Epilogue
One year later…
“Are you sure it’s safe to eat the food?” She looked around at the street cart that served the local food of Hyderabad, a historic city in the southern part of India. It was their second day in the beautiful city, and Yash had taken her to his favorite food vendor he had discovered during his travels seven years ago.
She traveled with Yash to almost every place he had been to taste every single thing he had tasted in his past travels. She was having the time of her life.
She had moved into his home for good. They converted half of The Red Room for couples who needed counseling. She helped Yash’s sister, Sona, resolve her internal conflicts, and she was now expecting a baby in a few months. Her sister, Sloka, had a baby girl and was busy being a mom while being the good wife and a kickass career woman.
“You ready for this, baby?” Yash cheered.
“I don’t know, Yash. This whole setup looks intimidating,” she confessed.
“One bite of this food, and it will be life-changing… it was for me.” He smiled.
“What do you mean?”
“I sat right where you are sitting and took one bite of my buddy’s food, and I knew what I wanted to do.”
“That you wanted to bring food into the bedroom?” she whispered leaning closer to him as he sat next to her on the wobbly wooden bench.
“Well… that didn’t happen until later, and I do that only with you. I wouldn’t dare try sticking chili oil in anyone’s mouth… only yours,” he crooned.
“So, what did you eat here that blew your mind?” she asked.
“It wasn’t just what I ate, it was everything here.” He looked around at the street cart, the busy street, the noisy cars and bikes, and the pedestrians—the chaos.
“The craziness?” she teased.
“I felt like a normal person and not the prodigy who was expected to solve world hunger or discover the cure for cancer. It’s what every prodigy goes through, and it cripples them.” He was lost in thought as if he was reliving his past experiences.
“I never thought about it that way,” she said softly taking his hand in hers.
“Mantra, I’m so glad you followed me to the restroom that day in the bar.” He smiled running the back of his hand on her cheek.
“Stop being silly.” She poked her tongue at him. “How else would I know if your sweet ass was real and not fake.”
“Right. It’s like you were the missing piece for Sona and me to be happy.” He laughed.
“Don’t say it that way. It sounds weird.”
“No, it doesn’t. Sona would have suffered for I don’t know how many years before she would have done something about it.”
“Don’t give me credit for it.”
“You are the reason I’m going to be an uncle.” He beamed.
“You excited about being peed all over by your nephew?” she teased.
“Yeah, I’m so excited. I want our own.” He nibbled on her cheek.
“Really?” She bit her lip.
“Really,” he drawled.
“We can talk about it later tonight… if I am not throwing up,” she teased.
“You’ll be fine. This is one of the best foods I’ve had.” He guided her to stand next to the street cart holding a small bowl made out of softened leaves.
“This is very earth friendly,” she observed. “I’m not sure what I’m eating out of this bowl.”
“Just follow my lead. My buddy here is going to fill up that crispy ball with the yummiest things and pour in some of that awesome juice. All you need to do is stick it in your mouth,” he explained his eyes sparkling.
“I know how to eat a pani-puri, Yash… just not sure about this one,” she said watching the street vendor place a loaded crispy flour ball in the bowl and Yash gingerly scoop up the dripping object with his fingers stuffing the whole thing in his mouth.
She smiled at how his face lit up as he took in the flavors he wouldn’t stop talking about.
“Your turn.” He smiled watching her expression.
“You can have my turn, too.” She giggled.
“C’mon, there is nothing you can’t handle,” he encouraged.
“Right.” She swallowed staring at the overflowing ball of dread.
“C’mon, baby, you can do this.” He smiled.
She picked up the blob filled with liquid and other stuffing, took it to her lips, and looked at him.
“Open wide.” He laughed watching her as she took one of his favorite street foods into her mouth.
The chill from the water was the first thing she experienced followed by the warmth of the soft lentil stuffing and the crispiness of the deep-fried flour ball grazing over her tongue before her mouth was set on fire. She felt the spices hit her senses, and she let out a squeal. She dropped the bowl she was holding and looked around for the bottle of water.
“Yash… I’m dying,” she cried, tears running down her eyes, and her nose leaking like a faucet.
He laughed reaching into his backpack and pulled out a small package.
“Is that thing going to put out the fire in my mouth?” she asked looking through the haze of moisture in her eyes unsure of the object in his hands.
“I’m hoping it keeps the fire in my heart forever.” He went on one knee. “Mantra Arundhati Varma, will you marry me?”
“Yash… my tongue is on fire,” she cried. “Yes, yes.”
“Baby, I’m sure you’ll remember this forever.” He laughed slipping the ring on her finger.
“I hate you for setting my mouth on fire.” She put her arms around his neck taking her lips to his.
