Sayonee (noun)
Soulmate
♡♡
Souls are meant to be set free.
They can't be held, molded, or caged. They're to be left flying, unshackled, and wandering. A soul can be the sweetness of dessert delicacies or the spice of the main course. It can be the warmth of the winter sun without writhing or it can be the cool winds in summer, refreshing and rejuvenating. It can be the shade during the heavy downpour or it can be the water drops of the first rain which are absorbed by the hot surface, giving birth to the sweet smell, of petrichor.
The soul can be anything, Anything it wants to be. It can be the strength to face the situations head-on or it can be the anticipation of the upcoming. It can be the smile of a newborn or the wrinkles of an aged. It can be the cries of pain or the silence of happiness. It can be the soft petals of flowers or the thorns on its stem. It can be a line of poetry or a chapter of the book. It can be the harsh and bright sun or the cool and submissive moon. It can take any shape, size, and color.
It's free. It's liberated to do it.
Because it's the soul which lives, thrives, and feels. Not the body which is mortal and bound to extinct. The soul is meant to live and witness forever, it's meant to testify for the start of the world and the end of it. It'll be there. Maybe in the sides or in the center, but it's going to be there.
That's why one should fall for the soul and not the body. Because when you fall for a soul, your love will be eternal and not mortal. It'll live, breathe, express, and feel.
That's when you'll be called soulmates.
Two souls who fell for each other, fought for each other, and lived for each other.
Two souls who care, smile, tease, laugh, cry, and love.
"What's that smile for?" Rajveer asked kissing her head, he stared at the woman who looked far away in thought but stood near him. He brought her back resting against his chest. Arms secured around her shoulders as they gazed vacantly at the never-ending coastline.
"You're up." Mahira turned to look at him. Her eyes blinked and took in his face which was fresh and devoid of any hint of sleep.
They reached Alibaug a few hours back, settling in a small private villa she had rented for the weekend. The house was an old architectural piece showcasing the Victorian era with its sand-tiled roofs, brick paint walls, and big windows. There was a huge open space at the backside to compensate for the lack of a terrace which gave a clear view of the sky and coastline.
The duo had immediately crashed on the bed after 3 hours of drive losing to a power nap, Rajveer pulling Mahira along as he wanted to get peaceful sleep which he'll get only when she was near him. She had woken up after an hour and decided to explore the place more as her husband caught up in his sleep.
The area was covered in greenery, opening up to a virgin, sun-kissed beach at a walking distance of 15 minutes just like the description said. She quickly hopped around and checked the other parts of the residence which were classic and matched the Feel of the exterior. The wooden doors, glass windows, mantle fireplaces, ivory statues, and empty ceramic pots which she noted to fill with flowers.
The house had two floors, the ground floor had Hall, a kitchen, and a room. The first floor had the master bedroom with an en-suite and a small balcony where she currently stood gazing into the clear light blue sky of the afternoon which will soon be blending into hues of orange and red as sunset will take place.
"So, what were you thinking about?" He asked her again.
"I..." she drawled, Her eyes shining with mischief.
"Did you hit your head somewhere? What's with you creating unnecessary suspense about everything today?" He scowled.
"I'm doing no such thing." She scoffed glaring "Why do you want to know? I can think about anyone and smile about it?"
"How will you think about someone when it's me clouding your senses?" He questioned smirking.
"You're over-confident Mr. Malik" she stated challengingly " What if I'm thinking about this man who asked me to come to dinner with him while you were sleeping?"
"No man can take you out, I won't let him" He growled.
"Oh yeah?! Then I'll prove you wrong." She smirked devilishly.
