I LOVE YOU KITTEN #2
Why would she still love someone like me?
The question refused to leave.
I remembered Arav once asking me,
"Sir... why do you keep punishing yourself?"
I never answered him.
Because I didn't know.
Maybe I believed if I suffered enough...
God would forgive me for making her cry.
Maybe I believed pain was the price of loving her.
But today...
She looked at every broken part of me...
And instead of walking away...
She held it together.
A tear slipped into my hairline.
I didn't bother wiping it away.
I deserved to cry today.
Not because I was hurting.
Because I was relieved.
A strange weight had disappeared from my chest.
For the first time in years...
Breathing didn't hurt.
I slowly turned onto my side.
My hand reached toward the empty pillow beside me.
I smiled.
"Not for long."
Soon...
She would be here again.
Complaining that I occupied too much space.
Stealing my blanket.
Arguing over the air conditioner temperature.
Scolding me for skipping meals.
Ordering me AROUND.
Rolling her eyes every time I flirted with her.
God...
I missed every little thing.
Even her anger.
Especially her anger.
I chuckled softly.
"That slap..."
I rubbed my cheek dramatically.
"...was actually impressive."
Another laugh escaped me.
"You deserved it, idiot."
I muttered to myself.
"I know."
Silence settled again.
Comfortable silence.
Not the suffocating kind I had lived with for years.
A peaceful one.
I folded one arm beneath my head.
For the first time...
I allowed myself to dream.
Not about revenge.
Not about business.
Not about survival.
About her.
About waking up beside her.
About drinking morning tea while she complained about my work schedule.
About taking her on vacations.
About listening to her talk endlessly while pretending to be annoyed.
About growing old together.
About children...
The thought made me suddenly freeze.
Children.
Tiny versions of her.
Running around this haveli.
Calling me Papa.
Calling her Maa.
I covered my face with both hands.
"Oh God..."
I whispered with an embarrassed smile.
"I've already started planning babies."
I laughed at myself.
Completely gone.
Rivan Thakur...
The feared businessman...
The underworld king...
Reduced to imagining tiny shoes scattered across the house.
If Reyansh ever found out...
He would never let me live peacefully.
The smile never left my face.
I looked once more toward the empty space beside me.
Then softly patted the mattress.
"Come soon, Kitten."
My voice barely reached the silence.
"I've slept alone for two years."
"...I don't think I want to anymore."
For the first time in what felt like forever...
I closed my eyes without fear.
Without nightmares waiting.
Without guilt crushing my chest.
Only with one thought lingering in my heart.
She chose me again.
And this time...
I would spend the rest of my life making sure she never regretted that choice.
AUTHOR POV
The haveli had long fallen silent.
The laughter from the evening had faded.
The lights in the corridors were dimmed.
The clocks ticked lazily through the stillness of the night.
Outside, the moon bathed the sprawling mansion in silver light while a cool breeze slipped through the open windows, stirring the curtains.
Inside his room...
Rivan was losing the battle.
He lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Twenty minutes.
He turned to the right.
No sleep.
He turned to the left.
Still nothing.
He pulled the blanket over himself.
Too hot.
He threw it away.
Too cold.
He groaned quietly, rubbing both hands over his face.
"For God's sake..."
He shut his eyes tightly.
Nothing.
Every time he closed them...
Her face appeared.
The way she smiled.
The way she cried.
The way she held him.
The way she had asked
His heart instantly sped up again.
"No..."
He muttered.
"You are the reason I'm not sleeping."
Another five minutes passed.
He sat up abruptly.
"Nope."
"I can't."
He glanced toward the empty side of the bed.
It looked unusually large tonight.
Lonely.
He sighed dramatically.
"This bed is too big."
Silence.
Then he corrected himself.
"No."
"It's because Kitten isn't here."
He nodded to himself as though he had solved a billion-dollar mystery.
"Exactly."
A few more seconds passed.
Then another dangerous thought entered his mind.
"I'll just..."
He looked toward the door.
"...check on her."
His conscience immediately interrupted.
Check on her?
"Yes."
"She's injured."
"You should see if she's okay."
His conscience sounded suspicious.
At two in the morning?
"Medical emergency."
Without calling?
"I don't want to wake her."
You're literally going into her room.
"...Details."
He stood up anyway.
His stitches protested immediately.
"Ouch..."
He clutched his side.
"Love really is painful."
Very slowly, he opened his bedroom door.
Creeeak...
He froze.
His eyes widened.
He waited.
No sound.
He quietly stepped into the corridor.
Mission successful.
He took one careful step.
Then another.
The villa looked strangely different at night.
