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Chapter Dedicated to Sravya-72 â¤ï¸
Happy Reading!â¤ï¸
*******
Riya's Pov
"Yaar first stop staring at me like this. I am getting conscious na." I whined defeated, while my husband laughed amusedly looking at my pouty face.
"Acha acha, sorry, chal come." He sobered up the next second, and closed his eyes, a subtle smile residing on his lips, and indicated me with his hands to come to him.
Biting my lips, I scooted a little closer to him, and then a little more, and a little more, until we were almost laying next to each other.
I could hear Aditya's deep, inaudible sigh at our proximity, his manly scent intoxicating my senses, making me a jittery mess inside.
A low unexpected shriek rumbled my throat when he unanticipatedly caged me in his arms, his both arms surrounding me, and locking them behind my back, my both hands pressed on his chest at this sudden heart pounding intrusion.
We were turned on our sides, and he gazed at me with pure admiration, though his cheeky notorious smile couldn't be missed along with that unmistakable playful glint in his eyes.
This man will give me a heart attack if he keeps looking at me like this!
My heart went frenzy, and my whole body felt like vibrating internally, as he pulled me more closer to him, his hands now firmly pressed on waist. His naughty smile kept widening each second witnessing my flustered and goosebumpy state.
"Bas? Ke aur close?" He whispered hoarsely, raising both eyebrows, a mischievous gleam evident in his opalescent orbs.
"Yaaaar shut up na" I gasped at his words and hid my face in his chest instinctively, my arms surrounding his waist on their own accord, making him laugh heartily at my troubled reply.
Amidst our wildly beating hearts, he pressed his lips on my forehead for a long-lingering kiss only to make my heart thump at an even more maddening speed.
Now I am feeling my heart will pop out any second.
Stupid Stupid Man.
Tugging me more closer to him, until no other fragment could pass by us, we kept embracing each other lying on our sides, my face tucked up under his chin,
"I am telling you I am not going to let you cuddle that stupid pillow ever again." He whisper whined, though I could easily visualize him scowling at the thought of my lovely cuddle pillow.
Giggling, I replied, "Who the hell gets jealous from a pillow?"
"I am not jealous, especially not from that cruel villain pilllow!" He defended immediately, "Vaise bhi, if today I haven't pulled this stunt, I would have to wait God knows how many days just to embrace you like this." He reasoned, huffing, while I kept giggling in his chest, enjoying his burning state.
He backed a little and laid on his back, pulling me with him, so that his arm wounded my shoulders, and my head now placed over his shoulder joint. Simultaneously he kept playing with my hand, which was loosely placed on his stomach.
"Owwww" He groaned in pain, as suddenly I threw my leg over his with a thump.
"Yaar who the hell places her leg like this, that too itni zor se!" He whined in annoyance and I giggled merrily at his overdramatically painful state.
"Han fir, you wanted to cuddle me and replace my cuddle pillow. Now you have to bear my leg's weight for whatever time we'll be cuddling." I raised my head challengingly and peered at him to see him gaping at me unbelievingly.
"Before marriage I wonder on what basis I thought you were innocent, and susheel. You are anything but this." He drew a hopeless sigh, shaking his head helplessly, and bumped his head with me from the side, making me pass an offended scowl in his direction.
Kalyugi.
I am innocent and susheel! Haina?
Not replying anything to his false remark about my innocence, I placed my head over his chest again relishing his warm soothing presence around me, with my eyes engrossed witnessing those little ministrations he was doing with my fingers on his stomach.
He switched off the lights next to him and turned on the blue night bulb, our tired-exhausted selves embracing silence, figuring out what to talk about.
"Vaise..." I started, my eyes closed leisurely.
"Hmm.." He replied, his other hand now playing with my hair.
"You never told me what type of woman you wanted as a wife." I stated, backing a little just to see him.
His knitted eyebrows could be seen clearly in the night light, as he spoke perplexed, "Arey we discussed it when we met."
"Offo not that." I shook my head, "That was more on a philosophical and behavioral side, I am talking about the physical traits and things related to it. Samjhey?" I clarified, raising my eyebrows questionably.
"Achaa, that way!" He exclaimed in understanding,
"You want to know?" He asked doubtfully, and I bobbed my head rapidly in a big fat yes.
