The Moment of First Kiss

The plane started to taxi out of the terminal, airhostesses moved to and fro making sure everyone was adhering to all the take-off rules, a baby at the far end gave out little cries probably afraid of the vibrations. Sameer Maheshwari looked out of the layered plexiglass window, recalling the beautiful as well as the annoying moments of their honeymoon. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he even thought if he had been slightly unreasonable. Agreed, Naina had made several dressing blunders, but it’s not like she had experience of going on trips. He knew he could make it up to her, she wasn’t even angry at him for whatever he had said or done, but the repeated failed attempts to kiss her irked him. She was his wife, and they were returning back from their honeymoon, but he still hadn’t been able to kiss her.

The cabin lights dimmed, and Sameer turned his head to look at his wife, but his wandering gaze fell on the couple in the row opposite them. The man kissed his wife on her cheek, and just behind them another couple was getting pretty cozy. He ruefully thought, ‘yeh achcha hai… yahan meri zindagi me sukha pada hua hai aur baki log bahaar khilane pe tule hue hai.’

Aloud he mumbled, “koi inse bolo ke honeymoon khatam ho chuka hai.”

He thought that Naina would glare at him, or simply look away in shyness, but to his surprise she smiled at him. She tilted her head, still smiling, and softly said, “lekin hamara toh abhi shuru hua hai.”

What? What was she saying? Did she really mean that? Did she even know what she was saying?

However, before he could voice any of these questions, she flipped his jacket, holding it behind him and started to raise it to his head. Astounded he watched with wide eyes as she leaned closer, and covered both of them with the jacket. Her breath fell of his lips, his gaze collided with hers, and he found that he was losing himself in the soft brown eyes. He didn’t know what was happening, but quite suddenly she was too close to him and was looking at him as if she was waiting… What was she waiting for? Oh yes, the kiss… She was waiting for him to kiss her… willingly… Wow, really? As if in a trace, he too inched closer, tilting his head, eyeing her lips… His heart leaped with joy as he realized that she was indeed inviting him to kiss her…

Just then there was a slight jolt as the aircraft brake on its journey to the main runway, and the situation dawned upon him. They were in a flight full of people, and Naina… his shy, innocent Naina had thrown a jacket over them so that he could finally kiss her. It was so tempting that he wanted to hold her, close his eyes and get on with it… But along with the urgent need there was also the knowledge that this was not the time and place. So, he diverted from her mouth and instead kissed on her forehead, and quickly removed the jacket as the illusion of privacy was too appealing.

She looked up at her husband, puzzled… Did she do something wrong again? Almost afraid of another round of rebuke, she asked, “maine kuch galat kiya?”

His gaze softened, and he looped an arm around her, “nahi Naina… bas yeh yahan nahi. Ghar jaake.”

She bit her lip, “lekin… ghar jaake honeymoon pe thodi na hoga. Tumhe toh honeymoon pe…”

He interrupted her, “tumne hi toh kaha ke hamara honeymoon abhi shuru hua hai…” Thinking for a moment he added, “waise achcha hua Ooty me kiss nahi hone diye tumne, hamari pehli kiss hamare ghar me honi chahiye.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Sameer was not angry; instead he was saying that she did a good thing. Still she asked to confirm, “tum naraaz toh nahi ho na mujhse?”

He pulled her to him again, “bilkul bhi nahi.”

She leaned on his chest, and felt so warm in his embrace that she slowly dozed off. Sameer rested his cheek on her head and fell asleep too.

The landing announcement woke them up, and they descended along with other passengers. The wait for luggage was a tad bit annoying as he was desperate to reach home now. Since there was no one to pick them up, Sameer hailed an auto, and fidgeted until they reached the destination. Honestly the promise of a kiss from his wife was making him impatient.

Just as they unlocked the door and stepped inside, he set aside the bags, caught her hand and pulled her to him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he held her close, and touched his forehead to hers, “ab waqt, mauka aur jagah sab sahi hai. Toh…”

Her palms hand landed on his chest when he had pulled her, and the muscles she could feel from over the shirt reminded her of the way she had earlier touched him sans a shirt. The memory of that feeling caused an unexpected surge of heat in her, and unknown to her, her lips parted. He hooked a finger under her chin, tipping her head up and started to lean closer… but then stopped and sniffed.

Again she was perplexed, “Sameer kya…”, but she also trailed off and sniffed as a peculiar stench reached her nostrils.

Sameer made a face, “eeew… yeh kaisi smell hai?”

Naina shook her head, “pata nahi… ghar me toh aisa kuch nahi tha.”

“Woh scarf le lo”, he instructed pointing to a scarf in her purse, and he himself pulled out his handkerchief. Covering their noses, together they moved through the house until they reached the kitchen where the stench was too overwhelming.

“Yahin se aa rahi hai”, he declared, his voice muffled. Naina nodded, and looked around. Very soon her gaze zeroed in on the refrigerator… But… she had turned off the switch, she remembered it very clearly… then how could it stink… Oh no! The fridge was turned off and there was food and vegetables inside… Dammit! She gingerly opened the refrigerator door, and was horrified on seeing the mess inside. Distraught she looked back at Sameer only to find him glaring at her.

