Sameer drove her to the hilly area where they often went. He parked his bike away from the road and holding her hand, quickly walked to the edge.

Once there, he looked at the city down below, "Yeh dekh rahi ho, Naina... Mumbai ko sapno ka sheher kehte hain... aaj tumne bhi apne sapne poore karne ki shuruaat yahan se ki hai... aaj tum sach mein udne lagi ho, Naina... dekho, ye sab tumhare neeche reh gaya."

He turned towards her. Naina saw the wetness in his eyes.

She cupped his face, "Sameer, aaj hum dono yahan hain... iss unchai pe... aur iski khushi tumhari aankhon mein nazar aa rahi hai."

The controlled emotions could not remain restricted anymore... and he crushed her in his arms, tears escaping his eyes.

She stood on toes to reach his shoulder, burying her face in his neck.

Sameer let his tears wet her hair as she rubbed his back gently.

They stood together for a long time, happy and emotional... letting the feeling of this achievement sink in.

Finally, he stepped back, still holding her close.

"Toh?" He looked at her, the glint in his eyes back.

Naina was surprised, "Toh? Toh kya?"

He gripped her waist, "Toh apne pati ke saath aaj kaise celebrate karne wali ho?"

Naina went crimson at his tone, lowering her eyes.

"Bolo na", he touched his nose to her cheek.

Her pet butterflies were back to fluttering their huge wings in her stomach.

"Arre batao na... tab toh bade pyaar se pati ki tareef kar rahi thi", he pulled her closer, breathing against her ear.

"Sameer, please... ", she shivered as he let his lips move along the edge of her ear.

"Aaj tumne pehli baar doosron ke samne apna pati maana hai mujhe, Naina", his heavy voice made her heart flip.

His one hand slowly moved to the small of her back, pressing her more, the other one going up to free the hair.

As the soft waves cascaded down her back, Sameer nuzzled behind her ear, softly calling out her name.

"Ab pati ko kaise rokogi", his voice had turned husky.

Naina clutched his shirt, feeling the goosebumps ready to burst as he lightly nibbled her earlobe.

Just as abruptly as he had drawn her to himself, Sameer held her shoulders and stepped back, creating distance between them.

She was thankful for his strong hold, or she would have collapsed on the hard, stony floor, her legs too weak to support the weight.

Breathing heavily, she looked at him, confused.

"Yeh bas ek chota sa trailer tha... ek baar sach mein pati ban jaunga tab baaki ki picture dekhna." He winked.

Her face turned red hot... closing her eyes, she held onto his wrists tighter as the deafening sound of drumming heart pounded her ears.

Sameer stood watching her... he could not tell her how much his own system had turned topsy turvy... stepping back when he did was the toughest thing he had ever done... and now, as she stood in front of him with closed eyes, her skin emitting the heat that reached out to burn him up... he pressed his lower lip under the teeth to stop its quivering.

Gaining control on themselves, they sat together on the edge of the hill after a while, looking down at the widely spread city.

"Main itne saare paison ka kya karungi, Sameer?" Naina was still not able to believe that she was carrying a cheque of fifty thousand rupees in her bag.

He smiled at her innocent query, thinking how he never gave any value to money and was never bothered about the amount that was regularly transferred to his bank account by munshiji... as directed in nanu's will. It meant nothing to him... saving or spending was never in the widest periphery of his thoughts. He used the paper in his wallet as just another lifeless thing in his life, giving him the freedom and ease to pick up any material thing that he wanted.

"Batao na... kya karun?" Her gentle shake brought him out of his thoughts.

"Tum chachaji se poocho... wo chatered accountant hain... woh bata sakte hai ki inn paison ko sahi se kaise aur kahan lagana chahiye", Sameer suggested.

"Lagana chahiye matlab?" Naina had no experience in money matters.

"Matlab jab hamare paas humari zaroorat se zyaada paise hote hain toh unko kahin invest kar dena chahiye... jisse woh aur badh jaayein." He explained whatever little bit he had heard from nanu in the short period of two years he had stayed with him.

Naina was perplexed, "Lekin aur kyon badhane hain? Yeh toh pehle hi bohot zyaada hain... aur mujhe aage bhi milte rahenge... fir humein aur kyon chahiye?"

He was amazed... probably she was the only one in the world who was satisfied with the money she had, rather felt that it was much more than she needed... and had no desire for more.

He pulled her cheek, "Mujhe pata hai meri Naina ki zaroorat kya hai...  aur uski kami tumhe kabhi nahi hogi."

"Kiski?" He was confusing her even more.

His hand went around her waist as he pulled her closer, whispering, "Pyaar ki."

"Offo Sameer, main abhi koi aur baat kar rahi hun na", she smacked his leg... though her flushed cheeks made it clear to him how much she liked his gesture.

He turned serious, "Naina, maine kabhi paison ke baare mein nahi socha... kabhi zaroorat nahi padi... sirf yeh hi ek aisi cheez hai jo mujhe  zindagi mein hamesha milti rahi... iski ahmiyat ka ehsaas mujhe tab hua jab first year mein tumhe..."

He stopped, hesitating to let her know that he had been aware of her weak financial status... wondering if she would be embarrassed or annoyed.

"Jab tumne kya?" She prompted, innocently.

