His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 14 GABRIEL For the first tin as long as I could remember, I wanted to go home. I hadn't expected to go to London on Saturday, but I had to after I totally f*cked the meeting with Jason Williams by going to beat the shit out of Arthur Geller instead, and Peter couldn't convince him to give us another chance for sh*t, So, I had to fly to him.

I was supposed to take my jet back on Friday night, but I was done with work the day before and decided to chcarlier then. I still flew first class, but I'd never done that before today. I was appalled at how much tit takes to clear just the s*upid security if you fly with an airline.

Never again, I thought to myself as I stepped out of the airport and the breeze hit me. It was cold, way colder than it had been last week at the charity gala.

I hated how my first thought was how stubborn Sofia was, and how she would have probably not taken her coat with her if she was out somewhere.

Huffing. I placed a hundred dollar bill in my driver's hand. "Take the cab home," I told him, grabbing the keys to my car from him, throwing the files I had carried withto read on the journey back, on the passenger seat.

I felt like speed driving today, it was just one of those days where I craved the feeling of risking it and still never losing it, being on the verge of death- just one wrong turn or step on the gas pedestal away, and still never dying.

I took the longer and emptier route home.

I hated how even while trying to clear my mind- every though was about her. Every tI cared about her well- being. I forced myself to believe it was because I made a promise to her grandfather, because she was my responsibility and that's all.

Ashes of dead promises and memories continued clouding my head on that cold night till I abruptly pressed the brakes of my car realising the signal was red, my car coming to halt with a jerk after the speed it had been running on despite the roads being cold and slippery. I skid ahead on my seat, almost banging my head to the steering wheel, and my phone and the work papers that were lying freely on the passenger seat also made their way tumbling down, the papers jumbling up.

I felt like a mess, the papers falling down getting on my nerves. I was overwhelmed with emotions- but mostly anger.

Even though I had enough tto pick the papers up before the signal turned green, I let them be down on the car's floor along with my fallen phone. Loud gusts of breeze blew around making an evident sound heard despite my rolled up windows.

Sofia madeangry. Looking at her was a daily reminder that I was passive in my own life, that I had no say in it except to just let things go the way they were, And yet, all I could think of was her in my bed. Her under me. The overwhelming urge to touch her and watch her freeze. To kiss her again. And again. And again for the rest of the night.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter until my knuckles got white, feeling a burst of unexplained anger in me.

My engine roared as I waited for the signal to turn green, uneasiness filling my chest while I looked away on the empty streets, impatient to speed back up when my eyes fell on a familiar figure sitting by the window in the bar to my right The glass windows perfectly showed her long black hair and wide smile on her lips as she actioned her hands while talking like she usually did when she was happy. The uneasiness I was feeling in my chest turned into quick suffocation when my eyes fell on the man sitting across my wife, a man I didn't recognise.

I felt a tightness, a weird feeling in my chest that felt lot like physical pain and mental anguish at the stime.

The signal turned green and I stepped on the gas, speeding up like I had planned to, my vision blurring as I tried 1/2 Tue, Chapter 14 maintaining steady breaths.

I didn't remember the last tI had truly felt this way, it was as if the fact that I was blackmailed to marry a woman I knew nothing about was hitting me. And yet, what felt worse was that while I spent every thought trying to fight my urge to be close to her, she was possibly spending her twith another man.

He could be a friend. He could be more.

Back home, hours later, it still irkednot knowing if she stayed out with him- a friend or whoever she was, or was she in her room down the hall, alone in her bed? I told her I wasn't sleeping with anyone else, she didn't.

I really thought I could go to sleep that night, but sleep was nowhere around. Even after I had showered to calm myself and then boxed a punching bag for fifteen minutes and then showered again to wash off the sweat, nothing helped. A little past midnight when I knew I couldn't sleep without knowing she was in her room and not with that man, I barged to her side of the house.

Knocked once.

Knocked twice.

No reply.

She really wasn't inside..

I tried my best to convince myself to ignore the way something sunk deep in my chest, the feeling of suffocation just beginning to return and leave, but couldn't bring myself to So I banged my fist to the room door so loud and heavy that it either would wake her from sleep (if she was asleep) or break the door open.

The door didn't break.

It opened.

And there she stood on the other side, her obviously sleepy eyes and confused face staring atwhile I fought the urge to, smile.

