Radhika's POV

When I woke up in the bed alone, I felt low as if my heart was in a disarray on not finding him in the room but some thing caught my eye. A message on the side table.

Dear Wifey,

Good morning and before you act all put out with me, I am off to work so you have to take care of yourself and my baby until I am back. Now don't lie in the bed for too long and open the wardrobe. There is a surprise for you and I hope you like it. Miss me, will you?!

                                           Just Yours,
                                             Arjun

I literally squealed in delight. God! Thank you so much for this baby and the new change in Arjun. I know this baby will bring us closer emotionally. Do you see it, baby?! Dad is changing, isn't he?! He might not love your mamma but he does love you a lot. Are you happy like mamma is?!

I launch myself towards the wardrobe like a missile and I open it as fast as I could. I feel as if it's my birthday and I am getting all excited about gifts. My Goodness! He has gifted me a pink floral gown and it's so, so pretty and I can't even express how much I like it. Like?! I love it. Aww, baby you have turned my cursed life into a blessing. Technically I will give birth to you but you gave birth to a new bond between me and your daddy.

I take a bath and I feel as if this is my new life and whatever happened before was a nightmare that has come to an end. Please God if not for me then for Arjun, don't let anyone cast evil eye on our happiness. I haven't seen him so much happy even when he avenged his mom's death. Please protect my baby and our relationship from all the bad omens. I make a small prayer to God before I exit our room.

As I was on the third step of the staircase, I felt a shadow behind me. When I turned back to see who is it, there was no one. Strange and obscure, isn't it?! Maybe it was a hallucination but I felt someone behind me, I am not sure. God, please be with me. When I reached the dining table, out of all the people Mr Dracula was smiling at me. I looked behind to see if there was some one behind me who he was smiling at but there was no one.

"I smiled at you, Radhika. I hope you don't mind me calling you by your first name or would you prefer Mrs Mehra."

With that, my jaw dropped on the floor!Mr Dracula talks to me for the first time since I am here. Today is full of surprises, isn't it baby?! I talk to my baby inwardly.

"Radhika is fine, Sir." I reply politely.

"Call me Mark like Arjun does." He states in a firm tone. I observe him suspiciously and I can't help but notice his toned, muscular self. He might be some thing 50 but he doesn't look a day older than 40. He must have been good looking in his youth. Hey! I am not checking out just looking, okay?!

"Okay Sir I mean Mark."I reply politely.

"I know we did not have a good start because I hated you in the beginning and I don't like you now either but we can have a truce, right?!" He offers me his hand for a handshake. Should I or should I not?!

Finally I take his hand and shake hands with him,"I think we can and to be honest even I don't like you but you are important to him."

"Everyone and everything comes after you for him." He looks in the eye and tells me.

It's not true, Mark.

I shake my head,"I don't think so."

He takes his hand back and shrugs,"Your wish I said what is true. You are pregnant with his child and his empire's heir if it's a boy of course. I want you to know I don't bear any ill will for you or your baby. You must be surprised or rather shocked after hearing this from me but you are carrying Arjun's child and nothing matters to me more than Arjun. His life resides in you and mine in his so I will protect you with everything I have."

His life resides in me! I replay the words in my mind over and over again. Stupid Radhika! He is talking about the baby not you. Arjun's life resides in the baby which is inside you. Ouch! That hurt! Still I am happy for you, baby. Not only Arjun's even my life resides in you baby. You will have best of both the worlds.

"Do you trust me, Radhika?!"

"I trust Arjun and if he trust you then I can live with that."

"Can I ask you where is Arjun."

"He is having an important meeting at our headquarters."

"Can I go to see him?!"

"You should ask him that not me."

"Well you are in charge of the house in his absence so..."

"You badly want to go, don't you?!"

"Yes."

"If he gets mad at you for this then it's on you not on me. He doesn't like you out of the house and you should have known that till now."

"Please he won't question you."

"Not where you are concerned. Okay fine don't give me that look. You can go but you take full responsibility for this insolent behaviour. You will be dropped at the headquarters by my man."

"Thank you."

"It's not for you it's for the baby. I am doing this so you don't get upset and in turn affect the baby's health." He tells me coldly.

I don't know what to reply to that so I keep quiet but I will be lying if I say his callousness did not affect me. Whatever, Radhika you need to stay happy for yourself and for your baby.

I was been driven by a man who was clad in a uniform, I have seen very often on Arjun's men. When I looked out of the window, I saw four black mercedes following our car.

"Why are those cars following us?!" I asked curiously.

"To protect you, Your highness. It's a protocol." He tells me in a plain tone. His eyes on the road as he drives through the local traffic.

