Always and Forever
Part - 41: Journey Of Lifetime

The heritage hotel in Jaipur was far from the kind of places where he usually stayed for business, those hotels were impersonal, state-of-art, and fast. This hotel was old, charming, extremely relaxing and whenever he encountered the hotel staff they would smile and if everything was alright. The room had a very high ceiling, arched windows with seats, beautiful hand-made wall-hangings, and a view of a clear blue lake. Sameer loved it, but he also missed having Naina with him since he couldn’t stop thinking how much she would have loved the room. He could almost imagine her moving around the room, arranging their stuff for the duration of the stay, sitting on the window sill with a book in her hand, and after work he would come in the room to her warm welcoming smile. Maybe he could be back here after their wedding.

It was his second day in Jaipur, the day of meeting, and he was tensed. It was not a normal business deal with a factory or a manufacturer. Mahendra Singh Rathore had the biggest hand-woven garment company in India, but no heirs to take it over, and so at the age of 75 he had finally decided to sell it not to the highest bidder but to the proper bidder. Sameer didn’t know what ‘proper bidder’ meant but he hoped that it was him. Having this company would cost him a lot of money, but it would increase the exports of his company by a considerable percentage which also meant increase in revenue. Yet he couldn’t help but feel that he was missing out on some details here. He had prepared well, had his speech and presentation up to the mark, yet there was this feeling that he had missed a very important mark.

As he dressed in a blue suit, the phone in his room rang, and he picked it up knowing it would be none other than Naina. The reception confirmed his feeling, and in a few seconds the line connected and he heard the sweetest hello he had been waiting for. His lips stretched in a smile and the tension from his shoulders eased a bit, “hi sweetheart.”

“Good luck”, she wished him from the other side.

He sat down on the chair to talk, “thank you.”

There was a pause, and then she asked, “itne tension me kyun ho?”

His brows furrowed, “tumko kaise pata?”

She shrugged, “tumhari awaaz se.”

He sighed, “mujhe samajh nahi aa raha Naina. Itne dino se prepare kiya hai sab kuch phir bhi aisa lag raha hai ke kuch missing hai. Yeh deal bahot important hai… sirf ek consignment nahi hai, puri company ka deal hai… aur aisa pehle kabhi nahi kiya hai. Shayad isiliye…”

Naina looked at the copy of the file she had with her from Sameer, it gave all the information of the company he was planning he was planning to acquire. Slowly she said, “umm… main Rathore Textiles ka company profile padha, aur tumhara bidding contract padha tha dhyan se. Bahot achcha offer hai unke liye…”

Sameer understood that there was something she had noticed, and asked, “Par?”

She took a deep breath, “pata nahi sahi waqt hai yeh baat karneka ya nahi, kyunki tumhari meeting hai… par… profile padhne ke baad mujhe laga ke sirf zyada paiso se Mr. Rathore nahi maanenge. Itni badi aur prakhyat company hai ke uske liye India ke kaafi garment industries ne bid kiya hoga. Woh chahte toh kisiko bhi bech sakte the, par shayad woh kuch khaas dhund rahe hai.”

“Wahi toh samajh nahi aa raha ke kya dhund rahe hai”, he replied, “tumhe kuch pata chala?”

She suggested, “file se toh kuch nahi… lekin yeh family owned business hai, bilkul jaise tumhari company… toh shayad woh yeh aashwasan chahe ke unke company me kaam karne wale logo ki naukri salamat rahegi, unka jo vision hai tum usiko aage badhao… ya phir woh jo Mahila Vikas Kendra chalate hai apni company me auroton ko kaam dekar uske baare me tum kuch keh sakte ho. Mujhe lagta hai business deal ke saath saath woh personal touch bhi dhundenge. Agar meri company hoti toh main nahi chahti ke yeh kisi aise insaan ke haath me jaaye jo isko sirf ek paise kamane ka zariya samjhe, main chahungi ke jo ise kharide woh yeh samjhe ke yeh company mere liye kitne maaine rakhti hai, aur mere liye isko bechna aasan nahi hai.”

Sameer pondered over what she said, and a smile bloomed on his face, “Naina… I love you. Mujhe hamesha pata tha ke tum business me apna alag nazariya leke aaogi jo mujhe bahot help karega. Tum bilkul sahi bol rahi ho… mujhe iss company ke baare me sab kuch pata hai phir bhi maine iska deal usi tarah se prepare kiya jaise main dusre contracts prepare karta hun. Yeh deal alag hai, yeh company alag hai… mujhe apna presentation badalna hoga. Mere paas sirf ek hi ghanta hai.”

Naina smiled, “ek ghanta ho ya adha ghanta, mujhe pata hai tum kar loge. Kyunki family business kaise chalta hai yeh tumne Nanaji se sikha hai… All the best. I love you too.”

Sameer quickly went over what he had planned to talk about in the meeting, then added and revised as needed, putting in more social and personal perspectives. After three quarters of an hour he felt much more confident than before, and he had decided that if this deal was finalized then after their wedding he would bring Naina along when he came to visit the industries, and they would stay in this same hotel. He picked up his leather bag, and walked down to the hotel meeting room that had been chosen for the scheduled presentations. A man greeted him and asked him to wait inside. Sameer readied his materials, checked his reflection once in the glass, and then sat down to wait. There was ten minutes to go, and sharp at 10am there was a knock on door, and the man who had escorted him came in followed by an elderly gentleman dressed in traditional kurta with bright threadwork. Sameer immediately recognized the man as Mr. Rathore and stood up to greet him.

“Namaste sir”, Sameer wished.

Mr. Rathore seemed bit surprised by the traditional greeting, but reciprocated, “Namaste.” Then he looked him up and down and said, “Suit pehenke namaste bol rahe ho… Achcha hua kurta-pyjama pehenke nahi aaye, warna thoda zyada ho jaata.”

Sameer smiled, “suit pehenne se tameez kam nahi ho jaati sir. Aap mujhse kaafi bade isiliye haath jodke Namaste kiya. Par ab…”, he extended his hand, “pleased to meet you sir.”

Mr. Rathore shook his hand, “welcome to Jaipur Mr. Maheshwari. Ummeed karta hun aapko hotel achcha laga.”

“Bahot zyada”, Sameer replied, “purane construction ko kaafi achche se maintain kiya hai aapke dost ne.”

Mr. Rathore laughed, “kaafi research karke aaye ho… dekhte hai tumhare business me kitna dum hai.” He gestured to the five men that had followed him inside, “mere company ke managers. Aapko mere saath saath inki sehmati lagegi iss deal ke liye. Shuru kare?”

