Part 7
Shagun & Ashok
Shagun preened herself in front of the mirror in Ashok's bedroom. 'My bedroom too' she told herself triumphantly.
After she had successfully manipulated Ashok into agreeing to marry her, she had insisted on returning home with him.
"What about Adi?" Ashok had asked her.
"Adi is having a sleepover at his friends place tonight. They are having a birthday party and he was so upset last night, I thought it would be a treat for him" she told him, adding with a smirk "Besides, I knew we would be back together tonight darling, and I thought you would like me all to yourself"
Ashok had gritted his teeth, but had said nothing. He was still smarting from the telling off he had received from Suraj, and the disappointment he had seen in Param's eyes, and he was in no mood to further tussle with Shagun. The damned pre-nuptial agreement had been signed and was securely held by Neel. Neel had also held on to the evidence of Ashok's dastardly deeds - "We will hand everything over to you as soon as the wedding is concluded, Mr Khanna" Neel had told him.
Shagun had insisted on going out to dinner to celebrate. Neither Suraj nor Param had joined them, and Ashok had been glad for that small mercy. It was torture enough to have Shagun clinging to him like a limpet and christening him as "baby" and "darling" with every third word, but to have Suraj and Param's disapproving glances added to the mix would have driven him beyond endurance.
The delicious italian food had tasted like sawdust in his mouth and it was only the Champagne that Shagun had insisted on ordering that had any attraction for him. "To us baby" she had toasted him. "To our future". And he had grimaced and thrown back the bubbly, dreading the future she brought with her.
The dinner over, they had driven to his house. Shagun had wasted no time in announcing to the servants that she was back for good. "Champagne lekar aao" she had commanded to the butler before swanning up the staircase.
Ashok had gone to find Suraj to try and explain his predicament, but his brother had refused to unlock the door to his room, and so now he had dejectedly returned to his own bedroom. Only his bedroom was not his own any more, he thought glumly, as he watched Shagun preening herself in the skimpy nightgown she had obviously dug up from the things she had left behind. She held an almost empty flute of champagne in one hand, her free hand smoothing her hair.
He felt no desire for her, but he knew what was expected of him. He ground his teeth even further in desperation and walked into the room,
Ishita & Raman
His bedroom was not his own anymore, Raman thought with pride.
He stood in the doorway watching his wife bustling around their room, putting away his suits in the wardrobe, next to her sarees.
God, how he desired her, he thought, as he watched her curvy body outlined in the "kapdo ki thaan" as he called her sarees, her hips swaying as she walked to and fro. She must have seen him in the mirror, or perhaps it was just that she was so attuned to him now, but she stopped suddenly in her bustle and called out "Aap aa gaye."
He smiled and walked into the room, sitting himself down on their bed.
"Khaana kha liya?" He asked her.
"No Raman" she turned around and smiled sweetly at him. "Aap ki intezaar kar rahi thi."
"Good" he told her."Jaldi se tayar ho jao, restaurant jaa rahe hai hum"
"Lekin Raman, Ruhi toh soh gayi hai"
"Toh mummy aur Simmi hai na Ruhi ke paas. I want to take my wife out to dinner. On a date. Kyun, tumhe nahi aana?"
"A date?" Ishita blushed, walking over to the bed and sitting next to Raman. "Apni wife ko koi date par le jaata hai kya?"
He leant back, resting on his elbows, staring up at her beautiful face. "Hello madam, apni wife ko nahi toh kya Pammi aunty ko date par le jaoon? Seedhi se keh do agar mere saath jaana nahi hai"
"Raman" Ishita pouted at her husband. "Naaraz mat ho na. Mein toh aise..."
"Toh fir jao aur ready ho jao. Aur sunno, woh kapde ki thaan mat lapetna yaar. Kabhi toh bande par taras khao."
"Kahan jaa rahe hai hum Raman" Ishita stood up and walked over to the wardrobe, mentally assessing what she could wear that would both please her husband and not make her uncomfortable.
