Accidentally in Love Chapter 20: Always and Forever

It was 12 March 1998, one year after Sameer and Naina’s wedding, and the day of the book launch. The morning was bright, the golden sun shining at its prime, the heat of summer had already settled in the weather this year, and Nanu had already started to water the plants twice. The Maheshwari house was once again decorated just like last year, the shimmery drapes spanning the walls, the looms of flowers spreading their fragrance, the tall vases were filled with floral arrangements, and the floor lamps were arranged to cover the entire hall properly. It was still early in morning, but smell of food already wafted from the kitchen, and today along with Ramdhari there was one more person inside, a temporary maid they had hired to take care of the washing and cleaning.

The small temple was also decorated with lights and flowers, the idols inside cleaned and shining in all their glory, a silver diya was lighted and incense lent out a sweet smell of jasmine. Just outside the temple several small vessels were kept, covered with newspaper, and there was a bulging bag beside them, from which a panditji kept taking out things and form a small enclosure on a chowki with banana leaves. Nanu had insisted to do a satyanarayan katha in morning to celebrate their first wedding anniversary, and Naina had heartily agreed. Vishakha, Rohan, Deepika and Mr. Somani had arrived yesterday. The Agarwals, Preeti-Pandit, Swati and Munna were slated to arrive soon.

Upstairs inside a big bedroom, Sameer Maheshwari shrugged into a creamy silk kurta, and grumbled, “Naina… main kya karunga puja me? Mujhe toh aata bhi nahi hai…”

His wife flicked back her finished braid, and then turned to do the buttons on his kurta, “koi baat nahi… Panditji jaisa jaisa bolenge waise hi karna… Aur main toh paas me hun hi… Kuch samajh nahi aaya toh main bata dungi.”

He sighed, “yeh puja zaroori thi kya? Iske wajah se anniversary ke din subah subah har tarah ka vrat ho gaya… Naa khana mila aur naa hi tum.”

She chuckled, “aap bhi na… bas puja ho jaane dijiye phir khana bhi milega aur main bhi… aur subah sandwich khaya toh tha”

That brought a smile on his face, “woh toh bas ek me se hum dono ne khaya tha… Tumhare haatho ka breakfast kahan mila.”

Though she had wanted to fast today for the puja, she hadn’t had the heart to say no when he had surprised her this morning. But, it was no wonder that the light morning meal hadn’t filled his appetite, and neither had the lovemaking before dawn been enough… He always needed more of both food and her. Shaking her head, she asked, “chaliye haar pehna dijiye.”

He took the gold necklace from her hand, and hooked it around her neck. Picking up the jhumkas, he made her wear those too, and commented, “maine kaha tha na ke tum Bengali red-white saree me ekdum beautiful lagogi… Dekho zara khud ko… aaj toh sab tumhe hi dekhenge…”

She shook her head, pulling out red bangles from the dresser, “aapne Darjeeling se yeh saree kab kharidi, mujhe toh pata hi nahi chala.”

“Jis din shaam ko hum shopping kar rahe the”, he informed, “tum Nanu ke liye shawl kharidne me busy thi, aur woh dukaandar se baat kar thi na… Tab main chala gaya pados ke dukaan me… Tumhe bolke gaya paani laane jaa raha hun…”

“Aur saree le aaye”, she murmured, amazed at his sneakiness. He chuckled, lifting her hands, tinkling the bangles once to listen to the sound, and then kissed the back of her palm. She gazed at him lovingly… It was their first wedding anniversary today. Since so many days she had been thinking what he would do for this day, what gift he would ask for, what she should buy for him, how they would wish each other. Last night when they had made love, it had been once more a day for long and slow, she had had no idea of time until in the aftermath of completion he had wished “Happy Anniversary” to her. She had gasped and checked the time only to find the clock had just struck twelve, and she had asked, “aapne plan kiya tha… yeh aise kaise exact time pe…”

He had grinned and replied, “Naina main businessman hun, jaadugar nahi… main bas chahta tha ke hum midnight tak jaage… Par yeh exact time toh by chance ho gaya… Aur tum kya yeh bekaar ke sawaal puch rahi ho… Chalo mujhe wish karo…”

She had smiled, and threaded her fingers in his hair, pulling him down a bit to kiss his forehead and wished, “Happy Anniversary Sameer… Iss ek saal me aisa laga ke na jaane kitne janam jee liye, phir bhi chahti hun ke iss janam aur aane wale har janam ka har ek saal aapke saath hi beete. I love you…”

“I love you too”, he had immediately replied, “cake kaate?”

She had been puzzled, “cake?”

He had nodded enthusiastically, “ek minute bas… bathroom jaake aaya.” After a quick mandatory trip to the bathroom, he had opened the bedside drawer and, to her extreme surprise, had pulled out two chocolate pastries arranged on a plate, complete with a small candle and knife. He had handed over the dish to her, and then grabbed a matchbox from the same drawer, lighting up the candle, and said, “ready?”

Surprised she had asked, “aise? Bed pe… kuch bina pehne?”

He had gleefully explained, “wahi toh… yeh hamara personal celebration hai… kal toh sab wish karenge aur cake bhi sabke saane kaatenge. Tumko thoda sa cake khilaunga tab tumhari Taiji ghooregi mujhe… Isiliye abhi raat ko, sirf tum aur main…”

She had felt a bit awkward at first, but on seeing his enthusiasm she had agreed to cut the cake or rather pastry on bed itself, and they had fed each other. After finishing the first one, she had queried, “dusra wala kaatu?”

He had quickly taken the dish from her, “nahi budhdhu… dusra wala kaatne ke liye thodi na hai.”

Puzzled she had asked, “toh kisliye hai?”

He had picked up a bit of icing, applied it on her bare shoulder, and then dipped his head to lick, “iske liye…”

She had been surprised, recalling the first time they had made love, where she had also used chocolate icing to let him know that she was ready to take the next step, and today on their first anniversary he had recreated the scenario for them. Lost in the feel of his lips, she had also smeared some icing on his chest, pushed him on bed, and proceeded to have her way. By the time they had settled down to sleep it was way past 1am. And then he had again woken her up just before dawn, saying he wanted to start the day on an ecstatic note. She had giggled at his demand but happily complied and then once again fallen asleep in his arms as the sky outside had started to illuminate with pink and gold.

Finally after some time, and she didn’t know when, she was shaken awake by her husband, and had murmured, “Sameer abhi wapas nahi…”

He had chuckled, “uske liye nahi utha raha… tumhare roz ke uthne ka waqt ho gaya hai.”

Her eyes had popped open, “ohh… mujhe der ho gai… Aur aap… aap kya kar rahe hai…?” She had been so puzzled on seeing him sitting in-front of her dressed in tracks and t-shirt, and holding up one of his shirts for her to wear, “aap kab uthe?”

“Yeh pehno jaldi”, he had demanded, “warna phir mat kehna ke abhi wapas nahi…”

She had hastily slipped on the shirt, still puzzled at the situation, but once she was done, he had pointed towards the balcony. A surprised “oh” had escaped her lips on seeing the small low table that usually stayed in the study room, but now that table was on their balcony, and on it was a vase with dozen red roses, a dish of sandwiches, two cups of tea, and a white chocolate bar. As she had looked back at him in wonder, he pulled out a pink rose from behind him, and asked, “Mrs. Maheshwari… saath me breakfast kare?”

