Page 29 of Entangled Vows (Destined Diaries #2)

The first thing Mahika noticed as she stirred awake was sunlight streaming across her face.

And comfort. Not the aching stiffness of a couch.

This was soft and luxurious. The silky sheets brushed against her skin, and a comforter cocooned her like a cosy burrito.

She shifted slightly, still half-asleep.

The second thing she registered was the warmth. The heat was solid, pressing against her from behind. It wasn’t the heat that came from a blanket or a sunny morning. No. This was different.

It was human warmth. So very male. So very close. She felt a warm weight circling her waist. It was firm and far too intimate, and her skin tingled beneath the touch.

She cracked open one eye. What in the world?

She was on the freaking bed. Not the couch.

She shifted slightly, and something shifted with her. A firm, muscled arm tightened around her waist, pulling her back against a hard chest. Her breath hitched. That was not a pillow. That was… Vikram. Her heart thundered against her ribs, her spine going stiff as a rod. She blinked once. Twice.

No. This couldn’t be real. But it fucking was.

She could feel his slow, steady breath on the back of her neck.

The warmth and strength of his body pressed against hers in a way that somehow felt…

right. She remembered curling up, exhausted, in the dim room, his scent comforting her like a favourite blanket.

She didn’t remember agreeing to sleep in the same bed, or being lifted like a rag doll and tucked in like a real-life Sleeping Beauty.

She wasn’t some ghost floating through luxury linens, which meant someone had carried her. Correction… not someone. He had. Only one man had the audacity, the physical strength, and the alpha male control-freak energy to do something like that without a second thought.

Mahika gritted her teeth as she slowly, carefully peeled his arm off her waist, inch by inch.

His hand resisted, his fingers tightening as if they had a mind of their own.

Her breath hitched when they brushed against the sliver of exposed skin where her T-shirt had ridden up.

A sudden, searing bolt of desire licked up her skin, and she jerked away as if a roaring blaze had burned her.

She scrambled out of bed, the cold floor jolting her feet awake. Crossing her arms, she stood at its edge and glared down at her husband of one day.

He was still asleep, sprawled across the bed like a fallen demigod.

His one arm lay over his stupidly attractive face, and the other rested on his toned stomach.

His chest rose and fell in the slow and peaceful rhythm of deep slumber.

The stubble on his jaw was darker now, like shadows sharpening it into something dangerous.

He looked… unfairly good, like a sin wrapped up in morning calm.

Shit!

He looked so handsome that her throat went dry.

And in that moment, she hated him. She hated how her eyes lingered on his sharp, chiselled face, and how her mind painted wicked fantasies, each one more vivid than the last. Fantasies that had no business existing…

like the way she desperately wanted to trail her tongue from the curve of his Adam’s apple to the sharp angle of his jaw, just to feel the rough scrape of his stubble against her lips.

Mahika swallowed hard, trying to blink the thoughts away. She was so pissed. She was supposed to hate him.

Clearly, he could have let her sleep on the couch. But no. He’d decided on her behalf. Again. Did he seriously think he could just lift her up, tuck her into his bed like some precious parcel, and she’d sleep there every night, all docile, like a good little wife?

Well, if he thought that, he was clearly forgetting who she was. Hah! She was not going to play by his rules. If he thought this one year of marriage meant she’d quietly melt into domesticity, he was in for a rude, spicy awakening.

She marched to the bathroom; her steps charged with purpose. Today, she’d show him exactly what happened when he tried to assert control over her personal space.

Once inside, she went through her morning routine and then stepped into the shower.

The warm water washed away the tiredness of the night, but amplified every other feeling tied to him, leaving her flustered.

When she stepped out of the foggy bathroom, Vikram was gone from the bedroom.

She frowned in confusion. Did he seriously wake up and run away? Whatever.

She opened her side of the wardrobe and took out her armour. Within minutes, Mahika was dressed and ready for the clash of wills, her ‘war paint’ consisting of crimson lipstick, rose blush, and bold eyeliner that accentuated her almond-shaped eyes.

A cropped ivory Max Mara blouse paired perfectly with her high-waisted charcoal grey trousers, that fit her waist with tailored perfection.

Her nude Louboutin pumps added poise and gave her a subtly glamorous look.

Her hair was swept into a smooth ponytail, and polished gold hoops gleamed against her skin.

She checked herself in the mirror, smirked, snapped a quick selfie, and sent it to Ishika.

Mahika: (sends image) Ready to ruin a certain someone’s peace today.

Her phone buzzed instantly.

Ishika: Daaaamn, are you headed to a boardroom or a runway??

Mahika: Both?

Ishika: Should I be scared?

Mahika: Not unless you’re a rich, rude, and controlling husband named Vikram.

Ishika: Omg. What did he do now?

Mahika: He exists. That’s enough.

Ishika: Should I grab popcorn? Just trying to be prepared.

She sent back a string of laughing emojis and headed into the kitchen, drawn by the rich, comforting smell of coffee. The familiar scent grounded her, fully awakening her senses.

Sandhya was standing near the counter, shelling some green peas.

As soon as she saw Mahika walk in, she wiped her hands, grabbed some cups, and brought out her favourite ginger cookies.

Sandhya had known Mahika since she was a little girl.

