Ritika and Abhika were seated on the carpeted floor. A brand new kitchen play set was open and it looked like every girl's dream. Abhiram had purchased it recently for her despite Ritika warning him that she had enough kitchen sets to last a couple of years atleast.Abhika was stirring some imaginary dish using a plastic spatula. All the tiny vessels and a doll were strewn on the floor.

Abhiram was perched on his sofa, leaning slightly forwards, with his elbows on his knees. He watched them both with a content smile on his face. He couldn't have asked for more than this.

"Here Mama, eat it. Papa, you too," Abhika handed over a tiny plate to each of them and then she went back to meddling with the tiny utensils.

"What's this, sweety?" Abhiram took the tiny plate and pretended to eat it. Ritika did the same.

"It's biriyani ,"Abhika replied without looking at either of them.

"It tastes good, Abhika." Ritika encouraged Abhika as she continued her pretend play.

"Papa, you have stopped eating . Come on, finish what's on the plate." Abhika sounded exactly like Ritika.

"Okay, okay," he said to Abhika and once again started eating the imaginary dish. Satisfied that her father complied with her orders, she gave him a smug smile and turned away. Abhiram blew out a breath and shook his head. He hadn't played these imaginary 'house-house 'games even when he had been a kid.

"If we have one more kid, they would entertain themselves." Ritika muttered. When Abhiram looked at her contemplatively, she shrugged. "Just saying," she said.

Ritika quickly changed the topic. Abhiram had asked her three months time to think over it and she didn't want to be persistent. So, she asked him about the party later that week. She wanted to take Abhika along but Abhiram had other plans. He suggested they left Abhika with her parents. Her parents had been wanting to spend time with their grand-daughter, so this would be the perfect opportunity to hit two birds with one stone. But Ritika was still not convinced.

"Let's make a deal. We both attend the party and spend the weekend at the hotel and I promise I will come to wonder -la."

Her eyes lit up.

"Sounds perfect. So, suddenly the water in wonder-la is all clean, huh?" Ritika remarked sarcastically.

Abhiram shrugged. "It's a compromise. Both of you will be under my direct supervision."

Ritika rolled her eyes. "Control freak." She tweaked his nose. "Please don't be under the illusion that we are going to listen to you."

Abhiram's upper lip twisted in defiance but he only grunted in reply. He studied her for a minute. Her arm rested on his knee and she was engrossed in the game and was not aware of his perusal.

What Ritika said about him was absolutely true. He liked being in charge of things though control freak might be too strong a word to describe him. But he wouldn't know that would he? Abhiram was an over-protective husband and an extremely over-indulgent dad and Ritika would often lose her cool at his antics. Ritika too had a stubborn streak in her which Abhiram got to know only after their marriage. They had had plenty of arguments in the past because of their differences in opinions. He hoped they wouldn't end up fighting at the water theme park.

***

Abhiram and Ritika were on the way to the Hotel Ritz .They would be early for the party but they had booked a suite there for an overnight stay and had planned to get ready there. As soon as they stepped into the room, Abhiram got rid of their bag in the cupboard near the entryway. The room was styled contemporarily and the furniture looked lavish.

"I can't wait for this damn party to be over," Abhiram dove right into the soft, plush bed. Sprawled on the bed languorously, and his head propped on his elbow, his eyes had a feral shine to them. The first two buttons of his shirt were undone that gave a glimpse of his virile body underneath. With his ruggedly handsome features, he could be posing for a magazine cover.

"That sounds ominous." Ritika teased him.

Instead of replying, Abhiram just gave a naughty smile that held silent promises. He ran his fingers through his hair and pulled himself out of the bed reluctantly.

"I will get ready now," he said and dropped a peck on Ritika's cheek. Suddenly her face felt warm.

"Shraddha will be here soon. You can join the party before she comes," Ritika told him.

Abhiram nodded.

Shraddha was the anaesthesia consultant at their hospital. Shraddha had asked Ritika the previous day if she could get ready there.

"She would help me with my make up." Ritika added.