“Of course”, Sameer smiled, and started to speak about what he knew of Rathore Textiles and of the vision that the company flourished on. After ten minutes of assurance that he knew what he was talking about, he started to put forth his perspective on how Maheshwari Industries can carry forward that vision and increase its reach and scope both. Another fifteen minutes went by before he was done, and the team of managers started to ask questions. Sameer handled each one of them confidently. Finally Mr. Rathore asked, “maine bhi tumhare baare me, aur tumahre company ke baare me thoda research kiya hai. Pata chala tum college me the tabse yeh company sambhal rahe ho, apne Nanaji ke guzar jaane ke baad.”

It had been a long time, but still Nanu’s absence pinched him. He nodded, “ji haan.”

“Bura mat manna”, Mr. Rathore continued, “kaise sambhala itna bada business akele?”

Sameer replied softly, “main akela nahi tha… mere saath Naina thi, meri mummy, Mushiji aur company ka saara staff.”

“Naina?” Mr. Rathore enquired.

“Ahh… meri biwi”, Sameer immediately answered.

Mr. Rathore countered, “par tumhari toh shaadi nahi hui.”

“Hone wali hai”, Sameer said, “February me. In fact main aapke liye bhi card laaya hun.”

There was a slight disapproval in Mr. Rathore’s tone as he asked, “shaadi se pehle kisi ladki ko apni biwi keh rahe ho? Kahi bhaagke toh shaadi nahi kar li? Aur ab gharwale majboor hai.”

Sameer’s eyes narrowed, but before he could reply someone knocked on the door and a lady entered. She was dressed in a bandhej saree, and it was obvious that she was married. There was a file in her hand, and she politely addressed, “Sorry… mujhe aane me der ho gai sir. Karan ki tabiyat kharab hai aaj toh…”

“Meeting khatam hone wali hai”, Mr. Rathore said, “tum jaa sakti ho.”

The lady tried to speak up, “par maine iss deal pe kaam kiya hai… please papa…”

“Bas”, Mr. Rathore raised his finger to silence here, “kitni baar samjhaya hai ke office me papa nahi sir…”

“Excuse me”, Sameer interrupted, “aapki beti hai Mr. Rathore? Aur yeh iss company me kaam karti hai?”

Mr. Rathore adjusted his thick glasses, “research me kami reh gai lagta hai Mr. Maheshwari.”

Sameer countered, “office list me kisi ladki ka surname Rathore nahi hai.”

“Research ke saath saath nazar bhi kamzor hai lagta hai”, Mr. Rathore suggested, “Kavita ki shaadi ho chuki hai… Vikram Thakur ke saath.”

Sameer scanned his memory, and queried, “Mrs. Kavita Vikram Thakur… Senior Manager – Finance.”

The lady smiled, “ji… Nice to meet you Mr. Maheshwari.”

“Pleasure is mine”, Sameer stood up to welcome her inside, and asked her to sit ignoring the disapproving glare of Mr. Rathore. The men on the table suddenly seemed uncomfortable, which didn’t escape Sameer’s notice. There was something off again, and so he asked, “Mr. Rathore… mujhe samajh nahi aa raha. Agar aapki beti hai toh aapke company profile me aisa kyun likha hua hai ke aapka koi waaris nahi hai? Aapne apna business Kavitaji ke naam kyun nahi kiya?”

Mr. Rathore looked at him as if he had grown horns, and firmly replied, “ladkiya waaris nahi hoti.”

Sameer was truly shocked, but before he could say something his mobile started to ring. He pulled it out from his pocket to see Naina’s number, and wondered why she was calling him even though she knew he was in a meeting. Mr. Rathore’s voice broke into his thoughts, “meeting me mobile off rakhna nahi sikha toh kamsekam abhi bandh kardo.”

Sameer looked up, but didn’t disconnect, “I am sorry Mr. Rathore. Shayad yeh sahi nahi hai, lekin Naina ka phone hai. Kisi wajah ke bina woh call nahi karegi kyunki woh jaanti hai ke main meeting me hun. Aur mere liye family zyada important hai.” Saying so, he didn’t wait to hear any reply but stood up and walked outside.

He picked up the call, “Hello Naina… kya baat hai?”

“Sameer”, she sighed, “tum theek toh ho na? TV dekhte dekhte meri aankh lag gai thi aur bura sapna dekha… pata nahi man ghabra raha tha, isiliye phone kar diya.”

He smiled, “main bilkul theek hun. Ghabrao mat. Meeting me tha isiliye der hui uthaane me.”

“Oh no”, she exclaimed, “main toh bhul hi gai ke meeting ab tak khatam nahi hui hogi. I am sorry.”

“It’s okay”, he immediately assured, “achcha suno… tumhe yaad hai Rakesh sir hamesha tumko kehte the ke school me papa nahi sir bolo… aur phir tumhari padhai me bhi unhe koi interest nahi hota tha.”

She frowned, “haan… yaad hai… par tum abhi kyun puch rahe ho?”

He bit his lip, “bas aisai… ek baat batao… agar mujhe kisi deal me bahot fayda ho raha ho, par jisse main deal kar raha hun uski kuch baate mere ethics aur values ke khilaaf hai. Business ko impact nahi kar raha par main jaanta hun ke woh galat hai. Toh mujhe kya karna chahiye?”

She didn’t know why he was asking this, but answered his question, “jawaab toh simple hai… Nanaji kya karte? Unhone hamesha tumhe faayda mile wahan nahi balki sahi raaste pe chalna sikhaya hai… Toh tum socho ke tumhara dil kya kehta hai? Konsa raasta sahi hai?”

Sameer smiled, he knew she would tell him the exact same thing he had been thinking, and said, “I love you sweetheart. Shayad… main kal hi wapas aa raha hun.”

She had no idea what was happening in Jaipur, but assured, “main yahin hun. I love you too.”

Sameer took a moment to himself, dragging in a deep breath, his action plan crystal clear in his mind. When he went inside, Mr. Rathore was standing by the window, his expressions disapproving. Sameer didn’t sit down, but rather apologized, “I am sorry… Meeting ke beech me mujhe call nahi lena chahiye tha. Lekin Naina ka phone main hamesha uthata hun.”

Mr. Rathore turned to him, and slowly said, “tumko pata hai main yeh business kisiko bhi bech sakta hun, par ab tak becha nahi… Kyunki main apne jaise kisi insaan ko dhund raha tha. Jiske liye kaam se badhkar uska parivaar ho. Profit se bahdkar uski zimeedari ho. Tumse milke aisa lag raha hai ke shayad mujhe apne jaisa koi mil gaya… Toh… Kya hai tumhara offer?”

Sameer smiled, “Thank you very much Mr. Rathore… Aapka aisa kehna shayad bahot bada compliment hai kaafi businessman ke liye, par I am sorry, main aapke jaisa bilkul nahi hun. Isiliye main yeh offer aapko nahi de sakta.”

There was a heavy silence in the room, each of the managers looking at each other, while Kavita looked at her father with a scared expression. After a moment, Mr. Rathore asked, “tum hamare mehmaan banke yahan rahe… hamari company kharidne aaye the kyunki usme tumko apna fayda nazar aaya tha… aur ab tum hamari insult kar rahe ho… wajah jaan sakta hun?”

