||~~The Brewer's Girl~~||

👼Be with me👼

☺Chapter 19 ☺

❤Dedicated to dimpsgautam for all the love coming! You guys make me so happy!! ❤

Kabir.

Watching her anticipate a kiss from me was making me desperate, the monster in my stomach standing on one leg and rotating in glee. I can feel the rise and fall of her chest against me. Her eyes are shut with a nervous current under her eyelashes. I gulp absorbing the beauty in front of me that she is, her lips all so inviting. And I go for it, bridging the gap between us stopping right before our lips could meet.I grin while touching her nose with mine and move back, still locking her from getting an escape. She opens her eyes like waking up from a dream. She blinks at me and I can't stop smiling big.

"You!" She pushes me away ,hard on the chest and stomps off to her room.

I chuckle to myself as the door closes a little too loud on my face. She's angry, disappointed maybe, but I won't give way until she tells me why.

What was I doing? Why couldn't I just kiss her? But I feel I did it right.

Its like I love her, I see her as a delicate leaf that I wouldn't want to tear apart in anyway, that if I touch her even or take steps too ahead for her, I'll be losing her or so. I'm afraid to let go. But I've understood she has been on mood swings and probably that's because she misses her family and I have no right to keep her away. So if I'm not able to live without her that's my problem, and I guess I have a solution.

I smile sighing and walk to my room.

*two weeks later*

"Seriously don't walk around with that long face man!" Peter comes to stand next to me as we watch Vladimir desperately glancing at his watch.

"What do you expect?" I glance at the door at the back of the church. Today is Lily's and Vladimir's marriage and Aashna has offered to be the maid of honour.

After tonight's after party she would be leaving early morning. With a heavy heart all past week I have helped in packing. No matter how much I smile on the outside I'm not happy with the idea of her going even though she has to and I understand.

"She's here" I hear Peter say, and the whispers and chatters die from the crowd as everyone look at Lily walking down the aisle arm in arm with her nephew. He looks like a small gentleman, having his eyes guarded just like a father would have. Behind them walks Aashna, her body slender and attractive under the satin silver gown. Her hairs are up in a bow tie sort of style with few layers cupping her face loosely. She looks gorgeous and elegant. Her hands are wrapped around the green stems of the light pink and white flowers that she is holding. My eyes scan her long fingers and suddenly something in my pocket weighs ten times more than its weight. My eyes meet hers and she smiles at me, with a warmness that always swipes away all my worries.

All through the wedding and rituals, I'm drinking in her sight even though she has glared at me a few times trying to convey through her eyes that I concentrate on my friend's wedding ceremony and not her.

But I can't help it if she looks like this. This is the last day then I don't have any idea when next I'll be seeing her, so I don't want to leave any second unattended by her beauty. I gulp down the lump that dares to develop in my throat. Everyone is clapping and hooting and I realise the ceremony has ended. She is happily hugging Lily and I am again lost in her smile and the way she is. Just how she talks, how her eyes widen and the happy dance engage her pupils. The elegance of her hand while covering her mouth as she laughs is driving me mad and emotional all at once. I take my eyes away from her and congratulate the newly married couple.

Then we engage in the after marriage rituals. The girls have taken Lily to get ready for the after party and I'm busy socialising with people that I know and know not of.

I wonder where is my girl, she has just disappeared ever since she lost the catch when Lily threw the bouquet at her.

I grab a tray of veg balls and cheese dips and start my search for her. She doesn't give me a hard time finding her. I spot her sitting with her legs in the fish pool while her silver heels are resting in her hands, close to her as she might just be hugging them.

"Need a hug?" I ask while taking off my shoes.

She raise her eyes to me,sideway pouty glance. Ooh! She is so cute all the time.

I sigh and keep the tray aside to sit beside her. I take her heels away from her keeping them aside as well and she takes my one arm, hugging it as she rests her head on my shoulder and we sit facing the pool with feet dangling in the water.

"They say if we catch the bridal bouquet or a garter, we're the next to get married. And I lost that. " she makes a sad face looking up at me now.

"Okay? So you do believe in that?"

"Believe or no believe Kabir! Either ways I wanted to have it." She says pushing my arm away and looking aside.

I don't know what to say , is she implying on wanting to get married next?

"Is it some way of telling me i'll have bad lucks in getting married?" She hangs her head down and I wrap my arm around her pulling her into me.

"Kuch bhi! Aashna just don't over think okay? Nothing's wrong with you and nobody's trying to convey something by this silly! Its just a game for guests."

"what do you know of it?" She again leaves my embrace.

"Acha? What do you know of it then?" I backfires her question at her.

"Aashna! Lily's looking for you" we hear Lily's nephew come behind us.

An instant smile touches her lips as she gets up quickly to attend to him. I too take my feet off from water and turn towards them. She seems fond of the nephew.

"Sure Max, c'mon we'll leave" she says pecking him on his chubby cheeks.

He gives me a secret victorious smile and I can see the monster into my stomach turning his face into a grimace.

"Accha Bacchu!" I narrow my eyes at him and holds on to Aashna's hand.

