Secret Love Story #wattys2017 (COMPLETED)

Near Miss

Kajol-1999

I blink my eyes open and open my mouth yawning, flexing my wrist over Shah Rukh's shoulder as he squeezes my waist. I smile at him as his face comes into focus and I notice those gorgeous dimples at the corners of his perfect smile.
"Good morning Mrs Khan," he mumbles pulling me closer to him, kissing my forehead. I want to squeal with excitement when he says Mrs Khan! I feel like any moment now I'm going to wake up and it's all just going to be a dream but then Shah Rukh kisses me and I know I'm stuck firmly in reality.
"Mmm say that again it sounds nice," I whisper burying my face in his chest smiling like a loon.
"Good morning Mrs Khan," Shah Rukh laughs tickling my sides making me laugh-squeal as I try to fight him off me. So far married life hasn't been half bad. No it's been perfect!
"Kajol?" I hear the front door slam along with the sound of my mothers voice. I sit up straight in bed wrapping the covers around the upper half of my body as Shah Rukh does the same. I look at him and our eyes connect, fear and anxiety flashing in them like sirens. I rummage around in my bedside draw for a pair of more appropriate pyjamas than the silk ones which are scattered somewhere on my floor as Shah Rukh roughly pulls on his top and shorts. We both clamber out of bed before splitting off into different direction. I head towards my bedroom door as Shah Rukh heads towards my ensuite.
"Ma?" I say the confidence not exactly oozing out of me seen as I've almost just been busted butt-naked with my new secret husband by my own mother!
"I've been knocking for ages," my mother lies pulling me into a hug, "good job you left a set of your keys at home." I smile as I pull out of the hug. I know I didn't leave my keys so she must have taken a set the last time I was round. My mother whirlwinds into my bedroom flinging my closet doors open before looking through my clothes. I sit on the edge of my bed really not caring about what my mother is doing in my apartment at half eight on a Friday morning unannounced. In fact I've come to accept the weird and wonderful from my crazy family.
"Really Kajol? With all the money you earn you cannot afford to buy some nice traditional clothing?" My mother asks disapprovingly as she moves yet another pair of jeans across the rail with a screech.
"Ma I don't really need traditional clothing, I borrow it when I'm having interviews and things," I sigh rolling my eyes as my mother continues to shake her head at the status of my wardrobe. If I'm honest I thought it was in quite good shape.
"Now this is nice," my mother pulls out my white lehenga from yesterday and I feel my face drop and my body go slightly numb. She begins to parade it around the room nodding her head excitedly making me feel slightly sick.
"What exactly are you looking for?" I gulp digging my nails into the palms of my hands to prevent my face from getting a guilty expression. My mother smiles conspiratorially before walking into the kitchen-living room area and grabbing her bag from the worktop. I follow her as she walks to the door and places her hand on the lock ready to retract it, my lehenga and her bag in her other hand.
"Family dinner tonight at seven, there's going to be an special guest," my mother smirks before kissing my head and leaving. I place my hand on the wood and let my lips part. But tonight I'm supposed to be boarding a train with Shah Rukh and going on a mini break to celebrate our marriage.
"You should go," I hear him whisper as he laces his arms around my waist, "we can go another weekend." I sigh. It is a compromise we both knew I'd have to take. The fact we're in a secret relationship means everything else always comes first.

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I feel stupid getting this dressed up for a family meal. I feel awkward wearing my wedding outfit to a family meal. I feel upset that I'm missing out on spending time with my husband. I snatch the drink from my sister's hand regretting my move instantaneously as I see her face drop.
"Sorry," I apologise, "I just don't understand why we're so dressed up?" Tanishaa opens her mouth to speak just as the doorbell chimes and my father hurries to the door. I hear polite hellos before the shuffling of feet in the hallway. I look down at my outfit and close my eyes. Yesterday at this time I had just arrived home as Shah Rukh's wife!
"Kajol?" My father chirps and I flicker my eyes open painting a fake smile on my lips. Don't get me wrong I do love my father but I'm tired of listening to him bash Shah Rukh every time we meet. It's like he more he bashes him the more he thinks I'll fall out of love with Shah Rukh but it has the opposite effect, the more he bashes Shah Rukh the more good stuff I see in him and the more I fall in love with him! I look past my father to the figure standing in the doorway and feel my mouth drop open at the sight of Ajay Devgn standing in my parents house. My father pushes him into the room as Ajay smiles sheepishly at me. After polite introductions to my sister and mother I find myself making polite conversation with Ajay cursing myself internally for not just sticking with my weekend away. I've worked with Ajay on lots of films and I get along really well with him on set and well it's more got along now. Rumours have been flying that he has a crush on me and well all the signs are clear. The many random bunches of flowers he'd buy me, the many 'let's do lunches' together, the many touchy-feely responses to jokes and conversation, the many bright red faces whenever I walked into a room. Oh God and now I'm being forced to sit next to him at a family bloody dinner! I grit my teeth as I watch my father lap up every single response Ajay gives to a question it's like he's a messiah or something. It's angering me how unfair my father was on Shah Rukh the first time they met but how up-butt he is being with Ajay. I just don't understand why Ajay is at our family dinner and why he is a 'special guest'? I feel like I'm the only member of the family to be missing something!

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"Great man," my father booms collapsing into his armchair, "great man." I stay standing in the doorway feeling completely drained from just one dinner. I cross my arms over my chest and narrow my eyes.
"Why the hell was Ajay Devgn invited to dinner?" I find myself shouting. My father looks at me the smile on his face melting away to be replaced by confusion.
"Well you seemed so unhappy for a time but then you started working on this movie and your mood picked up straight away. Plus we've seen the way you two are around each other and Ajay is hundreds times a better man than Shah Rukh Khan ever will be. I mean he's an amazing guy with some of the stuff he's done and he's a great actor. I give you two my blessings to form a relationship and so does your mother. He's such a polite guy and he shares our morals," my father beams like a kid in a sweet shop. I feel my breathing getting heavier as I fight the urge to just scream! I was down because I'd lost my son, I was high because I was arranging my marriage, I'm still high because I'm now Mrs Kajol Khan! This has nothing to do with Ajay flipping Devgn and it never will do because I'm a married woman. Just when I thought the night couldn't get much worse my father starts with the critiquing of his favourite subject: Shah Rukh Khan. And it all comes back to morals.
"Ergh!" I scream through gritted teeth balling my hands into fists. I walk into the hall and storm out of the door leaving it open behind me. I'm a grown woman and my parents think they need to play Cupid for me? Well they're playing very blind cupids because it's clear to see I still have feelings for Shah Rukh. All you have to do is watch Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and you can't miss the chemistry. The interviews and magazine shoots all show how smitten we are with each other. The 'friendly' meals out we occasionally get papped on ooze romance. How much more obvious do they need it to be for them to realise I'm still very much in love with Shah Rukh Khan? This is the closest near miss I've had to spewing the whole secret relationship. I was almost caught this morning and I almost blew it this evening. I just need some space away from my parents else things might slip out before I'm ready.