Two years ago, when Vansh had decided to move to Europe to be with Dhruv, little did he know that life would turn out the way it had. He was wary of Dhruv's answer, and the fear of rejection had shaken him up from the very core. Nevertheless, he had dared. And it had worked.

Vansh and Dhruv are now on the same continent at least. They cannot always be in the same city due to reasons that amount to more than one: their work often requires them to travel here and there, they have their own circles to maintain, but most importantly, their relationship is still a secret to everyone apart from their families. And why would it not be? Vansh and Dhruv are not in a relationship that can be celebrated by many. Rather, it poses a question of inheritance. If there's one thing they are certain about, it's that they won't be inheriting much. Their siblings would take a larger share happily. In the end, they would have nothing except each other. And they are fine with it.

Tara gave birth to a daughter a few days back. Vansh and Dhruv arrive together, raising significant eyebrows and questions. Questions are most jokingly dismissed. The coincidence of them being in Paris together for business and then arriving in India together quench a great deal of people's curiosity. Vansh and Dhruv, on the other hand, had each taken off a week from work to travel and spend time together. Their trip to France was little apart from pure hedonism- all they did was drink and have sex. They seldom left their room and when they did, it was usually around dinnertime. They walked around the city, barely able to keep their hands off each other. The walks usually involved them finding themselves a quiet spot for a quick kiss. And while they weren't usually like that, they wanted to be wild for a week, and they did end up doing some wild things. Paris was also the first time that Dhruv had penetrated Vansh, and the latter had most definitely enjoyed it. At the end of it, when they were returning to India, they could barely sit in the flight.

The culmination of the celebrations leads to a worse scenario for the men- a family dinner. The family dinner is a tense space. Everyone stares at Dhruv and Vansh as if they are criminals deserving a death sentence. Uneasy silences prevail more than logical conversations. Tidbits of conversation revolve around business as usual, and Dhruv and Vansh choose not to respond. They are familiar with the air around them, and their contributions to any dialogue would merely serve to escalate tensions at the dinner table. They prefer their own quiet, away from all of these judging eyes.

"What's up with you two?", Tara asks condescendingly.

"Nothing.", Vansh responds.

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

"I don't feel the need to."

"And you, Dhruv?" Tara looks at Dhruv imploringly, making all heads turn towards him.

Dhruv gulps. He presses his lips uneasily. "Nothing." That's all he musters up. He lowers his head to look into the empty plate. He balls his fist.

Vansh places his hand over Dhruv's fist. He then looks at Tara. "How greedy can you be for my share of the inheritance?"

All heads now turn to face Tara. She looks aghast. "What do you mean? I never eyed..."

"I have more than enough evidence to prove you did."

"You two won't be producing an heir anyways."

"Tara!", her father exclaims. "We are not discussing this here. Not right now."

"Which means it is discussed otherwise. Today is an exception because we are here. How often do you discuss us?", Vansh asks.

"Vansh.", Dhruv whispers. "Don't."

"More often thank you think.", Jagat answers.

Vansh chuckles, only to raise all eyebrows in the room. "We don't even live here. We have nothing to do with all of you for most part. And yet... and yet you cannot help but discuss us. Do we scare you that much?"

"Nobody's scared of you." Jagat dismisses Vansh's idea.

"Then manybe you should be.", Dhruv says, his jaw hardening. "You don't care, but the Board of Directors do. They know the value we bring to the company. And they won't remain blind to it. You haven't done much yet, and I am out there, expanding our businesses in Europe. You should be scared. Not us."

"If your sweet little secret is revealed...", Jagat begins.

"Reveal it if you can. If you dare. At the end of the day, in a business, numbers are all that matter. That I might not produce an heir would be irrelevant in face of the fact that you haven't done much until now. For now, I am more important than you. Remember that.", Dhruv says, beaming with a smile of victory.

An uneasy silence follows. Vansh looks at Dhruv and smirks, trying hard to hold his smile in. "I think," Vansh says, looking at everyone present, "We must leave. So far as business is concerned, we can always talk. But family dinners like these, aren't the best deal. They are awkward for all of us. Your prying eyes are most unforgiving although our actions aren't something that call for an apology. Anyways, have a good time." Vansh holds Dhruv's hand, interlocking their fingers. "Let's go."

Dhruv smiles and nods. They get up and leave, holding each other's hands as if nothing else really matters. And to a great extent, nothing, and nobody does matter.

Back in the car, Vansh and Dhruv sit quietly for a while, thinking about all that conspired a while ago. "Where do we go now?", Dhruv asks.

"Where it all began?"

"Why not?"

***

The journey from Jaisalmer airport to the haveli feels different this time. Both have come a long way from the first uneasy and quiet journey, to this journey filled with conversations and giggles. They have changed, or they might not have changed much, but whoever they are at present, it is for the best. They are happy with the people they have turned out to be.

Upon reaching the haveli, they step out of the car. They stand there, taking in the familiar sights of the place.

Dhruv blinks away his tears, but sniffs nevertheless, only to chuckle later. "I don't believe I haven't been here for two years now."

"Do you miss this place that badly?", Vansh asks, gently taking Dhruv's hand in his.

"Hmm.", Dhruv says. "There's one thing you don't know yet."

"What?"

"My grandmother knew I was gay before everyone else."

"She did?"

Dhruv nods. "And maybe that's the reason she left this house to me. Just in case I get kicked out by my family and have nowhere else to go."

"She thought of the future. Your future."

"But isn't it funny? I mean, she was my grandmother, a whole generation was between us. Yet, she never derided me for being who I am. She just...accepted it."

