Always and Forever
Part - 17: Revelation of Genesis

There was a stillness in the air, fog covered the surroundings outside, and the sun was yet nowhere to be seen. December in Delhi was grey, dull, and dreary. It had been two days since Sameer had come to Delhi, and he was already thoroughly bored. He had woken up early in the morning, for his work, and made himself a cup of coffee. He missed Naina, a lot.

As promised Naina had come to drop him off at the airport, and it had taken a major part of his iron control to not grab her and kiss her in front of everyone. If possible, he wouldn’t have come to Delhi, not after what had transpired between them at home. Her questions, demand for explanation, had as much elated him as they had stumped him. Though he hadn’t exactly been sure how to deal with her question, he was glad he had found a way to enlighten her. He had tried to back off, to stop at the point as soon as she had understood the meaning of lovemaking, but it had astonished him that she hadn’t let him go. Instead, she had pulled him back to her, and nearly shot his control through the roof. Each day to their wedding date now seemed a torment. When would he have her to himself? His Naina. Sweet, innocent, and naive. After their Roka, within a short span of time she had turned into a fiery temptress who challenged his control every minute.

He talked to her daily, yet it wasn’t enough. He recalled how she had been on the verge of tears when he had gone to drop her off, and also at the airport. He knew that even for her, it was now becoming impossible to stay away like this. Even amid her family, she missed him. It elated him, because he now knew that he held the utmost priority in her life. But, at the same time he felt a little sad too because the status of their relationship still hindered him from exercising his right on her fully. Else, he would never have come to Delhi without her. He had been working non-stop wanting to finish his work at maximum possible speed, so that he can go back to Ahmedabad, to her.

The family dynamics in Delhi, didn’t affect him anymore, but still annoyed him. Just last night, he had talked to Mr. Somani and his mother about Rohan’s job and passion. And as expected, there had been a huge uproar.

“Hamare khandan me aaj tak kisine naukri nahi ki”, Dadi had stated, “aur Rohan ko bhi kaam karne ki koi zarurat nahi hai.”

Mr. Somani had supported his mother, “haan, mummy bilkul thik keh rahi hai.”

Vishakha had remained silent, but Rohan had picked up courage on Sameer’s gesture and voiced that it was his wish to work as a professor, and he didn’t want to do business. Deepika had grinned and declared that professors were cool. After long lectures from Dadi, Mr. Somani had turned to his wife and demanded, “tum samjhao ise.”

Sameer didn’t have much hope from his mother. But, surprisingly she had solemnly stated, “agar Rohan ki yahi marzi hai to mujhe nahi lagta hume aitraaz hona chahiye. Aakhir yeh uski zindagi aur bhavishya ka sawaal hai.”

At this Dadi had turned on Vishakha, blaming her for such rebellious thoughts, and how she had been unable to control Sameer, her own son, who was now acting as a bad influence for Rohan and Deepika too. She had spitefully mentioned how first, Sameer had insisted on handling his business without Mr. Somani’s help, and then he was going to marry an ordinary middle-class girl who wasn’t even beautiful. It hadn’t even taken a second for Sameer’s temper to flare, hot and wild, he had pushed his chair and stood up, the discarded chair toppling over clattering on the floor. He stood facing Dadi, his fists clenched, eyes blood-shot, and teeth gritted.

“Sameer!”, Vishakha had exclaimed. “Bhai”, Rohan had pacified. “Sameer bhaiya”, Deepika had soothed.

He had been about to yell, when through the red haze he had spotted the slight smirk on Dadi’s face. And instantly he had realized that she had been trying to bait him, to prove that he was still the aggressive short-tempered teenager who was good for nothing. The next instant Naina’s gentle voice had echoed in his ears. Naina had held his hand at the airport, “Sameer, waada karo ke wahan jaake tum sabr se kaam loge. Gussa mat karna. Tum shanti se kaam karte ho tab zyada prabhavshaale lagte ho.”

