Posted:
Hey guys, thanks for the great response this time! I hope you like the next chapter... and in reply to some comments, as for Sherry's love interest, you just have to look for the clues! Ali and Pooja... you can expect that in the near future too!
**
"I love you," he mumbles, his face pressed against her neck so that she can feel his lips moving against her as he says it.
Naina presses him to her even more tightly, his hair brushing against his face. "I love you too…" she whispers, smiling at the familiarity of it.
Because he has said it at least once a minute since… well, since… she begins to blush even at the thought of it, of what they've both just done.
As she presses him to her, she can feel the warmth of his bare body against hers, the muscles of his back smooth under her fingers and slightly damp from sweat.
He presses himself even closer to her, planting a kiss on her neck that makes her shiver, giving her memories of… and Naina once again blushes as she remembers what had happened earlier in the morning.
She had awoken to find him watching her, propped up on one arm with a smile on his face. She smiled back sleepily, reaching up to touch his face and smoothing back his hair.
"When did you wake up?" she asked him, "How long have you been watching me?"
"About half an hour ago…" he told her, "And I've been watching you from the moment that I opened my eyes."
He had reached out to trace the line of her cheek with one finger, curling his fingers to caress her face lightly, and she leans into his touch, sighing happily.
"You do know how much I love you, don't you?" Raj asked her, now trailing his hand across her shoulder and then down her arm, sending a shiver down Naina's spine, as goosebumps are raised on her arm.
"Yes.." she had whispered, "I know…" and she had raised one hand to touch his face tenderly, finally brushing his hair back, and settling her arm comfortably around his neck to bring him closer.
He had leaned in to kiss her, brushing his lips against hers in a feather light caress, before deepening it when Naina brought her second arm up to rest on his back, bringing him closer to her. He had rolled over so that he was now over her, his body propped up by one arm as he continued to trail the other down her arm before grasping her hand.
And when he had kissed her again, their mouths meeting in a sweet, tangled confusion, she had known that this was the moment they had both been waiting for.
So when his hand moved down to her hip, slipping beneath her top to rest on her skin, she had let hers mirror his, tugging at his singlet to gain access to his skin.
His kisses had become more heated after that point, as he had for the first time allowed his hands to roam her body freely and she had done the same, eventually removing his singlet entirely.
He had paused, raising himself slightly to be able to look her directly in the eye, his breathing ragged.
"Naina…" he had whispered, looking in her eyes as if to find consent, to check that really, she was sure…
And she had nodded, just once, before reaching up with a hand to bring his lips down again to meet hers, kissing him with so much fervour and passion that he could be left in no doubt of her consent.
And she had been nervous yes, but as he had removed her clothes slowly, almost reverently, continuing to kiss her, the nervousness had gradually been replaced by both excitement and desire.
And when the moment had finally come…
She started blushing again at the very thought, gathering him even closer in her arms.
"Stop blushing," Raj murmurs against her skin, still with his head tucked into the crook of her neck.
"How do you know I'm blushing?" Naina asks him, tilting her head to look downwards so that she was now meeting his eyes.
"I can see your skin change colour," he tells her with a mischievous smile, and Naina blushes even harder at this.
"So you've been staring at my neck all this time?" she asks him jokingly, pretending to be upset.
"I've been marking all the places on it that I want to kiss." He tells her, grinning as she blushes again. "You're incredibly cute when you blush."
"Are we going to get up today at all?" she asks him, trying to change the topic away from her blushing.
"Only if you want to." Raj tells her, "I'm more than happy to stay here." And as if to prove his point, he tightens his arm around her waist, bringing her closer.
"I would be happy to stay here all day too," she tells him, "But I am beginning to get hungry."
Letting go of her, Raj rolls over to check the clock on the bedside table, before turning back again. "It's almost lunch time," he tells her, "We probably should get something to eat, would you prefer to order some room service or go out somewhere?"
"Why don't we go out somewhere?" Naina asks him, willing herself not to begin blushing again at the thought of staying in the room. "We can look around town briefly and then…"
"And then?" Raj asks her with one eyebrow raised, a mischievous grin on his face once again.
