Accidentally in Love
Chapter 12: The Road to Intimacy

Birds twittered, curtains fluttered, the morning sunlight filtered through the gaps illuminating the room, showering its warmth on the occupants of the big king size bed. The woman stirred, disturbed by the light and blinked her eyes open only to be greeted by totally unfamiliar surroundings. Afraid she tried to get up, but something or someone held her captive.

Naina made a small squeak of surprise as her midriff was clamped to the bed with something; she lifted her head to check and froze. An arm was pinning her down… Slowly she turned her head to look at the person it belonged to, and her heart skipped beats. A small smile curved her lips as she lifted her hand and touched the mangalsutra around her neck. Sameer was sleeping almost on his stomach, his face turned towards her, and his arm was around her. Married… She was married to Sameer Maheshwari. And it was her first morning in this house; no wonder the surroundings were unfamiliar.

She looked at her husband again, admiring his face; he looked so innocent when he slept. But she remembered the mischievous glitter in his eyes that was almost always present, and then the deep glittering emotions just before he had kissed her. As if tugged by an irresistible pull, she turned to his side and reached up, brushing her lips on his forehead. She tilted her head to kiss his cheek, but just then there was soft knock on the door, and a gentle voice called out, “Sameer beta…”

Naina quickly scuttled back from him, lifting his hand to slide free, and adjusted her dupatta. Trying to smoothen her hair, she slid off the bed and walked up to the door to open it. Vishakha was just about to knock again, when the door opened and Naina peered out. On seeing her mother-in-law she quickly pulled the dupatta over her head and knelt to touch her feet. Vishakha blessed her, surprised to see her dressed in a simple salwar-kameez. A quick look in the room told her that Sameer was also wearing his t-shirt to bed. Did that mean…?

“Namaste mummyji”, Naina greeted, “maaf karna mujhe waqt ka pata nahi chala.”

Vishakha tugged her eyes away from the room and to her daughter-in-law, “koi baat nahi beta. Main sirf uthaane aai kyunki ek ghante me rasme shuru ho jayegi. Tum nahake taiyar ho jao, aur Sameer ko bhi utha dena.”

Naina nodded, “jee mummyji.”

Closing the door, Naina quickly fumbled through the room, trying to find what to wear. Luckily Phulla Bua had the sense to think what all she would need and had made Preeti pack accordingly. As soon as she opened the suitcase she found a polybag with a saree-blouse-petticoat arranged together, and knew she should wear it. She went inside the bathroom, and took a hot shower just like last night, and even washed her hair. Wearing the saree inside bathroom was extremely difficult, so she draped it over herself, and peered outside to make sure Sameer was still sleeping. Then she tiptoed outside, and wore the saree with quick efficient movement, all the while keeping a sharp lookout for her mischievous husband waking up. However, he was deep in sleep oblivious to the world. Sighing with relief, she pinned up her pallu, and then put on her jewelry, did light makeup, and applied sindoor. Finally she unwrapped the towel from her head, and decided to wake Sameer up before combing her hair.

She sat on the bed next to him, and shyly called him out, “suniye… uthiye… subah ho gai.” He hummed and turned over, continuing to sleep. She smiled, and hesitantly touched his shoulder, shaking him lightly, “uthiye na.”

His eyelids fluttered, and he stretched, yawning; the shifting postures and stretching t-shirt intrigued Naina very much. He looked around the room, and then suddenly spotted her, his eyes widening for a split second before he grinned. Lifting his hand he touched her hair, feeling the dampness, and wished, “good morning wifey.”

She scrunched her nose, “wifey?”

“Biwi ho na”, he reasoned, “isiliye wifey.”

She rolled her eyes, “aisa lag raha hai apne paaltu billi ko bula rahe hai.”

He chuckled, “ab billi ke gunn hai ke nahi woh dekhna toh baaki hai.”

Her head tilted in confusion, “matlab?”

His grin was quick and crooked, “baad me samjhaunga… filhaal…” He tugged her down, “ek good morning kiss toh milni chahiye na.”

As he pulled her closer for the kiss, she covered his mouth with her palm, “pehle brush kijiye… aur phir nahake niche aaiye. Mummyji bulane aai thi.”

“Par Naina meri kiss”, he grumbled as she got up from the bed.

She laughed, starting to detangle her hair, “brush kare bina kuch nahi milega.”

He narrowed his eyes, staring at his wife, and then suddenly his eyes sparkled with mischief. Throwing off the blanket he stood up and ambled over to the dresser where she was combing her hair. He knew she was watching him, and so would be ready if he hugged her or suddenly tried to kiss her. So, he just went as close as he could without alerting her, and lightly touched her neck, asking, “ab kaisa hai tumko? Jal raha hai ab bhi?”

She shook her head, her breathing increasing at the light touch of his fingers as her brain immediately flashed back to how he had kissed her. He frowned, scooting even closer, intently staring at her neck, “yeh bhaari wala haar kyun pehna tumne? Wapas laal-laal ho gaya toh?”

He saw her eyes dilate in the mirror as she breathily whispered, “muh dikhayi hai… isiliye…”

“Hmmm”, he tried to control his expressions, and trailed his hand down her shoulders and arms, “yeh saree bahot bhaari hai… mera matlab work kaafi hai ispe… mere khayal se iske saath thodi halki jewelry pehnogi toh bhi chalega.”

She blinked, and he could feel the tiny shivers coursing through her body; she stammered, “hal…halki? Konsi?”

