Always and Forever
Part - 50: The Bond of Body and Soul

There was a subdued silence around the newlywed couple as they pondered over what they had just heard. They were worried, but they couldn’t even talk to each other amidst so many people, and neither could they confide their condition to anyone. When their friends laughed loudly over something, Sameer leaned a bit closer to his wife, and whispered, “yeh kya bol gai Chachiji? Tumko pata tha yeh?”

Naina shook her head, “mujhe kuch bhi nahi pata tha… Pooja didi ne toh aisa kuch nahi bataya tha. Ab kya karenge?”

“Main bhi wahi soch raha hun”, he murmured, “poori raat aise kaise alag rakh sakte hai humko yeh log.”

Naina grabbed his wrist to check the time, it was almost 1am, “waise toh grihapravesh ki rasme khatam hogi tab subah hone me zyada time nahi bachega… Par phir bhi…”

He queried, “phir bhi kya?”

Her voice was laced with longing, “mujhe tumhare saath rehna hai… chahe subah ke teen baje ya chaar… ek ghanta mile ya do… hum kuch kare ya naa kare. Aaj ki raat hume alag kyun kar rahe hai?”

Her anxiety and yearning made him realize that this wasn’t just about suhagraat or lovemaking… She needed to be with him. And after pondering a bit more he knew that he wanted the same thing. Yes, he wanted to make love to his wife, and he knew she wanted him just as much. And they had waited so long for this night… But still, it didn’t matter that they made love tonight or not, what mattered for them was to be together after their wedding. They needed time alone, just with each other, to soak in this happiness, to actually revel in the fact that they were married. Yet the circumstances right now didn’t look in their favor. But she was so worried, that he knew he had to be the calm one right now… Just one more night… He pacified himself, and gently held her hand, “Naina… sweetheart… aise pareshan mat ho please… dekho, mujhe nahi pata yeh rasam kya hai. Par ek waada karta hun, tum kamre me raho ya Ganeshji ke saamne, akele nahi hogi… Main saath rahunga.”

She looked at him grateful of the assurance, but still asked, “par agar Maa ne mana kar diya toh?”

He grinned, “mummy se puch kaun raha hai. Aaj ki raat mujhe meri Naina se koi alag nahi kar sakta. Itne raat chup-chupke mile, ek raat aur kar lenge… Waise bhi kya pata… shaadi ke baad chup-chupke milne me alag mazaa ho shayad.”

This made her smile a bit, “pakka waada na? Mere paas aaoge?”

Not caring one bit about the people who could see them, he exercised his right by lifting her hand and kissing the back of her palm, “pakka waala waada sweetheart. Naina ka Sameer uske saath hi hoga.”

Her smile widened and she blushed, feeling a little bit relaxed because of his promise. In another ten minutes, Chachiji came back to call the couple for the bidaai ceremony. They walked back into Agarwal house for a ritual where Naina had to pray and light a diya in the temple, and then it was time for them to leave. Naina stopped in the living room suddenly, and looked around, her eyes hovering over the swing where she used to read or cut vegetables, the phone from which she would call Sameer, the balcony, the TV… The surroundings were so familiar and it dawned on her that tomorrow morning she won’t sit on this swing, she won’t be listening to songs on this TV, she wouldn’t be watering the plants in the balcony, and neither would she need this phone to call Sameer… Everything would be here, just as they were not, but she won’t be here anymore.

Sameer, who had stopped beside her, observed her face, and knew that it was finally dawning on her that she was leaving this place. He was so happy that Naina would be with him from now onwards, but still he couldn’t help the little bit of sadness he felt on seeing her like this. How difficult it must be to leave the place where a person had lived their whole life? How did she gain so much courage? How did all the girls had so much courage? After many years of loneliness he had finally found a home at Nanu’s house, and he was there even after Nanu was gone forever… If someone has asked him to leave that place after Nanu’s demise he would have been totally broken. That white bungalow with its green lawns, spacious rooms, high ceilings and wide windows was his home… He wouldn’t have had the courage to leave that place. Yet all girls got married and moved on to a place which most of them had never even seen, and somehow found it in their heart to make it their own… They nurtured their husband’s home with love and care; not even letting them feel obligated for one moment, and somehow all these sacrifice and greatness was considered as a customary requirement.

Naina’s voice broke a bit, as she uttered, “Chachiji… aap mere gulaab ke paudho me paani daalenge na roz?”

Bela held her extended hand, and assured, “haan beta… roz daalungi. Tu fikar mat kar bilkul bhi.”

Naina nodded, trying to control herself, and turned towards the door once more, but Sameer held her hand, stopping her. When she looked at him, he inched forward and cupped her face with one hand, “mujhe pata hai tum iss shaadi se kitni khush ho… Iss ghar se dur jaaneka dukh tumhe chupane ki zaroorat nahi hai Naina… Main samajhta hun ke yeh kitna mushkil hai…”

She stared at him for a moment, wondering how he had understood that she was trying to hold her emotions in. She was afraid that he would feel bad if she cried, but this was Sameer… Of course he understood her… He saw tears fill her eyes, and slowly stepped back a bit, knowing she needed a bit of time. Naina tore her eyes away from Sameer, looked at Chachiji, a sob escaped her lips and she hugged her.

Bela hugged her back, and pacified, “bas beta… Ro mat.” Chachaji came up to them, and Naina turned to him. He handed over something wrapped in a red cloth to Naina, and said, “beta… isme Ramayan hai. Tumhe yaad hai hum dono kaise isme se ek ek adhyay padte the aur phir tum mujhse dher o sawaal puchti thi. Kitna kuch seekha hai hum dono ne iss Ramayan me se. Ise apne saath le jao… Kabhi koi aisi uljhan ka saamna ho jise na tum suljha pao na Sameer, tab ise padhna.”

She accepted the book, and lifted it to touch it to her forehead, and then held it to her chest with one hand and hugged Chachaji. Anand stroked her head, and glanced at Sameer once over her head, a silent understanding nod passing on between the two males as the responsibility of the girl was passed from one to another. After a minute, Anand directed her towards Rakesh, who also seemed to have tears in his eyes… Naina hesitated for a moment, but then gently hugged her father, who seemed to be taken aback… He looked down at his daughter and remembered the last time she had hugged him like this. It was in school… When she had received the award and Sameer had called him asking him coming over to school for a ceremony to pay respect to teachers. And then he had somehow managed to get him to give the award to Naina, and also recite a poem about daughters. Many days after the wedding had been fixed; specifically after his conversation with Sameer in car post their sudden Mt. Abu trip, he had come to realize that all of that was Sameer’s trick in school… Even at that time Naina’s happiness had mattered so much to him that he had pulled whatever strings he could to bring a smile to her face. He sighed, and placed his hand over his daughter’s head, blessing her without any words. When he looked at Sameer, he saw a small smile on his face, and he wondered what kind of love this was that these two understood every emotion the other felt. Naina drew back a bit and said in a low voice laced with request and hope, “Sameer bahot achche hai papa.”

Rakesh gave a short nod, “jaanta hun… Mujhe pata hai woh tumhari khushi ke liye kuch bhi kar sakta hai.”

Sameer was surprised at this acknowledgement, but was glad that Rakesh sir could find it in him to say those words; at least it would give some peace to Naina. He didn’t know if his father-in-law meant what he said, but Naina looked a bit relieved and that was what mattered in that moment. Arjun hugged his sister, and said that he was extremely happy for her, and really admired the courage she had to follow through her love. He even came over and hugged Sameer, making him really happy.

Next Naina turned to Taiji, who wasn’t exactly crying, but looked somber, and her voice was a bit kind even when she admonished, “yahan jaisa karti thi Preeti ke saath milke, waise sasural me jaake udham mat machana… Bahu hai, bahu ki tarah rehna.”

Naina nodded obediently, “jee Taiji.”

Tauji also blessed her, and then she looked around, searching, and queried, “Preeti kahan hai?”

Sameer walked over to her, took the book from her hand, and whispered, “sofa pe.”

Naina peered from amid the group of people to see her sister sitting on the sofa, crying softly. Sameer went with her as she walked to the sofa because the gatbandhan cloth tied them together, and stood aside as Naina sat down next to Preeti. She placed a hand over her sister’s shoulder and then pulled her in a hug. Preeti started to sob in earnest, and so did Naina… Swati and Shefali came over and tried to calm down the two girls. But when nothing worked, Swati whispered something, and suddenly the girls chuckled amid tears. Naina assured that she would come to meet them frequently and also that they can come over.

Preeti suddenly teased, “achcha… ek kaam karte hai… main bhi tere saath chalti hun, wahin reh lungi… Kyun jijaji… aapko koi dikkat hai kya?”

Sameer smirked, “bikul bhi nahi… koi problem nahi hai… aakhir saali aadhi gharwali hoti hai.”