"Pakka?" I glared at him for asking the question again, making him smile playfully at me.
I looked at him awaiting his answer, while he softly tucked the loose tendrils of my hair behind my ear effortlessly, his fingers lightly brushing my cheeks in the process, and his subtle swoon-worthy smile warming my insides in an explicable feeling.
"You are the complete opposite of the type of woman I wanted as my wife." He whispered each word gently, his gaze solely focussed on me.
"Is it?" I confirmed a second later, not believing his words, though a little uneasy heaviness bubbled within me hearing him.
He nodded, blinking his eyes, and wounded his both arms around me a little tighter this time, making me place my head somewhere between his heart and his shoulders, and his cheeks pressed up against the side of my head, with his rhythmic beating of heart resonating my ears.
"Stop overthinking woman. I am only talking about the physical features and some related aspects." He chided lightly, noticing my silent reaction.
"Then tell na jaldi se." I put forward, unable to keep up with my curiosity.
"Yaar I want to see you when I talk to you, but I want to cuddle you as well!" This mini hulk of mine asked, more like said to himself, while I impatiently awaited his answer, and wanted to bang his head with mine at his antics.
Huffing lightly he unlocked himself from me, while I laid straight to look at what he's doing now. He turned to my side, and propped himself on his elbow, his head supported with his hand, while his other hand loosely wounding my stomach,
"Hmm this is better, I could see you now." Aditya spoke to himself partially smiling, while I was figuring how to hit him without actually hit him.
"Are you telling me now? Or I should I sleep? That too with my cuddle pillow?" I rolled my eyes irritated, and mentioned pillow just to speed up the process of his unclarified statement.
"Telling telling yaar!" He voiced immediately, his face morphed into fear.
*******
Aditya's Pov
"You know, I always wanted to marry someone from Delhi." I began speaking, as my gaze fell on her listening intently,
"And, honestly, I was very adamant that no matter what happens, I will marry someone from Delhi only." She furrowed her eyebrows at my words, confusion laced in her features.
"I had a lot of my classmates during graduation who came from other cities, but you know half of them couldn't accept the culture of this place. Like they would go into culture shock witnessing the culture if this city."
She nodded as if processing my words,
"And I used to feel that maybe a girl from another city or town especially not as big as Delhi might not look at the beauty of this place, accept it or fall in love with it. So I was adamant that I wanted to marry a girl who could accept this city, and its open culture, that's why all the eleven girls I met before you were from Delhi only." I finished,
"And opposite to your choice, I'm from a small town, complete opposite of what Delhi is." She smiled, a little thoughtfully, and I nodded, blinking my eyes.
"Next." She posed.
"I've always fantasized my wife to be reckless and carefree, like cool, bindass, careless types." I spoke a little apprehensively, fearing she might take my words wrong.
"And you got an overly mature, overly worried, and overthinker wife." She answered immediately, the light in her eyes quite lost.
"Mhm.." I shook my head, "I got an excellent analyzer, unmatchably sensible, highly concerned, and a lifelong counselor wife." I chastily placed a kiss on her forehead, making her lips curve up in a smile, though I wonder why did she smiled, at my reply, or my kiss.
"Acha Next!" She said, rising a little on her position to remove her hair tie. Massaging and combing them a little with her delicate fingers. She then settled her hair above her head and wore her hair tie in her hands.
"Umm, next." I thought of other aspects, "Yeah! I always wanted a tall wife. Like I always imagined me and my wife to be shoulder to shoulder." Her features instantaneously transformed into irritation and annoyance, as she peered at me with a little but scowlsome pout.
Just to rile her up a little more, I added blowing a breathy sigh, "And I got a 5' foot mini minion wife." I said, suppressing my smile noticing her gape at me unbelievingly.
"Oiiii! I am 5'1! In fact, almost 5'2." She boasted proudly,
"Acha chal 5'2 mini minion wife. Ab khush?" I teased her more, loving to see her all riled up.
"Yaaaaarrr! Don't make fun of this na." She whined,
Chuckling I replied, "Arey I was just joking yaar, I am happy with whatever height you have. Vaise bhi I love those feathery kisses you place over my chest time and again." I remarked honestly.