"Are you carrying a gun?!" I ask him again just because I can't keep quiet.

"Yes, Your highness." His facial expression deadpan in the rear view as he tells me so.

"When we will reach?!" I again open my mouth in hope of getting a good comeback. I just can't stay quite.

"We will reach in about 10 mins, Your highness." He tells me nonchalantly.

"Why do you end every sentence with Your highness?!" I ask him, furrowing my bŕows together.

"Because I am supposed to, Your highness." He states a matter of fact.

Your highness?! Am I?! Yeah I am his wife so that makes me a queen too, right?! I just want to be a wife and a mother, I care less about being a Queen to you all robots. Yes robots because they don't look in my direction when I talk, they either look somewhere else or they have their heads bowed down in respect.

"We reached, Your highness. Commander has informed the guards at the door of your arrival. They will escort you inside." He tells me as he pulls the car in the parking lot.

I am astonished by the number of cars there. Most of them were mercedes and BMW's.

"Who is commander?!"

"Your highness, we cannot address commander or his highness by their names."

"But you can tell me, right?! I mean there isn't anyone here except you and me." I probe him more as I am very curious.

"I am sorry, Your highness. I cannot take his name it's an unbreakable law. Might I suggest you should ask his highness, himself."

I admire his loyalty that even when he is alone here with me, he is following the rules. Arjun has the finest men. They will readily jump from a mountain if he commands them to. That is why I call them robots.

"Okay thanks for driving me here." I smile at him and he only nods with his head down.

"It's my duty, Your highness."

Men in the same black suits surround me from all the sides and lead me inside the maleficient skyscraper. When I reach inside, all I see is men and only men. There was no woman inside except me. Is this place a forbidden zone for women?!

" Your highness, I will lead you to his highness. Please follow me." A man in his early twenties acknowledged me. From his looks I can say he can be a coverpage of a playboy magazine. Drooling?! Am I?! No of course I am just stating the truth.

He leads me to the lift and it stops on the 85 floor which is also the last floor of the building. He walks ahead of me and time and again looks back to check if I am there behind him. He is probably worried I will get lost and it will cost him with his life. Chill, dude I want to tell him badly but I keep quiet.

He stops in front of the door of a cabin and looks back at me," Your highness please enter."

I push open the door and I am awestruck by the beauty of the interiors. I roam my gaze all over the marvellous place until a familiar baritone makes me skip my heartbeat.

"Hello, intruder."

Arjun is standing inches away from me and my god! If looks could kill, I would be lying dead here. He has his hands shoved in his pant pockets and he looks breathtaking in his armani suit. He has the kind of face that stops you in your tracks and as you take in his body, you realise that you are already under his spell.

"Ah, Arjun you here?!" I mumble absentmindedly. 

He walks toward me like a predator to his prey, "The last time I checked this cabin is mine so where else will I be?!" I feel shivers all over my body as I hear his voice and my heartbeats are in an overdrive.

"Yeah." I reply shortly. Because I don't know what to say.

"What are you doing here?!" He asks me as he caress my cheek and a current passes through me. He still has the same mindblogging effect on me despite the fact that we have done more than just touching!

"Are you angry?!" I ask all nervous and coy.

He tucks my hair strands behind my ears and locks his eyes with mine,"No but you shouldn't have come here. I prefer you stay at home and take rest." He tells me in a tone that I haven't seen him using with anyone other than family.

I give him a flipping pout"I get bored at home. There is no one who I could talk to. Sam is busy because you have made her busy. Your men don't even look at me in the eye let alone talking. I have nothing to do whole day." I rant dramatically.

Am I complaining?! The corner of his lips stretch into an amused smile. I bet, He is finding me funny.

"How about talking to Lily?! She can be your friend." He says casually as if telling me Donald Trump is resigning from his post tomorrow.

"She hates me, Arjun and you want me to befriend her as if she is dying to be my friend." I tell him as I play with his shirt buttons.

Neither do I want to be her friend. Friendship with girl who has once slept with my husband and the father of my baby and who still harbours feelings for him. Ha, I will pass. I rather get bored than slice my heart bit by bit in her company. I don't understand how Arjun can't see that she is the constant reminder of how many wild oats he has sown in his past. 

He strokes my face,"Baby she doesn't hate you it's just she is upset but she'll come around."

Come around?! Yeah but do I really want to be friends with my husband's ex girlfriend?! Girlfriend?! Where did that come from?! Was she his girlfriend or they were just friends who ended in bed together?! It pinches my heart to acknowledge that.

"I am not here to talk about her." I say in a tone that means we should change the topic now.

