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Eazy-Breezy Not-So Teeny-Weeny Update! â¤ï¸
Chapter Dedicated to inkedwords0511
Happy Reading!â¤ï¸
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Riya's Pov
The makeup looks okay I think?
It's not too white haina?
And the lipstick isn't very dark?
This blush also seems balanced, I guess? Not so pinky-pinky?
My gaze traveled up and down, and vice-versa time and again, contemplating if I have applied everything I required to and in the appropriate quantity when the room door opened and closed, and the sound of my husband ambling in the direction of the dressing room fell into my ears.
"Aajau?" He asked a few seconds later, standing behind the dressing room's curtain.
"Hanji." I answered, my hands busy in settling the dupatta of my lehenga, and the next moment I raised my eyes to look at him, he was standing right behind me, his appreciative glance never leaving mine.
********
Aditya's Pov
Her reflection in the mirror looked back at me as she smiled softly in my direction, the same trademarked smile she passes when I am in her vicinity. Her hair was half tied, with a few tresses recklessly residing on the sides, and her hand busy in rubbing her arms in nervousness.
"Okay?" She gave a once over to herself, a doubtful expression marring her features.
Wounding my arms around her from the back, I placed my chin on her shoulder, my hands reflexively palming hers from the front. "Perfect." I voiced, honestly.
"I always look perfect to you." She shook her head as if not believing me.
Angling my neck to the side, I pecked her forehead, and then her cheeks.
She craned her neck towards me with a smile gracing her lips, but in an instant, her gentle smile transformed into an amused one as she attempted to stifle her laugh.
"What?" I frowned, "I am qualified to kiss your cheeks now yaar." I mumbled, unable to decipher the reason behind my wife's suppressed giggles.
"Look at yourself in the mirror." She murmured, biting her lips in amusement.
Inclining my neck in the direction of the mirror, I tried to observe my face closely, still hugging her from behind.
"What the...!" My eyes almost widened when my gaze fell onto my lips which were now turned white,
"Chiiii..." Immediately distancing myself from her, I blew a raspberry and started rubbing my lips with my hands in urgency, while Riya kept giggling, thoroughly enjoying my troubled state.
"What was that?"
"A mixture of concealer, foundation, and loose powder." She remarked, her lips still pressed in a smile as she dusted my lips with the tissue.
"I am not going to kiss you whenever you will apply this white-white." I announced, scrunching my nose at the powdery feeling still lurking on my lips.
"Your loss." She shrugged, a smug expression crossing her features.
"Chalo Chalo get ready now." She hurried, "Always late!" She pointed, and I gaped at her brutal comment in disbelief.
Haww!
"Oye, You were the one standing here and applying all these white black, and pink things on your face." I eyed all the makeup stuff lying on the dressing table, "And I am the one who is always late?" I asked incredulously.
Royally ignoring my statement in defense, she shrugged dismissively and began applying her perfume in leisure, and left the dressing room.
Sighing inaudibly at my luck, I opened my side of the almirah and took out my clothes for the night.
*********
"Yaaarr nooooo! My lehenga will get ruined mom." Isha whined in displeasure, eyeing the back seat of the car,
"I am not going to sit on anyone's lap." She declared.
Six members, and seat for five in a car. What other solution do you expect from an Indian middle-class family?
"It's just the matter of one hour beta." Mom tried to maneuver.
"But we can take a cab too." She advised peering at us in innocence,
"Yeah and pay without any reason, when we can adjust this way too." I reprimanded.
Isha sulked in response, and eyed Kunal, "Kunal bhai you stay at home, okay? Vaise bhi what will you do there." Her logical self suggested,
"Acha? Then what work are you going to do there?" Kunal demanded, shooting a glare at her.
"Lae, I'll look at the latest lehenga, saree, and suit designs, fresh hairstyles, and yeah I'll eat lots of food too. Now you don't need to look at saree-suit designs, and you also keep eating fast-food every now and then, so aap rehne do, stay at home." She remarked smugly.
Before Kunal could splurt out a word, Dad interjected as he spared a serious glance at junior Kansal woman, "Ishaa.."
One word, One pointed look, and Isha Kansal on the track.
