36) Do you trust me?

I have an exam coming up so obviously I'm gonna do the sane thing and procrastinate and update once again.

Give me your blessings, you lovely people. 🤲🙇‍♀️

Who's excited for the Maldives trip??

Arjun's POV

"Arjun, would you like some more?" Mrs. Sharma asked, already serving more food in my plate even after I had denied her thrice.

"If you're done feeding his Highness, then serve us too. We are also sitting here, you know." Kiara commented from beside me , a sarcastic smile on her face.

I sent a smug look her way and she rolled her eyes.

Mrs. Sharma chuckled and passed the curry to Kiara. It had been an hour since I came here and was sitting on the dining table with Kiara's family.

"I'm surprised you are still sane after living with her for so long." Tina, Kiara's sister said as she helped herself with salad.

"I know." I muttered, sighing and everyone laughed except my pissed-off wife beside me.

Dinner went well with a few jokes and small talks and soon it was time for dessert.

"I was shocked when Kiara asked me to bring vanilla ice-cream for her." Mrs. Sharma exclaimed as she took out the tub from the fridge and scooped out ice-cream in small bowls.

"We thought she was sick." Mr. Sharma laughed. "I was almost going to take her to the doctor."

"Dad!" Kiara whined, pouting at the ice cream that her sister kept in front of her.

"Do you have some chocolate ice-cream?" I asked Tina when she was about to give me the bowl and from the corner of my eye, I saw Kiara whipping her head towards me.

"There you go." Tina handed me another bowl and I thanked her. Still feeling a pair of furious eyes on me, I turned to my angry princess.

Running my tongue along the inside of my cheek, I blinked at her. "Do you need anything, Kiara?"

I could already read the answer in her eyes. Yes. Your head on a plate.

She shook her head in a 'no', her face passive and eyes glaring.

"Then dig in. We don't want the ice cream to melt now, do we?" Her hold on the spoon tightened as I winked at her.

Do you really think I will let you off this easily, princess?

How could I forget the stunt Sid pulled at office today?

"Where is Sid?" I growled angrily, looking at my watch for the sixth time in the past ten minutes. Rohan shrugged from beside me and then busied himself in his phone but I could sense some hesitation in his posture.

The Singhanias and Oberois were venturing into a joint project in England with Rohan being the head of our company's London branch. The meeting was supposed to start half an hour ago, focusing at the future aspects of the project.

Sid knew I hated tardiness and still there was no sign of him.

He is so dead!

All of a sudden, loud music started playing in the speakers and I looked up only to freeze in my place.

The door of the conference room barged open and Sid rolled inside, yes, he fucking rolled inside on a skateboard with huge black sunglasses and a red cape flying behind him.

What the fuck?

Coming to stop beside me, he swiveled around, taking off his glasses and jumped aside. He, then, proceeded to wave at the employees who were too shocked to react and wink at some girls who giggled in response.

My face morphed from shock to anger and I gritted my teeth, pretty sure that the vein in my forehead was ready to burst anytime.

I stood up, my anger getting the best of me. "WHAT THE HE-"

"Aah!" Sid pointed a finger at me, his expressions earnest and I stopped mid-sentence. He smirked slyly and his eyes flickered behind me as he showed a thumbs up. My brows pulled together in annoyance as my gaze followed his lead and I looked back to see Rohan showing a thumbs up to Sid and ...making a video of us?

What?

Trying to control his laugh, he held the phone in his hands and continued to film us.

What the hell was going on?

It took me another five seconds to realize what this was all about and I closed my eyes, pinching my closed eyelids.

Right. I can't be angry on anyone for 4 days.

Fuck.

What kind of a stupid deal was this?

I sat back on my chair without a word and clenched my hand into a fist, inhaling sharply.

Sid plopped on the chair on my left and grinned, slurping coffee from a Starbucks cup that I hadn't noticed before. "Let's begin the meeting, shall we?"

Only I knew how I controlled myself from lashing out at him. Later, I got to know that it was Kiara who planned all this.

Well, if she wanted to play like this, then so it be.

I was almost done with my dessert when Kiara spoke. "Mom, before we leave, I'll go to my room and take a few things I need."

"Sure. Why don't you show Arjun around?"

