Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Madhu kept chanting inside her head as she followed Rishabh into his massive bedroom. She looked around with her mouth wide open and tutted in her mind that his bedroom must be double the size of her family's cozy condo. Determined to not give off the vibe that she is intimidated and overwhelmed, Madhu shut her mouth and schooled her features, exuding calm and composure. However, at the periphery of her vision, she observed the slight smirk on Rishabh's face and his eyes glittering with amusement. Forcing herself to ignore him and not crease her forehead into a telling frown, Madhu silently lectured herself to ignore the temptation of scratching the smirk off his handsome visage.

Having successfully managed to ignore Rishabh, she glanced around the room and though it is huge just like the rest of the house and is ostentatious; she found it pleasing. It is tastefully done in black and white with splashes of color the abundance of paintings and artsy wall hangings. Staring at the closest painting near her, Madhu instantly recognized from the style of the strokes of the painting brush and also from the miniscule signature scrawled at the bottom that it is one of Van Gogh's lesser known work. Her eyes gleaming with new appreciation, she mused with wry humor that she would have never pegged Rishabh as a connoisseur of arts. Lips twisted in a wry smile, she shook her head gently and lifted her eyes to the high black and white tray ceiling, highly glossed to perfection. Bedazzled by the ornate, black chandelier hanging from above, in a trance, she followed the direction of the rays of lights, till her gaze landed on the king size bed.

Staring at the silky white duvet cover complementing the black silk pillows, Madhu swallowed convulsively. The dilemma of their inconvenient sleeping arrangement came back to her with a vengeance. Peering through her lashes, she glanced coyly up at Rishabh, leaning against the closed door with his shoulder. One look at the lazy smile gracing his lips, Madhu knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he knew she was balking at the idea of sleeping with him on the same bed. She raised her chin defiantly at him as he raised an eyebrow, silently mocking her distress. Determined to not let Rishabh fluster her, she glanced around the room for alternative. But to her dismay, she did not find a couch large enough to accommodate even her smaller sized frame.

Rishabh stirred from his position with the grace of a panther and in three wide strides, reached her side. He wrapped his arms territorially around her shoulders. He leaned down and brushed his lips against her earlobe. Madhu shivered, feeling his hot breath, as he whispered huskily, "Give it up sweetheart. Get used to the idea of us. You and I. Together. On the same bed."

Madhu straightened her spine as she held herself rigidly in his arms. Not wanting to show him how his being near her sets her all a tingling, she tilted her head sideways to create some distance between her face and his firm, tempting lips. Mustering up the hidden school teacher in her, she frowned up at him and scolded, "Mr. Kundra you seem to have forgotten about our deal upon which this marriage was agreed upon. In case you have forgotten, YOU agreed to my demands that there will be no marital relationship between us. As in, NO SEX. So get it straight through your thick skull. No way in hell am I sleeping with you in the same bed!"

He flashed all of his teeth into a wolfish smile and with his arm still wrapped around her shoulders like a band of steel, Rishabh propelled Madhu towards the intimidating, mammoth-like yet comfortable looking bed. Holding both her shoulders firmly in his large hands, he gently pushed her down, till she is perched on the corner. Lifting her chin up with his right palm, he stared deep into her honeyed eyes. With an uncharacteristic solemn expression, he reassured, "I know the rules that I agreed to prior to our marriage and I am not about to violate it." His left hand gestured with a sweeping motion, "All we will be doing is sleeping. And this bed is large enough that 5 people can sleep in it comfortably. So you don't have to worry about us getting too close."

Rishabh keenly observed Madhu as she nodded her head reluctantly in agreement. Though he just claimed that he won't violate her rules, staring at her, looking ethereal in her simple yet chic wedding dress, has his blood on fire. He is tempted beyond belief to haul her up into his arms and plunder her soft lips and kiss her like there is no tomorrow. But he mentally cautioned himself that abrupt moves to get physically close to her would be counterproductive. He felt a pull at the side of his lips to form a full-fledged grin. With Herculean effort, Rishabh controlled it and erased all traces of humor and desire from his expression.

