"Where were you?" Were the first words I heard as soon as I entered her hospital room. I smiled at her feeling happy at least she has some of her strength back and has some colour on her cheeks. I walked towards her and gave her the flowers I brought on my way here.
"I had some work in the office, baby. I haven't been to the office in nearly a week so I went when they had some emergency." I kissed her forehead and then her cheeks and sat on the bed. She looked unconvinced but she didn't push. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling good and thank you for the flowers. They are beautiful." She inhaled the scent of the flowers and passed me a breathtaking smile. I caressed her hair and felt reviled as if the burden of my shoulders had been lifted when I saw her smile. "When can I go home Avy? I don't think I can bear being here any more." shd sighed, sounding drained.
"Just a few more days baby, the doctor said he needs to make sure that you are completely fine before discharging you." I explained taking the flowers and placing them on the table. She looked at me with a frown and it pained me to see her like this.
"But Avy, I'm fine can't you ask the doctor to send me home. I can rest there properly and you will be there to take care of me. Please, I don't wanna stay here any longer." She held my hands in her and squeezed lightly. I sighed, I don't like her being here too.
"Okay fine I'll ask the doctor about it but only on one condition." I told her in a serious voice. Anika nodded her head eagerly.
"What is it?" She looked uncertain.
"The only thing you will do while we are home is to take complete rest and take your medicine in time."
"I promise."
"Fine, just take some rest. Tomorrow morning we'll see what the doctor has to say." I mumbled.
********
"Glad to be home?" I asked as I stood behind my wife with my arms wrapped around her. After getting a go ahead signal from the doctor we brought Anika home after one more day in hospital. Now we are home waiting for Maa as she asked us to wait outside so she could take aarti of Anika.
She leaned into me and nodded her head slightly. " I am. I can't wait to eat home cooked meals and sleep in our bed." I smiled and kissed her side of her head.
Maa brought out the Aarti plate took Anika and I's aarti and welcomed us inside the house. I slowly helped Anika to the living room and helped her sit on the couch. All the family members gathered around Anika fussing over her. She just watched them with a serene smile on her face.
"Anika you must be tired. Go get some rest." Dadu said looking at her tired face after a while. She nodded and I slowly helped her to our room.
We walked into our room and closed the door behind us. "Finally." She turned to me with a smile.
"Shower?" I asked. She nodded and we headed to the shower.
I set the temperature of the water when I turned to Anika. She was looking at herself in the mirror with tears in her eyes. "Ready." She nodded, as tears streamed down her face.
The sight rips my heart and the rage I felt for Vishal increases even more. I wish I could torture him some more. I sucked in deep breath trying to contain my rage at Vishal and anger at myself for letting this happen to her.
"Hey!" I cupped her cheeks and made her look at me. "You are safe now." I murmured. Her eyes welled up rendering me helpless. "Hey stop now, I can't see you crying. It breaks my heart." My voice hoarse as it cracked at the end.
She gulped and turned my way, I wiped her tears kissing her whole face. Grateful and thankful to whoever listened to my prayers and saved her and potentially saved me.
If anything were to happen to her. I don't think I would have been able to continue living. I would have followed her. I don't think I can ever imagine a world where Anika, my wife, my heart is not by my side. My literal reason for living.
"Hush now baby." I kissed her hair. "Let's get you undressed." I helped her take off her clothes taking special care while removing her t-shirt. I made sure cover her stab wound on her stomach so it doesn't get wet in the shower.
I guided her to the shower and opened the door, where we paused as I stripped out of my clothing. When I'm naked, I took her hand again and we both stepped in.
Beneath the cascading steam of water, I held her hard and tight against me.
I never want to let her go.
She continued to cry, her tears washed away by the shower flowing over us. I rocked her gently from side to side, the rhythm soothing me and, hopefully, Anika.
I heard her sobs turn into tiny sniffles as she stepped out of my arms. "Better?"