"Naaraaz mat hona, Naina, par mujhe shuru mein hi pata chal gaya tha ki tumhe paison ki problem hai... tumhari woh canteen se dur rehne ki aadat, khana na khane ki aadat, mess ke khane se hi kaam chalana aur agar kabhi woh miss ho jaaye toh sirf chai peeke pet bharna, kabhi bhi doston ke saath bahar na jaana... woh sab maine dekha hai." His voice had turned softer, hoping that she doesn't get hurt by his observation.

To his surprise, her voice was normal, "Haan Sameer, mere paas paise bilkul nahi the shuru mein... chachaji se kharcha lene ke liye mera man nahi manta tha... unhone hamesha itna kiya hai... yahan Mumbai aane ka faisla mera tha... unhone mera saath diya utna hi kaafi tha... main unpe aur bojh nahi dalna chahti thi... aur kam paison se mujhe kuch khaas mushkil nahi hoti... hamesha se hi kam mein kaam chalaya hai."

"Par aisa kyon, Naina? Chachaji ka kaam toh achha khasa hai", he decided to ask what he wanted to know for a long time.

Naina sighed, "Waise toh chachaji ko achhe paise milte hain par unpe zimmedariyan bhi bohot hain... Pooja didi ki shaadi mein itna kharcha kiya... ab woh meri aur Preeti ki shaadi ke liye jod rahe hain... Arjun bhaiya ko bhi jab zaroorat hoti hai toh chachaji hi madad karte hain... taiji kabhi ek paisa bhi nahi kharch karne deti tauji ko... Arjun bhaiya teen saal se Baroda mein rehte hain toh unka kharcha zyaada hai, ab toh do saal se papa ne bhi naukri chod di hai aur wahi chale gaye... fir cricket ka samaan bhi toh mehnga aata hai... akele chachaji kitna karenge?"

Sameer wondered how some people handled so many responsibilities and still always had a smile on their face... both chachaji and chachiji were such people. He looked at the petite girl sitting next to him... she had so much understanding at such a young age, and no greed... in spite of all the things she must have deprived herself of, she had no hunger for money... she had taken her values from chachaji and chachiji... smiling away in the face of all that life threw at her.

He let out a long breath, silently thanking God for bringing her in his life.

Naina rested her head on his shoulder, feeling contended at how her life had changed... she was in the arms of the person she loved and she had achieved her dream of spreading her wings in the open sky.

"Umm... Naina, ek baat puchun?" His voice brought her back to present.

"Soch kya rahe ho? Pucho na", she smiled, surprised at his hesitation.

"Woh Preeti ki shaadi tak toh theek hai... par Pooja didi ki shaadi ke baad tumhari shaadi ke liye paise kyon jodne lage chachaji? Matlab tum toh school se hi mujhse pyaar karti thi na... " He narrowed his eyes at her.

It was the perfect time to tease him, "Pyaar toh sirf main karti thi... tum thodi karte the.. kam se kam mujhe toh yehi pata tha uss samay... jab tumne mere pyaar ko koi ahmiyat nahi di toh kya saari zindagi baith ke tumhe hi yaad karti? Ab kisi se toh shaadi karni hi thi... maine socha tum na sahi koi aur mujhe pyaar kar lega."

He pulled her down to fall across his chest, holding her upper body in his lap as her cheek lay pressed on his heart, "Tumhari shaadi kisi se hone deta kya?"

She placed her hand on his chest, "Toh bataya kyon nahi ki pyaar karte ho?"

His eyes filled up with the pain of those days, "Bata nahi paaya... tumne kyon nahi padha meri aankho mein... jaise abhi sab padh leti ho."

She also felt the heaviness of the school days, "Kaise padhti, Sameer... poore do saal mein ek bhi baar tumhari nazar khud pe nahi dekhi maine... uss pehle din ki takkar ke baad... kaise jaan paati tumhare man ki baat? Ek baar bhi nazar uthakar dekhte toh daud ke tumhare gale lag jaati."

His pain slowly melted away as mischief took over, " Ab yeh jhooth bol rahi ho... gale lagane mein toh tumne yahan bhi ek saal laga diya... aur meetha dene mein do saal".

His voice lowered at the last sentence.

Her cheeks turned red.

She tried to sit up but he tightened his hold, keeping her pinned to his chest like a baby.

"Shaadi kisi aur se karne ke baare mein socha uski sazaa toh milni chahiye na", he looked at her with dark eyes.

"Tumhe lagta hai main kabhi aisa soch bhi sakti hun? Chida rahi thi tumhe... maine toh yahan aane ka faisla hi isliye kiya tha ki padhai ke baad yahin reh jaungi... aur kabhi shaadi nahi karungi..." She said in a deep voice.

He trembled at the thought... what if he had not come here... to this very college... had he not met her here and had she not dragged him out of his shell, his life would have been in some dark pit of gloom and despair... and hers would have been sad and meaningless too.

He suddenly felt a need to thank the one who brought them together.

"Naina, chalo mandir chalte hain", he straightened, helping her to get up.

She was pleasantly surprised. This was the first time he had shown interest in going to the temple. In Ahmadabad, it was always for meeting her at the pond that he agreed to visit one... he had actually come to pray very few times, that too on her insistence.

"Aaj achanak mandir jaane ka khyaal kaise aaya tumhe?" She could not keep the curiosity to herself.

He smiled contentedly "Bhagwanji ko thank you bolna hai... mujhe itna sab dene ke liye."

They reached the temple around sunset. After buying puja thali, they went inside together, thanking God for bringing love in their lives and praying for their love to grow stronger with each passing day.