Always and Forever
Part - 28: Memories… One More Time

“Naina hum college me hai”, he murmured only to be pulled down again by her. The corridors seemed to be steaming up, and he was trying his best not to do anything more than kissing her. Finally, when it seemed that she wouldn’t leave him, he pulled back and turned her away from him, catching her waist. She muttered something in disapproval, trying to turn back, but he controlled her with his strength. Dipping his head, he repeated hoarsely in her ear, “shsh… Naina… please… hum college me hai.”

She gave up struggling, and leaned against him, “toh ghar le chalo.”

He was surprised by her demand, but also understood, as he was almost in the same condition. Gently he turned her to face him again, and hugged her. He wondered how to explain to her about his condition. He sighed, “yaqeen maano… isse achcha idea aaj tak nahi suna maine… par… mujhse aur control nahi hoga agar hum ghar pe akele hue toh.”

She nodded, “jaanti hun. Lekin… abhi tak toh pura January hai… toh kya hum kabhi nahi milenge?”

He shuddered at the thought of not meeting her alone, “milenge… bas thoda waqt do mujhe.” She let out a pent up breath, and nuzzled against his chest. A moment later he teased, “waise mujhe laga nahi the ke college me itne logo ke hote hue bhi tum mujhe kiss karogi… kaafi bold ho gai ho.”

She blushed, and then slowly asked, “tum… tum sochte the na? Jab hum college me the…”

He smiled, “haan… aur ek jagah yeh bhi thi… jis din yeh dil banaya the iss diwal pe usi din.”

She withdrew from his arms, and turned to see the inscription. Lifting a hand she traced the mark with her fingers, and a beatific smile curved her lips.

He softly asked, “ab chale? Warna koi sach me dekh lega.”

She laughed, “tum kabse itna sochne lage?”

“Jabse tumse pyaar kiya”, he responded immediately, “maine pehle bhi kaha tha tumse… kuch pal sirf hamare hai.” He cupped her cheek, tracing a thumb on her lower lip, “aur tumhe aise dekhne ka haq sirf mera hai. Main kabhi nahi chahunga ke galti se bhi koi aur tumko aise dekhe. Isiliye, hum jab bahar hote hai tab, main thoda zyada conscious hota hun.”

She grinned, and unable to resist, pinched his cheeks and pulled. The she grabbed his hand, and tugged, “chalo… kitna kaam hai aur tum ho ki baate hi karte rehte ho. Abhi tak color select karna hai ghar ke liye. Aur tumne mujhe bataya bhi nahi ke tumhara plan kya hai papa…” He followed her, tuning out her voice, his gaze focused on her animated expressions. He knew why she was blabbering, because she was overwhelmed, and if she didn’t talk she would cry. So she chose to talk… He recalled how she had done the same thing often in college, when they couldn’t come closer than holding hands, but maybe she had wished for more too… like him… but unable to express or understand she had probably used this technique to divert him and herself.

She pulled him to a bench in their college garden, and then brought out the leaflets from her purse that he had sent yesterday to her. “Yeh rahe dekho”, she spread out the paper, which had tiny color blocks printed on them. He had marked a few options that he had liked, and he noticed that she had also marked a few. Couple of their choices matched, which was confirmed when she said, “yeh wale rang tumko bhi pasand hai aur mujhe bhi… toh main soch rahi thi ke inme se hi ek final karte hai.”

He nodded, “woh toh thik hai… lekin ek nahi. Humko do rang chahiye na. Bahar ke diwaro pe bhi toh hoga.”

She shook her head, “nahi. Bahar ka rang safed hi rehne do, please.”

He frowned, “koi khaas wajah?”

She was silent for a moment before answering, “tumko yaad hai, hamare roka ke baad jab tum mujhe pehli baar ghar le gaye the… mujhe kitna waqt laga tha yeh samajhne me ke woh ghar ab mera hai. Lekin jab car se utri thi, tabhi ghar dekhke apnapan sa laga tha… Fir uss din jab maine tumko boxing karte dekha tha, uss din bhi jab aai tab kuch pal khade rehke ghar ko dekh rahi thi… soch rahi thi ke tumhari tarah yeh bhi mera hai… hamara hai… Tumko kabhi aisa nahi laga? Shayad jab tum Nanaji ki tarah bahar jhule pe bethte honge, ya fir jab office se ghar aate ho aur gates se andar ghuste ho… Mujhe sahi shabd nahi mil rahe par kuch toh hai hamare ghar me… koi baat toh hai… bahar se jab bhi dekhti hun, aisa lagta hai jaise…”

“Proud”, he whispered staring at her with wonder, “proud feel hota hai… aisa lagta hai jaise woh mera abhimaan ho.”

“Haan”, she nodded, “shayad isiliye kyunki hume pata hai ke uss ghar ko nanaji ne apne mehnat se banaya hai. Unka swabhimaan, abhimaan, aur kamyaabi teeno usme hai. Hum usko apna bana sakte hai, lekin puri tarah se badal nahi sakte.”

He looked thoughtful as he said, “tumko pata hai… Nanu na roz subah bahar jhule pe bethte the, aur paper padhne se pehle kuch der bas ghar ko, aas paas ke garden ko dekhte the… shayad tum thik keh rahi ho. Woh ghar unka swabhimaan tha.”

Naina held his hand, and cupped his cheek to make him look at her, “aur tum unka guroor. Tumne unka har sapna pura kiya Sameer… Unka jo vishwaas tha tumpe usko sahi saabit kar diya.”

He smiled, tears clouding his vision, as he placed his hand on top of hers on his cheek, “main yeh kabhi nahi kar paata agar tum mere saath nahi hoti toh. Tumhare pyaar ne hi mujhe itni himmat di.”

She smiled and sniffed, “uff… tum wapas bolne lage. Chalo bahar ka rang toh fix hai, white. Ab andar ka dekho… mujhe bahot dark shade nahi chahiye, aur aaj kal ke woh ajeeb se green, blue colors bhi nahi pasand. Pata nahi ghar me rang karte hai ya chidiyakhaane me.”

He laughed, “okay… toh batao konsa rang karvaye.”

She pointed to one shade on the booklet, “yeh wala kaisa rahega?”

He looked at her choice, it was a luminous cream shade – not so light that it would look like white, and neither so dark that it can’t be called cream – which would perfectly contrast to the bold wooden polished furniture. All in all, he could easily imagine that color on the walls in their room, and he thought it looked perfect, and again it gave him an idea of Naina’s classic sense of style.

“Naina, chalo ice-cream khate hai”, he suddenly proposed.

She was perplexed, “ice-cream? Thand me?”

He nodded excitedly, “haan… thand me maza aata hai. Chalo na…”

She agreed just because he was excited, and he drove to a small ice-cream parlor in Navrangpura. She ordered a cone with vanilla scoop, while he ordered one with vanilla topped with chocolate. It looked enormous to Naina, and she giggled, poking him in the stomach, “bhukkad… itna khaoge toh shaadi se pehle hi tond nikal aayegi.”

He took a long swipe of his cone, and grinned mischievously, “koi baat nahi… shaadi ke baad tum madad kar dena exercise karne me”, and winked at her, hoping she would understand what he meant.

She did, her eyes widened at his implication, and her cheeks flushed with color. However, as she stared at him dressed in that blue t-shirt and white jacket, her belly clenched and she felt a familiar aching throb between her legs. He saw the heightened color on her cheekbones, the darkening color of her pupils, and parted lips and cursed under his breath. She was making it difficult for him to control.

“Naina, ice-cream khao”, he commanded hoarsely.

