It was 06.30 in the morning when Rajveer first opened his eyes.. the soft sunlight peeping through the white curtains illuminated the room.. he turned his head to the left to find his beautiful wife sleeping.. Sleeping in his arms…. Her innocence reflected even in her face.. Rajveer felt that, it was the most beautiful sight he ever had seen. He kept staring at his ethereal beauty.. he forwarded his right hand to remove her silky hairs back, to clear his vision.. he removed them towards her nape and in that process his eyes fell on a rounded bruise mark on her side neck.. reddish blue..like that of a bite.. but teeth marks not visible. It was when he remembered their physical activity last night..

Yeh maine kya kardia? He thought himself. Naina ko to bohat dard hua hoga…… I shouldn’t have rushed with things.. usne mere bare mein pata nahi kya socha hai… how could I hurt her? He cursed himself thinking that the mark was caused by his sucking yesterday... and softly he touched the mark with his finger trying to soothe it..

Naina who was not in deep slumber shivered with his touch. Even in her unconscious state she shivered out of fear…..her brain started processing previous nights paranormal experience and she jerked out of sleep sweating……

Naina kya hua? Rajveer rose from his laying position watching hr shiver? Kya hua Naina? Dard hua? Im sorry Naina.. I shouldn’t have rushed… tumhe bohat takleef ho raha haina? He asked being sorry..

Raj…… kal raat…….kal raat waha…..she fumbled….

Ha naina… I know.. and im sorry for that… I really am..his eyes teary. Kal sham se main pareshan tha.. phir pata nahi kya hua.. dinner ke baad…. I couldn’t control myself.. I mean….i was so lost in you that… mera matlab I didn’t plan anything…I went with the flow….Naina sorry… I wont do it again without your consent.. he urged.

Naina realized that Rajveer was referring to a different incident. Not that what appened with her in the washroom. Infact how could he? He was asleep when she was fihting the demon.. demon if it was!

Mai Raaj ko bataun? Ya nahi? Raaj mere upar viswas karenge? She thought.. ho sakta hai mera vehem ho.. Raaj ko bhi hua tha na kal sham ko! There was no one in the room… maine khood dekha tha.. toh….. toh ho sakta hai jo mere saath hua usme bhi koi sachhai na ho.. matlab may be even I hallucinated..  she reasoned herself… nahi…Raj kitne khush hai… mai yeh saab kehke unhe aur pareshan nahi kar sakti…..and finally she decided not to tell him anything..

Raaj…aapko sorry kehne ki koi zaroorat nahi.. aur kal jo humare beech hua uske liye toh bilkul bhi nahi.. she said turning to him, holding his hands. Raaj….mera yakeen maniye Raaj mujhe bilkul bhi bura bahi laga. Raaj…..im yours…completely.. pure Maan se..Taan se.. she leaned forward and pecked his lips for a second…to make him believe that she is happy with what happened and she is ready for any new step in their relation..

Are you sure Naina? He still couldn’t believe..

Main isse zyda sure aaj se pehle kabhi nahi thi aur koi baat par nahi thi..….she replied looking into his eyes…

As soon as the words escaped her lips, Rajveer pulled her into a bone crushing hug… naina tum mere liye mera sabkuch ho.. meri dost..mer apno.. meri patni..mera pyaar mera sabkuch.. please mujhe kabhi akela mat chhodna.. mar jaunga main….he was on the verge of crying..

Raaj main aapko chhorke kabhi bhi nahi jaugi.. kahin bhi nahi….she said as she patted him lovingly..main apne aakhri dum tak humara yeh rishta nibhaungi… she said as she separated herself from him…Holding his face she said to cheer him up..Raaj abhi chaliye.. hume ghumne jaana hai ki nahi? Kitni sundar jagah hai yeh…. Chaliye..jaldi se naha dhoke tayyar hote hain… phir breakfast karke niklenge…

Ha naina… theek kaha tumne.. he smiled.. tum jaao tayaar ho jao… mai bahadur chacha se millke aata hoon..

As your command Sir..... she intentionally said in army style to make him smile and there she succeeded.. Naina next went to the washroom..