His eyes narrowed and he yanked her closer to him, with enough force to make her crash into his chest. "I don't want you to prove anything Dove, not when I know I'll kill anyone if he or she tries to come between you and me. I know how fine you're on eyes to catch attention and it scares me, so much that I wish it wouldn't. Every time I feel someone eyeing me I feel like committing a crime and I'm afraid that I'm not afraid of its consequences. The thought of you leaving me, of you choosing someone else above me makes me so much uneasy." He whispered huskily against her earlobe. "I never liked sharing but you made it so, so much worse for me. You don't know how much self-control I have practiced when I see you leave for work every day. And for the days you take extra effort to dress up I restrain myself from locking both of us in our room and never let you out until you only remember just me and my name. You don't know what I would give to have you for me and only me."
She wished to have him for herself too, away from the world but together with him. A hold like this and falling in love with him for a different reason every minute. It would be a fantasy come true for her.
"I come back to you every day and I'll keep coming back to you," She said staring into his eyes, their eyes making a silent pact together.
"I know Ira, I know that you'll come back to me, and when you won't I'll bring you myself." He promised.
"Why will I not?" She asked grinning "We're married. You're stuck with me until the world ends, after that you can do whatever you want."
"Who are you lady and what did you do with my wife?" He faked a gasp.
"Saved her from you and sent her packing for Antarctica to join penguins" She was brimming with mischief.
"Really?" He smirked "Great then because I enjoy this wife more." He pecked her nose, making her giggle more.
"Right? I'm better than her. Good thing I stole her everything, including this husband before kicking her into that ship."
He laughed harder.
"I feel so proud every time you're addressed as my wife, call me a misogynist but I love you wearing my nuptials." He said in her ears, kissing her black bead chain. His finger traced the length of her neck, caressing the chain on her nape. "This chain you are wearing and this ring, they tell the world that you're mine to hold. Mine to cherish." he raised her hand, kissing her fingers, lips caressing her milky skin slowly as if memorizing the feel of her skin against his lips.
Her eyes closed and the air turned hot around, her senses felt jumbled, lips parting, and inhaling large gulps of breath to calm her pounding heart. The lob-dub was audible to her ears and she could bet that her heartbeats were audible to him as well.
"Ira" he breathed.
She hummed.
"Look at me"
She compiled.
"I love you." He confessed
She inhaled.
"I love you so much, Ira. It is impossible to explain when I started feeling this because every time I look at you I fall more in love. It must be because you smile at me like a child does seeing its favorite person or because you take my control away or because you keep bossing me or because you claim to hate surprises but you plan it for me or because you avert your eyes blushing when I catch you staring me. I have never been this confused in my life while selecting a reason but when it comes to you I'm confused. Never I have been afraid of my actions but I'm afraid of them when they're affecting you." He chuckled in defeat "You do so many things to me Ira but still I can't help but want you more and more every day. You've made me crazy for you."
Her eyes burned as she bit her lower lip, wanting to hide the trembling from him. He was looking at her with so much adoration and love that her throat clogged.
"I...I have waited so much to hear these Veer. So much" She whispered as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Hey!..."
"No listen to me Rajveer Malik. I haven't said the words for...for so many years. I craved each day to proclaim my love for people dear to me but I couldn't. Today just let me tell you please." She paused to breathe.
"Not with tears dove" He interrupted, thumps wiping her cheeks.
She laughed "You gave them back to me as a gift. My tears Veer. How can I hold them back when I missed them so much when I couldn't cry? I kept the burden of not crying on my heart but you freed me of it. You gave them back to me and that made me fall in love with you. I started loving you the day I cried and let out my emotions. I love this you, My Veer. The man who called my broken self beautiful, The man who filled my eyes back with emotions. The man who makes me giggle, who makes me laugh, who makes me feel secure, who...who loves me."
"Ira stops crying please" he shook his head, bringing her close. "I can't see you crying."
"I love you" She whimpered, leaning in his arms, drawing his warmth, his security, and his care. "And I'll keep reminding you, having my fill of these words for you."
"You can remind me a million times but not like this. Your tears ruin me." He whispered, holding her close and letting her cry in his arms. "Actually they ruin my t-shirt."
