At your own risk!

"What? Just that?" Gauri exclaimed as she face-palmed herself.

"What you mean just that?! So much happened! I can't stop blushing whenever I think about it!" Annika blushed as she lowered her head.

"Annika! What do I do with you? Just because you guys made out that doesn't mean that you don't need the Prem Boothi!" Gauri exasperated.

"But Gauri, it was up to second base. If only his phone hadn't ring, we might have gone all the way through!" Annika grinned.

"Second base, eh? So he fondled and ravished your assets?" Gauri smirked.

"Chi! No, Gauri! We didn't go up to there. But yeah, he did kiss through my spine!" Annika blushed as her head dropped as a reflex.

"God! You don't even know the bases! What am I supposed to do with you, girl? Annika, there are 4F's when it comes to bases. The first base - French; which means kissing and all. The second base - Feel; wherein the boobies are involved. The third base - Finger; basically, masturbating your partner. And, the fourth and final base is Fuck. The deed!" Gauri explained as she animatedly lifted her fingers with the F's.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Annika asked in discomfort.

"What I'm trying to say is that you need the Prem Boothi so that you won't stop at the first base thinking its all enough!" Gauri sighed.

"We are taking it slow, but then!"

"Yeah! That slow that it will take five years for you to get all the bases done! Just listen to me. Spike his drinks with this Prem Boothi and let the magic work!"

"But, Shivaay said 'when the time is right'. Shouldn't I wait for it?"

"I was right! Jeeju might have a low libido. Do one thing, just add this Prem Boothi! Then you'll see how the time at the moment becomes the right time!" Gauri shrieked in excitement as she clapped her hands.

Annika, though reluctant, still hold on to the Babaji Ki Prem Boothi. She doubted if Gauri's deduction could be real, but yesterday, as they made out, she did felt his bulge everytime their body brushed. What could it be, then?

"You had fun with Gauri, today?" Shivaay asked as they entered their Villa that evening. They had went out together that day for sight seeing and accidentally split their ways where Gauri was with Annika and Shivaay was with Om.

"Yeap! And we shopped a lot too plus a little gossips!" Annika giggled while putting away the shopping bags on the coffee table.

"How about you and Om? Had brother's bonding time?"

Annika gasped as she realized a pair of hand snaking through her waist from the back. She recognized his touch right away and blushed as her back hit his front.

"We had a good time, but I missed you!" Shivaay whispered into her ears as he softly kissed her cheeks.

"Shivaay!" She barely managed to whisper his name. A red hue was building on her cheeks and she just couldn't stop smiling.

"Are you blushing?" Shivaay asked while turning her around.

Annika opened and closed her mouth a few times, but she hardly could make up any words as her husband was holding her close to himself.

"What?" He asked confused.

Annika simply shook her head and lowered her gaze. She couldn't look into his tantalizing blue-green eyes anymore. They were portraying a thousands of feelings and she couldn't take them all in at the same time. How she wished he could just be as expressive as his eyes were!

"Is this because of what happened between us yesterday night?" He asked, a little panicked.

Annika, noticing the panic in his voice shook her head. They cuddled to sleep after that! How could he even possibly think that she might be uncomfortable because of that? There are times when she could sing praises about what a gentleman her husband is and there are times she wished her husband was less of a gentleman!

"Did I do something wrong?" Shivaay asked again.

Annika shook her head again. Shivaay was still in doubt and she could sense that he was beginning to develop a guilt for acting in the heat of the moment. Without contemplating the possible effect of what her actions, Annika simply pulled him closer by his collar and slammed her lips on his.

She moved her lips against his passionately while waiting for him to respond, but Shivaay was too numb to respond. Now, feeling guilty herself, she tried to break the kiss, but he began to kiss her back. He swiftly moved his arms around her waist and yanked her body to his. While he sucked on her lower lip very gently, she felt her knees going weak and was about to fall, if not for his strong grip around her waist. His tongue then was brushing against hers, mating in a way she never imagined it could. She initiated the kiss, undeniably, but he was dominating it. She was kissing him back, but still, she couldn't match up to his level of passion. She moaned inwardly as his hand brushed against her bare waist, having sneaking underneath her blouse. Her grip on his collar tighten as she moved closer to deepen the kiss. They were both going breathless, but still, they were refusing to let the other go.

