Words Count - 2980
Attached song - Shayad
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[Neha Mehra]

"I will see you both. Wait and watch." I mumbled, huffing more than required as I chewing the popcorns.

"How dare they go on a drive without me?" I screeched with frustration. The whole day they kept squeezing the hell out of each other as if they were some lovey-dovey cuddly bear.

"Raaz. you have become so thin, dude. Today I will cook your favourite dish. I know you are going to finish 4 plates of food today." Megha winked at him, while I felt like a spectator, enjoying their talks.

After an hour, she cooked us a scrumptious meal after literally pleading the cook in-charge to allow her inside the kitchen.

"Raaz, you should've a haircut. You look so hot in army haircut." She suggested him, while we were eating. There started her famous endless ramblings.

"I am really jealous of Neha. You're married to her, or else, I would've married you. God! Why didn't it occur to me before?" That was literally the last straw!

"You know, Neha. I had a big crush on him during school days, but after he went out to medical college we never got to see each other." She kept narrating as if I was really interesting in listening those things, in turn, they were working as oil over the fire blazing inside me.

"Nehu, please can I take your hubby for a drive. Pretty please, with a cherry on the top." She started to flash her puppy eyes to me and before I could reply, someone else did.

"She won't mind. Let's go." With that he pulled her away for their so-called drive." Without even sparing me a second glance, they set out on Raaz's car.

"What will I do alone here?" I stomped my feet.

~

"Ah" I was thrashed out of my reverie as I bit on my tongue, while chewing the popcorns, accidentally.

"Neha, stop eating like a bear. It's the fifth popcorn packet. Leave it and come sit with us." Naina screamed at me, annoyed. Seeing her angry was always scary!

"Uh, yes, I am coming." I went out with her, reluctantly. My head was bowed down, all the way. I was least fascinated of the people wandering around me.

"Someone seems to be so lost." Ranjan murmured, to which all my fellow colleagues laughed out.

"So, missing your hubby, huh?" He waved his hand across my face to gain my attention. My lips hastily twitched in displeasure.

" No", I murmured.

"Of course. We know, how much you don't miss your hubby? You don't need to convey." My heart mocked my stupid brain.

"Yeah, we know" Ranjan repeated,trying to control his threatening chortles from erupting out. I felt like hiding myself underground as my face flushed instantly.

[Surfraaz Mehta]

Equations of our relationship was untangling with this free medical camp.

This camp was never a bad idea!

Yesterday, when I had a pinch of vermilion amidst my thumb and forefinger, I felt the same sparks and charms, I felt on our wedding day.

Her dark kohl lined eyes, those dangling ear piece which created saccharine symphonies every now and then, paired with those bouncy, dark burgundy dense hair. The peaches of her attire was proposing me to make her mine.

With my forwarded hand, I had filled her hairline with the vermilion of my name, marking her mine forever. With all rights reserved!

My eyes misted a little, seeing my fantasies coming alive. I love every moment of my life with her. She is the fresh air, my body yearns to breath in. Pressing my lips on her forehead in a kiss of promise of togetherness, we walked back to welcome Kiara's cousin, Megha.

The sooner I saw the person, I couldn't control my hands from pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. There stood my childhood best friend, Megha.

I couldn't believe it all together. After some old talks and Neha's jealousy sessions, we were here on a friendly drive.

"So, shoot already!" The person on the passenger seat barked at me.

"What do you want to know?" I questioned, still immersed in my dilemma.

"Everything! You both don't seem to be fine. What's going on?" She demanded answers.

"It's complicated."

 Filling her with few details of the past six years with Neha, I sighed. She too let out a gasp and even some words of empathy left her lips, hearing me out. More so, because, she had witnessed me failing in love, not once. But, twice.

"Okay, now stop that cranky-baby crap." I joked to ease the depressing atmosphere. She smacked my head that led me to laugh out loud.

We were very near to the camp and within minutes, I parked the car. I opened the car door for her to hop out of the car. Entering into the camp, we saw no one on our side. But, we saw all of them collectively sitting on the other side. In the sea of people, my stubborn eyes were searching for her. Ranjan was saying something to her, and she was left to blush red.

"See, your idiot hubby is here. No need to sulk anymore." Naina winked at Neha, which followed a roar of hootings.

Was she really missing me?, I thought.

She stomped her foot on the ground like a wronged child and ran away. Everyone was gasping for breath after a marathon of laughter as I stared at her retreating figure. On their continuous pushing, I went towards our tent. She was sitting on the bed with crossed legs, rambling something incoherently, facing the other side.

"Chocopie!" I tried to catch her attention, softly.

"Why has my angry bird turned into a chocopie, huh?" Still, there was no response!

