Only Mine
Chapter 34: Diwali Delight

The golden intricate design on the pallu of the red saree glittered in the morning light as the material swayed while she pinned it on her shoulder. She glanced at the clock once more, confirming the time, not wanting to be late even for a minute. Sameer and his family would be here in an hour. She had been up at 5am, taken a bath, washed her hair, and then prepared the prasad for the puja. Just then there was a knock, and Preeti who was already dressed in an orange salwar-kameez opened the door of their bedroom. Bela walked inside, mumbling aloud, “Naina… let me help…”, but she trailed off on seeing Naina already dressed in a deep-red saree. She asked in surprise, “who helped?”

Naina understood the context behind the question, and answered, “no one… I learnt myself. In case you don’t remember, last time also I wore saree myself for Roka and then visit to Sameer’s home.”

Bela frowned, wondering how she didn’t notice it, and at the same time thinking when did the little girl she knew grow up so much. “It’s okay Chachiji… Maybe you were busy”, Naina shrugged, “anyways… Happy Diwali…”

“Happy Diwali beta”, Bela smiled, “may you get all the happiness in the world.”

Naina just stared at her, her gaze held slight accusation but she didn’t voice anything. Bela seemed to understand the expression and started to say something, but just then Taiji’s loud holler made her turn back and leave. Preeti sat down on the bed, “it’s so frustrating how they seem to forget what they did.”

Naina smiled, combing her hair, “Chachaji and Chachiji didn’t do much… I only feel angry because they didn’t support me even though somewhere in their heart they did believe that I can’t do anything against their values.”

Preeti shuddered, “I still feel scared to talk to boys after that incident… Maybe if I do something then they will…”

Naina interrupted, sitting beside her, “shut up… nothing of that sort will happen. At that time there was no one for me, no one capable enough… But now I am there for you… Sameer is there too… And don’t forget PB… We will support you always. Now tell me… why such thoughts? Do you like someone?”

Preeti shook her head, “no… nothing like that… I had a fleeting interest, but I don’t think it will work out.”

Naina stared at her sister and then queried, “is it Pandit?”

Preeti gasped, “how did you know?”

Naina chuckled, “I wasn’t blind… I could see how my and Sameer’s friendship led to you all being friendly too. And Munna always had his eyes stuck on Swati while you totally adored Pandit’s nature.”

Preeti looked down shyly, “yes… but then we moved to different colleges… And with you gone I stopped thinking… Maybe it was the same for them without Sameer.”

“Don’t worry”, Naina patted her shoulder, “things always happen for a reason. If you are still interested in Pandit you should talk to him.”

Preeti nodded, “I will think about it… but for now… let’s get you ready.”

Together they finished Naina’s simple hairstyle, and makeup. As she slipped on the bangles, she reminisced how engrossed Sameer had been in the shop to choose the perfect shade of red that would match her saree. His fascination for bangles astounded her… She wore the silver payal given by PB, and then walked out in the living room to help with the puja arrangements. The priest was already there arranging the chowki and banana leaves. Chachaji and Arjun were hanging flower toran at the door. Bela was making a square mud-patch just outside the main door, which would later be used to fill in rangoli. Taiji was seated on the swing, hollering instructions at everyone.

PB came out of her room, dressed in a yellow-green silk saree, and rolled her eyes, “Beena… it would be good if you use your hands and legs instead of your voice. As it is you are swelling day by day.”

Taiji muttered something under her breath and immediately scooted inside the kitchen pretending to arrange things for the puja. Preeti brought out a big dish full of bowls of different colors, and grinned, “Naina…  Shall we make Rangoli? Just like old times…”

Naina smiled, nodding her head, and stood up to follow Preeti. As the sisters left walked outside, Anand and Bela looked at each other and smiled, feeling happy that they could see this kind of atmosphere again in their home. Ever since Naina had left everything around them was gloomy. Preeti stopped being her usual chirpy self, and several traditions like watching Chitrahaar, dancing to old songs on radio, demands for Jalebi, stopped altogether. Last two years when Naina came for Diwali, she was so withdrawn that she didn’t participate at all in the festivities. But this time, even though she didn’t talk much, at least she was wholeheartedly participating in the rituals and festivities. Both of them were aware that Naina was relaxed and happy this time only because of Sameer and Phulla Bua but still, it was worth seeing their children as they were years ago.

Sameer honked the horn repeatedly, frustrated at the traffic jam. It was just going to be 9am but there was still so much traffic on the road… It seemed as if the whole of Ahmedabad had come out on the road. He wanted to reach Naina’s home before 9am, but now it seemed they would be delayed a lot. Nanu was sitting beside him on the front passenger seat, and he chuckled, “you know… the horn is not going to clear up traffic.”

Sameer groaned, “I promised her I will reach early.”

“Bhai”, Rohan commented from the back seat, “Bhabhi won’t be angry…”

Sameer rolled his eyes, “I know… I just want to meet her…”

This made everyone in the car chuckle, and Deepika chirped, “I also want to meet her.”

“First I will meet”, Sameer countered, navigating the car out of traffic, and sighed in relief on finding the road ahead clear.

As soon as they reached, Sameer parked behind PB’s car and rushed upstairs without waiting for anyone. Vishakha who alighted from the second car frowned on seeing such behavior, and Mr. Somani commented, “looks like he is in unusual hurry… Wonder what magic that girl did.”

“Naina”, he hollered thundering up the last steps.

