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Chapter Text

Reena

Wisps of nicotine battling with a thundering hit of musk, wafted to her face, a faint hint of liquor entwined with the sweltering air around them. Wet hair dripped on his robe, errant and wild, so much like the brutish animal that he was. 

She wanted to twist her fingers through the lush mane and make him growl beneath her fingers. 

He pinned her to the wall. Breaths mingled. 

"I am already deathed , Thango. " He drawled. 

Every nerve end in her body reacted to his proximity and she hated him for it. She hated herself even more for wanting him. Wanting his hands all over her. His war-torn palms on the softness of her caramel flesh . Her imagination knew no bounds in the protective walls of her mind. She thought the dirtiest things and felt the weirdest feelings. 

Stop this madness now, Reena. Stop it. 

He went on and on about railway tracks and express trains. Something about the way he said it. Like a predator catching a heady scent on a hunt, his canines glinted under the amber light, only flashing promises of how well it would suit her skin. Something about the way he claimed dominion over her senses overthrew every rational response that she could muster. 

Her chest rose. She choked on oxygen. Was that even possible?

When he looked at her like that, then, yes. Yes, it was entirely plausible. 

No synapse from her brain could have stopped her from the words that flowed out of her mouth next. 

She grabbed the collar of his robes and closed the torturous gap between them. Lips seconds apart from combustion. 

“ Fuck me .” Her command didn’t go unnoticed.

He merely raised his brow for confirmation.  “Yes, today. Imbecile..” She muttered. 

“With pleasures, princess .” He cackled. 

—

Rocky

Claws of night whispered across the still stars, minutes before strings of the sun made the sky its slave. Mallamma caught him before the soft pads of his feet hit the marbled floors of the Desai Mansion . The large ornate window lay ajar and he silenced a vase into place with the base of his hand. 

“ Adingu -” He swore and Malamma shot him down with a chiding glare. He flashed a dazzling smile at her. She simply jerked his hand and pulled him behind a Roman Tuscan column. “ Oru valiya, vandutiya!” // “You finally decided to show up, huh!”

“Ennamma, enakku waiting-ah?” // “You were waiting for me?” He pulled on his jacket collars with a newfound pride gracing his broad shoulders. 

“ Rocky thambi.. Idhu nenja nimmuthi nadakkura time illa!  Papa..” // “This is not the time to throw your weight around, Rocky. Reena..” She hesitated, pulling the pallu of her saree over her head, and looked around twice before she whispered hurriedly in his ears. 

Rocky stumbled. Humor drained from his face. Holding the pillar for support, he steadied his looming form as his chest crippled his muscles in a bunch. Shock flooded his system and he stared blankly at Malamma. 

Timing the change in the guard’s shift to utmost perfection, she guided him to Reena’s bedroom. He quirked his brow at her.

“ Muppadhu varusham, thambi. ” // “Thirty years, boy.” She murmured. The older woman snuck him and scuttled off down to the servants’ quarters. 

He swallowed a lump in his throat and proceeded to take a step. It took every last strand of his willpower to move his body from the teak doors. 

Whorls of vanilla struck him before he approached her curled form bathed in the gray wisps of the canopy curtains. Wolf fur lined at the base of her feet of the snowy sheets. Her blanket lay forsaken on one corner and she shivered on the other. She muttered something to herself  as she tossed opposite the elaborate wall, adorned with silver-framed pictures, a timeline of her entire life. From tiny trotting feet to long, shapely ones that flashed an array of tempting promises. 

His focus shifted to the haywire strands of her hair, crunching his knees beside the chunk of cotton and wood, riveted fingers hovered over her for a mere breath. He tucked her hair behind her soft lobes.

 “ Amma.. Amma!” // “Mom..Mom!”  She whimpered. 

Someone strangled his blood vessels, cutting off air and everything he deemed necessary to make his body function. 

“ Amma, naa good girl ma.. Amma, enna vittu poyi dadhe..” // “Mom, I’ll be a good girl.. Please don’t leave me..” Her body rattled this time and her skin turned to ice.

“ Thango .. .. Naa iruken di Thango. Naa inga thaan iruken.” // “Baby, I am here. I am right here.” He cooed in her ears as he firmly gathered her in his arms and rested her chin against his neck. Her arms fastened around his shoulders and her warm tears chased the length of his beard. 

Rocky crushed her to him. Smothering her, fingers digging into the roots of her hair. As if it was made out of Carbon silk. He questioned himself though, when had she grown so important to him? Almost as if it was the next plausible thing to breathe. To believe that it was as true as the aurelian rays of the sun, now peeking through the sheaths patting against the windows.  

He rested his head against the headboard, listening to her breath even. Rocking her back and forth until she fell into deep slumber. His tongue longed after the taste of her creamy skin, drizzled caramel, he laved his bottom lip in frustration, swallowing a potential groan. He ingrained her scent in his brain, once again, before he set off to Narachi . He plucked out his amulet and gently tied it around her wrist. Yes, his mother would watch over her until he returned to claim his Queen.. His Rani. 

Lips grazed her forehead and his brutish fingers turned whisper soft on her belly, on its own accord. He stroked the lacy fabric decked with faint roses at the sides and let out a content sigh. He wanted this. Everyday. For the rest of his life and once he decided that he did. He would have it. Come hell or high water.

He made a vow, with his Amma’s grave as witness, that he would come back for her.. And his little princess. 

—

Chapter Text

Reena

She pulled her car into the parking spot of the hospital, guarding her tummy like it was made of gold. Three months. It had been three months since she had found out about her pregnancy. Malamma was with her every step of the way just like she had been, twenty-three years ago. She was someone who would take this secret with her, even to the grave. In some ways, she was the mother Reena never had, sticking by her through the tender years when she held her pallu to now, as she clutched her young mistress’ Louis Vuitton duffle bag. 

The nurse guided her to the waiting area of the private consulting ward, away from the general crowd. Sunlight shot off her Gucci shades, she pulled it off and tucked it in a petite black box from her handbag. 

“Doctor is ready for you, ma’am.” The nurse said. Malamma ushered her into the consultation room.

“This baby will be the death of me. I’m throwing up more than before and everything pisses me off. Do something. Anything!” She bit on the inside of her cheek, staring at the doctor helplessly and slumped on the chair. 

“And good morning to you too, babe!” Swathi grinned at her from behind her glasses, too big for her face.

“I should have listened to you.. I should have just gotten rid of it when I had the chance. Do you know, it is just as irritating as he is.. Ugh!” She got off the chair and began to pace the length of the room. Floor clicked off her block-sandals. She hated that she couldn't wear her usual set of high heels. 

“ Papa, meduva..” // “Reena, slowly..” Malamma gestured with worry planted on her face. Reena just waved her off. “I’m fine.”

Swathi eyed her warily and shot off the chair. “ No, you wouldn’t.”  

She smoothed her friend’s spine, in an attempt to soothe her nerves. “ Malamma, you remember how she threatened to blow my brains out with her colt if I approached her with a needle?”

“ Papa appadi thaan. Kandukaadheenga doctoramma.” // “Well, you know how Reena is. Don’t mind her, Doctor.” Malamma chuckled, fondly looking at her hot-headed mistress. 

“If he finds out about the baby.. Swathi.. He’ll rip it out of my womb. I cannot sleep thinking about what he would do.. I fucking have a gun on me even when I walk into the bathroom.” Her hands began to shiver. 

“ Adhu varaikum naangellam veral supikkittu irupoma?”   // “Do you think we will be sitting still on our asses until then?”   Swathi retorted. 

Like Reena, Swathi came from old money and her family, the legendary Yadavs had their hands down deep in the cookie jar too. Her best friend chose to become a gynecologist instead of joining the family business. On the legal front, they had their tentacles stretching over a famous line of restaurants and nightclubs. Their ledgers dripped bright red and Swathi chose to stay away, and that she did all too well. No one messed with them and she had offered the protection of her family banner to Reena in case things went south.

There was no news from Rocky for two full weeks.. or was it three .. She was forgetting shit too. Time flew by with the news of him killing Garuda. Still nothing . His tabeez was tucked under the fabric of her dress as she didn’t find it in her heart to cast it out. There was something divine about it. In a way its presence comforted her although she did know that its protection probably applied to him alone. His blood coalesced in her womb now. Maybe that changed things? She was still unsure.

She wanted to believe that Rocky meant more to her than just her baby daddy. As days passed by, she was beginning to rethink every decision she had taken until this point. 

Her mood swings didn’t help one bit and the nervous habit of counting the bullets in her magazine was a ritual she adhered to, at least fifty times a day. She cursed the day she chose to call the bloody man, “Yen Azhaghan!” // “My lover!” in front of Kamal. Flaunting his feat with pure pride coursing through her stupid blood vessels once she had heard from her father that Rocky had slayed Garuda. 

Calling off the engagement with Kamal had been moot after that comment, only for him to storm out of their home like a little entitled bitch-boy. She was still wary of him all the same. He never stopped sniffing around her, since he was a control freak like that. 

And her father was engaged in making other plans so he decided to entertain her until then. These bastards never really thought about how she could also, " pull strings ". She would show them soon. 

Malamma glued herself to her side, straightening her as Swathi went about, checking her blood pressure and drawing samples for further tests. 

That’s what she thought. The horrors of real life and the steaming pile of shit that comes with it would cease and he would come back. Maybe she would have liked to have had the choice. Whether he should know about the baby or not. This fucked her up even more though, that he didn’t even know about it. She slipped over the edge thinking about how he would take the news if she ever saw him again. Frankly, she didn’t know if she even wanted to see him. She wouldn’t cling to him like a pea-brained female waiting for a man to clean up her mess. No, not her.  

She made up her mind then. Made a few phone calls around and fortified her safety. Just a few more weeks to sulk around  in the Desai mansion and she would pretend to have caught a fascination with a new business course. The arrangements Swathi’s people had in motion would bear fruit. A new life in London awaited her. She would finally move out of her father’s shadow and the pestilence that was Kamal. Far away from here. 

