~ Tejasswi’s POV ~

The next morning had been nothing short of chaotic. Not because of the house, or because of the guests who were still lingering after the wedding, but because of him.

Since the moment I opened my eyes, Karan has been on a mission—to drag me along with him to his political campaign.

And since the moment I opened my eyes, my mission had been the opposite.

Of course, he didn’t take that answer.

Karan: Please chalo naa, Noor. Just this one time. It won’t be boring, promise.

I arched a brow at him, folding my arms across my chest. He always says that. And every single time, it ends the same way—me sitting at his side while he teases me mercilessly under the table, while keeping his face perfectly serious for the cameras.

Teja: Nope. You always tease me during your campaigns. And today is Adhvi’s pehli rasoi. I need to be here.

Karan leaned closer, his grin dangerously boyish, the kind of grin that meant trouble.

Karan: Nhi karunga tang, pakka. Promise.

I rolled my eyes. Karan Awan and promises? Hah. The man had a PhD in breaking those whenever it involved teasing me.

But before I could respond, I felt his hands move behind me—slow, deliberate. His fingers brushed the bow at the back of my blouse. My breath caught.

Teja: Karan… leave that.

He smirked. Of course, he did.

Karan: You accompany me and I’ll make you samosas.

My eyes widened. Samosas? The nerve. He knew my weakness too well.

But then—one swift pull—and it was undone. The bow, the only thing holding my blouse in place.

My jaw dropped.

Teja: Karan! All my mehnat getting ready is gone.

His smirk turned wicked, his eyes gleaming with that dangerous mix of mischief and possessiveness.

Karan: Good. Now you only have one option. Say yes.

I groaned dramatically, hitting his chest with my palm, but it only made him laugh—the deep, infuriatingly warm laugh that always sent shivers down my spine.

Teja: “ine.

The word left my lips with more annoyance than surrender, but deep down… I think he knew I’d never truly win against him.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

By the time I fixed my blouse again—after scolding him at least ten times—we were on our way. He drove with one hand on the wheel, the other firmly holding mine on the gearshift as if he owned it. Which, apparently, he did.

Teja: You know, you’re impossible.

Karan: I know.

Teja: And shameless.

Karan: I know that too.

Teja: And you bribe me with samosas.

Karan turned, giving me a side glance so intense that I instantly regretted speaking.

Karan: Noor, I don’t bribe you with samosas. I own you with them.

I gasped, smacking his arm, but he only smirked harder, his thumb caressing the back of my hand in slow circles.

Possessive idiot.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

When we reached the venue, he was back in his element. The Karan Awan—the politician, the leader. People flocked around him, shaking hands, smiling, nodding. But his hold on my hand never loosened.

Everywhere he went, I was dragged along—like an extension of him. And though I rolled my eyes and tried to keep up a stern expression, my heart betrayed me. Because every time his hand tightened just slightly, every time his thumb brushed mine absentmindedly, I knew what he was really saying.

I threw his hands off from my bare waist, as his fingers drew circles making my squirm a little.

Only to find his lips on mine for a second.

Karan: I dare you do that again and I will kiss you in front of everyone.

Mine. You’re mine.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Hours later, when the campaign was over, he kept his word. I found myself sitting at the mansion kitchen counter, watching the great Karan Awan—politician, billionaire, heartthrob—rolling out samosa dough like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Teja: You really know how to cook these?

Karan: Noor, I could cook you the whole world if it meant you’d sit here and look at me like that.

My cheeks heated instantly.

Teja: Like what?

He looked up, meeting my gaze with that same fire that always made me forget how to breathe.

Karan: Like I’m worth something.

The air stilled. My heart twisted, the teasing suddenly gone, replaced by something heavier. I slid off the counter, walking up to him slowly. My hands wrapped around his waist from behind, my cheek pressed against his back.

Teja: You’re worth everything, Karan. Everything.

For a long moment, he didn’t speak. Just stood there, his hands still on the dough, chest rising and falling. And then, quietly—so softly I almost missed it—

Karan: And you’re mine.

Always.

Tejasswi: umm… Karan..

He nods,

Tejasswi: I was thinking we could go to Ayodhya.. Like only if your elections are over..

The hesitation was clear.

