THIS CHAPTER IS OUT TODAY BECAUSE IT IS MAHI'S BIRTHDAY AND I REALLY REALLY LOVE HIM. HE IS ALL MY HEART AND HE OWNS IT~~~💙🦋

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Mythili's POV -

The next two weeks went by without much happening except for work and the college foundation event. Baba had fallen into a routine of walking in the morning, spending his time with Snowflake, looking after her and then spending his time with Maa.

Maa too was now retiring, handing over the NGO duties to Anamika and Nupur who will look after it along with their work. She wanted to stay at home now and relax and we all were completely supportive of that.

Shivaay and I were leaving for London the day after tomorrow for the launch and currently, I was sitting in front of the television, in no mood to pack anything.

" Mythili beta have you finished your packing?" Maa asked as she sat on the couch next to me.

" She hasn't even taken her suitcases out Mumma." Anamika sold me out here as she snatched the remote away from me, forcing me to stand up.

" Off you go now. Finish up your packing first." She grinned at me and I sighed.

" I don't want to pack." I looked at Maa but she gave me a stern look, making my feet automatically walk up to the bedroom.

It was a tiring day at work and Shivaay wasn't even home yet but his bags were already packed so I had no source of comparison there.

" What should I even take with me?" I scanned through my closet before walking out and sitting on the bed, giving up before I had even started.

" Do you need some help Mythili?" I heard Nupur's voice and found her standing at the door.

" Nupur, come in and yes, I do need your help." I stood up, calling her inside and she did as she made her way to my closet.

" It is going to be slightly chilly there so we are going to keep some trench coats and jumpers." She said and then literally packed my everything, including the dress I was putting on for the event.

" So....how excited are you?" I asked, holding both her hands in mine, giving her a huge grin. Nupur and Anamika were getting married in two weeks and we all were thrilled.

" On a scale of one to hundred, about an infinity for sure." She giggled and pulled me in for a hug.

" I cannot wait to get back from London and continue to help with all the preparations! After all, this is going to be THE WEDDING!" I joined her in laughing as we both sat down.

" Hey hey hey missy, focus on London first or Shivaay bhaiya will have my head, alright." She said sternly but in reality, she and I both knew that Shivaay was just as excited to come back as soon as possible. This wedding was his dream even if he showed zero enthusiasm.

I nodded and then she left me alone. I had just picked my phone to text Shivaay, asking him when was he going to be home when I found a message from Ritesh. Him and Himanshi were kind of my work friends now but there was no reason I could possibly think of that required him texting me right now.

You looked gorgeous in that dress today, Mythili.

Shit.

This was totally not what I was expecting at all.

" Why would he text me that?" I muttered, my eyes still glued to the screen.

" What did he text you?" A deep, husky voice made me jump in my seat and my phone dropped on the bed as I stood up, turning around just as immediately to find Shivaay standing right in front of me.

" You scared me!" I accused, narrowing my eyes at him as I placed my hands on my waist, letting go of a sigh.

" What did he text you and why do you look so worried? Is it your father? Has he been troubling you?" Shivaay asked with a look of concern in his eyes and his voice sounded tired at most. He really had been putting long hours at work for months now.

" Shivaay, my father hasn't been troubling me. It was just Hritik sending me a stupid meme. Don't worry about it." I gulped in anticipation of lying to him and he laughed.

He laughed, in the most mocking manner that he could have and I knew that I was busted.

" What?" I asked and looked away, knowing very well what was coming next.

" You make it so easy Mythili. You are going to tell me the truth now." He stopped laughing and gave me a pointed look as I gulped again.

If he finds out what Ritesh had texted me, he might go to extreme ends like demoting him or something and I really did not want that. Ritesh did not know that I was married because I had almost kept it a secret.

" I did give you the truth Shivaay." I fiddled with my phone, opening instagram, desperately praying that Hritik had sent me a meme today like he does, daily. Thankfully, he had which meant that I wasn't lying.

" Look for yourself. Here." I shoved my phone in his hands and shrugged.

Thank God Thank God Thank the God!

This time, it was me who gave him a smug look but he still seemed skeptical about the message but I really couldn't find it in myself to rub this little victory in his face since technically, he was about a hundred percent right.

" Freshen up. I am going to go and help set the dining table." I said, calming myself down as he handed my phone back to me and I gave him a tight smile.

I had just passed by him when he held my hand in his and then he pulled me into him as I clutched the hem of his shirt and kept another hand on his chest.

" What? I really should be down helping." I murmured to him without a look but continue to fidget with the button of his shirt.

