Always and Forever
Part - 48: Only For Him

The songs had faded from the background, the lights were almost blurry, and he had stopped feeling thirsty or hungry, the only thing that was clear in front of his eyes was the note from Naina – ‘Shefali ke ghar pe aao… Sazaa ka asar dekhna hai.’ Did she really mean that? Like… right now? In middle of the function? What would they tell their families? Where had they disappeared? No… he needed to put some sanity in her brain… Just being alone wasn’t the priority right now even if they wanted it.

As he stood lost in thoughts, Pandit came over, “bhai… khada kya hai kabse… jaa na… bhabhi wait kar rahi hai?”

Sameer threw an incredulous look at his friend, “tujhe pata hai?”

Pandit nodded, “haan… ab jaa.”

Almost in a state of disbelief, Sameer started walking towards the society, and Deepika skipped up to him, holding his hand. He glanced down at his little sister, wondering how to explain, “uhh… Deepika tum jao yahan se abhi… main woh…”

“Shsh”, the girl signaled, “dheere boliye… koi sunn lega. Maine sabko bola hai hum ice-cream khane bahar jaa rahe hai.”

He was puzzled, “ice-cream? Deepika main abhi ice-cream khane nahi aa sakta.”

She face-palmed, “hey bhagwaan… hum sach me thodi na ice-cream khane jaa rahe hai… aap bhi na bhaiya… udhar jaiye.”

He looked to the direction she was pointing and saw Preeti standing near Shefali’s house, and then looked back at his sister in surprise, “tumko bhi pata hai?”

She rolled her eyes, “of course pata hai… meri bhabhi hai woh.”

He shook her head thinking that she was right… Naina was her bhabhi, but that was because she was his wife… Then why the heck everyone was involved in this plan, but not him. And when exactly had she planned this? He watched Deepika disappear somewhere, and Preeti opened the door for him with a smile. Frowning he asked, “kuch mazak toh nahi kar rahe na tum log mere saath?”

Before Preeti could answer, someone grabbed his hand and pulled him inside, and Preeti shut the door with a chuckle. Sameer stumbled, trying to control his momentum; his eyes met hers for a second, and then flashed to the wall looming behind her…  He held her, turning a full circle, so that his back collided with the wall, and she landed on his chest. The breath was knocked out of his lungs with an “oof” at the impact, and she gasped, “Sameer…”

He immediately assured her, “main theek hun.”

She searched his face for a moment, and then rested her head on his chest, wrapping her hands around his waist. He held her for a moment, and then rebuked, “tum pagal ho kya? Aise kaun andar khinchta hai? Tumhe lag jaati toh… Dhyan nahi rakh sakti.”

She tilted head back to look at him, and replied something he had said to her, “dhyan rakhungi toh tumhari pyaar wali daant sunne ko kaise milega.”

He was stunned to silence for a moment, and then scowled, “yeh pyaar wali nahi, sachchi wali daant hai.”

She smiled, “aise baaho me leke daantoge toh roz daant sunne ko taiyar hun.”

He grumbled, “yahan main gussa kar raha hun tumpe aur tum pyaar ki baate kare jaa rahi ho.”

“Kyunki mujhe toh tumpe pyaar aa raha hai na”, she replied promptly.

He sighed, “tum na… ab itna pyaar karogi toh main kya karu.”

She muttered, “tum itna control karoge toh mujhe hi pyaar karna padega na.”

He chuckled, “control nahi karunga toh problem ho jayegi.”

“Pata nahi tum kaise kar lete ho”, she mused, “main tumhari jagah hoti toh ab tak toh hum sab kuch kar chuke hote.”

He stammered, “k…kya… kya kar chu…chuke hote?”

She stroked her fingers on the buttons of his kurta, “lovemaking.”

“Naina”, he groaned, “shaadi me sirf ek din baaki hai aur tum aisi baate kar rahi ho… thoda rehem karo mujhpe.”

She totally ignored his mercy rant, “kabhi kabhi main sochti hun ke kaisa hota agar hamari love story me hum dono ki bhoomika thodi badal gai hoti… kaisa hota agar mujhe sab pata hota aur main tumhe sikhati…”

That caught his attention and spiked up his interest, “ahan… kaise sikhati tum mujhe?”

She lifted her shoulder is a slight shrug, “yeh intezaar aur control wala thoda alag hota… mujhe nahi lagta ke main tumhari tarah itne saal itne dhairya ke saath intezaar kar paati.”

His brows furrowed, “toh kya karti tum? Jo chahiye woh le leti?”

She thought for a moment, “ummm… shayad main tumko samjhane ki koshish karti ke yeh sab kitna achcha hota hai.”

He laughed softly, “haan… jaise tumne school me kitaab dikhake mujhe samjhaya tha ke dhumrapaan se karkrog hota hai. Par Naina, yeh sab samjhane ke liye koi kitaab nahi hoti.”

She smiled, not at all offended, “nahi… main kitaab ka istemaal nahi karti… Par ek kitaab sach me hai yeh sab samajhne ke liye… 1995 me publish hui hai.”

Stunned, he queried, “konsi book? Aur tumhe kaise pata?”

She obediently answered, “Ruth Weistheimer ki likhi hui book hai… Sex for Dummies. Hum jab library gaye the tab ek medical journal me maine dekha tha.

He blinked at her in shock… Did she just say sex? Oh man… He was in deep deep trouble. Clearing his throat, he tried to keep the conversation neutral and teased, “pehle pata hota toh book hi de deta tumko… Mujhe itni mehnat nahi karni padti samjhane ke liye.”

She laughed, “par woh book ab tak India me nahi milti.”

“Koi baat nahi”, he quipped, “kahin se bhi le aata. Kya pata… uss book ke wajah se mujhe do saal kam intezaar karna padta.”

She smirked, placing a finger on his lips to hush him, “kitna bolte ho tum… Pata nahi tumhe ke romance ke time me itni baate nahi karte… Ab batao… book ke tareeke me interest hai, ya mere tareeke me?”

He flashed a grin at her, and then crossed his arms, standing straight like a school kid, “yeh pehli class hai jisme mera poora dhyan hai… please padhao.”

She thought for a moment, looking around, spying a short plastic stool in the room, and pulled it in-front of him. He watched in confusion as she stepped on it, and asked, “yeh kya kar rahi ho?”

She smiled, “sikhane ke liye thoda level pe aana padega na.”

He chuckled, “yes madam… sikhaiye…” What was she going to do? The question flashed through his mind, and he remembered how she had kissed his cheek for the first time, showing him that she was okay to move ahead. Maybe that’s what she would do now. Or maybe she would touch his shoulders or hair… Ya, that’s pretty much it… What else could she even do to teach him about intimacy?

