Arjun's POV

"That man is Frederick Demello. He is a alley and a old friend of mine. Beware he is the biggest prankster and he loves pulling people's legs. He is outspoken but most of the time I find him quiet honest. Tell me if he disrespects you or upsets you with any of his comments. You'll tell me right?!"

I had to give her a disclaimer of what to say and what to not say. She is very innocent and I don't want anyone to take advantage of that advantage of that innocence.

She nodded and I remembered that I had not briefed her about lying about our marriage and how it happened.

"Don't give away any information about our marriage."

Her face fell hearing me and I realized that it came out wrong.

"You don't want to introduce me as your wife?!" She asked me woefully.

Her eyes welling up even as she said it and it dawned upon me that what a big blunder I made!

"No that's not what I meant. Don't tell anyone the way it happened." I explained her gently and she smiled finally lifting my spirits instantly with that gorgeous smile.

"Look what grace has been bestowed upon us and specially me. The Dark Lord has thought me worthy of his presence in my party."

I rolled my eyes at his flattering and I grinned to myself thinking that he does it only to irk me and everytime without fail, he is successful because I have little to no patience for people sucking up to me.

" If you would have not been my mother's rakhi brother, you would have been lying lifeless on the floor with my bullet in your thick skull for all the stunts you pull in my presence. So thank your stars. Don't test my patience."

He was good to my mother and she tied a rakhi on his wrist to thank him for the kindness that he showed her. I put up with him because he is her rakhi brother which makes him my uncle.

His gaze travelled from me to her and i didn't like how he was staring at her,"Have you been to heaven Arjun?! You stole a heavenly nymph from there and brought her in my party. Shit I envy you man. I so wish to have her by my side."

Now I know he is just trying to rile me up because this is the man I have known for a long time and he worships his wife. He is just trying to get a raise out of me but I don't like it when any man looks at my wife a bit longer even if it's out of curiosity and not lust.

My fingers clenched her waist hard as I realized that this is just the beginning and she is going to be exposed to so many men who will drool over her, some will wonder who is she and some will just ogle at her. I was starting to regret my decision to bring her with me.

He lets out an extravagant laugh, "Hahaha. Arjun I was just kidding. I know no one eyes what belongs to Arjun. You know I have a wonderful family and she is like a daughter to me. I just love getting on your nerves. It boosts my appetite."

Frederick I know means well, he just doesn't act his age and that irks me a lot.

" So who is this beauty?! I had never dreamed of you bringing a girl with you and be so territorial about her."

That was veiled taunt because about two ago I hooked up with a girl in his party in one of the rooms upstairs and he walked in on us.

" She is Radhika Arjun Mehra, my wife."

His eyes widened in shock and he coughed his drink at my declaration as even he believed that I am not going to marry. Hell even I had full faith in myself of retaining my bachelor hood.

" You got married?! Did all the girls refused to take you in their pants?!"

He took a jibe at me, I know but I did not get angry because whatever he said was truth after all. I think I never wanted to marry because I didn't believe in marriage and relationships after what they did to my mother. Her marriage was her nemesis and I didn't wanted to take any chance.

" No I stopped getting inside
them. That's all you get to know. " I said in a crisp tone.

" She is a solitary beauty. No doubt you stopped being a shirt-chaser."

"For the record, I never had to chase any girl." I stated.

"Enough of that." He looked at Radhika," Accept my humble greetings, Mind telling me your full name?!"

Her checked pinked at his candied tone," Radhika Reh..."

Say it, I dare you to say it! Common say it, I will not waste a second to drag you home and beat the defiance out of you.

"Radhika Arjun Mehra." She quickly corrected herself and I smiled sensing the fear in her tone.

" What did you see in my nephew?! He is such a controlling caveman if you ask me." He looked at her warily," Don't mind me saying this but you look familiar. Have we met before?!"

Of course he must have met Radhika's mother and Radhika is like the splitting image of her mother.

" No sir." Radhika said in a low tone.

I don't want him to remember because if he remembers then he can connect the dots.

"Old age perhaps."

