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Chapter 66 :  Yearning

Ruhaani had made her bed, brushed her teeth, had a quick bath and was ready for the day, all in less than twenty minutes of time. When she had woken up for the second time that morning, her husband—who had been almost naked the first time— was entirely missing.

She picked up the water bottle they kept at the nightstand and downed some water and then looked around. She had woken up with more memories of the previous night than before but they were all still jumbled up. It was like the grammar activity of rearranging the jumbled words given to form a meaningful sentence, the twins got for homework. However, she still hadn't arrived at the most meaningful sequence of events.

Certain sentences and phrases that she and Aadarsh had spoken, still floated around with no context. It was all very baffling and headache-inducing.

"Oh look, who is up! Thought you wouldn't be up before eight in the night." Aadarsh remarked sailing into the room, smiling at her.

Ruhaani blinked. Aadarsh smiling in the morning, for no reason, the day had just been blessed.

He made his way towards her and Ruhaani suddenly realized she felt nervous. However he moved past her to the nightstand and removed the box of medicines from the second drawer, causing her to take a few breaths of relief.

"You have acidity again?" She asked suddenly curiously. That was usually why the box was accessed, either it was the stomach acid regulators or antacids he was reaching for, for himself.

"Nope. Aspirin for Ashvi. She has a nasty headache and puked again in the morning. She's a lighter lightweight then Abhi!" He spoke closing the drawer and then walked back to her. "What about you? How do you feel?" as he asked the last two questions, he gently touched her arm slightly above the elbow.

Ruhaani met his gaze, her throat beginning to clog up with the inexplicable feeling. "I am fine." She managed to say, blinking hesitantly. Did they really do something last night? Why did his mere touch suddenly feel so intimate?

"Hmm, you don't sound like that?"

Ruhaani met his gaze, dumbfounded. Was he reading her mind now? "Yaa, cause I am starving." She tried to cover her confusion and emotions.

"Okay, go have some breakfast. The kids have already eaten. I will see you in a while." Having said that much, he hurried out of the room.

He looked worried. The restless in his eyes gave it away. Ruhaani wanted to go help him and see Ashvi, but her stomach grumbled loud and she decided to eat and silence it first. The noise in her brain could wait.

About forty minutes later, Ruhaani had had her breakfast and was sitting by Ashvi. It had begun to feel like it wasn't just the alcohol hadn't gone down well with Ashvi. She had puked twice last night, once in the morning today, was also running a light fever and consequently had a low blood pressure. They had decided to see a doctor if it still got worse by the evening.

"Come on, let's get you changed," Ruhaani spoke after Ashvi had eaten a little bit of the khichdi that Dai Jaan had made and taken the medicines.

"Yeah, get changed, you'll feel more comfortable." Aadarsh said getting off the edge of the bed and left the room.

Ruhaani walked Ashvi to her bathroom, after grabbing a full sleeve t-shirt and slacks from her cupboard.

"My head hurts so bad," Ashvi mumbled almost at the verge of crying.

"I understand. It will take a few minutes for the medicines to make you feel better. Don't worry. You're a strong girl, it's nothing you can't fight right?" Ruhaani spoke sponging her down as she sat on the sleek bench around the bathtub.

"Maa used to say that to me when I was little, every time I got hurt."

Ruhaani's hand paused and she looked up at Ashvi. The girl had tears in her eyes. She had never really seen Ashvi get emotional and talk about her parents. It was mostly Abhi talking about his parents and Aadarsh about his mother. Ashvi never really spoke about either of them, if she did it was without emotion.

Ashvi sighed and blinked away her tears.

"It's okay to cry once a while because you miss her." Ruhaani muttered feeling a lot like a hypocrite.

"Yeah, and stupid." Ashvi added. "There's never a point crying about people who didn't care for you."

"I am sure she cared for you." Ruhaani spoke, placing the towel aside and helping Ashvi slip into the pyjamas.

"Yeah, that's why she decided to have more babies." Ashvi scoffed.

Ruhaani momentarily stiffened at the remark. That was harsh. She kept quiet and pulled the t-shirt over her head.

"Bhabhs, can you unhook the bra also, I slept with it on through the night. Ugh." She spoke and turned.

Ruhaani blinked as a memory resurfaced like a strong tide.

"What about my bra? Get rid of that too."