Preeti gasped, “hawww…” Everyone started laughing and the tense atmosphere lightened a bit. Naina stood up, going over to Sameer, who held her hand, and together they walked out of the house and downstairs. But once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Sameer muttered, “uff… joote pehne bina hi mandap se aa gaya.”

Naina also looked down at her feet, “maine bhi chappal nahi pehne.”

Preeti, Swati and Shefali came to stand in-front of them, and Swati said, “ohoo Jijaji… aise joote bhoola nahi karte. Ab aap kya karenge?”

Sameer smiled, “koi baat nahi… mere dost le aayenge… Unhone sambhalke rakha hoga.”

Preeti pretended to sigh, “uff… itna yaqeen. Apne saaliyo ko itna bhi kam mat samajhiye jijaji…”

Rohan immediately assured, “chinta mat karo bhai… joote humne sambhalke rakhe hai.”

Sameer smirked, sure that his shoes were safe. Munna and Pandit brought out a black bulging bag, and proudly showed it to the others. Pandit explained, “isme shaadi ka samaan tha… humne woh dusre bag me rakhke, iske andar kapdo ke beech tere joote chupa diye.”

Shefali giggled, “achcha… hume bhi dikhao zara.”

The confidence with which the girls were putting up their front worried Sameer, and he looked at Naina once hoping she would know, but even she was looking at the bag with curiosity. So, she wasn’t involved in this joota-churai plan. Still he asked, “tumne kuch kiya hai kya?”

She looked up at him, frowning, “main toh poore time tumhare saath thi… par haan… Preeti ki shakal dekhke itna bol sakti hun ke joote pakka ladkiyo ke paas hai.”

His eyes widened for a moment, and he quickly turned to stop his friends from opening the bag… Somehow he believed Naina’s assessment… And he didn’t want his friends to be embarrassed. But he was too late… Munna, Pandit and Rohan were already pulling out the clothes from the bag, and soon they started scowling.

Swati laughed, “kya hua? Joote dikhao na…”

Rohan looked up at his brother and shook his head in negative. Sameer groaned, and the girls started laughing. Munna was puzzled, “yaar… kasam se… bag me hi the. Hum kahin nahi gaye bag ko chodke.”

Swati fluttered her lashes, “sach me kahin nahi gaye?”

Munna blushed a bit, “umm… mera matlab… main thodi der ke liye gayab hua tha, par Rohan aur Pandit the. Haina?”

Rohan confessed up, “main… aah… Preeti ko samaan utaarne me madad chahiye thi toh…”

“Aur main Shefali ki madad karne utha kyunki uska paav mud gaya tha”, Pandit groaned.

Sameer slapped his forehead, “tum sab ke sab chale gaye the bag chodke?”

Naina slowly asked, “par agar Preeti, Swati aur Shefali inn teeno ko bahanae banake le gai to bag me se joote kisne churaye?”

Sameer snapped his fingers, “Pooja didi…”

Pooja spoked up indignantly, “bilkul bhi nahi… main chahti thi hissa lena, par Rishi shehnaai ki awaaz me itna ro raha tha ke main usko ghar ke andar le aai.”

Sameer asked, “aap nahi toh phir kaun…?”

Preeti laughed, “hamara khoofiya hathyar…”, and whistled. In just a few seconds Deepika came running up with a furry soft toy in hand, grinning wide. The boys gasped. Rohan accused his sister, “gaddar…”

Sameer was puzzled, “Deepika bhala kyun churayegi joote…? Aur yeh toh uska khilona hai…”

Naina however laughed, “Sameer… yeh khilona nahi… Bag hai. Handles nikaalke andar daal diye honge isne taaki khilone jaisa dikhe.”

Deepika proudly nodded, “haan… aur kisiko pata bhi nahi chala.”

Pandit sputtered, “par… tumne kyun?”

Munna chuckled, “khair… joote rahe toh ladkewalo ke paas hi na… Deepika toh Sameer ki behen hai. Laao bag idhar do…”

Preeti laughed and asked, “Deepika… tum bhaiya ke side ho ya bhabhi ke?”

“Bhabhi ke”, the girl immediately replied, and handed over the bag to Preeti.

Rohan let out a surprised gasp, “Deepika… yeh kya bol rahi ho tum?”

The girls laughed, elaborating how Deepika had agreed to help them, and had then stolen the shoes when the remaining girls had diverted the boys. Sameer threatened, “Deepika… joote de do warna kabhi chocolate nahi kharidke dunga.”

Chocolate always worked whenever he had to get something done from his sister… It was the biblical rule. Deepika would do anything for chocolates. He still remembered how his 7 year old sister had almost tackled him to the ground in Delhi when he had taken her chocolate from the fridge. He had no idea it was hers, he had just wanted to eat something sweet. But Deepika had somehow come into the kitchen as soon as he had taken the chocolate and demanded that he keep it back. He had said he would bring another one for her, but Deepika had tripped him to the floor, and then sat on his back, pulling his hair until he had given up her chocolate. That was when he was 18, and with years Deepika’s love for chocolate had only grown. So even now he was sure that she would listen to him immediately.

But to his surprise Deepika started giggling, “koi baat nahi… mat dena aap. Bhabhi hai na… Woh dila degi. Aur mujhe pata hai… Bhabhi ek baar bolegi toh aap chocolate ki poori dukaan kharidke laoge.”

Sameer gaped at his sister, and Naina started laughing. Preeti demanded, “chaliye… ab jaldi se jeb khaali kijiye. Poore 5100 rupaye lenge hum log.”

The elders jumped in with their own point of view about the amount, the boys started arguing with the girls, and in between that Rohan sneaked out without anyone noticing. The girls weren’t ready to negotiate on the amount, Sameer and Naina just stood aside, wondering how to end this. In few minutes Rohan came back, and declared, “ab toh bina paise ke joote mil jayenge.”

All discussions stopped, and Munna asked, “woh kaise?”

“Kyunki bhabhi ke chappal mere paas hai”, Rohan declared, holding up two beige sandals.

Shefali frowned, “aisa thodi na hota hai. Dulhe ke joote churaye jaate hai, dulhan ke nahi.”

Pandit jumped into the conversation, “aisa kisi kitaab me nahi likha… ab toh joote ke badle joote… mera matlab… chappal milenge.”

The girls kept arguing, until finally Bela urged, “bachcho… ab bandh karo yeh sab… Bidaai ka mahurat nikla jaa raha hai.”

Preeti grumbled, “toh jijaji ko boliye na ke paise de de… warna nange paav hi le jaaye Naina ko.”

“Par chappal toh bhabhi ke bhi nahi hai”, Munna pointed out, “tum apni behen ko nange paav jaane dogi?”

Preeti bit her lip, confused, but Shefali said, “haan… chali jayegi woh bhi aisai… hum kam paiso me nahi maanenge. Sameer aur Naina ki prem-kahani me inte saalo se saath dete rahe toh ab itna toh haq banta hai.”

Deepika pulled Naina’s hand, “chalo bhabhi…”

Naina followed the tug, starting to step down, but Sameer held her waist, sliding his foot under her raised one, to stop her from placing her foot on the ground. She stared at her small mehndi clad feet on his wide long ones, and then looked up at him in surprise. He was frowning at his brother, “Rohan… Naina ke chappal do.”

“Par bhai…”, Rohan tried to speak up.

“Rohan…”, Sameer retorted… it was just his name… one word… but even Naina could hear the warning behind it. And it seemed so did others, because Rohan immediately came forward and placed the sandals at her feet. Sameer instructed, “pehno…”

Naina glanced at her sister, holding her gaze for a moment, and Preeti sighed, “jaane de Swati… Shefali… Yeh Naina aur Sameer ek dusre ko itni sib hi taklif nahi hone denge… de de joote.”

Sameer stared at Naina in surprise as his shoes were also placed beside hers, and she smiled, “aap bhi pehen lijiye.”

They both wore their footwear while their siblings and friends looked on dispiritedly. Sameer chuckled, “inn sabke chehre utar gaye hai Naina… ab kya kare?”

Naina smiled, “aap bataiye.”

He asked, “tumhara purse kahan gaya? Dinner me saath leke bethi thi na.”

She nodded, “jee… Preeti ko diya tha sambhalne ke liye.”

“Car me rakhwa diya hai”, Rohan informed.

Naina instructed, “leke aao na please.” The boy immediately went to fetch it, and gave it to Naina, who opened it and pulled out four red envelopes. She showed it to her sisters and friends, “yeh Sameer ne pehle se mujhe deke rakhe the, tum sabke liye… Pooja didi ka bhi hai… Unhone kaha tha joote kisike bhi paas hai, saaliyo ke haq ke paise unko mil jayenge.”

In a trance all the girls, except Pooja didi, took their envelopes, and then checked. Swati squealed, “ooohh… isme toh 2100 rupaye hai.”

