The Corporate Monster ✅

P R O M I S E D

"Thank you." Aniket choked, clutching his wife's hand. She has been his only anchor after all that has happened.

Before heading to the registry, Krithi and Aniket had planned to shop in the market for their small house-warming party. They had abandoned their house for a long time, since they were both stuck in their offices the last two months, wallowing in their misery.

They wanted to reveal Aniket's existence, and show their enemies that they could also be happy; they had invited the whole Pandya and Menon family over phone to their small pooja.

Except, Aniket didn't want all the questions. He didn't anyone to ask him why he faked his own death. He didn't want to face his mother. Her rejection of him was so unexpected, he was still trying to recover from it.

"She shouldn't have said that." Krithi said, referring to Maykala's harsh words.

"I saw her cry." Aniket said, hoping that his mother didn't mean her words.

"Just forget about it Aniket. This is why family is not be trusted."

"I trust you." He said. "You're my family."

Krithi purses her lips. She didn't know what to say to that. Even when he was hurting, he was comforting her.

Instead of opening her mouth and ruining the moment, she molded a small smile on her face, nodding.

They climbed down the steps of the house and noticed that it was starting to drizzle. The trees blew strong winds their way, detracting them from their path. "I don't think we can go to the market like this."

"The party is tomorrow, Aniket. We still have to book a priest, and arrange everything. Flowers, food, traditions. It's a lot of work. And we have to get to the registry before it closes."

"How about we go the registry first and get this over with? Maybe it will stop raining by then and we can go to the market."

Krithi huffed. He was right. "Alright. But we can't travel on my motorcycle since it's raining. The documents can get wet. We need a cab or a auto."

"I'll see if I can book one an Ola." He said.

He grabbed his phone out, typing furiously. "It's confirmed. The driver's getting here in five minuets."

"He better. I'm not paying him if he's late."

Aniket shook his head at his punctual wife. "That's not how it works. You have to pay for the services provided."

"You sound like a male stripper." Krithi said without filter.

Aniket revised his words in his head, and laughed. He had no clue how his wife managed to make him feel better. It was a true art that he will never learn. "True." He bit his lips. "You thought about me stripping, didn't you?"

Krithi blushed, staring out into the pouring rain to avoid his eyes. "No."

"You did." He sang.

"Shut up."

"That confirms it, then." Pursing his lips, he pulled her in close. Krithi huffed dismissively, but her pounding heart was proof enough that his touch affected her.

"One kiss," he whispered into her ear, "is all I want."

"No." She refused, turning her head away shyly as he leaned in.

"Look at me." He said.

She slowly turned, and without wasting another moment, Aniket connected his lips with hers. Krithi's eyes widened, but he didn't mind, his hands angling her neck towards him. It took Krithi a second to surface from the shock, but once she realized what she was doing, she stopped questioning everything and relaxed into his embrace.