Always and Forever
Part - 36: The Highest Kite

It was a testament to how much pain Sameer was in when he fell asleep immediately after taking the second round of medicines that Naina gave him after eating. The quite afternoon was riddled with shouts of children from outside who were taking full advantage of the Sunday freedom to fly kites.

Chachaji had fallen asleep in the living room, Chachiji and Preeti were taking a nap in the other room, Rohan had gone off to sort the car insurance matter, and Naina sat beside Sameer on the bed in her room. Even she felt drowsy, and was almost tempted to lie down beside him and sleep like she was used to. But the unlocked door prevented her from doing so. So just like she had done that morning, she sat beside him, with her hand in his hair, and closed her eyes, trying to rest.

Sameer woke up an hour later as his shoulder throbbed in pain when he tried to turn on his side. He blinked his eyes, and again realized that Naina was beside him. This time she had her legs stretched out as she slept and so carefully he turned towards her and shifted his head from the pillow to her lap, wrapping one hand around her legs and closed his eyes again. Thirty minutes later when she woke up she was surprised to Sameer hugging her legs and sleeping peacefully. She smiled, stroking his hair and shoulders, and he soon stirred. Looking up at her he mumbled, “good morning sweetheart.”

She chuckled, “thodi der abhi good morning bolne me… filhaal good evening.”

He frowned, feeling as if he had heard this like somewhere before. She realized his confusion, and supplied, “tumne hi kaha tha mujhe yeh jab main ghar pe sofa pe so gai thi.”

“Oh haan”, he smiled recalling the moments, and then asked, “par tum aise bethe bethe kyun so rahi thi? Let jaati na.”

She smiled, and gestured towards the door, “darwaza khula hai. Aise kaise let jaati?”

He rolled his eyes, “toh bandh kar deti darwaza.”

She laughed softly, “haan… kuch din baad haq se bandh karungi jab bhi hum yahan rahenge. Filhaal chalo utho… aur… shirt utaaro.”

He sat up slowly, and gasped, “wow Naina… itne mood me ho?”

She slid down from the bed and glared at him, “ji bilkul nahi. Lekin itni saari jo chot lagake aaye ho uska ilaaj toh karna padega na. Main abhi aai.”

He unbuttoned his shirt, but owing to his shoulder pain he failed to remove it, and sat leaning on the headboard, waiting for her to come back. Naina prepared a hot water bag for his leg, and then started to fill ice in a bag. Chachiji came out of her room, yawning, and queried, “tu soyi nahi? Sameer kaisa hai ab?”

Naina smiled, “thodi der bethe bethe hi aankh lag gai thi. Sameer bhi uth gaye hai, main yeh baraf bhar rahi thi bas unke kandhe ke liye. Aur doctor ne kaha hai paav pe sek karneko.”

Bela nodded, “thike. Kandhe pe sambhalke beta, zyada zor se mat dabana. Aur sunn… thodi der me Preeti uth jayegi aur tu toh usko jaanti hai na…dhadam se kabhi bhi kahin bhi ghus jaati hai, tu darwaza bandh kar lena… warna damaadji ko ajeeb lagega.”

Naina’s eyes widened as she heard the instructions to close the door. Did that mean she had permission to do so? Her family wouldn’t mind? The amount of trust they had on Sameer and her humbled her. She nodded and took both the things inside with her along with a glass of water. She saw him sitting with his shirt open, clutching a pillow to his front, possibly so that no one could see anything if they barged in. Now she understood what Chachiji meant. It wasn’t just about trusting them, but also about Sameer’s comfort. He was already a part of family, and it was another story when the doctor was examining him, but that didn’t mean he would be okay with people seeing him without shirt. She handed the glass to him, kept the other things nearby, and then turned to lock the door. He made a surprised sound, and then asked, “yeh kya kar rahi ho?”

She smiled, “tension mat lo. Chachiji ki permission hai… waise bhi tumko bina shirt ke dekhneka haq sirf mera hai.”

He chuckled, “oh achcha… toh romance karneki permission leke aai ho.”

“Jee nahi”, she pulled the pillow away from him, “ilaaj karne ka permission mila hai.”

Grabbing her hand he tugged her to him in a way that she landed on his chest, and he flinched. She almost shrieked, “Sameer… kya kar rahe ho? Chot lagi hai tumhe, aur lag jayegi.”

He didn’t let her withdraw, wrapping his arms around her, “shsh… main theek hun. Bas tum mere paas raho.”

“Sameer tum na pagal ho”, she admonished.

He fisted a hand in her hair, and captured her lips, murmuring, “sirf tumhare liye.”

She gave him what he sought, opening her mouth, letting him deepen the kiss, and her hands moved from his hair, to his jaw, neck and shoulders. He felt her trying to slide his shirt off his shoulders, and groaned, immediately cooperating with her efforts. But before he could even comprehend her next move, she had moved away from him, and grabbed the ice pack, placing it on his shoulders. He gasped at the cold, and then moaned in relief as the ice soothed his burn. Irked he looked at her, “Naina… yeh kya hai… Cheating ki tumne. Mujhe laga tum shirt kisi aur wajah se nikal rahi ho.”

She chuckled, moving to his legs and folding his jeans, placing a pillow beneath his feet and keeping the hot water bag over a thin towel. He took a deep breath at the respite it provided but still looked irritated at the interrupted romance. She moved back to sit beside him, and leaned on his shoulder, keeping her hand on his chest, moving the icepack across the red welt when needed. He sighed, “tum bahot chalak ho. Romance ke bahane mujhe yeh sab leke bitha diya.”

She huffed, “kitna kud-kud kar rahe ho. Main bethi hun na saath me. Romance karne ke toh bahot chance mil jayenge, lekin filhaal chot lagi hai toh uspe bhi dhyan dena padega na. Aur ab ekdum chup, warna main bahar chali jaungi aur Taiji ko bhej dungi tumhara dhyan rakhne.”

