The last day of the year started with some clouds in the sky. The cool breeze through the window made Naina shiver as she pulled the quilt up till her chin. Her eyes opened to see the soft light spread outside the window. A slow smile crept up her face.

"Yeh meri zindagi ka aakhiri 31 December hai jo main Naina Agarwal banke dekhungi... iske baad hamesha Naina Maheshwari apne pati ke saath naye saal ka swaagat karegi." She blushed at her own thoughts.

Suddenly, her hand flew to the parting in her hair... and she was reminded of the day when his red tika had given her the status of a married woman. Technically, she was already Naina Maheshwari. If a court marriage could pronounce a couple as married by just a declaration and exchange of garlands, this could be called a marriage too. That meant tomorrow would be her first new year as his wife. The first person she saw tomorrow morning should be him.

"Zyaada sapne mat dekh, Naina... abhi yeh nahi ho sakta... iss shaadi ko kisi ne nahi dekha... agle new year pe saare armaan poore kar lena." Her mind voice was back with strict instructions.

"Hayee... ek saal... main toh kal ki subah hi apna naya saal Sameer ko dekhkar shuru karna chahti hun... par kaise?" Naina sat up in the bed, clutching the quilt.

"Haan, Sameer aur main ek hi time ka alarm laga lenge... usse kahungi mere kamre ke saamne aa jaye subah... fir darwaza kholungi toh saamne usse hi dekhungi." She was happy that they would be staying in the same house.

Before her mind voice could come up with any more objections, she got up from the bed, going out to the balcony to see the last morning of this year. The cold made her gasp as she stepped out barefoot on the floor. Wrapping her arms around herself, she wondered how it would feel to stand like this in their own house after marriage... warmth of his arms protecting her from the cold. She hugged herself tighter, closing her eyes to feel him around her.

"Tumhe miss kar rahi hun, Sameer," she whispered, opening her eyes, hoping to see him somewhere... as he always appeared whenever she thought about him.

Her eyes met the emptiness of the ground. She pressed her forehead, admonishing herself for the absurd thoughts.

They had planned to meet after breakfast and leave for Rahul's house. Naina packed a small bag with a few clothes and the new dress... the red one. She was still undecided about her evening outfit.

Sameer waited for her outside the gate. Seeing her dressed in a suit, he frowned.

"Naina, tumne jeans kyon nahi pehni? Uss din kaha tha na."

She had purposely chosen a kurta with long side slits so that she could sit cross legged as the jeans would have been a little uncomfortable for the whole day. She had not yet got used to wearing something tight all day through... that too when she would need to help Sonali with preparations for the party.

"Tum jaise chahte ho waise hi chalenge." She calmed him.

Sameer started the bike, and was amazed when Naina comfortably slipped behind him, legs on either side.

"Tum suit mein bhi aise baith sakti ho?" He could not hide his astonishment.

She smiled, "Haan, ab chalein?"

"Toh pehle batana tha na... aise hi do saal nikal diye." He grumbled.

"Oh, toh tum do saal se chahte the main aise baithun," she wound her arms around his shoulders as they hit the road.

Sameer inhaled deeply, feeling her against his back, "Pehli baar bike pe gaye tabse... par tab toh tumne mujhe pakda tak nahi tha."

"Pakda tha... kandhe pe haath rakhe the na?" She reminded.

"Kitni der ke baad... main toh darta hi raha ki kahin tum gir na jao bina pakde baithkar." He recalled their first bike ride.

"Sach bataun toh mujhe bhi bohot darr lag raha tha... pehli baar bike pe baithi thi... aur tumhare itne paas baithne se kuch ajeeb lag raha tha." She confessed.

"Aur ab?" He teased, feeling her sitting comfortably stuck to him, her face  touching his cheek, her legs brushing against his on both sides.

She tightened her hold, "Ab kuch nahi... apne pati ke saath baithi hun."

Sameer brought the bike to a halt.

"Achha, toh aaj Mrs Maheshwari banke chal rahi ho?" He said in a heavy voice, looking at her in the mirror.

"Woh toh main hun hi... banna kya hai?" She gave a confident look to his reflection... though her heart had started to beat faster at his tone.

"Ho bhi aur nahi bhi... yehi toh sabse badi problem hai." He sighed, starting the bike again.

They reached the given address around ten. Rahul and Sonali lived in a sixth floor flat in a tall building. The flat was a big one, with four bedrooms and a spacious hall, opening into a balcony that overlooked the garden below. The kitchen was huge and very modern. They were impressed with the house and its beautiful decor.

"Bohot sundar hai tumhara ghar, Rahul." Naina exclaimed.

"Ghar mein rehne wali itni sundar hai toh uske liye ghar toh aisa banana hi tha." Rahul looked at his wife who just entered the living room with soft drinks for everyone.

"Bas Rahul se baatein karwa lo... kaam kuch nahi karega." Sonali showed fake anger, the glow on her face defying her tone.

"Kya kaam hai batao... ab hum log mil ke kar lenge." Sameer offered.

The food was being prepared by the household help... their job was to decide the dishes which was done in fifteen minutes.

Now, the only work was to give a party look to the hall.

Sonali brought a big cardboard box filled with streamers, packets of balloons, wall cutouts, centerpieces and such things for decoration.

