Accidentally in Love Chapter 11: Magic of New Beginnings

The Maheshwari mansion was decked up like a bride to welcome the new bride in the family. Naina sat in the car holding on to her husband’s hand and stared out of the glass window, quite amazed by the grandeur. Her throat felt choked up, and she stammered, “y…yeh aap…aapka ghar hai?”

He smiled, “uh-uh… yeh hamara ghar hai.”

She was so nervous that she blurted, “itna bada ghar… saaf karne me toh aadha din nikal jayega.”

He chuckled, “tumhe saaf karne ki koi zarurat nahi hai Naina… Chinta mat karo.”

The car door was opened for her, and someone lent a hand to her, but she sat unsure of what she should do. From behind her, Sameer lightly touched her back, and whispered, “chalo… main hun saath.”

She took a deep breath, and accepted the hand offered by the lady to get out of the car. True to his word Sameer was with her, immediately stepping out to stand beside her, the gatbandhan cloth still tying them together. Knowing that she was nervous, Sameer held her hand, enticing whistles from Rohan, Munna and Pandit, and causing Naina to blush. Vishakha did their aarti, blessing the newly-wed couple, and then welcomed them inside the house.

They were asked to sit on the sofa for some time while the ladies rushed around arranging for some ritual. Someone handed him a glass of water, and he started to pass it on to Naina, but a lady stopped him, “nahi beta… bahu ko abhi mat do. Woh puja ke baad hi paani pee sakti hai.”

He frowned, “ab kaisi puja?”

“Ganesh puja”, Rohan informed, “Mummy ne bataya tha bhai. Saari taiyariya ho gai hai, bas thodi der aur.”

Sameer kept the glass back, “toh phir main bhi baad me hi lunga paani.”

Nanu overheard this conversation and smiled at his grandson’s gesture, and Vishakha came just then to call them, “chalo beta… Puja karlo.”

Sameer helped Naina sit down in-front of the temple, and then sat beside her. It wasn’t a long puja but he could already feel the tiredness seeping in his body. After the puja they were again made to sit on the sofa and people gathered around them. Sameer was so perplexed that he asked, “ab kya baaki hai?”

Vishakha smiled, “thodi rasme hoti hai beta grihapravesh ke baad. Par hum aaj sab nahi kar rahe, kal araam se karenge…”

He grinned, “oh… perfect… iska matlab ab hum upar jaa sakte hai?”

For some reason Naina blushed, and few women giggled, his friends also snickered. As realization dawned he opened his mouth to explain that he just felt that Naina needed to rest, but his mother started to speak first, “haan beta… bas, mehndi me naam dhundne ka rasam kar lete hai.”

“Woh kya hota hai?”, he queried.

Deepika piped up, “aapko bhabhi ke mehndi me apna naam dhund na hai, aur agar nahi dhund paaye to unko gift dena padega.”

Sameer frowned, “matlab naam chupana hota hai? Maine toh aisai likhva liya.” He held out his hand, and Naina looked at it, a smile blooming on her face, and a few “awws” erupted from the crowd. There on his palm, it was written in clear bold letters – Naina Maheshwari.

Rohan chuckled, “chaliye… aapke haath toh naam dhundne ki zarurat nahi hai, toh time bach gaya. Aap bhabhi ke haath me dhund lijiye.”

Sameer’s eyes narrowed, “tumhara matlab… agar Naina apna naam mere haath me nahi dhund paati toh woh mujhe gift deti?”

Rohan nodded earnestly, and Sameer pouted, “shit… mujhe toh pata hi nahi tha. Mummy aap bata deti jab mehndi lag raha tha.”

Vishakha grinned, “koi baat nahi… tum hi toh kehte ho ke Naina hi sabse best gift hai. Toh fir tumhe tohfa kyun chahiye? Tum bahu ke haath me apna naam dhundo, warna phir usko gift dena.”

Sameer sighed and turned to his wife, extending his hand, “laao… abhi dhund deta hun.”

Naina glanced once at him, but then again lowered her eyes, and placed her hand on his palm. He looked at the intricate design, trying to find his name but failed to do so. The people around them cheered that Naina had won, but he looked at her face trying to judge her expressions, and saw that her lips were pressed as if she was trying to control her smile, and she didn’t look up at him with triumph. What was he missing? Of course… Her other hand… She had just placed one hand in his and he had searched believing that his name was there, but she was smart…

Grinning, he picked up her other hand, satisfied when she looked shocked, and he whispered, “mujhe pata hai tum kya kar rahi thi.” She blushed, and he chuckled, glancing at the designs once again, and within five minutes he spotted his name right in the center of her palm, “yeh raha… mera pura naam… Sameer.”