She had happily accepted the rose, kissed him on his cheek and then excitedly slid down the bed, going over to see the spread. As they sat down, she had asked, “chocolate kyun?”

He had beamed at her, “din ki shuruwat meethe se karni chahiye na.”

Pressing her lips in an appreciative gesture, she had broken off a bit of bar, and fed him… But as soon as he captured the piece between his lips, she had reached over and bit off the protruding part of chocolate, kissing him lightly and said, “yeh hua sahi wala meetha…”

Faint blush had tinged his cheek, “baad me aur dunga yeh meetha… filhaal breakfast karo… maine pehli baar banaya sandwich… pata nahi kaisa bana hoga…”

She had bit into the vegetable sandwich, and signaled with her hands that it was good, and also exclaimed, “bahot tasty hai… aaj toh main sabko bataungi… Aree… ek minute, rukiye…” She stood up and dashed off to their cupboard, pulling out the polaroid camera from their wedding, and came back, clicking pictures of the table, of her husband… And then he had pulled her on his lap, holding the camera facing them, and clicked a picture.

A sudden snap in-front of her face, pulled her out of her thoughts, and she saw Sameer frowning, “kahan kho gai?”

“Hamesha ki tarah aapko dekhne me”, she promptly replied, making him smile and blush. She picked up the silver box, and held it up for him. He grinned, pinching a bit of sindur between his fingers, and filled the partition in her hair, exactly as he had done a year ago to make her his.

The puja was long, and the hawan made it hotter to be closeted inside the house, but Sameer sat through it, since Naina was totally devoted to the ritual. Their families were sitting behind them, and seemed to be just as involved. He never understood all these puja rituals, but when the priest asked them to pray, he just thanked God for bringing Naina in his life, and asked for blessings so that he could keep her happy and safe always.

After a meal, they rested for some time, and soon it was time to get ready for the evening. Naina had chosen a deep purple saree for the occasion; or rather she should say that her husband had chosen it when they had gone shopping. One look at the saree and he had squealed in excitement about how it looked exactly like the saree Madhuri had worn in Hum Aapke Hain Kaun. The kundan set she had received in her wedding would be perfect with it, and of course matching bangles had to be worn. For Sameer she had chosen a black suit with white shirt and a deep purple silk tie. As he set the tie in place on his neck and did the buttons of his sleeve, she couldn’t help but stare. He went up to her and pinched her nose, “sirf mujhe ghoorti rahogi aaj? Taiyar nahi hona?”

She chuckled, “aapka hi wait kar rahi thi… Haar ka hook laga dijiye, aur sindur…”

He did as she asked, and then kissed her forehead, “chale wifey?”

“Mujhe pata hi tha ke aaj ek baar toh aap wifey bolenge hi”, she grinned, “waise mera gift kahan hai?”

He frowned, “subah se flowers diye, breakfast banaya, har aadhe ghante me kiss kiya… Aur bhi kuch chahiye?” She nodded, and he mocked a surprised gasp, “hey bhagwaan… tum woh typical serial ke auroto jaisa heere ka haar toh nahi maang rahi?”

She laughed softly, “jee nahi… woh toh aap de chuke… mujhe jo chahiye woh aapko cupboard me milega… red bag me…”

He was confused, but still walked to the cupboard, opening it to check. He could see some polybags of their recent shopping, but no red bag… He was just about to tell her that there was nothing here, but just then he spotted the small red pouch, the purse of her unfulfilled dreams. It had been empty since she had received the news of her stories being published, but now as he picked it up, he could feel a weight inside… Curious he tugged the string open, and peeped inside to see an envelope. He pulled it out, flicked the tab open, and then upturned it over his palm… A set of photographs fell in his palm, and he looked at each one of them in confusion. Finally he queried, “Naina… yeh sab kya hai…? Qutub Minar, Red Fort, India Gate, Jantar Mantar… yeh sab toh… yeh sab toh Delhi me hai…”

She bit her lip and nodded, “haan… hum chal sakte hai na Delhi?”

His expressions turned grim, “tumhe wahan kyun jaana hai? Yeh sab dekhna zaroori hai?”

She shook her head, “nahi… yeh sab dekhna zaroori nahi hai… Lekin parivaar zaroori hai. Hamari shaadi ke baad Deepika aur Rohan dono ne hume Delhi bulaya tha, par hum gaye nahi.”

“Tum jaanti ho ke hum kyun aaj tak wahan nahi gaye”, he countered.

She came up to him, placing her palms on his chest, “I am sorry Sameer… Function se pehle aapka mood off kar diya. Haan, main jaanti hun ke wahan jaaneka matlab hai ke bahot se puraane zakhm shayad taaza ho jaaye. Lekin Rohan ko aapki zaroorat hai…”

Puzzled he asked, “kyun?”

She gently informed, “Mummy Rohan liye rishta dekhna shuru karne wali hai… Woh samajhta hai ke aap poore time wahan nahi reh sakte, lekin woh chahta hai ke agar koi ladki usko pasand aaye, aur woh dobara milne ka soche tab aap wahan uske saath ho… Uske liye yeh zaroori hai ke aap bhi rishte ki manzoori de.” He looked thoughtful, as if he was pondering over the matter, but didn’t reply, and so she asked, “hum chalenge na?”

He kept the photographs back in the bag, and then kept it in cupboard just as it was before, “raat ko wapas aake bataunga… Abhi mujhe Delhi ke baare me nahi hamare party aur tumhare book launch ke baare me sochna hai.”

She smiled, reaching up to kiss his cheek, “mujhe pata hai aap jo bhi faisla lenge sahi lenge.”

When they reached downstairs, guests had already started to arrive, and everyone praised the decoration. Preeti squealed, exclaiming how beautiful she looked, turning quite a few heads in surprise. Pandit laughed, and declared fondly, “excuse me… meri biwi ab tak thodi si bachchi jaisi hai…” Preeti nudged him with her elbow, and he grinned down at her, softly saying, “I love you…”, making her blush. Sameer and Naina smiled at this… They had been married since some time, but it was just very recently that everyone could see the soothing comfort level between them. Neither Naina, nor Sameer needed any kind of verbal confirmation to the fact that Preeti and Pandit, whose relationship had started with liking each other, had finally found love and more… Swati and Munna came over, carrying a present for them, and wished the couple.

Soon the house was full of guests; Nanu was beaming proudly at everyone, entertaining guests with the tales on his multi-talented bahu. Vishakha for once was no longer comparing Sameer and Rohan in-front of their relatives, but rather was talking about how wonderful the year had been and how lucky they were to have Naina in their home. The Agarwals were bit shy on seeing all the guests, but someone or the other kept introducing them to several people and soon they also mingled in as much as they could. Finally as the clock struck eight, the publisher’s representative came over with a wrapped up copy of the book, and sought permission to speak. Sameer nodded, and stood aside with Naina, who clutched onto his hand, biting her lips in nervousness. The man clinked on his glass to get everyone’s attention, and then announced how Naina’s collection of short stories had been chosen to be published, asking her to come up and reveal the book cover. She shook her head, and requested Nanu to do the honors. Sameer beamed at this request. Nanu gently opened the golden wrapping and held up the book so that everyone could see the cover page… Until then no one knew the name Naina had chosen, but as soon as Sameer saw the cover, he immediately understood the meaning of it. There was a shadow of a girl, writing in a notebook, with mist covering her from almost all sides, and the name on top in deep blue was “अनदेखे सपने…” He grinned down at her recalling how she had told him that she had never even dreamt of her stories being published, all she had ever wanted was the freedom to write… But now the dream she had never seen was fulfilled, because he had that dream for her.

