ShraMan SS | Never Let You Go - Page 4

Shravan woke a little later than usual, pleasantly warm and comfortable in the muted sunlight washing through the blinds. He curled his arm tighter around his pillow only to find...that it wasn't his pillow he was holding...it was his wife, sound asleep, snuggled in a little ball.

As memories of the previous day hit him, he smiled, relaxing and brushing aside the hair that had fallen across her face, gently, so as not to wake her. He watched her sleep, serene and peaceful, no stress creases in her forehead or dark circles under her eyes. Her dark eyelashes fanned out against her soft cheeks and her chest faintly rose and fell with each breath. He remembered watching her sleep in much the same way when they were teenagers, or when she had been sleeping in Nanu's room, and yet something was different. He no longer had to sneak furtive, sly peeks because he didn't need to hide anymore. He loved her and she loved him.

He didn't want to get out of bed, not with her lying in his arms like this, so he merely propped his head up with his elbow. How many times had he imagined waking up to her in his arms, how many times had he dismissed the thought as an unattainable fantasy - now, no longer. His fingers rose, almost of their own accord, to sweep gently along the side of her face...the rosy curve of her cheek...the slender column of her neck and then the sweet little hollow of her throat. She smiled, wriggling a little at the caress and he stopped immediately.

She blinked open sleepy eyes, the smile evident in them too, "That tickles."

"What, here?" he ran his finger back along her collarbone and she shifted, scrunching up her nose, "Yes, there, stop that."

He grinned, allowing his arm to fall back around her waist, pulling her an infinitesimal amount closer, "You're beautiful in the morning."

"I'm a mess, that's what I am."

"You're a beautiful mess, then," he shrugged and she looked away, smiling, as though a little unsure of what to do with the compliment, but didn't disagree.

"I suppose we should get up now and head down for breakfast?" she suggested, though he could trace a bit of reluctance in her tone.

"What's the rush?" he murmured, rhythmically sweeping his thumb over the indent of her waist.

"Shravan," she laughed a little, pulling out of his grasp and sitting up, "I have work. You have work. Chachi would like it if we ate together as a family, properly. I can hear everyone moving about, right now."

"I'm sure they won't begrudge a newly married couple a little time to spend together as husband and wife," he chucked low in his throat, the sound reverberating deliciously through her. For a brief moment she considered ducking down to kiss him and seeing where it took them both, but then she recalled something quite important.

"The dare."

"The what?"

"We're taking this slowly, remember," she reminded him and he groaned. She laughed in delight at his reaction, "This was your idea."

"I'm starting to regret it, especially with the way you look right now," he grumbled, running his hand through his hair ruefully.

Sumo frowned, confused - the way she looked right now? Oh. She hadn't noticed before, but her nightgown had somehow undone itself in the night, the right sleeve was falling dangerously low off one shoulder and the skirt of it had ridden high up on her legs. "Ahh," her eyes widened, pulling the sleeve back up, but before she could fix the skirt, Shravan reached out and caught one of her legs, tugging her back towards him.

He played with her little toes, running his fingers along the heel of her foot, making her wriggle again, "Shravan, no. You know I'm ticklish there," she said sternly, trying to mask how flustered she was by the fact that the end of her skirt wasn't quite reaching her knees.

"Are you?" he grinned deviously, repeating the motion. She kicked out on reflex and he grabbed her ankle, pulling her back, "Alright, alright. You're ticklish in quite a few places, it's difficult to keep count..." he swirled his thumb across her shin, "How about here?"

"No," she gulped out, forgetting about the dare in the moment.

A slow smile played across his lips as he examined her reaction. "Here?" his hand rose higher to the pliant underside of her calf and her breaths starting coming faster. She wasn't ticklish there...but the soft skin was certainly sensitive to his touch. She shook her head wordlessly and he continued to her knee, bringing her foot to rest against his chest, "Here?"

An insistent knock came at the door and both of them swivelled back immediately, Shravan's head hitting the headboard with a little thunk and Sumo almost falling off the bed in her haste to put as much distance between them as possible. So much for taking things slowly. They looked back at each other, stifling laughter, while Sumo adjusted her skirt and retied her nightgown, before striding over to open the door.

Preeti was there, looking as bright and lovely as she always did, "Good morning, Di!"

"Good morning, Preeti," she smiled back at her sister, in an effort to mask her irritation at the poor timing.

"Mummyji just told me to come up and wake you and Shravan for breakfast, it's getting a little late," her cousin reminded her.

"We'll be down soon, sorry, we just slept in a bit," Sumo responded apologetically, closing the door after Preeti left, only to turn around to be greeted with a very tall, very shirtless, very attractive husband.

