Sweetener : Drabbles

# 2 Rain

"How could you think after all this time, I like him? A silly crush during college? She asked annoyed as she ran after him seeing how he walked away abruptly seeing her with Krish during the 100th Kapoor mansion function in couple of months.

"Well,you have been spending time with him, you told him about the kidnapping not me. How did you think it made me feel that my wife did not tell me something as crucial as that?" he asked frustrated, trying to sound not so heartbroken as he felt.

"I was trying to protect you" she said making him stop walking and turn around so he was facing her

"From what?" he asked desperately , his eyes gazing deeply into her hazel eyes

"From yourself, the moment you knew I was kidnapped you would have stopped the investigation. I went to Krish for help not because I liked him, because I needed him to find out what happened to your father. I told him about the kidnapping, in hope if we could find out who they were and who paid them maybe we could get closer to find about your dad's death. I know you, Ram you would have put me above your closure, and I could not let that happen."

"If something had happenend to you, I would have...."he whispered, the fear of losing her so evident in his voice it broke her heart.

"I know" she said hitting her forehead with his, placing his hand on her beating heart to reassure him that she was alive, she was okey and she was with him.

"So you and Krish...."

"I know you are not afraid of me betraying you, your fear is that I might leave,might choose someone else over you and even afraid I will die. Your fears are due to your past, just like mine is due to my own past. So, I'm going to make this clear for you this once, so you better get this in that big skull of yours."

"Priya..I" before he could say something she interrupted him with slamming her lips into his. The whole world stopped around them, the music in the background could no longer be heard as she moved her lips against his. He tasted like honey, a sweetener her broken heart needed to heal.

Ram stood their frozen, it took a minute for his brain to register what was happening before he kissed her back, pulling her closer to him. Kissing her felt like coming home after decades of being alone.

Priya smiled into the kiss, as she felt him ran his hands through her hair. He did always have a soft spot for her beautiful hair. Priya moved away to catch her breath, her eyes locking into his blue eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, she was in the arms of her beloved.

"What was that for?"

"You know"

"I need to hear it, Priya" he whispered with so much longing. Priya did not want to fight him or her own feelings, she did not want to talk either all she wanted was to kiss him again and again for the rest of eternity.

"I love you Ram Kapoor, and it terrifies me that I do. Yet falling in love with you has been the most beautiful feeling in the world. If you ask me to pinpoint when, I won't be able to. Was it during when I saw you dance with my mom, when I gave you those coupons, when I laughed at your bad joke for the first time, when I got scarred when you got sick during diwali, when I made a mannat for the first time for your health and fast recovery during lockdown, was it when I stood in that shower with you or that night when we took our first steps towards physical intimacy. I don't know, Ram. I wish I knew, maybe I was falling more and more by each moment. But I know this, that when you are hurting I 'm terrified, when you are upset I want to find out why, apart from my family you are the first person I'm willing to get uncomfortable for and say yes to things simply because it brings you happiness. I want a life, a family and to grow old with you and only you. "

I love you too Priya, so much" he whispered as tears fell from his eyes, as he cupped her face because Ram needed the reasurance that this was real. That his mind was not pulling a joke at him, he needed to know with certainty that this was not just a beautiful dream.

"This, my heart beating for you. My voice breaking as I confess my love for you and the tears falling from my eyes, they are real. This is not a dream, not a one-sidedlove story where one of us leave each other. I'm never leaving you Mr. Kapoor; you are stuck with me for the rest of eternity".

Ram pulled her into a tight hug, her coconut shampoo filling his senses and he smiled. Every heartache he had been through had been worth it, because he was finally getting the love, he had never given himself permission to belive was a possibility for him.

He felt priya pull away but he pulled her back closer to his chest and tightened his hold around her. Wanting her to stay in his arms, so he could shield her from all the bad in this world.

"Mr. Kapoor it's raining" he heard her protest weakly

Ram laughed, not having noticed it started raining when he hugged her. He had been so lost in her, to notice rain for the first time in his life.

"Ek secund, Priya. "

He did not need to tell her what he was asking from her, she understood he wanted to soak in this moment with her just a little bit longer in the rain with her.

Priya moved in his arms, ignoring his protest. Priya looked into his eyes, smiling at him as she saw the sheer glee on his face. She had no idea when his smile started to mean everything to her, but now she would do everything she can to protect that smile on his face. His wellbeing and happiness is what matter the most to her now.

"Since we are already going to get a cold, I think we should make the best of the situation" she heard him say flirtingly as he kissed her cheek making her shiver.

"I'm not dancing with you in rain, like in those cheesy movi...." her words were cut off as he held her chin and pressed his lips into hers. Priya closed her eyes, taking her arms around his neck as she kissed him back passionately.

Ram pulled away gently after some minutes,so both of them could catch their breath. He kissed her forehead, then he gently pressed a kiss on her nose. A smile grew on his face as he saw her cheeks turn red, Ram's heart was filled with so much love and admiration for the woman in front of him, his wife, and the love of his life.

"Gosh, I love you so much. That night of your accident, I told you I love you and I could not lose you. I was wrong when I said I could never love someone again during our first date, to be frank with you maybe what I had in past was not love but more the idea of love I had before I met you. Because of you, I know what love truly is. Love is this, Priya. It's you and me, it's frustrating, complicated,and beautiful. It's for you to wait to have dinner until I come home, for me to rush to get out of the office so I can go home and have dinner with you and tell you about my day. It's for you to wear your hair open because I prefer it like that, it's for me to love every taunt of yours. It's pushing our fears away so we can be there for each other. It's for you to be stupid and not tell me about your kidnapping so I continue finding about the truth about my father and it's me running away from the party seeing you talk with Krish thinking you might prefer him. It's about seeing you read a book on your corner of the bead makes me feel at peace, how no food taste likes home unless it is made from you. My heart it's yours for you to break or for you to love"

"Only love from now one, our hearts are safe with each other. Now let's go to our room"

Ram raised his eyebrow and smirked towards her teasingly. Priya blushed before saying "Don't be besharam Mr. Kapoor, we need to dry our clothes and get changed so we don't get a cold tomorrow." She said strictly

"Mrs. Kapoor you were the one who kissed me on our terrance, where anyone could walk in on us and you call me besharam" he teased

" I can't with you" she said and they continued bickering as they walked towards their room hand in hand