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Riya's Pov
"Water?" A hoarse whisper fell past my throat as we stepped inside the house, his fingers effortlessly intertwined with mine.
Unknowingly, his presence has begun to mess up with my senses, thus making me doubt my tiniest actions around him.
Towards the last half-an-hour of our drive, he remained unusually silent, except for the times when he would sneak intentional gazes toward me.
There was an unmistakable desire flickering in the corners of his eyes and it made me anxious that it would accentuate even at my slightest movement.
Whilst we were driving back home, I heard him curse under his breath when I unknowingly bit my lips, flustered by our moments in the parking.
Later, he exhaled a set of shaky breaths when his palms encompassed my thighs to halt the movement of my tapping feet. The soft grasp soon transformed into torturous grazes, on my upper thigh.
Then, to make matters worse, I accidentally tucked the loose strand of hair behind my ear while he quietly warned me not to test his patience.
As my gaze matched his, my stomach clenched in anticipation of the way his piercing gaze bored into mine. Those opalescent pools reflected contemplation and expectancy at the same time.
The carnal longing in his eyes forced my heart to thump in sheer madness. And, amidst the silence echoing in the hallway, I could vividly hear the sound of our frantic heartbeats, unrhythmic, uncontrolled, and unfazed.
His arms brushed against mine with each stride we went, making my throat dry. I moved toward the kitchen to get a glass of water and perhaps simply to get away from his watchful eyes since I didn't trust what I was doing in his presence.
However, my gait halted when his slender fingers enveloped mine immediately after I have turned to the other side. My lips curled inwards inward and sank between my teeth as I peered at him in oblivion. He shook his head softly and tugged me towards him, a wordless request on his part to ascend the stairs, alongside him.
My mind was in haze and an unsteady puff escaped my lips as I stood rigid in my position, too stumped to acknowledge his insinuation. But before I could make up my mind to follow his trail a step ahead, he crept into my vicinity, the whiff of his mild scent hazing my mind. His fingers suggestively aviated my arms, reaching to my nape, finally resting on my cheeks.
My lips parted and a breathy sigh erupted in my throat when he closed his eyes momentarily and mildly stroked the side of my face with the tip of his nose. His lips skimmed past my jawline, settling on my neck, pressing a moist kiss on the visible part of my skin.
A plethora of goosebumps appeared on my skin at the sensations rippling in my core. Weak under his touch, I held onto his wrist for some support. I have just begun to bask in his sensual touch when he curled his fingers around mine, gently pulling me to our room upstairs.
My feet moved on their own accord and my heart felt ready to pop out with each step he ascended. My legs shook frenziedly each time his thumb would caress the back of my palm and a chilled shiver would run down my spine each time he stole a magnetic glance at me.
There was a strange rush in our steps, so unusual of our unrushed selves.
Despite the wide spectrum of emotions my body went through, I managed to follow his trail.
He was the cold gush of wind and I would happily dance around in his symphony, wherever he takes.
*********
Muffling the sounds of our rushed-unrushed footsteps all the way, we finally managed to make it to our room peacefully after navigating through the hallway's eerie silence.
Entering inside, Aditya turned around to latch the room's door, but his fingers wouldn't let go of me, forcing me to remain there, right behind him.
The beats of my heart intensified when he turned on his feet after bolting the door, the fierce determination in his eyes rendering me mute and a breathless mess at the same time.
He didn't say anything but rather peered at me in pure anticipation. A second or two later, his fingers curved under my chin, holding the skin in a delicate grip before tilting it at an upward angle until my lips rested close to his.
"Aditya." My throat clogged at the tension as I let out a raspy whisper. Sensing his lips near my face, my eyes shut on their own accord, awaiting the plump skin of his lips to mold onto mine.
A quivering whimper fell past my lips when his lips descended over my collarbone, sucking the flesh in wet slopes.
I felt powerless in my knees from the sensations he was allowing me to feel. I couldn't help but swerve my fingers around his which rested on my cheeks.
Unfazed by my mewls, his lips continued to plant balmy kisses beneath my ear followed by a teasing flicker of his tongue on my earlobe. His teasings momentarily ended up with him pressing open-mouthed kisses at the base of my neck, forcing me to arch my back to give him enough space for it.
My hunger reached its peak when he raised his head a little only to brush his lips against my cheeks sending shivers through my nerves, the kind of shivers that was enough to make my whole body tremble in unholy need.
Frustrated by his ministrations, my hands ascended to the back of his neck. Grabbing a handful of his hair, I pulled his face near mine. My lips to be precise.
A deadly combination of his unruly hair, parted lips and hooded eyes awaited when his sinful gaze followed. Without wasting a single more second, I stood on my tip-toes and gently bent his head to match my height with his before pressing my shaking lips on his dry ones.
For the first few seconds, my lips struggled to explore his. I was the one in charge here, I wasn't going to back out. My amateur tongue meekly traced the outline of his bottom lips while my shaking palms climbed to his neck, the only abode to handle the weakness I felt in my knees.
My confidence was inflamed when I sensed him smiling at my futile attempts to dominate. Driven by desire, I began planting soft sucks towards the edges of his plump lips, taking his lower lip between my lips.
Though, the struggle rendered short-lived as his demanding mouth quickly followed suit thereafter, evoking wild tremors to erupt in my cells that I had no idea I was capable of feeling.
"I have been waiting for this the whole day." He spoke in a breathless whisper, hiding his face in my nape, pressing unstoppable dewy kisses along the length of my neck.
I hummed in emollience, relishing the faint taste of his and the butter-scotch ice cream he just had.
"What was the second step?" After kissing him for what felt like an eternity, I whispered directing him to our conversation in the car. I sensed him shiver as my lips brushed his ear lobe at each word I murmured.
His hold on me immediately tightened as he exhaled a breathy grunt. Tilting his neck, he eyed in sheer passion.
"Shall I name it or a demo would do?" He breathed heavily as he joined our foreheads making my eyes close in uncertainty.
"Maybe the whole show." I rasped, grazing his cheeks with the pad of my thumb, the light stubble underneath pricking my forefingers.
"Damn." He cursed under his breath and before I could decipher his next move, he whirled me around in a jiffy, pushing my body against the room door. His hands glided to cuff my hands over my head while his lips did the rest of the communication as he kissed me fiercely, refusing to back away.
As much as his clothed self was a treat to my eyes, the need within me wanted to yank every piece of cloth away from him.
Giving in to my desires, my hands flew to the buttons of his shirt to do the needful, the only hindrance being my quivering fingers that rendered me unsuccessful no matter how hard I endeavored to unbutton his shirt.
He simpered within the kiss, maybe at my desperation. I didn't mind, I was too hazed to worry about this. Nevertheless, his palms covered mine stopping me from accomplishing the task at hand.
