Flames OF Paradise - Season 1 - Episode 25

7 years ago

Flames OF Paradise - Season 1 - Episode 25

Snigdha clutched his arm and stood up pointing towards the shaky light in the distance.

‘Lets go and check. We have come in the opposite direction, therefore we might not be near any terrorist camp. Never saw any camp in this forest. Mostly, they hide in the forests of Pampore and Kupwara. This is closer to Srinagar.’ He said slowly.
‘Are you sure? What if it’s a trap?’ Snigdha asked tentatively.
‘You could be right.’ He looked at her thoughtfully. ‘In that case, we must move in the other direction, towards our left. We have another 15 minutes to look for shelter. Run’. He said emphatically.
They ran madly for ten odd minutes when suddenly his torch shone at a ramshackle, hut, lopsided and broken, but looking dry. He stopped her and went closer to inspect. Finding it clear of any human or animal presence, he came towards her and said, ‘We can take a risk and hide inside this for the next few hours. I can cover it a bit so that in this darkness anyone can miss it. Also I doubt if we will get company tonight.’ He said lightly. After that he started picking up logs and branches strewn here and there and started piling it in front of the ramshackle hut. Snigdha dropped her bag and started helping him. In no time, they had practically hidden the crooked, broken hut made of wooden beams and dry leaves and a little above ground on four legs like a typical Kashmiri house.
‘Come inside. We must take rest.’ Roshan offered his hand, making Snigdha wonder for a second if he wanted to hold her hand, realising immediately that he was asking for the bag. Embarrassed and thankful for the darkness hiding her flushed cheeks, Snigdha gave her bag and followed him. Both of them entered through a small opening in the side which was swiftly covered by Roshan. He once again spread his chequered stole on the ground which was already messy and dry with dirt. He motioned at her to lie down first, and slowly adjusted himself on the little patch of cloth. However much she tried, her body touched his sides, and she wriggled this side and that side to adjust her body so that without touching him, they could lie down comfortably. It was impossible. After some time, Roshan’s exasperated voice uttered,
‘What the hell is wrong with you lady? We are not honeymooning here! Just lie still and let me sleep!’
Snigdha felt like crying in frustration. She lay down still and controlled her breathing. Roshan had thrown his arm over his head and with half his body on the ground and just his head on the stole, he had it seemed gone into instant slumber! How easy it was for a few people, Snigdha wondered! But then hadn’t he admitted that he was a regular at such difficult situations? He must be used to sleeping on hard ground, surviving on no food or water, suffering injuries, accepting most adverse situations. This must be regular for him. Envying his tough immunity, Snigdha tried to shut her eyes hard, thinking of anything that can bring sleep to her. She tried to ignore the hard ground, the eerie night sounds and concentrated on Roshan’s even breathing, his warmth beside her. She edged closer to him, her body touching his warm and hard length. She turned slightly towards him and tentatively curled in the crook of his arm and heaved a long sigh, suddenly feeling relaxed and secure.
Besides her, Roshan smiled in the darkness. He wanted her to make the move herself. He didn’t want her to think that he was all the time pushing her into intimacy or closeness. The situation demanded that any coy or demure behaviour from her side would be d--n uncomfortable for both of them. It was not his choice to sleep in this godforsaken hut, on a four by four feet stole that was too thin to give them warmth. As it is, the temperature was dropping fast. He was not even carrying his usual Kangdi inside his Phiran that he had learnt to do at the camp. Kangdi can keep you warm and cozy in biting cold. Roshan felt rather than saw the soft and supple body of Snigdha touch his sides, making his nerves alive with awareness and flickering passion. He had been trying to curb his passion and desire for this woman for a long time, not revealing how he felt every time she looked at him with those big warm eyes. He slowly dropped his arm from his forehead and brought it around her head which was now curving towards his chest. He thought it would be warmer and more comfortable if they came closer. Who exactly was he kidding? Was it really comfort that he was looking for? Or was it to feel her supple body close, to touch those silky tresses, and to feel her heartbeat? Swearing in his thoughts, Roshan curved his arms around her and settled her a little more closer to his form. Relaxed now, he closed his eyes to catch up some sleep
Roshan jerked into wakefulness abruptly, when he found Snigdha struggling frantically, odd m0ans coming out of her mouth in her sleep. Her limbs were thrashing as if someone was holding her captive. Her m0ans were deep and clogged as if someone was clutching her throat. She was mumbling someone’s name hysterically.

