Always and Forever
Part 55: The Trials of Five Days

The fragrance of spices floated around in the kitchen as Sameer stepped in and he understood that even though he had asked Naina to rest, she was in the kitchen. He locked the door and ambled to the kitchen, stopping at the entrance in surprise to see Naina dressed in a hosiery night dress of deep blue color. It was a two-piece, pant and top style, but it was the first time he was seeing her wearing this kind of material. Just then she turned, as if she sensed him, and he was blessed with the view of lacy neckline…

Wow!

She smiled, “wahan kyun khade ho?”

He let his eyes rove up and down her body, “tumhe aise wale night dress me kabhi dekha nahi hai… bas cotton wale pehenti thi na?”

She nodded, “haan… par woh wale leke nahi aayi… Yeh chachiji se kharidke diye.”

He thought that chachiji could have done better by buying some satin wear, but well… at least these were better than those cotton gowns with floral print that she had mentioned about on phone before. He even asked about it, and she laughed, “oh haan… woh wale white hai na toh aaj nahi pehna…”

He scowled, “white? Matlab white pe print hai?”

She nodded, “haan simple aur araamdayak… honeymoon pe le chalungi…”

He looked horrified at the idea, “please Naina… tumhe lovemaking ke liye mana karna ho toh aise hi kar dena… yeh torture mat karna mujhpe…”

She pouted, “kyun? Tum toh kehte the ke main kuch bhi pehnu tum hamesha mujhse pyaar karneke mood me rahoge.”

He walked over to her, looping an arm around her waist, “haan rahunga… lekin honeymoon me mood badhate hai sweetheart… mood kharab karne wale kaam nahi karte… Ab tum agar cotton ke jagah satin laati toh samajh me bhi aata…”

She looked thoughtful, “satin? Hmmm… sochungi… Filhaal, night dress ki baate chodo, chocolate do…”

He handed over the bag of chocolates to her, and she let out a squeal of delight on seeing the varieties. Opening a bar of dairy milk, she bit into it and moaned, and then teased, “tumko pata hai na ke itne saare chocolates main nahi kha paungi?”

He kissed the top of her head, “mujhe kam laake risk nahi lena tha… Khana kya bana hai?”

“Paratha-sabji”, she informed, “tum jaake change karlo, main khana lagati hun tab tak.”

He quickly changed into tracks and t-shirt and came back downstairs. The house seemed too quiet all of a sudden after the pandemonium of the wedding days, and Sameer was surprised that he was actually missing having his family here, especially Deepika and Rohan. The way they had bonded over the wedding rituals, spending time in his room, the jokes and adventures, all of it was unique and special. He had never thought he would share such bond with any of them ever… He recalled the way Rohan had bravely supported him on all his night excursions, the way Deepika had asked him to sleep on her lap so she could massage his head, the way his mother had scolded him with love… As he stepped off the last stair, he saw Naina brining in the hot vessel of sabji, and frowned, “tumhe dard ho raha hai toh yeh sab kyun kar rahi ho? Betho na… Main le aata hun khana.”

She smiled, “kuch bhi toh nahi tha… bas do hi cheeze laani thi aur yeh mithai le aai tumhare liye.”

He sat down and started serving, “mujhe laga nahi tha ke aaj Ramdhari itni jaldi chala jayega.”

“Maine hi kaha tha”, she informed, sitting down on the chair next to him, “shaadi ke dino me itna kaam tha ghar pe toh unko bhi thakaan ho gai hogi. Ab toh sirf hum dono toh raat ka bartan itna nahi hoga… thode din main hi kar lungi.”

He smiled, “main help karunga… Aur haan, mujhe achcha laga ke periods honeke bawjood bhi tum kitchen me gai.”

She bit her lip, “tumne hi kaha tha na… hamara ghar, hamare niyam.”

“Bilkul”, he grinned, “chalo ab khalo…”

Once they were done eating, Naina washed the dishes, while Sameer insisted on helping her and rubbed all the utensils dry, arranging them as she instructed. He checked if all the doors and windows were closed on the ground floor while Naina scuttled around the kitchen arranging this and that. Finally, she took out one more chocolate from the bag, and he chuckled, still amused at how she could feast on chocolates in periods. Walking over to her, he lifted her in his arms, watching her eyes widen for a moment before she smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

He queried, “dard ho raha hai?”

She sighed, “haan… aisa lag raha hai ke dheere-dheere badh raha hai.”

“Chalo ek surprise deta hun”, he spoke in a low voice, “shayad thoda achcha lage tumhe.”

Her mind flashed back to the purple nightie, and she asked, “kaisa surprise?”

“Abhi batata hun”, he whispered as he started to climb up the stairs. She kept looking at their bedroom door apprehensively, recalling that he had assured he wouldn’t ask to make love, but still her body tensed as they came closer. But then he crossed their room’s door, and she sighed in relief… Her expressions were puzzled as he shouldered open the study door… He smiled, and gestured her to look, “udhar hai tumhara surprise.”

She turned her head to see, and gasped in delight… There by the wall was a traditional wooden jhoola, the side supports were twined with red and gold lacy ribbon, and a white cardboard placard hung on one side, a red heart painted on it with “Naina” written in bold white. He slowly let her down on her feet, and she immediately rushed up to the swing, admiring it while he admired her. She trailed her hand on the wood, looking at the intricate carving, the placard, the ribbons… Eager to experience, she tried to sit but he stopped her, “uh huh… ruko… gift milta hai toh pehle use unwrap karna padta hai.”

Her brows furrowed, “yeh jhoola hai koi khilona nahi jo dabbe me se nikaalu… Pura toh dikh raha hai, toh unwrap kya karu?”

He chuckled, “haan, dikh raha hai… par jhoola jhulega nahi… yaqeen nahi ho toh try karlo.”

She looked at him skeptically, and then held the thick iron rods, trying to rock the swing, but nothing happened. Astonished, she asked, “yeh kaise kiya? Kaise jhulau isko?”

He came up behind her, “simple sweetheart… apne sundar-sundar haatho se ribbons kholo…”

Her eyes roved over the whole swing, the ribbons were on both sides and on top as well, “itna saara kaise kholu?”

“Upar bow hai”, he informed.

She glanced up and true to his words she spotted and red-gold bow, and pouted, “bahot upar hai mere liye… haath nahi pahochega…”

He reached up and flicked her lower lip down with his thumb, causing a small plopping sound. When she frowned at his action, he grinned, “maana tumhari height choti hai, lekin pati toh lamba mila hai na.” She looked confused and so he turned her to face away once more, grabbed her waist and hoisted her up, “ab kholo.”

She gasped, gripping his hands in fear, but she need not have worried. His hold was steady as he waited for her to do as he asked, and after half a minute she wasn’t afraid anymore. Reaching out she tugged at the loose end and then watched with wide open eyes as the ribbon unknotted and slithered around in the pattern it had been wrapped. As he set her down on the floor, the ribbon ends pooled at her feet, the center still held up by something at the bottom of the swing. “Ab betho”, he whispered in a low voice, making her sit on the soft cushion, and grabbed the iron rods, gently rocking her. She smiled up at him, delighted with the surprise, her eyes welling up a bit as she remembered how she had thought she would miss the swing at Chachaji’s place where she used to sit daily. Her husband knew it though, and had given her not one but two swings… On the first night he had shown her the single swing on their balcony, and had created moments of magic by making her sit on his lap and play guitar for her. That recollection made her feel the need of having him beside her, and so she extended her hand out to him. Without a word, he held her hand and sat next to her. She immediately leaned on his shoulder, “thank you Sameer… meri wish tum aise poori karoge maine kabhi sapne me bhi nahi socha tha.”

