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“I'll check on Mom,” Maya said, getting up.
As she did, her ankle twisted and she toppled onto Ranveer's lap. She instinctively curled against his hard chest.
“I'm sorry,” she murmured, trying to move but he held her there, his finger trailing her parted lips. One spark from her set him ablaze, moth to flame. She gasped for air as his hand trailed her leg, then grasped behind her knees. Lifting her, he strode towards her mother’s bedroom as she struggled to breathe.
“Ranveer,” she pleaded nervously. At her mother’s room door, he set her down.
Maya's breath caught as Ranveer's intense gaze bored into hers. He advanced towards her slowly, like a panther stalking its prey. She retreated until her back hit the wall, trapped. Maya's pulse raced wildly as he caged her again in between his arms.
“Why do you always run away from me?” Ranveer's voice was low and gritty. His warm breath grazed her ear, eliciting tremors.
“I don't run,” Maya whispered, but it sounded unconvincing even to her own ears.
Ranveer gave a knowing smile. His fingers gently tilted her chin up. “Your eyes tell me differently. You want this as much as I do.”
Maya's lips parted but no words came out. She couldn't deny the magnetic pull between them, the raw hunger simmering under the surface.
Ranveer lowered his head agonizingly slowly. Maya's eyelids fluttered closed in anticipation. His nose brushed against hers, nuzzling. She quivered, ready to combust.
“One word from you and I'm lost,” he rasped. Maya remained silent, afraid to utter the words that would seal both their fates.
Ranveer's thumb traced her bottom lip. “I'll wait until you're ready. No matter how long it takes.” His quiet promise resonated within her.
With monumental effort, Ranveer withdrew, leaving Maya breathless and wanting. The fire between them was inevitable. As soon as he left, Maya entered her mother’s room and locked the doors with trembling fingers.
Garima was speaking to someone on the phone and she sounded very disturbed and in pain. She was so engrossed in talking that she didn’t even realize Maya’s presence in the room.
“No, you listen to me, Vivek. I am not going to let you meddle with Maya’s life. I was alone all these years without you, but I won’t let Maya face that vacuum anymore. She deserves a man who loves her, respects her, cares for her. And I won’t let anyone else snatch her happiness. This time if you and Adira try to separate them or hurt my daughter, I will not forgive you.”
She hung up and threw her phone away on the bed. She turned around only to find Maya standing at the door with teary eyes.
“Maya,” Garima whispered looking at her dejected. “I am sick of all this. How can Vivek talk so low about you. He thinks Ranveer is using you. That’s not true. How can he be so judgmental? I told him you both are tying a knot very soon. But he didn’t believe me.”
“Mom,” Maya rushed to Garima to ease her panic state. “Relax. Drink some water.”
“No,” Garima clutched her hand. “Ranveer wants to marry you, I know it.”
“Mom please.”
“But men change,” Garima continued to shiver. “Men change Maya. Their thoughts change. What if… what if Ranveer also... No.”
Maya was puzzled what to reply.
“What will you do then? I don’t want you to face a life which I did.”
Tears rolled down Maya’s cheeks seeing her condition. She was very serious this time with respect to Ranveer and Maya’s relationship and if things didn’t work out, she would be hurt brutally.
“Mom please. Believe me. Nothing will go wrong. You want to see me happy? I’ll be happy. I promise.”
“I know you will be happy. Ranveer will keep you happy. He is a good man. He is a good man.”
Maya gave Garima her medicines and put her to sleep. She sat next to her sleeping mother for some time, thinking. There had to be a permanent solution to fix her mother’s worry. Men change. Yes, they do. We all do. Her mother was recovering; and Maya couldn’t push her into another stressful state because of her delay in responding to Ranveer’s proposal. It’s high time she had to take a stand for all three of them.
Next Day – Malhotra Group Office
“Let’s get married.”
Ranveer raised his head from his laptop screen and looked at her, bewildered. Was this a dream? Was he hallucinating her saying this coming to his office at the peak hours? And what kind of proposal was this? She didn’t make any conversation, just announced her desire to marry him? Just like that?