She had just stood up after finishing the last outline of blue on the rangoli design, and turned on hearing his voice. He skidded to a halt inches away from her, his mouth falling open in wonder and his eyes rounded in awe. She looked gorgeous… He felt a hitch in his chest and his heart started to thump hard… Something happened inside his stomach and in some part of his brain he wondered if the quote butterflies in stomach was true… He couldn’t take his eyes off her… The braid on her shoulder looked too intricate, but the few strands of hair left loose, framed her face softening her look. Her eyes were lined with black kohl, and her lips sported red lipstick that he knew for certain was smudge-proof, or as PB and she liked to say kiss-proof. The red saree moulded around her curves sensually, the gold border complimenting her skin tone. And the blouse… The damn blouse… short capped sleeves, round neckline, and the square cut back with dori… He couldn’t see her back but he knew that since her hair was in a braid the view would be unobstructed. Light jewelry adorned her neck and ears, and she had worn the bangles they had purchased together. She was dressed from head to toe in things he had got for her, and he couldn’t help the feeling of possessiveness swarm his nerves, nor could he control his body’s reaction on seeing the milky fair curve of her waist against the chiffon.

He gulped, somehow moving his eyes away from her and looked down, muttering under his breath, “calm down dude…”

Naina was puzzled, “are you saying something?”

“Huh”, his head jerked up, “no… nothing… umm… you look hot.”

Her eyes widened, and she glanced back towards the house once to check no one had heard. Thankfully there was no one at the door, but Preeti stood next to her giggling at the compliment. Naina smiled at him, “where’s everyone else?”

No sooner she said this, the others trooped up the stairs with things in their hands. Naina moved forward to seek blessings and help them. Hearing the sound, Arjun and Anand also came out to welcome them. Bela served water as PB chatted with Nanu, Tauji talked to Mr. Somani, while Taiji kept Vishakha occupied. Deepika and Rohan were jabbering away with Preeti and Naina, while Sameer just stood leaning on the wall admiring his would-be bride. That’s exactly how she looked today… His bride…

Few minutes later Naina came towards him, “do you want something? Water? Or maybe tea?”

“You”, he rasped. She looked in his dark yearning eyes, and blushed. He drew in a deep breath, “the wait is getting difficult honey… I want you as my wife.”

She looked surprised at his open declaration, her cheeks bright with color as she replied, “we will know soon when that can happen.”

“Wish it was today”, he murmured, and added, “and wish we were alone.”

She gasped at his words, her heart racing fast, and a slight shiver ran down her spine at the thought of belonging to him in every sense. He straightened, taking a small step towards her, reducing the minimal distance. Her pupils dilated as she drew in a shaky breath, the air around her fragrant with his cologne.

Suddenly Taiji’s loud ‘oh bai’ and a comment on how the preparations were incomplete broke the spell surrounding them. Sameer scowled, wondering what new drama her family was going to create now. Taiji slapped her forehead blabbering about something called Navdhanya and how it was missing, thus rendering the puja incomplete. Most of the people were confused, but amid all this Taiji suddenly started blaming Naina’s kundli for the hurdle in an auspicious puja.

Sameer stiffened, his hands curling into fists at the insinuation. Rohan and Deepika frowned, while Vishakha simply looked confused. Nanu tried to pacify, “it’s alright… Puja hasn’t started yet… We can go and buy.”

Taiji once more blabbered about how just because of one girl the festival was cursed. Sameer started to take a step forward, but was held back with a gentle palm on his arm. “Relax”, Naina said in a low voice. Shaking her head at the dramatics, she walked over to the puja place and rummaged in a bag just beside the chowki. She pulled out a transparent packet containing several grains, and handed it over to the priest, “is this okay?”

The priest nodded as he kept on chanting hymns under his breath, but indicated with his hand that everything was alright. Naina smiled, and addressed her family, “don’t worry… We got all the puja materials from Tauji’s friend’s shop. I am sure there won’t be anything missing, right?”

Taiji looked embarrassed, and adjusted her pallu smiling sheepishly at her glowering husband. Sameer understood that all this was just an attempt to create a wrong impression of Naina in-front of his family. He glanced at his mother, hoping she wouldn’t start any new drama over this, but thankfully she stood silent.

In few minutes Munna and Pandit trooped in followed by an excited Swati who immediately rushed to give Naina a tight hug, exclaiming how much she had missed her. Sameer hugged his friends, grinning wide in delight and all six of them started to talk forgetting entirely about the family. Soon it was time for the katha and everyone sat down, Bela and Anand at the front to conduct the puja, and Sameer made sure to choose a place just beside Naina.

To his utmost surprise, Naina pulled the saree pallu over her head before sitting down, and he kept staring at her. She folded her hands, closing her eyes, probably praying for something, but his gaze remained fixed on her face that was now framed by the red saree. Vishakha looked at her son, and then at the girl whom she had called out as not-so-good-looking just a day ago, but she had countered saying she didn’t want to be perfect for the world as she was already perfect for Sameer. And now based on the sight before her eyes, she could understand what Naina had meant to say. Sameer was staring at her with affection, adoration, love, desire and a certain kind of devotion… It seemed as if he was gazing at his entire world.

Naina opened her eyes, and feeling a burning gaze on her, she immediately looked to her side. A smile curved her lips on seeing Sameer, and she gestured as if to ask what he was looking at. Sameer seemed to be in some kind of trance as he lifted his hand, and slowly, gently touched her cheek as if making sure what he was seeing was a reality and not his imagination. Naina grinned, holding his hand for few seconds and then asked him to fold hands and pay attention to the puja. Vishakha sighed, knowing that this was futile as Sameer would never do it, he never believed in God. She recalled the 2-year old Sameer who did as she instructed sitting beside her in-front of the temple at their home. That was the time he had believed, but after that when he had been sent off to hostel somehow he had lost faith in God. However, what happened next took her by extreme surprise… Sameer smiled at Naina, folded his hands just like she asked, and turned towards the priest to listen. Vishakha was stunned to see this… Did Sameer love Naina so much that he would even pray to God for her?

