Sorry for posting this so late but I recently got my laptop working again and my lazy ass refused to finish this piece.
You see, I am a proud citizen of the country "Procrastination"...🤡
Don't throw anda-tamaatars at my jokes 😆
Go on read, enjoy!
......
Love Is All We Need
Part 1
I shook violently as the cold fabric of my drenched outfit clung to every inch of my skin. My teeth clattered loudly and I could feel a cold coming up. Suddenly, a warm fabric was wrapped around me. I jumped slightly, only to see my husband smiling comfortingly, taking a seat next to me, having a similar towel around himself.
‘H-how’s this w-w-warm?’ I stuttered, unable to formulate a sentence.
‘I placed it on a tawa,’ Shamsher said matter-of-factly. He seemed proud of his trick.
‘But Sh-Shahmeer bhai–’
‘Why don’t you focus on warming up, hmm? Shahmeer will survive with two clean towels being heated on his stove.’
I found myself leaning against Shamsher, seeking solace. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me to his side, a silent declaration he would not let go. We stayed that way, my body temperature gradually coming back to normal although the clothes were still damp. Shamsher rested his chin on my head, humming in my ear, a tune I had heard before, but could not remember where.
As if on queue, Shahmeer entered the room holding a tray with two steaming hot cups of tea. I tried to wriggle my way out of Shamsher’s hold, feeling slightly embarrassed but my husband was having none of it. One of his arms remained around me, even when he sipped on the beverage.
‘This is good, Shahmeer bhai, thank you.’
‘Anything for my brother and bhabhi,’ Shahmeer replied, then turning to address Shamsher. ‘Sheru said he will call tomorrow.’
To cut a long story short, Sheru was sent by Baba Sahab to assassinate me. He was being threatened to do so, had he refused to take part in this plot, Baba Sahab would kill his wife. Sheru had already lost his son a few months ago and did not want to lose his only reason to live too. I understood where he came from. He lacked education, and had been seduced by money.
Meanwhile, the three of us had fled to Shahmeer’s house. Sheru made sure we got in safely, before promising he would become a witness for the case Shamsher would file against Baba Sahab.
I barely saw the point of it. Honestly, knowing the kind of power my father-in-law possessed, I knew we were fighting a lost battle. The only solutions were too painful to think of. Specially since my heart sang a different tune for Shamsher now.
‘Do you think they are looking for us?’ I asked Shamsher.
He pursed his lips, ‘I doubt it. Baba Sahab wanted the job to be done by one of his henchmen, like Sheru. Without involving the police. So many people have disappeared because of his ruthlessness. He just…wanted to do the same to you.’
At that moment, there were loud knocks on the gate.
‘Who is it?’ Shahmeer asked loudly, his eyebrows frowning in worry.
‘The Police.’
I stared wide-eyed at Shamsher, my hand clutching his knees. His eyes turned dark in fury. My heart thundered in my chest and I let Shamsher take the tea cups, run to the kitchen, empty it and fling them in a random cupboard.
‘Bhabhi, there is a store room, please go there. Both of you. I will handle these people.’
Shamsher looked back, ensuring we had not left any of our items behind. Quickly grabbing my hand, he pulled me half-running towards the room. We climbed a flight of stairs and went to the corner-most area of the first floor. Shamsher wielded the door open and let me go in, before shutting it roughly.
I used my mobile’s torch to look around where we were. The store room had actually been converted to a usable bedroom, even though it looked like it had not been used in a while. It was clean, however, no dust or musty smell. A window appeared to be on the wall behind the bed, high enough to let ventilation and light in. This meant no one could see inside.
There was additionally a bunch of cane furniture – a khatiya, chairs and table, which Shamsher placed rather silently but haphazardly against the door.
‘I’ll switch on the fan in a while,’ he whispered. ‘Can’t raise any suspicions.’
All I could do was nod silently, listening to my own heart beat and our soft breathing. A thousand thoughts ran through my head but my feelings remained the same.
I was scared.
Shamsher was standing rather guarded, as if he were waiting for the police to barge in any second. He kept his eyes on me all the time. I patted the mattress next to me wordlessly, asking him to come closer. Shamsher’s eyes softened and he approached me, taking a seat.
I knew him well enough to know he was silently apologizing to me right now.
While we waited, I gently rested my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes, hoping this nightmare of a situation would end soon. He clasped my hand in his, rubbing his thumb on the back of my hand.
Shamsher’s phone buzzed, indicating he received a message. Mine did too.
From: Shahmeer
They came to find you but I took care of it.
Get some rest now…will see you in the morning
Delete these messages.
We did as we were told, sighing loudly in relief.
‘That’s that,’ I mumbled quietly. ‘My father-in-law really hates me.’ When Shamsher still sat rather pensive, I added, ‘I was kidding.’
‘Really?’ Shamsher snapped, making me flinch. ‘Because this is not a matter to joke about.’
‘Relax Shamsher,’ I rubbed his back.
He stood up in a jiffy, causing my arm to fall on the bed, ‘And how the hell am I supposed to do that? How is any of this your fault? I fell in love with you, right? I made your live hell by forcing you into this marriage. I was a horrible person. On top of that, my father tries to kill you twice.’
‘Shamsher?’ I went to stand next to him, frown lines etching my face. ‘What’s done is done. I agree it hasn’t been pleasant for either of us, but we need to figure a way out.’
