Honestly, I feel I'm getting old fr. My back hurts from sitting in a chair for so many hours, and my eyes are tired from staring at the laptop screen...

I started packing my bag, zipped it up, and slung it over my shoulder. I took a deep breath..... Because....

My mind keeps drifting back to the lunch incident. I'm so mad ik.

I know I shouldn't think about it too much. If I start smiling like an idiot in the office, people will definitely notice and ask questions..

So, I'm trying to keep my expression neutral and started walking toward the exit..

Trisha had already left, which was a relief fs. I really didn’t want to see her face again today..

I reached the ground floor and walked toward the parking area. Suddenly, I stopped because...

I can’t explain it well, but it felt like someone was walking behind me, following me..

I gripped my bag strap tighter and turned around quickly. There was nobody there.!

I looked around carefully, but there was genuinely no one in sight..

I guess I must have imagined it. I am so tired, and my brain is playing tricks on me.. I'm being silly and paranoid. I needed to calm down, go home, and rest. THAT'S IT.

I turned back around and continued walking toward the parking area. When I got there, I immediately spotted my car parked near the front..

I smiled when I saw it because I know obv Papa had sent it for me..

I got into the back seat and settled in comfortably. I placed my bag on the seat beside me and leaned back..

Just then, my phone buzzed in my bag. I quickly took it out and looked at the screen. It is Mumma calling..

I smiled and picked up immediately.

"Hello, Mumma-"

"Anu, we're at Raichand Mansion, so come here directly, okay?" Mumma said.

"But Mumma, wait, why are you at-"

But the call ended before I could finish my question. I blinked at my phone screen for a second..

She had cut the call before I could even ask what I wanted to know!!.

I sighed, leaned back in the seat again, and looked out the window as the driver started the car and pulled out of the parking area.

Okay, so I'm going to Raichand Mansion instead of home. Mumma and Papa probably decided to go with Jiju and Didu.

I pulled out my phone and opened our chat. I looked back and saw the empty parking spot where his car was usually parked. It's empty now..

He had just left without sending even one text to let me know. Nothing.....

I opened our chat and typed before my brain could talk me out of it.!!

"I think being your wife is my punishment."

Sent...

I locked my phone, dropped it in my lap, crossed my arms over my chest, and looked out the window...

Suddenly, my phone buzzed almost immediately..

I glanced down at it, feeling a small flicker of surprise. Itni jaldi?????

I didn't expect him to reply that quickly. I opened the text.

"Then I’ll make sure your punishment leaves you wanting more."

I read it once...Then I read it again slowly from the beginning to make sure I had read what I thought I had.

My cheeks AREN'T burning!!.

I pressed the back of my fingers against my cheek. I'm definitely not going to give him a single pinch of response.!!

The Raichand Mansion came into view as the car turned through the large gates that the security guards opened when they saw Kiaana's car..

The driver smoothly drove up the driveway and stopped right by the main entrance steps..

Kiaana got out of the back seat, adjusted her bag on her shoulder, and looked up at the entrance.!

"Kaka, please park the car in the parking area," she said politely.

"I'll go from here."

He nodded and went to park the car.

Kiaana stood for a moment, clutching her bag strap tightly in both hands..

Although she had come to Raichand Mansion many times, but her visits were always short, and she rarely stayed for long...

Most of the time, she tried to avoid coming here when she could because...... Nvm.

As she prepared herself to walk up, she suddenly felt familiar hands wrap around her right hand..

She looked up and saw Adhikrit was standing right beside her. His large hand completely enveloped her smaller one..

His thumb moved gently in slow circles on her palm, and she felt the tension in her shoulders start to melt away..

When he noticed she was looking at him, he winked. Kiaana shook her head at him, but the blush that spread across her face gave her away and made him smirk..

He tilted his head and glanced toward the main door asking,,

"Shall we go?"

She nodded once, and they started walking up the steps together toward the entrance..

The main door was already open. They stood at the entrance, and she saw everyone chatting in the living room..

Suddenly, his siblings shouted,

"BHABHI AA GAYIII!"

Everyone in the room turned to the entrance where Adhikrit and Kiaana were standing, their hands clearly linked together...

Kiaana's eyes went wide, and she immediately tried to pull her hand free from Adhikrit's grip, but he held it firmly and didn't let go..

She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them slowly and looked up to see the whole room watching them with amusement..

