ARDHIKA SS~ HERO~ Part Four Pg 8 UPDATED 10/10 - Page 2

Tiny, cold, unwelcome drops of water were sprinkled onto his face, breaking his sound sleep. Arjun scrunched his eyes in irritation, slowly opening them to look around the brightly lit room. HE spotted Radhika right away, in a deep purple kurti, towel-drying her soaked hair. he wiped the residual water from his eyes, a serene feeling touching his insides. There was nothing like waking up to his beautiful wife every day. he wanted to jump out of bed and grab her. But he had to stop himself. One step at a time, he'd promised himself. He watched on in mesmerism as she picked up the mangalsutra from the dressing table and put in on. A pinch of sindoor to complete her marital look, and she was done.

She turned around to find him staring, and looked away quickly, starting to walk away from the room. But Arjun was quicker. he was out of bed in a second, and went on and grabbed her hand, encircling his fingers around her bony wrist. Radhika stopped short, stilling completely. Arjun heard the sound of her breath hitching, and even though her back was to him, he could sense the shocked blush on her face. he jerked her hand and turned her around, his hand slipping round her waist immediately to prevent her from falling. Radhika gasped out aloud, her eyes clouding over with fear and a strange something else.

Arjun stared deep into her wood-brown eyes, trying to ignore the sparks flying in his body whenever her heaving bosom brushed his chest. He tightened his fingers round her wrist and pulled her closer to himself, a satisfied grunt emanating from his body as their chests now fully pressed together. Radhika struggled to free herself, and that just compelled him to tighten his hold on her.

"Wh...what are you doing, Sir?"

Arjun smirked. "Why what's the problem?"

"Si...sir, this..." she tried to indicate their position, and Arjun only pulled her closer, if that was possible.

"Why? One and only wife I have. Can't I do even this much?"

Her eyes widened with shock, and Arjun found himself lost in the beautiful brown depths.

"You told me to remember our marriage right? That you were my wife? Now you seem to be forgetting yourself."

"Sir...sir, leave me. I...let me go, Sir."

"Oh no, no, no, no dear wife. A husband is not supposed to let his wife go."

Fear over came her features again as Arjun moved his lips closer to hers. He felt the increased rate of her breathing, even though she tried to mask the obvious pleasure with the desperation to be free. Her soft lips quivered in anticipation, and all of Arjun's resolve melted in a second. He captured her rose-petal soft lips in his, his hand round her wrist loosening as both now went round her waist, plastering her soft body to his. Radhika took the opportunity to place both her palms on his chest and try to push him away, but of course she couldn't so much as move him an inch. Arjun sucked hard on the sweetness, nipping with his teeth and tasting with his tongue. Radhika did not give up trying to push him. It was when the nature of his kiss turned desperate, pleading her to give in, that he felt her hands still on his chest. She slowly began to respond, her hands now moving uP and going round his neck. She pulled no his hair as Arjun deepened the kiss, taking all that she had to give.

It was minutes later that a flustered, breathless and swollen-lipped Radhika walked out of the room, panting in anger, leaving a smirking, pleased with himself and destroyed in pleasure Arjun behind.

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"They have a date tonight."

Neil repeated what Radhika had heard from the entire office.

She gritted her teeth together in anger, letting out a frustrated breath. "What do we do?" she whispered helplessly.

"I tried, Chashni. I tried to stop Sam, to knock some sense into her head, but she won't budge. Man, I can't believe how obsessed she is with that idiot husband of yours."

"But who planned this?"

"Of course Arjun. All he had to do was ask her once and Sam was a melted mass on the floor. I swear Radhika, I swear I would kill that bloody man if I could."

"I will kill you if you say that again Neil." Radhika bit out. The surprise on Neil's face was enough for her to realise what she'd just said. She looked away, embarrassed.

At the door stood a beaming Arjun, who's smile was bright enough to light up the entire city of Mumbai. He turned and walked away from Neil's room, taking with him the file he'd wanted to give Neil. He wanted to celebrate his victory in solitude, and of course he did not want Radhika or Neil to see him in this ecstatic state. Because right now, he just couldn't drop that smile.

