"You're different.
And that's a good thing."
~Crazy Rich Asians
......
~A U T H O R~
Two weeks later
The flight to Malaysia was one of the kind Aarohi had never anticipated.
'Buisness trip' , Advik had mentioned during one of the Sunday Lunch of Oberoi Family.
The family and Dadi, had suggested him to take her along with him for better 'bonding' or in Adheera's words 'honeymoon'.
She had choked on her tea at that time and Advik looked equally confused and embarrassed.
His sister was always the meddler type, everyone knew that. And the elders of family had rather been pleased with that chaotic declaration of Adheera.
So here she was , first time in Malaysia with her husband whom she had still referred very much as that of her Replaced Husband.
Because that was the only way she could refer to him as, without feeling overwhelmed.
There was a quiet acknowledgement about the situation from both the sides now that the wedding had taken place a few weeks ago.
And it was not as awkward as she had thought.
Mostly because Advik stayed late at the office . Which meant lots of space for both of them. So they rarely saw each other.
They shared the bed, thanks to the last time Advik's triumph of taking the couch which ended up with him being in pain.
But the pillow barricade stayed intact.
And nobody minded that little thing, though it was ridiculous because neither of them intended any other emotions. Or Thoughts.
And though they had fallen into a simple yet silent routine where both of them could hardly form a conversation. Which did include 'good morning','have you eaten yet..?' and 'good night'.
The atmosphere was mostly charged. With her calm yet rebellious tendencies and his chaotic but stoic personality.
*Travel freak* she had concluded him as , because after weeks at Oberoi house, she had seen that subtle amount of glow on his face and light in his eyes when he talked about his travels. Or the vacations he took.
Aditya, he was still hidden from the family. Because as Adesh had said once 'he won't be able to manage Advik's wrath'
But Advik's wrath'..?
That was a foreign idea for her, because all she knew was that he was calmer than most men.
But then again, she had hoped that Aditya gets a good beating from Advik at some point.
She would have wager on it along Adheera.
The Hotel The Marriott stretched widely, almost a monument with its 7 star persona and wide big walls which stretched till high mounts.
Everything was luxurious about it, the spacious lobby, the artifacts or the vast entrance.
Which had delicate carvings, gave a feeling of entering something frozen in time.
The British architecture wasn't lost on it.
The marble floor and the giant chandelier was awestrucking, In the lobby.
And she felt like she was walking in a museum.
"Room 30C" Advik says to her , placing the room key in her hands.
She took the card in her hands with a small nod .
So he added," I will be in 32C. We both should not take the luxury of privacy for granted"
His tone was calm and actually she was relieved that she won't have to deal with fake pretending of being happy for a entire week. She won't have to share her bed with him.
That was luxury.
And she already had a plan for how she was going to spend her time .
This would be her first time 'Solo travelling' .
For him, he had all wished to ditch the whole business thing from his schedule and go to the beach for a good sun bath.or the adventure rides.
She had stayed up whole night searching for places to visit, the street food market, the temples, tourist places, beaches and souvenir shops.
Even though she knew that if she only had asked Advik, her now husband. The walking talking travel manual.
She would have gotten a detailed analysis of entire country. Better than AI.
Along with entire history and geography.
Which she did not intend for two reasons,
1)History and geography were least of her concerns.
2) it was Advik .
As the sun began to set, her phone buzzed.
'Advik Oberoi' . The name flashed, simple without any emojis or nicknames.
"Hello...?" She had answered the call.
"Are you awake...?" He asked in that ever so calm voice.
"Very much indeed"
"Good"
"You called me..?"
"My assistant will take you for sightseeing tomorrow." He informed her , in the matter of fact way of his.
"I can go alone."
"You won't . It's a unknown City" he says gruffly.
"That's the entire point"
"Pratik will pick you up at 9"
"You are not going ignoring my statement"
"Theirs nothing to discuss."
"Their is. I can travel on my own. Go to places. Am an grown ass independent woman. Thank you very much!!" Her voice had raised an octave , irritation flaring up in it.
"That is the whole point. You are an grown ass independent woman in an unfamiliar city . And you don't know the language they speak. And i assume you have never travelled alone before" he says in that usually calm tone of his. His voice is like ice, so thin and cold and indifferent.
"I have not , but I can if i want to."