He wrapped his hand around her, “karta kaise nahi… tumko iss ghar me jhula chahiye tha toh bas… maine toh kitne dino se plan kar rakha tha, bas wait kar raha tha sahi mauke ka.”

A crackling sound disturbed the tranquility of the moment, and he saw her opening the chocolate wrapper. She held it up, “khaoge?”

He shook his head, “nahi… tum khao… main bas aise bethke hi khush hun.”

Her lips curved in a small pout, “bas itna hi…? Main toh soch rahi thi ke jhoole pe…”

His interest piqued as she trailed off, and he queried, “jhoole pe kya?”

She pulled back from him, and bit her lower lip, “chocolate wali kiss.”

He groaned, the lip bite sparking his arousal once more, and before she knew he had grabbed her in his arms, his lips had captured hers, and she was pressed flush to his body. She shuddered in his hold, leaning back on the swing pulling him along with her. His lips moved against hers, teasing the seams, coaxing her to part… And she did, moaning as he stroked deep, her hands coming up to hold his t-shirt, the chocolate melting slightly trapped between her hand and his warm back, smudging the white fabric. The deep kiss made her arch up to him, desire coiling in her belly, the rocking swing adding to the swirling passions. He lifted his head a bit, dragged in breath, and then kissed her cheeks, the side of her neck, nipping at the tender flesh. His hand dipped beneath her top, moving to her breasts, gently kneading, his thumb tracing her nipple.

After few minutes, she combed her fingers through his hair, “Sameer… ruk jao… aaj nahi…”

He groaned, stopping at the base of her throat, his breath warm against her skin, and then he muttered, “tum bahot buri ho.”

She drew in few short breaths, her heart still racing, “sorry…”

He sat up, his eyes closed, trying to calm himself down. Naina tried to get up, but her eyes fell on her hands, and she blinked, “oh… mera chocolate.”

He opened his eyes, staring at her, frowning, “excuse me… yeh afsos mere liye hona chahiye… chocolate ke liye nahi…”

She chuckled, sitting up, “mera matlab tha, chocolate pighal gaya thoda, aur fael gaya.”

He looked at her fingers stained with brown, “kahan faila hai? Jhoole pe lag gaya kya?” As if totally unbothered about it, she licked her fingers. He shook his head, smiling, and stood up to check the sofa, but couldn’t see any spots. Clucking her tongue, she informed, “daag jhoole pe nahi tumpe hai…”

He touched his cheeks and hair, “kahan?”

She stood up, “peeche… t-shirt pe…” He tried to reach behind and touch, but couldn’t. She slyly suggested, “utaar do… dusra pehen lena, yeh pehenke nahi so paoge.”

He didn’t think twice before removing it as she asked, but when she slipped her arms around him, tracing her palms on his chest, pressing her face to his back, he stiffened… Her fingers moved across his chest, the patch of hair, flat-coin like nipples, and she placed a soft kiss on his spine… He shivered, and grumbled, “Naina please… ek to waise hi mushkil se control ho raha hai upar se tum aisa karogi toh main nahi reh paunga…”

She sighed, “kuch nahi kar rahi… bas thoda choona tha… suno, kuch maangu tumse?”

He turned to look at her as she drew back, “haan bolona…”

“Mujhe phirse balcony wale jhoole pe bethna hai tumhare saath”, she requested, “guitar sunna hai.”

He imagined her sitting on his lap, it would be a tough task to control, but looking at the pleading expressions on her face, he couldn’t refuse, “theek hai… chalo…”

As they reached the room, he dumped his t-shirt in the laundry basket, and thought if he should wear a new one. It wasn’t that cold anymore outside, and plus not wearing a t-shirt would mean getting to feel her on his bare skin… It would be bad for his control, but still… the thought lured him. When he went outside with his guitar, she frowned, “t-shirt nahi pehni? Thand lag jayegi…”

He sat of the swing, pulling her on his lap, “tum ho na garmi ke liye.”

She blushed slightly, adjusting her position to sit sideways and leaned on him. He picked up the guitar, and asked, “konsa gaana sunna hai?”

“Koi bhi”, she whispered, “jo tumhara man ho.”

He thought for half-a-minute and then strummed the tunes of “bahot pyaar karte hai tumko sanam…” She smiled, closing her eyes, letting the peace of the night, his warmth, the soothing music wrap around her like a comforting blanket. He finished the tune, and waited, but she didn’t say anything. Glancing down he realized that she had fallen asleep in his arms… He kept the guitar aside and held her, rocking the swing gently, feeling her even breath against his neck. The stars twinkled in the sky, the quarter moon hung lazily, somewhere crickets chirped and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of trees… He had seen such nights before, but having his wife cuddled up on his lap, sleeping like a child, trusting him to take care of her, added to the peace of the moment. There was such a bone-deep sense of happiness and contentment that he simply didn’t want anything else… He didn’t even feel the urgent need to make love, even though he could feel her body pressed to him, he could smell her fragrance… There was desire, yes; but not the desperation that he had felt before. He was just wrapped in the warm assuring feeling that he wasn’t alone anymore…

He didn’t know how long he sat there, but when he finally started to feel drowsy he carried her inside and placed her on the bed. Closing the balcony doors, he turned on the air conditioner, switched off lights and then slid beside her, covering them both with the blanket. He thought it was not that hard… When he had gone to get the chocolates, he had been dreading how she would behave at night… Would she be in too much pain? Would she have those terrible mood swings that he had witnessed before their Mt. Abu trip? But thankfully, it was all well… Maybe those were just rare happenings… He felt proud at how well he had handled the evening and night… Three days more to go… But he was sure he would be totally fine… He hugged his wife and fell asleep with a confident smile on his lips.

As morning dawned he was still sure of his abilities but the next few days gave him a reality check which nearly brought him down on his knees. Firstly, Naina slept till late, and when he woke her up she groaned and grumbled said, “kya hua? Ek din sone nahi de sakte tum? Isse achcha toh Chachaji ke wahan hota tha… kamsekam second day pe koi aise pareshan toh nahi karta…”

His eyes widened, “uh… sorry sweetheart… main bas… chai laaya tha… lekin tum so jao.”

She pushed her hair back, “kyun? Phir bologe chai banake laaya par piya nahi toh pati ki kadar nahi hai… do idhar…”

Sameer handed over the cup to her, perplexed at her behavior. Where was the sweet innocent wake up smile of his Naina? He had thought the bed-tea would surprise her, but it felt as if it was expected. He had thought she would fling her arms around him and kiss him, but instead he was now standing near the bed warily staring at her. And just as that thought popped in his mind, she glared up at him… He gulped… Could she read his mind?

She scowled, “yahan kyun khade ho? Bethke chai nahi pee sakte?”

He promptly sat down on the bed, but kept considerable distance between them, suddenly too scared of this version of Naina. What was she? Finishing the tea she placed the cup on the bedside table, and then glanced at him again… Her eyes looked normal now, he thought, but still didn’t say anything. Suddenly she smiled, “thanks Sameer… chai bahot achchi bani thi.”

He sighed in relief, and hesitantly asked, “tum… uh… tum theek ho na?”

She frowned, scaring him once more, but her voice was normal as she replied, “haan theek hun… bas pet me dard ho raha hai.”

