CHAPTER 43 #3
I’ve been waiting to hear those words from her. And although she’s still lost in her haze, I know she means every bit of it. I kiss her back, possessively this time, wanting the taste of her to stay on my lips every f*cking second.
“I need this version of you every night,” she says a few seconds later, after I roll us onto our sides until we’re lying face-to-face.
“You’ve still seen only one version of me, Princess.” My hand glides higher up her back.
“Really?” Her eyes darken slightly. “And how many versions are there?”
I lean closer, close enough that her breath catches again. “Enough to keep you satisfied for the rest of your life.”
The answer makes her smile, and I would burn down half the world to keep that smile on her face.
“We need to clean up,” she reminds me, and I couldn’t agree more. The bed is a mess. So are we.
I climb off the bed first, and before she can hide herself from me or even think about putting her feet on the floor, I bend down and gather her in my arms.
“What… what are you…?”
“Let me take care of you,” I hush her and carry her straight to the bathroom.
I help her clean up first, making sure she’s comfortable enough to walk on her own and change the bedsheet before settling her down on the fresh bedsheet. Siya doesn’t say a word during all of this. She simply watches me, enjoying the pampering and love I’m showering on her.
“Sleep now,” I say once we’re finally lying beside each other again.
“Hmm.” She hums as I press another kiss on her parted lips. “And you?”
“I have enough to keep me busy tonight.”
With that, I rest my head against her chest. My wife hugs me tight as we both close our eyes, trying to catch some sleep. Although I know with her this close, my body is soon going to need her again tonight. But before that, I want her to rest for a couple of hours.
It finally feels like my chase has come to an end. For years, I’ve been wandering through life, searching for someone to call my own. Ayaan, Baba, and Meher are my family, but the kind of peace and stillness that Siya has brought in my life is something I don’t think anyone else ever could have.
Siya is not just my wife. She’s my home… and the only place where I want to spend the rest of my life.
SIYA
Next Morning
I place the hot idlis down on the dining table and step back for a moment, looking over everything Baba has prepared.
The dining area smells of freshly steamed idlis and sambhar.
Mom is already seated at the table, arranging the plates, while Baba fusses over whether the sambhar needs more coriander despite Mom repeatedly assuring him it is perfect.
Although I’m trying hard to focus, my mind keeps drifting back to last night.
Heat crawls up my neck at the thought. I can’t remember when we finally fell asleep because every time I opened my eyes, I found Raghav’s lips somewhere on my body.
Throughout the night, he was either kissing me, holding me close as though he never intended to let me go, or simply unable to stop touching me.
He had been relentless, consumed by a desire to worship and devour the woman he loved all at once.
The entire night had been intense, so much so that my body still carries its sweet ache.
Even though Raghav insisted I sleep a bit longer this morning, I couldn’t, especially with Baba here.
So, like a dutiful daughter-in-law, I took a shower, got dressed, and hurried downstairs to help Mom and Baba with breakfast.
I come back to the present as I hear Mom’s voice.
“Where’s Raghav?” she asks, glancing towards the staircase. “Call him before everything gets cold.”
I smile automatically as I place the serving spoon beside the sambhar.
“When I came downstairs, he had just gone for a shower. He should be ready by now.”
I turn, intending to look for him myself, but just then, Raghav appears at the top of the staircase. The moment we see him, we all fall silent.
Because for the first time, Raghav isn’t wearing black.
Today, a light blue shirt hugs his broad frame, its sleeves carelessly rolled up to his forearms, and the top few buttons are left open just enough to reveal the familiar chain resting against his chest. His trousers are still black, but somehow that only makes the light blue stand out more.
I stare at him, my jaw almost dropping. His eyes find mine, and the look he gives me tells me he knows exactly what I was thinking. The faint twitch at the corner of his mouth makes me blush even harder.
“There he is.” Mom is the first one to recover.
Before I can gather my thoughts, Raghav reaches the dining table and pauses, noticing the three of us staring at him.
“What?” he asks, glancing between Baba, Mom, and me.
Baba immediately shakes his head and smiles.
“Nothing. I’m just realising that ever since you got married, you’ve been surprising us every day.
First the proposal, then the confession, then the remarriage…
” He gestures towards Raghav’s shirt. “And now this. I never thought I’d live long enough to see my son willingly wear a colour other than black. ”
Mom laughs beside him while Raghav looks down at the blue shirt, almost as if he’s just now remembered what he’s wearing.