"You can't be serious" She parted, her lips gaping. Wiggling out of his grip.
"Sorry, Sorry! I was joking Ira. I'm sorry" He quickly pulled her back.
"Such a.... You're...." She huffed not saying the words.
He laughed "Cursing really helps Dove. Try using them."
"They help my foot" She grumbled.
He laughed harder, sobering and pecking her nose in adoration.
"I'm starving" She complained and her smile widened.
"Let's go then. I'll feed my little Dove." He said with a cheeky smile.
"Give me five minutes" She scoffed and walked out of his grip.
He stared at her, shaking his head and grinning. "How did it happen?" He asked himself but got a series of answers and followed her inside.
Together they walked to a small restaurant in the middle of the market as Mahira didn't wish to go to any lavish place. They settled inside the cozy atmosphere, his jeans and T-shirt and her summer dress paired with a lace shrug blending perfectly.
They ordered and kept cracking smiles and grins, talking without any head and tail. The words kept flowing out of their lips, teasing, grinning, huffing, and ending the banter with laughter before starting a new one.
It was magical. Walking together, holding hands, pointing at places, people, and things sharing their minds, and listening to others one. RV stopped everywhere her eyes stopped, she touched and picked every little thing which caught her eye. As if a Halo was glimmering behind her head that his eyes didn't avert away from her. She was excited and exploring the market. Hot on her heels, he kept her close even when the crowd was thin, his eyes refused to leave her.
Her cheeks were hurting from all the smiling but then she felt him watching her and her lips stretched automatically. Her eyes were interested to check out the local market but his eyes stole all her focus. It was hard not to look at him but the colors and craft had her hooked.
She walked to the street vendor selling anklets as if an invisible string pulled her. From the heavy bells to the most delicate ones.
Her eyes brightened seeing them, an old childhood memory coming back to her.
She picked up a thin chain anklet with small bells in between. It was so delicate that her fingers didn't feel like dropping it back. She shook the jewelry piece a little and the musical sound made her grin happily.
"Do you like it?"
She didn't have to turn to identify his voice, with her biggest smile she turned towards him and nodded.
"Take it then." He said and asked the vendor how much it was.
She stared at him as he made the payment, asking the man to keep change and kneeled infront of her.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"Making you wear them" he deadpanned. He took another one from the man and cupped her heel to bring her ankle to rest on his knees.
Her face flushed as he touched her feet. "Veer. Don't touch my feet. I'll wear it myself"
"Just do what I'm asking you to. Give the other one to me and let me make you wear it." He said finality. Her eyes hooked on him as he clasped one and another one of her anklets. He placed her feet back in the bellies.
Standing up he dusted his hands and started guiding her deeper into the market.
"What happened?" he asked her seeing her staring at him.
"Last time Papa gave me one of this when I was 10." She told him smiling "I loved these so much that I used to dance around the whole place wearing anklets, those bells were my favorite toys, I used to keep moving, jumping, and running so those bell chimes filled the room. Papa used to call me gigglemug because either I used to giggle or jump around, letting the bells chime."
"Really? I want to see you jump around too." He grinned
"I'm not a child anymore," she said bashfully. "I was just a hyperactive child then. Mom was so done with me trying her sarees and making her room a mess. She used to scold me but the effect would vanish as soon as Papa came back home. He used to entertain all my tantrums because he liked irking mumma too. She used to say that I got the trouble-making streak from him." She shook her head chuckling. " We used to make a mess of our home, knocking curtains down, pillow fights, toppling my toys in the hall, and leaving them there for the whole day. She used to go berserk because of us."
"You sure you are not lying? Where's that troublemaker now? What I see now is this woman who has severe OCD. You don't even like me leaving my towel outside the laundry bin." He raised a brow.
"I have no OCD" she scowled "I like my place mess-free. I learned not to create an unnecessary mess after..." her words trailed and the smile dropped "A...after m...mumma..."
