Ruhi:
"What comission?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.
He pulled my chair near to him and whispered in my ears, "Sit on my lap and kiss me everywhere until I get satisfied." That widened my eyes, as wide as saucers.
I shook my head with fright. "No!"
"Fine! Then forget about the pen drive," he mentioned and resumed his task.
I decided to steal the pen drive when he went to sleep.
Uncle Manish hadn't returned, and Gurpreet was alone to cook dinner that night. So, I went to the kitchen to help her. Though she didn't let me, I made dal makhani and Rajma Chawal, leaving the parotta task to her.
"Parjai, Can I ask you something?"
I nodded my head. "It's your personal, but still, I want to know about..." She hesitated, " Why do you both live in separate rooms?"Â Gurpreet and I converse a lot about random things. But she never gets personal with me.
Other than that, she is Maa's mediator to update the things taking place here. So, I have to give her a convincing reason.
I smiled at her, "Until I finish my studies, Ekansh want to give me privacy, so, we are staying in separate rooms."
"Oh!" She exclaimed and smiled.
After Ekansh came down, Gurpreet set the dishes on the table. This is the first time I cooked for him.
He smelled Dal makhani and whispered, "This smells different." Then he took a spoonful of it and tasted it. "Even tastes different too."
"Parjai cooked today." She announced and I expected a compliment not a glare from Ekansh.
"Why did you step into the kitchen?" He asked. I pursed my lips. "Ruhi, your hand hadn't healed yet." Then he stared at Gurpreet and scolded her, "Why didn't you inform me that she is cooking?"
"Ekansh, she stopped me but I wanted to cook for you."
He took my left hand which was injured a week ago and expressed, "What happened was so disastrous, Ruhi. Apne humari Jaan nikal di. I don't want that to repeat."
For once, I glanced at Gurpreet, she was smiling broadly at us. "I know, Ekansh. But, I can't sit in fright, right? I have to fight with my demons."
"Fine. Ruhi philosopher. But, now that you cooked for me the first time, I want you to feed me."
Once again I glanced at Gurpreet and now she was blushing red. She excused herself and wandered away leaving us alone.
I fed him food and intermittently he fed me too. After we were full, he thanked me, "Thank you for cooking, Ruhi!"
"Don't thank me again. You are my responsibility too, Ekansh. I have to take care of your food."
"We could have ordered food for us," he said otherwise.
"Ekansh, it's ok. I love cooking and when it comes to my husband..." I cut off, apprehending my words.
"Haan Biwi ji." He encouraged. I blushed slightly. He pecked my cheeks and whispered, "apke yeh Naina ek din Hume maar hi challenge." (These eyes of yours will kill me, one day.)
"Abhi humne apko kush kar Diya na ap apna pendrive doge?"
"Now that I made you happy, don't you want to give your Pendrive to me?" I asked cutely.
His laugh roared the whole dining room. "No way. I want what I demanded." I stood up and huffed.
"Never!" I declared and walked away.
It's fixed, I will steal it after he goes to sleep.
I studied for an hour, then made my bed to sleep. I expected him to come into my room and he did come after thirty minutes and lay down beside me, silently and pulling my comforter and covering himself.
"Ruhi, I am waiting for a good night kiss" he whispered but I didn't voice back. After a few minutes when I felt him to sleep, I climbed down silently and walked to his study without making any noise.
I put on the lights and searched for the pen drive in the drawers of the desk. Unexpectedly there were multiple pen drives in it. I groaned in frustration and suddenly heard the voice of the door locking.
I whirled and found Ekansh smirking at me. "Trying to theft this, Ruhi?" He inquired taking out a pen drive from his trouser's pocket.
I strolled to him with anger and tried to pull it from his hand but he raised his hand, making it difficult to reach it.
"Please, Ekansh!"
He laughed like a Satan. Instantly he removed his t-shirt and jumped up to sit on the desk. My eyes popped out and I stared shell-shocked at him. My eyes stopped at his chest. It was not bulgy, bulky or muscular but it was sexy and even hot.
"Come and kiss me from my forehead to my navel!" He demanded and I stared at his face with frustration.
Steadily, I ambled towards him. My gaze drifted between his face and his torso. I stood in front of him and suddenly he pulled me near him. I was now trapped between his legs on the lower side.
My hands were sweating dangerously. I inhaled a deep breath and took my lips near his neck. I smelled him and closed my eyes. Instantly a desire to have all of him developed in my head. I wanted to be kissed by him everywhere like he wanted me to kiss him.
Before I planted my lips, I pulled away and ran to the door.
But the door was locked. Well, the uppermost lock was out of my reach. I stood on my toes and tried to unlock but I couldn't.
"Unlock this!"
"You are trapped, meri jaan."
He strolled towards me and now trapped me between his arms and loomed over me.
"Ekansh. Why are you doing this with me?"
"Biwi se nahi toh bahar wali se kare kya?"
"If not with wife then with whom should I do? Maybe with another woman?" He asked instead and I hit on his chest with anger. "Itna gussa, Meri Jaan." I stared at him in anger. "Ok. I was teasing you. But shall I?" He asked my permission.