Abhiram scrunched his nose. He was not a fan of make up. "Ask her not to be too liberal with the make up. It would be a pity if I can't recognize my own wife."

***

An hour later, Abhiram was at the lawn where all the arrangements for the party were done. It was already dusk and fairy lights were strung all over. Snacks were being served at a corner and then there was a make-shift bar at another corner. The table with cocktails and mocktails looked inviting. Abhiram was not a teetotaler but today he didn't have the mood for alcohol. He had plans for later that would demand his undivided attention. He reached for a mocktail and went back to chatting to a couple of male surgeons.

One of the surgeons went on about how they should be having parties like these more often.

"It's so difficult to recognize these ladies," the surgeon whispered as couple of lady doctors waltzed past them.

Abhiram smiled. The doctor was right. Their profession didn't usually let them dress up every day. It was on occasions like these that they had the opportunity to let down their hair if they wanted to be.

Out of the corner of his eyes he spotted Ritika walking into the lawn with Shraddha. She was in a black saree that shimmered and thin gold border. It hugged her curves perfectly. Her thick, shoulder length hair was left loose and she had very subtle make up done to her face. She looked like a dream. It would be a juggernaut task to just look and not touch her for the next two hours or so.

And then she turned around to speak to someone.

Abhiram stiffened. What was she wearing? The nearly backless blouse she was wearing seemed to be held together by thin belts tied together. He heard a sharp intake of breath from one of his colleagues standing next to him. He ground his teeth together and balled his fist involuntarily.

Had they noticed his reaction? Most importantly were they gawking at her? He knew every man's eyes would be on her this evening. It felt like someone had punched his gut. Hot bile rose in his throat every time someone gave his wife as much as a second look. This level of possessiveness and jealousy were a novel experience for him. He was surprised by his own reaction. He was far from perfect but he didn't recognize his own self today. He was behaving like a blend of an insecure teenager.

Ritika would probably laugh out loud if she came to know what he was feeling right now.

The rest of the evening, he spent away from Ritika. He didn't want to test the limits of his own sanity. There was a live band that was playing for their benefit in the hotel courtyard. He found Rohan there. They got talking and Abhiram surprisingly had a fun time with him.

Something was bothering him. Ritika knew it. He was quite social and usually enjoyed parties. But today he looked strained. Was he feeling sick? She looked around for Abhiram but he was not to be seen. May be he has gone to the bar inside with the men.

She dialed his number and he picked the phone in two rings.

"Hello," his voice sounded a bit gruff.

"You okay?" she asked him.

"Yes," he lied.

Let the boys have fun, she thought and went back to her gang of friends.

"After seeing you in this, I'm sure your husband lost all the interest in this party. He must be waiting to get you alone," Shraddha teased her.

***

Abhiram slammed the door shut after him. Both of them were back in their suite. Ritika snapped her gaze towards him. His eyes looked red and his jaw was fiercely clenched. A muscle flickered at his temple and Ritika instantly knew he was upset.

"What's wrong?" she questioned. "Ever since the party started, you have been scowling."

"Nothing," Abhiram snapped at her.

"Don't give me this bull shit. I know you inside out." Ritika stood with her hands crossed across her chest.

"Do you, now? Good for you." Abhiram popped the first three buttons of his shirt open and untucked his shirt.

Ritika stepped closer to him and put her palms on his hard chest.

"Tell me. Is it because your friend Sara was not there?"

"May be."

Ritika pulled out her palms as if touching him scalded her and scrunched her nose.

"Stop goading me then," he warned her and turned away from her. He then pinched his nose bridge ."Look ,I'm okay,"he said and blew out his breath. "I will be okay," he corrected himself.

"Ram, stop being so stuck up. We have plans." Ritika reminded him. "Help me get out of this," she turned around and stood facing the mirror. Abhiram stared at her back. He wanted to run his fingers on her skin and feel the softness. Instead, he yanked at the knot forcefully and it gave away.

"How did you get into this?"He grated out. Ritika didn't miss the edge in his voice.

"Ram, don't tell me you are upset because of what I wore."

