Chapter 47

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LadyMeringue

@LadyMeringue

Chapter 23: Through the Haze of Passion Tonight


A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here is the next update! :D :D

Warning: The chapter content is 18+, so all below the stipulated age are advised to give this a skip. 

Also special credits to A Beauty to the Rhythm's The Magnitude of These Small Hours for inspiring me to write the scene here. :) And before I forget, this chapter is dedicated to Elvish for her birthday as well! <3 <3

Happy Reading! :D :D


Ranveer walked out from the resort, blindly making his path along the forest when he suddenly felt the soft droplets of water fall upon his head. He looked up, cursing his luck even more so that out of all the times, it had to rain at this precise moment. Maybe God was truly sad today or maybe his fate simply was. He continued to trudge towards the garden that now led towards the cabins, his feet yearning to reach the opening of the lake. It was where he'd spent several nights pondering upon his fate whenever he craved the haven of a paradise that he'd left behind in the pursuit of a world he still didn't know to how survive in.

And suddenly he could hear another pair of footsteps follow him, the scent of vanilla and roses reaching him even before her voice did.

"Ranveer!"

He continued to walk silently, albeit steadily now. He steadily walked along the gravel pathway, pretending that he hadn't heard her at all even though every pore of his body had sensed her before she could announced herself.

"Ranveer, stop!" she pleaded but he continued to walk faster, the rain drops mimicking his dilemma as it now fell harder and harder. 

Ranveer could feel his clothes get drenched but he didn't care anymore. He didn't care about anything except the pain that was beginning to suffocate him to the point where death was beginning to feel like a better option. He could hear Ishaani's steps grow closer as she panted, the saree difficult to keep pace with. But she didn't give up. 

She continued to follow Ranveer with the same determination until he felt himself shake with a fury that didn't belong to him. He wanted nothing more than for Ishaani to leave him alone and to his own fate where he could sit for hours on end in silence, trying to fathom of his out-of-control emotions that he could no longer make heads or tails of. Everything had imploded together leaving him more afraid than ever, the wounds of the past resurfacing again.

"Ranveer, just listen to me, damn it!"

"Go away, Ishaani!" cried aloud Ranveer, stopping in his tracks and turning around to face Ishaani at long last. He couldn't tomach her calling out for him like that. Just like him, even she was now drenched to the skin but it didn't seem to bother her either. She looked like she'd reached saturation point.

"I won't! Not until you talk to me."

"What do you want to talk about?" asked Ranveer, looking harrassed. Ishaani closed the distance between them, looking outraged.

"Everything! About us, about our relationship, about our future!" she yelled into the night and Ranveer rubbed his temples furiously, wanting now more than ever for her to drop the topic. He could feel his emotions froth like the lava in his last dream with Love.

"Ishaani, please..." he begged, but Ishaani didn't pay heed. She shook his shoulders roughly, hoping that it'd snap some sense into him.

"There's just three days on hand now, Ranveer," she began tiredly but didn't continue when Ranveer pushed her hands away from upon his shoulders. He did not bother to hide his tears anymore that mingled with the raindrops falling upon his face persistently. His voice boomed out frightfully into the quiet of the night.

"So do you want to know my decision? Fine, I'll give it to you! We are two broken people who're trying to save a relationship that doesn't exist anymore, Ishaani! We're two people who're so far off and aloof that we practically live in the memories of our past and use that to make ourselves believe that we have a chance because of old times' sake. But we don't! There's only RV and Miss Parekh in the present, no Ranveer and Ishaani! And the people we're trying to awake within us are both dead! So why don't we stop kidding ourselves and face it that we have no future! I cannot move on unless I let go and you cannot move on unless you erase the chapter of Chirag from your life once and for all. And we both can't do that because we're damaged goods!"

Ishaani stared at him in silence, tears of anger springing into her eyes.

"If this is your decision, fine. I have no problem accepting it because you've saved me three days' worth of time and energy that I'd have invested into something that doesn't stand a chance in the future because you're too busy being a coward! I'm tired of this same old conversation, Ranveer! No matter what I do, you just want to remain in this never-ending pit of misery and despair that you've made of your sorry life! And I cannot change anything unless you want me to and come out of this godforsaken insecurity of-"

"Godforsaken insecurity?!" exploded Ranveer, grasping her shoulders roughly. 

Neither of them not backed down as their eyes met in the most violent of storms. And even before she could say anything, Ranveer felt the walls of his self-made prison break with an intensity that shook his insides, pouring out every single bottled up emotion he had access to in these six and a half years.

"Do you know what it is so lose the people you love and are so dear in your life?! To see the last breath leave their body only to realize that they're just shells and nothing more when just mere moments ago they were a whole living person and meant the world to you?! Do you know how it feels to lose the purpose of living your life every time you watch a loved one die or leave you, Ishaani?! You, Mota Babuji, Ritika... Nobody gave me two hoots! Nobody!"

"How- how could you even say that?" spoke Ishaani in a small voice, but Ranveer continued further. He didn't care anymore.

"I watched Mota Babuji literally die in front of me, Ishaani! In front of my own two eyes while all that I could do was hopelessly watch and cry for him to come back to me. But he didn't! Do you even know how that feels? To actually watch that and not just hear about it?! He made me promise to protect you, walk away from you and start life all over again in Sydney because he wanted to see me happy. Happy? Where was my happiness supposed to come from when you were so happy with Chirag, putting me through a lifetime of torture with every agonizing second you showed me how much you loved him!"

"He-" began Ishaani, even though Ranveer continued like she hadn't cut across.

"And Ritika... I held her in my embrace all through the night when she passed away! Just like that, leaving me neither for the dead nor the alive! And what did she make me do? Promise that I'd publish Caffeinated Love and try to reconcile with you! And she knew the rut I was in, and yet she left me the same way like Mota Babuji did with nothing more than a goddamn promise! She just pushed me deeper into a pit of darkness that killed me and suffocated me and something I so direly wanted to escape from!"

