Chapter 6 : Love and Care

Aheem, recalling something, said, "Isn't Hriday Agarwal a manager at S.K. Company?"

Ohas nodded in agreement, "Yes."

Ashwatth, whose mind seemed elsewhere, said to Orien, "From tomorrow, you will be training Tiya at the gym."

Orien was puzzled by Ashwatth's request and asked, "But why?"

Ashwatth replied, "She's very weak. Take care of everything she eats and drinks. You must have seen her, right?"

Aadit chuckled and said, "Oh, so you don't want anyone to just blow her away with a puff of air? It's good that you want to keep her fit."

Ignoring Aadit's comment, Ashwatth continued, "I've already submitted her 14-day leave application to her college. We should see good results in two weeks."

Ojas teased Ashwatth again, "So, does that mean we might hear some good news after that?"

Ashwatth shot him a glare and said, "Don't you all have anything else to do? As I've said, her graduation isn't complete yet. If she ends up pregnant, she'll be bullied unnecessarily at university and become famous for the wrong reasons."

"And besides, Grandpa wants to keep this marriage a secret, and you all agree with that. I have no other choice, and the most important thing is—she's still very young."

Aadit grinned and said, "My little sweet sister-in-law!"

Rachit snapped, "Just shut up, Aadit."

Aadit, making a face, said, "Brother, nothing like that will happen. You're too much."

Orien then said to Ashwatth, "Okay, 14 days should be enough. I'll train her well. She'll be in decent shape, but she might need a hospital visit for a check-up first. She seems too weak; I doubt she'll be able to follow my instructions, but I'll do my best."

Aadit, smiling mischievously, added, "But she's very beautiful."

Ashwatth gave him a stern look and said to Orien, "Make sure you take good care of her diet. I'm leaving for Russia for two weeks to close an important deal."

Orien replied, "Okay, big boss."

Tiya, who was an excellent cook, quickly prepared food with the help of the servants, and soon everything was ready on the dining table.

Everyone came to eat, and the aroma of the food was so tempting that it made everyone even hungrier.

Grandpa took a deep breath, savoring the smell, and said, "Wow! What a wonderful aroma!"

Ashwatth smiled, and at his gesture, Tiya served Grandpa. As soon as he took the first bite, he beamed with joy, "This house was missing a woman's touch, and now that's complete. My dear, you cook even better than a professional chef; this food is truly delicious."

Hearing this, everyone dove into the food, except for Ashwatth, who quietly observed them. Tiya went over to him and served his plate because one of Ashwatth's rules was that his wife would serve his meals.

Ashwatth said, "Now sit down."

Tiya sat beside him, and Ashwatth piled her plate high with food. Tiya looked at the heap of food in shock.

"Just eat," Ashwatth ordered.

Tiya opened her mouth to say something but couldn't. Meanwhile, everyone else was devouring their meals, and soon, all the food was gone, with the sound of satisfied belches filling the air. Tiya was still eating, and Aadit was eyeing her plate, despite already being full.

He rubbed his stomach and said to Ashwatth, "Sister-in-law might not be able to finish all that."

Irritated, Ashwatth snapped, "What's it to you? You're done with your food, right?"

Aadit, looking at Ashwatth's plate, responded, "Brother, I'm your sweet little sibling. Why don't you share her food with me? Look, her plate's still full, and she won't be able to finish it. Please, give me your plate, brother."

Before Ashwatth could respond, Aadit grabbed his plate and finished it in no time. Ashwatth barely had anything to eat because his little brother had swiped his meal. Tiya watched in astonishment as this unfolded.

The meal was over, except for the food on Tiya's plate. She said, "I…"

Ashwatth interrupted, "Are you full?"

Tiya quickly nodded yes. She was indeed full because, earlier, the caretaker had fed her a very healthy and heavy breakfast at Ashwatth's request, and she could barely manage to eat any more. Without a word, Ashwatth took Tiya's plate and started eating from it.

Everyone watching exclaimed, "Wow! How romantic!"

Annoyed, Ashwatth replied, "Just shut up. My food was stolen, I'm hungry, and wasting food is wrong."

Grandpa, laughing, said, "My dear, you've cooked so well. I'd love to eat your food every day. Will you cook for me?"

Hearing this, Tiya's heart swelled with happiness, and she nodded enthusiastically. Grandpa signaled to a maid, who brought over a gift box.

Grandpa said, "This is from me."

Tiya looked confused and turned to Ashwatth for guidance.

Ashwatth said, "Go ahead, take it."

Grandpa then said to Ashwatth, "You're commanding her as if she can't speak without your permission."

Ashwatth, understanding his grandfather, said, "That's not it, Grandpa. She's feeling uncomfortable because there are mostly men here."

Grandpa thought for a moment and then said, "If that's the case, then I have a solution. Now that you're married, the others will follow soon too. My dear, this gift is for you."

He handed the gift to Tiya, and she touched his feet to seek his blessing.

"May you live long, and quickly show me the face of my great-grandchild," Grandpa said, getting emotional.

Everyone else grinned at this, and Tiya blushed deeply.

Feeling a bit awkward, Ashwatth said, "Grandpa, this is really an awkward situation."

Grandpa, surprised by his words, asked, "What's awkward about it?"

Ashwatth replied, "Don't you think you're rushing things a bit?"

