The seat belt signal dinged and lights in the flight cabin flickered onn, people started unbuckling their seat belts and moving to the washroom, or trying to get to their bags in the overhead compartments. The airhostess and stewards shuffled past, assisting passengers, and some of them arranging for the in-flight food service. The man sitting in the fifth row near the window, stared outside, a small smile on his face, oblivious to the happenings around him.
Sameer was returning to Ahmedabad, two days earlier than planned. The smile on his face widened slightly at the thought of seeing Naina, of having her in his arms again. It was impossible to wait any longer. He had finished his work at top speed, delegating as much as he could, and had managed to cut short his travel. His mother had been astonished at first on hearing of his early return, and had thought it was because of Dadi, but he had clarified saying he needed to go back to Naina. The teasing he had to bear from his mother and Rohan still made him chuckle. His mother had then helped him in packing, stuffing more and more things inside his suitcase. And when he had objected, she had sternly said, “tumhare liye nahi, apni beti ke liye hai.” He had stayed silent after that, warmed by the acceptance his mother showed for Naina. Rohan had sent two gifts, one for Naina and of course, another one for Preeti, both packed perfectly with instructions to him to not open. To his surprise, Deepika had also turned up with a gift for her Naina bhabhi, and when he had asked as to where she got the money, she had placed her hands on her hips telling him that she saved from her pocket money, daring him to defy her statement. Sameer had for the first time seen some traces of his own traits in his sister. It pleased him.
The sky outside turned into an endless mass of blue, and Sameer lowered the shades to protect his eyes. He took out his wallet and flipped it open to see the picture of Naina he had kept there. Over the years, the photo had also changed. At first, it was a picture of her in school uniform, then one from their college trip, and the recent one was from the college farewell party. He thought about replacing this one as soon as the roka pictures arrive, which they should have by now, he would ask Munna. He traced a finger over her photo, wondering how she would react on seeing him. Unable to resist, he had told her he was coming today. He would land in the afternoon, and had decided to go meet her in evening itself and make a plan on how to get her home tomorrow so that they could spend some time alone.
He leaned back on the seat, closing his eyes, his mind drifting back to the incident with Rohan. He still couldn’t believe that he had almost kissed his brother. It was his good luck that he hadn’t been punched or slapped in the face. Rohan had threatened that he would tell Naina about it, but he hadn’t paid much attention to it, thinking that he wouldn’t do it. But to his utmost horror, the very next day he had come from office to find the house empty and Rohan talking to Naina. Sameer had tried snatching the phone away, but the damage had been done. Although Rohan hadn’t specified exactly what Sameer had done but the half-finished sentence, “bhai hai na raat ko, neend me, aisa sochke ke aap unke baaju me so rahe ho…”, was enough for Naina. Sameer had immediately tried to clarify, “Naina maine kuch nahi kiya”, and had been greeted to amused giggles from the other end. For a moment, he had wished it had been the older naive Naina on the phone, who wouldn’t understand what Rohan had said, but this Naina would know exactly what had been going through his mind. However, the moment had soon passed, and he had revelled in the thought that Naina understood his desires, and the next meeting as soon as he reached back might just kill him with her unbridled passion. But, of course Rohan couldn’t have allowed him to day dream or talk in private with Naina. His interruption had caused Sameer to chase him around the hall, throwing cushions at him. To their mortification, Deepika and Vishakha had arrived at that moment and erupted in peals of laughter on seeing Rohan running around and Sameer chasing him still dressed in his suit.
