Chapter 17: Chapter 17

The refined sunbeams crawled in their suite through silk curtains, lightening up each and every corner. Two souls wrapped in the sheet of deep slumber stirred slowly as sense started trapping them, Anahita was the one who woke up first and blinked rapidly to register the surroundings. Yawning, she tried to get up but substantial weight over her waist and on left shoulder refrained her.

She craned her neck to the east and noticed the most tempting sight of the morning; her arrogant husband was sleeping peacefully with his limbs all over her. Her curves widened involuntarily as she scrutinized his upturned straight nose right above his upper lip which was perfectly etched in deep bow, screaming pretension. His fanned lashes on his cheeks and thick tufts of black hair on his forehead. His breathing coming out even and his svelte arm around her petite waist, depicted how much he wanted to secure her with him but his next action broke all her reverie as he stirred and moved closer. He nuzzled his nose in her neck, making her paranoid for a moment.

It took Anahita one minute twelve seconds to find her breath and respire. She uplifted her hand and gently untangled herself from him without waking him up. She jumped on to her feet stretched her sluggish arms. Barefooted, she dragged her feet to the window and opened the blinds, letting the fresh air trespass the suite and dole out the precious conditioned air. Comparative to India, Italy was quite chilling in the beginning of July. It was a relief to her. She hugged herself closing her eyes and inhaled the seven am breeze with a goofy smile spreading across her lips. She slowly opened her eyes, enjoying the picturesque backdrop. It was in her wish list to visit Rome once but then she secured the destination for her honeymoon and when she planned all of it, Yuvraaj was never a part of this blissful plan.

Her notions churning up in her mind dropped her smile. She recalled his dicey her life had became. The puzzle of her fate was missing pieces, Anahita was having a hard time finding them and rearranging them to fix upon right place but she was doing it wrong every single time.

She wanted Mukund but he was nowhere and Yuvraaj, the man she hated with guts, was everywhere. Her parents hated her and the mere thought snatched her peace of mind.

She glanced at the sleeping figure of Yuvraaj and sighed, even he is using me to keep his family happy. She shook her head, shooing the thoughts away and headed to the washroom.

"Let's go! We have our flight in an hour." Yuvraaj said, tying his shoelace and finger combed his slightly damp hair pacing past her to take his shades, "Order something here or you wanna go out?"

"First tell me, where are we going? You said Italy, right? Now where?" She popped the question confused, rubbing her hands.

"You're dumb. Ain't you?" He mocked, making her frown, "Come let's go for breakfast." He clasped her palm with her and dragged her out with him. Though Anahita had a lot to oppose. For instance, how he was liberated to drag her out with him, how he was not allowed to behave as if nothing were wrong between them but she waited. She was too famished to inaugurata a complete useless fight with him over such petty issues empty bellied. Exhaustion was still looming over her. They reached the cafeteria and like a gentleman, Yuvraaj pulled seat for her, nodding his eyes at her to sit.

"I never knew you were a gentleman? Chivalric and all!" She jested and Yuvraaj scoffed, taking his seat opposite to her, "That's because you never knew me. Chivalry run in my blood except I'm too stubborn to perform."

"Ah! That's the key. You're stubborn all the time." She taunted back, dawdling up and Yuvraaj passed her the menu card, ignoring her demeaning comment, "Order something."

"Alright!" She stretched, skimming through the menu and made a list of order with two cappuccino, two club sandwiches and Italian salad. As she was done placing order, Yuvraaj interjected, adding his choice.

"One cappuccino, one black coffee, two club sandwiches, omelette of two eggs and Italian salad." He corrected and nodded at the waiter to leave.

"You could've discussed with me about the order, you know, there was no need to behave a schmuck." Anahita pressed her lips thin, complaining. Small fringes crawled over her forehead. Yuvraaj exhaled leaning back on his chair, an evil thought trespassing his mind. "Wanted to know your taste, as usual, you didn't disappoint me. Your choice sucks."

"Haan! As if you have very great taste. Black coffee, seriously?" She ridiculed, playing with tablecloth, "Wow! This is so soft. They use chiffon!"

