Page 41

“Yes.

If your menstruation is approaching, the journey might be uncomfortable.”

I shook my head quickly.

“No, it’s alright.

I can manage,”

He looked into my eyes, concern etched across his face.

“, come on… I know how difficult it gets for you.”

I held his wrist, reassuring him.

“Don’t worry.

I’ll be okay.

It’s not today, maybe tomorrow, or in a couple of days,”

“Oh,”

he said again, softer this time, and stepped forward to embrace me.

His arms wrapped around me, and his hand moved in slow, calming strokes over my back.

A soft kiss landed on the crown of my head.

“Come,”

he said warmly.

“Let’s go meet your family.”

I smiled, and as he took my hand in his and kissed the back of it, my heart swelled with a quiet, contented joy.

We walked together to the main chamber, where Rudra and my father greeted one another with genuine warmth.

It felt like the meeting had gone well, perhaps even better than expected.

Meanwhile, I made my way to see my mother, my grandmother, and everyone else I cherished.

Their smiles and blessings filled the air with warmth.

My grandmother, in her usual way, couldn't resist blessing us with a child.

I laughed at her words, feeling her love, and then quietly slipped away to meet my father.

They all blessed us and urged us to visit again soon.

I smiled, accepting their love, when suddenly my father called out.

“Rudra,” he said.

Rudra turned toward him and walked forward, embracing him with a quiet respect.

My father returned the gesture, holding him with firmness.

“Take care of yourself,”

he said in a low but meaningful voice.

“The past does not define you… But it holds the power to ruin your future.

Think wisely, and be brave.”

Rudra nodded with humility.

“Ji, Rajaji,”

he replied.

I watched them, my heart full.

And after our final goodbyes, we set off.

I sat in the palanquin with tears quietly blurring my vision.

No matter how deeply your husband loves you, a part of you always aches for the warmth of your family.

We returned to Suryagarh just as dawn touched the sky.

I stepped out of the palanquin, and together, we walked to our chamber in silence.

“I should take a bath,”

I said softly, breaking the stillness.

But just as I turned, his hand gently caught mine.

“I think,”

he said, his voice low and smooth, “we should bathe together,”

A sudden shiver passed through me.

I drew in a breath and stared at him, unsure if I’d heard him right.

“What?”

I managed to ask.

He stepped closer, towering over me with an amused glint in his eyes and that soft, pleasing smile on his lips.

“First, you will bathe… then I will bathe.

Don’t you think that will take too long?”

he said, voice laced with mock practicality.

“If we bathe together, we save water… time… and the energy of the attendants who prepare everything,”

My eyebrows knit together, half in amusement, half in disbelief.

Of course, the confusion wasn’t about the words themselves… but the vagueness beneath them.

“Just to save water, time, and effort?”

I asked, raising my brows ever so slightly.

He leaned in, his face so close to mine that I could feel the warmth of his breath.

His voice was slow, smooth, and soaked in sensuality.

“Who knows the future?”

I gulped, my heart thundering.

And before I could utter a yes or no, he scooped me into his arms.

“Rudra—”

I gasped softly, but he simply smiled.

Without a word, he carried me toward the bathing chamber.

When we reached, I managed to say in a whisper, “Put me down.”

He obeyed, gently placing me on my feet.

I stepped back, just slightly, needing space to gather myself.

“I need to take off my jewellery… and fetch my clothes before I enter the pool,”

I said, trying to sound casual while battling the rising flutter in my chest.

Taking a breath, I continued, “You go in.

I’ll be back in a little while.”

He didn’t argue—only smiled.

“Alright… but remember, I’m waiting, little seductress,”

I gave a quick, nervous nod and slipped away to the dressing room.

The moment I faced the mirror, I realised how deeply I was blushing.

My skin was flushed, and my eyes were glimmering.

What was happening to me?

I closed my eyes and drew in a long breath.

The night felt heavier than any before.

I could neither resist him nor surrender to him.

I couldn’t leave, but I couldn’t stay in that fire for long either.

Opening my eyes, I slowly removed my jewellery, piece by piece, each one feeling like a weight lifted.

I had to love him without seducing him, without giving in to his art of seduction, without submitting myself to him.

I changed into a simple white bathing dress that floated around me, ending just above the middle of my thighs.

It was light, loose, and somehow made me feel even more exposed.

My hair cascaded down my waist.

Tucking a strand behind my ear, I walked back toward the bathing room.

As I stepped inside, I noticed a shift in the atmosphere.

The light had dimmed, and the room glowed in the gentle flicker of candles, their golden flames dancing in silence.

