" I fell in love like you fall asleep, slowly at first then all at once."

Jia's POV

" So, How was last night ?" Rohit nudged me.

He had a mischievous grin plastered on his face. I so wanted to slap that grin out of his face.

" Too good." I told him. He must have smelled the sarcasm in my voice, so he started to laugh out loud. I huffed and went straight to my cabin.

He followed me like a puppy and sat by my side. His eyes were searching for something on me, I guess. He was constantly gazing me, time and again.

" So, Ishaan didn't say you. I mean, he didn't say you anything at all." He asked me, looking at me suspiciously and stressing his every words.

" Oh yes, Shall I tell you?" I fake blushed, in the first place it wasn't blush at all, it was my raw anger.

" I would love to hear, if you wish to tell." He told between his trail of laughter.

By now, Mishka and Ronnie joined us. Like excited kids, they all sat rounding me. I wondered, 'if I came to work in my cabin or to tell these milk toothed children about my first night chronicles.'

" I was sitting in the flower decored bed, claded in my red lehenga and golden ornaments. My heart was beating like that of a sprinting athelete, and my mind was wondering on how he would lift me up in his arms, and please me." I started narrating the story while standing up as if it was gonna receive the world literature prize. I don't know, if that exists even.

" Why did you stop ? " Rohit asked, his chin resting on the back of his hand.

" Swiftly, the door knob was twisted. He softly approached me and..." I halted to see their reactions.

" Continue ... Why are behaving like wattpad writers, who love to end their chapters with cliffhangers." Mishka shouted like a cranky baby.

" Ok, then he came forward, his each step was giving my heart several shivers." I took a pause as my phone pinged with a message.

" You, please complete it and then, engage yourself with that damn phone." Rohit pleaded.

" He went to the cupboard and opened it. He took out his clothes from the shelf, then rushed to the bathroom. He came out and started to move out of the room. I followed him. 'I have a concert today', he said and left me alone in the room." I told them, and they had a bitter face.

" He told you this. Wait a minute,where did he go yesterday night? As far I know, he didn't have any concert yesterday." Rohit spelled out.

" No, I even don't know." Ronnie agreed.

I huffed and sat on my chair. Then an idea popped into my mind.

" Why don't you ask him, Rohit?" I asked him. I smirked and he returned it.

Ishaan's POV

Encapsulated by the sacred sanskrit verses of the priest, I filled her hair partition with the vermillion of my name.

Her elation was on top, and the gleam in her bright brown orbs gave it all. Her viel was uplifted and I tied the nuptial chain around her neck, marking her mine.

Moving round and round the fire for seven times, I took up my foremost responsibility to love her, to cherish her, to respect her, to endown her with ecstacy, and to grace her with the fruit of our love.

We were pronounced as husband and wife. I was hooked by the glow gleaming on her countenance. I was much more overwhelmed to know that, it was because of me.

She entered our house following the rituals.

Mom asked Sona Bhabhi to guide her to the guest room as per customs. But, her response startled me. How could she say that aloud?, I smacked her head in my imagination.

But, the way she escaped after she realised what she spilled out, was hillarious. Bhai and Bhabhi were in full on teasing mode from then.

A day passed in a haste and the reception went on and on with the guests arriving and exiting every now and then.

It was our first night. But, I didn't want to step ahead to the next destination of our wedding with our messed up life. So, I came out of the house, giving the excuse of a concert.

But, alas! the strong intensity of cold waves forced me to go back home. That was when I remembered, Maa locked me out.

I climbed up the water pipeline to reach my balcony. Literally, Perks of having a balcony in the room.

As I went inside and saw my dear wifey curled up in the bed. I changed into shorts and vest.

" Now, where to sleep ?" I thought.

" Boy, now sleep beside your wife, let's continue the drama after you wake up." My inner self suggested me.

I ardently followed my inner man's advice, and slept beside her. As I pulled the comforter to my side, I saw her in my white shirt.

She hugged herself more due to chilling cold, I pulled her more to me and wrapped the blanket over us. She was sleeping on me . I collected a bunch of her hair and swept it to the other side. She was looking ravishing.

The vermilion I did put on her hairline was shining brightly, presenting my authority on her in every way. Our bare foot were against each other, and it felt amazing to have her in my embrace.

I was taken back to that night we spent together, when she was drunk, when we shared our first kiss.

" Will you kiss me again, darling?" I asked her but she was soundly asleep. I pouted at her, when I realised no one was there to see my pout, I gave up pouting. I had a strong urge to hug her tight and snuggle more into her, if that was possible.

The dim lights of the candle and the flower scented curtails and bed sheets caressed my senses. I pecked her lips and slept.

As I woke up, she was not in the bed. A while later, she moved out of the bathroom in my bathrobe. She stood infront of the mirror, and applied vermillion.