Sameer kept whispering questions in between about whatever the priest was doing or saying, and she answered whenever possible or mentioned she would explain later. Just before the aarti, the priest asked to get all the prasad to offer. Naina and Preeti brought in all the vessels, and Sameer scanned through as the priest chanted something and sprinkled flowers and gangajal on them. At first he saw the suji halwa which he knew was a standard offering in Satyanarayan Katha, and sighed as he didn’t like it much, but then he spotted some laddoos at the far end  brightened up immediately. When the aarti was done, Sameer was elated to have a chance to stand beside her and hold the aarti plate like a husband would usually do.

Panchamrit was passed around and then Bela handed over bowl full of prasad to everyone. Sameer frowned on seeing the bowl given to him, and asked, “where’s Naina?”

“Bhai can’t even have prasad without Bhabhi”, Rohan teased.

Naina chuckled, coming to sit beside Sameer, “no… your bhai just has his own set of tantrums.” Sameer’s frown deepened, she grinned, scooping up the suji halwa from his bowl, and transferring and extra laddoo from her bowl to his, she took the bananas and passed on the apples, and then looked up at him, softly saying, “but I am okay with it.”

He smiled, “you made?”

She nodded, “naturally… but still you have to eat a little bit of this, please.” She pleaded picking a bit of halwa on her fingers, and he leaned, obliging immediately without any argument. And then he happily dug into his bowl, praising the taste of besan laddoos.

Vishakha remembered her conversation with Naina just a day ago where they had discussed about Sameer’s preferences of sweet. She recalled Naina telling her that he didn’t like suji halwa much, but still she was surprised that even if it was only about prasad, still Naina had prepared laddoos especially so he could eat. The fact of Naina’s thoughtfulness didn’t escape Vishakha… She could have bought it, some sweet from outside, but instead she had chosen to prepare it so early in morning. Rohan bit into a laddoo and commented, “wow Bhabhi… you made special laddoos for bhai… It is so delicious.”

Vishakha couldn’t help but ask, “how do you know Sameer doesn’t like suji halwa?”

Rohan mumbled around a mouthful, “got to know in Mumbai… I had asked Bhabhi to cook suji halwa for me.”

“And she didn’t make it”, Mr. Somani sneered.

Rohan chirped, “of course she made it… but only enough for me… and for bhai she prepared custard.”

Vishakha bit her lip and bowed her head, focusing on her bowl of prasad, lost in bitter recollections of how she never made the effort of knowing Sameer’s choices or fulfilling his demands. How would a child have felt at that time? Sameer used to come only in vacations, and even for those few days she failed to pay attention to him. Maybe it was no wonder that he was so in love with Naina… Naina actually made a lot of effort for him… But what about Rohan? She couldn’t understand how that relationship had changed from hate to such amazing companionship. She had witnessed some camaraderie during the last trip to Ahmedabad but ever since Rohan had come from Mumbai he had been going on almost non-stop about his bhai-bhabhi… How had they developed such a bond that Sameer had actually let Rohan stay at his home?

Around thirty minutes later the priest was seated on a chair with two kundlis spread out on the table. Sameer didn’t even know that he had a kundli… Naina was sitting beside him, her face lit up with expectation, her eyes sparkling. He glanced at her, his heart beating fast at the joy on her face… He gently held her hand, linking their fingers, so lost in just being with her that he forgot the family entirely. She looked at him in surprise, not having expected him to hold her hand, but even though she knew that others were seeing them she didn’t remove her hand from his hold, rather she just folded her fingers over his.

The priest did some calculations and let them know that their horoscopes were extremely compatible, and gave them some dates for the wedding. There were two dates in May, one in June, two in July, and then several more dates in November and December of next year. Anand and Nanu handed over some money as dakshina to the priest, and once he left the family started discussing about what time would be suitable for the ceremonies. Many were in favor of winter wedding, making Sameer scowl and he piped up, “our college will end in April, so what wait till November? We can have the wedding in May.”

“But it’s summer”, Naina replied in low voice.

Almost the full family looked at her, and she lowered her head suddenly shy. Tauji mumbled something about girl’s nerve to speak in between. PB narrowed her eyes and was about to interfere, wanting Naina to speak up her mind, but before she could say anything Sameer took up the onus. He turned fully towards her, still holding her hand, and hooked the fingers of his other hand under her chin… Tilting her head up, he gazed in her eyes, and gently asked, “you want to wait till November?” She didn’t say anything, and he assured, “tell me Naina… what do you wish for? I am ready to wait just for you…”

She smiled, slight color tinging her cheeks as she replied, “6^th July… Monsoon…”

He grinned, mentally slapping his own forehead, he should have understood before… Given her craziness for rains she would definitely choose monsoon wedding, and she had also told him once before about it. Well… it was still two months too late, but just for her he was ready to wait… “I think that’s a great idea”, he rasped, “and I hope it rains that day…”

Her face brightened as if he had wished for the utmost happiness she could ever imagine. Nanu and Vishakha had some concern about monsoon weather spoiling the functions, but they soon gave in for their happiness. There was more resistance from Naina’s family, but all arguments were ultimately overridden by PB who approved of the idea knowing perfectly well about Naina’s love for rains. She even teased the couple saying that Naina won’t even mind being drenched while taking pheras, and Sameer would do anything for her happiness. Their friends also teased them, but everyone took care not to reveal much about their school life. At a nod from Sameer, Naina brought out a bag from the room, and together they gifted everyone the things they had purchased. Nanu and PB received the first gifts, both of them blessing the couple with pride. Mr. Somani was struck to silence when Naina handed over a light green shirt to him, while Tauji was stumped when Sameer gave him a silk dhoti-kurta set. Rakesh frowned on seeing his cream shaded kurta-pajama with a sleeveless, high-necked dark jacket, Arjun accepted his printed collared t-shirt without a note of thanks, while Taiji was ecstatic on seeing the cotton-silk saree. Only Bela and Anand seemed to be overwhelmed as they thanked the couple profusely for the purple saree and matching fancy kurta set, blessing them with lots of happiness. Preeti loved her magenta dress material… Rohan and Deepika grinned on receiving their gifts, while Munna, Pandit and Swati were surprised to receive their own gifts. Sameer rolled his eyes at their expressions, “as if we would forget you all…”

Amid all this Vishakha kept stroking the blue-green silk patola saree, her throat feeling choked up at the gesture. Naina slowly asked, “what happened madam? You didn’t like it?”