The thinness of air in our lungs made us withdraw our lips for a few seconds. Though, his lips lunged on mine almost immediately, forcing me to clench my thighs together at the ungodly wet sounds our throats were producing.
Contrary to the calm and composed Aditya I have always been surrounded with, this man in front of me was the epitome of passion and wild intimacy.
And, strangely, I was in love with both sides of him, the one where he is a true gentleman and another, this, the one where he is a passionate lover, the one where I was only rightful witness.
The frisky graze of his palm onto my clothed thigh brought me out of my reverie making me aware of the intimate position we were in.
"Aditya!" I punctuated with a moan when his other palm lasciviously groped my derriere. The other palm began to descend toward the edge of my dress, pulling it upwards.
"God!" I bit back a whimper at the convulsing sensations he was making me feel.
But before I could process the storm of passion swirling within, he removed my dress in a jiffy, leaving me in my spaghetti top and body-smoothing shorts.
A slight scowl simmered on his lips witnessing another set of clothes on my skin. I resisted the urge to laugh at his annoyance.
"This was not what I expected." He mumbled in disappointment, fiddling with the edge of my spaghetti top making me laugh at his desperation at the moment.
"You want to laugh?" His eyes blazed with intensity, devoid of any playfulness.
I nodded my head friskily even though my insides were crumbling with nervousness.
"I'll see how you laugh now." Saying, he instantly cupped my thighs from behind, eliciting a shriek to come out of my mouth. The sudden movement caused me to wrap my legs around his waist for support as he walked to the bed with heavy strides, mercilessly plopping my body over the mattress.
Dusht.
"Ow!" I lamented with a frown, followed by a ferocious glare.
Turning deaf ears, he hovered over me, his knees sliding at wither sides of my waist. My lips parted when he cuffed my hand under his, right above my head while my body remained trapped underneath the way he straddled me.
"I am trying to be romantic here." He vociferated his tone hinting exasperation.
This is horny Mr. Kansal.
Not that I am complaining.
"Okay." I bit my lips in a coy smile. Soon, my cheeks flushed witnessing his unwavering gaze.
"You looked beautiful today, more than I could ever imagine." He whispered softly, kissing my cheeks. A second later, he brushed away the loose strands from my forehead that has come up in the front because of the ruthless stunt he pulled on me a few minutes ago.
"Only beautiful?" I pestered him, raising my eyebrows.
He smiled in amusement and adjusted himself a little so that I do not crush under his mini-hulky weight.
"Graceful too." He grazed my contours with the pad of his thumb with an appreciative smile dancing on his lips.
"Aur?" I whispered hoarsely, letting my arms loop around his neck, inviting his face closer to mine.
"Ravishing, sinfully ravishing." He murmured after a few seconds of deliberation. My attention diverged as he pressed a series of feathery kisses on my jawline emitting a trail of shivers on my skin.
"Aur?" I asked biting back a moan.
"I thought you wanted the whole show instead of words." He insinuated, a suggestive smile playing on his lips. His palms indulged in kneading my waist teasingly.
This shut me up as the intensity of the moment dawned upon me. His opalescent irises peered at me in anticipation while I closed my eyes with a feeble nod, wordlessly giving him my consent.
A moment later, he placed his lips on mine while my fingers fidgeted with the buttons of his shirt, yearning to feel his skin devoid of any barriers.
Taking my cue, he shifted a little and quickly freed himself from his shirt and jeans. Leaving himself in his inners, he pounced over me again, fervently latching his lips on mine.
Aditya's POV
The whole day her presence intoxicated me, wanting me to do things to her that she could never fathom.
Seeing her withering underneath me in pleasure and anticipation has unleashed another side of me, the one which was wild and desire-filled, only for her.
As she shuddered underneath, my palm slithered under her spaghetti in an attempt to feel her bare skin. Satisfied by the goosebumps that settled on her skin, my face dipped to her neck, sucking onto the bare skin until it left a bluish mark on it.
"Aditya!" She gasped loudly, holding my shoulders in a tight grip when my hardened groin unintentionally stroked her cores.
Pleased with her reaction, I decided to take a step forward and grazed her clothed intimates again, only to hear those damned moans from her sinful mouth.
It felt divine to make her realize what she has been doing to my sanity the whole day and how delectable she appeared to my eyes.
Maroon was truly her color.
"This..," I breathed, rubbing my groin with a bit more intensity.
"This is what you have been doing to me the whole day." Cuffing both her hands with my left hand, I nibbled on the base of her neck. Resultantly, she let out a breathless moan, clutching onto my bare torso, her legs beginning to wrap around my waist.
Her mewls of protest felt like a melody to my ears when my palms skimmed ahead, caressing the underside of her mounds. Simultaneously, my core dry-humped hers, thus transforming her into a moaning mess.
A throaty grunt fell past my lips when I fastened my pace influenced by the sweet melody her throat was producing. As she squirmed beneath, my palms itched to encompass her fulls in my grip.
"Urgh!" She groaned in frustration and was on the point of tearing off my hair when I halted the movement abruptly before she could come.
"Not so soon." I murmured huskily as my lips twitched in amusement at her desperation.
Rubbing her clothed intimates with mine once, I shifted a little until our cores weren't touching anymore.
My gaze then slithered to her chest which heaved up and down fervently. It was a sight to behold, making me hard, so hard, just for her.
Deciding to add a little more to her misery, I pushed her spaghetti a little to the side and traced unhurried circles around her navel with the pad of my thumb.
The other palm remained occupied in fiddling with the underside wiring of her bra, sporadically transferring my attention to the hooks behind her back.
She sucked in a deep breath and moaned sinfully when my lips hovered over her navel. Her body convulsed underneath when I blew a puff of hot air over her belly button before pressing my lips on it, encircling the area with my wet kisses.
Her toes curled in expectation and her fingers furiously fiddled with my hair as my lips refused to detach from her skin. Offering her the support she needed, I let her wrap her legs around my torso before peppering slobbery kisses all along her midriff.
However, much to my dismay, she couldn't take any more of my ministrations as she tugged me upwards in a bat of an eye, melting her lips with mine for another round of dominating kiss.
Riya's Pov.
As my palms grazed his bare back, my lips delved into his, an attempt on my part to show my displeasure with the brutal ministrations he has been doing on me for the past thirty minutes.
But this sly man mushed over my body grinned viciously in between the kiss as if daring me to reject his torturous teasings.
I could sense the tremble in his fingers and the contemplation in his movements as his palms slowly glided toward my chest.
Smiling at his concern, I looped my arms around his neck and brushed his nose with mine.
"Go on." I whispered softly.
He eyed me that very moment, a quizzical look marring his features, seeking my consent one more time. When I nodded gently, he pressed a chaste kiss on my forehead followed by a feathery kiss on my cheek.