“I know how much you love it when I put out the fire in your mouth.” He brought his lips to hers in a raging hunger. As he sucked the flames out of her mouth, she realized how special the chaotic and noisy streets were going to be for them for the rest of their lives. The food, the love, and the craziness—that’s what had brought them together from the moment their eyes met.
*****
“I was wrong to think even for a second that you to should go back to being a surgeon,” she confessed as she lay in his arms later that night.
“When was that and how come you didn’t mention this before?” He pulled back to look at her in the dim light streaming from the living room in the presidential suite in one of the luxurious hotels in the city. They planned to leave Hyderabad and travel to exotic Sri Lanka, but she insisted they stay a few more days in Hyderabad. She realized how important the historic city was for Yash, and that made it that much more important for her.
“A long time ago, not important.” She kissed him on his cheek letting her lips linger. She teased his outer ear by swirling the tip of her tongue in mini-circles.
“Why did you think I had to go back to what I was doing?” he questioned.
“You were meant to be in that field… but you weren’t happy,” her voice was soft.
He was silent for a few moments. “I wasn’t, and I didn’t realize true happiness until I stepped away from it all.” He kissed her on her forehead.
“I’m so glad you made me hit your car.” She smiled looking into his eyes.
“I’m never getting that scratch on the car fixed.” He laughed.
“You are a weirdo, you know?” she mocked.
“Really? That makes me weird and not what I do?” he purred.
“I love everything you do, everything you do to me,” she rasped.
“What is it that I do to you that you love most?” he groaned grazing his teeth along the column of her neck and a strong fist in her hair.
“Everything,” she hissed.
“Do you like it when I bite you?” His teeth made a deep dent in her shoulders.
“Yes.”
“Do you like it when I spank you?” His palm found the rounded softness of her back to squeeze her ass cheek.
“I love it.” Her breath hitched.
“What else do you like?” he challenged.
“I like it when you set my senses on fire and suck the heat away with your mouth.” She arched her back as he took his lips south to the damp spot on her panties.
They had returned to their suite after becoming engaged on the street amidst the chaos and had wild, mind-blowing sex collapsing in each other’s arms. After a warm bath, she was turned on within minutes of him touching her.
“I love it when you are wet for me, sweetness.” He nuzzled her folds taking in a deep breath of her arousal.
“I want what I ate earlier today next time you fuck me,” she ordered.
“Will you object if I give you that now?” he taunted.
“No.” It was a celebratory moan.
He took a bite of her weeping folds before stepping away for a moment. He dug into his backpack and pulled out a small pouch of dry powder.
“I bought the spices to take back home. We need to add something spicy to The Red Room, don’t you think?”
“Yes.” It was a whisper.
“Are you up for this again?” he teased dropping the small pouch on the end table next to the jug of water.
“Yes, I want it.” It was an order, and he knew he had to comply.
He slid back into bed next to her crushing her with his weight as he took his lips to invade her mouth. She longed for the burn that would set her being on fire only to be satiated most sensually.
He teased her tongue before exploring every nook and corner of her mouth like he was surveying his land before he built his empire. He pulled away to fish out a few ice cubes from the water jug. Her stomach clenched when she felt the sharp bite of the cold when he placed an ice cube on her belly button letting it dance on her flat belly.
“Hold still, baby,” he commanded before taking his lips to her yearning nipples to suck them until they were on fire. She writhed clasping his hair to stay still as she endured his delectable assault.
She let out a shriek when he ran the water left over from the melted ice cube over her chest and around her nipples. “Is this what you want in your mouth?”
“Yes,” she could only beg. “I want you inside me.”
“You got it, baby,” he growled, and a moment later, his lips found hers. She sucked his lips deeper into her mouth taking in the warmth of his mouth, and as he stroked her folds, a fire started in her mouth and deep inside her.
“Fuck,” she mumbled against his lips when she realized he had snuck in the spicy powder into his mouth and was tormenting her.
Her only hope was for him to put out the fire, and she had no idea how she would relieve her mouth of the torment. Her eyes started to tear, her forehead was beaded with sweat, but all she could focus on was his movements. He was worshiping her body with his lips, and his fingers were busy pumping ecstasy into her.
She had to figure out a way to put out the fire before she could reach her release. Yash was stroking and pumping relentlessly to the point where the superficial burn was taken over by the deeper fire he ignited.
“Come for me, baby,” he demanded, and that did it. Her inner muscles clenched around his fingers as she let out her release riding the orgasm with the sweet burn in her mouth.
He pulled his fingers out of her and took them to her lips teasing her.
“This is what you wanted?” He dug his fingers coated with her juices into her mouth and rammed himself into her at the very same time. She gasped taking in the sweetness of her release as it satiated her burning desire.
She dug her nails into his biceps as he licked her lips like he couldn’t get enough of her slick juice. He pounded away into the night as he transformed the tasty encounter into a delectable and memorable night she would remember for life—her life with a man she found simply irresistible in every way.
*****The End*****