Everyone called her Sandhya Ma. She was in her late fifties, full of warmth, with kind eyes and a gentle face.

She wasn’t merely a housekeeper…she had become a mother figure to Vikram and Suraj after their mother left.

And for Mahika, Sandhya Ma was a kind and comforting presence in the big house.

Over time, their bond had grown, and was filled with memories of homemade snacks, warm laughter, and quiet afternoons as the trio, Mahika, Ishika and Suraj, spent time in their own little world.

“Sandhya Ma,” Mahika said softly as she stepped in. “Good morning.”

Sandhya crossed the room in a few steps and gave Mahika’s arm a warm, gentle squeeze. “Good morning, sweet girl. Congratulations! I was just about to come check on you. Vikram told me you both got in late last night.”

Mahika smiled faintly. “Thanks. Yeah, we went to see Mom, and then I had to finish up with packing, moving, and all of that chaotic mess.”

Sandhya nodded, her eyes crinkling with affection, a subtle knowing smile playing on her lips.

“It doesn’t surprise me, you know. The girl who’s been a part of his childhood… is now the lady of this house. I’ve known this marriage was in the works for a long time.”

Mahika blinked. “You knew? Since when?”

Sandhya chuckled, a knowing gleam in her eyes.

“Of course I did. I’ve been around this family long enough to sense when something is meant to be.

And who do you think set up your wardrobe and arranged all your things?

We wanted to give you a proper, grand welcome last night.

But you know Vikram… stubborn as ever. He made it very clear there would be no ceremonies and no rituals.

He just wanted a quiet court marriage, and that was it. ”

Mahika huffed, rolling her eyes. “If it were up to Vikram, he’d have skipped even the signatures and declared us married over an email.”

Sandhya laughed. “That sounds like something he’d do. He’s too much brain and too little romance.”

“That’s classic Vikram.” Mahika’s smile faltered for a second before she pasted it firmly back in place. She saw the unfiltered joy sparkling in the older woman’s eyes, and she couldn’t bring herself to extinguish that hope.

“You’ve always been too kind to me,” Mahika said gently, as she stepped closer to the stove and pretended to peer into the simmering pot of the gravy, its contents bubbling softly.

“I haven’t forgotten how you used to slip me extra laddoos during Diwali.

I think you liked me even before Vikram did,” she joked.

Sandhya’s laugh was warm and familiar. “That boy took his sweet time, no? But I always noticed the way he watched over you. He could never hide his true feelings, though. His eyes always gave him away, even when he was trying to be serious.”

Mahika’s grip on the counter tightened. What was Sandhya Ma talking about? “I guess he’s always been like that,” she replied lightly, keeping her tone careful. “Blunt to a fault.”

“True,” Sandhya agreed, shaking her head with a fond smile. “But you… you balance him. He needs someone who’s not afraid to challenge him. Someone who won’t back down and bend to his will. You’ve always had that quiet strength, my dear. I’ve seen it in you since you were little.”

Mahika froze, her chest hurting at the reminder that their marriage wasn’t forever. For a moment, she’d almost forgotten it was temporary. She didn’t dare tell Sandhya Ma that love had nothing to do with it.

So instead, she lowered her gaze and whispered, “I’ll try my best to be what he needs.”

Sandhya cradled her face with motherly tenderness. “That’s all I ask, Mahika. He’s been through too much. Life has been hard on him, especially with his mom leaving years ago, and now, losing his dad. All I want is to see him happy.”

Mahika nodded as she forced another smile. “I should help you with breakfast. What are we making today?”

“I’ve made masala omelette sandwiches with juice and salad for breakfast. And for lunch, I am cooking this red gravy with potatoes,” Sandhya said.

“Then let me help you,” Mahika insisted.

Sandhya shook her head. “No, dear. It’s your first day here. I can’t possibly let you cook.”

“But Sandhya Ma, isn’t it tradition for a new bride to make something sweet for the first time in the kitchen?”

She smiled apologetically. “Yes, but you know Vikram doesn’t eat sweets. He starts his day with that green smoothie. Then around eleven, he has a salad and a sandwich snack. He’s out on his run now. He’ll be back soon for his smoothie after his shower.”

Mahika’s smile turned sly. “Fine, then let me be the one to make his smoothie.”

“No, really, I’ll—”

“I insist,” Mahika cut in sweetly, her eyes feigning innocence. “I usually make my own breakfast, but since you’ve already made some, let me at least make a smoothie for him. You can find something else to do in the meantime, or just relax.”

Sandhya looked touched. “You’re becoming a real Khurana bahu, hmm?”

Mahika nearly choked on her coffee. “Something like that,” she muttered, already turning towards the fridge.

As soon as Sandhya Ma stepped out, Mahika’s smile turned wicked.

She pulled out kale, avocado, a frozen banana, and a wedge of orange from the fridge.

Then she reached for the protein powder in the cabinet Sandhya Ma had shown her.

She quickly grabbed a blender, added kale, avocado, mint, ginger, flaxseeds, ice… and then… two big green chillies.

One for moving her from the couch to the bed.

And the other for curling around her like she was his damned personal pillow.

“Let him sip on that,” she thought with a smirk, though a tiny flicker of guilt tugged at her. Still, he needed to learn his lesson.

She clicked the blender on, satisfaction lighting her face as the machine whirred to life.