"Goodnight Aarohi"
"Stop.You can't hang up on me. We are not done yet-"
Call disconnected
"Son of a -" she did not let herself complete that swear.
One thing she had discovered about her husband was that he was extremely Stubborn.
And it was infuriating as hell.
And she barely suppresses the urge to through the ceramics , which were decorated in her room. Mostly for no purpose. On his face. On that stupid smirk which she knew he would have right now.
What were the odds if she had broken his nose anyway...?
"I will prove him that I can manage. I don't need a man to rule me. I am a 21st century woman !! " She sounded like the rebellious teenager going through a phase.where sneaking out for a party was said to be cool
And so she did something unexpected.
Stupid.
As a rebellion against her own husband.
She slipped into a black dress. Short. Reaching till her mid thighs. offshoulder.
With that full display of her slender arms and those collarbones. And the way the fabric hugged her curves on the most perfect places.
Hairs cascading down. With a black matching clutch and heels which screamed authority in her way.
Sneaking out was the easy part, as it was tourist rush hour and her husband was out for his work.
"Idiot won't even realise" she smirked to Herself, fixing her bold red lipstick and that smug expression of hers.
♪♪You're the man
But i got the power ♪♪
She took a taxi.
'The seven high club' , one of the most prestigious pubs of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Which was meant for elites.
But being a Oberoi came with its own perks:)
The entry was smooth, because when you are wrapped in everything but brands, even the guards new better than to restricting your entry.
The club was everything it should be. Loud. Chaotic. Alcohol. And Music.
People danced, people laughed, people drank.
She walked herself to the bar, ordering something light for starters. She had whole night planned in details.
Dancing, flirting, doing something reckless and then sneaking in the hotel room before dawn.
The bartender was a blonde, broad shoulders and a killer smile. Green eyes.
Someone who belongs to films and not a bar.
He gave her a polite smile, handling the drink.
Aarohi focus!!!
You can't fall for the blonde guy. You have a husband!!!
She reminded herself, taking a slow sip of her drink.
"New here..?" A man in suit asks her. Chestnut hair, a stubble and sharp jaw.
"Yah. First time" she says confidently. A smile curving on her face .
"Josh. Josh Chen" he says with a smirk, or a rather flirtatious smile. She had assumed he was East Asian . And that name was a better proof.
H
e offers his hand in a friendly way.
Wow you are doing good Aarohi. 5 mins in here and you are already making handsome friends.!!
Advik: 0
Aarohi : sixer
She thought to herself, a victorious grin spreading across her face
"Priyanka Chopra" she says with a smile. Shaking her hand with his.
He held her gaze for a moment.
It didn't take a genius to know better than telling their real name to a complete stranger. And as the rule no.1 of her solo travelling, she new not to disclose her identity.
"Indian..?" The man asks, his one eyebrow raised. "And a name straight out of Bollywood...?"
"I love coincidences" she says , taking the last of her drink before settling the glass down.
"Dance..?" The man asks then, holding up his hand for her , which she took without any hesitation.
Tonight was meant to be free.
She could die tomorrow and never know how it feels to be this free.
Away from everything.
And maybe drowning the small ache in her heart which she had been hiding for past few weeks.
The marriage, Aditya's elopement, the family, responsibilities and then her husband. She had pretended very well not to let them see the hurt , but now that she was here.
On her own. With a complete stranger who didn't ask her story, she let herself be free.
To feel for the first time in months.
She was just Aarohi tonight, No Oberoi bound to her name.
A free spirit.
Years of being the obedient daughter of Malhotra family, and the loving daughter in law of Oberoi, who never expressed herself, now danced in a club of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with a man unknown in a dress which screamed rebellion against her entire family and mostly her husband.
To whom she was going to prove that she can be on her own in a unknown City.
The music was heavy, electronic beats on which everyone screamed and swayed their hips. The atmosphere was charged with alcohol and cheers from the youngsters.
But somewhere afar, unbeknownst to her, he was watching.
He always did.
His grey eyes stayed on her, shooting daggers to her. They had darkened, his jaw stiff and the little hurt to his pride.
The way that stranger was little too close to her, his hand a little too tight on the small of her back for his liking.
The way she smiled, looking at that man. She never smiled at him. And he never wanted that to happen, until this very moment.
She was his wife. His.
