by MV Kasi
Gently, he lowered her and placed her legs down on the ground. Then he pulled her up and kissed her where she could taste herself.
Moving away from her, he turned her towards a wall, until her cheek, breasts, and belly were pressed against the cool tiles of the shower stall. Then linking their fingers together, he finally slipped into her, joining their bodies for a familiar rough and hard ride that she had become addicted to.
***
An hour later, Sabitha was seated in a swanky restaurant opposite an impeccably dressed Dev Singham.
“I’m underdressed for this place,” she said while looking at the other women.
“Doesn’t matter what you are wearing. You look beautiful. Overdressed or underdressed and especially when not dressed at all, you always look stunning.”
She smiled at his compliment. “I think I know why the women keep swarming around Dev Singham,” she said.
He laughed and signaled the server to take back their menus. Since she didn’t drink alcohol or any sugary soft drinks, she took a small lemon wedge placed on the table and squeezed it lightly into her water.
“How come you can’t read or write?” she heard him asking her. She had asked him to place an order for her since she couldn’t read the menu.
She looked up from her drink. She noticed that he didn’t ask that question in a negative way. He looked genuinely baffled and curious.
“I can’t believe that someone like you, with your kind of drive and ambition would simply not want to learn how to read or write. There must be some strong reason.”
She took a sip of water. “There is,” she said. “I’m dyslexic.”
He was silent.
“Dyslexic means—”
“I know what dyslexia means, Sabitha,” he said quietly. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
She shrugged. “It’s not something I would randomly blurt out to people or would have as part of a conversation. And besides, I wasn’t sure if you knowing that fact would have changed anything between us.”
He was frowning. “It definitely would have. For a start, I would have ensured that I had some audio files made for you along with the documents and plans we discussed during our meetings. You wouldn’t have needed to rely completely on others.”
“If it’s an important document, I have at least two or three people look at it before approving it,” she said matter-of-factly.
He nodded in understanding.
Just then, the server came back with the drinks and appetizers. They waited until he finished serving a few portions into their plates and left.
She took a bite of the fish appetizer, and it melted in her mouth. Cornflour, red chili sauce, and some mild spices. Since she began to cook again, her interest in learning new recipes increased.
“To what degree does having dyslexia affect your reading ability?” Dev asked.
“A lot,” she answered. “Mine is a severe form. My brain can’t process any of the words I see. I know how the alphabets are supposed to look, but on paper my brain doesn’t recognize them correctly. Each time it’s different so I can’t keep guessing either.”
“I see.”
“And it’s apparently genetic,” she added in an offhand way. “My father was dyslexic as well.”
His hand froze as he was about to take a sip of his wine. “Your father couldn’t read or write?”
“No.”
She watched his face closely as he processed that information. She knew that until then, he probably had the benefit of the doubt regarding her father being his mother’s murderer, because of the love letters her father had allegedly written to his mother.
“I see,” he said after a while.
To her surprise, he put his drink away and reached for her hand. Then bringing it closer, he kissed it. “That doesn’t make any difference to me when it comes to us,” he said softly.
She understood what he was saying.
An unwanted emotion rose up within her at the look on his face and his gesture. Feeling confused, she pulled her hand back and rose up from the chair. “I need to use the ladies room,” she murmured before fleeing his presence.
When she went into the ladies’ restroom, she leaned against the polished granite counter and looked at herself in the mirror.
What are you doing? she asked herself.
This wasn’t her. She did not go on dates with a man. She did not spill her secrets or guts to a man. The fact that Dev Singham was that man, should be causing alarm bells to ring inside her head.
“Excuse me,” a woman’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
Sabitha turned and saw two women standing in front of her. They were dressed glamorously which suited the restaurant. One of the women even seemed familiar for some reason.
“Are you here with Dev?” that particular woman asked.
When Sabitha didn’t answer her, the woman smiled. “I’m Tia Mathur, Dev’s girlfriend.”
CHAPTER 30
Dev was waiting for Sabitha to return to their table.
He knew he was getting in too deep when it came to her. She must have sensed it as well before fleeing him. But he was sick of fighting how he felt.
He wasn’t sure what he’d call it.
Falling?
No, not falling. Because falling took time.
He was crashing. Crashing into whatever feeling that was making him constantly crave her.
“Dev!” a woman’s voice screeched.
He turned to see a woman rushing towards him. She appeared familiar, but he couldn’t place her. She must be one of the socialites who frequented the same circles as him whenever he was in the city.
“Yes?” he asked politely.
“Dev! Please come with me,” she said, looking terrified “Tia! That woman is about to kill Tia!”
He frowned, and then it dawned on him. He got up from his chair and followed the woman into the ladies’ restroom.
The sight that met him stunned him.