“Nahiii”, he yelped and immediately wrapped his hand around her shoulder, “sochna bhi mat aisa.” She grinned, and he realized she was teasing him, so he threatened, “tum ruko… itna sata rahi ho na. Sab badla lunga.”

“Le lena”, she assured, “lekin mere liye filhaal tumhara dhyan rakhna zyada zaruri hai.”

He smiled reluctantly, and turned to kiss her forehead as she moved the icepack again. Even though the locked door presented amazing romance opportunities, he had to admit the way she was taking care of him was also something he had never experienced. He remembered the time he had twisted his leg while playing cricket in Nainital, and the hostel doctor had given him a painkiller; and then another time when he had refused to eat the dahi-chini Naina had brought for him and had been injured while playing, at that time he had hoped his mother would show more concern but it hadn’t happened.

Twenty minutes later Naina removed the icepack and hot water bag both, then applied the ointment doctor had given, and then helped him put on the shirt again after placing a soft kiss on his heart. He smiled wondering how he could ever stop himself from kissing her if she kept on bestowing such loving gestures on him, but he guessed this was all part and parcel of marrying Naina. She had always been his world, but since their roka Naina was slowly proving with each and every gesture that he was her world, her priority, and every small thing about him mattered to her.

As she helped him down the bed, he caught her hand, noticing the red marks on her forearm, “yeh kaise hua?” Through the hazy memory he remembered her father was holding her arm, and his eyes blazed, “Rakesh sir?”

Naina quickly shook her head, “nahi nahi… yeh toh main akele ghar se nikal rahi thi tumhe dhunde ke liye toh… umm… Taiji ne roka. Tabhi yeh nishaan pad gaye. Papa toh mujhe tumhare paas le jaa rahe the.”

He seethed at Taiji’s action, but one thing surprised him more, and so he queried, “Rakesh sir tumhe mere paas laa rahe the?”

She nodded, “haan… meri bechaini samajh gaye the woh.”

Rohan arrived just as they came out of the room for tea, this time though Sameer still held on to Naina for support, he tried to walk on his own. Chachiji had made tea and pyaaz pakoda knowing she would have two healthy and hungry male in her home, and just because they had had a heavy lunch didn’t mean they won’t need food again. And she was pleased to see Sameer and Rohan both munching down on the hot pakodas.

The evening was a difficult time to spend as there wasn’t much to talk and they had already slept well in afternoon, so Preeti started Maine Pyaar Kiya movie on DVD, as that hadn’t lost its charm even after all this time. Naina helped Sameer put up his leg on a pillow which she placed on the table, and then went to the kitchen to help Chachiji with dinner preparations. Preeti and Rohan sat on the floor, surrounded by more pillows.

After Naina had helped cut all the vegetables needed for pavbhaji, Bela asked her to go watch the movie as she knew how much Naina loved it, not to mention Sameer was staring less at the TV set and more into the kitchen. Anyways preparing bhaji and pulav wouldn’t take a lot of time. Naina came outside and sat next to Sameer, making him smile wide, and they both watched the movie together. Chachaji came in soon with packets of bun and some cold-drink for everyone. Bela took out some bottles on a tray and kept it on the table for them to drink. When the song Dil Deewana started to play, Naina, Preet and Sameer hummed along, surprising Rohan for a few minutes before he too dared to join in.

Suddenly Sameer asked, “Naina tumko yaad hai… Kamya ke ghar pe yeh movie humne saath me dekha tha.”

Naina giggled, “haan yaad hai… hum dono ek dusre se gussa the, aur Kamya tumpe fida.”

He chuckled at the old time memories and asked, “Kamya ko bula rahi ho na shaadi pe?”

She nodded, “haan… lekin ab mauka kho chuke uske saath flirt karneka.”

He shook his head, “mujhe toh tab bhi woh mauka nahi chahiye tha…”

“Jaanti hun”, she informed, “umm… Swati ne tumhari aur Kamya ki saari baate suni thi… Waise ek baat batao, uss din Kamya ke saamne itne tareefo ke pool kiske baandhe the?”

He stammered, “ah…tum…tumhare hi… aur kiski taareef karunga.”

Her eyes narrowed, “jhuthe… uss waqt toh mujhe bhi laga tha ke tum meri baat kar rahe the, lekin ab toh mujhe pata hai ke pakka woh main nahi thi. Kyunki  tum mujhe utna jaante hi nahi the tab… Ek minute… Kahin woh Nainital wali girlfriend toh nahi thi?”

He bit his cheek, trying to control his laughter, “haan… haan… wahi thi… haaye… kya ladki thi woh… Mridula.”

She laughed softly, “aur koi aasan naam nahi mila? Mridula? Main Munna-Pandit nahi hun ke tum lambi-lambi fekoge aur main sab maanti rahungi.”

“Woh sach me meri girlfriend thi”, he argued, hoping to make her jealous.

She quirked an eyebrow, “thike… toh main abhi andar jaake Chachiji ko bata deti hun… Fir toh tumhe uss Mridula se hi shaadi karni padegi.”

As she pretended to get up, he quickly caught her hand, “nahi… pagal ho kya. Achcha baba tum jeeti… Koi Mridula nahi thi… Koi girlfriend hi nahi thi… Kamya ke saamne toh main Julia Roberts ki taareef kar raha tha.”

She covered her mouth with her palm, muffling her laughter, “sach me? Ek poster ki tareef…!”

He frowned, “par tumhe kaise pata ke main Munna-Pandit ke saamne fek raha tha?”

