FF : Bas Pyar Ho Gaya | Part 32 pg 153 updt 11.12. 2016 - Page 88

Chap 30

Rammm... Priya called in half sleep... AC bandh kar na...

She called a couple of times, and then realized Ram was not beside her. Shivering slightly in fever, she got up in search of the remote, and found Ram sleeping in the couch. She looked at him for a while, and then switched off the AC and came back to bed.

Ram got up in the wee hours of the morning, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Soon he realized that the AC was switched off. Surprised, he got up and looked at Priya. She was groaning slightly in sleep, which was pretty unusual. He went upto her and lightly touched her forehead, it was burning with fever. Even his lightest touch woke her up.

Arey... tu uth kyun gaya .. She asked ..

Priya... bohot zyada bukhar hai tujhe... He said in a tensed voice...

Its okay... kuch nahi hai.. She assured... Tu so ja..

Nahi nahi.. I must arrange for a doctor...

He quickly picked up the phone and called for help. Within minutes, the on duty doctor came for a check up and advised medicines to reduce the fever. Within next few hrs, Ram arranged for a driver and once Priya's fever was a bit under control, they started off for Mumbai.

Kuch zyada hi over react karta hai tu.. Priya said feebly, wrapped in a blanket at the back seat of the car.. Agar ek do din ruk jaate toh thoda enjoy karte yaha...

Enjoy? Kya enjoy karna hai? Barish mein bheegna hai wapis? Ram scolded... Pata nahi kya milta yeh sab karke !

Bohot kuch milta hai... She exclaimed... Tu nahi samjhega kabhi!

Bas kar ... accha nahi lag raha mazak abhi! He said in an irritated tone. His mind was so preoccupied with the fact that he wanted to land in Mumbai quickly to consult their family doctor that he could not notice the subtle mischievous taunt in Priya's words.

By the way... kal raat ko couch pe kaise so gaya tu ? Priya asked , looking at him carefully to judge his expressions!

Nahi... woh... Bbback pain ho raha tha... Toh... Ram fumbled ... Mujhe ek call karna hai.. just a sec... He immediately took out his phone and dialled a number.

Buddhu kahi ka ... Priya smiled to herself and leaned against the seat to take some rest. She did not feel like probing him anymore.

Next few days turned out to be very hectic. Priya ended up in having a full-fledged viral infection, which restricted her mostly to bed and her room for the whole week. Ram had a tough time balancing home and office; already there was a lot of work piled up because of the marriage vacation, on top of it he had a business trip planned the next week. And more than anything else, he had unanswered questions in his mind! He was still unable to explain everything that had happened between both of them, but he promised to himself that he would not cross the line again.

The very next week he had a business trip planned for Singapore, and incidentally that Friday was their first marriage anniversary. Their one year journey had strengthened their relationship in every possible way, and Ram wanted to say thanks to Priya by making this day very special. He could always throw a big bash or buy an expensive gift for her, but he knew Priya got more happiness out of simple things that touched her heart. What would make her really happy at this point of time? Perhaps... a baby! How about adopting a newborn baby ...that would give her a renewed sense of motherhood , give Pihu a sibling to play with, and bring joy and happiness to the whole family! Next few days Ram spent hours surfing online at CARA (Central Adoption Resource Authority) and consulting NGOs to understand the process. He prepared all the papers for registration, and decided to gift them to Priya on their anniversary. He was sure this would be the greatest surprise that he could give her.

It was Sunday night, and Priya sat silently on her bed after dinner. Next morning Ram would be going to Singapore for a week. And then... Friday was her deadline! She personally had noticed a lot of changes in Ram in last few days, she ideally would have loved to give him a little more time to express himself. But Krishnaji was tremendously impatient, and was in no mood to extend the timelines! Priya was restless inside, she had no clue as to how to talk to Ram about this. She finally got out of bed and went down the stairs , through the back gate into their "Purani Jagah"! She sat on the bench, and was engrossed in her thoughts when she suddenly felt a light tap on her shoulders...

Priya... tu yaha baithi hai aur main tujhe sara ghar mein dhundh raha tha... Ram said as he sat beside her...

Bore ho gayi mein room mein so so ke .. Priya complained... Main kal se office join kar leti hoon...

Okay.. jo tujhe thik lage kar... He said smiling at her...By the way... This Friday ... Apna anniversary hai na?

Haa..Priya smiled back... Tujhe yaad hai ?

Of course! Ram exclaimed.. Aise kaise bhool jaon? Sun... I want you to spend that day exclusively with me! If you feel al right ... Can you fly to Singapore ?