After a round of claps the publisher representative revealed that since the journal held nine stories, they had asked Naina if she could write one more in case she had any idea. Given it was a short story of 4-5 parts each, it shouldn’t take much time. Naina had earlier refused saying that she didn’t had proper new idea but then after a day she had called back and said the she would have the story ready in few days. This news was also a surprise for the family. The man further added that their editor had mentioned that it was the best story in the whole lot; just it was said – leaving the best for the last. He invited Naina once more and asked her to tell the name of the story and read out a portion for the guests. This time she accepted the request, and took the book from Nanu’s hand.

Glancing once at Sameer, she read the title, “iss kahani ka naam hai… विधिवशात् प्यार…”

Sameer frowned in confusion, and she smiled, flipping the page to read, “लड़के ने अपना रूमाल बाहर निकालकर पेश किया और बोतल को लड़की के हाथों से ले लिया। लड़की कुछ भी कहने में असमर्थ थी और उसने ना में अपना सिर हिला दिया। लड़के ने कहा, “ले लो। टॉप पे कोल्ड ड्रिंक का दाग लग गया तोह घर पे क्या बोलेगी।”…………

And so it continued, until, “हमारा प्यार तोह मेरे कोल्ड ड्रिंक और तुम्हारे क्रीम-रोल से ही बढ़ गया है. अब यह वाला मीठा खाके सेलिब्रेट कर लेते है।”

The people around them had several reactions from adoration to surprise to curiosity, but it was Sameer who was standing absolutely stunned, while Munna-Pandit, Preeti and Swati were giggling uncontrollably. Taiji grumbled, “oh bai! Yeh kaisi kahani hai… Cinema ghar me bhala pyaar hota hai kya…”

Sameer shook his head, starting to smile as Naina closed the book and walked over to stand beside him. Nanu chuckled, “kisi kisiko ho bhi sakta hai behenji… Khair… Chaliye khana lag gaya hai.”

People moved over to the garden to have dinner, most of them pausing on the way to congratulate the couple for their anniversary, and Naina for the book. Finally when it was just them and their friends, he exclaimed in surprise, “tumne hamari love story likhi…!”

She smiled, “jee haan… hamari love story kisi novel se kam thodi na hai…”

He grinned, “woh baat toh hai… lekin yeh title kaisa ajeeb sa hai… mujhse toh bola bhi nahi jayega…”

She laughed softly, “koi baat nahi… aap English me samajh lena… Vidhivashaat Pyaar ka matlab hai Accidentally in Love.”

“Oohhh”, he muttered, “ab samajh aaya… haan sach me accidentally hi tha…” Their friends laughed at this, and then finally they also moved out to have dinner. All of them sat on a single table, talking nineteen to dozen, eating all the delicious food. At the end when desert was served, Sameer was bit taken aback when apart from the ice-cream, a dish containing a single cream roll was also placed between him and Naina. He looked at his wife and the smile on her lips immediately told him that this was her plan. Lifting up the cream roll, he bit into it, and then held it up to her lips, “ek hi cream roll diya hai… tum khaogi? Soch lo… Kisine mujhse kaha tha, jhootha khane se pyaar badhta hai…”

She chuckled, “toh phir chaliye… aaj dekh hi lete hai pyaar kitna badhta hai…” Saying so she bit into the cream-roll, making him grin with happiness. To him the moment felt like the completion of a full circle. That day in the theatre he had eaten her leftover cream-roll, not really believing in that moment about her tales of love. But then he had indeed fallen in love with her that day itself… And today she had eaten his leftover cream-roll, indicating in a way that she always wanted the love between them to increase.

It was late by the time the guests left, the family members chattered for a while, some eating another round of ice-cream. Sameer snagged Rohan away, taking him to the front lawn and sat on the swing, directly asking, “tum agar chahte ho ke main Delhi aau toh mujhse baat kyun nahi ki? Naina se kehelwaane ki kya zaroorat thi?”

Rohan fumbled for a moment, and then stammered, “b…bhai… ac…actually… umm… maine socha… mera matlab… main chahta hun ke jis ladki ko main pasand karu dobara milne ke liye usse ek baar aap bhi mile… Mummy-Papa ke saath saath main aapka approval bhi chahta hun, aur bhabhi ka bhi… Isiliye bhabhi se baat ki…”

Sameer once more queried, “mujhse kyun nahi ki? Tumhe lagta hai main ab tak wahi pehle wala Sameer hun jo tumse aur Deepika se koi rishta nahi rakhna chahta?”

“Nahi bhai…”, Rohan immediately clarified, “aisa bilkul nahi hai… Baat bas itni si hai ke mujhe pata hai Delhi se aapki kitni kharab yaadein judi hui hai… Isiliye main nahi chahta tha ke yeh baat karke aapko dukh pahochaayu… Bhabhi se baat ki, kyunki mujhe pata tha ke woh aapka mood dekh kar theek waqt pe aapse baat karengi… Lekin mujhe nahi pata tha ke woh aaj hi…”

Sameer was silent for a moment as his brother trailed off, and then said, “Naina ke saath hone se bidge rishte sulajh gaye, puraani yaado ne taklif nahi ummeed di… Shayad ab waqt aa gaya hai ke Delhi ki kharab yaade bhi achchi yaado se badal di jaaye.”

“Iska matlab aap…”, Rohan trailed off once again, not daring to hope and ask. Sameer smiled, “haan… jaise hi tum koi ladki pasand karte ho main aur Naina Delhi aa jayenge.”

Elated, Rohan hugged him, “thank you bhai… thank you so much… finally meri life ke kisi important faisle me mere bade bhai mere saath honge.”

Ten minutes later when the brothers strolled inside, Sameer caught Naina staring at him. Suddenly she smiled and mouthed, “thank you.” He shook his head astonished at how she understood without him having to even say anything. When they reached their room, she hugged him immediately, and he smiled, “kya baat hai… aaj bahot pyaar aa raha hai.”

“Pyaar toh roz aata hai”, she murmured, “lekin aaj meri nazar me aapki izzat aur badh gai… Rohan ki khushi ke liye aaj aapne ek baar phirse apne guzre hue kal ka saamna karneka faisla liya.”

He nuzzled her hair, “tum saath nahi hoti toh yeh karneki himmat nahi hoti mujhme…”

She drew back from him and started to say, “Sameer…” But he placed a hand over her mouth, “shshh… yeh sab baato ke liye bahot waqt hai… Abhi, hamari first anniversary ki yeh raat main kisi aur tareeke se bitana chahta hun.”

She smiled, glancing at the clock, “hmmm… ek ghanta hai aapke paas… Phir 12 baj jayenge.”

He guided her to the dressing table, and started to remove her jewelry, “jaanta hun… mujhe mera gift chahiye.”

