#valentinespecial #chap49 #chroniclesoflife #Sagas_by_Irvika #sweetlovestory

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Readers,  had written this chapter after a long break on Valentine's Day and then continued the story fwd.  So if u find something amiss as compared to previous chapter,  please consider it as a goof up.  Have continued the story from here. 
Also, the chapters would be considerably long.
Thnx,
Irvika.

Shruti was excited to meet Atharva after so long. Post Diwali, they had been so busy that it had been impossible to spare even a day. Atharva had been equally impatient to meet her. It was like an oasis in the desert for him, away from all the worries, finding solace in her company. She had worked herself in a frenzy so as to be able to give the final touches to her trousseau. Gosh! She couldn’t believe it! It was already December end…

They had shared their dreams over the calls that continued well into the night. Atharva though had been taken aback initially at her capacity to talk non stop, was more used to it now. In fact, he used to look forward to it, as it would divert his mind from his work pressure. At last, it was Shruti who finally came down as she had to get done with the trial of her wedding attires.

The longing to be together had taken over all their senses, the messages and calls not satiating their need to be with each other. The minute they were together, just looking into the other’s eyes spoke volumes, without uttering a single word. And for the first time, Atharva let down his guard in public.. well almost, by holding her hand tight and conveying his feelings fo her in his own way. Shruti was more than glad that they had been able to put away the little disruption that had come out of nowhere. She shrugged, chiding herself for steering her thoughts in that direction again. No two people are same, in fact, Shruti and Atharva had completely opposite dispositions. But then, that was one of the reasons they had complimented each other so well.

She was pre occupied with her thoughts, little realising that they weren’t going in the direction towards home. She raised her eyebrows as she quizzed, “Atharva, where are we going?”
He glanced at her and smirked, “Someone was complaining on the other day that I don’t know how to give surprises.” He turned his face towards her, to gauge her reaction and said further, “Well, I am trying to amend that. So, shall seal my lips. You need to keep patience.”
She bit her lip as she realised that she had been caught in her own trap. She had been wailing too much of late that after the first visit that he had made to Nashik, he hadn’t bothered to do anything special for her. In fact, it had led to a tiff between them, as both had been pining for each other since almost two months, but due to commitments, none could spare the time. Atharva had been so tied up with factory set up that he used to spend a lot of time at the factory. Even on weekends he wouldn’t be back home. Shruti knew she had blamed him for something that was out of his bounds, still… she had lost her cool as she had been missing him too much of late.

She snapped out of her thoughts when he addressed her, “Alice in Wonderland… welcome to the real world.” She gave him a sheepish glance and looked around to see that they were right outside The Inter Continental at Marine Drive. She was quite surprised to be there, as he hadn’t uttered a word about it.
She quickly looked at him with apprehension and exclaimed, “Atharva! You should have told me na… I am not dressed for the place..” They stepped in the elevator when he turned towards her, the uncertainty writ large.
They were all alone in the elevator… so, Atharva didn’t hold back and cupped her face, his words pacifying her. “Chill jaanu… it’s okay. You look just fine. No need to have these lines of worry for such petty things. If I would have told you, then it wouldn’t have been a surprise for you, correct?” 

Shruti nodded and gave him a smile, realising her folly. The elevator stopped and Atharva waited for her to step out while he held the door. Shruti was intrigued as to where were they heading, as she had not been to this place before. As they approached what seemed to be a terrace, she gasped to see where they had come.
Dome was a roof top restaurant, boasting of a magnificent view of the harbour and the Queen’s necklace. As they stepped in, Shruti looked around her wide eyed, taking in the ambience of the place and found the all white décor adding to its chicness and splendour.

All this while, Atharva had eyes only for her, the excitement that lit up her face was more than enough for him. He had this place in his mind since long… the setting was perfect for an intimate date, just absorbing the surroundings, especially at sunset time. He knew she itched to go to the beach, but he somehow couldn’t think of taking her there. He didn’t mean to offend anyone by any means, but he absolutely abhorred the display of affection that a lot of couples put up in such public places. So, this had been the other best option… He knew that was one of the things she longed for, but it was something that he would never be able to do.

The pleasure and happiness on her face gave her away… the very idea that he had made an effort for her sake, enthralled her. She spontaneously pecked him on his cheek before he could fathom and gently rebuked her, “Save your enthusiasm when we are alone jaanu… this is n…”
Shruti rolled her eyes and banged her forehead, saying out of exasperation, “God! Not a single romantic bone in this guy, I swear… I am not doing anything for heaven’s sake. It’s a simple gesture… and please look around… this place is deserted unless you count that couple in that corner… they are too engrossed in each other to bother about it… trust me!”

Atharva gave up, though muttering under his breath, “Akele hote hai tabhi god knows where these sentiments go.” She heard him say that, and was about to retort back but decided to back out, as she knew he was right. Although she had progressed a bit from the shy, clueless response she used to give initially, it was barely anything according to him. She was thankful of the fact that their patience was not going to be tested for long. In fact, it was barely a matter of couple of days when they will be united in holy matrimony.

