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Aryan ruffled his hair and uttered, " please don't cry."
His voice only brought tears to her eyes. He put his coat and tie on the couch before walking toward her. She turned her face opposite, not wanting to see his face.
He exhaled deeply and sat down beside her.
" Look at me."
His voice was harsh, forced and rude.
" Please, look at me, biwi."
This time, he changed his tone and sounded a little softer than before. Instead of looking at him, Pakhi looked down to her lap.
" You said..you will let me go if I attend that reception but you changed your words now."
He chewed his lower lip, noticing her nose which has turned red due to crying continuously. She looked adorable and he knew from the start that Pakhi is a sensitive girl.
" You are so bad. You make me do things then refuse to fulfil my demand," Pakhi continued and wiped her tears.
She looked at his face for the first time without fear and his heart melted seeing tears in her orbs. His ego was crushed and all the anger flew away.
" Hey! Don't cry," he uttered softly and attempted to cup her cheeks but she did not let him.
" You always pretend to care but..but in the end you prove your cruelty."
" Your brother-"
She frowned when his voice raised. He stopped in the middle, pinched the bridge of his nose then continued with a soft tone.
" It's between me and your brother. You don't need to cry."
" But, I am involved between you and Bhai," she replied.
" Yeah, but..I can't let you go because your brother is not an innocent person. He has also said many wrong things to me. Tell him to apologise first, only then I will let you go."
She stared at him standing up and taking his clothes from almirah then going to the bathroom.
Apologise and her brother? He would never. He hates him and always looks for ways to degrade him.
Still, she tried her luck once and called her brother. As he picked up the call, she put the mobile against her right ear.
" Princess? What's wrong?"
" Bhai, have you reached home?"
She asked.
" Yes. Just a while ago."
" Oh," she uttered and chewed her lower lip, not knowing how to ask him to apologise to Aryan.
" What happened?"
Jaydev sensed by her silence that something was really troubling her.
" Bhai, can..you, uhm, can you apologise to him for whatever you said to him?"
No reply came from his side for 30 seconds.
" Did he force you to say this?"
" No.. he told me if you'll apologise then he will send me home tomorrow."
Her brother chuckled, " he will send you, princess. Don't worry about that."
" But how? He clearly refused," she uttered with a defeated tone.
" If he claims to love you, then he'll surely send you."
She sighed, " leave it. Was Nani okay? She was crying at the party saying she misses me a lot."
Jaydev laughed lightly, " yeah yeah, she's totally okay but remember you all the time. As you know, I go to work, mami handles her social work and mama has his own work to look after so nobody's really spending time with her."
" Poor Nani. If I come tomorrow I will spend most of my time with her only."
" Sure. I'll wait for you."
" Okay," she replied in a tiny voice then disconnected the call.
He was certain that Aryan would let her go but she is unable to understand this trust of her brother in her husband. At one point both of them are bitter enemies and at the other, their arrogance is also equal. No one wants to bow down.
One thing she knows is that her brother isn't going to forget whatever Aryan did to marry her. He will surely give his reply soon.
She stood up from the bed and took out a cotton suit from the almirah. Who must have put her clothes here? Maybe maids.
She heard a shower running sound from the bathroom. Means, he will take more time so she quickly changed her clothes and felt comfortable in the cotton suit and salwar. She sat on the stool in front of the mirror and wiped makeup from face.
She brushed her hair and tied her hair in a loose braid. She stood up when she heard the bathroom door opening and him coming out while drying his hair with a towel.
He has worn trousers and a T-shirt. She went to the bathroom to freshen up and came back after washing her face.
She saw him standing on the balcony and using his mobile. His expression looked serious.
Shrugging his thoughts away, she grabbed the separate blanket and pillow from bed before laying on the couch.
She faced the bed and closed her eyes. Eventually 10 minutes passed and she was nearly sleeping but gasped as soon as she felt herself in the air.
" What-"
She held his neck for support and stared at him with wide eyes as he picked her up in arms along with a blanket and walked toward bed.
" Meri baat ka jawab to tum deti nahi to tumse mooh maarne ki bajaye maine socha ki utha hi loon tumhe."
( You don't answer my questions so instead, I thought of taking you to bed by myself.)
By the time he completed his sentence, she was on the bed.
" You are not sleeping there."
She glanced at the couch then at him.
" Aap Jada bade nahi hain vahan sone ke liye?"
( Aren't you too big for sleeping there?)
Her worry was genuine.
" Sach kahan. To aise karta hu main bhi yahi so jata hun."
( Right. I think I should sleep here.)
" No!"
She replied instantly and pulled the duvet up to her chest.
" Why? It's my bed. You are my wife. I have the right to sleep with you and on the bed."
