'I have traveled
far enough with him
to find a new myself'

_________________________

I saw him. I SAW him.

Sadhvi’s POV

Realizing I was just in my birthday suit when I woke up with a strange kind of blush filled my being weirdly.

I was feeling heat rising from my chest to my face with the flipping of my stomach and the beating of my heart combined.

I was lying on my stomach as usual, each part of mine pressed against the mattress. Avrudh’s arm snaked around my waist pressing me down wasn’t helping either.

Suppressing a yawn plus a weird kind of grin I turned my head and met with the sleeping face of my husband.

Avrudh slept peacefully like dead beside me, if it wasn’t for his steal grip on me, I would be checking for the continuation of his breath.

We decided to sleep in this morning. We were both tired of too much exercises from last night so skipping this morning gym session couldn’t hurt much.

It was seven thirty I saw the time on my phone screen and tried waking him up.

“Avrudh, wake up” I said now lying on my side and shaking him slightly

Just like every morning he laid there unaffected of the world.

“Avrudh” I called again this time with a click of my own

I cupped the side of his neck and running a thumb around his bearded cheek kissed his nose, “Avrudh, if we don’t wake up now, we are going to be late for work. Both of us”

He smiled upon the closeness and my trick showed the price.

Avrudh’s heavy hand became active and with a sleepy sigh he pulled me by my waist, now we were stomach to stomach.

I smiled kissing his chin,
“Wakey wakey” and gently patted his cheek

He hummed nodding his head and buried my face under his chin,
“Wake me like this every morning from now on”

I grinned against his neck

We stayed there for a minute and when I felt he was once again drifting back to sleep I pushed on his chest

“Stop being lazy, we need to get ready.”

I pushed him off me completely and clutching the sheet to my neck I scooted near the bed edge.

Avrudh sleepily propped himself on his elbow and with his free hand caressed the side of my left bum. I swatted his hand away and he pouted.

“No more teasing” I warned trying to reach for his t-shirt with my legs on the floor

“I swear, I wasn’t going to, I was just looking for more action” he said trying to reach me again

I laughed picking the t-shirt up from the curl of my toes, “You are not getting any anytime soon” I slipped the t-shirt over my head and stood straight, facing Avrudh pulling my hair out of the neck hole

“I am going to make breakfast and lunch for you. Take a bath by then” I saw his eyes moving from my legs when the t-shirt rode up while pulling my hair out to the action of my hair flowing finally out.

He wasn’t paying attention to me. I shook my head.

I walked around the room in the search of his boxer and found them at the foot of bed, I slipped them on too.

Avrudh followed my every move.

“You need to stop looking at me and…”
He only grinned. I made a click sound clapping my hands, “CHOP CHOP”

He finally laughed and sighing I walked out of the bed. My eyes almost bulged out upon seeing him carelessly coming out of the bed.

Avrudh doesn’t seem like caring about the fact he was stark naked under the covers.

Instantly I walked out of the room with Copper trailing behind, who was sleeping on his bed at our bedroom door and entered the kitchen.

.

.

I opened the door to our bedroom and entered the closet to take out my clothes for the day.

I decided upon wearing an A-line indo-western dress today.

We needed to head grocery shopping later in the evening anyways and the dress looked comfortable enough.

I picked the neatly folded dress in my arms, clutching it to my chest I opened the drawers of my closet to take out the set of undergarments.

I hugged the clothes to my chest and walked out of the closet keeping the clothes on the bed corner, I pulled out the dirty bed-sheet.

I widened my eyes thinking about the mess we created last night and while blushing kept the crumbled sheet at the foot of the bed, taking the pillow covers off too.

From the extreme corner of my side of the closet I brought new bed covers.
Spreading the fresh sheet and slipping in the pillow covers with rocket speed I looked at the foot of the bed where I kept the old sheets.

Biting my lips I decided to dump it in the hamper. Now this sheet is going to remind of so many things.

I knocked on the bathroom door,
“Avi, are you decent? I need to dump these sheets”

“Oh… yes you can come” his voice came and I turned the door knob to go inside.

Not paying much attention to what was happening under the shower range I dumped the sheet in and turned to brush my teeth since Avrudh was done anyways.

I applied paste of the brush head and just then my eyes rested inside the shower upon hearing water running still.

“Holy fuck!” I cursed out loud and faced the wall within a snap

A very stark naked Avrudh stood there under the shower rubbing conditioner on his hair. Without a care for the world that I was inside the bathroom

“What?” he asked as if nothing happened

I saw him!

I saw him literally!

I saw the not really little Avrudh in the shower.