“There’s always Plan B, incase shit hits the fan.” Swathi clicked her tongue as she scribbled down the details in the patient report, breaking her out of the reverie. 

Reena loved that her childhood bestie didn't bother with the nurse where she was involved. 

“Yes, I am aware.” She seethed. 

“Ready for the ultrasound?” She ushered Reena to the observation cot and settled her on the soft surface. The young mother rubbed the little swell on one hand and grazed fingers of the grip of the colt with the other. 

They won’t even think about hurting you, my love. I will put a bullet in each head if that’s the case. 

—

“Everything will be alright, Papa .” Malamma patted her hand as she shifted gears and pulled the car out of the parking lot. Taking a smooth right, she threw the vehicle onto the left lane, headed homewards. 

She checked her rear-view mirror, her father had her tailed with four white SUVs, guarding her from an insanely close proximity. But of course! It’s like they don’t even try to be inconspicuous! In an attempt to lose them, she kept shifting lanes with a mad grin and Malamma just shook her head with a smile. When will they ever learn?!

In exactly five minutes, her car moved ahead with a respectful distance from them. She was not stupid enough to lose protection. Oh wait, you did that already. Her brain mocked her and she shoved that thought to the base of her mind.

She still hadn’t lost them, she almost gave up with a sigh until another set of black SUVs began eliminating her father’s men. Two.. Four.. Ten? Fucking thirteen?! 

“Seatbelt podu.” // “Put your seatbelt on.” She warned Malamma before meandering the car onto the opposite traffic as she drove through the herd like she was navigating through the OutRun video game. Her heart thumped like a mad express train in her chest, amulet resting heavy on her bosom. Amma.. grant me the strength to get through this nightmare!

They infested around her like a pack of bloodhounds closing in on their prey. She rammed ahead across red lights and thrusted through a congested alleyway, right after a narrow turn that led her further from the traffic. If she timed it right, she could get away with this and ditch the car somewhere. She cursed the day her mobile phone decided to give up functioning altogether and the shipment from America for the new replacement hadn’t arrived in time for this fiasco.

“We need to find a telephone booth.” She yelled at Malamma and she remained unfazed. That’s what Reena loved about her. The older woman was used to this hysteria and she never let it bother her too much. 

“Thappichoma?” //“Did we lose them?” She asked calmly. 

Reena’s foot began to hurt as she kept shifting her feet, the accelerator and the clutch felt the fullness of her wrath. The needle edged dangerously close to empty. Fuck, she drove ahead and didn’t even know where she was located. Great!

Minutes later, they entered a deserted road with a narrow bridge and it was too late to pull back as she drove ahead of the intersection. The black SUVs began to line up in front of her and blocked her exit path, on both ends of her vehicle. Malamma drew the shotgun from the dashboard and checked the barrels before handing it to Reena. 

She knew when she was cornered and she would give them hell before she surrendered. No guns were drawn. This worried her even more. She pulled down her window and shot at the car windows in her line of sight. They absorbed the kinetic energy in silence. Bulletproof windows. Of course! And it seemed like a level 5 or 8 to her. A sea of maroon and metal began to gush out of the vehicles in a neat precision.

She shot at the knees and arms, delaying their approach. “Grab a gun, Malamma, and shoot the sons of bitches!” She roared. 

Her fingers didn’t quake an inch as she picked up the other gun and fired shots, precisely landing on flesh. The resilient bastards didn’t fire back even once and curiosity gaped at the brim of her throat. Someone wanted her alive. Very much alive and this was a preplanned kidnapping rather than an attack. Oh no, you fucking don't!

She threw the empty gun and pulled out her colt from her thigh holster but the giants flocked in front of them. One of them politely asked her to stop shooting. Raising his hands in the air as he threw his rifle on the tar.

“We have our orders to take you back to the boss, unharmed, ma’am! Please don’t shoot.” The tallest of them spoke.

Reena poised the gun in the air, fully loaded, pointed at his head. “Why the fuck should I not?”

“Rocky Bhai kitte ungala bathirama kootittu poganum, ma’am! Illati avaru enga kodala ellam uruvi, malaya mattidu vaaru!” // “Rocky Bhai wants you alive and healthy, ma’am. Or he will rip out our innards and wear them as garlands.” 

Her heart did that disgusting flippy thing when it heard his name. That bastard! He didn’t have the balls to come here to get her! Sending his men to get her, oh, the audacity!

“Which is why all of us are wearing bullet-proof vests inside our clothing.” The tall dude smiled apologetically. 

“Yet, I made you bleed.” She pointed at some of them struggling on the rough tar.

“He said you would, ma’am. Please come with us, it is not safe for you here. And the longer you delay our departure, you delay your safety.” 

She hated this. She hated giving in. But she had to keep the little one safe. And there was no safer place than with the man who made a god bleed. 

“Let’s go, Malamma.” She muttered to Malamma.

“It's the only way to keep it safe.” Malamma whispered back and Reena just shrugged, dreading the moment her eyes would meet his wretched ones.

—

Chapter Text

Reena

Crack.

The lion’s mane flirted with the wind, turbulent and on tenterhooks. He stood in front of the doors carved from a glorious medley of gold and wood. Drum beats collided in tidal waves and drowned the arena. Hands clasped at his back, stark thighs inches apart like logs ready to burn to cinders. A carbon shirt smothered his strapping arms and chest, exuding the pure power of his corded muscles. Something dreadful arose in the midst of her, merely at the sight of the man who sired her child. Ice dripped along her bare thighs and knees. Heat blasted from the chopper blades as if it cooked a sandstorm in the heart of a desert. And she was caught in the middle of it.

Crack.

Sand-grains kissed the air with each step she took on the pyramid-like structure. Cold settled at the pit of her stomach and her heart lurched in a tree of decrepit muscles. Around them, half-naked men smeared in white dust and blood paint rejoiced at the accession of their new King. The beats grew more zealous in company with the blaring wrangle of the horns. 

Battlecry . 

Reena felt the black fire of his eyes even through his death-rimmed Emporio Armanis . Trained on her every move. 

Crack . 

She knew she was walking into the mouth of an Asuran’s cave on the cursed peaks of Sumeru . Yet, she poised her spine and reined in any hint of tenderness. Sucking each apprehension back into its personal hell-hole. Garbed in black from head to toe, she slapped a menacing smile on and readied herself to take on the new King of the K.G.F. 

Crack .

Alas, she stood head-to-head, or more like head-to-chest before the relentless man. He graced her with a lazy smile. Pulled off his shades and spread his arms in the air, so proud of his feat. As if he wished for his Kingdom to rest beneath the dust of her feet. He had finally conquered the forlorn lands trapped with an unbridled supply of gold. Along with howling cries of widows, mothers and broken men. No, this was not going to be an easy feat.. for her . 

" Thango, inga paathiya?!” // “My love, look at all this!” He gloated. 

Yes. Seeing. Not believing. 

“Got real chummy with the place, real soon, eh?” She clicked her tongue, moving through the enormous doors, pointing her hands in no particular direction. “That is so like you.” Slipping steel in the jibe, as much as she could. 

Not being able to look away from his chest hair the buttons failed to conceal, muscles proud and taut with the excessive labor he must have endured in the past months, she let her eyes rest there for three seconds until she punched herself mentally. Still her heart careened, at the thought of his blistered palms, bleeding feet, hours and hours of slaving in the merciless sun and knowing Rocky, she could only bank on him giving it his all.

“What can I say, Thango.. I doing my best at what I dones!” He cackled with the menace of an old god and his eyes burned a fever into her that made her thighs clench.  

Something had changed about him. Gone was the blatant rogue with strands of hair, so unruly that it covered his eyes even. In his place stood a determined creature who would fight tooth and nail to keep the kingdom neatly trapped in his claws. Perhaps, it was dormant until now. She had predicted this while she had time to gather her thoughts on the helicopter ride. Power does that to a man. It blinds, razes the living soul out of one and ultimately, it kills.  

Some say powerful people come from powerful places . 

Reena disagreed. 

Power comes from the one who draws first blood, creates strings and tugs them gently. Until everyone collapses around him like pieces on a chess-board and he stands tall with crimson stained hands. 

She wondered what kind of a powerful man Rocky would choose to be, although she did have a faint idea. After all, she had shared a roof with one such man who was drunk on power and money his entire life. Her beloved father. The epitome of paternal love who had earned the privilege of getting her Amma shot right between her eyes. Like a deer caught in the trap of several blood-thirsty hyenas, with no honor or sound minds. She had never forgiven him for it. And she never will. 

Instead, she used her father’s money to wield silent strings of power in the city. Created a network of people who were loyal to her and answered to her alone right under her father’s aristocratic nose. He never caught a whiff. To him, she would always be a spoiled little princess who couldn’t fend for herself. Latching herself to Kamal was a strategic move so he would get off her back about “settling down”. Kamal was like a thin twig she could twist around and break so often, that he never knew he was under her carefully curated spell. One little push and the man would yelp like a street-dog with a flea bite on his ass. He was the perfect candidate. 

Everything was going according to her plan until the man in question popped up like a strip of thread one couldn’t chuck back into a patchwork dress. 

“Enna inga edhukku kootittu vande?” // “Why did you bring me here?”  She spat as she walked alongside him, Malamma in tow clutching her bag with a mad grin planted on her soppy face.

“ Papa, neenga soneenga inga bathir–-” // “You said it was saf–-"

“--Malamma! Would you quiet down?! Hell!” Reena swore, throwing her arms in the air. 

“You catch the point, Malamma! Smart ladies.” He stopped to give Malamma a short, side-hug and Reena rolled her eyes heavenward. She didn’t get him. Not right now, atleast. Not when he kept darting his colors like a chameleon on a rampage.  

“For safety, Thango!” He barked a short laugh, tugging on the collars of his onyx jacket. 