By then, they had been seated at a corner table. Shruti just couldn’t help taking in the serene beauty displayed in all its glory. It was a sight to behold, as it was sunset time. The sky was splendid with hues of oranges, pinks and yellows,  as if a maestro had splurged beautiful colours onto the vast canvas of  the sky. The birds returning back to their homes, the crashing of the waves on the sea shore, the blazing sun eager to be engulfed in the embrace of the sea mesmerised her with its beauty. Sitting  under the open sky, with her beloved, a peaceful setting, with almost no one around, the breeze blowing gently… the entire experience left her feeling rejuvenated.
She gushed once more, “Thank you so much. I am in love with this place.”
Atharva quipped, “Hope that removes the tag of being a bore.”
She responded, “Yes, yes… this is more than I could have asked for.”
He bit his lip and mocked, “Oh! I had thought being a perfect Valentine entails quite a lot more…”

She stared at him, her eyes wide as she realised that he was referring to their talk about Valentine’s Day. But before she could respond, the waiter came in, holding menu in his hand. He handed it over to both of them and waited, while they skimmed through it. Since neither of them had hard drinks or non vegetarian, the choice was a bit limited. But nevertheless, they ordered a couple of appetisers and soft drinks to accompany.

As soon as the waiter left, Atharva apologised, “I am sorry… this place doesn’t offer a full fledged meal… just quick bites and appetisers. Nevertheless, I didn’t want to dwell too much on that as the view that this place offers, is incomparable.”
Shruti quickly assured him, “No no… don’t worry… I am sure the food would be sumptuous… and this…” she pointed out at the vision that met her eyes… “more than compensates for everything else. And yes! Before I forget, what was that you mentioned about Valentine’s Day? For your kindest information, let me enlighten you, my dear would-be, that Valentine’s Day is celebrated on 14th February, not on 30th December.” She responded with an air, as if imparting some piece of wisdom.

“Shru.. I guess you misunderstood what I had said then. What I had meant was, why celebrate it on a particular day? Does the love confine itself to that particular day only? I really can’t understand the logic behind it. These are all marketing gimmicks I feel… and I absolutely detest it. But that doesn’t mean that as a person, I wouldn’t like to show my love for you. I am not as vocal as you, may never be able to voice out my feelings the way you do, though I’ll try. But then, I feel there are a lot more ways to portray those emotions. Confining them to a day is something that I am never gonna understand.”

She stared at the love of her life who had a different ideology, spellbound. He was a very different personality, a very complex individual, who was misunderstood by many coz he rarely bothered to elaborate or justify himself. This used to be taken as being shrewd or reserved, but then, that is the way he was. But when one would peer deep into his soul, one would realise that his intentions were never wrong. Shruti felt that pang of guilt as she realised her blunder of accusing him for not taking effort.

They enjoyed the nibbles and the atmosphere in each other’s company, discussing a lil about their marriage and the arrangements being done.

By the time they were done, the evening turned into night as the sun dropped below the horizon. The vast sky was sprinkled with twinkling stars, as if gazing down at the couple. Shruti reluctantly left the place; she was so enchanted by the sheer beauty of it. On the other hand, Atharva couldn’t wait to leave. Her eyebrows creased as he almost dragged her towards the elevator.

As soon as the elevator doors shut close, he pulled her into a tight embrace. She was taken aback at the unexpected move, but before she could find her voice, he had captured her lips, silencing her in the most effective way. He possessed her lips so thoroughly, sending her into a state of complete disarray. He had this urge since so long, that he couldn’t control himself anymore. The moment she had pecked him, his senses had been triggered… all the more when she teased him about his lack of being romantic.
Shruti’s mind went into a state of numbness, completely devoid of any thoughts whatsoever… such was his onslaught. The urgency in his kiss sparked off a sensation deep down in her core. His hands traversed through her back, trying to feel her after so many days. Shruti didn’t stand a chance to  step back, even  if she would have wished to.  He was nibbling at her lower lip, igniting that carnal need  in her. She had just initiated her response when to the thorough despair of the duo, they reached the ground floor way too soon.

Both were breathless, flustered and disoriented, to say the least. Shruti tried to calm herself down, straightening her top and running her hand through her hair, patting them down. He too ran his hand through his hair, though out of sheer frustration. It was a matter of seconds, but was enough to send them both in a frenzy. They stood beside each other, each trying to regain some hold, but it was too difficult. They waited for the valet to bring the car and settled in it.

For a while, they didn’t speak a single word. Shruti chose to gaze at the sky, the silver light of the moon finding its way through the window pane. Atharva chuckled at the way she was behaving and quipped, “So much for goading me… ek kiss nahi hoti tujhse.”
She immediately lashed out, as usual, without organising her thoughts coherently, “Hello! I was simply taken aback… hadn’t expected Atharva the great to go back on his words and kiss me publicly, and anyways, I was just about to resp….” She faltered. He caught her up on that, “See? You hesitate to even say it, leave alone respond. Sirf baatein badi badi karti hai.” And retorted, “Madam.. there was no public to witness it. So, didn’t mind giving in to something that I had been longing to do.” She blushed at the way he mentioned about it, her cheeks already crimson.