As soon as she entered the washroom she remembered last nights incident and an eerie feeling engulped her again.. she stood still looking here and there..checking the ventilator and the mirror again and again.. but no! absolutely no trace of anything supernatural..

Kal raat ko zaroor mujhe vehem hua tha. May be I was too tired..she consoled herself.

There Rajveer sat on the bed thinking….kal sham ko joh hua mere saath…joh maine dekha.. mera wehem toh nahi ho sakta.. upar se kaal aate waqt raaste me woh saaya ka chalna.. pura jungle ka jala hua roop dekhna?? Kya saab meri galti hain? Nahi….isme kuch to sachhai hai..

Lekin abhi Naina ko is bare me kuch kehna thik nahi hoga.. sab kuch mere saath he ho raha hain.. syed hi  woh biswas karegi.. aur agar viswas karlia toh dar jayegi! Nahi…………. Main naina ko aur paeshan nahi kar sakta…. Abhi kuch batana use theek naho hoga… he thought as he got down from the bed and walked towards the window.. pulling the curtains to a side he looked outside…..

What beautiful sunny morning it was! Golden sunlight on the green leaves….deep blue sky above created an enchanting atmosphere that at oncemade his feel happy from inside…. He was lost in the beauty of nature.

Raaj…mera ho gaya… aap abhitak yehin khade hain? Nainas words broke his trance… he turned to see naina in standing in front of the dressing table..

Mai abhi 10 minutes mein aata hoon… he said and went to the washroom..

Naina was massaging moisturizer on her face and neck when her eyes fell on the bruise mark….Arrey yeh kya hua? She leaned more to the mirror to see the mark…  ha….yeh to kisine kaata hai lagtha hai.. kal to nahi tha aisa koi daag mere gale par..she thought trying to remember if the spot was there at night when she had applied the night crème..  toh kya kaal raat ko kisine…………………she didn’t dare to complte… but deep inside she knows very well what might have happened!

By that time Rajveer came out of the bathroom in a towel tied around his waist.. his bare muscular body reflected light that made him look more fair.. watching him come out Naina composed herself trying to keep away all the weired thoughts that had clouded her mind..

Naina…..aaj aur kaal hai humare paas.. parso wapis jaana hai. Bohat hi chhota tour hai yeh…he said as he moved towards the cupboard to select dress for himself…

And as he turned towards the cupboard with his back facing Naina, Naina gasped our of fear.. two similar spots even on his back.. Bluish red bruises that looks like a bite mark.. she was terrified.. she kept looking at him…rather at his back totally blank! She couldn’t think anything.

While Rajveer kept speaking to her while he was busy finding a dress for himself oblivious to Nainas condition. Iske baad toh tumhe internatonal tour karnna hai.. haina? Toh kaha jaana hai tumhe? Switzerland? New Zealand? He continued.. waise mujhe lagtha hai New Zealand is better… but is baar decision tum logi…..he turned to naina not getting any reply from her.

Naina……… kaha khoyi huyi ho? He moved his palms in front of her blank eye vision. Naina?

Huh………………………she came out of her trance… aap kuch bol rahe the? She asked.

Kya soch rahi thi tum? Rajveer questioned instead of answering…

Kuch nahi… bus aise hi.. yahapar dekhne layak kya kya hain? She asked trying to avoid the topic smartly.. wohi soch rahi thi.. yeh jagah kitni sundar haina?

Haa naina… jagah to bohat khoobsurat hai.. yahapar aaspas ek church hai, ek park hai. Aur ek bohat purana school hai… baaki bahadur chacha se pooch lenge…he smiled..

Aap tayyar hoke dining table par aiye.. main tab tak  chacha koh hep karti hoon.. she said and left the room..

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After stuffing their tummies with aaloo paranthas they left for the local sight seeing asking in details from bahadur Chacha.

Naina… lets walk… he suggested..

Ha Raaj.. main bhi yehi bolne waali thi…. Chalke ghumte hai.. bohat hi chhota sheher hai.. ek chutki mein khatam ho jayega..she said cheerfully..

They both went out of the main gate of Morgan House….

Before leaving Rajveers eyes fell on the pair of Garlic that has truned pitch black…lying on the green grass just beneath their bedroom window. And something within him said something is gonna happen real soon!