*Suhas Pov*
After we arrived at the house we all went inside calmly without any rituals. I thought Mom was going to stop us and do any ritual, but she didn’t.
I didn’t give it any thought and closed the main door. When I turned around I saw Mom taking Navya towards our room. It is still the evening, so I went inside the office room and started giving orders to my P.A in Mumbai.
“Sir! When will you be coming here?” He asked when I finished ordering the work that needed to be done.
“Soon!” I replied, hanging up.
“So you are going back to Mumbai?” I heard Mom voice.
I looked up to see Mom standing there folding her hands. She slowly walked inside and sat in front of me.
“Yes, Mom! And you are going to come with us.” I said nodding at her.
“What about the company you started here in Bhopal one month back?” She asked confused.
“I will wind it up. It was not even meant to be in this city, but I needed it for this little time.” I replied not giving any more details.
“What if I don’t want to come?” She asked getting up.
“But I want you to be there with me... I mean with us. Please Mom for my sake come with... us.” I replied pleadingly.
She just nodded and exited the room. I shook my head and continued to carry out my work for some more time.
I looked at the time and saw that it is past dinner time so left the room to go to the dining room. However, when I went there I saw that Mom is already eating her food, and Navya is serving her.
“Why are you not eating, Navya?” I asked her sitting at the main chair.
“I asked her to have her food, but she said she will wait for you.” Mom replied instead of her.
“You should have called me.” I said when she started serving me.
“I even asked her to do it, but she said she doesn’t want to disturb you. What kind of wife is she?” Mom said making Navya and I look at her in shock.
*Navya Pov*
“This is the room where Suhas is staying after he returned from Mumbai.” Aunty said opening the door to a room.
I nodded and entered to see some very plain room, but it is little bigger than my room. I looked around and saw a normal size bed and two chairs.
“Madam, luggage!” We heard so we turned to see the watchmen standing near the door holding my bags.
Aunty told him to place them in the corner which he did. After he left I turned toward Aunty and asked, “Shall I cook the dinner?”
She looked at me for a few seconds and said, “No need for that. Just get settled in your room, and I will cook something.”
“But…” I started to say and stopped myself because she may feel bad that I am not accepting what she is saying.
“Like I said just, get settled and even take some rest.” She said calmly, and I nodded at her.
After she left I changed into comfortable attire, which is a plain Sari of course. I want to wear a night dress, but I don’t know how she will respond to that. Sometime later I opened my bag and placed my clothes in the empty cupboard.
I lay on the bed and looked at the clock sighing. I don’t know what my family is doing right now. Is mom going to cook dinner or will be lost with the sadness that I am not there?
I decided to go downstairs and saw Aunty placing the food on the table. I immediately reached her and helped her with it.
She didn’t say anything and continued to do it, but at least she didn’t stop me. Then she looked at the clock and then at the stairs.
“Where is he?” I asked her.
“He is working in his office room. He always comes late for dinner. Why don’t we both have ours and not wait for him?” She asked looking at me.
“I will wait for him. You just eat Aunty. It is getting late.” I replied smiling.
“Are you sure?” She asked, and I nodded at her.
A few minutes later, I again watched the clock and heard her saying, “You must be so hungry. Go and call him.”
“It’s ok. I don’t want to disturb him.” I said, smiling at her, and she looked, at me frowning.
Just like him, she is also frowning whenever I talk like this. Why? Am I saying something wrong? I thought to myself frowning.
She was about to complete her food and we heard the footsteps and turned to see Suhas coming near us.
“Why are you not eating Navya?” he asked me sitting at the main chair.
“I asked her to have her food, but she said she will wait for you.” Aunty replied instead of me.
“You should have called me.” he said when I started serving him.
“I even asked her to do it, but she said she doesn’t want to disturb you. What kind of wife is she?” Aunty said making Suhans and I look at her in shock.
“Mom! What are you saying?” He asked, completely shocked.
“Reality! I mean now it is not at all the trend to wait until the husband arrives at home, or until he eats his food.” She replied shrugging.
“And if, Kavya is in her place, then she would have not waited at all. She would have had her food with me and wouldn’t have waited for you or something.” She added.
I can’t believe my own ears. Is she comparing to my sister? But why is she doing it?
