"Coco, please come to the bed baby...mommy is too tired to shout today.. please understand." I said to my little devil who was running all around the house, finding out new ways to irritate the shit out of me.
"Catch me mommy" came her teasing reply, as she stuck her tongue at me and vanished behind the couch.
"Fine. Don't come. I am switching off the lights already... now if ghost uncle comes to take you away, be better prepared to save yourself!"
And I worked as I said. The countdown started after that- 1..2...3....
"Moooooommy!!!!"
Hardly a minute had passed inbetween when a frightened Coco came running to the bed and ducked herself under the duvet, snuggling the closest to me as possible. Meant that my new plan had actually worked out!
Great job, Nitara. I reminded myself with a virtual pat on my shoulders.
"Err..someone was saying that she wasn't going to come to the bed, isn't it?" I asked animatedly, pretending innocense, looking here and here.
Coco looked up at me as I said this. Being pitch dark throughout, she couldn't read my face but she was pretty intelligent to decipher the catch in my tone and murmured against my tummy in a low voice as soon as the sweet realisation dawned upon her.
"Sorry mommy."
"You should be.. you are taking me too lightly these days!!"
In reply, she hugged me even tighter and burried her cute, little face in tummy. She stayed in that position for some time until I clasped her feather light body and brought her on top of me.
"Sleep." I kissed her hairs and ranked my fingers through them.
"Mommy.. story??" She looked up at me again.
"You want ghost uncle to report earlier?"
"Nooo....sorry sorry sorry.."
This time, she burried her face in my chest and finally dozzed off to sleep within the next ten minutes.
I breathed in a sigh of relief after that.
Coco was asleep, meant that I was free for the next eight hours... to be with myself, to do something creative or to spend some time thinking about those stuffs that gave me nothing but pain. You can still ask why I chose this third option. Well, in that case my answer will be- nuturing old memories deliberately causes less guilt than drowing in them subconciously...in unfavourable situations... infront of unwanted people...!
Is Dev really unwanted? Immediately, mind threw the bouncer of a question and gawked at me for the answer. She laughed thereafter when she caught my tongue-tied.
And well, she had already seen me contradicting my own words.
Was Dev unwanted? No. Never. He could be anything else but unwanted. He was the most important part of my life afterall! If not as dream, then as a nightmare for sure. But he was there, always there..existing in each and every crevise of my brain, reminding me of himself like the mandatory sunrise and sunset... like the ticking of a clock or the beating of a heart..... or maybe like my own survival.
He was there... always there!
Just becoz he was not unwanted..... I wanted him. Needed him. Craved for him and prayed for him.. Loathed him at the same time as well. And he deserved each bit of that hatred...by all possible means!!
2 years ago:
"What do you mean by her father came to pick her up? Don't you know that her father doesn't live in this city to pick her or me or anyone else for that matter??" I bursted on the gate keeper of my daughter's school when he informed that coco had gone home with her 'father'!
"But madamji, that sir said that he is Nirvana Bose's father!" gate keeper, Murari Singh, further argued.
"And you believed in his words? How reckless of you Murari!!!" I shouted the triple.
"Even Nirvana baby confirmed the same..."
"Nirvana? She is only in the nursery class and you are listening to her confirmations? You seriously need a lesson, Murari. Its high time I should talk with the principal... You have just crossed all the limits!!"
"Arey madamji..please listen to me first.." afraid of the principal, Murari started begging now.
"There is nothing to listen anymore! Its already too late...so just move aside.. let me go in."
God knew where and with whom my baby was. For now, I just hoped she was safe...atleast till the time I discussed the matter with the principal and reported a quick complaint to the police.
"Madamji... he said his name is Dev Bose and thats why.."
Wait. What? Dev Bose??
"Yes, that is my husband's name. And if anybody else comes up with that name, you would simply believe him, isn't it?" I rolled my eyes, showering him with all the fire I had stored in them.
"Madamji... I know it was my fault. But please, have a look at your home first.. who knows if your husband is really there in city?!"
Is it possible? Can Dev be really here in Mumbai??