He dared enough to reach out and cup her face, and smiled when she rubbed her cheek against his palm. That was like his Naina… Relief spread through him; he murmured, “main tub bhar du? Thodi der bethogi garam paani me toh achcha lagega shayad.”

“Cheee”, she pulled a face, “Sameer… kya bol rahe ho? Aisi haalat me main tub me kaise beth sakti hun…”

He couldn’t understand, “kyun? Periods me bath-tub use karna bhi mana hai.”

She shook her head, “rehne do… tum nahi samjhoge… main brush kar leti hun.” He watched her collect her clothes, and understood that she also intended to bath. There was slight ruffling noise and she oddly bunched up her clothes, making him ask, “kapde aise kyun le jaa rahi ho?”

She threw him a fleeting nervous glance, biting her lip. He stood up puzzled, “kya hua Naina? Dress ki press kharab ho jayegi aise…”

She debated for a few seconds, and then sighed in defeat, recalling that he had bought sanitary napkins for him once already, and confessed, “pad chupa rahi thi.”

He frowned, “chupaane ki kya zaroorat hai? Bhul gai ke main shaadi se pehle hi tumhare liye kharidke laaya tha?”

She grimaced awkwardly, “jaanti hun… yaad hai… lekin yeh aisi cheez nahi hai jo tumko dikhaate hue le jau. Please samjho…”

He nodded, “theek hai… tum jao… Ramdhari aa gaya hoga neeche, main breakfast ka bol deta hun.”

He was concerned at breakfast time on seeing that she didn’t eat much, but a scowl on her face made him wary and he didn’t ask anything. Rather, he instructed Ramdhari to keep some snacks ready at hand just in case Naina was hungry again. Ramdhari looked puzzled at this instruction but simply nodded. True to his guess, thirty minutes later Naina was back in the kitchen asking Ramdhari if there was anything left over from breakfast.

Armed with a dish of sandwich she strolled out to the living room and scowled on seeing her husband, “tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?”

He felt confused at this question, “uh… main paani peene aa raha tha…”

She clucked her tongue and reframed her question, “tum ghar me kya kar rahe ho?”

“Main yahin rehta hun”, he offered hesitantly.

She snapped, “mujhe pata hai… mera matlab hai ke office nahi jaana kya tumko?”

He quickly replied, “uh… nahi… maine shaadi ke liye chutti li thi na… Toh…”

“Toh?” She furiously queried, “toh kya? Shaadi ke baad pad-phera bhi ho gaya… Aur ab tak tum ghar pe ho… Office ke kaam ke wajah se honeymoon agle mahine rakha tha na? Toh ab ghar pe kya kar rahe ho? Jao… Office jao…”

He tried to pacify her, “Naina… main ghar se hi…”

She interrupted, “nahi… office ka kaam ghar me nahi hota… mujhe bhi meri story likhni hai, tum rahoge toh bas pareshan karte rahoge mujhe… jao yahan se…”

He sighed in defeat, “theek hai… jaata hun… par tum apna dhyan rakhna… aur kuch kaam mat karna…”

Her agitated retort of “main bimar nahi hun” was the last thing he heard before he went upstairs to get ready. Naina was behaving really weird. Was it normal for her to have such mood swings? Did she scold Chachiji, Preeti, Chachaji like this every month? In the months since their roka he had witnessed some phases of her period personality; he had seen her upset, he had heard her rebukes, he had seen her cry because of some notion that she didn’t look in periods, he had even handled her extreme chocolate craving… But today it seemed all that he had experienced before were multiplied by hundred. His sweet innocent wife had turned into some scary demon woman… And he had no idea how to handle her.

Dressed in a blue suit he went downstairs, gently told her that he was leaving for office, but only got a grunt in reply from her as she stayed occupied in eating the chocolate in her hand. He sighed, mentally smacking himself for even thinking that he knew everything about Naina before his wedding… Just the few hours from today morning showed him that he might have known the Naina who was his girlfriend, but he was far from knowing the Naina who was his wife. Well… looked like the first office day after marriage, he was only going to get a scowl from his wife and not a kiss as he had once anticipated and dreamt after roka. His spirits deflated a bit as he stepped out of his home, but at the same time he tried to console himself that it was only because she was on her periods, else she wouldn’t have let him leave without a hug and kiss. After all what did it matter if he didn’t get a kiss on his first office trip, he would get it every day soon.

Just as he sat in his car and started to reverse out, he saw Ramdhari frantically running out of home. Judging by the look he was trying to say something… Sameer immediately stopped the car, rolled down the glass and asked, “kya hua?”

Ramdhari panted, “memsahib… memsahib ro rahi hai.”

“Kya?” Sameer gasped in shock and was out of his car and inside the house in less than a minute. Truly Naina was sitting just where he had seen him, the half-eaten chocolate discarded by the side, and she was sobbing… Not just silently crying, but sobbing… Shocked beyond words, he moved to her, and knelt before her, “Naina… sweetheart ro kyun rahi ho?”

She hiccupped, her big eyes full of tears, “maine jaaneko bola aur tum chale gaye… mujhe hug bhi nahi kiya…”

He trampled down his urge to smile… Okay… This was his original Naina… That phase when she would snap and yell had passed once more. He took her hand in his, “nahi jaau office?”

She shook her head, “shaadi ke baad itni jaldi koi office jaata hai kya? Sab kya sochenge wahan pe…” This time he chuckled, and gently lifted her in his arms, carrying her to their bedroom. He sat on the bed with her in his lap, hugging her, and mused, “tumse darke office jaa raha tha aur tum ho ke…”

She drew back from him, causing him to trail off… And to his utmost horror the scowl was back in place on her lips… Her voice was low as she queried, “mujhse darke?”

He gulped, “umm… nahi… mera matlab…”

She slid off his lap, “main darawni hun? Shaadi se pehle bolte the ek minute bitana mushkil hai mere bina… Aur ab? Shaadi hote hi main darawni ban gai?” He tried to say something, but she was in no mood to listen, “itni bhayanak hun toh shaadi kyun ki… jao tum office… main bhi jaati hun Chachiji ke paas…”

That did it… The typical mayka threats would never be a part of their married life… Hadn’t he made it clear that she would never go there alone? That clearly meant that she couldn’t threaten him with possibilities of leaving to her mayka. He grabbed her waist, pulling her flush to him, and declared, “kahin nahi jaogi tum…”

She pushed her hair out of her face, ready to argue more, “Sameer main… umphh…”

The remaining of her statement was drowned in the urgent kiss from her husband. She was still furious on him for calling her scary, and then she was even more furious because he had kissed her to silence her, not because he wanted to kiss her… Acting upon an impulse, she bit his lower lip, causing him to hiss and pull back immediately… He touched his lower lip, the corner felt tender… Thankfully it wasn’t bleeding… He was surprised at what she had done, and opened his mouth to ask what had come over her… But then he paused, because she was staring at him with teary wide eyes, a hand clapped over her own mouth, and he understood that she was just as shocked by her own action.

“Naina”, he reached for her… She took a step back, “Sameer… I am sorry… I am so sorry… Pata nahi main kaise…” He tried to calm her down, but she was having none of it… She started pacing the length of their room, mumbling to herself, “kya kar rahi hai Naina… dimag check kara… subah se pagal jaisa kar rahi hai… ab aise waqt me…”

He grabbed her hand, pausing her, and pulled her to him. She resisted, “nahi Sameer… chodo… main phirse kuch…”

“Jo karna hai karo”, he interrupted, “lekin mujhse dur mat jao… yahan aao…”

He slowly wrapped his arms around her, once more sitting on the bed with her on his lap. She nuzzled her face against his neck, and he tensed for few seconds recalling the bite on his lips, but thankfully she just sighed against his skin. He rubbed her back, knowing it always soothed her, and asked, “kya hua Naina? Mujhe batao… Koi pareshani hai toh hum saath milke solve karenge.”

