Chapter 44

 

"Will you dance with me Kabir?"

Her request was a siren's call that beckoned him to her as she stood, looking over her bare shoulder back at him. Her hair, cascading in waves down to her waist, gave the impression of a sable ocean offering tantalizing glimpses of her exposed back. She lay his jacket down, having easily removed it as her husband had stood entranced by her greeting moments ago.

"But there's no music, Rachna," Kabir responded, promptly contradicting his excuse by holding his hand out to his wife. Smiling, she clasped his fingers lightly, and pirouetted toward him. The slinky halter-necked gown shimmered ethereally in the candlelight as she spun into his waiting arms. Against his chest she listened to his heartbeat, the instrument that set the tempo to their music. She reached up lightly kissing his throat, where he had unfastened his shirt. His breath hitched, and then he sighed, adding rhythm to the steady beat of their song.

"Liar, "she teased huskily, "If I hear music whenever I'm in your arms, surely it is the same for you."  She smiled coyly for him as she ran her hands down his chest, before  spinning away again. As she expected he clasped her hand, unwilling to be separated from her. Tugging her back to him, they began to sway, gently at first and then with a sensuality that quickened her breath. She was right', Kabir thought savoring the sounds of joy their dance elicited; this was truly their very own song. And when he lowered her into a dip, his name on Rachna's lips was the sweetest chorus he had ever heard. Kabir lowered his head and kissed his wife, feeling her trembles as he captured her soft moan.  She kept her eyes closed as Kabir raised her back up, opening them  only when he held her immobile against him. His eyes had darkened with desire, she knew to be a reflection of her own, and she reached up to unbutton his shirt. Her touch sent streaks of desire through him, increasing his ardor, and he bid himself to suffer the delicious torture her measured actions were.  He seemed relieved when she stepped back and left him to tend to his belt, so instead, Rachna reached for the fastening at the nape of her neck.  There was a pause in their song when she held her breath and Kabir's heart skipped a beat, as he watched the silk gown pooling on the floor at his feet. But it was only for the merest moment.  Via whispers and sighs, breaths and gasps, the music of their hearts began again when Kabir captured his wife in his arms, and continued as the lovers melded together throughout the night.

 

Naomi uploaded the two new images, adding them to her screensaver rotation. "Just in case," she whispered.  Nothing was a certainty, but at least there was one option that would allow her to return, should she be able to convince her parents.  She logged off her laptop and closed it and looked at her watch. By all rights she should have been asleep, but she couldn't and she knew exactly why. She missed Rajeev, even though he was just next door. It wasn't as if they hadn't kept each other company this evening, in fact it had been she who had called an end to their night due to her barely being able to keep her eyes open. However once they had separated, it seemed that her need for sleep had departed as well.  It had made for some restless hours as she forced herself to lie in her bed, so she got up and had been on the computer since then. The only upside to her insomnia was that perhaps she would be comatose for the majority of the flight to New York.  But for now, she remained restless and lonely for the man she loved. She sighed, supposing that he had no such problem, and was sleeping peacefully.

 

The whimpers of distress were overly loud in the quiet, so Naomi detoured when she reached the landing, and turned to go to the nursery instead of back to her bedroom with her glass of milk. The nightlight was sufficient to see the toddler standing against the rails of her crib. She placed her glass down and went to her god-daughter. "What's wrong, Baby?"

Apparently they were on the same wave length, for as soon as Aryia had a change of nappy, she was just as awake, and not at all satisfied to be placed in her crib. "Well, as long as you promise to be good to your mummy later today, Pari will play with you for a little while; deal Aryia?"

The tyke totally ignored her as she called a greeting to someone "Hi Jeev!"

Naomi turned, fighting with Aryia, who had twisted around and was reaching her arms out to be taken.

"You realize by the time you leave here you are going to be so ready for fatherhood don't you?"

 

"Turn off the baby monitor, and come back to bed, KT." Rachna saw his hesitation and lifted the edge of  the cover in invitation. "Come, Kabir I'm cold," she playfully complained. He did his wife's bidding and pulled her to him, where she immediately entwined her bare limbs with his.

"It's not right Rachna, one of us should have gone to our daughter."

"Nay KT, she wouldn't have tended to her if there was an issue. Besides it seems Aryia has her own work right now."

"Aacha?"

Rachna yawned. "Aha KT, chaperone."

 She felt her husband's sigh and when he lowered his head to rest on hers. "I promise I'll make everything right Rachna." She placed a hand to his chest. "I know, KT, but don't speak on it right now. These are our last few hours together as well." She encouraged him to roll over, and followed him so that she lay on top of him. "And I am selfish enough to take advantage of the time we have, because our friend has decided to care of our daughter."

The tightening of his hold on her told her that he had no real objection to this either.  Just the feel of her curves, and their new found lushness due to her pregnancy, pressed against him would permit no resistance, even if he had the improbable thought to deny his wife's desires anyway.

 

"To be honest, until very recently, I had never given much thought about fatherhood and children, Naomi."

Rajeev had entered the nursery and without responding to her statement had taken Aryia out of her arms. She had stood admiring his rapport with the little doll, when he had finally spoken.

"And now you have? So what is the verdict Rajeev?"

