56. Badmashiyan
Often Time is the meanest weapon that chips away the little bit of confidence gained through deliberation. She knew Pari was right, the next step forward was to establish intimacy with her husband ... and yet... though she had conveyed the message to Maan there was this strange agitation and awkwardness. The time from leaving the office to Maan's return was enough to shred Geet's little bit of confidence in tatters. She jumped at the lightest touch and things slipped away from her hands as if they were made of jelly. Her agitation as usual was transferred to Shona who became cranky and clingy adding to Geet's unrest. So by the time she settled down Shona and prepared to retire Maan was already in bed. Not sure if she should be relieved or disappointed, she tiptoed to the bed and quietly slid inside the cover. Lying down on her side facing him she studied the perfection of his face now relaxed in sleep. The rhythm of his breath was enough to fill her with calmness. Now she felt so ashamed of her nervousness... This was Maan, her Maan ,her heart taunted...she raised her hand towards his face, with lightest touch she skimmed her fingers over his forehead, traced his thick eyebrows to flutter down his closed eyes to the cheek... the one whom she trusted and loved above all... She cupped his cheek softly...the one whom she knew loved her beyond limits... her thumb caressed the dip under his lips wishing she had the courage to wake him up with a kiss and then surrender to the desire he ignited...but what if...As the negative thoughts clouded in she found herself gazing into a pair of eyes glittering with mischief. With a gasp she started to withdraw her hand. As if reading her intention he placed his hand over hers and held it captive against his cheek.
"I like it when my wife touches me..." his voice was tinted with the same mischief that danced upon his eyes, "... more so when she thinks that she is doing it without my awareness and I can catch her in the act! " He turned his face to press a kiss upon her palm. Then holding her eyes, he used the tip of his tongue to make playful circles in her palm.
" I like touching my husband too..." she admitted in a shy whisper, her eyes dropping off.
"But?" he asked and she smiled softly. It was his unique ability, to hear the words that she never uttered.
He raised his hand to her forehead and touched the bruise on it, the one that had formed when she had run into the door in her nervousness.
"But?" he repeated, "What is bothering my Mishti so much that she has forgotten how to open the door again? Haan Geet?"
She pouted , trust him to catch her awkwardness .
"Tell me." he insisted caressing her forehead.
"I'm scared..." Geet said in a small voice her hand twitching at the bed spread.
He placed his hand over hers to still It, "I know what Pari advised, but Geet", he raised his hand to cup her cheek, "I won't have you being upset about it. There is absolutely no urgency ... We will make love if and only when you are absolutely sure... Only when you want to ..."
"I do want to..." she broke in earnestly , " But what if I...I" she curled her hand over his, holding on, wanting him to understand that what happened then was beyond her will, that she had frozen out despite wanting , so desperately wishing ... "I .. I can't.." her voice rang low with regret , shame and panic at the possibility, " ... like last time?"
He kissed the hand that was joined with his, "Then we will have to take more time ... try another time... and another..and another... After all we have a lifetime ahead of us..."
"You won't feel bad...?"
"Feel bad about what?" His eyes twinkled. "Actually I know it is a very serious responsibility being your partner, considering that my Geet has aced in every task put before her with her hard work and intelligence..." he tilted his head as if in contemplation, " but guess what, I am very industrious too and I excel in group studies, together we will pass our MA with flying colours..."
"MA?" Geet asked puzzled
"Masters in Marital Arts, Mishti..." And he continued with the same mischievous tone , " One thing that will ensure victory is practice.. haven't you heard practice makes perfect? So we are going to have lots of practice... and for that let us start with what we already know.." Cupping the back of her head he pulled her closer for a kiss
*********************
The room felt strangely quiet without his favourite ladies in the room... Geet was in the wash room and he had left a sleeping Shona with Dadi so that she will not be disturbed until they came back. His eyes fell on the bangles that Geet had placed on the table and reached over to touch them. He smiled recalling their tingling as his wife ran her hand down his chest after she knotted his tie... these casual touches that had increased in the past days filled him with a thrilling awareness and anticipation. He let her set the pace of her lovemaking, stopping at the slightest hesitation from her past, it was like he was fine tuned to her emotions. Yet he was hers to rule... his heart hers to raise in eagerness, his body hers to leave in restless frustration and his soul hers to brand with love.
