Alex's POV

The CEO invited me to his mansion for dinner. I was sitting there physically but my entire focus was on the mobile I left back at the hotel room.
It was a small party at his place and he wouldn't let me leave.
It was almost 4 am when I finally left. I rushed back to the hotel room.

I picked the phone only to find that its battery was drained. I remembered leaving my charger in the jet. I hated myself. I wanted to call her directly. But I knew I had to read that message first to know what was on her mind. This sucked!

The airport was far away. I decided to run to the reception to look for help.
"Hey! Do you by any chance have an iPhone charger?"
I asked the reception guy.
"Sorry Sir. I don't."

"Anyone here that you know of?"
I looked desperate.

"No Sir. But still I will check and let you know. Will call you on the intercom."

"Sure."
What a waste! I ran around to check for anyone else. But this definitely wasn't the hour when people would be waiting out in the lobby.
I checked a couple of floors restlessly and then it struck me to check the parking lot.

I rushed out to the parking lot. But could find no one. It was almost 5 am.
Ananya must have slept by now. I hope she did.
Anxious for any available option I spotted a car with its light on.
Oh Bless the driver Lord!
"Hello! Open up."

He brought down the window and said.
"How may I help you young man?"
He was a man in his early 50's may be. He was busy doing something on his mobile.

"Sir, I need a cell phone charger for IPhone urgently. Someone is waiting for my call back at home."

"Oh come in Son. I sure have one."
My face brightened up. He opened the door and I stepped inside the car.

He had plugged in the car charger and offered the same to me.
"Thank you. I owe you one Sir."

I observed he was using an older model of iPhone.
"What are you doing outside waiting in the car?"

"My boss's son is visiting Paris. I drove him here from Marseille. Thats a beautiful city too. He partied all night and we just returned to the hotel. He went inside to his room. I am sure he will sleep tight now all day long."

"And what about you? Will you just wait outside and sleep in the car?"
I felt a little bad for this gentleman who had been nothing but kind to me.

"He is the boss." He said with a grin.

Not sure what got into me. I quickly opened the door. I took out the charger, that's what was my need of the hour.
" Son? What's wrong?"
He looked puzzled. I went to his side of the car and opened the door from outside.

"You helped me sir and this is just a small token of gratitude from my side. And you cannot say no. Come with me."

I brought him inside the hotel and booked a room adjacent to mine for him.
"Now you can sleep better. Order anything you want and everything you need. Bill is on me."
Now it was his turn. His eyes filled with water and shimmered in the light.

"You didn't have to do it."

"I wanted to Sir."

"You are a big man. Rich man. Don't call me Sir."

"For now you are the one who helped me. Tell me who is bigger now? You helped a stranger in need. And your trust in humanity should be rewarded." I hugged him.

"Thank you young man. Now you can speak to the one you love so much."

Yes. The battery was a little charged now. I told him I would keep the charger a little longer. We both walked upto our rooms together and then parted ways.

I quickly switched on my phone.

8 unread messages and 5 missed calls.
4 calls were from Mom. 1 from Ananya.

The messages!!. I quickly swiped my way into the inbox.
But all my excitement was drained in a minute.

The last text from her said.
"I am sorry to have said that. I didn't mean it. You can do anything. You can choose to be with anyone you like. Its your life. You don't need my permission or anything. Sorry to have pestered you with all the emotional crap. I will see you when you get back. Sorry to have said I hate Katherine. I will try to be nicer to her. For you."

She doesn't care. May be what she said about being my wife, the kiss, everything was just a funny remark. She didn't really mean it.
I took a deep breath and laid back on the bed with the phone still in my hand.
I plugged in the charger on the side of the bed and put the charging pin on as I moved to the previous message.

"You know its a little rude of you to not reply. Or may be you are busy with Katherine. I guess she has reached Paris. I don't wish to disturb you two."
What? No! There is no Katherine here. I stopped her from reaching here. I handled it all alone. Why does she think I was with her?