“You said you were decent” I said not turning to meet his still naked figure and glared at the wall with my brush and toothpaste tube clutched to my chest.

“Nothing you haven’t seen last night, Sadhvi” he said chuckling and I heard shuffling and water once again running.

My eyes widened on their own, “That still doesn’t mean, I will strip myself naked in front of you everytime”

He laughed hearing my words and I cursed myself after realizing what I just uttered.

“I- I am going out. Just hurry up.” I said and decided to walk out when he held onto me from behind

“You animal! Leave me” I said laughing when his grip onto my stomach tickled

“From the scratches I got from last night, Sadhvi I would like to believe that’s the other way around” he laughed against my ear

The heart of mine hammered against my chest hard.
“Really? Then you need to see the hickeys I got around my chest and stomach”
I complained against his hold wiggling to set free when he started to drag me under the shower

Caging me between the wall and his naked skin he kissed my neck and his hands held my wrists by my sides.

"Let me see them I will kiss them better”

Or fuck them better!

I tried with my not so real attempt to push him off me where I clearly was giving in; he laughed once again running his wide palm against my stomach, firm but that made my skin dance.

“Avrudh, I am so going to be late for the clinic” I tried once again

“Rajveen will understand, once or twice doesn’t even count” he bargained

“Avi…” my mind urged once again but my body betrayed, my fingers were already exploring the dips of his broad back.

I was running my tips along his every dips and grooves.

Avrudh kissed his way through my neck and chest; I couldn’t even realize when he turned on the shower until a gasp left my mouth upon the unexpected contact of water.

The shower running down my crown and onto Avrudh’s upper back where his head was, he ducked sucking the life out of my shoulder.

“I don’t want to go for work. I know I will miss you” he murmured against my skin.

I gripped his hair and brought his lips to mine, “I am just a call away”

.

.

I was leaving, my working hours were done and I needed to do some shopping.

I pealed the apron off me and hanged it on the cupboard.

I was packing my bag when Rajveen knocked on my door,
“Hey hot-shot, I hear you are done”

I smiled at her and un-plugged the laptop from my desk, folding it to keep it inside my bag,
“Yeah no more patients. What time you are leaving?”

She sighed, “Almost within half an hour, one patient is left with the exercises and one is being given TENS”

I nodded and locked my desk drawers and dumped the keys inside my bag to their place.

I was an organized person.

“I saw Avrudh sitting in your cars’ passenger seat” she pointed out

“Yeah, he gets free before me. Court hours” I said shrugging and looked at myself in the mirror re-touching my lipstick

She chuckled, “It’s strange to them- men I mean- on the passenger seats actually. Devang never sits shot-gun, he complains that bruises his ego.”

I blinked but said nothing only smiled.

I guessed my man was spoiling me, he was letting me to have a upper hand everywhere. Or don't know what his mind speaks. Maybe he hasn't paid attention to it.

Or maybe he doesn't mind.

“He doesn’t mind, I guess”

She nodded at me with a beam,
“you have any plans for your birthday tomorrow?”

“Not that I am aware of”
I said walking out of the cabin

“Bye”

“Bye bye”

I walked out of the building and saw Avrudh sitting exactly where Rajveen said. The man of mine sitting shot-gun beside my driver seat said loads directly into my ear, he was letting me lead like last night he said—he gave me the reins of his life a long time ago.

My romantic side said. The fact that I was obsessing over him was scary but he is mine for all I care.

Avrudh said he was used to being the intimidating, dominating one and with me, he wanted to rest and let me have the power. He wanted me as his escape, his safe house and I was more than willing to have this the way he wanted.

I wanted to treat him and the way I had in my mind made me blush.

I opened the doors to my side and when I noticed he started the car already and he could’ve sat on the driver side instead while putting the car on ignition but he chose to rest, made me inhale some happy and strange flip of breath in.

“Hello” he wished and winked my way

I blushed and kept my bag in the backseat before putting the seatbelt on.
“Hello” a shy whisper left me

“I bought you something” he said and opening the dashboard handed me a small flask of Yakult.

“Strange but appreciable choice”
I said smiling and opening the seal of the health drink

“I just happened to pick it from the chocolate shop”
he grinned handing me a Kit-Kat too.

I, in utter shock took the chocolate from him, with one hand holding the health drink and other chocolate I kissed him on the cheek.

“You are spoiling me” I mentioned keeping the chocolate in between the stereo space and sipping onto my drink.

“Since from the very first day, I am shocked you haven’t noticed” Avrudh chuckled sipping on to his own drink.

I shook my head and kept the half empty bottle under the cup space and ignited the engine to life.

“Why the framer’s market?” Avrudh as un-buttoning his cuff and folding the sleeves

Dear lord.

