Chapter 191 - Then, it is settled...

While Preethi was still immersed in her own head, the car came to a standstill in front of her house.

Adam switched off the engine and waited but Preethi did not get down nor did she say anything. The street light flickered above then.

"Hey… It's okay. Go on…" Adam said ruffling her hair bringing her out of her train of thoughts. He gave her a soothing smile saying without words everything was okay.

Preethi blinked at him for a second before leaning over to give the softest kiss on his cheeks before alight the car with a bright smile. She then turned around and waved at Adam and waited for him to drive off.

But Adam just stared at her without moving. Minutes ticked by but he did not move a muscle. He just kept staring back at her. And Preethi's brows frowned in confusion. But before she could ask her question, Adam got out of the car and walked towards her with steady decisive strides. He looked like a guy with a mission.

"What? Already regretting your decision about dropping me off!?" Preethi asked with a sly smile. After all, she did offer to accompany him but it was he who refused her. So, she wouldn't really let such a nice opportunity slip by her fingers to tease him.

Adam just stood there in front of her. He did not bother to react to her teasing. He stared at her solemnly and called out, "Preethi…"

Preethi frowned and said, "I am not going back with you today… you missed your chance…" She said playfully shrugging her shoulders even though she knew she was just bluffing. If it came down to it… if Adam asked for it… she knew she wouldn't really mind going back with him. Especially given how serious he looked.

But once again Adam did not respond to her teasing. Instead, he took both of her hands into his and stared right into her eyes pulling her towards him. They were practically toe-to-toe and he asked looking at her seriously, "Let's get married, uh?" The question mark at the end seemed like an afterthought…. Added purely for the sake of politeness. While his eyes showed sincerity and slight nervousness… there was also this stubborn determination that said he was not going to take 'no' for an answer.

Even though his voice was not particularly loud, the content itself seemed to have the power to echo through the deserted road.

Preethi's mind went blank and her jaws dropped as she tried to decipher where did the thought suddenly pop up from. More than that she wanted to make sure she had actually heard him right. She wanted to rub her eyes or pinch herself to make sure she wasn't daydreaming. But then her hands were tied up in his firm warm drip.

"What? What did you just say?" She asked bewildered. She really felt that maybe she was hearing things because of fatigue.

"Marry me…" Adam said simply confirming her suspicion and doubt. This time around though it was a clear statement without really giving the other party much of a choice. The afterthought question mark seemed like a privilege given only for the first time… This time, he did not even bother with it. He did not bother being polite. He simply stated it arrogantly.

Preethi couldn't do much except gap at him with her mouth wide open without caring as to whether she would end up catching mosquitoes.

Adam's face at last cracked seeing her reaction. The serious expression went away as he looked at her amused and used his fingers to close her mouth. Then his eyes gleamed as he asked with a sly smile, "You don't want to?" His thumbs caressed her cheeks spreading warmth and something more electric making her shiver. The smirk in his face served as evidence as to how confident he was with himself and his proposal. Or it had got more to do with his overbearing nature.

Either way, Preethi shook her head frantically this time as she tried to explain fl.u.s.tered, "No… no… no… It is not like that… I just…"

"Then, it is settled…" Adam said flatly as if her not refusing invariably means her acceptance and something he anticipated and obvious.

He then leaned over and pecked on her forehead and said, "I will ask my dad to come to talk to your parents then… And remember you yourself agreed." He did not wait for a reply after that. He just turned around and walked towards his car.

Preethi came down from her stupor only when she heard the click sound of his car being unlocked. Her legs found a brain of their own as she approached him in a hurry. Her hands grabbed on to his before he could open his car doors.

"Why? Why do you want to marry me all of a sudden?" Preethi asked confused. It took her a lot of courage just to get into a relationship with him. And even though she had confidence in Adam's character, she also had a tiny vulnerable part of her fearing that he would leave her one day when he will come to know the real weight of all the baggage that comes along with her.

But not in a million years had she ever thought that, the day Adam comes in contact with her primary source of baggage… her ex-husband… Adam would actually end up proposing to her.

Wasn't he supposed to pull back from her to avoid trouble? Wasn't he suppose to get disgusted with her after knowing about her pathetic past? Wasn't he supposed to mock at her pitiful self? Why was he not following the script?

And in all this, she even forgot that Adam did not even ask her in the first place… and that he did not really give her much of a choice and that he just arrogantly thought that as long as he asked, she would agree. But then it was also a fact that she was not really thinking of denying him in the first place. She was just so surprised that nothing coherent came to her mind at that moment… just a rush of emotions good and bad simultaneously crashed over her overwhelming all her other senses.