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*******
Aditya's Pov
My heart thumped vigorously as I took rushed steps to our room. The sullen-insecure look on her face that I witnessed a few hours kept flashing in front of my eyes. A plethora of unsettling emotions swirled my insides successfully messing up with my senses.
It's astounding to the core that how a single person's mood could affect the peace and contentment of the entire home.
It's maddening how restless it can make you.
It's terrifying how easily it could affect the serenity of your heart.
The home, the environment, the conversations, the people, the relationships suddenly start feeling alien and strange.
It just doesn't feel right. It just doesn't feel normal. It just doesn't feel whole.
After I reached back home from the office, I couldn't manage to have a minute of conversation with her, and her unusual silence at the dinner table made me feel even worse than I already was. And much to my dismay, after the dinner, Dad called me and Kunal to discuss the finances, thus adding even more delay in this whole conversation ordeal.
Though, my wife has been a pretty good actor till now, who contrary to her original nature has been perfectly dawning the role of an indifferent woman who's hardly affected by the people and their judgemental remarks.
As if I know her any less.
She has been effortlessly dodging any sort of eye contact with me as if fearing that I would elicit a conversation even if our eyes met.
Twisting the doorknob, I entered our room in a haste only to witness her all covered up in the blanket with her breathing soft and rhythmic.
She's asleep? So soon? Without even waiting for me?
Making no attempt to move, I kept standing there so as to ensure that she's sound asleep and kept waiting patiently for any movement from her side that would indicate she's awake.
A few seconds later, a defeated sigh escaped my throat when I witnessed none. Hence, silently yet half-heartedly, I walked to the washroom to freshen up.
*******
Riya's Pov
Carefully, I withdrew the covers off my face as soon as the sound of the washroom door shutting fell into my ears.
I fear facing him.
There are times when your mind is so full and your heart is so heavy that conversations terrify you, concern scares you, and help inferiorize you. And unfortunately, this constant conflict to disclose or not disclose your hidden vulnerabilities is petrifying.
There's this endless struggle to cry or act strong, logically think or get emotionally drawn, to look at the positives or highlight the negatives, to let confidence overpower you, or to make these irrational inferiority-complexes and self-doubts win again.
Have I shown him that I am wide awake, I knew he would have managed to unleash my current feelings, and I wasn't ready for it.
I wasn't prepared to let him know how badly these remarks affect me, how sensitive the topic of my appearance is, how conscious it makes me feel about myself, how madly disturbing these comments are, and how inferior does it make me feel every damn time.
I know, I shouldn't feel like this, and there's nothing that deserves to make me feel inferior about myself. But still, at times these logics and rationales are clouded by temporary yet immensely powerful fears, and there's nothing that could make you feel otherwise at that moment.
Maybe that's how the creation of humans has been? Flawed and imperfect, relentlessly fighting with the immortal evils infamously termed as self-doubts and inferiority complexes, insufficiency and aimlessness, insecurities, and overthinking?
The moment I heard the sound of the washroom door opening, I covered myself with the quilt again and shut my eyes tightly, and attempted to stabilize my breathing.
A few seconds later, a gush of air brushed my skin, as Aditya raised the quilt to get inside. I remained still in my position for a few minutes until I was sure that he's sound asleep.
Opening my eyes, I kept staring aimlessly, even though I was under the quilt, and there was nothing but darkness to aim at.
Without an inch of effort, a few teardrops rolled out of my eyes as my thoughts went back to all the hurtful comments and unsolicited pieces of advice I have been receiving since eternity.
Silently picking up my phone, I opened Google after reducing the brightness to a minimum, as my fingers hastily tapped on the screen board, craving to search for the answers to the same set of questions which I have been searching over and over again for years.
Cold air touched the surface of my skin as a few minutes later, the phone fell from my hands with a jerk when unexpectedly, the blanket was removed right off my face in a split second.
My insides trembled when he switched on the lights and laid on his side, his fearful-penetrating eyes staring back at my tear-stricken face.
