Hello peeps,
Have written something after a long long time, please be considerate of the rusty writing, will be polishing it soon.
This is track-based and dedicated to the lovely forum mates who had been a constant source of my encouragement and motivation.
MaAn OS : "Colors of Love!"
Their gaze collided across the threshold of the kitchen.
Knowing she's going to need more moments of solace in his eyes for her sanity, Anu switched off the gas stove that harboured two of the half-fried Gujiyas; the last from the batch she was cooking.
Anuj stood leaning against the door frame, crossing his arms across his chest. An unreadable half-smile adorned his handsome face.
Anu is seeing him in front of her eyes after a painfully long wait of 4 days and her heart is nowhere close to getting the fill of him so early. Few rushed and fitful video calls did nothing to ease her yearning. On the contrary, it added to her longing.
Anuj watched the love of his life being weighted under the expectations of her strange family, trying to fill their lives with the sweetness of her selflessness and the festive special sweets she's cooking, alone. Her forehead mantled with a layer of sweat beads. Her breath a bit laboured with all the rushing and bustling around the kitchen she must have done, Anuj presumed.
A painful smile lift the edges of his lips as he proceeded to hold her arm and tug her away from the kitchen counter. Strategically placing Anu directly under the fan, he switched it on. Before she could revolt over her cooked sweets might get cold, he lidded the huge plate spread with many crisp and crimson-looking Gujiyas.
He fetched his kerchief from the pocket and dabbed it over her forehead and around her lips. Anu's initial smile at his thoughtfulness soon turned into a shiver as his finger brushed by the side of her mouth.
"Anu, what was the need for you to take over the Shah's kitchen duties? Why are you cooking the sweets alone and that too for that ungrateful family?"
The exasperation and disappointment in his voice didn't go unnoticed by Anu. Anuj went on to whine about his displeasure while Anu continued to regard him with an endearing smile.
"I know Baa must have forced you," Anuj deduced while un-tugging the end of her drape from her waist to let it hang loosely behind her shoulder. While doing so, his fingers innocently dragged over her peeking waist and Anu shuddered. Anuj has to be too caught up in his annoyance to not notice Anu's evident reactions.
Arching down slightly, he dusted the patches of white flour from her drape. She had adorned his favourite blood-red color and he didn't even get to appreciate her gorgeousness fully.
Stopping him from firing more of his displeased bullets, Anu held his hand firmly and demanded his attention. When she was sure of it, she stated, "I'm cooking it for my family, my people, with my wish and will."
She chuckled at Anuj's baffled reaction. His parted mouth seemed so inviting. Instead of what her unruly thoughts suggested, she fed him the Gujiya that she quickly fetched from the countertop.
"And by my family, I meant My Anuj," she asserted with a sparkling sense of pride.
Anuj was so confused that he forgot to bite the sweet and stood with a half Gujiya hanging by his mouth. Anu had to push it further for him to chew and regain his senses.
"So, how is it?" she asked beaming with childlike glee as she has cooked for the first time for him.
Anuj silently munched on the sweet as well as his disquiet. Soon, he looked at the giant plate full of Gujiyas and raised a challenging brow to Anu.
He need not to word his next question as pat came Anu's response. Taking a step closer, she reasoned, "And by my people, I meant Baapuji, Mamaji, Kaka, Samar, and Kinjal."
Looking at the lines of worry disappearing from his forehead, Anu countered with a question of her own, asking, "Who am I?"
"Anupama," Anuj replied with a duh reaction as it was so obvious.
A slow grin lifted the apples of Anu's cheek as she invaded his space and affectionately circled her arms around his neck, with assertiveness. Anuj was stumped at her sudden change in behaviour and kept staring at her with anticipation.
Clicking her tongue in negation, Anu dragged her words slowly, "Anuj ki Anupama, Mere Anuj ki Anupama.." drawing her face closer she let her breaths on his face establish the fact for Anuj, ".. and no one can force anything on me now, not even Baa."
She memorised the creases of his face as they changed to bloom a gorgeous smile on his face. She took pride in being the reason for the same.
The next moment a squeaky breath whizzed past her mouth as Anuj rubbed the back of his fingers below and behind her ear. Up close, he could clearly see the patches of dried flour over her face too. Selfishly, he lingered his fingers there. Her cheeks started to match the color of her saree while she kept her gaze downcasted.
Dazed by the moment and greedy for more, Anuj allowed his lips to taste the color of her cheek, the one that's in coordination with their clothes and their love. Anu closed her eyes briefly at the sudden contact only to savour the softness of the touch, the veneration, the warmth, and the love.
When even after a few moments, Anu couldn't get herself to meet his eyes, Anuj placed a looped finger beneath her chin and tipped it. He found her coyness sexy. She had dropped her hands by her side, long back.
Dropping his voice to a raspy whisper, he breathed near her ear, "Do you want to go get a touch-up done? or perhaps change?"
Anu shook her head gently. She loved being smeared in the colors of his love, more than any make-up. Moreover, it was one of those rare occasions when they were color-coordinated. She doesn't want to change any of it.
"May I know Why?"
She pursed her lips and admonished him with her eyes for teasing her poor self. His hand immediately flew back to his heart. That ministrations of her eyes definitely did something to it.
"Or you want my help with it?" he took the liberty to flirt with suggestive remarks.
"Anoooj," she chided, cutely pouting. His gaze dropped down to her lips and stirred some dormant thoughts awake. He needed some distraction before she notices his indecent intentions.
Clearing his throat, taking a step back, Anuj spoke, "We're twinning, today. Let's rub this off on your so-very-loving family." The sarcasm laced in his voice made her laugh lightly.
As she turned around to take her phone, Anuj went ahead to move out. She called him out for him to stop. As he turned back questioningly, she looked around tentatively, making sure of no prying eyes.
She rushed to him, placed a soft peck over his lips, and ran out of the kitchen glimmering like a full moon, all in a span of mere seconds.
Anuj stood surprised and shocked both at the same time, thinking 'She did read his intentions afterall.'
******
So, how was it?
Please drop down your thoughts about the same. Would love to improvise on my writings with all your help.
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
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