Prithvi... [Volume 4]

Chapter 101

Nandini fervently willed the lump in her throat to disappear, terrified he would brush aside his confession and revert to his mocking self if she didn't return the confession at the earliest. She had craved to hear those words from his lips for so long. And when he'd finally said it, emotions had overwhelmed her completely, rendering her incapable of speech or thought.

But the constriction in her throat was easing, and the unreasonable fear that she had misheard him was lessening. She would be able to speak without breaking down.

"I love you too," she whispered into his chest.

"You waited very long to say it back. The words have almost lost their value," Prithvi murmured.

Nandini laughed shakily at the convoluted apology, and tilted her face to meet his gentle eyes.

"You would have treasured them even if it had taken years," she said warmly.

Riddled with guilt, he examined her vividly expressive face. He had forced her to stay in an unfamiliar place and environment. Then he had maintained the set pattern of his days and hardly spent any time with her. And the crowning glory was the nastiness he'd displayed before leaving in the morning. But she hadn't complained or asked for explanations.

"I put up with a lot from you," Prithvi said uncomfortably.

"Only because you plan to settle scores someday," she responded playfully, scrunching up her features in an attempted portrayal of wickedness.

"You've never waited so eagerly for punishment," he assured with a grin.

"I'm unaware of how cruel you can be," Nandini warned laughingly. She draped her arms around his neck. "I don't know if it's past twelve, but..." she paused and reached up to kiss a stubbly cheek.

Gazing at his astonished but pleased visage, she lovingly said, "Happy birthday. I hope you're blessed with peace and happiness. And I want all your wishes to come true. Unless they are mean or shameless," she added hastily, and chuckled as the sinful gleam in his eyes vanished as swiftly as it had appeared.

"So, basically, none of my wishes are going to get fulfilled," Prithvi deduced.

Nandini's face turned pink. "They will. If they have a 'Universal' rating," she giggled, then earnestly said, "I really want this day to be a happy one for you."

"My executioner has a nasty sense of humour," he said darkly.

She smiled and kissed his other cheek. Right away, a desire she had quelled out of shame a few times in the past re-emerged. An attempt to repress it again failed, because it held such ferocious strength this time that her willpower didn't stand a chance.

Heart hammering, she stretched up to lightly caress his lips with hers.

He gazed at her in disbelief, half-convinced he'd experienced an incredible hallucination. But the mortified colour and discomfort on her face said otherwise. And it was also plain that if he acted on the wish to grab her and kiss her senseless, similar hallucinations would avoid him in the future.

Nandini reluctantly said, "I think -"

"You should go back to your room," he completed the sentence.

Relieved at the absence of rancour in his tone, she nodded hesitantly.

"Alright," Prithvi sighed, drawing back. He stepped around her and made his way to the switchboard behind one of the doors