"It's been almost three months of me knowing you Riya and if you think I am stupid enough to not know when you are upset or when you are crying or when you are asleep then you are highly mistaken." He spoke each word slowly, his voice low, and his eyes reflected nothing but disappointment and complaints.
My gaze wandered away from him, refusing to meet his gaze as I tried to figure out any comprehensible sentence to utter in my defense.
He rubbed his face tiredly and drew a frustrated sigh, "You better don't dodge my presence, you've already done that enough." His tone was stiff as he angled my face towards him, his hold firm yet gentle at the same time, while I managed to persuade myself to not let these traitor tears fall off my eyes at any cost.
I don't want to cry in front of him. There's no coming back then.
"No I was genuinely asleep, just got up now to go to the washroom." I lied, wetting my lips in nervousness while he stared at me in dismay.
"What were you doing on your phone then?" He asked immediately after my response and his gaze shifted to the phone beside me, his face marred in a frown, while I silently grasped the phone fearing his reaction.
"I was just looking at the time, uh, and was going to switch on the flashlight to go to the washroom." I answered softly and mustered the courage to meet his doubtful gaze but unfortunately, his frown deepened at my reply.
His gaze flickered to my phone again, and before I could think anything he snatched the phone from my hands to his in a fleeting second.
Pressing the password of my phone which we have shared a few days ago, he unlocked the phone, while my heartbeats went frenzy in anticipation of his anger if he come to know what I was searching for.
********
Aditya's Pov
An unsettling feeling crept within me at the sight of her search history, disturbing and angering me at the same time.
There were so many searches, but the subject matter remained the same.
Appearance.
My eyes wandered to her search history, reading each word she has been searching for,
Are dark circles permanent?
Do dark circles make a person look ugly?
What are the most effective home remedies to lighten dark circles?
Do turmeric and curd reduce dark circles?
What are the best under-eye creams for permanent lightening of dark circles?
Can a person with dark circles still look beautiful?
Why undereye beauty is so important?
And the one that disturbed me the most was,
I have severe dark circles, how can I convince myself to consider them normal, and not feel insecure and inferior about it?
I kept scrolling the history and there was no end to the number of questions she has asked in respect to her complexion, her body structure, and most importantly her dark circles.
Her words disturbed me, and her insecurities shook me. I raised my eyes from the phone to peer at her, and asked the very question running in my mind,
"Am I so underserving Riya that you preferred to confide here, and search for answers than to confide in me?" Her lips quivered and her eyes watered as she shook her head vehemently at my question.
Unable to handle her sullen face, I whispered softly, "Come here."
I tugged her close to me and she wound her arms around my torso in a firm grip with her face pressed up to my chest, while my arms automatically found their place behind her back.
Caressing her back in soft strokes, I put forward, "Let's talk about it, Hmm?"
She shook her head rapidly, "It's nothing, It's just that I am mad and I tend to overthink everything."
Yeah. She is mad. No doubts.
"The last time I was upset and frustrated..." I started, "I trusted you, isn't it? I discussed my problems and insecurities with you without the fear of being judged. Haina?" She nodded meekly in my chest and interlinked her fingers behind my back.
"Then trust me a little, please? You know I won't ever judge you." I tried to convince her and she sighed deeply, probably contemplating to confess or not confess her current feelings.
"I am frustrated by all this." She whispered in my chest after a minute of silence, her voice quavering.
I tried to create a distance between us so that I could see her while she disclose her feelings, but she tightened her hold on me, and shook her head, "No. Let me speak like this only." She voiced a little firmly, her face still hidden from my sight.
Sighing helplessly I agreed, "Okay."
Noticing her silence again, I initiated with much politeness, "Don't take uncle and his words seriously baba, he has the habit to target some or the other person."
"It's not just about him." She mumbled shortly, while I patted her back gingerly, persuading her to speak out.
"I can't even count the number of times Aditya, when I have been targeted for my dark circles." She began, after much deliberation.
"At home, in the hotel, at the temple, in a wedding, at someone's place, at college, at school, in the market. You name a place, and I have been pointed out for the same thing." She sniveled with each word she uttered, failing in her attempt to not cry.