However to his surprise she kept staring at him dreamily just like she had done in those initial days in school. He was about to ask her, but she softly spoke up, “jaante ho… jab tumhe pehli baar dekha toh sabse pehle tumhare baalo pen azar padi meri. Hawa me udd rahe the, aur mera dil maano usi taal me dhadak raha tha… Soch hi rahi thi ke kya ho raha hai mere saath… Phir tumhari aakhon me dekha… Aur pyaar ho gaya.” His body went taut at the dreamy voice in which she was narrating how she fell in love with him. She had told him that she had loved him from first sight, but had never detailed it out… But today, she was… And every cell in his body sprung to attention as if alerting him to something extremely crucial. She continued speaking, “tum jab lad rahe the tab bhi meri nazar sirf tumpe thi… aas paas ka toh kuch dhyan hi nahi tha. Sud bud kho chuki thi main… Uss din ke baad dheere dheere tumhari aankhon ko padhna sikh liya maine. Tum kab naraaz hote ho, kab dukhi, kab kuch masti karne wale hote ho, ya kab kuch khaas faisla le rahe ho, ya kabhi kuch kamyaabi haasil ki hai… sab pata chal jaata hai mujhe.” He kept listening to her, intrigued and with full concentration. She lifted her hands, and traced a finger beneath his eyes, “aaj bhi tumhari aankhen utni hi pasand hai mujhe… par aaj unme khona nahi chahti.” She used her hands to gently close his eyes, and then her fingertips skimmed his face, tracing each feature. When she touched his lips, he tried to open his eyes, but she stopped him, “uh uh… aankhen khologe toh class khatam.”

He immediately squeezed his eyes shut again, and she smiled. She moved to his jaw, stroking the evening shadow of beard, “jab tumne shaving karna chalu kiya tab mujhe pata chal gaya… aur jab bhi ek-do din shave nahi karte the mera man karta tha choonke dekhu kaisa lagta hai. Pehle tum hafte me ek baar shave karte the, phir dheere dheere 3-4 din me ek baar karne lage, aur phir 2-3 din me ek baar…”

He exhaled through his mouth amazed that she had noticed his frequency of shaving in so much detail… Man… she really liked his beard. He felt her hands hold his shoulder, “school me jab tumne bike pe bethne ko kaha tha tab soch rahi thi ke kandhe pe haath rakhungi toh kaisa lagega… Phir college me jaise jaise hum bade hote gaye maine dekha kis tarah se tumhare kandhe aur mazboot hote gaye… t-shirt bhi khinchti thi jab tum haath hilate the… Aur mera man karta tha tumhare kandhe pe sar rakhke tumse baate karu.”

Wow!! She had wanted all those things in college? If only he had known… He had always thought of intimacy in form of hugging and kissing… But now he slapped his own forehead mentally thinking that he could have started with these simple gestures too, then maybe he wouldn’t have been so frustrated. He almost stilled as her hand came to rest on his heart… The thudding heartbeats were too loud, and he was sure she could feel them clearly. Her breath fell on his cheek, as she said, “jis tarah se tumhare pehle ki har shirt choti hoti gai, maine dekha… kabhi kabhi toh tumhari chaati pe itni tight hoti thi shirt ke mujhe lagta tha kahin buttons tut naa jaaye… Aur… Tum upar ke do buttons khule rakhne lage, usse pehle bhi main sochti thi ke kaash kabhi ek-do button tut jaaye toh main dekh paau.”

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his thoughts from jumping around on how it would have been if he had known all these secret desires of her. She suddenly chuckled, “par jab bhi aise khayal aate the man me toh turant rok leti thi khud ko… aur chee-chee bolti thi. Shaadi se pehle aisa sochna bhi galat hai, yahi lagta tha. Par pata nahi tha ke shaadi ke baad bhi dekhke kya karungi ya kyun aise dekhne ki ichcha hai.”

He grinned, thinking that this was so much like the Naina he knew in school and college. Always saying ‘chee’ on kissing or anything related to intimacy… The Naina who would close her eyes on kissing scenes in movies… He relaxed a bit, but soon she stole his breath away again when she tipped his head up with her hand, and gently blew on his throat. He let out a surprised gasp and she whispered, “maine kabhi socha nahi tha ke kisiko paani peete hue dekhke bhi mujhe kuch kuch hoga… Par hota hai… Aur, mera yeh karneka man hota hai.” And then she softly kissed his throat, and immediately held his hands because she knew that he would automatically hold her. He shifted a bit, breathing heavily as she skimmed up his jaw, brushing her lips repeated over his stubble, “ummm… bahot pasand hai yeh… tum roz mat shave karna kabhi. 2-3 din baad hi karte rehna.”

He made a frustrated sound, trying to free his hands, but she stopped his attempts, “shsh… waqt aane pe… mera class, mera tereeka.”

“Yeh class nahi torture hai”, he groaned.

She smiled, and leaned further, her lips touching his ear, “par tumko yeh torture pasand hai.” He hissed as she gently nipped the lobe of his ear. Her voice was low and sensuous as she said, “Sameer… bahot saalo se pyaar kiya tumhe, bahot intezaar kiya… par ab thoda aur chahiye…”

He swallowed, not exactly sure how long he would be able to bear this pretend classes, “kya?”

She slid one hand under his kurta, touching his bare belly, “thoda aur mehsoos karna chahti hun…” And then she guided his hand on her waist, “aur chahti hun ke tum bhi thoda aur mehsoos karo.” He sucked in a breath at the feel of her smooth flesh, but before he could say anything, she leaned forward and softly kissed him… light gentle kisses… moving her lips back and forth repeatedly.

He stilled, holding his breath, unsure what to do now… How to respond? After all this was a pretend class where he was supposed to be a naïve novice who had no idea about kissing… So what now? She continued teasing him with those petal soft kisses for a minute, and then asked, “kaisa lag raha hai?”

He almost smiled at how she was trying to teach him, but refrained and instead said, “umm… tum kya kar rahi ho ab tak theek se pata nahi chal raha.”

She came back to his lips, murmuring against them, “main hamesha sochti thi ke tumhare honth bilkul perfect hai.”

His hands on her waist clenched, fingers digging in as he thought that he was getting to know quite a few secrets in this mock class. He had always thought Naina was like an innocent kid, but turns out even she had secret desires. Just then she increased the pressure a bit more on his lips, and he almost returned the favor… But he stopped himself in time, remaining unresponsive, wanting to see what she would do.

Naina was puzzled at this; she had hoped he would respond, just like she had done the first time. She tried once more, gently trying to part his lips, but he pressed them together… The movement was subtle but the way Naina was attuned to him in that moment, she immediately noticed, and understood his game. So, he was trying to trick her, was he? Perhaps he had forgotten that this was her class, and she had the upper hand here… She took a deep breath, and moved away from his lips, and started to kiss his forehead and cheeks again. He frowned, “yeh advanced class se hum wapas basics pe kyun aa gaye?”

She smirked, “advance class student ke liye student ka sahyog zaroori hai… aur mera student itna smart nahi hai ke usko mera class samajh aaye.”

He almost panicked at the thought that she wouldn’t kiss him, even her hand inside his kurta was still, she had stopped stroking his body… Dammit… He couldn’t let the classes fail. Now that she had started he really really really wanted a kiss… And so he suggested, “tum aise haar mat maano… wapas try karo. Kya pata student ko iss baar samajh aa jaaye.”

Naina grinned, and drew back from his reach totally, knowing it would frustrate him. His hands searched for a moment, his wet lips curving in a frown on not finding her. He called out, “Naina…” But she didn’t respond. He tried opening his eyes, but she again said, “aankhen bandh… zara bhi khola toh aage kuch nahi hoga.”

He sighed, keeping his eyes closed, waiting… But she didn’t come to him. A minute passed and another, still she didn’t touch him. He knew she was there, he could sense it, but he craved her touch. Desperate for her, he pleaded, “Naina… kahan ho? I promise main aankhen nahi kholunga… Paas aao na… Ple…”

Her hand covered his mouth before he could finish the request, and she murmured, “tumhe kabhi bhi binti karneki zaroorat nahi hai… bas kaho…”

He quickly wrapped one hand around her waist, and pulled her close, “mere paas raho…” She obeyed, pressing herself to him, enjoying the way he shuddered. His voice was bit strained when he asked, “ab kya?”

