Please make sure to read the note at last <3
~•} C H A P T E R|24 {•~
She blinked her eyes and peered into his eyes which were heavy with sleep.
She smiled nervously, suddenly feeling a little bit scared, the faith in her for the fact Google provided shook a little but she took a deep breath of courage as Google was never erroneous, right?
But it didn't mean she needed to verify the fact right now.
She would test it . . . somedays later . . . perhaps?
She smiled at the sweet and attractive thought of hers and swallowed hard to drench her dried throat.
"Sleep, Yuvraj Ji." She confided in an ordering tone as if he was a toddler and stood up from his side of bed ready to evacuate and just then she felt a tug on her wrist.
Her feets strutted planted in their place as all the colors from her face depleted. Her heart thudded loudly in her ribcage as she turned towards him with a pale face and closed eyes, mentally praying to her lord Krishna to let that be tug be of a snake, a beetle, a bird, anything but him for god's sake!
And then she opened her one eye and saw him glancing at her with a raised eyebrow, his facial expression looked bitter.
Instantly she closed that eye too and prayed for him to fall asleep again, well instantly.
No-no-no. Please make him sleep or unconscious lord Krishna. Or, let me be in sleep and all this be a dream. Please, please, pleaseeeee.
She chanted in her mind continuously.
And then she felt another pull, this one of greater force than before one, as a result, she was about to collapse on him when he clutched her waist and turned their position and left her waist resulting in her falling on his side of the bed.
Ruhanika could feel the soft mattress on her back and his intimidating presence in her front as he almost hovered her, keeping his hands on both sides of her arms.
She felt trapped.
Imprisoned under him as if she was his prey and he was a predator with that hard look on his face.
"Are you sleepwalking?" She asked in a hushed tone, more like to herself, still trying to prove to herself that Google couldn't be wrong, could it?
"Yes, I am sleeping right now." His thick voice sent chills down her spine making her freeze due to his so visible sarcastic tone.
He is wide awake!
She thought being horrified.
Not knowing what to do, she just smiled nervously in his direction whereas he just tilted his head slightly with a lifted eyebrow.
"What were you doing?" He questioned, audible and clear.
Their faces were inches apart yet she felt her ears would explode due to the loud tone but who was she to complain, especially in this situation.
"...I ... liked your blanket." She spoke out the first excuse that came to her mind.
"And you were waiting for me to get up so that you can take that blanket from me... Right?" His tone was smooth.
"Y-yes."
"And you were going to wait an entire night for me to wake up, right?" His lips pressed in a thin line as he scowled slightly.
"Yes, exactly!" Ruhanika almost squealed being happy afterall her plan was working.
He stood up with an understanding look and she released a breath she didn't know she was holding due to his presence.
Just when she breathed out deeply in relief, she heard his flat voice,
"Firstly, waking me up. Secondly, asking for the book which I said not to read. Thirdly, lying efficiently when I questioned. Now tell me, what should I do with you, dear wife?"
And within a second he hovered her again, this time a lot closer than previous. She could feel his nose touching hers.
"Tell me, what should I do?" He asked once again, this time a little outrage in his tone afterall she disturbed his sleep which he got from his sleeping pills.
She flinched violently due to his angered tone but hesitantly murmured, "Return my book?"
She closed her eyes tightly hearing him groan annoyedly.
"Why are you so desperate to read that book and waste your time!?" He yelled.
"I... uh... You won't understand."
"Do something productive Ruhanika. Prepare for any competitive exam or anything but don't waste your time on books like that!" He stated in a stern voice whereas she sighed making an irritated face.
"Am I clear?" He questioned again getting no response and that disappointed look on her face.
"It's not like that Yuvraj Ji. It's just that... leave it. You won't understand." She told in a grim tone.
"And why will I not understand?" He questioned getting offended.
There was dead silence for a few seconds before she spoke up,
"Generation gap."
She bit her tongue and shut her eyes hard realizing what she spoke whereas Yuvraj was left stunned for a moment before he stood up with an amused expression.
A slightly amused smile played at the corner of his lips as he gazed into her scared form.
She slowly opened her eyes and they came in contact with his dark eyes which were staring back into hers.
She once again smiled sweetly in his direction and simply raised his both eyebrows while folding his hands.
Slowly she stood up from the bed while all the time she could feel his eyes scrutinizing her every move.
She inhaled sharply and did the first thing that came into her mind after she messed up.
She ran away!
