34 Bye For A Week
Niyati's POV
The crisp Monday morning air carried a hint of autumn chill, but inside my chest, a quiet warmth was building with every step I took toward the Raizada mansion.
It was officially the start of our exam revision week, which meant Diya and I were back in our hometown to prepare for the four grueling finals looming ahead. But academic dedication wasn't the real reason I was standing on the familiar porch at eight in the morning.
I was here for one person, and one person only-to see Ansh before he drive back to Delhi.
Taking a quick breath to calm my racing pulse, I rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, the door swung open, revealing Diya in her oversized pajamas, her hair tied up in a messy topknot.
"Hey, bestie!" she greeted, blinking in surprise. "You're here so early..."
I pulled a soft smile, adjusting the heavy strap of my bag filled with textbooks. "Need to do revision, yaar. We have four finals coming up, in case you forgot."
Diya groaned dramatically, throwing her head back. "Oh God! Don't remind me. Go up to my room. I'll come up right after helping Maa finish up in the kitchen."
"Okay," I nodded, stepping inside.
As Diya disappeared down the hallway toward the kitchen, I turned and headed straight up the grand staircase.
The wooden steps squeaked softly beneath my feet as I reached the upper landing.
Diya's bedroom was right in front of me, but my eyes automatically drifted to the dark wooden door directly across the hall.
Ansh's room. The door was fully shut.
My heart did a familiar, thrilling flutter. I glanced quickly to my left, then to my right-the hallway was completely empty, and the faint clinking of dishes from downstairs confirmed Aunty and Diya were busy. Perfect.
Tiptoeing across the carpet, I gripped the brass doorknob, twisted it soundlessly, and slipped inside, closing the door behind me with a soft click.
Ansh was bent over his bed, tossing a few last-minute essentials into his duffel bag. At the sound of the latch clicking, his head snapped up. The moment his dark eyes landed on me, the tired lines on his face instantly melted away, replaced by a radiant, breathtaking smile.
Zipping his bag shut in one swift motion, he left it on the bed and walked over, closing the distance between us in two long strides.
Without a word, he tucked one hand casually into his trousers pocket while his other hand reached up, his warm palm gently cupping my cheek. His thumb brushed softly over my cheekbone.
"Hey, baby," he murmured, his voice low and rich in the quiet room.
I closed my eyes, leaning helplessly into the heat of his touch, letting his presence wash over me. When I opened them again, I looked up into his dark, affectionate gaze and offered him a soft smile. "Hey."
"What are you doing here so early?" he asked, a playful glint dancing in his eyes.
"I came to study with Diya," I replied innocently, my lips twitching with a suppressed smile.
Ansh raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"Yes."
"Oh," he chuckled softly, leaning in just a fraction closer. "And here I thought my girlfriend came all this way just to send me off."
I rolled my eyes, playing along with a gentle sigh. "Uff, you really have those kinds of ridiculous wishes?"
"Why can't I?" he challenged lightly, his thumb still stroking my cheek. "Can't I wish for my girlfriend to send me off before I leave for Delhi?"
A soft smile broke across my face, unable to keep up the act any longer. "You can... and that's exactly why your little girlfriend is right here, standing in front of you."
Ansh's smile widened, a brilliant, satisfied warmth lighting up his face as he finally got me to admit it. Sliding the hand from his pocket, he reached down to wrap both arms securely around my waist, pulling my body flush against his.
"Ansh, what are you doing?" I gasped softly, glancing nervously back at the locked door. "Diya could walk up those stairs at any second..."
"Didn't you think about that before sneaking into my room?" he whispered, his eyes dark and teasing as they dropped down to my mouth.
Unconsciously, I bit my lower lip, my pulse spiking at his proximity.
Ansh's gaze darkened instantly. "Oh, don't do that."
I tilted my head up slightly, letting my arms slide up his broad chest to snake around his neck, lacing my fingers through the soft hair at the nape of his neck. "Don't do what?" I whispered, deliberately biting my lip again.
His hand shifted from my waist to cup my right cheek once more, his thumb tracing the curve of my lip with a slow, feather-light pressure, pulling the soft skin out from between my teeth.
"Don't bite your lower lip, Niyati Sharma," he warned, his voice dropping into a dangerous, velvet register that sent a shiver straight down my spine.
"Why?" I breathed, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"Because I might completely lose my control," he murmured against my skin.