Every tiny sound felt amplified.
His bare footsteps barely touched the marble floor.
He looked left.
Empty.
Right.
Empty.
"Perfect."
He smiled proudly.
Halfway down the corridor
A servant suddenly appeared carrying a tray.
Both of them froze.
The servant blinked.
"Sir?"
Rivan immediately straightened.
"Water."
Rivan nodded confidently.
"Hydration is important."
The servant slowly nodded.
"...Ji, Sir."
Only after the servant disappeared did Rivan exhale.
"That was close."
He resumed walking.
Three more steps.
Suddenly
"Rivan?"
He nearly jumped.
Virendra stood at the end of the corridor
"What are you doing?"
Rivan blinked rapidly.
"I..."
"...Walking."
Virendra looked at the clock.
"...At two fifteen?"
"Night walk."
"Inside the villa?"
"Indoor cardio."
Virendra narrowed his eyes.
"...Really?"
Rivan smiled awkwardly.
"Doctor's advice."
Virendra looked at his bandages.
"...Doctor told you to walk with stitches?"
"...Very modern doctor."
Virendra stared at him for several long seconds.
Then...
A knowing smile appeared.
"Hmm."
He nodded dramatically.
"Continue your... cardio."
As he walked away, he quietly muttered,
"Devyani's room is on the left."
Rivan froze.
His ears turned red.
Virendra didn't even turn around.
"I was young once too."
Rivan covered his face.
"Oh God..."
He waited until Virendra disappeared before whispering,
Finally...
He reached her door.
His heart immediately began racing.
What if she's sleeping?
What if she gets angry?
What if she throws another slap?
He considered turning back.
One second.
Two.
Three.
"No."
"I just..."
"...can't sleep."
Very gently...
He knocked.
Nothing.
He knocked again.
Still silence.
He slowly turned the handle.
The door wasn't locked.
He carefully pushed it open.
Moonlight spilled softly into the room.
She was asleep.
Curled beneath the blanket.
One arm tucked beneath her cheek.
A few strands of hair had fallen across her face.
She looked impossibly peaceful.
He smiled without realizing it.
"There you are..."
His voice was barely a breath.
He quietly walked closer.
Every step slower than the last.
He stopped beside her bed.
For a full minute...
He simply stood there watching her sleep.
"I missed this."
He whispered.
"So much."
He carefully reached forward.
His fingers gently moved the loose hair away from her face.
She stirred.
His hand froze instantly.
She mumbled something unintelligible before turning onto her side.
Still asleep.
He let out the breath he'd been holding.
Then...
His eyes shifted toward the empty side of her bed.
His brain immediately began producing terrible ideas.
"I could..."
"No."
"I absolutely shouldn't."
"...But technically..."
"...there's space."
He looked at her.
Then at the bed.
Then back at her.
He sighed dramatically.
"I've already come this far."
With unbelievable care...
He slowly lifted the blanket.
Muttered three different curses under his breath.
Managed to climb onto the mattress.
Almost fell.
Recovered.
Finally...
After struggling far more than his dignity appreciated...
He lay down on the very edge of the bed.
There was nearly two feet of distance between them.
He smiled proudly.
"See?"
"I maintained distance."
"Very respectful."
Satisfied with himself, he closed his eyes.
Exactly three seconds later...
He opened them again.
"...Still too far."
Carefully...
He shifted two inches closer.
Then stopped.
"...Better."
Another minute passed.
Still awake.
He sighed.
"Kitten..."
"You don't know this..."
"...but you are very expensive."
"Sleep also comes only with you."
Just then...
Still completely asleep...
Devyani subconsciously rolled toward him.
Her head gently landed against his shoulder.
One hand rested lightly over his chest.
Rivan went completely still.
His heartbeat exploded.
He looked down at her in utter disbelief.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
He didn't move.
Didn't breathe too deeply.
Afraid even that might wake her.
Very carefully...
He wrapped one arm loosely around her.
Just enough to make sure she stayed comfortable.
His lips brushed softly against the top of her hair.
"Goodnight..."
he whispered with the happiest smile he'd worn in years.
"...Mrs. Future Thakur."
And within moments...
For the first time in two long years...
Rivan fell asleep peacefully.
Not because the nightmares had disappeared.
But because home was finally sleeping in his arms again.
NEXT MORNING
The first rays of morning sunlight slipped through the curtains, painting the room in a warm golden glow.
Devyani stirred slightly.
Still half asleep, she stretched lazily beneath the blanket.
"Mmm..."
She rubbed her eyes and turned to her side.
Something warm.
Very warm.
Her sleepy brain frowned.