Karan: baby you don't have to ask me. You have order me. And okay, tomorrow we will leave for Ayodhya. All four of us.

A smile brimmed over my lips. But an uneasiness settled in. Ignoring that I hugged him tightly.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

~ Adhvika’s POV ~

Atharv hasn’t kept his hands to himself since last night. Every time he walked past me, his fingers brushed my waist. Every time I bent a little, he leaned dangerously close, murmuring things that made my heart race.

We hadn’t done anything—mainly because I was dead tired after the wedding chaos—but I knew. I knew tonight he wouldn’t spare me.

Lucky me… I got a call early this morning. An event. Just one day. My escape card.

Or so I thought.

I was standing in the kitchen, rolling up the sleeves of my new bangles-clinking bridal suit, stirring the kheer for my pheli rasoi. The smell of cardamom and saffron filled the kitchen, but all I could focus on was the echo of his words from last night.

And then, right on cue, his voice came again—deep, lazy, and sinful.

Atharv: If you think you can escape me tonight with that little event of yours… you’re wrong.

The spoon nearly slipped from my hand. My fingers curled tighter around the vessel, the heat from the flame nothing compared to the heat rising in me at just his tone.

I turned around.

There he was. Leaning against the doorway like he had all the time in the world, hair still wet from a shower, shirt half buttoned, sleeves rolled up, his eyes fixed only on me.

Adhvika: Don’t you have practice?

Atharv: I did. I finished early. Can’t miss my wife’s pheli rasoi, can I?

His emphasis on wife made my cheeks burn. He walked in, slow, like a predator closing in, and before I could protest, he was standing behind me, his chest brushing my back.

Adhvika: Atharv… I’m cooking. Don’t—

Atharv: Don’t what? Touch my wife in my own kitchen?

He whispered the words against my ear, and my hand actually slipped this time. I gasped as a little kheer spilled on the counter, and he chuckled darkly, taking the spoon from me and setting it aside.

Then he caged me, arms on either side of me against the counter.

Atharv: You made lunch for the family. But tonight, Sunshine… you’re mine. No excuses. No events. No tiredness.

My heart thudded so hard, I thought he could hear it. But before I could answer, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hall. He immediately stepped back, smirk intact, as if nothing happened.

I quickly fixed my dupatta, picking up the spoon again, cheeks flaming.

Atharv: Better eat well, Sunshine. You’ll need the energy tonight.

And just like that, he left me there, trembling, staring at the boiling kheer… knowing that pheli rasoi wasn’t going to be the scariest thing I’d face today.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Author’s POV ~

The fragrance of saffron and roasted cashews filled the dining hall as everyone gathered for lunch. The bride’s pheli rasoi was a tradition everyone looked forward to, and Adhvika’s kheer had already won hearts before even being served.

One by one, the elders took their first bites, nodding appreciatively.

Gayatri: This is wonderful, beta. Sweetness perfectly balanced, not too heavy. Atharv, you’re very lucky.

Atharv, seated right beside Adhvika, leaned back lazily in his chair, one arm stretched casually along the backrest behind her. His eyes never left her face as she nervously watched everyone eat.

Atharv: I know I’m lucky. I don’t need kheer to tell me that.

Adhvika’s spoon almost slipped from her hand again. She nudged his leg under the table, cheeks pink, and muttered, “Bas karo…” But Atharv only chuckled, eyes glinting with mischief.

The teasing didn’t stop there. Tejasswi, always one to poke fun, piped up.

Tejasswi: Adhvika, don’t worry. He’ll probably eat your kheer for life now and not let anyone else cook.

Atharv: Correction, Teja. I will probably eat her for life.

The whole table erupted in laughter while Adhvika buried her face in her dupatta, shooting Atharv a glare. He, of course, looked far too smug, sipping his water like an innocent man.

Lunch ended on a warm note, with everyone praising the new bride. But Atharv didn’t move even after the plates were cleared. He simply leaned closer to whisper in her ear, low enough for only her to hear.

Atharv: Told you they’d all love it. Now, about what I get fed tonight…

She pinched his arm discreetly, but her racing heart betrayed her.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Later that evening

The family was busy preparing for another round of post-wedding celebrations, but Adhvika had her own plans. She stood in front of the mirror, the deep red bodycon hugging her figure like a second skin, the slit high enough to make her feel nervous yet powerful. She smoothed down her hair, applied a glossy coat of red lipstick, and adjusted the delicate earrings Tejasswi had gifted her.

