"All of me loves all of you." — John Legend
Mumbai, India
We had gotten back home with mixed feelings and loads of emotions. Anika Di, Rey Jiju and Yash were still outside and I never got to talk to her about what I had found out a while ago.
Vihaan had gone somewhere and it had been almost over three hours. He had told me it was some urgent work and had asked me to have my dinner on time. And here I was, after a light dinner, lying on my bed and aimlessly staring up at the ceiling. The events of the day slowly made their way into my mind. And now when I was in the confines of my room, everything that I found from that house was wearing down on me.
No matter how mature I acted there, a part of me hadn't taken it well. I suddenly started feeling itchy and emotional. When I saw those adoption papers, I couldn't feel anything at first. It felt like a very well thought out prank.
But the more I read down the document, the more it made sense.
I got adopted when I was just three days old, had no name and was abandoned in the hospital.
I laughed at the reality of my birth. Even for a second, I felt like why was I treated like that? But then, everyone flashed in front of me. My friends, my Di and Jiju, Yash, my in-laws, Vihaan and even my parents. And that moment was the moment of reality.
I wouldn't have gotten any of them if I hadn't been adopted. It was a beautiful blessing and I was grateful for it.
Looking at the clock, I noticed that it was half-past eleven. Picking up my phone which was lying by my side, I dialled Vihaan's number. The phone kept on ringing but he didn't pick up.
"Looking for me?" When I looked up at the door, it was Vihaan, leaning over the door frame. I chuckled and nodded as I sat straight. He smiled brightly at me and entered after closing the door when I noticed that he was holding two bottles of beer.
"Ah, this one is for my lady," he handed me one as he plopped himself beside me on the bed. "Adi told me that you enjoyed drinking from time to time," he further added. I guess I stared at him too hard.
"Take this," he gave me the bottle opener but I had opened it with just my thumb.
Years of experience, you see.
Vihaan chuckled and used the opener to open his bottle instead. I clinked my bottle with his and gulped down the cool liquid. The bitter aftertaste of weird felt surprisingly good and refreshing. It had been over months since I had downed any kind of alcohol.
"Ah, this feels good," I groaned as I took another sip. The beer somehow activated my senses and got me out of the lingering sad thoughts.
"You must have seriously missed this," Vihaan chuckled again and I smiled at him. "It's been months, so yeah."
"Where were you?" I asked him the question that was revolving inside of my head for a long time.
"I was out doing your work," he shrugged and I frowned at his answer.
"What do you mean?"
"I just came back after arresting Dr. Prapti Nair," the mouth of the beer bottle stopped near my mouth as it hung down in shock. With wide eyes I looked at him to confirm what he was saying was true.
"Why—"
"Because talking would have done nothing, Akanksha," he said, interrupting me. "You have no evidence against her to prove that she was giving you those medicines. If you went over to talk to her, the ball would have been in her court. She would have pressed charges against you for defamation and also consuming unprescribed medicines," he gulped down a sip of the bear as he paused to catch a breath.
I cursed myself mentally for sometimes going over the board. Emotions and investigations don't go together. I should have known that. God, I was going to make such a huge blunder at such a crucial point in the case.
"She could have used your condition in her favour to get out of the mess. And god forbid, if that would have happened, it would have been difficult to get you out of the case. Hence, for now, it's even better to not put your name forward," I nodded in understanding and agreed without an argument.
I got what he was saying. The last thing I wanted at this time was to get arrested over false charges.
"Then why did you arrest her?"
"Illegal drug supply, false prescriptions, bribes and what not. I had the team investigate all of it in an hour. She would be in jail for a long time," Even better. That sounded really good to my ears. Though it didn't bring me satisfaction as to why she gave me those medicines, I was happy that she would be paying the price for her wrong deeds.
"I was thinking of starting my therapy to regain my lost memories after we go back to Jaipur," I heard Vihaan tsk as he didn't look like he was agreeing to do it.
"Ah, about that," he took a pregnant pause, making my steady heart beat fast. "I spoke to Aadya before I came here. I told her about your case and she told me that though it is a good way of regaining memory, there might be a chance that you may face side effects, which includes the formation of new false memories," That made sense. I had read about it on the internet which makes me think that given the PTSD and anxiety issues I have, it would not be advisable to carry out this process.
"Oh, she also told me to tell you that she's angry at you for not telling her sooner," Darn that woman. The moment I would return back, that she-devil would sit over my head to demand answers. No wonder why she didn't message me today like she usually did. Not even memes or reels over Instagram.
"Okay," I mumbled in agreement.
"And—" looks like he wasn't finished yet. "Chirag told me what happened to you yesterday at the cabin," he paused momentarily and looked at me. I looked away, taking a sip of my beer. "After all of this ends, I want you to go for therapy and cure your anxiety," my heart fluttered with gentleness he had told me those words and I couldn't help but nod in response.
