Karan took permission like a gentleman to ask something from me and I granted him willingly. I was eager to know what he had in store but it shouldn't be anything as leaving the bungalow upon fulfillment of our contract. I was wondering if it was his last thanksgiving date and if he would gently ask to part from me. For a second, I could never think of leaving him because I was in love with him.

Karan fished out something from his coat pocket and took a random step behind. He blindfolded me, stunning me with his move. "Don't lose patience, Preeta."

"Karan, what are you doing?" I was palpitating,my palms rubbing against the surface of the velvet cloth covering my eyes.

"Stay still, will you?" He shushed me and paused for a few brief minutes before removing the cover off my eyes. "Now open your eyes slowly, Preeta."

My eyelids were trembling to stretch open and view any heartbreaking surprise before me. My eyeballs went wide when I saw him holding something in his right hand. It was a small and square shaped ornamental box. The contents of the box was freaking me inside out when I uncovered the unexpected...

A solitaire ring!

I gaped my mouth to mutter something but he instantly knelt on his knees, preventing me from speaking anything. He took the ring in between his fingers and stretched it out to me. "Will you stay in my life forever as my wife and as my guardian angel?"

It was like a dream coming true. I wanted someone to pinch me to bring me back to the reality. I had been waiting for my prince charming for so many years and he was here in the form of my husband. Was he proposing me or asking me about my feelings for him?

And I knew my answer already!

"Karan, this?" I was speechless and stared at him, my face frozen like a blank canvas.

"Just tell me YES or NO." The skin on his forehead was grooved into many folds, most probably he was fearing of the same, my refusal and denial.

But when I nodded my head in AFFIRMATION, he jumped in joy and lifted me higher by my thighs, my dress floating freely below the dark sky. The garden was the witness of our beautiful confession and I gave him the happiness which he had longed for in his entire life. I had agreed to remain as his wife forever. A wife was the backbone of a family and his family was starting to orient around me.

He walked indoors with me in his arms and I continued reading the jovial expressions written over his delighted face. The evening passed very quickly before we both could realise the time. The ancestral clock to the bungalow oscillated once and we knew it was exactly one o'clock of the night. The night was silent and cold, but we were already in each other's embrace. The chilly weather didn't matter to us since we were already warm into each other's arms.

We reached our room and he landed me to the floor, rotating me to face him. I gazed deeply into his brown chocolatey eyes and he reciprocated to my stare, our silent locking of eyes growing intense with the passage of time.

"Your left hand please..." He pleaded in his angelic voice and I stretched out my hand to him. He slipped the solitaire into my ring finger and kissed my knuckles. "You are mine Preeta, only mine from today."

"Is that so? Then what about you?" I winked and he pouted before breaking into a huge laughter.

"I was already yours since the day we had first met. Your blood is running through my veins, isn't it?" He raised his eyebrows and grabbed my waist playfully.

"Then I was also yours since the day I entered your bungalow. I wore your clothes, I shared the bed with you and we shared our pains with each other," I said, encircling his neck with my arms.

"But we never shared the bed like the way it is supposed to be," He sounded witty, embarrassing me. I lowered my eyes to avoid staring at him but he lifted my chin. "We don't have that awkwardness between us anymore, do we?"

He was definitely true but, kissing and losing oneself in bed were different things altogether. We both knew each other personally, were aware of the background of our lives and had become acquainted with each other's behaviour. But taking our relationship to the next level was supposed to be awkward without proper communication or knowing the reality of our unexpressed entanglement.

"But Karan, I have something to ask you." I murmured slowly before continuing, "Do you love me?"

This was definitely the most needed question for any girl before affirming herself in the physical relationship with her husband. She would always prefer to confirm if the man in her life loved her or was taking advantage of the heat of the situation. I waa also going through a similar phase in my life and an immediate discussion was necessary.

"Do I really have to answer this, Preeta? Can't you understand?" He enquired casually instead of replying me. "You are a very confused girl, sweetheart. Ask the answer to yourself and you will understand it."

I simply nodded my head because I could not force him to confess that he loved me. Mr. Karthik also used to advise me to answer my soul first, similar to what Karan was saying. If we were supposed to converse with ourselves, why did we need to ask for answers from others? It's just because we believe in the words of others, more than our self conscience.

"You are getting tensed for no reason, Preeta. I can even lie to you about what I feel for you so I want you to read my heart through my eyes. Hopefully, you will get the answer to your question," he told me generously and squeezed my shoulders in assurance.

My hands slipped under his armpits, embracing him in the next moment. I knew what I had always felt for him and tonight was the time when my dreams were coming true. He had proven to me that he was ready to give me the recognition of his wife in real sense.

He raked his fingers through my hair while holding me against his chest. "You are looking gorgeous tonight in this dress and the ring in your finger adds more to your beauty."

"I've never considered myself to be beautiful ever, Karan. In fact, you've got more beautiful people in your life," I spoke, keeping the thoughts of Mahira running inside my head. She was the biggest reason for whom I was doubting his love for me.

