Sailee tied her hair up in a bun, and adjusted the scarf on her kurti before dragging Sachin by the arm and shoving him into the bathroom.

"10 minute mein nahake aao. Hum bahar jaa rahe hai." Sailee yelled from the other side, and latched the door from outside.

"Ae, genda gulaab! Yedi hai kya thodi si?" Sachin banged on the door, and gave up 2 minutes later, as Sailee's victory smile flashed across her face hearing the shower turn on.

Pretty aggressive approach, but she knew he had been worried all week.

Every since he had been released from lock-up, Sachin was carrying the constant frown of worry on his forehead, wondering how he was going to repay the repair costs, loans and expenses.

Because frankly, he was the only earning person in that house, despite not having huge degrees to his name.

Sailee knew he was taking all the load on his head, and she could see it in his behaviour all week. He was cranky and irritated all the time, yet still softening up to her when she asked him to eat or take a walk.

Things were a bit tight right now, and he hadn't had a moment of peace all week.

That, Sailee decided, had to change.

She took out the money she had saved up in the past few months, and put it in her purse. Because, they deserved some time off from the drama that was always occurring in the Deshmukh house.

Sachin stepped out, in just his tracks and vest, wiping his hair.

"Ab agar mai gir jaata andar, toh kya karti?" Sachin argued, putting on his shirt.

"Itne hatte katte haathi ko kaun gira sakta hai?" She retorted, fixing her hair.

"Haathi bulayi mereko!" He took complete offense, tugging her hair. "Mai haathi toh tu haathi ki biwi. Nahi, tu Gendi!"

"Chup karo, aur chalo." Sailee slapped his arm and grabbed the keys to her scooter.

"Hum jaa kaha rahe hai?"

"Chaloge, ki akele jaau?"

"Aata hai re baba, jaan leke manegi!"

Sailee seated herself on her scooter, fixing her helmet and gestured for Sachin to sit behind her.

"Utha legi na haathi ko?" Sachin taunted, and received an elbow in his ribs.

30 minutes later, after complaining how the wind ruined his hair, Sachin stood at the huge colourful entrance with a hundred balloons.

Sailee smiled and looked at Sachin, who was contemplating whether or not to go inside.

"Mela hi toh hai!" Sailee shook his arm, and Sachin turned towards her.

Sachin was worried that he didn't even have enough to cover a day out just for the two of them, and he didn't know how to refuse his excited wife.

"Sailee, tu jaanti hai na ki-"

"Jaanti hu." Sailee simply grabbed his arm and making it to the ticket counter. "Tension mat lo, kuch bhi mat socho. Bas mere saath waqt bitaao."

Sachin kept looking on at her with a rare softness in his eyes, as she paid for their tickets and dragged him by the hand into the fun fair.

It was truly a different environment, the kind to instantly uplift your mood, with all the bubbles floating around, kids jumping in joy with their newly won soft toys, or adult simply wanting to relive their childhood.

"Mmmm." Sailee looked around, squinting at all the game stalls. "Pehle kaunsa game khele?"

Sachin looked around and found the water-dunk game, where they had to aim at target and dunk the person sitting next to it.

"Chal uspe tereko bithate hai, mai nishana lagaaunga." Sachin pointed in the distance, teasing her.

"Aisa karoge mere saath?" Sailee dramatically pouted, turning away and crossing her arms.

"Accha nahi, mazaak kar raha tha na, baba." He placed his hands on her shoulder, and she shrugged him off, trying to walk away.

Sachin caught her elbow and tugged her back towards him, "Mai kya bolta hai..."

Sailee glared at him, and looked to the side, as Sachin placed a finger on her cheek and turned her the other way, "Udhar jhumke khareed le?"

Sailee's face instantly lit up, as she skipped to the stall selling pretty earrings. She scanned through all the earrings, each time looking in the mirror and turning towards Sachin for an opinion.

Sachin just smiled at his pretty wife trying on pretty earrings, making small talk with the vendor, who was an old married man.

"Aapki baiko bhi aise hi pareshan karti hai aapko?" Sachin asked, leaning towards the vendor.

"Kya bataau sahab, aise hi shaadi ko 40 saal nahi hue hai."

Sailee wriggled her nose, and Sachin chuckled, as she picked a really pretty set of earrings.

"Yeh sundar hai na?" Sailee exclaimed excitedly, trying them on.

"Mast hai. Yeh waala hi lele." Sachin reached for his wallet, when Sailee's expression flickered on her face for a moment.

It suddenly dawned on Sailee, that she had dragged them out here with just enough to her name to take Sachin's mind off everything, not to end up buying earrings and bangles.

"Chodo. Hum pehle mela ghum ke aate hai." She immediately set down the earrings, and gave an apologetic look to the old vendor.

"Arre, par tereko pasand aaye the na?" Sachin asked confused.

