Ashlok FF - You've Won My Heart! (Chapter 10 updated on page 138) - Page 43

"What is this nonsense?" He growled, shaking her violently.

Astha, who was pretending to sleep, gasped surprised at this unexpected attack. She looked at him who was breathing down at her, his face contorted in anger, his eyes flashing with angry sparks. His hold on her was tightening. She felt scared of him now. After a few seconds of nervousness, she struggled to appear strong and stand up to him. She stood up, while trying to get her arms out of his tight grip. He pulled her to himself as soon as she stood up, making her feel even more nervous and scared.

"I asked you something. What's all this?"

Astha composed herself and replied, trying to sound calm and confident. "It's what you wanted."

"What rubbish!" he snapped at her, pushing her away towards the bed. She fell back but instantly sat up and said in a derisive tone, "now don't try to act so innocent."

She paused for few seconds looking at him straight in the eye in a very calm manner and continued. "You must have thought that in spite of your blatant refusal to marry me I will wait for you dressed up like a bride." she stood up and came to stand just an arm's length away from him, while still staring at him in the eye. "Well sorry to disappoint you Mr. Shlok Agnihotri. Do you think you will openly reject me and still I will act and behave like a typical devoted wife? Forget it!" she said in a challenging tone. "You didn't even bother to consider even once what impact your refusal will have on me...just how much it will hurt me. I was left heart-broken. I always thought that you too, like me, accepted the decision that was taken by our parents whole-heartedly. But now I realise just how wrong I was. I always considered you my best friend but I guess you never even considered me your friend because if you would have then you wouldn't..."

"Oh stop this nonsense!" she couldn't stop herself from pouring out all her bitterness when he interrupted her sternly. "Do you think you will emotionally blackmail me and I will willingly accept you as my wife..and this marriage which was forced on me? If that's what you think then you are highly mistaken." he moved forward towards her so that he was towering over her and said in a considerably calm tone mirroring hers. "Now listen to me and listen good Astha Kirlosker. Your emotional dialogues are not going to melt my heart. This marriage was a result of decision taken out of compulsion...and remember I will never whole-heartedly accept such a decision which I was forced to take." As soon as he finished, he made his way towards the washroom, when Astha's voice made him stop him in his tracks.

"I don't even want you to accept this relationship. Because now I feel nothing for you but hate and it is all because of your refusal. And one more thing. You are not the only one who was forced into this relationship. I, too, was forced into it. The difference is that you are only concerned about yourself, whereas, I was concerned about the honour of my parents. However, before agreeing for this marriage, I made a vow to myself. As we got married just for the sake of our parents and the society, our relationship behind the doors will remain the same as before. Even if we are married, nothing will change...because this marriage is nothing more than a pretence for both of us."

Astha went to lie down on the bed, making herself comfortable. Shlok decided to ignore her and turned to throw her a casual glance before heading towards the washroom.

After a while Shlok came out wearing a night dress. Ignoring Astha completely, as if she didn't exist, he went and stood in front of the dressing table while fussing with his hair. Astha sat up. She saw him making his way to the other side of the bed. He came and sat down on her opposite side. Astha, all the while watching him with a surprised look, "You'll sleep here?"

"What do you mean?" He asked confused at her unexpected question.

"I mean that only I will sleep here on this bed. You can't sleep here. You go and sleep on the sofa." she said pointing towards the sofa straight in front of the bed.

"Are you mad? Me and sleep on the sofa?" Astha's demand rose his anger once again. He fumed.

"I have already told you that our relationship will be strictly platonic...nothing more than that. So it would be better if..."

"It was you who wowed to keep our relationship strictly platonic...I didn't." Shlok reminded her. Then he swiftly came over to her side of the bed and brought his face close to hers, making her lean back while throwing him a hateful look. However, she couldn't help feel nervous at his closeness. "Besides, I possess full rights to touch you or physically have my way with you. After all now you are legally my wife. So no one can stop me from exercising this right. Not even you." he whispered in a challenging tone, while smiling. His eyes were taking in her reactions.

Astha was startled to hear him say that. She was clearly taken aback. He could sense her feeling anxious. She gave him a disgusted look.

He laughed seeing her quiet and backed away from her. While getting off from the bed, he taunted her. "Your silence tells me that you agree with what I have said. isn't it right?"

He went towards the sofa and lied down on it. Then closing his eyes, he said in an authoritative tone. "Turn off the lights!"

Astha suddenly remembered something and spoke in a loud voice, as if trying to get his attention, "In our family, there is a tradition that when the groom sees the bride's face for the first time after marriage., he offers her something as a gift."

Shlok gave her a teasing smile, knowing full well what she was talking about. "Really?"

"I don't think you have gotten me anything."

"You are absolutely right." Shlok nodded. The fact was he did buy a gold ring for Astha to gift her on this occasion but he cancelled the idea of gifting it to her after finding her in plain, simple clothes rather than in her bride's dress.

Astha gave a smile and said very calmly. "Well this is exactly what I expected from you. I knew you wouldn't bother. So I bought myself a ring." Astha lifted her hand and waved her fingers to show him the ring that she was wearing.

"But why?" Shlok couldn't help feel astonished.

"For my honour" she said briefly, while feeling a sudden upsurge of anger at his inconsiderate behaviour.

Shlok turned away facing the other side without responding. His gesture was clearly saying that he doesn't want anymore arguments. Astha got up from the bed, switched off the lights and came back to lie down on the bed.

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Here's the next chapter as I promised 😊

This chapter took me the longest amount of time to write because firstly, for me, it was their first real interaction. Secondly, now that they were married, I needed to show more intensified arguments and confrontation between them. But I am not sure whether I managed to convey that intensity. So plz let me know whether the update was satisfactory.

Thanks for reading 🤗 I will wait for your feedback and comments 😊