Armaan Naye Se Jagne Lage Hai
"You kindled me, heap of ashes that I am, into fire."
- Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Princess
He turns around for the umpteenth time in his bed as he picks up the mobile placed on his bedside table and glances at it to check what time is it.
It is not as if he was unprepared for this - the sleepless nights ahead of him when he had accepted the condition to resign from the post of president of New Delhi Entrepreneurs Association for his wife' sake.
He knew what he was signing up for the moment Ashok had laid the condition in front of him but nothing has mattered more than Ishita' happiness to him then. He was not lying when he said to Mihir that his heart took that call and he would not back out now just because his mind knew he had destruction up ahead.
He has worked hard, really hard to reach where he has in his professional life but no amount of success can mean to him more than his family. His wealth, his position, all his success for all its worth could not attain what Ishita did in a matter of months - she turned around his home, his family, his life singlehandedly.
The happiness he sees on Ruhi' face these days, her constant smiles; his mother having that bliss evident on her face, his father finally looking relaxed and enjoying his days as he was meant to, even his good for nothing brother turning around under the gentle, loving guidance of Ishita... they mean the world to him.
He knows she has done that and so much more for him and his family, for her he would shake heaven and earth without the least bit worry of consequences; a mere resignation was nothing.
He was prepared for the onslaught of angry investors, negative media reports, the works in general only for things to change at the last moment.
However, his feisty wife had a bagful of surprises in stored for him.
She is clearly the most fascinating, remarkable, maddening, frustrating woman he knows for sure.
The moment Ashok was to be announced as the president by the committee of the association, she had made Suraj cough up the truth to the media about the deal they had with him for her license. He cannot say he wasn't as taken back when that happened - if Ashok was yelling at Suraj what the hell he is doing his mind was screaming out the same question and pondering what had his wife done. What exactly was she up to. Mihir quietly whispering the same doubt to him in his ears had not done anything to help matters for him.
He had thought the surprises would end there but that was not to be the case - next he knew she brought in Neil and had Suraj sued with blackmail, defamation and mental harassment on his behest and hers. He could see Suraj squirming and Ashok still yelling his head off when Ashok learned he was being charged as party to the same crimes.
The drama didn't end there Suraj was arrested moments later when Romi came in with the cops on charges of betting and match-fixing.
The press swarmed him while his wife had almost escaped but not before giving the media a piece of her mind about the yellow journalism, they just committed, reporting things without any verification.
By evening the tides had turned in his favor and how!
The press went berserk over the politics they witnessed amongst the elite businesspersons giving them a field day but he had been flooded with phone calls - ranging from investors who wished to apologize and congratulate him to the media that wanted his bytes. He had even a couple of prospective investors calling him up who wished to join him and his enterprise leaving behind Ashok after this recent scandal. They had given him a chance after the land deal fiasco but now wouldn't wanna be associated with a criminal nor risk their funds with a man who could stoop so low and cause them loss by losing the reputation of his company for a mere chair.
He could barely breathe and reached home late at night.
The celebrations at his home were worth more than all the riches in the world.
He wonders why then despite all of this it being almost the crack of dawn he is yet to get some sleep.
Things have worked out in his favor, everything restored to its status quo but still something that he is missing, something that he cannot yet put a finger on.
Looking at the sleeping forms of his daughter and wife right beside him, he thinks this is the closest to heaven he could be.
Just then, his wife stirs a little in her sleep and a lock of hair falls across her face.
Before he can even think, he is balancing himself carefully on an elbow, mindful of his daughter besides him and finds his hand moving on its own accord as his fingers tuck away the stray lock.
When realization dawns on him he becomes immobile and hears his wife let out a quiet sigh at his touch in her sleep and a small smile appearing on her face even in her deep slumber.
In a moment, he goes from feeling almost scared at being caught red-handed to having a sudden yearning.
His fingers tremble in the air near her face longing to touch her, caress her face freely without any worry or fear. The urge to have that right without any apprehension stirs strong within him.
What is about this woman he wonders that makes him stronger than he has ever been and weaker than he possibly never knew he could be at the same time.
His heart feels a surge of pride at being her husband then, she really is phenomenal.
