The Forced Bride

CHAPTER 18: THE FAMILIAR GUY

Time passed, and Avantika somehow submerged herself back into her life, behaving as if nothing had happened. However, Anvay was suffering. Whenever he tried to talk to her or gain her attention by doing something stupid, she simply ignored him. Now, she didn't even snap at him when he teased her; she just walked away without any reaction. That was killing him; he wanted to hear her voice, no matter if she even yelled. A whole month passed, and still, there was no change in her behavior. He found himself more attracted to her.

Today, he left early while she was sleeping. He walked into her room, thankfully finding it unlocked. He sniffed her scent, something he was doing often after that night without her knowledge. All this while, he prayed she wouldn't wake up and find him near her; she'd surely see him as a creep. He lightly kissed her forehead and mumbled, "Hope you have a great day, little nugget," his daily routine. He himself didn't realize when it became a habit; he needed to see her every morning to start his day.

Avantika exited the university, settling herself in the driver's seat. She was about to start the engine when her phone rang. A wide smile spread on her lips as she gazed at the screen. "Hello, Dad," she greeted Anvay's dad cheerfully. "Don't talk to me. You and my son forgot about both of us old couple, didn't you?" Mr. Rajawat whined, and she laughed at his childishness.

"I'm sorry, Dad, got busy with stuff. How are you and Mom?" She asked, and he sighed, saying his wife wasn't doing too well, but she wished for something, and here he was ready to fulfill it. "She's doing just fine, Princess. What about you? How is my idiot of a son treating you?" Just when he asked that, flashbacks of that night clouded her mind.

"He's treating me well, Dad. Is there any specific reason you called, or should I come home?" She asked. "Yeah, actually, I want you to come and see me today at the company. It's urgent. I have something for you, and Anvay better meet me after an hour. Is it okay with you, Princess?" He asked. She nodded; it's not like she had something else to do. "I'll come today, no worries. I'll see you in an hour," she replied before bidding him goodbye and driving back home.

Avantika rested her back on the headboard of the bed after taking a long, warm bath. Her aching muscles finally felt a little relieved. Just when she decided to take a nap, her phone rang. Her head was already aching from all-day activities. Not giving a damn that it was an unknown number, she picked up, snapping at the caller. "Hello, who's this?" She scowled, hearing nothing. "You haven't saved my number yet? It's been three months of our marriage," she heard his annoying voice from the other side, causing her to groan. She was about to cut off the call when he spoke again. "Don't you dare, Avantika Singh Rajawat. Cut the call and see what I'll do!" He warned, knowing well the cunning wife he had.

She rolled her eyes at his overdramatic behavior; it wasn't even that big of a deal. "I forgot. Now speak, or I'm cutting the call," Avantika hissed. She heard him clicking his tongue. "I need a favor. Can you please do that?" His voice softened, and she scoffed. "What?" She muttered uninterestedly. "Uhm, actually... I happened to forget my important file at home. Can you please come and give it..." "NO!!" She cut him off immediately. "Why, please, Wife? I beg you. And, besides, you're already coming here to meet Dad, right? So why not come a little early and hand me the file, please, please, Avantika? It's important!" He cried out, forcing her to think about what he said.

"Well, that wasn't a bad idea, but why should I do your work without any profit?" She asked, suspicious of the Pulao he was cooking inside his peanut-sized brain. "Stop being a detective; you don't even have a brain for that, Wife," he mocked her, and she could imagine him rolling his eyes. She huffed, pouting. "Shut up," she huffed. He chuckled, making her scowl at the phone screen. "I can't send them because it's in my office. I don't let others enter that place because it has lots of important documents there," he reasoned.