Sunlight filtered in through the beige-gold curtains, slowly flooding the room with its gentle glow. The chorus of birds drowned out the few conversations in the lawn. There was a joy in the morning, a deep sweetness, a chance of love that fused energy into the rays of sun warming up the bed, the entwined figures on it, the messy sheets and blankets, and the flowers, giving the whole scene an appearance of an old photograph, a beautiful nostalgia, a loving dream.
A ray shone directly on Sameer’s face, and he hummed in sleep, trying to turn over, but couldn’t… Something or rather someone was entangled in his arms, and he blinked his eyes open. A second passed, he had to move aside a few strands of hair from his face, and his lips curved in a smile. Naina was in his arms… sleeping… He turned to her, and sucked in a deep breath as his body rubbed with hers… Naked… They were naked. At this thought the smile turned into a broad grin, and his hand moved down her back, beneath the blanket, feeling the soft buttery texture. How was she so smooth all the time? What cream did she use? Or was it some body lotion? Or maybe some home remedy like ubtan?
She stirred a bit, shifting to sleep on her back, and her brows furrowed as the sunrays hit her face. Thinking that her sleep would be disturbed by the sun, he gently pulled his arm out from under her head and sat up, intending to go close the dark layer of curtains. He hadn’t understood the purpose when Naina had chosen the two layered curtains for windows, and had thought it was just decorative stuff, but after then hanging them he had realized that the inner beige-gold layer was translucent enough to let the sun or moon light filter in the room but still block the interior view, and the dark blue layer could be pulled when the sun was too strong. It contrasted with the ivory wall paint, and gave the room an overall artistic flavor because of the tones they had chosen for furniture and bedsheet.
He started to push the blanket aside, but just then she moved her legs, and her dainty feet peeked out from the bottom, capturing his attention. He stared at the intricate mehndi design, and the gleaming stones of the bichiya on her feet… Toe-rings… What had the priest said? Yes… Only married women could wear them. Two rings gleamed on each foot, the colored gem stones sparkling against her fair skin, and red nail-paint… His gaze wandered up her body slowly, noticing the curves and dips from over the blanket, and then was transfixed at her neck… The black beaded mangalsutra was wrapped around her slender throat, the diamond locket falling back on her shoulder as she slept. Her face resounded peace, the sindur adorning the partition in her hair was bright and slightly smeared maybe from their hug or their lovemaking. He had seen her sleep beside him before, but not like this… The visage of her filled him with the most satisfying feeling ever… The warmth in his heart expanded like a giant balloon, until there was no space left for anything else. His body responded to her, not because he needed her urgently, but because he knew she was his in the most elemental form ever. Her deep slumber represented the faith she had in him, the happiness she had felt in being his, and the satisfaction he had been able to provide… And that brought a surge of male pride in him because he had wanted to show her this pleasure, this satisfaction since so long, but he had been nervous last night… Yet, he had succeeded.
He leaned down; thinking to kiss her shoulder, but the way his legs were still tangled with hers hampered him. He pushed the blanket away from himself, slowly detangling his legs, and then froze… What was that? In the bright morning sunlight, he saw some flecks of red on himself, which puzzled him… It looked like dried color… But how…? And in that moment realization dawned with horror… That wasn’t color… That was blood… And it wasn’t his. Good God… Naina had bled last night? With urgent hands he moved the blanket, trying to check the bedsheet to confirm his suspicion, but the dark blue color made it almost impossible to spot anything. His moved his hand lightly over the fabric, trying to feel what he couldn’t see, and just near her thighs, his finger brushed against a small crusty layer, and another… and one more. Shit… He plucked a bit off the fabric, and missed a heartbeat in fear, because it was indeed dried blood. Oh God… How much he must have hurt her…
A deep sigh caught his attention, and he glanced up to see Naina moving a bit restlessly… Was she in pain? He dusted off the flakes of blood from his finger, and lifted his hand, pushing aside the hair from her shoulder and face, hoping to soothe her… Just then she stirred, breathed deep and her eyes opened at half-mast. She blinked, trying to get the world in focus and her gaze landed on Sameer leaning over her. She smiled at him, and that dissipated some of his worries… Maybe it had hurt last night, but not now… He opened his mouth to ask her, but she beat him to it as she queried, “kya kar rahe ho tum? So kyun nahi rahe?”
He felt relived on hearing her voice… She was confused about the time, maybe disoriented with less sleep, but not in pain. Letting go of his worry for a moment, he trailed a gentle finger down her cheek, “aaj tum bol sakti ho…”
Delicate furrows marked her forehead, “kya?”
He grinned, “good morning…”
She was puzzled for a moment, but then glancing at the sunlight she realized it was morning… The first morning after their wedding… And she remembered how once she had been puzzled about the time while sleeping on the sofa downstairs after making out with him, and had uttered good morning when she had woken up, and he had said there was still time… Well, the time had finally arrived for them. Pulling out one hand from the blanket, she cupped his jaw, “good morning…”
He leaned over and kissed her forehead, making her smile, and she asked, “kab uthe?”
“Thodi der pehle”, he replied, “socha parda bandh kardu kyunki tumhare chehre pe dhoop aa rahi hai.”
She yawned, “mujhe toh pata hi nahi chala subah kab hui.”
He chuckled, “sweetheart… hum subah hi soye the.” Her eyes widened and faint blush tinged her cheeks. He contemplated kissing her, but the increasing glow of light kept blurring his morning vision. “Ek minute”, he muttered and slid off the bed, walking over to the window, and drew the dark drapes together.
A small gasp made him look around… Her eyes were fixed on him, but not on his face, rather somewhere farther down. He glanced down at himself, surprised a bit, because he had totally forgotten that he was naked. But now… on seeing her staring… he felt gratified and a mischievous sparkle lit up his eyes. He smirked and teased, “achche se dekhlo… kal raat ko nazre hata li thi.”
Her gaze shot up to his face, and she blushed furiously. He laughed softly, “thoda aur demonstration du?” She was puzzled until he turned away from her, bent his knees a bit, and moved his hips side-to-side in a rolling motion, as if dancing to some tune only he could hear. She laughed out at his playful teasing, and sat up, holding the blanket to herself. However the next moment, her laughter caught in her throat, and she flinched, whimpering softly. He was by her side immediately, stroking her hair, “Naina… dard ho raha hai na?”
She opened her eyes, biting her lip and shook her head in negative. Usually the lip bite would have made him want to kiss her, but this time he knew it was out of pain, and she was trying to control her reaction. He smoothed some hair back from her shoulder, “jhooth bolne ki zaroorat nahi hai… Mujhe pata hai… Do minute betho yahin pe… Main abhi aaya.”
She looked on in confusion as he pulled out a track from the cupboard, pulled it on, and then grabbed a clean towel… He disappeared inside the bathroom and she wondered what he was up to. Maybe he needed to go… She debated if she should lie back, or get up and look for some clothes to wear. Before her contemplation could end, he walked out once more, and sat on the bed near her foot. He stared at her for a brief moment, opened his mouth once as if wanting to say something, but then shook his head, and instead slipped his hands inside the blanket, searching against her thigh…
“Sameer kya kar…”, she started to ask but trailed off on a loud sigh of relief and her eyes closed in surprised sensation. He had parted her thighs and pressed something warm between her legs… It took her a moment to catch her breath, and she realized that the thing pressing against her was the towel… He had dipped it in warm water. The heat soothed her soreness, the gentle pressure easing her… There was some movement inside the blanket, and the fabric shifted away from her body, teasing out a protesting sound from her… But the next moment, it was back, pressing against her once more… And she realized he had changed the folding of the towel, maybe bringing out the inner parts, because it was warmer again. While his one hand pressed the fabric to her, his other hand moved against her inner thigh, fingers digging in and dragging her skin towards her knee in a massaging motion. And once more she moaned in relief.
How did he know? She wondered… Just a flinch and whimper from her and he had understood the reason. He also knew the remedy… And not just the warm towel, but somehow he also knew that even her thighs were hurting. She opened her eyes, and found him looking at her with a concerned expression… Even as she watched some color tinged his cheeks and he muttered, “uh… maine khud hi kar diya kyunki samajh nahi aaya tumhe kaise batau.”
She smiled, blushing herself, still unable to ignore the relief his massaging hand provided. But now that she was conscious, she started to feel shy and pulled back a bit. He pulled his hands out, and dropped the towel on the floor, “din me 2-3 baar aisa kar lena, aur bath-tub me nahana… Achcha lagega.”
She couldn’t help but ask, “tumhe kaise pata yeh sab? Aur abhi garam paani kahan se aaya?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly smiling, “umm… maine kal raat ko geyser chalu kiya tha yeh sochke ke agar tumko garam paani chahiye fresh hone ke liye toh… Aur phir bhul gaya bandh karna… Baaki yeh sab… uh… main exercise karta hun tab kabhi kabhi mujhe body pain hota hai… jaise jab kuch naya try karta hun… Tab garam sek aur garam paani se nahane se achcha lagta hai… Aur khud hi apne paav aur haath massage kar leta hun, toh itna strain nahi rehta. Maine socha… kal jo hua woh bhi…”
“Exercise hai”, she finished with a giggle as he trailed off. He smiled, and shrugged. She caught his hand, raising it to her lips, “tum sharmate hue achche dikhte ho.”
He frowned, “main sharmata nahi hun.”
She pulled his cheeks, “toh phir yeh dono gaal kyun laal ho rakhe hai?”
“Ow Naina”, he swatted his hand away, “pati hun tumhara ab… aisa kaun karta hai pati ke saath?”
She chuckled, “main karti hun… Chalo ab uthne do… Warna der ho jayegi.”
He grabbed her around the waist and pushed her back on bed, “kuch der nahi hogi…”
She gasped, her hands coming up to hold his shoulder, “Sameer… kya kar rahe ho? Waqt dekho zara…”
“Bahot waqt hai sweetheart”, he murmured, nuzzling her cheeks, “mummy ne kaha tha na… jaldi uthne ki zaroorat nahi hai.”
Several counter-arguments revolved in her head, but when she looked into his deep glittering eyes, she fell silent. Her husband… Goodness… It had really happened. They were finally married and here he was; his usual romantic, caring and goofy self… The difference was that, they weren’t just kissing, or making out, or stealing a few moments now. They had finally made love. All those moments, all those frustrated encounters, all those promises had led to last night… One of the most beautiful nights of her life… Yes, one of the… because she couldn’t really classify any moment as bad with Sameer, and also she knew that from now on every night would be like this. She knew her husband very well… And well, he had never really held back from telling her how demanding he was going to be.