"just few more minutes, have these" I forward the tray I have taken with me for her. She smiles a real smile at me and sits with max, having a nice time chatting or mostly listening to his childish banter while eating those veg balls. I watch both of them talk and eat. She looks lovely and I can see max is clearly intimidated by her. The way she is with the kid is really a sight to watch. This will sound irrational but I get jealous of the fact that its max sitting beside her, enjoying her pampering. She wipes the cheese off his cheeks as he swipes off his tongue. He is cute but I can't help being uncomfortable. Her eyes are shining with a profound fondness for him.

Smiling she glances at me and offers me a stick of the veg lollipop, for which I'm glad and I hungrily bite into it and she stuffs my mouth in her mischief. Its intimacy on some level to eat from her hands. But it takes a high level when she gets naughty and plays around with food.

Later in the evening I'm roaming with a drink in my hand enjoying the breezes and watching the chaos that the garden is. All of them gathered around to watch the bride and groom dance and then there are few couples joining them on the dance floor. Aashna walks to me shyly, looking stunning in her red low shoulder knee length dress. She raises her eyebrows in appreciation at me approving me of my look. I glance down smiling at the red tie which is complimenting her dress color.

I keep away the glass on the counter and clears my throat.

She looks up at me taking away her eyes from the dancing couples.

"Dance?" I whisper standing close to her and she again settles her affirmation with a soft smile.

I take her hand and walk towards the floor. She tugs at my hand and then hugs me from behind and we sway little in a slow dance just like that. I can't see her this way but I feel her. The background instrumental music fades away with the new sense of being with her that fills me. Her head is resting on my back and I imagine her closing her eyes as I do and there is a bubble that is surrounding us which cushions away everything audible in the party. What I see is her face upon closing my eyes. What I hear is silence, what I feel is her warmth travelling in my every vein.

I hold her hands and turn around in her embrace as she locks both her hands behind my neck.I stop swaying, too frozen to move by the seriousness in her eyes. I can see she's not happy going away from me, but I won't be able to keep her happy either if she misses and gets upset upon not meeting her family.

My thought go to that new year night when everything changed. Kukkie and Aashna has come all the way from India at my doorstep and that was a blessing again by god. It has been two and a half month I have been living with her and loved every bit of being together with her.

She circles her thumb at the nape of my neck, trying to convey something I guess.

I blink at her and cups her waist in my both hands lightly bringing her close. I can't hear anything. I can't say anything. I can't see anything but her eyes. My eyes brim with moisture and I twitch my lips.

"Come with me" she says taking my hand and walking me towards the wilder side of the garden, away from the party that glows in the darkness. Its more peaceful and breezy here. A tear slips away from my eyes and its now that I realise there are tears in my eyes. She wipes them away with her fingers.

"It's so overwhelming, the time you give me, those little gestures that you put forward, the support and the sense that you fill me with. I can't ever get tired of saying how special you make me feel Aashna. You're a blessing in my life and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Coz it has been only you that I can think of."

She retraces her hand back to her side at my sudden confession. She is emotional too and she no more hides it from me.I feel so light hearted and realize with passion that there is nothing so tranquil other than sharing what your heart desires.

This is the moment where I fall on my knees feeling all vulnerable, all broken even when I'm not. It's like my all power is in her, and I am on my knees asking her to be with me for life.

I bring out the little black box from my pocket and she gasps.

"Aashna Mathur, I'm in love with you and I would die to spend every second of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

Aashna.

Crap! Did he just propose me like for a marriage ? Has he gone nuts?

Holy Mac' N cheese!

He seems so serious that a shiver runs down my spine in a very sensitive manner. I want to jump at him but I can't move. I rub my palm over my forehead while chewing on my lips as my heart threatens me to bulge out and touch his feet in a full Indian bridal style.Well dramatic kills!

I blink back my tears and he stands back on his feet pulling me to him tight against his hard chest. I can. I can do anything for this man, to be with him and I want to.

So I say, "yes" talking of marriage is huge. I didn't even think of marriages much until today and then this happens. Everything good has followed in my life since I met him. He brings out the best in me.

He comes out of the hug and holds my hand in his. "Wear this for tonight" he slips on the silver band on my ring finger. It is a platinum ring with the wavy heart and few diamond studded in it.

"Its beautiful. Thanks" I stare at the ring in awe and I am aware that he's watching me.

"Make me the happiest man on earth soon"

He whispers dropping a feather light kiss just below my ear and I shiver under his touch.

"you have given me a lot to think Kabir. Mumma papa se baat karni hogi." I close my eyes at his another feathery at my cheekbone.

"Ditto" he says and sighs.

I sit in his arms admiring my new ring. Sadly I will have to take it out tomorrow before landing. But i'd love to wear this everyday.

"Thank you" he says in a low whisper and I smile a shy smile as his thumb wraps around my ring finger.

Kabir takes out his jacket and spread it over the ground and we both lay on it, staring at the dark sky. There are only few stars visible to us and as they twinkle at us I lean close to him resting my head on his chest as he cushions me and wraps an arm around me.

