Ipshita

A relationship has never been something which I've paid attention to. Date, anniversaries, intimacy. Those aren't my cup of tea. They aren't things which I engage in, unlike my younger brother. Before I married Kanishk Rajvanshi, no man had interested me so much that I got completely invested in him. Going on blind dates, holding hands, kissing? Those weren't something that I particularly enjoyed.

Life was about work, home, and back to work. The very few times I did let a man have even the slightest bit of my attention, was when Adi suddenly decided that I needed a break from being a workaholic sister, and go out to have some fun.

Aditya is nonchalant, nothing concerns him enough to cause him stress. And even if it does, it isn't something that he particularly shows off. Being his sister, I'm something completely opposite of what people might call him. He's considered cool and free, and I'm criticised for being too uptight and unfeeling.

Which might be true. I can hardly feel hot blood flowing through my own body, I can not expect other people to feel any type of warmth in my presence.

And that is fine. I'm satisfied with whatever people see me as, as long as I'm fulfilling the purpose for which I exist.

That thing with isn't fine, is how embarrassing hot I feel as my husband's lips move on top of mine. Despite the continued act of distance and ignorance, he's found his way under my skin. And skirt.

The worst part of it all? I'm enjoying this. I'm enjoying something I've forbidden myself from enjoying ever since I've tied a knot with Kanishk. My hands rest on his shoulder, but can't push him away. My legs tremble out of their wits not out of fear but of exhilaration. My eyes are shut tight, not because I don't want to see him, but because my heart aches this kiss will end way before I want it to.

Kanishk gracefully slips his arm under my thighs, effortlessly lifting me up as his other arm swiftly clears the counter of its clutter. My body glides smoothly over the cool granite stone as he settles me on top of it. His lips, warm and insistent, consume mine with hunger, taking my lower lip between his and gently sucking on it, sending a jolt of electricity through my entire being.

Without thinking, my hands instinctively wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. He deftly slides a hand between my thighs, parting them and leaving no space for air between us. As our lips meet again, he pulls away just enough for us to catch our breath before pressing back in with an urgency that makes my heart race. His rough hand grips the small of my back while the other rests firmly on my thigh, anchoring me to him as we lose ourselves in the moment. Every touch ignites a fire within me, burning brighter with each passing second.

Kanishk breaks the kiss, his lips trailing down my jawline before settling on the exposed skin of my neck. His fingers grip my waist tightly as he leaves a trail of soft kisses down to the hollow of my throat. I tilt my head to the side, giving him more access as he continues to explore every inch of exposed skin with his lips.

The soft creases of his thumb along the small of my back send a shudder through me, causing our chests to rub together. He bites my lip in return, a low groan ripping through his throat as my covered breasts brush against his black silk shirt.

"God, Ipshita," he groans against my neck, his breath hot against my skin. "You drive me crazy."

A shiver runs down my spine as his teeth graze along the sensitive skin of my neck, sending electric currents through my body. I can't help but let out a soft moan, my head tilting back in pleasure. His hand slides up from my waist to cup one breast through the fabric of my blouse, and I gasp at the sudden sensation of warmth and pressure. My body instinctively arches into his touch, hungering for more.

His lips leave a trail of fire as they move down from my neck to the top button of my blouse. He looks up at me with dark eyes, silently asking for permission. I hesitate for a moment, looking down into his brown eyes. They hold lust, mixed with something I can't quite catch hold of.

Before I could inspect the unknown emotion in Kanishk's eyes, a loud clearing of someone's throat startled us both. Kanishk quickly steps away from the counter, still shielding me from view as he turns towards the source of the interruption. The sudden tension in his body and the furrow in his brow hint at his annoyance. A figure stands before us, their presence breaking the quiet intimacy shared between Kanishk and me just moments ago.

"Bhai when I told you to make babies, I meant in the comfort of your own bedroom and," Kyra points at the sandwiches I had made for her lying on the floor along with the rest of the things, "not near my now destroyed sandwich,"

I fix my blouse in a hurry, blushing at Kyra's teasing words. Kanishk clears his throat, avoiding my gaze. I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks as I try to compose myself. I walk over to pick up the sandwich and other items from the floor, trying to hide my embarrassment. Kanishk grabs a towel from the counter and helps me clean up the mess we made. Kyra watches us with a smirk on her face before turning and walking towards the living room.

"Don't mind her, she's being a kid," He whispers softly before he takes the plate in my hand, his fingertips leaving a feathery touch on the back of my palm.

I pass him an awkward smile before standing up and brushing my saree down to fix it back in its proper place. Kanishk moves across the kitchen as I put everything back in place before coming back to my side, placing his hands on the small of my back.

His hand has been lingering there since this evening. So close to the string of my blouse, at only one tug is what it'll take to unravel it.