He ran his hand on the dress she had placed on the bed. This was the first time they were going to a party without Shona and Dadi, just the two of them as a couple after Shona's birth. It was Valentine's night and Rudr was throwing a party which he claimed was his pre-captivity party . He thought about the parcel he had stashed away in the cupboard and quickly moved to put the dress she laid out into his wardrobe. He was about to place the parcel on the table when the handle of the washroom door turned. He just had time to hide himself behind the screen partition in anticipation of watching her reaction to his n'th gift of the day when the door opened. He watched her walk into the room clad in his shirt thrown over her petticoat.
She paused, "Maan ?" she called out as if sensing his presence. He held his breath not ready to reveal himself.
Moving ahead she couldn't find the dress she had laid out. She sighed.
"Geet you are becoming so forgetful..." she scolded herself, " no...you have only one thing in mind these days !!' and blushed as her thoughts went back to the passionate moments with Maan, the thank you he wanted for in exchange for the numerous gifts he showered on her .
"There you go again!" she reprimanded herself with a tap on her temple and moved towards her wardrobe and saw her dress hanging in with Maan's shirts.
She sighed in frustration, "Yeh lo! Now you want even your dress to be touchy with Maan's shirts!!" then took the saree , chuckling at the fanciful thought.
Passing by the table where Maan's photo was placed she paused admiring the naughty sparkle in his smiling face.
"Got you! You were the one watching, na? I can feel your eyes on me!" An amused Maan was about to come out of his hiding place to present her with the gift when she continued taking the photo in her hand, "And what are you smiling at? I know you are thinking that I would now hide behind the screen to change. You think I am too shy even to change in front of your photo right?"
Maan was intrigued...
She placed the photo back on the table and tilted her face in defiance. "Well I have news for you ... I am not embarrassed... do you hear me? I... AM ...NOY... SHY!"
Maan decided not to reveal himself yet, at this interesting turn of events.
She moved away to lock the bedroom door and declared walking back to stand in front of the photo, "You can watch all you want, see if I mind!"
And Maan decided to take up the invitation.
With a defiant look on her face she started by opening the first closed button on the top of the shirt deliberately slow. Then she opened the last two down at the bottom. She sighed, feeling the inhibition take control of her short spell of bravado. She started to turn the photo around to face the wall.
"Feeling shy, Mishti? A soft voice asked.
Geet turned around at the voice but couldn't find Maan who was still hiding.
"Tu na ...paagal ho rahi hai Geet, " she hit her forehead with the heel of her hand, "Bilkul paagal." She took the photo in her hands and glared at in mock anger, " Aur yeh sab aap ke vaje se hei ...Maan aap na, bade badmash ho!!'
Lowering the photo a bit, she trailed her fingers softly over the face that she missed whenever he was not around. And yet... she just needed to ... she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply ...wishing to recreate the feel of his arms around her.
She smiled at the impact of her imagination ..at the feel of the arms that slipped around her waist, the warmth of his breath as he bend to kiss her neck...
"Ummm..." she tilted her head back to rest on his shoulders and felt those lips travel up to nip on her earlobe.
"Maan..." she gave a breathless giggle.
"Haan Geet?"
"Maan!' she gasped realizing that the figment of imagination was indeed real. She turned around and took a quick step back and would have banged against the table if Maan's arms weren't still holding her.
"Shhh...careful now Mishty!' he admonished, pulling her closer.
"How..." her eyes flew to the door which was still locked. "But when.."
Maan's finger on her lips stopped her stammering effectively.
" Well, I had just come by to surprise my wife and heard her arguing ..." Maan plucked the photo from her hands cast a fleeting glance on it before putting it aside... "with my photo!" She clutched at the shirt, suddenly realizing the state of her undress. He continued with a straight face , " then when I thought I should intervene and make peace , she invited me to watch her change..." Geet shut her eyes in embarrassment.
" And then she refused to deliver what she promised!! It is so unfair! "
Geet shook her head. He lifted her bend head and ran his thumb over the heated cheek.
"Now you will have to pay the penalty for cheating." He leaned closer to whisper into her ear, tickling her ears with his words.
He touched her lips with his once, then a second time and pulled back to see her reaction. As expected, her eyes flew open to read the challenge in his eyes. She raised her hand to touch his face and lifted herself up on her tiptoes to kiss him. Her lips brushed retreated and brushed again, teasing him back. He could feel the smile on her lips. It thrilled him that she was playful. With his hand cupping her nape he deepened the kiss. She could feel her blood humming, as his mouth explored hers with delight.
