chapter 13

Chapter 13The small concessionIshiqa freshened up and changed into her nightclothes. The suite seemed very quiet so she peeped into the living room. She saw Ved sprawled on the sofa, fast asleep. He looked extremely uncomfortable. His tall frame did not fit on the sofa, and yet, he must have been very tired, for he was breathing evenly, evidently in deep sleep. He looked so innocent and harmless sleeping! Her heart went out to him and quietly she crept up to his side. She slowly stroked his hair lovingly, but as his eyes flew open, she jumped back in haste. He caught her by the wrist. “That was nice! Could you continue?” he said in a voice that melted her. But she managed to free herself from his grasp shyly and locked herself into the safe sanctuary of the bedroom. How strange that such fleeting moments made her feel so happy! The next morning, they tried to plan their short trip in the best possible way. “Maldives is known for its underwater beauty with the blend of psychedelic colours and the immense excellent variety of underwater life which is fascinating to all,” Ved read aloud from the brochure. Wearing clothes best suited to the tropical heat of the place, they set off on their first stop to the ‘whale’ submarine. They gasped aloud at the exotic beauty of the deep ocean as the enchantingly beautiful coral reefs and magnificent tropical fish of various sizes drifted in front of their eyes. Shells in different sizes and attractive colours were strewn on the ocean bed and the water plants swayed merrily.   The excitement of watching this wonderful novelty made them forget their differences and they eagerly clutched each other’s hands, pointing out things the other may have missed. Even after returning to land, the ambience of the wonderland did not leave them. Ishiqa joined a few kids who were blowing soap bubbles with not a care in the world. She competed with them in breaking the bubbles they blew, with her own bubbles, giggling and laughing happily.  Ved found her childlike enthusiasm very endearing and was unable to take his eyes off her. He clicked every possible joyful moment, as if to capture it for times when he wouldn’t see her again. Her soft white complexion was flushed from the heat and the exertion. Her hair bounced around her shoulders as she jumped up playfully. She held her straw hat in one hand and her cotton white skirt patterned with small red daisies swished around her long legs.  She wore a deep red coloured top with cap sleeves and her bosom heaved sexily as she playfully jumped in the sand. Ved’s mouth went dry and he longed to hold her in his arms. Clearing his throat and straightening his sunglasses, he called out to her, “Ishiqa! Lunch is about to be served.” She came running. “I am famished!” she declared. She seemed to have shed all her inhibitions and chatted happily as they ate their lunch, making him smile at her. “Okay, siesta time, and then we will stroll down the beach in the evening,” he announced, checking his watch. They went up, to their suite and Ved quietly lay down on the sofa. Ishiqa felt guilty knowing he was uncomfortable and called out, “Ved.” It came out so softly that it was hardly audible to her own ears. “Ved,” she called out again. He lifted his head and looked at her with a searching expression. She stammered, “You can sleep on the bed. I am sure the sofa is too small for you.” He appeared to ponder over her statement, then he shook his head and muttered, “I am fine here. Just sleep.” “Please Ved, I…” she started off again, but before she could finish, he got up. It was as if he wanted to be sure she really meant it. “Okay, if you insist,” and lay down on the bed comfortably. She walked to the other side and lay down near the edge. She closed her eyes, every second aware of his presence beside her. Instinctively, her eyes opened as she felt his eyes on her. She turned slowly and saw Ved lying on his stomach, very relaxed, his head turned towards her and looking at her with a mischievous smile. The look sent her heart racing. She muttered, “Why are you looking at me like that? What is so funny?” He raised himself on one elbow and answered, “You are funny… The whole situation is funny. You invited me to sleep on this bed and now you are behaving as though some venomous reptile is lying next to you! Come on, relax, I won’t bite you!” He was about to turn away, but stopped and looked at her again, saying, “And to answer you…I am looking at you because you are so beautiful and desirable. You make my pulse beat violently. And, anyways, the deal is not to touch you. But you definitely cannot stop me from admiring you.”She shrank back, fearing her own reaction. She held a cushion to her chest and looked at him doe eyed in fear and anticipation. He chuckled, turned around and was asleep within seconds. She cursed him mentally for making her lose sleep! She tossed and turned for quite some time before sleep finally claimed her. When she woke up, his side of the bed was empty. He was sitting on the lounge chair outside, sipping cool coconut water. His upper body was bare and his hair was tousled. She didn’t get up immediately. She admired his broad shoulders, the wide chest, the muscles that rippled as he moved, and those gorgeous eyes and lips, and then averted her gaze, furious with herself. Slowly, she got up and joined him outside. “Do you want some?” he offered. She shook her head and asked, “Now what’s the plan?” “We will head towards the market, take a look around and then walk down to the beach. You okay with that?” “Yeah, I think that would be nice.”Â