"Thank you so much Riddhima. Without you....."
"That's enough, you can leave now." Mr. Rautela interjected rudely. Poonam was taken aback, even a bit offended but then she was standing inside his house. He had all rights to treat her anyhow he wanted. She frowned.
"I was about to leave. I just stopped here to say thank you to her." she defended her unwanted barge inside his house. Rautelas weren't impressed.
"She don't need your thank you. Shove it in your bag and leave." said Mr. Rautela curtly. Riddhima quietly sat on the dining chair and said nothing.
"Why are you being so rude for no reason...."
"For no reason. I'm surprised that you had the audacity to say that. Don't you recall that you disowned Riddhima when she came back from that hexed mansion. You clearly said that you won't take her in at any cost and that she's no longer a daughter to you. It were your words Poonam, now why are putting the blame on us. Riddhima is our daughter now and we have the power to take decisions on behalf of our daughter. It's our responsibility to make sure our daughter is around nice group of people. We don't want your shadow to touch our daughter, we don't want nothing to do with you if I am being honest. It's a very simple thing Poonam, you are no longer part of her life. Now if this affrontation is enough then I believe you can leave already. You can see that nobody needs you here." said Mrs. Rautela insolently. Poonam was hurt. For the first time in her life she was feeling guilty. Ofcourse she wasn't ready to take Riddhima back, I mean who'll pay her expenses..... she's human and she eats, wasn't this a bit too expensive for someone like Poonam Dhami. But interestingly she did feel bad for whatever she did to poor Riddhima. She never treated her properly. And yet this girl didn't think twice before running to the Raghuvanshi mansion to save her son. Delusion runs in Riddhima's family, that's all I say. Poonam, although should feel bad for treating Riddhima unfairly throughout her life, was absolutely off base in this case. Riddhima didn't fell into Vikramaditya's arms just because she wanted to save her son. Confound it but she was ready to sacrifice that stupid boy's life just to save her virtue. But what compelled Riddhima to run to his mansion was when he threatened to do the same with the Rautelas. Riddhima would die protecting the Rautelas, therefore she chose to pay him a visit. Luckily she managed to protect her virtue from him, although she wasn't sure how longer can she protect herself from him.
"Fine. Thank you Riddhima. I'm leaving." Poonam breathed out angrily and left. As soon as she left, her phone rang. Riddhima could tell even with eyes closed that this was him. And now that she had promised him that she'll try to be a good wife, she has no other option but to act accordingly. She surely didn't wanted the last night scare to happen again. God forbid he was literally above her last night. The lust in his eyes was so evident and scary. And yes, btw, he was 'sweet enough' to drive her back home since it was past midnight when he agreed to let her go and ofcourse as a protective husband he won't allow his wife to walk alone in the hills just before the twilight. Not because of the rapists and muggers roaming the hills in the midnight (no one would dare touch her since she's his wife) but it was more because hills are renowned for paranormal sightings. And the people in Brahmapuri believed in ghosts, even Vikramaditya did.
"Pick it up before he loses his head and comes storming inside the house." Mr. Rautela said tiredly. He really wanted to strangle him but it just would be easier had he been a common man. Riddhima hesitantly answered the call.
"Next time you won't leave the phone ringing when I call. I don't like waiting my love." his husky voice literally sent shivers down her spine.
"I-I'm sorry." she whispered timidly. Mrs. Rautela frowned. This man seems to have issues with everything. What do he thinks that everybody is as free as him??? Can't people have their own jobs to do?? And was he a collector that people can't make him wait?? Honestly he wasn't the collector here but collector here actually waited on him so Mrs. Rautela was just over exagerrating everything.
"Oh baby, you know I can't be at mad at you for long. I love you so much." he whispered lovingly. Riddhima, after hearing the his tone, guessed that he wasn't in such a crabby mood as always. As usual Riddhima didn't know why was that but we know that it was because that she had finally accepted that he's her husband. Vikramaditya was cunning but he didn't probed into what she said last night, he simply chose to believe everything she said. Lesson learnt - Falling in love depletes your mental calibre. So don't fall in love.