She pulled off the bangles, and wet a wad of cotton to remove her makeup, “kahiye kya chahiye.”

He silently stood watching her remove the makeup from her face, and then clean her face once more with the solution. As she undid her bun, she asked again, “kahiye na…”

He hesitated for a minute, but then gently proposed, “maine yeh hamare first honeymoon me bhi kaha tha… umm… main… I mean… Hum dono… aaj… bathroom me saath…”

She turned to look at him in surprise and he immediately paused, biting his lip in apprehension, afraid the she didn’t like his request. She stared at him, recalling what he had said in Mussoorie. At that time she had thought that he was joking, that he didn’t really mean it… But turns out he did… Bathroom… He really wanted to be inside the bathroom with her? And why? Bath together… or was there any way to make love in bathroom as well? She had no idea, and she couldn’t even form an imagination about it… However, looking into his eyes, she knew he was serious about his request, and yet wouldn’t do anything until she said yes. Dragging in a deep breath she turned away from him, and he sighed, thinking that she didn’t want it.

But just then she called him in a soft voice, “Sameer… pallu ka pin khol denge? Bathroom me saree geeli ho jayegi…”

His eyes widened in surprise, and slowly he moved behind her, placing his hands on her shoulder, “tum sure ho na…?”

Her eyes met his in the mirror, and she smiled, “bathroom me kaise… kya… mujhe nahi pata… Lekin itna pata hai ke mujhe mere Sameer pe poora bharosa hai.”

He grinned, undoing the pin, “I love you darling…”

“I love you too”, she replied, watching the glitter in his eyes deepen when the pallu slipped from her shoulder. He shrugged out of his suit, pulled off his tie, and then tugged her to him, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “45 minutes bache”, she informed, a lopsided smile curving her lips.

He chuckled, rubbing him thumb over her lips, and then kissed her softly. She hummed, looping her hands around his neck, stretching up on her toes, teasing him with her tongue, tempting him to deepen the kiss. He groaned, shuddered, and then tilted his head, stroking her mouth with deep, skillful strokes. She quivered, melting in his arms; he grasped her bottom, lifting her up, and carried her inside the bathroom. Setting her down on the sink counter, he parted once for breath, gratified on seeing her wet lips, glazed eyes, and messy hair. He dipped to kiss the side of her neck, making her moan… His fingers searched her back, finding the hooks, slowly undoing each one of them. She didn’t object when he drew back to slide off the blouse off her body… She didn’t say anything when his hands cupped her breasts, rubbing his thumb over the puckered nubs… A sharp sensation shot through her spine… Her hands clenched on his shirt, her fingers playing with his buttons before slowly undoing them.

“Shower”, he murmured, pulling her down, and in the same motion tugged at the thread of her underskirt. The fabric pooled at her feet, she gasped and he kissed her again. Her palms grabbed onto his shoulder which were now suddenly bare. In a state of daze she realized that he had removed his shirt, a small sound of buckle told her his trousers would be gone soon. She felt his finger trace the edge of her lacy panty, and then it too pooled at her feet.

Without wasting another moment, he lifted her once more, and walked to the showering cabinet. She clung to him, kissing his shoulders and chest while his hands fumbled with the knob. The cold water made her gasp, and he swiftly turned so the water fell on him first. She blinked, staring up at him, suddenly mesmerized by the spray of water projecting off his back, splashing in different directions. The drops of water dripping from his wet hair made her want to reach up and touch, and she did so… He wrapped a hand around her waist, and pulled her flush to him.

She gasped, and he slid his other hand in her hair, capturing her lips in another heated kiss. One sensation collided with another. The warmth of his palm on her back contrasting the cold water… The smooth deft glide of his tongue… The incredible feeling of skin against naked wet skin… She shifted slightly, rubbing her body against his, enjoying the rasp of his chest hair against her sensitive breasts, the feel of his hardness against her belly, and felt thrilled when he groaned, pressing her harder to him.

His mouth left a hot trail down her throat, shoulders and he tilted her back on his arm, watching the water fall on her body and slide down her breasts. Something dark and intoxicating lit up the depths of his eyes at the sight, and with a hungry groan he drew in a succulent bud in his mouth. She screamed softly at the hard suction, her back arching even more into the heat of his mouth. His fingers trailed down her belly, playing at her navel for a moment, and then stroked the sensitive burning flesh below. Every flick of his rough tongue, every slide of his long fingers made the fire between her legs burn brighter.

The water didn’t feel cold anymore, rather she felt as if the shower cabinet was steaming up with their mingled breath. “Sameer…”, she moaned, as his thumb rubbed persistently, two finger moving  deep inside her. He reached up to her lips again, capturing her soft cry in his mouth as she quivered and dissolved. The smell of her arousal, the slippery sensation on his fingers, fueled the already raging fire inside him. She panted, hiding her face against his shoulder… He held her with one hand, grabbing the condom he had kept on the shelf, tore the pack with his teeth, the pungent taste of latex flooding his mouth and he spit. Shaking his head at his own foolishness and urgency, he rinsed his mouth once, and then swiftly put the condom on with one hand.

“Naina”, he muttered, stroking her back, cupping her bottom, and instructed, “mujhe pakdo.”

She didn’t really understand what he meant, as she was still leaning on him, her breathing heavy, but on hearing him she wrapped her hands around his waist. He chuckled, “aise nahi…” Gently prying his hands away from his waist, he looped them around his neck, then bent to grab one of her legs wrapping it around his hip, and then picked her up. She made a surprised little sound, instinctively wrapping her legs around his waist like she had done it once before in Darjeeling. He hummed in satisfaction, reaching down between them, his knuckles rubbing against her still throbbing flesh, making her whimper, and then he guided himself. She felt him probing, and bit her lip, her body strung tight with anticipation. He took a deep breath, and entered her in a single slow thrust, shuddering at the sensation, his mouth peppering kisses on her face as he held her up against the wall.

Her body tensed, and then relaxed, stretching to let him enter completely, her own body weight pushing her down on him, easing the penetration. She moaned, her lips finding the side of his face, nipping at the point where neck met shoulder, scraping the tendons with her teeth. He lifted her up a bit more, and started thrusting… Her head fell back on a throaty moan; the sensations inside her were so different, she felt as if his strokes went deeper than ever before, and it felt so good. His entire body rubbed against her, his mouth leaving a burning trail wherever he could reach, his hand supporting and arousing both. She fisted one hand in his hair, opening her eyes a bit to see his gaze focused on her, his lips swollen from their kisses, the water still pulsating over them, falling from his body onto hers… The sight of him combined with the realization of the amount of strength he was using to hold her up in this position shot through her like the most potent euphoric drug. The tension inside her drew into a tight, shimmering ball and then shattered. Pleasure surged through her in a great gush, swamping her in delight almost too intense to bear. Her ears rung with her own cry, and soon she felt his arms tightening, his body shuddering and he was there along with her in the sweet oblivion.

She whimpered softly when he pulled out of her… Her legs drifted down lazily, her entire body limp, holding up only because his body pressed her to the wall as he leaned heavily on her. She was vaguely aware when he turned off the shower; blinked in confusion when he made her hold onto the knob and instructed her to wait; watched with unfocused eyes as he stepped out of the shower cabinet, discarded the condom, and then came back with two towels. He used one to wipe himself down roughly and then used the same one to gently pat her dry. She could only feel grateful when he used the other towel to rub her wet hair, and then wrapped it around her head.