I still pretended as if I was asleep. She brought her clothing for the day, and started to get ready over there.

She was rubbing moisturizer in her body, being only in a towel. Then, she pulled up the blouse to wear it, while rounding the towel around her waist. She was using the hair dryer to dry up her wet hair .

Suddenly, the towel dropped on the floor, and my eyes widened. She was standing infront of the mirror in her shorts and blouse only, and was trying hard to tie the knot.

I covered my face with the blanket to not see the scene displaying infront of me and shut my virgin eyes.

In the meanwhile, Maa knocked on our door. Jia turned towards the door and that was when she saw me gawking at her. She ran to the bathroom.

A second later, she again returned, lifted the saree and ran back to the bathroom. I opened the door, to see Maa grinning at me.

" What took you so long? I have been knocking since ages." She told me.

" No, Maa. I was sleeping." I replied.

" Wait, When did you return home? And how?" She asked me and I answered her honestly about how I climbed the pipe to reach my room.

" I knew it, " She told and went away while laughing.

Jia came out of the room, fully dressed in a light pink ruffle saree with floral designs, that looked amazing on her. I kept looking at her.

She promptly directed her hands towards her chest as if she was naked. I smirked at that and took steps towards her.

I swiftly took out the towel from her desk and went towards the bathroom. Yes, the same towel that she was wearing a while ago. My cheeks turned into ripe red mangoes, at the very thought. We were eating breakfast, but I didn't find her anywhere. So I asked Bhabhi about her and she told me that she has left for hospital for an emergency.

" Ishaan, now please don't climb the pipelines of the hospitals to get a sight of your wife. Have some patience , man." Bhabhi told me in a serious tone and all the members of the family started laughing.

" Maa", I knew that she would have shared everything about last night with others.

I left the house for office, after stomping my feet. I was on my way, when I saw the hospital where she works, I decided to talk with her and sort out our relationship.

I parked my car and went inside, as I was about to reach out her cabin, I heard her giggling. I peeped into her cabin and saw her hugging a man.

They were too close to my liking. Without wasting a second, I stormed out of the hospital and set out for my office. My blood was boiling inside my veins.

As soon as, I reached my cabin I shut the door from inside with a 'Do not disturb' tag on the door.

I opened my secret room and brooded for a while on the twists and turns, my life has taken till now and are yet to take.

Seeing her today with another man cleared my feelings for her, that is I still love her more than my life and I can't afford to lose her.

I opened the door, and saw the phone displaying 6 missed calls from Rohit.
I gave him a call, and he received within half a ring like a desperate dog.

" What is this 'Do not disturb' thing doing here?" He asked.

" Yes, My cabin, my wish. What's your problem ?" I replied nonchalantly.

" So ?" He barged in my cabin like he owned it and asked me after putting his hand on my arms.

" What?" I replied, confused.

" Come on, Don't behave like you don't know what I'm asking about?" He smirked and I frowned at how irritating he was being.

" Please explain. I have more important works to do, than to solve your riddles."

" If you want me to say it, then How was the first night ?" I chocked on air on his blatant question and he forwarded me a glass of water with a smirk.

" So, Speak it out." He said.

" It was amazing. Try once, to get an idea on how it feels." I replied patting his back.

" What? Amazing ?" He said and went away.

" Are you sure you were with your wife?" He turned and asked again. I irritatedly threw a bag at him, which he dodged.

The day went by with no more funs, and then I came back home. It was evening by now.

As I reached home, I saw Maa and Bhabhi pacing around the hall worriedly.

" Why are you both tensed?" I asked.

" Actually, Jia hasn't reached home yet. " She replied.

" She must be coming back. Maa, Don't worry. " I assured them.

" The thing is I called her two hours ago and she was about to leave for home but see, she still has not reached home. That too, it is raining like anything. Even, her phone is switched off. " Bhabhi told me.

I was getting tensed, on where she possibily could go. After 15 minutes or so, our eyes disturbed hearing the clicking sound of someone's heel. I moved my eyes to that direction to see Jia.

She was completely drenched in rain from head to toe, and her saree was dropping water, that did wet the floor. The blazer wrapped around her body caught my eyes. That was not mine, not even her's. Then whose ?

Maa and Bhabhi reached her and asked how it all happened. Suddenly, a man entered through the main gate. He touched Maa and Bhabhi's feet.

" Sorry I couldn't recognise you, beta?" My mother asked.

He smiled and replied, " Aunty, I am Jia's college friend and your best friend's son. Now, guess who I am?"

" Oh, how can I forget Mr. Surfraaz Mehta, so how's your married life ?" She squealed and hugged him.

" What to say now, you know in which circumstance we got married. But I am grateful that she didn't kick me out of my own room. Nothing much.But, I love her the way she is." He said with a slight smile on his face.

" Ok. Take care." He said and left, not before smacking her head.