Radhika paced their bedroom angrily, not knowing what to do. She had to stop this. Arjun could do a million things with Sam when they were alone. She could not let that happen. But how could she stop him?

She let out a frustrated breath, suddenly feeling very helpless. And God worsened the situation for her. She banged into a rock-hard torso, losing balance and staggering backwards. Radika clutched his shoulders for support and steadied herself. And Arjun? How could he let go of a chance like this? he encircled her waist with his arm, pulling her into himself to keep her from falling.

"Steady there, sweetheart." he smirked.

Radhika tried to move away, but of course he didn't let that happen. She looked up into his feral brown eyes, dark with want. God, the way this man looked at her, someday she was sure to combust solely from his gaze. Radhika watched his eyes drop to her lips, and there was suddenly a strange pull of muscles in her stomach. Her hands slid up his chest to his shoulders, her trance breaking when she felt an unusual material beneath her fingers. Curious, she looked down, only to find the strange fabric belonged to his blazer. It was a sudden, unexpected reminder of the situation she had to resolve.

Arjun noticed her looking down at his clothes, her eyes following the white t-shirt beneath his pin-stripe blazer and then going down his jeans. He somehow kept the amused look from showing up on his face. He had to keep this going, he knew. And so he somehow forced himself to move away from her.

"Checking me out are we, Biwiji? Tell me then, do I look hot enough for a date with Sam? You know they say a man has to match up in looks to his date."

Radhika looked at him with surprise, hurt and annoyance, all at the same time.

"What happened, Radhika? Why are you looking at me like that? I don't look good enough for your best friend?"

She looked away, stepping away from him, and Arjun knew he had the perfect chance. he started to walk towards her, walking her backwards until she hit the wall behind her. Radhika gasped, and Arjun trapped her by placing his hands on the wall.

"You know what I see in your eyes, Radhika? Defeat. Helplessness. The realisation of failure. Isn't that exactly what you're feeling?"
She did not look up at him, and her features darkened further with despondency.

"What did you think? A mangalsutra round your neck and a pinch of sindoor was enough to stop me? Both me and Sam have told you so many times before, Radhika. Marriage is not everything. And this marriage? It's a drama. You know that."

Her teeth gritted in anger. "I will never let you get near her, Sir. I swear. Never."

Arjun raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Oh yeah? And how is that going to happen? You saw right? Sam has started to believe me again. Trust me again. And she was as it is always in love with me. And today I get this night with her. With her full consent. Now what? What are you going to do?"

Obviously, she had no answer. Arjun moved forward, clutching her waist and jerking her body into his.

"You said you'll stop me, right? How? Tell me, Radhika. How will you?"

He traced the column of her throat with his nose, stopping at the base and touching his lips to her collar bone.

"Okay. Since you say I'm a good person, I will show you a way."

That got her attention. She looked up at him immediately, her eyes lightening woth hope and darkening with fear at the same time.

Arjun smirked. He kissed the base of her throat again, this time nuzzling her neck softly before he spoke. "I won't go to her, Radhika. I promise. But for that, you will have to come to me."

Her eyes rounded the size of saucers. "Wh...what?" she muttered.

"Why do you look so surprised, Biwiji? We're married, right? Weren't you the one adamant on not letting me forget that? Well then. Be a wife. Fulfill your duties. Stop me."

Radhika flushed scarlet as she stared down at the floor beneath her feet. She looked horrified. Like she couldn't believe he'd just said that.

"Come on, Radhika. Aren't I just asking for my rights?" he breathed onto her neck huskily.

"S...sir," she whispered.

Her voice sounded so affected, that Arjun had to pull out and look at her face. Her eyes were closed, her cheeks red, and she was clutching the sides of her dress with her hands, like that was all she could do to control herself. Arjun felt the rasie of his own heartbeat, his knees turning to jelly with the adrenaline coursing through him.

"Give yourself to me, Radhika. Let me do what I want to do to you. I won't step out of this room. I swear."

