"Naina, dekho... jo main tumhe bataunga woh dhyaan se sunna... aur akele mein... kahin alag baith jao... aur please Naina, bhadakna mat... pehle poori baat sun lena", he pleaded.

She wondered what he had to say that required so many instructions. Looking out, she realised that Preeti and chachiji were busy watching TV and chachaji was in his room, doing some office related work. She closed the door of her room and settled on the bed.

"Bolo Sameer, yahan koi nahi hai... aur main baith gayi hun... aisi kya baat hai jiske liye itni taiyari karwa rahe ho?" She was impatient.

Sameer started, "Naina, jo khud ko meri maa kehti hain, aaj achanak apna haq jatana chahti hain mujh par... lekin main unki baat kabhi nahi manunga, ye tum achhe se jaanti ho... par woh hamari zindagi mein mushkilen laane ki poori koshish karengi... mere liye jo bhi kahein... mujhe fark nahi padta... par tumhare liye kuch sun nahi paunga."

Naina listened with bated breath.

He continued, "Woh hamesha se apni baat manwane ke liye kisi bhi hadd tak jaati hain... iss baar unki hadd tum tak bhi aa sakti hai... Naina, shaadi toh main tumse hi karunga... chachaji chachiji ne bhi haan keh di hai".

Naina was not able to understand exactly what he wanted to say, "Sameer, mujhe tumpe poora bharosa hai... fir tum ye sab kyon bata rahe ho? Aur auntyji kya kahengi mujhe? Haan, shayad mujhe kuch khaas pasand naa karein... par agar woh thoda gussa karengi toh main sun lungi... koi baat nahi... Pooja didi ki saas bhi unko gussa karti hain."

He wanted to kiss her for her innocence, "Pooja didi ki saas jaisi nahi hai woh... jab woh maa hi nahi ban paayi toh saas kya banengi."

"Tumhe kis baat ka dar hai, Sameer?" She could sense the hesitation in his voice.

He knew it was time, "Agar hamein mandir mein shaadi karni padi toh kya tum manogi?"

Her heart flipped, "Mandir mein? Matlab bhag ke?"

He could not help but smile at the similarity of their thought.

"Bhaag ke nahi, Naina, chachaji se baat karke... unke ashirwad ke saath."

Her breathing was fast now, "Yeh kya keh rahe ho, Sameer?"

He explained the entire plan to her... stressing on the fact that whatever happened, chachaji and chachiji would be a part of it.

She heard the whole idea, not saying anything till he finished.

"Ab batao, kya lagta hai tumhe? " Done with explaining, he now waited for her decision.

Naina sat stunned. She had often thought about her marriage with him... about the rituals, singing and dancing, teasing, secretly talking to each other... but this sudden development had made her go numb.

Sameer was nervously waiting, "Naina? Kuch bolo, please."

She swallowed, "Sam... Sameer, yeh kaise ho sakta hai? Chachaji ko kya kahenge? Matlab unhe kaisa lagega yeh sab sunke? Aur abhi toh hamein wapas Mumbai jana hai... ek saal baaki hai college ka... fir kaise?"

"Yeh shaadi hum sirf  isliye karenge jisse woh meri zindagi pe apna haq jamane ki koshish na karein... aur kisi ko batayenge bhi nahi... wapas college jakar sab kuch waisa hi rahega jaisa ab tak tha... aur agle saal jab hum yahan ayenge toh sahi tareeke se shaadi karke tumhe apne ghar lekar aunga." He tried to answer her apprehensions.

"Pata nahi, Sameer... mujhe dar lag raha hai... abhi abhi toh maine ghar mein bataya hai... aur abhi hi shaadi ki baat... chachaji ko aisa na lage ki humne isiliye unhe apne baare mein bataya hai." Naina was scared now.

He agreed with her... having the elders on their side was one thing, but making them see things from younger generation's perspective was totally different... still, chachaji was not like other elders, he was a forward thinking man, who gave his children freedom to think and take decisions... just like his nanu.

Sameer suddenly missed his nanu... had he been alive, his mother would not have dared to propose such a thing.

But now he was on his own... with pillar like support of Munna Pandit and his Naina... she had to be given time to absorb all this.

He took a deep breath, "Naina, tum iss baare mein sochna... hum teeno bhi sochenge.... agar kuch aur idea mil jaaye toh... abhi chachaji se kuch nahi kahenge... yeh hamara aakhiri rasta hoga... agar kuch aur ho paya toh humein chachaji se baat nahi karni padegi."

She agreed with him, it was better to first think it over properly.

"Theek hai, Sameer... main sochti hun... hum kal baat karenge iske baare mein."

"Theek hai... bas ek baat yaad rakhna".

" Kya?"

He lowered his voice, "I Love You, meri shaadi sirf tumse hogi... aur zaroor hogi."

Her heart flipped again, though for a different reason this time.

She whispered into the phone, "I Love You too... aur mujhe Mrs Maaheshwari banne se koi rok nahi sakta."

She disconnected.

Sameer gazed at the phone,amazed at her confident declaration... then wrapped his arms around himself, grinning.

It looked like she would agree...

Sleep was difficult for two people that night.

Next morning, when Preeti got up, Naina was sitting on the bed, hugging her knees.

"Aaj suraj kidhar se nikla hai? Meri behen abhi tak bina nahaye baithi hai... baithi hai woh bhi chamatkar hai, nahi toh tu iss samay mummy ke saath rasoi mein hoti", Preeti streched herself, looking at Naina's lost expression.

When she didn't get any response, she nudged her sister, breaking her reverie... or that's what she thought.

Naina looked at Preeti and she gave a questioning look.

Hiding from her sister was not possible, so she told everything to Preeti... the entire plan.

"Shaadi", Preeti screamed in excitement.

