Part 28
NK didn't come home that night.
Lavanya knew because for the remainder of the night, she laid wide awake on the couch in the living room, waiting for him.
But he never came.
It was bright early at exactly 6:08 AM when she heard the door being opened. Shrugging away the death sleep her body tried to convince her to fall into, she sat up.
A burst of emotions exploded within Lavanya all at once when she saw NK. Relief that he had come back to the castle safe and unharmed. Anger that he had disappeared with that Monique. Jealousy that his clothes were crumpled and his hair looked as if somebody had run their hands through them multiple times.
However, fury and jealousy overtook the relief.
"Where the hell were you the whole night!" she screamed, getting up on her feet and facing him.
NK looked up at her surprised. He hadn't even noticed she was there "What are you doing awake? Shouldn't you be resting at this time?"
"Answer me NK" Lavanya said through gritted teeth "Where were you the whole night?"
He pursed his lips "I don't owe you any explanations"
Lavanya took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. That, however, was a big mistake. Doing so, she breathed in a heavy amount of perfume.
Her perfume
"You manwh*re!" she roared "You were with that Monique! The whole night!"
NK clenched his jaw "Her name is Monica" he corrected "And what I do with her is of no concern of yours"
"Gosh you reek of her" she snarled "I hope she was worth it!"
The dam finally broke "She was!" he snapped "Why else do you think I stayed the night? If it wasn't for Khushi, I may have not even come back"
Lavanya took quick steps towards him and grasped his collar tightly with clenched hands "Tell me" she said in a frail voice "Tell me you weren't actually with her. Tell me you changed your mind and had left"
NK looked away. However, that showed Lavanya another souvenir from his nightstand. Her bright red lipstick stained the curve of his neck, branding him. It was the perfect shape of her lips.Not only that, but there were many stains of her lipstick on his neck but they looked mostly rubbed off. Nonetheless, the impact had been made.
As if she had been jolted by lightning, Lavanya released him and stepped back. She immediately turned around to show her back to him in an effort to hide her tears. She took a shaky breath, trying to push down the sob.
"I...I..." her eyes closed tightly "I have to go rest" she quickly said.
Using her vampire speed, she rushed off to her room and slammed the door shut. She leaned against the door and fell to the ground, breaking into sobs.
The whole night, she prayed it was a cruel joke he played on her to get her to beg for him back. A part of her heart still believed that maybe, just maybe, he was faking it. Lavanya tilted her head back and closed her eyes. Her body was caving in to her dreamless sleep, and she didn't have the strength to fight it anymore
If anything, it was an escape from her heartbreak.
*******************************************
NK frowned at Lavanya's departure. He rubbed the side of his neck, wondering why she had fled in such a hurry. She wasn't the type to run away from an argument or confrontation.
That's when he noticed a red stain on his palm. He looked at it confused, and made his way to the bathroom.
NK switched the light on and looked into the mirror. He swore. He thought he had rubbed all of Monica's lipstick off but he had evidently missed one spot.
That's why Lavanya ran off
NK closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. Maybe it was for the best. Lavanya, obviously, didn't want to be with him anymore, and he just couldn't wait for her anymore.
His phone buzzed. Pulling it out, he opened up the message from Monica
Morning handsome
*******************************************
Khushi was the only one awake at 9 AM. Lavanya was, no doubt, in her vampire sleep. She didn't know what time NK came home so she couldn't say when he slept.
Khushi bit her lip. Last night, Lavanya had tried to show a strong exterior but Khushi knew how she felt. She was devastated.
Khushi had felt that way similarly when she had discovered Arnav had been married.
She sighed. Those two were complicated. She didn't even know why NK left with Monica when his heart belonged to Lavanya. Khushi made a mental note to ask one of them their love story. Or at least, the once upon a time they had.
A loud meow caught her attention. Khushi looked down to find a white fur ball near her feet.
"Princess!" Khushi squealed, picking her up and bringing her to eye level "Where were you this whole time?"
