Accidentally in Love
Chapter 19: Darjeeling Diaries

The cold mountain air swirled around the landscape; the mist covered the surroundings like a blanket; the nascent rays of the sun touched the leaves of green trees; the dew drops shining like ice. The choir of colors that usually adorned the hills in spring was now muted by the dove grey sky. Down below, the valley was dotted with a few house and cottages, a spire of smoke rising from some far away shack.

Naina stood at the balcony watching the beautiful views, the cold wind sifting through her long hair, her brain clouded with the erotic memories of last night. It had been three days since they had arrived at Darjeeling, the last two days had been full of sightseeing and adventures, and the nights busy with lovemaking. The free-spirited realm she found in the hotel rooms excited Sameer a lot. At home even though they did make love often, there was always some haste later on to set things in order. She would worry about Ramdhari spotting something while cleaning, or Nanu knocking at the door for something. These things never happened, because Nanu gave them total privacy and Ramdhari would go up to clean only after asking her permission, but still… She couldn’t stop herself from thinking. However, on trips, she was never worried about getting ready on time and neither was she worried about someone seeing the mess they made.

She glanced back in the room once, where her husband was sprawled on his stomach, half covered with the quilt, his forearms raised by the side of his head highlighting the bulge of his biceps. The sight made her smile and also caused a clenching in her belly as she remembered how he had woken her up way past midnight to make love again… His wandering hand over her body had made her turn and twist in sleep, she had murmured in annoyance, but he had persisted until she had woken up. With a twinkle in his eyes, he had asked if she was okay to make love, knowing very well that he had riled her up enough that she won’t say no. His appetite for her seemed to be never ending, and she basked in the warmth of his want for her.

The sound of a bird calling from a nearby tree made her look at the spectacular views again, and she decided that she would ask Sameer to take her to the observatory again today. She wanted to see the snow covered mountain peaks once more. They only had two more days left here, and she still had to buy few things for their family back at home. When she had called Chachiji yesterday, she had got to know that Preeti and Pandit were enjoying their trip. It made her happy to think that Preeti had also found the life-partner she had wished for, and now she hoped the same for Swati. Who would have thought that day at the theatre… The three girls and three boys who were strangers for each other had somehow fallen in love. If somebody had told her of this tale, she would have said that such things only happened in movies, but it was the reality of her life.

Suddenly she felt strong arms loop around her waist, and a stubbled chin rested on her shoulder, “good morning darling.”

“Good morning”, she smiled, and turned in his arms, frowning on seeing his bare body, “aapne shirt nahi pehni… thand lag jayegi.”

He chuckled, “kamsekam pant pehenke toh bahar aaya na… waise bhi mera shirt toh tumne pehna hua hai.”

She blushed, “ummm… main bas pahad dekhne bahar aa gai… kitni khoobsurat subah hai.”

He cupped her face, gazing in her eyes, “wakai me bahot khoobsurat subah hai.”

She smiled at the compliment, surprised at how he never tired of expressing how beautiful he found her. Nuzzling against him, she requested, “suniye na… mujhe aaj wapas baraf wala pahad dekhna hai.”

“Jaisa tum chaho”, he immediately agreed, “aaj breakfast ke liye bahar chalenge. Kal subah ghumne gaye the na toh wahan ke logo ne recommend kiya. Yahan ka local breakfast… Uske baad tum jahan bolo wahan chalenge.” After a pause he added, “aaj condoms bhi kharidne padenge.”

She drew back in surprise, “itni jaldi khatam ho gaye?”

He pouted, “iss baar zyada kahan leke aaye the… waise bhi honeymoon pe tum zyada hi mood me hoti ho.”

“Main mood me hoti hun…”, she gasped in outrage, “aadhi raat ko mujhe kisne uthaya? Bataiye zara…”

He grinned, pulling her flush to him, “batau…? Phirse…?”

Her heart skipped beats at his question, “Sameer… aap… hatiye… chodiye mujhe…”

“Honeymoon pe bhala biwi ko kaun chodta hai”, he replied with a smirk, “main aisi galti kabhi nahi kar sakta.”

“Sameer”, she pleaded, squirming to escape from his hold.

He tightened his arms a bit more, “ek kiss toh banti hai… good morning wali…”

She stilled, “balcony me?”

He shrugged, “bed pe le jaunga toh…”

She bit her lip, contemplating the situation, “uhh… okay… yahin pe… par sirf ek kiss…”

“Pakka…”, he murmured, lowering his mouth to her lips. The soft kiss made her smile, relax in his arms, the fuzzy feeling inside her made her hum. His tongue traced the seams of her lips, seeking an opening, and she acquiesced. The kiss deepened slowly, one of his hands moved down from her back to her bottom, cupping and kneading. She squirmed, heat starting to simmer in her belly… She wanted to ask him what he was doing… But as his tongue flicked hers she lost track of her thoughts.  He turned and pushed her against the wall, grinding his hips against hers, the gentle wave like movements rubbed his body along hers…  Her breasts tightened at the sensation, and then he tilted his head, deepening the kiss to an extent where she forgot to breathe.

