Ruhi:
Ekansh stood in front of the bathroom, opening the door for me.
"Ap kyun itna Besharam ban rahe ho,"
"Why are you acting so shameless?" I bragged he ignored me, stepped inside the bathroom, and closed the door behind him. "They were watching us." I scolded but he ignored it.
I shook my head, as I thought it was useless to argue with him. "Besharam!" I muttered. The stain was on my saree's plates near the stomach. I washed the stain but that area was wet with water. I glanced at Ekansh.
His gaze shifted from the stain to my face. He apprehended, my silent gesture and mentioned, "I know how to deal with it." He walked out and came back after a minute with a hair dryer.
Then he knelt in front of me and turned the button on. The warm air hit my stomach skin along with my saree plates.
I continuously stared at him, while he dried it. I felt like cupping his cheek, so I did it. He lifted his head and stared into my eyes. He stared for a long moment until the mouth of a hair dryer touched my stomach skin. I winced with the sudden touch of a warm dryer.
"Shit! I am sorry!" He whispered, offing the dryer and placing it beside the sink. "Let me check on it," he addressed and slightly traced my skin with his fingers.
"I think..." he whispered, "It needs a special treatment," he informed.
"Special treatment... Like what?" I whisper-asked.
"Like..." he trailed off and placed his lips just above my navel. I stood stunned by his sudden stunt. His lips stayed for a long moment, sending chills and tingles to my intestines. Slowly he grazed his lips along the band of my saree. And began to leave the wet kisses all over my stomach. I leaned back, hanging my head backwards.
The uncountable knots forming in my stomach made me feel helpless.
When I couldn't handle it anymore, "Ekansh," I whispered. "Bas kariye na ab," I requested softly. He stopped and pulled away.
Then he stood up and we both walked out of the bathroom. When we approached the couple, they were smiling silently. As if they knew what happened behind the door.
"I hope, Ekansh did his work very well," Mahi Bhabhi asked with a teasing tone. She is too notorious. "I mean with helping you, obviously." She teased again and I nodded with abashment. She laughed and commented, "You are so adorable, Ruhi."
The rest of the dinner went with Meahi sharing their love story with us.
After we were done, she announced, "I want to eat ice cream now."
"Yeh Roz ka bahana hogaya tumhara, Mahi,"
"This is going on everyday, mahi," Her husband scolded her.
She puffed her lower lip and cutely looked at him. "Fine," he gave up.
"We should go to our favourite ice cream palace, what do you say, Ekansh?" She asked suggesting him. "Ruhi will love it."
"It's 10, I doubt there will be any free place available for us," Ekansh wondered. "But there is no harm in trying."
While we drove to the ice cream palace, Ekansh confirmed, "Are you enjoying, Ruhi?" Mahi Bhabhi and Harshit Bhai were following us in another car.
I nodded my head, "Except with Dadu, I never hang out with my cousins or friends. But since you came, I have started to explore things. So, yeah I am enjoying it, don't worry."
Surprising me he grabbed my hand and intertwined his fingers with mine, while the other was on the steering wheel.
Though I feel maximum comfort in his touch there is a little bit of uneasiness too.
Before we arrived the other couple already reached the spot. He found one empty table on the terrace only with two chairs.
For now, Mahi Bhabhi and I sat on it and the males went to get the ice creams of our desired flavours.
Meanwhile, we both spoke about random things. "Harshit said that you got transferred to Special Life University, recently."
"Yes."
She chuckled, "Looks like fate is trying to bring you both together by using every chance. But you know, I saw a different Ekansh today. Seems like your entry has realised his mistake of dating..." she cut off, instantly. 'I mean..."
"I know. And I even know that she works in the same hospital."
"I am sorry. But there is a huge difference between you and her, Ruhi. And I am not saying this because you are here. It's because I know her. Till now all Ekansh did was to maintain a relationship in which he didn't receive anything in return. But with you I feel, he is receiving love."
I glanced at Ekansh. There are more than 6 people ahead of him.
"Can I ask you something?" She nodded her head. I bit my upper lip and inquired, "How did they meet?"
"In our PG she was my roommate. She had no friends, so I used to take her out whenever we hung out. Slowly Anthra started to show her interest in him but Ekansh didn't like to date," that somehow made me happy. "One day she committed suicide when Ekansh rejected her proposal. From then, Ekansh started to date her. It's like, he stayed in this relationship under pressure." She huffed. "I thought she was interested in Ekansh but sooner or later I realised she is more into his money." I spun my head and stared surprised at her.