His palms got into immediate action and skated ahead. Hardly a second later, he encompassed my busts underneath, provoking a soft moan to come out of my mouth.
In contrast to the euphoric look I had anticipated, his response was stupefying, which caught me off guard.
He made countless attempts to press the spot in order to feel the skin. The one which my padded bra was now concealing.
"It's, uh-uhm, different?" He vociferated with much difficulty as his forehead wrinkled in perplexion.
"I thought they would be soft." He mumbled, audible enough for me. I wanted to laugh at the thought process he was carrying.
"My inners are still on, Aditya." I rolled my eyes at his naivety.
"I know!" He grumbled, clearly offended
"But, still, it's just a piece of cloth." He argued ahead.
"It's a padded one." I informed, gathering the guts to state the obvious without shying away.
"Hain?" His eyes widened in stupefaction,
"Pad-Padded?" His voice croaked and he almost gasped at the revelation.
"Not the sanitary pads, Aditya!!" I managed to slap my forehead realizing that his imagination would have let him believe that not only downwards but we women roam around wearing sanitary pads on our twinnies too.
"Get a little side." I nudged him as he straddled me dumbfounded.
Arching my back for some space, I unhooked my bra under my spaghetti encouraging the curiosity on his face to peak up. Using the superpower every woman on this planet holds, I immediately removed my bra through my arms, with my spaghetti still on.
"What the!" He gasped in disappointment when the article of the subject was tossed somewhere to the side of the bed.
"I wanted to remove it from you!" He lamented, clearly bummed.
"You want me to put it back again?" I deadpanned fabricating seriousness on my face and he immediately shook his head in fear before flopping his body over mine, again.
As soon as he jumped over me, I couldn't help but giggle at his antics.
"No. I'll do it next time." He mumbled, right over my lips. I smiled inwards as his innocent stunts were just enough to wash all my apprehensions away.
Swooping in for another kiss, I curled my fingers around his wrist, guiding his palm to my clothed bosom. Taking the cue, his curious fingertips traced the path of my chest, finally resting on my bosom. I drew in a sharp breath the moment his palm elevated my skin, turning my breathing shallow.
"So soft." He murmured, unquestionably captivated by the touch.
Illicit mourns began erupting out of my throat when he traced slow, random patterns on my chest with his knuckles.
"Damnit." He grunted in between the kiss as he flickered his thumb over my hardened bud, right above the only piece of cloth that covered my modesty from the front.
"Aditya." I gasped for air when the movement of his thumb turned ferocious, his groin rubbing my abdomen making the whole atmosphere hotter than it already was.
My whole body seemed on fire and even the air conditioner in the room felt useless to tranquilize the heat our bodies were capable of emitting.
His touch made me feel desired and my eyes closed in a daze, struggling to concentrate on the plethora of ministrations he has been pulling on my body.
His groin teasingly rubbed against my core driving me to the edge. I whimpered uncontrollably and squeezed my eyes shut as his thumb swept vigorously on my nub, over my spaghetti.
My mind rendered numbed with pleasure as his lips pressed open-mouthed kisses all over my neck, occasionally gliding to a few inches away from my chest.
"Gentle, Aditya!" I chastised softly when he fondled my busts roughly, his lips gradually sliding downwards planting wet kisses on my chest.
"Sorry." He whispered as he stuck his tongue out apologetically. My heart fluttered witnessing the shimmer in his eyes and giving in to the desire, I brushed his messy locks away with my fingers.
I bit my lip in expectancy as he slipped both the straps off of my shoulder, leaving my front barely covered. His mouth quickly descended to my shoulder, sucking and nibbling on the skin. I struggled to breathe normally when his palms slipped inside my top until they palmed my bosom, bare.
"Oomph." I rolled my eyes in pleasure as the warmth of his skin united with my cold flesh. He rasped at my reaction taking his sweet time to explore the naked skin underneath his palm. My skin was replete with a gazillion goosebumps that erupted over it and he was unceremoniously adding to it.
His mouth retracted from my jawline to the base of my neck, settling at the overline of my bust. Meanwhile, his thumb torturously drew circles at the edge of my nipples, twiddling them. It felt like swimming in the ocean of carnal sensations, deep, intimate and unnerving.
I grasped his shoulder firmly when he slithered my spaghetti downwards and began peppering hot kisses on the visible part of my cleavage. His fingers held the edges of my top, attempting to yank it over me.
I clenched my thighs close when his lips assailed my navel frenziedly. His fingers deliberately slowed down, rendering the top to stay on my chest just to irk me. He held an unmistakable control and I let him. I was too hazed to complain.
Freeing me out of his ministrations, his fingers progressed an inch making my stomach churn in intense excitement.
But before it could happen, a shooting pain pierced my lower abdomen, forcing me to encompass my palm around his fingers, halting his actions midway.
"What happened?" His gaze found mine, a subtle hint of concern and fear of rejection flashing in them.
"Pain." I breathed, suddenly feeling nauseous and uneasy. He looked at me in perplexion, trying to find meaning behind my words.
"Periods." I vociferated in discomfort and he thumped his head in my chest, muffling an incomprehensible curse followed by a frustrated groan.
"I'll not go down. Promise." He murmured and peered at me in a plea, sexual frustration to have reached its peak.
"Please." I urged in a whisper, softly caressing his cheek with my thumb.
He shut his eyes and sighed deeply at my request. Nodding faintly, he got off me and lay straight on the bed. My gaze momentarily moved to him, rather a certain body part, which still seemed excited about the unaccomplished task.
Withdrawing my gaze from a very frustrated husband beside me, I instantly shot up from the bed and scurried to the washroom after grabbing the essential stuff from the closet.
***********
"Stop looking at me now." My gait automatically slowed down noticing his penetrative gaze.
"You are not giving me a reason to." He countered slyly, his stare moving a few inches lower to my face.
My gaze followed his and I suppressed a curse when I realized I was still in my deep-necked spaghetti top gracing him a tiny glimpse of my clothless twinnies beneath.
"Don't." His commanding voice halted my steps when I swiftly turned around to change my upper wear.
Huffing in defeat, I turned in his direction again and moved to the bed obediently.
Laying on my side, a relaxed sigh escaped my lips when he positioned the heating bag over my lower abdomen.
"Thank you." I voiced with closed eyes. His presence immediately made me aware of all that had happened in the past hour.
Damn You, Aunt Flow. You just ruined my gushy-mushy night.
"What are you thinking?" His smooth voice fell into my ears, clearly aware of my thoughts right now.
"Nothing." I mumbled, putting my arm over my eyes in a way that it covers my whole face, a ridiculous attempt on my part to hide my awkwardness around him.