After a minute she confessed, “pet me dard ho raha hai…” He didn’t reply to that; he knew it happened to her on her second day every month, but this time there was something more, something which was unusual even to her own self. As expected by him, she continued, “subah se mood baar baar badal raha hai… Aisa hua hai pehle bhi, lekin itni baar nahi… Kabhi gussa aa raha hai aur kabhi rona… Kabhi itni khushi ho rahi hai ke naachne ka man kar raha hai.”

He hummed, “aur kuch?”

She nodded… He waited for her to speak, and after two more minutes, he heard her extremely low voice, “andar ajeeb lag raha hai?”

He was puzzled, “andar?”

Her hand clenched on his shoulder, “haan… woh… jaise kiss karne ke baad hota hai na… umm… usse pehle…”

It took him a long moment to understand what she meant… Her choice of word was so vague that he couldn’t place it, but after kiss and before something was enough to make him realize her meaning after some time. She was feeling desire? That was it… Wasn’t it? Still he wanted to be sure before he said something stupid and she became the demon wife once more. He tentatively stroked her back… stroked, not rubbed… He would rub her back to soothe her, to calm her… But now he stroked his fingers up and down her spine, and soon was gratified on feeling her shiver slightly… He turned his head, kissing her neck over her hair, and heard her breath hitch… Yes! He was right in his deduction… But what could he do about it now? It was not like he could make love to her… He kept thinking for some time, and soon realized that it was not just one problem… She was also facing an unusual fluctuation in her emotions, and had said that it hadn’t happened at this frequency before. Why could that be? He was no doctor, and he didn’t think Naina would agree to visit a doctor just for her period symptoms. This change… could it be because they were married? He didn’t know for sure… but he remembered Chachiji explaining to Naina that a lot of things changed after marriage. She could just have been talking about the physical part, given she thought Naina was clueless, but then it was possible that she had also meant it from a broader perspective… Did making love bring changes inside a woman’s body? He almost felt a flash of annoyance at his own question… Well, naturally the tearing of a flesh and the bleeding would have brought some change… It wasn’t all for nothing… He didn’t know how to form a coherent image of his thoughts, but he knew that when he had slowly introduced her to kissing and other forms of physical pleasure after their roka, she had started to think and want… And sometimes – like that night he had landed in her room for the first time – she would be annoyed if he wasn’t with her. If only an understanding of physical relationship could bring such changes in her emotion, then maybe lovemaking could bring much stronger changes, some of them they might not even know. And probably her menstrual cycles simply heightened those changes… He was not sure if he was deducing the situation properly, but right now he had no time to dwell on it… He had his agitated wife in his arms who would most likely consider his silence offending and start yelling once more.

Cautiously, gently, he started to rub her back once more, hoping it would soothe her, “Naina… mujhe theek se nahi pata yeh saare badlaav kyun ho rahe hai… Mere khayal se hume ek baar kisi doctor ko dikhana chahiye… shayad gynecologist.”

She drew back in surprise, “main pregnant nahi hun… mere periods chal rahe hai…”

He smiled a bit… He was sure the sane normal Naina wouldn’t have been able to utter the word “pregnant” without blushing. It seemed periods also made her bold… He slowly explained, “gynecologist sirf pregnancy ke liye nahi hote… Auroton ki kai takleefo ke liye gynaec ke paas jaaneko bolte hai. Lekin main abhi jaane ki baat nahi kar raha… sirf ek sujhaav hai mera… tum sochna aur phir hi hum chalenge. Rahi baat tumhare problems ki… zyada socho mat… aaj ke din mujhe tumhara dhyan rakhne do…”

He could she was thinking about his words… Moments later she pouted, “theek hai main sochungi doctor ke baare me… lekin aaj… umm… agar main phirse darawni ban gai toh?”

He smiled at her adorable question, “mujhe meri darawni Naina bhi achchi lagti hai… tumhe jitna chillana hai mujhpe chilla lena.”

Faint blush tinged her cheeks and she softly kissed his forehead, “thank you Sameer…”

“I love you”, he murmured, tipping her on the bed, and instructed her to rest. He stood up to change back into tracks and t-shirt, and then went downstairs. Somehow he managed to vaguely answer Ramdhari’s questions, and asked him to get a hot water bag ready. Armed with the bag, a glass of juice, and a chocolate he went upstairs. Naina was still on the bed, a dreamy smile curving her lips as she twiddled her thumbs… She was lost in some thought, and smiled further when he sat next to her, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“Utho chalo”, he offered her his hand, “juice peelo.”

She sat up as per his instruction, and took the glass from his hand. As she leaned against the headrest, sipping on the orange juice, he gently placed the hot water bag on her tummy. She dragged in a sharp breath, and then slowly exhaled, her eyes closing in relief. He placed the chocolate on the bed-side table, and asked, “kya soch rahi thi?”

“Hamare roka ke din ke baare me”, she divulged, “tumne kaise Taiji ka cup tod diya tha.”

He laughed softly, “haan… ab meri seedhi-saadi bholi si Naina achanak se mujhe aankh maaregi toh aisa hi hoga na.” She grinned at him, and they spent the next few hours chattering about the incidents since their roka, reminiscing the moments. He even confided that for the first time he was truly missing Rohan and Deepika, and even his mother. Naina understood… Having all of them here meant that for few days Sameer had his entire family with him, which certainly was a big thing for him. He rubbed her legs, even though she opposed him, tried to stop him… But he simply asked, “agar mere paav me dard hota toh tum yeh nahi karti?”

She nodded, “haan karti na… par tum kaise… pati ho…”

“Saathi hai”, he interrupted, “Naina… hum dost hai, premi hai, jeevansaathi hai… ek dusre ke equal hai… Isiliye main yeh kar sakta hun…” She smiled at him, and he teased, “haan par bas ek din tum aisa kuch kar sakti ho jo main nahi karunga…”

Curious she asked, “kya?”

He bit his lip and informed, “karwachauth pe mere pair chhu sakti ho.”

She was taken aback for a moment, and then stuck her tongue out at him, “bilkul nahi… hum samaan hai na… toh main kyun tumhare pair chune lagi…”

He chuckled, not pushing the topic. But even as they talked about other things, she started to think about the rituals that now needed to be performed because she was married. Their first festival would be holi… She was a married woman now, so ideally he would be applying color on her first… And what should she do? Put color on his feet and take his blessing, like she had seen Chachiji do it every year? Or be like a lover and apply color on his cheek?

He tapped her shoulder, “phirse kahan kho gai?”

She shook her head, “kuch nahi… bas aisai… main thodi der book padhu?”

He nodded, “haan sure… main bhi office ka bag leke aata hun… Jaipur jaane se pehle deal ke saare papers vagera ready karne honge na.”

She felt guilty of her outburst suddenly, “I am sorry Sameer… tumhe office jaana hai toh jao… Mujhe pata hai tum honeymoon se pehle sab kaam niptane ki koshish kar rahe ho lekin phir bhi main aise rone lagi… Pata nahi Ramdhari bhaiya kya soch rahe honge?”