"But she didn't-" protested Ishaani helplessly, now crying herself. Ranveer's voice now cracked under the strain of everything he'd been through.

"And you... you killed me in the worst way possible, Ishaani... You took away my reason to even try living. You forced me to live the life of a dead man who had enough life in him to breathe, but not live! Every single word, every single dagger... You left my heart, mind and soul in a bloody heap where I bled from every pore! Every pore where I prayed so dearly I'd succumb to alcohol that night, the same alcohol that cost me you! And what did you do? Leave me in the same wretched pit with more promises to never seek you again! Promises, promises, promises!" he shrieked like a deranged maniac as he fell upon his knees, sobbing wholeheartedly.

Ishaani pulled him up without another word.

"Ranveer..." she cried softly as she pulled him into an embrace, thankful that he didn't push her away. She stroked his hair lovingly, feeling him shiver in her embrace now that he finally spoken his heart out. She'd finally brought forth the wounds of a lifetime that he'd been hiding for far too long. The rains now plunked harder.

"I'm tired of making promises and trying to live up to them. I'm tired of living life like this where death is a better companion than this godforsaken world that I have to pull day after day on. And I've had enough because I'm tired of losing all the people I love around me, Ishaani. I pushed away everybody after Ritika. I don't have the strength to lose anymore because I don't have anything more to lose... And now that you've returned back into my life, I cannot afford to lose you again. Losing you once nearly took away my life... If anything happens and I lose you again, I'll not live through this. I just won't. And the fact that I'm unhappy doesn't kill me as much as the fact that your entire life was ruined because I made you that weak to fall prey to Chirag all those years ago. I don't deserve to have you, Ishaani. So please... go away. Think of these twenty days as the happiness of an eternity that we deserved, and walk away while you still can."

"Ranveer, please-" began Ishaani once they separated from the hug, cupping his cheek frightfully. She noticed that his eyes had gone red, the dead look in them tearing at her soul. He pushed away her hands for the second time, not giving her a chance to complete.

"I've always fought life head on and have never believed in giving up on anything until I've had it. My insomnia was never my way of harming myself or a form of escapism. It's always been me trying to keep the past from treacherously breaking into my mind again in ways I wont be able to tolerate. The truth is, whoever I end up loving and finding my world in, dies. And you are my universe, Ishaani... I can lose everything else but not you. This will cease to beat without you," confessed Ranveer in a defeated whisper, pointing at his heart. Ishaani remained at a loss for words as Ranveer sighed, knowing that it was time to end the conversation before she found another argument.

"I won't be to make it," he added with finality before he made to walk away but Ishaani pulled him back. She cupped his cheek for the third time, the power of her gaze suddenly disarming him. He didn't put up a fight this time.

"Look at me, Ranveer. More than nineteen years ago in a hospital where you were fighting death just because you sought to save me by sacrificing yourself, I made you a promise - a promise that I was in it for the long haul. I've hurt you in ways that can never be forgiven and I don't ever expect you to forgive me as well even though I know that heart of yours. But you tell me, Ranveer - if I walk away from here right now, will you be able to live the rest of your life knowing that we had a shot and had you just tried, we might have changed the course of our lives forever?"

"Atleast you'd be safe..." he whispered reluctantly even though the pain in his eyes were evident. Ishaani continued.

"What if something happens to me even if we are not together? What then? Would you still say it was because of you?" she asked and Ranveer gasped, her words piercing. She held on to him strongly, speaking again.

"Ranveer, everybody who loves us have to leave us at some point of time or the other. Look at me - my parents are dead! I have no family! But that does not mean that I'll stop living in the fear that anyone I let close is going to leave me now, does it?" she asked, hoping that he would see her point. But Ranveer's jaw fell open, the irony of her statement suddenly infuriating him.

"Isn't that why you pushed me away in the first place? Because this was the biggest secret of your life that I'd betrayed?" he asked, the resentment in his voice cutting. Ishaani smiled ruefully.

"That's the thing, Ranveer - I lost my fear of people abandoning me after that night. You took away my fear and made it your own. It hurt when everyone left me, yes. But it no longer remained my fear. What I sought five ago years was not perfection, but a way of filling away the void, the loneliness and my unbearable guilt. It may have been escapism or a coward's way of overcoming her life's biggest fear by giving it the name of chasing control. But I learnt soon enough that if I had to get over my fear in life, I had to fight life head on. It's what you always taught me and it's why I threw away the scalpel the first time. And when I grew weak again after years of tossing my habit away, you entered my life and reminded me why I'd thrown away the scalpel the first time. And that's that. I don't fear losing you anymore because I've taken the plunge. It's all about the leap of faith, Ranveer. Life has been bitterly unfair to you, but you've achieved the impossible so far. The moon is within your grasp with the promise of a second chance... Why would you want to give up now when you are this close to making the moon your own?"

"Please, Ishaani... Don't make this difficult for me. Don't do this to me again," he begged, suddenly unable to meet eyes with her. Ishaani pulled his chin up.

"Do you hate me?"

"What? No! Ofcourse I don't! How could you even think that after everything we've been through?!" stuttered Ranveer, disbelieving of what she'd just asked of him. Taking advantage of his response, she gave him a strong look.

"Then don't hide your love for me, Ranveer! Love me like you've never loved me before! Stop bottling your feelings and try hiding something that you can't! All this time, you had a reason for hiding your love because it was one-sided and unrequited... But why today when you know how much I love you?"

Ranveer remained silent for a few seconds before he spoke quietly, his eyes suddenly ablaze.