The warmth in the air enveloped my insides, and almost like a whisper, the scent of lavender reached me.

I paused at the threshold, a smile creeping onto my lips.

The tension in my chest melted a little.

As my gaze dropped to the water in the large pool, a wide smile spread across my lips at the sight of rose petals gently floating on the surface.

“,”

His voice sent a current through me, and I turned slowly to find him standing just behind me.

He hadn’t changed yet—still clothed, and yet something about his presence made my breath catch.

“You like it?”

he asked in a quiet voice.

“I loved it,”

I replied without a moment’s hesitation.

A smile touched his lips as he stepped closer, taking my hand in his.

In silence, we walked together to the stairs of the pool.

I descended into the cool water, while behind me, he pulled his kurta off in one fluid motion.

My eyes briefly flicked over his chest, the slight marks of the bruises now completely healed, yet scars left behind.

And suddenly, the image of our wedding night flashed across my mind, uninvited.

I blinked to push it away.

He stepped into the pool and moved toward me with a calm surety.

Without a word, he guided me gently, sitting down and drawing me back against him.

My back met the warmth of his chest, and his legs settled to either side of my waist.

His arms wrapped around me slowly, and he brushed aside my damp hair, and a delicate shiver passed through me when he rested his chin on my shoulder.

His closeness, the contrast between the cool water and the heat of his skin, it all overwhelmed me in the quietest, sweetest way, turning me breathless.

The gentle touch made me relax and submit to his embrace.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.

“Will you speak to your Guruji tomorrow?”

He placed a soft kiss on my shoulder, and his voice came out as a deep hum, low and content.

“Hnnn-hnnn,”

A moment later, I felt his hand move to the side, reaching for the bowl of bathing paste.

With featherlight care, he began to spread the sand-hued mixture onto my arm.

“Are you sure?”

I asked quietly, my lashes fluttering under the weight of his tenderness.

He hummed again, the same deep, wordless assurance.

“Hnnn-hnnn,”

I felt his hand move gently to my neck and shoulder, his palm large and warm, covering most of my skin with ease.

“What will you say to him?”

I asked softly, my voice almost trembling.

His hand cupped the side of my neck, and he whispered, “That I love my wife and I wish to offer her the true earnings of my lifetime.”

My lashes lifted as my breath caught in my throat.

I felt his other hand seek mine beneath the water, his fingers intertwined with mine.

“What are the earnings of your lifetime?”

I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“And why do you wish to give it to your wife?”

His breath moved slowly along the curve of my neckline, up toward my ear.

I could feel the soft brush of his lips as he murmured against my skin: “My patience.

My sacrifices.

My self-control.

My desires. My strength. My power. My joy. My devotion. My pride. My faith. My happiness. My peace. My freedom. Even my surrender. Everything I am… especially, my love,”

My heart thudded wildly in my chest, each word stirring my insides.

“I want to give you everything that I have held onto, .

Everything,”

he continued, his voice low, filled with raw truth.

“You see, , we humans make sacrifices to attain things that are not meant for us, and demand something in return from god.

And at first, my sacrifices and control held a different purpose, a different meaning, as if it were just my goal, and I had to achieve it.

But then I met you, and having you beside me, being with you, made me realise that all of this is just meaningless.

I saw you being content, so giving, not because you’re a princess or because you have much, but because your heart is vast, because it is in your nature.

You gave away your jewellery, your riches, for the welfare of others without a second thought.

You didn’t count the cost.

You didn’t hesitate. That’s your wealth, . That’s your greatness.

And here, I became celibate to earn my place as a king, controlling myself, yet obsessing over power.

I never even tried to reason—do I deserve this? Am I even meant for it?—But no, instead of caring for what I already had, I was being desirous.

I burned for a greater purpose, trying to buy my destiny with futile sacrifices, like I could bargain with god.

God, who is the creator himself, has everything, and I, just a human, was trying to offer him something and negotiate.

And yet again, instead of being happy, I demanded more.

Why? Just to reach here?

But I would be so stupid now if I kept chasing that goal instead of enjoying what God has already given me, you, my love, you.

I have you now,”

I felt his lips press softly against my ear, his voice like a breath.

“I love you, .

You are the prize of my decade-long penance.”

He spoke while his fingers feathered lightly against the curve of my neck, making my breath catch.

“Rudra…”

I exhaled, barely able to find my voice.

“I want to give away everything I’ve earned all these years,”

he said, his voice low.

“I want to bear the consequences of my own choices.

I don’t want to seek anything beyond what’s truly meant for me.

I just want to be content with what I already have.

