Chapter Nineteen (Part A)
I stared at myself in the mirror and I groaned.
It was every freaking where!
There was no way I could wear a simple dress...or any saree as it would be unusual for me sporting one when I usually didn't wear it.
I groaned and I tried to think...think...think...
Turtle Necks!!!
Thank God for turtle necks!
I slowly, carefully, shifted myself from the seat I was in by my dresser and I tried to grip the dresser to stabilize my footing and I gripped the dresser as the pain slashed down my spine all the way down to my ankles.
It seemed after taking a hot bath with Kunal it made it only worse.
I blushed at the memory of me sitting on Kunal as he tried to help me wash away the powder that was still on my body.
That train of thought caused me to lose my balance but thankfully was able to maintain my balance but the pain that came had me clench my teeth.
This is ridiculous.
How the heck am I supposed to go down stairs like this?
How am I supposed to go to work tomorrow?
I groaned even more in frustration.
I got out of my private musings when I saw Kunal come out the bathroom completely shaved, his hair completed combed and gelled through and fully dressed in a turtleneck black and white sweater with well-fitted dark blue jeans and sneakers.
He tried to maintain a smile as he walked over to me but he flinched and he bit another slew of curses under his breath.
"If its that bad I can make you some tea and bring it up here instead?" I said.
He finally made his way after the repeated steps of cringing, flinching, stopping, cursing, and then walking towards me all over again.
"You can barely move...I'm afraid while you try to bring it up here you will fall down the stairs." He cringed.
I don't know if he meant it as a joke but his voice altered into worry at the last statement.
"You don't have to tell me that. I can't teach the children by sitting in my seat all day...what type of teacher would I be?" I said.
He touched my hand that was on the top of the dresser and he gripped my back and once again I found myself in his arms.
He cursed and he flinched but he didn't move to prevent himself from dropping me.
"Do you need some medicine? Something? Anything?" I asked concerned.
"I can't. It will make me drowsy and Asha texted that one of my clients confirmed meeting me but they are only available in the next four days I need to plan for that before the weekend is over." He said.
"But your headache?" I said.
"I can handle it." He said trying to smile but it came out wobbly and sloppy.
I smiled back at him.
"But how do I explain to maa ji, Dhruv, papa ji about my condition? There is no way I can take time off from work...but it looks like I will have no choice." I sighed.
"Should we go down for breakfast?" he said looking at me.
"No I need to still get dress and I need to cover these love bite marks." I said while blushing.
"I think it's passed the time for us to be shy with one another. By the way...whatever we did we should continue it again in a more sober mind of course. I didn't think I like the idea but I'm totally loving the fact of being tied up and you having your wicked way with me. Maybe we can reverse it with me tying you up and I have my wicked way with you?" he said with a glint and invitation in his voice.
I looked at him and smacked his arm.
"What the heck? I'm having pain now from my lower back down to my legs and I m feeling extremely sore and you still are telling me that you want to repeat whatever took place last night?" I asked incredulously.
"Yes!" Kunal nodded and resulting in him flinching in pain.
"Never happening again!" I said.
"Oh come on Shraddha?" Kunal pouted.
"No come on Shraddha. You are not the one feeling as if you couldn't use your legs and feel incredibly raw and disable. Remember who's on the receiving end and who has to bear majority of the impact." I said.
He pouted and he tried to say more but I cut him off and turned a blind eye.
"To my closet!" I said curtly.
"But Shraddha?"
"TO THE CLOSET!" I said raising my voice.
****************
I looked at Kunal skeptically but he was concentrated on eating his food...completely avoiding eye contact.
I was about to reach for some toast and put jam on it until maa ji took the jam away and I looked at her and my tongue felt lodged in the roof of my mouth.
She was staring between me and Kunal with a stern expression while papa ji sat back eating and watching everything play out while Dhruv was busily drinking his glass of apple juice while clutching one of his toys in his other hand while he drank.
I put my toast down and wiped my hands on my napkin and placed my hands in my lap refusing to look at her.