She shuddered, her hands locking around his neck, and one foot skimmed up his leg to hook at his knee, using the leverage to tilt her hips to meet his movements. His hand at her bottom seemed to push her more onto him, and after few minutes she didn’t even realize that she was trying to climb up… The hard length of his rubbing at her belly aroused her, and she tried to hook her legs with his, to move up, to feel him where she needed the most. A soft whimper escaped her mouth at her repeated failed attempts, but then he grabbed her bottom with both hands and lifted her up, and she immediately wrapped her legs around his hip, moaning on feeling him throbbing between her legs.

There was some movement, which made her tighten her hold on him… She didn’t open her eyes, but soon felt the world tilt for a moment and then her back hit the bed. His strong, hard body covered her immediately, his hands roving over her body impatiently undoing the buttons of his shirt. His knuckles brushed against the soft flesh between her legs, and she arched… In another minute, without breaking the kiss for a single second, somehow he had managed to enter her with a single slow thrust.

Finally he left her mouth, his lips skimming along her shoulders and throat. His hips moved in an excruciatingly slow rhythm, not even entering her totally… The short strokes made her whine in annoyance, while his ravenous mouth at her breast made her moan aloud. Her nails dug into the shifting muscles of his back, his name spilling from her lips like a prayer. She tightened her legs around him, trying to draw him in further, and he obliged, using one hand to angle her hip up, and then thrust hard and fast. A keening cry escaped her lips as she reached her completion, her bones turning liquid, her body floating over the snowy mountain peaks she had so admired, a golden light making the world around shimmery.

Few minutes later when she opened her eyes, she realized Sameer was still trembling from his own release. She hummed, yawned and stretched under him, causing him to jerk and groan like a man in pain. After a moment, he raised his head and smiled at her… She frowned, “hamesha apni manmaani karte hai aap… kal raat bhi neend se utha diya tha aur aaj subah bhi dekhiye… maine kaha tha sirf ek kiss…”

He mocked an innocent expression, “sirf ek hi kiss toh kiya maine… yaad karo… balcony se leke bed tak… sirf ek kiss…”

She scowled for a moment, but on seeing the sparkle in his eyes, she gave in, smiling, her cheeks tinging with red as she recalled how she had literally tried to climb up his body. Not one to miss an opportunity to tease her, he immediately said, “waise main toh sirf kiss kar raha tha… baaki sabki jaldi toh tumhe hi thi… I guess, main thoda aur wait karta toh tum toh balcony me hi shuru ho jaati.”

She gasped, pushing at his shoulders, “hatiye yahan se… mujhe baat hi nahi karni aapse… jab dekho tab mujhe chedte rehte hai… aap aise kiss karenge aur har jagah chooyenge toh main kaise rokungi khudko…”

He grinned, dipping down to kiss her forehead, “I love you too darling…”

She bit her lip to control her smile as he pulled out of her, rolled over, and stood up. Her brows furrowed as she watched him saunter to the bathroom and then come back after discarding the condom he had put on. Coming back to the bed, he sat down, “kya baat hai? aise hi lete rehna hai? Ya second round ka mood hai?”

She sat up, holding the seams of the open shirt together, “aapne kaha tha condom khatam ho gaye.”

He grinned, “ab ho gaye na… balcony me bhi isiliye aisa bola kyunki mujhe pata tha last wala tabhi use ho jayega. Tum pehle naa bolti ho aur phir khud hi…”

“Aap bahot bure ho”, she muttered, sliding off the bed, “ab dekhna aaj… yahi last tha… aap condom kharido ya nahi, aaj aur kuch nahi hoga.”

He leaned back on the bed, watching her with glittering eyes, “dekhte hai…”

Couple of hours later they were walking hand-in-hand down a lane, the cold weather making the walk extremely pleasant. Sameer kept eyeing his wife who was dressed in jeans, the checkered shirt they had bought before their Mussoorie trip. Not that he could see the shirt now… The red shirt was covered with a midnight blue jacket that was zipped up till below her chin. She had kept her long hair open on his demand, her lips shaded with a light red lipstick, but her cheeks tinged with red because of the cold. Spotting a small shack like place that he had been given the address of, he guided Naina there, and were soon seated in-front of it on plastic chairs. The small white table was bit grimy, and was adorned with salt and pepper shakers in shade of bright pink. Sameer rolled his eyes at the seating arrangement as well as the colors of dishes and other stuff he could see. A man dressed in grey trousers, flannel shirt and a multicolored sweater, greeted them, and said their breakfast would be ready soon. There was no menu to choose from, and Sameer wondered if he had made the wrong decision in coming here to eat. But as the man slid open an aluminium cover with the help of towel, and stirred the vegetable inside the big vessel, both Sameer and Naina drew in deep breath.

“Smell toh badhi achchi aa rahi hai”, Sameer murmured, “pata nahi kya banate hai… kal jisne bataya woh kuch luchi-luchi kar raha tha… Mujhe toh pata nahi chala, bas dum aloo samajh me aaya… usko bhi kuch ajeeb bol raha tha pehle toh…”

Naina giggled, “luchi – alu-r-dom bola hoga.”

He was surprised, “haan, bilkul yahi bola tha… tumhe kaise pata?”

