Originally posted by: nividances
You got it right Aarti...I was flooded with way too much work but everything else is absolutely all right. A romantic Valentine's update coming up soon even though it's December in the story. 😆
Aww poor Nivi. Sorry bother you so many request. Aage se nahi hoga aisa.
Happy Valentine's Day! 😃
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Chapter 59:
Sneha gave a cursory glance towards her phone when she heard it vibrate on the glass surface of her desk. She generally adhered to a strict 'no-phone' policy while she was with her patients, but the name flashing on her screen caught her attention and she momentarily excused herself. Picking up her phone, she hastily swiped across the screen to open the message and smiled with relief as the meaning of the words dawned on her.
Found her ma.
Typing out a quick response, Sneha put her phone back on silent with a happy smile and resumed the consultation with her patient, apologizing for the brief disturbance.
I guess Pihu will get her ice cream then.
"Pihu didi's ice cream?" Kabir wondered aloud as he read the reply on his phone. Looking across the table, he frowned in confusion and raised his eyebrows. Rachna answered, keeping her eyes lowered as she toyed around with a slice of orange on her plate.
"Pihu didi wanted strawberry cheesecake ice cream from Ben & Jerry's. As a reward for last night's plan." She added in the last bit softly.
Chuckling as he tucked his phone into his pocket, Kabir nodded.
"Well I guess we should also ask Gunjan what flavor she wants as her reward then."
Rachna looked up with surprise, her fork poised a few centimeters above her fruit salad. "What do you mean?"
Kabir shifted his gaze towards the crinkled piece of paper that Rachna had handed to him earlier. Picking it up from the table, he smiled thoughtfully and held it out to his wife.
"Gunjan wanted to surprise you by putting together a slideshow of pictures from your childhood. So she asked me to write a few words that describe you. I had meant to sneak this to her after the engagement ceremony yesterday but it slipped my mind. Albeit a little prematurely, but it seems that the words found their way to their muse on their own."
Rachna took the paper from Kabir wordlessly and smiled softly as she tucked it safely into her purse. Kabir watched as she picked up her fork again and began moving the pieces of fruit on her plate from corner to corner. He took the finishing bites of his sandwich, famished after last night's tumultuous events, and continued to observe Rachna silently over the next few minutes.
"On a diet? Because I don't think you need to be."
Shaking her head, Rachna put down her utensil with a soft clatter when she heard the words and pushed the nearly full plate a little ways away.
"Then?"
She lifted up her shoulders and returned a silent shrug as her answer to his question.
"Rachna." He spoke firmly, insisting he receive a proper response.
"I'm just not hungry right now. Anyways, if you're done, should we go?"
Kabir nodded reluctantly, unconvinced by her explanation, but stood up and walked out with her nonetheless. He held out his hand for the keys when they reached the spot where the car was parked. Shaking her head, she gestured for him to take the passenger seat. He held her hand as she began to unlock the door on the driver's side.
"I'll drive."
"Nahi Kabir, I'll just drop you home first and then I have to go and pick up some things from the mall."
He pulled the keys out of her grasp and stubbornly led her to the passenger side of the car, opening the door for her as he forced her to take a seat.
He spoke as he buckled himself into the driver's seat and started the car. "You're coming home with me so I can shower and change out of these clothes, but then I'm taking you out. No questions, no arguments. Got it?"
"But I have to..."
"No arguments I said."
Rachna smiled resignedly as she lovingly stared at her husband. "Okay, but at least let me tell Sneha mausi that you're kidnapping me for the day so she can go pick my jewelry up from the mall when she's free later."
"Hmmm, go ahead." Kabir kept his eyes on the road, while Rachna pulled her phone out to make the call.
The drive home took them over an hour, thanks to the horrid Mumbai traffic, which was a congested mess even though it was mid-morning on a weekday. A comfortable air settled in the car with the radio playing old Hindi songs faintly in the background. Rachna leaned back into her seat and kept her gaze fixed on Kabir, letting her thoughts drift casually, while he stole a few glances of her peaceful expression from the corner of his eyes periodically. She smiled shyly, remembering something, and turned towards the window with closed eyes as a blush crept over her entire face when the song changed, an action that certainly didn't go unnoticed by him.