Her lips parted in sheer surprise, as she gazed at me with a blushful face, "You noticed?" She squeaked, half-blushing, half-embarrassed.
"I notice everything that relates to you." I whispered, gently tucking her already tucked up hair, my eyes never leaving hers, while she reciprocated with a shy heartwarming smile, her eyes wandering here and there, unable to hold my gaze.
"Acha next." I said, knowing well she is going to say the same after her blushing session gets over.
"You know I wanted to marry someone from the educational background same as me. Like I used to fantasize my wife being a software engineer too, as I loved to visualize some office romance, just in case she plans to join me in freelancing. And the thought of somebody from another educational background was out of my system." I chuckled at my bizarre overly-romantic thoughts, while Riya's face contorted into a look of disappointment.
"There were more as well, but I am not able to recall. I'll tell you whenever I recall them." I said while she protruded her lips in dismay.
"I do not fit into your standards and criteria of the type of wife you desired." She mumbled to herself, her tone upset and defeated.
Sighing at her nonsensical thoughts, I palmed her cheeks, tracing her cheekbones with my thumb as delicately as I could, and whispered each word tenderly,
"You may not be the type of woman I desired, but you surely fit into my life perfectly Riya, and I couldn't and wouldn't ask for anything more than this. I've been the happiest since I got you."
"Sacchi?" She confirmed hopefully, her expectant eyes staring back at me.
I blinked my eyes in assurance, while she scooted closer to me, embracing me on her own, her legs still propped over my legs.
"I am happy to have you in my life too." She murmured lightly, maybe a little insecurely, pressing her face into my neck, making my lips curve up in a happy-contented grin.
"Vaise.." She started again,
"Hmmm" I hummed, caressing and playing with her unruly hair.
"Why did you choose me then?" She posed, and added after a few seconds, "Like even though I wasn't the type of woman you wanted to marry?" She put forward her apprehension, her tone contemplative.
My overly conscious, and a little insecure wife.
"Because I felt like choosing you." I murmured in her hair softly, shrugging lightly "And I don't think I'll ever be able to justify the reason of me choosing you. I just felt like giving us a chance." I voiced honestly, instinctively rolling and unrolling her untied hair on the back with my fingers.
"Hmm..." She murmured in my neck, her weary self already half-asleep.
I kept staring in space, thinking of the mindsets we people have,
We as overly demanding humans have set benchmarks for the type of significant other we want in our lives. From location to complexion, height to weight, education to personality, we have fantasized it all. And it's perfectly normal and acceptable to visualize the person we would like to share our life with.
But, unknowingly we try to prioritize these dimensions and benchmarks much more than the person itself. We define the goodness of people keeping these standards as a base, and we miserably fail to accept a person as he/she is, just because he/she doesn't fit into our physical criteria of a 'significant other'.
At times you need to take a chance and trust the process as well as the person you have in your life, keeping all the irrelevant-illogical standards behind. Because, you never know when some imperfectly perfect person would knock into your hearts, and change your life in a way you've never imagined.
********
Riya's Pov
"Adityaa...." I voiced groggily, trying to unlock myself from this mini hulk beside me who was leisurely sleeping like a log in the same position for the past three hours, cuddling me and restricting my breathing and movements in sleep.
"Yaar leave me! I want to turn to the other side." I whispered again, a little louder this time feeling the urge to go to the washroom, while this kumbhkaran remained still in his position.
He moved slightly mumbling some incomprehensible gibberish and turned his body to the other side when I nudged and called him a little harder.
Phew.
Until and unless you have a high tolerance for sweat, restricted breathing, and obstructed movements, Cuddling for the whole night is a myth!!
Rubbing my eyes in daze, I stepped down the bed, my steps wobbly, and my eyes closed as I was too tired and sleepy to make my eyes work by opening them.
I then started moving towards the washroom aimlessly with my dazed self complaining that why the hell this washroom seems too far from my reach.
"Owwww." I winced lightly and half-scowling opened my eyes to glare at Aditya's office chair which had bumped into me.
Stupid Mannerless Chair.
Probably my bufoonish self has forgotten that it's not Hoshiarpur, and it's not my room there, that I could reach the washroom like a pro with my eyes closed, mind blank, and steps jiggly-wiggly.
