It was almost half past eleven by the time they returned
home after having dinner in one of the seven star restaurants, which to Meera's
surprise belongs to her husband's chain of restaurants.
Vivaansh parked the car in the driveway and looked sideways
to see Meera sleeping facing him. He saw her trying to snuggle into the seat
with her knees cuddled near her chest and her open hairs were now falling and
covering half of her face.
At this moment Meera looked no less than a baby to Vivaansh,
making him smile at her unconsciously. He turned in his seat facing her and
kept glancing at the sleeping beauty in front of him.
A knock on Vivaansh's side of window after few minutes,
broke his trance, and he immediately glanced at the other side to see the guard
standing there waiting for Vivaansh and Meera to step out of the car so that he
can park the car in the garage.
Vivaansh asked the guard to come after five minutes and once
he went away, Vivaansh turned around before calling for Meera trying to wake
her up but the later one was too much into sleep to even move an inch. Trying
to get more into the seat, Meera murmured something in irritation with frowns
covering her forehead, and Vivaansh leaned close to her to hear what she was
muttering but could not hear anything clearly.
Chuckling at his baby-like-wife, Vivaansh nod his head in
disbelief before getting out of the car and then coming towards Meera's side of
seat. He opened her side of door and unbuckled the seat belt tied around her,
then kept her dupatta properly in her lap, and slowly carried her in his arms
in a bridal style. A small smile made its way on his lips when he saw Meera now
trying to snuggle in his warm hold, her arms wounding around his neck
unconsciously and she adjusting her head perfectly on his heart.
Entering the mansion, Vivaansh saw Venisa, Meera's personal
hand maiden, hurriedly coming towards them but Vivaansh immediately nodded his
head in no, asking her not to say a word to avoid disturbing Meera's sleep.
Venisa silently bobbed her head and Vivaansh in hush tone asked her to follow
them to their room. He then climbed the stairs to his wing with Meera in his
arms and Venisa following them, unknown of those pair of eyes watching him from
other the other wing.
.
.
.
.
.
Entering their room, Vivaansh carefully laid Meera on their
bed and adjust her head properly on pillow, before turning towards Venisa and
instructing her, "I am waiting outside. You help her to change into something
comfortable."
Venisa nodded in affirmation and Vivaansh was about to exit
the room, however he turned around and warned Venisa saying, "Make sure to
not to disturb her sleep."
.
.
.
.
.
Few minutes later, Vivaansh who was checking his mails sitting
on sofa in sitting area outside their bedroom, saw Venisa coming out of the
room who informed him that she has changed Meera's clothes.
Vivaansh nodded curtly and asked her to leave but then
stopped her and said, "I hope you know what and how much you are allowed
to speak outside of this room."
Venisa, who understand that Vivaansh is indirectly asking
her to not to let a word out about she helping him to change Meera's clothes,
immediately nodded in affirmation and Vivaansh asked her leave.
.
.
.
.
.
Changing into something comfortable, Vivaansh came to the
bed and saw Meera was not properly tucked into the blankets. Walking towards
her, he first adjusted her head on the pillow and then covered her perfectly
with the blanket.
He was about to go to his side but something in him stopped
him and he slowly crouched on ground beside Meera, and glanced at her beautiful
face. He sat there racking his eyes on her pretty face drinking in her beauty.
Vivaansh smiled when he felt Meera scrunching her face in
irritation because her loose hair strands were falling on her face and was
disturbing her sleep. Slowly he raised his hand and tuck those hairs behind her
ears. His moments were very light to make sure that he does not disturb Meera
in her sleep. And his smile widen when he saw those frowns on her forehead
were now fading slowly with his one action.
He felt happy that he was bringing comfort to her.
He then slowly and carefully to not to put any of his weight
on her, craned his head a little up, and lightly peck her on her forehead.
Their first forehead kiss!
Glancing at her calm face once again, Vivaansh then walked
towards his side of bed and laid down there. However a minute later, he
remembered something and he got up and took some pillows from the couch before
placing them correctly between him and Meera on bed making a wall of pillows.
