Ch44 The Ultimate Worship #3
As they walked toward the prime table a secluded spot overlooking a stunning, floor-to-ceiling glass wall that offered a private view of the illuminated city fountains two hosts silently drifted ahead of them to open the pathways and ensure their walk was unimpeded.
When they finally reached the table, the manager himself stepped forward, pulling out Rivanya's plush chair with absolute grace and waiting for her to settle comfortably before gently and precisely pushing it back in.
Another staff member instantly appeared from the periphery with a heavy silver tray, offering heated, jasmine-scented silk towels for them to freshen up, bowing deeply before retreating back into the shadows.
The sheer level of attentiveness from the staff was staggering, yet it was executed so perfectly that it felt completely unobtrusive.
They stood at a highly respectful distance near the edges of the room, fading into the background, yet they remained hyper-vigilant, ready to move at the slightest tilt of Rudraksh's head or the minor shift of Rivanya's gaze.
The exclusivity of the grand space, combined with the suffocating luxury and the hyper-focused devotion of the staff, made the gravity of the situation hit Rivanya all at once.
She looked from the pristine, silver-lined plate in front of her to the calm, effortlessly powerful man sitting directly across from her.
Her heart raced violently against her ribs as she tried to process the absurd, staggering lengths to which Rudraksh Vardhan would go, just because she had casually mentioned a few minutes ago that she was hungry.
The heavy, golden silence of the massive restaurant pressed in around them, broken only by the faint, melodic splash of the illuminated fountains outside the glass wall.
Rivanya sat rigidly in her plush velvet chair, her eyes darting from the small army of waiters standing like statues at the edge of the room, back to the silver-lined porcelain plate in front of her.
The sheer scale of the luxury was suffocating, and the fact that an entire seven-star establishment had been cleared out just for a casual dinner was driving her mind into overdrive.
Across the immaculate white tablecloth, Rudraksh sat with absolute ease.
He leaned back slightly, unfolding his linen napkin with slow, deliberate movements, completely unfazed by the grand spectacle he had created.
He looked like a king in his own court, entirely detached from the nervous energy vibrating off his wife.
Rivanya couldn't take it anymore. The confusion and frustration boiled over, and she leaned forward, resting her forearms lightly on the edge of the table to lower her voice, though her tone was sharp with disbelief.
"Are you completely out of your mind, Rudraksh?" she whispered fiercely, her eyes wide as she confronted him. "What is all of this? You booked an entire seven-star restaurant? The whole place is empty!"
Rudraksh didn't answer immediately. He picked up his crystal water goblet, took a slow, agonizingly calm sip, and set it down with a soft clink that seemed to echo in the vast room. He looked up, his dark eyes locking onto hers, a faint, maddening glink of amusement dancing in them.
"You said you were hungry," he replied simply, his voice smooth and entirely too nonchalant for the situation. "I brought you to a place where you can eat. What exactly is the problem, Mrs. Vardhan?"
"The problem?" Rivanya let out a low, disbelieving gasp, gesturing faintly with her hand toward the empty dining hall.
"The problem is that normal people just pull over at a restaurant or order something to eat! They don't throw around millions to clear out an entire floor just because their wife's stomach growled in the car! Look at them," she hissed, glancing toward the staff who stood in deferential silence.
"They are standing there like we are royalty, and we are just... having dinner! Why do you always have to be so incredibly extra?"
Rudraksh's smile widened just a fraction, the corners of his lips curling into that signature, effortlessly powerful smirk that always drove her crazy.
He leaned forward, crossing his hands over the table, bringing himself closer to her.
The sudden proximity made her breath catch, but she refused to back down, holding his intense gaze.
"First of all," Rudraksh said, his voice dropping to a low, velvety murmur meant only for her ears, "you are not 'normal people.' You are my wife. And second, I am Rudraksh Vardhan. I don't do 'normal' pull-overs, Rivanya. If my wife is hungry, she eats in peace,
without a hundred prying eyes staring at her or cameras flashing through the windows."
Rivanya frowned, her defenses briefly faltering at the word wife, but she quickly shook it off, her stubbornness taking over.
"Don't hide behind your status, Rudra. This isn't just about privacy. You're doing this to mess with me, aren't you? You knew exactly how uncomfortable and shocked I would be. You're enjoying this!"
"Am I?" Rudraksh raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with mock innocence.
