Page 86 of That Same Old Love

She took a calming breath and tried to pull herself together. When she looked around, she was confused seeing the empty home. Focusing on the purpose of her visit and finally gathering her dignity, “Where is she Sidhu? The woman you are about to sleep with. Is she in the house somewhere or are you still waiting for her to arrive?” she asked him evenly.

He didn’t reply right away and saw her agonized expression.

“She is in the house,” he said, making her heart break even more, and then, “And she is standing right in front of me.”

“What?”

“I planned this with Disha and your other friends to get you to meet me. They suggested that I meet with an interior designer for suggestions and also because they said you would follow me yesterday,” he said calmly.

She was confused and then angry. But she refused to behave like a violent lunatic. “Why? For what purpose?” she asked him nonchalantly, even though her heart was pounding.

Sidhu got angry with her response. “For the purpose of making you talk to me and see reason. For the purpose of me telling you that I love you and that I want you back!” he shouted.

She sighed. “No, you don’t, Sidhu. You just settled for me. Imanipulatedyou andmadeyou settle for me. Did you know that?”

“What are you talking about?” he asked frustrated.

“That night in the rain when we were together for the first time… I knew you were distraught over Mahi’s marriage, you had even told me that you were drunk a few hours before, but I still seduced you, because I had loved you for so long. I ended up pregnant by accident and destroyed your dreams or any chance of happiness,” she said, feeling stricken.

Sidhu frowned. “I was in a bad place that night Anu, but I was aware of each and everything I did that night. You didn’t seduceme. We made a mutual decision based on our attraction that night.”

She shook her head. “No. You loved Mahi and you lost her then. You were not in your right mind—”

Sidhu held her arms. “Anu, stop. I admit that I did love Mahi during our college days and wanted to spend my life with her. But as soon as we both got married, I slowly started to forget about her. I was busy falling in love with you! I have loved you very much for a long time and I thought I was showing it to you each and every day by telling you that and also in my actions!”

She had tears in her eyes. “Do you mean all that?”

“Yes! I love you and only you. And if you leave me, I will chase you again and again,” Sidhu growled against her mouth. “And I mean that in the most threatening way possible. I’m not letting you go without a fight! I will hound you every second and in every way, until you are forced to kill me, just to put us both out of our misery.”

She laughed shakily at his declaration. “Oh Sidhu. I’ve been such a fool. When I saw Mahi, I started feeling guilty again about our first night together. I stopped you from pursuing your Master’s degree and made you take up your family business even though you hated working under your dominating father.”

Sidhu sighed. “Anu, we both made a lot of sacrifices in our lives after what happened on our first night together, but I don’t regret a single thing. I got Srishti and you because of it.”

“Me too. I have loved you so much for so long that it was obscene. No woman should love her husband that blindly and stupidly. Even though you kept reassuring me that you were fine with whatever choices I made, I wanted to impress you and make you stay with me,” she said, laying out all her past insecurities.

“Oh Anu. I knew you were trying too hard and I told you so many times. I loved you for it, but I love you unconditionally.I can be happy, only when you are happy and our daughter is happy,” Sidhu declared, hugging her tightly.

She shed more tears and Sidhu stopped her.

“Anu, please stop crying. I wanted our first day in this house to be memorable in a happy way,” he told her huskily, as he ran his fingers around her long and sexy bare midriff.

She placed her hands on his shoulders and looked around curiously. “Whose house is this anyway?”

“Ours, if you like it. I bought it two weeks ago when I couldn’t take the environment in the house anymore. Srishti helped me to choose a house for us and she loved this one. So did I. It has enough room for the three of us and you already know that some of your friends live within the community.”

“Show it to me,” she told him.

They took the house tour and when they were done, “So? Do you like it Anu?” Sidhu asked her.

She looked at him expressionlessly.

Sidhu looked eager and slightly anxious, waiting for her reply.

She continued looking into his eyes and slowly started to remove her sari from around her. She saw his eyes flare up in both need and hunger.

She stood in front of him in just her low-cut blouse and inner lehanga. “Make love to me in our first home, Mr. Shah.”

As soon as she said that, Sidhu pulled her closer. “With the greatest pleasure, Mrs. Shah,” he replied, rapidly unhooking her blouse hooks and untying her lehanga.

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