She smiled, “revision… tum batao… maine kya sikhaya?”

“Kissing”, he immediately replied. She chuckled, “haan… kahan?”

He eagerly pointed to his forehead, and felt incredibly happy when she kissed him there. He followed the trail she had followed earlier, from forehead, to cheeks, to throat, feeling her soft lips drop kisses wherever he pointed… Ah, this was bliss, he thought. And then he pointed to his lips, excitedly waiting, and he wasn’t disappointed. Soon she was there, just like before, gently kissing him, and this time he followed her lead. He parted his lips, anticipation making him shiver, and to his extreme delight she deepened the kiss.

After a moment when they parted for some air, she slid her hand beneath his kurta again, reaching up to stroke his chest, and hummed, “maine jabse romance novels padhna shuru kiya tha tab se kaafi baar sochti thi ke tum bina shirt ke kaise lagoge… aankhen bandh korke koshish karti thi kalpana karne ki.”

He groaned, cupped her face with his free hand, and kissed her, deep and hard. His tongue moved in her mouth, taking surely, and when he felt her hands grip him, he kicked the stool from beneath her feet. She gasped, her legs flailing, but he had a secure hold on her as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss even further. Slowly, gently, without breaking the kiss he let her down on the floor, feeling thrilled when her hands moved up to his hair, and she stretched, pressing herself to him. It was like a storm and peace all rolled into one. He had never thought that his Naina had had such thoughts about him… This meant that even before she knew the extent of physical intimacy between a couple, she had felt the need for more, she had experienced primal desire for him even though she hadn’t understood it.

She moved her mouth away from him, gasping for breath, and rested her head on his chest. His hands moved over her back impatiently, and he sighed, “Naina… tumko dekhna hai.”

She was amazed that he still had his eyes closed as she had asked, and smiled, “aankhen kholo.”

He quickly popped his eyes open, taking in her sight, feeling his heartbeats trip again. He peppered kisses over her face, whispering how beautiful she looked. She grinned and mused, “pata hai… mujhe bhi tumko dekhna hai.”

He drew back a bit, puzzled, “par main toh yahin hun.”

“Aise nahi”, she whispered, confusing him more. She waited for a bit, but when he didn’t understand, she cupped his face, softly kissing his lips, and murmured, “kal raat.”

His eyes widened in amazement of her words… Wow! Was she really so ready? How would it be? Would they start to kiss as soon as they reach the room? Or would she be waiting for him on the decorated bed? He opened his mouth to ask, but just there was a series of knock on the door, and Naina jerked, “time ho gaya jaane ka.”

He caught her hand, “Naina… lipstick.”

She was puzzled for a moment, and then grinned, “kuch nahi hua. Smudge-proof lipstick lagaya hai parlor walo ne… paani se ya khane se nahi jaata… Aur kiss karne se bhi nahi.”

He touched his own cheek and lips, “iska matlab mere chehre pe kuch nahi hai?”

She chuckled, “nahi… zara sa bhi nishaan nahi.”

He frowned, “yeh achcha lipstick nahi hai… kiss karo toh nishaan toh padne chahiye na.”

Surprised, she laughed out, “Sameer… tum bhi na… pagal ho bilkul… Itna shauk hai nishaan ka toh shaadi ke baad ek din specially har jagah nishaan laga dungi.”

The gleeful expression on his face was immediate, “sachchi?”

She laughed once more, and then held his hand, pulling him out of the door. Shefali was waiting there, and urged them to hurry, “jaldi karo… Pralay aur Deepika ab zyada der nahi kar payenge.”

Sameer was puzzled, “kya nahi kar payenge?”

“Jhagda”, Naina muttered hurrying towards the mandap.

He followed her, “woh dono jhagdenge kyun?”

“Kyunki maina kaha tha”, she replied calmly, “gharwalo ka dhyan hatane ka tareeka.”

He was shocked, “tumhare iss plan me Pralay bhi shaamil hai?” She nodded, and he asked outraged, “puri duniya ko bataya hai apna plan, bas mujhe nahi.”

She rolled her eyes, “jisko surprise dena hai usko thodi na batate hai… Ab tum andar jao pehle, aur Deepika ko bulao…”

Sameer walked in a daze, turning back once to see Preeti join Naina, and both the girls gestured him to hurry. He stepped inside the covered arena, and soon Pandit joined him… Surely this was also Naina’s plan… All of them were just ready with their roles. Swati, Munna and Rohan were already trying their best, or rather pretending to try their best to separate the two squabbling teenagers. At a nudge from Pandit, Sameer called out, “Deepika… jhagadna band karo.”

Vishakha looked at him gratefully, “achcha hua tum aa gaye Sameer… itna time kaun leta hai bathroom me. Dekho na… yeh kya kar rahi hai Deepika… pata nahi kis baat pe itna jhagad rahe hai dono.”

It indeed looked like Deepika and Pralay were all set out on war path, especially given the way they were pulling each other’s hair. He called his sister again, but honestly even he felt this was too real. Suddenly Naina and Preeti came rushing in, and both of them somehow managed to pull back Pralay. Chachiji scolded him, but Taiji immediately interrupted saying it wasn’t his fault, “iss ladki ne taang adake Parlay babu ko giraya tha.”

Bela tried to intervene, “jaane dijiye na bhabhiji… bachche hai… abhi abhi toh ladna bandh kiya hai. Bhagwaan jhuth na bulaye agar phir se shuru ho gaye toh.”

“Oh bai”, Taiji exclaimed, “maine toh jo dekha woh bola.”

Sameer stared at Naina, wondering if this was all her plan, but the expressions on her face told him that it had escalated more than she had wanted to. Just then his Mamiji countered, “lo kar lo baat… apne ghar ke ladke ko sambhal nahi sakte… aur hamare masoom si bachchi ko dosh de rahe hai.” He was immediately on alert, an altercation between two families wouldn’t go well, he had to put a stop to this. Taiji had just geared up to defend her son, and he opened his mouth to apologize, but before either of them could speak a word, Naina took charge. Her voice rang crystal clear in the arena, as she confidently said, “bas ho gaya ab. Jhagda Pralay aur Deepika ke beech me hua hai, hume unko sambhalna, khud nahi jhagadna.”

She held out her hand to the little girl, “Deepika… yahan aao mere paas.”

Mamiji was struggling to keep a hold on the girl and calm her down, but she was surprised when Deepika immediately obeyed Naina’s call and went to her. Naina pulled her in a sideways hug, kneeling down, and said in a soothing tone, “shsh… rona nahi hai. Kya hua?”

Deepika sniffed, “Pralay ne mere baal bigaade.”

Pralay also immediately countered, “Naina didi, isne mere kurta ka button tod diya… yeh dekho.”

Naina stared at the small button on his outstretched palm, and understood the kids had started as per plan, but somewhere down the line they had become quite serious about the quarrel. She sighed, “Pralay… idhar aao tum bhi.”

When the boy came to her, she crossed her arms, her expressions stern, “galti tum dono ne ki hai… khelte khelte thodi baat bigad jaaye toh aise jhagda nahi karte… chalo, sorry bolo ek dusre ko.”

Pralay scowled, “par aapne hi toh… ouch!” He turned to glare at Deepika, who had just hit him with the beads of her dupatta. Pralay fumed, “kya hai?” Deepika glared at him, gesturing towards Naina, and asking him to be quiet, and then smiled, “sorry… main dupatta theek kar rahi thi toh lag gaya, aur button todne ke liye bhi sorry.”

