"Looking for...?"
"Nothing" I said while sitting on the bed and moving the blankets to search my one lost earring.
He didn't say anything for a moment.
Then sighed.
"It's on the floor."
"Arre, I said na..." I spoke again, my eyes wandering around the blanket once again. "I am not searchi..."
A shimmering earring suddenly faced my focus.
My eyes paused their hunt and almost instinctively I took the earring from him. Our fingers brushed, I felt a sudden heat inside me. Not of shyness... but embarrassment.
"I wonder how long you have lied."
"I never did." I said while tilting my head and wearing that fallen piece of earring.
Still, I could feel his intense stare on me.
"F-fine... sometimes I did."
His eyes didn't move from me.
I sighed.
"Fine, a lot of times. But my lies never hurted anyone okay?"
He didn't speak for a moment. His eyes stared at me as if directly aimed at my soul.
He exhaled.
Rolled his eyes away.
"Stop lying to me then."
For a moment, I was astonished. Stop lying? As if it was that easy. I couldn't remember anyone to whom I have never lied in my life. And here this man was...
"It's not that easy." I chuckled dryly.
"Try then."
He turned around and went to his side of cupboard.
Within moments he returned.
A small box in his hands.
Without any word, he opened it and slid the ring to my ring finger.
I couldn't speak at this. It felt that I almost lost my words, and my vocabulary was no more taking place in my brain.
"Never remove this." His tone was more of a command than request.
I eye stopped at ring, and then at him.
"Why shouldn't I?" I tried to remove the ring, but it had fit in my finger in such a way that it didn't even shift.
"Why are you giving me things which I... don't appreciate? I mean this ring is nice but wearing this every day?"
He sighed and took my hand, rubbed the coconut oil I use for my hair on my finger and removed the ring.
"What do you want then?"
I looked at him for a moment.
"I want nothing. At least not from you."
His finger twitched slightly.
Jaw clenched before unclenching.
For a moment, he opened his mouth to argue. But then closed it again before finally saying-
"Don't make me force you..."
"You'll...force me?" I looked at him in disbelief.
"Not for something which shames you in your own eye"
"Still." I insisted.
"Force ME?"
He poked his tongue in his inner cheek before saying.
"What's wrong with wearing a ring?"
"There's nothing wrong with the ring." I said back almost in an instant. "Ring is very beautiful. But what is wrong is me. I cannot handle a diamond everyday. What if someone cuts my finger for this damn ring?" I held my hand close to my chest.
His eyes darkened at my statement before he took my hand in his gently.
"No one will even dare to."
He paused before thinking his next words.
"Fine, I will get you a pearl ring with platinum band."
I nodded.
"But why is a ring even needed?"
He stood up with brutal taps on his phone.
"So that people need not to be told every single time about whose wife you are."
"Plus," He continued. "I located you through your red pendant. It's not every day you'll wear that red diamond too."
I looked at him in realisation.
"That pendant had locater?"
"Kruthi. Try to understand before jumping to conclusions. The life I lead is not what you think. But you have to trust me that I'll never harm you." He said calmly, coldly.
I looked in his eyes, searching for any hidden motive. But there wasn't...
infact, I couldn't find anything in his dark eyes...
and for the first time I noticed that... his eyes don't have black iris, but dark brown.
"Okay."
I nodded silently.
"Fine. No questions."
I stared at me for a moment before standing up.
"Sit." I said suddenly.
He paused again. But sat on the bed.
"What?" He asked tiredly.
"You had something?"
"I ate the meal with you only."
"Arre but I am unwell na... you can have anything you want."
"I will have it when you get well."
Silence.
Until someone knocked the door.
Vivaan stood up and unlocked it revealing a tired, exhausted Mirhaan.
"The fingerprints...matched."
Vivaan's eyes darkened.
I could see the veins on his arm, even those which never popped did, because of the sheer pressure of anger his fist commanded.
"It matches Rushaan's father..."
And suddenly, Vivaan's hand fell from the door's grip.
"His father?"
Mirhaan nodded and showed him the folder.
I removed my blanket and tried to move but he said suddenly without even looking up from his file.
"Don't move. Sit."
I didn't argue back at this time and obeyed him.
"Mirhaan..." He said moments later after analysing the file. "Summon everyone in the hall."
He came towards me and lifted me in his arms descending downstairs already.
Once in the hall, he placed me on the sofa before moving with cold dreadly steps, which meant to calm himself down.
One by one, everyone came downstairs.
Naina and Ayesha sat next to me.
Badi Dadi brought her wheelchair next to sofa too.
When his Dadi came, I just forwarded my hand down to atleast touch her in respect, but she stopped me.
"It's fine..." She said in a neutral tone. "Don't pressurise your body."
I nodded and sat back.
As soon as Rushaan's father came, Vivaan threw the folder at him in barely suppressed anger.
A moment.
Then another before he finally spoke in his utmost deadly tone which even brought shiver to my spine.
"Your explanation should be worth the damage... If not... "
A pause.
"Then be ready for compensation."