Apologies for keeping you all waiting. Had a hard day yesterday, was so exhausted that I had no clue when I slept off.  Next time, please don't wait beyond 12 if it's a weekday. It's likely that I have slipped into deep slumber. I am not a midnight owl.

***

Chapter 55 : Burning Bridges 

Aadarsh stared at the box. He didn't feel like having a look at the things it contained. He slid the matchbox open and pulled out a matchstick.

... burn them down yourself.

He should have done this a long time ago. He lit the matchstick and dropped it into the box. His gaze remained fixed on the flames that rapidly multiplied before his eyes.

He was in the process of burning a bridge—a connection to his past that he had left open, harbouring a low-key hope that elements from his past might find their way into his present

He had been foolish. Individuals transformed, often swiftly, often evolving into unforeseen versions of themselves. He, too, had undergone a metamorphosis.

Yet, he resisted acknowledging this change, clinging to his previous self. Perhaps because known demons were better than anything unknown.

Nonetheless, his perception had shifted today. His present had evolved into something much much better than his past.

Ruhaani loved him despite everything. He just had to take a leap of faith and hope she'd also love the darkest parts of him and that she'd never leave his side when life threw him into a dark abyss.

His gaze remained fixated on the crackling fire. The small disturbing conversation with Siddhi repeating in his mind.

Siddhi had moved on. He could tell that much from her regret. She had come seeking a closure to a chapter for her guilt. But he was stuck helplessly.

What an absolute idiot he was!

How did people move on so easily? How could one move on at all, if they lost someone who was a part of their life?

For more than a minute, Ruhaani just stood there in the dark shadows and watched him. He looked tired. He looked unhappy. But above all terribly lonely and seemingly devastated.

She should give him his space and go away, her mind suggested. However, her heart told her to go to him, to be with him.

There seemed to be something seriously amiss with him. He had said so many hurtful words to his brother. The Aadarsh she knew, wouldn't do that, unless something inside him was hurting. He had removed his disappointment at something else, on Abhi, that was the only possible explanation.

"What are you doing?" She spoke, making her way towards him.

He slowly turned to her and back at the small burning fire. His slow heartbeats suddenly gaining momentum in her presence. Gosh, how was he supposed to ignore this any longer?

"You're burning things down and you said you were okay." She mused aloud, stopping a little distance away from the fire. She hated the sight of fires.

"It was long pending. Maybe I should have done it months back. Some bridges aught to be burnt." He replied thoughtfully.

She took a deep breath, his words gave her the assurance she needed. She walked closer to the fire as she spotted a familiar looking paper. It was most definitely that box that had memories of him with his ex girlfriend. She was sure when she had seen a tiny piece of a photograph, the one that had him smiling and looking at her.

"Don't go too close." He called out, eyeing her eager movement with concern.

Her steps halted and she steadily turned back to look him. He deliberately scooted over to make place for her. She took a few seconds, to ponder over his silent request for company. Accepting it, she turned around and walked over to the pool lounger he sat on.

"You look awfully disturbed today." She spoke after settling into the space he had emptied for her. The side of their bodies were almost touching just like the side of their legs. "What happened Aadarsh?"

He glanced at her. It was both a blessing and curse to have a person who could read your mind from the look on your face. For him, it felt like a blessing at the moment. He missed having someone who understood him.

"I don't know if I should tell you. At this point, I don't even know what I should and shouldn't be doing. What I should and shouldn't be feeling. It's a mess inside here." He rubbed his forehead.

"Hmm," she uttered her contemplation, softly looking at the slowly quelling fire. "Why don't you want to tell me?"

"Because I am scared." He answered candidly, his voice was a dispirited and melancholic murmur.

Ruhaani slowly turned to look at him, he was already looking at her despairingly. Those dark eyes that usually emanated dominance, power and control were looking hopelessly empty.

Following her instinct she slipped her hand into his. His fingers immediately closed around her hand firmly.

"Why?" She whispered, her face aligning with his.

He took a deep breath. There was no point of running. He had to be here at the end of the day. Just like running away from home was futile.

