Stranded in her inner turmoil, Anahita was not able to comprehend what was happening. Mukund had left her mind once again alike the evening in her home where Yuvraaj had imprinted his touch on her for the first time. He hated her, she was sure but at the same time, it was completely washing over her head why his touch, his eyes and his voice made her believe the contrast. She wasn't able to name what was happening to her, she just knew it was dangerous but the intensity of this danger was unfathomed. The uncertainty of the moment didn't occur to her. She could've pushed him because she was strong but the thought didn't cross her mind when his lips contacted her skin.
"Open your eyes." At Yuvraaj's command, Anahita gawked at him, mystified.
Yuvraaj smiled, "So now you understand that even if I want to have my way with you, you can't do anything."
"If I touch you here..." He pinched her waist, earning a gasp. "Or if I kiss you here." He placed a soft lingering peck on her rib cage just below her chest, making her eyes travel the back of her head, "Or maybe if I bite you here," He gently tugged the skin at the hollow of her neck unintentionally spotting her weak nerve making her moan with approachability, swelling his heart in pride. "You can't do anything."
Pulling back, Yuvraaj feasted his eyes upon her craving body that was coiling in need. Her hair were disheveled, her orbs were dilated and her heart was drumming against his own ear. She was beneath him, at the moment of weakness, just like he imagined. His own restraint seemed to loosen up.
"Now," He leaned into her ear, his warm breath tingled her insides. He gently nipped her earlobe, making her close her eyes. "If I take you right here, right in my bed."
"You can't to anything." With that, he crept off her and picked up his shirt moving around before he could really put his words to action. Missing the warmth of body, Anahita groaned and opened her eyes. Yuvraaj was buttoning his shirt without looking at her. Her mind took several minutes to register what just happened. Yuvraaj smirked at her bedraggled state.
Scowling, Anahita jerked up on the bed and stretched some nerves in her neck in the process. She winced at the movement. Yuvraaj rolled up his sleeves up till his elbows and finger combed his hair. Both were too silent only the sound of empty silence was ringing in their ears. Yuvraaj was guilty and satisfied at the moment. He was guilty to enjoy her vulnerability and leave her desired but he was satisfied because his manly ego was boosted up with her fragrance and feather touches. He had the pride a husband gets while touching his wife, the satisfaction he holds by keeping her close.
Blushing, Anahita straightened her dress while her cheeks were warm under his teasing stare that never left her body and she clutched the sides of her top not being able to look into his eyes. Embarrassed at herself, she lowered her head and shut her eyes still sitting immobile.
Yuvraaj reached his hand out and tipped her chin. "So now when you know that what I can do, don't give me mock threats because maybe next time, I am going to pull off what I started." He punctuated his words by swiping her hair off her face.
"I am the ruler here, Anahita." He touched her thick lashes, clenching her insides with this innocent act. "And I hope that you know about how a ruler rules."
Anahita kept staring him with cherry red cheeks in mortification. No one had ever affected her this much and she felt that each action he did, was a seduction for her. Each word he said was hypnotic for her, pulling her to him.
"Now be a good wife that I am sure you are not and start packing because we will be heading to Italy after two days and I want no tantrums." The playfulness was gone and his tone reflected more of an order of which Anahita was not used to.
Yuvraaj strode out leaving Anahita all angry and confused. She clenched her jaw, being angry on him and being confused at herself as well. How could she let him do whatever he was doing? And how on this earth could she probably enjoy? Yes, that was wrong and impulsive on his part but how could she forget that she had a boyfriend, named Mukund, who must be thinking of their future together.
On cue, her cellphone rang up with Mukund's call, she leapt on the bed to pick it up, "Hello!"
"Hey sweetheart! Missed me?" Mukund crooned exuberantly. Anahita could touch the vibrations of happiness in his voice which made her guilty to enjoy her husband's proximity.
"Anu! Baby, you there?" Mukund asked snapping her out of her miserable notions and Anahita forced cheerfulness in her voice. "I am good. How are you, Mukund?"
"Not at all good, I am missing you so much baby. Anyways, don't try to divert me and tell me, why are you sounding low?" He inquired.
Anahita curled her lips, "Mukund, just come fast. I am missing you. I don't want to live here, this place is suffocating me. Just come back." She pressed her palm on her mouth to muffle her sobs.