She could hear his amused chuckle but continued and,
Ran away out of the room into the big balcony at the end of the first floor.
She locked the door and huffed being tired.
You are so stupid Ruhanika!
She scolded herself and gazed into the dark night sky while sitting on the large swing.
The light caress of air occasionally made her fall into the sweet slumber of sleep...
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Here Naina was waiting for Aadarsh in their room after they had breakfast downstairs.
He gestured to her that he wanted to say something and she who had now gotten very familiar with his silent language nodded her head and now here she was, waiting for him.
She was getting very impatient and was looking at the wall clock again and again. And then the sound of the door opening made her sigh in relief.
He was finally here after what felt like an eternity.
He slowly walked inside with that forever etched frown on his forehead and just raised his brows at the messy crumpled condition of the carpet whereas she just shrugged nonchalantly.
She stared into his eyes with a curious face and gestured for him to continue.
Aadarsh was taken aback by her gestures. She wasn't a silent person at all. She loved to talk about whatever came to her mind and he knew it very well. Even if he would sometimes respond with a mere nod or hum, he would always intently listen to everything she said. He liked it because his life was already too silent for his own good. But now . . .
Is she becoming like me? Is living with me affecting her so badly?
He thought being horrified.
No-no-no. A big no!
He couldn't deal with someone as silent as him! Just thinking about how their room would be when they both will be sitting silently just staring into each other made him gulp hard at the not-so-enchanting image.
Just then he heard her complaint, "What is this Aadarsh? You know I hate so much suspense and everything. I don't even use to watch mystery thriller movies in childhood because I am very impatient. Now, will you just say why you called me and what is the important thing you wanna say? Please be fast or else I will die due to so much suspense!"
He breathed a sigh of relief hearing her so long complaint. She was fit and fine. Moreover not becoming like him, at least not for now and that was enough for him to sigh in relief once again.
"Aadarsh!?" She yelled making him come out of his thoughts and once again he nodded but stopped midway thinking about his previous thoughts once again and cleared his throat and hummed... quite awkwardly though whereas she just smiled in his direction.
Even if he was being weird... she still loved him.
So it was fine.
For now at least.
Aadarsh gestured for her to sit on the bed and he sat down on the couch opposite the bed.
Taking in a deep breath he told, "I am going out for three days."
Instantly Naina stood up from the bed and he stood up too adding the effect of shock.
"I want to go with you too!" She shouted hurriedly with a hopeful look.
"No." He answered sternly whereas her mood dampened.
"Why!?" She exclaimed.
"Because I don't want you to come along with me." He replied in a flat tone but regretted it as soon as he could see the tears brimming in her eyes along with that hurtful look.
For god's sake that's why he didn't speak much! He simply didn't know how to!
"Naina," he called out in a desperate tone but she simply stepped back looking everywhere but him knowing well she would again cry if she stared into him.
Such a crybaby I am and I hate that!
She chided in her mind while cleaning the corner of her eye and the collected tear over there.
He moved towards her and held her arm in his hold, as gently he could. He lightly clutched her chin and made her look into his eyes with her glossy ones.
"Naina, I didn't mean it that way. I just wanted to say that you will get bored while sitting inside the hotel room doing nothing because my schedule is packed. I don't want to take you over there just to make you stare at the walls all day." He explained clearly and softly.
She blinked the tears away slowly and nodded her head in understanding.
Aadarsh sighed, he didn't like her being sad. Especially if he was the reason.
"Why the sudden trip?" She asked trying to get back to her normal self even if she wasn't feeling that alright right now.
His eyes punctured right into hers as he murmured, "Because Aakarsh is still avoiding me and I need to take my mind off of all this for some time."
She quietly hummed in response breaking the eye lock and staring into the floor now.
His lips pressed in a thin line as he could see the effects his words still had on her. She was always like this... Too delicate to get hurt by a person's words. Especially his words.
He stepped forward and his lips ever so slightly touched her temples shocking her with every fiber of her being.
A warm blush flushed her cheeks as she fumbled with her fingers nervously and lifted her eyelashes to look up at him who was gazing at her shy self.
She could still feel the touch of his lips lingering on her skin along with his intense stare.
She nervously fiddled with her kurti and tried once again, "I will be okay with staring at the walls all day you know."
She heard him chuckle and smiled in his direction whereas he sighed with a slight smile, "Fine! You can come with me."
She gave him the brightest smile ever and he felt his breath hitch for a moment but composed himself but then he felt her arms around him as she threw herself at him so excitedly making them almost fall.
