chapter 42

Vikrant flinched ever so slightly, pausing mid-air with the spoon just an inch from his mouth, when Pari slammed the bowl against the table a little too harshly while serving sabji into her plate. The clatter echoed louder than necessary, laced with clear irritation.Trying to act normal, he slowly put the food into his mouth, then cleared his throat and attempted a conversation."Uh... Pari, can you please pass me that bowl?"She didn't even glance at him. Instead, she addressed Akansha, her tone syrupy sweet but sharp enough to cut glass."Maa, inse keh dijiye khud le lein."( Maa, tell him to get it by himself.)Akansha hid her smile behind her hand, pretending to be engrossed in her food. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she glanced at Vikrant.The multi-millionaire, who built empires and made headlines, was sitting quietly, completely out of depth because his young, furious wife wouldn't even pass him a bowl.It was an oddly heartwarming sight.Vikrant chewed slowly, not really tasting the food, his mind drifting back to the moment he had entered their room.The door had creaked open gently as he stepped inside, holding the heavy gift box in one hand, the beautiful saree in rich maroon and gold folded neatly inside. He had even rehearsed what to say during the drive but none of it had worked.Pari hadn't even looked up from her book.He'd placed the box on the bed, gently sliding it toward her. Still nothing. She'd simply turned a page.Chewing the inside of his lower lip, he sat beside her and dared to reach for her hand.But she had calmly stood up, picked her phone from the side table, and walked out of the room without a word.And now here they were.Sharing the same dinner table, in the same house, breathing the same air-yet oceans apart.Vikrant dared another glance at her. She was busy eating, calm on the outside, but her silence was screaming at him." You know, maa. They asked me to bring you guys some day."He tried again. Akansha pretended to be with her son's side, " oh? Really?"" Yes, Pari. Do you want to go-"He sealed his mouth when Pari got up from the chair and went to the kitchen with her empty plate."God!"Vikrant groaned, slumping in his chair, and Akansha just chuckled, thoroughly enjoying the rare sight of her son in distress."Maa? Can you-"He paused mid-sentence as the soft jingle of anklets echoed through the room. Both heads turned toward the sound.Pari walked out of the kitchen, calm and graceful, not sparing him a single glance as she headed straight upstairs.Akansha smirked and sipped her water. "Never seen you this nervous before."Vikrant frowned, shifting uncomfortably. " I'm not nervous.""Oh, you definitely are," she teased, thoroughly amused.Worry flashed across his face before he let out a breath and asked, more earnestly now, "Can you suggest something? I mean... how do I make this right?"Akansha shrugged with a smile. "Tumhari biwi hai. Tum jaano."( Your wife. You should know.)Vikrant stared at her, betrayed. "Maa!"She laughed softly as he grumbled and shoveled the last spoon of food into his mouth."I will," he muttered with forced confidence, chewing like a man preparing for war.Vikrant wiped his mouth with the napkin, stood up, and took a deep breath as if preparing for a boardroom battle. Akansha watched him with a knowing smile as he made his way toward the stairs."Best of luck!" she called after him.He waved a hand over his shoulder without turning back. "I don't need luck. I have charm.""Which clearly didn't work this time!" she added with a chuckle.Vikrant climbed the stairs slowly, mentally rehearsing everything he might say. 'I'm sorry' sounded too common. 'I missed you' sounded manipulative. Maybe... 'I brought you sweets?' but I didn't.He paused outside their bedroom door. The soft click of her bangles inside told him she was still moving around, no doubt. He knocked once, then pushed the door open gently.Pari stood by the dresser, removing her earrings. Her back was to him, and though she noticed his presence, she didn't turn.Vikrant took a few cautious steps inside. " Pari..."No response." I brought you a saree," he said carefully, placing the folded fabric on the bed. "And sweets. The people whose house I went to have sent all this for you."Still nothing."Pari, look..." he ran a hand through his hair. "I should've called. I should've told you. I just didn't think it would take this long. I didn't mean to upset you."She adjusted her bangles without a word. He walked closer, voice gentler now."I hate it when you're mad at me. I swear, it feels like punishment."Finally, she turned slowly, arms crossed, gaze steady." Because it is a punishment."His eyebrows knitted together, " humne aakhir kara hi kya hai-"( What have I even done-)He stopped mid-sentence when she raised her eyebrows in a sharp challenge."Matlab... haan, thodi der ho gayi, par kaam tha na, baba..." he tried to explain weakly.