"Then be at my mercy." I resist the urge to chuckle at her adorable face as she says these words to me.
Only if she knew.
I'm already at her mercy.
A small smile curves my lips as I take her hand and lift it to plant a kiss on her knuckles. "As you say, Mrs. Oberoi," I whisper against her skin.
Her eyes widen, and a light shade of crimson covers her cheeks. Suddenly, she abruptly pulls her hand back, losing control of it, causing colored water to splash against our clothes and faces—mostly on her.
A moment passes, and we both look at each other's drenched faces. My eyes lock with her hazel brown ones; her lashes are wet, and a few droplets cascade down her cheeks as she gazes at me in disbelief.
A bubble of laughter escapes me as I reach out to wipe the colored water from her cheeks. I graze my thumb under her eye, gently cleaning her soft skin.
Her eyes lower to the bowl, and the crimson hue intensifies. My breath hardens as I look at her. "such a mess you are," I whispered with a smile, and ruffled her hair before standing up.
I walk toward the dressing table, grabbing some tissues I turned back to her, only to see her standing there in her half-drenched saree.
The pink saree had nearly taken my breath away when I saw her in the morning. I still chuckle at the memory of her frustration when she couldn't arrange her plates, but my heart races at the way her face turned red when I helped her.
Breathe.
I was about to say something when she quietly states, "I'll take a shower instead of using those—" She points at the tissues in my hand.
"Okay," I mutter, stepping closer to her. She instinctively takes a few steps back but stops as I bend down to take her drenched pallu, standing back up with it in hand.
"Pallu sambhal ke varna gir jaogi," I said, placing the end of the pallu in her hand. Looking up at me, she glared, clutching the pallu as she muttered, "Chalna aata hai mujhe."
Her face was still flushed with crimson as she stepped beside me to walk toward the bathroom, but soon she tripped. Instinctively, I grasped her arm gently.
A smirk glided over my lips as I leaned in closer until my chest brushed against her arm. "Sambhal kar," I said, and then I walked into the closet.
The second I stepped inside, the thud of the door closing indicated that she was in the bathroom now. I fetched a T-shirt and sweatpants, changing out of my wet clothes.
The sound of the shower running echoed in the room. Taking a cloth, I started to clean up the mess we'd made. After tidying the floor, I took the bowl downstairs and washed it. Then I made a cup of coffee for myself and walked back into our room.
As I entered, the sound of water still flowed from the bathroom. Instead of staying in the room, I walked out to the balcony.
Taking a sip from the cup—the bittersweet taste exploded in my mouth—I placed it on the table and leaned against the cold railing, resting my arms on it as I gazed blankly at the sparkling dark sky.
Unknowingly, a chuckle escaped my lips as I realized that she's my wife now. Siya is my wife—mine. Having someone by your side whom you prayed for every time you saw them feels like a true blessing.
And Siya is a blessing to my heart.
Suddenly, someone cleared their throat from behind. I jerked my head back to see Siya standing at the door, hands clasped behind her back.
My eyes locked with her hazel ones as she stepped forward. Her hair was still slightly damp from the shower as she tucked a strand behind her ear while walking toward the hanging chair. That's when my gaze traveled lower to her clothes—our clothes.
Heat crept to my neck as I looked at her. She wore a pair of blue PJs and a plain white T-shirt—which I had given her yesterday.
Sliding her gaze from mine, she looked up as she sat on the hanging chair. "Such nice weather, na?" she murmured softly, wrapping her arms around herself.
"It is," I replied, taking the blanket hanging on the armchair and opening it before covering her. Instantly, she clutched the blanket tightly and hid behind it.
"Coffee?" I asked, raising the cup in my hands. She nodded, "Thanks," her voice soft as she whispered while taking the cup from me and sipping it.
Smiling at her, I leaned against the railing again, but this time I fixed my eyes on my wife instead of the sky. A wave of cold breeze swept through, filling the silence between us.
Suddenly, a thought struck me, and I asked, "Why a contract marriage?" My voice was curious.
I had been wondering about this since the night she gave me those contract papers. I knew something had happened to her back then, when she was sitting in the bookstore almost three years ago, but I never really knew the reason behind it.
A faint smile appeared on her face as she took a sip of coffee. "Maybe later," her eyes locked with mine for a brief moment before she looked down at the cup, tracing the edge with her fingers.
"I'll tell you," she added in barely audible whispers.
'Maybe later' and 'I'll tell you' meant I had to wait to learn this part of her life. I could wait until she was ready to share; I'd waited three years for her, and a few more wouldn't hurt if she let me be a part of her life.
