The Hours – Part 1
She held herself still, not knowing what she was hoping that that would accomplish. He knew that she was in here. He had probably already tried the door and found it locked. The knock sounded again.
Aaarggh… she jumped off the bed and stalked over to the door to open it a peep.
"What do you want?" she asked without preamble
"Didn't anyone teach you manners Gauri? A hello would be nice." He looked annoyed.
"Hello Shiv! Now, what do you want?" She wouldn't open the door any wider than the narrow inch and now he pushed at it. "I want to come in. Would you move?" She didn't, but he pushed on the door again and she was forced back as the door opened fully.
"Why is it so dark in here? Were you already in bed?" he came into the room and went to turn on the bedside lamp.
"NO! STOP!" she yelled out, but stood behind the door so that he couldn't really see her.
He turned around, startled at her request. "Why?"
"Um… Umm… Could you sleep in your room tonight? I think I have a fever." As far as excuses went, she thought that was a good one for thinking on her feet.
"Let me see…" he came towards her.
"NO NO! It's… uhh.. it's… I think it's contagious! So don't come near me. Go to your room now. I don't want you to get sick."
He stopped in his path and she could see that she had been a little too vehement in her opposition, because now his eyebrows scrunched in suspicion.
Without warning though, the heat came on with a blast and she almost doubled over.
"What's wrong? Oh jeez… are you really sick?" He rushed over, his voice now changed to real concern.
"Shiv, don't come near me…" she tried to say, but it came out weak as she felt sweat break out across her forehead and neck.
But he was already close to her and before she could resist, he took her in his arms. "What's wrong?" His voice was much softer now.
But it may have sounded that way because she felt like she couldn't really hear him well… All she could focus on now was every inch of her skin that was touching his and how deep his eyes were… and how sensual his lips looked with its firm upper line and slightly fuller bottom… and about how the 5'o clock shadow on his jaw would feel if it raked over her skin….
Oh My God!!
She didn't know how she managed to push him away. All she wanted to do was strip naked….
He came back to her immediately. "Gauri, what's wrong? You look all flushed…" he put his hands on her forehead. "God, you're burning up. You do have a fever. Let's go to the hospital. I don't need to change. But, maybe you should." He said looking her up and down, just then noticing what she was wearing, although it was so dark that he could only guess at where it started and ended. "Lord, what are you wearing?"
"No hospital Shiv! I am fine. I just need to sleep, alright? So, please go!" she started to walk away from him towards the bed, but he pulled her back.
"No, something is clearly wrong. I am taking you to the hospital."
"NO!" she yelled this time, pushing him away once more.
"You know what, you are too stubborn and obstinate by half. And if I have to get mom in here, I will!" he started to walk out the open door and she quickly shut it before he could and stood against it, blocking his exit.
"Gauri!" he started and she held up her hand before he could continue.
"Please Shiv! I know what's wrong with me, okay? I don't need to go to the hospital."
"What's wrong with you? Tell me." He was persistent. And before she could stop him, he went back over to the bedside lamp to flick it on and turned around.
"Oh, Dear Lord!"
She heard his exclamation and quickly followed his gaze to her body. Not that it really helped how much of her legs were revealed, but she covered her upper body by crossing her arms across her chest.
But another wave of heat hit her and her hands came off her body right away and she clutched the door knob as her eyes squeezed shut and her skin broke out in sweat again. She wondered if rather than an aphrodisiac, Akira had been developing something to induce menopause! She imagined this is what a hot-flash felt like, well these were hot flashes cranked up by several hundred degrees and coming at rapid intervals!
Shiv rushed over to her side, but this time she put her hand out against his chest to keep him from getting near her. When he touched her, she couldn't decide if it made everything better or worse, but it did make her not able to think at all…
She felt the sweat run down the side of her face and neck. "Can you turn the AC on?"
"Gauri, what's wrong with you? It's not that hot in here… and why…" he came closer to her. "Why are you sweating so much?"
She ran one of her hands up her neck, feeling the moisture there, as she looked up at him. "I… Shiv, don't stand so close to me… it's… it's…" her breathing started to accelerate and now rather than a flash of heat, her whole body was starting to tingle.
Of course he wouldn't listen to her and came closer still. He extended his hand up to her neck where a bead of perspiration was starting to make its way down to her collar bone. His fingertip touched her there and her whole body jerked upwards from the door.
Alright… so maybe the thing really was an aphrodisiac and not a menopause-inducer… she was going to expire by the end of the six or eight hours if a single touch from him could make her jump out of her skin at hour 1. She was going to sue Akira for everything that he was worth and everything that he was yet to make off of this… this toxic substance!… when she got through the next eight hours!
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He couldn't believe the sight in front of him. To say that she was scantily clad would be an understatement… And it was the first time that he had been distracted by all of her body and not just her legs. He couldn't really decide what to be distracted by, actually. She had on one of those tightly fitted tank-top things with a tiny ribbon crisscrossing at its opening, although why the thing even had an opening was anyone's guess because its neckline was so low that it required no opening anywhere…
It didn't help that she appeared to be sweating like she was in a Turkish Bath; in the lamplight, he could see that the heat that her body gave off had created a golden sheen to her skin… His gaze traveled up those long legs of hers… distracted… and up the length of her torso… distracted again… to see her chest rising and falling with her deepening breaths… distracted for a solid minute… and to her arched neck where a drop of moisture was making a slow trek down to the v of her neck. He watched it mesmerized and wasn't aware when he raised a fingertip to her collarbone to touch. Her body practically came off the door as soon as his finger made contact and it startled him.
Her head fell back against the door and her lips parted on an elongated sigh…
Oh God, it was almost like she was in heat…
"I need ice, Shiv! Can you get me some ice?" She ran her hands over her face as she asked him.
"Ice?" he repeated.
"YESSSS!" she hissed as she turned her face to the side, her hands now sliding down from her neck to her belly in a move that made him feel like his brain short-circuited. He couldn't move a muscle as he stood there watching.
"Shiv!" Her head was still turned to the side as she called out.
"Would you tell me what's wrong with you?" he asked, coming back closer to her.
"I will... I will… please get me some ice… please Shiv!"
And with that, she moved away from the door to open it and he walked out to get the ice, all of a sudden feeling like the room was indeed too hot.
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Sampoorna
Bindi
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