"Jaane do na, baad mein leke jaate hai, abhi chalo." Sailee dragged his arm towards the game stalls, confusion in his mind as he let himself be dragged along.

Sachin's eyes lit up at the game stall they stood in front of. It was the aim-and-shoot game that he always loved, because which 6 year old is not fascinated by guns?

"Arre!" Sachin exclaimed, grabbing one of the rifles. "Yeh bachpan mein mera favourite game tha. Itne paise udaye hai maine Ajoba ke!"

Sailee smiled, and paid for the token, as Sachin took aim at the balloons.

Bam.

Bam.

Plop.

Sachin smiled and shook his head, always missing the last shot as usual. He never made the last shot, but his Ajoba always said that when the time comes, he'll make the 3 shots perfectly.

"Sachin! Mujhe bhi try karna hai!" Sailee eagerly stepped in front of him, taking the gun from his hand, which immediately sunk to the floor.

"Oof!" Sailee grabbed the gun with both hands, and attempted to aim at the target.

"Ae naazuk kali, aise nahi!" Sachin stepped closer to her, and placed his arms around her, adjusting the rifle on her shoulder.

Sailee looked back ever so slightly, registering their proximity in a heavily crowded place. His arms around hers caused the hair on her skin to stand up, their bodies touching in places that ought to be uncovered, her toes curling at the unclean thoughts she was thinking right now.

Heat creeped up her cheeks, as she glanced at Sachin, whose lips grazed her cheeks ever so slightly.

Sachin pulled her closer, her back touching his chest, as he entwined their arms to take the perfect shot. She turned to look at him, and he glanced at her. The look she was giving was not helping his sanity.

All he could think about was how perfectly they moulded into each other, how perfectly she fit against him, those lips of hers were barely a few inches away from his, and her eyes were screaming the same thing that was racing across his mind.

"Sailee." He whispered against her skin, "Aise mat dekh mujhe."

She grazed her nose against his cheek with the slightest of motion, and Sachin had to shut his eyes with utmost control before he whisked her away back to their little private space with no one to disturb them.

Bam.

Bam.

Bam.

Three perfectly aimed shots and the crowd cheered, breaking them out of their little heated moment. Sailee shook out of her trance, her eyes darting between Sachin's eyes and lips, only to find him doing the same.

The vendor conveniently broke the moment and handed them their prize: a huge stuffed blue whale.

It looked absolutely adorable, but they had no kids nor were they kids to keep this huge soft toy in their room.

"Nanu, hum bhi yeh uncle ki tarah shot lagayenge!" A little kid spoke up, who was standing in line for the next turn.

Sachin smiled, and knelt down next to the little girl. "Aapko bade hokar kya banna hai, bacche?"

"Mai toh soldier banungi!" The little girl, raised her arms to show her muscles, "Aur saare bad people ko aise dishoom dishoom maarungi."

She was barely 5 years old, and her baby language amused Sachin, as he smiled and handed the stuffed toy over to her. "Yeh aap ke liye. Aap rakh lo."

"Sacchi!" She squealed in excitement, and hugged the soft toy, which was larger than her whole height, "Thank you, uncle! Aap bohot acche ho!"

Sachin ruffled her hair, and stood up next to Sailee, who was admiring him softly.

"Kya? Ghoor kya rahi hai?"

"Bas dekh rahi thi."

"Kya?"

"Ki tumhe bacchon se kitna lagaav hai."

Sachin turned pink, and shoved his hands into his pocket, as they made their way through the fair.

Wandering through the crowd, they ended up near a small stage, where the host was inviting couples onto the stage for some game.

"Aap done bade cute lag rahe hai, please join us!" The host cheered on, as Sailee looked around and realised that she was pointing towards them.

"Sailee," Sachin murmured, "Mai yeh sab nahi karega, please."

But the crowd kept on looking at the, and they hesitantly and shyly walked up the stage, with Sailee holding onto to Sachin so he didn't run away.

"Naya shaadi ka joda lag raha hai, hai na?" The lady asked Sailee, who had wrapped her arms around Sachin's, and shyly nodded.

"Alright, yeh round mein saare pati apne patni ko pehchaange, par aankhon pe patti baandh ke!" The host pulled out blindfolds, and the crowed cheered.

"Rule bas ek hai. Haathon se pehchaan lo, aur prize jeet lo."

Sachin gave Sailee an apologetic look in hopes that she'd get them out of this, but Sailee motioned for him to at least try.

The blindfolds were wrapped around each of the husbands', and turn by turn they proceeded to guess their wives' hands.

The first husband got it wrong in overconfidence, getting glares from the actual wife. The second one almost guessed it right, but was thrown off by his own wife taking off her ring to confuse him, which she found hilarious. The third husband had to barely touch another woman's hand before his own wife yelled his name, disqualifying them instead.

Sachin cautiously stepped towards the line of women on his turn, his sense of sight blocked by the blindfold. All he wanted was to get this right.

