Sitting alone on the topmost floor of the Paradise Hotel. Aviraaj waited for Anamika who had told him to meet her so they could further discuss their contract deal.
He glanced at his watch only to clench his jaws tightly as the time she had allotted was passed by but she didn't show up.
Aviraaj hates to wait for anyone. He despises the thought of being hanged on by anyone but here he was waiting for her.
'If anyone else was in her place, I might already have made sure that he regretted making me wait like these but here it's her so I am being quite patient.' Aviraaj thought as a silent chuckle left his lips.
He leaned back on his chair and closed his eyes for a minute only to open them the next second when he heard sounds approaching his way.
Aviraaj eyes got stuck on the entrance door where soon Anamika graced him with her breathtaking presence.
Anamika struck in with elegant & powerful footsteps like a lady boss which Aviraaj no doubt she is.
His lady boss, only his.
His black eyes moved from top to bottom in a slow motion and his dead heart thumped like a silent drum which only he could hear whenever Anamika is around him.
Anamika noticed his intense gaze on her but she ignored it like always. She soon reached near the table and Aviraaj stood up to greet her.
"Finally, you decided to graze me with your presence or else I thought--" Anamika cut him off.
"Thought that I will hang you on ?"
Aviraaj nodded, his jaws thick.
"Nah ! I don't waste my precious time on those silly tricks, Mr.Rajvanshi." Anamika stated, her voice firm yet cold.
"Besides I got stuck with some 'important' work that I can't ignore." She added, her green eyes stuck at his black eyes.
"I see." Rajvanshi nodded, twice. His eyes were a darker shade of black.
"Have a seat then." Aviraaj said, gesturing towards the chair.
Anamika settled herself in the chair after keeping the bag and a black folder on the table top and Aviraaj took back his seat.
They both sat, opposite to each other. Their eyes bored into one another, intensely.
One was silently admiring her green eyes while the other one coldly gazed in his black eyes.
"Would you like to have something ? while we discuss our contract marriage rules and proceed with the signatures." Aviraaj inquired, his deep voice resolving in the quiet room they were seated in.
"Nothing. Thank you." Anamika's short cold reply comes.
Aviraaj hummed. "Fine, let's move on then."
"Sure."
"Sure." Saying this she slid the black file which she was carrying earlier in my direction.
Taking the hold of the black file I opened it after throwing her a quick glance in her direction.
My eyes narrowed across something different & unusual.
I looked up at her. "This isn't the papers I gave you." I said more like a statement than a question.
"You are right. These aren't the papers you gave me. These are the papers I got ready by myself." Anamika said, her voice was cold & calm.
"So where are those papers I gave you ?" I questioned and the reply I got amused me.
"Burn to ashes."
I blinked, twice. "Kyu ?"
(Why ?)
"Kyu ki maira mann kar raha tha isliye jala diya."
(Because I felt like doing it so I burned it)
Anamika simply replied like she didn't give a flying fuck which I am so fucking sure she doesn't.
A deep chuckle left from my throat.
My woman opps very soon to be a woman who never fails to amuse me.
How fucking hot !
"I had already mentioned the rules I want us to follow while we are in this contract marriage." Anamika said, leaning back on her chair.
I closed the file and dumped it on the table top. "Go on. I am all ears to listen to your rules."
"Why don't you just read the file ? I am sure you are educated enough to read." She stated as she crossed her arms in front of her. Her green eyes, stern & intense in their place.
"I am but I would like to hear them from your beautiful voice and I am sure I will pay more attention to it." I voiced back while tapping my fingertips on the table top in slow quiet motion.
She stared at me for a few seconds in complete silence. A quiet sigh left her perfect lips when she came to the conclusion that I was indeed serious about hearing her rules from her own mouth.
"Fine. Let's begin, Mr.Raj--" I cut her off, sternly.
"Aviraaj."
"What ?"
"Even if it's a contract marriage we are going to be husband & wife soon and I am sure people around us will find it weird if we call each other so formally." I exclaimed, calmly.
"So call me with my first name, Anamika." I stated, firmly.