Pralay understood that he had been just about to leak the plan, and looked sheepish, as he muttered, “uh… baal khinchne ke liye sorry.”

Naina smiled, “good… ab chalo… Preeti tumhare baal theek kar degi Deepika… aur Swati tumhare kurta ka button laga degi Pralay.”

Both the kids nodded, and smiled as if the enmity of few minutes ago was totally forgotten. Vishakha was surprised, “kamaal hai… kabse hum me se kisiki baat nahi sunn rahe the dono… Tumhari baat maan gaye yeh dono.”

Sameer laughed softly, “ise teacher effect kehte hai mummy… Aapko kya lagta hai, main itne saalo se Naina ki har baat kyun maanta hun?”

That made everyone chuckle, and the tension diffused. Naina blushed, and Sameer winked at her. Soon everyone was seated for dinner, and Sameer asked her in a low voice, “yeh sab planning kab ki? Aur itne saare logo ko kaise shaamil kar liya?”

She wiggled her brows mischievously, “biwi ke raaz shaadi se pehle pata nahi chalte… Kal dheere dheere jaan lena sab.”

He looked surprised for a moment, and then promptly blushed, making her giggle. She was herself amazed at her bold reply, and her cheeks also flushed. He was astonished at the way Naina was expressing her desire for him so openly… The meeting she had arranged was no less than a miracle. And then she was teasing him about their suhaagraat. How had she evolved into this type of woman from the shy naïve girl in school? Oh wait! He had done that… He had contributed totally to this growth. He gave himself a mental pat on back, choosing to enjoy the changes in his Naina.

Deepika was sitting next to Naina, with Rohan beside him. Preeti had taken the place beside him, and Swati was sitting next to her. Munna and Pandit sat next to them, strategically placing all the couples together. Shefali grumbled a bit, but then sat next to Pandit, making him grin. To any random eye, it would look like all friends sitting together.

Preeti suddenly choked on her dal because Rohan had brushed his foot along hers. She stared at him, as he pretended to be oblivious, waiting for her chance. And when he drank water, she pulled the same trick on him, and he gasped, spilling the water over his kurta. They kept sneaking looks at each other, smiling, gesturing things no one understood. Rohan thought he should also take out some time to talk to her, alone… He wanted to tell her that he loved the blue-yellow combo she was wearing, that she was looking beautiful, and that he wanted to hug her again. He kept an eye around them, and when he thought no one was looking, he sneaked a bit of food from Preeti’s plate. She smiled at his antic, and then also delighted him by accepting the sweet from his dish.

Just next to them, Swati and Munna were having their own moment, as she showed her hand to him, and said in a low voice, “isme kuch hai tumhare liye.”

Munna stared down for a moment, confused, but then it clicked that she was showing her mehndi to him, and then his eyes widened when he spotted the “M” inside a small heart. “Wow”, he muttered and tried to touch her hand, but she quickly pulled back, gesturing around and he understood. After a minute, he asked, “umm… khane ke baad thodi der milogi. Shefali ke ghar ke wahan?”

Swati blushed, but nodded in agreement. Preeti got to hear bits and pieces of that conversation, and frowned, wondering why hadn’t Rohan asked something like this to her. She looked at her own hand, the small flower, and sighed, thinking unlike Swati she hadn’t thought of writing his name on her hand. Was that why? Was their relationship not at that stage yet where he would ask her to meet? But… he had come to terrace to meet her… with jijaji… so that was because of jijaji, not for her. Her spirits deflated a bit… Was he sad that she had not written his name in mehndi? Should she tell him that she didn’t like the smell?

As she pondered over the matter, Rohan softly asked, “kya hua? Ekdum se muh kyun utar gaya?”

She glanced up at him, “tumhe kaise pata?”

He rolled his eyes, “kyunki main tumhe hi dekh raha hun. Batao… kya hua?”

She pressed her lips, looking around, and then muttered, “yahan nahi… khane ke baad. Society parking ke wahan.” His eyes widened for a moment, and then he smiled, nodding enthusiastically.

Naina and Sameer were busy in their own world, chattering non-stop, and teasing each other. He surprised her by holding her hand, and eating the bit of food from her fingers in-front of everyone. She managed to sneak her left hand on his waist and give him a pinch in return. He retaliated by running his fingers along her bare waist, making her drop the gulab-jamun from her spoon, which he immediately snatched from her dish. She frowned at her empty bowl, and looked up to scold him, but paused because he was holding his ear with one hand, and a spoonful of sweet in his other hand. She smiled, and accepted, enjoying the way he stared at her pink lips and she knew he was still thinking about the smudge-proof lipstick.

The moment however was disrupted by Deepika who saw the scene, and piped up, “bhaiya mujhe bhi khilao na.” Sameer chuckled and asked for another bowl of sweet, taking turns to feed Deepika and Naina from it, while Vishakha admired the whole scene, and ensured she had some photographs taken without their knowledge.

After dinner, as Sameer and Naina met everyone, talked to people, Munna rushed off to Shefali’s house, and was glad to see Swati waiting in the shadows near the window. Without a warning he pulled her in his arms, holding her tight, and murmured, “I love you.” Swati nuzzled into him, “I love you too.”

They stood there like that for some time and then Munna said, “inki shaadi ke baad jaldi se jaldi hamare ghar pe baat kar lenge.”

Swati chuckled, “itni jaldi…? Sameer aur Naina ka honeymoon toh ho jaane do.”

“Unka honeymoon hota rahega”, he countered, “shaadi ho gai yaane ab unki baari hamari help karneki.” After a moment, he queried, “waise… tujhe honeymoon ke baare me pata hai pandat?”

Swati blushed, “umm… nahi… kuch khaas nahi. Par mera bandar hai na… sikha dega… ” Munna stood quite stunned at this declaration as she kissed his hand and then hugged him.

Some distance away at the corner of the parking area, under a set of stairs, Rohan waited, nervously pacing back and forth. Soon he heard a soothing tinkling sound, and turned to see Preeti sneaking up to him. As soon as she was close enough, he grabbed her hand, and pulled her to him, quickly whispering, “punch mat maarna please.”

She was surprised by the sudden desperate hug, but recovered soon and hugged him back. “Rohan”, she murmured, “tum mujhse naraaz ho kya?”

Puzzled, he drew back, “nahi toh… kyun?”

She distractedly informed, “mujhe na mehndi ka smell bilkul nahi pasand… Phir bhi iss baar ek chota sa phool banvaya haath pe… Par tumhara naam likhwaneka sujha nahi… Naina ki shaadi hai toh usne jijaji ka naam likhwaya, Swati ne bhi Munna ka naam likha hai, par mujhe dhyan nahi raha. Maine jaan-bujhke aisa nahi…”

She trailed off as he clapped a hand over her mouth. To her surprise he was smiling, “kitna bolti ho… kabhi kabhi romance ke liye chup rehna zaroori hota hai. Akele mil rahe hai aise toh romance toh karne do.”

She swatted his hand away, “yeh mazak karne ka waqt nahi hai.”