Sameer’s voice broke into her thoughts, “kal raat ke baare me soch rahi ho?”
She blushed, but nodded, “hmmm… aur aane waali raato ke baare me bhi.”
Lifting the blanket he slid inside, holding her naked body close, “zara detail me batao… yaa kuch karke dikhao.”
She ought to have felt embarrassed, she thought, but all she did feel was a surge of desire as her breasts rubbed against his chest, as her legs tangled with his again, and as his hands pulled her closer as if he couldn’t bear even an inch of distance. He had worn his tracks, so he wasn’t exactly naked, but still she could feel the bulge of his erection very clearly, and it tripped her heartbeats to think that he had been inside her. Had that truly happened? Had they really fit so well? Oh yes, they had… The soreness she felt between her legs was evidence enough that last night had indeed happened.
“Tumhe pata hai Sameer”, she mused, rubbing her hands over his back, feeling the muscles, “shaadi se pehle ek din main soch rahi thi ke shaadi ke baad meri subah kaisi hogi. Pehle toh main uthte hi balcony me jaati thi, ugta suraj dekhti thi…”
He smiled, “yeh sab karne se kisne roka hai tumhe? Main bhi jaldi uthta hun… Saath milke suryoday dekhenge.”
Her fingers threaded in his hair, as she pulled him down a bit more, his lips an inch away from hers, “achcha… toh phir subah ke tumhare plans ka kya hoga?”
He dipped, covering the remaining distance, and slowly kissed her, feeling her quiver beneath him, loving the way her hands clenched on him and her hips undulated on their own. He teased her lips, making her open to him, and then took her mouth with deep slow strokes, his own hands wandering over her curves. She hummed, her lips curving in a smile as he parted for breath… “Hamari first morning kiss”, he murmured, and brushed soft kisses on her face, moving to her throat. She turned her head to give him more access, and his mouth moved down the side of her neck, to her shoulder, and then skimmed down slowly. His movements pushed the blanket down as his wandering mouth found her breast, and she moaned, her fingers fisting in his hair. One big palm stroked down her belly, to her thighs, fondling the soft skin… But that caress made her eyes flow open, and the haze of desire was broken by the slight feeling of pain. As she felt his hand seek further, she wondered how to tell him…
However, it turned out that he wasn’t doing anything except touching her. She blinked, bit unsure as she muttered, “Sameer…”
“Mujhe pata hai tumhe dard ho raha hai”, he said, lifting his head to look at her face, “main kuch nahi kar raha… bas ek sawaal hai.”
She relaxed under his touch once more, “kaisa sawaal?”
He was silent for a moment, the gently caressing fingers almost ticklish, and then he asked, “yeh wax… kaise?”
Gentle color tinged her cheeks, “umm… shaadi ke waqt hi karwaya… usse pehle nahi pata tha.”
“Woh toh main samajh gaya”, he informed, “par abhi kaise pata chala?”
She looked puzzled, “tumhe kaise samajh aaya ke mujhe pata nahi tha pehle?”
His lips curved in a lopsided smirk, “maine pehle bhi touch kiya hai… bhale kapde ke upar se, par samajh aata hai itna toh ke tumne isse pehle kabhi wax nahi karwaya tha.”
Her eyes widened for a moment, and then she blushed, “mujhe nahi pata tha ke…”
As she trailed off, he leaned, brushing soft kisses across her cheek, “koi baat nahi… main baat batao… Iss baar kaise pata chala?”
She kept her eyes lowered, her face still flushed as she said, “mummy jis parlor me le gai thi wahin se pata chala.”
He made a surprised coughing sound, “mummy ko pata hai…?”
“Nahiii”, she exclaimed, “kuch bhi bolte ho… unko kyun bataungi… umm… mujhe toh parlor wali ladki ne bataya tha… Maya… Aur jis din wax karwaya uss din bhi woh mere saath thi mujhe himmat dene ke liye.”
He kept staring at her for some time and then gently asked, “bahot dard hua hoga na?”
“Thoda”, she accepted, “par hamari first night ke liye kuch special karna chahti thi.”
He grinned, “itna special tha ke mere toh hosh hi udd gaye the… pehle choonke aur phir dekhke… yaqeen hi nahi hua pehle toh ke meri seedhi-saadi bholi-bhali Naina aisa kar sakti hai.” She pulled her hands away from his body and covered her face, making him chuckle, and he asked, “kya hua?”
After a minute, she queried in a barely audible whisper, “tumhe pasand aaya?”
He pried her hands away from her face, grinning at the way she was still blushing so much, “bahot pasand aaya sweetheart. Aaj raat ko phirse dekhunga.” She squeezed her eyes shut at this, and he laughed softly, loving that she was literally blushing so much after so many days. It was like the days before their first kiss when she would blush at everything he said or did. To ease her discomfort he gently informed, “waise main bhi parlor gaya tha shaadi se pehle. Sab kuch karwaya.”
Her eyes snapped open at this; she stared at him for a moment, and then her gaze dropped down his body. The way he was lying, almost on top of her, she could only see till his chest. He saw her debate mentally for a moment, and then her hand moved to the blanket as if she intended to lift it away. He grabbed her hand, chuckling in amusement, “Naina… maine wax nahi karwaya. Kambal hatake bhi kuch nahi dikhega.”
She bit her lip, blushing once again, and then asked, “toh phir…?”
The question made him frown, “mera chehra Naina… Tumhe kuch farq nazar nahi aaya shaadi ke functions me? Main glow nahi kar raha?”
She tilted her head, as if considering his statement, “glow? Aisa kya karwaya tumne? Facial?”
He pursed his lips in annoyance, “haan… aur steam treatment bhi. Ek din body massage aur scrub bhi karwaya. Aur manicure-pedicure… Socha tum itna sab karwa rahi ho shaadi ke liye toh main bhi tumhari tarah chamkunga.”
A small chuckle spurted out of her, and he scowled even more. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she played with the hair at his nape, “woh kya hai na… mera Sameer toh hamesha hi chamakta hai… Sabse handsome, sabse khoobsurat… Toh parlor ke ek-do treatments se zyada kuch farq nahi pada… Isiliye mujhe pata nahi chala.”
He pouted for a moment, and then sighed, “makhkhan laga lo bas… aise tareef karogi toh gussa kaise rahunga?”
She smiled, “aaj shaadi ke baad pehla din hai hamara… aaj gussa-jhagda bilkul nahi chalega. Aaj sirf pyaar… pyaar… pyaar…”
He smirked, “ohoo… bade mood me ho… aaj lagta hai dopahar ko hi naseeb khul jayenge mere phirse.”
She laughed, her hand moving down his back, “woh toh tab hoga na jab tum mujhe abhi uthne doge… garam paani se nahaungi toh hi shayad dopahar tak wapas…”
He dipped, capturing her lips in a soft kiss, interrupting her, and then murmured, “subah, dopahar, shaam, raat koi time fix nahi hai… Jab tak tumhara dard poori tarah se gayab nahi ho jaata hum intezaar karenge.”
Warmth rose inside her body and settled in her heart, making her adore her husband… Be it in school or college, before their wedding or now even after their wedding, his first priority was always her. They had made love for the first time, and she could imagine how hard it would be for him to wait now… While before wedding he had trained his mind to control; now he had the freedom to give in to his desires. Even now she could feel his readiness… Still he was the one who was suggesting they wait, while she was already thinking of ways to ease the soreness as fast as possible. She kissed his nose affectionately, and asked, “ab uthe? Mujhe pata hai mummy ne bola hai ke 11 baje se pehle kuch shuru nahi hoga, par baal dhone me time lagega, aur tum bol rahe ho thodi der bathtub bhi use karu. Phir taiyar bhi hona padega wapas…”
He checked the time once, and reluctantly agreed, “haan… chalo.”
As he rolled off her, she didn’t clutch the blanket to herself like a blushing new bride, but took care that it still covered her lower half. She wasn’t exactly shy because he had seen her like this many times, and she loved to see the effect she had on him, but still… she can’t just get up naked. That would be too much for her… As soon as he got up, she sat up, holding the blanket to herself, and said, “Sameer… please ek dress nikal doge suitcase me se?”
He frowned for a moment, wondering why she was asking for a dress, but on seeing her patting the blanket to ensure her legs were covered, he smiled, “dress mat nikalo… Abhi nahane hi jaogi na… main apna t-shirt deta hun.” When he came back with a white t-shirt in hand, she was looking confused, and so he asked, “kya hua?”
She took the t-shirt from his hand, “mujhe laga… tum chedoge… umm… mera matlab… kal humne… uh… tumne…”
He grinned, “kal maine sab dekha phir bhi tum bahar nahi aa rahi kambal me se… haina?” She nodded, and he shook his head, “mujhe zaroorat nahi hai tumhe chedne ki… Matlab… socho zara… first night thi and humne lights on rakhi thi… Itna comfort shayad hi kisi couple me hota hoga first night ko. Isiliye mujhe pata hai ke koi ek din jab tumko sahi lagega tum yeh dress aur t-shirt maangna bandh kar dogi. Jaise tumne jab pehli baar saamne se mere gaal pe kiss kiya tha, phir first time mere hothon pe kiss kiya tha, first time mujhe sexy bola tha, first time mera shirt utaara tha… Jo tum aise jhatke deti rehti ho na, woh mujhe bahot pasand hai… Chedunga ya mangunga toh shayad tum meri baat maan jaogi kyunki tum mujhse pyaar karti ho, aur mujhpe bharosa hai tumhe… Par bina maange jo surprises milte hai woh zyada yaadgaar hote hai.”
She smiled at him, but didn’t reply… It wasn’t needed. Rather she slipped on the t-shirt, still with a fond smile on her face, and he quipped, “aur sirf tumhari yeh halki si muskurahat dekhke hi main samajh gaya ke tum already sochne lagi ho ke kitne waqt baad tum aise hi mere saamne bed pe se uth paogi.”
Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment, and then she laughed, shoving the blanket aside. Slipping off the bed, she went to him, and hugged him, “tum mujhe kuch zyada hi achche se jaante ho Sameer Maheshwari.”
He wrapped his arms around her, “bilkul… Mrs. Naina Sameer Maheshwari.”