"Thank you, Thankyou, Thankyou Thankyou so much! I love..."
She stopped realizing what she said whereas his heart raced wildly in his chest hearing that two words. They could hear each other breathing due to the dead silence of the room
No, she wasn't ready to confess like this.
"I love traveling!" Her happy voice broke the silence of the room and he felt himself breathing again.
He somewhere knew but he wasn't ready for all this to happen. Especially not to break her delicate heart...
}}}}}}•{{{{{{
Ruhanika paced here and there in distress. Well, today she was avoiding him completely after the incident of yesterday night and was currently in Yuvika's room who was pouting looking at her Maa.
But the reason for her sudden distress wasn't that... It was the fact that Yuvraj was changing the bed in the room.
The bed enabled her to sleep soundly and safely due to the wooden partition in between.
And the new bed?
It didn't have any!
That was enough to make her pace here and there in distress as she couldn't ask him... Only if it was another day.
Also, she wasn't sure why in this world he was doing this?!
"Maa what happened?" Yuvika shrieked confused.
"Yes baccha."
"Why are you going here and there, there and here?"
"I am not going here and there."
"You are."
"Oho... I am just a little tensed, okay?"
"Why are you tensed?"
"Because your Maa didn't like the structure of our new bed, isn't it Ruhanika?"
Ruhanika's heart thudded loudly in her ribcage hearing that voice. The voice belonged to none other but her husband.
"Isn't it Ruhanika?" Yuvraj questioned once again while sitting on Yuvika's bed.
"...Yes," she answered lowly whereas Yuvika shrugged nonchalantly.
"Maa, why are you sitting there, sit here." Yuvika patted the place on the bed beside her, between her and her father.
"I am fine here baccha," Ruhanika answered and faked a smile.
"No-no Ruhanika. Your poor feet must be aching from running... oops I mean pacing." The corner of his lips twitched up whereas she felt the ground beneath her feet was taken away due to his oh-so-visible taunt.
"Yes, Maa. Papa is saying correctly. Come sit here."
Due to Yuvika's plea, she agreed but made sure to sit on the other side of the bed, opposite Yuvraj and Yuvika.
Her stiff posture made him more amused.
"Maa, you are looking so prettyyyy in this blue saree! You should wear a saree every day, it looks soooooo good on you!" Yuvika complimented making Ruhanika gleam in her direction.
"Papa when will we go out again!? I enjoyed it so much last time." Yuvika exclaimed with a hopeful look.
"Indeed we had so much fun." He mocked while smiling at Ruhanika whereas Ruhanika nervously rolled the corner of her saree in her hand.
Not understanding her father's sarcastic tone Yuvika smiled in delight and agreed, "Yes! That's why I am asking when will we go out again?"
"Baccha the weather is too hot right now. You will get sick." Ruhanika worried out making Yuvika pout sadly.
Swirling his eyes and ignoring Ruhanika's concern, acting like a cool father he stated, "Once the bed of our room is changed and everything is done. We will go out again at night."
It wasn't necessary to bring out the bed in between as it was a work of just a few hours but he made sure to drag it to draw Ruhanika's attention again to that topic and as a result, he could again see her getting anxious.
But it wasn't only Ruhanika whose attention got on the same, it was also the youngest Rathore who asked, "Why? I liked the brown shade and that little flowers engraved on your previous bed, papa."
"Aww, princess don't worry I will make sure to engrave that flowers for you as I did before. And it was necessary because your mother and I already have a generation gap so we don't need another gap in between us." He declared while squaring his shoulders and letting his grey eyes puncture into her wide ones.
Yuvika shrugged nonchalantly not understanding the difficult wordings and let it go as not everything she needed to understand. Her father would be engraving those beautiful flowers again and that was enough for her to let go of the topic.
The same was not the case for Ruhanika. She understood his every word very well and the underlying meaning of them. Her breathing quickened as she started to panic even knowing the fact that he was just doing this to tease her.
"Baccha... I think I forgot something very important... I will come back in sometime." Ruhanika told whereas Yuvraj just agreed, "Indeed she has a very important work."
Her pulse rate heightened hearing him who was just gazing at her scared form while half laying on the bed. She inhaled a breath of encouragement to calm down her nerves and left the room as fast as she could in her fast walk.
}}}}}}•{{{{{{
Ishani set her phone aside and glanced at the room she had just for herself for these three days.
The incidents of last night were still fresh in her mind.