Kiara hesitated, her eyes darting to me. "I don't think he would like t-"

I cut her off with a dazzling smile. "I would love to."

She tried to glare at me but with her family present around all she managed was a tight-lipped smile, the look in her eyes murderous.

"Fine." She stood up rather stiffly and walked out, me following her.

Honestly, I was enjoying this more than I should.

We reached upstairs and she opened the door to what I assumed was her room. We entered inside and a smile crept on my face, unknown to me. The room screamed of Kiara. It was decorated in shades of blue and two huge Chris Hemsworth posters hung on one of the walls, right beside her study table.

I chuckled. Of course, what else can I expect from her?

The wall opposite to the bed had a bookshelf and Kiara walked to it, taking out a book and stuffing it in a bag.

"Nice room." I commented and she turned around, her eyes narrowed in a glare.

Propping her hands on her waist, she frowned at me. "Why did you come here?"

"Now, now. Is that any way to talk to your husband?" I teased and she turned her back to me, huffing and mumbling profanities.

"I bumped into your mom at the market and she insisted me to join her." I explained, my gaze wandering to the queen-sized bed in the room.

The wall behind the bed was adorned with different pictures of Kiara with her family and friends. She climbed on the bed and took out the photos one by one.

"What are you doing?" I sat on the edge of her bed.

"I don't have any pictures in my room back at your penthouse. It looks quite plain." She stacked the photos together, one on the top of the other.

"Can I help?"

She looked up wide-eyed, startled at my question. Squinting eyes at me, she pursed her lips. "Are you sure you are Arjun?"

I gave her my best unimpressed glare.

Why was it so hard to believe that I can be polite too? Was I that harsh before?

One of my employees fainted today when I asked her how was she doing after she greeted me. I had to call an ambulance.

"Okay." Kiara agreed and shifted but still stared at me warily like I would push her down the bed.

We piled the photos together and Kiara packed them in the bag. When she was done, I offered to carry it for her and she gasped audibly. "You're definitely not Arjun."

She scrambled closer and placed her palm on my forehead, checking for fever. "Are you sure you are okay?"

"Done?" Giggling at my blank face, she moved away.

I picked the bag and we walked out of her room. Kiara's parents were in the living room when we came downstairs.

I nodded at them. "It's getting late. We'll take your leave now."

"Do you want something else before you leave?" Mrs. Sharma asked politely.

My eyes darted to Kiara and I grinned like an idiot. "Can I have some more chocolate ice cream?"

Kiara's POV

"For the last time, guys! I'm not going to wear lingerie there!" I yelled, ready to snatch my hair and they all giggled like 5-year-olds who had seen a couple kissing.

It was Thursday and my friends were here to help me pack for Maldives. I hadn't invited them, they had just tagged themselves along saying I might need their help. And since far, all they had done was stuff lingerie in my bag that they had bought for me without even me knowing.

"Come on, Kia. It's not like we don't know what's gonna happen on the pretense of a business trip." Maahi smiled coyly and the others giggled as she air quoted the word 'business trip'.

Oh lord.

How do I even put up with them?

"Black or red?" My eyes widened as Nandini held up two skimpy outfits that were only large enough to fit a baby.

Saumya tapped a finger on her chin, her face deep in concentration like she was thinking hard for a question in her exam.

"What's Arjun's favourite colour?" Maahi piped in, taking a break from her gawking session of the closet and came to stand beside Saumya.

"I think black." Anushka answered as she searched through my clothes, looking for anything, and as I quote, 'sexy to wear'.

"Black it is then." Nandini dumped the red one and carefully packed the black dress.

"Guys!" I shouted, earning questioning looks from them. "I am not going to wear these in Maldives."

They looked at me for a second and then went on with their work, completely ignoring me.

"And yeah, we also bought some swimsuits for you. You might need them on the beach." Maahi handed me a shopping bag. My mouth opened and closed, no words coming out as my gaze flickered between her and the bag.

"Wha-"

"Come on, now. No need to thank me." Maahi waved a hand in air. "I know what you are going to say - what an amazing friend I am and what would you've done without me." She winked. "You're welcome."

I sighed and closed my eyes, rubbing my temple. What did I get myself into?

I'll let them do whatever they want and then pack again at night.

As Anushka helped me pick dresses from my closet, her eyes fell on Arjun's blue tie that I had not-so-graciously stolen.