She spluttered, "Where's your shirt?"

"Well, I'm going to take a shower so I don't really need it right now," he shrugged casually, though she knew very well he'd removed the black tank just to fluster her, "You want to grab your toothbrush in the meanwhile?"

"Ah...um...yes...yes, I will," she turned abruptly and marched to the bathroom. He followed, smirking behind her, "I'll drop you off to work today and pick you up, if that's good with you?"

"Yes, that would be nice, thank you," she replied stiltedly.

He grabbed a towel and hung it on the rack as she squeezed toothpaste from the tube onto her brush and then popping the latter into her mouth. "Oh, and be ready to be picked up by four."

"Four? Why?" she mumbled, trying to avoid staring at his body and placing her eyes firmly to the wall.

"I'm taking you out on a date," he announced and her eyes flitted to his, "A date?"

"Yes, you know...the things unmarried couples go on..."

"I know what a date is," she spat out her toothpaste in the sink.

"Great," he grinned, "So you'll be ready for it, then?"

"What are we going to do?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out...now, are you going to let me take my shower...or would you like to stay here and watch?"

Her eyes widened and she nearly choked on her toothpaste, immediately rinsing her mouth and hustling out of the bathroom, his laughter echoing behind her.

Sumo hummed to herself, an unconscious smile forming at her lips at work, as she recalled the morning's events and Shravan dropping her off to work. He hadn't tried to take advantage of her susceptibility towards him in the car, instead asking her thoughtful questions about her management over PCT and the investors and clients. He didn't offer any help either, but instead complimented some of her strategies and suggested some of his own in a way that showed how much he genuinely cared.

"Someone's looking very happy today..." Preeta grinned, sidling up to her desk, "So? All's well?"

"All's well," Sumo replied with a content sigh.

"I knew Shravan was always the man for you and now look? You're married and you're happily married, at that."

Happily married, she was. Sumo recalled how he had parked the car in front of PCT and had stolen a swift kiss on the cheek before she left. Her hand went up unconsciously to her cheek and then she froze, suddenly becoming aware of her friend smirking knowingly at her. "Don't you have any work to do?" she huffed, "Go on."

Preeta left, giggling and Sumo shook her head, forcing herself to concentrate back on her work. At this rate, Shravan wouldn't be the first to break...she would.

Shravan parked the car outside PCT, before heading out to pick up his wife. Knowing her, she'd probably still be busy with something or the other. He ducked his head as he entered the room and the women in the kitchen all turned around one by one, giggling as they recognized him and glanced towards Sumo.

His wife was quite unaware of his presence as she stirred something in a pot by the stove, tossing out instructions to one of her staff. He placed a finger to his lips, eyeing Sumo and the rest of the women nodded, pretending to go about their duties. Sumo continued barking out orders in her usual manner as he strolled up behind her, tucking his arms behind his back as he watched her.

"Preeta, remember to - oof!" she turned, colliding with his chest and he quickly hooked an arm around her waist before she fell back. Her hands grasped the collar of his black dress-shirt and she froze, gaping up at him with wide eyes.

"Hello, Mrs. Malhotra," he murmured, not letting go of her just yet, despite the eager onlookers around them.

"Sh-Shravan," she mumbled, gazing up at him for a few seconds more before becoming aware of everyone else around them.

She let go, glaring at Preeta and the rest, "Very nice. So you all kept quiet about him so long?"

"Don't blame them," he squeezed her shoulders, "I told them to."

"Yes, well...that doesn't mean they can switch alliances so easily...I'm the boss!"

"And I'm the boss's husband," he responded, exchanging a grin with Preeta, "Come on, I'm ready to take my wife out on a date."

"Not yet," she wriggled out of his grasp, "I need to make sure all the tiffins are packed before I leave."

"We can manage, Sumo," Preeta insisted, but she shook her head, "No, it'll only take a few minutes."

Shravan had a good feeling she was stalling, but only said, "Alright, fine. But, I'll help, it'll go faster that way."

"You?" his wife gaped at him and he grinned, satisfied, "Do you have a problem?"

"Yes - no - yes - but -" He ignored her spluttered protests and rolled up his sleeves, not missing the way her eyes strayed to his forceps, and calmly walked past her to the rows of empty tiffin boxes, "So can someone tell me what goes where?"

Sumo watched, open-mouthed, as her husband and her staff sorted out tiffin boxes together as though it were an everyday occurrence. He conversed with Preeta and the other women as he scooped rice into the little round stainless steel boxes, rapidly gaining their trust and a sort of ease between them. Whatever ill feelings might have remained after the debacle he had created, when he had come to PCT so long before to tell her their friendship was finished, had clearly dissipated among the women now.

