Fated Forever

Chapter 30

Third person's pov

Riddhima, Rupali, and Nikita were exchanging awkward glances between the couple who were almost having their moment or more so it just felt like this due to Armaan's persistent gaze at his fiance who was busy averting it and trying to focus on the salesman's words. Girls tried to break the awkward tension by speaking first and helping Sakshi choose dresses.

"Hey Sakshi, what do you think about that pink one," Rupali asked

"H-huh, oh that one....yeah it's pretty" Sakshi replied.

"But it's not that convincing, is it Riddhima?" Nikita spoke and they soon turned down that lehenga and moved on to others.

"Man, I can't find any of them appealing enough," Rupali said to which all other girls hummed in agreement sadly.

"It's not like that, mam, we can show you a different variety but I believe everything will look good on the miss as she is already very beautiful" Salesman spoke with a dreamy look in his eyes to which everyone heard a low and deep voice resonating inside the boutique.

"No need, thank you," Armaan said as he came beside Sakshi and put his arm around her waist which took her by surprise but she didn't speak or shake off his hand in front of everyone.

"I think, the staff here has poor service seeing how they aren't able to satisfy their customers and even going as far as to cross the limit, flirting with someone's else fiance. I guess I will have to talk to the manager about your incompetence.'' Armaan said in a cold voice giving an icy stare to the salesman before glancing at his name tag.

The salesman kept muttering sorry but Armaan paid no heed and headed to another boutique inside the mall to which the other girls naturally followed, perplexed by the sudden change in the pace of events. Armaan still had his arm behind Sakshi's waist which she softly but firmly shook off as they came out of the boutique as to not wanting to make a scene in front of everyone.

"What the hell did you do inside, are you obsessed with showing PDA or something?" Sakshi started with clear annoyance in her voice.

Armaan didn't like the way Sakshi talked to him but still answered her calmly. "You are my soon-to-be wife, I can't let some low-life leeches stick to you," Armaan replied in a nonchalant way as if Sakshi's anger doesn't matter to him much.

Look at him and his cheekiness, just now he asked to be friends and he is back to his usual arrogance. "It was still too excessive and that guy is now going to lose his job," Sakshi said

"So? Should I have let him continue to flirt with you?" Armaan said as he folded his arms in front of his chest.

"Are you going to do that to every guy who is going to approach me? Seriously aren't you being too controlling?" Sakshi huffed with annoyance.

"Yes, I am going to keep every guy away from you with lecherous intentions and it isn't about controlling but to keep my wife safe. Now, are you going to argue with me on one of my basic duties too as your husband?" Armaan stated with one of his eyebrows arched upwards. Sakshi was rendered speechless at his firm words and couldn't find any words to retort.

Sensing the heavy silence, Nikita chimed in and supported Armaan's words by saying

"Yeah Sakshi, what Armaan did was right. That guy was actually looking at you with a dirty gaze and if not you, he would continue it with other female customers too so what he did was right for future too." Realizing her mistake, Sakshi burned red in embarrassment and shame when her friend even agreed with Armaan.

"Now now, let's look for other dresses, we will think about the bridal one later," Rupali said as she linked her arms with the other two girls and went inside the other boutique leaving Armaan and Sakshi alone for a moment. As Armaan turned to go inside as well, Sakshi held the hem of his coat and made him stop dead in his tracks.

"I am sorry, I was acting childishly...." Sakshi mumbled low enough which was barely audible but Armaan heard it all and couldn't stop his lips from twitching seeing her shy figure rushing inside the boutique. In fact, he was smiling from the moment she held the hem of his coat but held it in to not let it visible to her.

Armaan

My cute wife, my soon-to-be adorable wife.

It's going to be really hard if she is going to be naïve like this. I was busy with my phone checking important emails but the moment I heard that clerk flirting with my Sparrow, it was unbearable like how dare he does that, and of course, I lied when I said, I would keep away men with only nasty intentions from her, I will obviously keep them away along with every other guy as well.