He lifted her once more in his arms, this time carrying her back to their bedroom and then sprawled haphazardly on the bed along with her. Gathering the last bit of energy he grabbed the remote to turn the air-conditioner a bit high mindful of her wet hair, and then pulled the blanket to cover their bare bodies. She turned in his embrace, nuzzling against his chest, and was soon asleep. He threw a leg over her, gathering her completely to himself, and hummed in satisfaction as he dozed off, pleased with the anniversary gift.

The three weeks after their anniversary were occupied with last minute shopping and preparations for Swati and Munna’s wedding. And finally on 21^st April, they were married amidst pomp and gaiety. Just as Naina had the thought of their second honeymoon during Preeti’s wedding, this time Sameer thought of their third honeymoon. He knew Nanu and his friends would tease him, but he had told Naina that they would go on three honeymoon trips after their wedding. But, it was summer season right now, and anywhere in India except the North would not be really pleasant to visit. And they would have to go to Mussoorie anyway once more this year, to open the orphanage officially. Swati and Munna were covering  Manali, Nainital, Himachal and Uttarakhand on a long trip and he didn’t want to follow them. So North didn’t seem like a good idea right now. Maybe he could plan something out of India… That was also a very good idea. One of Naina’s dream had been seeing snow covered mountains; while in Darjeeling she had been able to see that, a trip to Switzerland would give her a better view and experience both. He decided he would talk to Naina in a few days, once Munna and Swati left for their honeymoon.

However, as they say that man proposes and God disposes, so it happened with Sameer’s plan. April turned to May, and Nanu’s health suddenly deteriorated for some reason, and that sent both Sameer and Naina into a frantic mode. Just one regular day in office Nanu had a fainting spell, and had to be admitted in the hospital. The doctor mentioned that because of his age and work pressure, Nanu had a blood pressure stroke, plus the heat wasn’t helping. After two days in hospital when he was discharged, Naina made him stay at home. Even though he wasn’t convinced before and wanted to join office back, once Naina told him about how Sameer hadn’t slept for the past two nights because he was afraid of losing his grandfather, he relented and promised to take better care of his own health. Nanu teased the couple that he wasn’t going to leave before seeing the face of his great grandchild.

Somehow this incident made Naina really think of a child. It wasn’t because of Nanu’s wish or family pressure, but just the simple thought having a child with Sameer made her feel all mushy and emotional. The condoms ensured that there was no risk of pregnancy, but every month when she was close to her menstrual cycle she had this nail-biting feeling of anxiety. Also, during Swati’s wedding, she had met Pooja didi who was pregnant with her second child. Naina had been fascinated with the glow on her sister’s face at the happy anticipation of having her child in just little over a month. She had also been so curious about everything related to pregnancy and had asked so many questions that Pooja didi had teased if she was already pregnant and keeping it a surprise. She wondered if she could talk to Sameer about it or would he still feel that it was too soon. But then he was ready to accept a child just after a month of their wedding, now it was over a year, so maybe he would be okay with the idea. After some deliberation she decided that she would talk to him in a week or so when he would be more relaxed and not so stressed about Nanu’s health.

After fifteen days of rest at home, and careful check over his diet by Naina, the doctor proclaimed Nanu to be perfectly fit and also permitted him to join office if he wanted. Sameer breathed a sigh of relief, and Naina was also happy that the small grey cloud over their family had passed. To their surprise Nanu decided that he would only go to office three days a week. Upon asking he laughed and said, “maine toh waise bhi Sameer ko company handover karke retirement le li thi… Lekin ghar pe bethne ki aadat nahi thi toh isiliye office jaaya karta tha. Par itne din office nahi gaya tab bhi sab kuch theek hi raha wahan pe… Sameer inti kabiliyat se sab kuch sambhal raha hai toh ab main soch raha hun thoda waqt ghar pe bitau…”

His grandson queried, “par Nanu aap ghar pe karenge kya? Naina bhi toh school me hogi.”

Glancing out of his bedroom window, Nanu smiled, “baarish ka mausam aane wala hai. Tumhari Nani thi tab garden me tarah tarah ke paudhe ugaya karti thi… Phoolo ke saath sabjiya bhi… Aur phir unn sabjiyo ka khana banake bahot khush hoti thi… Main soch raha hun ke pehli baarish ho usse pehle, main kuch paudhe lagau… Tamatar, karele, lauki, aur dusre sab tarah ke paudhe mere dost, Brijmohan ke farmhouse se mil jayenge. Wahi karunga… Kya khayal hai tumhara Naina? Idea achcha hai?”

Naina smiled, “aapko jo sahi lage Nanaji… main bhi soch rahi thi ke bahar gulaab ke paudhe lagau… Ab aap bhi karna chahte hai toh saath chalenge kharidne.”

“Perfect idea”, Nanu grinned, “hum dono paudhe lene jayenge, aur Sameer hamare liye Ramdhari ke saath milke khana banayega.”

Sameer’s eyes rounded in surprise, “main kyun nahi chal sakta saath me?”

“Maine kaha isiliye”, Nanu smiled and teased.

Two days later on a Sunday, Nanu and Naina indeed did a trip to Brijmohan’s farmhouse, while Sameer himself offered to stay at home citing he had some work to finish. In afternoon when they returned loaded with several small plants, they were surprised to see a spread of dal-khichdi, chaas, and something that suspiciously looked like pakodas on the table. Naina scrunched her nose, “Ramdhari bhaiya… aapne pakode kyun banaye? Jaante hai na ke Nanaji ko tala hua khana nahi dena… Aur maine aapko bhindi ki sabzi aur roti banane ko kaha tha… Yeh sab kya hai…”

Ramdhari grumbled, “maine thodi na kiya memsahib… yeh sab toh chote sahib ne banaya… Main toh peechle do ghante se kitchen hi saaf kar raha hun.”

Nanu exclaimed, “Sameer yeh tumne banaya?”

“Haan”, Sameer raised his collar, “aur Naina… pakode maine oven me bake kare hai. Tale nahi hai.”

She gaped at him for a moment, and then asked, “aap… par… kaise?”

He smirked, “chachiji se recipe le li khichdi ki… Aur pakode ki recipe book me se mil gai. Tum laai thi na kharidke kitaab, low fat diet wala, Nanu ke liye. Ramdhari ne thodi madad ki…”

Ramdhari pitched in, “memsahib, agli baar chote sahab khana banane wale ho toh mujhe pehle se bata dena… Pehle poore kitchen ko plastic se dhak dunga… Aapko pata hai, besan toh aise ghol rahe the ke diwaaro ke saath-saath chat pe tak besan lag gaya.”

Nanu and Naina laughed at Ramdhari’s obvious irritation, Sameer reddened a bit and murmured, “itna bhi nahi hua tha…”

“Koi baat nahi”, Naina assured, “chalo chakh ke toh dekhe kaisa bana hai.”