Hmmm. I need urgent practice to master the art of reaching the washroom with eyes closed, mind blocked.
Biting my lips apprehensively, I turned around to spare a glance at my husband, fearing he might have woken up with my noise, but he was sound asleep, that too so peacefully.
And here my indolent self has been contemplating and struggling for the past fifteen minutes for a very crucial decision to be made,
That should I go to the washroom and lighten the load on my bladder? or Should I try to sleep like this only, with my bladder screaming to get it emptied?
Sauntering towards the washroom, I did my business with my eyes still half-closed and moved back to the bed with utmost dedication difficulty and rush. Hugging and cuddling my original cuddle pillow, I awaited the darkness to engulf me in a much-needed slumber.
******
Aditya's Pov
"Ishaa... Do it araam se beta, it will get torn." Mom chided Isha, as she tried opening the gift wrapper haphazardly.
"Kya yaar mom, we have abundant gift papers saved with us at home!! That too all of them neatly unwrapped from all the gifts we've ever received."
"Han? So? What?" Mom asked, eyeing her,
"These gift wrappers will come into use while gifting someone." Mom spoke annoyed, trying to take the gift from her overly impatient hands.
"Mom, Itne to we don't gift people, jitne you make us carefully unwrap, and then even more carefully fold, and then even more carefully store, that too with zero creases." She rolled her eyes boredly, her hands itching to strip up and unwrap the gift in a fleeting second.
This gift was sent to her by our distant yet close relative as probably and mistakenly they adore this walking grenade quite a lot.
I still can't fathom why people have given complimentary gifts to this greedy satan even though I was the one getting married!
Fearing mom's watchful eyes, Isha half-heartedly opened the gift with unmatchable gentleness, her over-excited over-enthusiastic self unreasonably happy on receiving a gift.
"Oh God!!" Isha shrieked in happiness, her eyes shimmering with satisfaction as soon as she uncovered the gift.
It was some fancy makeup pouch, with quite a few makeup products articulately arranged inside.
Typical and Perfect Isha style gift.
"Mom I'm telling you that this gift is mine, and mine only!" Isha whined, peering a hopeful glance at mom,
"Please please for God's sake don't say or order me now that don't use this gift Isha, we can gift it to someone on a wedding, or birthday, or some other party or or maybe someone who'll come at our home for dinner, or somebody at whose place we'll go for dinner or lunch or whatever occasion." She babbled continuously, mimicking mom, scowling already, without giving mom a chance to utter a word.
"You've so many gifts that we received at bhai's wedding, Isliye please use them and play this gift-gift game with those gifts na. It's all about taking gifts from one, and then transferring those gifts to other." She pouted, marring her most innocent face, knowing well mom and dad's nature of saving gifts for future gift giving purpose, especially the ones which are either too fancy or not needed by us.
Mom shut her eyes, and drew a frustrated sigh, all the while hopelessly shaking her head,
"Fine." She grumbled, "Nobody can win from this constant high-pitch bickering of yours, that could give one a headache in merely five seconds. You'll make my life difficult just in case I plan not to make you use this gift."
"Bhabhiiii! See this!" Isha gushed raising the gift in air, as soon as Riya came into our line of vision, descending the stairs.
She smiled heartily reaching us, "Arey waah, it's so nice, and the color of this pouch is soo beautiful. And even you were talking about getting a make-up pouch haina." She looked at Isha happily.
"Hanji." Isha gushed again, taking out the contents of the makeup pouch, and began showing and describing each product one by one to Riya, with the latter listening to everything so keenly and curiously. Though I knew she hardly knows or take any interest in makeup products.
It's astounding haina, Two different people, Two different choices, but still both need to be accepted, respected, and normalized.
"Talked with everyone?" I asked my wife as soon as both sister in-laws stopped talking, while she nodded in return, placing her phone on the dining table, and looked at the wall clock,
"I'll make chai for everyone." She got up from her seat and murmured to herself, realizing that it's already tea-time for us.
"Isha chai or coffee or milk?" She asked my sister, knowing well she has a different mood each day.
"Umm..chai bana do." Isha voiced, her attention focused on checking the lipstick colors.
"Okay." Speaking, she sauntered to the kitchen, tying her hair in a messy bun all the way.
