Accidentally in Love Chapter 15: From Wish to Need

The greyish blue expanse was tinged with a gentle rosy pink that slowly started to convert into a bright peach. The colorful strokes spread over the horizon and then in a few seconds flooded over the landscape, lifting the dark shadows and highlighting every blade of grass on the dewy lawn. A couple of common chiffchaffs decided to break into a chorus right on the window sill of a sprawling white bungalow, and few sparrows pranced near the bushes searching for their meal.

A woman stirred slightly for a moment and then burrowed herself in the warmth of the man beside her, as if trying to drown herself in the soft sheets. But the intruding chorus and the vivid light filtering through the curtains, made her turn her head and peek with half-open eyes. Not wanting to wake up, she drowsily rubbed her eyes and yawned, wondering why she felt so lethargic. As the dreams faded in the early morning light, nostalgia of last night struck with vivid clarity, and she held her breath.

Glancing down at herself she found the soft quilt just slightly below her bare shoulders, her sight was restricted, but the feeling of satin over naked flesh was evident, and so was the warm heavy arm across her midriff. Just like every morning after her wedding, Naina turned to look at her husband, still sleeping, contented and peaceful… But the expressions on his face today had something more… The sated look of a man whose appetite has been well satisfied. She didn’t have a definition of this look, but she asserted that the difference could only be that. His hair was messy, probably an act of her hands. His lips were still the same, though she did try to check if they were a bit swollen from last night. The quilt covered half of his chest, but what she couldn’t see, she could feel.

Intrigued and unable to resist, she shifted her legs, trying to inch closer and an involuntary gasp escaped her as their lower bodies met. She bit her lip, wondering, debating… but then she decided that the morning time was hers to explore. His sleep gave her freedom… It was different that her previous two mornings, because today he was turned to her side rather than sleeping on his back. But still she managed to lift up and kiss his forehead, rubbing her nose in his hair. With each brush of her lips she recalled how gentle he had been last night… Taking time to treasure, to cherish… Understanding the hesitation of first time despite her permission. She kissed his closed eyes reminiscing how he had caught her pallu, securing it, until she was ready to let it drop. When she reached his jaw, she couldn’t resist dropping open mouthed kisses as she understood how he had ensured that they were together each step of the way. If the night was magical, he was the magician whose fingers and lips had pulled off each suave trick with so much ease that not once had she felt like stopping. In fact she was rather amazed at her own courage… If anyone had asked her before wedding she would have said she would take at least three months to take the next step, but here, with him, she had only taken three nights.

And even now she knew that she wouldn’t have been able to wait one more night, even if she had decided so… Because he hadn’t just expressed his desires to her, but had also aroused her desires. He hadn’t just stated his needs but had also showed her his willingness to ignore them for her comfort. How could she have made him wait? How could she have waited? No… It was impossible. She lifted her head a bit, eyeing his lips, and inside the blanket she trailed her hand over his chest, slightly surprised on feeling him getting hard down below. Was it normal? Was it because he was dreaming something? Or was it some natural reaction of his body? She had read that many men were most likely to wake up in this condition, because of some hormonal reaction inside their bodies as they slept. Was it the same for Sameer? Well… Natural or not… she couldn’t help the color flush her cheeks as she recalled the way it had felt to have him inside her, and neither could she control the helpless curling of her hips that seemed to be some kind of elemental reaction of her body.

She dragged in a breath and then softly pecked his lips once, thinking she would get up after that, but somehow today it wasn’t enough. She went back to his lips again, this time lingering for almost a minute, and gasped when suddenly his mouth shifted, opened, and the tentative peck became a full-fledged kiss. A muscular hand came up to fist in her open hair, and another stroked her bare back, as he pulled her up on top of him. Struggling for a moment she wrenched her mouth away from him, and looked at his face, wide-eyed in surprise, panting for breath. He licked his lips, and then smiled, “good morning wifey.”

Her brows furrowed, and he immediately corrected, “oh sorry… good morning darling.”

Suddenly she squirmed, trying to get out of his arms, and he rolled, placing her on the bed and positioning himself over her, holding her hands shackled near her head. She bit her lip, avoiding his gaze, her cheeks flushed with color. He chuckled, “dekhogi nahi?”

She stammered, “aa…aap jaag rahe the?”

“Haan”, he breathed, kissing her forehead, “aaj bhi aur…” His lips trailed to her cheeks, dropping quick kisses on the corner of her mouth. Her breathing increased as she whispered, “aur?”

He smiled, “aur uss din bhi… parso… jab tum subah uthke bade shauk se mujhe kiss rahi thi.”

She gasped in surprise once again, and he immediately captured her mouth, tasting her, flicking her tongue with his. Her body trembled, a soft whimper escaped her mouth and she arched, her body rubbing with his. He freed her hands which immediately wound around his neck, her fingers sinking in his hair. Tilting his head, he deepened the kiss, and his hands moved down the side of her body, trailing to her hips. He left her mouth, skimming her throat, nipping at her shoulder. She moaned, “Sameer…”, and lifted her head, burying her nose in the crook of his neck, giving him more access to her shoulder. His legs shifted, trying to part her thighs, and she acquiesced, her lips skimming his shoulder. Suddenly he jerked, hissing, and she drew back, frowning, wondering what happened to him.

She tried to look at his face, but he was still occupied in kissing her wherever he could. Her eyes almost fluttered shut at the pleasure as she half-mindedly checked his neck and shoulder. And the next moment the daze of desire deserted her, her eyes widened, and she tugged on his hair, “Sameer… Ye…yeh k…kya hua?”

He lifted his head to look at her, and found her staring at his shoulder with wide concerned eyes. Curious he asked, “Naina… kya hua?”

She brought her hand up to his shoulder, tracing the deep red oval mark lightly with her fingers, “yeh nishaan… aapke kandhe pe… mai…maine kiya?” Her eyes filled with tears as she recollected that she had bit him when he had thrust the first time. He tried to check the mark, but it was so close to his neck that he couldn’t see it clearly, however when she touched him the spot did feel tender and it hurt a bit. But looking at her tears he ignored the pain, and dipped his head to kiss her eyes, “shsh… rona mat Naina… Kuch bhi nahi hua.”

It seemed as if she didn’t listen to him, “yeh maine kiya… I am sorry…”

“Naina”, he cupped her face, “yeh kuch nahi hai… tension mat lo.”

Her expressions were distressed, “par… aapko dard ho raha hoga na?”

He smiled, “dard to kal raat tumhe bhi hua tha… haina?”

She looked away once more, and whispered, “woh… woh toh… hota hai.”

“Jaanta hun”, he nuzzled her temple, “hamare iss rishte ke liye agar tum itna dard seh sakti ho, toh main bhi thoda sa dard toh jhel hi sakta hun.”