"Jealous much?!" He smirks. That prick!

"No not at all." I say but I don't meet his gaze and I already knows he has got the answer of his question.

"Yeah I believe you." He says in a teasing tone.

That's it! I have had enough of this arrogant man! I am going back!

I glare at him,"Arjun, stop teasing me or else I will go back."

"Well too bad I am not letting you. Listen I am happy to see you. You gave me a pleasant surprise." He finally tells me what I want to hear. My God! baby you are changing daddy and till the you are here, daddy might be a new person, don't you think?!

I lower my eyes shyly as he is too close,"I thought you will get angry."

"Well I do prefer you stay at home but every once in a while, you can come here." He says in concession.

Wait, I have to ask him something.

"Why aren't there any women in here?!" I shoot my first question.

He cocks his brow,"Aren't you one, Radhika?!" Did you see that, baby?! Daddy just knows to trouble mamma.

"Oh please! You know what I am saying." I scowl.

"Jokes apart I don't recruit women." He tells me flatly.

"Why?!"

You aren't allergic to women given the scandalous womanizer that you are. Hey! Ex scandalous womanizer!

"Because they are soft spots and weakness. They can bring me down if they get caught and they will vomit squad's secrets." He says casually as if he is telling me about today's weather.

He is a male chauvinist. It's not new for me but it hurts me that he isn't my ideal man. I always wanted someone who considers woman their equal and doesn't put them down.

"I don't appreciate your sexist mentality." I say, angrily.

"Well I didn't ask your opinion, did I?!" He replies me in a tone that means end of discussion.

His hand travel from my face to my belly and he runs his hand over my almost flat stomach.

"You know what?! I will just go home I can't stand you." Have I hit the soft spot now?! Now cutting off your access to your baby, Not bad Radhika!

He looks up at me and a ghost of a smile waltz on his lips,"Really you can't stand me?! Then whose moans were through the roof when I was.....

Before he says some thing that would make my cheeks flush red, I keep my hand on his lips," Please why can't we talk some thing else?!"

"Okay whatever my wife wants." He brushes his lips on my cheeks.

"Who is the commander?!" I question.

"Mark." He replies flatly.

"Can I ask you something personal?!" I say hesitantly. 

"Personal?! You can surely ask but I will answer if I want to answer your question but I will be honest." He looks in the eye and tells me.

Yeah. How can I forget The Great Arjun Mehra is full of obscurity and mystery! Sometimes I feel what do I know about my husband other than his name, his profession which is hard for me to digest and basics.

"Was Lily your girlfriend?!" I ask in a feeble tone.

I have dug my own grave if his answer is yes.

"I never had one. Lily is a friend and what happened between us that night was a mistake." He confesses in a sincere tone.

"You didn't force her?!" I ask timidly.

"I never forced anyone except you." He replies in a icy cold tone.

Is he offended?! I should be accusing him and here, he is giving me this cold attitude. Tears stung in my eyes as I feel hurt by the way he is staring at me as if I am not his wife but an asset that he marked his.

"Why did you force me?!" I ask, teareyed now.

He wipes my tears with his hand,"Because as your husband, I have full right on you. I can touch and fuck you anywhere and anytime. You were not ready to give me my rights and also I wanted to see you in pain that time. I wanted to hurt you so bad that you will not be able to stand on your feet." He stares at me intensely but soon his gaze softens," But now I want to you to be happy with me as you have made me the happiest man alive."

Should I laugh or cry?! His reasons to force me on our first night gave me grief and his newly changed self is making me happy too. He cares for me but he doesn't respect my choice, does he?!

Sometimes I wish we switch places and you get to know how it feels when you are treated like an acquisition not a human. You hurt me, Arjun still I am here to see how much more hurt I can take or how much more you can give. I think either I will change you or you will turn me in to some one I am not. Whatever it is, I will not leave you nor will I give up hope because for me marriage isn't some relationship where you make up and break up, it's a journey where you are not allowed to part ways and you have to hold on when going gets tough. You don't believe in rituals, right?! But guess what?! I do that to with every fibre in my body. I took my vows with you reluctantly because you blackmailed me but I still took them and I will uphold the sanctity of those pious vows even though you don't care.

My trance breaks when he lifts me up and puts me in his master chair. That's supposed to be his chair, right?!"

"Arjun, I will sit somewhere else. This is your chair." I say as I try to get up but he pushes me down on the chair  holding my arms gently.

"No you will sit on this chair only. I am getting my son acquainted with my world." He stares into my eyes without even blinking his eyes even once. How did he do that?!