"I don't want to keep hurting you, Ruhaani. I can no longer pretend I am not hurting you... I don't ever want you to suggest that we have nothing between us. I..." His sudden burst of words was quickly overpowered by emotions and tackled to silence.

"...then don't say it." She said gently. She could feel it— his dilemma and despair. It was beginning to make sense. The dots were slowly connecting to form a valid picture.

She hated it. He was better off being smug and in power. She hated seeing him so low, so lost, so forlorn.

"I don't want to hide it from you either. I always want to be honest with you. I need your trust in me, Ruhaani, always."

"I want that too." Ruhaani replied instantly, tears pricking her eyes. She wanted to trust him to stay with her. Not leave her like all the other people who mattered to her.

Why could she feel that odd connection with him? Why did she feel like he was with her in the same damn boat of growing feelings like her? That she was not alone in feeling vulnerable.

"Siddhi came to meet me today."

Silence.

Ruhaani hadn't expected that. A shiver of fear ran down her spine. Her grip on his hand slackened. She slowly diverted her gaze to the floor. Why was he telling her that?

His grip on her hand tightened. "She .."

"You don't have to tell me, if you don't need to." Ruhaani said impatiently, trying to free her hand from his hold. She was not interested to hear of his feelings for his first love. She knew enough already. She had heard enough to know that she meant his world.

What if he was over the anger or denial or whatever it was? What if he finally had clarity about his feelings for his ex?

Her mind raced to places she didn't want it to go to. Stubborn, stupid mind.

His grip on her hand tightened. "Stay, Ruhaani. I am not going back to her. I will never. I have made that clear before and I mean it. I just ...felt like you should know. I know it's...not easy for you to hear it. But I would rather be honest with ..."

"Don't talk of honesty. You're a horrible hypocrite!" She snapped, staring at him. His gaze on her was unblinking and still.

This was getting messier.

"You're not always honest with me. You're honest when it's in your favour." She elaborated.

"Right." He muttered, nodding his head furiously. "Telling you that my ex visited me in my office, when you clearly were very unhappy the first time, is so much in my favour." He looked at her with a glaring eyes.

Words ditched her, as she realized he was right. Her gaze humbled before him. "This is tiring, Aadarsh." She sighed.

"I know. But you wanted it, right? A normal relationship. Well, it takes nasty efforts to be normal. So while we are stuck into this... let's fix this."

Ruhaani wanted to go away, leave him to deal with his own emotional mess on his own. It was the easy way out. But she didn't want to be another person who left him alone when he needed someone.

Gosh, no!

"Fine. Let's do this. What did she say? Wants you back?" She couldn't dilute the bitterness in her words.

Aadarsh was taken aback by the sudden determination and power in her words.

"No. She came to explain herself and apologize." He slowly narrated in bit and pieces all that he could remember to tell her. He left out the last part, of course.

"Seems love you both had quite a heart-to-heart tête-à-tête." She muttered, hit with a pang of insecurity.

He wrote her emails! Where was that side of him? It felt incredibly unfair. All she had ever desired was for someone to compose heartfelt love letters for her. Despite the old-fashioned nature of the gesture, it struck her as a wonderful concept.

Yet, she had never experienced that. Life had taken away Harsh from her. And this man ...Aadarsh Annoying Sehgal wrote emails to his ex who left him, for a year. The same man, who said he couldn't love again. The same man who said he didn't believe in love and that romance was for marketing.

Seemingly, with his every layer of mask coming off before her, he was turning out to be all she had ever wanted and yet everything she could never have.

He smiled, despite the hurt that churned in his chest. The hint of jealousy was strangely reassuring. His right hand gently reached out to her hand that was placed in his left. "Not really, it was more of her ... explaining herself, getting rid of her guilt." He said earnestly, trying his best to brush away her insecurity.

She looked back at him, their gazes meeting.

"This is a heart-to-heart ..." he whispered.

Ruhaani blinked under the weight of his gaze. Perhaps it was under the weight his words. Or both. Her hand felt warm placed between both his. "How did it make you feel?" She asked tenderly.

"Foolish. Made me feel so damn stupid. How is it so easy...for some people? Doesn't anything weigh them down? Make them feel horrible? God, I feel so damn horrible for..." he abruptly paused, shaking his head.

