Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Naina's POV

Finally after a long journey we arrived at Srinagar airport and took a taxi towards Dal lake.

I closed my eyes and started feeling the cold air around my face.

I was feeling so relaxed.

I looked at Ranveer to see him looking at me with a smile on his face.

"What happened?” I asked.

"I have visited many times here but I have never enjoyed like this," he said.

"You have not done this? Try with me. Look out of the window, close your eyes and feel the cold wind,” I said and he was hesitated for some time but then did it.

"Newly married sir?" the driver asked looking at us through the rear view mirror.

"Yes,” Ranveer said even though it had been few months since we got married.

The driver gave a smile.

After few minutes we were near the dal lake.

"We will go in this?" I screamed as the driver was giving us our suitcase.

"Yes, we will go in Shikara,” Ranveer told me as he gave fare to the taxi driver.

We went towards the Shikara.

Ranveer got first and held his hand forward. I gave him my hand and he helped me to get in the Shikara.

"Where we will stay?" I asked as I we were sitting in the Shikara.

"We will stay in boathouse,” he said and I was shocked.

"Really ! I have only seen it in movies," I exclaimed happily.

"Now we will stay there," he said as he held my hand and then we both were silently enjoying the beautiful view.

The shikara stopped in front of boathouse and the guy helped Ranveer and then Ranveer helped me to get out of shikara.

"Thank you bhaiya," I said and the guy smiled and gave our suitcase.

We walked towards the boathouse and I gasped looking at the beautiful view in front of me. I never thought I will be able to see something so beautiful in my real life.

As soon we entered the boathouse I was shocked for the second time.

"Wow...This is so lovely," I said looking at the living room which felt cozy and comfortable.

"I know," he said as we entered the bedroom.

"Thank you once again for bringing me here Ranveer."

"You are my wife. If I will not do this for you, then who will do it?"

How can he always say the right thing?

"Okay we will freshen up and take a look at the floating market," he said and I was too excited to see the floating market so I hurriedly freshened up, did my hair and applied my usual makeup.

"Let's go,” he said and then after some minutes we were again riding in a boat. It was fun to see the hustle-bustle of floating market.

After spending some time we decided to go to the Srinagar market.

"Let's take a look at the shawls," I said as we entered the crowded Srinagar market.

We went in the stall and the owner showed us pashmina shawls.

"Let's take one for Mom," I said.

"Okay and you want one for Kamla aunty?” he asked.

"Yes she will love it," I said.

We were looking at shawls when a girl came and stood beside Ranveer.

"Yes mam what will you see?" shopkeeper asked her but she was so busy in looking at my husband that she didn't hear.

"Ranveer?" I called and he looked at me.

"You know everybody can look at you but you are only mine," I said.

"What are..."

"Yes I know what you will say. I know I am lucky to have you in my life," I said cutting him off and held his hand tightly.

'He is mine so back off.' I wanted to scream but shut my mouth and let my action speak.

He looked around and saw that the girl was still looking at us but then she left.

"You look cute when you are jealous," he said.

"I am not jealous. I was just showing her that she can't have you," I said still angry at that girl.

"And if I want to have her?" he asked with a grin on his face.

As soon he said that I was fuming with anger.

I took two shawls and left as he was paying money.

As I was walking I was fuming with anger thinking about what Ranveer had said.

He wants to be with her.

Then he can go and enjoy with her.

I collided with someone.

"Mayank?"

"Naina?" he called.

Mayank was in the college with me and we were grouped in a project but after a year he left the school as his Dad was transferred to Kashmir.

"You here?" he asked.

"Yes I came here for a vacation,” I said.

"With Sameer?" he asked.

Sameer?

"Sameer?" I asked.

"I mean both of you were good friends so I thought you came with him.”

"No I came here with my husband Ranveer. I got married few months back,” I told him.

"Oh really! Congratulations."

"How are you here?" I asked.

"I was really upset when I left Mumbai but now I am in love with Kashmir and don't want to leave it so I had decided to stay here forever," he said and I could notice the happiness in his voice.

"Naina,” I heard Ranveer calling me and turned around to see him running towards me.

"How can you run like that? I was so worried for you,” he said and then he looked at Mayank.

"Who is he?" Ranveer asked.

"I am Naina's college mate, Mayank,” he introduced and forwarded his hands towards Ranveer as they both shake hands.

"So how is everyone in your family?" I asked.

"Everyone is fine."

We both were catching up and Ranveer was walking beside me, silently.

Then Mayank got a call from his boss and left hurriedly without even saying goodbye.

*****

We had Kashmiri pulao and chilli chicken for dinner.

Ranveer was silent and I was still angry at him.

We were both laying on the bed.

"Naina you know when I saw you with him talking, all I saw was red," he said as he pulled me in his arms.

"Leave me,” I was struggling but he did not leave me.

