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Veda smiled, her heart lightening. “I would like that.”
He kissed the top of her head and stepped back. “Don’t ever put yourself down again,” he told her softly. “I refuse to allow anyone to put you down, including you.”
And now her heart was swelling like a balloon. She honestly thought it was going to burst out of her chest and fly off to the sky.
“I have to go now,” he told her, making no attempt to move.
“Then go.” She waited but he continued to stand there, looking at her, his eyes seemingly riveted to her face.
“I have to go too,” she said, pointing her thumb at the bathroom door behind her. “Get ready for rehearsal.”
He nodded. “I won’t forget our plans the next time,” he said now, clearly not yet done whipping himself over his mistake.
Her heart melted at the thought of the pressure he put on himself to be perfect all the time. What must it be like to carry the weight that he did? What could she do to help ease the burden?
“Don’t worry about it, sugarplum,” she told him, allowing a teasing smile to surface. “I’ll remind you.”
He laughed, a hard bark of sound. “Sugarplum?” he asked, brows shooting up.
“You were being sweet,” she offered. “For like two seconds.”
Agastya laughed harder; deep chuckles that made her feel strangely proud of herself. She’d done that. She’d managed to lighten his load for just a moment, to make him laugh and forget about the world he was trying to save.
“When do you get back from Delhi?” she asked.
“Thursday evening.”
Two days. Two whole days without him. She already missed him with a vengeance even though he was standing right in front of her.
“So, Thursday night dinner?” she asked.
“I would love that.” Agastya inclined his head in agreement.
“So,” she said waiting.
“So,” he countered smiling.
Veda laughed. “I thought you had to leave.”
“I do.” His gaze wandered over her, making her skin heat. “But I don’t want to.”
“Say goodbye Agastya. You have to go be Agastya Kodela for the rest of the world.”
“I’d rather stay right here and be your sugarplum.” For a brief moment the ridiculousness of his words sank in and he looked horrified. And then Veda started to laugh and Agastya could do nothing but join in.
“Goodbye Agastya.” She stretched up on to the tips of her toes and kissed him softly. His lips moved and coaxed hers into opening for him, deepening the kiss. Veda drew back, breaking the contact, her breath choppy. If they went down this road, neither of them was going to work.
“Say goodbye,” she whispered, her hands clenching in his kurta.
Agastya pressed his forehead to hers, his grip on her tightening. “Goodbye Veda.”
She kissed him again, a gentle caress that spoke of all the love she kept closeted in her heart. Agastya shuddered in her arms.
“Say goodbye and mean it.” She let go and stepped away. One of them had to behave responsibly and unexpectedly, it seemed to be her.
She saw him pull himself together, a formidable sight as the last hints of open vulnerability and longing disappeared from every line of his face and body.
He took a deep breath and nodded. “Goodbye Veda Kodela.”