"It's vulgar," Abhiram muttered through gritted teeth and took a step back. He hadn't meant it. She looked hot in it. One look at her earlier that evening and he had practically started panting in lust. What bothered him was the looks his colleagues were giving her. He couldn't stand it. He hated himself for calling what she had worn 'vulgar'.

Ritika stood there with her mouth gaping open. She looked stumped. She turned around to face him. "I can't believe you are telling me this." She cupped her mouth and snorted in disbelief.

"Am I supposed to be jumping up and down in joy when those men were mentally undressing you?" Abhiram seethed. He didn't need reminding of the events of the evening.

"Nobody can control what other people think. Why should I not wear something I like just because you have a problem with what's going on in those people's heads?"

"You could have worn it when were alone or even at a family party. I wouldn't have said a thing." Abhiram growled.

Ritika couldn't understand what he was telling. Did he mean she had to seek his approval regarding her dressing choice? She couldn't come to terms with whatever he was implying.

"You are regressive, controlling and the most infuriating man I have ever met. You are a caveman." Ritika was now hyperventilating. How could he dictate to her what to wear and what not to wear? Why was he acting like a male chauvinist?

"Any other adjectives? Keep them coming." Abhiram scoffed.

Ritika hated the way he was trying to laugh off the issue. His sarcasm only fumed her anger.

"Your sophisticated charm is a façade. You are a..a Neanderthal."

Abhiram lifted his brow. He was in one hell of a temper and Ritika was doing her best to inflame him further. The evening was now no doubt ruined. A redemption was nowhere in sight. The worst part was he was turned on like hell. He might as well vent out his anger and let out some steam.

"If I remember correctly, I told you before our marriage that I'm not the person you thought I was. Didn't I tell you I was not easy to live with?"

Without another word, Abhiram stormed off into the bathroom.

Ritika stood before the mirror and studied herself. A woman had the right to choose what she wanted to wear, she told herself firmly. If Abhiram had a problem with that, he had just joined the ranks of the 'the typical Indian males'. She hated the thought. Ritika was still processing what Abhiram had told her. Vulgar? The style was in vogue.

Abhiram was back in the room after a quick shower. His hair was plastered on his forehead and water dripped off his torso. He looked delectable. Ritika quickly averted the gaze from him. She was still in her saree and had been waiting for him to finish using the shower. She clutched her lacy lingerie, squeezed into a ball in her hand. She was in no mood for a seductive ritual. Damn. Only if she had got any of her usual night wear. Sighing, she slipped into the privacy of the bathroom, away from her husband's wolfish gaze.

She stood under the hot shower and let the water cascade down her body. After a good fifteen minutes of solitude, she padded into the room. Her eyes locked with Abhiram's , who was sitting on an arm chair and sipping some hot liquid. He must have made tea with the electric kettle. Abhiram's gaze trailed her as she walked over to the wardrobe and put her worn saree in it. He seemed to be playing some game. She knew the hungry look in his eyes too well. He was turned on but was trying hard to not let his guard slip. She smiled to herself. When she gave him a cursory glance, his steely stare was still on her.

Suddenly, she felt conscious of her lacy dress. It made her feel naked. She trudged across the wooden floor and opened his suitcase.

"What are you doing?"

Ritika didn't reply. She was rummaging through Abhiram's suitcase. She pulled out Abhiram's neatly ironed shit and undid the buttons.

"That is my shirt for tomorrow."

Ritika pushed her arms into the full sleeves of the shirt and covered herself up. The negligee that she had been wearing didn't give her much confidence now. She had to cover herself up.

"Nothing I haven't seen." Abhiram was amused. "What is this silent statement you are trying to make? What do you think? That I would pounce on you?For your kind information, I take consent very seriously."

"FYI, everything is not about you. I don't feel comfortable strutting around in that dress and I have nothing else to wear. And the fact that you have been staring at me incessantly for the past ten minutes doesn't help either."

"Uncomfortable around me?" he crossed the distance between them and stood next to her. "You wound me Ritika. Just because we fought, you are not comfortable around me?"

