"Now that we've finished dinner, it's time for us to dance." I announced, looking towards the dance floor with a grin.
"You know, I'm really good at doing the horizontal tango. I can show you if you'd like. All we'd need is a comfy mat—"
"Abhi!" I yelped, covering his mouth with my palm.
Abhimanyu took this moment to lick the inside of my palm, his eyes burning with a glimmer of mischief and hot scintillating fire, making me blush.
I remove my hand from his mouth, the fire burning equally raw and wild on my pool of desire. I move up to Abhimanyu, going on the tip of my toes as I whisper calmly, seductively and shyly in his ear —
"I prefer to do the strip freestyle instead."
I pull back as our eyes interlock, fire flickering like an endless flame fueled by our desire for each other.
"But first..." I say, pulling a distracted Abhimanyu behind me as we moved onto the dance floor to join the other couples.
In the peripheral of my vision, I watched Shanaya simmering in shame and embarrassment as she stood beside Dr. Raymond —whom I pegged as a very good doctor but a terrible boyfriend. He didn't spare one single moment to embarrass Shanaya and call her out for the gold digger she was.
Shanaya knew it too. But she kept quiet. Because she was the one who chose that life for herself. She was the one who wanted the lavish trophy wife lifestyle.
I helped guide Abhimanyu's hands to my waist as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I looked over my shoulder to make sure Shanaya knew exactly what she was missing out on.
It was petty. It was not required. But I had to let her know Abhimanyu Birla was mine. She had her chance and she lost it —hurting such a beautiful man with an even enlightening soul. I was never going to forgive her for hurting Abhimanyu.
But I sure as hell was going to have a fun time shoving her stupidity down her face. Every. Single. Time.
"Yes, Akshara. She is watching." Abhimanyu whispers, bending down so his mouth was right above my ear.
"Good," Is all I say as Abhimanyu and I begin to sway to the soft instrumental music, oblivious to the hateful gaze of anyone around us.
Lost in each other.
We move to the left, then to the right, letting the tune of the music guide us —allowing us to do nothing else but just feel.
Abhimanyu pulls me apart from him, my hand in his as he places one hand behind his back and the other twirling me around in circles. Our smiles change to a full fledged laughter as we begin to enjoy the movement. Abhimanyu does one final twirl before he spins me into him and I hit his chest with a thud.
His body glides against mine as we continue to move, this time my back against his chest as his hands wrap around my stomach and I cover his hands with mine. We continue to sway, and sway, and sway.
Lost in the moment.
Until we heard the shrill, booming sounds of applause. I didn't even realize I had closed my eyes until I opened them to see the dance floor was empty. And that Abhimanyu and I were the center of attention with every single pair of eyes staring directly at us —clapping for us.
Abhimanyu and I pull away from each other, our eyes glistening with embarrassment as we smiled at each other shyly. Desire began to pool between my legs as my eyes found his again. Abhimanyu's eyes were equally wistful and burning with need.
"Thank you." I blurt out, hurriedly, to one in particular as the constant round of applause died down.
Abhimanyu and my eyes interlock as I quickly pull him away from the dance floor and towards the exit.
I needed him.
And I was going to stake my claim on him.
~*~
It was two days into Abhimanyu's medical conference and it honestly felt like Abhimanyu worked the hours of a 9 to 5 corporate job. He had to wake up sharp at 8:30am, be down for breakfast by 9:30am after which he had constant back-to-back seminars to attend. Because of which, I never got to see him till around 5pm.
But the good thing was that it was the last day of this medical conference. Which meant Abhimanyu was going to be mine for the remainder of the two days.
Just me and him. Being touristy in the city of Angels.
The one thing I did enjoy was the amount of times I had been able to sleep in. And the constant sunbathing at the pool. I swore I was one foundation shade darker in a matter of two days.
But there was saying that an empty and free mind was the devil's house. And that is exactly what was happening to me.
Having so much free time —to think —to reminisce —it was both a bane and a boon.
Because now, all I could think of was them.
The people I loved.
The people I left behind.
My people.
My family.
As I shifted slightly in the pool chair, adjusting my sun hat, I scrolled through my photo gallery, until I came across the one picture I had always treasured but dared not looked at for the last 6 years.
My thumb caressed over the screen which captured the one picture, of my 17th birthday, —the last birthday I spent with them. A night I remembered vividly till date.
It was a picture of my face stuffed with cake as Mimi, Badi Maa were laughing, Vansh and Kairav bhaiyaa were teasing me whilst applying cake on my face and Bade Papa pretended to scold my brothers in order to console me.
I let out a half hearted chuckle remembering the exact moment, instinctively reaching up to wipe my unshed tears.
