Mrs. Maheshwari Special

It was one of the regular mornings at Maheshwari house. The swimming pool glittered in the sun, the white exterior paint giving a feeling of grandeur, the sprawling lawns like an invitation to spend lazy afternoon. Sameer Maheshwari whistled as he combed his hair, checking his reflection in the mirror, and then smirked at how handsome he looked. Finishing of his grooming routine with two quick sprays of his favorite fragrance, he grabbed his bag and dashed downstairs.

“Naina”, he yelled for his wife as soon as he reached the living room.

She answered from the kitchen, “aa rahi hun… chillao mat.” He tapped his foot impatiently and soon she came out with a tiffin box in hand, and stuffed it inside her bag. Without looking at him she muttered, “chalo… warna der ho jayegi.”

He grabbed her hand, pulling her in his arms, “itni bhi kya jaldi hai. Main tumhe college ke liye thodi na bula raha tha… main toh tumhe romance ke liye bula raha tha.”

She blushed, “subah subah phir shuru ho gaye tum. Abhi kal raat ko hi toh…”

“Raat gai, baat gai”, he interrupted, “shaadi ko teen mahine ho gaye hai Naina, aur itne time baad finally ek hafte pehle tumne mujhe qareeb aane diya… Ab dur nahi reh sakta.”

Her heartbeats thundered at the recollection of how they had finally made love a week ago. Sameer had tried so hard to make her aware of physical intimacy after wedding, but unfortunately they had not progressed anywhere after their first kiss on their honeymoon. After coming back they had their mid-term examinations, and so she had been mostly focused on studying. But on the day the results had come out, things had started to change… They had decided to have a small private celebratory dinner as Sameer had scored 65% which was a record in itself. It had been fun to prepare the meal together and then while she was busy in cooking the dessert he had disappeared. Sometime later he had come back, hugged her from behind, and said, “yeh khana main lagata hun… tum room me jaake fresh ho lo.”

She had been puzzled by his proposition, but had gone to the room nevertheless, only to be surprised because he had kept a long flowy single-piece rose-pink gown on the bed along with a set of earrings, and a note instructing her to keep her hair open. She had no idea what he was up to, but the dress was so pretty that she had indeed freshened up and changed into it, sighing in delight at the luxurious soft material. When she had gone downstairs, her eyes had widened in surprise and delight, on seeing him dressed in a matching slim-fit pink shirt, with two buttons open at his chest, revealing details that caused a hitch in breath.

“Itna celebration?” She had asked.

He had smiled, extending his hand to her, “kuch bahana soch lenge celebration ka.”

For a brief second she had been reminded of a similar day during their honeymoon, when they had planned to go to a special restaurant, but because she had worn sneakers instead of sandals beneath her gown, they had been refused entry. Sameer had scolded her, and she had listened, unable to explain that her feet were aching and that is why she wanted the comfort of sneakers. That reminder had made her pull back, and murmur that she needed sandals, but he had just tugged her back to him, and kissed her forehead saying he was sorry for the way he had behaved during their honeymoon. She had finally confided that she was not used to such luxuries, and he had assured that they will learn together. From that night they had indeed started learning together… They had had candle light dinner on the pool side, dressed in fineries but without any footwear; they had danced to the tunes of hindi romantic songs; they had sat dipping their legs in the pool without worrying that their clothes were getting wet. When the stars were shining bright, and the round moon hung overhead, he had cupped her face and kissed her lips tenderly. She had felt a lightness in her veins, an euphoric sensation as if she was not sitting near the pool but rather dancing on the silvery path formed on the water by moonlight. But when his lips had moved to her throat, she had pulled her legs out of water, and tried to escape… Only this time he hadn’t let her leave. He had held her hand, and with his heart in his eyes, he had requested, “please… ab dur mat jao.”