Panic set in, and she blurted the first thing that came to mind..!

"Mumma, main aa gayi," she said quickly.

"Actually, Adhikrit helped me on the steps because main girne wali thi. Usne hold kiya isliye." She smiled brightly....

There was complete silence for a second. Then everyone erupted in laughter that they tried but failed to hide. Her own mother pressed her lips together to hold back a smile.

Adhikrit slowly released her hand and casually put his hand in his pocket.

Kiaana quickly untangled her fingers from his, even though he had already let go, and walked into the room, saying hello to everyone she could see.

"Hello aunty, hello uncle," she said to the elders..

She moved away from the entrance and from Adhikrit, who followed behind her like a puppy..

Adhikrit's father was sitting on one of the large sofas with his bade papa, Rehan's father..

His maa and badi maa, Rehan's mother were sitting together on the single sofas on the side..

Kiaana's parents were settled comfortably in the room as well. Then there were the younger ones..

Adhikrit's younger brother Atharv, who was twenty years old, and Rehan's two younger siblings, the nineteen-year-old twins Satyansh and Satyanshi..

She walked towards them and glared at them for the little stunt they just pulled...

"Why did you call me that?" she asked

Satyanshi blinked her big eyes and tilted her head.

"Call you what, di???"

"You know exactly what," Kiaana said, her cheeks still very red as she tucked her hair behind her ear...

"Woh umm... bhabhi. You called me that in front of everyone."

Satyansh immediately pressed his lips together and looked at the ceiling like it fascinated him...

Atharv calmly placed his palm over Satyanshi's mouth before she could say whatever she was about to say..

"Nothing di," Atharv said.

"Just a complete slip of the tongue from all of us at the exact same moment by pure coincidence. We thought it was Misha bhabhi coming in. You know Misha bhabhi went with bhai to the office because they had something urgent to handle, so we were expecting her." He paused.

"Very logical explanation."

It was the least logical explanation Kiaana had ever heard, but she decided to let it go. Arguing with these three was like arguing with a wall..

She made a face and turned away, sitting beside Adhikrit's mother, who was patting the seat next to her...

Kiaana sat down, and Adhikrit settled on the other side...

His mother turned to Kiaana with a smile and reached out to pat her hand gently.

"Anu beta, we were actually talking about something important," she said.

"Haa aunty, kya hua?" Kiaana asked, looking at her attentively.

[Yes what happened]

Kiaana's mother continued then,,

"Anu, your Papa and I are going to Australia tomorrow morning for a business trip. It's going to be at least a month, maybe a little more, depending on how things go."

Kiaana nodded

"We can't leave you alone in the house for a whole month," She continued.

Well her tone made it clear this was already decided and not a topic for debate.....

"You know how you are. You'll forget to eat on time or leave the gas on or something will happen."

"Mumma, I'm not a child," Kiaana started to say.

"You left your house keys in the refrigerator last month," Her mother said simply.

Kiaana opened her mouth and then closed it again.

"So Misha suggested you stay here with the family until we're back," She finished.

Kiaana looked at her mother, then at Adhikrit's mother, who was smiling pleasantly, and then glanced briefly at Adhikrit.

He sat beside her with his arms resting casually on the sofa's backrest, his expression calm and neutral.

Too neutral, actually.!!!!

"Mumma, I'm sure I'll manage fine at home," Kiaana tried again.

"Really..."

"Beta, it's one month," her Mumma said.

"I'll call someone to stay with me."

"Who? Which friend is available for a whole month???"

Kiaana tried to think but couldn’t come up with an answer..

"Please di please please please," Satyanshi said, clasping her hands together dramatically...

"We'll have so much fun with you here."

"Haan di please," Satyansh agreed.

"You have to stay."

"Please please please," Atharv added with puppy eyes.

Kiaana looked around the room at all the expectant faces and felt her resistance crumble completely.

How could anyone say no to all of this at once?????

"Fine," she said finally.

And she could hear the three younger ones immediately erupt in cheers.!!!!

"I'll stay. But I don't have my clothes here or any of my things."

Before she finished that sentence, the younger ones shouted together,

"Kal Sunday h shopping pe chalenge!"

[We'll go to the shopping tomorrow as it's Sunday]

"YAYYY!"

Everyone then continued their chatting session. The men resumed their discussion on the larger sofa.

The ladies moved closer together, talking happily. The younger ones were across the room on their sofa doing whatever they were doing..

