Preeti was not ready to let Naina move away from her... she had been holding her in a tight hug for quite some time now.

"Aaj mujhe chodne ka iraada hai?" Naina tickled her sister.

Preeti immediately moved away, wrinkling her nose, "Ahhh... kya Naina, theek se khush bhi nahi hone deti."

Next instant, her face broke into a wide grin and she clasped her hands in excitement, "Hayee behen, main toh khushi se pagal ho rahi hun... papa tere aur jijaji ke saath hain... dil kar raha hai abhi jaake sab ko bata dun."

Naina pulled her, looking at the door nervously, "Dheere bol, chachaji ne mana kiya hai abhi kisi ko kuch batane se... tu bhi apna muh band rakh."

She was finding it difficult to contain her enthusiasm, "Kaise band rakhu... main toh abhi jaake taiji ko batana chahti hun... dekhna kaise unka muh khula ka khula reh jayega."

Naina laughed as Preeti imitated taiji, "O bai, tujhe kaunsa koi rajkumar milega".

"Ab pata chalega unko, meri behen ke liye toh rajkumar hi aaya hai... shakal se bhi aur haisiyat se bhi",  the hatred for taiji was clear on her face.

"Chod na Preeti, humari khushi mein hum unke baare mein kyon soche... jab chachaji ka ashirwad mil gaya hai toh ab mujhe taiji ka koi dar nahi hai",  Naina tried to bring the smile back on her sister's face.

Preeti brightened again, " Achha bata... jijaji ko pehli baar dekh ke papa ne kya kaha?"

Naina remembered how chachaji went silent when he came to know that the boy they liked in Swati's engagement was Sameer.

"Preeti, main toh bohot darr gayi thi... laga ki Sameer ka sabko impress karne ka plan ulta par gaya... lekin Sameer ne sab sambhal liya".

She narrated the entire conversation to Preeti... telling her in the end that chachaji had promised to get them married next year.

"Sachhiiii... matlab bas ek saal baad main jijaji ko jijaji bulaungi?" Preeti screamed again.

"Shhhh...",  Naina pulled her hand again,  "abhi bhi toh jijaji hi bulati hai... isme itna chilla kyon rahi hai?"

Moving away from her grasp, Preeti
exclaimed, "Abhi toh chup ke bulati hun... fir chilla ke bolungi... ji... "

Naina ran to cover her mouth.

Munna Pandit sat with their jaws hanging as Sameer told them all about his meeting with chachaji.

"Bhabhi ke ghar mein koi samajhdar bhi hai", Pandit earned a smack from Sameer.

"Nahi... mera matlab tha bhabhi ke alawa... " he justified, this time earning a glare.

"Offo Pandit, tu chup kar... sunne toh de apne bhai ne sasurji ko kaise pataya",  Munna waved an impatient hand at him.

Pandit was not the one to be quietened easily, " Kyon bhai... teri toh sagai ho gayi... tujhe aur kitne sasurji patane hain jo itne dhyaan se sun raha hai?"

Munna hit him on the head, "Isiliye tujhe aaj tak koi mili nahi... iss khopdi mein akal naam ki cheez hi nahi hai... mujhe nahi par tujhe toh chahiye na sasurji? Toh muh band kar aur kaan khule rakh."

Sameer gave them an exasperated look, "Tum dono aapas mein hi lad lo... mujhe nahi batana kuch... kisi ko sunna hi nahi hai... jaa raha hu main." He started to get up from the bed.

Both Munna and Pandit jumped on him.

"Sorry bhai, tu bata... arre tune toh aaj jhande gaarh diye... teri baat sabse pehle sunenge... bol, tu bol",  Pandit hugged him.

After listening to the entire conversation, both boys started dancing as Sameer looked on, grinning... till they pulled him to join in.

Naina wanted to buy a gift for Sameer... to celebrate the first confirmation. She and Preeti planned to go to the market next day.

She didn't tell Sameer as she wanted to surprise him.

Next day, they both went out on the pretext of buying some items Preeti needed for the parlour.

Munna Pandit and Sameer  also decided to go and celebrate this milestone.

The girls entered the gift shop. After checking out a number of things Naina saw a small figurine... a boy played a guitar standing with one foot on a small rock while a girl sat nearby, hand on cheek, looking at him lovingly. She knew this was the perfect gift for Sameer.

