Kulfi Girl
Epilogue: The Days of Bliss

19 years and 23 years

He beeped the horn harder, desperate to navigate clear of the traffic that was driving him mad, and had the full potential to flop his plan. He needed to be home before her, only then he would be able to surprise her. Naina… His Naina was turning 19 today, and he had thought of surprising her with a party. Abhi was his partner in crime, helping him with the plans and arrangements. He had intended to stay at home today, but an urgent meeting had taken up most of the morning, and now he was at risk of getting delayed. If Naina reached before him his full plan would go for a toss because she was sure to come into his home, and study in his bedroom like she did every day until he came back from office. She would say that being in his room, among his things made her concentrate better as his essence was there and so she missed him less. He never argued with her logic because he loved that she spent time in his room which would soon be their room.

The traffic cleared a bit, and he sped up, reaching his home a little after 2pm. Dashing in with his bag, he almost collided with Ramdhari who was carrying a basket of flowers, and immediately he scowled, “yeh ab tak lagaye nahi? Pata hai na… poore ghar ko phoolo se sajana hai…”

Nanu laughed from the living room, “Sameer beta… aaj Naina ka janamdin hai… Tum dono ki shaadi nahi jo itne phool lagva rahe ho…”

Sameer blushed as he mumbled, “uh… Naina loves flowers… Maine socha sirf ek bouquet se achcha hoga…”

“Poora baagicha de do”, Nanu finished his sentence chuckling aloud.

Bela came out from the kitchen, “bhagwaan jhooth na bulaye damadji… rasoi ghar me bhi phool hai… saara khana kahan rahega?”

Sameer rubbed the back of his neck, loving the way he was now damadji to the Agarwals, “umm… Chachiji… aap tension mat lijiye… Catering wale jagah bana lenge. Main change kar leta hun… Naina ke aane ka waqt ho gaya hai…”

Thirty minutes later Naina rang the doorbell to her home, tired of the back-to-back lectures and her continuous headache from the loud videos they had been made to watch for marketing classes today. Add to that a girl from first year had tripped and spilled juice and chutney all over her dress in the break time, completely soiling her yellow salwar-kameez. Now all she wanted was to take a bath, change into something comfortable and then go to Sameer’s room. She could sleep there for some time, hugging his pillow and then finish her studies. It was her birthday today and Sameer had promised her a personal treat up on the terrace at night… She was looking forward to the book, sonpapdi and also a kiss. Her spirits lifted a bit, and a small smile curved her lips at the thought of kissing him… His kisses were a sinful delight, making her yearn more. She had asked him so many times that what next was there after kiss, but he had stuck to just kissing her saying that they would venture down that path when the time was right.

The door clicked open, and she lifted her head to greet Chachiji but to her surprise it was Sameer who was holding the door open with his strong arm and smiling down at her. She gasped in delight, “tum?”

His smile widened as he stepped back to give her space, and asked innocently, “haan… tum akeli kyun ho? Preeti kahan gai?”

“Usko apne saheli ke saath jaana tha kahin”, she informed, stepping in, “par tum yahan?”

He shrugged, “meri meetings khatam ho gai toh jaldi ghar aa gaya. Chachiji aur Taiji kahin bahar jaa rahi thi… kisike ghar, koi puja me… Chaabi phooldaan me rakhne wale the, par maine bola main wait kar lunga tumhara…”

She smiled, “lekin yahan kyun…? Mere gharwale bahar jaa rahe the toh main tumhare wahan aa jaati…”

He pinched her nose, “I thought you would like to freshen up and change… aur tumhari haalat se toh lag raha hai you desperately need that.”

She glanced down at herself and her cheeks reddened in mortification, “pagal ladki… aaj hi yeh hona tha…”

“Excuse me”, Sameer voiced amused, “tum meri girlfriend ko pagal bol rahi ho?”

She chuckled, “nahi… uss ladki ko jisne mujhpe yeh sab giraya… upar se marketing ke session me videos chalaye aaj, full volume pe… sir dard kar gaya.”

He patted her head affectionately, “why don’t you take a bath? Main kuch khane ko laata hun kitchen se tab tak…”

She nodded in gratitude, quickly moving to her room to freshen up. By the time she came out dressed in a light blue chikan kurta, Sameer called from outside the door, “andar aa jau?”

She frowned, opening the door for him, “puch kyun rahe ho? Main kabhi tumhare room me puchke aati hun kya…?”

He chuckled, “Kulfi Girl… tum naha rahi thi… main puche bina aa jaata toh ho sakta hai gadbad ho jaati…”

She tilted her head, “kaisi gadbad?”

“Aaj raat ko bataunga”, he promised with glittering eyes, “filhaal yeh lo…”

She glanced at the tray he was holding and once more her eyes widened, “chai…!!??”

He smiled, “haan… tumhe headache ho raha tha na… Khane me sirf parathe mile toh woh bhi garam kar liye hai.”

She took the tray from his hands, setting in on her study table, “wow… mera honewala pati toh bahot kaam ka hai… mujhe toh pata hi nahi tha ke tumhe chai banana aata hai.”

“I learned”, he informed, “Mumbai me tha tab… peeke batao kaisi bani hai.”

She took a small sip, and closed her eyes, “ummm… mazaa aa gaya… bilkul kadak hai…”

He grinned at the appreciation, “thanks…” Together they finished the parathas and chai, and then he asked, “college ka kaam zyada hai?”

She shook her head, “nahi… aaj ek naya assignment mila hai… Entrepreneurship pe… soch rahi hun kiske baare me likhu… Next week synopsis submission hai. Maine socha tha thodi der tumhare room me so jaungi, aur phir thoda padhungi.”

He hummed, reaching behind her and pulled out the hair-clip she had used to pin up her hair while bathing. Her black hair tumbled down over her shoulders, framing her face immediately softening her features, and he leaned forward for a kiss. She eagerly parted her lips now so used to kissing by him that there wasn’t even a moment of awkwardness or hesitation or shyness. His hand fisted in his hair, as he lifted her off her chair and onto his lap… Her arms wound around his neck and she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, delighting in the groan that erupted from his throat. Parting from his mouth, she smiled against his lips, “hamari first kiss…”

“I think you are forgetting”, he countered, “counting me gadbad hai…”

She chuckled, “I meant… hamari first kiss iss room me…”

He smiled, “aah… I see…”

She sifted her fingers through his hair, “meri birthday gift advance me mil sakti hai?”

“Book ghar me hai”, he muttered, “and I don’t want to go anywhere right now…”

She kissed his forehead, “neither do I… main toh thode advance classes ki baat kar rahi thi… raat ka thoda installment abhi…”

He smirked, “that I can do…”

She squealed a little as he quickly lifted her in his arms, and kept staring at him with wide eyes. He carried her to the bed… Sitting on it, he placed her down between his legs, and commanded, “turn…”

She immediately obeyed, twisting her body to look at him, and he captured her mouth once again in a soul-searing kiss, his hand on her head tilting it back for a deeper access, and his other hand gripped her waist to keep her in position. Her one hand was hooked behind his neck, grabbing onto his collar, while the other hand moved restlessly over his shoulder and chest… He lifted his mouth from her lips, leaving her gasping for breath, and asked in a husky voice, “ready?”

She wanted to ask ready for what, but before she could gather her breath to form the words he left her breathless again as his warm lips touched the nerve at her throat. “Oh”, was all the reaction she could form as he skimmed his lips over the column of her throat, moving to her shoulder and back up to her chin… She shivered when he dropped open mouthed kisses at her jaw and the scrape of teeth just below her ear made her hiss… She was wearing small pearl earrings, and her ear looked so delectable that he suckled the lobe in his mouth, along with the delicate pearl… Her involuntary moan thrilled him… The silky cloth of her dupatta obstructed his exploration, and without a thought he pulled it off her, dropping it on the bed. Her eyes snapped open, and she stopped breathing for a second at his action… Was he…?

He noticed the slight stiffness and lifted his head, “trust me Naina…”

“I do…”, she immediately replied.

He looked into her eyes and offered, “do you want to stop?”

She swallowed, “n…no… I don’t…”

He kept staring at her for a moment, and then pecked her lips once, “ghabrao mat… I promise, tum rukne ko bologi toh main turant ruk jaunga… I just want you to enjoy.”

She nodded, “wapas kiss karoge? Mujhe bahot achcha lagta hai…”

He smiled, “why don’t you start this time? Kiss me kulfi girl…”

Her tentative hands cupped his face… She had kissed him numerous times but always on his cheeks or forehead… Never had she initiated a kiss on lips… But today she wanted to do it… Sameer was waiting for the right time to move ahead, to show her more… She didn’t know what the right time was but if she developed cold feet now then he would do nothing. And she wanted to know more… to explore more of him… She pulled his face down and lifted her own head to touch her lips to his… It was just a simple touch, a gentle caress but it made him shudder, and that made her realize the effect her actions could have on him. A wave of confidence washed over her, and she parted her mouth to taste his lips…

“Oh yes”, he murmured, his breath hitching.

She moved one hand in his hair, and tilted her head, applying pressure like he always did, and he gladly opened up. Her tongue stroked his mouth, a merry dance that sent electric tingles racing down his spine. After few minutes, she lifted her head, drew in a deep breath and whispered, “I want more…”

He gasped, “more?”

She nodded a bit, and kissed his cheek, moving her lips further to his ear, down his jaw and then pressed a soft kiss on his neck… “Naina”, he whispered. She smiled against his skin, reveling in the sensual power she felt… The taste of his flesh seemed to be addictive and she couldn’t stop kissing his neck… His adam’s apple bobbed up and down, making her want to trace the movement with her tongue and she did.

Sameer groaned, her curious exploration was doing a number on his control, and he shifted his legs afraid that she would feel his hard-on and be scared. He grabbed her shoulders, “Naina… stop… abhi nahi…”

She grumbled, “karne do na…”

“Kulfi girl”, he gasped, “tumhare gharwale aa jayenge… we will be in trouble… aur main… mujhse nahi ho raha…”

She drew back a bit, her gaze clouded in confusion, “kya nahi ho raha? You… you didn’t like… I am sorry… mujhe nahi aata…”

He placed a finger on her lips, “shsh… I loved it… way too much… I just meant ke mujhse aur control nahi ho raha… tum jo kar rahi ho… if this continues… let’s just say that your dupatta won’t be the only garment lying around…” She looked surprised at his blunt declaration for a minute, and then blushed profusely, hiding her face on his shoulder. He rubbed her back trying to calm her and himself both, “I am sorry… main tumhe darana nahi chahta… I am trying…”

“I know”, she softly assured, “aur yeh jo bhi ho raha hai… I love it Sameer… I love you so much… It feels perfect… so right…”

He drew in a deep contented breath, “yeah… it does…”

She smiled, her mind flashing back to the several wonderful moments they had shared after their shagun. He had planned dinner dates for her, she had demanded pani-puri outings with him… He had, to Nanu’s surprise, even accompanied her on her morning mandir trips every week… Once while returning from college she had brought kulfi for everyone, and he had grabbed her hand, sneaking a lick for the one she was having. After that incident, she had taken up just one kulfi up on the terrace for them to share, and the last bite of the sweet malai kulfi had led to a passionate but extremely sticky kiss. That night Sameer had murmured his first fantasy to her… She had been surprised when after the kiss he had whispered that he wanted to lick drops of melted kulfi off her body. He had been horrified after that, at having lost control and said something like that… But once her surprise had worn off she hadn’t felt disgusted at the idea, rather a curiosity had taken over. Her mind had replayed his words, and she had deduced only one possible way of fulfilling his fantasy… A way her brain had been bit hesitant to accept… But he was her teacher at least in this subject, and so after another couple of days she had asked him if his fantasy meant that he would be seeing her naked… He had gulped and nodded… She had queried if that was normal… Once more he had nodded… That had been a moment of realization for her as to why movie screens blanked out or just showed two flowers apparently cuddling with each other when the suhaagraat scenes came up. Obviously they can’t show naked couples… But that had also led her on the path of thinking that even she would see Sameer without clothes… And since then odd imaginations of her hands tracing his muscular back or chest kept flashing in her mind whenever they were together. But she was too shy to voice it…

Their families, especially hers, had accepted that she would meet Sameer daily, and most of it had to do with his magic… He had worked some charms on her family that they never refused their damadji for anything. Sometimes she felt that if he asked for permission to sleep in her room he would be allowed to do that as well. He had even wanted to drop her and pick her up from college, but then after some deliberation had stated that maybe it was better to not let anyone in her college know about their relationship yet… At least until she graduated… When he had said this Naina had, for a moment, been scared again that he wanted to hide because he was not sure, but he had held her in his arms and explained that being associated with him in public can lead to several things she might not appreciate in college… Additional unnecessary attention, privileges, some teachers might be lenient on her, and possibly some students might pester her for favors. “You will have to deal with all this”, he had declared, “once you are my wife, you will be included in the happenings of business circuit. Lekin main chahta hun ke college tum normal tareeke se poora karo… Tum intelligent ho, toh agar koi teacher sirf kisi business favor ya donation ke expectation me tumhare taraf biased hoga toh tumhe achcha nahi lagega… Har waqt dusre students ke liye center of attention and gossip hona bhi tumhe pasand nahi aayega. Trust me Naina… main bhi chahta hun ke tumhe college se pick up kiya karu aur wahin se hum ghumne jaaye… But unfortunately tumhara boyfriend, fiancé, honewala pati, jo bhi kehlo, business ke wajah se popular ho chuka hai.”