Something had shifted inside her… She had wondered if she had been pushing him away, if she had not been trying to understand him enough. She had remembered how he had never asked her for anything after they had kissed, but every time she had felt his restlessness. She had thought that maybe he wanted to show her something, but wasn’t able to explain. And so she had stayed… Softly, carefully he had kissed her again… and again… and again, until she had almost melted in his arms… Taking care not to alarm her, he had gently tilted her on her back near the pool, lying next to her, their feet brushing against each other, even as he had continued kissing her. The edge of her gown and her hand had dipped into the cold water, but she couldn’t care less in that moment, as his lips marked a trail down her throat. “Sameer”, she had whimpered, and then her wet hand had clasped in his hair, her back had arched as he had kissed he gentle rounded swells of her breasts that were visible above the gown. Soon he had come back to her lips, and she had asked, “yeh kya ho raha hai?”

He had stared at her for a moment, and replied, “it’s okay… hamare paas waqt hai. Dheere dheere aage badhenge.”

The information that there was more after this was enough to make her shudder. She felt that she couldn’t even breathe properly. She had only been able to calm down when that night, without a word, he had hugged her while sleeping. The next day as she was getting ready for college, her zip had gotten stuck somehow. Usually she would be downstairs by the time he came out of his bath, but that day the stuck zip had stalled her, and also when she had tugged it harder, somehow her hair had also got tangled up, causing her to whimper in pain. She hadn’t realized when he had come out of the bath, but had jerked upon feeling cool long fingers on her bare back. “Shsh”, he had soothed, “main madad kar deta hun.”

She had waited with closed eyes, her breathing heavy as he had slowly detangled her hair, and somehow managed to tug the zipper down. Her body had stiffened as she had realized that he could see more than he had ever seen, and then an electrical charge had run up her spine when he had skimmed his hand up and down her back.

“Sameer kya kar rahe ho?” She had queried in a breathy whisper.

He had pushed her hair aside, leaning further into her, and brushed a soft kiss on her shoulder while pulling the zip close, “apni biwi se pyaar.”

She had turned to him, only to let out a surprised gasp because he was wearing just a towel around his hip, just like that one time during honeymoon. Her breath had hitched, and lost in some kind of trance she had lifted her hands, placing her palms on his chest, the feel making her insides melt. He had wrapped his arm around her waist, and suddenly kissed her cheeks, whispering how much he loved her. She had no idea what was happening to her, but as his mouth wandered closer to her lips, she shivered, her fingers clenching on his body. And then finally he had kissed her, deep, slow, and long; his tongue moving inside her mouth with such skilled precision that she felt the effect of it right down to her womb. His hand had moved over her waist and belly, a gesture of impatience, and then his knuckles had brushed against the underside of her breast once before his fingers closed over the soft flesh, gently kneading. She had gasped, the sound absorbed in his mouth, and in another moment she had softened, pliable to his touch, the sensations of his hand spreading an incredible yearning inside her belly. When he had parted from her, she had had to keep a hand over her heart, because she had felt as if it would jump out. She had looked at him, her face red, and her eyes full of questions. He had cupped her cheek, kissed her nose and whispered that he would show her more at night. Needless to say she had been restless the whole day in college, and he had smirked whenever their eyes had met, perfectly understanding her thoughts.

That night he had kissed her once, and then offered to back out if she was uneasy, but the gap of many hours from the morning encounter had piqued her curiosity to such an extent that she had herself asked what more was there. Since that night he had started to take her on a journey so alien and so pleasurable that she hadn’t been able to stop herself from wanting more. And finally a week ago, they had made love… It was as simple and as complicated as that… It had taken them a long time to reach that night, but when they had been there it had been the most natural thing for them. The feel of him inside her, perfect. The way his weight pinned her to the bed, perfect. The sensations inside her body as she arched up to him, perfect. The delight she felt on holding him close, knowing he had also found pleasure in her, perfect. Everything had been perfect on that night, and every night since then.

“College bunk karte hai aaj”, the proposal in his husky voice brought her out of her reminiscence. She shivered at the way his lips were moving lightly across the side of her face, but then placed her hands on his chest, pushing him a bit, “bilkul nahi… aur thoda toh sharam karo… Kanji bhaiya kitchen me hai.”

