Always and Forever Part 57: Morning Fantasies

Naina never needed alarm to wake up usually… The chirping of birds, the gentle light of dawn, the slightly cooler breeze in morning were enough to wake her up… And so it was today… She stretched her arms, her eyes moving around the room, and her lips curved up in a delightful smile… It was the first morning of her honeymoon… She turned her head to look at her sleeping husband, and her heart skipped beats at the sight…

He was sprawled on his back, his arms spread out, the blanket down at his waist revealing his tempting bare chest, his hair flopping on his forehead as his head lolled to the right side. She fully turned on her side, lifting herself on her elbow, and traced a fingertip down the side of his face to his neck… He hummed in sleep, shifting his limbs a bit before again lying still… Her eyes lit up with mischief as she hovered over him and moved a strand of her hair on his eyelids, nose, lips… He scrunched his nose, opened and closed his mouth, and his brows furrowed at the disturbance…

“Sameer”, she whispered near his ear…

He hummed once more and smiled as if he heard her voice. Her brows furrowed and she waited to see if he was pretending to sleep, but then chuckled on seeing him again relax. How could he keep sleeping like that? Did she feel like a dream? He looked so content… She had never seen him sleep like this before… Usually he would be up at the smallest sound and movement… But today, he seemed to be sleeping without a worry in the world. For a moment she was tempted to let him sleep, but then she thought back to their conversation from last night and decided that she wasn’t going to waste one single moment on the first morning of their honeymoon… She inched closer, leaned down and nipped sharply on his chest just above his left nipple.

He gasped and his eyes snapped open… Disoriented with the sudden assault he looked around at the big room bathed in the light of dawn, and then his chocolate gaze fastened on his wife who was hovering near his chest, clutching the blanket to cover her breasts. The confused frown on his face turned to a wicked lopsided smirk, “my wild cat… pati ko aise uthate hai neend se?”

She giggled, “toh aur kya karu… honeymoon ki pehli subah ko ghode bech ke so rahe ho… kitni der se uthane ki koshish kar rahi hun…”

“Ahan”, he tucked her hair behind her ears, “par mujhe lagta hai tumne theek se koshish nahi ki.” She frowned, and his eyes glittered as he rasped in his husky sleepy voice, “let me teach you…” Saying so he grabbed her waist, swiftly pulling her up and positioned her to straddle him… Her surprised squeal turned to a throaty moan as she felt his hardened length rubbing between her legs and her body instantly responded, readying itself to accept him. He drew in a sharp breath on feeling the slight slippery friction, “damn… Naina…”

She bit her lip, her eyes half closed; the blanket fell from her hands baring her body to his view… He watched the haze of passion on his wife’s face, the flush on her body that seemed to make her entire body glow, the hardened nubs of her breasts that begged for his mouth, and the plump quivering lower lip that now had a tiny mark from her teeth… His blood seemed to warm up, his nerves strained, his body pulsing to take her, to claim her…

“Come here”, he ordered, “kiss me…”

In a trance she leaned down to obey his command… The slightly coarse hair on his chest brushed her nipples, sensitizing them even more… He groaned as her lips touched his, and he could swear that he had never been so aroused ever in mornings… The little stunt she had pulled to wake him seemed to have awakened all his senses… He nipped her lips, seeking entry in her mouth, his hands sliding down her bare back to cup her bottom, moving her on his erection… She moaned is his mouth, her body shuddering suddenly and he knew she was ready… Breaking the kiss, he pulled her up a bit more so that her breasts were level with his mouth and then he hungrily latched onto one nipple, drawing it with his lips, flicking, sucking…

“Sameer”, she moaned, her one hand fisting in his hair while the other grabbed onto the headboard for support…

He suddenly flipped her on her back, pinned her hands to the bed and moved to her other breast, sucking equally hungrily at it. She writhed, arching up to his mouth, her body on fire from his ministrations. Keeping her drugged with his kisses on her body, he grabbed a condom and managed to pull it on… Tugging her hands further up, he locked both her wrists with one palm, and moved the other hand down her body, stopping at all the delectable spots that made her squirm and gasp… He took her lips in another deep kiss, and at the same time held her leg apart with his hand and thrust inside her… Her breathless moans mingled with his deep groans as he stole short kisses from her mouth while moving inside her… She nipped at his lips on the next kiss as a punishment for holding her hands captive… She wanted to touch him, but he didn’t let her… Rather he just tightened his hold on her wrists, and the other hand which was holding her leg apart now hooked beneath her knee, angling her leg up… His pace increased and he rasped in her ear about how snug and tight she felt… She gasped at his words, a blush tinging her cheek and he groaned on seeing that… His body jerked at her bashful response, and he thrust in to the hilt, grinding himself against her… Her breath broke, her body strung tight, and as he pulled out and thrust again, she exploded with a soft scream… He started to move again, his fast strokes prolonging her pleasure, the tight clench of her body drawing him in, he buried his face at her neck and let go…

Finally she was able to pull her arms out of his hold, her leg dropped limply as his entire body loosened and collapsed on her… She moved one hand on his back, feeling the thin layer of sweat despite the air-conditioner… His heart thundered matching the pace of hers… She hadn’t known that waking him up like that could result in such frenzied lovemaking… Slowly he moved, trying to sit up, groaning as if he was in pain… She chuckled at the sounds he made, and then hissed as he pulled out of her slowly… Their eyes met, and he grinned, “kuch seekha?”

She blushed, “chup… jao bathroom jaake aao…”

He stumbled down the bed and moved to the bathroom on unsteady steps… She pulled the blanket up, checking the time and yawned lazily… Soon he was back, snuggling up to her, and kissed her cheek, “that was amazing… honeymoon ka best morning…”

She queried, “yeh toh pehli subah hi hai… tumhe kaise pata best hai?”

