by Anuj Tiwari
Unofficially Yours
Angira and Ved check into a hotel room late afternoon after roaming on the MG road. They will stay here for a day and then leave for Mumbai the next morning. Ved decides to throw a grand party next week. Arjun has been asked not to give excuses and join the celebrations.
‘What are you doing?’ Angira asks, taking the towel in her hand.
‘Watching other girls,’ Ved says in jest.
Ved is resetting the password of his Facebook and Gmail account.
‘If you can’t appreciate your girl, don’t look at others,’ Angira replies sarcastically.
‘The opposite is also true, right?’ Ved laughs.
He goes to the sent items of his email account and reads the mail which created a ruckus in his life. He deletes it and shuts down the laptop after changing the password.
‘Shut up now,’ Angira says, poking his waist. ‘What are you thinking?’ she asks him as he looks a little worried.
‘Nothing,’ Ved says, still wondering who could’ve sent this email. ‘Is this Iona? But how?’
‘Ved, may I ask one thing?’ Angira looks curious. Ved understands what she is going to ask and is prepared for it.
‘If you didn’t send me that email, then who did?’ she asks.
Though she is happy to have Ved back in her life, there are things she must know.
‘Anushka and Iona are coming on Saturday, you will get your answer then,’ Ved says confidently.
‘Promise?’
‘Promise.’
‘Never leave me. I truly love you and I can’t face a heartbreak again.’
Ved is lying on his stomach, when Angira comes and hugs him from the back.
‘Is this a good position?’ he says laughing.
‘I’ll kill you. Go away,’ she punches him on his shoulder and gets up.
‘I will come in ten minutes,’ she adds.
She wraps the red towel around her neck and walks off to the bathroom. She is wearing a white shirt.
‘Red and white suit you,’ he says, looking at her.
She hoots and continues, ‘And you are wearing white again.’
‘That’s my lucky shirt,’ he unbuttons his shirt.
‘You are insane!’ She whips him with the towel.
He takes her in his arms, ‘Where do you think you are going?’ He kisses her on her cheeks.
‘To take a bath. You must get ready too Mr Ved, since you are taking me out for dinner,’ she releases herself.
Angira opens her handbag and eagerly searches inside for something. Ved has other plans. He pulls her back onto the bed and holds her tightly his arms.
‘O-o, my stomach,’ she screams jovially. ‘What are you doing, Ved?’
‘Come in my arms,’ he grabs her in his arms and rolls down in bed.
‘Let me go!’
‘Not today,’ he kisses her gently. ‘What are you thinking?’
‘Nothing,’ Angira smiles.
She wishes to forget the nightmare she has had to live through in the last few weeks and wishes to spend her time with Ved without any distractions.
‘By the way, I have something for you,’ she says, surprising Ved.
‘Oh really, what is that?’ he looks at her with affection.
‘So, you won’t let me go take a bath?’ Angira repeats.
‘You look sexier when you are dirty,’ he slowly tickles her navel.
‘Oh please, it’s too cheesy a line,’ she tries to release herself and when she can’t, she surrenders, throwing the towel to the other side of the bed and hugging him tightly.
‘Ah, leave me, I want to show you something,’ Angira opens her backpack on the bed and takes out a box. Ved releases her, curious as to what could be in that box. His mind is racing with possibilities.
‘Is it something related to the email she received?’ he wonders. ‘Or is it something that Arjun or Anushka gave her?’
While she is taking the time to open the long cylindrical box, these unfounded thoughts flood his mind. ‘What is it?’ he asks.
‘Hold on for a minute, you don’t have patience. How will you play on the ground?’ she says like an expert.
Girls always have an advice on everything for everyone.
‘I am confident on the field, not like the game I played when you came to watch.’ Ved still remembers how arrogantly he played and lost the game when Angira came to watch his match for the first time. That was an embarrassing moment for him.
‘Great things take a little time,’ she says smiling.
‘Now, don’t be like Arjun,’ Ved knows who speaks like this all the time.
Laughing out loud, she says, ‘You know that?’
‘I know him all too well,’ Ved replies.
‘But I like his thoughts and opinions on things,’ opening the box, she takes out a bottle from it.
‘So do I. We had quite a few arguments over the call. I am waiting to see how he will respond when we meet. Now, don’t distract me and tell me what’s in this bottle,’ he asks, sitting up to inspect the bottle properly.
She sits comfortably on the bed, adjusting herself in Ved’s arms. He is holding her from the back and his chin is resting on her shoulder. He gently runs his fingers over her neck. She looks at him from the side and kisses him on his cheek.
‘By the way, before opening this you need to follow these steps,’ pointing to the note hanging from the neck of the bottle.
‘Is this some kind of precautionary warning?’ Ved enquires.
The bottle has hundreds of small colourful thermocol balls and a message on a scroll tied to it with a red ribbon. It is capped with a golden fabric which is tied-up with the same red ribbon.