I take in a deep breath, my eyes no longer staring at the smirk Kyra has pulled up on her lips. If it weren't for her, we would've gone through with it. We would've made love.

No. Not love.

Nothing between us signifies love. We don't feel that way towards each other, and the contract is there to back up this fact. I'm here to do the things that I've been trusted with. And once that's through, I'll be out everyone's hair and life.

If anything ever happened there a few minutes ago, it'd be considered sex. Unfeeling, lust-filled sex.

If it weren't for Kyra, I would've given my husband the one thing I haven't lost. That isn't something I can ever let happen.

But then why? Why did a part of me feel okay with going through with it? Why did it feel more than just lust and attraction?

Before any more deep thoughts conjure up, the shrill ring of my phone echoes through the kitchen and jars me awake. Kanishk stirs beside me, his body shifting as he prepares to retrieve the device for me. But I am quicker, racing ahead to answer the call before he can even move. My bare feet slap against the cold tile floor as I make my way to the counter where my phone sits, its screen lit up with an incoming call.

A hint of suspicion passes in his eyes, and I leave the kitchen before he questions me about my behaviour.

"Hello?" I whisper as soon as I connect to the person on the other line.

"Is the work done?" A familiar low and deep voice speaks through the phone, sending my body to a state of alert.

I look around the empty hallway of the mansion before answering, "I'm getting to it. Give me some time,"

"The sooner you get this done Ms. Singhnai, the less it'll hurt for the Rajvanshis to feel your betrayal," the line cuts off before I can give a retort.

God, what have I gotten myself into?

Aditya

Sex, Money, Drugs and Mischief. If you were to give anyone who knows me, to describe me with four words, these would be the answer.

That isn't something to be proud of of course. But they're also inaccurate. Someone who knows the real Aditya Singhnai would rather call me 'weirdly soft'. Even though I don't know what Inaya implied when she said those words to me last year, I know for a fact, that she's the only one who ever knew the real me.

My family doesn't try to see past the loud music playing in my headphones or the so-called drugs which are medicines keeping me from killing myself. Ipshita understood. Until she didn't. Until she suddenly decided to grow up and change and started doing everything as an adult. Walk like one, talk like one, act like one and worst of all, feel like one.

Adults don't feel. The one to do that for them is their inner child, and that inner child, my sister suppressed years ago.

Fortunately, she has me. As much as she pushes me away and calls me gross, I make her laugh. something I bet not even her husband can make her do. Yet.

I can see my brother-in-law's intentions from miles away. The way he had his arm around her arm the whole time last night, and those glares he keep throwing at people for getting friendly, means he won't let go so easily.

Like me.

I watch in awe as Inaya carefully selects a few roses from the overflowing basket in front of the florist shop. Her long, dark hair dances and sways in the gentle breeze, occasionally brushing against her face. The florist speaks to her and she responds with a dazzling smile, the coral hue of her lips glistening softly in the warm sunlight. The scent of roses fills the air, mingling with the sweet perfume emanating from Inaya's skin.

She's utterly beautiful.

But Inaya's beauty is far from her words—ones which often get suppressed by her father. Ones which actually made this stone heart of mine beat furiously. Words are always just.. words. It's the way the speaker says them that makes them beautiful. Inaya has a way to control the words she uses, it's almost so softly that if anyone were to say something to interrupt, her words would break and fade away.

Anyone hearing my thoughts right now would declare me downright mentally unstable. Which I undoubtedly am whenever it's her case.

She's a sorceress, and I'm under her spell and mercy. Her every touch used to be like water to the fire burning me away. And ever since she gave up, that fire has destroyed me from the inside out.

Inaya pays the florist for the bouquet she now holds in her before standing up straight. Her small hands lightly brush the knee-length skirt of her purple dress before she hugs the flowers to her chest, inhaling their scent. my nose twitches at the remembrance of her fragrance, the same rose scent floating from her skin like magic.

She lifts her eyes, and they strike with mine. Her doe-shaped brown eyes sparkle with a hint of surprise before they morph into disguised ones, hiding away the joy she felt only minutes ago. Our gaze lingers for a minute, and I take a step forward, ready to approach her. But she turns away, walking in the opposite direction as if her heels are on fire.

Escape. That's the first thought which comes to mind when a prey meets its predator's eyes. And that is exactly what me and her are. A predator and his precious prey. A prey which I'll wear down so much that she'll beg for me to let go. And that is something I'll never do.

I follow in her steps, my long strides quickly catching up with her short ones. Run as much as you want innocent bunny, the tiger will eventually catch up.

Inaya's steps slow down as we reach the crowd centre on the market and I slip beside her before leaning in to whisper, "First avoidance now escape, that's very much unlike you, Ms. Khan,"

Her face remains neutral as she focuses on the crowd ahead of her, keeping the roses held close to her chest. I watch her closely, a smirk forming on my lips as I observe her body language.

