Chapter 331 - That’s called confidence…

"That was so narcissistic of you, sweetheart!" Charan teased after laughing to his heart's content.

Shreya, obviously, did not seem offended by his comment. But she still argued very self-righteously, " That is not narcissism. That's called confidence…"

"And what exactly are you confident about?" Charan asked holding on to her. He ran his hands over her cheeks habitually tucking her hair behind her ears. His eyes did not deter from her face. Even in the dark, he could clearly make out her eyes twinkling like a star with his teasing… the satisfaction that came with knowing you are the reason your loved one is smiling is so immense in so many ways. It almost makes you feel as if you are flying even without wings.

"That I can make you the happiest man, ever!!" Shreya replied proudly. 

"How are going to do that?" Charan asked back with a teasing arch on his brows.

"You have me, what more do you need? Just being with me is the happiest thing ever." Shreya answered with a 'duh' voice as if Charan was asking the most idiotic and obvious question in the world.

If the previous statement can be considered as being narcissistic, this one was downright conceited. But for some reason, Charan couldn't bring himself to refute her statement…

The statement fits somehow… at least when it came to him, it fits pretty damn perfectly. Just being with her made him happy…

Charan could not help but chuckle at her as he hugged her all over again burying her head at the crocks of her neck.

"What am I ever going to do with you, Shreya?" He couldn't help whisper as a myriad of feeling knocked him over. There was an immense amount of emotion buried in those words.

When Samantha died, he had learned a lesson… a very cruel but an important lesson… that nobody is going to be able to be there with you forever. No matter how much you try to fight it, what's supposed to happen is going to happen. And people die inevitably…

So, even when he knew it was very selfish of him to do it, he had kept a part of himself for himself when he was with Shreya… He had reserved a small part of his heart for himself. A very logical part that kept reminding him time and again that it can all go away in just a snap of a finger. That had always kept him grounded. It kept him from daydreaming about things that may not be possible. That was why he stopped himself from thinking about the future and where the relationship was going time and again with great effort. He stopped himself from expecting too much.

That is why even when they were separated, he was able to accept it… Even when it was hard, he accepted it. He had prepared his head time and again for the worse so that he wouldn't completely crumble if something goes wrong… he cannot afford to crumble if not for anything else, he cannot do that to Akira.

That was why he was so calm and collected even when Shreya did not seem so when they got back together. Even when she said 'I do not know how to live without you,' he never said it back because he cannot afford to.

But Shreya was breaking those walls so easily with just a few simple words. He cannot think straight anymore. She had made all his carefully thought-out plans and painful efforts to keep her at a distance to naught with just a few sweet smiles.

"Hey, what is it? Did I say anything wrong?" Shreya asked with a confused frown. She did not know why Charan suddenly sounded serious when they were just joking around just seconds ago.

Charan took a few deep breaths as he got his head back on track… he then pulled away from her and ruffled her head comfortingly as he said, "No… you did not say anything wrong, sweetheart."

He then dragged her towards a corner on the terrace and took a pair of blankets and spread them.

"How did it come here?" Shreya asked confused.

"I had come here a few times when you weren't around." Charan shrugged as he sat down.

Shreya grinned but did not sit. She instead went and brought herself a bottle of booze from her hiding place… She showed it off proudly to Charan and sat down beside him.

Both couldn't help the nostalgia.

Even though they both had come here several times after, this was the first time they had come here together after their first meeting. Even the timing was just about right.

The only difference was probably how Shreya snuggled into him instead of lying down on the floor.

"I am really really happy today," Shreya repeated herself all over again. She just suddenly felt content today…

"I know…" Charan said smiling.

"What about you? Are you happy?" Shreya asked looking at him. She did not even know why she asked this now… she had never been a person to ask something like this. Just like before, she was pretty confident most of the time… But at times, she wanted reassurance too.

But more than reassurance, she just felt something wrong with Charan all of a sudden… he suddenly went quiet and she did not know why?

Charan looked down at her frowning figure and smiled… Even when his heart was doing somersaults, he really did feel happy. He leaned over to peck on her cheeks as he whispered, "I am…"