Page 146 of One Hellish Desire

“In that case, I need a memento too.”

Before she can decide what that should be, I grab a piece from her packed lingerie.

“Vikram, no,” she grins, trying to take it back, but I don’t let her.

“You picked yours. I get to pick mine. We’re equals, remember?”

She sighs and gives up the chase. “Fine.”

I tuck her hair behind her ear, as it looked messy from our playful chase, and kiss her forehead.

“Have you ever heard about dirty texting?” I ask, and her eyes widen in shock. “I’m going to harass you by texting you every little desire I have for you.”

“You won’t do that,” she challenges.

“I love challenges, Cub. Just make sure you’re alone when you read my messages.”

I feel goosebumps forming on her skin, which I quickly rub off.

“In that case, you better be alone too when I reply to your messages,” she challenges me again, and I happily accept.

“You can’t escape my radar, Maahi. I’m going to trouble you so much with messages, voice, and video calls.”

“Will you call Daadi too?” she asks innocently, and I smirk.

“You still think you need to remind me that? I love Daadi as much as you do, and I’ll call her daily. In fact, she’s going to be my spy to know if you eat on time, sleep on time, and most importantly, how much you cry missing me.”

“Aww,” Maahi pouts. “I wish I had a spy in this house too. I don’t think your parents will give me any inside secrets.”

“Maybe they will. Try hiring Mom,” I wink, heading back to the closet to secure her memento before turning back to her.

“Your mom is upset that I’m not moving here permanently. She told me that. You know, I don’t think your mom is really bad. She loves you too much, but she wants to make decisions for you, which I think she should stop doing.”

“Glad you like my mom now,” I grin. “I was just wondering how many relationships I have to sort out. Daadi-Mom, Mom-You, You-Dad, huh!”

Maahi laughs.

“You want a happy family now, don’t you?” She curls her arms around my waist and rests her head on my chest.

“A happy joint family,” I pull her close and shut my eyes. Yes, that’s what I’ve been dreaming of these days. Dad, Mom, Daadi, Maahi, and me, all under one roof.

CHAPTER 40

MAAHI

India

It’s been a month since Daadi and I returned to India and resumed our routine. I used to love the daily grind here, but now, every part of it reminds me of Vikram. Despite my busy schedule, I still make time to cook before heading to my boutique. Daadi and I do the morning puja together, and none of my nights pass without massaging her head or feet. Once I'm in bed, all my time belongs to Vikram, who is either heading to his office or already there, making executive decisions. As promised, we text each other despite our crazy time zone differences. When it’s my time to sleep, I send him sexy messages, teasing him about what could have been if he were here. And when it’s his time to sleep, which is my start of the day, he video calls me, showing the empty bed and himself shirtless, making me want to take another cold shower. Though we enjoy these little moments, we miss each other terribly.

The work at Devki Estate’s old age home is progressing well. There haven’t been any intrusions from Vanraj uncle’s side to stop us. I even took Daadi to see the progress, and every time she visited, she returned home in tears. Seeing her dream come true gives Vikram and me immense relief and happiness.

I meet Preet and thank her for telling Vikram about my bucket list, which he fulfilled during my stay in New York. Preet teases me for details, and I share a few lovely moments from the trip, omitting the intimate ones. When she teases me for more, all I do is blush. I am happily married, and it shows in my demeanor, the glow on my face, and the smile on my lips. Vikram and I might not have consummated our marriage in the traditional sense yet, but what we have between us is enough to pave the way for a happy future.

Vikram doesn’t know I’m planning to open a new branch of Blush Boutique in New York, thanks to Elise, the fashion designer Vikram introduced me to. She’s guiding me on setting up my business there, despite being my competitor. But this won’t happen overnight; it might take months. I wonder how we’ll manage this long-distance until then.

It’s late Friday evening when I drive Daadi back home. I know she misses her family, and I don’t want to see her sulking more. So, I spend as much time as I can with her to keep her engaged.

As soon as I grab my purse from the backseat, I realize my phone is vibrating. It’s Vikram calling.

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