"Niiihaaariikaaa, how much more do you need? It's already 8:45, we are supposed to be there by 9, you know!" shouted Ranvijay from the living room at the top of his voice.
"You were supposed to tell me about this atleast a day earlier, not like 2 hours before the actual party, you know!" yelled back Niharika.
Ranvijay had to attend a party of his special client, which Mr. Forever Forgetful forgot to tell Niharika, hence she was running back and forth choosing her dress and getting ready at the last moment.
"What is there to tell a day earlier atleast?"
"Thank God that I haven't smashed your head right away when you told me to get ready with in an hour for a party and dress nicely coz it's a special client," Niharika quipped back mimicking the deeper voice of Ranvijay for the last part, " We women have atleast a thousand types of attires and accessories, suitable for a different and particular type of occasion, Jeez!"
Niharika was still trying to correctly apply her winged eye liner, the adamant one not cooperating to match the first one, hence the struggle. "It's easier for you men, just wear a suit to any occasion and boom you are gracious!"
"Why? Are you jealous?" Ranvijay deliberately poked trying to annoy her. This is his newfound happiness, that he gets after annoying Niharika.
But, soon his words were lost, as he looked at Niharika walking out of the room, just like her nephew calls her. Pari, like an angel. She was wearing a Matt wine red colour full body gown, with a simple chain and two beautifully carved diamond and rose gold ear cuffs. Her hair was in a beautiful bun with strands of locks adorning her face.
Her face was elegant, with the slightest make up, winged eyeliner and a nude lipstick.
"Can you please put my phone in your pocket? Thanks to you, I have no purse suited for this outing", Niharika rolled her eyes.
This was enough to bring Ranvijay out of his shock. Niharika barely dolls her up, and when she does mostly it's in sarees or a traditional attire. This was his first time seeing her in some sort of western outfit.
When Ranvijay was about to put her phone in his pocket, "Wait a minute, you sure you are ready?" Niharika asked, to which he replied, "Yeah, what's wrong?"
"Your head", sassed Niharika and went back to the room. "Not again Niahrika, we are already late!" whined Ranvijay.
"Shut up,"she came back with her hair setting spray and comb, a bit more beautiful golden watch, and a white and blue tie, to match with his navy blue suit.
She made him wear his watch and, knotted his tie for him. All the while, he kept admiring his wife doing things for him. It would be a sin to curse his forgetful behavior, because there was this tiny chance that he might had, might had intentionally forgotten his tie, so that she comes with it to him.
But to his surprise, she brought his watch and a comb too.
"Aye, Mr. Sky High, sit on the sofa! No need to make a joke on my height." Ranvijay was about to joke about her height for not being able to reach upto his head, but Niharika shut him up before that knowing what will come ahead. Niharika reached upto the chin of Ranvijay.
Ranvijay sat down on the couch, while Niharika styled his hair with her spray, a slightly slicked back look with a side partition, a few strands falling on his forehead.
"Ufh, I might forget Hrithik Roshan at this point," Niharika said dramatically after looking at Ranvijay.
Ranvijay got flustered and pushed her back getting ready to wear his shoes. But, Niharika didn't miss the radiant glint and an adorable smile curving up his lips. She knew, he liked it when she complimented her.
"Are you coming or not?", asked Ranvijay to a Niharika who was too busy checking her husband out, who was bent down trying to wear his shoes.
"Yeah sure." She too wore her heels, balancing on Ranvijay. Ranvijay liked this tiny mini behaviors of her, where she willingly depended on her. He supported her waist, not knowing her heart was too erratically beating just like him. They were yet to get used to these skinships.
When she stand straight, Ranvijay moved his hand from her waist, so she simply coiled her hand around his elbow. A feeling of completeness rushed Ranvijay, butterflies and snowflakes together, same with Niharika.
The whole car ride, Ranvijay was silently listening and smiling to the stupid blabbering of Niharika, who was busily sharing every detail of her day in a minute and then in the other, she would jump into her feelings for a particular song.
Niharika was like this only, she was shy, but she tends to get chatty with her closed ones. On the other hand, the always quite and unbothered Ranvijay, was opening windows of his long lost sealed castle. The more chaos Niharika bring, the more warmth melts his ice barriers away. He finds his inner child straining and jumping to come out and fool around.
Niharika's eyes and smiles would often assure his inner demon, his inner child, "It's safe, you can come to me, I will protect you with all my might."
Soon they reached the party venue, like every boring business party, the venue was filled with posh and well dressed hollow human being, some scrutinizing each nook and corner to find flaws to cover up their own profanities.
Niharika was a bit nervous to attend the first business party as the wife of Ranvijay Singh. Shit I didn't even change my surname yet, Niharika cursed herself.
Ranvijay understood the fear Niharika was going through, so he took off her hand from his arm. Instead he held her hand tightly, and whispered to her, " Don't worry, just smile and talk."