"See, I brought you so many Doritos and mint ice-creams." I held her shoulder gently.

"I won't eat. Go to your Megha and give them to her." She again started with her own blabberings.

I laughed, observing her tone dripping with jealousy.

Is she really jealous or feigning it?

If she is jealous, in what sense - as a wife or a friend?"

"I see, someone is all jelly-belly, huh?" I nudged her on the side of her waist as I sat beside her. Hugging her from behind, I saw her pout.

"Where did you take her for a drive?" She slowly turned and asked me as low as a whisper. A cute pout soon accompanied her sulky visage.

"We were just roaming in the car, more like wandering." I answered her honestly, gently stroking her cheeks. But, she pushed me hard and again hit my chest with her fist. That's my wife!

"Why didn't you take me with you?" She yelled at me like a kid, whose father denied to get him a toffee. Her soft fisted fingers were hitting my chest, which worsened my self control.

"I won't -" I cut her off by flipping our positions. I pressed my face more into the crook of her neck. My lips touched the conjunction of her slender neck and chest.

Her beating heart under the chest of mine,
And those honey brown orbs staring through mine with a shine,
Her parted lips craving for me,
Were the things I could feel and see.

Sucking on her skin and caressing it with my lips, I turned my gaze towards her red face and the rhythm of her palpitating heart. My eyes drank in a glimpse of her parted lips and I leaned in to feel the texture of her lips.

"Surfraaz. Oh shit!", Someone suddenly barged into the room and swiftly, turned around. I coughed, getting off Neha.

"I swear, I didn't see anything. Sorry for interrupting you. I could have just knocked on the door." She ranted with her hands vaguely covering her eyes. I pulled out the makeup kit beside the bed table and took out the brush.

"No need to say sorry. I was just doing her makeup." I croaked out, embarrassed.

"Makeup? " Megha uttered in complete disbelieve.

"I am sorry. I thought, it was something else." She further added. My naïve friend!

"Okay, I need a makeover too." She demanded. Drawing out a chair and I sat on it, upfront me.

"Yes madam, at your service." I bowed down to her dramatically. I peeped in to see Neha breathing fire. But, I started my job by applying concealer and foundation on her face.

Being her makeup man was tough when my wife was shooting bullets at me through her eyes.

"Enough is enough. First, my husband and now my makeup kit. Not possible." I heard her murmer to herself, beside me.

I covered my face with my arm and covered up my erupting laughter with a cough.

So much of bulked fun is on the way. God! Save my poor friend.

The one, who owns my life is jealous of my childhood friend. As interesting as it seems! I never believed that we would come this long way, when our hands got entwined for the seven circles of life in the witness of the holy fire. I felt so elated at the thought of nearing my dream family. I was close to touch the bluish amber, standing on the ground, rigid and stout.

After strokes of the makeup brush on Megha's round face and dusting off the least quantity of red blush, that seemed to add texture and a mauve colour to her cheek, I admired my work which felt too natural on her skin. Like her second skin.

"Your highness, this human is waiting for your rewards!" I dramatically bowed to her. Haughtily, I showed her the mirror, displaying her, her own visage guarded with my artwork.

"Wow!" Megha let go of a breath of admiration as soon as her eyes landed on her reflection in the mirror.

"You are awesome!" I bowed my body with exaggerated hand gestures at her complimentary extol. Saying me a big 'thank you', she pinched my cheeks the same way, she used to do in our shining-tiny days.

"Huh? Where is my reward? I did so much of hardwork." I said emphasing on 'so much' after dramatically wiping the imaginary sweat off my forehead.

"Aww. What do you want as your reward? Tell me." She asked, sweetly.

I peeped sideways to see Neha on the verge of tearing out that pillow. Poor pillow!

To rile her up more, I deliberately carried on my drama. The more she gets riled up, the more I get to tease her! The more she gets teased, the more she gets wild. Her wildness is equivalent to my fun.

I mentally started my garba imagining my wild fantasies!

"Come closer." I whispered, scratching my hair.

"What?" Megha looked at me as if I had grown two heads.

"Come closer." I whispered in a low tone to make it impossible for my jelly bean to hear our conversation. She leaned towards me, and I placed my left hand on her back as it was the only side visible to Neha. I saw Neha's eyes as wide as saucers, seeing me engulfing Megha in my arms.

"Idiot, What are you doing? I don't want to die young, being killed by your wife. What will happen to my love story?" Megha whisper-yelled.

"True enough, if looks could kill, we could've been turned into ashes by now." I agreed to her words, patting her back to make our onlooker more enraged.

"So, what's your plan?" Megha asked me and I smirked, inwardly.