"I've been restraining myself because I don't want the intensity of that love breaking upon the surface again. It's an ocean you won't be able swim out of if I let go because it's years and years of love that I've wanted to shower upon you, Ishaani. I've always wanted to make every single day the most special of your life, my love never letting you feel the pinch of anything. I wanted to give you all the happiness of my share while I took away all of the pain of your share."

"Then let me drown, Ranveer," urged Ishaani beseechingly. "Because this isn't only about your love anymore. Your love has always been enough for both of us and it will continue to be so until the end. Let me see how Ranveer is capable of loving me. I'm not interested in RV, just Ranveer."

"You've seen it then," stated Ranveer, but Ishaani shook her head.

"No. I don't want RV kissing me anymore because that's not the man I'm seeking for. But neither do I want a Ranveer kissing me and loving me when he's not in his senses, nor a Ranveer who's kissing me to take away my pain. And certainly not a Ranveer who's kissing me because Chirag is watching. I want my Ranveer to kiss me because he loves me and wants to show me the passion with which he loves me, and to what extent his undying aashiqui for me is."

"What if I let go and show you?" asked Ranveer suddenly, trying a new approach of conversation. Ishaani smiled.

"Then on the way I'll let you see how much I love you as well and maybe, you'll understand," she replied tenderly. Ranveer gave her an uncertain look, suddenly feeling tongue-tied as they both sensed what was dawning upon them.

"It's wrong..."

"If a marriage is about seven vows, then don't forget that we have eighteen vows between us tying us both by heart, mind and soul, whose talisman we still carry with us till this date. If marriage is about binding the two of us for seven lifetimes, then our love is something that's bound our souls to each other for eternity. I don't know whether we are star crossed lovers like Ben and Sarah, but I know that the stars have been witness to our story all along just like they are tonight. Let go and I'm right here to catch you. And I'm not going to leave you ever again, I promise. I'm in this for the long haul."

Ranveer looked at Ishaani deeply for a few minutes as she continued to stare at him with a faint smile upon her face, devoid of any expectations.

When Ranveer looked like he was't going to say anything further, Ishaani sighed tiredly. She turned around, deciding to walk back towards the resort when she felt Ranveer catch hold of her wrist. The rains still fell with the same intensity as he pulled her back to him gently, his fingers grazing her cheek and sliding through her hair. Ranveer pulled her chin up, gently perching her lips upon her own while he let his free arm curl itself around her waist, bridging away the gap in between them.

Ishaani shut her eyes as she felt her breath cease, his nose brushing against her own. She deepened the kiss, her one hand sliding through his vest and upon his shirt while the other caught the small of his neck, the rain continuing to descend upon them. Ranveer felt an entirely new emotion with the way they kissed each other in that moment, the love in his heart gush for him a little more as he felt a strange connect, a newfound intimacy between them that was warm. There was something extraordinary about the way their lips met this time, the effect spellbinding as he felt Ishaani let herself melt into his embrace, the moment breathtaking in all its entirety.

Ranveer let his thumb run up the length of her neck and Ishaani's lips parted even further with a shudder, clutching his shirt with a moan. He let his tongue revel in the glory of the moment, exploring her mouth in ways he hadn't before as his touch now reflected the Ranveer she had wanted all along, leaving her desiring for only more. His tongue retracted away and he turned his attention back upon her lips, devouring them in a way that made her head empty dizzyingly. Her hand tried to feel the beats of his heart that she felt race at a mile, her lips lapping over his own with the same heat.

Parting away from each other when air forced them apart, Ranveer and Ishaani opened their eyes at the same time, stunned. They look at each other momentarily, Ishaani barely recovering from the daze of their kiss before Ranveer backed away from her, looking aghast.

"No... I can't do this..."

Even before Ishaani could protest Ranveer walked away from her, leaving her soaking in the rains.

-x-

Ishaani continued to stand there, knowing that she had only two options now - to do what was right or to do what was easy. She didn't know for how long she stood there like that before she finally made a decision, now walking in the direction of his cabin.

She wasn't let Ranveer get away with this anymore.

Tonight, she'd have what she wanted; not just for herself, but for both of them.

She stopped in front of his door, rapping at it smartly thrice even though she remained silent. She heard a hesitant shuffle of feet from within before the door swung open, revealing a Ranveer whose hair had grown messy in the rains like always. And his face made the accommodating change at her sight. It had been minutes since he'd entered the room and yet it felt like barely moments apart when he'd taken his lips away from upon her own, the same flicker of love upon his face that turned into fear the moment realization dawned upon him.

But now he looked angry, although whether it was upon her or himself, she couldn't say. And yet it had the opposite effect on her. He couldn't have looked any more enticing in that moment, his crisp shoulders filling the chocolate brown fabric of his blazer snugly and she found her head emptying away of everything else but just him. And just like that, she suddenly found herself teetering on a knife's edge between her intense, long-kept-secret love for the man in front of her eyes and the sudden desire for him that coursed through her veins.

Ishaani could barely breathe and yet his scent was all that she could inhale, as strong as ever. It was more than just expensive cologne and clean linen - the darker, warmer scent that came from a person's blood that didn't change with clothes or bottled scents. It was a smell that had haunted her ever since he'd first kissed her in her cabin, the one that followed her home after work every day since then.

"What do you want, Ishaani?" asked Ranveer in a strange grit, his question tumbling out in a single breath. There was not even a glimmer of hope in his voice anymore, the despondence in it making Ishaani's heart sink even more. But she knew that she couldn't accept defeat so easily and walk away. Her father had made her a warrior and she knew that he would have wanted her to strive for Ranveer's love for as long as it took just like the way he had for eleven years.

But she no longer trusted herself with words.

Experience had taught her in all those years that when it came to Ranveer, painful, harsh things left her lips before it even crossed her mind, more often than not destroying what little hope remained between them. And yet there was no scope of a flowery apology anymore for it was bound to end in disaster for certain. In the office, she knew how to stay in control. Knew how to get what she wanted. Ranveer, in this as in so many other things, was an exception to the rule.

