"We have a great cook, here. Amazing, Preeta beta." Mahesh Luthra compliment at the dining table. The Luthras were very excited to taste the dishes, Preeta had made. Everyone loved it and complimented except Karan. He was quite in family gatherings but had his smug looks on, Preeta had noticed.

"Thank-you, dad." She said shyly while Picking the plates with leftovers. One by one relatives had left after thanking Preeta.

Now, only Rakhi and Mahesh Luthra were there. "Preeta, will you sit for a minute?" Both were looking at her with hope, making her sit at one chair shyly.

Seeing her finally settled, the couple looked at each other and then at Preeta. "How are you feeling? Is everything going well?" Preeta looked at her father-in-law. He was still the charming man she had met for the first time in rain.

"Yes, of course. I am happy." Rakhi had nodded but observed the volume of Preeta's voice lowering.

"Is Karan treating you well? We know, it all had happened without your consent. But we don't want to encourage it now. We need your opinions, your likes."

Preeta shook her head. "Don't worry, dad. He is being quite cooperative." She remembered the conversation about the phone. But still not trying to worry her sweet in-laws, she softly said,"... He has changed." To which Mahesh Luthra laughed.

"No. He's not changed. He is just being his sweet self. People make mistakes judging him by his behaviour at wrong times. It's all about his honesty. He never fakes it."

Preeta didn't reply at the exclamation. She felt Mahesh Luthra being proud of her son. The son, who married a girl forcefully.

"Umm... Well, we are hoping that you both get along well. Anything you need, any thing you want to share, we both are here. Kritika is here. This is your home. You are a part of it, now. Relax and live peacefully here. Okay?" Rakhi said while looking at Mahesh Luthra eventually.

Preeta nodded and smiled at the couple. "Sure." Rakhi smiled and gestured her that she can leave now. Mahesh Luthra blessed her when she touched their feet. They had seriously gotten a gem, they thought.

Smiling to herself, Preeta returned to her room. She saw Karan working on his laptop. She noticed that he was wearing spectacles this time. He was looking a... sexy geek.

"Did you eat?"

Preeta came back to her senses and murmured,"Yes." She was still angry on him for breaking her phone. Her brother had gifted her on her nineteenth birthday and she was way too hurt by Karan's cruelty.

Ignoring him she start moving towards bathroom so she could refresh herself. After making the dinner for whole family, she was exhausted. Not that she minded it. She loved making others happy with her food and Luthras were really sweet according to her. Everyone in this house had accepted her with heart and had been treating her with love and respect. But Karan, he was dominating her even when they were married now. Preeta was fed up of his ruthless attitude.

Karan's head turned to see her going towards bathroom. He noticed that Preeta wasn't comfortable in wearing heavy sarees. That's why she was desperate to change whenever she had the chance. He smiled at remembering her cute gestures. The way, she was serving everyone. He felt being lucky, proud. Everyone loved her. She too liked every member except him.

The thought made Karan shook his head in disappointment. Knowing that Preeta would be sleeping after returning from bathroom, he shut his laptop and other files. Putting his glasses on the table, he got up and laid on the bed. He put his arm under his head and waited for her. To which, Preeta soon returned back in the room.

Her gaze fell on Karan who was looking casually at the ceiling. Ignoring him, she put her bangles and earrings in her drawers and looked back at him. It was second night of their marriage and she was still not comfortable sleeping with him. But this time, she had the excuse. She was angry on him.

Picking her pillow, she was about to move towards couch when she heard,"Don't even dare. You know what I will do then." She looked defeated at Karan who was warning her with possession in his eyes. All her anger held no confidence to build an argument over that couch.

Being defeated, she sighed and walked back to lay on the bed. As usual, Karan hugged her from behind and snuggled closer. Preeta didn't even protested. Karan knew she was overwhelmed with his cruel behaviour. He heard her breathing heavily.

"I have left my family for you. Whatever you did to me, even after that I agreed to marry you. I am married to you. How can Arjun or Prithvi steal me from you, now? I don't know how breaking my phone made a difference for you, Mr. Luthra." She said everything softly while staring ahead at the wall. Karan was listening to her attentively.