“Uss waqt nahi pata tha”, she confessed, “tab toh aisa hi laga ke shayad sach me koi special friend rahi hogi. Par fir itne saalo se tumhe jaanti hun ab toh, yeh samajh gai hun ke agar tumne kabhi bhi kisi aur ke liye kuch feel kiya hota toh tum mere nahi hote, usike hote hamesha ke liye.”

He gazed at her amazed at how well she always knew him. Suddenly Bela’s voice interrupted them, “beta thanda le le. Kabse khula pada hai bottle.”

“Ji chachiji”, they both answered together and reached for a bottle at the same time, just like all those years back in Kamya’s house. But this time, she held the bottle, and his hand wrapped over hers, making her breath catch. Blushing a bit, she left the bottle, and he picked it up, taking a swig, and then tapped it twice slowly on the table. Her eyes widened as she realized what he was indicating, and grinned, accepting the bottle from him. They kept sharing the cold-drink, smiling at the old time gesture.

Taiji barreled inside with Pralay, and immediately started complaining, “oh bai! Sab bethke picture dekh rahe hai, aur upar se cold-drink… Hamare Parlay babu ko toh koi puchta hi nahi hai.”

Bela and Naina looked at each other once, their wry smiles communicating how they were used to all these since years now. Naina picked up the one remaining bottle on table, and said, “yeh raha Pralay ka… Woh bahar khel raha tha toh maine socha baad me de dungi.”

Taiji adjusted her pallu, “neva! Ab khelte khelte bhi pee hi sakta hai na.” As Pralay took the bottle and again went outside, Taiji sat down on the swing, “haaye mere ghutne. Bela zara chai bana de, elaichi daalke.”

Bela looked hassled as both the gas burners by occupied, and she had never said a direct no to bhabhiji. Again Naina answered, “Taiji chai chodiye na, aapke liye bhi cold-drink mangvai hai. Main leke aati hun.”

“Oh bai”, Taiji exclaimed, “itni thand me cold-drink. Zukham lagvayegi kya.”

Preeti pitched in, “aapko nahi peena Taiji… Koi baat nahi mere liye ek aur bottle ho gai.”

Taiji immediately replied, “neva! Itna khayegi-piyegi toh fat jayegi kisi din. Dekh zara apne-aap ko aaine me. Aur Naina tu kya khadi apni behen ki bakwaas sunn rahi hai… Ab thanda laaye hai toh barbaad thodi na karungi, laa de de… aaj usise kaam chala lungi.”

Naina went to fetch the cold drink, and Preeti reddened at the dig on her weight, especially because Rohan was sitting not very far from her. But when she looked at him he just smiled at her, sneakily signaling with his fingers that she looked great. Rakesh sauntered inside just as soon as Naina gave the cold-drink to Taiji, he looked at the assembled group, and then hung his scooter keys intending to leave again. But Naina called out, “papa… aap cold-drink lenge? Humne sabke liye mangvaya hai.”

Rakesh thought for some time and then nodded in a yes, sitting on a chair, and picked up the morning newspaper even though he must have read it already. Sameer was surprised to see Naina suddenly talking with Rakesh sir again, but it didn’t take him a lot of time to understand that in her eyes her father was absolved of everything by agreeing to take her to him when he had needed her the most.

The dinner was a merry event with everyone chatting non-stop, and to Naina’s surprise Chachaji asked Sameer to stay back for the night as there would be no one to look after him at home. Naina looked up at Sameer with hope written all over her face, and as Sameer gazed back at her he was almost tempted to say yes. But, just like in past, so many times in their relationship, he had had to make a choice between what he wanted and what was right, he made that choice today too, and just like always he stuck to what was right. Sighing, he shook his head, and refused, “nahi Chachaji. Yeh sahi nahi hai. Maine kabhi logo ki ya society ki parvah nahi ki hai, lekin Naina ki izzat meri zimmedari hai. Iss tarah shaadi se pehle kisi majburi me bhi yahan pe rehna sahi nahi hai.”

“Par beta tumhara khayal…”, Bela tried to persist.

“Rohan hai”, Sameer interrupted, “aur Ramdhari bhi hai. Sek vagera karne me woh log madad kar denge. Aur davaiya toh Naina phone pe hi yaad dila degi. Jaanta hun woh ab ghar se akele nahi nikal payegi, lekin main aa jaunga agar zarurat hui toh, aur fir do din baad toh Uttarayan ke liye milenge hi wapas.”

Her family tried to coax him a bit more, but Naina had already understood from his determined voice that no one would be able to sway him from his decision. She exhaled, toying around with the cucumber slices on her plate, hating the reality that she could not even look after him when he was not well. He noticed her scowling at the salad and placed his hand over hers, and when she looked up at him, he said, “gajar-kakdi pe gussa mat nikalo. Main theek ho jau fir mujhpe gussa kar lena. Mujhe pata hai main yahan rahun ya hamare ghar pe, tumko koi rok nahi payega mera khayal rakhne se.”

She looked surprised that he had read her thoughts so well, but still the frown didn’t leave her face. His eyes glittered as he said, “ab muskurado warna mera dard aur badh jayega.”

He saw her pretty eyes widen in fear, and her lips immediately stretched a bit. He smiled, “thoda aur.” She gazed into his eyes, and gave up, smiling for him, and thinking of ways to look after him despite being away from him.

She spent time after dinner to write down instructions for Rohan on how to tend to Sameer, she separated medicines in dosages and labelled them with time to take, she even had instructions on letting him to stay up till late. Sameer was again leaning on the bed with an ice pack on his chest, and the hot water bag on his leg, waiting for her as she had refused to let him leave before she tended to him. He didn’t say no as he knew he would have to do this himself or with Rohan’s help from tomorrow, but nothing and no one would be able to replace the warm feeling he got when Naina did this for him.

When she came to sit beside him, he wrapped his arm around her, and asked, “ab tak gussa ho.”