The superpower of Senior Kansal.
Pouting at her helplessness, she mumbled half-heartedly, "Fine. I'll sit."
Five minutes later, we were all seated in the car. With me settled on the driving seat, Dad at the passenger, Mom, Kunal, and Riya at the backseat, and a sulking Isha half-settled on mom's lap, and half on Kunal's.
"Ohho bhaiya stop moving your leg so much." She complained, scowling at Kunal, and eyed dad discreetly, not at all in the mood to hear a set of scoldings all the way.
*********
Riya's Pov
We all stepped out of the car almost an hour and a half later, while Aditya went to park the car at the parking space.
"Chalein." He asked, as soon as he came, while all other members walked ahead of us.
"Everyone from Dad's side of the family will be here, Haina?" I enquired, my gaze wandering to the beautiful decorations at the entry.
"Hmm." My eyes switched to him when he slipped his hand in mine without an effort, his slender fingers intertwined with my teeny-weeny ones, and his grip gentle yet firm at the same time,
"Don't be nervous, I am here with you." He smiled softly,
"We both know Aditya, you can't stick to me all the time." I voiced, knowing well he can't stick to me all the time. He has other people to talk too.
"Even if I can't be with you all the time, I'll still be there with you." His unwavering gaze fell on me, while I struggled to fathom the meaning behind his words.
**********
Namastey? Check!
Polite Smiles? Check!
Bending down to touch elder's feet at the rate of five elder feet per minute? Check!
Repeating the answers to the same set of questions to a different set of relatives ranging from education to job, hometown to parents? Check!
Suggestive remarks from cousins? Super-Check!
"Go beta, eat something now." Mumma spoke after the meeting, greeting, conversing, taking blessings from the relatives' session was put at a halt until no new relative appears in our sight.
"Hanji." Aditya replied, and gestured me to walk in the direction of the fast-food stalls.
*******
"Listen.." I whisper called, as we stood near the fruit stall, "Who did I say namaste to just before we moved from there? Mumma was talking to someone at that time, so she couldn't introduce me."
"That was papa's chachi." He replied, his gaze switching from one stall to the other,
"Nahi re, I already greeted her before." I shook my head immediately.
"Then, which one?" He asked, perplexed.
"Arey the one who is in a mustard suit, see there," I patted his arm, secretly gesturing him to look in the direction of our parents, "The one who is in the center of mumma and papa. I was so confused as to what to address her as."
"Achaaa..you are talking about bua.." He answered, "Arey, she is Papa's bua, like she is the youngest bua, and see there," His gaze switched towards the entry, "The one standing near that big vase in blue saree, she is the elder one, and there is one more bua, she is the eldest, she didn't come I guess." He tried searching for her,
"Oh and yeah, Dadu was at the second number out of all four."
I nodded in understanding, internally struggling to memorize all the relationships and their respective faces.
However, I sincerely doubt the success rate to accurately remember all the names and relationships given the number of people I've met till now.
******
"No Suji golgappas?" I asked the golgappe vale bhaiya, my eyes desperately searching for any trace of suji golgappas lying on the counter.
My face fell when he shook his head in a no, and I peered at Aditya as if he would do some golgappa-magic and bring suji golgappas for me, "No suji golgappe." I informed him as if he hasn't heard.
Suji golgappa, you didn't just ditch me and send your brother aata golgappa over here!
"You eat, you like aata ones." Pouting at the absence of my favorite, I passed the empty golgappa bowl to my husband.
"You won't eat?" He asked, puzzled, "These are golgappas!" He mentioned pressing each word as if to remind me what thing are they.
Shaking my head, I replied, "Nah. I only eat suji ones, no aata ones."
He sighed helplessly, "At least try once, they are tasty too." He extended the empty bowl to me and directed the bhaiya to serve me the golgappa.
"Na." I refused firmly, resisting my urge to scowl.
"Drink it's paani then?" He offered, thoroughly confused.
I shook my head and stated, "I only eat golgappas, that too suji ones. No paani, no atta golgappas."
He rolled his eyes and mumbled, extending his bowl towards the bhaiya, "So stubborn all the time. Always stuck to her rules. Even rules for golgappa-eating."
