ADHVAY'S POV

Even after finishing the men who had dared to touch her, my rage hadn't controlled, it throbbed in my veins like molten fire.

Dangerous possessiveness coiled inside me, pulling me toward her with a force I feared was slipping beyond control.

My shoulder jolted as Sreehan's calm voice cut through , "Anna, calm down. There will be no threat to Vadinamma or Veda after what we did today."

I drew in a deep, measured breath, trying to anchor my violent thoughts. "Hmm," I replied, my tone tight but controlled.

But Sreehan, being Sreehan, couldn't let the tension linger. He laughed, shoving the gravity of the moment aside, and said casually, "I think we should grab some drinks before going home. My head is pounding from all the noise."

By all the noise, he meant the bone-shaking sounds of guns, the echo of four magazines emptied into the heads of those men.

"I promised her I wouldn't drink," shaking my head firmly, leaving no room for further argument.

"Oh, come on," Sreehan replied, gesturing casually toward the bodies the guards were dragging away for disposal. "After a day like this, I think our brains need to settle."

I didn't answer him.

"Fine, I'll ask for Vadinamma's permission," he muttered, grabbing his phone before I could react.

"Wait-" I started, but he was already gone, running down the hall .

"Hello, Vadinamma," his voice came slow and I froze as he put the call on speaker.

"I called to ask your permission," he added.

"For what Sreehan?" her voice reached my ears, soft and steady, and for a moment, it stole away my rage.

"For... for..." His words struggled, and I couldn't help the laugh that slipped past my lips.

"For?"

"Vadinamma, I just want to take Anna for drinks, but I promise we'll be home before 8 pm. Please, Vadinamma, it's been a hectic day," he pleaded.

A moment of silence followed, her voice calm yet deliberate, "Sreehan, I want to talk to him."

My heart flustered as if it was the first time she was speaking to me.

What had this woman done to me?

I had just wiped a man off the face of the earth without mercy, and yet here I was, feeling a strange, twisting nervousness whenever her voice reached me.

I snatched his phone and cut the speaker off, "Myra, I swear I-" , my voice tight with urgency, "I won't go with him."

I began to pour out a whole explanation, my words rushing, desperate to make her understand.

"Adhvay, it's okay. But come to me for dinner, okay?" she said calmly.

"You don't need to change your decision just because Sreehan asked," I added, the possessiveness in my tone impossible to hide.

Her voice took on a gentle command, "Drinking once in a while is okay, but not every day, do you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am," I muttered, unable to hide the heat that flared in my chest at her control.

"Now go with Sreehan and come home by 8 pm. I'll cook dinner for you."

"Be my dinner," I whispered under my breath, the words meant only for her ears.

Before she could react, a loud, dramatic "Brother! Ewww!" from Sreehan interrupted, making me groan.

"Okay, bye," she said, cutting the call instantly.

"Why are you eavesdropping, idiot?" I barked at Sreehan, smacking his head and tossing his phone.

He caught it effortlessly with one hand, smirking like he owned the moment.

"The drinks are on, I guess."

MYRA'S POV

My phone rang, dragging me out of sleep, and after a day as heavy as this one, rest was the only thing I had been craving.

"Hello, akka!" Veda exclaimed from the other end of the line, her voice unusually bright.

I sat up immediately, my exhaustion fading into concern. "Veda, are you alright?" I asked, remembering how terrified she had been that morning after the attack.

"I'm fine, akka. Sreehan removed all the stress from my mind," she said excitedly.

I raised a brow despite myself, a smile tugging at my lips. "Oh really? What did he do? Buy you a truckload of ice creams? You sound so happy," I teased, laughing at her childish enthusiasm.

There was a brief pause before she replied, far too casually, "No, akka. We had sex, and everything felt alright immediately."

I nearly dropped the phone, choking on the juice I had just taken a sip of, coughing violently as her words sank in, my peaceful sleep shattering in an instant.

"Veda! What are you saying?" I exclaimed, my voice rising in disbelief as I struggled to catch my breath, still coughing from the juice that had gone down the wrong way.

"What did I say?" she asked innocently and it only made my eyes widen further.

"You just told me you had sex , Veda"

She let out a soft laugh, completely unbothered, while I sat there gripping my phone tightly.

"There's nothing wrong with having sex with my soon-to-be husband, akka. We do it all the time," she replied, completely unapologetic, her tone steady and almost defensive now.

"Haaaaahhh!" I screamed before I could stop myself, the sound bursting out of me and drawing the startled attention of every house help around me.

Realizing where I was, I quickly lowered my voice, before turning away I gave an awkward smile to them , pressing the phone closer to my ear.

"Stop talking about your sex life so loudly," I hissed under my breath.

"Why couldn't you wait until your wedding? It's happening in barely ten days anyway."

"Desires shouldn't wait, akka," she said softly, a teasing lilt creeping into her voice. "Maybe you should try too... ask Bavagaru..."

"Shhh!" I cut her off sharply before she could finish, my heart slamming violently against my ribs. Heat rushed to my face, a dangerous mix of embarrassment and unsettled feelings. "Veda!"

She burst into a loud laughter , clearly enjoying my flustered reaction. "I just called to make sure you're okay," she said after a moment, her tone softening.

"Plus... bavagaru seemed very angry at you. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Veda. Thank you for asking," a genuine smile curving my lips .

Her concern wrapped around me in a way I hadn't expected; she had accepted me so effortlessly, as if I always belonged beside her, as a sister.

"Okay, akka. Bye. I'll call you later," she said lightly.

"Bye, Veda," I whispered.

The call ended, but the silence that followed did nothing to calm me, instead, it made my body feel unbearably hot.

Desires shouldn't wait.....

Her words echoed in my mind.

The urge to feel Adhvay's touch made my skin prickle , a slow, dangerous heat spreading through my veins. I reached for the pillow beside me, clutching it tightly and pulling it between my legs as if it could somehow silence the ache building inside me.

I hugged it close, burying my face into the fabric, my breath turning uneven and shallow. The emptiness of it only made everything worse-it wasn't him, not the solid weight of him that my body was craving. My mind betrayed me with vivid flashes of his hands, the way they would grip my neck when he kisses me, the way his touch would be firm and claiming.

I squeezed the pillow harder, as though I could replace imagination with reality, but the truth burned hotter with every passing second: I want him.

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