Whenever he emphasizes it's going to be a boy someway or the other, I feel a knot in my stomach. I have said before also that I will love the baby either way and Arjun has said the same thing but then again I can't help but feel a bit scared.

"What if the baby wants to take a different life course?!" I ask in a crisp tone.

He has his hand on my belly as he faces me,"The Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Radhika. He is my blood and flesh, he will be a greater leader than I am or I ever will be."  He tells me in a tone that means business.

"What if it's a daughter?!" I ask my most dreading query.

Please don't hurt me later by crushing my hopes of a happy family.

He pecks my forehead,"Well she can work with us of course if she wants but she cannot sit on the throne and I know you are with a boy. My gut instinct is rarely wrong."

Despite myself I make a small prayer to God to grant his wish. I want him to be happy from the core of his heart. Heart! Yeah for the baby, he does have a heart.

"Have you eaten anything?!"

I shake my head like a guilty child being caught doing mischief.

He rakes his hand in his hair furiously," Radhika, you are with a baby. You cannot be thoughtless about your health."

"I know but I wanted company when I eat."

"Sam will stay back with you from tomorrow." He smiles at me.

Just Sam?! But I want you too.

"And you?!" I ask, staring at him with hope in my eyes.

"You want me to sit at home with you and who is going to work. If you have forgotten then let me remind you I am a Mafia king not just your husband."

It would have been better if you were just my husband.

"Arjun, if you want I can take care of everything until your wife gives birth." Mark says as he enters without even knocking the door.

Arjun turns to him,"Mark, you have already done a lot and it's your time to rest now, oldie."

"Hey! I am just 60." He chides Arjun.

He is 60! My mouth opens and closes like a fish at this newly discovered information.

Arjun shrugs,"Yeah whatever. Listen I cannot burden you with more responsibilities. You already have your health issues and..."

Mark cuts him off,"And I won't die until I see your son on your throne one day and if possible even your grandchild."

Arjun intervenes,"But...

"No ifs and buts your wife needs you to be there for her. Normally I wouldn't care less about her but she is pregnant and she needs to be happy so you stay with her if that's what she wants. About work then most of it can be done from home and you can pay visits here occasionally. We can have our meetings back at home too."

"Thanks Mark." I say in a tone full of gratitude.

"Like I said everything and anything for the baby." He tells me in an insolent tone.

"What will you have, Your highness?!"

I blush furiously hearing him acknowledging me as his queen. It gives me butterflies in my stomach to hear that from him.

"White pasta will do."

Next minute he places an order for white pasta through the intercom. He pulls me up from his chair and I am on my feet, arching my neck to look at him as he stands tall before me in his majestic glory. He cups my face," Do you know how beautiful you look right now?!"

"Are you trying to flirt with me, Mr Mehra?!" I wrap my hands around his neck.

"I fully intend to, Mrs Mehra." His hand travel down from my face to my spine then he cups my right breast and gives it a good squeeze, giving me fizz all over.

I slap his hand away,"Too bad I am hard to please."

He gives me a smug look,"Really?! Then who was the one whose notes were higher than mine last night?!"

"Arjun!" I chastise him.

"You drive me crazy, Radhika. I want to take you right now. I want to be rough with you but I can't. I want to fuck the living daylights out of you. I want to take you over and over again until you beg me to stop but I won't do any of this until you give birth."

"I know you won't hurt me." I whisper in a small but confident tone.

Next moment he spins me around," Dance with me."

"I am pregnant, Arjun. What if I trip and fall?!"

"Do you really think I will let some thing happen to you or my baby?!"

I shake my head at his question and he smiles his sexy smile. My God! The infinite times this man makes my heart do summersualts!

He switches on the music system and we groove slow and steady. He has his  hand  wrapped around my waist and mine are on his shoulders, massaging the nape of his neck. He leans on me and kisses my forehead," What are you doing to me, Radhika?!"

What are you doing to me, Arjun?! You have hurt me more than anyone still I am here with you in your arms. It's just my forgiving nature or something else?!

When I open my mouth to reply he closes it by pressing his lips on mine and he kisses me in a way that makes me feel as if I am dead and in heaven. He isn't forceful or aggressive like before, he is just wonderful!

I know he doesn't love but I know he cares and I think for now that is enough. At least he is not making any fake promises like a douchbag will and jilt you later. He is trying to change but still staying true to what he really is. He is taking efforts and I know it's difficult because this isn't something he has done before neither have I but my case is different. He was taught all the wrong things by people and circumstances. On the other hand, I was always sheltered and he was exposed to all the horrors of life at a very young age. He isn't my ideal man but I know somehow that we are just going to be fine.

To be continued......