Chapter 32

Chapter 32
It was close to dinner time when Avyaansh returned from the office. He found Shanaya sitting in the living room with her phone in her hand.

Walking towards her he dropped his head a little from behind her to peek at her phone at what she was doing. Shanaya was so engrossed in her phone that she didn't feel his presence behind her.

He found her going through the pictures of their marriage that Nia and Tanya took and sent them to her. In one picture he was filling her hairline and she had her eyes closed. That picture looks so adorable. A smile graced her lips but soon she got startled by the voice behind her.

"What are you doing?" She almost shrieked and her phone fell on the floor with a thud. Her heart almost came to her mouth. He scared the shit out of her. Looking at him she inhaled a breath before picking up her phone as she stood in front of him.

He smirked and plopped down on the couch in front of her. Sarah came with a glass of water and offered it to him. "Sir, should I set the dining table for you both?" When Sarah asked, Avyaansh knew she didn't eat.

"Of course Sarah auntie, I will just freshen up," he said and went to his room. Shanaya got comfortable with Sarah and she was helping her to set the dining table. Though she barely knows household chores she was still trying.

Avyaansh came and grabbed his seat and motioned Shanaya to sit beside him. She hastily took her seat and he served himself and filled her plate. The dinner went silent. Neither she said anything nor did he put an effort to ask something. She silently ate while peeking a glance at him.

When he was about to walk upstairs Shanaya said. "Avyaansh, can you please give me a moment? I want to talk with you" Her voice was soft and she gaped at him hopefully.

"Alright, say what you want to say," he said walking inside the living room and she followed him behind, taking a seat on the couch he motioned her to sit beside him. "Tell me, why do you look upset?" He asked, his voice appeared soft that for a moment she was astounded.

In the morning he was behaving so rudely and now he was being so gentle that it left her skeptical. "Avyaansh, why are you angry at me?" She asked softly, looking at him expectantly for an answer.

"Who said I am angry with you?" He said cupping her cheeks and grazing her puffy cheeks with the pad of his thumb. "Then why were you so rude to me?" she asked, her eyes staring at him with so many emotions. "Did that bother you? " He asked, still stroking her cheeks with his thumb. Before she could say anything more the doorbell rang drawing their attention. Shanaya looked at the door while a smirk graced his lips.

Sarah opened the door and Shanaya saw a woman walking inside the mansion wearing a nude color bodycon dress and high heels. Her brows creased in confusion. She recalled she saw her somewhere when something occurred to her and she recognized she saw her at that party with Avyaansh.

"Sweetheart, what a pleasant surprise,'' He said and her head snapped at Avyaansh who now stood up and walked towards the woman. Her eyes went wide when she saw Avyaansh hugging that woman and she wrapped her arms around his neck in return. If this was not enough to shock her Avyaansh stunned her even more when he kissed the woman on her cheek.

"Babe, you forgot your watch at my place last night" she broke the hug and said in a sweet voice. That brought Shanaya's attention. 'Last night?' She was still contemplating when Avyaansh spoke. "Sorry, I was in a hurry today," he said while sliding his hand on her waist. She pulled out his watch from her purse and handed it to him.

Shanaya felt she was invisible to them as they were so engrossed in each other that they didn't bother to feel her presence. What hurt her more was the affection Avyaansh was showing to that woman.

"Who is she?" It was then when the woman asked Shanaya came out of her trance and looked at them. "Oh, forgot to introduce you," Avyaansh said, pulling away from her but still his hand was around her waist.

"She is my wife, Shanaya," Avyaansh said looking at Shanaya whose eyes were dancing with perplexity. "You got married and didn't tell me" Natasha feigned hurt and hit her palm on his chest slightly. "Everything happened in a hurry. I couldn't get the time to tell you," Avyaansh said.

"Shanaya, she is Natasha, my friend," Avyaansh said and another thing shocked her when Avyaansh again kissed Natasha on the other cheek. "With benefits," Natasha added, in a teasing manner and Avyaansh laughed, stunning Shanaya even more with the change in his demeanor.

Shanaya looked at both of them with confusion marring all over her face. She wanted to speak but no word came out of her mouth as if her voice betrayed her. Her throat felt deserted.

'What does she mean? He forget his watch at her place last night. That…Does that mean he was with her last night? He kissed her twice on the cheeks. They said 'friend with benefits' What is he trying to prove?' There are so many questions running through her mind.

She looked at Natasha who was laughing at something Avyaansh told her. Her heart constricted in pain seeing him standing with another woman and didn't bother trying to spare a glance at his wife. "Let's go to my study," Avyaansh said but Natasha stopped him.

"I have a dinner meeting with clients so I have to leave," Natasha said and Avyaansh nodded. "It was nice meeting you, Umm…Shanaya right?" Natasha said, forwarding her palm towards Shanaya who stood like a stiff. Her eyes wandered between Natasha and him.