Raman paused on his way to the bathroom. "Casa Bianca" he told her. "It's my favourite Italian restaurant, and I thought it's about time I took you there. Shagun ki bala thal gayi, aur Adi ki shared custody humme mil gayi, thoda celebrate karte hai"
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Raman had showered and changed and had gone downstairs to talk to his parents. "Oi Madam, saari raat mat laga dena, I'm hungry" had been his parting shot to Ishita as he had walked out of their room.
He had not touched her since coming home, knowing only too well that the feel of her body in his arms would undo all his good resolutions of dinners and dates. The temptation though was almost too much to bear and he escaped quickly before he lost control over his fast dissolving resistance.
It was now twenty minutes later and he was impatiently juggling his car keys. "Ishita" he shouted up the stairs. "I'm going to the car. Jaldi aao."
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Ishita stepped out of the front entrance to their building and saw Raman's car parked by the kerb.
She hurried to it, somewhat breathless with nervous anticipation. She sincerely hoped that Raman would like what she was wearing. It was the blue dress he had bought for her at Ruhi's instigation after Shagun had insulted her as a behenji at Ruhi's school. She had worn it once to go out to dinner with him, but they had been locked into the house instead. She blushed as she remembered how they had ended up that night, wrapped in the curtain, their faces inches from each other, their bodies touching. He had called her hair "jataaye" that night she recalled, as he had pushed them away from her neck, before ministering to her. Her "jataaye" were tied up tonight, but otherwise she looked very much like she had that night. The marked difference was the look of love in her eyes.
She pulled open the car door and slipped inside. "Sorry Raman" she said breathlessly. "Der ho gayi..." Her voice trailed off at the awestruck look on his face.
"Kya hua?" She asked shyly. "Theek hai na?"
He smiled slowly in response, reaching his hand out to the clips on her hair, unfastening them swiftly so that her hair spread over her shoulders. "Perfect" he told her, before tearing his eyes away from her and pulling away from the kerb.
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The Casa Bianca was a cosy exclusive Italian restaurant set in a quaint white cottage in the suburbs, not far from their apartment.
Raman had waited until Ishita was seated before taking his seat. His intent gaze bore into Ishita as he handed her the menu.
"What will you have darling?" He asked huskily.
Ishita blushed at the endearment. "Raman, aap order kijiye na"
"Mein jo bhi order karoonga, you"ll have it?" He raised an eyebrow quizzically.
"As long as it's veg"
"And that's your only condition?"
"Hmmm"
He gave her a wicked grin before beckoning the waiter over, then going over the menu with him. Ishita couldn't help watching his lips as he spoke, loving the way they moved, the way he bit his lower lip in concentration, and then the way they curved as he glanced at her.
He sat back and looked intently at her, enjoying the way she coloured under his gaze, as the waiter returned with two flutes and a bottle of Champagne. The drinks poured, the waiter put the glasses down before them before quietly disappearing into the night.
Raman picked up a flute of sparkling champagne and held it across the table to Ishita.
"Well then biwi, yeh mein ne order kiya hai. Pure veg"
"Raman"Ishita pouted prettily. "This isn't fair. Aap jaante hai na, mein nahi peete. Aap ko yaad nahi, pichle baar kya hua tha?"
Raman smiled slowly. "Yaad hai. Isliye toh. I want you to loose all your inhibitions tonight jaan. Raavan wants his Jhaansi Ki Rani tonight"
"Raman" Ishita whispered. "Kuch bhi"
"Daar lag raha hai? Mein ne kaha tha na, mein hoon, sambhaal loonga"
He held up the champagne flute to Ishita's lips, picking up his own flute with his free hand. Ishita slowly took hold of the glass, mermerised by her husband's eyes which bore into hers. Raman clinked his glass against hers,. "Cheers my darling." His voice was husky, his eyes blazing with passion. "Here's to tonight, and to all the nights to come"
Part 8A
Edited by Veeann - 10 years ago
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