That had put her mind to rest, and she had agreed with his idea. Just a week ago when their dean had announced that the famous businessman Sameer Maheshwari had decided to give a donation to college specifically on 13^th September as the day was special for him, Naina had finally understood how right Sameer’s judgement was. The teachers were grateful, the dean was ecstatic, the boys in her college were either in awe of him or jealous of his achievements, and most of the girls were almost infatuated. It irked her to hear some girls often talk about Sameer as if he was their property, spinning imaginary tales of how he had talked to them during the alumni meet or day-dreaming about meeting him again and declaring their love for him… Love – Naina almost scoffed… If only these girls knew what it was to truly love Sameer Maheshwari. Today in college assembly when the dean had announced about the donation amount, and also passed on the sweets that had arrived from Maheshwari Industries, a girl in her class had teased, “aree Naina… aaj toh tera bhi khaas din hai na… tera birthday… kahin tu aisa toh nahi soch rahi ke Sameer Maheshwari ne tere birthday ke liye yeh sab kiya hai?”

Preeti and Abhi had chortled, while Naina had tried to keep a clear expression on her face, “mujhe kuch sochne ki zaroorat nahi hai… mera birthday toh mera fiancé khaas bana dega…”

The girl had snickered, “fiancé… kabhi hume bhi milwa apne iss mangetar se… bolti rehti hai shaadi tay ho gai par naam nahi batati uss ladke ka.”

“Sirf naam kyun, graduation ceremony pe milwa dungi”, Naina promised.

Hiding in his arms, playing with the button of his shirt, she confessed, “maine apne class ki ek ladki se aaj kaha ke main apne graduation ceremony pe usko apne mangetar se milwaungi.”

He was puzzled, “kyun?”

She bit her lip, “umm… woh mujhe ched rahi thi… ke main kabhi apne mangetar ka naam nahi batati… aur puch rahi thi ke main kahin aisa toh nahi soch rahi ke famous businessman Sameer Maheshwari ne mere birthday pe specially donation diya hai.”

A chuckled rumbled in his chest, and his voice was amused, “close call, huh?”

She nodded and tilted her head back to look at his face, “tum… tum miloge na graduation ceremony pe? Maine waada kar diya tumse puche bina…”

He kissed her forehead, “tumhara waada, mera waada… main zaroor aaunga uss din aur phir sabko pata chal jayega ke Sameer Maheshwari ke liye sabse khaas kaun hai.”

She beamed up at him, and blurted, “raat kab hogi?”

He laughed, “shaam ke baad… tum apni padhai khatam karo abhi… main thodi der me aata hun ghar se… kuch laana hai wahan se… waada karo tum yahin rahogi?”

She nodded, confused, “theek hai…”

Around thirty minutes later he came back with a bag and stood at the door of her room, smiling on seeing her engrossed in a book. He loved seeing her studying… Her brows furrowing in concentration or confusion, the way her nose would scrunch if she didn’t understand something, her habit of biting her lip as she tried to memorize something, the frequent scribblings with her pencil or pen and then the same object would find its way in her mouth… He rather envied her stationery…

As if feeling his gaze on her, she turned and smiled, “aa gaye tum? Kitni der laga di…”

He had been checking on the final arrangements, but obviously he couldn’t tell her that… So he lied, “Nanu se kuch baat karne laga tha kaam ki. Tumhari padhai?”

“Aaj zyada nahi hai”, she replied, “bas assignment ka hi dekh rahi thi. Pehle maine socha tha ke tumhare baare me likhungi, lekin usme do problems hai…”

He walked over and pulled a chair to sit next to her, “what?”

She raised one finger, “first… tumhara family business hai, matlab tumne khud start nahi kiya… Toh mujhe koi start-up challenges nahi milenge. Tumne jo challenge face kiye woh bhi bade hai par alag hai… It was about you adapting to business world in a young age, not about facing difficulties in starting a firm or implementing your idea.”

He nodded, agreeing to it, and she raised another finger, continuing, “second… agar maine tumhare challenges ke baare me likha toh sabko pata chal jayega ke main tumhe bahot achche se jaanti hun… Jinn logo ne uss din hume hug karte hue dekha tha unhone maan liya tha ke it was only because we are neighbors and know each other since childhood… lekin yeh sab likhungi toh people will get to know about us, aur tumhare parents ke baare me bhi pata chal jayega… Jo mujhe pata hai tumhe pasand nahi aayega.”

He sighed, “Naina… if you really want to write then do it… agar koi hai jiske liye main apni kahani duniye ke saamne laa sakta hun toh woh tum ho… so second point ko bhool jao… Apne assignment ka decision first point pe lo… What is your objective with the project? Sirf marks ke liye kar rahi ho toh I am your best bet… Lekin main tumhe achche se jaanta hun, tum kisiki kahani saamne laana chahti ho… Sirf success nahi struggles bhi, taaki logo ko pata chale that success is not easy but also not impossible. Right?”

She smiled, “haan… isiliye mera dusra idea tha koi female pe likhne ka… Har koi kisi businessman pe likhega… I want to write on a businesswoman… aaj ke purush pradhan samaj me koi toh aurat hogi na jisne apni jagah banai ho… Business chota jo ya bada lekin uss story me zyada dum hoga… Mera matlab… I know you struggled as well, but…”

“I understand”, he assured, “and I agree… Tumhara khayal bilkul sahi hai. You should write a complete journey… Tumhe yaad hai hum peechle mahine jahan baarish me phas gaye the? Ek chota sa restaurant jahan sirf Gujarati naashta mil raha tha… Unhone bataya tha ke ab woh apne regular customers ke liye traveling packs bhi banati hi… Train aur plane ke safar me le jaane ke liye.”

Naina snapped her fingers, “haan… Kantaben… Great idea! Unhone bataya tha ke apne husband ke death ke baad unhone yeh kaam shuru kiya tha… It can be a good story.”

He smiled, “tum kaho toh kal tumhare college ke baad unse milne chalenge. Toh next week tak tum synopsis de paogi.”

She was extremely happy with the idea and his help, and flung her arms around his neck in a tight hug. He chuckled, rubbing her back, enjoying her warmth for a minute. Pulling back from her, he handed over the bag, “Naina… ek saal tum mere birthday pe mujhe mandir le gai thi… Aaj tumhare birthday pe main tumhe mandir le jaana chahta hun… Will you wear this and come with me?”

She was pleasantly surprised at his gesture. Sameer still didn’t believe much in God, but he had said he believed in her belief… And this gesture of his was so special. She peeked into the back and was even more surprised to see a blush pink designer georgette saree with a deep blue border and blouse of same color. There were also two boxes which revealed antique gold set and bangles. “Sameer”, she whispered in surprise, “yeh sab…”

“For my wife”, he softly declared, “I know tum kahogi ke yeh sab tum shaadi se pehle nahi le sakti… Lekin sirf aaj pehen toh sakti ho na… Phir ise tum mere cupboard me rakh dena apni amaanat samajke… Shaadi ke baad wapas pehenna. Par aaj khaas hai… isiliye… please…”

She couldn’t deny his request, but still hesitated, “gharwalo ne dekha toh…”

“Maine Chachaji-Chachiji se permission le li hai”, he assured.

She smiled, “toh phir main yeh zaroor pehnungi… thank you…”

He grinned, “main bhi ghar jaake taiyar hota hun… I will be back in fifteen minutes… tum araam se taiyar ho jao.”

Naina took around twenty minutes to get ready. The saree and jewelry were so pretty, and his gesture was thoughtful that even she wanted to make this occasion special. And so the girl who had never dressed up for her birthday actually spent time to brush her hair till the strands shone, applied light make-up, and also used lipstick. When she opened the door of her room, Sameer was right outside, and her eyes widened on seeing his dressed in a formal suit but with a light pink shirt that she had gifted him on his birthday.

His eyes glittered as they moved up and down her body, and he whispered, “gorgeous…” She smiled, lowering her eyes, and unable to resist he kissed softly on her cheek. She blushed and he sighed at the vision of loveliness she created. Hooking a finger beneath her chin, he tilted her head up, and looked in her eyes, “I love you kulfi girl…”

She smiled, her twinkling eyes making his heartbeats skip, “I love you too.”

He linked his fingers with hers, “chale?”

She nodded, and they locked the house, placing the key in the flower pot and sat in the car that was parked outside her home. As they drove by she looked once towards his home, thinking she spotted some movements, but that wasn’t possible… Only Nanu would be there, and given the time, he was probably watching news on television. Surely she was mistaken.

Sameer quickly drove outside the society hoping Abhi and other would arrive on time and put on the lights as planned before they were back from temple. He wanted to make this day special for her, and to an extent he had already succeeded, but the main plan was still pending. He had never thought he could love someone so much, but with her everything seemed to be possible. He felt as if he could conquer the universe if Naina just smiled at him…

The temple was busy, and he took that as an opportunity to keep her close to him all the time, enjoying the way she would shiver and blush. Standing in-front of the idol of Radha-Krishna he apologized, ‘sorry… aaj shayad Naina aapse zyada mere baare me sochegi…’

And it was true… Naina wanted to empty her mind and pray but his proximity was playing havoc with her senses. Why did he have to look so good in pink? And how could she identify his smell even when it was mixed with the fragrance of incense and other temple stuff? Maybe she should move away a bit… She tried to, but a hand wrapped around her bare waist, and a deep voice commanded in her ear, “stay with me…”

Helplessly she stood there, tightly squeezing her eyes shut, mumbling her prayer. He chuckled, shaking his head. Another helpless ten minutes later they made their way down the stairs, and he offered, “chalo… tumhari gau mata ko khilaate hai.”

She kept looking at him as he held her hand while crossing the road, and couldn’t help but ask, “aaj kya hua hai tumhe?”

He smiled, “kuch nahi… bas tumpe thoda zyada pyaar aa raha hai.”

They fed the cow, and then once more settled in the car to go back home. This time he stopped in his own driveway, and she was puzzled, “uh… Sameer… Taiji wapas aaye usse pehle mujhe change kar lena chahiye.”

He pouted, “bas thodi der aur Naina… Nanu ko toh dikha du meri hone wali biwi kitni khoobsurat lag rahi hai aaj.”

He opened the door on her side and held out his hand. Bemused, she accepted it, stepping out, and commented, “aaj kuch alag hai…”

He smiled, gesturing to the house, “udhar dekho…”

She looked to the side and gasped… Even though the sun had set there was still some evening light left, but even then she could see the strings of fairy lights hanging on the exterior walls from terrace to the floor… These weren’t there when they had left for temple. He tugged her, “come on… let’s go in…”

She accompanied him, staring at the house in wonder… The lights glittered as they stepped closer… Her eyes followed the strings down to the ground and she gasped again… Flowers… So many of them… They were arranged in clumps along both the sides of the driveway… He watched the fascination on her face with satisfaction. Before he could ring the doorbell she grabbed his hand and demanded, “Sameer… kya hai yeh sab?”

He lifted their joined hands to his lips, brushing a kiss on the back of her palm, “just a little surprise…”

She bit her lip, happiness and fear waring with each other in her eyes, “mere gharwale… papa…”

He gently squeezed her hand, “you are with me… don’t worry about anything else…”

She nodded after a minute, and he smiled reassuringly, pressing the doorbell. There were scurrying sounds inside and then the door opened to reveal a beautifully decorated hall, but before she could take it in there were a bunch of people who were screaming surprise… She instinctively inched closer to Sameer, who immediately wrapped his hand around her waist.

Her entire family was there… It didn’t matter that Tauji, Taiji and her father were standing off at the far end, at least they were there… The rest of her family wished her, hugged her… Abhi was there, teasing her as usual… She chanced a glance at her side, but Sameer was not the least bit annoyed, rather he looked on affectionately. Abhi and Sameer talked, she knew that, but she had missed the slowly growing bond here. Now when Sameer thanked Abhi for his help in planning and executing, and they hugged each other, Naina realized that a brotherly bond was being formed here… It made her happy… Sameer needed family… His own family was as good as not there, but he had his friends, he had her and Nanu, and even her family to an extent, but Abhi could be the brother he would like to have in his life.

