Thooriga

I get into the car and sit between Tanya and Tina, and they both hug me. "Did you know how much we both got afraid when you sent the message?" Tina says with a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry, I wouldn't do it again." I murmur. They nod and sit back. In the four years of our friendship, they know me very well. They know when to talk and when not to.

I look straight and my eyes lock with Raj's in the rearview mirror. He didn't break the trust of my parents or mine, he was just trying hard to protect me and keep my whereabouts a secret.

He didn't hide anything from me, he wanted me to stay away from him and it almost happened.

Then why did he feel the need to explain about himself?

He could have continued to behave as he was trying to avoid me. But he chose to explain everything to me. As I said to him, I never expected him to be a celibate, after all he was and is the infamous playboy of Harshavardhan Estate, nope in and around Ooty.

For him, my feeling was just a little girl's childhood crush. But in the past ten years, my feelings for him have increased a million fold. I wouldn't lie that my stomach didn't flutter seeing a good looking guy. But that fluttering feeling never stayed for more than a few seconds. I couldn't crush on any other guy and couldn't date a guy who approached me, because Raj was rooted deeply in my heart.

What if he got married in the past ten years?

The question which Tanya asked me before the flight landed has always been my biggest hidden fear. It would have shattered me if he was married. But I wouldn't have been selfish to think he shouldn't have a family of his own. After all, he too lost his only family, his father in the bomb blast that killed my parents.

I just had a small ray of hope that the universe would make him wait for me to shower him with all the love he deserves. I want to be his family and I will make him my family.

Raj turns as if he had heard my thoughts and when he looks at my friends, I realise they have fallen asleep on my shoulders. He raises the privacy screen and turns off the light. I lean back on the head rest and close my eyes. The memory of Raj's kiss in the dark alley flashes in my mind.

Though he kissed me for just a couple of seconds, it was a shearing kiss, it had so much hunger that robbed me of my breath. It felt like he wanted to kiss more, I wanted him to kiss me. For a second my anger on him ceased when he pressed his lips against mine. But he restrained himself from continuing to kiss me.

How long has he been wanting to kiss me?

Raj

It's almost 11:00 PM when we reach the Harshavardhan Mansion. I asked Jagan to park the limo in front of the side porch which is near the Heiress suite instead of the main porch. I open the car door to find all three of the girls fast asleep. The flight from the Netherlands, the trips to Coimbatore and shopping could have taken a toll on him.

I want to wake them up, I can't leave them to sleep in the car at the same time, I don't have a heart to disturb their sleep.

"Enna aachu boss, Heiress ennum car la irunthu eerangala?" Sabarish comes from behind and asks me. (What happened boss? Why hasn't the Heiress got down from the car yet?)

I gesture at him to be quiet and he repeats the same question in a low voice. "Moonu perum nalla thoongu ranga," I answered him. (All three of them are fast asleep)

"Apo ezhupi vida vendiyathu thaane." (Then wake them up)

I release a frustrated breath, "Enaku theriyatha aana tired la thoongitu irukanga athuku dhaan yosikuren," (You are talking as if I don't know that. They are sleeping tiredly after all the travel and shopping. That's why I'm hesitant to wake them up)

"Apo vaanga aaluku orutharu thookitu poolam. Neenga Heiress ah thookikonga, nan avanga friend Tanya va thookikuren, Jagan kopitu Tina va thokika soluvom," He moves to signal at Jagan who is waiting in the car to park it after the girls get down, but I stopped him. (Then lets each one of us carry them to their rooms, You carry the Heiress, I'll carry Tanya and we can call Jagan to carry Tina)

"Enna nenachitu iruka nee? Eppadi nee Heiress oh illa avanga friends ah thodalam? Veetla yaaruna paatha nammala konnu poothachiduvaanga" (What are you thinking? How can you touch the Heiress or her friends? If any of the family members see it, they will kill and bury us)

He gives me a surprised look, "Neenga mattum Heiress ah thollula thookitu pooneenga" and I give him a shocked look (But you walked carrying a struggling Heiress thrown on your shoulders)

How did he know? I turned off the wireless lapel seeing Thooriga defending herself and finding an opportunity to explain myself to her.

"I saw you carrying the Heiress, when you crossed a gap between two buildings. I tried to reach you but your communication was not connecting. So I thought you had turned off as you wanted to do something which others do not want to know. And by the way, what did you do?"

"Naan onnum pannala," I lie with gritted teeth. How can I tell him that I kissed her to make her listen to me. "Verum avangaluku letters eppadi anupunen, avangala pathi security details eppadi therinjukitten nu sonnen." (I did nothing, I just shared how I sent her letters and how I checked over her security details.)

"Apadiye va sonnenga?" I glared at him as I knew what he was asking about. The entire estate knows about my reputation and he knows additional information about it. (Did you say every detail?)

"Avangala ulla kootitu varama ennum enna panitu irukeenga?" We hear Rudhran's voice and give space for him to peek into the car. (What are you doing instead of bringing them into the house?)

I explain to him about the situation and he goes with Sabarish's idea of carrying them but with a little change. He'll be carrying Thooriga and I should carry Tina. In our childhood, Rudhran and I used to tussle to take care of baby Thooriga or to play with her until we both left for our college education.

