It was almost morning and I am running along the shoreline as rays of sunshine cut into the dark sky. I, Manvi Chaudhary, umm..sorry, Vadhera, have voluntarily chosen to go for a jog and that too even before the sunrise - go figure!
I don't know why, but I couldn't sleep. I had gotten roughly three hours of sleep and I am up and restless. Virat was sleeping like a baby and I didn't feel like pestering him. Why did I have this sudden impulse to grab my sneakers and trouble my already fatigued self? Oh, and not to mention a very sore self; from umm..last night.
God!
I am so confused, I somehow feel like crying and I don't understand what is going on with my head. I was fine while it was happening, I was actually happy that we were embarking on a new journey together and expressing our love to each other - in a very intimate and vulnerable way.
I feel very vulnerable and open to him; I haven't had something like this before. Is that what all my restlessness is about? I don't know. I am a changed woman and my whole perspective has changed. I feel...just very, very different.
I stop and catch some air - the surroundings here are really, really serene this time in the morning; so different from party atmosphere last night.
God!
What was that? I was drunk, Virat was drunk. He is just so relaxed and different when he is high. His burning gaze, his sexy smile, all those tender moments; I find myself biting my lips and smiling profusely at my thoughts. I hope he remembers everything, or maybe not. Maybe we both can act like nothing happened; that would save me a whole lot of embarrassment.
Are you crazy Mannu? No, no, he HAS to remember everything - it was very special for me and I hope he feels the same way. I can bear his teasing but not him forgetting about such an important turning point in our relationship.
Why the hell am I so embarrassed anyways? We are married and that too twice!!
I reach the hotel and I take the stairs instead of the elevator and I am panting and gasping for air as I reach our room which is on the 20th floor.
Oho, he is still asleep.
He looks so peaceful and I still didn't feel like disturbing him, I go in for a shower and when I come back, he is on the phone, dressed in a tee and tracks. He smiles sweetly looking at me and I immediately turn my gaze away.
"Haan bhai...abhi maine bol diya toh kya karu ab? Please don't take tension, they took it very well and they are very excited to collaborate with us...please bhai..abhi mujhe pakao math...I have sent you the agreement, please look over it and get back to me."
He walks over to me and hugs me from behind, freezing me in.
"Yes, you are talking with Virat Vadhera...I AM FINE! Thank you!..bye."
"Good morning!" he says leaning into the crook of my neck.
"Good morning.." I whisper. "That was Rahul?" I ask, trying to find a neutral topic.
"I woke up and found you missing and then saw your note." He says still holding me, ignoring my question.
"Yeah..I just felt like working out."
"Working out?" he asks surprised.
"Yeah, why are you so surprised?"
He turns me around and looks at me scrutinizingly, his eyes narrowed. "I just am...I mean after last night." He smirks.
I look up into his eyes and he is still looking at me with that nothing-goes-by-me-unnoticed look. I turn away. "Kyu? What happened last night?" I ask.
No girl! You do not want to play with Mr.Unpredictable here. You never know which way he is going to take - my subconscious shakes her head at my rather innocent question.
"You know, the dance, partying and running around.." he replies coolly.
I turn to him and he has a complete straight face.
What?
"Running around?"
"Mannu, you were really drunk kya? Don't you remember? We were dancing on the ramp baby and then you brought me back to the hotel." His tone is admonishing. Is he for real?
"I brought you back?" I gape at him surprised? All my thoughts kicked to the backfoot and outrage taking over me.
"Ahaaan!"
"You don't remember anything after the dance?" I ask him.
"Umm..Oh yaaa..."
I look at him expectingly.
"I remember - I got wet in the rain and you dried my hair. I am sorry Mannu..That was so juvenile. My clothes are just scattered around and I took the bed. Jeeez! Did you sleep on the couch?" he asks.
I look at him bewildered.
"Virat, you don't remember anything about the chapel?"
"What chapel? Are you alright Mannu? You look at a little pale.." he comes over and cups my face.
God! This is so embarrassing. "Yeah..I just.."
I am so lost!
"Here, have this glass of water and sit. I will take a quick shower and we will explore around. You also need to eat sweetheart." He kisses my hand and makes me sit on the bed, handing a glass of water. And he is gone.
"Virat.."
My phone rings and it is my dad.
"Papa?"
"Mannu..when are you coming back? I miss you beta.."
Eh?
"Papa?? Everything alright with you? How is your cold?"
"It's okay beta. I just feel it has been so many days since I have seen you and Virat. When are you both coming back?"
"Papa!! It has not even been a week. Are you missing me or are you missing Virat?"
"Ofcourse you sweety!"
"Right!!"
"When are you coming?"
"We are starting tomorrow evening papa. We will reach Tuesday evening.."
"Okay. See you then. Don't bug your husband too much!"
What? I object! "Excuse me? He is the one bugging me."
"Ya-ya-ya..bye now."
I linger around pacing and I am flabbergasted. How can he not remember?
No!
No!
Maybe all that was your dream, you know! - my ugly twin shrugs making a come back. This cannot be true. I am so much more confused now. I was drunk too; was all that my imagination? No, it cannot be! All that CANNOT be my imagination!!!!! I feel different. I have a hickey on my neck for godsakes! I feel angry and hurt and so many other things. I go inside and he is getting dressed in front of the mirror, brushing his hair whistling some stupid song that I cannot place - I have heard it so many times, my dad's genre. Ug! I am worrying about the wrong kind of things.
"Viraaat!"
"Yesss"
"I.."
"What's wrong?" he looks at me in the mirror.
"You know..last night..we went to a chapel.."
"Really?"
"Yeah..because you wanted to get married to me again?"
"Manvi? Are you alright? Why would I do that? We are already married honey."