Despite her best efforts to appear unaffected by my presence, I can see the tension in her shoulders and the tight grip she has on the bouquet. Her eyes dart around nervously, avoiding meeting mine, but I know her too well to be fooled. The muscles in her jaw are clenched and her posture is rigid, betraying the inner turmoil she's trying to hide. Every movement of hers is calculated as if she's afraid of revealing too much. But I can sense the emotions simmering just beneath the surface, waiting to burst forth like a raging river.

She finally turns to face me, a question evident in her eyes. "What are you doing here?" she asks, with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I thought I'd surprise you," I reply nonchalantly.

"Well, congrats on succeeding," she says dryly before turning back to the crowd and resuming our walk.

I fall into step beside her, my gaze never leaving her face. She avoids looking at me, instead choosing to focus on the market. For a moment, we walk in silence before I finally break it.

"You look beautiful today," I say softly. I don't say it just to make a reaction out of her. Inaya was the most beautiful woman to me a year ago, and she still is. The only thing that's changed is her heart. It's turned from a fountain of warmth to a stone like my own.

A self-satisfied smirk spreads across my face as I watch her demeanour shift and stiffen at my words. She glances at me briefly, her eyes betraying a hint of defiance before looking away again.

"Thank you," she replies curtly, her tone laced with an undercurrent of reluctance.

A pang of desire hits my chest at the remaining softness in her voice. It's a sound I crave more than anything, and deep down I know that she's not yet ready to willingly please me in that way. But I am determined to make her mine, by whatever means necessary. My mind races with strategies, but for now, all I can do is savour the small victory of eliciting a reaction from her.

The crowd starts to disperse and it doesn't take Inaya long to plan her escape. She takes hold of her dress with her free hand, before setting out to sprint ahead of me. Before her feet make it any further, my heavy hand wraps around her wrist as I pull her back into my chest, before slowly dragging her body to an empty alley. Her body struggles against mine as I pull her along, but she doesn't scream.

Even though she has the chance to, she doesn't scream.

"Humare haath ko choro Aditya," she hisses softly as her head leans back against my shoulder, her brown eyes set with fury.

(leave my hand, Aditya) 

I shake my head with a chuckle before pinning her light body against the wall of the alley. It's. Rather quiet here, only a few people occupationally passing giving zero shits about what's happening.

"Let me go," her voice is louder this time, and her hand shakes as she struggles to remove it from my hold.

I stare at her for a minute before asking, "Why didn't you scream?"

Her eyes go wide at my observation and she stops struggling. Her hand quivered in mine, her frantic gasps for air slowly turning into steady breaths. The tension in her body lessened as she relaxed and leaned into my embrace.

"I didn't cover your mouth Inaya, why didn't you scream?" I press on, my eyes boring into her own.

Her gaze shifts to the ground, the tint on her cheeks giving away the slight embarrassment before I hear her whispering, "I don't know,"

Her answer sends me into a spin. She doesn't know. She tried to fight me off but she didn't scream. She didn't deny that she didn't call for help. And she's embarrassed. It doesn't take a genius to figure out exactly how she feels.

"You still feel it don't you?" She shakes her head at my question, still staring down at the ground.

"Answer me," I whisper as my fingers lift her chip, making her look back at me. Her eyes shine with something I can't put a finger on and she takes a deep breath.

"You're annoying," she scoffs.

I can't help but smirk as I lean closer to her, my lips hovering just a few inches from hers. The sweet, familiar scent of her perfume wafts into my nose, and I can almost taste the softness of her lips without even touching them. I can feel her presence, her warmth, and the anticipation builds between us like electricity crackling in the air. My senses are heightened, and I am acutely aware of every movement she makes. Her tongue teases at the edge of her lips, beckoning me closer with each delicate caress.

"Annoying?" I question, humour present in my tone.

"Stop getting under my skin all the time, Aditya," her face slips from my hands as she looks away from me, creating the needed distance, "I suggest you leave."

I lean in closer to her ear before whispering, "Am I getting under your skin?"

Her body shakes before a shudder before she pushes me away from her circle and clears her throat, "Yes"

A deep laugh leaves my lips before I pin her with my eyes. Her body shakes with adrenaline, the fury in her eyes from minutes ago changed into a glowing light of excitement. She won't admit it, but this excites her. I step closer once again, snatching a rose out of her bouquet before breaking off the sturdy stem.

"I'd rather get under your sheets, little rose," my hands tuck in a loose strand of her falling over her eyes before I tuck the rose in above her ear, "remind you of how good we can be together,"

It only takes her a minute to decipher my words before her small hands push me away and she rushes past.

"Stay the hell away from me Aditya, I mean it," she yells before disappearing out of the alley.

I can't help but let out a soft chuckle as I bend down to retrieve the rose that fell from her hair in her haste.

It's difficult to stay the hell away from you, my rose. I'd rather take you to hell along with me.