“Meri ek Bengali classmate thi college me”, she informed, “Subhashini… Usse thode bahot words seekh gaye hum sab kyunki jab bhi woh baat karti thi hume sunne me bahot meetha lagta tha… Aur ghar se jo tiffin laati thi woh… uff… itna saara khana, aur itne alag-alag tareeke ke pakwaan hote the ke hume toh mazaa aa jaata tha khane me… Khaas kar ke mithayiya… Bengali mithai ke baare me toh kya batau…”

His eyes glittered with interest, “yahan bhi milta hoga na? Puchke kahin chalenge… Maza aayega taste karne me.”

She agreed to the idea, quite eager to gorge on the delicious sweets. Just then the man placed two dishes in-front of them and asked, “cha khaabe?” On seeing the puzzled expressions, he shook his head and corrected, “chai piyenge?”

Naina smiled and replied, “haan zaroor… lekin adrak wali… elaichi mat daaliyega.”

The man nodded, told them to ask for more if they needed, and went off to prepare tea. Sameer poked the golden-reddish puffed stuff in his dish, watching the steam escape, and pouted, “yeh toh puri hai… puri aur aloo ki sabzi… isme kya khaas hua…?”

Naina chuckled, “alag yeh hai ke yahan maide ki puri banti hai… swaad me kaafi alag lagta hai… aur yeh Bengali style dum-aloo hai… bina pyaaz-lasan ka.”

“Oh”, he murmured, breaking off a small bit of hot puri, dipped it in the gravy and tasted. His eyes fluttered shut at the taste and he moaned aloud. Naina laughed and tasted a bit of food herself, “wow… yeh kitna tasty hai… Sach me college ki yaad aa gai… Subhashini bhi yeh laati thi kabhi kabhi… par yahan ekdum garam-garam luchi khake aur mazaa aa raha hai.”

They finished the piping hot dishes in no time at all, and Sameer asked for one more dish, from which Naina barely ate half luchi, while he finished the rest of it. The tea was also delicious, the fragrant Darjeeling tea leaves enhancing the aroma, and Naina immediately decided to buy some tea to take back. As Sameer paid the modest bill, he queried, “yahan kahin mithai ki dukaan hai? Bengali mithai khaani hai…”

The man smiled enthusiastically, “baro market me unique sweets me jaaiye… mishti doi bhi milta hai uu dukaan me.”

While walking back, Sameer glanced at Naina, “baro market konsa wala hai?”

She pressed her lips to control her smile, “unka matlab tha bada wala market… main market ki baat kar rahe the.”

“Mujhe nahi pata tha ke maine Bengali se shaadi ki hai”, he teased.

She swatted his hand, “dhatt…”

He laughed, and as they walked down the steep slope of mall road, he mused, “waise ek baat toh hai… Tum Bengali white-red saree me bahot achchi dikhogi… saath me badi se red bindi aur gold set. Baal toh lambe hai hi… Aur haath me red chudiya.”

“Aap kuch bhi sochte rehte hai”, she declared fondly.

He didn’t reply but made up his mind to buy such a saree if he could find it. The sweet shop was an old one, but they could see it was extremely popular as there were many people outside. Sameer and Naina queued up as well, and finally after fifteen minutes they could step inside the shop. The display of sweets made his mouth water, and he couldn’t decide on what to take. The man behind the counter asked him what he wanted… On seeing Sameer standing clueless and absorbed at the sight of sweets, Naina chuckled and took charge. She ordered a combination of sweets to be packed, four kulhad of mishti doi and a dish to eat now with six different pieces of sweets. The quantity might look more to people, but she knew her husband’s appetite. She also paid the money herself while Sameer kept admiring the sweets, took the bags and dish, and then guided him outside.

“Yeh lijiye”, she smiled and offered him the dish.

He happily took the dish, and used the small spoon to break into a juicy yellow sweet. As soon as he put the morsel in his mouth, he moaned, “oh wow…”

She laughed out, “aaj tak aap sirf mujhe dekhte the aise ek-tak… par aaj pata chala mithai me bhi utna hi kho jaate hai aap.”

He blushed in mortification making her laugh more, and then offered, “umm… tum bhi lo na.”

She opened her mouth and he fed the remaining half of the yellow sweet. Together they finished all the sweets, however she could only taste a little bit of the last three, but like she had known there was no worry of wasting them. Sameer finished off every bit of sweets, and then discarded the dish and spoon in the dustbin. After a drink of water, they started walking back to the hotel, both of them puffing a little because of the upward climb. By the time they reached the peak of the slope, Sameer grunted, “jitna khaya tha sab hajam ho gaya… Ab hotel jaake phirse mithai khaani padegi.”

“Bhukkad”, Naina muttered, “yeh mithai sidhe room me jo chota fridge hai usme jayega… raat ko khana.”

He smirked, replying in a low voice, “raat ko yeh dukaan ki mithai ki kya zaroorat… tab toh special meetha khata hun na…”

She quirked her brow, “phir toh achche din peh yeh mitha ka dabba kharida… aaj toh waise bhi aapke special meethe ka vrat hai na.”

“Maine koi vrat nahi rakha… Aur naa hi tum rakhogi”, he countered in a firm voice.

