*KNOCK KNOCK*
Both Ram and Priya opened their eyes instantly.
"Yaar! Kaun hai ye. Main chain se apne biwi ke sath time bhi spend nahi kar sakta kya? Ajeeb musibat hai yaar!" said Ram almost angrily.
Priya chuckled at Ram's exasperation. "Ab chodiye mujhe aur darwaza kholne dijiye"
"Nahi. Jaane do. Nahi kholenge toh wo apne aap chale jayenge."
"Aur woh daadi hui toh? Kaisa lagega Mr.Kapoor-" and before she could finish Ram let go off her and turned to get his ringing BlackBerry. Her smile vanished. She didn't think he'd let go off her so soon. She would've liked him to insist a little longer before letting go. She walked outside to the door and opened it.
"Bhabhi aap aa gayi aur mujhse mili bhi nai!" said Rishabh and walked in. Ram was on the phone in the dressing room.
"Sorry Rishabh main aane hi wali thi. Thodi si thak gayi thi isliye fresh hokar dadi aur tumse milne neeche aane hi wali thi." said Priya happy to see Rishabh.
"Kaisi hain aap? Main itna khush hoon aapko dekh kar na bhabhi. Maine aapko bada miss kiya"
"Kyu? Phir se kahin Akanksha se jhagda toh nahi ho gaya? Ab salaah lene aye ho?" laughed Priya.
"Nahi bhabhi" grinned Rishabh. "Vaise aapne bhai ko bataya toh nahi na Akanksha ke bare mein?"
"Nahi nahi. Woh tumse sunenge toh better hoga hain na?"
"Haan behtar hai. Vaise bhi unki shikayat hai ki main unse baat hi nahi karta jab se aap ayi hain." laughed Rishabh "Theek hain toh bhabhi aap neeche aa rahi hai na, neeche baat karte hai." Said Rishabh as he began to walk towards the door.
"Arre nahi Rishabh main thodi si thak gayi hoon. Thodi der so kar aa jaungi." said Priya to make an excuse to spend time with Ram. All she wanted to do was be with him. Sit, talk, hold hands.
"Oh koi baat nahi bhabhi. Aap aaram kar lijiye. Phir aaiye" smiled Rishabh as he turned to leave "Bhai! Kya aap phone par lage ho? Bhabhi ghar aa gayi hai aur aap phone par ho?" said he when saw Ram walk into the room.
Priya turned to look at him and a smile made its way on her lips. Just like that. It was strange how every single time she looked at him it felt like the first time. J
"Zaroori kaam tha Rishabh. Tu kya kar raha hai?" asked Ram.
"Nahi main bhabhi ko neeche bulane aya tha. Lekin unhone bahana bana diya neeche na aane ka taki aapke sath unhe waqt mile" laughed Rishabh teasingly like he had the first time Priya had come to Ram's room after the Grah-Pravesh and they were in the dressing room when he had to come and call them downstairs because dadi had asked him to. Even then he had caught them romancing. "It is always fun to tease them about it especially because they deny it and then shy away" he thought to himself.
Priya squeezed her eyes shut and blushed at being caught.
"Arre aisi koi baat nahi hai" said Ram. "Vaise bhi mujhe abhi phone aya hai office se and mujhe nikalna hoga."
Priya looked at him sternly. She didn't want him to go. She wouldn't have objected otherwise but this was just too much. She longed, absolutely yearned to spend time with him and he was going to go away now. She was beginning to lose patience.
"Chal Rishabh main neeche aati hoon." she said.
"Arre bhabhi...main mazak kar raha tha. Rukiye aap idhar hi."
"Nahi...woh...woh mujhe dadi se bhi milna hai. Bahut din ho gaye." and she walked out of the room without giving Ram another look. He stood there with a half open mouth staring after her. He knew she was angry with him but this wasn't something he could help.
A few hours later Ram called Priya up from office.
"Haan ji? Main bol rahi hoon."
"Oh! Dadi ke sath baithi ho?" chuckled Ram. Now he knew she'd HAVE to talk to him.
"Ji, ji." fake-smiled Priya while nodding her head dramatically.
"Acha toh iska matlab hain ki tum mujhpar gussa nahi ho sakti"
"Ji? Nai ji. Aisi koi baat nahi hai." said Priya almost through gritted teeth.
