Tainted Desires : Bound By Misfortunes

8| His confession

As Annahita and Tripti left the kitchen, they headed to their respective rooms to change, feeling sweaty from all the cooking.

Annahita's POV:

Leaving the kitchen, I entered my room to swap my clothes for a kurti and pants. The sweat from cooking prompted me to take a quick bath, not wanting to catch a cold. Alone in the bathroom, the day's events replayed in my mind. My eyes moistened, overwhelmed by the love I received from my newfound family.

"Maa, Baba, why did you both leave me? I miss you, but thank you for the gift of this new family. Everyone here loves me, so I don't feel lonely anymore. Yet, there's still a void in my life without you both."

Wiping away my tears, I hurriedly returned to my room, feeling hungry. Attempting to tie the kurti laces, I grew frustrated. Suddenly, I sensed a presence behind me. Glancing in the mirror, I saw Adhiraj standing there, his intense gaze fixed on me.

He softly slid his fingers through my hair, gently bringing it forward as I caught my breath from his sudden action.

"What are you doing?" I asked, but he didn't shift his gaze from my face.

"Helping you," he replied, proceeding to tie my laces. He pulled the strings so tight that my back collided with his front. Suddenly, he came close to my ears and whispered softly, "I love you."

Dumbstruck by his unexpected confession, I attempted to face him and question his words. However, before I could say anything, he stated, "Maa is calling you downstairs." He patted my cheeks with a smile and left my room.

Left dumbfounded by his actions, I couldn't move for a moment. When hunger made my stomach grumble, I eventually made my way to the dining hall to have food.

As I entered the dining hall, the aroma of the food overwhelmed my senses. The table was set with an array of dishes, and everyone was already seated. I took my place, still processing the unexpected encounter with Adhiraj in my room.

Nandini, sitting beside me, raised an eyebrow with a mischievous smile, signaling that she might have caught on to something. I avoided eye contact, trying to keep my composure.

Shivaay Bhai came running towards the table, panting due to all the running, and sat beside Adhiraj.

"Were you jogging in the middle of the day?" Adhiraj asked, and I glanced at him, but his intense stare made me lower my gaze.

"Maa said there is malai kofta for lunch today, so I came running," Shivaay Bhai explained. I laughed at his statement, and Nandini chuckled, though she stopped when Shivaay glanced towards her.

Deciding to ask her about what was going on later, I turned towards Bhai to give him water. He gulped it down and said, "Maa, it's been a long time since I tasted food from your hands. Why don't you feed me today?"

Then, he turned towards me and suggested, "Annahita, can you sit in my place so that I could sit beside maa?" Before I could say anything, Nandini interjected, "Yes, yes, you should sit beside Adi Bhaiya," wiggling her eyebrows at me.

Resisting the temptation to smack her head, I stood up to sit beside Adhiraj, who seemed to have no intention of averting his gaze from me.

As I sat beside him, he subtly shifted his chair towards me, so our thighs were touching. I glared at him and whispered, "What is your problem?"

"You, jaanam. You're making me crazy," he shamelessly admitted, averting his gaze from me to survey the dishes placed before him.

"Maa, you didn't have to cook this much alone," he commented to Tripti Maa, who clarified that she wasn't alone, and I helped her in cooking. She started feeding Shivaay Bhai with her hands and said, "Shahi paneer is made by Anna today. Adi, you should have it. I tasted it earlier, and it tasted heavenly."

I blushed at her compliments, feeling a mix of embarrassment and happiness.
Shivaay Bhai also complimented, and I smiled at him, saying thank you. Baba and Nandini also praised me, and we all had the food while chatting on some random topics.

While having my food, my gaze fell on Tripti Maa's plate, which had those shapeless roti made by Baba. She was eating those roti with so much delight that I couldn't resist but smile at their bond. Even if they both banter a lot, the love they have for each other is something I wish I'll also have in the future.

After everyone finished their meal, I served kheer in a bowl and placed it in front of everyone. Baba hummed in delight while having kheer and blessed me for serving him this delicacy. Everyone enjoyed the kheer, and as I glanced towards Adhiraj, he didn't have any expression on his face and was eating kheer silently. I didn't know but felt a little upset that maybe he didn't like the food and kheer, and that's why he didn't say anything.

I then shrugged those useless thoughts from my mind and started chatting with Nandini.

I went to my room to have some rest as I was feeling sleepy when Adhiraj came into my room unannounced and held my hands in his. I glanced at our joined hands and noticed the difference in our size. His hands were so big and would look good wrapped around my neck. I cursed my inner thoughts and muttered slowly, "What kind of useless thoughts are you having, you pervert mind?"

I then turned towards him while trying to free my hands and said, "What are you doing? Leave me." But who am I joking with; his strength is immense and he didn't even budge from his place. His gaze was intense, and my heartbeat quickened as I struggled to understand the reason behind his sudden intrusion.

He slowly took my hands towards his mouth, the warmth of his touch sending shivers down my spine. Gently, he pecked my fingers, his lips soft against my skin. "You cook really well. You're literally an incarnation of Maa Annapurna," he complimented with a warm smile.

Caught off guard by his unexpected visit, I blushed at his compliment. "You could have said that in the dining hall also. What was the need to come here?" I asked, my voice a mix of surprise and curiosity.

Adhiraj, still holding my hands, explained, "I didn't want to kiss you in front of everyone; otherwise, you would have run away. I didn't want to make it awkward for everyone." His eyes held a sincerity that made my heart flutter.

"You should not come into a girl's room unannounced," I asserted, trying to maintain a sense of propriety. However, he continued to gaze at me, his smile unwavering.

"Jaana, you should get used to my presence because I have no intention of leaving you alone at all," he declared, finally releasing my hands. Before leaving, he bestowed one more gentle peck, leaving me in a swirl of emotions as he exited the room.

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So, I uploaded today as I promised yesterday. Let's see if I can update tomorrow as well or not. And please like, vote, and follow.

Thank you for all those lovely comments in the previous chapters.

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