Another Bet

“Lagi shart?” His friends asked.

Sameer gulped, biting his lip, and said, “haan… lagi.”

His friends whooped and high-fived while Sameer sat down worried as to what had come upon him to place a bet like this. How would he even win it? And even if he did it was his loss… How could he win a bet of not touching Naina the whole day? Especially when just a week back they had hugged for the first time, and she had kissed his cheek too. Since then he had been after her everyday with demands of hug and kiss… Till date he had been blessed with a hug twice, but not with another kiss. His friends had teased him so badly but still he hadn’t paid attention to it at first. But today had been the worst because he had been hugging his pillow in sleep, and when his friends had entered inside to wake him up, he had murmured in his sleep, “Naina sone do na.”

And that was it… His friends had pulled and pushed rudely waking him from sleep, and then had constantly teased him about how he used to call Naina behenji in school and now everyday he would follow her around until she agreed for a hug. They told him how he was putty in Naina’s hands, doing whatever she wished, and feared her anger or masterni mode too much. They said, “Nainital ka sher Ahmedabad me aake bheegi billi ban gaya.”

Annoyed with the early morning taunts, he had declared, “chup karo dono… kya subah subah Naina ki rat laga rakhi hai tum dono ne. Main koi usse darta nahi hun… Aur naa hi usko hug ya kiss karneko mara jaa raha hun.”

Pandit had smirked, “achcha… toh roz college me kya karta hai?”

Munna mimicked him, “Naina… please ek hug…”

“Woh toh Naina bhi chahti hai isiliye”, Sameer informed, “woh mujhse hug maangegi toh achcha nahi dikhega na.”

Pandit chuckled, “iska matlab… tujhe man nahi hota?”

Sameer sighed, “yaar woh meri girlfriend hai… man kaise nahi hoga… par roz roz zaroori nahi hai.”

His friends had thought for a minute, and then Munna said, “achcha… chal maan li teri baat… par saabit karke dikha.”

Puzzled Sameer queried, “saabit kaise karu?”

Pandit crossed his arms, “aaj ka pura din tu naa Naina ke zyada paas jayega, naa hi usko hug ke liye bolega, aur naa hi usko hug karega, aur hug ke aage toh bilkul nahi…”

Munna agreed, “haan… aur agar tune isme se kuch bhi kiya toh hum tujhe poore college me bheegi billi bulayenge.”

Sameer had been horrified, “kya? Tum log pagal ho kya? Main uske paas nahi jaunga… aise kaise ho sakta hai. Naina maar daalegi mujhe.”

“Dekh Chenu”, Pandit chortled, “yeh toh abhi se hi bheegi billi ban gaya hai.”

Munna also chuckled, “dekh raha hun Ponga… Yeh toh Naina devi ka bhakt ban chuka hai… Isse kuch nahi hoga.”

Sameer tried to explain, “samjha karo na yaar… yeh mumkin nahi hai.”

But his friends had continued pestering him and teasing him until he had agreed for the bet. And now he sat on the bed clasping his head, wondering what had he gotten himself into. How would he even do such a thing? And Naina would kill him if she got to know of this bet…

He decided he won’t go to college… fake illness… But his friends were ready for that excuse and determinedly pushed him inside the bathroom to get ready. When he locked himself in the bathroom, his friends played a trick on him. Pandit had recorded several sounds that they were using in their upcoming college play, and now he used that to play a sound of phone ring, and then Munna picked up his phone pretending it was Naina’s call. Sameer immediately stumbled out of the bathroom, wrapped in just a towel, “Naina ka phone hai! Laa mujhe de… abhi kyun phone kiya…”

It was only when his friends started laughing that he understood it was a trick to get him out of the bathroom, and how badly he had fallen for it. Dammit… Sulking at his friends, he got ready for college, and then went downstairs for breakfast. He couldn’t even eat much though Poonam Bhabhi had prepared his favorite alu-parathas. The whole drive to college was spent in instructions from his friends about what all he wasn’t allowed to do in college.

“Aur college me jaake koi bimaari ka natak mat karna”, Pandit instructed.

Sameer grumbled, “woh toh waise bhi nahi karunga, warna Naina ko tension hoga.”

