Time flew by. Days to weeks. Weeks to months. Two months flew with just a gust of wind. Everything was fabulous. Thabal continued her studies. She balanced her excellent performance like always, gaining the love of the teachers and also the hate of her classmates.
The trio would hang out every week. Sometimes at Vikram's place, sometimes on a coffee date. Their friendship was unbreakable. With each passing days, their bond became more stronger.
And about Vikram and Thabal. Well, they are a different story. Vikram is Vikram. The same strict and cold officer, soft for his tiny girlfriend. But Thabal was behaving weird, like really weird. Which Vikram of course noticed. He even asked her many times, but got no proper answer.
First of all. She started freaking exercising every morning. Her friends were in heaven learning that. Thabal wasn't a sporty person. She didn't like exercise, yoga or sports stuff. It was like chhattis ka akra between her and sports.
And suddenly her starting to exercise was like a tortoise beginning to run. It has been more than 1 and half months since she started it. On the first day, Vikram was frozen on his spot. Seeing her early in the morning, doing squats.
He was hella shocked. But the result on the same night was worth cackling.
-------------Flashback-----------
"Ahhh" Thabal moaned in pain. She made a crying face. Her muscles were sore as hell. She felt like her body was beaten brutally. She couldn't even move an inch.
"Shh shh. Koi nahi. Thik hojayega" Vikram consoled her, rubbing his palm gently on her smooth milky skin.
He was sitting near her feet, massaging her calf with oils in his hands. Thabal was groaning and moaning in pain now and then. Her whole body was aching badly.
"Dard ho raha hai" she whined hugging the pillow close to her. Vikram pressed his lips together to suppress the laugh bubbling in him. Laughing right now means signing his death warrant, so he had to be careful.
"Itna karne ki kya jarurat thi baby. Hmm?" He scolded her softly, gliding his hands like a professional against her skin.
"Pehla din tha toh light karti. Itna heavy karne ki kya jarurat hai. Tumhe insab ki aadat bhi nahi hai. Toh dard toh hona hi tha na" he sighed with a shake of head and continued his massage. Thabal frowned and threw the pillow in her hand at him.
"Lecture mat do" she huffed and turned away. Vikram chuckled at her antics.
"Achaa thik hai. Nahi dunga. Bas yeh boldo. Yeh sab suddenly shuru karne ka reason kya hai. Kuch huwa hai? Kisine kuch bola?" He asked carefully for the 5th time today.
"Kuch nahi huwa Vikram. Aap jyada soch rahe ho. I just wanted to keep my health good and you know my muscles strong and stiff" she answered the same for the times he asked her.
There was something weird. He knew it, but couldn't pinpoint. She was cooking something inside her brain, which she didn't plan to reveal any sooner. Hence, he wanted to give her some time to think and say it to him.
"Ahhh! Vikrammm. Jor se nahii. Mar jawungi mein" Thabal suddenly cried out in pain.
"Oh sorry sorry" he quickly apologised and pressed softly this time.
---------Flashback ends----------
And this wasn't the end. Thabal has become too clingy and touchy since she started exercising. Not that Vikram minded. Instead he absolutely fucking loved it. But he couldn't rest his mind. He knew she was hiding something.
Maybe not important. But she was. And these new changes in her were all connected.
Well keeping all those aside. It was the 1st of October. The day of Navami. Durga puja's last second day. Thabal was currently struggling to wear her saree, her pleats were uneven and not folded properly.
"Ughhh! What the hell is thisss!!" She groaned loudly, gaining Vikram's attention who just came out of the bathroom, wearing a knee length half pant and upper body bare. He ruffled his hair with the towel and chuckled.
"Kya huwa babu?" He asked softly, earning a huff from her.
"Pleates nahi ban rahi. I am getting late. Mujhe itni saariii jagah ghumna hai. Khana bhi hai. Itna kuch! And mein ek ghante se pleates pe hi atki hoon" she whined, stomping her feet on the floor while looking at the wall clock in panic. It was 5:00 pm already. The trio was supposed to go out at 5:15pm. Vikram chuckled and walked towards her.
He sat on his knees in front of her and threw the towel on the couch.
"Here, let me see" saying so, he pulled out the uneven pleats tucked in her waist and started folding it. Thabal suddenly felt exposed. Although the saree was still sticking to her skin, standing in front of her only in her blouse and loosely wore saree made her blush red.
