Chapter 39 : Pragmatic

 "One last bite bitiya.. Aaa aaa. " 

Muskaan opened her small mouth fully and Devyani lovingly fed her.

"Good girl." She smiled at the little girl and turned towards Savitha. " Savitha please give her water and change her dress." 

Savitha picked her up from the feeding chair and went inside.

Devyani leaned back in her chair. There was a look of perfect contentment on her face.

Finally all her grandchildren are happy and settled in their life. But since Anjali's marriage she noticed something was bothering her Chote. She asked him few times also, he didn't say anything. She had a rough idea what might be the reason. They didn't have a wedding ceremony like others, in their life many painful memories are there. Her chote did a big mistake. But with the grace of Devi maiyya they are together again. But somewhere she could see those old wounds causing them pain. Maybe time will heal everything. 

"Nani.." Arnav came to the living room interrupting her thoughts.

"Haa Chote.."

Arnav sat beside her with a smile. He smiles more often now. 

"Actually I am planning to take Khushi out today. We will be back by tomorrow morning only. Will you be able to manage? Otherwise we will take Muskaan also along with us. "

"No need for that Chote. Sabitha also here know, we will manage. You both go and enjoy, no need to hurry. " Devyani said with a smile. 

"Thanks Nani.. "

The door bell rang and Arnav went to open the door. Khushi entered the living room and greeted Devyani.

"Where is Muskaan?" she asked as her gaze searched for her daughter in the living room.

"She is inside with Savitha." Devyani answered her.

"Khushi,  take rest for one hour and get ready. we are going out." Arnav said from behind.

"Where are we going?" She turned back to face him. 

"That is a surprise." He smiled at her curiosity.

She pouted and went inside to see her daughter wondering what might be his plan.

 She could sense his restlessness since Anjali's marriage. In the last month she felt he is trying to maintain a distance with her. It is not like he was angry or sad, but something was a miss. Today morning he asked her to come back by afternoon from office. She knew he might be taking her out but what he was planning she didn't know. 

She spend one hour with her kid and got ready wearing the designer blood red color saree he gifted her yesterday. 

They left from home by 4.30  pm and after one and a half hour drive they reached Zaya Nurai Island resort in Abu Dhabi. It was the first time they are coming to a Northern emirate of UAE. 

Arnav and Khushi were guided to the pool side by the hotel staff. 

"You booked the entire area ?" She noticed there were no other people in that area.

"Yeah"

"But Arnavji, don't you think its too early for the dinner?"

"We are not here for the dinner Khushi." She could sense his nervousness from his words. Arnav Singh Raizada and nervous? 

"What is the matter Arnavji?" She asked concerned.

In response his Adam's apple rise and fall as he swallowed hard.

He stepped back from her and after getting down on one knee he asked her.  

 "Will you marry me Khushi. today?"

A shocked Khushi looked at the ring extended towards her.

"Arnavji.. Why ? What is the need to?" She didn't know what to say.

"Khushi I am not asking this for society or for our family. I want to do this for us. "

She held his hand and made him stand. After stepping closer to him she squeezed his hand.

"Arnavji, We are together forever, nothing can separate us, then why you want a wedding? Is it because you felt I wanted a wedding ? No.. I don't want a wedding as an assurance. You don't have to do it for me."

"Khushi please listen to me. Will you believe me if I say, I have dreamed about a wedding and marriage of seven life times with you? I want to fill your maang with sindoor and tie mangalsutra around your neck with love? I want to do saat phere with you? I feel our life is not complete without a proper marriage Khushi. I have done it before forcefully, I want to replace that painful memory with a happy one. I know you also have dreamed about it but its ok if you don't want us to get married again because of my mistake. I will ask the hotel to cancel everything."

They looked into each other's eyes silently for few minutes. 

"Khushi I didn't want to hurt you fussing over the matter of wedding. But this is about anything else. This is out of love. I don't want to pressure you either. This will be your call."