"Charmeuse!" He corrected her and she squinted her eyebrows, showcasing her query on her face itself.

"They use charmeuse. There's a difference between chiffon and charmeuse fabric." He explained.

Anahita faked a yawn, "Thanks for the info but not needed. I care least of it. Tch! Why are they taking so much time? It doesn't take half an hour for a cup of coffee and salad."

Yuvraaj was quietly observing her antics, interdigitating his fingers and placing his elbows on the table. His mind contemplated on kissing her once again but he knew it was a euthanasia. He still had to fill her in about last night but his mind suggested otherwise.

Anahita's eyes met his.

Yuvraaj rubbed his five o'clock, chuckling at her. "You realise you're not alone here, Your Highness. They have other customers to take care of."

"Yeah, whatever!" She pouted, rolling her eyes.

The same pair of lips swept his attention, he found himself staring at them. "You slept well?"

"Um..yeah and thank you for last night." Anahita mumbled, tucking her hair behind her ear and peeped at him through his lashes, "I was really exhausted and thanks for not dropping me on the sofa, being your selfish-self that you are, and taking me to the room."

Yuvraaj chuckled throatily at the absurd way she had felicitated him and composing himself, he leaned forward, maintaining a heartwarming eye lock with her, certainly refraining her to look away or not even letting her blink.

His voice came out husky and he smirked, wickedly, "Don't thank me. I never do favours, I took my part of pleasure being the selfish-self as you call me."

"What?" Unable to comprehend what his words meant, Anahita manifested confusion and Yuvraaj rolled his eyes, "Nothing. You are not that smart to purport. Enjoy your sandwich." He resumed to his position, noticing the waiter approaching them.

Anahita didn't nag much, his words had always been cryptic and his actions enigmatic. Danger, that's what she smelled whenever Yuvraaj was near her and to shield herself from this 'Lochness monster' there was probably nothing that she wouldn't assort to, with a view to get rid of.

Finishing their breakfast, Yuvraaj filled her in about the further journey to Sardinia.

"Is this important to go there? I mean we can stay here, obviously, it is not real honeymoon." She broached up as if it didn't matter to her unknowingly hurting Yuvraaj's feelings deep inside.

"This might not be a real honeymoon but since my family has invested so much money to make this trip memorable for us, we will go. You may not care about anyone but my family is what matters to me the most, so I will not hurt their emotions, not even unintentionally." He expatiated and paced up, leaving her dumbstruck behind.

Have you ever seen the ocean's surface before the tsunami? It remains calmest and then, abruptly, a tide would high-up and engulfs the burg near ocean. Yuvraaj was the ocean in his marriage and his bottled up emotions are tsunami tide, it scared Anahita that he would mark her Apocalypse.

Many of time, his words had scratched her, wounded her, made her face the harsh reality that she was nothing but a selfish bitch. His unconditional love for his family and the sacrifice he was making being stick to her made her heart clench in guilt. She was doing injustice with everyone.

Slumping her shoulders down, she followed him quietly to the suite. Meanwhile, Yuvraaj left to deal with the formalities of checking out.

"Shit! My phone!" She slapped her forehead and groped her cellphone on the bedside table. She sighed, noticing it was switched off. She switched it one and gasped noticing fifty missed calls from Mukund.

"This man is schizoid." She muttered while dialing his number and waited for him to pick up, "Are you nuts Mukund?? Fifty missed calls?" She whisper yelled as he picked up her call.

"Why the hell was your phone switched off? What were you doing? Do you have any idea how tensed I was? I thought Yuvraaj caused you some harm. Couldn't you just call me back once, you fool?" Mukund yelled back, bombarding her with questions.

Anahita distanced the cellphone from her ear, "Relax. I am perfectly fine. Yuvraaj is a dog but he wouldn't bite me because I can always complain to his mom. So, chill! He is not going to harm me but I am surprised. I thought you didn't care for me."

"Shut up!" He snorted.

Anahita smiled dreamily at his concerned tone, the traces of guilt that had captivated her heart were washed off. This man was worth her each and every sacrifice.