‘Mehak,’ he chuckled humourlessly, facing me. A shiver ran down my spine when he cupped my face with his right hand. ‘How do you see the good in everything? In everybody? Have I not wronged you?’
Ignoring the butterflies in my stomach, I replied, ‘You did, in the past. But you’re not the same person anymore.’
‘After all this…I don’t deserve you…’ he whispered softly, his head hanging low. Shamsher’s left my face, but he did not move an inch. Instantly, I felt the loss of contact like a tonne of bricks. ‘Everything that I’ve done so far, after leaving my old life behind, was for you.’
‘I know,’ I told him, my decibel matching his. ‘And I see everything you’ve gone through, Shamsher.’
‘But it’s not enough.’ His voice shook. ‘After all of it…my father won’t leave us alone. He won’t leave you alone.’
‘Hey.’ I took his hands in mine. ‘I have seen you grow and transform into a person who is good, kind and has a beautiful heart. You might not have faith in yourself, Shamsher. But I do. I remember what you were like. I remember the fear I felt when I was around you. And now look at us.’ I indicated our surroundings. ‘Hiding in a room together, and this close…’ His eyes darted down to see we were standing less than a feet away from each other. ‘You think I would do that around the old Shamsher?’
He shook his head, his dark brown eyes shimmering with hope, yet laced with pain.
‘Everything that I thought about you, you have proven me wrong. I was so sure you wouldn’t survive outside your bubble. But you did.’
‘Because of you.’ He managed to grin.
I choked back a rush of tears when new emotions surfaced, knocking my breath away. My heart thundered at the realization, knowing that I would have to say it today. ‘Yes. I know. See, how much you’ve grown, what a wonderful person you have become, the changes you have brought to your life–’
‘Mehak?’ Shamsher cut me off worriedly. ‘You’re…crying?’
Sure enough, hot tears were streaming down my face. I felt a laugh erupting from my chest, as I surrendered myself to my feelings completely.
‘Mehak?’ Shamsher was panicking now, grabbing my biceps. To him, I am sure it felt like I was going through a panic attack. ‘Oh my God, we have to get you to the–’
‘I love you,’ I declared, beaming through my tears. ‘I do. I love you.’
‘M-Mehak?’ He stuttered, not sure if he heard me right.
‘I love you,’ I repeated myself. ‘So I have to disagree with you. Everything you have done for me ever since we left your old life…it is more than enough.’
As if on queue, the dam burst. Shamsher swooped in and wrapped his arms around me, caging me to his chest, breaking down against my shoulder. I reciprocated the gesture, gripping the damp fabric of his tee, my face buried into his neck, inhaling his intoxicating scent.
In that moment, nothing mattered. We were two individuals, hopelessly in love with each other, clinging to our support system and our solace. The world had been cruel to both of us, testing us at every step. But we were sure of one thing. We had each other. It was us against the universe. No matter what it took.
He was mine.
I was his.
Shamsher pulled away slightly, holding me closer than ever. His eyes were filled with unadulterated adoration, his lips curved up in a genuine smile. Now, it finally hit me how close we were. Add the fact that we were husband and wife. Proximity meant something completely different now.
‘Hey,’ he murmured. ‘Don’t go all shy on me now.’
‘I can’t help it,’ I giggled softly.
His lips pressed on my forehead, causing an explosion of dopamine to run throughout my system. ‘I can’t believe it. You love me.’
‘I do,’ I declared much more confidently now. ‘No take backs.’
‘And to think this is the same meek girl I knew once upon a time,’ he continued, his eyes twinkling. ‘Now she slaps people too.’
‘Hey, how’d you know about that?!’ I asked him, wondering how he knew about Nida.
He shrugged, ‘Your mother called me after we talked in the evening. She wanted to check on you.’
‘That’s sweet of her. To call you.’
‘Of course. She is a mother figure in my life too.’
My heart melted harder than it should have.
‘I couldn’t help it,’ I admitted. ‘I shouldn’t have slapped her, but she and her husband both got on my nerves.’
‘Mrs. Mehak Shamsher,’ he said deeply, tilting my face up. ‘What am I going to do with you?’
Hearing the innuendo in his voice, the possessiveness and realizing the implications of his words caused flutters to run through my body. An unfamiliar yet welcoming pain began to form in the apex of my thighs. I bit my lip, knowing where this would head.
‘Mehak? Love?’ Shamsher got me out of my thoughts. ‘I’m sorry if I overst–’
‘Don’t be,’ I blurted, my cheeks as red as they could be.
Shamsher’s face moved closer, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. ‘Are you sure?’
I found myself reducing the gap between our lips further in response.
Shamsher let out a soft groan, ‘Darling, if I do this…I don’t think I’ll be able to bring myself to stop.’
Everything seemed to move in slow motion.
I knew what I wanted, and how much I had wanted it for a while now. Had I denied myself? Yes. Because I was terrified to admit my feelings. The truth was, I wanted to be closer to Shamsher, now more than ever. Not knowing where one ended and the other began. I wanted to feel him against every inch of me, until no more was left. I wanted to hear my name on his lips, every delicious sound he would make.
I was sure of it, now more than ever.
‘Then don’t.’
.......
Part 2 coming soon!
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