Ruhaani sat quietly, in deep thoughtfulness. What did he feel horrible for?

"How does one move on Ruhaani? How does one move on when people who were a part of one's life disappear? I still feel so helplessly stuck. You know when she was there... across the desk... it felt like she had moved to the other side and she was living her present... while I ..." He paused searching for the right words. "I feel like someone's chained me to the past. Like I can't move on. That if I do... it's all going to close on me, destroy me."

Ruhaani placed her free hand on his. He was heading to a breakdown again. His voice came out so troubled like he was minutes away from crying his heart out.

Aadarsh slowly shifted his gaze from the fire to her. "How did you move on, Ruhaani?"

"It's different for different people, Aadarsh." She said, suddenly feeling too seen.

"What was it for you?"

She blinked, lowering her gaze. Her hand growing limp in his hold. "I was quite young when my parents died. In that age, whatever you learn stays, whatever moulds you becomes permanent . And I grew up, understanding that no one gives a damn about me. Nobody cares. Nobody's got my back. Nobody will push me to be a better person." She let out a sigh, a few tears escaping from her glistening eyes.

He watched her rendered speechless. A familiar struggle was behind her words.

"So," she paused to clear her throat. Her hand quickly wiping her wet cheeks. "I became self-sufficient. There was this... teacher in school. She treated me well, inspired me, taught me so many life lessons. I had no other way to survive other than becoming what I wanted and what I needed from others.

To move on, you need to love yourself first. You don't need someone to love you to live, you need to love yourself to live."

"What when Harsh left?"

A pin drop silence followed his words. The flames crackled and disappeared leaving smoke behind, taking away the light too.

Ruhaani sighed, "Like I said Aadarsh, you just have to move on. Hold onto whatever you have and rescue yourself, no one is going to come along to save you."

"You had Pari to hold on to..." he said thoughtfully.

She nodded, looking up at the sky, "Yaa... I had Pari."

Aadarsh sighed, biting on his lower lip thoughtfully. He gently tilted his head, resting his temple against her shoulder.

She turned her head slightly towards him. Both his hands holding onto her tightly. She blinked trying to make sense of it.

He was holding on to her, quite literally. She swallowed the knot of unexpected emotions that had formed in her throat.

They sat quietly for sometime on the darkness. It was a hot summer night, but they didn't seem to mind. They watched the dark silent slithering like movement of water on the surface of the pool.

"Do you want to go sleep?" He asked, after a very long silence.

"No. I will stay." She replied softly.

He hummed in response, his hands still holding hers between them firmly. Time had seemingly stretched itself to accommodate their togetherness for until their hearts felt lighter.

"Aadarsh," Ruhaani said after about half an hour, glancing at the dial of the watch on his wrist.

"Hmm,"

"Let's go to the room. It's quite late. We should get some rest. Besides isn't the air too hot for you." She managed to wear a small smile.

"Yeah," he said, inclining his head away from her. Ruhaani slightly rotated her shoulder back to feel her muscles again. "We should go to the room, run the AC at sixteen, so you can get an excuse to steal my t-shirt again."

Ruhaani would have chuckled if her heart wasn't feeling heavy with all that was left— felt but unsaid.

He didn't leave her hand as he got up.

"Neither my intention nor my words." She said standing up, glancing at her hand that he refused to leave.

With her hand still securely in his hold, Ruhaani walked alongside him back to their room in complete silence.

As soon as they were in the room, they were welcomed by a calming cold air. Ruhaani had already switched on the air conditioner earlier on before heading to the terrace.

Aadarsh finally let go off her hand begrudgingly. She made her way to the washroom maintaining the quiet between them. Her hand was slightly sweaty with his continuous firm hold, but she didn't mind it.

She twisted the faucet handle of the washbasin and let the cool water splash onto her face.

She tried to absorb their time together. Maybe she was thinking this, way too much. Perhaps she had to just let lose and just live it instead of questioning his words and labelling every aspect of her relationship with him. She was so used to compartmentalizing people into what roles they played in her life, what importance they had in her life, what importance she had in their life. Maybe that's where she was going wrong.

