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"Let's go, Varun," I mumble as soon as I reach our cars. He nods and opens the door for me.
Varun is my newly appointed bodyguard three months ago. He saved me from an attack by my father's rivals. Daddy was impressed with his selflessness and appointed him as he didn't have any job then. Usually, Daddy always appoints bodyguards from the security agency but Varun has a strange attitude that might have made Dad change his decision.
I sit inside the car and Varun takes his seat in the front passenger seat. He glances at my neck now and then through the mirror making me uncomfortable.
I sigh, "Anything wrong with my neck, Varun?" I ask him, annoyed, having enough of his glances.
He shakes his head. "Sorry, mam."
I turn my head after a curt nod and close my eyes. Suddenly the humiliation I have undergone in college makes me feel ashamed of myself for not being able to be strong. Trying to forget them, I again close my eyes. Sirish kissing that woman flashes again causing my breath to go labour.
I place my hand on my chest and close my eyes trying to catch my breath. "Daddy... Daddy... Daddy..." I keep reciting until I feel comfortable again.
"Namra... Mam?" Varun places his hand over my knee. I open my eyes and swat his hand. "I am sorry," he quickly apologizes. "Are you okay?"
I nod, blinking my tears and gulping my sobs.
"Are you sure? I can stop the car or call your dad," I look up into his worried eyes, "Mam."
I shake my head, "It's not needed, Varun. Please drive me home soon," I mumble.
He looks at me for a few seconds and sighs with a nod.
We soon reach our home and I find already my inlaws and Sirish's cars. We have planned to stay at Dad's place for some unknown reasons although I am happy with it. I don't want to leave my father nor could I live a day without seeing him.
With a huge smile, pushing all the pain my college mates put on me, I walk to my daddy's room.
I push the door open and find Sirish already with Daddy helping him to lie down. What happened? Why does Daddy need help?
"Daddy?" I run to him and sit beside him on the bed, "Daddy, what happened? Why do you look so weak?" I cup his face, scanning his tired look.
His face splits into a grin and he caresses my hair, "Princess, I am fine. It's just that I need doctors for a few days because I am not able to do good with my health," he says with trouble, "How was your day?" Suddenly his eyes fall on my neck and he glances at Sirish. I furrow my eyebrows in perplexion but shrug it off when Dad sets his eyes on me again.
I hold his hand which is on my head, "Daddy, what happened?" Tears pool in my eyes seeing him goofing up to hide his vulnerability.
"He fainted," Sirish says when Daddy doesn't answer.
"What? Daddy, how can you be so careless? What was the nurse doing?" I yell.
"Calm down, Namrata," Sirish puts his hand over my shoulder, "It was due to exhaustion because of the wedding. He is fine now."
"Calm down?? He fainted, Sirish. What if he hit himself on the table? What if he slipped inside the bathroom? What if he fell down the stairs? What if he-" I stop when Sirish palms my mouth, snaking his arm around my waist and pulling me to him. I hate to say it but I feel good with his proximity hovering over me.
"Nurse was with him. Don't worry. Don't try to negative thoughts accumulate in your tiny head. He is alright now, that's all that matters!" he whispers sternly and I find myself nodding at him. "Good!"
He pulls his hand back and steps away. I take a deep breath and look at Daddy who is trying to be comfortable with what happened earlier between me and Sirish. He doesn't like it when Sirish looks at me or holds me.
"Daddy, take rest. I will meet you later after freshening up," He nods with closed eyes. I get on my feet and press my lips on his forehead. Glancing at him to assure myself, I leave the room silently.
I go to my room and jump on my bed, giggling. "I missed you so much," I hug my teddy plushie. "Mr Cuddles."
He smiles at me and I pretend to blush. "You know what happened today?" he looks at me seriously as if he is paying attention to me. "I don't know why but everyone calls me a nutcase. See, I am all fine. Because of me, they all called my Sirish a nutcase. I felt bad. So bad."
"Even do you think I am a nut case?" he stays silent but smiles. "I know you always speak the truth. That's why I love you but not more than Daddy."
