Accidentally in Love Chapter 16: Surrender

Sameer held up two shirts, “Naina yeh dono lete hai… perfect hai.”

The shopkeeper grinned in agreement, while Naina slapped her own forehead, “Sameer same designs ke do shirts leke kya karenge? Ek hi lete hai.”

Sameer wrinkled his nose, and handed the shirts over to the shopkeeper, “meri biwi ki mat suniye… Aap yeh dono pack kar dijiye.”

“Sameer…”, she tried to protest, but he held her hand and pulled her to him. She gasped, and he whispered, “tumko pata hai na, tum jab bhi aisi awaaz karti ho toh mera man karta hai tumhe kiss karneko.”

She wiggled to free herself, “Sameer… chodiye na. Hum dukaan me hai… Thodi toh sharam kijiye.”

He let her pull back reluctantly, and pouted, “tum itni seedhi ban rahi ho yahan toh pata nahi honeymoon pe kya karogi… Udhar bhi bologi ke hum aisa sab nahi kar sakte logo ke saamne.”

She sighed, “woh baad ki baat hai… pehle yahan se yeh do shirts kharidne ki kya zaroorat hai. Maine kaha main jeans pehnungi par mere paas tops hai… naye ek-do lene ki baat hui thi. Hum subah se teen tops le chuke hai upar se yeh do shirts woh bhi same design ka.”

He smiled, “shirts ka fayda tum samajh nahi rahi ho.”

She frowned, “kaisa fayda?”

He lowered his voice, “buttons hote hai saamne… jaldi jaldi khol sakta hun din me jab bhi thoda sa time mile… Aur agar jaldi me tut gaye buttons toh… isiliye do shirt.”

She gaped at him, her cheeks flooding with color, and she had no idea what to say in reply to him. The shopkeeper handed over a bag, and Sameer paid him, then wrapped his hand around her waist and guided her out to the car.

Sameer and Naina had decided to spend the day to do shopping for their honeymoon trip. She had thought it would be a quick one at some market with few clothes for him and few for her. But oh how wrong she had been… And it was totally her fault for forgetting how much her husband loved shopping. She had been on one such trip before their wedding, and she had been so frustrated and tired by the end of it. It was almost the same today. They had been to several shops to buy shoes, sunglasses, jeans, tops, dresses, shirts, jackets. They had stopped for lunch in between at a well-known restaurant, that till date she had only seen from outside. The vegetables on a sizzling iron plate had surprised her, but she had been game to try the different cuisine. And now he was taking her somewhere else, she didn’t know what else was left to buy. On top of that there had been the constant flirting that she still wasn’t used to… At home she knew how to deal with it, but outside… God… What would happen on their honeymoon?

After some time she felt Sameer shaking her, and calling her name, “Naina utho…”

She blinked, yawning, “kahan aaye hum?”

He smiled, “mujhe nahi pata tha ke tum do baar me hi itna thak jaogi ke car me so jaogi.”

Her brows furrowed as she tried to understand his words, and then blushed, “uss wajah se nahi.”

He hooked a finger under her chin, “sure? Mujhe pata hai aaj subah wala… umm… mera matlab… maine tumhe sochne ka mauka hi nahi diya toh tum mana bhi nahi kar saki.”

She bit her lip and asked, “aap aisa kya sapna dekh rahe the?”

He chuckled, “mussoorie ke… pata nahi kyun aisa sapna aaya… Tum dance kar rahi thi sapne me… Mr. India wale gaane pe, Sridevi jaisa blue saree pehenke.”

She looked surprised, “saree ke sapne dekh rahe hai aur mujhe saree pehnneko mana kar rahe hai.”

He smirked, mischief dancing in his eyes, “main toh kuch bhi pehenne se mana kar raha hun. Poore din kamre me rehte toh kapde kharidne hi nahi padte na… Tum hi ho jo ghumne ki zidd kar rahi ho… Pata nahi kahan kahan se toh ghumne ki jagah bhi dhund nikali tumne itni jaldi.”

She laughed, “ek magazine me padha tha. Isiliye toh aaj dukaan se kharida woh book.”

He rolled his eyes, “tumhe pata hai na hum jitna zyada ghumenge utna romance ka time kam milega.”

“Achcha?” She quirked her brow, “mujhe toh aisa laga ke thandak me haath me haath daale ghumenge, waadiyo me kho jayenge, raat ko taaro ke neeche chaddar odhke bethenge… Yeh sab bhi toh romance hi hai na?”

His head tilted in appreciation, “wow… achche ideas hai. Try pakka karenge.”

She yawned once more, covering her mouth, “bataiye na… ab kya kharidne aaye hai?”

He gestured towards the windshielf, “shopping pe nahi… ghumne aaye hai.”

She turned to look and gasped in delight, “park! Par shopping?”

“Kitni shopping karni hai tumhe”, he teased, “chalo bahar aao.” She unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out. He locked the car, and then walked around the hood to her, “chalein?”

The evening had just set in, it was still hot, but there was no harsh sunlight. Few children were running around, and their parents were sitting on benches or on mats spread on grass. The evening light played on the grass, the flowers, and a gentle wind was just starting to sway the delicate bushes. Birds were twittering as they returned to their nests before sunset. She took a deep breath, looking around at the peaceful surroundings, and asked, “hum yahan kyun aaye hai?”

He left her hand, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer as they strolled, “kyunki mujhe yaad hai ke tumhe poore din shopping karna pasand nahi. Isiliye maine soch liya ke dopahar ko shopping kar lenge, aur shaam ko bas park me ghumenge. Sirf tum aur main…”

She smiled up at him, “I love you.”

“I love you too darling”, he replied.

They walked around talking in low voices about their life before marriage. She wanted to know about his school and college, and so he told her of the punishments he had borne for his mischief, the fun he had with Munna and Pandit, the number of dates he had been asked out on, and also how he had by mistake entered the ladies bathroom on the first day of college but had been lucky enough to not be spotted. Her tale was not as colorful as his but he got to know how much interwoven her life was with her family, he got to know of the family rules and customs they had to follow, and of the fun such a big family can provide. He smiled, “sunne me toh bada mazaa aa raha hai. Maine hamesha theatre me movies dekhi hai, ya toh ghar pe DVD pe. Kabhi aise parivaar ke saath nahi dekha.”

She quickly replied, “koi baat nahi… agli baar mummy, Deepika, Rohan sab aayenga na tab plan karenge… Ghar pe hi DVD pe dekhenge sab saath bethkar. Aur dher saara nashta khayenge.”

He chuckled, “haan… kar sakte hai. Par filhaal… abhi kuch khaaye?”

She frowned, “aapko wapas bhuk lag gai?”

He rubbed his tummy, a silly grin on his face, “haan… ab raat ko zyada exercise ho rahi hai toh din me zyada khana padega na.”

She laughed, “bahar chana-jor garam dekha tha… Woh le aate hai.”

“Main laata hun”, he said, “tum wahan uss bench pe betho. Main bas yun gaya aur yun aaya.”