"You want to waste more of my time?" I gritted my teeth in anger.
"No madam. I just want you to get back your baby.. as fast as possible." Murari replied helplessly.
"Just pray for that Murari...else you'll be in deep, deep trouble." I threatened him for the last time and went to my car to drive back to my home at the speed of wind if I could possibly manage that.
**
Some thirty minutes later I was finally there in my building, limping on the stair case (all thanks to the broken elevator) and cursing myself for being so late that some random man took away my baby from school, that too under the pretext of being her father!
How ridiculous!!
But what if that man isn't Dev? What will I do then? Where will I search my baby? Oh god, please help me...please.. be with my daughter atleast. She needs you, god... and so do I.
I continued murmuring as I pressed the calling bell for the nth time in just one minute.
"Nitara!" Ma opened the door. There was a happy glee on her face till now, but upon seeing my face all that happiness got evaporated away.
Am I looking that pale? Horrible? Scary?? Well, who cares!
"Ma.... has Dev come here? Do you know anything about him??" I shot my immediate question.
"Beta just come inside.." she was saying something but I didn't let her finish. All I wanted was an answer in 'yes' or 'no'. Any other explanation or divertion from my question was getting too much for me to bear.
"You are not getting it Ma! Coco is missing.. and the gate keeper of that school told that Dev was there to pick her up... you say now, Dev is not here right? Then how can he pick up my daughter? .... I was just a little late.. okay, was only half an hour late and that Murari.. he handed my baby to a kidnapper.. to a rogue... and now he is saying that he had handed my baby to her father. But I know right that it us not possible? I'm telling you Ma, that Murari is playing games on me and I swear I won't leave him. I'll go to the police. I'll complain against him and I'll........."
-"Tara?"
Just one word, a voice to be precise and my endless rants came to a permanent pause.
"Dev?"
My throat dried up as I uttered the name. Soon enough, all my senses abandoned me as well.
-"Yes, its me...Have you forgotten me in this one year haan?" He asked as he strode towards the door, dressed in a ripped jeans and loose vest, his hairs being messed up and a teasing smirk playing on his lips. "What? Why did you go speechless? And what is it with the elevator btw? It doesn't work! Like seriously!!"
Its just an elevator bruh, a damn piece of machinery. It hasn't got any lifetime working guaranty for god's sake!
Wait. Where the hell is my voice? Why isn't it coming out??
-"Did you just pause your mute button? Becoz few minutes ago I saw you cribbing non-stop and then when I'm asking you something..."
I was cribbing? I... oh, yes. MY BABY!!!
"You MORON! You picked up my daughter from her school and didn't even care to inform me? You wanted to scare the shits out of me? Then congratulations Mr. Dev Bose, you have successfully succeeded with this new stunt of yours! Only that I was spared from a cardiac arrest this time!!"
I spat the words right at his face as my index finger got dug in his cheesled chest unmindfully.
And that jerk, he looked at the finger once and then looked at me, into my eyes and flashed a shameless grin.
-"I didn't intend to scare you." He said. "..but you too should have been on time. Making your daughter wait for half an hour after the school ends, is real bad manners Tara!"
Fuck you!!
"Why the hell are you here?"
-"Becoz it is my daughter's birthday?" He shrugged nonchalantly.
"So what? Why are you HERE? IN MY APARTMENT???"
-"Why? Is there any court notice that I can't come to meet my wife or my baby??"
"I wish there was one. I wouldn't have had to tolerate your shits then!" I said and pushed him aside to move in.
Once inside, my jaws fell apart in two pieces.
There was a huge mess of ribbons and confetties lying on the dining table. Some balloons had been inflated and were rolling on the floor. The rest of them were flat and scattered all over the couch. There were small boques of fat, pink roses too, all lying here and there. Jars of candies, cookies, chocolates, confectionaries laid amongst this mess, accompanied by foam and sprinkler sprays. Altogether, my house looked more like an after-party wrap up than a preparatory one!
"Now what nonsense is this Dev?" I asked with my jaws still hanging as it is.
