Always and Forever Part – 29: Painful Pleasure

The sun rose from the distant horizon, a gleaming red ring piercing the thick cloud cover. Birds flew across the sky, desperate to catch early morning worms, or gather sprigs to build their nest. Flowers bloomed, their petals covered with dew, the green leaves glistening. Sameer threw off the blanket and sat up, his eyes little red from the lack of sleep. How could he sleep when he literally kept dreaming of Naina every minute? It didn’t really help that he knew that she was there in the room right next to him.

Close… so close. Yet so far. He had wondered several times how would she react if he sneaked into her room, and slid in her bed, holding her. Would she reprimand him and ask him to leave? A smile curved his lips as he thought that she wouldn’t… the earlier Naina might have, for fear of someone seeing them, but this one… this Naina would curl up in his arms and fall asleep with her head on his shoulder. But unfortunately, this was still a dream; he couldn’t sneak into her room with Preeti and Swati sleeping right there.

He glanced at his brother snoring on the other bed, and then quietly opened the door and came outside. It was so strange. He had never been a morning person. In fact, he used to sleep till late even in hostel, often disregarding the rules. Even when he had stayed with Nanu, he would hardly wake up before 8am. When had this changed? Yes… in Delhi. After Nanu had left him forever, his stint in Delhi hadn’t been peaceful. He missed Nanu, and also he had to stay away from Naina. He had lost his peace, happiness and sleep. Nightmares would wake him, some which he had stopped seeing from the age of 10. He would wake up sweating and panting, and then would be unable to sleep. The nightmares that had slowly stopped as he had stepped into teenage had returned in Delhi. After that, when he had come back to Ahmedabad, the demands of business plus college had made him wake up early, and now it wasn’t a hardship at all. But still… he would like to have one day sometime when he could sleep in peace, till late in the morning.

He walked in the garden, not exactly tired, and thought that he would have liked to do some boxing today. There was no work to be done, Naina was asleep, and walking aimlessly isn’t exactly how he liked to spend his mornings. Maybe he could do some exercises. Yeah, that was a good idea. So, he stretched and warmed up, rotated his shoulders to loosen up his muscles. After a quick run around the garden, he walked over to the thick parapets, and blew on one to remove the dust that had gathered during yesterday. Climbing atop it, he stretched out on his hands and toes, took a deep breath and started counting under his breath while doing push-ups.

The numbers came automatically, the muscle memory awakening, and he let his mind wander to last evening. It had made him feel a little bit odd to not stay with Munna-Pandit in the same room, but then he had understood that Rohan might not be completely comfortable with either as he hadn’t had the chance to gel with them properly. Plus he had guessed as much that they wouldn’t be staying in the rooms much, just to sleep at night, so it didn’t matter who stayed where. The three girls had refused to separate, so Sameer had the manager of the lodge bring in another bed for their room. Chacha-Chachi had one room to themselves of course, though he hadn’t felt comfortable asking if there was a room with king size bed available. Ultimately he had left it up to them, they can join the two beds if they wanted; he didn’t want to intervene in that matter.

After freshening up, they had had a light snack and tea, as no one wanted to eat much before dinner. Sameer had asked if they wanted to visit the market, but everyone had said no, and they had spent the evening exploring the gardens surrounding the lodge. He realized that they had not done this when they had come here before. Naina and Sameer excitedly kept showing Chachaji and Chachiji the places where they had cooked, played, eaten. When they reached the stairs of the slope garden, Sameer halted and recalled how he had been angry on Naina because she hadn’t paid attention to his burn, and had sulked the entire evening, until Naina had rolled a chapati for him to ensure he could eat. How stupid he had been? Now when he recalled the peace he had felt at being taken care of by her, he wondered how the heck had he not realized what he had felt for her. Love had been staring at his face, and he had been determined to make it wear the mask of bet and then friendship. Idiot.

His heart had constricted recalling how he had demanded from Naina that how would she understand his pain, and the foolishly in love girl had burnt her own hand to feel his pain. How selflessly she had loved him. The tears from his eyes that night had been a testament to the fact that his heart was already hers. Smiling slightly at the memory, he had lifted his hand to stare at his palm, when he had felt her presence beside him, and looked up to find her staring at her own palm with a similar smile on her face. Their eyes had met, and he had known she was remembering the same thing. Blinking in assurance, he had held his hand out to her, and her fingers had trembled only the slightest bit before sliding into his waiting open palm. They had spent the rest of the walk hand-in-hand, without any objection from Chacha-chachi.

After dinner, they all had been tired, and Naina kept on yawning continuously making Sameer chuckle. He had asked everyone to go to sleep so that she wouldn’t feel bad on sleeping early. Before retiring however, she had caught his arm outside her room to make him wait, and gently asked, “chocolate hai?”

Feeling extremely proud of having kept a bar in his pocket, he had withdrawn it and given it to her, making her hug him ecstatically. He had hugged her too, and then seeing that no one was around he had tilted her head back and kissed her lips softly and briefly, still slightly afraid of her sudden mood swings.

There was a clicking sound, a door opened, and Naina came out of her room. He stilled, poised on his hands, and glanced up, breathing rapidly through his mouth. She was dressed in a turquoise blue patiala and kurta, her hair tied in a messy bun, and his gifted shawl wrapped around her body. Without speaking a word, she walked up to him and sat on the parapet cross legged, right in-front of his head. He watched her for some time, taking in the just-out-of-bed look, the appreciative gleam in her eyes. Smiling, he finished his last ten push-ups, and then relaxed, turning over on his back and sleeping with his head on her lap.

He was breathing heavily, his grey t-shirt sticking to his body with sweat, and his hair was also glistening. Naina’s heart had skipped several beats on seeing him like that first thing in morning. She had come out of the room just to enjoy the morning, but the sight of him had made her forget the sun, flowers, garden… everything. She had known that he exercised, but she hadn’t ever seen him do it… Apart from boxing the other day. She recalled how turned on she had been on seeing him like that… his bare body, the play of muscles, the sheen of sweat. And today too, when she had seen him in that position, panting for breath, and staring at her… her insides had melted. She had wanted to see more, so without any hesitation she had come up to him and sat down. He had continued his push-ups and she had hungrily stared at the bunching muscles of his biceps, shoulders and back. The clinging t-shirt hadn’t hidden anything from her view. The tracks he wore outlined his hips and legs, and she wondered at the strength that must be required to do this kind of exercise for so long. He was counting, but she hadn’t heard how many he did, her attention focused on his body rather than the numbers.

Sweat? Unbelievably she thought how could his sweat sheened body make her feel like this? Shouldn’t she have repulsed from it? Sweat is dirty… isn’t it? How often Chachiji used to make them bath again when they returned from school all sweaty from cycling? But this was different… this was clean healthy sweat from exercise, and not the bacteria covered sweat of summers… this smelled of him… and it sure lured her, made her breathe in deep in an attempt to take in his male fragrance.

Gently she threaded her fingers through his wet hair, and he hummed, closing his eyes. She placed her other hand over his chest, feeling the rapid thud of his heart, and surprisingly it increased her own heartbeats as if her heart was racing to match his pace. Softly she asked, “kitne kiye?”

He placed his own hand over hers, “50.”

Her eyes widened at the thought of him doing so many push-ups. Wow… If he exercised like this every morning, then her mornings would be really interesting after marriage. She didn’t think she would mind watching him daily. “Aur kuch bhi kiya?”, she prodded, interested to know more.

He hummed, “ek chakkar lagaya garden ka… light jogging. Aur normal stretching aur warming up. Kyun puch rahi ho?”

She smiled, “pata laga rahi thi ke kya kya miss kiya maine.”

He opened his eyes, staring up at her, “tumhe dekhna tha?” He waited with bated breath to hear her answer, as he recalled the appreciative gleam in her eyes when she had seen him. He thought that she liked seeing him exercise, but he wanted to know for sure.

Her smile widened, “haan… itne sexy jo lagte ho.”

In one swift movement he sat up, faced her, and slid an arm around her waist, eyeing her lips, “toh fir…”

Her eyes wandered around to make sure no one was noticing, and then met his glittering ones, she slid her hands to his shoulders, giving him a slight tug. Delighted, he raised his other hand to cup her face, and angled his head, leaning to her… one inch… half an inch… and there was a loud thud. He hastily separated from her, wondering if anyone saw them… but the next moment, Preeti and Swati came out of the room, bickering about who had left the door open so that it closed shut in wind…

Door? That was the thud they had heard then. Naina slapped her forehead, throwing an apologetic glance at Sameer. She had seen him exercising, and forgot to close the door of her room, and a sudden gust of wind had caught it resulting in the thud, and the interruption in their kiss.

Preeti saw them sitting on the parapet and exclaimed, “Naina! Tu kab uthi? Aur yeh darwaaza tune khula choda?”

Naina nodded, “haan, abhi thodi der pehle hi uthi. Sorry, tum logo ko neend se jaga diya.”

Swati yawned, “kitne baj rahe hai?”

Sameer checked his watch, “7 bajne aaye hai… thodi der aur so jao jaake.” He glanced at Naina quickly and she caught on to what he was trying to say. She too added, “haan haan… abhi toh bahot waqt hai. Jaake so jao na. Main utha dungi baad me.”