If she spent another minute under his cragged gaze, she would haul him into the nearest storeroom and make him groan until she was done with him six ways to Sunday. Stupid pregnancy hormones!  

“How dare you worry about–” She ground her teeth as they halted in front of massive wood and gold doors. 

The whirr of the walkie-talkie disrupted their conversation and his eyebrows scrunched back in place. Right, he had slapped on his “I-gotta-kick-ass” face. 

“Ippo mukhyamana meeting irukku, Anna.” // “You have an important meeting right now, Anna.” A giant who had tailed them along the way spoke up and she had almost forgotten his existence until now. He gave him a short nod.

Turning back to her, he caught her off guard as he grasped neck with a soft whisper of his fingers. Thumb rubbed a gentle swipe on her collarbone to the hollow of her throat. "Konjam restu edu, Kannu. Ellathayum mudichittu varen, hmm. // “Rest up. I will find you, soon after all this gets over.” His voice dropped so low only she could hear what he said. 

  The musk of his cologne struck her in spades before his lips brushed the air, next to her earlobe. “Athukaprom thonda thanni vattha katthu di, Thango.” // “Then you can scream until your throat hurts, baby.” 

She caught the carnal glint in his eyes and as if someone stroked a sweltering feather to her abdomen, she gulped and her tongue turned to lead. For the life of her, she couldn’t find her voice. She bit the insides of her cheek from mewling.. With just one touch, he had disintegrated her resolve. 

She fucking loathed herself. 

Her fingers trapped his wrist and pulled it from her neck, softer than she had expected to and turned it skywards. A patchwork of healing scars greeted her eyes. Fury crawled her nerves and she wanted to hurt the ones who had done that to him. 

Reena knew from the moment she had set her eyes on him. Not something then. A lot of things had changed! Her thumb grazed his palm for a second too long and she composed herself. Yanking her hand back like she had just stuck her hand in crackling fire. Which only seemed to amuse him further as he threw his head back and chortled as a barbarian would. 

“Hayyo! My sweet sweet, Thango! I coming for you soon, okay?" 

He turned around and stormed off with the newfound mission. Before she could melt into a puddle of hot flesh at the spot, she let her nails bite into her palms and drew in a chestful of fresh air. 

He is nothing to you. He is nothing to you. He is nothing to you. She chanted to herself and hoped she would believe it if she repeated it enough. 

—

Rocky

The madman thrust the wailing infant in his arms. Ice struck his bones, shooting up his tissues like nothing he had ever discerned before. The child was a ticking time bomb. Thunder dripped in his very breath. He tried to hold it in, waiting it out like a vagabond seeking shelter on the side of the road. 

Nothing happened.

He waited on the barbed wires of winter to scrape his skin. 

Nothing happened. 

The frail little hand attempted to grab at his fetid rags and his breath hitched. He could break her like a toothpick. His stained hands of a killer held a new life. What could this kid possibly want from him?!  

Feeble cries shattered his reverie and his fierce finger soothed her tender skin. 

‘I’m here. I will protect you.’ Someone roared as gray storms flirted with the revolting seas.

 Her faint hair was as soft as feathers floating in the gusty wind. Rocky smoothened the strands sticking out and a slow smile tugged at his lips.

‘There, I’ve got you now.’ 

His head shot up, thorns pricked his lashes as he bid his legs to move. The woman draped in the black saree wailed as a harbinger of death. Slow, silent tears smudged the dirt on her face. 

He took a few calculated steps and placed the infant back in the seeking arms of its mother. A lingering hand rested atop her fragile skull as a promise. A promise he knew he would fulfill if blood needed to be spilt. 

He nodded curtly at the woman who had birthed the first female child to survive in the wilderness of the K.G.F. While warmth fled from his arms, the scent of her tiny beating heart fused with the creases of his palms. He realized what he had been missing all these days. 

His hands seeked her womb with an immeasurable aching. He wanted to hold Reena, comfort her and lull her to sleep every night as he petrified her nightmares. Yes, he would whine and throw a fit. And come nightfall, he would do it all over again without skipping a beat. 

Dry earth rocked him to slumber as he dreamed of summer blooms, jingling anklets, musical laughter and pacifying embraces.  

—

Chapter Text

Rocky

“I AM GOING TO KILL THAT BASTARD WITH MY BARE HANDS!” A feminine screech reverberated off the walls of the mansion. 

Gunshots deafened the hallways.

His feet carried him to the sounds arising from the master chamber. The grandeur of the marble floors and aurelian carved columns suited the thunder pulsating in his steps, his lips curled into a smile on its own accord. 

Saleem shifted like a fidgety panther at his side. His bodyguard’s muscles contracted with a visible strain. Rocky patted his bulky arm. The man melded next to one of the existing pillars and waited for his overlord in the hallway.

More gunshots fired.

Pulpy orange liquid licked the floor as he rounded at the threshold. He clicked his tongue. Hayyo thango, what are you upto now?  

Two of his trusted servants, Janani and Parashakthi were trembling beneath the ostentatious teak table flaunting golden flower-vases. They quivered as he mimed a gun at them and they frantically nodded confirming his suspicion. 

He extended his hand to the shorter woman. Janani handed him the glass of orange juice that she had brought for Reena and her bulging eyes quaked with alarm.

“Anna, pogatheenga, na!  Avunga romba kovama irukaanga, ungala kandippa suduvaanga!” // “Sir, please don’t go any further, she is blinded by anger and she will not hesitate to shoot you!” The poor woman was almost in tears and Rocky felt sorry for her.

“Naa paathukkuraen.” // “I’ll handle it.” He reassured them with a small smile and they trotted off just as another shot blasted a vase, not ten feet from where he was. 

His angel of death stood true to her avatar, decked in coal silk from head-to-toe. Scratch that , from head-to-knees, apparently. Heart swelled with pride, an unfathomable traction that latched on as his eyes swept over her. He could not contain his grin as he thought of his little ilavarasi thriving in her belly and he ached to caress the tender skin. A part of him gripped onto incertitude as he delayed moving closer to her, seconds transcended and he drew lungs full of breath, bracing himself for the evident union. 

A double rifle hovered in his direction. He stepped forward, willing his bones to bend and yet they disobeyed, as if cast into an incandescent beacon of a lonely mountain. 

Ceramic and glass slivers serenaded the carpeted floors as he sauntered towards her. She deliberately missed him by inches, in an attempt to flex his demeanor. And the arrogance that laced her grip on the rifle was abundant enough to stop a fully-functional heart. Rocky continued on with an unwavering gaze, lingering on her full, carmine lips.  

Reena tossed the empty rifle to her left and cockily grabbed the other one. Loaded in all its splendor and she shot again, ostensibly aiming beside his ear this time, attacking a wall light that hung proudly with the head of a dragon made of solid gold. 

Rocky pressed his pectoral muscle into the baked barrels of the rifle and hissed loudly. “ Why..” He grunted. “I am already deathed, Thango!”  

Reena fumed, chest rising and falling in blustery waves. He had to pry his eyes from her enticing form and direct them at Malamma. 

“ Eyy, Hi Malamma! How are you?” He mocked a salute at her and the older woman shook her head and rubbed a palm on her face. “Papa, Naa veliyile irukken.” // “I’ll be right outside.”

“Okay, Malamma mood out-nnu, ninaikkaren.”  // “I think Malamma is just not in the mood, eh!” He drawled, clicking his tongue. The others who had been cowering behind massive pillars, followed suit, filtering out like mice released from a trap. 

Alone, at last with my beloved Thango!

His eyes combed over the circular bed adorned with dispersed rose petals decking the barely visible pitch-black satin sheets, as if it were intended for their wedding night. Naasama pochi! // Damn it all to hell! Tempting as it was to let his imagination run amok, he commanded his body to behave this time. 

“Ada tthu! Rich-aan ponnu, paathu pannuga da na, namma pasanga konjam over-a poitaanunge.. Sorry, Thango!” // “Shit, my boys went a little overboard with the decoration! Sorry, Thango!” He pinched the edge of his ear, flashing his canines at her with pure glee. 

“Sirikadhey da! Inga yeddhukku enna kootitu vande? Adhukku badil sollu, moddale.” She warned him as she pressed the metal deeper into his flesh, trying to get a rise out of him. Instead, blood began to take a precarious journey beneath his abdomen. 

“Kovam koranjadhum juice kudi, Kannu. Energy gummunu yerum!”  // “When your anger settles, drink some juice, baby. To boost your energy!” He winked at her. Placing the glass on top of the embellished dressing table, he took note of the gun tracing his steps, still aimed at his heart. 

He closed his fist over the barrels and jerked her towards him. A thick brow curved at her, inquisitively. 

She resisted. Hesitation peeked at her sleeves. 

He only drew harder and slowly, he detached the rifle from her clasps, efficacious in landing her in his arms. 

Reena's warm palms rested on the fabric of his shirt and he badly wished they graced his bare chest instead. Red nails complimented the darkness of his attire, dragging near his silver lapel brooch pin . He inched closer, as if he caught the scent of his prey in the heat of the hunt. 

Her bear-brown pupils turned to slow saucers and seemed to take her sweet time with her fists. Plundering his flesh as if blistering iron struck repeatedly against the surface of a malleable sword. 

“ Sollu . Nee soldra varaikum naa adipen!” // “Tell me. I’ll continue to thrash you until you speak up!” 

“Ow, ow.. iru di. Ayyo.. Amma!” // “Ow ow.. hang on.. that hurts! Oh my god!” He laid his hand on his chest with the grace of a drama artist. 

“ Nellu Kuthu ippove arambikka numa di?” // “Do you want to carry out the Nellu Kuthu Ceremony now itself?” 

Cords of muscles like vices wrapped around her waist and he confined her to him. Her dainty fingers imprisoned the collars of his Stygian suit, she yanked them unceremoniously, daring him to meet her doe-eyes. 

