Saharsh's POV:
The next morning started with Haldi preparations. Managing decorators. Handling guests. Making sure Daksh didn't vanish before his own ceremony.
I should have been working but instead, I had been standing near the stage for the last ten minutes pretending to inspect flower arrangements while my mind replayed Sameera pressed against me in that room.
Again.
And again.
The kiss had ruined me. Not because it happened. Because of the way she responded to me. Like her body still remembered mine. Every inch of distance between us had disappeared the second I touched her waist.
"You're staring into space again." Shivam's voice dragged me back.
I looked at him blankly. "What?"
He folded his arms dramatically. "Bro, if you're done mentally stripping Sameera with your eyes, can you help me with the seating chart?"
I grabbed the nearest marigold garland and threw it at his face. "Shut up."
He burst out laughing instantly. "See? Not even denying it anymore."
Because I couldn't. That was the problem I wanted her. Violently. Desperately. Yesterday had destroyed whatever self-control I had rebuilt after she left.
I could still feel her fingers twisted in my collar. The softness of her mouth giving in beneath mine. The sound she made when I pushed her against the table and kissed her properly.
My jaw clenched hard.
"You look dangerous," Shivam commented while watching my face carefully.
"Mind your business."
"Oh, it is my business now because if you keep looking like that, Janhvi's haldi is going to turn into your honeymoon."
I gave him a dead stare.
He grinned shamelessly. "You're gone, bro."
Maybe I was. Because no matter how much I tried to stay angry at her… my body betrayed me every single time she came close.
I looked around the lawn again automatically searching for her. But she wasn't there. I hadn't seen her since yesterday after she ran away embarrassed the second Shivam joked about the mark on her neck.
My mark.
"Saharsh!"
Daksh walked toward us already covered in haldi because apparently his relatives had started attacking him before the ceremony even began.
"You helping or fantasizing?" he asked suspiciously.
Before I could answer, Shivam spoke. "He's sexually frustrated."
"SHIVAM."
Daksh almost spilled his drink laughing. Meanwhile I seriously considered murdering both of them.
"I hate you idiots."
"Sure," Shivam smirked. "Now go find your girl before you combust."
I rolled my eyes. But right then— Laughter echoed from somewhere around. Her laughter. My head turned instantly before I could stop myself. And there she was.
Walking into the lawn beside Rishita and Janhvi. Yellow sleeveless kurta. Hair open and falling down her back in soft waves.
And holly fuck.
The mark was still there. Barely visible near the side of her neck where her dupatta kept slipping. My fingers twitched immediately.
She looked beautiful.
The kind of beautiful that made other men stare too long. And that made me want to walk over there, pull her close, and remind everyone around us exactly who she belonged to.
As if sensing my gaze, She looked up. Our eyes met across the lawn. And the second she noticed me staring at her neck— A slow smile spread across her face. Small. Knowing. Dangerous. Like she knew exactly what I was thinking.
The haldi ceremony had started and officially turned into a battlefield. Yellow everywhere. On the floor. On people's clothes, faces, hair, hands. Absolute chaos. And I hated every second of it.
"Why are you standing so far away like a disappointed CEO inspecting employees?" Shivam laughed while smearing haldi on Aryan's face.
"Because unlike you animals, I prefer staying clean."
Daksh snorted from the center chair where he and Janhvi sat looking like victims rather than bride and groom. "Bro, this is haldi. Nobody stays clean."
"I will."
"That confidence is cute," Aryan shouted from somewhere behind me.
I ignored all of them and looked ahead instead. Sameera sat beside Janhvi laughing brightly while applying haldi to her cheeks carefully. Her own face already had streaks of yellow across it, making her glow under the sunlight. Tiny droplets of water from the nearby sprinklers clung to her hair from people messing around earlier, and somehow she looked even prettier because of it.
That smile.
No one in the world affected me the way she did just by smiling. She moved toward Daksh next, applying haldi on his face while laughing at something he said. Completely carefree and happy.
Her eyes lifted toward me. And the smile on her lips slowly changed. Not soft anymore.
Mischievous.
Oh no.
Absolutely not.
I immediately pointed a finger at her from across. "Don't."
