siggy by Smitha...
The doorbell rang and Khanak went running to open the door. Her peach floral ankle length skirt trailed behind her and her loose hair lay leisurely playing with her shoulders and her upper back.
She opened the door expecting him and smiled broadly when expectations met reality.
The wide smile sparkled her eyes and made her lips move to the rhythm of her heart beat.
He looked at her……….. The white cotton sleeveless lace top exposing her arms, teamed with the floral peach skirt made a pretty picture. The exposed upper arms were complimented by the naughty strands of hair that spread from around the shoulders and the back. The lavender aroma of her body gel told him that she had taken a shower a few minutes back…..
He sighed and leaned at the door pane as if acting to faint.
"Shaa-aan !! Stop this drama……" she giggled and held his arm to drag him in.
"I can't……………I am actually about to faint……"
"Come inside…………you are tired after a day's work, hence this nautanki….."
"Promise me………….that everyday when I come home, after we get married……… 'you' will open the gate for me…….. with this huge broad smile…….."
"I thought Hari Bha's smile is broader than mine……" she spoke tongue-in-cheek.
He was irked a little,"Very funny………..I have had enough of his smiles…………I will not enter the house if you don't open the door……" he spoke while he came inside.
"Okay, I will………..fine now?" she left him and stood facing him.
"Better….." he said leaning towards her.
"Control…….." She warned him.
"Oh Yeah…………we are in 'your' house……..right?"
"Right……………Shravan is working in kitchen, he might come anytime….."
"Where is Ma ?"
"She has gone with papa and Jai to Ragini's home……"
"Why?" he placed his laptop on the table and picked up the water bottle.
"They had certain things to discuss………….and they wanted to have tea together……. And some other talks about the wedding…………Not much time is left for their wedding …………exactly 54 days from now……"
"So we are alone at home?" he winked.
"Yeppp !!"
"Wow !!!!"
"What is so 'WOW' about it…???"
He was about to answer when Shravan emerged from somewhere around the kitchen….. Shaan frowned and both of them stood straight to appear normal.
"Di, my work is done………….shall I go for the day?"
"Hmm……." She nodded. Shaan nodded after her.
"Di, can you tell mummy that I will come a little late tomorrow, I have to go to temple.."
"Yeah !!" Khanak nodded. Shaan made an impatient face when Shravan stopped near the door to talk to Khanak.
"Tell mummy that I have cleaned the cupboards that she asked me too……" he turned to tell as if remembering something. Shaan felt like hitting him and made a fist in his direction that Shravan couldn't see………..this amused Khanak and she smiled and nodded again.
"I'll tell everything Shravan. Now you go and try to come early tomorrow…."
"Ji…."
Shravan left and as Khanak closed the door behind him, she felt a familiar aroma of a cologne filling her nostrils from behind her back as Shaan had stepped immediately behind her, while sliding his arms around her waist and bringing her closer. Her back was tucked to his chest as he tightened the grip and he slowly placed his chin on her shoulder making her tilt her neck to provide room to him. He nuzzled in her neck and breathed deeply. The lavender aroma mixed with her shampoo fragrance made a final mixture of something intoxicating to the senses. Her soft silky hair touched his cheeks and he held her still firmly.
"What is this for?" she managed to whisper.
"I am just trying to tell you that what is so 'WOW' about being alone."
She blushed and he moved his hands from her waist to her arms, gradually taking them towards her shoulders and placing them firmly there while he closed his eyes, in an effort to savour the moment.
"Shaan," she whispered.
"Hmm….." he groaned, his eyes still closed……..nuzzling deeper into the neck and trying to touch her neck with her lips.
"Will you have coffee?"
"Coffee?" he opened his eyes wide and made a twitch with his lips, "You exactly know how to brutally trash romantic moments……isn't it?"
She smiled and detached herself………. and turning to him, she said,"I just thought that you must be tired after a hard day and a good coffee may refresh you……"
"I get refreshed just by being with you……." he spoke huskily without even thinking about it……and held her elbow to drag her closer to him.