Vishakha quickly shook her head, “no… no… it’s lovely… I was just admiring the color.”

Naina smiled, “Sameer selected it… He said it was different.”

“Thank you”, Vishakha smiled, for the first time keeping a hand over Naina’s head, surprising her immensely.

Lunch time was merry as PB allowed the youngsters to sit inside the bedroom to have food, declaring that they need not be bored with all the older generation discussions. Naina, Preeti and Swati served for everyone and the boys helped carry the dishes inside. Rohan and Deepika were in awe of the six friends, because none of them had ever made such strong bonds in their school or college. Naina sat down leaning against the bed, and Sameer sat beside her, immediately wrapping a hand around her waist. She jerked on feeling his fingers on her bare skin, but stayed silent, smiling slightly at the sensation. He leaned a bit, letting his shoulders touch her, and said in a low voice, “I am hungry…”

Pandit coughed, “buddy… the food is right here… you know, you can eat.”

Munna laughed, “how can he? Of course Naina has to feed him…”

“Just like in school”, Preeti chuckled.

While their friends teased, Sameer smirked because he knew that only Naina had understood the real meaning of his statement, and it was evident in the way she blushed. Deepika demanded to know more about their school. Preeti, Swati, Munna and Pandit gladly entertained the demand, narrating tale after tale while eating. Naina and Sameer shared a dish with her feeding him. Once when everyone was engaged in chatting and no one had their focus on the couple, Sameer quickly dipped and kissed her shoulder making her gasp. Naina noticed her sister looking at Pandit as he laughed out on something, and smiled, observing how her expressions softened. But it seemed as if whatever had been developing between Munna and Swati had fizzled out because they just kept chatting with ease like friends.

“You should pay some attention to me”, Sameer whispered in her ear.

She smiled at him, “oh I will…”

One brow lifted and he tilted his head, “achcha?”

She blinked, her eyes moving over his features and for a moment she wished to be back in Mumbai in the seclusion of his home. She wanted to be in his arms… As if sensing her thoughts, he tightened his hold on her waist, tugging her closer. After some time the girls went out to keep the dishes and everyone washed up. They were just settling down again, when Nanu called out saying they needed to leave now. Munna and Pandit hugged Sameer, saying they would meet soon again. Swati also hugged Naina and Preeti… In few minutes they all trooped out, with Sameer and Naina being the last. Just before he could exit the room, Naina tugged his hand, pulling him back in the room, and closed the door. He gasped in shock, not having expected her to do something like this.

“Naina”, he murmured, “everyone is outside.”

She pushed him against the door, “you can tell everyone that you were in washroom.”

“But…”, he started to say, only to trail off on a light groan as her hands trailed over his chest. She held his eyes captive, “shsh… did I tell you that you are looking extremely handsome today…”

He relaxed slightly, smirking, “I am?”

“Absolutely”, she affirmed, “I love the blue kurta… just one thing is missing…”

He looked down at himself, “what?”

Her red painted nails toyed with the buttons, and slowly opened the top one. “Naina”, he husked, his breathing accelerating. She ignored his call, slipping another button open… Trailing one nail down his throat to the V she had made parting the seams of the collar, she said in a satisfied tone, “there… now it’s better…”

He swallowed, the adams apple bobbing up and down at his throat, and she lifted slightly kissing there softly. He groaned… She smiled, took his hand and placed it on her bare waist… Her own arms looped around his neck, and she demanded, “kiss me Sameer…”

“Family”, he mumbled again, his eyes dropping to her sinuously red lips.

She lifted on her toes, pressing against his body, and her voice was breathy with desire, “I really… really need a kiss…”

“Dammit”, he cursed, every nerve in his body snapping to attention at the way she pressed against him. His hold on her waist tightened, and he turned, pushing her up against the door. There was an impression of her wide smile and the happy sparkle of her eyes, and then he was kissing her… Deep… Long… Hard… She moaned softly, her fingers sinking in his hair, and he tilted his head deepening the kiss even more, stealing her breath away. The hand at her waist explored the curves, his thumb pushing against her navel suddenly making her tremble in his arms. He nipped at her lower lip, as if trying to pick up the red tint, and her hand moved restlessly over his shoulder.

Someone called again from outside, and he parted from her mouth, pressing her forehead against hers, breathing hard. She panted, “I love you.”

“I love you too honey”, he crooned, “I love you so much… but now I should go…”

She closed her eyes for a moment, controlling her emotions, and then nodded. He dropped a kiss on her forehead, “see you in evening.”

As he tried to open the door, she stopped him, “not here… bathroom… leave from the other door.”

He did as she asked, taking a minute in the bathroom to button up his kurta and straighten his messy hair. When he came out, Naina was already standing with Nanu, assuring him that she would come early. Sameer took blessings of her family silently, not really engaging in any conversation, but when he came to PB he asked, “won’t you come over in evening?”

PB’s eyes twinkled, “I thought you are inviting only your fiancé.”

Sameer laughed, “no… Naina and Preeti both will join… You too come over… I would like to show you my home.”

