Part - 40

"Forever Is A Long Time But I Don't Mind Spending It By Your Side"

(Mithra's POV)

(Few Months Later)

"Mrs. Kelly, you take two days off from work" I say with a smile.

"Oh! Good. But may I know why, sweetie?" Mrs. Kelly asks me, returning a fond smile.

"Um... Karthik is coming tonight so... I would like to cook something special for him with whatever little I have learned from you... and we might even go out to celebrate our big day, tomorrow" I tell, practically bouncing in excitement.

"Oh okay, sweetie. Have fun!" She says with a wink & I blush. Then she heads to her room to pack her things and I head to the kitchen to a bake a cake. A chocolate cake! Karthik's favorite.

By eleven O'clock, I am done with all the preparations. Pool side dinner? Done! I doubt he will have dinner at this time but still I can force feed him because I want him to taste my handmade food, especially the cake I baked for him. I just hope it tastes delicious. Hmm... I will also let him drink a glass of wine, just to make him happy.

Our bedroom is decorated with aroma candles & dim lit bulbs to set the mood.

Bathtub filled with foam and Rose petals? Done! Good job, Mithra! I literally pat my shoulder, proudly.

Oh wait, Mithra! Girl, you aren't ready yet!

"What to wear? What to wear? What to wear?" I wonder rummaging through my closet. Ah! This would do. I take a black net saree & purple blouse. Karthik got this saree as a surprise gift for me, two months back when I went shopping for Tara's marriage. Yeah! Tara is happily married to Sunil / Sunny. She is now settled in Andaman Islands. Unlike me, she is spending every single second of her life with her husband in such a romantic place. I sigh.

I quickly drape the saree, neatly, showing my perfect curves. I scoop my hair to one side and let it cascade over my breast. I apply minimal make up, some lips gloss to my plum lips & a swipe of kajal. Karthik prefers my natural look.

"Something is missing?" I wonder staring at my image in the mirror.

"Hmm... Sindoor" I take a pinch of vermillion & place it on my forehead. I smile in satisfaction. "Karthik... come soon nah!" I whisper with my eyes closed.

--0--

A minute before the clock strikes twelve I hear the door bell ring. I smile widely & run downstairs to welcome my darling husband.

"Finaly, you are here Kar..." I stop mid sentence seeing a guy holding a huge flower bouquet almost hiding his face behind it.

"Yes?" I snap.

"Mrs. Karthik?" the delivery boy asks. I nod.

"This is for you from Mr. Karthik"

I take the bouquet from him & shut the door rudely on his face.

I look down at the beautiful white tulip bouquet & find a tag attached to it. It reads 'Sorry, baby'

"Why sorry? Is he not coming?" I wonder & quickly place the bouquet on the glass coffee table & grab my phone but it makes me jump when it suddenly starts ringing. It's Karthik.

"Hello"

"Happy Wedding Anniversary, Mithra" he says softly.

"Where are you, Karthik?" I ask, desperately wanting to hear him say that he is here in Australia but just got delayed due to traffic or something.

"Um... I... I am in Singapore on business" I know he is in Singapore working on a crucial project for nearly a month but then he promised to come here tonight.

"Stop kidding, Karthik. I know this is one of your lamest pranks" I tell trying to make myself believe that it's a prank though he sounds serious.

"Mithra... I..."

"Karthik... I know you are here..." I quickly open the door & run out of the house to the street to see whether he is standing in any corner just to test my patience & then give his so called 'heroic' entry.

"Where are you, Karthik?" I search everywhere in the dark biting my lips.

"Mithra, baby... I am sorry I couldn't make it there. I will see you in two days and then we can celebrate our wedding anniversary"

"Karthik, please... stop playing with me. Just come home. I am waiting for you outside the house"

"Mithra, it's late. Get inside the house. I am not there, for heaven sake!" he raises his voice.

"It's our first wedding anniversary Karthik & I know you will never miss our special day."

I hear nothing from his side. Only silence.

"You promised me you will be here... you will be here to spend our special day..." I remind him, my voice cracking and my vision blurring with unshed tears.

"Yes, I did" he agrees.

"Then what happened now?"

"Mithra, try to understand..."

"If you had told me you don't have time for your wife then I would have come over there to be with you because you are more important to me than anything else..." I shout & dash my angry tears away from my cheek with the back of my hand.