"There are many few people I keep close to me and you are one of them, I can’t see you with anyone else. You were ignoring me and giving him your full attention,” he said and I turned my head towards the other side as I don’t like when he is angry.

"Look at me," he shouted and I flinched.

I never like this aggressive side of him.

I met his eyes.

"Yes, now your full attention is on me," he said caressing my cheek and his tone got soft.

"You wanted to be with that girl, right? Go and get her attention," I shouted at him as I was also very angry and hurt.

"Baby, I love when you are jealous and stake your claim on me so I was just pulling your leg. You are the only one I want."

"Ranveer I was hurt thinking of you with her. Never joke about something like this," I said.

“I am sorry baby,” he apologized.

“By the way, was he the friend you were telling me the other day?” he asked me suddenly.

“No. He is just my college mate. I don’t talk to that friend anymore due to some issues between us,” I told him and he nodded his head in understanding.

"Anyways, once again I am sorry for joking and I was hurt when I saw you giving him attention and neglecting me. I am sorry Naina for pulling your leg," he apologized again as he pushed a strand of the hair behind my ear.

"I am also sorry for neglecting you," I said as he bent down his lips against my cheek, brushing it lightly and still that light touch sent shivers through my touch which made my whole body tremble.

"If you want me to stop tell me now," he whispered.

When I still said nothing he brushed my mouth against the shallow of my temple "or now."

He traced the line of my cheekbone

"Or now," he said as his lips were near my lips.

"Or..."

Before he could say anything I pulled him towards me and his lips met mine.

He kissed me softly at first and then with a swift gradation of intensity that made me cling to him as the only solid thing in a dizzy swaying world.

His insistent mouth was parting my shaking lips sending wild tremors along my nervers evoking the sensations I had never known was capable of feeling and before swimming giddiness spun me round and round I knew that I was kissing him back.

*****

Next day we were having a cup of tea at Gulmarg.

After having tea I was clicking pictures of the view full of ice.

We went around the ice and I threw an ice balls at him and in seconds we were ice fighting.

Before I could even blink my eyes Ranveer was kneeling in front of me.

"Naina I was attracted towards you the first time I saw you bat the ice cream parlor, I loved the way you were taking care of them and then I met you in your home and I know I married you forcefully but the days I spent with you were the best days of my life. The more I spent with you the more my heart craves for you."

"Ranveer, people are watching pl..."

"No Naina, let me finish. Naina I love you and you are the only one for whom my heart craves," he said and saw a ring in his hand.

He took my hand.

"I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want you to massage my gray old hairs and I want to see you smile when I will bring you bouquet of flowers with the help of a walking stick. I always want you to be jealous when someone will call me 'hot Daddy' in the future. I want you to shut me up when I will be talking about lingerie in front of our children. So Mrs. Naina Singhania do you want to remain as Mrs Naina Singhania for the rest of your life?" he asked but I was speechless hearing his proposal.

"Yes I want to be your wife, Mrs. Naina Singhania for the rest of my life," I said after few seconds and realized that I had tears in my eyes at his confession.

"We never had an engagement," he said as he slid a beautiful ring in my ring finger.

He stood up and wiped the tears which I don’t even know were rolling down my cheek.

"Ranveer I love you," I said and we heard claps and saw eveeyone was clapping and I hid my chest in his chest.

*****

“So you were telling the truth at the NGO?” I asked him as we were sitting in the plane in each others arms.

The last two days were spend in Pahalgam valley and Shankaracharya temple and nights were spend in each others arms and we took pictures wearing phiran which was traditional dress of Kashmir.

We wanted to visit few other tourist spots but from the day he proposed to me, I didn't feel like going anywhere.

I just wanted to spend my time in his arms.

Maybe this is what we call love.

“Yes, Naina I got attracted to you the first time I saw you at the ice cream parlor,” his voice broke my train of thoughts.

“After that day everyday I used to take that route in the hopes of seeing you but I never saw you,” he told me.

“Yes, I was busy with my studies,” I told him and he nodded in a yes.

“And then I saw you at your Dad’s house and I was so surprised,” he said.

“Thank god you came in my life, Ranveer,” I told him and he took my hand in his and kissed the backside of my palm.

"By the way how did you know the perfect size of my finger?" I asked looking at the ring.

This ring was so beautiful.

I could not stop looking at it.

He made this trip so special.

"There was a ring kept on the dressing table. I took it."

"That’s why I was not finding it for few days," I said.

"So have you planned it all along?" I asked.

"When Avni asked how I confessed my love I felt you were sad and that time I decided it."

"You are the best," I said.

"Naina?" he called.

"Yes?"

"I love you," he said.

I love when he says those three words.

"I love you," I said back.

I don’t like saying 'I love you too.'

The 'too' in ' I love you ' makes me feel that I am saying it as an obligation and not because I want to.

I hope we will stay like this forever.

Loving each other.

Craving for each other.

*****