I shrugged dismissively before I noticed him picking up the round and crispy puri loaded with mashed potatoes, onion, and sweet-spicy green chutney water. The ball of flavours was straightaway popped into his mouth. His eyes contorted as he blissfully savored the explosion of flavors on his palate.
Oh my Suji Golgappas, I miss you so much. And no wedding is complete without you gracing your deliciously-divine presence in your mouthy-abodes.
My husband gulped five more back to back, effortlessly picking each one with his forefinger and prod of his thumb, popping it in his mouth in a swift action, his face puffing with each golgappa he gulps and the golgappa paani dribbling out from the sides of his mouth.
After he finished, he remarked eyeing my unwavering gaze, "You and your love for golgappas at the wedding."
"Huh?" I questioned, not getting him.
"Nothing." He dismissed royally, cleaning his hands with the tissue,
"Pao bhaji?" At his words, my eyes gleamed and my mouth watered at the sight of my next favorite, my stomach growling in the anticipation of the trademarked taste of this delicacy which could only be found at weddings and nowhere else.
"Pao bhaji!" I repeated, feeling a gush of happiness within, while he slightly chuckled as he managed to match my teensy-weensy rushed steps.
What? There is so much crowd there, I want to gobble that heavenly delight as soon as possible. My hungry paoy-self won't be able to tolerate any extra pain after the excruciating encounter with those cruelsome aata golgappas.
********
If you are an Indian, and by any chance newly-married too, Do you think any wedding is possible without all the aunties and uncles, didis and bhaiyas, forcing you both to come on the stage for the much-awaited, terror-inflicting, hypothetically-romantic, infamously-known as couple dance?
If Yes, Good luck buddy!
If No, Haaye! Lucky you!
Moreover, these couple dances are incomplete without the presence of ever-so-famous romantic numbers, ranging from tum hi ho to mere hath mein, dil diyan gallan to tera hone laga hun. Though if you are lucky enough, they might even play a recent, hit track too.
After being pushed on the stage by Aditya's bua, with the evil-collective scheme of Isha and Kunal, me and my husband were now standing on the dance stage, with three or four other newly-wed couples around, half of them full in form, beaming and gushing in happiness, while the other half resembling the same terror-stricken expressions as us.
Though, the couple for tonight remained seated on the wedding stage, busy smiling and taking blessings while being clicked with each set of the guest's family articulately posing around them with one member sitting alongside the groom, another near the bride, and the remaining members(if any) standing behind them and not to forget those tiny toddlers in the center of the couple or on their laps.
Whereas another set of guest's family impatiently waited to climb the stage for their turn and get their photo clicked with the new couple as soon as possible.
After frowning, scowling, and almost pouting to figure out which hand he is supposed to keep on my waist, and with which hand he is supposed to hold my hand, my husband finally came to a decision and neared me.
Draping his left hand on the small of my waist, right above my set-dupatta, he held my hands in a gentle yet firm grip.
His warm gaze fell on me, his opalescent irises keenly staring back at my teensy-weensy shy ones. Smiling feebly, he intertwined the fingers of his right hand with my left ones which were almost shivering in nervousness.
What? Dance and Riya? In a single sentence? Ha, Seems so alien and funny.
Even I was saved on my wedding day as we didn't have any couple dance at our wedding too. Much to my relief that day, that satyugi DJ vale bhaiya didn't call us for any couple dance, neither did anyone else.
Our eyes met, and we exchanged soft glances with one another when the soulful and euphonious lyrics of tera hone laga hun rung into our ears.
However, the intense eyelock we have been sharing for the last ten seconds proved to be short-lived, as the reality sunk in that we need to move our lazy, inflexible bodies and dance at this romantic number playing in the background, and satisfy the insatiable urge of our family and relatives to gush over our dancing selves.
Nonetheless, our nervous-constipated gazes remained fixated on each other and the sheer horror reflecting in his eyes made it crystal clear that it's his first-time couple dancing too, and what an exceptional performer he might be in this newfound department.
We began swaying slowly when the DJ vale bhaiya hooted for all the couples. Aditya pressed me a little closer to himself when the lines Hua hai tujhe jo bhi jo bhi, Mujhe bhi iss baar hua started playing, while my hand effortlessly remained on his shoulder.
