December 2020, 

Munnar, Kerala.

S H R E E     P R A S A D 

"Mumma where are you going?" Madhu asks as I try to get off the bed.

"To get some snackies from the kitchen, baby." I say. "Won't it be nice to have something to eat while we all watch a movie together?"

"I'll go get some!" She volunteers excitedly and jumps off the bed. "You lie down and relax, mumma!"

As she runs out of the room, she knocks on the bathroom door. Madhav was inside taking a shower after a long day of tending to the big garden in Elysium. "Nanna, come out soon! I'm going to the kitchen to get some snackies!"

I laugh as she hurriedly runs out. Meow follows her.

A few minutes later Madhav comes out of the shower. He walks out wearing his boring old khakhi shorts - yes the cold December doesn't bother him. My mind goes back to 2017, in Goa, that was the  first I saw, you know - all shirtless and stuff.

His abs looked thick and well defined as if someone carved it on his tanned stomach - it still does, his broad lean chest was clean shaved. His calves and quads were sculpted to perfection, just like his neatly trimmed beard. And even though its been four years, the urge to run my hands over him and to feel the texture of his skin, his muscles and his hair bubble up inside me. How is this man so hot and exclusively mine?

He puts his same old boring black teeshirt, slips on his glasses and runs his fingers through his hair. 

"Are the pillows comfortable to lean on?" Madhav asks as he sits on the bed beside me. "Do you want me to adjust it, or-"

"No, no, I'm fine!" I say shifting myself on the bed. I sigh as I rest my head on his shoulder and place my foot on top of his. He doesn't say anything, he just rubs my knee. Oh, he smells of Madhu's baby shampoo! How can he look like a fricking delicious snack and smell like a baby at the same time? He realises that I'm sniffing him like a police dog. Only difference is when he does it, it's romantic and when I do it, it's like a police dog sniffing up stuff. I look up at him like a baby, he notices my attention-seeking eyes on him, and he wraps an arm around me and places a quick kiss on my forehead.

"Is the hoodie too tight?" He asks as he keeps changing the channels on our bedroom TV. I look at the hoodie which I'm wearing. It's his hoodie to be honest, he let me have it since I kept on singing praises of how soft and comfy it felt against my skin. It's the best thing to wear on a cold night in Munnar.

"Nope." I shake my head. "But it will be, in another few months!"

"You know something," He asks smiling as he looks down at me. The hand that was wrapped around me, slides under the hoodie I was wearing. He trails his finger down my spine. He presses a kiss to my forehead then takes my chin tenderly between his thumb and forefinger, lifting my gaze to his. He takes my hand and pulls me closer to him.

"You look so cute. SO. DAMN. FUCKING. CUTE." He kisses my knuckles tenderly, and the touch of his lips on my skin resonates all over my body. He presses kisses from my forehead, to my temple and down to my cheeks. His lips roam all over my face. It starts with a soft skim over my eyelids, a soft stroke over my nose, a last lingering bite of my mouth.

"Madhav, enough!" I insist amidst his many kisses on my cheek.

He gives a lazy smile, teasing me, my name coming out his lips as a desperate whimper. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me very close to him. I breathe in his scent - the smell of his mild cologne and the feeling of his short stubble beard makes my heart flutter. He holds my face with both his hands.

He pressed his lips against mine very softly. He took his time kissing me, wanting this moment to last forever. The beautiful surreal feeling of enjoying the moment, with no distractions, while I melted in his kiss. My fingers curled into the dark ravenous locks of his soft neat hair that was as smooth as silk. His mouth tasted of the spearmint toothpaste we use and his tongue brushed ever so softly. His short and heavy breaths and only heightened my contentment. His kisses, as always were the perfect mix of soft and hard. He would kiss passionately, but with each second he demands control and authority. 

As we kiss, I feel his lips curve up in a smile, and he sweeps a wild tendril of my hair behind my ear. 

He smiles broadly, as he looks at me. I realise one hand was resting on the smooth of my waist.

"I can't wait for our baby." 

"This one-" I ask pointing at my flat stomach, "or the one that went to the kitchen to grab some snacks? Madhav, please! Madhu will come in any minute!" I whisper.

"You have a valid point!" He says and lets go of me. He placed his hands on my waist and skimmed his fingers over my ribs. At his touch, I moaned and stretched toward him. "Always using our baby's name to get away from me."