He settled her in his arms, nuzzling her hair, “kyunki subah ka lovemaking mera wish tha par ispe pehel tumne ki… isse special bhala kya ho sakta hai…”

An hour and half later they were at the sprawling hotel restaurant to have their breakfast. Naina watched in slight shock as Sameer piled on his plate, “pura buffet akele khali karna hai kya?”

He winked, “subah subah kaafi exercise kiya na toh bhuk lagi hai.” She blushed, shaking her head at his antics and grabbed some idli-sambhar and freshly made toasted sandwich. He frowned, “paratha?”

“Common hai”, she shrugged, “yahan variety hai toh paratha kyun khau…”

As they sat on the table, he teased, “iska matlab yeh ke main bhi common ho jaunga thode time me? Phir variety dhundogi?”

She smirked at him, and leaned forward, replying in a suggestive tone, “mujhe toh laga mera interest banaye rakhne ke liye tum hi variety offer karoge… jaise aaj subah kiya tha…”

His mouth fell open in astonishment, and she drew back, a satisfied gleam in her eyes as she dipped a piece of idli in chutney and helped herself. “Wow”, he mumbled, and stared at his dish, “pata nahi kyun… suddenly parathe feeke lag rahe hai…”

She laughed softly, tearing a bit of aloo paratha and fed him, “ab?”

“Better”, he grinned, grabbing her hand and dropped a kiss on the back of her palm.

By 8am they were at the lobby, doing the formalities for checking-out, when suddenly the manager of the hotel came forward, “hello sir… hello madam… I hope your stay with us was pleasant.”

Sameer shook his hand, “very much… thank you.”

The manager informed, “sir hum log ek plantation drive kar rahe hai hotel ke peeche wale garden me… giving people a chance to plant new trees at a minimal price… sirf 20 rupees… Jo paise collect honge woh orphanage me donate hoga, aur saath-saath naye ped bhi lagenge. Would you like to participate?”

Sameer loved the idea, but checking the time he was about to say no when suddenly Naina spoke up, “kitna achcha idea hai… Sameer, hume yeh karna chahiye.” He glanced at his wife once, and on seeing the wide smile on her face, he immediately agreed.

Keeping the luggage at the concierge, they walked down the flagged stone pathway to the sprawling garden area. The space was huge… much larger area than they expected. There were several representatives who were giving out information about the plantation drive, and from them they got to know that a group of hoteliers had come forth to contribute to this effort in an initiative to preserve greenery which explained the vast acres of land. Given the climate around Rajasthan there weren’t many tree options to choose from since only sparse species could survive such harsh weather. Naina and Sameer were deciding between Ber and Mango, when suddenly she spotted one sapling that was kept separate from others…

Pointing to that lone tub, she asked, “woh kya hai?”

“Bargad”, a kind woman answered, “sirf ek hi paudha hai iska, kyunki yeh ped bahot zyada jagah leta hai… lekin yeh ped bina kisi extra care ke bhi saalo-saal rehta hai… aur iski jade itni mazboot hoti hai ke paani ko roke rakhti hai, jisse aas-paas ke mitti me nami bani rehti hai… It’s just one and it’s special…”

Naina’s eyes twinkled, “hum yeh bargad ke paudha laga sakte hai?”

The woman looked bit apprehensive, “uh… sure… lagane ke liye hi hai… par… umm… yeh 20 rupaye ka nahi hai… 200 ka hai… Charity ke liye itna koi dena nahi chahta…”

Sameer pulled out his wallet, handing it over to Naina and whispered something in her ear. She looked astonished for a moment, and then a brilliant grin lit up her face. Opening the wallet she pulled out some cash, counted it again and then handed it over to the woman, “yeh hamare taraf se… orphanage ke liye… hum yahi ped lagayenge.”

The surprised woman counted the money, “madam… par yeh toh… 200 nahi 500 hai…”

Naina nodded, “jee haan… itne achche wajah ke liye phir bhi kam hai.”

“Thank you so much”, the woman replied, overwhelmed, “bhagwaan aap dono ko hamesha khush rakhe.”

Sameer and Naina carried the sapling to the allotted slot of land; a boy followed them with the necessary items like a trowel, planting spade, water etc… As they worked together to dig up the land, Naina reminisced in a fond tone, “tumhe yaad hai… school trip pe bhi yeh kiya tha humne…”

“Tumne”, he corrected, “jahan tak mujhe yaad hai uss din main tumse dur bhaag raha tha kyunki mujhse samajh nahi aa raha tha tumhare pyaar ka saamna kaise karu.”

She smiled, “lekin woh aam ka ped toh maine hum dono ke taraf se lagaya tha… aur jaante ho maine kya wish maanga tha…”

He quirked a brow, shelling out some loose mud with his hand, “kya?”

“Yahin ke jaise jaise woh ped bada hota jayega waise hi hamara pyaar badhta jayega, aur jis tarah se uss ped ki jade mazboot hogi, waise hi hamara pyaar gehra hoga”, she replied, “aur dekho… meri maangi hui wish sach ho gai…”

Sameer removed the plastic coating around the sapling, “aur iss baar kya wish hai?”

Together they placed the sapling in the dug-out hole, added the nourishing manure mixture, and then started to cover with soil. When they were done, the same assistant boy came back and handed over a board to them, “apna naam ispe likh dijiye… yahan lagane ke liye… baad me permanent board lagega.”

Taking the marker Naina started to write “S”, but Sameer snatched it from her, cut out what she had written, and then just beneath that, wrote, “Naina and Sameer Maheshwari”

Her gaze softened and turned moist as the boy placed the board on a makeshift stand, and then left. She held Sameer’s hand, “tum jaante ho… Mt. Abu me pehli baar maine hum dono ka naam saath me imagine kiya tha… Ghar ke bahar lagane wale board dekhe the jab market me…”

He squeezed her palm a bit, “aur ab hamara naam yahan Mt. Abu me hamesha saath hoga… iss board pe.”

