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

"I hate you, Yuvraaj. I hate you so much for making me feel this way. I will make you pay for this, you bloody swine." She glared at the direction where Yuvraaj went to. "Ruler; huh, 'I'm the rules, here' this is what you've said, ha?" She mimicked him and crossed her arms, smirking, "Let's swap the positions because you're dealing with Anahita Maurya."

***

"Ah! That's... hurting me." Anahita whimpered, wiping her tears constantly while Yuvraaj massaged her swollen feet, pressing circles on the bluish blotch of blood.

"Stop whimpering in my ear, okay." He disparaged, gruffly, causing her to jump slightly in fear and cry more. The pain was more than she expected. Her tears bounced on her cheeks incessantly.

"Stop scolding her and apply the ointment." Mrs. Prakash chided kissing Anahita's forehead and draped her in embrace. "Don't worry, it won't pain much."

"Why don't you ask her why she skipped stairs even after being sighted?" Yuvraaj probed, glaring Anahita and pressed her swelling, evoking her scream.

"Ah! Ma." She cried again when he rubbed her foot, applying little pressure on it, "Aai. It's hurting." She clutched tightly on to her mother-in-law and tried to pull her leg back.

"Done. It's almost done, baby." Mrs. Prakash rubbed her arm and shouted at Yuvraaj, "Be careful, Yuvraaj. It's hurting her."

"I am doing how it is done. If she is capable of doing it herself, I will leave."

Anahita groaned inwardly, pushing tears from the back of her palm. It was stupid, extremely stupid to follow some extraordinarily crap games they show in soap opera. She thought if she will hurt herself, the trip would be canceled. Except, she hadn't bargained for some serious ankle-sprain and now, she was crying in pain because her ankle had been slightly swollen and blue blotch of blood clot was there. Another aspect of her pain was her husband. The jerk was rubbing her foot making sure to hurt her more.

"Done!" He muttered wrapping crepe bandage around her injured foot. He picked her up in his arms swiftly and padded towards his room. "Mom, I am taking her upstairs."

He carefully deposited her on the bed and put the pillow behind her back.

"Thank you!" Anahita whispered, knotting her fingers on lap.

"Don't step down. It will hurt you." he said, fixing comforter over her. She bobbed her head up and down obediently. Letting out a relaxed sigh, she thanked god that this huge damage was paying her. Somehow, she managed to cancel the honeymoon.

"And tell me what you need, so that I can finish your packing." He closed the door and plopped on the couch. "I can tell Aai to do your packing if you don't want me to touch your belongings."

"Packing?" Anahita choked. "Where are we going? I am injured."

Wasn't that the whole object of getting hurt deliberately? She wanted to shout. He stared at her keeping his fingers steeple upon his lips. They turned up slightly. "You can fool others but you are too dimwit to fool me."

"What do you..."

"Even if you're on wheelchair, this honeymoon wouldn't be canceled."

Anahita gaped at him shocked. "So you mean we are going?"

He pressed his lip laughing, "What do you think that you'll deliberately miss two steps to show some kinky ninja moves and no one will know?"

"I slipped." She lied, looking away.

He tilted his face to look at her and smirked, walking up to her. Crouching low, he seized her chin between his fingertips, scrutinizing her eyes. "They..." He whispered, pointing at her eyes. "They never lie to me. They can hide but they can't lie."

Anahita blinked.

"You don't meet gaze when you lie and that was what you did every time you lied. You blink severely when you hide something and you have blinked millionth times since we got married." he explained, getting up.

"What are you? How can you know this much?" She asked with her jaw dropping.

"You are not the only one who was getting married to me. I had to do my homework as well." Yuvraaj shrugged, "Anyway, get well soon wife because the honeymoon is still on."

The whole day wended up with Anahita on the bed and Yuvraaj trying to finish as much work as he could to enjoy a few days of relaxation. Mr. And Mrs. Prakash had already made arrangements for their departure and the rolling hours only made Anahita anxious. With her injured foot, she wasn't able to think and execute plans of escape and no one in the house was probably going to help her. It was a case of clear defeat. The pleasant look on Yuvraaj's face was growing on and on while on the other hand, Anahita was sulking.

It had been a week since their marriage and all the guests had dispersed. Dining table of Prakash Villa was oddly silent. Only the noises of cutlery tingling together and the water that was poured into the glass, was audible. There were no talking, no giggling and nothing. Everyone was just playing dead.

And this sickening silence reminds me of my boarding school. Anahita thought making a face; her eyes were glued to the plate that was full of Fish Curry, fried ladyfingers, salad and chapatti. She toyed with the food whereas her mind was busy thinking how to get rid of this unwanted problem named 'Honeymoon'.

"Lata! Haven't you mad anything of her liking?" Mr. Prakash asked looking at Anahita.

"She helped me in the kitchen herself." Mrs. Prakash turned to Anahita, "What happened? Why are you not eating anything? Is your foot hurting a lot?"

"Her foot is fine mom. I took her to the hospital for the X-ray and it was clear. There's nothing wrong with her foot." Yuvraaj inserted quickly.

Anahita glared him for a moment and turned to her mother-in-law. "I am perfectly fine, Aai."

"Then why everyone is so silent?" Mr. Prakash queried.