She watched him walk to the park entrance and then went to sit on the sun soaked bench. The wood felt hot, but not uncomfortable. While she waited she reminisced the adventure of this morning… She chuckled at how she termed it. But it really was an adventure. One moment she had been concerned about Sameer’s strange behavior, and the next moment they were busy in frenzied lovemaking. She didn’t even clearly remember everything until the moment he was inside her. Even now her insides clenched at that thought, as if she could feel him again, moving fast as he held her legs apart… Her eyes closed, and her breathing accelerated as she gripped the edges of the bench tight. Suddenly she jerked and let out a yelp as someone placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Naina”, Sameer asked concerned, as he sat down, “kya hua tumko?”

She took a deep breath and exhaled, “umm… kuch nahi… bas kuch sochne lagi thi.”

He smoothed her hair back, “aisa toh kya soch rahi thi ke poora chehra laal ho rakha hai?”

She gulped, trying to think of an alternative, because if she mentioned about lovemaking he would tease her so much. “Woh darasal…”, she hesitantly said, “main pehli baar plane me bethungi na toh soch rahi thi ke kaisa hoga. Bahot darr lagta hoga na?”

He chuckled, “bilkul darr nahi lagega. Aur flight me bhi hum aisa sab khayenge aur romance karenge.”

She looked down at the bench and gasped, “itna saara!”

He pouted, “tumne chana-jor garam maanga tha woh hai… Aur ek sing-chana hai, ek chips ka packet hai aur ice-cream hai. Kahan itna saara.”

She picked up the paper roll of chana-jor garam, “yeh ek hai? Sach sach bataiye…”

He bit his lip, and then smiled sheepishly, “umm… maine teen dish ek paper roll me dalva diya, warna tum bolti ke kitna saara laaya hun. Par tumko toh phir bhi pata chal gaya.”

She rolled her eyes, “pata toh chalega hi na. Main hamesha Law Garden me khati thi.”

“Chatori”, he pinched her nose, “kitna khati ho.”

She laughed, swatting his hand, “kaun bol raha hai… chaliye ab laaye hai toh khaiye, warna naram ho jayenge.” He nodded and tried to put his hand inside the roll to take some of it, but she stopped him, “aree aise kaise kha rahe hai? Haath me saare masale lag jayenge, aur phir mirchi wale haath kahin lag gaye toh jalega.”

He looked confused, “toh isko aur kaise khau?”

She smiled, and tore a bit of paper from the conical side, and folded it, then pinched one edge to hold. Sameer stared amazed as she used that paper like a makeshift spoon, scooped up the spicy mixture and fed it to him. He wanted to ask about how she got such ideas, but then spotted another woman feeding her child the same snack in the same way, and realized that this was one part of world he had never been exposed to. It’s not like he had never eaten chana-jor garam, but usually boys would just pick with their hands, or pour some in their cupped palms and eat. This methodic systematic way of eating was a woman’s touch. She stopped eating about half-way, but kept feeding him much to his delight. After it was done, he picked up the cups of ice-cream and offered her one, “ab pehle yeh kha lete hai warna pighal jayega.”

She nodded, taking the small cup of kaju-draksh ice-cream, and dug into it, relishing the cold smooth taste. He poked her shoulder impatiently, “tum kuch bol kyun nahi rahi?”

She shrugged, “bas aisai… shaanti se bethna achcha lagta hai. Isme bhi romance hai… Aapko nahi pasand?”

He scowled, “beech me ek foot ki jagah rakhke kya khaak romance hoga.”

She giggled, picked up the pack of sing-chana and kept it aside, and then slid closer. She took his hand, wrapping it around her shoulder, and asked, “ab khush?”

“Bahot”, he smiled, “par ab ek aur problem hai… Ice cream kaise khau?”

She clucked her tongue, “zara bhi romance nahi aata mere pati ko.” Before he could reply, she held his hand that was around her shoulder; he still had the small wooden spoon in his hand, so she dipped it in her cup of ice-cream and fed herself from his hand. He quirked a brow, “ahan… aur main kaise khau?”

She grinned, dipping her spoon in his cup, and fed him, “aise…”

“Perfect”, he muttered, nuzzling her hair, making her laugh once again.

After spending around an hour more at the park Naina insisted on going home, because they were supposed to leave the next day in morning, and packing was still pending. But when they reached home another surprise awaited as Naina’s family had come over to meet them before they left for their trip. Swati, Munna and Pandit were also there. The house was a pandemonium of conversations and snacks were spread all over the table.

Sameer naturally became totally excited, “Naina… Samose.”

She caught his hand, “shsh… gharwale aaye hai… pehle mil toh lijiye, baad me samosa khana.”

They took blessings of the elders, and Taiji commented, “oh bai! Pallu toh daal le Naina.”

Chachiji handed over a bag to Naina, “beta isme thoda sukha nashta aur thode garam kapde hai. Saath le jaana.”

Preeti teased Naina, “Mussoorieee… Oye hoye… Iraade kya hai?”

Naina immediately blushed, and Swati tickled her waist, “aree iske iraade toh iske laal laal gaalo me jhalak rahe hai.”

Sameer stood aside enjoying everyone teasing Naina, but soon it was his turn as Munna came over to ask in a low voice, “yaar… gift khatam ho gaya ho toh aur laa de?”

Pandit teased, “laana nahi padega lagta hai… bhabhi itna sharma rahi hai ke ab tak toh gift khula hi nahi hoga.”

Sameer recalled how Naina had literally seduced him out of his melancholic mood, and then again the next day pushed him to express his desires over his hesitation… His wife who was now blushing and being extremely shy, totally turned into a firecracker in their bedroom. Just then Naina glanced at him over Preeti’s shoulder, her eyes shining with knowledge and desire, and he drew in a shuddering breath, murmuring, “tum log tension mat lo… main khudke liye hi kaafi saara gift kharid liya hai.”

His friends whistled, jerking him out of his thoughts, and he realized what he had uttered aloud. Naina stared at the trio for a minute, wondering what could be happening, but then on seeing the color on her husband’s cheeks she immediately remembered that his friends had given him the gift… Oh God. Were they teasing him about it? Or were they discussing? Did he really tell them that they had used the gift? She bit her lip, her eyes wide with questions. Sameer noticed her, and walking over to her, he looped his arms around her from behind, and dropped a kiss on the side of her head. This caused a range of reactions in the room… His wife blushed, his friends cheered again, Swati and Preeti giggled, Chachaji and Chachiji simply looked at each other with a knowing smile, Tauji & Naina’s  father looked away, Taiji gasped, and Nanu cleared his throat.

Packing was a difficult task for Naina because Sameer kept on troubling her… he would grab her and kiss her making her lose track of what she was doing, or he would pull out the clothes again from the suitcase, or he would sit on the bed near the suitcase and count how many condoms he was going to use in a single day, or grab her from behind when she would take out clothes from cupboard. Somehow she managed to stuff the clothes and other necessary stuff inside the big suitcase, and exhaled in relief, “ho gaya sab…”

Sameer came up behind her, and emptied the polybag of condoms, dropping all the boxes haphazardly on top of all clothes. She gasped, “yeh kya kar rahe hai?”