It would be heaven in this world of hell.
"So, tell me—why did you agree to the contract if you didn't genuinely want to marry someone?" she broke the silence again, her eyes still on the cup, not bothering to look up at me.
I smiled, glancing up at the sky. "I'll tell you this—" I felt her eyes on me, and after gazing at the sky for a moment, I looked at her, "—maybe later," I added, mirroring her words.
I couldn't tell her about my feelings yet. Neither of us was ready for that conversation.
A smile formed on her lips. "Okay," she murmured, taking another sip of her coffee. We fell into silence again. My eyes remained on the sky while hers roamed everywhere, as they often did.
A long silence stretched until a cold breeze swept through, causing some strands of hair to fall across my forehead. Pushing them back with my hand, I turned around, only to find Siya nuzzled comfortably in the blanket, fast asleep.
My eyes were fixed on her face as I inhaled deeply, trying to calm my racing heart at the sight of her sleeping so peacefully.
Slowly, the rhythm of her breaths seemed to sync with mine, and a familiar ache settled in my heart as I gazed at her under the soft glow of the moonlight.
Her hazel eyes were closed, revealing her long lashes. A tiny diamond piercing sparkled on her nose, and my gaze sank lower to her lips—the soft curves of her plump lips and the perfect droplet-shaped dip above her upper lip.
She's beautiful—too beautiful.
The pace of my heart intensified again, and I chanted "breathe" to myself to calm down. Once I regained control, I walked over to her, leaning slightly to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
My hand lingered near her ear until she clutched the blanket tightly around her, grazing my knuckles against her cheek in the process. I slipped one hand under her knees and the other behind her back, scooping her into my arms.
Slowly, her head fell against my chest as I turned to walk back into our room. Taking careful steps, I placed her on the bed, keeping my hand under her head and gently leaning it onto the soft pillow.
Pulling the duvet over her, I walked around to the other side of the bed and lay beside her. Placing a hand under my head, I started to gaze at her until my heart raced again at the sight of her.
Suddenly, an urge grew inside me as I hovered over her on my elbows and placed a quick kiss on her forehead and then on her nose. A soft smile spread across my face as my gaze remained on her, the gentle rise and fall of her body brushing against my chest.
Grasping the duvet, she turned her face toward me, her eyes still closed. I pulled back, letting my head fall onto the soft pillow, my eyes fixed on her face as sleep began to envelop me.
A few harsh rays of sunlight fell on my face. Squinting my eyes, I turned onto my back. My eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the natural light of morning.
"Hey, hey, stop playing with this," Siya's voice came in a pleading tone.
The sleepiness washed away as I saw her standing in front of the dressing table in a yellow blouse and a petticoat. Sitting up straight, I looked down to see her focused on something.
My brows furrowed as I watched Bella stomping on the saree. When did she get here? Did Ahaan bring her back?
A frustrated groan escaped Siya as she mumbled, "I'll make you a saree; just leave this one." Then she bent down and picked Bella up, bringing her closer to her face, watching her curiously.
Her eyes turned doe-like as she watched Bella, who still had Siya's pallu caught in her small paws. Holding Bella in one hand, she tried to take the pallu back from Bella's grasp but failed, fearing the saree would tear.
A chuckle erupted from me, and both Siya and Bella turned their faces toward me. One looked confused, while the other seemed to care only about the piece of cloth in her paws.
"A pretty nice topic to discuss with a cat, Mrs. Oberoi," I said as I got off the bed and knelt in front of her.
Bella squirmed in her grasp, taking the saree from her hand I tucked it out from her grasp. A small meowed sound came from Bella as the piece of the cloth escapes from her grasp leaving her nothing but in someone's hands.
Siya clears her throat, "I wasn't discussing anything I was trying to get my saree back from this little devil—" she narrows her eyes at Bella before pushing Bella in my hands and continues, "by the way thanks for the help."
I looked down at Bella, as she lays comfortable in my lap. Focusing back on Siya, I glanced at her face, her hairs were dampened and minimal amount of makeup was done on her face, and a small red bindi adorned her face.
Standing up, she began to wear the saree. Shaking my head, I placed Bella on the bed. "Shh, Bella, behave. Don't forget who she is," I whispered to Bella before turning to Siya.
"Need help?" I offered, noticing her struggle to make the pleats. She looked up at me and shook her head in denial but failed miserably while trying to make the plates.
"It's okay; you don't need to force yourself to learn this stuff. I can help you until you can do it on your own. Besides, I can't let my wife be embarrassed if her saree isn't in the right place, can I?" I took a step closer as I asked.