I felt my cheeks flaming and I lifted my hands to adjust the neck of my sweater hoping and praying I applied the right amount of foundation that would hide the bruises.
After realizing that majority of the love bites were scattered around the upper part of my neck, there was so much the turtle neck shirt could conceal.
I snuck a glance at Kunal and he was taking everything easy breezy and was eating as if nothing was happening, flinching every now and then from his headache but acting as if nothing was wrong.
I sighed and knew she was going to be able to pry it out of me.
"Once again I'm asking as to what's wrong between the two of you? First Kunal carries you down the stairs as if something is wrong with your legs, next he assists on helping me serve breakfast mind you he never did it before." she said
I looked up hesitantly and knew I wished I stayed upstairs instead.
"Another thing...what temperature is it today?" she asked.
I looked at her confused but before I could say anything papa ji answered looking at me with amusement as he answered maa ji.
"It's approximately 74 degrees outside." Papa ji said smiling.
"It must be opposite day as it seems instead of wearing loose and light clothing you two decide on covering yourself up completely." Maa ji said.
I gulped and looked at papa ji in betrayal and he smiled and turned to maa ji.
"It's okay. Kids these days are different from us back in our day." Papa ji said taking the jam that was in maa ji's grasp.
Papa ji warranted enough of a distraction that maa ji turned towards him with a confused expression.
"Huh?" she said.
"You know these days' children wear less clothing during the winter and cold seasons and it seems they are overcompensating during the summer and spring." Papa ji said while passing the jam to me.
I looked at him and smiled and he winked at me as he quickly turned back to maa ji to maintain her attention.
"But that doesn't make sense as to why especially as to why..." Maa ji tried to say but papa ji stuck a piece of toast into her mouth.
Her eyes bulged and she looked at the piece of toast and was going to take it out of her mouth but instead plopped it back in and papa ji took her arm and slowly guided her towards the seat next to him.
"Sit down and eat. What's with all these questions so early this morning? Especially you should be asking as to what you did yesterday with Zor." Papa ji added.
Maa ji was slowly chewing on the piece of toast begrudgingly then completely stop and her face looked pinched and horrified after hearing papa ji's last statement.
"What the heck did I do with that Major Saab?" she said tightly.
I spread my toast with jam and bit into not missing beat as I tuned into their conversation while at the same time pinching Kunal for throwing me into the fire without missing a beat.
"Hey..." Kunal said while turning to me without thinking and he cringed once more and cursed under his breath.
But I ignored him when I heard something fall.
It was the half-eaten toast that maa ji had in her mouth that was in her mouth which was now a perfectly formed "O".
"I did what?!!!!" she said horrified.
"Dance and singing with him. You looked like old chummy friends." Papa ji said while smiling at maa ji.
"Dancing and singing...when and where...how..." she paused and she groaned.
"Was it in front of everyone?" she asked cautiously.
"Of course! You guys were the first of the opening set. Everyone cheered you guys on and everyone enjoyed your singing and his dancing." Papa ji said.
"There is no way...no way." Maa ji said.
"Its true maa ji, you and papa were amazing you guys were brilliant, superub, excellent...a star couple. You guys reminded me of Amitabh and Rekha." I said making an okay symbol with my hand.
She completely got up and she placed her hands on her cheeks in horror.
"Oh no. Oh no. Oh God no! In front of our friends...our family...oh God! What are they saying about me? What are they saying about my family? Oh God!" She said panicking and she were almost out of the dining room until papa ji called her before she left.
"Where are you going Kamini? Its breakfast and you didn't eat anything yet except some toast. At least eat something..." Papa ji tried to say but maa ji waved him off.
"Never mind food. I need to call everyone. What they must think...what they are saying about me...I need to call everyone and explain...there is no way...no way. Amrit...what is she thinking OH GOD! What is she thinking?" She said and she practically ran out to the living room while papa ji laughed and I continued eating.
"So I distracted Kamini but I'm really curious as to why Kunal has a bite mark on the side of his neck?" papa ji said while smiling.