But she resisted and placed her hands in front, folding them together and tilted her head looking at him intently and smiled. He always looked adorable in checked shirts and this particular blue-grey combination teamed with grey trousers was her favourite.
"What !!!! Why are you looking like that?"
She shrugged, "Nothing !! Didn't you say last night that the restaurant was refreshing to you and not me…..??" She raised her eyebrows questioning him, and he stepped ahead in a quick movement to hold her arms and brought her very close to him. Looking at her eyes, he said,"You don't forget anything, right?"
"I don't………..especially words from you….."
He smiled when he looked at her wicked eyes and bent lower………she closed her eyes and he kissed her.
………………………………………………………………………..
"Akshay, are you happy with this marriage?"
"I am mom……………I already told you. Why are you asking again?"
"I don't know," spoke Madhavi in a confusion, turning to him, she said, "I am just apprehensive. I used to live in my own world and never realized how painful past 6 years must have been for Shaan. I think I am not able to read you all…………I made mistakes then……….so I just wanted to make sure that this time I make no mistakes."
Akshay left his laptop and raised himself to sit beside his mom……..slowly he stretched his hand around her and hugged her.
"Mom, you are the best. And both of us love you…………..you know that……"
"I know that……………but I should do what is right on my part. Beta, if you are not happy at any stage, then just let me know………….I'll take care about the rest of the things……"
"Of course mom !! I'll tell you……."
Madhavi turned towards Akshay and kissed his forehead, "I just hope that everything goes well with both of you……."
"It will mom…………..don't worry, we'll be fine." Akshay reassured her.
"What is cooking up between mother and son." Asked Sunil as he joined them.
"Nothing Sunil, I was asking Akshay if he is happy with Khushboo……..we need to start the wedding preparations too once everything is settled."
"I think you are right……….I'll ask the Agarwals' to meet us for dinner tomorrow."
"Jai is getting married after 2 months………and Shaan and Khanak want to get married after him. Why don't we plan Akshay's wedding in these 2 months………."
"I am with you…………afterall, you will be taking care of all these things….."
"Fine then………let's meet Agarwals tomorrow and we need to inform mummyji too…."
"Call her…………..I think even she must be missing us."
"Dad, I am free this weekend…………I'll go to Pune and bring dadi back."
"Right…." Said Madhavi clearly elated at the prospects of organizing 2 weddings in the family.
………………………………………………………………………….
"You said that we will sit at the terrace………..then why did you bring me to your bedroom?" he spoke while stepping inside her room.
"I want to show you the shopping……..the dresses……….the jewellery……….lots of things………" she said in an excited tone.
"Nooo !!!!!" he made a disgusted face and turned around to go out.
She smiled and held his hand, "You said that you won't play a spoil sport but in fact, will sail along the flow……"
"I did…………but please, not now………" he said pleading.
"Okay !!" she smiled and stood with hands folded in front of her, "As you wish……"
He nodded pressing his lips hiding a knowing smile……….and hurled a fist towards her face, "Alright !! Come'on show me…………."
"It's fine Shaan………..we can do that later……….." she didn't feel like troubling him.
"No, I really want to see it……" he spoke softly coming closer.
"Really??!!" she became excited once again.
"Absolutely !!" he smiled indulging her and flowing with her excitement.
She took out 3-4 boxes with designer delicate lehengas with embroideries, embellishments and loads of intricate work……..they glittered and shimmered……..and sparkled. Shaan opened his mouth in extreme surprise and looked at her with wide eyes.
"Are you going to wear all this to office after the wedding?"
"No silly………….these are for the wedding functions……"
"And then, what will happen to them….???"
"There are so many festivals that require dressing up—like Diwali, Karwa Chouth, Teej…. I'll wear them then…….."
"And you are going to treasure them for years?"
"Of course……." She shrugged matter-of-factly.
