“Right. Sorry,” he mumbled, sheepishly ruffling his hair before approaching her. He held out a box for her. “A gift for you.”
“I don’t want it.”
“It’s your grandmother’s bangle,” he said patiently, having expected her refusal. Surely enough, that piqued her interest.
“How do you have that?” she asked, her brows knitting when he opened the box and set it on the bed beside them. “Two? Nani’s and yours?”
“Hmm.”
Her shoulders lowered in surprise. Taking advantage, Vihaan reached for her hand and gripped it, relieved that her unyielding stance had relaxed, if only for a short time. He picked up one bangle and drew it over her fingers, pinching her knuckles in to slide it onto her wrist. His gaze flashed to hers when she made a small sound of discomfort, his hold gentling immediately. He blew cool air against the slightly reddened skin, running a soothing thumb over it. Wordlessly, he repeated the gesture with the other hand, taking his time, speaking softly.
“The year after you left Nagpur, I was back in town for a bit. I saw your bangle at the jewellers. At that time, I thought it was the one I gave you, and bought it. I felt compelled to, and didn’t know why.Now I do.” He pressed a kiss on her wrist, locking eyes with her as he raised his head. “It was always yours, Princess. Just took some time for it to find its way back to you. Like me.”
The flash of emotion that flickered across her expressive face would have been well hidden had Vihaan not been desperately searching for any indication that she felt something other than hate for him. The moment ended just as quickly when she protested, drawing her hand away.
“I’ll take Nani’s, but I don’t want—”
“Mine?” With a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes, he questioned, “Can you tell them apart?”
She peered at her adorned wrists, trying her best to discern the difference between the two bracelets. “These almost look—”
“New,” he finished nodding in agreement. “I got them polished. I can’t tell them apart either. So, if you decide you’re going to do something silly like throw one of them away just because it came from me, I thought you should know that the chance of you trashing your grandmother’s bangle instead of mine is sitting at fifty.”
Her features contorted in irritation. “You did this intentionally, didn’t you?”
“Do you hate me more now?” he asked with a sly smile that did nothing to calm Vera’s temper.
“Infinitely!”
He only grinned harder at that. “Hmm. Good. Then I feel less guilty for what’s coming.”
“What did you do?” she asked, watching him suspiciously when he backtracked to a stack of items outside the threshold of the bedroom, picking up a large box to bring to her. He saw Vera’s gaze land upon the bridal couture label on the box that he carefully placed at the edge of the bed.
“Why did you bring this? I told you already, I’ll wear my own clothes.”
Vihaan looked to the left, then right, confusing her when he threw the closet open, pretending to search. He turned around, a blatantly false concern lacing his voice when he asked, “What clothes?”
Vera’s skin grew alarmingly red, finally recognising why she’d been unable to find any of her bags. She stomped right up to him, backing him angrily against the closet door.
“Damn, Princess, it’s hot when you take control. Should I pick a safe word?”
“You won’t need it when I kill you!” she snarled. “Where did you take them? Give them back!”
Throwing his hands up in surrender, he shot her a helpless smile.
“I can’t, sweetheart. Everything’s been sent to our new home already,” he admitted. “Besides, the only items you’ll need until I put sindoor on your forehead and declare you my wife, are in that box.”
“I’m not going to wear it,” she pouted, crossing her arms across her chest.
Unable to resist, he reached up to tuck an errant curl behind her ear, savouring the smoothness of her skin before she could pull away.
“That’s your decision. I’ll marry you in your towel. The guests might wonder about your unconventional choice of attire, but I would have no complaints. I don’t want to be that kind of husband who dictates what his wife can and cannot do.”
“You’re a menace.” Vera spun on her heels, stalking back towards the bed, her hands waving agitatedly in the air. “You took everything. I have nothing here!”
“That’s not true. I meticulously picked matching underwear for you. I was assured that it was the right kind to wear under a bridal lehenga. Bonus: I can imagine exactly what you’ll look like in all that lace.”
“You can’t do this to me,” she hissed, her jaw clenched so tightly, Vihaan was afraid she’d crackher tooth.