Sach hote Khwaab

Mon Amour

The room was shrouded in darkness. In a flash I opened my eyes and stared around blankly. With a support of an arm I propped myself up and switched on the bedside lamp. The room seemed to tip itself sideways and then right itself. Yes it was my room. Randheer was soundly sleeping beside me. I looked down towards myself and to my horror I was dressed in the soiled holi saree! I shifted my gaze back to him. Why he was all clean, dressed in one of his usual housecoat pyjamas, this time brown. Pushing the blanket aside, I leapt out of the bed, hastily switching on one more light and looked at myself in the mirror. Except my face which was more or less clean, I was all mucky with holi colours. This is unacceptable! What had happened yesterday?!

I glanced an eye outside the window, it was probably past midnight. I looked at the alarm clock on his bedside. Three in the morning. And I had not a wink of sleep in my eyes – only a slight throbbing pain on one side of my head. How long had I been sleeping? And why so? Why did no one wake me up? Why was I still in the stained holi attire?!
Not dallying for a second more, I took out a fresh salwar-kameez from my almirah and dashed into the bathroom for a long soapy bath.
I must have spent all but an hour in the bath. I tip-toed out of the bathroom and meandered around the dark silent room. It made me feel like a nighthawk which I certainly was not.
I noted I had been sleeping on another bedsheet spread on my side of the bed. Thoughtful. Definitely my husband's doing. I folded and put it aside to be laundered.

I sat by the alcove, watching at the empty street pointlessly. I went into the study and picked up the book which I had been reading lately but gave up soon. I came back, snuggled into the bed, tried to sleep but abandoned the plan in a twinkling. However much I tried, I just couldn't sleep.

I took to pacing the room once again, trying to make sense of what I had seen after waking up. I tried and tried but couldn't recall anything accept that we were returning home after happily playing Holi.

And out of nowhere the alarm started ringing aloud. Now why was the alarm set for five in the morning?! Panicky, I hurried to shut it down lest Randheer would wake up. Turns out, I didn't know how it worked and it took me quite a while stop it.
No sooner had I victoriously placed the quietened-down clock back on the table, his arm pulled me onto the bed, tumbling over him to the other side. My heart leapt in my chest, looking into his sleepy eyes.
'Good Morning Amrit', he said lazily, with that 'I-steal-hearts' smile of his. I forgot what I had been mumbling in my mind all this while.
He leaned forward and touches his lips to mine. I slackened, closing my eyes. When I open then, I find him adoring me, as if to see his effect on me. I realised I had forgotten to breathe.

'Lagta hai waqt ko bhi aajkal dil-lagi hi soojhti hai!', he added huskily.
He lifted my fingers, interlacing his into them, grazing his thumb across my finger. We looked at our entwined fingers for a while, before he turned and sank in the crook of my neck. Breathing in his fading yet intoxicating ittar, I melted.
He half turned towards me. His nose brushed against mine. My eyes kept flicking to his lips. I felt every ounce my breath desert me. I caught his eye. He arched an inch closer to my face, giving another softer brush to my nose. I lowered my eyes. A thump in my heart. Slowly I looked up again and caught his lips in a deep kiss. 
Holding him close, I actually dozed off for quite some time.

When he roused, he propped his head upon his hand.
'Itni savere aap kyun uthi hui hain?', he asked with a questioning smile. I blinked, coming out of the reverie. Recalling everything I had to ask, I babbled incoherently. I didn't realise if I was making sense at all or not and he listened patiently like he had all the time in the world. (Well, he did have, for me.)

After a moment's pause, With puckered eyebrows, he said with a silly smile, 'Amrit, mere kaan shayad zara kamzor ho gaye hai. Aap na jaane kya kya keh gayi aur mujhe sunaayi diya ki aap mujhse bohot mohabbat karti hain'
I sighed with a deep red blush. 

'Aapne bilkul dhyaan nahi di na mere baaton pe!', I asked with a bashful chuckle.
'Itna bada ilzaam!', he defended. 'Aisa toh kabhi nahi ho sakta ji', he said as-a matter of factly.
I raised my eyebrows.
'Chaliye thik hai fir main aapke ek ek uljhan hal karta hoon.' And with every revelation, I just widened my eyes in shock.
'Kal aapne jo Mukund ke saath milkar jo mujhe panjebaazi mein harwaaya tha... uske badle Mukund ne mujhe bhang pilaa di thi. Aur toh aur mujhse zyaada bhaang anjaane mein aapne peeli thi holi mele mein. Fir kya hua woh toh main bhi nahi jaanta par hum din bhar sote rahe. Holi ki dawaat, Mummy-Bauji ki train sab chhoot gayi. Meri neend raat ko tooti. Pata chala ki Mummyji-Bauji dono behad naraaz the. Aur humse mile bina jaana unhe gawaraa bhi nahi tha, isiliye aaj subah ki ticktein banwaayi hai. Abhi chhae baje ki.'
'Haaye Ram! Inna sabkuch ho gaya?!', I asked bewildered.
He nodded with a sombre expression.
'Mar gaye!' I smacked my head.