"Oooh, what in the fifty shades is going on here?" She picked the tie, her question followed by a series of sly cat calls and suggestive looks.

I face palmed and softly banged my head on the wall.

"Put it back, please." I mumbled tiredly.

"Not so easily." Anushka grinned and wore the tie around her neck. Clearing her throat, she pulled on a passive face and tried to mimic Arjun's voice. "Mrs. Singhania. In my office. Now."

Oh god.

Everyone laughed and I hid my face in my hands. My mind drifted away from the conversation as my brain conjured up various scenarios and images on its own accord and I blushed furiously, mentally hitting myself for such thoughts.

STOP RIGHT NOW.

I need to stay away from Maahi for some time.

They made a few more jokes at my expense and when Anushka declared she was hungry, everyone agreed with her and ran out to eat something.

They are worse than babies, I swear.

We were in the dining hall, eating the delicious mac and cheese Ritu had made when I heard the main door opening and his footsteps.

Was it weird that I could recognize Arjun just by his footsteps?

He almost walked past us, not noticing the slight commotion we made but Maahi stopped him.

"Hey, Arjun!" She squealed loudly, waving at him merrily and almost hitting Saumya in the face who was sitting beside her.

His eyes fell on us and he halted in his steps. Changing his direction, he walked towards us with a miniature smile. "Hi."

In response, he got a chorus of greetings and waves with stupid grins and mischievous looks. I crossed my fingers and desperately hoped that none of them would blurt out anything inappropriate.

I noticed a polybag in his hand and he must have seen me eyeing the bag as he smirked.

"Would you guys like to eat cupcakes?" He asked, slightly raising the bag and then looking me in the eyes, added. "Chocolate cupcakes?"

My friends squealed like they found some hidden treasure and ran to him. Maahi being the fastest, snatched the bag from Arjun's hands like they were playing a rugby game and my jaw dropped open.

Traitors!

I told them about the deal this morning and they had sympathized with me saying how cruel Arjun was, torturing a poor soul like me.

Wait, wasn't Maahi the one who had promised that she won't anything chocolate-y unless I would? And now she was gobbling down the cupcakes as if it was the last meal of her life.

My eyes darted to Arjun who was standing there with a blank expression but even a blind person could see the amusement reflecting off his face.

I thought we were even after yesterday when I played that 'Sid' prank and he arrived at my home unannounced.

But I forgot he was the human version of Satan.

Right. So, what you did today had nothing to do with it?

Well...

I may or may not have asked Sid and Rohan to throw confetti at him when he entered his office this morning.

In my defense, that monster finished my whole stash of chocolates. In three days! He would deliberately come in front of me every now and then, nibbling on a chocolate and then leave after smirking like a deranged idiot.

"Why don't you join us? This mac and cheese is delicious." Nandini asked, stuffing her mouth with some more.

His eyes were fixed at me as he replied. "Sure, let me just go and change."

He left and I hissed at my friends. "Are you guys mad?" Turning to Nandini, I nudged her harshly. "Why did you ask him to join us?"

And what did my friends do?

Ignored me! Like they always do.

Arjun came after a few minutes, dressed in a simple tee and jeans and sat to my right, on the head chair.

Serving himself some food, he turned to me, his brows scrunched together. "Have you seen my blue tie? I can't find it anywhere."

Uh-oh.

My mouth opened slightly, my brain working a mile per minute as I searched for a perfect lie but Nandini beat me to it. "You mean the one in Ki-"

Horrified, I stomped my foot over Nandini's, causing her to wince. Taking this as a chance, I immediately spoke up. "No! No, I haven't."

Giving me a weird glance, he picked a fork. "Okay."

Everyone resumed eating and I heaved a sigh of relief.

I was about to get caught.

"What's your favourite colour?" Anushka's sudden question caused me to splutter out the food like Satan himself was choking me to death.

If they kept asking such questions, I would surely die either from choking or from embarrassment.

Cause of death - Best friend's unfiltered mouth.

"I don't have a favourite colour." Arjun replied while passing me a glass of water, his concerned gaze lingering on me.

Gulping some water to relieve my throat, I spoke casually. "He prefers black over other colours."

"Yes." I looked away from him only to find the four creeps, that unfortunately are my friends, grinning like they were high on weed.

