Shree keeps her phone on the dining table and goes to answer the door. She was wearing a bright blue sari with her hair braided neatly.

Madhav greets her with a warm hug as he walks into their penthouse apartment.

"Someone looks thrilled and happy!" Shree comments as she notices the bright smile on her husband's face.

"Yes. I am so happy right now." He says and holds her hand. "Appa has decided to retire, and he asked me to take his place as the CEO and the Chairperson of the company."

"Did you say yes?"

"I did." He says and Shree shrieks in excitement.

"OMG this is amazing! You finally got what you worked hard for!" She says hugging him. "I wish I knew earlier I would have made something special for dinner! Screw you, Madhav!"

"It's okay we can order some pizza. Maybe some Coke to go with it?" He whispers huskily and Shree notices him undoing his belt. "How about we have a little celebration in our bedroom as we wait for the pizza?"

She nods.

Madhav pulls out is phone and dials the numbers. "Pizza Hut? I'd like to order one chicken BBQ pizza and a coke bottle." Madhav says as he undoes Shree's braids with the other hand. "I'm Madhav Ramakrishna. Penthouse A, Sunrise Apartments, Bandra West."

He disconnects the call and throws the phone to the couch, pulling her to his arms. "We have thirty minutes before the pizza arrives."

"Pizza Hut is literally around the block. He'll be here in another ten minutes." She adds softly and gasps as she feels his palm against her waist.

"I assure you I can finish within ten minutes. Or less." Madhav says as he runs his knuckles down her soft little waist. Her hands timidly start undoing his shirt buttons.

As she unbuttons the one before the last button, he lifts her into his arms.

* * * * *

Shree sighs in relief as she wraps her arms around Madhav's neck. Madhav's rough palms caress her waist as he places soft pecks of kisses across her lips.

"Didn't I tell you I can finish within 10 minutes?" Madhav asks after planting a lingering kiss on her rosy lips.

"I'll keep that in mind." Shree says caressing his messy hair. Madhav pulls her closer to him until there was no gap between them. He nuzzled against her cheek and smiled in happiness, inhaling the beautiful mixture of sandal skin.

"Let's do it again." Shree whispers into his ears as he presses a kiss against her cheek. "I think we have more time."

"We aim to please, Mrs. Ramakrishna." He says as he rolls over, pinning her down to the bed, holding her arms above her head with his fist. She laughs gleefully, letting his finger slide from her cheek to her jaw and then to her neck.

They are interrupted by the sound of the bell.

"Must be the pizza." She murmurs and Madhav gets off the bed. Shree sits up, holding her discarded sari against her bosom. She smiles to herself as she admires Madhav's firm buttocks as he bends down to pick his discarded jeans.

"Not ogling at my adorable backside, are we?" He asks teasingly as he zips his tailored pants and opens the cupboard and pulls out a plain black tee-shirt.

"Get dressed soon. You must be hungry." He says as he runs his fingers through his hair, sprinting outside as the bell rings again.

Madhav gets the coke and the pizza from the delivery man and closes the door. He keeps them on the table. As he turns, he hears Shree clear her throat behind him.

"Fuck!" He gasps as he sees her wearing his shirt, which he had been wearing the whole day.

"How do I look?" She asks and he notices that she paired it by wearing his briefs.

"I don't know what to say." He mumbles as he tries to stop looking at her gleaming thighs and how irresistibly angelic she appeared. Her cheeks were red. Bashfulness overflooded her heart and she tried well to avoid eye contact with him.

Her hair was tied into a haphazard bun, with a few tendrils of hair falling on her face. Her nipples were visible through the shirt and he gravely fought the urge to stop staring. "But I must say, I am very turned on right now."

"Maybe we can continue our little rendezvous after we finish this pizza?" He adds saucily as she opens the pizza box.

"This smell is so heavenly." She sighs in happiness.

"Precisely." He says as he wraps his arms around her frame and smells the crook of her neck. Shree blushes as she removes the tomatoes and the onions from the pizza. She turns around with a slice of pizza on her hand and brings it to his mouth.

He hums in delight as he takes a bite, refusing to take his eyes off her glowing face. Shree smiles and takes a bite of the pizza. She looks up at Madhav, who's eyes are glued to her face.

"I never ever thought I'd be this happy." Madhav says as he caresses her cheek and wipes the sauce off her lips. "You are the reason, Shree. I never thought, even in my craziest dreams, that I'd be so happy and smiling without a reason. But here I am, a wide smile on my face and a heart filled with happiness."

He takes another step closer to her and grabs her face with his hands. Shree rests the pizza on the table, without taking her eyes off him for a second. She closes her eyes feeling his breath fan her face. Her heart dances in joy as he comes closer and claims her lips with his. She starts kissing her with a kind of intensity that makes her want to burn to ashes.

He stops as he hears the black mobile phone on the dining table ring. "Let me answer this call."

