New Update!!
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I want to dedicate this chapter to Nandanaaah
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I contemplated removing my high heels and crossing my legs, the bangles I had been wearing for almost a week were itching terribly, and the saree was poking me in all the wrong places. I longed for the comfort of my usual shorts and loose T-shirts that I used to wear without anything underneath.
The downsides of sharing a room with a man.
My thoughts won, and I bent a little to reach my feet, attempting to remove the heels, which proved challenging due to the tied seatbelt.
"Can you stop the car for a moment?" I requested, now determined to get rid of the uncomfortable heels.
"Sure, Missus," he replied, and after two minutes, he parked the car to the side.
I hastily removed my seatbelt, and in the next moment, I untied the heels, leaving them there as I crossed my feet over the car seat.
"Don't look at me like that; it was starting to get uncomfortable as hell," I said when I noticed Vaibhav's amused expression.
"Meri Himmat," he spoke, eliciting a smile from me.
"Can we stop here for a moment?" he spoke, fully lowering the car window that was partially open.
"Sure," I replied, as I leaned on the car seat, keeping the seat belt unfastened. My gaze wandered to the outside view - not too busy of a road, but not entirely empty. Couples were strolling, and families were out, perhaps roaming after dinner, a habit even I used to have back home.
"Coffee or tea?" he asked abruptly, and I turned to look at him, surprised by his desire for coffee at this time.
"Coffee," I replied, smiling, even though I didn't really want any. But I didn't want to say no to him.
He stepped out of the car. I wanted to as well, but putting the heels back on was not something I was keen on.
He handed me the coffee through the window, I retrieved the coffee from his hold, very carefully. I wasn't in the mood for another electric shock, by mistakenly touching him.
He got back in, and I extended my hand, passing him the other cup.
"So, how was it?" he asked, settling in.
"Tiring, a bit of fun," I traced the cap of the cup, clearing my throat, I matched his gaze, which was already on me, "and a bit irritating," I answered.
"About that," he began, then paused, sighing and taking a deep breath, "Mr. Saxena and I have been in conversation about opening a seaside resort in Goa," he continued, taking a sip of coffee.
Realizing that even I undid the cap of the coffee cup, and even I took a sip, I waited for him to continue, "We are still in talk about that, and the work is in process, so a year back when I was in Goa with him and, of course, even Meesha was there," he spoke, hesitatingly.
"She manages his new projects, and his son manages his finances. So, he asked me about my thoughts regarding Meesha. We were classmates during our MBA, but she is nothing more than an acquaintance. We aren't even close enough to be called friends," he paused, looking at me, perhaps trying to gauge my feelings on the matter.
"Then?" I asked, indirectly prompting him to continue.
"I told him I'm not interested in her; she is just a business partner. But I must say, he didn't create any fuss about it. So, we remained business partners," he replied, taking another sip.
"I think that didn't sit well with her, Mr. Saxena's Daughter, " I commented, glancing at him.
"The rejection, perhaps," I added, earning a weak chuckle from him.
"I don't know about that. We only meet at such parties - nothing personal," he replied, looking around the area.
"Nidhi," he spoke abruptly, keenly observing me as if attempting to grasp everything about me through my eyes.
"Hmm," I replied, glancing at him briefly and then lowering my gaze to my bangles.
"Why are you so uncomfortable around me? You are very different with my siblings," he spoke, more like complaining.
Am I really different with them? I pondered.
I don't know, but what I do know is after my father he is the only man, I have started to feel safe and comfortable around.
"No, I'm not uncomfortable around you. It's just that everything happened so fast. We got engaged without even meeting once. No, don't think that, I'm regretting, in this last week-actually, more than that-I have never for once regretted marrying you," I paused, and his expressions changed from sulkiness and complaining to a cute smile, his lips curling up, forming the cutest smile.
"The relationship I share with you is different from what I share with them. With them, it's more like a friendly relationship," I spoke. He took the cup from my hand, but his attention was still focused on me, listening to every word.
"My dear wife, here you are wrong," he spoke, stepping out of the car, crossing the car, he threw the cups in a dustbin nearby.
How? How could he just say that I'm wrong?
"How?" I asked the moment he settled back in his seat.
"Felt bad?" He inquired, his seat belt still not fastened.
"No, but still, there must be a reason for you saying that,"
"Nidhi, we have a long life to spend together, right?" He asked.
"Hmm," I replied, though a little hesitant but I didn't let my hesitancy show on my face, this man has started becoming adept in discerning my expressions.