-"Woh.. I arranged for a small party. Only Nirvana's classmates have been invited..." He replied from the back before declaring- "Help me out now."
"Did you take my permission before doing all these?"
-"What do I need a permission for? Its just a birthday party Tara and had I not made these arrangements, you would have done it for sure...isn't it? He shrugged his shoulders and gave a look as if nothing is wrong. As if no one can make a different plan other than celebrating a gala party at home!
Ridiculous!!
"No. I wasn't going to make these arrangements. Becoz I always had some other plans. I wanted to take Coco on a trip to the sea... I wanted to take her to Madh Islands!"
He remained standing there for a while. Absorbed my words, gave them a thought, nodded his head and finally spoke
-"Never mind, we can go there after the party ends!"
"NO WAY." I replied, sorry- 'shouted', immediately and even cared to give a honest justification after that- "I've got some important work to do. So please wrap up the party within 8!!"
-"Other important work?" He cocked his brows.
"Yes." Now don't ask me what is that important work. I am not going to answer you.
-"And you are saying it with a 'please'?" He pursed his lips and bobbed his neck up and down. "Must be its really important then.. okay, no worries. The party will be over by 8"
"Thanks" I muttered as a matter of fact and turned to leave.
Only if that was so easy!
-"Thanks? Did you just say that??" Dev poked from the back. Ofcourse, he had found it way too amazing to stop pulling my leg for the next few years of his life.
Exhausted and irritated, I gritted my teeth and stumped my foot on the ground and waved my middle finger at his face. Nevertheless, he found that interesting too and couldn't stop himself from laughing like a maniac.
"Stop laughing, will you?" I shouted from the distance, seriously hoping that he would listen to me. "And what arrangements have you made for dinner?"
"Umm...I have given the orders to a good caterer." Ma answered this time.
Great. Simply great.
"And it was you who gave the numbers of Coco's friend's parents to your son, right?" I raised my eyes and she lowered hers down. Her gesture was the straight answer to my simple question. "Ofcourse, you are his mom first...mine, later!!"
Seriously disappointed, I marched into my room and bolted the door with the loudest bang possible.
Even when out of Dev's sight, his teasing comments and irritating grin never left my mind for a second. I huffed as I failed to throw those garbage out of my head, but then unlucky as I was, I surrendered myself to the bits which had already started playing themselves on the 'repeat' mode by then.
Hell, even my head was working against me and I had to see that with my own eyes! Could the day go any worse? I don't think so!!
"Mommy!" An excited chirp broke my reverie soon.
Brushing aside my thoughts, I looked up.... only to find my baby sitting in the lap of a huge (read- huuuuuuuuge) newly brought, pink teddy bear.
"Mommy, daddy gifted thish." She pointed to the gift, hugging it to her heart with both her hands.
One smile on her lips, an assurance of her safety and my heart just melted into a puddle. All the worries, tensions got drifted apart and a sense of calmness washed me away from head to toe. It felt so peaceful then... so, so, so very peaceful!
"Did you thank daddy?" I asked, knelling beside her.
"Yesh." She replied over joyously. "Mommy... daddy gave me two ish-ceams too!!" She informed next.
Yes, thats how your daddy pampers you!
"And what about me Coco? Didn't you of me think while leaving the school? Didn't you think that I'd be worried for you? .. That I'd be scared for you?"
My little angel had no idea that why her mum would get tensed, worried or scared if her princess left for home with her dad. But whatever it was, she atleast knew that something was not right and the easiest way she chalked out to handle the situation, was to flap her arms around my neck and murmur into my ears-
"I love you mommy."
Aww.. my baby!!!
"I love you more." I hugged her back and couldn't stop myself anymore from breaking into the most awaited tear session. "Just don't go anywhere without informing me... please.. else, mumma would die if she finds you missing next time!!" I blabbed sobbing heavily, tremendously.
The last few words were obviously too heavy for her little brain. Yet, she applied all her understandings and said to me- "I won't leav you mommy.. Coco plomish."
Now what else I was to supposed to do with his cutie pie other than flooding her with the kisses I had in store?
