Married To A Stranger

Karthik sighed in content while tracing Sreesha’s invisible baby bump lovingly. After their almost argument and non-existent fight, Sreesha and Karthik settled on the couch in their bedroom. Sreesha was growing impatient about Karthik showering all the love to the baby and not her.

“Maybe mom was right all along” Sreesha mumbled, pouting a little.

“About what?” asked Karthik, nonchalantly with a knowing smile on his face. He knew she was trying to get his attention for a while, but he is too stubborn to give in.

“About fathers giving all their attention to the kids but not to the mothers who bring them to life” Sreesha sniffled with tears in her eyes. Now that Karthik knows about her pregnancy, she can feel her mood swings getting out of hand. Before she used to lock herself in her mother-in-law’s room and cry all she wants and leave as nothing happened.

Sreesha started crying more remembering everything she went through to keep her pregnancy a secret, but Karthik being an insensitive jerk like always unveiled her master plan and made her feel like a joker.

“Sree” Karthik dragged her name a little impatiently, taking her into a loving embrace.

“You are a jerk, Karthik Shekhar” Sreesha accused him.

“May I know why I was honoured with the title of a jerk?” Karthik asked her, amused.

“You knew I was trying to get your attention, but you are being a jerk” Sreesha complained, throwing an accusing glare at him.

“And?” Karthik hummed.

“And making me feel like stupid for finding out what I have been trying to hide from you” if looks could kill, Karthik would have been turned into ashes.

“And?” Karthik dragged.

“For making me feel guilty”

“For acting like you are not interested in what I say to you all these days”

“For making me doubt your love on me”

“For trying to stop me while I was about to tell you something very important”

“And for not supporting me to get my sister back home” saying all these things, Sreesha started crying all over again, in bonus Karthik is awarded with few punches too.

Karthik was glad that their room is soundproof, or people would have been on the other side of the door wondering… probably betting on how long Karthik would survive this abuse.

His family is crazy that way and he is fully aware of it.

“What can I do? You are being too naughty these days. I wonder who will make more noise in our home in few months and I am sure it would be you but not our child” Karthik teased, pinching her nose making Sreesha rub her nose in irritation.

“I am aware of you trying to gain my attention by singing in your worse voice, slapping my arm to rescue me from a mosquito bite, making your anklets jiggle in a more seductive way knowing that it would make me go crazy for you” Karthik sighed dramatically.

“But what can I do? You know my wife. She does everything on her own, so I thought she would just ask if she needs all my attention on her” Karthik shrugged “And I was away from my child all these days, so obviously he/she deserves all my attention” before he could end the sentence, he was attacked by a pillow.

“Thank god. I am smart enough to keep sharp objects away from her reach” he mumbled to himself.

Looking at Sreesha’s defeated expression, Karthik sighed and kissed her forehead.

“I was trying to understand the reasons behind your actions, Sree.” Karthik started winding an around her shoulder making her lean into his touch “I was ecstatic when I found the pregnancy stick in our washroom and I was waiting like an idiot for a surprise from you. I thought you were planning something with mother to announce the news of your pregnancy. In fact, everyone in the house was eagerly waiting for it to be announced officially” Sreesha gasped. She thought no one knows except her mom.

“Yes, everyone knows in the family except Tej. He was too involved in finding Esha to notice anything, just like you” Karthik added, playing with her hair.

“I was disappointed after a week’s waiting and asked dad, he finally sighed in relief when he understood that he was not the only one who knew about the news. Everyone noticed your change in behavior Sree, you were so careful while walking, you started thinking twice before taking a step forward, you started avoiding certain food that might make you puke, you stopped joining us for every meal, most importantly you always had a protective arm around your stomach 24/7. Don’t you think they are enough signs to know your secret?” Karthik pinched her cheeks making her pout.

“And about making you guilty… I was very angry about you hiding things from me. So, obviously, I would want you to suffer a little”

“I was acting strange because of the task you gave me” Sreesha raised an eyebrow at him “I was a little distracted about finding the spy in your bodyguards and other staff in and out of the company. Ron and Sean are indeed from Sharma’s security, but I can’t say the same about Julie. I think she is working for Manoj as you predicted…”

“But. There is a, but right?” Sreesha asked Karthik nodded.

“There is someone else whose background is little suspicious. He belongs to dad’s personal security. As you anticipated, our business secrets were being sold to Rajat by this man. We’ve been slipping clues of our new project here and there in front of him like always, he conveniently passed it to Rajat’s company. As we predicted, Rajat’s company’s quotation was a few thousand less than our fake quotation” Karthik explained to her patiently.

“I think your brain started working after your pregnancy. Are you sure you are not stealing the next Queen’s intelligence?” Karthik teased Sreesha making her furious. For some reason, he loved his Sreesha more now. She became more expressive and courageous. If he knows, this is how her past helps her grow, he would have come clean to her long back.

But he would have missed the time they spent together, her innocence, her anger, her little acts of revenge on him, her protectiveness over the people she loves… Karthik miss the moments they spent while they were back home. Maybe he should make the other home a little getaway place for both after the baby is born.

“What did you do to that guard?” Sreesha asked Karthik, playing with his shirt button.