Sameer had also visited the famous shopping areas in Delhi, picking up several things for Naina – a mint green winter top, a red and blue chequered flannel shirt, a white and gold kurti. He also bought a pink and grey aztec print cardigan for her, couple of earrings, and a set of colourful bangles. Finally, he landed upon a three storeyed shop that sold female clothes, including nightwear. After some hesitation, he went inside and decided to spend some time on the lower floors to purchase a few items so that he didn’t create an impression of some pervert. He bought a maroon chiffon saree with thin golden border for Naina, a blue silk saree for Chachiji, and a copper brown cotton silk saree for Taiji. After that, he moved to the second floor, and bought four dress materials for Naina ranging from cotton to silk, and then finally, he moved to the third floor. The salesman assisting him by now knew that he was buying stuff for his wife, so he didn’t blink an eye when Sameer asked to show some nightwear to him. However, Sameer had a hard time controlling his expressions and trembling fingers when the salesman was displaying those tiny satin night wears. He swallowed, wondering if he was doing the right thing. Will Naina ever wear these? Or maybe she would deal him a slap on seeing these stuff. Shakily he sifted through a few options, his mind racing with possible scenarios in which Naina would hit him, or be angry, or even worse, storm out of the house. Dammit. He wasn’t even married yet and was already worrying about his wife leaving their home. His bravado vanished, and instead of purchasing multiple colours, he hastily picked up a purple nightgown, his first fantasy, and asked the salesman to pack it. Upon reaching home, he had stashed everything in suitcase, careful to conceal the bag containing the gown.
The sound of the landing announcement woke him up, and he lifted the window shade to see Ahmedabad approaching as the plane descended slowly. Even after traveling so many times he still felt excited during take-off and landing, and peered out of the window eagerly. He was eager to get Naina with him on some trip, so that she could also see this view and feel the strange sensation in stomach during take-off. He had multiple times imagined the look of wonder and delight on her face. Their honeymoon would be the first time for Naina on a plane, and he would finally get to see the excitement on her face.
As the plane landed, he pulled out his small duffel bag, filled to the brim with sweets and other food items, and made his way out amid the slow moving queue. The time at the luggage belt irritated him, as he wanted to go home and shower and then rush to meet Naina. Finally, his large suitcase arrived and he grabbed it, quickly exiting the airport. His driver was already there to pick him up. On his way to home, he started to make plans for tomorrow. What should he tell Chachaji? He would need some excuse to whisk Naina away from home for the whole day. The renovation excuse was getting slightly old, and plus Naina need not spend a lot of time with him for that. He needed to find some other way. Maybe his health, or something about their school, or maybe some help in his work. Yeah, work sounded better. He was sure he could come up with some convincing things that Naina could work on with him. And maybe it won’t be a bad idea to actually start getting her involved in some parts of his business. The kind of brains Naina had, she could easily grasp onto things and wouldn’t it be nice to discuss with her in case he faced some problems with some contracts or something. After all, she would be his wife, so naturally she had a right to know about his business too. Until now, she had just supported him, but maybe she could be a part of it, that is if she would be interested in doing it. He would talk to her this evening. It already frustrated him that he had to meet her today at Agarwal house, forget kissing her; there might not even be a chance to hold her hand. Taiji would be vigilant.
Frowning to himself, he wondered why Taiji was so obnoxious. Even after all these years, he couldn’t understand the hatred she nurtured for Naina. Though Naina had always said that everyone in her family was nice, he recalled some of the comments he had himself heard during Pooja didi’s wedding and then during the month when he was convincing her family for their own wedding. The constant taunts on her looks and her mother’s death were just so hurtful. It dawned on him that Naina might be still facing such things. Even though Taiji had sobered because she couldn’t afford to anger the owner of Maheswari Industries, she was a lady who could find her way with words. He had no delusions of his worth in Tauji and Taiji’s eyes. It was all about the name and status he had. But that wouldn’t stop her from hurting Naina in his absence. And Naina, he knew, would bear it in stride, without complaints, simply because she has been used to it. She probably wouldn’t tell him about it unless things are out of control. He needed to talk to her about it. If she was still facing such taunts at home, then it was unacceptable for him.
