26. Fireworks

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I am kinda confused as many people chose to be silent on last update. I hope you liked it cause I did my best with last update. Do let me know if something is majorly wrong or the story is becoming boring! Pretty pleaseeeeee! Constructive criticism is very much appreciated!

Is the story too slow with routine stuff? Please feel free to tell me if you feel so!! I'm kinda stressed about this!

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Siddharth leaned in closer as she shyly closed her eyes in anticipation. He took his sweet time to bend to her level, observing her flushed cheeks and shy smile. She looked gorgeous.

"I love you, Avni," Siddharth whispered, to which she opened her eyes that twinkled in joy. Her heart skipped a beat as he covered the little distance and gently touched the corner of her lips with his.

Avni felt an electric spark run through her body as his warm fuller lips touched her soft, luscious ones. Fireworks erupted in the sky as he looked into her hazel blue orbs for a moment and angled her face.

Siddharth felt a rush of unknown feelings, and his heartbeat escalated as he grazed her lower lip. Avni's hand automatically moved behind his neck while the other one rested against his heart.

Their lips moved in perfect sync and slow motion as he took all the time feeling her softness against his rough lips. Her feet became numb, and she let go letting him support her.

Avni could feel the care and love he had for her in the way he held her and kissed her. She would cherish their first kiss forever.

Siddharth left her as she ran out of breath. "Got to teach you breathing in between the kiss," He chuckled as their foreheads rested against each other.

Avni shook her head, gently hitting his chest, and smiled. 

"Shameless," Avni muttered.

"You haven't known anything yet," He smirked, teasing her.

They cut the cake, but none focused on the poor pastry. Their mind is filled with the memories of their kiss.

"Gulab Jamun," Avni's eyes widened as she noticed the sweet in Siddharth's hand.

"Amma makes it for your birthday. Thought I'll try this time," Siddharth hesitantly said. He is not an expert in cooking but is learning for her.

"Really?" Avni's heart melted at his sweet trial. Siddharth took a spoonful and fed her.

"Yummy!!!!" Avni moaned as the sweet melted in her mouth. She closed her eyes, relishing its taste. She then fed Siddharth a spoonful, and both of them had lots of fun enjoying their dinner.

They later played with environment-friendly crackers that Siddharth exclusively ordered.

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Avni leaned onto Siddharth's shoulder and hugged his hand as he settled next to her.

"What are you thinking of?" He asked.

"Us..."

"What about us?" He smiled, playing with her long silky hair as she comfortably lay in his lap.

"That we came a long way. From complete strangers to friends to couple. I wonder why you didn't throw me out on the first day," Avni giggled, playing with her wedding chain.

"As much as I would like to forget that unfortunate first night, I also developed a certain respect for you that day. It kept me going," Siddharth admitted.

"You removed every piece of jewelry except this wedding chain. I realized marriage isn't a game for you either. And the day you prevented food wastage at reception, I realized how beautiful you are and how perfect my parents' choice is," He explained as she smiled.

"And the journey to love? Seriously? Love?" Avni's voice laced amusement.

"Yeah! Why not?" Siddharth exclaimed, playfully hitting her head with his fist.

"Because I never did anything for you like you always do for me," Avni replied, thinking for a while and coming up with a reasonable answer.

"If you can keep me happy just by being yourself and not doing anything intentionally, I am eager to feel your love," Siddharth smirked.

"Takes time, Mr. Malhotra. You got to wait and let the magic happen on its own," Avni chirped in a playful tone.

"Do you feel bad?" Avni asked, observing his expressions.

"I'm happy with where we are. We have all the time to reach our destination. As long as we are together and happy, nothing else matters. Let's not rush things," Siddharth spoke his thoughts.

"You're the best husband ever," Avni smiled, pulling his cheeks. Siddharth's eyes widened in astonishment at her naughty act.

"Too much, baby!" He complained, and Avni laughed. 

