It was nearly midnight when Darsh finally arrived. She watched from the porch as he handed his horse to a waiting groom. As expected, he looked knackered. His hair was messed up from the long day and his clothes were wet from the unexpected rain they had that evening. His face had a grey sheen that she hadn't seen on him in the past two months.

"Let me help!" She rushed forward as he stumbled while climbing up the steps. He looked surprised.

"I am fine. I can manage."

She helped him anyway. Holding his arm, she led him to his room - to the smallest guestroom at the end of a long corridor. Her eyes darted around as they entered. The furniture was basic; the floor was cold and uncarpeted. In a corner stood a small cabinet full of innumerable medicines. Next to it was a pair of crutches, handy, in case the patient needed them. For a moment, she stilled. Talk about making a point. After this, she won't be able to look him in the eye.

"I'll get you something to eat. You take a shower and change." She turned the other way to avoid showing him her face. He moved ever so slightly to block her way.

"Stay, please. We need to talk."

What did he need to talk about? It was past midnight. Didn't he want to rest? She looked at his still-damp clothes. He must be so cold in them, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Zorawar told me what happened today - about Mansi Chachi's threat. You don't have to worry. We'll find a way."

"Forget it." She shook her head. "Nehal saw us that night on the bridge. There's not much we can do about it."

He exhaled and pursed his lips. "About the other thing that Nehal said...believe me, it's not true. There was nothing between us. I can never think of anyone else that way."

Her heart stilled as their eyes met. In the dim yellow of the bedroom lamp, the silence thickened around them, forming a cozy cocoon. It was soothing, lulling like an unforeseen dream. "You don't need to explain. I know you'll never do it."

"Do you?" His face stayed grave. "Then you will also know there's only one woman of whom I can think that way."

A warm glow flushed her cheeks. Yes, she knew it, and she felt the same for him. Yet it was a puzzle why they always landed in peculiar situations. Maybe it was Karma, or maybe fate. Like two planets orbiting the sun, they revolved with each other, unable to touch, unable to break free.

"I'll go get some food..." She turned to the door but stopped just short of ramming into him. She hadn't seen him squaring himself outright, pulling himself to his full length. Not for the first time, she noticed his size. He was like a wall of black granite - tall, dark, and broody–beautiful, but utterly unassailable.

"You didn't answer my question."

"What question?"

"My question about what you feel for me and how I feel for you. I am tired of being in constant limbo, Aditi. I think it's time we sorted it out."

He stepped closer, his arms gently wrapping around her to pull her in. It was the gentlest of the touch like a veil of silk had enveloped her. A wave of sweet shivers rippled down her body. He smiled. "Not that there is not much to sort, I see, but I think it's better to clear the air."

"Umm...maybe later." She spluttered, changing her mind in an instant. Clearing the air was a good idea, but not now. He was under the influence of that drug. He needed to clear his head. She needed him to have a clear head before they went any further. "We'll talk when you are better. Let me get you some food first."

"I don't want food, Aditi." He looked irritated. "I want something else. And I want it now. It's already too late." He tightened his grip to pull her close. Through the thin cotton of her dress, his hard muscles poked into her, sending tiny balls of electricity crackling through her nerves. It must be some kind of chemical reaction that caused such havoc, some phenomenon that connects the nerves, the skin, and the brain to the core of your body. A little jolt there and the entire system comes crashing down.

She tried to remember it from her books but did not recall anything. The theory was theory and practical was practical, her professors used to say. You never know how it is until you actually experience it.

"It's... it's the drug." She spluttered, catching her breath. He frowned.

"What drug?"

"The drug. The new drug. You know it's still under trial. They now have a new list of side effects, and it says..."

"What does it say?" He tilted his head, nuzzling into her hair. She heated from the root of her hair to the tip of her toes.

"It says what you are experiencing is due to hormonal imbalance."

"Hormonal imbalance?"

"Yes. The drug increases adrenaline, which is a stress hormone. It causes anxiety and light-headedness. You said your brain goes funny, right? It's all because of the drug."

"Hmm." He pulled back a little, and she was able to breathe. He looked thoughtful, but his grip didn't slacken. "I feel light-headed, but that's about it. I am not stressed or anxious. And it's not all like how you say. This is different."

Different? What did he mean? She was annoyed. She didn't like to be second-guessed. She was the doctor here, and he was the patient. Surely, she was supposed to know better?

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"The drug causes over-excited ness." She squirmed, pressing her hands on his shoulders to push him away. Not that it worked, but he let her move an inch. "Do you feel...excited? Angry? Frustrated? It's all because of the drug. But you don't have to worry. We'll fix it."

"It's excitement alright," His eyes sparkled. "But I won't call it just excitement. This is something more. And it's...beautiful!" He dipped his head to breathe into her hair, his lips tracing the tender skin of her neck. It took her two seconds to lose the use of her legs. Her core throbbed angrily, rebelling against her brain. Shut up, it seemed to scream. Shut the f*ck up and let us take over!

She shook her head. It felt like she was the one on adrenaline. The way her heart raced testified to that. He, on the other hand, was just excited. It was the best benefit the drug could offer.

Her legs felt like jelly as she started to slide to the ground in a haphazard mess. He tightened his grip to pull her up.

"Stand straight and stop talking about that silly drug. Let me tell you how it is - I love you. I have always loved you, right from the moment I saw you at the racecourse. It took me so long to realize, but now that I have..." he said through mouthfuls of her skin as his teeth grazed her skin. Her body was on the verge of exploding, but her brain still held on to a last shred of sanity.

"Darsh, wait. Not now. Not like this. Please."