She bit her lip, blushing and murmured, “davai laga dungi…”

He hummed, “hmmm… par abhi toh kuch aur davai chahiye.”

From the way his hand cupped her breast, she perfectly knew what medicine he was talking about. And she wanted to give in… in fact maybe they would have been making love already had she not noticed the way he had hissed in pain. But now she remembered that it was morning, and they were not alone in house… Nanaji would be up soon, and Ramdhari would also arrive. So she tried to stop his wandering hands, “Sameer… chodiye na… abhi nahi…”

He moved down her body, kissing the swells of her breasts, “ek baar…”

She tugged on his hair, trying to make pull him up, “suniye… Nanaji uth jayenge… der ho jayegi.”

That made him look up, and he frowned, “Naina… romantic subah ko aise beech me Nanaji ka naam kaun leta hai.”

She chuckled, “sorry… par sach me… mujhe uthne dijiye na.”

He sighed, and rolled off her, along with the blanket and she screeched, clutching the fabric to herself, “aree… aap kya kar rahe hai…”

He frowned, “tumne hi toh bola ke uthna hai… agar nahi uthna toh…”

She swatted his hand away that had started to inch on her waist, “uthna hai… par aap… kambal khinch rahe the.”

“Tum uthne wali ho toh kambal ka kya kaam”, he argued.

Helplessly she muttered, “par… maine kuch… umm… maine kuch pehna nahi hai.”

His eyes glittered as he stared at her shoulders and bare arms, and beneath the quilt he stroked the undersides of her breast, “uhmmm… pata hai mujhe…”

She tried to control her own reaction, “please… aankhen bandh kariye na.”

He smirked, “nahi… ab mujhse kya sharmana…”

She blushed, “please… main nahi uth paungi aise…”

He got up on his elbow, looking down at her, “uth sakti ho… I promise, main sirf dekhunga… kuch karunga nahi.”

“Sameer aise mat kijiye na”, she pleaded, her cheeks red with mortification. He chuckled, turning over to the other side, and leaned down to pick his shirt. Handing it over to her, he said, “yeh lo… ise pehen lo.”

She sighed, quickly accepting the shirt, and trying to cover herself inside the blanket. She managed to pull it up over one arm, and then cautiously sat up, still holding the blanket to her front, and shrugged into the other sleeve. Dropping the blanket, she tugged the seams of shirt together and buttoned up. Avoiding his eyes, she tried to quickly move, but a sudden pain made her flinch and sit back. A soft whimper escaped her lips, and he was up beside her in a flash, asking, “Naina… kya hua?”

She bit her lip, and shook her head, her face flooded with color. He narrowed his eyes, staring at her face, and then softly asked, “ab tak dard ho raha  hai na?”

“Nahi… woh…”, she started to say. But he hushed her and pulled her in his arms, “sorry darling… maine bahot koshish ki… par phir bhi…”

She stroked his arm, trying to soothe him, “yeh normal hai Sameer… tension mat lijiye. Apne aap theek ho jayega.”

He sighed, “pata nahi ladkiyo ko hi kyun yeh sab sehna padta hai.”

She smiled, touched by his thought, “wajah toh pata nahi… par kal raat jo mehsoos kiya uske saamne yeh chota sa dard kuch bhi nahi.”

He gazed down at her, “sachchi?”

“Muchchi”, she promptly replied, and kissed his jaw.

He grinned, “tum ruko… main geyser chalu karke aata hun, garam paani se nahaogi toh achcha lagega.” Saying so, he threw off the blanket and slid off the bed, still totally naked. Her eyes widened and she gasped. He glanced at her, and raised one eyebrow, “kya… tumhe kya laga, main bhi tumhari tarah sharmata rahunga?” She watched him pull on his jeans, her mind still distracted by the sight she had witnessed, and her eyes fixed on the bulge in his jeans. He snapped his finger, making her jerk and look up, “aise ghoorna bandh karo… warna Nanu uthe ho ya na uthe ho, tum pakka dopahar ko hi neeche pahochogi.”

She blushed, and looked away, trying to pull the shirt more to cover her thighs. He grinned and then sauntered off towards bathroom. She carefully stood up from the bed, and went to the cupboard to get her clothes. Placing them on the chair near bathroom door, she moved to the window, parting the curtains, and opened one pane, drawing in the fresh morning air. She leaned on the side, staring at the birds flittering near the flowers, and a small smile curved her lips, as she once again reminisced the previous night. Truly… she still didn’t have any words to describe what she had felt. It felt surreal and yet it had been so real… so basic… and oh so perfect. In just a few minutes her smile widened as sinewy forearms snaked around her waist, pulling her back to a hard chest.

He rested his cheek on her head, “thodi der me paani garam ho jayega. Tum kya soch rahi ho?”

“Yahi ke kal jo bhi hua woh sach tha na”, she murmured.

He turned her to face him, tucking the strands of long silky hair behind her ears, “bilkul sach tha… koi shaq hai?” She shook her head, and he asked after a moment, “Naina… tumhe… koi sawaal? Actually… maine socha nahi tha ke tumhe sab pata hoga.”

She chuckled, “books me bahot kuch hota hai… Aur thoda bahot college ki ladkiyo se bhi pata chal gaya tha.”

He frowned, “tumhare college me aisi baate hoti thi?”

She laughed, “nahi… par kuch ladkiyo ki shaadi second year ya third year me hi ho gai thi… Toh… bas…”

“Chalo ahcha hai”, he deduced, “warna pata nahi aur kitna wait karna padta. Par… ab soch raha hun next time ke liye kitna wait karna padega.”

She pulled back, “uff… hatiye… subah se bas ek hi baat kar rahe hai… mujhe nahane dijiye, ajeeb sa lag raha hai.”

“Ajeeb?” He queried, “kya hua? Dard zyada hai?”

She immediately assured, “nahi nahi… bas… umm… woh… neeche thoda sa… uh… chiknahat lag rahi hai.”

“Chik…”, he started to ask and then trailed off, his eyes wide, “oh no… main toh bhool hi gaya.”

She frowned, “kya bhool gaye?”

“Condoms”, he blurted.

Her cheeks flushed as she whispered, “uh… koi baat nahi… aap leke aa jaana.”

Still wondering how he could forget such an important thing, he once again blurted, “mere paas the… par main bhool gaya.”

Astonished she asked, “kya? Aap… aapne laake rakha tha.”

It was his turn to be embarrassed now, and he rubbed his palm on the back of his neck, “aah… nahi… first night ko… umm… Munna aur Pandit ne diye the… Gift.”