She shook her head again, saying, "You can just instruct me." A smile spread across my lips as I stepped closer until I was just a step away from her.
"Okay, first, take a small portion of the saree from the corner where the pleats should start." I instructed, leaning against the nearby wall and crossing my arms over my chest as I watched her.
She took a small portion and then lifted her curious eyes to meet mine. Biting my inner cheek, I muffled a chuckle at her expression. "Now, start to fold the rest of the saree in the same size until I say stop." Nodding at me, she began to fold the saree and make the pleats.
Her fingers halted seconds later when I said, "Stop." Her eyes fixed on me, waiting for the next instruction. Closing the distance, I stood closer to her, towering over her. Looking down, I took the end of the saree and wrapped it around her shoulder.
"Now tuck the pleats in," I whispered. A crimson hue covered her cheeks, but she tucked the pleats in their place, her eyes remaining locked with mine. The scent of vanilla enveloped me, and after fighting the urge, I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"Ab aage?" she asked, looking up at me.
I smiled and adjusted the end of the saree, letting it cascade down her right shoulder smoothly. "Nothing; you're ready. Just use pins on the pleats so they won't fall." I replied, shoving my hands into my pockets to resist the urge to touch her face.
She didn't say anything and turned to see herself in the mirror. My eyes traced the saree, which draped around her perfectly. The blouse had three strings on the back and a pretty cut at the front.
"How did you know how to wear a saree?" Suddenly, Bella jumped from the bed and walked over to Siya. I instinctively pulled her into my arms, saying, "Chachi used to dress Ahaan." Bella squirmed in my grasp.
Siya nodded in understanding. "Well, thank you," she said, taking a pin from the dresser and starting to pin her pleats.
Feeling Bella's claws on my arms, I nearly hissed. "I'll get going then," I said, making my way out of the room.
"I can see the same tendencies in her as well," I muttered to Bella on the way out. Their constant attempts to escape being touched were so similar, and their feisty behavior was strikingly alike, making it hard for me to distinguish between them in this regard.
No wonder they looked the same when I first saw them three years ago.
Walking downstairs, I poured some milk into a bowl and placed it down. Bella jumped from my arms and attacked the bowl, finishing the milk in no time before running out of the kitchen, probably headed to the living room to play.
By the time I finished my tea, Siya walked down the stairs and headed directly to the living room where everyone was sitting. I then walked back to our room, took some clothes from the closet, and went into the bathroom to get ready for the office.
Buttoning the front button of my blazer, I walked down the stairs. "Good morning, Maa," I said, giving her a quick peck on her forehead before greeting Chachi the same way.
"Good morning, beta. Have breakfast; then you need to drop Siya at her house for the pagphera rasam," Maa said as I took a seat at the dining table.
Releasing a breath, I answered, "Okay," not wanting her to go.
From my peripheral vision, I noticed Siya sitting on my right side. Sliding my plate of food toward her, I looked at her. "Have breakfast," I said, taking her empty plate and filling it with a paratha.
Breakfast passed in silence, as did our car ride. I decided to drop her off and also pick her up the day after tomorrow since she was supposed to stay at her home for two days.
The whole ride was silent; neither of us spoke until we arrived at her home. I stopped the car in front of her gate, and she stepped out, followed by me. Walking together, we reached the main door.
Soon, the door opened, and her mother appeared with a smile on her face. "Oh, look who's here!" she exclaimed, opening her arms. Siya walked in and embraced her mother.
"Aree, leave me! I want to meet my damad ji!" she said dramatically, pushing Siya aside and coming to me. I was about to bend down to touch her feet, but she opened her arms and hugged me instead.
"Kaise ho?" she asked, still hugging me. I chuckled and pulled back slightly. "Bilkul accha, aap batiye, kaisi hai?" I asked, and she broke into laughter, hugging me once more before answering, "Mein bhi bilkul acchi hoon." Then we stepped back.
She ruffled my hair and asked me to come inside, but I refused. Glancing one last time at my wife, I settled into the car and drove off to my office.
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It took me half an hour to reach my office. After parking the car in the lot, I stepped into the elevator.
The constant whispers of "Good morning, sir," filled the lobby as I walked in. I kept a smile on my face, greeting everyone back as usual, but there was nothing good about this morning. Well, it was good until I dropped Siya at her home for her pagphera.
Just as I was a few steps away from my cabin, a message pinged on my phone, causing me to halt.
Avinash : I've found something.
Instead of replying, I pocketed my phone and turned around to walk into his cabin.
"So, what is it that you've found?" I asked, closing the glass door behind me.