He frowned, “toh hum kaunsa living room me romance karenge… Bedroom me chalte hai… Door lock kar denge.”

She laughed, “tum na… bas hamesha ek hi cheez sochte rehte ho… Aisa kuch nahi karne wale hum… seedhe chup-chap college chalo.”

He kept pouting all the while as she grabbed his hand, pulled him outside, and he started the bike. When she sat behind him, he muttered, “boring unromantic biwi.”

She laughed at his obvious frustration and as they drove out of the gates, she watched his profile, feeling a sense of wonder on his need for her. How was it possible for someone to hold such potent desire for her? The simple, not-so-good-looking, clumsy woman, as tagged by everyone, aroused him so much? But it was the truth of her life… Try as much, she couldn’t deny or doubt the intensity with which he wanted her. The nights were long with delightful lovemaking, but the days… the days were full of anticipation. He never left one chance of telling her how much he loved her, how much he wanted her… He would whisper sweet nothings in between class that would steal her breath. He would pull her to him whenever they had even a little bit of privacy… And just yesterday he had somehow managed to make her forget the surroundings and kissed her in an empty classroom… Only when his hands had refused to stay in control, had she remembered that they were in college, and stopped him.

She watched his pouty grumpy face in the rear-view mirror, and chuckled, giving in to him, and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her body to him. A sense of thrill coursed down her spine when she felt him jerk, and understood that he was immediately affected by the proximity. He was obviously happy, but still complained, “ab kyun hug kar rahi ho? Dur betho, warna college jaake padhai me dhyan kaise dogi.”

She tried to pacify, “bas thode din toh bache hai ab college ke. Final exams ek mahine me ho jayega, phir time hi time… Tum jitna bologe hum utna romance karenge.”

“Yaane ek mahina aisai tadpati rahogi”, he countered, “mujhe toh lagta hai exams nazdik aayenge tab raat ke liye bhi mana kar dogi… Bologi thak jayenge toh padhai nahi kar payenge.”

This time she laughed aloud… Oh God… Didn’t he realize that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her? Exams or not, the time when she might have stopped his romance was way in the past, now she couldn’t think of staying without hugging him or kissing him or even without making love to him. And so she proposed something that she had in the back of her mind, “Sameer… main soch rahi thi iss Friday shopping karne chalte hai.”

He immediately admonished, “topic mat badlo.”

She separated a bit from him as they entered the college gates, and replied, “topic nahi badal rahi… romance ka topic hi hai.”

That piqued his interest… He parked the bike, and waited for her to slide off, before grabbing her hand and pulling her to the front, near him, “kya matlab? Shopping me kaisa romance?”

“Meri ek wish thi”, she said in a low voice, her cheeks tinging with color, “umm… Saturday chutti hai aur next week ke schedule me Monday aur Tuesday itne khaas classes nahi hai… Sab revision wale hai… Toh…”

He softly asked, “toh…?”

She quickly gazed once in his eyes, and then looked away muttering, “mujhe Mt. Abu jaana hai tumhare saath.”

He was stunned to silence by her proposition. Mt. Abu… Was she proposing that they go on a trip? The weekend plus Monday and Tuesday, so essentially 4 days… He wasn’t sure he had heard it right. So he asked to reconfirm, “ghumne? 4 din ke liye? Matlab… sirf tum aur main? Koi padhai nahi, koi kitaabe nahi? Sirf ghumna aur romance?”

She nodded, and inched even closer, lifting up to whisper in his ear, “maine socha… hamara second honeymoon… peechla wala dry tha na.”

His eyes widened in surprise and he looked so elated that she blushed, giggled and ran off. He quickly got down from his bike, and chased after his wife, catching up with her just near the stairs of main college building. Grabbing her around the waist, he demanded, “aur shopping kyun?”

Her face was flushed, but still she gathered courage and said, “umm… honeymoon hoga toh kuch khaas kharidenge na.”

He cautiously asked, “jaise?”

“Jaise…”, she murmured, “jaise tum shaadi se pehle kharidne gaye the par Chachiji ne dekh liya tha.”

