Circle of Trust

Chapter 1

The End.

Naina typed the two words with suppressed elation. Her heart hammered away as she stared wide-eyed at those words that signaled the culmination of hours of labor. Was it really over?

She blinked. When the words remained on her computer screen, her lips slowly curved into a smile. Flexing her fingers that hovered over the keyboard, she sunk back into her high-backed revolving chair, letting loose a giggle.

The clock’s cuckoo peaked at her from the wall opposite where she sat. It let out a melodious chime eleven times in a row. Naina’s giggles turned into full blown laughter till the cuckoo stuck its head back into its nest. She had completed her fifth novel a full hour before it was due. Her agent would be pleased; she better be. No one, absolutely no author Naina knew, had ever sent a manuscript without overshooting their extended deadline.

Naina fist punched the air, before reaching for her landline. There was only one person she needed to share the news with without delay. Her overworked fingers tapped the numbers by rote as she swung around on her chair. Clutching the receiver to her ear, she hummed his favorite song while waiting for him to answer her call.

“Hello, beautiful!” his voice was merely a whisper, but it sent her heart into overdrive. It never failed to, not once in all these years. How can one be so hopelessly in love? She caught back a sigh. “Hey, you still there or gone to answer the doorbell?”

“What?” Doorbell? She sat up straight, knocking back her chair. Catching it just in time before it toppled over, she heard the bell’s shrill ring and groaned. What timing! “Wait, I’ll be right back,” she said into the phone, not wanting to let him go without sharing the good news.

Naina didn’t wait to hear his reply. She rushed to the front door and threw it open, ready to dismiss anyone who had dared to intrude on her moment with him. What she met was too pretty a sight to turn away from – a beautiful bouquet of red orchids greeted her stunned face. She could think of only one who would bring them to her. Sucking in her lower lip, she trailed her fingers over the crimson petals. A card peaked from behind an orchid and she carefully plucked it out.

To the most gorgeous author of my life, it read. A giggle escaped her lips and died instantly when he came into view. Would he ever stop taking her breath away? It was beyond embarrassing for a 30 year old married woman to sport a glazed look whenever he was around. She needed to snap out of it. Pronto!

“Next time, I’ll stick my picture to the card instead of bringing the flowers to you myself,” he said, setting aside the bouquet to take her into his arms. “Congratulations, Wifey!”  

Naina wrapped her arms around him and smiled into his pristine white shirt, discreetly inhaling the woody fragrance of the denim cologne. “How did you know?”

Placing a kiss on her head, Varun moved back a bit in the circle of her arms to look into her eyes.

“You said you’ll be done by 11. So, here I am.” He smiled and pointed to his watch.

“Ah, you could’ve just called. Why are you here when you should really be at work?” Naina folded her arms and wiggled her brow.

“You know very well why I’m here, woman!” In one swell swoop, Varun threw her over his shoulders and marched into their home, kicking the front door shut behind him.

Naina squealed and squirmed but Varun simply tightened his hold around her thighs, hefting her high up till her arms dangled wildly in the air. She grabbed the shirt on his back as her head swung from side to side with every step he took to their bedroom upstairs.