His friends chuckled at this which annoyed him. He kept thinking how to avoid the already placed bet. He wished that the college would be so busy today that they don’t even have time to talk properly. Maybe there could be some problem with the drama, or maybe some surprise tests which would send Naina in panic mode. But then… if there were surprise tests then also Naina would cling on to his arm, her nails digging in as she bit her lip while waiting for the results. He sighed loudly… It seemed like short of an apocalypse which might cause them to be away from each other there was no way for him to not touch Naina, or for her to not touch him.

To make matters worse when they reached the college he discovered Naina was dressed in his favorite pink top and blue jeans. He groaned aloud, turning to bang his forehead on the top of his car, muttering, “yeh maine kya kar diya?”

His friends snickered near him, and then he heard Naina’s voice from behind, “Sameer… apna sar kyun peet rahe ho?”

He stiffened, turning to look at her, “uhh… sar-dard ho raha hai isiliye.”

Concern immediately clouded her eyes, “sar-dard? Kyun? Neend nahi hui theek se? Chai pee thi subah ko? Dikhao zara…”

As she extended her hand to touch his forehead, he leaned further back on the car, “aah… nahi… chai… good idea… main chai peeke aata hun.”

Leaving her puzzled he ran off from there towards the cafeteria. She asked his friends, “ise kya hua?”

Munna shrugged, “pata nahi… utha hai tab se ajeeb harkate kar raha hai.”

Naina pursed her lips in determination, “main dekhke aati hun.” Munna and Pandit high-fived, as they were sure Sameer would lose the bet. The remaining girls asked them what they were up to and they gleefully explained the bet. Preeti muttered, “jijaji toh gaye… haar gaye to tum log mazak udaoge, aur jeet gaye toh Naina sazaa degi.”

Kamya giggled, “achcha idea hai… mazaa aayega poore din. Waise bhi college me bore hote hai.”

Meanwhile inside the canteen Sameer had just sat down with a cup of tea when Naina slid in the chair beside him. He looked up in surprise, but as his eyes met hers he smiled automatically. She was looking so beautiful. She always did, especially in pink. But this particular top was his favorite because first she had bought it especially on his request, and second it highlighted her figure so perfectly that it made him ache whenever he saw her in it. And today was no different… As if in a trance he raised his hand to touch her face, and her worried expressions eased, her lips curving in a smile. But just before his fingers could graze her skin, their friends trooped inside chattering loudly and he jerked out of the daze.

He saw Munna and Pandit eyeing them, and he immediately stood up, scooting away from Naina. Once again puzzled, she asked, “Sameer kya hua tumko? Aisa ajeeb bartaav kyun kar rahe ho?”

He fumbled a bit, and replied, “umm… kuch nahi hua… main uss side bethta hun.”

To her extreme confusion Sameer sat down in the chair opposite to her, and when she was about to get up to move to the chair next to him, he pulled Munna down on one side and Pandit on other. That was so strange, she thought. Why was he behaving like this? However, she didn’t get time to contemplate as the bell rang indicating beginning of classes. Usually while walking to the classroom Sameer would hold her hand, using the rush of students as cover. But today he walked ahead, keeping his arm on Pandit’s shoulder. Naina stared at his back, wondering what was wrong with him. They hadn’t even had a quarrel or anything, then why was he staying away from her?

As classes started she kept looking at him often but he determinedly avoided her eyes, pretending to be engrossed in the class. There were no smiles, no winks, no tapping on cheek or lips demanding a kiss. Disturbed by all this she couldn’t pay attention to the lectures. In the fourth lecture, the professor asked a question to Naina, but she was so lost that she didn’t even hear. Instead her heart started to beat fast when Sameer suddenly looked at her, and she smiled… But he didn’t return her smile, rather he frowned.

“Naina”, the professor’s voice rang out, “sawaal ka jawab do.”

Frightened Naina stood up, and blurted, “sorry sir… maine sawaal nahi suna.”

The professor was angry, “yeh dekho… hamare college ki toppers me se ek… Aur sawaal nahi suna. Dhyan kaha tha Naina?” Helplessly she looked down, as the professor continued, “dekh raha hun aaj padhai se zyada dhyan ladko pe hai tumhara. Sameer ko ghurne college aati ho ya padhai karne?”

She gasped in mortification as the other students started giggling. Sameer looked around, not liking what was happening. He glanced at Naina hoping she would look at him once more, and he could assure her. But the professor instructed her, “get out from the class. Bahar jaake khadi raho.”

Her face fell, as she closed her books and moved out of the class amid snickers and tittering. Sameer glared at his friends, furiously whispering, “dekh liya nateeja tumhari shart ka?”

