27. The mall

Anika

We settled into our seats on the jet. Jai sat beside me, his hand intertwined with mine throughout our time at the airport.

We had to skip the honeymoon since Jai had to take over as the CEO the following day, and managing it from another country wasn't easy. Nonetheless, I loved the best four days of my life. Now, we were headed to Dubai for the first time.

I've shared many firsts with him, and now I'm scared that if something happens, I won't be the same anymore. However, now that we're married, I no longer need to entertain such thoughts.

"What's going on in that brain of yours?" he tapped my temple.

"Nothing," I wrapped my hands around his bicep and rested my head on his shoulder. The casual gesture of resting our heads on each other had become second nature.

"Stop overthinking," he brushed my hair and gave my head a kiss.

This guy, typically calm and collected in public, transforms into someone different when we're alone. He even gave me the window seat for the best night view during our 4-hour journey from Hyderabad to Dubai.

My mind drifted to the foundation incident. It wasn't a big deal, and Mom never mentioned anything before that day, so I wasn't mad at her.

The only thought was, did Jai find me beautiful?

Jai had his head rested on my shoulder. Both of us were sleepy from being busy the night before, and the thought itself made my stomach drop. Instead of sleeping, he started kissing my neck, a definite turn-on.

"No. Sleep. You barely slept yesterday," I said but didn't stop him.

He kissed my neck even harder. "Sleep is overrated," and pulled me onto his lap.

"What if someone hears us?" I asked.

"No one will come in here, even if they do," he replied and took my lips in a hungry kiss. He sensed the flicker of worry in my eyes, broke the kiss, and took my face in his palms.

"What's wrong, love?"

"Do you find me pretty, Jai?" I blurted out, stuck on this thought since a long time. If it were a normal arranged marriage, I wouldn't be this affected, but this was Jai, the one I've had feelings for a long time.

"Where is that thought coming from, Anika?" he asked, his tone serious. I didn't reply, avoiding eye contact.

"You are the prettiest woman I've ever laid my eyes on. I just keep looking at you, and let the other things fall, I don't care. I can't stay away or look away from you, Ani."

"And if you still don't believe me," he bucked his hips, and I felt his erection under me "This is the proof of how much I am attracted to you."

My cheeks flushed at his words, and the nagging thought faded. I didn't care about anyone's opinion now. I wrapped my hands around his neck and moved closer towards him.

"So, do you think you can keep quiet, Mr. Singhania?"

We landed at Dubai Airport around 8 pm local time. Jai had arranged a car for us right after we disembarked from the jet. It took about 20 minutes to reach our hotel, the 'Atlantis.' I called it the 'New Year movie wala hotel'.

We explored the luxurious hotel, and our room was a marvel—complete with a bedroom, kitchen, and a living room.

The bedroom even had an aquarium inside! I couldn't believe it.

By now, it was past 9 pm, and we were a bit tired from doing nothing. I suggested having dinner and checking out a few scenic spots, though Jai just wanted to head back to the room.

We had a cozy candlelight dinner at the hotel's restaurant. It was just the two of us, no one else to interfere, making it a peaceful and romantic setting.

As soon as we stepped out of the hotel, my phone rang. It was Aarav.

"Hello, beautiful," he greeted me.

"Hii, and don't you have a girlfriend to call her beautiful?" I teased.

"She's my miss universe," he replied winking.

"What is she doing? Are you with her?" I inquired, and he flipped the camera, revealing Nisha searching for something on the other side of the room.

"What is she doing?" I laughed.

"She lost her house keys," Aarav replied.

"Oh," I stopped laughing. The topic of house was serious for Nisha. A house that was never a home for her.

"Why? What's wrong?" Aarav sensed a shift in my mood.

"Nothing, nothing," I forced a smile. I didn't want to divulge too much, especially since I wasn't sure if Aarav knew about Nisha's past.

He updated us on their activities in the last few days. Aarav was taking on the role of the managing head in the company, alongside Jai.

