This one's for Vinal ❤️ It's a little scene where Viren actually ends up getting Jeevs alone for a bit during the picnic after the whole Karan track.
She knew he was there before he had spoken, before he had even touched her. Firm masculine hands slid around her waist and a head came to rest at her shoulder. "Beautiful."
"Isn't it?" her hands rested contently over his, "I love how serene it looks outside without all the bustle and noise."
"I was actually talking about you," his nose nudged her neck playfully and she smiled.
"I look serene without the bustle and noise?"
"When you're not worried about anything, yes. Yes, you do."
The smile faded from her lips slightly as she recalled Karan's murder, the courtroom, Buaji's pain and grief...She hadn't realized she'd physically tensed until Viren's hands were at her shoulders, gently massaging, "Relax, FMji."
She let the tension uncoil from her tight muscles and leaned back against him, "I'm sorry, just the memories sometimes-"
"I know. And I want you to take your mind off of them. This little trip is as much for you as it is for Badi Maa."
She nodded, staring out into the night; the gentle sway of the trees and the gathering play of moonlight and shadow on the grass. "Sometimes I've wondered what it would be like to sleep outside in the night," she voiced her thoughts unconsciously.
"Would you like to find out?" he whispered into her ear.
She turned her head to face him in slight confusion, but he only smiled mysteriously and pulling her hand in his, tugged her out of the room. The halls and stairs were filled with quiet laughter and secret smiles, as they tiptoed their way up the floors. Every once in a while, he'd pull her back to murmur something sweet in her ear or steal a fleeting kiss by a wall. She felt like a small child planning mischief, there was this rush and thrill of the unexpected and the bold.
Finally, he opened a door and they stepped out onto the terrace. She gasped as she beheld the pile of blankets, rugs and cushions he'd set up in the corner, the veil of net that draped from the railing to make a secure little alcove. "Like it, Mrs. Vadhera?" Viren murmured from behind her.
She turned, smilingly and hugged him closely. Was there nothing her husband wouldn't do for her?
She shivered a little and pressed closer to him. "Cold?" he asked, rubbing her arms, before guiding her over to the makeshift bed, parting the net. She entered the small abode, smiling with delight as she gazed around her. It seemed so idyllic, as though they were in a world of their own.
It wasn't even dark, as the moonlight scattered pale luminance, reflecting off of the white stone. It set off intriguing shadows in the line of Viren's jaw, the delicate crevice of her neck, softly kissable areas which made her heart skip a beat. Though instead of taking advantage of the cloistered space to close the remaining distance between their lips, Viren instead laid her down amongst the cushions comfortably, wrapping a shawl around her and settled beside her, his head propped up with an elbow.
"It's so different, outside in the night," Jeevika said dreamily, breaking the silence, "It's not that it's completely silent, just it's so lovely and still. Inside a room, it's not the same. It feels confining."
Viren played with her hair idly, painfully reminded of the nightmares that had plagued her since Karan's death. How she would convulse in her sleep in shuddering gasps, and he had to wake her, rock her in his arms to a dreamless sleep. Perhaps the visions would cease with this vacation. He was determined to do everything in his power to stop every remnant of fear and guilt from haunting her.
"That's because in a room, you're surrounded by walls. Outside, it's boundless," he said softly, "You're free to do whatever you wish."
"All I want is for Buaji to get better. I want her to be happy again," she looked up at him with such artless honesty that it touched his heart.
"She will, don't worry. Even today, did you see how much she was smiling and laughing? I think this trip is doing a lot of good for her." He tapped her nose with a finger, then traced the outline of her face.
"What are you doing?" Jeevika laughed as he found a particularly ticklish spot under her ear.
"Shhh, I'm painting you," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"With no paint?" she queried skeptically.
"Mmhmm. You're my muse. I'd paint shooting stars on your cheeks and red roses on your lips."
"You don't know how to paint," she commented dryly.
"No? Watch me."
He let his fingers trail gently along her face, down her nose to her lips, past her neck to her navel. "Stars and roses," he whispered.