She widened her eyes innocently.
The liar.
Everyone around us started laughing because they knew exactly what was coming. Sameera stood up slowly, haldi bowl in her hand. I took one step back instantly.
"Sameera."
She smiled sweeter. "Mr. Wankhade."
"That tone already sounds criminal."
Janhvi burst out laughing while Sameera walked toward me casually like she wasn't planning my murder. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. She stopped in front of me looking entirely too pleased with herself. "Relax," she said softly. "I'm not going to ruin your precious white kurta."
"I don't trust you."
"Good."
Before I could react, her fingers brushed against my sleeve. A streak of bright yellow smeared across the fabric. The entire group exploded laughing. I looked down at my ruined kurta in horror. Then at her.
She gasped dramatically. "Oh nooo. What a tragedy."
"You're dead."
She laughed and grabbed my wrist before I could retaliate. "Come on, let's get it cleaned before you cry."
"I am not crying."
She ignored me completely and started dragging me away from everyone toward the open lawn area beside the resort. I followed unwillingly. Mostly because her hand around my wrist felt too good. The moment we reached the lawn, she glanced back once. Toward Rishita and Aryan.
Suspicious. Very suspicious.
"What did you—"
Suddenly— The sprinklers burst on. Cold water sprayed everywhere instantly, drenching both of us within seconds.
"What the fu—"
Sameera burst into laughter. Actual evil laughter. Her wet hair clung to her cheeks while water soaked through her yellow outfit, and for that one second I forgot how to breathe. She looked unreal.
And then the menace tried attacking me again. I saw the hidden haldi in her hand just before she reached my face. Fast reflexes saved me. I caught her wrist midair instantly.
"Oh no you don't."
She squealed laughing as I grabbed her other hand too before she could escape. In one movement I pulled both her wrists behind her back and trapped her against me.
Hard.
The sudden closeness knocked the air out of both of us. Water rained around us from the sprinklers while the sounds of music and laughter echoed faintly in the distance. But I barely heard any of it. Because all I noticed was her.
Wet.
Breathless.
Pressed against my body. Her chest rising quickly against mine. And then my eyes dropped lower to her collarbone. The concealer had washed off. The mark I left yesterday stood out beautifully against her skin now. Soft pink. Barely hidden beneath the neckline. Heat spread through me instantly. My grip tightened unconsciously.
"You did a terrible job hiding this," I murmured roughly.
Her breathing faltered. I reached up with one hand and slowly pushed her wet dupatta aside to look at it properly. The sight nearly destroyed whatever patience I had left.
I leaned closer slowly, my mouth brushing near her ear. "You have any idea," I whispered deeply, "how hard it is not to make this darker?"
For once— I expected her to blush but instead she smiled. Dangerous girl. Before I realized what she was doing, she suddenly rubbed both her haldi-covered cheeks directly against my face. Yellow smeared across my jaw instantly.
I froze.
She grinned victoriously. "Never let the enemy distract or seduce you, Mr. Wankhade." Then she slipped free from my grip and ran laughing across the lawn.
Everyone around us cheered loudly as the sprinklers continued soaking the entire area. And I just stood there for one second watching her run away from me in wet clothes and bright laughter like she hadn't completely wrecked my sanity already.
Then instinct took over. "Oh you're finished now." I grabbed an entire handful of haldi and ran after her. She screamed laughing while trying to escape through the crowd, but I caught her around the waist before she got too far. Her back hit my chest. My arm locked around her instinctively.
"SAHARSH NO—"
Too late.
I smeared haldi all over her cheek and neck mercilessly while she laughed so hard she could barely stand. People around us started throwing more haldi, more water, more chaos into the moment.
But somewhere between all of it— I realized I never hated her. Not really. The anger had never truly been about her. It was about me. About how even after everything… I still wanted her more than anything else in the world.
I moved toward her before I could stop myself. She was still laughing when I caught her wrist. The moment our skin touched, her smile faltered slightly.
"Saharsh?"
I stepped closer until only she could hear me. My fingers tightened around her hand. "Come with me."
Her eyes widened slightly. "What?"
I leaned closer, my mouth near her ear. "Now."
