Soulless (Revenge or Love?): A Hot Romance Thriller set in India

by MV Kasi

  IT HAD BEEN four days since Ajay had been gone and the house seemed even lonelier. Even though they hadn't interacted much, she was used to seeing him about. In the downstairs living room, or in the kitchen or in the garden.

  Mostly he was exercising or simply laughing out loud, and talking to people over the phone, gesturing with his hands.

  Yes. She had been creepily spying on her own husband. Because she loved watching him and listening to his voice. Even though, sometimes she had wondered why the hell she ended up picking him. Especially when she knew he would be a huge distraction to her.

  "I need a temporary husband who would father my child within a year. And it has to appear real in every possible way. The DNA tests, wedding certificates. Everything. I don't want to take any chances."

  A day ago, Varun had gotten hold of some crucial documents related to the Naidu estate while snooping through his father's office. Those documents were a game changer.

  "Do you have any particular candidate in mind?" Varun asked her quietly.

  Immediately Ajay's smiling face flashed in her mind.

  "No. I don't have anyone in mind. I need your help with the vetting and the background checks of some guys that I will soon short list."

  She had deliberately left out Ajay's name from that list. Because she knew that she couldn't remain cold-blooded with him, and kick him out when the date of use had expired. For some reason, she lost all rational thought when it came to him.

  But it was too bad that she ended up losing all her rational thought anyway, the night she had decided to get herself impregnated by him.

  Sighing, she went into the media room, and selected a video to watch. It was a wedding video that had been uploaded on a public domain by some random excited couple.

  As the video played on the huge screen, she sat back and watched the camera's lens zooming in on a handsome man's face. It was lit up, and he looked happy, and excited as his bride slowly approached him, and sat in front of him.

  She felt the same rush and excitement as the bride on the video. Because no one had ever cherished her or made her feel wanted. Her past conquests definitely didn't. Maybe if she wasn't using them or trusted them a little, they could have.

  But someone with her kind of past stood no chance whatsoever to trust someone enough to get close or connect to them in anyway. And even though she had used and abused her own life, she had also yearned for someone to trust and love for so long that she began to experience in a weirdly vicarious way.

  Watching the screen as the happy couple tied the knot while stealing glances at each other, her heart twisted in intense longing. Not the marriage, but what it was supposed to represent. A beautiful bond between two people who wanted to spend their life with each other.

  A resemblance of some kind of normalcy. With a soul-mate.

  It was pretty ironic that she was called a soulless person all her life by various people, while she had been secretly craving a soul-mate, who would look beyond the damaged person and love her for who she was. Someone whom she could trust implicitly and lose her heart to. Someone who could complete the void she felt as she simply existed.

  She continued to watch the wedding video of people she didn't know, soaking up their excitement and emotions like a sponge. She looked at the groom's face as watched his now new wife adoringly as she looked back at him shyly.

  She knew her own wedding was nowhere close to any of the videos she had watched over the years. And also that her groom didn't have an enthralled look on his face as he gazed at her. Far from it. He looked like he wanted to kill and bury her where no one would find her.

  But it hadn't always been that way with Ajay.

  She recalled their night together when she conceived their baby. The warmth of his body and his kisses. At one point during the night when they were exhausted and made slow love, she had even pretended that he was kissing her because he liked her, and wanted to spend his life with someone like her.

  Shivering slightly at the memories, she slowly went towards his room.

  It was unlocked.

  Opening the door, she peered about curiously. The room was slightly messy. And so, she automatically began to straighten it due to her compulsions.

  Order was dependable. She had always felt that the cleanliness on the outside covered up all the disgusting flaws that infiltrated the insides.

  She went towards one of the chairs where there was a discarded shirt, and picked it up. She inhaled deeply as it still smelled slightly of the cologne Ajay had used. Her heart beat began to pick up in speed, and hot thoughts raced through her mind as she ran her fingers slowly along the length of the soft cotton shirt.

  You shouldn't.

  What's the harm?

  You are so pathetic!

  I know. But who would know and who really cares?

  True...

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  AJAY ARRIVED HOME around midnight. He was pretty tired and wanted to go straight to bed. As he climbed up the stairs and went closer to his room, he began to hear some noises being emitted from there. Alert, he threaded softly and stood outside the door.

  His bedroom door wasn't closed all the way, and he pushed it open very slowly.

  Looking at the sight in front of him, his body went from being tired to instantly and painfully aroused, all within a fraction of a second.

  Sia was lying on his bed with her eyes closed.

  But she was definitely awake. And she didn't know that he was there. Probably because of the air-conditioning sound or maybe because she was too lost in her own world.

  Her back was arched slightly, and she was wearing one of his unbuttoned shirts over lacy bra and panties. And one of her hands was inside her panties.

  He had never seen anything as hot as his wife touching herself while she lay on his bed and wore his clothes, hopefully thinking about him.

  Slowly, he went closer to her, in hopes of not disturbing her, or scaring her. He could make out from the noises that she was making, that she was having a tough time achieving what she wanted to do, all by herself.