She simply smiled, “dekhte hai…”

As soon as they reached the room, Naina placed the sweets and curd in the fridge, and then went for a quick trip to bathroom. By the time they were ready to leave again for their tea gardens sightseeing trip, he grabbed hold of her, intending to steal a kiss before they left. She, however, tickled him and escaped his hold reminding him of their abstinence discussion. He tried to catch her again, but she smartly stepped out of the door into the corridor, knowing very well that he wouldn’t kiss her there. He kept muttering to himself under his breath as he locked the room and then walked with her to the elevator. Trying to show his anger, he didn’t even talk to her or smile at her even after they were seated in the hotel car. However as they reached the beautiful slopes of tea gardens and he saw the glow in her eyes on seeing the scenery, he felt like talking to her… A smile threatened to curve his lips on seeing her smile. But he restrained… They started to climb up the steps of slope, taking in the refreshing views and she often talked to him, or pointed out things. He tried his best to not talk to her at all… But then when they reached a particular steep section, she suddenly slipped and let out a small yelp. He immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, “sambhalo…”

The fear disappeared from her eyes immediately, and she softly smiled, “naraazgi khatam?”

He sighed, “tum jaanti ho main tumse naraaz nahi reh sakta… Par tumne bhi toh galat kiya na… Ek kiss bhi nahi diya.” When she just kept staring at him, he queried, “tum vrat ka sach me bol rahi thi?”

“Wapas jaake dekhte hai”, she replied, scrunching her nose.

He pouted, glaring at her, but then gave up in half a minute, “tumhe toh mana lunga baad me. Abhi ghumte hai…”

They spent the whole afternoon in the tea gardens, having lunch at one of the small restaurants, and then went to the observatory in early evening to see the snowy peaks and setting sun. They did some shopping for their family in the main market, had dinner in town, and then went back to their hotel. Sameer freshened up first as Naina wanted to talk to Chachiji, and then she went for a quick shower while he closed the window curtains, slipped off his t-shirt, and waited for her to come to bed. To his surprise however, instead of the nighties that she had been wearing to bed in Darjeeling, she stepped out dressed in the peach night dress that he actually liked, but today he felt it covered a lot… Why did she wear it? Was she really serious about not making love?

As she sat on the bed and opened the bun, letting her hair loose, he gently queried, “Naina… tumne aaj yeh kyun pehna? Mera matlab… nightie…”

She yawned, “aaj sach me mood nahi hai… bahot thakan ho gai hai… so jaate hai na please…”

He frowned, looking into her eyes for a moment, and then smiled, “theek hai… jaisa tum chaho… main light bandh karta hun.”

He turned over to switch off the lights and discreetly slipped his hand beneath his pillow, hiding the stuff he had in his fist. Then he turned towards her again, extending his hand out for her to keep her head on… She watched him with mild confusion, but then snuggled closer, keeping her hand on his waist. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, until her head was burrowed under his chin, and then sighed in bliss, dozing off in few minutes. Unknown to him, his wife was awake, still bit puzzled, but then after several minutes she too dozed off lightly. However, way past midnight, she stirred, feeling uneasy, and opened her eyes glancing around… She saw Sameer had turned over in his sleep, facing away from her, and the lack of warmth had woken her up.

Irritated, puzzled and tensed, she shook him, “suniye… uthiye na please…”

The urgency in her voice reached him even in deep sleep, and he jerked upright, simultaneously switching on the bedside lamp, “Naina… kya hua? Tum theek toh ho na?”

Her lips quivered and eyes filled with tears, “aap aise kaise so gaye… dobara bola bhi nahi…”

He was extremely puzzled; gently pulling her in a hug, he queried, “kya hua tumhe? Mujhe samajh nahi aa raha tum kya bol rahi ho…”

“Raat ko”, she hiccupped, “maine ek baar mana kar diya toh aap aise hi so gaye… aur ab mujhe hug bhi nahi kar rahe the… muh ghumaake so rahe the…”

He finally understood what she meant, and was surprised at the way she was crying, “darling… usme ro kyun rahi ho? Main neend me palat gaya hounga… jaan-bujhke nahi kiya…”

She drew back a bit to look at him, “iska matlab… aap naraaz nahi hai.”

“Isme naraazgi kaisi”, he soothed, “tumhe mood nahi the toh tumne mana kar diya… hota hai kabhi kabhi…”

She sniffed, her eyes wide, “maine jhooth bola tha…”

He smiled, “jaanta hun… mujhe tumhari aankhon me dekhte hi pata chal gaya tha.”

“Toh phir aapne kuch kaha kyun nahi?” She queried, “aap jaante phir bhi aisai so gaye… aapko pata tha na ke main aapko raat ko uthaungi… ya mujhe bura lagega…”

“Wahi toh baat hai na Naina”, he softly explained, “hamari shaadi ko ek saal hone aaya… Tumhare periods ke alawa bhi kya kabhi aisi raat nahi hui jab hum aisai so gaye ho? Sirf ek-dusre ko hug karke…”

She nodded, “haan… par…”

He interrupted, “woh raate konsi thi?”