"So, before being anything, before being husband and wife, and even maybe parents later, we should be friends. This way, it becomes easy for us to communicate. The relationship you share with my siblings and me is quite similar, just that our relationship is with a little spice in it," he spoke, mischief evident in his eyes and a naughty smile playing on his lips-a smile I was not quite accustomed to.
"Understand?" He asked, smiling.
"Yes, husband," I replied, earning an even deeper smile.
I'm going to miss this smile for sure.
The next moment, he extended his right hand, and it came closer to my face. With a gentle touch, he settled a few strands of my hair behind my ear, his fingers traced the earrings I wore. I looked at him, and he met my gaze with a smile. Foolishly, I lowered my eyes again.
"Oh, the sunlight," he spoke, and I raised my eyes, which had been downcast because of him. He looked at me, smiling, and my own smile fought to surface. But before it could, I coughed slightly to suppress it.
Next, he removed his blazer and placed it on my lap. Next, he undid his bow tie, and even that he handed to me, followed by his waist coat.
Not that I'm complaining.
He proceeded to undo his cufflinks and rolled up his pristine shirt, till his elbows, revealing his strong forearms. The sight caused sensations to ripple through my body, especially around my neck. His veiny hands, two or three veins popping out through his forearms, despite not visibly hitting the gym, were captivating. His forearms featured a thin layer of hair.
Maintaining a firm grip on the steering wheel, he then unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, from his left hand.
Nidhi you are gawking at him, again.
Afterward, he revived the car and pulled into the driveway. Despite my fatigue, I resisted closing my eyes. My father once mentioned that if you sleep in a car with the person driving, they might start feeling drowsy too. Observing Vaibhav and his tired face, I refrained from sleeping.
Even with a fatigued expression and an eagerness to reach the bed, he looked undeniably appealing.
Perhaps sensing my eyes on him, he carefully turned his face to glance at me while driving, meeting my gaze. I immediately shifted my focus to the other side, regretting my attempt to feign that I wasn't looking at him, then, I realised, I had unintentionally revealed my gaze.
"You seem to be fixated on something," he remarked, glancing at me before refocusing on the road ahead.
"No, I'm not," I replied, turning my face to the other side.
Communication in a crowd was easy, but in close proximity with him, my mind went blank, breathing quickened, hands grew clammy, and my stomach churned, sending all the wrong signals-certainly not good for my sanity.
Suddenly, my thoughts turned to my mother, contemplating what people might have said about me today. Despite Vaibhav's efforts, we couldn't silence everyone. Then my mind wandered to Vaibhav's bua; I hadn't seen her again. Did they leave? Ma would know, but she hadn't mentioned anything. I decided not to discuss it with Vaibhav, fearing he might perceive me as dwelling on negative thoughts.
"What are you thinking?" He asked abruptly.
"Nothing," I replied, contemplating whether to share my thoughts. Considering he would be away from home for about a week, I decided to let him go on a positive note.
"You know you can tell me anything, right?" he assured, his eyes focused on the road.
"Yeah, I know," I replied, but I refrained from sharing my thoughts.
We lapsed into silence thereafter. I turned my face, gazing outside. Vaibhav's house was situated a bit away from the city, causing our travel time to be relatively lengthy. With the potential of encountering traffic, arriving early wasn't something to anticipate. The same thought crossed my mind as we headed home from the airport, when I came here for the first time, but out of consideration for Ma's emotional connection to the house, I refrained from inquiring further.
Upon reaching home, he parked the car. I stepped out, carrying my heels, his blazer, waistcoat, and bowtie. He also exited the car and, crossing around it, stood before me, glancing at my face and then at my bare feet.
"So, friends then?" he asked with excitement and mischief, his lips curling up into not just a smile but a naughty smirk. His right hand extended towards me.
"Friends!" I replied, shaking hands with him.
In the next moment, he took my hand and, in a somewhat puzzling move, kissed my knuckles. His lips lingered for a moment longer than before, causing my breath to quiver. My breathing escalated, and unexpected sensations surged in various places of my body. Suddenly, it started feeling hot near my neck, and a ticklish feeling crept near my ears.
"Will you be able to walk like this? Barefoot," he inquired, looking at my feet now visible due to me holding the pleats of the saree.
"Perfectly," I replied, looking at him with a smile.
"But the marble inside would be cold," he spoke as we started walking inside.
