BUILDING OF TRUST

                                    

                                          
"So, what did you do today?" asked Sparsh while they were having their lunch in the dining hall of the hotel.
"Just went for a brief walk," replied Ragini while playing with her food.
Sparsh noticed her strange behaviour but kept silent. 
"Wanna do something after lunch? We've to leave tomorrow morning and since the conference is over, I'm absolutely free. So, tell me how you plan to spend your last day here," said Sparsh, trying to lift her mood up.
"I just wanna sleep. I'm tired," said Ragini, still playing with the food on her plate.
Ragini didn't eat much and Sparsh didn't force her either. Back in the room, she returned his card and said, Thank you but I didn't use it."
"Are you okay? Is there anything I can help you with?" 
"I'm okay. Don't worry." Ragini's fake smile didn't seem to satisfy Sparsh and she sensed it.
In order to not over-complicate things, she lied and said, "I miss my parents, that's all."
And her lie somewhat made sense to Sparsh and he didn't ask anything further. He managed to get her out of the hotel for a walk before dinner but he noticed there was no change in Ragini's demeanor, she was still lost in her thoughts.
Back in the hotel, they packed their luggage as they had their flight early in the morning.
While they were laying beside each other on the bed, Ragini had her back toward Sparsh. He kept looking at her back while he struggled to fall asleep. On the other hand, Ragini was still thinking about the traumatic situation she was stuck in. 
Ragini didn't turn around to face him so Sparsh took the initiative and moved closer. He put his arm around her waist which caused a turmoil in her stomach. He brought his lips closer to her slender neck and planted a kiss there. 
Ragini shut her eyes tightly, pretending to be fast asleep when her heart pounded swiftly and the turmoil in her stomach had sped up. 
Sparsh planted another kiss on her neck with his warm lips while he waited for Ragini to face him so he could kiss her soft plump lips which he had been dying to touch and taste.
His grip on her waist tightened while he slowly sucked the skin of her neck. She moaned softly and whispered his name, "Sparsh..."
It was the first time Ragini had called him by his name. Hearing his name from her lips worked as an encouragement and he sucked her skin harder. His fingers made their way inside her shirt, on her belly button and slowly glided upwards while he continued sucking her sensitive neck. 
Ragini broke free of his grip and turned to face him. He didn't waste even a single second and grabbed her face in his hands and moved closer to kiss those two pink flower petals he was so mesmerised by. He was just an inch away when she turned her face away to avoid the kiss.
His hands which cupped her face came down automatically and curiosity to know the cause of her reaction was very much evident on his face. 
Their eyes met after about thirty seconds which were longer than any of the thirty seconds in Sparsh's life. 
Ragini's eyes were teary and she was filled with guilt and self-loathe, it was almost impossible for her to look into Sparsh's eyes which were full of love for her.
"I...I think...I..." Ragini was fumbling to find both, the right words and the courage to say them. She avoided eye contact with him.
"It's okay. You can tell me anything." Sparsh caressed her silky hair.
"I...I need some time," said Ragini, still avoiding eye contact.
She continued, "I'm not ready for this. I...I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I..." 
Sparsh interrupted her by putting his finger on her lips. She finally looked into his eyes.
"You don't need to be sorry and apologize for it. I can understand. Don't worry, relax!" He had noticed her irregular breathing and blamed himself for her condition. 
"I should have controlled my inner desires. It's all my fault," he thought in his mind.
"I should have asked for your permission. I'm genuinely sorry. I'll wait until you're ready. I won't force myself on you. Never," said Sparsh.
Ragini, once more, got to see his kindness and goodness. The more she knew of his virtues, the more she despised herself for hurting him.
"You can have the bed, I'll sleep on the couch," said he and took one of the pillows and laid on the couch.
Ragini's guilty conscience would not let her sleep and she kept tossing and turning until Sparsh noticed her struggle.
"Are you not sleepy?" asked he.
She shook her head while massaging her forehead. Sparsh came toward her and checked her temperature, it was normal. 
"May I?" He pointed toward the bed, asking whether he could sit beside her.
She nodded and he climbed onto the bed. He began massaging her forehead gently while she was trying to sleep. Soon his hand movements had died down and she had fallen into deep slumber. 
When he woke up the next morning, he found her wrapped around his arms while her head rested on his chest. He checked her body temperature which was still normal. He clearly knew that he only had a few minutes left until he had to break free of this hug; he closed his eyes to feel the warmth of his wife clinging to him and unknowingly fell asleep again.
Ragini woke up to feel Sparsh embracing her. She could listen to his heart beat clearly and for reasons unknown even to herself, she moved closer and tried to concentrate on the thumping inside his heart. She listened to it with so much focus and love as if it was her favorite music.
She felt his grip around her tightened and she looked up to see him, his eyes still closed and his face wore a small smile. She couldn't look away and gazed at his face, or maybe, she just didn't want to.
When he opened his eyes, he found her watching him. He quickly broke free of the hug and said, "I really didn't do anything to you. I just dozed off while I was giving you a head massage. I really didn't..."
Her small laugh interrupted him. He had never seen her laughing, except those few fake smiles, he had never seen her smiling face. And now that he did, she looked lovely. And at that particular moment, he made up his mind that he'll try every possible way to keep that smile adorning her face. He knew, at that moment, that he would do anything to make his wife's smile never disappear.
"I know. I trust you, Sparsh!"