"I'm sorry baby. I was exhausted last night. I didn't even know when my phone discharged. I am sorry." She crooned and Mukund cleared his throat, "Exhausted? Why?"

"Oh!" She slaps her forehead, "I forgot to tell you. I'm in Italy, actually, heading to some island here. I don't know...mafonia...Adonia...no...er...Sardinia. Yeah, Sardinia."

"What the hell are you doing there?" Mukund asked frustratedly, "I just left you for one week and you flew to Sardinia. Who is with you? Yuvraaj! You're enjoying your honeymoon?"

"Trust Me Mukund, I didn't want to come, I never wanted. I even sprained my leg to get rid of it but Yuvraaj just forced me. He forced me to come with him." She explained, exasperatingly.

"And you agreed? Ha! How convincing, Anahita. I never thought you were so easy to played upon. He tricked you in and you followed him like a puppy wagging your tail." Mukund's disrespecting words made her fist clenched.

"Watch your words mukund. You were not in my place, so you didn't —"

"Shut up! You have no spine to accept that you too wanted to go. Oh please Anahita! There must've been several ways to avoid this situation but you had not tried probably." He blamed her. Anahita rubbed her forehead, trying to calm her throbbing nerve.

"Yes I did. I wanted to come here. So what?" She challenged him, "Who the fuck are you to tell me anything? If you cared for me so much, you should have never left me alone and ran away like a coward, you bastard."

"Don't play this, alright. Don't foist your own incapabilities and weaknesses on me. Is this how you're going to handle things after our marriage?" Mukund snubbed, "Here, I am making future for both of us and you're enjoying there with that sonuvabitch whom you've always claimed to hate."

Anahita greeted her teeth, "Yes, he is a sonuvabitch. Yes, I hate him but at least he is a man Mukund who doesn't dump the people he love just because he has no balls to be with them like you."

"Anahita..."

"Zip up! Not a word. I thought you would be missing me, I thought you cared for me, I thought, at least, you believed me but I was wrong. You are selfish Mukund. I hate you. I hate you more than I hate Yuvraaj." She breathed heavily, cursing him in row.

There was two minutes silence. Only rash breathing were communicating through the speakers.

"I am sorry. I went too far. It's all my fault. I can't see you with another man anu. I am sorry." Mukund meddled softness in his tone. "I trust you baby. I do. It is just, trying to picture you with another man, is heart stabbing for me. I feel someone has walloped me with a dagger and keep twisting it whenever I assume you must be happy with him."

"I am not happy with him. I can't be happy without you Mukund. I staked everything with you, how can you think like that, baby?" She reassured him, trying to ease out his insecurities. She knew that he was not completely wrong, she would've acted the same way if she were in his place.

"I love you Mukund. I just love you. No one is going to take your place ever. Trust me. It's good we are here because I was suffocating in his house." She said recalling how her heart ached every time when she saw how lovingly everyone treated her but she was just playing with her feelings. She needed to get out of there.

Mukund sighed, understanding her turmoil, "Alright. I am sorry, I just crossed my limits, I am so sorry baby."

"That's alright." She smiled, halfheartedly.

"Anahita.." He called cautiously, "Do not let him touch you. Do not let him come near you."

Anahita didn't like the way he threatened her with words but still nodded, "I won't. I will not let him touch me."

"That's like my baby." Mukund chirped but Anahita didn't feel happy, How can he ask me something like that, doesn't he trust me?

"Mukund. I will talk to you later. Bye." She hung up without hearing his response. She exhaled exhausted and cracked her neck, rubbing her shoulder. As she turned, her eyes widened witnessing Yuvraaj who was showering her with the look she couldn't recognise. He had masked his emotions and Anahita hadn't learnt the language of eyes.

She was sure that he must've heard her, an unknown bug to explain to him bit her.

"Yuvraaj... I.."

"Rush out, we need to move. The cab is waiting." He said coldly, picking his luggage and moved out. Anahita slammed her face and cringed. She had no idea how would he react. Honestly, she would've liked if he had fought with her or even clamored but he silence haunted her much.