FORTUNATE BRIDE?

/5/ THIS HURTS

Niti stirred a little and then looked over at the beautiful man lying beside her. The sun rays fell beautifully on his chiseled jaw, even the nature aided in glorifying his magnificence. Xander too woke up as he felt her gaze upon himself, so he opened his eyes eventually and gaped straight at Niti who was still lying bare in the blanket with him.

While he was immersed in a deep sleep, Niti, couldn’t help but appreciate the charms of her handsome husband. He had tousled dark brown hair, which were thick and lustrous. His eyes were a mesmerising deep ocean blue, flecks of silvery light performed ballets throughout. His face was strong and defined, his features molded from granite. He had dark eye brows, which sloped downwards in a serious expression. His usually playful smile had drawn into a hard line across his face. His perfect lips ripe for the kissing. He soon woke up from the intense stare. His strong hands, slightly rough from working, held Niti's as he stared deep into her eyes.

She couldn't help but blush. His smile etched its way back into his face. His body was warm and toned as he hugged her, comforting to the touch. His voice was deep, with a serious tone. His lips brushed her ear as he spoke, "I really do love you." Aaradhya gleamed as a tear came streaming down her cheek. Xander cupped her cheeks and asked, “Honey, why did you cry? Was I too rough the other night?”

Niti wiggled her head to express her dismay and said while hugging him, “I am really grateful for this marriage, for you and everything that happened between us. I am blessed.” As her chest collided with his, she realized she wasn’t actually wearing anything. So, she backed off and said while keeping her hands over her mouth, “I am sorry!”

Her eyes were closed while her hands that snatched the comforter from Xander, pitifully shivered. Xander chuckled as he grabbed her jaw and exclaimed, “This is the beginning honey. From the day I laid my eyes on you, I had planned everything that I would to do to you.” Niti couldn’t clearly fathom what he meant. So, she queried, “What is it that you’re implying, hubby?”

Xander chuckled as he grabbed her throat and let out, “No, it’s only master!” Niti’s eyes widened as she was stunned to see him act so strange abruptly. He had a disturbing smile upon his gnarled face. Aaradhya threw her arms as the passage of air was blocked by Xander who had his hands on her throat.

After taking delight in watching her struggle, Xander finally let go and spoke up, “I am sorry, wifey. I guess I just get carried away at times while having fun.” Niti panted as she struggled to catch her breath and mumbled, “This wasn’t fun... You...were hurting me.”

Xander smiled sheepishly and didn’t answer her. He just went away to the bathroom to take a shower while instruction her, “Don’t go anywhere. Wait for me in the bed only.” Aaradhya was bewildered to catch a glimpse of him acting so bizarre. She instantly knew something wasn’t quite right about him.

‘But, what can I do? I am his wife. It’s my duty to obey, I guess. That's what I was told,’ Aaradhya muttered as she got out of the bed and wore her saree back. She observed that he wasn’t around, so, she sneaked away to the adjacent room and looked for her phone. As she got the hold of it, she tried calling the head nurse, Lorraine. As she dialled her number, she realized her phone lacked the sim card.

While tapping her chin with her index finger, Niti thought carefully and concluded, “I don’t remember taking the sim card out of the mobile. Who could’ve done that? I guess, now I have no choice but to ask for his phone now!”

After being defeated over not being able to find the sim card even in her luggage, Niti decided that she had to muster up the courage to ask Xander for letting her call the head nurse.

The moment Niti got back into the room, she observed Xander struggling to tie his necktie around the neck. Since she used to be in her uniform most of the time in the orphanage, she thought of helping him. So, she approached him gently from behind and tapped upon his shoulder. His concentration was fixated on his reflection in the mirror, especially upon his face. So, he didn’t bother to answer her. She, then called out his name. Not being able to concentrate at all, he finally turned around and twisted his face as he let out, “Darling, you haven’t bathed yet, right?”

Niti lowered her gaze to the floor as she admitted, ‘I, actually... you were in the bathroom. So, that’s why.” Xander smiled as he pulled her towards him through her waist. Niti glimmered but was severely uncomfortable while Xander placed his palm upon her face and caressed it gently.

Niti grew more anxious as she let out, “I actually wanted to help you in...” He didn’t let her complete her statement, and ended up giving her a tight slap upon her face. Her eyes widened in shock as she struggled to make meaning of his action, “Y... You slapped me!”

Xander remarked as he threw his blazer upon her face, “Don't you ever dare to touch me with those filthy hands of yours.” Niti took the blazer off her face and threw it back on his face as she acclaimed, “You t... touched me yesterday. You’re just as filthy!” Niti's remark was a huge blow to his pride. He couldn’t bear the fact that a mere orphan tried to stand up to him.

He gritted his teeth as his cold blue eyes gazed at her dark chestnut eyes. She was shivering by his mere gaze. He laughed at the fact that the lengths to which he could go to destroy the young woman was unknown to her.