I hug him closer and sigh, "I am married, Mr Cuddles. But I don't like my husband." I mumble into his crown.
I close my eyes and push my tears back, "I am so weak. A very weak person. I don't want to be exposed to cruel people like my classmates and seniors. But I can, Mr Cuddles," I grin at him. "Because Daddy is always with me. I can't imagine my life without him in between all these harsh people."
I close my eyes and stay close to Mr Cuddles like that for some time. A while later, I get off him and go inside the bathroom after choosing my clothes.
I quickly shower and slip into a thin strapped sun dress that ends at my knees. I come out of the bathroom and find Sirish on my bed.
I grit my teeth and first my finger, "Sirish," I scream. "How dare you get into my room?" I walk to him angrily and find Mr Cuddles thrown on the ground, "Have you gone mad, Sirish? You threw Mr Cuddles on the floor. How can you? And shoes??? Seriously? Why did you get on my bed with shoes? Damn! Just get out of my room."
He lifts his head from the pillow and looks at me nonchalantly, "This is my room too, Namrata." his hair sits on his forehead lazily and he looks cute.
"This isn't your room!" I tell him sternly, hugging Mr Cuddles for my support.
He gets off the bed and walks towards me. Involuntarily I step back until I collide with the wall. I look into his eyes which didn't blink even once in the past 2 minutes. He slowly places his hand on the wall beside my head, making me squeeze into the wall.
"Do you remember that we are married?" he asks in a hushed tone.
"Move away!" I try to say it loud but it delivers in a whisper.
He grabs Mr Cuddles from me and throws him on the ground. My eyes widen finding Mr Cuddles staring at me sadly, "Sirish, how can you do it again?-" I stop when he pins my hands on the wall over my head.
"We are married now. We are husband and wife now. Your room is mine and so are you," he says dangerously making tears spring from my eyes.
"Same applies to me but don't you remember it when some other girl entered our room and you kissed her?" my lips start to quiver as I talk but I don't try to show it. His eyes darken and his jaw sets hard. I shrink to myself scared of him and look down.
He unexpectedly crushes my wrists in his fist making a yelp escape from me as my words triggered him. My bangles break and the tiny sharp pieces pierce into my wrist making blood ooze out. I wince loudly.
"Sirish, what are you doing? It's hurting a lot," I weep. My lips quiver dangerously and a stream of tears finally escapes from my eyes when he buries his face in my neck, "Move, Sirish. Let me go."
"Why? You wanted my attention, right? You want me to touch you, fuck you, isn't it? Weren't you complaining about it? Now, you are my wife. Let me give you everything," he starts to kiss my neck brutally making me sob louder and louder. "I kissed her because you are of no use. I fucked her because you can't even satisfy a man."
I look at him pleadingly and my teary eyes beg him the most, "No, Sirish. It's wrong. Don't talk to me like that. And... And... My wrist is paining a lot. It's bleeding. Let me go-Ahhh... DADDY!!!!!!" I sob at the top of my lungs when he bites my neck like an animal.
I push him, freeing my hands from him, and run to the washroom.
***
"Sirish!" Mom yells from another side of the door, horrified at Namrata's scream.
I grunt annoyed and walk to the door. When I open it, Mom, Dad, and Harsh barge inside and look around for Namrata.
"Where is Namrata, bhaiyya?" Harsh screams at me, holding my collar. The care and love for my wife in my brother's eyes are irking me. How the fuck can he care for my wife when she belongs to me? "Speak up, bhaiyya."
I glare at him and push him off me, "Don't ever dare to hold my collar again," I warn him. "She is in the bathroom."
He throws a disgusting glance at me and runs to the bathroom. "Chikku!" he knocks on the door, desperately. "Open the door, Chikku."
"Chikky, open the door, beta. Let us know what happened, beta," Dad says, impatiently.
I look at the door from the corner of my eye and find it creaking open, "Chikky," Mom immediately pulls my wife in a hug. Her face looked so red and her eyes bulged. Harsh's accusing gaze lingers on me but I don't look at him. "What happened? Why is your dress so wet? Did you slip on the floor?"