She drew back, a look of amazement on her face, and then slowly repeated, “Mrs. Naina Sameer Maheshwari… Wow…”
He grinned, “achcha laga na sunke…? Aaj sab isi naam se bulayenge tumhe hamare reception me.”
She teased, “mera naam toh badal gaya… aur tumhe kis naam se bulayenge?”
He pinched her nose lightly, “kisi bhi naam se bulale… sunne kaun wala hai…? Main toh tumhe dekhne me busy rahunga.”
She laughed, “makhkhan laga lo bas…”
Amused, he laughed along with her, and then suggested, “chale ab? Main bathroom me dikha deta hun tumko… Bathtub ke liye help chahiyegi na.”
She nodded, separating from him, “haan… pehle kapde nikal lene do.”
“Bathroom me robe hai”, he informed, “wahi pehenke bahar aa jaana, phir main nahane jaunga toh tum room me araam se taiyar hona. Kahan bathroom me saree leke jaogi…”
She agreed, and stretched her arms, yawning, “theek hai. chalo…”
He chuckled, and swiftly picked her up in his arms, making her squeal and hold on to him. She looked at him with wide round eyes, and he grinned, “jab dard ho raha hai toh itna bhi kyun chalna… sewa karne ke liye pati hai na ab toh.”
She smiled, pushing the bathroom door open so that he could step in with her, and then looked around the impeccable shiny flooring and fittings. He placed her on her feet, and then suddenly smacked himself on his head and murmured, “iss tarah se uthake ghar me laana chahiye tha aur main bathroom me le aaya.”
She laughed, “koi baat nahi… phir kisi din… jab hum akele honge.”
He scrunched his nose, and then sighed, “aao dikhata hun tumko…” She watched with total attention as he showed her the geyser mechanism, the several adjustments on shower unit, and how to fill the water in bathtub and drain it after she was done. To her surprise, he also pulled out two bottles of essential oils from a cabinet, “main yeh laaya tha tumhare liye… Kuch zyada samajh nahi aaya, par dukaan me jo ladki thi usne bola tha ke yeh chamomile wala shaam ya raat ko istemaal karneka jab araam karna ho, aur yeh lavender kabhi bhi istemaal kar sakte hai. Sabhi essential oils thakan mitate hai, mujhe toh pata hi nahi ke konsa tumhe achcha lagta.”
She took the small bottles from his hand, and queried, “yeh kab kharida tumne?”
“Uss din woh CG road wale shopping complex se”, he informed with pride, “yaad hai maine kaha tha surprise dunga.”
She was surprised, “ohh… toh yeh kharida tha uss din… mujhe laga Mitali ko dekhke kuch bina liye hi aa gaye wapas.”
He chuckled, “nahi… Mitali ko toh wapas aate hue dekha… Khair… batao… abhi lavender use karogi?” She nodded, and he put back the chamomile bottle in the cabinet again; then took out a few more items, sheepishly smiling, “ummm… yeh bhi tumhare liye laaya tha.”
She blinked, staring in astonishment at the creamy fragrant soap, a bottle of shampoo and a pink loofah. A giggle escaped her lips, and she covered her mouth to curb the sound, making him blush harder. After a moment, she managed to ask, “yeh sab kya hai?”
He shrugged, trying to explain, “main woh… socha tha tumhare liye kuch cheeze launga… cream aur lotion vagera… dressing table pe rakhne ke liye. Par phir laga ke shayad yeh sab toh tum leke hi aaogi… matlab, Preeti ya Chachiji rakh denge tumhare bag me… par nahane ke samaan ka itna dhyan naa rahe shayad, kyunki sabun aur shampoo toh sabke ghar me hota hai. Isiliye main…”
She took all the stuff from his hand, and kept them near the bathtub, and then pinched and pulled his cheeks, “aww… kitne cute ho tum.”
He swatted her hands away as if irritated, but she could see the color still tinging his cheekbones. He showed her where the towels and bathrobe was, and then said, “tub adhe se thoda zyada bharna, pura nahi, warna baad me paani bahar aa jayega. Aur suno… tum bathroom ka door lock mat karna.”
Her eyes widened, “kyun?”
He smiled, “ghabrao mat… aisa-waisa kuch nahi soch raha filhaal. Tum pehli baar bathtub use karogi na, aur yeh marble abhi naya hai toh thoda slippery ho jaata hai… Toh mujhe bas thodi ghabrahat ho rahi hai… Agar meri zaroorat hui toh phir darwaza todke andar aana padega na.”
She chuckled, “theek hai mere darwaza todne wale hero… nahi lock karungi. Chalo ab bahar jao.”
As he walked out, she just closed the door and then decided to brush her teeth, shower and wash her hair before soaking in the tub. It took her a few attempts to get the shower setting right, but she sighed as soon as the water hit her body, the warm pulsing spray soothed her tired muscles and she just closed her eyes and stood like that for a minute, letting the fatigue wash away. While she shampooed she turned the water to regular temperature again, because she didn’t want to use hot water on her hair. The floral fragrant shampoo made her breathe in deep, and she hoped it would suit her hair type. The soap he had bought also had a floral fragrance, though not very sharp, and the texture was so creamy that her fingers actually created slight dents in the wet bar. She wrapped her hair in a thick towel, and then patted her body with another one, eager to experience the bathtub.
As she turned the tap on and waited for the tub to fill, she checked out the bathroom, forming an internal picture in her mind as to how the things can be rearranged to accommodate both their stuff. Some of her body care items needed to be kept inside the cabinets, especially her body cream and massage oil, and also her sanitary napkins had to be stowed safely. Finally the tub was full to the level she wanted, and she added a portion of oil in it, hoping it would be enough; she really had no idea of the exact amount needed. The oil kept floating on top, though the fragrance filled the area.
She shrugged, thinking maybe this was how it should be, and so she unrobed and slowly climbed up the marble area, and stepped inside the tub carefully. Sitting down on her haunches she took support of the two handle bars on either side, before straightening out her legs, and leaning backwards. It was a bit of struggle, and slightly frightening too because suddenly she felt as if she was floating for a moment, and she gripped the handle bars tight, afraid that she would sink in. Although it was logically not possible to sink in, but still it scared her, the tub was big and she felt so small inside it, especially with all that water. As she leaned back once more, again she felt as if she wasn’t able to control her body’s movement, and she was tempted to call Sameer for help, but then she decided that she would just sit in for some time, before leaning back.
The hot water felt good against her legs, the oil didn’t do much; it was still floating on the top, smelling perfect, but seemingly useless. There has to be a way to do it, she thought, sticking a finger in the small area of oil watching the spectrum of colors spread out in a circle. She bent a leg up and watched the oil coat her knee, and then dipped it in water again. Finally after few minutes, she thought she could lean back, but still she kept a firm hold on the handle bars. This time she didn’t have that weird floating sensation, and so she tilted her head back, closed her eyes and tried to relax. The oil probably didn’t do anything except smell nice, but the hot water really helped her soreness. When the water cooled down a bit, she sat up, set the tub to drain and then wiped herself once more. She didn’t have her body lotion or any cream in the bathroom, so she just grabbed a white fluffy robe, wrapped it around herself, and stepped out.
Sameer was stuffing something inside a polybag; she stepped closer and realized that they were the flowers that were used to decorate the room. Confused she asked, “yeh kya kar rahe ho? Phool kyun nikaal diye?”
He straightened and looked back, his eyes roving appreciatively over her body, “mujhe nahi pata tha ke koi bathrobe me bhi khoobsurat dikh sakta hai.” She turned to check herself in the mirror, and laughed. The bathrobe was oversized, there was towel over her head; she didn’t think she was looking beautiful from any angle. “Haso mat…”, he reprimanded, “maine kaha na khoosurat lag rahi ho, yaane lag rahi ho.”
“Okay”, she generously agreed, and asked again, “ab batao yeh phool kyun hata diye?”
He smirked, “kal hum dono ne kisi tarah toh thode phoolo ki ladi tod di… pata nahi aisa kya kar rahe the hum bed pe.”
She blushed, glancing at the bed, biting her lip as if reminiscing the night. But then her brows furrowed in confusion, “bedsheet bhi badal diya?”
He nodded, and asked, “woh chodo… tum batao… tub me nahake kuch araam mila?”
She smiled, “haan… par… woh essential oil kis kaam ka tha pata nahin… bas garam paani ke upar hi fela raha, mix toh hua nahi.”
“Kuch tareeka hoga, pata laga lenge”, he assured, and came over to her. Cupping her face, he searched her eyes, “tumhe… umm… paani ya sabun se kuch irritation ya jalan toh nahi hui… wahan…?”
She looked puzzled, “jalan kyun hogi… chot thodi na lagi hai.”
He bit his lip, hesitating slightly and then informed, “actually… chot jaisa hi hai… tumhe khoon nikla hai. Tabhi maine bedsheet change kiya aur subah mujhe turant pata chal gaya ke tumhe dard ho raha hoga.”
She glanced at the bedsheet heaped on floor, “khoon?”
He nodded, “haan… woh… kaise samjhau… ummm… tumhe yaad hai kal raat thoda dard hua tha…?”
“Hmm… haan yaad hai”, she mumbled, “tumne kaha bhi ke dard hoga par mujhe tab samajh nahi aaya tha ke kya bol rahe ho.”
He looked a little bit distressed, “actually… first time me ladkiyo ko hota hai thoda dard…”
“Mujhe yaad hai yeh tumne samjhaya tha pehle”, she interrupted, “par usme khoon kyun niklega?”
There was no easy way to explain this; he sighed, “tumne mujhe library me samjhaya tha yaad hai… uterus me agar baby hota hai toh protective cover ban jaata hai aas paas?” She nodded, and he continued, “waise hi… ladkiyo ke body ke andar ek layer hoti hai… protection hi maan lo… jab main kal raat ko… ummm mera matlab… humne jo kiya uske wajah se woh skin ki patli si layer phat jaati hai.” Her eyes widened, and he hastily explained, “yeh normal hai… hota hai… isiliye dard hota hai first time me… par khoon hamesha nahi nikalta shayad. Main sure nahi hun itna…”
She pondered about what he said, and understood that since they had made love, and he had been inside her for the first time, that’s why that… protective layer… was breached. This caused the pain she had experienced… And given it was a layer of actual skin that had been pierced there was some amount of blood. Still it hadn’t hurt after a minute… And this morning she had felt sore, not a burn like on some cut… Even the hot water and soap hadn’t felt itchy on her skin. So did that mean it was okay? Curious she asked, “zyada khoon tha?”