Pandit shrugged, “Naina ko isse pehle bhi class ke bahar nikala gaya hai… College me yeh sab hota rehta hai, koi badi baat nahi hai.”

As soon as the class ended, Sameer rushed outside to check on her, and found her sitting on the parapet in-front of the classroom. He stood in-front of her, and asked, “tum theek ho?”

Her eyes narrowed in anger as she looked up at him, “nahi… tum pehle batao tumhe kya hua hai? Subah se naa theek se baat kar rahe ho aur naa hi…” Her voice lowered as she said, “aur naa hi mera haath pakad rahe ho.”

He sat down a little away from her, which again puzzled her, but their friends had also trooped out so she didn’t ask anything. Slowly he said, “mujhe kuch nahi hua Naina… Bas ek choti si baat hai. I promise jaldi sab pehle jaisa ho jayega.”

“Iska matlab aaj kuch gadbad hai”, she caught on to his words, “kya problem hai?”

He shook his head resolutely, “kuch bhi nahi… mera matlab… tumhare kaam ka nahi hai.”

Her expressions turned furious and anger sparked in her eyes, “theek hai… toh raho tum akele… main jaa rahi hun ghar.”

“Par Naina college…”, Preeti immediately countered. Naina didn’t let her finish, “bhaad me gaya college aur bhaad me gaya aisa boyfriend jo mujhse sab share nahi karta.”

Sameer gaped at her, “Naina yeh kya bol rahi ho? Itni si baat ke liye…”

She turned, hands on hips and he gulped on seeing her angry mode. As she advanced on him, he shrank back to the wall, “kya kaha tumne? Itni si baat? Mujhse itni problem hai toh aaj se main tumhari girlfriend nahi.”

All their friends exclaimed in shock, “kya?”

Sameer was in such a state that he couldn’t even respond. And to add to his shock, Naina suddenly called, “Sunaina… yahan aao na.” As the girl came over, Naina smiled at her, “tumhe Sameer bahot pasand hai na… Aaj mera aur Sameer ka break-up ho raha hai… Tum rakh lo isko.”

Sunaina shrieked, “kya? Sach me… oh wow.”

Naina smiled extra sweetly at Sameer and then went inside the class to get her bag. Her heart thumped because this was a gamble she was sure would work. Surely enough there were sounds from outside as Sunaina exclaimed, “Sameer tumne suna… wow, mujhe pata nahi tha ke tum break-up kar rahe ho uss Naina se. Ab tum mere.”

Sameer stood up, “tum pagal ho kya? Main koi cheez nahi hun jo kal tak Naina ka tha aur aaj tumhara. Naina ne sab sirf gusse me bola hai… main usko mana lunga.” He turned to his friends, “aur tum dono dhyan se sunlo… agar iss bewakuf si harkat ke wajah se mera aur Naina ka jhagda hua na toh itna peetunga tum dono ko…”

Naina slung the bag over her shoulder and walked out of the classroom. Sameer immediately stepped beside her, cajoling, “Naina… suno na… itna gussa mat karo… Itni badi baat bhi nahi hai.”

She kept walking determinedly, pushing his limits because he still hadn’t caught her hand. He kept on talking trying to pacify her but it was no use. In his troubled state he didn’t even notice that she hadn’t gone out of college but rather taken a turn that would lead them to a bunch of empty classrooms. As soon as they were out of sight and hearing range of others, Naina stopped, turning to stare at him. He stopped too, panting, his back towards the classroom as he explained, “please Naina… trust me… sab theek ho jayega.”

She smiled at him, making him sigh in relief, but before he could say anything further she pushed him hard. He shrieked, and stumbled backwards through the classroom door, and landed on the floor with a thud. “Ow”, he screamed, sitting up to rub his back, “itni zor se dhakka kyun diya… laga mujhe.”

Naina didn’t reply, and he looked up to see her locking the door. His heart beat faster, his throat dry as she turned around and stared at him. He thought she would come to him, but she kept her bag on a desk and leaned on the wall, cool as a cucumber, waiting… for what? Cautiously he sat up making sure her hands were empty and she wasn’t suddenly going to throw things at him. After a minute he managed to croak, “Naina…”

She stopped him with a raised hand, and asked, “tumhe mujhse break-up karna hai?”