A quiet chuckle escapes him as he adds the word tigress to that in his mind. His calm, quiet, composed wife took on two bigwigs for him today.
It is not as if he never knew this side of hers; it had presented to him on the second day of their marriage itself when she had warned him not to harm Ruhi. He remembers ruefully that fateful moment. He had brusquely pushed his little girl while drunk; influenced by the poison of Ashok' words.
She had threatened she would personally break his bones if he ever hurts Ruhi again.
However, to be on the receiving end of her threats was a different experience.
This time he had been the one she sheltered, protected ... She had claimed him as hers in such a territorial way.
The thought has him blushing in the quiet solitude of their room. His eyes set on her even as he gently runs a hand over Ruhi' head.
His heart pounds hard in his chest as he recalls the angry stance that she had when she stood against those men who had belittled him. The way her eyes had looked daggers at them; even her lecture to the press - it had been all for him.
She has always been there for him ever since they married - whether it was saving his business in the land deal, eliminating that doubt about Ruhi from his mind or even recently, when he asked her support to get Adi punished, scared he might develop cold feet at the last moment.
However, this feels a first to him.
Being the eldest son, he learned to look out for his siblings. His parents inculcated the protective elder brother mode in him ever since he can remember. Be it ensuring he holds Simi' hand as they walked to and from school to looking after Romi and Rinki later on.
His mother had always asked his siblings to obey and follow him while he learned to be careful of them, as time went on that became his de facto mode. Mihir and Neil came under his wing too.
He realizes he never had this... someone looking out for him, someone protecting him. It has always been his duty and not the other way around. It would rattle a lesser man to accept his wife became his rescuer but all he feels is warmth in this moment.He never knew it could feel so good to have someone watching his back, looking out for him.
To be cared for, he muses, is a wonderful feeling as he looks at her radiant face across him with a smile on his face.
The overwhelming urge to reach across the bed engulfs him but he reigns himself in.
He decides the most prudent course of action at this time would be for him to exit his room and does the same.
Standing in the balcony he looks at the pinkening sky as he hears birds chirping and once again goes over the events of the days past in his head. So much he thinks has happened in such a short span of time. He leans over the railing and closes his eyes feeling the cool breeze upon his face and immediately the vision of his wife fills his mind' eye.
He recalls the way she had looked fresh and pink from her bath, her hair still wet that morning when he had awoken to what he might term as one of their most intimate moments so far. He had been unable to look away from her once he had been awake enough to understand what she was doing.
He has applied that medicinal paste on her allergies and his fingers still recollect how soft had been her skin to touch or the time he had tucked in those pleats in her petticoat and touched her waist. Even the moment when he had set her pallu right and in the process pricked his thumb that she had immediately sucked but that moment overpowers them all.
He wonders how is it possible when he had not even touched her, had not even seen a hint of skin that could tempt him but... the image has transfixed itself upon his mind. Something about witnessing the act had aroused him enough and he had to rush to the bathroom for a cold shower the first thing in the morning that day.
He shakes his head slightly to do away with the onslaught of those images when he feels a touch upon his shoulder. When he turns his head around, he sees his wife is standing before him still looking delectably sleepy, as she covers her mouth stifling a yawn,
"Raman what are you doing here up so early?" She asks him rubbing her eyes.
"Couldn't sleep what are you doing up now?"
"It's my usual time to wake Raman its 5.30 in the morning."
He looks at the wristwatch on his hand and sees she is right, he did not even realize the time lost in his thoughts.
"Is everything okay? There are no tensions are there now for you to be awake."
"Of course not madam, what could be wrong with you around... well except for you being around?" He says with a smile.
As he knew instinctively, she makes a face and pouts, upon hearing his words.
"The first thing in the morning you have to do is taunt, good lord. What am I to do with this man?"
"See you have so many complaints with me then why fast for my long life I already told you I am not interested in a long life or believe in these things."
With her brows furrowed, she is more awake now and immediately dismisses him.
"Shut up! Do you always have to keep on saying things? For once can you not stop with your bickering?"
She turns around angrily and is about to move when he holds her wrist and stops her,
"I am sorry Ishita, I was only teasing you."
"You aren't always as funny as you may think you are though."
"Fine, I promise I won't mock your fasts from now on. Now are we okay?"