However, after a second.,
No! He didn't twirl me like a pro without an inch of effort with my lehenga flowing recklessly with all the twirls.
Oh No! He didn't just bend his left knee forward, lowered me by cradling the base of my neck like a professional for a swoon-worthy dip.
Puh-lease, He didn't sweep me off my feet in a fleeting second, twirling continuously along with me as if I haven't worn a 15 kg lehenga.
Also no! He didn't pull me toward himself in a swift motion and hugged me tightly with his palms caressing my back sensually as if we do not have an audience of 200 people around.
And most importantly, No! No guitars and violins and other musical instruments or mics come into our display.
Stop it please! He didn't just start singing in his hypotheticallymagical, honeylicious voice dedicating all the romantic lyrics to me, along with his expert-self playing the instruments with utmost professionalism.
Just for your information, we both can't sing to even save our lives!
Instead, he tried to twirl me with his index finger, but ended up holding my whole hand, and twirled me in the direction opposite to what he was supposed to, resulting in an almost sore palm, and fainty-faint feeling with his opposite twirls.
And the icing on the cake is, he has slammed my foot with his rock-like ones thrice in the past two minutes, courtesy of our non-rhythmic, zero-coordinated, messy-wessy moves.
Oh yes, he might have risked attempting a dip, but one discreet glare from me, and he decided to play safe and live longer, thus preferred swaying along with me.
Strictly swaying, no experiments!
The waterfalls of romance oozing from the couples around us and the hootings and whistles from the crowd around made that Dj vale bhaiya play the next romantic song, raatan lambiyan lambiyan, thus forcing us to remain on the stage.
Moreover, the new couple was still busy clicking their photographers, hence the DJ-man needs to keep everyone busy, haina?
"We need a lot of practice in this department." He murmured, flashing me a tired-amused smile.
I bit back a grin at his comment, and suggested friskily, "We'll practice couple dance at home, every Saturday, Sunday."
"Every Saturday, Sunday." He repeated half-smiling, nodding ever-so-slowly, knowing well it's a far-fetched dream.
By now, we were quite comfortable with this dancing thing, letting the rhythm control our movements with our gazes intact, lips smiling, and his hand still grasping mine in a steady grip.
My face burned, and my knees buckled at his unwavering intense gaze, his naughty smile widening with each second, noticing my flushed state.
"Stop staring at me like this." I murmured defeated and looked away from him.
Oh wow! So beautiful and big music system!
"Like what." He shot back smugly, mischief evident in his tone.
"Like that." I mumbled, failing to explain what 'that' means, my gaze still diverted.
His palm trailed from the small of my back to the side of my waist, as he voiced in a low whisper, "Hmm, so if you don't like me staring at you....,"
I angled my neck towards him at his words, "Then I should stare at other women." He said smoothly.
"They are married!" An inaudible gasp escaped my throat.
He grinned at my reaction, "Lae, not all are married, some are single too. Vaise bhi even if they are married, so what, I am also married, I can gawk them freely."
My lips parted in shock at his shamelessness, "Go on, gawk other women as much as you can. I'll also gawk other men here, married or single." I resisted the urge to scowl and began staring aimlessly to the side.
Who should I look at? These lights? They are male too or they are female?
A few seconds passed with my eyes aimlessly searching for any materialistic male thing, but I could still sense his eyes on me.
"Mili koi?" Angling my neck to his side, I asked masking indifference.
He nodded briskly, a hint of smile quirked up at the corner of his lips.
"Kaun?" I whispered, not at all showing him my curiosity.
His whispered softly with his unwavering gaze, "Hai ek...," He trailed, off for a second as he loosened his grip on my hand, and placed his hand on my waist, his callous yet warm palm on my slightly bare waist succeeding to create havoc within me.
In a reflex, my hands found their place on his shoulders at their own accord. A brief silence consumed us, as we kept swaying, both his hands on my waist, mine on his shoulder.
I was all ears, patiently awaiting his reply when he worded in a hushed whisper,
"She's here, right in front of me, all clad in green, looking ever-so beautiful and ethereal as she always is." I gulped a ball of nerves at his words, his eyes never leaving mine.