He holds the note that is hand-made. He starts reading it:
We both enjoyed drinks at many occasions; we kissed passionately after drinking and shared the same bed. We had many colourful moments. Today, I am giving you this empty bottle with a few words, and I hope you accept it. These colourful small balls signify those moments we shared and a special message that you can’t open right now. So keep it safely and wait for the special moment. I know it’s tough but the wait adds to the pleasure ;). Maybe I’ll ask you to open this on our first wedding night. I love you.
‘I love you too,’ he grabs her tightly. ‘But it’s not fair that you won’t let me open it.’
‘There should be something interesting on our first night after wedding. So you will have to wait patiently until we get married,’ she says, winking at him.
‘You don’t have to worry about that. There are many things we can do to make our nights interesting and exciting,’ he turns her on the bed.
‘Oh, really?’ she asks.
‘This man is a player, both on and off ground.’
‘That’s impressive, but I want your trust and belief; your love, care and respect; I want more thrilling and exciting acts of love,’ Angira says, looking serious.
Ved takes the conversation ahead, ‘Would you allow me to show my skills?’
Now they are sitting face to face holding hands. Ved presses her lips with his thumb. Angira cannot control her feelings any longer.
‘Is this thrill really required?’ she asks.
‘Yes, I like to try new and different things. Have you ever dreamt of kissing someone wildly?’ Ved asks. Angira is looking at the table clock. It shows 5.55 p.m.
‘Hey, hey, make a wish! It’s 5.55!’ Angira suddenly tells him.
‘Why, what is that? You are so crazy.’
‘Make a wish, make a wish; it’s all five in a series.’
He pretends to make a wish, because he doesn’t believe in these things. Maybe he has saved his wishes for another day. However, Angira wishes for something and pretends as if she hasn’t.
‘Someone passed a comment when I had once made a similar wish,’ he looks at her and reminds her of the day when Angira came to his place and they shared the glass of wine and some chocolate brownie he had made for her.
&nb
sp; She is overwhelmed. It happens when people are precious to us; even superstitions that we dismissed earlier draw our attention and belief. Ved reaches over to kiss her.
‘No, this won’t be an easy task for you. But, this night would be different from others. I promise.’
‘You are so confident, hmm?’ Ved seems bewildered now.
Angira puts her hands on his cheeks and kisses him.
She reaches for his ear and murmurs, ‘By the way, you know what I dream and read in books?’ She blows softly into his ear just to tease him.
‘Do you know me?’ Ved asks.
‘You are different from me—your work, your thinking and your passion. It’s true I still don’t know many things about you, but yes, I do trust that you won’t leave me.’
Angira gently releases herself from his arms and lies down on the bed. She looks up, thinking of something. Tilting her head slightly towards Ved, she presses her lips and then closes her eyes.
‘What happened,’ he murmurs.
She carries on, ‘I have missed you so much. I love you more than anything. I don’t want to lose you again. It scares me.’
‘Are you trying to kiss me?’ she asks.
For some moments, Ved doesn’t even move. He is lost in her beauty.
‘Should I kiss her?’ Ved thinks, looking at those lips which demand something from him.
He comes close to her to feel her warmth. She remains silent, but her lips are still quivering.
‘Don’t ever leave me,’ she murmurs softly.
‘I’m always with you,’ he promises her.
‘I love you,’ she assures him.
‘I love you too.’
‘Where are you going?’ Ved asks her as she crawls out of bed and takes the bottle that Ved had left on the table.
‘Angira, come here please. I want to hug you,’ Ved doesn’t let her go.
‘I want you to open this,’ she says, holding out the bottle to him.
‘But you told me to open this on our first night after the wedding,’ Ved says, taking the bottle from her.
She seems sure and a little uncertain at the same time.
‘Because it’s the right time and I want you to open this,’ Angira repeats herself.
‘Are you sure?’ he asks her.
‘Very much,’ she smiles.
This day will be remembered by both of them. This is a rare gift. Curious, he begins to unwrap the gift.
‘What if she has written something special for me? What’s in the letter?’
Ved becomes impatient. As soon as he opens the bottle, the room starts to small of a fragrant perfume.
‘You smell like…’ Angira was about to say something when she stops and instead says, ‘Now I can tell the difference between day and night.’
‘Opening your innerwear at night is easier than…’ Ved says.
She interrupts and says, ‘Yeah, which you take a few seconds to remove…’
Few thermocol balls fall on the bed while he takes the letter out of the bottle. Angira collects them in her palm, and patiently puts them back in the bottle.
I Am Who I Am, When I Am with You
He unties the ribbon, and as the letter rolls open, it gives out an intense fragrance of a rare sweet perfume. The note is written with sparkle, pens. Angira watches him closely as Ved acknowledges her efforts with a smile. He starts reading the letter.
To,
The most adorable and important person in my life,
Today is the most special day for us. I always wanted to love someone profoundly and you have given me the reason to do so.
I am not creative enough to give surprises like you do, but I always wanted to give you a precious and endearing gift since the day I fell in love with you. As the best things take time to come, I believe the time has come when I want to say something more.
This letter means a lot to me and this is the best way I found to surprise you.
You know when the first time I had gone through a heartbreak, it made me lose all hope about finding love again. I had started to feel as if I was good for nothing.