"Shanaya, she is waiting," Avyaansh said, warning her with his eyes yet she didn't attempt to forward her hand. "Leave it, babe, seems like, your wife didn't like me" Natasha huffed rolling her eyes as if her presence grossed her out

"Anyways, I am getting late, see you at the office tomorrow," she said and hugged him and kissed him on his right cheek before breaking the hug.

"See you tomorrow," Avyaansh said before walking her out of the mansion. Once she was gone he closed the door and turned to her. Shanaya was still standing in her place when he took angry steps towards her and held her elbow in a tight grip.

She stared at him with empty eyes while his face went rigid and his eyes narrowed at her dangerously. "What were you doing?" He gritted, jerking her closer to him. His breath fanned her forehead as she stood on her toes yet she couldn't match his 6 ft tall height.

"What were you trying to prove?" She questioned back without stuttering and staring straight into his eyes.

Brown against the blue.

"Now the cat got the tongue to talk back, huh?" He smirked, peering down at her while her eyes were pooled with tears.

"What happened? Why are you behaving like this?" She hissed at him while tears blurred her vision. She had enough of him ignoring her existence and being rude to her for childish reasons. And most of the thing was who Natasha is to him.

His eyes narrowed at her dangerously and his grip tightened on her arm at her audacity to question him and he pulled her closer even if it was possible. "Don't you dare to talk to me in that tone ever again" he menaced in a low threatening voice that sent chills down her spine.

"And you can do anything you want?" She was scared by the change in his demeanour yet she didn't step back from questioning him. "Who is she to you?" She asked and he smirked inwardly. His arrow hit the target.

"What do you think? Isn't it clear to you?" He sneered and her throat bobbed up and down as she gulped the lump forming in her throat. She hoped. She just hoped from the bottom of her heart that he wouldn't make her assumptions true.

"Why do I smell something weird?" He said and sniffed leaning closer to her. Her brows creased in confusion. "Seems like, something is burning" he again sniffed.

"Or perhaps I should say, someone, is burning" and to prove his point he again leaned in and sniffed near her ear. "Tell me, are you jealous?" he pulled a little away and his face hovered over her while he was still holding her closer. She had to crane her neck to look at him.

"Why are you doing this?" Her naive question earned a dark chuckle from him. He left her hand and pulled away from her. "Tell me, are you that dumb or you're just acting?" His mockery-filled laugh hit closer to her heart. Her chin wobbled and tears pooled in her eyes. His hunting eyes didn't miss the lone tear escaping from her eyes and disappearing in her neck, distracting him.

"You want to know?" He asked, stepping away from her with that smug smile tugging at the corner of his lips while she stood stiff in her place. He let out a dark chortle shaking his head before he faced her again with that dangerous aura radiating from him.

"Your father was in dire need of money to save his business and I just helped him by marrying his daughter," he said and something broke inside her. She stared at him with red eyes in puzzlement. 'Helped him? What does it mean?' She thought. He grabbed her both arms and pulled her towards him before he said.

"So don't have high hopes for this marriage. For me it's just a contract that will end soon" he spat tightening his grip on her arm the pain shot through her arm making her wince.

Something broke inside her and she just gaped at the man with emotionless eyes. 'This can't be true' She was still in denial. She couldn't believe a little bit in his words. How can he just say that? Didn't he confess his feelings for her? How could he change suddenly' Big fat tears rolled down her cheeks and her chin wobbled in despair.

"L…Leave my arm, you're hurting me" she mumbled, trying to free her arm from his bruising grip and controlling the urge to cry. She won't cry in front of him anymore. His hold loosened when she winced twice in her struggle to get her arm free but his hold was still firm on her.

"I don't want to stay here, I will better leave" she hissed and jerked her arm. "That's where you're wrong honey" The upper lip of his twitched in a smirk as he said. "You ain't going anywhere till the contract ends and till the time you're here just make sure not to show up in front of me" he menaced tugging a strand of her hair behind her ear but she jerked his hand away and glared at him in rage.

"I am not staying here a minute anymore" she was adamant. "Alright, if that's what you want. You are free to go but…" he trailed while walking towards the couch and sitting with his legs crossed and arms spreading on the headrest like a king.

"Remember that, I will stop investing in your father's company. For which he wedd you off, his company will go bankrupt and then I will cancel the partnership with your father's company" His eyes didn't miss the hurt that dripped from her eyes in the form of tears.

"How can you be so cruel," she couldn't help the vulnerability in her voice. "Oh trust me, you misunderstood me" He feigned hurt placing his palm over his chest where his heart is before adding. "I'm more than cruel" His voice was deep yet threatening that she felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Don't you love me" Her meek voice pricked his heart and his eyes stared at her with an unknown emotion. She didn't know why she wanted to ask this even when she knew what his answer would be.

For a moment, he froze. If her tears were not enough to divert him then her naivety did something to his heart. 'Why are you making it difficult for me?' the thought occurred to him.

"I don't want to answer your stupid questions" he spat and stood up. She clutched her dress tightly to stop the shivering of her hands. A sob escaped her throat and she shut her eyes in despair and he left.

What was her fault? What did she do so wrong with him?