She swallowed and obliged, darting her tongue out and curling it around the mound of white ice-cream, and her lips closed over the soft cream. She moaned softly, and the same pink torturous tongue darted out again, licking her lips to take in any remnant. He observed each action, and shuddered, the images in his brain shifting entirely to something else, and he subtly shifted, trying to hide his growing erection. But it was useless… even as he moved, her eyes immediately drifted down, and widened. He closed his eyes, suddenly wishing they were truly at home, and already married.

“Sameer…”, her exclaiming voice reached his years, “ice-cream!”

He glanced down to see his delicious ice-cream melting and immediately his concentration shifted from erotic images to the cone in his hand. Naina giggled as he devoted himself to licking every bit of the melting cone, as fast as he could. She had been unable to control her reaction to his words, and somehow she had done something – she didn’t know what – which had made him respond. He had closed his eyes as if he was tormented, and she had scanned her brain to find a topic that could divert him, and finally landed on the ice-cream. Food, she knew, could distract Sameer Maheshwari anytime, anywhere… She grinned, licking her own ice-cream, and wondered if it would be the same after marriage too… Could he be distracted with food this easily? Hmmm… she needed to check.

She spotted a group of young boys and girls, mostly dressed in green and red, looking all excited and going towards a small lane in distance. A moment later, more people followed, and she was puzzled. Where were they going? And why were they so decked up, or dressed similarly? There was no festival, then why. She asked Sameer, “itne saare log uss taraf kyun jaa rahe hai?”

He glanced up, “church hoga shayad uss taraf.”

“Church?”, she enquired.

He finished the last bite of his ice-cream and eyed hers, “haan. Kal Christmas hai na, toj aaj shaam ko log church jaate hai.”

She saw him looking at her ice-cream and without even any hesitation she offered it to him. He grinned and accepted. She prodded further, “yeh Christmas… tumne kabhi manaya hai? Aur church gaye ho kabhi?”

Sameer chuckled, “Naina… main church, mandir kahin nahi jaata tha… Tumhare saath jab school me gaya tha woh shayad mere life me teesri baar mandir me ghusa main… Aur usse pehle bhi Nanu ke saath gaya tha. Khudse kabhi nahi gaya. Haan lekin… Nainital wale school me chapel tha, aur Christmas bhi manate the wahan… convent thi na, isiliye.”

She softly asked, “kaisa hota hai?”

He finished her ice-cream too, and then explained, “umm… christmas tree hota hai, jisko bahot achche se sajate hai. Aur kaafi log apne ghar ko bhi sajate hai, jaise hum log Diwali pe karte hai. Gifts dete hai ek dusre ko. Cake banate hai. Aur aaj shaam ko sab pray karne jayenge church me… candles jalayenge, aur Christmas carols gayenge.”

“Wow”, she absorbed all the information eagerly, “hum… hum bhi dekh sakte hai kya?”

“Haan.. kyun nahi”, he suggested. She hesitated a bit, and then shared, “par… hum toh… mera matlab… hum toh hindu hai na.”

He chuckled, “Naina… tumko yeh sab sikhata kon hai ghar me? Main bhi toh hindu hun, par convent me padhta tha… Maine Diwali pe laddoo khaye hai, Eid pe Sheer Kurma, aur Christmas pe cake. Aisa kisne kaha ke ek dharm ke ho toh dusre dharm ke tyohaar nahi mana sakte. Jaise mandir me kisika aana mana nahi hai, thik waise hi koi tumhe masjid me ya church me ghusne se nahi rokega. Yeh sab to insaan ke nazariye ki baat hai… Ab mere company me hi dekho… har dharm ke log kaam karte hai, aur main unn sabko ek samaan izzat deta hun. Koi bhed-bhaav nahi. Kyun jis din maine bhed-bhaav kiya mere employees meri izzat karna chod denge. Aur, tum to bachpan se Shefali ki saheli ho, toh fir aisa kaise soch sakti ho tum. Uske Christian hone se tumhari dosti me farq pada?”

She smiled, amazed at the clarity of his thoughts. How simple it was for him? He hadn’t tried to complicate his answer with quotes from religious textures or what he had seen around the world. For him food was an area of interest, and his business was his expertise, so he had chosen to explain through those. Simple yet effective. She had always turned to Chachaji earlier for matters that confused her, but now she found that Sameer could be an equally perfect source. She felt glad that now she wouldn’t need to turn to Chachaji always, Sameer could solve her queries easily. So she turned to him and asked, “mujhe le chaloge?”

He smiled, and checked his watch, “haan chalo. Lekin zyada der nahi rukenge, kyunki main nahi chahta ke trip pe pehle Taiji koi bhi nayi problem leke aaye. Aur tum late pahonchogi ghar toh ho sakta hai unka ramayan fir shuru ho jaaye.”

She laughed and they proceeded to cross the road, she felt slightly amused when he held her hand protectively. But then, she had been used to such protective gestures from him all these years. She would be lying if she said that she didn’t like it.

Even from a distance she could say that the church had been decorated beautifully. A small fair was set-up on the grounds, quite similar to what she had seen outside temples in Shivratri and Ganesh Chaturthi. An old man was selling candles, and Sameer bought a handful for them. Naina thought he looked quite like the old man who used to sit outside temple selling grass and laddoo to be offered to Gau Mata.

As they were about to step inside, she tugged on Sameer’s sleeve and whispered, “Sameer… mujhe Jesus ke saamne kaise prarthna karte hai nahi aata.”

He smiled, “jab main tumhare saath pehli baar mandir gaya tha mujhe bhi nahi aata tha.” Saying so he guided her inside, amid the pews that were full with people, some praying and some whispering. She looked up at the tall arched ceiling, lined with gold and decorated with mistletoes. A grand statue of Jesus towered upon them, and Naina stared at it amazed in a curious sort of way. She had read about Jesus Christ, his birth, and death, but she was seeing it for the first time. Angels in white marble waited with bowed heads on both side. And people had lit candles inside a long sandpit.

He handed over a couple of candles to her, and gestured her to light them. She didn’t know if there was any procedure or any right way to do it. So, she simply lit the candles, and made a wish for each one she planted in the sand. She saw Sameer lighting a few candles too. She had seen Amar Akbar Anthony movie, had seen Parveen Babi pray inside church in it, but she couldn’t remember how she did it. Glancing sideways at Sameer, she saw him standing with folded hands, and closed eyes, like she had taught him in the temple. She smiled, and turned to do the same. Even though the church was full of people, she felt a strange kind of peace hanging in the air. For a moment, it was as if the entire church was empty and it was just them praying together. Astonished she opened her eyes, and looked at the beautiful statue, wondering that this was the same as she would always feel in the temple. Peace and a good kind of solitude. Truly there’s no difference, she thought and started to believe.

When they left from there she felt there couldn’t have been a more perfect ending to the day. Outside as they crossed the fair, Sameer stopped her at a small stall, “Naina… kuch kharidte hai.”

She looked at the odd spread in-front of her including toys, trinkets, soft toys, miniatures, and laughed, “hum yahan se kya kharidenge.”

His eyes shone with excitement, “kuch bhi. Jo tumhe pasand ho. Hum usko hamare room me rakhenge.”

Now that she knew what he wanted to do with it, she looked at the offerings with a revived vision. Suddenly she noticed something at the far end of the table, and pointed, “woh wala… woh chota sa ghar.”

