Rukmini

Chapter 20

'Rukmini, we need to talk ...', said Vikramaditya.

'Yes. Sure. Can you just help me sit up ?', I asked him showing a bit of weakness through my movements and gestures.

'Of course, my love.', he said and helped me sit up straight.

'Some water ?', he asked me.

I nodded and looked at him as he filled a glass for me.

He gazed into my brown eyes, that were being lit by the rays of the sun, as I sipped the water slowly.

'Thanks.', I whispered and gave him a soft smile.

'That's all right. Anything for you.', he said and returned the smile.

'So .. what did you want to talk about ?', I asked him.

'Look, Rukmini I just wanted to say sorry to you.'

'Why ?', I asked innocently.

'All this ... I never wanted to do all this, you know, uh ... in this way.', he said as he took many nervously made pauses.

'It's okay. I ... I forgive you.', I sighed.

'You do ?', he asked, surprised with my unexpected reaction.

'Yes. I do. What else can I say ?'

'Rukmini, all I wanted to say is that I didn't want all this to turn out in this way. I really didn't. I didn't even want to do all this to Arjun, but you left me no option. It's - it's just that, Rukmini ...', he took a long pause, gazed into my eyes, took my hands in his and continued, '.... I really love you. Yes, I love you more than anyone in the world.'

I looked at him for a second and looked away in shyness.

'Rukmini, look at me. I know you might be having questions. A lot of them. I'm ready to answer each one of them. Really, I swear.', he said as he pushed up my chin with his index finger to look at him.

'Everything is fine, but why did you bring Arjun into all this ? He's my brother. I love him more than myself.', I sniffed and tried to stop the tears, but they obviously came rolling down my cheeks.

He wiped the tears that were streaming down my cheeks. I shivered at his touch.

'I know he's your brother. I also know that you love him more than anyone else. But, I had no choice. It was only one of the ways I could ask you to do this.'

'You really love me ?', I asked him with tears filled to the brim of my eyes.

'Yes Rukmini. I love you. I've always loved you. Ever since we met for the first time. You were my love at first sight.', he said lovingly. I could swear love was flowing out of his eyes.

'Vik ....', I began as he cut me off.

'Shhhh, Rukmini. Don't cry. I can't see you cry.', he said as he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and looked at me.

This was a totally new Vikramaditya to me. I had never seen anything like this. He was truly in love with me. He wasn't fibbing when he said all this earlier.

'Vikramaditya, can I ask you some questions?', I asked taking his hands into mine.

'Yes, darling. I already told you I don't mind you asking me questions. You deserve to know everything you want.', he said as he patted my hands.

'Why is your second name Rakeshrao and why do your brothers have it as Dadasaheb? ', I asked.

'Oh, that. Actually daddy's name is Rakeshrao, but everyone knows him as Dadasaheb. My brothers too had the same middle name as mine, but later on they wished to change it.'