101
If there was one thing that would make her cry the hardest, it would be the most beautiful times. If she could kiss him and tell him how much he meant to her, she would gladly do so, but sometimes even if physical closeness was present, there was so much more distance.
The next morning, when her eyes opened and she grasped that she was lying on top of Randhir, a small blush crept up her cheeks. His arms were around her, holding her with so much love. She knew that he was tired last night, so he didn't argue. If she could make him this tired every night, then perhaps he would calm down?
She nearly giggled at the thought - she knew how to handle her Randhir, and she was glad that that skill hadn't been lost throughout the years.
Sanyukta slowly got off him. He stirred a bit in his sleep as she got off then turned around and started to breathe deeply again.
She admired him as he slept. He looked so good. Sanyukta couldn't help but lean over and kiss his cheek.
He moved again in his sleep, but she blushed and ran into the bathroom to take a shower.
When she got ready and left the bathroom, a smile adorning her face, she saw that he was still sleeping.
Sanyukta went downstairs to make some tea for him, so he could have a warm cup as soon as he woke up. It was still really early in the morning so it was not time to wake Somya up yet.
As soon as she made the tea, she took up a tray with two cups into their bedroom. As Randhir continued to lightly snore, she placed the tray on their bedside table and leaned over him, kissing his nose lovingly.
Randhir's hands gripped her waist involuntarily, as he continued to snore.
"Randhir," Sanyukta whispered, blushing.
"Mhmmm," he said, pulling her down on top of him, still fast asleep.
Sanyukta glanced down at his soft pink lips, and she couldn't help it. She kissed him softly on the lips, and he slowly opened his eyes.
When he processed what was happening, he pushed her off him on the bed and rubbed his eyes groggily.
Sanyukta gulped nervously and picked up a cup of tea from the tray before holding it out for him to take.
"Here," she told him softly.
Randhir took the cup of tea from her and brought it to his lips before sipping it quickly.
"Aah!" he screamed, and Sanyukta placed her hand on her shoulder impulsively. "It burned my tongue."
Sanyukta took the cup from him and placed it back on the tray before trailing her fingers against his jaw softly. She brought her lips against his and placed her tongue on top of his, trying to soothe the burning sensation that he was feeling.
Randhir was too stunned to react.
Finally, after a few moments, he pushed her away again and glared at her.
"Stay away from me," he ordered.
Sanyukta smiled softly at him.
"Sometimes you are so predictable," she pointed out.
"I don't want to talk to you," he groaned. "Please leave."
As tears filled her eyes, she couldn't help but smile. This time the pain felt bittersweet. She didn't know what changed. There was just some confidence that everything would be alright.
"Okay," she told him softly. "I'll see you downstairs."
Randhir looked at her suspiciously, surprised that she had given in so quickly.
Then she got up and left the room, a satisfying smile on her face as tears fell from her eyes.
"Oh Randhir, if only you understood how happy you make me," she muttered to herself as she closed the door to their room. "Even if you tell me to leave and go far away, I'll cry... not with sadness, but with contentment."
If only he understood.
102
He saw the tears in her eyes and he felt a blow to his heart, but he knew that a little bit of suffering was necessary for a future of happiness. She wanted to stay, but he would compel her to leave him.
As he slid out of bed and got ready, he couldn't help but feel his eyes water. He couldn't control his tears. He didn't want her to go... he loved her so much, but he was afraid of hurting her. As fresh tears fell from his eyes, he took a deep breath, knowing he had to be strong to hold his facade.
When he got ready and went downstairs, Somya was already sitting on the dining table, her hair in two braids and Sanyukta was serving her food.
"Good morning," Sanyukta chirped cheerfully and Randhir knew that behind her happy face, was pain and only pain.
"Daddy!" Somya said excitedly. "Mommy said we'll go to the movie theatre this weekend!"
"What?" Randhir asked, sounding disturbed. "Movie theater? Why?"
"I want to take my daughter to watch a movie," Sanyukta said coolly. "If you want to come, you can join us."
"Please come daddy. Please!" Somya pleaded.
Randhir nearly groaned.
"I'll see," he told her. "Eat your breakfast."
