Love Me Tonight Chapter 12: Bond of Togetherness

Naina sat on the mattress in her bedroom, surrounded by three dresses that she considered to be her best ones from whatever she had brought from bua-dadi’s home, but still she was unable to decide which one to wear. Today was the day she was getting married to Sameer Maheshwari, and suddenly at 5am in morning she was starting to have mild anxiety attack about several things. She had refused any rituals, and Sameer had agreed to her condition… She had insisted on court marriage, and he had agreed. She had said she wouldn’t adorn any symbols of marriage, and once more he had no objections. She had thought she wouldn’t be concerned about anything…

In fact yesterday she was pretty calm… If she had used besan-haldi ubtan while bathing, she only considered it as a little self-pampering… If she had scanned a magazine for some hairstyle, she just thought of it as normal grooming knowledge… She hadn’t done all those things from her wedding perspective, or that’s what she thought. She couldn’t understand why she was panicking now about a simple thing as dress. It shouldn’t matter what she wore, right? It was just about going to the registrar office and sign on some papers. If she didn’t wear a new outfit, it shouldn’t really concern her. But unfortunately it did… The three dresses suddenly seemed too plain to wear on any wedding, and this was her wedding.

Main na apni shaadi me dher saari sareeya kharidungi… Har rang ke… Fancy wale border hote hai na jisme, waisi wali… Bilkul jaise film me heroine pehenti hai… Par shaadi ke din toh laal rang ka joda hi pehnungi… Sirf laal… Ya laal ke saath thoda hara rang ho jisme… Maroon toh bilkul nahi, sab maroon pehente hai…

She recalled her own words… Things she had uttered when she had seen dreams of her wedding. Now she wanted to scoff at her younger self… Hadn’t life always taught her that dreams were never meant to be fulfilled? Her mother died when she was born, and no matter how much she wished for a mother it never happened. She dreamed of her father’s love, of sharing a strong bond with him, but that never happened. She had wished upon a broken star to be able to make her father so proud that he would raise his collar while saying she was his daughter, but that never happened. She had saved up coins and thrown them in every well, every river, wishing desperately for several things, from a surprise birthday celebration to having a happy married life, but none of it was fulfilled. Yet she didn’t know what had made the 16 year old girl wish for a ridiculous thing as beautiful sarees and red wedding fineries… Or maybe she did know… Because that was the day when she had been given the task of writing the message of a card for their neighbor’s daughter’s wedding, and in dreams of her teenage crush she had written her and Sameer’s name on the paper… And that was when she had started dreaming of her wedding… Hands full of mehndi, teasing during haldi, happy family members, joyful abundant blessings, her groom on white mare, her blushing face as her would-be-husband commented on her beauty… So many dreams just because of one person – Sameer… But even then she had known that they would never be fulfilled, that whatever she felt would be unrequited… However, in college she had started to feel that maybe those dreams would be fulfilled with Manav… Her family, most importantly her father was happy… But those dreams had shattered more cruelly that she could have ever imagined.

“Aree… Haathon me mehndi bina bhi koi dulhan banti hai kya?”

“Par Chachiji, yeh toh sirf roka aur sagai hai… Haath bhar ke mehndi lagaungi toh main kal college me kya bolungi?”

“Bhagwaan jhuth na bulaye beta… sabko yahi bolegi na ke sagai ho gai teri, aur jaldi hi shaadi hone wali hai… isme chupane wali konsi baat hai? Aur tujhe agar sharam aa rahi hai bolne me toh Preeti hai na… Woh bol degi…”

Mehndi… Hands and legs full of mehndi were considered to be the unique sign of a bride. It was considered auspicious… The deeper the color of mehndi, the more the love of husband… But her hands were bare… Did that mean Sameer would stop loving her? No… Her mind refuted the idea… When her hands had mehndi she hadn’t received any love… So now the absence of mehndi should also not affect anything. A memory resurfaced of Chachiji writing Manav in beautiful hindi fonts on her palm, and she squeezed her eyes shut, her body trembling, a disgusting feeling creeping up her spine… She felt as if worms were crawling over her skin, and something churned in her belly… Clapping a hand over her mouth she rushed to the bathroom…

The sound of slamming door woke Sameer up from his sleep and the blissful dream where he was sitting at his home with his wife, his Naina in his arms… He was disoriented for some time, trying to place the sound that had woken him up. But soon the sounds of retching reached his ears, and he scrambled up from the floor, moving towards the bathroom. The door was unlocked thankfully; he didn’t think twice before pushing it open and going inside. Naina was bent over the small sink, one hand on her belly, and the other on the wall for support. He stood behind her, rubbing her back… It was after quite a few days that she was puking in morning, usually the saltine helped, and over the days he had learnt what smells caused her discomfort so he always kept her away from them. She washed her mouth and straightened, rubbing her forehead.

“Naina”, he soothingly called, “kya hua? Chakkar aa raha hai?”

She shook her head, “nahi… uh… brush karna hai.”

“Pehle thodi der bahar aake betho”, he instructed, “thoda theek lage phir brush karna.”

He made her sit on the chair in the living room, and then started to fold the sheets from the floor. As he went to keep them inside the bedroom, his eyes fell on the colorful dresses on her mattress. Puzzled he turned to look at her, and asked, “subah subah yeh kapde kyun nikaale hai?”

Her eyes widened in shock as she realized that she had left the dresses outside, and her lower lip started to wobble, tears filling her eyes. Panicked he dumped the sheets on the mattress and rushed to her, crouching on the floor in-front of her, he cupped her face, wiping the tears off her cheeks, “shsh… kya hua? Ro kyun rahi ho?”

She sniffed even more… His heart thumped in dread as several negative thoughts started to cloud his mind… Today was their wedding… He had thought she would be happy, but she was crying. She was sad… And it broke his heart to see her like this… Had she decided to back out? Was she not happy with him? Did she think he didn’t deserve her? Even though he was afraid of her answer, he opened his mouth to ask her… But before he could even get a word out, she suddenly abandoned the chair, flung her arms around him hugging him tight. He fell backwards on the floor, quickly wrapping his arms around her to secure her, alarmed at her sudden action.

She buried her face under his chin, and wailed, “mere paas kuch bhi naya nahi hai pehenne ke liye… hamari shaadi me purane kapde pehenne padenge.”

Stunned beyond words he dragged in a much needed shaky breath and exhaled in relief. She wasn’t going to say no… She was still ready to marry him… And she was crying for a new dress? The ridiculousness of the situation almost made him want to laugh… SJM, who owned one of the biggest fashion firms in India, his would-be wife was crying because she didn’t have a new outfit… What an absolute shame… But even though he wanted to laugh, he didn’t, because somewhere in his heart he knew that Naina wasn’t so shallow. Her words might be of a new dress but the tears that fell from her eyes were an indication of a deep wound from her past that had opened up today for some reason. After a bit of thought, it didn’t take a genius to guess that she had probably remembered something from her previous relationship… Her broken engagement… He wanted to ask her, but he knew she would retreat in shell if he did, and so he chose to resolve the issue she had voiced. Maybe with some assurance she would divulge more.

“It’s okay Naina”, he soothed, “itni si baat ke liye rote nahi hai… ek baat batao… do you know SJM?”

She lifted her head, puzzled at his question. Hiccupping slightly she answered, “tum hi toh SJM ho…”

He smiled, “haan… aur tumhari shaadi mujhse ho rahi hai… SJM se… sweetheart, I earn so much ke agar tum har ghante ek naya dress kharidogi na toh bhi main afford kar lunga… Par usse bhi badi baat yeh hai ke SJM Enterprise me hi kapde bante hai… fashion firm, you know…”

She frowned, “par shaadi dopahar ko hai…”

“Doesn’t matter”, he assured, “ek ghante me bhi hoti toh bhi tumhare liye pura wardrobe khada kar deta… lekin tumne hi mujhe mana kiya tha ke tumhe kuch nahi chahiye… Aur main tumhe hurt nahi karna chahta tha… Isiliye kal tumhare liye kuch laaya lekin diya nahi tumhe…”

Surprise turned her pretty eyes round, and her voice seemed to have stuck because she opened and closed her mouth several times without any words. He smiled, reaching out to grab his bag from the other chair, while still lying on the floor. Pulling out a turquoise blue cloth bag, he showed it to her, “isme kuch hai tumhare liye… agar tumhe sahi lage toh aaj hamari shaadi pe yahi pehenna.”

She unwound her arms from around his neck, and sat up slowly, her gaze fixed on the bag he was holding. He also sat up, crossing his legs, keeping his eyes focused on her face… Happiness and hope warred with caution and fear in her beautiful whiskey orbs. She extended her hand slightly as if wanting to touch the bag, but then her fingers folded, withdrawing again… He waited patiently, wondering what was stopping her… She licked her lips, biting the lower one for a second, and then her troubled gaze moved to his steady ones, as she said, “main paiso ke liye tumse shaadi nahi kar rahi.”