A shiver visibly ran through her. Before she could argue, I intertwined my fingers with hers and started walking away from the crowd. Or dragging her. Honestly, I wasn't sure anymore.
The second the door closed behind us, I knew I had made a mistake bringing her here alone. Because now there was no distraction. No crowd. No music. No people watching us.
Just her. Wet from the sprinklers. Haldi staining her cheeks. Dupatta slipping from one shoulder.
"What are you doing to me?" I asked finally, gripping her wrist tighter than I should have.
She blinked at me innocently. "What? I just put haldi on you." I let out a sharp breath through my nose. "Why are you angry? I already said I'll get your expensive kurta cleaned up."
I stepped closer instantly, pinning her against the wall before she could finish. "I'm not angry over a stupid kurta." The teasing disappeared from her face slightly. I could hear my own heartbeat now.
Loud.
Heavy.
"I'm angry at myself," I admitted, voice rougher than intended. "Because it's getting really hard to control myself around you."
The words hung between us. Her eyes softened for a second before her fingers slowly came up to my face. Touched my jaw. My cheek. Then my lips.
Fuck. My control cracked.
"Who said," she whispered while looking straight into my eyes, "you have to control yourself around me?"
I closed my eyes briefly. Big mistake. Because the second I did, every memory of her hit me harder. Her laugh. Her crying in my arms years ago. The way she used to sleep holding my hand. The way she kissed me yesterday like she still belonged to me.
I opened my eyes again slowly and found her even closer now. Close enough that our breaths mixed and one wrong move would destroy every last bit of restraint I had left.
She leaned forward to kiss me. And God help me— I wanted it. Wanted her mouth on mine badly. But I stopped her at the last second, forehead pressing against hers instead.
"Sameera…" My voice came low. Warning her. Maybe warning myself too. "This is dangerous." Her breathing had already changed. "There's no going back once you step into this fire," I whispered. "You'll burn."
She didn't even hesitate. "I'm ready to burn."
Something inside me snapped after that. Completely. My hand gripped her waist hard enough to pull her fully against me while my mouth found her neck instantly. The sound she made nearly killed me.
I kissed her slowly at first. Then harder. More desperate. My lips moved along the side of her throat, over the mark I had left there yesterday, and every second of touching her again felt like losing my mind.
She melted against me immediately. And that realization did dangerous things to my head. Because no matter how much distance existed between us… No matter how angry I tried to stay… This girl still reacted to me like she was made for my touch.
My fingers slid against her waist, pulling her impossibly closer while she tangled her hands into my wet hair. Her breathing had turned uneven now, tiny shaky breaths escaping every time my mouth brushed somewhere sensitive.
"Do you even know," I muttered against her skin, "how hard it's been staying away from you?"
She shivered.
I kissed lower slowly, taking my time just to hear those soft breaths leaving her lips again and again. Every inch of her felt warm beneath my hands.
At some point her dupatta slipped completely from her shoulder, and my eyes dropped instinctively.The sight of her standing there flushed and breathless because of me nearly dragged something possessive out of me. I stepped back for one second only to look at her properly.
She looked beautiful like this. Ruined by me already without me even truly touching her yet. Her lips swollen from biting them. Hair damp and messy. My mark still visible against her skin. She watched me silently while I looked at her. And I knew my expression had changed. Because I wasn't looking at her gently anymore. I was looking at her like a man dangerously close to losing control.
I stepped forward again. Her back hit the wall softly as my hand slid to her waist once more. I could feel her heartbeat now. Fast. Matching mine. "Tell me to stop," I whispered against her mouth.
But instead of answering— She grabbed my collar. And kissed me first.The second her lips touched mine, every remaining thought in my head disappeared.
I kissed her back instantly, almost violently, my hands gripping her tighter as if I needed proof she was actually here. Sameera let out the softest gasp against my mouth before pulling me even closer by my collar, and fuck— that tiny sound alone nearly destroyed whatever sanity I had left.
My mouth moved against hers harder, slower, deeper—like I was trying to pour every unsaid thing into the kiss. Anger. Love. Frustration. Need. Every sleepless night. Every time I pretended I was over her.
