Author's note: I went through several emotional damage while writing this chapter because it's SMUT. I wanted to throw hands at some point! *sobs* 

Aaaaaaaand.......... ⚠️WARNING⚠️ 'THE' chapter y'all have been waiting for. 😂 Things about to get 🌶🌶🌶 up! 😋🤭 And I'm leaving a lot of inline comments because I actually was feeling so when writing this chapter. Gaaaaaahhhhhh.....!!!

~~~

Her heart was beating rapidly, like a disconcerted caged animal. She turned her head and saw Abhimanyu walking into the room, followed by Neil and Irfan. Her eyes widened, realizing her almost naked body was now open to display in front of all these men. She frenziedly looked around to find something to cover herself when Abhimanyu rushed forward and picked the bedsheet off the ground and threw it over to her before turning towards Naveen.

"Take him out," He ordered his men while she hurried to cover herself. Neil and Irfan came forward, seized Naveen and began dragging him away.

"Leave me!" Naveen struggled to loosen their holds on his arms to no avail. "I said leave me! Mr. Abhimanyu! You gave me permission to come in. Then what is this behaviour?"

"I gave you permission to have a decent conversation and know her heart. I didn't ask you to force yourself on her," Abhimanyu said in his flat tone.

Her eyes snapped towards Abhimanyu before it swayed back to Naveen and back at Abhimanyu. 'Know her heart?' What the fuck did he mean?

"But you said you two are having an open marriage! Then why does it matter?" Naveen exclaimed.

"It matters because she's non-consensual," Abhimanyu responded calmly. "Take him out. Don't let him go until I say so," he commanded again as Neil and Irfan dragged Naveen out of the room.

She had fallen very silent by now. Abhimanyu shifted his eyes on her after they left and said, "I didn't expect that."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before asking, "Why?" Her voice wavered slightly.

"Let me put it-" He started but got interrupted soon.

"I don't want you to hide anything from me." She opened her eyes and stared dead at him.

"Okay. I'll be truthful then." He paused momentarily. "You piqued my interest the day I first heard you telling stories to Dev. Not many people know stories from our scriptures. Your interest in scriptures caught my attention."

Her brows curled in curiosity. That was a long time ago. She remembered how she fell off guard when Abhimanyu came in to give Dev a chocolate bar, but didn't exchange a single word to her before leaving. Did he really remember what she was talking about that day? Well, this wasn't something she saw coming.

Abhimanyu went on. "If something catches my attention, I tend to dig into the heart of it," he added slowly. "I desired to learn about your background. So, I did." He paused briefly and glanced at her way. "Naveen and you were in a relationship for so many years. I learned the level of intimacy you two were engaged in."

Wait! What? Her mouth hung open. She couldn't trust her own ears about what she was hearing right now. She knew, he was a straightforward man. He couldn't make this up out of air. Indeed, he had delved into her past. Did that mean, he knew everything about Naveen and her relationship?

"That's why I knew you weren't playing a game with me that night and was really intoxicated."

She blinked. He believed her that she had no sinful intention! He trusted her alibi! A knot in her heart unfastened quickly, making her feel relieved in some way.

"But when you agreed to marry me, I doubted you. It made me rethink all the possibilities I might have overlooked."

Her shoulders slumped again in disappointment. She couldn't think straight anymore. It felt like a laborious emotional rollercoaster ride. One moment he was applying ointment on her bleeding wounds, but the very next, he was hitting her with a whip to open her already healed wound. Would he ever let her properly heal?

"I wanted to make sure your intentions were unadulterated. Living with you made me think about all the sacrifices you made just because Maa asked you to. You didn't think about your reputation to save ours. How could you even do that if you didn't have any other plans up your sleeves? How could someone be so selfless? It's incomprehensible. Truthfully, you made me question my perception about you several times." 

She took a shaky breath and averted her gaze. The ache returned to her chest. For the first time she questioned the worth of her love. She was loving him – but at what cost? Her relinquishes? Should she not respect her self-esteem? Wasn't she overlooking her needs? She asked herself desperately, 'Why do I have to be strong all the time?'

Abhimanyu continued, "You intrigue me, Shreya. I've never met anyone like you before." He gazed at her fixedly. Their eyes met as she lifted her lashes and looked at his way. "If I'm being truthful, I'll only give you the truth. And the truth is, you deserve happiness in your life, and I am not the one who could provide you that. I didn't want to limit you in a fake marriage like ours." He paused momentarily before resuming, "I thought maybe it's a situational misunderstanding and separation between you two. I assumed, perhaps, the clip was read wrongly by him and he stopped all the interaction with you, which, according to my understanding, is the truth. That's why, I made all those efforts to dig into your past and contact Naveen. I met him and told him we're having an open marriage and you're allowed to have a relationship with him if you're willing, but in secret of course. He was sceptical at first, and I was ambivalent about your presence in my life. I was only focused on the impossibility of us until yesterday."

