MY AVERAGE LIFE

Part 56

Sharath Raavi Pov:

I watched that woman head toward my cabin, her usual expression of displeasure etched deep into her face. My gut immediately told me something wasn't right. Turning to Shivani, I asked casually, "What happened?"

She glanced at me, a bit too quickly. "Nothing," she said, brushing it off with that calm exterior I'd come to recognize all too well. "She's just here to meet you."

I raised an eyebrow, knowing there had to be more to the story. There always was when it came to that woman. "Uh-huh," I muttered, not buying it for a second. But instead of pushing Shivani right then, I walked toward my cabin to find out what happened, and Shivani followed me inside.

As soon as we stepped inside, my mother's eyes darted toward Shivani. She rolled them, her usual disdain bubbling to the surface. "Why aren't you coming to the mansion?" she demanded, not even bothering with pleasantries.

I didn't respond to her question. Instead, I cut straight to the chase. "What do you really want?" I asked, crossing my arms. I knew her well enough to know she didn't come here just to make small talk.

She put on a fake smile. "Oh, nothing. Your grandparents are missing you, Sharath. And I was just wondering when you'll come back and get my company back."

"Never," I replied, without hesitation.

Her smile vanished, replaced by fury. "I didn't give birth to you just so you could fall in love with some low-class girl and collapse the company I built! Get your senses back, Sharath!"

The minute those words left her mouth, I saw red. She shouldn't have dragged Shivani into this. I was about to snap, but before I could get a word out, Shivani stepped forward, her voice calm but filled with a quiet, dangerous edge.

"He's not some toy you bought to fulfill your demands, and I've already told you—I won't tolerate you saying anything about Sharath."

My mother's face twisted with disbelief. "This is between me and him. You have no right, He doesn't even love you!" she spat, but I clenched my fist, biting back the urge to lose control in front of Shivani. I didn't want to scare her, but my patience was wearing thin.

Shivani didn't even flinch. "Giving birth doesn't give you the right to say whatever you want. I have more rights over him than you do. Actually, only I have full rights over him," she declared with absolute confidence.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. All my anger evaporated in an instant, replaced with a feeling of pure happiness. Shivani had just declared, that I was hers.

My mother, shocked and fuming, asked, "How can you have rights over him?"

"Because he's mine," Shivani said firmly, standing tall. "Only I can say anything to him. No one else—especially not you." She pointed directly at that woman, and I was on cloud nine. She had stood up for me, declared me as hers, and didn't back down for a second.

Before that woman could say more hurtful words at Shivani, I stepped in. "You can leave now," I said coldly. "And if you don't, the deal you've been talking about with your husband will be canceled."

She gulped, her face paling at my words. Without another glance at Shivani, she stormed out of the cabin, slamming the door behind her.

As soon as she left, I turned to Shivani, my heart bursting with emotion. I pulled her into a tight hug, unable to contain myself. "Say it again," I murmured against her hair.

Shivani, still holding me, looked up, confused. "Say what?"

"Say that I'm yours again," I whispered, my voice low and filled with need.

She smiled softly, her voice barely a whisper, "You're mine, Sharath Raavi."

I had been waiting forever to hear Shivani say those words. I'd told her so many times she was mine, hoping one day she'd just throw it back at me. And then, out of nowhere, she did.

"You're mine, Sharath Ravvi."

For a second, I just stood there, trying to process it. Did she really just say that? It felt unreal, like some dream I'd had a hundred times. But nope, this time it was real.

She had this little smile on her face, like she knew exactly what those words did to me. Of course, she did. Shivani always knew how to get under my skin.

I wasn't about to waste any more time. I grabbed her hand, pulled her in a little closer, and looked straight at her. "I've been waiting to hear that for so long," I said, not taking my eyes off her. "Now that you've said it, I'm done waiting."

She blushed, and that smile grew a little wider. It was perfect. She was mine, and now I was hers, officially.

And yeah, I wasn't gonna wait around anymore, not after that.

 I quickly walked over to my desk, grabbing something I had been holding onto for weeks. When I turned back to her, I was standing in front of her, holding a ring box. Her eyes widened as I got down on one knee.

"Shivani," I began, my voice shaking slightly from the overwhelming emotion I felt. "I can't wait anymore. You know I've always wanted to marry you. These last two months have been nothing short of heaven for me. I want to keep living in this heaven with you, and I want to call you Mrs. Shivani Sharath Raavi."

Shivani's eyes lit up as she smiled at me and nodded, her hand covering her mouth in surprise. That was all I needed. I immediately slipped the ring onto her finger, my heart racing. I wanted to kiss her hand, but before I could, she suddenly turned and walked out of the room without saying a word.

A cold wave of panic rushed over me. Negative thoughts started flooding in—was she regretting it? Was she not comfortable yet? Was she going to leave me? No, I couldn't lose her, not now. My heart pounded as I was about to rush after her, but just then, she walked back in, wearing the most beautiful smile I'd ever seen.

With a shy grin, she stood in front of me, her hands behind her back. "Look," she said softly, pulling out something from behind her—a ring.

I stared at her in shock. She looked down, biting her lip, blushing as she confessed, "I had already bought a ring to propose to you. But you beat me to it."

I wanted to laugh, to pull her into my arms and never let go, but I stayed still, unable to process how lucky I was. She continued, pouting slightly, "You messed up my plan, Sharath."

I chuckled softly. "Go on," I encouraged, wanting to hear more.

"You proposed so many times," she said, her eyes gleaming with emotion. "I didn't believe in it at first because of my past. I didn't think you could handle me. But you proved me wrong. These two months have been the best days of my life. You've taken care of me in every possible way without me even asking. I know you worry about me leaving you, and you want everything to be perfect for me. But I want to tell you that you're already perfect, Sharath."

She held my hand tightly, tears streaming down her face. "You don't have to do anything to be perfect for me. Just be yourself. And give me a chance to take care of you too. So I'm asking—will you give me that chance? To take care of you for the rest of my life?"

Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at her, feeling more loved than ever before. Without a word, I pulled her into my arms again, holding her close, never wanting to let go.