Chp 38- The First Holi Together
The next morning arrived with an air of joy, celebration, and countless responsibilities.
The entire village was immersed in the vibrant spirit of Holi.
Women bustled around the kitchens, preparing traditional delicacies, sweets, and fresh batches of bhaang, while the men decorated the village, exchanging laughter, warm embraces, and festive greetings.
At exactly four in the morning, Jungkook's alarm rang loudly.
It rang once.
Twice.
Three... four times.
Beside her, Taehyung, who had managed to fall asleep barely half an hour earlier, groaned sleepily and buried his face deeper into the pillow.
"Ahh... biwi... turn the alarm off..."
Hearing his sleepy voice, Jungkook quickly reached over and switched it off.She sat up, tied her hair into a messy bun, and stood before the mirror, letting out a long yawn.
Then it struck her.
The preparations!
Her eyes flew wide open.
"Oh my God!"
She gasped, panic washing over her.
"I left everything unfinished! I fell asleep in the kitchen without preparing anything. Oh no... what do I do now? There's barely any time left. If Dadi finds out, she'll definitely scold me in front of everyone."
Anxiously biting her nails, she hurried to the wardrobe, grabbed a beautiful saree, and rushed into the bathroom.
A few minutes later, she stepped out after taking a quick bath. She hurriedly dried her hair, applied a little oil, and tied it neatly. There wasn't enough time to dress up properly, so she simply placed a small red bindi on her forehead before rushing downstairs toward the kitchen.
However, the moment she entered...
She froze.
The entire kitchen was spotless.
Every utensil had been cleaned and neatly arranged.
The sweets had already been prepared.
The bhaang was ready in a large container.
Everything she had worried about...had already been done.
She frowned in confusion.
"Who did all this?"
As far as she remembered, only she and Taehyung had been in the kitchen the previous night.
Then who...
Suddenly, realization dawned upon her. Her eyes widened.
"Did... did he do all this?"
She blinked in disbelief.
"No... that can't be."
Then another thought crossed her mind.
"Does he even know how to cook?"
A soft smile slowly appeared on her lips.
"Maybe... I should ask him."
Feeling much lighter now, she climbed the stairs back to their room. But with every step, another wave of guilt settled in her heart.
"When did he even sleep?, He must've been exhausted, Did he get any proper rest at all?, How will he manage all the work today?, It's all because of me."
"If I hadn't fallen asleep in the kitchen... he wouldn't have had to do everything himself. I'm so careless..."
"What must he be thinking of me?,that I'm lazy... I should thank him... and apologize too."
Lost in her thoughts, she reached their bedroom.Taehyung was still sleeping peacefully, his back turned toward her. A gentle smile spread across her face.
"Let him sleep for a little longer.I'll thank him... and apologize once he wakes up."
Quietly, she opened the wardrobe and took out his clothes, a simple white kurta-pajama, his silver chain, and a pair of shoes.She carefully ironed the clothes and neatly placed everything on the bed.
Taehyung had told her countless times not to trouble herself by preparing his clothes every morning, But she never listened.Taking care of him brought her a strange sense of happiness.
Besides...
He always did little things for her too.
Without saying a word, he quietly arranged her belongings whenever he noticed they were out of place, Neither of them ever complained.
They simply took care of one another in silence.
Smiling softly, Jungkook opened her jewelry box and wore the beautiful gold jewelry Taehyung had gifted her the previous day.
She carefully applied her makeup. As she reached for the lipstick, her eyes wandered toward the mirror.
Through its reflection, she saw Taehyung sleeping peacefully, Her hand paused.
When he slept...
He looked nothing like the stern, intimidating man everyone feared. The coldness he carried throughout the day completely disappeared.
Instead...
He looked gentle.
Soft.
Almost... adorable.
A sudden shiver ran through her body as memories of the previous night replayed in her mind.
Their first real kiss.
The warmth of his lips, the tenderness with which he had held her.The way his hand had firmly wrapped around her waist, making sure she wouldn't lose her balance. Even remembering it now made her cheeks burn crimson.
Was he always this romantic?
Lowering her gaze shyly, she gently touched her lips with her fingertips.
A smile escaped her.
Unable to resist, she quietly walked toward the bed and sat beside him, Her delicate fingers slowly brushed through his soft hair.
Her doe-like, kohl-lined eyes were filled with nothing but affection as she gazed at his peaceful face.
Leaning down carefully, she placed the gentlest kiss on his forehead.
