chapter 58
The next morning, soft sunlight slowly filled the room.
Ishni stirred in her sleep before slowly opening her eyes, letting out a small yawn. She stretched her arms slightly and looked around the room.
“Rudra?” she murmured softly.
But the room was empty.
Frowning a little, she sat up on the bed and brushed her hair away from her face. Just as she was about to stand, something on the table beside the bed caught her attention.
A small box.
She tilted her head slightly.
Is it something Rudra left? she wondered.
Curious, Ishni got up and walked toward the table. She picked up the box and slowly opened it.
The moment the lid lifted, her eyes widened slightly.
Inside was a beautiful red saree, neatly folded, the fabric shining softly in the morning light.
Ishni gently touched the cloth, a faint smile forming on her lips.
Then she noticed a small note kept inside.
She picked it up and read it.
“Rudra ki patni zaldiii jaaye aur ready ho jaaye.”
Ishni couldn’t help but smile warmly.
Only Rudra could write something so simple and still make her heart feel lighter.
Shaking her head slightly with a soft laugh, she held the saree close before walking toward the bathroom to get ready.
Rudra’s POV
I was checking my phone then, she stepped out of the bathroom, wearing only the red saree I had left for her. Her hair was still wet, tiny droplets of water sliding down the strands and falling on her shoulders.
She walked toward the mirror, picking up the towel and slowly starting to dry her hair.
At that moment, her eyes suddenly lifted.
Through the mirror…
They met mine.
The moment I saw her standing there in that red saree, everything inside me stopped.
Damn.
She looked like a goddess.
For a second, I forgot how to breathe.
My heart started racing like a wild horse, pounding so loudly that I could almost hear it in my ears.
Her wet hair, the red saree wrapped perfectly around her, the soft glow on her face… she looked unreal.
Our eyes stayed locked through the mirror.
And in that moment, it felt like the whole world had gone completely silent.
Only the two of us existed there.
I slowly stepped closer, my gaze never leaving her reflection.
“Jaan…” I murmured softly.
Even that one word felt heavier than usual.
Because the woman standing in front of me…
Wasn’t just my wife.
She was the reason my heart still knew how to beat.
I slowly walked toward her, my eyes never leaving her reflection in the mirror.
She stayed still, watching me through the glass.
When I reached her, I gently took the towel from her hand.
“Let me,” I said softly.
Her wet hair brushed against her back as I carefully started drying it. Tiny droplets of water slid down from the strands, tracing a path along her neck before slipping lower.
One droplet traveled slowly down the curve of her back… and then along her bare waist where the saree was wrapped.
Without thinking, I bent slightly and brushed it away with my thumb.
Her breath hitched softly.
My gaze darkened for a moment as I looked at her through the mirror again.
“Sometimes…” I murmured quietly, my voice low near her ear, “…I get jealous of everything that gets to touch you.”
My fingers lightly traced the edge of her waist where the saree rested.
“The water…” I continued with a faint smile, “…the wind… even this saree.”
She turned slightly to face me, her cheeks warming.
I lifted my hand and gently tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear.
“Because they get to be closer to you than I do,” I finished softly.
And for a moment, neither of us spoke.
The only sound in the room was the quiet rhythm of our breathing.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and gently pulled her closer.
She stumbled a little from the sudden movement, her hands instinctively resting on my shoulders to steady herself.
“Rudra…” she whispered.
The way she said my name… soft and breathless… it did something to me every single time.
I tightened my hold around her slightly, feeling the warmth of her body against mine.
Her throat moved as she gulped nervously.
My eyes slowly traveled down… from her face… to the curve of her neck… and then to the deep V-shape of the blouse beneath the red saree.
For a moment, I just looked at her.
Then I leaned closer, my voice dropping into a low whisper near her ear.
“Jaan… this blouse… this saree…” I murmured slowly.
“It’s challenging me.”
My fingers tightened slightly around her waist.
“And your body…” I continued softly, “…is asking me to lose every bit of control I have.”
Her breath grew uneven.
I lowered my head and placed a slow, lingering kiss against the side of her neck.
She shivered lightly in my arms as my lips brushed her skin.
I closed my eyes for a second, breathing in her scent.