Then me and Jai went to a few places, visited them and went to the beach.

I've barely been to beaches. Maybe I've gone to a beach when we went to one of the college trips but then after that none.

It was mostly empty, just a few people here and there so it was peaceful.

Both of us kept walking, hands interlocked, alongside of the water coming in waves, leaving footprints while walking. These are a few moments that I want to keep locked forever.

"Let's make a bet," I suggested and Jai raised one of his eyebrow.

"Aarav is serious about Nisha or not," I declared.

"That, he is," Jai confidently responded.

"Ugh, there's no fun betting with you. You're supposed to be on the opposite side, hubby!" I teased.

"Okay, even if I bet, both of us know that he's gone for her," Jai admitted.

"You observed that much?" I questioned.

"Yeah, men observe just as much. We just don't gossip like you," he said.

"You sure about that?"

"Maybe we gossip a little less, but still," he protested, and I playfully hit him on his upper arm. We laughed together.

As we returned to our room, Jai opened his laptop, and I joined him out of boredom.

"Hey," he pulled me closer, his laptop resting on a wooden plank on his thighs.

'The plan failed. He recognized that they were new people and couldn't be trusted,' someone said on the call. 'We know the location, but if we attack right then, the girls will be at risk,' someone else added.

"What is this about?" I asked.

"There's a mole in our company. He's been stealing from us secretly for a few years now, and he's involved in illegal activities, like sex trafficking," Jai explained, and I froze.

"Why not report him to the police?" I suggested.

"He has enough people and money to get him out of jail," Jai replied.

"So, what's the plan?" I inquired.

"Do you want to join?" Jai asked.

"Sure, if you're okay with that," I replied, not wanting to intrude.

"I have an idea," I shared after a few minutes of contemplation. "What if we blackmail him to come to a specific place on the same day we're planning to save the girls? We can use a jammer to block internet and network, making both our tasks possible."

Jai stared at me, and I asked, "Not good?"

"Perfect!" he exclaimed.

"Do you guys think this will work?" Jai asked the others.

"Yes! Maybe we can send him threatening messages beforehand to provoke him, ensuring he'll come. But the plan is perfect," someone suggested.

After discussing work and profits, the call ended.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked Jai.

"Like what?" he responded.

"You know like what"

"It's just... no one ever supported me like you did now. I'm really happy to have you, princess," he admitted, his eyes full of emotion.

"Aww," I hugged him. Jai rarely let his emotions show, so this felt important. He thanked me for supporting him, something he'd never done before.

Who's going to tell him that I'd do anything for him?

He rested his head on my chest, and I patted his head, keeping him close.

Later, we went to the bedroom and cuddled, feeling like I had everything in that moment.

The next morning, we woke up late, past 11 am, and rushed to have breakfast. We then headed to the mall, reaching around noon.

The mall was vast, and I was excited to explore all the stores.

I'm a girly girl who loves shopping and dressing up, and I love hyping up my friends with compliments. It's just who I am.

We visited several eye-catching stores, and in one, I picked about 20 outfits, loving each one. I asked Jai to select one, but he bought me all 20! I gave him a deep kiss for buying me that stuff when no one was watching though. He seemed pretty happy with the return gift.

We also visited a few other stores, and I managed to buy some gifts for Jai without him noticing. His birthday was approaching, and I wanted to be ready with gifts.

It was a challenging task because Jai always had his eyes on me, as if I'd disappear if he didn't keep looking. It was romantic, I must admit.

He carried all the bags wherever we went.

"I have hands, you know?" I teased.

"And then how would that be princess treatment?" he replied.

"I promised you that, didn't I?" he added.

We completed our shopping, and after a few hours, we boarded the jet and returned home.

I just hope every day feels like this from now on.

..........................................................................

❀₊˚⊹♡

I need 20 outfits. Who's gonna buy them for me?

I need a Jai Singhania now!

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