“Good! Now take my name. Only then I’ll let you go.”

Neelam‘s  system broke. He what? He wanted her to take his name? Why? What kind of weird fetish is this? Ok, she cannot call it weird because she herself had spent hours in front of the mirror practicing how she should call him.

“I…what?”

She released a confused breath and he chuckled. Getting another naughty idea, he leaned in and brushed his lips against her cheeks. She gasped his name and he smirked.

“Jay! I mean sir!”

A full blown smile formed on his face and then he put his hands in his pocket and sat on his chair as if nothing had transpired in the last 10 minutes.

“That was all I wanted to ask. You may go and continue your work.”

Neelam could see the naughty smile on the corner of his lips. But she didn’t call him out at the moment, because she was too stunned to speak or do anything.

The roka ceremony was done and Jay’s mother and taiji were extremely happy to see how happy Jay was around Neelam. Throughout the ceremony, he had been whispering things into her ear making her blush and lower her head. 

Neelam was sure that she was permanently red by now. The not so innocent things this man has whispered into her ear throughout the event made her blush till her roots.

“Bhut bol rhe hai aap aaj. Shaadi hone dijiye zara, phir dekhna kaise chup krati hu aapko.”

(You were speaking too much today. Let the marriage happen, see how I shut you up.)

She whispered back and he looked at her with an intense look.

“I’ll be waiting.”

A few days later, Neelam received an email from the office stating that she had been selected as a part of the special team of people who were to report directly to Jay. She frowned. Neelam didn’t remember applying for the same or even having any knowledge of there being a special team.

“Miss Verma, Sir has asked for you.”

Good. She too wanted to talk to him. She entered the cabin and there he sat with that huge grin on his face.

“Jay? Ye kya hai? What special team am I being made a part of?”

(What is this?)

“Oh! the team is just a sham. You’re going to do your usual work. It’s just that now you’re going to report directly to me.”

“And why is that?”

She asked with narrowed eyes. She had realised his true intentions. He got up from his seat and stood before her. Taking a strand of her hair between his fingers, he played with it and spoke.

“Because I want to keep my wife around me. I’m slowly getting obsessed with her, you see?”

Him and his mouth! She bit the inside of her lip and looked away. He placed a quick kiss to her cheeks making her look at him wide eyed.

“What? Kuch hua kya?”

(Did some thing happen?)

He teased and she hit his chest lightly.

“Aap na…bhut besharam ho.”

(You…are too shameless.)

“Abhi besharmi dekhi kaha hai tumne. Abhi toh maine kuch kia bhi nhi.”

(You have not seen my shameless. I did not even do anything yet.)

He teased and she blushed. But this time, she wasn’t going to back down.

“Haan toh! Abhi shaadi bhi nhi hui na. Fiance level tak ke itne hi privileges hote hai. Baaki sab shaadi ke baad.”

(So! The marriage did not happen yet. Fiancé level privileges are only these. Everything else after marriage.)

He raised his eyebrow and took a step closer to her.

“Achaa? Fiance level privileges? Aur wo kya hai? Mujhe pata toh ho ki mere paas abhi kya kya privileges hai.”

(Really?...And what are those? I should know what privileges I have.)

“Ummm…abhi bas hand holding, side hug aur aur cheek kiss tak thik hai. Uske alawa sab husband level privileges hote hai.”

(Ummm…right now only hand holding, side hug and cheek kiss. Everything else is husband level privileges.)

He nodded in amusement and placed another kiss to her cheek. She looked at him surprised again and he chuckled.

“Just making good use of my privileges. Can’t waste them now, can I? Waise ye concept pehli baar suna hai maine.”

(I heard this concept the first time.)

“Usme meri galti thodi na hai. Aur phir ye toh dono taraf se rahega na. Mai bhi apne wife level privileges nhi use krungi abhi.’

(I am not at fault in that. And this will be followed from both the sides. I will also not use my wife level privileges.)

She explained and he bit his lip. 

“Maine mana nhi kia. You can do whatever you want with me. Fiancee level ho ya wife level. Mere liye sab tum hi ho. Jo karna hai krlo.”

(I did not deny. Be it fiancée level of wife level. You are everything to me. Do whatever you want.)

He said and started leaning close to her lips. She giggled and pushed him back muttering a ‘Dhatt!’ and running out of his cabin. Jay laughed and shook his head. 

Things were going pretty smooth between the two. The employees working in the office suspected them sometimes but they didn’t bother. Jay, on Neelam’s insistence had not disclosed the fact of them being arranged in a marriage.

Neelam didn’t want people to doubt her calibre and judge her because she was getting married to the boss. She was in his cabin, sitting beside him as they had their lunch.

“Kal hum dono chhuti pr jaayenge itni lambi, sab ko shakk ho jaayega. Bta hi dete hai na.”

(We will go on such long leaves from tomorrow, everyone will doubt. Let’s announce.)

He insisted yet again. If it were up to him, he’d yell it to the world that she was his wife.

“Jay! Hamari baat ho chuki hai na iss baare mai. Mai nhi chahti ki sab log mujhe differently treat krne lag jaaye. Already aadhe log side eye dete hai kyunki unhe lagta hai mera aapke saath koi chakkar chal raha hai.”

(We have talked about it. I don’t want people to treat me differently. Half already give me side eye because they think I am having affair with you.)

She twisted her lips and he held her cheeks between his fingers making her lips pucker.

“Tab hi toh keh raha hu bta dete hai na meri jaan.”

(That’s why I am saying let’s tell everyone.)

She pinched his bicep making him hiss and leave her cheeks. She gave him a stink eye and rubbed her cheek while he rubbed his bicep.

“Nhi! Abhi nhi.”

(No! Not yet.)

He sighed and nodded agreeing to her like always.

The next few days were an absolute frenzy. There were guests and things everywhere. So chaotic yet the most beautiful days of both of their lives. Jay had told Neelam about his tauji and his dream. She knew how much he meant to Jay and so she planned a special surprise for him.

The day before their marriage, Jay entered his room. His last day as a bachelor. But as soon as he entered into the room, he froze. The whole room was decorated with pictures of his and his tauji and other members. Well, mostly his tauji and him.

Tears pooled in his eyes and he looked at each one of them cherishing the memories. He sat beside the bed and held one of the pictures in his hands.