He pinched her nose, “Ramdhari ko lagta hai uski memsahib me Durga maa aa gai hai…” She swatted his hand away, and he chuckled, “aur haan… main aaj office nahi jaane wala tha… woh toh tumne bola isiliye jaa raha tha… tension mat lo… jitna kaam hai yahin se ho jayega. Main kahin nahi jaa raha aaj tumhe chodke.”

There was a comfortable silence in the room as she read her book and Sameer worked on his office stuff. Sometimes in between he would call someone, or people from office would call him for something, but other than that nothing disturbed the tranquility of the afternoon. When it was lunch time, Sameer brought their food upstairs, and while eating he told her everything about the merger deal. As they finished, he gathered all the dishes, “main yeh neeche rakhke aata hun… Tum rest karo.”

The way he was caring for her and pampering her made her smile, and also once more wonder about how she had managed to land upon a man like him. He was so different that what society usually perceived husbands to be. Lost in thoughts she stood up, and grabbed another pad from the cupboard, thinking she would change. Perhaps it was not needed so soon, but still… she didn’t want to risk staining. It would be so awkward to explain. Hiding the used pads was another concern. After a lot of thought yesterday she had decided to roll them up in newspaper and then stash them inside a polybag, hiding the whole thing at the back of the toilet. After breakfast, she had managed to sneak out the bag knowing that Sameer would bathe and the servant would clean the bathroom. When he was bathing she had gone out of the house on pretext of buying fresh vegetables and dumped the bag in a corporation dumpster some way from their house. It was a lengthy process and hiding everyday might not be possible, but for now this was the best she could do…

As she changed and hid the used pad, she scrunched her nose thinking that it was stinking inside the bathroom. Maybe it was not that strong, and she was just extra sensitive because she knew how it smelled, but still… if Sameer also noticed and tried to investigate then what would she do. She walked out and rummaged in the cupboard hoping to find the packet of naphthalene balls so that she could stash a couple in bathroom, but she couldn’t find it. Sameer would be coming up any moment… Unable to think of any other solution she dashed to the dresser, picked up the bottle of perfume and sprayed a little inside the bathroom.

Two minutes later when he came inside she was back on bed, reading once more. He smiled at her, and then went inside the bathroom, paused at the door, sniffed the air and then turned back to her in confusion, “Naina… yeh bathroom me mere jaisi khusboo kyun aa rahi hai?”

She bit her lip, trying to hide her mortified face behind the book, and mumbled, “kaisi khushboo?”

“Mere perfume ki”, he offered, “subah lagaya tha suit pe, lekin bathroom me nahi… toh phir yeh smell.”

She gulped, and tried to laugh off handedly, “vehem hoga tumhara.”

He carefully sniffed again, “nahi… sach me aa rahi hai… Tum aake sunghke dekho…”

Closing her eyes she bit her lip, “umm… nahi Sameer… bahot interesting book hai… padhne do na.”

He looked at her in confusion… Why wasn’t she looking at him? Was the book so interesting that she had to hide behind it? Sighing at her odd behavior, he went inside to use the bathroom. The strong fragrance further confirmed that indeed the perfume had been used in bathroom… But why? Suddenly he remembered that she had said that she was feeling odd desires… Was this also some of her whim? But if she wanted to smell then why would she spray in bathroom? And why was everything about periods so confusing?

Coming out of the bathroom, he walked up to her, and picked up the chocolate from the bed-side table, “tumhe yeh nahi khana?”

She peeked from above the book cautiously, but her eyes lit up instantly on seeing the chocolate, “oh haan… main bhool gai thi…”

He grinned, sitting in-front of her, “mujhe milega?”

She smiled, once more comfortable now that he wasn’t questioning her. Tearing the pack open, she broke off a bit, and held it up. He took the piece from her hand; his brows furrowed and he grabbed her hand, sniffing at it… “Ahan!” He exclaimed, “tumne sach me mera perfume use kiya hai.”

She stiffened, “uhh… nahi…”

He clucked his tongue, “jhoothi… tumhare haath me smell aa rahi hai.”

Having no other way, she scowled, “kya perfume perfume laga rakha hai? Kabse ek hi baat kar rahe ho… Shanti se book bhi nahi padhne de rahe. Jao apna kaam karo… mujhe pareshan mat karo.”

His left eyebrow lifted in a mocking expression, “sweetheart… pati hun tumhara… tumhare jhoothe aur sachche gusse me farq pata chalta hai. Ab yeh natak bandh karo…”

Her cheeks reddened, “please Sameer… chodo na iss baat ko.”

He lay down on the bed, keeping his head in her lap, and closed his eyes, “tumhe pata hai na… main bahot mushkil se koi sawaal chodta hun… ab do options hai tumhare paas… ya toh koi proper wajah batao ke main yeh tumse kyun na puchu… Ya toh jawaab de do… Meri aankhen bhi bandh hai, toh tumko ab sharmane ki zaroorat nahi hai… I promise tum jo bhi mujhe bologi uske baad main koi aur sawaal nahi karunga.”

She couldn’t help the small smile that curved her lips, and neither could she stop herself from threading her fingers in his hair… Her legs were aching, but the weight of his head on her lap felt good… He didn’t say anything, simply waited, and that gesture of him calmed her down. She remembered how he had told her that they could share anything with each other, and slowly she said, “umm… mere periods ke wajah se bathroom me smell aa rahi thi, isiliye maine tumhara perfume spray kiya. Napthalene balls nahi mile.”

His brows furrowed at her explanation, as if he was trying to process it. His mouth opened once as if he wanted to ask something, but then stopped. She smiled, answering his unasked question, “use kiye hue pads hai na uske wajah se… aur periods me hota hai… Uss ghar me chachiji Dettol chidakne ko bolti thi.”

He was silent for a moment, and then gently said, “Dettol sink ke neeche wale cabinet me hai. Napthalene cupboard me sabse neeche ke shelf pe. Aur main aaj shaam bahar jaake air-freshener le aaunga toh agli baar tumhe smell lage toh woh chidak dena.”

She didn’t reply to this, there was no need. She just felt grateful to have him as her husband, someone who pestered her for answers but also knew how to make her feel comfortable. It was true they had discussed about her menstrual cycle before wedding, but it was also true that talking about it when they were living in different houses versus experiencing it while living in the same house was very different. Yet, the one thing that was common was his calm and sensible understanding. If someone would rewind time to their teenage years, people would have said that it was her who would be the calm and mature one in their relationship, and she was… But in many situations it was him who took over that role. He addressed all her queries, apprehensions and doubts in a sensible manner, and made her realize how sensitive discussions were completely natural between them.

“I love you”, she murmured.

He smiled; the curve of his lips tripping her heartbeats and then he opened his eyes meeting her gaze. “I love you too sweetheart”, he replied, and sat up to kiss her forehead, “pet ka dard kaisa hai.”

She rubbed her tummy, “thoda thoda hai… bas aaj ka din.”

He checked the hot water bag, and said, “phirse refill karke laata hun. Tum thoda so jao…”

As she dozed off slightly, she felt the hot water bag being kept on her tummy once more, and then he covered her with a blanket. She heard the balcony door sliding close, and then his lips touched her forehead making her smile. The bed on her side dipped, and she understood that he had abandoned his desk to sit beside her as he worked. Never in her life had she been pampered like this during her periods… Sameer had somehow taken off the edge from the worst days of month.

That evening he truly went out and brought air-freshener, about which Naina was glad. Her third day was much better, but still there was an awkward situation when Sameer spotted her going out to discard the bag of pads. He asked her, and with great difficulty she managed to tell him what it was that she had to go all the way out on street to throw. Puzzled he shook his head, “par kyun?”