She nodded, “haan… aur meri wish hai ke jaise yeh bargad ke ped ki jadein failti jaati hai waise hi hamara…”

Suddenly Sameer gasped, “what??? Really?”

She was puzzled, “huh?”

He whispered, his eyes wide, “bargad ki jitni jade failti hai tumhe utne babies chahiye…?” Her mouth fell open in shock… He shook his head, “sweetheart… that would be more babies than a cricket team… itne bachcho ko kaun sambhalega…”

She choked, her cheeks turning red, “kya? Tum… tum kya bol rahe ho? Dimag toh theek hai na?”

He chuckled, looping his arms around her waist and pulled her close, “I love that blush on your face… aur tumhara muh jab aise shock me khul jaata hai na… you look cute…”

She blushed even more at that, “chodo mujhe… sab dekh rahe hai…”

“Dekhne do”, he shrugged, “main apni biwi ke saath romance kar raha hun…”

Her smile widened, “hume der ho jayegi…”

He dropped a quick kiss on her forehead, “let’s go…”

The woman who had attended to them at first, thanked them again, assured that she would send a picture of the spot to them when the permanent board would be installed, and also wished them a safe journey. After quickly freshening up they were on the road on their way to Jaipur, the radio filling the car with romantic songs. The journey till lunch passed with random conversations, singing along to songs, silly jokes, and teasing… They stopped for a slightly late lunch because Sameer wanted to find a proper place with air-conditioner, rather than a dhaba, as he claimed that the heat can make them sick.

Over a lunch of set thali, he queried, “so… tumhari real wish kya thi? I mean… apart from all those babies…”

She kicked his foot beneath the table making him laugh out. Sipping on the cold buttermilk, she replied, “maine bahot kuch maanga… pehla toh yeh ke bargad ki failti shakhao ki tarah tumhara business aur naam puri duniya me mashoor ho; dusra yeh ke jaise bargad ki har ek shakha apna mazboot jad bana leti hai, waise hi hum bhi hamare parivaar aur dosto ke saath mazboot rishta banaye rakhe; aur teesra yeh ke jaise bargad ka ped apne neeche aane wale har ek insaan ko chaanv deta hai, waise hi hum dono hamesha ek dusre ko pyaar de sake…”

He was moved to silence on hearing her, and it was only after a long minute when he could whisper, “it’s beautiful… mujhe kabhi kabhi lagta hai ke tum jitni khubsurti se apne thoughts bata deti ho shayad main kabhi nahi bata pau…”

She smiled, extending her hand out to him to hold, and as he slid his palm in hers, she clasped gently, speaking in an assuring tone, “lekin mere har khayal ko haqeeqat me toh tum badalte ho…”

He was puzzled, “matlab?”

She continued, “umm… jaise main tumse hamesha parivaar ke baare me baat karti rehti thi… lekin hamari shaadi ke liye parivaar ki sehmati haasil karne me sabse bada haath tumhara tha… tumne sirf apne parivaar nahi, balki mere parivaar ke saath bhi mazboot rishta bana liya… tumhari wajah se Chachaji aur Chachiji ne hume freedom di, tumhari wajah se papa ke chehre pe muskurahat aai aur unhone hume aashirwaad diya, tumhare wajah se Taiji aur Tauji ka control kam hua mujhpe se, tumhari wajah se mujhe Rohan aur Deepika ka saath mila, tumhari wajah se mujhe mauka mila kisiko maa bulane ka… Jo rishte mere sapne hua karte the use tumne meri zindagi ki sachchai bana di…”

He opened his mouth to protest, but she stopped him, “mujhe pata hai… tum bologe ke aisa karneki himmat tumhe mere pyaar ke wajah se mili… lekin wajah chahe jo bhi ho, sachchai yeh hai ke tumhare efforts ke bina yeh sab possible nahi hota…”

He smiled, “umm… khana khatam kare… warna late ho jayega.”

She nodded, understanding that the topic might be too emotional for him to discuss right now… As it is, her words might have made him recall the years when he had a strained relationship with his family, especially his mother. Even she suddenly remembered the time just before her wedding when she was not even on talking terms with her father… The astounding part was that they had heard a lot of love stories where things mess up because of families; but in their case while they were both in agreement to get family’s approval; that never really became a reason for tension between them… Their disagreements had been about their own point of views and even then they had taken a deep breath, some secluded time, and then tried to understand what the other was saying… Maybe it was the circumstances that had made them mature before other people of their age, or maybe it was because their families never really had a hold on them. Both of them had always kept a distance; in her case the distance was mostly mental as she kept her real self hidden from them, while in Sameer’s case the distance was real and solid in both physical and mental terms.

There was a heavy silence between them as they were back on road, each of them lost in their own thoughts. She even had a short nap, not realizing when she fell asleep, and by the time she woke up the afternoon heat was receding slightly… She was sweaty… The dampness at her back was irritating as it stuck her kameez to her back. Earlier she had planned to wear jeans and kurta, but now she was glad that she had worn a soft cotton salwar-kameez… At least it wasn’t thick.

She glanced at her husband, her eyes following the drop of sweat that rolled down from the side of his forehead, down his jaw and neck, disappearing into the collar of his shirt. “Hi”, she mumbled, her senses still hazy from sleep.

He chuckled, “hello sweetheart… main soch hi raha tha ke itni garmi me kaise so rahi ho…”

The window of the car was half-open, but that didn’t really provide any respite as the air itself was hot. She realized now what he had meant when he had mentioned earlier that they might not be able to cover too many places in a day given the weather… If it really was this hot in Jaipur and Udaipur then she would be only too happy to spend her afternoons in the room. She picked up the bottle of water kept in between their seats, and drank, but even the water was warm.