And through the turmoil of tonight, only one thing escaped her lips that she knew was safe - the one thing that was true.

"You."

Suddenly, the momentum building between them ever since their first kiss in the cabin unleashed itself, Ishaani surging forward. Ranveer recoiled behind by reflex, retreating into the room with three stumbling, uncertain steps as her hands found purchase on either side of his neck, fingers tightening until she could bring him to a stop. And then her lips found themselves upon his as tears now escaped through her closed lids. His lips felt incredibly soft and warm against her own shivering ones as she remembered its feel from a few minutes ago. But unlike that kiss, this one was quick - their lips meeting and parting like friends who saw each other every day.

After a few seconds, Ishaani found her voice at long last, knowing that if there was any a time to speak whatever was there in her heart, it was right now.

"All my life, I always wanted someone to love me the way Papa loved Maa. Someone who I could share all my happiness and sorrows with, even my life with. Someone who only thought about me and cared for me like I was his prized treasure. Someone who started his day with me and ended it with me; whose happiness was latched to mine, whose griefs were latched to mine... who's life was latched to mine. Someone who would never change no matter how much time passed by. Someone who'd stay with me until my last breath... Be my equal and walk with me hand in hand."

"Ishaani, what are you-" began Ranveer as Ishaani smudged a line down his cheek with the pad of her thumb, a small gesture trying to convey just a fraction of her deep and aching regret. Her eyes never once broke contact from Ranveer's, tears still pooling from them.

"All my life, I tried to find for that person when he was right beside me all this time. My best friend. My confidante. My knight in a shining armour. My prince. My soulmate. My love. You, who loves me and desires me the most in the world. Whose happiness is with me and from me. Who cares for me like as my best friend and walks with me like my shadow. My pain reflects through your eyes even though you're willing to trade away all of your happiness in exchange for my pain. Whose life is a shell without me in it..."

Ishaani shut her eyes again, hoping that the kiss would breach the barricades of his heart, if not his head. She tried to swoop in for another one, hungry for that moment where the spark struck and the fire caught. The moment didn't come however for even though his lips brushed against her own, his hands wrapped painfully around her wrist and pulled her away from him. She didn't let it deter her.

"You're the one who's made every single day of my life memorable, Ranveer. You've taught me to laugh, to love, to live... You've given me the kind of love and respect that nobody can ever imagine even in their wildest of dreams. But what did I ever give you in return apart from pain and unhappiness? I made fun of you and ridiculed your feelings, far apart acknowledge or respect them. I pushed you away so heartlessly and yet here you are today, still trying to protect me and make me happy in spite of everything that's happened even though I don't deserve it. I cannot watch you like this anymore, Ranveer... I can not watch us like this anymore. I cannot take the pain anymore."

"Ishaani..." began Ranveer, wiping away the tears from upon her face. She shivered at the pain and self-reproach in her voice as she continued, kissing his forehead as lovingly as she could before resting hers against his own.

"I'm so sorry, Ranveer... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..." she whispered in the same mantra as Ranveer pulled her face up ever so gently, meeting eyes with her at long last.

"I should be the one saying sorry, Ishaani," he sighed but Ishaani shook her head vehemently.

"I don't know anything, Ranveer. I only know your love. And I'm at your threshold today just for you. I love you so much, Ranveer... so much... The world may have changed, you may have changed, but your love is still the same, if not more. And so is mine, Ranveer. I've always loved you, I love you and I'll always continue loving you no matter what. I want to live in a world where there's no fear or deception. Just you and your love, your warm embrace and your smile that changes my world. Just you. Just us. Nothing else. I don't want anything else tonight, Ranveer," she confessed, her eyes wide and honest and brave. The air fell still in the room, Ishaani forgetting to breathe as she spoke the next set of words with unrestrained passion.

"I just want you."

Desperation growled low in her, starving her. She trembled again, no pride left in her as in a last ditch effort, she craned her neck up in an attempt to chase his lips again. But this time he didn't meet her. Cold acid replaced her blood, icing through her veins as reality dawned in - he'd really meant it. Her stomach contracted, offering a sudden, clear glimpse of the days that would follow this rejection. Days and months of grief, loss, and emptiness. Just like before. She'd been barely living for eight years, but now...

Until suddenly, lightning flashed.

In the whiteness, Ranveer's eyes twinkled and Ishaani saw something flicker through them. Something that was familiar; as though he'd finally broken through the one thing he'd been holding out for too long. His chocolate orbs pulled her back into focus - now dark, fierce, fearless and something else too. Something that Ishaani wanted to believe was desire. Before the spark of hope could flame, Ranveer's hands slithered across her waist and pushed her backwards, a little more away. And even before Ishaani could protest, she watched him trace her steps alongside, her back hitting the hard wood of the door a fraction of a second before his body closed around her.

The sound of the door slamming shut swallowed her sharp intake of breath as his lips crashed against her own, devouring her in the free fall drop of passion they'd been on the brink of for so long now. It had been intoxicating all the previous times for they hadn't been able to help themselves, having inched so close to the edge dozens of times just to taste the thrill.

But tonight, it was more exhilarating than any roller coaster.

They held on to one another as though for dear life, hands and mouths never stilling. She dug her fingertips into his shoulder blades; he buried his face in her neck. She traced a trail along his jaw with her index finger; his fingers spread open on her cheek and then travelled to grip the back of her head. They pressed searing kisses into each other, branding one another as though finally having broken through all the bonds tonight. At first it was just his chest pinning her to the door, but when his mouth left a hot, wet trail along her neck as he dipped lower, kissing across her collarbone until he reached the crook of her neck, Ishaani knew that it was not going to be enough this time.

