Clutching her hot cuppa of chocolate milk meher adjusted her pillow on the window sill making herself comfortable in her place. An effortless smile adorned her face as she sipped her hot chocolate and remembered how abeer had done her saree pleats in the evening, the smile only grew wider as her thoughts wandered off to the first time he had helped her with her saree and how he loved doing it ever since.
-----
"Arghhh" Meher cursed for the 100th time before bundling up the dirty 4 and half metre fabric which would be the death of her and throwing it on to the bed.
Normal people called it a saree by the way.
Abeer entered his bedroom, Correction their bedroom to find a jeans and t-shirt clad meher burying her face into her knees clutching her head with both her hands. For a moment abeer got worried thinking what was wrong then his eyes fell on the saree sprawled on the bed and he relaxed a bit.
"Meher baby, shaadi k ek week ke baad hi agar tum aise depressed baithogee toh tumhare pati ke bare mei log kya sochenge." He joked trying to change her mood.
"I did everything right. Just like in the book." She said pointing him to the book which read All the basics on how to wear a saree for dummies' without lifting her heaf "But that damn thing.!!" She shot a dirty glare towards the saree "just wont stay in place"
"Hey my wife is not a dummy" abeer said kneeling down before her trying to suppress his laughter as he picked up the book she was trying to learn wearing a saree from. "It is just that you cant learn everything from books dear wife. Didnt you learn that from our first night" he gave her a smug smile as he lifted her chin up from her knees with his index finger stressing on the wife part again, how he loved calling her his wife. She was finally his and he just couldn't bask enough in the glory of this moment.
"Lets get you out of this first" he signalled towards her jeans and top. Meher who wasn't still completely accustomed to abeer being all husband-ish with her widened her eyes for a second.
"I'll fall with the inner coat" She said nervously, she had to look perfect for the reception today.
"That is what i am here for baby. I will catch you" abeer gave her the most sincere smile as he masked his naughty comment with his innocence. Meher was too worried about wearing the saree to notice.
He stripped her and got her into the inner coat and blouse for the saree admist her protests which he paid no heed to.
"So where were we?" he asks taking the saree in his one hand pulling her into his arms with the other. Oh how he loved the way her bare waist skin felt against his fingers. He was enjoying every moment of this. They had been intimate before but the authority and feeling that came with being husband and wife. Of having the world certify that you are each other's forever was something else. The marriage had deepened their madness for each other to an extent which they didn't think was possible.
"Put your arms around my neck. And let the pro's handle the job dummy" he pecked her nose as she was about to scrunch it while making a face. He wanted to do so much more, but there would be time for that later, lots of time, that was the only thing that helped him maintain his control as he slowly opened the saree and started tucking it into the inner coat taking his sweet time. His eyes held hers captive as he went about his task he didn't even need to look, he was accustomed with every inch of hers as if it were his own.
Putting the last bit of the saree on her shoulder for the pallu he bent down on his knees to pleat the saree at the front.
"Abeer let me call mummy-ji, it will be very embarrassing if this opens up before all the guests." Meher bit her lip nervously.
"Baby, trust your husband. You don't need anyone else as long as i am here" finishing the final folds on the pleats abeer caught them all together tucking them into the coat this time moving even slower then before. As his hand finally left the pleats he held onto her waist from both sides and pulled her closer planting a kiss on her navel.
He then got to his feet and busied himself with the pleats of the pallu, not acknowledging in the slightest what his actions were doing to meher. Placing the pallu on her shoulder he secured it with a pin.
Bending towards her neck he nibbled on the area between the blouse and her neck for a while as he held on to her. He just didn't seem to have enough of her no matter what.
"Abeer...reception..." she reminded him breathlessly.
But he didn't stop as he made his way towards her lips capturing them with his own while she caught on his neck for support and he gripped her waist tighter.
KNOCK
"Abeer"
"Meher"
KNOCK
KNOCK
"Beta guests are here." Madhvi called from the door.
"We will finish this tonight" she said blushing as she pulled her lips away from his.
"That is the only reason, i am able to let go of you now mrs.meher abeer malhotra" abeer kissed her on the forehead before getting to his feet and securing her pleats with another pin as he set the saree straight.
"I am never wearing a saree again after today. I would've won over a multi million dollar company in the effort this took" she said horrified as they walked towards the reception.
"You are only going to wear a saree from now on and that too only the sarees i drape on you myself" he said with his eyes shining with naughtiness and something way darker.
Mehers face was the darkest shade of red by the time they both reached her mom and bua to take her blessings. No one in the reception knew that day what color meher was colored in.
-----
He came into her room without knocking as always like it belonged to him taking his place beside her which was only reserved for him. Her smile mesmerised him for a second and made him lose his trail of thought. She was blushing, her face reddening by the moment. Her smile was such a rare thing these days, it was like she had forgotten how to be happy.
"Meher" he snapped his fingers before her eyes bringing her out of her reverie. "Are you done night dreaming?"
She didn't retort back, and was still smiling, even his taunts couldn't ruin this moment for her. The initial days of their marriage were so blissful, untouched by reality or pain, she missed that so much being able to lose herself in him.
It was so rare when she could think of their past without breaking down and could smile at their happy moments. She wouldn't let him take that away.
"Waise abeer" she began with a mischieveous glint "you never told me where and how you learnt saree pleating" she winked at him knowing his answer before he spoke.
If it was any other day any other moment he wouldn't have indulged her, but for this one day, for this one moment he wanted to prolong that smile of hers.
"Well" he ran his hands through his hair in a nervous gesture trying to buy time "me and nisaar did it on each other for a school play. We both had played the female leads."
And she burst out laughing.
"I KNEW IT. I SO SO KNEW IT" she said between shrieks of laughter punching the air in a motion which looked like she had just won the nobel prize.
He took her hot chocolate mug away from her lest she spill it on herself and started sipping it.
She froze for a second before being transported to a time a long time back when they would sit on their window sill together this way looking at the infinite sky, the bright stars and the brilliantly lights of the buildings around and just talk about nothing for hours sipping hot chocolate from one mug. Today she wanted to go back to those simpler times. She took back her mug taking a sip of the hot chocolate as her smile regained its place on her lips.
"How come I haven't seen or heard about this before mr.malhotra? I demand evidence." She giggled.
"Pagal hun itna bhi pagal nahi." Abeer said showing her his tongue.
"Abeeerrr" she said in a really childlike tone. " You know how much ma adores you right?" she batted her eye lids at him.
"Uh-huh" he tried to gauge where she was going with this but failed so he took the hot chocolate from her hands and took another sip.
"Well she had mummy-ji sent over all your stuff photos and all to make you feel more at home on moms request. All the boxes are in her room. I am sure there are a couple of school photos" she got to her feet in an instant and started running towards her mothers room.
"Catch me if you can" she shouted to him from the door giving him a thumbs down.
"Oh no you wont" abeer shot up in a second as he realised her angle before chasing after meher.