Arjun raised his hand and traced her quivering lower lip with his thumb. "Accept this, Radhika. Give in to what you feel for me. Sam won't stand a chance."

She looked deep into his eyes, and Arjun knew his voice had turned pleading, and he'd almost given away the desperation inside him. He moved away, looking at her with cold challenge in his eyes.

"What happened Radhika? Done with the wife drama? Good. Now if you permit, I'd like to go out with your beautiful so-called best friend for what i think is going to be the best night of my life. So excuse me." His menacing voice rang loud and clear in her ears, almost bringing tears to her eyes. He left the room, whistling away to himself, leaving a shattered Radhika behind.

For the hundredth time in an hour, Radhika wondered if she should have just accpeted what he said. because right now, she really couldn't think of away to stop the aforementioned devastation. But no. Even though a tiny part of her wanted to, she knew she made the right choice. Giving in would have only made Arjun's perception stronger. He already had the wrong notion that she'd married him because she had feelings for him, like he'd said that night in Rana's house. She couldn't strengthen his belief. And besides, she would've fallen ten times lower in her eyes, for coveting the man her best friend loved.

The shrill noise of her phone ringtone broke into her reverie. She wondered who it was who needed her at this moment as she approached the ringing cell phone.

"Neil?"

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The restaurant was quiet. Radhika could absolutely see why Arjun would choose such a place for a date. It was absolutely his style, simple, classic and sorted. She looked down at the wine-coloured silk gown Neil had made her wear, saying that was the only kind of outfit fit for a dinner at a place like this. It was too exposing for Radhika's taste, low cut, backless and slit on the right up till her knee. But she'd had little time to argue. All she could right now concentrate on was somehow keeping an eye on Sam and her husband.

Neil placed a hand on the small of her back as he lead her inside the posh place. She spotted Arjun right away, sitting on a rather secluded table, and there she was. her best friend. Her life. The woman who was right now looking up at her husband with flirtatious, seductive eyes. And Arjun? Sitting across her with a smile of cold triumph on his face, he hung on to every word that left Sam's mouth. Did she feel a pang of envy when she saw that his hand was placed on hers on the table? Even if she did, she ignored it. No time for all this. It was time to spoil a date. Showtime, Radhika. Go show him what you are capable of.

"Come, Chashni."

Her gaze was pulled away from her Greek-God husband by Neil. Radhika smiled as she noticed that Neil had chosen the perfect table. It gave her a clear view of the both of them, and was close enough for both the tables to hear each other's conversation.

"Perfect," she smiled and neil grinned back.

She settled herself onto the velvet-coated chair, tucking the hair that fell onto her eyes. It was when she looked up at Neil she realised he was staring.

"Neil? What's wrong?"

He shook his head, smiling. "Just looking at how beautiful my Chashni is."

Radhika blushed scarlet. "Come on, Neil. You know I got ready in less that 15 minutes."

He nodded. "And yet you look better than most girls would have even if they spent hours in the dressing room. It's your simplicity, Chashni. There's this innocence on your face. It puts you before all girls in the world. I don't know why your husband is blind to it."

Her smile vanished. The mention of his name brought back a thousand unwelcome feelings. You hate him, she reminded herself. But she couldn't keep her heart from fluttering as she remembered his breath on her skin, his lips on her own. Her hand subconsciously went up to her lips, a deep pull in her stomach muscles reminding her of his searing kisses. There was still a spot on her lips darker that the rest of them, where his teeth had sunk deep. She realised her pulse had picked up and she probably looked like she was dreaming sex. She straightened her back, tightening her features to put the flushed, aroused look away.

"By the way, you look pretty dapper yourself." She grinned mischievously.

Neil made a show of a thank you gesture. "It has no meaning id she doesn't notice, Chashni. And right now, she's too busy staring at your husband."

Arjun and Sam looked lost in each other, and Radhika mentally applauded Arjun on his fabulous acting skills. Had she not known better, she would have quite believed that Arjun was sick in love with Sam. He put on such a great show, it was almost impossible to believe he'd looked at her with the same kind of eyes just about two hours ago in their bedroom.

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ANU 😉