Lights of Eternity
Part - 10: Lights of Eternity

The heat rose off the roads like steam from boiling water, the lawn was adorned with large patches of dry grass, the delicate flowers on the shrubs withered. The afternoon was silent, people closeted in their homes trying to escape the early June heat. Not even a bird twittered, or a dog barked. Summer vacations had to be the worst phase ever, thought Sameer, turning over on his bed. The ceiling fan whirred at full speed, trying to compensate for the hot weather, but he stared at it with unfocused eyes. It was funny. A boy who used to live for holidays and vacations was now cursing the same vacations, and the reason were soft brown eyes and lush pink lips. He missed Naina. Office could have diverted his attention, but Munshiji had insisted that he take these last few weeks of vacation as a proper holiday and enjoy. The problem was, he couldn’t enjoy completely without her. Talking on the phone was not the same as meeting her, and just those temple dates were never enough, even though she now came to meet him at the temple on Monday as well as Thursday. On asking how she managed it, she had told him that she had started to keep fast on Thursday, that gave her an excuse to come to the temple to meet him. He didn’t want her to fast, “tumhe kuch ho gaya to?”, he had voiced, concerned for her health. She had laughed and assured him it was nothing, she could fast daily for meeting him, and then teased him, “waise bhi guruvar ko vrat karne se manchaha var milta hai.” Not being the one to be left behind, he had immediately countered, “var to kabse ready hai, par dulhan haan bolne ke jagah vrat karne me busy hai.”

He grinned recalling the blush that had adorned her pretty face. Just then the phone rang, and he jumped up from bed, rushing to pick it up, “Hello.”

“Hi. Kya kar rahe ho?”, Naina’s voice chirped from the other side.

He settled on the chair, “tumhe yaad kar raha tha. Milna hai tumse”, he demanded.

She laughed, “abhi kal hi to mile the.”

“School me, board exams ke results lene jaane ko milna nai kehte Naina”, he scowled.

She laughed even more at that. Just yesterday their board exams results had come out, and to her extreme delight she had again topped in their school with 92% and Sameer had broken his own 11^th standard record by scoring 79%. Munna, Pandit, Preeti and Swati had all fared well, scoring above 60%. Chachaji and Chachiji were delighted at Preeti’s progress and praised Naina for teaching her so well. He smiled on hearing her melodious laughter, but then again frowned, “haso mat. Mujhe sach me tumhari yaad aa rahi hai.”

She smiled, “mujhe bhi. Aaj shaam ko Swati ke ghar pe milenge. 3pm tak aa jaana.”

“Kya!?”, he exclaimed, “Swati ke ghar pe kyun? Aur tum kaise aaogi? Dekho Naina, mere liye itna risk lene ki zarurat nai hai.”

She felt a surge of warmth at his protectiveness, “koi risk nai hai. Swati ke gharwale gaanv gaye hai, bas uski daadi hai uske saath. Swati nai gai kyunki hume ab college ke forms bharne honge na. To achche results ke khushi me aaj shaam ko hum sab wahan celebrate karenge.”

He started to feel happy at the thought of meeting her, “wow! Lekin uski dadi hai to hum ladke aayenge to problem nai hogi?”

She laughed, “aree… Swati ki dadi bahot mast hai. Milo to sahi unse, samajh jaoge.”

“Thike”, he grinned, “main tumhe aur saali saahiba ko pick up karne aau?”

“Nai. Hum log thoda jaldi jayenge, shaam ki taiyari karne”, she informed, “tum Munna Pandit ko leke aana. Aur haan, cold-drinks aur ice-cream leke aaoge?”, she asked checking off the items from her list.

“Of course”, he agreed, “tum kaho aur main naa lau aisa to ho hi nai sakta na. Aur kuch chahiye?”

She looked through her list, “nai. Baaki sab to hum log kar lenge. Tum bas time pe aa jaana.”

“Kaho to abhi aa jaata hu meri jaan”, he flirted.

She blushed, “tum kabhi nai sudhroge. Chalo main abhi rakhti hun, bye.”

“Bye”, he smiled and disconnected.

Excited with the turn of events, he got ready quickly, he whistled as he tried to organize his thoughts. He wanted to ask Naina something. Ideally, he would have waited until Thursday to ask her at the temple, but now that they were meeting today, he couldn’t wait any more. He picked up Munna and Pandit who were too excited at the thought of food at the party, and they purchased enough cold-drinks and ice-cream to feed Swati’s entire society.

The three boys knocked on Swati’s door at exactly 2:45pm, and the door was opened by a sweaty and flustered Naina. Sameer stood stunned at the sight of her, she was wearing a light blue salwar kameez and her dupatta was on one side, the end wrapped around her waist. She gestured them to come in, Munna and Pandit immediately carried the bags inside, but Sameer still stood at the door staring at Naina.

“Kya hua?”, she asked wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, the bangles clinked.

He smiled, “achchi dikh rahi ho.”

She scowled, “jhuthe. Pasine se bheeg gai hun, aur baal bhi ulajh gaye hai. Kaise achchi dikh sakti hun?”

He stepped inside, closer to her, “mujhe to aisi bhi achchi lag rahi ho”, he wiped a smudge of flour from her cheek, “waise aisa konsa jung lad rahi thi?”

She laughed, “kitchen me jung chal rahi hai. Hum sab ke liye naashta bana rahe the.”

“Kya zarurat thi yeh sab karne ki itni garmi me?”, he asked, “mujhse kehti to main restaurant se le aata na.”

“Hmm. Le to aate”, she tugged him further inside and closed the door, “lekin mujhe banana tha, tumhare liye”, she glanced at him with a smile.

He stopped in his tracks, gazing into her eyes, “idhar aao”, he tried to pull her in his arms.

“Sameer, kya kar rahe ho?”, she pulled back, “koi dekh lega. Aur mere pasine se tumhara shirt kharab ho jayega.”