" I think they will be just fine with me spending a little time with you in here. We have hardly spoken this week." He remarked and it was true. I had my college and then work where him and I had about zero interactions. I was home before him and by the time he got back, we both were too tired to function at all.

" I am guessing once this London launch is done, you will get some time to give to us here at home!" I said in an enthusiastic tone and he hummed, pecking my forehead.

" Are you all packed?" He asked and I nodded.

" Nupur helped me." I replied.

" How are the wedding preparations coming through?" He questioned back.

" It's all good. Once we are back, I am going to go shopping with Maa, Anamika and Nupur. We need to arrange for like so many things." I told him, looking at him in the eye and saw a faint smile on his lips, just an upward tug, perhaps.

" How is Baba? I have barely spoken to him in these past few days." He asked once again and there was a tone of guilt hidden.

" Shivaay, Baba is fine. You have literally arranged everything that he needs to get better, the best doctors on call! You don't have to worry about him. He is good and we all are good." I kept my palm on his cheek and tip-toed to give him a peck on his other cheek.

He said nothing and we stood there in silence in each other's embrace till a knock on the door got me back to reality and I immediately took a two steps away from him.

" Make haste you two, everyone is waiting for both of you at the dining table." Anamika announced and dashed off even without waiting for a response.

" Freshen up quickly." I said, pushing him towards his closet symbolically before leaving him alone and served Snowflake with her dinner before joining everyone downstairs.

The dinner was a normal affair and then, we called it a night.

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The next day when I woke up, Shivaay was already getting ready for work. I did not have college and I had to leave for office with him and here I was, just out of bed!

" Why didn't you wake me up?" I asked, throwing the duvet away and standing on my feet in a hurry.

" You looked extremely peaceful." He replied as he adjusted his tie and looked at me through the mirror and I sighed.

" That is not a good enough reason!" I said, hurrying to the washroom and getting ready.

" You don't get to leave without me!" I called out for him but I don't think he heard. Must have already gone downstairs, considering he was ready and I sighed and quickly finished my business.

Mythili's Look ~

" Maa, have Shivaay left already?" I asked when I couldn't find him.

" Yes beta. He got a phone call and immediately rushed out for a meeting, I think. The driver is waiting for you to take you to work. Also, don't you dare leave without breakfast." She warned and I gave her a quick hug before going to Baba.

" Good Morning Baba!" I said, grabbing his attention away from Snowflake and the newspaper.

" How's my favorite girl doing this morning?" He asked with a smile as I sat next to him.

" Well, she is late this morning and that's why cannot spend much time with you. But tonight, we are going out on a date, the two of us before I leave for London tomorrow." I told him with a grin as he agreed and then I took his leave.

It took me another half an hour to reach office due to the morning traffic and when I entered the building, I found Shalini ma'am talking to Vipul sir about something.

I made myself busy with the work that was allotted to me till lunch time when Himanshi made her way towards my cubicle.

" Mythili, it's already 3 girlie, we need lunch. Ritesh is also waiting for us." She announced herself, making me look up from my laptop screen as I heard his name and my mind wandered back to the absurd message he had sent me.

" Why don't you two head out for lunch? I am really not hungry. I kinda had a really heavy breakfast today." I lied because I had no intention of hanging out with him currently.

" Are you sure?" She confirmed and looked at me with concern.

" Absolutely. I also have an apple in my bag in case I get hungry." I told her and she gave me a small nod before leaving and I immersed myself into work again.

The next time I was disturbed was by the guy I was trying to avoid, Ritesh as he walked up to me with a coffee in his hands.

" Hey." He said, placing it on the table and taking a seat across my table.

" Hi." I tried to keep my voice as neutral as I could.

" Coffee for you. I also have a file that you need to read." He extended that to me too and I couldn't say no since he was technically my senior.

" Sure thing but I can't have the coffee. I'm trying to cut down caffeine from my diet. But thank you anyway." I said and his eyes narrowed a bit.

" Listen Mythili I'm sorry if that message threw you off last night......" He started to speak and his hand, for some forsaken reasons was coming towards me and so I pulled myself back away from him.

" What are you doing?" I raised my voice and stood up from my seat.

" If that hand goes anywhere near my wife ever again, you will lose it." A deadly calm and unbelievably silent voice rang in the pin drop silence of my cubicle, raising the hair at the back of my neck.

" Si....sir." Ritesh started to stammer, looking at the back of my head and I froze to my spot.

Shivaay.

He had just roared across the hall in a nerve chilling manner that he was my husband.

None of the people here knew except for the bosses.

Shivaay didn't know that nobody knows.

Shit.

" Shivaay....." I started but no words came out of my mouth after his name as I turned around to find Shivaay fuming in anger and barely holding it in.