A muscle clenched in his jaw, and his fists relaxed, he forced himself to calm down. He reminded himself that he was no longer the helpless teenager who had come to stay in Delhi. He was Sameer Jayprakash Maheshwari. He crossed his arms, “agar meri shaadi se aap me se kisiko bhi taklif hai toh, please, apna opinion apne paas hi rakhe. Lekin iske baad kabhi bhi meri biwi ke baare me kuch bhi bolne ki himmat mat karna, warna mujhse bura koi nahi hoga.” He had then stated his decision, “aur rahi baat Rohan ki, toh woh wahi karega jo use karna hai. Main bhi dekhta hun usko kaun rokta hai. Usko apne parents se puchna tha isiliye hum baat kar rahe hai aap logo se, lekin yeh mat samajhna ke usko support karneke liye koi nahi hai. Rohan aur Deepika, dono ke liye, main hun…hamesha. Aur Naina bhi hai.”

The discussion at the table had continued but he hadn’t been a part of that after that. Later when Rohan had come in the room, one look at his face and Sameer had understood that it was still a no from his father, and of course Dadi. He had had trouble in sleeping; the failure to ease his brother’s worries affected him. He looked at Rohan, still sleeping on the bed, peacefully, somehow assured that his Bhai would resolve his problems. God. What should he do? He went to the window, and opened it letting the dull sunlight in hoping for some warmth. If only he could talk to Naina, she would understand him. He checked the wall clock, 6am, still too early. He hadn’t been able to call her yesterday night, because Dadi had kept the phone busy, talking to her friend. And he knew, she was doing it on purpose to rile him up even more.

Subconsciously, he lifted his hand and placed it on his chest, at the spot where Naina had marked him. Wild little cat. He grinned, rubbing the mark through his t-shirt. He had never thought that he would have such quick success in teaching Naina about intimacy, but at the rate at which she was learning and experimenting, he was now sure that he would need to tighten the leash even more over his desires. She still felt shy, it took time for her to be comfortable, but once she had shed her inhibitions there was no stopping her. Last time too, he knew that she wouldn’t stop him. He could have unhooked her bra, even ask her to do it for him, he knew she would have obliged. He could have removed her top and bra, and feasted his eyes on her, he knew she would have let him. He could have lowered his head, and suckled on her breasts, he knew she wouldn’t object. But along with all that, he also knew that if he did any of those things, his tremulous hold over his control would have snapped. He had nearly come undone, by just pressing against her, letting her know about lovemaking. The two layers of jeans couldn’t stop him from feeling her incredible warmth and softness, and he had burned, his nerves sizzling from the primal experience that was a first for him too.

He had hoped that shifting positions would give him respite, but once he had rolled over, she had taken the matter in her own hands. The way she had explored his body with her hands and mouth, his breathing became ragged just thinking about it. When her fingers had trailed over the waistband of his jeans, for a wild incoherent moment, he had thought she was going to go further, maybe open the button, or touch him. But she hadn’t, instead her hands had trailed back up his body. He hadn’t known whether to be relieved, or crave even more. Later he had realized that she hadn’t ventured down that path, because she didn’t know she could. She was learning, and incredibly enough, following whatever he taught her.

Every moment that he spent with her, he still needed to firmly control himself, making himself recall time and again that he couldn’t let go yet. That day he had been very close to mark her on her neck, but at the nick of time he had remembered that he couldn’t, her family would spot that mark. So instead he had marked the swell of her breast, he recalled that he had also left a mark on her belly, though not with his teeth. He rubbed his jaw, feeling the rough texture of his stubble; maybe he should shave more often now. Naina was so soft, her skin sensitive, marking her was another thing, but he didn’t want to cause her pain.

God, he missed her. Talking to her, seeing her, feeling her in his arms, kissing her. He couldn’t get enough of her mouth, it seemed as if he was addicted to her taste, or maybe he was compensating for all those years when he had rigidly stayed away from her. Suddenly, he chuckled, as he thought of her family’s reaction if he ever kissed her in front of them after their marriage. Not on her lips, but even a forehead kiss, would be enough to give Taiji a heart stroke. Maybe he could experiment once.

The phone rang down in the hall, and he jerked, instantly knowing that it was Naina’s call. He opened the door, and swiftly ran down the stairs, picking up the receiver, “Hello… Naina.”

From the other end, her sweet voice flowed over him like honey, “Good Morning Sameer.”

He smiled, “main tumhe hi yaad kar raha tha.”

“Jaanti hun, she sat down on the sofa, “isiliye to subah subah phone kiya.”

He chuckled, after all these years quite used to the way she would know about his worries and mood swings even when she wasn’t with him. He settled on the sofa, “sorry. Kal raat ko phone nahi kar paaya, woh Dadi…”

“Koi baat nahi”, she interrupted, “main samajh gai thi ke koi to problem hui hogi.”