Deepika complained, “bhabhi… aapne bhaiya ko jeetne kyun diya?”

Sameer tugged on her sister’s hair, “shaitaan… meri behen hoke abhi se bhabhi ki side le rahi hai.”

Undaunted by her brother’s tone, Deepika folder her arms, “naturally… aur aapne meri bhabhi ko aaj rulaya tha… do baar… toh yeh rasam cancel, aapko gift dena padega.”

He frowned, “par maine toh naam dhund liya.”

Deepika shrugged, “usse kuch farq nahi padta. Jo behen bolti hai woh karna padta hai… haina mummy?”

Vishakha smiled at this bonding of brother-sister, something she had never witnessed, “behen ka toh pata nahi, lekin bahu ka side zarur lungi. Tumne shararat ki aaj, sabko tension me daala apne natak se, toh ab… Naina ko tohfa dena padega.”

Sameer grinned, “jo woh chahe.”

Deepika jumped in excitement, “bhabhi… bataona aapko kya chahiye.” When Naina didn’t reply, she prompted, “achcha… mere kaan me kahiye.”

Naina whispered something in her ear, and Deepika grinned, “smart choice bhabhi… Sameer bhaiya… Gift me bhabhi ne ek wish maangi hai jo woh waqt aane pe batayegi.”

Sameer bowed, “manzoor hai.”

To Sameer’s utmost relief, his mother said that everything was done for tonight, they would take Naina upstairs now and he could come up after fifteen minutes. He stood up, finally removing the gatbandhan cloth and handing it over to Naina to hold, so that she could go ahead without him. As she went upstairs surrounded by a group of ladies and Deepika, he stood at the bottom of the stairs staring up at her, wondering what was going on in her mind now. Munna and Pandit came over to their friend and thumped his back, causing him to grin wide.

Pandit spoke in a low voice ensuring no one could hear, “aur mere sher… sab taiyar?”

Sameer frowned, “kya taiyar karna tha?”

Munna surreptitiously cleared his throat, “khudko… aur… thoda samaan.”

Sameer was even more perplexed, “kaisa samaan?”

Pandit looked at Munna, “dekha… maine kaha tha na yeh bhul jayega.”

“Koi baat nahi”, Munna pacified, “shaadi ke din excitement me hota hai… tabhi toh hum jaise dost hote hai.”

Sameer glanced from one to other, “tum log kya baat kar rahe ho samjhaoge zara?”

While Munna guarded them from view, Pandit stood close to him, and passed on something in his hand. Sameer took the stuff, and glanced down only to make a surprised choking sound that was muffled by Pandit. Munna whispered, “kya kar raha hai? Jeb me daal.”

“Haan bhai… Khule me dekhne ki cheez nahi hai yeh”, Pandit murmured.

Sameer had an extremely guilty expression on his face as he pocketed the gift, and whispered, “condom? Seriously? Pagal ho gaye ho kya?”

Pandit shook his head, “zaruri hai bhai… warna first night ki toh band baj jaati.”

Munna rubbed his hands, “haan… par ab tu bina kisi tension ke laga reh.”

Sameer rolled his eyes, not arguing further, he knew his friends had perfectly good intention behind all this but… somehow he was sure there was still some time since he would be using this gift. Right now he just needed to be with his wife.

Finally he saw all the ladies coming downstairs and Vishakha signaled Sameer to go up. He smiled at his mother, ignored the pats on his back from his friends and climbed up the stairs one at a time, thinking of how to make Naina comfortable. His heart beat faster, and underneath his sherwani he had started sweating. God… He just wanted to hold her. But he didn’t want to do anything wrong, scare her. What should he do? How should he behave? He recalled that one night when she had confided her tension of not knowing each other before wedding, and how he had immediately gone to her without worrying about any consequences. He hadn’t even thought of what she would think of him if he climbed up a pipe to her balcony, but things had gone surprisingly well that night. So, he needed to stop thinking and just be there for her. He just needed to be himself.

