Always and Forever Part 58: The Marvels of Jaipur

“Naina ruko”, he yelled after his wife as she roamed along the garden path of Jantar Mantar, “tumhe batana padega…”

She laughed, “nahi bataungi… sochte raho jab tak kal hum Udaipur naa pahonche.”

He reached her, grabbed her hand and pulled her so hard that she came crashing onto his chest. His arm immediately wrapped around her waist, locking her in place, “shayad tum bhool rahi ho… mere paas aaj ki raat hai… tumse bulva sakta hun…”

She tilted her head back, challengingly staring in his eyes, “toh koshish karlo… dekhte hai main bolti hun ya tum chup ho jaate ho…”

His eyebrows lifted in surprise, “himmat thodi zyada nahi badh gai?”

She shrugged slightly, “honeymoon pe biwi me himmat nahi hogi toh maahol zara feeka nahi pad jayega?” Saying so she bit her lip, watching in delight as his eyes immediately darkened and he groaned helplessly.

Tightening his hold he muttered, “tum aisa karti rahi toh ghumna bhool jao… Hum abhi wapas room me jayenge.”

She giggled, “nahi… ab tak Birla Mandi baaki hai… Mujhe pyaaz ki kachori bhi khaani hai… Aur phir thodi si shopping karni hai…”

As she detangled herself from his arms and walked away to admire some flowers, he scratched his head, and mused, “kamaal hai yaar… shaadi se pehle mujhe force karna padta tha shopping karne ke liye… Aur ab dekho…”

He followed her down the paved pathways, his eyes focused on her while she was busy in admiring the sights. It had been such a wonderful day… After her last night’s surprise, he had been completely taken in by her boldness… The way she had teased him with the comment of pink and orange, while wearing a pink nightie and moving the fiery orange rohida over her body, had totally blown away his mind… He had literally pounced on her and she hadn’t been scared or hesitant even for a single second. Rather she had participated just as fervently as if she also wanted him desperately. And he was still extremely astonished that she had planned all that… The music, the candle, the outfit, the posture in which she was waiting for him… God… If this was how Naina behaved in honeymoon then he would have to make sure to do several trips in a year.

He recalled how he had woken up early this morning, just before dawn, totally aroused because she had been sleeping almost on top of him. How she had reached in that position, he didn’t know… All he had known was that her breath was fanning his neck and shoulders, her breasts pressed against his chest, and his hard length was rolling against her belly as she breathed… He had tried to shift, thinking that maybe he shouldn’t disturb her sleep, but her legs had been tangled with his, and to top that she had flung the blanket aside as if the warmth of his body was enough for her… For few minutes he had tried his best to ignore his own desire, but then when she had purred in her sleep and squirmed to adjust herself, he had given in and started stroking her wherever his hands reached. She had tried her best to sleep, but he had been persistent in his attempts, and finally she had woken up when he had flipped her onto the bed…

Her gasp was captured by his mouth… Her nails dug onto his back as he nipped at her lips leaving her breathless and immediately moved down to her breasts. She arched up, her breath broke on a long moan as she tried to gather her senses… It seemed from the time she had opened her eyes she was being tossed on wave after another wave.

“Sameer… Please…”, she begged…

He moved one hand between her legs, cupping her heated flesh, “please kya…?”

She panted, looking down at him with a confused expression, “maine kuch nahi kiya… punish kyun kar rahe ho?”

It took him a moment to understand her meaning… The last time he had asked her to phrase exactly what she wanted, it was when he had said he was punishing her… Her adorable question tempered the edge of his desire a bit, mixing it with a whole lot of tenderness, and he reached up to kiss her cheeks… “I love you so much sweetheart”, he mumbled, “tum theek ho?”

She blinked at his tone, noticing the way his caresses on her body had softened, and nodded, “hmm… tum?”

He smiled, “ab theek hun… tumne situation thodi difficult kar di thi mere liye subah-subah…”

Her expressions turned incredulous, “maine? Excuse me… Shayad aap bhul rahe hai, main so rahi thi…”

His adams apple bobbed up and down once as he swallowed and then his hips settled between her legs suddenly pinning her to the bed, “tum aise aap bologi toh mujhse wapas control nahi hoga…”

She breathed hard for a few second, and then suggested, “condom toh le lo…”

He nuzzled her neck, enticed by the shape of her collarbone and extended his hand to grab the box of condom kept on the bedside table… The need he felt for her was so incredible that it seemed to leave him breathless, but he wanted to take some time now… Last night the pink nightie had shattered his control so miserably that he had almost torn this one too… Just at the last second somehow he had held himself, thinking that he couldn’t destroy this nightie because it was pink and he wanted her wear it in Switzerland too. But that was the only control he had shown…

He lifted his head to look into her eyes, “tum pakka theek ho na?”

She was puzzled by his repeated question, “aisa kyun puch rahe ho?”