But then I pulled back just enough to look at her again.
Because if I stayed any closer…
I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep myself under control.
After a moment, she slowly wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling herself a little closer.
A soft smile appeared on her lips.
“Subha subha itna pyaar?” she teased gently.
I smirked faintly at her words.
“Pyaar to main har second kar sakta hoon,” I replied, my voice low but playful.
She rolled her eyes slightly but her cheeks were already turning pink.
Then she tilted her head a little.
“By the way… why did you give me this saree to wear?” she asked curiously.
For a moment I just stared at her.
Did she really forget?
A small amused sigh escaped me.
My jaan gets so lost in work that sometimes she forgets everything around her.
I gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
“Jaan,” I said softly, “aaj Mahashivratri hai.”
Realization slowly appeared in her eyes.
“Every year on this day,” I continued, “you go to the temple.”
My thumb softly traced the edge of her cheek.
“And this year is no different.”
I smiled faintly.
“So Rudra ki patni ready ho jaaye… because we are going to the temple together.”
“Arey yaar, how could I forget this?” she said, lightly hitting her forehead.
I chuckled softly.
“It’s okay… main hoon na,” I said with a small smile.
She exhaled in relief.
“Thank God, Rudra. Okay, I’ll get ready,” she said as she was about to move away.
“Wait,” I said.
She turned back, raising an eyebrow.
“Today… I’ll help you get ready.”
She blinked in surprise.
“Like…” I stepped closer, gently holding her hand.
“…my bride.”
My voice softened.
“Only mine.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Our eyes locked. And in that silence, all I could see in her eyes…was love.
Pure, unwavering love.
I slowly lifted the saree pallu and placed it properly over her shoulder, my fingers careful and gentle.
I gently made her sit on the chair in front of the dressing table.
She looked at me through the mirror, confused but quiet.
Without saying anything, I picked up the hair dryer and stood behind her.
Her long wet hair fell down her back like dark silk. I carefully started drying it, my fingers occasionally running through the strands to separate them. Warm air moved through her hair while she simply watched me in the mirror, her eyes soft.
Once it was dry, I picked up the earrings from the table.
“Turn,” I said quietly.
She turned her face slightly, and I carefully fixed the earrings in her ears.
Then I took the comb and gently parted her hair, combing it neatly, making sure not a single strand looked messy.
My fingers moved slowly, carefully… like I was handling something precious.
After that, I picked up a small red bindi and placed it perfectly between her eyebrows.
She kept watching me silently through the mirror.
Next, I took her lipstick and lightly applied it to her lips, my hand steady while she tried not to smile.
From the box on the table, I took out the red bangles.
One by one, I slid them onto her wrists. The soft sound of the glass bangles clinking together filled the quiet room.
Then I slowly knelt down in front of her.
Her breath caught slightly.
I picked up the silver anklets and gently wrapped them around her ankles.
Once they were secured, I bent down and placed a soft kiss on them.
She looked away shyly.
Finally, I stood up and took the small box of sindoor.
I looked at her through the mirror once again before carefully applying it in the parting of her hair.
Now she truly looked like my wife… my queen.
I gently held her hand and helped her stand up.
Then I bent slightly in front of her and carefully adjusted the pleats of her saree, making sure they fell perfectly.
When I finally looked up at her…
I couldn’t stop staring.
Because the woman standing in front of me didn’t just look beautiful.
She looked divine.
I stepped back slightly after fixing her saree, just enough to look at her properly.
And for a moment… I simply stared.
The red saree hugged her perfectly, the sindoor in her hairline glowing softly, the bangles on her wrists chiming gently whenever she moved.
God… she looked breathtaking.
“I could stand here and look at you like this the entire day,” I said quietly.
Her cheeks instantly turned pink.
“Arey Rudra, bas karo,” she said shyly, lowering her gaze.
A soft chuckle escaped me.
“Bas kaise karoon?” I said, stepping closer again.
“Meri biwi hi itni khoobsurat hai… tareef to khud hi nikal aati hai.”
She bit her lower lip slightly, clearly trying not to smile.
I lifted my hand and gently raised her chin so she would look at me.
“My jaan…” I murmured softly.
“Your eyes… they’re dangerous.”