"Stop it," Naina tells him playfully, "If you keep talking to me like this then we'll never get out of the room. Then what will I tell everybody when they ask me what Shimla was like?"
"You can tell them that the hotel room in Shimla was very nice," Raj responds, still joking, "And the rest you can just make up."
She laughs, and moves out of his reach before he can grasp her again, getting out of the bed and slipping her shirt over her head shyly, unable to miss him gazing in her direction with a decidedly heated look.
"I'll just get ready," she tells him, grabbing some clothes and heading for the bathroom.
Raj rolls onto his back and can't help but grin.
He loves her so incredibly much.
He really does.
**
Half an hour later they're strolling down the streets in Shimla hand in hand, enjoying the scenery and searching for a place to eat. Finally finding a caf, they sit down and order, Raj reaches out to hold Naina's hand again, caressing it softly with his fingers as they wait.
She gazes at him with so much adoration that he can't help but notice it, raising her hand to press a soft kiss on her knuckles.
"Is there anything in particular that you want to do today?" he asks, "We can do whatever you like."
"I think it's a bit late in the day for any major activities." Naina tells him, "Maybe today we can just look around town or even go and see that museum you wanted to go to."
Raj's eyes light up at this, "Really?" he asks her, "You don't mind if we go?"
Naina laughs at his enthusiasm, and reaches across the table to tap his head playfully, "If it makes you that happy then of course I don't mind." She tells him, "If only to see that smile on your face."
"Then tomorrow you can choose what we do." Raj promises her, "Whatever you want, for the entire day."
"I'm going to hold you to that," Naina tells him, "But we'll choose something fun for tomorrow."
Their food finally arrives and Raj reluctantly lets go of her hand in order to eat, nevertheless unable to stop gazing at her as he eats.
"You must have traveled a lot as part of your duty," Naina comments, "What has your favourite part of India been so far?"
"Ladakh," Raj replies without hesitation, "It's beautiful there, the air is so clean, and the mountains… it's a very special place. I'll definitely take you there one day."
"I would like that," Naina tells him, "I've heard a lot about it… maybe we can go there next holiday?"
"It might be awhile before I can get leave again," Raj tells her, "You'll soon find out that it's not easy being the wife of a soldier. KMA is a far more relaxed posting, in other places it might not be as good. At least I can be sure that anytime except wartime you'll be able to accompany me to where I'm posted usually. But still, I hope that you won't end up regretting me if I'm often away from home."
"Of course I won't," Naina tells him, "I could never regret it, what you've given me… you've given me every happiness that I could ever have hoped for. Before you came into my life, I had no hope, I was only living for my parents' sake, and after you… I've had everything I could wish for, everything I could ask for."
He reaches out to take her hand again, squeezing it, and when the bill comes he pays it before they leave the restaurant.
This time as the stroll down the street he puts his arm around her shoulders comfortably, holding her close by to him, as they make their way to the museum he wants to visit.
Going to a museum about the history of the Indian Army isn't exactly Naina's idea of a perfect way to spend her honeymoon but the enthusiasm and excitement that comes onto Raj's face as he points things out to her more than makes up for it. He tells her stories, explaining the various exhibits and relating them to things that he has experienced in his own career. By the end of their time there she feels that she knows him even better. He loves the army more than anything, and patriotism is truly in his blood.
The sun is just beginning to set as they leave, and as they walk back to the hotel, Naina once again takes his hand, entwining their fingers and walking as close by to him as possible.
She thinks that it would be impossible for anybody to love somebody more than she loves him. It is as if he has become a part of her, a vital organ without whom she would die. Naina wonders whether she will ever be able to express this properly to him, ever be able to truly let him know how she feels. He is much more vocal about his feelings than she is, easily telling her that he loves her often, while she is quieter, shyer about saying so.
So instead she resolves to attempt to show him how much she loves him for every day of the rest of their lives, no matter what.
