Warning - Cliche alert 😆

Ishita stepped out of the cottage back door of the cottage, trying her foot gingerly on the hard ground. Her ankle was still a little sore, but she found she could walk quite well.

Still, she needed to take it easy, she told herself, as she walked slowly toward the stream, where she could see her husband busily arranging mats, cushions and bolsters.

Her heart quickened as she observed his lithe form - his slim torso stretching as he smoothed a sheet over the mat, those sensual fingers arranging cushions. She remembered those fingers caressing her face earlier that day, the feel of that slim muscular waist brushing hers as he walked with her in his arms, that rock hard chest crushing her softness.

He must have realised he was being observed, for he went still, then turned around.

Her feet froze mid step as he looked at her. For the life of her, she would not have been able to move closer to him - there was just something in that gaze, something naked, primitive, that sent shivers down her spine and rooted her to the spot.

He smiled and started to walk up to her.

She observed again his strong legs, moving closer to her, how his hair waved slightly in the breeze, the carelessly buttoned shirt which tapered down to his chest. She had been staring and he had reached her, and now he stood before her, that enigmatic smile deepening.

"Kya?" He asked her.

She blushed as she realised she had been caught ogling her husband, and shook her head furiously.

"Accha?" He drawled huskily putting one hand out to her.

She blushed and took his hand and the next moment he had pulled her to his chest. "Are you okay walking baby?" He asked, his breath brushing her face as he smiled down at her. "Is your foot okay? Ya uthaloon mein tumhe?"

"I... mein...it's fine Raman" she stammered nervously. "Aap please itna worry mat kijiye"

"Accha" he murmured again, looking her up and down, taking in the kurta and leggings, before his gaze settled on her foot. Before she knew what was happening, he had bent down before her, his hand tapping her ankle. " Are you sure jaan?"

"Haan, I'm sure" she jumped back a little. "Bahut bhook lag rahi hai. Woh lunch...." She knew she was babbling, but his proximity had that effect on her.

He grinned and got up, putting an arm protectively around her shoulders.

"Lunch is still in the basket. Bas tumhara intezaar kar raha tha. Ab chalo, we can eat now, hmm"

"Hmm .. Haan" she mumbled, acutely aware of his arm, as they started to walk towards the mats. She noticed how slowly he was walking, and how his arms seemed to be almost lifting her, supporting her, stopping her from putting her weight on her injured foot.

"Raman" she protested, as they reached the mats and he let her go with a grin, pulling the picnic basket towards himself and bringing out and arranging the parcels of food on the mat. "I said my foot was fine"

"Toh mein ne kya kiya" he answered with an injured smile, patting the mat beside him. "Come, sit here"

She shook her head, but then sat down quietly. Her husband was a law onto himself, and there was no point in protesting. Besides, there was a delicious aroma wafting from the various dishes he was opening, and she was reminded that she had not eaten anything that day. And it was almost one pm!

"This is so nice Raman" she murmured, as he placed a large bolster behind her, for her to lean against. "Kitni effort ki aap ne" ( You've made such an effort)

"Mein ne kya kiya" he smiled, helping to settle her on the cushions. "Mein ne to sirf kuch phone call kiya aur paise diye. Besides, kuch kuch idea to Mihir ka bhi tha"
(I didn't make this, all I did was to make a few phone calls. Besides, some of the ideas came from Mihir too)

"What was Mihir's idea?" Ishita asked anxiously. " I thought that you..." She looked at him in dismay, as quick tears threatened.

Was all this part of some script dreamt up by Mihir? And here she had been thinking that Raman had finally understood her, had forgiven him thinking that the sweet gestures since yesterday had been his. The album, the proposal - had Mihir planned it all?

