(Unedited)

This part is exclusively for all VEERAT (Veer-Inayat) lovers!

Part - 36

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"Sometimes you need bad things to happen to inspire you to change and grow"

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"Inayat, let's go home?" Veer asked.

After finishing their dinner, Inayat wanted to go for a walk and Veer reluctantly agreed to it. They left the jeep near the hotel and took a stroll.

"We have hardly walked a mile from the hotel" Inayat just wanted to hold her husband's hand and walk as long as possible. She knew once they returned home he would leave back to his cantonment and she wouldn't get this time again.

"Inayat, it's snowing and you are shivering. I want to take you home" he said drewing her closer to him and they took a U turn to get back to the hotel parking lot. Though they were wrapped with sweaters and jackets they still felt the cold strike their skin. He didn't care much because he was used to it but he worried Inayat would fall sick. "I can't believe it's snowing in August"

"Today Kashmir recorded the lowest day temperature so it's no surprise for me to see the fresh bout of snowfall at night time"

"Weather is so unpredictable here."

"Really? I thought Kashmir was cold and breezy throughout the year?"

"Yeah but at times it gets extremely cold. I freeze when I sleep on snow bed whilst camping outside the army quarters. And I hate having cracked lips" Veer muttered and pressed his lips together to ease the soreness.

Inayat looked at his chapped lips and without realizing she took her hand closer to his mouth and softly caressed his lips with her thumb making him go still. Though her touch was gentle, it felt electrifying to him.

"I can feel your lips so rough and dry beneath my thumb pad" she whispered looking at his lips. She wanted to kiss him and moisten his redden lips. She even inched forward but stopped. It wasn't her thing to kiss in public place.

Veer was so lost in her soft touch and he could feel his sore lips healing.

"Are you not using lip balm, Veer?"

"Are you going to kiss me, Inayat"

They both talked at once.

Inayat looked wide eyed and shook her head in no.

"Good" he said with a smirk.

"Why? You don't want me to kiss you?" She asked failing to hide her hurt.

"I do but not in public, that too when I am in my uniform"

"Why?" she frowned in confusion.

"Most of the Kashmiris are not fond of Indian Army and if they see me, a soldier kissing you, a Kashmiri girl in public, they will think and talk rubbish."

"I will tell them you are my husband" she said wrapping her hands around his neck and hugging him. She wouldn't let people talk nonsense about her husband.

"So it's true?" He asked placing his hand on her hips. She felt warm and comfortable with the closeness. She didn't panic and push him away.

"What's true?" She leaned back and asked looking at his eyes.

"What you said the other day on phone is true."

She frowned still not getting what he was talking.

"That you would let me hug you and kiss you" he said with a smirk.

"Yes" She said looking down at his chest, hiding her blush.

"Then why the hell we are standing here and wasting time? Let's go home." He released her from his embrace and hurriedly took her hand in his and started walking but she pulled him back.

"What?" He asked and then lifted her chin up with his fingers to meet her eyes.

"Veer..." She breathed and her teeth clattered. "I... I am not..."

"Inayat, I know. You don't have to say." He knew she wasn't ready for more than a kiss or a hug. She needed time and he would give it to her.

"Thanks, Veer" she smiled a breathtaking smile. Veer couldn't resist but give her a quick peck on her blush cheek.

"I love snowfall and there is no snowfall in Mumbai" she said with a sad pout as they continued walking. Veer smiled at her cuteness.

She titled her head up and let the snow drizzle on her face. Veer wished to suck each and every snow crystal off her face and replace them with his hot kisses. "Oh this place is heaven. This place is peace." She said blissfully.

"Yes, Kashmir is heaven on earth but without sunshine and it is peace without soul" Veer thought with a rueful smile.

"I missed Kashmir when I was there"

"Are you hinting me that you want to be back here?" Veer asked.

Inayat stopped walking and turned to look at him as she processed his question.

"No" she said after a long pause. Veer breathed out in relief.