He grasped the last strands of his sanity as he warned his every nerve-ending to cease functioning. He had to. The woman turned him into an insatiable monster. One fucking look and he wagged his tail like a newborn dog at the tap of her eyelash.

A faint hint of tears tested the brims of her eyes and his heart ground itself to strips of minced meat. No. No. NO. Was she going to cry? Please bring back the guns, God, please!

“Nee vena nnu solli irukanum. Enga pasanga unna kaaval katthu irupaanunga..” // “You could have said no. My men would have stayed behind to offer you protection..” His voice turned huskier, chiding her in an attempt to divert her attention to him. “Aana nee sollala..” // But you didn’t.” 

She wouldn’t cry if she was too busy bickering with me. Right?

“Ippo nee sollu.. Yaen inga vandhe?” // “Now, you tell me. Why did you come here?” He wound a hand along her caramel neck, thumb painting a sandstorm as he gently egged her to answer. He caressed her silken belly with the other. 

Rocky always felt he was unworthy of happiness after his mother left this world. This cruel, cruel world. And she demanded a promise from him on her deathbed. Blood spittle caked her chins and palms as she drew her last slivers of breath. That he would die as a man decked with the riches of the world. Aye, it was the parched tongue of poverty that wagged. It knew no bounds and a part of him wondered why his mother would encumber him with such a materialistic vow. Yet, that is when he had trotted off to Bombay. To keep the word he gave his mother, alive.

Here he was, finally holding the sun and stars of his life, both of them safely cocooned in his arms. His chest razed with flames of a balefire and he was affirmative it might explode. 

“I thought you were dead.. You know.. I thought you.. They said you were dead..” She began to draw deep breaths and his eyes flashed with alarm.  

" Shh.. Shh.." He cradled her head and rubbed her spine as if smoothing out the creases. He was doing somersaults on the inside, relief flooded him as he realized that she had pined for him. It was good to know that a part of her cared about him.  

" Naan inge than iruken.." // "I'm right here.." She relaxed against his ragged chest and let out an exhausted sigh, burying her cheek further. 

As if she had sown wet earth in a gaping grave, he felt complete. He felt.. human. He sighed aloud.

"Unga rendu perum vittutu engeyum pogale.." // "I'm not letting the two of you outta my sight."  He pulled back to place a careful kiss between her shapely brows. Which now scrunched with the rise of a brand new affair. 

" Rendu per..eppadi? Naanga rendu per.." // "Two of us.. How?  The two of us.." She began to pull from his embrace with her mouth agape and Rocky broke out of his reverie.

" Unakku eppadi theriyum? Naa soldrathakku munnadiye unakku eppadi theriyum?" // "How the fuck did you know.. How did you know before I even told you about it?"

A nerve danced on Reena's jaw and he gulped a little slower this time. Tholanjipochu! That's not good. You couldn't shut up, huh, Rocky!? You sentimental fool!

" Malamma sonaange.." // "Malamma told me.." He fumbled around for words. 

To be honest, it had been a long ass day. With the hours of the day spent with her imbecile of a father and his loony partners. And by night, well, he paved the way for yet another rookie mistake. It rushed out in the heat of the moment and he couldn't do anything about it now. Time to do some damage control. 

"I am going to kill Malamma. And then I am going to kill you. Fuck! " She twisted around the designer blazer and he gave zero fucks about her wrath unleashed on the fabric. 

" Thango, nee relax pannu. Tension aagathey di, Kannu." // "Baby, please relax. Don't get tense, my love." Tenderly, he placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and ushered her to settle on the bed. 

She shot his hands off of her in one clean swipe. Breathing hard as a vengeful goddess on a killing spree, he imagined a Tirusulam dripping with cerise liquid poised in her hands. She started to pace along the minute gold threads that wove along the floors like a caged animal. 

" You knew I was pregnant.. even before Narachi.. " She stuck her pointer in the air, swerving with accusations. " And you didn't even fucking bother to come. " Disgust replaced the tears and she angrily swept off the light swelling of her eyes. " You sent your goons to find me.. to feed your ego.."

" Thango.. it was not easy–" His face hardened with the graveness of the situation.

"-- What the fuck was not easy?! Parading around your lairs of gold like a dragon clad in Armani suits? Or picking out your Jaegers?! " Her voice shot up and transformed to a stark shrill. “Do tell me which was the harder task, sir?!”

" Reena, listen to me–" Rocky's voice grew sharper and he strode to her, ready to catch her if she crumbled any second. His gut warned him that she needed to catch a breath. 

" While I was puking my guts out.. dying with unpleasant smells.." Sweat beads clung to her forehead and her face a little chalky. “ It was not fucking easy!”

" Calm down. I'm taking you to the doctor."  He gently caught her shoulder and directed her to the doors. 

" Oh , like you actually give a fu–" She made a gurgling noise and Rocky thought he would spontaneously shatter along with it. 

" Thango.. thango.. what do you need.." He stopped and searched her face for an answer. Legs freezing barely under a second. 

She grasped his bicep loosely and turned towards him, swaying a little. Seconds before he had decided to squat and scoop her in his arms, he heard another gurgle. And before he knew it, a rain of viscid white slime decorated a patch over the buttoned region of his shirt. 

Her body convulsed again and he couldn't give a fuck about his miserable shirt. Instinct guided him. He lifted her sideways, by the waist and sprinted to the bathroom. Extended a palm in front of her mouth in case she launched into another bout. 

Reena groaned as he settled her before the toilet bowl and stuck the seat up. " Medhuva.. medhuva.." // "Slowly.. slowly.."

Heedfully, he gathered the loose strands of her hair from the sides of her ears and twisted the thick locks between his thumb and pinkie finger. A row of black silk snaked around his wrist as he steadied her, rubbing smooth lines along her back. " Avalodhaan mudinchiduchu, Kannu. " 

" Amma..I cannot.." She drew deep breaths before emptying the contents of her stomach into the clean white surface. Her stomach had turned warmer than before and this got him deeply worried. 

She collapsed on the cold marble of the bathroom floor and pressed her cheek against it. Her fingers clasped something around her neck and she kept whispering to it. Was it.. was it his tabeez?

Salt pricked his eyes and waves of heat and fury submerged him. Sweat dripped from her forehead and drenched her neck and the front of her dress. Bearing splatters of the puke that stuck to the midnight satin. Tears caked her dirt-gathering cheeks. 

" Thango , yelundhudu ma. Floor la padukka koodadhu. " // "Baby, get off the floor, you shouldn't sleep there. " He didn't wait for her to move a muscle. Scooping her up with extra caution and softly situated her bottom in the midst of the enormous, circular bathtub. He carefully let her back rest to one side of the cluster of jet taps and shower.

Tender fingers brushed the side of her collapsing head and he released a tired sigh. He yelled for Malamma. He yanked off his jacket and trashed it on one the side of the washbasin. Flipping the tap on, he methodically scraped the puke off his shirt. Tirades of ire rattled the chains and he continued to dump the waste under the running water with focused eyes. 

Now he knew . Now he fucking knew. He wanted to spit at his reflection. He wanted to hurt.. something or someone . Preferably himself . 

Not waiting for the buttons, he ripped the shirt open and unceremoniously deposited the clutter on the jacket. He cleaned his torso with the gushing hot water and heard Malamma scuttling in, crossing over to the bathtub. 

" Papa, ennama, thiripiyum vaandiya? " Malamma cooed like a mother-hen and began to unzip her dress. 

Rocky slumped over the basin, fingers digging into the snowy granite. Dark strands dripped wet and accusatory as he viewed his own reflection. He turned to look at Reena descended in the tub, partially unconscious with her mouth parted. She met his eyes briefly before turning to the other side. 

" I'll get the doctor. " He spoke to no one in particular and strode out the long door, heavy stomps trailing him like a cursed cloud doomed with thunder. 

—

Chapter Text

Reena

Ants crawled in the lower lining of her belly. She tried to ignore it. Tossed and turned on the satiny sheets and failed. Jackhammers were drawn and they went to town on the base of her skull. Meticulously, she pulled herself off with the aid of her side pillow. The middle of her chest cramped a little and she waited for it to pass. Drew deep breaths. 

Her feet found the fuzz of her bunny slippers. She gathered her robes tighter as she shivered with the blast of an icy wave from the window left ajar. The pricking in her chest continued and she wondered if it was just fear of a new place or hunger announcing its prevalence. 

Quickly, she shut the windows and her head whipped around to find Malamma. Poor thing. She must have burned out and went to crash at the servant's quarters. Her patience ran out and she was determined to hunt for food on her own. She half-ran to the immaculate kitchen she had grown familiar with over the past few days. Since she hadn't explored the entire mansion, she wondered if there were more kitchens. 

Reena stepped on the pristine travertine floor, skipping over tiny tiled squares to reach the bigger rectangles. Once she reached the refrigerator, her hips swung in a slight jig with her butt sticking out at the thought of food. Thank God, no one is watching!  

She scanned the transparent drawers and found farm-fresh carrots, tomatoes and bottle-gourd begging to be picked. The memory of the scalding hot amber liquid thrived vividly in her head, instantly she licked her lips, reflexively recalling the savory taste. 

She wanted it. Now. Nay, needed it!

If there was something Reena could cook from scratch with a recipe that was etched at the very core of her nerve fronds, it was her Amma’s sambar sadam (rice) recipe. This was going to be a quick version as her belly rumbled at the sight of anything remotely “ food ” related. She got to work, drawing out a medium-sized pressure cooker, she tossed in the proper measurements of thuvaram paruppu (lentils), rice, turmeric powder and salt. Popping open the cabinet doors, she hunted for cumin seeds and asafoetida. She caught the glass jars in a chokehold, creaked them open and sprinkled the aromats on the translucent liquid. She reluctantly chewed on a carrot as she moved to the next phase. 