Suddenly he frowned, “Naina, tum subah ko ghar se phone kar rahi ho? Woh bhi STD? Tumhare gharwalo ko pata chala to hungama ho jayega.”

She laughed, “Mr. Sameer Maheshwari… tum bhul rahe ho ke yeh tumhara bhi ghar hai. Aur mere gharwale tumhare bhi kuch lagte hai. Main yeh phone bakayda Chachaji se permission leke kar rahi hun.”

Sameer smiled, feeling touched by this gesture, he knew the STD call rates were high in morning, yet Chachaji had allowed Naina to call him. He settled back comfortably, glancing around once to check if someone was listening in, “mujhe tumse baat karni thi. Soch hi raha tha ke thodi der baad bahar jaake call karu.”

She queried, “kya hua kal raat ko? Baat ki tumne?”

He sighed, “haan. Baat toh ki. Lekin wahi hua jo soch raha tha, Dadi aur Mr. Somani nahi maane. Maine to apna faisla suna diya ke koi Rohan ko nahi rok sakta job karne se.”

“Gussa hue?”, she asked.

“Thoda sa”, he grudgingly accepted, “baat hi aisi keh di Dadi ne. Lekin tumse waada kiya tha na, toh control kar liya.”

She smiled, “thike. Ab aage kya socha hai?”

He desperately asked, “main kya karu Naina? Baat to ki na maine. Lekin inko manau kaise? Inn logo ke hisab se to main Rohan ko bigad raha hun, family ke khilaf jaana sikha raha hun. Kaash tum yahan hoti, mere saath.”

She gently spoke, wanting to soothe his worries, “Sameer… main toh hamesha tumhare saath hi hun. Aur rahi baat wahan ka mamla suljhane ki to main jaanti hun ke mera Sameer yeh kar sakta hai.”

“Kaise?”, he quizzed.

“Rohan ko apne parents ka permission chahiye tha. Aur tum maano ya na maano woh tumhara bhi parivaar hai”, she expounded, “tum ek responsible businessman ho Sameer. Mr. Somani se alag se baat karo, unhe shanti se samjhao. Sirf Rohan ke sapno ke baare me nahi, balki woh professor bane to uska advantage kya hai yeh batao. Aur saath hi saath, unko koi solution bhi do unke problem ka, matlab unke business ka.”

“Meri toh yeh samajh me nahi aata ke Rohan ko permission chahiye kyun. Main kar deta na sab kuch arrange”, he muttered.

Naina chuckled, “haan tum kar dete. Lekin tumse behtar parivaar ki ehmiyat kaun samajh sakta hai? Sach sach batao kya tum nahi sochte kabhi bhi ke Delhi wale ghar me bhi sab hamare ko rishte ko lekar khush hote.”

He hesitated for a moment, “Dadi aur Mr. Somani mera parivaar nahi hai, kabhi nahi the.”

“Jhuth”, she proclaimed, “Rohan aur Deepika tumse jude hue hai, toh usi naate se sahi lekin rishta toh hai tumhara sabke saath. Aur sirf society ka khayal karke hi sahi lekin Mr. Somani ko tum bhi apne mummy ke husband, yaane ke indirectly apne papa ka position dete hi ho.”

He swallowed, “toh tum kya chahti ho? Main unko papa kehke bulau? Aur agar tumhare hisab se Dadi aur Mr. Somani mera parivaar hai toh tumne unke liye gifts kyun nahi kharide?”

She sighed again, “woh meri galti thi. Main unke liye alag se nahi toh at least kuch common cheeze jaise ki mithai vagera bhej sakti thi. Aur bhejna chahiye tha. Maine socha nahi, lekin iska matlab yeh nahi ke main unko apne parivaar ka hissa nahi maanti. Bas, unse kabhi baat hi nahi ki hai to dhyan nahi rehta. Aur tumhe Mr. Somani ko apni marzi ke khilaf papa kehne ki zarurat nahi hai, lekin unse thande dimag se baat toh kar sakte ho na.”

He hesitated for a moment, and then accepted, “maine Ahmedabad se mithai aur nashta kharid liya tha yahan ke liye. Yeh kehke ke hum dono ke taraf se hai.”