It was such an unexpected declaration that he frowned, trying to place it in context. It took him a moment to understand that she was equating his gift to money, and hence clarifying that it wasn’t for gifts or money that she was marrying him. Once more it made him wonder about her past… What must have happened that had made her so cautious of accepting a simple gift? What a jerk her fiancé must have been? And what exactly did he do that Naina had such extreme negative reaction to him? He sighed, placing the cloth bag on her lap, and then held her hands, “Naina… sweetheart, you are gorgeous, very intelligent, but also an absolute fool…”

She gasped, her brows furrowing in annoyance, she tried to pull her hands back from his hold and when she failed, her cheeks puffed making him chuckle. He gently explained, “relationship me sabse important hota hai share karna… Phir chaahe woh cheeze ho ya baate… Jaise tumne mere kapde apne shelf pe rakhe… Apna ghar, apni ghar ki cheeze aur apni dil ki baate mujhse share karne lagi… Waise hi, mera ghar, wahan ki cheeze aur mere life ke har ek hisse pe ab tumhara haq hai… Remember, I had told you… marriage is about giving rights… Aur maine woh haq tumhe diya hai, toh jo mera hai woh sab tumhara hai…”

A small smile curved her lips, but her eyes still held some doubt. He knew it would take some time for her to accept the concept of marriage, of sharing life to an extent that nothing is hidden from each other, but he also knew that she was trying… Experiences, both good and bad, played a pivotal role in shaping up the characteristics of a person… His own pain and struggles had made him almost fickle-minded about relationships until Naina had stepped in and showed him that while his body can find release in a hot steamy casual night with a random woman, but his heart could only experience peace when Naina placed a tender affectionate kiss on his forehead. The peace and happiness he had been looking for almost all his life had been gift-wrapped and given to him that night when he had held Naina in his arms, inhaled her sweet intoxicating fragrance, seen his own reflection in her big soft brown eyes, heard the lilting notes of her laughter, and lost himself in the warm clench of her body giving everything he had to her. But after that one night, her life had been thrown off on such an unexpected tangent that she hadn’t had the time required to reflect and understand the overwhelming depth of emotions they both had experienced when they had made love…

Smiling at her, he reminded, “tumhe yaad hai tumhare peechle counseling session ke baad tumne mujhse mere business aur mere family ke baare me pucha tha?” She nodded, and he continued, “tab tumne pehli baar dheere-dheere kadam badhana shuru kiya tha meri taraf… Aur aaj dekho… Finally hum shaadi kar rahe hai… Shuruat karogi toh aage ka raasta apne aap banta jayega… Main jaanta hun ke iss rishte ko poori tarah se accept karne ke liye tumhe waqt chahiye, lekin aaj ek kadam toh le sakti ho na…”

The smile on her face widened, and she softly nodded, “thank you…”

“You are welcome wifey”, he drawled. Her eyes rounded once more at the way he addressed her and he laughed, “ab jao brush kar lo… main tab tak dudh garam kar leta hun chai ke liye.”

She watched him get up and go to the kitchen, giving her the required privacy. Her hands trembled as she lightly touched the bag on her lap… He had got this for her… Something to wear on their wedding… What was it? A dress? A saree? A lehenga? Was it one of SJM creations? Did he buy it especially for her? She felt over the bag with her shaking fingers, and found a big box and two small boxes… Taking in a deep breath she stood up, picking the bag and then went inside the bedroom.

Back in the kitchen Sameer sighed in relief… At least she had taken the bag… He hoped she would wear it… She would surely look beautiful in it. It had taken him a lot of thought and courage to get those things for her… Yesterday while he had been ensuring that everything was in place for the wedding, the appointments, the witnesses, Aman had asked if he should also arrange some flowers. He had said no… But then he had started to think about how it would have felt to fill the partition in her hair with sindur, to tie mangalsutra around her neck, to see her decked up in traditional saree and jewelry for him, to see the blush covering her cheeks as he would lean and whisper in her ear how much he loved her, to hold her hand while taking pheras, and then to remove each piece of jewelry and clothing from her delicious body as he would claim her as his wife… However he had known that none of these wishes were going to be true at the moment… And so, even though she had said no, he had gathered the courage to buy some stuff for her.

Naina kept the bag on her shelf, and then went to brush her teeth. Once she was done, he let the tea simmer, and went inside the bathroom. Naina wanted to make sandwiches today and so she had asked him last night not to cook anything. There was some boiled potato left over, and she quickly sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and beetroots. The sandwich masala she used was the homemade type available at one of the shops in nearby market. As she grated generous amount of cheese on the sandwiches, he sauntered back in the kitchen and grinned, “wow… sandwiches.”

She smiled, “haan… aaj khaas din hai toh socha tumhari pasand ka banau… isiliye mana kiya tha tumhe breakfast banane se.”

He leaned on the countertop, tilting his head to look at her, “aur tumne mana nahi kiya hota toh main aaj poha banane wala tha… tumhara favorite…”

She looked at him for a moment, her heart thudding with emotions. Was this how relationships were? Thinking about what the other would like? He poured the tea out, while she pressed the sandwiches a bit, cutting them into squares so that they are easy to eat. She loved it when he praised the taste of anything she cooked, and so midway during breakfast she asked, “lunch me kya banau?”

He sipped his tea, “umm… kaho toh bahar se mangva lete hai.”

“Raat ko toh khayenge hi na bahar”, she countered, “toh dopahar ko ghar ka khana khate hai… waise bhi thoda jaldi khana padega.”

He nodded, “haan woh bhi hai… kuch simple sa… bahot heavy na ho aur zyada mehnat na lage… ya kaho toh main bana deta hun…”

She shook her head, “nahi… main banaungi… uhh… aloo paratha khaoge?” He glanced up in surprise… She bit her lip, “mujhe pata hai lunch nahi hota woh… par light khana tha toh…”

He grinned, “are you kidding? Aloo paratha toh main breakfast, lunch, dinner, teeno time kha sakta hun…”

She chuckled, “toh phir done… aloo paratha banati hun… tum bahar se dahi leke aana… aur suno… uh… bhagwaanji ko chadane ke liye thoda phool le aaoge?”

His eyes shone as he knew she was doing it because today was special, “bilkul… mithai laani hai…?”

“Nahi”, she refused, “main sevai bana rahi hun.”

He tried to control the silly grin that threatened to erupt on his face, “you know what… I love you…”

She laughed, her eyes sparkling, her cheeks flushing, “tum pagal ho…”

“Tumhare pyaar me”, he promptly responded, making her blush even more.

By the time it was 11am she was ready to bath again… The sevai was ready, the parathas were made, and she had also made one plain paratha as an offering to God with the sweet. She had already bathed once after breakfast as she wanted to cook the prasad, and at around 9am she had done the puja decorating the small shelf with the many flowers he had bought, served the sevai and paratha, and prayed to keep blessing her and Sameer. Then she had done all the preparation for the aloo parathas, and he had helped her fry them while keeping an eager watch on how she rolled them out to be round. According to her, they weren’t proper round as she had seen Pushpa tai and bua-dadi make the perfect round, but to Sameer the slight uneven edges didn’t count as imperfection. At least her parathas didn’t look like some country’s map and neither did the filling spill out while rolling.

As soon as she was done, he insisted on eating one paratha right then. She placed a piping hot paratha on a dish and gave it to him, and then stood amused watching him apply some pickle on it and then roll it up. Just before biting he paused, drawing his own hand back and stared at the paratha in confusion, muttering under his breath, “how did I do that?”

She was puzzled, “kya hua?”

He kept the paratha back on the plate, his gaze distant and unfocused as he revealed, “main bachpan me aise roll banake khata tha parathe… Mujhe bahot mazaa aata tha… Lekin phir yaad nahi kabse par jab bhi aise khata tha toh mummy mujhe maarti thi… Maine bandh kar diya tha aise khana… Kitne saalo se properly todke khata hun parathe… Par aaj pata nahi kya hua…”

Her eyes widened, “itni si baat ke liye koi maarega kyun?”

He shrugged, “mujhe hamesha se lagta tha ke meri mummy mujhe bilkul pasand nahi karti… Mere 15^th birthday pe yeh mujhe pata chal gaya ke woh sirf dislike nahi, hate tha… My mother hates me.”

She placed a hand on his arm, “Sameer… Yeh kya bol rahe ho? Tumhari mummy… Woh tumse nafrat kaise kar sakti hai?”

“Karti hai”, he affirmed, “unki apni wajah hai jo mujhe mere 15^th birthday pe pata chal gaya tha…” Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a moment, getting a grip over his emotions. Opening his eyes again, he smiled at her, “chodo inn baato ko… aaj ke din kadvi baate nahi karni… Main yeh yummy paratha khata hun…”

He was about to break the paratha like a roti, but she grabbed his hand, taking the dish away from him… She rolled up the paratha and held it up for him, “jab kadvi baate nahi karni toh kadvi yaado ko bhi kyun yaad karna… Bhul jao ke tum paratha todke khate the… Kya farq padta hai kaise kha rahe ho… Waise khao jaise tumhara man kare, jisse tumhe khushi mile… Aur agar purani baate nahi bhul sakte toh aaj ek naya safar shuru karo… Mere haatho se khake…”

He stared at her for few minutes, the corner of his eyes welling up in gratitude as he tried to let go of the flashbacks of the slaps and hits from wooden scale, and tried to replace them with the memory of her smile, her eyes, her love… Holding her hand, he bit into the paratha slowly, and closed his eyes, savoring the taste and feel of freedom. He wanted to thank her, but his throat felt choked up. She smiled, handing over the roll to him, “tum khao… main nahane jaati hun… shampoo karna hai toh thoda time lagega.”

In another hour they had finished dinner, and she finally entered the bedroom to get ready. Sameer had grabbed the clothes he needed and said he would dress up in the living room. Inside the bedroom, Naina finally took the blue bag he had given to her, and opened to check the contents. She pulled out the flat rectangular gold-red cardboard box first, she had often seen such designer boxes in shops, especially when they had gone for Pooja didi’s wedding shopping. But this one had no name of shop printed… The whole box was golden, with a two inch red line running on one side along the length, and on it, again in gold, was embossed three letters that made her heart skip – SJM. This meant it was from his company… Her fingers shook once more as she caressed the letters and then opened the box as slowly as she could. Her breath hitched as her eyes fell on the contents. Inside the box lay a crimson red banarasi silk saree with golden leaf work across the body, and an intricate gold designer pallu. It was so beautiful that she couldn’t resist lifting it in her hands, and to her surprise underneath the saree there were the other essentials she needed, a red underskirt, and blouse of same silk material but in the shade of emerald green contrasting the bright crimson on the saree. It was exactly like her dream… How did he do it? She was sure he had no idea of what she had thought of all those years ago… then how?

