Part – 17

Note – Guys, in earlier updates I have written like Karthik and Mithra are residing in Delhi but that's a mistake. They are actually residing in Mumbai, okay? You guys will automatically come to know the reason for changing their place after reading this part.

- - - - -

"BEFORE YOU KISS A GIRL: 

- Grab her waist

- Pull her closer to your body

- Look deeply into her eyes

- Look at her lips while you are biting yours

- Look back at her eyes again

- Grab her face gently

- Then slowly lean in and kiss her

IT WILL DRIVE HER CRAZY, I PROMISE!"

- - - - -

(Mithra's POV)

I look around Karthik's room & smile relishing the fond memories. I walk to his wardrobe & pull out one of his Tee & put it on top of my spaghetti top. Hmm... This feels good.

Inside the cupboard I notice a metal box. I take it out & open it to see so many friendship bands which were tied by me to him.

How sweet? He had kept all my friendship bands safely.

Then I check the drawers to see all gifts given by me to him on various occasions.

He has my first hand writing note book, my first drawing - I had drawn a boy holding a small girls hand, me & my Karthik. I kiss the drawing.

He has my hair bands, clips, a rubber nipple, my favorite Barbie doll, my first foot print, my sipper water bottle which I remember using in kindergarten, a small frock of mine, it's really small, maybe I wore it when I was born, not sure though.

"OMG!!" I cup my mouth & start crying. Tears of joy, tears of wonder, and tears of love... Can anyone love me the way Karthik loves me? No! I don't think even my parents can love me like this.

Then my eyes catch something. It's chart. I open the chart and my eyes glistened again. Using the sea shells I collected in Andaman beach Karthik has beautifully formed the words 'I Love You, Mithra'.

Aww, Karthik, I love you too.

After placing back the things I took from the cupboard safely, I take his guitar & play a tune which Karthik taught me as I remember the happy time.

"Mithra, you want something?" Karthik asks when I barge into his room.

"I'm bored..." I whine.

"What you want me to do to entertain you?"

I scan his room and my eyes fall on his guitar. "Teach me to play guitar" I say.

"Huh... okay" he agrees. Grabbing the guitar from the couch, I ran back to karthik and sat on his lap surprising him. He brings his hands around me & takes my hands in his & guides me to hold the guitar firmly & shows me which is head, body, sound hole, nut, fret, blah, blah... making me wonder why he is giving me lecture?

I lose my patience of learning so I snatched the picks from him & forcefully stroke on the strings & it broke. Jeez! Karthik is gonna kill me. This is his favorite guitar because I got it for his birthday.

"Karthik... I'm sorry"

"It's okay. I have a spare string so I can repair it" he smiles. Then he put a new string & taught me a tune, an easy one I guess because I quickly learned to play the tune.

I place the guitar down & lay back on the bed, thinking what I should do to make Karthik happy and with that thought I went to a pleasant sleep dreaming on my Karthik.

I hear some voices, some noise, some movement, but I am reluctant to open my eyes & check who it is. I won't open my eyes, I won't ditch my sleep, and I love my beauty sleep. I repeat those words again and again in my head and tried to sleep but I couldn't sleep because it got disturbed with the loud banging on my bedroom door.

"Who the hell is banging at the door? Who else? Of course, it could be only Tara because apart from us two no one is in this apartment right now"

"I'm going to kill you, Tara, for disturbing my sleep" I yell as I yank open the door

"Happy Birthday!!!" Everyone shouts. I am surprised. I blink my eyes in stunned shock. My eyes quickly search for one face I am dying to see but I couldn't find him. He is not here, my Karthik isn't here. How can he be here? He is in Singapore.

Sanjeev, Deepa, Rahul, Ria & Tara, all are looking at me with a bright smile.

"Thanks" I pull a smile on my own face. "Tara, you didn't tell me anything about this surprise?"