He pressed fully to her back on the pretext of peering over her shoulder to look at the spread of jewelry on the dresser, “ummm… yeh lamba wala haar… dekhte hai kaisa lagta hai.” He didn’t wait for her answer as she slowly pulled the toggle on her choker necklace, and then removed it from around her neck. Then he slipped the long necklace he had chosen around her neck, pushed her hair aside, and hooked it. Looking at her in the mirror, he murmured, “hook thoda loose hai… tight kar du?”

She didn’t know what he was speaking; there was a strange roaring sensation in her ears. He was so close… so close… she could feel his entire body along her back. The inexplicable heat made her want to lean into him. He held her shoulders, his thumbs rubbing the skin near edges of her blouse, making fire spread on her flesh, and dipped his head, catching the hook in his teeth. She gasped at the unexpected sensation of his lips on her nape, her entire body quivered with a need that she couldn’t comprehend, she felt his mouth leave the hook and travel onto the spot he had kissed last night. But this time… he didn’t drop gentle pecks, rather left a hot trail of openmouthed kisses up and down the side of her neck. She watched him in the mirror, totally fascinated and spellbound, and then his eyes lifted meeting hers in the glass. One of his hands slid around her waist, under the pallu, flattening on her bare belly, and he pulled her closer to his body, not even leaving space for air. Brushing a light kiss on her temple, he smirked, “yeh wala necklace saree ke saath match nahi kar raha… wapas pehle wala pehen lena… main brush karke aata hun.”

She blinked her eyes in a daze as he disappeared from behind her, and it took a whole minute for realization to dawn that he had done all of that on purpose just because she had denied him the morning kiss. And now her body was so wired up that she wanted nothing more than for him to come back and kiss her… Dammit. She muttered furiously under her breath as she changed her necklace again, and then used a buckle to loosely tie her hair given it was still wet. How could he? He knew what he was doing… God, the man… She was almost tempted to knock on the bathroom door and demand that he finish what he started. But her cheeks flushed at the thought of asking for a kiss from him. And so, she escaped before he came out of the bathroom.

Sameer came out of the bathroom half a minute after she left and chuckled on seeing her things still spread haphazardly across the dressing table. He understood that he had left her so flustered that she didn’t even take time to set her things right, rather chose to escape. Well… he hoped she was riled up enough to give him the kiss he wanted. He wore a simple kurta-pyjama, and took some time to keep all her jewelry back inside her case. He didn’t know what to do with the cosmetics so he just kept all of it in one of the drawers. By the time he went downstairs he saw that Naina was seated on a mattress surrounded by ladies, and she had her pallu over her face. He frowned, sitting next to Nanu on the sofa, “yeh Naina ko aise kyun bithaya hai?”

Nanu grinned, “muh dikhayi hai… ghunghat uthake jab chehra dekhenge toh bahu ko tohfe denge.”

“Phir se tohfe”, Sameer exclaimed, “aur ghunghat toh kal hi maine uthaya tha.”

Few ladies who heard this comment sniggered, and whispered in each other’s ears, and finally it reached Naina through some relative who teased her about last night. Naina gasped lightly, turning her head inside the pallu to see where her husband was seated and why was he making such comments. Vishakha came in with a thali, and sat in-front of Naina, did her aarti, and then slowly lifted the veil to reveal her face. There were customary exclamations of how pretty the new bride was, but Sameer ignored all of it, and leaned sideways on the sofa for a better look. A lady pointed this out and giggled, and Naina bit her lip trying to control her smile. Vishakha took some kajal and put a black dot behind Naina’s ear, then whispered something in her ear and placed a black thin jewelry case in her lap.  Four more ladies did the same ritual, and Sameer thought he would get a good opportunity to tease Naina about the gifts.

As everyone met Naina and did some small talk, he waited for the opportunity to meet her. Just as she got up and decided to take all the things back in the room, he sauntered over, and whispered, “hi wifey… sab theek?”

Naina glanced around, and then scowled at him, speaking in a low voice, “kya sab theek? Ulti-seedhi baate karte rehte hai kahin bhi… kuch toh soch liya kijiye… kal bhi aur aaj bhi… Aur ab mere aas-paas kya kar rahe hai? Sab log dekhenge… Hatiye main yeh rakhke aati hun.”

He wondered what the tirade was about, but ignored it and asked, “kamre me jaa rahi ho? Toh… main bhi aau?”

She gasped, dumping all the stuff in his hands, “aap hi rakh aaiye… main kahin nahi jaa rahi aapke saath.”

As she left from there, Sameer stood flummoxed at her behavior. What was wrong with her? Last night she had melted in his arms, and this morning too… then why was she distancing herself now? Shaking his head in confusion, he went upstairs to their room to keep all the things she had dumped in his hands.

Vishakha observed this from some distance; she couldn’t hear the conversation, but expressions were enough to tell her that her son was being romantic and Naina had thwarted his attempts. She recalled what she had seen this morning in the room, and once again wondered if there was something wrong between the couple. When she had knocked this morning, she hadn’t expected the door to be opened. She had thought maybe Naina or Sameer would just open it partially, peek out, and she would inform them to get ready. But Naina had opened the door wide, and… well… it didn’t look like anything had happened between them last night. She knew Sameer was extremely happy with this wedding? But was Naina happy? Did she love her son? What if her son was trapped in a loveless marriage? The worries kept clouding her head… but she didn’t know how to find a solution to it.

Vishakha saw Naina talking to her father, and sighed, thinking she would talk to her later. Maybe try to find out what was on her mind. However, fifteen minutes later she spied something that made her worries disappear in thin air.

Nanu had left after his chat and Sameer had come back pleased on finding Naina alone in the downstairs room. He slipped his arms around her from behind, making her gasp and whispered, “hi darling.”

