"Aastha now I'm one hundred percent sure that you're completely brainless! Where the hell were you going running away in this jungle?"
"Don't talk to me. It's your fault. I just wanted to get away from your face, so I didn't have time to think where I was going." Aastha replied with an angry yet upset tone.
Shlok gave her an angry glare and continued walking in the jungle as the insects continued their constant chirping.
"For god's sake those stupid sounds are going to drive me crazy." He held his forehead as he eyed Aastha with an annoyed look.
Aastha giggled to herself. "The only thing I'm happy about is this khadoos is upset. He deserves it since he was forcing me to go with him on a honeymoon." She thought to herself silently as she walked.
After a while Shlok broke the silence. "The sun is going to go down and soon it's going to be dark. Can you tell me Mrs. Intelligent how are we going to get out of here?"
Aastha dropped herself to the ground breathing heavily. "I can't tell you anything other than I'm so tired and I can't walk any longer. Yaar I'm so thirsty."
"Oh hello madam, welcome to the five star hotel. Will give you a massage in just a second and what would you like to eat?" Shlok spoke to her sarcastically.
"Hahaha. You think you're very funny don't you." Aastha rolled her eyes and slowly stood on her wobbly legs. She took a few steps ahead and then her eyes fell on something and she yelled.
"Pani! Pani!"
She forgot about her tired legs and ran towards the small lake. Shlok slowly walked behind her rolling his eyes. He stopped and watched Aastha as she gathered water in her hands and drank it while she poured the rest of it on her face. She was looking so cute and innocent. Shlok couldn't help it but smile as he gazed at her. Suddenly he noticed what he was doing and his smiling face turned into an angry one.
"If you found the way out of the jungle you wouldn't have been as happy as right now." He yelled at her.
Aastha ignored him and continued to splash water on her face. Just as she was about to get up her foot slipped on the side of the lake and she fell right into the water.
"Help! Help me!" She yelled as she struggled to get out. "Shlok help me. I don't know how to swim! I'm going to drown here!"
Shlok couldn't believe how much trouble this girl can get herself into. He didn't know what do. Just as he was about to jump in the water his eyes fell on a long stick lying on the ground to his right. He grabbed it and tried to make Aastha hold it. Aastha's body kept peeping out and in the water as she tried to hold on that stick that Shlok was passing to her. Finally she got hold of it and held on to it tightly. Shlok pulled the stick towards him carefully and once Aastha got closer he lend his hand to her. Aastha grabbed his hand as Shlok pulled her to him. She fell with a thud on the hard ground. She was breathing heavily and she was soaking wet from top to bottom.
"What the hell is wrong with you? You can't do one thing right!" Shlok yelled at her. "Do I have to be with you every single time, so you won't fall in trouble?"
Aastha took a look at her wet saree and dripping wet hair.
"Would you stop yelling at me? The whole reason we are here is because of you. If you hadn't insisted on taking me to that stupid honeymoon of yours, we wouldn't have been here. Look at my state right now. Lost in a jungle and I'm dripping wet. Hope your happy now." She replied to him with anger and sadness mixed in her tone.
Shlok was about to reply back, but decided not to. "If I talk back she is never going to shut her mouth, and she's going to continue blabbering." He thought to himself.
"Ok let's go the sun is already going down and we haven't found our way out of here."
Aastha was surprised that he didn't reply back yelling at her as he usually does. She got up and wrapped her hands around herself.
Shlok glared at her. Her saree was so wet that it was glued to her skin making out the shape of her body. Her long wet hair hanging down her back as her locks fell on the sides of her face. Shlok gulped and shifted his eyes somewhere else to ignore the crazy thoughts that were beginning to take over his brain.
He continued to walk leaving Aastha trailing behind him.
The sun went down and the light blue sky was exchanged with a black one instead. A cold chill filled the air. Aastha shivered and wrapped her arms around herself to warm up. Shlok was walking ahead and didn't notice Aastha's condition. He continued walking and stopped when he saw a small brown cottage ahead of him.
"We have to stay here until its morning. We can't continue to walk in this night." He turned around only to find Aastha lying unconscious on the ground a few feet away from him.
"Aastha!" He yelled and ran to her. He carried her in his arms and asked her to open her eyes. Aastha shivered in his arms and wasn't able to answer him. He ran with her into the cottage and laid her on an old squeaky bed. As he tried to get up he saw her hands wrapped around him and wasn't letting him go. Her saree was still very much wet along with her hair. Shlok didn't know what to do. He found a white saree hanging on chair with a one broken leg. He grabbed it and then glared at Aastha.
"I have to do it." He mumbled to himself. Slowly he moved his hands behind Aastha's back and caught her dori with his fingers. He pulled on it until it opened. He closed his eyes as he took her saree off. Slowly he tried to make her wear the white saree. He had to have his eyes opened right now so he can fit her tiny body into that saree. Shlok couldn't help but gaze at Aastha beautifully carved body. Her wet milky skin looked so enticing. His heart began to beat like crazy as if it was going to burst right out of his chest. He tried to control himself and focus on getting her dressed instead. Shlok wasn't able to fully dress her the right way but at least he had her body covered. He glared at her small body as it shivered between his arms. He shifted his eyes to her face. She still had her eyes closed. Just as Shlok was about to move away from her, he noticed a hard grip on his arm. He looked back down at Aastha and found her grabbing him and shivering. He sat back down beside her and moved closer to her. Aastha dug her head deeper into his chest and held on to him tightly. Shlok couldn't take it anymore. He wrapped his arms around her and laid beside her on the bed. As his body touched her body, he could feel how cold her body was. He knew in order for Aastha to survive she needed to get warm. He thought of getting her warm with his body. He hesitantly and slowly tried to pull his body closer to hers and grabbed the blanket to cover them both. Aastha dug herself deeper into Shlok's masculine body.