**
Dev had kept his words.
He ensured that the party was over by 8 p.m and as a bonus prize, made Coco sleep early, that too without a single tantrum thrown!
True, he was a real genius when it came to his fatherly habits!
I always wanted to be like him- Lucky and incredibly charming so that there was never any problem in putting my baby to sleep. But see my fate, I couldn't find even one such day when coco slept peacefully, i.e, without making me run after her in the whole damn apartment!
Gosh! Where did she gain those disturbing genes from, I never stopped wandering!!
"Ma... I'm leaving." I shouted from the leaving room. I was finally done thinking and now I was putting my heels on. Had checked Coco thrice by then already, inspite of knowing well that her daddy was there to look after her. Only the last thing left was to inform Ma that I was going to come home late that night and I said it as a matter of fact. Even Ma was reluctant about it and replied-
"Sabdhane jash." (Have a safe journey)
"Hmm...and don't stay awake till midnight. Have your pills and go to the bed straight, okay?"
-"And sleep in princess's room... she is alone there and if she wakes up suddenly she might get scared!" Came the third voice, drawing both our attentions towards itself in a jiffy.
"You? Where the hell are you going??" I shouted again as I found a suited, booted Dev, infront of me.
Not to mention, I had actually taken a good amount of time before reacting this way. Reason? Well, Dev was looking ravisingly handsome to fuck off my senses and I had to fight with my one_track_mind all the way round, just to blab something sensible before him.
-"To your office party?" He said, smirking at me hopelessness.
Okay. He knew that I was loosing it to see him dressed up like this but he still had to pin-point it out! What a jerk!!
"Are you mad? I am not going to take you anywhere!" I snapped aloud. "...And btw, who told you that I'm going to my office party?"
Must be mom. I thought and looked her, rolling my eyes angrily. However, she shook her head in negative and proved me wrong.
-"The way you are dressed up...! Anybody can tell where you are going. Trust me, its really that simple." Dev replied to my question, pointing towards my gown.
The gown I was wearing, was from the finest indo-western collections of AURA. It was long, flowy, royal blue in colour and made of the charmeuse fabric with greyish blue sequin embossed at its upper part. The straps were made of multiple bead chains of the same colour. There was a waist gear too, made of the similar bead chains and accompanied by a large, square piece of decor. The gown remained sticking to the upper part of my body and defined my curves in a new beauty. My hairs were slightly puffed in the front and the rest lay loose over my back, while bound to a hair accessory that linked my gorgeous swarovski crystal danglers together.
(Picture/design courtesy- me)
Well well, Dev was having an equally tough time in dealing with his hormonal upsurge. He might not show it at his face, but the twitching of the muscles near his eyes and the movement of his tongue inside his mouth, told it all.
And honestly saying- It was great to turn his head like this!
"Whatever Dev... Just remember one thing- YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH ME!" I declaired.
-"Stop me if you can." He retorted chukling. Its was more like an open challenge.
"What do you mean?"
What he really meant, I understood that in the very next minute when he bent down a little and scooped me in his arms, holding me up so high above the ground that I found no option other than clutching his collar and shouting right into his ears-
"What the fuck are you doing?"
-"Not leaving you alone tonight." He ended with a wink as he walked out of the door and reached for the elevator.
Oh, I forgot to mention but the elevator had started working then!
**
Dev was a real, certified moron!!
Not only did he hijak my car but grabbed my driver seat too and drove me upto the destination- all without my permission.
Forget permission, he literally blackmailed me to spill out the venue and the purpose of this party- by driving rashly on the highways, that too without a driving license of his own!!!
Well, the purpose was simple. AURA had just launched its new fusion collection and it became a grand hit with the 'saree-lahenga' apparel grabbing local as well as over-sea markets. Not to mention, but that design and concept was made by me and thats why team AURA decided to nominate me as the face of this success party.
So as you can see, the purpose of the party was not so big. But Dev still had to know everything. Not that he congratulated me or something, he seemed least bothered about my achievement and just nodded his head, commenting like a wise, old man-
"Hmm......"