"What's the thrill in telling the surprise beforehand? Besides I don't know anything, only 30 minutes back these guys knocked the main door & you didn't bother to open it so I did & they told me about the surprise & we did all these decorations & set the cake. Now come and cut it. I can't wait to lick the icing" Tara tells licking her lips. I nod with a soft chuckle.

It's a huge heart shaped chocolate cake with chocolate icing and fresh raspberries. I smile in joy seeing my favorite chocolate cake... but I wish my Karthik is here with me to celebrate my birthday. I miss him. Why he didn't call me yet?

Sultan hands me the knife. "Here, you go, little brat"

"I will stab you with this knife if you call me little brat" I warn him trying to keep a straight face but I failed by grinning widely. He jumps & hides behind Deepa as if threatened, making everyone laugh.

I move little closer to the table so that I can cut the cake but I sense someone nearing me from behind. I take my shaky hand forward to cut the cake but from back another hand crawls softly over my skin & take hold of my hand.

Karthik! He places his other hand on my stomach & pulls me back so that I hit his hard chest.

I tilt my head sideways and at the same time Karthik leans in & kisses my cheek. Then he whispers "Happy Birthday, Mithu baby"

"You, here?" I ask grinning in surprise.

"I will never miss my baby's birthday for the world" he says and smiles beautifully showing his cute dimples.

"I am so happy, Karthik" I kiss his cheek.

"Will you both stop your coo chi cooing and cut the cake?" Tara asks obviously pissed.

"Sure" Karthik says. "Make a wish & cut the cake, baby" he tells me. I nod.

"I love my Karthik & I want him by my side all my life so please God give him back to me. I can't live without him!"

I blow the candles opening my eyes after making my fervent wish. Then Karthik & I cut the cake together. Karthik took a small piece of cake and fed me first and I fed him back. Then our friends started attacking the cake but thankfully they didn't do a cake facial to me.

I want to spend some time with Karthik alone so I ask "Karthik, shall we go out... will you ride me on a bike?"

"Now?" Karthik asks surprised.

"Yes" I nod.

"But I don't have my bike with me now. I came here in Sanjeev's car" he tells.

"Here, take mine" Rahul throws his bike key to Karthik.

"Thanks, Rahul" I blow a 'thank u' kiss to him and quickly take a huge portion of cake and packed it in a box for us to eat out.

I drag Karthik out waving bye to our friends.

"You look good in my T-shirt" Karthik tells once we are out of the apartment. I blush crimson. I didn't bother to change. I just want to spend some quality time with my Karthik so I'm going out in my sweat pants & Karthik's T-shirt which I wore before going to bed because I was missing him badly then but now I . Who is gonna see me at this time of the night.

__0__

"Where you wanna go, baby?" he asks. I am sitting at the back of the bike & clinging to him. It's cold out here but so calm & peaceful. I love this night. I love this closeness between me and my Karthik. I love the way my birthday started.

"Take me to beach" I tell him.

"Okay" he agrees & rides the bike to beach.

"Come, we will sit there" I point to a wooden boat abandoned on the shore.

We sit down on the sand & lean our backs against the boat. I place the cake box down & stare up at the beautiful night sky and twinkling stars.

"Thanks for coming & making my day special & memorable, Karthik"

"This day is very special to me, Mithra. The day I met the love of my life" he mumbles softly but still I heard him. I could feel love and warmth coursing through my veins.

Suddenly we hear some soft voices.

"I guess we are not alone here" Karthik mutters. I kneel up & find a couple sitting & talking on the other side of the boat.

"Why you wanted to go to beach by this time" the guy asks the girl.

"To see the full moon with you. It's so beautiful like a painting, isn't it?" the girl asks.

Awe... even I love to see full moon with my Karthik, always.

"Not more beautiful than you" He tells softly but still I heard it.

"Aww... such a romantic thing to say to his partner. He seems to be a romantic guy, Karthik" I tell leaning on his shoulder.

"Hey, stop overhearing their conversation." Karthik admonished me. "It's better we go sit somewhere"

"No it's fun to hear their lovey dovey convo. Besides you can't blame me if their words enter my open ears without my permission" he shakes his head but doesn't pester me to move somewhere and sit so I resume listening to their convo.