“I don’t care”, he tugged her hard and she landed in his arms. He closed his eyes, hugging her close, and she too relaxed, giving him a quick squeeze.

“Chalo ab jaane do mujhe”, she pleaded, “kitchen ka kaam khatam karna hai.”

He released her, and they both went inside the hall where the others were seated. He noticed that Swati and Preeti were also in similar state as Naina. It truly warmed his heart to see all the girls putting in so much effort. He took note of the music drifting through the room, and to his surprise it was Michael Jackson’s ‘They Don’t Care About Us‘, one of his favourite songs. But who would play English songs here? He frowned, and Naina noticed his confused expressions. “Kaha tha na. Swati ki dadi mast hai”, she informed him.

The girls scurried in the kitchen and soon an old woman came out from one of the rooms, swaying to the beats of Michael Jackson. The boys were surprised to meet her. She talked to them and then chattered about music and movies. She was delighted to know that Sameer also liked Michael Jackson, and quickly sat to compare their song preferences. Soon the girls also came out, after freshening up, and they had a really fun time. It was surprising how Swati’s grandmother didn’t stop them from dancing with the girls or admonish the girls on being so free with the boys. He even dared to hold Naina’s hand and twirl her into a dance. The old lady was more like a friend to Swati, and at a point all the girls were also talking about make-up and fashionable dresses in college with her. Sameer was reminded of how his Nanu also strived to be his friend and guide, trusting him. It also helped him understand, why Swati was so much more advanced and confident, and why there was such a difference in her and Naina even though they had been together since childhood. Families, they made all the difference.

After gorging on the delicious food cooked by the girls, mostly Naina as informed by the other two, they felt too lazy to move. Sameer had almost licked his fingers clean, unabashedly eating portions after portions of pakodas and dhoklas. Naina had fondly watched him recalling his eating spree when they had gone to distribute the invitations for Pooja di’s wedding. Bhukkad, she had called him then. Even now he was bhukkad, but her bhukkad, and she could gladly cook all the meals for him just to see that happiness on his face while he ate. When everyone was dozing or engrossed in the movie on TV, he signalled Naina to come with her. She followed him into the kitchen, perplexed at what he wanted.

“Kya hua?”, she asked as soon as they entered the kitchen, “tumhe firse kuch khana hai kya?”

He grinned, pulling her close, “haan”, and planted a quick kiss on her lips, indicating his intentions.

She blushed, hiding her face against his chest, “tum na… bilkul nai sudharne wale.”

He wrapped his arms around her, “kabhi nai. Lekin abhi tumse kuch puchna hai.”

“Kya baat hai?”, she looked up at his face.

He dragged one hand through his hair, slightly nervous, and pulled back from her, puzzling her. Even though he had practiced multiple times, now the words failed him.

She furrowed her brows on seeing him so agitated, “Sameer, bolona kya hua?”

“Umm… Naina woh…”, he stuttered, “woh… tum mere saath…”, he gulped looking anywhere but at her. Finally, he closed his eyes, “Naina, kya tum mere saath date pe chalogi?”, he hurriedly uttered, the words tumbling over each other.

He had spoken so quick, that Naina didn’t understand one single word, she held his hand, “Sameer kya bol rahe ho? Aur itna dar kyun rahe ho?”

He opened his eyes, and upon seeing her puzzled face realized that she hadn’t understood him. He took a deep breath, then spoke slowly and clearly, looking at the floor, “kya tum mere saath date pe chalogi?”

He waited for a moment, but when there was no response from her, he looked up. She was staring at him with wide rounded eyes, lips parted in surprise. He blushed, so nervous, that he thought if possible he would just run away from there and hide somewhere. Naina’s eyes widened even more, “tum… tum sharma rahe ho”, she observed astonished.

He tried to control his expression, but was completely unsuccessful, and so he left her hand and turned to face the other side, waiting for her to say something. She pondered over his question, smiling at this new side of him, she had never thought he could blush like this. A date? How could she go out with him? What would she tell her family? And where would they go? What if somebody sees them? Meeting at his home or even at temple was different. It was such a big thing to go out alone with a boy.

She looked at his back, and butterflies fluttered in her belly, her heart thumping loudly. But this wasn’t just any boy. This was Sameer. Her Sameer. She knew him. He wouldn’t have asked her to go with him if he didn’t have any plan. He knew all her concerns and everything about her family. So, that means he would have thought it out completely before asking her. There was no doubt that they would be spending their whole life together. Couldn’t she go with him? Her heart screamed that she could, and as always when it came to Sameer, she decided to trust her heart.

She wrapped her hands around his waist, hugging him from back, “haan, main chalungi”, she said gently.

He drew in a quick breath, turning in her arms, and holding her, “umm… ek baat aur hai”, he stammered, unsure how to tell her.

She drew back slightly, wondering what more was there, “kya baat?”

He swallowed audibly, “Naina, yeh jagah pe hum shaam ko jayenge, matlab puri raat wahi honge.”

She stared at him, again thinking about what he said, something was now jumping around in her belly. But still she gathered her courage and asked, “saari raat? Tumne kuch socha hai kaise?”

He nodded, “haan. Lekin tum haan kahogi to hi.”

It was a big decision. She weighed all the logical reasons and her heart’s desire, and after thinking for a minute, she discarded logic, “haan”, she stated simply.

His heart thudded, he pushed aside a strand of hair from her cheek, “sure?”

She nodded, “haan. Mujhe bharosa hai tumpe.”

His happiness knew no bounds as he crushed her to him, burying his face in her hair. She smiled at his gesture, joy bubbling inside her, on hearing his fast-paced heartbeats. After few moments he drew back and held her hand, “ab suno. Swati ke gharwale aur 15 din ke liye nai aayenge”, on seeing her confused look, he added, “uski dadi ne bataya.”

