Page 18 of One Hellish Desire

“I agree. But Maahi isn't just any woman - she's going to be my wife.”

I clench my fists at the loathed word, wishing I could unhear it. Wife? Maahi will really marry this man?

“Sorry I'm late!” Maahi herself breezes in, finally sparing me from this torturous conversation.

“I don't mind waiting patiently for you.” Shyam replies rising to embrace her with that insufferable smile.

Patience is the last thing I'd ever offer - I'm already gritting my teeth as I watch them together. That's when Maahi's gaze finally finds me over Shyam's shoulder. She freezes, quickly extricating herself from his arms.

“I'll go change. Give me fifteen minutes,” she mumbles, glancing nervously between us.

“I'm counting,” Shyam replies with a wink.

As Maahi darts upstairs, I seethe in silence, my gut clenched with an inexplicable burning sensation. Is it just the lingering stress of Devaki Estate dilemma, or something more troubling?

Daadi emerges with a tray of snacks, and after about ten minutes, I can't bear another second of this awkwardness. Mumbling an excuse, I retreat to my bedroom, needing space to sort out this roiling tempest inside me.

I'm about to pass Maahi's room when the open door catches my eye. I halt, spotting her standing before the mirror in a striking maroon dress, back enticingly bare as she struggles with the zipper stuck mid-torso. Some primal force draws me magnetically over the threshold before I can think better of it.

I know I shouldn’t be doing this, but I don’t care. I want to help her. I push the door open.

“Thank God you're here, Daadi. Can you help me with this zip?” she mutters distractedly.

Thinking I'm Daadi, she remains oblivious as I come up behind her. I'm transfixed anew, the same dizzying want consuming me as when I first saw her in that golden lehenga days ago. Like a moth to a flame, I can't resist reaching for that zipper, even as my hands tremble.

“I hope that Prince Pompous wasn’t giving Shyam a hard time while I was away,” she continues, brushing her hair over one shoulder and utterly unaware of the effect she's having on me.

Spurred on, my grip turns clumsy and rough against the cool bare skin of her back. Maahi flinches violently, spinning to face me with horror.

“You? What are you doing in here? How could you just...just zip me up like that?”

I swallow hard shaken by the forbidden intimacy.

“Your fault,” I manage gruffly. “You left your door open while dressing, so reckless...or did you leave it that way on purpose? For Shyam?”

The very idea, that she wanted his hands on her, unleashes a maelstrom of jealous fury within me. I can't breathe, can't think beyond the red haze of irrationality.

“Are you two...involved? Romantically?” I demand, needing to extinguish this torment once and for all.

“Shut up!” she cries, color blazing in her cheeks. “How dare you ask me that? You're nobody to me, Mr. Vikram Singh Grover. I don't owe you any explanations!”

She tries to storm past me but I catch her arm, pulling her body flush against mine as possession consumes all reason. “You do owe me answers. This is my house - you live here.”

“I live with Daadi, not you!” Maahi rails at me, struggling against my grip. “If anyone has the right to ask me those questions, it's her. Now let go of me!”

Her reply finally breaks through the mindless haze of my jealousy. My jaw clenches, but I release her arm, hating how right she is. Who am I to interrogate her personal life like this? I have no claim over her whatsoever. Why does the thought of her being intimate with someone else tear me apart inside? This possession, this irrational need to know, to control...it terrifies me as much as it consumes me.

Maahi is breathing hard, cheeks still flushed with outrage as she stares me down. “My life, my relationships, are none of your business, Vikram. Stay out of it.”

The rebuke stings, mostly because it's true. I'm overstepping so many lines, I can barely recognize myself right now. I need to get a grip fast.

“Now if you'll excuse me, I need to finish getting ready.”

It's a clear dismissal, and I know I've pushed too far already. With a terse nod, I turn and exit her room, fists clenched at my sides. I need to get a handle on this obsession, these confusing feelings that keep blazing out of control. This can't go on. One way or another, I need to confront this devil inside me, before it brings devastation to us both.

CHAPTER 6

VIKRAM

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