Lie. All of it had been a lie. Because the second she kissed me, I knew I was still hopelessly gone for her.
Her fingers pushed into my hair while my hand slid from her waist to the small of her back, pressing her against me harder. The warmth of her body against mine felt intoxicating. Addictive. I could feel her heartbeat racing through the thin wet fabric between us.
Or maybe it was mine. I couldn't tell anymore.
The kiss slowed for one dangerous second, our breaths mixing as we stayed close enough to ruin each other completely. Then she whispered my name. "Saharsh…"
Soft. Breathless.
I kissed her again immediately. Harder this time. Her back pressed fully against the wall while my forehead rested briefly against hers between kisses. I was trying to control myself. Trying not to scare her with how badly I wanted her. But she made it impossible.
Every time she looked at me with those eyes, every time her fingers tightened around my kurta, every time she moved closer instead of away— I kept loosing another piece of control.
"You're dangerous," I muttered against her lips.
She smiled faintly. "You keep saying that."
Her cheeks flushed deeper. Eyes completely ruined from kissing me. Beautiful. Absolutely fucking beautiful.And I saw it clearly in her eyes— She wanted me just as badly. That realization should've calmed me. Instead it made everything worse. Because now all I could think about was Fuckig her until she forgot every second we spent apart.
My hand slipped beneath the edge of her kurta, resting lightly against her waist. The warmth of her skin beneath my palm sent a rush through me. Her breath caught instantly, her eyes fluttering shut for a second before finding mine again.
The way she looked at me was becoming my downfall. I went on my knees while brushing my face against her wet fabric. I lowered my head, pressing a slow kiss against her exposed skin. Then another. And another. Each one made her breathing grow shakier. Her fingers slid into my hair, gripping tightly. Not stopping me. Not pulling away. Holding on. As if she needed me down there.
"Oh Sameera..." I murmured, my voice rough.
She shivered. I stood and slowly turned her around. Her palms found the wall automatically while I moved behind her. Brushed her hair over one shoulder, exposing the graceful curve of her neck and back. My gaze lingered over the tied doris. I ripped them open with my mouth. Every part of me was losing this fight. I leaned closer, my lips brushing her shoulder and one hand sliding down into her pants very slightly. Then I bite her neck.
A soft moan escaped her. "Saharsh..."
My eyes closed. Hearing my name on her lips felt like standing at the edge of something I wasn't sure I'd survive. I rested my forehead lightly against her shoulder.
"Tell me what you want." The words came out low. Almost strained.
She swallowed hard. "Please, Saharsh..." A plea. A temptation. A weapon.
"Tell me." I bite harder this time while sliding the hand in her pants more in. Another moan leaves her. Ruining me completely.
Then she turned her head slightly, enough for me to see the emotion swimming in her eyes. "I want you."
The words hit harder than anything else could have. Everything inside me froze. Every thought. Every breath. Every excuse I'd been using to keep my distance.
For one terrifying second, I almost gave in completely. Almost. But then the reality crashed back into me. And with it came the memory I'd spent months trying not to think about.
I stepped away from her immediately. The distance felt wrong. Painful.
Sameera turned around so quickly she nearly stumbled. Confusion flashed across her face. Then hurt. The disappointment in her eyes cut deeper than it should have.
For a moment neither of us spoke. The room that had felt too small seconds ago now felt unbearably empty. I ran a hand through my hair and looked away. A bitter laugh escaped me. When I looked back at her, my chest tightened.
She was still standing exactly where I'd left her. Breathless and looking at me like I was the only person she could see. Maybe that was exactly why I couldn't do this.
My eyes locked onto hers. "You want me?" My voice was quiet.
She nodded without a hesitation.Without a doubt. Something twisted painfully inside my chest.
"Then why did you leave me?"
The words landed between us like a gunshot. All the color drained from her face. Her lips parted. But no answer came. She looked completely lost. I took a slow step toward her. Not close enough to touch. Just close enough that she couldn't escape the question.
"Answer me, Sameera." My voice broke slightly. Just enough for her to hear it. Just enough for her to realize how much it hurts.
Tears gathered in her eyes.
And when she finally opened her mouth to speak— I realized I wasn't ready for whatever answer was coming next.