Munna reached home quite late. Sameer and Pandit had been waiting eagerly for him.

"Jaldi bata bhai, kitne taanke lage?" Pandit rubbed his hands.

Munna looked at them and shook his head sadly.

"Yeh ghanti ke jaise kya hil raha hai... bata na kya hua",  Pandit shouted impatiently.

Munna looked at Sameer with the same sad expression... then burst out laughing, " Bhai, poora dum laga diya tune aaj darwaza band karne mein... teen ungliyon mein fracture hua hai aur ek ka nakhun ukhad gaya hai... shukar mana teri car ka darwaza toot ke nahi gira."

Sameer smiled.

"Oho, bechare ko itni lag gayi... isse achha toh kutai hi kar dete... do chaar din laal neela hoke pada rehta fir theek ho jaata",  Pandit made a face.

Munna looked at him angrily, "Tujhe badi hamdardi ho rahi hai... bhai, taras khana hai toh uss ladki pe kha jisse is gadhe ki shaadi hogi... uski toh zindagi fracture ho jayegi iske saath... pata bhi hai yeh Sharad aur iske ghar wale kaise hain... bhabhi ki taiji se kam nahi hain... do chaar haath aage hi honge... aise logon ke saath aisa hi hona chahiye... doosron ki izzat, unka dard, unki takleef inke liye kuch maayne nahi rakhti... tujhe lagta hai kisi ko dard deke yeh ladka ek second ke liye bhi uske baare mein sochega? "

Pandit stared at him with open mouth, "Bhai tune toh dil pe le li... main bas mazaak mein keh raha tha..."

Munna sat on the bed, wiping the sweat off his face.

Sameer sat with Munna and hugged him, "Thank you Munna, aaj teri wajah se main ek galti karne se bach gaya... warna Naina ka naam beech mein aa jata."

Munna punched him in the stomach, "Ab tu mujhe thank you bolega?"

Sameer held his ear, smiling sheepishly.

They hugged, Pandit joining them.

Naina wanted to meet Sameer and give the gift she had bought for him. But the phone at home was not working since morning. She didn't know how to contact him.

"Iss phone ko bhi aaj hi kharab hona tha... ab kaise milun Sameer se..." She paced the room, wrenching her hands.

"Kya badbada rahi hai behen?" Preeti noticed her condition as she came out after her bath.

"Preeti, dekh na, phone nahi chal raha... main Sameer se kaise baat karun?" Naina whined.

"Mat kar... ek din mujhse baat karke kaam chala le", Preeti shrugged.

"Offo... mujhe milna hai usse... gift dene ke liye... kaise bulau jab phone pe baat hi nahi ho paa rahi."

Preeti spread her towel in the balcony and came back to the room.

Standing in front of Naina, hands on waist, she asked, "Jab jijaji ko tujhse milna hota hai aur baat nahi hoti toh woh kya karte hain?"

Naina recalled the time when he had come to her hostel room first time...  through the balcony... and how he had come here  few days back through the balcony again.

She looked at Preeti, "Woh toh balcony se aata hai, pipe se chad ke."

Preeti poked her fingers on her sister's head, "Meri pagal behen, woh toh isliye kyonki hamare ghar mein woh abhi darwaze se nahi aa sakte... lekin tu toh unke ghar seedhe jaa sakti hai na... bina balcony ki pipe chadhe."

Naina frowned, "Ab ghar kaise jaun uske?  Chachiji se kya kahungi? Swati ka bahana banaya toh usko batane ke liye bhi phone nahi ho sakta... kahin woh peeche se aa gayi toh?"

"Toh parlour chalne ka bol de... pichhli baar ki tarah... main keh dungi aaj mujhe jaldi jaana hai parlour mein",  Preeti had a solution for everything... as long as it was not related to studies.

Naina asked chachiji who readily allowed her to go with Preeti.

They dressed up and left after breakfast.

Naina reached Sameer's house by rickshaw. Looking at the huge white structure, she was filled with admiration... like each time she had seen it previously. She wondered how nanaji must have felt staying here all alone for so many years... and now Sameer was also living alone. She was thankful to Munna Pandit who came to live with him for as long as he was in Ahmedabad. Just this one year... and next time when they come back here from Mumbai, their college would be over and it will be the time of their marriage... their togetherness forever.

Sameer would never be alone after that... she would never let him be lonely.

Smiling, Naina rang the bell.

Ramdhari opened the door.

Seeing her, he gave a big smile, "Arre  bhabhi, aiye na... kitne dino baad aayi hain aap... hum nashta bana rahe hain... aap bhi baithiye... aapke liye bhi bana dete hain."

She was overwhelmed, "Nahin Ramdhari bhaiya, main nashta kar ke aayi hun."

"Bhabhi tum yahan?  Aaj toh bhai ki subah subah aish ho gayi... bhabhi khud milne aayi hain",  Pandit exclaimed seeing her at the door.

Munna Pandit were seated at the table, having their breakfast... a movie playing on the VCR on high volume. Naina looked around for Sameer...

"Woh kamre mein aapki yaadon mein khoya baitha tha... humne bulaya nashta karne ke liye toh bola thodi der mein aayega... aap jao kamre mein... khush ho jayega",  Munna gave the reason of Sameer's absence.

Naina walked to his room... the door was ajar. She peeped inside. Sameer was nowhere. She stepped in, looking around cautiously. On an impulse, she pulled out her hair band, letting the hair fall on her shoulders... along with the gift in hand, she wanted to dress up for him as well... the outfit she had chosen was  the one he always appreciated and her hair... she smiled at the memory of innumerable times when he had freed them of the band that kept them confined.

Suddenly, sound of a whistling tune broke the silence prevailing in the room. Naina looked in the direction of the sound... the door of cupboard was open... Sameer seemed to be looking for something in the cupboard. From where Naina was standing, she couldn't see him as the open door kept him hidden.