"I... I don't want to get pregnant before my graduation..." it came out of the blue.
"Oh, that's the issue..." He asked. I nodded my head. "Then we will use condoms." He interjected. I stared scared at him.
He chuckled and then unlocked the door. I escaped as soon as possible. He came laughing behind me. "Fine. Take the pendrive." I stopped and spun my head. He threw the pendrive towards me. I caught it and ran inside my room.
He stepped inside my room, now wearing his T-shirt. Sleeping on my bed, he gestured for me to sleep beside him. "Relax, I am gonna tell you what I taught today in the class."
"I don't trust you."
"Daro math, jab tak tum badi nahi ho jathi hum apko pyar nahi karenge."
"Relax, I will not do anything against your will," he announced with assuring eyes.
After I climbed up on the bed, he pulled me towards him and made me sleep on his chest.
He took my hand and intertwined his fingers with mine, "Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative brain disorder." I hummed. "And what could be the aetiology?" He questioned.
"It's unknown!" I replied with excitement.
"And consequences?" He questioned and I recalled what I read in the library after he threw me out of the class.
"Progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, disorientation, change in personality and mood."
"You know everything, Meri Jaan!"
"But I want to hear from you..."
"Itni perfection ki bimari hai na apko..."
"I want to make my Dadu happy with my grades,' I shared with him. He resumed his class and I listened attentively. But deliberately, my brain drifted into a deep sleep by cuddling Ekansh tightly.
The next morning while having my chai, I made a call to my Dadu and tried to convince him to pay a visit to me when we were visiting Amritsar this weekend.
"I will try, Ladoo Rani," he responded but coughed again. Since we started to speak on call, he has been coughing constantly.
"Dadu, you don't feel fine to me. You are coughing constantly," I was concerned.
"I am fine, Ladoo." Though he assured me, I wasn't convinced.
"Dadu, I want to see you. Can I come to Ludhiana?" My eyes instantly turned wet, blurring my vision. Ekansh approached the dining table and narrowed his eyes. Waggling his brows he pried silently. I shook my head and rubbed my palms on my eyes.
"Ruhi, stick to your aim and your ambitions. You have to be a strong girl."
"Yes, Dadu."
"Say my love to Ekansh."
"Okay." He cut the call.
"Hey," Ekansh sat beside me and wiped my tears, "what happened?"
"I feel Dadu is hiding something from me. His health is not good Ekansh," I shared, resting my head on his shoulder.
"Ruhi, it might be because of ageing weakness. He is growing old."
"That's why I said that I would do agriculture and stay beside him but he wanted me to do medicine. I didn't want to leave him, Ekansh."
"I understand but he wanted you to become a successful and independent Girl, Ruhi."
I nodded my head as I knew that was the real dream of my Dadu.
The next few days flew like this. We have breakfast together, we go to the hospital and then come back in the same car. We study in his study room and then sleep either in his room or mine.
It was the morning of Karwa Chauth, I went to the kitchen to make something to eat before sunrise as I had to observe the fast the whole day until the moon appeared.
While I was making my way, I heard the voices coming from the kitchen.
I thought those to be from Gurpreet but was surprised to see Ekansh.
A cooking apron was hugged tight to his lower abdomen, hands holding spoon and pan's handle.
"Ekansh!"
"You woke up. Sit on the table, I am almost done."
"You cooked for me?" I asked with shock.
"Yeah. Now go and sit." I obeyed him.
He brought the dishes to the table and served them to me.
As I stared at my bowl, I couldn't understand, so I asked, "what did you make?"
"Khichdi from whole wheat grain, some high fiber veggies and little pulses. It will be long in your stomach. You will not feel hungry soon." And he brought a cup of fruits, "eat this after you finish khichdi."
"You didn't have to make this all."
"You did fast for me for the past 2 years, in return this is the least, I could do for you."
I grabbed his hand and took it near my cheek. I cherished my cheek with the back of his knuckles.
"Ap humari zindagi badal rahe ho Ekansh. Lekin Darr ye bhi ho raha hai ki kahin ap badal toh nahi jaoge?"
"You are changing my life, Ekansh. And i am scared too that you might change like you were before." I shared my fear with him.
"I already said you Ruhi, that I started to fall for you... Which is true, Meri Jaan. You are my wife and I should respect the decision of our elders." He expressed and I pecked the back of his hands.
He pulled his hand back and served himself some khichdi too. Before I ask him anything, "let me give you company," he replied.
We both spoke a lot about Karwa chauth and the rituals while we had the kichdi. It was tasty. I could smell lot of butter in it. He used all spices but in moderate amount.
The sun was about to rise when we boarded the private flight and got ready for the departure to Amritsar.
Happiness of going home is really something which can't be described in simple words.
Of all I am happy to see the changes taking place between us.
***
Maybe Ekansh is observing fast to Ruhi too... Do you guess the same?
What's your opinion on him?
And how's the book going on. Drop a comment.
I planned 40 chapters to this book except epilogue. Half of the book has been updated remaining half is yet to come.
From next chapters their romance will get a bit darker and soon it will lead to that night.
I planned it perfectly fir you all. And I assume you all will love it.