*#* 12 - Pink & Blue *#*
It was a lazy Sunday evening. The whole family was seated for tea, enjoying their chai and dhokla, chatting away, teasing Atul who was about to get married next month. It was a fun family time â and times like these had been so hard to come by a few years ago.
A few years ago, a newly married Mishti had spent her Sunday evenings with her husband in their cozy little apartment. Tea time had been fun, but what followed had been â
Grinning, Mishti shook her head, as she stopped by the doorway, pausing to relish the sight before her. Her husband stood at his usual painting spot, canvas set up, paints strewn across the table next to him. She couldnât see his face because he had his back to her, but she knew the look of utter concentration on his face, his hazel eyes fixated on the task, his gorgeous full lips pursed.
If she had to list ten favorite things she loved watching her husband do, then watching him engrossed in his paints, canvas and brushes â hair tied up in a bun, paint smeared across his cheeks, biceps, would be at the top of the list. Well, maybe not at the top, that would definitely be⊠.shaking her head, she tapped the side of her head lightly at the direction her mind was taking.
âOne track mindâ she scolded herself under her breath.
Abir now picked up another color, she tilted her head and noticed that it was a crimson hue, one of Abirâs favorite shades. She watched as he picked up the brush, then deciding against it, he dropped it, and dabbed some paint on his finger.
Her smile widened, and a color quite similar to the one Abir had on his fingers right now, spread all over cheek as her mind immediately sprung up a memory of a time he had painted with his fingers, and very little had gone on the canvas!
Shaking her head and deciding she had had enough watching from afar, she pushed herself away from the doorframe. Quickly closing the gap between them, she wound her hands around his waist and pressed her cheek to his back. In response, he tossed her a look over his shoulder, wrapped his long fingers around her forearm and pulled her in even closer.
âeveryone is having tea downstairs, but thereâs no hurry. I can make you hot tea laterâ she muttered unabashedly, interjecting her words with kisses she spattered across his back.
She was rewarded with a chuckle, and a quick kiss which he planted on her fingers. Returning her hand to its old position around her waist, Abir commented lightly, his voice laced with mirth, âpar mujhe ab peena hai, angry chorniâ
So he was teasing her now?! Oh, 2 can play this game, Ajeeb Rajvansh, Mishti thought, tightening her hold on him now. âNoâ she said simply.
Abir grinned, carefully placing the paints down, he dabbed his fingers with the cloth, before stretching his hand behind him and wrapping it around her tiny waist. With a small and firm pull, she was in front of him, landing taut against his chest with a soft thud.
She flattened her palms against his chest and tilted her head to let her cheek nest right against his heart. His hands came up behind her, one hand encasing her head while the other held her tight against him. He placed a kiss on her head, âno?!â he muttered against her hair, âthen what do you want me to do?â he questioned, his voice raspy, laden with passion.
Mishti smiled, allowing herself a few seconds to rearrange her features, she pulled away and looked up into the eyes she loved, âyou have a painting to finish for tomorrowâs exhibition, Ajeeb rajvansh. Thatâs what I meant, now donât go getting ideas..â she managed to finish, but failed miserably at keeping that coy grin off her face.
And he caught it. But deciding to play along, Abir plastered a look of mock 'are you accusing me for something I didnât even think of' look on his face. Planting his hands on his hips, he asked, in a sing-song voice, similar to the one in their children's rhymes, âwho me?!â
âYES YOU!â
2 small, but very loud voice sang back in unison.
Before either of them could react, two little bundles of energy whizzed at them. Laughing, Abir bent down and scooped both up in his arms.
âBaba you promisedâ the little boy said.
â you said youâll take us to the parkâ the little girl chipped in.
â Mira.. Mihir..baba is busy now, he has to⊠â Mishti started saying, and even as she was speaking the faces of her 3 year old kids fell.
â finish this painting. But he can do that once he is back from the parkâ Abir finished, crouching to set the kids down.
âYayyyyâ Mira sang happily, jumping up and down, throwing her hands around her fatherâs neck, âyou are the bestâ Mihir said, placing a big fat sloppy kiss on his fatherâs cheek.
Mishti frowned down at her husband, as he looked up at her and shrugged. Hugging his kids, he looked at them as he spoke softly, â but we got to come back soon, okay?! I really have to finish this paintingâ
Both the kids nodded, âokayâ they sang in unison, nodding their little heads fervently.