“Main aapki insult nahi kar raha Mr. Rathore”, Sameer calmly replied, “aapne jitna kaam kiya hai apni company ke liye uski main bahot izzat karta hun. Maana ke iss deal me mera bahot fayda hai isiliye main yahan aaya tha, lekin iska matlab yeh nahi ke main aapki company ko upar se niche tak badal deta. In fact, maine kaha bhi ke aapke vision aur mere values ke saath yeh company aage badhegi. Par… afsos mere values aur ethics hi mujhe deal karne se rok rahe hai.”

Mr. Rathore took a seat again, “kya matlab?”

Sameer also sat down, “aapne apni company me Mahila Vikas Kendra khol rakha hai, jisme aap Jaipur aur aas paas ke gaanv ki kai auroton ko naukri dete hai, unhe kaam sikhate hai… yeh kehte hai ke aap aisa karte hai taaki woh apna ghar chala sake. Lekin… aap apni hi beti ko apna waaris maanne se inkaar karte hai. Mujhe nahi pata ise Hindi me kya kehte hai par English me ise Hypocrisy kehte hai… Meri research shayad itni strong nahi thi ke mujhe pata chalta ke Kavitaji aapki beti hai, lekin itna research toh maine kiya hai ke mujhe paanch saal pehle ke case ke baare me pata ho. Aapki company bahot bade loss me jaane wali thi export defaulting ke wajah se… Jitna mujhe yaad hai uss time pe aapka case ladne wala bhi koi nahi tha, par Kavitaji ke madad se aapko ek bank se loan mila, unhone aapka purana stock mortgage karvane me bhi aapki help ki. Uss time pe company join kare hue unko shayad do saal hue the, mujhe yaad hai kyunki yeh bahot bada article chapa tha ke kaise ek company ki female financial manager ne crisis me padi company ko daldal se bahar nikala.” Mr. Rathore was silent, concentrating on his own linked fingers; the other men still kept looking at each other as if they didn’t know what to say; Kavita looked down at her file sitting still. Sameer continued, “Isse ek baat toh saaf pata chalta hai ke Kavitaji ko sirf interest hi nahi balki woh kya kar rahi hai uska knowledge bhi hai. Mere hisaab se family business ki buniyaad hi family members hote hai, toh aap sochiye ke kya behtar hoga. Apni company kisi paray insaan ko dena ya apni beti ko dena jiska surname shayad different hai lekin parvarish toh aaphi ki hai. Toh… mere do offer hai… pehla hum yeh deal naa kare… dusra agar aapki family ko lagta hai ke kisi aur company ka hissa zaruri hai toh bechne se behtar shayad merger ho.” He stood up from his seat, closed his file, and pulled out a wedding card, “iss trip ke baad se main koi business travel nahi karunga meri shaadi tak. Yeh meri shaadi ka card hai, aap aayenge toh mujhe aur Naina dono ko achcha lagega. Filhaal chalta hun…”

As he turned to step out, Mr. Rathore stopped him, and asked, “tumhari honewali biwi… Naina… kya woh bhi tumhare business ka hissa hai?”

Sameer smiled, “woh apna book likh rahi hai, writer hai… aur business seekhna shuru kiya hai. Mere aaj ke presentation me, aur meri zindagi me parivaar ki ehmiyat usine gholi hai.”

He loosened his tie as soon as he stepped out of the meeting room, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He had done it. Even after investing a lot of time and energy in this deal he had looked past the profits and stuck to his morals. Nanu would be proud, and so would Naina. Thinking that this called for a celebration he called up Naina, talking for one hour to let her know all the details about his meeting, and he beamed when she agreed with his decision. Then he went out to go sight-seeing and gorge on some food and of course buy stuff for Naina. He also spotted some small carved marble sculptures of elephants and bought them because he thought Naina might like to use them as decorations. He spent the next morning to visit a fort, and then took the flight back home in evening.

By the time he landed in Ahmedabad it was late night on Saturday, and he felt extremely tired, but to his surprise Munna and Pandit were there to receive him at the airport. He grinned at them, “tum dono yahan?”

“Bhabhi ki duty pe hai bhai”, Pandit said.

Sameer was puzzled, “Naina?”

Munna nodded, “tu kal aane wala tha toh Ramdhari ne chutti li hui hai abhi, aur bhabhi ko yeh pata tha… isiliye hum dono ko bheja hai tujhe receive karne ke liye aur saath me aaya hai bhabhi ke haath ka bana hua garam garam khana.”

“Aur ek plan”, Pandit added.

Sameer eagerly enquired, “kaisa plan?”

Munna grinned and informed, “kal milne ka. Hum sab… Swati, Preeti, Bhabhi aur hum teeno.”

Sameer’s eyes sparkled, “wow! Kahan milne wale hai? Mere ghar?”

Pandit shook his head, “nahi… bhabhi ne mana kiya… kaha wahan woh kitchen me nahi jaa payegi. Isiliye hum sab log mere ghar pe mil rahe hai… mere mummy aur papa waise bhi bahar gaye hue hai.”

“Perfect”, Sameer approved, “ab jaldi ghar chalo… mujhe bahot bhuk lagi hai. Agar 11pm nahi baje hote toh Naina ke wahan hi chala jaata.”

Munna thumped his back, “tension mat le yaar… subah subah milna hi hai.”

The three of them went to Sameer’s house and gorged on the late night scrumptious dinner. Even though Munna and Pandit had eaten earlier that didn’t stop them from digging in, and Sameer laughed happy with the welcome Naina always managed to give him whenever he returned from business trips. How would it be after wedding? There might be some quick trips on which he would go alone… so when he would return how would it be? He knew that as soon as he entered through the door he would kiss her; that was for sure… And after that? Would he want to make love first? Or eat first? Maybe it would depend on time of the day… If Ramdhari was in the house surely he couldn’t carry Naina upstairs to make love. But if he wasn’t, then he need to go upstairs at all, maybe they could make love on the sofa or even in the kitchen. The different scenarios pleased him so much that he almost forgot to eat the gulab-jamuns until he noticed that his friends were quickly gobbling them up.

The next morning Naina was up early, making a list of the things to do in the coming week, and also wondering how would it be when all the rituals started. It wasn’t many days now. While Sameer had been in Jaipur she had done a bit more shopping for essential stuff, especially her monthly influx had reminded her to buy a stock of sanitary napkins, and also went along with Chachaji to collect all her dresses from the tailor. Her days had been boring with nothing much to do so she had kept working on her book. Phulla bua was arriving in three days, which would mark the ritual of pahal-pawni. Naina was glad that Bua-dadi was coming early, she had a way to keep a handle on Agarwal family craziness, and most importantly she could shut Taiji up any time. And she was sure that Bua-dadi would love Sameer as well… Oh well… just a few more days. She pulled out a light pink salwar-kameez knowing how much Sameer liked this color and he hadn’t seen her since so many days.