Preeti shrugged, “ab aur soke kya fayda. Waise bhi kal raat ko kitni jaldi so gaye the. Chal tu mujhe thoda tel laga de, taaki main shampoo kar saku.”

As Naina was dragged in, he sulked and muttered under his breath, “kehte hai saali adhi gharwali hoti hai, par yeh dono toh meri puri gharwali ko bhi mere saath nahi rehne de rahi.”

Throwing his hands up in the air, he stood up and went into his own room to take a shower. Naina also showered and dressed up in jeans and the red checked shirt Sameer had bought for her from Delhi. Tying up her hair in a loose ponytail, she applied light makeup and smirked imagining the scowl on his face on seeing her tied up hair. Oh how she loved to tease him. And that swift surge of sensation inside her when he pulled of her clip or band and fisted his hands in her hair, using his strong hold to tilt her head and claim her lips… God… She loved that moment. That few seconds of sparkling sharp pleasure and then she would have no choice but to surrender to him.

She wondered when to give him the gifts she had brought, but thought that maybe she could give it to him that evening. Lost in her thoughts as she walked to the dining hall, she almost missed the pair of glittering eyes that were fixed on her, until she was pulled aside.

“Sameer”, she breathed, landing on his chest.

He looked at her, his eyes drifting down noticing the way the shirt accentuated her curves, “wow… aaj mujhe torture karne ka iraada hai kya?”

She pouted, “maine torture kiya?”

He nodded, “haan… subah se ek kiss nahi, ek hug nahi… upar se itni hot dikh rahi ho… torture hi hai na.”

“Toh karlo kiss”, she offered, “isiliye yahan khincha na?”

He chuckled, “nahi… yeh dene ke liye khincha.” He handed over a small bag to her and she opened it eagerly. It contained a soft black leather jacket.

Her eyes widened, “yeh mere liye hai?”

“Pasand aaya?”, he asked.

“Of course”, she affirmed excitedly and lifted up quickly kissing his cheek.

His eyes darkened, and he muttered, “kaafi nahi hai.” But even as he raised his hands to slide her hair free of the rubber band, again he heard noises. Preeti and Swati were coming. He closed his eyes, cursing under his breath.

Naina giggled and pulled him out of the corner, “aaj kahan jaa rahe hai hum log?”

He smiled again, “jahan peechli baar gaye the sabse pehle. Dilwara temple me.” His eyes glittered with mischief, as he folded his hands in praying gesture and added, “hamare pavitra bhavnao ke saath.”

She laughed aloud as she remembered how she had said in school that they were not wrong until the time their love was platonic and innocent. But then she said, “hmm… idea achcha hai… par tum bhul gaye shayad ke main mandir nahi jaa sakti. Toh tum log andar jaana, main bahar wait kar lungi.”

He frowned. Dammit, he had totally forgotten the weird rules that her family followed. What should he do now? Going alone inside the temple was not an option for him. He had missed the chance of praying with her in that temple before, but not again… He glanced over at their friends approaching, “nahi… yeh koi option nahi hai. Main tumhare saath hi jaunga uss mandir me. Aaj kahin aur chalenge fir.”

She was confused, “lekin kahan?”

He smiled, “kaafi jagah hai jo hum peechli baar nahi ghume the. Aaj Trevor’s tank chalte hai. Chota sa sanctuary jaisa hai, khaaskar crocodiles hai wahan pe. Picnic lunch banva lete hai. Aur shaam ko market chal chalenge.”

She agreed and he went off to make the necessary arrangements. Fifteen minutes later when he came down to breakfast she was sitting between Preeti and Swati. He rolled his eyes, and sat down opposite her. Everyone was stuffing themselves with paratha or bread-butter. Even as he thought what he should eat, a man came and slid a plate of piping hot parathas in-front of him, and a cup of tea. He was confused until he caught Naina looking at him with a smile on her face. She had ordered for him. Feeling incredibly happy, he started eating.

After breakfast, he pulled Munna, Pandit and Rohan aside. All of them were perplexed and Pandit asked what the matter was. Sameer frowned, “abey chamanchoozo…”

Munna and Pandit were surprised on hearing the old time word again, while Rohan interrupted, “bhai… yeh kya hai? Cha… Cha…”

Sameer shut his brother up by placing his hand over his mouth, and continued, “tum logo ko kya lag raha hai? Ke yeh trip koi parivarik karyakram hai?”

Munna was confused, “kya hua yaar?”

Sameer folded his arms, “kya hua? Subah se do minute Naina ke saath bitaane ki koshish kar raha hun lekin har baar Preeti aur Swati beech me aa jaati hai.” He pointed at Munna, “tu”, aur “tu”, he gestured at Rohan, “tum dono apni apni wali ko sambhalo… taaki mujhe meri wali ke saath waqt mile.”

Rohan blushed, “par bhai… Chacha-Chachi bhi toh hai.”

“Haan toh”, Sameer raised his brows, “tujhe yahan laaya taaki tu Preeti ke saath waqt bita sake aur apne dil ki baat keh sake. Isiliye nahi ke tu yahan bhi sharmake betha rahe.”

It was a testament to his frustration that Sameer addressed Rohan with ‘tu’ instead of ‘tum’ and also declared about him and Preeti openly. Munna and Pandit gaped at them, and Pandit stammered, “iska… iska matlab… Preeti aur Rohan…?”

Sameer’s brows furrowed as he glanced at his friends and slowly realization dawned. Oh shit. They didn’t know. He closed his eyes and murmured, “meri saali mujhe maar daalegi.”

Munna scowled, “kabse? Aur yeh baat Swati ko pata hai?”

Sameer sighed and shook his head, “nahi. Kisiko nahi pata sivaay mere aur Naina ke.” He briefed them about Rohan’s interest in Preeti since college time, and then how they had started talking, and met a few times in the past month, “Preeti chahti thi ke woh khud sabko bataye, lekin use waqt chahiye tha… Main aur Naina toh inn dono ko dekhke hi samajh gaye.”

Pandit seriously asked Rohan, “tu sach me pyaar karta hai Preeti se?”

Rohan nervously nodded, feeling as if the girl’s three big brothers were taking his test, “haan… bahot… bas keh nahi paa raha.”

After a minute, both Munna and Pandit clapped Rohan’s back. And Munna said, “koi badi baat nahi hai… mujhko bhi bahot waqt laga tha kehne me. Aur hamara hero, Sameer, usko toh samajhne me hi ek saal lag gaya.”

Pandit grinned, “hum teri madad karenge… tension mat le.” Then he frowned, “par yaar… tum sab apni apni wali ke saath ghumoge toh main kya karunga?”

A moment passed and then all of them started laughing. Munna assured to handle Swati, and Rohan said he would try but handling Preeti was beyond anyone. Pandit said he could tackle Chacha-chachi if needed. With clear roles and responsibilities, the boys sauntered outside to the others.

Sameer had got puri-sabji, masala rice and curd packed for their lunch. Chachiji and Naina got out some methi mathri, besan laddoo and a few other dry snacks that they had brought from home. Trevor’s tank was about 5 kilometers away from the main city of Mt. Abu. With a minimal entrance fees, the place was perfect value for money with lush green surroundings and a relaxing feel. A small safari van gave them a tour of the crocodile breeding area, and they could see the big reptiles lying on the rocky ground basking in sun. When the feeding time came, some men came and threw something in the water, which Naina guessed would be chunks of meat. As soon as the splash of food sounded, the reptiles stopped being lazy and crawled back into the water at a speed that astonished all of them. It was the first time Naina was seeing actual wild animals from so close, and she felt a little scared even though she logically knew that they couldn’t be harmed inside the van. However that didn’t stop her from clutching onto Sameer’s arm. After a tour around the park, they came back to a shady spot near the entrance which was built to serve as picnic spot to the tourists. They spread out the rugs they had brought, and soon the packets of food were opened. It didn’t take them long to finish it, as it was almost 3pm and they were famished.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, they all boarded the bus again, this time going to the main market of Mt. Abu. Sameer recalled how confused he had been last time that day, not knowing what to do, what to say to her, and his mixed feelings. He remembered how he had told his friends that Naina was a nice girl and a friend of him, how he hadn’t been able to go on with the false confession, how her face had fallen when he had ignored her in morning, and then brightened up when he had won that teddy bear for her.

Naina on the other hand recalled how they had strolled around the market, forbidden to walk together in-front of everyone, but still managing to be around each other. She almost laughed as she remembered her jealousy when Sameer had clicked a photo for Kamya. The sweet magical moments brought a smile to her face, and she leaned on Sameer’s arm who was sitting next to her. He looked down at her, wondering if she was tired, but then he saw her beautiful smile and understood that she was reminiscing just like him. It still amazed him as to how she managed to smile at each and every memory from that trip. Nothing irked her, or made her angry on him, not even the recollection of bet.

They strolled through the streets purchasing few things here and there. Chachiji was extremely excited to see handicraft items on sale. Naina saw the game stalls, and a giggle spurted out of her. Sameer curiously asked, “kya hua?”

She smiled, “udhar chalo na… games ke taraf.”

