stolen moments

“You like teasing me don’t you?” He muttered sleepily.
“Huh? What did I do now?” she chuckled wickedly.
“Nothing. Forget it. Am going to sleep. You coming back in or not?” he asked lifting the blanket to allow her to slide in.
“Nah. Am not sleepy anymore. I am going for a walk”
“mmmph nnng” came a muffled grunt from somewhere under the sheets.

Swish swash. The blanket went for a toss.

“You can’t sleep when am up and awake. Come on...up you get….” She started prodding the side of his tummy with her cold toes.

“AAARRHHH”

“You bitch! Wait till I get you”

He leapt out of the bed in mock anger and leapt at her. With an almighty squeal, she caught hold of the 1st thing that came into her hands—a big fat Harrison and threw it straight at him.
He dodged and threw a pillow at her. She caught it precariously and almost lost her balance trying to hold on to it.

“AWWWW!!”

Too late. She hadn’t seen him come behind her. She was too busy laughing that silently uproarious laugher of hers.

***

“Now how did that feel?” he asked her grinning.
She tried hard to feign anger and gingerly checked her lips.
“It hurts” she whined
“Am sure it does” he laughed, and leaned over and kissed her again. Tenderly this time.

“Not so fast” she said giggling.

It was his turn now to rub his lip. She had bit him.

He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her. He felt her body fit into his, felt her fingers on his chest, felt her damp lips press onto his neck. She sighed.

“When’s the train?” she asked, carefully avoiding his eyes.
He stroked her hair gently. “ In exactly 3 hours my love.”
“Do I have to go? Can’t I stay? Just one more day?”
“You know you cant dear. Nor can I. We need to go back.”

She hugged him closer still. “ I don’t want to go.”
“ Nor do I love. It’s been a wonderful weekend. But you know we can’t afford to stay longer. You have to attend classes. And I need to work overtime to make up for this leave.”

He kissed her head, the part that was visible under his arms. She had snuggled in so much that he could only feel her, and not see.

“I’d better get ready then. The station is quite far away….”

He watched her as she lifted herself from the bed and went into the bathroom. He leaned over to smell that side of the bed that she had slept in. It still smelt of her perfume. The one she wore whenever they met.

She turned on the shower.

He sighed. He knew she was crying now.

“Can I come in” he knocked on the bathroom door.
“ No. Am almost done. Am coming out.”

***

She was wearing the sari that he had gotten her from his first salary. He held her hand till the distant chugging of the train could be heard.

The train slid slowly out of the station. And he walked back to the auto that awaited him.