68| Their Version of Love
"Is jagah aa gyi, chahaten ab meri
Chheen lunga tumhe, saari duniya se hi
Tere ishq pe haan, hak mera hi toh hai
Keh diya hai ye maine mere rab se bhi."
| Play 'Pehle Bhi Main' · Vishal Mishra |
Soft rays cascade through the dark curtains of their room, brushing against the walls and settling gently over everything in sight.
Tara lay draped across Aayansh's chest, holding onto him like he belongs there. Her golden-brown hair fanning over his skin, her breath soft and steady against him and legs loosely entwined with his.
They're both completely naked, a blanket falling carelessly over them.
The peace in this morning feels unreal-almost so?-after everything the past few days were.
Aayansh's eyes ease open at a faint tickle on his chest, only to find her trying to bite his collarbone, putting all her strength into it... her face adorably creased with irritation.
"Aah...yahnsh.." She lets out a soft moan, lost in deep slumber. "...it's so hard. I?-I can't eat."
As she stirs in his arms, the soft curves of her breasts flush against the hard, toned planes of his chest. She doesn't hesitate, latching onto the very spot she'd been trying to nip just seconds ago, sucking there.
Aayansh just watches her closely, his hair falling in a messy tousle over his forehead, a slow smirk pulling at his lips as he drags his palm up her spine, finding the sensitive skin at the nape of her neck, his mouth hovering at her ear.
"Liking the taste?" he rasps, the words thick and dark as he bites her earlobe.
A gasp escapes her lips, still caught in the haze of sleep.
Aayansh's other hand goes still at her hip-bone, his fingers rubbing into her skin as she offers a slow, shaky nod.
His smirk deepens, his fingers tangling in her hair to guide her mouth back to his chest. He holds her there, his voice a low, sinful vibration against her skin. "Then have it properly."
With a frustrated hum, her teeth sink into his taut skin once again, biting down with everything she has, her face turning crimson like a furious child.
As Aayansh stares, a dark, quiet amusement flickers in his eyes, his fingers threading through her hair.
Tara's nose pokes stubbornly against his chest, her small, fierce efforts at bruising him only deepening his smirk.
"Um-mhh..." After a moment, her struggle fades into a soft, broken sigh. Caught in a dream she can't quite escape, Tara gives up her assault, settling her cheek against his bare chest.
But this time, he leans closer, his teeth grazing the tip of her nose.
Tara's eyes flutter open with a gasp, still heavy-lidded and sleepy as she rests her chin on his chest. Caressing her nose, she murmurs with irritation. "Kya kar rahe ho tum?"
Aayansh drags his thumb over the spot he'd just bitten, "Exactly what you were doing a moment ago."
"What?" A puzzled frown tugs at her brows, oblivious to her terrible sleeping habits, kicking, mumbling, cursing in her sleep... and now attempting to take a bite out of him like he's breakfast.
"I was just sleeping." She protests, sounding like the most innocent soul alive.
"Sleeping with your mouth on me." He corrects, his hands moving over her back. "So now-i'm giving my wife better access."
Aayansh's gaze slowly drifts to her bosom and her eyes go wide. She quickly pushes herself up, tugging the blanket around her as she sits atop his stomach.
"No way!?" She bellows, staring at his hard muscles and taut skin with a dead serious expression, as if she's assessing him. "Have you seen yourself? My teeth would break. And-"
She trails off, huffing lightly. "I'd look absurd like that."
With his arms caging her in on either side, Aayansh leans back against the headboard, pulling her flush against him as he slowly tugs a stray strand of hair behind her ear and muses. "You'd look gorgeous."
Tara's eyes sharpen, "You're making fun of me?!" she hisses, clutching the blanket like it's the last shred of modesty left on her body.
Aayansh doesn't respond. His gaze takes in the marks blooming across her neck, shoulder, and collarbone... vivid against her velvety skin, quietly enticing. Following his gaze, Tara glances down at her own body.
"I would've given you so many bruises-" She babbles into herself. "if only your skin wasn't so hard."
From her body, Aayansh's gaze returns to her flustered face. Then, without warning, he shifts upright just as Tara loses her balance, his arm slides around her lower back, steadying her and tugging her back against him until she settles astride his lap.