Their friends also followed while Chacha-Chachi went on to buy some showpieces for home. Chachiji had spotted some fine items that she thought would also be good to send with Naina after her wedding. As they approached the stalls, Sameer enquired, “tumhe khelna hai?”

She shook her head, “mujhe nahi… tumhe.”

He was confused, “main kyun?”

“Peechli baar pyaar ka test diya tha to iss baar bhi doge na”, she suggested.

Frowning he turned to look at Swati, “yeh bhi tumhara idea tha?”

Swati grinned, “aur nahi toh kya… Aapne Naina ka jhootha nahi khaya tha. Toh test toh banta tha na. Mujhe zara sa udaas dekhke Munna ne mujhe teddy bear jeetke diya tha. Isiliye aapka test bhi wahi tha, market me sabse bada teddy bear jeetna Naina ke liye.”

Sameer almost growled aloud, his expressions frustrated, “pagal ho tum dono.”

Everyone laughed and started playing at different counters. Preeti went with Naina and Sameer interested to see the game. Naina glanced at him and gestured to pick up the air rifle, but he scowled and shook his head in negative. She made a pleading expression, and he hesitated but then again shook his head.

“Naina”, he frustratingly said, “main koi test nahi de raha. Uss waqt jo kiya so kiya… tumko iss baar test kyun lena hai?”

She countered, “pyaar toh karte hi ho, toh test dene me kya taklif hai?”

Sameer checked her out dressed in that soft leather jacket, the bright shirt and was tempted to give in just to make her happy. He could… He could really do that… He had discovered long ago that he had no ego when it came to Naina. But if she could play a game, then so could he. He recalled how angry she had been last time by his unresponsiveness, and the way she had tried to instigate him. Even then, while standing with Munna and Pandit, he had acted to be unaffected but every time she had pitched her voice higher to make him hear he had felt an incomprehensible pull to go to her. He had resisted a lot, but at the end the sadness in her eyes had got to him and he had done as she wished. After the first shot when he had looked at her and seen the blooming smile on her face, he had finally felt peace in his heart, and somehow had wanted to tell her that he could do anything to make her happy. Unable to resist he had shown off his shooting skills, though there had been no need to impress her.

He wanted to see her like that again, angry and tempting him to bend to her wishes. So he again shook his head, and said, “nahi matlab nahi… Main koi test nahi de raha. Tumko teddy chahiye ya jo bhi chahiye khud jeeto ya dukaan se kharid lo. Main kuch nahi karne wala.” Saying so, he sauntered away and went to stand under a tree, watching her through his sunglasses, waiting for the outburst to start any moment. His woman was as predictable sometimes, as she was unpredictable the other times… and he loved that about her. There was never a dull moment with her, never could be.

Naina scowled watching him, still unable to believe that he had just said no to her. He rarely refused her for anything, and if he did he had a reason. But this… this was just plain stubbornness. She grabbed Preeti’s hand and went to the game stall.

“Tujhe pata hai Preeti… yahan toh koi mujhse pyaar hi nahi karta”, Naina huffed loudly, “sab jhuth hai.”

Preeti frowned, “tu chilla kyun rahi hai? Main toh tere baaju me hi khadi hun.”

Naina glared at her sister, knowing very well that Sameer was looking at her, “kisiko meri kuch padi hi nahi hai… lekin koi baat nahi… main khud hi jeet lungi jo mujhe chahiye.”

Preeti rolled her eyes, “tu apna pagalpan chalu rakh, main wahan dusre stall pe hun Swati ke saath.” Naina looked around as Preeti left, and saw Sameer leaning on a tree trunk, looking devilishly sexy with that fitted grey jeans and mint green collared t-shirt. Even though his eyes were covered with the sunglasses, the smirk on his face conveyed to her how amused he was.

“Yahan main itna natak kar rahi hun, aur isko koi farq hi nahi pad raha”, she muttered. Turning back to the stall, she pulled out a 10 Rupees note from her pocket, and said, “bhaiya, main ek round khelungi.”

Agitated, and remembering how she had failed all those years ago, she picked up the gun and aimed. The first shot missed, and so did the second, but the third found its target in a green balloon. “Yes!”, she exclaimed, and aimed again, but missed the last two shots very badly.

The man at the stall shrugged, “ek balloon se kuch nahi milega behenji. Teen fodte to chota khilona de deta.”

Naina pouted, dejectedly keeping the rifle down, when suddenly she felt him behind her. A crisp note of 10 was slapped on the counter, and a deep voice declared, “teen nahi paanch… aur badle me woh cream teddy bear chahiye.”

The man nodded, and Sameer removed his sunglasses keeping it on the table. Gleeful at her success, Naina tried to step aside, but he grabbed her waist, “kahan jaa rahi ho? Jeetna nahi hai?”

She turned just her head to look at him, and her heart skipped a beat at the proximity, “par… mujhse toh nahi hoga.”

He turned her back to the stall, and positioned himself behind her, picked up the rifle and wrapped her hands around it. Lifting the rifle he made her adjust her posture, and moved closer fitting perfectly behind her, his hands covering hers, and he leaned down to whisper in her ears, “tumne mujhe jeet liya toh yeh chota sa khilona kya hai…”

She shivered, but before she could react or answer, he made her aim and his finger applied pressure on hers, there was a loud crack, and a pop… A red balloon had busted. Her mouth opened in surprise, and she felt him tap the side of her head with his chin. He again made her aim, and another shot destroyed a blue balloon. The next three shots were in quick succession, and each crack was followed by a pop.

Stunned, Naina exclaimed, “main jeet gai!”

Sameer accepted the large teddy bear from the man, and offered it to her, “nahi… hum jeet gaye.”

She smiled, wanting to fling her arms around him and kiss his lips, but instead she tightly hugged the teddy and kissed it, all the time watching him.

He watched her kiss the teddy bear, and felt an irrational surge of jealousy. He had been trying to get her alone so many times since morning, but it hadn’t worked out and now here she was, staring at him as if she would devour him, but still kissing the damn soft toy. With a quick movement he snatched the teddy bear out of her hand, and snapped, “tadap main raha hun, aur tum mere hisse ka pyaar ispe luta rahi ho. Dena hi nahi chahiye tha yeh tumko.”

Naina laughed, “Sameer… pagal ho kya? Do na wapas, please.”

He smirked, holding the toy out of her reach, “nahi… jahan peechli baar liya tha wahi wapas aake lo.”

“Sunset point?”, she asked, “lekin… abhi wahan kaise aau? Sab log hai yahan pe.”

He leaned down so that he was at eye level with her, “peechli baar bhi bahot log the, aur kisiko pata nahi tha hamare baare me. Fir bhi tum aai thi… mere liye… mere bulane pe… Toh iss baar toh har kisiko pata hai, haq se aao… main wahin intezaar karunga.”

She watched him walk away, swinging the big teddy bear in his hand, and her mind started to race as to how she could meet him alone. She had also been desperate since morning, wanting some time with him, especially after seeing him exercise. She quickly went to Preeti and Swati, and told them that she was going to meet Sameer at Sunset Point and requested them to handle the family and friends. Both the girls assured that they would handle everything.

She glanced back one time to see their friends busy in games stall, and Chacha-Chachi further down the road looking at something outside a shop, and then she turned into a side lane, losing sight of everyone. Hurrying up the slope, she took the marked path, eager to meet him. And all the time she wasn’t even thinking of the teddy bear, instead her thoughts were all about him. How she had taken this same path last time, how she had been so eager to meet him, how she had thought that that would be the day when she would finally tell him that she loved him and hear the same from him. But it hadn’t happened. He had told her later on in college that those bet boys and Munna-Pandit had been hiding in the bushes that day waiting for them to confess, to see if he could win the bet. But he hadn’t been able to say those words, and later when Munna and Pandit had asked him what had stopped him from saying those words he had had no answer.

Sameer was waiting for her on top of the sunset point, and turned to look at her as soon as he sensed her presence. Grinning he pulled out his camera and poised himself; she noticed him and recalled how she had posed for him. She stopped, and posed again, laughing at how he excitedly clicked her pics… but this was not what she wanted. Forgetting everything but the fact that she was finally meeting him alone, she started running towards him. Sameer quickly kept the camera back in his pocket and braced himself a second before she flung herself in his arms.

He caught her to himself, staggering slightly, and lifted her off her feet, twirling her. He was amazed at the bone-deep bliss of just holding her like this. So long… It seemed so long since he had held her, and even longer than that since he had kissed her. He gently placed her back on her feet and demanded, “meri kiss?”

She smiled slyly and shook her head. He frowned, “toh fir teddy bhi nahi milega.”

A cheerful laughter bubbled out of her at his threat and on seeing his sulky expressions, “rakho apne paas teddy.” Before he could argue with her, she lifted on tip-toes and kissed him.

“Mmmm…”, he hummed, and grabbed her again. While he tried to keep the kiss gentle and soft, still mindful of her period mood-swings, she fisted her hands in his hair and nipped at his lips making him gasp and open. Her tongue slipped into his mouth, and his eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head with the bolt of pleasure that shot through him. His hand spanned up her back and tugged the rubber band that he knew she had tied to irritate him. He caught her nape, angled her head as he desired, and stole the control of kiss and her breath both. She clutched at him, her lungs constricting from the lack of breath… but breathing was not important. Kissing him was important, holding him was important… which she did. When he finally drew back, her head spun and she buried her face in his chest, filling her lungs with his fragrance.