"Hmm." typical of women. Vikramaditya chuckled.
"Don't you have anything else to say love hm. Well, forget it, what did you had for breakfast today??" he asked, trying to keep this conversation going. He really wanted to have long conversations with her.
"Um Potato fritters." she replied politely. He chuckled. Confirmed, he was in a good mood today.
"I love fritters, but I guess these abs just don't want me to eat oily stuff." he spoke openly. Riddhima really had a hard time controlling her laughter. She just didn't wanted to give him the impression that she was into him, I mean man have very straightforward policy on matters of love, if a woman laughs on a man's joke than she loves him and that's how the men think.

Vikramaditya was also a man and his ideology of love wasn't any different.
"Do you wanna eat pizza?? I will have it delivered to your doorstep." he offered. To be honest, Vikramaditya cared a lot about her. He was aware of her love for fast food, I mean everybody loves fast food in some form or the other. Riddhima, in particular, loved pizzas and pastas. He really wanted to make sure that her every need was fulfilled.
"Um no I don't want to eat pizza." she lied. Ofcourse pizza was a big yes for her but.......I don't know. Mr. Rautela was keenly hearing everything. Fortunately he wasn't scaring the shit out of her like last time.
"I know you do. Don't worry, I'll take you out tomorrow for pizza. By the way it's been years since I had last watched a film, we'll watch a movie together. Ok." he declared. Riddhima gasped loudly. She looked up at Mr. Rautela and he sensed that it was his turn now to take the call.
"Riddhi I....."
"Do you realise you have a business to run??" spat Mr. Rautela on the phone. Vikramaditya frowned.
"It's you again. I don't understand what's your problem, don't you like seeing Riddhi happy with me??" he said hatefully. Mr. Rautela was irked.
"She's never happy with you."
"Because you don't let her be."
"Oh shut up she wants nothing to do with you."
"You don't get to decide that." fired Vikramaditya. Mr. Rautela would've throttled him had he been around.
"I don't wanna argue with you." Mr. Rautela said in disdain. Vikramaditya was frowning inside his mansion.
"As if I want to. Just tell her that I love her." and he disconnects the call shortly after. Mr. Rautela slammed the phone on the table. Vikramaditya was seriously getting on his nerves now.
"He's a jerk." he grumbled as he marched outside the door. Mrs. Rautela huffed.
"Did he offered you a pizza??" she asked. Riddhima nodded. Mrs. Rautela pouted.
"You should've asked him to have four five pizzas delivered to our house. When he isn't willing to leave us alone I believe he can atleast buy us pizzas." chuckled Mrs. Rautela. Riddhima laughed.
"I'll ask him to buy you a Domino's franchise here so you can have pizzas everyday." Riddhima said laughing. Mrs. Rautela guffawed. Wasn't a bad idea but they just didn't wanted nothing to do with Vikramaditya Raghuvanshi.

So in the night, around 8:00, Mr. and Mrs. Rautela had went out to attend a wedding reception down the hill. Their youngest had gone with them while the eldest was at his friend's house for a class project. Riddhima was alone. And ofcourse she had fast closed all the doors and windows because there was a madman on loose. Just kidding, Vikramaditya was not a 'madman', perhaps a man with a slight twisted mind but nothing too serious. The last three words were a joke. Anyways, Riddhima was studying when she heard the doorbell ringing. She thought it was the eldest son. Quickly she reached for the door and unlocked it. He must be hungry, she thought. However, once she opened the door she came face to face with a rather familiar face. Any guesses!!!! Yeah.....Yeah everybody knows it was Vikramaditya Raghuvanshi standing on the door.
"You...." she gasped on finding him just across her. He looked at her coldly.
"That's not how you welcome your husband Riddhi. You should've hugged me." he tutored her. Riddhima looked at him as if he'd grown horns. She would've said something savage but then she remembered the promise she made to him last night.
"Um....I wasn't expecting you."
"Were you expecting somebody else??? Do you want me to sever down his head??" he hissed through his teeth. He looked murderous honestly. Riddhima gulped and shook her head, too terrified to speak.
