He held her wrist as her hand moved to the button on his abdomen. The glass bangles under his fingers pressed into her skin. He brought up the wrist to his eye level. Holding her fingers, he left the bangles fall lower on her hand, then brought them up again with his finger, letting them fall back. He loved the sound.

"Yeh toh wohi chudiyaan hain jo maine pichhli Diwali pe di thi." His voice was dangerously low.

Naina felt a thousand butterflies awakened in her stomach as he traced her inner wrist with his lips, moving down to the bangles. He watched her expression change... moving his focus on the other hand now. Her eyes closed, fingers curling into the palms again. Sameer moved his thumb to loosen her fingers, opening up the fist.

"Tumhari mehendi mein mera naam nahi dikhaogi?" He whispered.

Naina opened her eyes, regretting instantly... her direct view was his shirt with top three buttons open. She lowered them, opening her palms in front of him.

He looked at the intricate pattern covering the entire hand, "Isme kahan hai?"

"Khud dhund lo," she managed to answer.

Sameer held her hands, moving his finger on the design.

"Mil gaya," he exclaimed within a few seconds.

Naina glanced at his finger resting on the alphabets.

"Itni jaldi dhund liya tumne," her eyes shot up to his face in excitement but slipped again, forcing her to lower them.

Sameer put a finger under her chin, lifting it up, "Dekho yahan."

The heavy lashes took some time to lift up.

As her eyes locked with his, he placed her palms on his chest.

Her breath was caught in the throat... she tried to move her hands... his grip was firm... she tried to curl the fingers again... he covered her hands with his palms. She could feel his heart pounding at the same speed as hers.

Naina swallowed, eyes looking into his... pleading.

"Tumne kya kaha tha?" His voice was a low whisper.

She tried to speak... to ask... but no words came out.

"Mujhe bandar kaha tha," his eyes got darker.

She pressed the corner of her lower lip with the teeth.

"Main bandar lagta hun tumhe?" Her action made his gaze stay on her lips.

She shook her head slightly.

"Toh kya lagta hun?" He looked back into her eyes.

She was still at loss of words.

"Tumhara hero lagta hun?" He pressed her hands more.

She nodded.

"Sabse handsome lagta hun?" He leaned.

She nodded.

"Aage se bandar kaha toh... " He left the threat open.

She gulped again, feeling the heat under her palms.

"Pata hai kya karunga?" His voice dropped further.

Her lip quivered.

He leaned towards them.

A sound from outside made them jump... the focus on surroundings made them discern the reason of their presence here.

"Neeche chalte hain... isse pehle ki bhabhi humein dhoondne aa jayein," Naina  found her voice.

Sameer buttoned up the shirt and went to the washroom. He came out a few minutes later... his face was freshly washed and shirt tucked in neatly. He bent a little to check his image in the mirror, running his hands through the hair to adjust them. Naina had brought her racing pulse in control to some extent by now.

Walking out together, she asked, "Yeh chot kaise lagi tumhe?"

"Main gir gaya tha," his tone was flat.

"Gir gaye the... tumne jhagda nahi kiya?" She stopped in her tracks, dismayed at his revelation.

"Jhagda kaise karta, tumne mana kiya tha na," he innocently looked at her.

"Sameer, tum gir kaise gaye... aur woh jo keh rahe the... Sahil ne jo... tumne suna usse... " She was completely baffled now.

His statement inside had made her presume that he had heard Sahil talking about her and they had got into a fight...

"Tum mujhe poori baat batao... agar tumhe chot girne se lagi hai toh Sahil ki baatein tumne kahan suni?" She tugged at his arm, getting impatient.

The scene played in front of his eyes.

Sameer was coming up to get something from the house... he was about to enter when he heard Sahil's voice. He was talking to someone on the phone. The mention of Naina's name made Sameer halt and hide against the wall... he wanted to know what Sahil was saying about his girl.

"Aap bhi dekhoge toh bas dekhte reh jaoge. Woh hai hi itni sundar... sach keh raha hun, papa, usko dekhne ke baad faisla bohot aasan tha... sochne ki zaroorat hi nahi hai... nahin, abhi maine didi se baat toh nahi ki... mummy ko bataya hai, unhe  bhi pasand hai... kar lunga par mujhe lagta hai usse bhi main pasand hun... usne mehendi mein mera S likhwaya hai... kya papa aap bhi... (laughing) aapko lagta hun handsome... pata hai mana nahi kar payegi... waise hai sundar lekin main kissi se kam thodi hun... uski kismat chamak jayegi humare ghar mein shaadi karke...  haan usse puchunga, aaj hi... theek hai abhi puch leta hun... maine faisla kar liya hai, shaadi toh main Naina se hi karunga... uske jaisi koi aur nahi ho sakti... ... ek baar baat pakki karne do fir aapse phone pe baat kara dunga... agar aap bhi iss shaadi ke liye Delhi se aaye hote toh khud dekh lete... koi baat nahi... ab toh hamesha humare ghar mein hi rahegi... aap aaram se baat kar lena."