"I am!" Somya grumbled. "Hey Mommy, what's that mark on your neck?"
Sanyukta reached up to touch her neck, her fingers lightly brushing over the love bite that Randhir had given her last night.
Randhir and Sanyukta both looked at each other with a horrified expression on their faces.
103
"It-it's-" Sanyukta stammered, trying to answer her six year old daughter without giving away that the red mark on her neck was a love bite.
"Somya," Randhir interrupted sternly, "Didn't I tell you to eat your breakfast?"
Somya looked up with a pout.
"I'm just asking -" Somya replied.
"Don't ask, just eat," he told her strictly.
"But what if mom got hurt?" Somya asked him, still pouting.
"Somya," Randhir warned, "You don't want to make daddy mad do you?"
Sanyukta glared at Randhir then touched Somya's shoulder lovingly. It wasn't her fault for not knowing.
"Somya," Sanyukta told her, "I'm fine. I'm not hurt. It's just a bite."
"A bug bite?" Somya asked with wide eyes. "I have one too on my foot! It's so itchy. Is yours itchy too mommy?"
Sanyukta sighed and Randhir glared at her. If she had just gone along with what he was doing, Somya wouldn't be asking so many questions.
"Somya please listen to your daddy and eat or you'll be late for school," Sanyukta told her softly.
"I'm just asking a question but nobody is answering me," she grumbled.
"I will be back," Randhir then said and started to go upstairs.
"Me too," she told Somya nervously. "Be a good girl and eat."
Somya frowned as both of her parents disappeared upstairs and she wondered what was happening. Everything looked fishy to her.
As soon as Sanyukta entered their room, she grabbed Randhir's arm and glared at him.
"Couldn't you go softer on me last night?" she asked him, sounding annoyed. "Do you know because of you our daughter just asked us something awkward. Don't corrupt her!"
"Are you looking for a reason to argue or something?" he responded, nearly rolling his eyes at her overreaction.
104
Sanyukta had always been like this - finding one small thing to argue about and then blowing it out of proportion. Somya would not figure out what a love bite was, no matter how many questions she asked, so he thought that Sanyukta blaming him was pointless. He knew her well though, so he knew that it was a reason for her to speak to him and to argue with him. She wanted a reaction out of him.
It was true he lost control last night, and it was also true that his desire for her had unleashed in such a way that it formed a love bite, but it was not their first one. Sanyukta had no reason to argue over this.
"I - I just don't find it appropriate for Somya to see this kind of thing," Sanyukta stammered, trying to defend herself. "Do you even know how bad it will look when she grows up and finds out about what a love bite is?"
Randhir's hands balled into fists when she said that - the thought of Somya growing up to find out about these things did not sound good to him. He wouldn't let any guy next to his daughter.
"I hope she does not find out," he replied, "Otherwise whoever she finds out from will be dead."
Sanyukta looked at him with surprise for a moment, before breaking out into laughter, finally understanding that Randhir was already possessive about his daughter.
"She will have to grow up one day Randhir, and if she brings home a boyfriend, we have to be supportive," Sanyukta told him, giggling at her husband's possessive side.
She always dreamed about moments like these, where Randhir and her would raise their children, where Randhir would be possessive about his daughter. She never thought that she could ever actually experience the bliss of the moment.
"She won't dare! She's not allowed to have a boyfriend," Randhir said angrily.
"My dad said the same thing," Sanyukta told him with a sad smile, "And you know what happened to me..."
Randhir looked into her eyes, his anger cooling down into something perhaps worse. Malice.
"Maybe you should have listened to him them," Randhir snapped, "If you hadn't run off with me at least you would still have your family."
"Yes, but I wouldn't have you. I wouldn't have Somya. I wouldn't have happiness," Sanyukta told him, her eyes beginning to water.
"Then your parent's had no value to you? How would you like it if Somya came up to us and said she was leaving us for good?" Randhir asked her, getting angry again.
