You and I, plus 2 years of marriage!

CHASTE GANGES 

{12}

‘Did you just ask me to get into a live-in relationship with you?’ she asked raising her eyebrows. It was his turn to look shocked.

‘No! I mean, I only asked you to stay with me. You are just complicating it.’

She handed him the coffee mug and sat down on the chair.

‘So what exactly do you mean by the term “move in”?

‘Well, we get to spend more time with each other. Every day we can meet and talk endlessly. And of course—’

Instantly he bent and kissed her lips.

‘I get to kiss you more often,’ he said smugly. Nithyayuvani placed her mug on the table and stood up to wrap her arms around his neck.

‘Wow, darling! This sounds so interesting. But there a couple of things that you missed out.’

‘What are they?’ he asked frowning at her.

‘Nothing much! Just that we have to pay the rent, electricity bill, water bill along with buying the groceries. And of course we will have to make frequent trips to the markets to buy veggies and fruits, besides, cleaning the house and maintaining it. Also not to forget cooking and washing,’ she said with a beatific smile. Ronav widened his eyes like a lost child.

‘So, when shall I move in?’

‘You are such a devil! I guess we should just drop this idea of moving in together. You scared me.’

She gave a tinkling laugh and rubbed her nose against his.

‘I only stated the truth. Get used to it, darling.’

He shook his head pulled her into a warm embrace.

***

Krishna was sitting on the marble floor of the bedroom and smoking when his phone rang.

‘Hey Krish, what time does your work finish today? Let’s go out for dinner,’ spoke Nihal excitedly. Krishna closed his eyes and swallowed hard.

‘Nihu, I reached home. Tonight I have to go through some files for the client meeting. Let’s meet tomorrow,’ he said in a composed voice.

‘Okay. Then I will pick you from work tomorrow evening.’

‘I am sorry baby,’ said Krish with a twinge of guilt.

‘Krish, it’s alright. See you tomorrow. Love you.’

‘Love you too.’

He put his phone aside and took a long puff of his cigarette. Once again his mind went back to the meeting with the General Manager. Shivani’s image floated behind his closed eyelids. After a long time, he heard the door-bell ring. He glanced up at the clock. It was 9.40pm. He had been sitting there over an hour. Once again the door-bell rang and he reluctantly went to open the door. The visitor was none other than Nihal. He quietly let him inside and locked the door. Nihal went straight into the bedroom and noticed the seven cigarette stubs on the floor.

‘I am sorry…’ mumbled Krishna entering the room. He sat down on the floor and leaned against the cot. Nihal put his bag aside and sat down beside him. He held his hand giving it a gentle squeeze.

‘What happened?’

Krishna remained stoic.

‘It has been five months since you quit smoking. But if you have smoked so many cigarettes today, it can only mean that something is terribly wrong. Tell me, Krish,’ he said softly.

After a couple of moments Krishna swallowed hard and began to speak.

‘I have already told you about Shivani, the transgender whom I had recruited for the post of Accountant in the office. Today we had a meeting and Madhan ordered me to reject her,’ he said in a voice thick with emotion.

Nihal gasped with shock.

‘But why?’

‘Because Shivani does not fit in with our office environment,’ he said bitterly. He narrated the whole conversation with Madhan. At the end of it, he was so overwhelmed that tears streamed down his eyes. Nihal put an arm around his shoulder and let him rest his head.

‘Krish, I can understand. But this was not your fault. Don’t blame yourself for it,’ said Nihal trying in vain to console him. Yet Krishna was not convinced.

‘I could do nothing, Nihu. I was so helpless and I simply agreed to what that bastard said. Shivani had pinned her hopes on this job. It was her dream come true and she wanted to support her community with her salary. She would have set an amazing example for them. With just one email I have killed all her hopes and dreams!’

Nihal rubbed his shoulder and let him cry until he calmed down a little. Later he picked up Krishna’s phone and handed it to him. Krishna looked at him puzzled.