“Kitni garmi hai”, she complained, tying her hair up in a bun.

He sighed, “sorry… petrol kam ho gaya hai… peechle wala petrol-pump bandh tha… don’t worry, thodi der me dheere-dheere garmi kam hone lagegi aur aage kuch kilometers pe petrol pump bhi aa raha hai. Map me restaurant ka bhi mark hai… main soch raha tha wahan ruke thodi der… haath-muh dhone ke liye aur kuch thanda juice vagera peete hai… warna iss garmi me pagal ho jayenge.”

Juice sounded like heaven, and she nodded in agreement, but she asked, “Jaipur pahonch ne me der nahi ho jayegi?”

“It’s alright”, he assured, “thoda late pahonche toh bhi poori raat hai rest karne ke liye. Meri meeting kal subah 10am ko hai…”

She nodded once more, “mujhe toh nahane ka man kar raha hai.”

He grinned, “hotel pahonchke I can help…”

She blushed slightly, but also laughed out at his enthusiasm. The petrol pump loomed into view in another 5 kilometers… After filling the tank and a brief twenty minutes stop at the nearby restaurant, they were on their way again. Naina sighed as the cool air from AC washed over her, and Sameer also breathed out in relief. It took them two hours more to reach their hotel; the sun had already set over the horizon leaving the gentle light of dusk to bathe the surroundings golden, and the white marble stairs of the hotel looked extremely welcoming after the long drive.

Sameer handed over the car to the concierge to be parked, while Naina grabbed her purse quickly undoing her hair. He looped an arm around her waist, “peechli baar jab main aaya tha tab yahin ruka tha… Mr. Rathore ke friend ka hotel hai…”

A woman came forward with a traditional thali and put some vermilion on their forehead, welcoming them to Rajasthan. A waiter followed with a tray holding two glasses of welcoming drinks. Sameer picked one, offering it to her, and then took the other glass himself, thanking the waiter. She sipped on the chilled fruit punch watching Sameer do the check-in formalities. He quickly drained half of his glass, and glanced around for the waiter, who appeared as if by magic… Following his lead, she also kept her unfinished glass on the tray… He held her hand, walking towards the elevators…

Their room was on the fourth floor, offering an unhindered view of the city. Just as Sameer had thought last time, she loved the room, instantly rushing to the window seat… The city beneath them twinkled with lights and she gasped at the sight, sitting entranced with her legs folded beneath her. He walked over behind her, and kept his hands on her shoulder, “peechli baar yahan raha tha tab mujhe baar baar tumhari yaad aa rahi thi… I knew tumhe yahan ke rooms bahot achche lagenge, khaas karke yeh window seat…”

She tilted her head back to look at him, “sach me bahot khoobsurat room hai… aur yeh view…”

He dropped a kiss on her head, “subah dekhna… kaafi gharo ke walls pink color ke hai…”

Her brows furrowed, “isiliye Jaipur ko pink city bolte hai?”

He shrugged, “padhaku tum ho, main nahi… study table ke drawer me hotel ka book hoga… shayad usme Jaipur ka history ho… padh lena kal…”

She chuckled and was about to tease him, but the doorbell interrupted their conversation, and he attend to it. It was the bellboy with their luggage; the young man placed their bags on the side, wished them a pleasant stay and left with a smile on his face on receiving a generous tip. Sameer brought in the bags, keeping them beside the wardrobe, and then stretched his arms over his head. She checked the time, and suggested, “aaj room me khana mangva lete hai… tum pehle naha lo…”

He stifled a yawn, “saath me karna hai na shower…”

She chuckled, slipping off the seat and walked over to him, “idea bahot achcha hai… lekin yeh plan kal ke liye rakhte hai…”

“Naina…”, he tried to convince her… But she stalled him by slipping her arms around his waist and leaning on his chest, “tum bahot thake hue ho Sameer… Aur mujhe pata hai tumhare kandhe aur haath me dard ho raha hai… aaj tumhe rest karne ki zaroorat hai… Waise bhi, aisa toh hai nahi na ke har raat lovemaking ho?”

He grumbled, “honeymoon hai…”

She stroked his back, “jaanti hun… lekin yeh toh sirf shuruwat hai na… aaj raat ka quota kal subah pura kare toh? Aaj jaldi so jaate hai taaki subah jaldi uth sake… okay?”

He didn’t like it, but he knew she was right… He was genuinely tired and his body ached with such long drive for two consecutive days. If he didn’t get enough sleep then he wouldn’t be at his full mental capacity in tomorrow’s meeting, and he couldn’t let that happen. So, he finally sighed, “please zyada khana order karna… aur subah pakka na?”

“I promise”, she grinned up at him, and lifted to kiss his jaw, “ab jao naha lo… main khana order karti hun…”

Given his request, and considering the fact that they were having an early dinner, Naina ordered pulao rice, roti, paneer masala, dum-aloo, and rabri for dessert… While she was talking on phone, Sameer hollered from kitchen, “starter mat bhulna…”

She was perplexed for a moment, wondering if she should replace one sabji with starter, but then knowing his penchant for food, she added a dish of corn-paneer tikki to begin with. After slight deliberation, she also asked to send two bottles of cola.

When she went to take her bath, Sameer checked the list of items ordered she had written on the notepad for him to check in case the food arrived while she was in bathroom. Needless to say he loved the choices… By the time Naina came out the food indeed arrived, and he set the table. She brushed her hair, rolling it up in a bun, and massaged a generous amount of cream on her face. Traveling for two full days while sitting in direct line of AC had dried her skin a bit, and she mentally thanked Preeti for introducing her to the concept of night cream. Suddenly she was enveloped in a hug and pulled back to a hard chest… She smiled and watched in mirror as his face descended in the crook of her neck. He inhaled the fragrance of her floral soap, “samajh nahi aa raha khana khau ya tumhe Mrs. Maheshwari…”

She turned her head to nuzzle his hair, “mujhe bhi same confusion hai Mr. Maheshwari…”

“Ahh”, he softly groaned, pressing himself more to her body.