"It's okay, it's okay..shhh.." I caressed her back again and kissed the side of her head, trying to calm her overwhelming emotions.
"Let's not talk about it, if it makes you this upset. Okay?" I suggested, unable to hear her cries.
"No, let me say it now. It's frustrating to keep things inside." She shook her head vehemently and continued.
"Friends, family, relatives, and even strangers now, there's no one who hasn't done this goddamn action of pointing their fingers on their undereye area just to express how dark it is, and how bad it looks. From potato juice to turmeric and curd, cold-milk to under-eye creams, aloe vera to coconut oil, I have been given unsolicited pieces of advice for every possible remedy in the world, and ironically these bits of advice are given by those people who don't even have a trace of dark circles, and then they say I am the one not wanting to follow their advice." She poured her heart out.
I pressed my lips on her forehead, discomfort creeping my insides as I realized she has been weeping silently with each word she's managing to utter.
"How can I tell them Aditya, that I have tried each and everything I could. You name a remedy and I have done it, but you know? Nothing really works, at least not on me. I have accepted this fact, why can't they?" She cried out, as she breathed heavily in my chest.
I was still processing all that she said, when she voiced again, "I have accepted the way I look, Sachi. Even I don't have an issue with my dark circles irrespective of how dark and severe they are." I nodded in affirmation at her statement as she remained tucked under my chin, while my hand kept rubbing her back to soothe her senses.
"But you know...," Her voice cracked and she gulped before uttering the next words,
"Every single time I feel confident and content about the way I look, or the dark circles I have, or the petite form I carry, there comes someone or the other who would successfully manage to crumble down the confidence I have built-in after infinite sessions of introspection and self-motivation. It just takes one snarky remark, one presumptuous advice, and one disrespectful action to make the other person wallow in the web of insecurities and self-doubts, inferiority complexes, and under-confidence."
Her words made me wonder the severity of the impact one comment could make on a person's mindset. It might be a single comment for them, but an unfortunate addition to the million other comments the other person has been listening to and tolerating since forever.
"I can't tell you the number of times I have dodged going out or looking into the eye of the other person, fearing if I go out and met my eye with even one of them, they would take notice of some or the other thing on my face or my complexion or my body and pinpoint it at the exact stance, and I won't be able to handle that, yet again." She whispered the last part as she rubbed her face into my chest.
Raising her head to peer at me she expressed, "It might be a genuine concern for some of them, but I am too tired to consider the concern of people have for me or my looks, considering the number of unwanted remarks I have heard about myself in these few years." A lone tear escaped her eye that reflected nothing but the pent-up frustration she has managed to hide for so long.
Palming her cheek, I stroked the area gently, and whispered, "You know you are beauti...." My words came at a halt as she interrupted immediately,
"Noo!" She pressed her face into my chest again and mumbled,
"I don't want any motivational talk right now Aditya. I know all this, I just, I just,...." She stuttered, probably trying to decipher her feelings.
"God, I don't know what I want but I just don't want to hear anything motivational. I know all this, I believe all this, and I agree with all this, but, uh, but...." She fumbled, her fingers toying with my tshirt at the back, and looked at me again after a few seconds of pondering.
"I just want to voice out all this and tell this to all the overly-concerned, unnecessary-commentors, and snarky-remarkers that they need to stop giving unsolicited advices until asked, they need to stop sharing unneeded remedies until they've tried them themselves. And they need to stop commenting every single time that it would be difficult for you to get married, or find a boy, or a job, or for that matter anything." Her face found a place in the crook of my neck as she loosely looped her arms around my nape.
"For them it means nothing when they comment ye lagao vo lagao, yahan jao vahan jao, isko dikhao usko dikhao. But they fail to understand the impact they are making upon so many immature minds, they are dismantling the perception a person hold about themselves, and unintentionally they are making them believe that beauty is in perfection and flawlessness, big curves and small waist, fair complexion and tall height, sharp features and plump lips." Her voice trembled with each word she uttered, as tears kept rolling out of her eyes.
