46. THE FIRST KISS
AAROHI:
The evening sunlight feels different here. Not harsh like Rajasthan afternoons, not cold like Kashmir mornings, but soft, golden, warm in a way that wraps around the skin instead of burning it. I stand on the balcony, slightly leaning against the railing, letting the breeze play with my hair.
Below, the house courtyard is alive with voices, laughter, preparations, footsteps, the house is still busy because of the wedding rituals. But here, in this small space, it feels... quiet. Safe.
I lift my hand and slowly run my fingers through my hair, absent-mindedly caressing it, trying to dry it properly after the shower. The wind makes a few strands fall over my face, and I smile faintly, pushing them back.
I don't know why, but my heart feels light today. Maybe it's the pooja. Maybe it's the way everyone now calls me bhabhi without hesitation. Or maybe it's because of him. I don't realize he is there. Not until I feel something shift behind me. A presence. Not loud. Not heavy. Just... familiar.
I turn my head slightly and see him standing in the hallway, a few steps away from the balcony door. He isn't talking to anyone. He isn't on his phone. He is just standing there. Watching me.
My breath stutters for half a second. Why is he looking at me like that?
Before I can say anything, he starts walking toward me.
Slow steps. Unhurried. My fingers automatically move to my hair.
I gather it together and start tying it into a loose bun, suddenly feeling shy for no reason.
The air changes as he comes closer. It feels thicker. Warmer.
And then. He is right behind me. So close that I can feel the warmth of his body without him even touching me.
His hands move, one on each side of me, resting on the balcony railing.
He has caged me in. Not roughly. Not forcefully.
Just... enclosed. My back brushes against his chest. My heart forgets its rhythm.
"What are you doing?" I whisper, my voice automatically low. He doesn't answer immediately. Instead, he leans slightly closer and says calmly, "Why did you tie your hair?" I blink. "What?" "Why did you tie your hair?" he repeats softly. I swallow. "Just... like that."
He lifts his hand. Before I can react, his fingers reach my hair and gently pull out the clutch I used to tie it. The clip falls into his palm. My hair opens. Free again. And then his fingers slide into it. Slow. Careful. Like he is touching something precious.
My breath catches. "What are you doing..." I whisper again, more nervous this time. "There are so many guests... someone will see." He chuckles quietly, his breath brushing my ear. "So what?" he says. "I'm your husband." That word. Husband.
My cheeks burn. I don't reply. I can't. His fingers keep moving through my hair, softly, almost possessively, like he is exploring something he has just discovered.
My eyelids feel heavy. My body responds before my mind.
"Mom must be calling," I say quickly, trying to escape the feeling. "Please let me go."
He doesn't move. "Mom went out with bua," he replies casually. I panic a little. "Suhana?" He smirks slightly. "Her too." My heart skips. "I should go," I say again, but my voice is weak now.
He lifts one hand and gently caresses the top of my head.
Just one touch. And my entire body reacts.
My eyes close on their own. I don't know why, but warmth spreads through me, from my head to my chest to my stomach.
"Don't do that..." I whisper, my voice trembling.
"It makes me sleepy... when you do that. "
He pauses. Then leans closer. "Really?" he murmurs near my ear. Before he can say anything more. "OOOHHHHHHH!" I almost jump out of my skin. I open my eyes in shock. Suhana and Nirav are standing at the balcony entrance, both grinning like idiots.
Nirav folds his arms dramatically. "It's my wedding and you two are romancing." Suhana laughs loudly. "Bhabhi, you turned out to be quite something!" My face turns red instantly. "Suhana!" he warns. She just smirks. "Bhai, you really shouldn't say anything either."
Before I even understand what is happening. He lifts me. Completely. In his arms. Like I weigh nothing. I gasp. "Veeransh ji!" I hide my face in my saree pallu out of pure embarrassment. Suhana whistles. "WHOOOHHH!"
Nirav shakes his head laughing. "Bhai calm down yaar." He looks at both of them and says calmly, "You guys don't even give a moment." Then he turns and starts walking. With me. In his arms. My heart is beating so fast I feel like everyone can hear it.
"What are you doing?" I whisper desperately. "Everyone is watching!" He doesn't even slow down. "Let them," he says simply. And for the first time. I realize something terrifying. I'm not scared. I'm not trying to escape. I'm not even embarrassed anymore.
I'm just... holding onto him. He carries me all the way to the room.
Not in a hurry, not rough, just steady, confident, like this is the most natural thing in the world.
My arms are still around his neck, not because he told me to, but because I don't know what to do with them.
He opens the door with one hand. Closes it behind us.
And then gently places me on the bed. I sit there for a second, stunned, my heart still racing from the way he carried me in front of everyone. My saree pallu is still half over my face, like I'm trying to hide from something that already saw me.
He turns his back to me, removes his watch, places it on the side table, and exhales slowly.
Then he says, in a low voice, almost amused, "You're going to completely spoil me.
" I blink. "What did I do?" I protest immediately.
"You're the one who has started getting spoiled on your own. " He turns around. Looks at me.
That look. It's not angry. Not cold. Not commanding. It's... different. "And anyway," I continue, suddenly remembering everything, "what was the need to carry me like that? Suhana will tease me now. Nirav ji was also there. Everyone was watching. And you..."
He walks toward me. Slowly. I'm still talking when he lifts his hand and gently places one finger on my lips. Not to silence me harshly. Just... to stop the noise. The world feels like it pauses. My words die in my throat.
My breath gets stuck. His finger is warm. I immediately move back a little out of reflex. "You..." But he doesn't let me go far. Instead, he gently guides me back onto the bed. Not forcefully. Not like before, in the past.
This time it feels like he's asking, not commanding.
And the strange thing is... I lie down. Without hesitation.
Without fear. My heart is beating so fast it almost hurts.
He leans over me, supporting himself with one arm on the mattress, the other hand resting near my shoulder. I can feel his presence completely now.
The room feels smaller. The air feels heavier. I whisper, barely audible, "Veeransh ji..." He looks at my face like he's trying to memorize it. My eyes. My lips. The way I'm breathing. He moves closer. So close that our noses almost touch. My breath trembles. I don't move. I don't know how to.
I don't even know if I want to. His thumb brushes my cheek. So gently it sends shivers down my spine. "Aarohi," he says softly, for the first time without any authority, without any dominance, just my name. And then. He kisses me.
Not rushed. Not demanding. Not like the kisses in movies.
It's slow. Soft. Careful. Like he's afraid I might disappear if he presses too hard.
For a second, my body forgets how to respond.
My mind goes blank. This is my first kiss.
And it's with the man who once terrified me.
But right now... He feels nothing like that man.
His lips are warm. Still. They stay there, barely moving, just resting against mine, like he's asking permission without words. My hands tremble. I don't know what to do with them. Then slowly, instinctively, my fingers curl into his shirt. Just a little.
He feels it. I know he does. Because his breath changes.
The kiss deepens slightly. Still gentle.
Still respectful. But real. My heart feels like it's going to explode.
My entire body feels light, like I'm floating.
When he finally pulls back, our foreheads stay touching.
Neither of us speaks. My lips are still burning. My cheeks feel hot.
My eyes refuse to meet his. He smiles, not the arrogant one, not the Sarkar smile. A soft one. Almost shy. "So you understand now... who exactly is spoiling me?" he whispers. I close my eyes. My voice comes out barely above a breath. "Umm... maybe..."
And for the first time in my life. I realize something clearly. This isn't fear anymore. This isn't obligation. This is the beginning of something dangerous. Something beautiful.
But something I no longer want to run from.