Page 108 of One Hellish Desire

Sabrina ordered? Why is Mom insisting on that? Dad finishes his call and joins us in the living room. Soon, Daadi comes out too, but not Maahi. The food is served, but she is still not out, which makes me even more curious.

“Why is Maahi delaying so much?” Mom frowns.

“She must be tired,” Daadi explains.

“I’ll go check on her.” I quickly rise to my feet and open the bedroom door, only to find my wife sleeping peacefully on the bed. She has showered and changed into a simple cotton nightdress. How could she sleep without eating? She must have been too exhausted to even get out of the room. I cover her with the duvet and turn off the lamps. I won’t disturb her if what she needs is rest.

Dad seems cool, but Mom makes a face knowing Maahi didn’t inform us before deciding to sleep. Sabrina diverts the topic, and we all begin to eat. I speak to Daadi, asking her everything that transpired at Ratna Mahal in our absence. She suddenly brings up the topic of Devki Estate and thanks me for considering her dreams. Dad, almost done eating, looks shocked.

“What did you do with that land?” he asks, his tone indicating displeasure.

“We’ll talk tomorrow, Dad. Not now.” I finish my dinner and quickly wipe my lips. “Daadi, you must be equally tired. Let me take you to your room. You should sleep early.”

Daadi stares between me and Dad, not realizing what just happened. I don’t let her ponder over it for long. I want her to rest now. We can handle this argument later. Mom and Sabrina watch me, as if they already know whose side I’m on. I escort Daadi to her room and ask if she’s comfortable. She grabs my arm.

“You didn’t tell Vanraj about the old age home you’re building at Devki Estate?”

My silence gives her the answer she needs.

“Vikram, he is your father and you both do business together. He has to know what you are doing.”

“First, Devki Estate is out of our business scope. It will always be that way,” I declare. “And I never denied telling him this, but I didn’t want him to raise objections and ruin my plans. So, I was going to tell him leisurely.”

Daadi sighs in disbelief. I make her lie down on the bed.

“I’ll explain it to him, and I’m sure Dad will understand. But you need to stop worrying about it. This whole week, I want to make it memorable for you and Maahi.”

She smiles again and palms my cheek.

“I am already happy with what you have done for me. You should focus on Maahi now. Take her out. Show her your world. She is your wife; flaunt her.”

I will. I most definitely will. I return to my room, where Maahi has shifted towards the middle of the bed, leaving me little space to lie beside her, but I don’t mind. I quickly change and get into bed next to her. I still can’t believe Maahi is on my bed, just an arm away. My body burns with desire the instant she places her arm over my waist in her sleep. Damn! It’s like having my favorite candy before me but not being allowed to savor it. My night is surely ruined. I stare at her as she breathes softly, her mouth slightly parted and her hair spread over the pillow. Though I capture this picture of my wife in my mind, I know it won’t be enough to survive once she’s gone back to India. The thought of Maahi returning to India in seven days aches my heart.

MAAHI

My stomach growls in hunger forcing me to wake up. It’s dark in the room, as it is midnight still, and what surprises me is the fact that I'm lying next to Vikram, who's shirtless. He slept without a T-Shirt? I take a minute to admire the man I am married to. The duvet is no longer covering his upper body and the light of the night sky falls directly on the bed from the glass ceiling above, giving me a breathtaking view of my husband. I wonder how many women have seen him shirtless so far? And how many of them have seen more of him? Nope! The very thought sours my mood. Trying to ignore the flutter in my chest, I slip out of bed and make my way to the kitchen.

The kitchen is epitome of luxury. It’s all white marble and glass. Everything is so perfectly arranged that I wonder if my touch would ruin any of it. Suddenly the lights turn on and I see Vikram standing at the kitchen door, watching me with sparkling eyes. He is still shirtless and that sexy grey lounge pants covering his lower body is not helping much either.

“Is that how you roam in the house at the middle of the night?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

A smirk plays on his lips as he replies taking steps towards me, “I'm usually in my boxers in the middle of the night. But I guess the next one week I’ll have to wear more clothes than that.”

I mentally kick myself for asking. Of course, he'd have a seductive answer ready. He always has, no matter how serious my questions are.

“I'm hungry,” I blurt out, immediately regretting my timing. Right after he mentions less clothing and boxers, this is what comes out of my mouth?

A knowing grin spreads across Vikram's face. He's clearly picked up on my awkward timing. Before I can fumble through an explanation, he's already opening the refrigerator, sparing me from further embarrassment.

“I'll make you a sandwich,” he offers,

“I can make one myself,” I insist, but he's already gathering ingredients.

Deciding not to argue further, I hoist myself onto the marble countertop. From my perch, I watch Vikram work, impressed by his confident movements in the kitchen. It's clear he knows what he's doing, and I can't help but appreciate the effort he's putting into feeding me.

In just three minutes, the sandwich is ready. I take a bite, and immediately, my taste buds come alive, craving more.

“This is...” I pause to take another eager bite. “Incredible,” I manage between mouthfuls, not caring how undignified I might look.

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