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“Aarav? She didn’t crack a joke. She genuinely wants to give this marriage a chance. What’s so funny about it?”

I hold my laughter which has literally brought tears to my eyes. I watch Jhanvi again, she looks messed up, confused and utterly gorgeous. I don’t think my mind has ever stopped describing how stunning she looks. One last step and I’m intruding on Jhanvi’s personal space, which she seems to mind. Jhanvi leans behind to avoid me touching her and my brows twitch high. With my arms on either side of her head, as she leans on the door, I stare at her intently.

“Whom are you fooling, Jaan? Me or yourself?”

Her lips part at my accusation.

“You think you can come to my door anytime claiming you want to accept our marriage, and I will believe that? Who put this thought in your head? Durga Raichand or that idiot Mohit?”

The minute I take their names, Jhanvi freezes.

“They didn’t teach me anything. It is my decision.”

“They influenced you,” I add. “That’s what they came to do yesterday in your hotel room, didn’t they?”

Her jaw drops as she assimilates my words.

“I always have eyes on you, Jaan. No matter where you stay. I’ve got to protect my wife and the only one I can call my family.”

She fumbles with her phone for a few seconds as if finding an excuse for my allegation and then meets my gaze again.

“Yes, they had come to my hotel room, but only to say that they are sorry for not trusting me. They are guilty, but that’s it. No one taught me anything, and they didn’t send me to you. If you don’t want to believe this, I don’t deserve to be here then. I .. I will leave.”

She is about to turn away when I grab her hand and in the next instant, lean down and carry her in my arms. Aman sighs in disbelief, but who cares to even look at him when I have my wife exactly where I want her to be –in my arms.Jhanvi clutches my shirt hard for support and stares at me in shock.

“Who said I don’t want you here? I’m glad you came by yourself and didn’t make me force you to take your rightful place in this house.”

She struggles to get down, only tightening my hold on her.

“Put me down, Aarav.”

Her commanding tone is enough to confirm she is doing none of this for herself. She’s been told to come here and stay with me. A woman who wants to give her marriage a chance will never be this restless to get down from her husband’s arms. So, I pulled her body even closer. She is so delicate that I hardly have a problem even if I have to carry her for an entire day.

“We have a tradition, Jaan. I don’t think Durga Raichand has ever told you that, but this is how a Raichand groom welcomes his new bride at their home.”

Dread fills in her eyes as I keep walking towards the stairs, our eye lock never breaking. If she thinks she can manipulate me, she is absolutely wrong. Aarav Raichand is a man full of surprises.

“Where are you taking me?” She almost pinches my shoulder to keep her balance.

“You can curl your arms around my neck.”

She looks away, and of course, doesn’t pay heed to my advice. I don’t want to force her to do anything she doesn’t approve of. I know someday she will give me all of those rights which only I deserve to have on her.

Kicking the bedroom door open, I swing her inside and place Jhanvi on my bed.

“Our bedroom,” I clear her doubts.

The moment I tell her she is in my bedroom, Jhanvi gets down from the bed and scans the room with a brief hesitation. The door knock diverts our gaze on the person walking inside. It’s Jaya, her friend. What is she doing here?

“Umm..” Jhanvi clears her throat, shifting my attention back to her. “All this is very new for me and the way our marriage happened, I need some time to accept it wholeheartedly. So..”

“So?”

She looks at Jaya and then back at me.

“I will stay with Jaya in a different room until…”

No!! I don’t want to see her staying anywhere else apart from this room, apart from our bedroom.

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