Romantic Touch

Sheela was married to Abhimanyu. They both lived in California. Sheela was a homemaker, and Abhimanyu was an IT engineer at Cisco. They had an arranged marriage. They liked each other's company, but something was missing. The romantic touch was missing. They could never look into each other's eyes. Everything was very mechanical, almost calculative. The kiss, the moves on the bed. This was their first anniversary. December 8th was the day when they tied the knot. Their honeymoon phase was filled with fights. Fights at the wedding venue, whose family paid more money, why Sheela was unhappy with how her in-laws treated her etc. After one year of living with each other in a foreign land, something changed; their dynamics changed. They started enjoying each other's company. They could happily discuss their day over a cup of coffee.

Abhimanyu had planned a surprise for Sheela to make her happy. He ordered her favourite butterscotch cake from the famous shop in San Francisco. It was a weekend. Abhimanyu had arranged a movie night just for Sheela. It was Christmas time in California. People were out on the streets singing Christmas carols, decorating their front doors with lighting, and setting up Christmas trees in their houses. It was a night to be cherished and enjoyed. Abhimanyu played the movie Love Actually on the TV screen. He dimmed the lights in the living room and asked Sheela to sit next to him. He caressed her hair gently. He kissed her on the forehead. Sheela kept her head on Abhimanyu's shoulder. 

They hugged each other tightly and covered themselves with the blanket. Once the movie ended, Sheela started crying. This was the most romantic thing someone had ever done for her. She was so happy she could not believe her eyes. She said "Thank you" to Abhimanyu softly. Abhimanyu whispered, " Love you, Sheela." and kissed her again. It was snowing in the backyard and getting chilly. Abhimanyu put some light music on in the backyard. He put a candle on her butterscotch cake, took out two glasses, and poured red wine into them. 

Sheela was delighted. She could not believe what was happening to her. She loved every minute. She was, for once, grateful for getting into an arranged marriage. They danced on Careless Whisper and were so much in sync. Their bodies are so tuned to the rhythm. They both kissed each other again and again. There it was, the romantic touch which was missing in their marriage. Winter played a significant role in getting it.