She looked at him as if he was a dunce, “aisi cheez room ke dustbin me thodi na phekungi… Kitna ganda hai… Aur smell…”

“Main samajhta hun”, he replied patiently, “but kal tum hi mujhe keh rahi thi yeh pads sabke saamne dikhate hue nahi le jaa sakti… Mujhse tak chupa rahi thi… Toh woh thela kaise tum sadak pe phenkne gai? Wahan log nahi dekhenge…”

She flushed, “polybag me tha.”

He nodded, “maine dekha… Par Naina, aisa toh kitni aurtein karti hogi… I mean… kaise samjhau… Haan… dekho… aaj maine tumko dekha aise karte hue, toh agar main ab kisi aur aurat ko dekhunga chupaate hue koi thela le jaate hue phenkne ke liye toh main samajh jaunga na woh kya kar rahi hai.”

She stared at him in surprise, thinking about the scenario which had never crossed her mind. Her voice shook as she asked, “toh ab kya karu?”

He calmly explained, “tum ghar ke andar nahi phenkna chahti na… Toh garden ke kone me jo dustbin hai, jahan har raat Ramdhari ghar ka saara kachra daalta hai wahan daal diya karo. Corporation ka truck aata hai tab uss dustbin ko khaali karke le jaata hai… Ghar ke andar bhi nahi hoga, aur kisiko pata bhi nahi chalega.”

She thought about it for a minute and nodded in agreement, feeling extremely grateful about the solution. That day also she mostly rested as Sameer instructed, although she did spend some time to arrange the gifts they had received. Once his work was done, he helped her as well. Cuddled in his arms at night, she asked, “hum shopping karne kab chalenge?”

He hummed, “agar tumhara dard kam ho gaya ho toh kal chal sakte hai.”

She nodded, “haan ab main theek hun… kal shopping kar sakte hai.”

Sameer tossed and turned a bit that night as having her pressed to him aroused him… Plus it wasn’t like they had stopped kissing. On her second day once he had been assured that she wasn’t going to turn into the demon wife version he had kissed her… In the balcony… Just like on the day of their first kiss… The evening was just like that, and similar to that time venturing beyond kiss was forbidden. He had chuckled and reminded her, and she had giggled. Today also, he had woken her up with a kiss, and then again kissed her in afternoon… And just now before sleeping… She had poured so much urgency into that one kiss that he hadn’t been able to stop himself from moving his hand up her body and touching her breasts… Bad move, he knew… But still he had wanted to feel. And so the result was that he was unable to sleep in peace…

Sirf do din aur Sameer… He pacified himself knowing there was her 4^th and 5^th night still to go. Phir Jaipur ke liye niklenge Sunday subah, aur raat ko… That thought made him smile, and he drifted off into fantasy land.

The next day was indeed full of shopping. Though Naina strictly refused to buy more new clothes, citing that she already had so many that he had gifted, he urged her to choose something. “Honeymoon pe kuch toh naya pehnogi na”, he pleaded.

She countered, “itni nayi sareeya toh hai na.”

He frowned, “Naina… honeymoon pe saree kaun pehenta hai yaar… haan agar tum bilkul sexy wali koi transparent saree pehen rahi ho toh theek hai… Bandhej aur gharchola honeymoon pe suit nahi karta.”

She queried in surprise, “toh phir main kya pehnu?”

He huffed, “wahi jo shaadi se pehle pehenti thi… jeans-top, salwar-kameez, skirts.”

“Ohh”, she looked thoughtful, “hmmm… maine socha shaadi ke baad saree hi pehnungi… Taiji toh…”

He planted his hand on his hips, “excuse me… kaun Taiji?”

She glanced at him in astonishment, and then a little giggle spurted out of her. After that they bought some new clothes, and Naina delighted him by choosing a long flowy red dress with lacy sleeves and a scooped neckline. Her eyes gleamed as she asked, “yeh lake palace me jo dinner hai hamara usme achcha lagega na?”

He grinned, “haan… ekdum sexy lagogi isme.” Happy with his approval she admired the dress while he admired his wife. He knew how posh and grand lake palace was, and the dinner they had would be a big event with a lot of high-class people attending. He had decided he would wear a casual suit, and ask Naina to wear some heavy salwar-kameez. But he was amazed at his wife’s aesthetically elegant dressing sense… His mother was right… Naina’s fashion sense was perfect, it’s just that she never had a chance to choose for herself. Given her background he had thought she would opt for saree or salwar-kameez with jewelry like their wedding functions, but no… She had chosen something unusual, and he was dying to see her in the dress and also to peel it off from her body by the end of the evening. His body zinged and blood rushed south just at that thought and he gingerly adjusted himself.

Naina tried the dress on for fitting but didn’t show him, saying he can see it that day itself. He pouted, and grumbled, but she pulled him down and whispered, “abhi dekhke waise bhi kuch kar nahi payenge… Aur aapki haalat dekhke lag raha hai yeh dress ka effect kaafi zyada hoga. Isiliye… usi din…”

His mouth fell open in shock as she walked away from him, and he glanced down at himself… She had noticed… Goodness… He paid the bill and slid his arm around her waist, informing in low voice, “itna effect hai ke uss raat ko sona bhool jaana… be ready…”

She blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear, and shook her head at his flirting. They scanned through all the winter collection, which wasn’t much, and definitely not suitable for Switzerland winters. Finally Sameer said, he would ask his mother to buy stuff, and they could just get boots from here later on. Naina wondered how they would manage packing if they got the winter stuff at the airport. But she didn’t ask him, figuring any conversation about Delhi might just spoil his mood, and decided she would just call up maa and ask.

That night when they got ready to sleep he kept eyeing Naina’s red night dress. It reminded him of the dress she had bought, and he cursed… He pecked her lips, thinking to keep it light… She laughed, “kya hua?”

He swallowed, “red…”

Just that one word was enough to let her know what he was thinking. She cuddled up, agreeing to no kiss… Sameer held her close, squeezing his eyes shut, but there was no respite from his fantasies. He sighed… Naina was asleep in his arms, there really wasn’t much he could do, but maybe he could go to bathroom and… However he trailed off in his thoughts as he felt a small warm palm slither beneath his t-shirt and up his chest… He drew back a bit and found her staring at him with a sly smile, and she whispered, “mujhe pata hai tumhe neend nahi aa rahi.”

And that was that… He probably only blinked once before his lips were on hers, and she hummed, opening her mouth to him. His hands sought flesh and she obliged letting his hand wander beneath her top… His mouth sought skin and she once more obliged by arching her neck giving him more access to her throat. She felt him lift her top and didn’t even think of protesting… His fingers traced the lining of her bra and then pulled down a cup, baring her hardened nub to his eager mouth. She moaned, her legs parting automatically to cradle him… His hips pressed against her, rhythmically pushing… She didn’t know how to stop him, but she need not have worried… After few minutes, he pulled her top down, resting his head at the crook her neck, and whispered, “do raat aur…”

As she watched him disappear into the bathroom, she straightened her clothes, and smiled… Her body still felt feverish but there was something that was going on in the back of her mind… When he came back, he asked about her smile, and she said, “bas aisai… shaadi se pehle ke din yaad aa gaye.”

He nodded in agreement, wrapping his arms around her and this time he did fall asleep quickly unaware that his wife was already thinking and planning.