I can't stand the presence of any other male besides me near her. Well, that's how I am, a possessive person and she will have to bear with me but now that we have become friends and started anew, I can't let her see my dark side and scare her more than now.

The girls went inside another boutique and were squealing all over the place over the new dresses. It wasn't bad to go shopping with girls once in a while but it would have been so better if it were only me and Sakshi. I saw Sakshi going inside the changing room with one of the lehengas in her hand and all the other girls were already here and there, one was also in the trial room. The other two went over to the next store selling jewelry. Girls really love shopping.

Third person's pov

As Sakshi was trying to tie the knots of her dress which was in a criss-cross pattern on her back, her slender arms ached while trying to reach a certain area to tie the remaining strings.

Tired and frustrated, she thought of asking for help from others but when she peeked out from the trial room, there was no one in sight except Armaan who was busy with his phone the next moment, he looked up, and their eyes met and they remained like that for few seconds till Sakshi snapped out of it and went urgently inside after closing the door but to her surprise, she heard a knock on the door just a few seconds later and a deep voice reverberating inside that small trial room.

"Sakshi? Is something wrong? Do you need help?" Armaan asked in hs deep voice.

"I, ah, I am not able to tie the strings of this dress. So can you please call one of the girls to help me?" Sakshi replied meekly.

"Oh! Rupali has gone to another trial room and she went with a bunch of heavy dresses so I believe, she is going to take a lot of time before coming out. Nikita and Riddhima have gone to another store and I can't even see them anymore. Do you want me to call them and interrupt their fun?" Armaan stated in a calm tone with an underlying playfulness.

"N-No don't...." Sakshi stated in a voice laced with shyness.

"Then what should we do now? Oh I know, actually, I am standing just outside and available to help you." Armaan said in a monotonous tone devoid of any excitement, happiness, or mischief but from inside, his body was getting hotter and his soul was jumping with joy.

"T-Then, can you help me...." Sakshi asked.

"Not before you unlock the door to let me in" Armaan stated.

Sakshi unlocked the door and Armaan went inside swiftly to find a disheveled Sakshi with a red hue on her face, probably due to the humidity and tight space inside, and his gaze instantly fell on her exposed back and nape through the mirror as she stood facing him with the mirror placed at her back and in front of Armaan.

"Then could you turn back so that I can help you to tie the strings," Armaan stated in a much heavier and rushed voice. Sakshi obediently turned and stood in front of the mirror with her back facing Armaan.

Armaan took the hold of those strings as he stared intently at her back and that one lascivious mole on her back. He slowly and very patiently tied those strings one by one, brushing his fingers along her soft skin purposely and staring closely at the mirror where her flushed face was visible to his hungry eyes.

Sakshi was a mess that stimulated Armaan's already throbbing heart. As he was near the end of finishing tieing the strings, he swiftly ran his finger along her spine all the while pressing on the mole, and mumbled.

"It's done, they are tied perfectly" to which Sakshi let out the breath she was holding and stepped a few steps away from him and turned to face him and both of them looked at each other without blinking their eyes.

Armaan stepped closer and tucked a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear while speaking in his low and husky voice.

"I didn't know you have a mole on your back."

"Uhh, is it strange...I mean, I have many and they are natural and are there since birth." Sakshi blurted out in a gibberish way hiding her embarrassment as she tried to widen the distance between them, stepping back but Armaan was a step faster as he held her waist and pulled her closer.

"It's not strange at all nor is it weird, more like it's attractive and evokes a sense of contest for finding where your other moles are," Armaan stated and let go of her waist while stepping back wearing his usual playful smirk.

"You will fall in those high heels if you keep stepping back like that, you may change and come outside after you are done. I will be waiting" Armaan said and left the trial room leaving a disappointed Sakshi.

What! Why am I feeling disappointed, Sakshi placed her hands on both sides of her face to feel the heat rising on her cheeks and that's how their shopping trip ended with Sakshi averting Armaan's gaze with a tint of embarrassment on her face and Armaan wearing his usual smirk whilst watching her cutely and girls were satisfied with their shopping while only Rupali noticed something unusual but didn't dare mention it.