Always and Forever
Part - 15: Clean Bowled

The December morning cold was threatening to drop down to levels as never before, people moved around bundled up even within the office. Papers shuffled, phone rang, a fax machine whirred, the sounds of keyboard clicks echoed from the proud owners of the few cabins and computers. However, every sound ceased as the tune of melodious whistling floated in the air. The people ranging from 20 to 60 years old looked up in surprise, at their boss. The man who was known for his stubborn attitude and fierce temper, was whistling the tune of “yeh raaten, yeh mausam“, and his gait had an extra spring. Several pairs of startled eyes followed, as he climbed up the stairs, and disappeared inside his cabin.

Munna, standing near the personnel head, chuckled on seeing his friend in such a good mood, and decided to pursue the matter. He came upstairs to find Gayatri also sitting in a surprised state. When she saw Munna, she asked in disbelief, “sir seeti baja rahe the?”

Munna grinned, “maine bhi suna aur dekha. Wahi puchne aaya hun.”

Gayatri signalled him all the best, and got back to her work. Munna opened the cabin door, and saw Sameer standing near the window, his face lifted to the sunlight, eyes closed as if he was savouring the warmth. “Kya baat hai yaar? Aaj bada khush hai”, Munna came near him.

Sameer turned to him with a bright smile, “haan, woh to hun. Lekin tujhe kaise pata?”

Munna chuckled, and whistled the same tune Sameer was whistling minutes ago. Sameer looked perplexed, “aree… seeti kyun baja raha hai?”

Munna laughed, “yaar, thodi der pehle niche ke saare log bhi yahi soch rahe the, ke aaj Sameer Maheshwari seeti kyun baja raha hai.”

“Main?”, Sameer asked confused, then he recalled that he had been whistling since morning, and turned red at the thought of his employees having heard him.

Munna slapped his friend on his back, as he continued laughing, “iss khushi ka raaz bhabhi hi hogi, woh to pata hai. Par jahan tak mujhe pata hai tu kal raat ko 10 baje tak office me tha. To uske baad se leke aaj subah tak me aisa kya hua ke janaab ke andaaz itne badal gaye.”

Sameer tried to hide his blooming smile. He couldn’t believe it yet that he had spent the whole night with Naina. He had almost backed out, but thank God he hadn’t been able to stay away from her. She literally took his breath away. His fantasies about her bare back on seeing those blouses, was nothing compared to the real view he had been blessed with. He looked down at his hand, that had touched the smooth skin, made her tremble and shiver in his arms, he felt as if he could still feel the buttery texture on his fingers. He had also touched her breast, though over the fabric of her bra, but her response had seared him. If she could moan and gasp just with his touch, what would she do when he would kiss her, when he would make love to her? All these years, he had known, he had been sure, that there was a sensuous side to his Naina. But he had no idea that she could be an inferno that had the capability to consume him, reduce him to ashes. The way she had pulled him to her for the kiss, not appreciating his holding back, he had no option, no choice but to surrender. Her comfort level astounded him. He had hoped to make progress before their marriage, in his mind, according to his plans, he had thought of a few rounds of kissing, maybe venture a little further than kissing. But what was happening between them was playing havoc with his control. Whenever she was in his arms, she shed her inhibitions and pushed his limitations. The way she twisted and arched, he longed to pleasure her more and more until she would come apart in his arms. Oh, how would he wait until their wedding?

“Oye!”, an exclamation and another slap on his back from Munna, brought Sameer out of his erotic recollections.

He turned back to his friend, “sorry, kuch soch raha tha.”

Munna sniggered, “woh to dikh hi raha hai. Achcha ek baat bata, shaadi tak ruk payega na?”

Sameer’s eyes widened – were his thoughts so visible on his face? Munna doubled over in laughter, and Sameer realized that his friend was just teasing him. He tried to maintain a neutral face, “bas kar. Main to Rohan ke baare me soch raha tha.”

Munna laughed even more, “nai nai… aisa mat bol. Bhabhi ko bura lagega agar unko pata chala ke tere gaal Rohan ke baare me sochke laal tamatar jaise ho rahe the.”