She looked around the hall in wonder… Every inch seemed to be decorated with flowers… The fragrance of the blooms sweetened the air. Even the staircase to the terrace was decorated with flowers like a path ascending to heaven… She was sure no man would have ever done such a thing for his woman… She felt his fingers push back a strand of hair from her face, and turned to look at him. He smiled, “do you like it?”

She tilted her head, mischief dancing in her eyes, “aaj main signal pe soch rahi thi ke phool wala kyun nahi hai… ab pata chala…” He looked confused… She added teasingly, “sheher ke saare phool toh tumne kharid liye hai.”

He blushed, pressing his lips to control his sheepish smile, and mumbled, “tumhe phool pasand hai…”

“Mujhe tum bhi bahot pasand ho”, she promptly responded.

Abhi intervened, “oh hello… romantic baate baad me karna… decoration karte karte chai tak nahi pee hai… pet me chuhe kud rahe hai… cake kaato taaki khane ko mile.”

Sameer laughed, “sab kuch milega Abhi… lekin cake se pehle kuch aur hai…”

Preeti rubbed her hands, “koi nayi dish…?”

Nanu chuckled, “haan Sameer… batao kya hai… koi nayi dish ya Naina ke liye ab alag se guldasta leke aaye ho?”

Everyone laughed while Naina looked at him with question in her eyes. Sameer held her hand and took her to the table that had been set up for cutting cake. A big dish, decorated with three candles, and the empty space filled with rose petals, acted as the center piece. Taking a deep breath, Sameer knelt on one knee in-front of her causing surprised gasps across the room. Naina’s eyes had widened to the size of saucers and she stammered, “Sam…Sameer…”

He smiled, “Mumbai se aane ke baad apne confusion aur insecurity me maine bahot bewakufi ki… Jis din mujhe laga ke tum kisi aur ki ho jaogi uss din desperation me tumhe kamre me le jaake bas keh diya ke tumse shaadi karna chahta hun… Apne dil ki baat kabhi theek se kaha hi nahi… And truly, I am very bad at it… Business pitch ya presentation hota hai toh theek se bol deta hun, par propose karna aata nahi hai… Aaj try karna chahta hun…”

She shook her head, “iski koi…”

“Zaroorat nahi hai”, he interrupted, “jaanta hun… meri life me sirf ek tum hi ho jo mere kuch bina bole bhi mere dil ki baat jaan jaati ho… I know, that you know, I love you… Mujhe khudko samajh aaya usse bhi pehle tumhe pata tha aur yaqeen tha… Par aaj sabke saamne kehna chahta hun… Ms. Naina Agarwal, I love you very much… I cannot live without you, I don’t know how to live without you… I need you more than I need my next breath… And I am very thankful for today’s day… kyunki aaj hi ka woh din hai jab tumhare bhagwaan ne mere liye ek itna special insaan iss duniya me bheja tha… Isiliye main har saal yeh din celebrate karna chahta hun… Not just as your birthday…” He fumbled in his pocket for a second, and pulled out a red velvet box… Opening it he held it up in his palm for her and everyone to see the sparkling star of diamonds, and added, “I want to celebrate today as your birthday and the day we get engaged. Will you be mine kulfi girl?”

Tears spilled down the corner of her eyes, and she nodded, “yes… I am always yours…”

He grinned as bright as the sun, as he took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. She held his hand, helping him up, and hiccupped, “mere paas tumhare liye ring nahi hai…”

He chuckled, pulling out another box from his pant pocket, “here… I got it…”

She opened it to reveal a gold band, sturdy and simple, with one small solitary diamond embedded in the center… It was perfect, just like him… Taking it out, she slipped the ring on his waiting finger amid thunderous applause. He cupped her face, wiping her tears with his thumbs, and kissed her forehead. Taiji’s ‘oh bai’ could be heard above the sound of claps, but no one cared. Naina looked around the hall, at the smiling ecstatic faces… That was a first… Her birthdays had always been glum. But today everyone was smiling and happy… Sameer wrapped an arm around her shoulder and said, “ab se koi tumhare birthday pe kuch nahi bolega… har saal khushi manayenge sab saath milke…”

The things she felt couldn’t be translated into words and so she simply hugged him. He felt that he could stand like that forever with her in his arms… But soon his friends came over to wish, and when they addressed Naina as bhabhi, he grinned in delight. Nanu blessed them and so did her family. Her father was bit aloof but still he did place a blessing hand on their heads and that was enough for Naina. Ramdhari brought in the cake, and Naina felt shy having never done this kind of thing in-front of so many people. Sameer stood behind her, holding her hand and they cut the cake together.

When it was time for dinner another surprise awaited Naina in the backyard. A small buffet dinner had been set up, but the highlight was the pani-puri and kulfi stalls on either ends gracing their positions as the appetizer and dessert respectively. Naina’s mouth opened in an O and Sameer laughed knowing that no amount of diamond or jewelry would ever bring that shine in her eyes… They shared a dish of pani-puri, reminiscing their first outing when they had sneaked out of the society. Later when everyone was having dessert, Sameer leaned down and whispered in her ear, “9:30pm ho rahe hai… Raat ko 11 baje milenge chhat pe… yahi saree pehenke aata… without any jewelry…”

She gulped but nodded, and then dared to demand, “tum… uh… tum bhi yahi shirt pehenke aana… par suit jacket ke bina.”

His eyes gleamed at her words, and he smirked, “as you wish kulfi girl…”

Naina carefully removed her earrings and necklace, recalling the way he had kissed her neck and ears. As she slipped off the bangles, her eyes fell on the diamond ring, and a smile curved her lips. Sameer had truly changed her birthday forever. How had he planned all this? When did he do it? How did he get her family to agree?

She wiped the make-up off her face and then made her way to the terrace, carefully checking that everyone else was asleep. She locked the terrace door, and turned to find him… Once more today her eyes widened in surprised and she gasped… There was a thin mattress on the mat, two pillows a sheet, and the whole thing was surrounded by a string of pearly fairy lights glowing peach. The light wasn’t bright enough that other people would know there was someone, but enough for them to see each other… Something clenched inside her belly on seeing Sameer sitting on the mattress, leaning against the parapet, his long legs extended out… He was dressed in his trousers and shirt, like she had demanded, his sleeves were rolled up to reveal his forearms, and as she went closer she saw that there was an extra button open at the neck of his shirt. His hair seemed bit messy as if he had combed his fingers through them several times.

He noticed her perusal, and smiled, extending his hand out, “Naina…”

She took his hand, sitting beside him, and murmured helplessly, “you look so good.”

His smile widened, “thanks kulfi girl… you are looking pretty delicious yourself.”

She giggled, “main khana thodi na hun ke delicious bol rahe ho.”

Turning a bit towards her, he stroked his knuckles at the bare curve of her waist, “mera toh full mood hai khane ka.” Her breath hitched, her lips parting in a shuddering exhale. His eyes were fixed on her face as he softly said, “tumhari book aur sonpapdi peeche hai… du abhi?”

She shook her head, her hands lifting to his collar, “nahi… special wala gift pehle chahiye…”

He leaned towards her, his arm sliding around her waist to pull her to him, “I love you so much…”

She opened her mouth to reply, but before she could her lips were covered by his in an urgent deep kiss. She moaned in his mouth at the sensation… It was different… so different… usually he would start with soft pecks, petal like touches, but this time his tongue thrust in her mouth almost instantly as if he couldn’t wait anymore. Her entire body shuddered, and then she collapsed on his chest, her head automatically tilting back to allow him deeper access. He folded his knees and rose up a bit, towering over her, his other hand cradling the back of her skull… His teeth scraped her lower lip and she whimpered. Her hands tugged at his hair, she needed to breathe, her head felt dizzy… He obliged, moving away from her lips to her cheek, skimming to her ear to sink his teeth on her earlobe. She moaned his name, arching her back, pressing to his chest. He gathered her completely, his mouth moving over her face continuously, slowly making his way to her throat.

Oh God.

She felt her heart thud in a rapid rhythm… His weight suddenly started to feel heavier and she realized he was tilting her back on the mattress. Question popped in her brain, but she kept her mouth shut wanting to know more… “I love you”, he murmured again against the rapidly beating pulse at her throat, and then trailed small nips down the side of her neck to her shoulder… The hand in her hair moved to her arm, grabbing her wrist and lifting it to his mouth… His wet lips placed a tender kiss on the inside of her wrist, and then he nibbled gently at the same spot before soothing the sting with his tongue. She watched his sensuous mouth move up her hand to her elbow and then her arm and shoulder… His other hand explored her waist with gentle caresses, his long fingers tracing the edge of her tucked in saree… His lips trailed hot open mouthed kisses up her jaw and then he came to her lips again, softly kissing, giving her time to calm down…

“I will stop if you want me to”, he offered.

There was a brief debate in her mind, but she quickly dismissed it… This was a man she trusted with all her being, the man she would soon marry. If anyone had any right on her, it was him… And if there was anyone with whom she could be herself, it was him. She had always exerted her right on him since childhood, then why not now… She wasn’t going to let a few nervous apprehensions stop her from exploring this new freedom. Gathering courage she replied, “I don’t want to stop… but…”

He prompted, “but?”

She bit her lip for a moment and then asked, “why do you get to do everything? Why can’t I touch and kiss you?”

“Oh Naina”, his breath whooshed out of his lungs, “I would love for you to touch me… I just thought you didn’t… I mean… you might not want it now.”

She trailed her fingers along his collar, “I want it… can I… can I see you?”

He shuddered at her question, and his voice was barely audible as he said, “go ahead…”

Elated at the freedom she traced his jaw with her fingertips, moving down to his throat, the open V of his collar… He closed his eyes at the feel of her hands, and nearly groaned aloud when he felt her trembling fingers slowly slipping a button open on his shirt. One tender fingertip moved over his exposed skin, and then he felt a gentle push on his shoulder. Understanding what she needed, he rolled over on his back beside her, keeping his eyes closed so that she won’t get nervous. In just a moment, he felt the swish of her soft hair on his face as she sat beside him, hovering over his body. Her small hands fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, opening one at a time… A shudder raced down his spine and he had a vague thought of ripping all the buttons at one, or slipping off his shirt over his head quickly… But no, he couldn’t do that. He had to give her time to adjust to this relationship, to understand her own needs and sensuality. Well… so far she was doing great, but each action of hers was like a hard blow to his self-control.

She reached the last visible button, and it was then that her hands faltered. His shirt was tucked in his trousers… What should she do? He frowned at the loss of contact and was about to open his eyes, but then he realized why she had stopped. Reaching down he tugged his shirt out quickly and dropped his hand once more to the side. She glanced up at him to check if his eyes were open, but smiled on seeing them closed. It gave her a boost of courage and she quickly undid the last two buttons… She could now see his skin from the slightly parted seams… She lifted her hand, touching one fingertip at the base of his throat and slowly skimmed it down… The patch of hair was a different feeling and she stopped for a moment, moving her finger in circle to feel the silky softness that was so different from the hair on his head. She had seen hair on his arms, did they feel the same? And where else he had hair on his body? On his legs?

A slight wind fluttered his shirt, catching her attention and she swallowed… Giving herself a little peptalk, she flatted her hand on his chest and moved aside one side of his shirt… Her fingers skimmed his flat nipple and he sucked in a sudden breath. Curious at his reaction she repeated the same movement on the other side and he groaned… She was thrilled.

His chest was open to her view now… The pads of muscles leaving her mouth dry… The patch of hair of his chest was shaped like a diamond, and extended in a thin line down the center of his body to his belly, disappearing beneath the waistband of his trousers. She quickly averted her eyes from the obvious bulge she could see there, and stared at his chest again… His skin seemed to emanate some kind of dull sheen because of the fairy lights, as if he was covered with peachy sweat. Her hands moved on their own accord to touch and explore, and she relished in the feeling of his quivering muscles.

“Naina”, he groaned, unable to stop himself.

She leaned down on him, letting her body touch his, and kissed at the center of his chest, the hairs tickling against her lips. He surged up, opening his eyes, his breath catching at the sight of her dazed eyes, her open hair fluttering in the wind, her ruffled saree and parted lips. She moved her hands to his shoulders, smoothing the shirt off, sliding it down his arms and he helped her. As soon as his shirt dropped, she hugged him, pressing her face against his chest, her palms moving over his back. His muscles flexed under her touch, and he wrapped his arms around her, his head dipping to kiss her shoulder.