Her gaze wavered and heartbeat increased as he looked away. A feeling that words couldn't express caused her subconscious to loosen her hold on the bedsheet around her. The sheet fell down.

"I had already set this appointment with Naveen the day before yesterday and I couldn't cancel it. Because I had to make sure that I'm not sabotaging you in any way."

"Why does it matter?" She asked quietly. Her throat almost closing in.

"It matters, Shreya. I still can't promise you anything, but..." he turned towards her and removed his spectacles.

She blinked and waited for him to complete his thoughts.

"I don't want you to leave. Ever."

That was it. She couldn't hold it anymore. Her eyes welled up because of all of those pent-up emotions. "Oh my God!" She whispered. "Stop doing this to me!" She clasped her hands and brought them up to her forehead. "Don't make it harder than it already is!" Hot tears fell freely from her eyes.

"I warned you, patience might make you frustrated."

"Don't say anything!" Some sort of relief washed over her as she dropped her hands and walked across the room; almost ran to him. He threw his spectacles on the resting chair and opened his arms just in time before she crashed into him. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I think we'll figure it out. Won't we?" 

"You know what? Loving you is a torture, but you matter to me more than my own agonies."

"You're one brave person I've ever seen." He placed a kiss on her forehead after she unwrapped her arms around his waist and wiped her tear-stained cheeks.

"You don't say."

"All I'm being is truthful." He tilted her head up by putting a curled-up finger under her chin. "Even when you're a crying mess, you're absolutely graceful."

She blushed profusely and shoved his hand away from her face.

"I have something to show you," he declared calmly.

She followed his movements curiously as he searched his pockets and brought out a piece of paper. The content however, made her flush bashfully as her eyes took it in after he handed her the paper.

It was another line art of the same artist, and it portrayed a titillating female figure straddling a male. The back of the female was visible making the male mostly hidden.

The warmth rushed in her face as she sucked in a deep breath.

He spoke very gently. "I think that towel is obscuring my view."

She blushed and tried to escape from his reach but he caught her waist swiftly blocking her way back. "I really want to kiss you right now."

"Then do it." Words left her mouth before she could even think of a sensual comeback. She was supposed to be the one seducing him. But she didn't get enough time for that as his lips claimed hers in no time.

Hungry as it was suitable to describe how his lips determinedly clamped down on her. It wasn't passionate but rough. Unrelenting. She clutched on his shirt and lifted herself up on her tip-toes while he pulled her closer. With his free hand, he removed the hair tie from her hair and let it fall down loosely. Heat overtook all her senses until she kissed him back. She felt his hand moving at the back of her head, holding it, stroking her hair making the rest of the hair twirls fall lose. She felt weak at the knees when his tongue grazed over her lips, sucking it occasionally.

She murmured his name against his lips while he grabbed a handful of her hair and tugged on them making her head fall back, exposing her neck to him. She felt utterly vulnerable at this moment, completely at his mercy. He leaned over and started kissing her neck, sporadically dragging his teeth and tongue alongside her jaw. She whimpered as she felt desperately needy down below.

"Let me see you." He breathed into her ears making her clit tingle in response. She nodded obediently before her fingers found the hem of the towel. But as soon as she was about to rip it off, he said, "People might hear you tonight."

Her mouth gaped as she stared at him half dazed half awed.

He grazed his thumb across her jaw which finally reached her mouth before he began stroking her lower lip in an emphatical manner. They never once broke the eye contact until his thumb slipped into her mouth. "Suck," he commanded in a low but firm voice. 

And she did. She had no reason not to.

Her eyes closed in ecstasy as her tongue swirled around his thumb, sucking on it. Instinctively, all her fingers wrapped around his wrist as she worked her tongue on it.

"Open your eyes and look at me."

She did and gazed into his eyes, which twinkled like stars.

He tugged on his thumb and it popped out of her mouth with strings of saliva attached to it. 

"I want to watch you take off that piece of cloth draped around you. Then I want you to straddle me and make my art come alive. Can you do that?" 

All of her senses were now burning with sinful desires as she felt the warmth creeping up her face. Did he really want her to take charge tonight or follow his instructions?

She nodded not wanting to keep him waiting. Was she being too desperate? Perhaps. But at this moment she wanted nothing but to consummate their marriage. She only wanted him to make love to her. She only wanted to feel close to him. And if obeying him could lead her to that route, she'd happily submit to him.

