-11-
It was a warm July afternoon, the air thick with the lingering heat of the day, though a gentle breeze offered some respite. The sky was a deepening shade of orange and pink, casting a golden hue over the bustling city.
Jayasvi, tired from the engagement ceremony, slowly got inside the hotel room.
The weight of the heavy lehenga and the day's events weighed on her as she moved towards the bed, leaning against the bedrest. The air conditioner in the room was doing its job, keeping the room cool; otherwise, the heavy fabric of her lehenga would have made her faint from exhaustion.
She felt a strange mix of relief and melancholy as she sank into the plush bed, the cool sheets a welcome contrast to the warmth of the day. The engagement had been a whirlwind of emotions, and now, alone in her room, the reality of everything began to sink in.
Her cousin was asked to stay with her but she wanted to enjoy roaming in the lavish hotel and click pictures, Jayasvi didn't want to hold them back.
Jayasvi remembered how their photo shoot happened.
The photographer was asking them to look in each others eyes but she wasn't able to do that.
At the end it came up as a picture with him looking down at her as he hugged her from behind while she was looking down.
She could still feel his touch on her skin.
Why would somebody want so intimate posses in their engagement?
She wondered leaning back taking support.
She wanted to remove the dress but was scared if somebody came to meet her, it would be trouble.
And more than that, she was in love with this dress.
She moved towards the mirror looking at her reflection. It wasn't as bad as she thought. She wondered. Observing her reflection in the mirror. The Sheeshphool on her head made her feel like a real princess. She smiled slightly before twirling around to see the flair of the lehenga.
There was a knock on the door making her frown. Maybe it is her mother. She sighed walking slowly to the door. She hated the heels she was hearing, she will remove them now. She thought as she opened the door.
The door opened and she came across to Raghav standing in front of her. She took a deep breath taking in his appearance dressed in a long navy blue dress coat and pants with a diamond brooch on the coat. His leather shoes were completing his perfect authoritarian handsome look.
"Sir?", she whispered not expecting him here.
"Can I come inside?", he asked like a gentleman. It was his hotel. How could she deny? On top of that, what else could she do? She nodded her head as he entered inside closing the door behind him.
"Sir, do you want to talk about something", she asked when she was turned to the door feeling him hovering her. She gulped down clenching her thighs for a moment.
"Quit calling me sir, Jayasvi and I am serious this time", he spoke his face so close to her. She could smell his wooden cologne all over him making her look down breathing heavily. His voice was just so low yet heavy.
"What should I call you than?", she spoke in hesitation.
"Anything but not sir", he stated his face closer.
"Raghav?", she spoke out making him look at her intensely.
Raghav is one of her crush from her favourite book that was the reason she never called him directly by his name.
She always felt so shy remembering how the protagonist of her book used to dominate the female lead in bed and treat her like a queen in real life. She turned crimson thinking about it.
"I just thought you'll like me calling you by your name", she spoke justifying herself while looking down. Raghav's eyes traced her from head to toe. She wasn't doing well with how she looked with his patience which led him here to her room.
"You look enchanting", he spoke softly making her look up at him. Her eyes just looked so innocent and pure, it was like they were calling him to commit some sin.
He traced his finger from her fingers to her bare arms. The sleeveless blouse wasn't helping her condition as she gasped. She could feel his fingers reaching to her jaw forcing her to look in his dark brown almost black eyes. Her chest moved as her breathing fastened.
"I want to kiss you", he confessed. Her lips parted in disbelief feeling his face coming close to hers making her face redder.
"Do you want me to kiss you?", he further asked his eyes staring in her eyes before settling at her plump lips having a little lipstick and lipgloss over it. He preferred her natural pink lips but today knowing she was wearing ring of his name, he couldn't control himself.
Thousands of things were going on in her mind. She felt shy at the same time she didn't want to stop him.
"Tell me Jayasvi", he further asked making her nod slowly his nose tip touching her soft cheek. He never knew he touched something so soft in his life and to know that he is the only one who'll touch her all his life.
His hand moving behind her back clutching her hair making her look at him. It wasn't painful but she could feel a dominating energy around him which made her clench her thighs harder. She never thought something like this actually existed outside of her books.