She nods in a reply and is about to leave when he stops her by once again holding her hand,
"What you did yesterday Ishita... I am surprised."
"Why, if you could resign for my sake cant I have those men punished for blackmailing you?"
"It's not that Ishita." he says with a slight amused smile on his face. She comes to stand beside him as she leans her back against the railing to talk to her husband.
"Then what is it?"
"I just never figured you to be the type to play games."
"I don't play games Raman, but sometimes you have no other choice."
"But it was my decision to resign Ishita; you could have endangered yourself running that sting operation on that bloody Suraj."
"I would have been fine Raman; Romi was with me do you think he would have let anyone so much as lay a finger on me? Besides that man had to learn a lesson."
"I was the one who brought this problem upon you in the first place though."
"Are you saying you regret speaking up for me?"
"What? Shut up you know that can never happen, you are my wife, no man can dare talk to you in that way and get away with it."
"Then no man can blackmail you by using me and get away with either."
He has to have a smile at that as he looks on at his wife with a pride.
"Those two idiots didn't know they were up against the queen of Jhansi now did they?"
She merely smiles in response to his statement as she blushes and looks upon the horizon.
"I better get going, have loads to do today. Have to get Ruhi ready and the breakfast done, have to rush to my clinic too."
As she begins to move away their shoulders brush against each other and before any of them can gather their wits, he grips her hand and turns her around as his arms engulf her in an embrace and he hears a whimper escape her mouth as his lips descend upon hers.
She is clearly surprised with his sudden move and freezes for a while.
His heart sinks when he thinks he might have ambushed her, crossed a line that he should never have when she did not reciprocate.
Just as he is about to let go off her and loosened his hold, he feels her arms tentatively snaking around his neck, as they slowly traverse from his chest to his shoulders. Her briefest touch setting him aflame.
Slowly she responds to him and he feels his heart skip a beat when he finally hears her moan, his tongue entwining with hers, her fingers in his hair as she comes closer, closer still to him eliminating any distance between them.
Gasping for air they finally break apart and he sees her eyes are closed still; her cheeks flushed red and her lips swollen.
Giving an Eskimo kiss to his wife, as he rubs his nose against hers he whispers the words he had been meaning to since the moment she had left him awestruck with her act.
"Thank you Ishita, I never had anyone do something like this for me... no one has ever made me feel like this."
With a quick kiss to her lips, he leaves her standing in the balcony, with her eyes still closed and heads towards their room.
As she hears her husband wake their daughter, she finally opens her eyes and places a hand over her heart while the other touches her lips that tingle still. She briefly wonders had it been a dream and decides against it as she sees her husband walk out of their room, Ruhi in tow behind him and sees that smile on his face that has her blushing to her toes.
She immediately takes Ruhi to the bathroom to get her daughter ready for school as she feels her husband' eyes trailing them.
While she closes the door of the bathroom shut, he sits on the chair opposite to it with a smile on his face recalling the moment he shared his first kiss with his newly wedded wife.
Going over the moment in his head, he realizes what had kept him restless all night -why could not he sleep a wink even though he had no cause to worry anymore.
When he had arrived back home late last night everyone had been gathered to celebrate with him, to congratulate him and hug him on his victory. He had felt Papaji' pride in his hug, his mother' happiness in hers; his siblings, Amma, Appa all had hugged him for overcoming this hurdle. Even Ruhi and Shravan who did not understand what the fuss was all about had thrown themselves at him and fought over congratulating him and who gave him the best hug.
Heck his feisty younger sister-in-law had taken him by surprise too when she said she is so happy her stupid boss got what he deserved and she is happy for him when she hugged him.
Everyone had praised her as well. She had received the blessings of his parents and hers, was hugged by her sisters and almost got another fracture thanks to the bone-crushing hug his mother enveloped her in.
However, they had stayed apart. He did not have a chance to talk to her much less thank her. With everyone around he did not even dare approach her to say a word or shake a hand least of all expect any other form of congratulations from her.
It occurs to him now his victory had felt incomplete since he had not taken her in his arms to celebrate the joy of it.
He had not tasted success until his lips had met hers at last this morning.
Edited by EkPaheli - 10 years ago
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