Her eyes rained feeling guilty and she cursed herself for not being able to resist Yuvraaj. For not being able to hold back herself from his charm.
"Anu! Baby, what happened? Why are you crying? Did he try to touch you? That bastard!" Mukund greeted his teeth.
"He didn't." She lied. Though Yuvraaj had bruised her soul by forcing himself on her but she was aware that she wasn't completely inaccessible. It was her weakness that he played out. The mere thought of betraying Mukund gave her creeps and she pledged to embalm herself from Yuvraaj.
"Are you sure? You're not hiding anything, right?"
"Yes. I am not hiding anything. Just come fast Mukund. I can't stay here for long."
"Alright! Now babe, let's forget that cunt husband of yours." Mukund laughed and Anahita instantly disliked his tone. Though he was sporting but he was being casual about her wedding that could've been an asserting reason to separate them. Anahita forced herself to pretend to be happy with the uninteresting topic he suddenly broached up to discuss upon. She was feeling the hearty strings with him missing. Drawing the call to end, she tossed her phone aside and brought her knees closer to her heart. She wrapped her arms around her folded knees and tucked her chin between.
"I hate you, Yuvraaj. I hate you so much for making me feel this way. I will make you pay for this, you bloody swine." She glared at the direction where Yuvraaj went to. "Ruler; huh, 'I'm the rules, here' this is what you've said, ha?" She mimicked him and crossed her arms, smirking, "Let's swap the positions because you're dealing with Anahita Maurya."
***
"Ah! That's...hurting me." Anahita whimpered, wiping her tears constantly while Yuvraaj massaged her swollen feet, pressing circles on the bluish blotch of blood.
"Stop whimpering in my ear, okay." He disparaged, gruffly, causing her to jump slightly in fear and cry more. The pain was more than she expected. Her tears bounced on her cheeks incessantly.
"Stop scolding her and apply the ointment." Mrs. Prakash chided kissing Anahita's forehead and draped her in embrace. "Don't worry, it won't pain much."
"Why don't you ask her why she skipped stairs even after being sighted?" Yuvraaj said glaring Anahita and pressed her swelling, evoking her scream.
"Ah! Ma." She cried again when Yuvraaj rubbed her foot, applying little pressure on it, "Aai. It's hurting." She clutched tightly on to her mother-in-law and tried to pull her leg back.
"Done. It's almost done sunbai." Mrs. Prakash rubbed Anahita's arm and shouted at Yuvraaj, "Be careful. Yuvraaj. It's hurting her."
"I am doing how it is done. If she is capable of doing it herself, I will leave."
Anahita groaned inwardly, pushing tears from the back of her palm. It was stupid, extremely stupid to follow some extraordinarily crap games they show in soap opera. She thought if she will hurt herself, the trip would be canceled.
Except she hadn't bargained for some serious sprain in her ankle. Now, she was crying in pain because her ankle had been slightly swollen and blue blotch of blood clot was there. The another aspect of her pain was her husband. The jerk was rubbing her foot making sure to hurt her more.
"Done!" Yuvraaj muttered wrapping crepe bandage around her injured foot. He picked her up in his arms swiftly and padded towards his room. "Mom, I am taking her upstairs."
He carefully deposited her on the bed and put the pillow behind her back.
"Thank you!" Anahita whispered knotting her fingers on lap.
"Don't step down. It will hurt you." Yuvraaj said, fixing comforter over her. She bobbed her head up and down obediently. Letting out a relaxed sigh, she thanked god that this huge damage was paying her. Somehow, she managed to cancel the honeymoon.
"And tell me what you need, so that I can finish your packing." He closed the door and plopped on the couch. "I can tell Aai to do your packing if you don't want me to touch your belongings."
"Packing?" Anahita choked. "Where are we going? I am injured."
Wasn't that the whole object of getting hurt deliberately? She wanted to catechize herself.
Yuvraaj stared at her keeping his fingers steeple upon her lips. They turned up slightly. "You can fool others but you are too dimwit to fool me."
"What do you..."
"Even if you're on wheelchair, this honeymoon wouldn't be canceled."
Anahita gaped at him shocked. "So you mean we are going?"
Yuvraaj pressed his lip laughing, "What do you think that you'll deliberately miss two steps to show some kinky ninja moves and no one will know?"