"Oye mister! Stop smirking and tell me. I know, whenever you wanted something or had to implement any pranks, you would hug me this close and smile inwardly. Now, shoot quickly." She stated, little annoyed.

"Listen, I need your help." I started explaining her.

"So, forest safari in white, it is !" She nodded her head vigorously and was giggling.

"See, your wife is trying to eavesdrop on us." I quickly left Megha and she stood beside me with a smile filled with mischief.

"Understood. So, let's meet tonight." I reminded her as Megha turned to leave our tent.

"By the way, I didn't know that makeup can even give hickeys." On her way back, Megha uttered, giggling. She winked at me and ran away laughing. Here, I thought her as an innocent girl!

"Don't fly so much, girl. Once I get to know about your lover boy, I am not going to leave you without a good teasing session." I thought to myself.

Neha glared at me as I turned to see my west direction. She threw the pillow and the makeup kit at me, huffing ferociously.

"Dare you talk to her again, I will see you." She warned me, with that dark malevolent look.

"I will talk to her. And, what is your problem if I talk to my best friend?" I asked her, trying to sound like a little annoyed.

"Talk to her. But, what's the need to always cling to her?" She asked me so cutely that I wanted to pinch her supple cheeks.

"Are you jealous, wifey?" I asked her wiggling my brows.

"No, why would I be? It's not like, I am interested in you." She said strongly though it was obvious, it wasn't true. Her eyes proved it. Still, I hated that line and lose my mind when she keeps repeating the same thing over and over again. Why this girl can't accept that she loves me?

Again, my anger overpowered my senses and I spat it out harshly.

"Then, you shouldn't bother about what I do in my life."

"But, you are my husband. How can you behave that way with other girls?" She asked me.

"You don't like it just because I am your husband, is it?" I asked her again. She nodded again like a key manipulated doll.

"Neha, 'Husband-wife' is not a title that is given to any relationship, where you get any man or woman and they simply become yours. It comes with certain responsibilities and emotions." I cupped her right cheek in the curve of my hand.

"You need to clear your mind on why you feel irritated seeing me with Megha or any other girl." I added.

"You are my bestfriend. I don't like when you call her your best friend, roam around clinging onto her or laughing with her." She answered in a low tone.

"If you like someone, you don't tend to get jealous because you can never be possessive about that person. Only when you love someone, you fear to lose them and get insecure and jealous." I explained her neatly, while rubbing my thumb on her cheek and gazing into her eyes deeply.

" 'like' and 'love' are two entirely different things, more apart than the sky and the earth itself. I hope you realise it before it is too late." I spoke my emotions, while whispering the last part.

"How is liking someone different from loving someone?" She asked me, as she sat on my lap after I settled myself on the bed.

"When you like someone, you like him for how he is as a person or how he looks or what he does or what he has. But, in the other case, love is selfless. Loving someone makes you to accept the person as he is, without any complains and wailings. You love his soul and embrace him with all his fears, flaws and forthcomings. You don't realise when you drown into that beautiful world, to make your soul and your soulmate tied forever in a relation that each being that breathes relish, that is 'Love'. They say right, when you like a flower, you pluck it to enjoy its smell and view but, when you love a flower, you take care of the plant so that the flower blooms forever gracefully." I put up my point and she was listening to me with utmost concentration.

"Then, how are the relationship between a boyfriend-girlfriend, different from a husband-wife?"

"Boyfriend-girlfriend phase comes in one's life as a casuality. Without any stress, nor any responsiblity. But, husband-wife relationship comes with commitment towards each other, a commitment of love and duties forever. It needs you to be capable enough to feed your family, to love your significant other immensely and a responsiblity to carry forward your generation with a heir, educate him/her and make him a better person." I paused and looked at her.

"Summing it up, for a relation to work, you need to trust me even if as a friend if not as your husband. Trust is the foundation of every relation, once it shakes forget that relation altogether." I completed.

My phone vibrated, indicating the incoming call. Excusing myself from her, I went back to the main tent to attend the patients. I got indulged in the work from neck to toe.

As I was winding up my works, Megha reached me to discuss the things that we discussed in the early quarter of the day. I reached the tent to see Neha sleeping on her side like a child.

Four days passed as quick as the sand travels in the dripping sandstand. Neha and I couldn't talk properly these days because of increased wordloads. It was the day, I was going to implement my plans along with Megha.

I was nervous and excited all at the same time.

"Raaz, let's make your first dream come alive, tonight." I hushed to myself to garner some confidence for tonight's part.

Megha showed me a thumbs up, from the corner. And, my heartbeat was on elevation.

•••

Hey guys,
        Sorry for the delay, guys. Hope all of you are doing good.

How was the chapter?

A lot more coming...

Thank you for reading. Love you, see you !!!

Love,
Biswa❤️