She grinned, “dekha… main isi Sameer ki baat kar rahi hun. Jo gusse aur ego ko side pe rakhke, rishto pe dhyan deta hai. Aur meri galtiyo ko sudhar deta hai”, then she slowly whispered, “I love you.”

Sameer closed his eyes letting her words wash over him. How to tell her that he had learned this from her? The way she talked about his family, respected them, had made him consider everyone’s good over the years. Her family had mattered to him, and so he had thought of them. Maybe she was right. He shouldn’t let Dadi’s words affect him. He had tried his best to maintain cordial relationship with everyone, if she didn’t want to then it was her wish. But he could try with Mr. Somani, at least for Rohan.

“I love you too sweetheart”, he smiled, “main koshish karunga, I promise.”

“Mujhe pata hai”, she assured him, “jao ab, aur mujhe batana baad me phone pe.”

Talking to Naina, relieved him, provided him an assurance that he was capable of handling the matter. He decide to wait for a chance, and talk to Mr. Somani, today. Much to his joy, the chance came just after breakfast. Mr. Somani’s car had broken down, and Sameer offered to drop him to his office, in the car he had arranged for himself. Sameer dressed in black suit, with blue shirt, and prepped himself to talk properly. On the way to office, he slowly asked, “mujhe aapse baat karni hai. Kisi restaurant me chale, ya fir aapke office me bhi chalega.”

He was expecting Mr. Somani to straightaway refuse, but was surprised when he accepted and invited him to his office. Sameer stepped into the office of Somani Fabrics for the first time, and curiously looked around. Unlike Maheshwari Industries, Mr. Somani’s company didn’t manufacture fabrics, but was only involved in printing and dyeing. The office was smaller than his, fewer number of employees, and it also wasn’t as upgraded. Belatedly he wondered about the state of business, did it fare well? He had never looked into the matter, though he had always talked to his mother about letting him know in case they needed any help.

They sat in Mr. Somani’s cabin, who called for coffee, the gesture again surprising Sameer. He waited until Mr. Somani finished some work, and soon the coffee arrived.

“Kaho… kya baat hai?”, asked Mr. Somani offering a cup of coffee.

Sameer accepted it, “aap jaante hai main kis baare me baat karna chahta hun. Rohan ko sach me business me koi interest nahi hai. Usko fabrics, printing, dyeing samajh nahi aata, use professor banna hai.”

Mr. Somani sipped his coffee, “woh toh main samajh gaya jab Rohan ne bhi khud yeh baat boli. Isse pehle mere aur mummy ke baat ke khilaf jaaneki himmat kabhi nahi ki usne. Lekin sirf sapno se kuch nahi hota na, zimmedari bhi koi cheez hai. Papa ke chale jaane ke baad, tumne bhi toh unke business ki zimmedari li na. Uss waqt tumne toh apne sapno ke baare me nahi socha.”

“Socha tha”, Sameer declared, “lekin mere sapne Nanu aur Naina se hi jude hue hai. Nanu ka sapna pura karna mera bhi sapna tha, aur life ka aim yeh tha ke aisa kuch banu ke Naina ko future me security de saku. Rohan alag hai, uske sapne bhi alag hai. Agar woh businessman ban bhi gaya aapke kehne pe to bahot bura banega, kyunki uski marzi shaamil nahi hogi usme.”

“Toh tum kya chahte ho?”, asked Mr. Somani, “main apna business kab tak chalaunga?”

Sameer kept his half-drunk coffee back, and stood up. Going to the small window, he looked outside, recalling Naina’s words about family. He gently queried, “business me koi problem hai?” There was no reply. He sighed, “ya to aap mujhe bata dijiye, ya fir main information nikalwa lunga. Main ab woh 18 saal ka ladka nahi hun jo pehle Delhi aaya tha.”

Mr. Somani slowly spoke, “koi major problem nahi hai. Lekin iska matlab yeh nahi ke kabhi nahi hoga. Ek baar Harshad Mehta scam ke wajah se kaafi nuksaan hua tha, usme se toh jaise taise bahar aa gaye. Par kab tak? Yeh company mere papa ki thi, jo unhone mujhe diya tha iss vishwas ke saath ke main ise aur kamyaab banaunga. Maine koshish ki, kuch hadd tak kamyaab bhi hua, lekin ab aage kya. Mera apna beta hi iss business me interested nahi hai, aur…”

Sameer stiffened at the window, waiting, tension and anxiety coursing through his body. After a small pause, Mr. Somani continued, “aur tumhara toh apna khudka business hai.”