The car slid through the big open gates and Sameer felt a surge of pride again on seeing the big bungalow. Nanu had entrusted him with the house, the company and he finally felt that he had done right by his wish. The business was going well, with sure shot scopes of expansion. The house was well taken care of, and soon as per Nanu’s last wish, he and Naina would be together. This house, the rambling bungalow, would be their home. He was sure that his Nanu, wherever he was, must be very happy these days, just as he was. He dismissed the driver for the day, and carried the heavy suitcase across the small distance to the front door. Juggling the duffel bag, he inserted the key and turned, only to frown on finding the door locked from inside.
“Yeh Ramdhari ko kya ho gaya… darwaaza andar se bandh kyun hai”, he murmured to himself.
Even as he raised his hand to ring the bell, the door opened, and the ethereal sight of Naina greeted him. “Oww”, Sameer jumped on the spot as he had dropped the suitcase on his feet.
“Sameer”, Naina exclaimed, stepping outside to hold his arms and support him.
He shook his head to get rid of the pain and stared down at her, “t…tum yahan…” Maybe he was dreaming. How could Naina come here? Wasn’t he supposed to go meet her?
She smiled, “haan, ab andar aao.” She knelt to pick the suitcase and Sameer immediately took it from her hands, and followed her inside, closing the door behind him. Naina went into the kitchen to get water for him, and he sat down on the sofa still bewildered. He watched her as she came out again and offered him the glass of water. No it wasn’t a dream. She was truly here. Dressed to slay him, it was one of those rare occasions when she wore black. The quarter sleeved, V-necked semi-cotton demure top that she had bought in her third year of college had a tendency to hug her body perfectly, and highlight her curves, never failing to bring erotic images in his mind. It had been pure torture whenever she had worn that top in college, and he had had to stay at a hand’s distance away from her lest he forgot his own control. Today too, all he could think of was the golden body covered by the layer of black. He thought to wipe his mouth to check if he was drooling, but that would have been too obvious.
Naina watched him as he drank water, but his eyes never wavered from her. Her own eyes drifted over his face, the strong column of his throat working up and down, as he swallowed water, his body covered in a plain blue shirt. She wanted to tell him how much she had missed him, but that would be futile since he would already know. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, but that too he knew very well. She wanted to ask him about his trip and work, but that could wait until later. Until she had had her fill of him. Just looking was not enough now. She had seen the glitter in his eyes deepen on seeing her top, and inwardly she recalled how Sameer would stay away from her in college on the days she wore that top. That was one reason she had hated this top, and hadn’t worn it for years. But today she thought to try it again, just to check his reaction, and now on seeing his eyes, she knew exactly why he used to stay away. Well…The reason was gone now. He need not control. And she would see to it that he wouldn’t.
Sameer visibly saw the change in her eyes, the longing transforming to determination, and then her lips curved in that slow sensuous smile that hit him like a lightning bolt. His muscles tensed, blood zinged through his nerves, and his erection strained against the constraint of his jeans. She sashayed away from him, moving up the stairs and his gaze riveted on the movement of her hips. Good lord. She was truly set to kill him. He still sat mesmerized by her, when she suddenly halted midway up, and turned partially to look at him. As if on her unspoken command, he stood up and automatically followed her. He reached the bedroom after her, and only had a brief second to breathe before she was in his arms. Her scent flooded his senses as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. She was soft and warm, and he ached for her. He hurt…from wanting more.
“I missed you”, he whispered hoping to hear back the same from her. But instead, she turned her face and kissed his neck. Her hands crept up to cup his face, as she peppered his face with quick kisses that stole his breath away. A moment, a minute – he got a chance to whisper her name and then her lips brushed against his, making his mind go blank. Without wasting another second, he opened his mouth to her, catching her lips in a heated kiss. She made a little humming sound and twined her arms around his neck, going up on tiptoe to press against him and meet his demanding mouth with demands of her own.
A peculiar melting sensation spread through her, weakening her knees, so that she had to lean against him, let him support all her weight, and that made the melting spread even faster. Oh God, he felt good. Her entire body throbbed from the contact. The incredible hardness of his muscles, the heat that practically glowed from him, wrapped her in a cocoon of physical delight that also robbed her of strength and left her totally pliable to his touch.