It was my turn to drop my toast on my plate and Kunal froze and looked up at papa ji who was smiling just as much.
I looked at Kunal and he looked at me and flinched but maintained eyelevel with me.
"So what happened for you to have a huge bite mark on your neck? I hope Shraddha wasn't so hungry that she tried to take it out on you?" Papa ji said while taking his cup of tea and sipping on it while looking at Kunal.
Kunal shifted in his seat under papa ji's perusal.
"What can I say dad? I was an unconscious party...the only person who knows is the perpetuator themselves." Kunal said.
"Kunal!" I said to him shocked.
He looked at me and shrugged.
"I'm not lying I was an unconscious party." He said while winking and turning back to his breakfast while papa ji looked at me.
I gulped and I fidgeted with my shirt.
***************
(Two weeks later...End of March)
I was busy reading and grading some of my students' essays that they had to write about for a topic of their choice.
Some of their writings was cute and adorable with some minor errors in their grammar but I didn't grade them heavily based on that.
I made little notes and comments on the side about it and made a mental note to include it in my next lesson.
I was in halfway through the pile of papers when I saw the front door open and saw Dhruv running in with a large piece of paper, grinning.
I paused in what I was doing to direct my attention towards him.
There was a time when I would have been angry and ask him to go mess around in his room.
I sighed but I smiled at Dhruv who paused in front of me.
He was smiling and he quickly turned the paper that he had a death grip on and saw a large picture of a city with cars, trees, a lake or ocean perhaps, and people holding hands.
I looked at Dhruv puzzled.
"Dadi ji was helping me in coloring it in but I wanted to ask you what color I should color the city. The last time I tried to color one of my drawings but the teacher said I colored it the wrong color and my teacher scolded me." Dhruv pouted.
At that I drew away from his drawing and looked at him in his eyes.
"Wrong color?" I asked confused.
Dhruv nodded.
"I painted the sky purple, orange, and pink instead of blue and that the buildings were too colorful and he said it should just be black or gray or white." Dhruv said.
"Did he say you guys had to only draw it like that? Did everyone draw it like that as well?" I said concerned.
Dhruv nodded his head.
I frowned and something was gnawing at my gut.
That wasn't right.
Conformity was something that wasn't bad in essence but for Dhruv to learn that at his age. It wasn't right.
Being different, being creative, being original wasn't something to be abhorred by and for an educator to limit a child's creativity and imagination was just as damaging.
"Mama?" Dhruv said.
I looked up at him and he was smiling but his eyes showed confusion.
I smiled again so he wouldn't worry.
"It's okay I will help you." I said smiling.
I told him which color for everything and before we could finish maa ji came by with a bunch of crayons in her hands and she looked at Dhruv.
"Are we going to finish or not? It's almost six and out show is about to start." She said smiling at Dhruv.
"Oh yeah!" Dhruv said and he slapped his forehead with his free hand.
"Thanks mama." Dhruv said and he came around the small table and kissed my cheek and he ran towards maa ji and she smiled at him as he began rambling about some show they started watching together a week ago.
***************
"What's wrong?" Kunal lifted me from my side and plop me in between his legs that were outstretched on the bed.
He leveled his laptop that he was working on the nightstand and he brushed the papers he was looking at and his phone that he was using aside.
Without my volition he started to knead my neck and I was going to tell him it wasn't needed but soon I felt like soft clay in his hands that he had the mind in molding and shaping in any way he liked.
I leaned back into his warmth and I felt my eyes slowly drift close.
He continued and I could feel his hands go lower on my back and I just sighed at his attention.
However, I should have known better to just willingly trust Kunal as soon as I lost concentration as I could feel his hands around my waist; his hands lifting up the shirt of my nightgown and I immediately swatted his hands away.
"No funny business." I denied.
Kunal groaned.
"Come on sweetie." He said in most sexiest and huskiest of voices.
He was being insistent and I already knew due to the lack of any sex in the past week or so due to the demand from his job and the assignments, exams, and quizzes I had to grade.