A heavy silence prevailed in the cabin, the air thick with unvoiced implications. Sameer closed his eyes, wondering did he really hear what he thought he heard. Did Mr. Somani really mean that if not Rohan, he would have given the responsibility of his business to him? But why? Mr. Somani hated him. He was a step-son. Since childhood, this point had been drilled in his mind, repeatedly. His mother had been blind, but he wasn’t. He had seen how Mr. Somani tried to keep him away from his mother, how he had spewed venom against him. Then what happened now? Was it because he genuinely needed help in business? He didn’t mind that, he could help in business without any qualms. But, did he really mean that he considered him as part of family? And did it matter now?

He took a deep breath, and decided something, for Rohan, and for himself as well. Naina was right, he wanted or not, he was connected to Mr. Somani through Rohan and Deepika. He turned to look at his  step-father, “Rohan ko apna job join karne dijiye. Main kuch naye prints ka business soch raha tha, khaas kar ke Rajasthani prints, uska contract main aapko de dunga. Meri aur aapki company ke beech me on-going contract bana lenge.”

Mr. Somani was silent for some time, then enquired, “Rohan ke sapno ka sauda kar rahe ho mujhse?”

Sameer shook his head, “nahi. Ek bhai hone ki zimmedari nibha raha hun, aur iss parivaar ka hissa hone ki bhi.”

“Yeh business main tumhare naam nahi karunga kabhi”, Mr. Somani decalred.

“Mujhe chahiye bhi nahi”, Sameer smiled, “bas aapko sambhalne me help kar raha hun. Kya pata kuch saalo baad Deepika ko interest ho isme.”

Again, silence permeated, but this time it was Mr. Somani, who was lost in thoughts. Sameer waited, and after a few minutes, Mr. Somani slowly confessed, “Vishakha ne mujhe bataya ke school me tumpe jo paper chori ka ilzaam laga tha, woh darasal, Naina ke bhai ne churaya tha.”

Sameer looked at him in confusion, not understanding why this topic was coming up. Mr. Somani, looked away, as if he couldn’t face Sameer, and continued, “tumhare principal ko maine phone kiya tha paper chori ke baare me batane ko. Maine tumhare dosto ko aur tumhe baat karte hue suna tha. Maine tumhara naam nahi bataya principal ko, lekin Vishakha ko dikhana chahta tha ke Rohan tumse zyada better insaan hai.”

Sameer gripped the window ledge hard, anger coursing through him, quick and lethal. The long forgotten incident flashed in front of his eyes. Everything that had caused him to place the bet and hurt Naina so badly. He wanted to shout, yell, and ask why he did such a thing. He wanted to let him know of the repercussions of his one phone call. The faces of Naina, Arjun, Rohan, Deepika, and his mother swam before him, and he shut his eyes, ruthlessly holding back the tears brimming in them. He couldn’t lose control, he had to be strong, if not for himself then for the people who needed him. Naina was in his life, and she would be, always and forever. He had forgiven Arjun, because of Naina. Couldn’t he forgive Mr. Somani, for his siblings and for his mother? He shuddered from the effort it took for him to control his anger, and take a decision again. He took a deep breath, and exhaled through mouth, his hands trembling visibly. After two minutes, he felt he wouldn’t burst at the sight of Mr. Somani, so he opened his eyes, “thank you, mujhe batane ke liye. Par yeh beeti baate hai, ab inka koi matlab nahi. Naina mere saath hai, aur meri mummy bhi. Iss baat ko yahi bhul jaiye, warna Rohan aur mummy shayad aapko ab maaf naa kare.”

Mr. Somani was shocked, he kept staring at Sameer, who continued speaking, “ab… business ka jo maine kaha woh manzur hai aapko? Aur Rohan job join kar le?” Mr. Somani nodded, still in daze.

Sameer tilted his head, “thike, aaj shaam ko ghar pe sabko bata dena apna faisla. Filhaal main chalta hun, meri meeting hai.” He left from there, wanting some alone time, and leaving behind a completely stunned step-father.

