Epilogue
Two years later…
Ariya took a deep breath holding her camera. She had not done what she was about to do, ever. Her father protectively put his arm around her.
“Ariya, you don’t have to do this.”
“I do, Papa. I want to do this.” She looked to the other side of the studio where Veer was getting prepped for a photo shoot. It was the first shoot she was doing with anyone since the birth of their daughter, Siona. Their one-year-old daughter was named after her mother, and the name was a play on characters of her mother’s name, Sonia.
“We talked about this, sweetheart.” Her father smiled.
“Yes, I know. I don’t have to do it if I don’t want to.” She smiled back at him.
“You’re going to do it anyway.” He laughed.
“I’m your daughter, Papa. Can’t let you down.”
“My princess, go get them.” Her father encouraged her as she stepped away from him, closer to the lights.
Veer was getting his face touched up and looked at her and winked. She lifted her chin and smiled at him. He was bare-chested and looked sexy enough for her to want him to take her right there, but she had other things on her mind.
“Today is the day, love,” Veer encouraged.
She nodded looking at the metal box that was set to one side of the room. Veer was being featured for the advancement in the pet food industry by the Animal Kingdom magazine. Her task for the day was to take a picture of him, bare-chested, holding a ten meter long, hundred pound, yellow python.
The very idea of looking at the python made the bile rise in her throat, but she wanted to get over her fear of snakes. The moment she saw her daughter hold the little snake her father held in his hand on her first birthday, she knew it was time to face her fears.
She cringed when she saw the yellow, slimy beast as it was taken out of its container. Veer stood strong, his shoulders ready to carry the hundred-pound reptile. Her palms started to sweat, but she was not ready to walk away from the challenge. She fixated her eyes on the man who was her everything and focused on the wedding band on his left hand which drew her strength.
“Ready?” Veer stood strong, the ten-meter-long snake draped around his neck a few times, and the head of the snake cradled on the back of his right hand. The set suddenly fell silent like people were in awe of the scene in front of them.
The beauty of the man charming a beast was breathtaking. She clicked pictures as Veer soothed the animal, his eyes twinkling with the joy of being with animals. The same spark she saw in her daughter’s eyes when she saw an animal for the first time as a baby.
She paced her breathing and clicked pictures along with another photographer and called it a wrap after thirty minutes. She watched as Veer placed the snake back into its crate. He grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it over his head as he walked toward her, his eyes brimming with pride.
“I am so proud of you,” he said, an arm going around her, and she stepped away from him shaking her head.
“I still see the snake on you… you need to shower before you can touch me,” she whispered, smiling at him.
“Too bad,” he growled pulling her to him, and the set broke into a clamor of applause. She laughed enjoying his silliness and the burn of his stubble on her neck as he twirled her in the air.
Later that day, she was in the living room of Veer’s parents’ house taking pictures of their daughter playing with her grandfather. They were spending the weekend at his parents’ place so Siona could spend time with her grandparents. She stepped outdoors to click a picture of their child playing with her grandparents through the window that was lined with a green ivy plant.
She squealed when Veer wrapped his arms around her waist from behind sweeping her off her feet.
“Veer, put me down. You’ll make me drop my camera.” She laughed.
“Won’t be the first time,” he grunted into the nape of her neck.
“Put me down,” she growled.
He set her feet back on the grass and pulled her in for a kiss. “Are we on for date night tonight?”
“Yes… only if we find a babysitter.” She smiled.
He scrunched his nose and pointed his finger toward the elderly couple who were laughing watching their granddaughter. “Are they fired as babysitters?”
She laughed shaking her head and took his hand and led him back into the house. “I’ll show you why we need a babysitter.”
“C’mon baby, I promise to be good.”
“Who said I don’t like a bad boy?” She winked and led him upstairs to their bedroom.
She stopped in the middle of the room and placed her camera on the side table. “Stay here.”
He watched as she walked over to one side of the room where a cane basket was placed. He hadn’t noticed that before in their room. “Where did that come from? It wasn’t here when I stepped out of the shower.”