Keeping that aside she pulled out the remaining two boxes… Even before opening she knew what they contained… One box was rectangular, the height longer, indicating they held bangles. And another was a square box, like usually jewelry boxes looked… She prayed with all her heart that it wasn’t something too expensive… Taking another much needed deep breath she checked the first box and was relieved to find a set of red-green bridal bangle set with two big gold shaded kada at each end. The jewelry box contained a simple set of kundan, the necklace being two strands of gold kundan with a locket of red-gold-green kundan flower, the overall piece slightly longer in length. And the earrings dangled in sets of a smaller gold flower at the top, and a bigger red-gold-green flower hanging just below it. A closer inspection told her that nothing was made of pure gold and she sighed in relief…

As she started to dress up she strangely felt surrounded by warmth of his care and love… She hadn’t demanded anything, in fact she had said no, but he had still thought of her. He had brought such a beautiful saree for her, though how he managed to get the measurement for blouse was a mystery because she was surprised at the perfect fit. The sleeves ended at elbow, and had a line of gold printed leaves just like on the saree. The saree in itself was a work of art… The material was so soft and light, and yet the design made it look heavy; it sat perfectly as she draped it, the pleats falling in place like melted butter. And when she finally pinned the pallu and looked in the mirror to check, her heart thudded hard because she truly looked like a bride. She tied her hair in a fishtail braid, which she had learnt from a magazine, leaving a few strands in the front loose. The jewelry was also light, the locket sitting at the dip of her breasts… The bangles were once more of perfect size for her… She stuck a red bindi on her forehead, applied eyeliner and kajal, and then used the only light red lipstick she had, thanking God in her mind that she had both pink and red lipstick in her purse that night because she hadn’t picked up any cosmetics before leaving. Turning this way and that she checked her look, and smiled, feeling happy and completely ready to take this step in her life. Just before she turned to leave, her eyes fell on the new pens she had bought for her work in library… One of them was red… Debating internally for just half a minute, she grabbed the red pen, and drew a small flower on the venus of her palm, just under her thumb. Smiling at her silliness, but still feeling extremely happy, she capped the pen, and then slowly walked outside, her heartbeat accelerating at each step she took towards him.

As soon as she opened the bedroom door, Sameer stood up from the chair, his eyes moving over her from head-to-toe and back, and she shivered under his scrutiny. Her own eyes roved over him, he was dressed in a blue suit with cream colored silk shirt, and a crimson tie that matched the shade of her saree perfectly. He had shaved this morning, and his hair was combed like daily, with a few careless locks falling on his forehead, the only messy bit in his whole look, which gave the sense of beings effortlessly good-looking. The silver watch on his wrist peeked from beneath the suit and the two rings on his long fingers, though related to beliefs, managed to look a part of his style. The black shoes were polished enough to reflect the light… She moved her gaze to his eyes again, and flushed promptly at the intensity she could see… His lips were pressed tight, and a muscle clenched in his jaw as if he was struggling to control himself… It didn’t take any expert deduction to guess that he wanted her…

Even as she watched he took deep calming breaths, closed his eyes for a minute, and then exhaled through his mouth. She felt an answering response in her own body… After many days she wanted… She really wanted to touch him, feel the strength in his shoulders; the slightly coarse feel of his chest hair against her cheek as she slept in his arms; the way his hands moved over her arousing her, readying her; the way his hard length rubbed against her belly and thighs while he kissed her; the feel of his hot mouth over her breasts; the way her body stretched to accommodate him, and hear his deep sigh in her ear as he filled her completely. She shivered at the memories, and looked down, her cheeks scarlet at her unruly thoughts.

He opened his eyes, mesmerized by the bashful woman in-front of him, and smiled, “you look stunning… the most gorgeous bride ever…”

She glanced up in surprise, “sach?”

He nodded, “haan… baal bandhe hue hai?”

She was perplexed, but pulled the braid over her shoulder to show, “haan, khule baal achche nahi lagta iss saree ke saath…”

He turned to get a packet from the sofa, which he had hidden earlier. Holding it up for her, he said, “main yeh subah laaya tha… tum lagaogi baalo me?”

She came closer, peeking inside, and was astonished to see a beautiful gajra sitting on a large green leaf. Smiling at him, she took out the pack and went inside the bedroom once more. In just two minutes, she came outside again, and turned to show him, “kaisa lag raha hai?”

His heart thumped at her question… It was something a wife would ask her husband… “Bahot khoobsurat”, he rasped.

She slipped on her sandals, he locked the door, and they left. It had never occurred to her that Sameer could be so thoughtful and caring. Weren’t hero type boys supposed to be arrogant? But he was anything but that… The way he had tried so much to make this day more special for her was so heartwarming, that she felt incredibly happy… She closed her eyes, leaning back on the seat, and kept a hand over her belly, silently telling her child that after a long time she was somehow very happy. The drive to the registrar office took around 45 minutes, and as soon as they parked a man rushed up to open up the driver’s side door. She couldn’t see who it was but Sameer thanked him, and then came over to her side, helping her out. As she saw the man who had come running, she realized it was Aman, and she was bit perplexed at why a personal assistant would rush up like that to open car door.

Sameer was however unfazed, as he chatted with him about the timing, and if everyone else had arrived. He had a firm hold on her hand as they climbed up the short flight of stairs, and soon she heard her name being hollered. She turned to see Poonam walking up to them, dressed in a yellow salwar-kameez, with Ujwala atya who was dressed in a purple saree.

“My God Naina”, Poonam squealed, “you are looking so beautiful… haina atya?”

Ujwala atya smiled, “haan… Khoop chaan disat aahe…”

Naina blushed, “thank you… Anmol kahan hai?”

“Right here madam”, Anmol spoke up from behind them, “sorry… thoda traffic tha.” He greeted all of them. Sameer guided Naina to a chair in the waiting area, and checked the time… There were fifteen minutes left for their appointment. Naina was happily chatting with her colleagues. Around five minutes later Suraj arrived, and immediately complained, “tum dono ko dopahar ka hi waqt mila tha shaadi ke liye? Subah kar lete yaar… November me bhi garmi hai.”

“Yeh Mumbai hai”, Sameer said, thumping on his back.

Naina grinned at the duo, and then her eyes moved to the stairs in the distance, watching a figure in light green saree. Sameer noticed her gaze, and looked to check who she was so focused on… As the woman came in full view, he murmured in surprise, “Kashish?”

Aman also looked in that direction, “yeh yahan kya kar rahi hai? Iski shaadi toh December me hai na?”

Suraj rubbed his hands in glee, “lagta hai bhaagke shaadi kar rahi hai… Kaun hai yeh? Tum log jaante ho?”

Sameer nodded, “mere office me kaam karti hai… Design department ki head hai… Par yeh yahan kyun aai hai…?”

To Sameer and Aman’s immense surprise, Kashish directly came up to Naina, who had stood up from the chair, and hugged her. Naina reciprocated with a smile, “thanks for coming…”

Kashish laughed as she pulled back, “c’mon yaar… SJM ki shaadi attend karne ko mil rahi hai… Isse badi baat aur kya ho sakti hai…” Turning to her boss she greeted, “hello sir…”

Sameer was still confused, “hi Kashish… Tumhe… Naina ne bulaya?”

Before she could answer, Naina replied, “haan… yeh meri second witness hai…”

Aman and Sameer looked at each other once more, extremely surprised at this. Soon it was time for their turn, and the little group trooped in. Ujwala Atya looked around in confusion and queried, “aree… thaali kahan hai? Aarti vagera chahiyega na… Aur varmala… Beta, sindur aur mangalsutra kahan hai?”

Naina stood stumped at the questions… She had never expected someone to question, she hadn’t even thought about it. When she had invited her colleagues, Ujwala Atya had asked if something needs to be brought by them, but she had said no. Sameer noticed how she stiffened, and gently held her hand… Looking at the assembled group he said, “hum sirf registered marriage kar rahe hai… koi reeti-riwaaz nahi nibhaane wale…”

Ujwala Atya countered, “par beta… koi bhi riwaaz bhale naa karo, kamsekam sindur toh bharoge na Naina ki maang me.”

Sameer calmly replied, “I am sorry madam… lekin nahi… abhi hum dono sindur ya mangalsutra bhi nahi accept karenge… strictly registered marriage… jis din hum dono taiyar honge uss din saare reeti-riwaaz bhi ho jayenge… Aap sab logo ko hum apna maante hai, isiliye we hope ke aap log samajhenge… Samaaj ke banaye rules se hi shaadi ho aisa zaroori toh nahi hai na… As per law, registered marriage is valid, aur aaj yahan sirf wahi hoga.”

Suraj spoke up, “it’s okay guys… we are with you… actually hum sab thoda zyada overexcite ho gaye the… right?”

As he looked around the others nodded and smiled. Ujwala Atya was the last, as she contemplated for a minute, but then she also nodded in approval. Sameer glanced at Aman once, raising his brows in question, and his ever efficient assistant nodded, gesturing surreptitiously to a door at the other end. He looked back, just in time to catch the view of an orange saree, and smiled.

