The Unexpected Bride : Mahabharat

Fifty : Between Blushes and Breath

Happy Dussehra!!

Arjun

Parthavi gazed up at me, her eyes wide with that innocent curiosity that always made my heart race. She could deny it all she wanted, but I knew better. The way her fingers gripped my arm, almost absentmindedly. She didn't realize how much she gave away with such simple gestures. She had no idea what she did to me, how effortlessly she drew me in. The moonlight filtered through the trees, casting a soft glow on her face, making her look even more beautiful than usual, if that was even possible.

"Come with me," I said softly, taking her hand in mine, the warmth of her skin instantly sending a familiar rush through me.

She blinked up at me, hesitant. "Where? What if someone notices? They'll get worried."

"Don't worry, little explorer," I reassured her, my lips twitching into a smile. She always worried about everything, but I knew she'd follow. She always did.

As we walked through the moonlit path, the air around us grew quieter, the trees forming a canopy above, shielding us from the world. The silence between us was comfortable, but I could sense her curiosity growing with each step.

"Where have you brought me?" she asked, her voice soft, breaking the stillness.

I didn't answer right away, letting the mystery hang between us. We stopped in a small clearing where the moon peeked through the dense branches, casting silver streaks on the ground. The moment felt perfect, like the world had paused just for us.

Without a word, I pulled her toward me, her body lightly bumping into mine. Her eyes widened as I backed her up against a tree, the cool bark meeting her back. She looked up at me, confused but not afraid, her lips slightly parted in surprise.

"What are you doing, Arya?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

I leaned in closer, so close I could feel the heat from her body, hear the soft hitch in her breath. "Just showing you the ways I crave you, little explorer," I murmured, my voice low, intimate. "Tell me if you're uncomfortable."

Her brows furrowed in that adorable way she did when she didn't understand something. "Why?"

"Because I need you to feel what I'm feeling," I answered, my voice rougher now, my own restraint starting to waver.

"But how can I feel what you're-" she started to ask, but I didn't let her finish. Her questions were endless, and though I found it endearing most of the time, not now. Not in this moment.

I silenced her with a kiss, gentle at first, testing, waiting for her response. But the second her soft sigh escaped against my lips, I pulled her closer, my hands sliding to her waist, tugging her even tighter to me. The kiss deepened, and everything else faded away, the trees, the moon, the world. It was just her, just us, lost in this moment that felt like it had been waiting for us forever.

Her hands slowly moved up to my chest, her fingers clutching the fabric as if she were trying to anchor herself. The way she melted into me, her body molding against mine, it was everything I needed to feel. Every sigh, every subtle movement, told me she was starting to understand what I meant. What I'd been feeling all this time.

When we finally pulled apart, both of us breathless, her eyes fluttered open, wide and a little dazed. She stared at me, trying to gather her thoughts, her lips still slightly parted from the kiss.

"I..." she began, but I placed a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"You don't need to say anything," I whispered, my thumb brushing across her cheek. "You just need to feel it, Parthavi. Just this"