Somehow gaining a spurt of courage, he looped an arm around her waist, and pulled her to him, making her gasp. Her eyes rounded in surprise, the expression on his face was new to her. He wasn’t blushing or fumbling or stuttering, there was an aura of confidence around him. His voice was low and serious as he said, “wahi toh tumko samjha raha hun… Yeh romance ka waqt hai…” With his free hand, he grabbed her other hand and raised it, opening it palm up in-front of his face, “mehndi achchi dikh rahi hai tumhare haatho pe… Par agar tumko iski smell se taklif hoti hai toh mere liye yeh zaroori nahi hai. I love you… aur jahan tak main pyaar ko samajhta hun woh nishaaniyo se nahi banti. Mujhe pata hai ke meri pagal si, jhalli si Preeti mujhse bahot pyaar karti hai, usko yeh baat mehndi se saabit karne ki zaroorat nahi hai.”

She stared up at him, completely mesmerized, her cheeks flushing at the sensations coursing through her body on feeling herself pressed to him, and muttered, “tum… tum ab sharmate nahi ho…”

He flashed a brilliant smile, and kissed her open palm, watching her gasp and blush, and replied, “kyunki ab tum jo sharmane lagi ho.” If possible, Preeti blushed even more at that, and he chuckled, teasing her, “kabhi kabhi ek kiss mujhe bhi de diya karo.”

She kicked his shin, making him laugh, and then hugged him, for the first time feeling extremely reluctant to leave him. Since when did he become so confident so as to tease her? And why was he so warm? Rohan nuzzled the side of her head, inhaling the fruity fragrance of her shampoo, and held her close, hoping they got more such chances tomorrow at the wedding too.

Inside the arena, finally everyone was planning to leave since it was so late. The two couples sneaked in without anyone noticing much, except of course Sameer and Naina, who just smiled at each other, totally understanding the time they had needed. Pandit was chattering with Shefali, who was just trying to tune his voice out. Suddenly someone tripped near her chair, and she held the person’s arm, “sambhalke…”

Her voice caught in her throat on seeing that the person was none other than Arjun. He smiled sheepishly, “sorry… haath me samaan tha toh dhyan nahi diya. Uh… Hi…”

Shefali felt a bit awkward, “hi Arjun. Kaise ho?”

“Main theek hun”, he replied, “aur… tum?”

She nooded, “main bhi theek hun…”

Pandit was staring from one to the other, and then muttered, “main cold drink peeke aata hun.”

Shefali jerked and immediately grabbed the opportunity, “ruko Pandit… main bhi aati hun.”

“Par tum toh…”, Pandit started to say, but was dragged away by Shefali, while Arjun stood staring at the duo with a sad smile on his face. He knew Shefali was avoiding him, but he also knew that he was the sole reason of no progress between them. If only he had the amount of courage and compassion his little sister had, then maybe he would have been at a different juncture in his life.

Shefali picked up a frooti from the table, and started sipping, while Pandit nursed a bottle of cola. Suddenly he asked, “tumko toh Arjun pasand tha na? Toh baat kyun nahi karti usse?”

She was silent for a moment, “haan pasand tha… abhi bhi bahot cute lagta hai. Par… har kahani Sameer aur Naina ki tarah nahi hoti na. Woh dono ek dusre ke liye hi bane hai… par Arjun aur main nadi ke woh do kinaare hai jo kabhi mil nahi sakte. Hamari na soch milti hai, aur naa hi hum kabhi ek dusre ko khush rakh payenge…”

Pandit thought for a minute, and on seeing her serious expressions, teased, “toh matlab… ab mera chance hai?”

Shefali laughed out, “yaar… tumhare liye na koi bahot badi wali pagal dhundni padegi. Main apne modeling me hi theek hun, abhi mujhe kisike saath koi chance nahi chahiye.” Pandit laughed along, and then asked her about Mumbai, and they stood there chatting jovially, until it was time for everyone to leave.

Just before leaving, Sameer pulled Naina in a sideways hug and whispered something in her ears, making her gasp. After around twenty minutes more, in their room Preeti was helping her sister with the makeup removal, and asked, “aaj bhi jijaji aayenga na?”

Naina looked up at her, “haan… sorry… tu room me nahi so paa rahi…”

Preeti chuckled, “koi baat nahi… achcha sun… aaj sone se pehle puraane time ki tarah thoda dance kare?”

“Haan”, Naina enthusiastically agreed, “puraane gaane lagate hai.”

The sisters quickly changed into their night dresses one by one, and freshened up. Then Preeti put on a cassette of old Rajesh Khanna songs on low volume, and they laughed and grooved to the music. Bela came in to check on them once upon listening the music but didn’t disturb them on seeing them happily dancing. It was Naina’s last night in the house after all, she deserved to have fun.

Anand came to look for his wife, “Bela… yahan kya kar rahi ho?”

Bela closed the door once again, “bas… apne bachchiyo ko khush dekhke khush ho rahi hun.”

Wiping a drop of tear from her cheek, Anand queried, “khush ho toh aansu kyun?”

“Khushi ke hai”, Bela sniffed, “bhagwaan jhuth na bulaye, Naina kitni khush hai, aur Sameer kitna achcha ladka hai. Par main toh maa hun na… Beti ki khushi me khush bhi ho rahi hun, aur uske jaaneka dukh bhi hai. Aur phir… Naina ke jaane ke baad Preeti kitni udaas ho jayegi.”

Anand smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, “haan… par Naina ki shaadi ke baad hume Preeti ke liye bhi koi achcha sa ladka dhundna hoga.”

Bela looked up at him, “itni jaldi? Thoda ruk jaate hai na… Preeti bhi chali gai toh yeh ghar me bachega kya?”

“Hamare teeno bachchiyo ki yaadein”, Anand softly replied, “aur unke zindagi me aane wali khushiyo ki goonj. Betiya hai na Bela… jaane toh dena hi hoga.”

Suddenly soft arms enveloped them both from behind, and they jerked in shock, only to realize that Naina had hugged Anand, and Preeti had hugged Bela. Naina murmured, “aap dono royenge toh main kahin nahi jaungi.”

Bela and Anand immediately turned around, and Bela pulled Naina to her, “aisa nahi bolte beta… Yeh sab toh hota rehta hai… Teri shaadi se hum dono bahot khush hai… Par kya kare tere jaane ka thoda dukh toh hoga na.”

Anand also assured, “bilkul theek keh rahi hai Bela… Sameer jaisa achcha ladka mila hai tumhe… Hum dono bahot khush hai.”

Naina tried to cheer them up, “mila nahi… dhunda hai maine… Aur haan mera toh jab man karega main yahan rehne aa jaungi, bas aap dono ko mere saath saath Sameer ko bhi jhelna padega.”

Everyone laughed at this, and Bela said, “achcha hai… Sameer bhi yahan aayega toh main usko garmi ke mausam me apne haatho se tinde khilaungi.”

Preeti rolled her eyes, “yeh lo… Jijaji ke aane se pehle hi Mummy ne unko bhagane ki poori taiyari kar li.”

Bela lightly hit Preeti, and Naina suggested eating ice-cream together. The stock of ice-cream was pulled out from freezer and the four people had a late night treat in the kitchen. After that Bela and Anand went to sleep in their own room, Preeti went to sleep with Pooja didi, and Naina went back inside her room, locking the door. She checked the time once, and then quickly opened the cupboard to look for clothes… She needed to change… A shiver ran down her spine, as she pulled out a set of pale yellow clothes, it seemed as if his deep voice was tingling in his ear.

Aaj raat ko skirt pehenna.