Her brows furrowed, “umm… jab aap office ke kaam ke wajah se thak jaate the… ya… uh… hum koi movie dekhte-dekhte so gaye shayad…”

He shook his head, “ek raat movie dekhte-dekhte so gaye… baaki bas wahi ek hi wajah hai… jab bhi naa bola hai maine bola hai… tumne aaj pehli baar bola… jaanta hun tum aaj mazaak kar rahi thi… Lekin main chahta tha ke tum samjho ke naa kehneka haq tumhe bhi hai… Jab shaadi hui tab tumne waqt liya na rishte ko aage badhane me? Toh ab naa bolke tumhe bura kyun lag raha hai…”

She seemed to be bit puzzled by what he said, “mujhe pata hai main naa bol sakti hun… Par aaj bas aisai mazaak kiya aur aap so gaye toh mujhe laga ke shayad aapko bura laga… Ya aap naraaz ho gaye… Yaad hai peechle mahine Preeti ki shaadi ki taiyariyo ke waqt ek raat hum dono thak gaye the aur aisai so gaye… Lekin phir aapne aadhi raat ko mujhe uthaya aur kaha ke aapko neend theek se nahi aa rahi… aur… umm…”

He chuckled, “kamaal hai na… tum abhi bhi yeh word bolte hue sharmati ho… Haan, uss raat aisa hua tha… toh tumhe laga ke aaj bhi aisa hoga? Aur jab maine kuch nahi kiya toh tumhe laga ke main bura maan gaya?”

She nodded. He thought for a moment, and then gasped, “ek minute… iska matlab… tum kehna chahti ho ke aisi ek bhi raat nahi hui jab tumhe man nahi hua lovemaking ka… yaa tumne naa bolna nahi chaha…”

She smiled, “mujhe naa bolna hota toh main bol deti… Aapse kyun chupaati… Jo insaan shaadi ki pehli raat ko ek nayi dulhan ki haalat ko samajhta ho, jo intezaar karneko taiyar ho, jo apni biwi ko pressurize naa karne ke liye dosto ka diya hua special gift chupa deta ho, jo ek ladki ko yeh ehsaas dila sakta ho ke woh uske nazar me kitni khoobsurat hai… Aise insaan se mujhe kuch bhi bolne me jhijhak kyun hogi… Aur main aapko jaanti hun Sameer, toh itna nahi samjhungi aapke baare me.”

He felt immense satisfaction and happiness spread through his heart. He hadn’t known the norms of falling in love or being married, but on hearing her confidently tell him about her thoughts of him, he knew that he had succeeded in being the husband she would want in her life. At the same time he felt a surge of male pride at the knowledge that his wife wanted him so much that she had never wanted to say no to lovemaking. Lifting his hand, he used his fingers to push her hair back from her cheek, “waise… maine aaj bhi condom chupa diya tha, jab tumne naa bola…”

Her smile widened, “kahan chupaya yaad hai?”

He grinned recalling how she had asked him the same question on the morning after they had made love for the first time, “haan yaad hai…”

“Good… ek minute”, she signaled, and then moved to turn on the bed lamp on her side too.

He asked in confusion, “woh wala kyu chalu kiya?”

A slow sensual lopsided smirk curved her lips, “kyunki mujhe aapko theek se dekhna hai…” He gaped at her in surprise for a moment and then something intense glittered deep in his eyes, as she grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and lifted it off his head. She climbed up onto his lap, cupping his face, and kissed him. He groaned, his eyes fluttering shut in pleasure at the sudden deep kiss from her… He had thought she would kiss his face, or maybe start with a soft kiss, but no… Dammit… He slid his hand down her body, moving over her curves, and as soon as she parted from the kiss, he stripped off her night dress top… She came back to his face, kissing his cheek and whispered in his ear, “sorry… aaj maine nightie nahi pehna…”

“Koi farq nahi padta”, he muttered, and truly after a minute when he rolled placing her on the bed, it didn’t matter at all because every restraining barrier of clothes had disappeared. He took his own sweet time to kiss down her body, a thrilling sensation coursing through his spine at her each demanding moan, at each needy scrape of her nails. His mouth trailed over her body so slowly that she felt as if he was punishing her, but then she pushed him onto the bed and returned the favor, feeling a surge of power when he squirmed under her hands and mouth. None of them checked the time, or thought about sleeping, as his mouth trailed tiny bites over her shoulder. She whimpered, “Sameer….”

He smiled a bit as he knew what that tone meant… Thrusting his hand beneath the pillow he looked for the condom he had hidden, tore the pack open, and then slipped it on. She looked at him with dazed half open eyes, her hands clinging onto his back as he parted her legs and entered her slowly… She arched, welcoming him in her body with a loud moan of his name, surprised at the sense of immense satisfaction and relief she felt each time when they met like this. Her legs tightened around him, her body opening up fully for him, her hands moving restlessly over his back… His eyes were focused on her face, and he was aware of the exact moment she would reach her peak, because her eyes would squeeze shut, her lips would quiver, she would repeatedly utter his name and then her entire body would clench around him. Seeing her pleasure always made him reach his own completion, as if even in that one moment when the world totally faded from their conscious he needed to be with her.

Ten minutes later when he came back from his customary trip to bathroom, she nuzzled in his arms, “subah ke teen baj gaye.”

He drew the quilt over them, “teen baje subah nahi, raat hoti hai… so jao…” He had almost dozed off, content with lovemaking, but before deep sleep could pull him in he heard her soft murmur, “theek hai… subah hogi tab wapas uthaungi.” He glanced down at her once in surprised, smiled, kissed the top of her head, and then fell asleep knowing the his wife’s promise meant that he was going to get an early morning treat.

