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'But she was filled with a strange, wild, unfamiliar happiness, and knew that this was love.'
Nancy Mitford
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Margot

MARGOOOT! WON'T YOU TURN OFF THAT TV? OR CAN'T YOU HEAR THE SOUND OF THE THUNDER?" Maria's annoyingly loud voice rings out from the bathroom.

With the fear of Maria's wrath in my heart, I quickly turn the TV off at a speed that shocks me myself. "I JUST DID! NO NEED TO COME BITE MY HEAD OFF!" I yell back.

"OKAY" is the reply that follows my statement. She probably didn't hear the second part. If she had, I bet she would have been here, suds and all, to actually bite my head off.

The light goes off for a sec, then comes back on; a clear indication that due to the rain, power supply might get cut off for sometime.

Ding Dong

Slightly irritated, I look up from my favourite novel "The Darkness that is Damien". I had just gotten to one of my favourite parts where Phoebe had finally gotten the door to open only to see her father's dead body hanging limply from the ceiling.

What kind of creature decides to pay people visits when it's raining anyway?

I press the button on the video intercom and see..

Whoa!

Looking thoroughly soaked in the rain, but still with that killer Vogue-cover worthy, billion-dollar smile, Vikram stands right in front my house!

Even though he couldn't see me, I feel my lips lifting to smile right back without bothering to consult me, the lip-owner. And before my brain could warn my hand that this is a bad idea, I press the remote control and watch as he moves out of view, definitely to drive into the now opened gate.

I am on my feet the moment the doorbell rings with a mahantra in my head:

Don't be nervous, Margot. He's just this great-looking guy you happened to kiss once.

And what a kiss that was!

Ugh. No point in thinking about that now.

Curious, at the same time, apprehensive of what could bring Vikram to my doorstep this late, I open the door and come face to face with him. Due to his time in the rain, his white shirt has become tranparent and clung to every part of him. And as he's wearing no undershirt, I am treated to the glorious sight of his lickable abs.

And the said shirt is currently being unbuttoned.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" I ask him, flabbergasted at his current action.

"Magnanimous," he drawls out.

"Magna... never mind." I say, deciding to let go of the latest, albeit ridiculous nickname. "Vikram, what are you doing?" I ask again.

"The shirt is wet," is his sole response as he finally takes off the dripping shirt.

With no barrier whatsoever now, I can clearly see that his torso is everything I imagined: flat, smooth and flawless.

"So you're going to take off the trouser too?" I blurt out.

If he was surprised by my words, he didn't show it. Instead, he only gives me a one-worded answer, "Yes."

'Yes?' That's it? This dude must have gone nuts on his way here.

"Are you crazy? What even gave you the idea that I want to see you naked?"

His hand pauses on the zipper he had been about to pull down. "Have you ever heard of something called boxers? There's one right under my trousers as we speak. Want me to show you?" he asks, returning his hand back to the zipper.

"What? Are you like some kinda male stripper?" I ask on a scoff.

At my words, his entire body freezes and his head rears up sharply, like that of a cobra ready to strike. When I look into his eyes, they've changed from their warm brown colour and now darkened by an emotion I find impossible to decipher.

"Are you okay?" I question, confused by the sudden change in attitude. "Did I.. um.. Did I say something?"

"No.. no," he answers after a moment. All at once, that haunted look in his eyes is gone and his eyes return to their lively honey brown. "I just remembered something. Sorry I startled you. Could you like, get me one of your spare clothes, please? I wouldn't't want to make a mess by stepping inside in wet clothes."

The polite and distant tone he's now using doesn't escape my observation.

Just what could he have remembered for him to be acting like this?

"I should find something. Give me a mo," I excuse myself as I step back into the house, trying to ignore the thud thud of my heart.

After some minutes of rummaging through my clothes, I am able to find my "breakup sweats": a blue, baggy sweats I wear anytime I'm in the throes of heartbreak. Then grab a just bag for his wet clothes

"Here. Wear this." I tell him as soon as I get back outside.