Twirling around the two large granite-overlay kitchen islands, she picked the one on the left end as her work station. Each laden in with wide, rich tobacco cherry wood drawers, she could not help but stroke the faux gold handles. Her oiled teak-end cutting board held generous portions of chopped carrots and tomatoes, and she began to peel the bottle gourd as a personal preference. As she immersed herself in work up to her elbows, her glance shifted to the large clock perched on the east wall. The minute hand inched forty minutes past midnight. Something about the impatient, ticking sound reminded her of a certain someone. Specifically how he hadn’t bothered to check in with her after the puking episode.

Three days . The bearded devil had ducked her for three days and she was boiling mad just thinking about it. “It’s okay, sweetheart. We don’t need him. We don't need anyone as long as we have paati’s sambar sadam!” She rubbed her tummy and made kissing noises, assuring the kid and in a way, gritting her tongue so she wouldn’t burst into another bout of tears. Damned mood swings! She loathed how she went from starvation to a drooping sack of human flesh in seconds.

Reena scooted from the spacious sink to the six-burner stove. Placing the cooker on the large burner, she cranked the heat up and yanked a smaller pan. Ripples of vapors hit the empty air and she took note with a tiny shriek. 

Grabbing the matka of freshly churned ghee, she scooped two dollops and let it hiss on the pan and chose to concentrate on the sounds arising from the pan. Rather than dwell on his roguish grin that severed garnet marks on her incapacitated nerves, haunting her with each passing second. And here she thought it would be easy to hate him despite living under the same roof.

 The dancing liquid shimmered under the well-lit lanterns as she threw in the mustard seeds, curry leaves and a few extra red chillies. She needed the spicy flavor to make her forget things. They spluttered and threw a hissy fit. Reena jumped back instinctively and took cover from the haywire spices with a huge metallic lid. 

“Fucking hate this part! Shit, sorry, love. Fudging.. fudging hate this part!” She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the “hot oil” storm to pass. 

“Enna Thango, midnight party ah? Mama allowed illaya?” // “Well, well, what have we here? A midnight party.. And you didn’t invite me?!” A cool, nonchalant voice boomed from the threshold. 

Reena’s hands froze midair and she did not trust her body to move, not just yet. 

Okay, you can do this, babe. You can do this. Don’t freak out.  

“Chee, yen amma vukku siblings ellam kadayadhu. What the hell are you on about,man?” // “Ew, my mom doesn’t have any brothers!” She cringed just listening to him refer to himself in such a defiling manner.

Yet the smooth way he strung his words at will began to feel like melding metal with a winter fire, burning her even when she was far from  his reach. She turned to the source of the oncoming storm which she dreaded even more. No, it was not fear of the man but the fear of giving in to his antics. 

His mad ways and wicked grins . 

He sported one right now like a matador equipped with a red cloth. Arms came alive, corded muscles coiling with power as he crossed them, one over the other, hip cocked on the door ledge as she watched him with trepidation. She chewed her lower lip as her eyes ran over his stubborn form, filling the doorway - all drained eyes and strewn hair. 

“Andha mama illa di chellon.. Idhu vera madhiri.. Sonna puriyadhu. Anubavikanum!”// “It is not that ‘mama’.. it is a different kind and well, what can I say - you need to experience it!”  He winked at her, gesturing with his hands at himself. Hinting at the fact that she had already done so. 

In her own time, she placed the lid next to the pan. A few rogue mustard seeds spluttered and bounced off her forearm. She yelped, bouncing back from the stove. And he was by her side without any delay, dragging her to the nearest tap and drenching the affected area on her skin with cold water. 

“Thango, unna yaaru idhellam panna sonna? Malamma va koopida vendi thaane? Illa yaara yavudu eluppa vendi thaane?” // “Baby, why did you trouble yourself with all this? You could have just woken up one of the servants!?” He cooed, eyebrows scrunched up and laced with worry.

“No. Don’t you dare wake her up at this hour. That woman deserves a decent night’s sleep.” She bit off. 

" Okay, okay. Malamma mallaka paduthu thoongatum. Done. " // "Okay, let Malamma have her beauty sleep then. Done." He spread his arms in that trademark fashion and he perched his hands on his waistline, as if he had just accomplished something huge. 

She began to conjure walls of ice before she withered in his arms like leftover cookie crumbles. Little by little, she got out of his grasp, “I’m okay. It’s just mustard seeds. I’m fine.” She reassured him despite herself.

Something chucked her heart in deep chasmic waters just as his skin connected with hers.

Smoke billowed from behind her and flames began to consume the small pan. “ Fuck! I mean fudge! Shit, no, no!” 

Rocky reacted instantly, plucking her off the floor and seated her on the counter. Far from the stove as if it were an evil creature and suddenly sprouted hairy legs and arms. He shut off the flame like his joints were weaving liquid and carried the pan, floating with burnt remains to the sink, giving it a quick rinse before dumping it there. 

Just then the cooker squealed its first whistle and Reena flashed her teeth, making lovey-dovey eyes at the stove. 

“ Don’t even thinking about it, Thango!” He trapped her with his arms on both sides of her. She kept fidgeting, attempting to escape the enormous muscular cage his body served as. " Let me go.” She slapped his arms as rigid as rocks and the monster grinned from ear to ear, jesting with her a little. “Now.” She growled. 

Inching closer, he stood eye to eye, letting his breath fuse with hers. Begging her with his gaze bolted on her squirming body.  As if he hoped that she wouldn’t dismiss him just yet. A feeble whiff of whiskey and sweat hit her as he stood there, burying his fingers into the granite with an unwarranted need. 

“Tell me what you wants, I doing it, wokay?” His dark pupils trained on her. 

The roar of her heart spilled hot blood in her ears. For the life of her, she could not think when he looked at her.. Like that . It was worse than a loaded revolver to her head, which she thought she would gladly accept now. She sent a silent thanks to her horny hormones which just got activated like a tv antenna, pining for a signal. Hell, even his horrible English turned her on these days. 

Reluctance strummed her fingers. She reached out, despite the stuff she told herself before he walked into the spot. Tracing the dark circles above his pronounced cheekbones with her thumbs, she whispered, “You haven’t been sleeping well.. why?” 

Shock flashed in his eyes, mirroring molten obsidians. They softened. Reena’s resolve shattered as a rogue wave on the mossy rocks caked at the shore. She plaited her fingers in his coarse beard, thumb trailing a feverish line along his bobbing throat. 

“ Hmm .. nammalukku bed set aavale..” // “Hmm.. the bed's too soft.”  Warm palms invaded the sides of her thighs and she made a low, inaudible growl. If he was far off, he would have never caught that. “..romba soft-u.” // “.. and warm.” 

He leaned into her touch like a large wild cat, as he undid the strings of her robes, lace grazing her knees. His hands caressed the silk fabric around her belly. 

“Thookam vara la di.. unnaiyum pulliyum vittutu.. Naa..” // “I cannot sleep without knowing whether you and the baby are okay.. And I..”  He hung his head as his fingers crushed the baby-pink lace, burying his nose in the chasm of her neck. 

Reena’s bare calves wrapped around his spine as a primary instinct. Starved for the warmth of his very touch.  “Moonu naal da..”// “Three days da..” She latched onto the roots of his hair in a punishing grip and watched him thaw in her arms. Buttons barely holding together his heaving pecs. She wanted to do him a favor and rip it off for good. 

Power dulled her senses. “You bailed on us for three days..” She whispered her fingers along his stocky shoulders through the svelte shirt, as dark as the cimmerian storms gathering out the window. Teasing his peeking chest hair with her crimson nails, she trapped him firmly with her legs.  

His breath came out jagged. The predator sneered through his pupils. She could see that he kept it bay, as if he fought the urge to take her, then and there on the cold, hard counter. 

Knocked off her stance as she lost the anchor she so dearly held onto. Pressing up her soft curves against his harshness, she rubbed her cheeks against his beard and moaned at the delicious friction. " I wanted.."

“Theriyum di, thango.” // “I know, baby.”  His lips planted open mouthed kisses on her neck and collarbones, deliberately razing a column of forest fire with his beard. He threaded his fingers in her coal strands, strangling a sob. “ Theriyum .. Sorry di..” // I know. I am so sorry.” 

The second whistle alarmed the both of them and he cursed aloud, not sparing the ancestors of the poor, innocent pressure cooker. “Dai, watch your language! The baby can hear you!”  

“Appadiya, madam? Mummy orey fuck soldranga, papa. Aana Daddy sonna thappaama.” // “Says mommy who screams fuck every two seconds! And if Daddy swears, she chides me, papa!” He smirked at her belly, ranting to his unborn child. . “Bad, bad mummy!” He tilted his head at her, allowing his locks to clout his eyes, and continued to rub soothing circles. 

She pretended to not hear the words that just spilled from his mouth. In short, she was fucked.

A grumble cut the silence. He cast a funny look at her and doubled over, holding his stomach in that dramatic ‘Rocky’ fashion. She rapped his shoulder with a brute force and said, “One more whistle da, dai. I’m dying of hunger here! Go and saute the spices again.” 

She flipped him around and spanked his ass, rather punishingly for laughing at her. He rubbed the attacked area with a pouty lip. "Yes, madam." He flicked a mock salute at her and set out to fish out a new pan from the cabinet. 

Rocky unraveled his sleeves, rolling it up as he displayed his forearms. Masculine hair splayed on meshed muscles and veins, sending shards of current along her abdomen. And to make matters worse, he began to whistle, only tempting her further to seduce him. Inadvertently, she crossed her legs, clenching the flesh, eyes trotting after him. Oblivion was probably blissful as the demon got to work around the stove, unaware of the effect he had on her. 

The bastard toyed with the bottle of oil, flipping it a little like a court jester before pouring a generous amount into the pan. 

"Ayyayo! Put one tablespoon of ghee, you have already added too much oil da. God, you didn't even wait for my instructions!" She conjured new ways to be mad at him just so she could get her mind off of one thing. Yes, that one thing.