The registrar arrived, checked all the details that were submitted, questioned the bride and groom if they were willingly tying the bond, and then asked them to sign on a paper, and also put an impression of their thumbs. Then it was turn of their witnesses to sign the documents – Aman and Suraj from Sameer’s side; Anmol and Kashish from Naina’s side. The registrar looked over the signatures and thumb prints… A small thud indicated the legal stamp on the paper… And then he wrote the date and put in his own signatures. He smiled at the couple sitting in-front of them, “congratulations… aaj se aap dono pati-patni hue… agar aap logo ko koi rituals karne ho toh kar sakte hai…”

Sameer left his chair, crouching in-front of her on one knee, “Naina… Bahot lamba-chauda kuch nahi bolunga… Just want to say – I love you… Jo kuch bhi hua ya nahi hua, sab kuch hum dono ne milke decide kiya hai. Isiliye koi confusion mat rakhna dil me… Bas trust whatever is happening… I promise, main hamesha tumhare saath rahunga, tumhara saath dunga, aur tumhe kabhi akela nahi chodunga. Tum hi mera pehla aur akhri pyaar ho… meri life ho… meri wife ho… Mrs. Naina Sameer Maheshwari…”

Her eyes welled up, she sniffed once, and then flung her arms around his neck, “thank you… meri life me phirse aane ke liye…”

He wrapped his arms around her, standing up, pulling her along with him, and tightened his hold, delighting in the way she had hugged him in-front of everyone. Aman and Suraj whistled, while the others clapped. Sameer glanced at the distant door once more, where Phulla Bua-dadi was standing with Pushpa, peeking inside to see the wedding of her grand-daughter. It had been tough to keep her away, but since Naina hadn’t wished for the presence of her relatives, nor had she even asked about bua-dadi during the conversations, Sameer had understood that she was not ready yet… He had met bua-dadi yesterday, told her about the wedding, and then tried to curb her excitement, trying to explain that she couldn’t attend… It had been so difficult since bua-dadi had been adamant that if she met Naina and talked to her everything would be sorted. Even after repeated attempts to explain bua-dadi has insisted on meeting Naina, and finally frustrated at the situation, he had snapped, “theek hai… mil lijiye usse… lekin phir wapas kahin kho jaaye Naina toh mujhse kuch mat kehna.”

Bua-dadi had stilled; her voice low as she had asked, “kho kyun jayegi? Tum toh uske saath rehte ho…”

“Saath rehne ki baat nahi hai bua-dadi”, Sameer had tried once more to patiently explain, “physically kahin aur chali jaaye toh main usko dhund lunga… lekin mentally mujhse dur chali gai toh kaise wapas launga apni Naina ko? Abhi abhi toh mujhpe thoda bharosa karna shuru kiya hai usne… Mujhse apni problems, apni dil ki baate kehne lagi hai… Aap jaante ho, usne accept kiya ke woh apne family me se Preeti ko miss karti hai… Jab maine usko bataya ke maine use kaise dhunda toh usne aapke baare me pucha… Usko pata hai ke main aapse mil chuka hun, shayad usne guess bhi kar liya hai ke aapko pata hai main uske saath rehta hun, phir bhi usne ek baar bhi aapse milne ki baat nahi ki… Phone karne tak ko nahi kaha… Aise me aap achanak uske saamne pahonch jayenge toh usko lagega ke maine usko dhoka diya… Please samjhiye… Naina khud ek din aapke paas aayegi, lekin tab tak usko apne past se, apne dard se ubhar ne ka mauka dijiye…”

Upon hearing this bua-dadi had finally relented and understood that the time hadn’t come for her to meet Naina yet. But still she had wanted to see the wedding, even if it was from a distance. And so he had given the task to Aman, strictly instructing that no one should get to know about it and no one should see them. Hence bua-dadi and Pushpa were standing in the smaller room, usually reserved for the registrar to take a break. From there they could see them as they signed the documents, but apart from him and Aman no one knew about them. Once everything was done, Aman would escort them back…

Kashish and Poonam’s excited squeal brought him back to the present, and he smiled as Naina withdrew from his arms, and turned to hug both the women. Aman forwarded his hand to his boss, “congratulations sir…”

Sameer shook his hand, and then used the same grip to pull him in a brotherly hug, “thanks for being there buddy…”

Aman was both surprised and overwhelmed at the gesture, and had to close his eyes for a moment to believe it was actually happening. He had always looked up to SJM for inspiration, working with SJM was not a delight always but definitely a once in a lifetime chance, and he wanted to learn from SJM… Today on being given so much respect from the person he admired the most he felt as if it was a special day for him too.

Pulling back from Aman, Sameer turned to Suraj enveloping him in a hug too, thanking him for being a true friend. Suraj thumped his back, “congratulations man… I am sure you will keep Naina happy always…”

As they separated Sameer noticed Anmol rocking on his heels in excitement. Anmol’s eyes shone with something akin to reverence, “main congratulations bolunga toh mujhe bhi hug milega?”

Sameer laughed, “come here…”, and hugged Anmol. He chuckled on hearing Anmol’s whisper of, “oh my God… SJM is hugging me”, against his ear, and patted his back slowly. Naina was looking at him, and gestured to come over… Together they knelt to touch Ujwala Atya’s feet, and she blessed them wholeheartedly.

Atya lifted the bag she had brought, and took out a small silver box that was a traditional heirloom in most Maharashtrian families containing two compartments to hold haldi and kumkum. She softly told Naina, “main samajhti hun ke tum log koi riwaaz nahi karna chahte… Lekin ab tum suhagan ho toh tumhe tohfa dene se pehle mujhe yeh haldi-kumkum toh lagana hoga…” Naina bit the inside of her lip, thinking for a brief moment, but then took a deep breath and nodded. Atya smiled, “thank you beta… par ab yeh haq main Sameer se kaise le lu? Pehli baar kumkum lagane ka haq toh uska hona chahiye na…”

Sameer stared at the box in Atya’s hand, his heart thudding hard, but when his eyes moved to Naina, he sighed… She was just standing silent, her eyes lowered… He understood that she was not ready and so he smiled a bit, “it’s okay Atya… yeh sab kuch nahi hota… aap Naina ko tohfa de dijiye.”

Trying to hide his disappointment, he took out his mobile, turning to Aman… But before he could take a step away, his hand was held in a familiar warm grip… He looked at their joined hands, and lifted his eyes to meet her gaze… Naina had instinctively glanced at Sameer when Atya had talked about the ritual, and had noticed the anticipation in his eyes, the eagerness… And she had been lost in thought of what she should do… Yes, she had said she wouldn’t wear sindur and mangalsutra until she was ready to accept him completely, but at the same time she remembered his words that as soon as they signed on that legal paper she would be his wife… No ritual would matter, and nothing could refute their relationship… He had given all the rights to her, while she had held back… She was unable to decide what to do, but then she had heard Sameer saying that it didn’t matter… He had been about to give up his own right, and turn away from her, hiding the disappointment in his eyes, while shielding her once again… And in that moment her heart had screamed that it did matter… Just as he was about to leave, she had held his hand to stop him…

“Naina”, he whispered in confusion.

She gathered her courage, and took the box from Atya’s hand, opened it, holding it up on her palm as she looked in his eyes with a smile. His lips parted slightly in surprise, and his breath hitched, “are you sure?”

She nodded, “haan… Atya sahi keh rahi hai… Pehla haq mere pati ka hai… Tumhara hai…”

The smile that bloomed on his face made her heart skip beats… It was unreal that someone could be so happy with just a simple gesture from her… Was it possible? Could she give him happiness enough for whole life? Could she love him so much that he forgets his own pain? Could she trust him enough to surrender her soul to him? Could she be brave enough to accept the love and life he was offering to her and cherish it her whole life? Was she capable enough? Or was she cursed like everyone said? Could she be a blessing in someone’s life?

Sameer looked at the two colors, unsure of what to apply first. Atya guided him to apply haldi first on her forehead and then follow it with kumum… He dipped his finger in the turmeric powder and carefully applied a dot just below her bindi… She smiled… As he sank his finger in the kumkum powder, his heart started racing… This was something she had refused to accept, yet now she was here letting him apply that on her forehead at least, giving him a right that no one ever had or would ever have… It was only his, she was only his… Gently he touched his finger to her forehead, over the haldi, the crimson powder making its own place sidelining the yellow… Couple of tiny granules of kumkum fell on her nose from his finger, and he apologized immediately, reaching out to wipe with his thumb… But Naina suddenly grabbed his hand, her eyes wide, her voice was soft as she said, “nahi… rehne do… bua-dadi ne kaha tha ke yeh shubh hota hai…”

He was puzzled, “naak pe girna?”

She nodded, “waise toh maang bharte hue aisa ho toh shubh hota hai… kehte hai shadi-shuda jeevan me pyaar badhta hai… par yeh tilak se bhi gira hai toh please pocho mat…”

He grinned, “you know… tumhe bilkul tension leneki zaroorat nahi hai… hamara pyaar badhta hi rahega, meri guarantee hai…”

People around them laughed, and Kashish chirped, “I never thought main SJM ko aise dekhungi… itne achche mood me, haste hue aur pyaar ki baate karte hue… Office me toh darr lagta hai inse…”

Sameer frowned, “don’t get used to it… Yeh sirf Naina ke liye hai…”

“Of course”, Aman spoke up, “aapke muh se daant sune bina hamara din waise bhi nahi guzrega… roz aap inti pyaar bhari baate karne lage toh office me saare employees shock me chale jayenge.”

Naina laughed, making Sameer smile once more… Atya did the haldi-kumkum ritual and gifted a saree to Naina. She also gifted Sameer a kurta surprising him.