The food had surprisingly turned out quite well, courtesy Chachiji’s exact measurement, and of Ramdhari’s inputs. Nanu was extremely happy with the way Sameer had been so grounded and stable ever since his wedding. His anger had diminished; he was more open to conversations, more approachable in office, and also didn’t feel irked to spend time with family and relatives. Naina’s company and love had worked a charm over him, and now he wished that a baby was added to the equation so that his grandson would know pride and joy of holding his own child.

Another week passed by where Naina and Sameer kept stalling the conversation they wanted to have with each other, thinking a few more days of supervision of Nanu’s health would be good, especially because he was determined to sow the garden before the first rains. And finally in third week of June, on one fine evening, as the small family of three was sipping tea, the sky rumbled, darkened, and the first rain of the season drenched the parched ground. Naina and Ramdhari rushed to collect the clothes that were hanging outside, Nanu got up to check that his gardening area was getting proper rain water, Sameer did the round around the house closing the upstairs windows so that water wouldn’t enter inside.

Naina looked at the rains as she folded the clothes and thought how wonderful it would be if she could go out with Sameer. They could take a walk in the rain… Just at that moment, Sameer came up behind her, and slid one hand around her waist, “hey darling… I love you…”

She turned to face him, and directly asked, “kya hua?”

He chuckled, “umm… main soch raha tha… baarish ho rahi hai toh… hum…”

“Walk pe chale”, she added enthusiastically.

He rolled his eyes, “nahi Naina… dinner se pehle ek baar…” Leaning down he whispered in her ear about how desperately he wanted her right in that moment. Her face flushed, her lips quivered, and her voice was breathy, “Sameer… abhi shaam ka waqt hai… Nanaji hai…”

“Nanu apne paudho ko dekhne me busy hai”, he offered, gently sliding off her dupatta.

Her gaze moved to the door which he had already locked, “Ramdhari bhaiya…”

“Dinner ki taiyari kar raha hai”, he informed, nuzzling her temple.

Her hands clenched on his shirt, arguments seeming to leave her mind, “koi bulayega toh…”

“Main zyada time nahi lunga, promise”, he assured, dropping soft kisses on her cheek.

She shivered, “lekin…”

He brushed his lips on hers, “shsh… ab koi bahana nahi… pehli baarish hai… dekho main tumhare liye kya laaya.”

She blinked as he raised his other hand, a half-bloomed red hibiscus flower clasped between his fingers. She smiled, “garden se phool todke laaye mere liye?”

He shook his head, “nahi… aasman se kuch boonde churaake laaya tumhare liye.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion, and he smiled, upturning the flower over her head. She gasped as a gentle trickle of cold water fell on her, the drops rolled down her face, and she realized that the rain water had collected the half-bloomed flower and he had brought it for her. Where he got such ideas from, she wondered. His gaze roamed over her face like an intimate caress, fixing on the errant drop on her lips. Before she could fathom his move, he dipped and licked that drop off, and kissed her softly. She smiled into the kiss, knowing that soon she would forget everything but him, that she would give in to his demand, that she would enjoy fulfilling his demand. Wrapping her hands around him, she opened her mouth, urging him to deepen the kiss, and with a groan he did so… Holding her waist, he guided her backwards to the bed, and they both fell on it, the half-bloomed red hibiscus a contrast against the light blue bedsheet. Her wandering fingers, found the flower and she fisted it in her palm as she arched up giving his mouth more access to her throat, allowing him to unzip her dress…

However, before he could proceed further, the telephone in their room rung shrilly, and she gasped. Sameer seemed to be determined to ignore it, as he tried to tug her kurti down, but she stopped him, “suniye… ek baar dekh lijiye kaun hai… Warna yeh bajta rahega toh Ramdhari ya Nanaji upar aa jayenge.”

He rolled of her, picked up the phone, and almost snapped in frustration, “kaun hai? kya chahiye?”

However, his irritated expressions soon smoothed out as he listened to the other end, and then it turned to a mix of panic and excitement. He replied, “hum aadhe ghante me pahonch rahe hai…”

She sat up on bed, “kya baat hai?”

He turned to her, his gaze lingering a bit on her bare shoulder, but then he shook his head, “Pooja didi ko hospital le gaye… Deliver kisi bhi waqt ho sakti hai. Tum taiyar ho jao, hume nikalna hai.”

Naina hurried off the bed, “itni jaldi kaise… abhi toh ek hafta baaki tha…”

“Bachche ko pehli baarish dekhni hogi”, he muttered, “mera bhi shirt nikaal dena, main bathroom jaake aata hun.”

She pulled out a deep blue saree, and had draped it by the time he stepped out. She went to the bathroom to wash her face, while he changed. She didn’t spend a lot of time in dressing up, just applied kajal, touched up her sindur, slid on bangles and was ready. They informed Nanu and Ramdhari, and then left. The drive to hospital amid the rain was extremely pleasant but Naina hardly noticed it as her mind was occupied with the news she had received, she kept praying that both Pooja didi and the baby was fine. They reached the hospital in around twenty minutes, and rushed inside. The whole Agarwal family, and Pooja didi’s in-laws were sitting outside the OPD, and when they walked up to them, Chachiji informed that labour pains had started but it might still take time. Naina sat down beside Chachiji, while Sameer talked to Chachaji and tried to calm down a frantically pacing Varun. After four hours they could hear tiny cries, and everyone breathed in relief. Naina looked around for Sameer and found him standing with Varun, his eyes round with wonder on hearing the cries. A nurse informed them that a daughter was born, and that mother and baby were both well.

The family rejoiced, congratulating each other, someone asked when they would be able to meet, and the nurse informed to wait for few more minutes. Thirty minutes later they were allowed inside two-three people at a time. Sameer and Naina were the last… Naina immediately hugged her sister, and then picked up the sleeping baby in her arms, skillfully holding her. Sameer stared at his wife, quite taken in with the picture in-front of his eyes, the smile on her face, the shine in her eyes as she looked at the baby. He felt as if he could feel the warmth and happiness radiating from her.

Pooja didi teased, “ab khud hi rakh legi Gudiya ko, ya Sameer ke haath me bhi degi… Mausaji ko bhi mauka milna chahiye.”

Naina smiled, and walked over to stand in-front of her husband, teaching him how to fold his hands, and then gently placed the tiny bundle in his arms. He gasped, “Naina… nahi…”

“Kuch nahi hoga”, she assured, and supported his arms with her own hand, “bas aisai dheere se pakdiye…”

After a couple of minutes, Sameer started to feel bit confident, and stared at the baby in his arms. He could only see her tiny face, her skin still reddish, her eyes squeezed shut, her lips moving a bit as if she was suckling on something. The baby didn’t seem to mind that he was not adept in the skill of holding her, she slept on peacefully. And he couldn’t help but love the feeling… He glanced up to thank his wife for teaching him, but paused on seeing her watching him with an almost spellbound expression. Her eyes held a range of emotions, from surprise to wonder to love… Her hand was subconsciously placed on her own belly and a small soothing smile curved her lips… It didn’t take him even a moment to know that she was thinking of their child.