She smiled, “darling? Subah toh wifey bula rahe the.”

“Wifey pasand nahi aaya na tumhe”, he nuzzled her temple, “darling chalega?” She hummed, leaning back on him, and he sighed, “itni chidi hui kyun thi? Mujhse koi galti hui?”

She turned in his arms, looking at him with wide surprised eyes, “nahi toh… woh toh main bas… sab log mujhe ched rahe the na aapki kahi hui baat ko leke… isiliye main…”

He frowned, “konsi baat?”

“Aapne sabke saamne bola ke kal hi mera ghunghat uthaya tha”, she informed, blushing a bit.

His brows furrowed, “haan toh usme galat kya bola?”

She chuckled, “galat nahi bola… par… aisa sunke log kya sochenge… samjhiye na zara.”

Intrigued by the deep blush on her face, he tried to think what that sentence contained that could warrant teasing. It took him a few moments to realize that it could indicate their romance, and he bit his lip. He pulled her closer, and murmured, “iss baat pe cheda toh galat kya kiya? Romance toh tha hi na…”

She clutched onto his kurta, trying to make sense of the surroundings, but his warmth, the feel of him; everything was making her body go boneless. A peculiar melting sensation was spreading through her veins, her breathing was erratic. “Sameer”, she muttered, her voice mixed with confusion and desire. She had never felt like this before.

He smiled down at her, “kiss chahiye?”

She blinked, her face flushed crimson, but her eyes darted towards the open door and she shook her head. He pouted, and she smiled, “umm… woh kamre me… par abhi…”

His voice was low and thick with emotions as he waited to hear his wife’s demand, “bolo Naina.”

“Ek hug chahiye”, she whispered, and hid her face against his chest. He chuckled, and tightened his hold around her, sighing at the incredible feeling that coursed through him every time she was in his arms. They parted after a while, and he teased, “ab jao… warna sab phir se chedenge.”

She laughed, and quickly reached up to kiss his jaw before fleeing from there, leaving a grinning husband behind. Outside the door, Vishakha quickly walked away, smiling to herself because she was assured that everything was alright between the new couple. If anything, they seemed to be deeply in love. And as for what she had seen this morning… maybe… maybe there were some men in this world who didn’t demand everything on the first night, but rather took time to know each other, gave time to be comfortable. And maybe there were some women too who could hold their own in-front of their husband, who understood what men needed and didn’t shy away in expressing their own love and desire both.

The afternoon passed in some rituals and then it was time to get some rest, and get ready for the reception party. Naina decided to use the time to arrange her clothes, and Sameer was eager to help her. As they hung her sarees in the wardrobe, he smiled and mused, “tumhe pata hai Naina… main hamesha sochta tha ke mere kamre me aur kisiko aane nahi dunga… yahan sirf meri cheeze hogi… Par jab se hamari shaadi tay hui hai tabse excitement hoti rehti thi tumhe yahan laaneki.”

She smiled, “hamare kamre me toh samaan rakhne ke liye main, Preeti aur Pooja didi jhagadte the, kyunki jagah hi itni kam thi… aapke kamre me toh kitni jagah hai… itne toh kapde bhi…”

He frowned as she trailed off, and cupped her face, “Naina… kya hua?”

Her lips wobbled a little as she said, “main hamare kamre ki baat kar rahi thi… par… par mera kamra toh ab yeh hai na.”

Taking the churidaar she was holding, he kept it inside the cupboard, and then held her shoulders, calmly explaining, “haan yeh tumhara kamra hai… par iska matlab yeh nahi ke tum uss ghar ko ghar bolna chod do, ya uss kamre ko apna kamra naa bolo… Naina, main jaanta hun sabne tumko bahot gyaan diya hoga ke ab yahi tumhara ghar hai, aur woh ghar paraya hai… Sab bakwaas hai.” She looked up at him confused, and he continued, “socho zara… agar shaadi ke baad mujhe wahan Chachaji ke ghar aake rehna padta toh kya main iss ghar ko aur iss kamre ko bhul jaata? Duniya kya bolti hai woh sab bhul jao… tum bas yeh yaad rakho ke tum ek ghar chodke dusre ghar me nahi aai ho… Aisa socho ke ab tumhare paas do ghar hai. Mujhe pata hai tumhe bahot yaad aa rahi hogi sabki… Aaj sab aayenge na party me toh hum dono sabko pura ghar dikhayenge…”

She relaxed, his words dissipating some of the melancholy from her heart. Yes, she was missing everyone, especially Preeti. But she also knew that from now onwards she would be where Sameer was. And he was here… So taking a quick deep breath, she teased, “agar dono mere ghar hai toh jab mera man ho tab wahan jaa sakti hun na… kuch din reh bhi sakti hun… haina?”

He scowled for a brief moment, then afraid of hurting and disappointing her, he reluctantly murmured, “uhh… haan… par bahot zyada din mujhse dur mat rehna please.”

She chuckled, slipping her arms around him, “I love you Sameer… sirf ek hi din hua hai yahan par abhi se mujhe pata hai ke aapse zyada din dur nahi reh paungi. Main toh bas aapko ched rahi thi.”

He tickled her waist, “nayi shaadi ke baad dulhan sharmati rehti hai… aur tum apne pati ko ched rahi ho.” She giggled and tried to escape, but he caught her close, and demanded, “Naina… meri kiss… subah se shaam ho gai… ab toh karne do.”

Her hands fisted on his kurta, she closed her eyes and waited. Happy with her acceptance, he dipped his head, but just as his lips were about to touch hers, there was a knock on the door, and someone called out reminding them to get ready. Naina jumped back from him, and he cursed, “pura ghar logo se bhara hua hai… romance kya khaak hoga.”