“Woh main… uh…”, he stammered a bit, “umm… kal raat shayad… uh… shayad main thoda rough tha na…?”

She smiled at the way he made it a question instead of a statement, and teased, “shayad?”

His gaze was full of concern, and he eased some of his weight off her, “I am so sorry sweetheart… kal tumhe aise dekhke mujhse control hi nahi hua… tumhe dard ho raha hai kya?” She opened her mouth to reply, but he didn’t let her speak, instead he rolled off her, to the side and looked down at her body, “kahin kuch chot lag gai kya? Maine bahot zor se pakda tha na tumhe kal… Aur aise bed pe kuda… Gadha hun main… Bilkul socha…”

“Shsh”, she hushed him effectively by covering his mouth with her palm, “kitna bolte ho na tum… main toh bas tumhe ched rahi thi…”

He removed her hand, and frowned, “jhooth mat bolo… I know main kal rough tha…”

She pushed at his shoulder to make him lie on the bed, and rolled to hover over him, “haan… rough the… shayad… lekin mujhe pasand aaya…” Dipping her head she kissed on his cheek, “maine kitni planning ki thi tumhe surprise dene ke liye…” Her lips moved to his other cheek, “jaise tum mujhe dekh rahe the…” She kissed the corner of his eyes, “tumhari aankhen… mujhe hamesha lagta hai jaise maano main duniya ki sabse khoobsurat ladki hun…” Smiling at him, she brushed her lips against his, “aur haan tum bed pe kude… I loved that… aisa laga meri poori planning successful ho gai…”

He had started to smile at her kisses and explanation, and as she finished he asked to reconfirm, “toh matlab tum theek ho? Uh… matlab hum abhi…?”

She nodded, “sure… par ek sawaal hai… puchu?”

“Of course”, he assured.

With all seriousness, she asked, “agar main aisa hi plan Switzerland me banau toh wapas kaam karega?”

He laughed and rolled over, pinning her beneath him, “main guarantee de sakta hun ke yeh plan poori life kaam karega.”

“Phir theek hai”, she sighed in delight, “ab zyada wait mat karvao mujhe…”

He smirked as he sat up, tore the wrapper and pulled the condom on… Leaning over he covered her body with his, and gently pushed in, “as you say madam…”

She wrapped her hands around him, tracing the shifting muscles on his back, and hummed in contentment at the feeling of fullness. His lips were skimming her face and throat as he moved excruciatingly slow… If last night he had tossed her in tempest, now he was showing her the enchantment of a slowly rocking swing… His hands caressed lightly over her skin, his body moving over her, his mouth kissing and suckling on her flesh. She closed her eyes, giving over to his love… Her muscles seemed to loosen, a light simmering fire in her belly and a shimmering fizz spreading over her body. He took his time, savoring each moment, prolonging each minute, forgetting about the time, or the brightening morning outside… Her moans were soft, her sighs full of his name, her hands on his back clenching and relaxing with each thrust. The tranquil rocking movement slowly brought her to an edge, she didn’t even realize when, but a whimper left her mouth as her body arched and a glow spread through her like the golden sun shimmering over water. She felt him shudder, exhale, and bury his head in her neck, he increased his pace a bit, and in another few minutes he joined her in the land of ecstasy.

The pleasure had unraveled so slowly that she was not sure of anything… Her body felt as light as feather… Even though she was pinned to the bed with his weight she seemed to feel as if she was floating in air… His scent spiraled through her senses, and she inhaled deeper, trying to take his essence in. He rubbed his nose on her shoulder, his body still lax from the delicious lovemaking…

After few minutes she complained, “Sameer… mujhe bhuk lagi hai.”

A chuckled rumbled from his chest, “how romantic…”

She hit him lightly on his shoulder, “jao na… naha lo… phir main bhi ready ho jaungi.”

He lifted himself a bit to look at her, “tum pehle kyun nahi?”

“Mujhe thodi der bathtub use karna hai”, she replied softly.

His hand gently traced her belly, and he pulled out earning a soft hiss from her. “Take rest”, he ordered, “main chai order karke nahane jaata hun… Phir chai peeke tum nahana.”

She frowned, pulling up the blanket over her naked body, “par neeche buffet hoga na…”

He shrugged, “toh? Room me bhi kuch order kar hi sakte hai… Aur mujhe pata hai meri biwi ko chai kitni pasand hai…”

She had smiled at him, sinking beneath the blanket. He had kissed her forehead, and then climbed off the bed, sauntering towards the bathroom to discard the condom. After placing the order for tea and biscuits, he had gone to take a bath. The tea had arrived as soon as he had managed to wake Naina up again… And after a bed-tea she had grabbed the discarded pink robe, pulled it on and then climbed down the bed… Since then he had been asking her from where and when she had gotten the pink nightie, and if she had any more colors, but she had her lips sealed.