Namrata whimpers and snuggles her face in Mom's neck. Mom caresses her hair smoothly and kisses her crown. All the pain I have gone through because of Namrata comes rushing back into my head making me hate my wife more.
"I just found a cockroach, Aunty. That's it," she lies to Mom, "I was scared."
Harsh looks at my wife with a small smile wanting me to break his teeth. He looks at me and his eyes harden again. It seems like he hasn't bought Namrata's lie while Mom and Dad laugh.
"Is the cockroach six feet, Namrata?" Aasthik and Dhvani enter with a smirk.
Namrata looks at them with pouted lips. "It's hardly 3 centimetres, Dhvani," Except for her everyone understands Dhvani's question and her innocent reply makes them laugh.
I roll my eyes and slump on the bed.
"Okay, now, both of you change and come to the living room," Mom says looking between me and Namrata, "We will leave you both alone."
Namrata stiffens and she holds Mom's hand in a tight grip making Mom frown. "No, don't leave me alone," she looks at me from the corner of her eyes. "I will get my dress in the closet and change in the guestroom."
She rushes through her words glancing at her wet frock. Before anyone can react anything, she sprints to the closet and gets her another frock.
Mom narrows her gaze at me and I shrug. "Shall we go, Aunty?" Namrata asks timidly. Mom nods still glaring at me.
They all walk out and I exhale, looking around. Her room is just like a royal room of a princess from the great kingdom. The walls are filled with her smiles. Most of the photos were of her and her father. The one above the headboard of the bed is beyond beautiful. Namarta was around five years old, my uncle was carrying her on his shoulders and she was laughing her heart out. But I notice something, there were no pictures of mine except for one, which is a family photo. We were standing next to each other with grumpy faces.
Stupid girl. I will break her to the extent that she will give up herself and go away from my life.
I quickly freshen up and go down as Mom strictly made it clear to everyone that we all will try to spend all our time with my uncle and that's the reason, Namrata is brought to her house.
When I descend the stairs, Namrata's laughs echo in the huge living hall at whatever they are talking about. She is dressed in another frock like a kid although her mangalsutra, bangles, toe rings, and sindoor are still adoring her natural beauty. My uncle is plaiting her hair with a smile even though he could barely sit.
Suddenly, my eyes hold the sight of the hickey on her neck which I left last night. Everyone is glancing at it now and then with teasing smiles. It is so huge to hide and I don't understand why the hell hasn't she observed it nor did I. Was I too enticed with her beauty that I couldn't see that fucking thing?
Dhvani looks at me and her lips twist into a smirk. I widen my eyes understanding the big blunder behind that little smirk.
"Dhvani-"
"Namrata?" Dhvani calls sweetly sitting next to her. Namrata hums hugging her Dad's torso. "What's that on your neck?"
Namrata frowns and touches her neck. A wince whizzes through her lips and her eyes shut. My uncle glances at me and I feel like shit. He told me to not touch his daughter until she understood everything. Damn! I ruined.
"It's paining, Daddy," She pouts, "I don't know why it came. Is it a rash? I thought it was. Daddy, why is it happening? Is it because of the heavy food during the wedding? Food poisoning? Or is it any insect bite?" she says innocently, looking at her dad.
I run my fingers through my hair when everyone looks at me with suppressed laughs except for my brother. Namrata too turns to me and she visibly flinches. Uncle senses it and holds her securely. She looks down immediately and holds her dad's hand snuggling into him. I look away.
"Ask Sirish, Chikky," Aasthik chuckles, "Thakur Saab got his territories."
I throw a cushion at his face and take my seat beside Harsha. "Stop it." Aasthik nods trying to stop his laughter.
I look at Mom indicating for her to get some tea. She nods and walks away. I glance at my uncle who is now caressing Namrata's wrists which look purple and reddish which happened because of my cruel act.