"I'll be fine, Vaibhav," I spoke. I didn't want him to carry me to the first floor among people looking at us.
"Aaaa, Vaibhav, put me down. I'm heavy," I spoke the moment he scooped me in his arms, one hand near my calf and another near my back, a few centimeters away from my breast,
"You know relatives are still home. I don't want people to look at us," Nazar is real. I don't want them to look at us in awe or jealousy. If this is real, then I want it to last forever.
"Let them. I'm not carrying some other woman but my wife," he spoke, adamantly.
"Chalo, then take me. Acha hai, I'll not have to walk. Let's see how strong you are," I spoke, attempting that he would put me down.
"Ohh biwi, you don't even know I used to go to the gym, and you, heavy, the biggest joke, your diet is like a birds diet," he spoke, getting inside the drawing area.
"You used to, right? In these past 20 days, I haven't seen you hitting the gym, and about my diet it's perfect, " I spoke. At first, I thought it was strange; this man never goes to the gym. Then, from where are these muscles coming?
"You observe me quite closely," mischief lingering in his voice, his eyes brimming with naughtiness, and his hold tightened around my calf.
"Oooo, there is romance going on,"
"Ha ha,"
"Lovey-dovey,"
"New couple,"
"Night is going to be awesome."
Without engaging in any conversations unfolding in the drawing room, we both made our way to the bedroom. However, escaping the prying eyes and playful comments wasn't as simple as it seemed.
We couldn't escape comments like, "So eager to have some alone time, new couple?" It was evident that the onlookers had different expectations from us, but we simply wanted some rest.
I cannot speak for him, but I, for certain, was in dire need of sleep.
Hearing this barrage of teasing and gibberish, we reached our destination.
"Now, please, Mister, put me down. I can walk, really," I spoke, wiggling in his hold, as we reached the drawing area of our portion.
He assisted me in standing up, and I, leaning on his shoulders for support, stood upright.
One thing I observed about Vaibhav was his reserved nature. Apart from communicating with his immediate family members, such as Ma, Aadarsh, Roshni, and his business delegates, I noticed he didn't engage in conversations with other relatives, signifying a clear disinterest in their company.
"It was a great evening," he spoke, glancing at me.
"Hmm, great but a little tiring for my introverted self. Thank you for not leaving my side," I spoke, recalling all the talking, laughing and giggling I have done today.
We entered the bedroom, and without delay, I collapsed onto my side of the bed, my bare feet dangling over the edge, and he did the same.
"Exhausted?" he inquired, reclining a bit away from me but still beside me.
"Absolutely drained," I responded.
"Mee too," he spoke. For a few minutes, we lay on the bed. I slightly turned my head, peeping at him. His gaze was fixed on the ceiling, zoning out. My mind, however, was focused on his rhythmic breathing-light, serene, peaceful, and beautiful.
"Vaibhav, you go change. I'll take some time for myself. I need to get rid of this jewelry and the numerous pins in my saree," I spoke. He didn't say anything, his gaze still fixed on the ceiling.
"You're right. I think we should get a dressing table in our bedroom too. It would be a little easier for you," he spoke, sitting on the edge of the bed. I glanced at him, raising my head. He was taking off his shoes, and my eyes went to his back. The white shirt perfectly fitted him, highlighting his broad shoulders and then my eyes went to his neatly trimmed hair.
"Did you hear that?" he asked, and once again, I realized how shamelessly I was gawking at his back.
"Yeah, get a bedroom in the dressing table," I replied, rising and sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Get a bedroom in the dressing table?" he asked, turning to look at me, his eyes shimmering with naughtiness.
"No, no. I mean, a dressing table in the bedroom," I replied, the moment I realized what I had said.
"You seem distracted. What's diverting your attention so intensely?" he asked, casting a glance at me, his eyes carrying that mischievous smirk and a hint of joy.
"Nothing, just... just exhausted," I replied, wiping the sweat off my forehead induced by his overwhelming presence, gulping down the saliva to wet my parched throat. I badly need to start meditation and yoga to clear my mind of unnecessary thoughts.
He remained seated beside me. I placed my right foot on my left knee to take off the payal, my husband graced me with.
"Are they uncomfortable?" he asked, realizing what I was doing.
"No, not at all," I replied. They were a little heavy and made a lot of clinking sounds, but they felt nice.
"So, don't take them off for tonight," he spoke, rising from the bed and standing before me at a distance. His shoes dangled in his left hand.
"Okay," I replied, keeping my gaze down.
