Page 60 of The Unwanted Husband
He would have fought for it, to be with her.
The certainty in his voice, the unwavering conviction that he would have moved heaven and earth to be with her, it cracked something open inside her chest.
What he was referring to went beyond the sheer attraction, the physical need or the thrill of the forbidden desire. It was something very real, something that made her want to be the person he would fight for, the woman worthy of that kind of devotion.
Isha’s hand lingered on his cheek, and she found herself memorizing the way he looked at her. His eyes were hard to read but he looked at her like she was precious, like she mattered in ways that went beyond their heated moments they shared.
“Good night,” she whispered again, but this time the words felt different. Like a promise instead of an ending. Like the beginning of something that scared her more than any kiss ever could.
As she walked away, she could feel his eyes on her. For the first time, she wasn’t thinking about seducing him or getting the attraction out of their systems.
She was thinking about what it would feel like to be the one to receive the affection of a man who would do anything for the woman he irrevocably was in love with to never let her get away.
CHAPTER 21
A few days later…
The days blended into one another like watercolors in the humid island air as each morning brought new rituals, new challenges that left her muscles aching and her mind spinning with unfamiliar customs. The first water blessing ceremony had been followed by dawn prayers at the island’s temple, then hours of learning traditional cooking methods over wood fires, her hands blistered from grinding spices on stone. The afternoon brought lessons in reading the sea, when it is safe to be in the water and when to move further away.
By evening, she would collapse onto her bed, every part of her body protesting. She would hear Ashok and his family interact with the twins but she had no energy to walk over to be with them. The simple act of walking across the room felt monumental, her legs were heavy with exhaustion, her feet tender from navigating the island’s coral paths and sandy beaches without the protection of her usual shoes.
It had been during such moments of complete depletion that she would hear his familiar yet careful footsteps approaching her door. He no longer asked for permission to enter and somehow, he always knew when she needed him most. That night, like the others, he slipped inside and found her sprawled across the bed, still wearing the day’s clothes, too tired to even change.
“You have the option to quit at any point,” he said softly, sitting at the foot of the bed. Like the previous few nights, he gently lifted her feet into his lap, his hands warm against her skin.
“I can’t,” she murmured into the pillow.
His thumbs found the arch of her foot, pressing with just the right amount of pressure to make her sigh with relief. “If you promise to massage my feet every night, I can definitely keep up with the rituals, no matter how many times Aravinda makes me repeat the same tasks.”
The tension and stiffness began to melt from her body as his hands worked methodically. First the pull on her toes and moving from one foot, to other, his fingers kneading away the soreness from walking on unfamiliar terrain. It was such a simple gesture, yet it spoke of an intimacy that went beyond physical attraction. The care was pure and uncomplicated.
She had noticed how the tension between them somehow had dissipated and turned into something else. A casual yet comfortable dynamic that she welcomed.
“You have magic in your fingers,” she whispered, her voice muffled as she fought to stay awake.
He smiled in the darkness, continuing the gentle massage. “I wish you didn’t go overboard with the tasks. My mother likes how sincere you are with your rituals.”
“What?” she asked, suddenly alert despite her tiredness. “What did she say?”
“She said you are strong. Like you can bend without breaking.” His hands stilled for a moment. “You’ve been a trooper with all the tasks. It’s impressive.”
She felt a warmth spread through her chest that had nothing to do with the tropical climate. “Thank you.”
Ashok kept rubbing her foot. “You’re definitely winning the family over, one day at a time. But more importantly, you’re showing them who you truly are.”
“And who am I?” she teased.
“That you’re not a quitter.” He smiled.
As sleep began to claim her, she felt profoundly grateful not just for his healing touch, but for his words, and his quiet presence during her most vulnerable moments.
“Ashok, I miss the twins.” She was barely awake.
“Hang on a second, don’t fall asleep yet.” He said walking into the bathroom. Her gaze followed him as he washed his hands before leaving the room.
Moments passed before she heard the little ones’ giggles. She looked up toward the open door and the sight made her heart swell with joy. He held the twins on each arm and the excitement she saw in the kids’ eyes was magical.
They both called out to her like they missed her and her eyes welled with joy.