Sameer signaled the man to bring it, and he smiled as soon as he saw what she had chosen. It was a small model house with reddish brick wall, thatched roof, and a small chimney spouting on top. The door and windows were painted in bold shades, and it stood on a green flat platform that represented lawn, surrounded by a white picket fence complete with a small door. It was beautiful, and somehow he felt it resembled the dreams that he would spin as a child, alone in the hostel, always wishing to have a home and family he could call his own. As he had grown up, he had convinced his brain that white picket fences were never meant for him, but he had been unable to do anything about his heart. He had ruthlessly suppressed the wishes of his heart until he had come to Nanu in Ahmedabad, and Naina had come into his life converting the small city and now the white bungalow into a home for him. Sameer Maheshwari hadn’t been home until he had met Naina Agarwal. And today, when they were on the threshold of starting their own family, settling in their own home, Naina had chosen this model, again given wings to his wishes. “Perfect hai”, he grinned turning to her, and she smiled back illuminating his world a little more.

All too soon, it was time to drop her home, and Naina sat next to him staring sadly at the surroundings. Sameer noticed it and enquired, “kya hua tumko?”

“Mujhe aise jaana achcha nahi lagta”, she immediately answered.

He bit his lip, thinking for some time, and then without warning steered his car in another direction. Surprised, Naina straightened, “yeh kahan le jaa rahe ho?”

“Do minute akele chahiye”, he responded tersely. She didn’t object. After a moment it became clear to her that he was taking her to the same under constructed building where he had once taken her. He reached under the same tree, parked the car and turned to her. She immediately removed her seat belt and went into his arms. He held her tight against him, his face buried in her hair.

“Yahan aise tumko iss waqt laana sahi nahi hai”, he whispered abjectly.

She closed her eyes, “jaanti hun.”

His hand rubbed her back, “par thodi der… bas thodi der aise hi rehna tha.”

“Mujhe bhi”, she agreed.

After a minute she pulled back, “Sameer… dinner karne aao na. Chachiji mana nahi karegi.”

He smiled and kissed her forehead, “jaanta hun mana nahi karegi. Par aise achcha nahi lagta. Aur fir bas kuch hi din ki toh baat hai. Fir Mt. Abu me toh hum saath honge.”

She nodded. Darkness had fallen outside, and there was no light in the car, and it was nearly impossible to see her features. So he lifted his hand and cupped her face, tracing her cheekbones, the curve of her cheeks, her nose with his fingers, as if he was a blind artist and she was his art. His fingers traced her earlobe, her jawline, the column of her throat, her delicate shoulders, trailed down her arm and held her palms. Slowly he lifted her hands, and kissed the back of both palms. Tilting his head he let his cheeks rub on her hand and whispered, “agar tumko kiss kiya to control nahi kar paunga.”

She smiled, dipping her head and dropped a kiss on his head. Again racking her brain for a topic to divert him, she suddenly asked, “achcha suno. Tum shaadi ke baad mujhe driving sikhaoge?”

He straightened and turned on the car, starting to reverse out, “haan kyun nai. Fir driver ke jagah tum mujhe office chod diya karna.”

She laughed. When they reached the main road, he gently suggested, “waise main kaafi time se soch raha tha ke tumse puchu ke tumhe business me interest hai kya.”

Perplexed she looked at him, “matlab?”

He took a deep breath and explained, “mera matlab office se hai. Mujhe pata hai tum book likhna chahti ho, lekin saath saath agar office me bhi kuch kaam karna chaho toh I am sure, hum koi role nikal sakte hai.”

She thought about it for a moment, and then slowly asked, “tum… tum chahte ho ke main kaam karu?”

He frowned, “Naina… iss mamle me zaruri hai ke tum kya chahti ho. Agar tum kehti ho ke tumko ghar pe hi rehna hai aur sirf books likhna hai, toh bhi mujhe koi aitraaz nahi. Aur agar tum kehti ho ke tumko business me interest hai toh bhi mujhe koi aitraaz nahi.”

“Par… tum hi toh kehte ho na ke hum dono kya chahte hai woh zaruri hai”, she countered, “aur fir… ab main tumse hi toh sab kuch puchungi na. Chachaji ko thodi na puchne jaungi ke woh kya sochte hai. Tum kya sochte ho woh zaruri hai mere liye.”

He was stunned for a moment at the possibility of replacing Chachaji as her guide. Did she really mean that? He was almost too nervous to ask, so he focused on answering her in his own way, “dekho… mere khayalat kuch hadd tak Nanu ki tarah hi hai. Isiliye agar tum mujhse puchogi to main kahunga ke tumhe thodi bahot business ki knowledge bhi honi chahiye. Aur kuch nahi toh routine cheezo ki samajh… socho agar mujhe kabhi kuch hua toh tum sambhal…”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence as she had placed her palm over his mouth. She fiercely admonished, “tum firse ulti sidhi baate sochne lage.”

He kissed her palm, and removed it from his mouth, “main kuch ulta siddha nahi soch raha. Simple sa soch raha hun. Ab insaan hun toh bimar toh pad sakta hun na… ya fir socho main kisi business trip pe hun aur yahan kuch zarurat aa gai. Office me Munna hai, lekin signing authority toh mere alawa toh sirf tumhare paas hogi na. Toh agar tum papers sign karo, toh unhe padhke kuch samajh bhi aaye aisa hona chahiye na.”

As they turned from a signal, he continued explaining, “aur yeh sab kuch side pe rakho… toh main maanta hun ke tumhari apni pehchaan honi chahiye. Tum Agarwal ya Maheshwari surname se judi ho iss par tumhari zindagi khatam na ho… balki tumko log tumhare kaam ke wajah se jaane. Fir chahe woh book likhna ho, ya padhana ho, ya business…”

He continued mischievously, “aur haan… tum office me rahi toh mera bhi fayda hai… consulting ke bahane cabin me bulata rahunga.”

Naina had been listening to him with rapt attention, but on hearing his last sentence she started laughing loudly. He chuckled along with her. Finally she calmed down, “mujhe sochne ka thoda waqt chahiye.”

He nodded, “jitna waqt chahiye utna lo… Chachaji se baat karni ho toh bhi kar sakti ho.”

She smiled, “uski zarurat nahi hai. Tum jo ho… koi sawaal hoga toh tumse puch lungi.”

He glanced at her as he parked beneath her society, and saw her looking adoringly at him. He remained silent as the fact started to settle inside him that she was indeed choosing to turn to him for guidance rather than to Chachaji.

He dropped her inside, and Chachaji took a minute to enquire about his plan for Rakesh. Sameer winked and said that a call would come the next day, and his beloved Sasurji would surely leave. Chachiji filled a box with home-made carrot halwa and handed it to him. He happily accepted, and glanced at Naina once more before leaving. As usual, she rushed out to the balcony to look at him. Sameer waited to look at her, and thought that he rather liked this routine, but would love it more when she would wave him off from their doorstep.

The next day Sameer called her in morning and said that he would send something over for her. She thought it would be flowers, but instead a cake arrived in the afternoon, with Merry Christmas written on it. Preeti who had returned early from the parlour squealed on seeing the cake, while Chachiji was confused, “bhagwan jhuth na bulaye, yeh damadji ko Yeeshu ka tyohar kyun manana hai?”

Naina giggled, and thought back to what Sameer had explained, and answered, “tyohar koi bhi dharm ka ho kya fark padta hai. Aap cake pe dhyan do na. Kitna tasty dikh raha hai. Chal Preeti, ise kaat te hai.”

Together they cut the cake, and enjoyed it, while Taiji came sniffing and complained that no one thought of calling her to share. Bela pacified her by giving an extra-large piece to her, and also made her taste some of the snacks that were already prepared.

Late that evening, there was a frantic phone call from Arjun demanding to talk to his father. Rakesh sir talked getting worried and angrier every minute, until he yelled, “ek kaam thik se nahi hota tumse… meri naukri kya ped pe ugti hai, sab kuch chod-chaad ke tumhare paas aaneka.”