Vikram continued, focused and steady. Thabal watched him kneeling in front of her, his damp hair still smelling of the sandalwood soap she loved.
She smiled slightly, moving her arms to ruffle his hair. Vikram looked up to see her smiling down at him. He smiled back, soft and cute.
Uff! He looked so damn handsome and yet. Was it even possible? A man to look both so damn hot and cute? Because right now Vikram was looking exactly like that! Thabal felt a pinch in her heart, an overwhelming feeling took over her.
She felt her heart racing.
Siburo nungshiba haise? She thought to herself. Her heart dropped to her stomach.
(Is this what they call love?)
She stared at him intently. Her eyes unwilling to move away from him.
"Itna mat dekho. Pyaar hojayega" he said suddenly, fixing her saree, not looking at her yet. Thabal stood frozen, her heart racing, hands cold.
'what if pyaar ho gaya ho?' a rebellious part of her whispered. Thabal immediately blushed at it. Ughhh! What the hell!
The road was loud. Because why not. It was navratri time. The city was buzzing with dhol and songs of the Goddess. There were pandals of Maa Durga everywhere. And garba ground too.
But right now Thabal couldn't hear anything. The noise went deaf to her ear. Her sole focus was on him. The way his shoulder flexed and arms moved, the way his muscles moved. God. She gulped a lump down.
He slowly looked up. From his kneeling position, the view was dangerous. The soft pastel colour complimented her skin colour well. She looked so damn hot yet so modest at the same time. The way she was looking at him, shy yet tempting. It made him hard to control himself.
Vikram stood up slowly, towering over her. He placed his hand on her bare waist and pulled her flush against him, his hands sliding to the small of her back where the blouse ended and her skin began.
"You know what. You look so damn sexy today, i don't even want to let you out today. Mere bas pe hota toh tumko bistar se bandh ke rakh deta" he leaned to her and grumbled near her ear.
Thabal felt her breath hitched. She turned away from him and gave a push on his chest shyly.
"Late hojayega mujhe. Aap bhi tayyar hojawo" she murmured but he didn't faze. He stood near her, pulling her closer to him, until there was no space between them.
"Ase kaise. Pay the price and you can go" he demanded softly, nose nuzzling against her cheek. He took a slow yet deep sniff of her scent, driving him crazy. God, he was addicted to her scent.
"K-kya. Kaisa price" she fumbled at her words. Vikram smirked and placed a kiss on her skin.
"Kiss me" he whispered sensually. Thabal felt her cheeks warming up badly. Her ears were completely red and hot by now.
"Abhi nahi. Baad pe" she muttered pushing him away, but he didn't move an inch.
"Abhi hi chahiye. Kiss me or you aren't going anywhere" he demanded. Thabal shook her head.
"Lipstick kharab hojayega. Samjho na" she pouted at him, whining. Vikram couldn't help but chuckle at her cute antics.
"Mere samne yeh cute banne ki koshish nahi chalegi. I am not going to fall for it. Chup chap kiss karo" he whispered huskily. Thabal huffed and slapped on his chest in irritation.
"Kitne nakhre karte ho aap. Itne dheeth bhi ho. Aghhh" she groaned punching on his chest. Vikram chuckled and pecked the tip of her nose.
"Kardo na please. Pleasee" he murmured his request. Almost begging. Thabal finally gave in to his relentless pleading.
She stood on her tiptoes, carefully placing her hands on his bare shoulders to balance herself. She pressed her lips against his in a lingering, soft kiss. Vikram's hands tightened on her waist, his thumb tracing her skin. He parted his lips and sucked on her bottom lips.
Thabal immediately pulled away and glared at him. She punched him on the chest. She quickly looked in the mirror to see her lipstick smudged already.
"Ahanggg" she whined in frustration and hit him again, earning a chuckle.
"Mein kar rahi thi na. Aapko kya jarurat thi join karne ki" she scolded him and pushed him away. Vikram let go of her. She quickly fixed her lipstick , looking at her reflection.
"Itni toh sundar ho. Tumhe makeup ki kya jarurat baby" he winked at her, earning a deadly glare from her.
Vikram inch near her and brush her hair with his finger. He gently patted her head.
"Aache se jana. Kuch jarurat ho ya wapas aana ho toh just call me. Jyada akele mat bhatakna. Meera aur Shreya ke saath rehna. Jyada anjan jagah pe-" before he could continue more Thabal slapped her hand on his mouth.