She felt elated… She had done it… Something that she had been fantasizing about… she had finally touched him, seen him, even kissed him… Rubbing her cheek against his chest she drew in a deep breath, inhaling his fragrance. He again tilted her back to the mattress, and she complied, wanting to see what more he would do. He kissed her neck, her shoulders… His lips moving down her body over her pallu… Barely a whisper of touch but it still made her heart race. Once he reached her stomach, he pushed the pallu up to enjoy the view and dipped to taste. Her belly quivered at each kiss, and when his tongue explored her navel she moaned grabbing onto his hair. He closed his eyes, turning his head sideways to rest his cheek on her bare skin, trying to calm his breathing… He had to stop… He couldn’t take it anymore… Her innocent exploration had left him breathless, and if he continued to kiss her like this then his hands would soon reach up to unhook her blouse and feel her breasts… He couldn’t go that way tonight, there was still time for that… Reaching up he kissed her forehead and pecked on her lips once, and then lay down beside her, pulling her in his arms sideways.

After a minute he asked, “aaj raat yahi rukogi… mere saath?”

For an answer she cuddled deeper into him, placing a kiss over his heart. He sighed in delight, grabbing the thin sheet and covering their bodies… He hadn’t been able to see or touch her as much as he wanted, but the reward was that she had gathered the courage to remove his shirt and so he could sleep like this feeling her body all along his bare skin. His erection however was a problem, and he kept shifting his legs trying not to touch her… It continued for, maybe five minutes, and then she said in a low voice, “you can stop moving… chupaane ki zaroorat nahi hai.”

He drew back, staring down at her incredulously, “what? Tumhe pata hai…?”

She shrugged, “not really… lekin maine observe kiya hai… bit hard to miss actually given you keep on moving like that all the time. I don’t know, but I guess… mere paas aane se aisa hota hai…?”

He blinked, unable to believe that she was lying in his arms discussing about his arousal in such a casual manner. Licking his lips, he tried to answer, “uh… yes… I didn’t want to scare you.”

She looked puzzled, “mujhe kyun darr lagega? It’s not like I will be hurt if I feel that… so stop hiding…”

He chuckled, amused at her sentence… Oh God… If only she knew… With time, he reassured himself. Anyways, maybe it was better if she got accustomed to the touch and feel, then maybe when the actual time would come after wedding she won’t be afraid. With that thought in mind he hugged her again, and kissed the top of her head, closing his eyes, his heart filled with peace.

19 Years and 24 Years

“I hope he likes it”, Naina mumbled, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

Preeti groaned and sat down on a stool, “are you mad? Tune itni mehnat ki hai, jijaji ko zaroor pasand aayega.”

Naina beamed at her sister, “I hope so… maine toh usko bataya bhi nahi hai. Jaise hi office se aayega main usko surprise dungi.”

Preeti nodded, “chal main naha leti hun… itni garmi ho rahi hai yahan.”

Naina cleaned the kitchen countertop, her thoughts going back to the last one year. The journey from her 19^th birthday to Sameer’s 24^th birthday was like a dream. Their wedding shopping was done with Sameer insisting on accompanying on each trip eagerly choosing sarees for Naina. She was mortified when at a tailors shop he had even tried to help her select blouse design. When he had selected a design with the back shaped like a diamond, leaving the center totally blank, she had been annoyed and asked, “tumko kya interest hai mere blouse me?” He had quirked a brow and whispered in her ear, “I will show you soon kulfi girl…”

There had been more dates – lunch, dinner, ice-cream and pani-puri outings, movies, parks, and even tea during the first rain this year. That day finally Nanu had invited a panditji to get the dates for their wedding, and at first a date in November next year had been decided. Sameer had scowled, “Naina ka college April me khatam ho jayega… Hum November tak kyun wait kare? Do saal kam the kya?”

Nanu had chuckled, “beta usse pehle sirf do mahurat hai… Ek May me jab bahot garmi hogi aur dusra July jab baarish hogi.”

Sameer had declared, “main November tak wait tabhi karunga agar Naina kahegi…”

Everyone had turned to look at her, and she had gulped. Sameer had winked at her, and then made a pleading expression. Clearing her throat Naina had said, “umm… mujhe baarish ke mausam me shaadi karni thi…”

Sameer had immediately added on, “haan… tabhi toh winters me honeymoon ho payega.”

Taiji had almost fallen off her chair with a loud “oh bai”, and everyone else had laughed out at this shameless declaration.

That night on terrace Sameer had lain on her lap and sighed, “ek saal aur hai Naina… I am finding it so difficult to control… Kabhi kabhi khudko kosta hun ke kyun maine aisa faisla liya ke tumhare graduation ke baad hi shaadi karenge.”

She had giggled, “tumhari baate sunke toh mujhe darna chahiye… pata nahi shaadi ke baad aisa kya karne wale ho… waise bhi aaj meri saheliya mujhe ched rahi thi.”

He had asked, “kis baat pe?”

She had informed, “main apne anguthi se khel rahi thi canteen me toh sabko laga main apne fiancé ko miss kar rahi hun… And then they started talking about first night after wedding.”

He had sat up to listen, “kya bola unn logo ne?”

“Aisai masti kar rahe the”, she had mumbled, blushing a bit, “ke kaise dulha aake ghunghat uthata hai… Aur dudh peena kitna zaroori hota hai… They asked me if I had kissed my fiancé… Aur ek ladki ne pucha tumhari body kaisi hai… Par phir…”

“Phir”, he had prompted.

After half-a-minute of deliberation she had confessed, “ek ladki ne kaha ke achche wale satin ke inner-wears pehenna uss din… aur dusri ladki ne kaha ke size theek se check kar lena apne fiancé ka shaadi se pehle hi taaki baad me koi complain na ho… Mujhe yeh dono baate samajh nahi aai.”

He had gulped, “umm… it’s okay…”

She had been puzzled, “tumhe bhi nahi pata? Ab kya karenge hum Sameer?” He had gaped at her, but she had continued, patting his shoulder and said, “koi baat nahi… hum na library me dekh lenge… wahan kuch information hogi… ya phir main apne kisi saheli ko hi puch lungi.”

“No don’t”, he had immediately commanded, “uh… mujhe pata hai unn logo ne aisa kyun bola…”

She had beamed, “really? Toh mujhe batao na… please…”

Astonished at her demand, he had thought for a couple of minutes before deciding that maybe he could take their relationship a step ahead. Holding her in his arms he had said, “fine… lekin aaj sirf pehla wala samjhaunga… dusra wala samajhne me time hai… okay?”

She had pouted, but then nodded, “okay… professor…”

He had chuckled and then kissed her. She had eagerly responded, but one part of her mind had wondered why he didn’t explain or answer her question. However, in between the second kiss, she had felt something different. His one hand on her waist had trailed up slowly, and then suddenly but gently closed on her right breast. She had squealed in his mouth, trying to pull back… But he had tightened his hold on her, murmuring against her mouth asking her to relax, while his other hand had continued its gentle ministrations on her breast. It had been an odd feeling logically… She hadn’t expected him to touch her like that but now that he had, she could feel a sudden heaviness in her breasts, she had felt her nipple turning hard and that had seemed to arouse him more because she had felt him shudder… His thumb had traced the engorged nub, and even though there were two layers of clothes between his thumb and her skin she had felt a burning sensation coiling inside her… Pulling back a bit, he had muttered in his low husky voice, “your friend asked you to buy satin because I will see and touch… and…”

Her voice was a breathy whisper as she had tried to picturize his words, “and…?”

“And I will kiss you there”, he had informed, “I will kiss you everywhere kulfi girl…”

She had stiffened for the briefest second at his words, but when he had kissed her neck while still kneading her breast, she had managed to imagine him kissing her on her breast the same way, in the same suckling motion, and she had moaned in delight, melting in his arms, eager to know and feel more.

A sound from outside brought her out of her erotic recollections and she blushed. She should be preparing for the evening rather than thinking about his kisses. Her entire family had gone to attend a wedding for three days leaving her and Preeti at home, as they couldn’t miss college for so many days. Nanu’s assurance that he would look after them had played a major role in this. And Naina had planned a dinner… a full-fledged dinner for Sameer… The key to that was that she had cooked everything herself. Preeti had helped with the chopping, stirring and cleaning, but Naina had been firm in not accepting any major help. She checked the time, and saw that there was an hour left for him to come home, and so she decided to take a bath and start getting ready.

As she finished dressing the telephone rang, and Naina rushed to pick it up, hoping some meeting hadn’t delayed him. It was Nanu, who seemed worried as he informed, “Naina beta… Sameer ke kuch purane dost aaye hai… College wale.”

She was puzzled, “toh? Sameer aa gaya kya office se?”

“Nahi”, Nanu replied, “Sameer toh nahi aaya… lekin yeh uske dost… ummm…. Usko surprise dene aaye hai uske birthday pe, aur use kahin bahar le jaana chahte hai.”

Her heart skipped beats, “par Nanu… Munna-Pandit ko toh pata hai na sagai ke baare me… phir bhi…”

Nanu sighed, “woh dono toh kabse koshish kar rahe hai ke sab log bas wish karke chale jaaye… Par…”

She didn’t know what to say… Sameer’s two best friends knew about them, and had been there on her birthday, the day they got engaged. But his other friends had no idea about his relationship with her. Sameer rarely ever met them, just stayed connected over phone, but this was a problem even he couldn’t have anticipated… What should she do? She realized with a heavy heart that she won’t be able to do anything… It was up to Sameer now… He would have to decide what to do… But if he went out with them, then what would happen to all the food she had cooked. Her eyes almost welled up… but then she remembered Sameer’s earlier fear about the age gap between them, and how he had said that his father had said that his mother never understood the complications of business. This wasn’t business, but it was true that Sameer had a set of friends who didn’t know about her yet… And she and Sameer had agreed to keep it that way until her graduation. The less people knew the better… If he had to go out today to keep their secret intact then so be it… She took a deep breath and decided that if he went with his friends today then she would just meet him at night, and the food she had prepped could be stored for tomorrow.

Slowly she told Nanu, “Sameer ko aane dijiye Nanu… let him decide.”

“Par beta”, he said, “tum kya karogi?”

She assured, “it’s okay Nanu… Sameer ne yeh rishta chupake rakha hai uski wajah main samajhti hun… main wait kar lungi uska.”

Sameer came home after fifteen minutes, eager to meet Naina. He hoped she was in his room, waiting for him… Today morning she had come in his room very early and woken him up with a kiss. Then he had accompanied her to the temple, and dropped her a lane away from her college on his way to office. He now wondered what she had planned for the evening… Maybe they could go out. It can’t be just the two of them as they won’t be able to leave Nanu and Preeti alone. Some family time would be fun, and then he could spend time alone with her on terrace.

He rang the doorbell, anticipating Naina to open the door with her bright smile, but to his shock it was a bunch of his friends who screamed surprise… He was confused thinking how Naina managed to call his friends… Everyone mistook his confusion for surprise and pulled him in… He stood almost numb as one-by-one they wished him, and then informed him that they wanted to surprise him and hence had come here to take him along to a party at some restaurant. Nanu was standing by the side with a small polite smile; Munna and Pandit looked on helplessly; and his own eyes moved around his home hoping for a glimpse of Naina.

A man, Praveen, the same one who had enquired about Naina in college, asked, “aree tujhe kya hua yaar? Tough day at office? Ya hamare surprise ki khushi me bolti bandh ho gai?”

Maithili, one of the three girls in his college group teased, “aree lagta hai Sameer soch raha hai isko restaurant ka bill bharna padega… Tension mat lo Sameer… Party hamari taraf se hai… Kanchi Kora me… Only the best for you…”

Sameer ignored the teasing banter, and looked at Nanu, directly asking, “woh aayi hai?”

Nanu looked tensed, “nahi… maine usko phone kiya tha.”

Akash, another of his friends queried, “kiski baat kar raha hai yaar? Hamare group ke toh sab yahin hai…”

Once more he ignored the question, and walked out of the door… His friends were puzzled, but followed him outside, not sure about his behavior. He jumped over the low partition wall, uncaring about his expensive suit, and rang the doorbell next door. Nanu stood at the doorstep, smiling, while his friends trooped outside. Munna and Pandit also smiled understanding what he was up to. Naina opened the door, dressed in a red saree and her eyes widened in shock… His mouth fell open as he looked at the blood red saree hugging her womanly curves, the glittering jhumkas in her ears, the glass bangles adorning her wrists and the twinkling bindi on her forehead… Her unbound hair fluttered a bit in the evening breeze, and his heart sighed in delight.