I heaved a sign of relief and thanked my stars for his poor memory. No one in the community knows that I have Rehan and if this gets out, there are some people out there hungry for my blood. A king has many enemies and I must not underestimate them.

"Enjoy the party, I will see you around."

"He must have met your mother. It's good thing he doesn't remember enough." I informed Radhika as soon as he left because she looked clueless to me.

"How do you know I look like my mother?!"

I did meet her mother few times when I was 8 or 9, my father use to host dinners parties for his close people and Rehan was one that my father trusted very much. He betrayed my father in the worst way possible. I wonder what wrong did my father ever did to Rehan except for helping him when he was broke.

"Because I met her, your father use to work for us before he stabbed my father in the back. I must have been eight or something, she was pregnant with you, I think." I told her as I got these foggy flashes in my head.

Flashback

I was going upstairs to my room because I could not bear another minute of Rehan and his arrogant son. This is my house not his so he must mind his language but of course I am the spoilt child in my father's opinion. I stopped in my tracks when I heard some hushed noise, I tried to hear clearly and it appeared as if someone was sobbing. Who could it be?!

I followed the sobbing and I reached the pool where I found Rehan's wife sitting by the pool, dipping her feet in the water, she had her head down and face covered with her hands as she sobbed silently. I walked to her and sat by her side, the only person I liked in Rehan's family was his wife because she was so pretty and also sweet at the same time.

"Why are you crying?!" I asked her.

"Nothing its just....I...am...sad." She said between her tears.

"Then why are you sad?!"

"You are a child, you won't understand." She gave me a smile and carressed my cheek.

"I am not a child, I am a man now. I understand everything."

She chuckled," You are cute."

"Do not call me cute, I am a boy not a girl." I said, angrily.

"But you just said you are a man." She teased me.

"I am a man and dad says men are not cute, they are not supposed to be."

She pulled my cheeks," Still some men are cute just like you."

I ignored her and my eyes went down to her big belly, she was thin everywhere else but her belly was so big. I wondered what did she ate that her belly was so huge.

"Your belly is so big! You must be eating so much." I said.

She burst out laughing and her crying was long gone.

"What is so funny?!" I asked, annoyed because it felt like she was laughing at me.

She kissed my cheek," You are just so cute."

"I am not cute! I am a boy and girls are cute!"

"I have one in my belly."

"You have a girl in your belly?!" I asked, shocked.

"Well can't say she is a girl yet, she is a baby girl." She replied, smiling ear to ear.

"You mean you have a baby in your belly?! How did it go there?! Did you eat one?!"

She again started laughing uncontrollably.

"Tell me how did the baby go into your belly?!" I asked curiously.

"You are a child still. You will understand when you grow up." She finally said.

She took my hand in hers and placed it on her belly, I jumped when something moved under my fingers.

"Is it the baby?!"

"Yes its her. She is saying a hi to you."

"Can she hear me?!" I asked her as I was getting more and more curious about the baby.

"Yes. She hears and understands everything."

I leaned down to her belly, placing my face against her stomach," Hi baby, I am Arjun."

I chucked heartily as something moved under my fingers again.

"What is her name?!"

"She doesn't have one yet, I will name her when she will come out."

"When will she come out?!" I asked her as I couldn't wait to see this baby.

"One month later."

"Will she be my friend?!" I asked her jubilantly.

"Why don't you ask her that?!"

"Baby, will you be my friend?!"

I almost jumped back as I felt a strong thump under my hand.

"She said yes."

"Baby, I will share my toys with you and you can even have my favourite bat which I have not let anyone touch till now."

"I don't think so Baby will be interested in your bat. She is a girl and little girls play with dolls."

"Really?! But I don't know how to play with dolls." I frowned but a idea struck in my head," I will learn to play with dolls for baby from Lily who is my friend. She has so many dolls."

"But you are a man right then how can you play with dolls?!"

"I will for Baby if she wants." I leaned down and kissed her stomach," Baby, I will be your only friend and you will not make any other friends."

"Why?! That's unfair." She frowned.