"Shaadi... kiski shaadi?" Taiji walked in, giving a suspicious look to the girls.

Preeti got irritated with her habit of walking in their room stealthily, just about anytime.

"Aur kiski shaadi taiji, Swati ki", she was irked.

Taiji sat heavily on the bed, " Swati ki shaadi ke liye tum dono ko kya vichar vimarsh karna hai? Uske ghar wale hain na... ya ab yeh kaam bhi tumhe saunp diya... jaise sagai mein bhaga bhaga ke sab karwa rahi thi woh Swati ki mummy."

Naina was about to speak when Preeti shook her head very slightly at her and blinked, assuring her that she will take care.

She looked at taiji with a wide, fake smile, "Woh kya hai na, taiji, kaam toh saara unhone hi kiya tha... hum toh bas thoda samaan idhar udhar pakda rahe the... unhe pata hai ki jab tak ghar ke bade kaam na sambhale, unki izzat nahi hoti... hum sab unki bohot izzat karte hain... kyonki woh apne hisse ka kaam dusron pe nahi thopti... bilkul mummy ki tarah."

Naina's eyes widened as taiji gave a furious look to Preeti, "Badon ko kya karna chahiye yeh bade log khud tay kar lenge... par tum logon ko abhi tak naha ke ghar ke kaam mein haath batana chahiye... aur tum dono apne kamre mein baithkar khusar pusar karne mein lagi ho... jaldi naha ke bahar aao."

Taiji stormed out of the room. Naina could not hide her chuckle anymore, "Preeti ki bachhi, kya kar rahi hai? Maar khayegi."

Preeti shook her head, "Preeti ki nahi... pehle toh Naina ki bachhi hogi... shaadi jo hone wali hai uski."

By the time  Naina could realise what she had said, Preeti ran inside the bathroom and locked the door.

Naina banged the door, "Bahar aa zara... main batati hun tujhe... main itni serious baat kar rahi hun aur tujhe mazak sujh raha hai?"

Preeti shouted from inside, "Mazak kahan hai Naina... dekha lena ek pyaari si beti hi hogi teri."

Naina turned to look at herself in the mirror... a deep streak of red appeared on her cheeks and she quickly hid her face in the cushion.

Sameer was pacing in the room, twisting his hands. He was anxious to speak to Naina but it was too early. Everyone in her house would be around.

What if Naina didn't agree? She was skeptical when he had spoken to her the previous night. But she had not outrightly rejected the idea. Her fears were justified... but so were his. He tried his best to remain positive. Her last sentence still rang in his mind.

Mrs. Maheshwari... Mrs. Naina Maheshwari...

It was so soothing to his ears. His lips curled into a smile.

"Shaadi ke sapne dekhne laga kya, bhai?" Pandit teased him as he entered the room.

Sameer instantly made a serious face, "Nahi... bilkul nahi... shaadi ke sapne kyon dekhunga?"

Munna spoke from the other side of the room, "Agar sapne nahi dekh raha hai toh dikkat hai... par ek baat bata... bhabhi ko nahi toh kisko yaad karke aise muskura raha tha?"

Sameer was still looking at Munna, surprised that he had not seen him entering the room...

As his teasing registered, he was about to run behind Munna but the phone started to ring.

Forgetting everything, he ran to pick up, hoping it was the voice he wanted to hear.

It was.

"Hello Sameer."

"Naina... "

"Sameer, maine bohot socha... mujhe lagta hai humein ek do din aur intezaar karna chahiye chachaji se baat karne se pehle. Auntyji ka dubara phone aayega toh mujhe batana... uske baad faisla karenge." Her words brought a big grin on his face.

She was ready to get married to him  if needed... they didn't have to wait for another year.

"Par agar aisi naubat aayi toh hamein yaad rakhna hoga ki yeh shaadi hum kis wajah se kar rahein hain... aur Mumbai jakar kisiko iska pata nahi lagne denge... jaise hum pehle rehte the waise hi rahenge... bas ye samjhenge ki hamari shaadi abhi hui hi nahi hai." She had dropped the bomb.

Sameer stood still for some time... then he realised that once they were married, it could remain hidden from the world but he would be aware of the fact... and he would make sure that she knows it too.

"Theek hai, Naina... hum nahi batayenge kisiko... par tum to taiyar ho na?" He wanted to be sure.

"Main abhi sirf chachaji se baat karne ke liye taiyar hun... agar dubara tumhari mummy ne tumse shaadi ki baat ki toh." She made herself clear.

"Aur agar chachaji ko bhi yeh idea sahi laga?" He waited.

He could hear her heavy breathing, "Toh fir jo tum bologe."

He flew a fist in the air... smiling at his friends.

"Lekin main prarthana karungi ki aisa karne ki zaroorat na pade." She said in a low voice.

As Naina kept the phone down, Preeti who was standing right next to her, hugged her tightly.

"Haye Naina, mujhe hi itni khushi ho rahi hai soch ke... jijaji ka kya haal hoga!" She whispered in Naina's ears, remembering the morning invasion of taiji.

Naina slapped on her arm, "Zyaada sapne mat dekh... abhi toh Sameer ki mummy ka phone tak nahi aaya... ho sakta hai Sameer ke gusse ki wajah se woh khud hi mana karde."

Preeti made a face, but she was happy with that scenario as well. Both sisters wanted the marriage to be an elaborate affair...

Sameer, on the other hand, was in a dilemma... he didn't know what was better... to wait for the marriage till next year or get married now and remain away from her till they got married with all rituals. He had thought that he would be able to make Naina understand but knowing her, it won't be easy.

After a lot of thought, he came to the conclusion that staying away from her even after they were married would be unthinkable for him. Keeping his control was an arduous task even now...