He suddenly felt a tug on his hand, and snapped back to present to see his wife pulling him through an archway. Her voice was full of excitement as she asked, “suno na… yahan ek photo khichwaye?”

He smiled, looking around for a place to set his camera on auto-mode, when another couple came forward. The man offered to take the picture… Sameer gladly handed over the camera to the man and wrapped his arm around Naina. After a few clicks he returned the favor for the couple, who mentioned that it was their 5^th wedding anniversary trip, and congratulated them on their wedding upon seeing Naina’s chuda.

On their way to Birla Mandir, Sameer stopped at a shop that had been recommended for him for pyaaz ki kachori. They sat on plastic chairs to enjoy the savory snack along with hot cups of tea. Naina loved it so much that she ate two pieces, and declared that they should have this again during their trip. He agreed readily…

Situated at the base of Moti Dungri fort, Birla Mandir, originally known as Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, was a spectacular sight in the evening sunlight. The structure built out of marble represented royalty and beauty in every possible way. As they paid the entry fees and walked inside, Naina informed him in a low voice that the three domes of temple represented the three religions that had rose to prominence in India. Sameer looked at the glittering domes, taking in their shapes, and marveled at the information from his wife. If she hadn’t told him, either he would have missed seeing the domes; or maybe he would have seen but not really given a thought as to why they were differently shaped. They prayed in silence for few minutes, and then she excitedly took him around to check the walls which were covered with quotes and sayings. He had no idea where these teachings originated from, but Naina managed to identify a few stanzas from the Bhagwad Gita.

After spending some time in the surrounding lush gardens of Birla Mandir, they left for their last destination of the evening… Jal Mahal… Along the drive he got to know that it was located in the center of Man Sagar Lake, and also that tourists weren’t allowed to go inside. He was puzzled by the information, “andar nahi jaa sakte toh hum wahan kyun jaa rahe hai?”

She clucked her tongue, “mahal dekhne jaa rahe hai Sameer…”

“Par abhi toh tumne kaha ke andar nahi jaane denge”, he countered.

She nodded, “haan… par phir bhi… paani ke beecho-beech ek mahal hai… socho na kitna khoobsurat hoga… dhalta suraj… pakshi… halki-halki hawa…”

He shook his head, “tum keh rahi ho toh shayad achcha hi hoga…”

It took them another five minutes to reach their destination, and she eagerly descended as soon as he parked. He followed her to the cemented parapet, where she was standing enthralled at the sight of the majestic palace. “Oh Sameer”, she sighed, when he reached next to her, “iss jagah ki ek tasveer le lo please… Kitna khoobsurat hai… aur… kitna rahasyamay hai.”

He scratched his head, a signature gesture indicating he didn’t understand what she said, and true enough soon he asked, “rakshas… what? Hindi me bolona…”

She watched him, a fond smile on her lips, and then replied, “rakshas nahi… rahasyamay… matlab mysterious…”

“Oh okay”, he grinned, and pulled out the camera to take some shots. On his second click he asked, “Naina… iss mahal me mysterious kya hai? Kisi book me nahi hai ke andar kya hai?”

She chuckled, “andar koi caretaker toh hoga kamsekam… kyunki sunset hote hi lights chaalu ho jaati hai… mysterious isiliye kyunki iss mahal ke 4 manjil ya English me kahu toh, 4 floors paani ke neeche hai… upar toh hume bas ek hi floor dikh raha hai.”

His eyes widened in surprise, and then he chided, “mazak mat karo Naina…”

She indignantly replied, “aree… main sach bol rahi hun… Tum toh kuch padhte ho nahi… maine tourist wali book me padha tha…”

He gazed into her eyes for a moment, trying to be sure she wasn’t teasing him, and then mumbled, “wow… ab pata chala log kyun aate hai ise dekhne ko… paani ke neeche construction kaise kiya? Aur raha kaise yeh building itne saal?”

She immediately informed, “pehle paani me nahi tha… Kehte hai 1799 me Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh ne yeh mahal lake ke baaju me banaya… Hunting ke liye jagah thi yeh… Paani tha paas me toh batak aur dusre pakshi aate the jinka shikaar kar sakte the… Aur lake ke dusri taraf Nahargarh hills hai, jahan se animals paani peene lake tak aate the… Isiliye yeh mahal shikaar ke liye perfect jagah thi… Lekin phir saalo baad, Amer ke maharaj ne tay kiya ke pahado ke beech me ek dam banayenge, bearish ke mausam me baadh ko rokne aur garmiyo me paani jama karne ke liye, tab paani ka star badh jaane ke wajah se yeh mahal ke 4 floors paani ke andar chale gaye. Aur yeh itne saal paani me hone ke baawjud bhi ab tak theek hai kyunki iss mahal ka foundation aur walls sandstone se bana hai… Sandstone me paani bahot kam absorb hota hai… Kuch restoration team iss mahal ko check karti rehti hai, aur unn logo ne bataya hai ke pracheen kaal me jab technology nahi tha tab log naye tareeko ka istemaal karte the… Waise hi kuch khaas cheeze sandstone ke saath milai gai thi yeh mahal ko banate waqt, jaise ki, gud, guggal, methi… Pata nahi yeh sab padharth kaise bachata hai mahal ko paani me, par kuch toh hai…”

