Chapter 8

After completing her work in the kitchen Aaradhya returned to their room and slammed the door behind her, her chest rising and falling in rapid breaths.

Her heart was still racing.

Her lips still tingled.

She pressed a trembling hand against them, her skin burning with the memory of his touch. The way his lips had claimed hers, the way his fingers had explored her like she was his—it made her stomach churn with frustration.

Why did I not push him away sooner?

Her nails dug into her palm as she shook her head. No. She had pushed him away. She had stopped him.

But the real question that haunted her was—why had it taken her so long to do it?

The intensity of his touch, the fire in his gaze—it had pulled her in, made her forget who he was.

She had let him kiss her.

She had kissed him back.

Aaradhya shut her eyes tight, her fingers gripping the edge of the dresser to steady herself.

It was a mistake. A moment of weakness.

It could never happen again.

Never.

She hurriedly changed out of the heavy lehnga, slipping into a simple cotton one. She needed air, distance—escape.

Without thinking, she stepped onto the balcony, the cool evening breeze caressing her heated skin. The sun had begun to set, casting an orange glow over the vast fields surrounding the haveli.

But no amount of fresh air could rid her of the suffocating presence she still felt lingering over her skin.

Because he was still inside the house.

And she knew, with terrifying certainty, that he would come looking for her.

Somewhere in haveli, Vijayendra poured himself a drink, his jaw clenched.

The taste of her still lingered on his lips, and it drove him insane.

Aaradhya had looked at him with such fire, such resistance—but when he had kissed her, she had melted.

For the first time since their marriage, he had felt her soften under his touch.

She had wanted him.

And yet, she had run.

A slow, dark smirk curved his lips as he took another sip. She can run all she wants, he thought. But she’s mine. And I always get what’s mine.

He turned to Josh, who stood silently by the door.

"Her every movement—report it to me," Vijayendra ordered, his voice dangerously calm.

Josh nodded. "Ji, Thakur sa."

Vijayendra walked toward the balcony of his own his secret room, staring at the one right across from his.

She was standing there.

The fading sunlight illuminated her face, making her look almost… ethereal.

But what caught his attention was the way her fingers lightly touched her lips—as if she was still feeling his kiss.

His grip tightened around the glass.

She was fighting herself. Fighting them.

But how long could she resist?

A wicked thought crossed his mind.

Maybe it was time to test her resistance.

Aaradhya had just stepped back into her room when there was a knock on the door.

Before she could respond, it creaked open, and her breath caught in her throat.

Vijayendra.

He leaned against the doorframe, his sleeves rolled up, his collar slightly open—disheveled, as if she had affected him just as much as he had affected her.

A dangerous glint flickered in his eyes.

"You’re avoiding me, Biwi sa," he murmured, stepping inside, his movements slow and deliberate.

Aaradhya stepped back instinctively. "Get out."

"That’s no way to talk to your husband."

She let out a bitter laugh. "You are not my husband. You are my captor."

Vijayendra’s smirk didn’t falter. "Then why did you let your captor kiss you back?"

Aaradhya’s breath hitched, her body going rigid.

"I—"

"Shhh," he interrupted, stepping even closer, forcing her against the wall. His hands caged her in, blocking any escape. "I want to hear the truth, not your denial."

She turned her face away, but he was too close—so close that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

"You’re mistaken," she whispered, hating how weak she sounded.

His fingers lightly traced her jaw, tilting her face back toward him.

"Am I?"

Aaradhya swallowed, her entire body tensed. "I hate you," she whispered again, desperate to convince herself.

Vijayendra’s gaze darkened, something primal flashing in his eyes.

"Then prove it."

She frowned. "What—"

His lips were on her again.

But this time, he was in no hurry.

He kissed her slowly, lazily, as if savoring every second—every soft gasp, every shiver.

Aaradhya’s hands pressed against his chest, but she couldn’t push him away.

Because her body betrayed her again.

His fingers slid into her hair, tugging slightly, making her gasp against his mouth. His other hand found her waist, gripping it possessively.

"Push me away," he murmured against her lips, challenging her.

Aaradhya’s breathing turned ragged. She clenched her fists, trying to summon the strength to shove him away.

But instead, her fingers curled into his kurta.

Vijayendra smirked against her lips before deepening the kiss.

Aaradhya let out a soft whimper, her head tilting back, allowing him more access. His lips moved down her throat, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses along her sensitive skin.

She was burning—consumed.

