Copyright © jasminedarcie

All Rights Reserved

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner or language whatsoever without the express written permission of the author.

While the character names are inspired from the Indian TV drama series "Ishqbaaaz" the characterizations are different in this story. Also, the actors used in this story are just for visual representation, but people can use whomsoever they please .

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This story is a redux version of my other story "Learning to Love Him Again", but this story can be read as stand alone.

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Hi everyone :) I want to thank God for His blessings and all of you readers who have decided to read this story :) Thank you for willing to read this chapter and I hope you like it :) Thank you for reading :) I tried my best in writing this chapter and I am not sure if you will find this story interesting, but I tried my best and put in my best effort :)

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https://youtu.be/r7VTWg4d-bw

"Anika! Anika stop right this minute!" I heard him yell behind me as I clasped my hands tightly together trying to hold back my tears that were forcing themselves out of my eyes.

Holding the end of the black gown I wore, I quickened my pace as the gown swept the end of the white marble floor. I cannot do this any longer. How much longer can I be brave? I also have a heart...a soul...I cannot bear this pain any longer. I felt a sense of humiliation and pit overcome me as I carried a wounded heart.

Placing my hands against my damp cheek, I held a tear in its place as I hiccupped pacing myself down the end of the hallway heading towards my room.

"Anika listen to me!"

"Just go away please!" I yelled back as suddenly I felt my feet lifting up the floor. My body twisting itself with full force as he grabbed my arm turning me towards him.

"Stop!" I screamed as I looked up slamming my head against the end of his chin. He flinched as I howled placing my hand on top of my head.

"Now what happened? You seriously wreck havoc where ever you go!" My eyes immediately shooting up meeting the pair of blue eyes in front of me.

"Here let me see..." His voice seemingly softer which was quite unusual of him considering how he is. Slipping my hand away from the top of my head, he placed his hand on my head as I flinched in pain. My hand immediately grabbing on to his arm as I closed my eyes shut.

An unusual sense of silence falling between us as I felt him lean closer towards me. My eyes falling at his chest that moved slowly up and down. The black button of his shirt barely pressing itself together as I noticed a tinge of skin appearing from his ab. My eyes tracing the edges of his muscles that made themselves appear through the tight shirt he wore. I gulped nervously as I realized what I was doing...this is wrong Anika...it's wrong considering you have given into pleasure before...pleasure you found in him.

I gulped nervously remembering the limitless rules I had broken since the last three weeks...rules my family always had tied me up with.

I sighed as I felt his hand continued to rub against the top of my head. The soft touch of his hand tenderly moving against the end of my head as it felt somewhat comforting to me. Tears still running down my cheeks as I heard loud cheers and music erupting from downstairs of the haveli.

"What happened Anika...hm?" He spoke softly, breaking from the usual monotone voice he had.

"I-I...it hurts...I shouldn't be feeling this way, but still it hurts to know what happened to me..."

"One should never indulge in the matters of the heart Anika...they only ruin you...nothing more, nothing less..." He whispered as I felt him lean closer towards me. A small shiver going down my shoulder as I felt his lips laying lightly against my ear.

"We shouldn't...Mr. Oberoi..." I whispered as he exhaled against my ear making me close my eyes shut as I felt my stomach tying back up in knots.

"Shivaay...how many times do I say that you can call me Shivaay..." He repeated as I bit my lip feeling intrigued by the idea of how he was letting me cross a boundary that he himself had established with others...A sense of power felt.

His cologne slowly filling up my senses and riveting me in every way possible. The cologne tingling my nose making me sneeze as I bumped my head against his chest. Shivaay sighing loudly as he placed his hand behind my head. He began to chuckle lightly against the side of my head.

"Why do you always ruin the moment?" Shivaay said as I pouted my lips.

"It's not my fault..." I replied innocently as I looked up at him. Shivaay raised his eyebrow at me as he appeared to question my innocence.

"Really?"

"Yes...really..." I replied as I traced my hand down his chest as a small smile appeared across his lips.

"You can't imagine what this innocence mixed with this mischeviousness of yours' does to me..." He said as I giggled tracing my hand to his entwining his hand into mines'.

My tears clearly slowing down as he had successfully distracted me from a broken life I belonged to. Strangely, I found my happiness in a man that rarely is happy...rarely smiles...rarely lives life...Strangely, I am just like him who rarely lives life, but still...he's more alone and aloof than me. But, somehow that's what makes him so relatable to me.

His fingertips lightly brushing against the lacy black cloth of my dress that wrapped around my waist. His touch setting my cheeks aflame as I tilted my head forward leaning it against the end of his shoulder. His lips lightly brushing against my cheek.

"Come with me..." The huskiness of his voice luring my innocence.