"Of course they had value. I loved them, I still do, but Randhir, if they came in the way of my life, my happiness, my dreams, perhaps their ideas were more important for them. I didn't leave them to gain anything materialistic. I left them to be with my love, someone who I would leave my whole life for," she told him, a soft smile playing on her lips, "I left them for you Randhir, and I never truly regretted it for even a moment."
"That's stupid," he pointed out, "For someone like me, you left your family."
"Yes, and even today, for someone like you, I will go against everyone in the world... even if it is you," she confessed, then reached up to caress his cheek lovingly.
Randhir pushed her hand off and glared at her, still not able to fathom what she was saying.
"If I tell you to leave, you will lose all your self-respect and stay?" he asked her impatiently.
"If you tell me to leave and walk away from my own life, sure, I will do it. But I will only do it if I know that your happiness lies in that," she told him softly, then she rested her hands on his chest lovingly. "I know, your happiness does not lie in that though, so for your information, no... I will not leave."
Randhir couldn't believe the determination on this girl. Here he was trying to get her to leave for her own sake, by pretending like he didn't want her, that he didn't trust her, by trying to break her so she could leave him and look to be repaired. However, she had so much determination, that she would live with him, despite losing everything.
"You don't know what you're talking about," he pointed out, pain filled in his voice, "If you really wanted my happiness, you would have left a long time ago."
Sanyukta then wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest, catching him by surprise.
"Who are you trying to fool?" she murmured against his chest. "Because you aren't fooling me."
105
Randhir didn't know what to do with her. She was so stubborn that she would end up hurting herself. That was why he needed to take matters into his own hands.
Sanyukta's face was buried in his chest, inhaling his scent, enjoying their close proximity. If there was one thing that she would love to do, it would be to hold Randhir back from work and spend time with him.
"We should go somewhere," she murmured into his chest, "We never went on a honeymoon."
Randhir hesitantly brought a hand up to caress her hair, finally letting himself succumb to his desires. He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled the scent of her shampoo.
"We're not going anywhere," he stated.
"I just want to spend some time with you," she told him softly, "Is that too much to ask?"
Randhir pulled her off him and held her shoulders firmly, his eyes searching hers, trying to see what she was planning.
"You want to spend some time with me? You spend time with me everyday. Last night you spent time with me," he answered. "You don't need to spend anymore time with me."
"I mean I want you all to myself. I don't want you to worry about work and go places... I just want it to be you and me for a bit," she told him truthfully.
"And Somya?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Do you not care about her?"
"What? Of course I care about her! Sometimes we have our needs though Randhir. We need to spend quality time together to make our marriage work," she told him.
Randhir reached up and brushed his thumb across her cheek lightly.
"Okay, I'll think about doing something with you," he told her, "But on one condition."
"What?" she asked him suspiciously.
"I want you to leave me after," he told her bluntly, causing her eyes to widen. "I want you to give me a divorce."
106
Randhir must have completely lost it to think for even moment that she would agree to give him a divorce. Sanyukta pressed her lips together firmly, tired of his antics to try and get her to leave him. She didn't know what his problem was. She didn't know why he was trying to hard to remove her from his life, but she knew that she was not going to leave so easily.
"A divorce?" she repeated, to confirm that she hadn't heard incorrectly. "You are being serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking right now?" he asked her, his tone completely serious.
"You think you can bribe me to divorce you if you take me on a honeymoon?" she asked him impatiently, and then crossed her arms.
"That's my condition. Take it or leave it," he told her sternly.
Sanyukta sighed loudly and then dropped her arms to her sides, finally deciding to join him in his own game. If this was what he wanted, then so be it. She would play too, and she would make sure she won.
"I'll take it," she told him coolly and smiled widely. "But you have to take me somewhere nice. For two weeks."
"Two? No way!" he asked her like she was out of her mind. "Three days."
"Three days is too short," she whined, "Okay you know what... fine. Three days. But just watch, you yourself will extend it."
Then she jabbed her index finger into his chest and smirked.
"What's your plan?" he asked her suspiciously. "How come you're so ready to divorce me all of a sudden?"
"I'm not," she told him, shrugging her shoulders, her tone neutral, "But since you're not giving me any attention, I guess it's better to live a few days with all of your attention, than a whole life where you would be pretending I don't exist."