Sameer ignored him, and the blush creeping up his cheeks again, and went and sat on his chair, intending to become Munna’s boss again. Munna wiped his eyes, still grinning, thinking that he needed to share this bit of information with Pandit as soon as he returned from Mumbai.

“Banglore consignment ka kya status hai?”, Sameer asked picking up a file.

Munna sobered, and took the chair in front of Sameer, “bilkul sahi time pe chal raha hai. Koi problem nahi hai.”

Sameer nodded, and then both the friends were immersed in work. However, Sameer’s thoughts did stray back to Naina’s demand. Had he heard her right? Had she really demanded to see him without a shirt? He was also getting more and more curious about her knowledge. What did she know? How much? The blush tinging her cheeks when they had talked about the glass of milk had told him she had some idea. But how? And another thing that was confusing him was how and when had she realized about the things he had been doing in college. She had so perfectly recognized his intentions, but again how and when. Not in college for sure. She had been completely clueless about the reason behind his demands. But, now she knew. Was that when she had understood that he wanted to kiss her? There was a vital need for answers now.

After Munna left, Gayatri called up and informed him that his school principal was on the line, Sameer received the call, “Good Morning Sir.”

“Good Morning Sameer”, Principal sir wished, “woh darasal, kuch paper pe tumhare sign chahiye the, trustee meeting me time hai toh maine socha phone karke puchlu.”

Sameer thought for a moment, “agar sirf sign ki hi baat hai toh yahan bhijwa dijiye, warna koi kaam hai to main Naina ko kehta hun woh aa jayegi.”

Principal sir smiled, “nahi nahi…koi kaam nahi hai. Main papers bhijwa dunga. Waise iss baar bhi trustee meeting me Naina aayegi kya? Peechli baar usne saara maamla aise sambhala ke main to dang reh gaya.”

Sameer frowned, “kaisa maamla? Kya hua tha?”

Principal sir informed him of the entire incident that had transpired in the school last month. How the parents had complained against Rakesh’s atrocities, how Rakesh had tried to use his name, how Naina had confronted her father, and how she had resolved the matter. Sameer breathed hard, astounded at the information. Somehow, he managed to finish talking to Principal sir. His brain whirled. Naina. His Naina. Since when did she become so brave to stand up to her father? For him. She had done this for him. Why hadn’t she told him? How had she done it? The need to talk to her was urgent.

At the other end in Agarwal household, Naina stood in the kitchen preparing lunch. As she stirred the dal, her mind drifted to last night. After Sameer had left in morning, she had straightened the bed, slightly shocked by the condition it was in. How did the bedsheet twist like that? How did one pillow land up on the floor? And why was the blanket hanging half off the bed? She had quickly looked around the room to make sure that no traces of last night was left for prying eyes of her family. While taking her bath, she had also checked for any new marks on her body, but luckily, there weren’t.

Had Sameer really touched her breast? She inhaled sharply; just the thought brought back the sensations of his thumb rubbing her peak. Oh God. She gripped the countertop, trying to control her wandering mind. How had she gained so much courage? Why hadn’t she stopped him even once? Did she want him to stop? What did he want? Even as her mind raced with questions, she recalled that he had stopped. She had been much too gone, lost in the sensations he awoke in her. The empty ache inside her had worsened, and she hadn’t known how to soothe it. She had wanted… something. She wasn’t sure exactly what? And she didn’t know how to stop that ache. Did he know? Of course he did. She was sure he did. He had withdrawn his hand, zipped up her dress, held her in his arms. He had rubbed her back, calming her. With increased wonder, she realized that he had understood the turmoil within her. Is that why he had stopped? Had she done something to make him stop? Had he thought that she wasn’t ready to go further? Or was there any other reason? She needed some answers from him.

“Bela… aree o Bela”, Taiji’s voice sounded down the living room, and Naina almost rolled her eyes. Since today morning, Taiji had been hollering about homemade beauty treatments, telling how Naina needed all the whole of two months to look decent on the day of her marriage. She had been coming up with ideas of different masks, till now a turmeric-milk face pack, and a neem face pack, had made entry. She believed that now the third suggestion was ready.

“Ji Bhabhiji”, Bela replied, almost sighing aloud.

Taiji came in and sat down, “chandan aur shehed wala bhi bana dena, twacha ke rang ke liye achcha rahega.”