“Mere me bhi”, both Preeti and Shefali informed.

Sameer smiled, “ab khush ho na? Sorry main gussa ho gaya tha… par Naina ko nange paav jaana padta toh… isiliye main bas…”

Preeti grinned, “koi baat nahi jijaji… aapke gusse ki toh saalo se aadat hai.”

Deepika looked around and suddenly asked, “mere paise kahan hai? Maine bhi toh madad ki joote churane me.”

Sameer frowned, “tum meri saali nahi ho… shaitaan ho… tumhe kuch nahi milega.”

Deepika pouted, turning to Naina with big hopeful eyes, “bhabhi…”

Naina chuckled, “tumhara gift main kal dungi… ghar pe. Theek hai?”

The girl nodded happily, and Sameer took the last envelope from Naina’s hand, passing it on to Pooja didi, who refused saying she was older than him, but upon a bit of insistence accepted it. Finally, Naina turned to her family once more, and hugged each one of them. Then Bela instructed her to pick up some rice from a dish, and not look back again as she left with Sameer. Tears leaked from Naina’s eyes as she slowly threw the rice over her head, and Chachiji caught it in her pallu. Preeti walked alongside her holding the rice dish, and Naina repeated the gesture twice more. Rohan held the car door open, and Sameer helped her sit inside. It took a few attempts as the heavy lehenga seemed to get stuck her and there, but finally she was able to sit properly and move to let him sit. Sameer slid in beside her, taking care to keep her dupatta out of the way. Munna was going to drive the car with Pandit sitting beside him. Arjun, Chachaji and Rakesh pushed the car out of gates as shagun, and then it picked up pace… Naina wanted to look back at her family, but instead squeezed her eyes shut recalling Chachiji’s words. Few more cars followed behind the decorated car of the couple.

As the sounds of shehnai died down, Naina finally opened her eyes, sniffed, and then turned to Sameer who was looking at her with understanding in his gaze. He didn’t try to console her to ask her to stop crying. Rather he simply opened his arms, and she slid towards him, leaning on his chest. When his arms closed around her that was better than any comforting words he could have offered. The car sped along, no one said anything, until Pandit broke the silence by saying, “yaar… Naina ko itna shaant kabhi nahi dekha…”

Sameer clucked his tongue, “oye… bhabhi hai teri.”

Naina chuckled as she straightened and wiped her face, “dost bhi hun… isiliye kabhi kabhi Naina chalega.”

Sameer smiled on seeing her smile, and asked, “tum theek ho?”

She nodded, querying, “kitne baje?”

He checked the watch, “1:45am.”

Maheshwari bungalow wasn’t far, and the roads were empty at this time of night, so they reached earlier than usual. Naina’s smile widened on seeing the bungalow decorated like a bride, “wow… itni sajavat. Tumne karwai?”

Sameer nodded, “haan… kisi khaas ke swagat ke liye. Achcha laga?”

“Bahot khoobsurat hai”, she replied.

Munna cheerfully informed, “aree bhabhi… andar aur achcha sajaya. Aur Sameer ka… mera matlab… aapka kamra toh humne apne haatho se sajaya hai.”

Naina and Sameer both recalled Chachiji’s words and looked at each other. Oblivious to the couple’s thoughts, Pandit added, “haan… teen din se saja rahe hai.”

That caught Naina’s attention, “teen din se?”

The three friends laughed, and Munna said, “darasal aapke ghar pe uss din raat ko…” But he was cut short by the arrival of Vishakha and several other ladies, and they descended from the car. The other cars also arrived and Rohan and Deepika joined them. Everyone went inside except the couple, who stood by the door. Vishakha did their aarti, her happiness evident in her smile, and then a kalash full of rice was placed at the doorstep. Another lady placed a big thaali of red water just a bit away from the kalash.

Vishakha instructed, “kalash ko dheere se daahine paav se andar girao aur phir paav iss thali me rakhna. Ghar me pehla kadam daaya waala hota hai.”

Naina gently tilted the kalash with her right foot, and then cautiously stepped into the thaal. Sameer caught her hand, matching his step with hers, offering her support. She stepped out of the thaali, and upon Vishakha’s instruction walked towards the puja room. Sameer kept walking with her, and looked back once to see the dainty red marks of her feet which somehow pleased him very much.

They were asked to sit down, and once again Sameer had to help her, holding her dupatta and chunari up so she could sit. Vishakha helped Naina do some puja which was rather lengthy as per Sameer. He kept checking the time, wanting to know the fate of the night. It was now almost 2:30am, and he really felt like Naina needed some rest. If he was tired then how tiring it must have been for her… Especially with those night visits twice in row… He could sleep in bit late, but he was sure she had woken up before everyone to set the room back in order. Maybe tonight wasn’t the night for them… but then, he didn’t want to be away from her, and he also didn’t want her to be sleeping on the floor.

As soon as the puja was over, the gatbandhan cloth was removed from around them and kept near the temple, and his mother informed that it was needed for some ritual tomorrow morning. He gathered some courage and asked, “sab rasme khatam.”

“Haan beta”, Vishakha replied, “aaj ke liye itna hi karenge. Jao ab kamre me.” His eyes lit up, and he stood up, helping Naina too. She seemed bit clumsy, but he knew it was because of the heavy lehenga and also she must be tired. But his hopes were squashed the next moment, as his mother said, “beta… tum jao. Naina abhi yahi rahegi… mere paas.”

He glanced at Naina, who was looking at her feet, and even he couldn’t question anything in front of so many people. And so he sighed, nodded, and then walked upstairs sadly with Munna, Pandit and Rohan. All of them trooped inside his room, and looked at the decorated room and bed listlessly. The boys had put in so much effort… And now it would all be wasted.

Sameer sat down on the love seat, unable to even say anything. He hadn’t even removed his saafa yet, and it felt like a heavy burden on his head, but still he didn’t put in any effort to get it off.

Pandit touched a strand of delicate flowers around the bed, “yaar… kya socha tha aur kya ho gaya.”

Rohan sighed, flopping down cross legged on the floor, “bhabhi ke liye itne surprises plan kare aur sab flop.”

“Koi baat nahi yaaro”, Munna said, glancing at Sameer’s sad face, “bhabhi kal toh dekh legi… Aaj hum apne yaar ka saath de dete hai.”

Pandit snickered a bit, “haan… naha toh liya saath me… ab pehli raat bhi saath rehte hai.”

Sameer sighed, “nahi… mujhe Naina ke paas jaana hoga.”

“Par bhai… wahan mummy hogi…”, Rohan stated.

Sameer shrugged, “koi bhi ho… jaunga. Kyunki maine Naina se waada kiya hai ke aaj ki raat usko akele nahi rehne dunga.”

Munna and Pandit immediately knew that if it was a promise to Naina then he would surely go. And so Pandit offered, “main thodi der me neeche jaake maahol dekhke aaunga… paani peene ke bahane.”

Munna added, “haan… aur tu neeche hoga tab hum idhar-udhar chupe rahenge taaki koi aa gaya toh kuch ishaara kar paaye.”

Rohan also chirped, “perfect plan… main kitchen se khana churaake launga sabke liye. Bhabhi ko bhi bhuk lagi hogi itni raat me… Kamre ka surprise nahi dekh paai toh kya hua, ice-cream khake celebrate toh kar hi sakte hai na.”

Sameer smiled at the enthusiasm, feeling bit cheerful himself at the support and understanding. He got up and hugged his friends, and Rohan also stood up to join them. Suddenly the door opened, and someone cleared their throat. The boys separated, turning towards the door. Vishakha was smiling, “lagta hai tum sab log bahot khush ho… Main toh soch rahi thi mera beta Naina ke bina udaas ho gaya hoga.”

Sameer frowned and started asking urgently, “aap yahan kya kar rahi ho mummy? Naina kahan hai? Usko akele chodke aa gaye aap? Use darr lagega… aise akele mat chodo please. Main milke aau ek baar?”

“Ohooo”, Vishakha stopped the rant, “sawaalo ki ladi bandh karo. Naina theek hai… Akele nahi hai. Mamiji aur Deepika hai saath me.”

Sameer sighed in relief, “thank God Deepika hai… woh chipke rahegi… achcha hai.”

She laughed, “haan par zyada der nahi. Tum sab logo ne kamra saja liya ya aur kuch baaki hai?”

Pandit replied, puzzled, “haan saja toh liya… par fayda kya…”

Vishakha smiled, “theek hai… toh chalo ab sab log bahar niklo… Naina aayehi yahan 10 minute me.”

The four boys blinked, and then quipped at the same time, “Kya??”

Vishakha closer her ears, grinning, “haan… aaj ki raat dosto ke saath nahi bitaai jaati.”

“Matlab… Naina…”, Sameer stammered excitedly, “Naina yahan aayegi?”