Taking a deep breath he opened the door, stepped inside and locked it. Naina was sitting on the bed with her veil covering her face, and the bed looked like an explosion of flowers. When had this been decorated? He had no idea. But wow… It looked beautiful, and the sight awaiting him on his bed was even more beautiful. He felt as if he could almost feel her nervous heartbeats. One step at a time, he kept reminding himself. He need not show her that he was also nervous as hell. He exhaled through his mouth as he parted the curtain of flowers and sat down on the bed in-front of her. She sat almost still, almost… he noticed how she kept twiddling her fingers, and sometimes she would just shrug a bit as if adjusting something.

He didn’t know what to do, how to begin, what to tell her to make her comfortable… But he was extremely happy that they had made this journey from strangers in a movie theatre to being husband and wife. Overwhelmed with the moment, he pinched her nose lightly over the veil.

She gasped in shock, “kya kar rahe hai aap?”

He grinned, “bas aisai… main bahot khush hun.”

She relaxed, smiling, “main bhi.” She waited anxiously, curious to know what he would do, but he just kept of grinning and staring. Not being able to wait anymore she prodded, “Sameer… Ghunghat…”

He chuckled, “hayee itni utsukta.” Gently he lifted her veil only to be mesmerized all over again with her beauty. His eyes glittered as he whispered, “iske baad?”

She blushed, “m…mujhe nahi pata.”

He hummed and started to lean forward, her eyes widened as the whispered promise of a kiss echoed in her ears, and just when he was close enough that his breath fell on her cheek, she closed her eyes in anxiety and anticipation. Seconds passed however, and she didn’t feel him, and frowning she opened her eyes to find him leaning across her. He was picking something from the bedside table, she didn’t know whether to be annoyed or relieved. Drawing back, he grinned at her, holding up a glass, “iske baad… tumhe mujhe yeh dudh dena chahiye.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion, and she looked at the clock once, “subah ke teen baje aapko dudh peena hai?”

He bit his lip as if considering her question, “dudh nahi piyu…”, he kept the glass back, and said, “ummm… koi baat nahi. Dudh bina bhi kar sakte hai.”

Perplexed she blurted, “kya kar sakte hai?”

He coughed once, and tried desperately to control, but gave up in less than a minute, starting to laugh earnestly. Her eyes widened, and she tried to hush him, “shsh… has kyun rahe hai? Thoda dheere… warna log kya sochenge.”

He still looked like he would burst out laughing any second, but thankfully he didn’t, and queried, “kya matlab tumhara? Kya sochenge?”

He face flushed as she stammered, “uh…umm… yahi ke… ro…romance ke badle… hum mazak-masti kar rahe hai…”

Hands on cheeks, he let out a most convincing surprised gasp, “tumhe romance karna hai? Pehle kyun nahi bataya?”

She frowned, tiny lines of anger appearing on her forehead, “hamari first night hai, aur aap mera mazak uda rahe hai. Main abhi jaake mummyji ko batati hun.”

As she slid her legs off the bed, intending to stand up, he caught her hand and neatly pulled her in his arms, muttering in her ear, “I am sorry… mazak nahi uda raha tha. Tum bidaai ke baad se itni nervous thi toh bas tumhara mood theek kar raha tha.”

She stopped struggling to pull back, feeling his arms tighten around her, and relaxed, letting herself lean on him. He sighed in relief, smiling at the moment, but then his lips curved in a frown and he demanded, “Naina… Hamari first night hai… mujhe hug toh karo.”

He heard her soft chuckle, before her arms wrapped around him, holding on, and in that moment he felt complete contentment for the first time in his life. He had his wife in his arms, nothing could be better than this.

After a few minutes he softly asked, “yeh kapde aur zevar bahot… umm… irritating lag rahe honge na? Mujhe irritating ka hindi nahi pata.”

She smiled, “koi baat nahi… aur nahi… main theek hun, koi pareshani nahi hai.”

“Jhooth mat bolo”, he immediately countered, “tum kabhi itna makeup nahi karti, aur itne bhaari kapde nahi pehenti.”

She sighed, not sure if she should reply to him, and how would he take it. But the next moment she was surprised when he started to remove the pins from her veil while still keeping her in his firm hold. She tried to pull back, “aa…aap kya kar rahe hai?”

He hushed her, “ghabrao mat. Kuch nahi kar raha… bas baalo me se pin nikaalne me help kar raha hun taaki tum araam se change kar sako.”