The air grew even more awkward when he didn't say anything for a few minutes. But I was certain that he has been observing me the whole time while I preferred to avoid matching my eye with his.
You were acting way too boldy-boldy earlier Mrs. Kansal. What has happened now?
"Switch off the lights, please." I sighed in pain, wobbling the heat bag over my tummy to recollect the heat.
"Okay." He grazed my forehead softly. A moment later I sensed darkness over my closed eyelids.
The bed dipped to the side as he lay straight at a decent distance amidst us. It was ironic that the sight contrasted with the one we shared a few minutes ago.
The period pain in my body was unbearable but his silence was succeeding in messing up with my senses.
Unable to resist the distance and lack of communication, I scooted closer to him and extended his arm to rest my head against it before flinging my arm around his torso.
"Why so quiet?" I asked, raising my head to peer at him.
"You were quiet, and you are on your period too. Such a Deadly combination." He sighed in helplessness and shrugged dismissively
"Hence, I preferred staying mum than putting my life at risk talking to you." He jeered, inviting a slap on his nakey-nakey chest.
"Shut up." I grumbled with a frown while he remain occupied playing with my fingers.
"Sun." He spoke up after a lapse of comfortable silence.
"Hanji."
"You feel ready, haina?" His voice hinted at uncertainty and doubt, probably an outcome of my silence and lack of response after our moments.
"You can refuse if you are not." He added when I took more than usual to frame a response.
Sighing, I peered at him,
"I don't know." I whispered, flummoxed by my own thoughts.
I wondered if there's anything like being ready. Or maybe it is? Or maybe it is but I am not aware of it. I don't know if there is an alarm or something in the mind that would go off alerting us to go do it.
I forced air out of my mouth, not comprehending the weird set of thoughts my mind was heading to.
He rubbed my arms lightly, not realizing the critical monologue I was having with myself.
"You were uncomfortable?" He quizzed, playing with the edges of my hair now.
"No." The word slipped past my lips effortlessly.
I loved it.
"It felt natural." I expressed after a brief thought to find the correct word. Saying this, I grazed my cheeks against his chest before pressing a kiss on the center.
"Bas fir, that's what matters. Let things go gradually." He placed a kiss on my temple and my heart fluttered merely at this action.
"Acha, toh when are your periods going to end?" He posed, playing with the noodle strap of my spaghetti now.
"In five days." I answered after a fleeting quietness.
"Matlab, till Friday?" He resentenced.
"Hmm." I nodded, his not-so-nakey, lot-so-hairy chest poking my cheeks with each nod.
"So....," He extended,
"Uhm, Saturday?" He quirked a suggestive brow. And I felt my insides turning giddy at the frisky smile he sent my way.
My eyes widened a moment later as soon as I realized what he intended to say,
"God! Shut up and sleep, Aditya!." I immediately escaped from his hold and snuggled into my innocent cuddle pillow, unlike the shameless human beside me.
Yeah, and you are a saint.
"Acha, Sunday then?" He negotiated, his grin widening with each second.
"Sleep Aditya!" I whined, partially in pain, partially in my flustered state.
"Yeah, yeah, we will. Together." He alluded with a wicked chuckle.
"Go away! Don't talk to me." I turned to the other side in mortification taking my heat bag along.
Almost immediately two arms wrapped around my waist from behind, adjusting the heat bag on my stomach.
"I was just teasing you. Take your time," Placing a soft kiss on my cheeks, he crawled even closer, burying his face into my neck. This was followed by his palms covering mine, which rested on my stomach.
"Wake me up if the pain soars up." He instructed in his husbandly tone making me nod in wifely obedience even though I certainly knew nothing and no one could wake this kumbhkaran from his beauty sleep.
**********
The clamor of the birds whistling outside along with the hullabaloo of the traffic woke me up from my sleep, inducing a deep yawn and a tired stretch from my arms.
"Hmph." A disappointed huff escaped my throat when I patted the space beside me only to find it empty.
With closed eyes, I scooted closer to his side of the bed in the hope he might be laying towards the edge. Unfortunately, his presence was nowhere to be felt.
Begrudgingly, I popped open my left eye for a visual clarification of my assumption only to find it true.
My husband has dared to leave the bed before me.
My gaze wandered to the ajar washroom door which concluded his absence from the room.
Exhaling a deep sigh, my hands reached out to the side table to grab my phone. However, the moment my eyes landed on the time, they widened in horror.
10:32 am.
"Bloody hell!." I cursed under my breath, disappointed at my lack of alarm-setting skill. Though, the ferocity of my statement led to the overflow of another bloody-hell beneath.
Periods and Mornings. The most uncomfortable duo.
Momentarily forgetting about my absent husband, I tied my hair in a loose bun and sprang off the bed.
But before I could take a step towards the washroom, my eyes fell on a tiny chit on the dressing table.
There resided a torn piece of register paper with my husband's illegible writing over it.
In the Office.
Don't fret about my absence or the time it is. I told mom that you were not feeling well.
Call me when you wake up! Better if video.<3.
P.S. You have started snoring in sleep.
P.P.S. And you look even more gorgeous when you do that.
A smile bloomed on my face reading his note. This was something he has never done till now but I always envisioned, courtesy of all the romance novels I have been reading lately.
After reading his note an uncountable number of times, I swiftly picked up my phone and video-called him after plopping myself on the floor itself, my body leaned against the washroom door.
"I don't snore!" Masking an offended expression, I blubbered my disapproval of his invalid statement.
A chuckle reverberated from the other side, as a very handsome man donning a black shirt came into the line of my vision.
"You do." The delectable man stated, grinning deliciously.
"I don't." My lips protruded in defense.
"I'll record you next time." He announced, eliciting a look of disapproval from my side.
"Dare you do that." I warned, glaring at him. This resulted in an eye-roll from him.
"Don't worry the snores are slow as of now.." He put forward, wearing his laptop glasses.
Sir, you are killing me here with these looks when I look like a raccoon woke up from a gazillion years of sleep.
"Then this is called breathing, not snoring." I huffed and enacted the said statement to provide better clarity.
He laughed.
I glared.
He shut up.
We stared.
We both laughed.
See, I told you, I am a budding poetess.
"Good morning." Once our friskiness subsided, I decided to greet him the morning he is supposed to have after beguiling his eyes to the sight of his Queen.
"Good morning." He murmured attempting to settle his phone god knows where.
Better it is not on his first wife.
"How are you feeling now?" He quizzed threading his fingers in his locks.
"Okay. The pain is not much as of now." I managed to speak in between a yawn and another smile was quick to brew on his lips.
"Don't miss your breakfast, okay." He instructed, his attention partially diverting towards what I suppose was Mrs. Laptop.
She never leaves my husband alone.
