"How long is she going to take? It's the first time we're on good terms after our marriage, today itself we confessed our love but she seem to have forgotten it already!"
His best friend, now wife, was in this incorrigible habit of being late all the time, especially when it came to making him wait. She had mastered the art very skillfully. But where on one hand the younger version of him was a patient lover, the present one, had stored his emotions for years, couldn't hold them back any more. Twice he had told her that he wished to spend some quality time with her. Once in the evening before everyone went to their respective rooms to freshen up for dinner, he had playfully mentioned into her ears that he was going to be waiting in their room, but she instead had gone to his mother's room and then again after dinner when she was busy helping servants clean up.
The dinner had been eventful, indeed! With everyone narrating stories of their childhood and bantering them about the stupid mistakes of adulthood, Shravan and Suman couldn't get much to talk. When the younger ones were finished with teasing them about the newfound glow on their faces, Ramnath had announced that he wished to have a grand celebration for his son's wedding. To this everyone had agreed immediately as if this was what they all had been wanting to hear. But Nirmala was hoping to have certain wedding rituals to be performed as well. Pushkar took all responsibilities of the same. This chain of good happenings was too much the newly wedded to take in a day. It felt they could die of mirth. Sumo had teasingly whispered to her husband, sitting close beside her with his left bare foot on her right one, "isn't this exactly how I wished it to be. A simple wedding with a grand reception. This just proves that Sumo is always right" to which he had only said, "it hardly matters unless it's you who I'm gonna be married to again since for me this marriage was lawfully complete just after you signed those papers whereas you have always been mine." "I have you, I wouldn't want anything else", he had stated while he secretly took her hand and kissed it.
From rosy pink to crimson, today Suman's cheeks had displayed a wide range of shades of pink. It was when she was busy in the kitchen later after the family dinner, Shravan had silently crept behind her and had encircled her by waist exactly the same way he did earlier in the evening, except for the change that they weren't in their room and that they had a few more spectators this time. Those extra eyes didn't bother him even a slightest bit as her. "By the time you finish up these jobs, on which you absolutely have no reason to waste time, I'm going to warn Pushkar that he should not dare to disturb us anymore." Sumo turned her head to stare at him with wide eyes, Shravan chuckled softly, "don't worry I'll just have some talk with him before I see you soon, upstairs", and he went. Sumo couldn't put a finger on exactly what her anxiety was about and why was it growing with the night. By the time everyone went to their respective rooms she had become hell scared of the reason still unknown to her. Nevertheless, she started for her room only to stopped by Kamini Chachi.
"Where are you Sumo?" What was taking her so long? Had she suddenly planned to sleep downstairs, with his mother? No, she didn't mind sleeping here all these days, why would she now? Should he go and check? He could wait a bit more. No, he had waited enough. He must go and check with that the reached the door only be banged up with it.
"Ahhh! Sumo when will you learn to knock! Aur itni der kahan ho gyi?" Suman finally entered, with a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with a liberal amount of chocolate syrup, just the way they loved it, and two spoons.
"Shravan I don't think I ever had that need to learn doing that. Moreover, didn't you say that the room and you both now belong to me?"
"Fair point well made, Mrs Malhotra."
"Always, Mr Malhotra", she Suman wryly with a shrug which made him smile more.
"What took you so long?"
"Why, Shravan, I brought you this bowl of ice cream plus Chachi had stopped me discuss some of the rules she wishes both of us to abide by before we're married properly!"
However, Shravan wasn't listening to all that, his ears skipped to function soon after his eyes took charge, they targeted for the tiny little spot below her lower lip. He took the bowl from her hand and placed it on the table beside. While Sumo went on, "she wishes that we shouldn't stay too close before the marriage rituals, according to her it turns out to be a bad omen! Shravan are you listening?" She saw he wasn't.
His mouth was slowly moving closer to hers. "Shall we continue where we left off?" he suggested softly. She gulped. The kiss began with an electric zing that resonated through their bodies. It wasn't so sweet and gentle like the previous one, it spoke desire. She responded with equal passion. Her arms went around his neck as a natural instinct as if this was their rightful place, this was where they belonged. Shravan's hands too had a mind of their own, they ran across her back, caressing it, loving it. His kiss deepened, devouring her and sending silky tendrils of desire curling down her spine. His hands removed her hair to the other side before his lips started to worship her exposed shoulder.
With courage Sumo stopped him, "Shravan I think we should wait until the rituals are done". Shravan wasn't sure how was he going to stop now! "Please, I wouldn't like anything to go wrong this time. We've found happiness after lots of hardships. I cannot risk it now." "Okay", he agreed with an unhappy heart. Sumo tried to move apart but he held her, "Stay close to me a while longer." She closed her eyes and basked in the sense of being loved by someone.
They stayed close with hearts thumping to each other. Longing to feel his lips covering hers again, to have him drive away this aching sadness creeping over her, she leaned her head back, her gaze lingering on his firmly molded lips.
Automatically, he bent his head to accept her shy invitation, but an instant before his mouth touched hers, he checked himself. "No," he said with a throaty chuckle.
Bewildered by his refusal to kiss her when he obviously wanted to, she looked at him, her wide, questioning eyes shadowed with hurt confusion.
"If you continue to look at me like that," he teased huskily, "you're going to find yourself being thoroughly kissed once more. And if that happens, there's ah excellent chance that I'll not be able to keep my promise."
"Why?" she whispered, still boldly yearning for his kiss.
"Why?" he repeated, his mouth hovering so near hers that their breaths were mingling. "I'll be happy to show you why . . ." he offered in a lusty whisper.
Sumo couldn't refuse him a second time, so she wisely changed the topic, "the dessert has melted to milk, I should bring another one."
"Let it be. Let's enjoy melted ice cream. It'll be a good change."
"I'll come from the washroom", she said after they finished the ice cream sitting hand in hand on end of the bed. Shravan nodded. By the time Sumo changed into her night clothes, he had prepared the bed to sleep. "You look more beautiful in nighties". Her cheeks heated to scarlet, owing to the expression on his face.
"Tried? Want to sleep now?" he inquired.
"Nah. I'm too excited to sleep so soon."
Her eyes caught sight of the Rubik cube lying on the side drawer of the bed. It held so much of importance in their relationship, after all it marked its beginning. She held it out to him, "teach me."
"Now."
"Precisely."
"Come then", he called her lifting the comforter asking her to sit in front of him. She enthusiastically slipped off her slippers and handed the cube to him after sitting on his laps. "Hmm... Sumo which cologne do you wear?"
"Concentrate Shravan, and by the way it's natural."
"Really?", he grinned.
Ab jo nayi ye raah hai
Apni yehi manzil
Saath tera mil gaya
Asaan hui mushkil
Hum jo mile gul khil gaye
Patjharo mein bahaar se
Mil jane de dil jo bane ek duje ke vaaste
By the end of half an hour Sumo could only to fix two sides right. Shravan was already drowsing. She quietly made him lay down and put him to sleep. He was tried after the long day and hadn't she made him wait a lot right from the morning! She switched off the lights and cozily rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him. He too held her, sluggishly. And the first day of their happily ever after came to an end.
Manzilo ke baad ke
Manzar hai ankhow mein
Tujhko bhar loon saanso mein
Lekar panaho mein
Rakh de mita ke aa nishaan
Har pal ke intezaar ke
Mil jane de dil jo bane ek duje ke vaaste
In the middle of the bed slept the blessed couple, much contrary to the prior sleeping arrangement, today they shared the same blanket.
To Be Continued..
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Edited by theGoldenGirl - 8 years ago
Udne Ki Aasha