How shamelessly pathetic, Reena!

"Okay, princess. You telling, I doing. Wokay!" He produced finger guns at her and gestured ' pow pow' after blowing them out dramatically. 

Stray hair curtained his eyes and he flipped it back with the confidence of a star runway model. Reena dragged a hand on her face and let out an elongated sigh. " Now add mustard seeds, curry leaves and some red chillies. " 

And he did just that, his feet moving along the floor in a rapid motion, adding the items, one by one onto the pan as he extracted them from the source. He did that instinctively male thing, where he needlessly tossed the ingredients in the air while tempering them.

She rolled her eyes. Although her chest warmed at the sight. Him flitting about the kitchen at one am, all because she was hungry and well getting shit done in general. Heat pricked her eyelids and she ignored it this time, her heart was brimming and she couldn't give a damn about her principles. 

"Now, slowly open the pressure cooker, and pour the tempered ingredients onto the rice ." She instructed patiently. 

Rocky pried it apart like he was breaking a man's jaw, in a smooth liquid motion, as if he was an expert at cracking open pressure cookers. A string of curses left his lips in a rush. Reena jumped off the counter and peeked around his massive form. “Let me see, let me see.” She nodded at him with a childlike grin. “Perfect! It is perfect! Obviously, because I made it. And it’s my mom’s recipe!”

He cocked a brow at her in appreciation and quirked his lips. “Eppadi ungala mathiri masth-a irukku, Mummy! Kalakuringa ponga!” // " Damn, the food looks as hot as you, Mommy. Simply exquisite!" He gently nudged her out of the way with his hip, pan clutched in his hand. She simply sneered back.

He poured the seasoned oil on the sambar sadam and gave it a quick toss with a wooden ladle.  All the while he actively kept her at bay, using his body to shield hers. 

Rocky scooped a little morsel, slapped it on the base of his palm and licked it clean. 

Her mind thrived in the gutter as she observed the winding of his tongue on skin, and she gulped hard. This was fucking insanity. Blatant torture! She shook her head, physically trying to kick-start her brain to function. 

Food. Focus. 

" Mmmm . Thango, unga Amma sambar sadam chance ae illa! Adhiraddi!" // “Mmmm, baby your mom’s recipe tastes like heaven! Unbelievable!” And at times like these, she wanted to pat herself on the back for exercising self-restraint like a pro.

He grabbed a large plate and slushed the semi-solid savory serving on the steel surface. She stared longingly at the plate as the dish emitted inviting vapors. 

—

Rocky

She scrunched her nose in that adorable, rabbit-like manner, tongue licking a swipe over her lips. Doe eyes staring right at the abyss of his soul. He was truly a goner.  

He washed his hands and sat her down on the granite again. Blowing over each morsel as he fed her heartily. Every time the tip of her tongue touched his finger, bolts of electricity shot up his vertebrae. He had to keep his feet rooted to the floor and focused on the task at hand, literally. 

It came as a shock to him when she complied, readily. Making those noises that she was making with her pretty little mouth and he had to pry his head from the gutter. Maybe she was just really hungry?! My sweet, sweet thango had to make all of this by herself after all! He cursed himself for not getting there sooner. 

Not far from breaking a few plates was he, just to blow off some steam. His mind ran a marathon as he unremittingly avoided looking at her mouth, her pink tongue dutifully licking off the rice from his fingers. At this rate, he would have to make a dumbass excuse and rush off to the nearest bathroom. It was not like they were not all over each other, just a few minutes ago. And if he recalled correctly, she liked the way he touched her and maybe a part of her still craved him. Although he did not know if he was allowed to fuck her when she was already knocked up. If she consented that is. And that is a big if.  

“Have some more, Thango.” He stuck his hand out and she whined, “no, oh my god, I am so full.” 

“Just one more pudi, kannu. Last, I promising.” She puffed her chest in protest but gave up halfway. “Last one. Okay? No funny business. Aahh.”

She finished up the last morsel and just as he was about to dump the plate in the sink, she caught hold of his wrist. Deliberately licked off each finger, slow and torturous. All the while she trapped her liquid cocoa eyes with his. 

“I am suuuch a good girl.” She hopped off the counter, shifted closer to him and tipped on her toes. A lone, fiery whisper drifted amidst the cold winds, lapping against his earshell. “ Right, Daddy?” 

“Mhm.” Lumps of hot coals bathed his center and it felt as if his stomach dropped a thousand feet from the edge of a cliff. “Y-Yess.. I.. You..” 

“Ellathayum vazhichi vechudunga. Goodnight!” // “Put everything in compact containers, won’t you? Goodnight!” She dragged out her voice in that unnecessarily teasing tone of hers.

Before he could come up with a clever response, she was already walking out of the kitchen, yawning and stretching like a cuddly little hellcat. Premeditated a move on her part to raise her hands just enough to flaunt her caramel thighs and tease him further on her way out.

Shabaash, Rocky! Shabaash! // Very smooth, Rocky. Very smooth!

— 

Chapter Text

Kamal

“K.G.F kaaga kooti kudutthuteengala, Rajendra Uncle? How typical!" // “So, you pimped her out to gain access to K.G.F? How typical of you, Rajendra Uncle?" // Kamal sloshed two balls of ice into the glasses of amber liquid. Giving it a stir as he fused the temperature. 

He handed one to the older man, hair tied in a stiff tuft and a stern look plastered to his face. To match the walking stick. The Victorian brass handle fidgeted from hand to hand. 

“Naaka arutthuduvaen. Jaakaratha!” // "I'm warning you. I'll cut off that tongue of yours, boy." // A shaky growl ripped out of the old man’s throat. He suppressed the urge to launch into a fit of coughs. And snagged the cold glass out of Kamal's hand, taking a long swig. Face scrunching with satisfaction as drops of the liquid drenched his beard. 

If anyone knew how to pull strings like a master puppeteer, it was Rajendra Desai. He was one of the first of the lot to suggest they take out Garuda. The one obstacle they feared would take away their high and mighty plans to rule K.G.F one day. But they all knew it was a chunk of flesh thrown into a snake pit. Each of them would rip into the flesh with drawn fangs. Plush blood painting their lips. Without a second thought.  

“Andha picchakaara naayi! Ennoda rattham!? Ennoda magala kalyanam pandratthukku aasaiya avanukku?!! // "That bastard of a beggar.. did he actually think he could have my daughter? My very own blood?!" // Feral whiskers spiked above his lips. 

Kamal laughed his deep nonchalant laugh. "Try showing that dedication to killing that shoe-licking bastard once in a while." // “Idhu veerappu poi andha seruppu nakkura bastard kitta kaameenga!” // He shrugged, tracing the button on his waistcoat.

“Reena vena chellam koduthu keduttha ponna irukalaam. Aana ava ennikum enakku drogam panna maata!” // "I know Reena. She's a spoiled brat. But she will never even dream of betraying her father. "

He struck Kamal's knee with his stick. “Avalapatthi oru vaartha inimey thappa pesune, nadakkurathey vera!” // "And don't you fucking question her integrity, ever again!" 

“Ow! Sari sari! Puriyudhu! Ana namma adutha kattam poye theeranum! Adutha adi, nammalodatha than irukkanum!” // "Ow! That hurt. Shit. Fine. Fine. We need to strike back harder. Send a message, loud and clear!" Kamal thumped his hand on the sofa's handle with a delirious smile. 

“Adha nee en kitta vidu.” // "Leave that to me. " Rajendra stroked his beard, a newly minted fire thrived in his pupils. 

—

Reena

Khasim Chacha seemed to be saying something to the demon with raised eyebrows. He merely nodded at him. His entire focal point shifted to her. A carnivorous smile hung off his lips. His attempt to distract her was paying off. She hadn’t registered a word out of Farmaan’s mouth. 

She turned Farmaan around so he stood directly in the line of fire instead of her. “Enna ka, na soldradhu pureedha?” // “Do you understand what I am saying, ka?”  //  The young boy’s face brimmed with an excitement equivalent to that of a burning hearth.

“Pathukalam da.” // “I’ll handle it da.” //  She drawled, patting his arm. Proactively trying to calm her nerves. 

This time around, she felt his hot stare ripping at her skin from the back. Along the lean strips of black thread that hung astray. Sweat drops began to drip into the chasm of the gold zari windows that criss crossed at the back of her blouse. She felt sticky and hot to say the least. 

Instinctively, she wrapped the pallu around her backside and brought the remaining stretch over her shoulder. Tugging it for dear life. 

“Chacha, ellathayum kizhi kizhi nnu kizhichi, dhumsam pandrom. Nee free ya vidu.” // “We’re going to rip everything to bits and pieces, Chacha, don't you worry!” // He guffawed. Just enough for her to hear. Almost like his throat had exploded or something.

She turned back and shot an icy glare at him. This only seemed to encourage the incorrigible fool further. Rocky threw one leg over the other, patting his ankle in a silent rhythm.

“Enakku vayasu thaan Rocky aayiduchu. Sevudu illa!” // "I have grown old, Rocky. Not deaf!" // Chacha retorted with a playful laugh. 

Reena had a small smile playing on her lips as she shifted back to Farmaan, whose face now mimicked Chacha’s. The kid was a quick learner. 

“Ippo nee edhukku sirikirae?” // "Why are you giggling now?" // She chucked the back of Farmaan’s head playfully. Which only made him cackle further. Much like a younger version of the devil. Who was currently man-spreading on the sofa. 

“Illa, Vanaram patthi pesambodhu ippadi sirikireenagale, adhukku dhaan ka sirichaen.” // "Oh no, Akka! I merely laughed because you were smiling as you spoke of Vanaram!" //  His eyes bubbled with mirth. 

“Dai, odi poidu. Illa Vanaram kitta nee bunk adiche nnu sollidivaen.” // "You better run for your life, kid. Or else I will snitch you out to Vanaram for ditching his training." // She openly threatened him and a sliver of fear crossed Farmaan’s pupils. 