"Thoda saas toh lelo. I will take care of myself" she huffed dramatically and assured him. Vikram sighed and pulled away her hand. He gently took her hand in his and placed a kiss on her palm.
"Keep updating me, hmm?" He hummed to which she quickly nodded. Suddenly Thabal's phone rang, she quickly glanced at it and then widened her eyes.
Picking it up, she grabbed her bag from the dressing table and adjusted her dress for the last time in the mirror.
"Haan? Haan- haan. Aa rahi hoon. Haan. Bas 1 minute. Mein abhi gate pohochne wali hoon" she quickly said and waved at him. As she walked towards the door to go out with her phone against her ear, she suddenly paused and looked at him.
She signalled him to come near her with her finger. Vikram raised his brow in confusion yet obeyed her quietly.
"Hmm hmm. Aare meine woh pastel pink type haina. Haan woh light wala jo Meera ko pasand aaya tha. Woh pehena hai" she continued speaking. As he stood in front of her, she quickly stood on her toes and placed a quick kiss on his cheek.
With a smile she waved at him and ran out. Vikram stood stunned for a second before smiling. He touched the place she kissed and looked at the mirror. There was a lipstick stain on his cheek.
He couldn't help but chuckle at it. Oh, he didn't have the heart to rub it off.
🦋🦋🦋-----------------
The city was a mix of colours. The females wore beautiful clothing. They were in sarees, beautiful kurtis, jeans and pants, frocks and dresses. The trio of girls moved through the crowded streets of Nashik, the air was thick with the scent of incense, burning dhuno, marigolds, and frying street food.
They entered inside a pandal, where devotees sat on the chairs, waiting for the prasad whereas, some were busy in worshiping.
Meera approached first, followed by the other two. They placed a ten rupee note on the plate full of money and sat on their knees to pray.
Thabal closed her eyes, murmuring prayers. Prayers for him, her sister and her friends. For them to be safe and sound.
After few minutes, she opened her eyes and inched near the pandit who gave them panchamrit and applied a small dot of sindoor on their forehead.
They stood up and walked out of the pandal, looking around the beautifully decorated roads. Each corners were lit up and there were stalls everywhere.
"Chal na woh pani puri wale stall pe" Meera went straight to the stall, followed by the two.
"Kitne ka khaye?" Shreya asked. All of them look at each other, talking mentally. After a second of silence Thabal spoke.
"Aaj 100 ka khate hai" she suggested. Meera nodded but Shreya gasp in shock.
"Tu kha bhi payegi? Tera appetite itna small hai" she narrowed her eyes playfully. Thabal laughed and shake her head.
"Roj roj thodi na hai. Aaj kha lungi" she shrugged casually.
"Chalo aaj puchka treat meri taraf se" Shreya said and turned to the vendor. Handling him the 100 rs note.
"Bhaiya. 100 ka puchka. Hum teeno ke liye" she informed.
"Wait wait wait. Sabse pehle toh it's not puchka. It's pani puri" Meera narrowed her eyes at her clearly offended. Shreya scoffed at it.
"Girl, I have been saying puchka since mein meri maa ke kok pe thi. Apne baap ko mat sikha" she brushed her hand in the air causally.
"Pani puri bol. Maharastra aayi hai toh pani puri hi bolna parega. Tumhare bengol mein jo bolta hai, Ithē cālaṇāra nāhī" Meera huffed.
(Won't work here)
"Amar kichhu jaay ashe na. Ja hoyeche, hoyeche" Shreya smirked and flipped her hair tauntingly. Meera was about to answer when Thabal intervened in between.
(I don't give a damn. It is what it is)
"Aare aare. Kya tum log bhi. Bacho jaisa jagharte rehte ho. Choro na. Apna-apna jagah ka hisab se names different hota hai" she stopped their banter.
"Tu bol Thabal. Panipuri ya puchka?" Meera suddenly asked making her freeze.
"Haan tu bol" Shreya agreed, both of them focusing on her now. Thabal whereas was hesitant. She gave them a nervous smile and scratched the back of her neck.
"Umm woh. Mein" she fumbled not knowing what and how to say.
"Kya woh mein kar rahi hai. Sidha and jaldi bol" Meera kept both of her hands on her hips, waiting for the answer.
"Mein bhi puchka hi bolti hoon" she whispered but both of them happened to hear it. Shreya suddenly shrieked and hugged Thabal.