His arms tightened, and pulled her even closer, fitting her soft curves to all the hard angles of his body, tilting her so that her pelvis cradled the hard bulge of his erection. She made another little sound, and he deepened the kiss until her breath was no longer her own, until it didn’t matter if she breathed or not.
This was desire. This. The heat and need, the deep throb of emptiness, the tension and lassitude and sharp tingles. This.
She moaned, her head falling weakly back. He took the opportunity offered, his hot mouth trailing down her throat to close on the exquisitely sensitive juncture between neck and shoulder, scraping the tendon with his teeth, sucking her skin. Her entire body jolted at the wild, uncontained pleasure; her knees gave out completely, but it didn’t matter, because he had her safe in his grasp.
Sameer held her to him, delighting in her taste, and her untamed desire for him. It blew his mind to think that this was his Naina who wanted him like this. He lifted her and carried her further inside with the thought of pulling down the mattress, but to his utter surprise and pleasure, he saw that it was already on the floor. He realized that she had done it. He looked down at her, and saw her smiling up at him. She hadn’t uttered a word to him, but her gesture had conveyed how much she had missed him, how much she had wanted him. It also conveyed the complete trust that she had bestowed on him. Not that there had been any doubt in his mind after last time, when she had let him answer her question with a physical demonstration. But still, this told him of the surety she felt in this relationship, of the desire she held for him, of the need that made her break through every physical constraint. Even after knowing almost everything about lovemaking now, she had literally laid the bed for them, trusting him endlessly with her body and soul.
He lowered her to the mattress and she pulled him down along with her, as her arms were still wrapped around his neck. Closing his eyes, he hid his face against her hair, trying to calm his heartbeats and raging range of emotions coursing through him. If they had been married, nothing could have stopped him from making love to her. All these years, he had waited, yearning for her, wanting her to trust him enough to close the physical distance, wanting her to know and understand this side of his love, and yet at the same time wanting to protect her. He had never realized when she had snapped that thread of his vow to protect her from his desires. Was it that day when she had slapped him for his reason to stay away from her? Was it when she had demanded to see him without a shirt? Or was it when she had asked him about lovemaking? He didn’t know. He only knew that it was today, a few minutes ago, when it had dawned on him on seeing the mattress that she didn’t want to be protected anymore, that she was truly his in every senses, that he could claim her now and she wouldn’t protest.
Naina felt the slight shiver running down his body, and the little wetness against her neck and held him tight. “I love you”, she murmured and heard his small gasp. She knew that he had understood what she had tried to convey without words. Since the last couple of times, specifically from the night they had spent together on her bed, Sameer had been delving more and more into the new world he had introduced her to. But, still each time she felt the tight leash of control he tied himself in, and each time she had felt the control snap a little before he again tightened the leash. She knew now what could happen if his control snapped completely. She had had all these days to think about it, to replay the scenario he had shown her in her mind, to re-read the novels with better understanding now, to wonder over what he wanted, to analyse what she wanted. At the end, she had just reached one conclusion – she wanted to be his.
She knew he had promised her that they wouldn’t make love until they were married. But, she wanted to let him know that he didn’t have to protect her anymore. She wanted to let him know that she understood how much he wanted her, and tell him and she wanted him just as much. Somehow, she instinctively knew that he would always uphold the trust her family placed in him, but she had wanted to let him know that she had full faith in him, that she wasn’t scared of what could or would happen between them.
After a few minutes, he tried to roll off her, thinking he must be too heavy for her, but she didn’t let him. He lifted his head to look at her, “mujhe baat karni hai tumse.”
“Toh karo”, she smiled.
He brushed his knuckles over her cheek, “aise?”
She nodded, “main toh tumhe nahi chodne wali. Bahot din dur reh liye.”