Her eyes widened, “hey bhagwaan… aisa gift kon deta hai…”

He shrugged, trying to lighten the situation, “dost hai na… unko laga main bhool jaunga isiliye… waise bhi sabko pata hota hai ke suhaagraat pe kya hoga.”

She glanced away, “par hamara toh nahi…”

“Koi afsos nahi hai”, he immediately interrupted, “tum meri zindagi me ho wahi sabse zaroori baat hai. Main jaanta tha ke dheere dheere hum aage zaroor badhenge. Isiliye maine uss raat ko condoms ka packet chupa diya tha.”

She smiled, “kahan chupaya yaad hai?” He nodded, and she lifted to softly kiss his lips. As his eyes closed, she whispered, “aaj raat”, against his mouth and fled to the bathroom after grabbing her clothes. He kept standing there, opening up the other window pane as well, and sighed in pure happiness.

She took a long, leisurely bath, and then dressed up in as usual in the underskirt and blouse, draping the saree around herself loosely. Sameer was still positioned at the window when she stepped out, and she immediately asked, “aap ab tak wahan kya kar rahe hai? Dhoop aane lagi hai.”

He turned around, his eyes lighting up on seeing her, “main toh kal raat ke khayalo me khoya hua tha. Par ab saamne zyada interesting nazaara hai.”

She blushed, “dhat… aap bhi naa… jaiye jaake naha lijiye.”

He came closer, tilting his head, and asked, “main madad kar du?”

Naina was surprised by the question because this time she knew he wasn’t asking about jewelry. She looked at his expectant face, and then smiled, “main pehenlu phir pallu pe pin laga dena… theek hai?”

Pleasantly surprised by her agreement, he nodded and watched in fascinating silence as she started to drape the cotton saree. Before yesterday night she would have sent him away, pleaded him to leave, but today she wasn’t so shy. She had refused to get up naked from the bed, but at least there were some changes in her behavior. As she formed uniform pleats, and tried to tuck in at her waist, he placed his hand over hers, helping her as he gazed into her wide eyes. His long fingers dipped inside her skirt, skimming her belly, as she smoothed the fabric, and she sucked in a breath at his touch. The pallu was draped on her shoulder loosely; he leaned placing a kiss near her neck, and whispered in her ear, “pallu theek karo.”

She obeyed him, removing the fabric from her shoulder, giving him a heavenly glimpse as she concentrated on making pleats out of the material. Finally when she placed it on her shoulder, he moved behind her, and gently pinned up the fabric. The next moment he frowned, and Naina, who had been looking at him through the mirror asked, “kya hua?”

“Yeh pin”, he traced it with his finger, “dikh raha hai… kal raat ko toh andar ke side tha.”

She smiled, “haan… andar se lagate hai.”

Puzzled he queried, “kaise? Sikhao mujhe…”

Amazed at how he wanted to learn such simple things for her, she unpinned the pallu again, and then showed him how to turn the seam of the blouse and pin the pallu from beneath. He observed each step with attention, and then smiled, “samajh gaya… ab kal se theek se karunga.”

She chuckled, sitting down on the small stool, and shook her hair loose. He touched the wet tendrils, “hair dryer du?”

Her eyes met his once again, “aapke paas hai?”

He nodded, “ruko… deta hun.”

“Nahi”, she stopped him, “phir kabhi… shaadi ke din styling ke wajah se baal ab tak thode rough hai. Ispe dryer use kiya toh aur rough ho jayega. Aaj toh ghar pe hi hai, toh koi zaroorat nahi hai… apne aap sukh jayenge.”

He watched her apply cream and then wear a simple delicate set. Curiously he asked, “Naina… aaj ghar pe hi hai toh saree kyun pehna? Dress pehen leti na… Comfortable rehta.”

She adjusted her bindi, and smiled, “haan… par aaj… bas aisai man hua saree pehenne ka.” She didn’t know how to explain it to him, but after the experience of last night she just felt so aware about her body… It was as if after all these years she finally knew her own body properly… Each dip, each curve… the roundness… the softness… the utter femininity of her features that were so different from his masculine ones… And she knew all this because she had truly belonged to him last night… He had touched her thus making her aware, making her appreciate… And so this morning she had wanted to be in the best feminine form for him… That’s why even though it was not compulsory she had still chosen a saree instead of a salwar-kameez.

He kissed the top of her head, and murmured that would go take a bath. She caught his hand, “suniye…”

When he turned, she picked up the small silver box filled with sindur, and asked, “maang bhar denge?”

He grinned, not sure why she was asking him to do it today, but totally glad to do it. Pinching a small bit between his thumb and forefinger, he filled the partition in her hair, and she smiled, closing her eyes just like she had done at the wedding. He too smiled on seeing the look of happiness and satisfaction on her face. God… she was just so radiant today… Even the plain blue cotton saree couldn’t dull the glow on her face. Was it because of last night? Did she enjoy it so much?

Soon she opened her eyes, and stood up to kiss his jaw, and then quickly rushed him to the bathroom, promising him a scrumptious breakfast. By the time he bathed and went downstairs, indeed delicious smell of paratha was wafting out of the kitchen, accompanied with the merry sounds of Ramdhari and Naina chatting about recipes. Nanu was seated on the sofa, busy in reading the morning paper, and he sat beside him, querying, “Good Morning Nanu… aap andar kyun bethe hai aaj? Roz toh bahar jhule pe bethke paper padhte hai.”

Nanu smiled, folding the paper to keep it aside, “Good Morning… haan roz bahar padhta tha par aaj ghar ka maahol hi alag hai. Subah subah mandir me diya jal raha hai, ghar me agarbatti aur lazeez khane ki mehak hai, aur chuppi ke jagah hawa me hasi goonj rahi hai.”

Sameer listened to Naina laugh over something Ramdhari said, thinking it was indeed a melodious sound to hear in morning, “lagta hi nahi Naina ko yahan aaye hue itna kam waqt hua hai.”

Nanu nodded, “tumhe pata hai… aisa maahol tab hua karta tha jab tumhari Nani zinda thi. Itne saal ho gaye ke bhool hi gaya tha sab kuch. Aaj Naina ke wajah se phirse yeh ghar, ghar jaisa lag raha hai.”

Naina came out of the kitchen holding a casserole, and called out, “chaliye Nanaji… Sameer… Breakfast taiyaar hai.”

Both the men stood up obediently, taking their places at the dining table, and watched as Naina served them. Sameer’s eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, “wow… aloo paratha?”

Ramdhari, who had just brought in tea, laughed, “maine kaha tha na memsahib.”

Sameer frowned, “kya kaha tha?”

Naina added pickle to side and said, “yahi ke paratha dekhte hi aap bolenge ke aloo paratha hai.”

He softly queried, “nahi hai?”