His hand grabbing mines' as we began to walk towards his room. An unusual sense of excitement setting inside of me as I felt butterflies fluttering inside of me. It was wrong. All of it, but it felt good. The adrenaline of being rebellious and breaking the rules rushing through me and making me want to find company in a man I shouldn't be finding company in.

Shivaay smiled as he turned me, pushing me against the door as I was quite surprised by his daringness.

"What has gotten into you?" I whispered as I grabbed the end of his black tie. My hands trembling with a sense of nervousness with what might come next.

He leaned his body against mine as he leaned his face closer to mine. A shy smile appearing as I lowered my gaze.

"I don't know..." He whispered back as the darkness of the night fell upon us. I leaned my head up staring at the blue ceiling as intricate designs of the haveli slowly disappeared with darkness approaching.

A set of soft lips making their presence known as they touched my skin tenderly. I gasped as I felt him smile against my skin. His touch still felt foreign and somehow I relished in this idea of how new everything felt each time he came this close to me.

His lips moving slowly and intricately at the side of my neck as I entangled my hand into his hair feeling the softness of his waves. Slowly slipping it away as I dragged my hand to his lips stopping him from further unraveling our secret in public.

"Someone might see us..." I whispered as I titled my head forward. He lifted his head up looking at me knowing I was right.

He placed his hand against my cold cheek...his fingertips caressing the dried tears on my cheeks. His eyes reflecting a sense of concern as he looked at my tears. "Anika...don't you dare cry...this world is not worth your tears...Love is utter nonsense and you should know that. Don't believe in it because it doesn't exist...It's an illusion and nothing more than that." His words blunt and clear as they snapped the last fantasy I held about love.

Despite how cold and honest he can be, I somehow still find myself attracted to these traits of his. I traced my hand across his beard feeling the edge of his jaw and finding myself attracted to the sense of maturity he displayed in his demeanor. The power reflected in the tone of his voice, the way he walked, talked, and commanded. He's toxic, quite bitter, unpredictable like a damn rollercoaster...but still attractive.

It's wrong to be attracted to a man this older than me. He's 35 and I am 23. There's more than a decade different between us. We're nothing alike yet so relatable in how life has treated us both. This reality building a sense of excitement, attraction, and excitement inside of me.

"Just kiss me already damn it..." I commanded as Shivaay chuckled before grabbing the back of my neck and crashing his lips against mines.

I giggled as I tasted the sweetness, but bitter alcohol of his lips against mine. His lips bittersweet just like he is. He let out a small laugh overcome with his heavy breathing as I felt him lean against me closing any remaining gaps between us.

His lips kissing each and every inch of mines' as I grabbed a hold of his coat pulling myself closer to him. Deepening the kiss, I sucked at the edge of his lower lip biting it as he chuckled with a sense of nervousness that I could I feel in him. Somehow, I felt nervous, but the excitement of having him close making me feel gleeful.

Loosely letting go of my lips, his hand quickly grabbed the door knob as I grabbed the key out of his pocket handing it over to him. Wrapping my hands around him I kissed his cheek as he opened the door pushing me inside as I giggled in excitement.

Slamming the door shut, he grabbed my waist wrapping his hands around it as he pulled me against his chest.

"No one has commanded me like this before..." He whispered against my ear as I felt flustered in the moment. He rubbed his nose against my neck as I began to laugh.

"Stop it!" I let out a small moan as he laid down a set of kisses down my shoulder.

"First call me Shivaay..." He whispered against my ears as I giggled shaking my head.

"Mr. Oberoi..." I sung his name as he took a large sigh turning me around and taking a step towards me.

"Is that the name you say when you think of me?" He questioned as he smirked. He took a step forward as I took a step back.

"Hmmm....let me think..." I said placing my finger on the tip of my chin pretending to think.

Shivaay rolled his eyes in frustration as I laughed. He took another step towards me as I took as step back hitting the wall of the bedroom.

"What's wrong in saying my name?" He questioned as he grabbed my shoulder placing a kiss against my cheek.

"Hmm...it's about setting boundaries..." I whispered as he sighed kissing my cheek again. He trailed his lips to my jaw as I clenched the fabric of his shirt into my fist.

"This is wrong...you know this is wrong..." I spoke softly with realization how wrong we were. How dangerous it was for us to be together. Dangerous for me mostly as I was breaking all the rules...

"It doesn't matter if it's wrong or right...if we find a moment's solace with one another then that's what matters..."

I realized he was speaking the truth. The truth was that in this lonely world, two lonely souls found one another...found solace and comfort in one another...This is what matters.

I smiled as I grabbed his cheek capturing his lips. He has become my sole companion on this emotional rollercoaster ride...that is colloquially called a "destination wedding". Never would I have thought that we would be like this...so close...yet distant. He completes me, but doesn't want love. He heals my broken heart, but tells me to keep it and not to give it anyone. He is different and that's why I desire him.

Never would I have thought this would have happened three weeks ago.

Chapter 2 is next :)

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