Munna Pandit came back with bags of samose and jalebi, which was polished off in no time by the trio... Naina wondered how could anyone have such a huge appetite... but here, all three of them had a bottomless pit for a stomach.

Later, they chatted about Mumbai and compared it with their college here in Ahmedabad... coming to the conclusion that not much difference was there... when it concerned students like Naina who religiously attended all lectures.

"Arre bhabhi, hum log to kabhi kabhi adhe lecture mein bhaag jaate hain... red rose mein." Pandit told them.

"Red rose?" Sameer looked at him.

"Hamare college ki canteen hai", Munna informed.

"Canteen toh hamare college mein bhi hai par hamari madam ko wahan jana kuch khaas pasand nahi hai", Sameer gave a teasing smile to Naina.

"Khana kha toh lete hain hostel ke mess mein... aur kitna khaoge?" She gave a frustrated look.

She had hardly visited the canteen of her college more than few times. When she had joined, there was never enough money... she took a very meagre sum from chachaji, just enough to pay her boarding and mess charges... she could not afford anything in the canteen, even if she wanted. Later, her articles fetched a good income and lately she had become very comfortable money wise... but she wanted to spend all her time with Sameer, not intending to take him at a place where other girls eyed him... she had never told him so, always getting away by saying that she was not hungry, which was also partially true, owing to her small appetite.

Pandit's shocked voice brought her back to present, "Kitna khaoge? Arre bhabhi, abhi toh hum kuch khate hi nahi... yeh chote mote samose jalebi toh aise hi pet ke kisi kone mein chup jaate hain... ek baar  college khatam ho jaaye fir dekhna... apna restaurant kholunga aur usme duniya bhar ke khaane banwaunga... majal hai koi Ahmedabad mein kuch mange aur Pandit ke restaurant mein na mile."

"Tch... nahi milega", Munna made a sad face, refuting his claim.

Pandit looked at him, surprised, "Kyon nahi milega? Shart laga le... saari duniya ke cook leke aaunga aur sab kuch banega."

"Banega toh sahi par kisi ko milega nahi... kyonki saara ka saara khana toh ye bhukkad khud hi kha jayega", Munna said with a straight face.

Pandit stared at him.

Sameer looked at Munna and they both burst out laughing as Naina tried to hide her smile.

Pandit looked from one to another, then sat down on the sofa, scratching his head, "Yaar, baat toh tu sahi keh raha hai."

Both his friends stopped laughing and stared at him.

He looked up, "Kya? Mazaak sirf tum hi kar sakte ho?"

All three laughed again and hugged.

Naina looked at the three of them, laughing crazily,  and smiled, "Pagal hain teeno."

Soon, it was time for her to leave...

As Sameer drove out of the house, he held Naina's hand and kissed on the back of it, "Fir kab milogi?"

She looked at him sadly, "Pata nahi, Sameer, main toh roz milna chahti hun par kya karun... "

"Main janta hun, Naina... tumhe bura lagta hoga na apne chachaji aur chachiji ko aise jhooth bolna... akhir woh itna pyaar karte hain tumse." He gave a sad smile.

Her heart constricted to see the sadness on his face.

"Umm... waise main isko jhooth nahi manti... yeh toh sirf bahane hain jo main banati hun... apni jaan se milne ke liye", she purposely lowered her voice in the last sentence.

Sameer brought the car to a screeching halt at the side of the road.

"Kya... kya kaha tumne? Firse kaho..." He looked at her with narrowed eyes, sure that he had heard the faint words correctly.

Naina looked at him innocently, "Kya kaha? Maine kaha jhooth nahi bolti main toh... "

He interrupted her, impatient to hear what he wanted, "Woh suna... uske bad kya kaha?"

Naina tapped one finger to the temple, squinting her eyes, "Uske baad... umm... yaad nahi aa raha, Sameer..."

He held her wrist and pulled her to himself, circling her waist, "Bata rahi ho ya apne tareeke se puchun?"

He leaned closer...

"Bata rahi hun na", Naina pushed him... though she could not create much distance between them.

