"Bahut bhook lagi hai, kuch khilao na, phir baat karenge." He whispered in her ear with the innocence of a little boy child. "Aapne ab tak khana nahi khaya?" She enquired incredulously, the tumult in her mind dissipating all of a sudden hearing his plea. "Tumne bhi to kuch nahi khaya din bhar! Phir kabhi mera gussa khane par mat nikalna!" he added, kissing her palms held in his.

She quickly dispatched him to freshen up as she reheated the food. By the time he was back her deft fingers had dished up his dinner accompanied with freshly baked piping hot phulkas smeared with molten ghee. "Apne hathon se khilao na!" he insisted, wanting her to soothe him with her warmth. She smiled behind the veil and obliged, soon they were feeding each other morsels exuding their affection for each other. She shivered as he shamelessly licked her fingers whenever he had the chance to, giving her a prelude of what awaited her after dinner. When they had eaten he sent her away to prepare to sleep as he tidied up the kitchen and then joined her in bed.

Their debacle soon forgotten, she succumbed to his passionate overtures as they sent goose bumps all over her skin. His caresses were like a salve to her mind fevered with dissent over his earlier actions. If he was trying to make amends for them then it was working very well indeed, she thought, as his hands and mouth did unspeakable things to her body, building up a crescendo. It seemed like he was helping her map all the erogenous zones that she hardly knew existed on her and soon she was trying to mirror his act, returning the pleasure and marking him as hers just like he had marked her. He smiled to himself as he thought about how well she had picked up his lesson and went on to reward her with frenzied French kissing.

As they lay there spooning on the bed he explained to her how as members of the committee responsible for organising competitions during the college fests students had to discharge official duties hosting guests from other colleges and co-ordinating events. That work had kept him busy all day. As long as she was in his life he needed succour from no other woman, although he was obliged to work with certain boys and girls who were participating in the event. He apologised to her for having caused any distress arising from misunderstanding.

She knew that he was telling the truth, she had to start trusting him more. She remembered how indignant she had been that afternoon when he left without any notice, convincing herself that he must have some urgent business to take care of. But when he did not call her back she thought about the coincidence behind having met that girl in the marketplace, making her feel miserable. To get over her ambivalence she had accepted the offer to fill in for another concert accompanist who had called in sick. Music was the apt remedy for her restlessness.

She had decided not to call to inform him that she would be late, she was sure he would be out, besides she needed to get a reaction from him. When she saw him frantic over her absence she knew that she had secured a place in his heart. She simply needed confirmation that their feelings were mutual. One challenge had been overcome; fortifying her to deal with other challenges in the future, a pattern shaping up in her mind.

She knew the odds, he would have to leave her behind when he went abroad for higher studies after having graduated, and he was unsure about how to break it to her. She knew that he would find a way to, when the time came.

To find a solution to a complex problem one has to focus on the desired long term outcome. For now she would keep him blissfully unaware of her real identity to help maintain harmony in their lives together as lovers. Assuming another persona had given her the resources she needed to achieve exactly what she had so far, knowing well that becoming Yasmeen would help her transcend the limitations of being Sanyukta.