Singapore? Priya asked surprisingly...

Haa.. Ram said smiling.. Look I can also come down here... but I want to spend some time with you... alone! Yaha ayunga toh bohot log rahenge... and we wont be left alone for sure!

Priya's heart skipped a beat! She had never heard him say something like this!

Kya hai... kuch plan kiya hai kya tune.. Priya asked , looking at him surprisingly..

Zyada kuch nahi... Ram smiled... Bas tujhe kuch surprise dena hai!

Surprise? Kya surprise ?

Arey... Pehle bata dunga toh surprise kaisa? He said rolling his eyes mischievously... Humesha tu suspense queen banti hai na? Ab wait ... till next Friday...

Uffo... Bata na please... She pleaded..

No Madam... Ram smiled... The show opens only on next Friday.. Chal ab upar... rest le kal office bhi jana hai! He pulled Priya out of the bench, escorted her to her bedroom and bade her good night.

The moment Ram entered into his bedroom an ecstatic Priya peeped into Krishnaji's room to share her happiness with her, but she had already slept. Priya came back to her room and released herself on the bed. She had no intentions of sleeping, she knew her excitement would not allow her to do so. Ram's words replayed in her mind again, and she kept on dreaming as to how and when would Ram finally propose to her.

The next morning, right after Ram had left for the airport, Priya confided everything with Krishnaji. As expected, Krishnaji was super excited... Dekha... Mera beta itna bhi Golu nahi hai.. He will do it in style'... .. was her first reaction, as she pulled Priya into a hug.

Look... itna jaldi return tickets book karne ki koi jaldi nahi hai... She advised... aram se ek week waha raho dono..

Par Maa... Pihu...

Arey Pihu mere sath reh legi.. Krishnaji said confidently... Tu uski chinta mat kar... waise bhi mujhe gaon jana hai ek function ke liye, toh use bhi leke jayungi. Tum dono waha aram se raho... and treat this as a mini honeymoon!

Chi...Priya pressed her tongue between her teeth in embarrassment... Maa waise nahi soch rahi hoon mein...

Nahi soch reh ho toh socho... Krishnaji said strongly... ek saal ho gaya ... abhi nahi toh kabhi sochoge? I want you both to come back as a couple, in every sense! Understood?

Ji... Priya said softly, blushing in embarrassment.

Aur sun... you have only 4 days... acche se taiyyar hona hai. Aaj shopping jate hai, phir next two days parlour se appointment lena hai... She ordered..

Maa... yeh sab ki kya zarurat hai... Priya asked..

Hai zarurat... Look at you... ek week fever ke baad you look so tired, I want you to look fresh and beautiful ..She insisted... Aise moments life mein baar baar nahi aate Priya...

For next 4 days, Krishnaji took charge of everything! She took Priya for shopping, called beauticians at home to pamper her , and deliberately kept her away from office. The daughter mother (in law) duo scanned all the outlets in Mumbai to get an exquisite Omega time piece as the first anniversary gift for the man of the house. Ram called a couple of times a day, but Priya tried her best to keep the conversation as casual as possible, not revealing to him her excitement about the surprise!

Finally it was Thursday night , and Priya had an early dinner and headed to the airport. In spite of repeated requests to not come, Krishnaji accompanied her all the way to the airport.

Jab tum dono mein baat ho jaye toh mujhe ek baar batana.. She said...as Priya blushed at her remarks...

Okay okay... Pura mat batao... edit karke... censor karke batana... She nudged her with her elbow ...

Maa... please... Priya turned crimson as she spoke...

They hugged each other, Priya requested her to take care of herself and Pihu and proceeded towards the departure gate.

Priya sat alone at the international lounge after the security check, reflecting on the happenings of the last few days. Till this time Krishnaji was there with her to share her excitement, from here onwards, next few hours she needed to manage alone! She was engrossed in her thoughts when suddenly the phone beeped...it was Ram..

She immediately picked up the call... Hi

Hi... He said.. All set? Ready to board the flight ?

Haa.. She replied ... By the way its too late tu soya nahi abhi tak ?

Nahi... he answered... Neend nahi aa raha hai...

Kyun... she asked softly...

Pata nahi...He said...

Office ka koi tension hai?

Nahi nahi.. office ka koi tension nahi ...

Phir... koi personal tension hai ?

Nahi...koi tension nahi hai... . tu bas aaja yaha phir baat karte hai... He said...

Thik hai... just a few hours... She whispered ... Please so ja...