"Woh abhi abhi yaad aaya... maine kaha... ki... ki... " she stuttered.

Sameer started moving his fingers lightly on her waist... the thin fabric of her kurta didn't help and she could feel the hair behind her neck rise as the feeling moved up from her waist to her face.

"Main... maine kaha... " she gulped as Sameer continued his torture.

"Jaldi bolo nahi toh main aage kuch bhi kar sakta hun", he threatened in a husky voice.

She looked into his deep eyes, sighed, and said slowly, "Apni jaan se milne ke liye bahane banati hun... ye kaha."

He left her abruptly, falling back on the seat, eyes closed, one hand on the heart and the other still grasping her wrist.

"Naina, kab tak aise thoda thoda kar ke marogi..." He whispered.

"Achha... maine bola toh galat... aur tum jo mujhe har samay kuch kuch bolte ho?" She spoke up in defense.

His eyes flew open... turning his gaze towards her, he leaned, "Main jo karta hun woh sab kara karo na... kasam se... main tumhari tarah bhagunga nahi."

Her shy smile conveyed to him that she knew what he meant.

"Ab chalo... yahan sadak pe zyaada pyaar dikhane ki zaroorat nahi hai", she snatched her hand away, pushing him back to his seat.

"Toh kahan dikha sakta hun... zyada pyar?" His voice was raspy again, eyes turning darker.

Naina gave a pursed lips look to him...  and gestured towards the road.

Sameer took a deep breath and started the car.

After dropping her and seeing the sisters off in the rickshaw, he reached home, expecting to see his friends streched out in the living room, munching something.

Surprisingly, the house was quiet.

He peeped into the kitchen... it was empty.

Wondering if everything was fine, he ran to his room. Relief flooded through him as he saw Munna Pandit seated on the bed.

But their expression was not the usual happy and carefree one.

"Kya hua, Munna Pandit? Tum log aise chup chap kyon baithe ho?" He asked in a worried voice.

"Tu yahan aake baith... baat karni hai", Munna indicated the place near them,  without looking up at Sameer.

With his heart beating wildly with some unknown fear, Sameer settled on the bed, facing his friends.

Munna started, "Sameer, aaj tujhe bohot dino ke baad itna gussa karte dekha... hamein laga tha bhabhi ke teri zindagi mein aane ke baad woh pehle wala gussa tere andar se khatam ho gaya hai... lekin aaj wohi sab fir se nazar aaya."

Pandit gave a worried look and carried on, "Dekh bhai, gussa sab ko aata hai... kabhi na kabhi... kisi na kisi baat pe... par uss gusse mein aise khud ko aur dusron ko chot pohochana theek nahi hai... dekh tu ab hamari baat se fir se mat naraz ho jaana... hum parwah karte hain teri, isliye samjha rahe hain."

Sameer looked at Pandit with soft eyes and nodded.

Munna placed a hand on his knee, "Aaj toh bhabhi ne sambhal liya... par woh bhi darr gayi hogi na... aur agar tune apne gusse ko kabu mein nahi kiya toh aisa na ho ki kabhi tu anjaane mein bhabhi ko hi chot pohocha de."

Sameer shuddered at the thought... how could he hurt his Naina...

Munna could understand the pain in his eyes, "Ye khyaal hi itni takleef deta hai... soch agar tujhse kabhi aisa hua toh kya tu khud ko maaf kar payega?"

Sameer lowered his eyes, "Mujhe ehsaas hua aaj... par main kya karun, yaar... maine jaan ke aisa thodi kiya... unka phone aaya aur unhone aisi baat ki Naina ke baare mein ki main sab kuch bhool gaya... aaj woh meri zindagi pe apna haq jamana chahti hain... mujhe Naina se door karna chahti hain... mujhse bardaasht nahi hua."

Pandit spoke again, "Tujhe bhabhi se door koi nahi kar sakta... hum sab tumhare  saath hain... Arre ab toh bhabhi ke ghar wale bhi tumhare saath hain", remembering something he added, " matlab jitne samjhdar ghar wale hain."