Since Naina wouldn’t be allowed to leave alone, Chachaji volunteered to take them, but when he asked where he should drop them Preeti said temple. Naina was puzzled, “mandir kyun?”

“Tu samajh jayegi”, Preeti grinned.

In the temple after Chachaji left, just as the morning aarti started, someone came and stood exactly behind Naina, and she smiled with her eyes closed knowing who it was. The bell above her head rang twice as the aarti finished, and she turned to look at Sameer. He grinned down at her, “good morning sweetheart.”

She blushed, “shsh… mandir me hai… sab sunenge.”

He shook his head, “shaadi ke baad tumhara dusra lesson hoga mandir me romance.”

The priest came to offer aarti and prasad, and then she asked, “aur pehla lesson?”

He smirked, leaning closer, “of course… lovemaking.”

Her face flushed crimson, and she quickly made her way out of the temple. He chuckled and caught up to her as she was wearing her sandals. Catching her hand, he pulled her to their usual bench. She stuttered, “tum…tumhe zara bhi sharam nahi aati? Andar koi sun leta toh…”

He shrugged, “toh sabko pata chal jaata ke tumhare pati kitna romantic hai.”

She chuckled, eating a bit of her prasad and passing the rest to him making him grin wide. Suddenly she looked around, “aree Preeti kaha gai?”

“Chali gai”, Sameer replied, munching on the extra sweet sugar balls, “yahan toh tumko mere liye laai thi… ab woh hume seedhe Pandit ke wahan milegi.”

She was puzzled, “par hum bhi toh wahi jaane wale hai. Phir…”

“Naina”, he interrupted, “mujhe bas thodi der akele bethna tha tumhare saath.”

She smiled, “shirt bahot achcha lag raha hai.” He grinned because he was wearing the shirt she had gifted to him in Mt. Abu, and softly said, “aur pink me toh tum… umm… chodo thode dino me bina kuch bole pink ka asar samjha dunga.”

Naina’s eyes widened, her cheeks turned red, but before she could say something their conversation was interrupted by an elderly man, who asked Sameer for time.

He checked his watch and mentioned the time, “7:30am ho rahe hai uncle.”

The man smiled, “nava lagan thayu che? Pan dikri na maatha par sindur kem nathi?”

Sameer was confused on hearing Gujarati; even after being in Ahmedabad for so long, he couldn’t understand the language completely. He just understood a few words like lagan and sindur. Naina on the other hand could understand it completely, and flushed. Seeing Sameer puzzled, she replied, “shaadi nahi hui hai uncle, hone wali hai.”

“Oh achcha achcha, thik che”, the man put a hand on their heads, “bhagwaan tamne banne ne khush rakhe.”

The man left from there, and Sameer turned to Naina, “kya keh rahe the woh?”

She smiled, “woh puch rahe the ke nayi nayi shaadi hui hai kya. Aur mere maathe pe sindur kyun nahi hai. Fir humko aashirwaad deke gaye.”

“Ohh”, he winked, “to iska matlab ab to sabko lagne laga hai ke hum pati-patni hai. Toh main thoda aur paas aake beth sakta hun”, he inched closer to her, “aur chahu toh tumhare gaal pe ek chota sa kiss…”,he leaned towards her.

“Sameer!”, she gasped, moving away, “mandir hai… dur betho.”

He laughed, “thike abhi to dur reh raha hun. Par aaj kamsekam do kiss toh leke rahunga.”

They talked for some more time before leaving from the temple in his car. On the way they bought some snacks and ice-creams because they knew that if all six of them were spending the day together then everyone would be super hungry almost all the time.

When they reached Pandit’s home the other four seemed to be extremely busy in some discussion. They heard whispers like ‘sagai ke din’, ‘nahi nahi… shaadi ke din hi’, ‘shaadi ke baad… jab guests chale jayenge.’ Naina and Sameer exchanged a puzzled glance, and then he asked, “kya chal raha hai?”

“Oh teri”, Pandit blurted and promptly toppled over from the bed.

While the girls gasped, Munna hastily got down to help him, “abbey… kya karta hai… uth.”

Naina kept her purse down, “kya baat kar rahe the tum sab?”

“Kuch bhi toh nahi”, Swati immediately blurted.

Naina crossed her arms, “maine shaadi ki baat suni. Sach sach bolo kya baat kar rahe the?”

Preeti smiled, “hum toh tere honeymoon ki baat kar rahe the. Soch rahe the ke Jijaji kab batayenge hume ke tujhe kahan le jaa rahe hai.”

Sameer grinned, “isme itna khusur-phusur karneki kya baat hai… Hum Switzerland jayenge, March me. Naina ka passport bante hi tickets karva lunga.”

Naina blushed and their friends hooted. And so started a day full of memories and fun. They looked through photo albums, made jokes, reminisced school and college days, tried to make chaat at home thus messing up the whole kitchen. Lunch options were suggested and cancelled, and finally pizza was ordered as usual. When Naina sauntered to the kitchen to get a glass for cold-drink while holding a pizza slice, Sameer went behind her. She had just taken a bite of the cheesy pizza, pulling on the strings of cheese just as she liked it, when Sameer turned her swiftly and dipped picking up the cheese off her lips straight into his mouth. She gasped, and he winked, whispering, “hamare first date pe yahi karna chah raha tha.”

Naina blushed, pushing him away, murmuring that everyone was outside. But he simply shrugged, and demanded, “jaldi khatam karo chabana… mujhe apna pehla kiss chahiye.”

“Sameer”, she exclaimed in astonishment, swallowing the bit in her mouth, “kuch toh sharam karo…”

However, she didn’t get to finish the sentence, because he pulled her into a quick deep kiss that made her shudder. Her fingers went lax, the glass and the pizza both dropping from her hands, but Sameer caught them deftly, holding them safely while he kept on kissing her. He nipped at her lips making her whimper and lean further onto him, her hands now fisting on his shirt at his back. When he parted she was panting for breath, and he kissed the tip of her nose, “love you sweetheart.”

“I love you too”, she replied automatically, placing a hand over her breast as if to stop her heart from leaping out. How could the man kiss like this? Dumbly she looked at the objects in his hands and blinked, “mera pizza?”

He smirked, “tumhara glass… pizza mera hai.” He took a bite out of the slice, letting her watch him pull the cheese and circle his tongue around the strings, licking them off, reminding her of the kiss and winked at her before walking back outside.

She followed him, still in a slight daze from the kiss. As soon as they went to the living room, Pandit teased, “ek glass lene dono ko jaana padta hai? Itna bhaari glass hai?”

“Haan Naina”, Swati asked slyly, “sirf glass lena tha ya jijaji se kuch aur chahiye tha?”

Sameer grinned, “main toh sirf pizza lene gaya tha.” He looked at Naina and continued, “mujhe cheese bahot pasand hai.”