His eyes widened, “nahii…”

“Sunaina pasand hai?” she further asked.

He shook his head, “nahi… Naina tum kya…”

She interrupted, “phir iska matlab maine tumko kiss kar liya hai toh ab tumhe mujhme koi interest nahi hai.”

He gasped, “yeh kaisi baate kar rahi ho?”

She snapped, “toh phir problem kya hai? Poore din mere aage-peeche ghumte ho ek hug ke liye… Mujhe pareshan karte ho… Mujhe aankh maarte ho… Aur aaj… aaj naa toh mujhse baat ki theek se, aur naa hi mujhpe dhyan de rahe ho… Mujhse dur bhaag rahe ho…”

He stood up from the floor, still rubbing his back, “Naina… please… aisi koi baat nahi hai…”

She sighed, her eyes tearing up, “theek hai… mat batao… bas itna bata do ke mujhse koi galti hui hai? Tumhe mujhse itni baar hug maangna padta hai isiliye gussa ho?”

He moved towards her, forgetting the bet and everything else, and quickly cupped her face, “Naina… please… rone jaisi koi baat nahi hai… choti si baat thi.” He glanced at his own hands, on her cheek and sighed, “aur ab woh bhi nahi rahi.”

She looked at him, “konsi baat? Aisi kya baat hai jo tumhe mujhse door rakh rahi hai… Woh bhi aaj ke din… Tumne dhyan bhi nahi diya ke maine tumhare liye khaas yeh top pehna.”

He blinked and cautiously asked, “aaj ke din?”

Some of the anger returned in her eyes, “tum bhool gaye? Aise kaise bhool sakte ho…”

Irritated, she tried to pull back from him, but he caught her hand, “Naina… ruko… yaad toh karne do…” She paused, a lone tear leaking from her eye, and his heart ached as he quickly tried to recall what was so special. The date… What was so special? It took only less than a minute to recall, and he slapped his forehead. Glancing at her, he apologized, “I am sorry Naina… main sach me bhul gaya tha.”

She sniffed, “isiliye na kyunki ab naa toh yeh din khaas hai aur naa hi main.”

He tugged her to him, and wrapped his arms around her, “tum meri zindagi me sabse zyada khaas ho Naina. Aur aaj ka din bhi khaas hai kyunki aaj hi hum pehli baar mile the…”

She didn’t hug him back, “toh phir tum mujhse dur kyun bhaag rahe the aaj?”

“Munna aur Pandit ke wajah se”, he sighed and informed her about the happenings of the morning. He explained, “mujhe shart nahi lagani thi, par jab unn logo ne itna cheda, kaha main tumse darta hun toh maine bhi…”

She pulled back from his arms, “shart? Phir se?”

“I am sorry”, he held his own ears, “please maaf kar do. Par woh log keh rahe the main bheegi billi ban gaya hun.”

Her eyes narrowed dangerously making him gulp, and he thought now she would hit him… Yahan toh koi bachane wala bhi nahi hai yaar. He almost backed away two steps in fear, cursing the moment he had placed the bet even after knowing how much she hated the word. However, suddenly she smiled, “toh yeh baat thi…”

He blinked, puzzled, staring at her smile, “uhh… kya…”

Her smile widened, “kitne papad belne pade tumse ugalvaane ke liye. Bechari Sunaina… uski ummeede tut jayegi phirse.”

“Naina… tum…”, he muttered puzzled.

She crossed her arms and informed, “maine class me dekha tha ke tumhare aur Munna-Pandit ke beech me kuch ishaare chal rahe hai. Tabhi samajh gai thi ke kuch toh khichdi pak rahi hai. Isiliye jab sir ne mujhe class se bahar nikaal diya, maine socha tumse baat ugalvaane ke liye thoda toh darana padega. Aur maine woh sab bola tumko… Mujhe pata tha tum mere peeche peeche aaoge, isiliye college se bahar nikalneke jagah main tumhe yahan le aai.”

He gaped at her, “matlab woh gussa, aur yeh sab jo tumne abhi kaha… sab natak tha.”

She glanced away from him, “gussa natak tha… par… darr sach me tha… mujhe wakai laga ke shayad main kiss aur hug ke liye itna mana karti hun isiliye tum… darr gai ke shayad ab main tumhe pasand nahi… warna mujhe iss top me dekhke bhi tum nazre churao aisa kabhi ho hi nahi sakta.”

