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Pooja's P.O.V

Arjun's cast was removed two days back and he has been extra active since then. We had a small barbecue party at the Murthys backyard yesterday night. Their daughters along with their husbands had come for a week holiday.

It has already been six months since my marriage. And everything has changed compared to how our first month together had been. Since the time Arjun confessed his exact feelings, things have shifted between us a bit.

But in a good way.

Atleast for me.

He's become more cuddly and affectionate. And all that is getting to my head and it's like I'm back at Highschool. Blushing the moment I hear his name or go dumb just feeling his presence behind me or always waiting for him to smile at me..... I have no idea if it's for the good or bad.

Hoping for everything to end well, I drift off into a dreamless sleep...

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A couple hours later, I wake up to some one knocking on the door and calling my name. Not bothering to switch on the lights I walk to the door, cursing when my foot hit something hard. Opening the door it was equally dark outside, just like my room. All my sleep vanishes as I panick when a shadow zips past me and blindfold my eyes from behind.

Reflexively my hand reaches to grab the blindfold but before my hand can reach its destination, a strong hand pushes mine back to side. My heart beats as if to be let out of its cage, terrified to move or even breathe with a pair of hands restraining mine to my sides and warm breath falling on my nape. I feel the person's head nuzzling in the crook of my neck....

"Pooja.....", he breathes in.

My throat goes dry while my palms sweat and goosebumps rise all over my body.

"Ar....Arjun...", he kiss me from my crook up towards my ears. I feel like fainting and if not for his hands holding me, I would already be on the floor. His left hand leaves mine and settles on my waist, just where the split of my Salwar top ends. The top rises a bit when his thumb brushes past my bare skin. He nibbles on my earlobe before placing a kiss. My body shudders involuntarily at the feelings coursing through my body.

His hand stops torturing my waist and his right hand settles on my shoulder. He pushes me gently and asks me to walk. He guides me outside our cottage and we turn towards what I think is the Murthys cottage. The only sounds that can be heard are from my anklets and crunch of dry twigs and leaves under our feet along with hoots from owls and the water hitting the shore.

Arjun makes me take turns, first right, then left, again left, then right, then right, again right....leave it. It's just confusing to think. Finally we end up somewhere and Arjun tells me to be careful as there were three steps to climb. Climbing the steps, we pass through what seems like the doorway. Then again we take several turns and I finally hear a door creaking open and again there were steps. Kindly enough Arjun tells me we were climbing down exactly twenty three steps.

After the twenty three steps, we walk again on what seems like soft cotton balls and suddenly the blindfold is removed along with Arjun's hand. It was dark and I turn around to see Arjun, but he was no where to be seen. I call out for him but there was only silence. A bell sound comes from my right and I walk towards it.

Suddenly lights come from all the sides and I shield my eyes with my palm. Slowly blinking I adjust to the light and remove my palm from my face. I see an old grandpa clock, it's arms showing midnight, twelve o'clock. Seeing movement to my left I turn and my jaw falls down at the sight in front of me. I stand there blinking not able to process what was happening.......

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR POOJA...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU........."

Arjun was standing there with a cake in his hands with Nisha aunty holding a birthday cap, the girls and their husbands on either side and Murthy uncle with a vedio camera in his hands, recording me. My feet feels like stone even when I felt like running and hugging them. The girls come and hugs me and pushes me gently towards Arjun and the cake.

After cutting the cake and feeding each other, the girls gift me a pair of earrings that they make me wear and aunty and uncle together gift me a bracelet, with a small star charm on it. We all sit on the carpet, that was what felt like soft cotton balls, and talk while eating the cake aunty had baked for me.

We were at the basement of the shed where uncle usually kept his boats. It seemed like Arjun had been all day here, when he told me he was out with the men and asked me to stay with the girls. Uncle tells that he had practically counted the number of steps to the basement thrice telling he didn't want me to trip.

After a lot of laughter and three rounds of cake we decide to go back to our cottage when Arjun caught me yawning. I walk towards my room ready to fall on my bed when Arjun stops me and pulls me to his room. I sit on the edge of his bed, ready to run out. Don't ask me why, because I myself have no idea. He comes out from the bathroom with a small square box in hand and sit on his knees in front of me.

I take the box from him and open it. A small heart shaped rose gold pendent with small diamonds on one side of the 'v' part of the heart. My heart soars with happiness but I try to keep my face blank and look up at him. Seeing my face his expression goes from eagerness to hurt to disappointment. And finally looks like he was about to burst into tears. He stands up and walks to the window and stares out.

Slowly taking the chain in my fingers, I walk up to him and hug him tight from behind. This was the first time I initiated something like this and when his body stiffens, I was happy to get a reaction from him. Just like how I be when he does this to me. I make him turn, to face me and cups his cheek with my free hand and kiss his forehead on tiptoes. Him being six feet three and me only five feet two doesn't help much.

Opening my other hand, I show him the chain and turn, my back facing him and ask him to help me wear it. After helping he hugs me from back and then picks me up to lay me on his bed. Removing his shirt he joins me on the bed, with only the faint glow from the nightstand I take my time admiring his six pack abs, defined chest and strong back filled in black ink, while I remove the earrings and pull my hair into a messy bun behind.

Cuddling in each other's arms with my head right above his heart, I hear his heart beat slowly speeding and feel his fingers playing with my hair.

