CHAPTER 30! POSSESIVE MUCH #2
She stayed pressed against him for a quiet, heavy beat. She looked up, her gaze colliding with his.
The coldness was still there. Whatever else existed beneath it hadn't replaced the monster.
It merely belonged to him.
Aadhira stared back down at the freshly wrapped bandage. "The shirt will rub against the bandage."
Aryav said nothing.
Aadhira forced herself to continue. "So don't wear it."
His gaze lifted slowly. "Are you worried about the wound?"
"Yes."
A pause.
"No," his voice was quiet.
"You're worried about me."
The realization struck her before she could deny it. Aryav noticed. A slow smile appeared, the kind that never reached his eyes.
"That's considerably more dangerous."
Aryav's grip on her hip tightened, his blunt nails digging through the fabric of her dress.
He watched her for several seconds.
She didn't move.
Neither did he.
With a sudden, fluid movement, he hooked his arm under her thighs and lifted her effortlessly onto his lap, straddling him on the edge of the mattress.
Aadhira gasped, her hands instinctively clutching his uninjured shoulder for balance.
Aryav simply watched her. Five seconds of absolute silence passed as he analyzed her wide, panicked eyes.
"Comfortable?" he asked softly.
A pause.
"Remember it."
Aadhira's stomach twisted. Anyone else would have heard affection.
Coming from Aryav, it sounded like a life sentence.
.
.
.
Morning arrived far too cheerfully for someone who had almost died of embarrassment the previous night.
Sunlight slipped through the sheer curtains, spilling across the enormous bedroom with unbothered brilliance.
Aadhira stared blankly at the ceiling.
For a long moment, she didn't move. Then the memories arrived, one after another, hitting her like a succession of sharp physical blows.
Aryav's bleeding shoulder. His cold, unyielding eyes. His hand pressing firmly against the back of her head, anchoring her.
"Comfortable?"
"Remember it."
Her entire body stiffened beneath the heavy blanket. "...Radha Rani," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.
A heavy silence stretched through the room. Bracing herself, she slowly turned her head toward the empty side of the bed.
It was perfectly made. Crisp, unwrinkled sheets. No Aryav.
Her shoulders sagged in immense relief. "Yeh hui na Good morning."
Five minutes later, Aadhira cracked the bedroom door open just enough to peek outside.
The corridor was empty. She leaned farther-left, then right. Nothing. She stepped out, though every tiny creak of the wooden floor made her heart jump.
She reached the grand staircase and peered downstairs. No sign of Aryav.
"Good," she muttered to herself, smoothing down her outfit. Today, she was going to eat breakfast peacefully.
Kal raat jitni beizzati hui thi... uske hisaab se chaar parathe toh bante hai.
The rich scent of fresh ghee reached her first, followed by the fragrant aroma of cardamom tea and seasoned poha. Her stomach growled in immediate response.
"There you are."
The familiar voice made her freeze mid-step.
Slowly, she turned her head toward the dining hall. Five pairs of eyes were already locked onto her.
Reyansh, Tara, Myra, Arjun, and Aarush were all sitting around the massive marble table.
Nobody was eating. Five untouched plates, five cooling cups of tea.
Aadhira blinked. "...Kya hua?"
Nobody answered. She looked behind herself, expecting a threat, but found nothing. "...Mere muh pe kuch laga hai?"
Still, utter silence. Aadhira finally frowned. "Aise kyun dekh rahe ho?"
Reyansh stood up, his tone unusually serious, lacking his usual mischievous grin. "Bhabhi... Zara idhar aana."
Aadhira immediately took a step backward. "Nahi."
"Please."
"Nahi."
"Bas do minute."
"Bilkul nahi."
Arjun sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. "Dekha? Maine bola tha na bhaag jayengi."
"Main bhaag nahi rahi," Aadhira said, her voice rising in defensive reflex.
Tara walked over instead, breaking the standoff. She gently caught Aadhira's wrist. "Ab nautanki band karo. Sach batao."
Aadhira's defensive smile faded. "Kya?"
Tara searched her face, looking for any hidden signs of distress. "Kal raat... bhai ne kuch kaha? Kuch kiya?"
Aadhira looked from one face to another, realizing with a jolt that every single one of them looked genuinely, deeply worried.
Aarush spoke next, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Hum log upar aane wale the. Par Vivaan bhai ne mana kar diya. 'Sir ko disturb mat karo,' bas itna bola."
Myra folded her arms, shaking her head. "Uske baad kisi ki himmat hi nahi hui."
"Bhai jab us mood mein hote hain na... main toh apna phone bhi silent pe kar deta hoon," Reyansh scratched his jaw nervously.
Aadhira couldn't help but ask, "...Sach?"
"Pichle mahine meri ringtone baj gayi thi," Aarush added, nodding gravely. "Do din tak meri taraf dekha bhi nahi."
Arjun corrected him flatly, "Nahi. Dekha tha. Aur wahi toh problem thi."
The table fell silent again. Aadhira bit the inside of her cheek.
She had fully prepared herself to be teased mercilessly this morning about being newlyweds. Instead, they looked terrified on her behalf.
Reyansh spoke quietly, leaning in. "Seriously, bhabhi. Bhai ne... hurt toh nahi kiya?"
