NOT HIS BRIDE

23. CARE

दिल को तेरी
मौजूदगी का एहसास
यूँ चाहिए तू चाहिए,
तू चाहिए शाम-ओ-सुबह
तू चाहिए तू चाहिए,
तू चाहिए
हर मर्तबा तू चाहिए

(The heart needs the feeling of your presence like this, I want you, I want you in the morning and evening, I want you, I want you every time, I want you.)

4500+ words 🤭

.

He grabbed her wrist, she once glanced at her wrist which he held and then his face, and raised her eyebrows, he said nothing but was only looking at her face, as if he was trying to say something but was silent,

"Aayush!" she finally broke the silence, and he came to his senses, "do you want to say something? Should I try another dress?"

He declined and finally opened his mouth, "You look stunning," he managed to choke out, his voice barely above a whisper. But even as the words left his lips, he knew they were inadequate to convey the depth of his admiration.

She kept quiet, he only spoke three words but his expressions spoke many, she just looked at him and jerked her hand awkwardly and just hummed, and turning back she went inside the room alone, leaving Aayush again alone in his thoughts which was very tangled.

She dressed back into her original white dress and they both went towards the counter and purchased the dress.

"Should I go home now?" She asked immediately breaking the silence between them, "Are you not enjoying my company?" he asked in his usual cold voice, "it's...I didn't mean that" she replied defending herself

"Common" he exclaimed grabbed her wrists and took his steps towards the footwear showroom, Anika entered and scanned her eyes at every corner of the store, it was amazing, all types of footwear were seen there, from heels to simple slippers.

They roamed around a little just when a pair of heels got Anika's attention, There they were, a sleek pair of black heels, standing proudly on a pedestal as if they were the crown jewels themselves.

She admired the elegant curve of the heels, the way they seemed to shimmer in the soft glow of the store lights. They were simple yet sophisticated, timeless in their design yet undeniably modern.

Her fingers itched to reach out and touch them, to feel the smooth texture of the leather beneath her fingertips. She imagined herself slipping them on, the way they would elongate her legs and add an air of confidence to her stride.

She took them and tried them on her feet, they fitted her perfectly as if they were made for her, she was busy admiring these heels, in her life the first time she was stuck on such a little thing

"You liked these?" A familiar voice came into her ears, that same sharp calculative voice that sent shivers down her spine, because of this sudden jerk she lost her balance and was about to fall when he caught her, his one hand behind her waist and one intertwined with hers, her eyes were shut closed but when she felt nothing she slowly opened her eyes and looked at the person, it was again him, was he stalking her, she thought

She pushed him away and stood up again on her own, and without saying a word removed those heels and put them again in the place where they were before, they were more expensive than the dress too, so she would have not purchased them in any circumstances, after keeping them on their place back she started to move in the opposite direction in which he was standing.