"What?" the girl asks.

"Erm... I am hungry, I didn't have my dinner"

"Aww... poor boy. Karthik, can I give him my cake? He is hungry" I ask Karthik.

"Hey, you love to disturb couples' romance, right?" Karthik asks chuckling. I frown. I have never done that. I tell to myself and hear my inner voice saying 'liar'

"Oh God! In our useless talk I missed their interesting talk" I sigh and strain my ears to hear them clearly. Karthik shakes his head and huffs.

"But I can fill your tummy in a minute"

"I guess she is going to cook something" I tell Karthik.

"Cook? Here? Use some brain you were born with baby" he says & pulls my cheek lovingly. I grin.

"Yes, I have chocolates, plum cake, green grapes, Lays chips, diet coke & water with me. Now tell me what you wanna eat?"

"OMG!! She has so much tasty food stuff to eat. Let's give our cake in exchange for their chocolates & green grapes"

"Here" Karthik pulls out a huge dairy milk chocolate bar from his jacket pocket & hands it to me, indirectly asking I should eat this & not to intrude them.

"You are so different. Madhubala, I thought you will be carrying make up kit in your bag but never thought you will be carrying a mini food stall"

"Madhubala? Aww, sweet name nah Karthik?" I ask. He nods.

"I am a foodie. I love eating so I always carry eatables with me, Doctor"

"Even I am a foodie. Karthik, let me go & give a 'hi-fi' to this Madhubala girl" I say & stood up & but Karthik pulls me down again & I land directly on his lap. I didn't bother to get down because this place is more comfortable.

"Wow, he is a doctor. But she is so funny, calling him 'doctor, doctor' instead of his name. I wonder what would be his name" I giggle. Karthik shift & settles me properly on his lap placing one hand on my back & one on my lap.

"I will have plum cake & Tin coke"

"I will have green grapes"

"I will have my chocolate cake" I take my cake box & dig the fork in it & take a mouthful. I see Karthik looking at me; I smile & feed him some.

They didn't talk anything so we couples ate in silence. Then I hear some sound.

"What is that sound?" I ask Karthik.

"Shut up" he shushes me.

"Tell me" I urge him.

"They are kissing" he tells. Oh yeah. "Universal rule to express once love intimately is through kissing the life out of the person you love" Tara's words from yesterday night spins around my head.

"Sweet... very sweet" the guy says to Madhubala.

"Grapes?" I ask wondering what was sweet.

"Her lips" Karthik answers me, grinning. I don't know why I feel this uncanny urge to kiss my Karthik and taste his lips and tell whether it's sweet or not.

I lean back & stare at his chiseled lips. Then I crane my head to my left side to see the other romantic couple walk past holding each other's hand, blissfully ignorant of our presence.

"They look great together!" Karthik smiles. "A perfect match"

"Like us" I mutter softly looking down & I notice the raspberry on top of my cake. I extract the berry from the cake & twirl it between my fingers.

While eating green grapes they both kissed. Shall I try the same formula with this raspberry?

I look up at Karthik & he is looking down at me intently. I trace the berry over my lips, I hear a silent groan from Karthik & I feel him gripping my hips tightly.

I swiftly turn throwing my legs on either side & straddled him. Karthik gazes at my eyes in daze. I pop the berry in my mouth and take his head between my hands & push his head back to the boat

"Ah, f**k!" he grumbles & I slam my lips hardly on his. I transfer the half chewed raspberry into his mouth. I don't know what I am doing so please help me Karthik. He responds to my sloppy kiss & takes the lead guiding me properly as we devour each other with the kiss.

I pull back gasping for breath. Karthik lifts me up & sets me down on the sand.

"What was that?" Karthik asks me pointing to his lips.

"I guess... Kiss" I whisper. Did I do it wrong? Oh God, Tara will kill me for wasting her verbal training.

"No, that was an assault" Oh No! Karthik didn't like the kiss I gave him.

