28 ~ Growing Bonds #2
And somehow, that unsettled me more than his anger ever had.
Because I had expected Kartik Singhaniya to be ruthless and arrogant.
The kind of man who wouldn't care whether I was hurting but this version of him was different.
I caught myself watching him one evening as he sat beside me, carefully applying the last layer of ointment.
His brows were slightly furrowed in concentration.
I couldn't stop wondering , Was this the real Kartik? Or was he pretending?
Was this kindness simply another side of the man I hadn't understood yet?
I looked down at my palm.
The wound was healing but something inside me had become more complicated.
I didn't know whether I could trust him.
And perhaps the most frightening part was that, for the first time, I was beginning to wonder if I wanted to.
I looked down at my palm.
There was still a faint pinkness where the burn had been, but the pain was gone. I slowly flexed my fingers, almost testing them, and a small smile escaped me.
Three days.
Only three days.
And Kartik had taken care of me through all of them.
He had helped me with things I would normally never allow anyone to do for me. He had changed my bandages, applied ointment, made sure I ate properly, and never once made me feel like I was a burden.
What surprised me even more was that, during those three days, I hadn't once thought about my plan.
I hadn't wondered how to get closer to him.
I hadn't tried to manipulate him.
I hadn't even thought about revenge.
Everything had simply happened.
Naturally.
And perhaps that was exactly why I needed to be careful.
I couldn't let myself become comfortable with him.
I couldn't allow his kindness to blur the lines I'd drawn in my mind.
Because if I became attached to him, I'd be the one who would eventually suffer.
I took a slow breath.
Whatever happened next, I needed to keep a grip on myself.
There was one thing I could never afford to do with Kartik.
I could pretend.
I could play along.
I could even convince myself that I wanted him.
But falling in love with him?
That was one thing I could never do.
.
.
.
The next morning.
I woke slowly, feeling unusually warm and comfortable.
For a few seconds, I didn't understand why then I realised my cheek was resting against something firm and warm.
Kartik's chest.
Again.
A faint embarrassment crept up my face. Somehow, without realising it, I'd ended up curled against him in my sleep.
Before I could move away, his arm tightened around my waist and he pulled me closer.
A startled gasp escaped me.
His eyes were still closed, his breathing slow and steady, but the sudden movement had left me pressed against him.
I tried to shift back that was when his eyes opened.
He looked at me for a long second, still half-asleep then, before I could understand what he was doing, he moved.
In one swift motion, he turned me beneath him.
My back met the mattress, and my eyes widened.
He hovered above me, his face only inches from mine.
My heartbeat immediately betrayed me.
"What are you doing?" I whispered.
The corner of his mouth lifted.
I swallowed, suddenly very aware of how close he was and for some reason, neither of us moved.
Then he leaned closer, and my breath caught.
I instinctively closed my eyes, my heart beginning to race.
Soon I felt his arms circle around me.
He pulled me into a tight embrace, drawing me against his chest until there was barely any space left between us.
A deep, peaceful sigh escaped him, as though this was exactly where he had wanted to be all along.
For a moment, I simply lay there, stunned. Then something inside me slowly melted.
His embrace wasn't demanding. It wasn't hurried. It was simply warm, steady and strangely comforting.
I could feel his heartbeat beneath my cheek, calm and rhythmic, while his arms remained securely wrapped around me.
My fingers curled around the back of his neck.
I shouldn't have felt this comfortable.
Yet I did.
A soft gasp escaped me as I settled closer, allowing myself to relax completely within his hold.
His face disappeared against the curve of my neck, and I felt his breath warm against my skin as he quietly breathed in my scent.
My eyes fluttered shut.
For those few moments, I didn't think about Samaira.
I didn't think about the marriage I hadn't chosen or about the plan I'd convinced myself was necessary.
I simply stayed there, wrapped in his arms, listening to his heartbeat and wondering when his touch had started feeling so familiar.
And that thought frightened me more than anything else.
I pulled away from Kartik, suddenly feeling shy.
This was still so new to me; the quiet touches, the warmth, the way we had just held each other without either of us saying a word. I didn't know what to do with the strange flutter in my chest.
He chuckled when he noticed my flushed face. That was so sexy. Ugh.
I immediately looked away.
After brushing my teeth and washing my face, I fixed my messy hair and decided I'd have breakfast first and shower afterward.
I was still dressed in a loose T-shirt and cotton shorts, and for a moment, I wondered if Kartik would object.