Ritika studied him quietly. He was deflecting the topic. He had not given a concrete answer why he had reacted the way he had.

"Why don't women have the choice to wear what they want where they want?"

He blew out a breath.

"I can't speak for others but I hate men gawking at you and devouring you with their eyes. And what you wore today was not fitting for the occasion. They are our colleagues. They would talk."

Ritika's lips parted slightly. Was he jealous?

"Our whole evening got ruined," she mumbled and looked away.

Abhiram's hands which were shoved into his pockets now had balled into fists and his molars clenched. "Thanks to you," Abhiram sneered at her.

Ritika had had so many plans for the night. A quiet, romantic night with him watching a movie or just talking perhaps while sipping some hot chocolate. After which they would have undeniably ended up in the bed with some hot, explosive sex. She quietly tightened his shirt around herself and slipped under the covers of the bed. Unfortunately for her, she hadn't got any book to tread and she hardly read in her mobile. She had nothing to do except listen to some songs. After plugging her earphones into her ears, she scrolled her music app for some sleep inducing music.

Abhiram sat at the edge of the bed. What a criminal waste of time, he thought. Cursing himself he took a few deep breaths and his thoughts went back to the evening.

She had looked stunning in the saree and that nearly backless blouse. Who wouldn't stare at her? Talk about jealousy. He had made fun of Ritika last week. Who knew he would be consumed by it? It had not been Ritika's fault. Still he had implied it had been her fault and shown his resentment towards her. He had been angry. She had wanted to bring Abhika but had dropped the idea just because he had insisted they spent some time alone.

And now they had ended up fighting.

Abhiram had totally lost it earlier when Ritika had walked out of the shower in that semi transparent excuse of a dress. He couldn't stop staring at her. He thought her curves were testing the fabric. 

He looked around the room.The warm glow from the bed lamp lit the room just enough for a cozy vibe.

Gritting his teeth and without making any noise, he lay down next to her. He turned to his side and stared at Ritika's silhouette. The duvet was pulled up to her neck and her hair was strewn on the pillow.

Had she gone to sleep? Her breathing was soft and steady. There was no way he could see her face. He closed his eyes. He was just about to drift off to sleep when Ritika leaned against him. The sweet scent of her body -wash hit his nostril and just like that he became rock hard. It was painful.

Sweet Jesus.

He didn't move. Ritika shifted slightly. She knew about his not so little predicament. She turned her head and glowered at him.

"Don't look at me like that. You have been wiggling your bottom against my crotch for the past five minutes," Abhiram said in a quiet yet serious tone.

"Please. You are the one giving me bed room eyes ever since we came back from the party."

"Goddamn party." Abhiram cursed under his breath.

"Why did you make a huge deal out of what I wore and spoil our day?" Ritika asked defeatedly.

Abhiram hated how he was feeling right now. He had promised Ritika a fun weekend, convinced her to let Abhika stay back so that both of them could get some time alone. How could she not understand that he was a possessive male?

"Ritu, you told me last week that it bothers you when women 'eye-bang' me." He did air-quotes with one hand. "When men do that to you, even I feel possessive. Is it so difficult for you to understand? Why the double –standards?"

Ritika bit her lips. She knew Abhiram was possessive about her but she hadn't anticipated such strong reaction from him.

"I had been only thinking of my freedom of dressing up the way I want to."

"I understand, but think from my perspective too."

Ritika gave a contemplative pause.

"We have established that we both are equally jealous and possessive, what do we do now?" Abhiram put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer and nuzzled his face against her neck.

"Are you not feeling cold?" Ritika queried as her body broke into goose- bumps.

"Cold is the last thing I'm feeling now. Don't deflect." Abhiram said as he rubbed his thumb over the button of her shirt.

His shirt.

It was all creased now.

"Remove it," he said throatily. "Please," he added.

"Excuse me, our discussion is still not over." Ritika caught Abhiram's chin and forced him to look into her eyes.

"Of course," he said lazily with a smirk.

"We try to understand each other, I suppose." Ritika tried to sound all thoughtful but a giggle escaped her throat when she recognised Abhiram's greedy look.

****