"Omg! I almost forgot!" Avni shrieked, hopping out of bed and rushing towards the wardrobe.

She returned moments later with a navy blue box in her hands and said, "Here's a gift for you. Happy Diwali!"

"For me?" Siddharth's eyes sparkled in delight as he curiously tore the wrapper open and found a white woolen sweatshirt inside.

"Yeah!" Avni smiled, witnessing his enthusiasm. 

"Wear it and show me."

"Wait! Did you weave it by any chance?" Siddharth asked, carefully observing the material.

"I was missing you at my parents' house. Thought I'll learn and finish it before coming home," Avni explained, biting her lip.

Siddharth pulled her closer by her waist in a moment and hugged her tight. Avni was taken aback by the sudden pull but hugged him back anyways.

Who would've thought that a mere sweatshirt could put a smile on Billionaire Siddharth Malhotra's face that many billions are still struggling to do!

Siddharth was thrilled for two reasons -- She weaved the sweatshirt for him by herself. Not that it would've been less memorable if she had bought it. It's Avni, and everything would be special.

The second one is the words she chose, 'parents' house' and 'home.' It means that she made up her mind to call this place her home.

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"What's with the bad mood?" Siddharth asked, observing Avni, who entered the study room.

"Just a bad movie," She replied, pouring hot water into a teacup.

"What kind?"

"The girl elopes with her boyfriend ditching her brother. Her brother is her only relation and has always loved her. She tries conveying her love to him through an elderly woman who manipulates things."

"Okay...?"

"How could she do that? She should've trusted in her brother and spoke directly to him for once rather than believing in what the lady said," Avni expressed her opinion, still frustrated by the movie.

"I don't understand a word," He chuckled.

"You got to respect the people who love you and trust them rather than concluding things from assumptions. Speaking to them directly helps," She explained her point.

"I agree," Siddharth said.

"Can you get me Animal Farm by George Orwell tomorrow?" Avni asked, handing over a cup of green tea to Siddharth.

"We already have it. Search in the third drawer," Siddharth replied, focusing back on his laptop and sipping his tea.

Avni climbed onto a chair upon finding it on the top shelf and grabbed it. She then noticed a blue cardboard box and curiously brought it down.

Avni's eyes were wide as saucers as numerous greeting cards, chocolate wrappers, and personalized gifts came into view. They were beautiful and unique as she observed one after the other.

"Thanks for the wonderful presentation, Sid!"

"Happy Birthday, Handsome!"

"Congratulations, Champion!"

"Go out on a date with me?"

What caught Avni's attention was the greeting card that read, "The coffee was never tastier. Catch you later..." 

Going through the entire box, she realized what Siddharth Malhotra actually was. Sid is the handsome hunk of complete college, and his female following was pretty solid. There were two albums in the box filled with articles about his achievements.

"Sales of RK Fashions improved over 20%. Credits to app developer team lead by Brett Collins and Siddharth Malhotra!"

"The Reprogrammed Robots of Carter industries recognize customers and serve according to their mood that day! All thanks to the team of newbies -Siddharth Malhotra and ....."

"Auto driving made easy! ..."

"Unable to find your keys or wallet? Try the brand new Smart Tags..."

"Siddharth Malhotra receives STUDENT OF THE YEAR! Massachusetts Institute of Technology is proud to announce the award to its very successful student, whose achievements inspire.

Siddharth is a 21-year Electrical Engineering and Computer Science student who ..."

"Siddharth Malhotra grabs his MBA with top score from Stanford Graduate School Of Business..."

Avni gasped, reading the articles. EECS degree from MIT is a dream that many young students fail to fulfill with heavy competition. She could imagine the hard work Siddharth must've put in to reach this position. She suddenly felt curious about his journey.

"You never told me about graduating from MIT?" Avni asked in a flat tone, still not digesting the surprise.