He has no intention to follow Madhu's silly rules. As far as he is concerned, she is his. And not touching her, making love to her would be like denying himself oxygen. Rishabh slightly shook his head, a frown creased on his forehead. He admitted to his innermost self, that Madhu has become an obsession. He needed to have her to survive. It's that simple. But Rishabh smiled inwardly, he is a patient man. And he will bide his time before launching at his wife with all of his sensual weapons in his arsenal.

His gaze turned apprehensive as he observed the change in Madhu's expression as she stared, transfixed at a point beyond his shoulders. He half turned his body and glanced questioningly behind him; his mind whirling with questions. Rishabh frowned deeply as she stood up, as if in a trance, and slowly took baby steps away from the bed and towards the left wall. With difficulty he kept his arms from reaching out and stopping her and held his tongue from forming demanding answers to his questions.

Madhu stared spellbound at the painting on the wall as she glided towards it, the vibrant hues of yellow, blue, brown and green beckoning at her to come closer. Standing in front of it, she gazed up with unshed tears at the disproportionate, angular face of a young woman with light brown eyes, identical to hers.

She felt a presence behind her, a warm breath breathing down on to her exposed nape as the length of her hair has been parted to the side and over her shoulder. His deep, baritone voice caused shivers to run down her spine.

Breathing down her neck, his fists clenched tightly by his side to keep from touching her, Rishabh spoke huskily with a tinge of pride, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Madhu squeezed her eyes shut for mere seconds, breathing deeply, seeking control over her overwhelmed emotions. She glanced over her shoulder and responded softly, "Yes. Yes it is." She reached out and touched the painting reverently before asking, "When did you acquire it?"

Rishabh stepped closer and turned his head sideways, his expression contemplative as he observed Madhu's face closely. He answered slowly, "About two years ago." Hearing the slight hitch in her breath and noticing her sudden pallor, he frowned ferociously. Perplexed, Rishabh scrutinized Madhu's face then turned his head to the front and keenly observed the face in the painting. His eyes widen as an impossible thought passed through his mind. Slowly giving voice to his suspicion, "Strange as this may sound, but I see some resemblance between you and the face in the painting. Especially the eyes."

A lump formed in Madhu's throat as she struggled with words. After a minute of struggling, she whispered hoarsely, "You see the resemblance because I AM the girl in this painting."

Rishabh pulled his head back in surprise and exclaimed, "Excuse me?"

Madhu explained slowly, "The artist..." She paused and traced a finger gently over the bold script of the signature, "Padmini M. She was my mother."

He glanced down at her in surprise, "She was your mother?" Rishabh rubbed his chin with his hand and said slowly, "I don't know why I didn't make this connection before."

Madhu suddenly felt a chill and rubbed her arms to gain some warmth. Her eyes still on her mother's bold, scripted signature, she explained, "Mom never gave public appearance for any of her art shows. Neither did she use our family name in connection to her work. My dad..." She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "For all his education, is still a conservative man. Moreover, my dadaji, was even more conservative." She rolled her eyes and said, "And thought women should stay home while the males should be out being the breadwinners." Madhu smiled wistfully, "As mom didn't want to give up on her passion, she had decided that she would sell her artworks without exposing her identity. She did it all to soothe dad's ego so he wouldn't feel inadequate. Not only was she a wonderful mother to Maleeha and I but also a wonderful wife." Her lips trembled slightly, tears forming in her eyes as she whispered, "I miss her."

Rishabh wrapped his arms around her and hugged her from behind. He leaned his chin down on top of the crown of his head and placed a swift, gentle kiss and tightened his hands reassuringly around her.

She allowed herself to lean back against his solid chest, the heat radiating from his solid form, intimidating yet comforting. Madhu inhaled his strong masculine scent and thought happily she can remain his arms forever. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she shook her head. She slightly pulled back and tilted her face up and gazed up at his intent eyes filled with compassion, "Around the time of her death, we ran into major financial problem. Mom had sold only a few pieces as she used to attach too much sentimental value to them." She smiled fondly, "Especially since Maleeha and I were her inspiration for many of her works." Her smile dropped as she continued sadly, "I didn't want to part with any of her pieces. And dad was especially against it. But I had to think practically to get us out of a tough situation. So against dad's decision, I had mom's agent organize an exhibition so we could get as many buyers for her paintings."