Mishti watched with a smile as all three of them walked past her. They had reached the doorway before the kids ran back to her.
She knelt down just in time before they lunged at her, almost knocking her down, âme firstâ Mira said, poking her tongue out to her brother, Mihir frowned, â no. It was meâ he retaliated.
Mira opened her mouth to argue, while Mihir glared at her, â quit it, you twoâ Mishti said sternly, â remember baba has to come back earlyâ she offered
They both turned their identical hazel eyes to their father, before turning back to her, â bye mama. Love youâ they said in unison, doing their twin thing.
Mishti laughed, âI love you both, now go and have funâ
She stood up as both trotted to their father hand-in-hand, âbe goodâ she called out, âbe careful and listen to babaâ
âOh-kayy ma-maâ they sang out together, again doing their twin thing.
Shaking her head, Mishti busied herself in picking up the paints and setting them on the table. She proceeded to move the canvas to a corner and pushed the table next to it.
Sauntering over, she leaned against the parapet wall, as she watched the kids racing towards the door. Mira suddenly stopped and turned, motioning with her hand for someone to come quickly, while Mihir quickly bolted inside the house.
Jugnu bhaiyya ran behind them, their bags in his hand. Abir followed closely behind, swirling the car keys in his finger. Mira planted her hands on her hips and looked up at Jugnu bhaiyya, saying something while the latter just nodded. Abir laughed and thumped Jugnu bhaiyya on his shoulder.
Mira narrowed her eyes and looked back and forth from her father to Jugnu bhaiyya and back again, her pigtails swaying this way and that.
Mishti shook her head, Mira may look like a little innocent baby, inheriting her fatherâs hazel eyes, but had all the men in their household firmly wrapped around her tiny little finger!
Just then a ball whizzed by which Abir caught deftly, before throwing it back at Mihir who ran to catch the bouncing ball.
Mishti's heart swelled and a warm feeling took over her entire body as she watched Abir laugh and talk to both their kids, before bending down and lifting his hand in a hi-fi which both Mira and Mihir thumped jumping high to reach their dad. Abir laughed in response, before gently patting both their heads.
This, right there, this was her favorite thing to watch Abir do. Watching Abir be a dad to their kids had a different kind of soothing mesmerizing feeling. It was a feeling like no other, and that was her favorite thing to watch Abir do!
Smiling contently, she turned back to the canvas and picked up 2 tubes of paint â pink and blue. The same colors she and Abir had used to paint a heart all those years back in Champaner. She dipped fingers into the paints and roughly outlined a heart on the canvas â carefully keeping one half in blue and the other in pink - Abir and her. She was just getting to the bottom portion when a large hand encased her hand just above the elbow.
âThe kids wanted to have more dhokla before heading out. Jugnu have taken them inside.â His answer to her non-verbalised question was a rough whisper, his breath hot against her ear.
With one swift move, Abir pulled her away from the canvas and pressed her against the wall. Cupping her face with his hand, he bent down and pressed his lips to hers.
Mishtiâs hands automatically found his neck as his lips crashed in on hers. This man was going to be the death of Her, she thought happily, winding her hands around his neck.
But much to her dismay, the kiss ended before it even began as Abir pulled away, â that was part of the punishment for trying to tease me, Mrs. Rajvanshâ he said, his voice deep and husky.
It was a good thing he was holding her tight. Because even after all these years, this man made her swoon. Her knees would have buckled with his kiss, and now his wordsâŠ
His words..
Mishti opened her eyes to meet his honey depths, âpart ofâŠ?â she asked absentmindedly, playing with his hair.
He smirked, before leaning in and whispering in her ear, making her red from top to toe. Blushing, she pushed him away, and walked to the canvas. He followed her, looking at the heart she had painted and then at her. Nodding, he picked up a paintbrush and dipped it in pink, while she did the same to blue.
Wordlessly, both of them took their brushes to the canvas, painting a small heart encased in their big one â but this time doing a blue on the pink side and vice versa.
Once done, they stepped back, Abir held her by he waist as she leaned on him, resting her head on his shoulder as they gazed at their work.
One large pink and blue heart, two halves of a whole â Abir and Mishti. And one small pink and blue heart, again 2 small halves, but this little completing the big one, completing their family, completing their lives â their Mira and Mihir.
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