What they needed to show each other would take more than kisses. 

They needed each other the same way tonight for their souls needed to heal and hearts, to mend. And the bond that was beginning to build came with a promise of connecting the two broken halves of their souls that only the other could complete, their hearts beginning to mend automatically as love and passion paved way to healing the wounds of a lifetime.

Both of them remained against the door writhing, drenched to the skin. Ishaani craved for Ranveer's warmth even more so now that she could feel it through his touch at long last. He'd broken through the shackles holding him back and the iron prison of his heart that he was bound to. The maimed Ranveer would finally find his freedom and his life in her arms tonight while she found hers in his own. 

There was no poison anymore - just the antidote.

Ishaani gentled the kiss, decelerating until Ranveer opened his eyes, his hair even more messier as they separated for air at long last. She nudged his nose with hers and their smiles broke open at the same moment, timid and hopeful. They let their foreheads kiss, interlocking their fingers within each other's. The rains now lashed even harder and the clouds suddenly thundered, forcing Ranveer and Ishaani apart. They stared at each other sheepishly, the mounting tension still at its peak even though the pain no longer seemed too overwhelming now that they'd begun to express it.

Ishaani caressed his cheek lovingly, his smile lifting the corners of her own mouth. It was the beginning of his real smile that was always so breathtaking.

Ishaani let her fingers travel up his torso, unbuttoning his blazer slowly before pushing the piece of clothing off from upon his shoulders. Ranveer continued to smile at her the same way as he let her free him of the blazer, tracing circles upon her cheek that made her shut her eyes and nestle her face into his palm involuntarily. Pushing away the wet strands of hair from upon her face and tucking them behind her ear, he now watched her work upon his vest with her eyes closed, the second accompaniment of the three piece suit finding its way upon the building heap on the floor within a matter of seconds.

Ranveer let his lips kiss her forehead slowly, Ishaani ceasing to breathe almost instantly. Her hands blindly navigated upon the knot of his tie, freeing him of the same as his lips now kissed her eyelids in slow, reverent worship. Ishaani freed him of the first two buttons of his shirt before finding the side of his neck, her fingers trailing along the exposed skin with an inexplicable pleasure. Ranveer brushed her lips upon her own teasingly, Ishaani opening her eyes to meet his own blazing ones in the same strength that he'd now come to love about her.

The tension of the moment dissipated momentarily when Ishaani shivered in spite of herself, Ranveer's eyes widening. They clearly hadn't paid heed to the fact that they were both drenched to the skin in the heat of their unfurling emotions. Ranveer led her further into the room where the fireplace remained aflame with the orange embers of heat, both of them feeling considerably warmer. Ishaani shut her eyes once again as Ranveer's arms circled around her stomach protectively, feeling his breath fall upon the exposed skin of her back.

Pushing away her hair to the other side of her neck, Ranveer watched the drops of water upon her neck trickle ever so slowly down her back, the moment's tension making time cease. His lips soon broke their journey as he softly kissed her along the column of her neck, trailing lower and lower until he reached the beauty spot upon her back. Ishaani's body stiffened ever so slightly as Ranveer pulled open the dori of her blouse, his fingers now trailing upon her skin in the same agonizingly erotic touch that was capable of transporting her to a new world entirely.

Through the haze of his lips caressing her, Ishaani felt the fall of her saree slip away from upon her shoulder. She felt Ranveer turn her around slowly and take off her jhumkas while she stood patiently, feeling the warmth of his breath ensnare her senses. She opened her eyes after an indefinite amount of time to see his own shut, his lips finding her own once again moments later. Ishaani took the lead this time as his fingers slithered upon her hips a lot more confidently, undoing the fall from around her effortlessly. She deepened the kiss, feeling the saree brush against her feet before Ranveer led her carefully out from it, not breaking contact even once.

Separating for the third time that night when air made its presence felt, Ranveer opened his eyes to see Ishaani smiling against his lips, his eyes never leaving her own.

"I told you once that the day you were ready to take the leap, I'd show you where I kept the promise band..." she whispered softly. Ranveer nodded gently, waiting for her to speak next.

But she didn't.

Instead, she took Ranveer's hand into her own, directing his finger to trail down the length of her chain. It evoked a gasp from Ranveer, who followed the trail hesitantly as his finger dipped lower and lower, making innocent contact with her skin that sent currents sparking on both sides. The moment his finger found a loop, he came to a standstill. Ishaani nodded her head at Ranveer, who stared at her in permission. He pulled the pendant out from the crevice where it lodged.

The moment the pendant glimmered in the dim lights of the cabin, Ishaani noticed the instantaneous change in Ranveer's expression, whose face had dropped limp with reverence as the pendant now sat upon his palm. The slack look on his face spoke for itself, Ishaani realized just how unreal it was all to him. And yet the look of pure love that crossed his face didn't go amiss by her when he looked up again, his eyes gushing with the same pool of love that he'd have for her years ago. The same love she'd been wanting to see in his eyes for her ever since he'd come back into her life.

"Ishaani..." he whispered, the gratitude in his voice overwhelming. Ishaani smiled, cupping his cheek lovingly.

"The ring upon my finger was my weakness. The ring upon my heart is my strength. It reminds me every single day about what I have to win back every time my heart beats against it trying to feel your love."

"And you are certain about this?" he asked, their eyes met each other knowingly. She sighed, letting her instinct speak now.

"You once told me that the day I fall in love, my heart would know about it. I made the mistake of not listening to my heart once when it was the only time it was ever right. I'm not going to make the same mistake tonight. Ranveer, you know how I feel about you," she added as Ranveer's features relaxed, his smile returning.

She could see that he was now beginning to understand the depth of her love, his own love pouring out through the brown of his eyes and soaking her in it. He wasn't expecting this confession though and it was evident. Yet what was it that she saw upon his face for her in that moment? Wonder? Pride?