She had a flash of a memory from the previous night. Aadarsh making her wear his t-shirt. She quietly helped Ashvi change into her fresh clothes, braided her hair and led her back to the bed.

Just as Ruhaani was covering Ashvi with a balance, a knock rumbled against the ajar door, making her look away from Ashvi and towards it.

"Come in," Ruhaani said.

"Morning Bahbhs, Morning Ash." Abhi spoke walking right up to the bed and sitting next to Ashvi.

"What happened to you birthday girl? Birthday hangover huh?" He asked.

"Shut up, my head already hurts." Ashvi muttered.

"Good. So I am officially no longer the lightweight of the family. It's you Chipmunk."

"Stop calling me that!" Ashvi grumbled, picking a cushion and throwing it on him.

Abhi chuckled, scooting closer to his sister. "My little baby sister, is feeling sick huh?" He pulled her nose. "Your nose has turned red. Like Rudolph, the red nose reindeer!"

"Bhabhs, tell him to stop and get loss." Ashvi muttered swatting his hand away while Ruhaani smiled. Ashvi was damn lucky to have a brother like Abhi. The man may make fun of her, tease her, annoy her but at the end of the day, he truly loved her.

"Aww, baby is complaining!" Abhi continue in his sing-song voice.

"Stop annoying her." An imperative voice came from the door. They all turned to find Aadarsh standing with folded arms, leaning against the doorframe of the room.

"Oh you shhh, Bade Bhaiya." Abhi remarked, shifting to sit beside Ashvi. "This is my brotherly love for my baby sister who," Abhi curled his arm around Ashvi, while stretching his legs on the bed, "turned twenty-one but threw up all she drank and more..."Abhi teased.

Ashvi tired to push him and hit him but he only laughed. Ultimately she gave in and gave him a side hug, resting her face in his chest.

"It's okay Ash. I am right here. Going to annoy your headache so much that it's going to disappear."

"Or worsen," she mumbled.

Ruhaani slowly walked away towards the door as the brother sister duo started arguing again. Her gaze meeting Aadarsh's as she neared him.

"They define drama." Aadarsh whispered, leaning forward as she approached him. She rolled her eyes, moving past him. He turned around to walk out of the room along with her.

"I would say siblings love." Ruhaani remarked glancing at them over her shoulder. Abhi was the person Ashvi was closest too, her comfort person, the person who understood her without her having to say anything aloud. She wondered how Ashvi would survive without him around. How would Abhi survive if he chose to go away from both Aadarsh and Ashvi? Why did people have to make such stupid decisions? Didn't they both see it? They made one of the best family together. They may not have parents but they had each other and they had Aadarsh who would always have their back.

"You're unusually quiet. Is everything okay?" Aadarsh spoke as they walked down the passageway. He wondered if it was about last night. Was she upset nothing happened? Was she regretting whatever happened? Or Was she not feeling well?

Ruhaani was lost in her thoughts. She was debating in her mind whether to share her views about last night with him or not.

"Yeah. Nirvan said you're going swimming with them. I will go... see if they have what they need."

Aadarsh's sleek fingers curled around her wrist before she walked away. She looked back at him puzzled, as his hold prevented her from moving ahead. He wordlessly tagged her along with himself to their room.

"Aadarsh what are you doing?" She asked, her heartbeat suddenly growing more erratic.

"What's on your mind? You don't look okay to me. So speak." He said, turning to her with determination filled eyes.

Ruhaani exhaled sharply, raising her gaze to meet his. "Yesterday night, er," she hesitated. She had never hesitated in having an open and honest conversation with him, but today it just felt different.

"I knew this was about last night." He muttered, "what about it?"

"I don't know." She responded rather sharply.

"What?" he asked baffled.

"My memory is a bit foggy. I guess it was the drinks. I...I don't remember..."

Aadarsh's eyes widened a wee bit momentarily as he proceeded that piece of information and then he let out a sigh. He didn't know why he thought she'd remember it. The last night, no matter what...was still special. He had never felt so close to her as he felt yesterday. They had allowed themselves to be vulnerable, to be themselves, to express what they wanted, their desires and whatever the hell it was that they felt and harboured for each other.

"I mean...I do remember coming in the room and ..." she spoke up to explain more accurately, when she noticed his face falling.