Behind her, Atharv leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, gaze darkening with every second he took her in.

Atharv: You’re trying to kill me, Sunshine.

Adhvika rolled her eyes, pretending to ignore him as she picked up her clutch. But the moment she turned, he was already there, his hand snaking around her waist, pulling her flush against him. His lips descended on hers before she could protest—hungry, rough, utterly consuming.

When he finally pulled back, her gloss smeared across both their lips, he smirked.

Atharv: That gloss wasn’t made to stay… right?

Her breath hitched, her cheeks burning crimson. She placed a hand on his chest, gently pushing him back.

Adhvika: Stop it… I-I have an event.

For a second, he only stared at her. Then, with that dangerous half-smile, he let go.

Atharv: Okay, go ahead.

Relief washed through her—until his hand slid down, trailing along her thigh, fingers brushing the slit of her dress as they settled in the car.

Her breath stilled.

He leaned closer, voice husky, lips brushing her ear.

Atharv: But remember, Sunshine… the event ends. I don’t.

Adhvika swallowed hard, her hand tightening around her clutch, already knowing—tonight wasn’t just going to be another night.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Adhvika’s POV ~

The evening had turned golden, laughter spilling across the terrace as bhai and Karan debated politics while I helped Teja distribute sweets to the elders. The whole family seemed wrapped in joy after the rituals, and for the first time in a long while, I felt a sense of belonging that wasn’t borrowed but mine.

Atharv never left my side. His hand would ghost over mine when I offered sweets, his gaze burned against my cheek every time someone complimented me, and when I laughed too freely at one of Karan’s jokes, I caught the sharp narrowing of his eyes. Possessive. Entirely him.

The event wrapped up with everyone bidding goodnight. Teja hugged me tightly, whispering in my ear

Teja: Don’t fight with him tonight… he’s been restless all day.

I blinked, surprised at her words, but before I could ask, Atharv’s hand clamped gently around my wrist. His touch was firm, a silent order. Without a word, he guided me down the stairs, through the hushed corridors, and straight toward our apartment. My heels clicked softly on the marble, but his steps were purposeful, almost predatory.

Adhvika: Atharv—at least say goodbye to—

Atharv: They know where I’m taking you.

Heat shot up my neck at his tone. When he shut the apartment door behind us, the world outside no longer existed.

He turned, his body towering over mine, eyes dark, jaw clenched.

Atharv: Do you have any idea what it’s like to watch you smile at everyone, laugh with everyone, while I’ve been dying to keep you to myself the whole damn day?

His words landed like fire. I stumbled back, my breath catching, until my back hit the wall. His palm pressed against the wall beside my head, trapping me in.

Adhvika: Atharv, we were with family—

Atharv: Exactly. Which is why I didn’t already drag you away. But now… you’re mine. And I’ll have my ways.

His hand slid down, entwining with mine, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. My heartbeat raced so wildly I thought he could hear it.

Adhvika: Atharv—

Atharv: No. No words tonight, Adhvika. Just you. Just us.

His lips crashed onto mine, swallowing every protest, every doubt, until my knees weakened. He caught me effortlessly, lifting me as if I weighed nothing. My arms looped around his neck instinctively, surrendering to the storm I knew only he could bring.

As he carried me deeper inside, his voice rumbled against my skin.

Atharv: All day, I held back. Tonight, I won’t.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

~ Atharv & Adhvika’s Bedroom ~

The moment the door clicked shut behind them, Atharv’s entire demeanor shifted. The mask he wore outside—the polite, restrained one—slid away, leaving only the raw, unfiltered man who couldn’t keep his hands off her.

Atharv: You wore that damn gloss just to test my control, didn’t you?

He didn’t even wait for her shy denial. His mouth crashed onto hers, fierce and unyielding, smearing what was left of her gloss against his lips. His grip was rough—one hand pinning her wrist above her head, the other cupping her jaw, tilting her face exactly where he wanted. She whimpered, but it was a sound that only fueled him more.

Adhvika: Atharv…

Her voice was half protest, half plea. His teeth grazed her lower lip, biting down just enough to make her gasp.