"You don't have to say" Veer hushed her "No need to remember anything you don't wish to Ira. It's fine with me. I don't want to know."
She looked up at him, lips wobbling. He smiled and shook his head, indicating that he meant his words. Averting her eyes, she stared at the gravel as they walked back towards the villa.
His fingers, clutched hers, fiddling with her ring and making her not think back to their previous talks.
He tugged at her hand and she looked up.
"Any chance you can make me that tea of yours?"
"Here"
She passed him the hot, sizzling mug of tea as they both were inside.
Climbing the bed, she settled beside him. Their eyes fixed on his laptop where a random movie played. She snuggled in his side and he hugged her closer. His lips pressed a gentle kiss on her crown.
"It is so insane" She murmured sighing.
"What's insane?" he asked placing his cup down.
She kept mum, pursing her lips.
He glanced at her frowning and she looked back at him and his laptop, her lips twisted at the side.
His lips parted to speak but her hands had already shut the laptop. She picked it up and ran out of bed.
"Hey!" He screamed behind her, running. He tried catching hold of her but she had already dumped the device in the cabinet and locked it.
Keys dangling from her fingers, she grinned in victory.
"What's the meaning is all of this?" He asked confused.
"You are watching a movie when we have so many things to do. We should go out and explore. Instead, we are here. Sitting and watching a movie."
"It was you who was cribbing that your legs are paining because of that 3 hours market stroll we took." He reminded her.
She bit her lip shrugging. "We can do other things too. You know there is... ahh!"
He had lunged forward, picking her up like a rag doll and dumping her on the bed, just like she had dumped his device, carelessly He was hovering above her, his arms caging her to the bed.
"W...what are you doing?" She stammered.
"So many other things" he smirked, dipping his head in the crook of her neck. "Tell me what things you expect me to do here" he breathed against her skin, lips brushing like a soft feather, making her shudder at the touch.
His nose traced her long neck followed by his lips who left a hot trail behind them. Her skin prickled with goosebumps, a shiver running down her toes to her head. His toes curled and fingers clutching into his stiff muscles.
"I...You should...Veer" her moan resonated throughout the room as he bit onto her collarbone, his tongue soothing the burning sensation.
"Keep making that noise and I'm not letting you out of this bed for the next two days." He said growling as her fingers threaded in his hair, pushing his face towards hers.
"What will you do to keep me here?" She asked and his eyes darkened.
His fingers traveled up from her palms to her arms, touching her hips then her waist and the sides of her chest. She took a sharp intake of breath.
"Do you really want to know?" He asked in a guttural whisper as if his restraint was breaking. His forehead was placed against hers.
"Show me" She demanded. Her lips brushed against his, a light feathery touch.
And then he did. Showed her how much he wanted her. He took away her breath each time with a whisper of how he loved her. He meant every syllable when he proclaimed 'she was so precious to him'. He United her with him in every sense, not just the body but their souls. His soul danced with hers, tangling with hers to be never untangled. He kissed her, touching the untouched places, exploring the parts she never explored, loving her the way she was never loved, cherishing her like she was never cherished before. He whispered his admiration for her, he whispered his need for her to the extent she had lost her breath and he gave her a reason to breathe again.
He was worshipping her like the goddess she was. Soft and gentle touches which held the power to fade her life-long scars, he was mending her piece by piece only to break the barriers shielding his heart, freeing her from them to live freely.
He loved her in every sense, showing her the surface of the deep never ending ocean he held inside for her. It was her to claim, her to dive in and hers to explore. His eyes blinked several promises to her and he meant to keep each one of them, they were unsaid but engraved on his soul.
His soul was hers, he had her touch engraved on his senses. He was ruined for anyone else, just like he ruined her for another soul.
She was his as much as he was hers.
She was Veer's Ira and he was Ira's Veer until the world ends.
This is not the end. The showdown is left and it's near.