"Naina, tum ho na?" He knew she was there... he could hear her breathing.

"Haan, theek ho na tum?" She feared he was unwell or something had happened.

"Nahi, theek nahi hun," he said in a low voice.

She was worried, "Kya hua, Sameer? Tumhari tabiyat kharab hai kya?"

"Tabiyat theek hai... tumhe miss kar raha hun." He breathed into the phone.

She was quiet, as the meaning of his words dawned on her.

"Abhi aa jaun?" He said slowly.

"Yahan? Nahi, nahi... yahan mat aana, Sameer," she panicked.

"Daro nahi, main jaanta hun wahan nahi aa sakta." He pacified her.

Naina took a breath of relief... she could not put it beyond him until he himself assured her.

"Umm... Naina, ek baat puchu?" He was a little hesitant.

"Pucho na?" She was surprised at his hesitation.

"Tumne woh rang... woh jo laga tha... tumhare baalon mein... woh hai abhi?"

She touched her hair parting. While  washing her face, she had removed it, though with great reluctance. Now that the protection of maang tika was not there, if anyone came to the room while she was sleeping, it could be seen. She didn't want to bring any situation where she had to give explanation for anything.

"Umm... hatana pada... agar kisi ko dikh jaata toh mushkil ho jaati." She sadly replied.

"Tum udaas mat ho... thode dino baad tum jab chaho laga sakti ho... jaise aaj Rahul aur Sonali ki shaadi hui hai, humari bhi bohot jaldi ho jaayegi." His words held a promise that calmed her heart.

She smiled, "Tum toh aaj hi bhabhi se tilak lagwa ke dulha banna chahte the."

"Main toh aaj dulha hi hun... aur tum meri dulhan." His voice sent a current through her.

"Lekin hum kisi ko bata nahi sakte na." She reminded him.

"Par humein toh pata hai." He said, the suggestive tone making her shiver again.

She stayed quiet.

"Mujhe kuch aur baatein bhi puchni hai." He was not hesitant anymore.

"Hmm," she could sense it won't be easy for her.

"Tum aaj mere chune se darr kyon gayi?" He was still wondering.

Naina tried to remember which moment he was talking about... it had been a day which she would remember all her life... his touches had evoked such feelings in her that the mere thought made the presence of a painful knot in her stomach much more prominent. But she could not recall which moment he was talking about.

"Kab... aaj toh... " She didn't know how to ask him.

"Jab Sonali ke jaane ke waqt tum ro rahi thi aur maine tumhe pakda tha." He stated.

Her eyebrows furrowed... that was the time he had given her the comfort she needed... why would he say that she was scared.

"Sameer, main kyon darti uss samay? Tab toh tum sirf mujhe sahara de rahe the." She was confused.

"Nahi Naina, tum mere chune se aise nahi karti... aur aaj jo bhi hua... uske baad sirf kandhe pe haath rakhne se tum aise ghabra gayi." He reminded.

Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach... she remembered... he had pressed her exactly on the mark he had given her... her hand went to the spot on her shoulder and she pressed. A gasp of pain escaped her lips again.

"Naina, kya hua? Tumhe kuch hua kya? Aise kyon kiya tumne?" He was anxious.

"Kuch... kuch nahi hua." She said in a quiet voice.

"Tum mujhe bohot confuse kar rahi ho... mujhe lagta hai tumse khud hi aake puchna padega." He said seriously.

He was ready to give her a heart attack today... after what all had happened since afternoon, she could not take another shock.

"Tumne hi toh diya tha woh... aur fir tumne hi uspe itna zor se daba diya... dard hua mujhe... isliye kiya tha... ab bata diya na... ab mat aana." She blurted out everything.

Sameer wanted to kick himself. How could he have forgotten where he had given her the first mark of his love? Closing his eyes, he tried to visualize how it must be looking now. He ached to see it.

"Ab bhi dukh raha hai?" His voice was rough.

She could exactly tell how dark his eyes would be now.

"Tumne aaj woh lehenga kyon pehena tha, Naina?" He groaned, her image vivid in his mind.

"Tum chahte the isliye."

"Main toh aur bhi bohot kuch chahta hun." He whispered.

She bit her lip... his voice was enough to give her the butterflies the size of dinosaurs.

He could hear her breathing.

"Agar humari shaadi adhuri nahi hoti toh aaj tum mere paas hoti...  mere kamre mein." He let out his thoughts.

"Nahi." Her reply was quick.

"Nahi? Shaadi ke baad bhi mere kamre mein nahi hoti?" He was taken aback by her refusal.

"Matlab aaj nahi.. shaadi ki raat dulhan ko ghar ke mandir mein sona hota hai." She explained in a low voice.

Sameer took a few moments to let the information sink in.

"Aisa kisne bola?" He asked when he could speak.

"Aisi rasm hoti hai," she almost chuckled thinking about his expression.

"Main aisi koi rasm nahi maanta... ek baar sabke samne tumhe yeh rang laga diya... "

Naina cut him in between, "Rang nahi isse sindoor kehte hain."

"Haan wohi... sindoor... ek baar laga dunga toh fir bhagwan bhi hum dono ke beech nahi aa sakte." He said impatiently.

"Haww... bhagwanji ke liye aisa thodi bolte hain." She reprimanded him.

"Main pyar ke liye bol raha hun... aur bhagwan bhi toh pyaar karte the... woh radha krishan ke mandir jaati ho na tum... toh unse kuch seekhna bhi chahiye." He was agitated by such unnecessary rules.

Naina laughed, "Arre baba, abhi se itne gussa kyon ho rahe ho... jab time aayega tab gussa dikhana."