"Sameer... " She called out.

The whistling stopped. He leaned back... and his eyes opened wide... seeing the sight he always wanted to see but was not expecting at the moment...

She stood in the middle of his room, wearing a black and white dress... it narrowed at her waist and flowed down beautifully till below her knees... the silken waves of her hair rested on the shoulders without any constraint.

"Naina tum yahan?" He quickly stepped towards her.

"Sameeer",  she screamed.

He halted in his track, shocked.

Naina squeezed her eyes shut and immediately turned her back to him.

Puzzled, Sameer looked at himself.

Then he realised why Naina screamed...

He had just come out after taking bath... wearing a towel around his waist, he was searching for the clothes when Naina had suddenly entered his room... and he forgot everything.

"Naina... woh tum... achanak... main... "

"Tumhe kapde pehnne ki aadat nahi hai kya? Jab bhi tumhare kamre mein aati hun aise hi milte ho?" She said in irritated voice.

Seeing him like this, her entire system had stopped working... in a glance of two seconds she had noticed his chiseled body, droplets of water glistening on the bare skin, wet hair that he must have pushed back with fingers, their tips curling and sticking to his neck, his strong biceps...

"Main abhi abhi naha ke aaya tha... mujhe thodi pata tha tum aaogi",  he justified.

"Darwaza band kar lena chahiye tha na... koi bhi aa sakta hai",  she tried to hide the emotions behind an angry voice.

"Kaun? Munna Pandit ke samne toh main aise hi aata hun bathroom se bahar... sabhi aise hi aate hain... aur Ramdhari ko bhi aadat hai",  he said matter of factly, " toh darwaza kyon band..."

His voice trailed off... slowly his feet moved towards the door.

Naina heard the sound and her heart jumped to her mouth.

He had closed the door...  now.

He took slow, small steps... stopping behind her... keeping an arms length distance between them.

"Naina, idhar dekho"

Whatever little sanity she was left with, slipped away at his deep, husky voice.

She swallowed.

"Idhar dekho", he repeated.

She shook her head.

He moved a few inches.

Clenching her fists, she tried to run to the door...

He held her wrist.

"Sameer... " Her own voice sounded alien to her.

"Dekho meri taraf"

"Jaane do... please", she pleaded.

"Naina, ek baar... bas ek baar... gale lagana chahta hun", he said softly.

The goosebumps threatened to explode... the muscles of her stomach clenched so tight that she felt out of breath... sweat trickled down behind her ears...  the colour on her cheeks darkened.

He held her from shoulders, turning her around to face him. She closed her eyes.

Holding her hands, he started to bring them around himself.

Naina tightened her fists, resisting his pull.

He gently continued to move her fisted hands towards himself.

Her knuckles brushed against his sides... and she trembled.

He felt the shiver too...

With all the strength she could muster, Naina jerked her hands out of his hold and ran to the window... her back to him... as she tried to control her drumming heart and erratic breathing.

Sameer ran his fingers in his wet hair and moved near her, standing right behind.

Slowly, he brought his hands around her, lowering his head to rest the chin on her shoulder.

"Aadat daal lo, Mrs Maheshwari... main toh roz subah aur raat ko aise hi bathroom se bahar aata hun... aur aise hi aunga",  his voice was heavy and teasing.

Before Naina could react, he pulled her back... and her body stuck to his bare chest.

A gasp escaped her lips... the fresh smell of soap, mixed with his own musky smell fogged her senses. Her hands unknowingly wrapped around his that encircled her waist.

The curtain of her hair completely covering her back, and the fabric of her dress, together could not stop the heat from his body reaching her... burning her skin...

Her legs turned into jelly.

And he made it worse.

With one hand, he pushed her hair over the shoulder, making them fall in front, and touched his cheek to hers, " Suna tha subah ka sapna sach hota hai... aaj dekh bhi liya."

She turned scarlet, stumbling.

Sameer tightened his hold, keeping her close, "Daro nahi... main hun na sambhalne ke liye"

Naina gave in... tilting her head back to rest on his shoulder.

He felt her surrender... and a small smile played on his lips.

Moving his face near her ear, he whispered, "I Love You, meri jaan."

When he felt that she was stable on her feet, he straightened, "Main taiyar hoke aata hun."

Naina did not move from her place... her heartbeat still not in control... her fingers still shivering from his feel... her back still burning from his touch...

Moments later, Sameer placed a hand on her shoulder, "Ab tum mud sakti ho."

She turned... he was dressed up in his jeans and a white t-shirt. Her eyes traveled from his chest to biceps... but could not move up to his face... and she lowered them.

Sameer could see the colour on her cheeks. Holding her hands, he spoke in a soft voice, "Ab batao, yeh aaj ki subah itni khoobsurat kaise hui?"

It took her a while to recall why she had come here... and then she frantically looked around.

The gift was lying on the bed, wrapped and secure in a brown paper bag.

She picked it up and held out to him, "Tumhe ye dene aayi thi."

He raised his brows, taking the bag from her.

Hurriedly opening the wrapper, he held the figurine in his hand, astonished at its similarity with a day they has spent in Mumbai on a hill... after Naina had received her award.

"Bohot pyaara hai, Naina... kahan se dhoond ke layi tum ek aur Naina aur Sameer",  he winked at her.

She blushed again, "Tumhare liye kharida hai... mujhe bhi hum dono nazar aaye isme... toh le liya... tumne chachaji ko mana liya uske liye thank you kehna tha."

He looked at it with narrowed eyes, "Waise toh achha hai... par thank you kehne ke aur bhi tareeke hain."

And he raised his finger to his lower lip, giving a naughty smile.

She hit him on the arm, colouring to the roots.