"Wohoooo!! I love you so much darling" Shreya grinned and kissed her cheek. Meera huffed and clutched her chest dramatically.
"Gaddari korbe" she shot them a glare, earning laughters in the noisy sky full of bhajans and songs.
"Chalo chalo our turn" Shreya grinned and took the paper bowl from the vendor.
They ate the snack, happily, teasing each other, laughing at their own words. It was indeed a joyous day. A day to be never forgotten.
The first and second day of puja was spent in just going to a nearby pandal and worshiping and coming back. Because Shreya wasn't with them, she went to Siliguri to spent her two days of Durga Puja with her family.
On the third day, which was Ashtami. Vikram took them for a long drive. They went to pandals, took blessings, also prasad. They entered a mela, bought things. Went to a restaurant and ate to their fullest. Hence, Navami was supposed to be just a girl's day.
They were now at the sweet corner. Thabal was munching on jalebis, Meera on a large stick of cotton candy and Shreya on laddoos.
"Ummhhhh" Thabal whined in annoyance when Shreya stole one of her jalebis.
"Kitni kanjus hai tuuu" Shreya stuck out her tongue at her playfully.
"Aur tu bhukkad!" Meera and Thabal both said in unison. They looked at each other for a second before cackling into loud laughs. High- fiving each other.
"Tum log kitne bure ho. Tum dono mil jate ho toh i am the outcasted one" Shreya sniffed dramatically and pretended to wipe her non existing tears.
"25 rupees kat overacting ke" Meera smirked and ate her cotton candy.
"Yaar iske baad wapas chale? Per dukhne lage hai mere toh" Thabal winched. Her feet, unaccustomed to the heels she wore with the saree, began to throb.
"Toh behen khadi kyu hai. Beth idhar" Shreya nudged her and made her sit on a nearby chair. Meera noticed her red feet only now. She crouched down and examined her feet. Then took out her heels.
"Ishh. Dekho kaise sujj gaye hai. Asa heel kyu pehena. Yeh hai hi asa. Tere pass kuch aacha nahi tha toh mujhse mang leti" Meera scolded her. Thabal sighed at it.
"Aare no big deal. Thoda late hogaya na. And kabse chal hi rahe hai. Toh isliye" she gave her reason. Well it was 7:50 pm now. They have been roaming for almost 2 hour now.
"Achaa chal. Waise bhi sab ghumna fhirna toh ho hi gaya hai. Idhar ka local ka chappa-chappa toh ghum hi liya hai. Sir ko call karle aab" Shreya decided. Thabal nodded and slowly massaged her ankle. She pulled out her phone and tapped on his contact.
After a few rings, he finally picked up.
"Hi baby" his voice came from the other side. Deep and husky, tiredness slightly reflecting from his voice.
"Hi" she whispered with a smile. A tiny blush coating her cheeks. Shreya rolled her eyes looking at her.
"Abey aashique baad pe lada, pehle apne aashiq ko bula" she sighed. Thabal chuckled at her 'done' tone.
"Aap ka kam khatam?" She asked to which he sighed slowly.
"Haan khatam hi karne wala tha. Lene aajawu?" He asked gently which Thabal hummed.
"I am near the Durga Chowk exit. My feet are killing me" she complained with a pout he couldn't see but could definitely hear. Vikram chuckled and closed the file infront of him.
"Kuch khawogi?" He asked to which she shook her head.
"Nahi kuch nahi. Bas aap aajawo jaldi se" she said, making his heart warm.
"Aa raha hoon. Bas 10 minute rukho" he said, standing up from his chair and grabbing his cap.
Ten minutes later, the crowd became cautious and quiet. The drunkards stood straight, the eve teasers quickly turn their way. Because Vikram was walking on the crowded road, his cap tucked under his arm, his eyes scanning like a predator until they landed on a light pastel saree who was sitting on a chair.
He walked towards her straight and crouched down before her, seeing her without her heels.
"Kya huwa?" He asked her gently, inspecting her red swollen feet.
"Woh heel ki aadat nahi haina. Toh suj gaya. Hehe" Thabal laughed nervously, as if caught doing something wrong. She knew his lectures were upcoming.
"Chand, agar habit nahi tha toh pehena kyu, hm? Why do you prioritise such things over your comfort. Aagli baar se asa nahi karna thik hai?" He scolded, Thabal quickly nodded at his words.