Bela continued shelling peas, “bhagwaan jhuth na bulaye bhabhiji, ab itne saare ubtan Naina kaise lagayegi? Pure din bethe rehna padega.”

“Oh bai”, Taiji popped some from peas in her mouth, “main to bachchi ke bhale ke liye keh rahi thi. Ab apni shaadi ke din aise dikhegi to kaise chalega? Bholuram ke saath jachna bhi to chahiye na.”

Naina gripped the spatula bit tighter, the conversation fading, her thoughts straying from Sameer to herself. Was Taiji right? Wouldn’t she look pretty with Sameer on their wedding day? No, no. She shouldn’t think like that. How many times had Sameer said that she looked beautiful? She should remember that.

At Maheswari Industries, the phone rang shrilly in the early evening, and Sameer picked it up, “Hello.”

“Hi Bhai”, Rohan said from the other side.

Sameer frowned, “Rohan, tum iss waqt.”

“Haan”, Rohan hesitated slightly, “sorry bhai. Aapko kaam ke beech me pareshan kiya par khushi ki baat thi toh raha nahi gaya.”

“Naukri mil gai?”, Sameer sat up straight.

Rohan smiled, “haan. Government college me mila hai. Lekin Mumbai me.”

“Congratulations”, Sameer wished happily. Ever since, Rohan had talked to Sameer about his job, he had been applying to various colleges on Sameer’s advice.

“Thanks Bhai”, Rohan sighed, “Par ab aage kya? Mujhe next term se join karne ko bola hai, yaane ke summer vacations ke baad.”

Sameer checked his calendar, “thike. Ab tak bahot time hai. Lekin ghar pe baat abhi karni hogi. Main mangalvaar ko Delhi aa raha hun ek hafte ke liye, apne kaam se, tabhi ghar pe baat karlunga.”

Rohan felt relieved to know that his bhai would be here, “yaane mangalvaar ke baad yahan jung chidegi. Aur bhabhi?”

Sameer frowned, “Naina ka kya?”

“Aap ek hafte unse dur kaise rahenge?”, Rohan teased.

“Jaise tu Preeti se reh raha hai”, Sameer chuckled.

Rohan blushed, “aap bhi na bhai. Kabhi mereko chedna bandh nai karte”, then added, “waise ek aur news hai aapke liye.”

“Kya?”, Sameer enquired.

“Mummy aur Dadi ke beech me bhabhi ko leke jhagda ho gaya”, Rohan informed in hushed tones.

Sameer was perplexed, “Naina ko leke jhagda? Kyun?”

Rohan dropped his voice, as if he was passing on a secret information, “Mummy Ahmedabad aake khaas lucknowi tailor ke paas se bhabhi ka shaadi ka joda silvana chahti hai. Aur, Dadi ka kehna hai ke kahin se readymade joda kharid lena thik rahega.”

Sameer rolled his eyes, “khaas silvaya hua ho ya readymade ho, Naina har jode me utni hi khubsurat lagegi. Lekin jahan baat hamari shaadi ke jode ki hai, Naina ke liye sabse best wala hi hoga, aur uske liye Mummy Ahmedabad aana chahti hai, toh main dekhta hun unhe kaun rokta hai.”

Rohan giggled, knowing too well, that his bhai will choose nothing but the best for his bhabhi. “Achcha, ab main rakhta hun. Dadi ghar pe hi hai. Bye”, Rohan whispered and disconnected.

Sameer kept down the receiver, and smiled. Wedding costume for Naina. He hadn’t really thought of what kind would suit on Naina. What colour? Red. Definitely red. But were there more varieties? Style, colour, material, design. How to know which one was best? Most importantly, what did Naina want? Maybe he could ask her when they met again. Tomorrow. He would meet her tomorrow somehow. He couldn’t wait one day more.

That night, Preeti talked to Rohan for more than an hour, while Naina waited impatiently for her chance. When she was done, Preeti jumped up and hugged Naina, telling her about Rohan’s job, and also that Sameer was going to Delhi to talk to his family. Naina was surprised, “Sameer Delhi jaa raha hai? Kab?”

“Mangalvaar ko”, Preeti informed, “ek minute. Jijaji ne tujhe bataya nahi?”

