69. The Checkup
I'm so done with silent readers at this point. Don't forget, there are three more books to come in this series, and the same "silent readers" who have stopped engaging with the chapters are going to be the ones coming back for more updates.
I'll now update whenever I want.
-DHWANI-
"So you're not telling me where we're going?" I asked, turning towards Yugant while applying moisturizer to my face.
He didn't answer.
He simply continued fastening his wristwatch, that annoyingly small smile still sitting on the corner of his lips.
"Yugant..." I whined, stomping my foot against the floor.
"Yes, my cute little ghost?" he replied immediately, clearly trying to annoy me even more.
"I am not little."
A sigh escaped him as he slowly walked towards me. "Of course you are."
He stopped right in front of me and tilted his head slightly. "So little." His fingers brushed against my cheek. "So stubborn." Then they slipped beneath my chin, making me look up at him. "And completely mine."
Heat rushed to my face.
Control your hormones bitch......
"Stop saying things like that."
"Why?" His brows lifted innocently. "They're true."
I rolled my eyes.
He chuckled and leaned closer. "You know what your problem is?"
"What?"
"You think being five feet and a few inches magically makes you tall."
"I am not that short."
"Right." He nodded seriously. "That's why I have to look down every time I want to see my wife.
I gasped. "Yes, of course. You might be missing your Olivia." I turned back towards the mirror and grabbed my tinted sunscreen. "She was tall, beautiful, fairer than me, blonde, and-"
Before I could finish, Yugant caught my wrist and turned me towards him. A startled breath left me as my back bumped against the vanity.
A few bottles rattled from the impact, one of them falling onto the cushioned stool below.
And suddenly he was everywhere. Standing far too close. Invading every bit of my personal space.
"Yeah?" he asked softly. His hand settled on my waist. "You were saying something."
His nose brushed lightly against mine. "Go on."
The challenge in his eyes made my heart stumble.
"Say it now." He repeated
For a moment, I completely forgot what I had been arguing about. His gaze dropped to my lips before returning to my eyes. The simple gesture made my stomach flutter.
I swallowed hard.
"I... actually..."
For once in my life, words abandoned me.
His fingers tightened slightly around my waist.
"Actually what, wifey?"
A smug smile appeared on his face.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down slightly.
"Actually... I wanted to ask if you're free tonight, because I have the expectation of a pretty romantic date."
He hummed, his arms sliding around my waist as he pulled me closer.
" Hmm...I'll have to ask my wife first." He pretended to think.
"Oh no. What if she refuses?"
A grin appeared on his face.
"Simple. My wife has a very serious weakness."
"What weakness?".
"Kisses."
"Ohh, is that so?" I smiled, sliding my fingers into his hair and tugging him slightly closer. "Then what are you waiting for? Do it already."
A smile tugged at his lips before he smashed his lips against mine, pushing me back against the wall making my heart forget its rhythm all over again.
He was right. I did have a weakness.
Not just his kisses.
Him. Everything about him.
The way he looked at me as if I was the only person that mattered.
The way his voice softened whenever he said my name.
The way he protected the people he loved with everything he had.
His confidence, his stubbornness, his ridiculous possessiveness that he never admitted to, and that quiet tenderness he showed only to those closest to him.
This man had the power to unravel me without even trying.
A single smile from him could fix my worst day. A single hug could make the world feel less heavy. And whenever he looked at me with those eyes full of love, I forgot every reason I ever had to be angry with him.
I don't think I have ever loved anyone the way I love Yugant Raizaada.
His strength.
His loyalty.
His flaws.
His heart.
Every version of him.
His lips moved against mine as he tilted my neck slightly, completely taking control of the kiss. He didn't even give me a chance to kiss him back properly, and strangely, I didn't mind. I just let him.
My body reacted to every little thing he did. Every touch. Every breath. Every second he stayed this close. I found myself leaning further into him without even realizing it, wanting to close every bit of distance between us.
A low sound escaped him as my fingers tightened in his hair.
Eventually, I pulled back, breathless.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
His gaze remained fixed on my face, making my heartbeat stumble all over again. The corner of his lips lifted slightly before his eyes met mine.
God.
This man.
Everything about him had slowly become my favorite thing.
His beautiful smile.
His sexy voice.