When he was about to put the ring back to his pocket, She stopped him and showed her ring finger to him.

"Khushi its ok if you don't want to.. I understand. "

"Arnavji.. you are right. we will do it for us. Not for family , not for society. we will do this for us. "

And with those words Khushi let go of her last inhibition regarding their relationship and smiled. 

"Put it on my finger." She showed her finger to him again.

"Thank you Khushi.. Thank you for giving me another..." she crushed her lips against his before he could complete the sentence. 

After few minutes they parted for air and rested heads on each other's shoulders . 

"Muhurat is nearing, come."

They walked towards the reception and the staff guided them towards the beach. 

The entryway was made with bamboo and layers of lush, leafy greenery which created a tropical gateway into the beach nuptials.

As they walked towards the mandap, Khushi's mouth opened in awe.

It was a magical paradise that showcases mesmeric, satsuma sunsets and sugar-white sandy beach. This was a dream-like wedding destination. 

"When did you arrange all these? And how? For a wedding ,here there are so many formalities."

"I started planning this from last one month. And I submitted our old attested marriage certificate so there were no much formalities. Only concern was your approval."

He said with a smile and helped her sit. A pandit was waiting for them.

Khushi looked teary eyed at the sacred fire- havan a direct invocation to the god Agni, the official divine witness of their marriage.  The priest offered crushed sandalwood, ghee, herbs, and rice to the fire while reciting Vedic prayers over it.

They repeated the prayers spoken by the priest. Those were promises to be humble and faithful to God and each other.

With the guidance of the pandit they performed all the remaining rituals with a smile while a photographer and a drone clicked the pictures of the ceremony.

As they finished seven pheras he cupped her face and whispered.

"Always."

"Always" She repeated.

"Vivah Sampann hua. Now you are husband and wife." The pandit announced.

Keeping fire and ocean as witnesses they became husband and wife once again. 

 After the ceremony they walked through the beach holding each others hand.

"I never thought we will have a wedding again like this." Khushi said softly.

"But the main ritual is still pending." He said seriously.

"main ritual?"  

"Suhaagraat.."  He enlightened her with a naughty smile.

 Khushi smiled shyly without saying anything.

They walked back to the beach where a candlelit table for two in a secluded location was arranged for them.

Khushi had a content smile adoring her face thinking about the seamless arrangements done by her husband today. 

The rakshaas once he was became her rajkumar. What more she could ask? 

Everything was perfect. It was true that she felt little sad in between as their families were not present. But its ok. They will have their blessings always. 

She felt a wave of peace hit her and a weight being lifted off her chest when the pandit declared them as husband and wife. 

She didn't know that she was carrying that burden with her even after his return to her life.

These moments with him she will cherish forever. Arnav and Khushi- Forever

After calling and checking on Muskaan they went to their suite. Both of them couldn't wait to be in each other's arms.

Once the door was locked Arnav picked her up in bridal style and walked to the decorated bed.

The smell of fresh flowers and scented candles hit their noses.

He gently placed her over the bed crushing the flower petals.

Without breaking their eye contact he removed her saree and remaining clothes as if he was unwrapping a precious gift. When she tried to remove her bangles, he stopped her and took a moment to admire his wife's beauty.  

His beautiful wife was lying naked on the bed with her long dark hair spread across the white pillow, her maang filled with his sindoor and the mangalsutra adored her neck. Her hands were filled with bangles. Every time she moved her hands the bangles tinkled.

"what are you waiting for?" Impatience was evident in her voice.

"One sec."

He quickly removed his blazer and shirt. From the discarded blazer he took out a rectangular box. 

Khushi looked in confusion as he took out a waist band from the box.

He made her wear the chain around her waist and placed a wet kiss on her belly button.

Khushi closed her eyes as his hot breath tickled her skin.

"Now it is complete"

"What is complete?"

