Chapter 20
KAVYA
Watching them was like looking at a gallery of lives I was supposed to have.
My friends Avni, Rhea, and our newest addition, Ira who radiated a kind of glow that only comes from being truly seen, truly loved.
They looked so alive, so beautiful in their domesticity, surrounded by the chaotic music of husbands and children.
“Swara always loves playing with her brother,” Avni said softly, her hand moving in a tender, rhythmic pat against her two-year-old son’s back.
“Children are supposed to love playing, but Iraaj …” Ira’s voice trailed off as she watched her eighteen-month-old boy. He wasn't running or shouting; he was simply crawling in small, cautious circles near his father, his eyes constantly darting back to the man as if checking for permission.
“I love him, you know,” I whispered, more to myself than to them.
I knelt, my knees hitting the floor as I gathered the boy into my arms. I felt a fierce, protective ache in my chest. I was one of the few who had helped raise him while Ira was in her coma; we had a bond forged in her absence. “Hey, Raj.”
Iraaj’s face transformed instantly. Recognizing me, he flashed a grin that showed off two tiny, milk-white teeth.
“He’s so adorable,” I murmured, pressing his small, warm head against my chest and inhaling the scent of baby powder and home.
I kissed the top of his hair, wondering why I felt more drawn to Ira’s child than Avni’s.
It was a strange twist of fate. I never imagined Ira would become my friend, let alone that she and Prashant would become a 'thing.
' They were a study in opposites: day and night, fire and ice.
They were nothing like Aryan and Avni, who shared the same passions, the same easy rhythm. But despite their differences, both sets of couples had one thing in common: the men were loyal. They were anchors.
Unlike my husband. To Saurav, I wasn't an anchor or a partner. He thought women were a plaything. A body.
“Where’s Saurav, anyway?” Aryan asked, his voice breaking through my dark thoughts.
“He’s busy with work,” I said, the lie sliding off my tongue with practiced ease. I forced my lips into a smile that didn't reach my eyes.
“Work?” Prashant snorted, looking skeptical. “What sort of work does he have other than flying jets?”
I felt the heat rise in my neck. I looked around the garden, searching for Mr. Chauhan, hoping the elder man would intervene and shut them up, but he was nowhere to be found. Where the hell had he gone when I needed a distraction?
“How could he miss such a special day?” Avni chimed in, her brow furrowing with genuine concern.
“As far as I remember, nothing is more important to him than his duty,” Ira said, her tone clipped.
Rhea tried to smooth things over, crossing her arms. “Uncle said he’s entertaining a client. He said he’d make it before the day is over.”
The group looked unconvinced. The silence stretched, heavy and awkward.
“Why does that sound so strange?” Aryan raised an eyebrow, his gaze piercing. “Is he still… ” He trailed off, the unspoken accusation hanging in the air.
“I’m here.”
My heart didn't just beat; it skittered, a frantic bird trapped in my ribs.
I spun around to find Saurav standing there, holding a large, vibrantly red box.
He stepped toward me, his presence swallowing the air even in the open space.
When he placed his hand on the small of my back, a violent shiver raced down my spine.
That was the same hand that had claimed every inch of my skin just last night.
“I was busy searching for the perfect gift for my wife,” he murmured. I felt his warm breath against my ear as he leaned in, his lips grazing my cheek in a performative display of affection.
I plastered the smile back on, praying my breathing wouldn't betray me.
“Well? What is this 'best gift' you spent all day looking for?” Rhea asked, her voice playful but her eyes curious.
“Here…” Saurav’s smirk widened as he flipped the lid open.
Suddenly everyone went deathly quiet. My eyes widened, the blood rushing to my cheeks so fast it felt like a burn. Inside the silk-lined box lay an array of leather and metal: handcuffs, restraint straps, silk blindfolds, a heavy whip, soft feathers, and a buckled collar.
The women froze, their faces masks of shock. Then, the silence broke. Aryan and Prashant erupted into hysterical, booming laughter, slapping their knees. Rhea covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she tried to stifle her giggles.
“BDSM,” Rhea choked out between laughs. “I guess that stands for Bed, Sleep, Dream, and Repeat in this house?”
Saurav didn't laugh. He just smirked, his eyes locked onto mine with a terrifying, private intensity. “I’m going to try them out tonight,” he said, his voice smooth as velvet.
I rolled my eyes, playing the part of the embarrassed but willing wife.
I even managed a forced laugh, pretending to be in on the joke.
I watched him walk away to join his cousins, his gait confident and predatory.
For a fleeting second, my mind flashed to the handcuffs, imagining the cold metal on my wrists but I shoved the thought into the dark corner of my mind where I kept the rest of my reality.
I turned back to my friends, the mask held firmly in place, wondering how much longer I could keep it from cracking.
After the chatter died down and the last crumbs of cake were cleared, we transitioned into the heart of the evening: dinner followed by the tradition of singing and dancing under the stars.
“First, our newlyweds! They must lead the floor,” Rhea announced, her voice bright as she clapped her eyes toward us.
We were gathered in a wide circle around a roaring bonfire.
The orange flames licked at the dark sky, casting long, dancing shadows across the grass.