The next day was different… Sameer waited for some minor mood swings like the last two days, but nothing happened. She just seemed to be content sitting and reading, but her eyes were unfocused. After breakfast he received Munna’s call about some legal documents, which meant he had to go to office. Naina didn’t stop him; instead she urged him to go and asked if he would buy her a rose on his way back. He kissed her lips gently and promised to get a whole bouquet of roses for her.

After he left Naina went inside the bathroom and the smile on her face had widened after that. She called up at her other home and talked to her family for some time, especially with Chachiji as she wanted to ask something. The answer she received pleased her…  Preeti squealed with excitement about their long Jaipur-Udaipur trip, and asked her if they did any shopping. Chachiji asked if she should send some snacks, but Naina refused saying there was a lot left at home. Having nothing more to do in afternoon she instructed Ramdhari about dinner and then finished packing for their trip. It took some time, since she had to specifically pack business clothes for Sameer, and his suits were in a different bag altogether so that the press wouldn’t go bad. She picked her choice of shirts and tees knowing he wouldn’t mind, and also remembered his sets of tracks.

He called her up once while she was packing, and asked, “tum theek ho na? rest karna aaj bhi… kal bahot lamba safar hoga.”

She smiled at his concern, “main theek hun Sameer… packing kar rahi hun.”

He grinned, “oh wow… sab kuch le lena yaad se… Aur suno wahan hum mandir bhi jayenge toh chaho toh ek-do saree le lena.”

“Theek hai”, she replied, “maine tumhare suits le liye hai, aur baaki kapde bhi… Kuch khaas lena hai?”

He promptly responded, “nahi… jo tumhe pasand ho le lena.”

Her own packing didn’t take as much time. The jewelry safe was in the study, so she took out what she needed, and also remembered to pack her bangles and makeup. After going through the things she had packed, she slapped her forehead and dashed downstairs to get his shoes and her sandals. Of course they needed to be packed too… She also grabbed the shoe polish and brush thinking he might need it.

When Sameer came home that day at 6pm Naina was sitting on the big couch in living room, engrossed in a movie. He tiptoed behind her thinking to surprise her, but even before he touched her she looked behind and grinned. He frowned, “car ki awaaz sunai di kya?”

She chuckled, “nahi… tumhare dil ki…” He smiled, handing over the bouquet of roses to her, loving the delighted expression on her face.

Standing up she took the office bag from his hand, “betho… main paani leke aati hun.”

The gesture surprised him… Usually he would dump his bag and sprawl on the sofa, hollering for Ramdhari to bring water… But today his wife was there, waiting for him, tending to him. He whistled to the tune of the song on TV, feeling extremely happy because now he had someone to return to every evening from office. After having water and a cup of tea he went to freshen up, and when he returned she was arranging the roses in a vase.

“Ramdhari kahin dikh nahi raha”, he commented.

She nodded, “haan… sab kaam ho gaya tha toh maine unhe ghar bhej diya. Kal aa jayenge saaf-safai karne, aur phir unko chutti de di.”

He hugged her from behind, dipping to kiss her shoulder, “I missed you… Office me sab mujhe ched rahe the.”

She turned in his arms, “jhoothe… office me sab tumse darte hai…”

“Shaadi ho gai toh ab koi nahi darta”, he sighed, “sabko pata hai mujhe darane wali aa gayi hai.”

She laughed and enquired, “kal ka kya plan hai? kab nikal rahe hai?”

He informed, “subah jaldi niklenge… 6am types… kaafi lambi drive hai. Der shaam tak pahochenge… 7-8pm baje tak.”

She was perplexed, “12-13 ghante ki drive ek din me karenge toh thak jaoge tum… tabiyat bhi kharab ho sakti hai.”

He shrugged, “ek hi baar ki baat hai na… manage kar lunga… aate hue toh Udaipur me rukenge.”

She thought about it for some time, “aapki meeting kab hai? Monday?”

He shook his head, “nahi… Tuesday ko rakhi hai… Socha ek din rest karenge aur thoda ghumenge, phir kaam shuru karunga.”

Her face lit up with an idea, “toh jaate hue bhi journey break kar sakte hai na…”

His brows furrowed, “matlab? Udaipur pehle jaana hai.”

“Nahi…” She pulled out a map from her book, “yeh aapne Mt. Abu trip ke time liya tha na… Toh main aaj dekh rahi thi. Dekhiye… jaate hue hum iss highway se jayenge na, toh ek raat Mt. Abu me ruk sakte hai. Aisa karenge toh kal aapko 5-6 ghante drive karna padega aur parso 7-8 ghante. Sahi rahega na?”

He studied the map for a few minutes, “idea toh theek hai… uhh… actually bahot achcha hai…! Wow Naina… Perfect bilkul. Main abhi Gayatri didi ko kehta hun bookings ka.”

Naina felt pleased at the idea she had come up with, and walked up to her roses once again… Smelling the fragrance of the beautiful blooms she thought that nothing could be more perfect than spending the first night of their honeymoon in Mt. Abu.”

Sameer was happy with the idea. To be honest he had been slightly dreading the idea of driving such a long distance in the same day… He hadn’t done it before… He could have taken the driver, but he didn’t want to… He wanted to be alone with Naina. Though he did wonder if such last minute changes could be done, as the hotel was already booked, maybe he would have to pay an extra charge for changing the dates so late… But he need not have worried. Gayatri didi sorted out the booking in 30 minutes, and informed him about the booking details.

Dinner was done over a movie, but after that Naina had an unusual craving for Chocolate ice-cream, and since they had none at home Sameer offered to go out and get some. It brightened up her face. He chuckled, mentally noting that from next month he would have to stock chocolates as well as chocolate ice-cream. As soon as he left Naina did a small victory dance, grabbed a rose from the vase and dashed upstairs.

Sameer came in twenty minutes later, bit annoyed because the nearest shop had ran out of stock and he had to go further. Thankfully he had taken his bike and not decided to walk. He unlocked the front door and came in, “Naina…”

She wasn’t there… Thinking she was in the room, he placed two ice-cream cups in freezer and carried the other two up to their bedroom. “Naina”, he called once more, only to be met with silence. Frowning he turned to knock on the bathroom door, but just then spotted something in the center of the bed… Bright against the beige-brown satin was a red rose and a note. “Come to the terrace” – he read the note, and shook his head. Periods were strange… Why would she want to go to the terrace at this hour? Especially when they had to leave early tomorrow… Well, he should go and get his wife back else the ice-creams would melt.

There was hardly any light on the terrace, just the gentle moonlight, and the silhouette against the parapet showed where his wife was. “Hey sweetheart”, he went up to her and hugged her.

She shuddered, “hi…”

“Ice-cream room me hai”, he informed, and then frowned, “tumne shawl kyun le rakha hai? Tabiyat toh theek hai na.”

She turned in his arms, lifting up to kiss his cheek, “tumhara intezaar kar rahi thi.”

Puzzled he started to ask, “kya…” But she grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the door. Opening it she stepped in the house, and then flicked the light switch on. He was still standing at the threshold, and squinted his eyes at the sudden light… Naina waited for a moment, and as his eyes opened properly she went up to him, and whispered, “main soch rahi thi…”

He scanned her face, “kya…?”

Her lips curved in that special sensuous way that nearly stopped his heart… With a quick movement of hand she took off the shawl letting it fall on the floor… He didn’t know clearly what happened after that but he was sure he had definitely stopped breathing and his open jaw must have touched the floor… His wife was wearing a nightie… The nightie… The purple nightie…!!