She swallowed, feeling the increasing hardness on her back, and gently detangled herself from his arms, “khana thanda ho jayega… chalo…”

He pouted, sighing in defeat because even though his body was responding he knew he was too tired to actually make love properly… He wanted to take time, rather than have a quickie so early in their marriage because he wanted to make each experience beautiful for her. Few months down the line, when they both were more experienced and used-to they could resort to quickies without foreplay, but not now… She tugged at his hand, “kahan kho gaye…? Chalo na…”

He nodded, following her to the table and sat down to eat. The food was delicious, they enjoyed every morsel of it, feeding each other lovingly, talking about their plans. Sameer told her that he wanted to explore proper Rajasthani cuisine, something he hadn’t been able to do last time. Naina also agreed as she had read a lot about it, especially pyaaz-ki-kachori and ker sangri… Usually people only related dal-baati-churma to Rajasthan, but a guide book had given her insight into the unique cuisine of the desert lands.

They took turns to brush and then talk with their families, trying hard to ignore the teasing. Sameer plugged his mobile to charge, while Naina turned down the quilt before climbing on the bed. He switched off the lights, leaving just a distant night lamp on, and joined her. “Ghar pe kabhi mat batana ke hum itni jaldi so gaye the”, he chuckled, “warna sab sochenge humne honeymoon waste kiya.”

She laughed softly, snuggling in his arms, and teased, “tumhe performance pressure ho gaya kya?”

He lifted his head, watching her sparkling eyes in the minimal light, “roz punishment chahiye kya tumhe honeymoon pe?”

Her breath hitched, a thought crossing her mind that punishment never sounded so desirable. She skimmed her hand on his back, feeling the dip of his spine, and her voice was breathy as she demanded, “ek kiss chahiye…”

He obliged immediately, brushing his lips with hers… the familiar softness creating a buzz in his body… His masculine fragrance teased her nostrils, tickling her senses, and she opened her mouth to taste his lips. He groaned as she lightly suckled on his lower lip and then his upper lip, leaving him panting for more, but her eyes were closed and she was blissfully lost in her exploration… His hand dipped under her top, stroking her bare belly… Her legs parted giving him space to settle down, and she moaned in his mouth feeling the pressure of his hips.

God. Damn.

Something roared inside him at the sound of her moan and he swiftly took control of the kiss, thrusting his tongue in her mouth, deepening the kiss so fast that her body arched off the bed. Her top was lifted off and away, his mouth descended on her neck, suckling and nibbling… She gasped, her fingers fisting in his hair as he slowly licked his way to her breasts. His teeth nibbled at the swell of her right breast, his thumb stroking the hard nipple over her bra, and his other hand went under her back to undo the hooks. She arched up to make it easy for him, her hand clenching on his shoulder and he grunted… Her brows furrowed and she opened her eyes, trying to place that sound… Meanwhile he divested her of the bra and swiftly closed his mouth over her hardened nub. She almost forgot the world around as his lips tugged at her nipple, shooting sparks of heat down her belly, but before she could lose herself completely in the sensual spell she heard his grunt again. Puzzled she looked down at him… Even though his mouth was busy on her breast, he was rotating the shoulder she was holding tight, and there were lines on his forehead showcasing his unease… It took her a minute to realize that the grunts he was making weren’t of pleasure but rather of pain, and when he tried to move to her other breast she stopped him.

Irritation flashed in the dark brown eyes that flew up to meet hers. He couldn’t understand why she was stopping him… She took a deep breath and whispered, “hume rukna hoga Sameer…”

He scowled, “no…”

Biting her lip to control her desire, she pressed on his shoulder and he immediately closed his eyes, a choked grunt leaving his throat. She caressed the same area, trying to ease his pain, “dekha… dard ho raha hai na… tumhe toh pata bhi nahi chal raha tha ke tum kaisi awaze nikaal rahe the…”

He rolled off her, lying on his back, his arm covering his eyes, disappointment clear on his face. She turned to him and demanded, “t-shirt do…”

He lowered his hand to look at her, “what?”

“t-shirt utaarke do mujhe”, she asked again.

His eyes dropped to her breasts for a fleeting moment before jumping back to her face again, “kyun? Kuch fayda thodi na hoga t-shirt utaarke.”

She felt like laughing at his grumpy tone, but somehow controlled herself, and replied, “mujhe pehenna hai… Aur tumhe t-shirt ki zaroorat nahi hai, kyunki main tumhe massage karke dene wali hun…”

Some of the lost interest returned in his eyes, “massage? Really?”

She nodded, “haan… jaldi t-shirt utaaro aur ulte hoke let jao.”

After a moment of debate, he obeyed her. She slipped on the t-shirt and removed her night suit pants, making his quirk a brow and query, “mujhe tempt kar rahi ho?”

She smiled, “nahi… bas aisai… chalo let jao.”