Like seriously!
**
When we reached the venue, it was already past nine and the party was on with full bling.
An eye dazzling flash of lights welcomed us as we stepped in and so did the rest of the people in there, i.e, my colleagues, people from the other departments, clients, investors, bankers, advertisement partners, business partners, departmental head, managing head, regular staff and last but not the least- our CEO sir.
It was a proud moment. Atleast for me, it was. And as for Dev, he was one of the finest actors of all the times. Throughout the party he remained praising me infront of those people who came to congratulate me. He even kept me close to him by tucking his arm around my waist. In some additional cases, his eyes remained bored into mine and he pretended as if he could see nothing else in this world which is 'beyond' his wife.
Each time he did an act, each time I wondered why this person wasn't there in hollywood. He was so eligible for the oscar afterall!
But then there was another side of this story too. A part of me was hating Dev for all his fakeness, while in the mean time, the other part was enjoying his attention. His overflowing love, care, claim on my waist, eye locks and possessive stares were something to die for. And I have no calms in admitting that I died for a thousand times when I found myself living and breathing in them.
It was all like a dream. The afternoon, the ambience, the people and my companion- filled me with such a zeal that I lost the track of time and dived myself into its greater depths..... up until someone else came to intrude my peaceful solace.
Prayag Mehra.
Prayag was an entrepreneur in the lingere section of AURA and literally owned his department. He was one pervert of a man and probably that was his inspiration of making such grand designs that held the ability of competing against the world famous brands of 'Victoria Secrets' or 'Amante'!
So this super talened Mehra was a late comer in today's party. But once he came, his first gaze fell upon me and he came hopping for what he was secondly well known for- flirting. According to him, flirting was a drug and he was so accustomed to it that he could never leave a chance to flirt with any single lady, especially if she is as beautiful as me. (These are all Prayag's words, not mine.)
Our meeting was also one of a kind. But thats a long story itself and I'm not going into further details. As for our current status- we were good friends. I had found a reliable friend in Prayag and he had found a person in me with whom he could flirt unabashedly. It was okay with me as I always knew that his intensions were not bad. But it was not the same case today. Today, my husband was present in the party and Prayag had no idea of how possessive Dev could get for me.
Yes, it was a fact and a true one indeed that Dev had turned possessive over the years and had crossed Kshitiz if it came to limits!
Coming back to the point, Dev had gone to the loo when Prayag arrived in the party and the first thing he did was to pull me in a bear hug with any previous warning.
I was well aware of this person and his antics. But Dev wasn't. Thus, when he came back to the floor and saw me hugging Prayag, he just lost his mind in a fraction of seconds.
He pushed aside the crowd next and came to me rushing, only to dust away Prayag from my body and pull me in his arms instead.
-"Hey! Don't you dare touch my wife like that!!" He said to Prayag in a threateningly low voice.
"Wife?" Prayag rolled his eyes. "Oh. That means you are the one who threw my Nitzy out of your house?"
What the hell! How did he know that Dev had thrown me out of his house?
"Prayag?"
And now even Dev was glaring at me with murderous looks. Didn't that idiot know already that I wasn't such a person who would broadcast her family issues out to the whole world?!
"Stop scaring her okay?" Prayag probbed in the middle. "She didn't say anything. She is too courteous for that.... and yes, whatever I know about her, is all due to my personal investigation!"
The fuck!
"You were keeping tabs on me?" Astonishment dripped out of my throat.
"Not tabs baby, I was keeping checks on your old records so that they don't disturb your current life!" Prayag replied smiling.
-"Baby?... You bastard, you're calling my wife with these cheesy names and that too right below my nose? How dare you haan?!" Dev spat angrily. His hands had already fisted Prayag's collar by then.
And this calls for war!
"Please leave him Dev...I request you.. please." I begged without wasting another second.
"Why are you mewling infront of him? Don't do that again, I'm telling you Nitzy!!" Prayag hissed as he too grabbed back Dev's collar. "And you, the great Dev Bose, I WILL call your wife with these cheesy nicknames throughout my life. Do whatever you want!"