"HAHAHA! Acha suno na..."
"Haan ji boliye ji."
"Mujhe kiss karo na..." teased Ram.
"Ji?! Toh phir main phone rakhu?"
"Acha okay, okay! Maine sirf yahi batane ke liye phone kia tha ki aaj pitaji ke bade purane dost ke bte James ki shadi hai sham main. Main janta hoon tum mere sath upset ho lekin inhone phone karke bahut insist kia hai. Aur ye dadi se bahut close the. Toh who chahte hai ki dadi aur hum sab aaye."
"Ji? Koi...koi baat nai ji. Main dadi ko keh dungi. Aap gadi bhej dijiye ji hum aa jayenge. Okay?"
"Okay. Bhej deta hoon. I miss you Priya."
"Ab main rakhoon phone? Okay ji."
They arrived at the Christian wedding that evening. It was magnificent! It was a lavish party. Extravagant in the dresses and the feast to say the least. It was on a made-up beach as the bride had wished and fervently prayed for. It was beautiful, just like in the movies! As they said their hellos to everybody Priya's eyes kept wandering off in search of Ram. She had decided she wouldn't talk to him. She wanted so badly for him to stay with her but he left, didn't he?!
"...hai na Priya?" asked Daadi.
"Haan? Haan dadi." replied Priya. She was so distracted she hadn't heard a word of what dadi said. Her eyes wouldn't stop looking for Ram, her heart wouldn't stop saying his name.
All of a sudden a ball was announced and people were asked to step onto the dance floor. Ram started looking for Priya.
"Sir, can I please dance with you" smiled a lady.
"Oh no, I was just looking for my wi-"
"Sir, please? I've been following your work and I'm your biggest fan. I aspire to be a business woman like you someday. Please dance with me for a couple of minutes so I can go back home and brag that I got to dance with The Ram Kapoor? Please?" she smiled yet again and Ram finally agreed.
On the other side Priya had started to get angry with him even more. Was he not going to come at all? Was he not going to make it because he was caught up at work? Why hadn't he called her? She was not going to call him, she was angry with him. But why didn't he call her?
"May I dance with you Mrs. Kapoor?" asked Mr. Desai. She had begun to refuse when her eyes fell on Ram dancing with who seemed like a pretty girl. She was shocked! And bugged. And irritated. She immediately accepted his offer and walked right next to Ram before she started dancing. The girl dancing with Ram kept asking him questions about his work and he kept answering them when he spotted Priya draped in a deep red saree. She had worn her hair the same way she had to Natasha's fashion show. She was dancing with Desai. And Desai smiled at Ram. Ram smiled back. He saw her face. She wasn't looking at him but he could clearly make out that she was fuming. Ah! So beautiful she looked. That red bindi adorning her face and a few strands of hair lying on her cheek. She had worn her hair the exact same way she had to Natasha's fashion show. He excused himself from the chattering lady and walked up to Desai and asked him if he could dance with his wife. "Sure sirJ" smiled Desai.
Priya turned to look at Ram. She was still angry and before she could think, do or say anything he had grabbed her by the waist and pulled her towards himself. Then snaked his arm all around her waist very slowly and took her right hand in his and began to move rhythmically to the music.
"Kiske sath dance kar rahe the? Kaun...kaun thi woh?" asked Priya jealously. He couldn't help but laugh at her jealousy. She looked so cute!
"Pata nahi. Bus usne poocha dance ke liye aur use kuch work related questions poochne the"
"Haan aap baatein kijiye anjaan ladkiyon ke sath. Aur main aapka intezaar karti baithu? Aapko zara bhi dhyan nahi raha Mr. Kapoor ki Priya bhi ayi hai main jake use mil lu aisa bilkul nahi laga?"
"Arre mujhe kaise pata tum log aa gaye ho? Mujhe laga ki jab tum log pahunchoge mujhe phone kar doge ki hum pahunch gaye hai. Main intezaar kar raha tha tumhare phone ka."
"Aap kuch mat boliye!" said Priya angrily and walked away from him towards a little water pond. He followed her,
"Arre I'm sorry Priya! Main janta hoon aaj pehli bar tum chahti thi ki main office ka kaam taal kar ruku tumhare sath. Lekin it wasn't possible. Hota toh main khud hi nahi ruk jata? Tum batao?"