Naina shook her head, “bhul gaya hoga shayad.”

Preeti giggled, looping an arm around her sister’s shoulder, “haan, bhul hi gaye honge. Waise bhi jab bhi tujhse milte hai teri aankhon me kho jaate hai”, she teased, and then prodded, “achcha ek baat bata, uss din jab ghar pe shaadi ke hall ko leke hungama hua aur jijaji aaye, tab tu bada chipak rahi thi unse. Itni nazdeekiya kab badhi? Aur badhi to mujhe kyun nahi bataya?”

Naina blushed, “tu pagal hai kya. Uss din main kitna pareshan thi, isiliye dhyan nahi diya.”

“Jhuthi”, Preeti pinched her, “batana mujhe… Jijaji ne kiss kiya hai na tujhko.”

Naina tried to control her expressions, “nahi. Maine kaha na yeh sab shaadi ke baad. Aur ab tu jaa, mujhe Sameer se baat karni hai.”

Preeti clasped her hands on her heart, “haaye yeh pyaar ki tadap. Naina, tujhse asliyat me toh kuch hone se raha, kamsekam mere jijaji ko phone pe hi ek kiss de de.”

Naina picked up a cushion from the sofa, and threw it at Preeti, who dodged and ran away giggling. She quickly dialled Sameer’s number and waited for him to pick up.

“Hey Sweetheart”, Sameer wished as soon as he picked up.

Naina smiled, “agar Chachiji ya Taiji hoti toh?”

Sameer chuckled, sitting down, “toh unko pata chal jaata ke main apni biwi ko Sweetheart bulata hun.”

“Pitai ho jaati”, Naina teased.

He leaned back comfortably, “kuch nahi kar sakte, damad jo thehra. Ab bas shaadi hone do, fir dekho.”

“matlab?”, she enquired.

“Matlab, sabke saamne tumhare saath romance karunga”, he informed.

She blushed, “haww… besharam kahinke.”

He grinned, “Agarwal khandan me romance karna ho to besharam hi hona padega. Warna tumhari Taiji to shaadi ke baad bhi hume ek kamre me rehne naa de.”

She laughed, “aree waah… bade achche se jaante ho apni pyaari Taiji ko.”

“Kya tum bhi, Taiji Taiji ki rat laga rakhi hai”, he frowned, “itni raat ko Taiji ki baat karke mood mat kharab karo. Apni baat karo.”

She burrowed further into her shawl, “apni kya baat karu. Main to ghar pe hi thi pura din.”

He looked at her photo, “achcha ek baat batao. Naye wale saree ke blouses silvane nai gai?”

“Kal hi to kharida”, she said perplexed, “itni kya jaldi hai silvane ki?”

“Umm… kaise wale silvaogi?”, he quizzed.

She furrowed her brows, unable to understand why he was asking, “Sameer… tumhe blouse me itni dilchaspi kyun?”

He shifted uneasily, recollecting the smooth expanse of her back, “kal tumhare sareeya deliver karke gaye the, Asopalav se”, he paused, “blouse ke saath.”

Her breath caught. Oh God. It means he had seen the blouses she had ordered. She flushed at the thought of Sameer seeing the bold designs she had selected. It had taken her a lot of courage to pick those designs. Only the assurance that Taiji wouldn’t see them before their wedding had made her pick the pieces she had found appealing. But, she hadn’t thought that Sameer would see them.

“Kahan kho gai?”, his voice startled her.

She stammered, “ah… umm… kahin nai. Chalo achcha hai, sareeyan aa gai. Mummy ko bata dena.” She tried to divert the topic from blouses.

He chuckled, understanding what she was doing. But, this time he wasn’t ready to relent, “kaafi interesting designs select kiye hai tumne. Khaas karke woh laal wala sleeveless blouse. Soch raha hun ke jis din tum pehnogi uss din mera kya haal hoga.”

Her breathing increased, as she remembered his roaming hands. She cleared her throat, trying to keep her voice neutral, “umm… usme kya hai. Sirf blouse hi toh hai.”

He lowered his voice, making sure his desire was reflected, “tumhe kya pata ke woh blouse dekhke mera kya haal hua tha. Bas itna yaad rakhna ke kal to maine sirf haatho se chhua tha, jis din woh blouse pehnogi, uss din haath ke jagah mere hoth honge.”