"I have to pack, also," he spoke, frustrated and sighing in irritation, turning and walking towards the walk-in closet.
"Don't pack now; I'll help you in the morning," I replied, looking at the clock hung on the wall in front. It was going to be midnight in just a few minutes.
"No, why would you? You sleep in the morning. It's already very late," he replied, standing at the doorway of the closet
"So you expect me to sleep while you wake up early when we will be sleeping at the exact same time," I spoke, and I shouldn't even wake up to see him off, when I don't even know, when we would be seeing each other again.
I mean even if there was someone else in his place, for example, Shivani, even then I would sleep while they would be leaving home, that too for almost a week.
"And if you are so hell-bent upon packing, then go help yourself. It's already 11:39; if you pack now, it will easily take almost 2 hours," I spoke.
"Okay, fine," saying this, he went inside the closet.
It was already almost 15 minutes he went inside, and now I was feeling uncomfortable in these clothes; every part of my body was begging for me to change.
Carrying my heels, I sauntered towards the closet, "Vaibhav, are you done? I need to change," I spoke, standing at the door of the closet.
"Hmm, you can come inside," he replied. Hesitantly, I went inside, and my eyes fell on him; he was already in his night clothes, busy scrutinizing some files and keeping them in a bag.
"These are necessary, so I thought I'd keep them now, so I don't forget them in the morning," he spoke, his gaze still on the files.
"Hmm, okay. You do it; I will change inside," I spoke, turning towards my side.
"No, I will leave before you come back," he spoke, keeping a few files neatly inside the bag, screaming perfectionism.
"Okay,"
But first, before going inside, I sat on the pouffe kept before the dressing table, to get rid of the jewelry I was wearing today. I just wanted to take off the bangles badly; now they were causing my hands to itch, and a feeling of burden.
"Uncomfortable?" He asked abruptly, looking at me, closing the chain of his bag.
"Hmm, now they are causing itching in my hand," I spoke, rolling my hands over them.
"Remove them for the night; wear them in the morning. If I were in your place, I would have done the same," he spoke, glancing at me, then at my hands.
"Nice idea though, but you will not disclose it," I spoke, pointing my index finger towards him.
"Why would I? Your hands, you are feeling the discomfort; who am I to judge," he spoke, opening his side of the closet, maybe to take out clothes he would be taking along with them.
Therefore, I took off some bangles but still wearing a few, as my overthinking mind didn't allow me to remove all of them.
"I'll be back," saying this, I rose from the pouffe taking a towel in my hand.
Getting inside, I stood before the mirror, I first washed my face to come into my real self, removing this makeup, though it was not much off a heavy make up, but it was for me, as I was not much fond of applying make up.
But abruptly, realization dawned upon me looking at my blouse.
No, No, No accidents; I have avoided them perfectly for the past week. I turned and twisted my hand to open the strings, and after a few minutes of trying, I unintentionally tangled the strings of the blouse more, together with my wedding chain.
Abruptly, I got an idea: scissors, shaving box, and my mind clicked. I opened the washroom vanity, that was near the wash basin and looked at his accessories carefully to not misplace anything.
But I got nothing except defeat; he had a trimmer. Ha, so not everyone would make his beards in perfect shape using scissors, like my father does
A frustrated groan left my mouth, followed by a defeated sigh. No, I can't take help from Vaibhav; the whole night I would sit here, and in the morning, I would just come out when he has left the home.
I cried internally at my condition; how perfect my wedding attire's blouse was. I disentangled it on my own. I rubbed my face in irritation, just thinking about taking help from Vaibhav was making me a nervous wreck.
But defeated, I opened the washroom door, "Wait, I'll leave; I thought you would take time," he spoke, as he was still in the closet.
"No, wait," he stopped midway, and I was facing his back.
"I have not changed yet; you can turn back," I spoke, my eyes cast down.
He slowly and cautiously turned to look at me, and even amidst this feeling of nervousness, I felt at peace, sensing his nervousness about my space and privacy. How hard he was trying not to make me uncomfortable, with our compromised accidents or his presence.
"Why haven't you changed yet?" He asked, looking at me curiously, especially at my disheveled state.
"Actually...," I wetted my dry lips with my tongue and gulped the saliva to wet my parched throat, "Actually, this," I pointed towards my back, not courageous enough to voice it out, "this knot it's not opening. Earlier, Priya helped me, and now," I sighed, and my mind just got shut down, requesting the fairies to help him understand the rest.
