Journey of a Lifetime

In Your Eyes

Raq, silently sat on the chair next to her. He read all the stories by yellow journalists and absorbed what had just happened. "Again?" he cringed; his jaw clenched in anger. "I feel like socking the faces of people behind this rubbish."

He shook his head and pulled her from her chair into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her; as if to shield her from the world and situations. "But baby, why are you getting so affected? Both of us and the people who matter to us know the truth, so why worry about it?" She draped her arms around his neck and touched her cheek to his. As if to draw comfort from the man who mattered most to her. There in his arms her barrier broke and tears came tumbling down her cheeks. Sobbing, she said, 'Why can't happiness ever come to me without fine print. Every time it knocks at the door, there is something that pushes it away."

"No, no, Sweetheart, there is a difference. You will never have to face anything alone, now," he said, caressing her hair. "These horrible, cruel words have no reflection on you, me or us, personally. Why should we give some sore losers the power to ruin our holiday?" he consoled her. The warm vibrations of his voice worked like a balm on her frayed nerves. "I don't want to see you cry for anything or anyone, ever. We have come a long way together. Every time life gave us roadblocks; we climbed over them. And honestly, this has just made us stronger."

Raq smoothened Shamz's chestnut curls away from her face, which was damp with tears. He said, wiping her little pearls away, "I promise it will be all right. Let's ignore this hullabaloo. No social media till we land back in Mumbai, okay? Come, let's call Mom, Aai, Tai, Shilps and Akku and tell them not to worry we will be fine. Ab smile kar."

Shamita tried smiling through the tears, "Okay! Baby, I'll try for you!"

"Now, that's my girl! See, how good you look when you smile," he said, cupping her chin. "We have our whole life together ahead of us," he added as an afterthought. "Many such avalanches will interrupt our smooth ride in the future too, we just need to brace ourselves for it. I can't promise to stop these situations but let's weather these storms together. I am standing next to you, na, forever."

Comforted, she took her phone and called everyone, assuring them that they would be fine and asking them not to share anything till the two were back in Mumbai.

The calls done, Shamz cupped Raq's face and was about to kiss him when she pulled herself away. "Wait a second! Bapat, did you just propose to me?" she said, grinning.

"No, I didn't," he defended himself.

"Hawwww! You just did. What was it about, spending our whole lives together, blah blah?"

"Achcha, chal ignore. I can't propose with saltwater flowing down your cheeks. And what makes you feel I will propose? I was just trying to comfort you."

"Such a liar!"

"Achcha! Ignore, na!"

Shamita laughed heartily.

"See, Mission accomplished! I worked my magic on you. Yet, again!" he teased.

She smiled, "I am always tired of your magic working on me. I hope to work this magic on you now!"

"What are you saying, Shamita Shetty? Tera magic toh first day of OTT se chal raha hai. Black magic! See how you have cast your spell on me and phasa liya mujhe. Kahan Lonawala mein chiki khilane le jaane wala tha aur kahan madam ko Mykonos mein vineyards mein wine trail par le ja raha hoon."

"Achcha! If I am that bad ...." she started, but Raq kept his hands on her mouth, stopping her from saying anything further.

"Let's not go down that path, baby," he said. He was suddenly serious, his eyes turning into a puddle of mush. "You know what you mean to me. You came into my life at a difficult stage when I was running away from people. I wanted to be free." He pulled away, cupped her cheeks, and gazed straight into her eyes. "I didn't think I was capable of loving again. Then you came and made me believe in love again. Thank you, baby."

"Thank you, sweetheart!" she felt grateful too. "If there are roadblocks, we have our personal road rollers, don't we? You and I."

She leaned into his chest, and whispered, "But I want to go scuba diving today, baby! I have been dying to go underwater."

"Yes, ma'am!" he chuckled. In the middle of the intense drama his girl wanted to go scuba diving.

The drama of the morning was forgotten as love took over.

Shamita put her ear to his heart. "You know what else I love to do? I love listening to your heartbeat."

Raq buried his face in her hair and murmured, "I love smelling your hair. They smell like a bouquet of flowers, some subtle, some aromatic and some wild. Just like you, my darling--sophisticated like lilies in public, pleasant like mogra with family and friends, and a wildflower with me, growing wild and unbidden. Quite an intoxicating mix, haan Shetty?"

"Are you in love, Bapat?" she giggled.

"It IS Love," he pulled her closer. "But right now, it is lust," he laughed, tracing a finger on her jawline seductively, sealing her lips with his and lifting her in his arms as he headed to the bed.

"Scuba diving can wait!" he murmured.