Continued from Page 2
Shaan comes out of the washroom, gets rid of his drenched clothes and wraps a blanket frm the bed around his waist. He goes near the window, and contemplates on what had happened just now. He wonders how bad Khanak must be feeling for the way he behaved in the shower. Khanak comes out after bath wearing the sari they had bought for the next day. Now that they got drenched in the rain, with no other clothes left she wears it now. She opens the door and hearing it shaan turns bak. Their eyes meet for a second and kahank immediately looks away on seeing Shaan in that attire. Shaan quickly picks his vest and pant from the bed and enters the bath.
When Shaan returns frm the bath, he sees khanak, standing near the window, bending fwd to let the rain drops frm outside fall on her face. He cudnt take off eyes from his beautiful wife, who looks all the more pretty and elegant in the red sari. Slowly he moves towards her, admiring her innocent face and the innocent joy she is having. It is such simple things abt her that endeared her. He nears her and says- 'Khanak'. She turns towards him with her beautiful smile. Shaan sighs as she looks iressistably beautiful with the water droplets over her face. He says - 'Khanak, I am extremely sorry. Shower mein apne aap par kaaboo nahi rakha. Agli baar aisa nahi hoga.'
SORRY, thinks Khanak, how special this word has been for her after being associated with Shaan. It is one of the words that led to all the cute and naughty Mahapurush moments she shared with Shaan. It is one of the words that brought them close as friends. But now the same word from Shaan chokes her throat as it shows how distanced Shaan is feeling frm her. Tears drop from her eyes. Shaan's heart sinks more looking at the tears, as he assumes it to be bcoz of his behaviour. He cups his hand around her chin and gently wipes the tears off her soft cheeks with his thumbs. Khanak just stares at his eyes and says, 'Shantanu, kya humari dosti ko ek aur mouka nahi dhe sakthe?'
Dosti, the word frm Khanak's mouth irks Shaan. His look of concern immediately changes to anger - his left eybrow raised and nose quivering with anger. He immediately snaps his hands off her face and turns away to go. Khanak immediately gets hold of his right hand. He stops but hates to look at her face and doesnt even turn. Khanak says - "Please Shantanu, bas ek baar, maaf kar dijiye, mein aapko kona nahi chahti. Mein jindagi bar mujhe maaf nahi kar paaoongi'. Shaan turns towards her - 'Ab dosti se kya faida. Kal tum dulwadi jaogi aur mein mumbai. Shaayadh hum kabhi milenge bhi nahi.'' Khanak - "Please shantanu, aap kahenge tho mein dhulwadi bhi nahi jaoongi - Please'.
Her reply eases him but he just gives her a stare and turns to go back. "Ouch Khanak', Shaan turns towards Khanak, writhing in pain. She has a cute angry pout and is twisting his right hand with both her hands. 'Bas Shantanu subah se kitne baar maafi maang rahi hoon. Ab maaniye nahi tho' says she twisting his hand once more. 'Khanak' shouts Shaan in pain, 'meri haath chodo'. 'Nahi Chodoongi', says Khanak laughing at Shaan. Shaan tries to disentangle her hands from his with his left hand but is surprised with her strong hold. In vain he gives up and says -'khanak meri haath chodo nahi tho' Khank stops him - 'nahi toh kya?'.
He pulls her towards him while turning her, and embraces her from behind. He slowly moves his hand over khanak's hand trying to release her hold gently. Khanaks wet hair and the shampoos perfume overtake his senses and he gently brushes his nose over her hair. The rising emotions within khanak because of his closeness, makes her tighten the grip she has on shaans hands. She closes her eyes blissfully enjoying her husbands touch. Shaan, caressingly moves his left hand from her palm to her shoulder and to her neck, brushing off the hair on her shoulder to the otherside. Overcome with emotions Khanak further tightens her grip, the more she tightens her grip, the more passion shaan feels. He gently caresses khanak's bare back with his nose. He gently feels the softness of her skin and moves towards her neck to kiss her. Khanaks lips shiver with excitement and as Shaan's lips gently touch her neck, her eyes open wide and she immediately swirls back towards Shaan, saying, 'Bas Shantanu'.
Shantanu is both shaken and embarassed. He curses himself for losing his senses again. Its just minutes since he told her that such a thng wudnt repeat. 'Focus Shaaan Focus' this gal has rejected me and I urghhh!' He cudnt meet khanak's eyes. Khanak simply keeps looking at Shaan while thinking inside - Sorry Shantanu - mein jaanthi hoon khi aap mujhe bahut pasand karthe hain. Mein bhi aapko bahut pasand karthi hoon. Hum dono kaa mann ek hi cheez chaahthe huye bhi ek nahi huyi hai. Mein chaathi hoon, ki hamare mann pehle mile. Nahi tho aap jaise subah sharminda huye the, waise phir se honge. Mein jaanthi hoon khi hum ek doosre ke liye baney hai, poori zindagi saath nibhayenge, mein aise hone dethi toh baadh mein kahiin naah kahiin aapko shak hoga ki kahiin mein sirf aapki is barthaav ke kaaran aapki saath nibaayi.
Shantanu slowly and guiltily looks at khanak not knowing what to tell her. Khanak brings back her cute angry pout and asks - 'toh maaf kar rahe hain naah?' He looks at her stunned - "What the Heck?". "Aise kyaa moonh banaa rakhe hai, jawaab dijiye?", says khanak. He gets surprised and irritated again and brushes off her question and goes and sits on the bed to watch TV to get diverted.
Hoping to continue.
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