"I slipped." She lied looking away.
Yuvraaj tilted his face to look at her, he smirked and walked up to her. Crouching low, he seized her chin between his fingertips, scrutinizing her eyes. "They..." He whispered, pointing at her eyes. "They never lie to me. They can hide but they can't lie."
Anahita blinked.
"You don't meet gaze when you lie and that was what you did every time you lied. You blink severely when you hide something and you have blinked millionth times since we got married." Yuvraaj explained getting up.
"What are you? How can you know this much?" Anahita asked with her jaw dropping.
"You are not the only one who was getting married to me. I had to do my homework as well." Yuvraaj shrugged, "Anyway, get well soon wife because the honeymoon is still on."
The whole day wended up with Anahita on the bed and Yuvraaj trying to finish as much work as he could to enjoy a few days of relaxation. Mr. And Mrs. Prakash had already made arrangements for their departure and the rolling hours only made Anahita anxious. With her injured foot, she wasn't able to think and execute plans of escape and no one in the house was probably going to help her. It was a case of clear defeat. The pleasant look on Yuvraaj's face was growing on and on while on the other hand, Anahita was sulking.
It had been a week since their marriage and all the guests had dispersed. Dining table of Prakash Villa was oddly silent. Only the noises of cutlery tingling together and the water that was poured into the glass was audible. There were no talking, no giggling and nothing. Everyone was just playing dead.
And this sickening silence reminds me of my boarding school. Anahita thought making a face, her eyes were glued to the plate that was full of Fish Curry, fried ladyfingers, salad and chapatti. She toyed with the food whereas her mind was busy thinking how to get rid of this unwanted problem named 'Honeymoon'.
"Lata! Haven't you mad anything of her liking?" Mr. Prakash asked looking at Anahita.
"She helped me in the kitchen herself." Mrs. Prakash turned to Anahita, "What happened? Why are you not eating anything? Is your foot hurting a lot?"
"Her foot is fine mom. I took her to the hospital for the Xray and it was clear. There's nothing wrong with her foot." Yuvraaj inserted quickly.
Anahita glared him for a moment and turned to her mother-in-law. "I am perfectly fine, Aai."
"Then why everyone is so silent?" Mr. Prakash queried.
"Actually Baba, I was recalling if I had packed everything or not. I am just nervous." She blabbered incoherently.
"Nervous! Why nervous? Shouldn't you be excited, Vahini? You're going Italy just like Hum dil de chuke sanam. Isn't it? Don't forget to visit that bridge where the movie was shoot. I think I am forgetting the name." Gitika chimed in and Anahita huffed at her excitement. There was a whole real drama movie going on in her real life and Gitika wanted her to visit the shooting locations.
"Don't worry, Lata will help you." Mr. Prakash stroked Anahita's hair and she smiled. She recalled how Mukund used to warn her about his mother and always asked her to do things according to his mother's liking so that he would not grind in between. But here, the whole scenario was different.
"No baba, she's done with the packing." Yuvraaj interjected.
"Yes I am done. Only he is left."
"Yuvraaj, why haven't you done yet?" Mr. Prakash raised his eyebrows.
"Because she wanted to do my packing." Yuvraaj smiled at Anahita.
"But then he said he will help me so I dropped." She smirked.
"Then she insisted me and I couldn't refuse. So finally she's doing my packing." Yuvraaj smoothly ended and winked at Anahita. "Oh before you forget, let me remind you keep your passport with you, so that you won't miss it."
Anahita faked a smile and suddenly her wit bulb lightened with an awesome idea.
"Um...Aai, what are the flight timings?" She asked.
Mrs. Prakash arched an eyebrow at Yuvraaj, "You have not told her?"
"I had, perhaps she forgot." Yuvraaj glared Anahita.
"No, Aai I was wondering if you could give me the tickets, I mean I will keep it with passports, so I won't miss it." Anahita quipped, ignoring frown lines on Yuvraaj's forehead.
"Good idea!" Mrs. Prakash nodded and she grinned.
"If there's anything going on in your mind regarding the cancellation. Forget about that pretty soon." Yuvraaj whispered in her ear, slightly flicking his tongue on her ear shell.
Shuddering, Anahita ignored the tingling and rolling her eyes finished her food.