The next day was truly an actual honeymoon according to Sameer. Just like that one day in Mussoorie when they had barely stepped out of their room, this time too they stayed inside. True to her word she had woken him up early in the morning, and when he had grumbled about lack of sleep, she persisted until he was too far gone to even think of sleep. After she showered, he was surprised to see her come out dressed up in a black shirt of his, and he had queried, “yeh kyun pehna?”

She had come closer, flicked her hair sprinkling droplets of water on him, and her eyes shone with confidence as she said, “kyunki aaj hum kahin bahar nahi jaa rahe.”

His eyes had widened upon realizing the implication, “wow… Aur breakfast? Neeche buffet hota hai na…”

She sat down on the bed, in-front of him, sliding one leg over another, giving him a tantalizing view of her thighs, “main room me order karu toh aapko koi aitraaz? Woh kya hai na… sirf yeh shirt pehenke main neeche nahi jaa sakti… aur iske alawa aur kuch pehenne ka mera mood nahi hai…”

He licked his lips, “great idea… main… uh… main nahake aata hun…”

As he slid off the bed, she caught his hand, biting her lower lip, “kapde bathroom me rakh diye hai… jaldi aana…”

“Dus minute bas”, he muttered and rushed into the bathroom. To his surprise she had just kept a track pant in the bathroom, and he grinned while showering, thinking how splendid the day would be. By the time he was done, she had arranged the bed a bit, and was sitting on the sofa, flipping through the available channels. When she saw him, she smiled, “breakfast order kar diya hai… aata hi hoga…”

He leaned down, slipping his hand in her damp hair, and pulled her upright for a kiss. She hummed, wrapping her hand around his neck. However before he could deepen the kiss, the doorbell rang, and he muttered a curse. She chuckled, “koi baat nahi… poora din hai… jaiye breakfast leke aaiye… aur haan… t-shirt pehenke darwaza kholna.”

He slipped on a white t-shirt watching in confusion as she went inside the bathroom once again. Shrugging, he opened the door, signed the bill and then took the breakfast trolley inside, bit surprised when the waited said, “ummeed hai madam ko chai pasand aayegi… warna phone karke bataiyega wapas bana denge.”

He rolled the trolley to the coffee table, and checked what all she had ordered. The tea pot revealed proper milk tea, instead of the usual black tea with milk on side, and the steam wafting from it hinted of ginger. Just then Naina came out, and he asked, “yeh chai aaj alag hai…”

She smiled, “adrak wali hai?” He nodded, and her smile widened, “aap t-shirt utaariye, main breakfast table pe lagati hun…”

He obliged, stripping off the t-shirt but teased, “shirtless hoke khana zaroori hai yahan pe?”

She flashed a cheeky grin, “jee bilkul… wifey demands hai…”

“Phir toh manna hi padega”, he chuckled, “ab chai ka raaz bataogi? Waiter specially bolke gaya hai ke madam ko pasand naa aaye toh dobara bana denge.”

She laughed, serving a aloo-paratha in both the dishes, and then started to butter the toast, “maine hotel ke brochure me dekha tha ke yahan teen bade conference rooms hai…”

He frowned in confusion, dividing the sandwich, “toh?”

“Toh mujhe pata chal gaya ke inke kaafi guests business wale hote honge”, she informed, “maine unko pehle request kiya adrak wali chai ke liye… achche se bola… par jab woh log ade rahe ke yahan waisi chai nahi ban sakti toh maine unko bola ke mere husband bahot bade business man hai jo agle saal bahot baar Darjeeling aane wale hai business trips pe… Lekin yahan ki chai mujhe pasand nahi hai toh soch rahi hun ke unko bolungi ke agli baar se koi aur hotel dekhe… Aur apne poore staff ko bhi dusra hote hi recommend kare.”

He choked on his paratha, “kya? Tumne unko dhamki di…? Naina… mera toh yahan business bhi nahi hai…”

She shrugged, “hota toh? Aap aate hi naa baar baar… aur saath me mujhe le aate… aur main aise hotel me nahi rahungi jo guest ke request karne pe bhi ek cup achchi chai banake nahi de sakte.”

“Thaat hai tumhare”, he shook his head, amused and surprised at what she did.

She poured out cups of tea, took a sip from her own, and then frowned, “maine galat kiya na? Mujhe jhooth nahi bolna chahiye tha… Bechare hotel walo ki kya galti jab logo ko hi vilayti chai status symbol lagta hai… 5-star hotels masala chai ya adrak wali chai rakhne lage toh sab samjhenge ke middle class type log hi aate honge… Unko phone karke sorry bol du?”

He smiled, touched by her innocence, “nahi… koi zaroorat nahi hai… chai wakai me achchi banake di hai… Ek kaam karenge… Main check-out ke waqt room-service staff ke liye achchi wali tip add kar dunga.”

That assured her a bit, and they finished breakfast amid conversation. Once the breakfast trolley was cleared, they sat down to watch a movie, her head on his shoulder as he sat with his arms extended on the back of sofa. The movie was old, but entertaining, and when a romantic song came, she grabbed his hand demanding to dance. Surprised he stood up, swaying with her, his skin tingling with her breath as she reached up and whispered, “condoms kitne bache hai?”

He replied, “do box… matlab 6.”