Once faced with that possibility he had been scared, he had panicked… But now when he was holding a kid in his arms, who was sleeping so soundly as if she was completely assured of being safely held, and his eyes fixed on his wife, he, for the first time, truly thought of the that scenario from a positive perspective. Not as a responsibility, or as a third person who would steal his portion of affection, but rather as a symbol his and Naina’s love. He imagined Naina glowing in happiness on knowing she was pregnant, her belly rounded with their child… There would be tantrums probably, he had heard of mood-swings and cravings… Maybe she would demand ice-cream at midnight… He would have to pamper her more than he ever did… All of these scenarios, instead of scaring him, made him happy and he even felt a tinge of anticipation.

Suddenly Varun took the baby from his arms, handing it over to Pooja didi, and a nurse came in. Naina was shaken out of her trance, and Sameer stared at his empty arms, his brows furrowing at the weird sense of loss. In just a few minutes he had gotten quite used to the feeling of holding the baby… Both Naina and Sameer went out of the room, as the nurse wanted to teach Pooja didi about feeding. They remained silent, talking to family when needed, and by the time they went back home it was way past midnight. That night they just slept in each other’s arms, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

Next morning was no different… Naina couldn’t help but be fascinated with the kids she was teaching, wondering how their child would be in school… In office, Sameer overheard a couple of men talking about their kids, laughing over their mischief and wondered how parents were never irritated with such things. He recalled how Nanu used to play with him, bring chocolates for him, teach him, and he wondered if he would be able to be so patient with his own kid. After yesterday he was sure that Naina wanted to have a baby, but she hadn’t talked to him yet, and he wasn’t surprised by it. Obviously she would have remembered his words, his panic, probably his anger too. By evening, he had started wondering how he could broach the topic with Naina. Finally he decided to see tonight if she talked, and then he could say yes.

He was sure that she would talk, but to his dismay she didn’t… Instead just like last night, she quietly fell asleep in his arms. He could barely sleep that night, his brain buzzing with questions as he wondered why she didn’t talk, what he should do. He wasn’t sure how to discuss such topics, he had hoped she would know and take the lead. But it seemed as if she was too much affected by what happened last year. After thinking for a couple of hours, he somehow prepared himself mentally to take the lead here, and thought of a way to broach the topic.

In morning, Naina woke up at her usual time, kissed her husband, then took a bath and then shook him awake. He blinked his eyes open, and smiled on seeing her, “good morning darling.”

She smiled, but he noticed how it didn’t reach her eyes, “uthiye chaliye… warna office ke liye der ho jayegi.”

He grabbed her hand, pulling her down, “uthta hun… lekin pehle…”

“Brush kijiye phir kiss”, she interrupted.

He frowned, and clarified, “kiss nahi maang raha… mujhe kuch baat karni hai tumse.”

Hope sparkled in her eyes for a second, before she controlled herself with a slight shake of head, and said, “haan kahiye.”

He brushed his knuckles on her cheek, “tumhare sapno ka bag yaad hai… maine tumko kaha tha ke tum apna har sapna wahan rakhna, aur main unhe poora karunga. Lekin ab se uss bag main apne sapne bhi rakhunga, tum poora karogi na?”

This time her smile was genuine, “aapka har sapna main poora karungi Sameer… Waada raha.”

He dragged in a deep breath, “toh phir bag me dekho… ek sapna hai jo main poora hota hua dekhna chahta hun.”

Intrigued, she stood up and went to the cupboard. Pulling out the bag she opened it, and dipped her hand to take out the thin paper like thing inside. It was a small photo, probably cut from some magazine, but the image on it made her breath catch. Her heart thumped hard, the pouch dropped from her hand, and she looked at her husband who was sitting up on bed now staring at her with a hopeful smile. Clearing her throat, she somehow managed to ask, “Sameer… yeh toh… baby?”

He nodded, “karogi na yeh sapna poora?”

“Aap sach me…”, she trailed off, wanting a confirmation.

He spread his arms, smiling wide, and she rushed to him, hugging him so enthusiastically that he toppled over on the bed. He laughed softly, but she was so overwhelmed that she couldn’t even speak. Her eyes brimmed over, he felt the wetness on his chest, and soothed, “Naina… ro kyun rahi ho?”

She shook her head, “main… pata nahi… itni khushi ho rahi hai ke rona aa gaya.”

He hummed, “tumhe baarish bahot pasand hai na?”

“Haan”, she murmured, not sure why he was asking that.

He stroked her back, “toh… yeh sapna poora karne ke liye Mahabaleshwar chale?”

She lifted her head up, staring at him in surprise, “matlab… third honeymoon?”

He smiled, “suna hai wahan baarish ka mausam bahot khoobsurat lagta hai… Aur hum ghumne jaate hai toh tum zyada comfortable bhi hoti ho… Maine bas socha… Kuch din akele, khoobsurat jagah, achcha mausam… perfect rahega na…”

She really liked the idea, but asked, “aur Nanaji? Unki tabiyat…”

“Ab theek hai”, he assured, “hum Ramdhari ko bolke jayenge unka dhyan rakhne ke liye. Aur jab hum wapas aake khabar denge hone wale baby ki toh woh khush hi honge…”

She chuckled, “Sameer… aise ek baar me nahi hota… waqt lagta hai…”

He smirked, “tabhi toh Mahabaleshwar jaa rahe hai… waqt bhi hoga… mauka bhi… aur wahan bahot baarish hogi toh sightseeing bhi nahi karni padegi.”

She laughed at the last line, and he slid his hand in her hair, kissing her fervently. She responded eagerly until he rolled over, placing her on the bed… She immediately pushed on his shoulder, “Sameer abhi nahi… Nanaji…”

He sighed, but kissed her one more time and let her go. A smile stayed on their faces for the whole day, and Naina kept looking at the photo cut-out of the plump little baby girl, blushing at the thought of what they had planned.

The plan fell into place quite smoothly. Nanu naturally had no objection to the trip; a major consignment was already done, so Sameer’s workload in office was also light. They left for Mahabaleshwar in a week, with just one bag between them this time, because Sameer had pointed out that there would be no need of many clothes. He had also gleefully teased her that they won’t even have to worry about condoms anymore. She felt so incredibly happy on seeing her husband enthusiastic about the prospect of a baby. While they were in the train, she even asked him about it once. He truthfully relayed the range of emotions he had went through when he had held Pooja didi’s daughter in his arms, and said that on seeing her with her hand on her belly he had somehow been ready at that moment to start a family of his own.

The hotel in Mahabaleshwar was extremely grand, and to her surprise Sameer had booked a honeymoon suite. Naina liked the sprawling room with a private balcony very much, but pointed out, “hamari shaadi ko ek saal ke upar ho chuka hai… maine chuda tak nahi pehna… Hum honeymoon couples lag hi nahi rahe… Pata nahi hotel wale kya soch rahe honge.”

He pulled her in his arms, “darling… koi couple chuda ke wajah se nahi, apni harkato ke wajah se honeymoon couple lagte hai… main ek-do baar waiters ke saamne tumhare gaal pe kiss karunga na toh sabko yaqeen ho jayega ke hum honeymoon couple hai.”

She giggled, but looped her arms around his neck, stretching up to kiss his jaw. He quirked a brow, “iraade kya hai Mrs. Maheswari?”

She smiled, tilting her head, and crooned, “socha hai yeh ke tumhe nazdeek laaye…”

He grinned, immediately recalling the next line of the song, “phoolo se hothon ki laali churaaye…” Her smile widened but she didn’t say anything, so he asked, “agla line nahi gaogi?”

