"Her smile was the only thing that made him go on in life."
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They didn't know when they had fallen asleep, under the moon which had unabashedly watched them all night, in each other's arm, tangled and connected.
One.
It could hardly be called morning but the sun had made the appearance already, the shine of it glowing on them. Aahana's eyes crinkled and she blinked unconsciously, seeking solace in Atharva's broad chest. His arms tightened on her waist, his breath fanning her forehead as he watched her sleep.
Yesterday had been the best day of his life. It made them impossibly close, connected in a new way. First off, a date was never his cup of tea but her full-blown smile throughout their time spent together was worth all the efforts and brainstorming.
He didn't know he had a romantic bone in him, but, well, what could love not teach you?
Atharva didn't care about his past anymore. He had accepted it and he realized how it had helped him move on in his life.
Now he had Aahana and he was willing to go to any extent for her, with her. She had become his breath and life, everything about her made him love her even more and he wanted to give her all that she deserved.
He could never imagine a day without her.
Thinking back in time, he would have scoffed and shaken his head. This, them, sounded so surreal. But he was married and the bond they shared was pure and intimate like no other. His heart swelled every time he glanced at Aahana. He couldn't be enough thankful to his father.
Forced or not, arranged marriage or not, she was love and rightfully his. His precious Aahana.
He didn't know how she did it. Unbelievable might he add, but she had somehow managed to penetrate into his walls and capture his heart. Now when he thought carefully, she hadn't done anything gobsmacking but she had been amazing all along. And maybe the spark and fire within her managed to spread to him.
Whatever it was, he was happy.
Sighing in sheer contentment, he pressed his lips to the crease between her eyebrows, letting it linger there until she squinted her eyes at him before opening them.
"Time to go,"
She nodded slightly with a gleeful smile. She got up and stretched her arms, her eyes dancing around the quiet beach. Eventually, her smile widened even more till her cheeks hurt.
The previous night, Atharva had been beyond her expectations. He had indeed surprised her.
What else could he do? She had a lot to learn about him.
Her eyes landed on the sea and she squealed before jumping on her foot and running to the water. She ran her fingers through the water as she stepped in, it felt cold against her feet.
Atharva chuckled and shook his head when she motioned for him to join her.
She pouted, "Come on,"
Atharva arched a brow and let out a groan before approaching her.
"Can we stay here forever? It's so peaceful," Aahana grinned up at him.
"I don't think so," He smiled. "I booked it only till 10 A.M after that people will start swarming in."
Aahana frowned but nodded understandingly. "Alright, few more minutes?" She told him and splashed his face with water.
He blinked, shocked, and did the same to her. She squealed and sprinted off, him chasing her. Her laughter echoed in the air, filling the silence when his arms slid under her knees, lifting her off the ground and circling her around.
"Oh god," She gasped, breathing heavily as she tried to control her laugh and hold onto his neck. "Put me down!"
He did so after which Atharva called the supervisor, followed by the cleaning staff. Thanking them, they made their way back home.
"So..." Atharva trailed off once they were inside the house, causing Aahana to look over her shoulder and give him a puzzled look as she took off her stilettos and put them in the rack.
"So?"
"Are you disappointed?"
She turned around and walked towards him with a strange look on her face. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she leaned in closer to him, her lips brushing against his throat. His adam's apple bubbled and he shivered when she planted a kiss there.
"You flew us to another city, Atharva. I loved every bit of it."
"Thank you," He whispered, his eyes closed, just feeling her presence. "For everything."
She embraced him silently, pouring her love in it as he held her back.
●●● Later that day after lunch, Atharva and Aahana decided to ditch the office and spend some more time. A random movie was playing on TV but they gave no heed to it as they sat on the couch with Aahana's head resting on his shoulder and his arms around her shoulder, playing with her tresses.
They chatted idly, random things here and there but Aahana could tell that something was bothering him. He was spacing out a lot and when she asked him if he was okay, he'd just nod his head and hum in response.
Sighing, she took his hand, curling her fingers with his. That made him look down at her and a small smile, barely noticeable formed on his lips.
"What's on your mind?" She smiled up at him.
"Hmm?" He blinked, frowning a little."I was thinking to get a new house."
Aahana's face held surprise as she asked, "Another one?"
"Yeah," He said thoughtfully. "For a fresh start, and since dad is growing old, he could move in with us?"
The doubt in his voice made her smile because he wanted her approval and she- having lived in an enormous family since her birth- was more than happy to agree with him. "That sounds incredible to me, Atharva. We should ask him today."
Atharva shook his head and picked his coffee mug from the table. "I think we should surprise him!"
Aahana could see his love for his father and she knew even if he didn't show it, he dearly cared about the old man.
"Okay then, but I want to be the one to decorate the house."
Atharva chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Of course. I'll search for a few nice locations tonight, then we'll see."
