Chapter nine
Things were gradually changing between the newlyweds and for once they were on the positive side of the relationship. Avika was slowly realising that her relationship with her husband was nowhere near how her parents' relationship was, however, she kept her fears and trauma to herself.
As promised, Kiaan found a reputed advocate for the matter and arranged a meeting with his mother-in-law. He had asked if she needed his presence during the meeting and she had only hesitantly told him that it depended on her mother. Instead of getting angry or upset, the man only nodded in understanding and asked nothing after that.
It amazed Avika, how much patience her husband possessed because she never once heard him complaining about how closed off she remained in the relationship while he remained like an open book, expressive and intense. She always found him intense in everything he did, be it his work or staring at her, he unnerved her.
Like now, she was trying to drape a saree while her husband sat on the bed and watched her like a hawk. If two months back somebody would've asked Avika that, would she allow her husband in the same room while she was draping a saree then she would've scoffed and glared at that person until they would bugger off. But now, here she was, struggling with the saree and ignoring the eyes trained on her all the while.
A frustrated sigh left her lips as she looked at the pleats she just made. Untidy. That's how they looked. She glared hard at them like they were magically going to get tidy and tuck themselves in. Then she tried again and this time without caring how uneven they seemed, she just pushed them in and glanced at herself in the mirror.
She looked dumb. Her eyes then met Kiaan's through the mirror and she expected him to laugh, however he was keen on staring in her eyes rather than at how she was dressed.
Her heart thumped crazily when he slowly got up from the bed and walked towards her never once breaking eye contact. When he stood exactly behind her, she realised her chest was heaving and she was breathing heavily. It was embarrassing. The effect he had on her just by staring at her.
"Aapko help chahiye?" His eyes set on hers as he waited for her answer.
(You need help?)
Avika breathed out a 'yes' because she was sure she wouldn't be able to utter anything else beyond that. He took a step closer and she could feel the warmth emanating from his frame.
Just as his hands were about to rest on her shoulders, he looked at her again, asking for permission and she smiled in response. Kiaan slowly turned her around and she drew her lower lip in her mouth suddenly shy.
"You need to tell me if you're uncomfortable any time." He tells her and she nods before he undoes the pleats and it causes her to suck in a sharp breath.
The next he starts making her pleats and she feels like she is in a trance as she watches his hands working on preparing those perfect pleats. Her throat feels dry and she trails her eyes up on his face. His lips were pursed as he concentrated on doing his work and she couldn't help but feel like stepping closer and stroking his jaw.
The loose end of her saree was already set in place, only the pleats were left and as her husband helped her with that part, she couldn't help but wonder when and how he learnt to do this.
"Aapko yeh kaise aata hai?" She asked when her curiosity got the best of her.
(How do you know this?)
Her breath hitched when his lips stretched into a small smile and he glanced up to look at her from under his eyelashes. Her husband is beautiful and she couldn't deny that.
"Wouldn't you want to know?' He teased and she narrowed her eyes playfully.
But then he stood straight and looked at her seriously. "Can I?" He asked and she was confused.
When Kiaan looked down, she followed his gaze and found him holding the pleats in his hand. She realised he was asking her permission to tuck them in and the room suddenly felt too quiet.
When she looked back up, he was patiently waiting for her to answer him but seeing her struggling to reply, his gaze softened, "Aap mana kar sakti hai, you know that right?" He asked and it was all the reason for her to say yes.
(You can say no, you know that right?)
She gave him a nod to acknowledge his words and he assumed that she was saying no which is why he forwarded the pleats to her. She stared at his hand for a second before shyly mumbling, "Pehna dijiye."
(Tuck it in.)
She looked anywhere but at him trying to control the blush that spread across her face and neck. However, when Kiaan stepped closer, a ragged breath left her mouth and she made the mistake of looking at him. He had his eyes on her, a heated look in his eyes which made her want to cover herself but she knew there was nowhere to hide with this man.
His fingers brushed against her navel and her hands automatically clutched his shoulders for support. She closed her eyes when she felt his knuckles graze against her lower abdomen and her fingers dug in his flesh through the cloth but the sensation quickly vanished as soon as she felt it. She kept her eyes closed as her heart thudded against her chest and breathing remained erratic.
When she felt his warm breath hitting her face, her fingers curled again but then she felt two hands cupping her face and a butterfly kiss was pressed on her forehead.