She sighed keeping her head on his shoulder as she moved the ice pack across the welt, “nahi. Main jaanti hun tum hamesha sab kuch sahi karna chahte ho. Lekin mujhe samajh nahi aa raha ke mujhe chinta hogi toh kya karungi. Apna haq jatane ke liye bhi intezaar karna pad raha hai.”

Her concern, her elemental need to look after him, her frustration of not being able to exert her right over him, combined with his burning desire to be with her, to hand himself over to her, to let her do whatever she wished, and something shifted and clicked inside him and he stopped giving a damn about the world. Wrapping his other arm around her, he swiftly pulled her on his lap in a way that she was straddling him. She might have shrieked in alarm, but he had arched upwards and captured her lips in a heated kiss, silencing her effectively. The ice pack fell forgotten on the bed, and none of them bothered that it was wetting the bedsheet, her hands fisted in his hair as she kissed him back with equal fervor. His broad palms moved up her back, fumbling with the zipper, and his lips moved to her throat, trailing tiny nips down the smooth column. The open zip loosened her dress enough enabling him to pull it down, forcing her to lower her hand from his head to his back. The flare of passion was immediate and consuming as his slim long fingers pushed aside the restricting cotton, his mouth nuzzling down the smooth swell searching for her taste. Her breath left her lips in a hiss as his lips and tongue worked their magic, flicking and suckling, she couldn’t control her hips from rolling over the throbbing evidence of passion she could feel, and her nails dug in the spinal groove on his back eliciting a rumbling groan from his chest.

Multiple sounds of laughter echoed outside, Naina didn’t know the reason as to why her family was laughing, but it was enough for her ascertain the situation they were in. She blinked her eyes, trying to control her mind from numbing again to the sensations that his persistent mouth on her body was still arising, and she could only thank God that she had closed the window. Half-naked and in such a situation was not how she wanted anyone to see them, and she knew that Sameer always controlled but today something had happened to make him lose his strong hold, which meant that now she needed to be the strong one. Reluctantly she cupped his face, drawing him back from her body, and kissed him deep and slow. She kept stroking his shoulders and hair, softening the kiss degree by degree, stalling the movements of her own hips. She felt his fingers clench on her waist, and then after a minute he stroked her back softly and she knew that he was okay, recovered from the mist of passion that had surrounded them. She left his lips, moving to his cheek, and then ear, whispering genty, “I love you Sameer.”

His breath was warm on her bare shoulder as he too murmured, “I love you too sweetheart.” Leaning back he closed his eyes, not sure he would be able to stop himself if he saw her like that, and she understood. She slid off his lap and moved to the dressing table, adjusted her clothes, and combed her hair. By the time she was done, she saw that he was holding the ice pack and frowning, “shit… bed geela ho gaya.”

Naina wasn’t perturbed, “koi baat nahi. Main sambhal lungi.” She moved back to him and applied ointment on his chest. He stood up, so she could help him with his shirt again, but as she moved behind him, her face flushed on spotting something. He fingers traced the small oval marks, and he turned his head to look at her, “kya hua?”

She bit her lip, “umm… tum na Rohan ya Ramdhari ke saamne shirt mat utaarna aaj.”

His confusion increased, “kyun?”

She blushed even more, “woh… mere naakhun ke nishan hai tumhare peeth pe.”

“Sach?” He asked almost in glee, and quickly moved to the dressing table to check. As he twisted and turned trying to see, she asked perplexed, “kya kare rahe ho? Aur isme khush hone wale konsi baat hai? Chalo shirt pehno”

As she smoothed the shirt over his shoulders, coming to his front to button up, he held her waist and smirked, “main hamesha sochta tha ke shaadi ke baad jab hum… ahh… saath rahenge, tab aisai har raat ke baad tumhare naakhun ke nishaan honge mere peeth pe.”

She finished doing all the buttons and chuckled, “tum aur tumhari kalpanaye… pata nahi koi itna saara kaise soch sakta hai.”

He dropped a kiss on her forehead, “madam… jab asliyat me kuch na mile toh sapne se kaam chalana padta hai. Tum ruko bas… shaadi hone do… apne saare sapne pura karunga… Itne saalo ka stock hai.”

She lifted her hand, trying to set his messy hair in order, not the least bit afraid of his racy dreams, “hmmm… mujhe intezaar rahega.”

As he sat beside Rohan in the car, he looked at the passing streetlights and wondered how and when he had gotten so lucky. It seemed just like yesterday that he was standing near the living room window in Agarwal house and wondering how to get Naina accustomed to physical intimacy, and now she was all set out to blow his mind. What bowled him over that she had no fear or hesitation whenever he talked about fulfilling his fantasies. He kind of felt proud of himself at having been successful in making Naina not only comfortable with the idea of intimacy but also curious about it. If sometime that played havoc with his control, then so be it.

The next day was all about the preparations of Uttarayan – Naina and Chachiji made peanut and sesame chikkis, and laddoos of jaggery and puffed rice. To compensate for so much sweet they also made methi matri and some spicy snacks were also prepared. Chachaji and Preeti bought several kites and firki. In the afternoon Naina prepared lunch for Sameer and called up his driver asking him to pick it up. Sameer exited from a meeting, and saw the tiffin box as soon as he entered inside his cabin, his face lit up with happiness and the slight throbbing he felt in his leg and shoulder reduced. He never knew that Naina was so well connected to people around him – it wasn’t just the driver who had picked up the tiffin without telling him anything, it seemed Naina had also had a chat with Gayatri didi and Munna as both of them kept reminding him about the medicines at the correct time, and not to mention that Rohan had packed his medicines in a separate bag which he could bring in office. His little woman had everyone wrapped around her pinky finger, including himself, he thought as he sat down to gorge on the roti-sabji. Meanwhile Vishakha had called up and informed both of them that she would be arriving next day on 13^th, and Deepika unfortunately wouldn’t be able to come as it wasn’t holidays in Delhi, this news considerably cheered up Sameer.