He gasped in wonder as he realized that she was talking about the pink satin nightie shopping adventure. She wanted to buy more of those? “Pink color wala?”, he queried.

She bit her lip, “pink toh hai na… iss baar koi aur color lenge… jo tum chaho.”

“Wow”, he breathed, and pulled her in tight hug. She reciprocated for a moment, before pulling back, “chodo… college hai…”

He laughed, “okay… abhi chod raha hun kyunki tumko class me dhyan deta padega aaj… main toh poore din colors hi sochta rahunga.”

She shook her head, smiling at his obvious delight, and they walked down the corridor hand-in-hand. That day the whole time during class, she had to fend his wandering hands, and also his excited mutterings about the upcoming trip. She scolded him lightly, “Sameer… ek aur din bacha hai ab tak Friday aane me. Shush!”

However, he couldn’t shush… He was just so excited about the prospect, and also still in a bit of astonishment that Naina had proposed this. It meant so much to him, and she knew it too, which is why even though she rebuked him for his silly mutterings, she would also smile soon enough. Love and promise sparkled in her eyes, and he kept looking at his wrist watch repeatedly wanting the days to speed up.

During break time, Naina made him stay with Munna and Pandit, after they had their food, and then she walked over to the library to return some books, and pick up a new reference book. Lost in thoughts of the upcoming trip, and her husband’s excitement, she ambled with a small smile on her face… However, just near the library she was rudely interrupted by a shrill voice, “kya baat hai… pati ne akela chod diya kya?”

Naina glanced in the direction of the voice, and sighed in irritation. Sunaina… This girl was a constant annoyance in her life. If before wedding she had made her life hell with her tricks and flirting with Sameer, post wedding it was regular taunts and implications that they basically lacked a love life. She thought to ignore her, and walk away, but Sunaina fell in step with her, “haan… ab chodna hi padega na… bechara Sameer… Kitna pachta raha hoga tumse shaadi karke. Usko bhala kya pata tha ke shaadi ke baad bhi uski biwi sirf books pe hi dhyan degi…”

Naina snapped, “tumhe bada pata hai mera dhyan kahan hota hai?”

Sunaina flicked her hair and laughed, “books me hi hoga… Romance ka toh R bhi nahi aata hoga tumhe… Tum jaisi behenji ko kya pata bedroom me pati ko kaise khush karte hai.”

Naina was about to argue with her, but just then suddenly this morning’s conversation and Sameer’s excited face flashed before her eyes. That had an immediate calming effect on her. There was no need for her to be angry on what anyone said. The bond between her and Sameer was beautiful, and she knew what she was like when she was with him. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought. However, once again as she tried to walk away, Sunaina mocked, “tumko toh pata bhi nahi hoga ke jab tum books aur library me busy rehti ho tab Sameer kya karta hai… Uski nazre kitni ladkiyo pe jaati hai tumhe kya pata. Abhi kal hi woh mujhse baat karne aaya tha… You see, there is such a difference between you and me, aur yeh ab usko pata chal raha hai.”

That did it… Till now Sunaina had only been implying her lack of capability in Romance, but now she had crossed a boundary and tried to sabotage their relationship by accusing Sameer of cheating behind her back. Naina stopped in her tracks, and turned to face the irritating girl, wanting to slap her for her insolence. However, she kept her voice calm, and plastered a smile on her face as she said, “you are right… tumme aur mujhme bahot farq hai. Tum woh ladki ho jisko Sameer dekhna bhi nahi chahta… Aur main woh ladki hun jisse Sameer ne pyaar kiya hai, shaadi ki hai… Par phir bhi kuch logo ki aadat hoti hai dusro ke life me taang adaane ki. Agar tumhe lagta hai ke tumhari bekaar baato me aake main Sameer pe shaq karungi toh tumhe apne dimag ka ilaaj karana chahiye. Rahi baat romance ki, toh mere aur Sameer ke life me uski koi kami nahi hai… Woh kya hai na pati ko khush karne ke liye college me short skirt pehenna zaroori nahi hai.”