Breaking their kiss for a moment long enough for them to let go of their breath, and take in some fresh air, they joined their lips yet again. This time around, they were fighting for dominance as Annika finally found her passion. Her fingers travelled through his shoulder and neck to his hair. Having had relishing their partner's lips, finally Shivaay and Annika broke the kiss.

Annika lifted her head up to look at him for a second before being swooned by the after effects of the kiss. His lips were swollen and hair was completely dishevelled. A blush crept to her cheeks and she lowered her gaze immediately while hugging him tightly.

Shivaay saw how hazy her normally shiny brown orbs were. Her gaze was filled with passion. Her lips on the other hand was inviting him for more kisses, but before he could lean down to claim her lips again, she had hugged him tightly. She was not feeling uncomfortable at all. She was just a little shy! He found his answer. His fear of taking their next too fast immediately vanished and confidence was there on the other hand. He knew that she let him set the pace, and now, he was aware that she was next to him in the pace. They were in it together.

"I have something to tell you" Shivaay spoke, breaking the sweet silence between them.

"Yeah?" She finally found her voice back.

"Not now! In a while, can you get ready in the red saree you wore the other day?"

"But I didn't bring any saree here!" Annika stated.

"Oh, I brought it actually. You'll find it in my suitcase!" Shivaay whispered the last sentence to her.

"What's going on?"

"You'll know soon. Now, go and get ready. Meet me in our private garden at eight sharp!" Shivaay left her and walked away into the other room in the villa after planting another soft kiss on her other cheeks.

"Yeh Shivaay bhi na!" Annika blushed as she walked into their room.

At eight sharp, Annika was all ready in the red saree that her husband had brought along. She had kept her make-up minimal and pulled her hair up into a bun. She nervously fidgetted with the end of her pallu as she took small steps towards the garden. She was still thinking what he was about to tell her. Deep down, she wished that it could be something about their relationship, but at the same time, she couldn't stop thinking about new business deals announcement as well! Her husband was a businessman before anything else, hence, it was entirely normal for her to speculate it, though Gauri had asked her to keep the Prem Boothi on stand-by.

"Gauri and her Prem Boothi!" Annika scoffed.

To her surprise, their private garden in the villa no longer looked like how it was earlier. The Gazebo where they had their massage yesterday was revamped into a mesmerizing candle light dinner spot. The entire place was lighten up by star lights that hung from the ceiling of the Gazebo and the pathway towards it was illuminated by Edison bulbs.

She could hardly believe her eyes. Everything was looking too perfect! She quickly increased her speed towards the Gazebo and tried to reach out to one of the stars.

Just when she was about to touch the star, he hugged her by her waist from the back. Annika was startled at first, but she relaxed herself and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Did you like it?" He questioned.

"I love it, Shivaay!" She grinned and gave him a small peck on his cheek.

"I want this star!" She exclaimed all of the sudden and tried to reach out to one, but she couldn't reach it. Shivaay helped her to reach out to it. He reached out to pluck it gave it to her.

Annika blushed as she took the star with a wide grin, like a Cheshire cat on her face.

"I always had a thing on stars and moon, you know!" She informed him when they sat for their dinner.

"I know! That's why, I had specifically arranged the lights to be in the shape of stars!" Shivaay beamed while serving them the dinner.

"I... there's something Gauri always makes fun of! That phrase that 'I'll pluck the stars and moon for you'! She literally hates it and makes fun of it! But, look, you made it into a reality!" Annika showed the star he gave her just a while ago and continued eating.

"How about you? Do you also hate that phrase?"

"Nope! I somewhat stupidly believed that someday, someone would do that for me" She chuckled again. He predicted it right! She indeed was a hopeless romantic and he had wasted a lot of time in doing this. But, come to think of it, he had gained her friendship and trust! Now, only love was left. Tonight, he would know.

Tonight is the night!

He thought to himself as he picked up the painting he bought from Om.

"Since you believed in that phrase, I'm sure you'll like this too!" He expressed while giving her the wrapped painting.

Annika delightedly unwrapped the painting and admired it. She couldn't stop but to see the silhouette of the couple as her and Shivaay.

"This is beautiful! Thank you!"

"You're welcome!"