"Tab toh sirf pyar dikhaunga... aur humare ghar mein aisi koi rasm nahi hogi... main abhi se bata deta hun tumhe... ghar mein jab aaogi na woh chawal pairon se gira ke... toh main khud apni baahon mein uthake tumhe kamre mein leke jaunga... jaise aaj leke gaya tha." His voice dropped a few more decibels in the last sentence.

Her laughter froze.

The scene was back to torment her. His touch, his kiss, specially the last one...

Her hand flew to her heart. She could feel his lips again.

"Mehsoos kar rahi ho mujhe?" His words jolted her.

Quickly, she removed her hand and looked around... seeing no one, she went out to the balcony and checked.

He wasn't there.

"Daro nahi, main wahan nahi hun." He scared her again.

"Toh... toh tumhe kaise pata main kya kar rahi hun... kya tum mujhe dekh rahe ho?" She stuttered.

Taking a long breath, he closed his eyes, "Tumhe toh main har pal dekhta hun, Naina... uske liye tumhare saamne hona bhi zaroori nahi hai... tum kab kya kar rahi ho iska ahsaas ho jaata hai mujhe."

She could stand no more. Slipping down against the balcony wall she sat on the floor.

His voice echoed again, "Aaj jab tumhe dekha na bathroom mein, meri saans ruk gayi... aisa laga bas wahin gir jaaunga... baaki sab kuch dikhna band ho gaya.. sirf tum... aur woh dori... "

"Sameer, bas karo." She interrupted, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Bas nahi kar sakta... yeh shaadi ke baad hamari pehli raat hai, Naina... agar hum saath nahi ho sakte toh baat toh kar sakte hain na... aur usse tum mujhe nahi rok paogi... aur haan, phone rakhne ka toh sochna bhi mat... warna main wahan aa jaunga." He threatened.

She gulped, having no doubts.

"Haan, toh main keh raha tha ki uss samay tumhe dekh ke maine faisla kiya ki shaadi ke baad tum apne sab kapdon mein dori lagwana." He continued.

"Aur main hi bandhunga." He was back to his raspy tone.

Her hand reached her belly, clutching it to stop the tightness.

"Lekin aur koi tumhe aise nahi dekh sakta... jaise aaj tumne sabse chupa ke rakha khud ko waise hi rakhna... bas main hi dekhun tumhe." He was breathing in her ear... making it burn.

"Sapne mein tumhe bohot baar dekha hai... par aaj laga tum mere sapnon se kahin zyaada khoobsurat hogi." He whispered.

The phone dropped from her hand.

She looked at the cordless instrument lying in her lap, finding it difficult to touch it again.

He immediately sensed the absence of her breathing.

"Naina, Naina.. kahan gayi?"

His voice resonated through the silence of the night.

Naina picked up the phone with trembling hand and placed it against her ear.

"Kya hua? Chali kyon gayi thi?" He questioned.

"Sam... Sameer... aisi baatein mat karo na, " she murmured.

"Karunga... aaj... kal... hamesha... mujhe rokna mat, please." His throaty voice sent chills down her spine.

If he intended to talk to her like this from now on, she had no idea how she would survive the next few months. These few minutes had made her relive every single touch of his... with the intensity increased manifolds.

"Ab tum biwi ho meri, jaise chahu tumse baat kar sakta hun... aur tum bhi kar sakti ho... bolo Naina, kya dekhti ho tum sapnon mein?" He asked softly.

She drew a sharp breath. How could she tell her dreams. Yes, she had always had dreams about him but for the past few months her dreams had started to get beyond control. They left her sweating. The idea of sharing them with him made her go completely red.

"Hmm...  agar tum chup ho toh iska matlab tum bhi mere jaise hi sapne dekhti ho... shayad thode kam... par main sunna chahta hun... bolo na." He pestered.

"Sapne toh... sab... sabhi dekhte hai... main bhi dekhti hun... par bhool jaati hun subah tak," she tried to sound normal.

"Achha?"

His smirk and tone took her breath away.

"Meri jaan, tumhe pata hai main kin sapno ki baat kar raha hun. Aur Naina, itna toh jaan gaya hun ki tum unhe bhool nahi sakti... tum jitna bhi chupao, jitna mujhe door rehne ko kaho, mujhe pata hai tumhe bhi mera kareeb aana kitna achaa lagta hai... tumhari aankhen sab bata deti hain." He made her heart skip several beats.

"Jab aaj tum dupatta leke neeche jaate jaate ruk gayi toh mera dil bekabu ho gaya tha... agar Sonali ki behen tumhe bulane nahi aati toh shayad kuch aur nishan... " He left the sentence midway, knowing she would understand.

She did... and let out a sharp breath as she shuddered.

"Waise aaj toh shaam se hi mere dil ka bura haal tha... ek din mein tumne itna tadpaya ki main uski sazaa toh tumhe zaroor dunga... lekin aaj ke din se jo mila hai uska inaam bhi dena padega na." He breathed heavier into the phone.

Naina was sweating now.

"Uss  lehenga mein tumhe dekhne ki khwahish toh tumne poori kar di... abhi ek aur ichha baki hai... par uske baare mein bol nahi sakta... kasam di hai na." He kept his word of not asking her to wear the green saree.

"Woh khwahish bhi ek din poori karungi." She  replied shyly.

Sameer did a mental jump in the air.

The darkness in the balcony had started to clear up. Naina got up to see the hue of pink and orange spreading far in the sky.

"Sameer, subah hone wali hai... humne saari raat baatein karke jaagte hue bita di." She looked at the approaching new day.

"Yeh humari shaadi ki pehli raat thi, Naina... soke thodi bitani thi."