"Good night Brother Evan, drive safely and give me a call when you reach home..." said Ariena in her soft melodious voice.
"Good night Ariena..." replied Evan with longing in his eyes.
Andrew was highly irritated with the way Ariena was showing her concern about Evan, he pulled her towards him and said monotonously while going inside, " Good night and Good bye Mr Smith..."
Ariena was flabbergasted by the way Andrew pulled her inside the house. It felt so wrong, as if she was running away from home with her lover and he had to stop her from doing that. She felt so embarrassed to think what Evan might have thought just now. Totally Unjustifiable to her.
Once they were inside, she wrenched her hand to free them from his grip but he keep on dragging her towards the staircase. She felt really hurt when she was how the servant and Ramy were looking at them right now. The way Andrew was behaving with her in front of everyone was not acceptable to her self respect. She yelped with tears fighting in her eyes when she lost her footing on the stairs, "Aahh ... just leave me, what are you doing Andrew, you are hurting me... "
The pain in her voice didn't get unnoticed by Andrew, he turned to look at her and was surprised on his own behavior. 'What has gone inside me.. Why am I behaving like this...' he questioned himself in his brain.
He swiftly turned and carry Ariena in a bridal way as he apologise for his actions, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to hurt you..." He carried her to her bedroom, in spite of her constant struggling. He entered her room and placed her on the comfy chair. He also squats down in front of her on the ground and lifted her leg while asking her, "Where did you get hurt..."
Ariena was not in mood to ignore his attitude just now, like nothing happened before. She pushed his hands away from her as she gets up to move away from him. She was clear in her mind to not to tolerate this kind of behavior against herself again. Yes this is the second time he had behaved so unethical with her in front of the others. The first time was when they quarreled over her closeness with Evan as they returned from Brann's birthday party.
She said in a resentful tone as her back faced him, " Go away I don't want to see you right now... "
Andrew was stunned on seeing her acting so indifferent toward him, he stands up to walk to her and said in a soft and apologetic manner, "Ariena.. I'm sorry, I don't know what had happened to me at that time. I completely lost it when I saw that preposterous man with you.. I..."
"Shut up..." he was cut off by Ariena loud and clear threatening tone. She turned to face him as she stared straight in his eyes and continued with anger filled in them, "Don't you dare to say a single word against him. You have no right to defame someone when you don't even know him. Brother Evan is far better person than you are. He is not someone with two face like you... "
Listening to the praises for other man and criticism for himself from her mouth didn't go well with Andrew's raging anger which was subdued a few minutes ago. He held her tightly by her shoulder literally digging holes in them through his fingers, as he said with gnashing his teeth in anger, "Ariena... don't force me to show what right I have on you, I've warned you earlier also to be more careful and thoughtful when you are with other male... I will..." He was not able to say his peace of mind as again he was cut off by her.
Ariena was also furious to listen his reasoning, she tried to release herself from his hold by twisting and turning her body. But all these attempts seems futile in front of him. She again shouted totally ignoring his words, "You are crazy, You are hurting me Andrew.... Ahh... Whom I meet or with whom I want to go out it is not for you to decided it's my freedom you can't caged me....Leave me alone...." She pushed him with all her might and release herself from his hold.
Andrew was pushed a few steps back. He gather his footing as he snarled at her in a stern tone, "You are forgetting Mrs Johnston, that who you are..." he came forward and pinching her cheeks in between his fingers hard making her head go back, as he continued, "You are my wife Ariena, where you go? whom you met? what you do? all these things matter to me understand.. "
Ariena hit hard on his hand freeing herself again as she ranted at him with a teasing laugh, "Haha... Wife... Haha... Are you sure I'm your wife. Where does this wife of yours go when you flirt with random girls for fun ...haan Then you don't think of me.. Right. All that is for your publicity and your business and for your Carnal NEEDS..... Right Mr Johnston... "
Andrew was dumbstruck from the allegations imposed on him. He didn't know how to respond to her, as they were all true except for the sexual need thing. He had told her earlier that this kind of news will surface about him before the marriage and she was fine with it till a few days ago. But what had changed in these four days he was not able to depict.
Ariena had expected him to say something to deny the accusations she was making on him but his silence infuriated her her even more. She completely lost all her reasoning as she seethe her resentment at him. She let a hearty chuckle before continuing her words, "Hahaha.. Mr Johnston if you have forgotten then let me make you remember that in the contract it's clearly written just like you I'm also free to have any kind of relationship with anyone but on one condition of not being discovered by outsiders, and I don't think I've wrong anything by going out with Brother Evan..."
Andrew eyes squinted on the mention of the clause in their marriage contract. He didn't expect that this clause will become such on eyesore in coming future he was regretting putting this condition in the contract. But that time situation was different and he clearly remember he had promised her that he'll be loyal to her in their span of marriage and he had been true to his words till to this day. Though she was free to find a companion, if any, that doesn't mean she has to go for it in real.
Ariena shrugged her shoulder and continued, "Haha... You can go on date with your Lover, dance intimately, attain functions with hand in hand in public but expect me to hide in room and wait for you...." Andrew narrowed his eyes on the mention of his Lover, dating and other stuff, as he kept listening to her ranting, "....UNFORTUNATELY, it's not going to happen I'll also go out with my suitors. I also want go for date and romantic long drive with the person whom I like to be with... and You ...Can't ....Stop ...Me.." she stressed on some words to clear her points.
"ARIENA..." shouted Andrew when he heard of 'suitors' and 'romantic date and long drive '. He pulled her from her waist almost crushing her body in his. He stared straight into her eyes as if sucking the life out of her, and said with gnashing his teeth and emphasizing on key words, "Ariena don't test my limit. Remember this I PROHIBIT you to have any ROMANTIC relationship with anyone until you are in this marriage. You can only be mine. Ariena You Are MINE !! ..."
"No I'm not..."
"Yes you are....."
" Don't impose your patriarchal dream on me... I'm Free to have ANYONE in my life other than you Mr ANDREW JOHNSTON..." , said Ariena hitting hard on his chest with her fist to let herself free from his strong crushing and stuffing hold.
"Ariena... "shouted Andrew as he continued to thearten her in a menacing voice, "...don't blame me , this is what you have earned from your rebellious actions..." said Andrew as he suddenly pulled her for a hungy rough kiss.
He kept on shouting in his mind repeatedly,
"You Are Mine..."
"You Are Mine..."