Kiaana sat between Adhikrit's mother's now empty spot, as she had shifted over, and Adhikrit himself...

Everyone else was facing forward, so it was just the two of them sitting slightly apart from the main group, visible to everyone but in their own small bubble of space...

Kiaana was very aware of how close he was sitting and was trying to act like a normal person who was completely unaffected..

She adjusted her shrug around her shoulders, and in doing so...her fingers brushed against his thigh. She felt him freeze for exactly one second.

She tilted her head and lowered her voice so only he could hear her.

"Family mein bhi itna serious rehte ho," she whispered playfully.

"Thoda enjoy karo na."

[Are you this serious even with your family? Try to enjoy a little.]

His jaw tightened. He turned his head toward her slowly, his lips almost brushing her ear when he spoke.

"Asli maze toh main tumhe room mein krvaunga sweetheart," he murmured quietly and calmly.

"Just wait."

[The real fun, sweetheart, I’ll give you in the room, just wait]

Kiaana froze, heat rushing to her face. She stared at the room in front of her, her eyes wide..

She turned her head slightly to look at him. He leaned back casually in his seat, wearing a smirk that made it seem like he had just said something normal...

"Shut up," she muttered under her breath.

"You shameless man."

"Hmm?" he replied innocently.

Before she could respond, a housekeeper appeared at the entrance to the living room and announced,..

"Dinner is ready for everyone."

Everyone started to get up and head toward the dining room connected to the main living area..

Kiaana walked in with everyone, looking for a seat. Somehow, the only seat left was right beside Adhikrit.!!

She groaned softly under her breath. He was already sitting down. He looked up at her with a completely straight face...

"Problem?"

"Not at all," she replied sweetly, taking a seat.

Everyone settled in, and dinner began. Kiaana's mother suddenly said,

"Thank God Anu agreed to stay here otherwise, we would have had to cancel or postpone the whole trip because I cannot leave her alone in that house for a month."

"Mumma, yaar," Kiaana said, feeling embarrassed.

"Last time I left you alone for three days, you ate cereal for every meal," her mother responded calmly.

"That's not true."

"The cook told me."

Kiaana pressed her lips together and focused on her food while quiet laughter spread around the table...

She looked up and asked to no one in particular.

"Didu and jiju nahi aaye?"

[Didu and jiju didn't come yet]

Badi maa answered..

"They'll be late, beta. Some work came up. They'll have dinner on the way and come later tonight."

Kiaana nodded and turned back to her plate. She served herself rice and vegetables....

She glanced sideways at Adhikrit, who was eating quietly beside her. Then, she looked at the serving dish of spiced vegetables between them...

She saw his plate, then the chilli powder in a small container at the center of the table..

Keeping an eye on him, she reached over and added a generous amount of chilli powder to his vegetables, mixing it in discreetly...

She sat back and continued eating her own food calmly..

"Take some vegetables," she said, motioning to the dish.

He glanced at her and then at the dish, and his expression like he was aware of what had just happened. His eyes narrowed slightly...

She gestured innocently at the dish, raising her eyebrows as if to ask what he was waiting for..

He picked up the serving spoon and put some vegetables on his plate. He stared at them for a moment before taking a bite....Then another.

Within seconds, his entire face changed color. The tips of his ears turned red, and his eyes watered slightly...

He reached for his water glass and took a long drink, maintaining his composure..

"Control mein ho?" she whispered to him with her sweetest concerned expression.

[Are you under the control]

His hand tightened around his spoon slowly. He turned to face her,

"Abhi hoon," he murmured.

"Room tak pahunchne do. Phir dekhna control kis cheez ka naam hota hai."

[I’m here right now. Let us reach the room first. Then you’ll see what control really means.]

She pretended to ignore him and the blush creeping to her face again. She turned back to her plate and finished her meal in silence.

When she was done, Adhikrit's mother said,.

"Anu beta, actually the ground floor guest room is prepared for your parents."

"Oh," Kiaana replied.

"So you'll be staying in the first floor guest room instead," she added.

"I'll have one of the housekeepers show you to the room."

"Of course, aunty. That's perfectly fine," Kiaana said, nodding..

Kiaana got up and said goodnight to everyone, receiving responses from various parts of the table...

She grabbed her bag from behind her chair and followed the housekeeper out of the dining room toward the staircase...