She blinked, confused.
“Dangerous?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said with a faint smile.
“Because they hold an entire ocean in them… and every time I look into them, I feel like drowning willingly.”
Her breath grew softer.
My fingers brushed lightly against her cheek.
“And your face…” I continued quietly, my voice turning softer, deeper.
“It’s like the most peaceful place in the world.”
“A place where a tired man like me could forget every war he has fought.”
Her eyes softened at that.
“And this red saree…” I added with a playful whisper near her ear, “it’s not helping my self-control at all.”
She gasped softly and pushed my shoulder lightly.
“Rudra!”
I laughed quietly before leaning forward.
Then I placed a slow, gentle kiss on her forehead, letting my lips stay there for a moment longer than usual.
“My beautiful wife,” I whispered.
“And the only woman who can make a man like me forget how to breathe.”
Just when she was about to step away, I suddenly stopped.
“Arey… I forgot one thing,” I said.
She looked at me with curiosity.
“Kya?”
Instead of answering, I walked toward the dressing table and opened the drawer slowly.
Inside was a small velvet box.
I picked it up and opened it.
A thin gold waist chain rested inside. It was simple, delicate… with a few intricate designs that made it look breathtaking.
I turned back toward her.
“This,” I said softly.
She looked at it and then at me, surprised.
I stepped closer to her.
My fingers lightly brushed against her waist as I gently moved the pallu of her saree aside.
Her breath hitched.
Slowly, carefully, I wrapped the waist chain around her waist, securing it in place.
The gold rested perfectly against her skin.
For a moment, my fingers lingered there… tracing the delicate curve of her waist.
Then I lowered myself slightly.
My lips brushed softly against her stomach in a gentle kiss.
She gasped quietly, her fingers tightening slightly on my shoulders.
I looked up at her from there, a faint smile on my lips.
Slowly, I leaned near her ear, my breath brushing lightly against her skin.
“And this…” I whispered softly, my voice low and warm, “…is the thing I get the most jealous of.”
She shivered slightly.
My fingers lightly traced the thin chain resting against her waist.
“Because it gets to stay here,” I murmured, “wrapped around you… all day.”
I smiled faintly and rested my chin lightly near her shoulder.
“And I have to pretend I’m a decent husband and not steal you away from the temple plans.”
“Aap bahut besharam hai, Rudra! Jaaiye zaldiiii, ready hokar aaiye,” she said, trying very hard to keep a straight face, though the blush spreading across her cheeks betrayed her.
I burst into a soft laugh seeing her reaction.
The same woman who could terrify enemies without blinking… was standing here blushing because of me.
“Ja raha hoon, Mrs. Rajput,” I said with a playful bow.
Before leaving, I leaned a little closer to her again.
“But don’t move,” I added with a teasing smile. “I want to see my beautiful wife exactly like this when I come back.”
She immediately covered her face with one hand, clearly embarrassed.
“Rudra!” she scolded.
I laughed again and finally walked toward the door.
But before stepping out, I turned once more.
She was still standing there in front of the mirror, her red saree glowing in the morning light, bangles resting on her wrists, the waist chain softly shining.
For a second, my heart slowed.
She’s mine.
A small, satisfied smile appeared on my face before I finally left the room to get ready for the temple.
Ishni’s POV
The moment he left the room, I covered my face with both hands.
“Oh God…” I whispered to myself.
I just wanted to scream.
Ahh this man!!
My cheeks were burning and I could feel the heat spreading all the way to my ears.
“Seriously… what is happening to me?” I muttered, pacing a little in front of the mirror.
I looked at my reflection again and immediately turned away, feeling even more embarrassed.
“I’m going crazy… mai toh pagal ho rahi hoon,” I groaned softly.
And then his name slipped from my lips again without me even realizing.
“Rudra… Rudra… Rudra…”
I bit my lower lip, trying to stop the smile that kept appearing on my face.
Why does he say such things so naturally?
Why does he look at me like that?
I sat down on the edge of the bed and held my face.
“Thank you so much, God ji,” I whispered softly, looking up for a moment.
“For giving me such a… such a handsome husband.”
I paused and shook my head at myself.
“Not just handsome… he’s impossible.”