"While you kiss you pull them towards but not push their head back & hit it hard on a wooden boat & assault them before they could recover from the initial attack" he growls.

"I'm sorry" I tell sadly. "I thought you will say 'Sweet...Very sweet' like that guy said to that girl Madhubala" I pout.

"You mean the raspberry you fed me? Yeah, It was sweet and delicious" he is acting innocent now.

"No, I'm talking about my lips, my kiss." I say hoping to hear something romantic from him.

He looks at me with humor dancing in his eyes & he presses his lips together in a straight line to stop laugh.

"So?" I ask. I can't wait for his answer.

"What?" he asks. This is so embarrassing.

"I know I am inexperienced & that was a sloppy kiss. You can tell where I went wrong so that I can improvise"

"Delicious" he grins, licking his lips. I grin widely because I know this time he is referring to my lips.

"I never knew my baby brat can kiss so well. This was far too good than the side dish kiss"

"Side dish kiss huh?"

"You have already kissed... Nah, assaulted me when you got drunk in Andaman beach. You ate my lips as if side dish to your drink."

"Oh yeah, I remember that night vaguely"

"I know."

Then we sit in comfortable silence.

I am feeling so shy after kissing him so I hang my head down and start playing in sand with my fingers but I keep looking at Karthik through my eyelashes & realize his gaze is constantly fixed on me and that makes me blush profusely.

"You said you were inexperienced but that was an incredible kiss" he compliments.

"I'm taking training" I whisper, blushing

"What the f**k?" he shouts & stands up abruptly. I follow him.

"How dare you?" he jerks me close to him holding my arms.

"What?" I ask innocently, totally confused with his strange rude behavious.

"Who the f**k trains you to kiss?" he asks angrily. I have never seen him this mad. It's scary.

"Tara" I mutter, shivering under his chilling gaze.

"Tara?" he sighs visibly before frowning. "Tara?" he asks again. I nod

"Eeewww" he says & takes a few steps away from me.

"Karthik..." I move closer to him.

"Stay where you are!" Karthik stops me showing his palm up.

"Are you a lesbian? Then why the f**k you kissed me, dammit?" he shouts

"No, I am not a lesbian. Tara only gives me oral training." I clarify him.

"This is what you girls discuss? I thought you both study your subjects together but... do you girls watch p**n videos as well?" he asks me.

"No" I shriek and shake my head vigorously.

"Good. Don't spoil your unadulterated innocence, baby. I love your innocence the most in you... now-a-days it's so rare to see in humans" he says genuinely.

"I know, Karthik" I smile at him.

"Come, I will drop you home. It's late" Karthik says & holds his hand out for me to take.

"When are you returning to Singapore?" I ask.

"Tomorrow evening"

"Why so soon? We have party at my parents place"

"Sorry baby, I have work"

"Hmm... You didn't see your parents yet?" I ask him.

"Now, I will drop you at your place & then go to mine & see them"

"Karthik?" I hesitate to ask him to stay with me in our apartment.

"What, baby?"

"Can you stay with me in our apartment?" I ask. He looks at me in silence.

"It's my birthday" I deploy my weapon.

"Okay. Morning I will go see my parents. I have something important to talk with them."

Oh what is it? I wonder.

"Thanks" I whisper hugging him.

"Wait. I forgot to give your birthday present" Karthik tells & pulls out a velvet box from his jacket pocket.

"Here" he hands me & I open it excitedly.

"Wow" it's a platinum chain with heart shaped diamond pendant. "It's so beautiful, Karthik. I love it. Thank you" I kiss his cheek. He smiles.

"Put this for me" I tell. He turns me around & puts the chain & kisses my head.

"This is my best ever birthday, Karthik" I tell smiling happily.

"You say this to me every year, baby" he chuckles.

"That's true because you make my ever birthday special" I hug him once again and he hugs me back and pressed his lips over my forehead. I love him kissing me on my forehead. 

Then we both walk hand in hand like the other couple walked a while ago, happily.

... To be continued!!

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