Selfish
Thapki jolt into consciousness and saw Bihaan crouching beside her "Thapki what are you doing here? Why are you not in your room?"
"Bihaan what time is it?" Thapki asked groggily rubbing her eyes.
"It's 2:10 am"
Then she remembered. She was waiting for Bihaan and must have fallen asleep when she grew tired of pacing and decided to sit down for a while. She was still sitting on the floor leaning against the wall. And she was furious with him.
She looked at him to deliver a piece of her mind and stopped. Bihaan was looking like hell. His eyes deep set, dark circles around it, creases on his face more pronounced...his stubble darker...looked like a light has been extinguished within him.
Oh my poor darling! He is hurting so bad! Ma, how can you not love this man-child and be so cruel to him? Thapki's heart cried out for him. She raised her hand to caress his cheek. Bihaan stiffened.
"I was waiting for you..."she said gently instead.
She stood up taking Bihaan's support and wrapped both her hands around his arm urging him towards the dining space. "Come on, wash your hands I will warm your food"
"Thapki I am not hungry, I don't feel like eating"
"I haven't eaten anything, and I am hungry, come on" Thapki blackmailed.
Bihaan followed her to the dining space.
During the dinner Bihaan was quiet. Thapki nervously tried to talk about Ma but Bihaan changed the topic. After that Thapki didn't mention Ma. Dread seemed to set in her heart. What if Bihaan chose Ma over her? She tried to hide her panic.
No he loves me with all his heart and he vowed he would never let anyone come between us...But does he love me more than Ma? Can I demand him to love me more than his mother? To choose me over her? The internal battle seemed to rage on inside Thapki.
They went upstairs together and Bihaan stopped in front of Kiran's bedroom.
"You shouldn't have waited for me Thapki. I am sorry I came so late... I lost track of time... I just needed some time alone---" He was talking and looking everywhere but at her...
"It's okay Bihaan, you d-don't have to say anything we will talk about it when you f-feel like it..." she came closer to him.
Since Bihaan came home he seemed to put up an invisible wall between them. He looked undecided for a second then took hold of her face and kissed her forehead. After that he left for his room without looking back.
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Bihaan's Bedroom
10 minutes later
Bihaan came out of the bathroom freshly showered and came to an abrupt halt. Thapki was sitting on the bed leaning against the head board. She had already made herself comfortable; a blanket sprawled over her legs.
She looked at him gravely and said, "I think there is a ghost in my r-room. I don't know how Kiran stays there. It scared the c-crap out of me"
Bihaan hid a smile and dropped the towel he was using to take out the excess moisture out of his hair on the sofa.
"Haan, Kiran told us about that ghost. He is harmless and very friendly"
"Didn't seem like that to m-me" Thapki insisted.
Bihaan fluffed his pillow and settled on the bed facing her. Thapki went to him like a homing pigeon snuggling as tightly as possible laying her head over his heart. He snuggled back.
"I am s-scared."
"Of that friendly ghost? In my arms too?"
"Yes and of other s-silly insignificant things""she began to doodle on his chest with her finger.
"Like what?"He tucked her hair behind her ear.
"I am scared you will go along with Ma and l-leave me, so silly of me to even think t-that...as if you would even consider that..." she gave a nervous laugh and stole a look at him.
Bihaan stiffened at the admission and Thapki hugged him with all her might. As if Bihaan would vanish if she loosen her hold even a bit.
He gave a sigh and relaxed at last.
"I don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore" he said kissing her face.
"Then don't.." She purred at his ministrations melting already.
He slid off her dupatta and flung across the room. The atmosphere had suddenly turned heated. He sat to take off his t-shirt while Thapki was raining soft kisses along the path from his flat stomach to his chest...he pushed her back to bed and covered her lips with his...
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Next morning:
What' was that noise? Bihaan slowly came to consciousness. He opened his eyes sleepily and saw it was already light outside. Seemed like just minutes he closed his eyes... again that noise...he tried to sit up...but Thapki was lying draped over him, her naked weight pining him to the bed. He carefully extracted his sleeping wife from over him and laid her on the bed gently...she was coming out of her sleep too...she swatted her hand at him and said without opening her eyes "No more Bihaan, I can't take it anymore...lemme sleep". He smiled.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! Finally the sound registered in his mind. Someone was knocking at the door. Shit! Shit! Shit!
"Bihaan, wake up!"Dhruv yelled.
Shit! Thapki sat up with a yelp. She looked at Bihaan frightened. "What are we going to do?" she said in horror.
Bihaan couldn't help it...he burst into laughter. The situation was so ridiculous. Both of them were acting like they were caught doing something immoral or illicit while the opposite was true. Thapki was his legally wedded wife...they had full right to sleep together...waking up naked together...