Rishabh leaned down and gently brushed his lips against her cheeks as Madhu leaned as Madhu glanced up at him in surprise. He has never been this gentle and sweet before. Usually whenever they get close, passion would take over and they would be almost at the brink of tearing each other's clothes off and having wild sex. She hesitantly smiled at him, appreciating his gestures in comforting her without overpowering her senses with his intoxicating kisses.

He brushed his fingers gently against her soft skin, caressing her cheeks and inquired softly, "That must have been really hard for you. To part with your mother's prized possessions."

Madhu smiled sadly and responded, "It was heartbreaking. I didn't want to part with any of it as they each contained a little part of mom's soul. But I had to be practical. And I also knew mom would have been understood. She would have done the same and put them all up for auction if we needed the money." She smiled wistfully and continued in a soft voice, "Still even with my practical mindset, my heart was bleeding." Pointing at the painting in front of her, "I especially loathed to part with this one." She smiled wobbly as she giggled lightly, "Mom made me sit still in front of her for hours to finish it." She chuckled, "After she was done, mom proclaimed that I was her Mona Lisa. Silly. I know. A rendition of my face can't ever be compared to Mona Lisa." Madhu smiled softly as she continued, "But I can't help but have grown attached to it." She grinned up at him, "I was unwilling to part with it and almost didn't sell it." She turned her head and looked at it again and whispered softly, "But now I am glad I did."

Rishabh gently grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face him. He pulled her to him and engulfed Madhu in a tight embrace. Leaning down and dropping a soft kiss on top of her head, he said in a low voice, "Sweetheart...you are so smart, strong, caring and beautiful, I know you make your mom proud of you every day as she watches over you from heaven. You made tough decisions but they were needed for your family to survive through the crisis. Don't ever doubt your decisions and don't you dare allow anyone to tell you otherwise. And as for this painting, my Mona Lisa, it's yours. And no, don't you even dare think about not accepting it."

Madhu slightly pulled apart and stared up at him and smiled, "Thank you I needed that."

Staring at his hypnotizing eyes, Madhu leaned forward. Her eyes shift to his smooth, firm lips and like a magnet she got on her toes and inched closer. Rishabh stared down at her lips, his gaze laden with desire. He felt her warm breath fanning his lips and he itched to wrap his hand around the back of her neck and slam his lips on her and kiss her senseless. But he held still, not willing to ruin the moment with a wrong move.

Their lips finally meet and for the briefest of seconds, the kiss was sweet, tender and gentle. But their passion take over and Rishabh wrapped his arms around Madhu and pulled her tightly against his chest as she clutched his shoulders for support. He plundered her mouth and playfully bit down on her lower lip, demanding entrance.

After a few minutes of exploring each other's mouth with their tongues, Rishabh broke free. At the edge of his control, he knew if they continued, he would lay Madhu down on the floor and take her. He leaned his forehead against hers and breathed hard to regain his momentum. As much as he wants to make love to her, he knew that the kiss was the result of Madhu's vulnerable moment and soon she will regain her senses. And if he takes it any further, Rishabh knows she will flip a bird at him and walk out, to never return. Their marriage may be for only one year and it may have been suggested out of convenience but he doesn't want to miss out on even a single day out of year with her.

Drawing in a ragged breath, he pulled away from Madhu. He chuckled lightly at her dazed expression and resisted the urge to pull her into his arms for another kiss. He ran his hand through his slightly mussed up hair in agitation. This is just the first night and already he is sexually frustrated. He closed eyes and thought, how will he cope when they sleep on the same bed? Just the thought of her in the same bed as his and his body hardens with desire. Rishabh groaned inwardly, this is just the first night. He thought glumly that he may very well end up expired prior to persuading Madhu to break her ridiculous stipulation to not have sex. Stepping back from her, he strode off towards the ensuite. Rishabh slammed the door shut and he grimly thought as he agitatedly took off his clothes, he foresees many a cold shower in this marriage of theirs.

vnevk}

Author's Note: Please comment and vote. Cheers!