Chapter 3
Ram stood at the door of his room, with his eyes automatically seeking the couch. He got a shock when he saw the empty couch. It was a few minutes before he mustered the courage to enter what he thought was an empty room.
And then he saw Priya ! Curled up on the bed, in the foetal position, on his side. She must have been really angry and hot with anger to have switched on the AC in this weather. And then fallen asleep without the comforter. There seemed to be something in her hands and he moved towards the bed to have a closer look. When he realized it was the photo frame, he was elated beyond words. He was very happy, in fact blissfully happy.
He wondered what to do. The urge to wake her up and take her in his arms was too overwhelming. On the other hand, he was loving the feeling of standing by her side and staring at his lovely face. As usual, she looked very cute when she was asleep. She hadn't even changed her black sari. She had been looking gorgeous at the party. He bent down to adjust the comforter on her.
At that brief sound,she was awake. She sat up in bed and stared at him for some time. Trying to recollect what had happened. She was embarassed to be caught lying down on his side of the bed. She saw him smiling at the photo frame still clapsed in her hands.
Ram bent down and took the frame from her and set it on the side table.
Ram : Now that I'm back, do you still need my snap?
Priya was blushing and couldn't meet his eyes. Ram sat down softly beside her and forced her to look up to him. There was no need to say anything at all to each other. They knew each other too well to understand what the other was thinking. They continued to stare, both hesitating to break the moment. This was a special moment in their life.
After so many months of a rocky relationship, where they'd both tried their best to stick to their ideology of a compromise marriage; wherein both of them had strongly felt that they were too grown up, too mature, too set in their own ways to be able to adjust with another person and then slowly the beginning of caring for the other's well being, taking pride in making the other happy, sharing in the sorrows of the other and finally being so deeply involved and entrenched in the relationship so as not to be able to imagine life without the other; was something neither of them had even dared to dream or dared to hope for in their life.
Finally Priya lowered her eyes again.
Priya : Aap aise kya dekh rahe hain?
Ram : I thought you could take one look at my face and know when I'm not telling the truth. I thought you could take one look at my face and know when I'm sad and needed caring. Look at me now, Priya. Do you need me to tell you what I'm feeling, what I'm thinking? You don't know? You can't make out?
He forced her to look up again : Bolo na Priya, what do you see in my eyes?
Priya looked up and smiled : The expression in your eyes are telling me that you didn't eat anything at the party and you're very very hungry now.
Ram burst out laughing : Haan, yeh bhi sahii hain. Can I get something to eat now, please?
Priya nodded and got up from the bed.
Priya : I'll make some sandwiches. You freshen up and come down to the kitchen.
She was just about to leave when Ram held her wrist and forced her to stop. He stood up, came closer and whispered in her eyes : I'm going to continue this conversation when I come down. Be prepared.
Then he smiled and went to the changing room.
Priya waited for a moment to ensure that he had really gone in. Then she hurried to the mirror and checked her image. She quickly ran a comb through her dishevelled hair and then went down to the kitchen.
She had almost finished buttering the hot toast when she heard his footsteps.
Ram came to the counter and put his hands on the counter on both her sides, trapping her. She bit her lips and smiled.
Priya : Aap please mujhe kaam karne denge?
Ram, in a supremely innocent voice : Maine kya kiya hai? I'm so hungry that I'm just holding on to the counter for support. Or else I might just collapse from hunger.
Priya pointed to a chair on the far end of the table : You can sit down there ; that would be enough support.
Ram : Now when did I ask for your advice on what kind of support I need? Maine poocha kya? What is your problem? I'm not even touching you, he added mischievously. Now if this is bothering you, tell me.
Priya : Nahin, aap khade rahiye .. mujhe kya. Mujhe koi farak nahin padta.
Ram : Sure ?
Priya nods : Ab hatiye, I need to pour the coffee.
Ram lifted his hands, allowing her to move. She set the coffee mug on a coaster on the counter. As soon as she picked up the saucepan to pour the coffee, Ram again put his hands down on the counter, on both her sides. Very close to her body. But without touching her.
Priya trembled a bit. Her hands shook and she put the saucepan down.
Ram : Kuch hua kya?
Priya suddenly smiled and turned around to face her husband : Abhi toh nahin … kuch bhi nahin.
Ram smiled : I also love this song.
They stayed like that for some time. Finally Ram broke the silence.
Ram : Khana milega?
Priya : Haan, but only after you sit down there.
Ram : And if I don't want to eat?
Priya : Then I'm going upstairs.
Ram teased her : Accha, tumhe bahut jaldi hai, upar jaane ka?
Priya got a wicked idea. She slowly moved closer to Ram. Ram's eyes opened wide, reflecting his amazement. She moved even closer. Closer. Now her forehead was almost touching his lips and she could feel his warm breadth. Ram lifted his hands from the counter, trying to encircle her.
In a flash, Priya took his left hand and moved it to the hot saucepan.
Ouchh ! Ram screamed. Priya took the opportunity to run to the door. She stopped at the door and looked back.
Ram was nursing his hand in mock pain. His finger had touched the saucepan for the briefest of a moment but he was not going to admit that to her. He made an angry face and turned around so that she would not be able to see him smiling.
Priya hesitated at the door. She was almost certain that she had removed his hand almost immediately from the hot pan but wanted to make sure that Ram was not in pain. She slowly moved towards him.
She returned to his side and tried to pull his left hand towards her. Ram gave her a slight push and turned away from her again, nursing his hand in a manner as if he had just been in a major accident.
Priya smiled, undecided what to do.
Tum log yahan pe kya kar rahe ho? Itni raat ko?
Both of them were stunned to hear Niharika's voice suddenly from behind them. She had just come in to have a glass of water and was equally stunned to see Ram & Priya in the kitchen. They turned around to face her.
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