In Ahmedabad, Chachiji had taken the rare opportunity to go out with Naina alone for shopping. Taiji had gone for satsang and bhajan, and Chachiji had quickly made plans. They first went to the tailor’s shop to give the sarees they had bought earlier for fall-breeding, and also ordered blouses to be made. Naina was slightly apprehensive, and Chachiji understood, “tu pasand karle apne hisab se, hum bhabhiji se chupake rakhenge.”

Naina grinned, she chose relatively modest designs, but experimented with shorter sleeves, and deeper back cuts. For the saree, that Sameer had gifted her, she chose a high boat neck pattern, with embellished cutwork design. But, she knew she would have to hide that one, as it was sleeveless. She looked towards Chachiji, for confirmation once, who raised her eyebrows at the design, but then smiled wide and nodded. Naina heaved a sigh of relief.

As they left the tailor’s shop, and took an auto to their next destination, Naina enquired, “Chachiji, hum aaj kyun shopping karne jaa rahe hai? Sameer toh yahan hai hi nahi.”

Bela laughed, “beta, yeh kharidaari na Sameer ke saamne nahi kar sakte. Shaadi ke baad karna uske saath.”

Naina frowned in confusion, but Bela didn’t elaborate. But, soon her confusion cleared as she saw the shop. Lingerie. Immediately she recalled how Sameer had lifted her top, touched her so intimately. He heart thudded as she wondered for the umpteenth time, if he had seen her too. And what if he had? He had already told her explicitly that he would be seeing her without her clothes, when they made love. But, it was still an alien territory for her. At that time, she hadn’t thought of anything, she had just revelled in his kisses, in his touch. However, in these two days, she had recalled each touch, each caress, each kiss, every word, and her body had yearned for more. He had been on top of her, pressing her down on the mattress, controlling her movements with his body, yet it hadn’t felt threatening to her at all. It had all felt so…natural.

Bela nudged her, bringing her out of her reverie, and they went inside. As Bela ordered them to show different pieces, it dawned on Naina that if Sameer hadn’t taken it upon himself to introduce her to this part of their relationship before their wedding, then she would have been completely mortified, and clueless as well on why Chachiji was purchasing these things. Finally, Bela asked the shopkeeper to show some nighties. The shopkeeper brought out cotton ones, Bela immediately asked for others. Naina stared puzzled, but soon she saw the saleswoman coming with an armful of satin night gowns. Her eyes widened, and instantly she thought of Sameer’s reaction and blushed. Bela quickly got busy in choosing different gowns, and asked Naina what colour she liked.

The saleswoman disappeared to get more gowns, and Naina cleared her thought, “Chachiji… yeh sab…”

Bela looked up, and smiled, “tu pasand karle, baki shaadi ke baad samajh aa jayega tereko.”

Quietly Naina selected four gowns, and Chachiji teased, “isme se Sameer ka favourite colour konsa hai?” Naina blushed and Chachiji laughed.

Sameer worked non-stop until 9pm that night, channelling his anger into his work, and wanting to go back to Naina as soon as possible. He needed her. Just for a few minutes. One hug. He needed to feel her in his arms, breathe in her fragrance; that could calm him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t have it here. So, he was left with one option, finish his work, and go back to her. When he reached home, Rohan came running up to him asking where he was and if he was okay. He was soon joined by Deepika, “bhaiya kahan the aap?”

Sameer smiled, “mujhe kaam tha. Kyun kya hua?”

Rohan informed, “papa aapka wait kar rahe the. Kaha ke unhe kuch baat karni thi sabse. Hum logo ne dinner bhi nahi kiya ab tak.”

Sameer frowned in confusion, “thike main change karke aata hun.”

Soon he joined the rest of the family for dinner, and wondered why hadn’t Mr. Somani told about the decision to let Rohan work. As soon as they finished dinner, Mr. Somani announced that he had discussed about Rohan with Sameer, and finally he had decided to let Rohan fulfill his dream. He said that he understood that it’s not necessary that his children would have the same dream and interests as him. Vishakha smiled happily, but Dadi was not happy.

“Yeh sab kuch tumhari wajah se ho raha hai”, Dadi sneered, “jab bhi aate ho tab musibat leke aate ho.”

To everyone’s surprise, Rohan stood up and yelled, “Dadi, aapko bhai se iss tarah baat karneka koi haq nahi hai.”

“Rohan”, Mr. Somani and Sameer admonished at the same time. Rohan turned to his brother, and Sameer gestured him to go inside. He obeyed instantly.