Anmol teased, “dekho yaar… hum toh gift tabhi denge jab party milegi… ek din ka toh notice diya tha tum logo ne shaadi ka.”

Naina giggled, “haan haan… kal tum sabko invitation hai ghar pe… Kashish, Aman, aap dono ko bhi… Please aana zaroor.”

Sameer smiled, “haan please… I am sorry aaj koi treat nahi de paaye, lekin Naina ka doctor ke paas appointment hai…” As Naina stood chatting with Suraj, Anmol and the ladies, Sameer thanked the registrar, enquired when the marriage certificate could be collected, and then asked Aman to carefully drop bua-dadi and Pushpa tai home.

Another twenty minutes later, everyone departed, and Sameer guided Naina to the car, “tired?”

She shook her head, smiling up at him, “nahi… sabse milke itna achcha laga na… tumhe pata hai… mujhe laga hum aise shaadi kar rahe hai, court me… aur main pregnant hun… toh shayad sab log sirf formality ke liye attend karenge… lekin sab kitne khush the… genuine wali khushi…”

He had a understanding smile on his face, “maine kaha tha na… true friends hote hai woh samajhte hai, saath dete hai… judge nahi karte…”

As they sat in the car, she said, “jaise tumhare dost… Munna aur Pandit…”

He reversed the car out of the lot, and turned, “haan… lekin unko pata bhi nahi ke aaj maine shaadi kar li… Yahan tak ke Nanu ko bhi nahi pata…”

After a couple of minutes, she softly said, “sorry… meri wajah se tumhe sabse chupana pad raha hai… shayad tumhari life me koi normal ladki aai hoti…”

“Toh main usse shaadi nahi kar raha hota”, he interrupted firmly, “main tumse pyaar karta hun… sweetheart, tum please aisi baate mat socho… It has been a long time since things have been messed up in my life… Munna-Pandit mere baare me sab kuch nahi jaante… Naa hi Nanu jaante hai… Maine khudko sabse itna dur kar liya tha ke jab aisa laga ke kisise baat karne ki zaroorat hai, I didn’t have anyone… Par tum alag ho… Main har pal tumhare aur paas aana chahta hun… And you know what, I am sure, jis din Nanu tumse milenge na woh tumhe zaroor apna lenge.”

She bit her lip and then asked, “aur agar nahi apnaya toh?”

He glanced at her once before focusing on the road again, “Naina… yeh sochna toh bilkul bandh kardo ke mera pyaar kam ho jayega agar Nanu ne tumhe nahi apnaya toh… Mera pyaar kabhi kam nahi hoga… Not even when we are 80 years old and you will probably have a few less teeth and a lot more wrinkles…”

She couldn’t help but laugh out at his description, “achcha… aur tumhare daant nahi girenge? Tumhari shakal pe jhuriya nahi hogi?”

He shrugged, “kya farq padta hai… I know you will still find me handsome even then…”

She shook her head at his confidence… It was hard today to take her eyes off him… It seemed as if he was radiating love, warmth, charm and some kind of magnetic appeal that made her want to look at him again and again. If this continued then she would probably give in to him, but she knew she couldn’t… There were too many things that would have to be told before she even dreamt of having a proper married life, and those things had the capacity to ruin every dream and reality of hers… She looked at her right hand, the thin silver scar running near the inside of her elbow and she shuddered… Panic threatened to engulf her when she heard the melodious sound of a temple bell. She immediately looked outside, and saw that they were approaching some residential area with a sprawling temple courtyard nearby. “Sameer”, she called out, “thodi der mandir me ruk sakte hai.”

He slowed down instantly, “of course.”

Parking the car nearby, he helped her down, and she demanded, “udhar… uss dukan se phool kharid lete hai… aur dekhte hai prasad ke liye kuch milta hai kya.”

The shop had flowers, and also full baskets containing flowers, dhoop, coconut, a small box of Mathura peda, a pack of mishri and red chunari. “Lagta hai mata ka mandir hai”, she mused softly, and then asked aloud, “bhaiya… chudi aur sindur bhi hai kya?”

“Haina behenji”, the man smiled, “ek minute.” He took out a box of sindur and dozen red glass bangles, placing them in the basket, “yeh lijiye… Woh kya hai na, har koi nahi chadate yeh sab… Isiliye sirf maangne pe dete hai.”

“Shukriya”, Naina accepted the basket, and Sameer paid for it. Together they stepped inside the temple… Given it was still late afternoon there were less people… While he looked around curiously finding himself in unfamiliar grounds, she determinedly walked towards the deity and sought out the priest who could perform the puja for them. The priest asked if it needed to be done in someone’s name… She hesitated for the briefest moment, but as Sameer came and stood beside her, she said, “Sameer aur Naina Maheshwari…”

He blinked in surprise at her, and queried, “aise naam se puja hoti hai?”

“Kabhi kisi khaas occasion jaise birthday ya shaadi pe naam se karwate hai log”, she informed. Then, to his surprise, she pulled up the pallu over her head, joined her hands, and closed her eyes, praying in silence. Another gesture from her indicating how she had accepted their marriage, the pallu on her head was sign of a married woman, and it made him smile.

He simply stood beside her, looking at the idol of goddess Durga, astonished at the amount of garlands and flowers that had been offered. He watched the priest place the flowers from their basket at the idol’s feet, the garland was put around the statue, the chunari was hung near the trishul, the bangles and sindur were also kept near the feet, and the prasad was touched at the base, placing some of it on a dish and some random flowers were added to the box. The dhoop was kept aside, probably to be lighted later… The priest chanted some mantras, rang the bell, he heard him taking their name in between some hymns, and then he turned to them. Since Naina was still praying he handed over the basket back to Sameer… Lifting a dish of aarti he offered it, but Sameer had no idea what to do… Naina opened her eyes, took the aarti, and accepted the prasad from the priest… Sameer watched with rapt attention and then followed her, hesitating a bit while moving his hand over the flame of the diya.

She was puzzled at his action, and asked, “kya hua? Tumhe aarti lena pasand nahi?”

“Mujhe nahi aata tha kaise lete hai aarti”, he replied.

She couldn’t understand what he meant, but let it go and instead queried, “tumne kya maanga?”

He looked at the idol again, some other people had come in with their own baskets of offering, and said, “kuch nahi… maine kabhi bhagwaan se kuch nahi maanga… main nahi maanta inn sab me… actually mandir bhi pehli baar aaya aaj.”

She was shocked, “kya? Tum… tum bhagwaan me vishwaas nahi karte?” He shook his head in negative, wondering if that was a point against his character in her scorecard. Her eyes wide, she asked, “aaj pehli baar aaye mandir me?” He nodded this time… She looked at the basket in his hands in which the priest had returned the box of sweets with some flowers, “agar maante nahi ho toh aaj andar kyun aaye mere saath?”

He took some time to frame his thoughts, “har kadam pe tumhara saath deneka waada kiya tha na… Main bhagwaan me nahi maanta, lekin tum vishwaas karti ho… Toh bas… Tumhare vishwaas pe vishwaas karne ki koshish ki…”

If earlier she was shocked at his declaration of not believing in God, now she was stunned at the way he thought and loved… She hadn’t known… She could have never imagined that someone could love her enough to have faith on her beliefs as well… He shuffled his foot, feeling unsettled under her penetrating gaze as he wasn’t sure what she was thinking. The way her mind worked he couldn’t be sure if whatever he said would be taken as a negative thing or not. Trying to divert the topic, he said, “umm… chale? Appointment ke liye der ho jayegi warna…”

She nodded, wearing her sandals and then taking the basket from him while he wore his shoes. The drive to the clinic was obstructed by the increasing Friday evening traffic… A large billboard of the movie China Gate that was just released today caught her eye… November 27, 1998, Friday… She reminisced the day she had met Sameer at the club… That was also a Friday; the release date of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and her life had changed drastically that night… Today was another Friday and once more her life had taken a new turn… She couldn’t anticipate if whatever happened was for the good or not, but in her heart she was at peace after a very long time. At least this time the decision was taken by her, as opposed to all those years back when she was just a puppet of other’s whims and wishes.

It took them an hour to reach the clinic, and by that time she felt bit tired… She hadn’t had water since last 90 minutes as instructed, and also hadn’t gone to bathroom. Sameer sat beside her, holding her hand, “tum theek ho?”

She nodded, “haan… bas zoro ki bathroom lagi hai lekin jaa nahi sakti… Doctor ne kaha tha ke full bladder chahiye sonography ke liye.”

He queried, “aisa kyun?”

She chuckled, “honestly… no idea… main tumhare tarah itne sawaal nahi puchti…”

He smiled, “I am so excited… aaj pehli baar baby ko dekh paunga… tumhe pata hai, Suraj ne mujhe bataya ke abhi baby chotu sa round jaisa dikhega…”

“Haan… maine bhi padha tha”, she informed, “shayad hum dil ki dhadkan bhi sunn payenge.”

His eyes widened in awe, “really?”

