A Night at the Khandelwals: A Night with ShaNak
Part A
Khanak looked in the mirror after splashing her face with water and smiled at her reflection. One could say she looked like Sia did a couple of hours ago. The only exceptions being that her hair was a straight mess rather than a curly one and that her eyes were wide open voluntarily rather than because of someone else ' even though someone else would beg to differ. Over the last year her sleeping pattern had changed for the worst. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept through a whole night without waking up atleast once. Sometimes it would be her kids asking for her attention, sometimes it would be her course and sometimes it would be him. Well'most of the time it would be him and when he knew she had no coursework to do and that the kids were safe and soundly asleep he would make sure he got what he wanted. Smiling, she shook her head and walked out of the bathroom.
He stopped at the doorway as he saw her standing at the end of their bed, busy folding a sari. It was the one that was sprawled on the bed earlier on in the night. She arranged it onto a hanger and walked to the closet to place it in its rightful place. He smiled as she walked back to the bed and placed her hands onto her hips, looking down at something on it with sheer concentration. He wondered what it was. Her hair shielded her face from his view and he walked in.
She scrunched her nose at the papers infront of her. They were of no use. The printer just had to run low on ink halfway through printing them. Her hands dropped from her hips and wrapped her new cardigan around her body. Biting her lip, she began swaying on the spot, contemplating about what to do. After a few seconds she sighed, resorting to looking at the designs on the computer instead.
She stopped as she turned around and saw her husband standing a few steps away from her, his hands in his pockets and a smile playing on his lips as he checked out her attire, his eyes scanning her body. He nodded his head, impressed at what he saw. Smiling, she looked down. Her hands tightened around herself as he took the few steps towards her.
"Nice" Grinning, he stood infront of her.
She looked up.
He inched closer.
Her hands dropped to her side.
"Not your choice, I presume" he smiled, his hands holding onto her cardigan.
"Kyun?" She raised her eyebrow "Main aisay kapray pasaand nahiin kar sakthee?" He tugged onto her cardigan, pulling her closer.
He laughed.
Slowly, his hands worked their way up her cardigan, his thumbs trailing her front. They paused at her neck where his fingers teased her with their soft caresses. Slipping under her cardigan they moved along her shoulders and slowly down her bare arms as he worked on removing the barrier. Smiling, she tugged at her sleeves behind her back to help him with his mission. His hands ran over her wrists and the cardigan fell onto the floor.
"Hmm'" His hands intertwined with hers at her sides.
"'very nice" He kissed her shoulder.
She closed her eyes and smiled as he kissed her forehead.
"Guests chalay gay?" She looked at his closed eyes as he rested his forehead against hers.
His lips moved to kiss her right cheek.
"Haan" Came his reply against it.
He moved to kiss her left cheek also.
"Finally" He added.
She giggled. She found it funny how her husband was all game for people coming over to the house after a concert but then had problems when it came to keeping them company.
He moved back and gave his wife a look that told her not to bother to say her thoughts out aloud before he covered her lips with her own.
"Did you take a nap?" He asked her as he withdrew, his eyes closed and his forehead back to rest against hers.
She opened her mouth to reply but then stopped as she thought of something.
"Nahiin tho" She bit back a smile "Main tho course ka kaam karahee thee"
She made an innocent face as he opened his eyes. She nodded her head cutely and looked back to the bed showing him the so called proof.
"Aab jah kay sonay wali thee main" She turned back to face him.
He looked over her head to where she had pointed and saw the papers strewn on the bed. He looked back down at her suspiciously, his eyes narrowed, looking for signs of fibbing. She didn't change her expression.
"Stop lying"
"Sach main" She nodded her head.
His eyes went up to look at her hair. It didn't look like she had been awake all that time. He brought his eyes back to meet her eyes which did not have the tiredness he had seen a couple of hours ago. He caught her bite back a smile.
"Really now?" Smiling, he tightened his fingers against the back of her hand, pulling her closer.
She gasped and smiled, looking up at him as she bumped against his chest.
She nodded.
"Is that so?" He brought his face down to hers.
She took in a breath.
