204. OS 10: An Unexpected Visitor (Part 12)

Link to my new short story: Taking Care of You


“I thought I was dreaming when I first saw you," he said.

 “How did you know it was me?” she asked. “I could have been anybody. A thief even.”

He smiled wearily. “I don’t know many thieves who would look at me with anxious eyes and then cry because I was sick,” he mumbled.

Is it possible for love to bloom, sight unseen? Juhi and Abhay are strangers who know each other better than they know themselves. One night changes the equation and the even tenor of their lives and puts all their doubts and fears to rest.

http://pothi.com/pothi/book/ebook-smita-ramachandran-taking-care-you

Link to my first e-novel; A Home for Meenakshi

http://pothi.com/pothi/book/ebook-smita-ramachandran-home-meenakshi

"I love the way you love, Meenu," he whispered, his eyes on hers. "Such loyalty, such passion..."

Meenakshi Sharma, an orphan, lives in Varanasi with her uncle, a chronic bachelor who wants her to become a professional musician. She unwillingly relocates to Delhi to study under a renowned musician for eight months. Staying for rent in the outhouse of the Agrawals, she meets Aditya Agrawal, an attractive young man brooding over the memories of his horrendous past. Pulled between her uncle's expectations of her and Aditya's love for her, Meenakshi struggles with her feelings. How can she disappoint her uncle who had devoted his entire life to her upbringing? How can she pretend to be blind to Aditya's feelings for her? A romance that moves between the alleys of the holy city of Varanasi and the modern city of Delhi.

A blog for my VMs:

http://smitarsvms.blogspot.in/

Part 12

The deep breath was taken in vain.

As soon as Arnav’s lips brushed hers gently, tentatively, the air in her lungs deserted her in a whoosh.

He lifted his head.

She stayed still, her lips parted, her eyes tightly shut, her fists clenched around the fabric of her orange-pink lehenga.

He lowered his face again and sipped at her lips gently.

She shook. Their hearts picked up their beat.

He lifted his head, panting.

“Arnavji,” she whispered softly, seeking him, her eyes still shut.

His tongue tasted her lower lip.

She shuddered. The sweet taste of her almost brought him to his knees.

He covered her lower lip with his lips and sucked on it.

Someone moaned.

Her fingers tightened on his shoulders. He held her by her waist, his fingers sinking into the supple flesh.

He tasted her upper lip. Soon he felt her lips and tongue imitate his, sensed her becoming a participant rather than a passive recipient.

He swallowed hard as her lips sought his and she inexpertly tried to initiate a kiss. She was one quick learner.

His knees shook as he let her explore his mouth as she willed, at her pace, hoping and praying desperately that he wouldn’t collapse on the ground by the time she was done.

Her hands made their way to his nape and his hair, her body resting against his.

He lifted her up and gathered her close, his hands on her bare back revealed by her almost backless choli, feeling her heart galloping against his.

She finally lifted her lips off him, letting an inch between them. Her eyes looked as dazed as his. She was as short of breath as he was.

He released her slowly, setting her on her feet as slowly as possible. Their eyes were still locked, their hands were still on each other.

A rocket burst in the sky, scattering stars in various colours across the night sky. It was followed by other rockets, fired by boys in the neighbourhood. The dark sky looked a picture with multi-hued stars studded across it.

Arnav and Khushi stared at each other in silence. Her lips were red and her face was flushed. The pulse in her throat throbbed and her chest rose and fell rapidly.

His phone rang.

Arnav fumbled while extracting it from his pocket. Neither his hands nor his voice was steady as he answered it.

“Arnav bitwaa, peoples are asking bhere you and your raajkumari are. Neeche aa jao, you love-birds,” Mami said.

“I will...I mean, we will,” he replied.

“Hamri bahuriyya ijj alright, isn’t she?” Mami asked.

“Yes, yes,” Arnav replied.

“Your pool is alright, Arnav bitwaa?” Mami asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Your plants?”

“Yes,” he said. But he couldn’t say the same about himself.

He promised Mami to be down immediately and pushed the phone into his pocket. He looked at Khushi who was still staring at him in silence.

“We have to go down,” he said huskily.

She nodded.

“Khushi, tum theek ho?’ he asked softly.

She shook her head in the negative.

He paled.

“Khushi, kya hua? Are you feeling tired? Sick? Do you want a glass of water? Juice? Food?” he asked, frantic with worry.

“No,” she said softly.

He took hold of her shoulders gently. “What do you want, Khushi?” he asked, worried out of his skull.

“A hug,” she replied, sliding into his arms as though she had been doing it for years.

He stood pole-axed.

She had her arms around his waist. Her body was lying fully against him and her head was in the crook of his neck.

He swallowed hard. “Khushi,” he whispered.

“I never knew,” she whispered.

He waited.

“That getting married could be such fun,” she murmured as she burrowed into him and tightened her arms around him, a smile on her face.

Arnav looked at her face and then at the sky lit by rockets.

He burst out laughing.

Khushi poked him in the ribs. “You are still laughing at me,” she complained.

“No, no, I am not,” he managed to say between guffaws. “Khushi,” he gasped.

“Kya?” she pouted.

“It is going to be more fun,” he promised against her lips.