21

21. Caught in the moment

Author's POV:-

At 5:20 a.m.

As morning dawned, he woke up with a start, finding her nestled half on top of him.

Her head snuggled against his chest seeking warmth and comfort, with one of her arms draped over his shoulder,

and one leg resting above his own.

His own arm encircled her waist while the other hand cradled her head.

They were wrapped in each other's embrace, with the blanket forgotten in a corner, as she used him as both her pillow and comforter.

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he gazed at her, and he couldn't resist planting a gentle kiss on her cheek. She stirred slightly at his touch, prompting him to close his eyes, but to his delight, she only nuzzled closer to him with a soft "mmph" , her head finding the crook of his neck.

Opening his eyes, he carefully leaned over to retrieve the blanket from behind her and tucked it over her sleeping form.

As he attempted to rise from the bed, she instinctively pulled him closer, refusing to let him go. A smile graced his lips as he attempted to move again, but she held onto him tighter, not willing to release him.

Whispering softly, he teased,

"Admit it biwi, you love to be in my embrace."

Pausing in his movements, he looked at her serene face, bathed in the soft glow of the morning light, making her look truly angelic. Her features were relaxed in sleep, her breaths coming out softly as she continued to snuggle against him, finding solace and comfort in his arms.

"And So do I."  he added, gazing fondly at her, taking in her etherial beauty.

After some time, he made another attempt to rise as his eyes drifted to the clock. However, he halted in his movement, closing his eyes instantly as he sensed her stir awake, mumbling something in her sleep.

She opened her eyes and saw him, his serene expression.

She realized she was partially lying on him, a sudden realization hitting her as she thought it must have been uncomfortable for him throughout the night. Quickly, she shifted slightly to the side, her hand still draped around his shoulder, while his arm remained securely around her waist.

She looked at him briefly, reminiscing about every moment they had shared together. His embrace was all she wanted; it made her feel safe and loved, like she was home. With him, she forgot all her worries. A smile formed at the corner of her lips as she watched him sleep, looking adorable holding her close.

However, she hissed a little feeling a pain in her abdomen and closed her eyes. He opened his eyes slowly, sensing her discomfort, and became concerned. Before he could say anything, she opened her eyes, prompting him to close his own. She pouted as she looked at him sleeping peacefully, while her stomach pained.

Wanting to hug him tightly and find comfort in his embrace, she gently poked his cheeks to check if he was deeply asleep. Suppressing the urge to smile, he remained still, allowing her to cuddle closer.

She relieved as she found no sign of his waking and wrapped her arm around his waist, drawing him close, while resting her head against his chest. A smile formed on his lips as he felt her snuggling up to him, prompting him to pull her even closer by her waist and nuzzling his head in the crook of her neck.

Feeling her legs paining, she removed her leg from above his and placed it below his, adjusting his leg. He helped her sensing her discomfort and adjusted his leg accordingly. She smiled softly and murmured a heartfelt,

"Thank you, Mr. Sweet Husband" thinking he was asleep and nuzzled into him even more, surprising him.

After sometime, he gently pulled back and observed her sleeping peacefully, a smile gracing his lips.

'Next time you say thank you,

I'll kiss you.' he whispered, his gaze lingering on her serene face. Leaning in, he pressed his lips against her forehead tenderly.

Reluctantly, he attempted to rise, not wanting to leave her embrace, but knowing it was time to get up. Careful not to disturb her, he gently pulled back, though she instinctively pulled him closer. With a sigh, he managed to extricate himself, remembering her hissing in pain.

Returning after a short while, he held a hot water bag in his hand as he approached her. He gently removed the blanket from her and placed the warm bag above her stomach before tucking the blanket back around her shoulders. Admiring her peaceful expression for a moment longer, he quietly left to get ready.

___________________________________________

At 6:50 a.m.

he returned to find her still asleep, clutching the hot water bag tightly to her stomach. Glancing at the time, he knew he needed to wake her up.

Approaching her, he leaned in, whispering softly, "Sleepyhead, wake up." She remained undisturbed, deeply lost in slumber. He recalled the need for caution while waking her.

Remembering the consequences of waking her abruptly, he cautiously poked her shoulder. "Baby, wake up" he said, prepared to dodge any potential kicks or punches.

To his surprise, she grasped his hand and attempted to pull him towards her, but he was too strong. Amused by her sleepy struggles, he smiled as she made a distressed face in her sleep. Yielding to her efforts, he allowed her to pull him closer and sat beside her. She clutched his hand and placed it beneath her face, bringing a smile to his lips.

Caressing her cheeks, he made one more attempt to rouse her. "Are you going to wake up, or shall I kiss you?" he teased. Still, she remained unmoved, lost in her dreams.

"Wake up baby" he coaxed, cupping her cheeks gently. Finally, she stirred, attempting to open her eyes. A smile spread across his face as he watched her struggle. As she rubbed her eyes, she noticed the hot water bag on her stomach, realizing he had taken care of her. Her heart warmed at the gesture.

