Together Forever

Chapter 19

Anika's POV

The next day, I woke up feeling much better. The fever had passed, leaving me feeling refreshed.

I stretched lazily in bed, thinking about how much Uday had taken care of me yesterday.

The memory of him staying by my side, making sure I was comfortable, feeding me, and even cooking breakfast, made my heart flutter. He had been so sweet, and it didn't go unnoticed.

But then, something clicked in my mind, making me smile.

Reaching over to my bedside table, I picked up my phone, my fingers hovering over Uday's contact.

I hesitated for a moment, biting my lip. Should I call him? After all, he had spent the entire day with me yesterday; maybe he needed some space? But then again, I wanted to hear his voice.

Before I could second-guess myself further, I hit the call button. The phone rang a couple of times, and I found myself tapping my foot anxiously as I waited for him to pick up.

Finally, after a few rings, his deep, groggy voice came through the line. "Hello?"

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. "Hey," I said softly, the warmth in my voice evident.

"Hi. Good morning," he replied, his voice low and husky from just waking up.

I swear, his morning voice was even deeper than usual, and it sent a shiver down my spine. I had to take a breath to calm myself before continuing the conversation.

"Good morning," I said, my tone a little brighter now. "Did you just wake up?"

"Yeah," he murmured, and I could almost picture him running a hand through his messy hair. "Slept late last night."

I frowned slightly. "Why? What kept you up?"

"I had some work to finish," he said, a little too casually.

Suddenly, I felt a pang of guilt. "Oh... it must've been because you spent the day with me, right? You couldn't get your work done during the day. I'm sorry about that."

Uday chuckled softly, "Anika, should we really be talking about work this early in the morning? You're sitting here with apologies when you should be showering me with love."

I burst out laughing, shaking my head. His playfulness was infectious. "So that's what you want in the morning, huh? Love and attention?"

"Of course," Uday said, his voice taking on that smug, confident tone he often used when he was teasing me. "You were sick yesterday, so I let it slide. But today... I'm expecting nothing less than undivided affection."

I couldn't help but grin, rolling my eyes at him even though he couldn't see me. "Well, Mr. Malhotra," I said playfully, "I'll keep that in mind for next time. If I were next to you right now, I would have definitely showered you with some love."

There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear the grin spreading across his face.

His voice dropped lower, filled with that familiar teasing edge. "If you were next to me, huh?" he mused, his tone playful. "If you were next to me, I wouldn't even spare you. I'd be hugging you, kissing you, holding you so close..."