Sameer's blood was boiling with anger, his jaw moved as he gritted his teeth. Sahil... he was planning to marry Naina... his Naina... he was not worthy of even taking her name... Sameer fumed at his assumption of the S in Naina's mehendi to be for him... but how did he know... the names were not clearly visible in her design... even if they had been, how could Sahil see her hands...

Sameer wanted to break his bones right away... but Naina's instructions about not doing anything to spoil the happy and cheerful environment stopped him from giving Sahil what he deserved... accidents could happen though.

Sahil finished his call and looked down the window, "Aaj toh baat kar hi leta hun tumse... main aa raha hun, Naina."

He ran with full force towards the door.

Sameer closed the door shut on his face with the same force.

There was a loud noise of crashing from inside... Sameer did not wait to see the outcome. He ran down the stairs, safe in the knowledge that since he was hidden, Sahil had not seen him.

He reached the dining area, to get himself in control and not let Naina guess what had happened. He was looking behind and walking when a helper coming with some big vessels banged into him. The vessels went flying in the air... to avoid them falling on him, Sameer rolled on the ground, grazing his elbow in the process. Thankfully, neither him nor the helper were hurt much. But his shirt had got stained badly. He decided to go back to Rahul's house to clean up and change. That is when  Naina saw him.

Naina heard the whole incident with halted breath.

"Tumhe aur kahin chot toh nahi aayi? Itni zor se gire the," she held his jaw, turning his face sideways to check.

He shook his head.

"Pakka na?" She was concerned.

"Ekdum pakka," he blinked, smiling.

"Sahil ka kya hua?" She asked.

Sameer shrugged, "Main toh soch raha tha ki kahin woh abhi tak yahan na baitha ho... isiliye main yahan aana nahi chahta tha... par bhabhi ko kya kehta... isliye chup chap aa gaya."

A smile crept up Naina's face, "Aakhir tumne kar hi diya apna kaam."

He leaned closer, "Mera kaam toh abhi baaki hai... tum mauka deke dekho ek baar."

She turned and ran down as fast as her shaking legs could take her, hoping that the scarlet on her face remained hidden from those outside.

Sameer followed her, adjusting his collar, a crooked but contended smile on his lips.

Naina gave the keys back to bhabhi.

"Dawa laga di thi?" Bhabhi asked.

"Jee... aur bhabhi, thank you," Naina held her arm as she was about to go.

Bhabhi stopped, holding Naina's hand between her palms, "Thank you nahi kehte apno ko... tera pyar dekhke mujhe kitni khushi milti hai main bata nahi sakti... Naina, bohot kam log hote hain jo itni gehraai tak pyaar kar paate hain jitna teri aur Sameer ki aankhon mein dikhta hai... tum dono kismat wale ho ki ek dusre ko mile... mujhe Sonu ne bataya tha tumhare baare mein... kitna dukh saha hai tum dono ne... lekin ab tum milke apni zindagi mein khushiyaan bhar lena.... main toh bhagwaan se yahi mangungi abse ki woh tum dono ka saath aur pyar hamesha aise hi banaye rakhe."

Naina was overwhelmed. She stepped ahead and hugged the person she had met just two days back but who felt so much for her and Sameer.

"Tujhe kabhi bhi meri zaroorat pade toh bina soche aa jana... Sonu ki hi nahi ab se teri bhi bhabhi hun... aur tera woh 'Kaliyaan' wala kaam hai na... uske saath main apni NGO ko lekar judna chahti hun... ek baar yahan se free ho jaayein fir baat karenge." She said with genuine warmth.

Naina moved back, dipping her head to one side.

As bhabhi walked away, she felt a tug at some corner of her mind... she was so gentle and caring, was it correct to hurt her brother... maybe he was also like her... they could have clarified to him and he would have understood... but then Naina was reminded of what Sameer told about his phone conversation... he was nothing but a high headed chauvinist who thought he was doing a favour to a girl by marrying her...

Naina jerked her head to throw out any soft thoughts for him... she, of all the people, knew how different siblings could be... her father and chachaji were real brothers, but they did not have one thing in common, except the blood ties.

Sahil got what he deserved. She was not even bothered to know what happened to him and where he was.

Later, when they were having lunch, Sameer and Naina sat with Rahul and Sonali, joking and teasing each other.

A cousin of Sonali came running to them, "Sonu, woh Sahil ko chot lag gayi."

Sonali looked at her, frowning, "Kaise lag gayi? Ab kya kar raha tha woh? Yeh Sahil mujhe shuru se hi kuch ajeeb lagta hai... pata nahi itni achhi bhabhi ka itna bekar bhai kyon hai."

Her cousin narrated that the door got shut with such force on his face that he fractured his nose.

"Apne aap kaise band ho sakta hai darwaza?" Sonali wondered aloud.

"Ho sakta hai darwaza pehle se hi band ho aur usne dhyaan na diya ho," Rahul offered.

"Pehle toh kabhi nahi band hua aise," Sonali was still confused.

"Hawa se ho gaya hoga... kabhi kabhi hawa ka koi jhonka aa jaata hai," Sameer's voice made Naina look at him sharply.

"Sameer... hawa ka jhonka hi toh tha," she said to herself.