"I thought I could reach you before midnight... but..."

"But what?" I roar

"I missed my flight as I was busy with..."

"Busy with your Mistress?" I spit the words in anger. Then I quickly regret what I said. I hear his sharp intake of breathe as if I have slapped him.

"F**k you, Mithra!" he spits back & hangs up on me. I stare at the phone in disbelief. Shit! He is really mad at me. Well, I am at him too.

I walk back into the house, dejected.

In my anger, I push the chocolate cake I made down on the floor & dump Karthik's flower bouquet on top of the cake. A small heart shaped velvet box rolls on the floor from the bouquet. I bend down & pick it up in my hand.

"To my only love" I faintly smile reading the note tagged to the box and then I open the box to reveal what's in it.

I gasp seeing a beautiful platinum ring. There is a curve in the band which looks like a 'Nike' tick & it is studded with diamonds. Will Karthik have a similar ring? Will there be a curve too? Will the curves make a heart shape when they are joined? Oh yes! I am having one half of the heart & he is having the other half. "Oh my Karthik! How I wish you are here to put this beautiful ring in my finger" I clutch the ring close to my chest & cry. "I am sorry. I miss you. I love you, Karthik" I whisper & slip the ring in my ring finger.

__0__

(Karthik's POV)

"Fuck!" I throw my phone on the desk & drag my fingers roughly through my hair in frustration. This is not how I envisaged our special day to be. I sigh and rub my temples to ease my throbbing headache. My eyes land on the heart shaped velvet box sitting on my desk. "Good thing I've made arrangements for Mithra's ring to be delivered at her address at sharp twelve predicting I might not go there in person to put it in her hand" I take the box in my hand and open it.

"I just hope Mithra is wearing it in her beautiful finger now" I sigh & put the half heart shaped ring in my right hand ring finger as I have my wedding band in my left hand ring finger.

My phone ringing sound startles me & without seeing the screen, I answer the call hoping it's my angry wife. "Mithra..."

"Karthik..." I crunch my eyes in disappointment.

"Hello" it's my mother, Radha.

"Happy Anniversary, Karthik" she wishes me.

"Thank you, mom" I say with a weak smile.

"Pass the phone to Mithra. I want to wish her too"

"Mom... I... she..."

"Is she asleep? It's okay. I will call her tomorrow"

"No! Mom, I am not with her."

"What do you mean?"

"I am in Singapore"

"Oh! But you said..."

"Yeah I know... I got held up in a meeting & I missed my flight."

"So?" she asks as if it's not a big deal.

"What, mom?" I didn't get her.

"Did you inform Mithra?"

"Yeah I did"

"And?"

"She is angry on me."

"I thought so. Well, she should be" she supports her. I know I did a mistake but why can't she understand my situation? & what Mithra said was unforgivable. Busy with my Mistress? f**k! I am busy with my f**king files!

"I am angry on her too" I say with a hint of doubtfulness. Am I angry on my baby brat? I don't know.

"I know!" how? I wonder! "She wouldn't have taken it easily & would have shouted at you. Why, even she would have said some awful words which would have hurt your ego!" My mom says as if she was over hearing my conversation with Mithra.

"Mom!"

"You are so like your dad, Karthik. Even he missed our first anniversary & I went thermonuclear on him" she says & laughs.

"Mom, you don't know what she said"

"Then enlighten me" she probes. I contemplate a fleeting second whether to tell her or not.

"She asked whether I was busy with my Mistress" I grunt.

"Well, you are!" mom says and I bet she is smirking.

"What?" I snarl. How can she say so?

"You are married to Mithra but you live with your mistress... I mean your WORK!" she explains. Work? My mistress?

"God! You women are twisted species. You never think straight or talk straight." I grumble.

"You men are fools" she laughs. I ignore her comment.

"But I don't think she meant it that way"

"I doubt she meant anything. She just wanted to hurt you for disappointing her. I am sure she would have made some surprise plans for you & you chopped it all so she said that in her anger. I guess you know her better than me" Yes, I know my Mithra well than anyone does. She just said it in her anger. Well, I guess I can forgive her for that or have I already forgiven her?

"Okay, listen to me, I know you wouldn't have unpacked your bags so grab it & run to the air field within 30 minutes. Our company jet is at your dispose."