I was just observing them standing at a corner, grinding my teeth. As Maa said, I guided her inside my room.

" Uhm, Actually my car broke down in the middle of the road, so Surfraaz gave me a lift." She said out of nowhere.

" Yes, but why are you saying me all this? Go and change." I retorted.

" I need to because you are my husband and you have the right to know about my whereabouts." She reasoned out.

" Of course, I am such a husband, whose wife doesn't trust him enough to give a phone call if she is struck in the rain on a wrecked car." I laughed. I knew I was losing my temper, so I left the room to give her some privacy.

" Ishaan." She called back but I single mindedly went out.

I sat on the small garden in the backside of our house in the midst of the dark evening with loneliness accompanying me. The slow sound of the tossing trees and the swirl of the wind with that melody of the water canal, that directed into our lawn extinguished my rage.

I went back home and saw everyone had already had dinner. I had the dinner and went back to my room.

As I twisted the knob, I saw her sleeping on the bed. Her body was trembling like a leaf. I went near her, her whole body was trembling with fever. It was already midnight. So, I decided against disturbing Maa or Bhabhi.

" Jia." I called her slowly, removing the blanket over her. As my finger brushed the skin of her bare waist, I realised it was boiling hot. I took the thermometer and checked the temperature to be 105°F .

" Did you have your dinner?" I asked while caressing her cheeks, sitting by her side. I saw her hair was completely wet. I took out her dryer from the drawer and dried her hair, not before placing her in my lap.

I was about to leave for kitchen to bring something for her, she clutched my hand tightly and cried holding my hand near her chest.

" No" She said with teary eyes.

" I am not going anywhere, I will just come from the kitchen." I kissed her forehead and came out of the room.

After I reached kitchen, I cooked Gajar Suji Halwa and then made Gajar kheer ( carrot pudding) as I thought she would feel it difficult to eat dry halwa only. I took a tumbler and poured hot milk on it.

I arranged everything on the serving tray. I fed her by my hands, while she was sitting on me. I was about to place her back on the bed, but she clinged on me like a koala bear. I carried her in my arms and the plates on the other, and went to the kitchen.

I brought hot water in a bowl and a cloth while returning, carrying her. I placed her in the bed and strolled towards the bathroom. She again took hold of my hand.

" Jia, I will go to bathroom." I reasoned out.

" I will come." She spoke in her low voice. I saw her in disbelief.

" What?"

" I want to use the restroom." she spoke up with difficulty, I sighed in relief and nodded.

After she did her business, I changed my clothes. I saw her lying on the bed with eyes wide open. I sat by her side after wrapping her with blanket, slid a pair of soaks in her feet and kept the wet cloth on her forehead.

" Not getting any sleep?" I asked her and she nodded slowly. Her body was still trembling.

" You stole my sleep, and not getting your sleep. Such a sleep thief you are ! " I teased her, she smiled slightly though she was ill. To sooth her mind, I got an idea.

" Pal-pal dil ke paas tum rehti ho
Pal-pal dil ke paas tum rehti ho
Jeevan meethi pyaas yeh kehti ho
Pal-pal dil ke paas tum rehti ho".

{ Every moment you stay by my side,
Every moment you stay by my side,
You say life is a beautiful thrist,
Every moment you stay by my side.}

I started singing softly with the karaoke of that song playing on my phone by my side. She looked at me intently.

Har shyam aankhon par tera aanchal lehraye
Har raat yaadon ki baarat le aaye
Main saans leta hoon, teri khushboo aati hai
Ek mehka-mehka sa paigaam laati hai
Meri dil ki dhadkan bhi tere geet gaati hai."

{Every evening, the trail of your saree flutter fore me,
Every night it brings uncountable memories,
When I inhale , I am greeted by your smell.
It brings up a sweetly scented message,
My heart too sings the glory of your beauty.}

I caressed her hair and massaged her palms with my thumb so, she could get some sleep.

"Kal tujhko dekhaa tha maine apne aangan mein
Jaise keh rahee thi tum "mujhe baandh lo bandhan mein"
Ye kaisaa rishtaa hai? ye kaise sapne hain?
Begaane ho kar bhi kyun lagte apne hain?
Main soch mein rehta hoon, dar-dar ke kehtaa hoon"

{ I saw you yesterday in my corridor,
Like you were saying me ' bound me with you' .
What are these relations? What are these dreams?
Why you seem to be mine when you aren't?
I stay in my thoughts and say it fearfully.}

As I saw her side, she was soundly asleep. I kissed her hair, and kept doing my ongoing work until sleep took me away. It was two hours or so, as I turned my side to see her, I was horrified.

" Oh shit!"

Hey guys,
Hope you are fine. Take care.

How was their short caring and carrying scene?😎

What happened at last? 😒

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Thank you so much for reading ❤️😀

Take care and love you all. ~♥~

Love,
Biswa❤️