They smiled at each other. Soon, the host welcomed them, and Ranvijay introduced his wife to everyone. Everything was going smooth.
Except, one thing. The food. Niharika despised something in a party, and that was bad or little food. The food all looked like delicacies but all of them tasted crap. She was thoroughly pissed, and to add to her frustration, the hostess of the party, started flirting with Ranvijay.
She didn't understand the hostess herself was married, yet she was flirting with Ranvijay. And Ranvijay being the gentleman he is, was just smiling and shrugging off.
Niharika was fuming in anger, "He never smiled to me that much in his whole life and see here his smile isn't even stopping! Though most of the time it's fake, still why is he smiling at her!"
"And how dare she flirt with my husband!" She was controlling herself for the sake of his husband's reputation but the moment she touched his chest suggestively, something went off in her mind.
She smoothly wiped her hand off Ranvijay's chest, standing between them, "Mrs. Verma, pardon me, I'm gonna steal MY husband for a moment."
Ranvijay was amused to see the territorial Niharika surfacing. He was really uncomfortable with the advances of Mrs.Verma, but her being the hostess and his client's wife, he couldn't really brush her off. Thankfully, Niharika did it on behalf of him, ever so subtly. Note the sarcasm.
"Are you done fake smiling and collecting proposals so that we can go home? Or shall we have to rot some more?", whispered Niharika bitterly.
"I am done, let's go," Ranvijay was tired too, but he just needed the push of his wife to actually figure out the exit.
He reached his client, "Mr. Verma, thank you for inviting us, we will now leave. " "Why so early?" Mr. Verma asked, his wife too joined them. "My wife is a professor and she has classes early morning, I have to attend a meeting too, so we will have your leave," explained Ranvijay.
"How was the food?" asked Mrs. Verma in a sultry voice. Niharika didn't let Ranvijay reply, and commented with a smile, "It was good, but I would suggest next time, please give preference to the taste and quality more than its looks, Looks can be deceptive afterall."
Mrs. Verma was flabbergasted, but Mr. Verma politely replied, " I will surely look into that. Thank you for coming Mrs.?"
"Mrs. Niharika Ranvijay," replied Niharika with out a hitch.
This was the second time in the day, when Niharika took away Ranvijay's breath. Sure, he never liked his title as it came from his parents, and barely used it when unnecessary. But, when Niharika acknowledged only him to be her name, it made him proud and happy and ecstatic and emotional and what not. Being recognized as an individual, a sole individual by his wife, the only person on living earth that now mattered to him, made him feel his existence to be worthy.
Although, Ranvijay happily left the party, Niharika was bubbling with anger.
As soon as they entered the car, she started rambling, "I am never coming to your parties, is this even a party, every one is either back bitching or flattering someone else. They don't even know the existence of soft drink. There may be kids who shouldn't touch alcohol. But no, there's only alcohol, wine, whiskey, rum, vodka, everything except plain water!"she contained, throwing her clips on the dashboard of the car, unpinning her hair.
"And food! Don't even ask about it! It isn't cake, its just colorful fondant, the pasta is bland, the ice cream is just a sugar syrup frozen under pressure!"
Ranvijay was admiring his annoyed, frustrated wife, how she effortless fills him up in places he remained vacant since forever.
While she was busy rambling, he parked his car by an ice cream parlour and urged her to come out. The waffle ice cream surely subdued her hanger (hungry anger), but she couldn't help her jealousy.
When they entered room, she banged the door on his face. He asked her yelling, "What happened now?"
She opened the door, haughtily replying, "Go ask your clientele, Mrs. Verma! You don't even smile at me! Why were you smiling when she was touching you?" She asked, placing her hands over her hips.
"Comeon Niharika, it was a party, I can't misbehave there you too know that!"
"Fuck you!" With that she again closed the door on his face. Just to open it a minute later, to hand him his pyjamas and closing the door again with bang.
Ranvijay smiled to himself, "Crazy little angry woman."
Somehow he was happy and proud that his woman was jealous. Butterflies and snowflakes were all around.
When he was finally able to enter the room he find her huddled in the blankets, forcefully closing her eyes. He kept her phone on the side table and retired to the other side facing his back to Niharika's back.
All of a sudden, Niharika sat up and bit his shoulder with full force, making Ranvijay yelp in pain,and then she lied down again facing her back like nothing happened!
Ranvijay shrieked, "Are you mad!"
No reply. She was still and unbothered like she didn't bite him a moment ago.
Ranvijay couldn't help but smile at his wife's antic. He came closer to Niharika and pulled her back against his chest hugging her waist, and placed a kiss on her shoulder, just like she bit him.
"My wife is my only one, you know that right?"mumbled Ranvijay near her ear. She faced him, "Promise?"asking in a babyish voice.
Ranvijay kissed her nose,"Promise". With that he hugged her tighter placing a kiss on her forehead, and she snuggled into his chest falling into the peaceful slumber of their little bubble.