On the day before Uttarayan, Vishakha’s flight landed at 12:30pm and her two sons were there to receive her at the airport. She was relieved to finally meet Sameer, and see for herself that he was alright. Even though his mother had now done it many times, but still he was slightly surprised as she hugged him, asking if he was alright. Since Sameer was supposed to be in a meeting for the whole day, Vishakha said that she would go to Naina’s place along with Rohan. He frowned and turned to Rohan, “thike… lekin mere bina ek bhi patang ko chuna mat”, and then looked at his mother again, “aur aap kisi shopping trip pe mat nikal jaana.”

Vishakha laughed, “aur kuch?”

Sameer thought for a minute, then sent off Rohan to stow the bag in car, and slowly asked his mother, “umm… aap Naina ke gharwalo se uske passport ki baat karenge? Mujhe samajh nahi aaya ke main kaise… mera matlab… koi puche kyun toh kya bolu.”

Vishakha smiled, “haan main kar lungi. Jagah soch li tum logo ne?”

He grinned, “haan, bilkul. Lekin abhi kisiko nahi bataunga, baad me dhamaka dunga… Khaas kar ke Taiji ko.”

Vishakha laughed aloud as Sameer rubbed his hands in glee at the thought of surprising or rather shocking Taiji, and then said, “achcha thike. Lekin pehle Naina ko phone kar dete hai kahin se, aisai bina bataye jaungi toh achcha nahi lagega na.”

He smiled, “kuch nahi hoga. Lekin fir bhi… phone karneke liye kahin jaane ki zarurat nahi hai, yahin se ho jayega.” He pulled out his mobile, flashing it proudly. Somehow Vishakha was reminded of the times Sameer would flash his cricket trophies for her, but she had never taken the time to appreciate it, rather had compared it with Rohan’s academic tropies.

But this time she grinned, “aree waah. Mobile kab kharida? Aur mujhe bataya bhi nahi.”

“Thode din hi hue”, Sameer informed, “jis din accident hua usi din chalu hua. Phir maine socha aap aaogi tabhi bataunga aapko.”

They chatted all the time in the car about how Naina had lined up Rohan and others to look after Sameer, and that she had sent tiffin yesterday afternoon, and instructed Ramdhari about what to cook for dinner. They dropped Sameer at his office, and then the driver took turn to go to Agarwal house. He had already called Naina up, who was happy to know that mummy was coming straight at home.

All the way Vishakha kept thinking about what she would say about coming so soon to their home. Ideally she should have gone to Sameer’s home and then meet Naina in evening, or even the next day. But truth to be bold she had been anxious since she had heard about Sameer’s accident, and she knew it would have affected Naina too. For a moment it had reminded her of all those years back when she had been same as Naina’s age now, and a phone call about her husband’s accident had shattered her world. Sadly, her world had not just shattered but fallen apart, with only a three year old Sameer in her lap she didn’t have any idea how to go on with her life. If anything, she was the probably the only one who might understand Naina’s state of mind until she would have seen Sameer with her own eyes. That is why she wanted to meet Naina as soon as possible, even though she was bit skeptical about her family’s reaction.

However, all her worry about going to Agarwal house at an odd time seemed to be for nothing, because as soon as she reached the doorstep, Naina came to receive her with a warm hug that made Vishakha smile. Chachiji welcomed her too, and even Preeti was at home. Pleasantries were exchanged, and even though Vishakha said no for lunch out of hesitation, Naina frowned and made both of them sit.

“Khana toh khayenge hi na”, Naina huffed, “aise kaise bhuk nahi hai? Rohan ke baare me toh yeh baat main maan hi nahi sakti. Sameer ka bhai jo hai. Dono bhai bhukkad.”

Vishakha laughed as she acquiesced and sat down, “haan woh toh hai.”

As Preeti served them lunch, Naina packed tiffin for Sameer and went to give it to the driver waiting downstairs. It should have been awkward, but somehow it was all about family and fun when the four women and Rohan sat to eat lunch. After lunch Rohan said he would go home and return in evening with Sameer, and Preeti also said she needed to go the parlor. Naina, Chachiji and Vishakha sat in the living room, discussing about the pending wedding preparations, and also what was needed to buy for Sameer. After thirty minutes Chachiji felt sleepy and said she would go rest.

Vishakha took this opportunity to talk to Naina, “beta… tum theek ho na? Uss din phone pe toh tumne baat ko taal di.”

Naina understood what she was asking, and sighed, “main theek hun mummy. Bas uss din thoda ghabra gai thi. Chaliye room me chalte hai, wahan thodi der let lenge.”

As soon as they reached inside, Naina’s eyes fell on the bed and she blushed recalling the latest adventure. Inconspicuously, she tried to smooth the bedsheet, even though there was no chance at all of any remaining traces of what they had been up to.

Vishakha didn’t notice the blush on her face, but she knew that she was still trying to be strong, and so she softly said, “tumko pata hai Naina… main samajh sakti hun tumpe kya beeti hogi uss waqt.”

Naina looked at her confused, “kaise?”

There were tears in Vishakha’s eyes as she said, “Sameer ke papa… woh accident me…”

Naina’s eyes widened in horror, and she covered her mouth as a gasp escaped. Vishakha continued, “uss waqt main kuch nahi kar paai, bas phone leke bethi rahi isi umeed me ke firse shayad phone aa jaaye, unki awaaz sun pau. Par aisa hua nahi. Sameer ke baare me sunke main bahot ghabra gai thi…”

Naina was silent for a moment and then softly confessed, “main uss waqt Sameer se hi baat kar rahi thi. Unka mobile chalu ho gaya tha aur woh mujhe sabse pehle call karna chahte the… Main kehne jaa rahi thi ke abhi mobile rakh de aur driving pe dhyan de… lekin tabhi… woh awaaze… pata nahi main kaise bhulungi.”