“Ohh”, she nodded understanding.

“Iss hafte to humko college ke forms bharne honge”, he detailed his plan, “tum aur Preeti apne ghar pe permission maang sakte ho ke next week tum dono kuch din ke liye yahan raho?”

She frowned, thinking, “haan. Taiji aur Tauji bhi bahar jaane wale hai, to shayad Chachaji ijaazat de denge.”

He smiled, “good, ho sake to aaj ya kal hi baat karlena. Taaki agar woh naa bole to dusra plan use kar sake”, he continued, “main Arjun se tumhe bahar le jaaneki permission maang lunga. I mean, aisai kisiko bhi bina bataye jaaye usse achche hai na ke Arjun se puchle, kyunki usko to sab pata hai hamare baare me.”

Overwhelmed she buried her head in his chest again. She had agreed to go with him. Yet, he was trying to be proper about it. He couldn’t ask Chachaji for permission, but he could ask Arjun who was the only member in her family who was aware of their relationship. He had really thought of everything, she wondered amazed.

“Hum kahan jayenge?”, she quizzed.

He rubbed her back, “surprise hai. Bharosa rakho, tumhe bahot achcha lagega.”

She nodded, her head bobbing against his chest. He tilted her head and kissed her tenderly, “thanks, mujhpe itna bharosa karne ke liye.”

“Budhdhu”, she scolded softly and kissed him back.

The week passed like a flash. First rains of the season graced the city and owing to that Sameer had made some changes to his initial plans, they would now leave in morning and spend the whole day there as well. Chachaji and Chachiji agreed to let Preeti and Naina stay at Swati’s place for 3 days. He talked to Arjun, who had thundered over the phone at first, then calmly listened to Sameer’s plan and his explanations on why staying the night was required. And after Sameer had repeatedly assured of Naina’s safety and comfort, he had agreed on the condition that he would speak to Naina before they left, then when they reached the place, and again after they returned. Sameer had agreed without any hesitation. The group of six had filled in admission forms for the same college and were very excited about this new phase of life.

As Monday arrived, Sameer met Naina at the temple. She was supposed to go to Swati’s house that day after breakfast and the next day, that is Tuesday was the most awaited day for both of them. So, he instructed her to wear jeans on Tuesday if possible, and proper shoes as they would be walking. Also, he told her to carry an extra set of clothes, and anything else she would require to spend a whole day. “Khane-peene ki chinta mat karna, woh main manage kar lunga”, he told her. She diligently listened to everything he instructed and kept wondering where was this place he was taking her to. They planned to leave at 6am the next day, early so that less people notice them leaving.

Sameer spent the entire day in preparations for the next day. Food, water, first-aid kit, and several items were on his list. He was excited as well as nervous, excited because this was their first date, and nervous also for the same reason. It was his responsibility to ensure her safety. He was determined to make this trip memorable for her, and he would make sure she was completely comfortable. He also needed to take care that no one, absolutely no one knew that she was going with him. Their friends knew of course, but Swati’s dadi didn’t. No matter how cool she was, he wouldn’t trust anyone apart from their friends when it came to Naina.

At the other end, preparations were going on at Swati’s place too. Even though Sameer had assured about food, Swati determinedly explained that boys had no idea on what to arrange for such things. So, they prepared the standard Gujarati picnic food – “Thepla.” And they even bought some packets of biscuits and candies. Preeti made her sit and painted her nails a shade of rose pink.

The night was the hardest for both, they tossed and turned sleepless, wondering and waiting. Naina was up at 4am, she washed her hair, and carefully dried it with towel. She checked her bag for the umpteenth time to ensure she had packed everything that Sameer had asked her to. She didn’t know anything about going on a date, but she thought she should buy some gift for him, especially because he had worked so hard for the examinations. So, last week while they had gone for shopping with Chachiji, she had sneaked out and bought a keychain for him. It was a small gift, and nothing compared to the birthday gifts he had given her, but she hoped he would like it. Checking the time once again, she dressed up in jeans and a peach coloured full-sleeve top. Then she called up Arjun and talked to him as promised.

Sameer was also up by 4:30am. He went downstairs to prepare a cup of coffee for himself and do some final preparations. Ramdhari had already done everything yesterday evening, but he needed to pack some last-minute things. Finally, he showered and put on jeans and plain blue shirt. He carried all the bags and stuff outside carefully, storing them in the car boot and on the back seat. He went to the florist, who was just opening his shop, but he had already ordered for a bouquet the previous evening, so it was ready for him. He stowed that carefully too, and finally reached Swati’s home at exactly 6am. He didn’t honk, it would have gained unnecessary attention from neighbours, and he knew that Naina would be waiting for him. He was right. He didn’t even need to turn off the ignition, as soon as he drove up Naina opened the door and came outside. She had covered her face with a dupatta, he frowned at that, then understood it as a precaution so that nobody recognized her. She quickly sat inside, clutching her bag to herself, and he drove out of the society.

On reaching a silent stretch a little away from the society, he looked at her, “Good Morning.”

She exhaled audibly, “Good Morning”, then paused and added, “sorry.”

He chuckled, “koi baat nai, samajh sakta hun. Meri haalat bhi aisi hi thi subah se.”

Finally, when they were away from the vicinity of their homes and school, he stopped on the side of the road, opening a small hold in the dashboard, he pulled out a box and offered it to her.

“Yeh kya hai?”, she asked puzzled accepting the box.

“Sunglasses”, he said tugging the bag out of her hands, “ise pehenlo aur dupatta hata do ab, ya fir ab bhi darr lag raha hai to bas sir pe odhlo”, he instructed, “thodi der me dhup nikal aayegi tab dupatte me garmi lagegi tumhe.”

She nodded, uncovering her face and wearing the sunglasses. He placed her bag on the back seat and grabbed the bouquet. “Yeh tumhare liye”, he offered the flowers to her.

