Page 128 of Mrs. Rathore

“No way…” he blurted before he could stop himself.

Rhea frowned. “You’re reacting like I asked for one of your kidneys.”

Aryan shot me a look before glancing back at her.

“I know how nosy you women are,” he said, pointing between the three of us. “If you get even a little too loud, I swear I’ll throw you all out.”

“I hope you don’t make noise with your wife and keep us up all night,” Kavya said with a mischievous shrug.

Aryan’s glare could’ve frozen fire. Jaw clenched, he turned and walked into the room without another word.

“God, the hot piece of ass he is,” Kavya moaned, watching him leave.

“Shut up, Kav!” Rhea said, laughing. “Don’t you dare eye my brother like that… he’s already reserved!”

“Well, I’m pretty horny and I can’t help it when it comes to hot guys,” Kavya giggled. “What have you cooked today?”

“Masala dosa,” I said, smiling. “I made extra. You two can have some.”

I served them as Kavya eagerly headed toward the dining table.

“Avni!” Aryan’s voice called from the room.

“I’ll be right back,” I told them, then quickly went to him.

When I entered, he was already dressed in uniform and looking breathtakingly handsome.

“What happened…?”

My words were stolen when Aryan kissed me hard, silencing everything in my chest. I melted into the kiss.

“This is a goodbye kiss,” he murmured as he pulled away with a boyish smile. Then he grabbed his cap, saluted me, and walked out the door.

I returned to the table where Rhea and Kavya were deep in conversation about a recent movie. I was glad they hadn’t noticed the red tints still lingering on my cheeks.

“Why don’t we go shopping?” Kavya suggested, biting into her dosa, chewing dramatically like a cow.

“I need to do my Kathak practice,” I replied, sitting across from them.

“We came here for fun and my exams are over. Please don’t be boring, Bhabhi,” Rhea pouted.

“Okay,” I sighed and nodded.

After breakfast, we went out for a tour of the cantonment. Rhea was familiar with most of the places, having visited often with her parents. We visited the park, the community hall, the army canteen, and finally the shopping mall. Rhea bought the most—expensive things she probably wouldn’t even use. Later, we stopped at a restaurant for brunch. It was fun spending time with them, but I couldn’t help missing Noor, who was now in Dubai with her husband. I wish she could be with us too.

In the evening, Aryan, Rhea, Kavya, and I had dinner together. I made paneer, pulao, and chapatis. For dessert, we had ice cream we picked up during our shopping trip. Aryan, though annoyed in the morning, now seemed at ease, enjoying both his sister's and my friend’s company. In fact, he even announced a trip to Jaipur since Saurav was coming down from Kolkata this weekend.

That night, after everyone had gone to bed, I changed into my nightgown and slid under the covers with Aryan. He was shirtless, wearing only his shorts. I felt a little thrill as he was home early, and we finally had time to ourselves.

“What were you doing with Ira on my birthday?” I asked quietly, my fingers tracing the dark stubble along his jawline.

“We were invited by one of the officers for a private dinner. I wouldn’t have gone if you had agreed to go out with me,” he said, his voice low and laced with regret. “But you pulled such a dramatic stunt, you pushed me to do something I never intended to.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, pausing my thumb at the base of his throat, feeling the faint rhythm of his pulse.

“I’m sorry too…for not wishing you sooner. And I even apologized to your friend for the way I treated him. I’ve always respected my fellow soldiers. Prashant was the first I ever insulted… and I really regret it.”

“Did you really?” I whispered, searching his eyes.