Silence embraced us for a few minutes as she remained cocooned in my arms, our minds in a haze, and our hearts so heavy. She kept breathing heavily as if attempting to labor her breaths and calm her rugged heartbeats.
"Feeling better?" I asked concerned after a few minutes, my hands rubbing her back softly.
She nodded and backed herself to look at me, a faint smile on her lips.
"I did not want to cry in front of you. You would also think you've married such an insecure woman."
"It's okay." I smiled, "And, no, I don't think anything.", I chided lightly, "Acha if I ask a few questions, would you answer?" My hopeful gaze fell on her and she nodded, curiously glancing at me.
Gently touching her undereye area, I asked,
"Is this painful?" Her features morphed into confusion at my words.
"Dark circles. Are they painful?" I clarified her confusion.
She shook her head, and spoke, still bewildered, "No, but why?"
"Is it some chronic disease?" I asked again, and she shook her head negatively, trying to decode my intentions behind my questions.
"Are they life-threatening?" I posed again, awaiting her reply.
"No." She gazed at me in sheer perplexion, oblivious of the meaning behind my words.
I hummed, and added, "These.." I caressed her under eyes tenderly, a soft smile spreading on my lips,
"These are not painful, these aren't life-threatening, and they aren't some chronic disease, so why do they matter so much? You are happy, you are healthy, you are fit and fine, so why are we giving people or even ourselves the power to make us upset over something that's meant to be flaunted and loved and respected and cared for?" Wiping the tears from the side of her eye, I added,
"The only thing that matters to me, for us, for you, is that you are in a good health, and in a much better shape both physically and emotionally. Baki for people's judgments then that's what life is and that's how people are. But we can't keep ignoring the blessings we are born with haina? Maybe there might be someone out there who would be dying to have a smile like you or eyes like you, or traits like you or maybe just want to be like you?" She remained silent for some time, processing my words, and repeated thoughtfully,
"Hmm, we are lucky that we are in a good health when there are so many people struggling for this very thing we underestimate the most. Good Health." She voiced what I intended to say, and I nodded not wanting to start any motivational talk right now, not when she is in no mood for it.
Tucking the loose tendril of her hair behind her ear, I added one last thing, "You know na, Acceptance is blissful."
"It is." She answered staring aimlessly to the side, and whispered with her eyes now fixated on me, "But it's difficult too."
Smiling at this woman of mine, I whispered back, "It's difficult, but it isn't impossible too." She gulped back and blinked her eyes that were shining with tears.
"Now I don't ever want to see such kind of search history, okay? Promise me you that won't be searching that nonsense ever again." I chided, directing a serious glare in her direction.
"I'll try, Pakka." Her eyes gleamed, and she placed her head on my shoulder joint tiredly.
Suddenly, she backed and voiced "Oii, don't mind me, but I don't like Mukesh uncle." She scowled at his name, making me chuckle at her expressions.
"Why are you laughing now? Don't tell me you like him" She scowled again.
"Lae, you are crying and scowling at the same time. It's such a rare sight to see, badi talented hai tu to.." I joked, desperately awaiting her smile.
She partially smiled, partially cried, and partially scowled at the same time at my reply.
"Arey Waah! You can cry, scowl and smile at the same time! Such a multi-talented wife I got!" I teased her again, amused by her varied expressions.
"Shut up na!" She whined wiping her nose with her forearm.
"You ruined my T-shirt too vaise." I pointed at her mucus on my tshirt.
She scrunched her nose at the sight and mumbled, "I'll wash it tomorrow." I hummed chuckling at her, as we both laid straight on our sides, her head placed on my arm, and both her legs thumped over mine.
A peaceful silence surrounded us as we remained lost in our own worlds when suddenly a loud noise disturbed us.
I angled my neck sideways to peer at her while she looked anywhere but me.
Trying to stifle my laugh, I bit my inner cheeks and asked teasingly, "Did you just fart?"
She gaped at me in horror, and refused blatantly, feigning innocence, "Nahi to."
"Then who did?" I narrowed my eyes at her.
She shrugged dismissively, playing with her hair tie on her wrist, "I don't know."