( I mean,, yes, I got a little late but got some work, baby.)He stepped closer, his voice dropping into that sweet, coaxing tone she was usually too weak to resist. He knew how to bend her will with gentle touches and affectionate words. But before he could close the last foot of space between them, she raised her palm, stopping him, and turned her head coldly to the side.She didn't speak but her silence hit harder than any words.The last thread of his patience snapped as she began to walk past him."Pari-"He caught her wrist, pulling her gently back to where she stood moments ago. She stumbled slightly, stepping backward as he advanced toward her with slow, determined steps."Kyu tang kar rahe hain aap? Hum nahi maanenge," she muttered defiantly.( Why are you troubling me? I won't melt.)Vikrant planted his hands on either side of her, gripping the edge of the dressing table behind her, caging her in."Baat kyun badha rahi ho tum, Pari?" he asked, voice low but strained with emotion.( Why are you prolonging the matter, Pari?)She scoffed and sharply turned her head to the side again. His jaw clenched in frustration. He reached out and cupped her cheek gently but firmly, guiding her face back toward him."Don't turn your head away," he said, eyes boring into hers.Her eyes blazed as they locked with his. Without missing a beat, she shoved him back with both hands on his chest."Don't come near me," she snapped.Vikrant let out a low chuckle, a teasing smirk playing on his lips as he stepped forward again."I will. Stop me if you can."Pari narrowed her eyes in irritation, her glare sharp."What do you even think of yourself?"He leaned in, once again boxing her in between his arms on the dressing table. His gaze dipped to her lips for a second." Your husband," he murmured with quiet dominance."No!" she snapped, breath hitching slightly.He looked back into her eyes, searching, perhaps expecting more defiance, but what he found was something deeper."What do you think? That you can drive me crazy whenever you want?" she shot back, her voice thick with emotion. " You never tell me anything. Never share. Sometimes... sometimes it feels like I don't even know you at all."His teasing expression faded. Eyebrows knitting together, he blinked at her, the air suddenly heavier." Pari... what do you mean?" he asked, genuinely confused now, his voice low, softer.It wasn't just about the delay anymore. Not even Mehargarh.There was more. Something unsaid. And now... he could feel it.She swallowed hard and blinked. For a second, he could see a sprinkle of fear in her eyes, so brief, it was almost like she hadn't meant to show it. But Vikrant caught it. His expression hardened. The warmth in his gaze disappeared, replaced by something colder, more dangerous." Kisi ne kuch kaha?"( Did someone trouble you?)She stared into his eyes before parting her mouth to speak."Why? Will you beat them up?"The sarcasm in her voice was sharp enough to cut, but the flicker of confusion that crossed Vikrant's face was quickly extinguished. Replaced by a simmering fury as soon as she said," Your father. I met him today."Vikrant's breath hitched, jaw tightening.He took a step forward, voice dangerously low."Where?""At a café," she muttered. "Prena and I went after university. She left early. I was finishing my coffee when he came."" What did he say?" he demanded.She flinched slightly at the sheer force behind his voice. She had seen him angry before. But this... this was different. This was the man she never wanted to face like this.Pari lowered her gaze for a second, took a breath, then looked up again."He told me things... about you.. and Sarthak."The name alone made Vikrant's veins stiffen. His fists clenched unconsciously."He said Sarthak didn't meet with an accident... that you-" she paused, hesitating- "you did that to him. You beat him."Vikrant's eyes burned, his jaw set so tight it could crack. His entire body tensed like a bomb about to explode."Why?" she asked, voice breaking now. "Why would you do that to someone? You beat him so mercilessly?"He didn't answer immediately.He didn't want this cruel part of his life, this sin to reach her but it has now.Now she moved closer to him. Her hands raised and rested on