Be Mine

Bonus chp 1

Akriti

“Aditya Singh Rathore, better keep your hands to yourself,” I warned, narrowing my eyes at him through the mirror.

He, of course, ignored my words entirely, his arms wrapping around my waist from behind as he buried his face in the crook of my neck. “I can’t help myself,” he murmured dramatically, pressing his lips against my skin. “I just want to keep you in my arms forever.”

I sighed, exasperated yet secretly enjoying his affection. Here I was, trying to get ready for our reception, and here he was—doing everything in his power to delay me.

Yes, our reception, scheduled right after my pehli rasoi. The family had decided to hold it the next day, and now, as I stood in front of the mirror, dressed in a stunning golden diamond-studded lehenga with a heavily embroidered blouse, I was supposed to be putting on the finishing touches. But my husband had other plans.

“Adi, we’re going to be late,” I tried to push him away, but he only tightened his hold, trailing soft kisses along my neck in an obvious attempt to distract me.

“It’s our function,” he murmured, his lips brushing against my skin. “We can go late.”

I gasped when I felt the light scrape of his teeth. Was he seriously trying to give me a hickey right before the reception? With all the flashing cameras and nosy relatives? Absolutely not.

“Adi!” I shoved him back with all the strength I could manage in my heavily embroidered outfit. He stumbled two steps away, blinking at me in surprise.

“What?” he asked, genuinely confused.

“Don’t even think about leaving a mark. How am I supposed to hide it?” I huffed, glaring at him.

He exhaled dramatically, running a hand through his hair. “Fine,” he muttered, turning on his heel and walking straight out of the closet.

Wait… that was it? No playful comeback, no last-minute attempt to tease me? One second, he was all over me, and the next, he was gone—just like that.

Shaking my head, I quickly focused back on getting ready. I had refused to hire a makeup artist, much to my mother’s dismay, because I didn’t want to be overly dolled up. I could manage just fine on my own. With practiced ease, I applied my makeup, keeping it subtle yet elegant. Then, I carefully arranged my dupatta, making sure it draped perfectly.

By the time I stepped out of the closet, fully ready, I expected to find Aditya still fussing over his outfit or maybe scrolling through his phone. But instead, I found him already dressed in a perfectly tailored navy-blue suit, standing near the door.

I frowned. “When did you get ready? Where?”

He barely spared me a glance before adjusting his cufflinks.

Ah, of course. Boys. All they had to do was throw on a suit, maybe run a hand through their hair, and somehow, they looked effortlessly good.

Meanwhile, I had spent almost an hour on my outfit, jewelry, and makeup.

But now, something felt… off.

“You look dashing,” I said, unable to stop myself from admiring how ridiculously good he looked. The navy blue suited him perfectly, enhancing the sharp angles of his face and the effortless confidence he carried.

Yet, instead of his usual teasing smirk or flirtatious remark, he simply nodded. “Let’s go.” And just like that, he walked out of the room.

I stared after him, my brows knitting together in confusion. What just happened? One moment, he was clinging to me like he couldn’t get enough, and the next, he was acting distant. Was he… angry?