Vikram saw his wife emerging out of the washroom in the same clothes she had worn yesterday as she fussed around the room.
Keerthi frantically searched for her boots around. She just didn’t want to show her legs off. The intimacy with her husband in the morning left her too embarrassed.
Vikram was disappointed to see his wife’s legs covered when he glanced at her. She still looked flustered. He gave her some time to get over it as he made way to the washroom.
He came out to see his wife arranging breakfast on the small table next to the couch.
“Oh. The breakfast is here”, Vikram said as he approached her. He was famished,”I had ordered for you. Hope it’s fine.”
“Yeah. It’s cool”, Keerthi dug into her breakfast.
They lazed on the couch after breakfast, wondering what to do.
“Do you want to go somewhere?”, Vikram offered.
“I don’t know”, Keerthi answered.
They had grown up in the city. It was weird for them to go for sight seeing.
“Maybe we can hit the mall then. We’ll do some shopping”, Vikram shrugged.
Keerthi pondered on the idea. It wasn’t so bad. They could kill some time.
“Okay. Cool”, Keerthi said as she went to get her jacket.
She eyed it distastefully now. It was too hot outside. Keerthi would melt in it.
“Just ditch the jacket. Leave it in the car”, Vikram advised.
Keerthi wasn’t new to wearing a sleeveless dress a few inches above her knee. She just found it weird wearing it around her husband. Though she was relieved he didn’t question her choice of clothing.
Her father never did.
She smiled in happiness thinking she could switch to shorts at night. She felt somewhat comfortable with him now. And her husband particularly didn’t have a problem with the choice of her clothing. It was summer. She didn’t want to wear heavy clothing.
Vikram pulled his wife towards him, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I hope you are smiling thinking of me”, he flirted.
“You wish”, Keerthi laughed, placing her hands on her husband’s shoulders.
“I do”, Vikram smirked.
“Nope”, Keerthi shook her head.
“Want me to change that now?”, Vikram smiled smugly.
Keerthi laughed.”You can change it some other time. You said we’ll do some shopping today. Let’s go”, she patted his shoulders.
Vikram released his wife,”Come on “, he held her hand.
Keerthi liked how her husband’s hand enveloped hers, as he held her hand protectively, walking into a random store in the mall.
Keerthi skimmed through a few tops randomly, checking if she liked anything. Vikram was bored, just walking along his wife’s side. He didn’t exactly enjoy shopping. He just wanted to spend some time with his wife, not wanting to go home. He looked around, looking through the clothes to find any he would like to see his wife in.
Keerthi hummed, picking a few tops. She asked Vikram to wait as she went into the trial room.
Vikram walked a little to the inside, only to find ladies’ nightgowns and intimates.
He quickly turned around , wanting to get out of there when his eyes fell on a red negligee. He found himself getting hard just imagining his wife in it. He walked towards the billing, quickly buying it. He didn’t want to carry it with him though. His wife would question, and he wasn’t sure how she would react if he told her he bought her a negligee. There was a long time for it. He hoped she used it in the future though, near future.
His mind quickly formulated a plan. He had asked the billing person to parcel the piece of cloth in a gift wrapper to his office in his name. It was a safe plan. He gave his details, walking outside, just as his wife came out.
“Like anything?”, he asked.
“Yeah. These two”, Keerthi showed him a black and another red top.
Vikram’s eyes darkened as he saw the red top, his mind automatically going to the red negligee he had gotten for her. The urge to pull his wife and kiss her was unbearable.
“Okay. Let’s go”, he cleared his throat, taking the tops from her as he went to the billing.
“Hey”, Keerthi protested,”I can buy it myself.”
“Doesn’t matter”, Vikram took his card out of his pocket.
“No. Wait”, Keerthi objected.
“It’s really fine. Trust me”, Vikram took his card and the bag from the billing counter, nodding his head in thanks.
“But I could have gotten it myself”, Keerthi complained.
“That’s enough now. Stop arguing over petty things”, Vikram snapped.
Keerthi’s face fell as she trailed behind her husband.
Vikram glanced behind to see his wife saunter behind him, sulking. He shook his head, looking ahead as he made way to the food court. He was hungry.
“Ouch”, Keerthi winced, holding the railing with her hand. She had stubbed her little toe to the railing.
“What happened?”, Vikram asked, as he turned around to see him wife clutching her feet in her palm.
He made her sit on the couch near the railing as Vikram bent, examining her feet.
There was just a minor abrasion on her little toe, nothing serious. Keerthi winced though, when Vikram pressed on her toe.
“Keerthi”, Vikram scolded,”Watch where you are going.”
“It wasn’t like I wanted to injure myself”, Keerthi murmured.
Vikram sighed,”Come on.”
Keerthi winced when she stood up, squeezing the edge of the couch. Her toe was throbbing in pain.
Vikram rolled his eyes as he grabbed his wife’s waist, pulling her up.
Keerthi leaned on her husband, putting a bit of her weight on him, as she wrapped her arm around his back, clutching onto the side of his shirt tightly. It was difficult to walk without limping.
When the throbbing pain subsided to a dull ache after a few minutes, she released her husband, untangling from him.
“I am fine now”, Keerthi said when she caught her husband’s questioning gaze.
Vikram shook his head in frustration. He pulled his wife towards himself, his hand going back to her waist.
“I said I am fine now.”
“So what?”, Vikram shrugged. He liked holding his wife.
“So you can leave me now”, Keerthi was a tiny bit mad at her husband for scolding her about the bill and her foot. Instead of showing concern, he rebuked her.
“I don’t want to”, Vikram shrugged again. Why didn’t his wife understand that he wanted to hold her, not because of her injury, but just because he wanted to.
“Vikram”, Keerthi admonished.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?”, Vikram hissed, releasing her.
“What did I do now?”, Keerthi asked bewildered.
Vikram glared at his wife, as he barged past her.
Keerthi quietly followed her husband into the restaurant, not wanting to make a scene when there were people around.
Vikram made his way to a corner seat with couch. Keerthi sat next to him, prefering the couch over chairs.
Well, that was one reason.
Vikram looked at his wife before ordering a random chicken dish and Naan with some starters. Keerthi nodded. She was fine with the food.
Keerthi quietly had her food. Anger was radiating her husband, she didn’t know if it was a good idea to start conversation with him.
Vikram was in a better mood after his meal. “Do you want to go somewhere?”, He asked his wife.
“Can we just go home?”, Keerthi badly wanted to get out of her clothes and have a warm shower. She was sweating inside.
“Sure.” They quietly made may to the exit.
Keerthi wrapped her hands around her shoulders , when she saw a group of guys staring at her oddly, as she walked with Vikram.
She was getting more and more uncomfortable. She walked to her husband’s side, moving into his chest to cover herself, discomfort evident on her face.
Vikram glanced at his wife. He tucked her under his shoulders , wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he pulled her towards himself, his lips twitching when his wife shifted closer, wrapping her arm around his waist.
Keerthi sighed in relief when they got out of view of the creepy guys and made way to the parking, safe in her husband’s hold.
Vikram ran his hand over his wife’s soft skin of her arm, skimming his palm from her bare shoulder to her hand slowly. Just as slowly, he made way up to her shoulders, stroking her skin with his thumb.
Keerthi blushed, enduring her husband’s sweet ministrations.