He smiled. “I know. For you.”
And whatever she was going to say to him next fell away just like the ground had. Her breath left her just as easily as her words had. Their eyes remained connected, not seeing anything more than each other. Amaal was not getting herself to believe this had happened, that thiswashappening. She breathed through her mouth lest she forget to breath altogether and his eyes fell there. His smile darkened. She felt her chest collapse, and his eyes ventured lower.
“Umm… do you think I should send the photo to Iram, Begumjaan and Sarah right now or tomorrow?” She grabbed her mobile. “Will we have network where we are going?” Her wrist was wrapped in strong fingers. And she set the mobile down on the table between them. Samar turned her hand palm up and pressed his thumb into the centre of it. She inhaled.
He raised his eyes to hers. She exhaled. And his thumb began to run circles on her skin.
“Is this really happening?” She asked him.
“I have earned every moment of this reality with you,” he said. “Don’t make me doubt it now.”
She chuckled, looking down.
“Can you look here, Amaal?”
“Hmm?” She raised her brows.
“Keep looking.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to look at my wife.”
She slapped his hand away, looking out of the window. She could feel his eyes on her, the warmth of his smile on her, and she beamed at the sun outside the window. She could take the shine of this one. The other one was too beautiful and too bright for her to absorb all of it all at once.
————————————————————
“Dr. and Mrs. Dixit,” the Captain announced. “We will be landing shortly. Please fasten your seatbelts.”
The plane tilted, and she peeped out of the window. Land, farms and forests, a river. Very tiny houses. A city on both sides of a river. Not Shimla. A city 45 minutes away from Srinagar by air. Not Delhi.
“Jammu?” She squealed. “It’s Jammu, right? This is Jammu. Look, there’s Tawi.” Amaal leaned up to the window as much as she could with her seatbelt on, pushing her nose to the glass. “You brought me to Jammu? But why? What are we going to do here?”
The plane tilted again and began to circle the city, the sun glaring in her eyes. She glanced at Samar, and he was looking at her like all his sunshine was deposited on her. It could be, with the amount of sun on her in this moment. She shielded her eyes with her palm and squinted at him — “Now what’s the secret? I already know it’s Jammu. Tell me now.”
“Hmm.” He remained silent. He was a master at the silent treatment. This time, though, he was also giving her the amused-at-a-child treatment with that indulgent smirk.
The plane touched the ground and taxied for not even a minute before they were parking at a terminal. He unfastened his seatbelt but she remained, lounging back. Samar got to his feet, raising his eyebrows at her.
“I am happy right here, you go and come. I’ll wait.”
He leaned over her and grabbed her by the waist. She gasped. He sat her up, his thumbs depressing over her stomach and running circles. Amaal’s breath hitched.
“I have built enough strength to carry two of you again.” He spoke into her ear, unfastening her seatbelt. “The question is, do you want the cabin crew to get the show?”
She immediately pushed to her feet, making him lean back in amusement.
“Don’t be so happy, wherever we are going, I will find a knife.”
“You need two to fight.”
“Not to fight.” She smiled sweetly at him, walking ahead. His deep chuckle was so rich and so hearty and so incredibly happy. Amaal didn’t even mind the hot afternoon breeze of Jammu City as it hit her face the moment she stepped down the plane.
“Your idea of honeymoon is a little hot,” she sassed, grabbing her saree pallu before it flew away, holding it around her hip.
“This way.” He opened his hand again and she took it, walking across the small private terminal side and out the other side. A crew member stood, Samar’s duffle in hand, waiting. He left her hand to accept the bag and she kept walking towards the parking lot, wondering where their party Innova was.
“Amaal?”