"Ruhaani," she heard him, say when she emerged from the closet. He was sitting on his side of the bed, in the darkness of the room. Once again reminding her of an abandoned young boy.

"Hmm," she hummed in response, her steps slowing as she reached the bed.

He got up and rounded around the bed to stand before her. "I know you're not much of a hugger, but can I... hug you?"

Ruhaani was taken aback by the request, more by the fact that he knew she didn't prefer hugging people. There were exceptions of course, the kids. She nodded slowly, unable to look at him.

He closed the remaining gap with a single step, erasing the distance between them. His arms enveloped her waist, and his chin found a resting place on her shoulder. Their bodies melded together in a subtle embrace.

Ruhaani blinked, absorbing every intricate detail. Her head shifted slightly to the left, her cheek finding comfort against the right side of his chest. Just over his heart.

His hands spread tenderly across her back, as though providing a soothing reassurance. One she hadn't got for a long time.

"Thank you," he whispered, turning his face to the side of her neck, taking his lips close to her ears. She had strangely calmed all the chaos inside him. It was like she had smoothed every rough crease, silenced all the raging thoughts.

"Thank you," he repeated, his hold slowly becoming tighter.

Ruhaani had circled her arms around him, but was still unsure if she should hold him. She wanted to.

Closing her eyes, she drove to the ground every standing defence and placed her hands on his back.

Aadarsh shut his eyes, closing out the world. Inhaling deeply, he lowered his forehead to rest it against her shoulder— an act akin to that of bowing his head in reverence before a deity.

"Thank you," he whispered again, his words sounding like a prayer.

Ruhaani with her eyes still closed, pressed her hands firmly against his back. She could hear his heartbeat go from a quick paced racing to a slower galloping, slower but powerful.

After staying in the embrace for a few minutes enough to memorize every bit of the feeling, they mutually loosened their hold and slowly pulled away.

He felt so much more stronger. He gently ran his fingers through her stresses pushing them behind her shoulder.

Ruhaani stepped back, lowering her gaze. "We should sleep. It's so late. We have to wake up early tomorrow. Badi Bua specifically said no breakfast until pooja."

Aadarsh watched her move to her side of the bed talking continuously, like it would somehow erase the fact that they had been hugging intimately. That she had hugged him back.

As they settled on the respective sides of the bed, a silence fell. She had taken the spare pillow and placed it between them before sleeping on her side.

He glanced at her. She had closed her eyes. He pondered for a bit then took the pillow placed it on the other side of him, moving closer to her.

Ruhaani felt the pillow being taken away and then she felt a few touches along her arm. She could hear his breaths more clearly now. She had a vague idea of what he had probably done. However, she didn't open her eyes to confirm it.

Many minutes later, Aadarsh felt a warmth around his arm. Ruhaani had snuggled up closed and was hugging his arm. He smiled in the darkness of the room, gently closing his eyes.

***

Aadarsh was woken up by the antics of Pari and Mukti. While Mukti had been tickling his feet, Pari had been tapping his cheek sitting on his chest.

"Stop, he woke up!" He heard Nirvaan instruct. He opened his eyes and looked at Nirvaan who sat comfortably, cross-legged on the other side of the bed.

"What are you three doing?" Aadarsh mumbled, sitting up on the bed, letting out a yawn.

"Mumma said to wake you up," Pari said.

"And tell you to get ready quickly," Nirvaan added.

"For Pooja, see I am already ready!" Mukti appended twirling to show him the purple Indian dress she wore.

"Get up!" Pari urged, quickly sliding off his chest and holding his hand trying to pull him out of bed.

"Okay, okay." Aadarsh took a deep breath. "I am up. I will get ready. Go tell her. Now!"

Pari nodded and dashed out of the room, with Mukti behind her.

Aadarsh turned to look at Nirvaan. "Morning to you big boy!"

"Morning!" Nirvaan mumbled.

"What happened?"

"I don't want to wear kurta." He said dejected.

"Why not?"

"Because it's for uncles."

"Who said that? I wear it. Abhi wears it."