For a split second, the raw intensity of the previous night flashed before her eyes. Aryav's bloody shoulder. His firm hand holding her face steady.
The unexpected, grounding comfort of the way he'd let her cry against his chest until her panic receded.
She looked down, her expression softening. "...Nahi, unhone to kuch nahi bola."
The collective relief in the room was instantaneous. Tara sank back into her chair with a massive sigh. "Thank God."
Aarush finally lifted his tea, taking one slow, meditative sip as he closed his eyes. "Mera BP normal ho gaya."
Aadhira looked around the table, incredulous. "...Tum log sach mein mujhse zyada dare hue the?"
"Obviously," Reyansh answered. "Bhai se panga lekar zinda ghoomna... next to impossible."
Aadhira blinked. Then, a tiny, dangerous smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
Wait... They actually think that? Her small, dramatic, and extremely unemployed ego suddenly decided it wanted to participate in the conversation.
Reyansh looked at her as though searching for clues. "...But kuch to bola hoga bhai ne?"
Aadhira dipped a biscuit into her tea with unnecessary elegance. "Nahi. Ulta maine unki class laga di."
The entire room went dead silent.
Aarush looked at Tara.
Tara looked at Myra.
Myra looked at Arjun.
Arjun looked at the ceiling, perhaps hoping divine intervention would explain what they had just heard.
Finally, Aarush whispered, "...Jhoot bol rahi hai."
Myra nodded slowly. "Bilkul."
Reyansh suddenly pulled out a chair and sat directly in front of Aadhira.
"Bhabhi. Sach-sach batao."
Aadhira suppressed a smirk, taking a slow sip. "Sach hi toh bol rahi hoon. Maine unhe zor se chillaya, aur woh shant ho gaye."
"Sach mein?!" they chorused in disbelief.
She gave a casual, confident nod.
Within seconds, the chairs scraped against the floor.
Everyone completely surrounded her. Aadhira stared at them.
Hey bhagwan... Yeh log toh coaching lene baith gaye kya?.
"Nahi," Reyansh shook his head, refusing to buy it. "Aise nahi ho sakta. Tumhe dekhte hi bhai shaant ho gaye?"
"Haan."
"Impossible."
Aadhira cleared her throat, leaning back. "Dekho... Sher ko control karne ke liye..."
She paused for dramatic effect, ensuring everyone was hanging on her every word. "...khud sher banna padta hai. Jab tak daroge, woh darayega."
A collective gasp echoed through the room. Even one of the passing maids slowed down her pace, holding a silver tray tightly to her chest to catch the wisdom.
Aadhira noticed the expanding audience.
Bas. Ab script hit hai, toh performance toh banti hai.
"Sabse pehli galti tum log kya karte ho?" She pointed a finger directly at Reyansh.
"Tum."
"M-main?"
"Haan. Jaise hi woh room mein aate hain..." She stood up, demonstrating a completely stiffened, robotic posture.
"...tum seedhe khade ho jaate ho." Then she shifted to a trembling, high-pitched imitation: "'Good morning bhai.' 'Ji bhai.' 'Haan bhai.' 'Sorry bhai.'"
The cousins looked deeply guilty, shifting from foot to foot.
"Toh... kya karein?" Tara asked.
"Tum log khud unhe yaad dilate rehte ho ki woh boss hain," Aadhira declared, gesturing expansively.
"Confidence naam ki bhi koi cheez hoti hai ki nahi."
Myra looked thoughtful. "Sach bolu... To hum hi usse itna chadha ke rakhe hue hain."
"Dar aadmi khud banata hai," Arjun added quietly.
Under the intoxicating spell of a shared rebellion, nobody questioned the logic.
"Kal maine bhi pehle darna shuru kiya tha," Aadhira continued, her voice filled with mock gravity as five people listened like she was narrating a war epic.
"Phir maine khud ko bola-Aadhira, enough. Kb tk aisa hi chalta rahega? Seedha dekh. Darna band. Aur unhe bhi dara."
Tara's eyes grew perfectly round. "...Aur?"
"Bas. Maine unki aankhon mein aankhein daal ke dekha." She demonstrated a ridiculously serious, narrowed glare.
Five jaws dropped in perfect unison.
"He listened?!" Aarush whispered.
"Listen? Mujhe dekhte hi thar-thar kaamp rahe t- matlab, shant ho gaye," Aadhira corrected smoothly, riding the high of her own narrative.
"Phir maine bola, bandage lagwani hai toh sharafat se baithiye, varna main jaa rahi hoon, yeh jada please please karne se Banda satve aasaman par chadh jata hai."
Nobody spoke for nearly ten seconds. The sheer audacity of the tale had left them breathless.
Then, Reyansh slowly stood up, his chest puffing out.
"Dar khatam," Reyansh announced, his tone clipped and dangerously sure of itself. "Aaj se equation change. Aryav bhai wahi rahenge... bas hum badlenge."
Aarush looked horrified but inspired. "Naam se bula doge unhe?"
"Ab darr kis baat ka? Bhai bhi toh insaan hi hain."
Aadhira's triumphant smile slowly began to falter.
Ek minute... Yeh kya kar rahi hoon main?