"Sooo..." Maahi trailed off, placing a hand on her cheek and leaning forward.

Wiggling her eyebrows at Arjun, she smirked mischievously. "Maldives, huh?"

I was a second away from throwing a plate at her.

What was she doing?

Instead of getting angry or scowling as I expected him to, my dear husband surprised me by mimicking Maahi's stance. "Soo..."

Maahi pulled her brows together, confused. "What?"

Cocking an amused brow, he smiled smugly. "Rohan, huh?"

And for the first time in my life, I saw Maahi turning beetroot red, blushing like a ripe tomato.

Wait a second.

WHAT?

*

Tapping my fingers on the table, I bounced my knee restlessly as my eyes kept straying to the wall clock.

Come on, come on. 2 more minutes.

Finally, the clock struck 12 and I jumped up, rushing to Arjun's room. I knocked on the door like a madman and waited for him to open it, swaying back and forth impatiently.

The door swung open after the tenth knock and the first thing I saw was a very naked chest. My mouth dried up, my eyes glued to his toned body as I shamelessly gawked at my shirtless husband.

Focus, Kia.

"What?" Arjun croaked, coughing slightly and I lifted my gaze to his face. He rubbed his eyes, trying to blink away sleep and I had a sudden urge to pull his cheeks at how cute he looked doing such a normal thing like normal people.

Did I wake him up? Good. He didn't deserve to sleep after the torture he put me through.

I didn't say anything, just raised the chocolate that I had brought with me and took a bite, chewing furiously while Arjun stared at me like I had grown another head.

"It's over." I tried to mumble but all that came out of my mouth was complete gibberish.

Arjun stared at me, stunned. "What?"

Swallowing the last bit of chocolate in my mouth, I spoke again. "The deal. It's over. It's Friday now. And you can't stop me from eating chocolate anymore."

He blinked.

Once...

Twice...

And then burst out laughing.

"This is not funny." I yelled, stomping my foot stubbornly but Arjun ignored me, throwing his head back and laughing loudly. His eyes crinkled at the edges and his teeth were on full display, giving him a boyish look. My surprised eyes didn't waver from his face, he looked so young and carefree that I couldn't help but stare at him in wonder.

His laugh was so contagious that I couldn't help but let out a laugh of my own.

My chuckles turned into a full-blown laugh and soon, we both were cackling hysterically like we were on crack. If someone had seen us like this, they would have taken us for psychopaths. And that's how we exactly looked, two crazy people laughing their asses off in a hallway in the middle of night.

"What?" Coughing, I wiped the tears that spilled from my eyes due to excessive laughing.

"You are crazy."

My crazy, chocolate high brain wanted me to reply with 'For you' just for the fun of it but seeing how cheesy and awkward it would be, I settled with an 'I know' and a cheeky wink.

How does my mind even come up with such replies?

His chuckles died down, a soft look in his eyes and a small smile playing on his lips. "It's been so long since I laughed like this."

I flipped my hair sassily, smirking. "What can I say? I'm special."

He narrowed his eyes at me slightly, his lips spreading in a smirk. "Let me rephrase that. It's been so long since I laughed at someone like this."

I gasped. "You're so mean."

"Really?" Leaning against the doorframe, he crossed arms over his chest. "Did I come to your college and showered confetti all over you?"

My face turned sheepish and I passed him a bashful smile.

"About that..." I bit my tongue, my face twisting apologetically.

I had the whole video of the incident. Rohan made it and it was hilarious. It showed Arjun opening the door to his office room while he was on phone and as soon as he stepped inside, the bucket on the top of the door tipped over, the confetti in it falling on him. Surprisingly, Arjun didn't react much. He did freeze in his place for a few seconds as he came to term with what was happening. But after that he rolled his eyes and went on to sit on his chair, not even bothering to shout at Sid or Rohan.

"I am sorry?" I offered sheepishly and he shook his head, his lips curving in a smile. "Hey, I was angry on you!"

He quirked a brow. "Then you probably don't wanna know what I do when I'm angry."

Why don't you show me?

Excuse my conscience, everyone.

I put on a serious face. "Believe me, I have an idea."

A moment of silence.

And then we boomed into another fit of laughter.

