His Forced Wife [On Hold]

17 | Best Friends' Kiss

Vanraj :

"Mukku do you mind opening the blindfold?", I asked as I stood somewhere.
God knows where.
I could feel the cool breeze hitting on my face and body, ruffling my hair backwards. Malvika had pulled me down to here from the suite, in this blindfold. I wore a white shirt and blue cargo trousers.

"Do you like it Raj?", She asked loudly as the wind muffled her voice.
"Yeah. It's cool.", I said wondering where on earth was I standing.
"Okay, don't move now. Lemme open your eyes.", She said.

Moments later the blindfold slid away. I looked at the setting sun right before me, my heart skipped a beat. I felt her hands on my shoulder, clutching onto me. 
I looked down, and I was scared beyond control.

"GET ME OFF!", I shouted, frozen.
I stood at the edge of the deck. It was an extended area without any railings, only a triangular extension, right over the sea.
"Sssh. You just said it was amazing.", She said, her face was right behind my ear.
"Are you insane?! If we fall off from here we'll two hundred percent die! Don't let my fear come true, please!", I shouted in alarm. 

"Why would we fall?! Enjoy the view-"
"Do the hell with the view! Don't you see down?! I-"
"Stop looking down then! Look up!", She shouted.
"Even if I did, I see only the sea! AND I HATE IT! Let me go!", I shouted, my legs had given away in fear. 

She wrapped her arms around my waist.
"Look at the beauty for once, look beyond your fear!", She said.
"Is this a movie?! Heroine says look beyond and the hero is suddenly enlightened?!", I shouted back, "Listen Malvika, my good girl, please let me go.. okay?"

She giggled behind me.
"It's not funny!", I shouted, trying very hard to not look down or on the sides or anywhere at all, turning towards her.
"Okay, step back.", She said as I took a step or two back and she slid up before me, standing on the narrow board. 

Her hair was all over my face, but I didn't really mind it.
She let her hands open, as if embracing the air.
"You've watched Titanic?", She asked.
"No. I am not into Hollywood.", I said, now looking at the back of her white shirt, not looking anywhere else. She wore a blue cargo trouser as well, and I realised she was twinning with me.

We had got the clothes from the clothes store on the ship itself.

"Raj.. Are you sure you don't wanna enjoy this beautiful scene? Look up na, look at the setting sun, the birds that are heading back home, the calm sea hitting against the ship. It's so romantically aesthetic.", She said dreamily.
"Someone said that you should look at the fear to defeat it, then why don't you?", She added.

"I'll fall any moment.", I mumbled, looking down.
"Hold me and look up, Vanraj. I know you can do it. My Monkey King is the strongest boy.", She said smiling.
She lowered her hands and reached out for mine.
I held her hand. She entwined her fingers with mine. I edged closer to her.
I breathed in her beautiful scent. I edged closer, she held my other hand with hers.

"Come on. Look forward. I am holding you.", She said with a smile.
I drew in a deep breath and finally looked straight ahead of me. The sun had almost set, a reddish glow on the sky, the sea too was hued in an orangish glow. 

"Painted in the colours of love was the sky
I wondered how could I lie
Anymore to my self, as I did to him
His affections flowed over me like a stream
His care like that of a dream
I held his hand, and I took the step
In his embrace, I knew I was forever safe..", Malvika said in a whisper, that only I heard.

"You are poetic?", I asked softly.
She smiled, her eyes were numb, again hiding things she was afraid to mention.
"I was.. I don't know how I did it again today..", She said.
"Who was him in the poem?", I asked, she smiled softly.
"I don't know, maybe my heart does. I'll let you know soon.", She said as if in a beautiful daze, looking at the setting sun.

I looked back at the sea, the fear remained, it hadn't left me yet. But it didn't scare me out of my wits anymore. I was slowly drawing comfort from the soft hands that held mine.

"Have you ever fallen in love, Raj?", She asked.
My lips curved into an ironical smile.
"I may have two kids and a divorce, but I never fell in love."
"Do you want to, ever?", She asked, looking at the sun which had almost hid behind the sea.
I drew in a deep breath.

"I want to..", I said truthfully, "It's so beautiful.. to have someone whose always there, who sees beyond what you show, who understand without words..", My lips broke into the smile, the fear ebbed away momentarily, "Although such a person doesn't exist, I would want to fall in love with someone like that in real life."

She smiled, "Are you afraid now?"
"You always manage to drive my fears away.", I replied, inhaling her beautiful scent.
"Can you drive away mine?", She asked, not looking at me.

The sun set, leaving behind a purplish glow. Stars were visible far off in the wide sky.
"I will try my best.", I replied.
She turned towards me, on the narrow edge, tears appeared in her eyes.
"What happened? Why tears?", I asked in concern, releasing her hands and wiping her tears, holding her face.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, smiling.
"It's just this broken heart that aches..", She said, her voice broke.
"Why?"

"Such rides on the sea were a part of my romantic dream.. I always wished a Prince Charming would come riding a horse, my parents when they were alive, brought me up like a princess.. My brother treated me like one.. and then he pushed me with a man who shattered my dreams, snatched my wishes.. tore me apart..", She said, tears rushed down her eyes. Her old wounds had re opened, it seemed.

"I-I want to be truly happy again..", She mumbled, "I want to embrace my broken heart, my tattered soul and want them to heal.. but they refuse to.."
She paused, looking down, gulping.
My eyes numbed, as I blinked to remove the tears from mine.

"Malvika, let go of your ache. Embrace the pain, like you told me, look them in the eye. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.", I said holding her face, "When you've lived through the trauma, it's time you let go of it."
She looked up, straight into my eyes.

"I will never be strong enough to fight my demons!", She said breaking down into fresh tears, she didn't look away, her eyes pierced right through my soul.
She held my face now, "You are stronger than you know..", I whispered.

The sky turned a cobalt blue now, soft winds embraced us. Stars shone in the distance, the moon behind me.
She suddenly stood on her toes, and pulled me into a kiss.

I refrained initially, but ultimately gave in. Euphoria coursed through my whole being as she deepened the kiss. Passion coursed through both as us. I felt her hand on my chest, one hand behind my neck. I held her face, eyes shut, only the music of the sea.

We were barely breathing when we parted. 
I looked at her catching my breath, she looked like she was shocked, like she did something without thinking.
"I-I am so sorry.. I-", She mumbled awkwardly, tears gushed down her eyes yet again. 
"But I enjoyed..", I said truthfully holding her hand.
"No but-"
"It's okay.. I am not annoyed or anything.. it's fine.", I said. She looked at me, as if I was an incomplete dream. There was a broken look in her eye.

"I-it was a best friend's kiss.. I didn't mean anything else..", She mumbled wiping her tears off with her free hand.

"Umm.. Love birds care to join in to the ballroom?", I heard Mister Rathore at a distance.
"In a moment, sir!", I shouted back.
"He saw us kiss-"
"Sssh..", I said softly, placing a finger on her lip.

"Don't regret the things you do. Guilt is quite a heavy load to carry.", I said. She looked up at me, with hope.
"You are not angry?", She asked.
"I can't stay angry with you for more than a nanosecond.", I replied with a smile.
She smiled back.

We slowly got off the location, she rushed into the ballroom as I stood under the starry sky.

Today, at this very moment, I knew something had changed inside me.
And I knew, it was because of her.

...

BEST FRIENDS' KISS they call it, what do you?
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