"What did I just do? Why couldn't I hold myself when I was close to her? If she means nothing to me then why did I feel like my soul was leaving my body as she was shivering in my arms?" Thoughts raced in his mind and he had never been this confused before. He sat on a dark green couch across from the bed. After a couple of minutes he fell asleep.
It was morning the sun was shining and the birds were singing their everyday songs. Aastha opened her eyes slowly and found herself lying in bed. She moved the blanket away from her and noticed a white saree covering her.
"What? How did I end up here and who got me dressed into this white saree." She lifted her eyes and noticed Shlok sleeping on the couch across from her.
"It means Shlok is the one who put me in this bed and dressed me weirdly in this white dress." She muttered to herself.
Shlok opened his eyes as the chirping of the birds interrupted his sleep. His eyes met Aastha's eyes. He quickly shifted his eyes away from her and got up from the couch.
"Ummm did you get me in this bed and covered me with this white saree?" Aastha asked shyly.
Shlok answered her without turning back to meet her eyes.
"Yeah, you were unconscious and shivering. I had no choice." He replied with no emotion.
Aastha got out of bed with the blanket covering her. She took her dried saree that was hanging on window and went inside a room to change. As she was about to change she noticed a small light pink mark on her right shoulder. She looked on her left shoulder and noticed the same thing. Small light pink marks were covering her shoulder and chest. She noticed a small mirror in front of her. She looked at herself and found another pink mark on her neck. Aastha was shocked. Was this what they called a hickie?
"If Shlok doesn't love me or have any feelings for me then why did he save my life? What are those marks supposed to mean? She mumbled to herself.
"I have to get the truth out of him."
She quickly got dressed and came out to the room where Shlok was standing facing the window.
He turned his back when he heard her footsteps.
"We should start going so we can get out of this jungle as soon as possible." He talked to her without looking in her eyes.
"I wanted to ask you something. As I was changing I found small pink marks on my neck and across my body. How did that happen?" She asked him while eyeing him suspiciously.
Shlok was stunned by her question. His face turned red and drops of sweat began to form on his forehead.
"Ummm...Ummm. He stammered.
"Wh...Why are you asking me? Maybe a bug bit you or something. You know this isn't the Agnihotir's mansion. You can find anything here." He replied with a shivering voice and his eyes were still refusing to meet Aastha's eyes.
"Oh. A bug, that's one beasty bug I must say. It left its marks throughout my body." replied Aastha still eyeing him suspiciously.
Aastha moved her feet towards Shlok's direction. She stopped when her face was a couple of inches away from his.
"Why did you save me?" She asked him looking into his eyes.
Shlok moved his eyes away from her.
"What do you mean why I saved you? I told you I won't let you go easily. Now stop with your questions we have to leave this jungle."
He moved away from Aastha and opened the door and barged out. Aastha was upset by his answer.
"I will show you Mr. Shlok. You're going to confess everything to me today. I'm not going to leave you get away with it." She mumbled angrily to herself.
She followed Shlok out of the door and just as she was going to get out her knee hit the side of the door.
"Ouch!" She yelled.
Shlok heard her and came running back to her.
"Aastha! What happened? Are you ok?" He placed his hand on her knee.
Aastha saw how worried he looked. She glared at him as if trying to read him through his expressions.
Shlok noticed what he just did and was about to get up, when Aastha grabbed his hand and made him stop.
"Are you still going to say I don't matter to you? That you've been doing all of this for revenge."
She stood up and stared deeply into his eyes.
"I know I matter to you. Why don't you say it?"
Shlok turned his face away from her.
"I know these marks that are covering my body are made by you. It's your love that you're trying to hide from me."
She stepped closer to him, their noses almost touching.
"Why aren't you saying anything Shlok?"
Shlok tried to talk back but nothing came out from his mouth. He was captivated by Aastha's closeness. He looked into her light eyes that were filled with love. Slowly he lifted her chin with his fingers. He bent his face closer to hers and glared at her soft luscious lips. Aastha's eyes were shut and she was breathing heavily. She felt the warmth of his breath brushing onto her lips. Shlok parted his lips slowly and pressed his lips into hers. Aastha raised her hand and placed it on the back of his neck. They kissed passionately nonstop. Oh how good it felt.
Slowly they broke out of the kiss gasping for air. Shlok raised his hand and caressed Aastha's face.
"I love you Mrs. Aastha Shlok Agnihotri." He whispered to her softly with his husky voice.
Aastha couldn't believe her ears. She moved her hand and caressed his face also.
"I love you too Mr. Shlok Agnihotri. She mumbled as small tears of joy formed in her eyes.
He wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Ok now we should find our way out of here. Or are you planning on living here Mrs. Aastha."
He winked at her. Aastha giggled and dug her face into his chest.
"Aastha I'm having naughty thoughts right now. We should get going before I lose control."
Aastha blushed and hit his chest lightly with her hand. "Besharam. Let's get going."