"And?" He questioned taking a step closer to her. His eyes suddenly sparkling with hope.

"And kissing." She said softly, blinking as he shifted still closer to her. The scent of his bodywash mixed with a subtle tinge of his perfume assaulted her senses.

"That's it?" He asked, his voice suddenly low.

"And..." she breathed heavily, feeling the rush of heat on her cheeks. Almost instantly, the memory of last night refreshed in her mind.

She felt his forefinger touch under chin and push it up, making her look up at him. His eyes as though darkening as he assessed her closely. "And?"

"...moving to the bed," she almost whispered, her gaze locking into as she felt his hand on her waist. It slowly moved around to the back.

"Then?"

"Kissing again."

He inched his face closer to hers. His gaze lowering to her lips, as his lips stood centimetres away from her cheek. "And?"

"Aadarsh," she breathed. Her body felt a tension that was nerve wracking. Her head tilted back, making her lips move closer to his. She couldn't stand the air between them. It was almost electric.

"Hmm," a deep vibration from his throat, almost forced her needs to spill out.

Unable to hold herself back anymore, she pressed her lips against his, closing her eyes. Her hands slowly perched on his shoulders for support.

At once, Aadarsh parted his lips, inviting her in. His lips parted and his mouth then closed around hers. He slowly pushed her a few steps back. His hand then reached out to the door behind her.

Ruhaani broke the kiss abruptly hearing the slam of the door. He gazed at her and then slowly shifted closer causing her to stumble back. "This is what happened last night." He spoke, and then his lips came down on her neck. His hands roved all over her back before mimicking the action of a zipper being pulled down. He then kissed every bit of her skin around the round neckline of her kurti. His hand going down to her thigh exactly where the slit had been, like he had memorized every little detail.

Ruhaani could almost remember the exact events. It gist like a sudden déjà vu. She felt just like she had felt last night, desired.

"Aadarsh, this is not a good idea," she spoke as he carried her to bed, exactly how he had done last night. However this time, she lost her balance in his comparatively powerful shove and fell back flat on the mattress. He deftly grabbed her thighs clad in the black legging spreading them apart. He crawled on to the bed, making his way towards her.

"You weren't saying that last night," he breathed, coming over her. He was inching towards the line between being a gentle lover who wanted to worship and obsessed beast who wanted to devour her to satisfy his ravenous lust.

"We were drunk last night," she reminded him.

Aadarsh blinked, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy by her words. When they had been kissing moments ago, he had felt the same current moving into his body from hers, like last night. Like their needs and desires for each other resonated. However her words made him pause and rethink. Was she really just high on liquid courage last night when she had in more than words expressed her need for him, for sex with him?

"Right. So it was just the drinks?" He muttered, staring at her, as a fire danced in his eyes. They might have been drunk last night but not through all the days of their marriage. There was no way he was accepting the denial of the mad mutual attraction that burned between them.

Ruhaani slowly remembered what had happened next. He had gotten off her saying she was drunk. He didn't want their first to be when she was intoxicated. The sudden memory warmed her heart. He cared about her, about them.

As he prepared to get off her, she latched her hands on the collar of his white pole t-shirt keeping him exactly where he was—right above her, close to her lips.

Aadarsh lowered his gaze to her hands that fisted the collar and then back up to her chocolate brown eyes that were now gazing over with an emotion which wasn't exactly hard to guess.

"You weren't this taunting last night." She whispered. Her hands pulled at his t-shirt further, making him lower his face, bringing it closer to hers. "You were quite the gentleman." She whispered again, kissing his right cheek. He closed his eyes, as a wave of soft emotion washed him over. "I remember now." She added, kissing his other cheek.

He opened his eyes and turned to look at her. "Dammit. You're confusing me Ruhaani."

Ruhaani smiled, "Trust me, it's nothing close to what you do."

"You're taunting me now?"

"Getting even." She replied, with a smirk, letting go off his collar with a gentle push.

"Are you pretending you don't remember or do you really not remember? I am beginning to be suspicious."

"I don't do pretence. That's what you do." She replied looking squarely at him, holding his gaze. "It was all foggy in my mind when I woke up. I thought we had drunk sex or something and I had no memory of it."