Nanu added his own invite, extending it to Agarwal family as well, but Tauji politely refused saying they can’t keep the home empty on Diwali. While leaving, he gently touched Naina’s cheek with his fingers, “drive safe in evening… and if you feel tired just give me a call, I will come to pick you up.”

She smiled, “don’t worry… I am fine.”

There was barely any time left in afternoon as preparations for evening needed to be done. Bela packed some snacks for Naina to take along in evening… Arjun kept boasting about fire-crackers that he had bought and Rakesh along added that the celebration here was going to be grander. Naina rolled her eyes, refraining from making any comment. After an hour’s rest, she dressed up in another new dress that she and Sameer had bought together. It was one of the more recent trendy outfits in Mumbai, and after seeing a photo of a model at his office, he had decided that it would look amazing on Naina. And so had started the search in all the high-end shopping outlets in Mumbai… Finally at one of the boutiques in Colaba, they had found couple of sets much to his delight, and he had chosen one for her. It had a beige-gold slim fit ankle length pant, matched with a fuchsia pink sleeveless long kurta with sweetheart neckline and a slit till thigh on the left side. The whole kurti was dotted with golden thread work, and the ensemble was finished with a beige gold shimmery dupatta that she pinned on one shoulder. She paired the outfit with golden antique-style jhumkas, and pink-gold bangles in one hand with watch on another. Her eye-liner was winged, lashes shaped with mascara and lips colored a smudge-proof light rose. All in all, Naina looked a combination of trendy and traditional. Preeti whistled on seeing her, “Sameer’ going to be flat.”

Naina grinned, and on noticing her sister’s sunshine yellow chikan dress commented, “I see you are dressed in Pandit’s favorite color.”

“He is not going to be there”, Preeti reminded, “I just wore it because this is the only one fairly new.”

Naina smiled, “next time I will bring more stuff for you… And once I am back in Ahmedabad I will start working as well…”

“You will work after marriage?” Preeti asked in shock.

Naina nodded, “yes, I will… but for now… let’s go out… I guess there will be few moments of useless restriction on my dress.”

True to her prediction, Taiji immediately took offence to what she was wearing. Her dress was termed as revealing and offending, and she was commanded to change. She stood silent, hearing but ignoring. Frustrated with her behavior her father moved forward, but even before he could reach within touching distance there was a yell, “Rakesh!” PB had stepped out of her room, dressed in a mustard yellow and green silk saree, and glared at the gathering, “what was happening here?”

Naina spoke up first, “nothing important PB… just the usual things… let’s go, we are getting late.”

PB and Preeti looked surprised at Naina’s firm tone, and so did most of the family members, because the girl who once stuttered and accepted everything didn’t seem to be scared anymore. Naina moved outside followed by the other two… Once in car, PB gently asked, “are you alright dear?”

Naina nodded, looking at her palm where she had almost dug her own nails, “yes, I am… I wouldn’t have let him hit me… Not again… Not ever again…”

The drive to Maheshwari house was silent, while Naina focused on driving, PB thought about how there was absolutely no redeeming qualities in some of the Agarwal family members, and Preeti mentally thanked God for bringing Sameer back into her sister’s life. When they stopped at a signal, Preeti tentatively asked, “Naina… weren’t you scared of Rakesh Tauji?”

Naina smiled, “no… if I still remain scared of these people or let them affect me then it would be an insult to Sameer’s love. He took a lot of effort to give me assurance of his love, of his presence beside me in every situation, and in return he also demanded more than love from me… I have promised him to not be weak and fight for my love if needed.”

Preeti stared at her sister in awe, suddenly recalling a conversation with Swati when they were in school. Naina had saved the wrapper of the chocolate Sameer had given her, and that had made them realize that she loved him. Preeti had been frantic at first, but Swati had determinedly said that if anyone could stand up against the narrow-mindset of their family then it was Naina… And it seemed those words had finally come true… All those years ago when Naina had been sent off to Mumbai she had accepted it as her fate because there was nothing to fight for, she had thought even Sameer had rejected her… But now that she had the assurance of his love she was back to her former self, her strong spirit resilient against her family’s baseless accusations. Naina was ready to fight for her love…

Maheshwari bungalow was decorated like a bride, and as Naina drove inside the gates she stared in awe at the sight. There were fairy lights all around, and they were lighted already even though the evening was still not dark. As soon as she parked, Sameer came rushing outside. He was dressed in a jeans and green checkered shirt, again something that they had bought together in Mumbai. He opened the back door for PB, helping her out, complaining, “I was waiting since so long.”

PB lightly slapped his cheek, “is it? Were you waiting for me or your Naina?”

He bit his lip, his eyes darting to the girl who exited from the driver’s side, and he breathed, “damn…”

PB followed his gaze, and queried in a low voice, “sexy, isn’t she?”

“Oh yes”, he sighed, “very much…”

PB stifled her giggle, “want to kiss her?”

Still lost in a trance, he drew in a deep breath, “yes…”

Unable to control anymore, PB laughed out, jerking Sameer out of his lost state. He realized what he had uttered and his entire face flushed. The sisters were puzzled at the scene, and Naina asked, “what happened?”

PB waved her hand, “oh nothing much… just that Sameer thinks you look sexy and he wants to…”

“PB…!!” Sameer exclaimed, interrupting the statement, “why are you waiting outside? Come in… I want to show you around.”

Naina’s eyes twinkled as she understood that he must have blurted something that he didn’t want to be revealed in-front of Preeti. Nanu welcomed them inside the house, Vishakha greeted them warmly, surprising Sameer. Deepika stared up at Naina, her eyes round, “wow Bhabhi… you look so beautiful… just like a heroine.”

Naina chuckled, “thanks Deepika… and you are looking like a princess.”

Deepika was overjoyed, “really?”