Vihaan smiled at me and leaned to kiss my forehead. The warmness of his lips against my skin calmed my nerves and eased my tensed muscles. Or maybe it was just the beer.
Vihaan switched the lights to the mood lights and lowered the temperature of the AC. Handing me his bottle, he took his clothes to get changed for the night. While he was away, I continued sipping onto mine.
I unlocked my phone and scrolled my Instagram. Liking all the random pictures that came in my feed, I opened my DMs and went straight over to Aadya's. Sending an I love you with a few kiss emojis, I kept my phone back.
She can't stay angry for long and that too from me.
"What are you thinking?" Vihaan asked as he came out of the washroom. I gave him a smile and shook my head, letting him know that it was nothing to be worried about.
"Are you still thinking about what happened today?" He asked me, while he sat on the bed, resting his back against the headboard. I smiled at his concern.
"Just for a while."
"Come here," he opened his arm wide and I happily cradled into him, resting my head on his shoulder. His arms wound around me, pulling me close. That felt nice.
It made me feel safe, it made me feel loved.
"Do you ever wish to meet your biological parents?" I could sense the carefulness with which he was choosing his words. I had never thought about their identity, let alone meeting them.
"I don't think so," I sighed, taking a sip of my beer. "Even if I think about them, all I could feel is grateful for leaving me and nothing else."
He did not say anything further. We stayed like this for, I don't know how long, but it felt nice.
"30, 29, 28, 27—" out of nowhere, Vihaan started counting the numbers backwards and I kept looking at him in confusion. I waved my hand in front of him but he kept on counting.
What was happening?
"5, 4, 3, 2, 1— Happy birthday, Akanksha!" Vihaan excitedly clinked his bottle with mine and sipped his beer while holding me tight in his arms.
My eyes went over to the clock and saw that it was finally midnight.
And my birthday.
Happy 26th birthday to myself.
Just seconds later after Vihaan wished me, my phone started buzzing. The lock screen showed me the group video. I wiggled myself out of his arms and straightened my clothes and sat upright. When I accepted the call, a chorus of non-rhythmic happy birthdays was sung by my best friends and I laughed like always.
"Happy birthday Shay-Shay!" The three of them cheered.
"Thank you!" I thanked them with equal enthusiasm. It felt good after a long time or maybe it was just the beer.
"The food will be on our restaurant," Aditya announced and I clapped in excitement. It had been years since I visited his family restaurant. Though it had its chains all over India, Delhi was sadly an exception. I really wanted to eat that new chicken dish.
"If there's any decoration or party planning, it would be on me," Pranav added.
"Then I- I—" Chirag started stuttering as he tried to think hard. "I will fund everything!"
"Hey!" The other two shouted at him, "we have money too!"
"Uh, you're so stingy, showing off your money," Pranav hissed at him.
"We are noble people, have some shame," Adi added and I shook my head at their bickering.
I watched them bicker then turned my head to look at Vihaan. He looked like he was trying to control his laugh. An automatic smile made its way to my lips. Love is beautiful.
"Hey—" It was Chirag who had shrieked, "Wait, Shay, were you drinking?!" God, no. I ducked my face from the camera and kept my phone away from me while they asked me to look at them. And before they could say anything further, I cut the call and put it on silent.
Putting a hand on my heart, I heaved a breath of relief.
"They don't like it if I drink alone and those fuckers drink every time without me," I scoffed looking at their audacity.
"It's okay. They will be fine by tomorrow," Vihaan's arm looped around my shoulders, pulling me close. True that we bicker but in the end, we are together.
Vihaan took the empty bottle from my hand and kept it on the side. "I love you," he kissed my cheek. I blushed as I was still getting used to it.
But a part of me felt that tonight was different. I should be different.
Feeling bold, I thought of doing something different. Picking up the courage, my fingertips caressed his cheeks as I slowly leaned forward, kissing the corner of his lips. "I love you too," I whispered, my lips close to his, feeling each other's ragged breaths.
Our faces were close to each other to the point where we could feel each other's breaths. All of a sudden, the chilled room felt hot. I hadn't realised how close I was to him. My body was pressed against his side and his hand which was around his shoulder was now holding me by my waist.
I hadn't seen how much time had passed because at that moment, it was just him and me and no one else. "May I?" He whispered upon my lips and I just incoherently nodded in response.
And it took no longer than two seconds for him to close the gap between our lips. The kiss was so slow— his lips nibbled over mine, helping me get the hang of it. It felt awkward since I was too stunned to open my mouth. My hands clutched his shirt tight as I let him take the lead. I tried moving my lips but unfortunately, it wasn't in sync and hence I stopped altogether.