Preeti came up behind her, a silent spectator, waiting for her jijaji’s decision. Naina’s gaze moved from him to his friends who all looked puzzled at the sight, and she swallowed, “tum… tum yahan…”

He realized that even though Naina had dressed up for him, she was waiting for a repeat of the earlier incidents where he had introduced her as his neighbor… She was waiting for him to go out with his friends and still keep their relationship as a secret… She had prepared herself to accept his decision without any questions or fuss. He understood that even though she had instantly forgiven him each time, and never brought up those topics again, at that moment she had been extremely hurt by his behavior, and this time she was steeling herself to be brave if he took the same decision, and understand his perspective. He wanted to kick himself for his past foolishness, and at the same time he felt elated that his insecurity over the age-gap between them had been utterly futile because Naina was mature enough to understand and respect his perspectives and limitations if any… But he wasn’t ready to compromise her position in his life ever… He couldn’t do anything about past, but he could do the right thing in present.

He kept his voice steady as he asked, “mere friends mujhe bahar le jaane aaye hai… Surprise for my birthday… I was wondering… Tumne bhi toh kuch plan kiya hoga na?”

She lowered her gaze, wringing her hands in nervousness, “uh… kuch khaas nahi Sameer… bas tumhare liye thoda khana banaya tha… But it’s okay… Tum jao sabke saath, have fun… Yeh khana toh kal bhi taste kar sakte ho. Main aur Preeti Nanu ke saath kha lenge… You go and enjoy your birthday…”

He swiftly grabbed her waist, pulling her to him, and declared, “there is no fun or enjoyment without you Naina… main tumhe chodke kahin nahi jaa raha.”

She gasped, staring up at him in surprise, “par… par… tumhare dost…”

“I am not hiding my feelings anymore”, he stated, “I love you… And I want the world to know that I am yours.”

She blinked back tears of happiness and the smile that bloomed on her face was bright enough to blind him… And then she was in his arms, her hands moving over his back as she buried her face on his chest. He closed his eyes, his heart thudding in peace at having finally done right by her. From behind them, Maithili asked, “did Sameer just propose her?”

Praveen mused, “pata nahi… alumni party me hug kiya tabhi mujhe gadbad laga tha, par Sameer ne kahan yeh padosi hai.”

Pandit hopped up to sit on the parapet, “aree yeh sirf padosi nahi… bhabhi hai hamari…”

Sameer laughed parting from a blushing Naina, “thanks Pandit… baaki ka bhi tu hi announce karega?”

Munna smacked Pandit on his head, and said, “ponga hai yeh… tu isko chod…”

Sameer smiled and happily announced, “I know maine iska introduction padosi ka diya tha… Well… She is my neighbor… But… She is also the girl I love since maybe forever… She is the reason I was never interested in any other girl in college. Naina meri zindagi hai… Hamari sagai ko almost ek saal ho chuka hai, aur ek saal baad, July me hamari shaadi hai.”

There was a stunned silence and then almost all his friends crossed over the parapet, pelting questions after questions. He kept a firm hold on Naina, and said, “sab bataunga… par usse pehle… I am sorry, main bahar nahi aa sakta. Naina ne mere liye khana banaya hai, and I want to be here.”

Munna was quick to assure, “it’s okay yaar… phir kabhi hum saath khayenge.”

Sameer nodded, but Naina softly spoke up from his side, “saath toh abhi bhi kha sakte hai na… Maine sirf 5-6 logo ka khana banaya hai, lekin thoda bahar se order kar sakte hai… Aap sab Sameer ke birthday ke liye aaye hai toh celebrate kare bina kyun jayenge… I mean… if you all don’t mind ordering food and eating here…”

Maithili was the first one to speak up, “well… at least she has better manners than Sameer…”

Everyone chuckled and it was decided that they would order food from restaurant and eat in Naina’s home. Nanu also came over, and as they all trooped inside it was then that he noticed the decorations. Glittering ribbons criss-crossed on the walls, dotted with lighted paper flowers, couple of vases on shelves held fresh flowers, balloons floated up and down as they walked inside the living room. It wasn’t professional decoration, but still it was special because he knew it was done by Naina.

The doorbell rang, announcing Abhi’s arrival, and he greeted Sameer with a hug. Naina gently asked, “tumhe fresh nahi hona?”

He sighed, “haan… par sabko dekhke yeh khayal hi nahi aaya… Abhi jaake aata hun…”

“Yahin pe jao”, she replied, “main towel deti hun…”

His brows furrowed, “par kapde?”

She smiled, “bedroom me hai… aao…”

He followed her, surprised when she handed over a set of black jeans and a checkered blue shirt. “Tum leke aai”, he observed rather than asking.

She nodded, “haan… jao fresh ho lo… I am sure yeh tumpe bahot suit karega.”

By the time he came out from her room, another surprise awaited him… A round chocolate cake was placed on the table, lit with 24 candles around it in a semi-circle. Naina was standing there smiling at him, a little bit of nervousness in her eyes. He moved his gaze to the cake again, and the shaky handwriting on it made him realize that the cake hadn’t come from any shop, but rather it was made by her. Immediately he walked up to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, “thank you Naina… itna effort kabhi kisine nahi daala mere birthday pe.”

She relaxed slightly and chuckled, “khane jaisa bana ho bas…”

He closed his eyes, making a birthday wish, and then blew the candles. Picking up the knife he cut the cake and took out a small piece to feed her. But she took it from his hands feeding him first and he happily obliged, closing his lips over her fingers, his eyes shining with mischief. She blushed, pulling her hand back and he moaned, “best cake of my life.”

“Budhdhu”, she mumbled, only for his ears. He grinned and fed her the cake, and she sighed in relief… It was eatable. More pieces were cut and passed around. Later as they waited for the ordered dinner to arrive, Naina and Preeti brought some snacks to share. Munna and Pandit had gone out to bring cold-drinks for everyone. Sameer meanwhile freely answered all the questions from his friends about his and Naina’s relationship. All of them were astonished at the knowledge of how long he had been in love, and how deep their bond was that even a 2-years separation couldn’t affect it.

In an hour the food from the restaurant arrived, and Naina-Preeti heated up the food they had prepared. All of them served themselves, spreading around to sit on the floor or sofa and chairs. Nanu watched them all happily, eating the delicious food that Naina had served him. He was satisfied on seeing the happiness on Sameer’s face, and the glow of love on Naina’s face assured him that this couple would lead a very happy married life.

Later when everyone left Sameer debated whether to ask her to meet on terrace or just spend a little bit of time with her here… But Preeti… He couldn’t really ask her to leave them alone. Nanu had already gone to sleep even before his friends left. There was only thirty minutes left for his birthday to end and he desperately wanted to spend some time alone with Naina. However, before he could plan anything, Naina gestured something to Preeti, who immediately left to sleep in her parent’s room. He looked on puzzled as Naina held his hand, took him to her bedroom, and locked the door.

“Na…Naina…”, he stammered.

She smiled shyly, moving to the dressing table to remove her jewelry, “maine socha… aaj ghar pe koi nahi hai toh chhat pe jaane ke jagah yahin… just like my birthday.”

He was delighted, “par Preeti…”

She chuckled, “so jayegi dusre kamre me… she understands.”

“You are becoming bold kulfi girl”, he muttered, and pulled her in his arms, “I love it…”

She hugged him, “tum bahot handsome lag rahe ho iss shirt me… I wanted to kiss you as soon as I saw you. Par itne log the…”

He rubbed her back, “it’s just me here now… And I would really like a kiss on my birthday.”

She looked up at him, her eyes twinkling, “sirf kiss? Aur kuch nahi…”

His gaze held her captive as he stroked one hand from her back to her front, softly brushing over her breast, “aur kuch ke liye tum ready ho?”

Color flushed her cheeks, but she started to walk him to the bed… He fell backward on it with her on top of him, and she buried her face in the crook of his neck, declaring, “I am ready… for you…”

His breath hitched and his hand on her back danced up to the dori on top of her blouse… Long fingers played with the thread as he asked, “sure?”

She lifted her head and kissed him… The urgent exploration of her lips, answer enough for him and he tugged the flimsy dori open. Her fingers tightened on his shirt for a moment, and then she started to slip the buttons open quickly. He rolled over, placing her on the bed and sat up to pull his half-open shirt off. Her hands immediately came up to his chest and the shirt dropped from his fingers. “Sameer”, she whispered, clutching onto his sides and lifting up to kiss his chest. He sat there on his knees reveling in the open-mouthed kisses and groaned when her hot little mouth closed over his left nipple… God… Did she even know how weak she was making him? Trembles were running down his body at the realization of how sensuous his would-be wife was… Instinct… It was all instinct since he really hadn’t done this to her yet, but she wasn’t hesitant in experimenting and learning. His groans and whispers of her name were enough for her to know that he was really enjoying what she was doing.

He struggled to keep his eyes open, and his brain functioning despite the onslaught of pleasure as her teeth scraped his other nipple. Smoothing his hand over her shoulder, he gently took the pin out loosening her pallu… He sunk his hand in her hair, pulling her head back and kissed her lips again, tilting her back on the bed. The pallu slipped a little from her shoulder as her back touched the bed, and he hoarsely whispered, “my turn kulfi girl…”

His lips descended on her neck earning a gurgling moan from her, and then moved to her shoulder. The georgette pallu was captured in his teeth and he looked in her eyes as he slowly removed it aside… She blushed, biting her lip, and her breathing was erratic and fast. Dropping a quick reassuring peck on her lips, he let his eyes see what had been forbidden for him until now… The neckline of the blouse was modest, the hooks down the center stretching a bit and the creamy swells visible above the red fabric made his mouth water. He lowered his head, brushing tender kisses on her flesh. Her back arched at the contact and her hands fisted in his hair… He gave her time, moving down to the smooth expanse of her belly, playing at her navel until she moaned his name. His broad palms covered her breasts, softly rubbing and kneading…

Few minutes later he came up, hovering over her and slowly undid one hook of her blouse. Her eyes were closed, her lower lip captured between her own teeth in anticipation as she felt the fabric on her breast loosen with each undone hook… Sameer felt his breath had been knocked off by someone as he parted the red fabric and saw the plain cotton black bra. A shaky finger traced the outline, dipping at the center…

She gasped and then listlessly informed, “mere paas satin nahi hai…”

He glanced up in surprise… Her eyes were closed, her cheeks flooded with color and a cute frown curving her lips downward. He swallowed, and managed to say, “I don’t need it right now… shaadi ke baad saath me kharidenge…”

She slowly opened her eyes, not sure if she had heard right, “saath me?”

He nodded, “yes… if you are comfortable… lekin compulsory nahi hai…” His hand covered her breast once again as he added, “you are gorgeous just as you are…”

She whimpered, and he quickly dipped his head kissing every inch of her exposed flesh. His open mouth left a burning trail down her throat, over the swells and closed in a hot suction over her right breast… The black bra seemed useless in that moment; a fabric that covered her modesty but yet couldn’t stop the heat of his mouth. His hand moved to her back, fumbling with the hooks of her bra… It was a long and futile effort, until finally he made a frustrated sound and rolled off her…

Her eyes snapped open at the lack of warmth, and her brows drew down in confusion. He lifted her a bit, removing the blouse from her body, noticing the way she shuddered. Turning her back, he looked at the hooks, moving a finger over them to figure out how to open them. He cursed, “why is it so difficult?”

She was puzzled, “what? Isme difficult kya hai… main toh roz lagati hun aur kholti bhi hun…”

He kissed her back, smiling a bit, “lekin mera toh first time hai na kulfi girl… I need lots of practice…” She arched, moaning as his mouth moved down her spine, her body held up by his arm around her waist. “Help me”, he commanded, and her hand moved back responding to his voice… In just a few seconds the two hooks opened, and he nuzzled the straps down with his nose. Laying her on the bed again on her back, he peppered kisses over her face, whispering repeatedly how much he loved her. His hands shook as he slowly peeled the black bra from her body, totally realizing the enormity of the situation and her gesture. Her trust in him was so monumental that she wasn’t afraid of this physical bond even before wedding. He dropped the bra on the floor to meet his shirt and her blouse, and his eyes feasted on her bare sight. She blushed furiously, unable to assimilate mentally that she was lying like that for him to see and touch… What would he think?

His brain however had happily taken a leave and his hands moved on their own, cupping, kneading, learning her shape and size, relishing her reactions. His thumbs flicked her nipples and she whimpered his name… With a low hungry groan he lowered his head to a succulent puckered bud and curled his tongue around it, drawing it in the heat of his mouth. She shivered and arched, her breath breaking at the sudden incomprehensible pleasure. “Oh Sameer”, she sighed, her hands tugging at his hair almost painfully… He moved to her other nipple, delighting at the scrape of nails on his back… After long minutes he lifted his head and looked down at her… Her skin was flushed, her nipples wet and swollen from his ministration, her belly quivering with need, and her legs were shifting as if she was searching for something. He lowered himself onto her, pinning her to the mattress and she moaned in agreement, her body instinctively recognizing the primitive position but the saree hindering her from parting her legs.