his chest. Her gaze softened but shimmered with fear."When I said I wanted him to be punished for what he did... I didn't mean like this," she whispered. "Your hands... I never wanted them stained with blood. W-why?"She blinked, swallowing the lump in her throat."You could have handed him over to the police, or anything worse. But why this?"Vikrant's expression darkened. His voice was a quiet storm."Worse... is me."She frowned slightly at his words, confusion settling on her features. Before she could ask again, he cupped her cheeks gently, possessively, and locked his eyes with hers, his gaze burning with fierce protectiveness and raw passion." Agar apni patni ki raksha karna paap hai to hum papi sahi. Aise logo ke liye nyaay bhi hum, sazaa bhi hum, aur judge bhi hum."( If protecting my wife is a sin, then yes- I'm a sinner. For men like him, I am justice. I am a punishment. I am the judge.)His breath mingled with hers, and for a moment, silence lingered, thick with emotion, fear, and a love so wild it frightened them both" But-"He put his thumb on her lips and the sensuous touch only weakened her knees." Paap aur punya ginn-na tumhara kaam nahi. Jiska hai usko karne do."( Counting sin and virtue is not your job. Let the one whose job it is, do it.)He caressed his thumb down from her lips, allowing her to speak." But you are doing all this because of me."His lips carved into a sly smile and he moved little back, dropped his hands from her cheeks only to flip her around and pull her back against his chest.She tilted her head as he dipped his face into the crook of her neck. Her vision blurred as intoxication clouded her brain when he teasingly bit her skin and pulled it with his teeth." Indeed."Pari shivered in his hold as his fingers slid up her arms, locking around her wrists and bringing them to rest against her stomach. She was caged, again, but not just by his arms. By his fire, his obsession."You're right. Every drop of blood I spilled... every scream I ripped out of him, was for you."His voice laced with poison while she swallowed hard, trying to steady herself, but her breath hitched when his grip tightened around her wrists." Anyone who dares to lay a finger on what's mine... doesn't get justice. He gets me."She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath as he traced his nose all the way from her neck to her shoulder, stopping at her cut sleeves."I don't care if the world calls me a monster," he whispered, " as long as you know I would burn the world down to keep you untouched."Pari's heartbeat thundered in her chest. Her mind screamed at her to push him away, to question him, to fear this side of him... but her heart? Her heart betrayed her.Because in the silence that followed, she didn't move. She couldn't.She had seen his madness.But she had also seen the lengths his love could go.And that terrified her more than anything else.With the help of his teeth, he tugged at the delicate cut of her sleeve, dragging the fabric down her shoulder, exposing her upper arm to the cool air and to his scorching breath.Her chest rose in shallow gasps, but her body refused to move. The tension in the room coiled tighter.His lips followed, kissing the revealed skin slowly, deliberately... before whispering words that chilled her spine more than his touch ever could." When I never allowed myself to touch you, then no fucking bastard should be allowed to even think about touching you."Pari's breath caught in her throat as his hand traced the curve of her waist, possessive and firm.His voice lowered, more venomous than ever, " tumhara pyaar, tumhara, savera, tumhara andhera... sab kuch hamara hai. Jo kisi aur ne socha bhi, uska anjaam sirf maut hai."( Your love, Your light, Your darkness is all mine. Anybody who dared to even think of it, his end is only death.)He pressed his lips to her shoulder again, this time longer, claiming her like a brand."You think I did what I did for revenge?" he hissed against her skin. "No, Pari. I did it because he dared to stain you. Because he thought of using you to defeat me. And I fucking hate when people stop low."He pulled her tighter against his chest, his breath uneven, his heart pounding like a storm behind her."I'd burn this world to the ground, Pari. Just for you.. just for you."She trembled in his hold, unsure if it was from fear, fury, or the maddening intensity that poured off him like fire.She squeezed her eyes shut when he bit her earlobe." This is madness, I know."Then came the flick of his tongue against her earlobe- slow, deliberate and her knees threatened