Aastha's POV

Yaksh Villa - 12:40 AM

I was sitting on the bed wearing my dark red cotton saree. My whole wardrobe was filled with clothes I had never chosen myself, yet everything was perfect... perfectly fitted.

Even my undergarments.

My cheeks burned thinking about it because I knew very well who had done this.

My husband.

I don't know why he is so complicated... so mysterious. I can never understand what goes on inside his mind.

The way he looks at me... the way he tilts his head... it's annoyingly captivating.

"Ughh Aastha, stop it. Don't think about him."

But he's my husband. I can think about him, right? It's not wrong to think about my own husband.

Still... you shouldn't think about such things.

I looked at the clock.

12:42 AM.

He still wasn't here.

Does he always come this late? Or just because he got married he started coming late?

"Ughh Aastha stop! What the hell are you even thinking? Just lie down and sleep."

I was fixing the bed when suddenly the bedroom door opened.

Someone entered.

I quickly looked away because I knew it was him. His scent... I could recognize it even from far away.

I thought he would say something to me.

But instead he went straight into the bathroom.

My jaw dropped.

Seriously?

From the wedding till now, I had noticed him staring at me like he would devour me alive. I know it has only been one or two days... but still it was weird.

I sat on the bed pretending to use my phone while secretly waiting for him.

The bathroom door opened.

He walked out with wet hair falling messily on his forehead, wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants.

He looked so handsome.

Oh my God.

I quickly looked down before he could catch me staring.

I peeked again, thinking maybe now he would say something... maybe tease me.

But instead he started laying down on the floor again.

I squinted my eyes.

Before I could even think, the words slipped out of my mouth.

"Sleep with me."

My cheeks instantly turned red as I realized what I had just said.

Author POV

As soon as Aastha said those words, her cheeks flushed a dusty shade of rose.

Pratyaksh chuckled darkly at her innocence.

The way his rose had asked him to sleep beside her.

Then he did his favourite thing.

He tilted his head and looked at her.

"What did you say, hmm Rose?" he asked in his deep voice.

"Repeat it again."

Aastha simply shook her head, looking down.

But Pratyaksh wasn't done.

He kept staring at her.

Her fingers were clutching the edge of her pallu, twisting it nervously into knots. Her lips were being bitten softly. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes remained lowered.

"Do you even know, Rose, what you're asking from me?" he said, staring at her.

"Sambhal kar maanga karo, Rose... kyunki tumhara ye pati tumhari saari ichha poori kar sakta hai," he smirked.

"And don't worry... I'll sleep with you. Not beside you."

His teasing tone sent a shiver down her spine.

Aastha slowly lifted her eyes.

He was walking toward her... slowly... teasingly... infuriatingly.

Her breath hitched.

Her mind started filling with embarrassing thoughts.

She slowly crawled backwards on the bed until she was pressed against the headboard.

Her eyes shut tightly.

Her hands gripped the sheets beside her.

Her heart was beating loudly.

She waited.

For something.

Or maybe for him.

But when nothing happened, she slowly opened her eyes.

Pratyaksh was lying on the bed on his side... maintaining a proper distance.

He rested his elbow on the mattress, his head supported by his palm, staring at her with a teasing smirk.

Aastha's face turned beetroot red.

She quickly lay down, fumbling with the blanket and clutching it tightly like it was her lifeline.

Her mind was still filled with those embarrassing thoughts.

She shut her eyes tightly to stop them.

But they only grew worse.

And just when she thought everything was over...

Pratyaksh grabbed the edge of her pallu and pulled her against him, her back was pressed against his chest without leaving any space.

Aastha gasped.

Her breath hitched.

Her body froze.

Pratyaksh leaned near her ear, his breath brushing against her neck.

His lips lightly touched her ear as he whispered slowly,

"Don't worry, Rose... yaad hai na tumse bola tha. Jab tak tum khud chal kar mere paas nahi aaogi... tab tak main tumhe chhoonga nahi."

His hands formed fists, controlling himself so that even his fingers wouldn't brush against her delicate skin.

He inhaled sharply.

"You want to sleep with me, hmm? Just say the word... and I'll ruin your innocence slowly."

"But today isn't the right day."

Aastha's eyes widened.

She looked at him over her shoulder, panicking.

"N-no... I didn't mean-"

"I know exactly what you meant, my little naughty wifey," he interrupted.

Aastha stared at him in disbelief.