“I have to agree,” Mom says warmly. “You look very handsome today.”
She quickly applies a nazar ka tika with her kohl behind his ear.
“What are you doing?” Raghav asks, surprised.
But Mom, being Mom, doesn’t stop until she’s done.
“What else?” She frowns. “Warding off any evil eye.”
Then she turns to Baba. “Bhai Sahab, isn’t it unfair? My daughter takes an hour getting ready, and then her husband walks in wearing a simple shirt and steals the entire show.”
“Mom,” I gasp. “I don’t take an hour. I literally got ready in thirty minutes today, bath included.”
“That’s because you woke up late today. Otherwise, you do take hours to get ready, Siya.”
I frown, and Baba bursts out laughing. Even Raghav turns towards me, but he looks serious. He knows why I was late. The man hardly let me sleep for more than a couple of hours last night. How was I supposed to wake up early? If only I could tell Mom that. Huh!
“Rukmini ji, don’t blame Siya.” Baba takes my side. “Today, even my son skipped his usual morning ride through the vineyard on Zephyr. He hasn’t missed it even once since he came here. I wonder what made him skip it today?”
Oh, oh!
Mom and Baba give us knowing looks, both trying hard to hold their smiles, while I just want to dig a hole and hide in it. Meanwhile, Raghav admires me openly, as if unbothered that they know why.
“But I’m happy,” Baba continues as he turns to Raghav, “You finally discovered that colours exist.”
“Even I’m happy.” Mom nods. “You should wear colours more often, Raghav. The world won’t end if you stop wearing black every day.”
“Exactly.” Baba grins. “For years, I thought black was the only colour available at the stores where Raghav shopped.”
“That’s enough teasing for one day, Baba,” Raghav says, pulling out a chair for him. “Sit.”
“Wait.” Baba shakes his head. “I should take a picture for Ayaan and Meher,” he says, already taking out his phone. “Otherwise, no one will believe Raghav voluntarily wore blue.”
“Not necessary.” Raghav takes the phone from his hand and puts it down on the table. “Please eat your breakfast.”
“I’m serious.”
Mom nods immediately. “So am I.”
Raghav rolls his eyes, though I know he’s secretly enjoying all the attention this time. I can’t help it. I laugh. The moment I do, Raghav’s eyes find mine again, and the entire room seems to fade into the background.
Baba clears his throat loudly, and both of us immediately look away.
“Are you both joining us for breakfast, or are your stomachs already full just from looking at each other?” he teases.
The amused look Baba and Mom exchange is enough to make heat creep into my face again.
“I… I’ll get the remaining chutneys.” Without waiting for anyone to respond, I escape to the kitchen.
What I don’t realise is that Raghav follows me. I’m still standing by the counter, deciding which bowls to carry out first when Raghav appears behind me and traps me between himself and the marble counter.
“You okay?” His eyes search my face.
I know why he’s asking. The man practically drained all my energy last night. I didn’t even have the stamina to get out of bed this morning when I woke up.
“I’m okay,” I assure him. “And stop asking me if I’m okay every few minutes. I’m fine now.”
Raghav lifts my chin up and makes me to meet his eyes. “You sure?”
I take a deep breath and tell him the truth. “Apart from feeling a little sore down there, I’m fine.”
His jaw tightens slightly, almost as if he regrets it. “Then why are you doing all the work? Leave it. You should rest today.”
“I’m fine, RK. Stop worrying so much.”
He exhales slowly as I continue, “Besides, I can recover from last night. But how am I supposed to recover from this?” I glance down and point at his shirt.
His smirk widens. “Didn’t you say the other day that seeing me in black all the time was getting boring? I’m taking my wife seriously these days.”
“I never said boring,” I argue. “I said I was getting a phobia.”
“Means the same.”
“Absolutely not.” I roll my eyes.
“Princess.” Raghav steps closer. “Although I still love black, ever since you walked into my life, colours don’t seem as terrible as they once did.”
I chuckle. “That was a cheesy romantic line, Mr. Kundra.”
His expression immediately turns offended. “I meant it.”
I know. But I still laugh.
He keeps frowning until his gaze drops briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes. And just like that, I realise my husband has no intention of letting me walk away so easily. I know exactly what he wants before he even says it.
“We should probably go back.”
I’m just about to turn away when he catches my elbow and pins me against the counter.
“Raghav,” I gasp, glancing at the kitchen door. “They’re waiting for the chutneys,” I remind him.