"Why?" He still asked because he wanted to be sure that she was truly happy there in Mumbai with his family.

"My husband won't be in peace if I stay here. He would constantly worry about my safety." Inayat teased.

"Is that the only reason why you stay there?" He asked.

Seeing the seriousness in his face she decided to give her honest answer.

"No, I am staying there because my loving family is there. I already miss Ammi, Abu, Arjun, Naira and Dadi" she didn't realize she just mentioned Rishab as Abu (father) instead of uncle but that didn't go unnoticed by Veer. He was glad his wife was trusting men again and not too scared of them.

"But your loving husband is here, right?" Now he teased her.

"And that's why I am here now. Whenever I miss him I will come here and spend some time with him"

"Great. I will try my best to dedicate some exclusive time for you"

"Insha Allah" Inayat said. Veer smiled. Soon they reached the place where they had parked the jeep and from there they went in jeep to their house.

"Are you staying with me?" Inayat asked hopefully when he followed her into the house and slumped down on the living room sofa.

"Um... I have to go back..."

"Okay, then go" She said yawning.

"Are you kicking me out, Inayaa?" He asked chuckling.

"Yes, I have to lock the door and go to bed after Isha prayer." she yawned again. She was so tired.

"I thought I would stay with you till 3 in the morning..." He said as he stood up to leave realizing his wife needed her beauty sleep.

"Really? Then sit down, we will talk till it's time for you to leave" she said excitedly and pulled him down to sit next to her. He turned towards her and gazed at her face with a smile, placing his elbow on the sofa and resting his head on his palm.

"You wanted to talk, right?" He reminded her when she kept staring at him. He gently took her hand in his and held it firmly. She looked down at their entwined hands and smiled. She didn't pull away like he half expected.

"Um..." She didn't know what to talk but at the same time she didn't want to sleep. She just wanted to stare at her husband though it sounded creepy. "...tell me what's your plan for tomorrow?"

"I have to be in Anantnag at 5. We have organized a self defense training camp for girls there."

"Oh. Then you should sleep now." she declared.

"No, I am not sleepy. Let's talk." He had spent so many sleepless night thinking about his wife and now that his wife was with him, he didn't want to waste his time in sleeping. He wouldn't mind even if they didn't talk. He would be contented just looking at her pure angelic face.

Oh, the feelings were mutual!

"At what time you started your day?"

"Before sunrise"

"Approximately what time?"

"4.45am, the usual time you know" he shrugged.

"Now what's the time?"

"11.15 pm" he said checking his wrist watch.

"Did you take some rest in between?"

"No, um... Actually yeah, I relaxed when we were in the dinner"

"You didn't sleep there. You were having your food then." She scoffed. "Veer, if you work the whole day without any rest and start the next day without even few hours of sleep then what will happen to your health?" She asked in an admonishing tone.

"Inayaa, we hardly get time to stay together..."

"Veer, change your clothes and get on the bed" she ordered not giving any room for him to argue.

"I don't have my tracks and T-shirt here."

"Wait. I will come" she stood up and ran to the bedroom. He followed her.

"Inayaa, Izzaan's clothes won't fit me" he said seeing her pick clothes for him from her cupboard.

"I know" she rolled her eyes. "These are your clothes only" she thrusted his clothes in his hands.

He looked down at the clothes in his hands. Yes, they were his red t-shirt and black tracks.

"You brought my clothes?" He asked shooting his brow up in surprise. She shrugged and looked down to hide her embarrassment. She didn't know why she packed couple of his clothes as well while packing hers.

"You knew already that I would be staying with you?"

"I was hoping you would..." She said softly, almost inaudible for him.

"Can I kiss you?" He suddenly asked feeling this uncontrollable urge to kiss her.

Inayat blinked her eyes twice before shyly nodding her head and moving closer to him as she repeated in her head again and again "It's Veer, my husband. It's Veer, my husband... so don't panic, Inayat. Just relax."

