#shoelifted

Sameer looks over at Nikita fast asleep in the passenger seat as the red of dawn breaks through the tint of his car window. It hits him in that moment, like some sort of convoluted epiphany: he loves her, like actually properly loves her. If he was asked to choose between his life and hers - Sameer would choose to die for her. Of course he won’t tell her any of this, remembering how she had once said that nobody should love anyone that much. He does though, he loves her immensely and he doesn’t how to not. 

  When he sees her stirring, Sameer stumbles to direct his attention back to the road of course. It is then that his eyes fall to the numerous pieces of gold jewelry twinkling as they are shoved into cupholders and overflowing his glove compartment. He would complain but Sameer knows he’s walked straight into this one; after all he’s the one who’s run away with a bride. Except now she’s his bride. He’s done it properly this time (well as properly as one can without parental consent - Raj Malhotra is going to murder him). This premonition elicits a laugh from him which in turn wakes up Nikita - his wife (he’ll never tire of using that word he thinks).

  “You know they say that laughing to yourself pagalpan ka ek sign hot hai,” is the sleepy remark that he is greeted with and turns to grin at a bleary eyed Nikita. God she looks even more beautiful this way, her eyeliner smudged as it gives her that raccoon at a waterpark look (he’ll get a smack for it if he says it out loud, so he won’t - not yet), her hair sticking out at odd ends and the smile on her face. He definitely won’t mind waking up to this everyday, this is how he loves her best. The way she is around him, there are no walls, nothing separating them (not anymore).

“I’m only crazy for you,” he teases before bursting into cackles at her disgruntled look. He parks the car then right next to a cheery sign with the painted words: Welcome to Langkawi. It is then that Sameer leans in, the gearshift tattooed onto his horse as he kisses her softly, the single action causing butterflies to race in his chest. He feels eighteen again - or rather sixteen when he shared that awkward kiss with Nikita under the mistletoe. He wonders for a brief moment what his life would be without Nikita (a dull gray, he settles on) and realizes that he never wants to find out. “I love you,” he mumbles against her lips, his desperation speaking volumes in the way he clutches her closer, his lips trailing down her neck, fingers tangled in her hair, increase of heartbeat, dilating pupils and his hitching breaths. He’s undeniably human, so easily broken but so easily consoled by the feeling of the one who he loves. He feels it tear him apart, wondering if she knows how much he loves her, if she loves him with the same intensity - the racing of her heartbeat under his palm is answer enough.

PHUKET

Sparkling blue waters and sandy white beaches, Sameer decides as he sprawls in one of the hammocks, beer in hand, is all a man needs to be happy. It’s a miracle that the paps haven’t found him yet. The news of his whirlwind romance, and the marriage however have made the papers - breaking the hearts of millions (apparently according to E!News). It is then he spots  Nikita stepping out of the water and he swears he's never seen anything more beautiful in his life. His jaw drops, and Sameer wonders what lucky draw he pulled in his previous life. He watches the water glint off her skin with interest, and whistles when she walks past, tossing a towel at her head. 

He takes a long swig of his beer before reluctantly sitting up, lips still attached to the bottle as he meets her expectant glare. “Sharam karo,” he teases. “Shadishuda aura hoke bhi, you’re parading around half naked.” Sameer tries to look disapproving but dissolves into giggles when he is given an exasperated roll of the eyes. “Oh come on Niks — you know you love me,” he taunts.

“Do I?”

“Is that a challenge Mrs. Raichand?” He stands up, discarding his bottle of beer; this is Thailand after all, alcohol is like air - everywhere. Sameer breaks into a run, tackling Nikita to the ground, grinning as she giggles. His lips seek hers immediately as he props himself up on his arms that are now placed either side of her head. 

“Yahan nahi Sam,” Nikita murmurs against his skin. It still feels surreal to her. Surreal that she has the life she has been dreaming about ever since she knew what love was. Sure, Sameer isn’t the prince charming she has heard all about; he is broken, bent and intrinsically flawed but she doesn’t want anyone else. People aren’t perfect, she’s learned that a long time ago - relationships are.

And what her and Sameer have? It isn’t worth losing for anything in the world.

"Earth to Malhotra?" Sameer lets out a little huff, half ready to smother his wife in the sand because of her unresponsive state. He wonders what she’s thinking about when she disappears into that place of hers; he just hopes that she’ll trust him enough to take him there one day. "And i told Abhay that any time he wants to blow me he can, because his mouth—"

"What?" Nikita blurts out, his words effectively breaking her stupor. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion before her fingers furl around the loops of his shorts as she pulls him in, pressing her lips to his. "Mine," she whispers possesively and her smile mirrors the one that he breaks into.

Yeah, she’s definitely not going to trade anything for this. This love she has with Sameer: it is indescribable.

Sameer pulls away after a while, after their chests are both heaving from the need to breath. He stands up, tugging on her hand. “You wanna take this inside?” he murmurs, stepping in as the voice of reason. As much as Nikita likes to claim he has no sanskaars left (or rather bever had any to begin with), he knows privacy and Sameer doesn’t want to share Nikita with anyone else.

She is his, and it’s the way he wants to keep it for the rest of their lives.

PRAGUE

Sameer is so excited, he is afraid that his veins won’t be able to hold all the blood that is racing through them. He has been waiting to take Nikita to Prague ever since he went (ran away) to the city for their Eurofest. He is certain that he has talked her ear off at this point, describing the cathedrals and the view, the bridges - literally anything that he has committed to memory. It isn’t so much the fact that he is in Prague; he believes that it is the fact he is here with Nikita.

He’s being biased of course, anywhere with Nikita is the equivalent of heaven to him.

"Jaan stop," is the quiet assent whispered in his ear, Nikita’s voice (liquid gold) filling his ear. She is amused, extremely so. She has always thought that nothing could get Sameer more excited than his music and the fact that she has to share him with it, is a source of envy. So of course, when he leads her into the hotel, she grips his hand extra tight - afraid that if she lets go, he’ll float into the air (like a helium balloon).

He blushes, the crimson tainting his cheeks. “I love you,” is what he replies instead, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Sameer wonders how he’s gotten so lucky. If he’s being honest, he never thought that he would have her back; in his mind, he had lost her forever that day. The warmth in his hand, the tangled mess of their limbs, the complete mess of the sheets however prove him wrong. He has always been hers to begin with.