She exclaimed in surprise on seeing the dozen blush pink and red roses, wrapped beautifully in transparent plastic, “wow! Thank you! Kitne khubsurat hai.”

He smiled, “tumse kam”, he knew it was a cheesy movie line perhaps, but as far as he was concerned it was honest.

She blushed as pink as the roses, and dipped her head, taking in their heavenly fragrance. She took out the small guitar shaped keychain from her pocket, and presented it to him, palm up. He tilted his head, staring at the red and silver piece, and then grinned wide picking it up from her hand and immediately attaching it to his car keys. “Main thank you baad me bolunga, achche se”, he winked and started the car, pulling on the road as she blushed again. Soon, the sun was bright and Naina understood that the sunglasses didn’t just act as camouflage but also protected her eyes from the rays through the windshield. When they were quite some distance away, Sameer nudged the car in a side street and stopped at a restaurant. On seeing Naina’s scared look he assured, “ghabrao mat. Hum bahot dur aa gaye hai, yahan koi pehchaan wala nai milega.”

She nodded, kept the bouquet on the back seat again and got out. It was a small place, serving fresh cooked basic breakfast. They grabbed a table at the far end and sat on wobbly plastic chairs. Sameer scanned through the items written on a black patch on the wall in barely decipherable handwriting and ordered a dish of alu paratha, poha and fafda, and two cups of tea. As they ate, they talked about how Swati had pestered her to prepare theplas and also bought other items. Sameer laughed, “achcha. Usko shayad pata nai Sameer Maheshwari ke talents ke baare me.”

She stuck her tongue out, “pata to mujhe bhi nai hai. Ab tak yeh bhi nai bataya ke leke kahan jaa rahe ho.” Naina had been repeatedly trying all the tricks to make him utter the name of the place since a week.

“Tum baar baar mujhse ugalvane ki koshish mat karo”, he countered, “itna hi janna tha to Arjun se puch leti. Usko to pata hai.”

“Pucha tha”, she scowled, “kaha Sameer ne mana kiya hai batane se”, she imitated her brother. It had really piqued her that her own brother was not helping her.

Sameer laughed, “aakhir saala jo thehra mera. Aur ab to dost bhi”, he winked at her. She feigned anger for some time, but then she was too happy to scowl for long. She still couldn’t believe that she was going to spend the entire day and night with him.

After about 30 minutes more, they started on their journey again. The day was turning out hot, and Sameer prayed it would rain a little or at least become cloudy in the afternoon. Naina had shed her dupatta completely now, and Sameer had fetched a bottle of water from the back.

The roads became bumpy as they approached villages on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, at one point Sameer stopped and asked a shopkeeper to ensure that he was on the right road, even though he had a map with him. A few kilometres away from their destination, Sameer spotted a PCO booth and stopped to let Naina talk to Arjun. Finally, they reached their destination at 9am, and she leaned out to read the name on the wooden board – Thol Lake. Two men were sitting in a small office near the gate, and Sameer stopped the car.

“Yahin betho, main aata hun”, he said grabbing some papers from the dash. He returned after 10 minutes with the same papers, a couple of colourful leaflets, and a key.

“Hum yahan kyun aaye hai Sameer?”, she asked as he started the car again. She was perplexed as to what they would do the whole day and night at a lake.

He carefully nudged the car along the dirt road, “bas thoda aur wait karlo. Sab bataunga.” Another 20 minutes later he parked the car outside a tiny wooden cabin, and they disembarked. Naina stretched her arms, then helped Sameer carry the things from the car up the short flight of stairs to the porch. He unlocked the door and gestured her inside. She stepped in and was pleasantly surprised on seeing the rustic cabin, there were two single camp beds, a rickety table with a jug of water and one steel glass, and a straight-backed chair. Two sling chairs with multicoloured stripes were folded against one wall. A lamp hung from the ceiling, and a small pedestal fan stood on one corner. She noticed a door at the other end and opened it to reveal a small but clean bathroom and toilet, with two big buckets of water, apparently there was no running water.

Sameer had carried in all the things now, including the bouquet, and she occupied herself in untying the plastic and arranging the roses in the glass. She added some water to it from the jug and sprinkled some over the flowers as well. He checked out the cabin too, while Naina patiently waited for him to explain.

He came over to her as she stood at the table preening the flowers, and hugged her from behind, placing his chin on her shoulder, “kaisa laga room?”

She turned in his arms, “bahot achcha hai. Par hum hai kahan?”

He grinned, “Mehsana. Thol Lake.” He put a finger on her lips as she opened her mouth to ask more questions. “Shh”, he explained further, “iss jagah ko 1988 me sanctuary declare kar diya gaya… sanctuary matlab…”, he racked his brains for a translation.

She removed his finger from her lips, “abhyaaran”, she stated scowling up at him.

He smiled and placed a quick kiss on her forehead, “haan wahi. Yahan bahot saare birds aate hai iss mausam me, khaas kar pehli baarish ke baad. Maine socha hum dekhenge aur photos bhi khichenge.”

“Okay, lekin fir hum pehle yahan shaam ko kyun aane wale the? Birds raat ko thodi na honge”, she asked puzzled.

Trust her to attack the core of the matter, he thought smiling to himself. Aloud he said, “nai tab kuch aur honge.”

She looked scared, “kya? Yahan jungli janwaar bhi hai kya?”

He laughed, “filhaal to sirf main hi jungli hun yahan”, he teased, “darr laga?”

She was still in his arms, so she couldn’t hit him, but she could tickle, and she did. He laughed helplessly, trying to get away from her. “Bataona”, she pleaded.