Atharv low growl

Atharv: Say my name again.

He walked her backward until her knees hit the edge of their bed, and with one sharp push, she tumbled onto the mattress. His eyes darkened as he looked down at her sprawled in that bodycon dress, chest heaving, cheeks flushed.

Atharv voice thick with possession

Atharv: Mine. Every inch of you.

He climbed over her, his weight pressing her down into the sheets, lips traveling from her jawline to the delicate curve of her throat. The kisses weren’t soft—no, they were biting, demanding, leaving trails of his claim across her skin. She arched against him, her body betraying her shy resistance.

Her dress rode up under his restless touch, his palm sliding along her thigh, squeezing, kneading, making her whimper again. His roughness made her feel consumed, yet every time she flinched, he softened—his thumb stroking her skin, his lips pressing a gentler kiss—just enough to balance the storm he was unleashing.

Adhvika panting, tugging at his shirt

Adhvika: Atharv, please…

Atharv hovering above her lips

Atharv: Please what, jaan? You want me rough? Or soft? Tell me.

Her eyes fluttered shut, torn between the heat flooding her veins and the tenderness hidden beneath his dominance. She couldn’t form words, but her nails dragging down his back gave him the answer.

Atharv’s words were low, edged with hunger, the kind of tone that made her body shiver even before his touch followed.

Atharv: Do you have a thigh chain?

Her breath hitched. She blinked up at him, disoriented by the sudden question, his lips still damp against her skin.

Adhvika softly, confused but breathless

Adhvika: A… thigh chain?

He smirked again, that dangerous, knowing curve of his mouth that always undid her. His hand slid higher, fingers tracing the inside of her thigh with deliberate slowness, until she trembled beneath him.

Atharv: Yes. The one I saw in your drawer. Silver. With those tiny charms. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?

Her cheeks burned hot, because she had bought it—hidden it, even—too shy to wear it in front of him, unsure how he’d react. She swallowed, but her voice betrayed her, shaky and low.

Adhvika: I… I never thought you’d—

Atharv interrupting, leaning closer so his breath fanned over her lips

Atharv: Baby, I notice everything about you. Every little secret. Every hesitation. And tonight, I want that chain around your thigh while I ruin you.

His words sank into her, heavy and electric. The possessiveness, the sheer certainty in his tone, made her thighs clench instinctively, and he noticed—of course he did. His chuckle was dark, satisfied, as he leaned down to bite lightly at her neck, soothing the sting with a kiss.

Adhvika whispered, barely audible, her breath catching in her throat.

Adhvika: Atharv…

His gaze snapped to her, molten dark, lips tugging into that infuriatingly sinful smirk. He stepped closer, voice dropping low, husky, demanding yet tender.

Atharv: Sunflower… go put it on. Or should I find it myself?

The challenge in his voice made her body burn. Heat licked at her skin, her pulse stumbling, heart thundering like a drum only he could play. She knew exactly what he meant, what he wanted, and yet… his words left her trembling, caught between defiance and surrender.

Adhvika: You wouldn’t dare.

Atharv chuckled darkly, the sound vibrating through the air, his fingers brushing down her arm with a touch that was both a promise and a threat.

Atharv: I wouldn’t? Sunflower… you know I don’t ask twice.

Her knees weakened at the way he said it—possessive, commanding, like she belonged to him and only him.

Adhvika: And what if I say no?

He tilted her chin up with two fingers, his eyes burning into hers. His forehead lowered until it brushed hers, their breaths mingling.

Atharv: Then I’ll take it off you myself. Slowly. Painfully. Until you beg me to stop teasing.

Her throat went dry. She could feel the promise in his words more than she heard them. The dangerous pull of him was inescapable, and her body betrayed her with the way it leaned into his touch.

Adhvika: You’re impossible.

Atharv: And you love it.

His lips brushed her ear, sending shivers down her spine, his voice a sinful whisper.

Atharv: Now… go put it on. Or stay, and I’ll ruin you right here.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Adhvika’s POV

His lips brushed my ear, a sinful whisper that made my breath catch and my body betray me.

Atharv: Now… go put it on. Or stay, and I’ll ruin you right here.