He moved towards her, and leaned down to come to her eye level, “tumhare liye mera pyaar kabhi kam ho jaaye yeh ho nahi sakta… mera interest tumhare alawa kisi aur me ho yeh ho nahi sakta… Main hazaar taarekhe bhul sakta hun, par tumhari aankhon me dekhke khudko bhulna kabhi nahi bhul sakta. I love you Naina… Sirf tum… Hamesha tum…”

She blushed, “matlab… sirf shart ke liye tum aise dur reh rahe the.”

He nodded, “haan… kyunki tumhare kareeb hota hun toh tumko touch kare bina nahi reh paata. Aur… upar se yeh top… iska asar tum bhi nahi jaanti.”

She bit her lip, and queried, “kaisa asar?”

He took her hands in his, and slowly lifted them up to his mouth, dropping soft kisses on the back of both palms while holding her gaze all the time. The increase in her breathing and the way she shivered was not missed by him. Straightening up, he towered over her, and inched forward, still holding her hands in a firm grip. She looked up at him, and stepped backward as he kept advancing on her, excitement and apprehension both raging through her nerves. Soon her back touched the wall, and he held her hands against the wall too… She gasped, trying to move her hands, but his hold was tight. The position should have scared her, but she wasn’t afraid of him… Not even a bit… She knew that if she asked he would leave her… She trusted him completely… And that gave her the courage to stay silent even when he leaned down again.

Looking into her eyes, he asked, “batau kaisa asar hota hai?”

She stared at him, mesmerized by the glitter in his eyes, her breathing fast. She wanted to say yes! But the words wouldn’t leave her mouth. He waited for a moment more, and then smiled, inching forward he brushed his lips against her forehead. Her eyes closed at the soft touch, and she smiled. His voice was raspy as he asked, “aur batau?”

This time she dared enough to nod, still keeping her eyes closed. Elated he brushed petal soft kisses on her closed eyes, and once again asked, “aur?”

She shivered, swallowed her nervousness and nodded. He was surprised, but still given he had her permission, he softly kissed her on one cheek and then another, lingering for a bit because he wanted to savor this moment. Drawing back he looked at her lips, and whispered, “aur?”

He knew the answer would be no… And when she didn’t respond at all, he withdrew from her, leaving her hands. She slowly opened her eyes, and fidgeted a bit before asking, “umm… bura laga?”

He smiled, and held her hand again, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, “Naina… dedh-saal ke baad toh maine pehli baar tumhara haath pakda tha… Chaar saal baad gale mila… Toh ab kis baat ka bura manunga? Pyaar me kitna waqt lete hai woh maaine nahi rakhta, har waqt pyaar rahe sirf yeh zaroori hai. Aur hum roz haath pakde na pakde, abhi kiss kare ya shaadi ke baad, hamara pyaar kam nahi hoga.”

She grinned and then suddenly flung her arms around him, taking him by surprise. He held her, reveling in the tight hug, feeling glad he could touch her when she was dressed in his favorite top. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he said, “ouch Naina… itni zor se hug mat karo… tumne itni zor se mujhe giraya ke mujhe ab tak peeth me dard ho raha hai.”

She however didn’t fall for his trick and muttered, “achcha hua… shart lagaoge toh sazaa toh milegi.”

He looked down at her and pouted, “tum… tum bahot buri ho gai ho… pehle mujhe itna sa bhi dard hota tha toh tum kitni chinta karti thi, kitna dhyan rakhti thi… Par ab…”

She smiled and held his hand; pulling him and making him sit on a bench. He was puzzled by her action, and even more puzzled when she sat facing him on the desk, her legs by his side on the bench and looked down at him. She stared at him for a moment, and asked, “sach me laga?” He nodded, and she queried, “davai de du?”

He looked at her in confusion, but decided to go along with whatever she was doing and said, “haan.”

She lifted her hand and closed his eyes, “aankhen bandh rakhna.”

He obeyed her, and when her fingers trailed to his cheek, he smiled thinking in his mind, ‘phirse thappad padhna hai.’

However the next moment, he was astonished when she combed her fingers in his hair, and dropped a soft kiss on his forehead. He jerked, his hands lifting to hold her but only found her legs near him. Oh yes… she was sitting on the desk. She stroked her fingers on his jaw, “aur?”

He gasped in surprise by eagerly nodded, and his heart thumped when she followed what he had done and kissed his closed eyes. He eagerly waited for her to ask again, and she did, “aur?”