He turned on his stomach, keeping his arms on either side of the pillow. The blanket unfurled, a light weight on his legs, her knees brushed the side of his hips, and then he felt silky strands tickle his skin… She mumbled something, and the feel of her hair on his back was gone… In another moment her soft palms stroked his shoulders and he drew in a breath. She started to knead the muscles gently, moving from the inside to the outside, cupping his shoulders, pressing with fingers… His groaned in relief when she found a knot and massaged the spot relentlessly until he exhaled hard… He closed his eyes, his entire body limp on the mattress… Her palms moved over his bare back, long fingers fluttered nimbly at the base of his nape, down his spine, sometimes pressing down, sometimes rotating in circles, and sometimes rubbing a spot. Her soft pants filled the room… A sheen of sweat appeared on both of them… It was magic… Sameer had never felt so relaxed… He had simply given himself up to her… Few minutes later he felt her straddle his hips and her body leaned forward, brushing against his back… Her hands skimmed up the side of his ribs to his arms, rubbing the soreness out of them as well… Slim fingers pressed and relaxed as her palms moved down his arms, forearms to his fingers, interlinking them with hers and squeezing. Her lips touched his hair, dropping a kiss on his head, and then on his ear. He hummed, starting to feel drowsy with her ministrations…

“So jao”, she whispered the command.

It was as if his body was waiting for just those words, and as soon as she said it, he took a deep breath and dropped off. She kept stroking and rubbing, easing off the pressure slowly, caressing his back, feeling his breathing even out… As he fell into deep slumber, she slipped down the bed, pursing her lips to blow out breath… She washed her sweaty face, rubbed a wet towel at her neck and down her arms, chugged some cold water and then climbed back on bed beside him.

The ringing alarm irritated him; turning on his back he reached out to shut it, and blinked his eyes open. Sunlight was pouring through the gap in curtains; he yawned and checked the time… 6:30am… Wow… Did he really sleep so much? When did he fall asleep exactly last night?

So jao…

The whispered words came back to him and he smiled, looking to his side to see his wife snuggled up to him, her head on his arm… He flexed his free arm, rotated his shoulder and marveled at the absence of soreness. The woman was a marvel… If this was how she would treat his body pain then he didn’t mind getting tired every single day. Then as an afterthought he declared it as a bad idea, because that would mean sleeping without making love every night. He turned to his side and wrapped an arm around her body, pulling her close, nuzzling her hair. She purred in her sleep, her lips moving against his throat, and a shudder ran down his spine.

“Wake up sweetheart”, he softly pleaded, rubbing his hand down her back to cup her bottom.

She moved again, her leg lifting up to his waist, and he gasped feeling himself rest in the warm notch of her thighs. The morning suddenly started to feel hot, his hand at her bottom dipped beneath the lace, his fingers stroking the sensitive skin… He kissed her hair, the side of her face, desperate suddenly to wake her up.

She mumbled, still drifting in between sleep and consciousness, “Sameer…”

Unable to resist any longer, he brought his hand to her front, and stroked the bundle of nerves between her legs. It took a few seconds for her to wake up with a loud squeal, and he chuckled, keeping her firmly in his hold. She blinked, her hands clutching onto him, not sure what was happening… His finger dipped inside and she moaned at the sudden intrusion, her senses instantly popping to reality, a wild shiver coursing her body at the delicious ministration of her husband.

“Good morning sweetheart”, his husky voice rasped, raising goosebumps on her flesh.

She moaned, writhing in his arms, unable to say anything… In a heartbeat he moved his finger out, slipped her t-shirt over her head, and tugged her lace panties down her slim legs… Sitting between her legs, he grinned staring down at her bare body, “perfect.”

She looked at her husband, her sleepy eyes turning mischievous, and she gestured towards his tracks. He raised a brow at her daring, and stood up to quickly strip, keeping his eyes trained on her. Throwing his tracks aside, he again sat between her legs, parting them more with his hands, and then watched as he slowly thrust a finger inside her. She gasped at his actions, more at the sight of him watching her rather than the moving finger… It was so arousing to see him like that… Suddenly his gaze lifted to meet hers, and the heat in his deep brown eyes made her catch her breath. He smirked, adding a second finger inside her, and her back arched in delight… He leaned forward, kissing her belly, her breasts, moving up to her face and captured her lips in a scorching kiss just as he pushed her over the edge… Her throaty moans were swallowed by him, her writhing body rubbing against his bare skin, making him all the more aroused.

As she lay limp beneath him, panting from pleasure, he fumbled in the bedside drawer to grab a condom. Pulling it on, he positioned himself over her again, and slowly thrust inside her, pushing past her clenching muscles. Her hands fisted in his hair, a soft scream escaping her lips as he nipped at her throat, his hips moving fast. In no time she unbelievably found herself on the brink again, and locked her legs around his knees, lifting to his thrusts. Her body strung tight, her heart galloping faster than a race horse… The sunlight from the window fell on him, forming a golden halo around his head as he looked up at her face… “Naina”, he whispered, the name spilling from his lips almost reverently, as if he couldn’t believe that it was her. She moaned, surrendering herself to the magic of the moment and felt her senses splinter into a thousand golden shimmering molecules. The sight of her pleasure was enough for him to drown into the well of ecstasy, his strong body shuddered over her, a deep groan rumbling from his chest and his arms gave up… Naina sighed, feeling his hard body pinning her to the bed, and combed her finger through his hair, keeping her eyes closed.

After a minute or two, she kissed his temple and wished, “good morning. Massage kaafi effective tha, haina?”

He chuckled, feeling the pulse beat at her throat, “oh yes… wapas proof chahiye?”

She turned her head to check the time, “umm… nahi… apna business ka kaam khatam karo uske baad wapas honeymoon.”

Lifting his head, he asked, “tum akeli reh logi na? Ya mere saath chalna hai?”

“Mera wahan kya kaam”, she reasoned, “tum jao… main room me hi rahungi, aur baaki dino ka plan bana lungi.”

He pecked her lips, “khana order kar lena… ya mood ho toh neeche ke restaurant me chale jaana. Aaj raat hum ek roof-top restaurant me jayenge, tumhe mazaa aayega.”

