Raj

I walk her through the garage and open a small room near the main shutter of the garage. I turn on the light to reveal my bike to Thooriga.

"Who's this?" She looks at it surprised and I point at me.

"High power efficient electric bike with advanced AI technology from V&D Automobiles," I explained the features of the bike as I tied the backpack to the back handle of the bike.

Thooriga shrugs her lips, "Ippo mattum marketing panna time irukka Mama unakku?" She folds her arms against her chest and looks around the small room. (So now you have time for marketing?)

I take out the leather jacket from the backpack which I bought for her and give it to her. "Did you notice this building's extended wing next to the stairs which we climb to the second floor?" She nods her head as she takes the jacket from me. "There we have stocked the vehicles for sales."

"Itha nee first ye solli irukkalam," she hugs the jacket instead of wearing it. (You could have answered earlier itself.)

I fold my hands over my head and lower it to my chest level, "Thappu thaan ma, ippo antha jacket, mask appuram intha helmet," I take a helmet from the shelf, "potukita na namma kelambulam." (I'm sorry, if you wear the jacket, mask and helmet, we shall start.)

"Enkitta ye jacket iruke apuram ethuku pudusa?" She wears her jacket as I hop on the bike. (What is the need to buy a new one when I have my own?)

"Yen naan vaangi koduka koodatha?" I unlock the shutter of the small room to go outside the garage and the gate of the establishment using the interface in my bike and mobile. (Can't I buy one for you?)

"Appadi ellam onnum illa," we both wear our helmets before she hops behind me balancing on my shoulders. (Nothing like that.)

"Hold on tight, baby, we are going on for a long ride," Thooriga moves closer and hugs me tight around my waist.

"Where are we going?" I touched her hand before starting my bike.

"To my happy place," I drove out of the garage and the establishment compound. I watch the shutter and gates automatically close behind us through the rear view mirror.

"Mama enakku thookam varuthu, pathu ootu," Thooriga hugged me more tightly and rested her head on my back. (Mama, I'm feeling sleepy, drive carefully.)

I drive out of the estate and the road is dark and empty except for the light from the bike. I always love the night ride but with Thooriga's presence around me, it feels so pleasant.

I hold her hand and rub my thumb against hers doing circles on it as I drive. I take a turn and drive for another fifteen minutes to enter the forest area. This part of the area is less habitable by wild animals so people come here for trekking and camping.

Suddenly a bright light blinds my eyes and I bring the bike to an immediate stop. "Enna aachu mama?" Thooriga wakes up, uncurling her hands and peeps over my shoulder to look front. (What happened, Mama?)

Five dark images get off a jeep and come toward us. "Vandi costly ah irukkum pola" One of the guys tries to touch the head light of the bike and I swat his hand away. (This bike looks costly.)

"Vandi mattum ah pinnadi irukka papa vum costly mari theriyuthu," Another guy commented. I tighten my grip on the handle in anger, before I could react anything, Thooriga taps on my shoulder and locks her eyes with mine through the rearview mirror. Her drowsiness is gone and she is fully awake. Those guys don't look like goons or seem to have any weapons.

She raises from the back seat and holds onto my shoulders, throwing her leg back to get off on the bike and on the way she kicks on the face of the guy who passed a comment on her.

Haan my feisty fireball.

"Ayyayo, Anna, sorry theriyama kallu patuduchu," She apologised and I controlled my smile, maintaining a stone face. I park the bike, get off it and lean on it to watch the show. (Sorry brother, by mistake my leg kicked you.)

"Anna va oorla irukkura ella ponnungalum Anna nu kopita naanga enga poorathu?" The third asked her. (Brother? Where will we go if all the girls in the surroundings call us brother?

"Naan oorla irukura elloaraiyum Anna Anna nu koopiduven aana ivara mattum," she points her finger at me before touching her index fingers together and playing coy, "Mama Mama nu koopiduven." (Except my Mama, I call all other men as Anna.)

"Ohh Mama va," He taunts us in the sense of pimp, "anju peru kooda ore night ena rate?" I lost my cool and punched him in the nose when he was least expecting a reaction from me.

Ivala innum ethana peru mooka odaika pooren nu therila

He lunged back holding his bleeding nose. "Sorry brother, unga mooku mela oru kosau ukanthutu irunthathu," I play cool. (There was a mosquito sitting on your nose.)

"Dei ivanga venum nu agiduranga da," the remaining four come to attack us and I take my boxing pose while Thooriga takes her taekwondo position. (They are purposely hitting us.)

"Athu ungaluku ipothaan puriyutha?" I punch on the first guy's belly and the second guy's face, twisting his hand behind his back and kicking him away. Thooriga kicks on the third one's stomach while elbowing the fourth one on his neck. The one who got a punctured nose came to her and she hit his face with the third one's head.