How could this man say such shameless things when he was the one speaking them?

She lowered her gaze again.

Meanwhile Pratyaksh kept staring at her.

Her eyelashes.

Her small nose.

And then her lips.

Soft. Innocent. Delicate.

Not red.

Not pink.

Just natural... like a rose.

Just then Aastha felt something poking behind her.

Her brows frowned slightly but she ignored it and shifted a little to get comfortable.

Forgetting she was still pressed against his chest.

Pratyaksh didn't move away.

He simply kept staring at her.

After a few minutes he spoke.

"Rose... do you want to sleep like this?"

"Because I wouldn't mind."

"I could sleep like this every day... every night... every second."

Hearing that, Aastha quickly jumped away and moved to the edge of the bed.

Her heart was pounding loudly as she clutched the blanket tightly.

Pratyaksh simply smirked and lay back with his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

After a few minutes exhaustion took over and Aastha fell asleep.

Pratyaksh kept staring at her for a long time.

Finally he quietly sat up so he wouldn't wake her.

Because even the smallest noise could disturb his delicate rose's sleep.

And he would never want that.

Absolutely not.

His gaze dropped to his sweatpants.

Seeing the bulge there, he muttered under his breath,

"Time to fix you."

He got off the bed and went into the bathroom.

He filled the bathtub with ice water and stepped inside.

Trying to calm himself.

But the beast inside him refused to settle.

He gripped the edge of the bathtub tightly, a small crack forming under the pressure.

Years of discipline... years of control.

And now it was crumbling because of a girl eleven years younger than him.

Third Person

A man was drinking like a madman.

His eyes were bloodshot. His lips were red from the alcohol.

Four or five empty bottles lay beside him while another one rested in his hand.

He stared blankly ahead.

Then suddenly he chuckled darkly.

A moment later his expression hardened.

He threw the bottle against the wall, shattering it.

Kneeling down, he picked up a sharp piece of glass.

Then another.

And crushed them in his fist.

Blood began dripping from his hand.

But he didn't care.

He only stared at the blood.

"Tu chinta mat kar... pari. Main tujhe us shaitan ke ghar se zaroor chhuda kar le aaunga," he whispered.

Just then the door opened.

A maid entered carrying a tray with a glass of lemonade.

Her shoulders were hunched, her eyes lowered.

She looked tiny... dressed in a simple cotton kurti.

When she saw his bleeding hand, the tray slipped from her grasp.

Without thinking she rushed toward him.

Her whole body trembled as she knelt beside him.

Her heart screamed for her to run away.

But seeing so much blood made her stay.

He didn't even look at her.

As if she didn't exist.

With trembling hands she carefully removed the glass pieces from his palm.

Tears kept falling from her eyes onto his injured hand.

Still he didn't react.

She ran to grab the first-aid kit and returned quickly.

Kneeling again, she treated his wound and wrapped a bandage around his hand.

This time he looked at her.

Her eyes were still lowered.

Tears fell from them like pearls.

Her small body was trembling.

She stood up to leave.

But he suddenly grabbed her wrist.

He lifted her and carried her toward the bed.

She looked at him with frightened eyes.

But he wasn't in his right mind.

He threw her onto the bed.

She bounced slightly, clutching the edge of her dupatta tightly.

Her wide, tear-filled eyes stared up at him.

But he didn't see any of it.

He leaned down toward her.

Her breathing quickened.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly.

But he couldn't notice any of it.

He grabbed her dupatta and pulled it away, throwing it onto the floor.

She shook her head desperately.

But he didn't soften.

Instead he untied her braid, letting her long hair fall like a waterfall around her.

She trembled badly, pushing weakly against his chest.

Tears streamed down her face.

But he didn't stop.

His hand gripped her hair as he tilted her head back.

His lips crashed against hers roughly.

Wild.

Angry.

Possessive.

She struggled against him.

But it only seemed to fuel him further.

Soon he pulled away, leaving her breathless.

He pinned her hands above her head.

His lips moved from her mouth to her jaw... then her neck.

She cried, trying to free her hands.

"N-no... please... stop... rukiye..."

But he didn't stop.

He bit her collarbone.

She cried out softly.

His gaze dropped lower on her cleavage.

Her eyes widened in horror.

Just as his lips hover over her cleavage this time she screamed.

"CHHODIYE HUME, VIRAJ JI!"

Hello sweethearts!

This is all for this chapter. Tell me which part do you like the most.