"This is sex, Chashmish. This nakedness, this coming apart in each other's arms, this is sex too."
Perhaps there was an argument for her to make here, about fairness and reciprocity and getting the "full experience" but she was too tired to make it and his embrace was too warm to leave.
"Okay. Now we sleep. And you hold me."
Part 6 - Revelations
Abhi tightened his eyelids against the glaring sunlight. He couldn't remember the last time he hadn't woken up to multiple snoozed alarms. He was just so relaxed, the grey fog that had enveloped him for so long having lifted slightly. Suddenly a low snore jolted him out of his blissful state. Pragya! Last night! His sleep vanished in an instant and the memories came flooding back. How she had claimed him and possessed him. And then how, by trusting him enough to shatter in his arms, she had put him back together.
He felt affection swell to an uncomfortable knot in his chest. Whatever did I do to deserve this? Her eyelids fluttered and with affection he felt the weight that he carried around start to descend on him too. Like her cute little snores, this moment too was ephemeral. Soon she would awake and then? How much would she regret sleeping with her estranged husband? He tugged her a little closer and draped a leg over her for good measure. He would have to let her go - reluctantly - when she awoke but he was going to savour these last few moments when she slept. Abhi clamped his eyes closed when she started to stir. Just a little longer. He felt the ghost of her touch trail down his face and onto his chest.
"Good morning." Wait a minute, she looked so content.
"Good morning." He smiled and leaned over to kiss her.
She made a face at their morning breath but relaxed into the kiss, her lips moving languidly w with his. He was just about to pull her closer (if that were even possible!) when the shrill cry of his alarm ripped through the silence.
10:15 AM. Shit. He scrambled to extricate himself from the bedclothes without kicking her in the process. Unfortunately, he failed miserably.
"OW!" Even more unfortunately, she had a good right leg herself and swiftly found himself in a tangle on the carpet - butt naked.
"What are you doing! Your...tijori is khuli!" She exclaimed through covered eyes. Bit too late for that, isn't it? She had wrapped herself up so thoroughly in the billowing bed cover that only her face peeked through.
"Have you looked at the time Chashmish? I would have expected the teacher to be a bit more concerned with time. What's it you always said to me? Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.'" It was difficult to sound dignified when hopping around with his tijori on display but Abhi thought he was doing an admirable job.
"Argh!" She stretched and he felt his senses stand to attention again. "Since when did you become so responsible?" Since I didn't have you to take care of me. "And what punctuality are you talking about? There's no flight to catch and I highly doubt you would have scheduled a meeting before the afternoon."
"Yes I know we don't have to catch a flight but who knows how the traffic will be and the government officer is coming at two!"
She sat bolt upright. Shit.
"What?"
"Nothing! I mean, I have some work at two. Some producers are coming to talk to me about my latest album, you must have heard about it - "
"You've always been a terrible liar. Tell me what is going on."
He scuttled along the perimeter of the room but there was no way she could avoid her piercing gaze. "Well...I don't want to get him in trouble with your family but Purab let it slip the other day."
"I haven't even told Bulbul that they're finally unlocking Kumkum Bhagya so Purab has no idea. How did you know about this!"
Busted.
The dawning expression on her face was akin to horror. "It was you, wasn't it?" She whispered, "You cleared the paper work against Kumkum Bhagya. You arranged to have it opened."
He could only nod silently. Suddenly, the mood in the room changed. The warm sunlight became oppressive as her face twisted rapidly. He wanted to do nothing more than to take her into his arms and soothe her quivering lips but the between them were back.
She opened her mouth to say something but he stopped her. Words were too formal, too final. Not yet.
"It's getting late. Get ready for the journey," he said brusquely and walked out, leaving her staring after him in her gigantic blanket.
Pragya leaned against the headrest and gazed restlessly at her reflection in the car window. To her surprise, she looked no different from yesterday. Her face showed no trace of the monumental events of the previous night. Her body on the other hand...She flushed and tugged her dupatta closer to her neck to hide the evidence of her husband's ardour. Had he noticed? No, he too was staring out of the window, thinking about god-knows-what.
He had been uncharacteristically silent the entire drive. He leaned over only once to whisper in her ear, "Are you okay?"
Are you okay? How could she answer that? She had broken every rule she had ever made for herself and all she wanted was to do it all again. She had just given herself, body and soul; to her husband. The one man she had sworn never to let in again. She had allowed him to touch her core and brand her body. And she had enjoyed it.
In fact she had enjoyed it so much that she had even forgotten that the marriage hall was opening today. How could she have forgotten the day her entire family had been waiting for? All after one night of (admittedly mind-blowing) sex? She closed her eyes in shame. But still she could not bring herself to regret it.
"Pragya! Pragya, wake up! We've reached. " She felt Abhi's gentle hand on her shoulder and awoke to find the car stopped a couple of houses away from hers.
"Already? Why did you stop here?"
"Go, your family must be waiting for you. It's better if no one sees my car near your house."
So this was it, goodbye? She grabbed his wrist. "I want you to come with me for the opening."
"What? Are you crazy? Have you thought about what Ma and Rockstar Dadi will say if they see me?"
She looked directly into his eyes. "I don't care. If Kumkum Bhagya is opening today, it's only because of you. I want you to be there."
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AN: Thank you for reading! I'm sorry for SUCH a late update, but if you've gotten here, thank you for sticking with this story. As always, please leave your reviews, they mean a lot. And buddy for PMs. 😊
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