It was Aadarsh's turn to look surprised. He cleared his throat before speaking, "Quote, I think you'll do great, not something I would want to regret or forget. Un-quote. Those were your words last night." Aadarsh muttered his gaze getting distracted by her lips that were parted to ease her breath. One that he fancied to steal.

"No way." Ruhaani exclaimed, pushing him to the side. He took the cue and sat up beside her. Her chest still heaved lightly as a consequence of her sudden action and their charged frantic kissing. "You're making it up now."

"Trust me, those were your words. And that was only the tip of the iceberg. You said a lot of things that, quite frankly, surprised me too."

Ruhaani scrambled and sat up, turning to him. "What else did I say?" she asked eagerly. She hoped nothing embarrassing that would make her want to dig a hole and bury herself in.

Please let it not be any comments on his nipples or the monster in his pants she had noticed in passing on a few mornings. Please let it not be anything from the gutter in her mind.

"You said that I have quite a toned butt." He added.

"No. I didn't." She said shaking her head, mortified, refusing to believe him.

"No, you did. And then you also added, like a proud achievement, that you don't go around grabbing my ass." He added with an amused grin. "It was quite the entertainment."

"Haha so funny. I don't believe a word you say." She refuted his claims, her hand going up to her hair that had been tied in a bun, now messy and the bun hanging halfway down. She released her tresses from the grip of the hair tie to re-tie her hair into a bun again.

He held her hand and lowered it. He raised his own hands to her hair. He ran his fingers down her hair like a comb. "I am not lying, Ruhaani."

She looked at him with a steady gaze. He sat up straight, leaned forward, taking his face closer to hers. Both his hands held her face gently. "You were adorable last night." He topped that compliment with a kiss on her forehead.

Ruhaani closed her eyes, trying to fully feel every bit of the feeling that washed her, of the feeling that filled her heart with warmth. She was now more sure than ever of two things. One, he was not lying and two, nothing had happened between them other than a hot desperate make out. She should have felt embarrassed for what she had said to him last night but she weirdly felt at peace with herself, with him, with them.

She didn't know when it had happened or how, but she now found courage in being herself before him. There was a time she wanted to be her best self before him. But now, she felt safe even in revealing those parts of her that she hid from the world.

"Why were you sleeping naked then?" she asked, hoping her drunk inappropriate behaviour had nothing to do with that.

"You striped me off my clothes. You don't remember that too?" He spoke, a glint appearing in his eyes.

"What? No!"

"Oh yes! What was it...." He pretended to look for the right words. "Yeah, Strip for me Aadarsh baby. I want to see that toned ass."

Ruhaani observed him. A smile was threatening to fall through his stupid mask of earnestness. She grabbed the pillow and began hitting him with it. "Liar!"

"Those were your words, Ruh!" He exclaimed, erupting into a laughter.

"Can't be. I would never call you a baby!"

"Maybe it was babe!"

"Nope. Not possible. You're lying."

Aadarsh chuckled, "No. You're quite a pervert when drunk."

"Shut up!"

He laughed at her expense.

She got on her knees and charged towards him landing blow after blow. "Joke is over Aadarsh Sehgal. Stop it."

He grabbed the pillow and hurled it towards the balcony door and then grabbed her wrists resulting in her falling flat over him. Her soft bosom pressing against his hard chest.

With erratic breaths, flushed face and the most beautiful brown eyes he had ever seen, she gazed at him. She threw her head back to get the hair out of the front of her face and then tilted her head to the side. Her straight hair cascaded down, curtaining their faces from the harsh light of the sun coming through the windows next to the balcony door, on her right.

He beamed at her and she slowly returned the smile— there was a chunk of softness, a tinge of diffidence and a whole lot of love blended into that smile. Then, right there, he suddenly felt like the luckiest person alive. More importantly, he felt alive, like he never had in a while.

He touched her left cheek, slowly guiding her face closer to his, letting their lips meet again. This time slowly, lazily, like they had an eternity with each other. His fingertips gently roved along her cheeks, moving to her scalp.

"Thank you," Ruhaani whispered, as they parted from the kiss. He tucked the hair on the left side of her face behind her ear.

"For kissing you or stripping for you last night?" He asked with a playful, teasing grin on his face.

She lightly pounded her fist over his chest. "Please don't lie. Did I really?" She asked eyeing him with a timid concern.