That was what he had whispered to her before leaving. Why did he want her to wear a skirt? Simple… so that he could touch her… Oh God… How would she be able to bear that? No no… He was only coming here to apply some haldi… nothing more… Wait! She needed to get the haldi first… Dumping the clothes on bed, she went out again, tiptoeing to the kitchen where she had managed to hide a small bowl of haldi-chandan mixture. She also filled a bucket of water from the bathroom, and kept it her room along with a couple of towels. And then she changed into the skirt-top, wondering why she couldn’t be in her night dress like yesterday. It was almost midnight; she yawned, and settled near the balcony on the floor, thinking she would be able to hear when he came.

At around 12:15am Sameer slowly and steadily climbed up the pipe, and rolled into Naina’s balcony, panting for breath. He dusted his hands, and sat up, his face splitting in a smile on seeing Naina sitting near the threshold of her room, leaning on the open door, her legs stretched out, eyes closed. The night wind fluttered through her hair, and her breasts rose and fell with each gentle breath… He just sat down in-front of her, staring at her face, admiring the view. She had worn a skirt-top as he had requested, and it was a pale yellow in color matching the occasion they were celebrating. The peaceful expression on her face made him want to just sit there and look without disturbing her, but that wasn’t possible… So he inched closer and gently picked her up in his arms, carrying her inside the room. Her head lolled on his shoulder, and she stirred a bit… He thought she would be surprised or maybe even frightened, and he opened his mouth to assure her that it was him… But he didn’t need to… Before he could speak, she murmured his name and nuzzled closer, looping her arms around his neck.

He frowned, “tumhe sote sote kaise pata chala ke main hun.”

She slowly opened her eyes, “secret hai… sab baate pati ko nahi batate.”

He chuckled, placing her on the bed, “achcha… chalo iska ilaaj shaadi ke baad dhundunga… pehle aaj ki tumhari harkat ki sazaa toh de du.”

She caught his hand, pulling him on the bed, “konsi harkat?”

“Yahi jo sab tum kare jaa rahi ho”, he muttered, bracing himself on his arms so that he didn’t fall on her, “maine kabhi socha nahi tha ke tumko itni jaldi hogi iski…”

Her smile was full of mischief as she asked, “kiski?”

“Naina…”, he tried to warn her, reprimand her, so that she would stop. She chuckled, grabbed his collar and rolled so that he was on the bed. He gasped, and tried to get up immediately, but she placed a finger over his lips, “shsh… bas ek minute… Kuch nahi karungi.” He stilled, wondering what she was up to, but to his relief she didn’t kiss him, rather she just placed her head on his shoulders and closed her eyes, “thodi der bas aisai rehna hai.”

He smiled at her gesture… Even though it was bit of a hardship to have her pressed to him like that, he couldn’t deny that it also provided him extreme relief. No matter how much frustrated he was, having her close to him was the only solution and also the only curse. Well… right in this moment the bliss of holding her close was more than the sexual frustration. And so he lay there with her, holding her to him with one hand, and playing with her hand which was on his belly. After a moment he softly asked, “thak gai ho bahot.”

She hummed, “haan… par koi baat nahi… kal shaadi ho jayegi phir toh sona hi hai.”

He lifted his head to look at her, “excuse me… kya matlab sona hi hai? Tumko lagta hai kal raat tum so paogi?”

She frowned, lifting herself on her elbow, “itne dino ki thakan hai, upar se kal bhi pura din bhaga-daudi hogi, phir grihpravesh ki rasme, aur phir parso muh-dikhai aur reception… Araam nahi karungi toh bimar pad jaungi… Tumhe zara bhi chinta nahi hai meri? Aisa karoge mere saath?”

He was genuinely shocked, “par Naina… Kal toh… umm… hamari first night… suhagraat… jiske liye hum itne dino se wait kar rahe the.”

She shrugged, “toh kya hua? Itne din wait kar rahe the toh 2-3 din aur sahi… ek kaam karenge… mera pag-phera ho jayega na uske baad hamara suhagraat hoga…”

“Kya?” He nearly choked, “pag-phere ke baad? Iska matlab… teen raat ke baad?”

“Teen raat toh aise bol rahe ho jaise maine teen mahine intezaar karne ko bola ho”, she grumbled, “aisa kaisa pyaar hai tumhara jo teen raat bhi intezaar nahi kar sakte… meri sehat ka toh socho zara. Main kuch nahi jaanti… mujhe toh kal raat bas aise hi sona hai…”

He looked extremely disappointed, but then after a couple of minutes, he visibly gathered himself, and sighed, “theek hai… main tumse bahot pyaar karta hun… kar lunga intezaar agar tum yahi chahti ho toh.”

She blinked in surprise, “sach?”

He nodded, and grazed his knuckles over her cheek, “haan… mere liye tum se zyada zaroori aur kuch nahi hai.”

She stared at him for a minute, and then smiled, reaching up to kiss his forehead, “theek hai… tum intezaar karna, par main toh nahi karungi.”

His brows furrowed in confusion, “huh? Kya matlab…?”

She smirked, “matlab… kal meri suhagraat hai toh main kyun intezaar karu… tumhe karna hai toh karo.”

“Tum…”, he gasped, “tum mazak kar rahi thi kabse? Aur mujhe laga… Naina… aisa mazaak nahi karte…”

She giggled, but then softly asked, “tum sach me aur intezaar karne ko taiyar the? Itne saal intezaar karneke baad bhi…”

He smiled, “tumhare liye toh puri zindagi intezaar kar sakta hun main… Par… Thank God… Karna nahi padega…”

She felt her heart skip beats at his simple acceptance… How could he be so patient with her? How could he proiritze her wishes over his need always? What had she done to get a man like him in her life? He watched her staring at him constantly and queried, “aise kya dekh rahi ho?” She shook her head, and reached up to drop a quick peck on his lips, and then got up so that he isn’t affected much by the kiss.

“Haldi taiyar karke rakha hai maine”, she informed, uncovering the small bowl on the desk, “waise tumne mujhe aaj skirt pehenne ko kyun bola?”

He slid off the bed, walking up to her, and threaded his fingers down her long hair, “haldi lagane ke liye…” She had a puzzled expression on her face as he took the bowl from her hand, and then demanded, “baal bandh lo… upar ekdum…”

Her confusion increased, “par tumhe toh mere khule baal pasand hai.”

“Aaj bandh lo toh behtar hai”, he smirked, “haldi ki rasam achche se manani hai.”

She didn’t know what he had in mind, but the tone of his voice raised goosebumps on her skin. Her hands shook a bit as she tied her hair up in a bun, and he sauntered behind her, dipping to kiss her nape. She whimpered, trembling, and he kept the bowl on the dresser, capturing her hands over her belly, effectively restricting her while his lips wandered all over the side of her neck, kissing, licking, nipping… Using one hand, he removed the earrings and then gently bit down on her earlobe, making her moan softly and collapse backwards on his chest.

Her breathing was heavy, “shaam ka badla le rahe ho kya?” She could feel his lips curve in a smile against her cheek, but he didn’t reply, rather just kept skimming his lips up and down the side of her face, while his hand that wasn’t holding her captive, now wandered down the side of her body, his long fingers brushing against her breast for just a brief moment, sending sparks shooting up her spine.

“Aaine me dekho”, he whispered, and she opened her eyes to obey. They were standing just before the mirror, and even in the dim light, she could see his eyes glitter with desire. Even as she watched, he dipped two long fingers in the bowl of haldi, and raised them to her face… Her breath caught in her throat as he trailed the yellow concoction over her cheek, down to her throat and then dipped inside the v-neck of her top, down the small gap in the center of her breasts. “Sameerrr…”, the name spilled out of her as softly as a prayer of devotion, and she struggled to keep her eyes open.