Sameer saw the horrible view inside the refrigerator and his temper flared up, but just as he was about to say something he caught sight of Naina’s troubled eyes. She was looking at him with fear and some amount of resignation, as if she was waiting for him to berate her again. He recalled that in flight also she had been afraid when he had pulled back from the kiss. He sighed; if possible he would kick his own bottom for being such an ass throughout their honeymoon. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath and opened them again; he moved to her and said, “isko saaf karna padega.”

Some relief was visible in her eyes when she nodded, and went to get some rags for the task. Dropping the rags on the floor she said, “tum bahar jaake betho. Main paani leke aati hun, sirf kapde se saaf nahi hoga yeh.”

He straightened, “nahi. Saath me karte hai, jaldi ho jayega. Tum yeh sab nikalo, main bathroom se paani leke aata hun.”

To be honest the fridge was stinking so much that she was grateful of any help she could get. Grabbing a big polythene, she started to quickly dump the rotten vegetables and fruits, she threw some food items along with the containers, few others she emptied and placed the vessels in the sink. By this time Sameer returned with water, and crouched to help her. Scrunching his nose, he picked up a pack of fungus covered bread and threw it in the waste bag. When everything was dumped, Naina dipped a cloth in the water and started to wipe the residue. Thinking to help her, he picked up the stained racks and stood up to wash them in the sink. Naina quickly held his hand, “kya kar rahe ho? Yeh main kar lungi, tum betho…”

He huffed, “Naina… yeh hamara ghar hai. Dono kaam karenge toh jaldi hoga. Tum achche se fridge saaf karlo, main dho deta hun yeh jaldi.”

Reluctantly she left his hand, feeling sad that he had to work like this because of her foolishness. She tried to clean the refrigerator quickly and properly. She also brought a bottle of air-freshener and sprayed some around the kitchen. Sameer had already opened the kitchen windows, so she moved to the living room throwing open the windows there letting fresh air circulate.

Suddenly she was enveloped in a pair of warm arms from behind, “ab toh yeh utaar do”, he murmured and removed the scarf from her face.

She turned in his arms, and looked up at him, “I am sorry Sameer.”

He looked puzzled, “kyun?”

She sighed, “meri wajah se itni gadbad ho rahi hai. Jab se shaadi hui hai pata nahi kya ho gaya hai, ek kaam thik se nahi kar paa rahi. Honeymoon pe sab gadbad kar di, aur fir ab yeh fridge…”

He placed a finger on her lips, “shsh… kitna bolti ho. Ab shaadi mere jaise handsome ladke se hui hai toh zaaheer hai ke tum mujhe dekhne me khoi hui ho, isiliye kaam me gadbad kar rahi ho.”

“Sameer… Mazak mat karo”, she admonished.

He grinned mischievously, “thike, toh kuch aur karta hun.” Saying so, he swiftly picked her up in his arms, she gasped and squealed. Ignoring all her weird sounds and high pitched comments, he carried her up the stairs and into their bedroom. Once inside, he set her down on her feet, and immediately she started her lecture, “yeh kya kar rahe ho…”

But he interrupted her and pulled her to him, “abhi tak kuch kiya kahan.”

Her breath hitched at the intensity in his eyes, and she swallowed, wondering if he would be angry again because she didn’t really know how to kiss. He wondered what she was thinking, but didn’t ask; instead he softly kissed her forehead, brushing his lips against the baby-fine hair at her temple. Gently he moved to her closed eyes, and wet lashes… wait a minute… wet… He drew back to look down at her and was horrified to see she was crying… Oh God! What’s wrong…? Did he do something wrong? Did she not want to kiss? Did she just give in because he wanted a kiss?

He asked in a choking voice, “k…kya hua Naina? Ro kyun rahi ho?”

She hastily wiped her tears, “I am sorry… maine honeymoon pe tumko kiss nahi karne diya, aur baki sab gadbad ki… Meri wajah se tumhe sharminda hona pada. Ghar aake bhi meri wajah se tumhe itna kaam karna pada. Main na bilkul jhalli hun, kuch nahi aata mujhe. Tumhe khush rakhna chahti hun lekin har baar gadbad ho jaati hai. Aur… aur… mujhe kiss karna bhi nahi aata.”

His eyes widened as she almost wailed the last sentence, and his lips curved in a smile at her endearing innocence. God, he loved her so much. He stroked her back, trying to calm her, “Naina… honeymoon pe jo hua usme meri bhi galti thi. Main tumhe har waqt daant ta raha aur tum sunti rahi, wahi baate pyaar se bhi samjha sakta tha. Aisa toh hai nahi ke meri daant ya mere taane sunke tumhe dukh nahi hua hoga… Main jaanta hun taklif hui, lekin fir bhi tum muskurake mujhe manane me lagi rahi. Tum jaanti ho… tumhari yahi baat mujhe bahot pasand hai… Mere dil ko yeh bharosa hai ke chahe mujhse kuch bhi galti ho jaaye tum mujhe kabhi chodke nahi jaogi.”