Meera turned in sleep and slept sideways facing him, and
Vivaansh laid down looking at her face shinning under the faded moonlight
coming from the balcony, He had his one hand folded under his head, and he
raised his other hand to hold her hand which was kept on one of the pillows
between them, however, he stopped remembering how she was uncomfortable with
his touch last night. Pressing his lips into a thin line, he withdraw his hand
but did not stop staring at her serene face which was shining bright, until
sleep consumed him.
~~~~~~~~
Waking up to the sharp sunrays falling on her face and
disturbing her sleep, Meera glanced around with frowns finding herself in their
bedroom instead of Vivaansh's car. She then looked at herself and her eyes
widen looking at her clothes now changed into her night wear.
She jumped with scare when she heard a knock and then saw
the door knob twist as Vivaansh entered the bedroom in a black trackpants
paired with a black jacket. May be he was returning after his morning exercise.
"Good morning.", Vivaansh's voice bought her out
of her thoughts and Meera immediately looked away trying to hide the red hue
covering her cheeks after realising that she was unknowingly staring at him.
"Meera?", Vivaansh frowned when he did not get any
reply from her side and saw her instead looking away from him.
"Go--good morning.", Meera whispered without
looking at him, however peeking at him fron behind the curtains of her lashes.
"Get ready. We will go downstairs together for
breakfast.", Vivaansh said and was about to go towards his walk-in-closet
when he heard her calling out for him meekly, "Listen.”
Turning around he raised his brows asking her 'what' and
Meera slowly stepped out of the bed and walked towards him until she was
standing in front of him, and kept fiddling with her fingers not knowing how to
ask him.
However, understanding her dilemma, Vivaansh himself
answered her unasked questions, "By the time we returned home, you were
fast asleep. I tried waking you up but you were in deep sleep. So, I carried
you here to our room."
Meera looked at him and then slowly nodded her head in
understanding. However, she wanted to ask something more and again
comprehending her quandary, Vivaansh said further, "The dress you were
wearing would have been a bit uncomfortable for you to sleep in. So I asked
Venisa to get your clothes changed into something simple and comfortable."
And Vivaansh went towards the stairs leading to his
walk-in-closet, while Meera kept staring at his retreating figure with so many
thoughts in back of her mind.
She was surprised looking at how he understood her inner
thoughts and dilemma even without her voicing them out for him, and then, when
he explained about how he was concerned about her discomfort in that heavy
dress last night and how he respect her privacy and instead asked Venisa to
help her change, she felt respect for him growing deep inside her heart.
~~~~~
Coming out of the walk-in-closet, Vivaansh saw Meera all
ready in a simple yet beautiful royal blue colored buttoned Kurta (top) paired
with high-end ankle-length pants and a netted dupatta pinned one-sided on her
right shoulder.
Meera, who was sitting on the lounge sofa staring out of the
window, turned her face to look at Vivaansh when she heard the door of his
walk-in-closet opening and saw him coming up from the stairs while trying to
wear the wrist cuffs.
Meera saw the expression of irritation on Vivaansh's face
when he failed to close those cufflinks and she contemplated for a moment
before walking towards him and asked, "Should I help you?"
Vivaansh glanced at her and without a word, forward his hand
towards her and Meera slowly helped him to button the cufflink. Checking upon
her work one last time, Meera was about to step away from him when Vivaansh
immediately forward his tie towards her and Meera looked at him to which
Vivaansh replied, "I thought you can help me with this as well."
Pressing her lips into a thin line and trying hard to stop
that smile threatening to form on her lips, Meera took the tie from his hands
and slowly raised her hand to make him wear his tie, but the difference in
their height was performing as a barrier and she innocently looked up at him
who looked back into her eyes before ducking his head a little down to help her
reach his neck, and Meera's breath hitched sensing his face too close to hers'.
Realising her discomfort, Vivaansh was about to move his head back but Meera
was fast enough to wrap the tie around his neck, stopping him from moving away,
and then slowly she made him wear his tie. All this while, Vivaansh's eyes were
only on his wife who was struggling hard to control her raging breath and rapid
heartbeats.
