JAAN BAN GAYE(Replaced Bride)

CHAPTER 14 - MUDDY ROMANCE

Author's pov

It's been over a week since Parth went to Germany. Parth and Shanaya haven't been talking as much, just exchanged a heartfelt 'bye' on the day he left. Shourya let her know that her college will start in two days. All her paperwork for top institutions is done, and she's been admitted to a prestigious college.

Everything is sorted for her before starting college. She's enjoying a happy life with her family, but deep down, she misses him. One fresh morning, Shanaya wakes up, freshens up, and heads downstairs, following her daily routine. Since it's early, she decides to water the plants before making breakfast.

Shanaya was calmly watering the plants when she noticed a pot lying on the floor, with mud scattered everywhere. She quickly sat down, straightened the pot, and carefully gathered the scattered mud, making the soil uniform again.

But then, when she stood up, she realized her hands were all muddy. As she turned around to go wash her hands, she accidentally bumped into someone, getting her muddy palms on their shirt. Shanaya's eyes widened in shock as she looked at the person, only to be even more surprised.

Parth stood there, all dapper in his formal shirt and pants, with his sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows. He looked hot, but you could tell he was exhausted from his jam-packed schedule in Germany. And then, out of the blue, Shanaya accidentally bumped into him, her hands landing right on his chest.

She looked at him, wide-eyed and shocked, and whispered, "M-Mr. Deshmukh, aap? (You?)" Parth couldn't help but gaze back at her, completely mesmerized by her innocent and beautiful eyes. He found himself wanting to get lost in them. And this time, she wasn't looking away, giving him the perfect opportunity to do just that.

With a deep voice, he replied, "Yes, Mrs. Deshmukh, main.. (me)" Shanaya couldn't help but take in his disheveled hair, sleepy eyes, and those oh-so-tempting pink lips. He was simply too handsome for her to handle. She felt a mix of attraction and a need to look away from his intense gaze, but his face brought her a sense of peace. It was as if he had a magnetic pull on her.

The air was filled with silence for a few moments until Parth couldn't contain his curiosity any longer and asked, "What are you doing here so early in the morning?" Shanaya slowly snapped out of her trance, her eyes darting around, avoiding direct eye contact, and she replied, "Just watering the plants..."

Suddenly, her attention shifted to her hands, which had unintentionally left muddy imprints on Parth's shirt. She gasped, quickly retracting her hands, and her shock only grew as she realized what had happened. She looked at him, her eyes filled with apology, and stammered, "I-I'm so sorry, I d-did it m-mistakenly.

Hearing her, he took a step closer to her and said in a deep, yet alluring tone, "But now you've made a mistake and you need to be punished, don't you, Mrs. Deshmukh?" Shocked and scared, she looked at him and pleaded, "P-please don't punish me. I won't do it again." He took another step closer, so close that their chests were almost touching. Shanaya was already bothered with the proximity, and his words only added to her fear. The word "punishment" reminded her of the cruel acts her parents had subjected her to.

Meanwhile, Parth's gaze was fixed on her, his eyes drilling into her. He huskily said, "I'm not a good man, Mrs. Deshmukh. I punish people for their mistakes, so I can't be unfair by not punishing you." Slowly, he bent down, still maintaining an intense gaze, and picked up a handful of mud. Sensually, he applied the mud on her arm, dragging his hand downwards, making her right arm all muddy.

She realized that what Parth did was actually the punishment he mentioned. On one hand, she felt relieved that the punishment wasn't as severe as she thought. On the other hand, she was angry because it seemed like he was intentionally getting her hands dirty after she accidentally dirtied her shirt.