Vishakha pulled her in a hug, somehow understanding that Naina had not shared this with anyone, not even Sameer. Tears rolled down her own cheeks as the young woman in her arms sobbed recalling the incident. She tried to calm her, “mujhe pata hai… aisa lagta hai jaise zindagi ruk gai aur aage jeene ke liye kuch nahi bacha ab. Par yeh sach nahi hai Naina… Sameer ki zindagi toh tum ho. Yeh jo bhi hua ek chota sa hadsa tha… Jaanti hun mushkil hai par namumkin nahi hai. Aur Sameer bilkul theek hai…”

When Naina still kept crying Vishakha had a brainwave, “aree sach me Sameer theek hai… tum yahan ro rahi ho aur woh toh honeymoon plan karne me laga hua hai.”

“Kya?” Naina hiccupped and drew back, “honeymoon? Mujhe toh kuch nahi bataya uhnone.”

Vishakha laughed, “mujhse kaha ke tumhare gharwalo se passport ki baat karu.”

“Ohh”, Naina smiled, wiping her tears, “mujhe laga shaadi ke baad hi banvayenge. Naam bhi toh change hoga na.”

Vishakha pulled out some tissues from her purse, handing one to Naina, and used another to wipe her own eyes, “passport banne me time lagega. Tumhe lagta hai Sameer honeymoon jaaneke liye itna intezaar karega? Abhi banva lo… Aur honeymoon se wapas aaneke baad naam badalvane ka application daal dena.”

Naina blushed, “umm… thike.” Then she brightened up, “aree… main aapko Sameer ka kurta dikhati hun.”

Vishakha loved the indigo blue kurta, and together they made a list of what else was needed to be bought for Sameer. Talking about wedding cheered them up. And when Vishakha asked about what else she had been preparing or planning, the topic of parlor came up. Naina’s face flushed as she blurted about visiting parlors.

Vishakha smiled, “isme itna sharma kyun rahi ho? Yeh toh normal hai… Shaadi se pehle toh har ladki parlor jaati hai.”

Naina hesitated a bit, but then remembered her first shopping trip with Vishakha where she has prodded her to get a sleeveless blouse. Naina thought that maybe she would understand the situation they had faced, “umm… mummy… hum log parlor toh gaye the par kuch book nahi karvaya. Thoda bahot hi samajh aaya humko. Aur fir… mujhe toh shaadi se pehle ghar se nikalne nahi denge, toh fir kaise…”

Vishakha thought about it for some time. She knew Naina’s family was not so open-minded, especially her Taiji. But every girl deserved a little pampering before wedding. She grinned as an idea hit her, “tum fikar mat karo… mujhe ek parlor ka pata hai, woh log ghar pe bhi aa jayenge. Aur gharwalo ko mujhpe chod do tum… Ek idea hai… main abhi yahan pe hunt oh 16 tareekh ko saath chalte hai, bachi hui shopping kar lenge, aur uss parlor me bhi jaa ayenge. Main saath rahungi toh agar tumhe kuch samajh nahi aaya toh bata dungi.”

Naina was surprised by this offer, but upon second thought she was also relieved that someone who knew about all these things would be there with her to talk. At least she wouldn’t feel like a fool. And so Naina agreed. Vishakha smiled and they kept talking until sleep overcame them.

In evening Sameer arrived with Rohan just after Chachaji and Preeti returned, and was surprised to see his mother in the kitchen with Naina talking animatedly. The sound of laughter floated outside and he smiled on seeing the comfort level they had achieved. If few years ago someone would have told him that his mother would not only be excited about his wedding but also love Naina so much, he would have made the person visit a psychiatrist but well… things happened in life… He had learned to accept.

They spent the evening to tie threads on the kites, and talking non-stop. There was no opportunity for Sameer and Naina to be alone, and he didn’t even try recalling that he had to control the next day. After all he had challenged Naina. However he took the chance to remind her of the challenge and winked at her. She smirked, saying she remembered and blew him a kiss.

The day of 14^th started with clear sky and bright sun which was a mandatory  requirement for Uttarayan. There was a gentle breeze, and Naina hoped it would pick up soon. Chachaji bought fresh fafda and jalebi for breakfast, and the ladies spent the morning in preparations for Undhiyu, a special mixed vegetable dish prepared on this day. Sameer and his family arrived just before breakfast, all geared up to celebrate. Tauji and Taiji looked on in wonder at the way Naina gelled with Vishakha. Rakesh stumbled on a kite and was about to start grumbling, but one look at Naina’s smiling face and he refrained from saying anything. The way his daughter was crying and looked devastated was still fresh in his mind. Sameer noticed this changed behavior, and smiled to himself.

Soon everyone moved to the terrace, the music player was set up, and Sameer picked up a big white and red kite. It was a lively environment all around as people hooted and sang, different music blared, fragrances of variety of food floated in air, and every time a kit was cut people would yell, “Kaipo che!” Naina was standing next to Chachiji, and he gestured her to come over. Smiling slyly she came up to him, and he smirked, “romance karne nahi bula raha, patang udaane me madad karo.”

She laughed, “kab tak dur rahoge?”

He shrugged, and handed over the kite to her, indicating her to move away. She went back as much as she could, and when he signaled, she threw the kite it air. It took a few attempts but soon he was flying it, and she jumped laughing in elation. He grinned at her, hardly paying attention to the kite, she was looking so hot in that blue jeans and red checked shirt which he had gifted before. He had expected her to be dressed in pink, maybe salwar kameez with proper earrings and bangles, probably going all out to make him lose the challenge. But she had chosen the simple yet attractive attire; he noticed the small rings in her ears and remembered he had bought them for her in college.