“Condoms pack karna bhul gai tum”, he stated in a serious tone, “aise bhul jaogi toh bahot jald bina kisi warning ke woh aa jayega.”

She frowned, turning to him, “kaun aa jayega?”

He folded his hands, one beneath another, and swayed his arms sideways, “uuaah… uuaahh…”

Her eyes widened in surprise, and she gaped at him, unable to find an appropriate response. He chuckled, and cupped her face, softly kissing her, and murmured against her lips, “par abhi thoda waqt hai usme… koi chota sa shaitaan tumhare pyaar ka aadha hissa mujhse cheen le usse pehle main iss waqt ka fayda utha lun.”

She wanted to reply to him, tell him that love isn’t divided by a child’s arrival, but his kisses were distracting her too much. Throwing a quick glance at the door, she ensured that it was locked, and then wrapped her arms around his neck, opening her mouth for him to deepen the kiss. He groaned, clutching onto her, and started to back her onto the bed. But her hips touched the suitcase, and she pulled back from his mouth with an, “ouch.”

Concerned, he immediately asked, “kya hua?”

She chuckled, “suitcase bandh karna bhul gaye.”

He scowled at the interruption, and started to close the suitcase, but then paused and grabbed a box, pulling out a condom. She queried in a puzzled tone, “aap isme se kyun nikal rahe hai? Bahar ek box hai na…”

He winked at her, “usme toh ek hi hai… Ab se toh hume har raat do chahiyenge na.”

Her cheeks flushed with color, and she stammered, “r…roz do baar?”

He shut and locked the suitcase and placed it on the floor, “nahi… roz raat ko do… din ka hisaab toh maine ab tak lagaya hi nahi.”

Her eyes widened like saucers, and she nervously bit her lip, “din… din me toh ghumenge na.”

“C’mon darling”, he crooned as he approached her slowly, “honeymoon pe poora din kaun ghumta hain… hume toh har ek mauka use karna chahiye romance karne ke liye.”

She backed away from him, her body shivering with strange sensations, and also because she couldn’t comprehend the thought of him seeing her like that in broad daylight. His gaze was fixed on her as she took each step back until the wall stopped her. He smirked, coming to stand in-front of her, and stroked a single finger down the curve of her waist, “aaj akhri din saree me… raat ko.”

“M…ma…matlab”, she stuttered.

He kissed her cheeks, “matlab darling… kal se toh tum tumhare night dresses pehnogi na.” She clutched his shirt while he kissed all over her face, and remembered how he had insisted on packing the night dresses she had shown him. She had no idea why he had insisted so much. They were such simple ones in cotton or hosiery or satin, and she thought they were rather unflaterring. Saree was so feminine, plus he could see more of her… So shouldn’t he be insisting on sarees rather than those simple night dresses? But yet, he had made her pack them… She wondered…

“Ohhh”, she lost her trail of thoughts completely and instantly when he sunk on his knees in-front of her, and rained kisses on her belly. She collapsed against the wall, her hand fisted in his hair, as he tugged the waistline of her saree down a little and his tongue played at her navel. She moaned, trying to pull him up so that she could kiss him, but he instead caught her pleats and removed them from her underskirt, unraveling the saree partially. “Sameer”, she gasped, “lights…”

His teeth nipped at her waist, “pallu ka pin nikaalo.” She shook her head, her eyes still squeezed shut, but maybe he was watching her, because he commanded again, “nikaalo Naina. Warna lights aaj bandh nahi hogi.”

Oh God… What was he upto? What did he want? How could she…? But if she didn’t then he won’t turn off the lights at all… She didn’t think she could bear that. Her hands trembled as she somehow removed the pin, and dropped it to the floor. The pallu stayed intact much to her relief, but that feeling was short-lived because he pulled it down, removing her saree completely from her body. A sound of apprehension erupted from her throat, and she lifted her hands to cover herself, but before she could do so, he was there… Her next sensation was of him kissing her shoulders, as he wrapped her hands around himself. She obeyed, quickly hugging him and that’s when she realized that somewhere during these few minutes he had shed his shirt. She stroked his bare back, tracing the muscles and spine she knew so well now, and whimpered when he tried to tug her sleeve to find skin to taste. He dipped a bit, holding her around her hips and picked her up. She clutched his shoulders, looking down at him, mesmerized by the flaring desire in his eyes.

Placing her on the bed, he kissed her again, and groaned when her tongue flicked his and she tried to pull him on top of her. Impatient, he thought smiling to himself, and left her lips. Staring down at her, he observed how her hair spread on the pillow, how her skin contrasted to the dark prints on the bedsheet, how the swells of her breasts rounded because she was lying on her back, how the tugged sleeve of her blouse revealed a small mark of his passion. Her hands wandered on his back and shoulders, fingers of one hand stroking the bruise she had left during their first lovemaking. He rubbed his knuckles over her bare belly, his eyes now fixed on the hooks of her blouse that were on the front this time. Gently, he unhooked the top one, and immediately heard her trembling voice, “Sameer… lights… aapne kaha tha… please.”

He was tempted to refuse for a moment, he really wanted to see her, but then sighed, dipping to kiss her forehead. They were leaving for their honeymoon tomorrow; he would get plenty of opportunities to help her get over her squeamishness. Right now it was better to agree to her rather than spoil their night. As soon as the lights were turned off she held him, rubbing her face against his shoulder. Somehow she understood that he wanted to see her, but she couldn’t gain that courage yet.

Puzzled at her action he asked, “Naina… tum theek ho?”

She cupped his face, and kissed him, whispering, “I love you.”

He returned her kiss enthusiastically, and soon felt her hands wandering over his body, once again eager. He quickly removed the remaining clothes that separated them, and started to kiss her breasts. But she didn’t let him enjoy for too long, because her thighs parted to accommodate him, and she lifted her hips, her body rubbing with his, making her jerk and groan. “Shit”, he muttered a quick curse, and swiftly tore open the small pack he had removed from the suitcase. Within the next two minutes he was sheathed inside her, and she moaned his name.

He dragged in a breath, nuzzling her throat and murmured, “tum zara bhi shanti nahi rakhti… thodi time toh diya karo enjoy karneko pehle.”

She opened her eyes, her fingers combing in his hair, and smilingly teased, “kal jaldi uthna hai na isiliye abhi jaldi karna padega.”

He lifted himself on his arms, “kya?”

She laughed, raising her head to place a kiss on the center of his chest, “mazak kar rahi thi.”

“Lights band hote hi badi himmat aa jaati hai”, he suggested.

She sighed, “Sameer… mujhe pata hai aapko… ohhh…” Her words trailed off on a loud moan as he suddenly pulled out and thrust hard. He nipped at her lower lip, “shsh… ab saari baate kal… Filhaal mujhe mere do condoms ka quota poora karna hai.”