Aap ki aankhon mein kuch mehke hue se raaz hai (In your eyes there are some fragrant secrets)
Aap ki aankhon mein kuch mehke hue se raaz hai (In your eyes there are some fragrant secrets)
Aap se bhi khoobsurat aap ke andaaz hai (Even more beautiful than you is your style)
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Kabir pushed in the CD and turned up the volume, smiling brightly as the melodious voice of his favorite singer, Kishore Kumar, filled the air. He hummed along softly as he entered the kitchen, his mouth immediately forming a big 'o' as he set his eyes on the chaos in front of him.
Rachna glared at him furiously, as he attempted to hide his laughter unsuccessfully behind a fake cough. She tried to brush away the loose strands of hair that were tickling her face and looked towards her husband with a distressed expression, pleading him to offer his assistance. He chuckled as he carefully stepped over the flour scattered across the floor. Standing beside her, he tucked the stray hairs behind her ear.
He swept his eyes across the room and teased. "I thought you were making a cake, but you seem to be redecorating the kitchen instead."
"Shut up. Not funny Kabir." Rachna pouted, pulling out a towel from the drawer and wiping her hands clean.
She sighed with exasperation as she looked around at the mess, noticing that the mixer had spewed flour onto nearly inch and corner of the room. Dusting the white powder off of the recipe book on the counter, she wiped the page with the cloth in her hand and studied the text carefully, reading out loud.
"Add the dry ingredients to the creamed sugar-butter mixture, making sure to keep the mixer set on a low..." She trailed off reading the last part of the sentence, realizing that she had mistakenly turned the mixer up to its full speed after adding the flour.
Aap ki aankhon mein kuch mehke hue se raaz hai (In your eyes there are some fragrant secrets)
Kabir continued to hum in tune with the music, while Rachna closed the book and tucked it into the cabinet with her other cookbooks. Putting her hands on her hips, she surveyed the mess in front of her, trying to decide where to begin cleaning.
"Kabir turn off that music! You know I hate these old Hindi songs!"
He held back a smile, watching her as she bit her lower lip and rubbed the back of her hand across her forehead, something she often did when she was stressed. He grabbed her hand and pulled her close to himself so she was standing directly in front of him. Brushing his hand over her face, he wiped away the white streaks of flour from her cheeks, while she continued to look dejectedly around the dirty kitchen and Kishore Kumar kept singing.
Lab hile toh mogre ke phool khilte hain kahin(When your lips move jasmine flowers blossom)
Tracing the outline of her upper lip with his finger, he freed the few specks of flour that had settled there. She looked into his eyes, drawn in by his alluring touch.
Aap ki aankhon mein kya saahil bhi milte hai kahin (In your eyes there are waves as well)
He blew softly at her eyes, liberating the flour from her eyelashes. His fingers meandered through her hair until he managed to pull it all together into a ponytail. Pulling a pencil out of the back pocket of his pants, he stuck it between his teeth and began twisting her tresses into a bun at the nape of her neck like he had seen her do countless times before. He stepped closer to her so he was looking over her shoulder, near enough that she was able to feel his breath on her neck. Slipping the pencil into her hair to secure the bun in place, he moved back and examined his handy work proudly, the corners of his mouth curving upwards into a slight smile.
Aap ki khaamoshiyaan bhi aap ki aawaaz hai (Your silence is also your voice)
She looked at him wordlessly with a content glint in her eyes, as he untied the apron from her waist and dusted it off before folding it and tucking it away into the drawer where it was supposed to be kept. Standing behind her, he placed his left hand around her waist and grabbed her right hand in his, guiding her to pick up a kitchen towel. Resting his chin on her shoulder, they swayed together to the music, while he directed her hand and wiped the counter clean.