Naina gaped at him for a moment before her cheeks flushed with color, making their friends laugh. To her further mortification, Sameer slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her sideways to him resulting in a few whistles, and remarks from Pandit about how Sameer had waited so long to do this.

Munna grinned, “shaadi pakka hona romance ka permit hota hai yaar.”

Sameer was amused to see Naina blush so much, but was also gratified that she didn’t try to pull back or pretend that they didn’t share any physical intimacy yet, rather she leaned her head on him and her hand was fisted on his shirt. He teased his friend back, “itna intezaar hai permit milne ka toh tu bhi shaadi kar hi le na.”

Pandit and Preeti chuckled, but Munna smiled and took Swati’s hand in his, “soch rahe hai kar hi lete hai.”

Silence fell around them, and Sameer softly asked, “kya kaha?”

“Tumhare roka ke baad maine Swati ko propose kiya tha”, Munna said. Swati looked up at him and smiled, “aur maine haan keh diya.” She lifted her left hand to show the glittering diamond ring. Naina and Preeti squealed at the top of their voice and enveloped Swati in enthusiastic hug. Sameer and Pandit took some time to come to sense but soon they were patting Munna on his back, rubbing his head, and the three friends were laughing out.

Naina enquired, “itne din ho gaye aur tum dono ab bata rahe ho?”

Munna held his ears, “sorry bhabhi… par hum sab log akele kabhi the hi nahi na. Mt. Abu me Chachaji aur Chachiji the. Isiliye nahi bata paaye… aur… ab tak ghar pe bhi baat nahi ki hai.”

“Abey chenu, woh toh tu hamare bina kar bhi nahi payega”, Pandit grinned.

Swati nodded, “haan… bas kaash woh log sunle. Warna pata nahi…”

“Aree”, Preeti interrupted, “warna bhaag jaana… Aamir aur Juhi ki tarah… Naina toh bhaagi nahi, kitni ichcha thi meri ke woh Jijaji ke saath bhaag jaaye.”

Naina slapped her sister’s arm, “tujhe woh ichcha isiliye thi taaki Taiji ko heart attack aa jaaye. Swati ke bhaagne se nahi hoga kuch unhe.”

Sameer’s eyes lit up with mischief, “yahi wajah hai toh main Naina ko leke bhaagneko taiyar hun.”

Preeti laughed, “koi zarurat nahi hai ab… aap log achche se shaadi kar lo… bhaagna toh shayad mujhe padega.”

Munna chuckled, “sab log kuch na kuch kar hi lenge… bas hamara Ponga hi baal-brahmachari reh jayega. Koi samosewali nahi milegi ise…”

Everyone roared with laughter at this and Pandit picked up a cushion to beat Munna. They chatted for some time listening to the tale of Munna’s proposal, and then as curtains were drawn across windows to block the afternoon sun, they started to slowly doze off on sofa and chairs. Pandit was sprawled on a rug, and Naina was sitting on a single diwan with Sameer lying on her lap. She paused the movie on VCR, and picked up a magazine trying to balance it with one hand and stroked his hair with her other hand. Around twenty minutes later even she started to feel sleepy, her eyes fluttered shut, and the magazine slipped through her fingers falling on Sameer’s face, waking him up. He looked around, trying to figure out what had woken him, and then realized he was sleeping in Naina’s lap. Glancing up he realized that she had fallen asleep, and he smiled. Slowly, taking care not to wake her up, he sat up and looked at her… On seeing the open magazine on bed he realized she was reading and it must have fallen on him when she had fell asleep. He slipped off the bed, and went around, gently slipping one arm under her knees and another around her shoulder, and picked her up, intending to make her lie on bed properly. But as he picked her up, she stirred and her eyes opened partially, gazing at him and her lips curved in a sweet sleepy smile.

“Sameer”, she whispered, looping her arms around his neck.

His pulse skipped, “hmm…”

She stroked her fingers up and down his jaw, “dusra kiss nahi karoge?”

He very nearly stopped breathing at her question. He had said he would ask for two kisses and she remembered that even in her sleepy state. It told him of her comfort that she didn’t need to be fully aware and conscious to demand intimacy. He glanced around once to make sure that all their friends were indeed asleep, and then tightened his hold on her, angling her body further, pecking on her lips gently. She stretched up, applying pressure, demanding more, and he gave it to her… taking her mouth with deep sure strokes of tongue, a possession that he always staked yet yearned for more. Bending slightly he placed her on the bed, and she tried to pull him down too, but he supported himself on his arms, taking care to not touch her in any way apart from the kiss. After few moments he slowly softened the kiss, trying to control his own shaking body, he let his forehead touch hers, softly whispering, “so jao Naina.” He unwound her arms from around his neck, and kissed the back of her palms, stroked her forehead and hair until she fell asleep. He sat down on the floor beside the diwan, and kept looking at her face, his heart thumping at the recollection of how she had reminded him of their second kiss. Keeping his head on his arm, he too fell asleep very soon with a smile on his face.

The evening was a riot with them playing carom or ludo, munching on chips, watching cartoons. Somehow no one wanted the time to end, the girls prepared some bread pakodas and the boys worked together to cook edible chowmein albeit the girls did have to help them with the proportion of spices. No one noticed who fed whom, whether pakodas were dipped in mint sauce or Chinese garlic sauce, all they knew was that they had an amazing time together after a very long time. Finally, at around 9pm Munna left to drop Swati home, and Sameer drove Preeti and Naina to Nirmal Jyoti society, thinking that this might be the last time he was doing this before wedding.

The next two days were a blur for Sameer because he was extremely busy in office wrapping up the pending work, and aligning on who would do what while he was on leave for his wedding. Once his mother came from Delhi he didn’t intend to work full time in office, maybe he would drop by some days for a couple of hours here and there as per need, but not for the whole day. He wanted to take some time with his mother, Rohan, Deepika; maybe do some sightseeing around Ahmedabad. It would be a wonderful opportunity to relax before Mr. Somani and dadi arrived. More guests were coming too, but Sameer had done arrangements for them in a nearby hotel, and for some close relatives he had rented another bungalow nearby. Cars & Mini-buses would be available to move people from hotel or home to event venues. He knew that Naina’s family had also made stay arrangements this time in some lodge rather than troubling all their neighbours. But still there were enough people coming that he knew the Agarwal house would be a pandemonium. Phulla Bua was arriving on Wednesday, and he decided to talk to Chachaji about meeting her. Usually he didn’t need permission to go to Agarwal house, but now that guests would start coming, he should talk before just walking in. Maybe evening would be a good time to visit, or even on Thursday.