Amid all the commotion Naina got to know that Arjun bhaiya had been injured while playing cricket and his leg was broken. It was minor fracture on ankle, but he needed someone to come over and stay with him for a couple of weeks. After a lot of disagreements and yelling, her father decided to leave the day after. He even asked Naina to accompany him so that there would be someone to cook and clean, but Chachaji intervened saying that Naina would be needed her for wedding preparations and plus Arjun stayed in a boy’s hostel where Naina wouldn’t be allowed to stay.

Naina, Preeti and Chachiji kept on worrying, almost on the verge of crying, until Chachaji told them later in the night that nothing had happened to Arjun. He was just pretending to be hurt, and has taken leave, as he was helping Sameer in his plan. It was all a plan to get Rakesh away from Ahmedabad. Everyone was surprised and Naina immediately called up Arjun to confirm if it was correct. He assured her that it was indeed the truth, “ek baar natak kiya tha tere saamne Sameer ko galat saabit karne ke liye, aur aaj firse kar raha hun taaki tu Sameer ke saath befikar hoke jaa sake.”

Naina had still cried, the moments of worry suddenly being relieved by the phone call, and Chachaji had placated her, explaining to her that it was needed. That night Sameer called her up and apologized straightaway even before the preliminaries. When she had asked why, he replied, “mujhe pata hai thodi der ke liye hi sahi par tumhe bahot tension hui hogi. Aur ghar me baaki sabko bhi. Maine socha tha ke tum logo ko bata du, lekin fir… thodi si bhi gadbad hoti toh Rakesh sir ko shaq ho jaata.”

Naina enquired, “yeh tumhara idea tha?”

Sameer sighed, “nahi. Maine Arjun se kaha tha ke koi urgent maamla nikalke Rakesh sir ko bulale kuch dino ke liye. Fir hum Mt. Abu chale jaate aur Rakesh sir ke paas aur koi raasta nahi hota wahan rukne ke alawa. Lekin… Arjun ne kaha ke agar pura hafta Baroda me rukne ki wajah nahi hui toh Rakesh sir khud Mt. Abu aa sakte hai, jaise peechli baar hum chod gaye the tab bhi aa gaye. Isiliye yeh chot lagne ka natak kiya usne. I am sorry Naina… maine mana kiya tha iske liye bhi, kyunki main jaanta tha ke tum fikar karogi. Lekin mera saala meri saari baate nahi maanta…”

She smiled, her heart feeling light again, as she had somehow felt sure that Sameer could never cause so much worry to anyone. And at the same time she felt grateful that her brother was trying to redeem himself so much, and supporting Sameer like this. She assured him, “Arjun bhaiya bas apne ki hui galtiyo ko sudharne ki koshish kar rahe hai. Bahot saal tumse bewajah dushmani nibhayi hai unhone, aaj tumhari madad karke apne dil ka bojh halka kar rahe hai.”

He frowned, “lekin mujhe Arjun se koi shiqayat nahi hai.”

Her heart thudded with pride for her man, “main jaanti hun. Lekin unke man me khudke liye shiqayat hogi… karne do tumhari madad unko apne tareeke se. Ho sakta hai iss baar jab woh wapas aaye toh tumse nazre mila sake.”

The day after Christmas was cold, the clouds outside a dull grey in color. Naina felt that she would like to snuggle under the blanket with a hot cup of tea. But, unfortunately for her there was not a moment of peace in Agarwal house. The morning started with his father creating an uproar regarding the aloo parathas, something he addressed as a frugal meal for a man who was going to travel such a long distance today. Naina rolled her eyes in the kitchen, thinking that never mind the distance between Ahmedabad to Baroda could be covered in two hours maximum. Tauji and Taiji were also supposed to be leaving by this afternoon, hence they were also rushing around with last minute packing, and re-arranging whatever they had packed. Naina wondered how they were going to carry all those seven bags.

Sameer landed in the chaos at 9am in the morning, with his trademark charming smile, a bouquet of mauve Larkspur, and a bag with boxes of sweets. Naina smiled as she accepted the flowers, and asked, “tumhe yeh har tarah ke phool milte kahan se hai?”

He grinned, “mere dil ke garden se.” She laughed at his flirty demeanor. Chachiji came with a dish of aloo paratha, and Sameer immediately abandoned flirting, “oh wow, aloo paratha. Chachiji main ek aur lunga.”

Bela laughed, “tum khao beta, main dusra garam banake laati hun.”

Naina shook her head, smiling at his excitement over something her father had termed as frugal, and served him pickle and yoghurt. Suddenly he grinned, and teased Naina, “jab main tumhe shaadi ke liye dekhne aaya tha tab mujhe puch lena chahiye tha ke tumko aloo ke kitne dishes banane aate hai.”

Naina crossed her arms, and raised her brows, “dekhne aaye the? Jitna mereko yaad hai tum yahan yeh kehne aaye the ke tumko mujhse shaadi karni hai.”

He pretended as if he had forgotten it earlier and slapped his forehead, “oh haan… bhul hi gaya… tumne toh mujhe pehle hi fasa liya tha… jab main 17 saal ka bhola-bhala ladka tha. Iss anjaan sheher me dost banke mujhe apne pyaar ke jaal me fasa liya.”

She smirked, and leaned down, “haan… bilkul aisa hi hua tha… kya karu… tum itne ameer aur handsome the…” On the pretext of serving more pickled she leaned ever closer, “aur upar se school me bhi itni sexy body… fasana toh banta tha…”

He stared at her, mouth agape, as she winked and turned to go to the kitchen. His eyes desperately wandered down her back, to the sashaying hips, and suddenly the aloo paratha seemed too bland in-front of her. God, the woman was trouble. How? How could she just make him lose interest in his favorite food? He scowled at the dish, wishing he was rather having her than the steaming hot aloo paratha.

Naina came back with a dish containing another paratha, and was surprised to see that he hadn’t even touched the first one, “kya hua? Kha kyun nahi rahe ho?”

He looked at her, and muttered, “dhyan kahin aur chala gaya.”

She blinked, surprised, and then smiled at his pout. Glancing around to make sure no one was noticing, she broke off a piece of paratha and held it at his mouth, “kha lo.”

He also looked around, assuring that they indeed had that moment on privacy, and leaned forward accepting the food, closing his lips on her fingers and licking her fingers just like he had done once before. However this time instead of gasping in surprise and withdrawing her hand, she just smiled wider, and let him have his way. He suddenly found his interest in food back, and he grinned, devoting himself to polish off the scrumptious meal.

Rakesh came barging in, “Anand… Anand… Auto bula do mere liye.”

Sameer nearly rolled his eyes, and stood up, “auto ki zarurat nahi hai. Main aapko chod deta hun bus stop tak.”

Anand came out just then, “haan bhaisaab, chaliye main bhi aata hun.”

Rakesh opened his mouth to say as if he wanted to say something, but then remained quiet and went to pick up his bag. As they were leaving, Taiji mumbled from the door, “Oh bai! Bholuram abhi abhi aaya aur dekho toh, usko thik se khaane bhi nahi diya. Rickshaw se jaane me shaan kam ho jayegi inki.”

Naina looked away, but Sameer replied back, “maine kha liya Taiji. Naina ne garam paratha banake diye the. Aur main toh itni subah aaya hi isiliye taaki Rakesh sir ko chodne jaa saku… waise hi jaise aap logo ko bhi chodne jaunga.”

Taiji didn’t have a comeback to this, and Sameer didn’t wait to listen, and everyone missed the fleeting smile on Rakesh’s face. When he and Chachaji returned, the house was in utter chaos and Naina was leaning on the wall clutching her head. Alarmed, he rushed to her, “Naina… kya hua? Tabiyat kharab hai? Doctor ko bulau?”

