Five Weeks by Shruti Omar (any book recommendations .txt) 📕

“What you said?” he intervened, “my room? So this place is where you are standing is my room, right?” he waved a hand around and smirked at her, “Therefore, if I want to roam in a towel, I can and if I fancy to roam naked, I can do even that.” he barked at her face, leaving her flustered.

She twitched her lips, "Disgusting!"

He didn’t reply and disappeared into the wardrobe to complete his attire. She shouted, “A girl is living with you, have some decency, Yuvraaj.”

"That girl is my wife!" he shouted back and she boiled in anger, “Then this goes both ways. Even I can roam in a towel because you are my husband and legally, this is my room as well." She uttered in hurry and slapped palm over her lips, squeezing shut her eyes. The silence fell over them and Yuvraaj peeked out from the wardrobe to stare at her, wickedly.  “I would really love to see you that way. Trust me you've just excited my imagination."

She blushed scarlet and rushed out with her phone, banging the door close. His faint laughter was still audible when she padded across the corridor to stand in the balcony. Leaning against the brick rail, she tried to channelize her hyperactive heartbeats and rubbed her cheeks to get rid of the uninvited red hue.

"Stupid! Idiot! Couldn't you shut your mouth at all? You just made yourself a fool before him and that dog is going to tease you for that all your life." She mumbled to herself, tucking her chin to her chest.

All your life? Anahita, you're with him for five weeks only. A prudent voice in her brain reminded her and she nodded, “Yeah right! I'm not going to live with that leech all my life. Only four weeks and two days has left."

Her chain of thoughts considered binding Mukund and he was dominant in her mind. She decided to call him but her phone beeped with his call and she grinned, accepting the call. “You never fail to amaze me, sweetheart. I was just thinking of you.”

"Thinking of me or missing me?"

“Of course, missing you, Mukund. Like always.” She smiled, whooping and her fingers unmindfully scraped the paint on the rail.

"That's called telepathy, baby.” He chuckled, “anyway, I've good news for you."

"Are you coming back?" she jumped in excitement but her fire was doused when she heard him stammering. “No…I mean…yes. Uh, Anu, I will come but now is not the time."

She pouted, “Then it’s not good news for me.”

“Don’t be like this, Anu.” He pleaded on the other side, “I want to share my joy with you. My project manager has recommended my name for promotion in the department. I may get a hike in the salary as well.”

He was so enthused that she could tell him that he was being so tough on her. She congratulated him with no zeal and warmth in her voice. Mukund sensed her mirthless tone and grumbled, “Anu, don’t congratulate me when you’re not happy. Okay?”

Anahita exhaled, rubbing her neck. “It's not that. I am happy, Mukund but…what do you expect from me?”

“I expected some zeal from your side but perhaps, I was wrong to keep expectation from you.” he expressed his disapproval and she felt her anger resurfacing, “You know what? Sometimes, I feel stupid to trust you. You just can't understand what's going on with me here. Mukund, I'm happy but I am not in a position to praise you. You have bigger commitments towards me than this shitty job. How am I able to congratulate you when I know that you will probably busier after promotion and I am swamped here?”

“I am sorry,” he gave her the recorded reply and she grunted, “Sorry, my ass! Just tell me if you’re not going to return, I will at least try to befriend the enemy.”

“You are talking about your husband, right?”

“Who else is my enemy here?”

He breathed deeply through his nose before his warning rang in her ears, “if you dare to do anything with him, you will face consequences. Don’t even think of allowing him near you, okay?”

“Why?” she argued, “and who the shit are you to command me? You can’t get possessive of me when you’re not here to be with me. If you don’t want me to do anything with him, just come and take me away.”

“Or else?”

“We’ll be making babies by the time you cut the call.” She smirked, diabolically and he hissed, “Anu?”

She flicked away from her shoulder, “Okay, fine. I won’t touch him. But, please take me away from here, Mukund, this home is suffocating me.” her eyes welled up as she looked around. Deception wasn’t her thing but she couldn’t just open her mouth and hurt everyone. She knew after she left, Mrs. Prakash would hate her same as her mother.

"I will come back soon but don't let him touch you." She sighed at his possessiveness. Who will say that he forced her to get married to another man?

“I love you, Anu.” He confessed and her lips automatically split into a smile. “I love you too, Mukund.”

They talked a few minutes satisfying each other that nothing important was left uncovered. She was about to hung up when he reminded her of something and she played innocent, suppressing her laugh.

“Anu please…” he coaxed her, mumbling and she laughed, bringing the phone closer to her lips and smacked a kiss. “Happy?”

“You can’t imagine!” she heard his dreamy sigh and drew the call to an end. As she spun to her heels, her smile wore off. Yuvraaj was standing there with a grim on his face and hands jammed in his pants. She took a step ahead and he strode away, giving her a scathing glance.

She made a face, “Now what has bitten him? Ugh! Why with me?” She shook her head and followed him to their bedroom. She saw him flaring his nostrils like a raged bull, ready to crash into her. She cleared her throat and he glared at her. Striding to her, he roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her inside before bolting the door.

"What the hell, Yuvraaj?" Anahita shouted, rubbing her arm.