He chuckled, then held her tight, and simply rolled over so she was on top. “Tum aaj yahan kaise?”, he asked as she snuggled against his chest.
Her fingers moved over his shoulder, feeling the power beneath his sleek, warm skin, “mujhe tumko surprise dena tha, isiliye Chachaji se permission leke aa gai.”
He was amazed, “aur unhone tumhe aane diya? Aise hi? Koi bahana nahi banaya?”
She reached up to kiss his cheek, “uh uhh… tumse milne ke liye ab mujhe kisi bahane ki zarurat nahi hai. Haq hai mera.”
“Main to soch raha tha ke kal hi theek se mil paunga tumko. Aaj to saara Agarwal khandaan hoga jab milne aaunga”, he confessed caressing her hair.
She stroked down to the hard bulge of his triceps, “mujhse aur intezaar nahi hota.”
He shuddered in reaction to her words and wandering fingers. She stilled, lying quietly in his arms. The minutes ticked by, the room silent except of the sound of their breathing, and the strong, steady thumping of his heart under her ear. His long fingers circled patterns on her back. He was so hard; she thought drowsily, his chest, his arms, and even his legs. With a little regret, she thought she had no idea how his body must have been in college. Why hadn’t she touched him then? She would have known the difference then. Had he been as warm then as he was now? He surely hadn’t been as muscular, she hadn’t felt him, but she had seen him, or rather whatever she could have seen of him them. She had seen the difference in how his body filled his shirt. She had seen the difference in the ropey sinews of his forearms. She had seen the difference in his broadening shoulders and thickening biceps. She couldn’t go back in time, but she could make the most of the time she had now.
She felt his hard length prodding her stomach, and heat gathered in her, pooling between her legs. Instinctively she shifted; pushing her hips against him in an acceptance that she knew was dangerous for his control. Even then, she didn’t withdraw. The contact felt too good, too right.
One big hand fisted in her hair as he lifted her head, and captured her mouth with his. God, she tasted sweet! She smelled sweet too – like honey and woman. She gave a little whimper, melting against him in a way that was utterly feminine, every inch of her soft body molding to his, her breasts pressing against his ribs, her lips parting to give him access. He swirled his tongue over hers, and felt her body tremble. He rolled over again, effectively covering her body with his own, bolts of heat blazing through his gut, made him painfully hard, his erection straining to be someplace more welcoming than his jeans.
In a heartbeat, the kiss turned rough. Teeth scraped skin, bit, nipped. Tongues invaded, clashed, plundered. He felt her hips move again, conveying her need to him. Then she moaned into his mouth. The sound was like gasoline on the fire already raging in Sameer’s veins. He groaned, felt his control slip.
He wanted her. Right now. Right here.
Trailing hot little kisses down the satiny skin of her throat, he reached down to the V of her top. She inhaled with slow, deep precision, drawing his heated masculine scent into her lungs and felt something deep insider her loosen and give way. His hand covered her breast over the top, his callus-roughened thumb unerringly finding her nipple. He reached back up and thrust deep with his tongue, plundering her mouth with stunning thoroughness, finding her most sensitive places, consuming her. She moaned, kissed him back, her fingers clenching in his hair, her body deliciously aware. His brain buzzed with raw, urgent lust. Her little whimpers and moans driving him insanely to a brink, where taking it slow and easy was becoming difficult.
Still kissing her, he reached with one hand and pushed her top up. Panting for breath, he drew back and forced himself to halt, search her face for her reaction. However, unlike last time she didn’t even try to pull his hand away or adjust her top, instead she reached up to unbutton his shirt. She was desperate to feel his skin, and she jerked impatiently at his shirt trying to unbutton it quickly. He sucked in a breath, and then sat back up with her in his arms, as he helped her pull off his shirt. Her hands were on his chest before the fabric hit the floor, and he groaned at the feel of her fingers stroking his bare skin, his entire body pulsing with need and excitement.