"What?" I am astonished. "But how?" when she made all the arrangements for my flight?

"Your mom is with means" she says with attitude.

"Just now I text our standby pilot Carlos and he is ready for you. If you start now...hmm, you will reach Melbourne by tomorrow later noon. Spend the evening & night with your wife celebrating your wedding anniversary" she gives me the perfect plan for tomorrow.

"Mom, but..."

"What?"

"I can't misuse our company aviation"

"Oh please!" she scolds. "Stop being so righteous and don't forget you own that company. You work hard for your company & for once misusing company's property is nothing wrong."

"When I missed my flight I scheduled a meeting for tomorrow..."

"You want to celebrate your anniversary Mithra or not?" she asks.

"I do"

"Then go!"

"Okay!" I agree.

"Good!" she says in a victorious tone. "If you hadn't agreed to my plan then I would have taken the next flight to Singapore to knock some sense to you." I laugh hearing her. "Look, Karthik... you are young... you have a life... a very beautiful life with Mithra so enjoy it. Don't stress yourself by working too much. If you miss these special moments then you won't get it back, ever."

"I know, mom and thanks for helping me in sorting out this issue"

"Anytime darling. Now, go surprise your wife. Good luck!" she says happily.

"I love you so much, Mom"

"Love you too" then I hang up & head to my house to grab my travel bag before I reach the Airfield.

__0__

I knock the door & wait for someone to open it but no one came so I turn the door knob & to my surprise it opens. I frown. How careless? Mithra hasn't locked the door?

I walk in to the living room & find Mithra stretched on the couch sleeping. The bouquet I sent to her is lying unceremoniously on the floor on top of a cake.

If I didn't come, why show the anger on that poor cake and flowers? I shake my head in disapproval. When Mithra gets mad, she gets wild!

"Mithra..." I sit beside her on the couch and tap her cheek to wake her up. I take her hand & notice the ring I gifted her in her ring finger. I plant a kiss over the ring. Mithra slowly opens her eyes & blinks at me.

"You here?" she frowns in surprise.

"Yes. I am"

"I am sorry" she whispers & holds my head between her hands & pulls me down so that she can seal her lips with mine.

"Baby, I am sorry too. I disappointed you. You have done all these decoration for me but I..."

"It's okay, Karthik... Let's just not fight. It saddens me whenever we fight."

"Okay, darling, we will not fight." I hug her & rub her back soothingly.

"So how come you are here?"

"My mom, she called me last night to wish us thinking I was here... Well, I told everything to her... She really got mad on me & said I was just like my dad. He too missed to celebrate their first wedding anniversary & mom went bat shit crazy on him huh!" I chuckle. "She told I should not repeat the same mistake and forced me to take the company jet and go to you..."

"Radha aunty is so sweet & smart" Mithra smiles genuinely pleased with my mom's idea of bringing me here.

"My mom called me in the morning to wish me & when I told her everything, she didn't bother about me missing my husband or having a fight with him & tried pacify me but scolded me for not storing the food in refrigerator to eat later and also for throwing the cake on the floor. How crazy she is?" she says in disbelief. I let out a soft chuckle. Mom and daughter are really crazies!

"Why were you sleeping till 2PM?"

"I slept late last night..." She says. "Besides, I was too lazy to get up" she bunches her loose hair & rolls them up to a messy bun.

"Oh"

"You go freshen up. I will make lunch for us" she says with a smile.

"We will have from outside" I suggest.

"But I want to cook for you"

"Okay, baby. You cook lunch for us now & for dinner, I will take you out."

"Okay" she leans in & kisses my lips briefly before heading to the kitchen.

--0--

"Mithra..." I call her from the bedroom.

"What, Karthik?" She walks into the room few seconds later.

"What's all this?" I ask, smirking.

"That I... You know..." She stammers, blushing.

"I think I made a mistake by coming late but still its better late than never, right?" I say grinning. I don't want the effort she had put in to decorate this room & the bath tub to go waste.

"Karthik, no!" She steps back when I step forward. Before she could run out of the room, I pounce & grab her by her waist & sweeping her off her feet, I dump her on the bed.

"Karthik, you must be hungry... so after lunch... we can... you know..."