"Attention?" he asked her, sounding completely taken aback, "You're doing all this for my attention?"
"Mhmm. I want your undivided attention for those three days," she responded, "And if I feel like you gave me enough attention, I will divorce you."
Randhir inhaled sharply, understanding that this was not as innocent as she was making this sound.
"You don't get a choice. I'll spend every second of the day with you for three days, but whether you feel like I've given you enough attention or no attention, I don't care. After those three days, you're going to divorce me," he told her firmly. "That's the deal. You can back out now... I'm not forcing you. Think about it."
Then he turned around to leave the room, but Sanyukta grabbed his arm from behind him, forcing him to stop.
"I already have thought about it, and I agree to all of your terms and conditions," she accepted, "Now just tell me when you want to go."
107
Randhir spent the whole day at work wondering about why Sanyukta wanted to go on a vacation so badly that she would agree to give him a divorce. She definitely was not as innocent as she seemed, and was planning something. He just didn't know what it could be.
When he went home with Somya, Sanyukta had already set the dinner table and was sitting in the living room, humming to herself as she waited for them.
"Oh my two babies are back!" Sanyukta said with excitement as the two of them saw her.
Somya broke out into a smile and Randhir just glared at her, wondering why she was being so chirpy all of a sudden.
"Mommy I'm hungry!" Somya exclaimed, "What's for dinner?"
"I made your favourite shahi paneer," Sanyukta told Somya happily.
"Yay!" the six year old said excitedly, and then dropped her bag in the living room before running towards the dining room.
Before Sanyukta could follow her daughter, Randhir had walked up to her.
"I've booked the flight," he told her, his tone serious.
"When is it?" Sanyukta asked him brightly.
"Tomorrow," he told her. "Our next flight is three days after we get there."
"Tomorrow?" she asked, her eyes wide. "That's so soon! How about Somya? And where are we even going?"
"We're going to Paris," Randhir told her. "I've booked the hotel and everything. We were lucky we got it on such short notice, but the sooner we get it out of the way, the better."
Paris. Sanyukta smiled at the thought of going to the world's most romantic city with her husband. Then her smile dropped to a frown at his tone.
"Out of the way? This is a burdensome task for you?" she asked him angrily.
"Let's just get it done Sanyukta without wasting any time," he told her calmly. "Anyways, let's go eat... Somya is waiting for us. We have to tell her we're going."
Sanyukta sighed loudly.
Was this trip to the most romantic destination in the world going to turn out to be the most unromantic one because her husband just didn't want to cooperate?
No way! She wouldn't let Randhir ruin her honeymoon.
She had to do something to make him soften up towards her, at least for the duration of the trip.
108
Somya was devouring her dinner already as Randhir and Sanyukta entered the dining room. Sanyukta smiled, loving the way her daughter enjoyed the food she had made. Somya was adorable, and the thought of being apart from her even for a few days made her a little sad, but she knew that a small vacation was just what her and Randhir needed.
She served food to Randhir before filling her own plate with food, glancing at her husband every few seconds, silently asking him how to tell their daughter that they were leaving for a few days.
"Somya," Randhir said, as they were eating silently.
"Yes daddy?" Somya asked, her mouth full.
"Somya," Sanyukta warned, "Don't talk with your mouth full!"
Somya looked at Sanyukta apologetically before covering her mouth with her hands.
"Your mom and I will be going away for a few days," Randhir told her softly. "We need to go to Paris."
"What?" Somya asked after gulping down her food. "Just you two?"
Randhir nodded and Sanyukta stared at her plate, feeling a bit guilty for leaving their daughter to go on a vacation with her husband.
"Yes. We need to spend some time together," Randhir told Somya. "We will be back soon, but until then you will stay with Ishika aunty."
"Oh Ishika mom," Somya said with a shrug, "Okay, take your time!"
Randhir looked at his six year old daughter, surprised that she had given in so quickly. Sanyukta looked up, surprised as well.
"You aren't upset?" Sanyukta asked softly.
"No. I wanted you two to go away... you know at school, my teacher says that if you spend more time with someone who upsets you, you will learn to stop being upset," Somya told them. "So she always says we have to cooperate. Teamwork. Even with those we do not like."