Her legs tighten around his waist as she peers at him in a daze.
Aayansh cups the side of her neck, his voice dropping into something serious. "How are you feeling?"
"Huh?" she mutters, confused about why he's asking this out of nowhere, her palm pressing against his chest.
"I'm asking," Aayansh bends closer to her ear, lacing his fingers with hers, his tone the same. "Kaisa feel ho raha hai tumhe? Any discomfort? Soreness?"
She shakes her head, brows knitting slightly as she mutters, "But you didn't do anything last night."
"I didn't do anything-" Without pulling away, Aayansh kisses her shoulder, his beard grazing her skin as she tilts her head. "And yet, you look like you've endured my roughness for hours. You're too delicate."
"And you're too cruel."
"I know." Aayansh suckles at her cleavage, slowly, hungrily.
Tara tugs at his hair, breaths heaving, yet she won't let the blanket go, gripping it as if it could protect her from his intensity.
"Aayansh..." her lips part, her voice caught somewhere between pleading and surrender.
"Hmm-Listening." He responds, his thumb circling her navel beneath the blanket.
Her heart flutters, and the words she meant to say vanish somewhere between her lips.
"I love you!" These words tumble out before she can stop them.
This time, Aayansh lifts his gaze to her face, her eyes are shut as he studies, beholds her with a quiet focus and a strange, desperate intensity in his eyes. "And?"
Tara's eyes blink open, confusion softening as she meets his stare. "And I love you so much," she breathes.
"And?" He leans further, nipping at the corner of her lips, then her jawline.
With a touch of annoyance in her gaze, she murmurs softly, "And I want to stay like this with you-forever. I don't care who you are and who you'll become, I'll always love you. No matter what."
With that, she snuggles closer, burying her face into the warmth of his chest.
And then, she lets her lips linger over the rhythm of his heart, beating steadily as she kisses him there, owning it, softly, yet utterly.
Aayansh pulls her into him until there's no air left between them, until their hearts beat as one, until she gasps and melts entirely into him. His face dipping into her hair... breathing her in deeply.
They stay like that for a long moment, Aayansh's fingers slowly moving through her hair. That's when Tara notices, the blanket has slipped, and now she's completely exposed, sitting naked in his lap.
Aayansh is himself naked too.
But, does he mind? Absolutely not.
Heat floods Tara's cheeks as she pats his back, struggling to wriggle free. "Let me go!"
Strangely, he lets her move, and the first thing she does is wrap herself tightly in the blanket, as if reclaiming the last shred of dignity.
Then, she glances up at him, the smirk on his face is pure sin, a devil wrapped in charm.
Before she can say anything, Aayansh pulls her face closer to him, their noses brushing as he murmurs. "Covering yourself like i can't just rip this blanket away from your beautiful form, pin you beneath me and-" He tastes her lips-"Eat you exactly how we like, Hmm?"
For a moment, Tara freezes, cheeks burning, eyes darting everywhere but at him. "So what?!" she hisses, her voice sharp. "I'm just not in the mood to show you anything right now."
She had no idea what she had just babbled, as if her brain had been kicked out of the conversation.
In the next heartbeat, Aayansh strips the blanket away from her and flings it aside, keeping her pinned to him in the same position as he stands and heads towards the gym.
"Don't tell me we're going to have a workout like this?!" Tara gasps, caught between shock and disbelief as he shamelessly walks past the walls.
Aayansh simply leans in, pecking her lips, and murmurs, "Smart wife."
· ───────────────── ·
A little while later, at the gym, Tara steps out of the meditation room after her light yoga session, her body at ease, but her mind is clearly somewhere else.
She's now in one of Aayansh's black T-shirts, the oversized fabric slipping over her figure, grazing her thighs with effortless ease.
Her eyes land on him instantly.
He's doing single-handed push-ups, dressed in black trousers, his back facing her. A bluetooth device rests in his ear as he's discussing some work in his usual tone.
'For god's sake, he's taken a bullet to the knee, so practically he shouldn't stress his body like this'. The thought lingers, edged with quiet concern.
But then, she shrugs it off, licking her lips as she drools over his half-naked form.