“Sameer patang”, her voice jerked him to present and he saw that Rohan was trying to cut his kite. He immediately defended, and Naina came closer to him, “saara dhyan toh mujhpe hai aur bol rahe ho romance nai karoge.”

He smiled, “tumko bhi toh romance nahi chahiye tha na. Yaad hai kya kaha tha tumne? Tyohaar sabke saath manane ke liye hota hai, akele romance karne ke liye nahi.”

She huffed and picked up his firki, “dekhti hun kitni der yeh natak chalu rakhte ho tum.”

Naina was sure that he won’t be able to stay away from her for long, but as the morning wore off she was getting impatient. Under the pretext of adjusting the firki, she inched closer to him and touched his back. Even though he stiffened, he didn’t say or do anything. Next she sat near the boxes of chikki and when he came to grab some, she surreptitiously leaned forward and blowing in his ear. He shivered and watched her with narrowed eyes, she winked at him and stretched, extending her arms upward. The interest in his eyes sparkled, and his gaze moved up and down her body, but then he grinned wide and turned away munching on a large peanut chikki.

Ispe toh kuch asar hi nahi ho raha.

She fumed, twisting her hat in her hands, thinking of ways to make him snap out of the challenge. Yes, the festival was fun, but now she was also craving for some time with him. Especially when he looked so delicious in blue jeans and white shirt, and the devil that he was, he had kept two buttons undone, hadn’t shaved in morning, and was wearing those sunglasses she liked the most.

Suddenly he shrieked, “ouch!”

“Sameer!”, she jumped up instantly, and rushed to him, “kya hua? Dikhao.”

As she grabbed his arm, he said, “kuch nahi hua, bas dhaage se kat gaya thoda.”

She pulled out her handkerchief, wiping off the little blood, “tape lagana hota hai ungliyo pe… itna bhi pata nahi hai?”

He removed his hand from her hold, and cupped her chin, tilting her head to look at her, “Naina… itni si toh chot hai. Tum ro kyun rahi ho?”

She gulped, blinking to hide her tears, “main ro nahi rahi. Ruko main tape leke aai.”

He watched her rush back to the pile of things on terrace, and pull out a white tape, she wrapped it gently on his fingers of right hand, while he kept a hold on the steadily flying kite with his other hand. She finished one hand, and moved to other hand, but as she was going to leave, he held her hand, “patang udaogi?”

She blessed him with a shaky smile, and he was perplexed as to why she was so much scared on just a simple cut. He pulled her in front of him, and handed her the kite, his hand wrapped over hers as he helped her. She smiled again, “tum romance kar rahe ho?”

He hummed, “royi kyun?”

She sighed, knowing that he wouldn’t leave her until she answered, “abhi thode din pehle hi toh itni chot lagi thi, aur fir aaj.”

He moved bit closer and this time she sighed with a different relief on feeling his warmth surround her, “main bilkul theek hun. Aur mujhe na meri wali Naina chahiye, yeh rotlu wali nahi. I love you…”

The smile that bloomed on her face was genuine and wide. He winked at her, and said, “ab patang pe dhyan do… Romance bandh.”

She laughed, and enjoyed flying the kite and the feel of him near her. To her it seemed as if their kite flew the highest, they had risen against all odds just like the kite and now their love soared freely and prominent in their lives ever since their roka.

She didn’t let the opportunity pass, often she sneaked touches by backing into him and he would growl in her ear, moving away a bit. However, she remained unsuccessful in tempting him. Even lunch time went by and still he kept on ignoring her. She volunteered to clean up, as she needed some time to think, and muttered furiously while scrubbing the vessels and kitchen countertop.

It was not like he was not affected, he sure was… she had seen that for himself when she had stepped back in his arms while pretending to fly the kite. He had held her waist and his fingers had clenched for a brief moment… But he had recovered and stepped back. He was taking the challenge much too seriously.

As she stood in the kitchen drinking a glass of water to cool herself she wondered how she could tempt him even more. Just then she heard his voice telling Rohan that he was going downstairs to bathroom. She smirked, keeping the glass aside and walked to her room, opening her hair. She opened the bathroom door from her bedroom, went inside and locked the door the opened into the living room from inside. Now anyone trying to open the bathroom from living room would think there’s someone inside. She closed the door to her room slightly, and waited…

In less than a minute Sameer came in, unlatched the bathroom door, and pushed… but it didn’t open. She acted quickly… opening her bedroom door, she grabbed his hand, and pulled him inside… closing the door, she pressed her back to it and held him close.

“Naina…”, that was the only thing he could utter in surprise, before she stood up on her toes and kissed him square on his mouth. He stared at her with wide eyes, fascinated, but as she applied pressure to make him open up, he smiled and acquiesced. She moaned in triumph, sinking her fingers in his hair, angling his head, and deepened the kiss.

He was thrilled… He had known she wanted it, he had understood her advances but he had ignored them, wanting to see how much he could push her. But he hadn’t imagined the rewards of this. She was on fire… He kissed her back, making her shudder but resisted touching her in any other way. The game was still onn after all.

When she broke the kiss to move to his neck, he gasped, and the next moment he felt her unbuttoning his shirt. Oh wow… Noticing that the door was still unlocked, he latched it lightly, and asked, “kya kar rahi ho? Koi aa jayega?”

“Sabko lagega tum bathroom me ho”, she said while kissing the skin exposed by the parted seams, “aur kamre me ho pata chale toh keh denge davai laga rahe the.”

His eyebrow quirked in astonishment and approval both. She had already thought of excuse, not scared at all. He supposed she had locked the bathroom entrance from inside, and this room which had the second entrance was hers… and so she was making full use of it. All thoughts flew from his head and he groaned aloud as her tongue swiped on his right nipple.