His chest pressed on her breasts, the hair tickling her slightly… He brushed kisses on her lips, whispering, “very soon kulfi girl…”

She drew in a breath, her hands wrapping around his body, “kya?”

“Tumhe jo feel ho raha hai”, he tried to explain, “yeh bechaini… I promise shaadi ki raat ko sab jawaab mil jayenge tumhe… I will try to make it perfect for you…”

Her eyes fluttered open, heavy-lidded and dazed, “tumhe kaise pata mujhe kya ho raha hai?”

His hips rubbed along her thighs, hinting of pleasures yet to come, “kyunki mujhe bhi wahi ho raha hai…”

She was silent for a moment, and then asked, “itna hi achcha lagega?”

He smirked, “I hope isse zyada achcha lage tumhe…”

She pulled him down in a soft kiss and then assured, “I am sure tum jo bhi karoge mujhe achcha hi lagega.”

His entire body throbbed at her innocent yet sensuous declaration. Closing his eyes, he rolled to lie sideways with her in his arms, “I love you kulfi girl… Please jaake change karlo… night dress pehenke aao… warna main tumhe aise dekhunga toh mujhse control nahi hoga.”

She dropped a kiss on his chest and withdrew from his arms, wrapping the pallu around herself as a cover. Quickly grabbing her night dress from the cupboard she moved to the bathroom to change. Ten minutes later when she came out he was still lying on the bed, shirtless, his arms under his head, the bulge of his biceps causing flutters anew in her belly. Blushing slightly she picked up her discarded blouse and bra, folding them along with the saree. She grabbed his shirt from the floor and hung it on the headboard of the bed, so he could reach it easily when he woke up.  Sitting next to him she turned off the lights, and then lay down, immediately feeling his outstretched arm under her head and his other arm crossing over her waist engulfing her in his warm embrace. She sighed, closing her eyes, feeling so much at home in his arms that her heart filled with happiness and contentment.

20 Years and 24 Years

July rains were magical and intense… The month had just begun, and it was bit unusual to rain so much but this year it seemed as if the skies had opened up in full force. She stood at the window, watching the downpour, the branches of trees shaking in the wind and through the curtain of water glimmered the thousands of fairy lights. Lights went off in the house next door, the occupants tired and ready for sleep. A small click behind her made her smile, and drag in a deep breath… The smell of wet mud mixing with the heady fragrance of roses, now had an undertone of a masculine cologne she was too familiar with.

Two sinewy arms roped around her waist, and she was pulled back into a hard muscular chest that made her body shiver in delight. Warm lips touched her ear, dropping a small kiss and a voice whispered, “hey kulfi girl…”

She turned in his arms, looking up at the smiling face of her husband… Yes… They were married… Finally… Just 30 minutes ago all the rituals had ended and she had been led to his – no their – bedroom and made to sit on the decorated bed. She couldn’t believe that the dream of her teenage years had finally come true… And it did come true in a unique way with a tantrum from the bridegroom regarding the wedding date… Initially their wedding had been fixed on 24^th July, but it was only in end of May and thankfully before cards were printed, that Sameer realized he would turn 25 on 18^th of July, and so he pushed everyone to change their wedding to the earlier mahurat of 5^th July. When enquired by Nanu about this foolish stubbornness, he informed that he had decided to get married at 24, not 25. No arguments about the fact that it didn’t matter sat well with him. Naina was also pushed to get him to see sense, and when she tried to explain him that it would be just a week after his birthday, he had fixed her with a solemn stare and stated in a low voice only for her ears, “main kaha tha hamari shaadi hogi tab main 24 saal ka hounga… tumse 4 saal bada… agar main 25 ka ho gaya toh hamare beech ka age-gap 5 saal ho jayega.”

5 years… The same as his parents… Now suddenly his tantrum seemed to have more sense and an ample amount of fear behind it.  Yes, he had dared to give in to his feelings, to dream of a future, to try and build the life he wanted with her, but fears that were such deeply set in the recesses of heart would take some time to loosen their hold and leave. And she knew she had to be there for him whenever these fears tried to clutch their poisonous vines around his heart. Naina had stared at him for a minute before turning to her family and Nanu, declaring, “hamari shaadi 5^th July ko hogi… Ya toh mere birthday ke baad wale mahurat, yaane November me hogi, lekin tab tak hum wait nahi karna chahte.”

On hearing Naina’s firm voice, Nanu had understood that his grandson’s tantrum wasn’t without a reason, and so he had shifted sides to the couple. And once Nanu was on their side, the rest of the Agarwals had to agree as well. Any further arguments were useless and so plans were shifted, dates changed, the message draft for card was revised, and Naina started to feel the giddy butterflies in her stomach.

“What are you thinking?” Her husband’s voice whispered in her ear, and his soft lips trailed to her temple.

She lifted her hands to his chest, fingers of one trying to fist around the luxurious fabric, “yahi ke iss shaadi me dulhe ke zyada nakhre the.”

He pouted, “that’s not fair… yaad hai jab tumhare kapde lene gaye the… especially shaadi ka lehenga.”

She glared at him, “dulhe ko shaadi ke din se pehle shaaki ka joda nahi dekhna chahiye… apshagun hota hai.”

He shrugged, “you really think it matters? I have already seen all of you, my bride…”

Her pulse skipped maddeningly, “not… not all of me.”

“Yet”, he smirked, “I plan to change that… tonight…”

Something skittered madly inside her, “mu…mujhe nahi pata… I mean… Maybe, I can’t…”

He smiled, trying to control his overwhelming desire for her as he recalled how nervous she had been just a week ago… That was the day they had been instructed with a finality that they were not supposed to meet anymore. Taiji had fumed, “ladka-ladki shaadi ki rasmo ke ek mahine pehle se nahi milte… Aur yahan dekho… Neva! Inki tiscu-taiyan toh rukne ka naam hi nahi leti… Kabhi mandir jaane ke bahane toh kabhi shaaki ki kharidari karne ke bahane.”

Bela, who had usually been extremely supportive of her damadji, had also said that day, “bhagwaan jhuth na bulaye… Waise toh main bhabhi ji ki rasmo ki baato pe itna dhyan nahi deti, lekin iss baar woh sahi bol rahi hai… Ab aur iss tarah se bahar jaana sahi nahi hai… Samaj me baate banti hai…”

Sameer had tried to persuade them for some time, until Nanu had also said that traditions must be obeyed. He was saddened by the possibility of not meeting Naina… How could they stay away from each other? His own foolishness and then Nanu’s health had kept them apart for many years, and then there had been the two-year long wait for wedding. But now it was impossible for him to not start his day without her smile and end the night with her kiss. No no… They can’t stay apart. Not even if Nanu says… He opened his mouth to object, but just the Naina’s Tauji had stated, “toh phir tay raha… kal se Sameer aur Naina ek dusre se nahi milenge. Ab seedhe shaadi ke din milenge.”

On listening to the authoritative voice of the patriarch of family, Naina had bowed her head in submission, and Sameer had blanched at this gesture. There was only one person for whom he could accept any number of conditions, and that was Naina… And it seemed she had accepted the condition, so there was no way now that he would object. He had also nodded, dejected at the turn of events. He had kept his eyes focused on her every minute that evening, wanting to note all her nuances and capture them in his mind.

That night he had gone to the terrace, sighing at the feel of the summer breeze, wishing he had Naina in his arms. And she had materialized from his dream with the faint click of terrace door, and he had stood rooted to the spot, unable to tear his gaze away afraid that his imagination would vanish. However when she had come straight to him and hugged him, he had jerked and hissed, “Naina… tum… how? Kaise…?”

She had looked up at him mischievously, “Tauji ne kaha hum kal se nahi mil sakte… Did you really think ke aaj main chhat pe nahi aaungi?”

He sighed in relief, quickly hugging her tight, “yes… I thought main ab tumhe nahi dekh paunga… Oh God kulfi girl… I can’t stay away from you.”

“I am sorry”, she whispered, “Tauji ke khilaf hamare ghar me koi nahi jaata. Isiliye main…”

He grumbled, “what is the use of all this?”

“Kehte hai ladka-ladki shaadi se pehle koi galat kadam na uthale isiliye milne nahi dete”, she informed, “aur dur rehne se tadap badhti hai, toh jab suhagraat pe finally dono akele hote hai, tab dulha-dulhan chahke bhi ek dusre se dur nahi reh paate.”

He had stayed silent, absorbing all that she said, and then softly asked, “do you feel we are doing wrong? Yeh milna… our relationship… the way we…”

She had risen on her toes, looping her arms around his neck, “I wouldn’t have it another way Sameer… We love each other… Lekin ghar ke bado ka nazariya inn sab mamlo me alag hota hai… woh kya kehte hai… haan, conservative… But, as long as we trust and understand each other, I don’t feel anything wrong in what we do…”

He had graced her with a kiss at her temple, “toh phir kal se…?”

She looked sad, “chup-chupke milenge na… par zyada der nahi reh sakte kyunki risk hoga… Aur… umm… sirf hug karenge, no kiss…”

He was shocked, “what…!?”

Her eyes had a pleading look, “please… sirf itni si baat maan lo… maine hamesha apne gharwalo ki baat maani hai, aur tumhare alawa aur koi nahi hai jiske liye main apne gharwalo ke aadesh ko ansuna karungi. Lekin iss baar mere liye zaroori hai ke main balance banake rakhu… Hum mile bina nahi reh sakte lekin gharwale jis wajah se milne ko mana kar rahe hai woh toh maan sakte hai na… Bas ek hafta Sameer… Uske baad I will be your wife, aur mere liye tumhari kahi hui baat, tumhari wishes sabse pehle hogi… Tab mere gharwale bhi mujhse kahenge ke main sirf apne pati ki baat maanu.”

His heart had overwhelmed on hearing her talking about being his wife, and he had kissed her… In between he had murmured, “fine… I will do as you say… but tonight you are mine…”

He still didn’t remember how they had been lying flat on the mat, with her on top of him, his frantic hands bunching up her nightdress. She had also been restless; almost tearing at his t-shirt until he had himself lifted it off his head… Her mouth had trailed over his body, her hands moving on their own will… He had rolled pushing her on the mat, and his hungry lips had sought her breast making her moan in delight. That night was the first time he had left a small round red circle on the swell of her breast, marking her as his. Her nails had scraped down his back making him shudder and settle more firmly on her… As his weight had pressed her to the floor, a surprising delightful thing had happened… Her legs had parted on their own accord, and his hips had somehow found their most natural resting place in between them. They both had jerked as his hard arousal had rolled and gently thrust in the warm notch of her thighs…

Several things had happened simultaneously inside him… His body had pulsed and reveled at the most primitive feeling, his heart had thudded with a mixture of love and possessiveness, but his brain had screeched with an urgent notice to stop. Somehow he had managed to let him brain win, and his body had frozen above hers. Swallowing repeatedly he had opened his eyes and looked in her eyes, hoping, praying that she wasn’t afraid.

Her body had arched instinctively, aching for something that was too close but yet far from her reach… There was something in that position… she didn’t know what… But even as her mouth curved in a confused frown, her mind registered the stillness above her, and she opened her eyes to see him staring down at her…

Confusion… Questions… But no fear… She wasn’t afraid…

The realization had made him exhale in relief, and he touched his forehead to hers, whispering, “sorry kulfi girl… I almost lost control there…”

“Sameer”, she had murmured, her hands trailing up his back, “what’s… what’s happening? Kuch ho raha hai… par… I don’t understand… I need…” Her murmurs had trailed off as her innocent brain couldn’t find any requisite words to finish her statement.

He had gulped at the questions, and knew the time had come to answer them. But first… He needed to stop being distracted… Slowly, tenderly he had straightened her top, covering her body, and then lay down next to her, careful to keep his lower body angled away from hers. After few minutes, he had started to talk, “you remember… I told you there’s more in this…?”

She had nodded, turning to him, eager to know. He tried to keep his gaze fixed on her face rather than the curve of her breasts, “umm… that was a bit of more… I mean… the action…”

Her brows furrowed in confusion for a moment, and then she had tentatively asked, “matlab… tum… tum mujhe wahan… uh… you will touch…?”

He had nodded, “yes…” Then hastily explained, “look I know… tumhe dar lag raha hoga… it is unknown… but I swear it is natural… tum dekho na… did you have to think? It just happened even when you didn’t know… And… ummm… I guess… tumhe achcha laga…”

She had flushed at the recollection, but hadn’t refuted, “haan… achcha laga… I was surprised… toh… suhagraat me yeh hota hai? Does that mean we had our suhagraat already?”