But before Ashwatth could finish, Grandpa burst into laughter, "My dear grandson, when did I say I was in a hurry? Whenever you're ready, make me a great-grandfather."

Listening to all this, Aadit started to get bored and interjected, "Enough, enough, change the topic, please. Brother is leaving for Russia for an important deal, and he'll be gone for two weeks."

Grandpa said, "Take your wife with you."

Ashwatth responded, "No, Grandpa, she has other work here. Besides, I'm not going there for fun; I have a lot of meetings, and I won't be able to give Tiya any time."

Grandpa wasn't convinced and asked, "What work does she have here?"

Recalling Grandpa's previous words, Ashwatth said, "You yourself said that my wife is as thin and weak as a stick, and anyone could blow her away with a single breath. I just want to make sure that by the time I return, my wife's health is back to normal. Her weight is very low right now."

"For now, she'll be visiting the hospital today. I need to know if she has any deficiencies that are causing her to be so thin."

Tiya, listening to the conversation between Ashwatth and Grandpa, stared at them in astonishment and then glanced down at herself, realizing, "I've become as thin as a stick." She suddenly became aware that she hadn't been taking care of herself. She noticed her face had grown a little saggy, and her arms had become weak.

She thought, "I'm so thin that even a small child could pick me up and toss me."

Ashwatth's voice brought her back to the present, "That's why I want to make sure she's fit, Grandpa."

Grandpa nodded in agreement, "That's a good thing. Being too skinny isn't healthy either. I used to wonder if you could care for anyone so much, but now I'm sure—you're not only a good son, grandson, businessman, brother, and friend but also a good husband. Very good, you get 100 out of 100 from me."

Aadit, clapping his hands, added, "And 90 out of 100 from me."

But when Aadit saw Grandpa looking at him, he quickly quieted down.

**Evening at Aryan Palace**

Tiya was in shock. She sat on the floor in her room, staring at the gift boxes on the coffee table, but she didn't have the courage to open them without Ashwatth's permission. Everything still felt like a dream to her, and she thought she would wake up any moment to find the dream shattered. She couldn't believe her luck—who would accept an illegitimate child like her? These thoughts caused her to panic.

Just then, Ashwatth entered the room and saw Tiya sitting on the floor, staring at the gift boxes. A smile crept across his face as he said, "They're all for you. Go ahead, open them."

There was panic on Tiya's face, and Ashwatth could understand that she had never received love or affection before. The sudden shower of care and respect had left her shocked and overwhelmed. He also knew that she was probably thinking of all this as a dream, one that would shatter the moment she woke up.

He sat down on the sofa and reached out, pulling Tiya up from the floor where she had been sitting. As soon as he touched her, a current ran through her entire body, and her heart began to race. Ashwatth placed her on his lap. Tiya had no idea how to react, her gaze darting sideways to catch a glimpse of Ashwatth's handsome face.

Leaning close to her ear, Ashwatth whispered lovingly, "You aren't dreaming. This is real. You are my wife, and all of this is yours. You just have to live like a good wife."

Tiya nodded, though she still couldn't bring herself to fully believe it.

With tenderness, Ashwatth placed both his hands around her neck, lifting her downcast face. He looked at her for a moment, then gently pressed his lips against her soft ones. Tiya's mind went completely blank. Suddenly, Ashwatth bit down hard on her lower lip. The pain made Tiya cry out, pulling away instantly. The sharp sting snapped her back to reality, and she saw her blood on his lips.

Fury surged through her, and she thought to herself, *What kind of monster does this? Just because I owe him a crore doesn't mean he can treat me any way he likes.*

She shot him a strange look, but Ashwatth only had a mischievous smile on his face.

He said, "I can bite your lips again if you like. Now do you believe this isn't a dream?"

Tiya quickly nodded, her lips throbbing in pain. She had no desire to go through that again. Everything that was happening was a first for her, a new kind of sensation that neither her heart nor her mind could understand.

Ashwatth added, "I know you're the illegitimate daughter of Ridhay Agarwal. Don't worry, no one in this house cares about that. The food was truly excellent. You should be a master chef in a seven-star hotel. But first, take my gift."

He pulled a ring box out of his coat pocket. Tiya tried to get up from his lap, but Ashwatth held her waist firmly, preventing her from moving. She looked at him intently, still unable to believe that such a good-looking man was her husband.

Ashwatth opened the box, revealing two couple's rings. They were stunning, new-design platinum rings. Tiya gazed at them, admiring their beauty.

Ashwatth slipped one ring onto his finger and then placed the other on Tiya's left ring finger. He held her hand over his and examined them together, saying, "Hmm, our hands look good together."

Tiya was still admiring the rings when Ashwatth warned, "Don't you dare even think about taking it off."

Tiya replied, "I won't. I would never do that."

The ring looked perfect on her finger, and Tiya loved it. She couldn't stop gazing at it without blinking.

Ashwatth continued, "I'm leaving for Russia tonight. While I'm away, don't even think about running away, understand?"

Tiya quickly replied, "No, I won't."

Ashwatth added, "Impress Grandpa while I'm gone and take care of yourself. When I return, I'll check your weight. If it's still the same, you'll be in trouble."

Tiya looked at him nervously, thinking to herself, Who takes care of someone like this? This is more of a threat than concern.