Whispering a 'thank you', Vivaansh went towards the sofa and
start wearing his shoes while Meera kept looking at him and then asked, "Are
you going office?”
"Yes, I am having a meeting but I will be back by
eleven. After that we can go visit your parents. You get ready by the time I
return.", Vivaansh informed getting up and neaten his clothes while Meera
simply nodded in understanding.
"Can we go?", Vivaansh asked and saw Meera
hurriedly walking towards the side table instead saying, "Wait."
He smiled looking at her coming towards him with vermilion
box in her hand and he took a pinch of vermillion from it when Meera forward
the box towards him, before he filled it in the partition of her forehead. He
saw Meera closing her eyes the exact moment when he applied vermilion, and then
the way calmness spread on her face made his smile widen.
And he realised that he does not need words to understand
her. He can understand her even without the exchange of words between them.
~~~~~~~~
Sheetal glanced at the wall clock which showed ten past
eight and Vivaansh was still not on the dining table for breakfast. This was
the first time that Vivaansh was late for breakfast otherwise he would always
be here five minutes before eight. He was punctual and disciplined about time
and everyone was well aware of this fact.
She was about to ask Layla to go and check on him when they
saw Vivaansh descending the stairs with Meera beside him. They looked so
beautiful when they walk side by side with each other.
"Badi maa, what a surprise.", Vivaansh exclaimed
as soon as he saw Sheetal and hugged her while Meera simply stood beside him.
"Badi maa, meet her. Meera, my wife.", Vivaansh
said smiling at Meera who smiled back at him lightly and Sheetal could easily
guess that Vivaansh had something in his eyes for Meera.
"I know. I already met her yesterday.", Sheetal
said passing a small smile to Meera and Vivaansh looked at Sheetal frowning as
he asked, "You came back yesterday? Then why don't I know about
this?"
Sheetal glanced at Meera before looking back at Vivaansh as
she smiled and said, "May be you were too busy to take your wife out, to
notice that your badi maa is back in the house."
Meera frowned as she got uncomfortable with the way Sheetal
said those words, while Vivaansh was too happy meeting his Badi maa after days,
to notice something odd in her tone.
"Meera, beta come and sit with Vivaansh.", Tejaswi
saw her still standing at the same place, called her getting her out of her
thoughts and Meera saw Vivaansh already sitting beside Sheetal and talking
happily with her.
"Don't take her words to heart, dear. She did not mean
the other way.", Tejaswi knowing that Sheetal's words made Meera
uncomfortable, tried comforting her. Sheetal was same with Tejaswi as well in
the starting days of her marriage, but after few years she was accustomed to
her way of speaking.
Meera simply looked at her mother-in-law and smiled saying,
"I didn’t mind."
"Vivaansh, where are you going?", Tejaswi asked
frowning looking at Vivaansh wearing formals and Vivaansh had a sip of juice
before replying, "I am going office, Mom. I am having a meeting to
attend."
" But today you had to take Meera to her house.",
Tejaswi reminded him gesturing towards Meera and Vivaansh nodded answering,
"Yes, I will be back before eleven. After that I will take her to visit
her parents."
Tejaswi got a call and she excused herself, and Meera
glanced at Vivaansh who was busy having his breakfast while discussing about
something with Sheetal. And suddenly she felt lonely as she kept playing with
the food in her plate.
~~~~~~~~
"This boy! It's eleven o'clock and still he hasn't
come. Meera has to be taken to her house too.", Tejaswi said glancing at
the wall clock as she and Sheetal were sitting in the living room having some
fruits.
Sheetal frowned looking up at Tejaswi and said, " He is
not passing the time there, Tejaswi. If he had a meeting, it might have got
extended."
"But didi, they just got married. This house and
everything is new for Meera as well. What is the use of doing so much business
and work --", Tejaswi tried saying but Sheetal intervened saying, " Everyone
gets married. But because of this, he can not neglect such a big business."
Sheetal then glanced at the stairs from where Meera was
coming down wearing a beautiful saree, and Sheetal said further, " And
anyway, Vivaansh has done this marriage only for his business. This is not
called marriage, it is called business deal."