" You're fired. Pack up your things." He announced and walked out, leaving me stunned.

" Wife? You're married?" Ritesh asked and looked like he thought all of it was a nightmare.

" Let me find him and talk to him." I found myself saying and as if my feet had a mind of their own, I was standing in front of Shivaay's office but could hardly gather the courage to knock.

" Shivaay?" I finally managed to open the door and called out his name meekly as I walked in.

" Did the bastard touch you? Did he...." I had to stop him and calm him down.

" Hey....hey....hey, I am fine. He didn't touch me or harm me. I promise." I kept a hand on his bicep and the other one reach out to hold his hand.

" He texted you last night." He put two and two together, his voice filled with venom.

" I am sorry I lied." I quickly apologized and tried to prevent him from leaving but he wasn't having any of it.

" He made you uncomfortable, he tried to touch you Mythili. I will be damned before I let him get away with this. He will pay for trying to touch you, touch.my.wife." He gritted through his teeth and I was finding to extremely difficult to control his anger.

" It's not completely his fault. It is mine too." I had to tell him the truth to stop him and so I did and my words made him stop before he looked at me in the eyes, probably trying to figure out the meaning behind my words.

" You have exactly thirty seconds to explain before I go and rip his arms off." That threat came out so smoothly out of him that for a split second, I almost considered laughing at the joke before I focused back into his eyes with looked murderous.

" None of your junior staff really knows that I am your wife." I murmured, suddenly with the urge to play with my fingers and look at my stilettos, feeling guiltier than ever.

" What did you just say?" He asked, his word splitting clear and cutting through the air as it reached my ears.

" Your junior staff does not know that I am your wife." I said it again, louder and clearer this time.

Then then, there was silence. Nerve chilling, bone wrecking silence and slowly, I dared to raise my eyes to look at him and found the murderous look on his face vanished.

Instead, there stood Shivaay Singh Rathore. The one I had met in that party for the first time. Colder than ice and stoic as a stone.

" Shivaay....." I took a step towards him but the coldness in his eyes did not allow me to go any nearer to him.

" Are you ashamed to be my wife, Mrs. Mythili Shivaay Singh Rathore?" He took my name as if he was mocking me and I could not take it, I couldn't deal with this Shivaay. I had no idea how to.

" Ashamed to be your wife? Being your wife is my self-chosen identity now Shivaay. Yours and mine is the single most uncomplicated relationship I have in my life, a relationship which does not make me think twice to make sense. I wish to wear this as a badge of honor and I don't say it in depreciating manner, but here, in this office, your office, I just wished to be a normal intern, that's all. I didn't want to be the boss's wife, I just wanted to be a person who was here to learn and that's why I did not tell anyone. If I have ever given you any reason to believe otherwise, then there is a problem in me, not you, never you." I confessed and despite how much I tried to stop my tears, I couldn't do that.

I couldn't gather the courage to meet his eye again and just stood there, trying to control myself and not cry but honestly, all my efforts were going in vain because the only thing which could provide any kind of comfort to my stupid heart were Shivaay's words of forgiveness.

I don't know for how long we stood there like that but when I saw him bridge that gap between us and stand inches away from me, I did not have it in me to hold back and I threw myself at him, clutching onto his torso tightly as I found his arms wrap around me securely.

" I am sorry." I whispered while he ran his fingers in my hair.

" You don't have to be. None of it is your fault. I don't want you to lie to me or keep things from me Mythili. I need you to be able to come to me with any problem that you might have without a minute of hesitation.I apologize...." He started but I looked up and kept my finger on his lips and shook my head in a no.

" No." I said and moved my hands from his torso and interlocked them around his shoulders as his moved to my waist.

" No?" He raised a brow but I knew he understood.

" No." I repeated and shook my head again while he wiped the tears away from my cheeks.

" You won't even let me be mad at you now?" His eyebrow stood raised as he asked me in an amused tone.

" No." I said the word again which only made him smirk and a playful glint was back in his eyes.

" Are you going to stop saying no?" He questioned again.

" No." I giggled.

" Then you will not mind me kissing you either, I think." Before I could register his words, no slipped out of my lips again and my eyes widened at the realisation.

He played me.

The room was bathed in the soft hues of the setting sun, painting the surroundings with an ethereal beauty. Shivaay's arm found its way around my waist again, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. Our eyes locked and the world melted away as he claimed my lips with his.

Hey guys! This is the next chapter. I hope you all like it. To unlock the next one, at least 1000 Votes and 300 comments are required on this one.

Please vote and comment! Motivates a lot!

I love you all. Until next time. Byee!!❤❤