"Okey Dokey!" I affirmed as yet another yawn stifled past my lips.
"When will you come back home?" I mumbled as a sudden urge to cuddle him whizzed in my senses.
An amused grin puckered on his features as he spoke, "I just came here like an hour or two ago and you are asking me when I will be coming back."
"So stupid of me to expect a romantic response from you." I couldn't help but shake my head at his unromantic state.
While I was lamenting, he decided to chuckle in response.
"Agar tu kahe to I'll fly back home to you right now." My eyes beamed in joy as he worded every word with sheer passion but before the happiness could reside a second longer, he vociferated in amusement,
"You wanted me to say this kind of stuff?" He raised an imoish brow,
"Tsk Tsk, I never thought you would expect such gushy-mushy lines from me." This stupid man failed to conceal the laughter bubbling on his lips making my features morph into annoyance.
"Go away! Kalyugi Pati. The least a wife could expect is some hearty-heart lines once in a while." I lamented in agitation and switched the video off.
The laughter immediately transmuted to a scowl when he realized his wife has switched off the video,
"Bas kar draame. Chal switch on your video now." He sulked and plopped his face over his palms waiting to catch a glimpse of Queen Riya.
"No." I shook my head and shrugged dismissively even though he couldn't see me.
"Please." His tone dropped to a few decibels turning into a velvety whisper, something he knows has become my weakness.
"Na." I was rigid.
"Fine, I am cutting the call then." He threatened and I snickered knowing his inability to implement it.
He left.
"What the!" My lips parted in astonishment at his guts to cut the call when I should be the one doing it.
Where's my Councilor, an immediate order for King Kansal's exile needs to be announced.
Before I could enforce the said announcement, he joined back.
The order of King Kansal's exile stands Postponed.
"Cheater." I grumbled switching on my video while he sat in all his glory wearing a victorious smirk across his lips.
At my remark, he didn't speak anything but rather kept looking at me in pure admiration even though there was nothing about me to be admired of.
Sometimes, I wonder what does think of in these lapses of silence that transpire over us.
Certainly about Mrs. Laptop Kansal.
"A few words could never do justice to what I feel for you, Riya." He initiated softly. The way he glanced revealed he has a myriad of thoughts whirling in his mind.
He then opened and closed his mouth a couple of times but nothing came out.
At times, I wonder if I was the more expressive one amidst us in terms of the expression of feelings for the other.
Maybe.
Still, a silly smile smeared on my lips upon hearing his words. It might be half-sentenced and unclear but I was satiated. And, I would never admit in front of him how surreal it feels when he says or does the tiniest of things for me.
It felt special.
"Acha chalo go now, let me freshen up." A sudden awkwardness emerged out of nowhere.
"Ye acha hai tera, first hint me to get all romantic. When I try to come in the mood, you turn into some sharmili dulhan as if so oblivious to the word romance." He puffed his cheeks in vexation.
Having nothing to splutter in my defense, I giggled sneakily and blew a kiss after whispering a faint bye.
Cutting the call, I hopped on my feet which has slept due to the lack of motion, and wobbled my way to the washroom.
********
"Good Morning Mumma." Entering mumma's room, I greeted her with a smile. She looked up from a stack of unfolded clothes surrounding her.
"Good Morning Beta." She reciprocated the smile and placed the clothes aside to make space for me on the bed.
"How's your pain?" She quizzed bundling the different sets of clothes as per the members involved.
"Better. Aditya switched off my alarm so uhm..," I left the sentence hanging. The need to justify my late arrival overpowered my senses.
"Ohho, fir kya hogaya, every woman deserves a little rest during these days." She patted the back of my hand in understanding and I smiled in gratitude, my fingers moving to fold the clothes alongside hers.
"Breakfast laga du?" She asked after a few minutes.
"Hanji. Bread hai?" I answered with another question.
"Han. Toast?" She glanced at me.
"Na. I'll just eat one piece aise hi with chai. I don't feel like eating anything." I scrunched my nose in distaste.
A look of disapproval marred her face as she got up from the bed with Papa's clothes,
"I have already prepared the masala for the toast, khaya jayega."
A muffled whine and a harmless glare later I stepped down from the bed begrudgingly and followed her gait in obedience.
On the way, I ruminated over a very serious matter at hand,
Why on earth do these mothers ask for our preference in the first place when they know they aren't going to listen to us?
**********
"Kya hua Junior Kansal, why so sulky today?" I took the chair next to my glum-looking brother-in-law.
"Kuch nahi bhabhi." His lips pressed in a thin line as he assassinated the lunch on his plate with his glares.
Poor Paneer.
"Acha? Your plate and face say otherwise." I raised a questionable brow and crossed my arms across my chest waiting for him to start with his cribbing.
"Bhabhi...," He began in a hushed whisper and scowled at no one in particular. A momentary pause later, his eyes wandered to the kitchen entrance to ensure mumma was nowhere in sight.
"Ek to ye trannum in the phone upar se papa in the shop, I can't handle them." He heaved a frustrated sigh and seemed ready to cry while I resisted the urge to giggle at his theatrical expressions.
"Kyu bhai kya hogaya?" Curiosity peeked in and I plopped my face over my palms.
"They'll make me mad one day. Papa being papa has his own nakhre in the shop, ye ni vo ni, aise ni vaise ni, tune ye ni sahi kiya, vo ni kiya, God! I am his son yaar, he keeps on instructing me always." He groaned in exasperation and I felt teeny-tiny bad for him as the same case was in Hoshiarpur too with Ayaansh bhai.
"Aur vo madam, uska to mat hi poocho, jab dekho she keeps bossing me around, always fighting with me for petty reasons. Aaj bhi she was the one at fault and I am manaofying her for an hour." He shook his head in distress, glaring at the poor food on the plate again.
"Matlab yaar bhabhi, ghar mein mummy boss, shop pe papa, phone pe ye, baki time Adi bhai ya Isha. Main kahan jau?"
Unfortunately, a wave of my giggle fell into his ears and he was quick to pass a defeated frown at me.
"Aap bhi bhabhi?" He peered at me in dismay and I sensed a slight wobble on his lips.
"Ohho, you are your own boss, don't let the world subside your rights and powers. Take charge for yourself and show the world that you can't be defeated by their orders and rules." A newfound energy crippled within and I decided to uplift the spirits of the young morose man in front of me.
But, instead of the bright shine of motivation in his eyes, his lips curled in amusement followed by spirals of laughter.
"Bhabhi this is not world war." He shook his head in amusement and I bit my tongue in response, internally pleased that my dramatization succeeded in bringing a little smile to his face,
"Bas fir if it's not a world war, why worry about it? The father-son bond is a khattha-meetha one and in its absence, there would be no fun, haina?"