Sunaina started to say something, but Naina raised a finger, interrupting her, “Tumhe hamare bedroom secrets me bahot interest hai na… toh ek kaam kyun nahi karti… ghar aa ajao… Hamara ghar bhi dekh lena aur mujhe aur Sameer ko romance karte hue bhi dekh lena… I am sure, Sameer ko koi problem nahi hogi tumhare saamne mere saath romance karneme.”

Sunaina’s face flushed and she gasped in shock, trying to find words to reply. However, before she could come up with something, Naina added, “ek baat aur… dobara agar mere saamne tumne Sameer ke character ke baare me kuch bhi bolne ki koshish ki toh yeh jo make-up ki parato me daba hua chehra hai na tumhara, uska naksha aisa bigaadungi ke duniya ka koi cosmetic brand kaam nahi aayega.”

Having said what she had to, Naina left from there, while Sunaina stood stumped. She had not expected Naina to reply back under any circumstances. It took her a few moments to recover from the shock, and by then Kartik had come looking for her. Upon finding her lost and disoriented he asked, “Sunaina… kya hua tumko?”

She shook her head, and then muttered, “woh gaanv ki gawar mujhe dhamkake gai… himmat kaise hui uski.”

He was puzzled, “kiski baat kar rahi ho?”

She exasperatedly asked, “aur kaun hai gawar hamare college me? Naina ki baat kar rahi hun, stupid…”

He scratched his head in confusion, “Naina ne tumhe dhamkaya? Tum sapna toh nahi dekh rahi? Uske muh se toh chu tak nahi nikalti…”

“Aaj nikla”, she informed, “mujhe kuch sochna padega…” He followed her as she stomped away, still extremely puzzled about the situation. Finally when they reached the gardens, she excitedly exclaimed, “oh yes! Idea toh uss behenji ne hi de diya hai.”

Kartik asked, “kaisa idea? Sameer ke bike ka tyre puncture karenge?”

“Bachcho jaisi baate mat karo”, she admonished, “ab dhyan se suno…” She explained about her teasing, and then Naina’s reply to her, finishing off with a triumphant grin, “so you see… usne toh mujhe khud invite kiya hai apne ghar, unn dono ka romance dekhne.”

Kartik made a puking gesture, “ewww… tum yeh sab dekhna chahti ho? Kyun?”

She huffed, “idiot… kuch dekhne ko hoga toh dekhenge na. I am sure, unn dono ka bedroom romance yaane Naina ka Sameer ko padhana… Tumhe yaad hai peechle mahine canteen me humne suna tha Sameer ko complain karte hue ke Naina books ke alawa aur kisipe dhyan hi nahi deti.”

He nodded, extremely hesitant, “haan par… uss baat ko ek mahina ho gaya hai.”

She shrugged, “so what? Uss behenji ko dekhke tumhe lagta hai usme kuch adaaye hogi? Ek mahine me suddenly usne romance nahi sikh liya hoga, ulta exams ki revision shuru kar di hogi. Isiliye… yeh perfect chance hai. Hum dono aaj raat ko unke ghar jayenge, aur pictures click karenge… Phir wahi pictures poore college me faila denge… Socho zara, kya dhamaka hoga… Sameer-Naina ka bedroom story, romance ka chance nahi, padhai ka dance…”

Kartik was still hesitant, not sure if that would really be the case. He insisted that even if Naina didn’t know things, Sameer did, so he might have made advances. Sunaina discarded that argument with a wave of her hand, citing that Sameer was so scared of Naina’s anger, that he wouldn’t dare to overstep her boundaries. Finally, after another few minutes he agreed to go with Sunaina, thinking that if they did manage to embarrass Sameer and Naina, then maybe Sunaina’s revenge mode would turn off and she would pay some attention to him.

That evening when college ended, Sunaina pointed out a scene to Kartik with a smirk on her face. Sameer was playfully tugging Naina towards him, but she was pulling back, trying to free herself, and finally he gave in, leaving her hand, and frowning at her. Sunaina threw a triumphant look at Kartik, “dekha… maine kaha tha na.”