"You think if one of us is stripping, that'll be me for you?" He remarked cockily, circling a thick lock of her straight hair around his forefinger. "If that's what you think, you're living in a bubble that's going to soon burst, Missus."

His clarification knocked the breath out of Ruhaani's lungs and caused a spark to come into existence in her core. She gasped lightly as he tugged at her hair, that he had wrapped around his index finger, causing her to tilt her head and lean closer to him.

"Still doesn't explain you being naked," she said breathlessly, glancing at his lips.

"Curious little thing, are you not?" He murmured, continuing to play with her hair, eyeing her lips that appeared fuller and wetter.

"I am most definitely not little." She retorted meeting his eyes with a renewed spirit to challenge.

"That I agree," he spoke as his left hand spanned across her backside. A shy smile made it to her face at his implication.

"You still haven't answered. Or maybe you have something to hide." She challenged him, trying not to get distracted by that firm hand fondling her derriere. It was becoming her fetish she realized.

"You had the AC temperature at twenty-four. You threatened to shout and call for help if I lowered the temperature. So I had to concede."

"Seriously? So you just slept naked?"

"I am used to sleeping shirtless since I was a teenager and had my own room. It's just that when we married, I had to change my habits."

Ruhaani looked surprised. "Oh My God! The arrogant Aadarsh Sehgal changed his habits for me? You have been a gentlemanly husband then. I must be really lucky you changed your ways for me."

"Shut up, idiot! It's just... couldn't afford to let you lose your mind. I know what effect I have on women." He teased with a playful smile, drawing her face closer. "Especially when I am shirtless or scantily dressed in just swimming trunks or in nothing but briefs or just...naked." He whispered in her ears then captured her earlobe between his teeth aggressively.

"Aha," she gasped, pressing her palm against his cheek, pushing his face away. "Don't be an animal!"

He secured both his hands on her waist then rolled them over. She sighed, meeting his gaze.

"I haven't even started, Ruhaani." He murmured, lowering his mouth to the base of her neck. His teeth nibbled at the skin, his body receptive of her reaction.

He raised his face to look at her again. "Better keep alcohol out of your system tonight."

"Oh!" she sighed. "Abhi and I planned on trying your hidden whiskey collection tonight."

Aadarsh saw through her tease. A smile lingered at the corner of his lips. There works never be a dull moment with her. She was spunky and he loved that about her. His hand caressed her tunic over the abdominal muscles, moving still lower to her leggings.

"Aadarsh," she called out to him alarmed, "what are you doing?"

"Getting even." He muttered brushing his lips over the corner of her lips. His hand caressed her thigh clad in the legging, finally moving over the pubic muscles.

Ruhaani sucked in a breath and titled her head back as she felt his firm fingers loiter quite close to the source of the aching in her body. Aadarsh slowly cupped her and then massaged the spot, moving to and front. He could feel the heat she pooled for him through the fabric. How he wished to forget everything, rip that garment on her and taste that heat on his tongue.

"You tease me, I tease you." He whispered, his hand slowly increasing the frequency of his motions. Ruhaani closed her eyes, just as her legs closed together around his hand, feeling a pleasure build up. A little more and she would reach the top of the cliff from where she was promised a free fall, a miserably behindhand release.

"That's how we are even." He breathed over her lips, abruptly taking his hand off just when he felt her muscles tense up tighter.

Ruhaani let out a frustrated sigh, opening her eyes. She eyed him with an evident disappointment. She breathed heavily, her chest heaving and cheeks flushed, wondering what was more disappointing— him not taking her all the way up to the skies or her settling for his hand with a two layers of garment still between them.

He wore a smirk, taking his lips close to her ear, while caressing her hair over her head. "Let me know if you find my hidden whiskey collection. You won't get a drop of it. But I have some ideas for myself." Having said that he kissed her cheek and got off her, moving out of bed before he got more temptations to resist.

Ruhaani stared up at the ceiling, still feeling like a hot pool of desire and frustration. She wondered what ideas he had. The ones she guessed in her mind, didn't have a glass at all and were wildly inappropriate.

She closed her eyes, he was such a tease. There was no way she was looking at him through the day and not thinking what he would do with her at night.

• — • — •

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Looking forward to read your thoughts on it. I guess it's accurate to say— they burn for each other!🌝🙈

Next : Saturday 

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—Anami!♡