"Han han there are so many people here na, that you don't know who did it." I pressed my lips tightly, not to laugh at her constipated expressions.
"You might have done it." She mumbled, still ignoring me.
Before I could utter a word in my defense, another loud noise from her side interrupted us. I jerked my head immediately to her side, while she reciprocated the same.
After ten seconds of staring at each other with indifference and innocence, we burst out laughing, the only difference being, hers was an embarrassed one and mine amused.
"Quite noisy you are today, hain." I wriggled my brows.
"Noooooo....." She whined in embarrassment and hid her eyes with her palm.
Before I could splutter another word of teasing, she mumbled pouting, with her eyes still hidden by her palm, "You should be thankful it wasn't a smelly one."
"Oh! So you are into smelly ones too!!" I remarked, trying to remove her palm from her eyes.
"Oh God!! Chiiii! I am not going to have this conversation with you now Aditya." She hid her face in my chest in embarrassment, while I laughed heartily at her farty antics.
"I think I should go to the washroom. Vaise bhi, from the past one month I can't tell you how hard it was for me to control each time I want to, you know..." She murmured after a few seconds and I laughed, totally relating to her.
"Uh, I think I overate today. Maybe it's the paneer talking." She informed, her looks genuinely constipated.
"Hmm, Hmm, Go-Go, before these noisy ones transforms into funky ones." I patted her back sympathetically, still chuckling in amusement.
"Shut up na yaar. You are so bad!" She slapped my chest and got up from the bed whining and pouting.
A low shriek rumbled her throat when I tugged her towards me so that she was now laying over me, our legs interwined.
Palming her cheeks, I said softly, "Acha sun..." She hummed while I stroked her cheeks gently, "I like you all red but only when you laugh or when I make you blush. But not when you cry like, like that, keeping things inside you. It gives me that uneasy and weird feeling."
A tender smile graced her lips as she spoke, "I'll try not to let things affect me so much, but till then you've to manage with my occasional frustrated cries."
Pecking her nose, I nodded gently.
"Now let me go before I start airing funky farts." She pressed her lips to stifle her giggle.
"Na na, go jaldi!" I spoke horrified, shaking my head, and she got off me, and walked to the washroom, while my gaze left unmoved from the direction this woman of mine went.
******
Riya's Pov
"What did you make yesterday?" Mom asked, sewing the button on Paa's shirt.
"Aloo badi pakode." I scrunched my nose and stuck my tongue out in a yucky-wucky way.
Mom laughed, and asked curiously, "What did you eat then. You couldn't even resist its smell when you were here."
"Lae you talk about not resisting its smell, I made that sabzi on my own and I can't tell you how bad of a experience it was, tolerating that smell while making it." I shook my head remembering the smell of aloo pakode's.
"Khaya kya fir?" She posed, as she cut the thread with her teeth.
"Yesterday's leftover daal. Mumma was saying that we'll make parantha out of it but I said no no mumma, it's okay I will eat it in lunch." I giggled, "It was the first time this sabzi was made here, so how could I say that no-no mumma, this badi pakode's smell is chii for me, and I don't want to eat it." I mimicked my dialogue, "I'll tell her next time that I don't like this sabzi much, baki dekhi jayegi." I answered, folding that stupid black-tshirt of his.
She hummed, and enquired, "When will you start looking for a job?"
"Umm after three days one month to our wedding will complete, so I am thinking after that. Because in these three days we have a wedding to attend and there are other things in line too. So after all this gets over, I will look for a job in peace."
"Okay. Have you talked at home?"
"Hanji hanji, I asked mumma papa yesterday, they said whenever you want to."
"Acha." She nodded.
"Bhabhi's gone to her place haina?"
"Hmm. That's why there's so much peace because your devil nephew is not here. He's getting naughtier day by day." Mom sighed helplessly with a teensy-weensy smile on her lips.
"When are you coming home to stay?" She posed, an expectant gaze directed at me.