"Hm. Won't you let me in!!" he asked blankly. She gasped loudly.
"Um Uncle Aunty are not at home..."
"Is that an invitation??" suddenly his entire body language changed. His eyes were loaded with mischief and lust. He desperately wished for her to say yes so they can both make love all night long. Call him horny or a lech, he just was fed up of waiting. He wanted to consummate their marriage. He wanted kids..... He wanted to build a family with her soon.
"No. I mean they are not so you can't come in." she told him nicely. He smirked as he gently held her hand and stepped inside.
"No....no....no...." but he already was inside the house. Riddhima was scared. She was alone and this guy has managed to come in. What to do now???
"Riddhima I am hungry, cook some dinner for me." he ordered authoritatively. Riddhima was stunned for a second as she saw him sitting casually on the couch and going through the magazines. He looked up and frowned.
"Riddhima I am hungry. I haven't eaten anything in last four hours. Come on make something for me." he told her firmly. Riddhima, not wanting to piss him off, ran straight to the kitchen.

Riddhima quickly made some curried potatoes, dal, cumin rice and chapattis for him. She could hear the sound of TV from the hall. He was watching news she could say for sure. He had also closed the door shut and was chilling on the couch. Because he was hungry like a grizzly bear, she gave him some homemade chips to eat. When she went inside the hall with his dinner, he was munching on the chips while frowning at the TV. Perhaps the news wasn't up to his liking.
"Huh, python is a genius. Put him inside the jail for trying to defame Python in this fashion." he muttered as she laid his food on the table.
"Food is here." she whispered, wiping the sweat with her dupatta. He looked up at her and smiled affectionately. After that he started digging in the food.
"Delicious. You literally have magic in your hands." he complimented her. She blushed.
"I'll go and make some more chapattis for you." she said softly as she saw that the chapattis inside the casserole won't be enough for him. So she went in and starting making some more. Vikramaditya, on the other hand, was having the best time of his life. His wife was cooking dinner for him while he was chilling and watching news after a hectic day at work. Wasn't this all that he'd ever wanted!!! Suddenly Riddhima's phone rang. Vikramaditya didn't think twice and picked up the call. Well, he believed he had all authority to take calls on behalf of his wife. Besides Vikramaditya never believed in 'personal space'. And he wasn't a hypocrite, he himself never kept passwords in his phone. He had no issues if she checks his phone. Secretly he wanted her to do that. I mean he wanted to see her taking pride in the fact that her husband only loved her. Anyways, he answered the call.
"Riddhima beta...."
"She's inside the kitchen cooking chapattis for me. Don't disturb us now." and he disconnects the call. He didn't fail to switch off the phone after that. He didn't wanted anyone to disturb them.

After Vikramaditya had his dinner, he himself marched up to her bedroom and fell flat on his tummy on her bed.
"Mr. Raghuvanshi you can't...."
"I don't have energy to drive back home. I've done enough work in my office and I am dog tired. Lemme sleep." he lied, he wasn't that tired. He just was making all up to sleep on the same bed with her. Riddhima was spooked. What will Mr. and Mrs. Rautela think???
"But Mr. Raghuvanshi...."
"Shubhratri my love. I'll see you in the morning." and he closed his eyes. Riddhima sighed in defeat. Heavy heartedly she walked up to the couch and waited for the Rautelas to get back home. However, she didn't know when she fell asleep waiting for them. But he did because he was precisely waiting for that moment. And when it came, he marched off to the couch, lifted her up, strode up to the bed and gently laid her on the bed. He laid next to her and watched her as she slept soundly. He shifted closer to her so he could hear her barely audible snores.
"I love you." he whispered as he kissed her softly on her cheeks. Gently he placed his hand on her tummy.
"We will be so happy together Riddhi." he whispered running his finger along the side of her face. She moaned softly. And man, his little guy was all erect. She stirred in her sleep and turned on her side. He studied every feature of her face intently as she found a cozy place inside his arms. He locked her in the cocoon of his arms and closed his eyes. Soon he too fell asleep with her sleeping comfortably in his arms.
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