He cleared his throat, and the nervousness was palpable amidst us. I didn't turn my back towards him, and after a moment, I sensed him taking a few steps towards me. The distance between us was not much; with just a few strides, he was behind me, making me a nervous mess.
"Don't worry; I'll not do anything that makes you uncomfortable," he spoke, from behind me, making me feel like melting. In that particular moment, I felt akin to an ice cube, succumbing to the intensity of the sun.
And the next moment, he held the other end of my saree. After a few seconds, I felt my blouse loosening from the shoulder. In another moment, he covered my whole back and shoulder. Before I could perceive why it happened, I felt the left side of my blouse dropping. He hid my back and shoulder before my bare shoulder could come into his view. My eyes instantly became moist at his thoughtful and respectful gesture, leaving me in awe of his gentlemanly behavior.
"Done," he spoke. Before I could get over this beautiful overwhelming behavior, he planted a peck over the back of my head, above the gajra he helped me adorn in the evening. Tears streamed down my eyes, making me wonder if this is really my life, which changed in just a few days.
I quickly wiped the tears off when I sensed Vaibhav making me turn towards him. I hesitantly met his gaze with mine, and he was already regarding me with care, a serene smile gracing his countenance
"Go change," he spoke. The next moment, he left the closet.
Leaving me in emotional turmoil, he exited the closet, and I went inside to attend to my needs.
VAIBHAV
She sauntered towards the bed, the scent of chocolate lingering in the room, probably from the lotion she was applying over her arms. She was dressed in a loose shirt kind of a thing, yellow in color, paired with matching pants-it seemed to be a set.
"You haven't slept yet?" she spoke abruptly, catching my attention.
"Hmm, sleep doesn't grace me the night before traveling; I remain restless," I replied. I didn't used to be restless before, but leaving her alone here was not sitting well with me.
In reality, it had only been a week since we got married, and I should have been here with her, spending some time. However, I would be leaving tomorrow.
"Try to sleep; you are tired. You'll get some rest," she spoke, sitting on the edge of the bed, pouring water into a glass, and drinking it.
The next moment, she reclined on the bed on her back, her eyes wandering around the room, not quite focusing where they should be.
"Nidhi," I spoke, expressing my determination and desire for her attention to be on me. If she could understand that.
"Hmm," she spoke, turning her head a little and glancing at me from the corner of her eyes.
"You know, earlier I thought we both could go together tomorrow. I'd complete the work during the day, and then we could spend some time at night, just roaming around. But the idea of leaving you alone in that unfamiliar room didn't sit well with me, so I dropped the plan," I spoke, reclining on the bed completely, but still maintaining a distance between us.
"And now...," I sighed. Now, I feel bad because I won't be seeing her beside me for a week.
"I should be here with you, but I'm leaving tomorrow," I spoke. She turned a little on the bed, facing me. The brightness of the lamp in the corner of the room cast a red shine on her face, highlighting her beauty. It caused shudder to run through every part of my body. I just wanted to hug her close, but the circumstances didn't allow me to make that move.
"It's just a week, and we have cell phones. We can talk at any moment, and you won't be worried if you come back late to the room. You would be able to concentrate on your work, " she spoke, being considerate and thoughtful, as she is.
I turned to face her, creating a small but decent distance between us. Delicately, with a hesitant move, I placed my index finger over her little finger, meeting her gaze to detect any hesitancy. To my delight, she shyly blinked, signaling the inevitable - holding hands. I placed my hand over hers, fitting my fingers in the grooves between her fingers.
Though we had held hands many times before, the setting now was different and challenging - our own bedroom, same bed, and closer than before. We lay close, close enough for me to catch the scent of her vanilla-flavored shampoo and chocolate-scented lotion, making her akin to a delightful cake.
If she looked like the most ethereal and enchanting woman bestowed upon the earth earlier, now, adorned in a simple yellow night suit, she was no less captivating. The yellow hue complemented the tone of her skin, and under the red night lighting from the false ceiling, she resembled a radiant fairy. The sindoor peeping through her hair invoked a sense of luckiness within me, a reminder that she is mine.
Her hands were cold, and she seemed nervous. The whole day's tiredness vanished with the touch of her hands on mine, leaving me in a deep and comfortable slumber.
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Do tell your thoughts about the chapter, I would love to know your opinion.
I know guys the last few chapters, are all based on Nidhi's Pov, so next few chapters will be based on Vaibhav's.