"Think before telling me in words. Do you want me to kiss you or want me to wait?", he spoke wanting her complete permission so she wouldn't regret it later. It was like she was teasing him now.
She wanted to kiss him so badly right now.
"Please kiss me", she stuttered and the next moment she felt his lips over hers. Her fingers which were clutching his coat till now moved up clutching his shoulder tight.
She could feel him pulling back making her sigh but it didn't rest longer as he held her face in his hands leaning down as he let his lips touch hers.
His hand reached behind her lower back touching her bare skin. She could feel his hands tracing her skin as he sucked on her lips making her shiver. She wanted to kiss back but didn't know how to do so.
He sucked on her lips harder, his tongue tracing her lips which she opened without even thinking melting in his arms wrapping her arms around his neck pulling him closer.
His tongue touched hers kissing her with different ferocity.
She tried to kiss back but her mind was blank feeling his tongue inside her mouth.
Soon he left her lips moving down to her neck biting slightly on her soft skin.
"Aahhh", she moaned feeling the new pain she discovered today which was filling her body with a different warmth.
"Fuck, you are making me so crazy, Jayasvi", he cursed wrapping her arms below her hips picking her easily.
She held his shoulder in surprise as he took her towards the bed making her lie softly as he got on top of her kissing all over her jaw.
Soon his lips met her again. She could feel him between her legs as his hands went down holding her right thigh in a tight grip from over her lehenga.
She could hear him groan against her lips as he pulled away slowly.
"Damn", he cursed breathing heavily feeling her chest touching his. Her face was all red and her eyes a little dazed.
"I don't think I can survive without this anymore", he spoke his voice lower and thicker. She hid her face in his chest with her face turning all red.
He kissed her lips again when there was some knocking on the door. They were so into each other that they didn't realize the sound. After few moments, Jayasvi heard the impatient knocks on the door. She moved her lips aside from his which led him to kiss her neck.
"Suniye, somebody is on the door", she uttered, her voice a mere whisper. He groaned not ready to leave her but at the end, she was able to stop him. She was getting nervous as she looked at him with fear. She made him stand behind the door which she opened. (Listen)
"What were you doing?", her cousin, Nidhi asked her getting inside the room along with her other cousin Ankita. Ankita was few days younger to her while Nidhi was 4 years older to her, both were her maternal cousins.
Jayasvi stared back behind the door to find him still standing there making her tense.
"What did you do? Were you sleeping or something? Your lipstick is all ruined", Ankita spoke. Jayasvi gulped at her words, her eyes falling behind them to find Raghav winking at her. Her whole face turned red along with her eyes turning wide.
"We have to do her touch up", Nidhi spoke already pulling her towards the mirror when Jayasvi held her hand with a frown.
"Kis khushi mein", she spoke feeling Ankita unpinning the dupatta on her head since it was all disheveled. (For what?)
Ankita sighed holding Jayasvi's left hand and pointing at her engagement ring.
"Iss khushi mein", Ankita spoke in a tired voice. (For this)
"Damn the ring is beautiful", Ankita gasped looking at the ring with a big diamond in the middle and few smaller diamonds surrounding it.
"She is already wearing two diamond rings and one gold one. This one is an addition", Nidhi spoke pulling her towards the mirror.
"But the engagement is done na?", Jayasvi spoke confused. Why were they getting her ready again?
"It's done for everyone not for us. It was so boring. And you danced in everyone's wedding and engagement, why won't you dance in your own", Nidhi spoke helping her with her touch up.
"By the way, your hairstyle suits you a lot", Ankita spoke feeling jealous at the way Jayasvi was being pampered.
She could see how well her makeup was done and her loose curls were complimenting her look.
On top of that, the diamond necklace and Sheeshphool was making her look like a princess ready for her crowning ceremony.
"Thanks", Jayasvi mumbled adjusting the waist chain slightly.
"Did your mother-in-law gave you Payal as well?", Ankita asked thinking they must have forgotten about it and she could rub it on her face. Without thinking much Jayasvi lift up her lehenga skirt a bit showing the thin silver anklets she was wearing having a pearl design with few anklet bells.