He stared into her eyes, pleasuring in the sight of her dilated pupils, as he slowly, very slowly drew her top over her head and off her. For just a fraction of second, he wondered if she was okay with what was happening, but she erased every doubt from his mind, as she pulled him back down with her, kissing him senseless. Drowned in the feel of her arching beneath him, he kissed her shoulders, and reached back to unhook her bra, this time with both hands. Just as he started to feel that this time too he would fail, he suddenly felt soft, slim fingers moving against his own, and the damn contraption gave way. Astonished by her action, he jerked back and looked down at her, to find her eyes closed, lips parted and swollen from his kisses.
Naina held her breath, squeezing her eyes shut, wondering what would happen next. She had helped him unhook her bra, but then her courage had failed her, and she couldn’t look at him. She just waited for him to do something, say something. For so many days, since the last time they had met, she had wondered endlessly if he had seen her. She had felt his hand on her bare breast, but she didn’t know if he had seen her. If he had, then what had he thought. She didn’t know what should be his reaction on seeing her. But, she wondered if he had felt the same yearning and want that had coursed through her body when she had seen him without his shirt. She felt his hands move over her agonizingly slow, with maddening purpose, as he pulled down the straps from her shoulders and then removed the black lace from her body completely. Her hands flinched as she thought of covering herself, but instead she dug her nails on his back.
He cupped her left breast, and she felt his thumb flicking at her nipple. She gasped, stunned, the sensation too astonishing, too arousing, too wonderful to be real.
“aankhen kholo Naina”, he demanded. She swallowed and shook her head, biting down on her lip. He leaned down, and whispered roughly in her ears, “tum bahot khubsurat ho.”
At the husky sound of his voice, her eyes flew open. She found him looking down at her body, his breathing as rough as her, his eyes burning with heat, his face set in an expression of hunger. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from his face, shocked by the intimacy of watching him as he watched her, as he watched the effect his touch had on her, his hand still cupping and shaping her breast, his thumb tracing lazy circles over its aching crest.
The heat in her belly, turned into molten liquid that undulated her hips against his. She squirmed beneath him, her legs parting automatically as she cradled his heavy weight. He muttered her name, starting to say something, but the words turned into a deep moan and he ducked down and drew one of her nipples into the scorching heat of his mouth. “Sameer!” Naina’s body jerked from the initial shock of it, the pleasure staggering as he moved from one breast to the other, tugging at her with his lips, teasing her with velvet strokes of his tongue, tormenting her with nips of his teeth. His hips surged against her, back and forth like the gentle, inexorable wash of tide. He repeated the motion over and over, the pleasure building with every second until it seemed to take over her body. His movement took off the edge of her ache, only to make it so much worse. She was wet, the emptiness inside her burning, her inner muscles clenching around nothing. She felt as if her body were a bow, the hot wire of sensation pulling her tighter and tighter, arching her against him. He trailed up to her mouth, slanting his head, and kissed her deep and hard, taking her with rhythmic thrusts of his tongue that matched the movement of his hips.
He needed to stop. Now! How could he let things go so far? One thing had led to another. Oh hell, how could he stop? Her whimpers, her little mewls, the dark puckered buds of her breasts that begged for his mouth, the erotic movement of her body, everything drove him out of his mind. He dragged his lips away from hers, his breath bellowing from his lungs, sexual need grinding in his gut as he forced himself to hold his hips still.
With utmost difficulty, every nerve in his body protesting, her rolled off her to his side, and pulled her along so that she too was lying on her side. Her face buried in his chest, and he felt her ragged breathing over his skin. He stroked her bare back, the sensation frustrating for his aroused state, yet strangely gratifying. He didn’t know what to say, his brain had stopped functioning as he grimly tried to hold on to the already frayed thread of control.