Hmm..he replied... see you at the airport in the morning...

Ishh.. kitna tension mein hai woh... she thought to herself as she proceeded towards the boarding gate ... Hopefully kal he would be relieved!

It was 7.30 am in the morning local time as the plane landed at the Changi Airport at Singapore. Priya came out of the departure lounge to find Ram waiting for her . As soon as he saw her, he approached her and pulled her into a hug.

Happy anniversary Priya... he whispered into her ear...

Happy anniversary Ram... She said as she looked at his face... For a second she felt the urge to secure him into her arms and kiss away all his tension , but then... you should take it easy.. she told to herself... its just a matter of a few hours!

Phir... kya plan hai aaj ka ... Priya asked casually as they drove towards the hotel.

Well... plan toh yeh hai ke tere sath sara Signapore ghumu...He said smiling to her... Bas there is a small work in office, after that I am at your service for the whole day.

They reached the hotel soon, and Priya 's mood livened up on seeing the beautiful view of the bay from the 19^th floor of Marina Bay Sands. She freshened up quickly and they had their breakfast together.

Post breakfast, Ram and Priya sat for a while at the balcony together, enjoying the view. Priya took out the watch from her bag and gifted it to Ram.

Thank you for standing by me always... she said as she handed over the gift to him...Nobody means so much to me as you do... I...I ...lllo..She controlled herself... Those three magic words should come from him first... She thought as she diverted the sentence... ... I love and treasure every moment I have shared with you...

Thank you Priya... its exactly the same for me... He said as he pressed her palms in between his hands...And this is lovely... he said looking at the timepiece.

Wait... I too have something for you... He went inside and brought two packets and placed them in her hands...

Priya opened the first one... it had a beautiful saree.. a gorgette in pure red. She smiled as she opened the next packet , it had a lovely pendent .

Wow... she said... So this is the surprise ? She asked inquisitively...

Nah ... He smiled nodding his head...the show timings are at 9pm Madam... I have arranged for a special dinner and I want you to wear this...

Okay... She said blushing... but... saree ka matching blouse nahi hai...

Arey kaise bhi manage kar le...

Par mismatch hoga toh... ajeeb lagega na... Log kya sochenge.. She asked hesitatingly...

Log? Arey koi nahi hai... I have not invited anybody... He said rolling his eyes.. Its only both of us...

Okay .. Priya said coyly... she didn't know what to ask next..

Chal ... Tie this for me... He said opening his cufflinks and handing over the watch to her. She did as he said, the glorious time piece glimmered in his broad left wrist.

Tujhe yeh pehna doon? He asked, pointing at the pendant ..

Haa .. Priya said softly...

Ram lifted the pendant from its case and came closer to her. She was almost trembling in anticipation, as he lifted her locks and tied the pendent carefully. The touch of his fingers, and the warmth of his breath on her shoulders made her vulnerable... Bol de Ram... Please say it...don't keep me waiting anymore... She pleaded inside , unable to bear her desires anymore.

You like it ? She came back to her senses as he spoke ...

Haa ... She said..

Ram insisted that Priya should rest for a while after her whole night flight, and also because she gained a few hours after coming here. Ram in the meantime would finish off a quick meeting at the client's place, and then they could be together for the rest of the day.

On his way to the client's place, Ram was somewhat engrossed in his thoughts. All he wanted to do is to tell her that he has arranged to adopt a baby... then why was he so tensed! This was a good proposal from all aspects, though he knew he had to touch upon a very sensitive topic in her life. That's the reason why he had made plans to roam around the city whole day, enjoy together, and then made a very special personal arrangement for dinner, where he would talk to her. Hopefully .. all will be well. But there's something else which was bothering him as well. Last 4 days when Priya was not there, he has been restless all the while. He was used to travelling alone most of the time, but he had never experienced this before. He missed her in every way, his day was not complete till he could see or talk to her. Did she feel the same? He had no clues... But this was very confusing indeed! May be that's the difference of staying together under the same roof.