"I'm really lucky to have a husband like you..."
she whispered.
The confession slipped from her lips so softly that even the silence almost swallowed it,She could only say those words while he slept.
If she ever had to confess while he was awake...She was certain she'd die of embarrassment before finishing the sentence.
Just then....
Knock. Knock.
She immediately stood up and opened the door, Outside stood Jihyo, smiling warmly.
"Happy Holi, bahu."
She peeked inside the room.
"Is Taehyung awake?"
Jungkook smiled and shook her head.
"No, Maa. He's still sleeping."
She smiled back.
"And Happy Holi to you too."
Jihyo pulled her into a warm hug.
"I came to call you downstairs."
"The pooja will begin soon, and there's still a lot to prepare."
She gently patted Jungkook's cheek.
"Come downstairs as soon as you're ready, alright?"
Jungkook nodded with a bright smile.
"Okay, Maa. I'll be there in just a minute."
Jihyo smiled once more before walking away.
Jungkook looked back at her sleeping husband one last time, smiled to herself, quietly closed the door, and made her way downstairs.The pooja room was already filled with activity.
Jimin and Yoona were decorating the temple with fresh marigold flowers while carefully cleaning every corner.
Seeing them, Jungkook's face brightened.
"Happy Holi, my lovely sisters."
Both immediately looked up, smiling brightly, they rushed toward her and wrapped her in a warm hug.
"Happy Holi, Bhabhi!"
they exclaimed together, their cheerful voices filling the room with even more festive warmth.
.
.
.
The kitchen was warm and busy when Dadi's voice cut through the entire mansion like a bell.
"Bahu!"
Jungkook set down whatever was in her hands immediately. She wiped her palms on a kitchen towel, smoothed the front of her saree out of habit, and walked out toward the living room.
"Yes, Dadi?"
Dadi stood near the entrance, her sharp eyes scanning the room with the practiced authority of a woman who had run this household for decades.
"Where is Taehyung? I haven't seen him anywhere." She clicked her tongue lightly. "The villagers are beginning to arrive. They're asking for him. Tell him to come to the mandap... quickly."
"Ji, Dadi." Jungkook nodded without hesitation and turned toward the staircase.
She climbed the stairs quietly. But somewhere between the landing and their bedroom door, her steps slowed, just slightly. Just enough.
She pushed the door open softly. The curtains were still drawn.
The room was dim and cool, wrapped in that particular morning quiet that belongs only to people still asleep.
And there he was, Taehyung lying exactly where she had left him, one arm resting across his torso, his breathing slow and even and completely unbothered by the world outside.
Jungkook stood in the doorway for a moment.The guilt arrived quietly, the way it always did with him. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just a soft, pressing weight behind her ribs.
He didn't sleep properly. Because of the milk. Because of me.
She crossed the room and sat carefully on the edge of the bed, trying not to disturb the mattress too much. Her hand found his arm, the curve of his bicep, warm through the fabric of his kurta and she shook him gently.
"Ji..." she said softly. "Hubby. Please wake up. Dadi is calling for you."
Nothing.
She tried again, a little firmer this time.
"Hubby, the guests are starting to arrive. They're asking for you at the mandap-"
A low groan rumbled from somewhere deep in his chest.
And then, before she could register what was happening, his arm moved.
It slipped around her waist with the unhurried certainty of someone still half-asleep and entirely unbothered, and he pulled her in close, easy, like she weighed nothing at all, tucking her against him with a sleepy exhale that sounded almost like relief.
"Biwi...." he mumbled, his voice rough with sleep, muffled against her hair. "Let me sleep a little more."
Jungkook's face went immediately, catastrophically red.
She planted her hand flat against his chest and pushed herself up slightly, her heart doing something completely unreasonable behind her ribs.
"B-but Dadi is calling for you," she managed, her voice coming out smaller than she intended. "And I need to go too, the guests are.."
Another groan.
And then, in one smooth motion, still barely conscious, still operating entirely on instinct. Taehyung rolled, bringing her with him, and suddenly the world tilted and she was on the bed and he was above her, his weight braced on his forearms, his hair slightly disheveled from sleep, his eyes....
His eyes opened.
And the moment they focused on her, he went completely still.
She was looking up at him in that saree, deep and rich in colour, the fabric catching what little morning light slipped through the curtains.
Her hair was spread beneath her, dark and impossibly smooth, each strand catching the light like strands of silk thread.