His hands clenched on her legs, and he nodded once more. He felt her breath first and then her lips as she brushed a kiss against his cheeks one by one. He smiled, happiness bubbling in his heart. He knew this was it, and he didn’t mind… It was so much more than he could have asked. He started to open his eyes, but stilled when she softly asked, “aur?”

He couldn’t believe it… Had he heard her right? No no… It can’t be… He had made a mistake. Once again he started to open his eyes, but she asked, “Sameer… aur?”

He gulped… No, this wasn’t a mistake. She was indeed asking this question to him. He cleared his dry throat and rasped, “haan.”

Her small fingers framed his face, lifting it up, and her thumbs rubbed his cheekbones… He waited somehow sure she won’t do anything… or maybe kiss his nose or something… Not more than that… Surely not more than that… However, his entire thought process crashed when suddenly he felt her breath and then she quickly pecked on his lips.

What. The. Hell.

He opened his eyes to see her grinning and then she quickly slipped off the desk, prepared to flee. However, he swiftly got up, grabbed her hand, pulled her back, and lightly pushed her against the wall, coming to stand behind her. She looked sideways, resting her cheek on the wall, her eyes closed, a smile on her lips. He inched closer, letting his chest touch her back, and stroked his palms down her arms, forearms, and then caught her wrists against the wall. It took him a few minutes to regain complete senses, for his brain to connect with his tongue, and he asked in a disbelieving tone, “tumne mujhe kiss kiya?”

Her breath shuddered from her mouth, as she breathed, “tumhe kya lagta hai?”

He turned her to face him, slipping a hand around her waist, and cupped her face with another hand, “iska matlab jaanti ho?”

She slowly opened her eyes to look at him, and smiled, “haan…”

He blinked in surprised, still trying to make sure, “aur tum iske liye taiyar ho?”

Her brows furrowed, and the smile disappeared as she looked at him as if he was stupid. Her tone was that of scolding him while explaining mathematics or accountancy, as she said, “maine khud tumhe kiss kiya… aur phir bhi tum yeh puch rahe ho… aur kis tarah se samjhau?”

He stared at her in shock, and then grinned goofily. She blushed, suddenly overwhelmed with her own boldness. His head dipped to her forehead, and she clutched his shirt, closing her eyes once again. He dropped feather soft kisses all over her face, and then pecked her lips just like she had done. Smiling she opened her eyes, and exclaimed, “ho gai hamari first kiss… oh nai… second… kyunki maine bhi toh tumhe kiss kiya.”

He couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped his lips, “yeh first kiss hai?”

She frowned, puzzled, “nahi hai?” He shook his head, “yeh toh kuch bhi nahi.”

“Par… kiss toh tha”, she mused in confusion. He stroked her lower lip with his thumb, and dipped once more, “kiss ise kehte hai…”

She stared at his face in fascination as he brushed his lips over hers again and again, kissed the corners of her mouth… She shivered, mesmerized by what she was feeling and also by a strange thought in her mind that his eye-lashes were incredibly long… And then he opened his mouth sipping at her lower lip, and her eyes fluttered shut, her hands moved from his shirt to his shoulders. His hands gripped her waist, pulling her to him firmly, as his mouth molded hers… His tongue teased the seams of her lips and she wondered what he was seeking. He kept on his persistent exploration, his hand wandering over her back, pressing her as close as her could. In a few moments she had to breathe and her lips parted, which was just the opportunity he was waiting for. As his tongue slipped inside, probing, she quivered at the unfamiliar sensation. Her toes curled, her heartbeat increased until her heart was banging against her ribs, and a strange heat began to warm her from inside.

The next moment he lifted his head and her eyes flew open immediately, her own dismay taking her by surprise. He panted for breath, his lips wet, locks of hair falling on his forehead, his eyes dark-brown eyes glittered, and his voice was thick with something as he asked, “aur?”

She didn’t know what she had felt but she knew that she wanted to feel it again. She was curious and his taste on her lips left her wanting more… Looking into his eyes, she licked her lips, and he made a groaning sound as if he was in pain. Her head felt dizzy, but she gatherer her courage and senses, and replied, “haan.”