I shrugged, "I don't know. I am thinking of asking mumma papa after the wedding and our one month gets over. Because these lunch invitations and relatives coming home, and other things are still going on. So have to consider all this too. I'll tell you how things go on, then you can talk to mumma papa here"
"Hmmm. Your paa misses you so much." She smiled, her eyes glistening.
My heart plummeted, and that uneasy feeling of being away from home crept in as I smiled sadly, "I miss you all too, but you know whenever I talk to him, he is like, Haan beta, theek hai? All good? Any problem there? How's Aditya? Khana khaya? Aur kuch? Nahi? Acha okay then, chal talk with your maa." I giggled sadly, knowing well how paa is, my throat constricting.
"You know him beta, he is less vocal about his feelings, but at times he would keep saying that if Riya would have been here, she would have said this or done this or chided me like this, or he would say this house feels empty without her." I blinked my eyes rapidly, trying my best not to cry.
"Koi na I'll come home soon. Chalo chalo, bas, go now. I have to go downstairs, Isha is coming today." I informed, unable to handle the topic anymore, and begin arranging Aditya's clothes in his side of the almirah.
"Han Han, I will put this thread in this needle. Sometimes I feel my life will be spent only by looking for this hole in the needle." She shut her one eye, as she made a failed attempt to put the thread in the needle.
"I only miss you at this time, You would always put this thread in one go." She teased, and I shook my head at her teasings.
"Kalyugi!" I giggled, and after a few byes and love yous, I disconnected the call.
*********
Aditya's Pov
"Haaye bhaiyaa...I am so tired." Isha dramatized and plopped herself on the sofa and began pressing her legs as if she is in so much discomfort.
Will I be able to tolerate her for the next five days?
No.
"Haan haan, you've come here from the hostel by walking on your foot na, that's why." I smiled sarcastically, slapping the back of her head as I placed her bags next to the sofa.
She scowled, and whined loudly, pointing at me, "See mom, bhaiya is hitting me, that too so violently, I just came home!!" At her lie, I gaped at her in horror.
"Adityaaa...." Mom threatened me, even though she was in the kitchen, while Madamoissele Isha passed a victorious smirk in my direction.
"Bhabhiiiii..." Her face lit up like Diwali lights as she got up from the sofa and rushed to Riya who was now descending the stairs.
Taking her in a bear hug, she kissed her cheeks while my wife reciprocated the same, a happy smile plastered on her lips.
When will my turn come to do the same with my wife?
"Bhabhi, tell your husband that he needs to stop with this violence with me every time. He keeps hitting me yaar whenever I am in his vicinity." Isha complained, while her bhabhi giggled, and I scowled.
Masking an innocent face, my wife answered, "Lae, stopping him is a little difficult Isha because he does the same with me too whenever I am in his vicinity." She stared at me friskily, and I looked at her in dismay.
Does she mean I hit her?
Yeah, I hit her with my hugs and forehead kisses, and now planning to hit her with some other type of kisses.
"You know," I started, "I feel very left out when you both are together." I grumbled, glaring at both of them, who stood there royally, side hugging each other.
"Bhaiya is jealous," Giggling, Isha murmured, loud enough for me to hear.
"Ignore him, he is always jealous," Riya giggled, raising a hand in the air towards me.
Hawww!
"Chalo let's go in your room, I want to show you my new designs." Isha tugged her, blatantly ignoring me.
"Han, but at least tell me what do you want to eat tonight? I'll prepare it." My wife enquired walking along with Isha, both of them halfway through the stairs.
"Pasta! Mix sauce!" Isha exclaimed immediately.
"Okey-Dokey!"
And then both of them went upstairs, while I kept standing there partially-jealous, partially-happy for the women of my life happily bonding with each other.
"I'll go back to the office then?" I murmured to no one in particular.
Nobody cares for me vaise bhi.
"Mom I am going back to the office. Will come at the normal time." I mumbled, a little loudly.
"Okay." She called out, "Bring nimbu too when you come back." She called from the kitchen.
"How much?"
"Twenty rupees."
"Okay."
*******
2 days later.
I was currently in our room, working on my laptop, in the hope to finish off some more work before I get ready for my cousin's wedding.
