UNCONDITIONAL

XXIX

Noor took an audible breath as her eyes shifted from Victoria to Prem at her side. He looked back at her curiously, waiting along with everyone else for her response to Victoria's statement. Noor faced Victoria once again to reveal an expression that spelled out nothing but destruction. "The next time these fingers reach for my husband..." she spoke slowly in a lowered voice, enunciating every word, "I will have them cut off and fed to my dogs." There was pin drop silence as her threat settled in the minds of everyone around her striking genuine fear inside her opponent. Harleen was impressed by just how frightening her boss could actually be. "If you want well for yourself," Noor continued, "this will be our last meeting. And as far as entertaining my husband goes, I've said it before, I'll say it again...you could have his body for a thousand lifetimes, and you wouldn't be able to remove me from his mind for half a second. I am embedded within his heart. I reside in his soul. He. Is. Mine." Noor finished off. An amused smile broke out onto Prem's lips as he watched on, absolutely smitten. Noor could tell he was enjoying himself when she glanced back over at him. "Having fun, Your Majesty?" She asked in a smile as she placed her arms around his neck with a hand on the back of his head. Guiding his face lower, she took a powerful look to her side at Victoria before going in and planting a lasting kiss on his lips, leaving everyone in the area breathless and pleasantly surprised. "Mine!" Noor whispered once they withdrew letting her eyes talk to Prem's. His dimples dug into his cheeks as he lowered his eyes to the ground in his classic shy smile in response. His expression had summoned a massive smile onto Noor's face as well. She bit her lip to abate it as she turned around to face Victoria again. "Mine." She proclaimed one more time as her challenging gaze settled over Victoria.

"Really Prem?" Victoria could no longer hide her frustration. "You're not gonna say anything? I don't even know what's going on anymore. What could've possibly happened in the past two days to make everything suddenly about her?"

"Victoria..." Prem finally spoke up. "I appreciate you for all time you have spent in this house. Thank you. But it's not suddenly about Noor..." He paused for moment to gather his thoughts. "It's always been about Noor. In the past two years, I have inhaled Noor's scent with every breath I took, I have felt Noor's touch in anything I laid my hands on, I have tasted Noor in anything I placed on my tongue, I have heard Noor in any sound that entered my ears, and I have seen Noor everywhere I have looked." He said going into a trance with his eyes fixated on Noor. "I dreamed of Noor in my sleep, I fantasized of Noor when I was awake. I lived for Noor. I am alive for Noor. I can die for Noor. I can kill for Noor. It is all about Noor, it will forever be about Noor, it's always been about Noor. Even...when the world thought it wasn't, especially...when I thought it wasn't. It was always about Noor." He finished off by putting his arms around Noor's waist from the back and planting a kiss on her cheek, causing her to blush.

"Woot!" Harleen let out a small cheer. "Damn Jheej! You know why they call Shahrukh Khan the king of romance? Because they've never met you!"

Prem took a hand off of Noor's waist to take a small bow before Harleen.

"Goodbye Victoria." Noor stated before turning around within Prem's hold and facing him again. "This better be the last time I see her under my roof." She warned him softly with a smile as the dark in her eyes pierced into the chocolate brown in his. "Or else..."

"Or else..." Prem subtly bit his lower lip repeating Noor's words to her.

"Or else...for every one Victoria I see in this house, I will invite nine Karans over." She notified him sweetly.

"Is that right?" He asked in a raised eyebrow and a restricted but a dimpled smile. "Well, I think if you can see me with nine Victorias over the past two years, I can see you with nine Karans."

"Really?" Noor was impressed by his generous statement. "Let's see." She said drawing out her phone and scrolling through her contacts. "Ahh, there he is...Karan!"

Prem snatched the phone out of her hand before she could touch dial and discarded it. Using her chin to gently lift her face, he looked at her for a moment before proceeding to kiss her. Looks spelling out pure thrill were exchanged among the people around them one more time as they withdrew. Prem narrowed his eyes and looked deep into hers, "mine" he whispered, in the same tone she had earlier.

Noor blushed. "I'm gonna let you bid farewell to her, okay? I'll see you later." She let the tip of her nose touch the tip of his and stepped back before beginning to walk away.

"Wait." Victoria called from behind her. Noor halted in her tracks as Victoria stepped in front of her to speak. "Whether I want it to be or not, the looks things around here are telling me this game is over and there's no point of me going on anymore so I'm gonna be honest with you for a second. Looks like I'll be the ninth one to tell you this but it's worth adding to your numbers." She sighed before continuing. "It's not what I came here for, but I put my life into winning over Prem...I mean look at him, who wouldn't? But you were right all along, not a look from him in my direction. It turns out your husband does belong only to you after all, Prem Dhaliwal never did have eyes for anyone else. You win, Noor Dhaliwal. You win." She bowed her head a little accepting defeat.

Noor looked at Prem and then back at Victoria. "Have a great life, Victoria." She gave her a genuine smile before leaving the scene.