12:29 Tue, Jun 40 Chapter 14 GABRIEL For the first tin as long as I could remember, I wanted to go home. I hadn't expected to go to London on Saturday, but I had to after I totally f*cked the meeting with Jason Williams by going to beat the shit out of Arthur Geller instead, and Peter couldn't convince him to give us another chance for sh*t. So, I had to fly to him.

I was supposed to take my jet back on Friday night, but I was done with work the day before and decided to chearlier then. I still flew first class, but I'd never done that before today. I was appalled at how much tit takes to clear just the st*pid security if you fly with an airline.

Never again, I thought to myself as I stepped out of the airport and the breeze hit me. It was cold, way colder than it had been last week at the charity gala.

I hated how my first thought was how stubborn Sofia was, and how she would have probably not taken her coat with her if she was out somewhere.

Huffing. I placed a hundred dollar bill in my driver's hand. "Take the cab home," I told him, grabbing the keys to my car from him, throwing the files I had carried withto read on the journey back, on the passenger seat.

I felt like speed driving today, it was just one of those days where I craved the feeling of risking it and still never losing it, being on the verge of death- just one wrong turn or step on the gas pedestal away, and still never dying.

I took the longer and emptier route home.

I hated how even while trying to clear my mind- every though was about her. Every tI cared about her well- being, I forced myself to believe it was because I made a promise to her grandfather, because she was my responsibility and that's all.

Ashes of dead promises and memories continued clouding my head on that cold night till 1 abruptly pressed the brakes of my car realising the signal was red, my car coming to a halt with a jerk after the speed it had been running on despite the roads being cold and slippery. I skid ahead on my seat, almost banging my head to the steering wheel, and my phone and the work papers that were lying freely on the passenger seat also made their way tumbling down, the papers jumbling up.

I felt like a mess, the papers falling down getting on my nerves. I was overwhelmed with emotions- but mostly anger.

Even though I had enough tto pick the papers up before the signal turned green, I let them be down on the car's floor along with my fallen phone. Loud gusts of breeze blew around making an evident sound heard despite my rolled up windows Sofia madeangry. Looking at her was a daily reminder that I was passive in my own life, that I had no say in it except to just let things go the way they were.

And yet, all I could think of was her in my bed. Her under me. The overwhelming urge to touch her and watch her freeze. To kiss her again. And again. And again for the rest of the night.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter until my knuckles got white, feeling a burst of unexplained anger in me.

My engine roared as I waited for the signal to turn green, uneasiness filling my chest while I looked away on the empty streets, impatient to speed back up when my eyes fell on a familiar figure sitting by the window in the bar to my right The glass windows perfectly showed her long black hair and wide smile on her lips as she actioned her hands while talking like she usually did when she was happy. The uneasiness I was feeling in my chest turned into quick suffocation when my eyes fell on the man sitting across my wife, a man I didn't recognise.

I felt a tightness, a weird feeling in my chest that felt lot like physical pain and mental anguish at the stime.

The signal turned green and I stepped on the gas, speeding up like I had planned to, my vision blurring as I tried 1/2 Ш 12:29 Tue, Jun 4 Chapter 14 maintaining steady breaths.,

I didn't remember the last tI had truly felt this way, it was as if the fact that I was blackmailed to marry an woman I knew nliknew nothing about was hitting me. And yet, what felt worse was that while I spent every thought trying to fight my urge to be close to her, she was possibly spending her twith another man. He could be a friend. He could be more Back home, hours later, it still irkednot knowing if she stayed out with him- a friend or whoever she was, or was she in her room down the hall, alone in her bed? I told her I wasn't sleeping with anyone else, she didn't.

I really thought I could go to sleep that night, but sleep was nowhere around. Even after I had showered to punching band then m calm myself and then boxed a bag for fifteen minutes and then showered again to wash off the sweat, nothing helped. A little past midnight when I knew I couldn't sleep without knowing she was in her room. and not with that man, I barged to her side of the house. Knocked once.

Knocked twice.

No reply.

She really was inside..

I tried my best to convince myself to ignore the way something sunk deep in my chest, the feeling of suffocation just Beginning to return and leave, but couldn't bring myself to. So I banged my fist to the room door so loud and heavy that it either would wake her from sleep (if she was asleep) or break the door open.

The door didn't break.

It opened.

And there she stood on the other side, her obviously sleepy eyes and confused face staring atwhile I fought the urge to smile.

2/2 END GIFT