She looked up at him, her eyes wide in uncertainty, and she murmured almost inaudibly, “change? Par… aapne toh abhi bola ke… ke… first night hai.”

He cupped her face, gazing into her eyes reassuringly, “hamara ghar, hamara bedroom, hamare niyam… puri duniya chahe jo kahe first night ke baare me, yahan iss kamre me hum hamare hisaab se chalenge… Hamara jo man hoga hum woh karenge. Toh… Tum kya chahti ho Naina?”

She bit her lip nervously, but then truthfully confessed, “lehenga wakai me bahot bhaari hai… aur haar mujhe thoda-thoda chubh raha hai gale me… agar… agar aap bura naa maane toh main change karna chahungi.”

He smiled, and softly kissed her forehead over the red bindi she was wearing, and said, “jao… karlo change… aur jo man ho pehen lo abhi… saree kal subah pehenna. Mujhe yaqeen hai abhi tak aur dus-barah rasme baaki hogi.”

She laughed, easing back from his arms, and stood up to go to the dressing table. Pulling out the small stool, she sat on it, and started to remove her bangles, the remaining pins from her hair letting the veil fall on her shoulders.  As she tried to remove her maangtika as gently as she could without pulling off some of her hair or wiping the sindur, she spotted him in the mirror, still sitting at the same spot as before gazing at her with a smile on his face. Immediately she blushed, and queried, “aise kya dekh rahe hai?”

His smile widenend, “apni biwi ko dekh raha hun.”

She turned to look at him, “puri zindagi dekhna hai ab toh… filhaal, change kar lijiye aap bhi.”

A mischievous glitter entered his eyes, “oh wow… tum mujhe apne saamne change karne ko keh rahi ho?” And to her astonishment, he stood up, swiftly opening the first two buttons of his sherwani. She moved much more swiftly that she could have herself anticipated while wearing that heavy lehenga, and coming up to him she caught his hand, “yahan nahi… bathroom me.”

He grinned, “mazak kar raha tha.” Lifting his hand, he gently stroked her cheek with his knuckles, the expression in his eyes turning from mischief to something deeper and potent which cause a fluttering sensation inside her stomach. His finger touched her dangling earring, and he softly asked, “main madad karu?”

She was about to say no automatically, but when she searched his eyes she found that even though he was asking, he genuinely wanted to do it, and so taking a deep breath she nodded. He smiled, his eyes still burning, and he uncapped the earring ever so slowly that she didn’t even feel the tug. Dropping the earring on the bed, he moved to the other ear and repeated the procedure, and then his fingers lightly stroked the whorl of her ears making her gasp. Ears… all he was doing was touching her ears, yet that left her with some strange sensation all over her body. Her eyes fluttered shut as his fingers traced down her cheek and halted at her lips. This was it, she thought, he was going to kiss her. Her lips trembled in anticipation but all he did was trace the outline of her upper and lower lip repeatedly as if memorizing the shape, and then slowly drifted down to her neck. The choker necklace chosen to go with her wedding lehenga had arched outline at the top, and he moved a single finger along the edges, fascinatedly captivated by the fluttering nerve at her throat. He let out a shaky breath trying to get a grip over the onslaught of rioting nerve endings inside him. Gently, he gripped her shoulders and turned her around, loosening the thread of the choker, and she sighed aloud in obvious relief. He looped the heavy necklace over her head, and dropped it on the bed too, but when he looked back at her he let out a shocked gasp, “oh shit Naina… yeh kya hua?”

She didn’t reply, her eyes still closed as she tried to contain the sensations erupting by his touches, and oblivious to her condition he kept on stroking the red rashes on her neck in concern. In a moment however she swayed collapsing backwards on his chest, and he steadied her, enquiring if she was okay. She turned around to look at him, and blushed, not sure what to say or explain what she was feeling. He leaned closer, touching her neck once again, and asked, “dard ho raha hai?”

She was surprised by his concern, and also felt extremely happy that he was unlike she had ever imagined she would get as a life-partner. So many women over the last few days had warned her to be silent and co-operative on her wedding night, made her repeat the mantra that she should do everything without any objection to keep her husband happy. But here… even though they had been in the room alone for almost thirty minutes now, he had been solely focused on making her comfortable. Smiling up at him, she shook her head, “nahi… bas thodi khujli ho rahi hai.”