I exited the gallery, moving up to my contacts list. My hands shaking as I scrolled down to the letter B, taking a deep breath as my fingers roamed over the name Bade Papa.
My heart wanted so badly to dial his number. Talk to him. But my mind talked me out of it. Telling me I'd only be hurting myself and him.
But I did it anyway. I clicked the little phone icon, hitting dial. My heartbeat picked up with every ring.
Ring.
Ring.
But no answer.
Just as I thought the phone was going to go to voicemail, I heard a click. And then his voice.
"Hello?"
Bade Papa.
"Hello?"
Again. He sounded mad. Annoyed.
"Who is it, Bade Papa?" I clutched the phone tighter.
Kairav bhaiya.
"No one is talking. Its just dead silence." Bade Papa answered.
"Probably a telemarketer." Another voice chimed in.
Vansh bhaiya.
My mouth opened wide but no sound came out. I covered my mouth with my hand, to stop myself from being vocal just as tears rolled down my cheek.
Just then a shadow popped up over me and before I knew it, I was staring into the intense gaze of Abhimanyu, nodding his head, willing me to speak. Say a word. Anything.
He clutched the phone, covering my hand with his, providing me with silent strength as he ushered me to speak. To say hello.
I shook my head, pleading with him silently to not force me to speak. Because I wasn't ready.
But Abhimanyu didn't give in. He pushed the phone closer, mouthing "talk."
I shook my head. Side to to side whilst simultaneously tightening the hand over my mouth, enough to leave an imprint.
Abhimanyu sighed, disappointedly before letting go of my hand just as I hurriedly ended the phone call that was never meant to happen in the first place.
"You should have said something." Abhimanyu ushered, breaking my mold of silent sobs. "Anything."
I shook my head. "No. I can't." I whispered harshly, angry at myself for being so weak. Angry at the situation I was placed in.
"Things could have changed by now."
No. Not with the way they all sounded. Happy.
"What if they haven't?" I asked rhetorically; digging deep into my own fears.
"You won't ever know until you take a chance. Make the first move.
I covered my ears. "Stop Abhi. Please. Enough." I shook my head, shaking it wildly. Distressed.
I looked up, meeting his intense gaze. He sighed, "Fine. I'll let it go."
"Thank you." I whispered, controlling the urge to run away and hide myself under the warm embrace of a blanket.
Abhimanyu sat down on the pool chair, near my feet, gently caressing my ankle with his thumb.
"Did you eat something?" He asked me, softly.
I nod my head, sniffling. I pulled my plate of a half eaten burger and fries putting it on my lap. I dipped one long fry into the sauce, holding it up to Abhimanyu's mouth.
He bit into the entire fry from my hand, licking my fingers in the process just as I felt his teeth graze the side of my tips.
"How did you know this is exactly what I needed?" He jesters, picking up the burger and taking a massive bite.
I break into a smile as I wiped the drop of sauce running down the corner of his mouth before sucking it off. "Because I know you have the appetite of a blue whale."
"Well one of us has to compensate for you having the appetite of a small hummingbird who just likes to peck at her food."
I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm. "Yeah, right. It's called having small meals, multiple times a day."
Abhimanyu responded with a fake mocking laugher as he stuffed his mouth with another bite of the burger. I watched him affectionately, as his eyes widened in pure satisfaction with every bite he took.
"How was your seminar?" I asked.
"Boring. But I'm glad they're over. And now I can just focus on you and our remainder of the days here."
"What do you have planned for us?" I teased, curiously.
"It's a surprise." He answered between bites.
"Is the surprise perhaps Disneyland?" I offered.
Abhimanyu shrugged, gulping the last bit of the burger. "It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you."
The last thing we talked about was going to Disneyland. So that has to be it, right?
"Akshara!" He exclaimed, getting up from the pool chair. "Now stop wracking your brain about what the surprise could be and let's go. You still owe me the full body massage from yesterday and I intent to collect every bit of it."
I slipped my hand onto Abhimanyu's outstretched one, shaking my head in laughter. I slipped a summer dress over my bikini as Abhimanyu and I walked hand in hand towards the elevator.
Full body massage.
I had offered one to him yesterday because his back was bothering him. But Abhimanyu had taken his own liberties and one massage session had turned into me naked and sweating beneath him as he filled me to the brim over and over again.
And now, Abhimanyu used the term full body massage as a code word for sex —because as he said, he intended to collect on it; over and over again.
And I wasn't complaining. I liked to both give and receive a full body massage.
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First of all, thank you all so much for making Gulabi rank #1 in AbhiRa. That was a wonderful surprise for me. And second of all, please let me know what you thought of this chapter! Thank you!