Mihir & Maira's Room - Night
The room was dimly lit, shadows cast by the flickering black candles on the dresser. Maira stood frozen for a moment outside the bathroom door, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She could hear the faint splashing of water, the soft rustle of petals drifting in it.
She drew in a shaky breath. This is it. For Sapna... for Teju... for everyone.
With trembling fingers, she pushed the door open.
The sight before her was both haunting and strangely alluring-Mihir lounged in a deep, claw-footed bathtub filled with dark, shimmering water, black roses floating lazily around him. Steam rose like ghostly tendrils, and his crimson eyes gleamed in the candlelight.
He tilted his head lazily toward her, a sly smirk curling his lips. "Well, well..." he drawled, his voice low and taunting. "Missing me so much, wife, that you had to barge in?"
Maira swallowed hard, forcing a soft smile onto her face as she stepped inside. "Of course," she replied smoothly, though her hands shook behind her back. "I couldn't bear to be apart from you... not tonight."
Mihir's smirk deepened, amusement glinting in his eyes. With a flick of his fingers, invisible force wrapped around her waist, yanking her forward. She gasped as she was lifted off her feet and pulled into the tub, the cold silk of her saree soaking instantly.
She landed against his chest, the water rippling around them. His arm snaked around her back possessively.
"For someone who couldn't stand me a few hours ago," he murmured against her ear, "you've changed quickly. Why, I wonder?"
Maira forced herself not to flinch as his hand trailed idly up her spine. She met his gaze with feigned devotion. "Because you're my husband. And I've realized... there's no escaping you. So why fight what's already mine?"
Mihir studied her, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly, suspicion flickering within them. "Hmm. Perhaps." His hand rose to brush a wet strand of her hair back from her face. "Or perhaps you're plotting something, little dove
Mihir's arm still circled her waist, the dark water swirling around them as he held her close. His crimson gaze roamed her face, sharp and calculating.
"Do you truly think," he murmured, his voice silk and steel, "that love can affect me, wife? That your little emotions can tame what I am?"
Maira tilted her head, eyes locked on his, lips curling into a soft, almost teasing smile. "No," she whispered, her fingers slowly trailing across his damp chest, tracing over the hard planes of muscle beneath. "But lust can."
Mihir's brow arched ever so slightly, intrigued despite himself. Before he could respond, she leaned in and captured his lips in a sudden, tender kiss.
For a heartbeat, Mihir stilled-surprised by her boldness. Then, his puzzlement melted into a slow, dark amusement.
"Clever little thing," he muttered against her lips.
And with that, he seized her mouth in a fierce, consuming kiss, one hand tangling in her soaked hair as he pulled her impossibly closer. The water sloshed violently in the tub, black roses scattering around them.
Maira let him take control, her own hands roaming up to his neck, deliberately brushing against his hair once more-stealthily plucking another strand and hiding it in her fist. She kissed him back with feigned passion, every nerve in her body screaming to escape, but her resolve steeled stronger with every passing second.
Mihir finally pulled back, smirking, his lips grazing her ear. "Careful, wife. Keep this up, and I might just start believing you've embraced the darkness in me."
Maira forced a playful smile, masking the thundering of her heart. "Maybe I have," she whispered.
Inside, she thought fiercely: I'll play your game, Mihir. But in the end... I'll win.
Maira had just managed to hide the strand of his hair in the folds of her dress when she began to rise from the tub, keeping her face serene despite the pounding of her heart.
But before she could step out, Mihir's hand shot out like a viper, gripping her wrist.
"Leaving so soon, wife?" he drawled, his crimson eyes glinting with dangerous amusement. "You come in here, all bold and tempting... and think you can just walk away after arousing me?"
Maira froze, pulse thundering in her ears. "I-I thought..." she started, struggling to find the right words.
Mihir gave a low, dark chuckle, tugging her back into the water. She stumbled against him, her palms landing on his bare chest. He towered over her now, his face mere inches from hers.
"No thoughts, Maira," he whispered, voice husky with an edge of menace. "Only actions."
His lips trailed from her cheek to the curve of her neck, the warm press of his mouth sending shivers down her spine-not of desire, but of fear she struggled to hide.
"Mihir..." she breathed, forcing a soft, breathless tone to mask her nerves. "I... I just wanted to please you..."
"And you have," he murmured against her skin, pressing a lingering kiss to the pulse hammering at her throat. "But I'm not done with you yet."
Inside, panic clawed at her chest. She needed to get out. Now. The hair strand she had could save Sapna's life-but if he kept her here any longer, he might suspect everything.
She swallowed hard, summoning every ounce of courage. "Then let me... change into something fitting," she said softly, brushing her lips over his cheek in a delicate tease. "Something that will drive you mad."
Mihir's eyes burned with hunger and prideful delight. "Go, then," he said with a smirk, releasing her wrist but not before brushing his fingers over her lips. "But don't make me wait too long, wife. Or I'll come find you... and I promise, you won't be able to walk when I'm done."
Maira forced a sultry smile, turned, and walked out of the bathroom-her legs trembling beneath her facade. As soon as she closed the door behind her, her mask crumbled. She clutched the damp hair strand in her fist, whispering to herself:
"I have what I need... now I just have to survive long enough to use it."