Better Together | ✓

54 | guilt

Chapter 54 : Guilt

A man is perpetually burdened by the weight of what he possesses the capability to do but chooses not to act upon.

• • •

A good night's sleep could be food for the starving soul. Aadarsh had slept exceptionally well. The exhaustion of two crammed up work days, an uncomfortable flight journey seated between two very inconvenient co-passengers and a very bothersome internal war, had finally faded.

He had woken up a few minutes back, next to a very deep in sleep Ruhaani. His t-shirt suited her so much.

Temptations, nasty little urges!

Like the one he was fighting at the moment. The one to run his fingertips over her cheek, to stroke her hair.

He was drawn to Ruhaani in ways more than one. Every freaking time he tried to take a step back, she'd run a hundred towards him. Every time she took a step back from him, he flew miles towards her. This thing between them was somehow becoming dominantly inevitable.

Like they were always meant to find each other and fit together. Just like their lips last night.

Last night...

He let out a troubled breath. Last night one of these unpalatable temptations had slipped through one of the many cracks of his massive wall of defence.

He had never needed such an intense physical contact as much as he needed last night. He needed to feel her close to himself after those torturing days of being miles away from her. He needed that intimacy to calm himself, to tell himself she was right there, where he had left her.

His gaze shifted towards her. It was peculiar how the woman who hadn't stirred a trace of attraction within him upon their initial encounter, had now become the central figure captivating his every thought.

He got off the bed before he ended up doing something stupid. Like giving in to his tiny urges. Plus he had to be in office within an hour to take care of the signing of some important documents and talk to Devashish.

The gentle continuous buzzing of her phone had roused Ruhaani from her slumber. She had taken a day off, to prepare for Badi Bua's birthday and hence had set her alarm for an hour after her usual wake up time.

They had left the plan in limbo due to Aadarsh's absence. Their consensus was that if the eldest son returned home by Friday morning, they would proceed with the surprise party arrangement; otherwise, they'd postpone it to Saturday.

He had come back. Proving her gut feeling right.

A smile curled her lips as she remembered the previous night. The colour of diffidence slowly creeping up her cheeks. Aadarsh was being unusually nice, pleasantly agreeable and adorably sexy, off late. She loved every bit of it.

He was actually taking the steps to establishing something between them, towards being a husband in true sense.

But he doesn't love you. A small voice whispered in her head, pulling away the smile from her face.

Neither did he love her, nor did he want to. She was reminded.

She sighed, getting off the bed. Just her fate. At least he was with her. That was enough.

Making their bed she walked towards the closet. She was surprised Aadarsh was missing from the bed. She had assumed he'd stay home. But seemingly, he had other plans. Perhaps something at work.