And then she could only moan and arch as he took her on the blissful journey once more, which ended just like the last two nights with him collapsing on top of her. But this time when he came back to his senses he didn’t apologize, rather he kissed her once more so passionately that she wondered if he was really going to use the second condom immediately. However, after a mandatory trip to bathroom, he hugged her to him, and dozed off. When she pulled the blanket over them, he sleepily murmured something about the second condom, making her giggle. She kissed his nose affectionately, and whispered, “mujhe nahi lagta aap aaj second condom use karne wale hai…” Placing her head on his shoulder, she wrapped an arm around his waist, and also dozed off.

Next morning she was up at 5pm, but unlike other days she didn’t do her morning ritual of staring and kissing. Instead she got up just after a quick peck on his lips. After her bath, she went to the study room, and took the album and keys from the drawer. Suddenly she gasped on hearing her name from the door, and turned, scared that Sameer had woken up. But to her relief it was Nanaji.

“Good Morning beta”, he wished, “sorry… maine dara diya.”

She smiled and took his blessings, “good morning Nanaji… mujhe ek minute ke liye laga Sameer uth gaye.”

Nanu offered her a small envelope, “isme… address hai.” As she took the envelope Nanu sighed, “shayad iss waqt tumpe itni badi zimmedari nahi daalni chahiye thi mujhe. Shaadi ke baad tum log pehli baar ghumne jaa rahe ho… Mujhe pata nahi ke jab tum Sameer ko bataogi toh woh kya sochega… kya karega… Waise hi itna gussewala hai. Aur abhi abhi Vishakha ke saath rishta theek hua hai… Meri toh samajh me nahi aa raha.”

Naina smiled, “aap chinta mat kijiye Nanaji. Ab Sameer ki zimmedari meri hai… Aapne mujhpe bharosa kiya wahi kaafi hai mere liye. Aur haan… aa paisa mat sochiye ke hamara ghumna bigad jayega. Sameer ne toh shaadi ke pehle se hi teen baar ghumne ka plan bana liya tha… Matlab Mussoorie ke baad bhi do baar aur rahega maza karne ke liye.”

Nanu chuckled, “Sameer bhi na… Pagal hai ekdum. Tum wahan apna dhyan rakhna, aur kuch zaroorat ho toh mujhe phone karna. Chalo abhi jaake taiyar ho jao, maine Ramdhari ko jaldi bula liya hai… Chai pee lena neeche aake.”

Naina went back to their room, and quickly hid all the stuff in her purse, and then started to wake up her husband. Sameer stirred, yawned, and then pulled his wife to him, rolling to trap her on the bed beneath him. She gasped, “aree kya kar rahe hai?”

“Subah wala pyaar”, he murmured, and tried to kiss her neck and shoulders. But not being able to access her skin, he frowned, blinking his eyes open properly to check. On seeing the pink fabric, his scowl deepened, “yeh kya hai? Tumne kapde kab pehne?”

“Nahake”, she replied, and pushed him, “chaliye uthiye… warna der ho jayegi.”

He yawned again and flopped back on the pillows, “aisa konsa jung ladne jaana hai subah subah?”

She quirked a brow, leaned down to ruffle his hair, “aww… itna thak gaye kal raat ko ke honeymoon bhi bhool gaye?”

His eyes widened, and he jerked upright, “oh no… late ho jayenge…” Throwing off the blanket he stood up from the bed, stark naked, and started to look around, “Naina, mera towel kahan hai? Mere kapde? Jaldi do sab…”

Even though her cheeks flushed on seeing him like that, she couldn’t help but laugh, “towel bathroom me rakh diya hai… Jaaiye. Kapde main nikalke rakhungi.”

He rushed inside the bathroom quickly, and she kept giggling as she picked up last night’s discarded clothes and dropped them in the laundry basket, and then arranged the messy bed. She knew the servant would clean the room, and he could arrange the bed too, but somehow she didn’t want anyone to be privy of the messy rumpled bedsheet or haywire pillows. Sameer was out in ten minutes with the towel around his waist, and she frowned, “itni jaldi? Theek se nahaye ke nahi?”

He grinned and spread his arms, “haan bilkul achche se… chaho toh aake taste karlo.”

“Aap bhi na”, she chuckled, “jab dekho tab shaitaani… aapke kapde rakhe hai bed pe… Taiyar hoke neeche aa jaiye. Main jaati hun, Nanaji bhi uth gaye hai.”

He ruffled his wet hair and muttered as he crossed her on the way to bed, “jab dekho tab romance ke beech me Nanu ka naam leti hai… Honeymoon pe dekhta hun subah kaun bachata hai ise.”

She laughed at her pouty husband, and grabbed her purse, but stopped at the door of their room, turning just in time to spot her husband dropping the towel to the floor. She eyed him from top to bottom, and called, “suniye…” When he looked at her she continued, “honeymoon pe subah ko… mujhe bachna nahi hai.”

Sameer stood with his boxers in his hand, his mouth open in surprise as his wife grinned and closed the door. In half a minute he shook his head, and wore the boxers, “tu toh gaya Sameer…”, he murmured happily and started whistling as he got ready.

When he went downstairs a simple breakfast of sandwiches and tea was ready, and they quickly ate it. Things were checked once more to ensure that everything was packed, especially essentials like camera, money and identity proofs. Nanu asked if the tickets were there and Naina ensured she had kept it in her purse. They took Nanu’s blessings, and he wished Sameer all the best in his ear. The drive to airport was a quick one and decked with excitement. Sameer simply couldn’t keep his hands to himself as he kept wrapping them around Naina’s shoulder, who would shrug him off and whisper that the driver would see. When they finally reached the airport, Sameer took the luggage and said, “chalein?”

But Naina was standing and looking up at the sky, “maine hamesha sirf socha tha ke airport aake plane dekhungi. Aapko lene aai thi tab pehli baar dekha tha… Aur aaj… Main plane me bethungi. Mujhe to yaqeen nahi ho raha.”

He held her hand, “tumne kabhi badal dekhke kuch socha hai?”

She frowned at this unrelated question, but answered obidently, “haan… yahi ke woh kaise rui jaise dikhte hai, aur alag alag akaar ke hote hai. Main bachpan me drawing bhi kiya karti thi balcony me bethke… jo akaar uss waqt dikhe woh.”

He grinned, “toh phir chalo… aaj ki hamari yeh sair badalo ke upar hogi, aur tumhe bahot se akaar dikhenge. Aur iss baar hum yeh hamare camera me qaid karenge.”

Her eyes lit up with excitement, “sachchi? Par agar itne photo khichenge toh reel khatam ho jayegi.”

He chuckled, “Mrs. Maheshwari… reel khatam ho gai toh nayi le lenge. Tumhe jitne photo khichne hai khichna.” She grinned, squeezing his hand, and they walked inside the airport. Given it was her first time, she kept watching everything with rapt attention, as the authorities checked their tickets and issued boarding pass, as their luggage was scanned, she hesitated when the officer asked her give her purse too but when Sameer assured her she handed it over. The bottle of water she had packed in her purse was taken out and emptied much to her chagrin. Sameer chuckled as he took the empty bottle back, and she glared at him, “has kya rahe hai? Saara paani phenk diya inn logo ne… Ab safar me pyaas lagi toh?”

