Sunset At Sarsen Stones (What Dreams Are Made Of)

Chapter 51 - Proposal After the Announcement

Dear Lovely Readers,

Any guesses on what do you think Chrissy will say in response to Nikloi's question?

You think you know?

Read on...

And all those who wanted Nikloi's POV.. here you go..more and more of it. Hope you enjoy ;)

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Chrissy was stunned. She couldn't blink or move or breathe. She was just too shocked to react. Nikloi pulled the ring out of the box and put it on her ring finger, while astounded Chrissy continued to watch speechlessly.

When Nikloi tugged her at hand to say something, she gathered all her strengths to pull out of her trance and finally ask, "I.. Why are you doing this?"

"Why? Because I want to marry you", Nikloi replied immediately.

"You don't have to take this too far. Stop this please. It's already too much for me."

"Stop what? What are you saying?" Nikloi asked bewildered.

"This! This ring, this proposal, this marriage! You don't have to marry me. You don't want to marry me. You don't have to do this for some charade."

"Why would you call it charade?" Nikloi asked irritably, hurt visible in his eyes.

"Because you don't love me! There can never be a marriage without love. I don't want a marriage without love", said Chrissy. Her agitated state lending her the strength to get it off her chest, get it all out, no matter how much it pained her to the acknowledge the bitter truth.

"And who told you I don't love you?" Nikloi asked heatedly.

Chrissy faltered for a second. She looked up at his face to see anger, hurt and irritation written all over his face. She took a deep breath and spelt out the biggest of her heartache.

"You don't love me. You never said you did", the words came out as a whisper but Nikloi heard them clear.

Nikloi took hold of her arms on both sides, making her jerk her head up and looked deep in her eyes. "Oh Christina! What do you think I have been going through all these months? What do you think I have been telling you whole of yesterday? What was I telling you whole of last night?" He whispered-yelled at her.

Chrissy couldn't help but turn crimson at his words. Lowering her eyes, she said, "That.. that was different.. you desire me... physically.. it has nothing to do with love."

"Oh but it has! It has got everything to do with love. I have never experienced such feelings for any one. I have been attracted earlier but it was always different with you. I just don't want you physically. Had it been just sex, I would have been through you long time back."

Chrissy felt the pain at the implication. She tried to move away, but Nikloi tightened his hold. "No, don't go. Listen to me. I am not proud of all that I did but I need you to understand", he said pulling her back to face him.

He continued, "I tried to ignore you, I tried to shut you out. Believe me I even tried to play it out as plain sex. I did. There was a time when all I wanted was to just take you."

Chrissy found herself turning hot at his words in spite of the situation.

"The night of your first party at the hotel, I couldn't keep my eyes off you. You were such a breath of fresh air among the other scantily dressed women. So simple and yet you had the allure pulling me towards you. But after our not-so-encouraging conversation during the lunch in my room, I had decided to stay away from you. You had made absolutely clear that you didn't want to be close to me and I was not going to go after you. And then I saw you with Henry and suddenly all my resolve seem to go out of the window."