"Thanks." I turn around so as to give him privacy to change.

He chuckles at my action but says nothing else.

"Done." I hear him say after a couple of minutes and I turn around. "Let me go put this in the trunk," he says, referring to his wet clothes.

I hand him the jute bag I had been holding and wait for him to come back.

When he does, we head inside together.

"Let me make you tea." I inform him immediately he takes his seat.

"I appreciate the thought but there's no need for that."

"You sure?"

"Hundred percent."

"So why are you here this late?" I ask, also taking a seat directly opposite him.

"Might sound corny but I just wanted to see your face."

"What? Why? It's not like you're my boyfriend or anything." I mumble.

"Still in denial, huh?" he asks with a grin.

"I am not denying anything, I am only stating the obvious."

He observes me in silence for sometime. Then slowly, he leans towards me. "You want me, don't you?"

I also lean forward and look straight into his eyes. "I'm gonna ask you one question. Vikram Rakesh, what exactly do you want from me?"

"All of you," he answers without a single moment of hesitation. "I want all of you, Margot Johns." He gets up from his seat and covers the distance between us. He stoops right in front of me and places my hand in his. "So let me also ask you one question. Do you want me too?"

"Vikram." His name escapes through my lips in form of a soft whisper.

He takes my left hand and places it on his beating heart. "It's just a word, Margot."

His use of my name makes me realize that he is dead serious. Having made up my mind, I take a very deep breath and hope to all gods I'm not about to make a critical mistake. "Yes."

The grin that stretches his lips is as wide as the ocean. "Only Yes?"

"Didn't you say I only had to utter one word?" I ask, giving him a sly look.

"Geez woman. Even a fox can't beat you in cunningness."

"You love my cunningness." I counter.

"What's not to love?"

"A warning, though, none of my exes are alive."

He gives me a blank stare.

"Meaning if you break my heart, then you're gonna have to die." I state matter-of-factly.

"I never plan on breaking your heart, Maracanaço."

"What does Marawhatever mean?" I ask suspiciously.

"Uh? Ah, the meaning? Why don't you not worry your pretty head about that?"

I narrow my eyes at him. But he only keeps on grinning at me until I smile back. Then his face starts to get closer to mine. But before our lips could make contact, there is a loud roar of thunder and the lights go off.

But that doesn't stop Vikram as at this instance, his lips fall on mine. I open my mouth with the intent of taking the kiss deeper but then remember that Maria is only feet away.

Vikram quickly notices my hesitation and withdraws from me. Even with the darkness, I can feel his questioning gaze.

"Maria, my manager, is around, probably in her room. Wouldn't want her walking in on us kissing. She's like a mother to me." I explain.

"Ah, I see." I don't know how but something tells me he is smirking as he says those words. "Well, then, since we are prohibited from kissing, we would just have to make do with dancing." Even as he speaks, he pulls me up from my seat and circles my waist with his hands.

"Dancing with no music? I can hardly even see a thing!" I exclaim. This new boyfriend of mine is kinda crazy.

He snorts like as if he could read my thoughts. Then, slowly, very slowly, he starts to sway our bodies from left to right. His hands around my waist becomes tighter and a tingling sensation overwhelms me from head to toe. I feel his lips brush my neck and my hormones go haywire as he begins to whisper words that my overexcited brain finds difficult to comprehend.

"You don't need to see. The hotness of my breath against your neck, the tightness of my hands around your waist, the way our bodies move together so perfectly.. you don't need to see any of this, baby. You only need to feel it, feel me."

I fall silent and close my eyes to do as he instructs. Conscious only of the way his body moves in a perfect sync with mine, I close my eyes and pull him closer. And at this moment, I realize that right here, right now in his arms, I feel peaceful..

..like as if I've finally gotten to that place I was meant to be.

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YAY! Markram is finally happening people!!!💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽

This chapter makes me wanna dance in the dark with someone. But I've got no Vikram in my life so..😔😔

Anyways, the story continues in the next chapter.

Cheers😉