Naina looked up at him, annoyed, “sab tumhari wajah se.”

He was stunned, “maine kya kiya?”

She poked him in his chest, “tumne… tumne Taiji ko itna mehenga lottery jitwaya ke woh chaar dino se chup hi nahi hui hai. Hum sabko sir me dard hone laga hai… tumhari wajah se.”

Taken aback for a moment, he just stared at her, and then laughed. “Bas do ghante aur, fir toh woh log chale jayenge”, he pacified.

She frowned, “tab tak mera sir fat jayega. Aur bechari Chachiji, abhi tak wahan packing me help kar rahi hai.”

He smiled, and then quickly kissed her forehead, “Sorry.”

She sighed, smiling a bit, and then said, “aaj shayad Chachaji ke alawa pehli baar koi papa ke paksh me bola.”

He shrugged, “jo galat hai woh galat hai. Aur waise bhi… hain toh mere sasurji hi na.” He looked thoughtful, “shayad papa bulana chahiye mujhe, lekin…”

She held his hand, and interrupted, “sirf rishta judne se kuch nahi hota, nibhane do… jaise mummy ne nibahya… filhaal Sir hi theek hai.”

One look at the number of bags and Sameer called up his driver asking him to bring the other car. By 1pm all bags and humans were bundled in the two cars, and they reached the railway station in twenty minutes. While they waited for the Train, Sameer bought cold sweetened milk for everyone. Delighted, Naina stood sipping at it, when suddenly Sameer took the bottle from her, took a long swig and returned it to her with a smirk. She smiled, knowing what he wanted, and she obliged staring continuously at him, thrilled at the deepening glitter in his eyes.

The deep loud whistle sounded, and the train entered the platform causing the porters to run around. Everyone picked up bag, but when Naina bent to pick one, Sameer caught her hand and pulled her beside him. Surprised she looked up at him, and saw that he had picked up two duffel bags in one hand, and now stood shielding her partially. A smile curved her lips at his protective gesture.

When they went inside the train, Taiji glanced at Naina, and scowled, “Oh bai! Maharani, ek bag nahi utha sakti.”

“Yeh rahe bagsTaiji”, Sameer dumped the two bags he was holding on the seats, “Naina ko uthane ki zarurat nahi hai.”

They bade farewell, telling them to enjoy, and Naina gave a chocolate bar to Pralay. They climbed down on the platform as the first whistle sounded, and the last goodbyes were said through the window. Another whistle pierced the air, and the train started moving, slowly gliding out of the platform and the smiles on their faces kept widening. In a glaring display of happiness, Sameer pumped his fist in the air, and Naina’s eyes widened as she wondered what Chachaji might think. But Anand simply laughed and pulled Sameer in a hug, Preeti hugged Naina and Bela hugged them both. Finally, they were free!

Sameer dropped them home, and even though Chachaji asked him to stay, he said that he had to wrap up work in office before their trip. Drawing a little courage, he held Naina’s hand for half a minute, before smiling and leaving. Naina stood surprised at his action, and even more surprised with the fact the Chachaji and Chachiji didn’t object.

On 27^th, everyone started their own preparation for the trip. It was just a couple of days away. Chachiji said she had all the groceries left from what she had bought for preparing Taiji’s snacks, so she started preparing more for their own trip saying they would need it in the long journey. Chachaji didn’t know what exactly was needed for such trips, so he asked Naina and Preeti if they would like to go shopping, and the girls jumped at the opportunity. So the family of four spent an eventful evening at Law Garden, buying tops and accessories. Naina found a bluish-grey shirt with broad cream checks, and liked it so much that she bought it for Sameer. She glanced at Chachaji once before purchasing it, he tilted his head considering, and then nodded. She felt extremely happy with the fact that he didn’t just let her buy, but also didn’t offer money, understanding that she wanted to buy it.

On the other hand, Sameer had also started his own preparations for the trip. He had talked to the driver who had been assigned to them, and detailed that number of stops, confirmed the route and was even armed with a map of his own. Thinking what all would be needed for the trip, he made a list to buy bottles of water, first-aid kit, extra blankets in case they needed it in the bus. Even small items like pain relief balm, some medication for common cold, chips and biscuits went on his list. He was so excited with the success of his plan and at the thought of finally being able to fulfil what he had planned for Naina, that he had a hard time falling asleep. At Agarwal house, Naina also stayed up till late, knitting the sweater, and finally falling asleep with it in her arms.

The morning of 28^th however was not as jovial for Naina, as her stomach started to pain, and a trip to the bathroom confirmed her suspicion that her monthly flow had indeed started. She sulked, thinking why did it have to start when they were supposed to go on a trip. She spent the morning mopping in the room, as obviously she couldn’t help in the kitchen anymore. She tried knitting for some time, but nothing seemed to work as the wool kept tangling. Frustrated she threw the whole thing on bed, and went to her desk trying to work on the story. When even that didn’t work, she pulled out a novel and opened it to see Sameer’s picture. She didn’t know why she suddenly felt like crying, and she wanted desperately to talk to Sameer. Somehow she managed to eat some poha for breakfast, washing it down with water, and asked Chachiji if they had chocolate. Bela checked and said there was none, which spoiled her mood even more.

To her horror, Sameer called up and said that he had some time today so would visit in the afternoon for lunch, and he also needed some quick help from her. Bela made some pulao, kadhi and mix-vegetable for lunch, and kept the flour ready to make hot rotis. Sameer came up at 1pm, and immediately was seated to eat. Naina had tried to fix herself up before he came, but it didn’t help her mood, as she felt bloated and the sudden cramps in her stomach was killing her. Throughout lunch she kept rubbing her tummy, and ate very less. When Sameer asked, she made an excuse that she had eaten a heavy breakfast.

After lunch, Chachiji asked Naina to sit with Sameer and see what work he has, and she would manage the kitchen. Sameer found it a bit odd, but didn’t say anything. He just wanted to run through an idea of a monthly leaflet or brochure kind-of thing for his company, something that he could pass on to his employees as well as some prospective clients. It would contain details of any new success they achieved, a summary of some employees so that everyone gets to know the other better, and a couple of other things. Naina tried to listen attentively, and not frown or pout, or glare at him.

When Chachiji went to sleep, Naina asked him to come inside the room. A little surprised by her proposal but extremely excited he followed her inside and closed the door. To his disappointment however, Naina didn’t jump on him, hug him or kiss him. Rather she made her way to the bed, plonked down on it, leaning on the wall, and pulled the blanket on her extended legs. Little unsure as to what he was supposed to do, he sat facing her on the edge of the bed.

“Naina”, he hesitantly asked, “tum theek toh ho na?”

She threw a glare at him, “mujhe kya hoga. Sab theek hi hai.”

Uh oh. Warning signals beeped in his brain. Something was definitely not right. His Naina never answered like that. She would either smile and nod, or just say a simple yes. But this was different. It wasn’t as if he had not seen this shade of her earlier. He had, once, when he had forgotten once that he was supposed to meet her early in college. It hadn’t been his fault. He had a lot of office work, and plus assignments for college, so he had worked till 3am and then had fallen asleep, ultimately waking up so late that he had even missed the first lecture. That day too he had been surprised when Naina hadn’t answered straightforward, and had to spend the whole day being subjected to her angry looks. A multiple of sorry-s later she had reminded him that they were supposed to meet early, and after that it had taken another wave of apologies to get her to mellow down a little. However, she hadn’t melted completely, until he had fallen asleep even in the middle of convincing her in the empty classroom they often sat it. That had made her realize how exhausted he was, and finally when he had woken up, he hand found his hand tangled with hers, and she had smiled at him making him sigh in relief.

