Chapter 14: Getting to know you Abhay’s P.O.V I stood in the middle of the market place, admiring a couple who stood in front of a colorful bangle shop. The man wore a white tunic with loose fitting white cotton trousers and a rainbow coloured turban on his head while the woman was wearing a bright yellow and red ghagra choli. Her dupatta was hanging off of her head and that’s how I knew she was unmarried. The man was courting her and he was buying her a set of yellow and green bangles to go with her ghagra. Taking my camera out of my bag silently, I turned the flash off and took a few quick snaps of the couple as the man placed the bangles into his girlfriend’s awaiting hands and she accepted them with a delighted smile. Surrounded by a backdrop of so many colours, they looked magnificent. “Shouldn’t you be asking permission before you take someone’s picture?” I nearly jumped out of my skin at that half-whispered question by my ear and my camera slipped out of my hands. I yelped
Chapter 15: Entitled Mikalya’s P.O.V “Hey! How’d it go?” Ruksaar bombarded me as soon as I entered the hotel room, just like I had expected her to do. What I hadn’t expected was that Kashmira and her son would be in the room with her, having dinner and gossiping away like they were long-lost sisters. I frowned at the arrangement but didn’t comment on it. Ruksaar and I would need to have a long discussion soon. “It was good.” I told her truthfully as I went into the bathroom to freshen up and change. I wasn’t used to ghagras and dresses, but Gujarat had a strict dress code. Anything remotely ‘modern’ was highly frowned upon. “Good?” Ruksaar raised her eyebrows at me as she looked me up and down. “Says the woman who got all sparkly for the date.” “It wasn’t a date.” I gave her a glare as soon as I saw that stupid smile on her face. “And no, I will not hear any more discussions on this topic.” “Fine.” She puffed her cheeks before turning to Kashmira. “Why don’t you put your son do
Chapter 16: Realization Mikalya’s P.O.V “Where did you get this?” I asked Abhay as I took a sip of the alcohol and felt the sting right down to my stomach. Damn, this was potent! “Some locals were sipping on it and I got interested.” Abhay shrugged his bare broad shoulders, his eyes a bit unfocused as he looked at the fire burning in front of us. “I was pretty sure I got riffed off but that’s alright, I guess.” Yup. He was hammered. But I found out that it was a good thing. His speech was continuous and he was no longer stuttering nervously in front of me. Alcohol gave him the confidence to push past my Alpha strength. I’d lived almost a hundred years, seen and experienced several lovers, but there was just something about Abhay that I couldn’t shake. He was adorable yet masculine; nervous yet brave and shy yet forward. He was a mix of contrasting characters I’d never experienced before and yet, they all seem to come together very nicely. Was I feeling this way because he was my
Chapter 17: Leaving Mikalya’s P.O.V The first rays of the sun woke me up from a deep slumber, causing me to groan out in irritation. I tried to shift into a better position without opening my eyes, but found that my bed had turned into granite. The cool morning air felt good on my skin. After enduring the heat of the desert for so long, I was glad to be back in the mountains where I could once again enjoy the cold weather and ditch those god-awful skirts for good. But why was there sunlight inside my room? I brought my hand up to cover my eyes and discovered there was something grainy on them that were irritating my skin. Snapping my eyes open, I finally realized what was going on. I wasn’t back in the Himalayan mountains…I was sleeping in the desert sand with Abhay next to me. The small blanket that had been thrown over our bodies wasn’t enough to keep the cold away and Abhay’s curled up body beside me was proof enough that the temperature had dropped considerably this early in
Chapter 18: A Stolen MomentAbhay’s P.O.VI got to the hotel where Mikalya was staying, earlier than expected because I wanted her to see me as someone who was serious and intentional about our relationship, and not some player who just wanted to be with her for her beauty alone.Already, I could feel my heart rate spiking up with every minute that passed which just told me that she was close by. I couldn’t explain it, but there was this special connection I felt with Mikalya that I hadn't felt with anyone in my entire life.And just then…I heard it…the sound of her footsteps as she descended the stairs down to the lobby.My hands instinctively went to my camera that I had strapped to my neck just in case. And now, I knew that it was the best choice I ever made.How was it that every colour she wore made her look even more gorgeous?Yesterday afternoon, it had been blue. Then last night, it had been black. And now, she was wearing a red ghagra-choli with a white dupatta and I felt lik
Chapter 19: Stuck in TimeMikalya’s P.O.VI got out of the car and looked at the ruins closely. The truth was that I didn’t even know what to make of it. It was a national monument so to speak but still, standing in its presence was a thrilling experience, one I couldn't even put to words.“Wow,” I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.I had to give it to Abhay, he had gone above everything I had ever imagined and. Even I never realized that a place like this had existed in the middle of the desert. The structure was in ruins, but still, I could feel the rich cultural history just by standing in front of the collapsed remains of what was once a magnificent castle.Abhay came around, coming to stand beside me as he took my hands in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. And for the first time, I didn’t want to remove my hands from his.Usually, I never liked having someone hold my hand or act lovey-dovey with me. I never could stand acts of PDA. But with Abhay…I wanted to do certain th
Chapter 20: Possessive of YouMikalya’s P.O.V“Wow, this place is bigger than I expected it to be.” I looked around in wonder.My words echoed through the ruins and I suddenly had a thought that I most definitely didn’t want to share with Abhay.Since this place was used by young lovers to ‘frolic’ was the echo one of the main reasons they came here? So they could listen to their moans echo through the ruins as they made sweet love in the shadows of this palace.But despite the naughty thought, I was enjoying the place very much. The tall ornate pillars suggested that this was carved from a single stone, and the designs, or whatever was left of it, was made by skillful hands that loved their craft.The sun filtered in through the numerous cracks on the ceiling and the huge chunks that had collapsed a long time ago. Despite the dangerous appearance to the place, it still looked sturdy and peaceful.We walked in deeper and deeper, looking at all the places that once held relics and deco
Chapter 21: A Wolf DreamMikalya’s P.O.V“Thank you…for the picnic…and the photoshoot.” I gave him a tight smile, withdrawing my hand from his.He noticed the sudden change in my demeanor, but he didn’t comment on it. But now, we had both finished dinner and that bottle of palm wine that he had managed to get his hands on.But since the sun had already set and the sky had gotten dark enough that it wasn’t safe to travel back to the town, in case we got lost on the way…there was no other way than to stay the night here, by the ruins of this ancient palace.Oddly enough, it wasn’t scary at all. It was calm and peaceful, with the silence momentarily interrupted by the chirping of the crickets and other nocturnal animals.“The food was really delicious.” I commented, unable to find a better topic. “This restaurant was a good choice.”“Wasn’t it?” His grin finally returned. “I went there for lunch this afternoon and really liked it! I knew you would love it too, since you like spicy food.