Her green eyes looked back & forth in my black eyes and she slowly nodded her head. Agreeing with my words. Good.
"Okay."
"Okay what Anamika ?" I prompted, trying to hide my desperation to hear my name from her breathtaking lips which she uses to sharply reply to me.
"Okay...Aviraaj." She greeted out my name and I felt a jolt of unknown current rush into my body.
Some not so innocent thoughts passed through my mind.
'I wonder how she will sound moaning my name while I worshipped that heavenly body that she perfectly owns.'
'I am sure she will sound like heaven bells but I will make her scream my name that even hell can hear it.'
I cleared my throat to clear those unholy thoughts and focus on the woman who was solely responsible for those unholy thoughts.
"Continue." I said.
"Rule no.1 - We must not interfere in each other's businesses which don't concern these contract marriage."
I wanted to laugh after hearing her but I controlled myself.
She really thinks I will follow that rule ? Absolutely no. Once, I enter her life as her husband I will make sure her business is mine. Only mine to interfere with.
"Okay." I simply said but I will follow what I thought earlier obviously.
"Rule no.2 - We won't disrespect each other's families or friends until & unless the opposite person pokes us first obviously."
"Fair enough." I hummed.
I am sure mostly I will get that unfortunate treatment from my soon-to-be sasur ji. It will be fun though.
(Father-in-law)
"Rule no.3 - I won't follow any weird rituals that will make me uncomfortable."
"I will make sure you don't have to." I firmly stated and she nodded.
"Rule no.4 - You will not ask me anything related to my past especially about my deceased mother and I will never hear a bad comment about my mother from you or from your family."
Anamika's voice suddenly changed to a very severe tone. Her green eyes turn colder.
I looked back & forth in her eyes, wondering why wouldn't she want me to know about her past ?
Was it that bad or traumatizing ?
I can't help but ponder on how mysterious her past is because my hacker guy got me information about her past after she became a successful criminal lawyer.
Before that everything was wiped out like that phase of the past of her life didn't even exist in this world.
Not everyone has a good past and that includes me and now her too.
But I want to know. I want to know her past even if it is dark & unsettling. I am ready to accept her with her past that she hides from the outer world.
But she can't hide her dark past from me. I won't allow her.
Soon I will discover it and she will be the one who is going to tell me. I won't hear it from anyone else but her, only her.
"Anamika, I will never bad mouthed about someone who is not even in this world. Hume aise sanskaar nhi mile hai." I began to say then added after making a firm eye contact with her.
(I haven't received such an upbringing)
"Aur na hee hum kisee aur ko apanee divangat sasu-maa ji ke baare mein kuchh apamaanajanak kahane kee anumati denge."
(Neither will I allow anyone to say something disrespectful about my deceased mother-in-law)
"What if your family is the one who disrespects ? What will you do Aviraaj ? Are you going to fight against them for my deceased mother ?" Anamika asked, her voice cold & mocking.
"If my family disrespects you or your mother I am going to stand up against them without a second thought."
"For me, being disrespectful towards my wife means you are insulting me and I don't take insults from anyone nor I will let my wife take any insults for any matter."
"You mean it ?" She asked, her stoic expression falling down a bit. Showcasing her shock feeling.
"I mean it, truly."
'I mean it, truly.'
Those words left his lips in his manly deep voice and how much I want to never believe those words somewhere inside me, a small fucking forcing me believe it. Damn it !
'my wife'
The way he said those two words sounds so genuine and unkindly possessive to my ears.
And I have a feeling I am going to hear it a lot after our marriage.
Correction--Contract Marriage. I had to remind myself why I agreed to this marriage even though I despise the thought of it in the first place.
"Are there any more of your rules that I should know, Anamika ?"
My chain of thoughts broke by his deep voice and I looked up at him who was intently watching me.
It felt like his black eyes never once left my form after I entered here.
His black eyes stayed glued on me and mostly on my eyes.
Or maybe I am just overthinking ?
I cleared my throat, shrugging those useless thoughts I nodded.
"Rule no. 5 - No intimate relationship is going to happen between us."
There is no way I am going to have a sex with this arrogant & cocky man. Nope. Impossible.