“It’s fresh and cheap” I marked joining him to the gates of the market.

“But we are not buying vegetables for stock, so why Okhla market” he said holding my hand and walking inside.

Avrudh even though curious about my choice of shopping joined me without trying to change my state of thinking. He wanted my words to understand what are my opinions- I fell for just that.

The way instead of putting his thoughts in my mind, he tries to understand my way of thinking. He appreciates what my way is, he learns me and let me learn from my mistakes, if I am making any.

He stays there with me as a support to guide me through but never correcting me. He makes me understand by going through it, because he knows how my brain works. I don't learn when under go correction, I learn by my mistakes.

We all do. A blow teaches us more than notes. Unless life and death, Avrudh waits with me. He holds my hand and walks with me, untill asked he wouldn't involve.

Ofcourse I would enjoy being protected but he knows I enjoy more being independent.

“To avoid third party involvement and to get things fresh. I have options here, from where I can choose what is best and I can bargain for a good price. There are few sellers who not only in bulk but also sell in small kgs”

“Fair trade” he nodded and tightened his grip around my palm upon seeing the crowd of people.

*"Crowd"  covid you hear that!

I tugged on Avrudh’s grip when I saw potatoes, “Potatoes” I pointed it out to my husband who nodded and with the grocery basket in other hand moved to stand behind me.

In a protective stance he stood to avoid me being touched by any other person uninvited. With a smile I met his face behind mine, he returned it with his dimpled one.

“How much for the potatoes?”
I asked one of the farmers

“200 rupess for ten kilograms” the man said loudly over the chaos of other farmers selling

Avrudh’s one hand rested on my waist and I turned to look at him

“twenty rupees for one kilo?” he asked as if shocked

I shook my head sideways, “Season” he nodded raising his eyebrows once

“I will buy them” I said to the farmer who nodded before weighing them on the scale.

Behind me a struggling Avrudh stood with a basket of vegetables and fruits hugged in his arms, I grinned buying the tomatoes at last and paying.

“Let’s go honey it is done now” I said and walked ahead

Avrudh puffed and with a sarcasm dip voice said,
“Oh but I wanted few things more sweetheart for the next month also you know”

I laughed, “I like buying vegetables and fruits”

“Strange choice, don’t you like buying from H&M too?”

“Nope. I hate shopping for clothes, I tend to buy them online mostly” I made a face adjusting the bag of five kilograms of potatoes in my grip and a bag of tomatoes in the other.

I almost sprinted as soon as our car came in my vision I fished the keys out of my purse opening the trunk.

Avrudh dumped the basket with a loud sigh and clapped his hands dust free. I followed suit keeping the bags inside. We both cleaned our hands with the sanitizer and made our way back home.

Upon entering the kitchen and keeping the bags on the counter Avrudh jumped on it to sit, he peeled a banana and ate.

“So, my wife hates clothes shopping but like buying vegetables and fruits”

“Looks like it” I said arranging the vegetables in the sink to wash them. Grace Aunty will be home by tomorrow.

I picked the bag of potatoes and spilled them in their basket first.

“You hate banana” he said eating the banana, “But like eating bottle guard, eggplant and bitter guard”

I laughed dusting my hands off and walked to wash the fruits first, “I do”

“You really are sick” he said now peeling the second banana.

“You like methi” he said,
“But hate mustard leaves and spinach and bathua”

I laughed once again,
“Guilty as charge judge Sahab”

Avrudh clicked his tongue making his way to me so that now he was leaning on his hips beside me on the counter where I was almost done washing fruits.

He bumped his side of head with mine softly, “We need to fix some wiring here”

I laughed pulling my head away from him arranging the green apples in a netted basket.

“We friends, back in college once went for camping, where for dinner they served Aaloo-palak, Bathua raita and Rice one day. I cried over phone to my father that night, complaining about I didn’t get anything to eat. I slept drinking a glass of orange juice” I laughed looking out of the window recalling the memory.

Those five days were the best I’ve ever had of camping.

Avrudh laughed keeping his palm over my head shaking it, “You are impossible.”

I gave a toothy grin, “So I’ve been told”

Avrudh and his ways of expressing affection had me crying my eyes out, everytime out of love for him.

I wanted nothing but to do everything once again with him.

_________________________

'Love,
by it's very nature
is fragile
and that is what make real love
so powerful
you make a fragile thing
unbreakable'
______________________________

How badly I wish
I too had a love story.
But meh... I am too young for that.

How was it?
I hope you understand what Avrudh and Sadhvi are developing, because I badly want that.
Dear god, you hear me!

With love,
Ankita 🐿️