Munna and Sameer could not help smiling at his statement, which was true.

"Humne kuch socha hai, Sameer", Munna continued, " agar Vishakha mausi ne zid ki teri shaadi karane ki toh tu aur bhabhi unke aane se pehle yahan mandir mein shaadi kar lena... "

Sameer looked at him, shocked... then he turned to see Pandit's face who nodded to show his compliance with the plan.

He widened his eyes, "Tum dono pagal ho gaye ho kya? Aise kaise shaadi kar sakte hain? Hum Naina ke chachaji chachiji ko dhoka nahi de sakte... unhone hamare rishte ko khushi khushi apnaaya hai... chachaji ne kaha hai ki agle saal hi woh khud hamari shaadi karwayenge... fir hum bhag ke shaadi kaise kar sakte hain?"

"Bhag ke nahi... hum chachaji se baat karenge... unhe batayenge ki teri mummy kaise zabardasti teri shaadi karana chahti hain... mujhe yakeen hai woh samajhenge... aur abhi sirf mandir mein shaadi kar lena... fir college ke baad band baaje ke saath bhabhi ko ghar layenge." Pandit explained the plan to him.

Sameer tried to process everything in his mind. Now that he thought about it, the plan was not wrong completely. But he had to speak to Naina first...

Munna realised he was not totally against the idea, "Tu baat karle bhabhi se... bas ek cheez ka dhyaan rakhna... Vishakha mausi ka phone dubara aayega hi... unhe aisa kuch mat bolna. "

Sameer nodded.

"Aur haan, unse baat karte hue zara shaant rehna... har baar toh bechari bhabhi aa nahi sakti na... aur aise baar baar tu unke aage laal peela hoga toh kahin woh tere baare mein dubaara na sochne lage... matlab kahin tera number kat na jaaye... " Pandit held a pillow in front of him as he uttered the last line, knowing how Sameer would react.

As expected, Sameer threw a cushion at him, glaring angrily.

Pandit jumped,  pointing a finger at him, "Yehi... ye gussa hi tujhe control karna hai... itni der se sikha rahe hain... aur tu aise sun raha tha jaise college ka lecture ho... ek kaan se sunke dusre se baahar... bhai, thodi toh izzat de."

Munna smiled... getting up and going to Sameer, "Sahi keh raha hai Pandit, bas yeh gusse ko bahar phenk de... fir toh hamara bhai heera hai... aur haan, Pandit ki dusri baat sahi nahi thi... "

Sameer and Pandit gave him a questioning look.

His smile widened, "Bhabhi tujhse dur kabhi nahi jayegi... laal, peela, neela, kaala... jis bhi rang ka hoja... tera rang jo uspe chadha hua hai woh kabhi nahi utrega."

Sameer hugged his friend.. waving at Pandit to join them, who needed no invitation... as he was already spreading his arms around both of them.

The trio were more like brothers than friends.

Later that night when Sameer called Naina, he was ready to tell her about the idea.

"Hello Naina."

"Sameer, theek ho na tum? Auntyji ka fir se phone toh nahi aaya?" Her voice was laced with concern.

He smiled, "Nahi aaya... aur mujhe toh tumne subah hi theek kar diya tha."

She breathed in relief.

"Umm... Naina kuch batana tha tumhe... matlab Munna Pandit ne kuch socha hai", he started to pave way to break the news of their planning to her.

"Munna Pandit kab se sochne lage?" She laughed.

He smiled at her almost correct analysis, "Naina, jo baat aaj hui woh abhi khatam toh nahi hui hai... uske baare mein woh fir se mujhe phone karengi... fir se aisi baatein karengi ki mera dimaag ghum jaayega... "

Naina interrupted him, "Sameer, tum fir itna gussa nahi karoge... ab toh tumhe pata hai na auntyji kya baat karne wali hain... toh bas shaant rehkar unki baat sunna."

He marvelled at the concern of three most important people in his life.

Breathing deeply, he braced himself to tell Naina what Munna Pandit had proposed.