"I don't want to become the kind of Adwait who would rip every single skin cell off any man who dares to have even the faintest touch upon your skin," He placed a soft, lingering kiss on her earlobe.
Nitya's heart raced in response to his words. Sh...
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Adwait insisted on taking me home. I tried to decline his offer but one stern look from him was enough to silence me.
He stepped into the car and settled in the seat beside me. In his hand, I noticed a water bottle that he must have retrieved from the front seat. Taking out his handkerchief, he dampened a clean portion with the water.
"You see these ice cream stains? They're all thanks to Aradhya. She managed to make a mess of her clothes and face, and I had to clean it up with this handkerchief. She looked absolutely adorable, with her tiny mouth devouring the ice cream."
A smile formed on his lips and it was contagious.
I found myself smiling too as I recalled the adorable sight of Aradhya enjoying her treat, her innocent eyes sparkling with delight.
"She truly is a precious ray of light," I longed to see her immediately.
I found Adwait smiling back at me. In that moment, it struck me that he had deliberately mentioned Aradhya's name to bring happiness to my troubled heart.
He came closer and wiped away the tears lingering on my face gently. I couldn't tear my eyes away from him, soaking in the tenderness radiating from his gaze.
His focus shifted to my cheek, and I noticed a change in his expression. His eyes darkened, a storm of anger brewing within him.
He carefully dabbed at the area, eliciting a hiss of pain from me. Pausing for a moment, he met my gaze and then proceeded to caress his fingers gently against my cheek.
"You didn't go home?" I inquired, recalling his earlier intention to leave due to exhaustion.
He paused for a moment while dipping the handkerchief, his gaze flickering towards me briefly before he resumed his task.
"How could I?" he murmured, his attention now on cleaning my neck. "I couldn't just up and leave without saying goodbye. I wanted to see you, but Arushi's mother told me you went to get her. So, I waited patiently until you came back."
So he waited for me, even though he was probably tired himself, and here I was, thinking he'd left. He put aside his own exhaustion just to meet my wish. A single tear escaped my eye, touched by his selfless gestures.
"Hey, what's up? Are you in pain? Did I accidentally make your injury worse?" He asked anxiously, freezing in his actions and carefully inspecting my face and neck.
"No," I shook my head, wiping the tear away.
He visibly relaxed upon hearing my response.
"Adwait, How did you know I was in the outhouse?"
He let out a sigh, setting the handkerchief aside.
"The shoes were with me in the car. I knew the ceremony was nearing its end, and I anticipated that you would need them. So, I brought them along. I looked for you inside but couldn't find you, though I did spot Arushi. I handed the shoes to her mother and continued my search for you, even enlisting Samar's help. I combed through every room and hallway, but you were nowhere to be found."