"I don't want to share Baby with anyone else." I pouted.

"We will see about that when Baby is here, let her decide what she wants." She carressed my cheek with affection.

"No! Baby will not have any other friends. She is mine and I am ready to play dolls with her even though I am a boy. Why does she need more friends?!"

"We will see about that later. Do you have anything else to say to Baby?!"

"Come out soon, I know dolls are girly but for you baby, I will play dolls with you if you like them. If you don't then I will teach you how to play cricket." I said as I placed a chaste kiss on her stomach again.

She kissed my forehead," Thank you."

I looked at her, surprised," Why thank you?!"

"You won't understand." She averted her gaze from me and smiled to herself.

I smiled reminiscing that sweet memory and it dawned upon me that I made a connection with Radhika when she was in her mother's womb! I don't know what it was but it was special and heartwarming even to a man like me who has no business to think about heart and feelings.

"How was she?!"

Radhika broke my trance.

"You are asking me how was your mother?!" I answered her with a question because she was her mother and she is supposed to know her better than me.

"She died when I was five or six, I don't remember." Her eyes held so much sadness as she said it.

"She was very sweet, nothing like your fucking father. You are a splitting image of her, good thing you don't look like that fucker." I replied honestly.

"What else do you know about my mother?!" She asked me, anxiously.

"I met her twice or thrice, she was very nice to me despite the fact that I was not on good terms with her son. Your brother was an ass even when he was a kid...."

She cuts me off,"You were a kid too and I can't imagine you being goody two shoes even at that age."

Oh look at the protective sister jumping in her brothers defense.

I glared at her,"I wasn't cruel to my mother like he was and I certainly did not make her cry even at that age, I understood that I exist because of her and had she not given birth to me, I would not be here."

Frankly I detested how Rahil treated his mother like trash. He was and is his father's in more ways than possible. I will not whitewash my sins because even I am not a saint, far from it. But she is my fucking wife! I am her husband and the most important man in her life.

"I am sorry, I should not have judged you without knowing...."

I looked her in the eye"Radhika, I know you love your brother and I can't expect you to not jump in his defense but now you are my wife. I should be the most important man in your life. No one but me."

I want to be the center of your universe. I want to only see me in these hazel brown eyes, I only want my name to be on this lips.

"Arjun."

Fuck! I wanted her to answer me and what a perfect timing of this person to interrupt my special moment with my wife.

I masked the frown on my face with a forced smile.

Arg! This infuriating woman! Sandra Lewis, my lunatic ex actually ex is not the right word for it because we never dated, she was a good fuck that's all. 

"Sandra." I grimaced.

She had driven me nuts with her stalking and I hate being chased.

Her mouth watered as her eyes moved from my face and to my entire torso. For fuck's sake! My wife is standing beside me with her hand wrapped around my bicep!

"I heard from Frederick that you got married so I came to see who is the one. She continued snidely,"I hope she is over 18 because by the looks, she looks like a kid to me."

Really?! She wants to sneer at my Radhika, when she is not even worthy to breathe the same air which Radhika breathes.

"As long as she doesn't look like a slut like certain others, I am fine with her looking younger than her age." I said so smoothly without actually letting my anger show on my face.

"You won't introduce me." Radhika chimed in.

You better off not knowing her. I rolled my eyes at Radhika's eagerness to know this woman.

"She is Sandra Lewis and this is Radhika, my wife." I said and my hand encircled her waist, pulling her closer to me.

I smirked as Sandra stared at me and Radhika pointedly. Take it, bitch! Get the fuck out of my face!

"You didn't come to my birthday party last week, I invited you personally on call."

Some women are so desperate, only licking my feet is left now.

"I am a busy man and whatever little time I have left with me, I rather spend it with my family than anyone else." I gave her a insincere smile.

Her eyes widened in pure rage as she threw daggers at Radhika. How dare she?! I am so tempted to pull her eyeballs out of their sockets. Realizing that she was minutes away from topping my hit list, she took the cue and left.

"Ignore her, she is just a daddy's spoilt princess who has turned into a high class slut."