Ignoring her, he climbed up on the bed anyway and sat next to her when she immediately shifted to the side.
" I do not want to sleep with you. This is wrong?"
" What is wrong?"
He asked and took the duvet from her.
" This.. we should not sleep together."
" We should," he said stubbornly and lay on the bed.
" But I won't-"
" Don't make me tie your hands, little one. You can sleep. I won't touch you."
He reassured her but she lacked trust in him. Aryan sighed heavily and grabbed her arm before pulling her down.
" You-"
She created a safe distance between them and stared at his face shockingly with eyes widened.
" Sleep now. I am not eating you."
Who knows- she thought and turned on her back. She pulled the duvet up to her chest. He faced her and folded his arm under his head.
She glanced at him with the corner of her eyes and felt nervous by his constant gaze on her. So, she turned her back to him. Smile formed on his lips at her adorable behaviour.
Pakhi put her palm under her cheek and let out a soft sigh. She wanted to know if he would let her go or not.
" You can go tomorrow."
He said as if he heard her thoughts and decided to end her worry. She faced him again.
" Really?"
He blinked- a gesture to say yes.
" You won't turn back on your words, right?"
" I don't trust myself for that," he said and the sparkle from her eyes faded. Her expression turned sad.
" Oh," she uttered.
" You need to promise that you will not insist on staying and will come back home with me in the evening."
" I promise," she replied without thinking twice.
Aryan chuckled, " you should have thought before promising. What if your brother has a different plan ready?"
She chewed her lower lip and realised he must be right but at the same time, she knows her brother can not stoop low like him.
" If you are thinking he won't do anything then you are wrong, little one. If you think your brother is Saint then again, you are wrong. If you think your brother won't play dirty, you are absolutely incorrect. I know all his good and bad qualities while you only look at him as a sister and with this point of view you can only justify his good qualities which are only selected."
" My brother is not like you," she defended her brother.
He raised his eyebrows, " hm?"
His expression was serious which made her look away from his face fearfully. For a second, she forgot his warning.
" Don't be scared," he said.
She turned on her back and stared up at the ceiling. A minute later, she thought to clear a doubt.
" If you know my brother better then why are you not doing anything for your safety? Why are you sitting quietly?"
" I had planned not to send you there but damn, you cry a lot."
She mentally scoffed and aguishly closed her eyes. He chuckled at her reaction and stared at her until she slipped into his dreamland.
When he was sure that she won't wake up, he sat up and grabbed his mobile from nightstand. He dialled a number and a person picked up the call.
" Did you find anything?"
" No, Sir. As I told you, there's no clue what Jaydev has planned against you."
He hummed and glanced at Pakhi before disconnecting the call.
He took a deep breath and looked at the window. Jaydev must be planning something cunning and big to defeat him but what could it be.
What if he...
He shook his head and shrugged off the weird thoughts before laying down in his place. He stared at his wife until he fell asleep.
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Aryan saw his sister in the living room putting her stuff in her hand bag.
" Going to university?"
He asked and Shruti smiled before looking at him.
" Yes, bhai. Can't skip work anymore. The students' exams are coming up, so I need to go."
He nodded and sat down beside her.
" Everything's...okay at your workplace right?"
Shruti frowned, " yeah, why?"
Pakhi looked at them while standing near the entrance of the house.
" I mean, does anyone bother you?"
Shruti chuckled and shook her head, " nobody does. They know who my brother is."
He smiled and put his hand on her head. Pakhi's eyes instantly turned sad and a faint smile caressed on her lips seeing their bond.
" Tell me if anyone troubles you, okay?"
Shruti nodded and stood up with the hand bag and car keys.
" I gotta go. Bye."
She looked around and saw her parents.
" Bye mumma papa."
" Take care, princess."
Shruti started walking out of the house but as soon as she put her foot out of the house, she bumped into someone.
Pakhi's eyes lit up seeing her brother.
Jaydev held Shruti by her shoulders in a quick reflex.
" Hey!"
His tone was anything but sweet and she hated seeing his face before leaving for work. Shruti stepped back before leaving from there.
Jaydev smiled seeing his sister who came out of the house.
" Bhai-"
She hugged him and Jaydev's eyes landed on Aryan who was now standing at the doorstep and staring at him with a cold look on face.
" Shall we leave now?"
Pakhi nodded and broke the hug.
" I'll be back," she said and went inside the house then eventually to her bedroom.
" Jaydev? Won't you come inside?"
Ekta and Rajdeep too came. Jaydev removed his gaze from Aryan and looked at them.
" I would love to but not today."
Aryan knitted his eyebrows while Jaydev again looked at him and said,
" I will soon come here like before with due respect."
" Yeah sure," Ekta chuckled.