Vishakha nodded, “haan… pehli raat ko dulhan ko Ganeshji ke saamne rehna hota hai jab tak bidaai aur grihpravesh ki tithi khatam nahi hoti… Mangal tithi kehte hai use… Aur aaj yeh tithi 3 baje khatam ho jayegi. Toh bekaar me Naina neeche kyun soye. Wahan mandir me bethegi 3 baje tak, phir upar le aaungi usko.” The boys cheered, literally jumping and hugging each other. Vishakha laughed aloud again, and said, “ab neeche jao… par living room me ya garden me rehna… main bataungi Sameer kab upar aa sakta hai.”

Munna requested, “bas 1 minute mausi… mombattiya jala dete hai.”

After three minutes the boys all rushed downstairs, and Sameer paused for a moment at the base on hearing Naina’s lilting laughter. It seemed she already knew that she would be coming upstairs, and was just happily chatting with his family for the moment. He usually resented the way Deepika always clung to her, but today he was happy that his sister was with her, because he knew she would cheer her up. In few more moments he followed his friends outside, and started pacing in the garden.

Munna teased, “beth jaa yaar… warna kamre me jaane se pehle hi thak jayega.”

Sameer chuckled, “tension mat lo… itni toh energy hai mujhme.”

“Aur nahi toh kya”, Pandit grinned, “itne saalo se roz exercise karke taakat badha raha hai.”

Rohan giggled, “haan… aur practice bhi karte hai.”

The other boys turned to him, and Munna delicately asked, “practice?”

Rohan’s face flushed, as he stammered, “uhh… mera matlab… woh tak…” Sameer understood that his brother was about spill the beans of his pillow-kissing habit, and glared, “Rohan… chup…”

Pandit prodded, “tak kya?? Aage bol Rohan… Kya karta hai Sameer?”

Sameer tried to divert, “kuch nahi yaar… tum log chodo na… time batao mujhe.”

“Apni ghadi me check kar le”, Munna suggested, “Rohan jaldi bata… kya karta hai Sameer? Kaisi practice?”

Sameer shook his head, still glaring… But Rohan gathered some courage, and quickly spoke up, “bhai neend me takiye ko kiss karte hai.”

Munna and Pandit hooted with laughter, while Rohan ran for his life with Sameer in hot pursuit. Couple of minutes later when Vishakha came out, she saw the weird sight of Rohan lying face down on lawn, Sameer sitting on him and tickling him while Munna-Pandit were rolling around laughing uncontrollably. She called out, “Sameer… Rohan… Kya masti kar rahe ho dono? Ghaas pe se utho.”

Both the boys immediately stood up, springing to attention, and for a minute Sameer was amazed at the tone of his mother. It was a similar tone that sometimes Naina used with him when he was doing something wrong, or with Pralay… It was a mother’s tone to stop her kids from doing mischief, and no child in the world could disobey that tone. Sameer smiled because this was the first time he was hearing this tone from his mother, strictness laced with concern, and it wasn’t just for Rohan, but for him as well. Munna and Pandit has also stood up by now and were standing aside. Vishakha strode over to them, brushing at Rohan’s kurta, and Sameer’s sherwani alternately, “itni raat ko ghaas me masti kaun karta hai… koi keeda kaat jaata toh… Aur Sameer… tumhari sherwani ka color light hai na beta… dekho… ghutno ke wahan ghaas ke wajah se rang lag gaya.”

When his mother knelt to pat his knees, he held her shoulders and then hugged her, softly saying, “aaj tak sirf Naina se pyaar wali daant suni thi… aaj pehli baar aapse sun raha hun… Thank you Mummy… Meri shaadi ke best tohfa pata hai kya hai? Aap, Rohan aur Deepika yahan mere saath ho.”

Rohan adored his brother and mother with a smile on his face. His brother totally deserved this, and so did his mother, yet he was glad that he and Deepika were also a part of this happiness. Vishakha stroked Sameer’s back, “mere liye bhi yeh bahot khushi ke din hai…” Then she drew back, “par filhaal mujhe nahi, Naina ko tumhari zaroorat hai. Jao… Kamre me intezaar kar rahi hai woh. Ekdum khushi se khil uthi thi saari sajawat dekhke.”

Sameer grinned, and his mother added in a low voice, “maine Naina ko bhi bola hai… tumko bhi bata deti hun… Kal uthne ki koi jaldi nahi hai. Saari rasme 11 baje shuru hogi, toh araam se uthna subah. Aur beta… Naina tumse bahot pyaar karti hai yeh main jaanti hun, par phir bhi apne mayka chodke aane ka dukh har ladki ko hota hai. Uski bhwanao ka dhyan rakhna… Patni hai woh ab tumhari… Pyaar aur zimmedaari dono nibhana hoga tumhe.”

Sameer nodded, “jee Mummy… Main samajhta hun iss baat ko.”

Vishakha smiled, and then turned to the other three boys, “tum log yahan kya khade ho… jaake so jao. Thode dino tum sabke liye bhi achchi si ladki dhundi padegi, taaki tumhara dhyan rakhne wali bhi koi aa jaaye.”

The boys snickered and filed inside the house once more after thumping Sameer on his back, wishing him luck, which made him blush and Vishakha giggled. Finally when everyone went inside, Sameer took a deep breath, and looked up at the big white bungalow… One day he had sat on the swing here in lawn, and stared up at his home, thinking that this was the place where he wanted to share the first kiss with Naina… And now today… Naina was here in their home as his wife… It was their first night… The single lighted window on second floor was the light of hope and happiness for him… His Naina was waiting for him… He smiled and ambled inside, closing the main door, took a bottle of water and a chocolate bar from the fridge, and then climbed upstairs.

Thankfully there were no teasing aunties around, making things difficult for him. Maybe everyone had tired out from the dance in baraat and fallen asleep. He stood in front of the door of their room, placing his palm on it gently, just letting the feeling sink in that from tonight he would always have Naina here… This house, this room is where they would form new memories. Smiling to himself, he opened the door, and stepped inside, locking the door behind him, his gaze fixed on the woman sitting on the bed, in red lehenga. The ghunghat was hiding her face from him, and his smile widened on seeing that her toes kept curling in the bedsheet restlessly. Placing the water and chocolate on the bedside table, he parted the flowers and went around the bed to sit in-front of her. He just sat there admiring her for a minute, but then impatience kicked in and he gently lifted her ghunghat up. He eyes also lifted, meeting his, and her lips curved in the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

A loud sigh escaped his lips, relief and happiness surging inside him on seeing her. He just couldn’t think of anything to do apart from staring her, or hugging her… Something was stuck in his chest that made it difficult to draw in breath. He didn’t know about norms, he didn’t know if they would make love or not, he didn’t know anything except the need to have her in his arms. He knew she wouldn’t object, but what if she had any specific idea of first night in her mind… So he somehow managed to croak, “aage kya karna main sab bhul gaya hun Naina… Bas tumhe hug karna chahta hun.”

She chuckled, sliding her legs down, inching forward and slipped her arms around him. He immediately hugged her, tightening his hold until she was pressed to him, and buried his face against her shoulder. The embroidery on her choli and dupatta was coarse against his cheek and lips, but the bliss of holding her in his arms was just the same. “Meri Naina”, he whispered against her ear, and pressed his lips to the side of her head. She sucked in a breath at the sound of his voice, and clutched onto his sherwani tighter.

After some time they drew back, and Naina blushed at the heat she could see in his eyes. Honestly she had been feeling bit tired and extremely sleepy downstairs, but now sleep was far from her eyes. Rather they shone with anticipation as his eyes moved over her face. It really seemed as if his eyes didn’t want to move away from her face. She looked around the room, and smiled, “bahot achcha sajaya hai kamra… Aur yeh gulaab… kitne khoobsurat hai.”

He skimmed his fingers along a string of flowers beside her, “tum hi ne kaha tha na ke tumhe suhagraat ke din sirf gulaab se saja hua bed chahiye… Rajnigandha nahi.”

She chuckled, nodding, “haan… par yeh red aur pink ka combination bahot achcha lag raha hai.”

“Tumse hi seekha hai”, he informed, “tumne hamare blue love seat ke liye pink stripes wale cushion liye na… Toh usme blue aur red color hai pink ke saath. Aur hamara bedsheet bhi blue tha toh… maine socha…”

She tilted her head, “aah… mujhe laga ke pink tumhara favorite hai isiliye…”

He laughed softly, “aaj raat ke liye mera favorite sirf red… hamare pyaar ka rang.”

She blushed at this comment, and he gently brushed his knuckles along her cheek, “thakan lag rahi hai?” She glanced at him, bit her lip, and shook her head, “nahi… neeche aisa lag raha tha. Par ab nahi… bas…”

“Kya?” He prodded.

