With the midnight about to fall, Raisha stopped the car right in front of the destination, she was keen to show her man. Turning off the ignition, she swivelled her head to peek a look at Aayush only to find him asleep with his head hanging on one side while his mouth was little open. Removing her seatbelt, she shifted closer to him and closed his mouth; a little smile stretched on her lips seeing the way he slept like a baby.
She felt bad for waking him up in the middle of the night when he was so tired due to his work commitment but he didn't forgot her even in those times. Because if he did then he won't be completing her training for bike riding. She could never believe that he was teaching her his precious bike these days. In his words, he loved to see her excel in everything whether be it in her professional projects or anything personal.
One of the reasons, whenever they went out, it was her driving while he sat beside her enjoying watching her drive like it was the best thing to look at. As much as the people gave them weird looks when he would sit behind her on the bike or the car, she knew he didn't gave two hoots to anyone. And it gave her all the reasons to fall in love with her husband, some more with each day. She checked the watch to see it was five minutes left for 12.
Opening the drawer, she quickly pulled the blindfold, and covered his eyes while he sat with no worry like he didn't even realized where they were.
"Husband, aren't you planning to wake up?" She whispered in his ear, and he tried to pull her in his arms even in his sleep, but she pulled away chuckling.
"We are not in home, hubby. I hope you remember it." She reminded him, and he suddenly sat up straight, his drowsiness leaving him now, but all he confronted was darkness in front of him. His one hand touched his eyes, and she could see the frowns appearing on his forehead already.
"Why this?" He asked confused.
"Because I have kidnapped you, Husband." She replied cheekily and he burst out laughing, making her smile.
"I thought you already hijacked me in school, whats the point of kidnapping now?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and pulled her head closer to his face, and next she knew, a sloppy kiss landed on her cheek.
"Don't try to distract me, Mr. Husband." He sulked wanting to know what his precious wife was up to.
He was sure, he was up for a surprise which he might have never received in his life. She didn't gave him time to ask further, and instantly got down the car and jogged towards his side to open the door. She helped him out, and he pouted as she intertwined their hands and led him to the center.
Halting in the middle, Aayush tried to smell the surrounding, and to say the smell of trees and mud hit his nostrils but ge didn't miss the freshly enchanting feel of the air caressing his skin.
Raisha stood on his back and opened the blind folds, and he snapped his open to find darkness for a second, before the entire place came out alive in front of him making his heart swell in the reminiscing of the memories that he cherished forever.
They were near the Wood house; the very wood house which he discovered in his college days. A spot that wasn't just his home, but his personal heaven with his wife who became his in that very place.
The bigger surprise was the fact that the place was renovated, and the newest added factor was the beautiful shining lake. In front the board read the title:- Six A's Lake- A tribute to lovers and love.
Raisha wrapped her arms around his waist, and resting her head in his back, she wished, "Happy Birthday, Husband."
Aayush pulled her in the front with his eyes turning moist, and not able to hold himself, he hugged her tightly.
"I bought this area and renovated our little heaven. Its now separated from the college building, and it belongs to all six of my beautiful A's that lighten my world like no one else." She said caressing his back, and he pulled away flabbergasted at the information.
She sensed the queries swarming in his eyes, and replied, "This place is the most important place to you, and I didn't want anyone to ruin it's importance, ever. What is yours shall belong to you always."
She stroked his cheeks, feeling his light stubbles underneath her skin.
"Will it be a bad time if I cry?" He asked holding his tears by biting his lips with a shy smile.
Raisha's eyes filled with tears on their own accord, and she nodded, "It will. Or else you would look scary."
"Then you should stop giving me such emotional surprises, Jaan. This is like a dream. I was planning to talk to the Principal, but then I thought, maybe he would refuse, so would the authorities. But you.....,
"And it is yours now. Your every dream is mine, and I would do anything to fulfill them, no matter how hard they might be." She looked straight in his eyes, and tip toeing, she presses a kiss on his head, murmuring her first wish for him.
"With the way you light up my world with yoyr ever lasting efforts, I wish God grants you your every wish in the coming year."
She pecked his both eyes one by one, and mumbled, "Being with you I have discovered my heaven, and I wish you would be my companion in every birth to cherish this heaven we have created."
He closed his eyes taking in her every word and every kiss, and at last when he opened them again, he felt himself floating in her love like never. He knew the marital bond was veey sacred, and pure, but to have this pure girl as his wife, was above everything else.
Their family always said he loved Raisha like anything, but only if they saw her eyes at the moment, they would know that his wife could exceed a limit of him and she did in every way.
"Now time for your favourite part." She said turning him around, and he saw a huge tree while a long ladder was kept right in front of it. Amused, he turned his head to her side to give her victorious smirks.
"You remember?" She inched closer to him, and winking at him, she intertwined their hands and led him towards the ladder.
"Would my Mr. Highness climb this precious tree?" She asked bowing down in front of him like his obedient subject.
"With pleasure, Mrs. Highness but the condition is that you have to lead the way because I love following your every step."
He replied matching her playful tone, and she shook her head, but climbed the ladder because she knew, even on a small front, he would never come ahead but instead be beside of her or follow her.
She climbed the ladder till the top branch, and sat on it, making place for him while as he joined her on the right, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and together they watched the shining stars and moonlight, in the lake.
