Journey of a Lifetime

Love By the Sea

Shamz looked at the phone kept by the bedside. It was 9 am. After the high-strung morning drama and tears, they had dozed off in each other's arms.

She looked at her gorgeous boyfriend, snoring softly. Ahh, his chiselled face, slightly parted mouth, one arm over her pillow and the other snarled around her waist. She wondered why she even needed a pillow anymore; she almost always slept on his arm anyway. No matter how uncomfortable that was for him, she marvelled at his peaceful face and relaxed body sleeping comfortably next to her.

A few hours ago, he was waylaid by a tsunami of her kisses. And here she was, pouncing on him and mauling him with an avalanche of kisses, yet again. "Utho, utho! Chalo chalo!"

"Sone de na, yaar!"

"Yahan tum sone ke liye aaye ho?"

"Come, you also sleep!" he said, pulling her to his side and pinning her down with his arms and leg.

"Help! Kaisa ladka hain re, pinning down his helpless girlfriend?"

"From which angle does my girlfriend look like a helpless girlfriend to you? In fact I am the one who needs help," he chuckled, returning the favour and kissing her back with double the force.

Shamz somehow managed to wriggle out. She ran out of the room shouting, "Meet me at the pool in five minutes, Bapat. Same time. Same place!"

She changed into her swimsuit, ordered breakfast and jumped into the private pool in the villa.

Raq sauntered into the pool area, his bare torso glistening in the Mediterranean sun. His lean sculpted muscles rippled as he moved towards her, a bit irritated. Shamz gasped! He almost looked like a Greek God ... her own Greek god of love. She whistled and hooted, "Ooh la la!"

But Raq wasn't amused or even moved. "What is this, Shamz? I don't want to swim early in the morning. Let's do it in the evening, na."

"Please, baby, don't be such a spoilsport." She added in her cutest baby voice, "Come on, please."

"Now, don't you baby voice me," he said unsmilingly.

She rolled her hazel eyes and made her best puppy dog face, in response.

He tried controlling himself but ultimately burst out laughing. "Jaan, le kar hi chodegi!"

"What rubbish! Jaan kyon loongi? Jaan bachcha loongi!" she giggled like a schoolgirl!

"Awww!" he said, teasing her as he jumped into the pool.

He swam to Shamz and encircled her waist with one arm. His other hand found the base of her neck and massaged it gently. He whispered into her ears, "I came on your request, but now you better stay here on my terms."

She encircled his torso with her hands and playfully bit the base of his neck. She just couldn't control her limbs and dug her fingers into her back. One push northwards, and her legs wrapped themselves around his waist and her arms closed in on her shoulders. She smirked, "Baptu, do you ever get ..."

Before she could complete the sentence, he pulled her right into his muscled body and leaned over to claim her lips. He splayed his fingers across the back of her skull. Cradling her head like a baby he kissed her with the passion of a consumed lover, bang in the middle of the tranquil infinity pool that looked into the deep blue sea. His free hand caressed her back as their lips crushed into each other.

The kiss would have lasted an eternity had the villa staff not entered the pool area with trays laden with the traditional Greek breakfast. There was fried Halloumi cheese on flatbread, omelettes, sausages, koulouri, a sesame-crusted narrow bread, crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy inside, a variety of cheeses and olives, thick creamy Greek yoghurt and freshly squeezed orange juice.
"Ah, the Greek life. Bring it on!"