"Like sex ?" He bluntly asked.
"Yes, no sex. No sexual things. Nothing." I greeted out, slightly glaring at him when his lips switched upwards after hearing my words.
"Fine as you say, Anamika."
I should probably believe his words right ? But I don't fucking. The way a sudden unknown expression flashed on his handsome face made me wonder what the hell is even thinking right now ?
"That's all ?"
"Yes, that's all." I said and looked away from him.
"Now how about you listen to my rules ?"
"Your rules ?" I raised my one eyebrow.
"Yes. You have your set of rules that you want me to allow then it will be fair only if you follow some rules that I made." He said. His long fingertips continue to tap on the table top and that irritated me.
"Fine. Tell me what are those rules that you made." I exclaimed, coldly.
"Great. You only have to follow two rules and they are very simple." He began but I interrupted him.
"I will decide if those rules are simple or not after hearing them."
He hummed, deeply. "Right so.."
He re-opened the black file and took a golden clicking pen that was inside his suit.
"Rule no. 6 - We must play the role of a couple who is deeply, intensely & downright in love."
I blinked, twice.
"The people around us should never know that we are just acting. We must show them that we are in love with each other." He added.
Yeah sounds very simple. Note the sarcasm y'all.
"Okay."
"Okay ? I hope you understand that I--we can't afford to get caught by others."
"I got it. We will act as a couple who are crazily in love in front of everyone."
Just that sentence left a bitter taste to my tongue.
Act & Love those two words sounds so bad while being around each other.
But here I have to accept them together. How fucking ironic !
"Good. I am writing it down here." He said before clicking his golden pen to write.
"Now, the last rule and the most important one." His voice suddenly sounded a lot more severe than before.
"Rule no.7 - No third person other than us should know about this contract."
I clenched my fist after hearing him.
"I didn't want to take the risk of anyone knowing about this contract between us and then using it against us. That's a big no for me so you better follow this rule better than any other rule."
"Not your close one or friends should know about this contract and I mean it, Anamika." He ended, sternly.
I greeted my teeth in annoyance.
I hate when people order me and this man only knows to order me around.
How fucking annoying of him !
"What about the lawyer from whom you prepare those papers ? which I burned earlier."
The satisfaction I got after burning those papers was worth it.
"Don't worry about him. He is a trustworthy person but if he ever betrayed me. He knows what is waiting for him." Aviraaj calmly voiced out.
There is an underlying meaning of his sentence I can sense it.
"Fine."
He raised his eyebrow, asking me to elaborate more.
"I will not tell anybody about our contract. No matter how close that person is to me." I greeted those words, hanging on the last cells of patience inside my body.
Aviraaj hummed as he wrote down that rule in the contract papers as well.
"Yeh 7 Niyam, 7 Vachano ke barabar hai." He said, his black orbs connected with mine.
(7 Rules = 7 Promises)
"Bilkul hai." I said, maintaining eye contact.
(Indeed it is)
"How do you want our marriage to take place ?" Aviraaj suddenly asked and collect the papers and put them back in the file.
I took a moment to answer such an important question.
"Private & intimate. No media and only family members should be present."
Aviraaj hummed and nodded his head.
"Theeke. Humari shaadi vaise he hogi jaise aap chahti hai."
(Okay. Our marriage will happen just the way you want)
"Shall we proceed to sign the agreement papers ?" Aviraaj asked, eyeing the papers before looking back at Anamika who nodded before saying. "We shall."
Aviraaj slid the contract papers in Anamika's direction.
"Here." He said, forwarding his golden pen in her direction.
Anamika raised her hand to grab the pen from his hand and their fingers brushed against each other, accidentally.
An unknown jolt of current passed their veins just by that small touch between them.
But one chooses to acknowledge & preserve it while the other one overlooks & ignores it.
Setting the papers in front of her. Anamika placed the pen where the signature should be done from her part.
"This contract ends in 8 months then we will divorce and move to our separate ways in our life." Anamika said, her words echoing silently around them.
A tense atmosphere spread across the whole room and they both can sense it. Their eyes connected, intensely.