She slowly informed, “yeh gehne bahot bhaari hai.”

He chuckled, “toh utaar do… aur make-up bhi utaar lo…”

“Par…”, she hesitated for a moment, and then said, “ummm… Maa ne yeh dudh diya tha aur… mera matlab… mujhe yaad hai tumne bataya tha ke tumhe dudh pasand nahi… par suhagraat pe Pooja didi ne…”

He listened to her chatter, and smiled, understanding that she was bit nervous. And so he assured, “Naina… yeh hamari raat hai. Duniya ise kaise nibhaati hai isse mujhe koi farq nahi padta. Hum apne reeti-riwaz khud banate hai… yaad hai na tumhe?” She nodded, and he held his hand out to her, “aao… main help karta hun gehne nikaalne me aur baal kholne ke liye.”

She accepted his outstretched hand, and stood up. He guided her to the dressing table, pulling out the chair for her to sit, and then stood behind her, admiring the sight, “perfect… yahi dekha tha.”

She asked puzzled, “matlab?”

He placed his hands on her shoulders, “jis din furniture select kar rahe the uss din dressing table ka photo dekhke yahi socha the ke tum aise beth ke taiyar ho rahi hogi aur peeche khada hounga. Bas us kalpana me tumne saree pehni hui thi.”

She laughed, “koi baat nahi… kal saree pehnungi na.”

His eyes lit up, “sach… pink pehenna… matching chudi hai na.” He started to open the dresser, but she stopped him, “baad me dekh lena… pehle meri madad toh kar do… Parlor walo ne itne pins lagaye hai ke nikaalte nikaalte subah ho jayegi.”

He narrowed his eyes, staring at her head, “chinta mat karo… abhi nikaal deta hun.”

Together they pulled out whatever pins they could see, and the pallu loosened from one side, causing her hair to pull from the other side and she flinched. He immediately supported the dupatta, and then long fingers skimmed along the side of her head, finding the errant pin and pulling it out. He let the dupatta fall, his eyes roving over her nape and exposed part of her back. She started to pull out the pearly pins from the braid and bun, and he scrunched his nose, “baap re… dupatte ke andar chupa rehne ke liye itna complex hairstyle.”

She laughed, “maine bhi yahi socha tha jab bana rahe the. Par phir laga ke yeh logo ko dikhane ke liye nahi hai… dulhan jab khudko dekhe toh uske yaqeen ho ke woh khoobsurat hai isiliye hai.”

He dipped and quickly kissed the side of her head, “tum hamesha hi khoobsurat lagti ho.” The braid slipped open just then, brushing against his face and lips, and his heartbeat increased. Hurry! The thought crossed his mind, and he started to help her again. Soon her hair was open, and she shook the strands, sighing in relief. He dipped his fingers in her hair, brushing down the strands and she closed her eyes in bliss. He had never done this before; just helped her once to dry her hair, but it seemed she was really enjoying this.

She opened her eyes, gazing at her husband, and then held his hand, stopping the gentle massage, and stood up. He frowned, “kya hua?” She shook her head, smiled, and lifted her hand to flick the beads of his saafa. That was when he realized that he had totally forgotten to take it off.

“Utaarna bhool gaya”, he muttered. Before he could do it himself, she slowly lifted the saafa and placed it on the dressing table. He shook his head, as if trying to clear it, and then ruffled his hair, causing some urgent fluttering inside her body. Why was she still wearing so many things? She fumbled a bit as she tried to quickly remove her bangles. Oh why were there so many of them? He smiled on seeing her actions, and wondered if she was in a hurry too, just like him. He pushed her hair to one side, and tried to loosen the bead of her choker necklace. Her gaze met him, and he winked at her, murmuring, “dono milke karenge toh jaldi hoga.”

She nodded, carrying on with the task of removing the bangles, taking care that none of it entangled in the holy thread tied by the priest.

As the necklace loosened, she sighed once more, and then lifted her mangalsutra to slip it behind the choker necklace so that it stayed on her neck when he removed the necklace. The earrings were quick work and so was the maangtika, and he tilted her head back a bit to stare at the sindoor gracing the partition in her hair. She smiled, and he dipped to kiss her forehead.

Color tinged her cheeks, and she slowly said, “main makeup saaf kar leti hun.”

He queried, “kitna time lagega?”

“15 minutes”, she informed, and then turned to him, brushing her hands against his shoulder, “thoda sindoor lag gaya… shayad hug kiya tab.”

“Koi baat nahi”, he muttered, “main yeh utaar deta hun, kaafi heavy hai. Andar ek aur kurta hai toh chalega.”

She chuckled, “nahi bhi hota andar toh bhi chalta.” Her fingers toyed with the buttons at his chest, and she gently slipped open a couple of them, “par achcha hua hai…”

He didn’t quite understand why it was good and assumed that she was shy thinking about lovemaking. As she pulled out her kit from a bag that had been kept in the room, he observed the paraphernalia she laid out on the desk and then ignored them for the moment, thinking it was better to not waste much time in questions. He still had to show her the surprise. He removed the sherwani in quick jerky movements, flexing his shoulders and then went inside the bathroom to wash up a bit.

She tried to be as quick as possible in removing her makeup, but still it took her several rounds of wiping with the remover to get the eyeshadow and liner off. She tried reaching her back, but even though she arched, she couldn’t reach every part with the small square cotton patch. Sameer stepped out of the bathroom and looked at her curiously, “kya kar rahi ho?”

She replied in a frustrated tone, “aree peeth pe serum lagaya tha parlor walo ne par ab ponchne ke liye mera haath hi nahi pahonch raha.”

He came up behind her, “laao main kar deta hun.”

She watched in the mirror as she took the cotton from her hands, and started to gently wipe her back. Her breath hitched and she could see the color of his eyes deepen as his hand moved down her spine. After few minutes, she couldn’t take it anymore, “bas…” When he stopped, she gulped at the look in his eyes, and then stood up, “main muh dhoke aati hun.”

He stared as she moved with an astonishing speed fleeing inside the bathroom, and dropped the used cotton patch on the dresser. God… She was nervous. He could sense it. And well… so was he. He had dreamt of this since so long… They both wanted it to be perfect. But now several questions raised their head inside his brain. What if all his knowledge was useless and he couldn’t give her the pleasure? What if she didn’t like it? What if he hurt her? Should they wait? It was so late, almost morning, was it better to wait till tomorrow night? One moment she seemed to be eager, and then another moment she was so shy as if he didn’t know anything.

He sat down on the chair she had emptied, and stared at his own reflection in the mirror, and in a few minutes realized that they were too wound up in their own expectations about the night… Perfect wasn’t defined. There was no way any of them could determine what was perfect. All their talks, their kisses, their make outs, their thoughts since their Roka was influencing them tonight. Till now they had been exploring, and they knew that tonight they would find all the answers and so they were nervous about what they would find. They both needed to calm down. It was just like the day they had kissed for the first time… He needed to divert her a bit, do something to calm himself and her, and then the perfect time would automatically come. They would both know when they are ready…

An idea clicked into his mind, and he snapped his fingers… Quickly grabbing something near the desk, he slid open the balcony door and kept it outside, and then slipped back inside. In another five minutes Naina came out of the bathroom, a towel in her hand, and he smiled at her, “ab achcha lag raha hai?”

She smiled back, “haan… bas yeh pin chubh raha hai kamar pe.” She went to the dressing table once more, kept the towel on the chair, and then opened the pin at her waist, taking it off, and the dupatta slipped aside, pooling down one side of her shoulder only. He dragged in a shaky breath as he was blessed with the full view of her back, and the reflection of her bare belly in mirror. Goodness… How to take it slow? But he needed to… For her, for him, for them.

Trying to calm down his racing heart, he extended his hand to her, “tumhe kuch dikhana hai… aao mere saath.”

Puzzled she went up to him, accepting his hand, and was surprised when he closed her eyes with his other hand. What was he doing? She had just readied herself in the bathroom that no matter how nervous she was she won’t stop him from anything tonight. They had waited so long, and it had to be perfect… Anyways her nervousness was irrational. Surely everything would be alright once they kiss… Then she would forget all apprehensions and would be purely driven by the sensations he aroused in her. But now it seemed as if he wasn’t in a hurry… Had she mistaken? Didn’t she see the heat in his eyes? Then why wasn’t he kissing her already? But still… despite all these questions, in one part of her mind, she was relieved with this extra bit of time. She wanted him so much… She wanted to make love… She wanted to experience what he had promised, what she had read, what she had thought of… But she couldn’t figure out why she was nervous all of a sudden. Maybe this little bit of time would help her calm down…

He slid open the balcony door and held the curtain away, guiding her outside, and then counted up to three before removing his hand from her eyes. She slowly opened her eyes, and then gasped in delight… A single chair-swing was hanging from the ceiling, piled up comfortably with soft cushion like seat… “Jhoolaaaa”, she squealed, turning to him and blessing him with a quick tight hug, before scurrying over to the swing and walking around it, admiring it. He grinned as she tried to sit on it, but the heavy lehenga hampered her attempts. Chuckling he pulled her to him, and murmured, “aaj ispe aise nahi bethte.”