He pats my head patronizingly and I...I...I want to kill him!!!!
How can you not remember such a big thing Virat!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was very, very special. Maybe it wasn't for you, but it WAS for me. I feel hurt, stabbed and cheated. I know there is a huge pool of tears waiting to bulge out.
He is looking at me like I am maniac. STOP STARING AT ME LIKE THAT!
"So, we got married again? In a chapel?"
"Yes.." I whisper.
"And then you got me back to the hotel?"
"YOU got me back to the hotel.."
"Well, okay. I guess we were very drunk. What were we thinking!" he exclaims rolling his eyes.
"Breakfast?" he asks, moving away, gathering his stuff.
I am nailed to the ground. He is humming that song again.
"We will look around here all day and then drive back in the evening. I have meetings all day tomorrow and we have our flight tomorrow evening. You need to figure out where you wanna shop." I don't hear a thing he says, they are all random words.
"You really don't remember anything?" I ask, for one last time. If the answer is no, I'd rather never show him my face again.
"Should I?" he asks me curiously.
"I am going out for a walk.." I tell him and I literally want to storm out of there.
I hate him!
I hate myself!!
This is so unfair!
I wanna go back home - like TODAY.
I open the door and he is humming again with lyrics this time - Raat kali ek khwaab mein aayi, aur gale ka haar hui.. I stop in my tracks.
He is walking towards me. He takes my hand and pulls me into his arms, tracing my face with his fingers
Virat's POV:
"Kyu? What happened last night?" she asks me, turning away shyly.
Aha! Time to have some fun sweetheart!!
But looks like Ms.Hotty pants didn't like my sense of humor. She is barging out. I shake my head. She is really so naive!!
Raat kali ek khwaab mein aayi, aur gale ka haar hui...
Subah ko jab hum neend se jaage, aankh tumhise chaar hui..
I walk to her and stop her. She turns around and I lift her chin up.
"MANVI!!! Why are you crying?"
"I DON'T KNOW!!!" she screams at me.
"Oh baby!!" I pull her into my arms and she hugs me tightly.
"I thought you didn't remember anything.."
"I was just kidding Manvi. Wasn't it obvious?"
"Nah-hah!!" she wipes her cheek with my back of her hand.
Oh God! "Come here, sit..what's wrong?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Why did you go for a jog in the morning?"
"I don't know.."
"Talk to me baby. You can tell me anything and I will understand. I love you Manvi and I told you, I cannot see you cry, ever. And even then, here you are!!!!"
"Don't joke about such things. It was really, really special for me and I thought you didn't even remember all that..."
"Hmm.." I smile at her silliness. I forgetting about everything!!!!?? Are you kidding me?
"What?" she asks angrily.
"Oh, Manvi.." I sit beside her and pulls her into my arms. "you have no idea of how special it was for me" I tell her sincerely.
"Really?" she looks at me with a small shy smile.
"Really." I kiss her nose and she snuggles in my arms, giggling.
"Now, why did you go for a jog?"
"I don't know.." she shrugs.
"Tell me what you are thinking Manvi. I am not moving until you tell me and at this rate, we will miss our flight tomorrow evening."
"I was feeling very confused and scared."
"Scared? Of what baby?"
She is silent.
"Did you like what happened last night?"
"Drying your hair?" she retorts.
"No baba..after that." I laugh.
"What happened after that?" she slants her head away from me, looking into my eyes, with a wicked gleam in her eyes.
"Batao phir se?" I chuckle and she looks away flustered. She makes me laugh like crazy.
"So? Coming back, did you like it?"
"Yaaa..very much." she whispers, barely audible, her head on my chest.
"Very much?"
"Very, very much. I never expected I will find something like this. I am scared that it might not be the same for you and that it somehow was a one time thing and will not last...I am scared of losing all this...losing you." she blurts out all of it in one quick sentence and she is looking at her hands guiltily.
I take a deep breath! What do I do with you Manvi?
"Manvi! For a bright beautiful young woman, you have some real self-esteem issues. Why would you think like that?"
She is still looking down guility.
I lift her chin up. "You are very, very important to me Manvi. Infact, you are the most important person in my life and I am with you because I want to be with you. On some kind of a deep level, I need you - you make my life easy and fun and beautiful. You are everything I ever wished for in my wife darling and I love you, very, very much. I don't know how to express the depth of the feelings I have for you."
"Really?"
"Really, you have nothing to be scared of. On the contrary, I should be scared of losing you. I was shit scared of falling in love again - because, I knew that I will go all in, again. But, you make it all so simple. It is like you walked into my life and you have left me no option other than to fall hard, in love, with you. And last night was amazing and I felt so complete and special Manvi. You have no idea how happy you make me."
"Awww..that's so sweet.."
"Yet, you cry!! Mannu, I make it a point to express and communicate, but you don't do it. How will I know what is going on inside your head? I do not want to see you like this, ever."
"Yeah. Sorry."
"Good. Chalo. Breakfast! Starving.."
"Me too.."
"Good to hear that.."
"Waise..how are you feeling this morning.."
"Very well, thank you!!" She roll her eyes and I cannot help but smirk.
"You are not sore, are you?"
Her jaw drops. I love these moments when I shock her "That's...that's personal! And why do you ask? Do you wish you offer your sympathy?"
"Nah, just estimating how long I need to keep my hands off you.."
"VIRAT!!!!! Shameless you are.."
"Only for you sweetheart!!" I am grinning ear to ear and I pull her onto my lap. She puts her arms around my neck and we kiss, deeply, her fingers running through my hair and tugging them, making me groan.
Oh, how I wish we would never have to leave this little bubble of ours, but unfortunately, real world beckons on us and tomorrow night, we fly back to our family and friends.
~~~
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