Aayansh, knowing she's behind, intones firmly without turning. "If you're done eye-fucking me, come here."
That pulls Tara back into her senses, a subtle shake of her head clearing her thoughts. Without hesitation, she walks over and lies down beside him on the cushioned floor, her hair falling in soft waves around her.
Aayansh's fingers close around her arm, pulling her beneath him the next moment, his gaze finally settles on her face. A sheen of sweat glistens over his body, his hair damp and falling messily over his forehead.
Tara lies still beneath him, staring up at him as he lowers himself, pecks her lips, then pushes his body back up again. A smile tugs at her lips as she realizes they're working out together after so long.
Aayansh, however, notices the thought she's holding back. But chooses not to press. For now, he lets her wrestle with it in her own head.
His eyes staying on her face... not her body.
Then, he dips down again, his lips finding her cheek as he prompts- "Now say."
She blinks at him, her fingers moving over his abs as she mutters, "Aayansh! I don't think I'm ready for business... especially not as a partner in Mom's subsidiary. It was her dream... and I have no experience with any of this. Right now... I just want to focus on my music."
She pauses, her eyes fixed on him as she waits for his response.
Aayansh eases down toward her again, stopping just inches from her face. "Your name is there just for legalities," he says, his voice firm. "You don't need to involve yourself in the business. You're young-focus on what you want."
She nods slowly as Aayansh's intense gaze pins her, his body still poised above hers. A drop of sweat slips from his hair, landing softly on her forehead.
“I'm not here to cage you, jaan,” he says, eyes fixed deep into hers as his fingers entwine through hers. “Unless you make me.”
His last words don't sit right with Tara, something in them quietly unsettling her. Because a part of her knows... he means it.
She feels Aayansh's dark eyes roaming hungrily over her lips, and without a word, he seizes her mouth.
Her lids flutter shut, melting into the heat of him, his other hand slipping beneath her T-shirt, between her thighs, his fingers finding the damp heat over there.
Without any rush, his calloused thumb grinds against her clit, pressing just enough to make her hips stutter beneath him.
[ A/N: Dw they've brushed ]
Tara's lips part to kiss him back, while he captures her bottom lip between his teeth, sucking it slowly, wildly. Their tongue warring, teeth scraping as Aayansh tilts her neck, deepening the kiss.
Time drifts slowly, filled solely with the rhythm of her soft cries, warm sweat from his body seeps into hers, leaving them both a tangled mess on the floor.
She bristles like a stubborn kitten beneath a lion.... fierce in spirit, but no match for him.
From her lips, he glides to her jaw, then along the curve of her neck, tasting, nipping, leaving a trail of heated marks.
Moans and soft groans escape her throat, feeding his craving for her, driving him further into frenzy.
"Aahyansh..." A shiver of pleasure winding through her.
Face buried into her neck, voice husky as he murmurs. "When was the last time I was inside you?"
Shaking slightly, she struggles to remember, then whispers, "Umm... last week."
"Sure?"
She shakes her head, drawing out the motion just enough to tease him. "What happened, husband? you need 'something'?"
Aayansh doesn't pull back. He stays still, taking a deep breath against her skin before pressing a kiss across the corner of her lips.
Tara flinches at his action, her body tensing instinctively as she knows his silence is the scariest part of him.
· ───────────────── ·
Life has slowly begun to settle again-peacefully-after everything the past few days held.
A nightmare that still lingers at the edges of my dreams, haunting me when I least expect it.
I've always loved Aayansh the way he is.
.. never expected him to change for me. But the version of him I saw in those moments.
.. I can't seem to erase it from my mind.
I can't even begin to understand how someone can be that cruel? Especially to their own people.
And honestly, sometimes... it scares me how easily I still choose him.
But in the end... What truly matters is that Mom got justice. And somehow, that one truth is the only thing that soothes me. I've never met her.....yet something about her feels undeniably pure. I mean, she deserved everything.
I just hope she's at peace....wherever she is.
Her dream of establishing a medicinal subsidiary to serve those who can't afford costly treatments-the one she couldn't achieve, and the one Aayansh, my brother, Aashika, and I are now partners in... will finally be fulfilled at this evening's soiree.