"Hmm." He nodded thoughtfully.
"And no one bosses you at home, everyone loves you here, after all, you are the most sincere one out of the three. And, Aditya can't dare to boss you, if he does, tell me and I'll see him." He simpered at my assurance,
"Umm, and, for Trannum, if she'll not order you who will? It's the right of every wife and girlfriend." I babbled aimlessly and wriggled my eyebrows at him at the last part.
"I guess I should shut up now." I muttered when he returned with an impish smile, his face resting on his closed fist as he animatedly peered at me.
Am I a cartoon or what?
"Adi bhai sure remains entertained all the time." He remarked, biting the inside of his cheek.
"What do you mean." I narrowed my eyes at him in offense.
He managed to camouflage his chuckle and shook his head before getting up.
I am Queen Riya. The Queendom needs to fear me but here they are amused by my mere presence.
"Kalyug!" I muttered under my breath as my brother-in-law watched me with a lopsided grin.
"Kalyug nahi bhabhi, Ghor Kalyug." My lips parted in shock as this sly man blatantly copied my words. Enjoying the theatrical expressions that morphed on my face, he laughed heartily getting up from the seat.
Ghanghor Kalyug.
I'll see who copies this now.
*******
"So, where did you both reach?" Purva managed to speak with her mouth full of the steamed maida bowls glazed with garlic sauce.
"We?" I frowned, "Nowhere? Yesterday we went outside, but we reached back home at night. We didn't go anywhere after that. But this you already know." I vociferated, settling the mess Aditya has created in his cupboard.
A look of displeasure crippled over her face and I almost felt she would fly down here anytime soon just to strangle me.
"Kya hai?" I asked aggravated as she didn't refrain from throwing daggers at me.
She exhaled deeply,
"I mean which base have you both reached Rii." She restated with a helpless sigh, licking off the chilli-garlic sauce from her fingers.
"Hain?" I voiced confounded.
"Whom should I kill now? You or me?" Instead of answering she posed another question to me. Also, her threatening gaze did nothing to fear me.
Queen Riya never fears anyone.
"Yourself. I want to live." I mumbled and internally cringed at Adiya's used tshirt which he has recklessly tossed in the almirah instead of the laundry basket.
"Base 1, Base 2, Base 3? In a relationship?" She spurted gibberish and I gawked at her oblivion.
"Impossible!" She threw her hands in the air in exasperation.
"Lae, what impossible? You have been the one always to feed me with all the inappropriate kinds of knowledge. So, it's entirely your fault if you didn't ever mention this stupid base thingy." I groused, my face puffed up in annoyance.
I know the base in the makeup! Nothing else.
Her expression neutralized hearing my harmless accusation and immediately, she began equipping me with the needed information.
"Uh, Base 2 then." Heat rose on my cheeks and my lips lifted in a bashful smile reminiscing last night.
"Uh, Last night" I added as Purva raised an eyebrow, her lips pulling up into a teasing smile.
My mind went back to the euphoric sensations I felt last night. I could still feel his touch lingering on every inch of my skin. His velvety groans, the wet sound of our lips mushed into one another, the sensations of his fingertips sinfully running across my jawline, the warm, handful grasp of his palm on my busts, his flickers on my nipples, the tantalizing way his groin rubbed against my cores.
He has effortlessly succeeded in eliciting all the feminal desires that I never knew I could ever possess.
"Ahem." She snapped her fingers in front of the camera propelling me out of my carnal thoughts.
My lips parted in embarrassment that I zoned out while my best friend enjoyed the comical expressions lurking on my face.
"Then?" She piped with curiosity.
"Aunt flow couldn't bear it." I clipped with a sigh and my lips twisted in distaste at the thought of the bloody party Aunt flow is having down there.
Purva giggled merrily irking me more in the process.
"Would you have done the deed then?" She quipped, squinting her eyes in curiosity.
My lips parted, shutting an opening a number of times in an attempt to frame a coherent response.
"I don't know." I spoke in a low voice, answering the same that I did to my husband.
"Do you even know anything?" She scoffed.
"Shut up." I murmured directing a glare at her.
"Stop overthinking and speak up." She bossed when I failed to splutter a word.
"It's a mixture of feelings, Purva. At times, I think I would, the other times I feel it's just the heat of the moment and I am not ready. I just can't figure it out." I exhaled deeply, rubbing my temples with my forefingers. The whole conversation was downright tiring.
How could I confide to her that I am afraid of the lean body I carry? I don't have the right curves, my bust isn't fuller unlike other women, and my skin isn't baby soft.
Rather there are tiny bumps spread all over my arms and back. I have visible strands of hair on my chest, my nipples, and my tummy.
There are freckles all over my back and abundant stretch marks on my derriere.
Who the hell in the right mind would enjoy lovemaking with a woman like me?
I was certain my body would be an immediate turn-off for him once he lays eyes on my bare self.
And, I won't be able to bear that.
"You want it, desperately." She stated, her tone giving away confidence,
"But something is stopping you." She completed glancing right into my eyes, daring me to say otherwise.
I looked away, my focus momentarily diverting to set of clothes in Aditya's cupboard which I managed to arrange a few minutes ago.
How difficult is it to keep your things organized and in place?
"There's nothing." I mumbled, a thin layer of sheen covering my eyes.
She puffed out air from her mouth.
"Rii..," She opened her mouth to say something but closed it almost immediately after noticing my disinterest to talk about it now.
"Fine." She sighed,
"Take your time and then tell me. Until then, this discussion is not over, Okay?" I was grateful that she didn't pester me. I was in no mood today to open up about my physical insecurities for the millionth time in front of her.
"Okay." I whispered, nodding.
At times, I wonder how she always manages to gauge my mood and identify if I would be willing to share or not.
"Chal I'll keep the phone now. Nikhil is calling." She bid a quick bye and cut the call.
*********
"Hey!" I looked over my phone screen to see Aditya stepping inside the room. Closing the half-filled job application form webpage I glanced at my husband, the tiredness o the day vividly evident on his face.
"You are back early? An hour and a half to be precise" I stated in confusion, my gaze wandering to the wall clock.
"Hmm. Just tired." He yawned, rubbing his face in exhaustion. "Where's Mom?" He asked, "She wasn't downstairs."
"There was a kirtan at Sharda aunty. She went there." I filled in the details to which he nodded in return.
My gaze then shifted to his shoes which were now abandoned towards the far ends of the room. This was followed by an unceremonious game on his part to target his removed t-shirt in the laundry basket.
Kid.
"At least, put your clothes in the basket, Aditya." I attempted to hide the irritation in my voice.
He turned a deaf ear to my words and plopped himself on the bed before pulling the phone away from my hands and laying his head on my lap.