She bit her lip, closing her eyes, “Sameer…”, she whispered, unable to control.

He jerked, his body reacting to her voice. God, this woman. Why does she have to utter his name like that? As if she was savouring every syllable. He swallowed, “Naina, hum kal mil rahe hai.”

A smile bloomed on her face, she couldn’t help it. He spoke as if he would take her with him tomorrow, doesn’t matter her family allowed it or not. But then, when it came to Sameer, he had bent every circumstance to his will since their Roka. As far as she was concerned, she would go with him, anytime he wanted, anywhere he wished. “Thike”, she agreed, knowing well that he would take care of the excuse and permissions.

He sighed, “aur suno, mangalvaar ko mujhe Delhi jaana padega.”

Naina also relaxed, “Pata hai. Rohan ke liye na?”

Samee frowned, “yeh Laila-majnu… main batau usse pehle tumhe bata dete hai.”

She laughed, “koi baat nahi. Kitne din ke liye jaoge.”

“Ek hafta. Business ka bhi kuch kaam hai”, he informed.

She immediately felt sad at the thought of not meeting him for a week. He understood, so added, “sorry Sweetheart. Hamari shaadi se pehle saare major contracts khatam karne ki koshish kar raha hun. Taaki hum honeymoon pe araam se jaa sake.”

She blushed, and giggled, “tum bhi na. Yeh koi sorry bolne ki baat nahi hai. Aur shaadi ke baad bhi, kaam ke liye to jaoge hi na.”

He smirked, “haan jaunga. Lekin tumhe saath leke. So Mrs. Maheshwari, alag alag jagah ghumneke liye taiyar rehna. Kyun main tumhare bina kahin nahi jaunga.”

She laughed, “achcha baba thike. Ab jao so jao, kaafi der ho gai hai. Kal milenge.”

He smiled, “hmm… okay… I love you Sweetheart.”

“I love you too”, she replied.

Next day after lunch, Naina was standing in front of the wardrobe, scanning through the clothes, deciding what to wear. Sameer had called up after breakfast, seeking permission from Chachaji, also adding that he would be in Delhi for one week. Preeti kept on teasing her, and Chachiji had also added her own bits, much to Chachaji’s amusement. She chose a magenta kurti to wear with her black jeans, and metallic dangle earrings, and tied up her hair in a loose ponytail, knowing that the rubber band wasn’t going to be in her hair for long. Lining her eyes with kajal, and choosing a plum lip-gloss to outline her lips, she wondered about the effect this colour would have on Sameer. She only had two glosses, both in shades of pink. But when Sameer was in Mumbai, she had gone shopping with Preeti and bought two more; a plum one that she was wearing now, and another was a light red one. She was just adding things to her purse, when she heard Taiji hollering again. Naina sighed, deciding to stay in the room until Sameer was here; she didn’t want to hear another lecture on beauty treatments.

Sameer came in sharp at 2pm, and was surprised to see Taiji standing at the door, usually by this time most of the people in Agarwal family would be in deep slumber. He wished all the members, his eyes searching for Naina.

Taiji eyed him suspiciously, “Oh bai, Bholuram… Tum aaj kal Naina ko bahot kaam se le jaa rahe ho? Aisa bhi kya kaam aata rehta hai tumko?”

Sameer smiled, “maine bataya tha na Taiji, renovation ka kaam chal raha hai. Aur Naina ne saare designs pasand kiye hai toh achcha hai na woh dekhle toh. Waise bhi ab main ek hafte ke liye Delhi jaunga, toh uss beech koi kaam pada toh Naina dekh sakti hai.”

Just then Preeti sauntered in, “jijaji…! Aap aa gaye, main abhi Naina ko bulake laati hun.”

Sameer grinned at the whirlwind that was his saali, how exactly did she fall for the calm and composed Rohan, he wondered. Taiji adjusted the box in her hand, “neva! Jab dekho tab toofan mail ki tarah bhaagti rehti hai. Bela, sambhaal zara apni ladki ko”, she turned to Sameer, “aur bholuram, tumne Naina ke pasand se ghar badalvaya… bhagwaan jaane kaisa bana hoga.”

