'She belonged to him,
not because it was something he demanded but
because it was something she couldn't help'
-JMStorm

___________________________

It was nothing

Sadhvi’s POV

I didn’t know what it was that woke me up when my eyes opened in the morning, but looking through the curtained window I had an idea it was past my usual time.

My eyes widened when I found Avrudh’s arm on my stomach and I stopped breathing when I felt him breathing on my nape.

Too close!

Too...too close!

It was becoming a habit of his.

I was searching for a comfortable position last night when he wrapped me in his arms, cocooned me to him. I still remember how I exhaled a long breath finding solace in his embrace.

I tapped the arm wrapped around my stomach not scaring him like last time, but he sure was a heavy sleeper.

“Avrudh,” I tapped whispering

He didn’t move.

“Avi baba, wakey wakey” I said in a sing song tone tapping again yet he didn’t move

I turned in his arms and faced his sleeping face. I was once again bombarded with a truck load of emotions.

Never in my life have I been this close to a specimen we call male, but here am I, sleeping in his embrace, breathing the same air.
The male I chose for myself. Soulmates, I want to call us.

Like Shiv-Parvati, his family guru said.

A shy smile made it's way itself on my face.

Ever heard of stealing?
I was planning to execute a crime similar to that.

I wanted to say so many things to him but nothing I had with me to utter at the same time. I had something of mine I needed to take from him. I gave him that thing on the night of our engagement and I wanted that back.

If I to ask for his permission, what was going to happen I wasn’t ready to think about that, I was concentrating on the moment, I needed to have it back.

This turmoil was unsettling.

I wasn’t feeling good about it.

Without lifting myself up I inched my face closer to him. Once I was there- the place I wanted to be- I kissed him.

Avrudh remained there unresponsive, so unaware of my actions. I pulled back soon, somehow the idea of just a peck wasn’t enough for my morning appetite.

I craned my neck once again slowly and rested my puckered lips against him and stayed there. No matter how much I wanted to move my lips against his to feel the same rhythm from that night I couldn’t.

I leaned back resting my head on my palm, my messy morning hair curtaining my palm before my cheek, I looked at him, feeling the heat rising from my thundering heart to my neck finally warming my cheeks.

I inhaled deep. With Avrudh’s arms wrapped around my stomach I wanted it to clutch me tight, pull me hard against him so unexpectedly that with a thud all my hormones leave me forever.

I wanted to feel that small fluttering bird going out from my stomach.

I closed my eyes and snuggled into his chest. My sleep long gone, at moment I was a criminal who stole and was lying in the arms of the justice himself.

Avrudh woke up on his own after half hour of me lying there clutched to him. He moved his face once and his chin grazed my forehead when he looked down.

I was faking sleep still.

His face remained still for a breath and then I felt a tight peck on my crown, my spirit just left my body then and there. I wanted to beam bright to myself.

God was I falling or I already in trouble?

Oh mighty heaven do oblige and answer the poor soul.

His arm resting on the small of my back suddenly but slowly- to not to wake my sleeping person up- pulled me tight against his body and in the attempt to keep the act I smiled inside holding back a satisfied sigh.

It was strange, we cuddle while sleeping but never hug when awake.

We needed to fix that.

We stayed there still in the same position for like another half hour, even though my arm was crying for blood circulation I denied that access to.

A knock on our bedroom door broke whatever thought my husband was having, “Hanji?” he asked in a loud but calm voice

“Avi baba?”

“Ji uncle, I am coming right outside”

Avrudh reluctantly but pulled himself from me, once at the edge of the bed he leaned to me again. Cupping my cheek he caressed it with his calloused thumb once and then twice and then kissed it.

I went back to sleep once again.

Not literally though.

.

.

After Avrudh left I woke up within ten minutes and went straight to the bathroom.

I wore faded blue jeans and a grey turtle neck sweater to keep me warm. My hair still wet from the shower dripping water on my back. I walked out of the room entering the kitchen where I found Rajender uncle talking to some lady.

Avrudh was talking to my father I guessed from the way he was nodding and saying hanji hanji, he is scared of my father. Everybody is.

Rajender Uncle, introduced me with his wife who works with him for keeping care of the house.

Swarna Aunty was responsible for cooking if we want her to, also for cleaning the house. Uncle majorly does the gardening and outdoor stuff. Their house was just  two or three blocks from us.

I was talking to both of them when I felt Avrudh behind me.

Avrudh ran a hand under my nape and held my hair in his palm keeping a towel on my shoulders, “Dry them or you will catch cold”

I felt goose bumps covering whole of my being. I looked at the old couple with flushed cheeks, too embarrassed now I gave them a small smile and flew the area to sit in the living room

Public display of affection was never my thing and I’ve been enjoying that a lot lately.

I was a thief and the victim had no clue, was busy pampering me.

I sat there on the sofa reading a newspaper with the towel still on my shoulders. My body was here but ears were left in the kitchen.

Avrudh gave them the itenary of our trip.

.

“Yes mom, we are going to the market right now. I asked him to take me to the chaat wala you were talking about” I talked to my mother- in law.

“Good and there is one bangle maker too, he makes the best lac bangles make sure you buy me one” she told

“Ohkay” I said grinning looking up the beautiful late afternoon sky

Avrudh bumped my shoulder with his, asking me to disconnect the call. Looking at his watch he told me I have been on phone for a long time now.