Naina was also at loss of words. She could have never imagined that her body was capable of such intense reactions. She had felt as if her heart would burst from pleasure, and yet she wondered how would she tolerate it when he would make love to her. Now that she knew there was still more to experience, she couldn’t imagine the ache and pleasure that she would probably experience. Did he feel the same? His thundering heartbeats answered her question. Yes, he felt the same. The both were struggling to not give in to their elemental need. He had held on to his iron control. If not for him, she would have never managed to stop. If he had kept going, she wouldn’t have been able to stop him. she wouldn’t have wanted to. She didn’t know whether to thank him for his control or reprimand him for not ridding her of the emptiness. Still she knew, that their first night, would surely be worth the wait.
As their heartbeats slowed, Sameer drew away from her, his eyes closed, “Naina, please kuch pehen lo. Warna main khud ko rok nahi paunga.”
She smiled, separating herself from him, and picked up her discarded clothes, pulling them on. “Ho gaya”, she announced and he opened his eyes, only to have his shirt cover his face immediately. “Tum bhi pehenlo, warna meri koi guarantee nahi”, she declared and rushed out of the room, to go the bathroom in the next room. She just needed a few minutes alone to calm her nerves, and the sight of his irresistible bare chest didn’t really help.
Sameer chuckled on hearing her words, but nevertheless got up and wore another shirt, as few buttons from this one had torn in their haste to remove it. He understood her need to sometime alone, he needed it too, else he would again push her on the mattress and this time there would be no stopping himself. Just to be on a safe side, he pushed the mattress up against the wall again. They would sit on the sofa, watch a movie, or go out for the evening, anything else apart from the mattress. He went downstairs and brought his bags into their room, as he wanted to show Naina the things he had bought and give her the gifts from his family. However, still scared of her reaction, he quickly hid the bag containing the nightgown in his wardrobe. He knew there could be only two possibilities, either she would be angry or she would accept it and he would lose his control again, and he didn’t want either of them to happen today.
When she came back, he saw that she was relatively calmer, and she had washed her face. He too needed to go freshen up, or better yet, take a shower – a cold one. And he needed to shave – even in the haze of need he hadn’t missed the marks his beard had left on her body. Naina looked at the open suitcase, and frowned, “yeh sab abhi mat karo. Pehle fresh ho jao, main khana lagati hun. Humne lunch hi nahi kiya.”
He smiled, “haan, shayad bhul gaye lunch time ke baare me. Pata nahi aisa kaise ho gaya.”
She laughed. He chuckled along with her, then asked, “waise khana kahan se aaya. Tum toh kitchen me kaam karogi nahi abhi.”
“Khana main banake laai, tiffin me bharke”, she replied, “aur Ramdhari ko chutti de di.”
He nodded, smiling in satisfaction. He totally loved it that she had not only come over, but had also taken decisions as if this was already her home. He took a quick shower, and then joined her for lunch downstairs. After that, they spent the late afternoon, watching a movie in the living room, during which they both fell asleep. Sameer woke up first, to find Naina cuddled against him. He kissed her forehead, making her sleep properly, then made some tea for both of them.
As they sipped tea in the balcony of their room, while watching the sunset, Naina thought to tease him about what he did with Rohan, but decided to keep it pending for later. Sameer showed her all the things Vishakha, Rohan and Deepika had sent for her, and also the shopping he had done for her. He was rewarded with a tight hug and quick kiss on his mouth. Naina eagerly but gently unwrapped the gifts from his siblings and exclaimed in delight on finding a beautiful marble showpiece from Rohan, and sighed on feeling the soft satin shirt in the shade of ruby-red from Deepika.
They decided that Sameer would bring the things tomorrow with him, so that he could also give his gifts and sweets to her family. For tonight, he would just drop her off. Later in the evening, when it was time for her to leave, he pulled her to him, and thoroughly kissed her, still not knowing how to tell her how he had felt about her gesture today. But over the years he had learned, that sometimes, words weren’t needed. Maybe this was one such occasion. Still there was one thing that he could do for her, he had been waiting for the perfect time, and that time had finally come…