Naina nodded, and was instantly blessed with a tight hug from the girl. Rohan joined them chattering away about fire-crackers. Sameer looked on at the scene with a smile, his heart at peace on seeing his siblings bond with Naina. Vishakha was surprised at the way Naina had bonded with everyone, and if she was honest, today Naina did look stylish and beautiful.

After sometime Vishakha called Naina, “let’s do the puja… then we can light the diyas.” Sameer wasn’t sure of what his mother was doing, but he felt glad that Naina was being included in the rituals at his home. Once the aarti was done, Ramdhari brought in several dishes full of diyas… Naina’s eyes brightened, “shall we light?”

Vishakha smiled, “yes we will…  but…” She trailed off, glancing at everyone. Naina curiously asked, “what happened?” Vishakha shook her head, “uh… nothing… let’s light the diyas.”

Naina and Sameer took one dish, and went out to the front, he lighted the diyas using matchsticks, and she placed them in a row on the verandah. Now that it was dark the full effect of fairy lights could be seen, and she sighed, “it looks so beautiful.”

“So do you”, Sameer complimented, “absolutely stunning.”

She flashed a grin at him, “and you are looking pretty delicious yourself… I noticed the two open buttons.”

He laughed softly, “what to do… my fiancé has some fascination with my chest.”

“You are wrong”, she responded. He quirked a brow in query, and she winked, “I have fascination for your entire body Mr. Sameer Maheshwari.”

His eyes widened, and mouth slacked open at her flirting. She tucked her hair behind her ear, and moved to place diyas on the side parapet. He stood up, moving behind her, and lightly held her hand as she placed the lighted diyas. Deepika and Rohan were lighting diyas at the other end, while the remaining people were probably keeping diyas around the house and in backyard. Taking advantage of the momentary seclusion, he pecked on her ear and whispered, “I want you to come to my room.”

She pretended to be shocked, “hawww… asking such things before marriage… Aren’t you ashamed?”

His hand moved under the curtain of her hair, his fingers trailing against the scooped neckline at her back, “not at all… Let’s find some opportunity in between the fire-crackers… I want to show you something.”

She placed another diya, her breath accelerating, “what?”

“My body”, her smirked, placing a kiss on her cheek, and then moved away as he heard the sound of conversation.

Soon the remaining people joined them outside; Rohan and Sameer fetched all the fire-crackers. Deepika was given a sparkler to kick-start the celebrations, and after that it was a party for all as they grabbed whatever they wanted to light. “Take care of your dupatta”, Sameer warned, as Naina picked up a fountain. PB was seated on a chair, with Nanu next to her, as they watched everyone enjoy. Mr. Somani was standing to the side, but for a change Vishakha was trying to participate as much as she could. Preeti and Rohan set off a loom of crackers making most of them cover their ears. Spinners spinned on the ground, fountains erupted leaving a spectacular display of colors. Sameer blasted off rockets from a glass bottle, and Deepika coughed after lighting up a whole box of snake at the same time. As Rohan and Sameer lighted Aerial Repeaters, Naina stood by the side, holding a long sparkler. Once the fuse was lit, Rohan scooted backwards, and Sameer rushed towards Naina. Moving behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to his back, and both of them looked up at the sky as the shells exploded in a colorful crackling display. The sparkler in her hand fizzled out, and she dropped it, wrapping her hands over his, a serene smile on her face. This was the first Diwali she had enjoyed so much… In their home they were only allowed limited amount of fire-crackers, and mostly just a few sparklers and snakes, and if they were lucky then maybe a fountain or two… Tauji’s argument being that Arjun and Pralay, deserved to light more crackers as they were boys, while she and Preeti were soon shooed off inside to help Chachiji and Taiji with cooking dinner…

Naina tilted her head to the side, to look up at him, “thank you Sameer… this is the most beautiful I have ever had.”

Sameer touched his head to her temple, “honey… I promise to make every Diwali from now even more colorful and joyful for you…”

“Bhai”, Rohan called out, “let’s light once more.”

Sameer grinned and moved to his brother… Vishakha came to stand next to Naina, and asked, “do you mind coming inside for a moment?”

Naina didn’t know the reason, but nodded. They washed hands in the bathroom downstairs, and then Vishakha guided her to the kitchen. She seemed to be bit nervous as she said, “all the food is ready… but… will you taste the custard once? I am not sure if it turned out like yours…”

Naina smiled, “I am sure it will be perfect… please don’t worry…”

“But still… taste once”, Vishakha pleaded.

Naina agreed, taking some in a small bowl from the container in the fridge, and tasted. It was delicious… A little sweeter that what she prepared, but she was sure Sameer would love it. “It’s yummy”, she praised, “everybody will like it.”

Vishakha sighed in relief, “I was worried… I have never prepared this before… Usually Keshav, our servant, makes it in Delhi.”

Sounds of more crackers came from outside… Naina nodded, “shall we go out again?”

“Wait”, Vishakha said, and then took out something from the drawer on the side of the temple, “ummm… I got this for you… Diwali gift…”

Naina was surprised but extremely flustered, “uh… there’s no need…”

“Even buying saree for me was not needed”, Vishakha interrupted, “but still you and Sameer got it… Besides, you shouldn’t say no to a gift on Diwali… It’s a blessing.”

Naina smiled a bit, “but this blessing is only given to someone you consider as your own… Sameer got the saree for his mother, and I got it for my would-be-mother-in-law… You don’t accept me as your daughter-in-law… so… I am sorry… I cannot accept this…”

Vishakha sighed, “Ramdhari… Please go and ask Sameer to come inside.”

Ramdhari rushed to do as asked… In a couple of minutes Sameer came in, and upon seeing Naina standing with his mother, he tensed up… If his mother created a scene today or insulted her in any way he won’t stay quiet. Walking up towards them, he wrapped an arm around Naina’s waist, “what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Naina nodded, “I am fine…”

“I called you inside Sameer”, Vishakha informed.