He shook his head in negative, “nahi… kuch drops bedsheet pe aur kuch mere pe.”
Her head tilted in confusion once more, “tumpe?”
He nodded, mortified and lowered his eyes. She understood what he meant soon enough, and looked down at him too… only to realize that he wasn’t wearing any boxers… He wasn’t aroused, but maybe halfway there… Could she…??
Before she could complete her contemplation, he softly said, “subah dekha tha maine… darr gaya tha ke maine tumhe chot pahonchayi.”
She glanced up in his eyes, and mentally smacked herself. Here he was standing before her, feeling guilty of hurting her, and concerned about her… And she… All she could think after looking at him was if she could touch. Not the right time, she mused, and pushed that thought aside. For now, she just hugged him, assuring him, “koi chot nahi hai… Kal raat ko dard bhi sirf ek minute ke liye tha. Uske baad kuch pata nahi chala… Aur abhi bhi garam paani se nahake kaafi raahat hai. Dopahar ko phir naha lungi ek baar, aur reception ke baad bhi agar ho sake toh.”
He frowned, “itni baar nahaogi toh pighal jaogi ice-cream ki tarah… Dard jaldi bhaganeki koshish karne ki zaroorat nahi hai… Main control kar lunga. Aur dard raha zyada din toh hum doctor ko dikhake aayenge.”
She shook her head, chuckling, but didn’t elaborate for now that it was her who was having difficulty to control. Rather she asked, “toh yeh bedsheet dhone daalenge?”
“Main wahi soch raha hun”, he drew back, picking up the sheet from floor, “ghar me koi nahi hota toh daal deta… par abhi itne log bhare pade hue hai… Kisine dekh liya toh…”
She thought about it for a moment, and then suggested, “ek kaam karte hai… Filhaal bathroom me thoda dho lete hai… Shaamko dho lenge, aur balcony me sukha denge raat ko. Aise kisiko dikhega nahi. Phir 2-3 din baad jab sab chale jayenge toh washing machine me dhulne daal denge. Koi kuch puchega nahi…”
“Good idea”, he agreed, “main nahane jaata hun, aur bucket me sabun daalke bheego dunga.”
She tried to take the sheet from him, “tum kyun karoge… main karti hun…”
He moved his hand away, narrowing his eyes at her, “typical biwi mat bano… shaadi ho gai iska matlab yeh nahi hai ke har kaam tum karogi aur main sofa pe pada rahunga. Ghar hum dono ka hai toh zimmedaari bhi hum dono ki… Main tumhe kuch kaam karne se nahi rokunga, aur jab main kaam karu toh tum usko ehsaan ya madad nahi samjhogi… Samjhi?”
She gazed at him, her eyes shining with adoration. How was he like this? All her life she had seen the women in her family work tirelessly around the day, serve food to the men first and then eat themselves, never tell about their problems or suffering aloud. The man she respected the most in her family, her Chachaji, even he had never worked in kitchen or washed clothes, or cleaned anything except his car. But Sameer had always broken every perception she had of men… He made coffee or tea for her, even jam sandwiches; he had hung her clothes out to dry before; he had patiently blow-dried and combed her long hair; he had never held back in doing any work around the house… She had somehow assumed that things might change post their wedding, because that was the norm of society… But she had forgotten that her husband was one who broke all the useless norms and formed his own rules.
He smiled on seeing her lost dreamy look, and dropped the bedsheet, looping an arm around her waist, “agar sewa hi karni hai toh meri karo…”
She placed her hands on his chest, “tumhari?”
His smile widened, “haan… mujhe har adhe ghante me kiss karna… mere aas-paas rehna… Nayi-naveli dulhan ki tarah mummy hai ya guests hai bolke door mat bhagna… Ulta mujhe surprises dete rehna.”
She giggled, amused at his list of demands, “achcha… sochungi… jao ab nahane jao… Aur theek se brush karna, warna kiss nahi karungi.”
“Yes madam”, he chuckled, and dropped a quick kiss on her head, before picking up the bedsheet again, and walking away.
She took out pillow covers from the cupboard, matching the new bedsheet, and changed those as well. Keeping the polybag of flowers near the bin to be taken away, she bit her lip, thinking for a brief moment before sneaking a rose out of it, and kept it in her purse. Then she opened her suitcase, rummaging through the clothes that had been packed, to choose a proper saree. For reception she would be wearing a saree given by Vishakha, and so for the morning rituals she wanted to wear something that Chachiji had bought. Remembering Sameer’s demand from last night, she picked out the orange and pink shaded gharchola saree that Sameer had chosen on their trip to Sindhi market. The antique gold set given by Phulla Bua-Dadi would go well with this saree, and yes she had matching bangles just like her husband wanted.
Will he make such demands daily? She wondered as she applied body lotion and then put on the blouse and underskirt. Well… Once she arranged all her clothes in the wardrobe it would be easy for him to pick and choose if he wanted, and once he started going to office maybe on some evening she could surprise him with her choice of clothes too. All these years he must have felt into the habit of returning to an empty home, or just Ramdhari minding his own work while he came in and changed. Who took the files and bag from his hand? Who helped him relax? Who listened to how his day was in office? No one… But now she was there. She could and would do everything to make him happy, even if the gestures seemed too small or unimportant. She knew each and everything she could do for him would count. And after all these years of being together, now she really had the chance to give him every bit of happiness he deserved.
When she was halfway through wearing her saree, Sameer stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. She turned to look at him, his gaze collided with her and they both froze… Naina was immediately reminded of their time in the recent Mt. Abu trip when she had spotted him like this. She remembered the effect his wet half-naked body had on her, and it was still the same… God… How did he manage to look so sexy even in towel?
Sameer noticed her half-draped saree about which she was not bothered, and also the way she was literally ogling at him. He moved a bit closer, and smirked, “kaho toh towel bhi nikaal du?”
She gasped on hearing his voice, coming out of the trance like situation, and blushed, “uh… nahi…”
He chuckled, “tum ab tak taiyar nahi hui… itna time lagta hai saree pehenne me.”
“Body lotion lagaya”, she mumbled, starting to work on her saree again, “tumhare kapde nikalke rakhe hai.”
He stroked a finger at her bare waist, “pehen lunga… filhaal isme zyada interest aa raha hai.”
She shivered at his touch. But her eyes fell on the clock, and she stepped back, “sorry patidev… abhi nahi… Time dekho zara… Taiyar nahi hue toh koi na koi bulane aa jayega.”
He scowled, “pehli baat toh yeh patidev mat bolo… Bahot puraane zamane ka lagta hai. Dusri baat, ho gaye na tumhare bahane shuru?”
She laughed, “bahana nahi sach hai… Par… Ek offer bhi hai.”
His interest piqued at that, “kya?”
She smiled, “tum jaldi se taiyar ho jaao, phir meri madad kar dena gehne pehenne me… Chudiya bhi nikaalke rakhi hai.”
“Oh wow”, his eyes lit up as he saw the pink bangles, “abhi taiyar hota hun.”
She kept looking at him with amazement for some time as he obediently walked away, and shook her head in wonder because he put on his boxers first before removing the towel. Since when did Sameer Maheshwari become so modest? She thought about it as she continued pleating her saree. Well… she needed to remember that even though they were close physically even before wedding, last night was the first time they had made love. Just like she was still shy to climb out of bed naked, same way he would also be little hesitant… This morning was an exception. They had been occupied in romance, and he had got up without really realizing. But at the same time he had also enjoyed when she had stared… So it was only a matter of time, before he would give up on this modesty in-front of her.
Wearing the set of kurta-pyjama didn’t take much time, and he was back to her just as soon as she had pinned her pallu. “Batao kya karna hai”, he demanded. She smiled, and opened the towel from her head, shaking her damp tendrils loose, and he breathed in deep, taking in the fragrance of her shampoo. He inched closer, wrapping his arms around her from behind, and dipped to rub his face in her wet hair.
She giggled, “kya kar rahe ho?”
“Tumhare baal”, he muttered, sniffing again, “mujhe bahot pasand hai. Jabse pehli baar khule hue dekhe the tabse chahta tha ke thode aur lambe ho. Aur ab dekho… kamar taka ate hai… Lambe aur khoobsurat bilkul.”
She turned in his arms, lifting an eyebrow, “tumne pehli baar mujhe khule baalo me apne birthday pe dekha tha… 11th standard me.”
He hummed, a fond smile on his face, “haan… aur tumne apne baal kya jhatke mere haatho se bat hi gir gaya.”
She gazed in his eyes, feeling an overwhelming amount of love suddenly, and so she stood up on her toes, cupped his face, and kissed him. He hummed in pleasure, tightening his hold on her, tilting his head to make it easier for him and let himself enjoy for a minute. And then he withdrew, “bas… isse zyada karogi toh control nahi ho payega.”
She grinned, thinking that this was the reason then for his modesty too, and said, “theek hai… chalo ab meri help karo.”
As she sat down on the chair, he lifted some strands of her damp hair and let them fall back, “sukhaane padenge na?”
She nodded, blushing a bit, “maine socha… pehle jaise tumne ek din hair dryer se karke diya tha.”
His face split into a smile, “of course… ek minute.”
He took out the hair-dryer from a bottom cabinet of dresser, and plugged it in. While the last time she had been focused on him, this time she watched with rapt attention because she would have to do it herself too sometimes. Though she usually let her hair dry naturally, there wasn’t much time left today. Once her hair was dry, she combed it, and formed a braid which made him scowl. She chuckled, “kamre me wapas aake khol dungi. Neeche khule baal rakhungi toh achcha nahi dikhega, aur puja karni hogi toh khule baal nahi rakh sakti.”
He rolled his eyes, “okay… next kya?”
“Main make-up karlu phir yet set pehenna hai”, she showed him the box.
He picked up the black velvet case, and opened it to reveal a gold set, that he knew wasn’t one they had bought, and also looked too heavy to be from her family, and so he asked, “yeh kisne diya?”
She rubbed some moisturizing cream on her face, “Phulla bua-dadi ne.” He nodded and watched her apply compact powder, line her eyes with kajal and liner, and a shade of pink lipstick. “Main zyada make-up nahi kar rahi”, she murmured, “shaam ko karungi.”
He smiled, “perfect dikh rahi ho. Laao haar pehna deta hun.”