God, I'm so nervous.
I won't just be there as a business ally, but as her daughter-in-law too.
And besides, I have to move forward, towards my life, my career, and my music, most of all.
All these days, Aayansh was there... patient, caring, giving me all the time and attention I needed to breathe again. But now, I'm clear about many things.
I stand outside Aashika's room on her floor, wanting to see what she's chosen to wear this evening. After all... it's a big moment, for her and Aayansh.
I don't know how, but I convinced her to stay here. She wasn't ready at all, but I couldn't leave her alone anymore. She needs love, a chance to heal.
At Oberoi Palace, Chachi and Riva-Rhea needed their own space. They had nothing to do with those sins, yet they were the ones left carrying the damage.
Well, I knock-once-twice, just for formality, before barging inside anyway.
Because she's my sister-in-law, after all.
I glance around, her room is perfectly in order, but she's nowhere in sight.
"Aaashiii-"
A quiet click pulls me around, and there she is-stepping out of the washroom, her eyes already locked on me.
She pauses, a faint frown touching her brows. "Tara?"
"Yes!" I grin, plopping down on her bed. "I came to see what you're wearing tonight."
She just nods, her face fixed in the same bored silence. Not a word. The same cold expression, just like Aayansh, as she settles at her boudoir table.
How do they both manage to stay like this every time?
My gaze drifts over her. Fresh out of the shower, she's wrapped in a soft silk robe, loosely tied at the waist, her damp hair falling over her shoulders with that same quiet, distant composure.
And she looks dangerously good. Like a woman who commands empires with a single look.
I might've flirted with her, if only I weren't straight and her brother wasn't far more tempting.
I fold my legs, blinking at her. "Your brother is just like you. He stays silent and the moment I say something, he shuts me up with his disgusting comebacks."
She gives me a fleeting glance before looking in the mirror again. "Then maybe you should get a hold on him."
"I already do." I shrug confidently. "You know, Aayansh stays scared of me most of the time. He just doesn't show it. Masculine ego, we can say!"
Aashika almost laughs. "Yeah, sure."
My eyes narrow at her, clearly offended.
Then I end up laughing with her anyway.
"You know," she says, almost absently. "he was such a brat as a kid that he once punched me in the face, and it stayed swollen for a week."
I quickly shoot her a 'what the fuck' look. "He used to beat you?"
She exhales, a hint of nostalgia in her voice. "I mean, we both used to beat the shit out of each other. But he definitely went after me many times."
I shake my head in disbelief. "Why?"
She pauses, a little hesitant. "Um.... he was really chubby as a kid. So I used to call him things like pumpkin, round ball, and then run behind Mom to save myself."
I giggle, but then a nasty thought crosses my mind. I wonder if that childhood 'roundness' is where he gets that unreal stamina from now, especially when he keeps me pinned beneath him for hours, without getting tired himself.
As our morning lingers in my mind, heat slowly rises to my cheeks.
That's when I catch Aashika watching me through the mirror, a smirk pulling on her lips.
I quickly fix my face.
"He should learn something from my brother," I cut in, my tone suddenly bright.
"I was just six when I stubbornly demanded to go swimming in the middle of the night, just because I'd seen it in a movie.
Everyone tried to convince me otherwise, but bro gently took me to the pool in his arms and stood there for over an hour, just holding me while I splashed my arms and legs around. "
"And-" I look at her, my chin tilted up. "not just that. He always fulfilled all my tantrums. Not like your 'pumpkin' of a brother."
Aashika doesn't argue, a soft, knowing smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, a look that said she'd seen my blush and was choosing to be merciful. For now.
Such a girl's girl, isn't she?
I mean... gentlewoman.
"Well," she murmurs, slightly amused. "My brother isn't any less cute."
"What?" My eyes widen as I burst out laughing at her comment. "Aayansh and cute?!?"
"He can be anything-but cute? No way!"
At my reaction, she just shakes her head lightly.
Just then, a notification pings on her phone, and as she checks it, her expression hardens.
She stands, turning toward me. "My designer will show you the outfit, alright?" A small smile touches her lips. “Little sister-in-law.”
I just nod, caught between amusement and awe.
· ───────────────── ·