Kartik watched the couple leave on bike, and muttered, “lag toh raha hai ke possible hai… dekhte hai.”

Upon reaching home, Sameer grabbed his wife, “tum bahot buri ho… subah nightie ki baat karti ho aur phir poore din me ek kiss bhi nahi deti.”

Naina wrapped her arms around his neck, “tumse kitni baar kaha hai… college me nahi. Koi dekhega iski fikar nahi hai mujhe, par bas mujhe achcha nahi lagta. Main na dhyan de paati hun aur naa hi enjoy kar paati hun.”

“Okay”, he smiled, kissing her forehead, “yaad rakhunga. Par ab toh ghar aa gaye hai na.”

She grinned, tilting her head, leaning towards him, and he sealed their lips without any further delay. However, the kiss was brief as they were interrupted by a sound from kitchen. He parted from her, “ufff… yeh Kanji bhi na… kabhi kabhi man karta hai isko kaam se hi nikaal du.”

She giggled, “koi baat nahi… aaj raat…”

“Pink nightie”, he demanded.

She rolled her eyes, “phirse? Abhi parso hi toh pehna tha.”

He pleaded, “please… jab tak naye nahi aate tab tak usise kaam chalana padega na.”

She laughed and agreed, delighting him, and then went to the bedroom to freshen up. The evening passed in watching TV, some revision for exams, and dinner. Kanji left after cleaning up, and Sameer asked, “chale?”

She hushed him, “yeh movie khatam hone do… thoda sa hi baaki hai.” Later on as he locked the downstairs doors and windows, she went upstairs to freshen up and change. She did systematic rounds around the rooms, closing all the windows and pulling the curtains across them. It was close to 11pm by then, and she quickly cleaned and changed into the pink nightie as per his demand. Grabbing the jug from their bedside table she went downstairs to fill it as they would need water at night, but soon she was grabbed by her husband.

Outside the bungalow two figures moved restlessly behind the bushes, and the boy swatted something on his arm, “shit… machchar hai yahan pe.”

“Shsh”, Sunaina whispered, “dheere bolo.”

Kartik grumbled, “itna bada garden hai… kaun sunega… yeh machchar?”

She rolled her eyes, “woh dekho… upar… Naina saare parde laga rahi hai, aur lights off kar rahi hai.”

“Ek bhul gai”, he pointed.

She smacked him lightly, “stupid… bhuli nahi… woh bedroom hai. Hume wahi jaana hoga… Balcony tak.”

Kartik looked horrified, “what? Hum upar kaise jayenge? Aur balcony pe pakde gaye toh Sameer muh tod dega hamara.”

“Darpok”, Sunaina chided, “upar nahi jayenge toh photo kaise khichenge… woh dekho, seedi hai shayad… maali use karta hoga. Chalo…”

Together they set the wooden ladder carefully against the balcony, and climbed up. However, the curtains blocked everything. Kartik whispered, “kuch dikhne nahi wala.”

Sunaina smiled and pulled out a portable recorder, “koi baat nahi… baate record kar lenge.”

They waited with eager anticipation, and finally after 10 minutes they could hear some sounds and conversations.

A door was unlocked… A girl giggled… A thud of closing door… Some whispers, and then a chirpy voice of girl, “Sameer… kya kar rahe ho? Neeche utaaro na…”

“kahan?”

“Bed pe… aur kahan.”

“Jo hukum sweetheart…”

Naina giggled, “suno… aaj nahi karoge…”

“Kya?”

“Wahi… jo shaadi ki raat se har raat karte hai.”

“Oooh… demands…”

“Please Sameer…”

He laughed, “laalchi insaan… theek hai… karta hun…”

After a minute or two, a loud moan could be heard, and Naina throatily muttered, “thoda dheere karona…”

Sameer seemed to be panting as he said, “aree… kal toh bol rahi thi zor se karo…”

“Aaj dheere dheere man ho raha hai…”, she sighed, “zyada time chalega na… warna tum thak jaoge jaldi.”

“Saari kasar aaj hi poori karni hai kya?”

