Nidhi POV:

It's been two weeks since we had our first kiss. I am mentioning the time period because, since then, Darsh has changed, of course, positively.

I never knew that just one kiss would bring out a new and different version of him, and I wonder where this personality of his was all this time we have known each other. Does anyone else know this side of him?

Well, to begin with, one of the new traits that he has developed is that he has become clingy. So much clingy. Like, he is the man who never came on time to our small meetings, leaving his work, and now he doesn't just want to leave me. We are meeting on a daily basis, often to do some last-minute shopping and to invite our friends—actually, my friends only—to the wedding. And when all the work is completed, the last thing he wants to do is drop me at my home.

One day, he took the longest route and the busiest lanes to drive through just to reach my home. And finally, he dropped me with a heavy heart, only after my father called him and asked when we would reach home. One should see his face—it's just like an infant being denied his favourite treat.

Another trait that he has developed is always touching me. He always wants to hold me close, hold my hand, keep a hand on my waist or shoulder when we walk, intertwine our fingers, and kiss my ring finger where the engagement ring is placed. And he does all this only after asking my consent—every single day, every single time. That just makes me admire him even more.

It's not just the affection itself that matters to me, but the intention behind it. Every gesture feels deliberate, patient, and full of care, as if he's constantly reminding me that I'm safe and valued—which I never felt for a long time, not in my previous relationship and not with my own family, only since some time.

But sometimes, some weird thoughts come into my mind—that this is just a phase for us. Darsh has never been in a relationship before, and when a girl kissed him, he must be thinking that he has gotten everything—life settled and nothing more to do. But what if this is just a phase and he gets over this? I get over this?

That is a very disturbing and scary thought to have when the person you are marrying is outside the car, in the rain, trying his best to get fritters/pakodas for you without them getting wet.

We were returning from some last-minute shopping as the wedding date is due in just one week, and I want everything to be done right. As Darsh is always accompanying me, we went on despite many restrictions and disapprovals from my granny. She was like, "Bride and groom should not meet so often before the wedding." But we do meet every day—either they know it or secretly without anyone knowing.

"Here you go," Darsh handed me the bread bajjis, my favourite, which made my face light up, and there were a few onion pakodas as well, wrapped in a newspaper plate.

"Onion rings can never be as good as onion pakodas, right?" I asked with a smile, turning to him, and found him drying his hair as the tiny water droplets drizzled down his face and neck.

My mouth remained open as I kept staring at him. He looked hot. It took me a moment to notice that he was saying something to me as the sound and background got blurred for me except for his vision.

"Nidhi? You listening?" Darsh asked again, placing his palm on my cheek, making me feel the chill from his cold hand.

"Huh?"

"You seem to be in some different trance. What happened?" he asked again, grazing my cheek with his thumb slowly. Gosh, he is making me all coy.

"You are... your hand is... cold," I managed to speak out with much difficulty.

"Oh," he instantly withdrew his hand and began rubbing them. I was confused as to what he was doing, rubbing them so fast, and the next minute he placed his hands again on my cheeks—this time when they were warmer.

Ufff! I will melt like ice now in this warmth.

"Better now?" he asked me innocently as he kept rubbing his hands again and placing them on my face. I am sure my cheeks have turned completely red as I am not able to control myself from blushing and smiling.

"You are smiling?" Darsh asked, amused as to why I was smiling.

Unable to control my emotions anymore, I placed the pakodas plate beside the steering wheel, held his face rather suddenly in a tight grip, pushed myself closer to him, and kissed him.

Had the gear rod not been between us, I would have jumped into his lap already. Darsh seemed rather taken aback at my sudden attack on his lips but composed himself in a moment and kissed me back with the same intensity. Every kiss between us is getting better every time and making us yearn for each other more and more.

After a few good minutes of kissing, we withdrew to steady our breaths as we shared the same air. I raised my eyes to realize that he was already staring at me with utter intensity.

With a small smile, I spoke out, "Promise me one thing—that we will be like this forever. Promise me that this will not be just a new love phase between us and that you will always be like this with me.

I promise you... I promise I will be the same with you like I am now. Will you?" I asked the last question with the little fear that I have been dealing with for the past few days.

Darsh squinted his brows after listening to my small speech and my last question. "Nidhi, do you still have trust issues with me?"

Guilt hit me hearing his question. "No, no, no, Darsh. I am sorry... I am sorry. This was not my intention to say something like this.

It's just maybe the fear of the wedding approaching soon, my past, my relationship with my family—something or everything is messing with my head, and I finally put it out now."

A moment passed, and none of us spoke anything else. Only the sound of rain hitting the car was audible. I was about to apologise to him when he suddenly lifted me from my seat by holding my waist tightly and placed me on his lap.

I instinctively held his shoulders at the sudden movement and immediately noticed that the gear rod did not actually hit me when I was pulled into his lap. Thankfully, the car windows are black-tinted, which allows us so much privacy when we are in such personal space.

"Do you know what Nidhi means?" Darsh asked, staring at me with so much tenderness.

Nodding blankly, I replied, "Treasure."

Hearing my response and acknowledging it, he said, "Yes—TREASURE. And I know the value and importance of this treasure in my life and will cherish you forever," stressing the word Treasure again and again.

"And this is not just a phase between us, Nidhi. This... this time I am spending with you is something I want all my life too. This is never a phase, as this is us—our love blooming, us trusting each other, surrendering to each other. This is not a phase to end; this is the life I envision us to lead for our whole lives ahead."

My eyes welled up as he spoke and, one by one, broke all my barriers of fear.

"If a promise will make you believe my words, if a promise will make your fears ease, then I promise that I will always be the same with you like I am now. I will always treasure you too."

I was trying to hold back my tears, but they eventually gave up, sliding down my cheeks.

"I love you," I confessed, hugging him tight and melting in his arms, placing my face in the crook of his neck. I want nothing more than this at this moment.

"I love you too, my TREASURE," he replied back, holding me more firmly.

TREASURE. I never knew that my name in a different language would become my nickname and be so romantic and meaningful.

It wasn't just a nickname—it felt like a promise, something precious wrapped in trust.

Hello Everyone.

Happy New Year to all of you. Hope you have a great year ahead.

It's been long since I last updated the chapter and I am rather too happy to update one now.

It feels nice and I am happy about the outcome of this chapter. I really hope you feel the same when you read the chapter.

Please let me know your review and thanks a lot for still keeping this story in your library and waiting for the updates.

And I will definitely try my level best to update more frequently at least this year. My new year resolution maybe.

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