After some more discussion at the table, Sameer went inside his brother’s room, and found him standing near the window, staring outside in anger. He shook his head, recalling how he too had the same habit of standing near the window while he was thinking something or was trying to control his anger. He went up to Rohan, and placed a hand on his shoulder, “Itna upset kyun ho? Tumhe toh khush hona chahiye na ke tumko permission mil gai.”

Rohan turned to him, “Aapne kya offer diya hai papa ko? Main unhe achche se jaanta hun, woh bina matlab aapki baat kabhi nahi manenge. Aur Dadi, jab dekho tab aapko taana maarti rehti hai, aur bhabhi ke baare me bhi ulta sidha bolti hai. Mujhse aur nahi suna jaata.”

Sameer leaned against the window sill, “Dadi pe iss tarah se chillake tum unki baat ko sahi saabit kar rahe ho, ke mere saath rehne se tumpe bura asar padta hai. Chahe jaisi bhi ho, woh hai toh tumse badi na. Aur rahi baat Mr. Somani ki, toh woh tumhare papa hai. Itna bada faisla lene me thoda waqt liya unhone, jo zaruri bhi tha.”

“Aap jhuth bol rahe hai”, Rohan declared.

Sameer sighed, “nahi Rohan. Main Mr. Somani se deal kar sakta hun, lekin apne bhai ke sapno ka sauda nahi karunga. Main chahu to akele hi tumko support kar sakta hun, lekin yakeen maano, jab kamyabi milegi ya koi musibat hogi toh sabse pehle apne parivaar ko yaad karoge.”

Rohan nodded, “main prove kar dunga ke aapne mera saath deke koi galat kaam nahi kiya”, and hugged Sameer, feeling grateful to have a brother like him.

Later that night, Sameer called up Naina, who picked up immediately, indicating that she was waiting for his call.

“Hi Sweetheart”, Sameer rubbed his forehead, a small headache building up.

Naina frowned, “Hi. Kya hua tumko? Tabiyat toh thik hai?”

He smiled, “haan, main thik hun. Aur, gharwale maan gaye Rohan ke job ke liye.”

“Yeh to bahot khushi ki baat hai”, she exclaimed, “lekin fir bhi tum pareshan kyun ho?”

“Umm… Kuch nahi, bas thoda thak gaya hun”, he lied, not wanting to tell about Mr. Somani over the phone.

Naina understood, “thike, abhi nahi batana mat batao. Par wapas aake bataoge na?”

Sameer smiled, how could he even think that Naina wouldn’t understand. The woman understood even his silence. “Haan bataunga”, he assured, then enquired, “ab tum batao pure din kya kiya?”

“Shopping ki”, she blurted, then bit her tongue.

His eyes narrowed, “shopping? Mere bina shaadi ki shopping kar li?”

“Ah…woh… shaadi ki nahi…bas aisai”, she stammered.

“Naina, kya kharida?”, he asked, “aur hakla kyun rahi ho?”

She rolled the telephone wire nervously, “woh…kuch khaas nahi… Chachiji ko kharidna tha.”

He chuckled, “jhuth bol rahi ho. Bataona kya kharida”, he pleaded.

She closed her eyes, “personal cheeze, mere liye.”

“Personal matlab?”, he asked puzzled.

“Sameer jaane do na”, she requested sweetly, knowing well that he wouldn’t relent.

He smirked, “Sweetheart… tum jaanti ho main nahi chodne wala baat ko. Ab jaldi batao warna main kal subah phone karke Chachiji se puchunga.”

“Naiii”, she exclaimed, “pagal ho kya… Chachiji kaise batayegi tumko ke mere liye lingerie aur night gowns kharidne gaye the.”

Her eyes widened as she registered that she had blurted the truth, and Sameer felt his breath catch at the mention of the shopping items. His imaginations, coupled with whatever he had seen in reality raced. He had already seen her wear lace, what else had she bought? And night gowns? Oh God. He had always seen her in kurtas or simple night dresses, and he had never wondered what she would wear to bed at night after marriage. His brain went into overdrive mode picturing Naina in satiny smooth night gowns. Were they long ones? Or short? Sleeveless or not? An image of Naina coming out of the bathroom dressed in a purple night gown popped in his mind out of nowhere, and he shivered, blood rushing through his veins.

“Konsa colour ka gown?”, he asked in a whisper, “aur satin?”