Wetting his lips, he added, "Though I haven't told her yet how happy she makes me every time she's in my vicinity, and how lively she makes my life with her signature bufoonish antics." He flashed me a teasing smile and sobered up,
"Neither have I ever told her that there's something in her aura that radiates warmth and happiness, innocence and confidence at the same time." We kept swaying in rhythmic moves, our hearts in sync just as our moves were.
"And then she believes, I might stare at any other woman around, when the truth is, she's the only woman my eyes would ever want to look at." He finished effortlessly, and my heart flip-flopped witnessing his intense gaze staring back at me. His words rendered me speechless for a few seconds as my brain miserably failed to form a coherent sentence in his reply.
At this moment, the only thing I knew was, his words felt direct yet so twisted, candid yet so honest, complete yet so incomplete.
Claps and hoots reverberated in our ears as the music changed from romantic to peppy, making us loosen our hold on each other.
Before I could manage to utter a word, Piyush, one of his cousins, called him,
"Sun, Kunal, and Isha are standing there." He pointed towards our siblings, "I'll come in a few minutes." I nodded meekly and ambled in their direction, holding this heavy piece of clothing in place.
"Haaye bhabhi, I feel so single suddenly watching you all couples dancing in full romance." Kunal dramatized, masking a sad face.
Giggling, I opened my mouth to reply, but before that Isha interjected, rolling her eyes, "Offo bhaiya, you are talking as if Trannum bhabhi has left you and you are single suddenly."
"Lae yaar, sacchi even if you are committed, these weddings make you feel sooo single." He sighed dramatically.
"I agree with him in this," I supported my brother-in-law, "Even I used to feel single-single whenever I used to go to these weddings. And imagine my state, I was actually single." I exclaimed, smiling at those times.
Isha shook her head at our statements, and added suddenly, "Acha vaise Kunal bhai, what if Trannum bhabhi sacchi leaves you." She nudged as she decided to tease him, an evil smile hinting on the corner of her lips.
"She will not!" Kunal replied instantaneously, a big fat scowl marring his features, while I enjoyed this free-fund entertainment show exclusively performed by Kansal Siblings.
"Arey, but what if she does." Isha tested my brother-in-law's patience with her hypothetical situations.
He shot a glare in Isha's direction, and stated, "She'll not." He pressed each word.
"Moreover, I believe, if someone's solely meant for you, then no matter what, nobody can take them out of your life. And just in case he/she isn't the one for you, no matter how hard you try, you can't force them back into your life." He reasoned, raking his hands in his hair, a habit these young Kansal men possess.
"Haina bhabhi?" He turned towards me questionably, to which I nodded in return, completely agreeing with his views,
"And in such situations, acceptance and letting go proves to be the best option." I added gently, having nothing else to say, my eyes admiring those little kids dancing beautifully on the dance floor, enjoying their time to the fullest.
"But letting go isn't that easy bhabhi." Kunal was quick to voice his doubt, the fear of losing his significant other reflecting on his face.
Smiling faintly in his direction, I uttered the first thing that came to my mind, "Letting go is, being left behind isn't."
His face morphed into an uncomprehensible emotion, "Arey, why are you fearing for no reason. As you said na, if people are meant to be together, they will be, no matter what. So what's the need to fear about the future when nobody has ever seen it?" I patted his arms reassuringly, and turned towards Isha,
"And you madam, don't tease your brother like this okay. Some things are sensitive." I ended and glared at her lightly, silently requesting her to not tease him like this.
We kept standing there for some more time, talking anything and everything, from relatives to cousins, food to clothes, Isha's gossips to Kunal's teasings.
******
I was now sitting with mumma and papa, along with some other relatives, feeling lost between a bunch of unknown faces, and novice relationships.
However, in the past fifteen minutes, every single time my gaze wandered around in search of my husband, no matter wherever he was or with whom he stood, his eyes would meet mine the exact second. He would hold my gaze for a few seconds with his almost invisible smile reassuring me of his presence.
