Abhimanyu and Akshara spent the better part of the day, lounging comfortably on their well cushioned sofa, napping, scrolling through their phones, and sometimes just watching movies or web series that struck their fancy on the 65" inch television screen.
Sunlight beamed through the windows, cascading over their sleepy faces as Akshara snuggled in closer onto Abhimanyu's chest, soaking in the warmth.
Abhimanyu wrapped his arms around Akshara, embracing her as he wiggled his body, pressing her soft body closer to his firm one, relishing on the muted background noise of the television.
A perfect day.
Just how he imagined it.
Just how he wanted to spend it.
Just the two of them. Basking in all the glorious glowing sunlight as they napped in each other's arms with a never ending smile on their faces.
~*~
"Sit still. Don't move!" Akshara exclaimed, eying Abhimanyu.
They both sat on the ground, on opposing ends, with a sketch pad in both their hands, as well as pencil crayons scattered around the apartment.
"How am I not supposed to move? I am supposed to be drawing you too!" Abhimanyu frowned.
They were having a sketching competition.
In order to see who was the better artist. This activity was time constrained too. Not only were you supposed to do a better job of sketching and colouring in the other person, you only had 20 minutes to put your best effort in.
"That is your problem!" Akshara exclaimed. "But you can't ruin my picture by moving!"
"Do you even hear yourself? You make no sense!"
Akshara looked up, frowning at Abhimanyu. "You know, there are some men out there, who lose on purpose, just to allow their girls to win."
"Oh really?" Abhimanyu's brows perked up. "How foolish of them."
Akshara frowned. "The things those men do for love..." Akshara sighed heavily, dramtically.
"I know what you are trying to do baby. It's called cheating. And as much as I love you, love is love and war and war. And this right here, is war. You are the one who rekindled my competitive spirit and now, I am not going to quit until I make you a sore loser." Abhimanyu looked at Akshara with a goofy smile, sticking his tongue out, playfully.
Akshara ushered a low growl before she went back to quickly finishing up her drawing. Abhimanyu glanced upwards at Akshara and smiled, a tinge of rose colour popping up on his cheeks. It was fun irritating Akshara.
But how was he supposed to tell her that he wouldn't be able to lose at a sketching competition, even if he tried.
~*~
"Time's up! Pens down." Abhimanyu silenced the timer in his phone and looked up to see Akshara still diligently working on her art piece.
"I said pens down, Akshara." He repeated himself.
"One sec. Just last minute touch ups..."
"No! That's cheating, pens down....Akshu!"
"Don't call me that!" She glared at him, holding her pencil crayon out towards him, as if she'd stab him any second.
"Then stop cheating, Akshu." He teased, making her growl. "I am going to countdown and when I get to one, we flip our drawings and show each other. Okay?"
"Fine." She nodded eagerly, satisfied with her painting.
Abhimanyu began the countdown. "Three...two...one!"
Akshara and Abhimanyu flipped over their paintings to show each other. Akshara's jaw dropped open at Abhimanyu's sketch of her. It perfectly encapsulated her sitting on the floor, one knee bent upwards to her chest, with the other leg folded neatly below. The strap of her camisole was falling off her shoulder. She looked at her shoulder to see the same strap had fallen off her shoulder, at exactly the right place.
In the sketch, she was holding a sketch pad, just as she had been in real life. Abhimanyu's drawing also captured the frown lines on her forehead, the ways her eyes were so focused on the notepad in front of her, the strands of lose hair curled along the side of her head and her hair in a messy ponytail.
In the portrait, she was holding a pen in her mouth, as she focused diligently the notepad in front of her. And suddenly she felt seen. She didn't know how to explain it but...but the drawing spoke volumes. It was made with love, the soft strokes, the light touch of hand. It was...just perfect. The drawing felt so raw, so...real that Akshara couldn't help but marvel at it.
"Abhi...this..." Speechless.
Abhimanyu's vision of her —how he looked at her —so mundane but yet...paying attention to each and every intricate detail —it was truly magnificent.
"Like it?" He asked, proudly showing off his sketch.
Akshara shook her head. "No." She looked up to meet his gaze, lost in the decadent eyes. "I love it."
Abhimanyu gave her a boyish grin. "Thanks. I...I used to like drawing as a child. Painting, colouring, sketching —you name it. I even took Art as an elective throughout college, you know. Even entered a few competitions here and there."
"Wow. You never told me I was going to be competing with a pro! I feel cheated!" She babbled, making him chuckle.