‘Call Shivani,’ replied Nihal reading the question in his eyes. His partner looked at him still unsure.

‘Come on, Krish. Go ahead and call her. You may have been helpless at office to do anything for her but you should not give up. We may belong to a very neglected and hated section of the society but that shouldn’t stop us from living our life. She needs acceptance from this society and so do we. Unless we don’t help each other, we cannot survive. Invite her home, for lunch.’

Krishna took the phone from him with a slow smile entering his face. Nihal gathered the cigarette stubs and threw them in the dustbin.

‘Next time, pick up your phone and call me before picking up a cigarette. You are not alone, baby. We are in this together for life.’

***

Ronav’s eyes flew open. He had no idea what woke him up. The room was dark except for the moonlight sneaking in through the window. For a few moments he was disoriented and groped the low table next to the bed for his phone. He checked the time. It was 3.52am. Putting his phone aside, he turned to his right. It was then he realised that he was not alone. Nithyayuvani was sleeping with her face turned in the opposite direction. Her enticing curves were outlined by the silver lining of the moonlight. Once again she had worn his sleeveless t-shirt and a pair of cotton boxers to bed. He could see her bosom rise and fall to her soft breathing. Instantly he realised that she had moved her head away from his chest which woke him up. For a few minutes he propped up on his elbows and watched her sleep. Her face was rounded with a glow of unusual innocence which tugged at his heart. He felt a maddening urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her soft lips. When she twitched slightly in sleep, he caught his breath fearing that he might wake her. Once again their conversation on the previous evening floated back to his mind. He had really meant it when he asked her to move in with him. But Nithyayuvani had thought better of it and listed out the practicalities involved with a live-in relationship. He was not ready for it! At least not when she told him. Yet now, he gazed at her and he was ready for war….

Without thinking further, he switched on the bed lamp. The faint light barely lit up her face and she was still in a deep slumber.

What the hell are you doing Ronav? Do you think she is going to agree?

His rational mind tried its best to stop him, although he had already made his decision. Slowly he bent down and kissed her cheek. She frowned and managed to open her eyes.

‘What are you doing with the light on?’ she asked him groggily.

He smiled at her and kissed her other cheek. She could not help smiling back when he was being so adorable.

‘What time is it?’

Ronav loved the way her voice drawled sleepily. He pulled her closer to him and she willingly snuggled up to him.

‘Why aren’t you sleeping?’ she asked leaning against his shoulder.

‘Nithya, I want you with me forever,’ he said intensely.

‘I am always with you, darling.’

‘Every single day of my life I want to be with you. I will pay the bills, shop groceries and veggies, cook food and wash dishes. I will do anything and everything it takes to have you in my life…’

His voice was earnest and burning with passion. She locked eyes with him and saw his unadulterated love overpowering her.

‘Are you once again asking me to move in with you?’ she asked softly.

‘No. I am longing to live with you.’

Nithyayuvani’s smile broadened while she moved up to kiss him. He was taken aback by her response.

‘Is that a yes?’ he asked, still in doubt.

‘It was a yes the moment you asked me, but I wanted you to know exactly what we were getting into. You chickened out, otherwise the necessity for this untimely conversation would never have risen. I want to be with you as much as you want to be with me, love.’

Ronav felt a quiet satisfaction hearing her confession. She had always been practical and sorted in her life which helped her make wise decisions. Even though she had also wanted to live with him, she did not jump to conclusions unlike him.

‘I trust you enough to share my life with you,’ she said from the bottom of her heart.

Drawing her closer to his chest, he caressed her hair. Her last sentence was heavy with emotion and for some unknown reason, he was overwhelmed. He switched off the bed lamp and wrapped his arms around her.

‘I love you,’ she whispered.

‘I love you too, darling.’

He could feel her slowly drift to sleep with her heavy breathing. Yet sleep was far from entering his eyes. Tonight he felt all the more protective about her and made a silent promise kissing her head.

I will never break your trust, my love.

                           To be continued...