"Damn yeah! I am hungry... Only for you, baby... You can be my lunch."

"Karthik... No!"

"Why? You don't want me?" I ask, disappointed. She has never said 'No' to me but why now? "Are you still upset?"

"Um...No... I mean... No, I am not upset and I do want you... But I am really hungry... I didn't have anything since last night so please..." she says cutely as her stomach growls.

"Oh darling! I am so sorry" I kiss her lips before releasing her from my hold & setting her straight on her feet.

"So after lunch?" I ask, hopefully.

"You can have me as dessert because I am not going to prepare one!" She says, shyly. I love this shy side of my baby brat.

"I am looking forward to taste you" I whisper huskily near her ear & then turning on my heels, I head to the bathroom to freshen up.

__0__

When I return from shower, wearing only my worn out jeans & bare chest, I find Mithra, still cooking, in the kitchen. I walk slowly like a cat & back hug her, snaking my hands around her waist.

"Karthik..." She jumps in shock. "You scared me"

"Why? Who dares to touch you, intimately, other than your husband?" I ask kissing her shoulders.

"It's not that. It's just... I thought you were in the shower and when I felt someone's hand around my waist I panicked..."

"Sorry" I say & kiss her cheek from behind. "What are you making?" I ask.

"Biryani"

"Ahaan! My favorite"

"I know" she tilts her head & gives me a quick peck on my cheek.

"Karthik, can you please cut the onions for yogurt raita?"

"Sure, baby"

--0--

"Whoa! Awesome biryani, Mithra"

"You like it?" She visibly relaxes. Oh baby! Were you worried that I might not like what you made for me?

"I love it" I take her hand and kiss it.

"Thanks" she says, shyly.

"Karthik, next week I will be starting my internship in a company. After college hours I will be working..."

"Yeah, I know" Karthik says. Of course, I have done MBA too so I know how hectic second year will go with all the training & project works.

"Well, just give me the details of the company you are planning to do internship. I will run a background check with my team before you can start working there"

"Okay, Karthik"

"Baby, after lunch, you get ready. We will go out."

"Where?"

"We will watch a movie and then we will dine out"

"Done!" She grins.

"By the time you get ready I will just go out & grab few things I need, okay?"

"Okay!"

__0__

When I return from my quick tour, I find Mithra near the dresser.

"Karthik... Can you please zip me up?" She asks as she tries to put the zip of her knee length strapless red dress. She looks hot!

"Avec pleasure, baby" I walk slowly to her & turn her around so that we both are facing the mirror. I slip my fingers inside her dress in the process of pulling up her dress. I slowly pull up the zip, caressing her back with my knuckles. Her delicate body shivers with my touch.

"Are you done?" she asks.

"Yep!" I kiss her shoulder & pull her hair clip off so that the piled up hair streams down her back.

"Karthik! What the hell have you done?" She shouts. "It took so long for me to set my hair but you ruined it now"

"You look stunning when you let your hair down" I whisper & kiss the back of her ear.

"Really?" She asks, blushing, looking at me through the mirror.

Yes, baby, you do look stunning with your hair set free but that's not the only reason why I pulled off your hair clip. I don't want anyone to see your bare shoulders so with your long hair I covered up most of your skin which this very fetching dress failed to do.

"Yes, darling" I kiss her lip not showing my real intention to her as it will lead to another fight which I don't want!

"And here, this is for you" I give her a gift wrapped box.

"What's this?"

"Open it"

"OMG!" She laughs "This bracelet is really cute" I got her a gold 'Emoji' charm bracelet. She makes the six emoji (smiling, laughing, smirking, winking, tongue out and kissing) faces which are in the bracelet. "You look really cute, Mithu" I pull her in my arms and tightly hug her.

"There is no crying and angry emojis' in the bracelet because you don't look good when you cry or angry"

"And this red heart in the middle of the bracelet is yours. I own your heart." she says and kisses the heart. I smile and kiss her head.

"But why this special gift?" she asked. "You have already gifted me a beautiful ring, right?"

"Well, this bracelet is for cooking delicious biryani for me. You are the second lady to get a gift from me for cooking"

"Who is the first one?" she asks furrowing her brows.

"My mom! I have once gifted her gold bangles for cooking delicious food for me."

"Oh! Nice" she grins. "Thanks Karthik... I love this