Chapter 14

Book:The Love In Marriage Published:2024-5-1

Vikram ascended the stairs in haste, not wanting to be late to his meeting.
“Why are you in such a hurry?”, Sakshi asked bewildered, seeing her son.
“I am busy Mom”, Vikram waved his mother away,”I have some work. Will talk later”, he said as he continued walking.
He contemplated going to the study, but on a later thought, turned towards his room, which was much closer.
He sighed, opening his laptop, as he quickly logged into Skype. Vikram acknowledged his employees’ greetings as he got on with the meeting.
“But what would have caused it?”, Vikram questioned Raghav, his head manager.
“Not sure Sir. But the clients are complaining that we are supplying low quality material. This is already the second project we lost this year”, Raghu added worriedly.
It feels like you don’t care
Oh, why don’t you recognize I’m so rare?
Always there
You don’t do the same for me
That’s not fair.
“Did we change our supplier?”, Vikram looked at Thakur, who managed the Mumbai branch, ignoring the song that was playing.
“No Sir”, Thakur answered nervously,”But the clients are discontinuing the project saying our designs are not original enough.”
Vikram frowned,”Is it?”
Saw us getting older
Burning toast in the toaster
My ambitions were too high (too high)
Waiting up for you upstairs.
Vikram shut his eyes, irritated. “Excuse me Gentlemen”, he walked towards the balcony.
And I’ll bet there’s somebody else out there
To tell me I’m rare, to make me feel rare (yeah, yeah)
Keerthi was humming to the lyrics when she jerked at the sudden sliding of the balcony door.
“Oh. Hi. When did you–?”Keerthi started.
“Can you tone it down?”, Vikram hissed, throwing the mobile to the side after pausing the music on Keerthi’s phone,” I am in a meeting. Don’t you have the courtesy to be quiet when someone’s busy”, Vikram glared at her, slamming the balcony door shut.
Keerthi gaped at the door her husband shut, tears pricking her eyes. She didn’t even know he had come. She didn’t want to cry at her husband’s cross behaviour, Moody idiot.
She walked in, silently tiptoeing across the room when Vikram gave her a sharp look, as she sighed a breath of relief when she was out, shutting the door quietly behind her.
What crawled up his ass and died?
**
Vikram came downstairs after almost an hour, frown stuck to his face, as he sat on the couch, waiting for his mother to call for dinner.
Keerthi glanced at her husband. She wanted to ask if anything was wrong, but his body language screamed a NO.
“Why do you look so cheerful?”, Vihan grinned.
Vikram rolled his eyes,”Just. A bunch of incompetent fools who can’t handle a thing.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Nothing important. Just a minor work issue to be sorted out.”
“Alright”, Vihan shrugged.
The dinner was a quite affair, none of the Rathores making heavy conversation.
Keerthi glanced at her husband,”Everything Okay?”, she whispered.
Though she was mad that Vikram had shouted at her, she decided to let it go for now, as the meeting actually seemed important.
“Yeah”, Vikram glanced at his wife.
Keerthi sighed, having her food quietly.
Vikram wishes his parents a ‘Goodnight’ as he makes his way to his room, only to be stopped by his ringing mobile.
“Hello”, Vikram snapped into his phone.
“Sir, the Gupta Industries wants you to personally sign their project. They have additional clauses which they want to talk about”, Raghav answered, after wishing Vikram.
Vikram’s face hardened,”Why all of a sudden?”
“Mr. Gupta had requested to meet you in person Sir”, Raghav continued timidly.
“Fine”, Vikram sighed,”Just book my flight for the day of the meeting”, Vikram cut the call.
The other Rathores were silent spectators of Vikram’s call.
“What’s the matter?”Vinod queried.
“Just a deal sign”, Vikram shrugged, used to all the times he had to go to Mumbai to sign important deals,”Have to go to Mumbai”, Vikram scratched his brow.
“Okay”, Vinod nodded.