If I lose the great war, then so be it. You are my strength now, . I want to fight by your side. I want to win, not by fate’s mercy, but through my efforts,”

His words settled heavily in the air between us.

I gently held his hand, the surrounding silence echoing with the weight of everything he had said.

My mind began spinning, a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts crashing into each other.

He was right; he deserved to claim only what was truly his.

But to abandon a decade of penance, a sacrifice so deep… just for me?

No.

“No, Rudra,”

I whispered.

Inhaling deeply, I lifted my gaze to meet his.

“Ten years of sacrifices and struggles… it shouldn’t go in vain,”

Before I could say anything more, his lips were suddenly on mine, pulling the breath from my lungs, making my lashes flutter shut.

My stomach twisted, and a wave of need washed over me.

He broke the kiss and murmured against my lips, “You are not a waste, .

You are the reward for my celibacy.”

My lips parted with a shaky breath, and I slowly pulled back, blinking up at him.

His gaze was soft, glowing with something deeper than love, something eternal.

He looked at me like I was the only thing that existed.

Like the world had melted away, and all that remained was me.

“But, Ru—”

He placed a finger over my lips, his voice quiet and certain.

“Don’t worry, little wife.

I’ll never force you.

But in my heart, I’ve already broken my celibacy of years.

And still… your consent will always be the most beautiful thing I’ll ever receive,”

I could only stare into his deep, dark eyes.

His lashes, his brows, the sharp line of his nose, everything about him was so charming and pleasing.

The tanned shade of his skin whispered silent stories of his struggles, his sacrifices.

But his eyes held me captive, deep and searching, longing for an end… a shore for the ever-floating boat.

He blinked once, and my heart stumbled in its rhythm.

The warmth between us wasn’t just of the body.

It was rather deeper, more emotional.

We were being drawn together not by desire alone, but by the comfort of understanding.

He was scarred, but somehow, he had already found healing.

His gaze carried the glisten of someone who had stopped chasing and started living.

He reached up, his fingers brushing my cheek, my shoulder, the curve of my neck, and it sent sparks racing under my skin.

“There is no hurry, little bird,”

he murmured, voice hushed, heavy with patience and care.

And yet, I couldn’t hold back anymore.

My lips found his, and what started as a tender kiss quickly grew intense, into something urgent and consuming.

I shifted, turning toward him fully, my legs wrapping around his lap as I held onto him tighter.

My fingers threaded through his hair, while his arms wrapped around me, strong and secure.

Our breaths grew wild, tangled together through the kiss.

His lips dominated mine with a hunger I matched with equal passion.

I pushed him against the wall of the pool, tilting my face, and kissed him deeper, more recklessly.

“Ahh…”

I breathed between kisses, just as his mouth began trailing down to my neck.

His lips were velvety against my skin, yet filled with a powerful urgency that made my head tip back with a soft gasp.

My lashes fluttered closed, and I lost myself in the sensation of his mouth claiming every inch of my neck.

My body responded profoundly to his touches as I shifted in his lap.

His hand cupped the small of my back, holding me to him.

And he kissed a path to my ear, whispering in a slow and low voice, sending a ripple down my spine, “I want to spend the night with you, .

I want to feel you.

Smell you.

Breathe you. I want you… for the rest of my life. Nothing else matters to me but this distance between us. I want to erase it. All of it,”

He gently tugged at my earlobe with his lips, and I shivered in his arms.

He pulled back, just slightly, enough to let our eyes meet.

“Will you?”

he asked, his voice steady, yet raw.

The softness in his touch melted me utterly, sending a deep, shivering sensation down my spine.

I couldn’t stop myself and nodded.

“Words,”

he whispered, feathering his finger over my chin.

“Yes,”

I breathed, barely audible.

I then saw how he silently smiled, one that bloomed in his eyes, not his lips.

And in that moment, another shiver coursed through me.

“Yes?”

he asked again, his voice low as he brought his forehead to mine.

Our breath mingled, uneven, heavy, dripped in the heat of the moment.

“Yes,”

I repeated, and his hand slid along the curve of my lower back, drawing me even closer to him.

The other hand moved upward, sensually trailing along my collarbone, gently pushing my damp hair back from my shoulder.

He cupped my jaw with the gentlest hold, and his thumb grazed my lips, and his eyes fixed there, dark with hunger.

“Yes?”

he whispered again, making me blink nervously, trembling under the weight of his gaze.

He inched forward, closing the gap between us.

His fingers cupped my neck as he guided my lips to his.

The delicate kiss had our breaths become one, tangled, harmoniously rising with the quiet storm building between us.