She giggled at his statement, moving to pick more things from her suitcase. He caught her hand, and said, “tum taiyar jo hao… baaki ka jo hai main rakh deta hun cupboard me… Waise bhi zyada kuch nahi hai. Agar der ho gai toh sab darwaze pe aake khade ho jayenge.”

She nodded, and then took another polybag that held the saree she was supposed to wear this evening. Sameer frowned, “tum kya saare kapde plan karke aai ho? Mujhe toh yaad bhi nahi aaj kya pehenna tha mujhe… Nanu ko puchna padega.”

She smiled, “koi zarurat nahi hai kisiko puchne ki. Mujhe pata hai aapko kya pehenna hai.” Saying so she moved to the cupboard and pulled out a suit in a shade of blue so deep that it almost looked like black. As he wondered how she knew what he was supposed to wear, she clarified, “Nanaji aur mummyji dono ne mujhe batake rakha tha subah hi.”

“Oh”, he nodded in realization, and then teased, “mujhe laga tum biwi ke role me fit ho gai aur mere kapde select karne lagi.”

She laughed, but then said, “umm… thode din me shuru kar dungi woh bhi… par aaj ke liye… bas…”

“Kya? Batao na”, he prompted as she trailed off.

Stroking the suit jacket she hesitantly said, “maine books me padha tha… husband ke suit ke pocket me rumaal hota hai jiska rang wife ke dress se match karta hai.”

He thought for a moment and then peeked inside the bag she was carrying. Upon seeing the deep red saree, he said, “hmm… iss color ka rumaal toh mere paas nahi hai. Hota toh pakka rakh leta.”

Her eyes widened in delight, “sach me?” He nodded, and she beamed, “mere paas hai… saree ke saath matching wala laaye the hum log.” She pulled out the handkerchief from the polybag and showed it to him. He took it from her, and said, “rakh lunga. Jao ab taiyar ho jao.”

As she took her things and went inside the bathroom, he started to keep the remaining things from her suitcase into the cupboard. Suddenly he stumbled upon a black polybag, and frowned, wondering what it could be. He started to open it, but then hesitated, thinking it could be woman stuff… like maybe sanitary napkins… but then, Naina would have been careful to keep such stuff aside already. They hadn’t yet settled into the comfortable rhythm of husband and wife, so she would have hidden all such stuff away. Plus the bag felt like clothes. So, taking a deep breath he threw a cautious glance at the bathroom door, and then opened the bag… for a moment he stared at the contents in confusion, and then thrust his hand inside to pull them out… He blinked at the colors… In a heartbeat his jaw fell open, hands started to tremble and his legs felt like jelly… He had to sit down on the bed… Nighties!! Naina had brought nighties? Did that mean… did that mean she was ready? She knew everything? No no… it couldn’t be… She didn’t even know how to kiss…  She might have some knowledge, but definitely not the whole thing. But then… the nighties… how to explain these? Wait… was it possible that just like Munna and Pandit had given him the condoms, her friends had given her these? It could be… or maybe Preeti… Or what if… Oh no! His eyes widened as he recollected a certain conversation from the Sangeet night.

He had been sitting alone for some time as Naina was occupied in chatting with Deepika and his mother. Suddenly he had felt someone sit next to him, and turned with a polite smile to find an elderly woman with a gentle but firm face. She had introduced herself as Phulla Bua-Dadi, too long a name, he had thought. But when she had told him how much she adored Naina, he had grinned at her. She had asked few questions to him which he had readily answered, and then asked him point-blank if he loved Naina. He had been stumped for a moment, and then confessed, “haan… bahot pyaar karta hun. Itni jaldi kaise hua pata nahi… bas… ho gaya.”

Bua-dadi has smiled, and said, “Naina bahot sharimili hai… shayad apne ehsaas jataye nahi.”

He had chuckled, “jaanta hun… par fikar mat kijiye… mere apne tareeke hai samajhne ke.”

Bua-dadi had laughed heartily, sat silent for a moment as if lost in thoughts, and then turned to him, “shaadi ke baad Naina ke suitcase me kuch hoga… kaale rang ki theli me… dekh lena. Naina toh fek rahi thi, par maine aur Bela ne wapas rakh diya.”

He hadn’t understood what she had been saying, but now he stared at the stuff in his hand, his cheeks coloring as he realized what Bua-dadi had been hinting at. He had thought she meant that Naina was shy in expressing her love in words, but now he knew she had meant more… and good God… so much more. This colorful collection of night wears weren’t a gift from Naina’s friends… but rather her family who were trying in their own way to facilitate their married life. What should he do now? Should he let her know? After all it had come from her house… But… he remembered that Bua-dadi had told him that Naina had tried to throw these away. Why would she do that? Was she so scared of lovemaking?

There was a sound from the bathroom, and he quickly took the bag and hid it inside the cupboard under a stack of his old t-shirts. Naina came out of the bathroom, her saree wrapped in a weird way around her, and a towel covering her shoulders. He frowned, “yeh koi nayi style hai?”

She rolled her eyes, “bathroom me theek se saree pehna nahi jaa raha. Aap fresh hone jaiye, main yahan kamre me saree pehen lungi.”

His eyes immediately glittered with mischief, “ooohh… tum yahan saree pehnogi toh main bathroom me kya karunga. Yahi rehta hun main bhi…”

A blush tinged her cheeks, “jaiye na… abhi koi aa jayega bulane.”