He gently explained, “flight me paani denge Naina. Passengers ko kuch bhi liquid cheeze plane me le jaane ka permission nahi hota.”

“Ohh”, she bit her lip in embarrassment, “mujhe nahi pata tha.”

They reached the gate of departure, and he gestured her to sit on a chair. Sitting beside her, he assured, “mujhe bhi pehli baar nahi pata tha. Tab toh Ramdhari ne mujhe thermos me coffee aur dabbe me nashta bhi diya tha. Aur main leke bhi aaya tha.”

She giggled, knowing very well that Nanu wouldn’t have allowed all that because even if Sameer didn’t know he would have known. Maybe Nanu would have stopped her from taking the water too, but no one had been there in kitchen when she had packed it in her purse. Nevertheless she appreciated his attempts to not let her feel embarrassed. She soon started to look around with interest, there were so many people and she liked to observe. An older lady was sitting next to Sameer and peered into a spiritual book trying to read the small fonts. She noticed an aunty feeding her kid from a box, and from the way the kid’s mouth was smeared with red she understood it was bread-jam. A man was hiding behind today’s newspaper, while his wife seemed to be totally bored and kept playing with her dupatta. And older couple clutched onto their bag, looking around nervously and she assumed that it was their first time on flight too. However, soon a young boy came forward with a bottle of water that he must have bought from some shop in the airport, and helped the older couple, who were probably his parents, to take medicines.

Very soon her interesting observations were interrupted by her husband trying to hold her hand, and he whispered in her ears, “pink pehna mujhe tadpane ke liye?”

She smiled, “ab jaake aapko dikha maine kya pehna hai… subah toh kahin aur hi khoye hue the.”

He stroked his finger on her chuda, “subah toh tum kapde pehenke aai thi mujhe uthane… mera mood off kar diya.”

She surreptitiously looked around, “meri kya galti… aap hi uthe nahi aaj jab maine subah… umm…”

“Kiss kiya tha?” He queried, and she hushed him immediately, “shsh… koi sunn lega.”

He smirked, “sunne do… subah theek se uthati toh dusra use karte na. Sab tumhari galti…”

A small outraged gasp escaped her lips, “meri kya galti isme? Aap hi toh kal so gaye… aur dusra co…” She trailed off as Sameer urgently shook his head, and she realized that she was no longer whispering. Mortified, she quickly tried to cover up, “cover… dusra cover banana reh gaya.”

He wanted to laugh, but teased her, “ek cover bhar diya tha na. Ab dusre se pehle neend aa gai. Phir aaj uthna bhi toh jaldi tha… Haan par tum pehle utha deti toh dusra cover bhi bana lete. Ab ek se hi kaam chalana padega.”

Naina stared at him shocked, but before she could say or do anything, the elderly lady beside him spoke up in a shrill voice, “nahi chalta…”

Both Sameer and Naina turned to look at the woman. The woman closed her book, and adjusted her spectacles, “ek cover me sabka shagun nahi de sakte. Jitne logo ko shagun dena hai utne cover banane padte hai.”

Naina flushed in embarrassment, while Sameer pressed his lips, and replied, “jee Auntyji.”

The woman looked at Naina’s hand, and nodded, “nai dulhan lagti hai… Kuldevi ke darshan ko jaa rahe ho?” Sameer nodded, and the woman smiled, “phir toh tumhari biwi theek keh rahi hai… ek cover se nahi hoga. Abhi jahan jaa rahe ho, udhar pahonchke, apas me baat karke tay karlena kitne cover banane hai.”

Naina hiccupped, and Sameer obediently nodded his head, “jee Auntyji… Yeh jitney bolegi utne cover banaunga.”

The woman smiled, pleased and then took out another book, shifting her attention away from them. Naina looked at Sameer, her eyes wide in disbelief. He picked up her dupatta, and held it over his mouth to control his laughter. Thankfully soon the boarding announcement happened, and an airport assistance staff came with a wheelchair to help the elderly woman. As soon as she was gone, Sameer let out a spurt of chortles, while Naina covered her face with her hands, and moaned, “hey bhagwaan…”

Sameer tugged her hand away from her face, and asked, “toh… kitne cover banane hai?”

She pushed at his shoulder, her face red, “hatiye… pareshan mat kariye.”

As they stood up to join the boarding queue, he still kept giggling occasionally, while Naina stood in-front of him trying not to pay attention to his antics.

Naina looked around with curious interest at the interior of the plane. An airhostess guided them to their seats and Sameer let her sit at the window. Her eyes were shining with excitement and anticipation as she looked outside, and then back at him, “kitni der aur.”

He smiled, “bas thodi der.”

She looked outside again, craning her neck, and then asked him in a low voice, “yeh plane udega kaise?”

“Main businessman hun pilot nahi”, he replied with a grin.

To this she immediately asked, “pilot kahan hai?”

He chuckled, “ekdum saamne. Unki alag cabin hoti hai jiske andar jaaneki ijaazat hume nahi hoti.”

The airhostess came back to their seat and asked Naina to give her purse. She frowned, holding it tighter, “nahi isme zaroori samaan hai.”

Sameer gently pried it away from her hands, “Naina ise upar rakhna padega. Flight take-off karegi tab hamare haath me kuch nahi hona chahiye. Tumhe agar baad me kuch chahiye toh bolna, main utaar dunga purse.”

As the airhostess tucked the purse and left, Naina queried apprehensively, “koi chori kar lega toh?”

“Kuch nahi hoga”, he assured, “chalo seat belt lagao ab.”

She watched him take hold of the two belts that dangled from the side of seat, and buckle it. Pursing her lips she tried to repeat the same procedure, but the belt felt too short. She was about to ask, but just then he leaned forward and took a belt from her hand, extending the cord a little, and then buckled the pin while his eyes stayed fixed of her face. She nervously looked here and there, her gaze wanting to remain focused on her husband, and then she closed her eyes. She heard his chuckle as he drew back and then sighed in relief, opening her eyes again. A man came to sit on the aisle seat next to Sameer, and immediately grumbled, about hating the first seat as it did not have food tray in-front of him.

Naina had noticed Sameer specifically asking for the front row when boarding passes were being issued, and now she looked behind her to check what the difference was. But she couldn’t spot anything, and so she asked, “kis tray ki baat kar rahe hai yeh? Aur humne ekdum saamne wali seat kyun li hai?”

He replied patiently, “khana ya kitaab rakhne ke liye saamne wali seat pe ek folding tray jaisa hota hai. Hamari front seat hai toh tray handle ke andar hai.” He lifted the handle to show her, and she smiled in wonder. Closing the handle cover he further explained, “aur maine front seat maangi kyunki yahan yeh paav rakhne ki jagah thodi zyada hoti hai. Aur…”

Her brows furrowed, “aur?”

He leaned towards her and whispered, “aur yahan main tumhe kiss karu toh saamne se koi palatke dekhne wala bhi nahi hai.”

“Chee”, she muttered, and pushed him.