His fingers stroked her nape, delicately slipping down over her collar bone with soothing touches. Her hand circled back to clutch his shirt, then opening to explore the smooth muscles of his back. His lips left hers to trail a smoldering fire of kisses along her cheek , to her ear and she sighed. His voice was husky as he placed her hand over his heart to let her feel the accelerated heartbeat, "Whatever is driving you crazy finds it's reflection in my mind too.."
" Maan ..." she leaned on him, taking in the synchronized rhythm of their heart beats.
"But..." he moved slightly away, " for now I just want to show of my beautiful valentine."
The naughty spark was back in his eyes, " and for that I have even helped you undress."
"Undress?"
Maan's eyes strayed to the shirt she was wearing. Geet gasped and clutched at the shirt which was now open.
"Aap na bade badmaash ho!" Geet accused and turned her back to him.
"Badmaash?" Maan asked in mock hurt. " I was just helping my Mishty to win her challenge against a mere photo!" he leaned down to tug her earlobe playfully with his lips.
"Badmaash!" she repeated, her hands quivered as she did up the buttons again.
"Toh teek hai , mujhe ek aur badmaashi karna hai."
He walked away to get the gift wrapped parcel.
"Maan! Another gift?" Geet's curiosity turned to exasperation on seeing the gift. "Don't you get tired?"
"No. I am trying to catch up with all the years I missed."
All the years she missed, she thought, now that he knew about her life before him.
He offered the parcel to her.She placed her hand on his shoulder for support and stretched up on her tip toes to kiss his cheek, "thank you." She said taking the gift.
He watched, amused at the careful way she opened the parcel, making sure that the wrap was not torn. Then saw her eyes widen in pleasure seeing the red saree that he had gifted.
"Will you wear it tonight?"
He asked, his face beaming with pleasure at the awe with which she touched the saree and the jewellery he had chosen to go with it. She moved her head in acceptance, smiling at him.
She was about to move away just to do that when he caught her hand. She looked at him, enquiringly. "I want to help you with that." He saw the confusion first, then they widened as she misunderstood his demand and the shock.
"Not the saree Geet !" he ran a finger down her cheek and couldn't resist teasing, " but if you insist, I am willing to learn. But not today, haan? For today I just meant these." He took the necklace in his hand.
At her consent, he took the box containing the ornaments and placed it on the table and was about to move away when she held him back.
"Maan, you can wait here."
His looked at her. He could see the nervousness in her, "Are you sure?" he asked not wanting to make her uncomfortable.
She nodded her head in agreement.
"Very sure?' he asked again lifting her face to his with his fingers under her chin.
"Yes..." though her voice was shaky, her eyes were determined.
In the moments that stretched like hour he tried to keep himself busy by checking his phone for mails, yet the awareness of the person who had moved behind the screen remained with him tampering with his concentration. His ears seemed to be finely tuned to catch the faintest of sound from her. his eyes refused to focus on the screen instead was drawn to his wife's movements behind the screen. Even without an open view he could detect her hands moving down the shirt, releasing one button after another. Her movements were slow and her eyes looking down as if she needed her full concentration to complete the job at hand.
Then he caught her shy eyes thru the screen as she looked towards him. He could almost sense her taking a deep breath as she held the shirt at the chest with both her hands. The next he felt out of breath... he caught a glimpse of those gleaming shoulders and gentle curves when she took off the shirt completely. He looked away, yet knowing that the moment will remain in with him forever...her shy boldness which bespoke of her determination to overcome her self-consciousness... her confidence in their relation... his lips stretched in an elated smile.
When she came to stand near him, he cupped her face with both his hands and kissed her on her forehead to show his pride in her, her closed eyes to take away the apprehension that lingered, the tip of her nose to appreciate her spunk, both her cheeks to show his care and those smiling lips to seal his love.
the update is inspired from:
[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Nan8UH3F8[/YOUTUBE]
And i thought why shud i try to put into words the expressions which were so perfectly portrayed (but plz ignore the turban) 😃
i will be jumping the party but i have the perfect song for the situation on which Maaneet can dance ... how did they dance ? here goes:
[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv30b8BEMec[/YOUTUBE]
EDIT: I forgot Youtube cannot be accessed everywhere.. the song is 'Jab se Teri Naina' and the vid i posted is the one from Nachle Ve with Saroj Khan.
*PHEW* I'M FEELING SO NERVOUS updating after more than an year... i don't have any excuse to give other than what i always say.. the dwindled inspiration... i was completely disconnected from my muse ..
But * with my right hand outstretched , palm facing down*
"I WILL finish my FFs, I solemnly promise"
I hope i will be able to get into the spirit of writing with this update... SO your kind word count a LOT 😳
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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