“Shaam ko pata chal jayega tumhe”, he said and laughed when she frowned in irritation. He dipped his head and kissed her softly. He didn’t intend to prolong the kiss, but she mischievously tightened her hold on him and deepened the kiss. He shuddered, and groaned, fisting one hand in her hair, and returned the kiss with equal fervour. When they parted, she pulled free of his arms, and turned around smiling to herself. Her heart was thundering from the effect of the kiss, but she knew she had left him restless, a little punishment for not telling her everything.

“Toh, ab hum bahar chale? Birds yahan to nai aayenge, right”, she kept her voice light and grabbed her sunglasses again.

He knew her well enough to know what she had done. He held her hand, and pulled her back to him, “abhi pura din aur puri raat hai mere paas”, he softly declared, letting her know that he was aware her trick, and licked his lips so that she had no doubt of his intentions. She blushed furiously. What had made her think that she could hide from him?

When he leaned closer she thought he would kiss her again, but he simply brushed his lips against her temple, “you are right. Birds yahan nai aayenge. Lekin tum aisai bahar nai jaa sakti.”

He left her and rummaged inside one of the bags and brought out a tube of sunscreen. “Ise laga lo, sunscreen hai. Bahar dhup zyada hui to pareshani hogi tumhe”, he offered her the tube.

She took it, and he turned away to pack some food for themselves. He took the theplas she had prepared, the box of bread-butter-jam sandwiches packed by Ramdhari, and a couple of oranges and apples. He arranged all of it in his backpack, along with two bottles of water, his camera, the first aid kit, a pack of tissues, and a folded cotton rug.

When he was done, he looked at Naina, who was still reading the small fonts on the tube. “Kya kar rahi ho?”, he asked perplexed.

She looked up hesitant, “umm, Sameer mujhe use karna nai aata.”

“Ohh”, his expression cleared as he understood, “idhar do.”

He opened the tube, then remembered something, “Naina, hum log subah 6 baje ke nikle hue hai, tumhe bathroom nai jaana?”, he asked recalling that he had made a trip to the bathroom when they had stopped for breakfast, but she hadn’t.

She looked down, as if embarrassed and nodded. It was the first time she was alone with Sameer for so long, that too outside, and she didn’t know how to behave or act. It was all new and slightly frightening for her. He understood her predicament and smiled, “jao jaakar aao. Aur fresh bhi ho lo. Paani istemaal karne me hichkichana mat, khatam ho gaya to main aur leke aaunga. Paas hi me pump hai.”

Relieved she rushed inside the bathroom. She had been wondering how they would spend the whole day with just two buckets of water. When she was washing her hands and face, she heard a knock on the door, “Naina, yeh sabun aur towel le lo.”

She opened the door a bit to take the things and smiled when she saw him facing the other way. She quickly took the soap and towel and closed the door again. She came out feeling much refreshed, he nodded at her and went inside himself. He freshened up then helped her apply the sunscreen on her face, charmed by her innocence.

“Waise tumhe yeh sab kaise pata?”, she asked, “Apni Nainital wali girlfriend se sikha tha?”

He was applying the cream himself, but the tube dropped from his hands at her words. She visibly paled as he looked at her in astonishment.

“Umm… Sorry”, she somehow muttered and rushed outside.

He spent five minutes inside, thinking and putting things in order, and then picked up the backpack, and followed her outside. He locked the door, pocketed the key and silently slipped on his sunglasses. She was waiting near the stairs, and he took her hand, twining their fingers. She walked with him, her own eyes covered with sunglasses, as they followed a dirt path.

God, why couldn’t she keep her mouth shut? It had been so long since the Mt. Abu trip, and she had never asked him anything about what she had overheard. But sometimes she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it, wondering who she was, how she looked, and today she had just blurted it out without realizing what she was speaking. How would she spend the whole day with him now? Was he angry on her? Tears pooled in her eyes, and she blinked to hold them in.

They walked steadily, in silence, for around 15 mins. She kept her head down, not having the courage to look at him. Finally, he stopped, and left her hand, she looked up to find herself in-front a small marshy area, with tall yellowed grass and a lone tree standing in the middle. There were patches filled with water, and long legged Indian Sarus Cranes were walking gracefully through it, often dipping their red coloured heads in the water to look for food. She felt a tug on her hand and looked around to see that Sameer had spread a brown rug on the ground, and was sitting on it. She sat next to him, keeping some distance, but he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. They sat watching the birds, and slowly she relaxed, the sight was indeed beautiful.

“Uska naam Anu hai, lekin woh meri girlfriend nai thi”, he said softly after some time. Finally, she looked up at his face, and saw a sad expression. He sighed and continued, “Mr. Somani ke friend ki beti thi, isiliye maine friendship banaye rakhi thi taaki woh Delhi me Mummy ko ya apne ghar me meri shararato ke baare me naa bataye. Main kabhi uske saath kahin ghumne nai gaya, aur naa hi kabhi uska haath pakda. Usko interest tha mujhme, lekin mujhe nai tha…na usme aur naa hi kisi aur me. Uss din Munna aur Pandit ke saamne hero banne ke chakkar me thodi badhai kar gaya. Mujhe nai pata tha ke tumne sab kuch sunn liya tha. Woh mouth organ bhi usne nai diya tha, maine khud kharida tha ek mele me se. Shayad uss din main khudko bhi yeh saabit karna chahta tha ke main sachme hawa ki tarah hun, jise koi baandhke nai rakh sakta, lekin ho nai paaya. Tumse puchne chala aaya ke mera music tumko kaisa laga, aur fir tum kho gai to main pareshan ho gaya.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder, “I am sorry Sameer. Main tumhe udaas nai karna chahti thi. Galti se puch liya.”

“Tumne pucha isiliye udaas nai hun”, he clarified, “yeh sochkar udaas hun ke meri baate sunkar uss waqt tumko kaisa laga hoga.”

She thought for a moment, “bura laga tha thodi der ke liye, lekin fir Swati se shaadi wala pyaar leke behes karne me sab bhul gai.”