Oh god! Why did he have to throw this challenge now?
-"Yes. I'll now show what I can do out of you." Dev muttered with a clenched jaw and immediate thing he did next was- placed a tight punch square on Prayag's face, the intensity of which was so high that Prayag landed on the ground directly with the right corner of his lips torn into a bleeding, deep cut.
"Man, you just messed with the wrong person!" Prayag got up caressing his wound with his thumb.
The tip of his finger had been smeared with blood. It made me flinch like I had seen something disgusting. But one thing I knew well that if these two madmen were allowed to stand before each other for two more seconds, then more blood was going to flow and who knew I might have ended up throwing away my gut contents on the floor as well!
-"Acha? So what will you do now? Hit me? Come on then, I am ready." Dev threw the challenge this time.
My eyes immediately shifted upon Prayag. He had folded up his sleeves and his palm was balled into a tight fist, quite ready to smash Dev's face under it.
Shit. Noooooo....
"STOP IT PRAYAG." I shouted vehemently.
"You stay away from this Nitzy." Prayag shouted equally loud.
Or maybe we were just shouting in the normal tone but the silent background behind, made it sound louder!
"No Prayag, I can't let you do this stupidity!" I ran infront of Dev to cover him up.
-"And you can let him hurt me? You hate me so much Tara??" Dev spoke from the back. Since I already know how 'sensible' he was, I didn't even expect anything better from him!
"Shut the fuck up and come with me." I said to him. But as usual, he didn't give a damn.
-"I am not coming anywhere until this matter settles." He replied in a throaty voice.
"Yes, even I need to equalize our scores." Prayag said next.
Damn these two men!
"For god's sake lets go Dev. Its my work place and you've created enough problem already. So just stop now. Please." I said looking at our curious spectators with embarrassment. "And you Prayag, thanks for all your concern but please end it here. Please...I beg you."
"But Nitzy..."
To hell with your scores!
"Goodnight Prayag. Will catch up later.. and yes, I apologize on his behalf." I didn't point out Dev, but everyone present there knew whom was I talking abput and that gave Dev another oppurtunity to pounce into the matter.
-"Why the hell are you apologizing? It was his fault and I was ju.."
"STOP I SAID." Enough is enough. "Come with me." I held his hand and pulled him out for the exit.
**
Dev still didn't handover the possession of my car.
He occupied the pilot seat himself, didn't care to listen to me... not that I argued otherwise, I was too tired for this late night fight and hence, just surrendered my keys to him without a word of defense.
He, too, didn't spare a word from his side and the journey remained drowned in a mundane silence altogether.
**
The silence broke when we reached my bedroom.
Both of us knew that we needed to talk. Both of us also knew that if one opened the mouth then the third world war was not far away.
And so the conversation started on a completely different note..... with me placing a tight punch on Dev's cheek?
-"You punched me?!!!" He exclaimed astonished, trying to feel the heat radiating out of his skin.
"It was from both Prayag and my side." I replied calmly.
-"Prayag? You are still taking hi..."
"He.Is.My.Colleague Dev. And a great friend too... there is nothing else between us... unlike you and Priyanka!" I spoke, measuring each word at a time.
-"Where from Priyanka came inbetween?" He was shocked now. Simply. Or maybe he was faking it again. Afterall he always knew that Priyanka's topic was never an unavoidable one.
"She was always there inbetween." I stated nonchalantly.
-"No she wasn't. Only you are exergerrating!"
"Stop lying Dev!!"
-"You stop covering your mistakes with such irrelevant shits first."
"I don't need that. But yes, you definitely do. Becoz its not me who commits mistakes. Its you. Always."
-"Huh! Look who's talking!!" He chuckled sarcastically. It just made my blood boil more.
"Don't you dare talk to me in that tone!"
-"Else what?" He rolled his eyes questioningly.
"Else...." Else what? Oh, got it. The trick is old but....... I just hope it works. "Else you'd get another punch, hard enough to break your nose." I said pulling him by the collars.