Those impossible confirmations of forever physical presences are overrated. At times, these silent yet meaningful reassurances are enough to make you believe that even though these people and relationships are unknown, still you would manage to find a place to fit into their circle.
Just like you have succeeded in becoming a part of his life, that day is not far when you would succeed in accepting yourself as a part of his extended circle too.
********
Aditya's Pov
"Hanji." Loosely rounding my arm around my wife's shoulder, I stood beside her, though my woman's gaze remained fixated over the stage, awaiting the varmala ceremony.
She turned her neck towards me, "Busy man, where were you from the past forty minutes?"
"Yaar, Piyush needed to talk something regarding software engineering, so was just guiding him a little." She nodded in understanding and I continued,
"And after that, we all cousins were together, because, in all the weddings from either Dad's side or mom's side, we all cousins are always together, eating and roaming around in a group." I smiled, reminiscing our days, while she passed a soft smile in return.
Before she could feel why I didn't tag her along, I clarified,
"Uh, I looked for you too, but you were busy talking with bua and mom, so didn't call you to come with us."
She looked at me blankly, and spoke, "Stop clarifying Aditya."
"Sorry!" I stuck my tongue out in embarrassment, my hand automatically rubbing the base of my neck in embarrassment.
"It's okay." She said, putting her phone in her clutch, "Though it's good you are here now. It gets awkward and boring without you." She murmured, pressing her lips in a thin line.
"Koi na I am here now." My eyes wandered in search of mom and dad.
"After varmala, let's eat dinner, and then we can leave?" I suggested, noticing Isha in some corner, switching from one pose to the other, not at all in the mood of letting the photographer go and click anyone else's photo except her.
"Hanji." Distraction was evident in her tone, as her sole attention remained on the varmala happening in front of us.
A peaceful smile curved up at the corner of her lips as she witnessed the varmala ceremony.
"Remembering our time Haina? She angled her neck towards me at my question, a known smile hinting on her lips.
My arm remain wounded around her shoulder, as she complained innocently, "You teased me so much that day, during our varmala. " She reminded, "You were not letting me put the garland around your neck."
"And you didn't tease me at all." I complained too, masking the same innocent face.
What? I wanted to be teased!
"I wanted to." She confessed in an innocent whisper, pouting towards the end.
"Fir?" My brows knitted in confusion.
"Lae fir kya, I got shy!" She giggled, "Koi nai I'll find other ways to tease you. Don't worry."
Hushed chuckles left my throat at her smug reply,
"Paagal." I whispered to no one in particular, though my gaze kept flickering to this buffoon standing right beside me, who was busy gushing over the new couple on the stage, her eyes gleaming with happiness and best wishes for them.
Such a cartoon my woman is.
********
"Le." I handed her the empty dinner plate and spoon, as we walked towards the food counters.
"What happened? Why are you not putting anything on your plate." My movements halted before I could serve the dal makhani on my plate, my gaze fixated on her empty one.
She looked here and there as if searching for something. Her eyes shimmered in a split second, as she declared after her search-spree, "I am not going to eat all this." She passed a disinterested glance at the multifarious varieties of vegetables articulately presented on the dinner counters.
"Then what?" A frown marred my face at her words.
"Arey I'll eat that." She stated, pointing towards the Chinese and Italian cuisine section.
I couldn't resist rolling my eyes, and mumbled, "As if the fast food we ate earlier was not enough for you."
She shrugged dismissively in response, while I asked, "Shall I come with you?"
"Nah. I'll manage." She answered.
"Okay. "I'll be sitting on that table then, come there." I pointed towards an empty table, a very rare sight to see at the dining hall.
"Hanji." Saying, she moved towards the Italian section, her steps slow and unrushed probably due to the heaviness of her dress.
*********
"Oh god! So much food!"
My eyes widened as soon as my wife took a seat beside me, her plate full with a spoonful of noodles, a single manchurian ball, only gravy of cheese chilli, and hardly a spoon of pasta.
She scowled in my direction at my honest comment.,
"Lae sacchi." I bit back a grin,
"See here.." I pointed towards the food on my plate, "My plate is so empty as compared to you." I tsked sadly, eyeing all the possible vegetables I could fit into my plate, with their gravies mixing with one another, along with some raita and salad, and a naan fitted over them with much difficulty, with its sides now soggy with all the gravies touching its surface.