She smiled at him as she bent down next to the small basket to pick up the little bundle of joy napping peacefully. She saw his expression freeze as she stood up holding the sleeping puppy. “This is a little boy and looks just like…”
“Enzo…” His voice wavered, but he slowly reached for the sleeping puppy. She stepped away and reached for her camera. She captured the picture of the man she loved with all her heart, look protectively at the sleeping puppy. The few-weeks-old puppy woke up to look around just long enough for Ariya to capture a picture.
She put the camera aside and went back to stand next to him. “Are you okay with the new addition?”
He didn’t make eye contact with her but nodded, his eyes on the sleeping puppy.
“I don’t want anyone else babysitting our new baby.” She put her arm around him.
“Thank you, sweetheart. He is precious.”
“What do you want to name him?” Her voice was soft, not to wake up the sleeping puppy.
He looked up her and chuckled. “Enzo.”
“Enzo Thakur.” She smiled.
He kissed her cheek, his eyes looking at her tenderly. “How did I get so lucky?”
She laughed hugging him. “Isn’t that what people say about me all over the internet?”
“So, date night at home?” He nuzzled her cheek.
“I’ll find a vintage bottle of wine.” She winked, smiling at him.
*****
Later that night, she had put their daughter, Siona, to bed and was on the balcony waiting for Veer to put the puppy to sleep. She felt him, just like every time, even before she heard him or felt his touch.
“Missed me?”
“Yes.” Her voice was wobbly.
“You okay, sweetheart.” He planted a kiss on the back of her shoulder.
She pulled his arms tighter around her and smiled.
“Where’s your drink, love?”
She slowly turned in his arms to look at him, smiling coyly. “I need to take a break from wine and…”
“Baby… for real? Another baby?” He laughed pulling her to him when she nodded. “Oh, sweetness, I love you so much.” His lips brushed against hers, delicately.
She smiled looking up at him. “I didn’t think it was anything but wanted to check just to be on the safe side.”
“How?”
“I had one left over from the last time we had a scare on our vacation when Siona was only two months.” She laughed hugging him.
“Really, how did I get so lucky?”
“Are you okay with us being a small family of five with Enzo?”
“Yes.” His eyes clouded with desire as he cupped her face with his hands.
“Can we be a big family of seven and more?” She winked, and he looked at her puzzled. “I… I think we should stay with your parents. Your mom has dropped so many hints, it’s too bad you don’t pick up on them.”
“Really?”
“They look so sad every time we come for the weekend and leave. Your mom told me she wants Enzo for herself when we went to pick him up from the breeder.”
“Yeah?” He sunk his teeth into her neck making her catch her breath.
“Yeah.” Her voice was a slow whisper as he ran his tongue in circles on her neck.
“My mom and dad can have whoever they wanna have, but you… you are mine.” He grunted, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her inside.
“Veer, you need to stop carrying me around like this…I’m a lot heavier than I was before we had Siona.” She kissed his neck.
“Let me worry about building the muscle to carry you, you just need to fatten up for our babies.”
She laughed, hugging him as he let one hand fall off from under her to lock the door and close the blinds. He slowly walked over to the bed, his eyes riveted on her face. “How do I show you how much I love you?”
“You don’t need to… I know how much you love me.” She smiled.
“How did I get you to fall for me?” He placed her on the bed sliding in next to her. He lay next to her hugging her like he was taking in the moment.
“Veer, why are you so quiet?” She ran her fingers through his hair as he lay, his face on her belly.
“I love it here, at my parents’ house. Siona is happy, you will be happy, and Enzo… this is his home base.”
“This is why I fell for you… you are all macho on the outside, but on the inside, I love the mushy you.” She smiled.
“I love you for everything you are, even the adamant you who almost threw up this morning at the photo shoot.” His voice was a rumble against her belly.
“I’ll do anything to be a part of you, your life,” she rasped as he claimed her mouth.
She moaned into his mouth as he ran his hand over the invisible bulge on her belly before cupping her breast. He pushed up the fabric of her t-shirt to squeeze her nipple just the way she liked it.
“Veer, I want you now.” It was a plea.
He growled, his eyes getting deeper with desire. He pushed down her linen pants to gently run his fingers over her weeping folds that craved for his hardness. She impatiently pulled on his t-shirt and then his lounge pants.
His name played on her lips as their bodies melded together just like their lives. She still remembered the moment their eyes met for the first time, and she wished she had known, falling for him, madly, deeply in love, was inevitable.
The End