The cat, however, only meowed at her, while licking her paw. Khushi chuckled, remembering Princess was an actual cat unlike Arnav had been.
Arnav
Khushi wondered how he was and what he was doing. Was he safe? Was he missing her?
She bit her lip, trying to keep her thoughts neutral. She had to stop thinking about him or else she would start crying.
Khushi put the cat on the table and brought out her bowl. Pouring in her cat food, she put it in front of Princess, who happily began munching.
Khushi sighed, leaning against the table "I can't believe I tried to hook you up with Arnav" she said, shaking her head "This would make headlines: Woman wants kittens from her husband by another feline" she giggled "Or even better: Husband takes on a cat mistress with wife's approval. No wonder Arnav always rejected you"
Princess raised her head and meowed loudly at her, probably annoyed she was bothering her feeding time. However, Khushi interpreted it as the cat blaming her for the rejection.
Khushi rolled her eyes "I'm better than you anyways"
Princess, however, continued eating.
Khushi looked out the kitchen window "I wish we could go out" she said "But NK said I can't leave without either him or Lavanya" she tilted her head "Apparently he cast a spell on the house so anyone with malicious or harmful intents can't enter the house so that if both him and Lavanya can't be with me, the house will keep me safe" she looked at Princess "You think that includes the garden?"
Princess, who finally finished eating, looked up at her and meowed in response.
Khushi sighed "That's probably a no" she turned towards the cat and picked her up "Well looks like we'll have to figure out something to do ourselves"
*******************************************
"W-Would you like some?"
Arnav looked up, surprised to find Alisha offering him some food. He shook his head "No thank you. I cannot eat"
"Oh" she said, chewing on her bottom lip "Is that a vampire thing?"
"Well" Arnav started "Technically we can eat. However, after living for so long, eating becomes more of a chore since we only need to blood to survive. When we don't eat for years, our body adapts. Therefore, eating something would cause our body to reject it and throw it back up"
Alisha nodded "I see" she murmured.
She hesitantly glanced between him and her new tray of food.
Arnav smiled at her encouragingly "I don't mind if you eat. My wife eats like a monster herself"
Alisha gave him a small smile in return.
The sound of a speaker being turned on echoed in the room.
"Testing testing" the judge repeated, "Can you hear me?"
"Yes" Arnav answered "We can hear you"
"Excellent" the reply came "We are on day three. How are you holding up Mr. Raizada?"
"I feel fatigued but other than that, I am fine" Arnav said.
"No doubt you are probably even thirsty but hold on there Mr. Raizada. I have faith you will pass the test, if not for yourself then for your wife" the judge encouraged "Ms. Alisha, how are you faring? The officers here tell me you had an asthma attack"
"I am alright now" she replied softly "Arnav took care of me"
"That was very noble of you Mr. Raizada" the judge said "Eleven more days and you shall be free"
Arnav nodded "Thank you"
The sound of the speaker being turned off sounded in the room. Arnav glanced at Alisha and gave her a small smile.
Eleven more days
*******************************************
It was around 7 pm when Khushi found herself bored. Princess had disappeared off into a vacant room to fall asleep and Lavanya still hadn't come out of her room. NK, on the other hand, had woken around afternoon and had rushed off to work, muttering about how late he was.
Biting her lip, Khushi decided to check on her bestie. She knocked on her door "Lavanya? You in there?"
"I'll come out in a few hours" a quiet reply came.
Khushi sighed "NK's gone. He has been gone for hours"
The door flung open "That b*stard went to see her again!" she screamed.
Khushi took a step back and took in her friend's state. Her hair was messy and sticking everywhere. Her clothes were wrinkled. The worse were her eyes which were red and puffy, confirming she had been crying.
Khushi immediately took Lavanya in her arms "Shh it's okay" she said gently "NK went to work"
Lavanya swallowed. She tightened her grip on Khushi "H-He spent the n-night with her" she sobbed "He didn't come home until this morning at 6!"
Khushi bit her lip and looked at Lavanya "Look" she said "I know you love him. I don't know why you keep rejecting him but right now you're on the verge of losing him"
"I've lost him" Lavanya cried.
