Meenakshi and Hema arrived at the mall and Hema huffed after walking out of the fifth store empty-handed. Meenakshi seemed lost in thought and Hema stood before her, hands on her hips, with a glare.
“Hello madam, what is on your mind? We have been roaming around for the past two hours and yet you couldn’t find something,” Hema said with a fake anger but Meenakshi simply took her hand and dragged her into the sixth store.
She scanned the outfits one after the other and finally stopped before a half-white shirt. Hema rolled her eyes.
“You could have picked a white shirt from the first store,” she said but Meenakshi clicked her tongue in disagreement.
“You won’t understand, baby girl. This white is different and it will be perfect for my Aakash,” she replied. She then selected a pair of sand-beige pants and a black jacket.
After leaving the clothing store, Meenakshi bought a watch for Aakash before they settled into a cafe for coffee.
“This is his first birthday after our wedding and he hasn’t celebrated his birthday in years. I want this year to be special for him,” Meenakshi explained and Hema smiled warmly at her.
Two days later, while Aakash was deep asleep, Meenakshi woke him. He rubbed his eyes and propped himself up on one elbow to look at her.
“What happened, Meena? Are you hungry, baby?” he asked. Instead of answering, Meenakshi began kissing him.
Aakash woke up fully feeling surprised to her sudden kiss and started kissing her back, assuming it was her hormones at play. Meenakshi eventually pulled away and when he tried to lean back in to kiss her again, she placed her palm over his lips with a smile.
“Happy birthday, my big baby. May all your dreams come true. Let the universe bless you with everything you deserve,” Meenakshi said and tears brimmed in his eyes since he had forgotten his own birthday. She stepped down from the bed and stretched out her hand to him.
Aakash took her hand and Meenakshi led him to the hall. She had decorated the space with balloons and a “Happy Birthday” banner with his name. A cake was ready on the table and Aakash looked at her in surprise.
“I wanted to decorate the whole hall, but I felt too tired, so I kept it simple. Vishnu got me the cake after you fell asleep. I was just waiting for the clock to strike twelve. Happy birthday, Aakash,” she said and feeling overwhelmed, Aakash hugged her tightly.
“Thank you so much, Meena. I don’t even remember the last time I celebrated my birthday. No one bothered about it. Everyone used to wish me like it was just any other day. Nothing was ever special about this day,” he said feeling emotional. Meenakshi held his face and kissed his forehead tenderly.
She handed him the knife with a smile.
Aakash cut the cake and fed her a piece. Meenakshi then picked up a large slice, stuffed it into his mouth and smeared cream all over his face.
“You asked for this, Meena” Aakash laughed, returning the favor by smearing plenty of cream on her. After their banter and a little romance, they finally returned to sleep.
In the morning, Aakash walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and spotted a shopping bag on the bed. Inside was the new outfit Meena had gifted her. He got dressed quickly and leaned against the kitchen wall.
Meenakshi, who was busy preparing sweets, turned around and let out a whistle.
“Wow, my big baby looks ravishing. Should I have you for breakfast?” she teased and Aakash rubbed the back of his neck with a blush.
He opened his arms and Meenakshi hugged him, wrapping her arms around his torso. After breakfast, Meenakshi took his hand and fastened the new watch around his wrist.
“Wow, thank you so much, baby. You have made this day so special,” Aakash said.
They spent the day together, visiting a nearby temple to offer prayers, followed by a movie and lunch. By evening, they reached the beach and sat on the shore as they always did. Aakash bought her flowers and after a late dinner, they returned home.
Meenakshi was completely exhausted. Seeing her worn out, Aakash smiled and gently guided her to the bathroom to refresh. He couldn’t keep his hands to himself and after teasing her a little and with a gentle romance they changed and finally hit the bed.
A week passed, and it was time for their first wedding anniversary. They had planned a getaway and arrived at a resort in Ooty for a three-day trip. Their room was beautifully decorated with flowers and the couple sat on the bed together, eagerly waiting for the clock to strike midnight.
As soon as the clock struck twelve, Aakash cupped her face and crashed his lips against hers. Meenakshi ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him back with equal passion. When they finally pulled apart, they were panting for air and smiling at their own craziness.
Aakash gently guided her to the table where a large cake was placed for their celebration. Together, they cut the cake and fed each other and exchanged heartfelt wishes for the years to come.
Aakash picked a box from the trolley and Meenakshi squealed as she saw the new anklets he had bought for her.
“Oh my god, these are so beautiful,” she said, showing her feet to him.
Aakash crouched before her and carefully removed the old anklets and clasped the new ones into place. Meenakshi walked a few steps, listening to the soft chime and looked at him with a radiant smile.
“I wanted to buy something in gold, but I will buy that for our next anniversary,” Aakash said, opening his arms for her.