She lifted her braid out of the way as he looped the gold necklace around her neck and hooked it. The earrings were heavy, and they had some kind of separate attachment on top that he couldn’t figure out. She wore one earring, showed him how to lock, and explained how the extra section of top would go in her hair and pinned up. “Wow”, he murmured, “mast hai yeh toh.” Having learnt how to do it, he put on the other earring himself, feeling extremely proud when he accomplished it in first attempt. If only bra hooks were this easy, he thought. There was a constant grin on his face as he picked up the pink bangles, and slid them on her wrists carefully, and then kissed the back of her palms. “Ho gaya sab?”, he queried.
She opened the first drawer, “bas yeh payal baaki hai.”
He took it from her hand, “yeh itne bhaari payal pehenke poore din kaise rahogi?”
She shrugged, “mummy ne khaas shaadi ke liye banvaye the… Toh kuch din pehne rakhungi, phir ghar me halke wale pehen lungi.”
He crouched on one knee in-front of her, “paav upar do.”
She smiled, hesitating a bit to keep her foot on him, but he caught it and gently placed it on his knee, and then hooked the payal around her ankle. She was about to pull her feet back, when he slid one big palm beneath her saree, and stroked her calf. She sighed, her eyes closing in pleasure at his touch, and he smiled seeing the effect on her. He had wondered if this yearning and the effect he had on her would lessen after they made love… Maybe the touches or soft kisses would become normal or unnoticeable. But no… she was still just as sensitive to his touch. He dipped his head, kissing her foot, inhaling the floral fragrance of lotion mixed with the sharp smell of mehndi.
“Sameer”, she sighed, and he grinned, extremely pleased as he lifted her other foot and hooked the second payal as well. When he got up, she suddenly grabbed his arm, and pulled him down to her. He grabbed the chair, afraid he would crash on her, and they would both fall to the ground, “kya kar rahi ho Naina?”
“Suno Mr. Maheshwari”, she whispered, “yeh jo games hai na… ab nahi chalenge.” He watched in amazement as she pushed him away a bit, and then stood up, lifting the pallu over her head, “abhi toh neeche jaa rahe hai, lekin baad me main vasool karungi.” She opened a small packet and chose a pink bindi to put on, and then picked up a small silver case, turning to him and gesturing with her eyes. He moved his gaze away from her face, staring at the thing she held in hand, and sucked in a sharp breath.
“Sindur”, he murmured, “main lagake du?”
She nodded, “jee haan… husband duties hai.”
He pinched a small amount of vermillion between his thumb and forefinger, “duty nahi hai… samman hai yeh… privilege hai, pata nahi ise hindi me kya kehte hai… haq hai…” Adorning the partition on her head with the sindur, he smiled, loving how she immediately closed her eyes, and her whole face looked happy and peaceful, “sirf mera haq.” Keeping the box of sindur on the dresser, he cupped her face and kissed her forehead.
They locked their room since Naina’s things except her jewelry were still not inside the cupboard, and then went downstairs hand-in-hand. Some of the ladies who had arrived for muh-dikhai ritual were sitting in the living room, and as soon as they saw the new couple arrived they teased them saying how they couldn’t stay separate.
Naina blushed and tried to pry her hand away, but Sameer tightened his hold, smirking at her. She pleaded with her eyes, gesturing towards the group of ladies… He shrugged as if he was not bothered at all. Then to her utmost mortification he leaned forward and whispered, “socho Naina… sirf haath pakda toh itna ched rahe hai, kiss karunga toh kya hoga.”
She gasped, her face flushed, “hato… logo ke saamne kuch nahi milega.”
“Naina”, he whined… But he couldn’t say anything further as just then another voice also called her name… Sameer saw his mother approaching and quickly left Naina’s hand, making her sigh in relief. She immediately left his side and went to Vishakha, kneeling to take her blessings. Vishakha held her shoulders, “ohoo… abhi nahi… pehle bhagwaan ki puja karlo.”
Sameer quickly stepped beside his wife, standing close, “mummy main bhi bethunga na puja me.”
The ladies tittered again, and one of them commented, “aree Sameer beta… ab toh raat ki subah ho gai hai… bahar dekho, din nikal aaya… ab toh chod do hamari bahu ko.”
Naina blushed furiously, Vishakha grinned, and Sameer’s eyes danced with mischief as he mocked shock, “haww… aunty… dekho zara meri biwi ko… itni sundar biwi ko koi chodta hai bhala.”
The women gasped and giggled, and Vishakha hit her son lightly while Naina was almost red with mortification. Just at that moment, Munna and Pandit came inside the house, and Pandit exclaimed, “yeh ki na bilkul sher jaisi baat… Ab aaj se hum Sameer ko Ahmedabad ka sher bulayenge”
Rohan came out of the kitchen with a bowl in hands, and queried, “aur bhabhi ko?”
Munna laughed, “woh toh school se hi Naina devi hai… Par ab keh sakta hun ke mere boss ki bhi boss aa gai.”
Another woman commented, “ab dono me se boss kaun hai yeh toh rasmo ke baad hi pata chalega… Dekhte hai iss ghar me kiski chalti hai.”
Sameer folded his arms, “yeh kisi rasam se kaise pata chalega? Kiski kab chalni hai yeh toh main aur Naina tay kar lenge.”
Mamiji, who was arranging a basket near the small temple, commented, “uff… yeh bahu ki Taiji ne naam rakha tha Sameer ka… Bholuram… Bilkul sahi rakha hai. Ladke ko kuch bhi nahi pata rasm-riwaaz ke baare me.”
At this Naina glanced up at Sameer, knowing he would be irked and sure enough, he scowled and mumbled, “yeh Taiji shaadi ke baad bhi peecha nahi chod rahi.”
Naina covered her mouth to stifle her giggle, and a woman asked, “kyun bahu… tum bata do… Sameer bholuram hai ke nahi. Ab shaadi ke baad toh tumhe samajh aa gaya hoga na…”
Everyone started laughing, and Naina once more turned red. Vishakha held the poor girl around her shoulder, “ohoo… sab milke Naina ko pareshan kar rahe ho. Iss ladke ko chedo jitna chedna hai, meri beti ko pareshan mat karo.”
Sameer pretended to be annoyed, “waah… bahu ke aate hi party badal li aapne?”
Vishakha smiled, and patted her son’s cheek, “beta… main toh pehle se hi Naina ki party me hun, kyunki mujhe pata hai ke Naina jahan tum bhi wahan.”
This time Sameer also blushed, making his friends laugh out. The teasing sessions were stopped by Deepika who came running out of the kitchen, a paratha roll in hand, exclaiming, “bhabhi…” Naina staggered a bit from the impact as the girl rushed up to her, hugging her around the waist. Sameer immediately caught Naina’s arm, steadying her, but Naina for once was not paying attention to him. She had a wide smile on her face as she stroked Deepika’s hair, and wished, “good morning.”
“Good Morning”, Deepika chirped, and held up the roll, “bite?”
Naina chuckled, “abhi nahi… tum khao, main puja ke baad khaungi.”
Some puja preparations were in-progress, and Naina was made to sit in-front of the temple. The dupatta that had been used for Gatbandhan was again draped over her head. Sameer, sat down on a chair along with his friends, and watched with avid interest as some ladies chanted verses and then his mother read out a small story. Naina was asked to apply kumkum to the goddess, offer the bhog prasad, and do aarti. And then Vishakha helped Naina to remove the pink bangles… Sameer frowned wondering why the bangles were being removed… But then his curiosity peaked when he saw her being made to wear some red and green bangles. He couldn’t understand the reason.
Mamiji picked up the pink bangles, “ab yeh toh nahi pehenna… kya karu iska?”
“Table pe rakh do”, Vishakha said.
Sameer immediately piped up, “nahi… kaanch ke hai… galti se gir gaye toh tut jayenge, mujhe de do Mamiji, main rakh leta hun.”
A woman teased, “ohoo… biwi ki chudiya bhi sambhalke rakhega yeh toh.”
Sameer blushed a bit, but didn’t respond or shy away as he carefully pocketed all the bangles. The ritual continued, and after few more minutes Mamiji undid the gatbandhan knot from her dupatta, and pulled the pallu down even more on her face. He watched with extreme curiosity as Vishakha and Mamiji helped Naina stand up, and then she was made to sit on a small chowki, where women surrounded her. This time she was facing Sameer, and so he kept kneeling repeatedly to see his face.
Deepika giggled, “bhaiya kya kar rahe ho?”
Rohan laughed, “bhai ko chain nahi pad raha bhabhi ki shakal dekhe bina.”
Naina smiled beneath the pallu, and Sameer also grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. Vishakha came over with a small box, sat in-front of Naina, whispering something to Mamiji. A woman commented from nearby, “aree behenji jaldi kijiye, warna aapka beta chair pe se gir hi jayega.”
Sameer blushed, Munna and Pandit immediately held his arms, and Munna said, “aree aise kaise girega… hum hai na… tu bina kisi tension ke jhook yaar… humne pakda hua hai tujhe.”
Vishakha laughed, “itna sab karne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Bas muh-dikhayi ki rasam shuru hone hi wali hai.” She did a quick ritual to ward off evil eyes, and then slowly lifted Naina’s pallu, smiling at her, “kitni khoobsurat lag rahi ho… Hamesha aisai muskurate rehna aur apni sujh-bujh se iss ghar ko sambhale rakhna.”
Naina smiled, kneeling forward to touch her feet; Vishakha blessed her and asked her to hold out the pallu end. She did as instructed and Vishakha kept the small box in it, “ab aisai tumhe dusre log aashirwaad denge.”
Sameer watched with fascination as all the ladies came to bless Naina one after the other, each one of them either keeping a gift or a cover of money in her pallu. Rohan whispered, “aaj toh bhabhi ki nikal padi… itne tohfe toh kabhi kisiko ek saath nahi milte.” This reminded Sameer that he had also bought something for Naina because he had seen in movies that husband should give a gift to his wife on first night… But well… they had been so busy that he had totally forgotten about the gift. Maybe he could give it tonight…
Just as the last woman was done, Deepika came running up and sat down in-front of Naina just like she had seen the other women do. Perplexed Vishakha asked, “tum kya kar rahi ho?”
“Main bhi bhabhi ko dekhungi”, Deepika chirped, making everyone giggle.