He leans into the car and thinks for a moment before placing his hand under Tina's head and lifting her face off Thooriga's shoulder.

Ena pandran ivan? (What is he doing?)

Sabarish and I look at each other and back into the car. Suddenly Tina blinks open her eyes and they go wide looking Rudhran at close proximity and his hand cupping her face. She opens her mouth to scream but he clamps his palm over her mouth silencing her.

She looks sideways to Thooriga and Tanya and nods her head. Rudhran leans back of the car and Tina gets down from the car. But she leaned on Thooriga's knees while getting down which woke her up and Tanya in the process.

Sutham (Great)

"Sorry, naan thoongitu iruka Thooriga va thookitu pogalam nu aana unga thala ah..." Rudhran struggles to explain himself but Tina doesn't let him finish and walks away saying it's fine. (Sorry, I just wanted to carry away the sleeping Thooriga but your head...)

"Iva yenna ivlo vegama poora?" Thooriga wonders as she and Tanya get down from the car. (Why is she walking away so fast?)

"Maybe she is in urgent need to answer nature's call."

Thooriga nods and they walk up to their rooms as we follow them. They both hug each other and wish good night before leaving for their respective rooms. I follow her into the suite and say "Have a good night, Heiress" for which she nods curtly and enters her room.

I change into a pair of sweats before I take my position in front of the computer, watching her through the CCTV camera. She walks out of the closet, dressed for the bed in a long shirt that almost reaches her knees and turns off the light before she lies down to sleep. I can still see her through the night vision CCTV camera.

Soon, Thooriga falls asleep, and I couldn't resist myself from zooming in on her and admiring the way she looks beautiful while sleeping. A wave of guilt hits me when I think that she is the same little baby, at whom I looked and adored the way she looks beautiful while sleeping.

But her beauty sleep couldn't last long as fireworks start blasting when it hits twelve wishing for her birthday. Thooriga sits up straight scared, breathing heavily, closing her ears and crying out, "No, no, no, please someone stop it, please." I can hear her through the microphone fixed to the camera.

I call Sabarish and order him to find out and stop the one who is bursting fireworks and runs to Thooriga's aid. I hesitantly sit on her bed facing her and cover her hands with mine, trying to calm her. I state everything will be fine, and the fireworks will stop soon.

Thooriga slowly opens her eyes and looks at me. She climbs on to my lap and hugs me tightly and sobs on my shoulder as she did ten years back when we both lost our loved ones. I hug her back, smoothing her hair and rubbing her back, telling her everything will be fine soon until the sounds go off.

At this moment there was no guilt or regret in my heart but only the care for her. The foolish mind of mine wants her to feel that there couldn't be a safe place in the world other than my arms. I don't understand where that selfish thought came from, but it did. The fireworks stop after a few minutes and I get a confirmation message from Sabarish.

"Relax Heiress, the fireworks have stopped," I say, rubbing her back. After a while, her sobbing wears off slowly and Thooriga pulls back to look at me. Her face is close to mine, and her legs are straddling on both sides of me as she is almost sitting on my lap. Lots of emotions pass through her face and her breathing hitch. It feels as if the time has stopped when she slowly, very slowly brings her lips down to mine.

The moment our lips touch, the floodgates to my loins open and get filled with pure desire for Thooriga. Her kiss not only kindles my desire for her, but also something inside me, which I couldn't name. Her kiss is so pure and innocent. Earlier when she kissed me it was just a strong peck on my lips and I thought that she did that to get on to me. Later when I kissed to shut her, I thought she didn't kiss me back in anger.

But now, I realize that she doesn't even know how to kiss properly. It only proves that she hadn't been with a guy. I have seen names of a few boys in the list of people she is friends with and did their background check too. I thought one of them could have been more than just a friend, but now it seems like I'm wrong.

No, this is wrong, and it must not be me, it must be someone else and especially not at this moment.

I pull back, but she says, "Please, Raj, nee indha situation la advantage edukala aana enaku ithu venum." (I want this now, you are not taking advantage of the situation.)

"No Heiress, it's not only that, but you seem..." unable to finish the sentence, "I'm not the right person for your first time," I say heavy heartedly even though my illogical mind wants her badly at this very moment.

"No one is the right person for me other than you, Raj. I have been saving myself only for you to be my first," she says.

For a moment I go speechless, as an unfamiliar emotion wells up in my heart. I don't think about anything but pull her face down saying, "First, let me teach you how to kiss." Her lips curl up with a heartfelt smile which I capture between my lips.

I suck her upper lip as Thooriga follows suit by sucking my lower lip. Then I release her upper lip only to catch her lower and suck it. In the twenty years of experience in kissing, this is my first time to kiss raw lips without any lipsticks. The natural taste of her lips is making me want to taste more of her. I want her to cherish this moment while I cherish her delicious lips.

I lick on her lower lip before nibbling it with my teeth to pull her lips open. She gasps as I insert my tongue into her lips to taste every corner of her mouth.

My right hand sweeps into her soft hair and clutches it tightly to angle her face as my other hand moves down her back to feel the globe of her butt. Our tongues twist and dance with each other, licking and tasting one another as she follows my every action.