Aahil sat in his Ammi's room, for the first time realizing the gawdy opulence it had without her charismatic presence. Although his Ammi turned out to be quite nasty, her absence made the house somewhat pale.
How could I have been so blind and stupid?
All those times I craved for her love, and celebrated at every morsel she threw at me in pity.
All false. All for Rehan.
Worse of all is, my brother Rehan didn't even get it properly. Only promised.
Aahil wondered if this strange feeling will pass. My Ammi just died... But... I just found out she hated me all along... and played a HUGE scheme on me since I was 10. The mountain of lies and deceit was staggering.
No, I shall mourn my Ammi, for what she was to me. Not who she was in the end.
He walked out and locked the room, intending to tell Lateef to clear the room the next day. He turned and walked to his bedroom, lost in thought.
Even as I lost Ammi, I found my biggest treasure, Sanam. I don't know what I did to deserve her in my life. I did abominable things to her, humiliated her and hurt her, but she stubbornly knew better and stayed. Truthfully I can't blame her if she wants out.
But she is mine! Forever. I will not squander this chance. ..
He entered the room silently and shut the door, hearing Sanam in the shower. Suddenly the room looked lively again since she was back. He sat by the couch absently fiddling with his phone.
Suddenly the bathroom door opened to a mumbling Sanam. Aahil gaped at the sight.
Sanam appeared in front of him facing away, deliciously damp from a shower, in nothing but a towel. The red towel hugged her slender form from chest to just above knees, as she tiptoed for the closet.
"You idiot Sanam! How could you forget your clothes!? "she grumbled as she grabbed her clothes on the bed. A moment of contemplation, then a quick glance at the room door. Satisfied with the privacy, she shimmied into her underwear, the towel tantalizingly loose and threatening to fall.
Aahil gaped in silence. He'd seen women undress, but this sexy dressing up was a new experience. The view of her lithe body was robbing him the power of thought. Long slender legs, and beautiful sexy back, a teasing glimpse of the sides of her pointed breasts as she deftly hooked her white brassiere on.
Underwear, I must buy her some. Red ones. Her favourite colour. So I can take em off...
She half jumped into her salwar and she turned. A shriek, part scream, part gasp came from her.
Aahil froze, eyes wide with surprise, lips slowly widening in a grin at her horrified face. Lifting his eyebrows he silently asked, Kya?
She held the towel fast to her chest, her bare shoulders and waist still showing.
"Aahil!! How long have been sitting there??"
"umm.. since you before you came out of the bath? Why?" Aahil stood and came to stand in front of her, fingering the red towel covering her.
Sanam colored furiously, tongue tied. She opened her mouth to say something, but got distracted.
Aahil was really close, their noses a mere inch apart, his fingers playing with a strand of wet hair. Her skin smelled fresh and devoid of make up, He leaned in and kissed her cheek, slowly moving to the other too. Hovering over her plump lips , he angled his head sideways to gain entry.
She closed her eyes as he planted a long kiss on her lips. He had wanted to taste her for such a long time, the experience surreal. His hand crept up her bare waist and she shivered. Her fingers loosened over the towel and it fell. His other hand ran up her side, caressing up her waist to the side of her breast.
He lifted her hand and guided it to his shoulder, and she ran fingers through his hair. All the while his tongue slowly explored her mouth, making her hum dreamily. Slowly parting their lips, he walked her backwards to their bed and lay her back. Smiling gently he lay down by her side and touched her stomach. Her muscles quivered as he walked his fingers up to her brassiere. Pushing the delicate lace aside he cupped her, as his kissed her deeply.
His head spinning with desire, he couldn't think of anything but her, in that haze, the sudden knocking at the door made them both jump guiltily. They sat abruptly, looking at the offending door. Sanam sought cover in the bathroom while he straightened himself and opened the door.
"Lateef... What do you want !?" He barked sternly. Lateef jumped visibly and stammered that Nawab sahab wanted to see him and scuttled away. Aahil frowned severely and walked to Father's room.
Sanam spotted a clear pathway and escaped to the kitchen to prepare breakfast with Lateef. Those intense moments with Aahil fresh in her mind, she looked rosy when she arrived next to Lateef.
"Oh ho... someone is looking very rosy today... Locked up in a room with Aahil baba, I can imagine...?! " Lateef teased goodnaturedly, smiling at Sanam. They exchanged a supportive look, Lateef may not feel his place to interfere with the Nawab family matters, but he did wish for Aahil baba to get his Sanam back. He had looked invigorated this morning, and very handsome too, Lateef thought secretly.
Sanam and Lateef were serving food a little later, when Aahil joined the breakfast party. Sanam had served Father and him, and then went to sit at a seat furthest away from him. He frowned and waited for her to look at him. When she did, he pointedly indicated the seat next to him. To which she shook her head and frown negatively, glancing at Father. Aahil narrowed his eyes at her but she ignored him.
