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"How could he! He claims to love me with all his heart, but fails to remember a single date! This is highly unacceptable!", Suman went on mumbling to herself while completing her continuous pendulum motion in the closet area.
It was her first birthday they would celebrate together after Shravan's return from London. Her expectations were soaring high because if her darling husband could make her feel like a princess on her special day when they weren't married, he would treat her no less than a queen when he had declared his love!
Unfortunately for her, instead of planning anything out of the world for her, her so-busy-lawyer-husband hadn't even bordered to wish her 'Happy Birthday'!
She was startled when all of a sudden two firm hands encircled her from behind, held her close.
"Hello, my love", Shravan greeted her ear, kissed its lobe.
"Lagta hai usse finally yaad aa gaya. But Mr. Sexy-in-wet-hair Malhotra this is not going to be so easy for you. Typical wife mode activated!", thought an overjoyed Sumo, suppressing the freshly formed blush on her cheeks.
"Hmm... I'm truly addicted to this smell of yours", he said nuzzling into her neck, in a way that it tickled.
That's okay. He had already said that a number of times before, but isn't he supposed to wish me! Sumo was furious now. It's true then men are May when they woo, and December when married, Shakespeare was indeed a man of wisdom.
She had read it in a magazine that men usually lose interest in love when their wives are pregnant. And to top it all, Preeta that affirmed the statement with her personal experience.
"Shravan leave me. I gotta rush to PCT. Today's date is important", she freed herself from his embrace, angry, though she tried to drop a hint. But her thick skulled husband!
"Okay love, but be careful about your health. Meri princess ko zayada pareshaan mat karna, eat on time, don't forget to take your medicines and yes, driving carefully", he ordered and moved forward to kiss her forehead.
What! This man wasn't dropping her to her workplace today like regular days. What was so wrong with this day! she wondered.
She retreated before he could place a peck on her forehead. "Fine", she said in a curt tone and hurriedly grabbed her bag and left for her office. He smirked.
Because of the rise in business, Sumo had to spend her whole day in her kitchen these days. The day passed in gloominess and disappointment with her dear husband. At least a friend should have remembered her big day. She was getting scared now. What if Shravan stops loving her gradually. His love for her had become more vital than oxygen to her with passing days. Yesterday itself he had promised that his love her would intensify every second. It was after they had made love for the second time the night. Gosh! she had believed it, and this had fueled her hopes of an amazing birthday today.
The loud ring from her phone suddenly broke her chain of thoughts. "Yes! It must be him. He might want to apologize. Hah! you'll havta beg for forgiveness Mr. forgetful husband".
"Shit! it's Pushkar, even he remembers my birthday, he's only my true friend."
All the family members were out of town to attend some family affair except these two busy beings.
"Sumo, where are you?"
"At work. But what happened? Why are you sounding so tensed?"
"Woh Bhaiya."
"What happened? Please speak up", she shouted on her phone, getting scared as hell.
"Sumo, Bhaiya called from home. He said he couldn't reach you. You'll have to rush it's an emergency! "
"Did he tell you what has happened? ", she asked on the verge of tears.
"He just asked you to drive safe."
"Keep the goddamned phone Pushkar", she literally frightened him with her high pitched voice.
She drove home like a maniac, giving no damn to the traffic rule, praying that whatever it was Lord had kept her husband safe.
She opening the door seemed more like a problem. She couldn't make herself put the key correctly due to her blurred vision because of the formation of hot tears in her eyes that refused to shed, she had to see him.
She ran through the living room to their room calling out to him. But no response from a voice she was dying to listen to.
Finally she descended from the stairs, breathless, helpless where to look for him, she thought of searching for him in other rooms to the house. That's when she saw the garden area lit up with fairy lights, giving light to the otherwise dark house.
She ran to the place. "Shravan... Shravan... ", she called out at the top of her voice.
And a cold palm closed her eyes from her back. She held it tight and broke down like a baby. Crying her heart out. At last relieved that he was fine.
He turned her around by her shoulders, engulfed her in his arms and tried to console her.
"Never do that again. Don't you know how much you mean to me. Shravan I have already lost my parents and then my Nanu, losing you also will break me into pieces. I'm left with you only. What shall I do without you? "
"Bas Bas Bas", he cupped her face in his palms and wiped her tears, "you shouldn't upset yourself in this condition". He placed her head in his chest again, with his hand.
"Who does that to one's six-weeks pregnant wife, in the first place?"
"I'm sorry Sumo, I never knew you would get this tensed. By the way, Happy Birthday. "
He now deserved some beating from his beautiful wife, which he rightly got in form of a whack on the chest.
"Ouch! "
"Sumo, afraid I may be, but that won't stop me from saying that I absolutely adore your lips when they are rosier due to the crying and due to the kissing."
"Shut up".
He chose to comply and made a puppy face that his darling wife couldn't help to neglect and she went on her toes, pulled him by his head and kissed him good, so good that even he had to try hard to match the ardor.
"Come", he said after a while. He lead her to the table that had a square-shaped chocolate cake in its middle, this she had failed to notice earlier.
The caption on the cake made her more emotional than before. It read, "Happy Birthday, my dear wife, love and best friend. Thank you for making my life meaningful."
She blew the candles and cut the cake together. When it was his turn to feed her, a little bit fell on her collarbone, he immediately licked it off, saying "a single bit of today's sweetness shouldn't be wasted".
They made dinner of the amazing paneer-pasta Shravan specialized in. She never knew that he could cook too, ignoring the fact that it was the only dish he knew.
The romantic evening was spent in togetherness and eyes-in-eyes.
"Oh! I completely forgot", he said, "come to the room."
After some time, all she was dressed in was the emerald necklace and earrings he had gifted her tonight. "Thank you for beautifying these stones", he had said while hooking the magnificent diamond surrounded emerald necklace around her long neck.
"Shravan I wonder, why did you choose to gift this set here in our bedroom!"
"Whatever you are thinking, is the real reason."
"Voice it", she said turning to narrow her eyes at him.
"I thought you might want to treat me with a return gift."
This OS was dedicated to Eva, Sunain, Lubna and to all those who appreciated my presence on this dear forum.
I think I'm getting addicted to writing stories here, I must stop for my good.
Please don't kill me if you found the story a bit predictable.
Thank you reading.
Love,
Swarnima.
Anupamaa