"You don’t hate me, Biwi sa," he murmured, his lips brushing against her collarbone.

Aaradhya’s eyes fluttered shut, her breath uneven.

She had to stop this.

She had to.

Gathering every ounce of strength left in her, she suddenly shoved him back, panting.

The air inside the room was thick with unspoken tension.

Aaradhya's chest rose and fell rapidly as she pressed herself against the cold wall, her hands still trembling from where they had pushed against his chest.

But Vijayendra hadn't moved.

He stood in front of her, his tall frame casting a shadow over her trembling figure. His dark, piercing gaze never left hers, filled with something raw—something dangerous.

"You can push me all you want, Biwi sa," he murmured, his voice dark and rich, sending a shiver down her spine. "But you can’t run from me."

Aaradhya clenched her jaw, her nails digging into her palms. "I don’t want to run."

A slow, knowing smirk curved his lips. "No?" He took a step forward, eliminating the space between them. "Then tell me… why are you still shaking?"

She turned her face away, refusing to meet his eyes.

She hated that he was right.

Hated that her body betrayed her every time he was near.

"I hate you," she whispered again, gripping the fabric of her kurti so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Vijayendra exhaled a dark chuckle. "Yet, you let me kiss you."

Her eyes snapped up to his, fire blazing in them. "I didn’t let you. You forced yourself on me."

Vijayendra tilted his head, his fingers reaching up to brush against her jaw—gentle this time, featherlight, making her breath hitch. "Did I?"

She shivered but refused to react.

His lips lowered until they were just a whisper away from hers, his breath hot against her skin. "If I forced you, Biwi sa… then why did you kiss me back?"

Aaradhya’s heart pounded so loudly she thought he might hear it.

She wanted to push him away again. To slap him, scream at him, hurt him the way he had hurt her.

But the warmth of his body was intoxicating.

The scent of sandalwood and musk clouded her senses, trapping her in a haze she didn’t want to be in.

She squeezed her eyes shut. No. I can’t let him win.

"You disgust me," she whispered, but her voice wavered.

Vijayendra chuckled darkly. "Then why are you still in my arms?"

Before she could answer, he leaned in, his lips ghosting over the curve of her neck. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as heat coiled in her stomach.

He was playing with her—like a predator toying with his prey.

His mouth suc*ingredients her Swan like neck, his fingers trailed down her arm, sending a trail of fire in their wake. "Tell me to stop," he murmured against her skin.

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

He dragged his lips up, his nose skimming her cheek, teasing her. His voice was husky, filled with wicked amusement. "You won’t, will you?"

Aaradhya suddenly pushed him away, her chest heaving. "Stop playing these games!" she cried, her voice shaking with frustration.

Vijayendra’s smirk disappeared.

For a moment, he just stared at her.

Then, in one swift motion, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him.

She stumbled, her palms landing against his hard chest.

His hand slid to her waist, gripping it firmly, possessively. "A game, Biwi sa?" His voice was dangerously soft. "Is that what this is to you?"

Aaradhya tried to struggle, but his hold was like steel.

"You think I enjoy this torture?" he murmured, his fingers tightening against her waist ,digging on hersoft skin.

She sucked in a sharp breath, startled by the rawness in his voice.

He leaned in, his forehead pressing against hers. "I’m losing my mind because of you," he confessed, his voice rough, desperate. "I can't think straight. I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, all I see is you."

Aaradhya’s breath caught in her throat.

She had expected arrogance. Control. The usual twisted amusement in his eyes.

But this?

This was something real.

Something terrifying.

"Vijayendra…" her voice was barely a whisper.

His fingers slid up her back, tucking at her blouse lightly,  sending a shudder through her body. "Tell me you don’t feel it too," he murmured against her lips.

She should have.

She should have lied.

Should have denied it. Should have spat in his face, told him that he meant nothing to her.

But her silence spoke louder than words.

And he heard it.

A deep, victorious smirk curled on his lips. "That’s what I thought."

Before she could react, he claimed her mouth again, and this time—she felt it.

This wasn’t just a kiss.

It was a war.

A battle of dominance, of unspoken emotions crashing between them.

His lips moved against hers with a hunger that sent her mind spiraling. His hand tangled in her hair, angling her exactly how he wanted. His other hand pressed into her lower back, holding her flush against him, making her feel everything.

Aaradhya whimpered, her fingers involuntarily clutching his shoulders.

He was burning her alive.