Quickly, Roshan switched on the torch and searched the area for any snakes or animals.

Finding none, he shook Snigdha from her nightmare which was making her incoherent now. Abruptly, she woke up, soaked in her own sweat and looked around in fear and horror. Her glazed eyes sought Roshan’s and then suddenly she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him, trembling and shaking. Roshan held her tight, looking for the flask kept nearby and offering her some water. This was the third time he had seen her crying. In the past, he had got fairly irritated by weeping women as their weeping used to trigger panic in him because he recognised it for some or other form of emotional blackmail. He had some weird and distasteful memories of a couple of weeping women and had no patience with them. Then why was it that he felt his heart go tender every time this lady wept? Why did he want to crush her close to his heart and wipe her tears and assure her that everything would be alright? Why did he want to kiss her rather than reprimand her or push her away?

‘Well, I don’t have a ready supply of fresh handkerchiefs sweetheart, so you will have to wipe yourself this time with your scarf or tissues.’ Roshan’s amused voice filtered Snigdha’s clogged brain after a few minutes when her sobs had subsided. A giggle escaped her. She could feel Roshan’s hard chest under her wet cheeks. She could feel steady rhythm of his heart beats. She could feel the rumble of his laughter. And she could feel his hands moving on her loose hair strands, the rhythmic movement of his hand from her head to waist comforting her, and warming her to the core. She felt shy and bit her lips before lifting her head. As she lifted her head, she found his face very close to her, his shadowy eyes looking into her eyes. The diagonal beam of torch falling jaggedly on one side, illuminating their faces slightly. Snigdha felt a strange pull towards this enigmatic man and couldn’t tear away her eyes which were meshed with wet eye lashes, her lips slightly swollen with weeping, her nose pink and her face suffused with warmth. Roshan’s eyes had sharpened with an intense expression and slowly as if in a trance he lowered his face and touched her trembling lips with his own, soft, feather light, tentative, as if asking permission. Snigdha was so startled that her lips parted of its own volition, making Roshan slant his head and deepen the kiss. Snigdha had not reached 28 years without experiencing her first or perhaps second kiss. But the kiss she was sharing with Roshan tasted like never before, hot, searing, molten passion. His warm breath, and caressing lips and tongue were wreaking havoc on her senses. She was aware of each movement made by him, his fingers that were now playing with her hair, his tongue that had entered her mouth, tangling with her tongue, his other hand that was pulling her harder and closer towards him, both their eyes closed, Snigdha and Roshan savoured their first kiss as if it was manna from heaven, as if they had been thirsty for each other. Breathing heavy, Roshan lifted his head and looked at Snigdha’s eyes heavy with passion. He cupped her face and gave her short, sweet kisses, caressing her slightly bruised lower lips, her chin, ear lobe, throat and back to her lips which were throbbing with passion so much that without realising, Snigdha took the initiative to kiss Roshan. Taking a sharp breath, Roshan drank from her sweet mouth, the nector of passion, which had now started burning their whole body. They didn’t realise how long they had been kissing and caressing each other in the dim light, their breathing heavy and their hands impatient to get intimate. Snigdha’s arms creeping around his neck, caressing his long wavy hair. She could feel Roshan’s hands rubbing and caressing her back. His hands gripped her small waist, caressed her rib cage, and started travelling upwards towards her aching b-----s, when suddenly she jerked to a stop. Roshan could feel a change in her body. He gave her a slow lingering kiss as if he was leaving her reluctantly, lifting his head and pressing her forehead with his forehead, breathing heavy.

‘That was some kiss!’ his deep voice shook slightly with emotion. He had removed his hands from her ribcage, hugging her tightly. ‘Do you realise what you do to me Snigdha? You have come in my life like a witch, winding me around your little finger. I can’t think straight when you look at me with those beautiful eyes and delectable lips