A few seconds later, he broke the kiss. A heaved breath of relief but the tinge of disappointment of not doing well lingered in the back of my mind. Our heads rested against each other as we were slowly catching our breaths.
"Don't be tense," he cooed. "Let your shoulders drop, release your clenched teeth and part your lips. And then, let the magic happen," his words eventually calmed me down and I slowly met his eyes in anticipation. I let my shoulders drop, just like he said.
I tugged my bottom lip with my teeth and slowly released it, parting it in the process. Vihaan slowly leaned in, taking my lips into another kiss. This time, the kiss was more different, more intimate.
His lips were locked with mine and his hands were holding my cheeks. He sucked onto my bottom lip and then I felt ticklish when he ran his tongue over my bottom lip. My lips parted wider and his tongue plunged into my mouth and my heart did a somersault.
Was that magic? Or was that an explosion?
Taking the chance, I slowly started moving my lips against his. He stopped for a moment and smiled during the kiss we shared. My hands slowly loosened over his shirt and slowly crawled over the back of his neck.
We kept on kissing for god knows how long. Breaking the kiss, we panted for breath. I yelped when he casually held onto my waist and pulled me into his lap, taking my lips into another breathtaking kiss. I clutch onto him before I could lose my balance.
Vihaan's fingertips were electric when his fingertips slowly caressed my back inside my shirt. My senses had become more hyper and my response to the kiss had become more intense.
Our bodies pressed against each other, leaving no space for the air to pass. His tongue slowly glided along with mine and I responded to it with equal passion. His one hand slowly slipped down to my thigh, running circles over my bare skin, since I was wearing shorts. It felt hot against my skin. I couldn't move even if I tried as his fingers had short circuited my mind in the best possible way.
His lips slowly left mine and I looked at him, my eyes hooded in passion. His lips went over to latch on my jaw bone, throwing me off guard. My hand held onto his back as I pulled him close, as he kept on kissing my jaw and chin.
As his mouth went down my chin, his hand started moving up my thigh. I felt hot and bothered. The sensitive area of mine suddenly felt warm as I bit my lip, feeling the ecstasy of his lips over my neck.
He gave butterfly kisses all over my neck. I craned my neck, giving him more access. He licked and kissed, my legs suddenly feeling all ticklish.
Holding onto my waist, he flipped me over, making me lie on my back, with him over me.
Were we doing it today? A question erupted in my mind. I wasn't certain that the kiss would go from a simple kiss to a hot makeout session.
But sex? Did I really want it?
When my eyes clashed with Vihaan's, his eyes were clouded in desire and happiness. His face slowly came closer to mine and I shut my eyes almost immediately.
But when I thought that he was going to kiss me, I felt the familiar touch of his lips over my forehead. "You just allowed me to kiss, not have my way with you," he spoke. A breath of relief escaped my lips and he chuckled, giving me another tingling kiss on my forehead.
He lay beside me and pulled me close, my head resting over his chest. My hand was wrapped around his waist while his hand carelessly caressed my back. "Did you like it?" Heat crept over my cheeks and hid my face in his chest. "Don't ask such questions!" My voice came out incoherent. A ripple of laughter escaped from his throat as I felt him fondly caress my tresses. "It was a beautiful moment," he said and I smiled against his chest.
In twenty-six years of my life, this was the first time when I had kissed someone. All my fantasies that I had dreamed with my the one were slowly coming to be true and I couldn't be more grateful for it.
Though the first time was a bit awkward, the later moments only got better and better. His one touch was electrifying, his one touch made me feel beautiful. His fingers were like divine fire for my soul, his voice intoxicating in all the finest of ways. In those moments of extreme passion and dedication, he took care of me, he took care of my fears and respected my choices.
Though I wasn't ready to take it further, he still made sure that I felt valued, I felt beautiful and loved.
If feeling beautiful was a benefit of falling deeply and madly in love, I wanted to be madly in love with my husband forever. I want to keep this passion alive and going.
I have received so many gifts, so many meaningful gifts from friends and family but he topped it all as he made our relationship grow stronger and more beautiful. As we grow closer to each other by all means, I will only make sure to make our relationship blossom and make it beautiful and forget those eight years to make new memories.
So yes Vihaan, it was beautiful indeed.
Ohhh fire is burning and I am here drowning in shyness. It was my first writing such a scene. What I started writing as a candy level kiss slowly turned into a make out session. Now I realise that writing such kinds of scenes is so difficult for the users. I always wanted to write the first kiss scene on Akanksha's birthday but I didn't know how. But somehow, this turned out nice. By the way, I am super proud of myself for being on roll!
I don't know how you guys would take it, if you feel uncomfortable, please don't push yourself to read it.
And if you guys like this chapter, please VOTE and COMMENT. Even a heart would mean the world to me.
The next chapter is a continuation of Shay's birthday. What do you think her besties are going to give her?
With Love,
Akii.