He was genuinely impressed, “wow Naina… tumhe na koi kitaab likhni chahiye inn sab jagah ke baare me…”

She laughed softly, “budhdhu… yeh sab main kisi na kisi kitaab me se hi toh padha hai… Toh phir wapas ek aur kitaab me likhke kya hoga…”

He grinned sheepishly, “tumne padhke bataya toh pata chala, warna main toh sochta ke bas yeh jo dikh raha hai utna hi mahal hai aur wapas chala jaata.”

He clicked her pictures in a couple of poses, and then got someone to click their photo together. She insisted on clicking some solo shots of his as well, and he obliged. They stood there against the parapet, his arm around her waist, securing her to his side, as the sun set beyond the hills slowly and the lights in palace turned on making it a spectacular sight again. She asked, “kaisi lagi yeh jagah?”

He was silent for a moment, before teasing her, “theek hi hai… kuch khaas nahi…”

She narrowed her eyes, surreptitiously looked around for spying eyes, and then lifted a bit, dropping a kiss under his jaw, “ab?”

He drew in a breath, “kaafi achchi jagah hai yeh… par hamara room shayad isse better hai… kya khayal hai?”

She pretended to think for a moment, and then replied, “agar tum mujhe thandi-thandi kulfi khilao toh hi…”

He quickly kissed her hair, “puri dukaan laa dunga kulfi ki… let’s go…”

Even though he wanted to drive to the hotel straightaway, he was mindful of the fact that this was their last evening in Jaipur, and so he drove first to the main market. She looked around in surprise, “mujhe laga hum hotel jaa rahe hai.”

He smiled at her, “meri biwi ne pehli baar toh khud ke liye shopping ki baat ki hai… how can I ignore?”

She blushed, getting down from the car, “itna bhi zaroori nahi tha… tumne toh bataya ke hum wapas bhi aa sakte hai Jaipur.”

“Of course aa sakte hai”, he assured, slinging a customary arm around her waist, “par honeymoon ki kuch yaad toh honi chahiye na… batao ab tumne kuch socha tha?”

She nodded enthusiastically, “ek saree, leheriya style… meenakari kaam wala bada wala dish, table pe rakhungi, fruits vagera ke liye… aur ek mojri, design wali.”

He frowned, “mojri kya karogi?”

“Jeans aur kurti ke saath achche lagenge na”, she perused.

He scrunched his nose, “ok fine… par please… tumhare uss golden mojri ki tarah janmo-janam mat chalana isko… school, Mt. Abu, college har jagah wahi pehenti thi…”

She giggled, “aree… kitne achche the woh mojri…”

He mumbled under his breath, but still loud enough for her to hear, “haan… itne achche the ke man karta tha kerosene daal ke aag laga du.”

She couldn’t control her laughter any more at his apparent vexation of her golden belles. If she was honest, she had started disliking them too… That pair was somehow so sturdy and it didn’t tore for ages, and that meant that Taiji would allow new sandals to be bought for Preeti but not for her, citing that her mojri was intact. She had so wanted to buy some strappy sandals for her college, but she had been able to do that only in third year when finally the sole of the mojri had separated… Still Taiji had suggested getting it repaired, but thankfully Chachaji had refused saying the mojri was old and it was better to get new ones instead.

The saree shop was full of so many designs and colors that both Sameer and Naina were ecstatic. Given he was expanding into Rajasthani prints, he kept looking around astonished at the colors and range this place offered. They spent around 30 minutes in that shop, finally choosing to buy a blue-pink leheriya with beaded border, and a green-yellow leheriya with red gota-patti border. The mojri shop was also in the same lane, and even though Sameer was bit averse to the idea of her buying it, once he saw the shop he was quite taken it by the intricate handwork. Each pair was different; each one had an appeal of its own… While some had the original brown leather color as the base with muted colors woven on top, some others were flashy with golds and neon, and yet others had mirrors, sequins or beads threaded along the body. Even Naina seemed to have a hard time on choosing just one… Still keeping heed of his instruction, and also that whatever she buys should go with most of her outfits; she chose a steel grey one with beige floral design on top of it. Sameer also liked it… But he also pulled out two more pairs – one had the brown leather base with semi-circular arched patters in red, green, gold on it; and the other was pink with beige gold, purple and maroon threadwork. She loved them both, but asked in a low voice, “tumne toh kaha tha ek hi lena…”

He shrugged, “tab idea nahi tha ke itna achcha quality aur kaam hai… yeh brown leather wala bhi kaafi kapdo ke saath achcha lagega, aur I am sure tumhare paas enough pink kapde hai jiske saath tum yeh pink mojri pehen paogi.”