He walks a few steps away from her, only to realise that it wasn't his phone, but hers. His phone was somewhere on the couch. He reads the name of the caller 'Ms Jaya, 5th STND'. Regardless, he answers the call.

"Hey Shree, don't forget you have to be in school early in the morning to make arrangements for tomorrow's special morning prayer." Speaks a young lady. "Also, can you stay back afterschool to discuss about the primary school concert. Mrs. Verma said you have wonderful ideas for the-"

"I'm sorry but Mrs. Shree Ramakrishna will not be present for both." Madhav replies curtly and cuts the call.

In a snap second Madhav's expression changes from romantic husband to enraged volcano.

"Is there something you are hiding?" he asks as he goes back to her.

"Uhm-N-N-No." She stammers and notices his stern look. "Yes. I have been working in a school for almost five-"

Madhav doesn't let her finish. He slaps her hard. "You. Lied. To. Me."

"I'm sorry." Shree says softly as tears well her eyes.

He shakes his head in disappointment. "You have been lying to me for a very long time. In fact, every single day. Why?"

"Because I don't want to stay at home. I wanted to work as teacher." Shree said wiping the tears off her face.

"I'm upset that you lied to me, Shree. I don't know if I can ever believe you again. If you had somehow pleaded me to let you work, I might have" Madhav says sternly. "If teaching meant so much for you and if you had told me long ago, I would have let you continue. But you have been covering up your job with not just one, but several lies. You kept lying to me for all these months and I believed them. LIKE A BLOODY FUCKING FOOL! I AM SO HURT RIGHT NOW!"

"I'm sorry, I never wanted to hurt you." Shree sobs and holds his hand, but he moves away from her.

"You aren't sorry because you lied. You are sorry because I found out. You tainted this relationship with all those lies and falsehood." He whips at her. "If you are really sorry and if you want to make rectifications to this relationship then let go of your job."

"I-I-I-I-I-I" Shree fumbles upon listening to him. "I can't do that, Madhav."

"Then it's not wise we stay in this relationship." He adds gravely. "You have to make a choice between me and your job."

Shree wipes her tears and replies. "I-I-I-made up my mind. I w-w-w-want to continue working. I-I-I-I want my c-c-career as-as a teacher! I don't want you! I don't want to live with a man who doesn't give an ounce of support to my dreams or my career. I AM LEAVING."

Madhav looks at her attentively and speechlessly for a minute.

Shree angrily walks to the bedroom. She changes into a blue knee length frock and starts to cram her suitcase with her clothes. As she grabs the last of her clothes from the shelves her eyes fall on their beautiful wedding invitation, which she kept safely between two saris in her cupboard.

She inhales the fresh sandal fragrance of the card and the entire scene of their marriage surfaces into her mind. The memory of their wedding is fresh in her mind, and she can remember how he held her hand and made her blush in the manavarai.

She remembers of her love for him and his love for her. She recollects every moment they shared and the thought of how happy they become in each other's company.

She remembers the beautiful schemes and plans they made for future each night sinks into her memory.

She remembers how she wanted to have a house in Kerala.

Her days with him were a fairytale, where she knew only love and happiness as the only feelings. Every moment, every second so far had been a fairytale, a royal fairytale, according to her friends. It was the happily ever after Cinderella had with her Prince Charming.

The beautiful little fights about their first child. She would always argue that they would have a son, while Madhav invalidated her stance saying they would have a daughter.

Every night, after making love, they would cuddle and brainstorm names for their baby. She would reject each name and coerce Madhav to accept the names she fancied. The names were fixed now, and very soon she would conceive.

Shree shakes her head. "I can't leave him."

She runs out of the room and into the living room, looking for him. Her heart beats erratically and somehow relaxes as she sees him in the balcony.

Madhav was leaning against the balcony railing, looking at the Mumbai traffic, finding solace as he smokes a cigarette. The setting sun shone against his skin and he looked like a statue dipped in gold.

"Have you come to say goodbye?" he asks sensing Shree walk towards him.

"No." She breathes, and she wraps her hands around his torso, resting the side of her face against his back. "I don't want to leave you. I can't. I won't!"

"Why not?" He asks as he starts smoking a fresh cigarette.

"It's because I love you." She says sobbing into his tee-shirt. "I don't want to live without you. What's life without you by my side? Do you realize how deeply I have fallen in love with you? Do you realize how I can't go a day without you by my side?"

Madhav silently listens as he watches the smoke dissolve in the air. He inhales the cigar again but is taken aback when Shree comes in front of him.

She pulls the cigar from his mouth. She drops it on the tiled floor and crushes it under her foot.

"I love you, Madhav!" Shree confesses again. "Please say something, your silence is killing me slowly. I am even ready to quit my job to be with you. I'll resign tomorrow and stay at home like you want me to. I'll do anything you ask me to do. Don't give me the silence treatment and don't ask me to leave you. Don't leave me as well."

"I will never leave you, chellam, and you know that." He says tucking the messy strand of her hair behind her ear. "My life is meaningless without you. As I always say, you aren't a part of me-"

"-You are me." Shree finishes with eyes full of tears.