He caught her hand, “chee? Achanak se chee ho gaya? Aur roz subah jo tum…”

She placed her other hand over his mouth to shut him up, “shsh… kya bole jaa rahe hai? Mera matlab tha ke logo ke saamne…” However she never got to complete her statement as suddenly the announcement for take-off played, and the plane started. Her eyes rounded with wonder, and she quickly turned to look outside. He sat back, pleased with just being able to hold her hand for now, and see her excitement. However as soon as the place started to pick up speed to fly, her smile changed to fear, and she clutched onto his hand tight. He grinned totally enjoying the play of emotions on her face. Very soon as the plane left the ground and they were pushed back in their seats, she squeezed her eyes shut, her nails dug onto his palm, and she bit her lip hard. It wasn’t long before the plane was steady in the air, and he unbuckled his seatbelt, even before the sign was off. He slid to crouch on the floor in front of her, and lifted his free hand to gently pull her lower lip down, freeing it from her teeth. Using two fingers he smoothed her hair back from her face and tucked the silky strands behind her ear. “Naina”, he gently called, “aankhen kholo.”

She shook her head, and he chuckled, “aankhen kholo… kuch nahi hoga.” Slowly her eyes fluttered open and met his gaze. He gestured towards the window, “dekho bahar… sheher kitna chota sa lagega… aur aasmaan hamare saath chal raha hai.”

After a brief hesitation she turned to look and gasped at the sight. The ground was distant, reduced to only uneven square patches of different shades, and clouds floated past the window. Even as she stared the flight gained more altitude, the earth disappeared, and all she could see was a cover of clouds that seemed to be the whitest and softest blanket she had ever seen.

Sameer gazed at her changing expressions, and asked, “kaisa laga?”

She looked back at him with a wide smile, “jaadoo…”

He chuckled, and stood up to sit on his seat once more, and asked, “belt kholna hai ya rehne du?”

She was still bit scared, so said, “rehne dijiye.” He adjusted it a bit, loosening it with one hand so that she was comfortable. She looked down and gasped, “yeh kya hua?”

He grinned, “saare nishaan khud karti ho aur puchti bhi ho.”

She lifted his right hand that she had been gripping all the while, and stroked the red marks from her nails, “mujhe pata hi nahi chala… I am sorry.”

“koi baat nahi darling”, he winked, “main Mussoorie pahonchke sab vasool karunga… interest ke saath.”

She smiled, and then peeked around him to check that the man next to him wasn’t looking, and dipped to kiss his hand quickly. He quirked his brows in appreciation, “aree waah… aur bhi kahin laga hai… batau?”

She stuck her tongue out at him, making him laugh. The next thirty minutes passed in answering her dozens of questions about flight, his experiences. He even taught her how to call the airhostess, and also managed to sneak a kiss on her hand. And then finally when she was engrossed in staring outside, he held her hand, tilted his head on her shoulder and dozed off. She noticed his even breathing, and smiled, straightening a bit so that he wouldn’t have to lean so much to the side. Lifting her free hand she stroked the locks of hair that fell on his forehead, turned her face just a bit to nuzzle his hair, and then placed her cheek on his head, slowly falling asleep herself.

The man beside Sameer looked at the sleeping couple, and clucked his tongue murmuring about newly married young generation who had no shame even in-front of people. In about an hour or so the announcement for landing preparation woke them up, and Sameer asked if she wanted to visit the bathroom, but she shook her head resolutely. She didn’t think she could pee while she knew she was flying in the air, but this did make her ask a question as to where would the waste go, because in trains usually it was discarded on the railway tracks.

Sameer started at her for a full minute before laughing, not because she had asked something silly, but he was taken aback by the thought of toilet waste in plane being discarded while it was flying. When he calmed down, he explained to her about the facilities and when it was cleaned. As soon as the flight landed, people started to get up and queue, but he asked her to stay put, “itni bheed me nahi nikalna. Koi jaldi nahi hai.”

Finally when there were less number of people left, he got up and brought out her purse, helped her unbuckled, and then pulled her in-front of him, surround his arm around her waist, prepared to push the man in-front of her if he dared to step back and collide. Naina was amused at the protectiveness, but also touched because no one had shielded her this way, and excited because his protective gestures were also tinged with possessiveness.

When they reached the luggage belt, he kept fidgeting, and she asked, “kya hua hai aapko? Bathroom jaana hai toh jaiye na.”

He grinned, “bathroom nahi jaana… kahin aur jaana hai.”

Puzzled she queried, “kahan?”

“Wahin jahan koi aata jaata hai nahi”, he crooned, “hamare kamre me darling… jahan koi aur nahi hoga.”

She chuckled, “abhi raat hone me bahot waqt hai… woh dekhiye… hamara bag.” He grabbed the big suitcase off the belt, and thought how clueless his wife was… As if he would wait for the night to fall on their honeymoon. He was determined to make love as soon as they entered the room, and she would have to get over her shyness.

“Auto dekhna padege na”, she mused as they stepped out.

He shook his head, “nahi… Hotel se car aane wali hai.”

She was surprised, “hotel se car bhi aati hai?”

He smiled and pointed towards a group of people holding placards, “haan… woh dekho… Hume lene aaye hai.” She looked in that direction, and soon spotted a man in driver’s uniform holding a placard with “Mr. and Mrs. Maheshwari” written on it. Her lips curved in a wide smile on seeing that title. The man greeted them, helped them with the luggage, and soon they were on the way, driving through the scenic surroundings. She kept thinking what all places they could cover today if they left immediately after freshening up, while he tried to think of a way to convince her to make love.

The view of the big hotel almost made her mouth fall open, but she controlled her expressions in the nick of time. Sameer on the other hand seemed totally comfortable in that extravagant place. While he confirmed their booking and filled the necessary details, she looked around at the lavish velvet sofa in the lobby, the plants at the corner lending a fresh look, the fountain that she could see through the glass doors, the people who went about dressed in three-piece suits and expensive dresses as if it was a regular lifestyle. The whole setting seemed alien for her; she had never laid her eyes on such luxury and suddenly her pink churidaar didn’t seem to be up to the standards.

Sameer slid his arm around her waist, “chalein?”

She nodded, but then looked at his empty hands with a frown, “hamara samaan?”

“Bell boy le aayega”, he promptly replied, “chalo.”

She walked with him, keeping her eyes lowered, afraid that she would spot someone sneering at her inappropriate dress. She hadn’t even worn proper jewelry today. Suddenly Taiji’s taunts about her looks rang in her ears. They took the elevator up to the fifth floor, and even that looked so lavish with automatic doors and bronze interiors. Their room was just as amazing… A honeymoon suite had been booked for them; it was split level affair with the sitting area separated from the humongous bed by three short steps. The floor was cream tiles that glowed golden in the sunlight spilling from the arched window. There was a curved sofa in the deepest shade of red, surrounded by a few ottomans forming a circle between which was a thick Persian beige rug pressed to the floor with a heavy wooden table. A plush high-backed chair was placed near the window, with another ottoman in-front of it. It was too big for one man, she thought. The wardrobe and dresser were near the wall in-front of the sofa, and an open door beside it gave her a glimpse of a huge bathroom. The bed was… gigantic… It was definitely custom-made, she thought, and flushed a bit on seeing the towel entwined swans, a trademark of honeymoon room as she had seen in movies. But here there was also a big bouquet of red roses placed on the side table.