Meera who heard this, halt in her steps and kept stared at
Sheetal who was also glaring back at her. But then Meera's gaze averted to look
at Vivaansh who just entered the mansion with some bags in his hands.
Sheetal smiled thinking that Vivaansh will come to her like
always and will tell her everything about how the meeting was and whether he
bagged the deal or not, but to Tejaswi and Sheetal's surprise, Vivaansh
immediately went towards Meera.
"I am sorry, I was stuck in the traffic. I'll quickly
get change and then we can leave for your home.", Vivaansh said and then
said, "Oh, this are some gifts for your family. Check if you need to buy
something else and we can get it while on the way."
Vivaansh said hurriedly handing the bags to Meera before
rushing up towards their bedroom and Sheetal frowned looking at Meera and those
bags in her hand.
~~~~~~~~
Vivaansh walked out of the mansion and saw Meera standing
near his fortuner car, but halt in his steps and glanced at her up and down.
She was wearing a beautiful cream pink colored organza saree with mirror work
done on its border and paired with chuda (bangles), mangalsutra (nuptial chain),
traditional oxidized jewelry and a silver colored belly heels.
Vivaansh slowly walked towards her before smiling lightly at
her as he complimenting her, "You are looking beautiful."
Meera pressed her lips into a thin line to stop that blush
threatening to creep all over her face and neck as she glanced back at Vivaansh
and tuck her hairs behind her ears while whispering a low 'thank you.'
Since yesterday, Vivaansh had not leave any chance to praise
Meera's beauty, and unknowingly the later one was liking this.
"Shall we go?", Vivaansh asked opening the door of
the passenger seat and Meera smiled at him before sitting inside the car and
Vivaansh did not forget to check her comfort before closing the door.
"You checked everything, right? You want to buy
something else for your family?", Vivaansh asked as they hit the road and
Meera looked at him and nodded in no.
Vivaansh had his eyes focused on driving whereas Meera had
her eyes on him. She did not even realised that she was staring at him since
last few minutes. And this was the first time she was looking at him with so
much focus. As if she was trying to imprint his facial features in her eyes.
"If you will keep staring at me like that, how will I
concentrate on driving!?", Vivaansh said without looking at her and
Meera's eyes widen before she immediately looked away the other side out of the
window.
Vivaansh glanced at her and smiled looking at her flushed
face before turning his eyes back on the road. Rest of the drive was spent in
silence and today surprisingly this silence between them was a comfortable one.
.
.
.
.
.
Vivaansh slow down the car in front of her house and saw
Meera was about to get out of the it even before he can park the car properly,
and he immediately held her hand stopping her moments as he first focused on
parking the car properly and then turned towards her saying, "Do you
realise that it could have been risky if you get out of the car like this when
I haven't even parked the car properly!? Never try to get out of the running
car, ok?"
Meera looked at him with innocent frowns but then nodded
hurriedly in understanding as she was in hurry to go and meet her family and
then asked in urgency, "Can I go now?"
Vivaansh nodded his head in disbelief but the said,
"Go.", and Meera glanced down at his hand which was still holding
hers, and Vivaansh followed her gaze before immediately withdrawing his hand
and asked her to go while he will get gifts from the rear seat.
Vivaansh entered the house to see Meera hugging her mother,
and then he walked towards Virat before bending a little to take his blessings
and then he took blessings from Radhika as well.
"Vivaansh, dear, Come and sit inside.", Radhika
said gesturing him to sit and Vivaansh passed her a small smile before sitting
with Virat and Meera followed her mother in the kitchen.
Vivaansh was discussing about business with Virat when he
saw his wife coming out of the kitchen with a tray in her hand and saw her
looking down due to his gaze on her.
Meera gave him a glass of drink which was made of crushed
rose petals and milk and also served him with some sweets and snacks. Vivaansh
frowned when he saw even Meera's parents having this drink except Meera and
immediately asked her, "Why are you not drinking it?"
"I am not feeling to have one right now.", Meera
replied softly and he nodded before turning back to chat with Radhika and
Virat.
