Discreet & Non discreet
It looked like a large piece of rectangle kaleidoscopic glass, it caught the sun through the tall windows and flashed many rainbows up on the ceiling
She withdrew her hand awkwardly not knowing how to react
Her hand was bare at the wedding and afterwards
Now it held a princess cut 3 carat diamond, surrounded by peach sapphire, set in rose gold
“This is too big” she gasped
“Its not” he shrugged
She stared at him dumbfounded
It was the “morning after” they were headed back home tomorrow
“Raanav I cannot possibly keep such an expensive ring” she pleaded
“You are already thinking ahead wondering what you will keep and what you will return?” he asked calmly
She turned bright red
“We agreed”
He didn’t respond
“Itni mehangi ring main kaise rakh… I mean I cant wear anything so expensive”
“How do you know how much it costs” his lips twitched derisively
“Its not fake” she stared at it gently thumbing it with her right hand
“Ah”
“Raanav I haven’t got you anything”
“Unequal relationships irritate you?” he asked blandly
“Umm.. no, not necessarily”
“Then why would you worry?”
“I mean, I owe you something… I should give you something right”
“says who?”
“shaadi mein ek… equal right”
“Oh so unequal marriages bother you” his face was inscrutable
“You are putting words in my mouth
“Can you just wear it then”
“they will chop my finger off on the Metro” she stared at the dazzling rock
“Then we better guard that hand
“Tum saath chalogey roz?” she teased gently, moistening her lips
“If you pay my price”
He made her bashful and speechless
She experienced hot flushes of excitement each time she met his gaze
“What?” he muttered
“You look at me like I am made of chocolate” she laughed stupidly
“I think you are sinfully attractive Viveka” he muttered softly
“I wish my high school class mates were around to listen to that” she laughed cooling her blazing hot cheeks with her palm
Her body was sore and bruised and all loved up, his words had the capacity to arouse more than his actions she realized
“Were you bullied?” he asked his expression grim
“Which girl wearing these weren’t” she flicked the rim
She rarely opened up about things that might have hurt her in the past, but she was now
He wanted to lunge forward grab her and hold her tight
“Sinfully attractive?” “Ha” she mocked digging into her pancake
He made her belly ache and churn weirdly
“Need data huh?”
She laughed out loud
“Seductive logic” she laughed more
He got up from his chair
“raanav we were going to go on the boat ride” she warned
She stared hypnotized at the glitter of sensuous determination in his eyes, his gaze lowered to the open vee of her skinny tee, his finger tips grazing the warm upper swells of her curves
She evaded his touch, he used the chance to insert his thumb in her exposed navel and watched her moan in pleasure, he did it again, inserted and removed his thumb wickedly in suggestive thrusts
She was sure he flooded her womb with something
He had disrupted her tranquil for 6 months, what a tormentor!!
He picked her up and carried her to bed
There was no boat ride until later in the evening, almost night
She didn’t tell him his mother demanded to know who she was
His mother, Naina, Dadi’s stinging words they all existed back home
For now it was just him and her
He taught her to operate the controls of the speedboat, watched with amusement as she sped through the waves in the bay
She loved it so much they did not return ashore until after 9
He walked in when she took a shower, pretended to draw a bath for her and didn’t let her finish
She lost sleep and lost all of her energy and was reduced to a zombie by the time they had to leave for the airport the next evening
“Everything good?” Anu texted her when she didn’t hear from Viveka on Dec 17th and Dec 18
She blushed intensely
She missed Naina she wanted to share how it was to have her socks knocked off, in her case, jootis
He did not expect her to pack for him or pick up her things, or expect her to do any wifely things
She brought him coffee when he woke after Noon on Dec 18
“Why are you up?” he accused
“I cant sleep after 7, Ma used to leave home I was the baby sitter” she sat by him on the bed
He scooted and pulled her so she would lean on his raised legs
“Were you a rule follower?”
“Oh yeah…” “Definitely… bas yahi”
She stopped
When he saw her flush
“Marrying me is the most reckless thing?” he asked assessing her through his lashes
“Aisa keh keh sakte ho” she nodded looking down at her mug
“Tumhare liye bhi shaayad?” she immediately included him in the camp
He didn’t answer
“Unless you dated someone middle class before”
“U think I was careful and checked bank statements?” he asked still leaning on the vertically placed pillow
She didn’t answer
“I didn’t Viveka” he said quietly
“Date anyone middle class?” she asked looking at him in shock
“Check bank statements I mean” he said holding her gaze
“Ah? Oh! “Umm”
Well, Viveka you walked right into that one”
“Did u care about how wealthy the guy was?” he turned the spotlight on her
“I dated a broke Ph D student when I was 22…” she said squirming
He wasn’t a misogynist, he didn’t care she had relationships before, but it did bother him that even her hook up choices were either aspiring Ph Ds or the real deal. No bratty lawyers or high school drop outs
“Academics huh?” he mocked
“I don’t go to parties, I go to book reads and article dissection parties, my kind just hook up to get it out of the system… none of it serious”
“Ah”
“Ive gotten with one man before Raanav” she said looking him in the eye, her face blazing
He didn’t want to know
“Oh”
“Tumse nahi poochhoongi” she said slowly getting up
He took it to mean “Of course I don’t care, it’s a short lived marriage so why do I give AF”
She thought to herself “If there were 10 or 5, I don’t want to know how many were smoking hot like you? No nerdy NGO workers probably…””There better not be” “I mean that’s the only thing I have going for me
She was supposed to be “cool” but it stung her
“We have to leave at 2” he said checking his phone
“Iam packed already, I set your things on that table over there” “If u get ready quick we can” she nodded stuffily, walking to the windows, caressing her own coffee mug
“Two hours” he flung the covers and got up purposefully
She turned in shock and looked at him
“raanav… no we cannot” she accidentally set the mug on the edge of a nearby table it fell and crashed
He caught and hoisted her flailing body she squealed as he carried her to bed, and mounted her
He moved provocatively, pushing her tee up
“I can shower and pack in less than 10” he panted pinning her arms above her head
The fight left her body as his mouth roved her upper body
Anupamaa
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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