The city was in the view through the lights, but and to say that the view behind the lake was beautiful would be an under statement. It was surreal and magnetic capturing their deepest emotions in that moment.
"Aayush, I made you home candy." Raisha fetched the small pack from the inside of her hoodie pocket, and his eyes gleamed in excitement but his face became serious.
"You have to do so much for me." He felt bad that she worked extra hard to cook everything at home, because he no longer liked the outside stuff. Last, Aakarsh had candies, he fell sick, and since then he didn't like the idea of either of them eating sugary stuff from the market.
"So what. It's not a big deal. I love cooking and already, I cook for kids. If I made for you today, how is it an issue. And just so you know, what about the times, when you cook my favourite meals even when you are tired as hell." She reminded him that he was no different than her, and he rolled his eyes accepting defeat, because he knew he can never win from her.
She brought the candy to his lips and fed him, while he did the same. "By the way, is that the reason why you allowed the kids to stay with Mom and Dad, even though it's a week day."
She grinned blinking her eyes and he chuckled understanding that she loved when they had their littke celebrations rather than huge parties. He wasn't a fan of parties, nor was she. On their Birthday or anniversary, it was just him and her, together in the pond of their love.
"I seriously want to know that good deed I might have done to get you in my life, Raisha." He started in a serious voice and she looked at him keenly as he looked straight at the lake deciding to reveal her his inner feelings regarding the subject of marriage.
"You know when you were away I always knew that if not you, then it was never going to be anyone else but with Dad being so controlling I was afraid that like other parents who force their kids to marry anyone they like, my fate was going to be same but more than that I was worried for that stranger girl who might have entered my life through this. I never liked this idea of forceful wedding because it just doesn't ruin your life but someone else's too. And I think I really got lucky in that aspect that I got you before I ended up ruining other persons life because even without realization of my love, I knew it was you who ruled my all senses." He said and turned to look at her to see her smiling proudly at him. It was the first time he brought this topic up, and to say that she was bewitched by his mature aspect would be wrong, she was speechless to discover his individual thought process.
So many men out there who even claim.to be in love, marry someone else, and in their ego they ruin the innocent people's lives but here her Aayush just showed her the biggest prove of that man who could never even think of ruining anyones lives.
"And what if we would have met through an arranged matrimony rather than meeting in school to fall in love? How would you have made me fall in love then?" She asked pulling his face closer by keeping her palm on his cheeks.
Taking her hand in his, he kissed her all fingers, and replied, "Then My love I would have asked for a years time to actually give you time to know me not as your partner but as an individual first. Because I honestly think that if people dont rush in getting married, then they could do wonders with themselves. I would have taken that time to know you, and allowed you to know me, and if you would have thought that I was a trustable man in your eyes with whom you could spend your life, then only we would have tied the knot. And if our parents wouldn't have understood this aspect then I would have revolted against them too because marriage is a lifetime thing, not a game where you want to just think about the glamour and stuff it brings. The real deal is after you have to live with an altogether different individual."
"And life is no tv show that because you start living with someone in a room, you will fall in love with them through those OTT romance techniques."
Raisha burst out laughing when he brought the Indian shows example here. Only she knew how much he despised them like hell. Everytime, they are changing channel and if he saw any glimpse of an idiotic husband screaming at his wife, he would cover his ears and close his eyes mumbling curses at the makers.
"Then I am definitely lucky to fall in love with you before marriage, Mr. Khandelwal." She pulled him through his collar and he smirked seeing the mischievous glint in her eyes that was capable of lighting his entire world.
"By the way, I hope we are going to be the first pair to enjoy the boat ride."
"Absolutely Hubby. We open the lake next week and the inauguration would be done by my all amazing A's and after that you and I are supposed to roam around the lake." She replied and he hugged her tightly; parting he kissed her forehead.
"You know if I wouldn't have met you then I would have never married. I already told my parents that there is no one who would accept me after knowing my past but see my fate, you changed the entire history."
She said revealing him her unsaid decision of the past that she never brought up after becoming his wife because it was of no use.
He loved her for who she was and who she became, this the conversation wasn't needed but now that they were having this talk, she felt like revealing him her past thoughts too.
"I would have come for you, Raisha because when I met you again, I was going through my self realization already that a part of me was lost with you and I had to find it out, no matter what."
He replied looking straight in her green eyes and her heartbeat escalated the same way like it did years ago when he confessed his love to her.
"I redecorated the house. You wanna see now?" She asked seeing him getting lost in her eyes again.
"Well, it depends for how long someone has kidnapped me?"
Blowing air on his face, she mumbled, "Well then you are under my security for the night, Mr. Husband."
She winked at him, and he laughed enjoying her teasing mode.
And for the several hours of the night, they sat like two hidden birds on the tree, celebrating his most adventurous birthday ever with the shining stars and blowing breeze, and the silent fairies who showered their blessings of love on them.
Because when Mr. And Mrs. Khandelwal are together, then only the flower of live blossoms in the valley.
P.S. His birthday is on 5th July, but since I won't have time then, so posting it as an advance gift. Those who want to read Raisha's birthday, then you can read that on the one shot book. Let me know your views and love on this. Aren't they beautiful as ever with their realism and love? Did you liked Raisha's surprise for him?