A small laugh escaped me.
“How did I get so lucky?” I murmured.
Out of all the people in this world…
How did I end up with a man like him?
My fingers slowly touched the waist chain he had just put on me, and my heart skipped again remembering the way he looked at me.
“Damn…” I whispered shyly.
“Ishni, you are seriously gone.”
I sat on the edge of the bed, scrolling through my phone, trying to focus on the files and messages. My mind kept going back to the warehouse… to that masked man… to the impossible truth standing in front of me.
I have to find out who he is.
If this is a trap… I’ll break it before it reaches Rudra.
Just then the door opened.
My fingers froze on the screen.
Rudra walked in.
He was wearing a crisp white shirt tucked neatly into black pants. The sleeves were rolled slightly, revealing his strong forearms, and the fabric hugged his broad shoulders perfectly.
Hey bhagwan…
My heart suddenly started racing.
His biceps flexed slightly as he adjusted his watch, and for a second I completely forgot about the phone in my hands.
Yeh… mera hi pati hai?
I blinked slowly, almost in disbelief.
How does one man look this good this early in the morning?
He noticed me staring.
Of course he did.
A small knowing smile appeared on his lips but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he casually walked toward the mirror like nothing happened.
Why do I suddenly feel like… I’m secretly eyeing my own husband?
He stood in front of the mirror and started fixing his hair, running his fingers through it.
I tried to look back at my phone.
Focus Ishni.
Two seconds later my eyes drifted back to him again.
The way his shoulders moved when he adjusted his collar…
The way the white shirt stretched across his back…
Oh God.
I quickly looked away again.
What is wrong with me today?
But just as I looked up again, our eyes met in the mirror.
And the smirk on his face made it very clear.
He knew exactly what I was doing.
“Mouth toh band kar lo, jaan… but if you’re struggling, I can close it with something else,” he said, his voice teasing and dangerously calm.
“Rudra!!!” I protested immediately, jumping up from the bed. “I’m not staring! Shameless man!”
“Achha ji?” he replied slowly, clearly enjoying my reaction.
Then he started walking toward me.
Each step made my heart beat louder.
“Rudra… stop,” I said, taking a step back.
But my heel slipped slightly on the rug.
“Wait—”
Before I could steady myself, my body tilted backward.
In an instant his arms wrapped tightly around my waist to catch me.
But the sudden pull made him lose balance too.
And the next second we both fell onto the bed. A soft gasp escaped my lips as my back hit the mattress.
Rudra’s arms were still wrapped firmly around my waist, holding me close so I wouldn’t fall harder. His body hovered above mine, his hands pressing into the bed beside me.
For a moment neither of us moved.
My hair spread across the pillow, and his face was inches away from mine.
Our breaths mixed.
My heart was racing wildly.
His eyes slowly traveled across my face… from my eyes… to my lips… then back again.
A slow, mischievous smile appeared on his lips.
“So you weren’t staring, huh?” he murmured softly.
I tried to push him away lightly.
“Rudra, get up—”
But he didn’t move.
Instead, he leaned a little closer.
“Strange,” he whispered near my ear, his warm breath making my skin tingle.
“Because the way you were looking at me… it didn’t look very innocent.”
“Rudra!” I whispered, my cheeks burning.
He chuckled softly.
Then his gaze dropped briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes again.
“You know…” he murmured slowly, “it’s very dangerous when my wife looks at me like that.”
My breath caught.
“Why?” I whispered.
His smile deepened.
“Because then I forget we’re supposed to go to the temple…” he said quietly,
“…and start thinking about other things instead.”
His fingers gently brushed a strand of hair away from my face, his touch slow and deliberate.
“And trust me,” he added in a low voice “those thoughts are not very holy.”
I gulped nervously.
Rudra slowly leaned closer to my face, his eyes locked on mine. Our breaths were mixing, warm and uneven. My heart was beating so loudly I felt like it might jump out of my chest.
Our lips were barely an inch apart.
I could feel his breath on my lips.
My fingers clutched the bedsheet as my eyes slowly closed.
And just then—
“I DIDN’T SEE ANYTHING!!!”
Tara’s loud voice exploded from the doorway. Both of our eyes snapped open.