However, after few minutes Vivaansh turned towards Meera and
hand over his half-drank glass to her saying 'he is full and cannot drink
more', but Meera when saw in his eyes felt as if he was indirectly asking her
to finish the rest of the Juice. She looked at him with wide eyes before
turning her eyes to glance at her parents who were busy talking among themselves,
and then she took the glass from his hand and slowly sipped on the drink,
trying to hide her red face behind the curtains of her long hairs.
They talked for a while more and the elder Maheshwari couple
find Vivaansh a perfect blend of gentle yet a very straight forward guy. They
also had a lavish Rajasthani lunch, which Vivaansh genuinely loved to have.
"Meera, take Vivaansh to your room and both of you take
rest for a while.", Radhika suggested after few minutes and Meera nodded
before gesturing Vivaansh to follow her to her room.
.
.
.
.
.
Vivaansh entered behind Meera and found the room to be
comparatively smaller than their bedroom yet it was warm and beautiful. He
looked around and his eyes stopped looking at different photo frames hanged
above a huge double bed.
He looked at each and every picture in the frames and
realised them all to be Meera's pictures from her childhood till before their
marriage.
"You were always this beautiful.", Vivaansh
whispered still staring at the photos and Meera turned around to look at him
with frowns, however, after following his gaze she understood what he said.
"You look so beautiful in this pictures.",
Vivaansh said and then turned his eyes to look deep into her eyes who was
already gazing back into his, as he continued, "But you look more
beautiful in real."
Meera took a sharp breath as she was tired of blushing all
the time since the morning. Vivaansh without even touching her, was stirring
butterflies in her stomach and Meera was not able to control that tickling
feeling inside her everytime he compliments her.
"You get fresh.", Meera said trying to control her
shaking voice and Vivaansh smiled realizing how much just his few words effect
her. He was happy being the reason of bringing that blush on her face now and
then.
.
.
.
.
.
Meera came out of the washroom after getting fresh and was
going towards the balcony to hang the wet towel, but stopped when she heard
Vivaansh talking with the pair of parrots in the cage hanged in her balcony.
Vivaansh, feeling a constant gaze on himself looked behind
the cage to see Meera staring at him from distance. And his ears turned a
little pink looking at her staring him constantly.
Slowly walking towards him, Meera stood beside him before
turning her gaze towards the parrots and said, "This is rio, male parrot. And
this is Seher. It is a female parrot."
"Who named them?", Vivaansh asked but did not
required a reply to his answer when he saw a proud smile of Meera's face.
"Why didn't you bring them with you at Malhotra
house?", Vivaansh asked after a minute looking at her and Meera said
looking up at him, "Maa said that what if you don't like the idea of
keeping them in the balcony of your bedroom. So, she asked me to let them stay
here and mom will take care of them."
Vivaansh frowned at her and then leaned back taking support
of the railing behind before he slowly forward both his hands in front of her,
and Meera though a bit reluctantly, but gave her hands in his', and Vivaansh
started drawing slow patterns at the back of her palm as he explained her
calmly, "First of all, that room is not only mine. It is ours. And since
it belongs to both of 'Us', I would never mind you doing any changes in that
room. You equally own that room and you can bring whatever you like with you in
that room, until and unless it is something which I don't like or I am
uncomfortable with."
Meera frowned not understanding his last words and Vivaansh
immediately cleared her confusion saying, "For example, I am allergic to
sunflowers and peony flowers. So, you cannot bring them to our room. And
likewise I will also take care before getting something to our room to not to
make you uncomfortable, hmm?"
Meera glanced at him and smiled before nodding as she said,
"I also like roses. Can I grow them in our balcony?"
Vivaansh smiled at how she was taking permission from him
like a small child, and he immediately nodded replying, "Off course, you
can."
"And I am allergic to white lily flowers.", Meera
informed further and Vivaansh chuckled before saying, "Noted down, ma'am.
Anything else?"
Meera smiled before nodding her head in no and they kept
standing there, their hands entwined beautifully into each other's, and their
eyes staring deep into the other one's, trying to reach deep into each other's
soul.