"She's taken an oath to keep me safe." I whip at him with a teasing smile.

"And I haven't?" He asks resting his forehead on my shoulders. I blush as he presses his lips against the tender spot on my throat, letting his lips wander on. He looks at me. "Answer me, chellam!"

I look away and hiss as he plants his signature lingering kiss on my neck.

"I BROUGHT SNACKIES!" Madhu yells happily as she comes into the room holding a bag of Kurkure, Cheetos and two cylindrical bottles of Pringles. I quickly move away from Madhav, and sit on my side of the bed as if nothing happened.

She keeps them on the bed and climbs up, snuggling in between us. He gets all the snacks Madhu brought in and picks the TV remote.

"Okay, so are we all ready to watch Toy Story 4?" Madhav asks.

"Aren't we watching Final Destination?" Madhu asks. "I want to watch a scaredy movie."

"No, you aren't watching any such movies!" Madhav declares. "You'll keep thinking about it all night and you'll probably keep us awake too!"

"No, I won't!" Madhu pouts as she pulls Madhav's teeshirt.

"Haha, yes you will!" Madhav says teasingly.

"Aha, I know why." Madhu says lifting her eyebrows. "It's because Nanna is scaredy to watch."

I burst out laughing.

"No I'm not scared!" He exclaims, not pleased with me laughing like that.

"Who are you joking with Madhav?" I ask. "I've seen how you freaked out when we went to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas."

"Oh come on! The people in that movie look super weird! And it was just that one movie!" He exclaims and looks at Madhu. "Who's the one who cried all night after watching Annabelle, which they weren't supposed to be watching?"

"I was a baby!" Madhu squeals.

"That was last week!" 

"Yeah, I'm still a baby!" Madhu says opening the bag of chips. "I'm only four!"

"Sure!" Madhav adds mockingly. 

"Mumma!" Madhu whines looking at me.

"Madhav! Stop pulling her leg!" I reprimand. The next second he pulls Madhu to his lap and squeezes her chubby cheeks.

"Kannamma mad at me or what?" He asks. She shakes her head and he plants a kiss on her forehead. "Right, let's watch Final Destination, then!"

"Actually, Nanna, can we watch Toy Story 4 instead?" She asks after thinking for a while. "I'm not scaredy or anything. Just feel its not the right movie to watch with Mumma having a baby in her tummy."

"She's scared." I whisper to Madhav, and he nods with a smile.

"Okay, Toy Story 4, then!" Madhav declares.

* * * * *

Mahesh walks into the big warehouse owned by the Ramakrishnas. Inside the warehouse stood a big white and blue jet that was getting final touches. 

"Hello, I'm Mahesh, Head of Security Management. Mr. RK Ramakrishna sent me to inspect the interiors of the jet." He says to the plump supervisor who was overlooking the entire process. "Mr. Madhav is to take the maiden flight to the Philippines next week on this very jet and my job is to check if the jet adheres to all the safety policies."

"Come in, sir." He takes Mahesh and shows him the way into the jet. 

"Thank you, I'd like some time alone to do my inspection." Mahesh says and the supervisor nods.

Mahesh walks on the furnished interiors of the jet, impressed by the grand scale. He goes to the cockpit and sits on the pilot's seat. He pulls out his smart phone, scrolls through Whatsapp and calls someone.

"Hi Mahesh." Shiv says as the video call gets connected. "Are you there?"

"Yes." He nods. "It's pretty impressive and neat. They spent a fortune on this indeed!"

"So what's the plan?" Shiv asks. 

"The plan is to finish off things in this jet itself." Mahesh says grimly. "We are going to kill him in this jet. I love how these Ramakrishnas spent so much money to make a lavish coffin for their beloved Madhav."

"Coffin?" Shiv asks confused.

"Yes, my dear Shiv!" Mahesh exclaims excitedly. "Not only are we going to kill him in this jet, but we will bury him under the sea in this lavish jet - coffin. And - and, we are going to bury him in the Mariana Trench, my friend. It's the deepest part of the entire sea. They will not be able to recover one little bit of the jet or their beloved Madhav."

"So the plan is to-" Shiv asks and Mahesh excitedly starts to explain.

"We take turns shooting him like a game bird, and once he's good as dead, we change the jet's route - altering it so that the jet directly plunges into the Mariana Trench. It should plunge in so deep, that he lies rotting and decaying under the sea till the end of time."

To be continued....

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