She chuckled, “mojri me bhi pink color choda nahi tumne…”

His eyes sparkled with mischief, but he refrained from replying until he had settled the bill. Grabbing the bags, he escorted her out of the shop, and then leaned a bit to whisper in her ears, “ab sirf ek hi department me pink kharidna baaki hai…”

As always, she couldn’t stop herself from asking, “konsa?”

His voice dropped a decibel down, and his lips seemed to brush lightly on her ear as he rasped, “pink ke andar pehenne ke liye bhi toh kuch pink stock hona chahiye… you know… satin ya lace…” Immediately her face flushed, and he quipped, pointing at her cheeks, “aree… yeh dekho… ek aur pink…” She gasped, hitting his shoulders as he chortled with mirth.

Their next stop was a shop in another lane totally dedicated to meenakari… This was another surprise for Sameer leaving him quite mesmerized at the delicate yet impactful designs. Naina informed him, like the bookworm she was, that this design was influenced by Persian art, and originated from one of the greatest Iranian Empires. The history of this process of painting and coloring the surfaces of metals and ceramics could be traced all the way back to 15^th century. She also told him how it was the Moghuls who introduced this art in India, and also tried to perfect the technique over time, so that it can be applied on smaller surfaces like cups, dishes, vases, frames, display ornaments, and even jewelry. As they stopped at a shop, she finished, “yeh Gujarat me bhi milta hai, par yahan zyada prakhyat hai…”

He scanned through the offerings, “tumhe dish lena hai?”

She nodded, “haan… lekin thoda bada… aur thoda gehra ho…”

The shopkeeper helped them find what they were looking for, and Naina chose a big deep-set round dish with blended flower design in shades of blue. It reminded her of the shawl Sameer had gifted her before their wedding… And she could already imagine the beautiful ceramic adorning their dining table filled with red ripe apples, juicy oranges, and yellow bananas. It was perfect… Sameer enquired something from the shopkeeper while paying for the dish, and then guided Naina to another shop, this one much smaller than the other one. The tiny space was brightly lit with several lights and a cheerful portly man welcomed them, declaring that he had the best meenakari jewels to offer.

Naina smiled, immediately understanding why Sameer had brought her here. The shopkeeper told them that Kundan was a popular item in meenakari that was often used in weddings, and upon seeing the sets he recalled some of Naina’s wedding jewelry. He queried, “kundan ke alawa kuch alag nahi hai?”

“Bilkul hai sahab”, the man jovially informed, pulling out several more boxes.

Sameer scanned through the earrings and pushed aside all the jhumkas declaring that Naina had enough, and instead chose a couple of chaand-baalis to check how they looked on her. She stood smiling as he placed each piece on her ear and observed her with a look of utter concentration… Even the shopkeeper was amused at how the woman seemed to be not at all interested in the display of colorful jewelry while the man was so engrossed in selecting and asking questions. Finally, Sameer chose a chaand-baali with multicolored design on it, and a set which had a long necklace made of several strings of small white beads with a square locket in blue meenakari, that looked really unique. The earrings in that set were designed just like the locket, but smaller in size. He ensured that the weight wasn’t heavy and she felt comfortable while wearing the earrings.

Finally at around 9pm they entered a big restaurant known as Surya Mahal, and Sameer requested a private dining area which was thankfully available. Naina plonked on the sofa, sighing in relief, and dipped her head on her folded arms on the table. He slid in opposite her, and queried, “tired?”

“Thoda sa”, she mumbled, and turned her head to the side to look at him, “sandals naye hai na toh thoda chubh raha hai.”

His eyes immediately clouded with concern, “pehle kyun nahi bataya? Itna chalte nahi na…”

She smiled, “it’s okay… ghumne ke liye chalna toh padta hi hai na.”

“Sandals utaar do abhi”, he instructed, “phir hotel jaake dekte hai.”

She nodded, slipping off the sandals and once more exhaled in relief. The waiter came along with the menu cards, and glasses of cold water. She scanned through the beverages and asked, “kuch peene ko mangvaye?”

He nodded, “sure… khus hai… kokum sharbat bhi hai…”

“Kokum”, she demanded, “aur khane me dal-bati…”

“Saath me gatte ka pulao aur boondi raita”, he added.

She chuckled, “sure… meetha bhi bata do…”

He reached forward to pinch her nose, “dessert me mera plan hai ke main meri biwi ko kulfi date pe le jaau… how’s the plan?”

Her eyes sparkled, “amazing…”

Signaling the waiter, he placed the order. As soon as the waiter left, he grabbed her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, “paav me zyada dard hai?”

She softly assured, “nahi… itni tension mat lo… raat ko so jayenge toh theek ho jayega.”

His eyes widened, “seedhe so jayenge?”