Avika opened her eyes and was instantly met with those honey brown ones which she was slowly growing comfortable with. He smiled and she noticed his eyes smiling first, just like his mother's does and a fluttery feeling erupted in her stomach.
"Aap saree mein bohot khubsurat lagti hai." Kiaan husked and she lowered her gaze feeling her cheeks heating up.
(You look very beautiful in a saree.)
She felt his stare penetrating through her soul which is why she hid her face in his chest and felt his arms coming around her frame in a protective manner.
•ᴗ•
Kiaan never felt so content in his life the way he did in that moment having his wife in his arms. From the moment they argued about him leaving the room or not, he felt a light feeling in his chest. They were bickering, not fighting and that is what mattered the most.
She wanted him to leave but he stayed adamant on staying because one, he was not going to stare at her if she was uncomfortable and two, she had already been wearing half saree when he was done writing his mail. But he loved watching her getting ready because he could see her expressions while she struggled to drape it properly.
His chest tightened when she allowed him to tuck in the pleats because he hadn't expected it. He hadn't expected her to allow him to touch her so intimately and he was so fucking happy, he could kiss her hard. But he won't. Of course, he won't.
And the hugs she gave him, they were the best. He had to make a deal with her to give him at least three hugs a day and and no less.
When she started pulling away from him, he grumbled and unwillingly let her go. It felt empty. She raised her brows at his grumpy expression and he rolled his eyes before his eyes landed on the pleats looking improper by her shin area.
Without a thought, he bent down and heard her gasp. "Yeh aap kya kar rahe hai?"
(What are you doing?)
A chuckle escaped his mouth, "Propose nahi kar raha, don't worry. Lekin agar aap yehi chahti hai toh mujhe bata dijiye, main aapke liye yeh bhi kar sakta hu." He teased as he straightened her pleats.
(I'm not proposing, don't worry. But if you want this then let me know, I can do it for you.)
As he looked up, he found her pouting angrily but her cheeks had turned red and he could see her lips twitching as she fought a smile.
"Should I?" He asked mischievously and as expected she scowled at him. "Chup rahiye!"
(Keep quiet!)
Kiaan let out a chuckle as he stood up and lightly tapped her forehead, staring at her with a warm smile. She gave him a grin of her own and he felt his heart slam against his ribcage. This woman was going to be the death of him!
•ᴗ•
It was the month of March and Holi was just around the corner. Avika's first Holi with her new family and she wanted it to be memorable even though she hated playing with colours. She was going to just participate in the pooja and nothing beyond a light tap of colour on her cheeks. If anyone went beyond that, she was going to get mad at the person especially her husband.
"Chale Bhabhi?" Avika heard Yug asking her and she frowned in confusion.
(Let's go sister-in-law?)
They were currently in the living room, Kiaan and Avika were going to visit a temple as it was Mahashivratri and Yug was as always lounging on the couch with a bowl of chips in his hand. Parul was present there too but she remained engrossed in her own work however, her ears were attentively listening them talk.
Yug walked up to Avika, completely ignoring his brother who stood beside her and took her hands in his, "Aap humari date ke liye tayyar huyi hain na? Toh chale?"
(You've gotten ready for our date, right? So, shall we?)
Before Avika could respond, Yug received a smack on his head causing him to drop her hands and whine in pain, "Bhaiii!"
(Brother!) (a/n: lol, this sounds so dumb in English)
"Bada aaya date, idhar aa dikhata hu date kya hoti hai." Kiaan gestured him to come closer but Yug stepped in the opposite direction. "Mummyyyyy, apne ladle bete ko samjha dijiye. Pagal hogaye hai apni biwi ke pyaar mein." The boy grinned like a Cheshire cat as Avika flushed and looked away whereas she found her husband hiding his smile.
(As if! Come here, I'll show you what a date is.) (Mom, tell your favourite son. He's gone crazy in his wife's love.)
Parul smiled to herself at their bickering but was content seeing that there was some progress in Kiaan and Avika's relationship. Though she still wanted to pester them to go on a honeymoon, she decided to wait and see if they decide it for themselves without her telling.
Later in the evening when the two were returning from their day out, Kiaan got an urgent situation which demanded his presence in the company so he dropped Avika and informed her that he might get late.
When Avika entered the house, Yug was in his room working on some case he had going in the firm where he worked at and Parul was in the living room watching tv. Avika sat beside her and noticed something kept on the table. She let out a gasp as she picked it up, "Yeh aapne banaya hai?" She asked in awe and turned to her mother-in-law.