“Wow”, he breathed, “wapas market chalte hai.”

She gasped, and managed to ask, “kyun?”

He chuckled hoarsely, “main saare teddy bear jeetke laata hun. Ek teddy ka ek kiss.”

She laughed, lifting to kiss his jaw and trail to his mouth again, sipping at his full and wet lower lip. She wondered if there was any other man who had such perfect lips as his… but then she cupped his face and pulled him for another kiss thinking it didn’t matter if no other man had such lips… the one who did was hers already.

He grinned, extremely pleased to have received two kisses instead of one, and was also happy to see that her mood seemed so much better than yesterday. Picking up the teddy bear from the flat rock where he had kept it, he handed it over to her with a smile and a flourishing bow. She giggled, accepting the large teddy bear, and proposed, “thodi der yahi bethe?”

He nodded and they sat down on a bit of rock, watching the sun slowly dipping behind the far away horizon. As the streaks of orange and purple blended with the blue sky, Naina moved away her eyes from the beautiful sight and looked over at the man who made each of her moment more beautiful than the previous one. “I love you”, she confessed this time without any hitch.

His lips curved in a smile, and his gaze softened as it landed on her, he wrapped an arm around her, “I love you too”, and softly kissed her temple.

Thirty minutes after sunset they went back down to the market to find everyone seated at a small tea shop. Chachiji was worrying for both of them, “bhagwaan jhuth na bulaye beta, kahan gaye the dono?”

Naina bit her lip wondering what to say, and Sameer racked his brain for some excuse, but Chachaji interrupted, “chodo na Bela. Kahin idhar-udhar ghumne gaye honge. Ab toh wapas aa gaye na, tum apni chai piyo. Sameer… beta tum log bhi chai boldo apni.”

Relaxed with Chachaji’s support, he went in to order two cups for both of them and Naina sat down on the table. When he came back they were discussing about how he had won the teddy bear for her, and grinned on noticing how she left out the little detail of how the shots were fired.

Rohan munched on a biscuit, “bhai aaj raat ko campfire kare? Sab log bata rahe the ke aap logo ne peechli baar bhi kiya tha.”

Just the thought of campfire was enough to make both Sameer and Naina smile as they recalled the first ever night they had spent together. She recalled the way he had clicked her pictures, his beautiful shayari, the endless talks as they watched the stars together and how handsome he had looked in the blue night dress. He recalled the way he had been unable to move his eyes from her after getting to know of her chudail prank, the way she had posed for him, the way she had made him open up and recite his poem, the way she had understood his heart through his poem, and the gleam of the moon and stars reflecting on her face. She had looked beautiful that night, even in that hideous bhalu-dress, and the way the moonlight had shone on her face had made him want to look at her again and again.

Sameer immediately approved of his brother’s plan, “haan, zarur kar sakte hai.”

Bela was a little puzzled as she asked, “bhagwan jhuth na bulaye, yeh cempfile kya hota hai?”

Anand gently explained, “cempfile nahi Bela… Campfire… Aksar logo ko dekha hai na tumne thand ke mausam me lakdiya ikkatha karke jalate hai. Waisa hi kai baar picnic pe log chota sa aag jalate hai bahar garmahat ke liye ya kuch pakane ke liye.”

“Mummy, bahot mazaa aayega”, Preeti added animatedly, “hum na choti choti lakdiyo pe bread aur makai bhi sek sakte hai.”

“Aur iss mausam me makai kahan se milega tujhe?”, Naina asked

Preeti shrugged, “jijaji laa denge.”

“Main?”, Sameer asked surprised.

Naina giggled, “haan… tere jijaji toh jaadugar hai, jo thand ke mausam me baarish wala bhutta le aayenge.”

Sameer pursed his lips in a lopsided smirk, and his eyes promised retribution at this comment. She tilted her head, silently acknowledging that she would wait for whatever he had in store for her. However, Bela’s next demand wiped the smirk off his face, as she asked, “aree waah… fir toh aaj raat sahi rahega tum dono ki puri kahani sunne ke liye. Kyun ji?”

Chachaji nodded, Rohan grinned, and their friends looked at each other slightly worried, while Sameer completely tensed up. Naina smiled, holding his hand under the table, assuring him, “haan. Hum batayenge.”

On their way back in the bus, Sameer asked the question that was bothering him so much, “Naina… kuch gadbad ho gai toh? Shart wali baat…”

She interrupted, “tum fikar mat karo. Kuch nahi hoga. Main hoon na. Chachaji aur Chachiji ko tumpe aur tumhare pyaar pe pura bharosa hai.”

“Hmmm”, he muttered, unsure about the whole thing still. Naina tugged on his arm, “tum hai na… sirf campfire pe focus karo…. Aur suno, white t-shirt pehenna bina sweater ke.”

“Naina, thand lagegi sweater nahi pehnunga toh”, he sensibly suggested.

She clucked her tongue, “peechli baar konsa sweater pehna tha… aur aag ke saamne bilkul thand nahi lagegi.”

He wondered for a moment about this unusual demand from her, because usually she was the one who would keep telling him to wear sweater in cold and worry that he would fall sick, and today she was asking him specifically not to wear sweater. But then he shrugged, and agreed, “thike, jaisa tum kaho.”

To keep his mind off the worrying matter of describing their love story to Chacha-Chachi, he focused on making the campfire a success. Together with Munna, Pandit and Rohan, he arranged the wood and other necessities; he even talked to the manager and got some food items arranged that could be cooked as desired. Remembering his saali’s demand and Naina’s challenge, he also set on accomplishing the nearly impossible task of finding corn in winters. Finally, a call to a newly opened 3-star establishment got him what he desired, albeit at a premium price.

When they were finally placing rugs and pillows around the campfire, Naina walked over to him, caught his hand and dragged him away. Surprised, he followed her without a word, and looked back for a moment at the surprised faces of his friends and brother.

He managed to ask after a moment, “Naina kahan le jaa rahi ho?”

“Yahan”, she replied and stopped at a small area that had raised benches to sit on. He looked around and remembered that he had sat here with Munna and Pandit on their last visit.

Puzzled he asked, “yahan kya hai?”

She looked appreciatively at the blue jeans and collared white t-shirt that he had worn on her demand. He must be feeling cold, she thought, but still he hadn’t worn sweater as she had asked. She inched closer to him, and softly reminded, “peechli baar yahan pe maine tumko kuch diya tha. Yaad hai?”

He smiled, “haan of course. Kaise bhul sakta hun? Tumne mujhe apne haatho se buna sweater diya tha… meri life ka pehla aisa gift jo kisine mere baare me sochke, meri zarurato ko dhyan me rakhke banaya tha.”

Feeling happy that he remembered, she pulled out a bag she was holding, and gave it to him, “yeh tumhare liye… chota sa gift.”

“Wow Naina”, he grinned, “tum bhi mere liye gift kharidke laai ho?” Eagerly he opened the small white bag, and froze, dumbfounded on seeing the content. His breathing suddenly shallow, he pulled out the soft blue and white sweater, almost reverently, and blinked back the sudden tears. What was this woman? She had again knitted a sweater for him, just for him… he had thought she must have bought something… but no… this was Naina… his Naina… she somehow always knew how to make him feel wanted, accepted, and cherished. He still had the old sweater that she had gifted, even though it didn’t fit him at all now, but still he had kept it safe. So what if he couldn’t wear it, he could still hug it to himself and feel the warmth of her love. Dammit… She always managed to catch him off-guard. Last time he had been troubled by his own thoughts, not knowing what to do, and she had gifted him the sweater that had made him realize the depth of her love, and he had decided that he would tell her the entire truth of bet. And this time… again he had been troubled and tensed, and here she was… again gifting him a sweater and he immediately decided that if there was anyone who would tell Chachaji and Chachiji about the truth of bet, it would be him. Naina might try to cast him in good light, but they were her family and now his too, so they deserved the entire truth.

“Pehnoge nahi?”, her gentle voice broke into his thoughts.

He glanced up at her, and nodded. He opened the folded sweater and noticed that even though the color was the same as last time, the style was different. While that one had been perfect for the boy he was, this one was knitted specifically for the man in her life. It was a full-sleeved one, with a v-neck, and was simple enough to wear over a t-shirt or a shirt. He realized that he could even wear it in office if he wanted. Handing over the bag back to her, he quickly pulled on the sweater, and was amazed at the perfect fitting.

“Thank you”, he choked, not being able to say anything more.

She understood the emotions coursing through him, so she didn’t say anything but simply wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him, increasing the warmth of the sweater even more. He held her to him, and dipped to kiss the top of her head, thanking God for the treasure he had found as a life-partner. After few minutes, when he thought, he could speak properly again he asked, “Naina… tum har baar ekdum perfect size ka sweater kaise banati ho?”

She chuckled against his chest, “iss baar toh maap ki zarurat hi nahi thi… tumko itni baar, itne kareeb se chua jo tha”, she tightened her hold to let him know what she meant.

He was amazed that she had just knitted the sweater based on the memory of the hugs and intimacy they had shared. Was it even possible? He didn’t know… but this woman had done it. Suddenly curious he asked, “aur peechli baar? Tab toh tumne mujhe hug nahi kiya tha.”