She shook her head, “mera naa bolneka koi iraada hi nahi hai.”

He stared at her for a moment and then dipped to kiss her. She hummed, enjoying the soft kiss, but soon teased him with her tongue, nipping at his lower lip. He groaned, the sound intoxicatingly fierce and darkly yearning, and then he captured her mouth in a no-holds-barred kiss. The sky thundered outside, the rain pattered hard on the window panes. But she didn’t realize the storm outside, as she was already caught in a storm of his making when he angled her head and deepened the kiss even more. Opening to him wasn’t an option; it was automatic. And when he dove inside, she melted against his chest. This wasn’t an option either since her knees folded under her like wet noodles.

Picking her up, he strode to the bed and dumped her on the sheets, immediately coming down on her, kissing her once more. She moaned, trying to get rid of his shirt… A button popped at her fierce attempt and he sat up, swiftly removing the shirt over his head. Her dress was tugged off before she could comprehend anything. It didn’t take them more than a minute to discard every bit of clothing, and then he was pushing her back on the bed. Usually she was the impatient one, squirming, moaning, and driving him over the edge. But today, just the thought of making love to her without a condom was pushing him to the limits of arousal. Even after deciding that they were ready to have a baby, she had insisted to use condoms at home for the week, saying that they would begin their attempts at Mahabaleshwar. He had agreed because he felt it to be an exciting proposition, but only at the condition they would make love as soon as they entered the hotel room. And now that they were here, he was totally failing at his control. Parting her legs, he stroked her to readiness, “mujhse aaj control nahi hoga.”

She grabbed his hand, pulling his finger out, and then wrapped her legs around his hips, murmuring, “mujhse bhi nahi…”

As he filled her with a slow steady thrust, she arched, crying out the sensation, and he panted, her warm clench nearly pushing him to completion. Somehow he managed to hold himself steady for a minute, and then started thrusting slowly… As he kissed her mouth again, she made a sound; of impatience, of hunger and her nails scored his back indicating her urgency. Something roared inside him, or maybe he growled aloud. He grabbed her hips, pressing her to him and thrust hard and fast, his gaze focused on her face. She screamed his name, her fingers curling in his hair, as pleasure snapped her head back, a thousand colors swirled behind her closed eyes. She was nothing. Nothing but a bundle of firing nerve endings and pulsing muscles.

He groaned, her name a hoarse whisper from his lips, as he exploded. His world became a kaleidoscope of sharp sensations that burst through him like electrical charges. He was blown to pieces, rocketed apart and reduced to his elements, every part of him a shimmering molecule of ecstasy. After few minutes, when he felt he could speak normally, he queried, “kya lagta hai?”

She giggled, “aap bhi na… aise thodi na pata chalta hai… shayad agle mahine pata chale.”

“Itna wait kaise karenge”, he grumbled.

She lifted her head to kiss his lips softly, “hamari koshish hi hamara intezaar hai.”

It took him a moment to understand the meaning of the statement, but then he grinned, “samajh gaya… 15-20 minute ka break chahiye, phir wapas koshish karenge.”

She blushed but laughed, looking forward to many more such attempts in the week long vacation. They did manage some time to go sightseeing, but Sameer said it was only for pictures because their family would demand it when they went back. The talked of past, present and future… They happily anticipated the chance a having a baby… They discussed what changes they would need to make in their life… The sound of rain had never felt so sweet to Sameer’s ears before, but as his wife’s cry of pleasure mingled with pitter-patter of rain, he felt it to be the world’s best sound.

After reaching Ahmedabad they both kept counting days, discussing at night in low voices. The stocked condoms remained hidden in the drawer, none of them wanted to resume using it. On the first day of her cycle, Sameer called her almost every hour, asking if her periods had started, and every time she said no. The next day also passed like that. Sameer suggested visiting the doctor, but she wanted to wait for a few more days, recalling how stress had delayed her periods before. However, after a week when she didn’t even remotely feel that her periods would start, she agreed to visit the doctor. Just like the first time all tests were done, and then it was a wait of one long sleepless night.

In morning, Sameer woke up from his light doze and kissed his wife’s forehead. She hummed in sleep, and he smiled, moving his lips over her eyes, nose, cheeks… But as he aimed for her lips, she suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth, pushed him back, got up and rushed to the bathroom…

“Naina… itna bhi kya brush karneki jaldi”, he complained and got up to go behind her. The bathroom door was unlocked and he smirked, thinking that he would make love to her in the shower. That would be a good way to begin the day, it was also the perfect opportunity, given this was literally the first time that she had gotten out of bed stark naked. However, on pushing the door open, he was shocked to see her bent over her sink, her hand at her throat as she puked.

Frightened he rushed to her, stroking her hair and back, frantic with concern. She washed her mouth, rinsing properly, and then straightened. He hurriedly queried, “kya hua tumko… kal kuch ulta-seedha kha liya tha kya school me? Aise ulti kyun ho rahi hai… Tum… Tum taiyar ho jao hum doctor ke paas chalte hai…” She laughed, the sound stopping his worried rant, and he frowned, “isme hasne ki kya baat hai?”

She took his hand and placed it on her belly, “aisa lag raha hai hamari koshish kamyaab ho gai.”

His eyes rounded in surprise, and then his gaze dropped to her belly, as he whispered, “baby?”

She cupped his jaw, “haan… main sure hun… Par phir bhi kisiko batane se pehle reports dekh lete hai.”

He gulped and queried, “tum kaise sure ho?”

She shrugged, “do-teen se din se lag raha tha… shayad maa ki koi feeling hoti hai… lekin aaj jaise hi aankh khuli aisa laga jaise sure hi hai.”

He had tons of questions about this feeling, about why she puked, about what were the normal symptoms. She answered as honestly as she could, and then suggested to bath and get ready as they needed to go to the hospital. Sameer didn’t quite remember the ritual of getting ready, and he was extremely careful of Naina’s every step. However before they could step out, the phone rang, and Nanu said it was for Sameer.

Sameer took the receiver, listened to the person with astonishment all over his face, and then he just murmured that he understood. Naina worriedly asked what was it, and he suddenly grinned, picking her up and twirling her. Nanu watched curiously, wanting to ask the reason for happiness… But he didn’t need to wait, because just then Sameer ecstatically announced, “Naina… hum parents banne wale hai… Test positive hai…”

She gasped, her eyes rounding in wonder, she touched her belly, and then the most brilliant smile lit up her entire face. Sameer hugged her tight, totally forgetting that Nanu and Ramdhari were watching. However, in a moment, Maheshwari house turned into a pandemonium as Nanu congratulated them, dancing in merry, pulling Ramdhari and Sameer along. He blessed Naina… Calls were made to Agarwal family and friends… Sameer told them that they still needed to visit the doctor for check-up appointments… Naina prayed, thanking God… And finally as Nanu and Ramdhari argued about what special items to cook for celebration, Sameer wrapped a hand around his wife’s waist, both of them looking in each other’s eyes, their heart full of warmth and love for the bundle of joy that had stepped into their life.

It was their tale of accidentally in love that had turned into a bond that was always and forever…

 

~ THE  END ~