"Uh-huh" She smiled, dodging his lips as they came for hers.
"Well then'" He took a step forward causing her to take a step backwards.
"'lets take a nap together" He winked, causing her to take another step.
She stopped in her tracks and scoffed.
"Do you even know the meaning of the word sleep?"
"Haiii!" he hissed.
"I love it when you talk English" He whispered near her lips.
He kissed her.
She withdrew.
They took another step back.
"Agar aap par hotha'" She looked at his lips before meeting his eyes "'I wouldn't have known this much"
He grinned down at her.
"I'm a busy man" He said huskily.
She stopped teasing his lips with her own and met his eyes.
Another step was taken.
"Too busy for your wife"
He turned his face to the side and let out a throaty laugh.
"You mean'" He turned back to meet her eyes, a twinkle playing in his own.
Her legs hit the bed as she took another step back. Her hands tightened against his, pulling herself closer.
"'too busy WITH my wife" He said in a deep voice, grinning as he leant into his wifes body and his lips made their way to meet hers.
"Nahiin!" She protested as she felt her body lower. Her hands let go of his and clutched at his shirt at the shoulders, pulling herself back up.
He looked down at her confused.
"Abhi nahiin" She pouted, her big eyes, pleading innocently.
They took a step away from the bed.
"Khanaaak!"
His hands pushed at her waist.
"Pleaseee?"
She tiptoed and wrapped one arm completely around his neck whilst the other hand smoothed his shirt.
He gave her a look.
"Pleaseee?" She whispered over his lips, her eyes stealing a glance at them before returning to his eyes. Her hand around his neck scrunched his tee at the shoulder.
He tightened his jaw.
"Please! Please! Please! Please! Please!" She shook her head, pouting, pushing him back as he took a step forward.
He looked into her eyes. She made a cute face.
"Eurgh! Fine!"
His arms wrapped around her waist, bringing her closer as she lightly withdrew herself.
She grinned up at him, happy at her accomplishment and pecked his lips.
He watched her as she moved back.
She smiled at him.
"Chaliye" She slipped both her hands into his.
A smile escaped from his lips as she turned around and rested her feet gently on top of his.
Grinning, she stretched both of their arms out in front of her and moved her own outwards to cover his, her fingers sliding in between his fingers as her hands rested on top of his hands. She smiled as she led his arms to wrap around her and rested her head onto his shoulder.
He bent down and kissed her neck.
"You better not make me do all the work" He whispered into her ear.
She giggled. He hated it when she refused to cooperate in carrying her own weight by not lifting her own feet whilst walking.
His grip tightened around her.
She shook her head, smiling.
"Good" He kissed her head "Where to?"
Lifting her head, she pointed towards the bathroom.
"Wahaan!"
He lifted his eyebrows, pleasantly surprised. He sighed before walking in the told direction.
"Are we taking a shower?" He grinned hopefully against her head.
"Nahiin!" She elbowed him, blushing.
He laughed.
"Don't act like we've never done it, Khanak" He whispered huskily into her ear, hugging her slender form.
She looked at the floor with an embarrassed smile, hiding her face with her hair.
"Dhat!"
He grinned.
"Dhat!" He repeated into her ear.
He gave her belly a slight squeeze as they reached the bathroom door.
"Watch where were going, Khanak"
She looked up and gave the door a push.
He started walking towards the shower.
"Shaantanu!" She pressed onto his feet with her own.
He didn't stop.
"Shaantanu!" Her hands worked to free herself from his embrace.
"Kya?" He bit back a smile as he removed one arm to reach out for something whilst the other still held onto her "My towel" He grinned as he bought it in front of her.
She closed her eyes and sighed a sigh of relief.
"What did you think?" He asked innocently, lifting his eyebrows and biting his bottom lip.
She turned her head and glared at him.
He held back a chuckle.
Turning back around, she dug her heels into his feet, freeing herself from his hold.
"Khanaaak!" He winced at the slight pain she caused him but couldn't help but smile at her antics. He flung his towel around his neck.