Priya on the other hand was in her own thoughts too! She looked at the pendent again and again, Ram had gifted a similar one to Geeta on their first anniversary, in fact Priya herself had chosen it. She knew she had to wait till the dinner, that's when he probably wants to talk to her. As planned , Ram sent the car for Priya sharp at 11.30 am, Priya was already waiting, dressed in a casual light pink top and a pair of jeans. She reached their clients office, and was about to enter when suddenly she was startled by a familiar voice...Arey bhabiji... aap yaha? It was Ram's cousin Parminder. He runs a business in Delhi, and has come here on a vacation with the whole family. Before Priya could understand anything, she was surrounded by Ram's chacha, chachi, Parminder's extra talkative wife Kittu, and their two hyperactive children! By the time Ram had come out of the office, they had already planned what should be done for the rest of the day. Ram too was not prepared for this, but had to succumb to the wishes of his extended family. Thus for the next few hours, the Kapoor clan had a sumptuous lunch in an Indian restaurant, and a city tour together. Both Ram and Priya however enjoyed half-heartedly, in the midst of the family they constantly felt the need to connect with each other.

It was around 7 pm, and when Parminder started making plans for having dinner together, Ram finally intervened. He said clearly that they needed to go back to the hotel for some urgent dinner appointment, and no persuasion from them could hold him back. Finally, on their way back to hotel Mr and Mrs Kapoor got a few minutes of privacy that they were seeking for hours.

Dekho toh kismat! Ek bheed se bachne ke liye tujhe yaha bulaya... ab yaha usse bhi bada bheed mein ja fase! Ram grumbled...

Its okay... hota hai... Priya tried to pacify him... After all... they met us almost after a year!

I understand... par pura din nikal gaya... time hi nahi mila humko! He sighed...

Par we still have 4.5 hrs... right ? Priya smiled ... Cheer up now... itna upset hone ki zarurat nahi !

They reached the hotel room soon, and were happy that their dinner plan would at least materialise.

I need a shower... Priya said .. by the way jana kaha hai?

Kahi nahi... Ram smiled... the venue is within the hotel itself.

Okay... Priya smiled as she entered into the bathroom to freshen up.

Ram quickly pulled out the papers for registration, and details of the NGOs into an envelope and put it into a drawer. Priya finished soon, and came out as Ram entered the washroom next.

Priya's excitement grew manifolds as she knew that the time that she had been waiting for was nearing! She pulled out a contrast black blouse from her bag to try with the saree . Soon she could hear Ram singing aloud from the bathroom..

Kehdo tumhe .. ya chup rahon .. dil mein mere aaj kya hai...

Ufff... Kitna besura hai... Priya laughed to herself as she started changing ...Aaju baju ke rooms se guests bhag jayenge kisi ne suna toh!!

Priya normally tied a saree pretty quickly, but today because of some unknown reason her pleats were not just falling into place properly. So engrossed was she in her thoughts that she did not even bother to care that Ram was inside the washroom. Their normal protocol was that both of them would warn the other one verbally when one is changing, but today none of them seemed to remember that. As a result an ecstatic only towel clad' Ram came out of the bathroom suddenly to find Priya half clad into a saree' , struggling with the pleats! The noise of the bathroom door startled Priya as well, and she looked sideways to find Ram out of the washroom! Their eyes locked for a fraction of a second, and immediately a tensed Ram turned quickly towards the washroom...

I am sorry please please... He shouted at the top of his voice... Mujhe yaad nahi tha sacchi ... main ne intentionally nahi kiya!

Uffo... chilla kyun raha hai... its okay ... Priya said casually... Ab zara idhar aake meri pleats pakad...

Its okay'...these two words had almost become a taboo for Ram! Kya bol rahi hai yeh Priya!

Mmmain? Main pakdu? Ram said in a shaky voice, without even turning back!

Haa tu... nahi toh aur kaun hai is room mein... Priya said strongly... A jaldi late ho raha...

A tensed and confused Ram turned round and approached her almost like a robot, mesmerized by her words! He tried his best to keep his eyes away from her but he could not! Priya looked breathtakingly sensuous ...her half tied hair was all over her face, her pallu was just casually flung upon her shoulders, her unruly pleats were all over the floor, revealing a lot more than it should!

Thoda neeche baithke pleats ko pakad na... She requested... Sare pleats same width and length ka hona chahiye.. She ordered...

Ram came closer ... and sat down to hold her pleats... His face was too close for comfort to the exposed part of her belly... his hands shook... his hormones had gone astray.. his mind was in a constant battle with himself!

After Geeta , he had never seen a women like this... and so close! One part of him warned... Ram.. this is WRONG! Just leave from here...while the other part desired as if this moment lasted forever!

Priya on the other hand stood standstill, expecting Ram to take the first lead! Please Ram... agey badh... she whispered to herself... just hold me and make me yours forever!

Three minutes passed like three hours, with both of them struggling with their own upsurge of emotions! Finally it was Ram... who broke the silence...

