"Brrr, it's so cold out here. Pabsu, I feel snow inside my boots."
He tightened his hold about her shoulders. She could hear him chuckling softly.
At last they reached an open space. The cold wind grew harsher as he untied the eyecap.
"I can't see. It's so dark." she rubbed her eyes for a moment and opened it again.
"Surprise!" he breathed in her ear. She was spellbound.
"What--where--this--"
"The Northern lights."
She kept gazing at it like a kid until she felt his warm embrace envelope her entire being.
"Beautiful!"
Perfect shades of emerald and parrot green seemed to have been sprayed over a diamond studded, pitch black, night sky.
"Just like you."
She turned raising her brows. "You're being too dramatic!"
"What? Wasn't the colour of the saree you wore on the day of Baahubali's Tamil audio launch, the same?"
She laughed hugging him. What good deeds had she done to find someone like him to spend the rest of her life with. He was a blessing.
"I can stay like this forever!" she snuggled closer into him.
The magnum lights reflecting from snow-capped mountains resembled freshly cut diamonds. Her ruby earrings too glistened while she would get arm with his laying on his shoulder.
They stood admiring the view for some more time, took pictures and left to the hotel. It was almost midnight and they were sure done for the day.
"How did you know about this?"
"Abbadam cheppana, nizam cheppana? (Should I tell the truth, or lie?)
"You claim to be very honest. Nen mamulga abbadham chaala thakkuva cheptanu. (I seldomly lie)" she mocked him.
"You will never leave that alone, will you? Anyway, I'd read about these lights in a book. They appear in quite a few places around the world, as well as in Iceland. When the sky is clear and completely dark, you get to see them-- What?"
Her chin was resting on her hand.
"Now I'm forgetting who's the geography teacher among us."
They laughed until they reached their suite.
"Pabsu, my legs ache!" she pouted cutely.
"Yeah. So are mine. Must be due to walking in the snow. I'm drained! Can't wait to go to bed!"
He yawned getting down the car and autolocked it.
"Fool! Doesn't know anything! Another man would've waited for a chance like this to whisk away his wife. Look at my luck with this wax statue! Lazy fella!" she grumbled following him to their suite.
"Bangaram, take this card and go in. I'll return these keys to the receptionist and come back."
Anushka twisted her mouth and snatched the card leaving a perplexed Prabhas behind.
_____
"What happened? Won't you go to bed?"
"The bedroom door is locked and the keys are with you."
"Oh right. Here you go. I'll get a bottle of water from the kitchen."
He removed his sweatshirt switching the heater on.
"Look at him! Not even bothered to share a kiss on the very first day!"
She mumbled unlocking the door. Turning the knob, she stepped forward and was startled feeling something fall on her head. The lights in the living area were dim. She extended her hand to reach for the switchboard. Adjusting her vision to a lavish setup, she stood numb in place unable to move.
"Surprise again."
Prabhas sung gripping her arms. Her husband had dragged paradise right on Earth.
"Simple. Just the way you like."
"Pabsu!" her voice was barely a whisper.
She realized the things that fell on her were soft, red, rose petals.
"When did you-- I mean-- Wow!"
"This was planned today morning as soon as we reached. That was when I payed the porter to make these arrangements for you."
"Us."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and inched closer. He bridged the gap slightly lifting her by the waist. The rhythm of their lips perfectly matched for what seemed an eon. He cuddled her cheeks which felt hot.
"I love you Sweetu."
He confessed for the nth time since marriage.
Prabhas bore into her eyes which seemed to be withholding a storm.
"Me too. You are everything I ever prayed for. Am I sounding too dramatic?" she wiped her tears laughing.
"No darling. I have more to show. Come on." he pulled her to the bed and scanned the chest of drawers for something. Finally, he held a cardboard box in front of her.
"Fragile-- Shoes?"
"Sort of. Unwrap it."
She tore the wax papers covering the artifact out if curiosity and sulked finding another layer of naphthalene foam paper. Quickly getting rid of it, she gasped.
There were a pair of gorgeous, baby blue tinged glass slippers and a crystal tiara matching it.
"Pabsu! Glass slippers and a tiara?" she widened her eyes.
"For Princess Cinderella. That's not it. Here."
"Now what is this?" she questioned opening a small wooden box with brass coating, miniature carvings which gave it an antique look.
"Pasapu (Turmeric) Kumkumam (Vermilion)!"
"For Queen Devasena. This makes you look like a goddess." he smiled taking a pinch and applied it on top of her forehead and between her eyebrows.
"Cinderella, Devasena, nothing for Sweety?"
"Umm--"
"I was kidding, Pabsu. It's not fair asking for anything more. You made my day!"
She kept the gifts aside and sat on his lap.
"You made my life."
He buried his head in her chest.
"No one would've asked you to wait so long, inspite of family pressure, reckless rumors, link-ups and most of all growing age, except for a jerk like me. You handled everything so well, explained to our families and loved me unconditionally through all the ups and downs I faced. Helping hands, supporting shoulders, consoling arms, anything and everything, I can point at you, Bangaram. Thank you for being my wife, Sweety. I'm proud to say a woman who is praised by the whole world loves only me."
She kissed his cheek brushing her lips on his jawline. The night was getting too emotional remicising the bad, old days.
"OK before you say I sound dramatic, I have something else to show you."
"What else Pabsu? Let's sleep now. You can show it tomorrow."
She pushed him on the bed and fell on him.
"Last one. The rest were Pragathi akka and Prashanthi's ideas. This one--"
He bit his tounge eyeing Anushka.
"I knew it. This unromantic, lazy, boring husband of mine reading a book about Iceland to plan his honeymoon! No way! Idiot!" she whacked his head trying to get up.
"Anushka Shetty! I mean, Uppalapathi! Am I right? You're insulting my character! Lazy and boring, I agree. But unromantic! You'll see whose unromantic!"
He scooped her up in typical bridal style and opened the door to the balcony.
"Cheater! Liar! Who's idea was this?" she frowned trying her best to hide the blush that crept up her cheeks.
He smirked gently placing her in the tub and turned the bubble machine on unbuttoning his shirt.
""You only know this!"
She squirmed unable to bear his naughtiness below the water.
The rest was JAI MAHISHMATI! 😁
THE END
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I don't know how I wrote these shots. The edit was done in my phone. Lol.
If you like this genre, please comment your requests/suggestions of which sequences you'd like me to write one-shots on.