She drew back and laughed, “haan… par tumko pata hai, bunna shuru karte waqt ek baar socha zarur tha ke kaash hug kiya hota toh size pata hota.”

Surprised, he too laughed, “iska matlab tum school se mujhe hug karna chahti thi? Aur main gadha, college me bhi ek hug nahi maanga tumse.”

Her tinkling laughter rang in the air, and he asked again, “batao bhi… kaise buna tha peechli baar?”

She tilted her head, her eyes sparkling, “tumhari shirt jo utarva li thi maine… playground me jab tum kabbadi khel rahe the, aur maine aake apne mitti wale joote tumhare shirt pe laga diye.” His brows furrowed as he recalled the incident. He had been playing with the other boys when suddenly out of the blue she had come running and planted her muddy shoes right on his chest. For a moment he had been curious as to why was she even carrying her shoes in her hands like that, but then he had focused on the sports sir scolding her and the boys teasing her, and had immediately interrupted saying he was okay and no damage done. He remembered how she had insisted on washing his shirt for him, and after an initial no, he had just given in to her and handed over his shirt. Now, he frowned, wondering why the heck had he done that? He had never ever given his clothes or anything to anyone… and it wasn’t like a soiled shirt was something that he couldn’t replace. He already had three spare uniform shirts. But still… she had asked, and he had handed it over… as if… as if it was completely natural. He knew for certain that he wouldn’t hesitate now if she said that she would wash his shirt, but at that time… when she had meant nothing to him… he had still given her his shirt to wash. It made him realize that probably there was never a moment when she had meant nothing to him… she had always meant something to him… but he had never known or understood.

She poked him, “kahan kho gaye?”

He smiled down at her, slipping an arm around her waist, pulling her to him, “soch raha hun ke meri biwi badi smart hai. Jab main haath pakadneki bhi nahi sochta tha, tabse tum mere kapde utarva rahi ho.”

She gasped, and he dipped catching her lips in a soft, brief, grateful kiss to which she eagerly responded, her soft body curling into him.

By the time they went back, the others had already arrived, and Sameer took charge of lighting the fire. Everyone looked on eagerly and soon a warm fire was crackling, the gentle sounds of creaking twigs mingling with the night calls of crickets. Preeti glanced at the sweater Sameer was wearing and smiled, signaling him that it looked good, and then turned to look at her sister and winked. As everyone sat chatting, a few staff men brought the food Sameer had already ordered. They all had had pav-bhaji for dinner, and now an assortment of bread and buns, vegetables, fruits were spread before them, along with long wooden skewers. Incredibly enough there was even a bowl of marinated paneer, and cut corn on the cob. Astonished, Naina turned to look at Sameer, and he smirked raising his collar. She grinned, wondering how he had managed to achieve this feat. Was there anything he couldn’t do?

As they started to grill whatever they could find in-front of them, Bela again prompted, “ab bata bhi do apni kahani.”

Naina smiled and began, “meri kahani toh usi din shuru hui thi jis din sabse pehli baar Sameer ko mehsus kiya tha. Bilkul uske naam ki tarah… ek hawa ka halka sa jhoka jo mujhe chuke chala gaya.” He grinned at her, and she continued, “aur usi din Sameer ne mujhe apne pyaar ka pehla tohfa diya.”

Multiple voices questioned, “Kya?”

Sameer and Naina laughed, looking at each other, and spoke at the same time, “chewing gum.” And so started the tale of how Naina had felt someone around her, the way they had discovered just a few days ago how destiny had brought them in-front of each other so many times and then how they had almost crashed into each other in the school corridor. The way she had fallen for him instantly, and the way he had been unsure of what he had felt that had made him look back at her twice before pursuing his opponent. Naina told them of how her acquiescence to Pankaj’s complaint had almost got Sameer rusticated from school, while Sameer confessed of stealing her shoes after seeing how Taiji scolded her. Everyone laughed on hearing how he had hidden the shoes in Rakesh sir’s scooter without knowing that Naina was his daughter, and the way he had had to finally return her shoes. Her voice shook when she told them about how she had stopped teaching him for fear of her father, the theft of papers and then the way she had blamed him. Sameer placed a hand over hers, stopping her and picked up from there, truthfully confessing about the humiliation his Nanu had faced and how his mother had left him, how his anger had driven him to place such a horrible bet.

Bela gasped while Anand looked back and forth between the young couple and their friends. It was clear that everyone knew of this except Rohan. But he also didn’t fail to notice the way Sameer had started confessing himself, and how Naina continuously held his hand in support, her eyes never wavering from his face even though he was looking at the fire. Sameer told them of every trick he had used to make her confess, and then the Mt. Abu trip where things had started getting out of his hands, and just when he had decided to let her know the truth, decided against hurting her, the entire incident had come tumbling out in-front of her in the worst possible way. He stopped speaking, waiting to be berated and scolded. But before anyone could speak, Naina spoke up, “par sab kuch shart ke liye tha bhi toh nahi.”

“Matlab?”, Bela asked.

Naina shifted closer to Sameer, understanding that he needed her, “Sameer ne chahe jo shart lagai ho, lekin dil se kisika bura nahi chaha usne. Har pal mujhe hasata raha, anjaane me mujhse dosti karta raha. Debate competition me meri madad ki, mujhe protsahan diya, mere pyaar ka har ek test pass karta gaya, aur sabse badi kasauti toh tab thi jab papa ne Sameer ko mere kamre me dekh liya.” As Bela gasped again, Naina told her about how she had forced him to spend the night in her room, concerned about his health while he had been concerned about her reputation. And when they had been caught in the morning, instead of maligning her name as he had placed the bet for, he instead took all the beatings and blame, even stopping her from confessing in-front of her father. She proudly mentioned how he had protected her respect, her name and even herself that day. She told them of the circumstances that had led Sameer to go up the cliff instead of coming to talk to her, and how she didn’t think she had done anything wrong in confessing her love for him at that time because he had needed it, needed her.

He smiled gratefully at her, and she inched even closer leaning on his arm, not scared anymore of the reactions of family. If Sameer needed her, she would break every boundary to be with him. Together they shared the trials and tribulations that they faced after the bet revelation, and how they had sustained all these years, their love for each other only deepening with each passing day.

By the end of it there was not even a single eye around the campfire that wasn’t wet. Naina wiped his tears, and asked, “aaj tanhaai pe koi kavita nahi sunaoge?”

He smiled, “tumne zindagi se saari tanhaai dur kar di… kaho toh mohabbat pe suna sakta hun.”

She nodded, and he held her hand, gazing into her eyes, and let his heart speak –

“Qusoor hai unke mohabbat ka

Ke aashiq hum ho gaye…

 

Qusoor hai unke mohabbat ka

Ke aashiq hum ho gaye,

Dewaane toh hazar honge iss duniya mein

Par deewangi ki hadd paar hum kar gaye,

Unse nazre kuch aise mili

Ke humko bhi pata na chala kab unke hum ho gaye,

Ab toh yeh zindagi kuch yunn hai

Ke woh hai toh jahan hai, warna fanaa hum ho gaye.”

Her smile widened, and eyes shone with pride, as she clapped. And soon everyone joined in. He looked around, his heart swelling as he recalled how she had made him open up just like this on that other campfire night too, earning him praise, appreciation and acceptance. That day everyone had seen another side of the unruly charming boy, and this time too everyone saw the depth of his love for her in his words making them realize that the torment of bet was not hers alone, but that he had suffered equally.

They all chattered and played until late in the night, Sameer felt overwhelmed when Chachaji and Chachiji didn’t even ask him any questions. Slowly everyone started to feel drowsy, and Naina almost fell asleep on his shoulders, making him wrap his arm around her to stop her from falling. His heart thudded as he knew everyone was seeing their proximity that now came naturally to them, but he didn’t leave her and neither woke her up, until Chachaji proposed to go back to their rooms.

Next morning dawned bright and sunny, and Sameer revealed that he had planned for a day long outing at Achalgarh village. Chachiji immediately recalled that one of their relatives stayed there, and demanded to visit. A long bus journey later they reached the magnificent white fort that reflected the Mewar pride and royalty. It was a tiring excursion with several steps and hillocks to climb, and Pandit huffed complaining that Sameer brought all of them here to show-off that he exercised and they didn’t. Later on in late afternoon, they visited the relative’s place and immediately they demanded for all of them to stay. The boys looked simply horrified at the prospect of staying in the tiny dusty village, so Chachaji suggested for all of them to go back and said that he would return with Chachiji next morning. Sameer assured that he would arrange for a pick-up for them, and then all the youngsters hastily retreated to the bus.

It was like a free-floor-party at the lodge, because when the cats are away the mice play. While the girls were freshening up, Munna and Pandit brought out the bottle of whisky that Pandit had brought from his recent Mumbai trip.

“Aaj toh party karenge”, Pandit exclaimed.

Rohan nervously shook his head, “nahi nahi… yeh galat hai.”

Munna clapped him on his back, “bachcho jaisi baate mat kar, kuch galat nahi hai. Thoda thoda toh sab peete hai.”