Xander while observing her trembling went closer to Niti as he explained, “I don’t intend on hurting you. I’m a gentleman.” Niti who extremely distrustful of his intentions, stepped back a little. He brought his hands over to her neck and yelled, “Stop moving, my lifeline.”

“L ... lifeline?” Niti spoke out as she looked into his brazen eyes. He didn’t respond, but stated like a lunatic. The room was silent until he unexpectedly let out a chuckle. He then grabbed her throat once again and threw her on the bed with tremendous force.

“Ahhhh...!!” Niti articulated after falling on the bed and hurting her back. Niti was moreover bewildered to see him eyeing her like a hawk. But was in too much pain to object. She stirred continuously due to the pain in her lower back as she exclaimed, “No, stop it, Xander! .. Please, I am your wife.”

His long strands fell over his face while his eyes screamed madness. Niti couldn’t understand what she had done to make him so mad. She, nevertheless, stood and tried to reason with him, “I am really sorry that I ended up hurting you, but please don’t do anything to me. I even ended up hurting my back.”

Xander had a concerned look over his face as he approached her. Though, he seemed to have calmed down, Niti still crawled back a little when he sat next to her. He placed his hand over her thigh, and spoke, “See, I have a really low tolerance for bullshit and people that don’t follow the instructions. Since you are a new addition to the family, I will not punish you today. But, if you were to repeat that behaviour again, I will be forced to straighten you out!”

Niti gave a faint nod as a tear came streaming down her cheek. The moment Xander brought his hand closer to her face, she cupped her cheeks with her own hands. Nevertheless, he placed his hand over her head, and enquired, “Did you understand clearly what I instructed you?” Niti wiped the tears off her cheek as she said, “Yes, I did.”

Xander held the woken in his shoulders as he confessed, “I wasn’t lying when I said I love you, my lifeline. I’d rather die than see you getting hurt, but you know, it infuriates me to even think that my own wife doesn’t abide by what I tell her. So, be careful from now on.” Niti still wasn’t fully convinced with what she had done that made him so mad, but she figured asking him won’t do the trick as well.

He instructed her to bathe as well while wore another blazer. Niti was always taught by her mother (when she was able) that it’s a wife’s job to look out for the happiness and satisfaction of her husband. Niti always used to address the same issue repeatedly to get mother, ‘Then, what about the husband? He doesn’t do anything?’ Her mother always used to gave her the same response, ‘A woman lives and dies for the sake of her family. Her wants and needs are secondary to her husband's.’

Having been grown with the same thought process, Niti couldn’t fathom what was happening with her. She thought it was normal for husbands to be greedy and selfish.

After grabbing a fresh pair of saree, Niti went over to the bathroom and locked the door from the inside. As she removed her clothes, a sudden click sound grabbed her attention.

‘I locked the door from inside already. Why do I feel like I heard the same sound of the door being locked again? ... It’s really strange,’ Niti mumbled while grabbing the loofah and the body wash. As she twisted the nozzle in order to turn on the shower, she realized there was no water in it. She didn’t understand what was going on. However, she thought of grabbing her stuff and moving over to the washroom of the other room.

As she moved towards the door, she confessed, “The villa is packed with several rooms. Nobody would mind if I’d use the bathroom of the other one, I guess.” As she grabbed the handle of the door, and twisted it to open, she realized it had been locked from outside as well.

As she pushed the door sternly, she heard a cackle. From the voice, it was clear that it was a man. She knocked on the door while twisting the handle constantly and called out his name, “Xander, the door has been jammed.. Could you open it up for me? Please... I’m cold!”

As it was still January, the weather in Manali was extremely cold. After getting no response from Xander, she went beneath the shower and wondered, “What is happening? This place a weird!”

She called out Xander's name all over again. As it was Sunday, even the housemaid wasn’t home. Feeling defeated, she perched beneath the shower. As she borough her knees closer to bee chest, and rested her heavy mind upon her knees, a wave of cold water came streaming down over her head.

“Aaaahhhhh!” Niti screamed as the frigid frosting water drenched her completely and numbed her senses. She couldn’t even garner the strength to wake up. So, she crawled out of the shower and mumbled, “Xander, help!”

While she lied listless on the floor, a person blurted out in a hoarse voice, “This is what you get for fronting me. I thought you had more guys before. This won’t do. You need to fight some more, Niti!”

Niti's whole body ached as she spoke, “Open the door Xander. It’s so cold. I will die if you won’t hurry up!”

Pleased with what he had done to her, Xander let out, “Now, that you’re my wife. You need to learn the rules that you must follow, I mean every wife must follow to appease her husband.” Since, he couldn’t heard any response, he unlocked the door and went inside.

He smiled to see Niti on the cold floor shivering in the fetus position. He removed the bathing robe off her, and carried her totally bare over to the bed in his arms. He covered her with the comforter and brought his face closer to hers. Aaradhya eyes filled with fear as he grabbed her jaw and whispered to her, “The very first thing that you need to know about you husband is that I don’t ‘Forgive’. There’s always punishment waiting for those who don’t follow through the rules. Since this was your first time, that’s why I let you off the hook easily.”

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

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