"Baad mein." He mumbled sleepily, closing his eyes while my palms instinctively reached out to caress his forehead.
"How are you feeling now?" He asked after a comfortable moment of silence.
"Okay-ish." I said, weaving my fingers in his hair.
He nodded briefly, hiding his face in my tummy, his arms wrapping around my waist.
"Upset?" I wondered aloud, disliking the unusual lack of communication among us.
"Mhm." He shook his head,
"Just tired." He mumbled, palming his hands over mine which rested over his hair, a wordless request on his part to massage his head.
"Yesterday was also hectic as we were out the whole day, then we slept late and today there was so much work. Moreover, I had a few prospective clients coming up for discussions that needed time and energy. Then, I had to do software testing for one of my client's before finalizing everything. After that, I spent five hours at stretch just to figure out a coding bug and it's still not sorted. Couldn't have lunch too. Bad day." He summed up the day's events with an exhaustive sigh.
"Shall I cut fruits for you? Or anything else?" I quipped, grazing his cheek with my left hand while the other was busy massaging his head.
"Nah. Just stay here." He whispered making me press a soft kiss on his temple.
"Okay." I murmured, resting my head on the bedpost.
It has hardly been fifteen minutes since his arrival when a knock on the door disturbed us.
Aditya stirred lightly, half-asleep, and shifted to the side to lay his head on the pillow.
Climbing off the bed, I reached for the door,
"Bhai is back?" Isha spoke, her gaze moving behind my shoulder as soon as I opened the door.
"Yea.." My words were rendered incomplete as she entered the room steadily,
"Adi bhai! Get up." She nudged an almost asleep Aditya.
I wanted to stop her given the exhausting day Aditya had but decided otherwise, unsure about how she would take it.
"Let me sleep, Isha." Aditya mumbled groggily, nudging her away.
"You promised me yesterday that we'll go out today to eat momos." She whined while I left the room to check on the locks downstairs considering my husband's reckless habit of never locking the doors apart from our bedroom.
********
Aditya's Pov
I cursed under my breath to have forgotten the promise I made to her yesterday when she showed me one of her designs which got immense appreciation from her teachers.
"Kal chalein?" I probed, "I forgot about it today, and my energy is drained now." I tried to convince her, pressing the tips of my fingers over my head.
Her lips tugged up in a scowl as she lamented,
"But you promised me that day too. You said the same thing then. And, last to last time too when I came from the hostel."
"Please, Isha." My head felt heavy and the thought of going out didn't feel well given the weary state I was in.
"Forget it." She scrambled off the bed, agitated.
I let out a sigh, "Isha, Have I ever said no to you?"
"You always do." Her voice quavered as I sensed a thin layer of water covering the corner of her eyes.
"You don't spend time with me as you used to." My heart immediately sank at her words,
"When do I not spend time with you?" I frowned, sitting on the bed.
"You don't." She remarked,
"You don't go out with me for our food sprees as we used to before your marriage. You have changed now."
"Are you mad?" I glared at her for the nonsense she was spluttering.
"Agree or not bhai, your priorities have changed. It's bhabhi now, not us!" She rubbed the back of her hands on her eyes.
I felt a sharp pang rattling in my chest hearing her. My lips parted in despair at the bizarre set of thoughts she has just spoken aloud.
"Shut up, Isha. You are unnecessarily exaggerating. Come on, you want to go out, let's go." I held her forearm, nudging her to get up.
Yanking my hands away, she spoke,
"I am not saying it just because you are not going out with me today. I have been feeling this since last month. You don't joke and tease me like you used to, you don't ask about my university, my studies, my hostel life, or my friends like you used to. You have time for her, not me. You are not the same person anymore after your marriage." She cried out in frustration, tears furiously trickling down her eyes towards the end of her statement.
Stumped.
It felt like a challenge to decipher her complaints, process her thoughts, and draw conclusions from her accusations.
I was failing miserably at this.
"She has changed you." She vexed, the sane part of her nowhere in sight.
"She is your bhabhi, Isha!" I retaliated, staring at her with a threatening gaze.
"And, I am your sister! She..," Isha's words was interrupted by the sound of receding footsteps.
"Riya Bhabhi, I bought the momo.." Kunal's voice rang into my ears and automatically my gaze flew to the entrance of the room only to see Riya standing there.
If this is the consequence of coming home earlier, Iwould rather not.
If I hadn't witnessed the wet pool of tears that had flooded her eyes, I would have assumed that she might have not listened to the hurtful statements Isha passed. Her demeanor showed indifference, but her eyes told otherwise.
Behind her, stood Kunal with a perplexed expression, wondering what the whole scenario was all about. His hands held the packet of momos, the same shop Isha always prefers to eat at.
Isha's gaze remained fixated on Riya while the latter looked anywhere but at us. A second later, Isha crossed the room not sparing any glance toward any one of us.
Riya's face didn't give away anything before she left the room, wordless.
"What happened?" Kunal asked,
"Baad mein." I managed to say as the ache in my head worsened.
"What's this?" I pointed towards his hands.
His gaze followed mine, settling on the brown packaging of momos curled around his forefinger.
"I was on my way home when bhabhi called. She asked me to bring momos from the street side cart from which Isha eats." He mumbled in disarray, presumably trying to figure out what the whole ruckus has been about.
"The hell." I cursed. I was on the verge of holding my head in my hands.
"Can you help Riya in the kitchen? I'll go and talk to Isha in the meantime." I mumbled wearing my slippers.
It was important to make Isha realize her mistake before I talk to Riya.
"Ji." He nodded, turning on his feet.
**********
"Go away! I don't want to talk to you right now." Isha piqued the moment I stepped inside her room.
Not acknowledging what she said, I sauntered towards the bed, settling right next to her curled-up form.
"Get up." My tone was low but rigid enough to make her realize that I wasn't in the mood for her tantrums.
Maybe her anger has subsided or she feared the furious side of me that she sat straight almost immediately.
A soft blow of air puffed out from my mouth as I deliberated how I was going to move forward with this conversation.
"Your first day at the tuition, Class 9 physics, Remember?" I spoke after a few minutes of contemplation. Her face crippled in perplexion as she struggled to remember the said day.
"The one which you joined in the middle of the year when your physics teacher in the school suddenly left with no replacement in time. Ambition Tutorials. The one which recently opened at that time, at the end of our street." Her lips parted in remembrance and she nodded briskly, her gaze cast downwards, looking into the distance.
"How was the first day?" She craned her neck to look at me displeased, probably wondering if I have lost my nuts.
"Speak up." I probed.
"It was good." She mumbled after due thought.
"How did that tuition teacher treat you that day?" I asked the question a bit more specifically this time.