He whispered in her ear, “aankhen khuli rakho sweetheart”, and then dipped his thumb in haldi, and drew a trail from behind her ear down the side of her neck. He took her right hand, and immersed her fingers in the bowl, and then colored his own face, her fingers leaving long stripes on his jaw and neck. Her heart thundered inside her ribcage, so loud that she felt everyone would be able to hear it. What was he doing? How could he turn a simple haldi application into a sensual act?

Her thoughts skittered when he finally turned her to him, cupped her face, and kissed her lips… The desire in his eyes was blazing but the kiss was gentle, soothing, caring. It made her heartbeats calm down, but her skin tingled… She felt the butterflies that she had felt on their first kiss. There was tenderness mixed with need… The feeling was of a promise of more pleasures to come. Her legs felt shaky, and maybe so did his, because he drew her down on the floor, placing tender kisses on her eyes, the free space on her neck, and then muttered, “dekhna hai…”

Before she could ask what he meant, he had turned her over on her stomach, and lifted her top up to bare her back. She understood what he wanted to see, and lay still as he used two fingers to pull down the stretchy fabric… His name written in his unskilled uneven mehndi was bright on her fair skin… It wasn’t as dark as the mehndi on her hands but to him it was perfect… He kissed the spot, making her sigh in delight, and then he pulled down the bowl of mehndi from the dresser. She turned to him, her eyes wide with curiosity, “kya kar rahe ho?”

He flased a lopsided grin, “haldi khatam thodi na hui hai.”

“Par kahan…”, she started to ask but trailed off when he smeared his hand in the mixture, and brushed her foot. She stilled, her breathing increasing, and a little “Oh” left her mouth. He kept watching her face as his hand slowly skimmed up her leg, beneath the skirt, upto her knee… He paused there, gazing in the depths of her eyes, and his heart thudded on seeing that there was no objection in her eyes, just pure love and trust… He smiled, and let his hand wander further up, watching her pupils dilate and her eyes flutter close… He wasn’t unaffected either, his eyes wandered down her body as her skirt lifted up with the movement of his hands. The legs he had seen through binoculars yesterday was bare now for his view… Still he took care that the skirt didn’t move futher up than knee unlike his hand which was now smudging haldi on her other thigh.

His trance was broken when she gripped his shirt, muttering, “haldi tumhari bhi hai.” He watched silently as she slowly started to undo the buttons on his shirt, her eyes glued to the skin she was baring. He thought to warn her to not open it all, but it seemed she understood his situation very well because she stopped halfway. She parted the half-open seams, and lifted up to kiss his chest… His eyes closed as her lips brushed over his warm skin, and then she took some haldi in her hand, and slid her hand inside his shirt making his breath hitch. Turnabout was a fair play, and so he held himself still as her hands moved over his chest, and on his back beneath his shirt. One slim finger dipped inside the waistband of his jeans, touching the spot where she knew her name would be, and she queried, “mujhe dekhne ko milega?”

He opened his eyes, meeting her gaze, and smiled at the way she asked rather than demanding because she understood how difficult it was for him to hold himself back. Sitting up on his knees, he turned away from her, and unbuttoned his jeans, waiting… She slowly pulled down the waistband of his jeans and boxers down enough to just bare that spot, and rubbed her thumb on her name that shone dark.

“Bas”, he murmured after a moment and pulled up his jeans, buttoning them again. As he turned to her, she pouted, “maine toh kuch bhi nahi kiya.”

“Dekhna hai bolke chooa bhi…”, he accused.

She frowned, “toh?”

His eyebrow quirked, and then before she could understand anything, she was on the floor again, and his hand was smearing haldi, on her stomach. She moaned, arching up to his touch, and he pressed his lips to hers to curb the sound, and whispered against her mouth, “toh samajh aaya?”

She hummed, kissing him while his hand wandered on her body, coloring her, touching her. After a minute he pulled her up and moved behind her again, lifting her top, kissing her bare back before rubbing the yellow paste across her back, his fingertips pressing in, making her throw back her head. He leaned against the bed, spreading his legs, bent at knee, and pulled her in between, her back to his chest, holding her, nuzzling her neck, breathing in her fragrance. She was the fire and the ice… She was the storm and the calm… She was the chaos of his heart and the solace of his soul… She was everything combined into one, and everything about her was only for him…

In few minutes when she thought he was calm enough, she turned to him, gently buttoning up his shirt, affectionately kissed his nose, and then wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. He held her, lightly stroking her back, and pressed a kiss on the side of her head. They could have spent the entire night like that, but a glance at the clock made Sameer stir, and he whispered, “oh no… 1:30am ho gaye… pata hi nahi chala. Neeche Munna aur Pandit intezaar kar rahe honge.”

She drew back, “maine baalti me paani nikalke rakha hai, aur towel bhi hai… Muh poch lo.”

He nodded and stood up, liberally soaking the towel in water and rubbing off the haldi from his face and hands. He didn’t wipe his chest or back, thinking he would just take a shower later on. He checked his hands in the dim light, and asked, “haldi ka rang chadh gaya toh?”

She chuckled, “maine chandan milaya tha bahot saara aur dudh bhi… rang nahi chadega, aur thoda bahot jo hoga woh nahate waqt nikal jayega.”

“Theek hai”, he nodded, and then hugged her once more, looked at the haldi smeared on her face and neck, and kissed her forehead. “Kuch hi ghanto me hamari shaadi hai”, he smiled, “phir main haq se har ek pal bitaunga tumhare saath. Aise chup-chupke milna bandh.”

She grinned, her eyes shining with joy, “I love you.”

“I love you too sweetheart”, he dropped a quick peck on her lips, and then sauntered outside to the balcony and down the pipe. She waited and watched the shadows as Munna and Pandit arrived, and then the three boys wandered off down an alley. She went inside, checking her reflection once more in the mirror, feeling extremely pleased on seeing the smudges of haldi. They had formed their own ritual, their own way of doing things… She had finally been able to do what he had wanted all these years; she had finally made him her priority. Nothing… not even the rituals or customs of this world was more important than him… Everything she had, everything she would do from this point onwards would be only for him.

She closed the balcony door, removed her clothes and wiped herself down. Thinking that she would wash and clean everything next morning, she just slipped into her night dress and fell asleep. At the other end, Sameer successfully sneaked inside, and took a late night shower before sleeping. As he turned over on the mattress on floor, he thought that tonight was the last time he was sleeping on the floor… From tomorrow night they would be using the bed… their bed.

Next morning when the alarm rang, Naina rubbed her eyes, sure that she hadn’t got enough sleep, but it was necessary to discard the water and clean her clothes and room before everyone woke up. By the time she was done it was 6:30am, time for Chachiji to wake up, and sure enough she could hear movements and then the sound of bathroom door. She hung her clothes to dry, and then checked around her room one last time to check if there was something she had forgotten to pack. It hadn’t yet sunk in that she won’t be seeing this room from tomorrow. She knew that she was going to be with Sameer, but it didn’t feel as if she was leaving this home behind.

Soon everyone was up and around, Preeti came over to ask about Sameer, a few aunties gave her last minute instructions. Chachiji asked her to eat her breakfast quickly; even Taiji seemed to be concerned genuinely about the preparations of haldi and wedding rather than taunting Naina. The parlor ladies were a bit late, causing people to worry, but Naina gave a call to Maya who ensure that they would soon be there. She decided to dress up before they arrived, and so Preeti helped her with the lehenga. Swati also came over with a bulging bag containing her evening attire, she would get ready here. At around 9:30am the parlor ladies arrived, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They quickly got to work with the make-up and hairstyle.