"We will." Aviraaj said but his thoughts were completely opposite.
'We will never divorce. Once, our fate is sealed with these contract papers I will make sure that our lives too. There are no separate ways for us. Only one destination she will have in the end and that is me, only me.'
Anamika took a deep breath and tried to steady her fingers. For the first time her fingers that had signed so many documents are slightly trembling.
After a few seconds, under the watchful gaze of Aviraaj; Anamika finally began to sign the contract marriage papers.
Soon she was done and kept the pen down on the papers.
She is unaware of the fact that she has tied her life, fate & destiny with the devil himself.
A slow, unnoticed smirk appeared on Aviraaj's lips after seeing her signature on the papers she herself made.
Anamika thinks that burning the papers which Aviraaj prepared made him annoyed but only if she knows that she had not only satisfied herself but the devil opposite to her.
Aviraaj took the pen in his hold and without breaking the intense eye contact with Anamika he started to sign each & every paper.
'The first step of you becoming mine is completed. Soon you will be completely mine, Anamika.'
'Just wait & watch.'
Aviraaj thought as he signed the last page of the contract.
Meanwhile Anamika's thoughts were a whole different story.
'Here, I began with something that I will end too in the upcoming future that lay in front of us.'
'I don't care about these contract nor about you Aviraaj. My only mission is to get justice to my mother and soon I will punish each & everyone who was behind the unforgivable crime of my past.'
They both stood up and collected their things.
"I hope we can co-operate sincerely for the next 8 months." Anamika said, coldly yet firmly.
"Same here." Aviraaj replied.
Their hands joined one another to give each other a firm shake.
Anamika remembers the first time she shook hands with a stranger in her father's party.
But this time she is joining hands with the same stranger who happens to be her father's business competitor and soon to be her contract husband.
Aviraaj can't help but think about how perfect her hand looks in his. The same hand which he silently vows he would never leave, no matter what happens in the upcoming future.
Their hands moved back. One moved back quickly as if her hands were burning with his sole touch whereas he reluctantly left her hand while clenching his jaws.
They left the room and walked in the quiet corridor.
Anamika walked in front while feeling the weight of Aviraaj's stares that bored into the back of her head.
Soon they reached the lift and got inside one-by-one. Anamika made sure there is a safe distance between them even in the small space of the lift.
Whereas Aviraaj wished the lift suddenly got stuck so he can have some more time with the woman he desires so much.
After 5 minutes the lift door finally opened and one felt relieved while the one felt far from relieved.
They made their way towards the entrance.
"Come, I will drop you." Aviraaj offered.
"No, thank yo--" Anamika cut off with the loud sounds that were coming from outside the hotel entrance.
They both glanced at each other before moving out from the hotel.
But both of them were shocked when they saw a huge crowd of people. Not some common crowd of people but a crowd of reporters from different channels.
The flashes of the cameras snapped in their faces making it hard for them to see anything properly.
But they heard the questions that were thrown at them by the reporters.
"Mr.Rajvanshi, who is this woman ?"
"What is your relation with her ?"
"Are you dating her ?"
"Mam, aren't you Mr.Chauhan's daughter ?"
"Are you with Mr.Rajvanshi now ?"
"What are you doing with him here ?"
"Are you guys secretly dating each other behind your family's back ?"
"Are your families aware about your relationship ?"
"Please, answer our questions !"
"How the fuck they know about us being here ?" Anamika whispered yelled at Aviraaj who calmly stood while his fingers moved to message someone.
"Aviraaj---"
"Anamika, let's first sit in my car." Aviraaj said as he put his phone back in his pocket and held her wrist.
"Hey ! What are you doing ?" Anamika asked, glaring at him for touching her without her permission.
Aviraaj ignored her question and soon his bodyguards with some hotel staff made a passage for them between the crowd of the reporters who were continuously throwing questions at them about their relationship.
Aviraaj pulled Anamika with him as he securely escorted her towards his awaiting car.
A male reporter was going to touch Anamika's shoulder but before even his fingers could touch her skin Aviraaj grabbed his wrist and twisted it, brutally.