She was mesmerized by his expressions of wonder and happiness, and she nodded, making him grin. Day by day, she was starting to realize that her baby was not a compulsion for Sameer… Maybe he was thrown off the plan of his life by the unplanned pregnancy but the way he had accepted it, not just as a responsibility, but rather as a part of his life was something she had never expected. As unexpected as his re-entry in her life was, even more unexpected was the way he was… She would have never expected such care and consideration from the Sameer she knew in school, her feelings had been that of adolescence, the newness of attraction making her heart melt, the novelty of her body’s reactions making her weave dreams. There had been love, yes, but the depth had been lacking… When she had dreamt of Sameer, she had dreamt of a perception that she had… A prince charming who would give her roses, whisper cheesy lines to her, perform all the expected courtesies as she had seen in movies or read in books… But now after many years, when she herself had a much better and bitter experience of life, when she had grown from a girl dreaming of fairytale to a woman expecting sustaining reality, she found this new Sameer to be even more attractive than the handsome teenage boy she had known… He had his own bitter events in life, he had rough edges, he had responsibility on his shoulders, he had aims, goals and dreams, his charm didn’t limit to flirting but extended in his professional life, he had a tough exterior but the sensitive core was limited only to a few… And she found this toughness, this roughness, the odd mix of smile and pain, the anger and charm incredibly striking… It made her heart thump in pride and prompted her body to react possessively at the knowledge that this man was now her husband, someone who only belonged to her, someone to whom she could belong…

He snapped his fingers in-front of her face, jerking her back to reality, “kahan kho gai?”

Still in the flow of her memories and realizations, she blurted, “vishwaas nahi ho raha ke tumne mujhse shaadi ki hai…”

His brows furrowed in confusion, “kyun? Mujhse commitment expect nahi kar rahi thi isiliye?”

She shook her head, “nahi… school me tum kisi sapne ki tarah lagte the isiliye…”

He moved his eyes away from her, “school wale Sameer aur aaj wale Sameer me bahot farq hai Naina… bahot kuch hua hai meri life me jo maine ab tak tumhe nahi bataya hai… school me toh Munna-Pandit ki dosti aur Nanu ke saath ne do saal ke liye mujhe thoda badal diya tha… Mujhe nahi pata tumhe uss waqt kya pasand tha… Lekin shayad ab main waisa naa ban saku…”

“Chahiye bhi nahi”, she affirmed, “maine kaha na… Woh ek sapna tha… Aaj haqeeqat hai… Aur yeh haqeeqat uss sapne se zyada achcha hai…”

His voice was bit doubtful as he asked, “sach?”

She nodded, “mujhe pata hai maine gusse me tumhare character ke baare me bahot kuch bola, aur tumhe chot pahochayi… par main koshish kar rahi hun sab accept karneka… rahi baat tumhare past ki, toh mera bhi ateet hai jo tumhe nahi pata… Kya pata shayad saari baate jaanke tumhe aisa lage ke tumne galti kardi mujhse shaadi karke…”

He grabbed her hand, “aisa kabhi nahi hoga… I love you, and will always love you… Maine tumhe apni life me puri tarah se accept kiya hai… Sirf tumhara present nahi, tumhara past bhi mujhse jud gaya hai…”

She leaned sideways on his arm, and closed her eyes, savoring the assurance his words provided. He stayed silent, linking his fingers with hers, offering her the comfort she seemed to need. In another fifteen minutes, they were called inside… Dr. Suchitra looked at them in surprise, especially Naina, and then stood up to congratulate them. Holding Naina’s arms, she exclaimed, “you are looking so beautiful today!”

Naina blushed a bit, “thank you doctor.”

Turning to Sameer, Suchitra said, “Congratulation SJM…”

“Thanks doc”, he grinned, “aap aaj toh nahi aaye, but please kal hamare ghar pe chota sa dinner hai, tab zaroor aana.”

Suchitra nodded, “pakka aaungi… aaj ke liye sorry… ek delivery scheduled tha but thode complications ke wajah se hume cesarean karna pada, toh it was impossible for me to come…”

His hand automatically went around Naina’s waist, a gesture of protectiveness that none of the women missed. Naina felt her cheeks warm up… Suchitra grinned, “so… ready guys?”

Both of them nodded excitedly. Dr. Suchitra asked them both to wash their hands and remove their shoes before entering the sonography room, and then herself went to ready the things required. Naina washed up first, followed by Sameer, and when he came out she informed, “isi bathroom me test kiya tha.”

He frowned, “bathroom me test? Mujhe laga blood ya urine test hota hai…”

She nodded, “woh toh hua hi tha… lekin usse pehle strip test bhi kiya tha… Pregnancy test kits aate hai na…”

“Oh”, he mumbled, “kaash main hota uss din…”

She held his hand, “it’s okay… aaj toh ho na… chalo…”

Together they entered the sonography room, and Naina asked if she needed to change. Dr. Suchitra said, “saree pehni hai toh chalega… we can manage. Yahan let jao…”

Sameer helped her lie on the small stretcher-cum-bed, and watched as Dr. Suchitra lifted her pallu aside baring her belly. Naina’s gaze shifted to Sameer, wondering his reaction on seeing her naked skin… But to her surprise even though his attention was on her belly, his eyes didn’t hold desire or lust, but rather there was a mix of tenderness, concern and curiosity in his gaze. It made her happy that despite the fact that they hadn’t had any physical relationship since that night, and the fact that he never hesitated in expressing his desire for her, he wasn’t focused on it only.

The doctor lubed a torch like instrument that was connected to the monitor, and then moved it over her belly, just under her navel and the surrounding areas slowly. She said, “any moment now… jaise hi hume baby ki koi movement ya heartbeat milegi tum logo ko monitor pe dikhega.”

Naina instinctively reached out and found his hand ready to take hold… Their hands intertwined they both looked at the monitor, and in just a few moments a black and white, slightly distorted image filled the monitor. “There you are”, Dr. Suchitra exclaimed, “do you see?”

Sameer peered at the screen, and so did Naina, but both of them didn’t know what to look for. Finally he asked, “doctor… kya dekhe?”

Dr. Suchitra pointed to a small shape, “yeh… this is your baby…”

“Par yeh toh kitna chota hai”, Naina gasped.

“It’s normal”, Dr. Suchitra assured, “abhi to just 6 weeks poore hue hai… baby ka size chota hi hoga… like a bean.”

Sameer murmured in awe, “kidney bean… rajma jitna chota hai…”

Both the women chuckled at the description. Dr. Suchitra pulled on her stethoscope, holding it near the torch like instrument on Naina’s stomach, and smiled. “Perfect”, she stated, and pulled out the ear plugs offering it to them, “tum dono bhi suno…”

Sameer took the stethoscope, bending close to Naina, so that they can both share the ear plugs… A slightly faint, but steady rhtym of heartbeat could be heard clearly… Naina grinned in delight; while Sameer closed his eyes, tears leaking down his cheeks, a serene smile on his face. Naina looked at him, her gaze softening, love for him filling her eyes… Her baby’s heartbeat rhythmically beat in her ear, and her hand was held in a tight grip by her husband… She wiped the tears from his face, and he opened his eyes, looking down at her… Dr. Suchitra took the stethoscope back, clicked a switch on the monitor to freeze the monitor, and then kept aside the instrument, “stay here for some time…” Handing over some wipes to Sameer to clean up the gel on Naina’s stomach, she left from there.

The door closed giving them privacy… Naina’s eyes had never moved from him all this while; she was simply unable to look away. He glanced from her to the monitor and then to her again, “I love you Naina… Tum meri life me itni khushiya leke aai ho ke main dheere-dheere apne puraane dard bhulta jaa raha hun…”

Her eyes teared up on hearing this, and she cupped his face with one hand, “main bhi…”

He didn’t know if that me too was for his I love you or the comment about happiness, and he didn’t ask. Somehow in that moment the answer didn’t matter… He knew she loved him… Gently he wiped her belly with the wipes, and she let him do it without any objection. Once he was done, he threw the wipes in the dustbin, and then stroked his knuckles on her belly… The gesture was so similar to what he had done on that night that her body quivered, but he didn’t notice it… Taking a deep breath he flattened his palm on her stomach, and then leaned over, dropping a tender affectionate kiss on her forehead, “thank you sweetheart…”

She smiled, looking at the monitor once more, and then asked him to help her sit up. She straightened her pallu a bit, and then gestured him to sit next to her. Puzzled he obeyed, and was delighted when she hugged him, leaning on his chest. He looped his arms around her, sighing in bliss. Few minutes later, she adjusted her saree, checked the pleats, and then they walked out. They talked to Dr. Suchitra for some time, asking about if anything needs to be taken care of, and about the next appointment. By the time they left it was after 6pm, and Sameer asked, “dinner me kya khana hai? I mean… kuch special ichcha ho toh batao… like Chinese… Ya South Indian… Roti-Sabzi toh roz hi khaate hai…”

“Pehle yahan paas me ek dukaan hai wahan se juice peete hai”, she demanded, “aur uske baad pizza khane le chaloge?”

He was surprised, “pizza?”

She nodded enthusiastically, “haan… wahan court ke bahar ad dekha… aur Kashish ne bhi bataya ke usne kal pizza khaya tha… tabse man ho raha hai…”

“As you wish wifey”, he grinned.

The restaurant Sameer took her to was a proper Italian one… At first she was hesitant because she had been expecting some pizza parlor kind of setup, and not a huge place. But once they were escorted to their private booth, she appreciated his thought because she was tired from the day’s excursion, and the comfortable seating, the air conditioner, and the soothing instrumental music felt much relaxing. They chose two types of pizza, a baked vegetable dish because Sameer insisted that she needed to have her quota of vegetables, a caprese salad because naturally Naina craved for it after reading tomatoes, and iced lemon tea to accompany. Once the order was placed, she looked around curiously, “yeh kitna bada restaurant hai… classy ekdum… tum yahan isse pehle bhi aaye ho?”

