Love or Retribution?

Chapter-23

"Is everything set? do you need any help?", Bhargav came inside his walk in closet which he had temporarily converted into monitoring station away from prying eyes.

"All good brother,  volume, visibility, range, checked everything, the trap has been set perfectly, now all we have to do is wait for the mouse to fall in it", Nikhil replied as he continued to adjust something in one of the devices in front of him.

"Okay, the guests have started to come, so I need to be there, but text me if you need anything"

"Sure Bro", Nikhil replied giving him an assuring smile.

"When is Subhi coming?"

"Any time now brother", Nikhil replied when he got interrupted.

"Oh wow! look, some one here is wearing a shirt", came Indira's voice first followed by her.

"For the 100th time, I did it just to distract Nandhini and not with any ulterior motive ma, please, trust me", Bhargav tried explaining his act of distraction really for the 100th time, making Nikhil break into a chuckle.

Bhargav turned and stared at Nikhil with fake anger.

"Actually Subhi ma, it was his idea, my plan was just to keep her engaged with some work, Nikhil was the one who said it will stumble Nandhini more and stop her from over analyzing the situation if I ...."

"Stayed half naked is it?", Indira interrupted him again, without turning to his side and walked out of the walk in closet to his room.

Bhargav looked at her perplexed not knowing how to explain to her when he himself was feeling guilty for acting that way, he stared at Nikhil hard accusing him for putting him in this position. 

"Not my fault, I just gave a suggestion, you were the one who improvised on it", he whispered with a careless shrug.

He let a deep breath out and followed Indira who was checking something on her mobile, sitting comfortably on his bed.

"Subhi ma, I know what I did was wrong, I am so sorry, I got carried away, I shouldn't have done that, will you please forgive me?", he asked her in a calm voice with puppy eyes.

"Even I haven't seen you without a shirt ", she mumbled still keeping her eyes on the mobile.

"yet", Bhargav mumbled back and completed her sentence, slightly startling her, that she finally lifted her eyes and looked into his.

That giving him a little courage, he sat next to her and pulled her into a side hug. Indira weakly resisted for a second but then let him arrest her into his manly arms.

"Look at me", he said lifting her face to face him.

"You were just 7 year old Subhi ma when you asked me to promise that day, you didn't know the repercussions behind your ask, but I did. I was not an adult, but I was not a child either, from that day till today I have lived up to my promise, nothing could sway or tempt me to break it, so please trust me when I say this, I was, am and will always be yours and yours alone", Bhargav said looking into her eyes, which completely welled up.

"Even though we have known each other all our lives, we hardly know the current version of us, the day we are ready, you can see more, not just without a shirt.  I promise, you won't be disappointed", he added with a tease, winking at her.

"Yew! Chi! Bhargav! ", Indira whined turning red with blush and embarrassment making him break into a heartfelt laughter.

"Still angry?"