Tainted Desires : Bound By Misfortunes

6| Attraction ✨

Author's POV

As Annahita tried to free her hand from Adhiraj's firm grip, he tightened it even more, persistently questioning, "Why were you staring at me?"

"I wasn't staring at you," Annahita insisted, her eyes reflecting a mixture of embarrassment and defiance.

"Liar," Adhiraj countered, unmoved by her denial. Annahita continued her attempts to break free, pleading, "I'm not. Let me go."

"I'll let you go if you tell me why you were staring at me," Adhiraj proposed, gently pulling her towards him, ensuring not to make any physical contact except for their joined hands.

Annahita, feeling the pressure, explained, "I just wanted to see the head of Anuvarta. Nothing else. And many people must have stared at you in the past. I'm not the only one."

Adhiraj raised an eyebrow in response. "Yes, but nobody has fallen while staring at me like you," he remarked, a playful glint in his eyes.

Annahita's face heated up with embarrassment, struggling to find words to counter his teasing comment. Sensing her awkward situation, Adhiraj released his grip on her hands, patting her cheeks with a smile before sauntering away. Annahita stood there, dumbfounded by his actions, her cheeks still red from the unexpected encounter.

Deciding to put the encounter behind her, Annahita continued towards her room. As she sat, attempting to shake off the memory of Adhiraj and his peculiar behavior, she was startled by Nandini, who entered her room without knocking.

"What happened?" Annahita inquired, her confusion evident.

"You tell me what happened," Nandini responded.

"What do you mean? Nothing happened," Annahita replied, her flustered demeanor betraying her words.

"What happened in the corridor with Adhiraj Bhai?" Nandini pressed.

"Nothing happened," Annahita insisted, growing more uneasy.

"Liar. Tell me what happened. Kaali bhaiya told me already about your encounter with Adhiraj Bhai," Nandini insisted, her frustration mounting.

"Why are you asking when you already know?" Annahita retorted.

"Are you telling me or not?" Nandini demanded, clearly frustrated with Annahita's evasive response.

"Nothing happened. It's just your Bhai has gone mad," Annahita explained.

"Why? What did he do?" Nandini asked with excitement.

Annahita proceeded to narrate the whole encounter, but instead of sympathy, Nandini burst into laughter, thoroughly entertained by the drama that unfolded.

"Shut up, Nandu," Annahita said, growing frustrated with Nandini's continuous laughter.

Despite Annahita's frustration, Nandini's laughter echoed in the room. Wiping tears of amusement from her eyes, Nandini finally managed to compose herself.

"I can't believe Adhiraj Bhai did that! He's usually not like that. And also, I remember you falling down while staring at him earlier," Nandini chuckled.

Annahita, still annoyed, retorted, "Well, I wasn't staring at him, okay? I was just excited to see Tripti aunty."

"Liar," Nandini whispered softly, careful not to let Annahita hear it.

Sensing Annahita's irritation, Nandini changed the topic. "Anyway, I wanted to show you something." She took out a beautifully adorned anklet from a bag and handed it to Annahita. "This one is for you. I designed it myself."