“Nothing, wifey. We need him for now. He has no idea that we are aware of his deception and it would stay like that until Jayanth uncle says otherwise” Sreesha nodded in understanding.

“And what is this about doubting my love for you?” Karthik asked, raising an eyebrow making Sreesha hide her face in his chest.

“I thought…” Sreesha hesitated a little.

“What are your vital organs fighting about again?” Karthik teased referring to her heart and brain fights, raising her chin with his finger. Sreesha slapped his chest none too gently.

“I was afraid of me becoming fat like a whale and you losing interest in me,” Sreesha said, casting her eyes down to which Karthik hummed nodding his head.

“But why would I want to leave my cute whale?” teased Karthik “Losing interest? Baby, if I have a chance, I will make you pregnant more frequently. How can you forget about the promise of making our own cricket team?” Sreesha gasped hiding her eyes in the crook of his neck, making Karthik chuckle.

“My dear cute little wifey, I loved you for years now and will love you for the rest of our lives. I should be the one to be afraid of you leaving me and not the other way around. You have bewitched me, body and soul. I have no other way than to be your slave for this life. Try to bewitch me in our next lives too, one life is not enough for me to love you”

After this long speech, Karthik expected her to say something touching.

Something along the lines like “I love you Karthik and I will never leave you”

Or “you are stuck with me for the eternity”.

But all Sreesha said was “But what about Mahesh Babu” making Karthik go crazy with both jealous and possessiveness.

He had been treating her like a porcelain doll knowing about her pregnancy, but she is trespassing into forbidden waters.

“What did you just say?” Karthik’s voice was full of warning.

“That I wanted to marry Mahesh-” Karthik didn’t let her complete the sentence. He claimed her lips into a long punishing kiss.

Sreesha smirked into the kiss for successfully distracting her husband from fearing about her pregnancy and thoughts of him hurting the baby. He had been too gentle with her all these days making her think all the unnecessary things like becoming ugly or unattractive. Now that she knew what’s keeping him away from her, she knows how to make him go crazy for her again and she did just that.

Karthik may seem like calm and collective in front of everyone, but she knew the extent of his possessiveness.

Sreesha was laying on bed peacefully on her favorite pillow – Karthik’s chest, listening to her favorite music the lub-dub sound of Karthik’s heartbeat.

She weighed the options again.

Who does she value to be more?

Sreesha Karthik Shekhar or Sreesha Thakur?

“Karthik” Sreesha called, making Karthik hum as an answer, snuggling more into her.

“Who do you love more Sreesha Karthik Shekhar or Sreesha Thakur?” She asked making patterns with her finger on his naked chest.

“Sreesha” She nodded thinking he just called her.

“I love Sreesha. Not Shekhar. Not Thakur. Just Sreesha my wife, my love of life” he answered without missing a beat.

“Does Thakur tag mean nothing to you?” Sreesha asked, looking at him with wide eyes, making him kiss her eyes.

“No. I love you with or without any titles. I love just you as a person, as my wife and my soulmate” Karthik answered and gently running his fingers through her hair.

“What if I want to pass my title to Esha?” Karthik’s fingers paused and resumed on their own accord.

“Is there a way to make it possible?” Karthik enquired instead.

“You don’t mind?” Karthik nodded his head negatively.

“Now that you know my answer, are you going to tell me what’s running in that pretty head of yours?” Karthik asked poking her head with his finger playfully, making Sreesha pout.

“Mom and I” Sreesha started.

“I knew it is a dangerous combo” Karthik muttered, making Sreesha slap his chest playfully.

“We were actually started researching about Thakur’s ancestors, and we found a way to make Esha come home to us” Karthik nodded, asking her to continue “If there are more than one heiress for the title, there is a possibility to pass the title to the next in line if the current one is indisposed or willing to let go of the title” Sreesha stopped and glanced at Karthik through her eyelashes “And that needs all the Thakur’s and her husband’s approval. You and I need to sign a document stating that neither of us is interested in the power or wealth that comes with the title and that there would be no fight for our children’s lineage”

“When do you want us to sign it?” Karthik asked instead, giving her a tender smile.

“You don’t mind losing all the wealth and power that comes with it? What about our children?” Sreesha asked in awe.

“We have enough power and wealth in our family’s name and about the title to our children… I want them to be their own King and Queen of their lives, being a royalty will be just a bonus if they were chosen. They will still be Tahkurs regardless of what last name they carry, my loyalties forever lies with Thakurs. If my Queen wants to me just mine and no one else’s how can I say no?” Karthik stated, giving her a full-blown smile. Sreesha mirrored his actions and snuggled into him without any worry.

Karthik was relieved.

He may sound like selfish, but he wants Sreesha and their children away from all the dangers and drama.

This way he doesn’t have to worry about their children’s childhood being tampered by being guarded 24/7 knowing there will be dangers lurking around them.

There are still secrets to be revealed and amends to make.

Thakurs are not easy to mend, but so are Verma’s.

He can only pray for Esha’s well-being for vow to protect her when she takes the title.

“If you don’t love her, why the hell did you marry her” yelled someone at Manoj.

“I have no other choice” Manoj answered unemotionally.

“Choice to ruin what we hold dear?” the person asked, grabbing Manoj’s shirt collar.

“We have to be ‘Married To Protect Her'” was his only answer.