She smiled, shaking her head, “paneer ke parathe hai.”

That was good too, Sameer sighed in relief, he had been dreading some vegetable or healthy stuff that women always tended to feed their husbands. Nanu tasted the paratha, and looked at Naina with a puzzled frown but upon seeing her grin; he too smiled back and stayed silent. Every bit of breakfast was polished off, and the fact that she had mixed an equal amount of grated cauliflower along with paneer remained a secret from Sameer.

Later on Munna and Pandit came to meet them, and Naina immediately asked them to stay back for lunch. In afternoon, Sameer went out for a couple of hours thinking he would buy some gift for Naina, and also a few more packs of condoms. After all how long would one pack last? And Naina had promised tonight… Truth to be told, he had thought of asking her, or testing if she would like to make love in afternoon, but hadn’t done anything. He somehow felt that Naina wouldn’t refuse, but then he remembered how she had flinched this morning… Even though he wanted her, he didn’t want to hurt her. He had no idea how long it took for the soreness to heal but hopefully she would be okay by tonight, if not then he was ready to wait even longer.

Naina on the other hand was also contemplating about the night. In morning she had felt the soreness even on her thighs and it had hurt her when she had moved. The long warm shower had definitely helped. After lunch, when Sameer went out, she thought to take a little nap, but as she washed her face, she wondered if another shower would ease the discomfort more. She wasn’t as sore now, but still she didn’t think she would be very much comfortable if she had to make love now. And while cooking, she had worried for a moment about the fact that she had promised Sameer tonight… What if her soreness didn’t heal? But then when he had wandered inside to steal a quick kiss, and remind her of how much he loved her, she had stopped worrying. She knew that he would understand even if she said no. However, the fact was that she wasn’t even thinking of saying no… Rather she wanted him again… Thinking that another shower might just do the trick, she wrapped up her hair, and stepped into the shower once again. Adjusting the shower knob to as warm as she could bear in this hot weather, she let the water pulse on her body. Having a moment of brainwave, she wet one small towel, and held it between her legs applying direct warmth. It provided so much relief that she sighed, closing her eyes. She repeated this couple of more times, and then turned the water back to normal, as she quickly soaped and rinsed.

She dressed up in salwar-kameez as she wanted to sleep a bit, maybe read a book, but just as she was about to lie down there was a knock on door. She thought Sameer had returned early but to her surprise it was Nanaji. He looked slightly sheepish as he said, “sorry beta, abhi disturb kar raha hun par mujhe tumse kuch baat karni hai. Sameer nahi hai toh yeh achcha mauka hai.”

Naina immediately said, “aree Nanaji, aap sorry kyun bol rahe hai. Andar aaiye na.”

Nanu started to step inside, but stopped, hesitation taking over. Until the time it had been Sameer’s room he had never hesitated to go inside, but now this was a couple’s room, their own private sanctuary and he felt as if he was invading it. So he gently said, “uh… tum study room me aa jao na… wahan kuch hai bhi jo main tumko dikhana chahta hun.”

Naina closed the door to their room, and followed Nanu wondering what it was that he wanted to show to her. Nanu sat on the sofa, and Naina gingerly perched on a chair near the desk. After a moment Nanu asked, “tumhe yaad hai shaadi se pehle maine ek baar tumhe Sameer ke baare me batane ki koshish kit hi, par tumne mana kar diya?”

She nodded, “ji… yaad hai.”

Nanu smiled, “tumne sahi kaha tha… Tumhe sab kuch jaanne ki zaroorat nahi thi Sameer se shaadi karne ke liye, bas usko jaanne ki zaroorat thi. Aur mujhe bahot khushi hui jab mujhe pata chala ke Sameer ne apni zindagi ke baare me tumhe sab kuch bata diya hai. Jis tarah se tumne uska Rohan, Deepika and Vishakha ke saath sulah karwaya, main toh dang reh gaya… Shukriya.”

“Nanaji please”, she softly said, “aap aisa kyun bol rahe hai. Agar Sameer me apne guzre hue kal ka saamna karneki himmat nahi hoti toh main kuch bhi nahi kar paati.”

Nanu quickly countered, “uski himmat tum ho… tumhara pyaar hai… jispe usko pura bharosa hai. Isiliye main aaj tumhe Sameer ki zindagi ke ek aise pehlu se milwana chahta hun jisse Sameer bhi theek se nahi mila.” Her brows furrowed in confusion, and Nanu instructed, “desk ke niche wale drawer me dekho kuch photo albums hai. Usme sabse neeche wala nikaalke, pehli tasveer dekho.”

Perplexed she obeyed his instruction, and flipped an old album open to reveal a slightly faded photo of a couple with a baby. Her breath caught as she realized what she was seeing, it was her mother-in-law and the man… the man with her was not Mr. Somani… It must be her previous husband, and that meant the baby was…Sameer. Both the man and woman were looking down at the baby who seemed to be restless even in the photograph. His hands and legs were up in the air, indicating that he must have been squirming, but his parents looked on with love and adoration… They looked so happy that her heart ached. Such a beautiful family and what a game fate had played. She traced a finger on Sameer’s photo… He was so small… and who would have known that he was going to lose his father even before he learned to speak properly.

Nanu’s voice broke through the silence, “batane ki zaroorat toh nahi hai ke kiski photo hai…”

“Sameer ke papa”, she whispered, “kitne khush hai sab log isme.”

“Haan”, he sighed, “par aane wale kal ko kaun dekh sakta hai. Yeh album saalo se yahan pada hai par Sameer ne kabhi dekha nahi hai. Naa hi usne kabhi mujhse apne papa ke baare me pucha hai. Jab main use Ahmedabad lekar aaya tha tab thoda sa bataya tha ke uske papa bhi businessman the, aur bahot achche swabhav ke the. Lekin usne sirf suna… kuch pucha nahi.”

Naina was silent for a minute, staring at the photo, and then softly said, “kuch dard itne purane hote hai ke dil ke kisi kone me chup jaate hai. Unke baare me baat karke, uss dard ko ek khula ghaav banne dene ki himmat nahi hoti. Ek haadse ne Sameer se unka parivaar cheen liya, aur saath hi saath unki pyaar ki ummeed bhi. Main samajh sakti hun… maine bhi kabhi apni Maa ke baare me kisise nahi pucha, naa hi ghar me unki koi tasveer hai.”

Nanu smiled sadly, “shayad isiliye tum bina kuch kahe hi Sameer ke dil ki har baat jaan leti ho.”

She glanced up and asked, “aap… aap yeh mujhe kyun dikha rahe hai? Yeh toh unka guzra hua aisa waqt hai jo unko bhi shayad theek se yaad nahi.”