And this woman , an utterly stupid and careless woman was letting another man, a complete stranger touch her without any protest.
And then again, no other man deserves that smile from her.
The glass in his hands was on verge of breaking at this point, his knuckles white from the sheer tension.
She was still in between the dance. Her hands placed flat on the chest of the stranger, Josh. As they danced through the crowd. The guy said something funny, and she laughed.
But then she felt that. That dark scent. The shadow looming behind her.
She could recognise him anywhere.
And she actually flinched from Josh's grip. For a moment her heart stopped. She was not going to be afraid but even the idea of him knowing this terrified her now.
No . Advik was not violent. He was always kind to her. He was one of the most calm and easy going Oberoi.
He never talked back . Never to his family or anyone.
And he was always fun.
Except times when he underestimated her, like today. Or when he ordered her in that matter of fact tone of his
'you can't go alone in an unknown city' .
His words echoed in her ears.
This was meant to be a challenge. A opposition.
A rebellion of some sort.
And then that low warm whisper against her earshell. From back.
"Done playing games Mrs. Advik..?" That authoritive tone of his. Taunting. Her.
She could feel that warmth linger onto her skin for a while too long. Almost maddening.
When she turned around, the shadow was gone.
"What's wrong..?" Josh asked through the dimly lights of the club.
But she didn't answer, she just backed off.
"I have to go" she said to him before turning and stomping out. Her voice barely a whisper. But then, someone held her wrist.
"We are not done yet" Josh says then, his voice lowering an octave. As he pulled her against his chest. "Not yet"
"What are you doing!!" She tried to yank herself off him. "Let me go"
But she was already pulled by one of the dark corners of the club. Where the smell of smoking was very concentrated and the sounds of people making out too loud.
"Leave me!!" She said again, trying to free Herself. Moving her feet. Her hands .
When Josh cornered her on the wall, his hands trapping her between his hard chest against the hard wall.
His hard muscled body against her soft curves.
"Not yet babygirl." Josh says, looking deep in her eyes with that dark gaze of his and that little smirk painted on his lips.
And at that moment all she knew was she was so fucked up right now.
And maybe Advik was right.
She hated to admit it but she couldn't fight this insanely huge man , when he had trapped her.
She realised she was all bark and no bite . And her little rebellion had failed.
She again tried to wriggle herself from his hold. "Leave me now" she says through gritted teeth, even though she felt completely powerless, she was not going to let this man get what he wanted.
S
he could not let him see how vulnerable and exposed she felt.
"For tonight you are mine." He says, leaning too close to her face, that even either of them moved...
Her eyes were wide, her hands shaking.
She was always protected in her shell. Before marriage.
And maybe now she felt that, the little cage was better than this unfair world.
"And when I am done with you, you will know who you bel-"
Before he could even complete that sentence, two strong arms held him by the collar and shoved him in the nearest wall. Not before a sharp punch landing on Joshs face, which gave him a instant nose bleed.
There stood the very gigantic looking Advik Oberoi, the husband of Aarohi Oberoi. Beating the life out of that man.
She was frozen .
"Biwi hai woh meri"
She's my wife.
*Punch*
"Usko chune ki himmat kaise ki..?"
How dare you touch her
*Kneeding straight into the groin*
It was the first time he had acknowledged her as his wife, and she stood in pure disbelief.
He's teeth gritted so hard , they could break.
Another punch landed straight in his gut, resulting into blood oozing out of his mouth, and then she moved.
Holding his sleeve. Clinging onto it like a child.
"Advik Bas"
He looked at her, finally, and his gaze softened.
She looked so tiny right now. So fragile. With those trembling lips of her and that defiance in her eyes.
"Let's go from here" she says again and he leaves the guy .
"You are lucky my wife pities you. Or i won't hesitate to break all the bones of your body . If you ever even think of her. I will make sure Josh Chen, the sun never rises for you again"
His voice was sharp, loud for someone who had a reputation of being as calm as he looks. Those words weren't just a statement, they were a command. A vow. They carried the power of a man who stayed like a saint, until it came to his woman.
He was not the travel freak she thought he was. Anymore certainly.
Or as naive.
Or as submissive.
And this side of him intrigued her more than she would ever agree upon.
.
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P.s the updates will be very slow due to my exams (neet ug)
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