She smiled as she watched him interact with everyone and he glanced up, catching her expression and smiling back in a way that made her insides feel like they were tying themselves up into knots.

She was in trouble now.

"Won't you tell me where we're going?" Sumo bugged for the umpteenth time.

"Nope," Shravan was unrelenting.

"If we're going out somewhere fancy, I'd like to know. I'm not exactly wearing the clothes for it."

"You're perfect."

The words made her warm up inside. He'd been tossing out little phrases like that all day - casually as though he said them everyday, except he didn't. And they were meant just for her.

He finally stopped at the little coffee shop and parked the car, grabbing her hand as soon as she got out of the car and pulling her along beside him as they walked in. She loved the little shop. It was never too busy, especially this time of day. He pulled out her chair for her first and tucked her into the little table before sitting across from her. "What do you want to order?"

"Hmm...I think a pumpkin spice latte would be nice," she smiled and he nodded, placing their orders as the waiter approached. Sumo noted that he was still holding her hand over the table.

"You're not letting go of me, are you?" she said with some amusement.

"Never," he grinned, tightening his hold.

"How was your day at work? Your work, I mean," she clarified.

"The same," he shrugged, "I couldn't really concentrate...a certain wife of mine was on my mind..."

She bit her lower lip, looking away; something bothered her behind the teasing, "You know what I said...about you getting everything from your Papa and never working hard for anything because it all comes easily? I didn't really mean it, you know...I just..."

"I was being an ass and throwing my money at you like your hard work didn't matter, I know," he nodded understandingly, "I never meant to belittle your accomplishments, I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry, too...it's just that now you're working at an office on your own...I mean..." she struggled with phrasing her words correctly, but he seemed to realize what she meant.

"Sumo, when I decided to work independently, yes, that had been partially influenced by what you said. I did want to show you I could accomplish things without Papa's help...but now I still want to accomplish things on my own. Not to prove anything to anyone, but just for myself. And I think in a way, it'll be better to work on my own for a bit...without him...I do love him still, but I can't say I'll ever wholeheartedly trust him as I once did and I think it's best not to work in the same office as him anymore."

She nodded, squeezing his fingers back. The waiter arrived with their drinks and little pastries that Shravan ordered, setting them on the table before leaving.

"So tell me, Mr. Malhotra, why did you bring me here for your date?" she settled back in her chair, relaxing, taking a sip of her latte.

Shravan hesitated for a small moment, "I wanted to take you on the date that should've been."

"You've already told me you love me," she smiled back.

"That's right, but there's no harm in saying it again. And again. I love you. I've held it back for so long, it feels so good to just let it out. There's something else, too..." he put his other hand into his suit jacket, pulling out a tiny box, much to Sumo's astonishment, "I didn't give you the marriage you deserved and I want to make up for that. And starting off, well, I don't think there's a better way than to give you something that makes it quite clear you belong to someone."

She reached out for the box, but he pulled back slightly, "One minute. I just want to say something first." She met his eyes - they were profoundly serious - "I know I've hurt you quite a lot. I made you feel unwanted, unloved...I never want you to feel that way again. You have a family that loves you and you have me, too. I never want you to feel like a burden to me or to anyone else because you do have people you belong with. You belong with me and I don't want you, or anyone else ever doubting that."

She finally took the little box from him with trembling fingers and opened it. There it was. A white-gold wedding ring, wrought as though tied in a knot with a sparking diamond set at its base. It was simple, yet beautiful, not overdone - he knew her and what she liked so well.

She took it out of the box and he reached out, taking it from her, standing up and moving next to her, "May I?" before gently sliding it onto her ring finger with a worried, "I hope it's not too loose -" She cut him off by rising up from her chair and engulfing him in a tight hug, pouring all the things she couldn't begin to express in words into the hug.

She'd never been too good with words and emotions; he could always express himself far better and now, as she swallowed back a lump in her throat and tears in her eyes, burying her face into his chest, she still couldn't say anything. He seemed to understand, though, stroking her hair back with one hand and pressing his lips to the top of her head. If they hadn't been in a public setting, she would've pulled him down for a kiss then and there.

She let go finally, sitting back down in her chair and allowing him to sit back in his. He threaded his fingers back through hers, admiring the way the light glinted off the ring, "I guess you like it, then?"

"I do. I love it. It's beautiful," she said honestly, "Thank you...not just for the ring...but...you know..."

"I never want you to feel alone ever again," he said simply, "I want you to know I'm never letting go of you, never again."

"Promise?"

"Promise," he smiled.

Part 3 | The Memory Box