He didn't, infact he looked completely unbothered.
"Chalo, breakfast karte hain."
(Come on, let's have breakfast.)
I nodded.
As we walked downstairs, his hand slipped into mine.
I glanced at our intertwined fingers but didn't pull away.
Everyone noticed especially Seema Chachi.
Krish, naturally, couldn't resist teasing us.
"Oho... Love birds subah-subah haath pakad ke?"
(Oho... Love birds holding hands early in the morning?)
Kartik's expression remained unreadable, while I immediately lowered my gaze.
We sat together at the breakfast table.
For a few moments, everything felt normal.
Then Dadi suddenly spoke. "Kal mujhe Tara ke baare mein pata chala."
(I found out about Tara yesterday.)
Kartik's hand stilled. "Kya?"
(What?)
Dadi's expression turned serious. "Tara ka miscarriage ho gaya."
(Tara had a miscarriage.)
The colour seemed to drain from Kartik's face.
I looked at him silently.
He hadn't known.
Dadi continued gently, "Tum dono ko unse milne jaana chahiye. Samarth aur Tara ko iss waqt tumhari zaroorat hai."
(You both should go and meet them. Samarth and Tara need you right now.)
He remained silent for several seconds.
Then he nodded. "Main aaj hi jaunga."
(I'll go today itself.)
His voice was quiet, but the concern in his eyes was unmistakable.
I watched him, suddenly understanding just how deeply they mattered to him.
Dadi nodded.
"Chahat ko bhi saath le jao."
(Take Chahat with you too.)
I looked at him. He looked back at me.
For some reason, there was no hesitation this time.
He simply nodded. Then immediately pulled out his phone.
"Ayaan."
His voice switched into that familiar commanding tone.
"Chopper ready karao. Humein Rajasthan Pratapgarh ke liye ek ghante mein nikalna hai."
(Get the chopper ready. We have to leave for Pratapgarh, Rajasthan, in an hour.)
He ended the call and looked at me again.
"Ready ho jao."
(Get ready.)
I nodded.
I went upstairs and changed into a saree before leaving.
It wasn't anything too elaborate; just something simple and comfortable enough for the journey. I fixed my pallu over my shoulder, and gave myself one last glance in the mirror.
For some reason, I found myself wondering what Kartik would think.
I immediately dismissed the thought.
Who cares?
When I stepped outside, he was already waiting.
He was dressed impeccably in a crisp shirt and trousers, his watch fastened around his wrist, his expression as composed as ever.
His eyes moved over me for a brief second.
Just a second but I noticed.
He didn't say anything. Neither did I. We simply walked toward the waiting car.
The moment we reached the helipad, I slowed down and stared.
For several seconds, I genuinely forgot what I was supposed to say.
The chopper waiting for us was enormous.
Not the kind of chopper I had imagined when Dadi casually said Kartik was taking us to Rajasthan.
It was sleek, imposing and unmistakably expensive, its polished exterior reflecting the morning sunlight. The rotors were already being prepared, while a few members of Kartik's security and flight crew moved around it with practiced efficiency.
I turned toward Kartik. "You own this?"
He glanced at me. "Hmm."
I stared at it again.
"You have a private chopper?"
One corner of his mouth lifted. "Apparently."
I rolled my eyes.
Of course. Why would I be surprised?
The man had an entire business empire. A private chopper probably wasn't even worth mentioning to him.
We approached it once the crew signalled that everything was ready.
The moment I stepped inside, my eyes widened again.
The interior looked nothing like I had expected.
Instead of rows of cramped seats, there was a spacious executive cabin with plush leather seats arranged in a comfortable club configuration. A polished table sat between two of the seats, and discreet storage compartments lined the walls.
Everything looked immaculate.
Soft lighting ran along the ceiling, while large windows offered an unobstructed view outside.
There was even a small refreshment area and a separate enclosed section toward the rear that gave the passengers considerably more privacy.
I slowly turned around. "This is a chopper?"
He raised an eyebrow. "What did you expect?"
"Something... normal."
He gave me an amused look. "You married the wrong man if you were looking for normal."
I glared at him.
He simply walked past me.
I followed, still looking around.
The private section was separated from the main passenger area, giving us a quieter space. Two comfortable reclining seats faced each other with a small table between them, along with enough room to stretch our legs and move around without feeling cramped.
I ran my fingers lightly over the armrest. "This is insane."
This journey is going to be intresting.