And the worst part?

She didn’t want it to stop.

Her lips trembled against his, her resolve slipping like sand through her fingers as she felt him eating her both lips by taking them in his mouth.

Just as she was about to surrender completely, Vijayendra abruptly pulled away, breathing hard.

His forehead rested against hers, his grip still tight around her waist. His voice was hoarse, filled with something deep and dangerous.

"You can hate me all you want, Biwi sa," he murmured, his lips brushing hers. "But you will be mine."

Aaradhya’s eyes fluttered open, her heart slamming against her ribs.

And for the first time…

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to fight it anymore.

The room was filled with an unbearable silence.

Aaradhya stood frozen, her lips still tingling from the brutal, possessive kiss he had just stolen from her.

Her breaths came in sharp, uneven gasps, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

Vijayendra watched her with dark, unreadable eyes, his grip still tight around her waist, as if he wasn’t ready to let go just yet.

And then—he did something unexpected.

He lifted his hand and traced a single finger down the curve of her waist to her hips.

Aaradhya shivered violently, her hands gripping the fabric of her lahenga to stop herself from reacting.

But he noticed.

Of course, he noticed.

A slow, knowing smirk curled at the corners of his lips. "Hmm… so sensitive, Biwi sa?"

She jerked back, only for his fingers to catch the end of her Chunni drape.

Her heart pounded as she felt the fabric tighten against her skin.

"Let go," she whispered, trying to snatch it back, but he pulled slightly, making her stumble into him.

He caught her with ease, his arms wrapping around her waist once again, this time more deliberately, his fingers pressing into the delicate curves of her body, trying to feel more or her soft skin.

"Vijayendra," she warned, her voice lacking the venom she wanted it to have.

His fingers traced slow, lazy patterns against her waist, teasing, tormenting. "You say my name so sweetly when you’re flustered," he murmured, his lips dangerously close to her ear. "Say it again."

Aaradhya gasped when his fingertips suddenly skimmed the bare skin above her waistline, igniting something deep inside her. She twisted in his arms, trying to escape, but it only made his hold tighten.

"You’re playing a dangerous game," she breathed, pressing her hands against his chest to push him away.

Vijayendra chuckled darkly. "No, biwi sa… I’m just making you aware of what you already feel."

Her pulse quickened as his fingers traced circles along the dip of her waist to her beautiful navel, his nails lightly grazing her skin. The sensation was maddening—warm, teasing, possessive.

Aaradhya hated how her body responded to him.

Hated how her stomach fluttered with every slow, agonizing stroke of his fingers.

"Enough," she hissed, trying to turn away.

Vijayendra gripped her waist tighter and pulled her against him in one swift motion.

She gasped as her back hit his chest, his warmth seeping into her.

"Tell me to stop," he whispered, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear.

Aaradhya clenched her jaw, refusing to give him the satisfaction.

His fingers danced along her waist again, tracing the edges of her blouse teasingly. "Tell me you don’t feel this," he challenged, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to her bare shoulder.

She sucked in a sharp breath, her nails digging into his wrists.

"You…" she tried to speak, but her voice betrayed her.

He smirked against her skin, satisfied. "That’s what I thought."

Before she could respond, he lifted her effortlessly into his arms.

"Vijayendra!" she gasped, clutching his shoulders in shock.

Without a word, he carried her across the room and dropped her onto the bed.

Aaradhya scrambled back against the pillows, her breathing uneven as he towered over her, his dark eyes burning with something dangerous.

"You—"

"Shh," he murmured, pressing a single finger against her lips.

She froze.

The atmosphere shifted.

The teasing faded, replaced by something deeper, something darker.

Vijayendra leaned closer, his palm sliding against her waist again, slower this time, deliberate. "You may fight me, hate me, even curse me," he whispered, his fingers playing with the string of her blouse, "but you will never deny what’s between us."

Aaradhya’s heart pounded as she felt his weight shift beside her.

She tried to move, to escape—but he grabbed her waist again, this time pinning her beneath him.

Her breaths turned shallow. "Let me go," she whispered, her voice weaker than before.

Vijayendra smiled. "Never."

His lips brushed against her collarbone, his fingers pressing into her waist, memorizing every curve, his mouth watered seeing her buttery skin shining under the moon light.

Aaradhya shut her eyes tightly, trying to ignore the fire consuming her from within.

He was her enemy.

Her captor.

But then why… why did her body betray her so cruelly?