The moved to the message before that and it read, "I know I said you can only kiss your wife till the time I am your wife, but you can go ahead and kiss anyone you want. I will not be in your way. We know under what condition we got married."

I kept the phone down on the side table. All my excitement was for nothing. She didn't mean it. I was wrong in assuming things. I laid back and covered my eyes with my arm, placing it on my forehead.
My heart was pacing with anxiety before reading these messages and now after having read them it was as if it stopped.
I was reluctant to read any further.
I tightly closed my eyes remembering all the conversations we had before I left for the high tea.
Suddenly I realised, I read them all wrong.
I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling.
I read them in reverse order. I read the latest message first. I didn't read in the order I received them.
I fumbled a little with the phone. Thank god! It did not fall on the ground and break.
I quickly scrolled through the messages and reached the very first one I had missed.
I was in for a pleasant surprise.

"What happened? Don't tell me I am too late now. And you have decided to move on."
No no! I haven't moved on. I love my wife I thought as I moved to the next message.

"I was hoping we could work on our relationship. You have always been the best husband and fulfilled all the duties of one. Now its my turn to play my role right."
My hearts content knew no bounds. The smile returned to my face. My heart was again beating like a drum.

"I don't want you to be conscious when you touch me. I am sorry for what happened on the last day of our honeymoon. I wasn't ready then. But I don't want you to hold on anymore. You have every right on it. I am all yours."
She is all mine? Does she really mean that? I missed her terribly in that moment. I wish to have heard that in person. I wanted to look into her eyes when she said that.

"Ofcourse if you haven't already moved on."
No I haven't moved on. This sucked. I hated myself for leaving the phone behind. She must have already slept by now. No response from me must have made her sad. She thinks I am with Katherine.

"Why are you not replying Alex? I don't wish to put you in a fix. You know its your decision now and no matter what it is, it will not change anything between us. We will always be friends. Best friends."
I quickly scrolled down through the next messages and realised what the messages I read before really meant and where did it all come from.

"I know I said you can only kiss your wife till the time I am your wife, but you can go ahead and kiss anyone you want. I will not be in your way. We know under what condition we got married."

"You know its a little rude of you to not reply. Or may be you are busy with Katherine. I guess she has reached Paris. I don't wish to disturb you two."

"I am sorry to have said that. I didn't mean it. You can do anything. You can choose to be with anyone you like. Its your life. You don't need my permission or anything. Sorry to have pestered you with all the emotional crap. I will see you when you get back. Sorry to have said I hate Katherine. I will try to be nicer to her. For you."

I was all so excited and I started jumping on the bed. I had to talk to her. Right now! I wanted to hear her sweet voice. But realising what time it was I decided to wait.
But I could always messager her. She needs to know why I couldn't respond.

I put back the phone on charge and started typing.

"Hey beautiful!! I am sorry I couldn't message before. I had to leave for a client meeting and I left my phone back at the hotel room. When I returned my phone was dead and I had no charger. Then a noble man helped me and so now I am writing to you. Hope you are deep in your sleep by now. All 3 of my Babies need their sleep time."

I didn't say anything about her messages. I thought I better talk to her. But then my heart wouldn't stop beating up my brain to send it all in.
I waited for 5 mins and there was no reply from her. She was indeed asleep.
Still I thought of sending her my heart's message so that she gets it the moment she's up.

"Dear Ananya, I so wish I could have been there right now. I just wanted to hold you in my arms. I can't tell you how happy I am. I can't wait for you to wake up."
I pressed send.
What a wonderful feeling it was to feel love from the person that you have loved for so long.

Suddenly my phone beeped. She was up!
I checked her message immediately.

"I am up."

We are still playing on messages then.

"You had your dinner? How are my babies doing?"
And then the streak of messages began.
"Yes. They are fine."

"Are you just going to answer my questions? Don't you have anything to say?"

"No."