“Nahi… thodi kal subah bhi karenge.”

There was a surprised gasp, another moan, and then Sameer hoarsely asked, “subah…? College se pehle? Late ho jayenge…”

“Pleaseeee…”

He chuckled, “tum itne pyaar se bologi toh poore din karta rahunga.”

“Tabhi toh I love you…”, she murmured, her breath breaking.

“I love you too… par mera return gift.”

“Kal college se aate hi”, she assured, “neeche hall me… sofa pe…”

His voice held excitement, as he said, “wow… nice idea… waise bhi sofa kaafi dino se use nahi kiya…”

She hummed, “ab shush… aur baate nahi… itna achcha lag raha hai ke mera dimag kaam nahi kar raha.”

There was silence after that, except for a few rustles and whispers. Outside in the balcony, Kartik grabbed Sunaina, and gestured to go down the ladder. Once on the ground, Kartik managed to keep the ladder back in place, and then leaned against the wall, still in shock. Sunaina seemed to be too stunned to say anything for the second time that day. He threw his hands up in frustration, “seriously Sunaina… kuch nahi karte honge? Yeh toh poore din lage rehte hai…”

Sunaina shook her head, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly for a minute, before she stammered, “pa…par kaise…? Woh behenji… usko kaise pata? Aur Sameer… uske saath…?”

“Biwi hai uski… pyaar karta hai woh”, he countered, “tumhare me kabhi usko interest tha hi nahi… aur rahi baat tumhare ‘kaise’ ki, toh kal Naina se puch lena… Itna toh pata chal hi gaya tumko ke use sab kuch pata hai.” Grabbing the recorder from her hand, he pulled out the tape, destroying the reel, and instructed, “chalo ab yahan se…”

Meanwhile inside the room, Naina caught Sameer’s hand, “bas… aaj itna hi.”

He panted, wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead, “mujhe laga aaj toh rukne ko hi nahi bologi… poori raat massage karwane ka iraada lag raha tha… Uh… Kaisa laga?”

She laughed softly, “bahot achcha laga… kandhe pe khaas karke… aur sar pe bhi.”

He grinned, “toh mera payment?”

“Ek minute”, she slid off the bed, moving towards the window and parted the curtains slightly to see outside. Her lips curved in a small smile as she saw two figures slipping around the big gates.

Naina had noticed movements in garden earlier when she had gone to keep a few dishes in kitchen, and had been scared for a moment, but realization had dawned on when the lamp in garden had flashed yellow light on a wrist… She had instantly recognized Sunaina’s gaudy bracelets. It had taken one more minute for her to grasp that Sunaina had come over with some plan and she had brought someone along, maybe Kartik… She had controlled herself from reacting or telling Sameer… Rather she had tried to think what Sunaina could hope to accomplish by coming here. Surely they didn’t intend to come inside… so then what? Spy on her and Sameer? It was possible… But what would they get? She had let them wait out in the garden, while she had gone back to Sameer to finish the movie they had started. But her thoughts were far from the movie… She kept trying to think. In few minutes a flash on screen had caught her attention, and her eyes had widened… Photographs… That’s what they intended maybe… If they clicked any kind of embarrassing pictures then they could tease her and Sameer… Also, given Sunaina was so sure that there was no romance in her marital relationship; maybe she was hoping to get some pictures of them just talking or worse yet, studying. That’s why when Sameer had asked if they needed to do any more revision that night, she had instantly refused, and had rather proposed to finish watching the movie and sleep.