He hummed, “kabhi-kabhi business meetings ke baad lunch ya dinner hota hai… Hamare kuch restaurants ke saath tie-up hai… This is one of them… Yahan ka khana achcha hota hai…”

“I see”, she observed, “tabhi main sochu ke bahar woh manager tumhe pehchaan kaise gaya… aur directly yahan bethne ko le aaya… main soch rahi thi ke tumne kab reservation karwaya…”

He smiled, “zaroorat nahi hai… they know SJM…”

They sat talking about tomorrow’s plan and what needed to be done. In another fifteen minutes their order arrived, and she immediately pulled the tomato salad towards herself. Poking the white circular slices with her fork, she asked, “yeh kya hai?”

“Mozarella cheese”, he informed, “thoda sa taste karke dekho pehle tumhe theek lag raha hai kya… Warna main chef se kehke alag se sirf tomatoes mangvata hun.”

She broke off a tiny piece, tasted it gingerly, chewing slowly, and smiled, “it’s okay… tasteless hai ekdum.”

He chuckled, “good… dish do apna… sirf tomatoes nahi khane…”

He served the baked vegetables, which contained some exotic varities like zucchini, asparagus, portobello mushrooms, and the usual ones like broccoli, pumpkin, carrots, and potatoes in jacket. The food was light on spices but the taste was flawless… The pizza was extremely delicious with a slightly smoky tinge to it, and the cherry tomatoes were bursts of tanginess. Her eyes fell on him taking a particularly large bite, and the cheese stretched, extending into thin strands… He curled his tongue around it and broke it off… Something clenched inside her belly, heat pooling between her legs, as she suddenly recalled how he had surprised her by kissing her there… She had been stunned as his tongue had licked and stroked, his lips moving as he tasted, his hands keeping her thighs parted for his pleasure and hers. She remembered how she had writhed at the unsual sensations, unable to wrap her head around the fact that he had his mouth pressed to the most private part of her body… She recalled how relentless he had been, asking her to trust him, to enjoy but not giving her a chance to back out or refuse, keeping her on the sharp edge of ecstasy until she had lifted to him and shattered in pleasure.

He noticed she had stopped eating, the pizza slice hanging uselessly between her fingers, and her gaze was fixed on him. “Naina”, he muttred in confusion, but she didn’t hear him… It was then that he observed the dilated pupils, the erratic breathing, the pulse beating rapidly at her throat, and the slight shiver that seemed to course through her body… Was she recalling something of that night? He reached out and touched her hand… She gasped, the slice of pizza dropping from her hands to her dish. Her breathing accelerated even more…

He rubbed his thumb on the back of her fingers, “kya hua?” Her face flushed, she lowered her eyes, unable to speak anything. His voice was gentle as he asked, “kuch yaad aaya?” She looked at him once before lowering her gaze again, and she bit her lower lip… Emboldened by her bashfulness, he confessed, “you know I want to kiss you right now…”

She promptly blurted, “kahan?” And then once more flushed scarlet…

It took him a moment to understand the context of her question, and he smirked, leaning forward, “tum bolo wahan sweetheart… I can kiss you all over…” She looked at his face in surprise, and then down at the last slice of pizza on his dish, before squeezing her eyes shut. He tried to observe the minute changes in her expression, and wondered what was it that she was reminded about, and why was she looking at the pizza… Did he do something that made her recollect something? He tried to think… He had seen her looking at him while he was eating, and lost in how beautiful she looked he had mistakenly taken an abnormally large bite of the pizza… To his absolute mortification, the cheese had stretched instead of breaking clean, and he had quickly tried to manage the situation… It was then that she had stared at him with wide eyes… He had thought it was because of the unsophisticated way he was eating, but now he wondered if that was what had made her recall something… But what? His tongue… She had seen him bite that cheese off… Was it a kiss she remembered? But then, a kiss wouldn’t provoke such extreme reaction… Then what… Oh… Suddenly his eyes gleamed in dark yearning, and his voice was merely a rasp as he said, “Naina… I guess I know tum kya yaad kar rahi ho.” She gasped once more, looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and desire… He licked his lips, holding her gaze, “I can again do it, you know… I loved how you tasted.” She shuddered, trying to pull her hand out of his hold, but he tightened his grip… “Sharmao mat”, he soothed, “pati hun tumhara… agar tumhe kuch man hai toh haq hai tumhara mujhse maangneka… It will be my pleasure to fulfill all your wishes…” She whimpered softly, and he knew his words were hitting the mark. He lifted her hand, bringing it to his lips, kissed her knuckles, and then flicked his tongue around one finger. Her breath hitched… He persuaded, “c’mon sweetheart… ask for it… wedding gift hi samajh lo…”

Oh how she wanted it… It would be such a delight to kiss him again, to feel him, to find the pleasure like that night again… Maybe once… Maybe not all the way through… Maybe just tonight… After all it was their wedding night… Could she do it? Could she let him have that right for one more night? Could she then push him away again? Her mind and heart warred against each other, but his glittering gaze fixed on her numbed her mind, letting her heart win for a few moments… She opened her mouth, intending to accept his offer, but just then they were interrupted with a shrill feminine shriek, “oh my God… SJM… It’s you!”

Naina quickly wrenched her hand back, jerking in surprise. Even Sameer was surprised, and extremely annoyed at the interruption, but years of experience in business world helped him school his expression into a detached one. He looked up and his eyes narrowed on seeing a woman dressed in a short classy black dress approach their table… It took him half a second to place her, but once he did he wasn’t pleased… The woman reached their table, smiling wide, and greeted, “hi handsome…” When her gaze fell on Naina, sitting opposite him, the smile faltered a bit, but she dismissed her after a quick scan… Saree and gajra were definitely not SJM’s style and preference… She resolutely looked at him again, hoping he would greet her, but when he didn’t, she encouragingly reminded, “didn’t recognize me? Lavanya Arora… Hum yahin pe mile the first time… Around 1.5 years ago… Ek fashion exhibition tha upar ke hall me, followed by dinner here… Remember that night?”

Sameer’s fist clenched under the table, but he tried to keep his stance casual as he gave a stiff smile, “of course… I remember all the fashion events I attended… But as you can see, I am here for a personal dinner…”

Lavanya’s smile dimmed, but she bravely continued, “Oh I was hoping to talk some business over wine… You know…” She leaned a bit, lowering her tone, “the merlot here hits all the right notes… it’s perfect for…”

“Thank you for the offer”, Sameer cut her off, “I don’t mix business with my personal time… But, please feel free to order a merlot for yourself, and hit as many notes as you want… I hate merlot anyways…”

Lavanya straightened in disappointment, the message from him clearly received… She cast a withering glance at Naina, and then walked away. Sameer closed his eyes, unclenching his fist under the table, and took a deep breath to calm himself down… He knew the damage had been done… Just when he was on the verge of getting Naina to loosen up and express her wishes, this fiasco had ruined the moment and most probably the night. Opening his eyes he looked at her… She had her head down as she folded the napkin and kept it on the table.

“Naina”, he started to explain…

But she interrupted, “tumhe aur khana hai? Agar nahi toh wapas chalte hai… I am tired.”

He sighed asking for the bill, thinking it was better to not talk about it here… Ten minutes later they were on their way, and the entire time she had not even looked at him once. He tried once more, “Naina please…” She ignored him, turning her head to look out of the window.

Around 45 minutes later they reached home… She picked up the box of prasad, and the saree Atya had gifted, but left his gift as it is. He cursed under his breath, quickly snagging the bag and followed her upstairs. As soon as he unlocked the door, she walked inside, dumped the things on a chair and then escaped in the bedroom closing the door with a thud. He toed off his shoes, kept the prasad in the kitchen, thinking how he had planned to end the dinner with a dessert and then spend some romantic moments with her. It didn’t matter whether she would have agreed to kiss him or demanded anything, even just simply being with her, being able to touch her was more than enough. He watched her go into the bathroom to freshen up, and went inside the bedroom to keep the gifts and change his own clothes. It seemed he was in for the silent treatment…

When he came out of the bedroom, she exited the bathroom, almost colliding with him and he quickly held her. She pushed him back, and snapped, “don’t touch me…”

The irritation in her voice snapped a fuse in his brain, and he almost yelled, “stop it… stop behaving like I disgust you… Mujhe samjhane ka mauka toh do…”

Her eyes flashed in rage, “kya samjhaoge? Yahi ke woh past thi… Another simple casual one night stand jiska tumhari life me koi matlab nahi hai… I wonder aisi kitni ladkiya hai… Tumhare paas count toh hoga na Sameer?”