She took out first 2 boxes – one with a peach lehenga with bronze embroidery and delicate sequins in peach ……… it was a very pretty dress. The other box had a sea-green lehenga with silver embroidery and fine embellishments in silver. Both the colours were subtle and Shaan's favourites.
"Which one is better?"
"Both are good…….."
"No, tell me one…"
"Why? Are you going to wear it for the wedding…."
"No……the wedding one is yet to be bought……..that one has to be a heavy lehenga with loads of heavy embroidery and sequins………these are one for sangeet and other for engagement…….you tell me which one do you like more……"
He looked at her as if he has lost his way home…………..and she couldn't stop giggling. She touched his forehead with first three fingers of her right hand and said, "Dumbo !!"
"I have no clue……….both look good to me." He nodded hopelessly.
"Shall I wear them and show it to you?"
"Not a bad idea….." he shrugged as if giving in.
He leaned reclining on the backrest of her bed, with a cushion behind him and other in his lap when his attention was broken by the noise of door opening.
She had unlatched the washroom door and stepped out in the sea-green lehenga …….. looking like a gorgeous mermaid. He stared at her with bated breath and was speechless for a while…….
She came closer and stood in front of him, leaned slightly towards him so as to reach his face and raised her eyebrows.
He nodded and could just manage a whisper, "Wow !!"
"Is this dress better?" she smiled.
"Dress??? Oh, I didn't notice……"
"Shaan !!!" she sat down frustrated.
"Sorry……." He looked at her with an apologetic face.
The look on his face, the tired eyes, the sadness in those eyes and the smile on his lips made her notice that there was something terribly going wrong.
She had never seen him so lost, still he was trying to make her feel happy, he was doing to his best to participate in whatever she had been planning for the biggest day of their lives. Her excitement was palpable and he did not want to burst her bubbles……… but somewhere, he was once again not able to share what he was going through.
Once this had happened, long back, around six years back and he had slowly drifted away………not wanting to hurt anyone………trouble anyone……….and upset anyone….he had taken upon all pain by himself !!!
She shuddered thinking of all that and frowned with a worry. He was amused at her expressions and raised his eyebrows in a question…..
She raised her hand and placed it warmly on his cheek, "Shaan !! Share with me……. What is troubling you ?"
"Nothing sweetheart…….." he nodded in refusal.
"Shaan………you know that you can't lie to me……"
"Something related to Akshay's marriage……"
"What ??"
"Dad has found a nice girl for him and he has said 'yes' just after talking to her once, just because this wedding is going to benefit the business…….it's more of a business deal…."
"But, what does Bhaiya say….??"
"He says – he likes her…"
"Hmm…….maybe he likes her…………Shaan don't fret too much……..there is a difference between an arranged marriage and a love marriage………. We don't expect people to understand each other and fall in love at the first instance in an arranged marriage………..people marry strangers when they go for an arranged marriage. At least she is someone from a family known to you. Everything will be fine………Aisey hi hota hai….." she explained to him…..still not sure whether this was the reason of his distraction.
"Maybe……."
"But, this is something that happened today, right?"
"Yeah,……"
"So, there is something else that is bothering you too……"
"There isn't anything…." He spoke softly assuring her.
"I am watching you since many days………..there is something that is troubling you………. you are just not interested in these preparations……….you are lost somewhere…….."
"No…………that's not right…….." he shrugged.
"You are upset at something………..not liking something……….what is that??"
"I said – there's nothing…." He re-affirmed.
"Don't lie………….I can read you too………..I have invested many of my years in you……" She spoke softly.
He couldn't meet her eyes, he couldn't lie to her…….so he looked away hiding his discomfort.
She once againplaced her palm on his cheek and made him turn his face towards her.
"Khanak, I ………." He couldn't speak more and kept quiet, looking at her eyes……..not knowing what to say.
She placed her other hand on his other cheek and brought him closer to meet his lips with hers………… trying to give him a solace that made him feel confident of the strength of the relationship they shared !!!