Sameer scowled, “why? Everyone is enjoying outside… There’s no need for Naina to be here.”

Naina held his hand, “Sameer… calm down… madam just wanted to talk to me.”

Sameer scoffed, “about what? Is there something that she hasn’t said yet?”

“Yes there is”, Vishakha firmly replied. Pulling out another box from the same drawer, she turned towards the couple and held out both the boxes, “Happy Diwali…”

Naina remained silent bowing her head, but Sameer was shocked… It took him a minute to ask, “what’s all this?”

“A gift”, Vishakha replied softly, “for my son and daughter-in-law…”

Naina’s head snapped up, while Sameer stiffened beside him. Her eyes turned her moist, and her voice quivered as she asked, “are you sure?”

Vishakha smiled, “yes… I understand why you didn’t want to accept the gift before… But now I am giving to both of you… blessing you as a couple… will you accept you now?”

Naina’s face split in a smile, and she looked at Sameer who still looked too stunned to say or do anything. She tugged on his sleeve, “Sameer… come…”

He followed her tug, unsure if what was happening was a reality or a dream… But he followed her as she accepted the gift, and then knelt to touch his mother’s feet. Vishakha blessed them, her own eyes bit moist… As Naina straightened, she cupped her face with one hand, smiling and wished, “stay happy always… and stop calling me madam.” She moved to touch her son’s cheek too, but hesitated and instead patted his shoulder, “I am glad you found your happiness Sameer…”

After Vishakha left, Naina grinned, jumping up and down couple of times and then flung her arms around his neck, “Oh Sameer… I am so happy today…”

Sameer hugged her, a drop of tear leaking from the corner of his eye, “did that really happen?”

“Yes”, she sniffed, “oh yes it did… Mummy blessed us…”

He drew back, looking at her face, “say that again…”

She smiled, “mummy blessed us.”

He closed his eyes, savoring the moment, and then handed over his own gift box to her, “hold this…”

She accepted the box and was about to ask why, but before she could do so, she was swiftly lifted up in air. A shriek escaped her as he tightened his hold, carrying her in his arms up the stairs to his room. “Sameer”, she looked over his shoulder, “someone will see us…”

He kept moving unfazed, “shut up… or else I will kiss you right here…”

She shut her mouth, blushing at his words, and couldn’t help the smile that curved her lips. It seemed to be such an intimate moment… Him carrying her to his room in his arms… Just like a husband would do to his wife… The moment was too perfect for any words, and so she closed her eyes, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Walking into his room, he placed her on the bed as gently as if she was made of glass, and then moved to lock the door. “Just a minute”, he mumbled, rushing off to the bathroom to wash his hands with soap, and then came out, sitting beside her on the bed.

She was still holding the gifts in her hands… He touched them, “I still can’t believe she did this…”

She smiled, totally understanding his confusion, “she has been changing since the day I visited last time…”

He looked confused… She gently explained, “Sameer… I know there’s a lot of resentful past between you both, but at the end she is your mother… That day even I was surprised when she agreed suddenly to my help in the kitchen… But then I realized there’s a lot she doesn’t know about you… Maybe because you both never stayed together for long… Or because she didn’t put in effort to know you, and you didn’t try to be in touch… But she is trying… You know… She asked me about your favorite sweet and has made fruit custard today for you.”

He stared at her in surprise… She nodded, “today also she stayed quiet when my own family was trying to put me down… she didn’t raise any objection on our wedding… she was touched when we gifted her the saree… and these… these gifts are proof that she accepted me much before today… and she did this only because she realized you love me and you will be happy with me…”

He gulped, “I don’t know what to do… Rohan was difficult, but I did it… You know why? Because he was only one who was polite with you when you visited for the first time… Deepika is different because I realize now that she was never at fault… But mummy… I am not sure if I will ever be able to forget.”

“No one is asking you to”, she assured, “but maybe you can start with one step at a time… just be polite with her… can you do that?”

He smiled slightly, “I will try…”

“Good”, she grinned, “now shall we open this?”

He nodded, but still took some time… Naina opened hers first, giving him time to come to terms with the events. Her box contained a set of silver payal, beautifully formed, but still light enough to wear with salwar-kameez. His hand shook a bit as he opened his gift, and was surprised on seeing a watch, slightly expensive than what he could afford, but not a high-end collection. Naina smiled, immediately catching-up, “you see… she has started respecting what you are doing… your independence… your decision… Otherwise she could have easily bought much more expensive gifts, like gold, for us.”

Sameer recollected his mother’s taunt from last trip about how he should have gifted gold instead of glass bangles. She had tried to demean him then, but Naina had firmly replied that she was happy and proud as he bought the glass bangles from his own salary. And today… somehow his mother had managed to be considerate enough to not demean his status. He kept aside both the gifts and hugged Naina, needing that moment of peace to collect his thoughts. She wrapped her arms around him, stroking his back, and softly said, “I am so proud of you Sameer… I love you…”

He closed his eyes, hope and happiness starting to build in his heart, “I love you too Naina… thank you so much for making me understand…”

After few minutes she asked, “now… am I going to get a kiss? And what about your promise to show me your body?”

He laughed, drawing back from her, “you flirt… couldn’t you have flirted like this in school? I would have given in to my own feeling sooner then…”

She chuckled, “if I had then we wouldn’t be what we are today… And I wouldn’t trade this for anything…”

He pinched her nose, “neither would I… hang on…” Leaving her on the bed, he went to his cupboard, and brought out a rectangular gift wrapped box. She stood up, curious, and asked, “what’s that?”

