“Please what, darling?” He asks, kissing me again, his mouth tasting like whiskey.
“Please… faster,” I whisper, and he gives in. And it’s everything. The way he moves, the way he takes—drives me to the edge all over again. He finally pulls out, releasing over my stomach, both of us panting, completely spent.
My body’s still twitching, craving the fullness of him. But I don’t say anything. Instead, I wrap my arms around his neck and hide my face there, breathing him in.
He hugs me back tightly, his heat engulfing us. We stay like that for a while, calming down our breaths.
Then suddenly he pulls back, his expression horrified. “Shit. Shit. I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t even ask you—”
I place my finger on his lips. “Don’t ruin it. It was perfect.”
His eyes soften. “You really like it rough, don't you?”
I giggle, a little breathless. “I don’t know what I like. I’m discovering it with you. All I know is, I do like you.” He smiles at me. That familiar, warm smile I missed.
Yeah. That’s my Rudra. He’s still drunk. The smell of whiskey lingers. It reminds me of bad memories I’ve buried deep. But this is Rudra. He’d never hurt me.
He looks at me for a long moment, then presses his forehead to mine. “Most people find me intimidating, you know,” he whispers, his voice raw and exhausted.
I exhale a soft laugh. “I can see that,” I whisper back, hugging him closer, “but whatever they find intimidating… I just find it enchanting.”
He lets out a shaky breath, and in that moment, I feel the weight he’s been carrying.
I hold him tighter. He looks at me gently for a while, eyes soft in a way that makes my chest tighten. “Don’t look at me like that,” I whine, swatting his chest lightly. I can't handle that expression. It's too tender, too raw—it makes me feel seen in ways I’m not ready for.
But his face doesn’t shift. He just stares, and then, in a low, cracked voice, he asks, “Didn’t you get scared that I’d hurt you when I was angry?”
I blink, startled. That question feels like it’s come out of nowhere, but maybe he’s been carrying it inside all this time.
“No!” I answer instantly, without hesitation, giving him a soft smile. “Not for a second.”
His brows furrow. “That wasn’t a smart move, Shivani. I was behaving like a monster.”
I shake my head in denial. “You weren’t.”
“I was.” There’s so much self-loathing in his voice, and it tugs at something deep inside me. I’ve seen that look in the mirror. I know what it means to fear yourself, to believe you're the villain in your own story.
“I’ve had demons in my mind since forever,” I tell him, my voice barely above a whisper. I lift my hand and gently trace the sharp edge of his jawline, grounding both of us. “And trust me, Rudra, you’re the angel that saved me from myself.”
His eyes flicker. I can tell he doesn’t believe me, not fully. But for now, he lets me have that truth.
“Not all monsters are bad, Rudra,” I murmur, brushing my thumb along his cheekbone. “Some of them are just hurting.”
He leans in and presses a kiss to my temple, lingering there like he’s trying to absorb my warmth. Then he pulls back just enough to press a soft peck to my nose, making my heart stutter.
It’s quiet for a moment. Not awkward—just heavy. Full. One of those silences that says everything without words.
He still doesn’t say anything, and maybe he doesn’t need to. Because sometimes the way he holds me speaks louder than anything he could ever say.
44
RUDRAKSH
“Happy birthday, bhabhi!” Aarav yells, and Shivani hugs him, smiling, “Thank you.” It’s Aditi’s turn now.
And I don’t even know when Aaryan and Siddhant walked in. Sometimes I genuinely feel they’re homeless. They just show up to irritate me and eat my food. I glare at them, and they smirk. They know exactly what they’re doing. Of course, this must be their idea.
It’s my wife’s birthday. I wanted to spend the evening alone with her. But that clearly couldn’t happen. Maa and Chachi already kidnapped her the whole day for some spa pampering. As if I couldn’t give her a better massage. Probably even an internal one too. God, I’ve been waiting for her since evening. She came home late, and the second I locked the door of our room, these idiots popped up like unwanted spirits.
