The entire gang enjoyed lunch with a light heart... teasing each other and laughing.

When it was time for the girls to go, Sameer wanted to drop Naina but she asked him to stay back, going instead with Munna and Swati.

They got dropped in the market area.

"Swati tu bhi hamare ghar hi chal pad... shaam ko wapas chali jaana." Naina suggested.

"Naina, kahin mummy gussa na karein... main subah se bahar hun", she was a bit doubtful.

"Arre, aunty ko phone kar degi Naina... ek hafte mein toh woh chali jayegi... toh keh degi ki aaj poora din saath rahenge." Preeti had a solution for everything.

Swati and Naina liked the idea and they walked back home together.

Chachiji was happy to see Swati, offering to make dhokla for the girls.

After they polished off the snacks, Preeti showed Swati the dresses they had got stitched for the new session of college.

Swati was impressed with the designs.

"Preeti, yeh zip ka idea toh bohot kamaal hai... main bhi apne saare suiton mein lagwaungi", she checked out the shape of dresses.

Preeti was proud of her skills, raising her imaginary collars, "Achha toh hoga hi... idea kiska hai... waise tu mujhe batana kaisa piece khareeda hai tune, main uske hisaab se tujhe aur design bhi bata dungi."

Swati was overjoyed at the suggestion as she picked up a white kurta, "Yeh kya mast lag raha hai... Naina, yeh tune pehna hai kya? Kaisa lagta hai? Ek baar dikha na pehen ke."

Naina was more than happy to show off the pretty kurta, rushing to the washroom to change.

As she looked at herself in the mirror, the memories of the day when she had met Sameer wearing this kurta came flooding to her mind.

She recalled how his hand had traced the wide neckline and the zip till down her back. She could again feel his fingers brushing down her spine and a strange tightening started to form in her stomach. He had called her chandni... her favourite portrayal of the actress Sridevi. She shivered, remembering how he had kissed behind her ear... the knot tightened... she closed her eyes, longing for his arms around her.

A loud knock jolted her out of the dreams, "Naina, aaj bahar niklegi ya Swati ko agle hafte aane ko bolun." Preeti's irritated voice reached her.

Quickly, she unlatched the door and walked out.

"Yeh zip toh musibat hi hai... jaldi se naa band hoti hai naa khulti hai." She chided Preeti, trying to distract her.

Swati gave a teasing look, "Toh kya hua... karwa lena... mana thodi karega Sameer."

Preeti and Swati giggled, winking at each other as Naina turned scarlet.

"Tu kya Munna se karwayegi?" She snapped back at her friend.

Swati shrugged, "Aur kya."

Naina's eyes turned wide...

"Kya... aise kya dekh rahi hai? Shaadi hone waali hai meri Munna se", Swati said matter of factly.

"Haan, par hui toh nahi hai naa... aur meri bhi nahi hui hai... toh zyaada mat bol", Giving her an annoying look, Naina turned to face the mirror.

Swati got up and hugged Naina from behind, lowering her voice, "Lekin jaise Sameer tujhe dekhta hai naa... lagta hai usne toh kabki tujhse shaadi karli... hayee Naina... ladka pagal hua jaa raha hai tere liye... aur tu hai ki aise kapde pehen ke usko aur jalayegi?"

Naina felt goosebumps erupt all over at Swati's words.

"Chup kar, kuch bhi bole jaa rahi hai", she tried to end the topic.

"Jee nahi... jo dekha hai wohi bol rahi hun... sach bata Sameer ne kitni baar kiss kiya tujhe?" She tickled Naina.

"Swaatiii... chee...", Naina pushed her and moved away, wrinkling her nose.

Swati was in no mood to leave her, "Yeh zyaada chee chee mat kar mere aage... tera chehra jo tamatar ke jaise laal ho gaya hai na usse pata chal raha hai ki tujhe toh ginti bhi yaad nahi."

Naina felt the colour on her face deepen.

Preeti, who was busy checking out a magazine, looked up, "Kya hua... konse design ko dekhkar Naina chee bol rahi hai... mere kisi design ke liye bola na toh dekh lena, Naina... ek bhi naya dress nahi le jaane dungi Mumbai."

Swati snatched the magazine from Preeti's hand, "Tere design ko nahi tere jijaji ke iraadon ko chee bol rahi hai yeh hamari black and white picturon ki heroine."

Preeti gave a questioning look to Swati.

