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AFTER ONE MONTH
"Why won't you join me for Bhajan, beta?" Nani asked me for the hundredth time, her voice tinged with both hope and mild exasperation.
“Um, Nani, I have a college project. Please, otherwise I would have loved to come with you,” I reasoned with her, trying to sound as genuine as possible while hiding the true urgency behind my excuse.
Nani gave me a knowing look but nodded, her eyes softening. “Okay, I understand. I’ve told your mom that you’re staying here while I’m gone, and she asked you to come back. But anyway, I’m just going for a day, so it won’t be a problem. Don’t worry, I’ll handle your ‘Hitler’,” she said, whispering the last word conspiratorially as if Mom could somehow hear us from miles away.
“Thank you,” I replied, smiling with a mix of relief and gratitude. I was actually enjoying being at Nani's place and today, of all days, I couldn't afford to leave. He was coming today. I had managed to postpone his arrival until the end of the month, but I knew I couldn’t delay any longer.
I watched Nani gather her things, feeling a pang of guilt for deceiving her. But the excitement and anticipation of seeing him overpowered my remorse. We had been planning this meeting for weeks, carefully coordinating every detail to avoid detection. I couldn't let anything disrupt our plans.
Once Nani left, I took a deep breath, my heart pounding with a mix of anxiety and excitement. I checked my phone for any messages from him, ensuring everything was still on track. Today had to be perfect; there was no room for errors.
◇──◆──◇──◆
"I’m almost there, Jaan,” he said from the other side of the phone. It had been nearly an hour since Nani left, and he had reached the station just half an hour ago. Now, he was on his way to the location I had sent him.
“Okay,” I replied, feeling my cheeks flush with anticipation.
Ten minutes later, the door opened with a swift motion, and there he stood in all his glory. He was bearded, wearing a formal shirt and pants. Did he come directly from his office? He had told me he took the day off.
But there he was, the grey shirt clinging to his well-defined body, his veiny arms exposed, adorned with a silver bracelet on one hand and a fancy watch on the other—not the one I had gifted him. Two buttons of his shirt were open, hinting at his collarbone and muscled chest. As soon as he entered, his woodsy scent engulfed me. He reached for me, pulling me into a tight hug, squeezing me so hard that I felt almost invisible to the world.
“I missed you, Jaan,” he said, burying his face in my hair and tightening his hold. The embrace was so overwhelming that I forgot about everything else.
He grabbed the back of my neck, kissing my face all over before capturing my lips with his. His grip on my hair tightened as he kissed me ferociously, as if he were starving. His domination and passion were so intense that I felt intoxicated, almost suffocated in his presence. How could this be? Love is supposed to be comforting, right? Yet here I was, feeling caged under his dominance. But nonetheless, he was here, my love. It must be my paranoid mind playing tricks on me.
