Chapter 9

Tanvi was sleeping peacefully when the clock struck eight in the morning. Arjun woke up at his usual time and stretched his limbs as a yawn escaped from his mouth. Looking around he was amazed to see a pale Tanvi sleeping on the couch. Her rogue hair strands were covering her face. A smile crept on Arjun's face as he observed the tiny figure sleeping peacefully covered in a blanket.

His trance of thoughts were broken when a group of doctors and nurses came up for the rounds.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Singhania?" The doctor asked his patient.

"I am fine except of the excruciating pain on my forehead", Arjun told.

"Don't worry, it will go away with time. Luckily nothing happened." The doctor said.

The sudden commotion led Tanvi to stir and wake up. Getting embarrassed, Tanvi blinked her eyes trying to register the arrival of people in the hospital room. She got anxious wondering if some family member had also come. Cursing herself for getting up late, she walked towards the washroom.

Arjun chuckled as he talked with the doctor. Once his vitals were monitored, the doctors walked off from the ward closing the doors.

Arjun's father, Vinayak called his son and enquired about his well-being. Arjun felt guilty when his father appreciated his would-be wife for fulfilling all her duties. He decided to apologize Tanvi and come out clear with his past and his terms as well as conditions for the husband-wife relationship.

On the other side, Tanvi freshened up and came out of the restroom. She was anxious to begin conversation with Arjun.

"So already fulfilling all your wifey duties", Arjun mumbled huskily as he gestured Tanvi to come near him.

"How are you?" Tanvi asked avoiding his gaze.

"Guilty", he murmured with his eyes bowed down. Involuntarily a smile crept on Tanvi's lips as she realized he was ashamed of his deeds. She wanted to talk with him but she also knew that discussion could wait.

"I lied to your family that I took a cab because you had some urgent work. I had to wait for you to inform this." Tanvi informed as she sat on the couch.

"Come here", Arjun said gesturing her to join him on the bed.

“We can part ways mutually and respectfully”, she announced when he muttered, “I don’t abide with your mutual decision, Tanvi. You are mine to love and mine to cherish for upcoming seven lives". His possessiveness was not healthy but it was enough to do make Tanvi go haywire.

Tanvi stood up and walked up to him timidly. Standing beside his bed, she muttered, “But....”

Arjun was sitting on his bed. Winding his arms around her waist, Arjun hugged Tanvi as a shiver ran down her spine and without saying a word, he interrupted the objection she was about to pose.

Gently kissing on her belly, he murmured, "I am so sorry. Don't leave me, please."

Tanvi could feel butterflies, literally dancing inside her stomach. Caressing his bandaged forehead, she spoke, "I forgive you for one last time. We will talk about this later."

It was really difficult for her to focus because of the distraction Arjun's lips were doing to her. He was nibbling and licking her belly and her legs were being jelly.

"Leave", she mumured caressing his hair.

"I will never leave you", Arjun whispered huskily fanning his breath on her belly.

"Have your breakfast then we will talk", Tanvi said with difficulty trying to suppress her moans.

"You will feed me", Arjun demanded gesturing her to sit beside him.

"No, your hands are perfectly fine", Tanvi protested while Arjun chuckled.

"Idiot", she murmured as she pulled herself apart and dialled the intercom requesting the staff to bring the hospital food for the patient.

"That is to bland, I would not eat it", Arjun whined scrunching his nose. Tanvi found him cute.

"You will have to", she ordered him.

"Please bring something from the cafe", Arjun pleaded while Tanvi just chuckled.

"Okay get something for yourself at least", Arjun told her. He was looking forward to have a bite of normal food. The bland food would indeed, be a torture to his taste buds but all his hopes were shattered when Tanvi denied. She had plans to go back home in a while and freshen up. Therefore, she could relish upon homemade food too.

Arjun and Tanvi were bickering all the while when the hospital staff brought porridge.

"I would not eat this", Arjun whined looking at the meal.

