This is the last update for next ten days cz my exams are starting from Monday.
For a reminder this story is quite slow burn. Now enjoy with Aarshika (♡ω♡ ) ~♪
The entire living hall was spiralled in the hustle and bustle of the ladies who marked their presence for the Muh Dikhai, a custom to introduce the newly wed. Yami, once she realised most of her guests had arrived, instructed the servants about the servings and made her way towards Aarav's room to bring Mishika.
On her way she quickly dialled to Aarav's number who was still not here. "How long, dear son ?"
"I'm on my way, Mom. Don't worry." Aarav said amidst the buzzing music of the car's speaker.
Yami hummed in relief before voicing out her concern "Aarav, you know well how most of the ladies are here. And Mishika, she is very introvert and I don't want her to feel uncomfortable. I hope you will take care of that."
A moment of silence later Aarav's reply came "Anything for you Mom." And the line went dead but a smile borned on Yami's lips.
Softly knocking on the door Yami stepped inside the room and upon realising her presence Mishika turned away from the mirror to face her.
"Oh my god! Look at my daughter-in-law looking so pretty pretty." Yami gushed with pure admiration that brought blood to Mishika's cheeks. Letting out a soft chuckle on Mishika's shyness, Yami took some kohl from the corner of her waterline and put it behind Mishika's ears. A gesture to mark the evil away.
Yami helped Mishika to put the red chunni on her head before admiring her appearance once again. The red saree looked more beautiful draped around Mishika's petite frame with a sleeveless blouse. She wore heavy earrings, her hand still cladded with the chooda, with her nuptial chain dangling around her neck and vermilion in her hairs.
Holding Mishika's shoulder Yami gestured her to step ahead and gave an assuring smile to ease Mishika's nerves. Walking in a saree was not something that made Mishika nervous but the thought of being in the radar of several rich high class women.
The ceremony soon started as the ladies one by one came forward to bless Mishika, who sat on the soft cushioned sofa, and handover the gifts to her as a sign of blessing. The entire time Mishika kept her eyes casted down. And this time the reason was not only the several unfamiliar faces but the one familiar face.
At the parallel corner of the hall, her Mr.India-for-a-week husband laid nonchalantly on the couch. Though for others he was busy eating an apple, but Mishika knew better. She could feel his heated gaze stuck on her without even lifting her eyes.
Dressed in a crisp white shirt, with the top two buttons open to reveal the silver chain around his neck, Aarav looked like a sight to behold for sore eyes. The Patek Philippe watch in his wrist shined under the lights every time he lifted his hand to take a bite from the apple.
Mustering a little courage Mishika raised her lashes and only for her breathing to get stuck as his eyes locked with hers. There was no place for denial that her nightmare actually is very handsome if counted by his face and looks. Feeling goosebumps arising on her skin she quickly landed her gaze back to her lap.
Though on the contrary Aarav appeared in no mood to avert his eyes away from the girl, who is now certainly his wife, who caught his attention in red. His eyes leisurely rake around her innocent curves. The ladies for him at the moment looked like buzzing bees and his wife a rose. So fresh, so delicate, so desirable, so beautiful like a delusion.
**F L A S H B A C K B E G I N S**
He should be deliberate with his actions while being in the library but Aarav very intentionally pulled the chair with a slight screeching sound. Ignoring the annoying glare of the librarian he settled down on the chair, his focus fixed on a certain someone who sat on the parallel side of the table.
Her face ceased from his sight since she was holding a book, too indulged in reading. Only her eyelids were visible to him since she had her eyes casted to the pages, another torture that didn't let Aarav have the sight of her honey eyes.
Not wanting to look desperate he started to wait for her to notice him. Meanwhile he got busy in outlining her eyelashes that were failing to feather her cheeks as neither her cheekbones were too prominent nor her lashes were too long.
A sudden urge to feather her under eye with his fingers and to closely inspect those honey confines, which had him captivated, raised into him.
Then his attention drifted to the cover page of the book and it left him intrigued that he couldn't stop himself from asking "What are you even reading ?"
Startled by the sudden interruption Mishika dropped the book on the wooden desk with a low thud. Wave of recognition crossed her eyes when met with the intruder's.
"Ugh" she fumbled, feeling nervous from his approach. Her eyes took in his appearance and she noticed that even today he wasn't following the uniform code. But instead of a grey hoodie this time he had a black tee on where she could figure out F69 printed in the corner, just above his heart.
And while she was wondering why he doesn't dress up in the assigned uniform, in the meantime he had pulled the book to himself.
"You didn't answer my question ?" The pink on her cheek was easy to figure out even through her medium honey shade skin. And he deliberately leaned forward to have a closer look. The nervousness arising in her demeanour under his steady gaze was barefaced. Another thing rather than her smile that had intrigued him.
"It's just too deep. I can't actually understand it." She shrugged, her eyes gazing anywhere but him. "I guess I'll have to read it again." Came her almost inaudible timid voice. Maintaining eye contact with those mystical charcoal orbs was just too intimate for her. Yet another thing of her that stirs his insides.
"Hnn hnn" he hums in his deep voice as his eyes once again went back to the cover page of the book.
It was a beautiful bright red rose. But the riveting part was the hazy shadow of the withered rose with thorns looming above the thriving rose.
Unconsciously grazing his fingers on the cover, his lips moved, quoting the title a little aloud that read Rose~A Delusional Crave.