"I was angry."

Preeta's nostrils flared in anger but she normally said,"You are insecure." Karan was surprised with her behaviour. He realised how Preeta had started standing up for herself after marriage. She didn't hesitate to argue with him and he liked it. They were getting used to being with each other.

"I am."

His soft whisper made Preeta turned in anger. She turned fully towards him and faced his side. Her long brown hair spread on her arm and pillow while her nightie was not at the right place. Her neck was fully exposed along with the deep cleavage. Karan stared there making his heart beats faster. He looked back at her face full of anger while she was looking at him with stamina to continue a long argument.

"What do you mean?"

Karan was mesmerised seeing her milky white skin under that bluish silk cloth. He gulped feeling his body craving for her touch. "My eyes are up here, husband." His eyes wandered back at her brown eyes which were staring back at him in frustration. Her words twitched Karan's lips upward as he smirked at her in amusement.

"No, I like looking there." He shamelessly looked back at her cleavage in amusement while Preeta squirmed in shame. She quickly straightened her dress and pulled covers upto her neck.

"You are so shameless, Mr. Luthra." He chuckled seeing her laying back on bed in irritation. "You too should be blunt, baby. After all, we will be doing many shameless things soon." Preeta swallowed the bile rising due to his words.

Ignoring his words, she stared at him,"Why are you insecure?" Karan blinked and leaned closer to her. Moving his finger on her cheeks, he slipped it down to her neck making Preeta's breath hitch. Moving it more towards her cleavage sensually, he stopped to look at her face. Preeta was staring at the ceiling with an unknown emotion in her eyes. His touch was building a new sensation in her body.

She liked it, Karan concluded. Smirking he was about to move it more ahead between her bosoms, but his hand was jerked away by Preeta suddenly. "I asked you something." Karan was confused with Preeta's new behaviour. She was angry on him. Earlier before this marriage, she used to ignore him badly whenever she was angry and now she was confidently putting questions to sort out things. Nonetheless, Karan was loving these new shades in her persona.

He held his head by resting his elbow on the pillow and narrowed his eyes at her. "Why are you being so innocent? You know I am your husband. Every husband gets insecure when he gets the most beautiful wife at whom many rascals lay eyes on." Preeta rolled her eyes and looked at him as if he had grown two heads.

He raised his eyebrows in amusement. "That mean you don't know me, Mr. Luthra." She commented looking at him with a serious face that made Karan chuckled at her. She looked so adorable to him.

"You should know, I was so loyal to my parents that I never accepted you until they forced me themselves. Just like that, I will be loyal to you despite us being not lovers." Karan was partly happy with her words but her exclamation about love had struck a nerve. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Why would you say that? I love you and you too will love me soon." Preeta sighed and looked away.

"You don't love me." She whispered quietly and was about to turn away from him when Karan held her in a possessive hold.

"How dare you say that? I have spent days and nights craving for you, Preeta. Since the day, I had seen you for the first time, I haven't been myself. Lots of girls want me but this heart only belongs to you. I ..." Karan stopped when he realised he was about to say how he had ordered his friends to spy on her if she was dating any guy in her college. Moreover, he also had the thought of telling about his efforts to help her father.

But his heart said, it wouldn't make her love him the way he wanted. She could be shocked and take it wrong.

Sighing he moved closer to her. "Every night, I dream of you telling me that you have accepted but no. My wife thinks I don't love her. From past four years, I have become a love sick and you are saying I don't love you."

Every word he spoke made Preeta's goosebumps risen in realisation. She could see the stubbornness, love, longing ness in his eyes. Her lips were shut tight due to the heat she was getting under his intense gaze.

"If you love me, you wouldn't have hurt me by breaking my phone." She whispered quietly. Karan understood the whole root behind this argument. "Ohh, so that caused all the mess." He murmured looking at her.