Nanu stood up, took something out of his kurta pocket, “kyunki ab waqt aa gaya hai ke Sameer iss guzre hue waqt ka bhi saamna kare. Pehle mujhe samajh nahi aata tha ke woh kaise karega, par ab tum ho uske saath.”

“Main kuch samjhi nahi”, she declared in confusion.

He passed on a set of keys to her, “yeh ek aisi zimmedari hai jo main bhi poori nahi kar saka… Mujhme kabhi itni himmat hi nahi aai. Par ab main chahta hun ke yeh zimmedari tum poori karo… Sameer ko Mussoorie le jao.”

Surprised she looked at the keys in her hand, “Mussoorie?”

Nanu nodded and told her a tale that made her realize that Sameer’s trials of past weren’t over yet. There was one final step to be taken… One final decision to be made. And once again it was up to her to find a way, to make him see that this needed to be done… But this time it wasn’t as simple as convincing to talk to someone, and so she stated her concern, “par Nanaji… main Sameer ko Mussoorie kaise le jaungi?”

“Woh mujhpe chod do”, Nanaji assured, “mere paas tum dono ke liye ek tohfa hai.”

Naina was just about to ask what gift he was talking about, when there was a knock, and Sameer pushed the door open, “Naina tum yahan kya kar rahi ho? Aur Nanu… aap?”

Nanu tried to keep his voice normal, “aree main bas Naina se baate kar raha tha.”

She quickly hid the album, and the keys, and then went up to him, “aap kab tak aayenge mujhe pata nahi tha toh humne socha thodi der bethte hai.”

“Haan”, Nanu agreed, “waise bhi main tumhara intezaar kar raha tha.”

Sameer queried, “kyun? Kuch kaam aa gaya kya office ka?”

Nanu chuckled, “nahi nahi… main toh bas tum logo ko tumhari shaadi ka tohfa dena chahta tha.”

Sameer moved to stand beside Naina, “ooh… ab saal me do-do tohfe milenge… ek birthday ka aur ek anniversary ka.”

Naina laughed at her husband’s excitement, and watched in confusion as Nanu handed over an envelope to them. Sameer frowned, “yeh kya Nanu… maine socha kuch bada sa gift hoga. Aap toh shaadi ke mehmaano ki tarah shagun ka lifafa deke tirka rahe ho.”

Naina nudged her husband, “kaisi baate kar rahe hai aap… Nanu jo de woh achcha.”

Nanu had a smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eyes, “haan Sameer… dekh toh lo andar kya hai… yeh shagun tumhe pakka pasand aayega.” Perplexed Sameer opened the envelope and his eyes widened on seeing the card, and then his cheeks flushed with color. Nanu laughed out on seeing his condition, and  jovially asked, “kyun? Pasand aaya? Nahi pasand aaya ho toh ek teesri karva lete hai, main bhi saath chalta hun… Ya fir 5-6 tickets, Naina ka pura parivaar bhi…”

“Nahi”, Sameer interrupted, “yeh do ticket hi theek hai.”

Nanu grinned, “jaanta hun… packing theek se karna aur kuch doubts ho toh puch lena.”

Sameer gaped at his grandfather as he walked out, and then looked at his wife who had a puzzled expression on her face. When they were alone, she slowly asked, “aisa kya hai envelope me?”

He grinned and looped an arm around her waist, “hamare honeymoon ki tickets.” She gasped and he dipped his head to kiss her. She shuddered, softening in his arms, and then pushed him away, “yahan nahi… koi dekh lega.” Sameer grumbled an inaudible complaint, and then bent to pick her up in his arms. She was about to object, when he glared at her, “chup ekdum… aur theek se pakdo.” She fell silent, her eyes fixed on the chiseled line of his jaw as she looped her arms around his neck. He carried her to their bedroom, and closed the door shut with his leg, indicating her to lock it. She removed one arm from around him and locked the door, still watching mesmerized as she placed her on the bed, then sat beside her, and smiled, “aise kya dekh rahi ho?”

“Aapko”, she replied in a whisper.

His smile widened, “honeymoon pe bahot mauka milega dekhne ka.”

She glanced at the papers still clutched in his hand, “Nanaji ne sach me…”

He nodded and offered the papers to her, “haan… Mussoorie ki tickets hai. Parso subah ki flight hai.”

“Oh”, she quipped, understanding what Nanaji had meant when he had said he would handle the getting Sameer to Mussoorie bit. Well… he had indeed managed it well. Sameer was not only ready but extremely eager to go, because he thought this was their honeymoon. But… was it? How would she tell Sameer? And what would he do once he found out why they were in Mussoorie?

Sameer cupped her face, stroking the curve of her cheek with his thumb, “kya hua Naina? Jagah pasand nahi aai? Ya honeymoon pe nahi jaana?”

She looked at his suddenly tensed face and teased, “honeymoon kya hota hai?”

He relaxed, mischief lighting up his eyes, “abhi dikhata hun.” Saying so he leaned forward, his palm spanning her waist, as she tilted back until she was lying on the bed. His lips inched closer to hers, and she closed her eyes, expecting to feel him kissing her any moment. However, instead of her lips, she felt a something soft brush her cheek… She didn’t object, until she felt a furry object, and that was when she pushed his hand away, and jerked, “kya hai yeh… hey bhagwaan… aap ghar me koi jaanwar leke aaye hai kya?”

He fell back on the bed, laughing hard, and she frantically looked around to see where the creature was. Still chortling he raised his hand, and showed her the object he was holding, “yeh raha tumhara bhayaanak jaanwar.”

She blinked at the cream furry teddy bear, and her face flooded in mortification. He caught her hand, pulling her down to him, and kissed her cheeks. She clutched his t-shirt, “yeh mere liye hai?”

He smiled, “haan… yeh dekho… isme heart bhi hai… red color ka… theek waisa hi jaisa tumhare uss bag me tumne rakha tha. Tumhara sapna tha na ke jab tumhe pyaar ho tab tum usko aisa heart do, ya woh tumhe de.”

She was surprised, “aapko yaad hai?”

“Bilkul”, he proudly assured, “tabhi toh yeh laaya… aur yeh rose bhi. Ekdum red… jaise tumhare gaal ho jaate hai.”

She had to laugh at that, and teased, “aapke bhi ho gaye the… honeymoon ke tickets dekhke.”

He hummed, enjoying the teasing, and asked, “honeymoon kya hota hai?”

Her eyes sparkled as she took the teddy bear from his hand, and lifted it up to his face, touching its face to his lips, and said, “yeh hota hai.”

