“Maharaj!” she was startled when he suddenly appeared before her. Then quickly bowed to him with folded hands in greeting.

“That wasn’t what you had called me the last time we met,” he said with a crooked smile.

She flushed and mumbled, “I was as good as intoxicated.”

“I should plan to keep you intoxicated all the time then. It will be worth it. And it will also keep you from infuriating me all the time.”

“What did I do now?” she asked, alarmed.

“Why did you refuse to see me?”

“I… I hadn’t refused… I had only requested…”

“That’s not what I was told.”

“Madhu must have played a prank on you,” her eyes darted around to avoid looking him in the eyes.

“You shouldn’t try to lie. I had caught your lie even when you had told me that your sister didn’t know about your jungle sojourns.”

“I didn’t want her to suffer for my waywardness.”

“Sure. But you yourself must suffer for infuriating me by refusing to meet me, right?”

“I… I don’t understand.”

“I will make you understand. When we meet in private, the way you address me, and the way you greet me, neither are acceptable.”

She looked at him quizzically.

“You must address me as if you are intoxicated,” he said, “And as for greeting…” He left the sentence unfinished and instead demonstrated it by pressing his lips against hers.

Before leaving her, he asked, “Why hadn’t you consented all this while?”

A cloud passed over her face, but she managed to smile, “It doesn’t matter now, does it?”

Sensing her reluctance to talk, he didn’t prod her further.

—

Madhumita cautioned her before her wedding night. “Chanda. He is head over heels in love with you. If you ask for anything, he will give it. So, don’t ask him for anything unreasonable, Chanda. No promises of not marrying again or anything like that, okay?”

She also spoke to Bhumimitra. “She is eccentric, and immature. You know that. Please don’t get offended by any of her mistakes or unreasonable demands.” Ordinarily, he would have taken offence at being coached about how to behave with his wife. But in this case, he knew that it was the worried sister talking to him, and not his other wife. So, he did not say anything, just nodded.

She was standing near the window, looking out. She turned on hearing his footsteps and smiled shyly. After catching her in the garden once, he had respected her wish of not meeting until the wedding. During the rituals, he hadn’t been able to to have a good look at her. So, it was after two months that he was seeing her face properly. There was such surge of emotion and passion in him that he felt both of them would drown in it. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. Then he approached her and held her close. She trembled at his touch and closed her eyes. He kissed her eyelids and it gave her goosebumps that he could feel.

“I had thought,” he whispered to her, “That I will make you pay for all the tortures you have inflicted on me by making me wait. But right now, I am too impatient. Punishing you would be a punishment for myself. So, you will be spared.”

She did not open her eyes at all as he led her to the bed and settled her on it. “Look at me, Chandrika,” he said. She opened her eyes. They were moist and tears started flowing down her cheeks. “Why these tears? Are you unhappy?”

“Don’t be fooled by my tears, Swami. I love you.”

He kissed away her tears, “Then let go. There is nothing for you to worry about. Put your trust in me.”

Her breath had quickened with just his words. She could not imagine what would happen once he started working his magic on her body. But soon she was in the middle on it. Her intricately tied dupatta and carefully selected jewelry had been discarded in no time and he was kissing her all over. Overwhelming as it was to her, she realized that he was trying really hard to go slow. He gently massaged her ankles, relaxing her legs, but over-stimulating the rest of her body. He started kissing and moved upwards. By the time he reached her stomach, she was moaning aloud. Then as if to silence her, he suddenly attacked her lips and what she experienced after that was so intense that she could not have described it in words even for the life of hers. When he finally collapsed on top of her, she felt as spent as he was.

—

To be continued