"Stop making fun of me." She grumbled, trying her best to not glare at me in public, making me grin at her riled-up state.
"Acha chal at least take a single bite of naan and paneer, then eat all that." I coaxed politely.
She scrunched her nose, and shook her head, "Nah, I am not in the mood for naan right now."
"Acha rice?" I offered,
She thought for a while, "Okay." She murmured and picked up the spoon from my plate, "Such an empty plate." She remarked sarcastically, eyeing the items stuffed brutally in that heavy rock-like white piece of crockery.
Topping a spoonful of paneer gravy over the rice, along with an onion ring set over it, she placed the spoon into her mouth half-heartedly.
"Nice. Ab bas, no more." She commented as soon as she finished it.
"You want anything from here?" She offered, while I looked at her in disbelief.
Zipping up my mouth to not comment over the immense quantity of food placed on her plate, I preferred shaking my head in response.
She replied with a shrug, but before she could eat, she added almost hurriedly, "Ohho, It was your spoon. Here, take mine, it is unused, I will take the one with which I ate." She handed me her unused spoon,
I couldn't help but pass a blank stare in her direction,
"What?" She asked, confused.
"We are going to share a number of things in the future Riya, and this is just a spoon." I insinuated, putting a spoonful of rice in my mouth, my eyes never leaving hers.
Her cheeks flared my reply, as she gaped at me with parted lips.
She diverted her attention from my face to her plate in a fleeting second with a little blushful smile gracing her lips. She shook her head to herself after a while as if thinking something, and began eating silently.
What is she imagining? I guess she perfectly understood my innuendo. Haina?
******
"Chalein ab?" I asked my wife, gulping the last bite of kulfi.
She nodded, taking out her phone to look at the time.
"You sure do not want to eat anything from the desserts?" I confirmed, before leaving.
"Mhm." She shook her head, "I am full."
"Okay." I nodded.
"Mumma papa will stay here na." She asked as we walked towards the exit of the dining hall.
"Hmm." I answered.
"How will they come in the morning then.?"
"There are some other relatives too who will come the same way, they'll drop them home." I explained, "Baki just in case if the need arises, they will drop mom and dad at some common point, from there either Kunal or I will pick them."
"Okay." She nodded briskly.
"Chal, let's inform mom dad that we are leaving." My gaze wandered around, searching for our parents.
********
"Bhai keys?" Kunal asked for the car keys.
"Le." Passing the car keys to him, I instructed, "Dhyan se but."
He ignored my instruction royally and peered at me with a bored expression.
He should get used to my instructions by now, haina? I am his big brother!
"I'll sit in the front!" Isha's forever-excited self spoke, rushing towards the shotgun seat.
Both Riya and I settled on the backseat, almost in the center.
"My shawl." Riya murmured after a few minutes of driving, as her eyes searched for her shawl at the backside.
Her and her unexplained need to drape herself completely with something whenever her cold, sensitive self is in the ac.
As expected, picking up the shawl from the back, she covered her arms with that warm piece of cloth in such a way, so that not even a gush of air could dare to pass through it.
My eyes fell on my sister, who was now sound asleep in the front seat, in her infamous, signature pose.
Eyes shut, legs crossed, arms sprawled, mouth opened, heavy breaths, and head recklessly falling towards the side window.
"Want to sleep? It will still take one hour." I looked at my wife, her eyes closed and her head leaned against the back.
"Mhm. I won't be able to sleep in the car." She answered, her eyes drooping a little with each word she spoke,
"Bas a little tired." She leaned her head on my shoulder without a delay, and my arms automatically wound around her shoulder tucking her under my arms, to keep her in place.
Patting her cheeks softly, I voiced, "Try to sleep, hmm?"
"Mhm." She shook her head, "I am just closing my eyes, I won't sleep." She murmured, moving a little, while a faint smile crept my lips, listening to her always ruled self.
My stubborn wife won't try anything different from her set-specific behavior, she loves sticking by her old habits.
*******
"Kya hua?" I noticed her waddly-walking as soon as we entered our home.