"Morning, biwi" he greeted, kissing her cheeks once more, making her heart flutter and a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

*Phone Rings*

As his phone rang, he retrieved it from the bedside table, glancing at the caller ID.

"Go, freshen up. I'll bring breakfast for you." he said, making a move to leave, but she caught his hand.

"No, don't bring the breakfast here...

I'll come downstairs.." she insisted, recalling that his grandfather might be arriving soon. His eyebrow raised in concern.

"You're not well. I'll bring the breakfast here. If you're worried about others then I'll inform mom about it. Go, freshen up now." he said, attempting to leave again, but she held onto his hand.

"No no, I'll come downstairs. I'm.. I'm feeling better now.." she assured him. He was about to say something, but she softly pleaded, "Please..."

He sighed, nodding before leaving somewhat hurriedly, perhaps due to his call.

She watched him depart, a warmth spreading across her heart at his caring gesture.

__________________________________________

After some time, she descended the stairs, today adorned in a saree. The pain in her abdomen still lingered as it was her second day, and it's the worst. As she came downstairs, she noticed no one around. Making her way towards the dining area, she hoped they would be there, but only the servants were present, busying themselves with arranging the food on the dining table.

He was coming from behind, his attention absorbed by his phone, until he noticed her. She stood there in the light red saree, a vision of elegance and grace. The soft fabric draped gracefully over her curves, accentuating her delicate features and glowing complexion. Her hair cascaded down her back in gentle waves, framing her face like a halo, adding to her allure.

(I searched for some pictures of light red simple yet elegant saree  but didn't find any good ones, if you came across or have any,  kindly share the link so that I could add it here..)

He was lost in her presence, captivated by her allure, until she called out to him, breaking the spell. "Wo... Sab kahaan hain..?" she inquired, bringing him back to reality.

Glancing around, he found no one,

"Don't know" he replied, mischief dancing in his eyes as an idea formed in his mind. "No one's here." he declared, advancing towards her. She nodded, scanning around, unaware of the mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Sensing him approaching with a mixture of sternness and playfulness, she instinctively began to retreat.

"Out." he ordered the servants and workers, who hurriedly exited from there. She swallowed nervously at the sharpness of his tone, attempting to follow suit, but he caught her wrist, pulling her towards him.

Her back pressed against the table, as she found herself trapped between his arms and the surface behind her. Heat rushed to her cheeks as his closeness overwhelmed her.

"You look beautiful, as always" he murmured softly, causing her blush to deepen.

Her heart raced as she attempted to break free and leave, but he grabbed the pallu of her saree, preventing her escape and started pulling her closer to him with the help of it.

"Aaryansh jii...kya k-karr... rahein aap?" she nervously stammered, her breath catching in her throat.

"What am I doing, Meera ji?" he asked, raising his brow, his tone playful yet firm.

"C-chodhiye na... Koi dekh lega..." she said hesitantly, only to be pulled even closer, her cheeks flushing deeper with each inch.

"Maine chodhne ke liye nahi pakda, aur jisko dekhna , dekhne dijiye." he retorted, pulling her even closer.

(Translation:- I didn't hold on to let go, and whoever wants to see, let them see)

Now just inches apart, he started taking steps towards her while pulling her with the pallu, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Aaryansh...!?" The voice pierced the tense air, shattering the intimate moment like fragile glass. They both froze, their eyes wide with shock as they turned to face his family standing there, mouths agape in disbelief. His grandfather, with a stern expression, observed the scene with narrowed eyes,

while the rest of the family stood frozen, mouths agape, eyes wide with disbelief.

Panicked, she hurriedly pulled the pallu from his hand, causing him to stumble backward and land on a nearby chair. Gasps filled the place as everyone processed what had just unfolded while he stood frozen, her face a mask of shock and embarrassment, realizing she had inadvertently pushed him in her haste to escape the awkward situation.

Their reaction was none other than this:-

Papaji aur mummy jii ka same reaction

____

He stood up, seemingly unfazed by the awkward tension that lingered in the air, while her cheeks burned with embarrassment, her gaze fixed on the ground.

Their eyes briefly met, her heart pounding with nervousness while he took her hand in his, causing her eyes to widen. With a squeeze, he guided her towards his grandfather, who still seemed caught in a state of shock.

Observing his family's stern reactions, he couldn't help but smirk inwardly. They must have done similar things in their youth, he reasoned, dismissing their shocked looks with a mental shrug.

As they approached his grandfather,

They both exchanged glances.

He then bend down to seek his grandfather's blessings, prompting her to do the same. His grandfather snapped out of his daze and blessed them both, uttering, "Khush ... Khush raho" while patting their heads.

They exchanged glances before standing up, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment. "P-pranaam d-dadaji.." she stammered, attempting to touch his grandfather's feet again, but he stopped her with a gentle gesture.

"Na na beta, pair nahi chuhte." he said.

Glancing around at the still shocked expressions of the rest of the family, he cleared his throat sternly, bringing them back to reality.

___________________________________________

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