Some smart idea popped into my head that I could delay it and now I was in this situation of staying up most nights to finish grading all of it plus trying to adjust my curriculum when the children did not understand a specific section.
I sighed.
"When have I become sweetie now?" I said containing my laughter.
"You're always sweetie to me." He said but I could feel his arms working his way under my shirt.
This time I just sighed and let him as the feel of his warm hands against my skin was addicting and it felt so nice.
"Okay...how about sweetheart then?" he said with the same voice, still rubbing his hands against my skin but I couldn't help but notice his hands were going higher under my shirt.
"My heart is not feeling particularly sweet right now." I said with dry humor but I smiled despite myself.
"I can make it sweet along with other places if you let me." He said with the same voice.
I laughed.
"That is so corny. How is that possible how can you make it sweet?" I said twisting towards him in amusement.
"Want to find out?" he said but his eyes turned darker and there was nothing but heat and desire in his eyes.
I blushed and turned around swatting his hands away.
"No way." I said hoarsely.
But I could feel his lips brush against my neck and I sighed as it felt nice but after a while I moved and his lips disconnected with my neck.
He groaned and I laugh but I grabbed his hands that I swatted earlier and linked my hands in his as I leaned back into his chest that was covered in a red tee shirt.
"You are such a tease." Kunal grumbled but he squeezed his hands against mine.
"Says the one who walks around here half-naked in a towel." I said.
"I keep forgetting to bring my shaver." He said while obviously pouting.
"I keep telling you to just leave it in the bathroom." I said.
"And it always somehow fall into the sink and gets destroyed." He said.
"Then you should off the water." I said.
"But I need it to brush my teeth." He said.
"You are wasting water. At least shave first than brush your teeth." I said with more amusement than annoyance.
"But I also use it to clean any leftover..." He trailed off.
"Kunal! You are making excuses." I said interrupting him but smiling despite myself.
"But you are just being mean." He said.
I shook my head.
"How am I being mean?" I said.
"Because you won't let me have fun..." he said leaning his head against my neck.
I twisted my head to stare at him and I remembered what happened earlier and I lost my smile.
"What's wrong?" Kunal said noting my change in mood.
He changed his tune so quickly...
Any hint of his playful mood was gone and I could feel tension in his body but I sighed for a moment before answering.
"It's just a lot of work I had to do...plus Dhruv." I said.
Kunal gently twisted my body so he could make contact with my face.
"What's wrong with Dhruv?" he said confused.
I smiled and shook my head.
"It's not serious but more of a concern..." I trailed on.
"Concern?" Kunal said while arching his eyebrow.
"It was something he said that had me worried or concerned. He said that he got scolded and most likely a bad grade for coloring an assignment of his the "wrong color"." I said emphasizing the word to show how ludicrous and ridiculous it sounded.
"How do you draw something the wrong color...especially someone at his age?" Kunal said bemused.
"I don't know how you draw something the wrong color but the teacher must feel it must be for him to get scolded." I said confused.
"Should I..." Kunal drawled on.
"No need. I'm handling this one. You did the last one." I said smirking.
Kunal smiled and softly chuckled.
"Is it because of what happened last time?" Kunal said in amusement and the earlier worry gone from his voice.
"You know it's because of what happened last time." I said.
Kunal chuckled and he wrapped his hands around my waist and snuggled into the nook of my neck.
"Since that is over...Shraddha can we...you know have fun tonight?" he said with a mischievous tone while knowing he was wagging his stupid eyebrows.
I rolled my eyes yet played along.
"Yes we can." I said seductively while turning towards him.
My eyes meeting his and I could feel his eyes turn a darker shade and desire started to pool from his gaze.
He became excited and was going to kiss my lips but I put my index finger over his lips.
"We can have fun by you finishing your work while I go to sleep. Goodnight dear." I said smiling and kissing his cheeks.
Before he decided to do anything else I quickly delved away out of his reach for the covers and I laughed when he fumed and grumbled.
***************
Hindi TV Shows
Cricket
Kumkum Bhagya