Not pondering upon the question any further, she continued.

"Let go, Ranveer. Show me how you can love. Let me show you how I can love," she whispered as their lips grew closer. Their eyes shut in sync moments later when Ishaani felt Ranveer's finger deftly unhook the clasp of her blouse, gracefully freed her of it. She captured his lips and interlocked her fingers within his own, pressing his fingers against the bridge of her chest where the pendant now rested. She let him experience for the first time what it felt like to hear her heart beat for him, the moment surreal.

The flashing surface heat of their earlier kisses merged into one as it grew deeper, finally burning through the invisible wall that'd kept them apart for years. Ranveer's tongue pressed into her, exploring her mouth in an erotic swirl as she met him, strong and hard, trying to promise him with this kiss that she was not holding anything back anymore.

She let Ranveer lead her back with baby steps even though she had no sense of surrounding anymore, his damp shirt pressed against her cool skin the only thing she was remotely aware about. The sparks that flew through every single pore of her body made her feel alive like she'd never felt in all her life, the heat between them welcome.

Air turned into the soft plush of the bed as Ranveer lay her down slowly, their lips still meeting with the same ferocity, never tiring. This was the moment they'd waited for all their lives - to show how much they truly loved each other after years of building an emotional connect that had been the sole reason that keep their souls alive in their years apart. Ishaani opened her eyes gently and smiled against his lips, noticing how his eyes were still shut as his one hand remained underneath her head while the other now travelled along the small of her back.

His body hid her own away from sight as though he was giving her the modesty she didn't even know she needed, the thought in itself making Ishaani's heart swell with a notch more respect for him. Every time she thought that she couldn't love or respect him more, he'd do something the exact opposite and take her by surprise, and today was no exception. Finally cupping his face as he decelerated the pace of the kiss, she spoke in a quiet whisper.

"Open your eyes, Ranveer."

Ranveer pushed open his eyes and stared at Ishaani's face with a newfound reverence, the dim light of the cabin elevating her beauty even more. Ishaani wiped away the droplets of water clinging upon his forehead and kissed him lovingly.

"Look at me," she whispered as Ranveer continued to stare at her face in silence, unable to get enough of her no matter how long he stared for. He understood what Ishaani was asking of him as he finally dared to comply, lowering his gaze after several moments of hesitation. Ishaani watched his face with satisfaction as she saw a sudden modesty cross upon his features that never changed into lust, a strange admiration in his eyes. He looked up again, suddenly looking uncertain about what he was going to say as Ishaani stroked his hair lovingly.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Ishaani, but you are a very beautiful woman," he whispered, the rush of respect and love in his voice for her making her heart sing like no other. Her heart pounded with even more love for the man as he continued to stare at her with the same heartwarming smile that seemed to grow broader. It made him look much alike his older self with the passing minutes even though nothing was going to be the same anymore.

Ishaani gave him a second nod of her head and his lips now got back to work, mapping every pore of her skin he had access to. He left a venereal trail of kisses along the column of her neck and down her collarbones as his fingers now roamed freely upon her bare skin, Ishaani's form heaving against his own. She could feel herself drowning in the warmth of his lips that were now loving her the way she'd wanted them to all along - unrestrained and purposeful, with both of them in their senses.

Ishaani moaned throatily when Ranveer reached the bridge of her chest, his breath warm while his nose fit perfectly in between the gap. His cheeks remained cushioned between her delicate flesh on either side, more than delighted by the gritty groans he was evoking out from her. Ishaani moaned darkly for the second time when Ranveer let his fingers trail up her stomach and opened his mouth against the left of her flesh experimentally, his tongue flattening against the top curve.

Ishaani shivered against his touch and pitched forward into him, hands combing up through his hair as his other hand found the accompanying flesh. His fingers kneaded and fondled them firmly, caressing both of them with the same amount of attention simultaneously that sent Ishaani upon the brink of another world. A world that was just her and him and emotions that nobody had ever made her feel until that point of time as the desire for him only grew more and more intense. The hot strokes of his tongue over her skin were making it too hard for her to concentrate upon anything else, her grunts growing hoarser with every passing stroke.

She could feel all the pain drain out of her as he continued licking, teething and tasting her with his eyes closed in concentrated worship, her blood pounding in a hot retreat to hide right where she was beginning to aching for him. Her legs now remained puzzled within his as she sunk slightly lower, letting his left thigh catch her. She was completely unprepared for the intense, muscular pressure against her center as his thigh felt unexpectedly hard.

And through the bliss of passion she felt him push her name out, a muffled plea into the curve her flesh that reverberated through every pore of her skin. In that moment, she knew that he was losing the pain alongside, their hearts and souls beginning to connect as the love and passion in their blood for the other coursed through their veins. Ranveer only intensified the heat of his ministrations as he switched sides, Ishaani finding herself completely lost in the sensations of how good he felt, of how good he was making her feel.

She'd always missed that sense of belonging all her life for Ranveer always told her that home was where the heart was. But it was only now when he remained atop of her loving her the way he was did she realize where she truly belonged, and more importantly, to whom she truly belonged. Ishaani's nails clenched at the back of his shirt harder as she cried out for him once again, but it was the change in her tone that made Ranveer pull himself away from her. His face now hovered above her own as he cupped her cheek, his eyes suddenly worried.

Ishaani stared at him in silence and Ranveer understood what she wanted to know. He left his soul at her mercy, letting her plunge into the depth of his emotions through his eyes while he did the same. Both of them desperately hoped that they were on par when it came to the way they were connecting and the amount of pain and emotions they were pouring into the other, the power of their love vanquishing the pain that didn't stand a chance against it anymore. Both of them smiled at each other once they broke surface from the ocean of the other's emotions, the dip much more satisfying now that they were both standing together in their journey of uniting their souls as one.