“Ayyayyo. Please ka please ka. Andha aalu kitta pottu kudukaadheenga akka!” // "Oh no! Please ka, please don't snitch me out to that man!" // Farmaan held onto Reena's hands, literally begging her to not breathe a word to the man in question. 

Turns out this kid was shit scared of Vanaram despite the facade he sported for everyone. As Reena got to know him a lot better over the few weeks, she has been hanging out with him quite often much to Rocky's chagrin. Obviously, as he wasn't the centre of her universe during the given time frame. And that is always on top of his checklist. Every single time. It almost felt like she spent time with a tinier version of her Demon. 

“Avana vidu di, Thango. Paavam!” // "Would you just let go of the poor thing, baby?" // Rocky smirked at his stand-in younger brother. 

"Anna Anna, neenga unga wife kitta sollunga na, please. " // "Anna, please convince your wife!" Farmaan's eyes twinkled with mischief. Reena had caught it just as it vanished.

"Poda, innikki unakku leg piece cut-tu." // "Get lost, you ain't getting any chicken legs today." // She yelled after his withdrawing form. 

“Ava gun edukarathukulla odidu da.” // “Run away before she brings the gun.” // Rocky drawled, landing a slap on the kid’s back.

"Dai, unna aprom gavanikkuraen." // "I'll deal with you later, kid!" Reena shouted as Farmaan’s departing back faded into the sea of maroon and metal.

"Konjam Mama vayum gavaneenga, Wife-u Thango. " // "Why don't you pay a little attention to me, wifey!" Rocky flashed his teeth at her, yanking on the lining of his blazer. 

The more he grinned at her, the urge to punch him in his perfect rows of teeth just rose with an inadvertent desire in her. She didn't like it when people threw around assumptions about her life. Assumptions they would become this " it couple ". Not when neither of them have addressed the elephant in the room. Rocky simply mimicking the kid didn't even count. 

The man had the attention span of a squirrel when it came to the smaller things. Sometimes it gets easier to convince herself by saying that. Maybe he did. Who knows?! Because he sure as hell didn't confide anything in her after that blessed day in the kitchen. 

He was hot and cold. There was no middle ground with him. It was maddening and frustrating to be around a human being who swapped his skin more than a chameleon. Scratch that . It was established that this was no human. There, much better. She thought better with that decision as the base.

She caught the lapels of his coat and brought him closer. The familiar nicotine breath choked her. And warned him, " Don't you fucking dare." 

"Fudging, thango. Athu maranthutiya?" // "Oh baby, did you forget to say "fudging"!" He corrected her with a smile blaring like the sun. 

"Romba smart la, nee. Po, poda." // "Yeah, you are just so smart, aren't you!" She barked at him , wondering where the rage fuelled from. 

She roughly let go of his collar, knowing the servants and his men would be watching them. Like they were a part of their favourite daily soap. In a way, she couldn't blame them. They were just too loud for their own good. What could she expect from a combination like theirs, anyway?

Dealing with Rocky required an energy of its own. She decided it best to tackle him later when she had refurbished her system with a lot of food and hopefully a shred of patience.

"I don't have time for your bullshit, Rocky. I'm gonna go now. I have got to get back to the boys." She dismissed him and began to walk away. 

"Wah re wah. Pin azhagu, alluthu, Thango." // "Whoa. Don't I love watching you walk away, babe!" He added a wolf-whistle to spice up the cheap pick-up line. Naturally .

—

Rocky

He stepped into his large bedroom. Footsteps echoed as he stripped on the way to the bathroom. Blazer, shirt and trousers left a trail to the cold tiles checked across the floor. He hummed a tune as he casually combed his hair back with his fingers and locked the door.

He popped back out after a rather long shower, having to scrape out the grime, sweat and blood from his skin. Rummaging through his elaborate medicine cabinet for a decent smelling soap, he found a transparent bottle of liquid soap that screamed fresh mint and minerals that would clean the body. Frankly, he was touched by his baby mama’s concern for his skin care. Grinning to himself, he trusted her judgement and applied buttloads of the body wash liquid on himself. 

Mind ringing with the word " wife " that Farmaan had jokingly thrown around. This time it hit a chord as he thought about it. If shit wasn't so messed up, would he have proposed to her in an orderly fashion if the opportunity had presented itself? 

Since their relationship seemed to be headed in a reverse gear, he assumed it made sense, in a twisted sort of way. If he hadn't knocked her up and scooped her off to the Narachi mansion, would his Thango turn around to look at him twice? Highly doubtful . She was a smart and determined woman who knew what she wanted. And a kidnapper wasn't one of them. Clearly . Rocky convinced himself that he had done it for her safety, just so he could sleep better.

With a towel wrapped firmly around his waist, he cleaned out his beard. Brushed his teeth on autopilot. Some things he could not shake off. It was a habit he developed to avoid going to the dentist after that one god awful root canal session. That bitch had drilled a hole in his tooth right after sticking a big ass needle in his gums. Yeesh.

Rocky flapped his fingers through the wardrobe, hunting for a decent pair of soft pants that didn't strangle his thighs. Reeling out a pair and chucking on a tank top, he climbed into the right side of the four poster bed. Canopy looming shadows on his sleepless lids. 

His blanket slid off his torso in a frenzied whoosh. Hand clamped on the .32 he fished from under the mattress, he pressed the muzzle into the flesh of the snoring figure. 

“What the fuck?!" Rocky muttered and flipped on the lamp. 

"Give me a leg piece.." Reena mumbled in her sleep and wrenched the pillow with her raised thigh. Pink painted fingers digging into the snowy cotton. 

Rocky chuckled. Throat almost in a chokehold as his eyes wandered beneath her hips. They were fucking bare. She was clad in nothing but his emerald shirt and boxer shorts. That was too short for her own good. 

Dear lord, he prayed he didn't have to visit the shower again as he inhaled her vanilla scented hair and swirling roses that rippled the air, cramping his chest. It was getting very, very hard to exist in the same space as this. 

He willed his body to lie quietly next to hers. Telling himself that he would ask her the hard questions in the morning and for now he was grateful for the small miracles. Fluffing up the blanket around her quaking thighs and body pillow, his finger pads stroked the silk of her hair strands. Glinting with a sheen of gold from the lamplight. 

Arm flailed to flip off the switch, he returned the gun to its spot. Cuddling into another pillow, he drew her scent in, woefully hoping he would fall asleep. 

—

Mouth as dry as twigs scraping the forest floor, Rocky tried to move his dead limbs. Well, he could not. How about that! 

A warm arm draped across his neck in a chokehold and another chunk of flesh mimicked it, strangling his waist this time. He craned his neck for a renewal of air to pass into his trachea. No, it is getting harder now. Muttering an array of curses, he tried to get up. And failed. Okay, what the fuck was going on?

Light snores poured into his ears and he registered the presence of another human, or two, sprawled on the bed beside him. More like over him but who kept tabs?

Eyelids fluttered and the first thing his eyes caught was the metallic rectangle. His Amma’s amulet ? 

The buttons of his emerald shirt pressed against his nose along with the warm metal. So close that he knew there would be indentations when he awoke. The familiar scent of vanilla and roses bathed his nostrils. Hot blood rushed below his hips. Ah, fuck. 

Not only did the slender woman talk in her sleep but she flailed her limbs like a maniac too. Seconds before she landed a number on his cheekbone, he ducked from her grasp. Her balled fist cut through the air instead. Was she landing a right hook in her dreams as well?  

"Thango, wakey wakey!" He softly roused her and she remained lifeless. Rubbing a palm over his face, he tried to pry himself from the clasps of her thighs without hurting her. Much to his dismay, she only tightened those sexy, slender legs around him further. 

"Kannu, ezhunthudu chellon.." // "Sweetheart, rise and shine.." // He stroked her skin, fingers parading on the caramel expanse on a whim of their own. 

He traced her belly and she shifted with a contented sigh. Despite all the tantrums she threw, she hadn’t taken his amulet off. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes and he choked up. What had he done to deserve this happiness? A part of him had grown so wary because the universe had a way of taking his loved ones from him. Death followed him everywhere he went. Always .

Reena mewled and stretched like a hellcat before slowly rising from her side. She finger combed her hair and tied a makeshift bun with the hair tie plucked out from her wrist.

"I'm up. Malamma, God. Don't make noise. " She patted his shoulder. 

Panic struck her muscles when she felt up his bare arms with still closed eyes. "Huh, why is your.." 

"Malamma eppo di bulk aachu?" // "When did Malamma bulk up, love?" His voice jarred his throat a little. 

Suddenly, her eyelids flailed open and she realised her thighs were still clamped to his waist. Horror painted on her sweet, heart shaped face and she withdrew it in a rush. "Ow.." 

"Enna aachu.. paathu di, kannu." // "What happened, are you okay, babe?" He cooed over her like a mother-hen.

"It's okay. I'm fine. Just a little cramp." She was a little out of breath. 

Rocky massaged her calves, allowing the blood to flow evenly in her legs. Farmaan's mom has been giving him tips to care for his baby mama. Only he listened to her like his life depended on it. Muscle cramps during naps and sleep time was a commonality; he was only too ready to battle.

Her chest rose and fell, the delicious lining lapped against the deep green fabric in undulating waves. Shading her with his palpable stare, he paused his hands over her thigh. Curves breathing life into the shirt he never gave two fucks about. Until now . His gaze held onto it as if his life depended on it. 

"When did you come in last night?" She asked, a little too nonchalantly. 

As if she was unconcerned about the way he devoured her with his pupils. He was a drowning man seeking a lifeline. And her beating heart was the only ray of hope in his otherwise dark skies. 

"Romba.." // "Very.." // His arm snaked around her waist. "Romba.." // "Very.." Lightly placed her butt on his lap, as he scooted to the headboard. ".. late ."