He frowned and pulled back. She swallowed. "Please. Let me finish. Whatever these sudden emotions you are experiencing, it's the side effect of the drug. It's teh adrenaline and testosterone, and whatnot. It will wear off in a few days. I am going to reduce your dosage. From tomorrow, you'll take two pills instead of the regular three. Then one week later we'll reduce to a single. Then after that, we'll change to a new medicine, then this problem will be over. Your leg is nearly healed, and you have regained your weight, too. It's just this funny feeling now. We'll handle it properly, and it will be all sorted. Now let me get you something to eat. You go and freshen up..."

Before she could finish, his mouth was on hers. The kiss was neither punishing nor demanding, but it knocked her out of her doctor mode. Her skin melted at his touch as heat coursed through her veins. Her core that was throbbing so patiently exploded with volcanic pressure.

"Darsh..!!"

He picked her up to push her to the bed. It creaked pathetically as their combined weight hit the wooden frame.

She snapped open her dozy eyes. This... needed to stop. There were other, more important matters to concern, like his addled brain, the effects of that drug. She had used the drug on him without understanding the effects. It was her job to pull him out of this stupor.

"Darsh listen..."

"No. You listen to me, Aditi Sharma. Whatever this crazy theory about the drug...it may be true, but it's not the complete truth. I have felt like this even before I started that drug. These were my exact feelings when we met the first time. It has never changed. I have always wanted you. It's nothing to do with the drug."

Oh. She fell silent. He took the opportunity to get rid of his clothes, then peeled her clothes away one by one. His eyes were so focussed on the task, she watched him mesmerized.

He was beautiful. The way his lustrous hair curled and fell on his forehead was beautiful. The way his dark eye watched her with naked desire was utterly beautiful. The way his muscled shoulders flexed and rippled as he gathered her in his arms was truly, breathtakingly beautiful.

"And now we begin." He smiled as he aligned himself with her. The weight of his body so flush against hers set her off like fire. These were the last moments. Last before she...

"But…you are not well! You are weak. You need rest."

Exasperated, he looked up. "Listen, Miss Sharma. At this moment, I want my wife, not my doctor. I'll see my doctor in the morning if I need to, but right now, she can bugger off for all I care."

He dipped his head as his body covered hers. His lips tasted hers and his hands caressed her curves. She suppressed a moan, trying to think of one last feeble excuse.

"We... we are not married. What if..."

“I knew you would say this!” He sighed. "I have told you before, and I'll say it again - no child of mine will be born a bastard. What broke with a signature, we'll fix it with another. But before then, you owe me a wedding night, and a honeymoon, not to mention the penalty for feeding me that blasted drug. So stop stalling and get ready. The more you delay, the harder will it be."

She didn't remember much after that. The frantic coupling that followed erased all her thoughts. The night lived up to the promise of a storm, only this storm raged inside, between the sheets, between their frenzied bodies. His heart drummed in her ears as his fervor trespassed into her body to claim it as his own. His roaming hands memorized her every curve. His mouth cherished her as if in prayer. In the end, she was delirious with ecstasy. She never knew physical love could be so fulfilling. As was his habit, he took all he could, yet gave much more. She didn't know how to hold it in her two hands, neither in heart nor in her soul.

Finally, she just let go. You cannot contain a storm. All you can do is fly with it and let it take its course. Trust it with your life and pray that it will land you somewhere safe. Only in this case, she knew she was in safe hands.

In the morning when she looked out of her window, the land was drenched in dew. It had rained all night. Not the storm that the blustery evening had promised, but a gentle, soothing rain, the kind that nurtures and sows its seed. Plumes of soft white mist rose through the bushes, promising new blooms in the summer. Smiling, she returned to the bed. Darsh was in a deep sleep. His chest rose and fell as she listened to the music of his heart. Finally, he was hers and she was his. All wounds were drained, and all souls were healed, and they were ready for a new life.

*****

New life, did she say? It was not to be. Aditi left the guestroom to climb up the stairs to check on Neev. It was maybe seven in the morning. Not just Darsh, but the whole house was still asleep.

She pushed open Neev's door. As expected, he was fast asleep, his tiny body tucked under the soft quilt she had covered him with the previous night. The room looked exactly the same except for one detail. Nehal sat next to Neev breathing in his scent.

Her one hand was on his chest, the other caressing his hair. Her eyes had a hunger that Aditi had only seen once before.

"Get off my baby!" She screamed as she raced in to push the girl away. Nehal got up, smiling her poisonous smile.

"I just came to check on him. You were...busy the whole night. I thought he would be scared if he woke up."

"You bit*h! How dare you touch my child! Where's the nanny? Where ..."

"Oh, I sent her away." Nehal shrugged. "After all, I am the aunt. I have more right to Neev than anyone else, just as I have every right to whatever you have, whether you like it or not."

Two hours later, she was still in shock. Darsh paced the room, anger radiating from him like heat waves. She sat stunned, stroking Neev's head, who was luckily still in a deep sleep.

"I must leave this place. This is not going to end here. I can't endanger Neev." She said as a tear rolled her eye. Darsh came to stand by her.

"I can fix this if you let me."

Her brow furrowed with suspicion, yet hope. "How?"

"I have my own ways.” He shrugged. “It wasn't for nothing that Dadaji trusted me. Just promise you won't interfere. You won't come to save your cousins when the time comes."

Startled, she looked at him. His face was hard, dark with menace. Yes, he had ways, just like Vivaan had; like Mohit had. Even her Dadaji must have had them in his heyday. It was the world of these men. She despised it, but maybe for this once, she had to curb her conscience.

"What will you do?"

He leaned in to peck Neev's cheek and stroked his silken hair. Then pulled her close to kiss her brow.

"You'll see."

***** *****