Grabbing his suit, he ambled towards the bathroom, his eyes fixed on her. Her heart thudded wondering what he would do. Would he kiss? And if he did what should she do? She was barely holding up the heavy saree. He came closer still… and she closed her eyes, not sure how to react. But he didn’t kiss… rather she felt his breath on her cheeks as he nuzzled her ear, and then sniffed her hair before disappearing in the bathroom, and closing the door. She exhaled in relief, but was also slightly disappointed that he didn’t kiss her.

He had tried several times, but hadn’t kissed her even once since morning… It kind of surprised her. How could he be so patient with her? How could he not be disappointed by the lack of… well… all that happened after marriage? Was he really okay? Didn’t he want more? Lost in all these questions tumbling around her brain, she got ready in the red saree, and put on the diamond set that she knew Sameer had chosen for her. She did her makeup just as Preeti had taught her, it was the first time she was going beyond eyeliner and lipstick on her own. She hoped Sameer would like it. It would be a treat to see his reaction.

However, before he could come out of the bathroom there was a knock on the door, and she quickly opened it. Vishakha was standing at the threshold, dressed up for the evening, and she asked, “taiyar ho gai beta? Sameer kaha hai?”

Naina greeted her, and said, “woh bathroom me hai.”

“Oh thike”, Vishakha nodded, “tum niche chalo… kuch rishtedaar aaye hai tumse milna chahte hai.”

Naina looked back into the room once at the closed bathroom door, and then sighed, leaving from there with her mother-in-law. The relatives were so distant ones that she didn’t even understand the connection, but patiently sat with them and answered whatever they asked her. Meanwhile in the room, Sameer stepped out of the bathroom, dressed only in his suit pants, and a towel slinging over his bare shoulders. He had thought about it while in shower, the sight of those night gowns had whetted his appetite, and he had deduced that coming out without a shirt might help progress things a bit in the romance department. He wasn’t going to force her, but surely he could nudge her a bit in the right direction. He eagerly looked around the room only to find it empty… There was no Naina… Dammit where was she? Her stuff was all arranged so that meant she had dressed up already, and… left? Without him? No… she wouldn’t do that… But then… He closed his eyes and groaned as he realized that someone from his family, most likely his mother, had again taken her downstairs. As he sprayed cologne and shrugged into his shirt, he grumbled about it wasn’t Naina’s innocence but his own family that was ruining all chances of romance.

Still in a bad mood he thundered downstairs, his eyes scanning the living room for any traces of his wife. But he couldn’t spot her. Just then Rohan came up, “bhai… kya baat hai? Aap gusse me lag rahe hai.”

Sameer scowled, “Naina kahan hai?”

Rohan rolled his eyes, “pareshan hai…”

“Huh”, Sameer was confused at his brother’s statement.

Rohan clarified, “mummy unhe neeche le aai… Aur tab se woh sab rishtedaar se milne me lagi hui hai… Paanv chute chute unki kamar dard kar jayegi.”

Sameer flumped on a nearby chair, “subah se koi na koi usko kamre se le jaa raha hai. Hadd hai yaar… Uski shaadi mujhse hui hai ke mere rishtedaaro se.”

Rohan hesitantly patted his brother’s shoulder, “aap niche wali study me jaiye… main bhabhi ko bhejta hun wahan.”

Sameer stood up, his eyes lighting with interest, “kaise?”

“Woh mujhpe chod dijiye”, Rohan smiled and sauntered off.

Sameer didn’t know if Rohan could achieve this feat or not, but still he went inside the study, closing the door but not locking it. After about five minutes he heard Naina’s voice, she sounded a bit hassled, “ab konse rishtedaar hai Rohan? Aur study me kyun bethe hai? Sab log toh bahar lawn me jaa rahe hai… Nikalne me der ho rahi hai.”

Rohan gently pacified, “bhabhi… hotel kahin bhaag nahi jaa raha. Aur nazdik hi hai… Bhai aapko le aayenge. Aap mil lo rishtedaaro se, main bhai ko bhejta hun.”

Naina nodded, and then adjusted her pallu, stepping inside the study cautiously wondering who it might be. But just as she took one step inside, her hand was caught and she was pulled inside. There was a click as the door locked, and then she was trapped within a iron-tight hold that she knew belonged to her husband.

“Sameer”, she whispered, smiling softly and burrowed closer.

He sighed, feeling immense relief on finally having her in his arms. “Mere bina kyun chali aayi? Jaanti ho main kitna irritate ho gaya tha”, he gruffly murmured.

She wrapped her arms around him, “Sorry… Mummyji aa gayi toh naa nahi bol paai. Aur itne saare rishtedaar… Mujhe toh yaad bhi nahi rahenge.”

He tightened his hold even more, pulling her flush to him, “sirf mujhe yaad rakho… sirf mujhe.”

She shivered at his tone, and the way he was pressing her more into him. There was something different. She could tell that there was something that had bothered him, and also that he needed something from her. What was it? A kiss? His heartbeats were fast, his body tightly strung… but there was an edge in his voice… something she hadn’t heard before. There was desire, yes… But something more too… What was it? If it was just a kiss he would have demanded it… But here he was demanding something that he wasn’t even voicing out. Desperately she tried to understand, holding onto him as he kept on tightening his arms around her as much as he could… as if… as if he was afraid… afraid that she would be gone. And it dawned on her… the way he had told her about his mother abandoning him came back to her like a silver light of realization. She had disappeared without telling him… He must have looked for her after coming out of bathroom and hadn’t been able to find her. That was it… It wasn’t intimacy that he was demanding now… it was more than that…

She stroked his back, trying to calm him down, “main yahin hun Sameer… Aapke paas… Aapko batake neeche aana chahti thi, par mummyji khadi thi na toh sharam aa gai. Main toh kabse neeche aapka intezaar kar rahi thi. Aapko chodke jaana hi hota toh shaadi thodi na karti aapse.”

