Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Madhu kept chanting inside her head as she followed Rishabh into his massive bedroom. She looked around with her mouth wide open and tutted in her mind that his bedroom must be double the size of her family's cozy condo. Determined to not give off the vibe that she is intimidated and overwhelmed, Madhu shut her mouth and schooled her features, exuding calm and composure. However, at the periphery of her vision, she observed the slight smirk on Rishabh's face and his eyes glittering with amusement. Forcing herself to ignore him and not crease her forehead into a telling frown, Madhu silently lectured herself to ignore the temptation of scratching the smirk off his handsome visage.
Having successfully managed to ignore Rishabh, she glanced around the room and though it is huge just like the rest of the house and is ostentatious; she found it pleasing. It is tastefully done in black and white with splashes of color the abundance of paintings and artsy wall hangings. Staring at the closest painting near her, Madhu instantly recognized from the style of the strokes of the painting brush and also from the miniscule signature scrawled at the bottom that it is one of Van Gogh's lesser known work. Her eyes gleaming with new appreciation, she mused with wry humor that she would have never pegged Rishabh as a connoisseur of arts. Lips twisted in a wry smile, she shook her head gently and lifted her eyes to the high black and white tray ceiling, highly glossed to perfection. Bedazzled by the ornate, black chandelier hanging from above, in a trance, she followed the direction of the rays of lights, till her gaze landed on the king size bed.
Staring at the silky white duvet cover complementing the black silk pillows, Madhu swallowed convulsively. The dilemma of their inconvenient sleeping arrangement came back to her with a vengeance. Peering through her lashes, she glanced coyly up at Rishabh, leaning against the closed door with his shoulder. One look at the lazy smile gracing his lips, Madhu knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he knew she was balking at the idea of sleeping with him on the same bed. She raised her chin defiantly at him as he raised an eyebrow, silently mocking her distress. Determined to not let Rishabh fluster her, she glanced around the room for alternative. But to her dismay, she did not find a couch large enough to accommodate even her smaller sized frame.
Rishabh stirred from his position with the grace of a panther and in three wide strides, reached her side. He wrapped his arms territorially around her shoulders. He leaned down and brushed his lips against her earlobe. Madhu shivered, feeling his hot breath, as he whispered huskily, "Give it up sweetheart. Get used to the idea of us. You and I. Together. On the same bed."
Madhu straightened her spine as she held herself rigidly in his arms. Not wanting to show him how his being near her sets her all a tingling, she tilted her head sideways to create some distance between her face and his firm, tempting lips. Mustering up the hidden school teacher in her, she frowned up at him and scolded, "Mr. Kundra you seem to have forgotten about our deal upon which this marriage was agreed upon. In case you have forgotten, YOU agreed to my demands that there will be no marital relationship between us. As in, NO SEX. So get it straight through your thick skull. No way in hell am I sleeping with you in the same bed!"
He flashed all of his teeth into a wolfish smile and with his arm still wrapped around her shoulders like a band of steel, Rishabh propelled Madhu towards the intimidating, mammoth-like yet comfortable looking bed. Holding both her shoulders firmly in his large hands, he gently pushed her down, till she is perched on the corner. Lifting her chin up with his right palm, he stared deep into her honeyed eyes. With an uncharacteristic solemn expression, he reassured, "I know the rules that I agreed to prior to our marriage and I am not about to violate it." His left hand gestured with a sweeping motion, "All we will be doing is sleeping. And this bed is large enough that 5 people can sleep in it comfortably. So you don't have to worry about us getting too close."
YOU ARE READING
Games of Deception
RomanceA relationship borne out of necessity, Rishabh and Madhubala come to mutual understanding and enter into a marriage of convenience. They come up with a set of rules for their marriage and all seems well. But is it really? Read to find out!