He gestured her to calm down and asked her to go inside the blanket. Thapki curled into a ball and pulled the blanket over her head.
"Coming Dhruv "Bihaan shouted as he hurriedly pulled up his sweatpants from the floor and looked over to his bed. No one can guess there was a human huddled under the heap of messy bedclothes and blanket. Dhruv was still knocking so without bothering to put on a shirt he opened the door a fraction and stood keeping the view inside the room blocked just in case.
"Dhruv it is the middle of the night, what happened?"
"It's already 6: 15 am. A decent person should be up by this time" A bright eyed , bushy tailed Dhruv replied.
"Is this what you wanted to talk about? The benefits of early rising?"
"No" Dhruv's gaze fell into Bihaan's shoulders, "What happened to you?"
Bihaan's own gaze fell to his shoulders and he almost yelped. Bright red scratch marks adorned his shoulders...a hickey was forming just under his left shoulder ...sporadic bite marks here and there, courtesy of his bloodthirsty lusty wife. He thanked god, Dhruv couldn't see his back. He doubted it fared better.
Shit! I should have worn my t-shirt...now how do I get out of it? " Woh I got into a fight yesterday--" Bihaan said taking his time, making it up.
"Are those scratches?" Dhruv tried to look closer to scrutinize better.
"Haan, woh my opponent was fighting like a sissy, he scrat--"Bihaan continued lamely.
"I don't want to listen to all the gory details of your favourite past time" Dhruv said exasperatingly.
Phew!! Saved !!...but ..but.. he bought that? that duffer! Couldn't he tell the difference between a hickey and a genuine bruise? Bihaan thought incredulously.
Bihaan cleared his throat "Haan toh what do you want to talk about?"
"It's Thapki...where is she?"
W*F! Bihaan looked over his shoulder inside the room, the messy bed .No one could tell someone was in it ...UNTIL his gaze went over to a dupatta draped in the bedpost..SHIT !...Bihaan stood straighter trying to block more of Dhruv's view...
"What do you mean where is she?"
"I can't find Thapki...she is not in her room."
"And just how do you know she is not in her room?" Bihaan arched his eyebrow. He was itching to kick Dhruv where it hurt most...
"I wanted to talk to her so I went to her room... I knew she is an early riser like me... I knocked for a while...then realised her door was not locked...I went inside and saw no one there...the bed already made up..."
"So why are you asking me, how would I know?" Bihaan continued defensively.
Seeing Bihaan so prickled, Dhruv smiled, "Relax, I just thought you might know after all you guys lived together for so long...you might be more familiarized about her habits... "
Oh...Bihaan secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
"Mmm..let me think...what day is today?"
"It's Friday-why?"
"Every Friday Thapki walks to the Mandir barefoot on crack of the dawn and prays there...she has a mannat or something like that..."
"Oh thanks...I will just go and pick her up from the Mandir...you may go back to your sleep" good man Dhruv turned to leave but stopped..."Bihaan?"
Bihaan had to hide the smug satisfaction he was feeling for sending Dhruv on a fool's errand quickly and looked nonchalantly at Dhruv, "Yes?"
"I have already contacted Mr. Raj Gowal regarding your and Thapki's annulment. He handled my case as well. He is the best that we know. Right now he is out of Delhi. But I have talked to him over phone...He said he will get the papers ready within 15 to 20 days..."
Bhar mein ja tu aur tera lawyer, Bihaan said in his mind still looking coolly at Dhruv.
"I just wanted to thank you for taking care of Thapki...I have forgiven you totally...I realise now you were just a pawn in Ma's hand just like me...if you were anyone else you could have taken advantage of the situation or worse, fall in love with her...but you didn't and I know it's out of respect for me you didn't ...and I thank you from the bottom of my hea---"
"Do not mention it..have a good day..." Bihaan quickly entered and closed the door behind him leaving Dhruv mid-sentence.
How could a person feel so guilty and unrepentant at the same time...he wanted to hit Dhruv for loving Thapki but at the same time felt wretched at heart for him. He felt sorry for Dhruv and at the same time wanted to beat him to a pulp. How could a person had such contradictory emotions inside?
He looked at the bed and saw Thapki's tousled head peeping from under the blanket looking sheepish.
No, Thapki was his...there was nothing to feel guilty about... And it felt so good to be selfish for a change...
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ps. I can't help but use those lines from Twilight..the way Edward said them to Bella and she urged him not to...I felt like Bihaan and Thapki's forbidden love could utilize those lines too... It's one of my favourite scene from the book. Hopefully Stephanie Meyer will forgive me this plagiarism...
And those who don't know what I am talking about...well..I don't know what you think I am talking about...😲
enjoy!
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