After a few minutes when we didn't have the energy to laugh anymore, we lapsed into silence again, staring at each other.

Now what?

I started fidgeting with my hands, thinking of what to say next.

I don't want to go from here.

"Don't you have to sleep?" He asked slowly. "It's quite late."

"Yes. I have class tomorrow morning. I should go." I took a step back, hoping he didn't notice the hesitation in my tone.

Please stop me.

Trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my heart, I tilted my head and smiled. "Goodnight, Mr. Singhania."

Nothing, and I repeat nothing could've prepared me for what came out of his mouth next.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Singhania." He smiled back, his dimples making a rare appearance and I knew I was a goner.

I turned around swiftly before I could start squealing like a cat and scurried away from him, trying to contain my giddy smile. The words kept repeating in my brain and my head shot up in shock when a new realization hit me with the speed of a bullet train.

Oh god. I have a massive crush on my husband!

*

"Where's your private plane?" I asked looking around, a bit irritated by all the security checking at the airport.

"My what?"

"Plane." Arjun looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"I don't travel in my private plane."

"Why?" I frowned as we walked towards the fourth terminal. David and an another equally scary looking guy were carrying our bags as they walked in front of us.

"I don't like to show off."

"Right." I scoffed, not believing a word. "Says the one who lives in a freaking penthouse in one of the tallest buildings in Delhi."

His face turned solemn, brows pulling together in a frown and his eyes focused on the ground. "My mom gifted me the penthouse on my eighteenth birthday."

Oh.

"The only reason I live there is because of her. It feels like I'm close to mom."

I stopped in my tracks, feeling extremely guilty for mocking him like this. "I..I am sorry. I didn't know."

"It's okay. Come on, else we will miss our flight."

Matching his footsteps, I pondered over the information he told me, my mind troubled.

Now that I think about it, what he said was true. Whenever he goes somewhere, he likes to drive the car himself and never takes his bodyguards with him unless it's necessary. Nor does he have many servants in his penthouse. Other than Ritu, I've only seen two other maids who never talk and move around the house quietly, vanishing after they complete their work.

God, Kia. You're so stupid.

While I was busy scolding myself, I didn't know when we reached the plane. David and the other bodyguard, whose name I learned was Roy, entered before us, nearly giving the air hostess standing at the entrance a heart attack. We followed after them and she showed us our seats.

"Can I have the window seat?" I asked eagerly and Arjun stepped back, gesturing with his hand to let me sit first.

As soon as we settled down, Arjun busied himself in his first love, his laptop and I rolled my eyes, plugging in earphones and decided to watch a movie.

An hour passed and Arjun was still glued to the laptop. I humphed, annoyed by how much he worked when my eyes roamed around and landed on two girls who were staring right back at me.

Let me correct myself. At us.

They were giggling among themselves, pointing at us and when one of them caught my eye, she actually squealed, startling the passenger next to her who was asleep.

She waved at me excitedly like I was some celebrity and then pointed to Arjun.

I poked his bicep, grabbing his attention and gestured towards the girls who were now clicking pictures of us.

Arjun followed my gaze and rolled up the partition at his side, not saying anything.

Well.

I straightened in my seat, my senses hyper aware of the confined space we were in.

I spent another 10 minutes watching the movie but got bored pretty soon and decided to rest.

"Wake me up when we land." Yawning lazily, I leaned against my seat and closed my eyes, drifting in a sleep.

Sometime later, my peaceful slumber was interrupted by some voices and I frowned in my sleep.

"Shh. Keep your voice down." A hush sounded from beside me. "She's sleeping."

"Sorry, sir. Would you like to eat something?"

"No. Uh-wait. Bring me a veg sandwich."

With my eyes still closed, a smile crept on my lips.

"Sure, sir."

I heard shuffling and I immediately relaxed in my seat, pretending to be still asleep.

"Kiara?" Arjun shook my shoulder.

I hummed, rubbing my eyes and yawned.

My acting skills are lit.

Giving him a half tired, half sleepy smile, I peered at him, waiting for him to speak.

"I ordered a sandwich for you. Do you need something else?"

I shook my head, my wide smile getting creepier with each passing second and looked out of the window. "When do we land?"

"It will take another half an hour."

"Okay."

45 minutes later and we were already in the hotel. It was near the airport, barely a 10-minute car ride.