She laughed, “tumhe lagta hai aisa?”

He grinned, and replied in a placating tone, “toh bataona… konse colors aur hai tumhare paas? Aur kahan se kharide?”

She stuck out her tongue at him, pulling her hand back from his hold, “nahi bataungi…”

He pleaded, “Naina… please… kab tak chupaake rakhogi? Ek baar surprise ho gaya na… Ab toh bata do…” The waiter came in, interrupting their conversation, served them their drinks and mentioned that the food would be here soon. When they were alone again, he made a pleading expression, “please bata do na…”

She thought for a minute, “umm… pehle tum mere ek sawaal ka jawaab do…”

“Anything”, he offered.

She asked, “tumne purple wali nightie kab kharidi… Aur kaise?”

He scratched his head, a sheepish smile curving his lips, “uhh… Delhi se kharida tha… Yaad hai humne night dresses ki baat ki thi phone pe, aur maine bataya tha ke kaise main neend me Rohan ko almost…” He trailed off shuddering at the recollection, and she giggled. Taking a sip of his sherbet, he continued, “uske next day market gaya tha shopping karne… Sabke liye kuch na kuch kharida… Bahot bada ladies wear ka shop hai wahan, 3 floors ka… Tumhare liye dresses aur woh winter tops… Aur sab kharidne ke baad 3^rd floor pe gaya… Tab tak salesman ko pata tha ke main apni biwi ke liye kapde le raha hun, toh intimate wear ke section me jaake jab maine nightie maange toh usko shaq hi nahi hua… Lekin jab woh banda saare nighties le aaya, tab meri haalat kharab ho gai.”

She immediately queried, “kyun?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, “sweetheart… I was nervous… Pehle kabhi aisi cheeze kharidi nahi thi… Aur upar se mujhe idea bhi nahi tha ke tumko aise nighties ke baare me pata bhi hai ke nahi… Dimag me alag alag scenarios chal rahe the… Aisa khayala aaya ke jab tumhe nightie dunga toh tum mujhe thappad maarogi… Ya phir ghar chodke jaaneki baat karogi… Main itna ghabra gaya iss soch se, ke sochke toh gaya tha ke 4 colors kharidunga, lekin uthaya sirf purple wala kyunki wahi maine sapne me dekha tha…”

She bit her lip shyly, finally understanding that his reaction on seeing her in the purple nightie was not just because of the deprivation of five days, but also because it was his fantasy. He had been taken aback and incredibly aroused because his imagination had merged with reality. Gathering courage she asked, “4 colors konse the?”

He tapped his finger on the table, “umm… ek toh purple tha, jo kharida… dusra of course pink… Aur baaki do colors the black and red… Actually… Naina… main soch raha tha ke Switzerland ke liye black nightie kharide?”

She hummed, hesitating for a moment, and then confessed, “uh… black hai…”

He blinked, surprised at the revelation, and after few seconds almost screeched, “what!?”

“Shsh”, she immediately waved her hand to calm him down, “pure restaurant me announce nahi karna…”

He kept his voice low as he asked, “seriously… black hai…?” She nodded, and he immediately queried further, “aur??”

“Excuse me sir”, another voice interrupted them. Sameer looked up annoyed… The waiter hesitated slightly before saying, “sir… khana… serve karde?”

Sameer was still glowering, so Naina replied with a smile, “yes please… Aur thoda paani bhi de dena.”

The waiter gestured another one to get some water, and then started serving quickly. In less than five minutes, he disappeared. Naina chuckled, “waiter pe kyun gussa ho rahe the?”

He frowned, “toh aur kya karu… itni mushkil se toh colors pata chal rahe the… disturb kar diya…”

She chuckled, putting a couple of bati on his dish, “kha lo pehle… Aur phir…”

“Phir…”, his quirked a brow in question…

She leaned forward a bit, “phir room me jaake saare colors dikhaungi…”

His eyes widened in excitement, “sach? Promise…?”

“Haan…”, she assured, “chalo… ab khao… mujhe toh bahot bhuk lagi hai…”

The food was extremely delicious – the batis were crispy out the outside, perfectly cooked on the inside, and loaded with ghee, the dal was full of flavors and the accompanying green chutney and garlic chutney made to perfection, the pulao was rich in flavor and the besan gatta were tender. Even though they were ravenous, they savored the food, carrying on random conversation… Sameer kept on flirting in between making her blush, and she kept on teasing him about his frightful imaginations while buying nightie.

When they were done, he held her hand all the way to the car, and on their way to the hotel he stopped at a roadside kulfi stall, asking her not to get down… He rushed to get a couple of kulfis, and they enjoyed the sweet creamy dessert in the parked car… It was well past 11pm by the time they reached the hotel, and she leaned on his arm as they took the elevator up. She didn’t mention but the sandal on her right foot was cutting into her ankle, and it hurt to walk. He took out the keycard from his pocket and handed it to her, “yeh lo…”

She took it, and asked in confusion, “mujhe kyun de rahe ho?”