"I think I exactly know why you are saying this. External appearances can never beautify a person who possesses an ugly heart. I have seen the beauty of your heart, Preeta." He pecked my forehead and I knew it was his mark of respect.

"So do you believe I'm beautiful?" I asked and he laughed before leaning forward to look into my eyes.

"You are named as Preeta which means love, love of mine. I'd always dreamt of having a family and someone to be always by my side. You have truly accomplished the meaning of your name by allowing me to be so near to you. The only thing which came as a bonus is being loved by someone so innocent like you."

He possessed a golden heart and was proving it to me every now and then. He had embraced me in a way like no one had ever done before. He brought out the meaning of my name in such an impressive way which I had never thought by myself earlier in my life.

I lifted my chin up and surrendered my emotions into a deep savouring kiss on his lips. The passionate fervour with which we were kissing each other was so heart rendering as if we had missed each other's touch for years. His fingers tightened around my chin as he bit my lower lip, deepening the ardency of the urgent kiss.

As we landed on the bed together, he sprawled out on top of me, an anxiety of physical pleasure spreading all across my skin. He maintained his gentle behaviour of handling my delicate body, raining me with his zealous affections in the form of mouthwatering and passionate kisses. We had always loved the closeness we shared and it was even more valuable today after accepting each other.

His fingers played with the skin on my back to unzip the straps of my gown when he saw the pale expressions over my face. With his attractive brown eyes piercing deeply into mine, he whispered in a husky voice, "Look into my eyes sweetheart and tell me what do you see in them?"

"I can bet I am a lame duck in reading eyes but I love the eyes you have." I said poking him at his chin.

He pinned his arms on either side of my pillow and asked playfully, "You only love my eyes!"

"I love your eyes at least but I think you hate me." I voiced my opinion before closing my eyes abruptly.

I felt him nuzzling his nose with mine before muttering, "You are a poisonous sap for me, Preeta. You are that wine by which I can quench all my desires for you. Love has no particular definition in the dictionary of my life. But if this is what you call 'love', then I love you. I love you with all the messy doodles I have created in my heart for you. My emotions for you may be random but they have only a single destination, which stops at your doorstep."

His perfect confession of love cleared all my doubts for him. He kissed my forehead and I arched my back to fit his shape with mine before declaring, "I was already head over heels in love with you but I didn't know how to express it. You have given me the greatest achievement of my life, Karan. I love you way too much."

As we exchanged our vows of love,my head rocked against the pillow when our lips got rooted again. But this time, the sensuous entanglement traced it's route directly to our hearts, keeping our emotions fortified. I could feel his heartbeat just near the corner of his chest which was rising and falling rhythmically with mine.

With each kiss, the arousing intensity of our love drive was multiplying in geometric progression with a promise never to part again. We were very much smitten by love, progressing smoothly into the new venture of our happily married life.

_________

Four hours had passed since then. I opened my eyes giddily only to find myself fitted into his engulfing embrace. It was the break of dawn and we were sleeping together on the bed, our naked bodies draped in a fluffy duvet. My beautiful cindrella dress was thrown to the floor in a crumpled manner and, his expensive suit was totally creased and spread next to my dress. It was when realisation hit me and I felt the heat stinging my cheeks.

My body was sore from the sensual journey we had voyaged together the previous night. We made love to each other with the purity of our hearts and our souls had mingled in the quiet moment of the blissful environment. The long passionate night was not like any other normal night but it was an exceptional one only to be cherished by two persons in love.

Under the murky night, our souls met and we became one. I had earned his love as mine forever and his tender-like enthusiasm has successfully breathed fire into my heart even in the cold weather. He proved time and again that he could be anything but wild with me.

He was gentle, slow and caring with his moves, yet his manly beguiling maneuver managed to take away my demure femininity. His manhood continued teasing my lower core until he was into me, ripping off my shield and rupturing the hindrance amorously.

My shy eyes shifted from his innocent sleeping face to perceive the ring on my finger. It was a highly polished diamond solitaire, glimmering against the daylight falling on it from the glass window pane. The topmost curvature was shaped into a little note, 'MY GUARDIAN ANGEL' vividly engraved on it.

I smiled at his precious gift and nothing in the world could be greater than the pleasure he had given me. I kissed the top of the ring when I heard him moving in sleep. His warm hands were nestled around my body, cuddling me like a baby. I touched his cheek gently and he opened his eyes, shocking me again.

"Good morning, my love." He wished and I knew he was already awake, watching my actions slyly.

"Good morning and I love you too," I said pecking his lips.

He wrapped his arms around me, snuggling against my bare bosom. "Have I hurt you last night, Preeta?"

He was a real gentleman, caring for me each time he could. I enclasped my arms around his waist and whispered, "You haven't, Karan. You have only loved me."

"Really? Then I am willing to make love to you enumerable times." He instantly aligned his body on top of me and we again made love that morning. We weren't filled to the brim of our bottled love and we needed more from each other.

He was loving me the way true love should ever be. I was drifting in his love like a priceless loaded ship which contained wild pearls of emotions stacked up only in his name.

________

To be continued...