Bonded by Fate *Completed*

49. If, Only, Once

Her eyes opened to the chirping of squirrels and melody of cuckoo. She drawled out a yawn as her arms stretched far and wide. Her head turned to see the table clock ticking at 9. Slowly forcing her body upstraight, she groaned as her back cracked with a distinctly unpleasant sound.

“God!” She frowned, her fingers flying to provide some relief to her back. A sigh escaped her lips as the pressure hit the spot and dazzled her nerves. A bit content, she rolled her shoulders twice and turned her neck towards his side, only to find it empty. Nothing new there. Jindal saab had a hell lot of stamina in that body of his. Talking of last night, a dreamy grin broke across her face as she remembered his declaration of love, over and over, again and again. As much as she wanted to protest to his methods of coaxing, she wasn’t going to complain. Her trust was still shaky but his love was beginning to fill the gaps. She may never forget but forgiveness could come by.

Smiling at the thought, she kicked off the quilt in excitement and rushed into the bathroom. She couldn’t wait to see that shy smile of his. Even the mere thought of it had butterflies going insane in her stomach!

10 minutes later, humming to a song whose lyrics she couldn’t quite remember, Guddan curled her tresses and for the first time in such a long time, filled her partition with sindoor.

Her appraisal of herself was cut short as her ears perked up to the sound of door being pushed open and she turned on her heels to find Mr Prim-Proper-Jindal walk in, his fingers leisurely scrolling across his phone.

“Good morning” She chimed hoping to get his attention, but the only reply she got was a brief gaze coupled with a dismissive nod.

Her jaw clenched and she caught his elbow effortlessly. She had long back stopped taking BS.

“What is your deal, Mr. Jindal?” Guddan gritted her teeth, her eyes betraying the sinking feeling in her stomach.

Torturously slowly, he looked, his eyes void of any emotion that had been there or had it been her illusion.

She decided to settle for the latter, when he pried his arm out of her grasp and replied just as nonchalantly, “Nothing”.

Her temper would have scalded, but his demeanour was icy. She bit back the words at the tip of her tongue. Then what the hell was last night? No. Taking responsibility for every goddamn action and dying inside, bit by bit because of it, was not her burden to bear.

“Then what exactly was last night?” She asked, her voice restrained, threatening to break and yet solid.

“Emotional breakdown, or perhaps I was just too ill”, Akshat shrugged.

Her fist turned white. Her eyes glowered. What good was love that was running your pride into the ground? What good was control when it was choking you?

Just as apathetic, Akshat crossed the threshold of their room and was on his way down into the hall when Guddan’s words echoed.

“Ofcourse, it was a mistake” He turned around, his uninterested eyes slightly widening to see her shoulders shaking. Was she cryi…No, his thoughts halted when she looked up, as a quick snort escaped her lips.

She looked back up, her eyes the lustre of steel and her face a mask of indifference. “What did I even expect? Once a runner, always a loser. You’ve never been a man enough to fight your battles. But then..” She drawled, smirking at his dead features, “These words are a waste of breath”.

She took two steps in his direction, levelling his reproachful gaze with disgust in her owns. Unbridled and undisguised hatred.

And then it came out of nowhere, like a lash of lightening coming down from clear sky, as her palms made contact with his cheek in a resounding slap, that echoed into the stillness of the mansion. Akshat held himself still, his face tilted to the right, his fingers holding the bruised cheek in a trance.

“Just like you”

The words could’ve been lost to the wind but not him. The spell broke as he flexed his jaw and leaning down, picked up his glasses off the floor. With practised ease, he wiped them with his handkerchief and put them back on, his gait straightening to his full height.

“Would you look at that?” He cocked an eyebrow as she smiled at him, smug. “I like this look on your face. Scars suit you” She wiped the corner of her lips with her thumb slightly and his fingers flew to caress the corners of his own, only to find traces of red sticking to it.

He only chuckled in response, wiping the blood off with the back of his hand. “And brazenness suits you”.

Her smile dropped at his response and she could only shake her head in disbelief. “You-

“-are a vile man”.

They turned towards the voice that wasn’t theirs and found Viraj standing at the base of the stairs.

“Look who decided to grace us, meri biwi ka aashiq!” Akshat let the words roll off his tongue meaningfully, his each step, taking him closer to Viraj.

“What right do you even have to call her yours?” Viraj asked, taking a challenging step in his direction.

“Well, because..” Akshat stopped, looking down with a heated gaze, “-she is. You see-“ He sidestepped viraj and traced his slender fingers along the railing, “There is a reason why she didn’t see you yesterday”

Viraj went rigid as Akshat turned with a glint in his eyes. “That pretty dress…..was really pretty but it was getting a bit inconvenient and so..I tore it off”

“ENOUGH! YOU SCUM!!” And with that Viraj pushed his fist forward in an effort to find purchase on the other man’s face only to have his wrist twisted as he was flung down three steps on stairs and straight into the adjoining pillar.

“Fuck!” Viraj gasped, getting to his feet as Guddan quickly reached his side and supported his weight, “Are you Ok?”

He only nodded as Akshat interrupted, “Not a real hero, are we now?” The taunting had him going forward yet again but she stopped him, as her eyes met his and she slightly shook her head in negative.

He nodded as his fingers loosened and were gently caressed by her own.

“He does not deserve you. Never have. I can’t see you like this. I-” Viraj gulped nervously as he clasped her fingers in his own and looked right into her inquisitive eyes. “-I love you. And I want to see you happy. I was willing to let you go for that very reason but I see that was not very bright of me. I-I really love you and will forever keep you happy, Guddan. Please, Marry me”.

“I-”,her lips parted but no words came. She had no more heart to spare anyone. Wouldn’t it be injustice to rope him in without having feelings for him?

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t love me today. It doesn’t matter, if you never will. I have enough love, for both of us. All I need is just one fair chance”.

Her throat felt parched. The hope shining in his eyes was like a blade scraping across her conscious. He wasn’t half misplaced in his words. Maybe not today, but someday she would come to love him because he was just that lovable. Not everybody married for love, to marry a friend, to marry someone who thought the world of you wasn’t so wrong, was it? Maybe, someday, they could be together.

“I-”She gulped, forcing her fingers to squeeze his own in assurance. “I- I think..” Even though a heavy weight was sinking into her stomach, “I can..” Even though, her eyes were losing their focus, “I-can give you..” Even though, she could still only recall HIS indignant gaze, “a ch-han..”

“OH? Is this the reason, why I am too old for her?”

*Suspenceeeee!**

No apologies to any readers of this story out there because I've done it before too and failed to deliver. But I plan to see this story to the end and I hope, the june willl mark its end.

From,
Your annoying writer
Erza😆