He took deep calming breaths, his tensed muscles relaxing bit by bit. His hold on her changed from tight possessive grip to snug loving embrace, and he lowered his head nuzzling her hair. She looked up at him, and smiled, “I love you Sameer.”

He gazed at his wife, she was looking gorgeous in the deep red saree, and he didn’t know if the diamonds in her jewelry glittered more or her eyes did… But the love in her eyes for him surely outshone every diamond on the planet. He brushed his lips on her forehead, cherishing the way she closed her eyes and smiled even wider. “I love you too”, he murmured, “aur agar abhi party me nahi jaana hota na toh main pakka tumhe kiss kar leta.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion, “usse party ka kya lena dena?”

He smirked, “red lipstick mere hothon pe achchi nahi lagegi.”

She giggled, detangling herself from his arms, “chaliye ab… Warna Rohan aa jayega aur sochega ke yahan toh koi rishtedaar hai hi nahi.”

He held her hand and obediently followed her, biting his lip in anticipation… Waiting… And the moment came just as they were stepping out to the main foyer. She paused suddenly, and turned to look at him with wide eyes, “room me… Aap… Rohan… Yeh… Yeh plan tha?”

He flashed a crooked grin, and shrugged, “bhai kabhi toh kaam aaye.”

“Aage bhi aayega”, Rohan’s voice came from the main door, “driver bana hun aap dono ka… chalein?”

The drive to the party venue was a short one, and as they walked hand-in-hand inside the spacious lawns people cheered and clapped. He could see Nanu, his mother, Deepika at the far end. The reception had been designed like a normal party, there wasn’t any stage for the newlyweds, which was a relief, and the fairy lights only added to the beauty of the evening. Soon Naina spotted Chachiji and Preeti, she waved at them, and indicated that she would be back to meet them. Several people greeted them, wished them for their happy future, some made enquiries of their travel plans. Sameer handled most of the questions, but what surprised her was that Naina wasn’t scared of the attention she received or fumbled when people talked to her. He had thought she would be nervous, and feel uncomfortable while interacting with his business associates, but she didn’t… Once when she introduced herself as Mrs. Maheshwari he couldn’t help but grin. His wife was treasure that he was only beginning to uncover… He saw her eyes stray often to the corner where her family stood, and he slipped his arm around her waist, excusing themselves from the client he was talking to.

Naina blushed at how he was holding her close while walking and queried, “kahan le jaa rahe hai?”

“Wahin jahan tumhari nazre baar-baar jaa rahi hai”, he said, and then paused turning to look at her properly, “Naina… mere business associates, employees ya rishtedaar kisise bhi milne ke liye tumhe Chachaji-Chachiji se milna taalne ki zarurat nahi hai.”

Her eyes softened as she smiled, “main taal nahi rahi… Bas itne log milne rahe the, aisai chale jaana achcha nahi dikhta.”

He nodded and they started to walk again. Glancing around he mused, “mujhe laga itne logo ko dekhke tum nervous ho jaogi… Par… Tum toh bilkul confidently baat kar rahi thi sabse.”

She chuckled, “mujhe bhi aisa hi laga tha ke darr ke maare mere muh se kuch niklega hi nahi… Par jab itne saare anjaan log milne aaye tab laga ke yeh toh main hamesha karti hun… Phir asaan tha.”

Puzzled he queried, “hamesha?”

“Haan”, she replied, “school me… har saal naye bachche padhne aate hai aur unke parents se baar karna padta hai mujhe… Anjaan hi toh hote hai. Aur woh log toh aapke business associates aur rishtedaar se bhi zyada sawaal puchte hai. Toh bas… maine wahi soch liye ke yeh saare log bhi mere school ke bachcho ke rishtdaar hai.”

He laughed, extremely amused at her thought procedure, but pleased that she could hold her own against a bunch of people. In another moment, Naina left his hand as Preeti hugged her. He took Chachaji, Chachiji and Phulla Bua-dadi’s blessing. Tauji and Taiji also came over, and he knelt to touch their feet. They all talked for some time, and he queried why didn’t they come home. Chachaji mentioned that they were late and so thought it would be better to come here directly.

The remainder of the party was pleasant and he enjoyed sharing one dish with Naina for dinner. By the time they went back home, it was well past midnight, and he was extremely tired. They hadn’t had much sleep last night, and today whole day was busy. He just wanted to hold his wife close and fall asleep. His spirits lifted considerably at the thought that finally he would have her alone, however his pleasure was short-lived. Just outside the room, Deepika came running to them, demanding that her bhabhi read a bed-time story to her.

Sameer scowled, but Naina smiled, “bas paanch-dus minute… thoda aur intezaar.”

He sighed, nodding and whispered, “jaldi aana.”

He went inside their room alone, and immediately removed his suit jacket. He wanted to change, but then decided against it, and sat reclining on the bed waiting for her. As minutes ticked by he dozed off in that position, and by the time Naina came in he was totally asleep. She smiled, admiring her husband, and reached out to touch his shoulder and wake him… But then stopped, and decided that she would change first and then wake him so that the bathroom is free for him to use. She removed her jewelry, keeping them safely in the bod, and then pulled out a baby blue Patiala suit went inside the bathroom to change. It took her around fifteen minutes to remove her makeup, undo her hair, freshen up and fold her saree. Keeping everything back in place, she went to wake Sameer up.