“Okay mom we are here. I will call you once I am back”

“Sure honey. Enjoy.”

I gave Avrudh a big sheepish smile. He just shook his head.

We were walking uphill to the market, about a mile or two far from our residence. After walking almost half kilometer uphill my body informed me about my shitty stamina.

I looked at Avrudh who with his hand tucked in his puffed jacket pockets walked gracefully without breaking a sweat—which wasn’t possible in winters either.

“I have a shitty stamina” I said huffing stomping my steps

Avrudh only laughed, “We can work on that.”

I gasped dramatically again keeping a hand on my heart,
“Stop talking dirty to me”

Avrudh burst out laughing this time. He laughed and laughed until he was clutching his stomach, “You know everytime you say that, that’s exactly when I think of things such dirty or else I am a decent man”

I glared with pursed lips at him.

“Maybe it’s your mind which needs some cleansing done, you say all the stuff and when I respond you call it dirty” he leaned in closer to my face with a grin of his own when I pushed him off me

“I am going!” I said with a growl and started uphill walking with my speed

Avrudh laughed from behind me saying, “With this ‘stamina’ how far do you think you can go without practicing with me?”

I turned glaring at him said, “You are sick!”

He laughed even louder, “See, now you are even copying me”

I continued walking ahead.

Fangirling dear husband. Fangirling!

We ate the infamous chaat that my mother in law can’t seem to stop talking about and there was a reason behind it, she was right the chaat was best I had.

“I loved the dahi bhalla. They are my favourite anyway, and that shop sells the best I’ve ever had” I said while choosing the bangles I was here to buy.

“You know what else is good? Milk and Jalebi here” Avrudh said bumping his shoulder with mine.

It was his way of telling me how happy he was, I don’t know about him inching to hold me but sure I was feeling to be held, here Avrudh being all touchy was making be mushy. And now I was rhyming in my head too.

“I am not sure about milk, Avrudh” I said showing him the dark green bangle set I picked up

He looked at them with narrowed eyes and denied shaking his head, continued with what he was saying. “Oh common the jalebis are not that sweet here and what’s wrong with milk?”

I made face at the mention of milk, I hate milk it makes me all restless.

“Okay if you want to” I said now picking a pair of light pink bangles and showed them to him.

Avrudh moved closer to me involuntarily, stepping into my personal space and I let him. He bumped the side of his head with mine grinning and took the bangle from my hand.

“this one will look good on you” he said looking at it up and down

“I am not buying this for me you know”

I laughed taking it from his hands when he pulled it up, “No, we are buying this for you. And if you want to buy for our mothers and your sister too, look for another, I am buying this for my wife."

My heart soared. I wanted to punch him and hug him both at the same time. How can he make me blush so many times in a day already?

Rolling my eyes at his handsome smirking face I turned to the attendant and asked him to show me another pair bangles of same size in different color.

I linked my arm with my husband when the evening breeze, a bony shrilling breeze blew past us. My teeth chattering.

Avrudh without a second thought accepted my touch, held my glove clad hand with his non-covered warm ones involuntarily or knowingly I wouldn’t know. He was looking for the shop he wanted me to take to.

“There...” he stepped behind me covering me completely from the cold; he was awfully warm for the weather. His warmth was what my body asking for.

He grasped both of my shoulders in his hands and pushed me to walk ahead of him.
He stood behind me still, saving me from the weather when together we came beside the shop owner who was frying golden jalebis in his big pan and then dipping them in sugar syrup.

Avrudh’s chest touched my back when he rested his chin on my left shoulder, his warm breath kissing the side of my cheek and his bearded cheek grazing my facial skin.

He was so happy, that it was practically radiating off him.

“Bhaia ji two sides of jalebi and milk” his fingers tightening on my shoulders.

The shopkeeper looked at us with a smile nodding and called inside, “two glasses milk” his commanding voice announced

Till someone brought us our glasses of milk, the man gave us our servings of the sweet dish and soon the milk arrived.

Which I was secretly hoping the boy who brought it will say they don’t have any left.

I took both of the glasses in my hand and walked upto where Avrudh had found a spot for us to stand, in a corner hidden from all the cold air.

Avrudh held the plate in one hand and with his free hand started devouring the sweet. I looked at him shaking my head, “You sure got a sweet tooth”

He winked at me feeding me one bite. He pushed a whole round piece in my mouth and I jerked my head back, “Watch it… it was big”

I glared at him, hiding my mouth behind the glass of milk, I was still holding both of ours glasses.

“That is not my fault you have a small mouth”

I made a face at him when he moved his hand to feed me another, “Isn’t it good? Not too sweet, and nice and crispy?”

I nodded chewing on it, replied honestly, “It is good”

Avrudh shouted with a smiling face to the shopkeeper, “Bhaia, jalebi is fantastic” the shopkeeper grinned at us and now started his work with more of his grace.

Avrudh was distributing happiness.

I smiled at Avrudh and he beamed at me to feed me one more time. I took his glass of milk to his lips and made him drink it. With his eyes Avrudh asked me too.

Nodding and inhaling a deep breath in, I drank the milk after years too.

I am sick! He was right.

_____________________

'When I saw you,
I fell in love, and
you smiled
because you knew'
-William Shakespeare
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So, how was this sweet-cheesy-romantic

update?
Are my couple progressing?
What good you think is about them?

Share your words with me.

With love,
Ankita 🐿️