Preeta turned away from him childishly and closed her eyes to sleep, in order to avoid his further explanations and efforts. She was really relieved that she made him realised how hurt she was because of his cruel act. She heard him moving on the bed as if he was stretching. Suddenly after a minute, she felt his breath on her neck.

"Get up." Preeta ignored him and snuggled more under the pillows. "I said get up." There was warning in his tone but Preeta didn't get up.

Suddenly she heard ringing tone that made her immediately turning to him. Karan had his phone in his hand and had put the call on loudspeaker. Excitedly, Preeta sat up and looked at him curiously while Karan didn't look at her and waited for the caller to pick up the phone.

I hope he is meant to do what I meant him to do, she rambled in her mind happily.

"Hello."

Preeta gasped at hearing the familiar voice. Her breathing lowered as she widened her eyes on the phone.

"Hello."

She heard Arjun speaking again. Keeping in control her emotions, she excitedly snatched the phone from Karan unknowingly and called,"Arjun."

"Hel..." She heard Arjun getting quiet.

"Preeta? Is that you?"

Gulping the lump she struggled to reply,"Yeah, it's me. How are you, Arjun?" She spoke unknowingly and waited for Arjun to speak who was trying to interrupt.

"Thank God, you called me, Preeta Arora. I was dying of the tension you created in my mind. Not picking up my calls, not calling me, you yourself has abandoned me Preeta. Will you tell me what's happening there with you?" Her breathing hitched at his questionable tone. He was serious and desperate to know the reasons behind her absence.

"I... I... " Before Preeta could speak, Arjun again questioned,"What happened to the phone? I had called you like fifty times these four days and you never picked. Like seriously? Preeta. Yesterday I called again, it went not reachable. Where the hell you are?"

Preeta closed her eyes in lack of so many answers. She was happier hearing Arjun's voice but his questions were squeezing her heart one by one. "My phone... " She looked at Karan who had now leaned on the headboard and was listening to their conversation attentively while looking at the front.

"... It was lost. This is my friend's phone. I will soon send you another number." She spoke softly in shame. She heard Arjun sighing.

"Preeta, I care for you. Just don't ever stop contacting me again. Okay? I will always need you."

Preeta hesitantly looked at Karan whose nostrils were flaring yet he didn't react to cut the call. Boosting herself, she hummed and continued the conversation. "How's Natasha? Is that the name. Right?" She heard some voices as she imagined him getting up from a chair.

"Yes, Natasha. She is... angry. We had an argument. I don't know, I am really stressed Preeta. My final exams are also this month. There's a lot of pressure." Preeta smiled at his words which Karan totally noticed.

"Don't worry, Arjun. You guys will sort out I know. Just go talk to her. And about exams, I know you will do the best." She heard Arjun chuckling and smiled herself. Karan finally concluded that Arjun had a girlfriend.

"Thank you so much, Preeta. You just made by day..." Preeta heard someone calling Arjun in British accent. "... Umm... Preeta. I need to go. Send me your number, soon. Okay? Take care. Say my namaste to uncle-aunt."

Before Preeta could reply, the same male voice again called Arjun. "Okay, then. I need to go. Take care, baby girl. Bye."

"Bye, Arjun."

She heard the call hung up as she herself cut the call and smiled at it. Biting her lip, she didn't had the courage to look up at her husband who just made her so happy. All the anger she had on him for breaking her phone, had now melted. She was satisfied now. Arjun was alright. Everything was okay there. He was fine. Preeta so wanted to jump in happiness. The conversation was short but at least they talked. Her mind again wondered as to how should she react now.

Should I say thank you? Nah, he will give an arrogant remark. But he made it up for his mistake. He deserves it. Yeah, a normal thank you won't matter that much, Preeta kept on thinking with a new emotion in her heart. She felt her heart beats getting faster so suddenly.

Do it. It's a simple thank you. Blinking in last agreement to herself, she looked up at his side.

But what she saw made all her confidence drain in seconds. She gulped seeing those dark eyes full of anger. Her confusion was sort out when she heard him saying with gritted teeth.

"Baby girl?"

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