Hurt

"She smiled at me sweetly and once I was lured in, sliced my hand instead. I was bleeding, but she just examined me with curiosity."

"Then this continued and only intensified. She didn't let me go to school or play with anyone. She tied me up in the basement every time Sharan or I did something wrong. Sometimes she burnt me with hot ladles. She beat the sh*t out of me just for fun too.", Riya laughed sadly.

Dhruv felt bad for her but only nodded.

"Sharan was too small and mostly at caretaker's place. So, I was her experiment. At first, I thought I could change her by talking some sense into her, because funnily, I still loved her. When that blew up on my face, I thought someone will come to my rescue. But she never let me talk to dad or go outside. So, one day I sneaked when she was sleeping and called dad, but he scolded me and sounded skeptical."

"That's when I took things into my own hands. I remember that day. She was going to punish me for wearing a dress I chose instead of the one she picked. So, she approached me with a hot ladle. I planned it right and pulled the carpet from under her legs. I only wanted to disarm her, but she fell back and hit her head on the corner of my wardrobe. Her eyes went wide, and she reached out to me for help, but I just saw."

"I stood there, feeling like a god… and just saw….", she finished her story reminiscing the wretched past.

"Hmmm….", "You've had it quite rough!", he admitted. "But why didn't you run away?"

"Sharan", was her only reply which explained it all.

~~*~~

They conversed very less afterward.

She jumped on the couch rubbing her face against its familiar softness as soon as reaching home. He was happy to have her back.

She almost sat up the next instant.

"Wait a minute! Is Tanya here?"

"No.. She left yesterday. You did a pretty good number on her too.", it was Dhruv's turn to chuckle now.

"Good for her! Or else I would've kicked her ass out today!", Riya declared proudly.

"Yeah.. All for touching your ice cream!", he noted sarcastically.

"Then what?", she acted unaware.

Dhruv came closer and took a seat near her.

"I thought she touched something else of yours.", he spoke silently with a smirk.

"Shut up!"

He chuckled again.

It was eating up his brain for a while now. He finally mustered up the courage to tell her.

"I.... I don't want you to leave…..", he faltered.

She saw him quizzingly. Leave where?

"I mean, after the contract ends... I wish you don't leave."

They eyed each other awkwardly.

She nodded yes.

"That means yes?", he curiously asked when she nodded again quietly.

His smile broke into a grin for which she only snorted and rolled her eyes.

She stood up suddenly and moved opposite to him boring him with a hard expression.

He straightened up unsure of what he did this time. It was always nerve wrecking with her, he mused.

She pushed his hands aside, dropped down on his lap and draped him in a warm hug.

His heart almost jumped out of his chest. She was sure filled with surprises.

She inhaled a nose full of his scent. He brought his hands to embrace her, but she swatted it away and ordered strictly holding a forefinger, "Don't touch me! Don't move!", "If you touch, I'll consider it a breach."

"Didn't I tell you that the contract wasn't legally binding…..", his voice cracked at the end as she slowly moved her hands along the length of his torso.

"I can still drag your sorry ass to any court I want", she remarked without breaking the touch.

Her breath tickled his neck giving rise to a bunch of goosebumps.

He drowsily replied, "Mmm…. I'd follow you to hell, if you're dragging my ass, darling.", she narrowed her eyes at him and rapidly bit his lip.

"Ouch…. That hurt!", he regarded her with a pained expression.

"That was for not replacing my ice cream."

She nuzzled his neck intoxicated by the sweet smell. "I like your smell", she murmured. Tracing his sharp jaw line with her lips, she marveled at the smoothness of his cleanshaven skin. She nibbled his earlobe, giving raise to another bunch of goosebumps along the way.

"If you ever let anyone touch you... I'll pluck your eyes and eat it for dessert", she secretly warned against his ears.

"Mmmm….", his mind was somewhere else, he wasn't sure if he heard it.

She hovered around his lips and gently stroked it with hers but making sure not to kiss him. He was itching to drag her lips into his or at least touch her, but she was driving him to the edge, and there was nothing much he could do about it.

"As for the incident with her....", she ignored his parted lips and continued the slow torture.

"I'm going to tease you until you break...", the goosebumps now reached his head making him go crazy.

"That's…. Your…. Punishment", she uttered the words in between every small peck, while he clenched his hands tightly, feeling helpless. He wanted to beg right away but pride ate him away.

She gradually dragged her fingers through his hair to fist a handful of it and nibbled his lips playfully.

"Oh, god! You're killing me...…", his voice was a low groan which made her nerves jump up in joy.

"What should I do?", she asked softly continuing the sweet anguish.

"Kiss me!", it was almost inaudible, "Please….."

She smiled at him, satisfied, and finally kissed.

A deep, fierce kiss which enlightened his very core and filled him with ecstasy. He lost control and kissed her back, further deepening it. She was taken aback for a moment; he was really good at it but she should punish him later for disobeying the rules.

She enjoyed this. Though she felt comfortable around him, she was scared that anytime this little bubble might burst. But, she was not a woman who gave up easily.

He was hers! She could never let anyone else have him.

She broke the kiss abruptly, knowing that he craved for more and stretched her body casually with a big yawn.

"I want you to carry me upstairs.", she said playfully.

He narrowed his eyes and carefully lifted her up. She fit perfectly in his hands. He saw her grinning happily, the same grin which she had while enjoying the choco truffle. My cute monster! He awed.

"When my day comes, you'll regret this!", he complained and climbed the stairs carrying her bridal style.