Her toes curled. "There's no colour."
He smiled, "Not yet."
He parted her night robe to drop a quick kiss to her stomach, rising higher to her neck, where a slow blush began to creep across her skin and then he found her mouth, kissing her gently enough to make her ache so very sweetly.
He lifted his head, "See?" A soft pink suffused her cheeks and her lips were stung rosy.
"What?" she asked, dazed.
He stifled his quiet laughter in her throat, "You're blushing wherever I kiss you. I think this proves that I'm the best artist in the world. Quite proficient with my hands too."
"Virenji!" she protested, though unable to keep from smiling.
"I told you, but you didn't believe me," he shrugged.
"Virenji..." Jeevika had a sudden thought, glancing around worriedly, "What if someone comes up here and..."
"They'll find a husband taking a moment to romance his wife," Viren stated gravely. At her expression of dismay, he laughed and pulled out a loop of keys from his pocket, "I locked the door. And besides, we won't be here long. It's already...what time is it?"
"Midnight."
"So I have you till dawn."
"You have me every day," she protested, "I'm your wife."
He grinned at the unintended implication behind her words, but only said, "I haven't had a chance to romance you alone in weeks. And I'm definitely getting my revenge for you betraying me during our cricket match. What was it you said...no dosti, only dushman?"
Jeevika looked sheepish, "All is fair in love and war."
"And this, my beautiful, mischievous, adorable little wife, is definitely love." In a swift movement, he pushed her to her back and hovered over her, propping up his weight with his elbows.
"I'm feeling confined now," she told him pertly.
"Well, Mrs. Vadhera, I'm about to make you feel boundless."
Jeevika's eyes opened sleepily as sharp light hit her retinas. It had to be only six in the morning with the wash of pink and gold colour in the sky from the window. She suddenly realized she was back in the hotel bed in her shared room with Viren.
She turned on her side to face him, smiling as she watched him sleep. He looked so innocent and boyish when he was asleep, one arm curved around her as though worried she might escape. She reached out with her fingers and caressed his temple, down the side of his face.
"What are you doing?" he asked drowsily without opening his eyes.
"I'm painting you," she fingered the shadow at his jaw.
He let her continue in her ministrations, peacefully still, before opening his eyes a little to look at her, "You didn't have any nightmares last night."
"I didn't," she realized, as she brushed her fingers through his hair. "Thank you for last night."
"It was my pleasure," he grinned, making her blush.
"And thank you for teaching me cricket and making dinner so wonderfully."
"I never realized how strenuous making good food would be," he admitted, "You're a miracle."
"I'm your wife."
"Same thing."
She smiled, rising up with a stretch, before he hooked an arm back around her waist and pulled her on top of him, "Where do you think you're going?"
"Breakfast isn't exactly a miracle, you know. It doesn't appear from thin air."
"I'm not hungry for anything but you," he grinned.
"Virenji, aap bhi naa," she shook her head at him smilingly, finally conceding to fold her arms over his chest to rest her chin.
"We're going home today," he said after a while, stroking back her hair.
"It's been lovely here," Jeevika sighed, "So lovely it doesn't even seem real."
He understood what she meant. While it had been a beautiful escape for a while, they couldn't run from reality forever.
"I miss home, though," she admitted, "And I think you're right. I do feel a lot better now. After Karan died, I felt...unclean somehow. And the anxiety just kept piling up. But now I feel free."
"You know why? It's because you let all of it go," he told her, "Last night when I kissed you and held you and put you to sleep, you weren't thinking of anything else but-"
"You."
"Well I should hope so. No man wants to hear that his wife is thinking of anything else besides him when he's romancing her," he teased, making her giggle, "But what I meant was, you were focused on the warmth and the love in the moment. Not the fear. Never focus on the fear, okay? You have nothing to be afraid of."
"Not when I have you by my side."
"Always."
And in that secure knowledge that he would never leave her, she felt liberated at last from all fear and worry. It didn't matter whether she was surrounded by four walls or exposed to the open air.
Because his love was boundless.
Cricket
CID
