[ON HOLD] (AFOL #2) - Love at First Flight

Chapter 4 - Attention Seeker

Early next morning, Abhimanyu and Akshara walked out of their separate bedrooms only to meet up in the main hall, passing flirtatious glances at each other remembering their shenanigans from last night.

Akshara had somehow managed to cover the hickey Abhimanyu had gifted her on the side of her neck with makeup. However, there were certain other places where she could still feel his lips sucking onto the soft creamy flesh of her skin, digging his teeth in, leaving his mark.

Abhimanyu had managed to slip out of Akshara's bedroom around 6am without being detected. Yeah, his sleep cycle was going to get ruined, but he didn't care. Because spending every single second with Akshara was worth it.

Abhimanyu and Akshara closed the distance between them, as they looked down into each other's eyes, with a never ending smile shining bright on their faces.

"Morning." Akshara whispered, feeling giddy inside.

"Morning." Abhimanyu replied, happy. "How did you sleep?"

"Good. Very comfortably." Akshara's cheeks flushed as she remembered all the things he did to her body last night. How she had slept, tightly tucked into the cocoon of his body, using his muscular arms and chest as her pillow. "You?"

"Same. Very comfortably." He tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear, gazing down upon her, affectionately. "You look beautiful."

Akshara looked down at her outfit before looking back up at Abhimanyu. She was wearing a plain yellow one piece Anarkali suit with a heavy, floral dupatta. "Thank you. You look very handsome yourself."

"Thanks." He grinned, smoothening out his cream coloured kurta pajama combination.

They intertwined their hands as they walked to join the Birlas doing the morning aarti in the mandir. Only when they got to the mandir, did Abhimanyu and Akshara let go of each other's hands. They folded their hands and focused their attention towards the mandir where everyone was doing their morning prayers before the muh-dikhai rasam began to take place.

~*~

Akshara, Reem, Nishtha sat in a circle with the rest of the women as Shefali sat in the center of the circle for the 'Muh dikhayi' rasam. The women of the neighbourhood came up to Shefali one at a time, quietly lifted her veil, gave her blessings of a happily and prosperous married life before going back to take their seats.

Akshara felt Abhimanyu's presence before she saw his face. Abhimanyu and Neil walked up to the group of women, carrying two huge trays of wedding favours for the ladies. Abhimanyu set the tray down and looked over at Akshara, looking as handsome as ever.

Akshara felt her cheeks redden as he laid the tray down on the table and winked at her. She smiled shyly, gazing down, avoiding eye contact just as an elder lady, an Aunty called out for Akshara's attention.

"Beta, what is your name?" The Aunty asked Akshara, much to Abhimanyu's displeasure. He'd seen the way the Aunty had been looking at Akshara, whispering amongst the other ladies in the circle. He hated that his Akshara was the center of attention.

"Ji, aunty, Akshara. My name is Akshara." She answered politely, with a smile.

"And, you are Shefali's sister?" The lady asked.

Abhimanyu guarded his feet onto the ground eagerly wanting to listen to the entire conversation. Except Neil nudged him, pushing him further and further out of the room, thus only being able to hear Akshara reply back with: "Yes, I'm her sister," and nothing further, much to his chagrin.