******
Riya's Pov
"Oye sun. I have to go outside for a meeting with the client I talked to that day." Aditya called out as soon as I entered the room.
"But you are already starting office tomorrow." I furrowed my eyebrows, settling the pillows, and straightening the creases of the bed.
"Hmm, but he's not available tomorrow. And already my work is so delayed and affected due to our wedding, so can't lose this client." He voiced, going towards the dressing room, while I nodded in understanding.
"When will you come back?" I asked a second later.
"Dinner time tak." He spoke from the washroom, probably washing his face.
"Okay."
"Acha han sun." He said again walking into the dressing, this time dapping his face with the towel,
"Hanji." I looked into his direction questionably.
Slightly turning around, he spoke gesturing towards his office table, "Yaar I've kept some loose cash for you on the table, yaad se take it." He finished and got busy combing, ruffling and messing his wet hair.
My brows knitted in bewilderment seeing the cash he has kept for me. Unable to comprehend or decipher this move of his, or his mindset behind, I ambled towards the table, my insides churning with sudden displeasure.
"Uh, I don't need it Aditya." I angled my neck towards him holding the cash in my hand, trying my best to mask the irritation in my voice.
He turned towards me with a smile, oblivious to the bubbling havoc within me,
Sauntering in my direction, he opened his mouth to speak,
"Arey baba so what , take it na." He said gently, his lips quirked up in a confused smile.
Unable to keep up with my disapproval, I spoke,
"I have my own money Aditya, and I've been earning earlier too, and I'll start working in a few days as we, so I don't need it, really." I said blinking my eyes once, my lips curving in a tight-forced smile.
"Yeah I know, I just wanted to give it to you." He shrugged casually, "Like I felt like giving it to you, and moreover you have forgo...." Before he could finish, I interjected flabbergasted,
"You felt like giving it to me, or you felt like an obligation of giving it to me?" I asked gaping at his words,
"Or Is it just because you are my husband, and you are responsible for me, and you are supposed to financially help your already financially sufficient wife?"I put my thoughts into words which my heart wanted to say since I saw the money, my mind clouded with a weird sense of annoyance.
"Or is it because you also have the exact mentality similar to that of the society? That now I'm married, and your wife, so I need to be dependent upon you for every single aspect of my life, be it financial or non-financial? Or is it because you also take woman to be dependent on their husbands?"
I uttered the words I have been hearing from people around for past so many years, my mindset and words currently affected by the words society has been imposing and drilling in the minds of every woman since her birth.
******
Aditya's Pov
I looked at her dumbfounded, unable to fathom her overreaction and her nonsensical reasoning behind my intentions.
Controlling my bubbling temper, I spoke softly, trying to lighten this heavy atmosphere amidst us,
"Let's sit and talk. Hmm?"
She shook her head vehemently, and voiced again wetting her lips,
"I already said that I want us to prioritize we over me Aditya, and still you are doing all these things that ultimately do not equalize us in any aspect. And you know well that I can manage my expenses that too on my own, I have my earnings and my savings with me, so why these namesake societal formalities especially when I'm earning well, and earning enough?" She snapped a little, her forehead marred with uncountable annoyed creases.
Defeated, tired, disappointed, and unable to keep up with her judgemental statements about me, I finally enunciated, my tone indifferent with her for the first time in the past three months,
"You forgot your debit card that day at Hoshiarpur, and you yourself told me causally that you don't have enough cash in hand with you as of now. Moreover, you won't be getting your card anytime soon, since we just went to your place yesterday." I pointed towards the table,
"This was the major reason I kept that cash there for you just in case need arises, even though I know it won't, but still, I wanted to comfort myself thinking that my wife has enough cash with her that would assist her in need. Because sorry, but I don't treat your money as only yours and my money as only mine."
"Bu.." She tried to interrupt again,
"No, you've already spoken enough about your viewpoint, now let me put forward my viewpoint, and you'll be the one listening this time." I shook my head, gesturing her to stop right away.
"And also, I can't call anyone from Hoshiarpur now, saying that your daughter has left her card there, and I'm too unwilling to even spend a penny on the woman I call my wife, so please either transfer all her money into my account for the time being or please come here to give her, her card." I spoke, sarcasm evident in my tone.
