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He stood before me, visibly torn, still searching for the right words to justify his failure to keep the promise.
“I don’t like this either, Vishnu, but—” he paused, “there’s so much I want to give you, but—”
“Just a request,” I interjected, my jaw clenched. “If I may ask that much from you.”
He nodded.
“Never make promises to me again,” I demanded, my tone resolute. “I can manage the rest.”
Tears welled in his eyes, but I didn’t wait to witness them spilling over.
“I’m commencing my duties today, Sir,” I stated deliberately, pausing at the end of my sentence. With that, I turned back and walked out of his study.
That was the day when the meaning of the word ‘Dad’ lost all its relevance for me. It was no longer a term meant for me to address someone.
The sharp light coming from the vehicle on the opposite side of the road breaks my reverie, and that’s when I notice the tears that have soaked the front of my shirt. I was crying, a sign of my weakness, something I’d vowed never to show, even to my own self.
CHAPTER 6
AYAAN
Next Day – Shergill Mansion
The soft morning light filters through the floor-to-ceiling window as I bend down the kitchen island, carefully retrieving a plate of freshly baked chocolate brownies from the oven. They’re Meher’s absolute favourite, and today, I’ve prepared them with extra care, a little surprise to brighten my queen’s day.
Her mood has been rather sombre, and it’s bothering me. The revelations about the Walia family, especially her father’s long-held secrets, have shaken her to the core. Her emotions are a tangled mess, and I can’t blame her. What’s troubling her isn’t that Vishnu is her half-brother, but the fact that her own father, Pratap Walia, hid this truth from her for so many years. I can’t help but feel for her. Meher did deserve to know the truth.
Resting the brownies over the counter, their rich aroma fills the kitchen. I now plan to elevate these delectable treats with a generous drizzle of warm, velvety chocolate sauce. I know she’ll love this extra chocolate. In fact, I can already picture the gleeful smile on her face. It would be an additional treat if I could smear this chocolate sauce from her lips to that sensitive spot on her neck, kissing and licking it off all the way. Huh! A man can just hope!
Last night was our second night together as a married couple, but it turned out to be very different from what we had hoped for. The weight of those secrets hidden within the gift boxes Raghav gave us lingered heavily in the air. We were both emotionally and mentally drained, and the thought of being intimate was beyond us. However, I was grateful that despite her annoyance, Meher allowed me to cuddle her as we drifted into a restless sleep.
But today is a new day, and these brownies are my way of expressing how much she means to me. It’s the first step in mending the unintentional mistakes that have crept into our relationship again. I’m determined to bridge the emotional gap that’s suddenly emerged between us. With a confident smile, I start topping the brownies with the sauce. Meher is my queen, and she deserves to be pampered and loved in every way. These brownies are only the beginning.
As I am almost done drizzling chocolate sauce over the brownies, I hear the unmistakable sound of someone clearing their throat. I glance over my shoulder and find Krish standing in the doorway, his eyes dancing with amusement. It looks like my best friend has found a new opportunity to tease me.
Krish sees me and starts laughing, “I knew about the tradition where the new bride cooks something sweet for her in-laws. But I never imagined that this tradition also extended to the new groom, especially in his own house.”
I roll my eyes at his comment.
“Shut up, Krish.”
He steps inside the kitchen, still grinning.
“No, seriously, why are you baking this morning?”
I sigh and decide to confide in him, knowing he’ll understand. “That’s my way of making up with my wife. You know Meher is angry with me. I have to cheer her up.”
Krish chuckles, trying not to laugh openly.
“Didn’t I suggest ordering her favourite dishes to cheer her up in the past instead of you cooking them yourself and wasting your time?” he teases.
I clench my jaw, irked by his taunts, and defend my actions.
“This is not ‘wasting my time’. This is called love. You wouldn’t understand it until you fall in love.”
Krish smirks, fully aware that he’s pushing my buttons, and retorts, “Oh, come on. I think Meher is overreacting. I know you made a mistake by hiding that fact from her, but you said sorry. She should have accepted your apology. You know what I think, buddy? She is, after all, the queen, and when a queen is also a wife, it doesn’t take time for her to make the king dance to her tunes. She just wants you to do everything for her.”
I frown at Krish’s words.