My heart pounded so hard it echoed in my ears. For a moment, my legs didn’t want to move. I could feel his gaze burning into me, daring me to disobey, knowing that if I stayed, he would make good on his promise right against the wall. But some part of me wanted to play his game, to feed the fire flickering in his eyes.

I stood, the dress riding up my thighs as I walked across the room. Every step felt like an eternity, his stare heavy on my back. My hands trembled slightly as I picked up the delicate thigh chain from the dresser. It glittered under the warm light, a piece of jewelry meant to seduce, to tempt—and I knew exactly what it would do to him.

Slipping it on, I smoothed the fabric of my dress down over it, though I knew it wouldn’t be hidden for long. I turned slowly, letting him see me.

His breath hitched. The control he had fought to hold all evening slipped from him in a heartbeat. His eyes darkened, his jaw clenched, and then he was moving.

The moment I reached him, his hands were on me—rough, demanding, desperate. He pulled me flush against his body, his heat searing through my dress. His mouth crushed mine in a kiss that stole all my air, all my thoughts. It wasn’t careful. It wasn’t gentle. It was hunger unleashed.

His hands slid down my sides, gripping my thighs so hard I gasped, certain I would bruise from the force. But even then, in the same breath, his lips left mine only to press reverently against the inside of my wrist, soft and lingering, like a silent apology for his roughness.

A contradiction. My contradiction. Rough, yet impossibly soft.

He tugged at the hem of my dress, bunching the fabric up, baring the chain against my skin. The sight undid him. His thumb traced the cool metal, his breath ragged as he looked at me like I was both salvation and sin.

Atharv: Sunflower… do you have any idea what you’ve just done to me?

I couldn’t answer. My body answered for me, pressing into him, arching, craving the closeness he offered and threatened in equal measure.

The kiss deepened again, slower this time, his tongue teasing, exploring, making my knees buckle. He lifted me effortlessly, carrying me to the bed, laying me down like I was something both fragile and indestructible. His mouth never left my skin, tracing fire from my lips down to my neck, then lower, worshipping me in the only way Atharv knew—by consuming.

The dress was gone in a blur of fabric, discarded without a second thought. His hands and lips mapped every inch of me, alternating between maddeningly gentle and deliciously rough, leaving me breathless, trembling, aching.

Adhvika: Atharv…

It was all I could manage, whispered between gasps.

Atharv: Say it again. Say my name.

And I did, again and again, as if it was the only word left in the world.

Time blurred into sensation. His weight above me, his lips claiming mine, the chain cool against my burning skin as his fingers traced it possessively—it was all too much and not enough. Every sound that left me only seemed to drive him further, his control unraveling, his restraint gone.

When he finally entered me, the world disappeared. The air left my lungs in a sharp gasp, and then all I knew was him—his rhythm, his heat, his voice breaking as he murmured my name like a prayer. Each movement was rough, powerful, yet there were moments when his lips would find my temple, my shoulder, kissing me so tenderly it stole my heart even as he claimed my body.

It was worship and ruin all at once.

My nails raked his back, my cries filling the room, my body answering his with a surrender so complete it left me shaking. The chain dug into my thigh with every motion, a reminder of the challenge I had accepted, of the game I had played with him—and lost.

But oh, how sweet losing felt in his arms.

The tension built until I couldn’t hold it anymore. The release ripped through me in waves, blinding, overwhelming. My body trembled beneath his, every nerve alight, every thought erased but his name. And when I shattered, he followed, his voice breaking as he pressed his forehead to mine, his grip unyielding as though letting go of me would mean losing everything.

For a long while, there were no words. Only our ragged breaths, our tangled bodies, and the pounding of our hearts, loud enough to drown the silence.

Finally, he brushed his lips across my damp forehead, his voice hoarse, unguarded.

Atharv: You undo me, Sunflower. Every time.

I smiled weakly, my chest still heaving, my body deliciously spent. I wanted to tell him he did the same to me, that no matter how rough, how demanding, he always made me feel treasured, safe, whole. But the words stuck in my throat.

So instead, I kissed him softly, pouring everything I couldn’t say into that single press of lips. And in the way he held me afterwards, wrapping me in his warmth as though shielding me from the world, I knew he understood.

That night, the thigh chain wasn’t just jewelry. It was surrender. It was fire. It was love in its rawest, most uncontainable form.

And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.