"And you two are grown up. And I uncles. I am not. And I don't like it, it's pink colour."

"Okay, wear another one." Aadarsh suggested.

Nirvaan wore a big frown. "I can't!"

"Why not?" Aadarsh questioned, getting off the bed.

"Because Bhabhs said I must wear that only. She bought it for me."

"Oh," Aadarsh drawled. "Now I get it."

"Give me a solution."

"Did you try asking your Bhabhs?" Aadarsh asked.

He nodded. "She said no argument."

"Hmm... did you ask Abhi Bhaiya for a solution?"

"Yes, he said Bhabhs is the boss. Everyone's got to listen to her."

Aadarsh smiled. "Hmm, Dai Jaan?"

"Can't you help me?"

Aadarsh had a perfect plan. But he couldn't share it with Nirvaan. It would be teaching him the wrong thing. And if Ruhaani got to know he told Nirvaan to spill something over his kurta—which also by the way she bought for him— he would never hear the end of it.

But he could spill it in Nirvaan's kurta, he thought to himself.

No, Nirvaan was too smart to not put it together. God, being the eldest brother sucked at times. He had to be the responsible one always.

"Well then, go get ready." Aadarsh said giving up.

"I knew this would be waste!" He sighed dramatically and got off the bed. Walking away thoughtfully.

Aadarsh rolled his eyes. Like Abhi wasn't enough, Nirvaan was growing up to be another one in their family with huge air of importance. Why did all his younger siblings seem to possess such an abundance of attitude?

However he was happy for Nirvaan.

The boy was still the most introverted among all of them, but he was growing to be more participative in the family. He wasn't privy to what Ruhaani had shared or taught him in the times they isolated themselves from other company, but whatever it was seemed to be working in the right direction. Nirvaan seemed happier. Even if it was a few inches of change out of a mile, it was still some progress.

***

Aadarsh walked down the stairs. Seemingly, he was the only one who was late. The rest of them had already gathered around the compact pooja room. Mattresses had been spread out on the floor for them to sit on.

His steps faltered as he caught sight of Ruhaani dressed in a gorgeous saree, her hair tied up in a graceful round bun with a garland of white flowers around it. She was applying the tilak, on every member's forehead one by one. A radiant smile blooming on her face.

Beautiful!

Gosh, his mother would have been so proud of him for marrying, Ruhaani. Her inner beauty seemed to shine through to the outside.

Ruhaani held the pleats of her patola saree—a dandelion yellow, artistically adorned with orange patterns and beautifully weaved red borders—with one hand while moving towards Abhi. The man smiled and moved his forehead forward to get the tilak.

Her smile faltered momentarily and then was back again, as she applied it for him.

Aadarsh swiftly moved towards them, not wanting to miss his chance.

"Look, it's finally morning for someone!" Phupha Ji exclaimed, smiling at him.

"I am always on time," Aadarsh stated, rather offended.

Ruhaani's heart quite literally fluttered when she laid her gaze upon her husband. Dressed in a pale yellowish-white kurta; his tall, lean, and muscular physique exuded a striking handsomeness. He had trimmed his beard and appeared as fresh as ever. Like a flower blooming on a sunny morning after a long rainy night.

"Not today," Badi Bua remarked, as he gave her a quick side hug.

"Oh, he's been tardy since he got married," Ashvi added.

Others chuckled while Aadarsh turned to pin his gaze on his sister.

"Just stating facts," she shrugged. While Abhi stood behind her looking the other way, not jumping in to tease like he usually did. Aadarsh stared at his brother for a few beats longer. He regretted saying some really harsh words to him last night.

He turned to Ruhaani, and took a step closer to her. Then leaned forward, lowering his forehead for her ease. Their gazes met. Her lips curled into a smile on their own as she applied the tilak to his forehead.

"Come on, now, everyone sit quietly, I will read out the scriptures, then we'll do the Aarti." Bua instructed.

"The Prasad follows." Phupha Ji added, only to get a look from his wife. "just clarifying," he mumbled.

"Aadarsh, take this and apply it to the deity first and then to Ruhaani's partition." Bua instructed handing him the tiny container of the sacred vermillion.