Sabitha was holding her jewelled knife against Tia Mathur’s cheek. Tia was crouched on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably and apologizing to Sabitha repeatedly.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please, forgive me. Don’t hurt me.”
Dev went closer.
Tia Mathur saw him and immediately began to cry harder. “Dev! Please save me. This woman—” she broke off when she met with Sabitha’s eyes. “Help me, Dev,” she whimpered.
Dev slid an arm around Sabitha’s waist and kissed her cheek softly. “Baby, what happened?” he asked.
Sabitha shrugged. “Nothing much,” she said in a quiet, yet casual tone. “I was just freshening up when your girlfriend decided to interrupt me and threw in some words about how you were simply using me. She didn’t stop there. When I didn’t react and ignored her, she went on to insult me.”
He looked down at the terrified woman. She had been following him around for a while, making a nuisance of herself. “As you can see, my girlfriend is quite possessive. She doesn’t like it when other’s claim themselves as my girlfriend.”
Tia Mathur just whimpered again.
Sabitha slowly moved the knife away. “If I ever find that you had been within a kilometer range around him, the next time I’m not going to stop with just a threat. I’ll carve up your pretty face in such a way that even the best plastic surgeons in the world won’t be able to fix it. Understand?” Sabitha’s voice was soft and filled with menace.
“I won’t ever talk to him or be anywhere close to him. Please! I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Don’t cut my face!”
Dev smiled at Sabitha. “Let’s go, baby. Our dinner must be getting cold.”
Sabitha slid the knife back into the sheath and went along with him. She stopped to look at the other woman who was cowering against the wall.
“If I ever find out that you or your friend are spreading any rumors about Dev or me, I will personally hunt you down and punish you. Understand?”
The other woman nodded, shrinking back eve
n more.
Dev led them back to their table. He reluctantly let her go when she sat back in her chair.
“Fuck, that was so hot,” he said. “I can’t bloody wait to take you back to my penthouse tonight. I’ll make you use that knife to threaten me while you ride me hard.”
Sabitha rearranged the napkin on her lap in smooth movements before beginning to eat in a graceful manner. “You have the weirdest fantasies, Singham,” she said with a smile.
He grinned. “When it comes to you, I guess anything you do is so bloody, freaking hot.”
She let out a small laugh.
“So?” he asked. “You are quite possessive about me, huh?”
“You said that. I didn’t. I was just ticked when she commented on my hair. I rather like my hair.”
He laughed out loud. “I rather love your long, beautiful hair, too. Especially the smell of roses. So much that whenever I can smell a rose somewhere, I get hard. It got me into a few embarrassing situations lately. ”
She laughed.
They began to talk about their project and their people. Dev realized how he no longer felt intense hatred towards the Prajapati people as well. They were just like his people, having similar challenges and problems due to the long-held feud.
Soon they were done with dinner, and he drove them to his penthouse where he did convince her to enact his fantasy along with a few others.
***
Sabitha stared at the sky outside the penthouse bedroom window.
Dev’s arm was wrapped around her with her back flat against his warm chest. Their legs were also intertwined, as though he was determined to link every part of their bodies.
She was no longer opposed to cuddles. He had been right. She loved to cuddle.
She felt him shift slightly, and then his warm lips pressed against her bare shoulder. “What are you thinking?” his deep voice asked.
“Nothing much,” she answered. “What about you? How come you are unusually quiet?” she asked with a smile.
“I’m trying to figure you out,” he said softly. He held her hand and linked their fingers together.
“Oh? And have you reached to any conclusions about me so far?” she asked.
“Several,” he replied, kissing her ear. “One being… that there’s no one else like you in this world. And I’m one lucky bastard to be able to hold you like this in my arms.”
Sabitha’s heart beat faster. “You don’t have to charm me, Singham,” she said. “I’m already in your bed.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, he moved away, making her miss his warmth. The next instant he pushed her until she was flat on the bed, and then he moved on top of her, caging her completely.
There was no amusement or any lightness on his face.
“This is not me trying to use some lame pick-up lines, Sabitha. I really mean it.”
She shook her head while also shaking off the weird feeling of hope creeping up on her. “It’s just the attraction talking, Singham. We’ve both been through so much together; I’m like a challenge or a hunt to you right now. Your new interesting toy. As soon as you begin to get bored, you’ll go back to your usual—”
He didn’t let her finish. He covered her mouth with his and kissed her. His tongue thrust and swept against hers in a dominant and possessive way until he got the response he wanted.
Then he raised his head. “Attraction, challenge… those words are way too tame to describe how I feel for you,” he said. “Yes, I do admit when I look at you, I want to completely conquer you. I want to be buried deep inside you, become a part of you, while I watch your face when you come, knowing it is me who is making you feel that way.”
He leaned and kissed her again. This time it was a gentle kiss. “But lately, I have realized that as much as I enjoy watching your beautiful face as you come, I also enjoy seeing you smile at me.”