He frowned, looking down at her, “shaadi wala pyaar?”

She laughed and told him of the series of tests she had put him through at Swati’s insistence, and how finally Swati had been convinced when he had won the pink teddy for her. He was flabbergasted.

“Iska matlab tum wahan uss jungle me galti se nai khoi thi? Aur uske baad bhi jaan puch kar hume galat raaste pe le gai?”, he almost shouted, gripping her arms tight, “tumhe andaaza bhi hai k uss din tumhe kuch ho jaata to kya hota?” She winced at his tight hold, and he immediately loosened his grip, rubbing her arms in apology.

“Maine socha hi nai tha kuch bhi uss waqt”, she accepted, “mujhe to bas yeh saabit karna tha ke tumhara pyaar jhutha nai hai.”

He stared at her for a moment, then muttered a curse and pulled her to him, tight, “ek number ki paagal ho tum.” She smiled, relaxing against him.

They ate some bread-butter-jam and polished off two oranges, before gathering their things and leaving from there. It was almost noon, the sky was now covered in grey clouds, and a gentle breeze picked up, giving some relief from the heat. They pulled off their sunglasses, and she rubbed her neck. It was still hot enough to feel uncomfortable in open hair. To her surprise Sameer pulled out a rubber band from his pocket, offering it to her.

She smiled taking it from him and tying her hair, “lekin tumhe to mere khule baal pasand hai na?”, she asked.

He nodded, “haan, par garmi me tumko taklif hogi. Shaam ko khol dena.” They walked for 30 minutes, to a big lake, and he spread the rug again, this time under a tree, and they sat watching pink greater flamingos elegantly walking or standing on one leg. Geese, ducks and swans swam in the middle of the lake, and massive white Pelicans glided regally dipping their long beaks to catch a fish. Sometimes Indian Skimmers flew across, quickly snatching small fishes in the shallow edges. This part of the sanctuary was greener because of the lake, and they spent hours taking photographs and talking. Few more people came and left, while they finished off the theplas, and apples.

By the time it was close to 4pm, he was nudging her to get up saying they needed to get back. She was feeling tired and lazy, “thodi der aur beththe hai na, abhi to andhera hone me bahot waqt hai.”

He pulled her up, “nai. Hum thake hue hai to hume wapas jaane me zyada waqt lagega”, he wrapped up the rug again, “aur yahan thode bahot jungli janwar hai, jaise ki siyaar aur bhediya.”

She didn’t need any more motivation to return and helped him quickly pack things. She was so scared that she was walking fast, “dhire chalo, itna bhi mat ghabrao”, he tugged her to him wrapping an arm around her waist.

She slowed down to walk with him, but still they made it in record time, and she heaved a sigh of relief. He chuckled at her expressions. But she didn’t think she was wrong in being scared. After all what exactly Sameer would have done if a wolf had indeed appeared. She was feeling all hot and sweaty, so she switched onn the fan and sat on one of the bed. He went into the bathroom and to her extreme astonishment, brought out two bottles of Mangola. On asking he explained that he had dunked them in the bucket of water to keep them cold. Surprised at his resourcefulness, she gratefully took a bottle and sipped the wonderfully cool drink.

There was one bucket full of water, so he told her to take a bath if she wanted and he took the other bucket to fetch more water. “Andar se lock kardo, main bahar wait kar lunga”, he instructed, “aur jab tak meri awaz naa suno tab tak darwaaza kholna mat.” She nodded and locked the door. There were other cabins, bit far and away from sight, but still he didn’t want to take any risk on someone wandering over and scaring her while he was away. He brought the water and had to wait for ten minutes for her to finish, when he could hear sounds inside the room, he let her know that he was back. She opened the door quickly, and he smiled, she was wearing white patiala pants and a simple pink chikan kurta with a white dupatta, and her hair was open again. He grabbed his extra set of clothes, and told her to stay in the room, he would change in the bathroom. He bathed and changed into grey tracks and white short sleeved t-shirt, then went to fill in the buckets again as they would need water during the night.

They brought the two sling chairs onto the patio and opened them. There was no light on the porch, but the lamp in the room, spilled a soft glow outside too. He was feeling hungry again, so he grabbed an orange and insisted that she too eat a few slices, even though she told him she wasn’t hungry. The evening darkened, as it started raining, and they gazed into the beautiful open marshlands sitting protected on the covered porch. By the time the rain stopped the sun had already set, and she was again demanding to know why they were staying the night.

“Mujhe tumhare saath ek raat bitani thi isiliye”, he teased, winking at her. She hit him this time, hard. “Ow! Maaro mat, mazaak kar raha hun”, he grabbed her hands, “lekin sach bhi hai, actually tumhare saath firse greh…grehnaskatra dekhne the, isiliye yahan ruke hai.”

She laughed, “naskatra nai nakshatra”, she corrected, “par yahan se?”

He nodded, “haan. Bahot time se koi jagah dhund raha tha, Ahmedabad me hi, fir iss jagah ke baare me pata chala. Ahmedabad ke bahar hai, lekin itni bhi dur nai”, he told her.

Warmth surged inside her. “Woh raat itni khaas thi?”, she asked.

“Bahot”, he accepted, “tumhe bataya tha na maine, ke mujhe usi raat ehsaas ho jaana chahiye tha ke main tumse pyaar karta hun par meri moti akkal me baat ghusne me bahot waqt lag gaya.”

She chuckled, “achcha, kabse pyaar hua tha tumko?”