It took her a few minutes, but then he blinked and opened his eyes, rubbing them with the back of his palms. His lips curved is a small confused frown, “Naina… tum kab aayi? Aur yeh kya pehna hai tumne? Saree kaha gai?”

She chuckled, “maine abhi change kiya… aap bhi kar lijiye.”

He sat up straight, “kya? Change kar liya aur mujhe uthaya bhi nahi… Main wait kar raha the ke tumhari help karunga.”

Her eyes widened and she stammered, “sa..saree badalne me?”

He shook his head, “nahi… jewelry utaarne me… kal raat ki tarah… Ab aur kisi tareeke se toh romance karneko nahi mil raha… yahi sahi.”

She laughed, “aap bhi na… chaliye uthiye… fresh ho jaiye. Kaafi der ho gai hai.”

He stood up and caught her hand, “kapde chodo… meri kiss do…”

She blushed, pushing him lightly, “change kar lijiye uske baad.”

He sighed dramatically, grumbling as he walked away, “kabhi brush karneke baad… kabhi kapde badalneke baad… kise pata tha kiss karne ke liye bhi itni sharte hoti hai.”

She chuckled, preparing the bed for them, and turned on the air conditioner because she knew he needed it. He came back soon, dressed in a shirt which she found to be a strange choice to wear at night over track-pants… Standing beside her, he folded his arms, pinning her with his gaze, “lo… kar liya change. Ab toh kiss de do.”

She straightened, sighing aloud, “aap baar baar kyun puch rahe hai? Kal raat ko toh nahi pucha tha. Aise puchenge toh main thodi na kahungi ke haan abhi kiss kar sakte hai.”

He explained, “main puchta hun taaki mujhe pata chale ke tumhe koi problem toh nahi hai… matlab… tum comfortable ho ke nahi.”

She rolled her eyes, “kitni baar puchenge… aur main kitni baar haan bolu… Aap samajhte kyun nahi hai?”

Puzzled, he scratched his head, “haan kab bola?”

“Subah bola brush karneke baad”, she clarified, “phir neeche bola tha ke kamre me jaaneke baad, aur abhi bhi toh bola ke change karneke baad… Jab jab aapne pucha maine haan bola par aap hai ke samajhte hi nahi hai…”

He huffed, “Naina… mera dimag business me tezz hai, padhai me nahi… aise paheli me haan bologi toh kaise samajh me aayega. Seedhe seedhe haan nahi bol sakti?”

She stared at him for a while, and then laughed softly shaking her head, and said, “haan…”

He grinned, cupping her face, and quickly kissed her without any preliminaries. She squeaked lightly at the sudden kiss, but then softened against him, responding to him as she tasted her lips. He lingered for some time, but kept it light, and yet she was breathing heavily when he lifted his head. Blinking her eyes, she licked her lips as if taking his taste in her mouth, and asked, “so jaaye?”

He smiled, “thodi der baate karte hai… pura din toh rasmo me nikal gaya.”

She nodded and climbed up on the bed, sitting cross legged, thinking he would do the same. But she was taken aback as he promptly sprawled on the bed, with his head on her lap. It was… new… different… but she didn’t object.

The topic of conversation revolved around the many people she had met at the reception. She animatedly told him tales of the stuff several women had asked her or told her, some even pointing out to her that she needed to be careful because her husband was handsome and could go astray. He laughed at this and so did she, making him happy that she trusted him completely. He played with a corner of the dupatta, one part of his brain working on how he could take their romance up by a notch. Slowly, carefully he tugged the dupatta until one end slipped off her shoulder and sighed in relief when she didn’t notice it. After a moment he said, “garmi kaafi hai aaj.”

She hummed, “AC aur tezz karu?”

“Nahi rehne do”, he promptly said, and undid two more buttons on his shirt leaving it halfway open, “ab theek lagega.”

“Uhh…”, she stupidly said, wondering what was happening… Suddenly she was able to get a glimpse of his chest… She remembered that when she had pressed his shirt after roka, he had a worn a vest underneath… But today… he wasn’t wearing a vest… It was just a shirt… A partially unbuttoned shirt that neither revealed enough, nor hid enough.

Pleased with her speechless stated, he broached the topic he had wanted to. Still playing with her dupatta, he asked, “Naina… mere reward ka kya hua? Main shart jeeta tha na…”

She frowned at this, “cheating ki thi aapne.”

He sat up, turning to sit facing her and said, “rules thodi na the… bas jeetna tha… aur main jeeta… bina paiso ke joote wapas liye, par phir tumhare roti hui shakal dekhke jitne paise mere paas the sab de diye… pati hai ke biwi ko khush karna chahta hai, aur biwi dekho… ek reward dene me itni kanjoosi.”

She bit her lip, slightly apprehensive, as she wondered what he would ask… What if he asked that… for tonight… Would he? And could she? But he was looking at her with so much hope and enthusiasm, that she hesitantly asked, “umm… kya chahiye aapko?”

He grinned, and replied, “Ek kiss…”

Startled she laughed, “kiss? Ek kiss ke liye aapne apni reward waste kar di… Aap toh kuch bhi maang sakte the.”

He shushed her, “sabse pehli baat… tumko kiss karna koi wish ki waste nahi hai… Aur dusri baat, meri puri wish toh suno… main chahta hun ke tum kiss ki shuruwat karo, aur yeh proper wali kiss ho.”

Perplexed she asked, “proper wali kiss matlab?”

He smiled, “tum kiss toh karo… baaki main sambhal lunga.”