Something dark and intense shone in his eyes, and a strange yearning coiled inside her. He bent to cover her mouth with his own once again, and her heart leaped in excitement. The feeling of his tongue stroking hers startled her once more, but this time she responded shyly, and felt a thrill when a shudder ran down his body and his grip on her tightened. His lips applied more pressure, and she titled her head back, opening up to his demand. Her hands wound around his neck, fingers buried in his hair at his nape, as he deepened the kiss to the extent where she forgot to breathe. The pleasure was intense, new, heady… His smell and warmth surrounded her, and she whimpered, subconsciously trying to inch closer.

Sameer felt the blazing fire of desire rage inside him, her taste increasing his hunger for more and her innocent squirming made it difficult for him to keep a check on his unruly emotions. His body was empty and aching for her, wanting everything at once, and yet the knowledge of her innocence stayed in his mind. He slowly softened the kiss, trying to keep a firm hold on his carnal desires… He could do more, he knew it… The kiss had pushed her to a limit where she would be open to explore more just to satiate the new sensations inside her. But that would be wrong… Even though they were together since so long, and he knew he was going to marry her, and he also knew that there would come a time for more… But he was also aware that the time was not now. He wanted to treasure, not plunder… And so he let his forehead touch hers, relentlessly fighting to control the urge to kiss her again.

She opened her eyes, heavy-lidded yet surprised… Her face was flushed with color, her lips pouty and slightly swollen. She blinked, drawing in a much needed breath, and her gaze moved to his lips that were still wet and a bit dark than usual… “Wow”, she softly breathed.

He smiled, lifting his head, and hugged her, “haan… wow…”

After few minutes she observed, “ise kiss kehte hai.”

He laughed softly, “haan… aur yeh thi hamari first kiss.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask when the second one would be. But she controlled herself, holding onto it, because she knew in coming days he would now demand not just for a hug but this kiss too. Instead she reminded him, “tum shart haar gaye.”

He groaned, “yaar… sab tumhari wajah se…”

She smiled up at him and asked, “yeh haar kharab thi?”

He grinned, “aisi haar mujhe roz manzoor hai.” But then he pouted, “par ab woh dono poore college ke saamne mujhe bheegi billi bolenge.”

She tilted her head thinking for a moment, and then said, “agar shart hi nahi rahegi toh koi kuch bolega bhi nahi.”

He queried, “matlab?” She asked him to lean down and whispered something in his ear. His eyes sparkled, “kaam karega yeh?” She shrugged, “koshish karte hai…”

He agreed, and after few minutes their friends who were waiting outside the canteen for them, thinking Sameer would somehow convince Naina and bring her back, were treated to a surprising sight as Sameer raced past them his expressions scared… And in half-a-minute Naina followed, her bag raised as if she was going to throw it, “ruko tum Sameer… shart lagaoge phirse… abhi dikhati hun… pehle tumhe mazaa chakhaungi aur phir tumhare dosto ko.”

The group of friends stood shocked and then quickly entered the canteen sitting on their usual table next to the window. Munna slapped his forehead, “mar gaye yaar… Ab Sameer toh pitega par Naina hume bhi nahi chodegi.”

Pandit shuddered, “hey bhagwaan… Naina devi ke prakop se bachalo humko.”

Swati twiddled her thumbs, “agar Naina ko pata chale ke hum log bhi shaamil the isme toh hum bhi bure phasenge.”

Munna said, “shart bhul jaa yaar… Sameer ko ab nahi chedenge.”

“Haan”, Pandit agreed, “Naina uske peeche use maarne daude, usse toh achcha hai Sameer uske aage-peeche ghumta rahe. Woh bhi sahi salamat rahega, aur hum bhi.”

Outside in the backyard, near the open wooden window pane, Naina stood in Sameer’s arms, hiding her face in his chest as she tried to control her giggles. Sameer held her with one hand, while clapped his mouth shut with his other hand to muffle the sound of his laughter. After few minutes when the group inside subdued and started to eat, he looked down at her, “achcha idea tha.”

She grinned, “Naina devi se sab darte hai.”

He lifted his hand, pushing the strands of her hair back, “toh… yeh log toh line pe aa gaye. Ab hum kya kare aaj? Aakhir itna khaas din hai…”

Her eyes shone, and a beatific smile curved her lips, “kahin bahar chale? Date pe…”

A quick grin flashed on his face, and hand in hand they walked out to the parking lot, ready to bunk college for the first time and celebrate their love. Sameer had placed another bet, but this time instead of pushing her far from him; it had resulted in them coming closer than before.