He squinted his eyes, staring into the darkness, “sach kahu to pata nai. Jab pehli baar takraya tab tumhari aankhon me dekhte rehne ka man kar raha tha, par khud ko bewakuf kaha aur wahan se chala gaya. Fir tum kisi ajeeb si paheli jaisi lagi, matlab, koi bhi itna intelligent aur disciplined kaise ho sakta hai ke use discipline monitor banaya jaaye. Aur fir jab tum mujhe padhane lagi, to main bahot impress ho gaya tumse. Jis tarah tum mujhe padhati thi, mujhe kuch bhi boring nai lagta tha, aur sab kuch asaani se samajh aa jaata tha. Maine socha chalo behenji hi sahi, lekin dosti to kar hi sakta hun. Achcha lagta tha tumhare saath waqt bitana. Par uske baad sab kuch gadbad ho gaya.”

He picked up the bottle of water, drank some and then told her how he had got to know that it was her who used to give him blank calls, and play all those motivational songs. How after placing the bet, unknowingly he had started to observe her more and more, “mera to din shuru hota tha yeh sochke ke aaj tumse kya baat karunga, aur shaam dhalti thi iss planning me ab kaise tumse I love you bulvau. Mujhe pata hi nai chala ke kab tumhari choti se choti cheeze mere liye khaas ho gai. Main hamesha tumse baat karneke bahane dhundta tha, tumhare karib rehne ki koshish karta tha, tum zara bhi dhyan nai deti thi to gussa aata tha. Inn sabko main shart ka naam deta raha. Mt. Abu me tumhare chudail wali sharaarat ke wajah se pehli baar tumhara ek dusra roop dekha, aur sach kahu to dekhta hi reh gaya. Uss raat campfire ke waqt jab tum dress badalne gai, tab itni besabri se tumhara intezaar kar raha tha jitna zindagi me kisike liye bhi nai kiya.”

He laughed, “tumhari uss bhalu wali dress me bhi tumse nazar nai hat rahi thi. Aur fir woh kavita, hamari baate, suryoday dekhna, aur dusre din Nakki lake pe boating. Tab tak to shart kahin bahot peeche chut gaya tha, bas main hi samajh nai paa raha tha. Lekin jab tumne mujhe apne kamre me raat bitane di, tab samajh aaya ke kahin kuch to ho raha hai mujhe, pehli baar meri aankhon me kisi aur ke liye aansu the. Jab dusre din tumne mujhe woh sweater diya, main pura tut gaya. Tum pyaar karti ho mujhse yeh to pehle se pata tha, lekin uss pyaar ki gehrai puri tarah se uss din samajh me aai. Uske baad bhi main khudse bhaagta raha. Pyaar ko pehle shart, aur fir dosti ka naam de diya. Lekin jab tum mere saamne hospital me royi, aur apna saara dard bata diya, tab jaake ehsaas hua ke mujhe to kabse tumse pyaar ho gaya hai aur mujhe pata hi nai chala. Meri saanse, meri zindagi, meri dhadkane sab tumse jud chuki thi, aur main bekhabar reh gaya tha. Apne aap se hi anjaan reh gaya tha.”

He was silent after this long confession and didn’t realize he was crying until she wiped the tears from his face. He looked down at her and saw that she was also crying. He rubbed her tears and held her close. She was thinking over what he had said. Before their picnic, she had always felt that he had loved her from sometime, maybe not earlier when they had started their friendship, but slowly he too had developed those same feelings. Mt. Abu was special for her, since she had got a confirmation of his feelings through different ways, especially in the way he had looked at her. That is why the bet had hurt her more. How could anyone be such a perfect actor to lie through his eyes? How could anyone want to hurt her so badly that he could stoop so low as to reciprocate actions of true love? – like eating her jhootha, protecting her reputation, spending such quality time with her for the whole night and day. But now she knew, that he hadn’t planned those things, it had happened on their own, from his heart. Though she had believed him whenever he had said that he had fallen in love with her much before the bet revelation, they had never talked openly about it until today. Happiness spread along her veins with the sure knowledge of how long Sameer had been in love with her. And now she felt that he too deserved knowing something about her.

He stood up and said that he would get some food since it was dinner time. She waited for him, but when it took too long, she got up and went in. To her surprise, she found him standing at the table, meticulously slicing cucumbers. “Yeh kya kar rahe ho?”, she asked slowly taking care not to alarm him.

He looked up, “sandwich bana raha hun. Ramdhari ne chutney banake diya hai, ketchup bhi hai, aur cheese and bread bhi. Subah maine cucumbers aur tomatoes bhi rakh liye”, then added sheepishly, “beetroots mujhe pasand nai aur onions rakhna bhul gaya.”

She laughed and went to him, “hato, main karti hun. Haath kat jayega tumhara.”

He moved the knife away, “uhuh… nai… aaj tum kuch bhi nai karogi. Chef Sameer Maheshwari hai na”, he held her shoulders and turned her around, “bahar jao aur chup-chap betho. Zara bhi behes ki to tumhare sandwich me cheese nai daalunga.”

She laughed again at his threat, and acquiesced as he bodily pushed her outside. Some long minutes later, a familiar smell drifted in her nose, and she looked around to see Sameer lighting a mosquito coil at the doorstep. He straightened, smiled and went back inside, while she sat lost in wonder at his thoughtfulness. The boy was full of surprises.

He came out soon with a dish of neatly arranged sandwiches, some chips, and two more bottles of mangola. He fed her the first bite, and she signalled with her fingers that it was wonderful. He grinned and took a bite himself, from the same piece. They finished everything in silence, the only sound made by the crispy crunchy chips. They talked about their school memories and made plans for college while sipping the mangola. Finally, the clouds started to clear, and they saw the first of stars in the sky, and the wind started to feel cold. He went back inside to dump the used paper dish, and came out with the rug, a thin blanket and two pillows. She looked quizzically at him, wondering what new idea had hit his brain. He spread the rug near the steps, and placed the two pillows side by side, and asked her to join him. She stood up, and sat next to him on one pillow, he opened the blanket covering them both with it, as he wrapped an arm around her pulling her firmly to his side.

