Color of Yearning [Completed]

Chapter : 30

Saumya POV

The car hummed softly as we rushed towards my cousin Deepakshi's wedding venue. I glanced at my watch nervously, then at Tanmay, who was driving with an exaggerated pout on his face.

"Tanmay," I said, trying to keep my voice serious, "stop sulking."

He threw me a quick, dramatic look of indignation before turning his eyes back to the road. "First, you said stop cuddling, now sulking. What should I do, Saumya? Just sit here like a statue?"

I couldn't help but giggle at his adorable grumbling. "Oh, you big baby. We cuddled for at least ten minutes before leaving!"

"Ten minutes?" Tanmay gasped in mock horror. "That's barely enough time to warm up my cuddle muscles! And after the day I've had at the office, I need at least an hour of quality cuddle time to recharge."

I raised an eyebrow. "Cuddle muscles? Is that a new fitness trend I'm unaware of?"

He nodded solemnly. "Oh yes, very important. They're right next to the hug biceps and the snuggle abs. Extremely crucial for maintaining a healthy relationship."

I burst out laughing. "You're ridiculous!"

"Ridiculously cute, you mean," he corrected with a wink. "But seriously, Saumya, my cuddle battery is dangerously low. I might start malfunctioning any minute now."

As if on cue, Tanmay started making robotic movements with one arm. "Error... error... cuddle deficiency detected. System shutting down."

I shook my head, amused despite myself. "You're such a drama queen. What am I going to do with you?"

"Cuddle me?" he suggested hopefully.

I laughed, shaking my head. "Nice try, but I don't think the traffic police would approve of me climbing into your lap while you're driving."

Tanmay's face suddenly went blank, and he started speaking in a monotone voice. "Error... error... cuddle deficiency critical. System malfunction imminent. Initiating emergency protocols."

He began making exaggerated robotic movements with his arms, his head twitching mechanically. "Warning: Cuddle levels at 2%. Shutdown sequence initiating in T-minus 10 minutes."

"Tanmay!" I exclaimed, torn between laughter and concern for our safety. "Both hands on the wheel, you adorable malfunctioning robot!"

He complied but continued his robot impression. "Command accepted. Hands returned to wheel. Cuddle emergency still in effect. Require immediate assistance."

"Oh, you poor thing," I teased, patting his arm. "Is there anything I can do to help your system work properly until we get to the venue? Something that won't involve climbing over the gearshift or us getting caught by the traffic police?"

Tanmay's robotic facade cracked for a moment as he grinned mischievously. "Analyzing possible solutions... Processing... Processing..." He paused for dramatic effect, then said, "Solution found: You could kiss me."

"Kiss you?" I raised an eyebrow. "While you're driving?"

He nodded, his movements still jerky and robotic. "Affirmative. Kisses contain essential cuddle nutrients. One kiss from designated life partner can reboot system and restore functionality for approximately 30 minutes."

I couldn't help but giggle at his commitment to the act. "Oh really? And where did you download this information, Mr. Robot?"

Tanmay tapped his temple with one finger, the movement comically stiff. "Data sourced from the Tanmay Institute of Cuddology. Highly reputable. Very scientific."