"Manik, now I'm the one who's being kidnapped. Let me tell you that this feels horrible," I say. Grinning knowingly, Manik brings the back of my hand up to his lips, leaving a light peck on it.
"Trust me, Angel, this biting curiosity will be worth it once we reach our destination." He assures me, his leg shaking back and forth in excitement.
"Could you give me a teeny tiny hint?" I beg, scooting closer to him. The wicked smile on Manik's face tells me he has no intentions to let out even the slightest whisper regarding the destination we're headed for. "At least tell me as to how much longer we need to sit in this blacked out car for."
"Five more minutes, Angel." Manik replies, taking a quick glance at his watch. Sighing, I rest my head against the window, blackness staring back at me instead of the world outside. Manik has rented a Mercedes van, whose windows are tinted. Unfortunately, they're blackened out in such a manner that I cannot view anything through the windows, and neither can the people outside see anything but the colour black.
The cracking of Manik's knuckles interrupt the silence around us. Furrowing my brows, I turn my gaze towards my husband. He is still shaking his leg vigorously, his fingers continuously at work. Wait a second...the actions that I translated as an output of excitement are actually due to nervousness.
"Manik, are you alright?" I ask, concerned. Clearing his throat, the Devil gives a subtle shake of his head, before he nods a few times; almost as if he is trying to reassure himself more than me.
"Yes, of course." Manik says, his tone louder than it needs to be. "Why wouldn't I be?" Shaking my head in disappointment at my husband's pathetic efforts to lie, I place my hand above his to stop the constant fidgeting.
"Something's clearly bothering you," I state matter-of-factly. "A gut feeling tells me that it has something to do with wherever we're headed." The car comes to a halt, Manik's body language changing at once. He is suddenly more alert, as if anticipating an attack. Before I can get any answers out of Manik, the locks click, causing him to hurriedly slide the door open.
"Come on out, Angel." Manik says, exiting the car. Taking his outstretched hand, I get out of the car as well. Frankly, I expected a hotel to greet me, or a restaurant. However, instead of such romantic backdrops, I am met with the sight of a plane.
"We are on a tarmac," I say, as if Manik is unaware of our whereabouts. The driver has parked the van in front of a flight of stairs that lead up towards the plane's entrance. "What're we...Manik, what's going on?" Pure confusion is clouding my mind.
"Angel, we're going sailing." Manik replies sarcastically, wrapping his arm around my waist. "What the fuck do you think we're going to do with a plane? Board it and fly someplace else, of course."
"Where exactly is this, 'Someplace else,' located?" I ask, as my husband guides me towards the staircase. "And is this a private plane, Manik?" How much money does this man possess?
"Yes it is," he replies nonchalantly, as if every other person in Mumbai owns one. "And the destination is still a secret, but I will try my level best to ensure you enjoy this journey, Madame." Smiling, I begin to ascend the flight of stairs. I can never predict Manik's next move, no matter how hard I try to do so. My feet halt at once, a thought entering my head.
"Manik," I say, turning around to face him. "I haven't packed for a trip. I mean, how am I expected to board a plane, to an unknown destination, without any of my personal belongings. All I've got in this bag of mine is a lipgloss, a few thousand rupees, and my phone." Grinning, my husband places his hands on my shoulders and turns me around to face the entrance of the plane.
"You know, Angel, only you would think of such a logical detail at a time like this. Don't worry," he says, "I've taken care of everything. Now all I request is that you focus on the now, and live it to the fullest, instead of worrying yourself over all the crap that usually travels in your head. Lord, you deserve a crown for being the best party pooper mankind has ever seen."
Truth be told, Manik's words don't put me at ease until I see two men loading our suitcases into the cargo compartment. Thankfully, one of those suitcases is mine. This also means that Manik has packed my luggage. Frowning, I stop again, swivelling in my spot.
"Manik," I say, clearing my throat. "Since you're saying you took care of everything, I have a feeling you packed my luggage. That also means you must've seen my undergarments."
"Seen and touched indeed," Manik claims proudly.
"Do you have any concept of personal space, and privacy?" I ask, drowning underneath a pool of embarrassment. My undergarments aren't brand new, and neither are they the sexiest ones in the market, so the mere thought of Manik seeing them has me preparing to jump off this staircase.
"Don't you see the hypocrisy in this, Angel?" Manik asks, throwing his hands in the air. "You can grab my ass, and jewels whenever the hell you please. But now that I have touched your lingerie you're hell bent on making a scene." He scoffs, shaking his head. "In the twenty-first century there's no such thing as appreciation, huh? Think about it like this, will you be more comfortable traveling without any lingerie, or more grateful to me because I've packed your shit?"
Letting out a huff of annoyance, I begin to make my way down the staircase. I'm not going anywhere with Manik. All I wish to do is bury myself underneath my blanket and stay there for the entire year. He has already witnessed me at my worst the night I got drunk, and now he has also handled my lingerie.
"Where are you going?" Manik asks from behind me.
"Home!" I exclaim. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
"I can't let that happen." He says, his shoes thudding against the structure, as he descends behind me. The Devil hoists me into his arms, causing a squeal to escape my lips.
"Manik, put me down." I order, gritting my teeth. Who told Aiyappa to make me as light as a feather and him as strong as Hulk? "I am going nowhere with you forcefully."
"Whatever," Manik mumbles, turning around and heading towards the entrance of the plane. The fear of struggling and causing the two of us to stumble down has left me with no choice but to fume in Manik's arms.
"This is abuse!" I yell, noticing that the aviation staff is now watching us. "He's taking me by force." I shove an accusing finger into Manik's finger. "Call the police!" However, instead of yelling, or making moves to stop my husband, they simply stare at us - as if we are a movie they're watching.
"Angel," Manik says, his chest rumbling with low laughter. "They work for me. I sign their paycheques, so who exactly do you think they'll listen to?" Groaning, I cross my arms across my chest and glare at the doorway of the plane.
"The next dish I make for you will be cooked with rat poison, instead of oil," I say.
"Your hands will make the bitterest poison taste as sweet as chocolate." Manik whispers, leaving a light peck on my cheek. How am I supposed to maintain my facade of anger towards the Devil when such words escape his lips? "Finally," he sighs, stepping into the plane. I continue to glare at my husband as he lowers me onto the ground. Smirking, Manik stays rooted to his spot in front of the entrance, completely blocking it off.
"There's no way I'm carrying you all the way up again, Angel." He says, shaking his arms. "I may look like I've got a lot of muscle, but I'm no Superman. And you may look like you don't weigh much, but you're no model."
"Then why don't you bring a model in here and let me go home?" I ask, pouting. "You seem to clearly care about every other woman on the face of this earth, except your dear, oh-so-lovely wife."
"Congratulations on voicing out the greatest lie ever." Manik claps his hands together, the sound resonating around the silent interior of the aircraft. "Angel, no other woman is Nandini Murthy, thereby making it humanly impossible for me to give even two shits about them." On their own volition, my lips tug upwards, a grin making its way onto my face.
"Turn around, Angel." Manik says, his eyes sweeping across the interior of the plane.
"The seats better be made out of gold, Manik." I say, obliging to his words. "Otherwise, I'll be greatly dis..." I trail off, a gasp escaping my lips. What in the world is all of this?
A/N: Hey ya'll! Yesterday, I published two chapters. However, some of you have messaged me, complaining that the second update - Mending Burnt Bridges - isn't visible. You're getting the notification, but upon clicking on it, the chapter isn't loading. If the majority of ya'll are facing this issue, then please do tell me, so that I can delete and re-upload that chapter. Take care and stay safe xx