OTHER GROOM... the tale of the rejected guy...

Part 49

Mesmerising!
That's the word came in Tuli's mind as she stood at the balcony wrapping the pashmina around her. The clock was ticking at six o'clock. She had got up a few minutes back and the baby sun crawling into the sky of Shimla dragged her out of the bed. Shuvro was sleeping like a baby when she left the bed. She had slept only four hours but it was crazy how refreshing she was feeling. The calm, chill, sweet, pleasant morning breeze hugged her lightly. Closing her eyes Tuli took a lungful of lucid air. The aroma of mountain and the sylvan intoxicated her nerves.  An enchanted smile played with her lips.
Standing there brought the memory of last night to her. She could not forget the fire of passion she witnessed in Shuvro's eyes when he caressed her lower chin with his thumb - when he was looking at her ardently. She couldn't forget how a part of her wanted to be unleashed and float into the fretting efflux of his desire. She could still feel his every breath shedding onto her face emerging waves of feelings inside her - feelings that she never thought of cherishing anymore.
Then holding all her longing in contempt she also remembered herself pushing him away.
A scowl spread over her face as she contemplated about her reaction.
'What harm could have it done?'

A knock on the door of the room created a cleft in her arguments with own self. The divert in her engrossed mind made her realise that she was standing with her eyes closed hugging herself tightly with the shawl. Heaving a sigh she headed towards the door.

Opening the door ajar, and having a look of the person standing the other side made Tuli's scowl deepening.

"Morning Mrs. RoyChoudhury!" Ratul smirked keeping his hands interlocked behind him. "Is your husband up yet?"
"Nope." Tuli pulled on a fake smile on her face "he is still suffering from the consequences of having you as a friend." Her words made Ratul chuckle lightly and she rolled her eyes. "How are you not even hungover?
"Well, I stay in control."
"Well, Shuvro fails to understand that, so stop involving him in your adventure."
"Oh its okay to loose control sometimes, don't you think?" Ratul walked in and smiled looking at sleeping face of his best friend. "Oh look at that face. How innocent!!! Just like a baby!" He made a loving face looking at which Tuli narrowed her eyes suspiciously. And the next second her doubt fall rightly as taking his face near to Shuvro's ear Ratul in a loud voice started speaking "Get up! Get up! Get up you sleepy head..." his scream made Shuvro sprang up with a yelp. With horrified eye like an alarmed dear he started looking around. And with painfull face but blank eyes looked at Ratul when he continued yelling "you have a car with in three hour, if you wanna go to Kufri, you need to get up..."
Ratul's scream stopped stumbling to a smack from Shuvro's wife.
"Hey! Fucker stop doing that!!!" She yelled while dragging Ratul by his shirt and shoving him towards the door. He did nothing but burst into laughter.
"Get ready." He chuckled heading out.
"Fuck off!"
As he went out of the door, stopping at the doorstep holding the handle of the door in one hand he turned towards inside with a smirk "by the way Happy anniversary RoyChoudhurys. " with a wink at Tuli in the end he returned.


Turning around Tuli saw her husband siting on the bed clutching his head with his hands.
"Are you okay?" She whispered.
"My head will explode." He murmured and she rushed to call the hotel service.


***


"How are you feeling?" She asked.
"Okay a bit." He answered while climbing the stairs of the Shimla Kali-temple beside her.
They walked into the wide pavilion of the temple, moulded with white marvels. Tuli had the platter of oblation in her hand. She had a wore a saree today with two earrings that she had bought from Delhi and a small bindi of vermilion on her forehead.
Shuvro had gaped at her with wide mouth when she had came out of the bathroom cladding in all her adornments. He refused to believe she was dressing up for reason this was special. The day was special to him undoubtedly but was it for her? How could he even possibly believe so?
So he refused to ask her anything, but kept staring. His eyes kept following all her movements until she made haste and ushered him to the washroom.

And now as she stood infront of the deity folding her hands and closing her eyes - slipping throw the door sunlight falling on her face was making her more beautiful, he thought, if it was possible - he forgot to make a wish, for all that he could wish for, and had ever wished for was the one he was looking at. All he could do was thank to the almighty for getting her into his life and so he did.