He wanted to ask about her lingerie too, but thought that might be too much to ask now. Besides, he would see each one of them, and remove them too. For now, he wanted to know more about the night gowns, because he had never seen Naina wear them. Naina trembled as she registered his voice, and understood what he must be thinking. She had herself tried the gowns they had bought and imagined Sameer’s reactions on each one of them. She blushed at her own thoughts and imaginations. But, she thought to tease him, “aree nahi… satin nahi, cotton wale. Flowers print wale hote hai na waise.”

He scowled, “woh to aunties pehenti hai.”

She clapped a hand over her mouth, “haan toh… Chachiji ne toh wahi kharida… kaha raat ko wahi pehenke soneka.”

He groaned, “c’mon Naina. Tum woh sade hue se cotton wale nighties pehnogi?”

“Haan, Chachiji ne kaha usme achche se neend aati hai”, she bit her lip.

He slapped his forehead, “yeh Agarwaal khandaan ka bas chale to hamare romance ka satyanaash karde.”

She grinned, “ab nightie me bhi kya romance dhund rahe ho tum.”

“Achcha, tumhe samajh nahi aa raha ke main kya romance dhund raha hun”, he replied in a husky tone, “kuch din pehle ka sab kuch bhul gai ho kya? Aur haan… Tumko ho pehenna hai na pehen lena… mujhe pasand nahi aaya to main utaar dunga.”

He heard her sharp intake of breath and grinned wickedly, knowing his words had the desired effect on her. She whispered his name, “Sameer”, just his name, in that sensuous tone that she had.

His body responded urgently, “main apna kaam khatam karke jaldi aane ki koshish kar raha hun”, he said abruptly, leaving the implication unsaid.

She swallowed, wondering what would happen when they would meet after so many days, but whatever he did, she was willing to be with him. “Main intezaar karungi”, she assured.

Sameer snuggled inside the blanket, pondering over his conversation with Naina. Cotton night gowns? Really? Could Chachiji have found a better dampener on romance? Even though he didn’t think that anything could stop him from wanting Naina, he wanted her to wear something enticing. If she would wear gowns, then satin was what her body was made for. Her conservative family might not buy it for her, but he could. After all he was her husband, the “would-be was just a useless addition in his mind. He had full right to buy something for her. And he would. With thoughts of purple, red and black satin gowns in his head, he fell asleep.

Minutes later or hours later he woke up to a scream, and jerked his eyes open to see that he had an arm and a leg flung on Rohan, his lips dangerously close to his brothers. His eyes widened, and cursing he rolled away, falling straight to the floor from bed. And exactly at that moment, Mr. Somani, Vishakha, Deepika and Dadi entered their room, the expressions of worry changing to curiosity on seeing Sameer on floor, and Rohan sitting up on bed clutching the blanket to his chest.

Vishakha recovered first, “Rohan…Sameer… beta kya baat hai?”

Sameer was too horrified to say anything. Had he really almost kissed Rohan? Damn. He had been dreaming about Naina, she was wearing a purple satin night gown, and he had picked her up, placing her on bed, covering her body with his. He had been a fraction of an inch away from tasting those luscious lips. But, thank God he hadn’t. Rohan? Seriously? Wasn’t pillow enough for him?

Rohan calmed down enough to speak up, “kuch nahi mummy. Maine bura sapna dekha to isiliye cheekha, aur bhai woh awaaz sunke bed se gir gaye.”

Vishakha laughed, fussing over her two sons for some time, while Deepika giggled. Later, when everyone left, Rohan scrambled away from the bed, “main aapke saath nahi sone wala.”

Sameer sighed, “sorry… pata nahi main kya…”

“Mujhe pata hai”, Rohan declared, “Ahmedabad me takiya aur yahan pe main. Aap so jao bed pe, main sofa pe so jaunga. Aur haan… yeh baat toh main bhabhi ko pakka bataunga.”

“Rohan, tum Naina se iss baare me baat karoge?”, Sameer asked in disbelief.

His brother nodded resolutely, “aapke iss haalat ka ilaaj unke paas hi hai, mere paas nahi. Good Night.”

Sameer flopped back on bed, and after a while, a smile crept up on his face as he recalled Rohan’s scared face, and the way he moved away from him. But, Rohan was right, only Naina could treat this condition. And he needed to go to her soon. And he definitely needed to buy that purple night gown.