Page 65 of Twisted Deceit
Aadhya saw her aunt visibly freeze like she had flashes of the trauma. She squeezed her aunt’s hand. “I know it’s hard to even think about it, but it’s a ritual we need to do anyway. Nakul’s parents are performing the rituals in the temples in preparation for commissioning the sculpture of Shakti. And I want to do my part for the region’s betterment and perform the ritual with Nakul.”
“What?” Her aunt’s eyes held shock and disbelief. “I never thought I would hear those words in my lifetime.” A small laugh followed her words, and that’s when Aadhya knew her aunt was not horrified by the idea of her performing the ritual.
“Rajji, Mamma, and Papa were performing the ritual to pray for peace in the region.” She got off her chair to kneel next to her aunt. “This is the only way to bring the people together.”
Her aunt fought back tears. “When did my baby grow up so fast?” She looked up at the picture of her parents on the wall and smiled. “Did you hear what Aadi said, Dada? She is a true Kanwar.”
Her aunt’s words made Aadhya very happy. She hugged her aunt before planting a kiss on her cheek. “I’m so glad you are not angry with me about agreeing to do the ritual.”
Her aunt placed her hand on Aadhya’s head. “God bless you with everything you ever wish for.”
Aadhya was super excited when she left her aunt’s study shortly after. She could not wait to tell Nakul the excellent news. She pushed open his office door to find it empty. She scrunched her nose, wondering where he was, and went looking for him. It was odd that he wasn’t in the bathroom either.
In the months they have been married, she had figured out his schedule, and he stuck to it with no exceptions. It had made it easier to avoid him when he was at home. After looking through, the entire private suite she went back to the main section of the house. She didn’t know where else to look and wandered toward the kitchen.
“Aadi, come, are you hungry?” Meenabai was in the middle of getting the staff preparing for dinner.
“No, Nani. I’m good. Do you know where Nakul is?” she asked tentatively, somehow convinced they won’t know. But it bothered her that her husband left the mansion without her.
The older woman laughed, shaking her head. “Now he needs your permission to go anywhere?”
“Nani.” She narrowed her eyes. “Do you know where he is?” She was a bit irritated that everyone but her seemed to know where he was.
The older woman reached for a glass of green juice and handed it to her. “Yes. He is in the storage room. Take this to him.” The older woman handed her the drink. The storage room was her old playroom where she had spent a lot of time with her mother. After her parents’ death, she felt scared to go to that room even to get her toys so it was used as storage. She could not remember the last time she had been to the side of the mansion. It was a room with a lot of sunlight but slightly detached from the rest of the house.
Walking down the short hallway to the room that had not been used in years, she wondered what he was doing there. She heard the sound of his grunt followed by a clang of metal and her curiosity peaked. She pushed open the door and blinked in disbelief. The room that once had boxes and old furniture was converted into a workout space. There was a full-size treadmill, dumbbells to one side and her eyes trailed to where her husband stood picking up a heavy weight. She licked her lips, enjoying the sight in front of her and it explained how he had a Greek-God-like body.
He dropped the weight when he looked at her and she smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.” She walked up to him and handed him his drink. “Nani sent this for you.”
He took the drink from her and with the other hand pulled her to him, his lips sucking the air out of her lungs. “Did you miss me?” he teased, his teeth grazing over her lower lip.
She blushed. “I was looking for you and had no idea you worked out, here.” She looked around the room. “This used to be my play area, a long time back.”
He chuckled, taking a bite of her neck, making her inner layers damp. “I needed to work out to stop thinking about doing things to you all the time.”
His words made her gasp but she enjoyed the vice-like grip around her waist. “How come you never worked out before?”
He let out a laugh. “I did every day in the morning.” He nuzzled her ear. “These days my wife keeps me up all night and I can’t wake up in the morning. He lay a trail of kisses along her neck, his sweat coating her skin. The slick feeling made her hot and crave him.
She hugged his head as he kissed her. “Not here, Nakul. Someone will see us.”
He pulled back to look at her, his eyes holding mischief. “Really and it was okay every other time we kissed?”
“Well,” she swallowed when he traced her lower lip with his finger. “We were fake kissing back then, and it wasn’t like we would,” she blushed and added, “do anything in public.”
He looked at her with hooded eyes. “Liar,” he taunted.
“What?” She laughed throwing her arm around his neck. “It’s true. We were faking it.” There was some truth to it although she knew it had not led to anything serious.
“Really?” He pulled her closer, taking a bite of her ear. “What about the time you were all eager for me in my office?” It was a tease and he was enjoying it.
She shook her head. “That was because I was jealous that all those cheerleaders were touching you.” It felt stupid in hindsight for her to feel that way but she did.
“Noted, and the time you randomly showed up in the office at the Jangid fort? Why did you have to fake kiss me with so much intensity?”
She blinked, unable to believe he was bringing up that particular time she was desperate for him. She was embarrassed to talk about it and tried to dodge the question. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why don’t you finish your workout and we can talk after?”
He wasn’t ready to let her go and pulled her back to him, drowning her in sweet kisses. “Nice try; you’re not going anywhere now.”