He gave a short nod, “umm… jao change karlo, aur phir ointment laga lena.”

She opened her suitcase that had been brought up by someone before she came in the room, and pulled out the first salwar-kameez from top, and also opened another bag to take out a kit that was a gift from Preeti. It held make-up as well as other womanly stuff she might need, including make-up remover. It took her a good part of the next thirty minutes to undo her hairstyle, remove makeup, freshen up and change into her salwar-kameez. Leaving her kit in the bathroom, she picked up her wedding attire and came out of the bathroom.

He was standing near the window, yawning, but as soon as he saw her, he straightened, and smiled, “tum yeh sab rehne do bahar hi, kal hum dono milke cupboard arrange kar lenge. Main change karke aata hun, phir… umm… so jayenge.”

She nodded, and watched him go inside the bathroom with a pair of tracks and t-shirt. While folding her lehenga, she wondered if it was really okay to wear this simple pink salwar-kameez on their first night. But she was really so exhausted with the heavy outfit that all she had wanted to wear was something soft and comfortable. As she kept her folded attire on a sofa in the room, her eyes fell on the large decorated bed, and she exhaled… It was beautifully draped with flowers, just like it should be, but the fluttering in the pit of her stomach increased at the thought of what might happen next.

Sameer came out, wiping his face with a towel, and paused at the threshold to see her standing tensed, fixedly staring at the bed as if it was going to pounce on her. He almost had an urge to laugh. Dropping the towel in the laundry basket, he tiptoed behind her and asked, “kya dekh rahi ho?”

She hadn’t heard him come out of the bathroom and so she yelped, nearly jumping a foot in the air, and placed a palm over her heart to calm down. Breathing hard, she murmured, “ointment dhund rahi hun.”

He was amused, “bed pe?”

Her face flushed with mortification and she tried to step away, but he caught her hand, “ruko… betho yahan.” Parting the abundant flowers, he made her sit on the bed, and then pulled out a tube of ointment from the bedside cabinet. This time he didn’t ask for permission, he just sat behind her, and gently pushed aside her mass of open hair. A tingle raced along her skin when his fingers touched her, carefully applying the ointment, and after every application he would blow on the rashes to ensure it didn’t burn. She kept shivering, her breath coming out in soft exhales, her heartbeat on overdrive mode.

He was surprised but strangely satisfied to see that she hadn’t removed the mangalsutra he had tied to her neck. He touched the black beads, and enquired, “yeh nikal du?”

She quickly held the diamond locket, shaking her head in negative, and behind her he smiled, his eyes glittering possessively. After he finished applying the ointment on every rash he could see, he brushed his finger down the side of her neck, and slowly pushed aside her dupatta just a tiny bit. Dipping his head, he placed the softest ever kiss on the exposed part of her shoulder, breathing in the medicated ointment and her clean fragrance. It made him crave more of her, want to do more with her… but somewhere he knew it was too soon, which is why when she was changing in the bathroom he had hidden the condom packet. He didn’t want to scare her, or make her uneasy, but now that he had tasted her he couldn’t seem to stop wanting. However, he didn’t wander… just kept showering gentle kisses on the same spot, and she kept trembling, her hands fisted on the bedsheet. In a moment however, she couldn’t control herself, and breathed his name in a soft sigh, “Sameer…”

He sucked in a breath at the tone, and straightened, his senses clouded in a haze. She turned to look at him, her heart pattering madly as she noted the same glitter in his eyes which she had noticed every time he had come close to kiss her. The world seemed to stop around them as he picked up one of her hands and kissed each finger with the utmost attention. Letting her hand go, he inched closed brushing his lips on her forehead, drifting down to her cheek, ever so slowly making his way to her lips… His body tensed with anticipation, his heart thundering, he eyed her parted lips bare of any color, yet pink enough to enthrall him… Just before he would finally touch the forbidden-until-now territory, he glanced up to ensure she was okay, but was dismayed on finding her staring at him with wide eyes. She wasn’t ready… Sighing, he smiled, and dropped a quick kiss on her nose, and tried to draw back before she felt any kind of compulsion from him. But to his surprise, he couldn’t go back far enough, and looked down to see her hands fisted on his t-shirt. When had that happened? He had thought she was gripping the bedsheet, but now her small hands were clutching fistfuls of his t-shirt so tight it seemed she would never leave.