They continued the rest of the dinner silently. The only sounds that was breaking the silence of the night was the clanking of cutleries and the soft breeze that blew every now and then. Annika was eagerly waiting for Shivaay to begin the conversation while Shivaay was still rearranging the sentences in his head. He had pictured this a few times and had even rehearsed on how he would confess, but now, when the time is already here, he just couldn't think of anything.

Right then, a thunder brought both of them back from the thoughts they were getting lost in. Annika looked at the sky and realized that the stars were no longer visible and that it was going to rain.

"I think it's going to rain, Shivaay!" She voiced out.

"I think so too! Have you eaten?" He asked.

"Yeap. I'm done!"

"I'm done, too! Let's just put all of these on the trolley and rush back in, okay? The housekeeping will clean it all up tomorrow!"

Annika nodded and began pilling up the bowls on the trolley next to them. She had expected him to say something else, but she sighed inwardly. Shivaay took so long to just ask her out on the honeymoon! She wondered how long would he take to say what he was about to! Gauri was indeed right! She actually needed the Prem Boothi!

'What on Earth are you doing Shivaay? She's your wife, for God's sake! Just. Don't. Chicken. Out.' He warned himself.

"Annika!" He called her name. Annika who was leaving the Gazebo into the Villa turned around to look at him.

"Huh?" She looked much anticipated to hear what he was about to say and the twinkle in her eyes were brighter than ever. Hope and happiness, they mirrored.

"Annika, I need to tell you something"

"I'm listening!"

"Woh... actually... you're looking so breathtakingly beautiful today!"

Annika blushed, but not as much as she did earlier. There was a slight disappointment there alongside.

'Great move!' He taunted himself.

"Thanks!"

Another awkward silence followed.

"That's not just all! There's something else I need to tell you!" Shivaay stammered.

"I'm listening. Tell me!" She encouraged him.

"I'm chickening out!" Shivaay confessed out loud with a sigh. Annika was taken aback with that unexpected confession of his.

Regardless of it, Annika camouflaged her feelings and walked towards Shivaay. She made him sit and kneeled down in front of him as she took his hands into hers, as he had done countless amount of times before this.

"Shivaay, whatever it is that you want to say, please don't hesitate and say it! It's just me! Your Annika! Come on, say it!" She lifted her hand to cup his face as she caressed his stubble with her thumb.

"Annika, I...", he paused to look up at her for assurance and when she nodded, his gaze shifted down again.

"I love you, Annika! I love you a lot!" He thought to himself.

"I love you too, Shivaay!" She replied back.

Shivaay was stunned for a minute. He looked at her in surprise.

"Isn't that what you wanted to say?" Annika doubted.

"It is, but how do you..."

"Like you know things about me, I also do know things about you! So, yes, I love you too!" She beamed.

Shivaay stood up at once and pulled her into a tight hug.

"I love you! I love you! I love you!" He repeatedly chanted as he swayed them to the left and right, only to have Annika chuckling in happiness.

"I have a lot more to say, but then I just couldn't say them..." Shivaay frowned.

"It's okay! We have our whole lives ahead for you to say the things that you want to say to me!" She understandingly smiled.

With their feelings being open, and Annika looking nothing less than a ravishing temptress in the red saree, Shivaay wanted to take her then and there. As if reading his thoughts, Annika slowly leaned in towards his lips. Her eyes were closed and her grip on his shoulder loosened up.

Her lips met his halfway and they claimed their rights on each other. The kiss that they were sharing now was a different one from the rest of it. Boundaries were there in the previous kisses, but in this, the boundaries were meaning to be broken. The raw passion that they had last night as they made out returned. Shivaay's right hand had slowly travelled above her waist, reaching out to the parts of her he had always wanted to shower his love to. As he cupped her breast gently while deepening the kiss, Annika stood numb, experiencing a strange tingling right beneath her stomach.

"Shivaay!" She gasped, breaking out from the kiss.

Shivaay immediately removed his hand from her asset and looked at her worried.

"Am I taking this too fast?"

She shook her head and took his hand, placing it exactly where it was a few seconds ago. As it dawned to Shivaay of what she was trying to initiate, an unexplainable animalistic instinct was ignited within him. All the suppressed desire and passion came out overflooding like Tsunami. Annika was also feeling nothing less. After a small eyelock that exchanged the desire they have for each other, both of them sealed their lips.

* * *

To be continued...