As she walked, she tried not to think about the fact that she knew all too well that the first floor of Raichand Mansion was Adhikrit's floor.!!

She pushed the thought aside, focusing instead on walking calmly..

As the housekeeper began to walk up the staircase ahead of her, Kiaana suddenly said,,

"It's okay, I know the way from here. You can go."

The housekeeper turned around, smiled politely, and nodded before going back downstairs quietly.

Instead of heading directly to the guest room, Kiaana walked to the corridor to the familiar door at the end. She pushed it open and stepped inside...

His room. Her room. Their room.!!!!

She closed the door quietly and stood just inside, taking in her surroundings. A smile crossed her face..

She loves this room more than she would admit to anyone, even herself...

Everything had her fingerprints on it in some way, and she cherished that, even if she never said it..

She slipped her bag off her shoulder and set it down near the couch. Then, she shrugged off her shrug and tossed it casually onto the couch before heading to the bathroom..

Everything in here matched her preferences.. The soap he uses was one she had suggested once because she liked the smell and he had switched to it ever since..

There were skincare products lined up near the sink were her doing entirely...

She had researched every single one of them and written down the routine step by step on a small card that she had stuck to the inside of the cabinet door with very clear instructions on what went first and what went second and what should never be skipped under any circumstances...

He had complained about it exactly once and she had looked at him with such complete seriousness that he had not brought it up again and now he followed the routine every single day without fail...

Biwi ka khauf is a very real and very powerful thing.!!

She washed her face with water, took a towel, and returned to the room, standing in front of the mirror while drying her face...

Suddenly, she heard the door open behind her. She looked up in the mirror..

He entered the room, his eyes finding her reflection immediately. He shrugged off his blazer, tossing it onto the couch..

He loosened his tie, pulling it off, then undid the top two buttons of his shirt collar, rolling his sleeves back to his elbows..

Kiaana watched this in the mirror before returning her focus to her own reflection..

She reached for the moisturizer on the shelf, opened it, and began applying it to her face while pretending to ignore him...

She heard his footsteps crossing the room slowly. Then, he stood behind her...

He was so tall that he had to bend down to rest his chin on her shoulder. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back gently against him. She could feel his warmth envelop her..

Her breath caught in her throat. She could see both of them in the mirror now, keeping her eyes on the moisturizer cap in her hands..because looking at their reflection felt like too much.

His lips were close to her ear...

"Hm saath mein kitne achhe lagte hain na, sweetheart," he murmured.

"Haina?"

[We look good together right]

She didn’t respond. She kept her eyes down and maintained a neutral expression...

Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest. But she didn't reply... While his arms stayed around her waist...

He didn’t push her or repeat himself. He just waited behind her in the mirror with a patience that always surprises her..

This was a man who had little patience for anything at work but was endlessly patient with her....

After sometimes she still didn’t reply...

Then he turned his head slightly. She felt his teeth biting gently on her shoulder..

Her eyes snapped open and rushed up to the mirror before she could stop them..

And there they were both of them. His chin on her shoulder, his arms around her waist, and his eyes already waiting to meet hers as soon as she looked up...

Without thinking, she gripped his hands at her waist, wrapping her fingers around his...

"Adit," she said..

He held her gaze in the mirror. He didn’t say anything, just looked at her with those eyes that always made her feel like he was reading every thought she ever had...

She looked away first.!

She thought he'd leave her Instead, his hands shifted from her waist. In one smooth motion, he turned her to face him, picked her up, and her hands instinctively went to his shoulders...

He walked the few steps to the bed and set her down gently..

She sank into the soft mattress and gripped the bedsheets on either side of her. She gulped and looked up at him standing above her..

He put one knee on the mattress, then the other, and leaned down slowly. His hands pressed into the mattress on either side of her head as he hovered above her...

_________________________

So how was it?👯

You didn’t follow me on Watty, did you???🥺

My Instagram got suspended right when it was finally time for my followers to grow🥺

I’m not going to lie, I do feel a little bad about it. But what can we even do, right

So now Watty is all I’ve got… you could at least follow me there. Anyway, I’ll survive somehow. 😭🙂

Agr account wapas aaya toh jai Ila dii🐀🐀honestly, she’s more stressed about it than I am tbh. Anyways

Next update on Saturday. Comment kr do atleast 100 please 🥺🥺

Take care my girlies and stay safe 🤍