"Trust me, you will", Tanvi said as she stood up from the couch and went up to him. Taking a spoonful, she forwarded it to his mouth.

“What is my barter?” Arjun asked her still not eating.

Tanvi chuckled. “Stop being a kid", she said ruffling his hair.

“How about you kiss me upon every bite I eat?” Arjun teased her while Tanvi glared at him.

“How about I slap you for every bite you don’t eat?” she retorted as she forwarded the spoonful of porridge near his mouth.

Arjun was left with no other option except to eat. As he gulped the food, Tanvi commented, "That's like a good boy", and the couple shared a good laugh.

Once the breakfast was done, Vandana called Tanvi and asked her to go home and rest while she would come over by ten.

Tanvi was contemplating if she should go or wait for Vandana when Arjun spoke, "Tanvi, I need to talk".

"We can do it later", she said politely as she wanted him to take appropriate amount of rest and get well. She walked towards the couch and sat there. The proximity with Arjun was building up sexual tension in the room.

"No", Arjun hollered. "We are talking right now", he shrieked.

"Speak, you mad man", Tanvi taunted him with a bored expression on her face.

"I am so sorry for last night. I was enraged at the sight of you talking with that spooky fellow last night that I forgot you had no relationship in the past." Arjun confessed his true feelings. He was regretting his deeds, no doubts.

Tanvi was infuriated at the confession. Being an independent woman, she could not digest the fact that he had problems with her friends. With an anger expression, she bellowed, "First, he is my friend not some ghost that you are calling him a spooky fellow. Secondly, how could you invade my privacy and gather information about my relationship status because as far as I know, I never discussed about my previous boyfriends with you."

"You did not have any", Arjun commented chuckling. No doubts, he just concentrated on the words, 'previous boyfriends' in her monologue.

"Bloody male chauvinist", Tanvi whined glaring at him. Though she was beautiful but she had her priorities set while she completed her education and getting a boyfriend was never in her priority list. Many proposals came on her way but she just denied politely making sure she did not hurt anyone.

"I will take it as a compliment", Arjun chortled irritating her more. Arjun liked her cute antics. He wanted to pinch her button-like nose which was red in anger.

"I am truly disappointed in you", Tanvi mumbled.

"I am sorry", Arjun confessed. After all, he was indeed, sorry for forcing himself on her last night.

"Do it again and I will end my relationship with you", Tanvi warned him with as much determination in her voice as she could muster.

"I will not let you do that", Arjun spoke casually as if he was encouraging her to fulfil her goals.

"I will cut your flesh into thousands of pieces and feed you to the vultures, then", said Tanvi with immense annoyance. All she wanted was to punch Arjun right in his nose.

"Dangerous murderer", Arjun teased her.

"Well! This tag suits me", she reverted.

"I had a reason", Arjun said trying to form the premise to confess his past.

"That you don't trust me", Tanvi hollered.

"Goddamit, it is not the matter of trust", Arjun shrieked irritating her more.

"Then", Tanvi asked as she stood up. She was angry. Her hands were on her waist and her rogue hair strands were coming out of her messy ponytail.

"Your sexiness is distracting me", Arjun announced hoarsely making her conscious of her looks.

Despite, the butterflies began dancing in her stomach, she was immensely angry at the guy who had guts to flirt with her after invading her privacy by all means.

"Mr. Pervert, you know I should also hone my flitting skills out there", Tanvi spoke angrily.

"Why do you need to go out when you have such a handsome guy in front of you?" Arjun guffawed.

"I am sure your flirting skills speak about your experience in the field so I also need to garner experience outside this room", Tanvi jibed.

"As if I will let you do that", Arjun challenged her rolling his eyes.

"As if I care", she snapped.

"Okay forget this and listen to what I need to tell you", Arjun said. After all, he realized he needed to confess about his past before his mother arrived. As much as he was enjoying their banter, he realized it was not the right time for all that stuff.