Suddenly the doorbell rang and she jerked. Sameer went to open the door, and a bell-boy came inside with their suitcase, followed by a lady who carried a tray with two glasses of juice, and small box of chocolates. She welcomed them to the hotel, explained about the facilities in the room, and then left wishing them a pleasant stay. Sameer went to close and lock the door, and also hung the ‘do not disturb’ sign over the knob.

Naina meanwhile placed her purse carefully over the dresser and closed her eyes exhaling in relief at finally being alone. She was already so nervous, and shuddered when she felt his arms surround her. She smiled thinking it was just a hug, but soon she knew it wasn’t just that because he tried to tug off her dupatta.

She tried to divert his attention, “Sameer… dekhiye na kitna sundar kamra hai… mujhe bataiye toh sahi.”

“Baad me dekh lena”, he muttered, finally managing to push aside her dupatta a bit and started to cover her neck with kisses.

She didn’t know what to do, how to stop him, and so she just uttered, “suniye… abhi nahi… please.”

He stopped immediately, closing his eyes, trying to curb his disappointment and gently asked, “kyun?”

She moved a bit away from him, towards the window, “woh… bas aisai… thakan hai.”

“Jhooth”, he declared, “mujhe pata hai tum isiliye nervous ho ke din hai abhi… lights bandh karene se andhera nahi hoga.”

Her cheeks flooded with color, “ummm… nahi… woh…”

He moved behind her, and placed his palms on her shoulder, “Naina… tumhe mujhse kuch bhi chupane ki zaroorat nahi hai. Achcha suno meri baat… Tum kahogi toh hum kuch nahi karenge, par mujhse baat toh karo. Hotel me ghuse hai tabse sehmi hui si ho. Kya hua hai?”

She turned to him, debating what to tell him, but then remembered how she had always honestly shared her fears with him. And so she confessed, “maine itna bada hotel kabhi nahi dekha, aur aap ke liye yeh aam baat hogi. Mujhe aisa laga ke jaise mere kapde, mere joote kuch bhi iss jagah ke layak nahi hai… Aur… aur baki sab log bhi kitne achche se taiyar hoke ghum rahe the, maine toh gehne bhi nahi pehne.”

He cupped her face, “tumhe gehno ki zaroorat nahi hai khoobsurat dikhne ke liye. Tum aisai bahot achchi dikhti ho… Aur rahi baat kapdo ki toh dusro ne kya pehna uspe kyun dhyan de rahi ho? Tum agar taiyar hoke aai toh woh sab logo ki chamak pheeki pad jayegi.”

She smiled, still unsure. He stroked his thumb over her cheek, “aur yeh lights ka kya chakkar hai? Agar tumhe pehle se kuch pata nahi hota toh main samajhta bhi… Par tum toh kaafi kuch jaanti thi… Pehli baar woh kadam bhi tumne hi aage badhaya tha meri taraf. Toh phir yeh jhijak kaisi?”

She wrung her hands in desperation, “Sameer… main… main jaanti hun ke aapke liye main khoobsurat hun… par sabne hamesha bola hai ke main achchi nahi dikhti… Aur yeh… mera matlab… aap aise kaise mujhe dekh sakte hai. Andhere me hi hota hai na…”

He gently wrapped his arms around her, “sabse pehle toh tum yeh baat dimag se nikaal do ke tum khoobsurat nahi ho. Mere liye meri biwi duniya ki sabse khoobsurat aurat hai. Baki kisika toh koi haq hi nahi banta kuch bolneka toh unki baat bhi kyun sunni. Aur tumne dekha hai na mera haal… jaanti ho na maine kitna control karke rakha tha khudko pehle… Uske baad bhi tum aisa kaise soch sakti ho ke tumhe dekhke main yeh sochunga ke tum achchi nahi dikhti?” His hand moved over her waist, “tumhari har ek jhalak ke liye meri aankhen tarasti hai. Jab tum salwar-kameez pehenti ho toh lagta hai kamar nahi dikh rahi tumhari, saree hi achcha hai. Jab tum saree pehenti ho to lagta hai thoda aur dekhu. Tumhe har jagah chhuaa hai Naina… Ab dekhna bhi chahta hun. Aur pyaar sirf andhere me karte hai aisa kisne kaha?”

She looked up with big confused eyes, “par aise bina kapdo ke…”

“Naina”, he interrupted, “main subah ko bina kapdo ke uth jaata hun… Tumne toh mujhe dekha hua hai… Tumko kya mehsoos hua? Aisa laga ke kharab hai? Ya aisa laga ke dobara nahi dekhna?”

She bit her lip, blushed and shook her head in negative. He smiled, “aisa laga ke dekhti rahun? Ya wapas dekhna hai?” This time she took a bit more time, but then slowly nodded. His smile widened, “yahi samjha raha hun tumhe… pati-patni ke beech me yeh ichcha normal hai Naina.  Jab maine socha bhi nahi tha tab tumne himmat karke hamare rishte ka sabse bada kadam uthaya… Toh ab wapas se himmat karlo. Mujhe ek mauka do yeh dikhane ka ke meri nazro me tum kitni khoobsurat ho… Mujhe yeh haq do tumhe dekhneka, woh haq jo sirf mera hai… Bolo… Dogi yeh mauka mujhe?  Dogi yeh haq mujhe?”

She kept staring at him, thinking for such a long time that he had difficulty holding onto his patience. Finally she turned away from him, and he sighed thinking it was a no go, that she needed more time. He started to move away, but a familiar sound stopped him and he looked up in time to see the heavy beige curtains closing. And then his wife turned to him with a soft smile and shy gaze. His breath nearly stopped… Still just to test the waters, instead of kissing her, he caught the edge of her dupatta, slowly slipping it off her shoulders and dropped it to the floor. She blushed, and he noticed the way her breathing accelerated, but she didn’t object. He grinned, cupping her face, and hoarsely whispered, “I love you.”

She looked up at him, surprised, “itni khushi?”

“Tum soch bhi nahi sakti itni”, he replied, picking her up in his arms, “thank you… thank you so much… I promise main kuch bhi aisa nahi karunga jo tum nahi chahogi.”

She looped her hands around his neck, “main dekhna chahti hun… ke… aapki nazro me kitni khoobsurat hun.”