But today… what had he done today. What did he forget? Had he promised her to meet? No. Did he forget any important dates? Quickly he ran through all the dates that were significant for them in his mind, and to his relief none of it matched this date. He couldn’t think of anything that could be his fault, so he swallowed and asked, “tum naraaz kyun ho mujhse? Maine kya kiya?”

She frowned, “main naraaz nahi hun. Tum batao… trip ki taiyariya ho gai?”

He nodded fervently, thinking that she might cheer up by talking about the trip, and started detailing out everything. Naina listened, all the while itching to rub her stomach, or flop on the bed and wallow in her misery. She needed chocolate, dammit. Or maybe she needed him… but then… she wasn’t good today. She looked too tired, and she was bloated, which in simple language meant fat. Tears gathered in her eyes, and she lashed out unnecessarily, “bas karo. Mujhe nahi sunna yeh sab. Kabse bole hi jaa rahe ho. Kuch samajhna nahi hai, sunna nahi hai… bas bolter eh rahe ho…”

Stunned beyond imagination, he stared at her open-mouthed, as she scolded him. The astonishment was nothing in-front of the confusion. What had he done? He had just answered her question. Something was terribly wrong… but what? Trying to tune out her words, he focused on her instead, and noticed the tears in her eyes, her attempt at putting on light make-up… Since when did Naina start to do make-up at home? She never did that, not even when he visited. So why today? His eyes drifted to how she clutched the blanket with one hand, and her other hand rubbed her stomach… as if she was hungry… or in pain. She had just eaten, though less, but not so less that she would feel hungry so soon. So it must be pain… was she not okay? But then, she would tell him if she wasn’t feeling okay, and Chachiji would also know… Then what? He noted the anomalies – temper, possible stomach pain, less appetite, attempt at make-up… and… and… she didn’t step into the kitchen even once since he came… even the water was served by Chachiji today… so… that meant…. Periods! Damn… He almost sighed in relief… This wasn’t his fault… and this was manageable.

He placed two fingers on her mouth, shutting her up, and then simply pulled her in his arms even though she glared at him. She struggled to get out of his hold, but he just tightened his arms and controlled her petite frame. He dipped his head, letting his lips touch her silky hair, and softly murmured, “shsh… bas karo Naina. Mujhe pata hai tumhare periods shuru ho gaye.”

She stilled for a minute in his arms, and then crumpled, clutching on his shirt and trying to come closer. He shifted, sitting cross legged on the bed, and tugged her on his lap, holding her tight. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and blabbered, “aaj hi shuru hua… subah se pet me dard ho raha hai… aur gussa aa raha hai. Ghar me chocolate bhi nahi hai.”

He hummed, “woh saare chocolates kahan gaye jo maine bhijwaye the?”

“Khatam ho gaye”, she simply answered. He was surprised that all the chocolates that he had sent over for Preeti and Naina were already finished. God, these women. How much chocolate do they eat? He would have to buy more.

“Koi baat nahi, main aur laa dunga”, he assured. Not knowing how much pain she felt, he tried to soothe her, rubbing her back and arms, and even her legs. After a minute he asked, “waise tumne yeh make-up kyun kiya hai aaj?”

He felt a slight wetness on his skin, and she sniffed, “main moti ho gai isiliye.”

Surprised, he drew back, and pulled her head to look at her, “kya? Kisne bola aisa?”

She pouted, “kisine nahi. Periods me hota hai aisa… aur dekho na main kitni thaki hui lag rahi hun.” To his utmost disbelief more tears pooled in her pretty eyes.

He cupped her face, and kissed her softly on her forehead, “tum moti nahi hui ho. Aur aaj bhi utni hi khubsurat lag rahi ho jitni hamesha lagti ho. Rahi baat thakan ki toh woh toh har kisiko hota hai… first year me meri haalat bhul gai? Kitna thaka hua rehta tha… toh kya main kharab dikhta tha? Ya fir mujhe make-up karke aana chahiye tha tumhare saamne?”

She shook her head and whimpered, burrowing on his shoulder again, and he let her, rocking her instinctively, and still rubbing her body. Slowly, he lowered her onto the bed, and slid down beside her, “so jao Naina. Thoda araam karo. Achcha lagega. I promise main bahot saari chocolates laa dunga.”

She turned towards him, and he held her, giving her the warmth of his body. He put one of his legs over hers, and completely captivated her. She made a satisfying hum, as she let his warmth and fragrance envelop her, and surprisingly enough fell asleep really quickly.

Sameer held her for quite some time, but then separated afraid that he too might fall asleep. He detangled himself from her, and pulled the blanket on top of her, dropped another kiss on her forehead and then went outside in the living room. Not wanting to leave her like this, he decided to wait until Chachiji or she woke up. So he laid down on the living room sofa, and let sleep overcome him.

When Chachiji woke up an hour later, she was surprised to see Sameer sleeping on the sofa, and Naina was nowhere in sight. While she was still debating what to do, Sameer woke up, and saw her. He sat up quickly, “umm… Chachiji woh Naina so gai hai. Main kisiko bataye bina nahi jaana chahta tha isiliye main bhi thoda sa so gaya yahan.”

Bela smiled, “koi baat nahi beta. Naina ko thodi thakan hai aaj… do-teen din se bhabhiji itna kaam karwa rahi hai na ke hum sab thak gaye hai. Tum betho main chai bana deti hun.”

He checked his watch, “nahi Chachiji, rehne dijiye. Main office jaata hun. Aap bas Naina ko bata dijiyega woh uthe tab.”

Saying so, he left from there, and straightaway went to a shop where he could buy chocolates. He didn’t even notice what he was buying; all he knew in his mind was that Naina needed chocolates. Finally, after paying the bill, when he was handed over the polythene bag, he felt it was slightly heavier for just chocolates. So he opened it and checked, and his mouth fell open in surprise. He frowned muttering to himself, “puri dukaan kharid li. Ab itne saare chocolates Naina ko bhejega kaise.”

Racking his brain for ideas, he suddenly spotted a florist on the opposite side and went up to him. He had good arrangements of flowers, and he checked out some that had a small basket at the bottom. The florist eyed him, finally judging him rich enough to pay for his expensive arrangement, so he put up a wide smile and spoke in a squeaky tone, “sahab, kahiye kya dikhau? Mere paas har tarah ke phool hai. Vilayti wale bhi.”

Sameer smiled, “ek khaas guldasta banana hai. Thoda alag.”

The man was excited, “haan haan. Kahiye na sahab. Main har tarah ka guldasta bana sakta hun. Aap bas phool pasand kijiye.”

“Phoolo se nahi”, Sameer grinned and forwarded the bag of chocolates, “isse banana hai.”

The florist peered in the bad, and was astonished; he straightaway said that it cannot be done. But he had never met the likes of Sameer Maheshwari or encountered a more determined man. If Sameer wanted to make a bouquet out of chocolates, he would get it done, no matter who said what. After a promise of more money than the florist would make on three of his bouquets, and a personal demonstration by Sameer who took a stick and taped a chocolate to it to show that it can indeed look like a flower, the florist agreed to give it a shot. It took them an hour to form the masterpiece, with the florist getting into the hang of it, and starting to experiment – adding a couple of real flowers, and green leafy bits, decorating it with colored paper or small silver balls. Finally, the gigantic bouquet was ready, and now Sameer paid an additional amount of money to get it delivered to Naina.