"I thought I was being a dutiful, caring husband. You were avoiding me in the car, refusing to speak to me, looking out the window like I was a stranger. So, I figured if I cleared out the entire room, you would have absolutely no choice but to look at me, and talk to me.
It seems my plan worked perfectly."
Before Rivanya could fire back another retort to his arrogant confession, a soft, synchronized movement occurred at the edge of the room. The restaurant manager, sensing the shift in their body language, gave a subtle nod.
Instantly, three servers advanced toward the table with fluid, synchronized grace.
They carried heavy silver domes, and with a collective, respectful bow, they lifted the covers in perfect unison.
A rich, heavenly aroma of black truffle soup, artisanal warm breads, and rare gourmet appetizers instantly filled the air between them.
The head waiter gently poured a rich, steaming broth into Rivanya's bowl, his movements so precise not a single drop was misplaced.
"Your first course, sir, madam. Enjoy," the manager murmured smoothly, bowing deeply before the staff melted back into the shadows as seamlessly as they had appeared.
The incredible scent of the food immediately made Rivanya's stomach rumble softly, betraying her anger.
She looked down at the exquisitely plated dish, then looked up at Rudraksh, who was watching her with a thoroughly satisfied, triumphant expression.
He picked up his spoon, gesturing toward her plate.
"Now, you can either keep arguing with me and let this incredibly tasty food get cold," Rudraksh said, his dark eyes locked onto hers with a challenging glint, "or you can finally admit that you're starving, stop being stubborn, and eat with your husband. The choice is yours, drama queen."
Rivanya glared at Rudraksh, the frustration in her eyes flashing dangerously in the warm, golden light of the restaurant. She leaned closer, her voice dripping with sharp sarcasm as she demanded an explanation.
"First of all, Mr. Vardhan, let's clear one thing up. The man sitting in front of me never tires of reminding me that I am his wife only on papers. So, how exactly am I suddenly your wife tonight? And why on earth am I receiving this full royal wife treatment? Care to explain this sudden shift, Mr.
Vardhan?"
Rudraksh leaned back, a smooth, calculated expression resting on his handsome face. He watched her fire up with absolute amusement, effortlessly twisting her own logic against her.
"If I remember correctly, Sugarplum, you were the one who explicitly stated that the 'wife on papers' rule should never leave the boundaries of our bedroom. And I agreed. I told you that in front of the rest of the world, you are my wife. Last time I checked,
this grand dining hall is definitely not our bedroom. So, out here, you don't get the 'on papers' version. Out here, you get the full treatment."
A sudden wave of intense anger rushed through Rivanya.
His frustratingly perfect counter-argument made her blood boil so much that she had a sudden, wild urge to pick up the heavy silver plate in front of her and hurl it right at his smug face.
But knowing she couldn't actually pull off such a stunt, she clamped her jaw shut.
Realising that arguing with him was completely useless, she aggressively picked up her cutlery.
Without throwing another glance in his direction, she silently and fiercely began to eat.
Rudraksh's lips instantly curled into a prominent smirk.
Her visible irritation and the cute, frustrated huff she let out gave him an immense sense of satisfaction.
But deeper down, seeing her finally quiet down and actually enjoy the exquisitely prepared food brought a genuine sense of relief and warmth to his heart.
He watched her for another quiet moment before picking up his own fork to join her.
Just before the elaborate main course could be wheeled out, Rudraksh raised his hand, making a swift, subtle gesture to the head manager standing near the periphery.
The highly trained staff instantly understood the silent cue.
They bowed their heads and quietly vanished into the back to retrieve the special arrangement Rudraksh had ordered beforehand.
A few moments later, the heavy doors opened silently. Two staff members stepped out, carefully carrying a massive, breathtakingly beautiful bouquet intricately arranged with pure white lotuses and delicate, misty gypsy flowers. They walked gracefully toward the table, stopping right beside Rivanya.
The moment they arrived, Rudraksh immediately stood up from his chair. He took the grand bouquet from the staff with an air of effortless grace and extended it directly toward Rivanya.
Rivanya froze, her spoon hovering in mid-air.
Her eyes widened in absolute shock and admiration as she stared at the magnificent arrangement.
It was stunning the pristine lotus petals looked like velvet, perfectly complemented by the ethereal, cloud-like gypsy flowers.