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

Making a face, Yuvraaj pulled her next to him with his good hand and tapped her head, "It is not liquor. It is wine with the minimum alcohol contents. Even you won't get drunk if you gulp down half of it, let alone me."

He flipped two stemware glasses and poured Cheverny a medium low alcohol white sparkling wine, and Anahita eyed the spume on the surface, fascinatingly.

"This is the best wine of this category, exported from Sauvignon Blanc from Loire, France and it is made with less sweet grapes." He informed her, boosting about his acumen and she rolled her eyes, she wasn't at all interested in knowing where this wine was made and how.

She swallowed nervously, staring at the glass when Yuvraaj extended it to her. "Drink it girl!" He emboldened her and took a long swig of his share.

Wrapping her fingers on the cold glass, she tasted it squinting her eyes ready to spurt it if the taste didn't suit her. But, to her surprise, it was not at all that worst as she had expected. It was a bit sweet and citrusy on her tongue, it smelled like fermented grapes. Over all, it was a great experience.

"How's it?"

"Not as bad as I thought. Can I get some more?" She smiled cheekily, forwarding her glass and Yuvraaj retreated the bottle from the table, hiding it behind his back, "If I am not wrong, you hate drunkards and now you're demanding more liquor.”

She punched his bicep lightly. “Don't be presumptuous! Give it to me."

“Okay,” he filled her glass and she giggled, “Don't tell Aai! She will be very upset with me." She giggled, sipping the wine.

Yuvraaj smirked, "Do you think I fill my mom about what goes behind closed door? It's you."

She narrowed her eyes, pressing the glass on her lips and swallowed, "I want to ask you something Yuvraaj."

"Go on!"

"Where did you learn this shamelessness?" She posed a fake smile, "I mean I can't even understand how you can be so shameless? Starting from day one, I haven't held myself back to show my unlikeness towards your attitude yet you manage to...."

She was trying to complete her sentence when he tugged her wrist and pulled her over him, holding her chin between two fingers, gazing straight through her eyes.

"It's because a man is allowed to be savage and shameless with his wife. Do you not like when I do this?" He made his fingers crawl under her top and pinched her waist, scrutinizing her face.

"Do you not enjoy when I do this?" He sniffed her hair, "Doesn't your heartbeats pace up? Doesn’t your cheeks burn up and turn into deep shade of red? Don't you feel to stay in my arms forever?"

She was unblinkingly gawking at him, subjecting herself to the sweet torture he put her through but her gazing was short lived as Yuvraaj retreated, smirking, "Did you think I will ask this?"

Frowning she moves back, "Even if you had, my answer would've been a straightforward no. Because, that's the truth. You are a self-centered, self proclaimed j..."

"Women in our household don't openly call their husband names. You need to learn a lot and I am wondering why mom praised about you?" He reminded her.

"Whatever." She put her glass on the table and stood up, "It's already very late. Let's sleep! we've a lot of things to do tomorrow."

"Like what?" Yuvraaj tilted his glass, "Getting lost again?"

"It was your fault. You won't be that lucky every time." She blamed, padding to the bed and slipped under duvet when his remark had her astonished, "I've been lucky since I got married to you."

His words made her snap her head at him and she scrutinized his face to smell out if he was already drunk. The arrogant and self-centered person he was, wouldn't probably praise her yet the man before her, staring straight in her eyes was not lying either.

"You have no idea when I found you nowhere, I forgot to breath for a moment. I thought I lost you for good and alone the thought was so scary that I shivered." He confessed, feeling lighthearted, "I am not asking you to be with me forever without your will, just complete me till you are here."

A lone tear slipped from her eyes as she traced the hurt in his voice. She had disappointed everyone, from her family to his family but the person who was suffering the most or who would suffer the most, was Yuvraaj. She didn't like him for his attitude but she was no one to play with his emotions. He got married to her with all his heart and soul and she was incapable of giving either of them.

"I am sorry, Yuvraaj." She finally said the words she was longing to say. Her mind made a mental note that it was wine's effect. A sane Yuvraaj would never confess something like that.

He sounded Needy. Craved.

"You don't have to be. Now I know the circumstances you were in, I can easily decipher how hard it would've been for you and I, no longer, hold any grudges for you. I want my wife for these remaining days. I want you." He beheld her gaze and tramped to her. "Let's not fight anymore, let's not hurt each other. Let's try to stay happy. Can I have this? Can I have the pleasure to cherish my wife for next twenty days, Anahita?"

His voice jingled with the fear of rejection. A feeling he hadn't experience before, a fear which was gripping his bones, a longing for her answer.

"Will I have the power over your credit cards then?" She whispered slowly, beginning with the question she wanted to demand since the time he pointed out of the biggest glitch between them.

A hearty chuckle escaped from his mouth as he heard her and he nodded, caressing her cheek. "You will have the power over everything. Now, will you answer me?"