"Pooja..."

"Hmm...."

"Can we go to the woods tomorrow? For a walk? Just us?"

I look up at him and smile, "Promise me you won't break your leg."

"Only if I don't have to help a kitten.", he replies at the same time rolling on top of me and kissing me senseless.......

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For the first time since our marriage, I wake up in Arjun's arms the next morning. Remembering yesterday night, or rather today morning since it was basically around one in morning when we got back, I smile and snuggle close to Arjun.

"You awake?", his voice crystal clear, showing he had woken up long back.

"Hmm. When did you wake up?", I pull back a little so that I could see his face while my voice sounded like a dying crow.

"An hour back?"

I snuggle closer again and he tightens his arms around me. Our relationship has escalated fast, within a month and it was freaking me out, internally. I didn't know what to think about all those kisses we had. And after yesterday and now lying on the same bed, this close, with him being shirtless may I add, I was afraid. Afraid of what is going to happen once we return home. What if he returned back to his old self ? What if he thought I wasn't good enough for him? What if he would choose Renuka? All of it was bombarding my brain and the rational part of me refused to think.

My thoughts were put to stop when I heard Arjun's stomach growling angrily. I look up at his face to see him blushing hard and I start laughing so hard until he pulls me under him and hover above me with a mocking smirk. I bite my lower lip to control my laugh but soon it bubbles out when Arjun starts tickling me.

Legs tangled in the sheets, I don't know who falls first but minutes later we both are on the floor. Rubbing the back of my head I start pulling the sheets away from our legs. I curse the sheets and pull them left and right. Finally losing the strength to fight with the sheets, I stand up with the support of the nightstand and bed and tug my legs out.

Finally free. I let out a loud sigh and that's when I hear someone laughing from the floor. I look down and SHIT! Arjun was here. I turn away from him and cover my face with a hand embarrassed. I feel him behind me, how did he get out from the sheets? Never mind.

He pulls me to his chest and removes my hand from my face. He cups my burning cheeks, I keep my eyes down, and tells, "This is what I say. You are a cute little adorable kitten." As soon as he says kitten my eyes shoot up to look at him offended.

He laughs and kiss my forehead and leaves to the bathroom.

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After lunch we set out to the woods. We point at even the smallest of things we find interesting. From holding hands to walking with his hands around me, I know I have fallen hard for him.

We had reached there clearing where we had the picnic last time. The sun had started to set and the sky and trees cast an orange shadow around us. But then suddenly black clouds rolled in as we started walking further.

"Guess it's going to rain. We'll walk back?", Arjun asked looking up at the sky.

"Arjun... before we go.... there is something I want to tell you.", he turns to me.

Big fat droplets of rain start falling down as I bite my lips and contemplate how to tell him. "Pooja tell me when we get back, ok? Take your time and tell me when you are ready." He cups my cheek and tell me softly but urgently. He takes my hand and pulls me to walk faster since the rain starts pouring more stronger.

I stop him with my other hand and he turns to me. "I need to tell this now Arjun or else I'm never going to say it, please."

He looks again at the sky and then his shoulders relaxes. He pulls me to him by my waist and touches my forehead with his, "Tell me."

"Arjun.. I have never felt like this in my life. I was never a person to cry, but you bring out the worst in me.", his body tenses but I don't stop instead cups his cheek and continue, "But I was never a person to smile too. You bring out the both worst and best in me, Arjun. It is said that only the person you love can only bring you down. Arjun, I don't know how else to say this. From back in Highschool I liked you. Like really liked you. Why do you think Megha and Ajay readily agreed to the idea of us together. But now it isn't just like Arjun. I... Arjun I love you...", I breathe out and wait for his reaction.

As soon as those words leave my mouth, he stands frozen. Then slowly his lips come closer to me.

The kiss was slow at first but then it grew more hot and passionate with his fingers running across the skin on my waist, stomach and back while my fingers tugged at the ends of his hair as well as run across his abs.

Arjun pulled back, even in the dark it wasn't hard to tell his eyes were hooded with hunger. "I don't want this to end up with us lost in the woods. We are going to continue back inside.", the last part almost sounded like a warning.

We practically ran back to the cottage with the raindrops hitting us hard and leaving us cold.

Once inside the cottage Arjun locks the door and pins me to it. His midnight black eyes had gone a shade darker and his face and hair wet with drops of water hanging. My wet Salwar was sticking to my body but instead of cold I felt hot like burning under his gaze.

He takes my lips for a deep kiss, probing the insides of my mouth with his tongue. His head then slowly drops to my neck peppering it with kisses and bites. His hands were already under my dress running on my skin. His lips and fingers brought unknown feelings to my body and head. I wanted more but what I had no idea. I let him take control while I was just putty in his hands, a moaning mess.

He pulls back once more and I see he was trying to control himself.

"Pooja. Tell me to stop.", he was breathing heavily.

The thoughts from morning return back. If I wanted to stop I could. But I push all the 'what ifs' to the back of my mind. I'll deal with them when the time comes. For now I just want to be with him and nothing is going to stop me.

Without answering I press my lips on his and pull him closer. He growls and hooks his hands under my ass and lifts me. I wrap my legs around his waist, our lips still in sync, he walks us to his room and continued marking me as his.....

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