Night at the Theater
"You've never gone for a film with her before?"
"Nope."
"Yaar you are joking right?"
Tarun was incredulous, yet again, at how much Manav had never done with Archana. Mind you, he had managed to get around to some things, some very important things, but these types of date nights were far and few between. Six months of marriage had flown by, well, the six months after Archana had finally moved in. An evening at the theater, though it may seem common, had never happened for them. As it is he was in the garage all day, and Archana kept herself busy with housework and her new 9th standard books she was using to self-teach, with some aid here and there by Vandita. At the end of the day after dinner and a final clean up, Archana seemed to look forward to relaxing, and Manav also looked forward to relaxing, but of the other variety. Six months sounded like a long time, but sometimes he felt like he still didn't know her well enough. She would smile, laugh, blush; for the most part she appeared happy with this new life. However, sometimes he was curious, did she truly like everything or was she just being a dutiful wife? Perhaps he just needed more time to be able to read her? It became frustrating at times; she somehow always knew exactly how he was feeling and what he needed, but he would frequently draw a blank when it came to what to do for her. Every time he tried something he would have a split second of hesitation that seemed to last forever; it always felt right to him, but when it came to her: Should I do it should I do it should I do it, I think I should. She'll like that. No she won't. Yes she will. Okay well now I did it. Wait what is that expression. It's a smile, a smile! Oh thank you Bappa! The same conversation he had with his brain a million times. It's not like he wasn't confident, he knew he loved her and she loved him too, but he just didn't want to upset her or make h-
"Oye hero, kahan sapno main khoya hai, chal jaldi haath chala!"
His hands started turning the wrench again, as his mind went back to its never-ending ponderings.
###
"Acha, bye..."
Archana put down the phone and headed back towards the kitchen. A film? Manav would constantly surprise her with these romantic ideas. So chaalu, she giggled, in the most complimentary way possible. He presented himself as your typical mechanic man of Maharashtra with a slightly rough demeanor, but really he was so sweet and caring and gentle. At times like these she wondered if she had married Manav or some suave filmstar; maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but one could not deny those dreamy good looks. She wondered if he realized how much she loved these outings of theirs; of course staying at home was fine too, with their busy lives, but there was something so special about all of the time they spent alone, well, alone among the strangers. It was funny, sometimes she just felt so much love for him she didn't know how to explain it. At times all she wanted to do was pull his cheeks and smother him, but she wasn't quite sure of how receptive this six-foot tall man's man would be to that. In fact, judging how receptive he was to different types of affection was a little hard at first, his expressions could be so hard to decipher; however, by now she had figured it out, when to run her hand through his hair or intertwine her fingers with his. But sometimes she would still surprise herself, and him too. She blushed thinking of the time when all she wanted to do was give him a kiss, and so in the spur of the moment she got on her toes and did just that. She still wasn't sure of what had gotten into her that time, but she was certainly sure that he had loved it, from what had followed afterwards. Why could she not stop blushing even while thinking?! She looked up from her thoughts and realized she stood with her wardrobe open, all of her saris presented neatly before her alongside Manav's array of checked shirts. The kitchen can wait for a few seconds, she thought, as she went back and forth between the saffron, lemon, and midnight blue sarees. The red had a very romantic tone, and she knew she always looked radiant in yellow, but there was something about the navy saree drawing her in. It had a bit of a silvery glimmer to it, reminding her of the nighttime sky in the villages; there was an allure in it, and she instantly made up her mind as she remembered that blue was Manav's favorite color. Hmm, a stack of blue choodiyaan layered between her usual green ones, along with her very favorite silver bangles gifted to her by Manav, perhaps she could find a way to add some loose curls to her hair like the women on television, oh and maybe a sparkly bindi, and would he like it if she wore a darker red lipsti-
Her thoughts broke to the sound of Savita Aai clanging dishes and loudly murmuring about her useless bahu.
###
"Kahan jaa rahi ho, idhar aao na..."
"Ji, yeh aap kya keh rahe hain? Bade besharam ho gaye hai aap."
The actress onscreen giggled to her lover as Manav wondered if he would ever do dialogue-baazi like that with Archana. She looked so beautiful tonight, well she always looked beautiful, but he kind of wanted to go so far as saying she looked kind of umm, what's the word, yes, sexy. Tarun would probably laugh at him, sexy in a saree that is not transparent and without a miniscule blouse, but no other words came to mind. She had her shiny hair loose and framing her face with those glimmering eyes and sweet lips that looked a bit redder than usual. Her complexion shone against the midnight blue saree, and he hadn't forgotten to notice that, as everyday, she was wearing the silver bangles he had gifted her. He always felt proud somehow when he saw them; it was almost a possessive feeling as if the bangles marked her as his, as if the mangulsutra dangling from her graceful neck was not enough. She was so beautiful, and so different from any woman he had ever come across; gentle, sweet, and with a smile and eyes that would hit straight at his heart. He would always have a bit more of a swagger in his step when he went out with her, this gorgeous woman who put even more effort than necessary into dressing up for him. Yeah, it was probably silly and boyish, but he still got a kick out of seeing her dazzled up for their time together. At the moment, though, he was contemplating how to make the most out of this dark theater. He wanted to put his arm around her, but the seats were so cramped he would probably end up fondling the auntyji beside her if he tried. He looked down and saw her fair hands, soft but obviously hard working; he simply picked it up and kept it in his. She responded with her grip, and it felt nice and comfortable. Not quite what he had imagined when he thought of a film outing, but afterall something was better than nothing. He tried to return his focus to the film, might as well watch it after spending so many rupees on it.
###
"Ooohhooohooohhooo, pyaaar huaaa hainnn..."
The token romantic song started as Manav picked up her hand into his. What timing he has! The hero on screen was rolling around in a field with his heroine, while Archana's hero was gently stroking up and down the side of her hand with his thumb. Aaah, it felt like heaven. Despite the crowded theater, somewhat dank smell, and cheesy film, she was loving everything. His hands were rather rough, due to his profession, but they were oh so warm and comforting. She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder and bringing her other hand around to rest on his muscular arms. They weren't inflated the like the actor's onscreen, they were just right, strong and smooth and she had to admit she really liked his arms. Well she liked pretty much everything about him, but this was a highlight along with his smile and eyes and hair and chest and... everything else. His gentility took her by surprise nearly every time in the first few months. He is quite a large man, but he was always so gentle when it came to her; sometimes he would get excited and forget his own strength, but she certainly wasn't complaining, as she thought back to when - oh goodness she was blushing in the theater now, thank God it is dark in here. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the lady next to her giving her a bit of a look, but she didn't care at all. She was here with her husband was determined to enjoy it as much as possible. From all of her sahelis she had heard of the various moves their husbands tried in the theaters, but Manav had done none of that. Was he just too respectful or simply conscious of all the people around them, she couldn't tell. She wondered if it was an emptier theater if he would have tried to d-
The heroine's mother shrieked, the man behind sneezed loudly, and the aunty next to her farted, a combination disturbing enough to snap her out of her thoughts.
Health and Fitness
The 50