She titled her head, “toh phir kaise bethte hai?”

He smirked, shuffled her aside, and then sat on the swing. She frowned, “mujhe bethna tha… khud kyun beth gaye?”

“Idhar aao”, he muttered, pulling her, turning her around, and then held her waist, lifting her on his lap as easily as if he was lifting a child. She squirmed in surprise, and then turned sideways to look at him with wide eyes. He adjusted her position some more, and mumbled, “thoda kam hilo please.”

Her eyes widened even more and a blush tinged her cheeks. But after a moment she frowned, “jhooth mat bolo… kuch nahi hua tumhe?”

His brows furrowed, “huh? Kya matlab kuch nahi hua? Aur tumhe kaise pata?”

“Main pehle bhi tumhari god me beth chuki hun”, she informed, “mujhe… umm… pata chalta hai… Aaj nahi hua kuch.”

He scowled, “tumhe kuch pata nahi chal raha toh usme meri galti nahi hai. Iss bhari lehenge ki galti hai. Yaqeen nahi ho raha toh choonke dekh lo.”

She gasped, her cheeks flooding with color and she hid her face in her hands. He chuckled, amused at how quickly the tension had snapped between them and they had resorted to intimate talks. He was now sure that with just a bit more time, everything would be alright. Holding her to him, he kissed her hair, and then used his legs to push the swing. She peeked up, looking around as they swung back and forth, and in just a few moments she relaxed, leaning onto him, smiling.

After a minute, he softly asked, “ek aur kalpana poori karu apni?”

She didn’t know what it was, but simply nodded, enjoying the serenity he offered. Still keeping a firm hold on her, he knelt to the side, and grabbed the guitar he had placed there just few minutes ago. “Guitar”, she mumbled in surprise.

He hummed, and wrapped his arms around her, positioning the guitar on her lap, and then strummed the chords once. He explained in a low voice, “jab yeh jhoola kharida tumhe surprise dene ke liye, tab socha tha aise bethke bajaunga tumhare liye….”

She smiled, “sunao…”

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and strummed, ‘pehla pehla pyaar hai… pehli pehli baar hai…’ She felt the night vibrate with magic as the tune played. The nocturnal sounds of insects drowned, the cool air seemed to swirl around them, and her heart started to thud heavily. Unable to resist, she leaned and brushed her lips on his forehead. He stopped playing, opening his eyes in surprise, and she took the guitar from his hand, keeping it back against the wall.

“Thank you”, she wrapped her arms around his neck, “bahot khoobsurat surprise tha.” He smiled, and she further asked, “ek baat puchu? Yeh sab decoration… Munna keh raha the ke teen din se kar rahe ho… bataoge mujhe?”

He chuckled, “kya batau ab… uss din tumhare ghar pe jab suna ke tumhe sirf gulaab chahiye tab se dimag me chal raha tha ke kaise karunga, kaise sajaunga. Toh… Munna-Pandit ne sujhaav diya ke phool laake sajake dekhte hai toh pata chal jayega ke kaisa decoration achcha lagta hai. Isiliye market se phook kharidke hum roz bed sajate the… alag alag rang se, alag style se… Pandit ne kahin se toh tasveere bhi dhund nikaali thi sajavat ki… Wahi dekhke koshish karte rehte the… Par phir mehndi ke din dopahar ko… Mummy ne dekh liya. Aur… umm… mujhe chedne lagi ke main advance me taiyari kar raha hun pehli raat ki.”

She covered her mouth to muffle the sound of her laughter, and he admired her for a moment, and then suddenly felt an irresistible pull that put every cell on his body on alert mode. Her laughter usually did that to him… He tightened his hold on her, pulling her against him more firmly, and nuzzled her cheek. Her breath caught in her throat, as his lips moved over her ears, and then trailed down the side of her neck.

“Sameer….”, she breathed, her hands moving in his hair. He hummed, and she whispered, “ek aur baat puchni thi…” He didn’t reply anything, suddenly no longer interested in this question-answer session. He just wanted to kiss her… But she seemed determined, even as she gave more access to her throat, she asked, “dressing table ki photo dekhke kalpana kit hi… Toh bed dekhke kuch nahi socha?”

He drew back, surprised at her question, and searched her eyes to see what she meant. She smiled, blushed and suddenly slipped off his lap, rushing to the sliding door, but didn’t go inside. Rather she stood holding onto the open frame, her back to him… and then she turned… just her head… as if she was waiting for him… His mind jumped back to school time, when after the cricket match he had wanted to hear her confession, and she had waited just like this near the classroom window… holding onto the bars, turning her head to see him from the corner of her eye, waiting… And when he had gone to her, standing behind her, holding onto the the bars next to her hand, caging her, she had finally said those three magical words to him… And he had repeated…

Even now she was waiting just like that, and he quickly got down from the swing, moving behind her, and braced his arms on the glass door, effectively caging her… She smiled, closing her eyes… He nuzzled her hair, and then pushed the silky mass aside, baring her back to his view. His fingers stroked up and down her spine, and the leaned down whispering in her ear, “bahot kuch socha tha bed dekhke… batau?”

She shivered as he slowly undid the pin at her shoulder, and threw it aside… The heavy dupatta still stayed in place, just the silky pleats fell down her arm… He dropped a small kiss at her nape, and held the dori between his thumb and forefinger, tugging it gently, unraveling the knot. “Batau?” He asked again…

She nodded, and he slowly turned her to him, cupping her face, eyeing her lips… As he leaned and their lips finally met, they both exhaled in bliss. The kiss was soft, tender, just the beginning. He quickly drew back, and lifted her in his arms… She smiled, meeting his gaze, knowing in her heart that she was ready… He carried her to the bed, his heart thudding with the significance of the moment. She parted the flowers and he placed her gently on the sheets… She thought he would climb in too, but rather he went back, closed and locked the balcony door, making sure the curtains were covering the glass. The air-conditioner had been already turned on before he had left the room, he just checked the temperature once, and then climbed on the bed lying beside her. He supported himself on his arm, staring down at her, and she trailed her fingers along his jaw, “itna kaam kar rahe the bed pe aane se pehle ke mujhe laga sone ki taiyari kar rahe ho.”

He chuckled, “darwaza bandh nahi karunga toh… awaaz bahar jayegi. Abhi ghar me log hai…”

She blushed, waiting but he just kept looking at her… After a minute more, she asked, “aise kya dekh rahe ho kabse?”

“Ab tak yaqeen nahi ho raha ke tum yahan ho… finally… meri biwi”, he replied with awe.

She smiled, wrapping one hand around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss, making him believe in the reality. He followed her lead for a moment, letting her shape his lips, but as her tongue flicked his, he groaned, his hand roaming at her waist, and he deepened the kiss. They had kissed so many times now that they both knew how it would be, but still it felt special, the emotions raw and startling. Her body arched as he removed the dupatta from her body and threw it down. His hands roved over body possessively, his skilled fingers finding areas he had touched before, making her feel the magic all over again. Her hands moved over his back restlessly, and then she came to his chest, searching for the buttons on his beige kurta. The slippery buttons infuriated her, and she pulled her mouth away from his, frowning, “itne chote buttons kyun hai… aur kitne saare hai.”

He chuckled, holding himself still as she opened a couple of buttons, and then sat up, swiftly removing the kurta… She lifted her hand immediately to touch, but paused on seeing the vest. Another obstruction, she thought, and started to lift it out of the way. Something surged inside him at the impatience she displayed, and he pulled her up, helping her remove his vest… Immediate next moment her lips were moving over his throat, and collar bones, causing his hands to clench on her body. He stared at her blouse with unfocused eyes, and mused, ‘tailor chahe jaisa bhi tha, blouse toh achcha hi seela hai.’

Her fingers threaded between the hairs on his chest, and she tried to pull him back to bed. He halted her attempts, “ek minute… mujhe bhi dekhna hai.”

She leaned her forehead on his shoulder as he tried to undo the hooks on her choli… Thankuflly these were sturdy large hooks so he didn’t find it diffiuclt to undo them. But one more difficulty presented itself in form of a beige bra… Damn… He cursed once and then devoted himself to the task. However, his wife seemed to be extremely impatient today, because soon she was reaching back to undo the hooks herself. He swatted her hand away, muttering, “mujhe aata hai.”