He followed her instructions applying the vermillion to the deity and then turned to his wife. He raised his thumb and forefinger's pinch towards her forehead. "Small please." She whispered. She had taken so much effort to get ready in the morning, she didn't want a hideous big stain of red on her forehead like she had in the Holi photographs.

"No way, I am go to paint you entirely in red." He whispered back defiantly, but adhered to her request. She glanced at him and then shook her head, disapproving of his sarcastic remark.

They settled together side by side, with Ruhaani on his left. While Badi Bua started reading from the holy scriptures, Aadarsh leaned to the side, and turned his head to the back, close to Ruhaani's neck and ear. "How long will this take?"

She looked at him from the corner of her eyes. "Why?" she whispered.

His hand mindlessly rested on the fabric of her saree covering her knee. "I am hungry!" He whispered back.

"An hour at least." She whispered back, playfully.

He turned slightly to look at her with dread, wondering if she was joking or was serious.

"Seriously? How are the rest of them sitting so quietly?" He said glancing at the kids in particular.

"They woke up early and had cornflakes with milk. You chose to sleep." She lifted a shoulder in half shrug.

"Not fair." He mumbled, his gaze dropping to her golden cone shaped earrings. They were like a half open umbrella.

She smiled a little and then focused her attention back on the prayers being said by Badi Bua.

Aadarsh had been quite restless throughout the pooja. At once instance, she had caught him playing with the threads at the end of her saree's pallu's. At another, he was rotating the wedding ring of his finger. And then, when Pari walked over and sat on his lap, he began toying with her tiny dupatta.

Once they had wrapped up, he was the first to take the Prasad from Badi Bua and rush to the dining table for food.

Ruhaani and Badi Bua were setting up the dining table when Abhi walked to the far end of the table from where Aadarsh sat.

"They fought again is it?" Badi Bua asked her, softly.

"Yes, they did." She said quietly, looking between the two stubborn people.

"Don't worry," the older woman reassured, reading her worry, "they'll get back. When they were kids, they used to be a handful to handle. Always fighting for one reason or another."

Ruhaani nodded. Abhi seemed really upset. She took the chair adjoining to the one Aadarsh sat on, after everyone settled.

"You should talk to Abhi," she said softly, just loud enough for her husband to hear, while serving his plate with the last two puris on the plate.

"It's not my mistake. He was wrong. And he's the one doing the drama." He muttered, taking one puri off his plate and putting it in hers, so that she didn't have to wait for Dai Jaan to bring the next batch of puris to start eating.

Ruhaani watched him as Phupha Ji who sat on the other side captured his attention asking about work. She looked at the puri on her plate.

Aadarsh had never been so considerate. He was a typical patriarchal man when it came to certain things. Like he never helped in setting up or clearing the table unlike the others who helped once in a while. He always sat at the head of the table and always needed to be served.

From the past few days, she had observed that he began eating only when she sat at the table. Now when she had served the last two puris onto his plate, he had mindfully taken one and placed it on hers.

She wondered if she was simply reading too much into nothing significant. Or was he really changing his behaviour towards her?

It was perplexing.

She decided to focus on the delicious traditional channa, puri and seera that Badi Bua and Dai Jaan had prepared together.

***

Ruhaani entered the room after an hour past noon. She was done with the saree and could no longer stay in it. She had excused herself from the company of Badi Bua to go change.

Aadarsh was on a business call, she could make out from the terms he used. She released her hair from the uptight bun and let it cascade down, removing the garland from her hair.

She had almost got a headache with the tightly pulled bun. She plugged her phone to charge, placed the garland at the vanity. She noticed that he had ended the call, when she was about to walk into closet. Remembering she had to talk to him about Abhi... and other things, she decided to size the opportunity.

"Can we talk?" She said moving to his desk. The sooner she spoke to him about Abhi, the better. Abhi had looked genuinely hurt since the morning.

Aadarsh looked up at her. He took a few seconds to appreciate how the colour suited her. It was something about the red. Every time she wore a shade of red, she shined and captured his attention.