Aap ki aankhon mein kuch mehke hue se raaz hai (In your eyes there are some fragrant secrets)
Aap ki aankhon mein kuch mehke hue se raaz hai (In your eyes there are some fragrant secrets)
He kept his gaze on the counter and focused on leading the movement of their hands, while she squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her heart flutter every time his lips brushed against her cheek. The knot in her stomach twisted frequently as his fingers ticklishly shifted on her waist. She opened her eyes when she felt his weight lift off of her shoulder and found him bringing the broom out from the space on the side of the fridge where it was kept. He handed her the broom and again resumed the same position as before, grasping the broom handle from behind her, placing his hands over hers. The music continued to play, as they swept all the flour on the floor into a pile.
Aap se bhi khoobsurat aap ke andaaz hai (Even more beautiful than you is your style)
Aap ki aankhon mein kuch mehke hue se raaz hai (In your eyes there are some fragrant secrets)
Once they were finished, Kabir leaned the broom against the wall of the kitchen and pulled Rachna even closer to himself, nestling his lips into her neck as he drew both of his hands around her abdomen. She placed her hands over his forearms and intertwined her fingers with his, leaning her head back onto his shoulder. He swung her around quickly so she was facing him and pulled her towards himself until their bodies were pressed together, both of her hands wedged tightly between their chests while his remained firmly at her waist.
Aap ki aankhon mein kuch mehke hue se raaz hai (In your eyes there are some fragrant secrets)
The song faded into the background as he touched his lips to hers and drew her deep into a kiss.
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"Do you want me to change it? I know you hate old Hindi songs."
Rachna's eyes flew open when she heard Kabir's teasing voice beside her, the color on her cheeks deepening to an even brighter red. Thankfully, he didn't wait for her to answer as he turned into their designated parking space and shut off the engine in one swift motion.
Slipping his hand into hers, Kabir led Rachna into the elevator. As the doors began to close, he pinned her into the corner, against the cold metal wall. However, Rachna quickly pushed him away as an elderly couple rushed in through the closing doors, putting a full stop to his elevator fantasies.
Just as Kabir brought out his keys to unlock the door, it was pulled open from the inside. Prakash smiled as he saw his son and daughter-in-law standing at the entrance.
"Hi papa. Are you going somewhere?"
"Haan Kabir. I have to go see Pathak regarding some legal matters. I'll be back in a few hours though."
Prakash stepped outside and patted his daughter-in-law's head fondly as she smiled back at him. Meanwhile, Kabir and Rachna walked into the house together. As soon as she closed the door, Kabir trapped Rachna against the wall again, hoping to make up for the lost opportunity from the elevator. She bit her bottom lip excitedly as he tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, running his feathery fingers across her cheek and tracing her earlobe.
"Bhai?"
Kabir straightened himself quickly and turned around to face his little brother, while Rachna covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. Karan saw Rachna's body peeking out from behind his brother and he grinned mischievously. "Oh, sorry to disturb you two."
Rachna pushed her husband to the side and walked into the house, hitting her devar's arm playfully as she passed him on her way to the kitchen. Kabir went straight into the bedroom as Karan laughed loudly behind him.
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"Tell me where we are going Kabir." Rachna whined, eliciting nothing more than a chuckle from her husband, who sat in the driver's seat again.
"Patience is a virtue that you could definitely learn."
"Okay at least give me a hint." Rachna continued, ignoring the teasing jab at her lack of patience.
"It's a place right here in Mumbai, but I know for sure that you've never been there."
Rachna spiraled deep into thought, going through all the major landmarks of Mumbai one by one, until she had exhausted the list. "Nahi Kabir, I've lived here my entire life. I've seen all the tourist spots."
"I never said it was a tourist spot." He smiled seeing her confused state, but she missed his grin as she continued to think of where they could possibly be headed.
"We're here." Kabir stopped the car a few minutes later and Rachna looked out of her window, stunned by the view that was sprawled out in front of her.
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❤️ Nivi
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