He felt disappointment cloud his senses, “Naina… ek baar sun toh lo…”

She shook her head, her lips curling in a sneer, “do you know how I felt at that moment? Ek pal main uss raat ka soch rahi thi jo humne saath bitaayi… Tum mujhe choo rahe the toh mujhe achcha lag raha tha… Aur tumhari baate… Main toh maan hi gai thi almost… Ek baar phirse wahi sab mehsoos karna chahti thi… Par phir jab woh ladki bhi tumhe aise hi ek raat ki yaad dila rahi thi, I just… I just felt ke main unique ya special nahi hun tumhare liye… I am also one of the many… Jo uss din tumne mere saath kiya, jo pal main yaad kar rahi thi woh shayad tumne uske saath bhi share kiya tha… Usko bhi kaha hoga na ke ‘trust me’…” She let out a sarcastic laugh, “aur yahan main subah se phirse sapne dekhne lagi thi… Tumpe bharosa karne lagi thi… Lekin bhool gai thi ke SJM ke life me sirf ek aurat kaise ho sakti hai…”

His heart broke once more on hearing her words, and he grabbed her arms, his voice laced with anger and disappointment, “bas karo… stop blaming me… Uss raat ko maine tumhe force nahi kiya tha… Tum jaanti thi uss din bhi ke I have had one night stands… Tum jaanti thi ke usi din mera break up hua tha… Phir bhi you took that step… I had stopped myself, lekin tumne mujhe kiss kiya… tumne kaha ke you want your first to be me… So stop pretending now as if you were helpless…” His eyes blazed, “when you said yes to marry me, you knew I wasn’t a saint… you knew I had a past… Still you decided… Tumne saamne se shaadi ki baat ki… Maine ek baar bhi tumhe force nahi kiya kisi cheez ke liye… Aur rahi baat Lavanya ki, toh haan main use jaanta hun… She was right… 1.5 years pehle usko wahin mila tha fashion event me… Lekin kabse tumhe batane ki koshish kar raha hun that she was just flirting, that we didn’t spend any night together, par tumhe sunna kahan hai… Tumhe toh bas mujhe blame karna hai… Uss raat main Lavanya toh kya kisike bhi saath nahi tha… Nanu ka birthday tha aur mujhe jaldi ghar pahonchke unse baat karna tha… Lekin tumhe isse kya? Tum meri baat sune bina hi judgement pass kardo… Bina soche kuch bhi bolo… Sameer ka kya hai – Dil tudwane ki toh puraani aadat hai na uski… I love you so much but you don’t even put the effort to understand me… Agar samajhti zara bhi toh ab tak yeh jaan gai hoti ke uss raat jo hua hamare beech that wasn’t even sex…”

Leaving her arms, he strode into the bathroom and slammed the door shut… He needed a shower to cool off… Letting the cold water wash over him he let his tears flow… He always tried to ignore her harsh words, knowing it came from the hurt and pain she had felt after that night, the misconception she had formed from his drunken words… But today of all days he hadn’t expected her to say such things to him… If she had such a low opinion of him then why did she marry him… When he had found her again she had thought he was here only for the baby… Was the marriage just that then? She married him only because he was the father of the baby? Didn’t she have any feelings for him? No… It can’t be true… He had seen the love she had for him in her eyes… Since today morning everything was fine… But that stupid Lavanya… He turned off the shower and wiped himself, trying to think of the situation from her perspective… She had been lost thinking about an extremely intimate moment, of the pleasure she had felt, and had been on the verge of let her inhibitions go and accept him even if it was just for tonight… And then some another random woman had come over and flirted, mincing her words, making it sound as if they had shared something in past… How it must have hurt Naina?

I just felt ke main unique ya special nahi hun tumhare liye… I am also one of the many… Jo uss din tumne mere saath kiya, jo pal main yaad kar rahi thi woh shayad tumne uske saath bhi share kiya tha…

He recalled her words and closed his eyes shut in pain… God Dammit… Why did everything have to be so complicated? Her every word had not been of disgust for him but had stemmed from the insecurity she had felt… Insecurity of not being the only one in his life… He had been her first, but for him there had been other women… Her anger and frustration was totally justified… What wife would like to meet a woman supposedly from her husband’s frivolous past, and that too on the day of their marriage? She must have felt humiliated and used… No… He couldn’t let that happen… He had to talk to her again… Calmly explain that even if she was not his first, she was his last… The one and only woman he loved… She didn’t need his anger at such a time; she needed his love to get over the insecurities.

He opened the door, intending to get her to talk to him, but his heart wrenched on seeing her sitting on the chair, sobbing her heart out as if she had lost the most precious thing in her life. He cursed himself for being so callous and losing control on his temper… Quickly striding over to her, he lifted her off the chair and sat down with her on his lap, hugging her tight, “shsh Naina… I am sorry sweetheart… I am so sorry… Main bas bahot dukhi ho gaya tha tumhari baate sunke… Please mujhe maaf kardo…”

She buried her face on his shoulder, her hands balling into fists on his t-shirt. He stroked her back, “gadha hun main… aaj ke din tumhe rula diya… aaj toh mujhe tumhe khushiya deni chahiye thi, gift dena chahiye tha… aur main… Sorry Naina… I am such a useless husband…”

She sniffed, lifting her head to look at him, her eyes full of fresh tears, as she stuttered, “tum… tumne kaha… ha…hamare beech jo hua… th..that was…wasn’t sex… Itna kharab tha? Main… Mera first time tha… Mujhe nahi pata tha kya karte hai… Maine kuch galat…”

Astonished at the track of her questions, he cut her off by pressing his lips to hers… He didn’t kiss her… Just touched her lips with his, closing his eyes for a moment, savoring the feel… Pulling back, he soothingly said, “oh sweetheart… mera matlab aisa bilkul nahi tha… couldn’t you feel that night how much I wanted you? Agar mujhe achcha nahi laga hota toh kya main second time tumhe uthata…? Aur phir third time…? Jab maine kaha ke it wasn’t sex, I meant that we made love that night…  I know tumhara first time tha… Lekin yaqeen maano uss raat jo mehsoos kiya woh mere liye bhi first time tha… Yes, I had a past… And because of that I have experience… Mujhe difference samajhme aata hai… When I touched you, it was special… When I kissed you, it was special… When you agreed to stay with me, it wasn’t a one-night stand, it was more… so much more…” Pushing her hair behind her ear, he continued, “Mujhe uss raat koi random ladki nahi chahiye thi… I wanted you, just you Naina… As soon as you said yes, it was all about you… Main ek different Sameer banna chahta tha tumhare liye… Can’t you understand? Mere past ke wajah se I am used to keeping condoms with me… Mere wallet me bhi hota hai… Lekin uss raat ek baar bhi condom ka khayal tak nahi aaya mujhe… I just claimed you as mine… I just needed you in my life… Uss raat apni feelings nahi samajh saka, phir bhi itna jaanta tha ke tum special ho… Next morning, I knew it was going to be only you in my life… Tum pehli aur akhri ho Naina jiske saath main poori raat tha, jisko apni baaho me leke main soya… One night stands are almost mechanical… I don’t know how to explain… But it’s like meet up, have sex and leave… Tumhare saath toh kiss kiya tabse hi it was different… I know mera past accept karna difficult hai, but trust me at least that I love you… and only you…”

She swallowed, sniffing once more and then wiped her tears… After a moment she asked, “ek baat puchu?” He nodded, and she further queried, “jo moment main yaad kar rahi thi… tum samajh gaye the na? Toh… Woh kisi aur ke saath…”

He sighed, “yes, I know tum kya yaad kar rahi thi… Aur, main woh pehle sirf ek baar kar chuka hun… Sakshi ke saath, only because I was in a relationship with her… And that too after I had thought to propose her… One night stands me yeh sab nahi karta tha… Do you understand what I am saying?”

She did… She indeed understood… In a relationship of one year he had done that only once with the girl he had thought he would marry… But with her, he had shared that moment on the first night itself… The night she had considered to be just a standalone event… But for him it had been different… She had been different… Maybe the lines were blurred for her, maybe she needed more time to accept and make peace with his past, but for now at least she understood what he was trying to convey…

Sliding off his lap, she straightened her pajama top, “bahot raat ho gai hai… neend aa rahi hai.”

He kept sitting on the chair, watching her, thinking that she needed more time to let go of the matter, to forgive him… But at the bedroom door, she stopped and turned, “bethe kyun ho? Neend nahi aa rahi?”

He nodded, “haan… main chaddar le leta hun…”

She frowned, “do chaddar kya karenge? Jo hai wahi kaafi hai hum dono ke liye… Chalo…”

He gaped at her in surprise, “matlab?”

She sighed, “tumne kaha tha tum wait karoge jab tak main tumhe puri tarah se accept nahi karti… Aur mujhe tumpe bharosa hai… Toh phir, living room me farsh pe soke kya karoge?”

He stood up, his heart thudding so hard that his ears buzzed… Slowly walking close to her, he stood towering over her, and asked, “tum chahti ho ke main tumhare saath bedroom me same mattress pe sou?”

She lifted a hand, placing her palm over his heart, “jaanti hun meri baato se tumhe dukh pahoncha… mujhpe gussa honeka pura haq hai tumhe… I am sorry Sameer… Mujhe tumhari baat sunni chahiye thi… Samajhna chahiye tha ke woh tumhare saath flirt kar rahi thi, tum nahi… Lekin kya karu… Bahot logo ne saath chod diya hai… Tumhare dur jaaneke khayal se bhi darr lagta hai…”

He immediately assured, “main kabhi tumse dur nahi jaunga… Chahe tum mujhpe kitna bhi gussa karo, chahe mujhe kuch bhi bolo… main hamesha tumhara perspective samajhne ki koshish karunga…”

She smiled, “main bhi koshish karungi ab se… I am sorry… Tum chaho toh thodi der aur gussa ho sakte ho meri stupidity pe… Lekin aaj hamari shaadi hui hai toh jhagda karke nahi sona… Aur akele toh bilkul nahi sona aaj se… Patni hun… Itna maangne ka haq toh banta hai na?”

A blissful smile curved his lips, “pura haq banta hai wifey…” Dipping down he suddenly lifted her in his arms, earning a squeak from her… “Ghabrao mat”, he assured, “giraunga nahi…”

She looped her arms around his neck, looking in his eyes, “jaanti hun… bharosa hai…” He kicked the door close, walking the short distance to the mattress and placed her on it as gently as if she was made of glass. Turning the main lights off, he switched onn the night lamp, and then joined her on the mattress… They still had a single pillow, so he slept on it, and extened his arm out for her to sleep on… She laid her head on his arms, her hand on his chest as they looked in each others eyes… His heart sighed in delight… Lifting her hand from his chest, he kissed the inside of her palm, and then pulled her close, enveloping her completely in his arms. She hummed, snuggling closer, and clutched onto his t-shirt at his back… It didn’t take them more than a minute to fall asleep, their hearts content and happy with their bond of togetherness.