They're having their dinner at the hotel's restaurant when a thought comes to her. "Do you think we should call the academy?" she asks him, "Just to check that everything is okay or not? I mean Sherry is alone there and…"
Raj laughs at this, "Naina, if either of us call to check on her on the first day of our honeymoon then she is going to murder both of us. I think we have to wait until at least tomorrow at the earliest. Seriously, don't worry, Abhi and Shalini are both there to look after her."
Naina nods, realising that he's right and that she doesn't need to be worried. But despite the fact that they're practically the same age she can't help but worry about Sherry, feel protective towards her.
"And have I told you that that's another reason that I love you so much?" Raj asks, "From the time you met my sister, you've loved her as if she was yours. You've never gotten offended by her bad moods, always been understanding…"
Naina smiles at this, "I know what it's like to go through tough times, and no matter how she was in the beginning, I knew that eventually she would realise that we both loved her. She's my family too now."
"And that is exactly why I love you." Raj tells her, "And if you're really worried then we can call tomorrow, but not before then."
"Fine," Naina tells him with a smile, "I have no desire to be murdered either."
And they grin at each other before continuing their dinner.
**
They go back to their suite in silence, an unspoken tension and expectation between them, because now, there is nothing to stop them, nothing to….
When they step inside the room, they close the door before Naina takes the tie out of her hair, letting it flow freely. She tries to hide her smile as Raj comes up behind her, brushing her loose hair away from her neck, before leaning down to plant soft kisses from her jawbone down to her shoulder.
"I told you that I had marked all of the places I wish to kiss." He mumurs, encircling her waist with his arms, before kissing along her shoulder, slipping the sleeve of her top down slightly in order to gain greater access.
Naina takes a shuddering breath, as the fingers of his left hand grasp hers, his right arm securely around her waist and he continues to kiss along her shoulder before making his way back to her neck.
She can barely speak she is filled with so much desire for him, and she spins in his arms so that she is now facing him, meeting his lips with a new found confidence as she slowly unbuttons his shirt before slipping it off his shoulders.
This time when he tugs her top off, slipping it over her head, there is no nervousness, this time she is prepared for what will happen next.
This time….
All that is left to do is melt into his arms.
And she does that more than willingly.
**
"I love you," he mumbles, his face pressed against her neck so that she can feel his lips moving against her as he says it.
Naina presses him to her even more tightly, his hair brushing against his face. "I love you too…" she whispers, smiling at the familiarity of it.
Because he has said it at least once a minute since… well, since… she begins to blush even at the thought of it, of what they've both just done.
As she presses him to her, she can feel the warmth of his bare body against hers, the muscles of his back smooth under her fingers and slightly damp from sweat.
He presses himself even closer to her, planting a kiss on her neck that makes her shiver, giving her memories of… and Naina once again blushes as she remembers what had happened earlier in the morning.
She had awoken to find him watching her, propped up on one arm with a smile on his face. She smiled back sleepily, reaching up to touch his face and smoothing back his hair.
"When did you wake up?" she asked him, "How long have you been watching me?"
"About half an hour ago…" he told her, "And I've been watching you from the moment that I opened my eyes."
He had reached out to trace the line of her cheek with one finger, curling his fingers to caress her face lightly, and she leans into his touch, sighing happily.
"You do know how much I love you, don't you?" Raj asked her, now trailing his hand across her shoulder and then down her arm, sending a shiver down Naina's spine, as goosebumps are raised on her arm.
"Yes.." she had whispered, "I know…" and she had raised one hand to touch his face tenderly, finally brushing his hair back, and settling her arm comfortably around his neck to bring him closer.
He had leaned in to kiss her, brushing his lips against hers in a feather light caress, before deepening it when Naina brought her second arm up to rest on his back, bringing him closer to her. He had rolled over so that he was now over her, his body propped up by one arm as he continued to trail the other down her arm before grasping her hand.
And when he had kissed her again, their mouths meeting in a sweet, tangled confusion, she had known that this was the moment they had both been waiting for.
So when his hand moved down to her hip, slipping beneath her top to rest on her skin, she had let hers mirror his, tugging at his singlet to gain access to his skin.