(You made this?)
They were these beautiful handmade side door hangings she had ever seen and although Avika had noticed Parul being busy doing something, she didn't realise that her mother-in-law was so creative.
Parul only smiled and switched off the tv as she took one of the hangings in her hand. "I had some bangles which I didn't use anymore or they didn't fit me, so, I used those and other materials I gathered from here and there. It's not much." She explained and Avika gave her an incredulous look.
"Maa, these can be put up on sale, they are that pretty." As Avika praised her works, Parul brushed it off saying it was nothing extraordinary however, on continuous persuasion Parul grew hesitant.
"Par yeh sab kon khareedega? Mujhe nahi lagta kisiko bhi yeh sab cheezein lene me dilchaspi hogi." Avika huffed and put the artwork of the table, adjusting it properly before clicking a picture.
(But who will buy all this? I don't think anyone will be interested in things like these.)
She posted it on her Instagram handle with the caption saying 'Handmade side door hangings made by my mother'. As her profile was public and she had only ever posted pictures of nature, she didn't hesitate to post it.
She showed it to Parul who frowned in confusion but five to ten minutes later there were at least 50 likes on the photo with a few comments appreciating the art and a few asking whether they were selling it. Avika squealed as she showed the comment to Parul who had a shocked look on her face.
"They are asking for a price now. What should I say?" Parul didn't know what to say because she never thought of selling these. She enjoyed making creative things and it also kept her occupied but making a money out of it? That idea never crossed her mind.
Avika smiled as she kept her hand on the woman before her. "Just think about it, Maa. If you don't want to sell it, we won't. There is no pressure at all." Parul thanked her and the two left the topic at that.
Post dinner, Avika lay on the bed waiting for Kiaan to return even though he mentioned he would be late. And besides she was not sleepy so it was fine. She talked to her mother, reminding her of the meeting with the advocate the next day and also assured her that she will be there with her.
Around eleven thirty, she was mindlessly scrolling through her Instagram when the door to the bedroom opened and her husband stepped in. She sat up and titled her head to look at him. He looked tired and worn out and his eyes seemed droopy as well.
"Aapne khana khaaya? Kuch lekar aau aapke liye?" She asked in a worried tone and heard him grumble something incoherent.
(Did you eat? Should I bring something for you?)
She kept her phone down and got down from the bed as he walked in a few steps.
"Kya kaha aapne? Aapko kya chahiye?" She asked again.
(What did you say? What do you want?)
"Hug," He mumbled and she could only hear it because she was close enough. She felt a tug and looked down to see him grabbing the corner of her top.
A chuckle left her lips not because she found it funny but because in that moment, she found her husband adorable. He had a grumpy expression on with a small pout on his face, eyes unfocused and blinking lazily. The grip he had on her top was loose yet she felt like he was afraid that she would run away.
Without another thought, she stepped closer to him and encircles her arms around his torso before placing her head on his chest. His hands on their own accord wrapped around her frame and she felt him relaxing in the hug.
"I love this," He sighed and her heart skipped a beat at his words.
"Can we try a different type of hug?" He mumbled against her hair and she pulled away to look at his face. "Can we?" He asked again and she nodded slowly.
Without looking away from her eyes, Kiaan held her hands and wound them around his neck, all the while she tried to keep her heartbeat normal. Then he bent down and she almost gasped out loud when he rested his face in the crook of her neck and his arms came around her waist. A small squeak still escaped when he straightened up and her feet dangled in the air.
"Much better." His lips brushed against her skin as he spoke and her arms tightened around him as she pushed her face in his shoulder to muffle any noises she would make because of this man.
They stayed in the same position for what felt like hours before he let her down and pulled away keeping his hands on her waist.
"I want to make a deal." She frowned at his words.
"What deal?"
"We have to give each other at least three hugs per day." The way he said it, she felt like he was demanding it and not making a deal.
She raised her brow, "And if I don't?"
His eyes narrowed. "Then you will have to grant me a wish."
She laughed, "That doesn't even make sense."
"I don't know! Give me three hugs or grant me a wish." Kiaan said stubbornly and she rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Fine!"
He grinned and hugged her again and she squealed trying to get away, "The deal starts from tomorrow. Now let go of me."
"Yeah, no. I'm comfortable here." She laughed at that and hugged him back which made him the happiest because this was the first time, he heard her laughing freely because of him and wanted to be the reason every time.
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