She walked towards the sink and plugged the hole. Opening the tap, she filled a quarter of it with water and picked up two bibs that were resting on top of the wash basin and dunked them in. He walked towards her as she bent down and opened the cupboard under the sink, reaching into it to take abit of washing powder into her hand from its packet to sprinkle into the water.
Her back hit his chest as she got back up.
He grinned as she ignored the contact and carried on with her work.
Her hands stopped rubbing the bibs as he wrapped his towel around her waist and pulled her closer, a small smile playing on his lips. He bent down and slowly rubbed his nose along her shoulder and towards her neck. She closed her eyes.
"I thought you already washed them?" He whispered.
She took a deep breath before opening her eyes. Her hands resumed their task.
"Maine bhi yaheen socha tha'" She said, still rubbing "'kay maine saab bibs dho deeyaay hain LEKIN kisee burthal nay'" She hit her shoulder against his chest "'yaay dono bibs Khushboo bhabhi kay kamray main chor aiyee"
"Oh!"
She glanced into the mirror and caught him squeeze his eyes shut against her neck.
"Yah!" He straightened himself up and rested his chin on top of her head.
She met his eyes through the mirror, a disapproving look on her face.
Smiling, he pulled onto his towel, bringing her closer again before he knotted it behind his back.
Her eyes widened when her back hit his chest.
Holding her gaze in the mirror, he slowly brought his hands up to his ears and held them. He nodded at her with a cute apologetic look on his face.
She bit back a smile. Instead, she twitched her nose at him and carried on with her work, pulling the plug out of the hole and opening the tap to rinse the soap out of the bibs.
"Khanaaak!" He wrapped his arms tightly around her and bent his head down to hers.
"Kya hain?" Turning of the tap, she rinsed the bibs before hauling each one over each tap to dry.
"I said I'm sorry!" He whined against her cheek "Maaf kardo nah!" He kissed her cheek as she dried her hands on the towel wrapped around her.
She shook her head and looking into the mirror, meeting his gaze.
He grinned as she stepped back onto his feet again, her hands resting on top if his arms.
She lifted her eyebrows as he leaned forward and cupped his face, examining it, one arm still around her.
"Do you think I need a shave?"
She giggled as he rubbed his cheek against hers.
"Wait'no. That's not how you check" He attempted to turn her around.
"Shaantanu!"
"Whaaat?" Grinning, he looked back into the mirror "I don't want you to complain afterwards"
"Baad main kuch mat kehna" He warned her, looking at the mirror as he styled his hair with both hands. She slipped her hands into his pockets. He grinned at himself happy with his handy work.
She made a face.
She slowly turned around on his feet and looked up at him.
"No?" He looked down at her and shook his head.
"Nahiin" She shook hers.
He smiled and wrapped his arms around her as her hands went up to his hair.
"Mujhe aisay achay lagthay hain" She said slowly, gently smoothing his hair "Who kya kehthay hain?" She asked herself, smoothing his hair over his forehead "Haan!" Her hands slid to the back of his neck "Natural!" She announced, grinning.
He smiled and raked one hand through his hair, messing it up again.
She made a face and glared at him before running her interlinked hands up and over his hair again.
Chuckling, he drew her closer.
"The record company prefer it the other way" He grinned, looking at her lips.
"Aap kee pathni kon hain?" She raised her eyebrows, her eyes looking straight into his "Main'" She looked at his lips "'yah woh?" She returned her gaze.
He grinned as he felt her push his neck.
"You of course" He whispered huskily against her lips.
They kissed.
"Exactly!" She whispered, smiling against his lips as they withdrew.
He lifted his eyebrows as she moved her head back and looked up at him.
"Yaheen baath aap yaad rakhna, Mr Shaantanu Khandelwal'" Her eyes followed her hands as they slowly trailed down his chest before they wrapped around his waist "'is main hee aap kee balahyee hain"
She smiled as he nodded his head in amusement. She could read his thought from his expression: 'Oh really, now?'
Her hands unknotted the towel. Grinning, she rearranged it so that now the loose ends were on her side, in her hands. She pulled on the ends.
"Is that clear?"
"Crystal" Smiling he moved in for another kiss.
