by MV Kasi
“Yes. My men. Prajapati men and the men I hired on behalf of my province.”
He sat back in his chair. “They are no longer exclusively your men when they are at the site and drawing salaries from the company,” he said coolly. “Singhams or Prajapatis. If they are working here, they are employees—employees who need to be trained and instructed as soon as possible if we want to meet our aggressive schedules.”
Sabitha frowned. She knew what he said was right. It annoyed her to no end that he sounded rational while she had been the one sounding immature. “Fine,” she acknowledged. “What was the meeting about? And why wasn’t I told about it earlier?”
“As you already know, the Senanis’ attacks have increased quite a bit lately,” he said. “We stopped another one early this morning. I wanted to provide detailed instructions regarding safety to the management before the actual training begin tomorrow.”
“I see.”
“I also told them we needed to keep a close watch and one of us will be there most of the time to oversee the shifts.”
“I’ll be here as much as possible,” she said.
“Good. I’ll send you my schedule. Sometimes I have to leave for my commitments in the city. I’ll give you prior notice when I want you here.”
“Fine.”
He didn’t add anything else. He simply watched her silently.
Sabitha felt his eyes on her like a physical touch and suppressed a shiver. “What?” she snapped.
He shrugged. “Just wondering what damage you might have done within these two hours when you thought I ordered your men.”
“I didn’t,” she said coolly. “Unlike you, I’m not prone to explosive tempers or impulsive attacks without finding out the cause first.”
“Oh please,” he said, barking out a laugh. “So the amount of damage you did to my property was you being cool-headed and logical?” he asked in disbelief.
“Yes,” she replied coolly. “I knew it was your personal property and not that of the people.” She gave him a sweeping look. “It was either destroy your property or kill you. Be thankful for the choice I picked.”
The bastard smirked. “Your threats are quite adorable, Prajapati,” he said in a deep mocking tone. “I think you need a better purpose in your life. It’s quite sad how much time you spend thinking about me. What do you do each night? Lie in your bed thinking of ways of getting back at me?” He chuckled. For some reason his chuckle sounded dark with absolutely no humor in it. “I don’t think even the women I date think so much about me as you must do,” he said. “What other things do you think about me during the nights?”
Sabitha felt her temper rise at his words, but she maintained an outward cool. “Don’t worry about my purpose or who I think about during my nights, Singham,” she replied.
His eyes heated while he gave her another sweeping look with the smirk lingering on his face.
“When is your brother getting back and taking over this project,” she asked casually.
As she predicted, immediately the smirk left his face. Instead an angry scowl took over.
Good.
“None of your damn business when he’s returning,” he growled. “And even if he returns, he’s not going to be involved in the project work. So stop dreaming of working with him and luring him somehow. You already know what the bloody contract says and who you would be working with until the set-up completes.” He glared at her. “You’ll be working with only me. If you can’t handle the amount of work, then whoever the Prajapati’s assign will be working along with only me. Is that clear enough?”
He was furious. She could feel his anger along with his heat radiating off his body.
She shrugged. “Fine,” she replied. “I’ll come early tomorrow to oversee the training. Send your schedule to Dhruv.”
He didn’t reply.
She continued to feel the heat of his glare on her back as she got up and left his office.
When she reached her office, she rubbed her arms to get rid of the annoying goosebumps she got whenever he was around.
Even though she hated him, there was some sort of awareness between them that grew each time they met or interacted.
It annoyed her to no end, and she tried very hard to ignore it.
She heard him in his office. He was barking out instructions at someone.
He was still angry. Sabitha knew the reason why.
Dev Singham thought she was still after his precious older brother. She had deliberately made him think that way.
But, of course, he didn’t simply get that idea out of the blue. He thought that way because it had been true at one point. There had been a time when Sabitha had genuinely harbored an idea to marry Abhay Singham for several reasons. She might have succeeded in her plan if Dev Singham hadn’t tricked her out of it.
She clenched her hands into fists trying to control the memories of that night from rushing in. As usual, it was a losing battle. Her heart began to thud as memories of the night filled her mind, making her feel conflicted between anger and something else she didn’t want to acknowledge.
***
FOUR MONTHS AGO…
“Has my package arrived?” Sabitha asked Dhruv as she headed up the stairs to her room in the Prajapati Mansion.
They had just returned to a home that was bustling with activity. Preparations were in full swing for the wedding of the decade.
“Yes, madam. I’ve called and confirmed. The package has been placed on the bed.”
“Good. What about the message?”
“Done as well. I have sent a written message to the room where Abhay Singham is currently staying.”
Sabitha walked purposefully towards her bedroom. Just before she opened the door, she turned to look at Dhruv. “I’m not to be disturbed until the morning. Even in the morning, if I don’t show up at the dining table for breakfast, don’t come looking for me.”
At her instructions, Dhruv’s face became even grimmer, but he nodded. “Yes, madam,” he said in a robotic tone. “I’ll personally make sure you are not disturbed until later tomorrow.”