She nodded. "Good now let me look at you." Anika looked confused. I hoped and prayed she wouldn't stop me. I needed to see for myself what that bastard did to my wife.
I slowly turned her arms and looked at the abrasions on her arms on both her arms and scratches on her elbows. The bruises and bite marks on her chest. I gulped, the bruises on her neck were especially bad. The sight of this infuriated me, making me have murderous thoughts even though the bastard is just a shell of himself.
I turned her around gently and sucked in a sharp breath the bruises on her back black. There were finger shaped bruises on her hips that looked absolutely painful. She was so brave and strong for not giving up and standing strong even after what she went through. I turned her around and she looked absolutely broken.
I bent to kiss each scrape and bruise, planting the barest of kisses at each site. I need her to know that I love her and will do anything for her. "It doesn't hurt," Anika said quietly, and I raised my head to meet her brilliant gaze.
I don't believe her.
"I want to kill him. I nearly did." The rage I felt when I saw him on the ground after I found Anika was so profound that I knew if Chirag didn't stop I would have killed him right there and then.
Gathering the loofa and I slowly lathered up her body and washed her with at most care as she was made of glass. After I was done with her body, I slowly started washing her hair. When I put some shampoo on my hands Anika's eyes lit up with mirth. "What?"
"That's so little. I need more shampoo than that to wash my hair." She mumbled.
"Baby, that's ten times what I use for my hair." she smiled and shook her head. I added a little more gently massaged her hair. I only used my fingertips so I didn't hurt her.
After I was done washing her I did a quick work on myself and switched off the shower and stepped out taking a towel and wrapping her into one and another around my waist.
"Come." We walked out of the ensuite and made our way into the closet where I pulled one of my t-shirts and one of her shorts and helped her wear it after carefully removing the waterproof protection from her wound on her stomach.
I handed her a towel to dry her hair, only she knew how vigorous to be, she is the one with the hair line fracture in her skull.
"I still don't understand how he planned everything so perfectly to take me." It felt like she intruded one of my dark thoughts.
"I know." I said. I waited for her to ask me about what I know, but the question never came. I looked at her to see she had lost her train of thoughts as she looked at me, all of me.
I smirked. "Enjoying the view."
"How do you know?"
"That you are enjoying the view?" She blinked and came out of her trance.
"No!" She looked exasperated. "About Vishal and his plans."
I sighed. "Ani, you promised not to ask about him again." I shook my head. "He has been watching you, stalking you and preparing to kidnap you for a long time. But all his attempts failed because of the guards you were surrounded with. And this time he only succeeded now because I became reckless thinking he was harmless and underestimating him."
"Avy, I already told you it's not your fault please don't blame yourself." She cupped my cheeks standing on her toes and kissed me. I kissed her slowly keeping her cut lips in mind.
As soon as I felt her tongue against mine, my body came into life. Desire courses through my veins like raging inferno. I kissed for a few more seconds before pulling away.
She frowned. "Not now, definitely not here."
"But-" She started but I hushed her.
"Let's not get started, we know how it gets when we start." I explained, pulling on a sweatpant and a plain white t-shirt. Ani still looked disappointed, even I felt disappointed but now is not the time to be thinking about sex.
Focus Avy!
I chide myself. "Avy!" She called. Shaking my head I walked her out of the closet and made her sit on the couch while I turned on the hair dryer to dry her hair.
Sitting behind her I started drying her hair as she sat between my legs. I brushed through her wet hair. I love combing her hair. It's so soothing. Soon the only sound in our room was the hair dryer as Anika's shoulders slumped and she relaxed into me.
"So is the investigation still going on?" She asked.
"I don't think so. We have all the evidence we need to convict him. He's is going to be spending his remaining days in jail and we don't need to worry about that."
She hummed. "I heard some of the conversations while I was unconscious."
"Hmm, you did?"
"Yeah, I heard your voice, Dadu Dadi, Kshitij, Maa."
"And Utkarsh and Sakshi."
"Sakshi was there?"
