Kabir cleared his throat awkwardly and looked at Preeta. He was pretty sure that he had noticed a tear sliding off her cheek. But now, she had calmed herself and no one could know that she cried except for her face that had fell because of that Malhotra's son. He sighed and tried to walk slowly with her.

"Did he say something wrong? You can tell me or of course, Karan. He was being a jerk, there." He said while observing her face eventually.

Preeta exhaled and shook her head. Not looking up at him, she softly answered,"Its alright, Kabir. Karan will unnecessarily get concerned. Also, it's not that of an issue. I don't care whatever Prithvi spoke." Kabir nodded and squeezed her shoulder cheerfully.

"If you say, bhabhi. Now, come on. Let's steal your husband or he might dig himself a grave tonight for leaving you again." He said teasingly. Preeta smiled and quietly nodded at his words.

_________

"Preeta, Come on. Say something." Karan pleaded while driving ahead. But Preeta again ignored him. He sighed and glanced at her.

"She took me there. Even I was bored there. I missed you. Laura is married by the way. Try to understand, love. They were my schoolmates. I kind of had to be with them..."

"You shouldn't even have brought me then..." Preeta muttered while glaring outside through the window. Karan clenched his jaws in anger and left the argument there. He glanced for last at her and kept on driving.

Soft, cold hair blew Preeta's hair making her close her eyes but all that flash in her mind Prithvi's wicked grin. She opened her eyes and tiredly looked outside. She was already not happy with the circumstances that forced Karan to attend others than enjoying with her by his side. She knew he was helpless and was quiet to avoid saying stupid things.

But Prithvi's words kept circling in her mind. He had called her a golddigger. Didn't he know that Preeta had never agreed for the marriage? God knew that money was nowhere in her mind. Even till now, she was coping up with high standard lifestyle for the sake of the fact that her life had been bonded with Karan's. Preeta gulped and waited for them to reach home so she could sleep and get over this not-so-promising night.

The car halted and Karan got out of it actively. He was sober after having two useless shots of beer. Running fingers through his hair, he walked around and reached Preeta's door. Opening it, he offered her a hand.

Preeta looked at the hand and thought of ignoring him. But one dominating look from Karan and she had to take that hand tiredly. He tugged on her hand and smoothly helped her in getting outside. Just as Preeta stood up on her feet, her feet shook in pain and she trembled before she could walk.

Karan took no time to hold her. "Hey, careful." Preeta blinked while her eyes lowered as she nodded briefly.

Watching her tired face, Karan sighed and with a jerk, he wrapped an arm beneath her knees and lifted her in his arms making her squeak. Naturally, Preeta's hands wrapped around his neck as she stared at him in shock.

"I can walk." Karan rolled his eyes.

"I just saw that clearly." Preeta bit her lip thinking how her feet were sore because of these high heels she had wore. She looked at her husband's face.

"I am still mad at you." She murmured while Karan started walking inside the house but not before telling the watchman to park his car aside. Just as Preeta's gaze shifted to the space where other car should have been parked but it wasn't there. She noticed that Karan hadn't even looked there. She sighed in relief remembering_

'Bhabhi, I am going to do night stay at my friend's home. There's a project we have to submit. Tau ji and tayi ji won't say anything but you need to hide it from Karan Bhai. He'll kill me. He's damn strict.'

Concern etched on Preeta's face as she thought that Kritika had actually left. That girl really was high spirited. She should have informed her before leaving. But what if she had informed mummy already?

Preeta breathed and noticed they were now on stairs to their room. Just as she was about to look at Karan, she was jerked as if she was falling and gasped in fear.

Karan grinned while holding her tight making her glare at him. Preeta's heart beats had fastened due to jump scare.

"You love to make fun of me. Don't you?"

Karan bit his lip and flying kissed her making Preeta moving her face back.

"Yes, my tigress."

Pushing the door by his foot, Karan opened it and entered with Preeta in his arms. She was expecting him to leave her now but he didn't. Instead, he closed the door again using his foot, started walking towards the bed and laid her on it. Her mouth opened but she didn't say anything. She kept on watching his actions.

With a smirk, Karan walked towards her feet and slowly removed the straps of her edgy high heels. One by one, slowly and mischievously, he removed both the heels while smirking at her.

Karan removed his coat and threw it on the couch. Her face turned speechless when he sat at the foot of the bed and took her feet on his lap. Slowly caressing her soft ankles, he began massaging from her heels to the base.