Something clicked in her mind and she smiled. An evil smile.
"Time to decorate my husband's room like a good wife." She told to herself.
She needed to buy a few things for it and for that she needed money.
She thought deeply for a few seconds as she had a small amount of money, enough to purchase all that she needed but she didn't want to waste that on this as what if in the future she had to leave? Her husband wasn't generous enough to give her money for his doom. So she finally settled that she would ask for money from, of course, Ruhanika. Afterall she was the eldest daughter-in-law who would have keys to the whole house, kinda like tv shows.
Descending the stairs she bumped into none other than Ruhanika who looked exhausted from running.
"Ru. Bhabhi, I was coming to you." Ishani said and Ruhanika looked skeptical but hummed. Their last interaction was still afresh in her mind but she shrugged as catfights would lead to nothing.
"I need money." Ishani came straight to the point as there was no point in twisting her words or sweet-talking. If Ruhanika would agree, fine. If not then she had no other option but to use her savings.
"Okay." Ruhanika agreed almost instantly afterall she had a joint account with The Yuvraj Rathore which she rarely used for herself... Mostly it was for Yuvika's clothes, toys, and everything she needed. But Yuvraj never asked about the money and all. Afterall she used a drop from the ocean and he barely noticed.
"I will transfer into your account tell me your account no." Ruhanika stated to which Ishani replied, "You will need my account no. for ₹2000?"
Ruhanika laughed awkwardly and told, "I thought you would need 20-30 thousand."
"Nah, some posters and curtains won't cost that much."
"They would if taken from a particular brand," Ruhanika replied remembering her conversation with classy Bhavna Rathore.
"But at last they are gonna be used for the same thing so who cares if taken from the street shop or a mall!" Ishani huffed.
"Okay, so I will be back." With this Ruhanika went to the room she shared with Yuvraj. She was fateful enough that Yuvraj was still spending his time with Yuvika so she got enough time to take out some money.
Hurriedly Ruhanika went out of the room and gave Ishani the money she asked for.
"Do you know the shops here?" Ruhanika questioned to which Ishani nonchalantly shrugged.
"...So I will come with you and show you around?"
"Okay as you wish." Ishani agreed to which Ruhanika took a relieved breath as she needed to go anywhere but this house to avoid Yuvraj... even if it meant spending a few hours with the person who didn't like her much.
"Do they have a scooty?" Ruhanika was shocked hearing such questions from Ishani and seeing her facial expressions Ishani frowned, "Bike will work too..."
"Ishani we are not normal people anymore." Ruhanika sighed and the epiphany hit Ishani hard.
The fact that her normal life was taken away hit her so hard that it increased her hatred toward her so-called husband.
"Get ready then..." Ishani told to which Ruhanika nodded but added, "Wear something simple... We would go inside the shops like normal people as people don't have our photos and that's a plus point."
Ishani hummed and exhaled deeply.
It takes too much to maintain a standard...
}}}}}}•{{{{{{
Raina scrolled through her phone bored when suddenly she heard someone's footsteps.
Looking up she saw her husband who was standing there with a boyish grin on his face.
How did I not hear the sound of the door opening?
She thought.
Feeling his burning gaze she looked up and still saw him looking toward her.
She simply raised her both eyebrows asking the reason for his sudden happiness as she was still not much happy about whatever happened yesterday night.
She didn't like being so vulnerable in front of anyone but alas! it wasn't in her hands.
Though she didn't regret saying what was in her mind. She felt a lot lighter now.
"I am so happy!" He exclaimed happily whereas the grin on his face didn't face making her curious.
Keeping her phone aside, she stood up and questioned, "What is the reason?" with a little smile of her own.
But his next words made her heart race wildly in her ribcage. Her face went pale as fear gripped her heart due to the old memories that swirled in her mind...
Target- 600+
Uff finally...
I feel so tired and feverish right now. Gotcha rest!
Imp announcement~
I have finally decided to take a break because for many reasons, my health, studies and I need some time of my own too... Plus I am the kind of writer who needs small breaks in between to continue further... So I won't be active till my birthday i.e. 18 May. There will most probably be no updates or if it does then on any day...
Bear with me my sweet readers coz a writer knows when they just need a break u know. Like the last two-three chapters it feels kinda forced... I need to recharge myself I guess lol 😩😂.
How was the chapter?
Anything u wanna say?
Ruhiiii?
Yuvraj and Yuvika?
Aadarsh and Naina?
Take Care❤️✨