Advika's POV

The meeting was successful, and thankfully, I didn't forget anything. In fact, I helped Shravan with the stats of the company. He seems a bit confused with the numbers. I haven't seen him this distracted before.

As I stood by the corner of the banquet hall, my lower abdomen throbbed with an unwelcome pain. I knew exactly why. All I wanted now was to get back to the resort before things became messy, but Shravan seemed a bit busy talking with other clients.

"Hello, Miss Advika," a deep, unfamiliar voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I turned to see a man in his late thirties, possibly fifteen or more years older than me, standing far too close for comfort. A weird smile curved his lips, one that immediately put me on edge. I recognized him from the meeting earlier he'd been staring at me the entire time.

"Hello, sir," I greeted politely, though the smile on my face was forced.

"I was passing by and couldn't resist stopping to appreciate you. I liked the way you presented yourself confidently in the room full of men. Talented young women like you are rare to find."

On the surface, the words were flattering, but I wasn't naive enough to know where he was actually going with all this.

"Thank you," I mumbled curtly, my eyes scanning the room for Shravan.

As much as I wanted to keep my distance from him, at that moment, I craved his presence.

He is the biggest problem of my life, yet somehow, he has become the solution to my every other problem.

"So," the man continued, drawing my unwilling attention back to him, "what are your plans for the future?" His tone was casual, but the glint in his eyes was anything but. "With your talent, you deserve a better position than just a PA."

"I'm happy and content where I am," I replied firmly, hoping to end the conversation.

He clicked his tongue against his cheek.

"Contentment will not take you to the height of success. You need to do things out of your comfort zone to be successful"

I took a small step back when he took a step towards me. Suddenly my hands started shivering. His eyes, his demeanor... they reminded me of him.

I took a deep breath, reminding myself that I wasn't the same girl I once was. I was stronger now. This was a public space. He couldn't harm me here.

"I want to make you an offer at my company. Don't worry about your accommodation. I will take care of that and will also provide you with a 100% hike." One side of his lips curled up in a smirk. "You just need to... follow my instructions."

His smirk widened as his hand reached out toward me. My pulse skyrocketed, panic rising in my chest as memories from my past threatened to drown me.

Before his fingers could brush against me, a firm arm wrapped around my shoulder, pulling me back against a solid chest. Relief washed over me as Shravan's familiar cologne and presence enveloped me.

The man standing in front of us became confused looking between the two of us.

"What are you doing here, biwiji (wifey)?" He asked looking down at me.

Biwiji?

A shiver ran down my spine when he called me biwiji.

"Wifey?" The man standing in front of us asked in pure surprise, "She was your assistant, right?"

"Yeah! She is what I want her to be" Shravan replied with a sharp smile on his lips "In the office she is my assistant, at home she is my wife,"

Shravan may be smiling but his eyes were looking as if he wanted to murder that man who also understood Shravan's intentions.

"And my wife is exactly where she wants to be," Shravan said by emphasizing the word 'wife' over again and squeezing me more into his chest, in his embrace. "She doesn't need your 'help' to succeed."

Shravan leaned in slightly, his smile widening into something that could only be described as predatory.

"And as for stepping out of her comfort zone, trust me, she already deals with enough challenges. Like handling me on a daily basis. Isn't that right, little firefly?"

Firefly?

Who's that?

His hand resting on my shoulder moved up to pinch my cheek. I gave him a sharp look which he didn't notice as he was too busy in freezing the man with his cold stares.

"She is mine" he declared

I gulped when I saw a faint flash of possessiveness in his eyes

"Professionally, personally, exclusively mine. And you know well what I do when someone tries to take away what's mine. Don't you?"

The man muttered a quick, flustered apology and practically fled the scene.

Shravan let go of me and I let out a deep breath of relief.

"Tumhari zubaan mere saamne kainchi ki tarah chalti hai, lekin dusron ke saamne tum bheegi billi kyun ban jaati ho?"
("Your tongue never stops wagging in front of me, but why do you turn into a timid kitten in front of others?")

Shravan's words made me realize something. It wasn't my mistake of getting scared and letting my past overpower me but the thing that I have never felt uncomfortable with Shravan's touch. I have never panicked around him. If anything I have felt with him is protection.

"Say something." Shravan shook my shoulder, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Shravan," I licked my lips, "First, you decide for yourself what you want me to be. Your secretary or your wife?" I asked him back "Wasn't it you who asked me not to tell anyone about our relationship?"

His face loosened along with his hold on my shoulder. It seems like, in his anger, he completely forgot about the earlier conversation.

Shravan's eyes narrowed as he processed my words, his lips parting slightly in an attempt to retort, but he seemed to have no immediate comeback. For once, the ever-dominating Shravan Singhania was speechless, and it gave me an immense sense of satisfaction.

Turning on my heels I came out of the banquet hall and walked to the car. I could feel THE SHRAVAN SINGHANIA following me.

Climbing inside the car, I folded my arms to my chest and looked out of the window when he took the driver seat, trying my best to ignore him.

The pain in my lower abdomen kept on intensifying along with my irritation. Shravan kept on looking at me now and then, but I didn't give any reaction to him.

"You're awfully quiet today," he spoke all of a sudden. "Is anything bothering you?"

"You are bothering me!" I snapped at him.

My voice came out louder and ruder than I expected. His behavior since morning and now my hormones are messing up with me.

He was a bit taken aback by my sudden outburst but he didn't let it show on his face.

It is not only his right to let out his frustration on me.

"You're the one who keeps pushing my buttons! Why can't you just leave me alone for once? What exactly is this between us, Shravan? Why do you always feel the need to irritate me?"

I was expecting him to stop the car and shout back at me. I was also ready to spill out all my pent-up frustration on him, but nothing like that happened. Instead, he turned his attention to driving, looking so calm as if I hadn't said anything before.

I looked out of the window, he turned on the music and played a song. I wasn't paying attention to it until he didn't increase the volume on one particular line -

'Tang karne ka tose naata hai gujariya'

My eyes widened in realization, and my head turned to his direction, but he kept his focus on driving.

I blinked and looked away only to realize something.

"Stop the car!" I said.

"What?" He asked back in surprise

"STOP THE CAR!"

And the car came to a halt with a screech.

"What?" He asked turning his attention completely on me.

"I got my periods," I told him.

"What? Now? Here?" He asked, now he seems to be losing his composure that he held well when I was losing it.

"Yeah!"

"So what do you want me to do?" He asked.

"Bring me sanitary pads," I said straightforwardly

His expressions changed from shock to surprise to bewilderment in a split second as if I had asked him to bring me the moon.

~~~~~~~~

Tell me the hidden relationship advice I shared in this chapter.

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