Meanwhile at Agarwal house, Naina had woken up, and searched for Sameer trying to find him on the bed. But he wasn’t there, even though she clearly remembered falling asleep in his arms. She slid off the bed and went outside, and didn’t find him there too. Then Chachiji told her that Sameer had left just thirty minutes ago, as he had to go to office, and he didn’t want to wake her up. Naina sighed, sitting on the dining table and sipping at a cup of tea. What a klutz she was? Had she really cried and complained to Sameer about chocolates? And she had had him alone for so long, but she had wallowed in her misery, and not even kissed him once.

By the time they finished tea and Chachiji washed the utensils, the doorbell rang and Naina answered it. A man stood at the door, and squeaked, “Naina Agarwal se milna tha.”

Naina frowned, “main hi Naina hun. Aap kaun?”

The man forwarded the huge arrangement to her, “yeh aapke liye Sameer Maheshwari ji ne bhijwaya hai.”

With a shocked expression on her face Naina took the arrangement and placed it inside on the dining table. Was it a bouquet? She supposed it was. But it was a bouquet with little or no flowers. Instead it had… chocolates! Some were taped to sticks, some tied, few others just stuck here and there, and some were just stuffed inside the small basket at the bottom. And what an assortment it was… from Dairy Milk to Amul, Nutties to Mango bite, boxes of gems to rolls of poppins and rol-a-cola. Melody(s), Eclairs, and Lacto-King(s) were taped here and there. The basket at the bottom was strewn with Kismi and Ravalgaon Candies. Incredibly enough there were even some boomer and big babol sprinkled here and there. It was… exotic, tempting, and completely outrageous.

Bela came out to see, and was equally shocked, “bhagwan jhuth na bulaye beta, yeh kya hai?”

Still in a daze Naina murmured, “guldasta… chocolates ka… Sameer ne bheja.”

“Damadji ne kapdo ka kaam chodke, chocolate ka shuru kar diya kya”,Bela voiced puzzled, “uss din thode bahot chocolates bheje the, par aaj toh puri dukaan bhej di hai.”

Naina recalled her bad mood, the way she had lashed out on Sameer, and then had clung to him to complaining about pain and lack of chocolates. How he had soothed her, rocked her on his lap like a baby, and had promised that he would get her more chocolates. Well… he most certainly had. Her cheeks flamed when Bela mused again as to why so many chocolates. She cleared her throat, “umm… pata nahi… shayad sabke liye bheja hai isiliye zyada bheja.”

Bela didn’t argue with the logic, just happily exclaimed, “chal ahchca hai… tu sbah hi puch rahi thi na chocolate ke liye… Dekh ab toh kitni saari aa gai.”

Naina blushed again, not sure what to say. So she went closer to the boquet, and slowly a smile bloomed on her face as she wondered the depth of fright she must have caused in Sameer to make him behave so irrationally. And how in the world had he even thought of making a bouquet out of chocolates? Where did he get such ideas from? It was very unusual… but still… so romantic if she thought about it. She plucked off a small dairy milk from the arrangement, opened it, and took a bite… moaning in relief. Licking her lips, she mused that she would have to thank him properly when she meets him next, for his unique idea.

She admired the bouquet, while at the other end Sameer felt proud of his innovative idea, none of them realizing that such flower bouquets would be the trend few years later, something lovers would gift each other.

That night when they talked to each other, Sameer enquired about her mood and health. She smiled, “pehle toh dono kharab tha… par fir kisine special sa gift bheja toh thik ho gaya.”

He grinned, “pasand aaya?”

She laughed, “bahot… kahan se laate ho aise ideas?”

“Pata nahi”, he honestly confessed, “chocolates kharidneke baad aisa laga ke itne saare kaise bheju… isiliye… mujhe laga tum hasogi mujhpe.”

Her face softened, “nahi… I am sorry. Maine bewajah tumpe itna gussa kiya aaj… aur uske baad bhi tum… thank you mujhe uss waqt aise sambhalneke liye.”

He sat back on the sofa comfortably; satisfied that she was okay, “madam shayad tum bhul gai. Dosti me no sorry, no thank you.”

“Hum dost hai?”, she enquired.

He glanced at her photo, “haan… shaadi ke baad bhi dost toh rahenge hi. Aur hamari dosti se pyaar ka safar bhi toh Mt. Abu ke safar me hi shuru hua tha na.”

She smiled, “tumne packing shuru kar di?”

He laughed, “haan… iss baar bahot excited hun. Tumne ki packing?”

“Thodi si”, she informed, “Preeti keh rahi thi ke yaadein taaza kar rahe hai toh kapde bhi waise wale hi le jaate hai jo trip me tha.”

He thought about it, “hmmm… matlab tum bus me frock pehnogi… please mere baaju me bethna.”

She was confused, “kyun?”

He dropped his voice a little, letting the desire reflect, “baaju me rahogi to chu sakunga na.”

She instantly recalled how he had slid his hand beneath her skirt, and had been nearly on the verge of touching her. Heat began to spread nside her, and her stomach clenched at the thought of him doing something like that again. “Bus me sab log honge”, she whispered.

A little taken aback by the fact that she didn’t refuse, he bit his lip, “haan… tumko chup rakhna thoda mushkil hai.”

Her eyes widened, and she blushed, “jaise tum toh bilkul awaaz nahi karte.”

He chuckled, “tumse kam. Aur tension mat lo… main sabke saamne waisa kuch nahi karunga. Par tum please frock mat pehenna… aisa kiya toh mujhse sach me control nahi hoga.”

She laughed, “lo… main toh soch rahi thi woh tumhara favorite bhalu wala frock pehnu.”

“Eww”, he instantly recoiled, “nahi nahi… please… tumpe brown ke alawa har color suit karta hai. Woh frock dobara mat pehenna kabhi.”

Their conversation continued for some more time, until they both felt sleepy and finally wished good night to each other.

The next day was also totally chaotic. Naina still couldn’t work in the kitchen, so Chachiji had taken it upon herself to finish cooking all the snacks for the trip. Clothes were taken out, packed and then unpacked. Chachaji brought home something, but didn’t show what it was, and packed it in his bag. Naina finally finished knitting the sweater and carefully packed it with the shirt she had bought. To her surprise Preeti also fished out a pale yellow t-shirt from her purse, confessing that she had bought it for Rohan. Naina grinned and suggested that she should talk to Rohan on this trip. Rohan arrived that evening, and Sameer went to pick him up. The excited brothers did all the packing, and Sameer laid out his clothes for next day, wondering about Naina’s reaction.

Finally the morning of the most awaited day arrived. Sameer had arranged for the bus to arrive at Nirmal Jyoti Society, and he was supposed to arrive with Rohan soon after breakfast. Everyone had woken up early, and still there was some rush with last minute prepations. Windows were checked, cupboards locked and keys hidden, gas cylinder was turned off, and bags were carefully placed outside. At 9am the bus arrived, and Chachaji started to take the bags downstairs. Naina quickly stuffed some chocolates in her purse, and then helped Chachiji lock up.

Rohan walked up to them as soon as they came downstairs, and Naina had to nudge Preeti to control her wide grin. Munna and Pandit had also arrived, and Swati came up rushing and hugged Naina in excitement. Everyone was talking non-stop and admiring the beautiful bus while storing their bags, but Naina kept looking here and there. Finally she tapped Rohan on his arm, “Rohan… Sameer kahan hai?”

Rohan grinned, “Bhabhi woh aate hi honge. Apne driver ko kuch instruction de rahe the, aur kaha ke dukaan me bhi kaam hai.”

Naina frowned, “aaj bhi kaam.” However at the same time she felt a sudden gust of wind, and smiled, understanding immediately that he was coming. She turned, and felt her breath stop at the sight of him. He was walking towards her, dressed in blue jean, white polo-neck tshirt, and his brown leather jacket slung over one shoulder. With sunglasses on, his hair waving in the wind, and the bag in another hand, he looked… just like he had on that day so many years ago; maybe a little bit taller, and definitely more muscular, more confident, but still extremely handsome. If that day, so long ago, Naina had felt her breath hitch on seeing him, today too she felt the same but along with that came numerous other sensations that were new yet familiar.