"Hey, hey, meri Jhansi Ki Rani. Itna upset mat ho. It was Mihir's idea that I kidnap you from your office and bring you to Tandon's farmhouse, lekin baki subkuch toh mein ne kiya. He helped me to organise the chef from Chennai, but the album, the temple, this...Sweetheart, that Mihir doesn't have a romantic bone in his body. Do you really think that I would need to take lessons from him" he flicked a finger under her chin, turning her face upwards towards him.

"Aur Mihika?" she asked, glaring up at him.

"Jhansi ki Rani Junior?" He enquired with a laugh. "Us ne to sirf tumhare liye kapde organise kiye hai. (She just helped to organize some clothes for you ) Some which you have seen and some which you haven't" he chuckled wickedly. "And yes, she gave me some long list about flowers and poetry and spas, but I don't know where I put it"

She could tell from his voice, his easy smile that he was sincere, and her anxieties subsided.

"Now" he continued. "Kal raat se kuch bhi nahi khaya hai, mujhe to bahut zooro se bhukh lagi hai. Come on, let's eat. Aren't you hungry now? Abhi toh keh rahi thi, kitni bhook lag rahi hai"
(I haven't had anything to eat since last night and Im starving. Come on, let's eat. Aren't you hungry now? You were saying just now how hungry you are)

"Mein toh der se jaagi thi" she held his hand as he handed her a plate with parathas and subzi. "Aap ne breakfast kyon nahi ki?"
( I know I woke up very late, but why didn't you have any breakfast?)

"Kyunki tumhe dekhne se fursat nahi mili" ( Because I couldn't move away from you, from looking at you) he smiled at her. "Do you know just how beautiful you look when you are sleeping?"

"Now eat" he laughed again, as she blushed deeply, holding up a portion of food to her mouth.

"Raman" she murmured. "Mein khud kha lungi, na"
(Raman, I can eat by myself)

"Tum mujhe khila dena"
(You can feed me)

His eyes glinted in the dappled sunshine as he brushed aside her protestations and fed her, looking adoringly at her as she fed him in return.

Food had never tasted better to Ishita, and for once Raman had no complaints about eating vegetarian either.

They sat comfortably and companionably together, feeding each other, enjoying each other's company and proximity. After they had finished eating, they continued with their conversation, sharing little anecdotes about their respective college days and families, and laughing about how Mihir must be faring on his shopping trip with Mihika and Ruhi.

(As they spoke, Mihir was following Ruhi and her chitti around the Shoprex Mall, burdened under several large bags and parcels, mentally calculating the balance of his credit card, and trying to shut his ears to the squeals of his fiancée and his niece about the charms of one Varun Dhawan)

It was almost an hour later, and they had been sitting in a companionable silence for a few minutes, when Raman looked up at his wife quizzically. He was acutely aware of her, had been so throughout their meal, throughout the drive, ever since their first kiss in the temple of Kama.

Ever since he had kissed her, he knew he wanted to possess her, to make her his in every way. His eyes raked her face, wondering how she would react if he told her so, and then he leant back onto the bolsters, pulling her back with him, and wrapping his arms around her.

"Theek ho jaan?" he asked, nuzzling her neck with his face.
(Are you okay my love?)

"Hmmm" she responded, tensing a little, the comfortable companionship of the past hour changing suddenly to a new dynamic. He was so mercurial, this man of hers, changing from laughter to passion in mere seconds.

Perhaps sensing her tension, he pulled back and moved away from her, arranging her comfortably on the cushions on her own. "Why don't you take a little nap sweetheart. I have to make a couple of phone calls. Abhi aata hoon."

Be still my beating heart, thought Ishita, but "ok" was all she said as with a last caress on her cheeks, he got up and walked away.

********************************
Ishita did not know when she had dozed off.

One moment she had been lying back watching the softly swaying trees, the sun high in the sky, her hunger sated, her eyes fluttering. When her eyes opened, the sun was lazily descending towards its nightly slumber, and the breeze had a distinct chill.

She must have slept for hours in the sun, she thought in wonder. She must have been more tired then she realised, from the long hours at work and home, the emotional turmoil of their estrangement.