to give way. Her thighs pressed together involuntarily, a desperate attempt to contain the storm building inside her.He felt it. Every reaction. Every shiver. Every unspoken plea her body whispered.Her lips parted slightly, and he didn't miss the cue. Sliding his thumb into her mouth, he murmured, "And you know what else is madness?"She gave a timid nod, her head falling back onto his shoulder, giving herself to his dominance inch by inch.His thumb grazed her tongue, slow and calculated, before he pulled it out and brought the same hand to gently wrap around her throat, not enough to hurt, but enough to make her breath hitch.A dangerous smirk danced on his lips as he whispered in her ear, "Madness is me confessing my sins..."His grip tightened just a fraction, enough to draw a gasp from her lips."...while you-" his voice dropped, teasing and sharp, " are standing here, trembling... aching for every sinful touch I give you."Her cheeks flushed as he caught her red handed." Tell me, Pari... am I the sinner... or are you just as guilty?"She tried to turn to face him, but he didn't allow it. Instead, he turned her head slightly, pressing a kiss just beneath her jaw, a kiss that seared through her veins like wildfire." I am not," she dared to lie, even though her inside screamed and ached to be touched by him again.." Uhmn?"She sucked her breath as he bit her jaw, letting his hand slowly slip from her throat to her waist." Let me find myself," he whispered.Her chest rose and fell with rising tension. Her heart betrayed her. Her body burned but she pressed her lips tight, trying to hold it in.She gasped loudly when without any warning, he undoed her drawstring of plazo, lossesing it." Vikrant- ah.."It was supposed to be a warning but turned out a moan when his hand slipped into her lower dress and first two fingers came in contact with her soaked panty.She pressed her lips tightly and shut her eyes out of shame. He opened his eyes and stared at their reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks turned crimson red. She looked very petite in his arms.When he pulled his hand out, he stared deep into their reflection and said," Next time you lie... make sure you don't moan when I touch you."Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. She parted her lips, perhaps to protest, perhaps to speak but before a single word could form, he slipped his fingers right back into her mouth and pressed his other hand flat against her waist, firm through the fabric of her suit.She gasped around his fingers, grasping his wrist with trembling hands, but instead of pushing him away, she let her lips close around him.He hissed under his breath, eyes narrowing at her reflection.His fingers pressed more firmly at her waist, molding her against him. Her knees weakened, her breath staggered, but she didn't let go.His lips carved into a smirk as she, herself started sucking on his two fingers." Good girl," he whispered darkly into her ear while she found herself shamelessly obeying all his orders.He pulled his fingers out from her mouth after a few moments and moved his hand lower.She bit her lower lip, trying to stop the tremble that had already spread through her limbs. The night wasn't supposed to be spent like this. She had promised herself she wouldn't melt, wouldn't falter.She had planned to confront him, demand answers, accuse him, make him understand the darkness he was dragging her into. She wasn't going to let him silence her pain with his touch.But now... now her body betrayed her.Each breath she took was laced with his scent, each passing second found her pressed deeper into his hold, where her resolve had no space to breathe. His hands moved over her like he had every right to, as if her skin was sculpted for him, as if her body was his canvas and he alone could paint pleasure across it.She tried to resist, to pull back into the shell she'd so carefully built after meeting Angad. After hearing about the blood Vikrant had spilled. The same hands that had painted someone's face in bruises were now brushing her waist like a soft hymn. The same fingers that carried the scent of violence now slid lower to her body like a prayer.It was wrong. So wrong.And yet, as her knees weakened and her breath quickened, her thoughts began to slip. Her heart pounded in confusion, fear... desire. His mouth was at her ear, his voice sinking into her skin like poison and honey all at once, and she hated how easily her body surrendered.Because no matter how much she told herself to run, to push him away... her back arched subtly into