She eyed me again in discontentment, sighed, shook her head, and spoke,
"He was very nice. He kept on keeping a track of how I am taking the classes, any doubts I have, and how well I am understanding the topics he teaches." She vociferated, slipping back into time.
"And why did he do that?" I quizzed, drawing aimless patterns on the bedsheet.
"He was new to the business, I was new to the tuition amongst very few students he had. He wouldn't want me to leave his tuition and go somewhere else." She answered the obvious and glanced at me with a slight roll of her eyes.
Ignoring the obvious irritation in her tone, I continued, "Was the treatment the same after a few days?"
Her nose crinkled at my question while her lips puckered lightly, an action she does when she thinks deeply.
"Mhm." She shook her head, "Only the first few days. After that I gelled up with the other kids, I got to know his teaching style and I was comfortable at the new place. And, certainly, he knew this too." She shrugged dismissively.
My lips tugged up in an almost invisible smile, relieved that the conversation was moving in the direction I wanted to.
"Would you have continued there if he was rude and ignorant, didn't settle your queries or the students didn't treat you well?" I pestered.
"No one would, bhai." She rolled her eyes, clearly aggravated by my constant set of questions.
"And stop talking in circles." She mumbled, breathing out a sigh.
She looked at me in anticipation as I stayed mum for a few second before responding,
"Try putting Riya in the whole scenario then, her in place of you, this home being a replacement to your tuition classes." I initiated, leaning against the bedpost and glancing at her lost in thoughts.
Wetting my lips, I continued, "Riya hasn't been a part of our family since always, isn't she?" I peered at her for an answer to which she nodded mildly in return.
"Just like you joined the classes in the middle of the year, she has joined us, in the middle of us being a family." I voiced out lowly, the faint image of my wife curtaining my thoughts.
My words seemed to have an impact as Isha parted her lips in a soft sigh,
"If you couldn't picture yourself enduring a hostile environment, at a place where you would hardly be for an hour or so, how can Riya survive at a place where she has to spend her days and nights in, given there's no affable treatment to her, from anyone, especially her husband and the people that surround him?"
She opened her mouth, presumably to retort. "Let me complete first." I interrupted.
"You think my priorities are changed, Right?" She looked away at my question,
"It isn't." I clicked my tongue as my throat felt dry.
"It's just that there's one more person added to my list now. Riya has been married to me, so her primal expectations are from me before anyone else. And, if her husband for whom she has left everything behind is going to keep her towards the last just because she was never a part of his family before, she wouldn't be able to survive here, Isha. And, even if she would, it would merely be a compromise, initially for her and subsequently for all of us."
A few drops of tears rolled down Isha's cheeks which she was quick to wipe off with the back of her hand.
"For you, I might be prioritizing her only after our marriage while I am just trying to give her a comfortable environment to live in until she starts feeling at home, until I am confident that she trusts us enough to reach out to me or anyone of us on her own if she goes through something. I have never backed my responsibilities towards you, but there's one more person who looks up to me now, not one but in several regards." I spoke my heart out, my forefinger mindlessly outlining the edge of our wedding ring.
"Oh, and yes, she isn't taking me away from you or anyone for that matter." I mumbled, my tone clipped at the mere thought.
"And this was very immature and rude for you to say that about her." I ended, hoping that she caught up on the sheer disappointment she has made me and Riya feel with her sharp words.
"Though, if she has said anything to you that you didn't like, you can tell me, and I'll talk to her." I added to know if there was anything I was oblivious to, to which she shook shake her head.
"I didn't mean to say that. It just came out of my mouth. All my friends have been talking about all this, so, I,... God, She would be so angry with me." She cried out, palming her face.
I resisted commenting on her immaturity and impulsiveness to act on what others say.
Some other time.
"She won't. Upset yes, angry no." I wanted to tell her that her bhabhi would prefer getting angry with her husband more than anyone else.
"You will also be married someday." I started,
"I won't get married." She glared at me, pretty furiously.
"So you are going to stay here, ruling over our heads always?" I gasped, attempting to lighten the air in the room.
"No, I would I mean." She deliberated with a shrug,
"But a ghar-jamai would be better, I won't be going anywhere else." She murmured, still crying and I couldn't help but laugh at her wild thoughts.
She smiled, feebly.
"Sorry." She rubbed her eyes, leaning against my shoulder for a hug.
Wrapping my arms around her, I whispered softly, "It's okay. But you know who else you need to say sorry to." I insinuated, pressing a kiss against her temple.
"Hmm." She hummed, certainly fearing the confrontation.
"Will she forgive me?"
"You have to earn it." I smiled faintly.
"Chal let's get down for dinner." I spoke up, climbing out of bed as she got lost in her thoughts again.
"In a few minutes." She rubbed her hands over her face, tucking the wet strands of her hair stuck at the edges of her face behind her ear.
"Okay." I nodded in agreement.
"Uh, bhai." Isha's voice halted my steps before I could leave the room.
"Don't tell Mom and Dad about this." She pleaded with her eyes.
Blinking my eyes in assurance, I affirmed,
"I won't."
************
I trod up the stairs after finding Riya's absence in the kitchen. Stepping inside the room, darkness engulfed hinting at her absence from there as well. Quickly checking the washroom, I made my way toward the balcony in the hope to find her there.
She stood there, leaning against the railing, her back facing me.
Snaking my arms around her waist, I locked her in my arms. Instinctively she leaned her head back as I perched my chin over her shoulder.
A brief moment of silence prevailed when she mumbled in a faint whisper,
"I am not trying to separate you from your family." Displeasure seemed evident in her tone, an unusual act on her part.
Interleaving my fingers to the empty space between her fingers, I murmured,
"You are not. And, it's our family."
An inaudible sob escaped past her lips and I sensed her restrain herself from showcasing her vulnerable side to me.
"We can discuss it, right?" I whispered, my palms gently grazing her forearm.
"I don't want to." She was quick to answer, finality palpable in her tone.
I wondered if she felt conflicted to say anything about Isha or anyone to me.
"You want some alone time? Shall I leave?" I asked, assuming she is looking out for isolation.
She shook her head, almost vigorously.
"Stay here." She mumbled,
"But, just don't speak anything." The corners of my lips lifted in an amused smile. Only she could carry the bossiness in her tone even when angry or upset.
Nevertheless, we stayed there for a few more minutes, wrapped in a tranquilizing lapse of silence, lost in a humdrum of contradicting thoughts.
Every now and then my gaze would direct to her from my peripheral vision, only to witness a layer of sheen covering her eyes. This would almost disappear the moment she blinks her eyes furiously once catching me observing her.
Consoling her or making her understand anything would've irked her and unnecessarily would have made her think I was siding with Isha. Hence, I decided to let the moment pass until Isha gathered the guts to have a reconciliation with what transpired between them.
*********
Heyaaaa dear ones!
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