"Aah ! My hand." The male reporter shouted in pain and gained the attention of the rest of the media.
The whole media went silent but the flashes of the cameras didn't cease. They continue to capture the action scene.
"Haath lagane ki himat kaise huee teri, saale ?!"
(How dare you touch her, you bastard ?!)
Aviraaj exclaimed, deadly. His voice was dark & alarmed that made other people who were present there, shivered.
"P-Please, I-I am s-sorry. C-Chhod do mujhe." The male reporter, begged.
(L-Leave me)
Aviraaj didn't make a move to leave him instead he twisted his hand more painfully making him scream.
The whole media was shocked to see such action of Aviraaj Rajvanshi who was known for his cold yet reputable behaviour. They had heard of his ruthlessness but for the first time they have witnessed it with their own two eyes and that too for a woman.
Anamika held his bicep and practically ordered.
"Leave him !"
Aviraaj looked down at her and Anamika connected her green eyes with him as she again said.
"Maine kaha chhod do usse abhe ke abhe !!"
(I said leave him this instant)
To everyone's surprise, Aviraaj listened to her words. With a jerk he left the male reporter's wrist.
"Keep your fucking hands to yourself !!" Aviraaj roared in anger as he pulled Anamika closer to him.
They soon got inside his car and the car move away from the media who was left both baffled & in complete chaos.
A heavy awkward silence occurred inside the car. One was looking down to control his fury while the other one stared outside the window with too many thoughts running inside her mind.
"Stop the car !" Anamika coldly ordered.
The driver glanced back from the rare viewer mirror.
"Hukum-sa---"
"Sunna nhi unne kya kaha huh ?! Car rokho !" Aviraaj ordered in his deep voice as he glared at his driver back in the mirror. The driver gulped and immediately obeyed his order.
(Didn't you hear her huh ?! Stop the car !)
"Baar jayiye. Humme akele mai baath karni hai." Anamika said.
(Go out. I want to talk in private)
This time the driver didn't wait for Aviraaj's order and left the car quitely.
"What was that ?" She asked, finally turning towards Aviraaj after a brief silence.
"Are you okay ? Did you get hurt somewhere ?" Aviraaj asked totally ignoring her previous question.
"Don't fucking ignore my question, Aviraaj. What was your behaviour from earlier ? Do you have any idea how you almost reveal us in front of the damn media ?"
Silence. No reply came from Aviraaj who just looked outside.
"The media already doubt us and the stunt you pulled before was enough to confirm their suspension." Anamika stated, glaring at his side face.
"For sake, answer me why did you do that ? Are you having any idea what will happen ? We will be the top headlines tomorrow !"
'And that's what I want to happen.' Aviraaj thought.
"Our families will know--"
"So what ?" He calmly asked.
"Kya matlab 'so what' ?" Anamika asked, glaring.
(What do you mean 'so what' ?)
"Humari families ko hum batane waale he thai toh agar unne logo ko pehle he pata chal bhee gaya toh kya hoga." Aviraaj nonchantly said making Anamika go silent.
(We were going to tell our families soon so what's wrong if they got to know before that)
Aviraaj looked at Anamika in the eyes and said.
"Do not worry. If anything goes wrong. Hum aapke saath hai har kadam par. Jo bhee hoga hum saath mai face kar lenge."
(I am there for you at each step. Whatever happens we will face it together)
Anamika saw a fierce determination in his black iris that indicates how serious he is with his words.
Their intense eye contact broke by the sounds coming from their phones.
After reading their respective messages, they both looked at one other.
"Looks like we don't have to wait even for tomorrow." Anamika said.
"Right." Aviraaj said.
"Humare parivar ko maalum padh gaya hai." They both simultaneously said.
(Our families got to know already)
*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*
Hey you guys this was Chapter 14. Hope you like it !
How was the chapter ? Do you like it ?
Any guesses of how the media suddenly appeared ?👀 Comment down your answer. I have already given a hint.
Both have different reasons for binding in this sacred bond of contract marriage.
Let's see what further will happen in the story as their families also got to know about them.
Will the families agree to their marriage or will they go against it ?
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