Vishakha started to object, “par beta…” But Sameer interrupted, “rehne do na mummy… Karne do jo karna hai use.” At a nod from her brother, Deepika applied some kumkum on Naina’s forehead just like she had seen, and then after a lot of hesitation placed a small box and a pink envelope in her lap. Naina picked up the envelope, and opened it to find a hand-drawn card with pressed flower art; the inside had a short note and a cut-out of few pictures of her and Deepika from their previous trips, and in glittered bold alphabets were the words “World’s best bhabhi.” She carefully opened the box next to find a small cardboard pencil stand, the ones she remembered students were taught to make in craft classes in school. It was colored black and decorated with silver and gold shining stars. Deepika stared at her bhabhi with apprehension written all over her face, this was the first gift she had made herself, without taking any money from her elders. She had done as taught by Naina in previous trip, but she felt bit ashamed of it when the other gifted the shining expensive things to her bhabhi. Maybe she shouldn’t have given it in-front of everyone…
Naina carefully placed aside the pencil stand, and then pulled the nervous girl in a hug, “yeh sabse best gift hai meri shaadi ka… Thank you.”
Deepika pulled back, staring at her with wonder, and asked to reconfirm, “sachchi? Par yeh dusri cheezo jaisa nahi hai…”
Naina smiled, “haan… inn sab cheezo se alag hai tumhara gift kyunki isme tumhari mehnat, soch aur pyaar mila hua hai. Isiliye yeh sabse best hai…”
“Thank you bhabhi”, Deepika squealed and hugged her again while Sameer and Vishakha looked on with a proud smile.
The ritual for muh-dikhai ended, and Vishakha served the prasad from puja. Sameer was quite famished, and so he finished the halwa-puri quickly… Naina who was sitting beside him, offered her own dish to him, knowing he was still hungry, but he shook his head, “tum khao… kal raat ke baad toh tumhe bhi bhuk lag gai hogi.”
She blushed, “dhatt… kuch bhi mat bolo. Thoda sa kha lo isme se… Waise bhi ab jaldi lunch karne ka time ho jayega.”
He grinned, and started eating from her dish, talking with her in low whispers. Finally, after fifteen minutes they were instructed to sit on the sofa, and the ritual to find the names in Mehndi started. Mamiji explained, “dulha-dulhan ko ek dusre ke mehndi me naam dhundna hai, aur jo nahi dhund saka use sazaa milegi.”
Sameer queried, “kaisi sazaa?”
“Woh toh jiske haath ka naam dhund nahi sake woh tay karega”, another lady replied.
Vishakha tried to ease the new couple, “beta… tohfa dete hai agar naam nahi dhund sake toh.”
Pandit queried, “pehle kaun karega?”
Sameer shrugged. “Toss karte hai”, Rohan suggested.
Everyone seemed to agree with this, and so Munna pulled out a small coin, and it was decided that heads would mean Sameer would go first, and if it was tails then Naina would be first to find. Deepika eagerly checked the coin as it twirled on the floor for a moment, and then was flat. She gleefully declared, “tails! Matlab bhabhi ka turn pehle.”
With a smirk Sameer offered his hand to his wife. Vishakha prodded, “dekho Naina… naam dhundo apna.”
Naina’s fingers trembled a bit from hesitation, as she held his hand, and he felt warmth seep in his skin… The gesture was so much like before, when Naina used to be shy at little things, that he also felt an electrical charge run down his spine as if she had held his hand for the first time ever. His glittering eyes watched her as she pored over the design on his hand, trying to find out her name. At one point she thought she found an “N”, but it turned out to be just a portion of design. Deepika suddenly chirped, “time up bhabhi…”
Naina glanced at her, “isme time hota hai?”
Deepika hesitated a bit before saying, “uh… haan… maine rakha… 5 minute se zyada nahi.” Naina smiled but didn’t say anything or counter her because she had seen her glance at Sameer before replying, and so she had understood that this was the trick of her dear husband. She looked at him and asked, “isi haath me hai?”
He had a lopsided smile on his face as he nodded, “haan… bilkul.”
“Mujhe nahi mil raha”, she graciously accepted defeat, going along with what he wanted. He was surprised for a moment, but the small smile on her face was enough to let him know that she had understood and yet was yielding to his demand.
Several people including Munna and Pandit whooped. Mamiji declared, “ab Sameer hamari nayi bahu ko sazaa dega?”
Naina waited, her head and eyes lowered with shyness, a smile on her face, her face framed with the orange-pink saree… And he sat lost, staring at her, totally forgetting that he needed to say something. Vishakha shook him gently, “Sameer… kuch bolo beta.”
Rohan smirked, “haan bhai… sazaa do bhabhi ko.”
Sameer gazed at his wife, “koi sazaa nahi deni…”
Naina looked up, “main haar gai.”
“Jaanta hun”, he informed, “aur wajah bhi jaanta hun… main koi sazaa nahi de sakta tumhe.” She looked puzzled, until he mouthed inaudibly, “abhi.”
Mamiji teased, “ohoo… yeh kya Sameer… Tum toh abhi se joru ke ghulam ban gaye. Mauka hai itna achcha apna dabdaba sthaapit karneka aur tum ho ke peeche hat rahe ho.”
Pandit immediately countered, “aree aise kaise… abhi tak hamare dost ka turn baaki hai… Usko dhund lene do phir dono sazaa saath me dega.”
“Achcha… dekhte hai”, Mamiji voiced unsurely, “do zara apna haath bahu.”
Naina extended her left hand, and he queried, “baaye haath me hai?” She nodded, he was not exactly sure if she was teasing him or not, and so he pulled her right hand to him as well, “main dono haath dekhunga.”
She smiled and shrugged, letting him do as he wanted. He leaned down almost until his nose touched her hand; the front locks of his hair, long enough to tickle her palms, made her giggle softly and her fingers quivered. He grinned up at her once on hearing the sound of her giggle and then continued to find his name… However, he couldn’t see it.
Soon enough Rohan spoke up, “time up bhai… 5 minute ho gaye.” Sameer scowled up at his brother, who shrugged, “bhabhi ko bhi itna hi time diya tha aapne?”
Sameer muttered, “bhabhi ka chamcha.” Everyone chuckled, and Naina softly said, “koi baat nahi… aap aur waqt le lijiye.”
This made him look up, and his eyes narrowed for a minute before he sighed, “mujhe nahi milne wala…”
Mamiji gasped, “tum haar maan rahe ho?”
Sameer chuckled, “nahi maanta haar agar Naina chup rahi hoti toh… Usne saamne se mujhe aur waqt diya iska matlab woh jaanti hai ke main kitni bhi koshish karu mujhe nahi milne wala naam.”
Vishakha was perplexed, “yeh tumhe kaise pata chala?”
Sameer linked his fingers with Naina’s and said, “kyunki hum dono ek dusre ko bahot achche se jaante hai.”
Rohan clapped his hands once, his expressions gleeful, “iska matlab ab bhabhi sazaa degi.”
Sameer smiled, “haan… uski har sazaa mujhe manzoor hai.”
Deepika chirped, “bhabhi batao na…” Naina whispered something in the girl’s ear and she rushed in the kitchen and was back within three minutes, holding a bowl full of ice-cream. Naina took it from her, and handed it over to Sameer. He accepted the bowl and asked, “yeh meri sazaa hai? Ice-cream?”
Munna queried, “kya kiya hai aapne bhabhi… isme kuch milaya hai?” Pandit added, “haan sambhalke bhai… Mirchi vagera daal di ho.”
Sameer rolled his eyes, and declared with utmost surety, “Naina mujhe mirchi wala ice-cream nahi khilayegi.” Then he looked at his wife once more querying, “ice-cream kyun?”
Naina smiled, “kyunki hamare rishte me sazaa ki kadwahat nahi, saath ki mithaas hai.”
Munna, Pandit, Rohan, and Deepika clapped and cheered, while Sameer gazed at his wife with so much adoration that she blushed, causing the ladies to giggle and tease about how much in love this couple was. He ate a spoonful of ice-cream and then fed her a little bit too; his eyes darkening on seeing her lick her lips.
Soon Vishakha prodded the ladies to start the next ritual as they needed to rest for sometime before the evening reception. Sameer watched with curious expressions as a big vessel was placed in-front of them on the coffee table. Someone poured a big pot of water, and then a jug of milk was added too. Deepika threw in an armful of flower petals. Then Vishakha took out a delicate looking ring, and dropped it in the vessel, stirred the whole mixuture with her hand, and said, “ab tum dono ko ek saath isme apna haath daal ke uss angoothi ko dhundna hai. Jisne dhunda woh jeeta…”
Sameer was perplexed, “isse kya hoga?”
Mamiji explained, “jisko sabse pehle angoothi milegi, grihasti me usiki chalegi.”
Munna and Pandit glanced at each other and laughed suddenly… When people asked, they said it was nothing, just that they know this game had no meaning for this couple. No one could understand what they meant, except for Sameer and Naina. At Vishakha’s instruction they dipped their hands inside the milky liquid, their fingers moving here and there to look for the missing ring. He took advantage of the opaque liquid to hold her hand repeatedly, and she struggled to free herself… It was fun until she started the same game with him and took it a level up by subtly toucing her foot to his beneath the table, and he totally lost track of what he was supposed to do.
Naina pulled out her hand once, feeling that the holy thread around her wrist was slipping, and he also pulled his hand out immediately to keep the game fair. Just the Mamiji exclaimed, “Sameer jeet gaya.”
Everyone turned to look at him; he frowned not sure about what she was saying, he didn’t have the ring… Naina also gazed at his empty hand in confusion. Rohan informed, “bhai… aapke dhaage pe.”
Sameer lifted his hand a bit, and sure enough the small ring was somehow entwined with the holy red thread on his wrist. Some woman tittered, “lo bahurani… ab poori zindagi pati ke kehne pe chalna padega.”
Naina smiled, nodding her head in acceptance. Sameer tried the ring, “yeh jeetna thodi na hua… angoothi fas gai hai.”
Mamiji said, “bhagwaan yahi chahte hai ke tumhari chale iss ghar me.”
He frowned, still tugging at the thread, frustrated at the way the ring kept on entangling more. “Tut jayega dhaaga”, Naina slowly murmured, “laaiye main nikaal deti hun.” He extened his hand, letting her free the ring… It was too much tangled up, but still she patiently kept picking at the threads, until the ring was free without damaging the holy thread at all. She offered it to him, “yeh lijiye.”