His stupid confidence.
The way he always knew exactly what he was doing to me. The way he could make my entire world disappear with a single look.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked softly.
I blinked."Like what?"
His smile deepened. "Like you've fallen in love with me all over again."
A laugh escaped me."Because I have." My fingers brushed through his hair, fixing a strand that had fallen over his forehead. "More than before. All over again."
"That's good," he murmured.
"Why?"
His hand found mine and intertwined our fingers."Because I keep doing the same."
My smile widened instantly. "Liar."
A quiet chuckle left him. "I'm serious."
"You know," I said, trying to hide my smile, "you're becoming very cheesy after marriage."
"Only because my wife likes it."
"I never said that."
"You don't have to." He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss against my forehead. "I can tell."
"Okay! Go away now. You're not letting me get ready."
He huffed dramatically and finally pulled away."Not going anywhere. I'm sitting right here until you get ready."
He dropped onto the couch, spreading his legs comfortably and leaning back.
Gosh.
Why does this man have to look attractive even while doing absolutely nothing?
I didn't argue because I knew there was no point. Once Yugant decided something, even God would have trouble changing his mind.
Turning back towards the vanity, I applied a little liquid blush and set my face with compact. Then I brushed some brown eyeshadow over my eyelids and applied mascara, keeping everything soft and natural.
"Are you wearing this today?" His voice came from behind. I looked at him through the mirror. His eyes had been fixed on me the entire time.
"Yeah. Am I looking weird?" I asked, glancing down at myself.
I was wearing an off-white chikankari kurti with matching plazo. The sun had been unbearable lately and I didn't trust sunscreen alone to save my skin, so covering myself felt like the smarter option.
Besides, these clothes were surprisingly comfortable.The soft fabric made up for it.
And for some reason, whenever I was with Yugant, I found myself reaching for outfits like these more often.
"No." His gaze slowly travelled over me before settling on my face again. "You're looking gorgeous."
Heat rushed to my cheeks. I sometimes want to slap myself. I quickly looked away and reached for my oxidised jhumkas.
"Just make sure to add a red bindi and red glass bangles."
"Sure."
After making a center partition in my hair, I applied the red bindi and opened the drawer to take out my bangles.
My hand froze.
The only red bangles I had were my wedding ones. And they weren't even glass bangles. They were kind of plastic or I don't know exactly. I hated wearing them.
"What happened?" Yugant asked immediately.
I looked towards him.
"Nothing. I just don't have red glass bangles." I lifted the bridal bangles from the drawer. "We'll manage with these."
"What?" His brows shot up. Before I could react, he walked over and took them from my hands.
"No." He placed them back inside the drawer. "We'll buy proper ones on the way."
I blinked. "It's early morning, Yugant. And I don't wear them regularly."
"So?"
I stared at him. He stared back.
"You don't need to worry about it. These will look fine too."
"No." He shook his head immediately. "If my wife wants red glass bangles, she's getting red glass bangles."
"I never said I wanted them."
"But you looked disappointed, Love."
I opened my mouth then closed it. Because annoyingly enough.....He was right.
A smug smile appeared on his face.
"Exactly."
Sometimes I genuinely wondered how he noticed things I didn't even notice about myself.
We had breakfast in complete silence. Everyone was at the table except Dhrithika.
She was avoiding Yugant.
Honestly, I had never seen something like this between the siblings before. But I didn't want to interfere. Yugant was hurting too. Only I knew how hard it had been for me to hold myself together after seeing tears in his eyes last night.
He would calm down eventually.
A few days, maybe a week. Then things would slowly return to normal.
The bond between him and Dhrithika was far too strong to break over this. So it was better if I stayed out of it.
After breakfast, Yugant and I got into the car. He had buckled up his seat belt and barely started the engine when the back door suddenly opened and Bhai slid inside as if the car belonged to him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Yugant asked, immediately switching off the engine and turning around.
"Romancing." Bhai replied seriously. "This is the woman and I am the guy."
He pointed towards the empty seat beside him.
I turned around and looked. "There is no one."
"Exactly." Bhai nodded. "Everyone knows there is no one. So tell your husband to stop asking stupid questions and start the damn car. I am obviously coming with you."
"Ohh! Okay."
I smiled and turned towards Yugant.