He wipes the tears that rolled down her eyes.

"My dear chellam, I love you-"

Shree doesn't let him finish. She wraps her arms against his neck and starts kissing him. She passionately kisses him despite the staunch nicotine smell. Tears roll from her eyes as he reciprocates the kiss, making her knees wobble as his stubble brushes against her chin. He pulls her closer and starts to caress her cheeks with his rough palms.

* * * * *

Shree softly sobs in the middle of the night. She lets the tears flow as she thinks of how she'd no longer be working as a teacher. Madhav was asleep, holding Shree closer to him. Her back was pressed to his chest and she could feel every long breath he took as he slept peacefully. His face was resting on her soft sweet-smelling hair and his arm was wrapped against her bare waist, while one hand had the audacity to cup her bra clad breast.

It was midnight and the moon's light painted the room in a marvelous silver shade. The moonlight fell on her discarded frock and his tee-shirt. Madhav carried her to the bedroom, after they finished eating the pizza, where he took off her frock and his tee-shirt, and lay together on the bed, he was in his tailored pants while she was in her bra and underwear. He covered them by a warm blanket as he peppered kisses down her neck till, he fell asleep.

She sobs throughout the night.

-M  A  D  H  A  V      R  A  M  A  K  R  I  S  H  N  A-

I can hear you sob. I never slept. I cannot, knowing I forced you to make a difficult decision. I had to do this. I have to do this to protect you; protect you from him- from Shiv Sharma. You certainly remember that creep who tried to molest you, right?

He tried to molest Shree and I destroyed him. I made sure his name got blacklisted from all the companies where he can get employed in the future. I got him arrested and was given jail sentence- extended to a life sentence after I fanned a few lakhs at the court judge. He's escaped and I am afraid of the disturbing things he scribbled on the walls of his jail cell. There were threats of having me and Shree killed in the cruelest ways. The police superintendent sent me pictures.

I thought I destroyed him for attempting to assault you, but I created the devil. Shiv is roaming out there, probably plotting our deaths. This is why I want you at home. Not out there, where you are vulnerable to his attacks. There are bodyguards surrounding this apartment and outside guarding the door, right now. Security is doubled in the RK mansion. And you are safer in my arms.

You don't know any of this. I did everything to hide this from you. I don't want to burden you with any disturbing piece of information. Perhaps that is why I haven't opened up about my past or regarding Devakshi's death.

You can hate me with all your heart because I forced you to resign. However, remember that I love you with all my heart and I will hate myself even if you get bruised because of him. When we married, I promised to protect you with my life, and I shall even die protecting you from him. I would rather have you locked up inside a bank vault with me than put you in danger for one second.

Shree, I love you so much. You know that and you remember it. But I don't know why you can't remember the fact that I can never leave you or ask you to do so. I can never ever do that, because I keep falling in love with you each day. Do you even realize how much I need you in life? You have become a vital element for survival. I can live for several days without money or food, but not even an hour without you or with the sweet memories of you.

I hold Shree in my arms throughout the night, tighter than ever. I don't let my eyelids close. I won't. I need to double the security around her, triple it if needed.

I get off the bed when I see the first ray of sunlight fill the room. I have a quick bath and return to see her sleeping peacefully. I get dressed into a black tailored pant and a black shirt. I notice her, in the reflection of the mirror, as she tosses and turns in the bed.

Before I leave to work, I go to her and sit on the edge of the bed. Her eyes open in a quick second. She looks at me and she looks wounded.

"I'm going for work. I'll make a few waffles for you to eat. I laid out a few clothes for you. Get dressed by 11 because Raju will come to pick you at 11. I'll meet you at the RK Mansion in the evening, alright?"

She nods slowly.

I kiss her forehead and her nose before walking out of our room.

To be continued....

Keep the votes and the comments flowing!

Also let me know what you think of the following through your comments

What will happen next?

Are you happy about Madhav's promotion?

Should Madhav tell Shree that Shiv escaped from prison and is plotting to kill her?

Do you think Madhav's actions justify his intentions of protecting Shree from Shiv?

What names do you think Shree and Madhav would have finalized for their baby?

Announcement!

It's Dedication Time! As a way of returning your unwavering love and support to the story, I have decided to dedicate ALL the chapters of this book to each reader.

1: A question will be asked at the end of each chapter, regarding the story and/or the characters.

2: One person will be selected from all those who have provide the correct answer.

3: The lucky winner gets one chapter of this book dedicated to him/her. This process will happen repeatedly until all/most of the readers, active and silent, have chapters dedicated to them.

PREVIOUS WEEK'S QUESTION: What is the name of Shree's best friend?

Answer: Ahaana

Winner (picking one since I can't dedicate to all those who answered correctly) Congratulations to himanisurve

This week's question: Who is Shiv Sharma?

Submit your answers with inline comments. May the correct and most accurate answer win!