Chachaji opened his mouth to intervene, but before that Sameer had spoken loud and clear, “Naina ka bhi ghar hai woh, to uski pasand meri pasand. Aur waise bhi, aapko shayad pata nahi hoga lekin uski pasand bahot achchi hai. Jab kaam khatam ho jayega, aap log dekhne zarur aana.”

Taiji was at loss of words, while Chachaji and Chachiji smiled. Not wanting to talk to Taiji anymore, he asked for a glass of water, and Chachiji fetched it. Taiji huffed, clutching the box tight, and tried to go past Sameer. Just then Naina came out, and smiled at him. He sucked in a deep breath on seeing the new tint on her lips, and his feet moved forward towards her on their own volition. Unfortunately, Taiji tripped on his feet, and yelped, breaking his trance. Sameer quickly gripped Taiji’s arm, and Chachaji lunged forward to help too, while the other ladies stood stunned. They managed to save Taiji from falling, but the box fell from her hands with a huge splintering crash.

Sameer closed his eyes, “shit.” Chachiji, Naina and Preeti looked at each other, trying to control their giggles, while Taiji was wailing over the broken ice-cream bowls that she had bought this morning at 50% discount, and came to show them to Bela to make her jealous. Chachaji was amused at the scenario, and didn’t know how to react, “aah… Sameer beta tum jao Naina ko lekar.”

Chachiji nudged Naina, and she immediately went to Sameer, gesturing him to come out. Sameer muttered an almost inaudible sorry, and fled from there. As they sat in the car, Naina started laughing, while Sameer lowered his head onto the steering wheel.

He turned his head to look at her, “har baar… har baar main kuch na kuch tod deta hun. Aisa chalta raha to Taiji mujhe ghar me ghusne nahi degi.”

She grinned, “kuch nahi hoga. Damad jo thehre.”

He shook his head, and started the car, driving out of the society, “yeh sab tumhari wajah se hota hai.”

“Maine kya kiya”, she asked innocently.

He frowned, slipping on his sunglasses, “zyada bholi mat bano. Kabhi aankh maarti ho, kabhi flying kiss, kabhi paanv lagati ho, aur aaj… aaj to naya lip gloss lagake aa gai. Main kaise control karta?”

She laughed on hearing the list of her crime, “hmm… ghar pe sabko bahot mazaa aata hai tumhari aisi harkate dekhke.”

He glanced at her, “tum ghar chalo… dikhata hun tumko.” She smiled, a sharp electric tingle running down her spine at his threat.

Sameer opened the door, guiding her inside, and she immediately went upstairs to check how much work was done. The bathroom in their room was a mess, the sink lying on the side, the tiles uprooted, paint scraped off the walls. She frowned as Sameer came up behind her, “yahan to sab tuta hua hai.”

He smiled, holding her by the waist, “haan, naya banane se pehle purana wala to todna padega na. Par filhaal mujhe bathroom me koi interest nahi hai.” He tightened his grip and turned her around, his eyes focused on her lips. He had it in his mind to talk to her first, get some answers. But before he could act or say something, Naina fell against him, her arms encircling his neck, pulling his lips down to meet hers.

He responded instinctively, holding her tight against him, meeting her need with his. With one hand, he sought the curve of her back, while the other plundered the softness of her hair, as he pulled out the rubber band. She tasted so good. She felt so good. He heard her whimper, heard himself whisper her name. Their tongues met, caressed. He felt his body’s potent response, and some part of him still capable of rational thought shouted that he should stop this; he should talk first. He lifted his mouth from her, breathing hard, “Naina, tumse baat karni hai.”

She buried against his chest, “kya hua?”

He cupped her face, tilting her head, “peechle mahine school me jo hua, mujhe bataya kyun nahi? Mujhe kal Principal sir ne bataya.”

Her eyes widened as she looked up at him, “umm… aisa kuch khaas nahi tha.”

“Khaas nahi tha?”, he asked incredulously, “tumhara aur Rakesh sir ka almost jhagda ho gaya, meri wajah se woh bhi… aur tum keh rahi ho khaas nahi tha?”

Naina looked up surprised, “Sameer, tum pagal ho kya. Koi jhagda nahi hua. Aur tumhari wajah se matlab? Papa aisai tumhara naam kharab kar rahe the, main chup-chap khadi rehti kya wahan pe.”