At Maheshwari house, Sameer had been awoken at 7:30am with an awful sound, and he jerked upright, staring around. There was nothing in the room that could make such a sound, and so he opened the door to check, only to bump into Rohan.

“Bhai…”, Rohan whined, rubbing his forehead, “aaj ke din mujhse nahi bhabhi se takrana chahiye aapko.”

Sameer frowned, also rubbing his forehead to soothe the bump, “takra lunga… pehle yeh batao yeh gandi si awaaz kahan se aa rahi hai.”

Rohan asked puzzled, “kaisi awaaz?”

Just then the sound rang again, and Sameer said, “yeh wali… suna?”

Rohan chuckled, “yeh mic ke awaaz hai… neeche woh gaana gaane wali auratein aayi hai… Aapke haldi ke liye.”

“Oh”, Sameer nodded, “chalo main naah leta hun, phir jaana hai.”

“Kahan jaana hai?” A question from the stairs made him look around. His eyes widened, “Mummy… woh… Munna ke saath thoda kaam hai.”

Vishakha smiled, “Munna aur Pandit toh yahi pe hai. Tum nahake taiyar ho jao jaldi… main nashta bhijwati hun upar.”

Sameer queried, “itni jaldi kya hai? Haldi toh 11am ko hogi na.”

“Nahi”, Vishakha informed, “tithi aage ho gai hai. Ab 10 baje hi shuru ho jayegi…”

He was shocked, “10 baje… par…” However, Vishakha had wandered off by then. He looked at Rohan, and uttered, “Naina…”

His brother looked sympathetic, and suggested, “andar chalke baat karte hai…” Munna and Pandit also arrived and walked inside, locking the door behind them. Rohan told them, “main aapko wahi batane upar aaya tha bhai… Panditji ne subah subah mummy ko bataya ke shubh mahurat 10 baje ka hai.”

Munna grumbled, “yeh pandit ki toh…”

Sameer sat down on the love seat, “ab main Naina ko nahi dekh paunga?”

Pandit tried to pacify, “bhai… raat ko toh mila hi tha na. Aur shaam se toh phir bhabhi hamesha tere saath rahegi. Abhi nahi dekha toh kya ho gaya…”

Sameer glared at his friend, “par woh taiyar hui hogi na… mujhe dekhna tha…”

Rohan sat down next to his brother, “bhai… bhabhi toh hamesha hi sundar lagti hai na… Toh aapne abhi nahi dekhta toh kya ho gaya? Aapko toh pata hai woh aapke baare me sochke muskurayengi… Aur hum hai na Preeti ko phone karke sab details jaan lenge.”

The three boys tried to cheer him up, and finally he relented, thinking that Naina would surely bring that lehenga along with her, so he could ask her to wear it once for him. He dressed up in the pale yellow kurta after a shower, and then had a hearty breakfast before going downstairs. He was immediately asked to sit on a low chowki, while Vishakha fluttered around doing las minute arrangements and the other ladies teased him. There were a few unmarried girls too who teased that he would have to remove the kurta, and he rolled his eyes, asking if he should do it now… The boys laughed while the girls giggled and shied away.

At the other end Naina demurely sat on a similar chowki, smiling on seeing her father taking care of some guests. It seemed he was finally coming around; maybe the day wasn’t far when he would accept Sameer wholeheartedly. Preeti and the other girls teased her saying if Sameer was here then he would have colored her first, and Naina blushed reminiscing last night. No one knew that he had already colored her…

Soon it was 10am and the rituals started at the same time at both places. A priest from Naina’s family arrived at Sameer’s home, and similarly a priest from his house reached her place, for the “thamb puja.” This was a special ritual done on the day of wedding, just before haldi ritual, wherein a puja was performed of the pillars of both the house. This was considered symbolic to show that the bond between two families will be as strong as the foundation of the house.

At Maheshwari bungalow, Poonam bhabhi did a kumkum tilak on Sameer’s forehead, and then used flowers to apply haldi on his feet, knees, cheek and forehead. Vishakha came next doing the same ritual, and then blessed Sameer. A couple more ladies including Mamiji followed, and then it was total chaos as several aunties tried to apply haldi at once, and in a bid to rescue him, his friends managed to spill some haldi on everyone. The girls were back asking him to remove the kurta, and while he wasn’t exactly shy he still hesitated, thinking that Naina wouldn’t have liked it at all if she was here. Munna, Pandit and Rohan seemed to understand his predicament, and stood around him, blocking him from view amids loud “boos” and comments about he was not being fair. He didn’t care, rather he was thankful that he had remembered Naina’s warning about him having to remove his clothes and wore a vest inside. Deepika sneaked a towel to him, and when he slung it around his neck, he felt comfortable to face the crowd.

A girl who seemed to be bit bolder than others commented, “aree aise kaise… sab utaarna padta hai.”

Sameer smirked and replied back, “tum biwi nahi ho meri ke sab kuch utaar du.”

Few girls let out a “haww”, and his friends hooted with laughter. And then they also started applying haldi on him, alogn with Deepika who kept jumping to reach his face. Sameer took pity on his sister, and knelt to her level, which was a mistake, because her innocent attempts were a distraction for her mischief. She had haldi paste fisted in both her hands and smeared his whole face including his lips. That was the signal for Munna, Pandit and Rohan to go all mad and pile on him, while he struggled to escape their hold. Not even the loud singing and dancing ladies could deter them. By the time they were done, everyone was covered with haldi, even his mother and Deepika. A bit of paste had also splashed on Dadi, who kept wiping the spot with a surly expression on her face. However, he was surprised when Mr. Somani, though urged by his mother, came over to apply haldi and genuinely blessed him.

Meanwhile Naina was sitting demurely as Bela, Taiji, her mamiji and other married ladies did the ritual. Then Phulla Bua came to do the same, blessing her, and then her friends followed. Naina also applied haldi on them, saying they both should get married soon too… Shefali almost ran away when Naina tried to apply haldi on her. And then Swati took up the paste in both her hands, rubbing it between her palms, “aur ab zara achche se lagate hai… aakhir hamare jijaji ke liye taiyar hogi Naina…”

Preeti also joined her, “haan… bilkul achche se ghiste hai.”

Naina tried to escape but they caught up to her coloring her back, neck and waist. She laughed, grabbing some haldi herself, returning the favor. Shefali also joined them, and Bela stood aside admiring. Taiji scowled a bit on seeing the mischief, but couldn’t stop a small smile on seeing the grinning girls. Chachaji watched them with tear filled eyes, which Naina noticed, and went up to him, hugging him. Her eyes fell on her father who was standing aside, but as her eyes met his, he looked away pretending to be busy. The ritual was followed by song and dance, cool sherbet was served, and finally all guests went to wash up before lunch.

Naina looked at the layers of haldi on her body and smiled, drawing an ‘S’ on the paste on her forearm with her finger. Blushing at her own act she started to take a bath. Meanwhile, Sameer tried to remove most of the haldi coating his face, and then removed his vest, looking at himself in the mirror. He picked off some haldi from his arms on his fingertips and marked his own chest just like Naina had done last night. Few more hours, they both thought while bathing, and they would be married… The words Sameer had spoken all those years ago would finally come true… They watched the haldi washing off in the water and murmured at the same time, “haldi ke peele rang se shagun hua hai… Ab agla rang laal hoga…”