She smiled, leaning against the crook of his neck, thinking he did have wonderful ideas. The rains had left a chill in the air, the clusters of trees were dark shapes in distance, the night symphony of crickets was interrupted with loud croaks of frogs.

“Sameer”, she whispered, and he looked down at her. He lifted his brows to enquire what’s wrong. She snuggled against him, drawing in courage from his warmth, and finally confessed, “tumhe pata hai main kabse tumse pyaar karti hun?” He nodded in negative, the timing hadn’t mattered to him, he had always known that she had some feelings for him, maybe first like and then love. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, “jabse tumse pehli baar takrai.”

He didn’t say anything. She opened her eyes to look at him and saw that he was staring at her with a shocked expression, his mouth open. She stretched and kissed his jaw. He shivered, “par tab to tum mujhe jaanti bhi nai thi, mera naam bhi nai pata hoga tumko to”, he stated confused.

She shrugged, “usse mujhe kabhi fark nai padha. Tum chahe jo bhi hote, jaise bhi hote, tumhara naam jo bhi hota, main to usi pal tumse pyaar karne lagi thi. Uske baad, tumhe pyaar karne ki wajah badalti gai ya badhti gai, lekin pyaar kabhi kam nai hua, koshish ki tab bhi nai.”

He hugged her tightly, kissing her forehead. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to have found a girl who had loved him so much ever since she had seen him. He had always complained that God never listened to him, but by sending just this one person in his life, he had eliminated all his complaints forever. He knew that till Naina was with him, happiness was never going to be away from his life. No one, absolutely no one loved him as much as she did.

He looked up silently thanking God and saw the sight he was waiting for. “Upar dekho”, he nudged her gently, and she followed his gaze to the sky, to the most amazing sight she had ever laid eyes on. The clouds were completely gone, and they could see a sky full of glittering stars. It was breathtaking, even more beautiful than what they had witnessed in Mt. Abu.

He pointed to a cluster of stars, “see, that’s the Big Dipper. Hindi me Saptarishi. Woh dhruv tara se upar ki taraf sidhi lakir khicho, to tumhe 7 stars ka group dikhega.” She tried to trace the line as he asked, and indeed saw the stars he was talking about. He pointed a couple of more constellations to her, including Aries and Gemini.

“Tumhe itna saara kaise pata?”, she asked puzzled at his knowledge. She had always liked watching the constellations or stars but had never known them so specifically.

He smiled, “Delhi se padhna shuru kiya tha constellations ke baare me, tumhe aise date pe laake surprise dene ke liye.”

Her lips parted in amazement, “tabse plan kar rahe ho?” He simply nodded, then went back to tell her more. She listened, intrigued and impressed, “tumahara favourite konsa hai?”, she queried.

He thought about it for a moment, “Orion”, he stated, “ab tak aaya nai hai woh, lekin bahot easily pehchaan sakte hai usko. Teen chamakte hue sitaaro ka belt hai usme. Tumhe pata hai, yeh Orion naam Greece ke pauranik katha me se rakha gaya hai, ek shikari ke naam pe, kyunki iss nakshatra ka shape bilkul ek shikari ki tarah hai.” He continued to tell her about the tale, while she stared at his face, he looked so relaxed and happy, the twinkle in his eyes no less than a star, the sensuous curve of his mouth as he frowned or smiled as per the requirement of the tale.

“Sameer…”, she interrupted. “Hmm…??”, he looked at her.

She placed one hand on his chest, feeling his warmth, turning more fully towards him, “kiss me.”

For a moment he said nothing, but looked in her eyes as if trying to see inside her. Then he cupped her face with one hand, ran his thumb over her lips, and ducked down.

He brushed his lips over hers again and again, soft butterfly caresses that made her whimper. Then he kissed the corners of her mouth, tasting her lips one at a time.  And when she was sure she couldn’t take it another second, he took her mouth, in a scorching full-on kiss.

The heat of it stunned her, stole her breath, made her mind go blank. She heard herself moan, her body turning to hot jelly. She clung to him, instinctively following his lead, opening her mouth to the velvet strokes of his tongue. By the time he pulled back, she was shaking.

“Sameer”, she panted.

“Yes, Naina”, he too sounded breathless.

She leaned towards him further, “do it again.”

He groaned, fisted a hand in her hair, and crushed her against him, his mouth plundering hers, lips, teeth and tongue, until she was gasping for breath. He drew back to look at her. Moonlight was on her face, and he touched her cheek where the light played. He followed the same line with his mouth, skimming along her jaw, her face. She shivered, her fingers running through his hair, and twisted until their lips joined again, and she tried to shift closer. He turned, leaning against the low parapet running around the patio, and splayed his legs, shifting and adjusting her until she was sitting between his legs, pressed flush on his chest. His lips trailed over her face, not sparing an inch, he sucked on her earlobe, nipping at the sensitive flesh under her ear. He pressed kisses along her throat, and shuddered on hearing the little mewls of pleasure and encouragement from her. His hands roamed, touched and lingered, still not venturing beyond the permitted. He knew he should pull back now, but he felt as if he couldn’t have enough of her. One last time, he promised himself and returned to her lips. She clutched him tight, meeting passion with passion, he pulled her head back and deepened the kiss.

After having a fill as desired, he held on to his promise, because that was the only thread of control he could hold on to, when she was so soft and warm in his arms, only a step away from acceptance and surrender. But it was unknown to her, and he accepted, unknown to him as well, there would come a time for that too, later, when they were married. For now, even though she belonged to him, or maybe because of that, he had to protect her, even if it was from himself.

He held her close to him, his cheek on her head, as they both struggled to calm their breathing. Of all the visions and fantasies, he had already had of being with her, the one that was strongest was of him just holding her like this, with the stars overhead, and the night breeze blowing cool and clean. Content with themselves, with their togetherness, they sat in each other’s arms, looking at their forever future twinkling up in the sky, because after all, what are stars but Lights of Eternity.