"I'm not adverse to the idea."

"Just tell me you don't want your own hockey team, that's too scary to even contemplate."

"Nay, I would be more than happy with one or two, but that's it" Boys or girls it won't matter, as long as they are healthy...and ours."

It seemed the logical progression for him to think about children; after all they were talking marriage, but to have these specifics, well now she had yet another reason to remain awake. She hadn't yet got visions of being his bride out her head, and now she would be adding wondering who their children would look like to her musings. She shook her head.

He approached her and held her hand. "Our daughters will be beautiful if they look like their mother."

" But can you guarantee that they will at least have your co-ordination?"

"The fates wouldn't be so cruel to subject me to three clumsy females, so my guess is that odds maybe in our favour." He guided her to the sofa and sat with her and the active child in his arms. "Have you been up all this time as well?"

"Yes, as soon as I left you, I became alert, and haven't been able to rest at all." She leaned on his shoulder. "And you?"

"If I had my way, I would never have left you, but ..."

"It was for the best," Naomi finished.

"I'll have to make sure that I speak to Rachna about hiring Aryia as chaperone when you return home, since she managed to bring us together."

You mean if..."

"It may not be right away, but I know you will come home to me sooner or later. Of course sooner would be preferable, but..."

"How can you be so certain, Rajeev?"

"Because we're meant to be; what  else can it be, but destiny, Naomi? Think about it; tell me how is it possible that you've ended here in India, in Banaras of all places, if we weren't destined to be together." He motioned to the story book in the nursery. "Did you think that you were only to be a supporting character in Rachna and KT's story; that there was to be no story for you?"

"That sounds exactly like something Rachna would say."

"All I know Naomi, is that I never thought I would find someone like you here and now that I have fallen in love with you, I'm not willing to let you go that easily."  He turned his attention to Aryia. "I'm even willing to bargain with this little one here to get what I want."

"What?"

He took the little girl off his shoulder and held her so she could stand and bounce on his lap. "I heard she had a fairy god-mother who grants wishes, and I'm more than ready to have my wish granted. So what say you Aryia, are you ready to share your Pari?"

"My Pari."

"My Pari too Aryia." He responded with a laugh to the happy little girl.

 

Naomi stood with tears rolling down her face as Aunt Shail held her hands. "This isn't goodbye, beta. Home is always waiting for you; do not think you will ever be a burden to us. Come to us if you have the need."  Her sobs really began when the older woman pulled her into her embrace, whispering to her.

 

Rachna smiled as Naomi shook her head and then her mother passed the young woman over to Papa.   

"Thank you Rachna, you didn't have to do this."

"I absolutely had to. She needed an option and I found one for her.  Obviously I expect for Kabir to fix his mistake so she is willing to come home to us, but I wasn't about to risk losing my best friend over this." She turned to face Rajeev. "Nor would I have risk her losing you, or you, her."

 

Their luggage had been checked through, and they waited with their boarding passes for the last possible minute before they had to leave their loved ones. For the sake of the women that they loved, Kabir and Rajeev had settled on a shaky truce, but kept their distance from each other. They watched as the two friends advised each other on all matter of things. Naomi unwittingly repeated everything KT had reiterated to his wife:  adequate rest and food, not to over-work and of course to take good care of Aryia.  On the other hand, Rachna elicited promises from Naomi to subscribe to being completely honest with her parents, and come home to the man she loved as soon as humanly possible. If in the course she could find forgiveness in her heart for her numbskull husband this would be wonderful, but she shouldn't let their dispute stand in the way of her happiness. Together they laughed and cried before embracing each other in farewell.

 

"Please take care of Rachna; make sure she takes care of herself, okay?"

"And will you take care of yourself?"

"Of course, I will Rajeev, but Rachna has the baby to worry about."

He shook his head, there would be no changing her. "And my heart beats for you only; I won't be able care for Rachna, if I'm too busy worried about you." He held her left hand and brought it up to his lips. He hated her leaving without his ring on it. He swore the very next time he saw her nothing would stop him from placing it on her finger. "I love you Naomi."

"I love you so much Rajeev."

 

"Aryia and I will miss you more than you even know, Kabir Tripathi."

"Not as much as I will the two of you. Hopefully time will pass quickly and we will be home sooner than you know."

Rachna spared a glance to the couple at a distance away. "I hope so; she truly needs to come back." Her husband nodded. "You've given them hope, Rachna. I will do what I must to fix things.  In the meantime, Rachna..."

"Yes KT, I have it and will confirm that I have be adhering to your instructions when we next speak. All three of us will be fine. Just know that we love and will miss you so much." She took Aryia from her husband and lifted her face to receive his kiss.  He embraced both his wife and child moved from Rachna's lips to kiss Aryia's cheek before turning toward Daadi who approached with Naomi and Rajeev.

 

"Goodbye Nanhe; take good care of our Pari."

Kabir looked at Rajeev and nodded his agreement.

Rajeev nodded his acknowledgement. "You needn't worry Kabir I will ensure that your ladies are fine until you return."  Kabir thanked the coach, but realized that the other man's attention was already on the young woman fighting her tears beside him.  "Naomi, are you ready?"

crtkelly2016-05-25 15:35:02