"Main kuch nahi janti! Main humesha koshish karti rehti hoon ki main zyada se zyada aapke sath rahun. Lekin aap! Aapko toh koi parvah hi nahi hai. Aaj main bus yehi chahti thi ki aaj ka ek, sirf ek din aap mere sath bitay. Aur aap! Aapko toh kuch waqt bitana nahi hota mere sath"
"Sach keh rahi ho tum. Tum humesha chahti ho tum mere sath raho. Aur main? Main meri toh bas itni si khwaish hai ki tum mere sath sirf do waqt mein raho? Sirf do kafi hai. Ek toh ABHI aur.."
"Aur?" asked Priya angrily.
"Aur doosra humesha humesha ke liye. Now and forever Priya, now and forever!"
She looked into his eyes. He didn't just say it. He meant it. This man could always do that to her. Make magic happen. He could make her heart skip a hundred beats. His smile could make anguish vanish. His eyes spoke volumes of all the love he felt for her. Every time he looked at her the way he was looking at her then, she felt weak in the knees. The corner of his lips twitched, quivering before they burst into a gorgeous smile illuminating the depth of his eyes. The way he looked at her, his gaze penetrating though and through her. She wanted to grab him. God, she couldn't have enough of him. She could keep looking into his eyes forever to come. She ran her fingers through his hair and they smiled at each other. That one smile of hers was like a missile thrown at Ram prompting a huge tug at the heartstrings. When he looked at her he could even forget breathing. She always took his breath away.
After moments of their magical eye-lock Priya pulled Ram toward herself and walked a few steps backward and pirouetted behind a huge wall and into a little dark alley (which Ram just about fit in). She brought her face closer to his without breaking the eye lock and took his lips in hers. She felt so content. Like, she had been waiting all day. Ram engulfed her in his arms. She was barely visible. He held her so close and so tight. She felt secure. She felt like, like she was home. This was where she belonged. She trailed the kiss down to his neck and bit him, he was surprised and reacted by squeezing her waist tightly...
A touch, soft and tender,
A whisper full of desire,
A gasp of sweet surrender,
As passion fuels fire...
...
"Arre kahan chale gaye the tum log? Menu chinta hone lag gayi thi."
"Nahi..woh...yehi par the dadi. Mr. Desai se baat kar rahe the hum..Aap..aap kahan thi?" said Priya nervously setting her saree right.
"Arre main thi apne dosto ke sath. Tujhe Kamla Mami yaad hai Golu? Who bhi ayi thi!" said dadi.
"Acha?" said Ram "Toh aapne khana khaya ya nahi?"
"Haan maine kha liya unhi ke sath. Tum logo ne- arre Golu puttar ye phir se allergy ho gayi tujhe gale par?" asked dadi worriedly pointing at his recently acquired love bite.
"Kya? Kaunsi aller-Oh yeh!" grinned Ram looking at Priya as she nervously looked around fumbling to say something. She flushed all the more when Ram winked at her. She had gone red half with embarrassment half by sheer blushing.
"Uhh..uh..haan uhm kya..kya hua...kya hua hai Mr. Kapoor..y-yahaan?" asked Priya praying he would stop teasing her.
"Haan yeh! Yeh kuch nahi dadi allergy vallergy nahi hai ye-" said Ram when Priya gave his hand a squeeze. "..ye machar ne kata hai." finished Ram.
"Machar ne? Itna bada kata?" asked dadi.
"Haan...bada "aggressive machar" thi- I mean tha dadi!" said Ram as Priya glared at him through a slight smile.
"Eh?! Kya, machar? Yahan toh koi machar nahi. Tu bahar gaya hoga. Koi baat nai machar hi hai na Golu puttar allergy toh nahi pichli bar ki tarah. Machar ke katne se kuch nahi hota." said dadi feeling relieved and turned to call Rishabh when Ram quietly whispered without looking at Priya,
"Machar ke katne se na dadi...kuch kuch hota hai ;)" and laughed with that ever-there glint of naughtiness in his eyes as Priya smiled and bit her lower lip blushing all the way to glory!