Atharva remembered about something and requested her to pass his office bag lying on the backseat. Since he was driving, he asked her to open it and give him a file which he needed urgently. Shruti was grumbling that he can do that later as well but he insisted that it was important. As soon as she opened the bag, she saw a box covered in a glittery red gift wrapping paper and looked at him. He gave her a lop sided grin and commented, “Valentine’s Day would have been incomplete without a gift.. hai na?” Her eyes went as big as saucers as it sunk in and with little patience, pulled out the box. She couldn’t contain her excitement and was about to tear open the wrapper, when she noticed the tag which read, ‘May each day be a Valentine for us jaanu.’ She read and re read those words. It was a simple statement, yet spoke so much. He saw her reaction and was pleased but nudged her to open the gift. She did and was rendered speechless for a moment. She almost jumped over him, unable to hold back.
“Woooowwwww!!! I-pod!! Thank you so much Atharva… This is the best gift ever.” Atharva was glad she loved it, the sparkle in her eyes outshining the glitter of the wrapper.
He gave her a broad smile,  “I knew you would like it… owing to your love for music.” She couldn’t have been more content. What a day!

Atharva decided to tease her a little, taking advantage of the fact that she won’t be able to run away from him since they were in the car. “Shru… What about my Valentine gift?” She fumbled, “Ummm…  since this was a surprise for me, I obviously don’t have anything to give… except….” He waited, curious to know what she would come up with. She got out a big bar of Lindtt dark chocolate and offered it to him. He gave her a roguish look, his intentions not very noble. Shruti tried to suppress the shiver that ran down her spine at the mere look, but decided not to back out, under the pretext that she could at least do this much for him.
She opened the wrapper as Atharva slowed down and parked on one side. They had reached towards the end of the lane at  Worli sea face by then. She looked out of the window and noticed that he had parked at the far end… and it was pretty much deserted. Thankfully the window pane was tinted such that an outsider couldn’t have been able to see in. She broke a piece from the bar and offered it to him only to notice that his gaze was transfixed to her lips.

She mustered up some courage, put the piece in her mouth and came closer to him, her eyes lowered. That was an invitation enough for Atharva, but he wanted her to take the initiative. It had always been him and when in the very throes of it, when she wouldn’t be able to resist, she would give in. So somehow, he held a tight reign on his emotions, enjoying her awkwardness. She could read the determination in his eyes, and knew that this time she wasn’t left with a choice. She raised her quivering hands, cradling his face and simply shut her eyes as they came very close. She waited for a moment, but when nothing happened she was forced to open her eyes, realising that even though his eyes were heavy with passion, he was still waiting for her to take the final move.  

Shruti geared herself and finally, gave in to the hunger that had been gnawing at their senses for a while now. The moment their lips met, she felt as if she was in another world, the taste of chocolate mingled with the essence that belonged to only them was heavenly. She kissed him delicately first, unsure of her moves. He kissed her back just as delicately, as if assuring her. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, unable to keep a latch on the emotions that were threatening to erupt at any moment. Atharva could somehow feel her inner turbulence and wanted to placate her with his presence, his touch. He gathered her more closely in his arms, a bit awkwardly though as they were in the front seat. His hands started roaming on her back, creating circling patterns, as if imitating her inner turmoil. They were still enjoying the tender kiss when he let his hand creep under her top and squeezed her sensitive point at the waist. That was enough to unleash the need in her and she kissed him back with such ferocity that it took his breath away.

They just couldn’t get enough of each other. His hands wandered under her top, sending shock waves. It was the first time he was touching her skin and the emotions scaled to new heights. She moved her hands down and held his shirt in a vice like grip, unable to control the tremors that threatened to break all the barriers in between them. Just then, his fingers roamed to the front, brushing across the raised peaks of her bosom. The sensation that she felt was so unbearable, that she turned her mouth towards his shoulder and bit him hard over there, to stop herself  from shrieking. The bitter sweet sensation that Atharva felt made him moan deeply and brought Shruti back to her senses.

Shruti almost withdrew from him, realising what she had just done, but the strong band of arms around her refused to let her go. They both embraced each other, panting hard. The spell was broken, but left a feeling of incompleteness and an overflow of emotions. That day, Shruti had taken a huge leap forward, letting go of her inhibitions to a great extent. The effect on Atharva lasted for a long time though. She tried to peer at the place where she had bitten, but couldn’t look properly and switched on the car lights. She gasped at the red mark that held testimony to the ferocity with which she must have bitten. It was all the more glaring against his fair skin. He chuckled at her reaction and said, “Tu Sachi tigress hai re Shru… your cousin knows you so well.” Shruti couldn’t meet his gaze and hugged him, hiding her face in his shirt.

Atharva said something that made her toes curl.  He looked down, his cheeks caressing hers, and said huskily, “Jaanu… thank you for the wonderful gift, our first love bite. I couldn’t have asked for anything more,” while touching the very place and continued, his voice hoarse with passion, “Now you have made me all the more impatient for our first night.” She simply hugged him back, all her strength and courage leaving her, unable to say anything at all.

They reluctantly parted from each other and at last, headed towards home.

To be continued....

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