"You really look beautiful", Nidhi complemented though inside she was feeling it was too early. Even she wasn't engaged till now.
"Thank you", Jayasvi spoke as they got done readying her helping her get up. As they passed by the bed, she couldn't help but stare at the creases with embarrassment.
"Come", Nidhi spoke helping her walk since it was slightly difficult for her to walk in heels.
"I am so tired", Jayasvi whispered as they walk towards the grand hall.
The employees in the hotel wished her softly knowing she was the to-be-wife of their boss.
Ankita was feeling worse with the passing moment.
She was more beautiful than Jayasvi. Why was she getting all this?
She deserved all this princess treatment.
As they reached the grand hall, Jayasvi's eyes immediately met his.
"Jayu, I think you are having rashes with the necklace", Nidhi spoke seeing the redness on her neck. Jayasvi immediately touched her neck and realized what she meant. Her eyes went back to Raghav who was already looking at her. Only the family members were here at the moment.
"Bhabhi", Dhara walked towards her with a big smile in excitement.
"At last, I can meet you properly. You look so beautiful", she gushed herself dressed in a peach color gown.
"Thank you", she whispered as Nidhi helped her walk to a throne chair near the stage. Raghav was already there talking to his father. Jayasvi bowed down touching Gajraaj's feet. Gajraaj stopped her in mid way putting his hand on her head.
"You are my daughter. Don't touch my feet", he spoke with adoration. Jayasvi smiled back at him as Nidhi helped her sit on her place. Raghav let her sit comfortably first before sitting beside her.
"I wish there was no-one here at this moment", she heard him whispering which made her cheeks redder than they were before because of the makeup blush. She gulped down looking down, a shy smile covering her lips as dance performances started taking place.
Jayasvi smiled looking at everyone who were dancing freely at the moment. But then her eyes fell on her father who was sitting in the corner talking with her Tauji. He was very uncomfortable. She could see.
Nidhi came close to her with some food. Jayasvi was glad since she was so hungry but still didn't have in herself to eat anything. She was feeling so nervous at the moment having so much attention on herself.
Raghav's cousin came close to her and started giving their introduction.
"This will be the first wedding in the family, bhabhi.
We are so excited", Aarohi, Raghav's maternal cousin spoke in excitement sitting beside Jayasvi who wanted to eat more than anything.
Everybody was eating in her own engagement and here she had nothing.
This wasn't how she imagined things to be.
More than that, her feet were hurting with the heels.
Now she was cursing him to be so much taller than her.
Shivangi, Jayasvi's younger cousin got on the stage. The little girl moved towards her sister quickly dressed in a long gown sitting beside Jayasvi holding her elbow.
"Didi, you promised me you won't get married. Why are you sitting with this bhaiya now", Shivangi pouted almost in tears looking at Raghav with fear filled eyes.
"Hey little princess, she is your jiju not bhaiya", Dhara tried to make her understand since Jayasvi didn't know how to answer her innocent question.
"No. Didi you won't go with him", Shivangi spoke in a low voice hugging Jayasvi as tears started falling down her eyes. Her mother noticed the exchange coming to control the situation her daughter created just now.
"Hey Shivu. Don't cry. I am not going anywhere", Jayasvi whispered in her ear hugging her close to her chest but the little girl wasn't ready to leave her. Jayasvi sighed knowing she'll not hear her now and will only cry. She asked her chachi(Shivangi's mother) to let her stay.
Shivangi calmed down after sometime but wasn't ready to leave Jayasvi sticking to her side.
"Hi Shivangi", Raghav called softly. Jayasvi gave her a motivating smile which made her move towards him.
Jayasvi couldn't help but smile in adoration seeing him speak so softly with her.
He was such a perfect person. She didn't know how she got so lucky to end up with such a wonderful man.
Maybe at the end, she was living her dreams.
As the evening continued, Jayasvi felt a sense of peace settling over her. In this fleeting moment, surrounded by the people she cared about and witnessing Raghav's kindness, she found solace in the idea that perhaps, despite everything, she was exactly where she was meant to be.
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