His kisses had become more heated after that point, as he had for the first time allowed his hands to roam her body freely and she had done the same, eventually removing his singlet entirely.
He had paused, raising himself slightly to be able to look her directly in the eye, his breathing ragged.
"Naina…" he had whispered, looking in her eyes as if to find consent, to check that really, she was sure…
And she had nodded, just once, before reaching up with a hand to bring his lips down again to meet hers, kissing him with so much fervour and passion that he could be left in no doubt of her consent.
And she had been nervous yes, but as he had removed her clothes slowly, almost reverently, continuing to kiss her, the nervousness had gradually been replaced by both excitement and desire.
And when the moment had finally come…
She started blushing again at the very thought, gathering him even closer in her arms.
"Stop blushing," Raj murmurs against her skin, still with his head tucked into the crook of her neck.
"How do you know I'm blushing?" Naina asks him, tilting her head to look downwards so that she was now meeting his eyes.
"I can see your skin change colour," he tells her with a mischievous smile, and Naina blushes even harder at this.
"So you've been staring at my neck all this time?" she asks him jokingly, pretending to be upset.
"I've been marking all the places on it that I want to kiss." He tells her, grinning as she blushes again. "You're incredibly cute when you blush."
"Are we going to get up today at all?" she asks him, trying to change the topic away from her blushing.
"Only if you want to." Raj tells her, "I'm more than happy to stay here." And as if to prove his point, he tightens his arm around her waist, bringing her closer.
"I would be happy to stay here all day too," she tells him, "But I am beginning to get hungry."
Letting go of her, Raj rolls over to check the clock on the bedside table, before turning back again. "It's almost lunch time," he tells her, "We probably should get something to eat, would you prefer to order some room service or go out somewhere?"
"Why don't we go out somewhere?" Naina asks him, willing herself not to begin blushing again at the thought of staying in the room. "We can look around town briefly and then…"
"And then?" Raj asks her with one eyebrow raised, a mischievous grin on his face once again.
"Stop it," Naina tells him playfully, "If you keep talking to me like this then we'll never get out of the room. Then what will I tell everybody when they ask me what Shimla was like?"
"You can tell them that the hotel room in Shimla was very nice," Raj responds, still joking, "And the rest you can just make up."
She laughs, and moves out of his reach before he can grasp her again, getting out of the bed and slipping her shirt over her head shyly, unable to miss him gazing in her direction with a decidedly heated look.
"I'll just get ready," she tells him, grabbing some clothes and heading for the bathroom.
Raj rolls onto his back and can't help but grin.
He loves her so incredibly much.
He really does.
**
Half an hour later they're strolling down the streets in Shimla hand in hand, enjoying the scenery and searching for a place to eat. Finally finding a caf, they sit down and order, Raj reaches out to hold Naina's hand again, caressing it softly with his fingers as they wait.
She gazes at him with so much adoration that he can't help but notice it, raising her hand to press a soft kiss on her knuckles.
"Is there anything in particular that you want to do today?" he asks, "We can do whatever you like."
"I think it's a bit late in the day for any major activities." Naina tells him, "Maybe today we can just look around town or even go and see that museum you wanted to go to."
Raj's eyes light up at this, "Really?" he asks her, "You don't mind if we go?"
Naina laughs at his enthusiasm, and reaches across the table to tap his head playfully, "If it makes you that happy then of course I don't mind." She tells him, "If only to see that smile on your face."
"Then tomorrow you can choose what we do." Raj promises her, "Whatever you want, for the entire day."
"I'm going to hold you to that," Naina tells him, "But we'll choose something fun for tomorrow."
Their food finally arrives and Raj reluctantly lets go of her hand in order to eat, nevertheless unable to stop gazing at her as he eats.
"You must have traveled a lot as part of your duty," Naina comments, "What has your favourite part of India been so far?"
"Ladakh," Raj replies without hesitation, "It's beautiful there, the air is so clean, and the mountains… it's a very special place. I'll definitely take you there one day."
