Page 42 of Forbidden

“I’m just reminding you I am still annoyed at your wedding gift. You could have bought me flowers; I would be happy. Not the Raichand mansion, Aarav. I know what it means to them.”

“That’s the problem, Jaan. You don’t know what it means tome.”

With a heavy sigh, Aarav moves away, circles the table and takes his leather chair, probably to begin his work. His mood is completely off from our conversation, and now he doesn’t even look at me. Wow! Don’t I like that already? The less he stares at me, the less my discomfort.

“I have an important meeting in a few minutes. Would you mind closing the door while you walk out?”

That’s an informal way to say ‘GET OUT.’ Well then! I won’t let him rule me and command like this. I cross my arms, staring at him.

“I am not done yet.”

Now I have his attention again. He raises his chin to give me a ‘what’s-your-problem-woman’ look and leans back in his chair.

“Speak then.”

Good. Did I win this round? I hope so.

“I need a place to work here. I too have some commitments towards my Charitable trust and..”

“Done,” he cuts me off before I finish. “You can use this room whenever you like. Do you need a laptop or do you have yours?”

“Don’t bother with that. I have mine. But you already work here and how can we both work together?”

He seems to agree again.

“How much time do you need here every day?”

I can’t say that now, but I do some mental calculations.

“Two or three.”

He nods.

“You can use this room for however long you wish to work every day until I set up another one next to mine. You can shift your work there when the other room is ready.”

No. The whole point of working here is to sneak and he can’t be serious about setting up another work cabin for me here. As if he reads my mind, Aarav smirks.

“Is it too much to work away from me, Jaan?”

“You wish,” I mock and leave the room, shutting the door on my way out, as he commanded.

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Red!! I am wearing my favorite color at my wedding reception. If only the man I married was of my choice. Aarav has been spoiling me with my favorite fashion designs and jewelry, and the worst part is I cannot even deny him. I don’t want him turning a suspicious eye on me by not letting him do the husbandly favors. So, I wear this red designer Lehenga for our reception and am currently on my way to the Raichand mansion where the party has already begun. I just wonder if Daadi and Mohit will also attend this event. Mohit was least interested in the same, which I hope is because he can’t see me with Aarav. But he said Daadi will attend it as she doesn’t want people to point at her, first for losing the mansion and the other for losing the woman she had picked for her other grandson.

As the car halts, Aarav turns to me, showing no urgency to get down. How could I forget we were driving together, and he’s just sitting two feet away from me?

“I don’t need a pep talk.” I make it clear and am about to unlock the door when Aarav grabs my arm and pulls me back to my earlier position.

“This is the most important event of my life, Jaan. Don’t make it worse. I know you hate me taking over this house, but that’s done now and you have to accept it. I’m giving you no choice. You have problems with it, deal with it.”

How dare he ask me to deal with it? I shrug off his arm which had gripped my elbow.

“You know what Aarav? I am having second thoughts already about whether I made the right decision to come back to you.”

He moves his eyes down my face, halting to my lips for a second before meeting my eyes again.

“I love when you threaten me, Jhanvi, and you have no clue what that does to my body.”

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