She hummed in agreement as he kissed her once more, and then moved off the bed to take a bath. Yawning, she sat up on the bed, pulling on the discarded t-shirt again, and smiled at the recollection of his boldness. It had never occurred to her that she could have such a profound effect on some man, but with Sameer it was clear all the time how much he liked to look at her. She felt shy when his heated gaze landed on her, but soon that feeling would evaporate and all that remained was a sense of satisfaction and pride at having such an impact on her husband.

It was 8:30am by the time she got dressed in jeans and a baby pink top that was earlier gifted by Sameer. He was talking to someone on phone, looking immaculate in the midnight blue suit and crisp white shirt she had chosen for him. A blue-white pinstriped tie sat at his throat, drawing her eyes to the perfectly delectable adam’s apple. She grabbed her purse, and they walked down to the restaurant after he was done with his call. The breakfast spread was huge, and they ordered fresh paneer paratha… Naina grabbed a bowl of kachori-sabji, some bread pakoda and mirchi-vada. Sameer grabbed kachori-sabji and some besan-bajra chila; upon spotting Naina’s dish he quirked a brow, “aaj kuch special hai?”

She never ate so much food, and neither did she choose all fried items always, but upon hearing his question she grinned, “aaj mood hai aur bahot bhuk lagi hai…”

He smirked and patted himself on his shoulder, murmuring, “good work Sameer.”

She laughed out at that, grabbing some yoghurt for him. Sitting on the table, they asked for some tea, and then started to eat. He gave her an overview of his schedule and mentioned that he would be back by 5pm. A hotel car was brought up right on time to take him to Rathore textiles as he didn’t want to drive for now. He hugged Naina, dropping a kiss on her head, asking her to call if she needed anything.

While Sameer worked on the merger details, Naina spent her day in the room, on the window seat diligently planning out their trip, revisiting the places she had listed and then forming a proper day-by-day plan. As she worked through the distance and time to visit, she thought back to how drained Sameer was last night… She had known that the drive would be tiring, but she hadn’t anticipated the exhaustion he would face. She had felt the knotted muscles while massaging him, and could only thank that she had gotten the idea to cover the distance from Ahmedabad-Jaipur in two days instead of one. Last night’s experience had given her an insight which she now used while deciding which places to visit and which to skip. She didn’t want Sameer to get tired like yesterday, and so she planned leaving enough time to relax and recuperate. Her eyes sparkled as she recalled their early morning adventure, and decided mentally that any exhaustion they might have on honeymoon has to be because of lovemaking and not driving.

Meanwhile at Rathore Textiles Sameer could barely concentrate on lunch… Mr. Rathore had invited the entire management, including his daughter Kavita. The conversations revolved around business as well as specialties in Jaipur. But his mind kept flashing back to how Naina had purred against his throat when he had touched her this morning, how she had writhed in his arms, the look of absolute ecstasy on her face as she came apart beneath him… He just wanted to go back and enclose her in his arms… Maybe he should take back some flowers for her… After all they were going out for dinner tonight, it could be like a date night… The prospect pleased him, and he asked Kavita, “yahan kahin aas-paas florist ki dukaan hai?”

Kavita was surprised, “florist? Kyun?”

Sameer smiled, “Naina ke liye bouquet le jaana hai.”

Kavita laughed softly, “bouquet ke liye toh yahan pre-booking karwana padta hai… Woh kya hai na… Registan me phool ki keemat bahot zyada hai.”

“Seriously”, Sameer was stumped, “bouquet ke liye pre-booking?”

Kavita nodded, “ji haan… lekin main kisiko bolke check karwa sakti hun ke paas wale florist me koi bouquet available hai kya.”

Sameer sighed, glancing out of the closed glass window, and blinked his eyes upon spotting some trees with fiery orange flowers. He queried, “woh konse phool hai?”

Kavita looked in the direction he was pointing, “Rohida… Rajasthan ka official state flower hai… Garam pradesh me ugta hai… Iske ped ki khaal kuch ayurvedic davaiyo me istemaal hota hai.”

Sameer kept looking at the bright floral clumps, “yeh phool main le sakta hun?”

Kavita was shocked, “aap yeh phool denge apni wife ko? Mr. Maheshwari… Yeh koi khaas phool nahi hai… bouquet me bhi use nahi hota… Jhagda ho jayega aap dono ka…”

Sameer laughed, “aap Naina ko nahi jaanti… phool ki keemat se uska koi lena-dena nahi hai… main hamesha uske liye kuch alag flowers laata hun… Iss phool ke baare me kuch khaas bata paunga usko toh woh usime khush ho jayegi.”

Kavita shook her head, apparently unable to believe, and assured, “main kisiko kehke tudva lungi… basket hoga hamare paas, usme le jaana aap.”

“Perfect”, Sameer approved, pleased at the thought of surprising his wife.

Meanwhile Naina took a relaxing long bath, and chose a floral loose top to wear for their dinner, deciding to pair it with oxidize earrings. She spotted the black polybag that she had strategically hidden, and her lips curved in a smile… Tonight would be a great time to surprise him… Glancing around the room she thought of something, and quickly dressed up. There was still some time left for Sameer to come back… She slipped on sandals and went downstairs, recalling she had seen a shop in the lobby. Later on she hid the stuff she bought in a cabinet in the room, and happily imagined Sameer’s reaction on seeing her surprise.

Just then the phone in their room started to ring, and she quickly picked it up knowing it would only be Sameer who could call. “Hello”, she chirped.

His deep voice sounded in her ear, “hey sweetheart… Ready for the evening?”

She smiled, “haan… tum kab aa rahe ho?”

“Bas yahan se nikal raha hun…”, he informed, “tum neeche milo mujhe lobby me 20 minutes me…”

She frowned, “neeche? Tumhe fresh nahi hona?”