  He was pretty glad. Especially since he had spent equal number of frustrated nights during their two months of marriage.

  She didn't register his presence until he stood next to the bed, to watch her from much closer. A few tensed seconds later, her eyes flew open, and she gasped out loud in surprise seeing him.

  Her entire body froze, including the fingers that had disappeared inside her panties. There was just enough soft light coming from the night lamps in the room to observe that she was quite stunned being caught.

  He didn't care, and neither did he want to apologize. Dropping his bag on the floor with a gentle thud, he slowly lowered himself next to her on the bed.

  She didn't move, or scream, as he stretched out next to her, and settled with his head propped on his hand. He ran his eyes over her body, starting from her curled toes, to her slightly spread legs, lingering especially on her fingers that had disappeared inside.

  His hungry eyes also took in her curves that were laid bare to him under his spread shirt, along with a barely there skimpy bra. With great difficulty, he dragged his eyes up to meet hers.

  "Having fun without me?" he asked huskily.

  She started at his words as though they broke her trance. And she jerked out her hand from her lacy panties.

  "What are you doing here?" she whispered.

  He smiled. "I live here. Did you forget about me so soon?" he asked, running a finger along her hip.

  She shivered at the contact, making him go almost insane. He had to control himself with a great amount of restraint to not roll on top of her, rip those useless panties, and then be buried deep inside her, until they both found release to blow away their frustration.

  "I meant, why are you home here this early? You weren't supposed to be back for another two days," she said with a slightly accusing tone.

  He smiled, even though it must have looked like a pained grimace. "Som
ething came up and I had to return earlier than planned. And I'm so glad I did that," he said huskily as he trailed his finger over her stomach, and then along the underside of her breasts.

  Her body shook with the contact. And when she didn't object or say anything, his finger got even bolder. He moved it downwards, grazing the soft skin of her stomach, along her panty line, and then along the soft skin of her upper thighs, but deliberately avoiding and not touching where she actually wanted it.

  She arched her back even higher, making frustrated noises, until his teasing finger finally moved up, and then disappeared into her panties. She gasped out loudly again. And her eyes fluttered close, and her breathing quickened as he slowly stroked her soft, wet flesh.

  He began moving his finger deeper, making her hips arch greedily as she held his hand captive with hers. She didn't really have to do that since his hand was more than happy to be where it was.

  "Do you want me?" he asked her in a guttural voice, as he leaned towards her, and began to trail soft, biting kisses along her jaw, and then along her throat.

  Her body told him that she wanted him. But he needed to hear those words from her mouth.

  But she didn't reply and continued to move her hips along with his finger.

  "Answer me, Sia. Do you want me?" he asked and slowed his finger to a still.

  Her eyes flew open, and immediately one of her hands that had grabbed his wrist, began to move it with her nails digging into his skin, while she watched him in desperation. But the effect wasn't the same and she whimpered in frustration.

  "Do you want me?" he asked her again.

  She was breathing hard, her chest rising and falling as she looked torn between wanting to admit that she wanted him or simply lie that she didn't care.

  The truth won.

  "Yes. I want you," she replied finally.

  He smiled again. "Good," he said, and resumed his exploration, adding another finger, making her gasp and moan out loud as her eyes rolled over. He moved on top of her, balancing his weight with his other free hand as he watched her from up close.

  As usual, she looked breathtaking. And soon her gasps and moans took over the room, getting him overheated.

  "Ajay...please, I need..." she moaned out as her eyes opened to lock on his with a pleading look.

  Based on the desperate look on her face, he knew that she was pretty close to her release. And so, holding her gaze, he pressed his thumb to her nub and rubbed gently. It was enough to push her off the edge. She clenched around his fingers tightly, her body arching so high, he almost thought she would buck him off.

  The beautiful sight of his wife coming with just his fingers, felt like one of the most intense sexual experiences he ever had.

  Even though he hadn't come, feelings of possessiveness overwhelmed him as she shuddered under him and around his fingers. He wanted to be the only one to see her like this. And he wanted to be the only one who could make her feel like this. Just him and no one else. Ever.

  But according to the marriage contract her lawyer had sent to him to sign, their marriage was only supposed to be a temporary one. And after their baby was born, they would divorce eventually, and she would probably find someone else to satisfy her needs.

  She could not be his. And she didn't even want to be his.

  So before his foolish thoughts led him to a dangerous territory, he reluctantly withdrew his hands from her and rolled away from her to sit up on the bed.

  She was lying still, with her eyes closed, as her breathing began to calm gradually. Then slowly, her eyes opened and met his.

  He watched her calmly as she got up hurriedly from his bed. Then she removed his shirt and threw it away on a chair with some of his other clothes.

  The sight of her near naked body almost drove him to the edge, and he was about to grab her and pull her back into the bed. But her next words stilled his hands and legs.

  "This was a mistake. I want you to completely forget about what just happened tonight and never mention it or discuss this topic again," she stated.

  And then, not making any eye contact with him, she all but ran out of his room, shutting the door behind her.