She nodded curtly and slipped into her room, closing the door behind her.
She knew Dhruv didn’t approve of what she was about to do that night. Considering he knew what was in the package and in the message she’d sent earlier that evening, it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out what she’d planned.
She was going to seduce Abhay Singham.
She should have slept with him much earlier rather than pick the night before his wedding. But for some reason, she couldn’t get herself to take any action before. Not that there had been many opportunities where she could easily reach him.
Sabitha took a deep breath. She reminded herself that apart from wanting the uninterrupted access to the Singham power for her personal reasons, she was also taking this step for the sake of her cousin.
It was quite stupid of her, but she could not forget the look on Anika Patel’s face when she was told she would be forcibly married to a stranger. Then there was also the look on her cousin’s face when she had witnessed the killing of a greedy bastard who was responsible for destroying the transport trucks carrying a week’s supply of water and food for the people. That bastard even dared to use his pregnant wife as an excuse as though he wasn’t planning to abandon his wife and child to reunite with his mistress in the city.
Even though Anika was older than her, the shock and the helplessness reminded Sabitha of how she was until eighteen before being thrown into this brutal world to either die or survive.
Sabitha’s thoughts were distracted when the clock struck midnight.
Taking another deep breath, she looked down at herself. She was wearing a seductive nightdress under her long wrap. Maybe the long, knee-length lavender lace and satin dress wasn’t too seductive by other’s standards, but she drew the line at humiliating herself with something she wasn’t comfortable with.
Grabbing a key, she slipped out of her room,
and walked towards the wings where the groom was staying. She had specifically made sure the room with better privacy was allocated to Abhay Singham. She didn’t want anyone to hear them in case something went wrong with her plan.
Slowly, she opened the door and pushed it open before closing it softly behind her.
Apart from the moonlight, the room was mostly dark. Her eyes adjusted within a few seconds, and she could see Abhay Singham’s tall figure standing near the balcony door. She couldn’t see his face as he was turned towards her, facing the room.
He stood very still and made no attempt to acknowledge her presence.
“I’m here to offer myself because I want you to marry me tomorrow instead of my cousin,” she stated matter-of-factly. She supposed she should at least try and sound seductive or sugarcoat what she was offering, but she wanted Abhay Singham to have no doubts about why she was in his room.
She slowly walked to him. “I know this must surprise to you,” she said softly. “But I feel we make a better match. My world is similar to yours and I’m more than willing to be your wife.”
He still remained silent.
She had heard that like her, Abhay Singham was a man of few words and made decisions pretty quickly. Which was good. Especially considering he wasn’t saying anything to oppose what she had just proposed.
She stood in front of him. “My people will be happy to accept you as my husband and lead them by my side,” she said softly. “If anyone opposes our union, we can deal with them. Together, we’ll bring back the past glory to our provinces.”
He was still silent.
Why the hell wasn’t he saying anything? Was he having serious doubts about me because of my past? Or maybe because he had seen Anika and was already besotted with her beauty?
But Sabitha knew men were predictable creatures. Even the most intelligent ones sometimes made decisions based on what was hanging between their legs.
Bracing herself and keeping the end goal in her mind, she closed the remaining distance between them until the tip of her breasts brushed his hard chest. “I’ll give you the sons and daughters our people crave for continuing the bloodlines. All you have to do is accept me tonight and marry me tomorrow,” she said.
She heard the swift intake of his breath, and the change in his breathing—it grew harsher and heavier. Feeling encouraged, she reached for his head and pulled him down until her mouth met his.
Thankfully, he didn’t resist. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
The next few moments were a blur. It was as though she had unleashed something within him. His mouth latched on to hers in a deep, hurtful kiss. He lifted her off the ground, and carried her in long strides to bang her back against one of the bedroom walls while covering her body with his.
Abhay Singham was one horny bastard.
She continued to tolerate his brutal kiss and felt his massive arousal as he held her against the wall. His hands ran all over her—feeling the shape of her breasts, then her waist and then her ass as he clutched her to pull her hard against him.
After a long moment, his mouth finally parted from hers, and she felt it moving towards her ear. “How far are you willing to go tonight?” he whispered.
The moment she heard the familiar deep, guttural voice, she was stunned. She struggled and pushed him away from her. Then groping for the switch next to her, she turned on the lights. Then without a pause, she spun around with her fist flying, aiming towards the man's head. But her fist met with his palm.
She glared into the face looming above her.
The man towering over her was not the man she had come to seduce. Instead of the harsh, rugged features of Abhay Singham, this man looked completely different.
Everything on this man's face was nauseatingly movie-star perfect. The high cheekbones, the strong sharp nose, the soft pink upturned lips—that were now stretched to a smirk—made him look dazzlingly perfect. The only thing that made him appear ruthless was the hooded eyes of a predator.
Unlike Abhay Singham's impassive face, this man had an expressive one. At the moment, his face displayed a primitive satisfaction along with lust and hatred.