She is playing hard to get now. I love her so much.

"Ok. I will just go and talk to Katherine then."

"What is she doing there? No. You are not going anywhere. Talk to me."

I had a good laugh. I tried calling her but she did not pick up

"Lets just message." She messaged. Didn't make any sense but alrighty then.

"Did you really mean what you said in your messages? Will you really be giving US a chance? Hope this doesn't have anything to do with what I may have did or said in the past few days. I don't want you to, in any way, feel emotionally obligated for committing to this relationship. We already have everything that a husband wife should essentially have. I don't mind it to be this way if thats what makes you comfortable and happy."

For a long time there was no response. I felt like calling her and checking on her. But then thought she must have fell asleep.
A new message notification brightened my phone screen.
"Alex. I meant every word. And not under any obligation. I want more. I want to respect this relationship that we have stepped into, together. I want to be your companion for life."

This one was still sinking in when the next message came in.

"I am waiting for you to return. Come home soon."

Woo hoo!!! My heart was thumping with joy. We were finally there together. I have my chance and I will never waste it. I will never let her down for the trust she has put in me.
I love you Ananya. And you have made me the happiest man today.

**************************************
Ananya's POV

"Mom. I have eaten enough. I am all full. Please no more."

"You have not been eating well. But alright for now. You will be eating again in a couple of hours. I want my grand kids to be really healthy."
I blushed a little and it certainly did not go unnoticed.

"Well someone is blushing a lot today. Anything I am missing out here?"
That made me go completely red. She read my mind.

"No. I am happy to be here with you."

Alex was returning home today evening.
I was all excited but at the same time I was feeling a little shy. The equation between me and Alex was about to change and the anticipation of the change was making me nervous.

We have been chatting over messages for past two days now.
He has been a little naughty over the chat and believe it or not, just his texts were making my stomach grumble with anxiety.
To be honest I was scared. I want to see him badly but at the same time knowing what might happen when he comes back had my heart racing.

"Where are you lost my dear? All your attention is on the phone. Tomorrow is Alex's Birthday. And you were so worried about what to gift him. Have you finalised anything yet? You need my help?"

"Yes? No. Sorry. I mean I will manage."

She started laughing. Indeed my attention was on the phone.
"God knows what you are upto. But hope you remember we all are having breakfast at your place tomorrow."

I was again lost in my phone. Smiling to myself.
"Yes. Yes. I remember."

"I think I will speak to Maria. You are not yourself today. And I don't want to see a family of hungry people tomorrow."
Mom left me in the room and went out to make some calls.

I messaged Alex.

"Don't do this. Stop saying these things. I am here at the mansion. And its clearly evident on my face. You started from Paris? Mom was expecting a call from you. You should call her."
I pressed send and ran outside to help Mom.

"Dear. Lets go to your place and we can instruct the event planners for the final touch ups." Mom said.

"Yes Mom. I am ready."
I was chirping. Exceptionally happy and bouncy.

"Slow down my dear. You are not alone. What am I going to do with you two?. You both are still little babies. And you are having babies of your own."
She tapped her hand on her forehead.

Mom received a call and I knew it must be Alex.
She was speaking to him when she suddenly turned towards me and clicked a picture of me. It was strange.

"Here talk to him. He wants to speak to you. He sked for your picture." She winked at me and left.

My feet were shaky. I suddenly felt shy and even when he was not around, my head bowed in submisson. I said shyly
"Hello"
I waited for him to say something.
But the line went silent.
"Alex. You there?"

"Yes my love. I am here. I just wanted to hear you call my name."
His voice never had this effect on me. A strange current ran through my entire body.
"I am on my way sweetheart and I promise you, I intend to make this night memorable for both of us. Love you."
The line went off.
But this strange fear gripped me. My heart was pounding hard.
Its Alex. I reminded it. I trust him more than I trust myself.

I smiled to myself picturing the night for a moment and ran after Mom to catch up with her.