"No you haven't" Khushi assured "She was just a night stand. No feelings involved. His heart still belongs to you. It takes a while to give it to someone else. Besides, he's probably never going to see M-Mo..."
"Monisha" Lavanya said, wiping her tears.
Okaaay
Khushi was sure that hadn't been her name but she wasn't going to correct her "Anyways" she said "I know for a fact NK hasn't eaten lunch and might even skip dinner so let's bring dinner for him"
"I-I" Lavanya hiccuped "I can't cook"
"No worries. I made the food" she linked her arm with her friend's "But he doesn't have to know that"
*******************************************
The duo arrived in front of the big glass building the GPS had led them to. Lavanya grabbed the basket of wrapped food and followed Khushi inside, where they greeted the receptionist.
"We would like to meet with NK please" Khushi said.
"Floor 5, Room 523" the receptionist said, automatically like a robot, as she sorted through papers.
The girls went to the elevator and pressed the button 5. Just as the elevator was closing, they heard the receptionist yelling something about not disturbing someone. However, the door closed before she could stop them.
Khushi and Lavanya looked at each other and shrugged. When they arrived on the floor, they found NK's room easily.
Standing outside the closed door, Khushi turned to Lavanya "Deep breaths, okay? You got this"
Lavanya nodded "Okay" she said confidently.
She reached for the handle and opened the door. However, what she saw made her drop the basket with her heart.
Monisha was inside with NK. She wasn't just anywhere. She was straddling NK's lap. The first two buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned and his hair was a mess.
Fury like no other consumed Lavanya. She was going to kill Monisha!
"You b*tch!" she screamed "What the f*ck do you think you're doing with him!"
She, however, raised a brow, unfazed "Isn't it obvious?" she turned to NK, pouting "I thought you told the receptionist to not disturb us"
"That's it! You're going down Monisha!"
Lavanya grabbed her by her hair and yanked her off NK, whose eyes widened out of their sockets at the treatment.
"Lavanya what are you doing!" NK yelled.
Lavanya, however, didn't hear him. She pushed Monisha down on to the ground but before she could do any damage, NK wrapped his arms around her arms and waist, and pulled her away.
He immediately tended to the girl on the ground "Monica, are you alright?"
Monica leaned against NK's chest and held on to her ankle "I think your wife sprained my ankle" she complained.
NK gritted his teeth "She's not my wife"
"Well she sure acts like it" she snapped.
"That's because I am!" Lavanya interfered "So you better bac-"
The door flung open to reveal the heaving receptionist "Sir! I am so sorry! It slipped my mind you had asked for privacy and I let them up. I tried to stop the-"
"It's fine" NK took in a deep breath and pressed two fingers against the bridge of his nose "Please take Monica to the nurse we have here. Her ankle is injured"
Monica turned to NK "Will you come?"
"I will come after I deal with this"
Lavanya's heart stopped when she heard his reply. That Mona was such a drama queen and undeserving of NK's attention. She was just a nightstand! Why couldn't she stay in her place? And what was she doing in NK's office?
Once the receptionist disappeared with Mona, Lavanya glared at NK "Mona's just a nightstand. No need to give her such important"
"For the last time, her name is Monica!" NK said, raising his voice "What the hell are you doing here?"
"The real question is what the hell is she doing here!"
Khushi cleared her throat "Umm.. we brought some food"
"Food?" NK repeated, confused.
Lavanya gritted her teeth "You skipped lunch and probably don't have dinner laying around here. We brought you some" she glanced at Khushi who gave her an encouraging nod "I made it"
NK scoffed "Now you're just plain lying to me. You can't cook to save your own life"
"I can!" she defended.
NK pressed his index finger against his temple and turned to Khushi "Look Khushi, the thought was nice and all but I am busy. Besides, Monica brought take out and we had already started eating that. Just... go home"
With that said, he turned and exited his office, most likely to tend to Monica.
Lavanya let out a bitter laugh and ran out with tears streaming down her cheeks.
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