"Chalo chalte hai. I am so tired. Ghar jake sojwungi mast-" she was babbling with a sigh when Vikram suddenly stood up, towering over her. She was confused and opened her mouth to ask him when he suddenly started unbuttoning his uniform shirt, making her eyes widened in surprise.
"Eee! Kya kar rahe ho" she shrieked in horror and quickly stood up. Vikram didn't answer, instead he removed it in seconds. Thabal was about to go into her protective mode but went silent seeing him wearing a black t shirt underneath. He adjusted the shirt and folded it in the air, not clean, just not too messy.
"Pakro isse" saying so, he handed her the folded shirt. Thabal was confused as hell now. What was her man upto now?
"Kar kya rahe ho aap- hai bhagwann!" She muttered to herself and slapped her forehead. Vikram had officialy gone crazy now. Because right now he was opening his belt.
She looked around hastily to see some people gazing at them with interest, whereas some just ignored. Meera and Shreya had turned their heads away.
He handed her the belt too. Thabal was about to question him when she suddenly shrieked.
"Ahh" A sound of confused and shock scream left her mouth. Because Vikram had just lifted her up.
"Chalo gari parking pe rakha hai meine" he said gesturing to the two girls and started walking on the road full of people, carrying Thabal in his arms.
"Vikrammm! Niche utaro abhi ke abhi. Warna bohot marungi. Sach bata rahi hoon" she warned, glaring at him. Her cheeks reddening from embarrassment.
Vikram remain unfazed. He continued walking among the crowd.
"Vikrammm. Mein chal sakti hoon. Niche utaro. Mein mar jawungi sharam se" she whisper yelled at him. Vikram smiled slightly hearing her.
He pushed her head at the crook of his neck and patted her head gently.
"Shh. Don't see around" he said gently. Reaching his jeep, he opened the door and placed her on the front passenger seat gently.
"Uniform kyu utari aapne?" She asked curiously, seeing him fixing her dress and dropping her heels near her feet. Vikram turned to her and chuckled deeply.
"Baby agar nahi utarta toh kal subah mere table pe suspension letter hota" he smiled in a sarcastic way and shook his head. Thabal widened her eyes in surprise. Vikram closed the door for her, walking towards the driver seat.
Meera and Shreya hopped into the back, surprisingly quiet for once, sensing the heavy, protective aura Vikram was radiating. As he climbed into the driver's seat, he didn't start the engine immediately. Instead, he reached into the back and grabbed a small cushion.
"Aapko kuch risk hai kya abhi? What if aapke kisi senior ne dekh liya ho? Ya kisine photo khichke social media pe dal diya tohhh??" Thabal panicked, her fingers desperately clutched his arms. Vikram sighed and shook his head. He placed the cushion against the window.
"Don't worry chand. Kuch nahi hoga. Trust me. Tum chinta mat karo insab ko leke" he assured her. But Thabal was far from being assured.
"Aap kabhi meri baat nahi sunte. Hamesha apni marji karte ho. Now see, kya hogaya. Kyu hero banna tha aapko. Mana kiya tha-" Vikram shushed her up by putting his finger on her soft lips.
"Agar aur boli toh kiss kardunga. Ganda wala" he whispered near her ear and sat back on his seat. Thabal gulped and blushed hard. She looked at the duo behind to see them pretending to not see anything happening infront of them.
"Woh cushion pe lean karo and turn your body towards me" Vikram commanded. Thabal frowned but did as he said. She leaned her back against the soft cushion, letting her legs dangling down.
With a sigh, Vikram leaned down and swiftly pulled her legs on his lips. Making them rest on his lap as if they belong to only that particular place.
"Vikramm!! Kya kar rahe ho aap" she sreeched in a low tone.
"Shh. Calm down and rest" he began to drive with one hand, his other reached into the side compartment and pulled out a small tube of pain relief balm. The car was filled with the sharp, minty scent of the ointment.
Thabal watched, her heart swelling with an ache that had nothing to do with her feet, as Vikram gently massaged her soles while navigating the festive traffic. His large, calloused palm worked away the tension with a tenderness that made her eyes softened.
She closed her eyes and leaned on the cushion, enjoying the tender massage on her throbbing feet.
She must have really done a good deed to be blessed with him. She thought internally, a smile stretching on her lips.
_________🌸_________
Hope you like it
Stay safe sweeties🐻🌻
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