Read Online The Malhotra Bride by Sundari Venkatraman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sundari Venkatraman
Ads: Link
disturbed. He covered her hand reassuringly with his, drew in
a deep breath and smiled at her. The smile transformed his face. Sunita stared in fascination.
“Nothing wrong—just that there’s so much to do at work and I want to spend all my time with you.”
A deep sigh shuddered through him as he said, “I’ll see you tomorrow same time.”
“If you’re sure.” Won’t he find it tiring after a full day at work?
“That I am,” he whispered in her ear, pulling her into his arms.
Sunita braced her hands on his chest and looked up at him. The moonlight lit his sharp features as he
gazed down at her. Her breath caught as she saw the desire in his eyes. She tried to move away but he
refused to let her go.
“I think you should leave, Akshay. You need to rest.”
“Are you trying to send me away? Well,” his lips took a downward slant, “if you’ve had enough of
me—” his eyes were downcast.
“It’s not that,” Sunita walked into the trap set for her, “Of course I haven’t had enough of you. I’ll
miss you in fact,” she admitted.
Akshay raised his laughing eyes to hers. She realised she had been tricked into admitting that. She
gave him a shy smile, glad to have said it.
“But I still think you should leave, Akshay.”
“I know,” he growled into her neck, “just give me a minute.”
Silence reigned in the portico as Akshay pressed his lips against her petal soft cheek. ‘Was that
allowed?’ she thought. ‘Weren’t they going to sign a contract?’
“Goodnight Sweetheart,” he turned her head to kiss her other cheek.
Sunita blushed prettily, “Good night, Akshay, sleep well.” She left his arms and waited for him to
get into the car.
Akshay got into the driver’s seat reluctantly. She bent at the window to wish him, ‘goodnight’. He
pulled at her arm, “Don’t I deserve a goodnight kiss?” he asked pathetically, “it’ll at least tide me by
till tomorrow evening.”
She almost laughed out loud at his sorrowful expression. She pressed her lips to his hard cheek, her
lips tingling at the contact. “Call me when you reach home, Akshay, please.”
He left and Sunita locked up the front door. She went to her room and had a swift shower, wearing a
cotton nightie. She waited with the mobile in her hand, looking forward to hearing his voice again.
Akshay had befriended not only her, but her whole family. Even her taciturn father was taken up
with him. A small smile played on her lips. Life was such fun suddenly. She looked forward to the
three years with Akshay.
She picked the phone on the first ring.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Sweetheart! I already miss you.”
“I miss you too,” she admitted.
They spoke for a couple of minutes before saying ‘bye’. Sunita slept the moment her head touched
the pillow.
Ten
The next few days were like a dream for Sunita. Akshay picked her up in the evenings and they went
to quiet places where they could talk without being disturbed. They got to know each other well. She
so looked forward to their time together as she found in him a kindred spirit with whom she could talk
about anything under the sun. And they laughed a lot!
The Panditji came home one day to discuss the wedding date and muhurat . The engagement
ceremony was fixed for Sunday. Another four days to go. Should she call Akshay and tell him about
it? Maybe he’d find her silly. He was so busy with his job while she had nothing to do but sit at home,
thinking about him.
She waited impatiently for the evening to come as she ran through her wardrobe for something
suitable to wear. Should it be jeans and top or another churidar set? It took up a couple of hours—
quite surprising for a person who was usually decisive. But nowadays she dressed to please Akshay,
she realised. A secret smile danced on her lips while Sunita hummed a popular tune as she took out
the midnight blue jeggings and fluorescent green top. She matched it with a denim jacket. Her
a deep breath and smiled at her. The smile transformed his face. Sunita stared in fascination.
“Nothing wrong—just that there’s so much to do at work and I want to spend all my time with you.”
A deep sigh shuddered through him as he said, “I’ll see you tomorrow same time.”
“If you’re sure.” Won’t he find it tiring after a full day at work?
“That I am,” he whispered in her ear, pulling her into his arms.
Sunita braced her hands on his chest and looked up at him. The moonlight lit his sharp features as he
gazed down at her. Her breath caught as she saw the desire in his eyes. She tried to move away but he
refused to let her go.
“I think you should leave, Akshay. You need to rest.”
“Are you trying to send me away? Well,” his lips took a downward slant, “if you’ve had enough of
me—” his eyes were downcast.
“It’s not that,” Sunita walked into the trap set for her, “Of course I haven’t had enough of you. I’ll
miss you in fact,” she admitted.
Akshay raised his laughing eyes to hers. She realised she had been tricked into admitting that. She
gave him a shy smile, glad to have said it.
“But I still think you should leave, Akshay.”
“I know,” he growled into her neck, “just give me a minute.”
Silence reigned in the portico as Akshay pressed his lips against her petal soft cheek. ‘Was that
allowed?’ she thought. ‘Weren’t they going to sign a contract?’
“Goodnight Sweetheart,” he turned her head to kiss her other cheek.
Sunita blushed prettily, “Good night, Akshay, sleep well.” She left his arms and waited for him to
get into the car.
Akshay got into the driver’s seat reluctantly. She bent at the window to wish him, ‘goodnight’. He
pulled at her arm, “Don’t I deserve a goodnight kiss?” he asked pathetically, “it’ll at least tide me by
till tomorrow evening.”
She almost laughed out loud at his sorrowful expression. She pressed her lips to his hard cheek, her
lips tingling at the contact. “Call me when you reach home, Akshay, please.”
He left and Sunita locked up the front door. She went to her room and had a swift shower, wearing a
cotton nightie. She waited with the mobile in her hand, looking forward to hearing his voice again.
Akshay had befriended not only her, but her whole family. Even her taciturn father was taken up
with him. A small smile played on her lips. Life was such fun suddenly. She looked forward to the
three years with Akshay.
She picked the phone on the first ring.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Sweetheart! I already miss you.”
“I miss you too,” she admitted.
They spoke for a couple of minutes before saying ‘bye’. Sunita slept the moment her head touched
the pillow.
Ten
The next few days were like a dream for Sunita. Akshay picked her up in the evenings and they went
to quiet places where they could talk without being disturbed. They got to know each other well. She
so looked forward to their time together as she found in him a kindred spirit with whom she could talk
about anything under the sun. And they laughed a lot!
The Panditji came home one day to discuss the wedding date and muhurat . The engagement
ceremony was fixed for Sunday. Another four days to go. Should she call Akshay and tell him about
it? Maybe he’d find her silly. He was so busy with his job while she had nothing to do but sit at home,
thinking about him.
She waited impatiently for the evening to come as she ran through her wardrobe for something
suitable to wear. Should it be jeans and top or another churidar set? It took up a couple of hours—
quite surprising for a person who was usually decisive. But nowadays she dressed to please Akshay,
she realised. A secret smile danced on her lips while Sunita hummed a popular tune as she took out
the midnight blue jeggings and fluorescent green top. She matched it with a denim jacket. Her
Similar Books