"Sorry." He grinned. "But your painting is beautiful too!" He pointed out.
"Oh please! Mine looks like beginner level artistry compared to yours!" She sulked.
Akshara's drawing of Abhimanyu portrayed him sitting bare bodied on the ground with his legs up to his chest, hands over his knees, staring directly at the person examining the portrait.
She had spent more time sketching out his eyes, smile and jawline —her favourite parts of his face. Her drawing was good. Decent. But Abhimanyu's were better. Way better.
"No it doesn't!" He chastised. "Don't ever underestimate yourself!"
He scooted across the floor and grabbed Akshara's painting of him. "This is perfect." He claimed, glancing at it.
"No it's not!" She pouted.
"Yes it is. Because you made it." He cupped her cheek and pulled her head up just as he captured her lips in a gentle kiss, deepening it as he heard Akshara whimper and moan against his touch.
Akshara and Abhimanyu dropped the paintings they were each holding and wrapped their hands around each other.
Akshara caressed his hair, the back of his head as Abhimanyu moved his hands to her neck, firmly applying pressure to her cheeks as their lips and tongues mingled.
Soaking in Akshara's touch, without breaking apart from her lips, Abhimanyu got on his knees and lifted Akshara in his arms. She wrapped her legs around Abhimanyu's torso just as she felt her back hit the soft cushioned back of the leather sofa.
Abhimanyu's hands roamed around her body eagerly as Akshara bit the corners of his mouth playfully. She arched her back just as Abhimanyu slipped his hands beneath her camisole, slithering their way up to her breasts.
He tugged and pulled on her nipples before he peeled the camisole away from Akshara's body and tossing it onto the ground. His hands then moved to the waistband of her shorts. He removed her underwear and shorts with one pull, just as he groaned into her tender mouth.
Akshara's hands went to the bottom of his waistband as she pulled his shaft out of the restricted confines making him shudder. A jolt of electricity went through Abhimanyu's body putting it into a frenzy.
Losing control of the slightest touch of Akshara's hands, Abhimanyu moved her hands away, pushing them against the arm rest of the sofa, holding her prisoner as he slipped inside of her with one single thrust.
Abhimanyu leaned his forehead against her temple, one hand holding her waist in place and the other hand locking her hands together as he thrust in and out of her at a rhythmic pace.
~*~
"Here, taste this." Akshara placed a piece of sautéed chicken and broccoli in Abhimanyu's mouth.
"Yum." Abhimanyu's eyes widened as the teriyaki sauce flavours hit his taste buds.
"Here." He blew gently on a spoonful off of chicken noodle soup before holding it up to Akshara's mouth.
"Delicious!" Akshara complimented as she poured her teriyaki chicken star fry over two plates of basmati rice.
Akshara was unable to decide whether she wanted homemade chicken noodle soup or chicken teriyaki stir fry for dinner.
So Abhimanyu did what any sane boyfriend would do. He told her to make both. She would make the chicken stir fry and he would work on the homemade soup.
Teamwork.
And that way, Akshara would not have to pick between what she'd want to eat and would get to dip into a little bit of both on the dinner table.
As Akshara carried the food towards the living room, she called out to Abhimanyu. "Table or floor?"
Abhimanyu finished pouring the soup in one giant bowl as he yelled back, "Floor."
By the time Abhimanyu took his bowl of soup to the living room, Akshara had already moved the coffee table to the side and thrown the cushions and blanket on the floor. She, herself was already settled onto the floor too, using the sofa as back support.
"Nice!" Abhimanyu complimented as her as he handed her the tray which housed the bowl of soup. "Careful."
Abhimanyu did not go off the tray until he was sure it was securely in Akshara's hands. He did not want her to become victim to the piping hot chicken and it's noodles.
"Want something to drink?" He asked her.
"Are we talking alcoholic?"
"Up to you."
Akshara bit her lip and answered, "Surprise me."
"Gotcha. I'll go grab the drinks whilst you chose which movie to watch." He told her as he went back into the kitchen, on the prowl for the best drinks to accompany their meals.
~*~
Abhimanyu returned shortly thereafter and found his seat beside Akshara.
"Here you go." He handed her the drink. "Cheers." They clinked their glasses together just before he took a sip of his drink, moaning as the first drop of ice cool alcohol hit his tongue and burned down his throat.
"Is it alcoholic?" She asked him.
"Yes." He answered, dipping his fork into his stir fry and putting it into his mouth.
"Is it vodka?"
"Why don't you try it and let me know how it is?" He asked her.