Her eyes followed him as he took a few steps back and sat down on the edge of the bed. He still had his shirt and pants on. She suddenly felt self-cautious of their situation. Once this towel was gone, she'd be completely naked in front of his fully clothed self. The thought alone heightened her senses, making her vagina tingle with needs.

"Get to work, Wife." The words rolled out of his mouth languorously causing shivers down her spine. 

She bit down her lower lip while her face turned aflame. The anticipation of the upcoming events was setting her senses into exhilaration. Butterflies started fluttering in her stomach as she gathered her nerves and wrapped her fingers around the hem of the white fluffy towel. Her self-control went to overdrive as she slowly unwrapped the towel and let it fall to the ground. The cool air hit her bare skin causing goosebumps to spread throughout. She looked up and caught his intense gaze on her. His eyes travelled from top to bottom while he placed his open palms behind him and leaned back. 

Her teeth dug into the soft flesh of her lips a little painfully when he spread his legs giving her the signal of her next assignment. She'd have to straddle him. Great! At this point, it was possible to light a candle from the fire caught on her cheeks. Her ears turned hot while she felt another round of goosebumps spreading across her body. She released her lips slowly. Although the temperature of the room was bearable, under his scrutiny she experienced the cool of air against her burning body. It increased as she took a step forward embarrassingly aware of how exposed she was in front of him. Her hair fell over her shoulders tickling the skin around her neck and collarbone.

Her breathing turned laboured as she went ahead and stood in front of him. She was mortifyingly aware of his eyes hovering over her uncovered body the whole time. Her breasts lay bare on his eye-level as she pushed herself in between his legs.

"What are you waiting for?" He asked, deliberately observing her every move. 

She raised her hands and placed them on his shoulders. A sudden thought crossed her mind making her heart beat some extra miles for him. He was willing to put efforts even when he knew how stressful it'd be for him. His conscience wanted their marriage to work even when his indifference wanted the exact opposite. Her chest heaved up and down when her gaze dropped on his lips which were still wet from their earlier make out. She realized how his emotional void was under threat and it was her responsibility to pacify his unfamiliarity. She looked up and observed his eyes – his beautiful, deep eyes. She held his unwavering gaze for a few moments before leaning down and pressed her lips on his. Her hands instinctively wrapped around his neck as she slowly started moving her lips and he responded shortly.

Soon they lost their languid poise as she sucked on his lips urgently. As if, her life depended on giving him the best pleasure she could muster. She released his lips for a brief moment just to climb on his lap to straddle him before placing her lips on his once again. She kissed him deeply, grazing her tongue across his before rolling it around and sucking on his tongue and lower lip. When it was impossible for her to hold her breath anymore, she let go just to place several peppery kisses on his whole face. His forehead, his eyes, his nose, cheeks, jaws... not a single zone was left unkissed. From the corner of his lips to his temples... everywhere she placed her claim to prove her love for him. She might have had other men in her lives before, but nothing compared to her feelings she had for her husband. This man in her arms made her feel things she didn't know was possible. His distinctiveness had mined deep into her heart and engraved his name permanently.

His hands came from behind supporting her from tripping over as she fumbled to unbutton his shirt. He waited patiently until she was done and then placed some more kisses on his chest randomly. Her hands hovered over his defined abdomen, when he leaned forward and buried his face below her neck, over her collarbone. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back while he began kissing her deliberately. Her whole body caught on fire as he kissed and sucked on places, she didn't know had any names. Her finger dug into his hair pulling his head closer to her.

Several whiny moans left her mouth until his asked against her skin, "Where should I leave a mark? Here?" He nipped and kissed above her left breast before retreating and asking again, "Or here?" His lips moved over to the other side as his licked her right breast earning a whimper from her.

"Abhi..." she breathed out. Her senses blurred into ecstasy as his mouth moved further down and took her right nipple into his mouth. Butterflies burst into her core while moisture pooled in her vagina. Her clit throbbed, feeling extra sensitive and tingly when he sucked on her nipple vigorously.

