His Vengeance Wife

Chapter 17

“It was nice meeting you, Mr. Agarwal, and it will be nice working with you too,” Mr. Malhotra said while shaking hands with Akhil, who only nodded in response. Throughout the entire meeting, he maintained a neutral, cold expression, which left Advika surprised to see him in such a state.

“Mr. Agarwal, my son Aarav will also be handling this project. This is his first time working with me, so I hope you won’t mind,” Mr. Malhotra said with slight hesitation.

“It’s fine as long as he doesn’t create any problems for me. I can’t stand people who aren’t sincere about their work,” Akhil replied in a dark tone.

Aarav nodded slightly, but half of his attention was on Advika, who was becoming frustrated by his stares but still managed to mask it with a small smile.

Akhil put on his sunglasses and walked towards his car, taking long strides that Advika had to rush to keep up.

"Dheere chalne mein kaunsi aafat aajayegi inhe," she muttered under her breath, wondering why he always walked so fast.
(“What disaster would happen if he walked a little slower?”)

Akhil settled into the driver's seat, and Advika slipped into the seat beside him. The tension in the car was palpable as he stared straight ahead, his expression unreadable behind the dark shades. She glanced at him, taking in the sharp profile and the way his dark blue shirt accentuated the muscles of his forearms.

"He must spend a lot of time in the gym," she mused, nodding unconsciously. Her eyes trailed from his arms up to his face-only to catch his gaze. She gasped and turned quickly to look out the window, embarrassed.

Akhil shifted slightly, leaning over to fasten her seatbelt. His warm breath brushed her neck, and when she turned, his face was mere inches from hers. The sudden proximity made her heart race.

'Click.'

"Oh, mai toh bhul hi gayi," she whispered, her lips forming a small pout.

Akhil's dark eyes, now visible without the shades, locked onto hers. Advika's pulse quickened as she pressed herself against the car door, unsure whether to retreat or lean into him.

"W-we should leave," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. Her mind waged a battle with her heart-one urging caution, the other surrender.

'Damn, Aadu, he's so hot. Bhagwanji ne isse bade fursat se banaya hai,' her heart whispered, while her brain shot back, 'Don't you dare fall for him.'

Akhil closed the distance, his face dipping to her neck as he inhaled her subtle fragrance. The unexpected intimacy pulled her out of her inner conflict. His breath sent a shiver down her spine, and instinctively, she tilted her neck. He let out a low groan before pressing his lips to her skin, leaving a trail of warm, damp kisses that made her bite her lip to stay composed.

"A-Akhil, p-please, let's go," she whispered. He answered with a hum, leaving a soft bite before soothing the spot with his tongue. The sensation made her gasp, caught between pleasure and the sharp sting.

Akhil leaned back to look at her, taking in her flushed cheeks and half-closed eyes. For a moment, his eyes softened, revealing emotions he rarely showed. Advika blinked, watching as he retreated to his seat and slipped on his sunglasses, masking whatever vulnerability she'd glimpsed.

"Staring is bad, sweetheart," he teased, a smirk playing at his lips as he started the car.

Advika cleared her throat and looked out the window, enjoying the cool wind as the sky grew cloudy. She plugged in her earphones and started listening to her favorite songs when suddenly something clicked in her mind—her 'morning mission.' She shifted her gaze to Akhil’s side profile.

“Aap thik ho?” (Are you okay?) she asked, catching him off guard.

“Kyu, nahi hona chahiye tha kya?” (Why, shouldn’t I be?) he responded, puzzled.

“Nahi.” (No.)

He raised an eyebrow, making her bite her tongue.

“I-I mean, haa.” (I-I mean, yes.)

She scratched her head in confusion. “Kamal hai, aise kaise ho gaya.” (Strange, how did this happen?) she muttered, feeling a little sad about her defeat. Meanwhile, a victorious smirk played on Akhil’s lips, which she didn’t notice as she was busy mourning her loss.

“Aise hi thodi mujhe King bolte hain, my little wildflower,” (They don’t call me ‘King’ for nothing, my little wildflower) he whispered to himself, glancing at her as she puckered her lips cutely, lost in thought.

¤¤¤
Akhil walked into the Agarwal house, which was decorated like a beautiful bride after so many years. People were bustling around in a hurry, leaving him confused.

Sumitra approached him, noticing his frown. She smacked his head lightly.

“Don’t tell me you forgot?” (Yeh mat kehna ki tum bhool gaye?) she said, sounding annoyed.

Akhil rubbed his head, looking sheepish.

“I have kept your kurta on the bed. Just check the fitting, and YES, your engagement is in two days, so take a day off. And give the day off to Aadu too we have to go shopping tomorrow. I need to buy some gifts.”

Akhil nodded and headed toward his room. He glanced at the neatly folded kurta on the bed, and an involuntary smile spread across his lips.

“Am I falling for her?”
he wondered, placing a hand over his heart, which thudded rapidly at the mere thought of her.

¤¤¤
Meanwhile, the Bakshi house was also decked out with flowers and twinkling lights, creating a mesmerizing view. Advika scanned her house, confused.

As she stepped inside, her mom immediately scolded her for being late. Noticing Advika’s tired face, Saanvi handed her a freshly made glass of juice.

“Why in the world are you working so much? Look at how tired you look. Go freshen up and take some rest. And don’t forget to try on the dress I kept in your closet.”

“Dress?” Advika asked, only to receive a light smack on her head.

“Your engagement dress! It’s the day after tomorrow!”

Advika nodded, rubbing her head, and turned toward her room. Halfway there, she froze.

“Maa kept the dress in my closet. My closet. OHH F**K.” (Maa ne dress mere closet mein rakhi hai. Mera closet. Arre yaar!)

She bolted to her room, finding the door already open. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

She ran inside and frantically searched every corner of the room, her heart pounding as she thought about the tiny creature that had become so dear to her.

“Room se baahar toh nahi gaya, ya phir maa ko pata chal gaya? Nahi, nahi, Aadu, agar maa ko pata chalta toh ab tak tu ghar ke andar hoti hi nahi. Lekin mera baccha gaya kahan phir?”
(Did it go outside the room, or did Maa find out? No, no, Aadu, if Maa knew, I wouldn’t even be in the house right now. But where did my baby go?)

She entered the closet and spotted the gown draped over the sofa in the corner. She searched the whole room but still couldn’t find it. Feeling helpless, she sat down beside the gown, tears welling in her eyes.

Looking down, she suddenly noticed a tiny tail peeking out from the folds of the gown.

She gasped and knelt down. Slowly, Advika peeked inside to find her tiny buddy sound asleep on the fabric.

She chuckled, scooping him up gently. “Meri jaan nikal kar aaram se so raha hai, meri jaan.”
(You scared me half to death, and here you are sleeping peacefully, my darling.)

She placed him on the mattress and lay down beside him, cuddling him close. Sensing her warmth, her little buddy moved even closer, nestling into her embrace.

♡♡♡
TBC..
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