VOWS OF MARRIAGE | ✔ [Under Editing]

39 | Crossroads of Love (Flashback)

📜 SIDDHARTH📜

"Just what in the world did you both do?" I nearly screamed at Dadi-sa and Arhaan.

"Stop screaming, brat," my old hag rolled her eyes, waving her hand dismissively.

"You should thank us for what we've done for you and Mira bhabhi," Arhaan chimed in, munching on almonds.

I closed my eyes in exasperation.

You can't kill any of them. These crackheads are your only family. I repeated the mantra for the thousandth time today.

Opening my eyes, I glared at both of them. "Who gave you the permission to book a honeymoon for us?" My voice grew harsher.

"Don't make a big deal out of this, brat," Grandma countered. "Think of how close you both could get if you spend some time together."

"I'm already close to her, and if I tried to get even closer, she would chew me raw," I muttered under my breath, rubbing my face in annoyance.

Though it was true that Mira and I were getting closer with each passing day, the painful truth remained that Mira still does not want to accept this marriage.

Five months ago, the night where she got to know about my panic attacks. Since that night, Mira had never left my side. She made sure I slept soundly without the crutch of those sleeping pills, holding my hand every night as she had promised. In return, I vowed never to take those pills again. Mira supported me through my panic attacks, staying calm and composed, never once showing irritation or demanding explanations for the reasons behind those attacks. She simply stayed awake with me. In recent months, Mira had allowed me to hold her hand more freely, without needing to ask for permission every second which was more like an ultimate win-win situation for me.

And there was also an incident where she yelled at me when I tried to ensure she wasn't uncomfortable with my touch. It stung when she shouted, but my heart soared when she muttered something afterward. She had said, "I know you would never make me feel uncomfortable with your touch. If you ever did, you'd hurt yourself before you'd hurt me. So, stop asking for the same damn permission and hold my hand as long as you want. And, please, let me live in peace." Her words made me smile for the entire day.

We had begun to talk more, sharing even the smallest, most insignificant fragments of our pasts. It felt like we were slowly breaking the wall between us, brick by brick. And not only that, we had started flirting with each other a lot. There was a time when I had to sleep on the floor just because I succeeded in making Mira's cheeks red with my pick-up lines. My wife hates when I do something that would make her blush. And lately, our conversations had shifted from polite and reserved to more flirtatious and dirty. We laughed more, teased each other, and found joy in the simplest interactions but in that also, we had made one thing clear that no one would force each other to open up about their pasts until and unless we're comfortable enough.