All the while she sat with him, she kept thinking how to make those two disappear from here… She might have extended the so-called invitation to Sunaina, but that didn’t mean she wanted anyone to be privy of their private moments. Plus, she was going to wear the pink nightie today, and she had seen the effect on Sameer… Things would get loud… Nope, she definitely didn’t want an audience even to listen. And why should they prove anything to anyone? It was their relationship… Why the heck was Sunaina so interfering in everything? However, as much as she thought, she only kept feeling anger rather than finding a solution. And so she had thought to take a quick shower before sleeping, as that would relax her. For half a minute she had even thought to cancel tonight’s plan given the two unwanted audience. But then as she had carefully closed all curtains, and taken a shower, she had thought of the massage she demanded from Sameer every night… Maybe that could create an illusion… She didn’t know… But it was worth a try maybe…

When she had gone back downstairs she had remembered how on their first night she had been so tensed up that she couldn’t relax. She had known Sameer would demand kiss from her, and that had made her nervous. But he hadn’t done anything like that… Rather he had hugged her, helped her calm down, and then given her a short head and shoulder massage so that she could relax and sleep. Since then it had been kind of a ritual before sleeping… And it hadn’t stopped even when they had started making love. Rather after making love for the first time, he had given her a back rub the next morning because honestly she had been tired. Sometimes she returned the favor, and he loved it immensely.

She had guessed that the duo would come up to the balcony somehow, and her doubts had been confirmed when Sameer had brought her to the room. He had grabbed her downstairs, kissed her senseless, and then picked her up in his arms to bring her to the room. It could have been a repeat of day-before-yesterday when he had lost total control on seeing her in the pink nightie. And she would have loved it… But given the audience she had demanded a massage without explicitly mentioning the word. And he had obliged… All the while they talked, and he massaged her shoulders, she had kept a watch on the light shadows through the corner of the eyes. She had prayed that never once did Sameer mention massage… She had no idea what they were doing outside… They couldn’t click any pictures, the curtains would ensure that. Maybe they were just listening… who knew… She didn’t want to give them any fodder, but if possible she wanted them to burn in shock and jealousy.

Finally after almost more than fifteen minutes she had seen the shadows move away, and had relaxed. And now she stood looking out into the night, ensuring that they were indeed gone. Just then Sameer came behind her, slipped his arms around her waist, and nuzzled her neck, “yahan kyun khadi ho?”

She sighed, leaning back against his chest, “kuch nahi… shayad garden me do aware kutte ya billi ghus aaye the.”

He lifted his head, staring outside, “kya…? abhi bhi hai kya…? main dekhke aau neeche?”

She turned in his embrace, looping her arms around his neck, “koi zaroorat nahi hai kahin jaane ki… Mere paas raho tum…”

He scrunched his nose, “kyun? Phirse sewa karwani hai?”

She smiled, “nahi… bas soch rahi thi thoda pyaar karu.”

“Hayeee”, he exclaimed, lifting her in his arms, “chalo jaldi… Mujhse aur control nahi ho raha.”

She switched off the lights as he placed her on the bed, and then grabbed him, pulling him down to her. It was only a matter of minutes before the room was filled with loud moans and husky groans as they let themselves be taken over by the storm of passion that only flared brighter and brighter every time they joined in this elemental bond.

Sameer was still basking in the glow of their lovemaking even next morning, and to top that Naina had worn a pink top to college. It seemed her every touch kept arousing him. He could distinctly smell her fragrance every time she leaned towards him. In the canteen he kept trying to sit as close as possible, hoping he would get a chance to sneak a touch. It elated him when she held his hand as they walked down the college corridors. He was in such a trance that he didn’t notice anything or anyone apart from his wife.

Naina however, was noticing how Kartik avoided looking at them since morning, and Sunaina on the contrary kept throwing furious glares at them. When classes ended for the day, she walked up to Sunaina, and asked, “hi… Tumne socha kuch? Ghar aane wali ho? Tum kaho toh main Sameer se baat karu…”

Sunaina gaped at her, unable to decide what to say, and finally started muttering, “uh… nahi…”

But before she could complete her statement, Sameer came over, grabbed Naina’s hand, and tugged her, “tum yahan kya kar rahi ho? Ghar chalo… Apna sofa wala promise yaad hai na.”

Naina chirped, “haan yaad hai”, and then turned her head, a smirk on her lips as she winked at Sunaina.

Sunaina’s face flushed with mortification as she watched the couple leave, and her insides seemed to burn as she saw how Naina pulled out her hand from Sameer’s grip and instead placed his hand around her waist, and Sameer grinned down at her, blowing her a kiss.