"I did not ignore you, did I?" He remarked with mischief in is tone, getting off the chair walking around the desk to the other side, where she stood.

She turned to the side to face him head on, with her left hand placed on the desk. "Not funny!" She replied, titling her head.

He placed his right hand on the desk, a little distance away, parallel to hers. He took a step towards her, closing the distance between them. His hand sliding along the table's edge all the way towards hers. It stopped closed to hers.

Ruhaani straightened up, hyper aware of his closeness. He looked at her like he wanted to... do something sinful. Do something that would change their equation forever.

"You look nice," he complimented her, his left hand raising up to caress her gold plated cone shaped earrings.

Ruhaani blinked. Aadarsh was complimenting her! Was this a dream?

He smirked, seeing her visibly surprised.

"I didn't know you could compliment!" She remarked, wanting to rub off that smug smile from his face. "Thought that feature was removed before putting you into production."

Aadarsh chuckled, his fingers toying with her earring, spinning it gently. "You just need to be good enough to earn my compliments. It's a bit hard, I understand. Standards are pretty high."

She held his wrist, slowly pulling his hand down, away from earrings. "So you flirt too?" It was a remark that was partly rhetorical and partly seeking confirmation.

Aadarsh stared at her, his eyes admiring her brown orbs. "I can do so much more. The question would be..." He took his lips closer to the corner of her lips. Just an inch of space preventing the contact. "Are you ready for that?"

Shocked, Ruhaani's eyes that had disobediently lowered to his lips, shot up to his dark eyes that were pinned on her. He gently raised his eyebrows, questioning her further. "are you?"

"What..what...do.." She paused as her voice came out as a stammer. "do you mean?" she asked breathlessly, releasing his left hand.

He relished the effect he had on her. "Come on Ruhaani," he whispered, his lips few centimetres away from her cheek, almost touching it like a feather. His left hand caught hers back, interlinking their fingers. His right hand gently moved to hers on the table, and then slowly glided up her forearm.

Ruhaani parted her lips, a wave of anticipation running down her spine. His simple touch ignited a delightful awareness in its wake. It brewed a resonating need in her.

He paused his hand at her elbow, not going anywhere above that point. As an instinctive response she took the hand off the table and flattened it against his chest. He gently caressed her elbow.

She swallowed the lump of exciting emotions down her throat. "Aadarsh, I... I think..."

"Hmm, " he hummed encouraging her.

"We should take some time." She said with a resolve. She was unsure of where this sudden boldness to be more physically intimate was coming from. She could accept any reason other than it being because of his ex.

Aadarsh inhaled sharply, letting his hand trace it's way back from her elbow to her hand that was on his chest.

"I was talking about a kiss but... sure." He met her gaze, pulling his face away from hers.

She gaped at him stupidly, delighting him.

He tossed a broad boyish smile at her. Irked by the mockery in that smile, she pushed him back, offended. Quite unsuccessful at her attempt although.

He chuckled, heartily at her expense. "By the way, did I tell you, you were all over me last night?" There was an unmistakable suggestiveness in his tone. "The reason why I slept in late, is...cause I couldn't sleep last night." His voice was low, raspy, nothing if not seduction.

Ruhaani narrowed her eyes at him. The man's audacity appalled her. "Who asked you to take away my hugging pillow? The queen of England?"

He gazed at her, his eyes sparkling with part amusement and part adoration. "No. It was for you." He lied, playfully. Both his hands gently held her arms near the wrists, as she had them pressed against his chest.

"For me?" She repeated, with one eyebrow arching up.

"Yes. You're the one who says we don't have a normal marriage, that we don't have anything between us. So, I am just fixing that for you."

"Oh...." She exclaimed with a tone of exaggeration. "That's why you're complimenting me..." She mused.

"Maybe." He nodded, pressing his tongue against the inside of his cheek to hold back a smile.

"That's why you're flirting with me..."

"Maybe." He said again with a nod, eyes dazzling with mirth.

"So is seduction also a part of the plan?"

He was momentarily rendered speechless, but recovered rapidly. "If it works... maybe!" He shrugged, eyeing her with a renewed desire. "Is it working?"

