A short OS based on spoilers regarding NR's pseudo marriage and on the state of their relationship at the moment. Just an idea. Not for the little kiddos.
Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack. - Sun Tzu
Nachiket was driving her crazy.
In front of the children they were civil, even sweet at times, and always supportive (they had both agreed that was important). But behind closed doors, he teased and provoked her relentlessly with his smirk and his swagger.
His physical presence had always been larger than life, but now she found herself acutely aware of the space (or lack thereof) between them. His physique was perhaps a little thicker than it used to be (once upon a time, many lazy mornings had been spent with her fingers dancing across his skin) but he used his size to his advantage, towering over her as they hissed at each other in frustration at what their lives had become.
It was only in private that she allowed herself to wallow in the wounds he had inflicted with sharp words carelessly thrown about. He too would spend nights brooding in silence, ignoring her tossing and turning as he defiantly kept his light on - studying the same page over and over again. It was an apt metaphor for how they seemed doomed to repeat the same mistakes - this time, they were a mere pillow's width apart, but the distance between them may as well have been an ocean.
He knew what effect his proximity had on her. She cursed the telltale blush that would inevitably creep up her neck, at the same time wishing he would do more than just follow it with his eyes. He took pleasure in her discomfort, but her pride wouldn't allow her to give him the satisfaction of a response.
Thus the challenge was accepted. But Ragini soon found their unspoken rules blurring beyond recognition.
Nachiket began barging in to their room while she dressed for the day, not bothering to hide his appreciation as his eyes met hers in the mirror. The bare skin of her back felt hot beneath his gaze but she averted her eyes and willed her hands to stay steady as she pleated and tucked and pinned. Whenever she looked up again he was gone.
The next week he began leaving the door ajar as he shaved and she couldn't help but watch as he delicately maneuvered the razor over his strong jaw. Her fingers itched to trace the smooth skin. On his way out, he leaned in close as he brushed past and she caught a whiff of her favorite aftershave. He smirked. She clenched her fist.
He met her stoicism with fire, determined to claim the upper hand in this game that had become their marriage. She refused to acknowledge his escalation but found herself powerless to stop the flames he was fanning. As they fell into their old roles of the flirt and the killjoy, Ragini wondered if maybe that was all they ever were to each other.
The constant skirmishes wore on her patience, and one night in particular she noticed he had dressed for bed, or more accurately not dressed for bed, as he was bare-chested and about to settle in for the evening.
"Your clean shirts are in the wardrobe," she informed him coldly.
He stood up to face her, invading her personal space. Another standoff. She refused to budge. "I know. It's hot."
She rolled her eyes. "I don't care. I am not sleeping in the same bed with you like that."
He shrugged. "Suit yourself, sweetheart."
"Some husband you are."
He let out a short ugly laugh. "Oh, so you remember that I'm your husband?"
"A husband in name only," she retorted, watching as the glint in his eyes turned predatory.
He grabbed her by the arms and she found herself falling against the solid wall of his chest. "I could be much more than that," he growled.
She raised an eyebrow, refusing to be flustered, though she wondered if he could hear her heart thudding against her ribcage.
"Prove it."
Whatever he was expecting from her, it wasn't that. As the surprise registered on his face she leaned forward and kissed him, tongue teasing his bottom lip until he had no choice but to let her in. She asserted her dominance with every stroke, leaving him breathless.
"Ragini," he gasped, which turned into a growl as she lavished attention on the throbbing pulse point near the hollow of his neck. The back of his knees hit the bed and he pulled her down with him, using the momentum to pin her under his body.
She looked up at him, cheeks flushed, lips swollen, and gaze determined. The weight of him was welcome (it had been too long) and while he tried to slow their pace, her hands were insistent as they mapped out the familiar angles of his body once again, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. She was no doe-eyed bride and he was no shining knight on a horse.
Nachiket soon got the message and surrendered to her furious pace. But just before they ended up crashing gloriously together, he intertwined their fingers and kissed her hand, lips lingering. The tender and familiar gesture sent a pang through her heart. She blinked back tears.
He had found the chink in her armor after all.
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. - Sun Tzu
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