His eyes glittered as he carried her to the bed, and placed her as gently as if she was made of glass. Even before he started kissing her, she sensed a change in his approach. There was desire but no urgency. There was fire but it was a slow burn. There was a determination to show her something she had never seen before. The attention he paid to her lips made her feel as if she was slowly slipping into oblivion where time didn’t have any meaning. Her fingers toyed with the buttons of his shirt, but she seemed to have forgotten how to open them. She had no idea when he removed her earrings and necklace… She stared with dreamy blinking eyes as he pulled off his shirt without opening the buttons… She could only hold onto his shoulders for dear life when he undid the zip of her kameez and let his hands explore her back. When he turned her away from him, she gripped the bedsheet, her eyes nearly rolling back in pleasure on feeling his lips skim her spine. He murmured something in her ear, but she didn’t understand what was it, she only felt his fingers struggling with the hooks of her bra and could only moan his name aloud when he sank his teeth on her shoulders. He turned her back to him, staring at her with burning eyes as he used his fingers to push down her sleeves, and the strap of her bra, baring more skin to his view. He stood up, and she still kept sitting with her eyes closed having totally surrendered herself to him.

He quickly unbuckled his belt and shucked his pants and boxers, and then sat beside her, kissed her forehead, and slowly bunched her kameez up. He stopped for a brief moment, instructed her to lift her hands which she immediately obeyed, and he didn’t waste another moment, pulling off the kameez and her bra together. He thought she would try to cover up, but was surprised when just kept sitting totally lax, her eyes still squeezed shut. Thinking she was scared, he touched her cheeks, “Naina…”

She shuddered and immediately hugged him… As skin met skin, he felt as if a jolt of electricity shot through him. He could see her… God… But still he forced himself to stay in senses, and softly queried, “darr lag raha hai?”

She shook her head against his shoulder, and spoke in a barely audible whisper, “nahi… aap chhoote hai toh har darr gayab ho jaata hai.”

He closed his eyes, the immense significance of her words weighing on his heart. His throat choked up, rendering him unable to speak, but he was determined to show her how desirable he found her. And so he laid her back on the bed, and let his eyes feast while his fingers skimmed lightly over her skin making her sigh. With slightly trembling hands, he undid the knot of her salwar, and finally bared her fully to him. He literally forgot to breathe, and the clothes he was holding slipped from his nerveless fingers… God… she was so beautiful… Round breasts that he knew the taste of but now he could see the shape and color, the curvy waist he used to see whenever she wore a saree actually flared to even curvier hips. And her legs… Oh man… Her height was so short as compared to him then how could she have such long shapely legs? Her toes curled, due to fear or anticipation, he didn’t know…

The way she lay with her eyes closed, her hands fisted on the bedsheet as if to stop herself from covering her own body, her silent acquiescence to his demand of seeing her… Everything made him realize what a big step this was for her… And she had said that she didn’t feel scared whenever he touched her. Words could be false, they could be faked, they might be hollow… But touch conveyed feelings deeper than words ever could, and touch couldn’t be faked… And so he sought to make her feel what he felt for her… Starting with her toes he kissed, sucked, nibbled every inch of bare flesh on her body until she was writhing so much that she had pulled the bedsheet from where it had been tucked beneath the mattress, until she was lifting to his touch, until the only response she could give was gentle sighs and breathy moans.

She had no idea how long he had been looking at her, kissing her, touching her, and neither did she want to know… All she knew was the incredible ecstasy she felt from the moment she had surrendered to him, to his wish, to his demand. She had just closed her eyes and let herself feel. And now as he devoted himself on showering lavish attention to her body, as her thighs parted and her flesh stretched to accept him, she felt that this was the surrender she had read of in novels… Having faith over someone enough to hand over even your soul… Giving in to the love in your heart and letting it lead you down an unknown path… An act of total surrender that conquered the biggest pleasure… An untamed power that could heal scars which are not visible on surface… A force that could obliviate every dark memory… A bond that was the utmost freedom one could ever achieve… This… This was what desire felt like, what being treasured felt like…

And as together they reached the shimmering blanket of white clouds, their beings melting into one; she knew that from this moment onwards she would always see herself just as he saw her. She was the woman he wanted, he yearned for, he desired and he needed… She was his woman. The world and their thoughts didn’t matter anymore to her… Whatever mattered to her was the trembling man she held in her arms… Now she was no longer afraid, and so she slowly opened her eyes, blinking repeatedly because of the bright sunlight… She glanced at the watch on the wall, 3pm… How much time had they spent here on the bed? She really didn’t know and for the moment didn’t even want to know.

He stirred as she stroked his sweaty back, and groaned like a man in deep pain. She had the urge to laugh, but instead kissed the side of his neck. He lifted his head, looking into her eyes, searching answers to questions he was unable to frame. She smiled, “bathroom jaana hoga na?”

He blinked and nodded, bit puzzled by her demeanour, but thought that he should clean himself first, throw the condom and maybe spray some cold water on his head before talking to her. He somehow managed to extract himself away from her, and stumbled to the bathroom, his body still trembling from the aftermath of what he had experienced. He had set out to make her feel, to show her what he thought of her, but he hadn’t known that he would feel so euphoric himself. It was as if he had taken a shot of drug that had gone into his head making everything around him golden and shimmery. He splashed the cold water over his face, trying to get a grip over himself because he needed to talk to her; he needed to ask if she was okay, if she had felt good, if she was still shy. But he felt so… spent… as if he had no energy left in his body. He just wanted to sleep… but he couldn’t… not yet.

However when he stumbled outside again, he stood still, his breath caught in his throat because the answer to all his unframed and unasked questions was right there… on the bed… His wife was sitting naked, without the blanket, with her legs drawn up, and fiddling with a white remote. When she saw him, she smiled and extended her hand out as if calling him over. He walked to her slowly, and climbed on the bed, his eyes raking over her naked flesh that was still flushed from their lovemaking. She wasn’t hiding from him anymore… She wasn’t afraid of him seeing her… He wanted to cheer and jump, if only he had the energy.

She leaned on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. “AC thoda badha diya maine”, she said, “hume kitna time hua?”

He looked at the clock and was at a loss, “pata nahi… shayad kuch ghante. Flight 11 baje land hui thi, aur hotel aane me ek ghanta laga hoga, uske baad check-in kiya aur… umm…”

She tried to wrap her head around the fact that they had been making love for a couple of hours. No wonder she felt so tired, and maybe he did too… Plus the temperature of the air conditioner wasn’t set to cool enough, and so they had sweated so much… Her skin still felt feverish, and so did his… They had also missed lunch, she realized, but she didn’t think any one of them could go down to the restaurant to eat anything at this moment. What they needed was a bit of rest, and then some food, maybe they could use the room service facility she had read about in the brochure. After all she was Mrs. Naina Sameer Maheshwari now and should acquaint herself to the ways of her husband’s world.

She drew back to look at him, “thoda so jaaye?”

He nodded and simply lay down without even bothering about the blanket. She pulled the blanket up to their waist, and slept beside him, nuzzling into his waiting arms. “Naina”, he muttered sleepily.

She dropped a kiss on his chest, “mujhe pata chal gaya main aapke nazro se kaise dikhti hun… aur ab se main khudko hamesha waise hi dekhungi. Sirf Naina nahi… Sameer ki Naina.”

He smiled, tightening his hold on her, sighing in blissful satisfaction, and let sleep overcome him unaware that his wife adored him for a long time before she also finally closed her eyes.