The first pair of hands he held was too soft, and he let go immediately. The second pair had pointy nails, so he let go of those hands immediately as well. The third had way too many rings on her fingers, and he dropped that hand like the plague.

He did not want to hold anyone else's hand for longer than 3 seconds.

The next pair of hands Sachin held were small. Tiny, the kind to fit just perfectly in his hands. The tinkle that the bangles created on were unmissable. He reached for the left hand, where the familiar flower shaped ring sat on her ring finger.

The same one he had gifted to her, because he couldn't stand the sight of a ring of his useless brother's name on her.

Her hands sat perfectly still within his, no movement, no awkwardness, with the same familiarity he had felt.

Sachin and Sailee had never held hands for long enough, let alone deliberately. They were both shy and awkward, and any contact between their hands was purely accidental.

Sachin always wanted to hold her hands, know how her tiny fingers would feel entangled between his, clasped in a way that her palms would be completely engulfed by his large form.

Maybe today was not that day. But that didn't matter, because he knew exactly who it was.

'Yeh toh meri waali hai.' Sachin murmured, tugging on her wrist a little, pulling her out of the crowd, untying his blindfold.

There she stood in front of him, with the widest smile plastered on her face, her cheeks pinkening with pride as the crowd erupted in applause and hoots.

"Tumne pehchaan liya?" Sailee asked, and she looked so adorable Sachin might have just pulled her cheeks right there on stage.

"Aur nahi toh kya. Apni baiko ko nahi pakdega toh kya dusre ki baiko ko pakdega? Baavlat mulgi!" Sachin clicked his tongue, tapping her forehead mischievously.

"That was might impressive, sir!" The host applauded, congratulating them both. "Zaroor love marriage hai, tabhi kisi aur ka haath nahi pakad rahe the, am I right?"

Sachin got red in the face, and gave some garbled answer that wasn't a yes but wasn't a no either, and the host handed them a basket of goodies as a reward.

Swinging the basket around, Sailee and Sachin roamed around the entire fair, eating cotton candy, blowing bubbles that Sachin really wanted and playing at numerous stalls, not winning at any and laughing all the way.

It was just them, in this crowded space, yet they felt like they had found each other. They had promised one another to stand by each other's side, through thick and thin, in sickness and health, and they planned on standing by it until their time comes.

There wasn't love yet, but eventually there would be. And when that day comes, they will fall for each other like one falls asleep.

Slowly, and then all at once.

The sun was beginning to set behind them, when Sachin pulled Sailee towards the hills.

"Kaha le jaa rahe ho?" She asked, not resisting and allowing herself to be lead.

"Ek jagah hai. Chal."

That was all he said the entire way there, and nothing else. They waded through trees and bushes, towards a side of the city no one knew.

Sailee stood in awe at the view before her. She could see the entire city below her, the sun setting in the background, creating a blend of colours that could only bring joy.

"Baith." Sachin tugged on her hand, seating her beside him, facing the setting sun.

Sailee sat next to him, there shoulders just touching, knees folded to their chests as they watched the birds fly home as moon began to rise in the distance.

Sailee looked over at the man she had married. Here he was, taking care of his entire family alone, expecting absolutely nothing but respect in return.

That's all he asked for.

Respect and love.

It pierced her heart when she saw how he was treated everyday in that house. It pierced her even more when she realised she had behaved with him like that in the beginning, too.

But not anymore, never. He deserved respect and love, and she intended on giving him just that.

Sailee scooted closer to him, wrapping her arms around his arm, laying her head on his shoulder, snuggling into his warmth.

Sachin looked over at his wife, snuggling closer to him. The old Sachin would have flinched and pushed her away, calling her names and scolding her for trying to be touchy.

But the new version of him? He wanted her to be near him every second of the day. Not a minute went by where he didn't miss her touch, her presence, her smile.

Her hand rested on his knee, staring at the sunset as she grasped his arm tighter.

Sachin reached for her hand that rested on his knee, entangling his fingers with hers, clasping her palm with the warmth of his.

Sailee looked up and rested her chin on his shoulder. No words were exchanged, but the way Sachin fiddled with her ring, stroking his thumb against hers, squeezing her hand just a little tighter to show her that she was all his now, and there was no going back.

She squeezed his hand, a smile settling on her face as he turned to look at her, with a look she had never seen before.

Fondness.

Sachin had grown so fond of her, that he didn't care about his apprehensions with touch. He wanted to hold her hand, as if they were secret lovers, trying to find a moment away from the eyes of the world.

He gazed at her so fondly, her doe-like innocent eyes softly adoring him in return. He leaned forward just a little, kissing the tip of her nose and looking back at her, only for her to get pink at her cheeks and shyly hide against his shoulder.

Sailee snuggled closer into him, and Sachin let her, as they slowly began to fly home to each other, just like the birds did.

~~~~