Hesitantly, she took a sip of her drink, trying to taste the underlying alcohol. It wasn't vodka for sure because it had a an earthly aroma and taste.
"What is it?" She asked him again.
"Do you like it?"
She eagerly nodded her head. "Yes. It's yummy."
"Good. It's my secret recipe." He teased her.
"Abhi!"
He chuckled. "It's gin mixed in with a bit of lime juice, salt and lemon-lime soda."
"Nice! I think I just found my new favourite drink." She cupped Abhimanyu's cheek and pressed her lips to his capturing his mouth in a kiss. "By my new favourite bartender slash sketch amazing artist slash best lover slash adorable husband slash best cardiac surgeon."
"What can I say? I'm flattered." He smiled against her lips, before they pulled away. Abhimanyu turned towards the television screen. "So, what are we watching?"
"The Ring!"
"Isn't...isn't that a horror movie?" Abhinanyu gulped.
"Yes! I love horror movies!" Akshara clapped her hands together in excitement.
And I hate them! Abhimanyu exclaimed internally, dreading the movie.
"Sorry, did you say something?" Akshara asked, taking a bite of her dinner.
"I was just saying why don't we watch something else? Comedy sounds nice? No? Or thriller? Action? Even romance?! There are so many good options out there!"
Akshara narrowed her eyes towards Abhimanyu. "Abhi...are you scared of horror movies?" She asked.
"Scared? Me? Of horror movies? Pfft! Never!" He lied.
She bit her lower lip, "Then you shouldn't have why problem watching a horror movie!" Akshara searched his terrified face for an answer before hitting play on the remote.
"Alexa, dim the lights." Akshara called out. The lights in the house dimmed just as the movie started. The perfect recipe for disaster.
Akshara had to stop herself from smiling, the terrified nervousness rolled down Abhimanyu's body. Akshara covered Abhimanyu's hand with hers, rubbing gentle circles on the back of his hand, caressing it.
Abhimanyu looked over at Akshara just as she interlocked her eyes with his.
"I know you we not scared...but I get scared. So I just wanted to hold your hand." She said, lying through we teeth, playfully.
"Okay." He replied, calming his erratic heartbeat.
~*~
Sometime during the dinner, they has paused the movie for a few minutes and cleaned up their dinner plates. Now, it was just Akshara and Abhimanyu, cuddled up on the carpet in front of the sofa, laying on a bed of soft cushions, with a fuzzy blanket pulled up to their chins.
Akshara looked over at Abhimanyu to see him slightly flinching at the scary parts. And he looked the cutest doing it.
Never in her wildest dreams did she think a horror movie would be the one to terrify a man such as Abhimanyu Birla.
Akshara waited for the right movie and just as Abhinanyu was engrossed in the movie, anticipating the next jump scare, Akshara timed herself and when the time was right, and she was sure Abhimanyu was not anticipating it, she yelled, "Boo!"
"Ahhh!" Abhimanyu yelled out in fear, clutching his chest trying to calm his erratic heartbeat whilst a Akshara couldn't control her laughter.
"Akshara! What the hell, babe! You scared the shit out of me!" Abhimanyu fumed.
"I am so sorry! You looked so cute! I just had to!" She giggled, trying to suppress her laughter.
Abhimanyu frowned at Akshara. "Not fair!" He yelled, as he began tickling Akshara in revenge.
"Please! Please! Sorry! Sorry! I won't do it again!" Akshara pleaded, sliding down the carper, prying herself away from Abhimanyu's strong grasp.
"Will you jump scare me like that again?" Abhimanyu asked her, continuing his playful assault on her body. "Think hard and wise." He warned.
Akshara bit her lower lip, and nodded her head. "Yes."
Her answer was met with another frenzy of tickles and giggles before she finally accepted her defeat. "Sorry, sorry, sorry! I won't! Ever! Sorry!" She pleaded, tears rolling down her eyes from laughing too much.
~*~
Akshara awoke in the middle of the night to see Abhimanyu sleeping on the carpet, his arm wrapped around her waist, caging her.
She looked around her to see the television was still on but the movie had long since finished. She didn't even realize when they had fallen asleep mid movie.
Akshara reached out for the remote and turned the television off. She then turned around in Abhimanyu's arms.
She debated whether to awaken him and take him to bed or let him sleep. She decided she didn't want to disturb his deep slumber and instead placed a gentle kiss on his forehead as he peacefully slept. .
She pulled the covers up to their chins, and snuggled in deeper into his embrace, closing her eyes in relaxation.