Yeah! What she said is true to say that Di would have not done like me. But I wanted to wait, and I didn’t know that it is a wrong thing.
“Mom! I don’t even know why you are saying this.” Suhas said and then looked at me.
“I am sorry Aunty. I just wanted to wait, and I didn’t know you would have get angry for this.” I said looking at her.
She got up from the table and went inside the room near the stairs. It must be hers! I considered looking at the closed door.
“Don’t mind her Navya. She must be tired with all the work today in the preparations.” Suhas said giving me a small smile.
I nodded and sat in the chair near him. I ate my dinner along with him. We didn’t talk even a single word with each other during the whole time.
After we finished, I cleaned our plates and switched off the extra lights. He already left for our room, so I followed his suit after clearing the table as well.
When I entered his, I mean our room, I saw that he is sitting on the bed lost in his thoughts leaning against the headboard. I sat in front of him and cleared my throat.
“What is it?” he asked me confused.
I was about to say, but my phone rang in my hand. I stared at the phone in confusion and saw that Divya is calling me.
I lifted and said, “Divya! Is everything ok?”
“Of course, everything is ok, Navya. Why are you asking me that question?” She asked back.
“You are calling me at this time right. So, I thought like that.” I replied.
“I called you to make you remember that he needs to search your hands.” She said in a serious tone.
“I was about to ask him, but you called me at the same time.” I said smiling.
“Ok! Now ask him and don’t forget to give him your gift of first kiss.” She said in a teasing tone.
“Divya!” I said, groaning and then added, “I will not forget to give him his gift.”
Saying that I hung up the phone and looked at Suhas to see that he is already looking at me completely confused.
“It’s just that your name is written somewhere in my hands. And you need to search it.” I said, fidgeting with my phone.
“Give me your hands and I will search my name.” Saying this he placed his hands forward.
I nodded and slowly placed mine in his hands. It felt completely different regardless of the fact that he is just holding my hands.
He pulled my hands closer to his face and looked at them engrossed. I waited for a few minutes and thought he was not going to get it.
“It’s ok! You can leave it.” I said and decided to take my hands back.
But he just held them tightly in his grip and didn’t release them saying, “I never lose any challenge.”
Then immediately he looked at me and said, “I found it!”
I was looking at the place where he put his finger and saw that it is correct. So I just smiled at him and nodded.
“So now where is my gift?” He asked still holding my hands.
“Uhmm... I don’t have one.” I replied, biting my lower lip, feeling bad that I didn’t buy any gift in the hurry.
“But you told your friend that you were going to give me one right?” He asked confused.
“Yeah! She asked me to give you something else.” I replied and looked away.
“Then give me that.” He insisted, pulling my hands, making me look at him.
I nodded and slowly moved forward near his face. I then gave a slight peck on his cheek and immediately moved back.
“Is this the gift? Did she say to give me a cheek peck?” He asked amused.
“Yeah! She asked me to give you my… my first... first kiss. So I gave you one.” I replied stuttering completely.
“I don’t think this is what in her mind.” He said shaking his head.
“Then what?” I asked him confused.
“This!” he replied and pulled me completely onto him with my hands.
I stared at him with wide eyes when I saw that our faces are completely near without any space. I was about to ask him what he is doing, but in the next second, I don’t have to because he crashed his lips on mine.
I just sat there in his arms, stunned when he did this. I didn’t move at all, and actually I didn’t even breathe in that moment.
He released me a little, and I saw that he half closed his eyes. Then he said, “Kiss me back Kav..” before he could say anything I blurted out “I don’t know how!”
He immediately opened his eyes and looked straight at me shocked and released my hands. He cleared his throat for a few seconds and said, “Sorry about that.”
“Why did you say ‘Kav’?” I asked him confused after a few minutes when we moved away little from each other.
“Slip of tongue I guess.” He replied shrugging.
“Ok!” I said and as usual, he looked at me shocked.
I moved away and lay down on the other side of the bed. He too did the same and switched off the lights.
I looked at his silhouette in the dark and smiled because I just had my first kiss if that is what it is called.
Is it ok that it happened on the first day itself? I considered, but again, he is my husband right, so it must be completely ok.
I closed my eyes and drifted off into sleep with a smile on my face.