Mr. Chauhan and his sister had already retired for the night, taking the sleepy toddlers with them.
Tanya had joined our circle, though she looked like she’d rather be anywhere else, her expression pinched and distant.
Before I could even find an excuse to decline, Saurav stood up. He didn't offer a hand; he reached down and yanked me up by the arm, pulling me flush against his broad chest. My breath hitched as his calloused hand slid firmly to the small of my waist.
He didn't wait for the music to settle or for me to find my footing.
His fingers tightened around mine, hauling me closer until there was barely a whisper of air left between us.
My chest brushed against his, and I could feel his heat seeping through the layers of my clothes, a slow-burn warmth that felt like it had a predatory mind of its own.
“Relax,” he murmured against my ear. His voice was a low, controlled vibration, smooth yet laced with something dangerous.
It was easy for him to say. He wasn't the one being crushed under a gaze that felt like a physical weight.
I placed my free hand on his shoulder, trying to ignore the rock-hard muscle beneath his shirt. As the music began, a slow, haunting melody, he began to move. He guided me effortlessly, his footwork precise and commanding, as if he had performed this ritual a thousand times.
But it wasn't the grace of the dance that made my pulse erratic.
It was the man. It was the way his fingers pressed into my waist, marking me.
It was the way his thumb traced slow, absent circles against my skin, sending unwanted shivers racing down my spine.
Most of all, it was his eyes. His gaze never left mine, boring into me as if he could hear every panicked, chaotic thought screaming through my head.
“Don’t take this as a hint,” he said, a faint, mocking smirk playing on his lips. “There’s nothing between us.”
“I know there’s nothing between us,” I shot back. I tried to sound composed, but the slight tremor in my voice betrayed me.
He leaned in a fraction closer, his eyes darkening in the firelight. “Are you still thinking about my fees? Is that why you're so stiff?”
My heart ached at the coldness of his words.
I swallowed hard, my grip on his shoulder tightening until my knuckles turned white.
He was doing this on purpose. Every movement was a calculation designed to unravel me.
His body spoke the language of a lover, but his mouth spoke the language of a stranger.
“Focus on the dance, Saurav,” I whispered, my eyes stinging.
“I am,” he said smoothly. He spun me outward, the cool night air hitting my skin for a brief second before he snapped me back into his arms. My back pressed against his chest as he held me there for a beat. “I'm focusing completely.”
Liar, I thought, though I couldn't find the breath to say it.
The music slowed to a crawl, and our movements followed suit.
His hand slid a fraction lower on my waist, nothing inappropriate enough for the others to notice, but enough to make my blood roar in my ears.
For a fleeting moment, the world vanished.
The laughter of our friends, the crackle of the wood, the rustle of the trees as it all faded into the background.
There was only the heat of the fire and this suffocating tension that neither of us acknowledged, yet both of us were feeding.
“Okay, okay! Enough of the intense staring!”
Rhea’s voice sliced through the moment like a blade. “You two look like you’re about to declare war on each other instead of dancing. Break it up!”
The spell snapped. I stepped back instantly, smoothing my dress and clearing my throat, trying to regain my mask of indifference. Saurav merely chuckled, a low, dark sound. He looked completely unfazed, as if he hadn't just been trying to dismantle my sanity.
“Our turn,” Aryan said, nudging Avni toward the center.
Soon, the space was filled with couples. Aryan and Avni moved as if they were two halves of a single soul. They were perfectly in sync, stealing glances that spoke of years of comfort, shared secrets, and genuine love.
Prashant and Ira, however, were the polar opposite.
“You’re stepping on my foot!” Ira hissed, stumbling over her hem.
“That’s because you aren't following!” Prashant countered, trying to haul her back into rhythm.
“I can't follow because you don't lead properly! You're like a bulldozer!”
A genuine laugh bubbled up in my throat, the heavy tension finally easing out of my chest. I watched them bicker, finding comfort in their normalcy.
Then, Rhea turned her sights on Tanya. Seeking to liven things up, Rhea grabbed Tanya’s hand with the enthusiasm of a schoolboy, but Tanya flinched, pulling back as if she’d been struck.
“Since some people are too busy being intense and mysterious,” Rhea said with a pointed look at Saurav and me, “we’ll show you how it’s really done!”
Tanya rolled her eyes, her face a mask of weary annoyance, but she didn't resist as Rhea pulled her into the center of the circle. What followed was absolute, glorious chaos.
Rhea spun with reckless abandon, nearly losing her balance and dragging a horrified Tanya along for the ride. Tanya tried to maintain some semblance of dignity, but it was a lost cause. When Rhea attempted a dramatic dip, she lost her grip and almost dropped Tanya head-first into the grass.
“Was she doing that on purpose?” I wondered aloud, grinning.
“Oh my God, Rhea!” Tanya snapped, grabbing Rhea’s arms to steady herself.
“I thought you trusted me!” Rhea grinned, her hair wild from the spinning.
“I trust gravity more than I trust you!”
The group erupted into boisterous laughter. The dark shadows of my dance with Saurav seemed to retreat, pushed back by the light of the fire and the genuine joy of my friends. For the rest of the night, we lost ourselves in the music and dance.
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