“Hmmm”, she mused, “aur hume yahan se kal dopahar ko nikalna hai, kyunki raat ki train hai aur parso subah ki flight… theek hai… ek ya do piece bachega Ahmedabad ke liye.”

He was speechless for a full minute and then asked, “har honeymoon pe ek din kuch ho jaata hai kya tumko? Adrak wali chai toh Ahmedabad me bhi peeti ho… Wahan toh aisa nahi karti…”

She chuckled, sliding her hand up his chest and shoulders, pulling him down for a kiss. Needless to say the rest of the movie was forgotten. They ate, slept, talked, watched bits and pieces of movies, played made-up games, hummed songs, sat near the balcony watching the sunset, and made love… None of them felt the need to be in touch with outside world and Sameer started thinking about what would be the next phase in their life.

A day later in the flight she slept soundly cocooned in his arms, and he kept thinking about the difference in his life before and after marriage. The peace and contentment he felt each day in his life now was so contrasting to the constant need of finding something new and adventurous before his wedding. He lived for the thrill of winning a new contract, he found amusement in watching movies in theatre, he wanted to go outside frequently to eat… But in the months since he had been married he had changed… He still liked eating outside, but he had started to realize the comfort of home-cooked food; he still liked watching movies in theatre with his friends, but a movie at home with his wife cuddling in his arms was much better that first day first show of blockbuster Friday; he still felt the thrill of winning new business, but the sight of her pleasure offered him a much bigger thrill. He realized now what Nanu used to tell him earlier… Naina was not just his wife, but also an essential part of his life, his emotional support system, and also the force behind him wanting to be better. She had brought stability in his life that had been missing previously.

The next few days in Ahmedabad were full of family and friends. Preeti and Pandit also returned from their honeymoon, and a small get-together was organized at Pandit’s home for all the friends. True to Naina’s word, there were only two condoms left when they checked-out of the hotel, and so Sameer bought new stock, which to his surprise didn’t make Naina blush anymore. Chachiji gently enquired Naina about her plan to have a child and that she shouldn’t delay much as people would start talking. Naina listened to everything, but didn’t think much of it. A week later Diwali celebrations were held in Maheshwari mansion, the decoration was not less than a wedding because it was Naina’s first Diwali. Sameer was astounded at the amount of snacks she had managed to prepare, and kept munching throughout the day. Diyas were lighted, firecrackers were lit, and then when the night came Sameer and Naina sat in their room’s balcony watching the distant display of occasional fireworks.

The coming month brought a surprise to their doorstep as a man came to meet “Naina Agarwal” at the Maheshwari mansion. He said that seven months ago a manuscript of stories had been sent to their publishing house but they had shelved it for some internal reasons, however a revisit of inventory had brought that manuscript to forth and now they wanted to publish it. Naina was astounded to see her stories, the ones they had written in the journal… that… Sameer had taken… She remembered he had taken it from her when he had come to meet her for wedding, and then returned it to her after wedding. He hadn’t told her anything about publishing… But now when she asked he accepted that he had sent it under her maiden name not wanting to use any influence of Maheshwari name, and hoped for the best, but when there had been no reply he had not uttered a word about it.

Naina felt as if she was living in some dream world, as the terms for publishing were discussed, a contract was signed. Nanu and Sameer were ecstatic and invited over the Agarwals to celebrate the occasion. And in that party Chachiji asked Naina if she can come over to stay for a couple of days. And so Sameer had to face another trying time of staying without Naina, but this time after two days, he landed straight at Agarwal house after office. Chachiji opened the door and was surprised to see him, “damadji… aap yahan? Aaiye, aaiye… andar aaiye…”, and then hollered, “Naina… beta bahar aa…”

Naina came outside, yawning a bit, “kya hua Chachiji?” Then she spotted her husband, “Sameer… aap yahan…? Kya baat hai?”

Bela went to bring water, and Naina made Sameer sit on the sofa, “bataiye na… kya baat hai.”

“Ek client deal me thodi problem ho gai”, he confided, “humne consignment bheja tha lekin truck beech me kisi wajah se late ho gaya. Toh jinke consignment tha ab woh log accept karne se mana kar rahe hai, aur payment bhi nahi denge bol rahe hai.”

She held his hand, “aapne baat ki?”

He sighed, “haan hum sabne ki… Bahot purane client hai toh ab Nanu wahan gaye hai.”

She queried, “kahan?”

“Moradabad”, he informed.

She gasped in shock, “Uttar Pradesh!? Kab gaye? Aapne mujhe bataya bhi nahi…”

He drank water, “abhi thodi der pehle ki train thi… Unko chodke hi aa raha hun… Sorry Naina, subah se sab itna busy tha ke dhyan hi nahi raha.”

She consoled him, “aap chinta mat kijiye… sab theek ho jayega. Aap bethiye, main chai banake laati hun, phir ghar chalte hai.”

Bela interrupted, “beta… ek baat bolu?”

Sameer smiled, “jee kahiya na chachiji… Maaf karna main aisai bina bataya aa gaya.”

“Bhagwaan jhooth na bulaaye damadji”, Bela said, “aapka hi ghar hai… Main toh yeh keh rahi thi ke aaj ki raat aap yahin ruk jaiye… Kal savere Naina ko leke jaana. Aaj yahan sabke saath rahenge toh aapko bhi achcha lagega.”