As they walked out after getting it packed, a boy stepped in front of Naina. She stepped sideways, without looking up but he moved with her, blocking her way.

She looked up at him to realise it was the same person she had spilled her food on... in Swati's engagement.

"Sorry",  she mumbled and tried to go.

He called out her name, "Naina."

She looked up in confusion, as Preeti nudged her... trying to get her attention.

"Aap mera naam jante hain?" She was surprised.

The boy looked at her and gave a crooked smile, "Agar aankh utha ke dekha hota toh maloom hota ki main tumhara naam, pata sab janta hun."

His voice sounded familiar.  She wondered if the memory of engagement day was nagging her or  she had heard it elsewhere... and Preeti whispered in her ear.

"Behen,  yehi Sharad hai... jo tujhe dekhne aaya tha."

Naina looked up sharply at him, eyes instantly turning cold.

"Mujhe baat karni hai tumse",  Sharad spoke to her directly.

Naina held Preeti's hand and tried to go.

"Ruko Naina, ek minute meri baat suno", he blocked her way again.

"Aap raste se hatenge? Hamein jaana hai", without looking at him, Naina said in a rough tone.

"Pehle meri baat sunlo fir jaana",  his voice was commanding.

Preeti was extremely annoyed at his tone, " Jab woh keh rahi hai ki usse baat nahi karni toh aapko samajh nahi aata? Kyon peeche pade ho?"

Sharad gave a threatening look to Preeti, "Mujhe Naina se baat karni hai aur main karke rahunga... tum beech mein mat bolo."

Naina could not hear him talking to Preeti in this manner, "Zara tameez se baat kijiye... aap hote kaun hai meri behen ko aise bolne wale?"

"Main tumhara hone wala pati hun... shaadi toh tumhari mujhse hi hogi... dekha lena... kal tum apne chacha ko beech mein le aayi par jaldi hi tumhari taiji fir se baat pakki karwa dengi... uss din tumne mujhe bewakoof banane ki koshish ki aisa dikha ke ki tum theek se sun nahi paa rahi... lekin aaj kaafi der se dekh raha hun ki tum khoob achhi tarah se sun bol rahi ho... isliye ab koi natak nahi chalega",  his tone was menacing.

Naina gave a tight slap on his face.

Sharad was taken aback. He stood like a statue as Naina held Preeti's hand and walked away from him.

He kept standing there, still not able to believe that a girl slapped him on the road. There were not many people around but still he hoped no one known had seen.

"Sharad... "

A voice from behind gave him jitters.

Slowly turning back, he saw Munna coming towards him, smiling.

"Arre Sharad, tu yahan kaise? Kya kharidaari kar raha hai?" Munna patted his arm as he reached where Sharad was standing.

"Main bas... woh... kuch samaan lene aaya tha." Sharad was not sure how much Munna had seen.

"Main abhi car se utra toh tu dikh gaya... samaan lena hai toh chal... yahan khada soch kya raha hai?  Kisi ka intezaar kar raha hai kya?" Munna looked around.

"Tu abhi abhi aaya?" Sharad wanted to be sure.

"Aur kya, abhi hi toh aaya, doston ke saath... car se utarte hi tujhe yahan khade dekha toh socha puch lun ki aise chup chap kyon khada hai." Munna cleared all his doubts.

Relieved, Sharad thought of getting away now, "Woh achanak thodi tabiyat kharab ho gayi... isliye soch raha hun ghar chala jaun... fir kabhi market aa jaunga."

"Arre, tabiyat kharab hai toh chal doctor ke paas leke chalta hun" Munna offered.

Sharad was getting irritated, "Nahi jaana bhai, bas ghar jaana hai."

"Achha chal, ghar chod deta hun... mere dost ki car hai... tabiyat kharab hai toh akele kaise jaayega?" Munna was all sugar.

They walked to the maroon maruti parked at the side.

Munna opened the front passenger door, "Tu aaram se aage baith, main peeche baith jaunga... mera dost chala raha hai."

Sharad held the door but before he could get in, someone called out from the market, "Sharad."

He turned, hand still on the open door.

Bang.

Sameer pulled the car door shut from inside with full force.

"Aahhhhhhh... " Sharad cried out in pain.

Pandit, who had called out to him, came running, "Are re, kya hua? Oh ho... lag gayi ye toh... dard ho raha hai kya?"