He took the ring in his hand, thought for a few seconds, and then grabbed her hand, palm-up. Placing the ring in her palm, he closed her fist, and then his own fingers over her small hand. She looked in his eyes, her gaze full of questions. Few ladies also exclaimed as to what he was doing… And his friends giggled. He smiled, and explained to everyone, but kept his gaze fixed on Naina, “mujhe nahi pata iss game ya rasam se sach me kuch hota hai ke nahi… Par mere nazariye me yeh angoothi maano ek problem ki tarah thi, ya keh lo hamari life ki koi pareshani aur yeh dhaaga hamari zindagi. Main khichta raha, zor laga diya… shayad ring thoda loose hua par nikla nahi, ulta aur ulajh gaya… Meri jaldbaazi ke wajah se problem thodi der ke liye zindagi se dur toh hui par jaldi hi wapas ulajh gai… Par tumne dhairya ke saath dheere dheere ring ko nikaala… Problem bhi chali gai aur yeh dhaaga, yaane zindagi, bhi sulajh gai… Isiliye mujhe nahi lagta ke yeh ring kisi ek ke haath me honi chahiye… Zindagi me alag alag problems aayegi, kabhi mera zor kaam aayega, kabhi tumhari samajh, aur kabhi dono… Jab dono ko saath rehna hai toh kisi ek ki hamesha kyun chale…”
Naina couldn’t move her eyes away from him, her gaze glistening with unshed tears as she smiled through them. She had seen this ritual before in so many wedding functions… Either the man would win anyhow, or if the woman won everyone around them teased the man, or maybe if the man loved his wife too much then he would slip the ring in her hand in the cover of the milky liquid. But her Sameer was different… Never had she seen a man willingly give the ring to his wife in-front of everyone, accepting that she had an equal say in the decisions of their life. Sameer not only did that but he also explained to everyone clearly how it wasn’t just one person taking lead in resolving all the problems in married life, but rather it was the willingness of the couple to tread together in troubled times and accept that, one time or the other, one of them might have to lead in a situation and it was completely okay to do that. It didn’t mean that one of them was dominating; it just meant that every problem required different perspective… It wasn’t about who was the alpha; it was about mutual respect… It wasn’t about strutting in-front of the world; it was about the understanding that would deepen their love and strengthen their relationship. God… She loved him so much… For a moment she wished there was no one around them because she really wanted to kiss him right now.
Sameer stared into the loving gaze of his wife, understanding the depth of emotions she felt in this moment. If acceptance was one thing he had craved for since childhood, acknowledgment was the thing she had looked for in everyone’s eyes and failed to find it. For the world she had always been the naïve, shy, easily ignorable, unnoticeable girl who would always just stand aside and let people take the decisions for her. But for him and with him she has always been a kind-hearted girl who might stay quiet all the time but would speak up and be decisive if needed. Today too she had been ready to be silent and accept when everyone said that she would have to follow his decisions all the time, because she knew in her heart that he valued her opinion in his life, and relied on her. What she hadn’t expected was for him to be vocal about it in front of everyone. He may have stayed silent before wedding, but now that they were married he would always ensure that the world looked at his wife through his eyes. If he valued her, the world would know; if he obeyed her, the world would know. And if that meant him being tagged as “joru ka ghulam” then he was quite happy with that title. Looking into her shining eyes he knew that if they had been alone she would have kissed him, and suddenly that was all he wanted… To be alone with her once more…
Vishakha’s voice shook them out of their lost state, as she sniffed and proudly commented, “yahi samajh tum dono ko hamesha ek-dusre ke kareeb rakhega… chalo ab dhaga kholne ka waqt aa gaya. Naina, beta pehle tum Sameer ke kalai se dhaga kholo, par dhyan rahe ek haath hi istemaal karna kholne ke liye.”
Sameer watched Naina gently pick at the thread with her nails, and queried, “ab yeh kisliye hota hai?”
Vishakha laughed, “mujhe bhi nahi pata… Shayad naye dulha-dulhan ko pareshan karne ke liye.”
Naina paused her efforts to look at Vishakha once, and then they both laughed out, amusing Sameer extremely. How had Naina bonded so well with his mother? What would have happened if they had met even earlier than 11th standard… maybe when they were kids… maybe Naina would have bonded so well with Vishakha then too and his mother would have visited more often. Who knew? And why was he even thinking like this now when he had his mother with him? Naina’s low whisper pulled him out of his thoughts, as she asked, “kya soch rahe ho?”
He watched the half-done knot on his wrist slowly loosening and murmured, “soch raha hun hum bachpan me mil gaye hote toh kya hota.”
She opened the knot fully, earning appreciation from the women around them, and then offered her hand to him so he could untie the thread from her wrist. As he devoted himself to the task, she whispered, “bachpan me mile hote toh tum meri chotiya khinchte aur mujhse apna homework karwate.”
He thought for a moment, focusing on the knot that had started to yield and chuckled at the scenario she presented. It took him a little bit more time than her to undo the thread, and he sighed, hoping this was the end of all rituals for today. Luckily for him, it was… Naina sat along with the ladies, while Sameer helped Vishakha keep all the gifts Naina had received, in a cupboard downstairs.
Lunch was served soon, and few ladies tried to tease the couple by taking away Sameer’s dish and asking him to eat from his bride’s plate. He shrugged, “theek hai… waise bhi jhootha khane se pyaar badhta hai.”
A woman gasped, “haww… Vishakha behen… aapke bete ko toh zara bhi sharam nahi aati.”
Vishakha chuckled and told the ladies, “aap log iski dish leke ise pareshan bilkul nahi kar rahe… Ulta isko mauka de rahe hai… Isko toh achcha hi hai ke Naina ke plate me se khane ko milega, aur itna hi nahi iske alag zidd bhi honge.”
Her words were soon proved correct when Sameer kept poking Naina, and pleading in low voices until she gave up and fed him with her own hands. He grinned, rasing his collar, while Naina desperately tried to not look anywhere apart from the plate of food.
After lunch most of the ladies left with promises to come back in evening, and finally Vishakha sighed, sitting down on the sofa, rubbing her legs. Naina noticed it, and immediately went to her, “maa… pav me dard ho raha hai? Balm laga du?”
Viskhakha smiled, “yeh dard toh apne aap mit jayega. Aaj bas reception ho jaaye phir yeh mehmaano ki ladi kam ho jayegi toh araam karne ka waqt milega.”
“Toh aap abhi so jaiye na”, Naina suggested, “neeche kuch kaam hoga toh main kar lungi.”
Mamiji interrupted the conversation, “ohoo… saas ko pataya jaa raha hai.”
Vishakha shook her head and ignored Mamiji, addressing Naina instead, “nahi beta… aaj kuch kaam nahi karogi tum. Kal pehli rasoi ki rasam ho jaane do phir saari zimmedari tumhari. Aur meri fikar mat karo, main thoda rest kar lungi toh theek ho jayega. Abhi tum bhi jaake araam karo… Shaadi ki rasmo me theek se araam bhi nahi mila hoga tumhe…” She glanced over at her son who was chatting with his friends, “Sameer…”
He immediately came over, “haan mummy.”
“Beta Naina ko kamre me le jao”, she instructed, “dono thoda araam karlo… phir shaam ke liye taiyar hona hai.”
He smiled, “okay”, and extended his hand to Naina. But before she could hold, Deepika interrupted, “bhaiya aise nahi… movie me dikhate hai waise le jao na… Uthaake.”
His eyes widened, while Naina blushed, looking away from him. Pandit added with gusto, “aree haan… perfect hai… ek baar toh yeh hona hi chahiye.”
“Bilkul sahi baat hai”, Munna enthused, “kyun Mausi?”
Vishakha laughed softly and agreed, “haan bilkul… mujhe bhi dekhna hai.” Everyone including Ramdhari cheered… Naina hid her face in her hands, unable to control her reaction. Sameer just grinned, knelt down, tugging her hands away gently and winked at her. She bit her lip, her cheeks tinged with color, and his body throbbed. He tugged on her hand to make her stand up, and then swiftly lifted her in his arms. She gasped at the sudden motion, and looped her arms around his neck out of habit. Their eyes met, and he softly whispered, “hey sweetheart.”
She blushed harder, and kept her eyes focused somewhere near his throat as he turned and started to move towards the stairs. As he stepped on the first stair, she reminded in a low voice, “kamra locked hai.”
“Oh haan”, he stopped, and called, “Deepika… yahan aao na.” As soon as she came over, he asked, “mere kurta ke left pocket me room ki chaabi hai… Nikaalke bhabhi ko de do.” She did as instructed, and then clapped merrily as he moved up the stairs, keeping a secure hold on his wife. None of them looked back as she unlocked the door, and he pushed it open with his leg, and then stepped inside. He didn’t set her down even after that, as he slowly backed into the door, closing it again, and signaled her to lock it. She did, and then lay her head on his shoulder as he carried her to the bed…
“Neeche sab kya soch rahe honge”, she mused.
He chuckled, placing her on the bed, and then lying down beside her, “yahi soch rahe honge ke phirse shuru ho gaya inka romance.”
Her eyes closed as he lifted her hand and kissed her fingers, inspecting the new bangles that she was wearing, “yeh chudiya kyun pehnayi hai tumhe? Saree se match bhi nahi kar rahi.”
“Chuda hai”, she informed, “shaadi ke baad pehente hai… sava-mahine pehne rakhna hota hai, kabhi nahi utaarne ka tab tak.”
His brows furrowed in consideration, “iska matlab… ab raat ko mangalsutra aur toe-rings ke alawa yeh chudiya bhi rahegi haatho me.”
She grabbed the collar of his kurta, and pulled him closer, “problem hai?”
His eyes glittered with need as he held her waist, and dipped further, “manage kar lunga.”
She smiled, “neeche jab tumne mujhe woh ring de di tab… mera man kar raha tha ke tumhe kiss karlu.”
“Ab karlo”, he suggested, and watched with half open eyes as she slid one hand around his neck, and pulled him down, sealing their lips. He watched as her eyes fluttered shut, he watched as she angled her head, and then he felt her other hand slipping beneath his kurta and closed his eyes, giving himself over to the need she ignited in him.
Her attempt however was interrupted with the sound of clinking, and she parted her lips from his, frowning, “yeh kya…”
“Chudiya”, he panted, “thank god mere jeb me thi…”
She looked puzzled, “matlab?”