“Yes,”

I breathed again, this time like a plea, like a confession torn from the depths of my heart.

I shifted in his lap when his hand moved slowly from the base of my spine and slid up to my bosom.

He placed his palm over my right breast, cupping it over the soaked fabric clinging to me.

The contact was feather-light, yet my breath hitched.

My stomach twisted wildly with butterflies fluttering, desperate to be freed.

And though we’d shared so much of ourselves, this felt different, more intimate, sensual than ever before.

My body ached, not just with desire but with overwhelming emotions.

The wetness gathered in my core was no longer just from the bathwater.

It was him.

I felt his lips gently teasing the underside of my chin, his fingers slowly tangled in my hair, guiding my head back in a soft, controlled arch.

A sudden shiver ran through my spine as his lips landed in the dip between my collarbones.

I could feel the roughness of his stubble grazing my bare skin.

“Rudra,”

I gasped, my breath caught in the surge of sensation.

His tongue traced a sensual, wet line across my skin, slow and deliberate.

My lashes fluttered shut, and my hands clenched against his shoulders.

The way his mouth emitted heat while he suckled my neck made my breathing grow heavier, my body more responsive.

He loosened his grip on my hair only to lean further in, trailing his lips lower, placing an open-mouthed kiss at the base of my neck.

Slowly he pulled the flesh, sucking it, soft at first, then growing deeper, hungrier, almost possessive.

My fingers slid up into his hair as I gasped again.

“Ahhh…”

The sting of his kiss grew intensely, blended with the pleasure, making me arch my back.

His arm snaked around my nape, holding me in place, firm yet gentle, and my pulse thudded against his mouth.

As he slowed, finally letting go, I blinked open my eyes, still breathless, and looked into his.

“You don’t want me to face anyone, do you?”

I whispered, feeling the heat of his mark already blooming on my skin.

He shook his head with a teasing smile, and without giving me a chance to respond, dipped his head again to my collarbone.

His hand shifted from my breast to the small of my back in one swift, fluid motion, pulling me dangerously tighter against him.

His strong and thick arms caged me in.

His chest pressed firmly against mine.

And I felt my core brush against his lower abdomen.

The water rippled around us with the sudden movement, but I could barely notice it.

My mind was entirely fixated on the feel of his mouth over my sensitive part, this time urgent, wild, hungry.

The suck of his lips against my collarbone made me gasp again.

“Rudra…”

I whispered, trembling as he continued his passionate onrush.

My lips parted, my cheek brushed against his temple, and my fingers clenched in his damp hair.

As his hand slid lower, gripping the curve of my hip, a tremor rocked through my spine.

And then, I felt his hardness pressing against me, sending a wild shiver straight to my core.

“Annnhhhh,”

A moan escaped my lips, deep and uncontrollable.

With his kisses deepening along my neck, his fingers teasing my skin, our bare chests colliding with every breath, every inch of us drawn closer by the warm, fragrant water and dim candlelight, I could feel my lower body slowly, unconsciously, grinding against the rigid length of his manhood.

It was the first time I’d felt him like this—hard, craving—and the realisation that I was the reason for it stirred a burning pride deep within me.

He lifted his lips from my skin, brushing them gently against my ear.

“Calm down, little papaya...

we have the whole night.

No need to rush,”

he whispered, teasingly slow.

A violent shiver ran through me, but I shook my head.

My eyes locked with his, and then I kissed him.

Wildly.

Desperately.

I pushed him against the wall of the pool, rising slightly on my knees, my body leaning in, my hand cupping his cheek as I devoured his lips with a hunger that had been building for far too long.

Our lips moved in perfect rhythm, breaths tangled, bodies impossibly close.

Every trace of hesitation melted.

The timidness I had once known had burned away, replaced with the possessiveness surging in my heart.

I parted my lips, catching his in mine again and again.

My hand slowly travelled down between us, brushing across the surface of his abdomen.

The moment I felt the hardness of him beneath the wet fabric, his hand shot up to cup my neck, drawing my face away just enough to look into my eyes.

“Are you sure, ?”

His voice was low, uneven, yet full of care.

“Yes,”

I breathed, my voice trembling, pleading.

“Ahhh, yes,”

His chest rose and fell rapidly, his gaze locked with mine, searching me, absorbing me.

I reached for his hand, intertwining my fingers with his, bringing it close to my lips.

I licked his finger slowly, letting it rest between my lips for a moment before whispering, breathlessly, “Take me to the bed, Rudra... please…”

He immediately pulled me closer, his arms wrapping around me with a quiet desperation.