She sighed, looking up at him, “theek hai… aur time lo… thodi der me subah ho jayegi… phir… kuch nahi hoga…”

His eyes widened, and he hastily handed over the task to her, still puzzled as to how it only took her a few seconds while he still couldn’t do it even in a minute. He kissed her lips again, quickly divesting her of the blouse and bra, and his hands cupped her breasts, gently kneading, as he bodily pushed her back onto the bed. She moaned and arched when his thumbs flicked her nipples, the sensation unbearably arousing. He wanted to do more… but first he needed to see here… really see her… And so he trailed down her belly, to the knot of her lehenga and picked at it until it loosened. Still continuing the kiss, he dipped his hand inside the waistline of her lehenga, and his fingers trailed the line of her panty… Were they beige too? He wondered.

She knew they were venturing down some new path as soon as he had undid the knot of her lehenga, and now she waited to see what he would do… When he touched her panties she thought he would cup her like he usually did… But after a brief hesitation, he slipped his hand inside the panty, and pressed two fingers against her, making her gasp and wrench her mouth away. She shuddered, her eyes wide in shock as she stared up at him… Was he really? Oh God… She knew it would happen tonight, but still she couldn’t help the surprised tremors that ran down her body. Neither could she help but notice that he too seemed shocked at the touch…

Sameer gazed down at his wife in open-mouthed disbelief… His fingers moved a bit down there, as if searching… and he gulped… Oh God… She had waxed there? As if just touching her for the first time wasn’t enough to send his system into a state of frenzied overdrive, she had to go ahead and give him this jolt out of the blue. He would have never expected this of her… His Naina… Goodness… The girl, who just a few months back hadn’t even known that he wanted to kiss her, was now pulling off such smooth tricks on him. He opened his mouth to ask her, but on seeing her wide eyes, he stopped himself. She seemed to be… surprised by the touch. And as soon as this registered, all he wanted was to soothe her worries.

He kissed her forehead, looking into her eyes, keeping his hand still, letting her get used to the touch and idea both. She couldn’t help the warmth that seemed to coil inside her, and remembered the ealier encounters when he had almost rubbed her to a state of restlessness. She understood that this was the same, but without any barrier, and just that thought made her shift her legs, unintentionally rubbing herself against his fingers. She whimpered, clutching onto his shoulders, and he exhaled, realizing that she was okay with the idea. He slowly moved one finger, skimming it up and down as lightly as he could, circling her entrance, his breathing accelerating at the moisture he could feel. The fleeting touches shot sparks of pleasure in her belly, causing her body to clench, and her eyes fluttered shut, his name escaping her lips in a moan.

Feeling the need to see her, he pulled his hand out, starting to tug at her lehenga, intending to remove it. She suddenly caught his wrist, stopping him, and he nearly groaned aloud. He closed his eyes briefly, dragging in deep calming breaths, and then again opened his eyes, looking at her. His voice was hoarse as he muttered, “Naina… tumko pata hai… maine samjhaya tha…”

She nodded, and stammered, “p…pata hai… par… peh…pehle tum.”

His eyes widened, and he coughed, suddenly starting to feel nervous… Did she mean that? She wanted him to strip first? She wanted to see him? He hoped it wasn’t true… He hoped she would let him continue just as right now. So he asked to make sure, “uhh… tum… tum chahti ho ke pehle main… matlab… pehle tum mujhe dekhogi?”

She nodded once more, “haan…”

Damn… He couldn’t refuse her, even though he was sure his hands had turned bit cold at this demand. It was the first time for him as well, and suddenly apprehensions clouded his mind. What if he fumbled while stripping the churidaar and fell on his face? How embarrassing would that be… What if she exclaimed “chee” and turned her face away? What if she was scared on seeing him and refused to make love? All those what ifs’ made him shudder.

Just then her soft voice called him, “Sameer…” He looked down at her and saw the concern in his eyes, “kya hua? Tumhe pasand nahi aaya maine bola toh…?”

Her hesitant voice made him realize once more how much she needed him to lead here… He had to be calm even if not confident… So he smiled, hoping it would assure her, “nahi… bas… ek minute.”

He stood up from the bed slowly, giving himself a mental pep-talk, ‘chal beta Sameer… abhi himmat mat haar… warna itne mahino ki mehnat bekar chali jayegi.’

Watching her face, he undid the knot of his churidar, and then slipped it off, a little clumsily because the bottom was so narrow. She smiled when he had to sit down to remove the fabric off his feet completely, and then kept looking with interest as he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his boxers, dragged a deep breath, and dropped them down. Her breath hitched, face flushed with color, and she covered her eyes. On seeing her blush, some of his bravado returned, because a blushing Naina meant all was well in the world. Stepping out of the white boxers, he moved to the bed, lying down beside her once more, and then drew her hands back from her face, kissing them.

He teased, “kya hua sweetheart? Itna kyun sharma rahi ho? Tum hi toh keh rahi thi… pehle tum.”

She bit her lip, still blushing and he groaned… the lip bite always made him loose control. And tonight was no different. He dipped, catching her mouth in a long hard kiss, and his hand started to work its magic on her body once more. She moaned when he kissed her throat, leaving a hot trail down her neck, and shoulders, and then reached her breasts… His tongue flicked the tip of her right breast until she moaned, and then curled around, drawing it in his mouth, suckling so hard that her breath broke. Her hands came up to fist in his hair, and she writhed on the bed restlessly, searching for more. He moved back and forth between her breasts not even giving her enough time to breathe.

“Sameerrrr”, she moaned aloud, her whole body arching, and he sat up once more. This time when he tugged at the lehenga, she lifted her hips to cooperate. A bit surprised at her immediate reaction, he drew the heavy lehenga down her legs, his mouth watering at the columns of smooth creamy flesh… Oh wow! His Naina had such shapely legs… Damn… How had he not know ever? He kept the lehenga down on the floor, and then touched her feet, slowling moving his hand up her shins and thighs, which clenched together immediately. And oh yes… the panty was matching today… beige… He tugged at it, but even though she didn’t object, it was still difficult to remove it given how tightly her thighs were clenched. He bent, dropping soft kisses on her thigh and belly, making her gasp and shudder, using his hand to part her thighs a bit… And as soon as he achieved that, he slipped the panty down. His breath caught in this throart… He couldn’t see her completely yet as she had pressed her thighs together, but whatever he could see was enough to confirm that what he had felt with his fingers was indeed right. She had waxed!

He was so lost in staring at her, that he quite forgot the time, until he heard Naina’s apprehensive voice, “Sameer…” He shook himself, and went up to her, pressing his lips to her forehead, “sorry sweetheart… tum itni khoobsurat lag rahi ho ke main kho gaya tha.”

Her eyes opened, and she looked at him, “sach?”

He grinned, “ekdum beautiful… hot… sexy…”

Her hands came up the side of his body, moving over his chest, and then she pulled him down on her, kissing him. He acquiesced readily, the blood in his veins pulsing hot at the touch of her soft body… He knew he had to keep her keyed up now; otherwise she would get time to think and may start to be nervous. So he lavished ample attention on her body, kissing every inch of skin he could find… She arched when he left a small mark on the swell of her breast, and moaned aloud when he feasted hungrily on her nipples. His fingers seemed to strum music on her body touching her at the same places repeatedly yet arousing different sensations each time. Her own hands moved over his back, her head lifting to kiss his shoulders, where she left her own mark making him hiss in painful pleasure. He needed her now… Everything inside him just seemed to scream with the need to make love to her.

Keeping his mouth busy on her body, he drew his hand down, feeling elated when her thighs parted automatically, and he touched her, rubbing the soft flesh gently, teasing the bundle of nerves until he felt her nails digging on his back. And then he slowly tried to ease on finger inside her… Her eyes flew open, and he lifted his head to look at her, gazing steadily, assuring her… He didn’t stop the exploration of his finger, mentally praying to God to not let him make any mistakes tonight… He kept repeating that he couldn’t hurt her.

She felt surprised at the penetration, it was different… not painful, but extremely unfamiliar. Yet his gaze assured her that it was alright, that this was all a part of tonight, that this would also provide her pleasure. He had no idea how long he should wait, or if he should explain to her anything in words… But soon he felt her arching up to his touch, her legs shifting, and he could feel the slippery moisture on his fingers… His breathing heavy, his heart thundering he kissed her, his finger stroking her bit faster making her moan into his mouth. And then he removed his hand, rolled over on top of her, balancing himself on his forearms.

She opened her eyes, panting for breath, surprisingly feeling bit disappointed when he removed his hand… But now on seeing him over her, desire clenched like a live wire in her belly… Yes! This was what she wanted… Him… She was ready. Her gaze moved over his face, his body, and then she lifted her head a bit to look down… This totally surprised him… He saw her eyes widen as she watched him poised between her legs.

Naina gulped… Oh dear… He was so… so… big… and… if she had felt so many different sensations just with his finger, then now… But could he even…? It seemed impossible to her… He saw the changing expressions in her eyes, the thoughtful frown on her lips, and whispered hoarsely, “Naina… tum theek ho.”