He shrugged, “kyunki mere haath busy honge…”

She glanced at the couple of shopping bags, and was about to ask ‘busy with what’, but before she could get a word out the elevator dinged indicating they had reached their floor and he swiftly lifted her up in his arms.

“Sameer”, she gasped in shock.

He strode down the hallway, “mujhe pata hai tumhe sandal ke wajah se chalne me problem ho rahi hai… Aur jab itna strong husband saath hai toh chalne ki kya zaroorat…”

She looked at him in wonder, amazed still at his care and concern, and how he never hesitated to pamper her in any situation. As they reached their room, she swiped the card to open the door, and he pushed in with his back, stepping into the room still with her in his arms. Placing her on the bed, he locked the door properly. She eased out her sandals, hissing at the sting, and the next moment he was crouching in-front of her, taking her foot in his hand to check… He sucked in a breath noticing the red scratch on her ankle where the flesh had been rubbed raw and the skin had come off, “pehle batana chahiye tha na ke itna lag raha hai…”

She ruffled his hair, “batati toh kya karte? Har jagah apni baaho me uthaake ghumaate…”

“Zaroorat padti toh woh bhi karta”, he declared with confidence, “lekin aur kuch nahi toh at least market se simple slippers kharid lete…”

She chuckled, “utne bade restaurant me slipper pehenke jaati?”

His eyes narrowed, “fashion tumse badhkar nahi hai… I don’t think wahan koi dress code tha… Aur agar hota toh hum kahin aur chale jaate…”

She smiled, “it’s okay Sameer… tum betho… main bathroom me fresh hoke change kar leti hun…”

He watched her remove her jewelry and asked, “can I join?”

She paused, looking at him through the mirror, her breath hitching at his question… He came forward, placing his hands on her shoulder, “hey… relax… main bas puch raha tha… it’s alright if you don’t want…”

She turned to him, her eyes lowering bashfully, “woh baat nahi hai… actually… uhmm… maine socha tha… tumhari bathroom wali fantasy… uh… Udaipur wale hotel ka bathroom bahot zyada achcha hai…”

His heart skipped several beats, “tumne socha uss baare me?”

She nodded, “bahot pehle se…”

“Wow”, he mumbled, kissing the top of her head, “ab jaldi jao… warna main isi bathroom me ghus jaunga.”

She stole a glance at his hooded expressions and quickly escaped. After a quick shower, she came out wearing the white bathrobe… On seeing his puzzled expression, she said, “main kapde le jaana bhul gai…”

He chuckled, “waise bhi zaroorat nahi hai… don’t change…” Her brows furrowed in doubt… He removed his shirt, throwing it on the chair, and came closer… Tracing a finger down her cheek, he said, “mujhe pasand aaya… main jaldi se nahake aata hun… Aur tum… saare colors bataogi mujhe…”

She exhaled through mouth, her eyes clouding on seeing his bare chest, and she nodded, feeling as if she would agree to all his demands if he just stood like that in-front of her. He could see the desire in her eyes, and wanted to take her right then, but they had been out for most of the day and he felt sticky from perspiration… “Just 5 minutes”, he assured, and rushed to the bathroom.

Sighing in delight at the promise, she took out the black bag containing her nighties and then sat on the bed… True to his word he was out of the bathroom in 5 minutes, with a towel wrapped low around his hips. Her eyes roved over him from head to toe, and she bit her lip… He raised his eyebrows as if asking if she liked what she was seeing, and for an answer she simply opened the bedside drawer pulling out a fresh box of condoms. A rumbling low laughter escaped his lips, and he came forward to sit on the bed… She had her legs folded beneath her as she sat in a mermaid like pose… He reached out to grab her foot and tugged it forward… She obeyed in confusion, and warmth filled her heart on seeing his examine the cut again, and then he revealed a band-aid fisted in his left hand… With gentle care he applied it over the cut, and then in a surprising move, dipped his head to kiss her foot. She gasped, “yeh kya kar rahe ho?”

He massaged his hand up her shin, “tum jaanti ho na… main tumhe har jagah kiss kar sakta hun…”

“Par paav pe…”, she started to object; but he interrupted, “har jagah Naina… now… show me… konse colors hai…”

Biting her lips she handed over the bag to him, and he eagerly took it, reaching in to take out the satin he found… “Oh wow”, he sighed on seeing the remaining three nighties… Black, Sea Green, and Red… Though the red was not the shade he had imagined, but still it was red… Her voice broke into his thoughts, “aaj konsa pehnu…”

He stuffed the nighties back in the bag, keeping it aside. He crawled over to her, effectively pushing her back onto the bed, “sweetheart… aaj kisi nightie ki zaroorat nahi hai… Udaipur ke liye rehne do…”