As the fur tickled his nose, he pushed it away, and covered his nose, sneezing. She laughed again, grabbing the teddy bear and the rose, keeping them on the bedside table and then intended to escape. However, before she could accomplish that, he had her flat on the bed, his lips an inch away from her, “aise kahan bhaag rahi ho…? Honeymoon ka sahi matlab toh seekh ke jao.”

She smiled, wrapping her arms around him, as he started placing soft kisses on the corners of her mouth. Her lips parted in invitation and he immediately obliged, slipping his tongue in her mouth, tasting her with deep sure strokes. His hand wandered over her body and for a moment he cursed the fact that she had changed into a salwar-kameez which covered her waist totally. But he managed to remove her dupatta and move to her neck, dropping open mouthed kisses that made her sigh in delight. Her hands were busy touching his hair, stroking his shoulders, trying to find some way to touch his skin. He sat up, pulling her up, and started to bunch her kurti in a frenzy… He had to get rid of it… He needed to touch her… For a moment she thought of the lack of darkness, she felt nervous about the evening light streaming through the window that would enable him to see her, but his urgency made her stay silent. However before he could even lift it up to bare her belly, there was a knock on the door and she jerked, holding his hand to stop him.

“Sameer… koi bula raha hai”, she whispered, hiding her face in his shoulder.

Irked by the interruption, he snapped, “kaun hai? kya chahiye?”

Ramdhari’s hesitant voice sounded at the door, “sahab… bade sahab bula rahe hai. Neeche koi Goel sahab aaye hai apne parivaar ke saath.”

Sameer sighed, “thike… Nanu se bolo hum aate hai thodi der me.” He waited until he could hear Ramdhari leaving, and then hugged Naina, rubbing her back, “sorry darling… lagta hai raat se pehle sach me koi chance nahi hai.”

She giggled, drawing back, and asked, “Goel sahab kaun hai?”

He pressed his lips, holding back a smile, “tumhe sahab kehne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Mr. Goel hamare finance manager hai, kaafi saalo se company ke saath hai. Jab maine join kiya office, tab mujhe bhi unhone bahot kuch sikhaya. Hamari shaadi ke time pe woh log Jaipur me the, kyunki unke bhi kisi rishtedaar ki shaadi thi. Toh abhi milne aaye honge.”

She picked up her discarded dupatta, “thike… toh main saree pehen leti hun phir se.”

He perked up, “main dekhu?”

She blushed, “dhat… aap neeche jaiye.” He pouted, and she chuckled, sliding off the bed, but her hand hit a polybag on the side table, and its contents spread on the floor. She stared wide eyed at the small boxes near her feet, and stammered, “Sa…Sameer… yeh kya hai?”

He tilted his head, wondering about the tremble in her voice, and then cursed as he recollected what he had kept there. He quickly got up, and gathered the boxes, “uh… sorry Naina… main andar rakhna bhul gaya. Yeh… umm… hamare liye hai…”

She interrupted, “mujhe pata hai yeh kya hai… lekin itne saare?”

He frowned, “Naina… sirf paanch dabbe hai… har dabbe pe 3 piece hote hai… matlab 15 condoms hue, aur Munna-Pandit ka diya hua ek box hai… matlab 18 hue. Yeh toh kam hai.”

“Kam!?”, she gasped.

He nodded firmly, “ab toh honeymoon pe jaa rahe toh aur laane padenege.”

She stared at him for some time, amazed and extremely amused, she muttered under her breath, “carton hi kharid laate.”

He was sure she didn’t mean him to hear, but he definitely overheard, and grinned, hugging her from behind, “nice idea darling… kal shopping karne jayenge na toh ek-do carton leke aayenge.”

She turned to him, her eyes even wider than before, as she exclaimed, “do?!!?”

He chuckled, “aankhen aur badi karogi toh bahar aa jayegi.” She blinked, and he kissed her forehead, “mazak kar raha hai… carton nahi kharidenge, par condoms pakka aur chahiyenge.”

Her cheeks filled with color, as she placed her palms on his chest and pushed lightly, “hatiye… bas jab dekho tab mujhe pareshan karte hai. Jaiye… neeche jaiye… mujhe taiyar hona hai.”

He grinned, and warned, “theek hai… par baad me chodne wala nahi hun.”

As he left from there, she locked the door and thought that she didn’t really want to be spared. It surprised her that she was ready to give in to his demand in broad daylight. She had been apprehensive of the fact that he would be able to see her, but still she had wanted to make love. If the wait was difficult for him, it was the same for her… God… What had happened to her? The color on her cheeks remained intact as she changed into the blue saree that she had worn in morning, but this time she put on a slightly heavy jewelry set.

Downstairs, Sameer was talking to the guests and Ramdhari was serving tea. The lady asked, “beta… nayi bahu kahan hai?”

Just then there was a faint tinkling sound of payal, and Sameer’s heart skipped beats. He smiled, “aa gai Naina.”

Everyone looked up, and were surprised to see Naina coming down the stairs. Nanu smiled, wondering how his grandson guessed she was here, even though his back was to the stairs. Naina came up to them and greeted the guests. The evening spent with the guests, and Nanu invited them to stay back for dinner as well. Finally, it was almost 11pm by the time Naina finished work in the kitchen and went upstairs.

To her astonishment Sameer wasn’t in the room, but there was a note on the dresser asking her to come to terrace. She immediately went upstairs, and found him standing near the parapet. From the way his stance changed from relaxed to alert, she understood that he knew that she was here. Going up to him, she slid her arms around him from behind, and rested her head on his back, “aapko kaise pata chal jaata hai ke main aa rahi hun?”

He smiled, placing his palm over hers, “meri dil ki dhadkanein tumse jo jud gai hai.”

She chuckled, “jhoothe… sach bol dete ke meri payal ki awaaz sunai deti hai aapko.”

He turned to her, laughing, “haan, sunai deti hai. Par agar meri baat pe shaq ho toh kabhi bina payal pehne aana mujhe azmaane ke liye.”

She leaned on his chest, looking at the sky, “aap yahan kya kar rahe hai?”

He wrapped an arm around her, “hamesha ghar me sirf main aur Nanu rahe hai… Par shaadi ke wajah se inte dino tak saare mehmaan the, aur ab tak koi na koi aata rehta hai. Ghar me maano shanti hi nahi hai. Bas aaj subah thodi shanti thi, phir shaam ko dekho… Hamara romance bhi rok diya guests ne.”

She chuckled, “mujhe toh aadat hai zyada logo ki, toh aisa kuch mehsoos nahi hua.”

He hummed, “koi nai… Mussoorie me bahot time milega romance karneka.”

Her mind flashed back to the keys she had hidden, and then she resolutely shut it down, thinking the time to contemplate over the matter wasn’t now. Instead she asked, “aap shopping karneki kya baat kar rahe the?”