Sameer frowned, reluctant to agree because of his promises to Naina. He had already broken them once in Delhi, and recently confessed to her, and he had no intention of repeating the same mistake twice. Rohan looked at his older brother, seeking permission, but Sameer shrugged, “tum bachche nahi ho… khud decide karo.” Remembering Preeti’s happy-go-lucky nature, he thought that he needed to be a bit more daring, so he nodded in a yes, agreeing to drink.

Munna and Pandit whooped, “waah… ab aayega na mazaa… chaaro bethke piyenge.”

“Chaar nahi teen”, Sameer spoke up, “tum teeno pina. Main nahi pine wala.”

Pandit laughed, “kyun mazak kar raha hai bhai. Bhul gaya kya, peechli trip pe tu hi brandy leke aaya tha.”

Sameer nodded, “kuch nahi bhula… lekin tab me aur abhi me bahot farq hai. Mere liye Naina se kiye gaye waade se zyada zaruri kuch bhi nahi hai.”

Munna immediately stopped pestering him on hearing about his promise, but Pandit still pursued. Annoyed slightly, Sameer grabbed the bottle to keep it aside, when right at that moment he heard a gasp and saw Naina looking inside through the partial open door.

“Sharab”, she muttered, her expressions of disbelief turning to anger. She glanced at Sameer once and then turned to leave. Sameer cursed under his breath, plunked the bottle down on bed, and rushed behind her.

“Naina suno toh”, he grabbed her hand, turning her to him, “main nahi pine wala tha sharab. Main toh mana kar raha tha.”

“Bottle tumhare haath me thi”, she argued.

He sighed, “haan… kyunki main Pandit ko mana kar raha tha aur bottle leke side pe rakh raha tha.”

Naina glared at him, “tumko pata hai na sharab kitni buri cheez hai… aur fir bhi… Munna and Pandit aisa kaise kar sakte hai… Aur Rohan… Woh toh tumhara bhai hai na, tumhara farz banta hai usko rokna.”

He held her hand, trying to calm her down, “please shaant ho jao pehle. Maine tumse kaha na, main nahi piyunga… tumse jo waada kiya hai woh kabhi nahi todunga. Lekin Naina… tum toh padhi-likhi ho, itni smart ho, fir iss baat ko bhi samjho ke har sikke ke do pehlu hote hai.”

She narrowed her eyes, “matlab tum kehna chahte sharab achcha hota hai?”

He shook his head, another sigh escaping his lips, “Nahi. Lekin hamesha bura bhi nahi hota. Udharan ke taur par brandy – yeh kai dawaiyo me istemaal hota hai. Aur thand wale desh me doctors hi kehte hai thoda sa peene ko taaki sharir garam rahe. Tumhe kya lagta hai, hamare desh ke sainik jo Siachen pe rehte hai unko sharab nahi lagta hoga? Utni thand me zinda rehne ke liye woh log bhi brandy, rum yeh sab peete hai. Aur hum sabke ghar pe… khaasi ka syrup jo hamare doctors dete hai usme bhi sharab ki thodi matra hoti hai.”

She absorbed all this information, while he continued, “Rohan mera bhai hai, jaanta hun. Usko sahi raasta dikhana mera farz hai, yeh bhi jaanta hun. Lekin zindagi ke kisi mod par toh use apni zimmedari khud leni hogi na. Pehle dadi ke kehne pe aur ab mere kehne pe chalta rahega toh woh khud kab cheezo ko samjhega. Aur sach kahu toh… sharab buri aadat hai, lekin thodi matra me kabhi kabhi kai log isko peete hai. Jab tak hum aadat ko apne upar haavi nahi hone dete, usko lat nahi banne dete tab tak shayad yeh thik hai. Duniya me har insaan ko toh sahi-galat ke tarazu pe nahi tol sakti na tum.”

Curious and intrigued she asked, “Tum peechli baar Nanaji ki sharab laaye the, iska matlab woh bhi peete the?”

He nodded, “kabhi kabhi. Business ki duniya me kai baar sharab ki bottles gifts ke taur pe bhi di jaati hai. Nanu ko bhi aise bahot gifts milte the. Mumbai, Delhi jaise bade shehero me jab Nanu jaate the, tab wahan ke business culture ke hisab se clients ke saath kabhi kabhi pee lete the, lekin limit ke bahar nahi.”

Naina thought about it for a long moment, then slowly suggested, “tum bhi agar mujhse waada karo ke apni limit me piyoge, aur mujhe nahi pata yeh limit kya hai… par tumko pata hoga. Agar tum yeh waada karte ho toh aaj apne dosto ke saath pee sakte ho. Main tumhe galat nahi maanti, bas tumhari parvaah hai, aur unn logo ki bhi”, she gestured towards Munna-Pandit’s room with her eyes.

Sameer smiled, touched at her gesture and acceptance, and at how easily she believed him and trusted him. He lifted her hand, dropping a kiss on her fingers, “main nahi piyunga aaj. I promise… agar future me business ke wajah se kabhi aisa mauka aata hai toh hi main piyunga, Nanu ki tarah. Aur kabhi tumse nahi chupaunga… hamesha sach bolunga.”

She grinned at him, and said that she would be in her room with the other girls so that they don’t wander down, “warna Munna ki khair nahi… aur shayad Rohan ki bhi. Tum dhyan rakhna unka.”

He chuckled, and then went back to his friends stating cleary that he would sit with them but not drink. Some snacks and soda was ordered, and the trio drank while Sameer sipped on plain soda. As the bottle depleted, the crazy antics started with them dancing on the bed, and Pandit proposing to Rohan complete with a plastic rose and keychain as a ring. Sameer made sure to click pictures of all this madness. Slowly they all toppled over, and started snoring. Sameer shook his head, cleaned up after them, thanking God that no one had puked, and then went to the room he shared with Rohan intending to take a bath and freshen up. Then maybe he could find out if Naina was awake, and ask her out for a small walk.

Naina on the other hand had kept the girls busy all evening in games and gossip, recollecting the girls that studied with them in school and college. Once when Preeti had asked about the boys, Naina had gone out to check and heard some hooting noises from inside the room. Not even wanting to know what was happening she had returned to her room, and said that maybe the boys had gone out by themselves as the rooms were locked. Both Preeti and Swati had felt slightly sad, as they had hoped the absence of Chachaji and Chachiji meant they would spend more time with Rohan and Munna respectively. Finally they had dumped their sorrows in bottles of cold-drinks and plates full of delicious food.

Tired out from the excursion that morning, Swati and Preeti fell asleep, and Naina decided to go check once more on the boys. Even she was sleepy, but if Sameer was awake then she wanted to spend some time with him before sleeping. She found Rohan, Munna and Pandit sprawled in the room, snoring away to glory, but Sameer wasn’t there. Stepping out of the room, she closed the door, and then walked over to the room that he and Rohan shared. The door was closed but not locked, so, hesitating just the slightest bit, she pushed it open, and stilled, her world tilting on its axis, a dizzy feeling overtaking her. Sameer, who had just taken a bath was standing between the open cupboard doors, a pristine white towel slung low over his hips. Her wide eyes roamed over the broad muscles of his shoulders and back, the tiny drops of water gleaming in the light, and reminding her of how he had looked under the shower. The towel curved over his hips and fell only till his knees, leaving his calves and shins bare for her view. She blinked, her breathing suddenly accelerating. How many times had he draped those legs over her, when they had fallen asleep? She had known they would be strong and muscular, but hadn’t anticipated that the sight of them could make her want more.

She must have made some sound, because he swiftly turned with some clothes in his hand, and was shocked on seeing her. Clutching the clothes to his chest, like a fragile defense of some sort, he stammered, “t…tum y…yahan kya kar rahi ho?”

She didn’t respond, instead stepped inside, letting the door close behind her with a soft thud, and walked over to him. His eyes widened, and his heart slammed against his ribcage on seeing her approach. She was again dressed in the white chikan kurta that he had seen her in on the first night he had spent at Agarwal house, the night he had been blessed with his first view of her bare back. And God… she looked so angelic in it… innocent, tiny and delicate… and it made him want her all the more. He closed his eyes, a mental rant in his brain, ‘no, no Sameer… you can’t… you have to control… and she is on her periods.’

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he croaked, “umm… mujhe change karna hai.”

The temptress that she was, she stepped even closer, and shrugged. Desperate for sanity to return, he hung on to his clothes, and whispered, “please.”

“Thike”, she smirked, “main apni aankhen bandh kar leti hun.” She sincerely closed her eyes, and he still stood frozen at the spot astonished at the fact that she intended to stand there while he wore his clothes.

A minute must have ticked by, and she said, “jaldi karo… warna main aankhen khol dungi.”

He fumbled, cursing under his breath he hastily pulled on the grey tracks, not even bothering about his boxers. When he tried to wear his t-shirt however, he noticed that he had taken out a shirt by mistake. He quickly turned back to the cupboard, banging his shoulder on the open door in the process. The sound made her open her eyes, and she saw him rummaging in the cupboard, his torso still bare. Well, that much she had seen before… so letting go of her restraint she slipped her arms around him and hugged him from behind, her palms coming to rest on his thudding heart.

He shuddered, the shirt dropping from his hands, he closed his eyes on her touch, “kya kar rahi ho Naina?”