*

"Wait."
"Lets not wait here, look at those monkeys Tuli, they can attack at any moment."
"Huss!"
Silencing her husband she took out a flower from the plate of god's grace and reached up to touch his head. He bent his head a little to help her and picked up another flower from the platter. When she left his hair, he does the same to her with flower in his hand and then chopping the flower in his hand he showered all the petals over her head.
"Hey!" She giggled playfully smacked his forearm pulling him into a light chuckle. "These are holy. Don't ruin them." She objected stil giggling.


***


"So there is nothing to see here basically than this?" She huffed looking at the vally of Kufri.
"Well it should be seen in snow they say!" Shuvro cleared his voice and Tuli made a face. "Do you want to ride a horse?"
"No thank you."
"Uh! Its not that bad, lets sit."
"Its a field. A plain field."
"Its a valley."
"Our Kolkata's Maidan is better than this."
"What are you talking about? We are surrounded by hills here!" Shuvro shrugged sitting down on the fine green grass of the wide valley. Many familys were scattered here and there - some ridding horse, some were looking at their members getting inside a big round ball and go, some were busy in chattering away.
Tuli frowned looking at her husband, "so we were at the temple. You didn't let me sit there. It was so beautiful, the whole city was at sight."
"And monkeys!" He made a face.
"Uff!" She thud down on the grass but again restlessly bubbled up, "The driver was saying something about somewhere Tatapani or something. Lets go there!!!"
"Okay stay here for a little and then lets. Its so beautiful here."
"Okay." She said and started looking around. It was just after some moments she urged "I am done lets go."
Sighing a hopeless laughter out Shuvro shook his head. It seemed he was looking at her old Tuli, the Tuli of fifteen years back - Tuli he thought he had lost.
"Lets goooooooo!!!"


***


But Tuli's wish refused to come true as after crossing just 2 kilometres their cars were turned around for some accident at the road ahead.
Hence with a sour mood they drive back to Shimla when the hunger fuelled the situation. So searching for a restaurant seemed so important they rushed inside the one their driver had stopped infront of.
Sitting at the terrace of a restaurant Tuli was looking at the ranges of the peaks of mountains. At a corner of the sky a herd of clouds were gathering up a bit by bit. Was it about to rain? The weather was chilly yet not at the limit of shivering cause of the mild cautious glare of Sun on the roof top.
Shuvro looked at her as he leaned on the shoulder of his chair.
One year! One year she had spent with him - in the same house, under the same roof, sharing the same room. Did she forgive him even a bit? Could she? Was it possible in remote future for her to think of him the way he thought of her at all?
He heaved a sigh and looked back at the inside of the restaurant. A boy had taken their order. What was taking him so long! He thought. He was famished.
The sound of deep sigh of Shuvro grabbed Tuli's attention making her look at him. Her husband seemed to be in distress. He had folded his sleeves up till his elbow and his jacket was now resting on the shoulder of chair he was sitting on. The fine fabric of his shirt was hugging his lean torso due to the force of the wind. Ruffled hair of him with the indulgence of wind,  was scattering upon his thick black-rimmed glass. The situation was making him blink continuously and his thick lips sat pursing in a stretched straight line in dismay.
"You want to go inside?" Tuli asked Shuvro tucking her own hair in a bun. With a jolt he returned his gaze to her from inside and shook in negation.
"Just looking for the food."
She nodded.


"Tuli," after spending the whole lunch in silence Shuvro spoke up as they left the restaurant after stuffing themselves with food. She turned around to look at him popping some aniseed and nicy. "I did not planned for this day to go like this." He spoke having his eyes casted down as the walked. "I am sorry-"
"You don't have to be sorry all the time you know." Tuli's instant reply made him look up at her and he gulped as he realised her hands wrapping around his "Specially about the things that are not in you hand Shuvro. And I am sorry if I ever made you think otherwise. It's not fare of me to put you into the stand. I am really sorry."
It occurred to Shuvro, that he has lost his knees and he would wobble or turn into liquid any moment now. He stopped feeling his legs. So when Tuli started walking having his left hand in her and wrapping his forearm by her other palm's fingers he was not aware if he was walking or someone was dragging his flying body in the air - like a balloon...

So here was the part. Hope you like it. Now please VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! and comment also follow me to get updates about the updates of this story and more...