"No." She said pushing him away, strongly this time, but he held onto her wrists firmly. As a result their bodies only ended up collided against the other's. She parted her lips, gasping, at the intimate firm press of their bodies. Their faces lining close to the other's.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked, softly. The grip of his hands slackening on her wrists and his gaze lowering to her tempting lips that were painted in a dark calling red.

She didn't answer him but instead pressed her lips against his. A swarm of butterflies fluttering in her stomach and an intense heat spreading out on her cheeks, neck and somewhere between her legs.

At once, he snaked his arms around her waist and then his hands hoisted her up and he turned placing her on the desk. She parted her lips staring at him, as her bottom landed on the firm wooden desk. They gazed at each with hungry desires.

Wasting no time after that he gently used his hands to cup her cheeks and pulled her to himself, standing between her saree clad legs.

She placed her hands on his shoulder, kissing him back, equally impassioned. Her frenzied hands, inched up his nape to his hair. Her knees parting further to allow him close.

He drew his panting mouth away from hers as she tugged at his hair. He stared at her marvelled. He wanted to do so many nasty things to her. She blinked under his stimulating gaze.

He tilted his head, his fingers venturing into the forest of her tresses. Grabbing a handful he tugged her towards himself with a new eagerness, closing his mouth on hers heatedly.

She moaned as he nipped at her lips and proceeded to tease her with the fleeting touches of his skilled tongue. Steadily she came to terms with the gentle caressing of his hand on her left thigh. Even through the layers of fabric, she felt the heat of his caress. It kindled a concupiscent greed in her. 

More. She needed so much more.

Their lips moved in sensual synchronization. At times each cheekily adding some tongue into this kiss.

Ruhaani pulled away heaving. He kissed her so damn thoroughly, that her brain couldn't help but imagine what more could he do with similarly devoted thoroughness.

He breathed heavily, looking at her. He rested his forehead against hers. His fingers slowly combing down her hair, that he had messed up. Silently, he took his time to calm the raging hormones and tame his carnal urges.

Ruhaani's eyes shut at the soft gesture. His hand gently caressed her hair reaching down to her back. She leaned into him, her hands gently moving up and down his shoulders in small relaxing movements

"Mumma,"

Aadarsh instinctively stepped away from the desk and Ruhaani, turning to the door. Pari entered the room sobbing, she abruptly stopped and frowned looking at them.

"What happened shona?" Aadarsh asked looking at his daughter. This couldn't be more embarrassing, could it?

"I hurt my knee." She whined, walking up to him.

Ruhaani had frozen. The door to of the room had been wide open all along. Anyone could have walked in whole they were busy sucking each other's mouth off.

"Why are you sitting on Papa's table?" Pari asked perplexed. Her mother always said sitting on the table was bad manners.

"There was a lizard, Mumma got scared." Aadarsh said, noticing how flustered Ruhaani was. Her cheeks a sharp hue of delicate crimson.

"Where?" The little girl exclaimed looking around.

"It's gone. Papa shooed it away." Ruhaani answered, her mind coming back to the present mortifying situation. She ran a hand down her hair. It was highly inappropriate for him to grab her hair like that, but she absolutely loved it.

Aadarsh gazed at her. "Yeah, Papa shooed it away." He repeated holding back a grin. He stepped forward instinctively to help her slide off the table. She placed her on hand on his shoulder, the other held his hand as she slid off the desk.

"Careful!" He whispered, his hand curving around her waist to station her.

She quickly peeled off his hand from her back as the tips of fingers made contact with the bare skin at her waist.

"What happened to you?" She asked her daughter.

"I don't want to wear this." She said kicking the skirt she wore. "I fell and I got hurt." She whined, rubbing her left eye.

"Come on, let's get you changed!" Ruhaani muttered glancing at Aadarsh. He winked at her making her roll her eyes but smile immediately after turning away from him.

• — • — •

Looking forward to read your thoughts! Especially about Aadarsh.

Next : Sunday

Just so you all know, work is hectic and I have some personal challenges. So might be a little irregular at being around, although I will try to keep you all informed. 

Don't forget to vote ☆ on all the chapters.

—Anami!♡