Veer dropped the clothes at his feet and gently held Inayat's face and caressed her cheeks with his thumbs.

"You are so beautiful, Inayat" he whispered before leaning down and kissing her right side cheek, tenderly. "You don't know for how long I have been waiting to kiss you" he kissed her other cheek. Inayat had her eyes tightly shut and her hands tightly held his wrist. "Are you okay?" He asked in concern. He didn't want to push her too hard and too fast.

She nodded her head twice and blushed.

"Look at me, Inayat" he cupped her cheeks and titled her head up, waiting for their eyes to meet.

She shyly shook her head in no and hugged him. He let her face go and wrapped his arms tightly around her shoulders almost crushing her. "I love you so much, Inayat" he placed a kiss on her hijab.

"When are you going to show me your hair?" He whispered near her ear. He had never seen hair before as she always wore her hijab. He just knew her hair color was dark chocolate brown by seeing the few tendrils escaped out of her hijab near her ears.

"When we make love" she whispered her reply. He groaned knowing that would be a long wait.

"I wish you would show me now"

She shook her head in no again and pulled herself out of his protective embrace. "You are going to sleep now" she picked the clothes from the floor and gave them back to him. He sighed and walked towards the bed.

He placed the clothes on the bed and then started unbuttoning his shirt.

Inayat quickly dashed out of the room, giving him privacy to change. Veer chuckled and shook his head.

"I am decent. You can come in now, Inayat" he called and a second later she walked in.

"Sleep time. Get on the bed." she said as if she was talking to a baby.

"Alright, mommy. Come and read bedtime story for me" Veer teased her as he laid on the bed and turned to his side and stretched his arm out for her to place her head.

Inayat giggled covering her mouth.

She walked around the bed and sat behind him and caressed his hair.

"You are not going to sleep?" he asked looking behind at her.

"I have to perform ablution and pray Isha" she said and pulled the covers over him.

He nodded and quickly set alarm in his watch. "Stay with me till I fall asleep, please?"

"I am here only, Veer" she rubbed his arm and pressed a kiss on his temple. "I love you"

With a joyous smile, Veer drifted to deep sleep.

After watching him for her heart's content, she slowly got off the bed and went to wash his uniform so that he could wear it for the next day. He told he would be directly going to Anantnag from here, right? So he would be needing clean clothes, right?

She quickly washed, dried, ironed and placed his neatly folded clothes on the sofa.

She recited Quran versus and prayed before going to bed.

Even after getting on the bed she couldn't sleep or she didn't want to sleep. She just kept admiring her husband's handsome face as if she was seeing it for the first time. Unknowingly her fingers traced his outer lips. He winced in his sleep and licked his lips to ease the irritation.

She sighed and rolled off the bed to get lip balm from her handbag. She crawled back on the bed and knelt in front of him. She rolled the cap open and applied the balm over his lips. He licked his lips again and grimaced his face in his sleep. She once again applied the lip balm.

"Sleep, Inayat" he grumbled as he pulled her down. She fell on top of him and struggled to get up but he trapped her with his hands. She sighed and positioned herself in a comfortable position and heard his rhythmic heart beats as her head was placed right on top of his chest. All too soon sleep took over her.

Veer woke up with a started when his watch beeped at 2.45 am and quickly turned off the watch alarm so that he wouldn't disturb his wife but she stirred coming awake. She was a light sleeper just like her husband.

"Is it time for you to go?" She asked rubbing her eyes.

"Yes, you sleep, Inayat. I will lock the front door and leave the key under the rose pot." He knew she could take it later by coming out through the back door.

"No, it's fine. I am up" she sat up on the bed and watched him search something. "Veer, your uniform is on the sofa" she said guessing it was what he was searching.

"How did it go there?"

"I cleaned it and kept it there."

"You know you don't have to wash my clothes, right?"

"And you know I don't like you wearing dirty clothes, right?"