"She likes you...." Radhika enlightened me as if I was born yesterday.

I rolled my eyes at her,"She likes this face."

" And she wants the power and status that comes along with my name." I stated.

Don't you get it, Radhika?! I am very ugly from inside, I am a hideous beast it's just my luck that I am blessed with this face that hides away all my inquities.

"Did you date...." She asked, hesitantly.

You should have known it till now that dating and relationship doesn't exist in my dictionary.

"I don't date, I think I made that clear on numerous occasions. You are very forgetful and the answer to your question is she was an one night stand years ago." I told her simply.

Her face ashened at my declaration and I wondered, why. It's not like she didn't know what kind of man I was and what kind of lifestyle I had. I have never hidden anything.

"How convenient of you to say she was just an one night stand and not an ex! You are so crude and shameless!" She said, haughtily.

Her nose and cheek had turned ripe red and I felt like biting her cheek even when she was so mad at me.

"Did you want me to lie and be dishonest with you?!" I asked her.

"No! What I meant was...."

You are jealous! You are so jealous. I can't believe that she is getting jealous because of that plastic mannequin filled with silicon! Seriously?! Radhika is so pretty, and she looks so beautiful even without a trace of make up on her face yet she envies that surgical bimbo.

I cut her off,"Radhika! I am not interested in petty things like jealousy and you have no reason to be jealous because you are my wife not her not the women that I have had sex with in the past."

She kept quiet, because even she knows that I am right.

"You are jealous, admit it to yourself not to me. You are hurt and that is why you let the petty jealousy affect you."

"I am not jealous!" She gritted the words out.

"Aren't you jealous of that towering height of hers?!" I teased her.

Radhika does a lot of self doubt because of her short height. She is barely 5'3 and because of the fact that I am so tall almost 6'2, she is more and more resentful about her height. Why doesn't she get it through her head that I will never trade off her sweet innocence for a couple of inches. Her short and petite frame makes me more and more protective about her.

She turned her face away," You are so crude!"

Radhika, my dearest Radhika, when will you accept that I can never have enough of you.

I held her chin and raised it so she will look nowhere but in my eyes," Always keep your head up and try to see what lies behind the outer beauty. If you keep undermining yourself, how do you expect others to give you respect which you don't give yourself."

I hate it when someone looks down upon you and I hate it even more when you fall in that charade. I can't take it when someone so much as glares at you let alone cast aspersions on you. I think I will choke that person to death if someone ever disrespects you in front of me.

"I don't undermine myself." She muttered.

Lie! You undermine yourself a lot.

I glowered at her, "Yes you do that is why you let her get away with that bitchy attitude. If I had been in your place, I would have put her in place. You kept quiet and I did not like it at all."

She looked down at her feet,"I didn't want to stoop to her level."

You didn't have to stoop to her level, all you had to do was hold your ground and command fear. I have learnt that commanding fear is thousand times better than commanding respect because fear hits the core of a person's being.

"You should and must learn to behave like a Queen. I took a stand for you today but what if you are alone and there is no one but you for yourself. I wasn't pinpointing at your insecurities to hurt you, I wanted to make you realize that you have no reason to doubt me or yourself." I explained her softly as I cupped her cheek.

When will you understand that, I am not going anywhere, I will stay with you forever and I will not leave you for anyone else.

"Answer this, do you think you can stop me if I wanted to sleep with any woman?! Do you have that power?!"

Her face fell at my dreadful question and she stared at me with tears in her eyes as she shook her head.

I looked her in the eye"But I don't want to, and that is what you should get through your head. I did not like how she insulted you and you let her get away with it. You must learn to give it back and more." My tone transitioned from soft to more grim as my gaze hardened at the same time.

"Radhika, world doesn't respect the weak and frail, it bows down before the power." I switched to a more lenient tone now.

She placed her hand over mine that was against her cheek," But you are there, you will always be there."

"Nothing could keep me away from you." I stared at her, without blinking my eyes.

We will be together, whether you like it or not. I have never had what we have and now that I have it, I will not let anyone take it away from me.

To be continued.....