“Mussoorie ke liye”, he informed, “wahan thand hogi. Aur ghumne jaa rahe hai toh kuch naye kapde bhi lenge na.”

She smiled, “aapke liye le lenge… mere paas toh bahot sareeya hai shaadi me mili hui.”

He frowned, “Naina… honeymoon pe bhi saree hi pehnogi kya?”

She looked up at him, perplexed, “toh kya pehnu?”

“Maine tumhare college ke photos dekhe the”, he said with excitement, “tum jeans aur skirts me badi hot lag rahi thi… aur uss din theatre me jab pehli baar dekha tab bhi toh tumne jeans pehna tha… aur woh pink top… Haaye… super sexy.”

She blushed, “main pehle pehenti thi… par ab toh shaadi ho gai.”

He scowled, “tumko bola tha na maine shaadi se pehle bhi ke tum jo chahe woh pehen sakti ho. Toh phir yeh saree ki rat kyun laga rakhi hai?”

She hesitated for a moment, and then said, “Taiji hamesha kehti thi ke shaadi tay ho jaane ke baad sirf saree pehenni chahiye. Main phir bhi salwar kameez pehenti thi, par shaadi ke baad bhi pehna toh…”

“Toh kuch nahi hoga”, he assured, “yeh sab ajeeb khayalat hote hai. Tum inn sab baato pe dhyan mat do. Tum padi-likhi ladki ho… Sanskaar ka matlab bediya nahi hoti. Agar tumhe jeans pehenne me uncomfortable nahi lagta toh pehno… bas…”

She smiled, “theek hai… kal dekhte hai ke kya kharidenge. Filhaal chale… bahot raat ho gai hai.”

He smirked, “ab aisa mat kehna ke neend aa rahi hai toh sona hai.”

She bit her lip, her gaze lowering with shyness, but her voice held a lilting note of mischief, “sone ki baat kisne ki… main toh bas kamre me jaane ki baat kar rahi thi.”

“Toh aisa bolo na”, he grinned, and lifted her in his arms. She squealed, “Sameer… yeh kya kar rahe hai? Seedi se utarna hai… neeche utaariye mujhe.”

He shook his head, “uhuh… tumhe baaho me lena achcha lagta hai.”

She relaxed in his arms, gazing up at him, her eyes shining with love. He walked down the stairs slowly, taking his time, his eyes steady on her face. Some part of her brain was extremely amazed at his strength… How was he carrying her so steadily? Didn’t she feel heavy? He reached their room, and once again just like the evening, he kicked the door close, and she locked it.

Placing her on the bed, he moved to the window, closing and pulling the curtains. She just sat there, smiling at his consideration, and as he came back to sit beside her. She thought he would kiss her, but he just hugged her, and kept sitting there.

She softly queried, “Sameer… kya hua?”

“Kuch nahi”, he replied, “ummm… so jaate hai… late ho gaya.”

Perplexed, she drew back, “kya? Aap theek toh hai…”

He nodded, his expressions bit tensed, “haan main theek hun…”

She observed him in confusion, trying to decipher what was the matter. His shoulders were stiff, he was avoiding her gaze, but a quick glance told her that he was aroused. Then why was he asking to sleep? His entire body was tensed as if he was worried about something… what could it be? He had brought condoms, so that wasn’t an issue… Nanaji was asleep, and Ramdhari had left, so interruption wasn’t a concern… Even she had expressed her willingness so it couldn’t be that he wasn’t sure if she wanted it or not… Then… Suddenly it clicked in her brain, and her gaze softened.

Inching closer, she cupped his face in her hands, pulling him down to kiss his forehead. When he looked at her, she said, “meri fikar mat kariye… main theek hun.”

His eyes widened in surprise for a bit, and then he slowly asked, “dard… umm… ab tak ho raha hoga na?”

She assured, “nahi… ab nahi ho raha… dopahar ko wapas naha liya tha garam paani se.”

“Par…”, he voiced unsure, “agar aaj phir se dard hua toh…”

She stroked her thumb on his lips, “zyada soch rahe hai… shaam ko toh raha nahi jaa raha tha aapse, aur ab bewajah darr rahe hai.”

He caught her hand, kissing the inside of her wrist, “tumse badhkar kuch nahi hai Naina… meri zaroorat bhi nahi.”

“Par meri zaroorat bhi toh hai na”, she blurted.

His eyes met hers, “kya kaha?”

Some color tinted her cheeks, but she boldly continued, “shaam ko jaise aapse raha nahi jaa raha tha, mujhse bhi nahi ho raha tha… Jaise kal meri wish aap the, waise hi aaj meri zaroorat aap hai… I love you Sameer. Please itna mat sochiye.”

He stared at her, his body slowly relaxing, the desires he was trying to suppress coming to fore as his fingers stroked up her hand… She shivered, waiting, her hand fisting on his t-shirt. He leaned forward, but before kissing her, he whispered, “agar zara bhi dard ho toh please mujhe batana…”

She looked into his eyes that held a mixture of desire, need and concern, and then simply tilted her head up, touching her lips to his. He shuddered, groaning softly, opening up to her, giving in to her silent demand, and to his own want. Cupping her face, he tried to keep the kiss soft, to take it slow, but the way she kept trying to come closer made the fire in his veins burn brighter. And he grabbed her, pulling her flush to his chest, and deepened the kiss until her breath became his, until she moaned and softened, until her hips curled into him. He opened the pin from her hair, throwing it over his shoulder where it fell on the floor with a small clank. She sighed in pleasure as he dropped quick kisses on her face, removing her earrings and necklace; he caught the lobe of her ear in his teeth, lightly biting. His hand was tangled in her hair as she returned his kisses, driving him insane with her innocent exploration of his throat and neck. He felt a slight push on his shoulder, and obeyed her, lying down on the bed with her in his arms, as her mouth still played havoc on his senses, and her hand searched for the hem of his t-shirt.

She slowly lifted his t-shirt, kissing over his heart, her fingers stroking his bare skin. He made a sound of hunger, of impatience, and then reared up, pulling off his t-shirt and throwing it away. She immediately hugged him, gently kissing the spot she had bitten on last night. He sighed, amazed at her love, and tilted her backwards on the bed. As he occupied himself in removing the pin from her pallu, and undraping her saree, she reached her hand up and turned off the lights. He wished for a moment that she would have left them onn so he could see her properly, but then he thought he would keep that for honeymoon. Gently but quickly he removed every piece of barrier between them, and then kissed her creamy smooth skin, nipping at the swells of her breast. She moaned his name when he drew in a succulent bud in his mouth, suckling so hard that her back arched and her nails dug on his shoulders. Down below her legs parted, eager to feel him, but he held himself slightly above her body, not giving in to her. She made a complaining sound, lifting her hips, but he hushed her, kissing her, asking her to be patient. As she tried her best to not demand, he busied himself in kissing, licking, nipping at every inch of skin he could find. When he reached her parted thighs she jerked, nervousness gripping her heart as she knew that the moonlight was enough to give him a glimpse of her body. Her hands fisted in his hair, trying to pull him up, and he acquised, moving up to her breasts again, as he let his fingers have their way between her legs. Her head moved back and forth as his mouth worked at her breasts, and his fingers rubbed, stroked, teased and then one long finger dipped inside making her arch with an “oh.”