I don’t want to call it my second love, but when you came into my life, you taught me how to hope again. After meeting you, I realized that my second love is the person who will remain with me till the end of my life. You made Arjun’s words, about my past having no relevance in my future, come true. It was difficult for me, to trust anyone before you came into my life. Now I understand that falling in love again is better than anything else in the world. It is true that losing someone makes one vulnerable, but it also makes one stronger.
Everything seems possible when I am with you. In fact, I am me, the real me, when I am with you.
It is said that a girl belongs to another home as she has to leave everything—her family, friends and many more things—once she is married. However, all she carries are her memories, to begin a new chapter in her life.
With you by my side, I don’t wish to forget my family, friends and others, but yes, I want to grow old with you.
It is known that first love is about overwhelming emotions. The second tests our maturity. The third, however, is always a compromise.
Make me your second love, but also the last one, because with you I want to be my real self.
And I want you to love me tonight with no barriers, no boundaries.
Ved doesn’t say a word and takes her into his arms.
‘What are you doing?’ she says, laughing and shouting at the same time.
‘Just executing your wishes and making the most of tonight,’ he says, feeling blissful.
‘What are my wishes?’ she asks randomly, just to take his attention away from the mischievous things she had mentioned in the letter.
‘Let me tell you with my actions.’
‘Don’t get turned on, I was suppose to take a bath and you…’ she gets up.
Ved pulls her back into the bed.
‘Let me go, after my bath…’ Angira doesn’t complete her words, but her eyes convey her wishes.
Ved holds her hand.
‘Leave me.’
‘No.’
‘Let me go.’
‘No.’
‘Please…’
‘No.’
She gives up and kisses him. Their eyes meet, and they are transported to another world.
She gets on top of him and runs her hand over his chest, kissing him passionately.
‘Are you wild?’ Ved asks.
‘Be quiet,’ Angira says as Ved slowly kisses her neck.
He knows he is living a dream with open eyes.
‘Baby, go down,’ he mumbles.
‘Wait! Let me love you,’ she utters softly.
Ved is running his hand through her hair. He has never felt this before.
‘Go down.’
‘Hmm…’
They have done this before, but having been apart for so long sparks intense passion and love between them.
‘I have never done that before,’ she says, looking at him once more. ‘First close the window.’
‘Okay,’ Ved gets up to close the window and draw the curtains. The room is a little darker now. Ved comes back to bed and on his way takes something out from his bag and puts it under the pillow before Angira can see it. Angira moves aside and he lies down next to her. They hug each other and then Ved pulls up her shirt a little bit.
‘Remove this,’ Ved says.
Angira raises her hands and he takes her shirt off and throws it to the other side of the bed. Ved reaches down her thighs and with his every kiss on her body, she feels ecstatic and is not afraid to show it. Ved runs his hand down her stomach and she grips his hand tightly.
‘No, Ved…’
‘Remove this.’ Ved pulls down her pant as she opens the buttons and unzips it. He then unhooks her bra. She looks conscious and nervous, and stops.
‘What are you doing?’
Ved doesn’t speak and releases her.
Angira removes his
shirt as he goes down on her. Unable to control her excitement, she sits on him and starts kissing his chest. It seems she has taken the reins and Ved is just mesmerized and spellbound watching this new side of her. He can’t wait any longer and pulls her down onto the bed. She tries to push his hand away but surrenders to his will. His hand reaches under the pillow.
‘What are you doing?’
Ved doesn’t respond and takes out the condom from under the pillow.
‘No,’ she says, easily guessing what it is. ‘We’re not going to do this. I am nervous. This is not the right time.’
‘I am not going to have sex,’ Ved says, holding the condom in his hand.
‘Then what are you going to do with it?’ she asks him.
‘Last time, I had wet your clothes and your bed too. So this is just to keep everything clean and clear,’ he gives it to her.
‘Okay,’ she takes it and tears the pack with her teeth.
Ved wants to use it because they are both on the edge and he wants to be prepared.
‘You are crazy, you know that?,’ Angira spanks him.
He ignores it and grabs her bosom. Angira feels like a bride on her honeymoon night. Ved is in seventh heaven. She runs her hand through his hair and kisses his forehead. Ved feels the softness of her body and she closes her eyes. Ved pushes her back on the bed and kisses her softly. They hold each other like this for hours. Angira climbs on Ved, and unfasting her bra entangled around his knees, she goes down on him.
It’s time for Ved to turn her around. This time he goes down on her, kissing every inch of her body. He can literally taste the sweetness of this moment. Angira feels a current passing through her body. He can feel her respond to every touch of his. Her toes are tingly, their heart rate is really high, and they can’t focus on anything other than the sensations that are rushing through their bodies. He takes control and starts stroking till her last moan. She gives her best by locking him in her legs. She is wild now, and doesn’t let him stop. She is warm and covered in sweat. All of a sudden his muscles relaxed and then he feels too sensitive to be touched anymore. They cuddle for some time in bed.
‘I don’t want to go,’ confesses Ved.
‘Hey listen, why don’t you move in with me?’