As chachaji stood firm on his ground, they were spared another visit by the boy's family... though it resulted in a heated argument between chachaji and tauji, with taiji adding fuel to fire in between.

It was the hour between morning and noon... Preeti had gone to the parlour and Bela had gone to the market.

Chachaji was relaxing in his room.

Naina hesitantly knocked on the door.

"Arre, aao beta, wahan kyon ruk gayi?" His smile had all the warmth she needed.

Naina entered, twisting her fingers together,  "Chachaji, mujhe aapse kuch baat karni hai."

He sat up, "Haan, haan, batao... "

She fidgeted with her dress...

Seeing her in tension, chachaji got up and came to her.

He put his hands on her shoulders, guiding her to sit on the chair.

Sitting next to her on the bed, he gave a comforting look, "Tum abhi tak bhabhiji ki baat ke baare mein  soch rahi ho? Naina, main tumhare sapne tootne nahi dunga, beta. Bela ne mujhe sab bataya... jo log aisi soch rakhte hain woh tumhare layak kabhi nahi ho sakte... tum aaram se Mumbai jao aur apni padhai poori karo... uske baad main khud tumhare liye ek achha sa ladka dhundh ke launga... jo meri beti ko samajh sake aur usse uski udaan bharne ki azaadi de, mujhe pata hai aisa ladka kahin na kahin toh zaroor hoga..."

"Aisa ladka hai, chachaji",  her voice was a soft whisper.

Her eyes remained lowered... she waited for a response.

The silence prevailed for a few minutes... Naina could feel the heaviness of each passing second.

After what seemed like an eternity, chahaji's voice reached her, " Kaun hai?"

She swallowed, "Mere saath Mumbai mein padhta hai... yahan bhi school mein tha."

"Tum school ke samay se usse...?",  his voice turned hard.

"Nahi, nahi... school mein toh maine kabhi usse baat bhi nahi ki..." Naina quickly corrected him... their silent feelings for each other during  school days need not be talked about now.

Chachaji looked at her with an expression she could not read, "Naina, sach batao, kya tum Mumbai isliye gayi thi ki woh bhi wahan padh raha tha?  Tum uski wajah se Mumbai gayi thi kya?"

It was a difficult question... she had decided to go to Mumbai because of him... but not to be with him... she had gone to stay away from him.

"Chachaji, jab maine jaane ka faisla kiya tha tab nahi jaanti thi ki woh bhi wahan hoga." She did not lie.

"Kya naam hai uska?"

"Sameer... Sameer Maheshwari."

His eyes widened, "Sameer Maheshwari? Jai Prakash Maheshwari ji ka nati?"

She nodded.

He remained silent for sometime... absorbing the information. The name was big... and well known. But this matter concerned his daughter... name and position was the last thing that could impress him.

"Kya woh bhi tumhe...?" He wanted to be sure.

"Jee", Naina lowered her eyes again.

"Kabse jaanti ho usse?"

"College ke pehle hafte mein baat hui thi... usne meri madad ki thi... fir maine uski padhai mein madad ki... tabse jaante hain ek dusre ko." She looked at him with hopeful eyes.

If anyone could understand her, it was chachaji.

"Tumhe lagta hai woh sahi ladka hai?  Kitna jaanti ho usko?" He was worried.

Naina could understand his concern, "Chachaji, Sameer bohot achha aur samajhdar ladka hai... woh mere sapne jaanta hai aur mujhe aage badhne ke liye hamesha protsahan deta hai... aapki tarah... usne kabhi roka nahi mujhe."

Chachaji got up and went near the window, his back towards her. He was in deep thought for some time. Then, taking a long breath, he turned towards Naina.

"Main milna chahta hun usse... shaam ko mandir mein milne ke liye bulao."

A shiver ran through her, "Jee, main bol deti hun."

She got up to leave.

"Aur haan, Naina", he called out.

She turned.

"Kisi ko abhi kuch mat kehna," he said, and as an afterthought, added, "Preeti ko toh pata hoga na?"

She looked down.

"Theek hai... par aur kisi ko mat kehna abhi... shaam ko chaar baje bula lo." He turned his back to her again.

Her fingers were shaking as she dialled Sameer's number.

"Hello Sameer",  she said before he could put the phone to his ear.

"Naina? Kya hua? Fir se taiji ne kuch kaha kya? Woh log dubara aa rahein hain? Main aata hun abhi... " his panic reached her through the phone.

"Ruko... abhi nahi... shaam ko chaar baje aana",  she told him.

Sameer felt his panic multiply, "Chaar baje? Shaam ko aayega woh ladka? Naina, aaj sabke samne tumhara haath pakad ke le jaunga... dekhta hun kaun rokta hai mujhe... hum mandir mein shaadi kar lenge... aaj hi... fir tumhare ghar wale kuch nahi kar payenge."

Naina could feel his fear and anger... and her heart went out to him.

"Shhh... suno meri baat... koi nahi aa raha... chachaji ne rok diya unhe aane se... par ab tumhe aana hai... chachaji tumse milna chahte hain... aaj shaam chaar baje... mandir mein... aaoge na?" She smiled as she lowered her voice for the last two words.

Sameer took some time to decipher what she said... and sat down heavily on the couch as the full impact of her words hit him.

"Naina... kya tumne... tumne khud... chachaji... mujhse milne... " he stuttered.