She bit her lip, gathered courage and softly answered, “mere periods khatam ho gaye.”

Shocked, he sucked in a large amount of air and found himself totally unable to respond, as he realized that one mental barrier which he had created had now shattered with what she said. Noticing that he didn’t say anything, she turned her head and pressed her lips between his shoulder blades, inhaling the fresh clean scent of soap mixed with his unique male fragrance. He clenched his fists, desperately trying to hold on to his thinning control, “Chachaji aur Chachiji…”

“Gaanv me hai”, she reminded, letting her hands roam over his chest.

Heat slammed inside him as her fingers brushed against his nipples, “Munna… Pandit…”

She interrupted, “peeke so gaye.”

He exhaled through his mouth as she countered his every argument, “Preeti aur Swati…”

“Bina peeke so gaye”, she replied determinedly, “sirf hum dono hai Sameer… aur koi nahi.”

Damn… she was one determined woman, he thought, struggling to come up with more excuses but each one of them seemed feebler than what he had already voiced. He was still thinking, when she softly requested, “main jaanti hun tum kyun mujhse dur reh rahe ho… par ek kiss… please.”

God… was she pleading for a kiss? Here he was ready to give her every bit of himself and she had to request him for a mere kiss. All his mental barriers, every excuse shattered, and along with that he also heard the crash of his snapped control. He loosened her hold on him, and turned to look at her, the hopeful expressions on her face making him yearn.

She thought he would lean and kiss her, but instead her face fell as he drew back and stepped away. Tears almost threatened to pool in her eyes, when suddenly she heard a click and looked up to see that he had locked the door, ensuring no one interrupted them. Her heart raced, and heat pooled in her belly as he walked over to her, his glittering hungry gaze fixed on her… her pulse tripped… the way he walked, or rather ambled, the smooth fluid movement of his limbs, the bunching muscles… it reminded her of a show she had watched on TV… a tiger, a predator moving on to its prey… his attention laser sharp…

He stopped a little bit away from her, and warned, “soch lo wapas… risk hai… Preeti ya Swati uthe toh unko turant pata chal jayega ke tum nahi ho kamre me. Baki sabne piya hua hai, lekin Rohan ne itna nahi piya… woh bhi uth sakta hai.” He paused for a heartbeat, and then added, “aur sabse bada risk yeh hai ke shayad mujhse control naa ho.”

She listened to everything he had to say, then walked up to him, and assured, “mujhe yeh sab pata hai.” Rising on tip-toes she closed the gap between their lips, and he groaned, crashing her to his chest and kissing her with an urgency that bordered on roughness. Her heart leaped, desire coiled like a live wire low in her stomach, and she surrendered completely, melting against him. In that moment it didn’t matter to her that they weren’t married, it didn’t matter to her what society expected from them, it didn’t matter to her that something which either of them had not planned might happen… All that mattered to her was the man who was kissing her as if she was the reason of his existence, and the fact that she belonged to him totally, heart, body and soul.

Leaving her mouth, he peppered urgent kisses on her face, and his hand fumbled with the zip of her dress. The metallic hiss mixing with the sounds of their heavy breath, and then his hand was on her bare flesh. The sounds of relief came from both, as he explored her back just like he had done before… but this time he didn’t stop at that. She was thrilled when he didn’t meet her eye to confirm if she was okay, but rather bunched up her kurta, removing it from her body without any hesitation. She had said, in not so many words that she didn’t mind whatever happened between them, and she was glad that he had taken her words at face value rather than reconfirming several times as he used to do before.

His hungry mouth traveled down her throat, then trailed tiny bites on her shoulders as if he couldn’t have enough of her. Anticipation made her squirm against him when she felt his hand move up her back, his fingers toying with the bra strap. He tried and failed, the impatience getting the better of him, and he removed one of her hands from his back and guided it to her bra. She understood what he wanted, and as their eyes met, she didn’t know whether to feel scared or feel thrilled of the almost unrestrained expressions on his face. Fingers trembling only slightly, she unhooked the simple white cotton bra, and felt the fabric loosen.

He stared at her, his gaze roaming over her body like a bold caress, and then he gently removed the straps of her bra and let it fall to the floor at her feet. She stood there, exposed, her breathing heavy, and her hands shook as she thought of covering herself. But before she could, he shifted, and his big palms cupped her breasts, studying or reminiscing the shape and weight, while he watched. She whimpered, and his gaze moved to her face, noticing the flushed cheeks, the swollen lips, her dilated pupils. Leaving her breasts, he curved one arm around her and started backing her to the bed, until she sprawled on it. He came down on top of her, catching his fall with his hands, hovering over her on his elbows so that he wouldn’t smother her.

Her hands came up to trace the muscles that never failed to arouse her. Different… His body was so different from hers. The planes and angles, the play of muscles, the sprinkle of hair, the ropey sinews… She loved everything… and committed each one to her memory. “Sameer…”, she whispered, her fingers tracing his lips, and then she pulled him down on her, kissing his mouth, his neck, his shoulders. He groaned and nipped at her lips, moving down to her throat, marking the swell of her breast feeling exhilarated at her loud moan, and then drew in one taut bud into the heat of his mouth. Her response was immediate, her breath broke, back arched, eyes squeezed shut, an expression of sheer bliss on her face.

God… she was so responsive. He drifted to her smooth flat belly, which quivered at the gentlest touch of his lips. His tongue dipped in her navel, the beard on his chin leaving a small red mark on the fair flesh. Brain buzzing with arousal, he used one muscular thigh to nudge her legs apart and then cupped her with his hand, pressing the heel of his palm at the top. She arched, her hands finding purchase on his shoulders, nails digging in. He lowered his mouth to her breasts, tasting her once more, and his fingers rubbed the soft warm flesh between her legs.

She didn’t know if it was the fabric, or his hand, or what he was doing… but she burned. She felt her body racking with a desire so feral that it threatened to consume her. She had never… never felt like this before. For an instant she wanted to push away his hand and the next instant she wanted more… a primal feeling telling her that if she sustained, if she held on, she would find a treasure to pleasure. Trusting her instinct, she dug her nails on his biceps and held on, as his mouth and fingers worked relentlessly on her.

A growl of triumph erupted from deep inside his chest, and he removed his hand, placing his full weight on her, his hard throbbing erection coming to rest in the notch of her thighs. She whimpered and moaned, head moving back and forth on the pillow, her hands clasping on his body, desperately trying to ride the storm that raged through her at his urgent thrusting movements. His wandering mouth found her lips again, and she surrendered herself to him completely, not even feeling scared or raising objection when his hand surely and slowly found the knot of her patiala and tugged it open.

She whimpered his name against his mouth, and he groaned, both on the verge of discovering something new when suddenly a crash made him rear up. She moaned at the sudden loss of weight and warmth, and he immediately placed a finger on her lips, hushing her up.

“Koi uth gaya shayad”, he breathed harshly, “ruko.”

He slid off her and the bed, and silently went to the door, placing his ear against the wood to hear. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, her body shivering from the unattained. She didn’t know what was happening to her; all she knew was that the one who held the answers was not touching her anymore.

No more sound came from outside, so he gave up his vigil from the door-side and came back to bed. Sitting on the edge, he watched her… and his own mouth almost fell open. She had her eyes closed, still breathing heavily, tiny shivers running down her half-naked body, her lips were swollen, her breasts had a mark of his possession, her stomach had scratch-like mark that he guessed was from his beard, and… Oh God… her patiala was untied. Had he done that? Of course he had… stupid… who else would.

Slowly, gently, he traced the red mark on her belly with his finger, and her eyes opened. He glanced at her, empathetically realizing how unfulfilled she must be feeling, and softly asked about the mark, “jal raha hai?”

She shook her head, her hand coming to rest on top of his on her belly, “Sameer hum… yeh… itna adhura sa kyun hai?”

His eyes softened at her innocent question, she didn’t know, didn’t understand everything yet, she hadn’t ever felt the pleasure that her body was capable of. He wished he could show it to her… but he didn’t know why he couldn’t even think of doing it before marriage… his gaze shifted to the knot he had pulled open and he sighed… or maybe he could think, but couldn’t do… if the crash hadn’t happened, if they hadn’t stopped then God knows what would have happened today.

He shuddered, turning to pick up the shirt that had fallen to the floor from his hands, and draped it on her, hoping it would restore some sanity to his fused brain. Taking in deep breaths, he tied the knot again, but not before eyeing the light blue cotton fabric that was revealed from one side of her waist. So, she didn’t necessarily wear matching sets… hmm… that was something he didn’t know. As he tied the knot into a bow, he wondered how he had always thought that women always wear matching underwear. But that wasn’t true… He had seen Naina wear black inside most dark colors, and cream or white beneath lighter shades… and now he knew that the bra and panties need not match either.

He held her hand, “yeh shirt pehen lo please.”

Even though she didn’t really feel shy anymore in-front of him, she understood that he needed that barrier to retain his control. So, she sat up and pulled on his shirt, struck again at the intimacy of wearing something that was his. As soon as the last button was done, he pulled her in his arms and hugged her. After a moment he answered her question, “main jaanta hun adhura sa lag raha hai tumko… mujhe bhi wahi ho raha hai… isiliye toh main dur reh raha tha. Bas shaadi ke din tak… I promise.”

