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She nods her head, and I try my damnedest not to drag her to my room which is now supposed to be our room. With a heavy heart, I leave my wife behind as I walk towards the door. I am about to turn the knob when her voice stops me.
“Ranveer?”
I turn around to look at her. She gazes at me, her appearance so ethereal, that the thoughts I am trying to keep at bay overflow. It’s impossible for me to hold back. I really want to pull her in my arms and kiss the hell out of her.
“Thanks.” She says in her timid voice as she moves a strand of her hair behind her ears. Just one word from her lips makes my heart gallop in my chest. I know the fact that she is not just thanking me for the room but for understanding her.
I gulp and nod my head. “Good night, Sweetheart,” I say as I step out of the room, closing the door behind me, fighting not to barge in through the door and crush her into my arms.
I take a deep breath. Damn! She looked so gorgeous in the saree, wearing the wedding chain and vermilion on her forehead, which has marked her as mine.The need for her to belong to me in every sense of the word, is almost crippling. I wanted to consummate our marriage.I crave her with an intensity that makes my gut ache. As of now, it is good enough that she is here with me under the same roof. For the time being, this will have to be enough. Forcing her to give more than she is willing to, would make things complicated and worse for both of us. She needs to be treasured, loved, and respected. If nothing else, I can give her at least this much. I am determined to be the one who she pins her faith on. What I want is my wife to trust me. I want to protect her and be the person she turns to when she needs something, or if she wants to confide in somebody.In short, I need her to be addicted to me.
???
After having a long cold shower and changing into my track pants, I lie on the bed. The window to a balcony is open, allowing a cool night breeze to fill the room which usually has a calming effect on me. But to my utter disappointment, today it is not helping to soothe my troubled heart. I am so damn irritated, battling with the irrational desire to be with my wife. I try to ruminate that giving her this space is the right thing which will help me build our relationship but this is turning out to be the most difficult thing. This is one of those promises that I am going to have a tough time abiding. The only thoughts in my mind are about the different ways to eradicate this distance.
A grin curves up my face as I think back to the first time when I laid eyes on her. I knew right then that she is incredible. Ever since then, all I have ever wanted is to be with her.
Now I know what happiness looks like; it looks likeher. It has her angel face, her sweet voice, her gentle hands, her silky hair, and more than anything else, her kind heart. This sense of completeness has engulfed me. Merely thinking about her makes me feel content in a strange way, even though we are yet to cross the hurdles between us. It may take time, though I’ll make sure we reach there someday soon.
Yeah, I am aware I can’t take our relationship lightly. It will take work to convince Alisha. But I know that in the end, I will find a way to set things. And there is zero doubt that it will be worth the effort. No challenge will scare me. She is worth everything. I will do everything to prove to her that she is the only one for me.
“Alisha’s place is by my side. There is no place I would rather want her to be than in my embrace,”I mumble, staring at the ceiling. Yet I couldn’t seal the relationship on our wedding night, because I prioritised putting her wishes before mine, which is so unlike me. If I hadn’t walked out that very second, I would have found it impossible to resist her and would have made love to her on our wedding night.
Fully alert, I listen carefully if I can hear any sound from Alisha’s room or her voice, but all I hear is night noises, the ticking of the wall clock, and a slight breeze, before I drift to sleep. I intend to dream of a life in which I do not have to stay apart from my wife even for a single second!
Chapter 16
Alisha
I wake up to the sunrise peeking through the dark curtains, which look unfamiliar to me. In a moment, a stream of thoughts infects me. The realisation finally begins to dawn on me. I am no more Alisha Kapadia; I am Mrs Alisha Ranveer Seth now. This day is the start of a life-long journey. It’s only a stepping stone. So far, it’s been smooth. I smile as I think about last night. The best gift any wife can ever get on her wedding night is her husband’s understanding, which Ranveer gave me with an open heart, with no questions asked in return.
Pushing the blanket away, I sit up on the bed and look at the wall clock. It’s seven in the morning.Is Ranveer awake or is he still sleeping? Shall I check on him?
Slipping out of the gigantic bed, I pop my head out of the bedroom door and see his room door locked. The silence that surrounds me suggests he must be still in bed. Silently closing the door behind me, I make my way to the bathroom.I step into the huge bathroom, which, by the way, is almost the same size as the room.I am not a superficial girl, still, I can’t help but appreciate the phenomenal interiors.White gleaming marble tiles give the appearance of glass. My eyes fall on the huge oval antique bathtub which further adds to the beauty.
Pulling my hair into a messy bun, I get on with my morning chores as I strip out of my clothes and turn on the shower. The hot water cascading down my body helps me relax my tired muscles, pumping some energy into me. Feeling relaxed, I turn off the shower, dry myself, and wrap a white fluffy towel around my body. Stepping out of the bathroom, I saunter to the closet, once again overwhelmed by the display of outfits. I pull out my long body-hugging maroon dress and don it.Once dressed, I comb my hair and let it loose. With a huff, I look in the full-length mirror to check my appearance. In spite of my outward calm, my insides feel as if reeling under the aftereffects of a storm. Before the doubts start creating havoc in my mind, I shut my eyes tightly. Ignoring the crunching feeling in my stomach, I decide to step out of the walk-in closet. I am about to walk to the door when my phone rings on the dresser. The screen reflects ‘Mom’ and I answer the call.
“Mom…”
“Baby, we miss you. You can’t imagine how empty the home feels without you.”
I smile hearing my mom’s voice. “I miss you too, Mom.”
“Sorry to call you this early but I wanted to remind you that you have to come home today for thepag pheraritual. Also, don’t forget to invite Ranveer to join us for dinner when he comes to pick you up.”
My heart starts to race. To all outward appearances, our marriage is quite normal. How do I tell Mom that Ranveer might not be comfortable following these rituals, which, I doubt he even regards? But I don’t voice out my dilemma.
“I will be there, Mom.”
“You will be here by noon?” she confirms.
I close my eyes and focus on my voice to make sure Mom doesn’t catch the hesitation and tremor that has suddenly surfaced out of nowhere. “Yes.”
“Can’t wait to meet you. Now go take care of your husband. I don’t want to hold you for long. I need to tend to my cranky husband here.” She chuckles as she hangs up the call.
Standing in this quiet room with no one looking, my emotions surface unwarranted. The careful pretence I managed to hold so far is threatening to crumble down. The eyes that were trying to appear optimistic are once again pooling with tears. Though before they roll down on my cheeks, I take in a deep breath and blow out.‘Steady yourself, Alisha. One thing at a time.’Somehow, I manage to get my emotions under control.
The reminder to ask Ranveer to join has me in a fix. I am not sure what I should do. Maybe once he is awake, I can run it by him and let him decide if it’s not too much of a hassle for him to come. After contemplating for a few minutes, I decide toexit the bedroom to fix some breakfast. Cooking always helps me to clear my mind and relaxes me. As I walk towards the kitchen, each step makes me realise I don’t belong here. It’s way out of my league. I doubt I can ever accustom myself to this kind of luxury. Entering the kitchen, I take a moment to admire the place, which seems to be right out of those glossy pages of an architecture magazine. Decorated in wooden and cream shades, it has every appliance I can ever think of; several of which might not even be used.
