Page 29 of Lawfully Yours

Laughter erupted across the courtroom.

Even the court clerks exchanged amused glances.

Arundhati’s face burned with fury.

The judge slammed the gavel.

“Order! Order in the court!”

The murmurs and chuckles instantly died down, but Kushal, being Kushal, wasn’t done yet.

“Your Honour,” he said smoothly, “I find it rather ironic that my wife, who has had me blocked for nine months, now claims thatIhave been distant. She shut down every possible way for us to communicate. Calls, texts—nothing got through. It’s not that I ignored her, it’s that she ensured I couldn’t reach her at all.”

Arundhati shook her head in frustration.

The nerve of him!

He glanced at her then, the smirk playing at his lips infuriatingly present.

“Now that she has finally unblocked my number, it’s only because we are currently handling a case together. And yet, shestands here, arguing thatIhave kept my distance?” He turned back to the judge. “Tell me, Your Honour, what exactly was I supposed to do? Send smoke signals?”

A fresh wave of muffled chuckles rippled through the room.

Arundhati’s blood simmered.

“You are twisting my words, Mr. Nair,” she snapped.

Kushal merely lifted an eyebrow.

“Am I? Or are you simply dragging this matter out instead of actually talking about it? If this marriage was so beyond repair, then why avoid a simple conversation? Why not settle this in private, without turning it into a legal spectacle?”

Judge Mehta exhaled, clearly unimpressed by their ongoing battle.

“Enough,” he stated firmly. “This court is not a battlefield for personal grievances. If there are unresolved matters between the two of you, you may discuss them outside these walls. Now, Mrs. Nair, if you wish to bring more witnesses, be prepared for the next hearing. Until then, this case will remain under further consideration.”

The gavel came down again, marking the end of the session.

Arundhati exhaled sharply as she turned to Kushal again who simply smiled. As if he had already won something.

As the crowd began filing out of the courtroom, Kushal took his time, watching her like a predator who wasn’t done playing with his prey. And then, he stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

“That was a good attempt,” he murmured, voice teasing. “But next time? Try harder.”

She turned sharply, their faces inches apart, tension crackling between them like an open flame. She tilted her chin defiantly.

“You and I both know you want Verma & Associates.”

“Andyou…” He interrupted, looking intensely in her eyes.

She swallowed, unable to gauge the meaning behind his words. Kushal only moved closer. Ignoring the cameras flashing from the courtroom windows and doors, he closed the space between them until she could feel the heat radiating off him, wrapping around her like a slow, suffocating pull.

His gaze flickered to her lips, just for half a second, before it returned to her eyes.

“I wantboth,” he said, undeniably confident of what he was declaring. “Verma & Associates—because I damn well deserve to be its head in the future.”

His fingers brushed against hers, subtle, fleeting, but enough to send a sharp jolt through her veins.

“And you as my wife…” His eyes darkened, burning into hers, his smirk turning into something even more sinful. “Because you, sweetheart, are far too good for my ego to let go.”