She pulled back from him, turning away as she recollected her father’s words, “woh keh rahe the ke koi unka kuch nahi bigad sakta kyunki tum unke honewale damad ho. Itni himmat kar bhi kaise sakte hai woh. Tum jab school me the toh kitni baar tumko usi baat pe taana maarte rahe, tum trustee ke navaase ho, toh fir ab woh kaise uss rishte ko istemaal kar sakte hai. Hamari shaadi ki itni si bhi khushi nahi hai unko, lekin Maheshwari naam zarur use karna hai apne kaam ke liye. Woh bhul gaye honge ke unhone tumhare saath kya kya kiya hai, main nahi bhul sakti.”

Sameer was surprised at her outburst. He went up to her, placing his hands on her shoulder, “mujhe koi farq nahi padta. Unke kuch kehne ya karne se main badalne wala nahi hun. Aur woh tumhare papa hai Naina.”

She turned to him, fire glistening in her eyes, “main jaanti hun. Itne saal yahi ummeed karti rahi ke kabhi woh bhi samjhenge ke main unki beti hun. Lekin uss din jab meri hi shaadi ko woh apne fayde ke liye istemaal karne lage to main samajh gai ke unke liye meri koi ehmiyat nahi hai. Beti, damad, sab kehneko hai. Dil me zara sa bhi pyaar hota to ek baar mere sir pe haath hi rakh dete, par nahi.”

His heart ached for her. He knew how much she had tried all these years to gain approval from her father, but nothing could melt the ice. He failed to understand how someone could not appreciate a daughter like Naina. He pulled her in his arms, hugging her close, “main samajhta hun. Par main hun na tumhare saath hamesha.”

She wrapped her arms around him, “jaanti hun Sameer. Tum hamesha mere saath rahe ho. Shayad ab waqt aa gaya tha ke main bhi tumhara saath du. After all, mere pati ka naam ab mera bhi toh haina.”

He smiled, kissing her hair, “waise mera ek aur sawaal hai. Kiss ke baare me tumhe kaise samajh aaya?”

She laughed, “tum bhul gaye Sameer… usse pehle tumko mere sawaal ka jawab dena hai.”

He drew back and grinned, “kuch nahi bhula. Lekin sabse pehle yeh yaad hai ke tumne mujhse kuch maanga tha… toh pehle tumhari woh khwaish puri kar deta hun.”

To her surprise, he completely withdrew from her, walked backwards about ten steps away from her, and started unbuttoning his shirt from the last button. She gasped, understanding what he was doing. Oh God. Her throat felt dry, her mouth parched, as he slipped buttons, one after the other, excruciatingly slow. She could now see the bare skin of his belly, the shirt open halfway, he wasn’t wearing a vest. Her courage flailed, and she turned back to face the wall. He grinned, and quickly opened the remaining buttons, removing his shirt, and dropping it to the floor. He walked up to her, “Naina.”

She closed her eyes, her hands clasped, her breathing ragged just at the thought of seeing Sameer without a shirt. He placed his hands on either side of her, on the wall, effectively caging her, and whispered, “dekhogi nahi mujhe?”

She shivered, tension coiling inside her, an unknown fire raging through her veins. He drew back one hand, and pushed aside her hair to one side, exposing her throat, and ducked down to trail kisses along the sensitive skin. She whimpered, collapsing backwards onto his chest. He caught her waist and turned her to face him, pushing her against the wall. Her eyes were closed; lips parted, the plum gloss smeared from their earlier kiss, a flush tinged her cheeks, enticing him to taste. He brushed his lips and fingers along the curve of one cheek, and removed the earring from her right ear. His tongue circled the whorl of her ear, then he sucked her earlobe into his mouth, and subconsciously her hands lifted to land on his chest.

She jerked and gasped, as if his bare skin had burned her, and she tried to withdraw, but he was quick. He caught her hands, placing them back on his chest, “aankhe kholo Naina.”

She shook her head in negative, and he chuckled, removing the other earring and sucked that earlobe too. “Sameer”, she moaned, as he came to her lips, tasting them one by one.

