Part 102: It's complicated... Update 2
Just as expected she found herself standing in the middle of an exclusive jewelry shop, somewhere in the outskirts of the city over to the Jersey side. The store was tucked away in the third floor of a merchandising building and it came across more as a vault for safekeeping the valuables than as they were intended to be displayed. She heard drills whizzing at turbo speed and then she remembered passing through a cutting center, gated at the first floor. Her husband seemed to never run out of his little black book of privileged contacts in just about every domain they encountered. And without any warning and reason, the snobbish, arrogant boy she'd known all along vanished in her mind's view and the tactful, considerate and loving husband that he was came under light. Her eyes gleamed with a new recognition.
He'd not spoken one word, during the drive about their not-so-secretive-now destination and ducked her questions every time she'd them throw his way. She smiled pleased that her prayers were being answered after all and that too by her ever accepting husband. Unable to contain the spill of emotions that overlayed her need to maintain social propriety, she ambled over to his side. Taking his hand, she slightly curled herself to his profile. As he took in her glowing face briefly, her glazed eyes whispered gratitude. To her, words didn't seem right that deepening moment and she left the short silence to speak the rest of what she felt.
The instant she held his hand and slid her chin close to his arm, he felt a tenderness course inside him. Her words from the penthouse came back to him and he realized there were innumerable moments he had not duly treated her with the feminine gentleness she now craved and more appropriately deserved. Somehow her deceiving revelation had not surprised him and he was perhaps aware of her womanly preferences in the back of his heart the entire time.
He had always wondered how those brute cuss words slipped out of those soft dainty lips. Now he had the answer and reckoned it was some show she'd put up for everyone. Even for him. He concluded she needed to be loved just as vulnerable as she saw herself. But making up for all of that she'd lost by bringing her for jewelry shopping was not going to cut it. And before he could prod on that path to satisfy her wishes she had to pay. She had his acceptance; however her misguidance also called for a tad bit of teasing for the facade she'd worn too long. And that was what he exactly intended to do for a little while more.
He went on to nod at one of the store boys and then at the balding, stubby man sitting at the corner, who was the store manager. The store boys began moving at near disappearing speeds and within minutes there were trays of every kind of jewelry she could imagine. They ranged from head to toe and all of them adorned with exquisite precious and semi-precious stones. An unconscious smile lit up her face and she moved forward to pick up a thin flimsy gold bracelet. He stood back with hands shoved into his pockets and watched her move from one corner to corner. The fact that he had no plans to buy anything she was going to pick up that hour disconcerted him. Before she could deeply attach herself to any ornament he would have to tell her of his intentions of bringing her over there. With reluctance he drew himself closer to her and just as he could utter anything, she turned around suddenly with a beaming smile.
"Thank you Abhi...I didn't think you would..." He had to cut her off that second.
"Why thank me baby...we are bound to gift them" And upon hearing his words her features scrunched up into a question. He winced internally, although he didn't let the same expression dominate the cool dismissing look he now carried.
Her curiosity got the better of her even as she was breaking down his statement in her head.
"Them?"
"I was buying Meera a gift on the other side of the shop, when you three were shopping" He cleared his throat as he saw the beginning of a pout forming at her lips, "I couldn't finish it since you walked out in the rain...Good for us, we get to pick together" He gave her a cocky grin while in the inside he prayed he wouldn't give into the moment, seeing the excitement and awe for him wither in her dark wild honey eyes.
"Oh!" Her features stilled and she walked back from him slowly. Every part of her body gave out her painful disappointment as she braced the corner of the jewelry counter. Drawing his lips into a thin line, his strangled voice addressed her again.
"Are you ok?...We can do it another day if you want" He said. Her lashes lowered, though only for a second while she appeared to be thinking something over.
"No...I'm fine...yeah...I mean...We need to get them a gift too right" It sounded to him that she was convincing herself than him.
"Pick anything you think will suit her" He pointed at the array of trays that lay stacked against each other on the counter. Her gaze swept through the trays and then came back to him.
"I want to use the ladies room..." She sounded mellow and brushed past him towards the back door where a 'Restroom' sign was hung.
It didn't take her long to gather herself, he thought and in no time she was trying hard at dutifully picking a gift. At times a difficult smile pushed its way through her lips at the store boys' jokes, although it wasn't the same as the one he wanted to see. Her vanity had never gotten the better of her and even with changing times, she didn't stare at the mirror, holding the necklace around her neck, for any length of time more than necessary. The only exceptions were the instances when she caught his reflection on the mirrored pillar studying her and quite graciously she lingered there a bit longer for him; taunting him in her own way, showcasing the visual treat he could appease himself with. Nevertheless she didn't meet his gaze even as her jaw came up haughtily while she checked herself out with one piece of jewelry after another. And not until they were back in the car with the wrapped gift placed sturdy on her lap, did she take note of the mischief that played in his eyes.
"You know what...I don't mind shopping with you" Latching on the seat belt, she turned to face him. She regarded him curiously as his amusement surfaced at the corners of his mouth.
"I mean think about it...I'm returning from a jewelry shop and I'm not yet bankrupt...I was scared you would finish me off here with all those repressed urges of yours" He said and she waited for the eruption inside her. Oddly it didn't happen and she ignored to look out the window as they turned the corner of a busy NY street. It was the hormones, she concluded. They were even messing with the timings she should be having an outburst. The unappealing side of the changes where however the part she was turning into a cushy marshmallow when it came to him. She couldn't work up enough anger, over her self-disgust to get back at him. Instead she spoke calmly, despite him not meeting her expectations at the store.