Relief settled in Preeta's mind as she closed her eyes at his massage. His fingers worked efficiently on her heels and toes, that she couldn't open her eyes because of the relaxation. Her mind settled and she had forgotten all the scenarios and had one thing in mind.

The pain was sliding away.

Karan blew at the feet's base making her toes squirm. He smiled naughtily and massaged her feet being totally active. He saw her head resting back on the pillow and lips parted in pleasure. Satisfaction filled in his heart to see worries running off her face.

She was his queen and no matter how many important women he had attended all day. At night, he was at his Queen's mercy. She was the woman, he was destined to and he had eyes only for that beautiful woman of his.

Putting her feet gently on the bed, Karan slowly moved forward and leaned on Preeta. Not caring of the consequences, he started kissing all over her neck. Preeta's stomach churned as she breathed desperately at his actions. The closeness seemed to madden her. She tried to calm herself but the touch of his lips had always been magical.

His lips touched hers and it was sensitive moment for Preeta after a busy day. Being overwhelmed by all the scenarios, she kissed him with all passion making him surprised and hard. Her hands grabbed his collar as she pulled him to her.

Karan's hands grabbed her bare waist making her squirm innocently. Her eyes filled with wetness as she remembered how cruel Prithvi's words were. She didn't realise that her tears had awakened Karan from the reverie that he pulled back and stared at her totally worried.

His hands grabbed her face and he looked in her eyes.

"What happened, love?"

She breathed heavily and blinked to drain the tears. Karan was being restless. He knew that she liked his touch now and there was other reasons that were upsetting her. He loosened his tie with one hand and removed it away. Opening the top buttons of his shirt, he stared at her and demanded, "What happened?"

Preeta swallowed and looked at his exposed chest. Her hands reached to touch him as she slowly rubbed her palms unknowingly while Karan felt his manhood hardened.

"Have you ever thought of the difference between our standards? I have been a middle class girl while you are a rich, high class business..."

"Many times..." Preeta looked in his eyes and saw the honesty. Her heart dropped.

"But it never mattered to me nor it would, ever. You are my wife. My everything is yours while yours is mine. We aren't apart, Preeta."

A lump started forming in her throat which she gulped to speak further,"But you have so many rich people as friends. You could have found a great match for you better than me..."

Karan clenched his jaws but removed her strands falling on her cheeks lovingly.

"Talk about this again, and I will not be myself." He said calmly but Preeta stiffened. She knew this tone very well and was aware that she had made him angry.

"What if people hate me for trapping you? I will be called Golddigger."

Karan 's eyes narrowed as he stared at her in confusion.

"Did any of those girls said that?" Preeta gulped and shook her head.

"Tell me, Preeta. Did those girls talk like that to you? I swear, I'll dig their graves and bury them alive."

Preeta shook her head and lowered her eyes.

"No, no one did. It's just... their looks ..." Karan felt his anger rising as he grabbed both of her hands but gently.

"Fuck them for their cheap thoughts. You haven't run away with me. We have gotten married with proper laws, by the permission of our elders. No one can blame you for being mine. You heard that. They are just jealous of me and you."

Preeta bit her lip while digesting his words. Her gaze roamed on his face noticing how handsome he looked tonight. No wonder why women couldn't keep their self-esteem in front of him. Anyone could lose their senses if attracted by those sharp features. She smiled thinking how lucky she was that he cared for her.

She recalled the words that she had unknowingly threw at Prithvi. Never in her right mind, she had thought she could defend her husband like that. However, Karan was but he had always take care of her needs, her wishes in the end. It was his kind nature that was coming in display in these days. She never realised till that argument that their age gap never felt a problem in their marriage. She knew she was getting to see positivity from him.

"Are you done with your la la land? I, had said something, important." Karan said irritatingly. Preeta giggled and nodded. He stared at her for a while and tilted his head. With a smile, he leaned closer to steal a kiss but a hand palmed on his lips making him open his eyes in frustration.

Karan was about to question when Preeta showed him her blank face. Pointing towards the left, she looked at him.

"Couch."

Karan's jaw dropped as he shook his head.

"I won't..."

"You will since you did wrong by ditching me a hundredth times, tonight." Karan's smirked making Preeta giving him a stern look. He stood up started removing his shirt.

"This is my room and I'll sleep wherever I want and you, my wife is going to sleep with me in my arms." Preeta blinked and bit her inner cheek to avoid smiling at his tactics.

She slowly stood up from the bed, minding her sore foot and gently walked around the bed.

"This is my room too. I live here and I can decide who is going to sleep on my bed." Preeta said while removing her earrings and make up while looking at the mirror.