"You know ,love is like wind, you can't see it but you feel it." I whisper.

He stares at me grinning, "And you feel it"

"Yes! With all my heart for you my love" I say shyly and wrinkles my nose while biting my lip.

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, — I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! — and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death."

In a slow pace, he murmurs these lines while staring at the stars above and I'm awed by his handsome face tracing his jaw with my finger. I palms his mouth frowning at him. "Don't say like that!"

"Its a poem with a beautiful ending of an endless love. That's what I wat for us." His happy emotional eyes peeks down at me.

"Wow"I whisper. "I'm more than touched."

"You remember the night we first chatted on Instagram?" He asks me.

"Yes you went to sleep while I kept waiting for you to wish good night back to me." I pout and then shuts my eyes. Oh that wasn't supposed to be let out to him.

"Really? You were waiting?" He gazes at me with that twinkling glint in his eyes.

"What about the night?" I steer the topic to him.

He smirks.

"Well my battery died and when I came back online it was late so I thought you would have gone to sleep after wishing me good night. Then I was scrolling the net and found this poem. From that day there are a lot of times I've recited it imagining you. Now I know why" a smirk plays on his lips and somewhere deep inside my heart, another soft corner unlocks for him.

"i don't know what would I ever say to make you feel the same way you make me feel." My eyes tears up and I close them. He pulls me more closer radiating the warmth and comfort.

"Just be with me the way you are Aashna. I need you like I need oxygen to breath." He whispers and I go more emotional so he let's me be, resting his head on his one elbow. It is one of those times that I wish time would just stop and it even feels like it has. I dunno when but I have fallen for this man so deep in love and now it is more harder to go away but I have to.

"Let's get going, unless you want to miss the flight."

He helps me up and picks his coat to wrap around me. I grin to myself and even a chuckle leaves my mouth.

"What?" He questions me.

"I feel like I'm in a movie, all these things you do to me are special, new and yet unexpectedly exciting." I grin at him and he smiles shaking his head at me.

We walk hand in hand back to the party. Most of the guests have left. I want to go to home too, I want to be there for the last time with him as much as I can before we go to airport.

After meeting up with the wedded couple and exchanging our good news, we head back to Kabir's car. We both are laughing as we take our seats because of Lily's over the moon excitement over my ring.

"What are you thinking? Tell me" he says and I smile shaking my head. "It would be so odd, like I'm spending so much time with you and then all of a sudden you won't be in my reach," i murmur, "not able to hold you close, to touch you and to hear your voice, to watch that smile , to laugh at you over smart smirk and our banters, uh! I'm already missing you!"

His one hand rests on my knees, squeezing there for a minute. I stare out of the windshield into the streets passing by as he races the car in silence. After what feels like an eternity his hand is up on my thigh and I stare at his expressionless face.

I see that he doesn't trust his voice right now. So I thread my fingers through his and relaxes absorbing his touch.

The warmth that the car provides settles me into a peaceful slumber and the last thing that I remember before I close my eyes is Kabir's eyes gazing into mine as he says, "It won't be the same here without you."

Kabir.

She sleeps like a baby when we reach home.There are exactly 45 minutes left for us to leave for airport so I let her sleep and carry her into the house. Her last time here. I sigh as I walk with her in my arms and settles on her bed making her lay comfortably.

My heart double takes as I hear the words murmured in a incoherent sentence. Did she just say 'I love you'! Or is it the fragment of my imagination?

I can sit and watch her sleep to my delight but if I too don't get to work then she's gonna freak out. So I go make last minute arrangements and pack stuff that belongs to her. 30 minutes later she walks out of her room as expected! Freaked out!

"What the fudge! Kabir why didn't you wake me up!"

"Relax I've done it ! I've done and wheeled it all out. Everything's ready!"

I try to calm her down and forward a water bottle to her.

"Yeah! Thank you!" She drinks and then runs back into her room to get ready for the airport. I feel a little torn already. Time tends to move so fast when I want it slow. Damn! I take out a few chocolates for her and feeds her lovingly as she smiles up at me and stuffs all of them into her mouth and mine in a hurry.

"I'll get you there on time" I speak while chewing on some as we make way out of the door.

She giggles and have a last look all around. I side hug her sensing the water in her eyes and then we head out.

"You're one phunny girl do you know that?" I elbow her as we put her luggage in the trunk.

"You're the phunny guy!" She giggles and rolls her eyes sticking her tongue out.

"Unhuh!" We get in the car and zoom off into the late midnight black road, listening to a retro opera on the radiohead. 

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
*click on the screen and hit the star at the bottom of your screen to vote*

Thank you so much for all the love and support you people have been giving me. It is so overwhelming.

Wanted to warn you over something untasteful coming, coz this story is more on a tragic side of love which is clearly unpredictable from these 20 parts! So here you go on your own risk.

I'll love each one of you who continues with me till the end. Coz of course it has a happy end. And no we're nowhere near the end 👅

Leave me cotes and vomments!
I mean votes & comments😹

Love always,
Sue😚