“Andha periya room unakku correcta irukku nanachen. Madam eppadi inga vandheega?” // “I thought you would be more comfortable in the other room. What made you camp here?" // He said, pointing to all of her stuff, cluttered on one side of the room with a chuckle. 

"I can't sleep there. It's.. it's too quiet and I didn't feel safe even when I slept with this." She pulled out the colt from under her side of the bed with much difficulty. He tightened the hold on her before she toppled over. 

Rocky groaned as she shifted on top of him. He watched her intently as her one hand rubbed her belly, involuntarily. 

"I don't care about my comfort, Rocky. I need to protect our baby, come hell or high water.” He lifted her chin to meet his eyes. The part where she said “ our baby” and not hers didn’t skip past him. At this point in time he wondered if his heart could bear another inch of elation. 

—

Chapter Text

Reena

Scars branched on his left shoulder, catching the fervour of the morning rays. Reena's throat turned dry as she let it sink in. Her eyes fidgeted over the display.

Rocky's hand still rested on the side of her tummy. The other continued to massage her thigh, bringing her closer to him.  

She stroked the angry flesh, carefully, blunt gashes gaped back. Slow kisses like soothing herbs, landed caresses on his neck. "He did this to you.. didn't he? My father!"

Her lips blossomed against his neck and his beard. "Let's get you to the doctor." Nudging his forehead with hers, she shook against his lips. 

"Ippon illa. Valikale, Thango." // "No, not now. It doesn't hurt, baby." He murmured, drawing a line of heat with his thumb, against her jawline. 

"Oh, it hurts, alright. " She snapped. " And soon, I will be the one hurting him."

Reena knew she was past the point of redemption. To see him like this.. probably bled dry like a pig yanked to slaughter, last night. She knew how conniving her father was. And the unspeakable things he has done over the years, like a dog throwing sand over heaps and heaps of shit. 

Embers of an oncoming storm teased her pupils and gained momentum. By daring to lay a finger on the man she loved, Rajendra Desai had hurt her. He knew the consequences of his actions all too well. Yet chose to move forth.  

"My father has declared war." 

"Oh, I know." He drawled. 

Rocky had pulled his walls down. Unguarded. Human skin peeked beneath the that of the king cobra, glistening through. Although she relished the sight of him, vulnerable and purely at the altar of her mercy, it pricked her like pulling out her wisdom teeth. 

His furrowed brows. Clearly, he had a few counter moves up his sleeve, as he always did. 

"Unga appan unnayum, yen kutti ilavarasiyum thoda chance kuduka mataen. Free-ya vidu." // "No one will touch you or my princess. Your father doesn't even stand a chance, Thango." 

His crisp words masked the wince as he shifted his weight beneath her. "I'm heavy. Let me get off–" She began. 

"--Iru" // "--Stay." He growled. 

Eyes glimmered with a teak fire, coursing its way, all the way up to his fingertips as a sorcerer gathering filaments of magic.

"It has to be a girl, huh." // "Ponnu than irukanum la."  She ran her warm thumb over his cheekbones. Then his beard, caressing it. Heat pounded her skin, drawing fiery circles in her chest. Slowly dripping into her stomach, razing her abdomen in a long onslaught. 

His grip on her waist and thigh tightened. "Like your mom coming back to you.." she muttered silently, patting the amulet around her neck.

A primal urge clicked in her with the way his eyes roved over. Heat built and built upon her nerves, floating like lava. She needed his lips. His tongue. Anything.. 

Reena cradled his face in her palms. A pinch of breath lay between them. But it  felt a lot like a gaping chasm flashing its teeth. Her lips surged, hot and seeking tongue, swerving on his lower lip. He tasted like old whiskey and nicotine. And the special flavour that was so Rocky it hurt her brain to think even. She sucked on it, urgently. Moving with a sheer intensity that very much terrified her. 

The layers of their shirts barricaded the hunger of their souls. As if a magnetic pull drew them to each other by nature's will. 

She cursed aloud. Crimson nails heaving a trail just above his pecs. Rocky erupted with a male groan, sounding barely human. He looked like he might tear the buttons off her shirt with his bare teeth. 

Sensing his urgency, she hurried on with eliminating his tank top. Underneath the garment lay sheer male beauty. Her fingers hesitated. Nails whimpered over the walls of muscle, shrieking brute power. A promise of annihilation pulsed as his chest inhaled breath. 

Dark hair curled on his chest, sinewing with chords of pure muscles, streaking faintly into the waistline of his track pants. She mewled at the ravishing sight.  

He was swift to attack her neck. Canines painted their story on her glaring skin. " Nalla vanilla ice cream madhiri.. kalankaathaala.. eppadi, thango?" // "Fucking vanilla.. how do you smell like this in the fucking morning, thango.."  

Electric rods bloomed like live wires in the lining of her belly as his beard raved. Scraping a divine journey to give her nothing but pleasure. 

She drew a sharp breath. Thighs moving like liquid against  the friction with his track pants. Riveting her very being as she gasped for a fistful of air. What was oxygen even?

Only his voice made sense to her, or maybe it didn't? She didn't give a fuck about what happened after this. His tongue was all that mattered and oh, how he made it matter . The mad power of his wounded shoulders twitching beneath her. 

She steered the direction of his spasms. Every hiss. Every grunt. Made her shiver with the burns of his fingers. 

Rocky scraped his palms against her thighs. Calluses crashing like tidal waves on awaiting rocks ashore. Heading in unrelenting directions. Plush and pining. It ached just to be near him. 

The buttons of her shirt popped beneath his relentless fingers. He gently sank it at her shoulders. She let his beard serve against the valley of her breasts, scraping and raging against the vanilla smeared skin.

Reena chased after his raw chest, rubbing unabashedly. Her senses blurred and she moved her legs like her whole body would collapse in a pool of flames. Bursts of summer fruits licked her flesh, seizing control as it guided her towards him. 

"Nalla perusa ayidichu di!" // "They got bigger, I swear," the lunatic shrieked. Holding up her tits spilling over his thumbs as he tweaked it. Teasing her. She released a feline groan. Just as she caught a moment to compose a coherent thought.

"Just.. fucking touch me." She gasped against his ears. Not begging. Not yearning. But commanding him to take charge of her body. 

"Yes.. ma'am!" He grinned against her nipple, teased her with a quick lick. 

Thick fingers found her soaked heat, thriving on his clothed thigh with a furious need. She plummeted her head against his shoulder blades. Fire claimed the pit of her stomach, destroying everything in its path as it made its way to her core. Humming and pulling her nerves in a dance of death. 

He kept his pace, rabid and quick, pumping in and out of her. Slick sounds charged the air around them, she chewed her lower lip, drawing blood. 

Her hands found the roots of his hair and she strangled the strands beneath her fingers and his tongue and teeth tugged on her nipples, like pulling at the strings of honey. He licked a path between her tits, flicking his simmering tongue expertly. 

She rode his fingers. Lost in the rhythm as Rocky's tongue weaved filaments of hot cocoa, pouring onto her desolate skin. Like parched lands welcoming rains with open arms. 

She bit her lower lip and raised her head above, spasms rocking her being. Frustration bathed her and nudged her leg against his. " Yeah.. just keep moving.."

His lips wrapped around her pebbled tip. She let him breathe fire against her tenderness. Break her apart and make her whole again. Piece by piece. Watched him as he did. And oh, how well he did it. Somehow, that turned her on even more. 

She moaned and mechanically moved her pelvis against his steel hardness. A pure growl ripped from his throat. Like a war cry that summoned hordes of beasts. And she kept at it until he buried his face in her neck. Shuddering under her. 

Almond butter skin glowed under the aurelian rays. She panted hard like she had just run a few laps around the courtyard.

Grinding on him, she shrieked on a high, "More , Raja..more ."  Rocky solely focused on pleasuring her more than himself. 

He bared his white teeth at her when she used his given name. Even at the peak of her pleasure, she caught his wretchedly carnal grin, as he lifted from her cleavage. She was probably uttering nonsense but he seemed to thrive on her every single word. 

As he strung her along, white hot poker sticks thrusted her belly until she exploded with a tidal wave of pure bliss. A rippling moan wrecked her body as she collapsed on his capable shoulders, nails carving crescents against his tanned neck. 

"I.. did I hurt you?" She touched her lips with her fingertips. I hope I didn't hurt him more. Shit. Shit. 

There was a loud thumping on the door and his bodyguard's voice seeped through the door, "We need you out here in five minutes sir. Rajendra Desai is in your dining hall." Saleem interrupted.

" Ungomale –" // " Mother–" He began and caught himself in time. 

"Sorry. Ungappan vantana! Chey." // "Ugh, it's your fucking father!" //  A nerve twitched on his jaw and his eyes screamed murder. 

"Shh." She shut his lips with her finger. " The kid!" She tilted her head, warning him. 

"Thatha vukku mariyade kuduka katthukuduka num la. Athukkuthan." // Exactly. Which is why we must teach our baby just how much she should respect her grandfather!" He kissed her fingers and she withdrew them like his lips burned her. 

She made a face at him, "very funny."  

"Veri pudicha panni. Yes. Correct-u." He gasped. 

His hard on was imminently visible. They would sure as hell not have time for " showtime ". Not with her dad waiting at the other end of the wall. She was hating herself for putting him through this. All of it. 

"Should I.. uh.." She awkwardly began. He lifted her with little to no effort and gingerly placed her on the other side of the bed. Dark eyes still lingering on the places where her shirt failed to conceal her. Now he was asking for it. 

She made no effort to button up. Just ran a hand through her hair, fingers combing through and propped her breasts up even more. Teasing him. 

An inhumane growl erupted from the base of his throat. Rocky turned away with quaking fists, ramming it through a wall nearby as he dragged his feet to the bathroom.

"Can't even fuck my wife in peace. Chey!" He murmured under his breath. 

She positively smiled as he banged shut the door to the connecting bathroom. Maybe she would just get used to this. Maybe . 

---