Ranveer and Ishaani pressed their eyes close, letting their entire life course through it within a few seconds. They felt the explosions of a hundred emotions at once, the flashes rapid as they felt the same connection building between them, leaving them with a sense of wholeness. And when Ranveer and Ishaani opened their eyes this time, they both knew that they were ready. They were ready to show each other what they'd been hiding all along. To show each other the side of themselves that was not just soft, affectionate, and loving, but held an unsaid desire for each other that licked at their souls with the power of a fiery whiplash.

Ishaani pulled Ranveer's face against her own, kissing him softly, exquisitely as one arm circled around his neck. The other remained sandwiched as her fingers now trailing into his hair messily, clenching it. Ranveer returned her kiss with the same strength as his hands now palmed her flesh, the reverberation of the choicest and darkest groan she'd let out into his mouth until that moment making him grow harder. 

He missed the wriggle of her hips as Ishaani now shucked away the petticoat from upon her body, leaving her in the open entirely. Her hands now found the buttons of Ranveer's shirt, beginning to undo them as well. Ranveer broke away from the kiss and quickened the process as he did away with the intruding clothes until they all fell in a heap beside the bed. 

Both of them stared at each other devoid of any barrier, awestruck by what they were looking at. From walking along the path of becoming friends when Baa had slapped him first as a child for breaking a vase to the moment they were living in right now, they'd come a long, long way, both marvelled.

Ishaani let her hands travel through Ranveer's smooth trapezoids as she now sat up, staring at the beauty God had created. Her eyes instantly found the scar upon his back from the accident at the factory when he was fourteen, the mark still rooted into his skin that made her shudder. Her fingers traced along his chest where yet again another scar met her eyes - the scar from the crowbar that'd pierced his skin so close to his heart when he'd saved her life in a drowning car. And as she let her hands trail over, she couldn't help but notice the faint marks here and there of a whiplash session gone out of hand. Ishaani looked up at Ranveer in reverence and cupped his cheek, the words not coming easily as her thoughts swirled all over the place.

"You're breathtaking. This is all very real, isn't it?" she asked suddenly and Ranveer smiled, enjoying her reaction thoroughly now that she'd accepted him with grace.

"It brings our whole life into perspective - every single moment, every single memory," he replied and Ishaani sighed, yearning for him now more so than ever.

"Then make this our best memory, Ranveer. Bind our entire life into this one night. Bind us with our heart, mind and soul to each other in this one night."

Ranveer nodded at her as he pushed Ishaani's hair behind, lowering her back upon the pillow again. Their hands no longer knew any boundaries as they now let themselves explore each other uninhibited, the sheer happiness in their hearts only growing more and more with every passing minute. They were beginning to learn each other in all the ways possible, the last of which was what they were sharing in that minute.

The two of them continued to kiss each other as he let his lips travel all over her neck and her collarbone, nipping her with such intoxicating power that it left her spellbound. She could only call his name in the most erotic series of moans she could muster, her entire being to his mercy. His hand travelled all over her, fondling her and kneading her in ways that made her wish that he never stopped, her stomach a pit of sensations. And through the dizzying agility of his ministrations that left her senses in an abandoned heap of no understanding but pounding desire, she felt Ranveer's lips claim her own once again. They now began drinking in one another as though on the quest for the holy grail, instantly intoxicated from sharing the same air.

At one point Ishaani felt her lungs empty even though she didn't exhale, realizing that Ranveer was literally breathing her in. Her body heaved against his own, her back arching higher as her arms circled him whole, her nails digging painfully into his skin and into the small of his neck. And just went Ranveer separated himself for her to delve lower than he'd dared to explore her so far, Ishaani took the opportunity. She flipped him upon his back, smiling at him slyly.

Pinning his arms above his head, Ishaani let her lips create a rampage against his own, her tongue exploring his mouth with an arousing swirl as he grunted her name against her lips in the grittiest whisper, driving her to another level of ecstasy. Separating from him, she let her lips trail through the column of his neck, feeling him shudder against her violently. His warmth against her legs increased even more as she sucked at his earlobes in painful pleasure, his fingers running through her hair haphazardly. The other one ran along her stomach and up her heated flesh, making her moan against his ears in a pleasure that drove them both to the brinks of blissful oblivion.

Ishaani let herself fall lower as she trailed wet, alluring kisses all over his well-built chest and torso, his arms now pinned to his sides. Her fingers let go of them as she delved lower, now running up his length with an expertise that made Ranveer push out her name in a whisper that made Ishaani ache for him more. Ishaani could feel the heat between her legs grow warmer as she continued to kiss him and explore him in ways that now left him teetering on the edge of the same world that she stood in wait for him. 

Ishaani enjoyed her journey of mapping him greedily with tongue, lips and fingers, everything all so much better than she had hoped for; headier and deeper and more breathtaking than she'd ever imagined. Ofcourse she'd thought about him when she wasn't strong enough to keep it all at bay, trying to feel his essence in desperation. But her mind had only invented the way he'd felt and it was not even remotely close to what he actually felt like. And the fact that she was arousing such a response from him made her heart gush with a little more pride.

Knowing that she'd had her more than extended share of making him writhe with the painful wait of a pleasure she seemed to be an expert at giving, Ranveer pulled her above and flipped themselves again, Ishaani surprised by his agility. Shooting her a cheeky grin, he feathered light kisses down her neck as he travelled lower and lower with a sense of purpose this time, his tongue joining in on the journey, licking and pressing. His teeth got involved soon until he finally found the spot she'd been aching for his presence all along.

And that was the end for her.