"Nice technique, baby," I held the hand of the first guy, locking it between my arm and shoulder as I pulled the string from my wrist watch and cut his hand. He will bleed but he'll be alive.

"Mama, Ayudham," she calls out as she tackles the fourth guy.

Aama iva bahubali naan kattappa, action sequence la comedy panitu.

I remove my belt and throw it to her. She catches it, "Love you, mama."

I bend to take the dagger from its sheath inside my socks but stop, "What did you say?"

Thooriga curls the belt around the fourth guy's neck and chokes him as she kicks the crotch of the third guy.

"What did I say?" She releases the fourth guy when he becomes unconscious and pants heavily.

The second guy comes to attack me, I bend down and take my dagger this time. "Belt ah vangunathum, etho soniye athu enna?" I stab his thigh and calf repeatedly, not going deep. (When you got the belt you said something, What's that?)

Thooriga stops her fight and without turning she lies, "Thank you, nu sonnen, mama." I lunge on the fifth guy who finally rises up and comes to attack her. She clearly said 'love you' but now she is changing it to 'Thank you'.

"Ava enna sonna nu nee keetiya?" I poke his biceps with my dagger. (Did you listen to what she said?)

"Ayyayyo naan inga valila kathitu irunthen. You mattum thaan enakku ketathu," he writhes in pain. I place the dagger back in the sheath inserted inside the socks and take the gun from my back.

Seeing the gun, all the five guys panic. The other four guys helped each other to stand up while I pointed the gun at the temple of the fifth guy, "Nee enna sonna nu unmaiya solla poriya illa ivana podava?" I looked at Thooriga. (Are you going to tell the truth or should I kill him?)

"Mama, naan thank you nu thaan sonnen," she gives her hurt puppy looks. (Mama, I said Thank you, only.)

"Anna Anna sandaila sathiyama Anni sonatha kekala na, engala utrunga na naanga odi poidrom," With the helmet on, I'm unable to decipher her facial expression other than her eyes. With her eyes I can clearly say Thooriga is maintaining her innocent look as she knows I won't shoot this guy. But she got excited when they addressed her as sister-in-law. (Brother Brother, in the adrenaline rush of the fight we didn't listen properly to what our sister-in-law said. Please leave us, we will go away.)

I release the guy in my hold and he scurry off to his friends. They all get into their jeep and drive off. I walked past her, got on my bike and Thooriga followed me, "Mama, avan enna sonna nu keetiya?" I smile to myself as I decide to pay her back by playing innocent. (Mama, did you hear what he said?)

"Illa ma, koovathula kaathula ethuvum vizhala. Unakku adi ethum padalaiye?" I can feel her annoyance as her fingers press hard on my shoulders. (No dear, I didn't hear clearly with my anger. Did you get hurt anywhere?)

"Nothing."

"Hold on tight, we will reach our destination in ten minutes." Thooriga wraps her around my waist and I start the short ride.

Act as much as you want, kitty. But you will spill those words again before we leave this forest.

Thooriga

Seriously Thooriga? Do you have to say 'love you, mama' twice within a day? That too when he was fully conscious.

How can you do this before he says it out loud?

At least he blurted out thinking that I had slept. Today morning, the word love was almost at the tip of his tongue but he changed it to like. Gratefully, those guys didn't hear what I said but Raj was very sure that I didn't say Thank you.

But suddenly he turned so casual, why is that?

A huge compound appears on the way and Raj stops the bike in front of the gigantic iron gate. He takes out his mobile and feeds something. The gate opens and he drives the bike inside the compound. I look back to find the gate closing automatically behind us.

The bike rides on a driveway lit by street lights every twenty metres. The driveway must be ten metres wide and clear of stones and rough soil. A beautiful two storey house structure appears at the end of the driveway. This place is so peaceful compared to the mansion and I immediately get off the bike when Raj parks his bike in front of the house.

"A cabin house in the middle of the forest!!" I look around the surroundings as Raj unties his backpack from the bike. "Yaaroda place ithu?" I remove the helmet and the mask. (Who's place is this?)

A beautiful garden with wildflowers is maintained to the left side of the house while there is a hanging chair with cushions on the right side of the porch and a small patio coffee table set on the left side.

"Joint property of mine and Siva's." Raj pulls me towards him and wraps his hands around my waist. "We bought this area and constructed it some six years back when he was in Coimbatore." He plants a kiss on lips before lifting me in his arms.

"Wow. Is this your surprise?" He nods his head at me. "Inga snakes ellam varam ah?" I wrap my hands around his neck as he walks up the porch. (Do snakes visit here?)

"Varathu, compound interior, driveway appuram veedu suthi sarpagantham plant pani irukom," He stood in front of the door. "Kathava thora." (Nope around the compound, driveway and house we have planted Indian Snakeroot) (Open the door.)