He chuckled, “Naina… tumhari harkato ke wajah se main yahi bhul jaata ke abhi hume kuch nahi karna hai… Tumhe araam chahiye… Toh, ab utho, change karo aur phir hum shareef bachcho ki tarah so jayenge.”
She pouted, “yeh tum bol rahe ho?”
He kissed her forehead and then sat up, “haan… kyunki main nahi chahta ke tumhara dard badh jaye.”
She sighed as she sat up, and then to his surprise pinched him hard on his waist before sliding off the bed. He yelped, “ouch… Naina…”
Turning just her head, she glared at him, “sazaa hai…”
He laughed, “jaake change karo…”
As she grabbed some clothes and went inside the bathroom to change, he shook his head, musing at how demanding his wife had become. She literally pinched because he said no to make love… Maybe he needed to rethink his earlier opinion of him being more demanding and needy as compared to her… He still kept chuckling as he himself changed into a set of tracks and t-shirt.
When Naina came out dressed in simple pink salwar-kameez, she was surprised to see Sameer standing near the dresser, carefully arranging her pink glass bangles. She had been bit miffed because of the situation; even though she understood that her soreness could worsen if they made love, she was still irked at his habit of doing the right thing always and having such an enormous amount of self control. But now… looking at him sliding those bangles one-by-one in the cylindrical tube with utmost concentration, her gaze softened and her lips curved in a smile. How attached he was to every aspect of her… Be it the color of her clothes, her make-up, her bangles, her hair… He loved everything, and took care of everything. Sameer Maheshwari was a rare species that she had been blessed with…
Keeping her folded saree aside, she went up to him, and took over the task, quickly sliding several bangles together. He gasped, “Naina tut jayega.”
“Kuch nahi hoga”, she assured with a smile, finishing the task and closing the dresser mirror. Then she pulled her braid to the front, starting to undo it, and watched his eyes light up with interest in the mirror. Her smile widened, she held up her braid and asked, “tumhe kholna hai?”
He looked elated, “sach? Main karu?”
She chuckled and flicked her braid back again, watching in the mirror as he stuck his tongue between his teeth, and carefully, slowly undid her long braid, loosening her hair and then sifting his fingers through the black mass. She turned to him, looping her arms around his neck, and started to guide him back to the bed. He held her waist, his breathing increased, and as they fell on the bed, he reminded, “sweetheart… hum nahi…”
“Kuch nahi kar rahe”, she interrupted, “bas sona hai.”
He sighed in relief when she rolled off him, turned on the air-conditioner, and patted the pillow. Lying down beside her, he stared at her for sometime, before pulling her in his arms, holding her close. She snuggled closer, rubbing her face on his chest, and then kissed his throat.
He closed his eyes, “I hope raat tak dard mit jaaye tumhara.”
There was a long moment of silence, and he thought she had fallen asleep. But just as he was drifting off, her voice sounded clear and firm, “main usse zyada wait nahi karungi.” He laughed softly, tightening his hold on her, and drifted off with a smile on his face.
Sometime later, he didn’t exactly know when, he felt her hand beneath his t-shirt, moving up his chest. He smiled, and opened his eyes to tell her to stop it… But he noticed that she was still deeply asleep. Glancing at the clock he realized it had almost an hour since they had fallen asleep, and his wife was seeking to touch him in her sleep. “Wow Naina… neend me bhi”, he muttered, kissing her head. He tried to take her hand out from his t-shirt but that woke her up, and she frowned, “kahan jaa rahe ho?”
He smiled, “kahin nahi… bas tumhara haath nikalneki koshish kar raha tha.”
She glanced down and her frown deepened, “mujhe t-shirt pasand nahi.”
“Par tumne hi toh kaha tha ke main pehen sakta hun”, he countered.
She glared at him, “sote waqt kyun pehenna hai? Shaadi se pehle toh jab mauka mile tab shirt utar dete the. Aur ab dekho… upar se neeche tak kapde pehenke so rahe ho.”
He chuckled, and rolled, pushing her on her back, leaning over her, “bahot zyada jaldi machi hai tumhe aaj.”
She looked at him for sometime and then blushed, suddenly conscious, “uhh… main bas… pata nahi…”
He dipped and pecked her lips softly, “mujhe pasand hai yeh demands.” Her eyes lit up so quickly on his approval that he couldn’t help but kiss her again. She smiled into the kiss, reveling in it, her lips tingled as his tongue stroked them open, and her hands found their way in his hair. He was hoping in some part of his brain to keep the kiss light, to get up, but the way she opened up to him, both her mouth and body, made his heart hammer wildly. Her legs entwined with his, using his strong body as a leverage to lift up, her hips undulating beneath him bringing him to immediate painful hardness… God… he needed her…
His hand moved to her back, searching for the zipper of her dress, and she immediately cooperated, arching up to give him space. However, his searching fingers found a button, but no zip, and he frowned. She didn’t notice his confusion, rather tried to get his t-shirt up, seeking skin to touch. He sat up, and pulled his t-shirt over his head, baring his torso for her. Her hands were on his chest the next moment, moving urgently, and he groaned, starting to bunch up her kurta… He leaned down to kiss her belly, licking the soft skin, making her moan his name. She wasn’t aware of how he managed to remove her kurta, but when he came down on her, it felt so natural that she breathed in relief. The smell of his skin and the feel of his hard body were intoxicating. She was lost in the magic he spun, her red and green chuda contrasted against the fair skin of his back, as she held him to her. He kissed the sensitive skin beneath her ear, her throat her face. She pushed him on his back, rolling along with him, and then it was her lips that strummed music on his body. Her mouth moved, hot and open, over his chest, her clever little tongue circling his flat nipple once and then trailing to his stomach, leaving him yearning for more. Such was his need that he pulled her up to his chest again, and this time her mouth closed over his left nipple in a sharp suction that made him arch and hiss. Her body moved sinuously as she skimmed up his throat, and then her lips possessed his, as his hand worked to get rid of the restricting bra.
One hook snapped just by pure chance, and he quickly pulled down the straps, his fingers dipping inside a cup , pushing it down to bare her breast to his hungry mouth. She moaned and tried to hold heself still over him, letting him do as he needed, as they both needed. While his lips plucked and teased, his hand moved to her back again, trying to undo the second hook. It took a moment more, but it did give away, and he urgently divested her of the white bra, flipping her on her back.
He came back to her lips, kissing her with a strange mixture of intensity and tenderness that turned her body to liquid and flooded her with desire. “Sameer”, she whispered against his shoulder as he nipped at the side of her neck. She smelled of flowers, he thought, as he feasted on her body, hungry for more, aching for her with an urgency that defied logic. Her fingers hooked in the waistband of his track and he growled, reaching down to help her.
But before he could do so, a loud honk of car horn penetrated the serene afternoon, and they jerked, panting for breath. Sanity returned, unwelcome at the moment, but probably needed more than they thought. He slowly disentangled himself from her, sat up, and then pulled her up in his arms, holding her. She closed her eyes, burrowing against his chest, cursing the timing of whoever was driving the car. Just a minute more and they could have gone to the point of no return… However, as she looked at the clock she realized that they didn’t really have enough time; maybe soon someone would have knocked on their door, asking them to wake up and get ready. Licking her lips, she tried to gather her thoughts and asked, “koi aaya hai neeche?”
He didn’t give a damn to who had arrived, and told her so, “hoga koi… kebab me haddi.”
She chuckled, drawing back a bit, “wapas shuru kar sakte hai… par…”
“Time nahi hai”, he finished her sentence with a sigh, and then cupped her face, “aur tumhara dard hume mitana hai, badhana nahi hai.”
She turned her face to kiss his palm, “mere khayal se tum bahot zyada soch rahe ho… abhi naha lungi na toh bilkul theek ho jayega.”
He smiled, “kaash aisa hi ho…”
She grabbed her discarded kurta and pulled it on without bothering about the bra. She was anyways going to bath, she reasoned, and picked up the cotton bra to keep it back. As she kept it inside the suitcase, she frowned a bit, realizing that she had worn cotton yesterday with her lehenga, and then today too… She should be wearing something enticing, like lace, or the satin ones… Rummaging through her clothes she took out the saree she was supposed to wear today, and the matching sets of blouse and underskirt. Chachiji and Preeti had helped her pack, and for the first few functions a complete set had been made. This saree was bought by Vishakha, and had been given to her during the mehndi function, along with her lehenga. Thankfully Chachiji had hidden it quickly, because the blouse for this was one of the modern ones. Well… she won’t need a bra tonight, but glacing back surreptitiously at her husband once to ensure he wasn’t looking she pulled out a red satin panty and hid it in the folds of her underskirt. This should be a good enough surprise for her husband tonight… Oh she couldn’t wait to see the look on his face!
Comments
Srilatha chavakula
Mou again with beautiful update its soooooo heartful ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Sanchita
This was beautiful and so realistic. I love this Sameer who always cares for his Naina. I am waiting for the surprise that will be […] Read MoreThis was beautiful and so realistic. I love this Sameer who always cares for his Naina. I am waiting for the surprise that will be great. Mami is showing her true colors. I am waiting for Dadi too , our Sameer will take them on. I so look forward to Naina having monthly Salon appointments and behaving like Mrs Sameer Maheshwari. Looking forward to thee next updates and their honeymoon. Read Less
Varnav
Mouuuuuu it's really a awsmmmm update as usual ur the best...each and every details how Sameer understands his naina...your really bring life to it yarrr […] Read MoreMouuuuuu it's really a awsmmmm update as usual ur the best...each and every details how Sameer understands his naina...your really bring life to it yarrr , it has become my routine to check for updates daily...please yarrr don't make us wait for tooo longggg we miss that feel Read Less
Afrah
Amazing as always...I literally check your page every for updates....too much addicted. Cant express in words how satisfactory it is to read your updates...I especially adore […] Read MoreAmazing as always...I literally check your page every for updates....too much addicted. Cant express in words how satisfactory it is to read your updates...I especially adore the way you take not of the smallest of thing no one would have ever thought off...I guess that's what make your story stand apart from all the other writers....if you were write a book please suggest me I would love read it Read Less
Jazz singh
Wow mou thank you for this update the way you explained everything was just bravo im just speechless of how you describe everything can't wait […] Read MoreWow mou thank you for this update the way you explained everything was just bravo im just speechless of how you describe everything can't wait to see next update eagerly waiting for more updates Read Less