Sharad was doubling in pain... he spoke with clenched teeth, "Pehle darwaza toh kholo... ungliyaan toot gayi hain."

Munna screamed from inside, "Arre Sameer bhai, darwaza khol, dekh iska toh haath hi toot gaya."

Sameer took his own sweet time to open the door. Then he stepped out, coming towards Sharad at a slow pace, hands in pocket, "Mujhe laga darwaza aise hi khula chod diya... makhiyan na ghus jayein isliye band kar raha tha... tumhara haath dikha nahi... waise galat jagah haath rakhoge toh chot toh lagegi hi naa."

Sharad was in too much pain to understand anything.

Munna came forward, looking at his hand... it was turning blue and the fingers were swollen by now.

"Main tujhe doctor ke paas le chalta hun... ab car se toh tujhe dar lagega... aaja rickshaw se le chalta hun",  Munna hailed a rickshaw and  pushing Sharad in it, left from there, taking a hand out to wave at his friends.

Sameer dusted his hands, looking at the rickshaw angrily.

Naina and Preeti came out from where Pandit had asked them to stay hidden.

Naina gave a perplexed look to Sameer, " Yeh sab kya tha... tumne hamein wahan chupne ko kyon kaha?"

Sameer and Pandit looked at each other....

"Chal Preeti, tujhe teri pasand ka falooda khilata hun", he started to walk towards the market.

Preeti, taking the hint, followed Pandit.

Sameer went to the car and opened the door for Naina. She sat down without asking any more questions. Sameer walked to the driver side, settled down and left the place.

They drove in silence, till he parked the car on the side of a deserted lane.

Switching the ignition off, he turned, placed his elbow on the steering wheel and rested his cheek on his fist,  directly looking at Naina.

She waited... eyes on him.

Sameer knew it was time for explanation.

He started at the beginning.

Munna Pandit had planned an outing to celebrate Sameer's acceptance in Naina's family... the three of them reached the market and were enjoying some sweets at a corner stall when they saw Naina and Preeti coming out of a shop. Sameer immediately got up to meet her but before he could leave the place, they saw one boy approach the girls.

They could not hear but it appeared that they both were unhappy to see him and wanted to get away but the boy was blocking their way.

Sameer angrily jumped over the chair in front of him to reach them... but Munna held his hand.

"Sameer, ek minute ruk... yeh to Sharad hai... mere Kanpur wale mamaji ke dost ka beta... mamaji sagai mein aaye the toh unhone inko bhi bula liya"

Sameer pulled his hand, trying to get out of Munna's grip, "Koi bhi ho... woh Naina aur Preeti ko pareshan kar raha hai... main chodunga nahi usse... Munna jaane de mujhe."

Munna held him tighter, "Dhyaan se sun, josh se nahi hosh se kaam lena hoga."

Both Pandit and Sameer stared at him.

Munna explained what he could understand, "Yaad hai Preeti ne Swati ko bataya tha ki ladke walon ne Naina ko sagai mein dekha tha... aur kaha tha ki Sharad naam ka ladka hai jiski sarkaari naukri hai... yeh bhi ek sarkaari office mein clerk hai... ho na ho ye wohi ladka hai... agar hum aise samne jaa ke maar peet karenge toh baat bhabhi ke naam pe aayegi... hum unke naam pe koi badnaami nahi aane denge."

Sameer could understand what Munna was trying to say, " Par hum chup chap khade hokar usse Naina se badtameezi karte hue dekhein kya?"  His eyes were flaring in anger.

Munna again tried to put sense in him, "Nahi... usse sabak toh sikhayenge lekin aise jisse woh hamein kabhi bhi bhabhi se jod na sake."

They all looked at the boy who was talking to Naina as both girls looked at him angrily.

And then Naina slapped him.

As they walked away, leaving a shocked Sharad rooted to the spot, Pandit ran and took the girls to a hidden spot nearby... taking them by surprise.

"Kuch sawaal mat pucho, bhabhi, bas abhi jaldi chalo",  he ushered them away before Sharad recovered from the shock.

And then Munna started his drama, luring the target.

They had not planned anything but things just happened in such a way that Sameer could not stop himself when he got  the chance.

He straightened after narrating the entire scenario to Naina... holding her hand and looking at her fingers.

"Uss hath ne inn ungliyon ko chua tha... sazaa toh uss haath ko milni hi thi naa."