Shit.

He started to say something, trying to make sense of the situation, but she took his hand and guided it to her breast. And once again, his thoughts scattered. What was she doing? Oh wait… They had a challenge… And he was trying not to romance… So, she was now taking the lead. Oh this was so great…

She nipped at his throat and whispered, “Sameer…”

He gently kneaded her breast, “hmm… kya chahiye Naina?”

She drew her head back and their eyes met; his sparkling with interest and demand, and hers languid with desire and love. A blush slowly crept up her face as she understood his question. He kissed her forehead, assuring her, and asked again, “batao na… kya chahiye?” When she still didn’t say anything he cajoled, “bolo Naina… yaad hai na… mujhse sab kuch keh sakti ho.”

Something shifted in her eyes, and she kissed him on his lips again, but this one was brief as she soon used her hold in his hair to guide him to her throat. He smiled and obliged, thrilled on hearing her soft moans. After sometime she muttered, “aur…”, and her hands tried to guide him down further.

He was super excited by the way she was being so bold, but the urgent need inside his body this time was diverted in two different directions, and one of it required immediate attention. So he drew back a bit, “Naina… umm… mujhe sach me bathroom jaana tha. Natak nahi tha woh niche aaneke liye.”

Was he really talking about bathroom now? She frowned, “mujhe pata hai natak nahi tha… thoda control karo.”

He bit his lip, “nahi hoga.”

She raised one eyebrow, and slowly withdrew her hands from his hair, reaching to her own shirt and slipped the top button open, “pakka?”

His gaze dropped south from her face, and he stared without blinking at the silky soft skin being revealed as each small button opened. He couldn’t have thought of anything else even if he had wanted to… the promise of the sight being revealed was a temptation stronger than any. Her slim fingers worked excruciatingly slow, and he felt like he would almost be panting any moment, begging her to be fast. In a few seconds which almost seemed like hours to him, he saw the outline of black lace, and his body pulsed with need.

Oh God. This was torture.

Naina kept her eyes glued to his face, his glittering gaze, and the way he bit his lip gave her courage to finally undo all the buttons and let the shirt fall open. She took his hands, guiding them to her waist, and shifted closer again. He suddenly dipped his head and captured her lips in a deep hard kiss that made her tremble, her legs turned limp, and yearning for him leaped inside her. He clasped her to him, starting to move her away from the door, and to the bed.

She managed to wrench her mouth away, and whispered, “bed nahi… chaddar kharab ho jayegi toh jaldi theek nahi kar payenge…”

His only reply to her was deep grunt as he kept kissing her neck and shoulders, and started to draw her down to the floor. She pulled him up on her own body, eager to feel the wonderful sensation of his weight, and kissed him again. He nipped at her lower lip, moving to her cheeks, then down to her throat again.

She arched her back, needing more, and again demanded, “aur…”

This time he obliged, kissing down the swells of her breast to the dip in center, pulling down one strap of her bra, but just as she was sure that they had reached the point where she would finally be able to feel his mouth on her again, he lifted his head. “Aisai rehna… bas do minute”, he panted and rolled off her, to his feet and disappeared down the bathroom door.

What just happened? She lifted herself on her elbows staring in disbelief at the closed door and wondered if she was dreaming or this really happened. Before she could totally snap out of the moment, he returned and sat on his knees, crawling back to her.

“Tum… tumne sach me yeh kiya?”, she just had to ask, “mujhe chodke aise…”

He kissed her nose, “sorry… par bahot urgent tha… aur ab… kahan tha main…” She gaped at him, and he chuckled, “kuch maang rahi thi na tum… kya tha… haan… aur.”

He held her gaze, his hand moving over her body again, pushing aside one cup, and he plumped one breast in his hand, his thumb rubbing the tip. Her eyes closed, and she fell on her back again, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. He waited for her, keeping his ministration on, pulling down the second cup as well, and using both hands, eager to taste but holding back. However he didn’t have to wait long, as she soon arched again, moaning his name, and this time he quickly dipped his head curling his tongue around one aching tip and drawing it in his mouth. Her breath broke on a sigh, and she clutched him tighter, whispering his name again and again. He suckled lightly, moving from one breast to another, teasing her and her head moved back and forth on the floor. Her legs came up to his hips, as she attempted to keep him as close to her body as possible, and her hands caressed his hair and shoulders in encouragement, it told him how much she had wanted this, how much she was enjoying it.

The ticking time however was never far from his mind, and he slowly softened his ministration on her body, dropping quick kisses, gently stroking. Sitting up, he pulled her up to him, and sighed holding her trembling body in his arms. She burrowed further into his chest, her eyes closed.

“Wow”, he breathed, “tum jeet hi gai.”

She chuckled, hugging him, “isme kaisi jeet, kaisi haar.”

He smiled, “woh bhi hai. Par challenge ka idea achcha tha… mazaa aaya mujhe.” She pinched him, and he laughed, then said, “waise mujhe laga tha tum na pink pehnogi.”

“Pink shirt nahi tha”, she offered.

He was perplexed, “umm… matlab? Shirt se kya lena dena.” She giggled, and moved back from him to adjust her clothes. He looked on with interest, and asked again, “bataona.”

She finished buttoning up her shirt, and moved to his shirt, slowly whispering, “kholne me aur bandh karne me asaan.”

As she dropped a quick kiss on his parted lips and sauntered out of the room, he was left standing there still astonished at the realization that his woman had planned their romantic encounter since morning. She was like the highest kite flying against the wind, he never knew how much she would pull or how much she would resist, and more than that he never knew what she would bring back in his life ­- sometimes it was love, sometimes care, sometimes affection and now it was irresistible sensuality. He didn’t know whether to jump in delight at the thought of their post wedding life, or shudder at the knowledge that they still had tomorrow to technically fly more kites.