Arjun asked for the reservation under his name at the reception and the receptionist handed him the keys to a honeymoon suite.

"A honeymoon suite?" Arjun frowned.

"Yes, sir. A honeymoon suite under the name of Mr. and Mrs. Singhania."

Arjun contemplated for a moment.

"Do one thing. Cancel the honeymoon suite and book a normal suite instead, with at least two separate bedrooms."

"Why, sir. Are you and ma'am fighting?" The receptionist asked with a sincere expression, his eyes glancing back and forth between me and Arjun.

A loud chuckle left my lips and I covered my mouth, trying to dissolve my giggles.

Arjun arched an eyebrow at him, smiling sarcastically. "Yes, would you like to solve it for us?"

"Sorry, sir." He straightened up, his ears turning pink and typed something on his computer. "Here's your key, sir. Presidential suite on the top floor. Enjoy your stay."

Taking the card from him, Arjun marched away without a word and I gave an apologetic smile to the receptionist for my husband's behaviour.

The suite, undoubtedly, was extremely lavish. An extravagant sitting lounge that opened into a balcony and an open kitchen on the other side. The bedrooms were on the opposite side of the entrance, adjacent to each other. My room had an attached balcony and I did a happy dance. I've always had a thing for balconies, as weird as it sounds.

Dinner was a quiet affair because Arjun wouldn't move away from his laptop and I couldn't talk because I didn't want to disturb him. So, I decided to retire to my room early and as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was fast asleep.

I was hoping to wake up in the morning by the familiar tune of my alarm but instead I was greeted by shouting. I turned in my bed and stuffed a pillow over my ear, trying to block the yelling but it kept getting louder. Supporting my upper body on my elbows, I raised lightly and my half open eyes took in my surroundings.

Who would shout at this time in the morning?

I think you very well know who.

My head fell back on the pillow and a groan left my lips.

Leaving my bed, I trudged out of my room, wondering who or what pissed off the hulk this early.

"What do you mean you don't know? It was your fucking job!" Was the first thing I heard as soon as I came out.

Arjun paced around the lounge, a permanent crease seemed to be resting on his forehead as he continuously barked at the phone.

I strolled to him at a lazy pace, standing in front of him and he came to an abrupt halt, the crease on his forehead deepened on seeing me.

He stepped left, trying to walk away but I blocked his path. He turned right and I did the same thing again.

He looked up angrily, the look in his eyes asking -no, threatening- me to move.

I did the exact opposite.

Folding hands over my chest, I tapped my foot repeatedly, my lips pursed in a solemn look and he looked at me in disbelief, his mouth partly open.

He was still on call.

I arched a brow silently, cocking my head and he glared at me, his face stern but I didn't budge, matching his glare with my own. When it was confirmed I wasn't going to back off, he sighed, annoyed.

"It's fine!" He spoke on the phone, his voice a lot calmer now. "What's done is done. Try to complete the rest of it in an hour."

He talked like a normal person and I gave him a proud smile, patting his cheek. Intending to walk back to my room to sleep a bit more, I turned away from him but he stopped me, his hand enclosing my wrist. I faced him as his eyes flickered to his chest and then back at me. "Yes, mail the presentation to me along with the annual report."

My eyes shifted down and I noticed the unmade tie around his neck. Stepping closer, I worked on the tie, willing the light blush on my cheeks to fade away.

I made a perfect Windsor knot in three minutes while he was still on phone and it was funny to watch him control his temper.

I even learnt different kinds of knots for him.

"Done." I stepped back, marveling at my hard work and he mouthed a 'thank you' to me.

I put both my hands on my heart, my face resembling surprise and happiness and then wiped my fake tears, sniffling.

Rolling his amused eyes, his lips curved in a half smirk, half smile as he spoke on the phone. "This is the last time I'm tolerating such behaviour. If it happens next time, I won't hesitate to fire you."

I went to sit on the sofa and he talked for some more time, cutting the call after a few minutes and immediately collecting files from the table.

"I'm leaving for a meeting." He told me. "It's urgent."

"When will you come back?" I asked, standing up.

"Around late afternoon." He answered, already rushing through the main door.

"Have a bad day." I yelled after him.

"Don't burn down the hotel." He yelled back and I giggled to myself.