She giggled as they withdrew.
"Tho muriye!"
He tightened his hold around her.
"Where to now?" He wiggled his eyebrows "The bed?"
Smiling, she shook her head.
"Sofa"
"I can manage with that" He rubbed his nose against hers.
She giggled as he turned around.
"Ruko!"
He looked at her.
"Towel yahaan chor daythay hain" She threw it on top of the wash basin "Chalo!" She linked her hands around his neck.
Smiling, he kissed her forehead before making their way out.
"Madam, we have reached your stop" Shaantanu grinned down at his wife as they reached the sofa "I hope kay'" Taking a deep breath, he drew his wife closer, shifting his gaze from her eyes to her lips "'the next stop is mine"
Khanak smiled cheekily, her arms folded against his chest and rubbed her nose against his.
"I'm not joking" He warned her as he let her free. Giggling softly, she turned around not allowing him to see the slight blush that had crept upon her cheeks.
He climbed onto the sofa and sat on the back rest, bringing his hands together as he rested his elbows on his knees. She shook her head at his choice of seating. He smiled.
"Sook gaye?" He asked her as she bent down to gather the twins clothing. She had placed them there earlier to dry when the weather was not in her favour.
"Dek leejeeyaay" She rested their sons shirt onto his knee.
He ran his hand over it and smiled.
"Its dry" He took it into his hand. He turned it around and looked at it as something caught his attention. "Lekin the text on it is fading away" He fingered the front of the shirt "Aur lahnaay paraay gay"
Smiling, she took it back of him.
"Yaay khud kay umar kay liye bohoth chotay hain, hain nah?" She turned around the shirt in her hand.
"Nahiin, Khanak, they are fine" He smiled, watching her examining the clothing.
"Dhulwadi kay bachay tho aab thak bohoth bade hothay hain" She looked up at him.
He chuckled at the reference to Dhulwadi. She never failed to bring it into a conversation every two or three days.
"Khanak, they are fine" He reassured her, looking at her slightly worried expression. "Yaay Mumbai kay bachay hain, Dhulwadi kay nahiin"
She looked up at him and met his gaze. She pouted.
"Dhulwadi kay hothay agar aap mujhe aapne bai kay jane daithay tho" She looked down and rested the shirt on top of all the other tiny clothing gathered in her arms.
He laughed as she made her way towards the cupboard to put the clothes away.
Turning around, she bit her tongue, looking at something on the coffee table.
"Kya huwa?"
She made her way over to him and pulled him by the ears, taking him by surprise as he landed on the sofa.
He looked at her, confused.
She picked up the laptop and seated herself in between his legs.
"Who, merah kaal parsao mock exam hain" She opened the laptop and switched on the device.
"Oh!" He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. She shuffled slightly, making herself comfy against his form "So were revising?" He asked happily, his eyes closed and his head resting against hers.
"Haan" She shook her head, typing in her password so that she could enter her account.
"My way?" He grinned, pushing his cheeked against hers.
"Shaantanuuu!"
"Yes, my way" He smiled and kissed her.
"Aap kah tareeka bohoth stupid hain" She hit her head against his, annoyed.
"How is it stupid?" He grinned. "If you get the answer right'" He bent his head down "'I kiss you'" He slowly kissed her shoulder "'and if you get the answer wrong'" He lifted his head "'you kiss me" He slowly kissed her cheek.
"Is main fark he kya hain?" She slouched against his chest.
"Fark hain nah" He smiled as the welcome sound played on the laptop "You don't respond when I kiss you and I don't respond when you kiss me"
"Lekin main tho saab sawaal kah jawaab saheen dethi hoon!" She pointed at the laptop.
"Ai hai, Khanak!" He grinned, tightening his hold around her "You want to kiss me?"
"Nahiin" She denied, shaking her hair back as she opened up both her question and answer papers.
He buried her face into her neck and inhaled her scent.
Once she had the documents up, she turned her head on his shoulder and looked at him, her lips touching his. She moved her gaze from his lips to his eyes and whispered "I don't want you to respond"
Advocate Anjali Awasthi
Health and Fitness
Arjun
