Part 8:
As the car stopped in front of their house, Raman got down from the SUV and helped Ishitha down. He held her hand while she thanked the driver for being so punctual, asked if he had managed to watch any of the cricket match while he waited for them, and finally enquired if he had eaten. Raman was starting to get impatient. The blood in his veins had increased in temperature as well as the speed in which it circulated in his body. He was after all a hot blooded Punjabi husband, who now was consumed with the thought of uniting with his beloved.
"Ishitha, come now, I'm sure this gentleman would like to get home. He has been hanging out waiting for us all day"
Ishitha turned toward Raman, and apprehension was etched all over her face. She was nervous, her eyes could not contain the trepidation that she was feeling. At the stadium she felt no fear as it was a spontaneous act on both their parts but now she anticipated the evening ahead. Their brief encounter at the stadium had shown her that Raman was ready to become intimate with her, all this time, their weeks of romancing, cute phone chats, and jokes was just the courtship that Ishitha had experienced before with Subbu, she was about to move into uncharted territory...where she had no experience.
The entire car ride back from the stadium, Ishitha had butterflies in her stomach. Raman had done this before, he had experienced physical intimacy with Shagun and thus had a point of comparison. She on the other hand was going in blind. Her frazzled mind then made it worse...she thought about her abilities as a wife, what if she was inadequate. The tension inside her began to rise and she almost dreaded their approach to their housing complex. Raman had helped her down and she could see the way in which he now looked at her.
Ishitha tried to make small talk with the driver but all the while she could feel Raman's presence as he held her hand and impatiently waited for her. Raman finally broke into her ramblings with the driver and the SUV slowly glided out of the driveway.
"Ishitha"
"hmmm"
"are you okay"
"hmmm" she had down cast eyes, her voice barely audible
"look at me Ishitha"
But Ishitha couldn't look up, she was fidgeting with her t-shirt, picking non- existent lint from her clothes, averting her eyes from Ramans.
"Come Ishitha, we can talk in the house"
Raman gently clasped her hand in his and led Ishitha up the stairs and into their house.
They had totally forgotten about their families until they walked into the house. Ruhi was the first to run and jump onto her Ishimaa's embrace
"Ishimaa, its so late, and why are you'll dressed in cricket clothes"
Ishitha had to think fast, she had told the family that they were going to the hospital, "Ruhi baby, your papa and I were passing the stadium, and you know how he loves to watch cricket so we went inside to see what was happening, and your papa just didn't want to leave"
Ruhi pouted her tiny lips "ok Ishimaa, but next time come get me, I want to watch the cricket with my papa too"
Ishitha hugged Ruhi "Ruhi promise, I will take you and papa next time!"
Raman all this while had slipped past his family and went into their room, grabbed his towel, and pyjamas and headed to the bathroom.
Ishitha busied herself with the chores for the evening, postponing her move to their bedroom for the evening. Raman, who was now showered came out to grab a quick bite to eat looked at Ishitha "Ishitha, I'm hungry now"
His words dripped with intention but only Ishitha grasped the full extent of his meaning and she hurried to dish out his supper. As soon as he was seated she made a hasty retreat into their room to get ready for bed. Once she was showered and changed, she came back out and told Ruhi that it was time for bed. To her relief, Raman was sitting in the lounge with Romi and Pappaji, they were watching the highlights of the cricket. Raman was explaining that the TV never fully captures the experience of sitting in the stadium. As Ruhi went inside and Ishitha cleared the table, Raman added loudly "but you know Romi, the last ball of the match was my favourite! I only wish I could play it back over and over"
Romi was puzzled "Bhai, the highlights reel will show it and you can go onto youtube and check it out over and over. Anyway there will be other matches and Australia will tour next, we can watch another match"
Ishitha, whose back was facing Raman was now blushing crimson. Her cheeks were hot and she could feel perspiration forming on her brow as the blood pumped in her ears drowning out the ambient sounds. What was this Ravan Kumar doing to her! He certainly didn't forget his intentions even while his attention was diverted with the cricket.
Finally the time had neared, Romi and Pappaji had made their way into their respective rooms, the kitchen cleaned, Ruhi put to bed. There was no postponing her move to their room. When Ishitha walked into their bedroom Raman was sitting on the couch, busy on his laptop. She started to clear the bed, hoping that he had forgotten about their earlier nuzzle. Raman, closed his laptop, walked up to Ishitha, removed the clothes in her hand, dropped it on the floor and led her to sit on the bed.
"Ishitha, you've been avoiding me and our bedroom since we have gotten home. Are you okay"
"I'm fine Raman" her heart beating at 100 beats per minute
"I don't think you are fine...I know my Ishitha and I know she is not fine. When did my Jhansi Ki Rani become a shy gazelle?"
Ishitha again fidgeted and refused to look up
"Ishitha, if you don't tell me, then how can I make it better. Don't keep things from me, I love you and I want to know what's making you feel this way"
Ishitha, chewed gently on the inside of her bottom lip, there was dead silence in the room, finally she braved her own feelings and began "Raman, I don't know what I'm doing, you have done this before, and what if I'm not good and you hate it. you have something to compare it too and I'm totally inexperienced. I know how everything works biologically but that's not exactly how love is shared and I want to make you happy". A lone tear dropped down her cheek.
Raman reached across and slowly brushed the tear from her face with his thumb.
"Ishitha, we are made for each other, your body knows more than you give it credit for. You lips were made for me and me only, your neck is perfect for me to kiss, your body will know what to do when the time is right. Our love is so amazing that you will even forget to think. It will be perfect. But remember you dictate the pace"
Ishitha took a deep breath "but what if you don't like it"
Raman laughed "Ishitha, I love you so much, even sitting here next to you is amazing, you will be amazing"
Raman picked up the remote that was on the table in front of him, pointed it to his iphone plugged to the speaker and music immediately began to play...
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