Page 243 of The Circle of Exile
“If this is your idea of wooing, then it is counterproductive.”
“One trial speech. Just one. Then we will see.”
“Excuse me, you are not taking my copy test. I will decide if I want to continue.”
He shrugged — “You won’t be able to stop.”
“How are you so confident?”
“Because I remember the adrenaline rushes you got after every speech was delivered. Myani zuv, you came alive when I spoke the words you wrote.”
She pinched her mouth, looking anywhere but at him.
“It’s a deal then,” he held his hand out. She didn’t shake it. So he took hers and planted a kiss to the back of it. Lingered there, like he used to back in the day. In the marathons and relay races of their daily life, these moments had dissipated like dust behind their shoes.
“Thank you.”
“You would lose if I don’t write for you.”
His head came up and his hand squeezed hers, grey eyes meeting hers.
“You don’t want to start trying until we go back home, isn’t it?” Iram surmised.
He remained silent.
“It’s ok, you can say that’s it.”
Atharva let out an amused breath.
“Myani zuv, I have made peace with this exile. And you and Arth have had to make it too. You have made our life here so happy but I want nothing more than to go back home. I know you want it too. I see it on your face now and again. Then you go and hide it so that I can keep going.” His other hand closed around theirs. “I would have been ready to start trying if it weren't for a matter of a few months. With a pregnancy and all this going on… I won’t be able to concentrate. And this time, I want to give you everything. Once we are home, I am unemployed. All yours.”
“I like unemployed Atharva.”
“So do I, now that you showed me all that I could do with my free time.”
“That’s the thing,” she poked his bare shoulder. “Free time. Your brain is constantly working even in unemployment. You took down a sitting government in your free time. Take your unemployment rant somewhere else.”
His fingers closed around hers — “Yes, Madam.”
“Now let’s go sleep. It’s already so… ummmm…” her mouth was captured by his. Her body was gathered into his. Her arms were locked between his.
Iram kissed him back, letting her neck fall back as his body rose over hers. His fingers threaded into the hair at her temples, anchoring there as he pulled back to change the angle of his mouth.
“You said no trying until we return home,” she pointed.
“But we have to practise,” he pushed her down. Her head hit the pillow. “We want to nail it on our first go…”
The doorknob rattled. “Mama…”
They sat up, running the back of their hands across their mouths and straightening their clothes.Hers. Because he was naked from the chest up anyway.
The door was pushed slightly, Yathaarth’s little body trying to hold it open. Atharva rushed up and held it, letting their son slide from between the door and him and pad inside — pyjamas rumpled, eyes half-asleep. Those dark grey eyes first went to the sky for his stars and then to the gramophone.
“You climbed up here all by yourself?” Iram rebuked softly, holding her arms open for him. He crawled into her lap and curled against her chest. She patted his head on her bosom. His deep breaths were instant.
“Asleep?” She whispered, glancing up at Atharva. He smirked, eyes on their son. “Sleeps like me.”
“We need to be careful now. He is waking up in the middle of the night and climbing all the way up here alone. If he falls…”