"Her being two generations older does not make her less understanding, or blind to reality. Some people just know that some things cannot be changed. She was far more accommodating than people around us right now."

They head inside together, straight to Dhruv's room. Dhruv shuts the door behind him, bolts it, and crashes his lips on Vansh's.

Vansh starts unbuckling Dhruv's belt and then his jeans. He slides Dhruv's boxers down his legs and grabs his cock, stroking it and pulling it towards him. When he brushes his thumb against the tip of it, he feels it wet already. "Aren't you...", he asks in a raspy voice, "coming too soon these days?"

"Speak for yourself.", Dhruv replies. He looks down at Vansh's erection. He unbuttons Vansh's pants and pushes them down. "See." Dhruv gets down on his knees moves his tongue over the tip of Vansh's cock. He slowly traces the veins bulging out on his cock and puts it in his mouth, sucking it while making sounds. Vansh's back arches due to the pleasure as he grabs Dhruv's hair to hold himself up while his legs turn jelly. Dhruv reaches for Vansh's balls, squeezing and pinching them. Vansh thrusts himself deeper into Dhruv's mouth.

Vansh thinks of the marvel Dhruv is- even after two years of being in a relationship with him, Vansh gets aroused pretty quickly. And while he is embarrassed about it from time to time, he never says it out loud. He likes what Dhruv does to him. While he is lost in his thoughts, he comes in Dhruv's mouth. Dhruv licks him clean before taking his mouth off Vansh's cock. He looks up and makes eye contact with Vansh. Vansh, still grabbing onto Dhruv's hair, pulls him up.

They both take off their shirts and jump on the bed. Vansh moves his tongue over Dhruv's collarbones, eventually moving to his chest and resting on his nipple. He sucks on it, making Dhruv moan in pleasure. Done with his job, Vansh moves to the next nipple, leaving the previous one sore and red.

Dhruv, still under Vansh, grabs Vansh's cock, stroking and jerking it, making Vansh come in his hands. "Stop.", Dhruv says after a while. "Arch position." Vansh simply nods.

Still on his back, Dhruv rests the soles of his feet on the bed and arches, with only his head and shoulders touching the bed. In the meantime, Vansh puts on a condom, and gets close to Dhruv. Vansh, now on his knees, slowly thrusts himself into Dhruv, moving slowly and in circles, before increasing his speed. The frequency of his thrusts increases, making Dhruv shake under him. Dhruv's body slowly starts turning jelly. He keeps groaning, each groan louder than the previous one.

"Stay awake.", Vansh instructs Dhruv.

"Won't die under you."

Both of them chuckle while continuing their thing.

***

At night, they head to the desert and stop at their spot. They just stand there, arm in arm, taking in the familiar sights around them. It gets nostalgic soon enough.

"I miss this place.", Dhruv says.

"So do I.", Vansh adds.

"I owe much of us to the desert."

"I think it all began here. The first time I really, like really, felt something for you."

"I wonder what the air here did you to."

"I wonder what you did to me..."

"Can we not stay here for another week? I don't want to return so soon. We can be together here at least."

"We have to get back to work. And it's not as if we are parting."

"You'd be in Poland and I'd be in Italy for the next two months. These countries are far apart."

"Not far enough to keep me away from you."

Dhruv makes a gagging sound. "There you go again with your cheesy lines."

"Aren't you used to them by now?"

"Being used to them does not make them less cheesy or less annoying."

"You find me annoying?"

"Not you. But these lines of your. Melodramatic. Romantic." Dhruv shudders.

"At this point, I might want to quiet you with my mouth."

"Would never decline."

Vansh places his palm on Dhruv's cheek and slowly pulls his closer, sliding his hand down Dhruv's nape. As they kiss, Vansh puts his tongue in Dhruv's mouth, moving it to every nook and cranny, taking in all of his tastes. As they draw apart, both of them are gasping for air.

"Maybe we should come here tomorrow morning.", Dhruv says. "You haven't seen this place in the daylight."

Vansh nods.

***

Three months later, Vansh and Dhruv are at Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland. With them there, it looks like a scene straight out of a romance movie. Vansh comes up and gives Dhruv a back hug.

"I want to say something." Vansh's tone is rather serious.

"What?"

"Should we register our marriage?"

"All of a sudden?", Dhruv asks, breaking away from the hug and facing Vansh.

"I have been thinking about it for a long time now. Let's do it." Vansh awaits Dhruv's response with the most earnest look on his face.

"Wouldn't it be scandalous?" Dhruv's hesitation is clear.

"As if us being together isn't scandalous already." Vansh takes out two rings from his pocket. "I won't get on my knees."

"I know that way too well." Dhruv looks at the rings. "You came prepared."

"Will you marry me?"

Dhruv inhales and looks at Vansh. Their faces are flushed pink due to the cold. "Do I have a choice? The man I loved for the longest time is asking me out. I should say yes."

Vansh chuckles. He reaches for Dhruv's hand and slides a ring down his ring finger. Dhruv takes the other ring from Vansh and does the same.

"No condoms from today." Vansh bellows. Some people turn to look at him.

Dhruv nudges him in the abdomen. "How could you say that out so loud?"

"Ahh...feels good to be engaged."

"It's not your first time."

"You...", Vansh scoffs and increases his pace, visibly annoyed.

Dhruv catches up soon after. "Doesn't matter. I love you just the same."

Vansh smiles. They hold hands as they walk ahead. "You know,", Vansh says, "I promised myself to not get in a business marriage."

"This is not one."

"In a way it is..."

"Surely not."

"It is between us. Just the two of us."

"What?"

"This marriage, and it being our secret little..."

"Secret little what?"

"Business. A business deal."