Having expressed what he wanted he sat there, smiling in anticipation, staring at his wife. She gulped, trying to give herself a mental pep-talk. It was just a kiss after all… He could have asked for anything… But all he wanted tonight was a kiss… She could do it… couldn’t she? She leaned forward, trying to courageously look in his eyes, but backed out at the last moment. He didn’t say anything… just kept waiting. Taking a deep breath she tried again, but once again didn’t succeed. It seemed simple, just lean forward and let her lips touch his… He would do the rest… But how could she do that when suddenly she was turning so nervous, and plus the frustratingly partial view of his chest wasn’t really helping her nerves. After a moment, she pouted, “aise kaise kiss karu? Plan karke kaun kiss karta hai… mujhe toh samajh me hi nahi aa raha ke start kaise karu.”

He sighed, holding his hand, stroking his thumb over her fingers as he gently said, “Naina… Koi compulsory nahi hai ke kiss karo… method bhi nahi hai… Bas… Ichcha hai… Main jab bhi tumhe dekhta hun main karta hai tumhe hug karu, kiss karu… Aur bhi bahot kuch man karta hai… Tum jab mujhe dekhti ho to tumhe aisa kuch nahi hota?”

She bit her lip, her cheeks flooding with color as she nodded. He smiled, “bas wahi karo jo tumhe man kar raha hai… Agar tum chaho toh main aankhen bandh kar leta hun.”

He stared at her for another minute, then closed her eyes, and leaned back on the headrest, waiting once more to see if his wife would gather courage to take lead. Couple of minutes passed by and he thought it was a no-go, but then he felt her shaking hands on his head, her fingers threading through his hair. It surprised him that she wanted to do this… Something as simple as touching his hair… Maybe she wanted to do it when he was sleeping on her lap, but didn’t. Her fingers glided down from his hair, tracing his face tentatively… His eyebrows, eyes, nose, cheeks, jaw, ears… It was as if she was memorizing the details of his features. Finally, he felt her sweet warm breath on his face and felt her lips softly brush on his forehead. He smiled, slowly exhaling at the feelings she evoked by such a simple gesture. Her lips followed the path her fingers had taken, exploring thorough gentle kisses that made his heartbeats race.

Naina observed his erratic breathing, and understood with a thrill of joy the effect she was having on him. It astounded her and filled her with a sort of power that she had never experienced before. His chest rose and fell as he tried to regulate his breathing and she dipped her head, boldly pecking him on his lips once. She quickly pulled back to check if he had opened his eyes, but he hadn’t… He still sat patiently. She again went to his lips, this time tasting them just like he had done to her, and felt a shudder wrack through his body.

“Sameer”, she whispered against his lips. He hummed in reply, and she asked, “proper wali kiss kya hoti hai?”

His wet lips curved in a lopsided smile, and he queried, “main dikhau?”

She didn’t reply in words… rather she leaned more onto him and kissed him again, giving him the permission he sought. His hands came up to hold her waist, his mouth moved against hers, increasing the pace of the kiss. She shivered as suddenly she felt his tongue stroke her lips, and he pulled her close, making her gasp… Taking advantage of this he slipped his tongue in her mouth, boldly deepening the kiss much more that he had yesterday. She stiffened for the briefest moment before whimpering and melting against him, lost in the sensations that coursed through her body like a rapid flood. He bones seemed to turn liquid, her body turning pliable in his hands. There was a dizzying sensation, and she opened her eyes slightly, surprised to find herself flat on the bed. His tongue flicked hers, inviting her to a world unknown, and her eyes fluttered shut once again, her hands fisting in his hair as she responded shyly making him groan. “Naina”, he muttered, peppering kisses over her face as she panted for breath. His lips moved down to her throat, and his hand impatiently tugged at her dupatta, removing it from around her and throwing it away. She gasped, not sure of where he was heading, but he touched his lips to the pulse on her throat, “shsh… kuch nahi kar raha main… bas kiss hi karunga… I promise.”

He licked the sensitive skin beneath her ear, and the moved to her lips once again, deepening the kiss minute by minute, heating her blood by degrees. One of her hands moved from his head to his face, once again tracing his jaw and throat… But just then he angled his head, and her hand slipped inside his parted collar, coming to rest on his chest. She made a surprised sound and tried to pull back, but he quickly held her hand from over his shirt, not letting her withdraw, the touch of her small warm palm on his bare chest fueling the need inside him. It was surreal that her body could feel so many sensations at the same time. There was the rapid beat of her heart, the moans evoking from her throat, the fluttering in her belly, the restlessness that pooled deep inside her. There was fire and then there was him… the one who stoked the fire inside her and also the only one who could calm it. He softened the kiss, feeling exhilarated at the way their breath mingled. He knew she was aroused to a point where she wouldn’t object if her explored further, but he had promised her to stop at the kiss for tonight, and so he did…

Rolling back with her, he slept sideways encasing her in his arms, dragging in much needed breath in his lungs. After a few moments she quipped, “mera dupatta?”

He didn’t let her get up, and said, “koi zarurat nahi hai… Tum bahar nahi ho… Apne kamre me apne pati ke saath ho… Dupatte bina so sakti ho.”

She didn’t argue with his logic, still in a daze of what she had experienced today, and stayed awake in his arms until she could hear his deep even breathing. She smiled, wondering at how she was so comfortable wrapped like this in his arms, her face pressed to his chest. The parted seams of his shirt teased her, and after waiting for few moments more just to ensure that he was indeed asleep, she pursed her lips and quickly kissed the exposed skin. Then squeezed her eyes shut as if afraid of being caught in the act, and her hand fisted on his shirt at his back, her heart racing at what she had done. Slowly she too fell asleep, knowing somewhere deep within her that it would be time very soon when she would be ready to accompany him all the way to the end on this new road of intimacy.