Nodding her head, she resumed, "I saw demanding gifts from Ekansh. In the beginning, I thought it was her love and wanted to be pampered by him but her gifts turned out to be expensive. Ekansh is an innocent type, Ruhi. He hardly spoke with girls to differentiate between true love and fake love. And I assume, he can now see the difference between the love he had received till and he started to receive now."
I gulped, "But, Mahi bhabhi, I am not sure for how long we will be together. I mean he clearly stated at the beginning that he... Loves her and no one can replace her."
She chuckled, "You are not seeing but Harshit and I already felt, that you started to replace her already, Ruhi."Â My heart felt warm and comforting.
A few seconds later they both approached us with four different flavours of ice cream cups. But the situation of the place was still the same.
Mahi Bhabhi stood up, and Harshit Pra sat on the chair and made his wife sit on his lap.
I gaped at them in shock but Ekansh chuckled. "Ruhi, get up!" He demanded. I shook my head, knowing his next move. While the other two laughed at us.
"It's okay, Ruhi, he is your husband," she teased me. I think it's her hobby to tease me.
"Ruhi, do you want me to help you with your practical test preparation or not?" I glowered at him and nodded. "Then stand up." I stood. He sat down on the chair and made me sit on his lap.
When I felt uneasy. "Dariye math apko nahi sirf ice cream ko hi khayenge,"
"Don't worry, I want to eat only ice cream today, not you," when he mumbled that in my ear, I tilted my head and glared at him.
"Besharam!" I muttered. I was the only one to feel awkward while the other three sat and spoke so casually. But no one stared at us or gave weird glances as they were busy in their business. While eating, unknowingly, I smeared some ice cream on my upper lip.
Immediately, Ekansh grabbed my chin, tilted my head towards him, and grasped my upper lip between his lips to lick off the ice cream. His action dropped my jaw and burned my cheeks red.
The other two giggled but acted as if they hadn't seen our act.
I was the only one to eat my ice cream in silence while the other three spoke casually once again.
After we had our ice creams, we exchanged a farewell and decided to meet again in the coming days.
Ekansh and I drove back to our home. I thought to study before sleep, but my body gave up as soon as I lay down on the bed. It was almost midnight and Dadu might be already asleep.
I went through tonight's pictures and even last night's date's pictures.
I even recalled the information Mahi Bhabhi shared with me. So, my interpretation was trueâshe doesn't love Ekansh, she only wants his money.
That's why she demanded a 6 lakh rupee necklace from him. I felt uncertainty and even pain in my heart, to realise that she was taking my husband's money.
After a few minutes, I received a knock on my door. I huffed and climbed down. After I pulled open my door, I saw Ekansh.
"Ruhi, I am scared. So much scared. I got a nightmare where a big Godzilla, a Gorilla and a big dinosaur were attacking me," he kept rambling as he dragged himself inside my bedroom and lay down silently on my bed. "And I am too scared to sleep alone in my room. Maybe if I sleep with you, I can get some sleep."
I crossed my arms across my chest and raised my brow staring at him. "Ekansh Razdan, ap bhut bade dramebaaz ho!"
"Ekansh Razdan, you are such a drama queen!" I declared and slept on the other side of the bed.
"They were attacking me, Ruhi. But then you came and smiled at them. "They went to sleep, you saved me."
I laughed clenching my stomach.
"Jhute. Say something believable, Ekansh."
"Ok." He grabbed my hand and played with my fingertips of burned hand, "Let me tell you about a 6-year-old boy and a 3-month-old baby girl story."
I smiled brightly, "you mean ours." I asked with excitement.
"Yes. Ours." He informed and began narrating it, "That boy always wished for a small baby girl in front of his mother so that he could play with her. Then his maa took me to her friend's house who just welcomed a small baby girl. She had small fingers, rosy cheeks and dark hair. Whenever that boy carried her in his arms, she used to speak with a cooing language."
I giggled. Imagine the story of us.
"When her cousins took her away from that boy, her eyes would have been struck only at her friend. When everyone observed that she was happy only in his arms, they decided to give her to him. He used to tell her multiple stories. A lot of them were stupid in a sense."
"Haha..." I laughed.
"But she listened then attentively. She grew big slowly, slowly and they both started to play hide and seek, running race and so many games."
"For how long have we played with each other?" I inquired him.
"Until you were 4 and I 10. Maa was pregnant with Ekta and my school's started too. But your maa didn't stop calling my maa, saying that you are missing me so much. One day you got a high fever too. My maa had no option but to take me to you. I still remember the first night we both spent together and even slept together." Pushing his hand below my head, he pulled my head close to his chest, making my head rest against his chest. "I made you sleep in this way and slightly massaged your hair," narrating he massaged the back of my head with his other hand.
I closed my eyes feeling heaviness on my eyelids. And slowly I drifted into deep sleep in his arms.