My brows pinched together in a frown as I looked at his worked-up face. He must have been working really hard since I got the call—not to mention the workload he handles as my personal assistant and a good friend.
Closing my eyes for a moment, I shook my head before opening them again and leaning against his desk. "Give me a sec," he said and started typing something on the keyboard.
It had been more than a week since I received that call—the one where Siya came to meet me at the café, which ended with my marriage proposal. Since then, Avinash had been working on tracing that number.
Remembering that day, a voice echoed in my head: "you love her—" but Avinash's voice broke my trance. "Sir," he glanced at me for a few seconds before continuing,
"Due to your wedding and all, I couldn't get much time for this, but from what I've searched, it looks a little bit messed up."
Messed up? I thought, tracing a number shouldn't be this difficult.
"Okay, and what's that?" I asked, keeping my voice low. Strolling over to the mini-fridge, I took out two cans of Diet Coke. Tossing one to him, I flopped into a chair beside him.
He placed the can on the table and chose not to respond, and turned the computer screen toward me instead. My throat dried as I opened the can and took a few gulps, focusing on the screen.
The red pointer of the location was present, but instead of a single dot, there were roughly fifteen to twenty scattered across the screen—Russia, Syria, Italy, Mexico, Japan, and many more.
My fingers dug into the can as I asked, "So this means—" but Avinash cut me off.
"The phone number is not traceable. I mean, it is, but the caller must have known how to manipulate the locations. It shows twenty-six locations at a single time," he informed me.
"No other clue?" I queried, keeping my eyes on the screen.
Avinash shook his head. "I don't think I can trace anything else from this. We need a more skilled person for this," he suggested, keeping his voice low.
A more skilled person.
I tapped my fingers on the table, realizing that while Avinash was good at hacking, his IT skills might not be enough for this complex situation. There was only one person who fit this 'more skilled' category—someone who could do this job effortlessly.
I took out my phone, opened my contact list, and scrolled to the end, hovering my finger over the screen, I contemplate whether I should call him.
"So what should we do then?" Avinash's question broke my chain of thought. Tapping the call button, I placed the phone near my ear and said, "Well, for now, take some rest—"
I showed him the phone screen, which displayed a name, and continued, "He'll trace the number now." Avinash squinted, then slowly nodded after seeing the name on the screen.
Leaning back in my chair, I took a sip of Coke. Suddenly, the ringing faded into silence for a moment before his voice came through, prompting a smile on my lips.
"Pleasant way to express that you're alive after five fucking years, Mr. Veer Singh Oberoi, ohh or should I say Mr. Veer Siya Singh Oberoi." A chuckle escaped me at the last part.
Mr. Veer Siya Singh Oberoi does sound better, doesn't it?
Crossing my legs on the table, I replied, "Well hello to you too, Mr. Hunter."
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The day passed with calls and office work, and after late-night meetings, I returned home late. Following dinner downstairs, I walked back to our room, deciding to take a shower before sleep.
As I opened the closet door, I shrugged off my jacket. Just then, a notification pinged from my phone. I opened the message and paused, my fingers hovering over the text from my—wife.
Siya : Asleep?
A smile spread across my lips as I read the message. It was eleven at night, well past the time we had gone to sleep the night before.
The tie around my neck suddenly felt too tight. I dragged my hand along the length of it, removing it before tossing it aside and typing out my reply.
Me : Why, are you missing me by any chance, Mrs. Oberoi?
A smile lingered as I leaned against the wall, waiting for her response. It felt new and exciting to text like this.
Siya : Wait, no! I wasn't expecting you to reply this instant, but are YOU missing me, Mr. Oberoi?
I typed back immediately.
Me : Trust me, I missed you so much, Mrs. Oberoi, that even Bella sympathized with me.
The three dots popped up, disappearing and reappearing as I waited for her reply. A few seconds later, another message came through, making me chuckle.
Siya : Aww, Bella must have been struggling to deal with you then.
Shaking my head, I replied and set my phone on the center table of the closet while I began unbuttoning my shirt.
Me : So should I expect Bruno to sympathize with you as well? I'm sure you're missing me.
Her reply came instantly.
Siya : Good night.
Followed by another message.
Siya : And I wasn't missing you!
Tossing my shirt aside, I replied with a faint smile.
Me : Okay, good night, Siya.
Turning off my phone, I dropped it on the table and looked around. Half of my closet was now filled with her clothes, bags, and some heels.
A smile lingered on my face as I picked out a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. Her presence filled the room so nicely, and the way she infused this space with her essence in just a day left me bewildered.
I realized there was no way I could spend the next day without missing her.
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