"Don't make a joke of it Abhi"
"I'm serious..." He paused calling out profanities at a cabbie, who cut him at the light "I thought you would at least buy a thing or two. I even saw a few collections that you might have liked"
He was kidding right? The degree of her annoyance crept up a notch higher and she was in no mood to play games with him. Not on a day she'd imagined coming back home with something that symbolized their coming together in life.
"This is no longer funny Abhi..." She sniveled "If you saw some then why wouldn't you say so at the store"
"I thought you didn't need them yet...otherwise you would have picked them up right?" His voice didn't carry the same certainty with which he'd started off. And the question at the end of this statement clearly hinted her at that. Perhaps he recognized it was time to call it quits on his sarcasm act and start acting like the caring husband to a scarred wife.
"Argh! Abhi..." Her fingers went up to either sides of her temples "You're such a man...It's not so much about me buying it for myself as...forget it"
"We could go now if you want" He took his eyes off the road momentarily and watched her hold onto her head in frustration. His change in tones to a softer, attentive one, cut through her inner pride.
"No...of course not" She said curtly straightening her slump form and shuffled in her seat as if displaying physical weakness would measure up to a defeat. Definitely a headache was coming along. Strangely his verbal swatting didn't make her feel he was inconsiderate to her revelation either, although she couldn't see clearly where he was heading with this.
"Ok...Don't tell me it's one of those things were woman say 'I don't want it after I have asked for it'...you still haven't asked and I'm the one who is suggesting it"
"I'm emotional right now may be even a little mad..." She drew in a deep breath and forced herself to pace down "But I'm not that irrational either. You already lost your chance for today is all I was saying" She had her face in that sulky pout, he hadn't seen in a long time that he wanted to abandon driving and take her in his arms. Tell her that the day hadn't come to a close and that there was still time before she could judge her husband as the reincarnation of devil himself. He wanted to give so much to her, instead he only managed to ask more of her.
"So you won't kiss me then?"
She stared at him. "No...I don't see you blessed with any such display of affection in your near future"
"You are sure? You can't go back on your words...and no cheating" He smiled and figured it was time to bring it all on.
"Are you all right in that top level of yours?" She turned in profile, resting her forehead on the back of her hand that rested on the window edge.
"Ok...no kissing. Even better...no touching" By then she was certain he was up to something. Instantly she felt the agitation abrading her skin fall off and a keen curiosity replacing it. She couldn't let her betraying smile to turn up the corners of her lips then...No...She had to wait until she caught sight of the full picture he had in his crazy, wolf head of his.
"Abhi...you do realize you are not making any sense at all right?"
Right then he shifted in his seat, taking out a tiny dark blue velvet pouch to give it to her.
"Here...And don't open it until after you have kissed me"
Her joy knew no bounds then and as much as she wanted to throw herself at him, she held back just the same. He'd her tied with those twisted words he'd said just before he handed over her priceless little bag. Her thumb traced the contents and felt a hard metal ring under the smooth layers of the cloth. One moment she was holding the bag in both hands - like it was a delicate petal - and then she was tearing the next, wishing there was some way to take back anything and everything she'd impulsively talked or thought about him. Instinctively her hand reached over...
"Uh-uh...Not happening until I'm ready to let you kiss me"
"And when is that?" She asked, smiling as wide as he was.
He winked at her. "I don't know...May be you can seduce me into letting you kiss me"
She looked away and bit her lower lip. "You are kidding right...They will be coming any minute"
The car ground to a halt once they entered the garage and reached their designated parking spot. He folded his hands at the back of his head and closed his eyes as his seat automatically moved back and inclined at an angle. "Well I'm in no hurry..."
She got out of the car and came over to the driver side, still clutching the blue pouch in her hands. He opened his eyes to take in her pleading look and fumbling fingers that kept twisting the cords of the small bag. Obviously she was eager and desperate to look inside and he was nowhere ready to succumb to those batting lashes that fanned him to do otherwise.
"Don't look at me like that...I think you owe me given that tough girl picture you gave me all these years"
"Not in your dreams..." She said, stomping her feet like a churlish kid. She tried appealing to his better senses that her time was running out and that she intended to open the bag right then. He let his eyes drift shut and settled comfortably in the seat, indirectly telling her he wasn't ready to budge. Her heavy angry footsteps floated past him as he got out of the car and seconds later he caught her sullen face fading behind the steel elevator door.
Guilt didn't wring his neck then and he was ok to torment her with his stubbornness for a little while longer. At the same time, he also didn't know if he could expect her to crack that easily. He gave a disbelieving smile at how clueless he was about her. His marriage with her was turning out to be far from dull and draining, that any ten years of companionship was bound to be.
She might have grown up in tough love, as she claimed but he certainly was staunch enough to show that loving her was anything but tough.
Will come back and edit. This time I wasn't out for long. Not bad! What do you think? Let me know. Next update...our Maan and Geet will surface too. To Hamini's question: Naini is 28 and Geet is the youngest of all 24 (Pandora). Maan is 30 (Cupcake, candles and starlight). Rishabh is the same age as Maan. I'm purposely ignoring all other questions about R&N getting caught. 😛
Edited by 6thElement - 13 years ago
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