him. Her fingers clenched the edge of the dresser. And her lips parted, not to protest, but to welcome his name in a silent breath." Oh!"She breathed and rested her head against his shoulder as his right hand slipped into her panty, skipping the plazo part." Oh.. Vikrant!"She moaned senselessly and felt like darting his tongue and licking the side of her neck all the way from her ear down to her collarbone." Ah.. oh God!"She grumbled and squeezed her eyes, trembling in his arms as he pinched her sensitive skin." So wet for me, Pari? Do you.. want me to leave now?"He teased her, took advantage of the situation. Ofcourse, why would a man like him ever bend? He demanded submissionShe clenched her jaw in desperation, hating herself for letting him flip the table." N..no," she stammered." Hn? Why?"She sucked her own breath and gasped loudly as he played with her clit." Hm. Why, Pari?"While, he only enjoyed her situation. His voice rang deep into her ear and sent jolting sensations to her causing goosebumps to appear on her skin." B.. because I.."Her mouth parted and no word came out of her mouth and he started caressing her sensitive part with three fingers." Ah..oh.."She felt shame overpowering her but still, it couldn't stop her from moaning his name aloud." Tell me before I stop."No no no. He cannot stop. But underestimating him wouldn't be okay. He does what he says. She licked her dried out lower lip and swallowed her own saliva before saying something she never planned to say in her life." I.. I want you, Vik...rannt!!"She jolted with sensations when he parted her fold and slipped an inch of his index finger into her. The effect was so deadly that she ended up screaming his name and holding his right arm as if her life depended on it.He smirked and inhaled her scent before pulling his finger out slowly." Sure. My wife's need is my command!"Her mouth parted as she found it difficult to stand on her feet. Her grip loosened on his arm when he slowly slipped his middle finger into her cunt, earning a pleasure coated moan from her." Ahhh... Slow.."She demanded, not used to the new sensation. There was a difference between his tongue and fingers!" Uhmn," he hummed and took his time marking her flesh.His finger slowly and cautiously moved into her lower region. Her body stiffened until he moved half of his finger into her." Oh.."He pressed his palm on her belly when she stumbled and almost fell. Keeping her steady, he started moving his finger slowly in and out.He curled his fingers inside her, making sure she saw stars behind her closed eyelids." Ah.. please Vikrant!!!!"She screamed as it burned her while it only amused him. He chuckled against her flesh and brought his left hand upward until he got the hold of one of her breasts.She gasped loudly as he pressed his thumb against her clothed nipple while simultaneously moving his finger back and forth." Do you think with this tenderness, you can handle me?"Her cheeks burned hearing his shameless words. He kneaded her breast, fitting it properly in his palm.She screamed again as he didn't pull out, and just moved his finger deeper into her hole." I am just preparing you."What else was madness? She was loving every bit of it. His roughness. His dominance. His sinful words and the way he was controlling her, showing her stars in the closed bedroom.She cried more when she slipped another finger into her. She breathed harshly and grasped his left hand with both hands, anchoring herself." Open your eyes, Pari."She did not." Open your eyes!"She flinched as he fastened his pace and snapped her eyes open. The first view she got was of them, in the mirror. Her, being caged in his arms, holding his left hand which was on her breast while his other hand hidden under her clothes, covered yet uncovering her.He smirked and she caught it. Her cheeks burned." Ahh..."She groaned in pleasure as he curled his fingers inside her. He kept his eyes on their reflection, staring deep into her eyes through the mirror while moving his fingers back and forth into her.She rolled her eyes back and left his hand, reaching her high slowly. His speed fastened eventually, letting her feel all the new sensation she had not discovered ever in her life. Last time his tongue.. now his fingers. She might die.Her body tightened when his fingers drew orgasm out of her body roughly. The sudden wave of pleasure hit her like a threatening thunderstorm for a moment before she loosened herself. She felt drained and couldn't move her body much.⋆༺✷༻⋆To be continued.Read more chapters in scrollstack as early access.