"Adityaa...." Riya spoke, somewhere near me, but I was too busy to even spare a glance at her.
"Haan."
"Adityaaa.."
"Haan." My gaze left unmoved from the laptop.
"Adityaaa.." She almost whined.
"Haan yaar?" I spoke annoyed as I raised my eyes to look at her, while she stood there holding two dresses in each of her hands.
"Kya hua?" I scowled.
"I was calling you." She scowled back, pursing her lips in a thin line.
"Haan fir I answered. You are the one repeating Aditya Aditya." I replied, exasperated.
Her face morphed in annoyance, as she grimaced, "Obviously, I'll have to call you again and again. What is this haan haan? It's hanji!"
"Not even a month has passed, and he has started showing his husbandly traits, saying haan-haan every single time. Pehle to it was hanji hanji, Now haan haan!" She murmured sulkily, raising both her hands in exasperation, while an amused smile spread on my lips witnessing her annoyed expressions.
Sighing in amusement, I replied, "Hanji?"
She smiled in victory and raised both her dresses in air, one blue and one maroon, "Tell me which one should I wear?" She looked at either side, a frown marring her features.
"Yaar don't involve me in this please." I shook my head in frustration, "This thing is very difficult."
"Please na, I am very confused." She glanced at me with sheer innocence.
Draamebaaz.
"Umm.." I took notice of both the dresses, and answered, "Acha wear the blue one." I suggested, glancing at the blue one.
"Blue one?" She repeated, frown lines still evident on her forehead.
"What happened now?" I asked, perturbed.
"I was thinking of wearing the maroon one." She pursed her lips, switching her eyes between both the dresses.
Why did she ask me then?
"Wear maroon then?" I advised.
"But you said blue one." She sulked, pouting at the blue one.
"Wear blue then?" I suggested again, feeling helpless all of a sudden.
"But I was thinking of maroon.." She frowned,
"Lae, why did you ask me then if you wanted to wear maroon one?" I raked my hands through my hair, wanting to pull them in frustration.
"Yaar I thought you would also say maroon, and I will get a double surety to wear maroon, but unexpectedly you said blue and now I am confused about which one is better, and which is more beautiful. It's the first wedding from your side, I want to look good. God! Why did you have to say blue!" She rambled on and on and ended with an irritated glare.
Yaar! As if Isha was any less, that she has started doing the same things. She'll make me mad someday.
"Wear anything, ma'am." I rolled my eyes, smiling sarcastically, and focussed my attention on my laptop, thoroughly ignoring her presence.
"You are of no use sometimes. Always glued with this stupid laptop." She stomped her foot in jealousy and sauntered to the dressing room, mumbling Kalyugi.
*********
"What the...." The words left unescaped from my mouth as soon as I exited the washroom when I saw my wife was neither in blue nor maroon but a green dress.
"Green?" I asked, bewildered.
She shrugged dismissively, applying some powder on her face with a sponge thingy, "I found this dress in the almirah, so thought of wearing this. It looked better than those too" She reasoned, eyeing herself up and down.
Not in the mood to argue with this spontaneous-spitfire, I nodded silently and turned to go to the bedroom to change.
"Ruko ruko." She stopped, and I turned around at her voice.
"Black-Black?" She raised that black-black in the air innocently, directing me to apply her.
"When are you going to learn to apply this vaise?" I pointed at the subject of discussion, "Every time we have to go somewhere, you make me apply this on you." I sulked.
"Please na. I'll learn by next time. Pakka Promise." She maneuvered.
"You said the same line last time too." I remarked glaring at her, sarcasm evident in my tone, while she peered at me smiling childishly as if a kid caught stealing toffees.
"I have unduly ruined your habits vaise." I murmured, shaking my head as she handed me that black-black.
Palming her cheek with one hand, and placing my other hand on her head, I begin applying the same, while she exclaimed, "Oi! Don't ruin my hair, I have washed them today."
Ignoring her, I admonished, "Shut up or else I'll not apply."