Our faces were so close that I could feel the warm breath of his sigh against my lips. I looked up into his dark, intense eyes, finding my own reflection drowning in their depth. Every shred of anxiety about Diya coming upstairs, the exams, and the impending distance evaporated into thin air.
Ansh closed the agonizingly small gap between us, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that instantly stole the breath from my lungs.
It started slow and possessive, a quiet reverence in the way his mouth molded over mine, but the lingering hunger from our pending separation quickly took over. He pulled me tighter against his body, anchoring me to him as the kiss deepened, turning hot, sweet, and intoxicatingly intense.
My fingers tangled deeper into his hair as I gave in completely to the rhythm, tasting the faint trace of coffee on his lips and melting under the intoxicating warmth of his touch.
In the quiet sanctuary of his room, with his arms wrapped tightly around me and his heart beating wildly against mine, the rest of the world simply ceased to exist.
Ansh's grip on my waist tightened, pulling me impossibly closer until there wasn't a single inch of air left between us. His lips pressed harder against mine, the kiss evolving from a sweet farewell into something deep, heavy, and desperate with desire.
Before I could even catch my breath, his large, warm hand began to travel upward, sliding smoothly beneath the hem of my shirt.
The heat of his palm against my bare skin sent an electric shock straight through my nervous system. My breath hitched as his fingers moved higher, gently cupping the soft curve of my breast.
A soft, helpless moan escaped my throat-a sound he immediately swallowed as his tongue slipped past my parted lips, exploring the wet warmth of my mouth with a slow, possessive rhythm that turned my knees into jelly.
I clung tightly to his shoulders, drowning in the intoxicating rush of his touch, entirely helpless under the spell he cast over me.
His touch lingered for a dizzying moment before his hand slowly drifted downward, tracing the dip of my waist before sliding over my stomach to settle at the waistband of my pants.
I felt the slow, deliberate tug as his fingers dipped beneath the fabric, sliding smoothly inside to find the bare, sensitive skin underneath.
The sudden spark of intense sensation jolted me back to reality.
Gasping for air, I gently broke the kiss, pulling my lips away.
Ansh didn't let me go far; he simply rested his forehead against mine, his hot, shallow breaths fanning across my cheeks while his fingers slid lower, gently brushing against the aching warmth of my core.
A sharp, involuntary tremble racked my entire body at the intimate contact.
"Ansh... what are you doing?" I whispered, my voice trembling as wildly as my pulse.
I gripped his arms, trying to find my footing while every nerve ending blazed under his touch.
"Diya or Aunty... they might come up at any second..."
Ansh let out a low, husky rumble from the back of his throat, his dark eyes hooded with an intense, dark heat as he stared down into mine. He didn't stop the deliberate, feather-light movements of his fingers, making my breath hitch all over again.
"Let them," he murmured against my lips, his voice dropping into a thick, velvety whisper that made my toes curl. "I deserve to do at least this much... considering I have to go a whole week without you."
The conviction in his voice shattered the last remaining wall of my restraint.
I closed my eyes, letting my head fall back against his arm as a soft gasp hitched in my chest. His fingers worked with an agonizing, intoxicating rhythm, sliding past the lace of my silk underwear to find the wet, throb of my sensitive core.
Each slow, deliberate caress sent a liquid heat shooting straight down to my toes, making my body arch involuntarily into his hand.
"Ansh..." I breathed, my fingers tightening in his thick dark hair, tugging him closer.
"I know, baby," he whispered against my jawline, his lips trailing down to press a sequence of fiery, open-mouthed kisses along the sensitive column of my neck. "I know how good it feels."
He shifted his posture, lifting me slightly by the thigh so I was pressed back against his locked bedroom door.
The cool wood at my back contrasted sharply with the searing heat of his body pinning me in place. The danger of where we were-just meters away from his mother and sister downstairs-only heightened every sensation, making my pulse hammer like a drum in my ears.
Ansh used his thumb to gently circle my swollen node while his fingers slid deeper, slick with my own moisture. A high, shuddering moan broke from my lips, but he caught it just in time, capturing my mouth once more in a deep, wet kiss that swallowed every sound I made.
He set a fast, relentless pace, driving me higher and higher toward the edge until my brain went completely silent, consumed entirely by the overwhelming friction of his hand and the possessive weight of his body against mine.