They used the air pump to blow out all balloons and make bunches of white and blue ones to put up all around. Once the room was filled with balloons, they started to put them on walls and windows. That done, Rahul went about to help Sonali with keeping the delicate glass decorations in their room and replacing them with the theme based unbreakable centerpieces.

Naina directed Sameer to put up stremers along the walls.

"Yahan white nahi Sameer, yeh diwar safed hai toh yahan blue wala lagao." She gave him the decorations as he stood on a stool and went about his work.

While he was hanging the last one, Naina went to the door leading to one of the rooms, trying to place a bunch of balloons there too as they were left with a few. She raised herself on toes, stretching her arms up, trying to reach the door frame. Sameer stepped down from the stool and turned to see her struggling to match her height with the door. Smiling, he walked to her.

"Lao Naina, main laga deta hun." He offered.

"Nahi, bas tum woh stool la do... yeh main laga lungi." She said without looking at him.

Sameer was about to turn when his eyes fell on her side... and his breath got stuck. The slit in her kurta had hitched up the waist and her smooth, fair skin was clearly visible as she had her arms streched up. He looked around. Rahul and Sonali were not in the room. He went closer... and before Naina could even realise, he picked her up.

She jerked as his fingers went around her waist, directly over the skin, erupting goosebumps instantly. She clutched his shoulder with one hand.

"Sam... Sameer... kya kar rahe ho?" Her voice was shaky.

"Help kar raha hun... laga lo jahan lagana hai." He tried not to show the raging emotions he was feeling at the moment.

"Main... main gir jaungi," she looked at him.

His face moved closer to her waist, "Main girne dunga kya tumhe?"

They looked at each other for a while before Naina turned to place the balloons with trembling hands.

Sameer could feel the softness of her buttery skin, making his fingers itch to feel more of it. Breathing hard, he kept still, trying not to look at the tempting sight right at his eye level... but his gaze kept returning to the same place.

Naina managed to stick the balloons on both edges of the door, along with the big bunch in the centre.

"Ho gaya," she said in a low voice.

Sameer gently placed her down, not taking off his hands from her bare skin. Now that she was on her feet, Naina felt his fingers press on the back of her waist as his thumb rubbed against her belly, causing every nerve in her body to react. She gasped as he pulled her closer, his eyes getting darker.

"S... Sameer... woh aa jayenge." She tried to use whatever little sense was left in her.

He stepped ahead, making her move back... till they were in the room. With his foot, he half closed the door, pushing her against the wall behind it. Naina stopped breathing as she felt the cold wall press into her back...

His hands went behind her, feeling the skin, slipping into  the groove of her spine, his fingertips creating havoc in her system.

Though he did not move up his fingers even an inch from the waist level, Naina pressed her back more into the wall.

He leaned into her hair, touching her ear with his lips, "Tum bohot sundar ho, Naina."

He was gone before she could fully get what he whispered. She remained rooted to the spot, breathing heavily, her skin still tingling with the sensation his fingers had evoked in her.

Holding her hand to her heart, she tried to bring her breathing to normal.

Sameer walked out to the balcony, hoping to clear his head. He had picked her up from the side... and as she had streched her hands, the view of her flat stomach had left him shivering. All he wanted was to close the distance of a few inches and place his lips on the creamy expanse. With great difficulty, he stood motionless till she was done. And then... he had wanted to kiss her, wanted to feel her pressed into him, wanted to drown in her fragrance, wanted to burn in the fire that her body seemed to be emitting.

As she pressed herself back into the wall, he realised he was losing control... and he had left... before something could make him forget where they were.

He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. Throwing his head back, he ran his hands through the hair roughly, feeling the pain as the roots streched under his fingers.

"Yahan kya kar raha hai?" Rahul's voice brought him back.

He turned, smiling at his friend, "Achha ghar hai tumhara... yahan bahar khade hona bhi kitna achha lag raha hai."

Rahul joined him, proudly looking at the view outside, "Bohot ghoomke maine aur Sonali ne yeh ghar pasand kiya tha... iski balcony humein bhi bohot achhi lagti hai."

They stood talking for sometime till Sonali called them for lunch.

As Naina sat on the chair next to him after helping Sonali to set the table, Sameer clasped his hand around hers... they both needed the comfort after the moment they shared few minutes back.

After lunch, they adjusted the sitting arrangement, shifting furniture to make space in the center of the room. Rahul and Sameer got busy setting up the music system as Sonali dragged Naina to her room.

"Yeh le teri dress, aaj fir se udda de tere majnu ke hosh." She grinned, handing over the shopping bag to Naina.

"Sonali, rehne deti hun... zyaada ho jaayega... kahin Sameer gussa ho gaya toh?" She voiced her doubt.

Sonali gave a crooked smile, "Gussa nahi hoga iski guarantee hai... par kuch aur hua toh uska kuch nahi keh sakti."

Naina turned scarlet, pushing the dress back in the bag, "Jaane de, doosri hi pehen lungi."

"Arre nahi, yeh perfect hai aisi party ke liye... balki main dekhti pehle toh main bhi yehi leti... aur tujhpe achhi bhi bohot lagegi... yehi pehenna." She tried to convince Naina.

Today being a holiday for me, I'll give the evening update as well.
Though it will be just for today... back to morning only from tomorrow.