Vijayendra smirked against her skin, sensing her turmoil. "You feel it too, Biwi sa… don’t you?"

She bit her lip, refusing to answer.

His fingers slid lower, playing with the edge of her lahenga, his touch deliberate, intoxicating.

Aaradhya let out a sharp gasp, her hands gripping his shoulders for support.

Vijayendra exhaled a dark chuckle, pleased with her response. "I knew it," he murmured before claiming her lips once more—this time, slower, deeper, his both lips moulding against her , moving in a perfect since leaving no room for denial.

This time, he didn’t stop.

And neither did she.

"Umm.." Aloud moa* escape her lips making his grip harden. And his lips started to move more faster.

"It's so addictive. Thara swaad bilkun malai sa se. Upar se narm aur mulaim aur andar se bilkun chikni aur lajeez. " He said, breaking the kiss making her cheek flushed.

The silence between them was thick, charged with something neither of them could name, yet both could feel deep in their bones.

Aaradhya lay beneath him, her breaths uneven, her heart hammering in her chest.

Vijayendra’s dark gaze never wavered from hers as he hovered above her, his fingers still tracing slow, teasing circles along her waist.

She felt trapped. Not by his strength—but by the way her body responded to him, by the way his touch burned into her skin, leaving trails of heat wherever he caressed.

And then—he moved lower.

A soft gasp escaped her lips as his mouth brushed against her collarbone, warm and deliberate, sending shivers through her entire being.

"You still won’t admit that you too enjoy it, will you?" he murmured against her skin, his voice husky, teasing.

Aaradhya clenched her jaw, refusing to answer.

Vijayendra chuckled darkly before his lips trailed lower, kissing along the delicate slope of her shoulder, his teeth grazing her skin just enough to make her shiver.

Her hands instinctively flew to his chest, pushing weakly, but he was relentless.

"Tell me to stop, Biwi sa," he whispered, his lips now brushing over her throat. "Say it, and I will."

She opened her mouth—but no words came out.

Because she didn’t want him to stop.

And he knew it.

A victorious smirk curled at the corners of his lips before he continued his slow assault on her senses, his lips leaving a scorching path down her body.

When he reached her stomach, she jolted.

A teasing, wicked chuckle vibrated against her skin as he pressed a lingering kiss just above her navel.

"Still resisting?" he murmured, his fingers brushing against the waistband of her lahenga, playing with the delicate golden chain adorning her waist.

Aaradhya gasped as he tugged at the tiny chain, letting it snap lightly against her skin, the sensation sending a jolt of something foreign through her.

"Vijayendra—"

"Shh," he murmured, his lips replacing his fingers, pressing another soft kiss against her stomach, lingering just long enough to make her toes curl.

Her breaths turned into shallow pants as he trailed his fingers along the intricate design of her waist chain, admiring how it shimmered against her skin.

"You wear this so beautifully, Biwi sa," he mused, his voice dark, smooth, intoxicating. "But I wonder… does it excite you when I touch it?"

She turned her face away, biting her lip, refusing to answer.

But her body gave her away.

The sharp intake of breath. The way her fingers gripped the sheets beneath her. The way her stomach trembled beneath his lips.

Vijayendra smirked.

"So sensitive," he murmured before his mouth returned to her waist, kissing it,  this time more possessive, more demanding.

Aaradhya’s entire body tensed as his tongue flicked over her skin, tracing the line of her waist chain, his fingers holding her firmly in place.

A whimper escaped her lips before she could stop it.

He paused.

His smirk deepened.

"Ah," he mused, his fingers tightening around her waist,pincjing it slightly.

"Ohh.." She moa*ned pleasurably, making him smirk.

"There it is." He whispered, caressing it softly.

Aaradhya’s face burned in humiliation.

This man.

This devil.

He knew exactly what he was doing to her.

"Enough," she breathed, trying to push him away.

But Vijayendra only chuckled, his lips grazing her stomach once more.

"Is it?" he whispered. "Or do you want more?"

Aaradhya shut her eyes, her nails digging into his shoulders.

She hated him.

Hated the way he made her feel.

Hated the way her body betrayed her so easily.

But most of all—she hated that a part of her didn’t want him to stop.

Not tonight.

Not when he touched her like this.

Not when his lips made her feel like she was burning alive.

And when he moved back up, his mouth captured hers once again, this time deeper, hungrier—

She stopped resisting.

Lot's of love to you all

Love you all

Itsyourblackrose