-"Acha? So strong you have became?" He pulled me back by my waist. His iron grip digging into my flesh, immediately started sending weird sensations all over my body.
"LEAVE ME DEV!"
-"Free yourself and you get the chance of punching me!!" He said aginst my earlobe. More sensations rushed down my down body in the moment.
"I said leave me." I reminded him, although my voice was not cooperating with me anymore.
-"Try your best." He commented with an evil smirk.
"You...."
Well, don't think me to be a vampire or something, but I really tried to bite Dev on his neck in the typical Dracularian style.
Ended up kissing his lips instead!
Just becoz he was a little too fast in turning his neck, he knew in what exact position our lips would fuse effortessly!
And so it happened- the 3425166376th kiss of our life, which my heart flutter like hkdhddhshclkhnxar. Totally!!!
We kissed for how long we don't know, but broke apart only when we were in lack of oxygen and our knees were no longer able to wihstand their weakness.
The remedy of which came out to be both of us collapsing on the bed, him on top of me, eyes bored into mine, legs intertwined and hot breathes fanning both our faces.
Gosh, he looked so handsome like that!
"What for are you staring at me?" I said, clearing my throat. He must not know that his effects were breaking me from inside, I reminded this to myself.
-"Leave this job Tara... this place, the people... are not good for you at all." He whispered lazily.
Atleast for once in a blue moon he could have complimented me. But no, its not going to happen in this lifetime.
"I am not listening to you Dev. You know that better."
-"Yeah, I know." He dropped his face to the curve of my neck. "Acha, isn't this tickling you?" He said next while examining the beaded straps of my gown.
"Why do you even care?"
-"I was thinking to remove it." He replied, sliding one strap down my shoulder.
"No need. I can do that myself." I removed his hands and pulled the strap up at its position. "Btw, how did you know what colour I was wearing today?" I indicated towards his blue suit which was colour coordinated with mine.
-"This? Ah... honestly saying, I had no clue when I picked this up for my luggage.... this colour coordination was just another coincidence, I guess." He grinned sheepishly.
Him and his coincidents!
"And why are you here? I mean, I know its your daughter's birthday today but whatever happened last time.. didn't you feel uncomfortable to come to my appartment or to meet me? Didn't you feel strange even for once??"
-"Did you feel strange for talking to me throughout the day?" He questioned me back.
I was going to answer him but something stuck me midway. A small realisation it was. Did I feel strange? No ways. It was all like we went to sleep last night and woke up to a regular, bright morning. As simple as that.
Dev raised his brows asking me about the answer. I just twisted my lips and shrugged my shoulders. He laughed at my response and nodded his head.
-"The same is with me." He blinked his eyes cutely.
"But you threw me out of your house. You should have felt ashamed atleast... and one more thing- if it wasn't Coco's birthday today, or if she wasn't there between us at all, you wouldn't have cared to come to Mumbai. Isn't it Dev?"
In reply, he took a deep breath and looked into my eyes more intensely. His boring gaze scattered away all my equations in the blink of an eye.
-"Sleep." He said after a long time. His husky voice worked as honey to my ears.
"Can I open your shirt?" I retorted back.
What the fuck it is? Why did I say such a thing? Open his shirt! Like seriously!!!
-"You already lost it?" He flashed his evil smirk again.
Ugh! Why am I so messed??
"Didn't you loose it when you saw me in this dress?"
-"I did. But I didn't want to spoil your party that time."
"You decided to spoil my party later?"
-"Its not like that Tara!" He tried to justify.
"Are you letting me open this shirt or not?" I asked threateningly.
"You never need to ask.." he answered caressing my cheek, his fingertips doing all sorts of magic on my skin, sending sweet ripples down my spine.
Damn these sensations!
And damn this cologne!! He knows very well that this cologne drives me crazy, but he still needs to come this close to me when he has applied it!
Uggggh..... damn him! Why does he make me crave for him So Much?!!
-"You can admit that you missed me." He shifted himself slightly so as to help me unbutton him.
"I dint miss you." I chose to lie.
-"Then what made you this desperate?"