Frustrated, he later paced their room and tried to work on his laptop but he couldn't concentrate. He tried asking for some coffee a few times, but both times it was Lateef who brought it. Angry now, he stomped to the kitchen, to find the twins seated together by the back door, Sanam's arm around Seher. They were both crying and he immediately knew what about.
Rehan...
How senseless was the death of his brother.
Ammi was about to shoot me and Rehan took the bullet instead. What did I do to deserve such sacrifice? Why did you do that Rehan? I would have rather been hit rather than lose you...
Sanam looked over her shoulder and pleaded understanding. He blinked reassuringly and went to sit by them, on Seher's side. Sanam got up to get a glass of water and Seher sniffled and blew her nose.
"Seher, I'm so sorry for your loss. Rehan was like a brother to me, long before I knew he was my step brother. He was always with me, through thick and thin; through my bad times, he was my conscience and my moral compass. He was an admirable man, I loved him a lot. He was the only one who showed affection to me, before Sanam came into my life. I'm so sorry he died saving my life..."
"He loved you too Aahil... You were his Aahil bhai. He used to tell me, he wasn't sure if he stuck around for his mother, or more for you...I think you kept each other strong. But he's gone now, I wish he had gotten his happy ever after," Seher's eyes welled with tears again and her voice failed her.
Aahil put an arm around her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Listen, whatever you need, just ask alright? You are my family now. Rehan's wife." Seher looked up sharply. "Yes, I know, you and Rehan had registered your marriage in secret... I'm glad. Whatever he owned will go to you...And you have me, no matter what.." Seher dissolved in tears and Aahil held her consolingly. "Just one favour, call me Jiju from now alright? " and Seher smiled weakly in between sobs.
Later, when Seher had gone back to her room, Sanam pulled Aahil into the dark pantry and kissed him hard on the mouth. His eyes wide with shock, she quickly pulled back and mouthed a breathy Thank you ,my love and disappeared, before he could catch her.
Darn you Sanam. You can't keep turning me on and off like this !
**
Sometime after dinner, Aahil was thoroughly fed up. All he wanted was for some time alone with Sanam today, and it was darned difficult. Sanam darted from one chore to another, helping everyone with their things, everyone but him.
He walked purposefully towards the poolside, and saw Sanam seated with Abbu. He was telling her stories about his mother, how they fell in love and how she was with her kids. Sanam listened with rapt attention, her smile encouraging Abbu to happily go down memory lane.
"She loved Aahil a lot... She used to call him her Rajkumar. He was such a gorgeous smiley child, Sanam. Very quiet, sensitive, smiles at everyone,but he keeps his feelings to himself. I'm guessing he hasn't changed much. " Abbu sighed. "When she died of a sudden cancer, it broke me. She took a lot of the sunshine with her, I couldn't come out of the grief. I hastily married Tanveer, someone made the match for me.. She seemed good for them for a while too."
" I feel terrible about beating him Sanam. By the time I found out about Tanveer's truth, she had the kids so attached to her that I couldn't pry them away. I wanted to divorce her and send her away, but the kids started rallying for her, crying and not eating. I was at a loss, Sanam. I beat him, Sanam. With these hands, I hurt my lovely boy, and locked him up, because he threatened to leave with his Ammi. "
Aahil leaned against a distant pillar, openly eavesdropping. Sanam saw him, but pretended not to. He needed to hear this.
"I punished myself afterwards. I behaved terribly but I did love my children, and I wanted them. I managed to change my Will back to its original form. Suleman had a brother who once worked for the Khan family in this very house long ago. He told me that Tanveer seemed to be sole survivor of the fire that killed everyone here. When I confronted her about, she lost her temper and pulled a gun on me. You know the rest..."
Abbu was crying over the lost years, and Sanam turned tearing eyes at him. Aahil melted at the plea in her eyes. He will make amends with Abbu, he deserved to be at peace about things that happened so long ago.
Sanam walked Abbu back to his room and Aahil stared at her broodingly. She knew he was watching, glancing surreptitiously every few minutes. The message was clear in his eyes,
Come to me now.
She spent an extraordinary amount of time making sure Abbu was comfortable. When she came out, she made a quick turn towards the kitchen. There was a sound that stopped her, a low clearing throat.
"Now, where are you going? " Aahil stood arms folded, waiting for her. She said nothing, just shaking her head, Nowhere...
Aahil took her hand and led her to their room, resolutely locking the door behind them. He pulled her into an engulfing embrace, betraying his emotional state. Sanam held him back, running her hands all over his strong back. His hands burned her skin with heat and he touched her restlessly.
He lifted her up into his arms and she clung onto his shoulders as they kissed ravenously, beyond all shyness. They removed their clothes with shaking fingers, her beautiful skin exposed to him finally. He sat her astride him on the bed and lay back. She sat across him and took him in her. She rode him slowly, then fast, both of them grabbing and kissing each other urgently. The climax, when it came was so shattering that she just collapsed upon him and lay there. He toyed with her long hair as she napped, exhausted.
"I love you Sanam, forever..."
The End
Anupamaa
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
