कभी कभी कुछ तो,
कहो पिया हमसे
ए, कम-से-कम आज तो खुलके मिलो ज़रा हमसे
है रात अपनी,
जो तुम हो अपने,
किसी का फिर हमें डर क्या,
बाहों में चले आओ,
हमसे सनम क्या, पर्दा?
Author's POV.
"I know you're shy. But I would like to hear my answers in words, Priya."
She didn't even knew his name.
She was feeling so shy.
So awkward.
He finished his work and held her hand, slowly.
"Aren't you tired? All these jewelleries?".
She nodded her head a bit.
"Open them, change your clothes, wear something simple."
He said and she didn't knew what to do exactly.
Where she should change?
Where is her clothes kept?
Nothing.
"Should I help you?", he asked and she immediately shook her head.
She heard him laughing softly.
He pointed his fingers towards the corner of room,
"There's dressing table, you can keep your jewelleries there for now."
He showed his finger towards the cupboard,
"Didi has arranged sarees for you, it's in the cupboard."
She nodded her head.
"And... you can..change in our..room itself. I'm your husband."
She felt stingy ache in her stomach.
Infront of him?
How can she change infront of him?
She stood up slowly from the bed, feeling his eyes on her back.
The hairs of the nape of her neck, pricking her.
She opened the jewelleries one by one and noticed his figure in the mirror, looking towards her, lying on the bed.
Keeping her jewelleries inside the drawer, she moved towards the cupboard, her anklets echoing around the room.
She opened the cupboard only to find out his clothes kept on one side, and her clothes on another side.
She picked out a simple saree from the cupboard. Now the main challenge for her was to change her clothes in the same room.
But as soon as she saw towards her husband, he turned back, looking away from her.
She felt good.
Good, that her husband respected her privacy.
She changed her clothes immediately into a simple saree and moved towards the bed, folding and keeping the saree aside on the chair.
She laid down on the bed slowly. It was cold outside, and she was feeling cold too.
Feeling her beside him, he turned back towards her.
His heart fluttered.
He sat up slowly and unfolded the blanket that was placed on the edge of the bed.
He covered his body upto his chest and laid down.
She gulped.
Is he not going to share the blanket?
The thought was arising in her mind, and within a second, she felt herself pulled towards her husband.
He pulled her, by her hands.
She landed over his chest and he wrapped his hand around her, holding her hand with another one.
Her breathing was heavy, her breasts against his side of chest.
"Comfortable?", he asked and she hesitantly nodded her head.
After a long pause between them, he spoke,
"Hum jaante hai tum sharmili ho bohot. Kuch baat kehna chahte hai tumse, tumhare pati hone ke naate."
She nodded her head hearing him, but also, clenched her fingers lightly upon the hem of his kurta.
He smiled slightly, seeing her gesture.
"Humari maa beemar hai, janti ho na?".
She had heard about his mother.
"Ji," she replied in a low voice.
He cupped her cheek, lightly and spoke in a low soft voice,
"Bohot Kam umra me babuji ko kho Diya humne, maa ko bhi khone Wale hai kuch mehno me, aur itne bebas hai hum ki kuch kar bhi nahi sakte."
She gulped. How must he be feeling? That upset her. She felt his pain after hearing his words.
He continued,
"Hum chahte hai," he gulped, "jitne bhi din humari maa humare saath hai, tum unki seva karo, khush rakho unko, unka kehna maano. Maanogi na tum hunari baat?".
He looked into her eyes while speaking the last sentence.
She didn't knew how, but she gained some courage and she feathered her fingers upon his bearded cheek while muttering,
"Aapki har baat maanenge hum.. Kuch bhi Aisa nahi karenge jisse aapko ya maa ji ko taklif ho."
He held her wrist and made her cup his cheek with her palm. He remained still, feeling the warmth of her touch and closing his eyes.
She knew what he must be feeling.
"Can.. I .. ask you something.. ji?"
He nodded his head, his eyes still closed.
"What's.. your name?".
He opened his eyes immediately and asked in surprise,
"You don't even know my name?".
She shook her head slowly.
He laughed softly.
He placed a gentle kiss on her temple, which made her feel butterflies in her stomach and whispered in her ear,
"Tumhara pura naam abse, Priya Abhigyan Singh, hai."
She nodded her head, Priya Abhigyan Singh.
Her full name.
Her Abhigyan, her husband.
"You know my family members, right?".
She knew, but only had a slight idea.
He read her mind and caressed the back of her hand.
"My younger brother, he is 8 years younger than me, Abhisar, his name is Abhisar."
She nodded.
"Priya, he is like my son to me ever since my father passed away. He loves me a lot. And I know, what great importance you'll play in his life too."
She smiled listening to his words.
"You already know didi, she came to meet you, right?".
She nodded her head.
"Her children?".
She nodded.
She knew about them, Raj and Nandani, the cute kids who have been calling her mami ji the whole day.
"Jijaji, you met him?", he asked and she replied in a very low voice,
"Yes, I've seen him."
He nodded his head and spoke again,
"Humari maa,.. thodi karwe mijaz ki hai. Lekin humse kafi pyaar karti hai. Tumhe bhi karegi. Lekin kabhi tumhe kuch keh diya toh.. tum bura mat manna..." He paused.
"Hum rahenge tumhare sath."
She felt happy, supported and protected as she nodded her head on his words.
He cupped her cheek and turned his body towards her, their chests rubbing against each other.
"Hum.. kabhi kabhi.. kuch jyada gussa jaate hai.. logon par. Samaaj ne shakht bana Diya hai Hume. Aur hum mukhiya bhi hai gaon ke. Isliye aur bhi jyada."
She gulped.
He raised her chin up by cupping it lightly and muttered against her forehead,
"Tumhare saath nahi honge kabhi, daro mat. Kabhi gussa me rahe hum, toh khud tumhare saamne nahi aaenge. Kyuki Hume khud nahi pata gusse me hum kya kar baithte hai."
She gained some courage and feeling slightly scared, shifted a little closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her warmly, and she nuzzled her face into his chest.
He stroked her hairs slowly and murmured,
"Pehle kabhi socha nahi tha humne, ki kisi ladki se aise baat karenge hum. Kisi ke liye Aisa kuch mehsus hoga Hume, par tum hume bahut pasand aayi, Priya. Dil karta hai tumhe woh saara pyaar de hum Jo kabhi Hume nahi mila."
She raised her head up, to look into his eyes.
She cupped his cheek, lovingly and whispered,
"Aap bahut ache hai, ji."
He smiled softly and spoke,
"You can call me by my name, 'ji' feels different to me."
She smiled and shook her head.
"Why?".
She replied in a low voice,
"Wives do not call husband's by their names."
He raised an eyebrow and spoke,
"What if husband wants his wife to call him by his name?".
She felt shy, her cheeks red.
"Call me na, please, babu."
'Babu' melted her.
Completely.
Her eyes felt moistened.
She nuzzled more inside him.
He placed a kiss on her hairs and spoke,
"Just once, call me 'Abhi'."
She shook her head again.
He held her hairs, tightly around his fingers and made her look at him.
"It's my order. Call me by my name."