“Mmm…”, he nibbled at her lower lip, “sharmao mat. Pati-patni ke rishte me, ek dusre ko aise mehsoos karna, aur dekhna… khushi deta hai.”

He saw tiny lines of confusion appear on her forehead, and he knew that the curious side of his Naina would soon take over. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, and she looked at his face. He smiled, placing his hands back on the wall, so she couldn’t escape, and dropped a kiss on her forehead. Her eyes trailed down to the expanse of his broad chest, and she inhaled sharply. The answer to every question she had was right in front of her eyes. His chest hair wasn’t curly, but straight; it stretched in a diamond pattern across his chest, the muscles deep, and the soft hair tapered down a flat abdomen. She threaded the fingers of one hand through the hairs on his chest, and he closed his eyes, a groan erupting from him.

She looked up surprised to find his head thrown back, eyes closed, as if he was enjoying. Emboldened by his response, she moved to the left pectoral muscle. His skin felt warm, alive. Beneath her palm she could feel the rapid beating of his heart, a staccato rhythm, that matched the one beneath her breast.

He felt her lift, kiss his throat, timidly at first, then boldly, her lips hot against his skin. Her tongue traced a path across the sensitive skin of his neck. Her hands cautiously explored the muscles of his chest. Oh God. Yes. Unable to control, he grabbed her and covered her mouth with his. Naina felt as if she might faint. This was nothing like she had imagined. How could his kiss arouse different sensations each time? How could he kiss her like this? How could touching him like this make her feel as if she was melting inside? It seemed as if he could feel each breath, each shiver. Her hands trailed down to his belly, and she felt his muscles contract in response to her touch. He lifted his lips, drew a quick breath, and returned, drawing her tighter against him, his hands pressing into the flesh of her waist. She let her hands explore the planes of his back, as his tongue plundered her mouth.

He jerked his head back, his teeth gritted, as he tried to control his raging reaction. When he had removed his shirt to fulfil her wish, he hadn’t factored in the torment he was going to put himself through. Her finger still tracing the deep groove of spine at his back, she opened her eyes to see the feral intent look in his eyes, the one that conveyed the effect she was having on him. He shuddered as she smiled… it was the smile of Eve, of a woman just discovering her primal power.

She brought back her hands to his front, her fingers weaved through the mat of soft hair, traced the outline of his muscles, and the small black mark above his left nipple, “yeh kya hai?”, she whispered.

His breath caught, muscles tensing under her touch, “janam se hai.” He waited, wondering what she would do next. Would she kiss? To his extreme surprise however, she hugged him, rubbing her cheeks against his chest, and he calmed down instantly. Wrapping his hands around her, he smiled, revelling in her innocence and sweetness. He stood there with her in his arms, and could have done so for hours at end, there was no urgent need. Just feeling her pressed against him like this, her breath fanning his chest, was enough.

Few minutes later, he asked, “Naina…tum kya puchne wali thi?”

She hesitated for a moment, then slowly asked, “uss din raat ko… tum ruk kyun gaye? Maine kuch kiya tha kya?”

He pulled back in surprise, “nahi… woh to main khudko control kar raha tha. Taaki shaadi se pehle hum limit na cross kare.”

“Limit?”, she asked confused, “matlab? Humne jo kiya usse aage bhi hota hai?”

He gulped and nodded. She kept looking perplexed, “matlab maine jo books me padha usme aur bhi kuch tha…”, she murmured to herself.

His brows furrowed in confusion, “books? Kaisi books? Aur kya padha?”

She was silent for a moment, as if pondering over her thoughts, and then hesitantly asked, “Sameer… ek word hai… uska matlab samjhaoge?”

He nodded, “haan… bolo.”

She looked into his eyes, and blurted, “lovemaking kya hota hai?”

His eyes widened, his throat suddenly tight, and his legs trembled. Oh God. Was that her question? What should he do now? How to answer? He had hoped, wished, tried to introduce her to physical intimacy, and to his astonishment, she had taken to it like fish to water. But never in his wildest dreams had he thought that she would ask this question to him. He had thought he would introduce her to the relationship between man and woman, slowly moving stage by stage, and finally removing every barrier on their first night. But his temptress had clean bowled him on her first ball. He realized he was woefully unprepared to handle her question. How to explain lovemaking without actually making love to her?