Prem Vivah

• Inked Beauty •

Naina put a red satin cloth over Sameer's palpating eyes and held his hand to guide him further. He looked eager from his facial expressions to see the beautiful decoration she must have made for him, and that slow grin on his lips extended her enthusiasm. She softly grabbed his palm and took him towards the arrangements which seemed pleasing to the eye at night, and Sameer followed her blindly without questioning as he knew she wouldn't tell him where they were heading.

Finally, after walking for two minutes, Naina halted her steps and said - "toh mr.raut kya aap taiyar hai apna surprise dekhne ke liye?"

"Kabse meri jaan," Sameer replied to her within a moment, his voice screaming restlessness, and Naina gently rolled off the piece of cloth from his eyes. He took a few seconds before getting adjusted to the lights, and his lips parted naturally when the aesthetic decoration came into his sight.

There was a tent built up with sheer white clothes, having shimmering golden lights outside on the pathway to make it look exquisite, and their Mini-House was structured in the middle of a beach, having the softest blend of aquarium and greyish water. Sameer loved the location and the simplest way of arranging everything with nothing looking extraordinary and overly fashioned. He glanced at Naina with a shocked smile, and asked her in wonderment - "Yeh idea tumhare mind me aaya kaise?"

"Mahine gaye hai sochne me, January se maine toh location dhund ne shuru kar diye the...aur August tak yeh finalized kar diya. I hope you like it." Naina replied to him with a gentle smile and mingled her fingers in nervousness.

"It's lovely, it's beautiful. I loved it, Naina." Sameer expressed his joy in an enthusiastic tone, and once more gazed at the tent waiting for them to get cozy inside it. He inhaled a deep breath while staring at the beach covered with seashell fragments, sage, and thyme color pebbles sprawled over the velvety sand, and the breezy water crashed against the mud with a glittering silver line smiling at them. The aesthetic view just took away his heart and he wished to live here with Naina forever.

"Toh chalein andar?" She extended her hand in front of him like a gentlewoman does, and Sameer placed his palm over hers, affirmatively nodding his head.

Naina took him on the tour of the tent where two satiny cushions were arranged above the flat white comfy mattress with heart balloons aligned in every corner and whispers of fairy tales echoing in the wind. Sameer smiled at the arrangements done conscientiously and wondered if he was watching a movie because everything looked wonderfully surreal.

"Sab kuch bahut bahut beautiful hai." Sameer said in a soft voice, overwhelmed by his woman's love for him.

"There is one more surprise for you," Naina uttered, in a deep voice.

"Ek Aur?" He sounded astounded.

"The most important gift of your birthday, and our anniversary." She said further and lowered her gaze to her stomach with a coy smile.

Sameer curled his eyebrows in mystification while unstoppably blinking his eyes, and Naina requested him - "You will have to kneel to see your birthday gift."

"Kneel?" Sameer repeated her words with growing confusion in his tone and decided to go with her uncanny instructions. He gently knelt in front of her, his eyes upwards to look at her, and Naina smiled bashfully as she held his hand, making him push aside the fabric of her Saree. Sameer slightly slid it away and revealed a shocking and unexpected thing right below her belly button.

His name in a cursive font was inked on her waist with red bruises surrounding her fair skin.

Sameer forgot to blink as he unbelievably stared at the pristine tattoo on her skin which looked unadulteratedly inducing and irresistible with a tiny mole on her side waist. He raised his thumb and soothingly caressed the beauty of his name engraved on her sensitive part with utmost love and pain reflecting through the mild redness visibly looking at him. He gulped down a thick lump, holding onto his ragged breath as he struggled to conceal his thriving emotions which wanted him to whisper words of thankfulness to Naina for going through this unbearable process just to prove that he isn't just in her heart but on her body part as well and everything now belongs only to him for this lifetime and so on.