She held him as he stroked her back, calming her, soothing her, and promising pleasure that she could probably never even comprehend. She nuzzled against him and replied, “mujhe intezaar rahega.”

“Naina”, he murmured after a moment, “woh raat yaad hai tumko? Tum mujhe zabardasti apne kamre me leke gai thi… aur kaha tha tumse khayal rakhwaneki aadat daal lu main.” He chuckled, “dekho… sach me aadat pad gai hai mujhe.”

She chuckled too, “sab yaad hai mujhe.”

“Aaj bhi mere saath rahogi?”, he asked, “tumhe aisai apne baaho me leke sona hai.”

She smiled, and instead of replying in words, leaned back on bed, pulling him with her. He followed her tug, lying next to her, and held her close, his leg draping over hers automatically. Just before his eyes closed, he wondered for a moment how was it that she never objected of the way he almost held her captive in his embrace while sleeping.

Hours later, she tossed slightly and woke up, feeling cold and noticed that Sameer was no longer hugging her. She was still sleeping on his arm, but he had turned over and was sprawled on his back. Intrigued, she sat up to see him. Some locks of hair fell on his forehead, his lips were pouty in sleep, the chest she so loved to touch and kiss was open for her view in all its glory. Reaching out she placed her palm over his heart, feeling the steady rhythm. Her fingers threaded through the patch of hair on his chest, and skimmed his flat coin-like nipples. Desire glimmered in the depth of her soft whisky eyes as she gazed at him, the muscular chest, the flat belly, the trail of hair beginning from his chest moving down the center of his stomach and disappearing beneath the waistband of his tracks. Her heart lurched as she recalled how he had felt thrusting against her, and she was astonished to see him stir and begin to harden. How…!!??

Forcing her eyes up, she looked back at his face and saw that he had woken up, and was watching her through partially open eyes, heavy-lidded with desire. His one hand came up to sift through her open hair, as he bunched the strands and let them fall down slowly, marveling at the silky softness. No words were spoken, none were needed; she was never freer than when she was captive in his arms. So she went back where she belonged, and kissed his lips softly. The kisses were gentle, not deep, not long, but conveyed every bit of love she felt for him. He closed his eyes feeling as if soft butterfly wings were caressing his face as she brushed her lips over his cheeks, forehead, nose, chin… not sparing even an inch.

He handed himself over to her completely, just like he had done so many years ago. That time she had showered her love and affection on him in form of medicine, blanket, and pyaar wali daant. This time too she soaked his soul and heart in happiness as she almost reverently kissed him. It was as if his body tempted her, fascinated her, emboldened her… and never before had he felt more desirable than this. His hands fisted on the bedsheet, as she trailed hot open-mouthed kisses on his chest and stomach. The soft, pink, inviting lips closed in hot suction over his left nipple, and her tongue boldly swiped making him groan.

Grabbing her waist he pulled her atop him, and captured her lips in a long hard kiss, that made her squirm. She grabbed his shoulders and wiggled, straddling his hips, and suddenly his hard length brushed between her legs. He jerked, hips lifting, and she gasped, wrenching away her mouth and sat up, unknowingly applying more pressure and making him groan like a tormented man. Aroused and curious both, she braced her palms on his chest and bit her lip, wiggling her hips tentatively again. He gasped, his hands clenching on her waist. The irresistible desire bloomed along with the sensual power she held over him, thrilled to the core of her nerves, she instinctively rolled her hips.

His breath bellowed from his lungs, his teeth clenched, and the glitter in his eyes deepened as he watched his temptress enjoy the way she could make him feel. The open hair, swollen lips, the gleam of white shirt in the semi-dark room, the cast of yellow glow from the desk lamp revealing the details of her puckered tips, everything made her look like an illusion, a figment of his imagination that could vanish any moment leaving him craving for more. Wanting to make sure she was not going to disappear he lifted his hand and traced a finger over her facial features, pulling down her pouty lower lip for a moment, and then drifted down her throat to the open collar of the shirt, and down one breast making her gasp.

Possessiveness and desire cut through his bone as he watched her gently move and learn over him, and he slowly started to unbutton his shirt, baring her sweet golden flesh to his view. Parting the seams he watched the soft wave like movement of her stomach, her bare breasts with hardened nubs begged to be touched. He cupped them in his hands, still amazed at the way he could make her moan his name with the gentlest flicks of his thumb. The way her body moved without any hesitation was suddenly too much for him to bear, and he thought he would burst into tiniest molecules any second now. So, he reared up in a swift movement, and flipped their positions. A surprised sound erupted from her throat before she wound her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to his intrusion. His hand wandered over her body as he kissed her, and she too let herself touch and feel.

Gathering courage and wanting answers to her curiosity, she moved her hand over his back, trailing to his hips. He kept on kissing her, not stopping her like last time, wishing she would continue what she was doing. Her fingers inched closer… and closer… but at the last minute her courage failed her and she moved her hand away. Containing the feeling of disappointment, he made a quick decision and grabbed her hand, placing it on his chest, letting her feel his erratic heartbeat and whispered, “sab tumhari wajah se.” Holding her gaze he slowly trailed her hand down his own body, and over his pulsing length. She gasped and tried to withdraw, but he held her fast, clasping his palm on top of hers, and kept gazing into her eyes, trying to reassure her.

Her own eyes widened, but she didn’t look away from him, and slowly started registering the hardness and heat on her palm, the tight stretch which almost seemed painful to her, the long length which again arose some questions in her mind, and the slight throbbing as if it had a life of its own. Sameer watched the surprise in her eyes turn to wonder and then to curiosity, he understood that now he didn’t need to hold her or guide her. Biting his lower lip slightly, he moved his hand away from hers and let her explore.

A minute ticked by, in which he just tried to hold himself steady and patient, and then he felt her fingers flutter in a barely-there touch up and down his length. His eyes squeezed shut at the amount of control that he needed at that moment to yield his body to her exploration, let her learn at her own pace, and not thrust. She felt him with her fingers, the hardness leading to soft skin, and muscled thighs, and marveled at the wonder of it. A shuddering breath left his lungs and he moved his hand intending to shift away her wandering hand, but right at that moment she remembered how he would cup her breast and flick his thumb at the tips, and she did the same. Rotating her hand she grasped him, and her thumb moved over the head of his throbbing erection. The loud groan that erupted from his throat startled her and him both, and his eyes flew open as unbelievably he felt the initial wetness on his tracks. Shit! He jerked away from her, and without even uttering a single word rushed to the bathroom.

Naina lied there for a minute, uncertain at what had happened, and unable to understand why he moved away like that. Slowly she sat up, questions racing in her mind. Did she do something wrong? Had she hurt him? Oh God… What should she do now? Desperation and uncertainty clouded her, made the desire recede back and she just hoped and prayed that in her ignorance she hadn’t done something that had hurt him. Fingers shaking, she buttoned up the shirt again, and then sat waiting for him, her eyes fixed on the bathroom door. Five minutes later she heard the water run, and then he came out. First thing she noticed was the strained expression on his face and then the fact that he was no longer hard and there was some wet mark on his grey tracks. Did he spill water?

As he came to the bed, she grabbed his hand and made him sit, the worried questions spilling out of her, “Sameer, tum thik toh ho na? Maine kuch galat kiya kya? Kahin lagi toh nahi tumhe?”

He watched her almost teary eyes, and realized her panic. Till now he had been embarrassed at the way he had lost control on her exploring touch, and slightly horrified as he had never intended to reach this stage with her before their marriage. He hadn’t known what to do apart from relieving himself, of course he couldn’t go back to her in that condition, and he had hoped that she wouldn’t notice and wouldn’t ask. But well… of course she had noticed. He tried to push his own thoughts aside, realizing that she needed him, needed answers, and needed assurance.

He held her and gently eased her on his chest, leaning back on the headrest so that she was half-lying on him. Softly but firmly he assured, “mujhe kuch nahi hua Naina. Main bilkul thik hun. Tum please pareshan mat ho, yeh sab… mera matlab tumne jo kiya woh galat nahi tha… aur mujhe achcha laga.”

Her brows furrowed, and she tilted her head back to look at him, “achcha laga toh aise chale kyun gaye?”

A brief smile curved his lips, “yaqeen maano… shaadi ke baad kahin nahi jaunga.”

She looked away from him, still hesitant, and feeling slightly awkward as she couldn’t fully understand what had happened. He cupped her chin and made her look at him again, “Naina… mujhe pata hai tumhare man me kai sawaal hai jo tum puchna chahti ho lekin puch nahi paa rahi. Sach kahu toh tumhe puchne ki zarurat bhi nahi hai… main samajhta hun… lekin kuch sawaal aise hai jinka jawaab main shaadi ke pehle nahi de sakta. Bas itna jaano ke jo kuch bhi hua woh natural hai… normal hai…”

After a long moment she nodded and he hugged her, “I promise Naina… main shaadi ke baad tumhare har sawaal ka jawaab de dunga. Filhaal, so jao… mere saath.”

He slid down the bed, holding her to him, adjusting his position so that she could curl up in his arms. Like always he waited for a few minutes, until she fell asleep and then let himself relax.