"Desperate?" Oh, I again forgot to mention something. I was actually removing Dev's shirt as if I was being a long term sex deprieved woman.
You see, this was not totally wrong. I was really se.. um... intimacy deprieved. But tonight, I just wanted to keep my head on his bare chest and listen to his heartbeat. His heartbeats being my favourite music of all the times.
-"Yeah, the way to you are removin....."
I stopped his upcoming tease by dropping myself over him. The softness of his skin got blended against mine like liquid wax and I found myself drowning in it.
Here, Dev was too surprised to react at first. But few minutes later, he too encircled his arms around me and took in a long breath, smelling over my traces and my feline fragrance.
Now I knew that he missed me too... missed me like crazy.. maybe a hell lot more than me!
-"Isn't the a.c temperature too low?" He asked while drawing me the closest to him.
"Never mind." I muttered and pulled the duvet on top of us. In reply, I received his warm smile.
I smiled at him back and closed my eyes. The night wasn't going to be long anymore... I was feeling sleepy. Finally....after a long, long time.
-"Good night." Dev whispered in my ears over good night kiss.
"You too." I snuggled into him more.
**
Deep down in my mind, I had planned to resolve all my differences with Dev. Deep down in my mind, I had wished to wake up to his good morning kiss. But when morning really happened to me, I recieved a great shock of my life.
Dev was missing from my side.
No, he was not in the washroom or in his daughter's room, playing with her. He was not there with his mom, discussing about how life was going. He was not there in the terrace or the society garden, doing his morning jogs. Neither was he there at the kitchen, making breakfast for me.
He was not there in Mumbai itself!
He had left... early in the morning.. without telling anyone of us.... just left a letter behind him which read-
Hey wifey,
Please don't misunderstand me, but I need to go. Its a big day for Priyanka and I have to be there with her today. My flight is at 5:15 a.m and the cab is already waiting at the gate. I am sorry that I didn't wake you up, but the way you were sleeping so peacefully, you just looked so precious.
When princess wakes up, tell her that daddy had got some urgent work and that he'd would back be soon.
And yes, last night was really very special, Tara. I know we didn't make love yesterday, but the sleep that we shared would remain marked in my mind till forever.
Hope we meet soon Tara, hope we sleep like this once again....
Bye. Take love. Miss your husband.
A large drop of tear rolled down my cheek as I finished the reading. But I wipped it off immediately. Crying for this man was just not done. He didn't deserve my tears at all.
I took a firm breath and crunched the letter in my hands to throw it away into the waste paper bin. That was the best place it could get. Afterall it wasn't just a simple paper. It was a piece of last night's beautiful memories and a piece of this morning's betrayal...Betrayal to a wife for the sake of an illegimate affair. LOL.
You have one more thing to do. Mind probbed from the back.
I knew what was that thing and did it without wasting any more time- grabbed my phone from the side table, opened the message box, typed a text and clicked on the sent option.
The message read-
'Last night was indeed very special. But as you know that too much speciality is toxic for us, lets not increase this toxicity further. What I mean to say is- lets not meet each other again. Trust me, it will help both of us. You'll be spared from giving false promises and I'll be spared from expecting a forever.
P.S- If you are intelligent enough, you'll understand that I don't want to see your face in this lifetime again... not even FOR A SINGLE DAY!'
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Author's note :P
6692 words. This is not only triple the size of a regular update, but is the longest chapter I have written till date. Hope this compensates for my delay.
Secondly, I am a microbiology student and has nothing to do with fashion designing. Yet, I still went for designing the female costumes of this story, one which has been given in the update and the rest will been given once the wedding sequence starts. They are not something grand like the Manish Malhotra or Sabyasachi designs. But atleast they would maintain the originality. Any kind of feedback or criticism regarding them is always welcome, but please don't judge me otherwise.
Last but not the least- the chapter itself... it was a flashback and you understood that already. Next chapters would start displaying the present again. Lots of twists are coming. Although the unfolding of the mysteries will take some more time. Have patience till then. Enjoy your weekend. Happy reading.
~