"Keh rahi hai Sameer ko kuch farak nahi padega agar yeh aise kapde pehne... aur kiss ke naam pe chee bol rahi hai", Swati let out all secrets in front of Preeti as Naina tried unsuccessfully to place her hand over Swati's mouth.

Preeti looked at her sister, amazed.

Naina ran to her, "Yeh Swati na pagal ho gayi hai... Tu iski baat pe dhyaan mat de... mujhe nahi samajh aa raha kya bole jaa rahi hai yeh."

Preeti held Naina by shoulders and shook her, "Abhi tak nahi samajh aaya toh ab zara aankhen khol aur samajh... itna toh mujhe bhi dikhta hai ki jijaji ko kitna farak padhta hai... Naina tu itni bewakoof toh nahi ho sakti."

It was Naina's turn to stare at her sister with a stunned expression.

Swati came closer, "Bata na... abhi tak kiss nahi kiya?"

She didn't know what to tell the two girls pestering her... she could not tell them what all she had shared with Sameer... but it was true that they hadn't shared a proper kiss till now.

Seeing the expressions come and go on her face, Swati took a deep breath.

"Preeti, lagta hai Sameer ko toh sanyaas hi lena padega."

Naina again gave a shocked look to Swati, "Tu badi modern ho gayi hai... pata hai na yeh sab shaadi ke baad... mujhe itna sikha rahi hai... tune bhi toh kabhi nahi bataya ki tune Munna ko... " she trailed off.

Swati slapped her forehead, "Jo ladki kiss ke baare mein bol tak nahi paati woh kya karegi aage jaake."

"Shaadi ke baad toh sambhal lungi... mushkil toh bas abhi ki hai", Naina blurted before she could stop herself.

Swati and Preeti looked at her with open mouth.

It was Naina's turn to hit her forehead.

"Matlab shaadi ke baad kyon mana karungi kiss ke liye... par abhi toh theek nahi hai na", she tried to salvage.

Picking up her clothes, she ran to the washroom to change... also to get away from any more embarrassment...

Looking into the mirror, she realised that her entire face was red... ears burned and the heartbeat was erratic.

"Sameer ke baare mein baat karne se bhi yeh sab hone laga hai ab toh", she thought, splashing cold water on her face.

Later in the night, when Sameer called up, Naina was still thinking about what all had happened today.

"Kya baat hai aaj badi chup ho", Sameer asked when she answered his initial questions in a word or two.

"Bas aaj itna kuch hua hai uske baare mein soch rahi thi", Naina tried to keep her thoughts only to the morning events.

"Aur mat socho... khatam ho gaya na... fir kya darna... kismat hamare saath hai", he tried to soothe her worries.

She smiled, "Haan, ab kya darna."

"Achha Naina, tumne train ki seat book karwa li? Kaun chodne jaa raha hai tumhe? Main bhi ussi train ki karwa lunga." He was excited to go back.

"Abhi toh chachaji ne iss baare mein koi baat nahi ki... main kal subah unse puchke bata dungi... kal papa bhi aa jayenge Baroda se, par main chahti hun chachaji hi chodne jaayein." Naina didn't want to be in the company of her father for seven eight hours.

Sameer could understand.

"Waise aaj der toh nahi hui na ghar pohochane mein", he asked.

Naina smiled, "Nahi, Swati bhi hamare saath aa gayi thi."

"Oh! Fir toh aaj tum teeno ne bohot maze kiye honge", Sameer equated their relationship with his and Munna Pandit.

Naina felt herself go red again as she remembered the afternoon talks.

"Hmm... haan kiye na", she said with difficulty.

Sameer sensed some hesitation in her voice.

"Kya baat hai, Naina? Swati ya Preeti ne kuch kaha kya tumse?"

Naina didn't want to say anything about their conversation.

Her silence convinced him further that she had something on her mind.

"Naina, please batao na... tumhe pata hai na agar tum pareshan rahogi toh mujhe neend nahi aayegi," he said softly.

She took a deep breath, "Pareshan nahi hun... bas woh dono mujhe ched rahi thi... tumhara naam lekar."

This was interesting.

"Achha... kya kaha unhone?" He wanted to know what the other two girls teased her about.

"Offo... yeh hamari aapas ki baatein hain... tumhe nahi bata sakti", she was dreading the way this was going.

"Naina, tum mere baare mein aisi kya baatein karti ho jo tum mujhe bhi nahi bata sakti", his voice was low and heavy.

Naina gasped.

"Bolo na, please... mujhse kya secret hai", he pestered.

