Ayansh’s gaze wandered across the glass-walled room, but Maya was nowhere in sight.
When Vidyut guided him to sit on the bed, Ayansh asked softly,
“Daddy, where’s Mama?”
Without a trace of emotion, Vidyut replied,
“She’s taking a shower. Stay here, she’ll be out soon.”
“Alright.”
Obediently, Ayansh folded his legs and sat cross-legged on the bed.
Before stepping into the bathroom, Vidyut studied him for a moment and asked in a cool tone,
“You won’t feel bored here alone?”
Expressionless, Ayansh shook his head.
“No. I like sitting alone. I won’t get bored.”
Satisfied, Vidyut set his phone on the nightstand, picked up both his and Maya’s outfits, and walked into the bathroom.
Just as he had claimed, Ayansh truly preferred solitude—like his parents. Where most people felt loneliness creep in, Vidyut, Maya, and Ayansh seemed to thrive in it. To them, solitude sharpened their thoughts, strengthened their humor, and gave them clarity.
“Strange, perhaps—but their own truth.”
Inside the bathroom, Vidyut locked the door and turned. Maya lay in the bathtub with her eyes closed.
Peace softened her exquisite face for the first time, a delicate serenity brushing her features. Foam and water barely veiled her collarbones and the curve of her chest. One slender hand hung lazily over the tub’s edge, her graceful fingers brushing the floor.
Her posture carried an air of careless ease—yet in that very carelessness, she looked breathtakingly alluring.
Lost in thought, she hadn’t stirred at the sound of the door closing.
Vidyut’s deep blue eyes lingered on her. He placed the clothes on the hanger, his gaze heavy with an intensity he never voiced.
In a low, velvet tone, he asked,
“My greedy wifey… are you silently inviting me?”
Maya’s eyes fluttered open.
Her gaze landed first on his sculpted, V-shaped torso.
As Vidyut moved toward her, she instinctively drew into herself beneath the water. Not even when death had brushed so close had she felt such nervousness—the kind that now gripped her since last night, with his shameless questions and searing gaze.
Swallowing hard, she whispered,
“No… you’re mistaken. I wasn’t inviting you. I only like lying in the water this way.”
Vidyut searched her hazel eyes. Nervousness glimmered there, unhidden.
He bent closer, tilting her chin lightly with two fingers, his voice deep and deliberate.
“Very well, I’ll believe you. But then why are you trembling? Is something troubling you?”
Maya blinked twice, her eyes now holding both nervousness and a rare innocence.
Meeting his gaze, she murmured,
“I don’t know… Whenever you look at me like that, whenever you speak in that tone, I start feeling nervous. I don’t know why. Since yesterday I’ve been trying to understand it—but I can’t.”
Her confession drew a faint, fleeting smile to Vidyut’s face. His wife’s innocence was rare—fragile, something that demanded fierce protection.
He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.
Unlike his usual kisses, this one was gentle, mesmerizing—almost reverent.
Maya’s fair cheeks burned crimson.
When his hand slid beneath the water to her bare stomach, she shivered violently, clutching the edge of the tub.
As his hand trailed lower, warmth spread across her trembling body, and she hid her face against his chest.
…An hour later, the two emerged. Maya’s face still flushed scarlet.
Back in the room, her eyes fell on Ayansh, seated on the bed with his head bowed.
A tender smile touched her lips.
She walked to him and stroked his hair. He lifted his small face to her.
Clad in a black fitted high-neck top and jeans, with a sleek black chain watch on her wrist, Maya looked effortlessly elegant.
Pressing a kiss to his forehead, she said fondly,
“Baby, you look so cute in this night suit. From now on, I’ll get more like this for you. You look handsome.”
Her words turned his ears pink. Shyly, he wrapped his arms around her neck and whispered,
“Mama, where were you for so long? I looked everywhere… I was so worried.”
Maya froze. What answer could she possibly give? Since last night—
Before she could speak, Vidyut adjusted his Rolex and said evenly,
“Your mother was with me. We were preparing to bring your younger siblings into this world—that’s why you couldn’t find her.”
Maya bit her lip, her cheeks burning hotter.
Ayansh’s eyes widened.
“My siblings? You mean my little brothers and sisters?”
“Yes.”
Excitement sparked in Ayansh’s eyes.
“What process will bring them? Tell me! I’ll help you too.”
Maya stared in disbelief. His small face carried no expression, yet the longing in his bright blue eyes was unmistakable.
After a moment of silence, Vidyut replied coolly,
“Just go to sleep early every night. That will help us with the process.”
Ayansh narrowed his eyes, while Maya’s mind went blank. Quickly regaining herself, she cut in,
“Baby, that’s enough talking. Come with me, I’ll give you a shower.”
At once, Ayansh’s ears perked.
Pressing against her, he said,
“Mama, I can shower by myself. You don’t need to trouble yourself.”
Maya stroked his hair tenderly.
“Don’t worry, baby. I won’t look. You can change your clothes yourself, but I won’t let you be alone in the bathroom. I promise—I’ll cover my eyes.”
After much coaxing, he finally agreed.
Once the two disappeared into the bathroom, Vidyut walked to his study.
Varun had been waiting there for an hour and a half.
The moment Vidyut entered, Varun stood quickly.
Vidyut glanced at him once, adjusted his tie, and moved to his revolving leather chair. In his black Raymond suit, his cold, untouchable aura only heightened his striking presence.
Seated, he gestured with two fingers for Varun to sit. Obediently, Varun took the chair opposite him.
His eyes brimmed with questions and hesitation—yet in Vidyut’s presence, he found no courage to ask.
Vidyut was not oblivious to the turmoil stirring within Varun, yet he chose to remain silent for the moment.
From the packet, he drew out a thick, charcoal-black cigar and settled it between his teeth. Every movement of his carried an effortless calm, a certain undeniable class.
He lit the cigar, and without a word, leaned back into his chair. Taking slow, deliberate drags, Vidyut fixed his emotionless gaze upon Varun.
For nearly half an hour, he did not speak. In that time, three or four cigars had already burned away in his hand.
Under the weight of that cold, expressionless stare, Varun began to feel an unfamiliar suffocation gnawing at him—until at last, without realizing, his legs had started to tremble.
_______________
What Will Happen Next?
To Know…
To be continued…
YOU ARE READING
His Enigmatic bride
Mistero / ThrillerVidyut Singhania is a name that strikes fear across the globe. Known as a ruthless devil, his mere presence sends shivers down spines, including those of his own family. But after a catastrophic car accident leaves him in a coma, everything changes...