Slowly, he braced a hand on the wall above her head, leaning down towards her, enveloping her in his expensive cologne.
Dev Singham. Her most hated enemy.
Sabitha clenched her jaw. Until then, even though she had come for the sole purpose of seduction, she couldn't force her body to feel anything apart from cold determination when she was kissed and groped in the dark. But looking at the man in front of her, she felt something that she hadn't felt in a very long time, maybe even ever. Something she had promised herself at eighteen, she would never feel.
Her lips, which were kissed by him moments ago, began to tingle, and her nipples peaked in arousal. The fact that Dev Singham brought out those obvious reactions—pissed her off.
The bastard grinned in satisfaction as his eyes lowered to her thinly-clad chest. Before he could speak again, she pulled her head back and smashed it against his nose. His head went back, and his grip on her loosened. She brought her knees back just far enough to kick him in the crotch, causing him to release her completely.
“You—” he began, but she didn’t let him finish speaking. She kicked his legs out from under him.
As soon as he fell, she dug the sole of her foot hard into his neck, glaring down at him. "Do not ever put your lips, or your hands, or even the fucking air that you breathe out, on me. Do you understand!"
His nose and eyes flared in response. The next instant her foot was twisted, bringing her down to the ground. She was pinned there with the weight of his body, while he wrapped his hands around her throat, his thumbs pressing on the spot where her pulse beat rapidly. Fury burned in his eyes as he looked at her. “I was taught never to hit a woman, but you are fucking pushing it!"
“I was taught the same thing. Would you like me to apologize, little bitch?” she snarled, pushing her thumbs to his eyes, forcing his hands to let go of her throat.
They fought and struggled on the ground before he picked her up and threw her into the nearest furniture. The edge of a heavy dresser banged into her hips.
Ignoring the pain, she stood up and grabbed a heavy stool in front of the dresser and brought it smashing against his side.
He had been checking the bite mark that was bleeding where she had just bitten him hard on his arm. He howled in fury as the stool hit him before coming at her again.
They attacked each other while trying their best to hurt the other, without actually killing. They both knew they couldn't risk one of their deaths, as that would stop the crucial Singham-Prajapati wedding from taking place the next day.
The fight came to a standstill when he had her pinned on the bed, holding both her hands in one of his. She bucked and struggled, but he used the entire weight of his body to keep her pinned.
She had to think quickly.
She stopped struggling and looked at his face. They were both panting loudly, tired, and bleeding from their injuries.
She slowly widened her eyes and then deliberately dropped her eyes to his lips. She even pushed out her chest as much as his weight on her allowed.
Immediately, his breathing sped up even more as he stared at her lace-and-satin-clad chest that was generously exposed in that position. His eyes returned to hers as he searched her face. His pupils widened and glittered predictably, filled with lust.
Maintaining eye contact, she parted her lips slightly in invitation. The next instant, his mouth was on hers, hungry and intense. Her hands were let go as he used both of his to run them frantically over her body.
Her body trembled at his touch, and tingles passed all over her, but she ignored the reactions and slowly reached towards her upper thigh.
Even the obvious sound of the knife sliding out of the sheath did not distract him from his desperate movements. He was still kissing her while trying to push her nightdress above her hips.
She brought both
her knees closer to her chest and kicked him hard in his stomach.
As soon as he fell back on the bed, she sat up with a smooth move, and stabbed him in his thigh.
He looked at her in shock for several moments before roaring out in pain and outrage.
Before she could get down the bed, he lunged and grabbed her leg and held it. Even as she kicked at him with all her might, he held tight with one hand while with the other hand he slowly pulled out the knife stuck in his thigh. He roared out in pain as the last of the tip slid out of his flesh. She was almost sure he would stab her with the knife he held, but he threw it away on the ground before pulling her back completely onto the bed.
They struggled again, but due to his rage, he was able to overpower her with sheer brute strength.
“Let me go, or I’ll kill you,” she hissed while she struggled.
“If you behave like an animal, I’ll treat you like one,” he gritted as he almost crushed her wrists in his hands and dragged them close together. He pulled one of the bed-curtain ties and used it as a rope to tie her to one of the bed posts. “You are not going to ruin it for my brother and everyone. You’ll remain in this bloody room until the wedding takes place tomorrow.”
She struggled while trying to free herself, but the knot he had tied, only seem to get tighter.
“Let me go, you bastard,” she yelled in frustration.
He got down from the bed and stood next to her, grunting in pain as he looked at the knife wound in his thigh.
“Fuck!” he shouted when he noticed that his wound was bleeding profusely. Then glaring at her one last time, he limped towards the bedroom door and walked out, shutting her inside.
She remained there until she had to be freed by Dhruv who had become suspicious when she didn’t show up for the wedding.
***
PRESENT…
Sabitha sat in her office chair, gazing out of a window. Even now, she could still recall how it felt when he ran his hands all over her in a demanding and possessive way.
It was almost like he had static under his skin. With his every touch, she had felt sparks and electricity.