing I remembered before falling asleep.
Kartik
Samaira eventually fell asleep, exhaustion from the emotional breakdown taking its toll on her. She looked worn out, and in that moment, I wished I could wake her up and tell her just how much I loved her. It was a feeling I wanted to share with her before anyone else.
"I think I'm in love with you," I whispered, unable to contain my emotions any longer. A faint grin tugged at my lips, “Don’t worry, you can yell at me for saying it later.” For now, it was a secret meant only for her to hear. But if I didn’t say it, it might just destroy me from the inside.
Before long, sleep overtook me as well. One thing I could definitely attest to was that it was the best night's sleep I had had in a long time.