“Naina”, he murmured and looked up in her eyes which were shining with love but also tears. Before he could ask anything, she flung herself in his arms, and his breath whooshed from his lungs, as he held her and toppled backwards on the bed. Worried about the tears he had seen, he quickly regained his breath and asked, “Naina… tum ro kyun rahi ho? Please rona bandh karo… dekho main kuch nahi kar raha… Jab tak tum nahi chahogi, main kiss bhi nahi karunga… I promise.”

She lifted her head from his chest, and sniffed to blink back the tears, a soft smile adorning her lips as she said, “aap bilkul budhdhu hai.”

He frowned, “tum apne pati ko budhdhu bol rahi ho?”

She chuckled, and nodded, her gaze softening; she slowly stretched up and dropped a quick peck on the corner of his mouth. He gasped, his eyes widening in surprise… that was close… so close to his lips… Did that mean… she was ready? He looked into her eyes, trying to search for the answers, but it was her lips that answered him as they bloomed from a soft small smile to a wide brilliant grin. Happiness burst through him as he too grinned back, tightened his hold on her and rolled so that she was on the bed on her back, still holding onto his t-shirt as he loomed over her.

Knowing that she was ready brought out his impatience to the fore as he dropped quick kisses on her face, her eyes fluttered shut, her lips still curved in a smile seeming to invite him. He folded his hand over one of hers; gently opening the clasp of her fingers, and moved it around his neck. She understood his hint, and moved her other hand too, tracing up his chest and shoulders, increasing the rapid rush in his veins. Finally when both her arms were around his neck, he dipped, pecking her lips once… twice… thrice… and then slowly tasting her plump lower lip. She whimpered unsure of what she should do, and he slowed down even more, continuing the soft kisses until she was relaxed and her fingers moved in his hair. He cupped her face with one hand, using his thumb to pull down her lower lip, allowing him more of her taste. She knew she should be doing something, participating in the kiss, but didn’t know how… When he kissed her again, she reciprocated by pursing her lips and kissing him too, and he hummed in approval.

That was it… she understood… follow his lead. So, when he pecked she did so too, when he tasted she dared to do the same. And finally when his lips applied pressure, she didn’t hesitate for one moment before opening up, but the surprise she felt when his tongue stoked hers was so prominent that she stiffened under him, her hand fisting painfully in his hair. He immediately stopped, lifting his head, and panted, “Naina… main…”

She was also breathing heavily, but left his hair, her fingers drifting down the side of his face, as she interrupted him, “shsh… main theek hun… bas… bas seekh rahi hun.”

Surprised at this confession he chuckled, “mere hisaab se tum bilkul topper ho.” She smiled and he bent to catch her lips again, this time she didn’t stiffen, rather she savored the new sensations, his taste, the way his lips moved, the way he hummed when her tongue welcomed him shyly. He lingered for a long time, teasing her lips, kissing the corners of her mouth, basking in her innocence and acceptance. Finally, he rolled back again, still with her in his arms, exhaling hard, he could swear his heart had never beat this fast. She lay on his chest, tiny trembles running down her spine, her lips parted and wet, but the feeling of contentment in her heart was the most prominent one. Ever since he had promised the kiss to her in the park, she had thought about it countless times, trying to imagine how it would be. But nothing in her wild imaginations compared to the reality of him.

He stroked her arm, asking if she was alright, and she lifted on her elbow to smile at him. “Main theek hun”, she assured again, and suddenly yawned. He chuckled, getting up and helping her shift on the bed. Glancing at the clock once he murmured, “wow… 4:30am ho gaye, pata hi nahi chala.”

She blushed, fidgeting with her dupatta, and he had this urge to kiss her again. But he controlled himself, and said, “chalo… so jaate hai. 2-3 ghante hi sone milega shayad.”

She nodded, and lay down on the bed on one side, not exactly sure if she would get any sleep on this new bed. The mattress was soft, the quilt comfortable in the cold of air-conditioning, but still… it was so different than she was used to. He turned off the lights and slid in beside her, extending his arm to slowly touch her, urging her to come closer. Perplexed she turned to him, inching closer like he seemed to want, and he kissed her forehead, asking her if she was comfortable. She said yes, and then asked about tomorrow. They talked in low voices, his arm resting on her waist, her hand on his chest, and none of them knew when they fell asleep, content in each other’s arms, both trusting the magic of new beginnings.