Sabitha took in a deep yet slightly shaky breath. “That’s not how it’s supposed to be between us, Singham,” she said.
“I know. But that’s how I already feel about you.”
A voice inside her was shouting at her to say she was beginning to feel that way with him as well. But she didn’t say anything.
He continued watching her closely. “I saw them, you know,” he said quietly.
“Saw whom?”
He took a deep breath. “Our parents.”
She just stared at him, feeling stunned.
“You father’s body was lying close to my mother’s, near her feet,” he said. “That image is branded behind my eyes. I hated him for taking away my mother and let that hate transfer to you for the longest time.” He looked at her intently. “Now, I don’t.”
“Why are you telling me this,” she asked softly.
“Because I know you were trying to remind me tonight that you are my mother’s murderer’s daughter. I wanted to tell you that it doesn’t make a difference about how I feel about you.”
She was quiet, processing what he said. She knew that over the weeks, she had somehow forgiven him about what transpired in their past as well. But she was not willing to take chances when it came to caring for someone.
Because caring was equivalent to weakness. And people could easily exploit weakness.
He was watching her expectantly.
“It’s getting late. I need to leave,” she said instead.
He didn’t get upset like she thought he would. He kissed her again, this time a deep, toe-curling kiss before he pulled back and smiled.
“One last time to end our date in style, Prajapati?” he asked as he moved on top of her.
She nodded and pulled his mouth back on hers.
As their bodies joined together, she realized that somehow Dev Singham managed to touch the deepest part of her in his own way. There was a strange spell he wove whenever he was with her. With each joining, she felt an invisible thread binding her to him.
She wondered how many times she could be with him, until those threads got strong enough.
She knew she had to cut off those threads soon, before it was too late and she felt bound to him for eternity.
CHAPTER 31
Over the next few weeks, things fell back into schedule at the site. More people were hired, and the work continued to progress during the day and nights and also over the weekends.
“Only a month more, and we have to hand this over,” Sabitha said with a deep sigh. According to the contract, until the initial planning and operations commenced, she and Dev would be leading the projects and then pass it on to managers they hired together.
“Yes. But don’t sound so sad, Prajapati. You’ll still have frequent and regular, unlimited access to my amazing body.” He was grinning at her.
Since their date, they fell into a more easy relationship. She wouldn’t exactly call it a relationship, but they spent whatever little free time they had with each other. Along with their heated sessions, she enjoyed their banter and talks.
He didn’t push her or ask her what she felt about him. And even if he did, she wouldn’t have answered him, because she herself didn’t know what she felt for him. All she knew was with the life she led, she preferred to think about the present rather than the future.
She also knew that after the month was over, she could distance herself from him and spend very little time with him as there would be no professional need. Once they stopped seeing or touching each other regularly, the bond they had formed would automatically break. She could then ignore the urges she had to always be close to him, hear him, and touch him.
Maybe those urges had nothing to do in particular with Dev Singham. If he had been some other man she was working closely with and had an attraction to and respected him—it probably would be the same.
Yeah, right.
A part of her mind snickered at her thoughts. Because she knew it was him. Just Dev Singham.
She watched him as his grin turned wicked, making her laugh while also awakening a primal hunger in her.
She shook her head in exasperation. She was about to snap at him for presuming about their future when she heard a faint and familiar sound of a soft plop.
The next split second, she saw his body flinch, and his grin dropped.
“Fuck,” he muttered softly, before dropping down next to her on the ground. There was a small hole on his shoulder with a trail of blood oozing out.
“Dev!” she shouted as she kneeled next to his prone body. “He’s been shot. Prepare the vehicles! We have to go to the hospital now!” she instructed to men who ran towards them. One of them handed a shirt to her, and she placed it on the wound, applying pressure to stop the blood from flowing out too much.
A few men went towards the direction of where the shot had come from.
“Dev,” she whispered, looking at him. She lifted his head from the hard ground and placed it in her lap watching him as his eyes began to glaze over.
***
It hurt like hell, and Dev’s vision was blurring at the corners. But he kept his eyes open to see the most beautiful sight in the world—Sabitha Prajapati, his cold-hearted, fearless dragon looked absolutely and wonderfully terrified.
He was lying on her lap. He tried to smile and succeeded only a little. “Is this… all for… me?” he rasped out the words with great difficulty.
“God, Dev. Help is arriving. Just hang on for a while. Don’t close your eyes.”
“See…you do care… a little bit… for me…” He began to wheeze. “Come on baby… give me… one last kiss.”
“Shut up, you bastard!” she shouted and held him closer, her lips meeting his forehead. “Don’t you dare die! If you do, I’ll drag you back from the pits of hell and kill you myself!”
He tried to smile again. “Baby… I… ” Before he could finish, the darkness enveloped him completely.