"How?" I looked at him confused.

"Like you usually open a door by sliding down the door handle." I try but it doesn't open, "Press your thumb fully on the lever head." I follow his instructions and this time the door opens.

Raj crosses the threshold and enters into the dark house. He slides me down and turns on the lights, air-conditioner and fireplace. The house is compact with a staircase to the left of the door. On the right side, there are two doors and an open kitchen. A seven seater corner sofa is placed in the middle of the living room facing Television on the left side wall. The fireplace is located between the staircase and the television.

Raj walks behind me and holds my waist by inserting his left hand inside my top. He slides my hair to my right as he moves his left hand to my abdomen, pulling me back into him.

"Did you know how hot you were when you fought those guys?" He kisses my neck and I feel his need on my lower back.

"Inga paambu ellam varathu nu sonna?" I tease him and receive a spank on my butt. (You said that snakes won't come here?)

"Vaalu," He removes my jacket and hangs it on the coat hanger near the door, followed by his jacket. "I wanted to take you then and there itself but it was getting late for us to reach here," He walks past me and enters the kitchen, "Also I need to cook dinner for us." He takes out ingredients from the backpack.

I raise my eyebrows, "Ohh, a date night ah mama?" He gives me my phone and the backpack. (Is it a date night?)

"Poi anga pathrama vai," He pointed at the dining table opposite the kitchen. "Nee solavanthathai kekama unna kasta paduthunen la athukku oru apology maari athu mattum illa ma Mansion la privacy konjam illa la, so thaniya irukalam nu," He scratches his head. (Keep it there, carefully. This is to apologise for not listening to you completely and hurting you. Also, in Mansion we get enough privacy. So a place for only two of us to be alone.)

"Ohh date night ah rendu vithama soldra," I place his backpack on the dining table and walk back into the kitchen, "Atha ozhunga othukalam la." I hit him on his biceps. (Ohh! You are defining the date night in two statements. Can't you just accept it?)

Raj pulls me to him and locks me between him and the kitchen counter, locking my hands behind me, he tries to kiss me but I turn my face away. He tries again and I avoid him again but he holds my jaw. "Aama date thaan pothuma?" he crushes his lips against me and releases my hand. (Yes,it's a date. Enough?)

I kiss him back and he lifts me, making me sit on the kitchen counter. His one hand supports my neck and the other enters my top and cups my breast as I try to pull up his sweatshirt. But Raj breaks the kiss and moves back. "Just give me forty minutes, everything is instant, I'll finish cooking and set the table. Then I'm all yours and you are mine," He moves his hand up my thighs but I swat his hand away and jump down the counter.

Though Raj took me on top of his office table, a couple of nights before, I missed the love making and chemistry between us. Until the estate visit mishap, there was only power competition between us. Just now, my Raj is back, the playful, lovable Raj and how can I stay away from him. But if he has planned something special for me, I can wait.

"You want to cook, aren't you? Then cook fastly." I take my mobile to play songs but find the battery is low. "Charger iruka?" I try to move out of the kitchen. (Do you have a charger?)

"Hey kovama?" He blocks my way. (Are you angry?)

"Illa, Mama. Nee seekiram ah cook panna seekiram ah onna time spend panalam la athan," I rise on my toes and kiss him on his right cheek. (No Mama, If you finish cooking early we can spend more time, that's why.)

"Dining table pakathula iruka oru almira irukku paru anga multi pin charger iruku," He pulls back and searches the cabinet. (There is a multi pin charger near the almira next to the dining table.)

"Enna thedura?" I walk up to the almira and check for the charging pins. (What are you searching for?)

"Apron." I plug-in my mobile to charge and turned to look at him.

"You are going to cook..." I walk back into the kitchen and check the packets, "Instant Lasagna and pasta. Why do you need a Apron?"

"Though I'm going to cook instant foods, my dress will get dirty when I have to saute it," He finds the apron and wears it.

"Dress ah kalatita kooda dress azhuku agathu, Mama." I open the cheese packet and cut a small piece from it. (Even if you undress, your dress won't become dirty.)

"Unnakku vara vara kozhipu romba jasti agiduchu, iru urukiduren." Raj turns on the OTG and preheats it. (Nowadays your fat calories have increased, wait, I'll burn it off.)

"I'm waiting, Mama." I push the piece of cheese into my mouth, locking my eyes with him. Raj bangs his hand on the kitchen counter before placing a pot on the stove and turns on the burner.

My Alpha male macho man mama is full on teenage lover boy mode. How will I miss teasing him?

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Next update might be a dual update and I'm still recovering. So I request you all to kindly wait until for the next update.

And sorry, I couldn't read and reply to many of your comments in the previous chapter. I'll read them soon and reply before tonight.

Thank you

Love

RK Tejaswi (a) Preethi TC

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