Her finger touched his chin, lifting it up to close his mouth with a snap… He jerked, and she bit her lip, “pasand aaya Mr. Maheshwari?” He wasn’t in any senses to reply… She trailed a finger down his chest, “yahin khade rehne ka iraada hai?” When he still didn’t respond, she chuckled, the next moment two slim fingers stroked up and down his hardened erection… He shuddered, letting out an involuntary grown, and she let out a small laugh… Turning away from him she walked down the stairs, glancing back once with a commanding meaningful gaze that he had never been able to avoid… Not when he was 17, and definitely not now… His legs automatically moved, and he followed her like a predator tracking its prey… But he wasn’t really sure who was the hunter and the hunted here…

He saw her entering their room, and went inside, locking the door… His eyes raked over her… The nightie fell to her knees, the robe curving over her figure, the dark purple color a contrast against her creamy skin… Her lips were bare of any color, but the natural pink was a shade in itself… Her hair was open, falling down her back and shoulders… And the only accessories she wore was the mangalsutra around her neck, the chuda in her hand, the bichiya at her toes, and the sensuous smile on her lips…

She extended her hand out to him, and he held it like a lifeline… As soon as he was close enough she held his shoulders, lifted on her toes and pressed her lips to his… He shuddered, groaned, and reality crashed over him like 440 watts of current… He wasn’t dreaming… She was real… Truly real… How did she get the purple nightie? The question popped in his mind, but her sweet probing tongue pushed it aside… His brain fused like electric cables in rain, and his senses awakened with popping sounds that he swore he could hear… When she pushed him to the wall, it was only then that he realized that the popping sounds were not his senses, rather the buttons of his shirt.

His hand came up to her waist, searching, and knot slipped open like water over leaf… He tilted his head, deepening the kiss, and tugged the robe down her shoulders just like he pulled off his shirt from his… Rough palms and long fingers slid over her bare arms, and then she was pushed back, “dekhne do…”

She stood there, lips wet and swollen, hair mussed up, breathing hard as she let him have his fill… His deep glittering eyes roved over her body like an intimate caress causing her to shiver… “Periods”, he gruffly voiced.

She smiled, coming closer once more, “gaye…” She took his hand, keeping it on her waist, and slipped her arms around his neck, “kiss me Sameer…”

He groaned and did just that… Turning he pushed her up against the wall, and devoured her lush mouth as if he had been hungry for her taste… And God he had been… For the last four days he had tried to control himself while kissing her but today his body shook with the effort it took to go stage by stage… Kiss, touch, taste… The sequence played at the back of his mind repeatedly lest he forgot and simply parted her and took… No… He couldn’t do that… He had been waiting and so had been she… And so it needed to be proper…

“Mujhe control karne me taklif ho rahi hai”, he whispered against her throat, nipping the smooth skin while his hands cupped her breast over the sating, his thumb flicking at the taut buds. Her hands moved away from around his neck, going to his back as he pressed more into her… “Toh mat karo control”, she offered melting against him and at the same time her nails scored down his back…

He growled jerking at the sensations and her words, the last bit of civilized thought leaving his brain and he became a man purely driven by his body… Such was his need that he didn’t even have the patience to remove her nightie; he just slipped a strap down kissing her shoulder and moving down… His brows furrowed in annoyance as the lowered strap didn’t bare her breast… She was about to help, but just then he caught the hardened nipple between his teeth over the satin gown, and applied gentle pressure… She moaned aloud, “Sameer!!”

His fingers twined around the strap, tugged hard and with a small ripping sound the delicate lace snapped… Using his teeth he pulled the satin down baring her breast to his eager hungry mouth. She fisted her hand in his hair, a soft scream escaping her lips at the hard suction… There was no rhythm to what he was doing… He was too far gone to even think of finesse… His other hand moved down between her thighs, cupping, stroking, and another growl rumbled from his chest as his searching fingers found her wetness. Her one hand was tugging at his hair, the other hand scraping his back, as his mouth feasted at her breast and his fingers delved inside her… A couple of deft movements and her panties pooled to the floor… None of them knew if they had slid down her legs or his impatient fingers had snapped that lace too… He reached up to her lips again, while his hands fumbled, unbuckling his belt, unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans which in the next second was pushed down his thighs by another set of impatient hands… Hers!

Half-a-minute of struggle to get rid of his jeans and boxers, and then he lifted her up the wall, draping her legs around him, and reached between them to position himself. His knuckles rubbed against her, eliciting another moan. He tried to drag in a breath, get some sense… But she whimpered, “Sameer… jaldi…”

And he thrust, filling her in a single hard stroke that made her cling to him and scream. His lips found her neck, marking her as his, and his hips started to move thrusting at a pace that pushed her up the wall each time he was inside… The deep strokes made her shudder… Her hands moved on his back and hair, urging him on… The whimpers turned to throaty moans as her head moved side-to-side…

His teeth scraped the tendons where her neck met her shoulder, and in the next hard thrust she dissolved… The loud keening cry distant to her own ears as she pulsed around him, pulling him in, rhythmically clenching until he too groaned… Grinding her hips against hers, he felt himself being pulled apart, every cell of his body floating in some another dimension… Her inner muscles were still clenching him, he was still throbbing, and he thought he was trapped in a limbo where time lost its semblance and the only thing that mattered was the sound of breath… The deep, rough, erratic sounds that indicated the moments of pleasure… He opened his eyes, bit surprised to see he wasn’t scattered around after that explosion inside him, but rather he was still held together in between the slender arms of his wife.

Licking his lips he rasped, “tum theek ho?”

It took an enormous amount of strength, but she managed to chuckle, “theek? Mujhe nahi pata… tumhe kya lagta hai?”

He nibbled at her earlobe, “mere khayal me tum bahot sexy lag rahi ho…”

She hummed, “neeche toh utaaro…”

He was at the corner of mouth now, “nahi… abhi toh raat shuru hui hai.”

Her eyes popped open in confusion, “matlab? Humne already… umm… kar liya…”

He chuckled, “itni bhi kya jaldi hai… waise… yeh nightie tumpe bahot achchi lag rahi hai… mere fantasy se bhi zyada…”

“Thank you”, she murmured.

He held her secured with one arm, and used his other hand as leverage to push back from the wall… She shrieked, “Sameer… neeche utaaro…”

“Mera aisa koi iraada nahi hai”, he stated, walking to the bed, still lodged firmly inside her… He tipped her on the bed carefully, taking care to bend along with her so that there wasn’t even a second when their bodies weren’t joined… He had softened inside her, but the slippery wetness made the sensation too sharp for both of them…

“Sameer kya…”, she started to ask but he silenced her with a kiss… And in just few seconds she started to feel him stretch and lengthen inside her… Her eyes flew open is surprise, and she wrenched her mouth away. He smirked, pulling out a bit and thrusting once more, gratified at how she couldn’t control the moan or the arch of her back.

“Tumne mere poori baat toh suni hi nahi”, he drawled in a deep husky voice that sent goosebumps racing across her skin. His hands found the hem of the gown, “yeh nightie tumpe bahot achchi lag rahi hai… par… mere khayal se iske bina tum aur zyada achchi lagogi…”

She gasped as he smoothly stripped off the nightie and flung it over his shoulders… Her eyes were wide in astonishment as he grabbed her hands, pinning them to the bed, and nuzzled her throat. She felt him starting to move once more and tentatively asked, “uh… abhi phirse?”

“Oh yes”, he whispered against her ear, “kaha tha na… abhi toh raat shuru hui hai.” She whimpered lifting up to him, and happily surrendered herself to the ecstatic journey he took her on, once more quite contrary to her knowledge and expectations…