Karan's heart fluttered at her words and he reached to stand behind her. Staring at her mirror image, he wrapped his arms around her.

"But Preeta, please. Since we have started sleeping together, I have been habitual. I'll feel empty. My arms will feel odd without you." Preeta scrunched her nose and started loosening the drape of her saree by removing safety pin.

"You are so cheesy."

Karan thought of something to say but seeing her busy in getting ready for bed had sealed his mouth. She walked to the cupboard and was choosing the nightie she wanted to wear tonight. He sighed and walked towards her. Some flirting may surely distract her. Of course, he couldn't afford her anger turning serious.

"The saree's lovely. Don't change it..." Preeta took a dark blue nightie and replied,"I can't sleep in a saree, if you see..."

Karan nodded his head briefly. "But you can, without it. I can help you with it. I can remove that sexy piece of cloth..." Preeta raised her eyebrows at him and gave him a glare making him shut his mouth.

"I will sleep without it or not, but you are sleeping on the couch."

Shutting the door behind her, Preeta changed her clothes, while Karan could only hit his head on it thinking how she was playing with him.

Ten minutes later, Preeta came out feeling refreshed. She noticed just like always, Karan had changed into his sweat pants and was shirtless.

'Why does he choose seduction to sort our every argument?,' she thought.

Being grumpy, Karan gave her a sarcastic smile and laid on the couch feeling fair enough for the way, Preeta was attended at the party. But he did pampered her. He massaged her sore feet. He spent the last minutes of the party with her. It just happened this time, he won't let it happen again. He sighed, thinking how stubborn Preeta had become in this span of their marriage. But he loved it.

He loved knowing, she didn't hesitate to show her true thoughts, her true traits. She was honest. But what bugging him, was the view that had confused him. He was sure he had seen that Malhotra's son talking to her. He had fisted his hands thinking what he was doing here. He would find out that soon. But what he talked to Preeta, could only be known if she herself share it with him. She hadn't yet.

He wondered if at this point of their friendship, she would like to share things with him. But as a wife too, she should have told him. Maybe she would tell him when get calm down. Right now, he just knew she was frustrated with him.

Preeta stared at the wall while thinking if she had done over. She wasn't joking nor she was playing. It was her anger on Prithvi's words that she poured it out on Karan. Her heart squeezed thinking if he was comfortable. It had been half an hour and he had shifted like so many times. She turned her head and saw his legs reaching out more than the couch. He was stiff and still hadn't sleep. He was deep in thought.

Pity engulfed her mind as she thought how generous he was to lay there. Sighing, she got up and called for him.

"Karan," she said softly. But he only hummed that had increased her worries.

"Are you slept?" Karan didn't reply until he turned his head to look at her.

"I told you, I can't." Preeta swallowed and shifted on her bed.

"Fine, come." Karan didn't move. "You can lay on the bed, now."

"No it's okay." Preeta's eyebrows raised.

"You don't have to be so victim, now. Come to bed." Her heart dropped thinking that she might have angered him by ordering him in his room. She kept her guard and didn't ask further. Slowly, laying back she closed her eyes and waited for him. But he didn't come. Her heart thumped fastly. She didn't want fights with him and now, one had begun. She bit her lip in the thought but suddenly, the bed squeaked and dipped behind her.

She smiled in relief as an arm wrapped around her waist. Immediately turning around, she met his eyes. He had a naughty smirk on his face that made her smile turning nervous.

"You miss my arms." Preeta swallowed nervously realising, how she truly loved the warmth of his arms.

"I don't." She stared at him intensely.

Karan bit his lip and pulled her close. He noticed her eyes turning bright as she tried to control her smile.

"You like to sleep with me."

Preeta smiled and shook her head childishly.

"I don't," she whispered while feeling shy.

Karan hummed and moved his face closer. He moved his hand on her cheek and pulled her face close.

"You love me."

Her breath hitched at the exclamation and Karan smiled in victory. Blush crept on her cheeks as Preeta bit her lip.

"I don't."

He laughed as she gave him a naughty smile. She enjoyed the warmth of his skin as he laid shirtless closer to her. Her hands moved to reach his bare back and she snuggled further in him.

Karan's eyes turned intense making her lips parted. She saw him looking at them and that's when he caught them gently. Moving the lips in the sync, both entangled their legs and caressed each other's skin. Karan smiled within the kiss.

"He knew she was falling for him."

It was cute how she denied shyly and knew she didn't mean it. He wondered how would he feel when she would confess it, finally.

_________