He declined, “nahi… late ho jayenge… Aaj Jaigarh fort me special lights ka kuch show hai… Aakhri din hai. Toh dinner se pehle wahan chalte hai… Raste me traffic hoga toh time bhi lagega pahonch ne me.”

Her excitement was visible in her voice, “okay… main aati hun neeche.”

Twenty minutes later, Naina almost skipped downstairs, excited to meet him, and she wasn’t disappointed at all… As soon as she got out of the elevator, strong arms grabbed her, almost lifting her off her feet… She squealed but the touch was so familiar that there wasn’t even a moment of fright. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face on his broad shoulder, sighing in relief. He also drew in a deep breath, murmuring, “I missed you…”

“Maine bhi”, she replied immediately.

Slowly he let her slide down his body, setting her on her feet, “chale?”

She nodded, and they walked to the front entrance where the concierge had already brought their car for them. As they sat inside, Sameer asked her check the back seat and was satisfied with the delighted sounds she made on seeing the basket full of flowers… When he told her the background about the flowers, her eyes sparkled with interest and appreciation. Then he gently added, “jaanti ho main yeh phool kyun laaya tumhare liye?”

She had a confused expression, “yeh Rajasthan ke khaas phool hai isiliye nahi?”

He shook his head, “woh information toh baad me pata chala… jab maine naam pucha… lekin usse pehle jab dekha tab turant mujhe tumhari yaad aai… ekdum aag jaisa rang… jaise tum ho…”

She blinked, “main aag hun?”

He glanced at her and winked, “hot like fire sweetheart…” Her eyes widened and she blushed, her cheeks turning pink, and he commented, “orange and pink ka combination achcha hai…” She bit her lip, controlling her smile, and turned to look out of the window.

The Jaigarh fort lived up to its name… It was a majestic sight, set on a hill, spread over a large area, the walls of the fort still standing solid even after all the years. There was a considerable crowd that had gathered to see the show… Sameer found a vantage point near a sherbet stall, and held her to his side, careful to shield her. As the sun dipped over the horizon, the sky darkened, they spotted tiny lights on the low perimeter wall… And then the intensity of the lights started to increase until they were glowing bright… Several laser beams formed patterns on the main walls of the fort, and music started to build up, booming from the speakers arranged around the area. It was a short show, quite simple but whatever sophistication the show lacked, the enthusiasm of the local viewers made up for… Naina laughed on seeing kids dance to the music, and women being excited to witness the show… Sameer glanced down at her, understanding that even though the show didn’t really live up to its promise, his wife was happy to witness the crowd’s vibrant energy.

At 7:30pm he guided her back to the car, and they drove the restaurant he had reserved a table in. Naina gasped in delight on seeing the place… The entire rooftop was designed like a forest with tables hidden amid cozy canopies… The restaurant overlooked the city in distance, lit up bright in night, while it seemed that they were away from the hubbub, escaping in a natural retreat. They ordered the local cuisine, choosing to sample whatever they could, and ended the meal with malpua-rabri.

It was close to 11pm by the time they reached their hotel, and Naina requested to take the first shower. He didn’t mind… She came out dressed in the same night dress as last night, and he teased that she must have not needed to bring different night wear as she didn’t had it on for more than few minutes. She chuckled, pushing him in the bathroom and as soon as the door closed she rubbed her hands, moving around the room swiftly…

Fifteen minutes later when Sameer came out of the bathroom, he froze at the sight before him… The lights in the room were off, except for the night lamp in corner… There was a candle on the bedside table that seemed to give off a very faint floral fragrance… The music player in the room was spilling out soft instrumental romantic melody… But the sight that shocked him the most was of his wife lying on her side, supported on her elbow, dressed in a blush pink sleeveless night gown, with the robe open and pushed away from her body… The fiery orange rohida flowers were scattered on the bed randomly, but one rested on her bare leg, another at her curvy hip… As he gawked at his wife, her lips curved in a lopsided sensual smile, she picked one flower from the bed moving it down her face, throat, finally resting between her breasts… His breath hitched, and he felt himself stir and harden… Her eyes dropped south and her smile widened, “dikh raha hai tumhe pink and orange ka combination kitna pasand hai…”

Oh the minx… He recalled how he had teased her about the color of the flowers and her pink cheeks… And now she had stumped him with the same combination… Slowly he walked to the bed, but as he started to climb up she stopped him, “uh uh… t-shirt pehenke aana allowed nahi hai…”

A single eyebrow raised in appreciation at her boldness… He grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and lifted it off slowly, giving her a full view of his muscles… Dropping the t-shirt he moved a hand through his hair, displaying his biceps, and asked, “aur tracks?”

She pursed her lips, seeming to think, and then sat up… She removed her robe, extremely slowly, keeping her gaze fixed on him, threw it down and queried, “ab bhi puchoge?”

He swallowed at the sight of the thin straps, the dipping neckline, the way the gown clung to her body, the peaked nipples… His heart thundered and his breath bellowed from his lungs as he shucked the tracks and boxers together, and almost jumped on the bed… She laughed as he pinned her to the bed, crushing the flower at her breast, his mouth moving to her shoulder… He nipped at the side of her throat, turning her laughter to a throaty moan, and then kissed her hard… His hand moved over her body, reaching her breast, flicking her nipples over the satin gown… He broke the kiss and asked, “tumhe yaad hai maine ek baar tumse kaha tha ke shaadi ke baad pink ka actual effect dikhaunga…”

She opened her eyes to look at him, silent for half a minute… Then her nails dug on his back, her hips lifted to meet his, and her voice was breathy with need, “maine kal subah ke plan me kuch nahi rakha… achche se effect dikhao… Sameer…”

And there it was… The special way she took his name, savoring each syllable, her voiced laced with desire… He dipped his head taking her lips in another scorching kiss, proceeding to show her exactly what she demanded…