Well it was time to get up, and see where Raman was.

She stretched an arm out lazily, and then froze in confusion, as her hand encountered a trembling blanket of softness. Opening her eyes wider, she looked around and gasped in wonder. While she was asleep, someone had covered her from neck to toe in the the soft petals of hundreds of flowers, plundered from the gardens surrounding the cottage.

That someone was sitting back by her feet, a beautiful red rose in his hands, observing her wonderment with a soft smile.

"Raman" she whispered, bracing herself to sit up.

"Wait" His breathing was harsh, as though he had just run a mile. She looked on breathlessly as he stopped her ascent by kneeling over her, pinning her back with his hands, the rose now clenched between his teeth.

Slowly, gently, he started to caress her face with the rose, holding himself above her, his body mere inches from hers but yet not touching her.

Ishita whimpered, with pleasure and yet with some trepidation. The rose caressed its way across her face, across her forehead, down her cheeks and then stopped at her lips. He moved one hand now, taking the rose out of his mouth, but keeping his lips hovering just above hers.

"You are so beautiful Ishita" he whispered huskily. "My sleeping beauty, how I want you..."

The wonderment, the excitement that she felt at his nearness won out over the trepidation that fought alongside.

She snaked her arms around his neck, burying her hands in his hair. Wordlessly, she pulled his head down and his lips found hers, parting them and drinking deeply of her. He plundered her mouth hungrily and mercilessly, his hands now holding her tight against him. She gasped as he pulled her even closer, sitting up without breaking the kiss, his hands now caressing her all over.

Suddenly, he pulled away, sitting back with a groan. " Ishita, I'm sorry" he said, not looking at her. "I promised myself I wouldn't rush you, wouldn't force this moment on you, but I... I guess I was just being selfish again. I'm sorry."

Ishita sat quietly, her heart and mind racing. She had not been prepared for this, had never imagined when she agreed to come with him yesterday that she would be faced with this turmoil of passion, but truth be told, now that he had started, she did not want him to stop. Her body ached for his, her lips felt bereft.

Raman had stood up now, and extended a hand to her, still avoiding her eyes.

"It's getting dark, jaan. We should be getting back to the farmhouse. Unless you want to drive back to Delhi now. Ruhi is fine, I just spoke to her. She is having a sleepover with Mihika, but I can understand that you may want to get back to her."

Ishita took his proferred hand and stood up. She put one hand on his shoulder and turned his head around with the other,until he faced her. The passion which blazed in his eyes were reflected in hers.

"Can we just stay here tonight, Raman?" she asked softly. She leant in towards him, and grazed her swollen lips to his. "Please."

He said nothing in response, his lips curving slowly into an exultant smile, his eyes holding hers, as he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the cottage.

THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE PRIVATE.

Ek dil hai
Ek jaan hai
Dono tujhpe
Dono tujhpe kurban hai

Ek mein hoon
Ek imaan hai
Dono tujhpe haan tujhpe
dono tujhpe kurban hai

Ek dil hai

Aaa
Ishq bhi tu mera pyar bhi tu
Meri baat zaat jazbaat bhi tu
Parwaaz bhi tu Room-e-saaz bhi tu
Meri saans nabz aur hayaat bhi tu

Mera raaz bhi tu
Pukhraj bhi tu
Meri aas pyaas aur libaas bhi tu
Meri jeet bhi tu, meri haar bhi tu
Mera kaaj raaj aur mijaaz bhi tu

Mere ishq ke har makaam mein
Har subhah mein har shaam mein
Ek rutba hai ek shaan hai
Dono tujhpe haan tujhpe
Dono tujhpe haan tujhpe
Dono tujhpe haan tujhpe
Dono tujhpe kurban hai

Ek dil hai
Ek jaan hai
Dono tujhpe
Dono tujhpe kurban hai