This shut her up instantly as she sat silently with her lips pouted, and a cute frown forming on her face, "Kalyugi. Always scolding his sweet little innocent wife." She muttered feigning sadness, and I smiled at her endearment for me.
She and Sweet? Little? Innocent?
After applying, I blew air on her eyes, once, twice, and thrice, "Karle open ab."
"Pakka? It's not wet na?" She confirmed, looking at herself, half opening her eyes.
An amused smile quirked up at the corner of my lips as she started blowing air through her mouth in a way that it reaches her eyes.
Such a Buffoon she is sometimes.
Convinced that the black-black is dried now, she opened her eyes to look at me, a sudden blushful smile playing on her lips noticing my hands still on her cheeks.
"What.." She murmured, as I made no effort to move away from her.
"What?" I teased, feigning oblivion, and begin softly trailing the back of my palm from her head to her neck, and finally, to her arms. My one hand remain firmly rested on her waist while the other remained palmed on her cheek.
My thumb kept tracing the side of her waist teasingly, her dupatta being the only hindrance between my palm and her bare waist. She breathed heavily and looked sideways, suddenly shy of our proximity.
"Uh, Thank you." She said indicating her thanks for applying black-black, in an attempt to divert my attention, as she kept wetting her lips, her eyes flickering time and again to mine.
"Lae, such a dry thank you every time." I whispered and tugged her closer to me, her hands now resting on my shoulder.
"What do you want then?" She whisper asked, raising her eyes to meet mine.
Riya's Pov
"I'll take what I want on my own." He whispered and took a step closer, our bodies touching.
My heart plummeted and my throat constricted as his face neared mine, his thumb stroking my cheeks in soft and sensuous strokes.
"Aditya.." A low whisper escaped my throat as his breathing fanned my face. His proximity messed with my senses, making my eyes shut on their own.
My mind went into a haze, unable to handle his sensuous strokes on my waist and teasing trokes on my cheeks.
A few seconds later, he pressed his lips on my cheeks ever so softly, the warmth of his lips making my heart thump vigorously. His lips lingered there for a few seconds, after which I felt his butterfly kisses on my eyes, my under eyes, and every other part he could kiss on.
"Aditya.." I breathed heavily taking hold of his shoulder tightly, controlling the ungodly voice threatening to spill out of my mouth when his lips found their way on my jawline, his hand caressing my nape gently, and his other toying with the dupatta around my waist.
My mind was too blank to even open my eyes, and it went frenzy when I sensed his breathing near my lips. My insides shivered at the thought of his next move, his next touch, his next kiss.
But before I could lean forward to let him touch me, a voice interrupted us.
"Bhaiyaa?" Isha called as she knocked on the door, and we jerked at the sudden intrusion.
"Damn." He breathed in frustration, hiding his face in the crook of my neck, while my hands automatically found their way to his hair, caressing them gingerly.
"Will I become a bad brother, If I say I hate Isha at the moment?" He murmured, his voice dense while I smiled tenderly and placed a kiss on the side of his head.
"Bhaiya bhabhi? Are you there?" Isha's voice fell into our ears again, and Aditya backed away from me, and walked towards the door raking his hands in his hair, while I remained in the dressing, glancing back at my reflection.
He asked as soon as he unlocked the door, "Kya hua?"
"Mom and dad are calling you, they are asking where did you keep the shagun cards." Isha informed the reason for her arrival.
"Tu chal, I am coming." I heard him say.
I turned around immediately to look at him, as I fiddled with my fingers in nervousness, the previous scene replaying in my head on loop.
His intense eyes found my shy ones with his teasing-dimpled smile on display, making my lips curve up on their own, though my heart began pounding at a maddening speed yet again as I witnessed his piercing gaze flickering to my lips time and again.
Stop looking at me like this sir. I think I am going to faint with these intense gazes of yours.
My cheeks flamed, eyes widened and lips parted in shock, when he exited the room after seconds of his intense gazing, but not before passing a wink and blowing me a kiss in the air.
Okay bye, I think I am seriously going to faint with these teensy-weensy weird feelings in the pit of my stomach.
*******
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