In those three days Naina also sent across the wedding lehenga along with Chachaji and her father. Sameer had known that Chachaji was coming, but seeing his father-in-law at his door step was a surprise. After telling Ramdhari to serve tea and snacks he had gone upstairs to keep the lehenga and had taken some time to admire the beautiful designs. It was heavy… How would Naina wear it? But then he remembered she had already worn it for trial so maybe it wasn’t uncomfortable. Naina had instructed him to hand over the sherwani and shoes, and so he had kept the packet ready. It hadn’t taken as long as Naina’s lehenga to have his sherwani ready… Vishakha and Naina had chosen the design and color from a catalogue, and then Vishakha had ordered it from a tailor. All Sameer had to do was go for giving measurements once and then another time for trial. When his mother had told him about it he had frowned for a moment, asking why wasn’t his opinion asked on the design and color, but his mother had patted his arm and said it was because she already knew that ultimately Naina would make the final choice. He had nothing to argue against it. Not to mention when he had gone for trial, he had been pleasantly surprised with the pattern and fabric, his wife had a fantastic taste for sure.

The morning of 28^th was full of excitement as the arrival of Phulla-Bua meant gifts and free goodies. Special arrangements for breakfast were made, sweets were bought, the room for her sleeping was cleaned and naphthalene balls were placed in cupboards. Chachaji and Tauji went to receive her at the airport while Taiji kept mumbling about how she only had few minutes of peace left. Bela meanwhile started preparations for pahal-pawni ritual, as Phulla-Bua was the first guest to arrive for the wedding.

Around 11am, Pralay came running from downstairs to inform that Chachaji had arrived with Phulla-Bua, Bela and Naina quickly lighted the aarti, and Preeti filled in the kalash with water. Soon Tauji came upstairs, holding onto Phulla-Bua’s arm, and she smiled at the family gathered on doorstep. Bela did the aarti chanting the rhyme for auspicious welcome, and Preeti poured some water on Phulla-Bua’s feet, and then she stepped inside immediately holding out her hand for Naina.

Naina bent to take her blessing and Phulla-Bua blessed her, “hamesha khush raho… Zara dekhu toh apni choti si Naina ko. Pata hi nahi chala kab itni badi ho gai… shaadi ki khabar mili thi tab vishwas hi nahi ho raha tha.”

Naina smiled, guiding Bua-dadi to the sofa and helped her sit. Taiji stood aside knowing if she was in range of vision then she would be taunted. Bela went to prepare tea. Bua-dadi patted the place next to her, “aaja idhar beth. Damadji kaise hai? Main yaad hun unko ke nahi.”

Naina giggled, “kya bua-dadi… aap Sameer kehke bulaiye unhe. Yahan sab wahi kehte hai, damadji bolenge toh turant tokenge.”

Phulla Bua laughed, “achcha… main toh heroji kehke bulaungi phir… akhir lagte bhi toh hero jaise hai.” Naina blushed at this and nodded. Tea was served and Phulla-Bua said, “aree o Beena… Tu kya peeche chupke khadi hai… ja jaake biscuit leke aa.”

Taiji rushed inside the kitchen, “ji… ji buaji.”

After tea Phulla Bua pulled out her bag and showed what she had got for everyone, and also the gold set she had got for Naina. Taiji’s eyes rounded in shock on seeing the heavy gold set. Phulla Bua also pulled out a gold chain, “aur yeh Sameer ke liye. Gora-chitta jamai hai Bela ka, jachega uspe.”

Taiji mumbled, “oh bai… Bela ka jamai kaise hua… Preeti ki shaadi thodi na ho rahi hai… Bholuram toh kadwe karele ka jamai hua, aur woh dekho… araam se bethe hai.”

Phulla Bua’s eyes narrowed, “kya bol rahi hai tu Beena?”

“Kuch bhi toh nahi Buaji”, Taiji smiled, adjusting her pallu. Phulla Bua instructed, “kuch bolna bhi mat…”

The day went by hearing to Phulla-Bua’s stories, and updating her about wedding preparations. Naturally she had a lot of questions for Chachiji and Taiji, and her own tips too. She also asked about when Arjun would arrive, and also when Sameer would come to meet her. Phulla Bua also did a small ritual to bless Naina, putting a new red dupatta around her head, telling her that this would go with her along with other things after marriage. That night when Naina talked to Sameer on phone she repeated Bua-dadi’s question and he informed that he was planning to come tomorrow evening. This brightened up Naina’s mood considerably.

The next morning Phulla-Bua insisted on going to the temple to do some special puja for Naina’s wedding, so after breakfast Bela and Anand took her with them. Naina decided to start on her packing and so she pulled out the suitcases Anand had bought. Her hands trembled a bit while she opened the cupboard, her eyes misting over as she looked at the neat stack of clothes. Preeti hugged her from behind, “tu sab nahi le jayegi na? Yahan chod de aadhe kapde… I promise main tera koi samaan nahi hataungi. Sab jaisa hai waisa rahega.”

This made Naina smile, “nahi… sab nahi le jaungi. Par phir bhi… sochke hi ajeeb sa lag raha hai ke kuch din baad main aur iss ghar me hamesha nahi rahungi.”

Preeti hummed, “par yahi soch jijaji ko kitni khushi de rahi hogi. Woh toh soch rahe honge ke ab unhe uss ghar me aur akela nahi rehna padega.”

Naina nodded, “haan… bas yahi soch mujhe bhi himmat deti hai. Chal… meri madad kar.”

The two sisters started to choose clothes and arrange them in suitcase. The new ones went in one bag, and the ones she had already worn before in the second bag. A cassette of songs played and they kept on chatting non-stop. After maybe thirty minutes a sudden interruption appeared in form of Taiji, “oh bai! Yeh kya kar rahe ho dono? Aur Bela kahan hai… dopahar ka khana nahi banana kya?”

Preeti informed, “Mummy aur Papa, Bua-dadi ko mandir leke gaye hai… Unko Naina ke liye koi puja karni thi. Khana aake bana legi.”

Taiji’s eyes gleamed with malice, “neva! Iske karam koi puja se dhulne wale nahi hai, aur naa hi kundli me koi badlaav aayega. Ameer ghar ke paise dekhke yeh itni khush ho rahi hai bas… Aur woh log bhi isko itna sab de rahe hai taaki thodi toh dhang ki dikhe shaadi me. Main toh din-raat bhagwaan ko shukriya bolti hun ke yeh manhoosiyat iss ghar se jaa rahi hai, par phir sochu ke Bholuram ke naseeb me yeh dukh likha hai…”

“Bas kariye Taiji”, Preeti interrupted, “aap kyun hamesha Naina ko aisa sab bolti hai…”

“Oh bai!”, Taiji grumbled, “sach hamesha kadva hi hota hai… Aur tu kya iski vakalat kar rahi hai… Tujhe kya lagta hai iska asar tujhpe nahi hoga? Iski gulchaare udaane ki baat sabko pata chalegi uske baad tere liye rishta milna kitna mushkil hoga pata hai? Nain-Naksh toh tere bhi nahi hai.”