"Yes she was, she was the only one who could handle you crazy big brother. She was there for him the whole time you were unconscious."
"Hmm, but why are they hiding it from me? I want to know." She said stubbornly.
"Ani, let them take their own time. They will eventually tell you when they are ready." I kissed her neck and kept aside the dryer.
"Fine, I'll let it go." I grinned and stood up.
"I'll go get some food for you after eating. You need to take your medication." After eating and taking her medicine I made Anika lie down, taking off my shirt and I carefully slipped beside her.
"Can I persuade you for at least a make out session?" She asked with a hopeful smile. I chuckled at her adorableness.
"No, you need rest. Sleep, we'll talk about it later." She huffed burying her face deeper into chest. "Good night, baby."
"Good night Avy." I could feel her smiling against my chest. I kissed her head pulling her closer to me and closed my eyes with a smile on my lips.
*******
A week later
"Anika, be careful." I warned as she tried to walk faster as we reached our room after having dinner. After consulting the doctor many times that it was okay for her to walk up and down the stairs I took her down to eat and let her take walks in our garden.
"I'm fine Avy. Can you please stop badgering me." She huffed as I helped her into our bed. I rolled my eyes and sat beside her.
"You still need to recover. Don't tell me you're fine." I scolded as I slid in beside her and pulled her closer to me. But she pushed me away. "Anika." I groaned.
"No you don't get to touch me." She moved away from me.
"But sweetheart, that's not fair. I need to touch you." I tried to hold her hand but she snatched it away.
"No. You said you wouldn't touch me, two days ago. So don't touch me." She scowled. She has not let me touch her unless it was while she was sleeping.
"Ani, that's not what I meant-"
"Then what did you mean?" She raised her eyebrow at me.
"I meant we can't make love until you recover. You must be in pain and I can't knowingly put more pressure on your injuries." I explained patiently even though I'm anything but.
"But I said I'm fine. But you are being overbearing and annoying right now." My lips perked up at her annoyance.
"You know what fuck it!" Before I could do or say anything she pulled my head by my hair and slammed her lips onto mine.
Shell shocked I was frozen for a second before I felt her tongue tease mine. For the first time in a week I let go the inhibitions I was holding and cupped the back of her neck and tilted her head for better access.
I tangled my tongue with her and kissed her like my life depends on it. I ran my tongue in her lower lip, bitting it with my teeth and sucked it into my mouth. She gasped, tightening her hold on my shirt.
"Avy." She moaned. That pulled me out of my carnal desire. Cursing myself I pulled away from her. We both were panting as if we ran a marathon. Anika tried to pull me back but I stood up to avoid temptation.
"Anika, sleep now." I said pointing at the bed.
"Sleep?" Her face fell with disappointment. I hate seeing her like this but we can afford to put a damper on her recovery which has been going so well.
"Yes, sleep! You need rest."
"I need you!" She said in a husky voice that said 'come on in here'
Closing my eyes I took a deep breath to control my raging hard on and be patient with her. I opened my eyes to look at her watching me with the same coy look.
She's hurt.
I glared at her. "Just do as you told, Anika."
"Okay," she mutters, with an exaggerated pout that immediately lifts my mood and makes me want to laugh.
"Good! Now I want to see you resting while I quickly grab some files and my laptop from my study. Okay."
"You are leaving." She tried to sit up and ended up wincing. She is still hurting from the bruises on her ribs. But being the stubborn woman she is she will never admit it.
"Bed, Anika."
"Join me." She stretched her hand to me in a last ditch attempt.
"I will, you know I will but right now I want you to rest and I will be right by your side working. Okay?" She nodded. Giving her on last peck I walk to my study.
*********
Hey guys,
How are you doing?
I tried my best to update the chapter last week but it was not possible. I had a very hectic past few weeks and i couldn't update.
But here is the update. Hope you guys love the update.
I have a question do you guys want pregnancy trope or do you want it in an epilogue?
Let me know what you think of this chapter.
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A❤️☺️