He smiled, “I had bought this for you from my first salary… first gift with that money, even before I got anything for Nanu… Because you showed me the way to fulfill my dream… I didn’t know then if I would ever be able to give this to you… When I met you again, I thought I will give it on the day I would tell you about my feelings… But then, I felt the proper time would be when our marriage is fixed… And that day is today…” He held it out for her, “Ms. Naina Agarwal… Will you accept this? Will you… go on a date with me?”

She gasped, “date?”

He nodded, “yes… I have been planning something before coming to Ahmedabad… So? Will you?”

She bit her lip, “let me see the gift first… only then I will decide…”

He laughed, “sure… I am sure you would love it and say yes immediately.”

“So much confidence”, she teased, taking the box from his hand and moving to the bed once more. She sat down, starting to unwrap the golden cover, “let’s see what it is.” Under the wrapper there was a plain white cardboard box, and inside it a picture frame wrapped in bubble wrap. She removed the tape and undid the wrap only to gasp in surprised delight… It was a hand-painted frame of Marine Drive… Her most favorite place in Mumbai… It warmed her heart that even before meeting her in Mumbai, somehow Sameer had known what she would like.

He wiped the single drop of tear from her cheek, that had escaped unnoticed, “so?”

She kept the painting aside, “yes… yes I will go on a date with you… But I have a condition…”

He frowned, “what?”

She inched closer to him, “once we are back in Mumbai, you will have to go on a date with me at Marine Drive. Do you accept?”

He grinned, cupping her face, “yes honey…” She smiled happily, lifting up to kiss his cheek. He rolled his eyes, “that’s not how you kiss babe… here… let me show you the proper way…” With that he captured her lips, delving into her mouth, swallowing her contented sigh. She clutched onto his back, kissing him with equal fervor. His hand moved in her hair, sifting through the silky strands, touching the warm skin beneath… His fingers toyed with the dori for a moment before tugging it open… He recalled how her shell had broken on their last trip in this very room, the day he had been a fool to not notice the desire in her eyes for him… It seemed she was thinking about the same, because her hands moved to unbutton his shirt, and soon they were roaming on his bare chest. His mouth moved to her cheek, her ears, down the side of her neck… He tugged aside one sleeve, trailing to nibble lightly at her shoulder, making her moan his name. Taking her lips once more, he started to tilt her back on the bed, both of them on the verge of forgetting the world around them… But a loud cracker outside jerked them back to reality, and she gasped in fright, tightening her hold on him. He gathered her in his arms, straightening to sit once more, and stroked her hair, “shsh… it’s just a cracker…”

“I forgot”, she mused. He chuckled, “yeah… me too…” After a moment, he gently adjusted the strap on her shoulder, and tied her dori, “go comb your hair… we should go downstairs.” She nodded, moving to the bathroom, while he kept the gifts back in the boxes, and placed them all inside his cupboard, knowing they would be taking them back to Mumbai.

After ten more minutes they joined the others outside. Preeti nudged her asking where she was, and she smirked, “start dating Pandit, then you would get all the answers.” They burst few more crackers, and then everyone trooped inside to have dinner. When Naina went inside the kitchen to help, Vishakha asked, “Naina… will you be able to stay for some more time after dinner? Tomorrow is celebrated as New Year here so I was thinking it would be good if you do the rangoli… I have already applied the mud layer; we can make a simple design which won’t take much time.”

Naina grinned, picking up the salad bowl, “of course I will be here… let’s make colorful flowers… and Ganpati…”

Vishakha smiled, approving the idea. As they all sat down to dinner, Sameer was excited to see the spread. There was peas pulao, kaju-paneer, jeera aloo, creamy mix vegetable, roti and dal fry… A plate of mathri was also kept on the table. For dessert he could see some kind of barfi and of course a big bowl of fruit custard. Every item was delicious and while eating the custard, Sameer made sure to look at his mother and compliment the taste. Once the dinner was done, PB said they should leave, but Naina asked to stay back for some more time, clarifying, “actually… Mummy wants me to do rangoli on the verandah as tomorrow is New Year.”

Almost everyone on the table was taken aback at what she said and also at the way she addressed Vishakha. Nanu looked at Vishakha, who smiled, “I will go get the colors.”

Sameer gathered a bit of courage, and called out, “mummy… can I have another bowl of custard after washing hands?”

Vishakha looked stunned, but nodded, “of course beta…”

Naina grinned at him, taking in a deep breath of satisfaction, her eyes gleaming in delight. Nanu smiled, understanding that something had changed in the equation, and this was probably prompted by Naina. Truly it was a happy Diwali this year…

Vishakha, Naina, Preeti and Deepika did a large rangoli; a kind enormous side profile of Lord Ganesha’s face, surrounded by the most colorful flowers of every kind nestled between green leaves and also added a few birds… Deepika did an outline in white to frame the rangoli, while Preeti delicately wrote Happy New Year in bright yellow color. Sameer got his camera and clicked several pictures of the whole process, and of course some close-up shots of Naina. By the time they were done, it was almost 10:30pm… Just like a day ago, Sameer didn’t allow Naina to drive back… He drove the three of them back, while Rohan followed behind with another car so that he could come back. Outside Nirmal Jyoti society, a few people, including Arjun still lingered… Sameer wrapped a hand around Naina’s waist, pulling her close, “this was the best Diwali honey… thank you so much for coming in my life and loving me the way you do…”

She smiled, adjusting the wayward hair from his forehead, “I don’t think I could live without loving you like this… so… thank you for just being who you are…”

“I will see you tomorrow”, he softly said, stepping away from her.

She nodded, “drive safe… And call me once you reach home.”

Thanks to PB, no one dared to question her about being late. She didn’t wait in the living room, rather choosing to be in the bedroom to avoid talking with anyone. As Sameer and Rohan drove back home, Sameer started to think of the upcoming days where he had planned a special date for Naina…