Just at that moment Pralay called from outside and Taiji went away. Naina was standing still with a churidaar in her hand, but the cloth slowly slipped from her fingers and tears started to leak from her eyes. Preeti immediately rushed to her sister, “aree tu kyun ro rahi hai. Tu toh jaanti hai na… Taiji aisi hi hai.”

Naina sat down on the bed, sobbing, “hamesha aisa kyun Preeti? Mujhe pata hai main koi heroine nahi hun, par main yeh bhi jaanti hun ke Sameer ko main pasand hun… Par kitni baar yeh sab sunu… Aur ab yeh manhoosiyat wali baat…”

Preeti tried to console her for sometime but knew that it was useless, she was not the person who could calm her sister, and so she went outside the room and called up Sameer. As soon as he picked up, she narrated the entire incident word-for-word. Sameer was silent for a moment, his blood boiling, and he just said in clipped tone, “main abhi aa raha hun.”

Sameer had been arranging the new cupboard, keeping his clothes on one side, and Naina’s clothes that were with him on the other side. He was extremely pleased and kept eyeing the empty space knowing it would be full soon. He also kept opening the dresser to see her bangles and cosmetics repeatedly simply because it always made him smile. He had just kept her wedding lehenga in the cupboard when Preeti had called and he rushed to his bike as he would reach faster that way. He had intended to call up Chachaji and then go visit in evening, but Naina needed him right now. Rituals and formalities be damned, nothing was more important to him than Naina. His bike screeched to a halt in-front of the society gate just as Chachaji’s car also arrived. Sameer didn’t notice them and dashed upstairs. Puzzled at this Chachaji queried, “Sameer yahan kya kar raha hai?”

Phulla Bua had also noticed him and wondered the same. Bela meanwhile started to worry, “bhagwaan jhuth na bulaye, Naina toh theek hai na. Sameer bahot bechain lag raha tha.”

Chachaji nodded, “chalo jaldi… dekhte hai kya baat hai.” Phulla Bua noticed that none of them worried that Sameer had come home in their absence; they were assured that his intentions were noble. It gave her some relief because her first impression had been of worrying as to why he was here when elders were not at home.

Upstairs, Sameer knocked on the door, and Preeti quickly opened it. His mouth was pressed in a thin line, “Naina kaha hai?”

“Room me”, Preeti informed.

He moved inside to find Naina still sitting on bed, silently crying. Taking in deep breaths he curbed his impulse to go over to Taijis house and break every glass items she possessed. It was not a time for anger now, Naina needed him calm. And so he sat beside her and pulled her in his arms without a word. Outside as Preeti started to close the door again, afraid that Taiji might question why Sameer was here when no one was at home, but just then Anand bounded upstairs. He saw his daughter and asked, “Sameer ko dekha humne niche. Sab theek hai na?”

Preeti shook her head, her lips trembling on seeing her father… She had also been hurt but had tried to stay calm for her sister. Anand put an arm around his daughter and guided her inside, soon Bela came in with Phulla Bua, and Anand instructed, “darwaza bandh kardo.”

Bela obeyed immediatey, “kya baat hai ji?”

“Pata nahi”, Anand muttered, and then focused on his daughter again, “Preeti… beta ro kyun rahi ho? Naina aur Sameer kahan hai? Kya hua?”

Preeti hiccupped, trying to wipe her tears and narrated everything Taiji had said, and then added, “Naina chup hi nahi ho rahi thi… mujhe samajh nahi aa raha tha kuch, isiliye maine jijaji ko phone kar diya.”

Phulla Bua was irked, “yeh Beena ko kya hua hai? Aisi baate kaun bolta hai kisi ladki ko jiski shaadi hone wali hai.”

Bela clucked her tongue, “jaane dijiye buaji… Bhabhiji toh jab mauka milta tab khari-khoti sunati hai Naina ko. Pata nahi kya dikkat hai… Suniyeji, chaliye dekhte hai Naina kaisi hai.”

They all trooped inside the room to see Naina enclosed in Sameer’s arms still crying and he was rocking her back and forth, muttering nonsense. Even as they watched Sameer mumbled, “Naina please chup ho jao na… Achcha bolo… main abhi Taiji ke ghar jaake unke saare kaanch ke bartan tod deta hun, aur woh darwaza bhi jo maine wapas lagvaya tha.”

On hearing this a hiccupping laughter escaped her, and Sameer sighed. Anand smiled, and said, “main bhi jaata hun Sameer ke saath, uski madad karne.”

Sameer and Naina looked up as soon as they heard this, but neither did Sameer leave her and nor Naina tried to withdraw. Preeti came up to them, “main bhi help karungi.”

Naina chuckled, gently easing back a little, “nahi… chalega. Phir kabhi yeh sab karenge.”

Anand came forward, “mujhe maaf kardo beta. Pata tha bhabhiji ke harkato ke baare me phir bhi tum dono ko akela chodke chale gaye.”

“Isme aapki koi galti nahi hai”, Sameer said, and stood up, “meri samajh me nahi aata ke Taiji ki problem kya hai. Jab dekho tab Naina ko pareshan karti hai. Agar rishte ka lihaaz nahi hota toh main…” He trailed off as he spotted Phulla Bua at the door, and his eyes widened, “Bua-dadi aap…”

Naina also looked up and gasped on realizing that she had also seen them hugging. Phulla Bua smiled, “kyun? Mujhse milne nahi aane wale the damadji.”

Sameer smiled, and went to take her blessings, “aane wala tha aaj shaam ko. Par yeh sab hua toh Preeti ne phone kar diya mujhe… Sorry, iss tareeke se kisiko bina bataye yahan aa gaya.”

“Yeh bhi tumhara hi ghar hai beta”, Anand said.

Phulla Bua nodded, “tumko neeche dekha toh mere man me sawaal utha ke tum yahan kya kar rahe ho. Par Bela aur Anand ko bharosa tha ke zarur Naina se judi baat hogi tabhi tum aaye ho… Mujhe khushi hai ke hamari bachchi ka itna dhyan rakhne wala damaad mila hai hume.”

Bela stood up, “ab khana khake hi jaana beta. Main kadhi-pulao bana rahi hun.”

Sameer grinned, “theek hai…”

He talked to Phulla Bua and Chachaji while Bela, Naina and Preeti prepared lunch. When food was ready Preeti set the table and Sameer immediately went to help her despite some feeble protests. Phulla Bua was pleasantly surprised at the comfort level. While eating lunch she said, “mujhe Pooja ki shaadi me hi laga tha ke tumhara iss ghar se kuch khaas rishta hai damadji. Bas yeh nahi pata tha ke woh rishta Naina se hai.”

Sameer grinned, “damadji nahi Sameer bulaiye… Pooja didi ke pati hai na woh damadji hai. Aur rahi baat rishte ki toh Pooja didi ki shaadi me wahi toh jodne aaya tha. Kitni tapasya karni padi manchahi patni paane ke liye. Ghar ke bahar tambu bhi gaade.”