Namrata pins her lips together and closes her eyes trying to stop hissing. "It's fine. Your mother-in-law will apply ointment. But next time, be careful while removing bangles." Uncle says. Namrata might have lied to her father about it but with the way my uncle is saying and looking at me, we both know he didn't buy the lie.
Namrata nods, "Shall we play something?" she grins at her father. "Daddy, chess?"
My uncle smiles and bumps his forehead on hers, "Yes, Princess." Namrata squeals and runs to the gaming room her father arranged for her when she was a kid.
He immediately closes his eyes and sighs exhaustedly. I quickly reach him and am about to touch his shoulder, he pushes his hand out to stop me. I frown.
"Please, Sirish, your uncle is tired of acting like everything is fine," he opens his eyes and looks at me with a mixture of anger and pain, "You and I both know what happened in the room. So, please."
He whispers to me, begging me to stay away from him till he will be able to hold himself together.
I pin my lips together and nod. Mom gets me my tea and I walk to the porch, sipping it.
I can hear Namrata's giggles and screams. They are now sitting near the huge ceiling-to-floor glass window from where the moonlight is peeking in and her pink cheeks are glowing. The ends of my lips curl upwards and my gaze meets with my uncle's. He seems uncomfortable with the way I am staring at his daughter. I look away. Fuck! At the end of the day, I am standing as a sex-starved man in front of him.
"She is beautiful," I mutter to myself. I hate to admit that my eyes always betray me by finding her as the most gorgeous woman nowadays.
"Oh, god! Daddy, look at Harsh. He is cheating by taking the help of others," she whines and I look at Harsh. He is knocking on her head and she swats his hand with an angry pout. I don't know why but after Namrata married me, I didn't like my brother's involvement in anything related to her.
Why? Is it because she is close to him but not me? Do I feel jealous? Oh, fuck, man! I am jealous of men who are close to a nutcase like her? I hardly care even if she ever cheats on me.
I laugh at my thoughts. Who the fuck will fuck this fucking nutcase who actually has the least knowledge about fucking?!!
"Sirish?" Aasthik calls. "Come here. We need your help."
"No," Namrata denies it, "No one should help anyone-"
"Why?" I smirk at her. She avoids looking into my eyes and looks at her dad who smiles at her in assurance. "You scared that you will lose if I help your opponent?"
She holds her father's hand and smiles at me sweetly, "No, I am scared that you may feel mortified of getting defeated against your wife," she smirks this time.
My blood boils and I push off the chessboard, sitting in front of her for a game. "Let's have a fresh game," I challenge her, "Shall we?"
"Yes. If you get defeated by me, you should stop getting into my room."
"I am not dying to sleep with you. I am okay with it. I won't step in that room even if-"
"Sirish," Dad warns, "You both are not just friends now to fight all the time. You both are husband and wife, remembered that?"
"I do," I nod, "I want to test my wife's ability to make me feel embarrassed."
Sensing that things are tracking up in aggression, my uncle intervenes, "No one is playing anything," he says, "Watch something on TV."
"No, Daddy. I will play. How dare he challenge me? I guess, he forgot I am a national player in chess," she says, glaring at him. Well, she attended many tournaments until she even cracked the national chess competition and won a gold medal at 15.
"No, Princess-"
"Daddy-"
"I said no, Princess," she looks at her lap with a pout.
I smirk and leave to continue my office work in the garden. I put my laptop on my lap and prop my feet on the table.
My PA rings me and I frown. Didn't I make it clear to him that I am not into business-related things after 5?
"Hello, didn't I tell you-"
"Sir, I am sorry. But the file we had dealt with the foreign clients is missing," he says, panicking and fear lacing his voice.
I press my temples and sigh, "How come is it missing?" I mumble.
"Sir, if you don't mind will you check it in your penthouse? I have searched the whole cabin," he suggests timidly.
"Fuck it," I grit my teeth. "I am going and will let you know."
I put the laptop away and run to the main hall.
"Chikky, Did you find the ring?" I hear Mom's voice making me halt on my steps.