He cupped her face, wiping the remnant tears, “rahi baat fridge ki toh woh sirf ek galti thi… Tumne jaan puchke toh aisa kiya nahi. Yeh sab kaam ki aadat nahi hai na tumhe, isiliye aisa hua. Aage se bas yaad rakhna ke fridge ko bandh karne ki koi zarurat nahi hai, ya agar bandh karti ho toh pehle use khali karlo. Choti si baat hai, hum dono yaad rakhenge. Iss baar toh jaldi jaldi me nikle na toh reh gaya… Aur ab aate hai kiss pe… maine pehle bhi kaha tumse, mujhe koi shikayat nahi hai ke Ooty me kiss nahi hua, balke khushi hai ke pehla kiss hamare ghar me, hamare room me hoga… agar tum chaho toh.”

He dipped his head a bit, and rubbed his nose with hers, “aur tumko fikar karne ki koi zarurat nahi… meri biwi toh topper hai… jaldi se sikh jayegi kiss karna… kaho toh main sikha du?”

She blushed at his sentence, her heart leaping at his words, but gave a soft nod indicating him that she was indeed ready. He drew in a deep breath, his hands still cupping her face, exhilaration already fizzing in his veins as he again kissed her forehead, her fluttering eye lids, the smooth curve of her cheeks, and then finally skimmed to her lips. A soft peck was followed by a tentative sip at her luscious lower lip, and she made a surprised “uh…”  He withdrew and gazed at her, wondering if she was alright.

She opened her eyes, her brows furrowed, and immediately asked, “ho gaya?”

He grinned, “haan, masoom-nirdosh wala ho gaya, ab real wali French Kiss baki hai.”

Her eyes rounded, “mujhe toh laga ho gaya.”

He rolled his eyes, “Naina… mujhe pata hai tumko pavitra bhavnayein wala pyaar pasand hai, lekin itna pavitra toh main school main bhi nahi tha.”

She thought of pinching him for teasing her, but didn’t think that enclosed in his arms was the right place to mess with him, plus now she was also curious to feel more. That brief touch of his mouth had left her with his taste on her lips, and she didn’t know why but instead of feeling disgusted she only seemed to want more. So she decided to shed some of her shyness, and boldly asked, “toh real wale French Kiss me kya hota hai?”

He was only too glad to show, and when he again dipped his head, she stopped thinking altogether and let herself be ruled by instincts, following wherever he led her. His mouth gently molded to her, shaping her lips, applying pressure, and after a moment she got into the flow of it. Her hands on his back clenched, the warmth of his body that she could feel through his shirt making her feel as dizzy as the movements of his mouth. The soft way he had been cupping her face changed, as he slid one big palm in her hair, cradling her skull and angled her head to one side. The pressure of his lips altered, as if pressing more on her lower lip, and it made her open her mouth slightly. After a briefest moment of hesitation his tongue traced her lips and then dipped inside, shocking her to the core. She inadvertently stiffened, but the next moment the velvety stroke of his tongue made her whimper and seek more, and he gave more…

Naina didn’t know if he stole her breath or she forgot to breathe. The pleasure was completely unfamiliar yet so intense that her body trembled. She squirmed, subconsciously trying to inch closer, and he shifted his hold, grabbing her waist and pulling her firmly. Excitement exploded through his body, feeling her soft form aligned to himself, and the ecstasy turned to a hungry need. He thought of pulling back, but when she moaned into his mouth, he deepened the kiss further demanding even more from her. Something was burning inside her, and it stunned her to think that she and Sameer could share something like this… something so erotic, something so extremely raw and profound, something that made incredible wanting surge through her pores. Unconsciously, her hands moved from his back, to his chest, and stroked up to wrap around his neck and she pressed herself fully to him. The groan that spilled from his throat sent an electrical wave through her, swamping her mind beneath the overload of nerve endings.

It seemed to be ages or maybe just a few minutes before he slowly softened the kiss, sipping at her lips again, and nibbling at the corners of her mouth. Fire glowed in the depth of his dark brown eyes as he stared at her beautiful face, the curls that he had messed up even more, the flushed face, the soft lips that were now pouty and reddish. Her eyes fluttered open, and her heavy-lidded gaze met his intense ones. She panted for breath, while his own breath was bellowing from his lungs. He was still holding her tight, and he felt gratified because his soft, delicate woman was clutching him equally tight with her fingers buried in his hair.

He wanted to ask if she was okay, but instead he couldn’t help but compliment her, “tum itni khubsurat lag rahi ho ke mujhe samajh nahi aa raha khudko wapas kiss karne se kaise roku?”

She looked surprised for a moment, but then her eyes turned languorous and a soft smile curved her lips, her fingers applied slight pressure on his nape, and her voice was husky as she spoke, “toh rokne ko kisne kaha?”

He briefly wondered where did this bold streak come in his wife, but he was not a man to question unnecessarily, instead he chose to count his blessing as he captured her mouth again giving over to the elemental need that he had suppressed for so many years.