She thought he would move soon, just like last night, she waited for him to remove his finger and then make love to her, but this time he kept on playing. Her hands on his back, kept tugging, clenching, trying to pull him on top of her, but he seemed to be oblivious of her efforts as he feasted on her breasts.

“Sameer… please”, she whimpered, not sure how to phrase what she needed.

However, maybe he understood, because he reached up kiss her mouth and at the same time she felt a second finger probe her. Her body stiffened for a brief moment, and he quickly muttered an assurance, asking if it hurt. She shook her head, wondering what he was doing, and tried to relax. Her body stretched, accommodating his intrusion, and she shuddered… He took her mouth again, and increased the pace of his strokes, his fingers moving in and out, until her body strung tight, a sheen of sweat shining on her flesh, and then her breath broke on a soft scream. He kept up the pace, trying to prolong her pleasure, his mouth moving over her face, throat and breasts. Finally after long minutes, her body went lax, her hands dropping on her sides, and her breath panted in soft gusts.

Her response, the musky smell of her pleasure, her acquisence to his demands, everything seared him and suddenly his languid exploration of her body turned to an urgent need. He opened the top drawer of the bedside table, and his fingers searched until it landed on a box that he had hidden at the far end. Pulling it out, he quickly snapped open the top, and removed a packet. Carelessly dropping the box on the bed, he tore open the pink packet, the smell of latex assaulting his nostrils. It took him a minute or two to figure out the condom, and in the meantime she watched, still feeling slightly dazed at the thought of what she had experienced… Fingers… Really? She hadn’t even known it was possible. But… God… it was such an ecstatic experience. How did he do it? How did he know she would like it? Thoughts swirled in her head as kept recollecting the moment he had slipped a second finger inside her…

However, soon every thought evaporated from her mind, as he positioned himself over her, and parted her thighs further. “Tum theek ho”, he asked once more, “dard nahi hua na?”

She smiled wrapping her arms and legs around him, lifiting her head to kiss him, and curling her hips to urge him to continue. He reached down, ensuring once more that the condom was in place, and then guided himself inside her, slowly entering her with a single steady thrust. Her loud moan of pleasure, mingled with his hoarse grunt of relief. He held himself still for a moment, simply rejoicing in the feel of their union, and thinking that the condom did really stop him from feeling her full warmth, but the clench of her muscles was still the same as her body instinctively tried to draw him in. Balancing himself carefully over her on one arm, he buried his face in her shoulder, and started thrusting, finding a pace soon that took them soaring over the star-lit horizons. The liquid rush of pleasure, made every cell of his body numb, and once again he collapsed on top of her, his weight pinning her down to the bed. She held his trembling body close amazed that she had felt the excruciatingly blissful delight twice tonight.

As miutes ticked by, he stirred, and lifted himself up on his elbows, letting her breathe, and quickly said, “aaj socha tha aise nahi girunga tumpe… par pata hi nahi chala… tumhe lagi toh nahi?”

She chuckled, her hand still stroking his back, “mujhe achcha lagta hai.”

He smiled, dropping a quick kiss on her forehead, and then slowly pulled himself out of her, making her sigh. All he wanted to do was collapse on the bed, and hold her in his arms, but the condom demanded that he go to the bathroom… And so he made it as quick as possible, discarding the condom, and then washing his hands. By the time he came back, she had already pulled the blanket up, and was half-asleep, but as he slid in beside her, she automatically turned towards him, nuzzling his chest and he held her, sighing in contentment.

Two days later in Mussoorie, on a pleasant windy evening, bright lights from candles and several old-fashioned mashaal lighted up the ruined remains of a farmhouse, and he wondered why he was there. Naina had asked him to come over, left a note in their hotel room, with a flower, giving him the directions to this place.

“Naina”, he called out, searching for her. Where was she? Had she played a trick on him? Was she trying to harass him? Maybe this was her way of revenge for perstering her to make love in broad daylight as soon as they had reached the hotel.

He called for her again, and just then a soft tune reached his ears. Music? What was it? The volume increased and he recognized the lyrics immediately. “Kaate nahi kat te yeh din yeh raat” from Mr. India… But… And then he saw her… dressed in a blue saree just like Sridevi, his Naina, his wife was swaying to the tunes of music, her body sensually moving to each rhythm. As he took slow steps towards her, she caught her flying pallu in the air, hiding her face partially from her view, and sang along, “I love you… I love you… I love you…”

His heart thundered and he rushed to her, grabbing her by the waist, cupping her head in his other hand, and kissing her lips. The saree fluttered in the air, and he grabbed it, trying to tug it off her body…

“Sameer…”, she called out to him, “Sameer…”

How was she speaking even though he was kissing her? But then he felt someone shaking him, “Sameer… uthiye… kya kar rahe hai?”

He gasped, opening his eyes, and looked around the dark surroundings… His room… not the ruined farmhouse… there weren’t any candles of torches… But… how? They were in Mussoorie… right?

A soft hand covered his shoulder, “Sameer… kya hua? Sapna dekh rahe the kya? Aise hil rahe the… Aur meri saree kyun hawa me udane ki koshish kar rahe the?”

He frowned, looking down at his hand, surprised to see the blue cotton saree that she had been wearing. What the heck had he been doing? He dropped the saree, and smiled sheepishly, looking at the concerned expression of his wife, “ummm… sorry… haan sapna dekh raha tha.”

She queried, “kaisa sapna?”

He stroked a finger down her bare shoulder, “kyun? Sach karogi kya mera sapna?”

She shivered, “kar sakungi toh zaroor karungi…”

“Sirf tum hi kar sakti ho”, he murmured, and then asked, “kitne baj rahe hai?”

She glanced at the radium lit clock on the table, “subah ke chaar…”

He thoughtly said, “maine suna hi subah ka sapna sach hota hai.”

She nodded, “haan…”

A grin lit up his face, “theek hai toh fir… sach karte hai.”

“Kya…”, she started to ask, but he didn’t let her finish as he pulled her in for a kiss that made her shudder. And soon, he grabbed another condom, making his morning dream come true, as she moaned, “I love you”, with her peak of pleasure.