MMujhse nahi hoga... he said in a tentative voice, getting up on his feet...gasping still... mujhe washroom jana hai!

Washroom? Abhi toh naha ke aaya tu! Priya said in disgust!

Nahi... shampoo lene aaya tha main bahar... Ram somehow ran towards his bag, pulled out a bottle and ran inside the washroom again!

A dejected Priya sat on the bed ... Her phone beeped... and she read the message from Krishnaji, urging her to tell if they have talked !

Hey bhagwan!She exclaimed to herself... Udhar Maa itna impatient hai.. aur idhar is golu ko dekho... itna chance diya use phir bhi bathroom mein bhag gaya! Mujhe hi kuch karna padhega lagta hai!

She somehow tried to lift her spirits and got dressed up quickly. She could hear the sound of shower again from inside! Zarur do do baar naha raha tension mein... She thought to herself! Kya karoon mein iska!

The intercom rang , and the manager informed that their special poolside private table at the rooftop was ready. Priya informed that they would be coming soon!

She knocked the washroom door , informed him that the table was ready and requested Ram to come soon! She thought of giving him some space, considering that he looked so tensed, and decided to sit out at the balcony.

Ram on the other hand had locked the bathroom from inside immediately after entering , started the shower in full force, and broke down! He cried aloud, slapping himself hard on his face, banging his head against the wall!

How could he look at Priya so cheaply... just how! This was SIN, and for the first time he felt that Priya was supporting him in this sinful act! But why! Why is this happening to them... 35 years of friendship ... and now .. how could all this change! He felt ashamed of himself... and kept on crying till Priya knocked the door ! He somehow pulled himself up... more than anything else ... he needed to clarify this with Priya! This cannot go on like this ... He cant face himself or Geeta anymore!

Priya sat in the balcony for a while... looking into the gorgeous skyscrapers lighting up the night sky of this beautiful city. After a few minutes, she came inside the room to check if Ram was ready. Ram was in his black tuxedo, tying his shoe laces, his face looked a bit tired.

Are you ready.. Priya asked with a smile...

Haa.. Ram said tentatively...

They came out of the room and walked towards the lift. Priya was beaming with happiness, she held Ram by his arms. Ram had booked a private table at the poolside on the rooftop, offering exquisite view of the whole city.

Beautiful... I am super impressed.. Priya said as they reached the venue.

They sat silently at the table, the waiter brought in the menu card and asked for the drinks order.

I don't want anything... Ram said dispassionately...

Okay... I too don't want anything...She said softly... trying to gauge his mood...

They settled down for a very simple one course meal... Priya could sense he was tensed so tried to keep the conversation as simple and casual as possible... but could hardly get Ram to talk.

By the way ... yeh tere sar pe kaise laga .. she exclaimed , noticing a small swollen portion on his forehead...trying to reach out to his forehead with her palms to check...

Woh... kuch nahi...bathroom ke tap mein laga abhi... He blabbered...immediately removing her hands!

Understanding that he was uncomfortable, Priya did not utter a single word more. They finished their meal pretty quickly, and immediately Ram said lets go back to the room.

Arey abhi nahi please... mujhe thodi der aur baithna hai... Priya pulled Ram into a poolside lounger and made him sit beside her.

Ab bol... mera surprise kaha hai... She demanded...

Woh... main... Ram fumbled.. In tension he had left the envelope in the drawer itself; anyways he had no intentions of talking about that topic anymore! There were more important things to talk about... he needed to ask her why she was behaving so strangely!

Kkuch waisa surprise nahi hai...bas mujhe kuch baat karna tha toh ... Somehow he managed to say...

Bol na... Priya said softly..

Woh... kuch puchna tha... par kaise puchu pata nahi... He said in a trembling voice...

Ram... she spoke softly.. taking his hands onto hers.. kya tension hai... subhe se dekh rahi hoon...Kyun itna hesitate kar raha hai tu... woh bhi mujhse...

Actually... Priya... kya hai ke... He tried to keep a distance but Priya had already approached too far...

Priya leaned onto his chest ...her hands caressing his hair... as she whispered into his ear... Kuch baat karne ki zarurat nahi... I understand everything...

Nahi Priya ... I mean

Shh... her fingers lightly pressed on his lips... Har baat kehne ki zarurat nahi hoti... kuch baat samajhne ki hoti hai... She said .. softly... her nose trailing up his neck...Aur main sab kuch samajhti hoon... I know how much you love me... She whispered reaching onto his chin... and let me tell you... I love you too... I love you Ram...without further words her lips landed onto his...