"There's nothing much. The college life was great like everywhere else," He said, shutting down his laptop and pulling her into his lap.

"You must've worked really hard," Avni praised.

"I am lucky to have the opportunity. Ma and Dad paved an amazing path for me with their hard work," Siddharth spoke, reminiscing his memories.

"Tell me more..." Avni was genuinely curious to know him better.

"Life wasn't a bed of roses from the start. Dad earned just enough for us to lead a decent life. They struggled to give me and Nikhil a good education. Those days taught me to be humble and respect what I have. After my MBA, I worked for a year before establishing SM. And here we are today... Ma and Dad trusted a lot in me, Avni! They always supported me in tough times," Siddharth explained as Avni intently listened.

"I am so proud of you!" Avni declared, bringing a smile on his face and added teasing him, "Except about the solid female following!"

Avni held a note before him and raised her brows, gesturing to explain. Siddharth gulped down before starting, "It's not what you think. The girl is just..."

"Oh?" Avni turned to the opposite side and giggled as worry etched on his face.

"A hookup. We spent a night together. I swear it was nothing more," Siddharth explained, studying her face.

Avni's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly regretted asking. She presumed Siddharth to be a one-woman man for some reason, but it turned out to be something else.

"There were other women too?" Avni sighed in disappointment.

"Yeah... Umm... The first kiss was Meera in high school..." Siddharth spoke in a flat tone and continued remembering, "Then... Sarah, Kiara, Anaya, Naina in college... To be frank, she was damn hot! and..."

"Stop!" Avni yelled and added, "Details are too much, Siddharth!"

"They're super ..."

Avni fisted her palms in frustration and was about to hit his chest, but he quickly caught her and laughed hard. The distress on her face was too cute and worth watching.

"It's nothing to laugh about. These many girls..." Avni prattled in shock, holding her head, and a glance at Siddharth's amused face told her something else.

"You were joking, right?" Avni exclaimed in disbelief.

"Nope. You saw the cards, baby girl!" Siddharth blinked, pretending to be as serious as possible. He was having real fun with her. Avni pondered over the cards that were hard to ignore.

"There is no one now, right?" Avni sighed and asked the only thought in her mind.

"Meaning you're okay with everything in the past?" It was his turn to be shocked. How could she be okay with too many women in his past!

"Yeah! I want you for me forever, which means I have to accept everything else," Avni chirped in confusion.

Siddharth's heart swelled in pride as the angel in his embrace spoke her heart out in a sentence.

"But, There's a woman whom I find super sexy... What should we be doing about it?" Siddharth frowned.

"I'm your wife. Have a filter!" Avni pouted, turning to the opposite side.

"Her name is Avni Malhotra... My gorgeous wife!" Siddharth stated, playing with the strands of her long silky hair.

Avni's eyes twinkled in joy as she blushed furiously, feeling his fingers on her back of her neck.

"It takes enormous self-control to keep my hands away from pulling her closer and hugging her tight," He whispered in her ear and turned her towards him holding her chin.

"You're and will be the only one in my life, Avni. Yesterday was my first kiss, too," Siddharth said, and it took a few moments for her to register his words.

"You were playing with me all the while," Avni's jaw dropped in realization.

"Finally! Thank god my girl has a brain in her feet at least," Siddharth smirked.

"You are so..."

"Irresistible? I know," He chuckled, finishing her sentence.

"Two can play a game, baby girl!" Siddharth pulled her closer by her waist, kissing her jawline. He carefully studied her face to find a sign of discomfort and sighed in relief, finding none. He was happy that she was comfortable to his touch.

"You are becoming naughty day by day," He breathed, kissing her neck.

"Sorry! Sorry! I started for fun," Avni pleaded and ran away from there upon finding a chance.

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Thanks for reading,
Love,
AishuPurple

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Letting you know that we'll be traveling on Siddharth's private jet in next update! Pack your bags 😉🤩🤩😁😁😁

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