"Ah-" she let out a loud moan when he used his teeth and pulled her nipple away from her breast. She hyperventilated and saw stars. Her hole ached with need of more pleasure. Shortly, he switched to the other nipple which received the same treatment. He might have tended to her nipples for what seemed like an eternity, nibbling and sucking and then pulling with his teeth. His wonderful treatments were earning gasps, moans and whimpers from her simultaneously. Once, she even squeaked when he bit a little harder and moaned loudly soon after as he sucked passionately. His hand pinched and rolled the free nipple. She could feel her body's building up for all the wonderful attention he was giving it. She was about to come when he stopped his actions. She panted heavily and took a few moments before coming down from her high. Her eyes were shut tightly before, but when she opened them, she saw him staring at her body attentively. His eyes travelled from her face to her chest, breast and further down before they came back up.

"Your nipples are sensitive," he commented as a matter-of-fact tone. By now, she was a panting mess, furiously dripping down below and her nipples were hardened into rosy buds.

Suddenly, he picked her up and turned around. Before she could understand what was happening, she found herself on her back, lying on the bed. Her eyes swept up as she saw him shrugging off his shirt.

Butterflies danced in her belly as she took in his defined features which was to die for. It felt surreally lucky that she got to experience that gorgeous body against her petite one. She got up and kneeled in front of him, helping him to take off his pants. She noticed the bulge still imprisoned in his boxers before he climbed onto the bed making her scoot behind to leave him enough room. Their eyes never left each other when she heard him saying, "Spread your legs. I want to see how turned on I made you."

She bit her lower lip and did as told. She sat back and spread her legs.

"Wider," he said again.

She widened the space between her legs and waited for next instruction.

"You're dripping." He pointed out after sitting cross-legged, supported by his left hand extended behind him.

She blinked and dragged her lips over her upper lip slowly. A slyness played at the back of her mind.

"Touch yourself. I want to watch." 

"Abhimanyu..." That... came unexpected. She stared at him dubiously.

"Do as I say." His response was clipped.

Her vulva came alive as she brought her hand in front and touched her swelled clit. A satisfied moan left her mouth as she pressed on it. Her eyes drooped in bliss when she slowly began rubbing it in a circular motion. 

She could feel her climax building after sometime when he stopped her all of a sudden. "Come here, and sit on my lap. Now." 

Her hand paused abruptly. The urge to touch herself until meeting her climax was so strong that it made her tear up. She bit her lip and retraced her hand. Her pants came in rapid intervals. She took a few seconds to calm herself before getting up and crawling over to him. Her foggy brain didn't register his next movement while he slid into a condom but as soon as her eyes dropped on his semi-erect member, her eyes widened.

Biting on her swollen lip, she climbed on his lap before he guided her to slide onto his erection. His eyes were on her breasts again as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He began playing with her breasts, cupping and squeezing, occasionally rubbing and pulling on her hardened nipples as her vagina clenched itself around his now hard member. His hand went to her rear, holding her completely still down on his lap. She felt completely trapped when his mouth came down and clamped on her left nipple again, his hands squeezing her rear, and his phallus buried deep inside her with no way to move.

Her frustration grew as her body begged to cum for all his wanton ministrations. She wanted to move herself up and down, to enjoy him going in and out motion. But he restricted all of her movements. After a few minutes, he patted her rear and said, "Move," before his lips found their way to her lips again.

She moaned into his mouth and moved her hips slowly, setting her pace on her own convenience, she ground herself on him on the down stroke. And... it wouldn't go in any further.

He released her lips and stopped her movements immediately.

"This cannot be your first time. Is it?" He stared right into her soul.

She dropped her gaze and slowly nodded her head. She didn't know whether she should be embarrassed or feel ashamed about it.

"Understandable. That's why he's still obsessed with you. Physical relationship often reduces interest over time."

And which was true. She and Naveen might have engaged in a lot of intimate positions but she never agreed to have sex with him. Making love with someone was supposed to be ecstatic and not an obligation. She wanted her first time to be special, with a special someone... not with someone who only focused on demanding and receiving. And she never saw Naveen as that special person.

"Try to stay quiet for me then. Can you do that?" Abhimanyu asked gently.

She nodded her consent as he adjusted their positions while still being inside her. He laid her back on the bed and got on a kneeling position. His hands held her arms above her head after he leaned over and pressed a feathery kiss on her forehead.

The world shifted suddenly as he thrust his hip forward, first slowly then a quick, aggressive thrust burying himself deep into her. She shrieked and went blind for a moment. She screamed so loudly that she was sure the whole guesthouse including the neighbours from miles away heard her. He gave her some time to adjust.

"Are you okay?"

Tears streaked out from the corners of her eyes as she whimpered. "Don't stop. Whatever you're doing, I'm relishing that. A lot."