“I only need you, Aakash. You are the best gift God has given me and now we are having a baby. I don’t need anything else. Also, we planned this trip together and I would have been happy even if you hadn’t bought anything,” Meenakshi said.
She pulled back from the hug and presented him with a silver bracelet.
“We think alike,” Aakash noted, looking at the bracelet and Meenakshi bobbed her head in agreement.
He pulled her into his embrace and gestured toward the bed. Meenakshi nodded with a shy smile. Aakash kissed her tenderly as they stepped toward the bed. He discarded their clothes and kissed her abdomen gently.
“I will be gentle,” he whispered and showered kisses all over her body. Meenakshi was a moaning mess as he made love to her.
“Do you know who is the luckiest man on this planet?” Aakash asked and Meenakshi bobbed her head.
“Husband of the luckiest woman on this planet,” she replied, pulling him close for a deep kiss.
Their moans and grunts filled the room until they finally fell asleep in each other’s embrace. The next morning, they received a call from Hema and Vishnu. After a long chat filled with playful teasing, they ended the call and got ready for the day.
Meenakshi wore the beautiful yellow saree Aakash had gifted her and he wore the blue shirt and black pants she had chosen for him. They snapped several selfies and posted them as status on their social media.
Wishes poured in from their friends and eventually, Aakash received a call from his father. Aakash turned on the speaker so Meenakshi could join the conversation.
“Wish you a very happy anniversary to both of you. I pray to God to give you all the happiness you deserve. Have a nice time,” Balaram said and the couple thanked him.
Balaram then glared at his wife and handed the mobile to her.
“Happy anniversary Aakash, you too Meenakshi,” Padma said, though Aakash simply gave a non-committal hum in response.
“Appa, I will talk later. We are heading out for sightseeing,” Aakash said and promptly cut the call.
He held Meenakshi’s hand and they had breakfast before spending a few hours exploring the sights. They returned to their room early since Meenakshi was feeling tired. Aakash let her sleep until it was time for dinner. When Meenakshi finally woke up, the room was glowing with candles and Aakash was arranging dishes on the table.
“Seems like you have a plan, big baby,” she teased and Aakash helped her off the bed carefully.
“You were tired and we couldn’t do much earlier and I know you won’t be sleeping for a while now since you have slept for hours. So, I planned a movie night for us. A dinner and movie with my beautiful wife,” he said.
After Meenakshi refreshed herself, Aakash turned on a movie. He served dinner onto a plate and began feeding her and ate from the same plate himself. They smiled through the comedies, kissed through the romantic scenes and finally, after the third movie, they decided to hit the bed.
After two more days in Ooty, they returned home and visited the hospital for a check-up. Aakash was incredibly attentive, listening to everything the doctor said. Back home, Aakash looked at the scan report, this time, he was clearly able to identify their baby in the image.
He kissed the image and Meenakshi smiled, seeing the depth of his love for her and their child.
“What do you think, Meena? Would it be a boy or a girl?” Aakash asked as he watched her change into a gown.
“Few more months and we would know,” Meenakshi said and Aakash glared at her playfully.
“Stop glaring. I want a little Aakash. Kind, humble and caring like you,” she said, cupping his face.
“Let him be kind and humble, but not a fool like me. I would have been a fool forever, but you saved me and showed me real life. Look at me now, I am so happy with you,” Aakash said and Meenakshi affectionately ruffled his hair.
Aakash placed the medical file safely in the cupboard and collected all their dirty clothes to wash. Sarala, the woman in her 50s Aakash hired to take care of household chores, took over the laundry from him. He thanked her and went to prepare fresh juice for the three of them. After giving a glass to Sarala, he returned to the room with the remaining two.
Meenakshi walked out after her bath and he handed a glass to her. She was already sweating and although Aakash turned on the air cooler, it did nothing to combat the sweltering heat in the room.
“Shall we buy an AC?” Aakash asked in a low voice, knowing Meenakshi might want to scold him for spending money on things every now and then.
Just as he guessed, Meenakshi glared at him, even as sweat dripped down her neck. Aakash picked up a towel, gently wiped the moisture away and guided her to sit on the bed.
“Meena, I totally agree with you that we should save money, but I am worried for you. Look at you, you just walked out after a bath and you are sweating already. At times, you feel short of breath and let’s not risk your health. I understand that we have been spending more money, but right now, this is not a luxury but a necessity. I will buy it on EMI and it won’t be a burden. I will make sure of it, please,” Aakash said. Meenakshi thought for a while before finally nodding her head.
The next day, Aakash ordered an AC and planned to have it installed over the weekend. On Sunday, once the unit was fixed, he handed the remote to Meenakshi to turn it on.
He pulled the curtains and closed the door. After lunch, he watched Meenakshi sleep peacefully, no longer waking up every few minutes to wipe away sweat. He laid down next to her and gently kissed her cheek.
“I would do everything to keep you happy and safe, Meena,” he whispered, before settling down to prepare notes for his class.
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