Namrata pouts as she checks every corner and shakes her head, "I checked in my room too. It's not there," she says in a timid voice.
"Didn't I tell you to not lose it? It's ancestral jewellery of Thakur's, Chikky." Mom says angrily but closes her eyes to calm herself, "Chikky, it's our tradition. It is Sirish's great-grandmother's ring. You shouldn't have lost it."
"What happened?" I ask Dhvani.
Dhvani sighs, "She lost the engagement ring."
I look at Namrata and find her staring at Mom innocently with a slight mist over her eyes and her lips are quivering indicating that she is gonna sob.
"Namrata, what did I tell you about being careful about things? You cannot lose it, Princess," my uncle warns her.
"But, Daddy, I was careful-"
"It's fine, Chikky," Dad intervenes, "Why don't you go and check in the penthouse?"
She nods. "I am sorry. I will get it soon. Let me call Varun-"
"Don't worry about that! Seems like Sirish is going out, he will drop you," Dad says. "Where are you going, Sirish?"
I look at Namrata. She flinches visibly, "Follow me." Why do I get stuck with her always?
A few minutes forward, we are in the penthouse. I am searching for the file and Namrata is in the guestroom searching for the ring.
Not finding it, I punch the stack of them away. Suddenly I am hugged by someone, "Maybe I can tame this anger? Huh?" Namrata won't speak like this! Is it Nitaara?
"Nitaara?" I whisper.
"Yes, baby," she grins, jumping in front of me and kissing me hard on my lips. "I love you."
I smile. "How come are you here?" Does Namrata exist? No! She is dead long ago for me.
Nitaara pecks my lips and snakes her arms around me. "It was just a wild guess that you would be here and when I came, the door was opened," she pushes her palms over my chest and under my shirt.
"I love you, Sirish,"
I smirk internally, "I love you too, Nitaara," I lie.
"Sirish, I got the ring. Shall we go? But I need to talk-" Namrata stands at the door shocked causing us to pull our lips away from each other. Her eyes fill up and she backs herself to the door as her muscles constrict. She looks away, wiping off the lone tear that escaped from her eyes, "I-I w-i-ll be in the ha-ll."
She walks away and Nitaara pulls me again to kiss but I step away. "You need to go," I tell her.
"But, Sirish, she permitted us. Like do we care," she rolls her eyes, "Anyways, forget her for now like you are gonna forget her forever."
I sigh. "Baby, this is not the time. She may tell her father. We are going to their mansion now. So, let's leave it here and I will pick you up tomorrow," I tell her calmly. She is my pawn to teach her brother a lesson and I don't want to ruin this revenge game with this anger of mine.
"But, I want you-"
"You are leaving," I pull her out gently and find Namrata wiping her tears. We ignore her and I continue to drag Nitaara to the elevator. "Understand, Nitaara. I will make it tomorrow."
She looks over my shoulder and we find Namrata peeking at us like a scared kitten, hiding behind the door. Only her innocent eyes are visible and she is behind the door.
Nitaara smirks and kisses me. "He is mine, bitch!" she screams at my wife who jerks in her place.
She leaves and I go back to the penthouse.
"You wanted to talk about something?" I ask her.
She walks to me hesitantly and places her palms on my chest. I stare at her in confusion while she steps closer leaving no space between us and rests her cheeks on my chest with her tiny arms wrapped around my torso.
As I sense her palm on my chest under which my heart is beating rapidly, I felt it. I fucking felt...
For the first time, I felt I had a heart.
For the first time, I felt the skip of my heartbeat.
For the first time, I felt I am the most powerful and richest man even being like a common man.
For the first time, I felt what pure emotion is!
**************
How is the chapter???
Sirish's haters again!!! *phew*
Well, you all will hate him more. Just for a little more time. Have patience. Let him take human form 🤣
Namrata, our sweet, little, innocent beauty! 🥹 Agree?
If a Chess game happened, who do you guys think would win?
Any guesses as to why Namrata hugged Sirish at the end? Huge revelations in the next chapter... 😏😎
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