Ahem placed the empty cup on the saucer, sat back on his chair and sighed - that tea did not come anywhere as close to how Gopi makes it. It was the usual mid morning tea at the office.
Again her name popped up in his mind. He could not stop thinking about her and her rash reaction. It just didn't make sense.
Last night Jigar handed over a beautifully framed photo of Gopi and him smiling on, with his arm around her shoulder. He certainly has an eye in capturing a moment, thought Ahem of his brother.
With her permission he placed the photo frame on the bedside table and thought back to that day. He turned to Gopi, with a wondering look, walked up to her and sought after her help, hoping she will know what happened on that afternoon on Holi day.
Everything that he was questioning returned to her. He talked to her about this new and different change he had been feeling from that day. He was not able to recollect what happened even though faint moments came and went in his mind. He sensed that he did spend his time with her but did not know what it was that he did. So he asked her. Her response baffled him with her interrupted sentence, her sad look on her face with tears rolling down her cheeks, and she walked away from him, ignoring him calling her.
Why was she so hurt from this? How could he stop those tears from falling? Why did she walk away from him? What had he done to upset her?
These were the questions that have been racking his brain all morning.
Just then Jigar entered his office.
"Bhai do you have the Metha file? I want to read the report again," said Jigar. Ahem handed over the red file to him.
"Jigar, last night you mentioned having other photos of the Holi day. Do you have them here?"
"Yes bhai, it is in my bag. This was your first Holi where you surprised all of us. You danced with us and we took out a family photo too. Let me go and bring them." An eager Jigar left Ahem ruminating.
Ahem sat there. He rubbed his forehead with his right hand, closed his eyes and pursed his lips wondering was it that. As clear as day, his mind flashed back to him looking for Gopi and wanting to tell her something.
Ahem's thoughts were interrupted by hearing his office door opening. He opened his eyes, sat up straight and was ready to find some evidence. All the eight photos looked interesting as Jigar went on to explain in detail of the happenings. His excitement was visible in his talk and in his animated body movements. Ahem saw the family photo and noticed the gap between Gopi and him. Another picture was a wonderful one with just the both of them looking so happy with each other.
"Bhai I got you to stand very close to Bhabhi and to hold her hand," Ahem noticed this as Jigar spoke. We look to be at one with each other, he thought. The other photos were Rashi, Dhaval and Kinjal, and some guests. Something caught Ahem's eye in the photo with some of the guests. He looked closely at the background and noticed Gopi and him walking towards to house. She was leading and he was following her. As this was a side profile of them he was taken aback to find a smile on his face while following her. What was this all about?
After lunch Ahem picked up the red apple Jigar left for him to eat. He rubbed it on his handkerchief - he saw Gopi wiping the red apple with her pallu. His mind flashed at his hand as it took hold of hers and walked towards the mandir and did two things with her - removed her pallu and wished each other happy Holi with colours. So him playing Holi with her in the house was part of this too, he confirmed in his mind.
Moreover, the dream haunted his mind too - having her on his lap, caressing her arms and closing in on her lips to taste her. He could smell her, feel her soft skin and watch her quiver to his touch as he closed his eyes to relive this moment but he kept on seeing her run away from him. She was so real! This exacerbated Ahem's mind.
The rest of the day went by at a snail's pace with him picking his brain to unravel the missing piece to his puzzle.
By the time he reached home he resigned his mind that he had achieved something in recollecting his memory - he entered the house with Gopi, wished each other happy Holi and played colours with her.
With this he went looking for her to tell her this news. As he climbed the stairs and approached their room his step quickened and his excitement heightened.
He found her standing at the foot of their bed folding the bed sheets. He put his bag down on the coffee table while calling out at her. Gopi heard her Ahemji calling her with the same intensity in his voice as it was on Holi. She stopped her folding, turned and began putting up her pallu while he took three quick steps towards her. She saw her enthused Ahemji having the same expression on his face as he had on Holi day. Tripping on the edge of the carpet Ahem falls forward, taking her with him, onto the bed.
This action was so instant leaving no room for either to breathe. She fell onto the bed on her back while he toppled over her. His stunned look at her brought on the remaining memories crashing in - the same olive green bed sheet, her widened eyes, her rosy cheeks and her soft sweet lips.
Gopi looked on apprehensively at her Ahemji for what seemed like eternity. She got out of her stupor and attempted to lift herself out of this situation. Ahem was very quick to bear her down on with the full force of his body clamping her underneath him.
He looked on at her with the same intensity as she and slowly moved his left hand up her arm to her left cheek, caressing her gently along the way. He drew light circles on her cheek and kissed her forehead; leaving her having tingling feelings as on that Holi afternoon.
"We made love on our bed that afternoon ..." Ahem quietly whispered making Gopi's heart filled with joyful emotions as she enveloped his neck with her arms and sobbed, "... it was wonderful," he continued.
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