Her head fell to her side, eyes fluttering closed as her mouth fell open on his name, feeling her senses explode in the pleasure of what he was doing to her. She'd clearly underestimated his skill like always for he knew what he was doing, realizing that Mr. Prefect Perfect was giving her the dose of her own medicine even though the rewards were much more than worth it. She pushed out his name in a desperate whisper while he said something without taking his mouth off, the baritone vibrations making her arch her hips wildly off the bed.

She moaned his name aloud in a sudden urgency as she found herself drawing close, hoping that Ranveer would look up and meet eyes with her so that she could tell him about her long-lost fantasy. Ranveer sensed the urgency in her voice as he suddenly looked up, their eyes meeting with the same powerful gush of passion even though everything was a haze of warmth and scents in that moment. And just like she hoped for, he understood immediately. She wanted it to be like everything they'd done in their life - in tandem.

Ranveer nodded at her lovingly as their lips met yet again, the fever-pitch of love melting them away into the other's embrace as everything felt perfect, felt right. The moment became unbearably tender as both marvelled at how they could swing from aroused desperation to this soft, aching wonder, living their life's best dream in that moment. Their kiss decrescended, ending with a few tiny, grateful pecks as their eyes met.

It was time.

Ranveer held his weight on one arm as he prepared himself for the moment on hand, Ishaani's eyes almost vibrating with the effort to keep them from rolling back in her head, refusing to break their gaze. He positioned himself at her entrance, held in the hot hollow of her, bringing his hand up to her face and stroking her cheek lovingly in the stunned awe of what was about to happen next. Ishaani nodded her head as Ranveer pushed himself into her slowly, much slower than either of them had expected.

At first there was resistance, but then he was past as her body gave way, letting him in deep. He groaned as her tight heat enveloped him, Ishaani struggling to breathe as the simultaneous pain and pleasure grew too much. And even through the haze Ranveer and Ishaani couldn't help but appreciate how amazing it felt, the experience as outwordly as the one they'd experienced earlier in the day.

Ranveer continued to stroke Ishaani's cheek lovingly as seconds fell by, thoroughly unprepared to see the two shining lines on her face where tears were making their way down her temples and merging into the dark line of her hair. The momentarily panic made its way upon his face in an instant, afraid he'd hurt her but the moment their eyes met, the love in her eyes for him tightened his throat.

"You feel so perfect," she whispered as his lips caressed her own tenderly, a tear of his own fell upon her cheek suddenly. He buried his face in her shoulder, feeling the shudder of her inhale as they held onto each other, completely overwhelmed by the beautiful moment that took them almost twenty years to build.

"You feel incredible, Ishaani," he whispered warmly once they separated from the embrace, sucking away the tears from upon her face.

"Ranveer," she whispered as she wiped away the tear from upon his face, kissing the button of his nose. "You know how happy you make me, right?"

He inhaled on his own sob, a single, solitary noise of such gratitude that it made Ishaani's body shake and hiccup with the intensity of her own. It was what he'd only ever wanted to do in his life at the end of the day - make her happy. And as impossibly difficult as it was, they were both glad that they'd waited for all those years for if they'd done this any earlier, even yesterday, they weren't sure it would have brought them to tears.

And that was a gift neither of them were expecting.

It only took a few seconds for their bodies to remind them where they were, Ishaani the first to come out of it. The mouth at her neck started moving, tonguing her as his hips rolled, pressing her further into the mattress. She wrapped one leg high over his hip, her heel coming up to rest on his lower back while she gave him just enough room to pull out of her slowly, her breath catching.

Ranveer gave her time to adjust before taking her again for the next glide that was considerably easier. Ishaani purred softly as she knew what to expect this time, the butterflies in her stomach now on an all-time peak. Ranveer repeated the stroke and glide, establishing a lazy, heady rhythm where every thrust sent a myriad of ripples zipping through her body, the moans spilling from her throat soon matching the cadence of his thrusts. Both of them felt the pressure build even though they could feel their senses floating through an entirely different realm with just the presence of the other.

Ishaani found herself basking in the love of how perfect everything was in between them in that moment, more tears threatening to spill as her whole body reverberated with the love she felt for him. She couldn't stop staring into his eyes for she saw every single emotion she felt in that moment mirrored back at her manifold, never feeling more loved until Ranveer's eyes darkened, their gazes locking in the most intense interaction she'd ever had with him.

"I'm right here. I'm with you, Ishaani. Come with me."

The sight of Ranveer smiling at her the way he was in that moment ratcheted up her pleasure, sending her over the edge. Ranveer's eyes threatened to close as the moment drew closer even though he fought through it, determined to keep the connection and fulfill the promise he'd made Ishaani. They called out each other's names into the air just as he began to spill into her, feeling her shudder around him as he lost every last shred of control. Ishaani could feel her body ripping apart with the intensity of it all as they both came along simultaneously.

Only once the aftershocks end did Ranveer and Ishaani let their eyes close, the former letting his weight fall on her tiredly. Their foreheads kissed, damp and warm as he slid his face into the crook of her neck, finally withdrawing from her. Ishaani realized that she was still holding on him, fingers pressed into his back to the point of pain while some remained entangled within his hair. Minutes passed, both of them thinking the same thoughts albeit in hazy, floating snatches of consciousness. Their promise bands glimmered in the moonlight streaming into the room now - RI. Always Together.

Ranveer moved his head to press his lips to her neck, Ishaani's fingers finally relaxing from their death grip hold. She turned her lips to his forehead as they both stared at each other with the same seamless pools of love that they felt for the other, meaning to say something. To try to express in some original way how deeply they loved and felt about the other, their hearts and souls finally latched together as one after a lifetime of pain and darkness. But the solace and security they felt in the other's arms in that moment pushed away the need for anything else to be spoken, their silence saying it all.

Instead, they both fell asleep together in the warmth of the other's embrace.


Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D


Next chapter:
Chapter 24

LadyMeringue2017-02-24 00:19:22

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