She looked into his eyes, seeing the need, the desire, the want and also the concern and apprehension… It was easy… so easy to forget that all this was new to him too. She knew it in her mind, but she also felt as if he won’t be nervous because he knew the answers to all questions. But tonight she could see a similar apprehension in his eyes… Just like her, he too must have wondered what her reaction would be on seeing him… He too must have felt nervous while stripping… He too would have felt the need of her reassuring touch and words that she desired him just as much… And yet, he was putting aside everything and focusing on her, giving her the utmost importance, addressing her concerns.

She touched his chest, feeling his heartbeats, letting him know that she wanted him… Softly she replied, “main theek hun… bas… soch rahi hun kaise hoga.”

He frowned, “maine samjhaya tha…”

She interrupted, “jaanti hun… tumne jo samjhaya yaad hai… par ab dekhke soch rahi hun ke kaise… mera matlab… uh…”

He smiled at her loss of words, but understood her question, and assured, “ho jayega… bharosa karo…”

She didn’t know how they would fit, but her heart trusted him, and the need she had for him overwhelmed every apprehension. Wrapping her arms around his neck she smiled, “bharosa hai… I love you…”

He kissed her, whispering, “I love you too”, against her lips. And shifted his legs to part her thighs further… His hand caressed down her body, stroking her once more between her legs, and then he started to guide himself inside her. It wasn’t easy… He had realized how tight she was when he had stroked her with his finger, but now it was even more difficult to enter… He kept thrusting and pulling back repeatedly, trying to ease the penetration… She moaned into the kiss, and his whole body trembled at the sensations… Finally he was lodged firmly against her, ready to push… His breath bellowed from his lungs as he broke the kiss and warned, “thoda dard hoga.”

She panted, her eyes glazed over at the stretchy feeling, “nahi ho raha.”

He shook his head, barely managing to string the words together, “ab hoga…”

She nodded, “okay.” He knew she hadn’t understood completely, but he was in no state to explain. The least he could do was try to make it as gentle as he could. So he captured her mouth in a kiss, used his hands to push her thighs wide open so that she was naturally stretched, and then pushed past her resistance with a single thrust. She arched up, a surprised sound erupting from her throat and she moved her mouth away from his, squeezing her eyes shut so tight that a tear leaked from the corner of her eye. His heart pinched at that single drop of tear, and he was almost frantic, not sure what to do. He couldn’t even withdraw from her body, afraid that he would end up hurting her more. Tears clouded his vision, and he stroked her hair, her face, hoping to provide some respite as he muttered, “bas ek minute sweetheart…”

She slowly calmed down, her breathing deep and heavy, and opened her eyes to look at him. Surprised on seeing the tears, she wiped his cheeks, and queried, “ro kyun rahe ho.”

“Kyunki tum ro rahi ho”, he sniffed.

She combed her fingers through his hair, “nahi… main nahi ro rahi.”

He immediately countered, “tumhe dard hua…”

“Ab nahi…”, she started to say, but she trailed off, her eyes rounding in wonder as she realized that he was inside her… Oh God… He was truly inside her. It was real… It actually happened… They fit… Perfectly… Just that thought made her body clench, and she gasped in surprise. His hips flexed involuntarily at the sudden clasp of her inner muscles, and he groaned, his body strung tight, and he tried to calm himself, afraid that he would embarrass himself on their first night by finishing off before she could. However, she didn’t let him calm down, as she started stoking his body, her fingers brushing over his chest, his nipples, and then lifting up to kiss his throat and shoulders. He touched his forehead to hers, gruffly asking, “tum sach me theek ho.”

She murmured something unintelligible and nibbled at his lower lip. He groaned, and pulled out a bit, thrusting hard, taking her by surprise. And her head fell back on a loud moan of pleasure. He lifted one slender leg, guiding it across his hips. Bracing himself over her, his hands framing her face, he kissed her forehead once, and started moving slowly… Her head moving back and forth in the constricted space of his hands, and her breathing was erratic. It was such a pleasure to watch her that he kept his eyes glued to her face, amazed at how responsive she was. It wasn’t long before she was lifting to his thrusts, and her other leg slid up his foot, calf, thigh, locking against his hip, as she opened fully to him… Primitive instincts ruled her body, and she let herself be guided by her desire. She wanted to touch, so she did; she wanted to arch, so she did; she wanted to kiss, so she did; she wanted to stroke, so she did. She reveled in the new sensations clouding her senses, in the way his whole being was focused on her, in the amazing feeling of fullness.

He watched his wife, somehow feeling amazed and proud at the way she had given herself completely to their lovemaking… There was nothing holding her back. She wasn’t shy with her touches or kisses… She didn’t try to suppress any sounds… She didn’t hesitate in taking his name… The pleasure was evident on her face… He increased his thrusts a bit, and in a brief amount of time she adjusted to this new pace too… His Naina was fire beneath him, burning herself in the ever longing flame of desire, and was consuming him too… He kept thrusting, each stroke pushing him into the inferno of her depths, yet he had no desire to save himself… If this burn meant he would lose himself forever into her then also he was ready… He was willing to give every bit of himself to her because he knew she would accept and treasure whatever he gave her… Naina had never held back on her love when it came to her… She had given him everything and demanded everything… And tonight too she was pulling him in, demanding, taking, and yet giving…

Her fluttering muscles clenched on him, and he instinctively grounded himself against her, rubbing in circular motions. Her back arched, breath broke, she took his name as if muttering a prayer, and then she dissolved. He stared as she convulsed beneath her, a look of sheer bliss on her face, her eyes squeezed shut as her head tilted up and back, a sheen of sweat glistening on her body, her nipples drawn tight with pleasure, her nails scoring his back and her thighs tight around his hips.

However, he couldn’t hold for long… Her pulsing muscles seemed to draw him in, snuggly fitting around him, and a long shudder ran down his spine. He started to thrust again, harder and faster, his hips working like a piston, and she let out a long sensuous sigh which made his entire body draw tight, the veins in his hands and neck stood out, and then his head reared back as he tried to control the sound of his groan, giving himself over to her. His body kept trembling for a long time at the sheer pleasure he felt as he spilled… Panting for breath, he collapsed on top of her, totally spent, his brain feeling like a mush, his body like a melted puddle. He saw gold behind his closed eyes, his mind empty of thoughts, his breathing heavy.

Naina lay beneath him, totally contented, and absolutely okay with his weight. She had no words to describe what she had felt… Maybe she needed time. It was all so new… and so… exciting. She had thought that she had felt the absolute thrill in life whenever she had sat in cable car and the cabin would jerk as it slid off the platform, and there was that sudden feeling of vertigo, and the endless distance to the earth beneath them. But now she felt that that sensation was nothing in front of what she had experienced tonight. No books could have defined it for her… No theory apt enough to tell her how she would have felt tonight… And nothing could have prepared her for the storm she was suddenly flung into by Sameer’s movements over her, inside her… And yet, she hadn’t felt afraid, or lost… He had driven her to new heights and yet his touch had kept reassuring her that he was there… It was euphoria mixed with peace… There was the pleasure, the thrill, the ecstasy and there also was the sense of completion, of fulfillment, of belonging… Yes, they belonged… they fit… it was more than perfect for her…

Sameer dragged in a deep breath and stirred, his eyes snapping open, and he tried to lift himself on his arms. But his arms shook, and he gave up once more, falling over her with a groan. He heard her chuckle, and she gently stroked his back and hair, turning her head to kiss his neck. With great difficulty he somehow managed to pull out of her, and she sighed, her breath fluttering his hair. He rolled to the lie beside her, watching her with sated, half-open eyes. A thought popped in his brain that he should ask her if she was okay, if she liked it, if she needed to go to the bathroom. But he couldn’t make his throat work to get the words out.

To his surprise it didn’t seem that she needed any words from him, because she turned, smiled at him, and then took his hand, extending his arm. She kept her head on his shoulder as if it was her personal pillow, and curled up, throwing one naked hand and leg over him, and simply proceeded to fall asleep. He was amused at this behavior… He just stopped thinking, the simple gesture from her assuring him that she was okay, and also she had liked it, because otherwise she wouldn’t have come near him… After a few minutes, he lifted the quilt up with his leg, and covered them both… Holding her to him, he watched her sleep, surprised at how she had just curled up as if this was a regular thing for her. He knew she must be tired from the wedding functions, and also from their lovemaking. Glacing at the clock he checked the time once, knowing it was morning, and right now the horizon must be lighting up. He didn’t care about the sunrise today. Extending his hand, he turned off the dim lights, and then kissed her head, thinking how was it possible to keep falling in love with her more and more… But oh he did… And he could look forward to falling a bit more in love with her everyday for many years to come… With that pleasant thought in mind, he closed his eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.