"Sameer... main... woh... hum... kal baat karenge", she quickly kept the phone down, biting her lip... she couldn't tell him, it was a secret.

Sameer stared at the silent instrument in his hand, wondering what was it that Naina felt comfortable to talk about with her sister and friend but not him. His own thoughts started to go in the direction that he couldn't share with Naina either... it was a secret.

Some secrets had to be guarded... at least for now.

Next morning, chachaji was having tea sitting on the swing when Naina approached him.

"Chachaji, meri chuttiyan khatam hone wali hain... agle hafte se college shuru ho raha hai toh wapas jaane ki seat book karani hai", she informed him.

"Arre haan, beta, tumhara jaane ka time aa gaya... main dekh lunga seat ka... tum chinta mat karo... shanivar ki train theek rahegi." He smiled and patted her head.

"Aap chalenge mere saath?" She wished he said yes.

Chachaji was silent for a moment, "Mujhe kuch zaroori kaam hai... mera toh mushkil hoga par bhai sahab aa gaye hain... unko puch leta hun."

He could see the disappointment on Naina's face. She forced a smile and nodded before turning to go.

"Naina, ruko..." His voice stopped her.

She turned.

"Sameer ko kaho aaj gyarah baje mujhe post office ke bahar mile... kuch baat karni hai." Chachaji said in a serious voice.

Naina felt her legs shaking.

She dipped her head sideways and managed to drag herself to the phone.

"Hello?"

His sleepy voice played havoc with her senses... for a moment she forgot why she was calling up.

He recognised her breathing, "Naina... sab theek hai na? Subah subah kaise... "

His questions brought her back, "Woh Sameer, chachaji tumse milna chahte hain... gyarah baje... post office ke bahar."

He was fully awake, "Mujhse? Naina, tum kuch chupa rahi ho kya?"

"Nahi... bas chachaji ne kaha Sameer ko bol do aane ko toh maine bol diya... tum aaoge na?" She knew he would come, but she wanted to hear from him.

"Aunga... pakka... tum rahogi saath?"
He asked.

"Shayad nahi... kyonki uske baad chachaji seedhe office chale jayenge." She wished she could go too.

Sameer was waiting when Anand reached the post office at five minutes to eleven.

"Namaste chachaji." Sameer greeted him.

Anand smiled and patted his head.

"Dekho Sameer, aaj maine tumhe ek zimmedari dene ke liye bulaya hai... kya tum nibhane ko taiyar ho?" He said in a serious tone.

"Jee chachaji... aap bataiye... main har cheez ke liye taiyar hun." Sameer wasn't sure what was coming up.

Anand took a deep breath, "Sameer, hamesha se Naina ka khyaal rakhna maine apna farz mana hai... uski suraksha ki zimmedari uthayi hai... ab mere alawa koi aur bhi hai jiske liye woh bohot khaas ban gayi hai... aur woh tum ho."

Sameer blushed.

Smiling, Anand continued, "Iss baar Mumbai wapas jaane ke liye main tumhe uske saath bhejna chahta hun... train mein tum dono saath jaoge toh mujhe chinta nahi rahegi... darasal mere paas kuch zaroori kaam hai aur Rakesh bhaisahab ke bartaav ki wajah se main nahi chahta ki Naina unke saath jaye... Kya tumhe manzoor hai?"

Sameer stared at chachaji with open mouth... he was asking whether a thirsty man wanted water, whether a hungry man wanted food, whether a choking man wanted oxygen...

Anand watched him go silent.

"Agar tumhe koi problem hai toh... "

"Koi problem nahi hai... mujhe toh khushi hai... mera matlab... main khushi khushi... matlab... " He didn't know how to control his excitement.

Anand smiled, "Mujhe achha laga sunke..." he took out his wallet and handed some money to Sameer, "ye lo... apne saath hi Naina ki ticket karwa lena."

Sameer looked at the money in surprise, "Yeh kya, chachaji... main ticket book karwa lunga."

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Anand smiled, "Naina ke saare kharche woh khud uthati hai... aur main uski khuddari ke raste mein nahi aata... yeh ticket ke paise bhi uss ne mujhe diye the... mana mat karo... jab tum dono ki shaadi ho jaaye tab ye saare hisaab kitaab jaise marzi chalana par abhi Naina ko apne tareeke se karne do."

Sameer proudly took the money, "Chachaji, Naina jaisa chahegi waisa hi hoga... hamesha... abhi bhi aur shaadi ke baad bhi."