My hands instinctively circled his shoulders as his lips found mine in the very next breath.

One hand held my lower back, drawing me tightly into him, while the other cradled my nape, anchoring my face against his.

He sucked my lips senseless, devouring them with breathless hunger.

Our breathing became wild and uneven, and the world began to spin as I felt the shift of his body.

He stood, lifting me with him.

My lips clung to his upper one, while he savoured my lower lip like he couldn’t let it go.

My eyes fluttered shut.

My body softened, my mind melted, surrendering all of me to him.

Completely, wholly to him.

The next thing I felt was the coolness of the floor beneath my feet.

As my skin touched the ground, I realised we were no longer in the pool.

He had brought me to the bedchamber.

The room glowed with golden candlelight, flickering across the walls.

The doors were closed.

The curtains were drawn.

There was a seraphic stillness in the air.

Warm, silent, and utterly beautiful.

As I was taking in the surroundings, I felt his fingers gently touch my cheek, guiding my gaze back to him, and his hand on my thigh.

My heart thudded wildly.

With one swift, silent motion, he grabbed the hem of my bathing dress.

His other hand slid from my neck down to my leg.

And then, he pulled it up and over me.

I was naked in front of him.

Timidly, I lowered my gaze, hiding myself in the curve of his chest.

My forehead pressed against his skin, listening to both of our thundering hearts, loud and synchronised.

Even soaked from the pool, I felt perpetual heat igniting between us.

He wrapped his arms around me again, placing his palm firmly against my lower back, guiding me back with slow, steady steps.

I felt the edge of the bed behind me as I sat down, my breath shallow and shaky.

“Tie your hair in a bun, ,”

he whispered.

My heart skipped.

Most of my nakedness was still veiled behind the curtain of my hair.

Tying it up would bare me fully to him.

The chamber’s golden glow didn’t hide a thing.

“Bun?”

I asked softly, almost a whisper.

He leaned forward, feathering his fingers beneath my chin.

I couldn’t help but notice his sculpted torso before me, the deep lines, the veins, the warmth of his presence.

“Hnnn-hnnn,”

he hummed in that deep, throaty way that made another tremor roll through me.

Without a word, I reached for my wet hair, eyes cast downward, and tied it up in a bun.

Droplets from the ends trickled along my bare shoulders and spine, teasing and tickling, raising goosebumps all over.

He then knelt down before me, making my breath catch in my throat.

“Look at me, ,”

he said in a low, tender voice.

My name from his lips felt so different, so pleasing.

I blinked, slowly raising my gaze.

His fingers cupped my cheek with reverence, and I found myself lost in the dark, infinite depth of his eyes.

“You are the most beautiful woman in this world,”

he whispered.

And despite the trembling, the nakedness, the storm within me, a small smile broke across my lips.

“Ab to aap kahenge hi,”

(Now you’ll say so.) I said softly, and he let out a gentle chuckle, and that soft sound made my cheeks flush deeper.

I felt even more timid under his gaze.

“Are you scared, nervous, or...

anything?”

he asked, leaning closer until our lips almost touched.

I shook my head lightly.

“No, just...

a little shy,”

I admitted.

But only I knew how nervous, how vulnerable I truly felt inside.

He reached up and tucked a single damp strand of hair behind my ear.

“You don’t have to feel shy, little bird,”

he said gently.

I just looked at him, staring into his eyes.

“I can’t help it, Ranaji,”

I replied in a soft, barely-there voice.

He kissed the corner of my lips and whispered, “Just ask me to stop if you feel even the slightest discomfort, all right, little bird?”

His fingers grazed my chin, light as air.

I nodded instinctively.

“Words,”

he reminded me.

“Yes,”

I managed to whisper.

He leaned in, and the movement made me lie back onto the bed.

The soft fabric beneath my skin welcomed me, comforting and cool, making me melt into its softness without realising it.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and shifted me closer to the pillow side.

With quiet care, he adjusted the pillow beneath my head.

My heart thundered wildly.

The darkness of the night seemed to wrap around us, deeper and thicker with each breath.

He lay down beside me, his head propped on his palm, supported by one elbow.

His other hand came to rest gently on my stomach.

I bent one knee slightly, trying to get more comfortable...

and maybe, just a little closer to him.

He just looked at me, and it made my entire body burn.

With the back of his hand, he lightly grazed my body, brushing from my midriff down to my lower abdomen.

Every stroke of his skin against mine lit a new trail of sensation.

I felt beautiful under his touch...

slowly aroused.

When I felt his hand slide back up toward my midriff, a silent, building ache rose in my chest.

I wanted him to touch my bosom.