He obliged by thrusting his hip into her in a rhythmic motion. In and out. In and out. She felt his lips on hers shortly as they engaged in the carnal dance of pleasure. She loved it. She loved every minute details of it. The way he held her, the way he moved, the way he kissed, the way he made love to her – she loved everything about him.

Her mind still couldn't register that she was actually married to Abhimanyu Roy.

He said at one point, "You feel like a morīchīka... a mirage."

She could've said the same. But she didn't, because she wasn't in her right mind.

He made her explode in extreme pleasure shortly after that. She rode out her high while he slowly kept his movements intact. But when she came down from her high and stared at him, he looked like he was waiting for his reward. Before she could free her arms from his grasp and touch his face, he sat up taking her with him. They went back to their previous position.

"Move," he commanded, and this time without any issue she could move up and down on his hard shaft. He let her set the pace and bounce up and down on his erection. Shortly she hyperventilated as he pressed his thumb against her clit and rubbed it. This went on for a while until she felt her second climax nearing. Just as she was about to come, he buried his face on her neck and sucked on a sensitive spot senseless. This mad sensation made her scream as she came right away followed by his own release with a grunt. They fell back, her on top of him.

She lay her head on his chest, hearing the loud beating as they stayed their panting heavily riding their orgasms.

He retraced his hands from around her and raised them above his head. Meanwhile, she snuggled closer to him, placing countless random kisses on his torso.

Sheen of sweats covered their bodies as her mouth tilted up in ecstasy. She couldn't describe her feelings at this moment. She was happy. Very happy.

Sometime later he guided her down from top of him and sat up.

"Are you hungry?"

She lazily looked at him while he pulled out the condom and threw it away into the bin. Once he returned his eyes on her, she mumbled, "Are you?"

"I'm feeling a different kind of hunger right now."

She blushed profusely and covered her face swiftly.

"Don't. I like seeing your face while we are doing this."

"Can you be slightly less blunt?"

"Do you want me to be less expressive? Would you understand me then?"

She peeked from between her fingers. "No." She removed her hands and touched his arms. "I want you to communicate with me about everything."

"Now, you're being intrusive."

"I am not wrong about that. Am I? As your wife..." She couldn't finish her sentence as he interrupted, "No. You're a mirage to me. An illusion. You might disappear as well. And I won't like it if you become intrusive."

She sat up and touched his face. Both her eyes and fingers traced up to his split eyebrows. She reached up and placed a soft kiss there. "I am not an illusion. See? I'm never going to disappear." She moved her hands down and traced the wound on his right arm. She reached and placed another kiss there. "I'll never judge you. I'll never question your decision." She got up on her knees and went behind him. Her fingers traced his wounds over his shoulder blades before she placed several kisses over them. "I love you, Abhimanyu. I'll always love you." She hugged him from behind while awarding him with kisses over kisses on his shoulder. "I promise I won't be intrusive hereafter."

He sat there unmoving all this while, and did not respond.

After a while, he pulled her in front and gazed into her eyes while his fingers reached between her legs.

"You'll have to figure out my love language because I'm incapable of doing that myself," he said as he caressed her clit in teasing strokes.

"I understand. Throughout the still of the night to the rise of the Sun, touch me however you want and make me yours."

He extended his other hand and wrapped it around her waist before pulling her close as their bodies collided. "Rightfully a mirage, a morīchīka. Ride me then, my personal mirage." 

~~~

6th December

The first thing her brain registered after waking up was her nipples being played with. She twisted her body while thoroughly aware of Abhimanyu's body pressed behind her back.

"Good morning." She smiled and half-turned to face him.

"How are you?"

"What do you expect?"

"Your performance wasn't acceptable for the first time."

Her brows crinkled in confusion. "What does that supposed to mean? Was I not good enough?"

"You somehow managed to make it a religious experience." A corner of his mouth tilted up as he said so. 

She smiled bashfully. "I'm pretty sore for a real answer to your original question."

He hummed in acknowledgement as he rolled over on his back. "Sunny is coming over. I'm going to take care of some businesses including Naveen. So, you'll have to return with Irfan and Ganesh. I'll meet you at home tonight."

"I'm going to leave alone?"

"I said, with Irfan and Ganesh. It doesn't count as alone."

"But I didn't come here with them. I came with you."

"Must I remind you something you promised me last night?"

"Oh-" She indeed promised him not to question his decisions last night. Never to intrude his space. She turned around and hugged him. "Okay. I'll go with them. Is it important?"

"Yes."

"Do you want me to leave now?"

"Stay until Sunny arrives. I've ordered breakfast from the room service."

..

Author's note: The Climax coming soon. :)