Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Adrian

I took Chris to the hospital after having a lot of convincing to do. She was apprehensive about various things, the first among them was her breast feeds to our baby princess. Chris was worried her feeds would turn hazardous to our daughter because of the medications she would be forced to opt after the surgery.

We addressed all our concerns to the physician including the days Chris had to go hospitalized, the health of mother on post surgery and the possible effects of it on our infant. I got a positive reply for all my questions from the doctor and to say I was happy was an understatement.

****

I call Chris tapping on her shoulder as she cannot hear me. She turns back but her eyes were still focussed to the matching bracelet of gold and diamonds that she was going to put on for work. "Looks beautiful, when did you buy this?" I ask her in a glimmer. She shook smiling and pats my chest pointing me with her eyes. "I bought it?" I ask her in surprise. She nods and writes something for me on her phone shining like a constellation of stars.

"You bought me this bracelet as the first Christmas gift after our engagement. In the evening you took me to your family home. Initially I was very anxious to meet your parents. I was apprehensive if your mom would accept me as her daughter in law, a middle class deaf and dumb girl but all my fears turned contrary by the kindness and affection your parents showered upon me."

I play her fingers and move my head closer to Chris. She sits frozen, from both fear and excitement but leans in, so that her forehead rests against mine. We close our eyes. Both our breaths raspy and pulsing absorbed with desire.

Chris's breathe wavers, exhilarated from the tension between us.

She gently leans in and kisses my warm lips. We pull apart and take shaky, shallow breaths. Unable to contain myself anymore, I hold Chris's head in my hands and pull her into a fiery and passionate kiss. My hands work their way around her body, feeling each crevasse, each line along her perfect hour glass physique.

She lies on her back as I match her body's form. My hands venture over her curved body, exploring. We pull apart and open our eyes staring at each other, deep into each other's orbs, mine full of wonder and love, hers full of curiosity and passion. No words are spoken but a story worthy of us is communicated.

I lean in softly kissing up and down Chris's neck. She lets out little whimpers of anticipation and I work my way back to her tender, smooth lips. As we kiss she rolls me over and lies on top of my muscular body. She runs her lips up my neck and lands a loving, intense kiss on my lips. I pull her arms towards in an attempt to bring her closer and my vision accidentally falls on her bracelet again.

Intense pain hits at the back of my head as I stare at the bracelet and recollect the fragments of memories associated with the elegant piece of jewellery. A imbue of hesitation combined with pain and worry reflects in the eyes of Chris and she immediately hugs me running her hands on my back, her astute effort to pacify me.

I land to convulsions, my complete form going to shivers as I hug her tight sweating and muttering incoherent words that escape inscrutable beyond my control. But my wife was perspicacious. "Chris please don't go. Hold me to you." I cry like a kid trying to reach her in my arms. She hugs me, pats my back I do not know for how long. After sometime she holds me to arms length runs her hands from my shoulders to my palms gazing at me in an untold assurance - 'I am there for you'.

Holding my hand in hers like a mother to a little boy she slips from the bed bringing me along with her to our dressing closet where she places all my medicines. Her hands slip between my hairs combing them with her fingers before she injects the medicine into the syringe and administers it instantly on my upper arm. My eyes slowly start to close off as she helps me back to bed covering me with a duvet and darkness consumes me within seconds.

****

When I see the photos of my family or certain articles in the house associated to the past reminiscences, my memory recalls but only bits and it is always accompanied with an irresistible pain in the head. Chris stops me from thinking when I get such convulsions as she cannot see me in havoc. But this is not the life I want, sitting at home like a woman or a mother of little kids.

I want to be a man for my wife and a caring father to my daughter. My wish is to give back Chris her past life, the glory of a reigning queen in my palace. I want her to lead a carefree life, spend the money I earn going shopping, buy things for our princess and spend time joyfully with her parents and relatives. For all this to happen I need to get back in my life I need to take over my business and I need to gain back every bit of my past memories.

Of late these seizures had been frequent on me. Chris is worried about my health but she isn't the one to project or go noticed on her fears. She is a fighter, a self motivated and assertive woman. I perceive she had consulted several doctors regarding my disorder and became a prowess to handle any kind of a dare. I haven't ever seen my wife go weak on her willpower. "Thank you," I say in barely more than a whisper. She looks at me puzzled and I answer her unquestioned quiery in a low, jarred tone. "For everything you did to me and our family, for being you, so strong and self determined ready to face any challenge."