The rest of the day was quite boring as I had nothing to do except from eating, watching TV or reading the book that I had brought along with me.

I was sprawled on the sofa, reading when Arjun came back. It was almost 4 in the evening.

"Go change your clothes." He said, keeping a file on the table.

I closed my book, sitting up properly. "Why?"

"We're going out."

"Where?"

"Somewhere."

Wow, what a detailed information.

"Wear something light and casual." He added and I went to my room, frowning over his weird demand.

I changed into a plain top and shorts, tying my hair in a simple ponytail and came out of my room.

Arjun had also changed and was now dressed in a grey tee and black trousers instead of his formal suit. Also, he was wearing black shades and he looked extremely hot in them.

He looks hot in everything.

True that.

We exited the hotel and an open jeep was waiting for us in the parking. Arjun took the keys from the valet and drove us to God knows where.

"Can you tell me now where are we going?" I tried again.

"We are going to the beach."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

My husband has such amazing communication skills.

"Are you going to kill me there and then bury me in the sand?"

"Bingo! That's the plan." I pouted at his answer. He was the only one who could match my sarcastic comment with an equally, if not more, sarcastic answer.

As a bonus, he would speak in such monotonous tone that for a moment, you would be left wondering if he's actually serious about it.

We reached our destination in 10 minutes and I got out of the jeep, my mouth dropping open at the scene in front of me.

"Jet skiing?"

On the shore were lined a number of jet skis and there was a small wooden cabin nearby.

"Yes." Arjun came to stand beside me, hands in his pocket as he leaned against the jeep.

"Why are we here?" My voice came out squeaky.

He took off his shades, awarding me with one of Arjun-Singhania's-special-deadpan-look. "Take a guess, princess."

I stepped away from him. "Oh no, no, no. I'm not going there."

"Why?"

"Don't you see how dangerous it is? What if we're jet skiing and a whale comes out of nowhere and eat us?"

He crossed arms over his chest, his expressions flat.

I ignored him. "Or what if a tsunami comes and we drown in it?"

"Or...or what if some pirates find us and make us hostages?"

"Or what if we land on an unknown island with no means to get back?" My hands flailed around as I tried to make him understand the severity of the situation.

"Why did you even bring me here?" I ended with a squeak.

"Because I plan on killing you and make it look like an accident."

"What!?" I screamed out loud.

He cringed, his face contorting in discomfort. "Jeez, stop hurting my ear drums. I was only kidding." Rolling his eyes, he muttered. "And you are supposed to be the funny one between us."

"I thought you might be bored after staying at the hotel all day and I was free rest of the evening. So..." He trailed off, shrugging as if it was no big deal and I stared at him, overwhelmed.

He did this for me.

Holding my wrist, he pulled me along with him towards the cabin and I didn't resist, my lips curving in a smile.

A man came out of the cabin and Arjun greeted him. "Hey, Sam. How are you?"

"Arjun! Hey, man. It's been so long."

"Kiara, this is Sam. And Sam, this is my wife, Kiara."

I don't think I will ever be able to get over the fact how good it sounds when he addresses me as his wife.

"Hey." I smiled nervously.

"Hi. Nice to meet you."

Can't say the same for you.

"Have you done this before?" I looked at Arjun as he took two life jackets from Sam and handed one of them to me.

"Yes. It's one of my favourite sports."

I wore the life jacket, still a bit skeptical. Chewing my lower lip, I asked in an uncertain voice. "You know how to ride it, right?"

I have never done anything like this before and while half of me was overjoyed and excited about jet skiing with Arjun, the other half was scared.

Sighing, Arjun came behind me, tightening the life jacket around me and put his hands on my waist.

"Do you trust me?" He asked, his voice unusually calm and soft.

Did I trust him?

If someone had asked me the question a few weeks back then I would have jumped in the sea myself rather than trusting him.

But things have changed now.

Without giving it a second thought, my head bobbed up and down in agreement and his hold on me tightened in appreciation.

"Good. Now, take a deep breath and exhale. That's it. Yeah." I followed his instructions obediently and soon relaxed a bit.

He held my hand, entwining his fingers with mine and we walked closer to the shore.