"I would like that," Naina tells him, "I've heard a lot about it… maybe we can go there next holiday?"
"It might be awhile before I can get leave again," Raj tells her, "You'll soon find out that it's not easy being the wife of a soldier. KMA is a far more relaxed posting, in other places it might not be as good. At least I can be sure that anytime except wartime you'll be able to accompany me to where I'm posted usually. But still, I hope that you won't end up regretting me if I'm often away from home."
"Of course I won't," Naina tells him, "I could never regret it, what you've given me… you've given me every happiness that I could ever have hoped for. Before you came into my life, I had no hope, I was only living for my parents' sake, and after you… I've had everything I could wish for, everything I could ask for."
He reaches out to take her hand again, squeezing it, and when the bill comes he pays it before they leave the restaurant.
This time as the stroll down the street he puts his arm around her shoulders comfortably, holding her close by to him, as they make their way to the museum he wants to visit.
Going to a museum about the history of the Indian Army isn't exactly Naina's idea of a perfect way to spend her honeymoon but the enthusiasm and excitement that comes onto Raj's face as he points things out to her more than makes up for it. He tells her stories, explaining the various exhibits and relating them to things that he has experienced in his own career. By the end of their time there she feels that she knows him even better. He loves the army more than anything, and patriotism is truly in his blood.
The sun is just beginning to set as they leave, and as they walk back to the hotel, Naina once again takes his hand, entwining their fingers and walking as close by to him as possible.
She thinks that it would be impossible for anybody to love somebody more than she loves him. It is as if he has become a part of her, a vital organ without whom she would die. Naina wonders whether she will ever be able to express this properly to him, ever be able to truly let him know how she feels. He is much more vocal about his feelings than she is, easily telling her that he loves her often, while she is quieter, shyer about saying so.
So instead she resolves to attempt to show him how much she loves him for every day of the rest of their lives, no matter what.
They're having their dinner at the hotel's restaurant when a thought comes to her. "Do you think we should call the academy?" she asks him, "Just to check that everything is okay or not? I mean Sherry is alone there and…"
Raj laughs at this, "Naina, if either of us call to check on her on the first day of our honeymoon then she is going to murder both of us. I think we have to wait until at least tomorrow at the earliest. Seriously, don't worry, Abhi and Shalini are both there to look after her."
Naina nods, realising that he's right and that she doesn't need to be worried. But despite the fact that they're practically the same age she can't help but worry about Sherry, feel protective towards her.
"And have I told you that that's another reason that I love you so much?" Raj asks, "From the time you met my sister, you've loved her as if she was yours. You've never gotten offended by her bad moods, always been understanding…"
Naina smiles at this, "I know what it's like to go through tough times, and no matter how she was in the beginning, I knew that eventually she would realise that we both loved her. She's my family too now."
"And that is exactly why I love you." Raj tells her, "And if you're really worried then we can call tomorrow, but not before then."
"Fine," Naina tells him with a smile, "I have no desire to be murdered either."
And they grin at each other before continuing their dinner.
**
They go back to their suite in silence, an unspoken tension and expectation between them, because now, there is nothing to stop them, nothing to….
When they step inside the room, they close the door before Naina takes the tie out of her hair, letting it flow freely. She tries to hide her smile as Raj comes up behind her, brushing her loose hair away from her neck, before leaning down to plant soft kisses from her jawbone down to her shoulder.
"I told you that I had marked all of the places I wish to kiss." He mumurs, encircling her waist with his arms, before kissing along her shoulder, slipping the sleeve of her top down slightly in order to gain greater access.
Naina takes a shuddering breath, as the fingers of his left hand grasp hers, his right arm securely around her waist and he continues to kiss along her shoulder before making his way back to her neck.
She can barely speak she is filled with so much desire for him, and she spins in his arms so that she is now facing him, meeting his lips with a new found confidence as she slowly unbuttons his shirt before slipping it off his shoulders.
This time when he tugs her top off, slipping it over her head, there is no nervousness, this time she is prepared for what will happen next.
This time….
All that is left to do is melt into his arms.
And she does that more than willingly.
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