  He was both completely pissed and extremely horny.

  How did she manage to make him feel like a one-night stand again? Even though, this particular time they were tied together in a holy matrimony.

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

  THE NEXT MORNING, Sia was quite ashamed and also nervous to face Ajay. But instead of hiding in her room, she went into the gym room, and began her usual exercise routine to get her mind off the previous night.

  She started with her prenatal yoga exercises first. And just as she started practicing her kick boxing moves, Ajay entered the gym in his workout wear.

  She froze with her legs poised in a kick. "What are you doing here?" she asked him in surprise.

  "I live here now," he answered with a slight smirk. "Did you forget it already? I thought I had reminded you of that fact last night."

  She didn't comment. Deciding to ignore him, she continued to kick the punching bag.

  "I wanted to stop by, and let you know that I have no hard feelings remaining this morning. Even after the way you left so abruptly last night, leaving me with...well...hard feelings," he said.

  She pressed her lips together at his innuendo. "I prefer to forget about last night."

  He shook his head and chuckled. "Well, I can't. It's forever etched into my memory as one of the hottest nights I ever had."

  Annoyed and embarrassed, she moved around the inflated punching bag, and shoved it hard, and dodged as it backed towards her. She had to use the inflated ones instead of the regular ones due to her pregnancy. But she missed the slight pain and the adrenaline rush she usually felt when her gloves connected with a hard punching bag.

  "You have to be really careful around those things, Sia. They can really hurt you if you don't know what you are doing. And from what I can see, well..." he trailed off suggestively.

  She knew he was trying to bait her to get a reaction from her. So she simply tried to ignore him again. But how in the holy heaven, could she or anyone to that matter, ignore that man in his workout gear that consisted of just shorts. Her eyes kept glancing at his body as it drew her like a magnet.

  But luckily, he missed her stealing glances because he was busy looking around at her extensive gym room with an exaggerated look. "This is a pretty large workout room for someone playing with inflated toys," he commented.

  She snapped her gaze away from his body. And determinedly, she ignored him, and continued shoving, and dodging the punching bag.

  "Oh come on, Sia. There is nothing to be ashamed about what happened last night. We are two adults who are desperate for—"

  "Do you mind?" she cut him off. "I'm trying to exercise and relax here."

  "Relax?" he asked in a taunting tone. "It appears to me more like you are trying to take your inner anger and frustration out on that helpless toy. Why don't you try taking it out on me? It might be fun."

  She paused and then looked at him.

  He was smiling. "Come on Sia. Show me how much damage you can do to me. Maybe I'll even give you a chance to pin me down, and have your way with me while I lay helpless."

  Her nostrils flared at his challenge and the teasing.

  "Come on. I really want to see your skills. I just caught fleeting glimpses, the first time I saw you, and then a little bit of it now."

  "Are you sure?" she asked in a serious tone.

  His lips curved in amusement. "Yes. And don't go easy on me because I'm your husband, and you are supposed to serve and obey me," he teased.

  She didn't reply. She splayed her legs and waited for him.

  "Tackle me," she ordered.

  Ajay rushed towards her, following her order.

  When he was almost close to her, she stepped aside in the last possible second, letting his momentum carry him forward. And as he went down towards the floor, she kicked him in
the stomach.

  A surprised gasp escaped his mouth as he landed down.

  She went rushing towards him and peered into his face. "Are you alright, Ajay?" she asked with a frown.

  Rolling away, he sprang up to his feet with a grin. "Never better. That was so cool. Let's try it again."

  This time he rushed her from behind.

  And she waited until the last possible moment to duck, and twist as she threw him over her shoulder.

  He fell with an, "Oof," on the gym floor.

  She knelt down hurriedly next to him, and peered into his face again as he lay still with his eyes closed.

  "Ajay..." she began as worry crept into her.

  He opened his eyes and grinned at her. "You really are something. Let's see what you can do when I attack you from the front from a closer proximity."

  She sighed exasperatedly. "Well, I would have to scratch your eyes out, and burst your eardrums. I think I can do without a temporary husband who is both blind and deaf."

  He sprang up again. "Oh yeah? We'll see. Try it."

  "No. I think we've had enough of your juvenile behavior for today."

  "Oh come on, Sia. Don't be a spoilsport. Try it."

  "No."

  "Watch out!" he shouted dramatically and lunged towards her.

  Instinctively her body primed her into a combat mode, and she was about to slap her palms hard onto his ears. But luckily, he already knew what she was about to do, so he caught both her hands, and tripped her, making her fall on the soft rubber gym floor.

  He broke the fall by going down along with her, and twisted to take the brunt of the fall. And then, carefully, keeping most of his weight on his elbows, he sprawled over her.

  "What do you think you are doing?" she asked.

  She sounded breathless. Not because of the soft fall, but because of their positions.

  He was smiling into her face.

  She stared at his lips, and then at him, waiting to see what he would do.

  Slowly, his smile disappeared, and he was watching her face with hunger. Her heart began to thump erratically, and she felt breathless with anticipation.