Keerthi blinked her eyes open when she felt too warm. She opened her eyes to find herself in her husband’s embrace. They were cuddling, his one arm below Keerthi’s neck, cushioning it and the other on her waist, with Keerthi’s hand on Vikram’s chest, their legs tangled under the sheet.
Keerthi blushed. It was the first time she had been intimate with her husband. Though it felt new and a tad bit uncomfortable, she felt brilliant, on the whole, a warm feeling enveloping her after he respected her choice of not going further.
She sighed, though her husband’s embrace felt good, she felt hot. She raised her hand from under the blanket cocooning them, relishing when cold wind blew against her hand. Unknowingly, she felt her hand moving to her husband’s hair, brushing it away from his forehead.
When she caught a glimpse of Vikram frown, she retracted her hand quickly, keeping it in place.
Vikram opened his eyes, turning to his left when he felt a weight on his arm to find his wife in his embrace, smiling.
“Good morning”, Keerthi whispered.
“Morning”, Vikram yawned, glancing at the clock in his room.
Seven fifteen.
It was too early to wake up on a Saturday.
He closed his eyes again, feeling lazy to get up when he felt his wife moving around restlessly.
Keerthi tried getting up, to gently move away without disturbing Vikram, who seemed to go back to sleep. When she still couldn’t, she poked her husband’s arm.
“What?”, Vikram raised an eyebrow.
“Are you going to get up?”, Keerthi asked, eyeing their position.
“Not yet”, Vikram answered, shutting his eyes again, playing dumb.
Keerthi huffed, moving Vikram’s arm away from her waist when she suddenly shreiked.
Vikram pulled his wife on top of him.
“What are you doing?”, Keerthi exclaimed.
“Stop shouting”, Vikram reprimanded softly.
“Vik.. Vikram?”, Keerthi tried, her hands on her husband’s chest as she tried to get up.
“What?”, Vikram asked, his eyes still closed, though he locked his wife in his embrace, both of his arms going around her waist to hold in place.
Keerthi blushed, the position seemed too intimate.
“Let me go”, she said shyly.
“What an old line Keerthi?”, Vikram teased.
When Keerthi gave him a look, he continued,”Okay. Give me a kiss. I’ll let you go.”
Keerthi gaped at her husband, blushing.
She hadn’t expected him to be so verbal. They had only kissed last night for the first time.
“Come on”, Vikram encouraged, grinning at his wife.
“Vikram”, Keerthi whined.
“Okay then. Upto you”, Vikram shrugged, closing his eyes.
Keerthi’s palms started to sweat. She was okay with him kissing her, not her initiating it. She still didn’t have the guts to. Her heart was beating rapidly, almost on the verge of it being painful. She didn’t know if it was healthy for it to beat so fast.
Vikram opened his eyes after a few moments to see his wife in deep thought. He took pity on her. It must be new to her, so he squeezed her frame in his arms one time, and let her go.
Keerthi was confused when she felt her husband’s hold loosen.
“Don’t you want to go?”, Vikram grinned.
“I.. I’m going”, Keerthi said, running into the washroom, hearing her husband’s laughter.
Keerthi found her husband lounging on the bed when she came out, freshly showered. She saw him stand, walking towards his closet, as he went inside.
Keerthi breathed out a sigh of relief as she made way downstairs.
Then why was a tiny part of her disappointed he didn’t kiss her again?
**
Vikram went to his study after breakfast, announcing that he had some work to do.
The Rathores engaged in mild conversation, keeping themselves busy.
“I think the pillar should be placed a little behind”, Keerthi said.
Vihan looked up, startled to find his sister in law observing his model keenly.
“You think so?”, he asked doubtfully.
“Yeah, it has to be symmetrical right. Look here”, Keerthi pointed towards the opposite side.
“Hmm. Yeah”, Vihan smiled, getting onto his work.
It was only when he was almost done with his model that he spoke again,”You are an architect too , right Bhabhi?”
Vihan was almost sure he was right, having heard his mom give Keerthi’s details to everyone in the house, prior to his brother’s wedding.
“Um. Yeah”, Keerthi was surprised at his question.
“Me too”, Vihan grinned, knowing Keerthi didn’t know that detail.
“Oh”, she smiled at her brother in law, surprised.
They engaged in mild conversation about their profession, when Keerthi heard her mother in law.
“Keerthi, give the Coffee to Vikram.”
Keerthi felt guilty. What kind of a wife was she? Here she was, chatting away with her brother in law, while her mother in law had to look into her husband’s needs.
Mothers are mothers.
She took the coffee mug, silently making way to the Study. She knocked before entering, to find Vikram immersed into his laptop.
“Here”, Keerthi outstretched her hand holding the coffee mug in Vikram’s direction.
Vikram was startled to see his wife in front of him him. He glanced at his phone. It had been more than two hours he’d been holed up in his study.
“Thanks”, Vikram took the mug from her.
Keerthi nodded, looking around. It was the first time she had stepped into the study. It looked routine, just like any other study.
A brown table was placed in one corner of the room with a comfortable looking leather chair on one side, on which Vikram was currently sitting and two chairs on the other side. A couch on the other side , with a glass tea poy in between. The walls were painted a light brown, giving the room a kind of colour theme. The third side of the wall was occupied by a shelf holding multiple books, while the last wall was bare, just a beautiful painting on it.
Keerthi looked back at her husband, sipping on his coffee, and typing with his other hand.
She made a move to go when she heard him,”Wait for a few minutes. I’ll be done by then.”
Keerthi smiled , as she sat opposite to Vikram.
Vikram glanced at his wife every now and then, to find her deep into her mobile.
“How long Vikram?”, Keerthi asked after almost thirty minutes, as she got up to walk around the room.
Vikram didn’t bother to reply as he was typing away his last email for the day and pressing Send.
Keerthi walked towards him, to take away the empty coffee cup and return to the Living room when she felt her husband pull her towards him.
“Vikram!”, Keerthi exclaimed, as she fell on top of him.
“Yeah?”, Vikram smirked, adjusting his wife’s position so she was on his lap, sitting sideways, as he held onto her waist either side.
“Wh.. What are you doing?”, Keerthi asked, it was very weird for her to sit on his lap.
“What do you think?”Vikram teased.
“Stop it”, Keerthi blushed.
“I didn’t even start anything yet”, Vikram didn’t know why it was so much fun to jest with his wife.
Keerthi blushed profusely, looking down.
Keerthi stiffened when she felt Vikram lean in.
She placed a hand on his chest,”Wh.. What are you doing?”, she whispered.
“Taking my kiss.”
Keerthi blushed, turning her head sideways, making Vikram’s lips brush her cheeks.
“Keerthi”, Vikram scolded.
“What?”, Keerthi asked innocently, bursting into laughter after a moment, as she freed herself from her husband’s hold and ran away.