"I wanted to make love to you on Suhaagraat like this. With Mangalsutra , hand full of bangles, Manng filled with sindoor and with a waist band of pearl. "

He whispered as he leaned towards her naked form. 

"Even I have a fantasy Mr. Raizada.."

She cupped his face and murmured with a naughty smile.

"And what is that?"

In response she flipped over, came on top of him and started kissing him all over his naked torso. Her soft hair tickled him as she hungrily placed kisses all over him. 

After few moments his remaining clothes on his lower body joined his blazer and shirt on the floor.

She stopped kissing him as his hardness poked her abdomen. She sat straight on his thigh and her eyes travelled across his face, torso and stopped over his lower body.

"This was my fantasy.. To see the traces of my sindoor all over your naked body when we make love."

He followed her gaze and smiled looked at his body covered with her sindoor.

He suddenly got up, grabbed her and straddle her hips and rest on his haunches.

"I could feel your wetness against my thigh" He whispered in her ear.

Their eyes darkened with desire and both reached for each other simultaneously. 

Their lips fought for dominance as their hands roamed around each other body kneeding, scratching, caressing wherever their hands could reach.

Later their mouth replaced their hands as louder moans and groans filled the room.

"Arnavji.. Please.." She had enough of his teasing.

He kissed her lips hearing her pleading and got up making her moan in annoyance. 

"Where are you going?"

"Will try something new today. I want to see you fully when you come apart."

She got confused as he went out of the bed and dragged her body to the edge of the bed not so gently. 

" I wanted to do it slowly taking all the time but I cannot hold back anymore, will do all those things in my mind in the next round."

With that he slide a pillow under her hips and after parting her legs quickly he pushed his hardness into her warm and wet center. Both of them let out a moan of pleasure as they joined together as one.

As he increased his pace Khushi grabbed the sides of the comforter and bite her lower lip to suppress her moan.

"Don't hold back, you can scream as louder as you want. It is sound proof. " He said in between his strokes.

She opened her eyes for a brief second and smiled. In the last month after Anjali's wedding, everyone left for India except Nani. Her maid Savitha was also back before the wedding for her help. Sabitha uses the maid room whereas Nani is using the other room which Arnav was using when he first came to Dubai. 

After the new found intimacy they were not able to keep their hands off each other. They made love whenever and wherever they could. In Kitchen, bathroom, living room on day and night. But because of the presence of Nani and Sabitha they were not able to make love freely as before. Even if Muskaan started sleeping with Nani, they couldn't be themselves during their lovemaking as they will be audible to others.

It is not like she is complaining about nani and Savitha's presence here. Savitha is a great help and she was very happy that Nani is staying with them for 3 months. She could see how happy Nani is. Seeing all her grandchildren happy and settled. 

Her husband often complained about missing their bath and cooking time together. He suggested going out alone many times in the past month she made him understand that it is not nice to leave Nani and going for dates in every two days. 

When he asked her to come early today morning she thought it is a normal date which she was refusing since a month. So she agreed and came along. 

"It's very much rude to think about something else when your husband is making love to you.." He told her breathlessly.

"I was thinking about my husband only.. "

"Acha what were you thinking about him?"

 "I was wondering if he can take me the same way that hero was taking his herione in that netflex series we were watching last night."

He paused for a second and lifted her from the bed without separating from her and supported her against the wall.

"Your husband can also do that.."

She wrapped her legs around him and moaned in complete delight. 

He drove inside her with a need to reach more deep in her.  

Her loud scream and ramblings out of pure pleasure drove him mad. 

She reached her climax screaming his name. He followed her grunting like an animal supporting her limped form against his body.

"Shadi Mubarak ho Mrs. Raizada." He whispered in her ear after placing her on the bed.

"Apko bhi Mr. Raizada." She replied back lazily with a smile as they hugged each other and drifted into a peaceful slumber before another round of love making. 

Love,

ST.