"I don't know. My feet are paining." She frowned, walking towards the kitchen with difficulty.
"Where are you going now?" I asked, locking the front door.
"Paani." She turned around, exhaustion evident in her tone.
"I'll bring it. You go upstairs." I motioned her to go upstairs.
"Okay." She answered removing her heels and ascended the stairs handling her roundy-round lehenga in one hand, and heels in the other, all the way silently cursing her heels.
********
"Le." I offered her the bottle and glass while she sat at the edge of the bed, still in her green dress.
She touched the bottle from outside, "Garam ni hai?" She enquired, while I shook my head in reply.
"But I only drink lukewarm water before sleeping. Not this one". She furrowed her brows.
One serious glare from me resulted in an arrogant scowl from her.
"You are so stubborn yaar. After marriage only, I am realizing how Stubborn-head you are." I sighed, a bit irritated.
"It's okay I'll bring myself." She pouted in innocence and got up from the bed.
"Rehne de. I'll bring. She wants to go up and down the stairs with this heavy circly stuff." I grumbled in annoyance, and she giggled which she immediately masked with her fake coughs.
"Draamebaaz." I mumbled, exiting the room, all the trying to figure out the reason as to why I decided to say yes to this overly stubborn woman.
**********
"Your lukewarm water ma'am." Smiling sarcastically at my woman, I offered her the glass.
"Thank you " She grinned brightly.
My eyes fell on her foot placed on her thigh, "Yeh kya hua?"
"Blisters." She pressed her lips. "The back of the heel was sharp, and I am also not used to wearing heels, that's why." She explained,
"Laga fir kuch." I said.
"Hmm, voh there is cold cream in the dressing, dena." She requested.
Nodding, I ambled towards the dressing, but the sight of various alien products lying on the shelves scared me to the core.
Randomly picking one, I moved towards her.
Taking it from my hands, she stared at me in disbelief, "This is primer Aditya."
What? I have oily skin, I don't use creams.
"Cold cream is on the right side, the third shelf." My steps turned towards the dressing, my mind still lost.
Eyeing the products and those little-little words they have written over them, I asked, defeated "There are so many tubes and creams here yaar. Just tell me the color of the bottle or tube of your cream."
"It's white and blue, circular in shape." I could sense the roll of her eyes in her voice.
"Here." I handed her the cream.
"You change. I will take time, because apart from changing, I have to remove my makeup, and then wash my face as well." She took a pea-sized amount of cream on her fingers, gently massaging it over the affected area.
"Okay. Massage it well." Saying, I moved towards the washroom to change.
**********
Riya's Pov
As soon as I exited the dressing room after changing, my gaze fell on the sleeping form of my husband. Taking a seat next to him, I held my cuddle pillow and leaned my head against the headboard, patiently admiring my human.
I guess I have to cuddle this cuddle-pillow today.
I couldn't resist the smile beginning to form on my lips as I admired the serene expressions crossing his face, his breathing even and his sleeping posture straight yet so relaxed contrary to my always curled-up one.
I kept staring at him, and my heart plummeted in an instant when his words from the dance floor rung into my ears, my thoughts drifting back to his unwavering gaze.
For him, I looked ethereal in green.
How could I tell him, I've swooned over him a zillion times tonight in that navy-blue blazer of his.
For him, I make him happy merely with my presence.
How could I tell him, how secure his presence is, and how overwhelming his gaze is.
For him, my buffoonish antics are enough to make him feel alive.
How could I tell him, he is the only one I've ever dared to reveal this side of me.
For him, my aura radiates warmth and happiness, innocence and confidence.
How could I tell him, his aura screams positivity and effervescence, generosity, and independence.
How could I tell him that how deeply I am invested in him, and how passionately I look forward to spending my day with him.
My fingers automatically moved to softly caress his unruly-messy hair he has been raking his hands the whole night.
At this moment, I wished nothing for us, but good health and peace, trust and acceptance, empathy and respect, and
Love.
Unadulterated, Unrestricted, Meaningful Love.
But most importantly,
Love Unrushed!
*********
Heyaaaa Dear Onesss!!!!
Adi and his terror for Dancing.ð¤¦ð»ââï¸
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