To me, my wife is a miracle, an undefeatable woman and a multi-tasker in nurturing an infant, maintaining a house, looking after her sick husband and above all a woman to challenge a male dominant society in spite of her handicap. How she balances so many things with an expert competence in spite of her impediment is uncognizable truth to me.

Flashback

“Chris, wake up baby. I want to take you out today." She slowly opened her eyes and stared at me blankly. It was the initial days of our relationship. But I could not speaking to her so attached as though we had been together since ages.

My eyebrows danced at her in playfulness. "The breakfast. I think you will surely be hungry after you fully wake up." I pointed to the steaming food set on the side table.

The delicious aroma of freshly made pancakes made her taste buds water and her stomach started growling, not even allowing her a least bit of dignity before me.

I laughed hearing her belly ramble. "I guess your body doesn't want to cooperate with you though you wanted to carry this situation with grace around me."

I placed the tray in her lap after she settled comfortably on the bed. Chris forked the pancakes to her mouth and couldn't stop moaning. The taste was heavenly. She had never tasted such delicious pancakes ever in her life.

I was an excellent cook though I would not like to start boasting of myself. If I was not an entrepreneur, I would have been a chef. Since childhood I have loved cooking with my mother. Whenever I had free time after studies I used to try making different dishes.

"Wow, they are so flavorsome." Her eyes blightened with delight sending me the message with the movement of her hands.

"Did you make them?" The jaw of Chris hung open in surprise. I simply nodded, held her hand with the fork which contained a piece of pancake and directed it to my lips.

She slightly shivered with my unexpected touch. She thought I might not have noticed it but I acted nonchalance to keep her comfortable. I love the way she reacts to my most virginal touches. She is a virgin and I love to feel it in every moment of my interaction with her.

The heat of my palm seeping through her skin made her cheeks red. "Get ready, put on something simple and comfortable. I will be taking you out today."

My voice was rough and husky with every syllable that came out because of the effect she carried upon me. I knew she had the same effect. She couldn't concentrate on what I said because my touch probably got her brain cells fogged and I loved this novel feeling

developing inside her because of me.

Holding my head under the shower with my hands rested ahead upon the tiled wall, I was thinking of Chris. She was an unsullied pristine angel I was lucky to have. After the shower I sprayed my usual cologne and was putting on simple jeans and a black tee.

An hour of travel, we were at the foothills of a forest. Chris was frightened but I understood her inner turmoil, she was worried if any animals would attack her and because she can’t even speak. "Don't worry, you are safe. The animals do not roam here during the day."

Amid tall green trees, the land hardly got sunlight even in the middle of afternoon and it was cool like we were using an air conditioner. Chris peered around in awe. I knew she would love these kind of places because I often saw scenic beauty in her paintings. The place was lovely, indeed like a paradise on earth. Our tastes match.

She brought her hands closer and rubbed her upper arms. I may seem unconcerned, hardly noticing her presence but what she did not know was my eyes were always on her and bothered about her wellbeing.

I took out my jacket and wrapped it around her. "Just a few more minutes, afterwards, you will start feeling warm." I said and walked a little ahead of her.

A few minutes walking deeper into the forest we were greeted by a fresh water lake.

Chris's eyes distilled with water embracing the nature's beauty and it was a sight to see, an appreciation in her eyes for my efforts. I was very happy on my action because of the delight I saw in her face. I stopped walking, gazing down at the clean blue water of the pond.

My hands as usual ducked in his pant pockets as I asked her, "do you like the place?"

Cara looked around a new emotion oozing from her eyes as she used her hands to explain me. "This place is like heaven on earth."

I looked at her in a close lipped smile and nodded. "This is the place where I used to visit often with my mother when I was young." I quietly said recollecting my memories with my mother, walked closer to the lake and took out his shirt.

She closed her eyes slightly worried contemplating my next move. I was not a man who uses woman against her willingness but of course I will not say that to her. She will learn it on her own with the passage of time. I kept my silence and jumped into the waters.

She sat at the foot bed of the pond, looking around and enjoying nature's hub while hearing the occasional and pleasant chirping of birds.

I took a swim in the lake and reached her. "Why don't you join me?" I gestured and then it struck me. I have not told her to bring spare clothes. She might be reluctant to go naked before me.