**F L A S H B A C K E N D S**
"A delusion so forbidden." He muttered to himself letting out an inaudible scoff. Somewhere deep he knew that while running away from the thorns he made the rose bleed.
"Yami don't mind, your daughter-in-law is beautiful but a little dull." Mishika's eyes shot up to the lady who was analysing her face like people analysed clothes on display.
She silently gritted her teeth and rolled her lips in to stop herself from making any remark. Her mother-in-law is sweet but Mishika has only known her for a week and she doesn't want to make her angry by disrespecting her mother-in-law's guests.
"Don't mind her sweetheart, she doesn't mean any bad." Another lady gushed with a slight chuckle and held Mishika's chin. Forcing a smile Mishika tried to not let the frown appear on her face. "But I'm a cosmetic expert. I can suggest you some useful brands to deal with it."
"My Mishika is an independent and self made woman. And like a literate person she knows colour doesn't define us." The wide smile on Yami's lips caused those intrusive ladies' smiles to flatten. Blinking her lashes Yami shot an assuring look in Mishika's direction who was busy stifling her smile.
Aarav was not very surprised by his mother's comeback, and let out an audible laugh, not giving a damn if it was going to irk those ladies. Dumping the remnants of the apple in the nearby dustbin he reached near Yami with a few long strides.
"And anyway white chocolates are so plain and boring. I like tempting brownies with sweet honey. Hmn delicious." He licked his lips animating his words and those embarrassed ladies chuckled coyly.
A chill shiver ran down Mishika's spine whereas her cheeks were suddenly on the furnace. She gulped dryly when he kept his eyes fixed on her and again his tongue darted out to roll over his already wet lips. Goosebumps crawled to her skin as she deciphered the hidden coquettish meaning behind his words and she quickly tore her eyes away from his.
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"I'm surprised you are still here ?" her hands, that were busy folding the chunni, halted for a moment before she returned back to normal. "I was expecting you to run back to your home. Weeping."
"I may be weak as you comprehend. But I'm not a coward." Aarav's smirk dropped as her dry reply came. His mind for a moment went to his father's words although he was quick to mask the change in his expressions.
"Seems like cat finally let go of your tongue, my sweet brownie." her gaze flickered away from him and she took a few breaths to calm the racing of her heart. She didn't want to get affected by his words.
Yes, she was shaken up by suddenly clashing with him after years but this past week gave her at least some time to get a grip on herself.
Yes, the past was so drastic that she never wants to see the face of this man ever again who has only gifted her the worst nightmares of her life.
Yes, she still gets intimidated and puddles of nervousness in his presence.
But she has spent six long years to build up herself, to pull herself out of the depression, to achieve something in life and make it normal. Normal because she stopped believing in fantasies long ago.
"So we are playing husband and wife now." A jolt shot through her body when she realised he was suddenly too close of her.
She wasn't out of one shock and the next she felt his arm slipping around her bare waist. "Tell me, wife, where should I start from ?" His hold tightened even before she could start struggling.
"Because like the tempting rose you look right now, all I could think is to graze my fingers over its softness." Goosebumps inched her arms as his fingers skimmed over it.
"All I want is to pluck it petal by petal to lay its vulnerabilities bare for me to stare, to smell, to drink and to taste." His face nuzzled in her neck as he sniffed and she almost lost her breath when she felt the moist sleek of his tongue on her skin.
"To fulfil the crave as I please." His words felt as if they were dipped with the sweetness of the tempting sins that even the purest soul can be lulled by it.
Abruptly jerking herself away from him, she quickly puts some distance between their bodies. "Don't invade my personal space." Satisfied with her words, she marched into the dressing room to pick one comfortable dress for the night and then stepped inside the bathroom.
Aarav twisted his tongue inside his mouth as if savouring the taste of her skin on it. Her warmth still not completely faded away from his palms and the scent of coco honey body moisturiser of hers was still lingering in the air. "A cold shower huhh."
Her chest frantically heaved up and down as she stood against the bathroom door.
Mishika's pov
Hell to that man and hell to his words.
He is the handsome nightmare the devil personally carved inch by inch and as if every cell and vein in him was transplanted by the Asmodeus himself.
Such a remorseless bastard he is.
People say the past is the past. You can't change it so just move on from it. But it's easier said than done.
Even if I can't change anything but don't I even deserve to see the guilt, the remorse in his eyes. Don't I deserve it for the storm he brought in my life. His nonchalant behaviour everytime mocks me. And it hurts. It hurts so much.
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Author's pov
"Mishika beta, can you see why this isn't working ?" Anubhav requested and Mishika quickly put the bowl of kheer down and took the laptop from Anubhav's hand.
Aarav who was lying on his mother's lap narrowed his eyes as he watched Mishika explaining about the bug in the software to her father-in-law.
"Aarav, pass me the blue file." His attention flickered to the blue file on the nearby table and he hummed and passed it to his mother. Yami ruffled his hair in the process and again got engrossed in her work.
Thanking Mishika for the help Anubhav patted her head and went back to his work.
It was Yami's idea to enjoy the desert together as a family under the soothing night sky. But now Aarav could only feel his chest burning with bitterness.
Chapter Word- 2166
Ahm Ahm.. his brownie with sweet honey huhh!! (〃ﾟ3ﾟ〃)🌚
I'm quite satisfied with this chapter, what about you my lovely readers ?
Muh Dikhai's literal meaning is Show-your-face. Though it's a custom to introduce the newly wed.
Signing off
~T.R