Chapter 5 No.5

Cyclone of conflicted feelings wallowed in her mind, and she found herself tethered within her emotions. She knotted her fingers on her lap and emboldened herself, blowing out a sigh. "I think I should tell him."

"Hey!" He astonished her by coming in and she sprang on her seat. He didn't seem to notice it. "Sorry if I am late. Here, your favorite." He forwarded a frappe towards her.

Anahita was surprised to say the least. "You know?"

"Of course." He replied flatly as if she asked a stupid question. They finished their drinks in silence. Anahita was thinking of telling him about Mukund. She just wanted an opening. She threw the empty glass outside the window and smiled at him, "Thanks."

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

"Yeah." She licked her lips nervously and cleared her throat. "I actually wanted to tell you..."

"Show me your bags." He spoke at the same time and she squinted in confusion. "What?"

He cleared his throat and turned to her, nodding his head to the backseat. "Show me your bags."

"Why?" She scowled.

"Because I am asking." He demanded, and she handed all her bags to him mechanically, waiting to see what he was up to. Yuvraaj pulled out all of her dresses and did a close postmortem of them. He scrutinized each and every piece with his hawk-like eyes. Some curled his lips upward, some made him frown, and only a few managed to scrape through his thorough inspection. He tossed them in the bags messily before handing it back to her. Anahita was fuming in anger.

"What the hell was that?" She asked through her greeted teeth.

"Your clothes are tacky, as always." He said in disappointment. "All the pink ones... change them, and buy something in violet or indigo. You know what I mean? Ah! Ten years and you are still the same. Always filling your cart with tasteless things. The same old Anahita Maurya." He joked, and his words somehow managed to unleash the beast in her.

Throwing her bags away, she pounced on him and pressed his neck so tightly to block his oxygen supply - or better, break his windpipe.

"I'll kill you today. End of my misery." She growled, using every ounce of her power to strangulate him. Taken aback, Yuvraaj didn't get the time to anticipate her move, and he couldn't tackle her. Gasping, he fortified his grip on her wrists to wrench them off her, but her palms had turned into metal. They didn't loosen up. Anahita was so firm in her mind to send Yuvraaj to heaven in business class that she didn't even fear the prison which was calling her, spreading out its arms.

"Anahita, you fool. Leave me." Yuvraaj garbled, coughing and heaving sharp breaths. When she didn't move back. He clutched her waist, pulled her over him, and began to tickle her weak points. Anahita whimpered in defeat as she lost her hold falling on her seat into a laughing mess. Tears bounced in her eyes when Yuvraaj didn't stop caressing her sides.

"Stop. Stop. Stop. Time's up." She guffawed, trying to hold his palms. Satisfied, Yuvraaj moved away from her and huffed like an asthamtaic patient, rubbing his neck. "What the... hell was that?"

"I don't want to marry you." She spat on his face, sitting up. He glared at her. "So you'll kill me?"

"What can I do? You are so shameless. How dare you go through my clothes?" She screamed on top of her lungs, and Yuvraaj slapped a palm over her mouth, shutting her out. "Stop it, you mad girl. Do you want to gather public here? So what if I saw your clothes? I am going to be your husband."

Glaring at him hard, she bit on his palm. "I won't marry you."

Yuvraaj smirked, suppressing her mouth even more. "Really? Who else is dying to marry you? You will die alone if I am not here for you. So stop with your rant." He took his palm back and started the car.

Anahita didn't talk to him again. She sulked, looking outside the window. Yuvraaj stopped the car in front of her house, and she clicked the door open. As she was about to step out, Yuvraaj held her arm and poked a finger at the back of her head, "Silly girl."

She didn't reply. Merely jerking his hand off, she gathered her bags and stepped down. Yuvraaj chuckled at her antics, following her out. "Good night."

She didn't acknowledge him and moved towards her house, but he stepped in front of him and poked her cheek mischievously. "How can you not invite me in?"

"Yuvraaj, please..." Anahita finally implored, feeling tears filling her eyes. She felt so miserable all of a sudden. She was tired of this. Yuvraaj had a pattern with his teasing. He would fight with her to the point she would feel insignificant, and then he would come to cajole her which only stimulated her anger.

"Okay fine." He smiled, holding his ears and crouching to his height. "I am sorry. Happy?"

"Leave." She moved past him and he stopped her again. "I was joking, mou. You know that."

"Is my life just a joke to you?" She paused to glance at him with brimming eyes, biting on her inner lip to not cry in front of him.

Yuvraaj was stunned to see her so heartbroken. He corrected his face, and stuck his hands in his pockets, regarding her seriously. "Anahita, I..."

"Let it be. Goodnight." She whispered and disappeared in the house without a second glance at him, leaving him chuckling to himself. "Such a spitfire."

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