"You can use my shirt." He informed her. Chris walked to my shirt sitting on the trunk of a tree and I turned around to give her privacy.

I took her hand and gently guided her inside the water. "That shirt suits you much better than for me." I could not stop complimenting when she was in the water with me. We swam together for more time enjoying each other's company. My hands went to her cheeks and she stilled in my embrace, her lips slightly part and breaths started to turn heavy.

My feelings replicated the same. It felt like the world stopped around me as she peeked so innocently into my eyes. Damn it! I was hard in a second. She was the only woman in the world who carried that power on me. She could make me hard without even touching me.

She swam out of the water and I was close behind. I knew she was as much desirous of me as I was to her. My fingers traced up to her elbow in a torturously slow manner and reached her belly, gradually tracing my fingers there.

Water droplets settled on her cream colored complexion as I stood behind her gingerly lifting up her shirt and pulling it out from her head. She pulsated in lasciviousness.

I turned her around, her eyes were dilated filled with desire staring at me deeply. My eyes which meet hers peered down at the rise and fall of her chest covered in cherry red lacy bra. "You're beautiful." I breathed softly, making her eyes turn darker with lust.

My hands reached her slim waist and she trembled with the vehemence of my caress.

I looked down at the curling of her toes. "Weren't you touched by any man earlier?" Though it was not a hard guess and I knew everything about her, I wanted to confirm about it to keep myself inflated with pride.

Chris bit her lip restricting her eyes to the floor and mildly shook her head in shyness.

"Fucking lord of heavens!" How could I be so lucky, I muttered staring towards the sky with my hands running through my wet hair. I delicately reached up inch by inch in a painfully quiet passion almost to the swelling of her breasts but abruptly stop it.

What was I doing to her, exploiting her handicap, getting her sexually aroused and using her?

Thankfully my sanity gave me signal on time before I would be ever guilty of my sin.

Present:

It was ten in the night Chris hasn't returned from work. I was getting worried about her. At times Chris is a tough nut to crack. She is as strong as a weapon. She took over the business when it was in recession and reincarnated it to its original position within a matter of five months since her take over. The capability of Chris is unparalleled. Apart from business all the things go sequentially arranged in the house starting from the morning breakfast to arrangement of baby feeds.

Ria is now three months old. She recognizes me and her mama. I'm happy and thankful to God for bestowing me such a beautiful daughter. I can shower millions for that toothless baby grin she projects every day as in to greet when I come to pick her up from the bed in the morning.

I dial Chris's office and find out she was already out of work. Reading a news paper I wait for my wife when I hear baby jargoning. Enthusiastic I walk to my daughter's bedroom to pick her up from the little nap. "Did you have a good sleep princess?" I ask my daughter who was already greeting me with her toothless snort filled grins. "Your mama had already squeezed milk for you in the bottle. Let us get you your dinner." I pick my daughter when my leg comes in contact with an old photo album fallen from the closet.

Holding the photo album in one hand and the baby in another I turn the sheets in the album speaking to my daughter. It was my college collection. My eyes follow across pictures of several people, my lecturers, friends and basketball team mates. Some faces I recognize while some still unexplored and new to me. Among them was a picture of a beautiful girl. My orbs go instantly hypnotized with her, a familiar yet non-recollective face.

As I turn the sheet there were several pictures of us. In one of them my hands were intimately wrapped around her shoulders and her head was resting on my shoulder looking at me dreamily. To my right was Sherlock. We were in our basketball uniforms in a half kneeling position posing to the photograph with a huge cup in my hands. My face was glowing in brightness with an enormous smile.

Something unwelcoming enraptured in my thoughts about the girl and a regretful feeling settles at the pit of my stomach. My head starts to ache as I try to recollect the name of the girl. Who was she? She was gazing at me with lot of love. Why was she looking at me like that? Like she was....? I was holding her so close to me. Did we...were we .....in a relationship? Did Christina know about this girl?

The pain in my head intensifies, so strong that I felt it would explode to pieces. My legs start to quiver and my hands go weak at my hold on the baby. My princess starts crying as she notices the uneasiness on my features. I sprint to the crib and try to balance myself holding the bassinet with my hand, my other still holding the baby. Everything starts to move around me. My hand weakens further to its hold on the baby and Ria drops from my hand.

The cries of the baby fell unheard to my ears and room jiggles around me. "Aah" I shout so loud with my hands holding my ears and my arms reach the floor consuming me into darkness.