He had blinked in astonishment at her question and then clapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the sounds of his laughter. She had sat up, hitting his shaking shoulders, “shut up… tumhe mujhe samjhana chahiye…”

He had somehow calmed down, sitting up and pulled her in his arms, “I am trying kulfi girl… it’s just that… maine kabhi socha nahi tha I will have to answer such questions… mujhe sahi words nahi mil rahe…”

“My friends had asked me about kiss”, she had casually informed. He had looked shocked. She had smiled, gently explaining, “main samjha nahi paai thi… Naturally I knew about kiss because we had kissed, but how to explain the butterflies in stomach, the seconds of nervousness and then the happiness, the sharp pleasure, the way it turns from hesitation to the most obvious and natural thing… Mere paas koi words nahi the… Isiliye main unko samjhane ki koshish bhi nahi ki… Bas yeh kaha ke movies ya books se pata nahi chalta sab kuch… The actual feeling is extremely different… Aur jab woh tumhare saath hoga toh tumhari apni alag definition hogi uss cheez ki based on your feelings.”

He had smiled on hearing about the butterflies and happiness, and then asked, “toh tum keh rahi ho ke main tumhe na samjhau?”

She had rested her head just under his chin, kissing the smooth flesh on his shoulder, “yes… I understand ke yeh bahot difficult hoga… toh jab hoga tab main khud samajh lungi.”

“And what if you are scared at the moment?” He had queried.

She had assured confidently, “I might be a little, but I trust you… And I know you will not let me be scared.” Her confidence had shattered him, and he had kissed her again and again… until he had realized it was too late in the night, and he ought to let her go.

A loud rumble of thunder brought him back to the present… “I promise”, he whispered now to his wife, “to not let you be scared… why don’t we start with getting rid of your jewelry? It looks awfully heavy, and you had them on since afternoon.”

She laughed, “yes… let me close the window first.” Extending her hand out in the rain, she shut the wooden window carefully, and nonchalantly stated, “actually… mujhe yeh lehenga gehno se zyada heavy lag raha hai.”

He smirked, turning her to him, “ahan… I am okay to get rid of the lehenga first… what say?”

She gasped, a beautiful blush adorning her features, “tum bhi na… hato chalo… jao tum apne kapde badlo… I will manage.”

He scowled, “Naina… that’s not how a suhagraat is… I have to help you.”

She giggled, “okay… okay… you are the expert… c’mon.”

Sitting in-front of the dresser, she still couldn’t control her giggles as her husband tried to figure out the numerous pins on her hair. “Don’t laugh”, he tweaked her nose, “help me here.” Working together they got rid of all the pins from her head, and he undid her bun to let her hair tumble down over his hand. The spill of the silky black mass gave rise to his desires anew. She babbled away about the teasing of the ladies in the function as she pulled her hair over her shoulder, letting him undo her necklace. The shimmering gold slithered down her front coming to rest on her lap… Oblivious to the heat shearing through him, she picked it up and placed it on the wooden dresser, and then proceeded to undo her earrings. He watched as she added the earrings, her maangtika and her bangles to the pile.

“Kamarbandh”, she mumbled, and stood up, and before she could anticipate anything the thin gold chain at her waist was hidden by sinewy forearms. His hands had wrapped around her waist, and his head was bent in the crook of her neck. He seemed to be drawing in a deep breath, and her knees wobbled, feeling weak, leaving her lean back on his chest. He tightened his hold, opening his mouth to taste her skin… She moaned as he moved up and down the side of her neck, his lips a sweet suction on her flesh… She felt as if it wasn’t just her neck but her whole body that was being kissed by him… Maybe he would do that tonight, she thought and shivered in need. He groaned, turning her to face him… For an exquisite moment their eyes met, his brewing with a storm, hers turbulent with emotions… And his lips descended on hers, leading her to a dance they had practiced time and again… The feeling was known, the rhythm familiar, the ache in her body just like before… It was all the same but still this time there was a newness to it… She wasn’t just kissing the man she loved, she was kissing her husband… And that thought brought an unexpected surge of possessiveness in her, causing her to tilt her head back in surrender, an invitation to deepen the kiss further… An invitation he seized with a male dominance that left her breathless. The nip of his teeth on her lower lip cause something to jerk inside her, and then that sensation coiled like a live wire in the pit of her belly, pooling like liquid head between her legs. Her hands, unknown to her were on the buttons of his sherwani; the already raging fire turning into an inferno.

He left her lips, leaving her gasping for breath, and abruptly fell on his knees… She jerked, grabbing his shoulders as his face was suddenly buried beneath the transparent dupatta at her belly, his lips moving over her bare skin. She felt a tug, a thread like thing rubbed against her skin, and she looked down mesmerized to see the thin waistband held between his lips and he pulled it off her waist. The gold chain slithered off her skin, dangling between his lips for a second before he let it fall to the floor uncaring of its worth.

She watched him rise up slowly, her hand moving to his jaw as she once again had to tilt her head back slowly to look at his face. His heated gaze swept over her and his hand rose at her shoulder, trying to remove the pin. She knew where they were headed… Whispered instructions from her Chachiji and the slight experience she had had with Sameer had finally painted a picture for her that was too unbelievable yet easily intuitive. The memory of the roll of his hips, the way he had settled there, his apology at being on the verge of losing control, and the science lessons from school – all had finally come together and she had known what really happened on suhagraat… Or at least the science of it all… She remembered how she had overheard a distant mami tell Pooja didi on her wedding that man and woman’s bodies were made to fit… At that time she hadn’t understood, then when she had hugged Sameer she had thought the mami was talking about a hug, but now she understood how they would fit exactly. Along with that came a slight sense of incomprehension and fear as she recalled several women, including Taiji and Chachiji, telling her to listen to her husband and make him happy. They had said things could hurt the first few times but then it would all be okay and she would be blessed with a baby if she met her husband’s needs. They had drilled into her repeatedly that it was the duty of a woman to make sure her husband enjoyed and was satisfied.

The dupatta slithered off her frame, cold air from the air-conditioner hit her skin suddenly and she couldn’t control her tremble. Sameer had been lost in kissing her shoulder that he had just bared, free of her dupatta, pulling aside the neckline of her choli a bit, when he felt the wild abrupt tremble course through her body. He stilled…

I know you will not let me be scared…

Her earlier declaration came back to him, shaming him… Here she was… His bride who had so much faith in him, she thought he would take care of her, not let her be scared… And here he was, so driven by his need that he had not even noticed she had stopped participating and was standing still, her gaze lost and thoughtful… The tremble had been of fear, he was sure… Guilt hit him with such a force that he took a step back from her.

The movement made her blink, come out of her thoughts, and she frowned seeing her husband move away from her. He was her oasis, her peace, her protector, her confidante, her life-partner… Sameer – the name that had brought happiness in her life ever since she was a child who had no idea what a girlfriend was. Without a second thought, she moved with him, towards him, and slipped her hands around him in a hug. He stiffened for a second, and then gently held her, achingly whispering, “I am sorry kulfi girl… I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I am not scared”, she replied in a puzzled tone, “main bas… achanak sab samajh aa gaya… aur sabki baate yaad aa gai.”

He felt his heartbeat settle down at her words, and he asked, “kya samajh aa gaya? Aur kiski kya baat Naina?”

She drew back a bit, blissfully unaware of the havoc her dupatta-less state was causing in his body, “umm… woh… do-teen din se kuch rishtedaar aur Chachiji mujhe samjhane ki koshish kar rahe hai ke shaadi ke baad pati ko khush kaise karte hai.”

A curious expression curved his lips, “kaise? Achcha khana banake?”

Her face colored, “nahi… uh… I mean woh bhi… but… I… ummm… Sameer… mujhe shayad samajh aa gaya woh baat jo last time terrace pe tum samjha nahi paa rahe the.”

His eyebrows drew in confusion, placing her stammering words, and in a moment he yelped, “kya…!? You mean you know about lovemaking…?”

She tilted her head, considering his question, “I… I guess… but not sure…”

He took her hands in his, “it’s alright… main thoda behek gaya tha… Tum jaake change karlo… Thak gai hogi na… We will sleep… Baaki sab baato ke liye bahot time hai hamare paas… Ab toh hum husband-wife hai…”

She kept staring at him and then giggled, “kya bole jaa rahe ho? I thought you will be happy ke mujhe thoda-thoda pata hai ab… It makes it easier for you, haina?”

He nodded hesitantly… Well… Yes, her knowledge did make things easier; maybe she won’t be scared when the time came. She beamed, “you know… mere kaan dukh gaye yeh sunte sunte that I should make my husband happy… Naa mat bolna… Pati ke khushi me teri khushi hai… Thoda dard hoga kuch din, par seh lena – although I don’t know dard kyun hoga – humne ab tak jo kiya usme toh dard nahi hua… Aur yeh bhi suna ke yeh mera kartavya hai mere pati ke taraf… Uff…” His expressions turned alarmed on hearing all this and he opened his mouth to clarify that lovemaking was not bound by duty and it was not just for his happiness… However before he could speak, she continued in a fond, slightly breathless voice, “I was so fed up… Itne saal se tumhe jaante hai mere gharwale, phir bhi mere Sameer ko koi nahi jaanta… Unko kya pata ke tumhe meri kitni chinta hai… Woh log samajhte hi nahi ke tum sabse alag ho, ke agar main naa bolungi toh tum kuch nahi karoge… Koi yeh samajhta nahi hai ke hum dono ko ek-dusre pe bharosa hai, aur hum baate share kar sakte hai… Koi jaanta nahi ne tum hamesha, har pal mera dhyan rakhoge…”

His heart lightened at her statements, and he flicked her nose, “that’s right… sirf meri kulfi girl hi mujhe theek se jaanti hai… and now you need to go and change… cover up sweetheart… you are driving me crazy.”

She glanced down at herself, and blushed… How had she not realized that she was standing without her dupatta? When had he opened it? How? She turned towards the dresser where Preeti had helpfully placed her make-up remover knowing it would be the first thing she might need. Carefully holding his gaze in the mirror, she wet a piece of cotton with the remover and wiped her face… Her eyes moved to the buttons she had opened, though she couldn’t remember doing it, and she smiled, “tumhe safety-pins nikaalna aata hai…”

He arched a brow and nodded at her statement. Her smile widened as she capped the bottle again, feeling light after wiping off the eye-shadow, “how about hooks?”

He looked adorably puzzled, staring down at his own sherwani, “sorry? Mere kapde me toh buttons hai… no hooks… tum kya…” His head snapped up, his eyes meeting hers in the mirror as he understood what she was asking. She saw his adam’s apple bob up and down for few seconds, and then he started to walk towards her slowly. His hands came to rest on her shoulders, “are you sure?”

She turned to him, “yes… I love you… You love me… Aur aaj hamari suhagraat hai… Main tumhe kahin bhaagne nahi dungi.”

Once more he was confused, “main kyun bhaagu?”

She pouted, “kitne saalo se toh bhaag hi rahe the… kabhi boards, kabhi college… Kabhi dost… Kabhi kid… Bhagwaan jaane kitne bahane banaye… Shaadi karni hai yeh kehelwaane ke liye bhi natak karna pada… Badi mushkil se haath lage ho Mr. Sameer Maheshwari… Aaj raat kahin nahi jaa rahe tum.”

He chuckled, “did you forget your graduation day? Puri duniya ko pata hai that I am yours…”

She hummed, leaning on his chest, recalling the pleasant day. He had promised her that he would certainly grace the occasion as she had promised to her friends that she would bring her fiancé to meet them. But what had amused both of them was that Sameer had received an invite to be the guest of honor on that day, to hand out certificates and awards. Needless to say, Sameer had immediately accepted the proposition. Further amusement had greeted Naina on that day because the dean had chosen her to present the welcoming bouquet to Sameer as he had gotten to know from other students and teachers that she was his neighbor. Her classmates had teased her, asking why she hadn’t brought her fiancé as promised, and she had said he would soon be here.

Sameer had arrived on time, his eyes dancing with amusement when Naina had handed over the huge bouquet to him. It had been a long process to hand over certificates to each student, smiling and congratulating. And finally it was time for the medals… Three of them… The bronze had gone to a girl who had smiled at him in adoration, hoping he would notice. The silver one was handed to a boy who had looked at him in awe, stammering that he wanted to work and be like him. And finally the time had come for the gold medal… His breath had hitched as he had watched Naina climb up the stage dressed in a deep red chooridar with glittering bronze embroidery at the edges. Her dupatta was a contrast of shimmering translucent beige, golden jhumkas at her ears moved with each step catching the light of the sun, and her smile was serene as their eyes met.