He sighed and walked out of the room to change into his uniform.

"Inayaa, can you make me a cup of coffee?" He asked from the living room.

"Sure, Veer" Inayat swung her legs out of the bed and got up. "Black coffee okay for you? Because there is no milk?" She asked as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Even hot water will be okay for me" he just wanted something hot to drink. It was so cold there.

Inayat giggled and quickly made a hot cup of black coffee.

"Thank you" he said and took a sip. He winced in pain when the hot cup touched his sore lip.

Inayat ran into her bedroom and came out few seconds later.

"Here, keep this with you and use it whenever your lips go dry." She said and passed him her lip balm.

"Thank you" he took it and put it in his pants pocket.

"Okay, I will get going" he placed the empty cup on the table and collected his things. "You stay safe, okay?" He said as he walked out to his jeep.

"You drive safe, okay?" She said following him out.

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "I might not come tonight but I will try to see you tomorrow."

"Will be waiting for you" she hugged him and stepped back letting him to get in to the jeep.

"You go in and lock the doors" he ordered. He was not leaving before she safely got into the house.

"Alright. Be safe." Saying that she ran into the house and locked the doors. She watched him drive away through the window as her eyes stung with tears. "Ya allah, I miss him already" Wiping her lone tear, she went to her bedroom and slept again on the bed.

--0--

Next day, Inayat finally remembered to switch on her phone and put it in charging.

The moment she switched on her phone, she received hundreds of notification. Before she could check them, she received a call, obviously from Arjun.

"Hello Arj..."

"Oh thank God! Finally I got you on line. When are you coming home, bhabhi?" He cuts her off and asked in an angry tone. "Why did you leave to Kashmir? Why didn't you tell me before going? I know I behaved badly but why didn't you give me a chance to apologize to you? Are you still angry on me?"

"Arjun, baby, calm down and listen to me, please" she spoke softly.

"Tell me?"

"Arjun, I am not angry on you. I forgave you already so chill okay?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, really"

"I am sorry, bhabhi. I shouldn't have shouted at you. I didn't know what got into me and why I behaved so badly. I feel so ashamed of my behaviour. I am really sorry for hurting you."

"Arjun, please, stop it. You didn't hurt me. I just got scared but I am fine now."

"When are you coming home? I miss you."

"In two weeks"

"Two weeks? No! That's too long. I got so used to having you around me. I miss you badly. I miss your apple pudding. Come home sooner than that and make me apple pudding. Only your pudding can make me happy at the moment."

Inayat sighed. "I want to spend some time with Veer. I have missed him too. So please understand, Arjun."

"Oh, okay. I understand. Do some romance with my brother in beautiful Kashmir." He teased.

"Shut up, Arjun" she scolded as she turned pink. He laughed.

"How are you?" She asked after his laughter died down.

He sobered up. "I am okay" he lied. He was not okay. He felt like shit.

"Did you... Um..." She paused not knowing whether to ask him about Kathryn.

"I didn't talk with Kathryn yet. I tried but I couldn't reach her. And I am not going to try anymore."

"Why?"

"Seems like she completely forgot me."

"No!"

"Before she left to US she said to me something like... she was going to do something she didn't want to do and at that time I didn't get what she meant but now I do. She was going to marry that Alex. She knew that already but still she didn't tell me. She betrayed me."

"Arjun..."

"Dad said if she was forced into this marriage then he would help her break this marriage and bring us together..."

"Oh" she didn't know whether breaking a marriage was a good thing or bad thing.

"But I am not going to wait for her forever. She has only one week time." He thought she should want him just like he wanted her. If she didn't then there was no point in him wanting her all his life.

"Arjun..."

"Next week my birthday is coming, bhabhi. If she comes to me on or before that date, I will accept her irrespective of the fact that she is someone else wife now. If she didn't come then I will take it as a negative sign and I will end things between us once and for all" he said with heavy heart and ended the call.

... To be continued!

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