Keerthi frowned at her husband’s back as she followed him to their room. She jumped when Vikram shut the door.
She didn’t know if she should just let him be or poke her nose.
She decided with the latter.
“Um.. Vikram?”Keerthi started.
“What?”, Vikram turned towards her.
“Sure everything is Okay?”, she asked nervously.
“I said it’s fine”, Vikram frowned.
“When are you going to Mumbai?”, Keerthi changed track.
She didn’t know why she being so persistent.
“Keerthi, you heard the phone call too. I know just as much as you do about the travel”, Vikram scolded.
When Keerthi continued to stare, Vikram snapped at her,”Look. Don’t interfere in my issues. It’s not your concern”, he said with a clenched jaw.
Tears pricked the back of Keerthi’s eyes, burning them.
“Don’t start crying,”Vikram snapped,” I am not in a mood to handle it right now.”
Keerthi’s lips quivered, as she blinked rapidly in an effort to not cry,”I.. I was just trying to help.”
Vikram sighed, running a hand through his hair. He didn’t know why he was taking his anger out on his wife.
Afterall, the project wasn’t a big deal for him. But the fact that people were messing it up in his absence was rubbing him the wrong way. He was an established business man in Constructions. Losing two projects was hardly an issue, but he didn’t like it. He was efficient in his work, he expected the same from people who worked for him too.
“I know”, Vikram’s gaze softened as he took in her face, almost on the verge of crying.
“I am Sorry, I.. I won’t ask you again”, Keerthi voice trembled as she turned around, her lips quivering as the single tear fell onto her cheek.
She quickly wiped it away, not wanting to piss Vikram off.
She didn’t know if she was wrong in asking. She only wanted to ease his worries, though she didn’t understand herself why she felt the need to. She wondered if she overstepped the mark.
Vikram sighed, grabbing hold of his wife’s arm as he turned her around. He gave Keerthi a flat look, eyeing her tears.
“What?”
“Stop crying”, he ordered softly, as he wiped her tears.
Keerthi nodded quietly,”I.. I will go to sleep then”, as she turned around, getting out of Vikram’s hold.
Vikram clenched his jaw, he was already dealing with one problem, he didn’t want to deal with another. Though, this time, it was his mistake. He shouldn’t have said that.
He pulled Keerthi towards him, his arm around her waist, his chest teasing Keerthi’s back.
Keerthi stiffened at the position, they were almost hugging, although from behind. She couldn’t stop the blush creeping up her tear stained face.
“There’s a problem at the Mumbai branch. We lost two projects due to a work issue and miscommunication”, Vikram explained softly.
“Oh. It will be fine though, right?”, Keerthi prodded gently, turned to the side, her cheek brushing Vikram’s neck.
“Yeah. It’s just a matter of few days”, Vikram mumbled, now wrapping both of his arms around her, nuzzling his face in the crook of his wife’s neck.
“Good then”, Keerthi smiled, her smile replaced with nervousness as she felt Vikram’s nose brushing her neck.
“Yeah”, Vikram agreed, placing a feather light kiss on her neck, merely grazing his lips to her skin. Keerthi involuntarily bent her neck to the side , giving more access.
Vikram smiled against his wife’s neck, skimming his lips against her milky neck. When he didn’t meet with resistance, Vikram continued peppering kisses from the angle of her jaw to the base of her neck, slightly nipping at the junction of her neck and shoulder.
Keerthi hissed, when she felt a sting on her neck, as she caught hold of Vikram’s hand on her waist tightly, afraid she would fall, as she shut her eyes tightly. It was only when Vikram stopped his administrations that she turned a bit, standing sideways in front of him, breathing heavily.
Vikram glanced at his wife, his pupils dilated, her cheeks a pretty shade of pink and her chest heaving, as if she had run a marathon. At that moment, he found his wife too alluring to leave alone. His eyes flickered to her lips, trembling, this time not because of crying, but from his intense gaze.