Pakhi came back and touched the feet of Ekta and Rajdeep. Aryan wanted her to at least glance at him but was disappointed when she did the opposite and went with her brother.
She sat in his car and both drove away from there. Aryan, too, went to his work.
" So? Didn't I tell he will let you go?"
Jaydev said with a smile on lips. Pakhi nodded, " but he took a promise from me that I won't insist on staying at home."
He shook his head, " as if it matters to me."
She frowned hearing his words but chose not to say anything about this. They talked on a casual topic until they reached their home.
" Nani!"
Pakhi went inside her house and first, met her grandmother who too exclaimed with happiness seeing her.
" I thought you won't come," the grandmother uttered with tears in eyes , which Pakhi wiped.
" You missed me?"
" So much," Pakhi replied with a chuckle.
" Pakhi?"
She stood and met her mama and mami. Jaydev came as well.
" I have prepared besan ke laddu for you, wanna eat?"
Her mami, Rohini said.
" Jhuthi! I prepared them alone, Pakhi. Don't listen to her."
Her grandmother snapped at Rohini and everyone burst into laughter at the old woman's choice of words.
Jaydev checked time on his watch and said to everyone,
" I need to go headquarters for a meeting."
" Okay, make sure you come early," Rohini said to him and he nodded before leaving the house.
Pakhi spent her time with her small family and shared so many things with them. She was happy after 2 days and could smile freely.
Her brother came at 4 PM and straight went to her room. She turned off the mobile and looked at him as he removed his brown leather jacket and jumped up on the bed.
" I have brought ice-cream for you."
" Really?"
" Hm hm."
She handed him a pillow which he put under his head as he lay down. She put another pillow on her lap.
" You don't need to go now, hmm?"
She frowned, " but I have to. He took promise-"
" No relation and promise matters to him then why are you worrying?"
" But, would it be okay?"
" Absolutely. He managed to marry you because I was not here. If you won't trust me and keep obeying his decision, then it is not going to work, Princess."
Pakhi shook her head, " he has gathered false accusations on you which he claims to prove correct in the court. That is why I am scared, Bhai."
Jaydev thought for a few seconds before saying, " if he can make false accusations then who stopped us? I can take advantage of my position. It won't take me a second to put him behind bars, princess."
" What will you do?"
" Firstly, he married you forcefully. You just need to give some statements. Law works in the favour of woman so it would be easier-"
" No Bhai," Pakhi stopped him in the middle and he frowned.
" Hmm?"
Pakhi took a deep breath, " I don't want this. Neither I want him to put dirty accusations on you nor I will give any useless statements against him."
" Isn't it correct that he married you forcefully?"
" Yeah but-"
" What?"
Jaydev sat up and she looked down to her lap.
" I don't want this, Bhai. Can't we find another way?"
Jaydev clicked his tongue before saying,
" If you are thinking of leaving a man like him through an easier and safer way then my dear you are wrong. Don't underestimate him. That man is very clever. He can do anything to win. He knows I won't do anything as long as he has you with him. Yes, if you don't want me to defeat him this way then I can pull another trick."
" What are you planning to do?"
Pakhi asked with a defeated look. Jaydev shook his head.
" I have not decided yet."
Pakhi could see no truth in his eyes. She knew he was planning something big but it was not an easier task to take out anything from his mouth. He's a stubborn man with a cunning mind.
" Bhai, I just don't want you to hurt anybody. Keep your enmity with him only."
Jaydev shook his head, " the day he married you, our enmity was no longer personal."
" Bhai-"
" End of discussion. Tell me do you want ice cream?"
How quickly he changed his mood and ended the topic. She nodded her head and he went out of the room.
She palmed her face then ran her fingers into her hair. These two men have surely decided to ruin so many people in their enmity.
5 years.
Both have been burning with vengeance for 5 years. These two will probably never be friends again.
Jaydev came with two bowls of ice-cream and handed one to her. They no longer discussed anything related to Aryan and talked casually like before.
" Really? Did you catch the criminal then?"
" Yeah, do you think that anyone can escape from your brother's hands?"
She laughed and shook her head, " after all you are a great IPS officer."
" Certainly," Jaydev laughed and both clicked their bowls together.
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Vote comment share and follow.
Aryan's character is obsessive and controlling. Don't worry, he'll have good character development.
Pakhi is not like Shruti. Both have different personalities. Shruti can take defend herself just Pakhi find it difficult. She's more lean to the fragile side while Shruti is savage.
Jaydev and Aryan, both are annoyingly stupid- their enmity of long 5 years has affected their relationship and all they think about is hurting one another.
Bas, itna hi.
Hope you are liking the story.
Read in scrollstack ( early access).