"Which one?" Arjun asked as we came to a stop and I whipped my head to him, astonished. He gave me a questioning look and my eyes scanned the jet skis, resting on a white-and-black one. I pointed towards it and Sam handed the keys to Arjun.

Come on, Kia. Man up. Arjun is doing this for you. You can be a little brave for him.

"Hey." He called out, his voice arousing a warm feeling in my chest. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."

I nodded, taking in a deep breath, my heart nearly bursting due to his words.

I can do this.

"It's just like riding a motorbike, but on water." He explained and his soft tone calmed my nerves to some extent.

Arjun sat on the jet ski and gave me his hand, helping me to sit behind him. I held his hand tightly and climbed on the deathtrap.

With a firm grip on his shoulders, I scooted closer to him and whispered in his ear. "If something happens to me, tell Chris that I loved him with all my heart."

He chuckled. "I will send him your favourite chocolates too."

He started the engine and I jumped at the sudden sound.

Arjun looked back. "Hold onto me. Tight."

He didn't need to say it twice, I immediately wrapped my arms around him. Partly, because I was shit scared that I will fall in the sea and the sharks will tear my body limb by limb and partly, because I wanted to do this since so long.

"Princess, I'm not asking you to crush my ribs." Holding my wrists, he loosened my hold on him. "Try not to squeeze me to death."

He revved the engine. "Ready?"

"No." I squeezed my eyes shut, burying my face in his back and let out a startled scream as he sped up.

"Open your eyes." Arjun shouted over the sound of water zapping past us.

Almost reluctantly, I peeked my eyes open one by one, exhaling heavily. We were moving at a very fast speed.

An exhilarating feeling surged through me as I looked around, the wind whipping against my face, water droplets splashing on me and my hair flying behind me.

Slowly, I let go of the fear and started enjoying, a strange thrill running in my body.

Arjun tilted the jet ski to a side, driving in circles and an excited shriek left my lips, a breathless laugh bubbling out of my chest.

"You okay?" He yelled.

"Drive faster!" I shouted back at him.

Arjun laughed. "Hold on!"

I did what he asked, putting my chin on his shoulder and grinning like an idiot.

He would purposely lean the jet ski dangerously to a side, just to make me squeal in alarm and tighten my arms around him. I would yell 'Stop teasing me!' and he would laugh it off, my own stupid grin never faltering as we would rush past, leaving a stream of almost white water behind.

I was having a very good time when Arjun stopped the ski abruptly.

"What happened?" I peeked from behind his shoulder.

"There's no fuel left."

"What?" I shrieked. "How are we going to go back now?"

Oh god.

"I knew we were going to die." I cried out.

I can't even swim properly.

Wait, why was Arjun laughing all of a sudden? Was this his plan all along? Leave me here and swim back to the beach?

His left arm came around me to hold my back. In one swift move, he brought me in front of him, my back touching his chest and I sat there puzzled.

Woah.

What just happened?

One second I was sitting behind him and the other second he swung me across to the front like I was a rag doll weighing nothing.

How did he even do it?

"I was joking. Now drive." He instructed and I whipped my face to him.

"What? I don't know how to ride this thing!"

"Relax, I'm here." His hands covered mine and he guided the jet ski forward, teaching me how to drive.

I would occasionally shrink back against him if water splashed on me or the speed got too high. I tried to ignore the fact that we were practically pressed against each other but his breath fanning my earlobe and his chest against my back didn't help my case. Somehow, this felt more intimate than me sitting behind him.

After a good 15 minutes of me driving the jet ski and praying to God to not let us drown, we came to a stop near the shore. Arjun was the first to climb off and then helped me to get off that monstrous ride.

"Oh my gosh! That was amazing." I smiled widely, jumping up and down from the adrenaline that was rushing through my body.

"I told you." He chuckled, ruffling his wet hair and a few strands stuck to his forehead.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I squealed merrily, squeezing his bicep in gratitude and without giving it a thought, pressed my lips to his cheek.

I pulled away and we both froze as our eyes locked.

Oh.

My face turned stoic whereas a smirk spread on his lips.

"I knew you were dying to do that."

What?

I couldn't even blame him, I walked into this on my own.

"Ac-"

"Kiara?"

I turned to my left at the new voice, ready to escape from the embarrassment and my eyes bulged out at the person standing in front of me.

What the hell was she doing here?