Bela gasped at this, “bhagwaan jhuth na bulaye… Rakesh bhaisaab ne bhi kya kya kaam karvaye the tumse uss waqt. Pehle pata hota toh…”

“Aree usme kya hua”, Sameer immediately said, “mujhe toh pehle se hi pata tha ke Naina ko patane ke liye bahot papad belne padenge.” Everyone laughed at this and Naina kicked him beneath the table making him chuckle.

Post lunch Naina again started packing and Phulla Bua sat with Anand to go over the guest staying arrangements. Bela was cleaning the kitchen. Sameer walked inside the room and addressed his saali, “Preeti… main Naina ki madad kar dunga… Tum bahar jao.”

Preeti faked a gasp, “haww jijaji… kuch toh sharam karo.”

He smirked, “main sharmate hue achcha nahi dikhunga. Bahar jao…”

“Mujhe kya milega iske badle”, Preeti asked.

Sameer replied, “Rohan se milne ka arrangement kar dunga jaise hi woh aayega. Ab bolo… tum bahar jaa rahi ho ya main jau?”

Preeti giggled, “okay… main jaa rahi hun… Par dhyan rakhna… aaj Bua-dadi hai.”

Naina chuckled, continuing to look through her things in the cupboard. He moved towards her, between the open cupboard doors and hugged her from behind. Nuzzling her neck and shoulder, he muttered, “hi sweetheart.”

She shivered, her eyes closing, “tum madad karne aaye ho ya romance karne?”

Sameer shifted her dupatta aside, kissing the small exposed part of her shoulder, “main tumko motivation de raha hun jaldi pack karne ka… Jaldi jaldi pack karo aur apne ghar aa jao.”

Her breathing increased at the delicious sensation of his kisses, she collapsed backward on his chest, and the small bag she was holding onto slipped from between her fingers, falling on the cupboard metal shelf with a small clang. He looked up, and asked, “yeh kya hai?”

She opened her eyes, smiling a bit, “khazana.”

He demanded, “mujhe dekhna hai.” She extricated herself from his arms and picked up the bag, opening it to let him see. He peeped inside eagerly, pulling out some of the items, and was shocked to find an Amul chocolate wrapper, an empty mediker bottle, his handkerchiefs, and several other stuff that he had given her. At a loss of words he put his hand inside again, and this time pulled out a small wooden box, and opened it to reveal his passport sized photograph that seemed to have been cut in tiny pieces and then joined with cellotape once again. He frowned, “yeh kahan se mila tumko? Kitna purana photo hai.”

She smiled, tracing one finger on the photograph, “haan… 11^th standard ka hai. Tum jab cricket team ke liye form bhar rahe the tab tumhare haatho se classroom me gir gaya tha aur maine chura liya.” He recalled the incident vaguely, but was clear that it was much before the time he even talked with Naina. She continued speaking, “jab pata chala ke tumhe chodke hamesha ke liye Vanasthali jaa rahi hun, tab isko bahar phoolo ke gamle me gaad diya tha apne aansuo ke saath… Phir jab admission cancel ho gaya toh wapas nikal liya. Uss saal tumhare birthday pe isi photo ke saath dance kiya tha kyunki wahi tareeka tha jisse main tumhe dil kholke wish kar sakti thi. Tumhare liye sweater bunte hue bhi yahi photo dekhti rehti thi… Aur phir… school trip se aane ke baad ek raat itni ghutan ho rahi thi ke kenchi se iss photo ke tukde karke phenk diye maine.” She shook her head and added, “par shayad tumse juda honeka dard dil tutne ke dard se zyada tha… tabhi photo kaat te hue apni ungli hi kaat bethi. Saare tukde phenk diye, par puri raat so nahi paai… Isiliye suryoday se pehle neeche jaake har ek tukde ko utha laai aur iss dabbe me bandh kar diya, yeh sochke ke yeh tukde mujhe yaad dilayenge ke kaise mera dil kabhi wapas nahi jud sakta. Par phir tum aaye… mujhe apne pyaar pe wapas yaqeen dilaya, mera har zakhm bhar diya. Pooja didi ke tilak ke din jab maine tumhe har tareeke se wapas apna liya tab raat ko iss tasveer ko wapas joda aur khud se kaha ke jo hua hai use shayad main kabhi bhul nahi saku par guzre hue kal se aage toh badh sakte hai… Itni koshish kar sakte hai ke beete lamho me jo achcha hai usko yaad kare. Samajh nahi aa raha tha ke kaise karungi par tumhare pyaar ne dheere dheere kab har yaad ko achchi yaad bana di pata hi nahi chala. Maine bhi koshish ki ke tum bhi uss daur ko khushi se yaad karo, par kamyaab nahi hui… shayad iss wale ke trip ke baad hi woh cheez ho paai.”

She kept the box aside and rummaged inside the bag once more, pulling out a cassette, “usi raat mujhe yeh bhi mila. Jis cassette ki reel maine barbaad kardi, pata nahi tumne kab ise wapas suljhaya aur ispe ‘aashiqui phir se’ likh diya. Mujhe ehsaas hua ke tum bhi shayad mujhse yahi kehna chah rahe the ke jo galat ho chuka hai usko sahi nahi kar sakte, par nayi yaade banake, puraani kharab yaado ko nirarthak kar sakte hai.”

Sameer was amazed to hear all this… He had known she had his handkerchiefs with her all these years, but he had no idea that she had preserved every single thing he had given her. The fact that she had safely kept the cassette, and picked up the pieces of his photograph even when she was dealing with her own ailing heart reminded him of the magnitude of her love. How could he have so dumb to never see it at that time? He had been raging around cursing God because he had no one to love him, and had very conveniently ignored the one girl who had done nothing but loved him since they had met. He wanted to hug her once more, but before that he had to ask, “yeh… nirthak kya hai? Hindi me bolo na.”

She giggled, “nirthak nahi… nirarthak… matlab meaningless.”

“Oh okay”, he chuckled, and then held her arms, turning her to him, “mujhe samajh nahi aata ke tum mujhse itna pyaar kaise kar sakti ho. Aur yeh cassette… mere likhe hue do shabdo se tumne mere dil ki baat itne achche se samajh li ke jitni shayad main bolke bhi samjha nahi sakta tha. Naina… I love you… Ek wajah do mujhe ke main tumko abhi isi waqt kiss na karu.”

Her smiled widened, and she looped her arms around his neck, lifting up to him, “I love you too Sameer… Koi wajah nahi hai mere paas… Kiss me.”

His hand moved to her back, pushing her more to his body, and his head dipped to catch her lips in a no-holds-barred kiss that made her whimper and sink against him. The late afternoon heat angled away to the dresser, reflecting the golden light in the room while they stood cosseted between the opened cupboard doors, their lips moving against each others, demanding more, giving more… the recollections of their journey of love lying on the cupboard shelf, a witness to their upcoming voyage of lifetime.