Naina smiled, “haan achcha idea hai… Waise bhi hum aaj shaam ko dalwade aur raat ko paneer ke parathe banane wale the.”

He chuckled, “mujhe khane ka lalach deneki zaroorat nahi hai… tum jahan ho main wahan rehne ko taiyar hun. Par mere paas kapde nahi hai…”

Bela softly laughed, “koi baat nahi damadji… Aap Arjun ke kapde pehen lijiyega.”

That evening was merry as everyone tried their best to cheer Sameer up. The food was delicious, the conversations merry; Sameer forgot the tension for some time. However once they retired in their room, he started to worry again, “pata nahi Nanu ne khaya hoga ke nahi… Train ka khana pasand nahi aaya unko toh? Kal subah pahochenge…”

“Fikar mat kijiye”, she assured, “maine shaam ko Ramdhari bhaiya ko phone kiya tha toh uhone bataya ke jaisai aapne unko bola tha Nanaji ka samaan pack karne ko, unhone kapde, davaiyo ke saath saath khana aur thoda sukha nashta bhi pack kar diya. Nanaji ko bilkul taklif nahi hogi…”

He sighed in relief, “thank you Naina… mere dimag se hi nikal gaya tha ke Ramdhari ne inn baato ka dhyan rakha hoga.”

“Koi baat nahi” , she tugged at his hand, “chaliye so jaate hai.”

They freshened up, and then settled on bed, and as soon as Naina turned the light off, he pulled her to him, “I missed you darling…”

She smiled, nuzzling in his arms, “I love you too…”

He chuckled, cupping her face, and kissed her. She responded immediately, opening up to him, deepening the kiss. However, when his hand slipped beneath her top, she grabbed his hand, “suniye… umm… aaj rehne de?”

He kissed her nose, “kya hua?”

She bit her lip, “uh… main awaaz nahi rok paati… Yahan koi sunn lega toh…”

He pouted, “control nahi kar paogi?”

She shook her head, “mujhe hosh hi nahi rehta…”

“Samajh nahi aa raha iss baat pe khush houn ya dukhi”, he sighed, “chalo koi nahi… kamsekam mere baaho me toh aa jaao.” She giggled and inched closer, kissing his chest, and slowly they both fell asleep.

The next day, Nanu called early in morning to let them know that he had safely reached. They went back to their home, that day, and by that evening they were relieved to know that the problem with the client was sorted. Nanu mentioned that he would stay for some paper work and then return in two days. All was well once again in their own world, and life settle into a normal rhythm.

Meanwhile December turned to January, and discussions for Swati’s wedding started. The friends were tensed at how to tell the families that Swati and Munna liked each other. Everyone tried to think, but no one could come up with an idea for several days. And Swati had to start meeting other boys, even though she didn’t want it. She refused two prospects under some pretext or another, and luck was with her as the boys’ family also refused for some reason. But one day as the friends met again to come up with some idea, Swati jovially informed that she had chosen a boy from the photographs her mother showed, and her parents were talking with panditji for the alliance. Munna was shocked, as was everyone else, there was a silence of few minutes and then everyone started to talk at the same time.

Swati laughed, “aree ek minute… ek minute… pehle ladke ki photo toh dekhlo…”

And to everyone’s surprise she produced Munna’s photograph from her purse. Munna gasped, “yeh photo toh meri mummy ne khinchwayi thi shaadi ke biodata ke saath dene ke liye.”

Swati nodded, “haan… panditji jitney ladko ki tasveer deke gaye the usme se yeh bhi ek thi… Toh maine pasand karli… Ab rishta aayega tumhare ghar toh tum bhi haan bol dena… Phir milne ka tay karenge.” Munna hugged her in excitement, and the two couples coughed, teasing them. Exactly a week later they got the news that Swati’s wedding was fixed in a reputed family with some boy named Manoj, and the best part was he worked in Maheshwari industries and was friends with the owner. The news brought immense happiness, and the roka function was organized on the day after Sankranti. The two days in mid-January were filled with celebrations of first kite festival and delicious food. Sometimes Sameer felt a bit astonished at how his world had expanded from just having Nanu, Munna and Pandit with him to suddenly include so many people.

Another month passed, and the publisher office called to let them know that the book would be ready soon to release and asked them if they had a preferred date. Naina immediately chose the date to be in March, their first wedding anniversary. Sameer liked the idea, and he also added that they should throw a party to celebrate the occasion. Nanu agreed as well, but Naina requested to not turn it into a big event, and that they can hold it at their home with their friends and family. Sameer and Nanu both agreed to that. Sometime later when Nanu went out for his evening walk, Sameer caught his wife by her waist and pulled her to him, “anniversary pe kya gift chahiye?”

“Mujhe toh mera gift mil gaya”, she replied, “ek aisa sapna jo main kabhi dekhne ki bhi himmat nahi ki thi, par aapne woh poora kar diya. Maina toh bas kahaniya likhne ki azaadi chahti thi, aapne ne mere shauk ko ek naam de diya.”

He kissed her forehead, “tum deserve karti ho, isiliye yeh sapna poora hua… Khair… tumhara gift toh ho gaya… Mera gift mujhe nahi dogi?”

She smiled, “kahiye kya chahiye?”

He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “anniversary ke din party ke baad, raat ko bataunga…”