Lost in his gaze she hadn’t noticed the wire of the microphone cutting across the stage; the front of her sandals had caught in it, twisting her ankle and she had tripped… Her eyes had squeezed shut in anticipation of the fall that never came… Instead her body was nestled in a warm familiar hold. He had straightened her and asked if she was okay. She had nodded, trying to steady herself, her cheeks flushing… However as soon as her right foot was flat on the ground she had yelped in pain… “Naina”, he had uttered shocked, and swiftly lifted her in his arms, carrying her to the chairs where teachers were seated, and gently placed her on his own empty chair… Crouching in-front of her he had lifted her leg, slowly dislodging her sandal, and hollered for a first-aid kit. Even though shocked at the sight the dean had asked the peon to get the kit, and then the entire college had watched with bated breath as the businessman Sameer Maheshwari had singularly focused on the topper of the college. He had caressed her feet, ignoring her protests… When the kit had arrived, he had applied the pain-relief gel to her ankle and then draped the elactic ace bandage on her feet. Wiping his hand on a tissue, he had looked into her eyes, and then cupped her face wiping the slight tears.

“Sameer”, she had whispered, her eyes darting to the crowd of students.

He had stood up, taken the medal from the table and slipped it over her head. Smiling wide he had declared in a clear ringing tone, “I must be the only lucky man on earth jisne apni honewali biwi ko mangalsutra se pehle gold-medal pehnaya. I am so proud of you, and so madly in love with you Miss. Naina Agarwal.”

A collective gasp had risen from the students and teachers, and then several female-hearts had broken when he had leaned down and kissed Naina’s forehead. She had sat there, blushing demurely like a new bride. Most of the people were still in daze when lunch was announced, and her classmates stared with a mixed expression of jealousy and awe when Sameer fixed a plate, and fed her with his own hands despite her feeble protests that her foot was hurt, not her hand. And when it was time to leave, Naina had picked up her sandal, ready to hobble, but he had swept her up in his arms, carrying her to his car, followed by an utterly excited Preeti. Knowing that gossip would spread like wildfire now, he had sent a set of instructions to his PR team, and next morning the newspapers had carried the new of the impending nuptial of the business tycoon with his childhood love.

“I see you are still enjoying the jealousy of your classmates”, he stated in a dry tone, moving his hand over her back.

She came out of her recollection, and chuckled, “no… I am thinking… itne bade businessman hoke bhi uss din tum sabke saamne jhook gaye meri chot pe marham lagane ke liye…”

He opened the dori of her choli, testing if she was indeed ready, “I love you kulfi girl… my pride and ego can be really big in business world, but with you I don’t have ego.”

She curled into him, sighing at the feeling of the silky thread slipping open, “I love you too… and I think it is time that you teach me what you promised…”

Her innocent boldness disarmed him, his heart leaped with joy, and desire throbbed in his veins as his fingers found the hooks at her back and his lips sought hers. She smiled into the kiss, her fingers busy in undoing the remaining buttons of his sherwani. Fabric pooled at their feet, eager hands moving over the skin they bared, seeking, learning, pleasuring… He backed her to the bed, tearing quite a few delicate strands of flowers in his enthusiasm. She was no less… Her nails scraped his shoulder as his mouth moved down her body… Her other hand fisted unknowing on the torn strands, crushing some flowers, smearing the fragrance on his body the immediate next moment… They rolled, and he found himself arching up as her bold caresses and hot mouth fluttered magically over his chest… Impatience surged inside him and he rolled again, pinning her to the bed, gazing into her eyes as he slowly tugged open the string of her lehenga. She licked her lips, her eyes blazing in desire, no trace of fear in the brown depths as she demanded, “kiss me…”

He kissed her, his hands busy in tugging and bunching until the lehenga was off her and then his long fingers skimmed over her the side of her leg. “I should slow down”, he murmured helplessly. She let out a soft laugh, delight mixed with passion, “I don’t think we can…”

Oh God…

He prayed or groaned, he didn’t know, but his fingers were now hovering at the notch of her thighs, while his knee was parting her legs, trying to gain more access. She took a deep breath, and let her left leg shift a bit, silently permitting him to touch. He senses sharpened even as his body slowed down… Time stretched like elastic, one second seamlessly melting into another as he touched her intimately, learning, teasing, watching carefully for any indication of distress… But Naina was in another world, the fear she anticipated never came, time lost all meaning as she curiously registered his touch, feeling thrilled when the exploring fingers touched beneath the red fabric and his breath left his lungs in a whoosh. A sense of power rose in her, her sensual freedom leading her to stroke his body, urging him on with murmured encouragement. Her searching fingers reached the waistline of his churidar, and she frowned… Her lehenga was off, so why was he still dressed…? She moved her hand until she found the knot, but his hand stopped hers, and he queried, “Naina… tum… ready?”

She nodded, “mujhe bhi janna hai… please…”

He shuddered at her daring and stood up, keeping his eyes on her as he unknotted his cream churidar and let it fall… Her breathing changed, he noticed with satisfaction, and pride engulfed him when she didn’t look away. His eyes trailed down her body… The red panty was twisted and pulled down a bit, but it still hid her from his gaze… Drawing a breath, he gathered courage and hooked his thumbs at the waistband of his boxers, slipping it down slowly… Her eyes widened, her cheeks flushed and lips parted at the sight… Questions erupted in her brain, but never left her mouth. He slowly sat down next to her, “afraid?”

She cleared her throat, “confused…”

Glad of her courage, he placed a palm on her belly, “can I help?”

He noticed her gaze drop to his arousal, and she gulped, “do cheeze hai… first… umm… possible hoga? I mean… yeh kaise… fit…”

He smiled kindly, “I am sure we will fit perfectly Naina… Aur thoda sa dard hoga aaj tumhe… Just for a minute… First time hai isiliye… Uske baad kabhi nahi hoga… I promise I will be slow…”

She nodded. He queried, “dusra kya?”

“Sabne kaha ke pati khush hoga toh mujhe baby milega”, she confided, “par itni jaldi…”

He shook his head at the way well-wishing ladies tend to give out such scary information to new brides. Opening the bedside drawer he pulled out a box, showing it to her, “Naina… yeh protection hai… condoms… family-planning ke liye.”

She took the box from his hand, “davai hai?”

He bit his lip, trying to be frank in his explanation, “nahi… uh… I will wear it when we… you know… make love… isse baby nahi hoga… we can plan hume kab baby chahiye.”

Her eyes lit up, “matlab hum suhagraat mana sakte hai without worrying about baby?” He nodded, wondering how innocence can be this bold and courageous. “That’s wonderful”, she crooned, “par yeh… condoms… khatam ho gaye toh… next time… I mean…”

A delightful chuckle left his lips, “kulfi girl… don’t worry… I will buy more… Chemist ki dukaan pe milta hai.”

“Phir theek-hai”, she sighed in relief. His mouth curved in a lopsided smile, “maine kitna socha tha ke aaj kaise samjhaunga tumhe… but I didn’t anticipate this casual conversation…”

She blushed, finally averting her eyes, and stammered, “so…sorry… I… I just want… to… to know… maine socha nahi ke puchna nahi chahiye shayad…”

He leaned down, lying next to her, and kissed her, “never be afraid to ask Naina… hum sab kuch share kar sakte hai ek dusre se… samjhi tum? And I love it… your innocence, your boldness, your questions, your courage… I love you…”

She smiled again, turning to him, “I love you too…” His body brushed hers when she hugged him, and her heartbeat skittered again… His hard length throbbed against her thighs, and a matching pulsating ache seemed to gather between her legs… Dipping his head, he kissed her lips, mumbling, “oh kulfi girl… I want to show how much I love you… want you… need you…”

She moaned, anticipating fizzing in her veins like a bottle of champagne just popped open, and she fisted her hands in his hair, boldly demanding, “show me Sameer…”

He hissed in agreement, his mouth busy at her breasts… Minutes went by or maybe hours, she didn’t know, but finally he stripped off the red satin panty, and his fingers moved with a surety as if he knew what would please her, make her arch off the bed… A bold finger dipped inside repeatedly, stretching her, causing her head to turn sideways… Incoherent babble mixed with several declaration of love spilled from her lips. She watched him with drowsy eyes, sitting between her legs, finally understanding what ‘wearing condom’ meant… And then he came to her lips again, his entire body holding her captive, her legs parting to let him settle… The first touch seared them with heat, and he apologized, asking her to trust him… She nodded, biting her lip, as he started to nudge himself inside her… Moments stretched and he seemed to be making no progress, even though his hips moved… Was he playing? What was happening? She opened her mouth to ask, and just then he finally slipped inside fully, the sharp prick of pain snapping her eyes open.

He groaned, “oh god… I am sorry… are you hurt? Zyada lagi…”

The momentous pain was only there for a few seconds, and the intensity immediately lessened… She frowned in curiosity, squirming a bit, and then huffed, “liars… dard hoga toh aise bol rahe the jaise main roti hi rahungi… dard toh chala bhi gaya.”

He stared at her, not really sure whether to cry in relief or laugh in delight at her statement. She looked into his eyes, the mixure of anxiety, relief, love, mirth and the potent desire, leaving her breathless… Color crept upon her cheeks as she noted the position they were in… It was new… But deep down there was that familiarity and sense of rightness that she had always felt with him. The incredible fullness and his singular focus on her made her flush even more, and she observed in a low voice, “well… we did fit…”

He laughed, the sound strained with effort that he exerted to hold still, and then peppered kisses over her face, “oh yes, we did…” She hummed in happiness and then moaned as pleasure wracked her body when he finally started to move. No wonder Sameer hadn’t been able to explain this to her… There was no way to put into words the sensations that raced along her body… The incredible yearning for more whenever he pulled out, the way she wanted to cling to him, the primitive way her hips lifted to meet his, the groans that spilled out of his throat, the way she took his name, the pleasure spiraling in her belly… Her body was stretched tight, and he kissed her forehead, trying to keep alternate his pace and rhythm… There was no way for him to know if he could provide her the pleasure this first time, but he tried… Whenever he felt he would fall off the brink, he stilled, kissing her again and again, and then starting to thrust again… He panted with the effort, and sweat sheened their bodies… Just when he thought that maybe the first time wasn’t for them and they should stop before they are exhausted beyond words, she slid one leg up his thigh, and angled her hip upwards meeting his next thrust before he could he could anticipate her move… And a shudder shook her slight frame, her breath broke as she took his name, and then a keening cry erupted from her throat… Surprised, he covered her mouth with his, swallowing the sound… The desperate arch of her body, the nails clawing at his back, shook his entire body and he quickened his thrusts… Once, twice, thrice… That was all it took for him to join her into oblivion, and he never even noticed when he collapsed over her, nor did he register that she held him tight afraid that she herself would float away in thin air…

Minutes later, his face was still pressed in the crook of her neck, inhaling the intoxicating fragrance of her body, mixed with the jasmine ittar she had applied today. She opened her eyes, blinking at the canopy of flowers, and exclaimed in surprised, “hum bed pe hi hai…!”

He lifted his head, his eyes sparkling on seeing her blissful face, “I guess so… but I swear… mujhe laga main udd raha hun…”

“Mujhe bhi”, she confessed. A moment of silence passed, and then they both giggled, basking in the wondrous glory of lovemaking. She felt too lazy to even move when he finally pulled out of her and stumbled into the bathroom… For a minute she thought if she should get up and wear her night clothes, but he came back to her before she could gather enough strength to even sit up… Would lovemaking leave her this exhausted all the time?

He slipped in beside her, tugging the light blanket upto their waist, and pulled her in his arms, “are you okay?”

She sighed, “yes… bas… tired… I didn’t know it felt like this…”

“Like what?” He asked, curious to know more. Did she like it? Or was she having second thoughts?

She hummed, “it felt so good… par ab I feel too lazy to even move.”

He grinned, “then don’t move… sleep sweetheart… next time it will be better…”

She looked at him with wide round eyes, “next time? Aaj?”

His eyes were tender as he assured, “no… not tonight… shayad kal… ya parso… whenever you feel better… I just hope tumhe kal subah dard na ho… But promise me, tumhe thodi si bhi takleef hogi toh tum mujhe bataogi.”

“I promise”, she smiled, “I love you Sameer.”

He tightened his hold on her, reaching out to turn off the lights, “I love you too Mrs. Naina Sameer Maheswari… my kulfi girl…”

She burrowed against his chest, feeling pleased at how her name sounded, and slowly drifted off having found her home in the arms of her husband. Only fate would have known that the impromptu name of ‘kulfi girl’ that he had hollered across the front yard all those years back would turn into a loving possessive whisper when their bodies would be entwined together on the same bed.