She chuckled, seeing him at loss of words, "Arre, abhi toh badi badi baatein kar rahe the... haath pakad ke le jaunga... aaj hi shaadi karenge",  she imitated his heavy voice.

He gulped.

"Ab kya hua... dekho, maine toh himmat karke chachaji ko bata diya tumhare aur mere baare mein... ab himmat dikhane ki baari tumhari hai... shaam ko time pe aa jana." She kept the phone down, smiling at his condition.

As the situation sank in, Sameer marvelled at Naina's courage. Whatever he had seen and heard about her family, opening up to an elder about the relationship was next to impossible.

And she had conquered the impossible.

"Meri Jhansi ki rani hai",  he could not help but smile lovingly.

Now he had to prepare himself to meet her chachaji. It would not be a simple meeting... Sameer had to prove himself worthy of his precious daughter.

"Koi idea de na, Pandit",  he asked his friend, who was always overflowing with ideas for every situation.

"Bhai, dimaag thapp ho gaya hai... bhabhi ne aisi ball fenki hai ki main toh clean bowled ho gaya hun... matlab school mein unko dekhke lagta nahi tha ki koi himmat ka kaam bhi kar sakti hain", Pandit was still in shock that Naina had herself spilled the beans at home.

He could not forget when her family had  asked her to forcibly tie rakhi to a boy who had written a love letter to her.

Munna exclaimed, "Haan yaar Sameer, mere bhi tote udd gaye the jab Swati ke baare mein ghar pe bataya tha... bhabhi toh phir bhi ladki hai. Swati ke mummy papa bohot modern hain... par bhabhi ke ghar wale toh sau saal pehle ki soch ko sanskaron ka naam de ke sar pe utha ke rakhte hain."

"Par uske chachaji aise nahi hain... unki wajah se hi Naina Mumbai mein akele jaa payi... mujhe yakeen hai woh hamare rishte ko, hamare pyaar ko samjhenge", Sameer remembered how Naina always praised the progressive mind set of her chachaji.

But he was scared about his own impression, " Yaar, kahin aisa toh nahi hoga ki woh mujhe Naina ke laayak na samjhe?"

"Arre hamara bhai toh hero hai... usme kaun kami nikal sakta hai?"
Munna smacked him on the back.

"Main shakal ki nahi akal ki baat kar raha hun", he made a face at Munna.

"Haan, yeh baat toh tune sahi kahi... akal mein toh tu nalayak hi hai..." Pandit said with a serious expression...

And before Sameer could react, tapping his forehead, he asked, "Par akal se kya kaam... woh tera exam lenge kya?  Koi question paper hal karwayengein?"

Sameer threw a cushion at him, "Agar madad nahi kar sakta toh kam se kam dara toh mat."

"Bhai, main dara nahi raha, main toh soch raha hun ki aaj tak ladke walon ko hi dekha tha jaa ke ladkiyon se sawal jawab karte hue... ladkon se toh koi kuch puchta nahi hai... par teri kahani mein toh sab ulta ho raha hai." Pandit sat on the bed, clutching the cushion Sameer had thrown at him.

Sameer hoped that the twist in his story ends here... and chachaji accepts him.

"Tune kyaaa keh diya?" Preeti's eyes were about to pop out.

"Aur kya karti, Preeti... subah taiji fir se keh rahi thi unn logon ko bulane ke liye... aur aaj ye nahi toh kal kisi aur ko le aayengi... isliye mujhe laga chachaji ko sab kuch batana hi sahi hoga",  Naina explained her predicament.

"Papa ne sach mein nahi danta?" Preeti could not believe some elder could accept this news without drama.

Naina shook her head.

"Par ab bohot dar lag raha hai..." She was worried.

"Haan behen, agar papa ko koi kami lagi jijaji mein toh?" Preeti was worried too.

"Sameer mein toh koi kami hai hi nahi... kaise lagegi", Naina said dreamily.

Preeti looked at her sister and sighed, " Behen, papa teri ankhon se nahi dekhenge na jijaji ko... isliye dar lag raha hai..."

Seeing Naina still lost in Sameer's  thoughts, Preeti teased, "Kahin aisa na ho ki Sameer ko jijaji bolne ki itni practice ke baad ghar wale usse tujhse rakhi bandhwa dein."

"Preeti ki bacchi...  aaj maregi tu mere haath se", Naina fumed and ran after a giggling Preeti,  who dodged her,  holding her ears and mouthing 'sorry'.

Chachaji paced in his room. He was taken aback initially when Naina had mentioned the boy.

He could not believe that his simple and studious niece had fallen in love... nobody in his family had dared to do so till now.

But he was not the one to blindly go on following something in the name of family traditions... he accepted the changes with changing times.

What he was worried about at the moment was the boy... Naina had said he was the heir of 'Maheshwari Textiles'... it was owned by  Jai Prakash Maheshwari who was a renowned and respected person. After his death two years back, the company went to his only grandson, who was still studying.

Chachaji did not know Sameer personally. He had no idea how good or bad he would be. Though he belonged to a good family... it did not guarantee anything.

After all he and both his brothers were poles apart from each other.

He could not let Naina spoil her life for a momentary attraction. She was an intelligent, talented girl... with dreams of a beautiful tomorrow.

He had agreed to meet the boy because he always had faith on Naina... and today if she had selected someone for herself, he wanted to believe that her choice was the right one.

Three people nervously waited for the clock to strike four.