Sameer smirked as he saw her constantly staring at him. She had the same dreamy expressions on her face that he had noticed so long ago on that trip day. He had always known that he was handsome, but that day on seeing Naina staring at him like that, he had felt as if he was a little bit more handsome than he always thought. And today… even though the expressions and the blush on her cheeks were the same, the heat in her eyes was new… it made him feel desirable… and it made him want to go up to her and kiss her right then. Oh how wonderful that would be. Dressed in that jeans and pink top, she would be all soft and feminie, her scent would tease him, there would be a fraction of a second when she would quiver as his lips touched hers, and then she would melt against him, return his kiss with demands of her own.

Reaching close to her, he licked his lips, and lowered his sunglasses to gaze at her without any barrier. She smiled at him, and raised her eyebrows in appreciation, he almost blushed. Munna and Pandit intervened at the same moment, and they too noticed his t-shirt. Pandit clapped him on his back, “aree bhai. Yeh purani t-shirt kaise aa gayi tujhe.”

Munna slapped the back of his head, “abey Ponga, purani nahi hai… Nayi t-shirt hai. Khaas iss trip ke liye.”

Preeti was puzzled, “kyun? Aisa kya khaas hai isme?”

Naina tilted her head, still looking at Sameer, “pehle wale trip me bhi uss din Sameer ne aise hi kapde pehne the.”

“Wow”, Preeti exclaimed, turning to look at her jijaji with admiration, “aap ne sach me sab kuch plan kiya hai. Kamaal hai.”

Sameer smirked, combing his fingers through his hair, “woh toh main hun.”

The driver came up to talk to Sameer, and then they all boarded the bus. Sameer sought out Chachaji, and asked if there was any problem. Chachaji smiled, “hoti toh main tumko phone kar deta. Sab thik se ho gaya… maine kal bade bhaisaab aur Rakesh bhaisaab dono ko phone kar diya tha. Tumne jaise bolne ko bola, thik wahi bola. Bade bhaisaab toh asaani se maan gaye, par Rakesh bhaisaab thoda… mera matlab keh rahe the ke woh wahan musibat me hai aur hum ghumne jaa rahe hai.”

Sameer shrugged, “normal hai. Arjun se baat hui?”

Chachaji shook his head, “nahi. Woh phone tak nahi aa sakta na.”

Sameer nodded, still not so much comfortable with the lie of injury, but he understood that Arjun was right in his assessment of his father.

As the bus started to move, everyone cheered, and Sameer sat beside Naina without any hesitation. Munna and Pandit sat on the seat behind them, with Preeti and Swati in the seat next to them. Rohan sat alone behind the girls. While Chachaji sat a seat behind Munna and Pandit with Chachiji.

Naina looked outside excited, and Sameer sat beside her admiring the happiness on her face. However, the last two nights had been long for her, with the excitement, and knitting, so she very soon fell asleep, leaning on Sameer’s shoulder. He smiled, and held her hand; even though he would have like to wrap his arm around her while she slept.

They halted for a mid-morning stop at a dhaba, and Naina woke up irritated and flustered. The women took a trip to the bathroom, and freshened up. Sameer had ordered tea and biscuits for everyone, while Chachaji had got one box of snack from the bus. Naina sipped on her tea, feeling grumpy. Sameer smiled, and brought out a chocolate bar from his pocket, offering it to her.

She frowned, “firse chocolate? Kitne chocolates khilaoge? Mujhe dekhke tumko aisa lagta hai ke main itne saare chocolates khati hun?”

His face twisted in confusion as he muttered, “maine kab aisa bola.”

Before Naina could lash out again, Anand pulled Sameer away and asked, “kya kar rahe ho?”

Sameer blushed, “umm… woh… Naina ka mood kharab lag raha tha na toh maine socha ke shayad chocolate se thik ho jaaye.”

“Aur tumko kaise pata ke chocolate se hi thik hoga?”, Anand enquired.

Sameer stammered, “umm… woh… aisai… Naina ko chocolates achche lagte hai na.”

Anand nodded, “haan… aur tumne pehle hi bahot saari di hai usko.” Then he sighed and explained, “dekho… ek baat batata hun, yaad rakhna hamesha… Biwi ke mood ko hamesha samajhne ki koshish mat karna… Biwiya alag hoti hai… Hamare samajh ke bahar.”

Sameer opened and closed his mouth in surprise, and then on seeing the smile on Chachaji’s face he also started grinning.

Later again in the bus, they all played antakshari and by then Naina was fine. Swati teased them about singing made-up songs on their school trip, which intrigued Chacha-Chachi very much. Rohan asked about that trip journey, and Naina, Sameer, Munna, Pandit and Swati detailed it out. Bela gasped when she heard that Naina was lost in the forest, and that Sameer had somehow fought a gang of robbers. Swati accidentally disclosed about it being a test of love, and Sameer stared dumbfounded at them. Anger sparked in his eyes, “test… tum mera test le rahi thi. Pagal ho tum? Jungle me chali gai? Main nahi aata toh? Ya mere aane se pehle tumhe kuch ho jaata toh?”

The atmostphere in the bus was suddenly tensed, but Naina took out a chocolate from her purse and offered it to him, and held one ear in his style, “Sorry.”

He struggled for half a minute, before giving in and accepting the chocolate, “aur koi test baki hai?”

She smiled, “haan… firse jaati hun jungle me.” She stepped away, and turned as if intending to go to the front of the bus.

Sameer caught her nape, and pulled, turning her back to him, so that her hands were on his chest. His eyes narrowed as he fiercely murmured, “koi zarurat nahi hai kahin jaaneki.”

She blushed at the possessive hold, and lowered her gaze, her lips quivering. Rohan cleared his throat and Sameer came back to his senses, and left her.

Bela asked, “bhagwaan jhuth na bulaye, tum dono ki puri kahaani sunni hai mujhe toh. Bataoge na?”

Sameer tensed; his body stiffening at the thought of sharing the story of bet with them. He didn’t know what to say, but Naina placed a hand on his arm, and answered, “haan zarur. Hum batayenge. Mt. Abu me…”

He looked at her, the distress in his eyes clear for her to see. She smiled and blinked in assurance, as if telling him without words that there was nothing that was needed to be hidden.

Finally, after the multiple stops, they reached Mt. Abu and to Naina’s surprise Sameer had booked the same lodge that they had stayed in. Everyone else who had been on the trip also exclaimed, “wow, hum yahan rahenge.”

For the remaining who couldn’t understand the significance, Naina explained that the significance, resulting in them to be excited too. Especially Preeti who exclaimed, “thank you jijaji… mujhe toh ab aisa hi lag raha hai ke main aap logo ke saath uss pehle trip pe hi hun.”

Swati teased Sameer, “jijaji… iss baar bhi aap last wala kamra lenge na? Naina se dur…” Preeti giggled.

Sameer smirked, “meri dono saaliyo… agar zyada cheda toh tum dono ko usi jungle me chod aaunga jahan Naina kho gai thi. Aur rahi baat kamre ki… toh mera bas chale toh tumhari behen ke saath hi reh jau.”

Preeti and Swati exclaimed a ‘haww’ and then blushed furiously. When Naina asked what was the matter, Preeti just said, “tu jijaji se puch le.”

Preplexed Naina gestured Sameer to ask about it, but he just grinned and winked, strategically choosing the key for the room right next to her. He whistled, ready to create memories, one more time, and this time he intended to do it right.