"I'll be going to the office tomorrow, mom also has to go outside for some urgent work, Kunal and dad will be at the shop, only you and Isha will be at home. Just in case you need something, or she needs something, or some urgent payment has to be made, at least both of you need to have some loose cash with you? Don't you think?" I questioned, searching her eyes for an answer,
"And also, If I can give my sister, or my mother some money without any specific reason, out of my happiness, why not you?"
Too upset by her words, I spoke further, without giving her a chance to voice anything,
"And yeah even if you had your money and your card with you, Am I not righteous enough to give anything to my wife?" I questioned, while she stayed silent, and looked rightways not meeting my eyes, staring aimlessly in space.
"You do so much for me, for us, for this family, but I don't judge you, nor your intentions. I don't categorize myself as dependent upon you, nor do I consider that you are obligatory to do all this as a woman or wife or a daughter in law, and nor do I consider every chore you do heartily and voluntarily as a major issue to be fought for in the name of namesake societal obligations or responsibilities!" I couldn't control the edge in my tone,
"Because I have come to know by now that you love doing things or chores for each one of us voluntarily, happily, and wholeheartedly. So can't I, out of my happiness, and willingness give you some money, maybe not for spending, but for keeping aside as savings?" I questioned straightforwardly, my tone soft for a fleeting second.
Ignoring the conflicted look on her usually beaming face, I started to move past her, too disturbed and exhausted to even hear her reply.
"I am going, will come by dinner." I informed curtly and moved back a little to pocket up my phone that was kept on the office table, and once again peered at her, my voice inexplicably tired,
"You talk about we over me, but you yourself are not getting into the depth and the meaning behind these words Riya. Because, whatever you said just now, only had the words, my money, my income, my earnings, my savings and not our money, our income, our earnings, and our savings." I smiled humourlessly,
Trudging towards the door, I turned around halfway to see her already watching me with unnamed emotions.
My heart somehow sank to witness her moist eyes, dull-morose face, and that lost beautiful smile of hers. Suppressing the heaviness in my heart to see her disturbed state, I voiced one last time,
"Oh and yeah, just for your information, I was going to ask you today about opening a joint bank account for both of us, where we could both contribute a certain percentage of our income every month. And, we could spend for all our expenses out of that account only, so that none of us feels like that the other person is burdened with the expenses we make collectively." I paused, and added indifferently,
"And yes, whether you take it or not, that money is going to be kept there only for whatever time, because in no way I am going to take this money back. This separation of every petty thing might happen in some households, but not ours."
"Moreover, just in case you don't know your husband yet, I am not the kind of person who would ask you to share the slightest of expenses k acha it's your clothes, you pay for it, these are your relatives, you'll pay for them, you ate this, I'll not pay for it. We sure will handle all the expenses together, but just by giving you the money which we are going to save and spend equally don't make you financially dependent on me in any way. I can't and won't treat you like that, ever. That's not me, or my personality or my mindset." Her eyes flickered with an emotion unknown to me, and I waited a few seconds in hope of her positive reply.
Getting none, I turned around, and out of the room, wondering all the way is this what marriage is all about?
Those fantasies of fairytale romance and smooth love, crystal-clear communications and non-judgments, unlimited happiness, and blind understanding are a myth, sheer myth.
Instead, it's one hell of a journey, where two people constantly struggle at every damn step to cope up with the unending issues and nonsensical misunderstandings of the other. Where along with love and romance, they try to build trust, and communication in every walk of life. Where they learn to accept the other without judgments and with happiness.
And probably it's just the beginning for us, and we still have to go a long long way fighting the inner evils that every married couple comes across in their lifetime.
******
Heyaaaa Dear Onesss!!!!
Our Rii is one hell of a short tempered woman isn't it? She did upset our usually calm and composed Adi.
How was the chapter? Did you like it? Please comment kar dena, it keeps me motivated enough to write, because you all are the only reason I feel like writing for!!ð
Also, Whose reaction was more justified? Riya or Aditya?
And yes, could you relate that sometimes our pre-conceived notions do affect our mindsets and the ability to comprehend and look at situations only in a certain way, as in the case of Riya?
Do vote (Star Iconâ) and comment dear ones, it motivates me to write more.
Until Next Time,
Lots of Love
Râ¤ï¸