Sanyukta was surprised by her daughter's witty and mature response. She glanced at Randhir, who looked at her as well, just as surprised as she was.
"You have a nice teacher," Sanyukta told her.
"I'll be happy with Ishika mom," Somya said brightly, "I will miss you but I want you to go."
"Wow," Randhir breathed out, completely taken aback by his daughter's mature reaction.
She was not the same Somya who would throw a fit for not getting her way anymore. Had Sanyukta's presence in their daughter's life really helped her grow?
"You're such a good girl Somya," Sanyukta told her softly. "Is it okay if we go tomorrow?"
"Yes! Please mommy go now if you want! Just sort your adult problems then come back," Somya said. "I don't like it when you argue with daddy."
"Sorry," Sanyukta apologized. "We will sort it out fast and come back."
Somya smiled and nodded. As a six year old, she didn't know much about what sort of problems her parent's were facing, but she did know that if she wanted them to be a happy family, they needed to sort their problems out... and what better way to sort out differences than by spending more time with each other?
109
That night, after Sanyukta packed their belongings, she fell on top of the bed, exhausted. Randhir came out of the bathroom, his hair wet, only a towel around his waist, looking tired as well.
"You took another shower?" she asked him, sitting up on the bed.
He nodded and saw their packed suitcases by the doorway.
"Yes, I felt like it. You packed everything?" he asked her.
"Yeah, so we wouldn't need to worry about it tomorrow," she told him with a smile. "I'm so tired."
Randhir sighed and sat down on the bed.
"Me too," he agreed, "You hardly let me sleep properly last night."
"Hey!" Sanyukta replied, slapping his bare chest playfully, "You're the one who was all over me. The mark is still on my neck!"
Randhir looked down at her hand which had hit his chest, that she hadn't yet removed and then back into her eyes.
"You won't stop will you?" he asked her with a loud sigh.
She smiled and caressed his chest lovingly.
"You know me too well," she replied. "Anyways, from tomorrow, I have you all to myself, so just imagine what I'm going to do to you."
"Sanyukta go to sleep," he told her, and pushed her hand off him.
She pouted as he got up to find his pyjamas.
"Fine," she said, as he got dressed in front of her. "But don't be such a tease to my eyes. You make me want you when you strip like that."
After putting on his clothes, Randhir walked up to the bed and grabbed her shoulders before laying her down on the bed.
"Good night," he said firmly. "Tomorrow will be a long day so sleep well."
Then he turned off the lights and got in bed beside her.
"Randhir," she whined, leaning into his chest.
"What?" he asked with a resigned sigh. "Why do you keep on clinging on to me?"
"I want a kiss," she told him, ignoring the fact that he called her clingy.
"What's your problem?" he asked, raising his voice, "Don't you know what go to sleep means?"
"Hey! Husband, you can't do this on our honeymoon!" she whined. "If I ask for a kiss, you have to give it. Don't wash away the romance from Paris."
"Sleep," he warned, "Or else I won't take you."
"I won't sleep until you give me a kiss," she told him with a pout. "If you want me to sleep, then you better kiss me otherwise I'll nag you like this all night."
"Seriously what is your problem?" he argued, facing her on the bed and grabbing her waist. "Why must you always get in my way?"
"Kiss me," she breathed out.
"What sin have I committed to get you as my wife?" he spat, then turned around on the bed.
Sanyukta wrapped her arm around his torso and leaned over him from the back, her lips brushing over his ear.
"I want you to kiss me," she whispered, "Otherwise I will make it worse for you."
"You are so damn stubborn," he said angrily, and then turned around on the bed, causing her to fall backwards.
He grabbed her arms and pinned them down on either side of her before pressing his lips against hers. Her eyes closed and she smiled.
"That's better," she muttered against his lips.
He broke the kiss and lay down, facing away from her again.
"Good night," he told her.
She wrapped her arm around his stomach before snuggling into his back.
"Good night," she replied happily. "I love you."
He ignored her and just closed his eyes.
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Sensational South
Bigg Boss 19