She smiled, looping her arms around his neck, “pehle pata hota toh nighties ke saath-saath bathrobes bhi kharid leti…”

He chuckled, brushing his lips against hers, “shayad kabhi kisi din woh bhi hoga…”

She hummed, opening her mouth to the kiss, and reached out with one hand to turn off the lights. He deepened the kiss, his hand moving down her body to undo the belt of her robe… She felt the familiar sensation of his calluses on her bare flesh, and her fingers fisted in his hair, urging him to move down… Taking hint, his lips skimmed down her throat, over the swell of her breast finding a succulent bud to suck on… She gasped, arching off the bed, and a soft scream escaped her lips when his teeth nipped at the aroused flesh. Each thing he did was familiar yet so new… It seemed he had a new way each time to bring her to the verge where she would obey his every command… And so when he murmured, “towel”, against her breast, she didn’t even hesitate for one second before tugging at the knot at his waist. He grabbed the box from the table, sitting up to hastily throw the towel away and pull on a condom… She also sat up to remove her robe, earning an appreciative smile from him… And he grabbed her in a hug, his mouth dipping to kiss her shoulder while his hand moved over her back, tracing down her spine to her bottom… He cupped and lifted, giving his own mouth access to her breasts once more, and she held on to his shoulders, trying to balance herself. His hard length prodded between her legs, and they both groaned at the feeling… “Sameer”, she moaned, her hips rolling as she straddled his lap… His long fingers probed, dipped and stroked making her whimper in need… Her nails dug on his shoulder, and she urged, “jaldi…”

He grunted, placing her on the bed, parted her legs and filled her with a single hard thrust that made her cry out loud… He quickly placed his lips on her, “shsh… dheere sweetheart…”

She arched and moaned as his hips grinded in circular motion, waiting for him to move… But when he just kept on kissing her, she nibbled hard on his lower lip, and moved her legs up to lock at his hips, trying to tell him without words that she was ready… He chuckled, mumbling something about his wife’s impatience and started to thrust. Her moans of his name were an indication to the pleasure she felt, and his hand stroked her body trying to give her more… “Kiss me”, she suddenly demanded, and he obliged. As soon as their lips met, her body strung tight, a little shudder raced down her spine, and she shattered. He swallowed her cries of pleasure, moving faster than before and soon he too groaned, breaking the kiss, throwing back his head… He felt her fingers trace the veins on his neck, and when he opened his eyes panting for breath she lifted up and kissed him hard… He shuddered, collapsing on her, spent from completion and surprised at her kiss…

A minute later when she parted, he asked, “yeh kya tha…”

Colors tinged her cheeks but her eyes still reflected passion, as she said, “aaj pehli baar dekha… matlab… jab tum… umm… end me…” He smiled in understanding and she whispered, “it was… sexy…”

He kissed her forehead, her eyes, nose and cheeks, “sweetheart… aisi baate karogi toh dusra condom bhi abhi nikaalna padega…”

She threaded her fingers in his silky hair, “itni jaldi nahi… thodi der baad…”

He pulled out of her, rolled over and sat up, “tumhara pata nahi par mujhe thoda time chahiye for a repeat performance.” She was silent as he went to the bathroom and came back… Once he slid on the bed and pulled the blanket over their bodies, she asked, “kitna time?”

He chuckled, “I don’t know… ek ghanta shayad…”

She turned fully to him, rubbing her body along his, and kissed a line down his jaw, “ab?”

His hand clenched on her waist, “45 mins…”

She hummed, nibbling tenderly at his throat, tracing her tongue along his adam’s apple, “ab?”

“30 mins shayad”, he mumbled.

Her lips moved down to his chest and she pushed him on his back… She trailed tiny bites down the center, and moved to his left nipple, licking over the mole and then her hot mouth closed over his flat nipple in hard suction. She repeated the same move over and over again, until he was groaning, his hands moving in her hair and she trailed down a bit towards his belly, “ab?”

He felt himself twitching and hardening, “15 mins…”

She lifted herself up to look in his eyes, and then she kissed his forehead… For a moment he thought she was stopping there… But then she kissed him on his lips while down below, inside the blanket, her hand moved over his semi-hard length, stroking it softly. He jolted in shock, his hips arching, and her hold on him tightened a bit, her thumb tracing the head bringing him to instant arousal… And then the little minx grinned down at him, asking once more, “ab?”

He fisted his hand in her long hair, biting her lower lip gently, “damn you…”

She laughed… an enthralling little laugh of sensuous victory, and he very nearly snapped. Grabbing a condom, he rolled over, pinning her to the bed and silenced her with a long deep kiss… The moon glittered outside, shimmering over the distant lake, and a wind picked up, rustling the leaves of the trees… Inside the room the couple remained oblivious to the beauty of the nature, losing themselves once more in the beautiful bond that made them discover the shimmering golden coast of euphoria over and over again…